We're involved in a great new venue in Cardiff called Cardiff Arts Institute . Some real incredible acts coming up on their new Fridays and Saturday nights from May but before then even there's a couple of beauties. On Friday 30th April the big man himself High Rankin will be dropping by, whilst the day before Kruger Magazine are bringing Bass Clef back to the city for some more One Man Bass antics. One of the new Friday residents and Kruger stalwart Adam Corner caught up with Bass Clef for some wordage before he arrrives.
Put the date in your diary – on Thursday April 29th at the Cardiff Arts Institute on Park Place, the one-man-band-like-no-other Bass Clefwill be in town. Following a late-afternoon performance in the lobby of the Cardiff Museum (part of the Artes Mundicelebrations, and quite possibly the first time live dubstep has been played in a museum), zwolf, Kruger DJs (Adam & Phoenix) and Mr Healanwill be warming up the crowd from 9pm in the Arts Institute, before Bass Clef takes to the stage at around 11.00pm.
I caught up with Bass Clef – AKA Ralf Cumbers – and found him waxing lyrical about the joys of playing in Cardiff. “I think I've done Cardiff three times, and each one has been a cracker, especially the last Swn show (in 2009), it was one of my all time favourites!”
A visit by Bass Clef is any city’s gain – and back in 2007, when Ralf played The Point as part of Mary Anne Hobbes’ Warrior Dubz tour, Cardiff knew he was something special. “I love the Cardiff crowd”, said Ralf, “if they're in to it they will really let you know!”
And what’s not to be into? The Bass Clef sound is visceral but sophisticated – a blend of dancehall rhythms, trombone flourishes and electronic production that never fails to blow the roof off. Most people’s introduction to him was through the stunning single ‘Cannot be Straightened’, lifted from his debut album ‘A Smile is a Curve that Straightens Most Things”. Operating in the same anthemic bass territory as Roots Manuva’s ‘Witness (1 Hope)’ or Dead Prez ‘Hip Hop’, dropping ‘Cannot Be Straightened’ is a shortcut to a skanking dance floor.
The new album – titled May the Bridges I Burn Light My Way and released earlier in the year on Blank Tapes – keeps up the pressure, although there’s a little more depth to the songs. “I had a few lovely reviews, but if one person out there gets it and loves it then brilliant” says Ralf humbly. “I’ve been gigging a load, plus writing a ton of stuff, some of which may or may not be the start of album three…I’m currently based in London and most of my music is recorded at home. But with the latest album I took my home recorded tracks to a fantastic south London studio called Snorkel, to add the stuff I can't do at home: brass, percussion, drums. It's something I'd like to build on, the blending of electronic and acoustic is the exciting thing for me these days.”
Bass Clef is only on his second album, but given the speed that electronic music seems to move at, it feels like he’s something of a veteran of the dubstep scene. “I guess in these accelerated times, having released records in 2006 would qualify me as the 2nd wave of old skool or something! God knows, ask someone who cares about the hardcore continuum thingy.”
It’s a refreshingly self-effacing attitude from a man who has done as much rummaging around under the engine of the dubstep-mobile as any of the more consciously cooler Hypedub crowd. While refusing to be pigeon-holed by lazy journalistic clichés is the prerogative of any underground artist, the acts that make up the prism of styles that dubstep has splintered into are sensitive about the way their music is labelled and described. It’s probably a sign of a scene filled with healthy self-confidence, but Bass Clef has a slightly different perspective: “I think I started on the outside edge of dubstep, now I've moved farther out and the egdes of dubstep have moved waaaay closer to the centre. I haven't ever thought about where I stand really. I just try and make tunes I think are good and true, and then whatever anyone wants to call it is fine with me.”
Whatever we do-or-don’t call it, 2010 is a ridiculously exciting time for electronic bass music with new acts and labels popping up everywhere, and Ralf is right in the mix: “Hell yeah, there's a ton of stuff going on. The new Mr Majeika tune on Numbers is absolutely rocking my world. 'Because of you' by Panagea is an amazing record. Geiom is kicking it as always. There's a new act called Raime that will release their debut 12" this year and it's absolutely stunning. I'm deep in to Kenyan Benga music from the 70's too. It's really stripped down, but so funky.”
With such an eclectic bag of influences, its no surprise that Bass Clef is such a unique artist. What other dubstep artist could play a museum lobby and the Scala in London in the space of a week? “I think the weirdest gig I’ve done would have to be at a Cambridge May ball. I played at 4am, after a Take That tribute band, in the courtyard of a beautiful old historic college, to a lot of drunk people in tuxedos and ballgowns. Good times! Well I say a lot. There were about 7 people.”
We’ve all been there…drunk in a tuxedo that is, not playing a trombone and Theremin at 4am in the morning at a Cambridge ball. But what next for the Clef-monster? “There should be a 12" of 'Promises' (single from his new album) with an absolutely beautiful Appleblim & Peverlist remix, then not one but two shows with the almighty Konono No.1, plus my first trips to Malta and Tel Aviv...and of course my return to wonderful Cardiffland!”
And wonderful Cardiffland is looking forward to his arrival…
We recently told you about the excellent South African House compilation, Ayobaness. Well Schlachthofbronx, who have their own (unrelated) Ayoba Remix EP dropping next week have just hit us up with this killer refix of the DJ Mujava track from the EP.
Fabric has always been a benchmark for quality. Their club line ups are pretty much the best in the world and for their Fabriclive mix series, artists make that little bit of extra effort it seems. Their latest release is a compilation which both puts a marker to what is happening right here right now and will continue to do so until everyone else catches up.
Elevator Music could be taken as being something of a play on words. Largely in the Dubstep realm, some of the die hard wobble jump up fiends would indeed view a lot of the tracks here like the sort of easy listening one might find in a lift. Whilst to the music snobs who would sneer at such assumptions, this is music to elevate your mind body and soul.
Although there are some dark and moody moments, we're talking film noir rather than Fangoria and this album is bursting with warmth and energy. Scenic is a word we've possibly over used recently but there's no denying that listening to Elevator Music conjures up electronically generated virtual landscapes of other worlds, or perhaps inner worlds. Rather than being Buddah Bar beach music however, this is more about finding yourself space both on the dancefloor and within the hustle and bustle of the city, not so much escapism as a re-imagination of your surroundings.
We're keeping it warm for the winter today, so get ya thermal jump suit on and do some mellow star jumps (if you don't know how make them up) to this triple crown of blurred boundary Dubstep, Techno, Tropical, blah blah blah from: Bok Bok; an Untold mix for XLR8R that we've rather scandalously only just got round to listening to; and a FACT mix from Bristol boy Hyetal which must be nearly reaching the 3 weeks download limit so needs to be grabbed asap before it disappears.
Julio Bashmore - Around (Forthcoming Soul Motive) Mosca - Square One (Dub) Doc Daneeka - Deadly Rhythm (Dub) Shortstuff & Hyetal - Don't Sleep (Dub) NB Funky - Frequency (White Label) Brackles & Shortstuff - Pipey D (Dub) Headhunter - Love Dup (Forthcoming Soul Motive) Starkey - Knob Twiddler (Forthcoming Planet Mu) Sully - Toffee Apple (Dub) Guido ft Aarya - Beautiful Complication (Forthcoming Punch Drunk) Hyetal - Gold Or Soul (Soul Motive) Gemmy - A Night On Da Wonk (Dub) Hyetal - Pheonix (Dub) Prince - I Would Die 4 U (Warner Bros)
A new Fre-Release blog-label called Scattermusic have just dropped an exceptional offering from Brazillian baille-tech producer Edu K. As well as the original big but minimal (ah we love a good contradiction in our tunes) cheeky double header of Ja, Mann! and Jumpin n Pumpin there's a bunch of remixes in various flavours from: Mom & Dad; Slap & Dash; Dubbel Dutch; WILDLIFE!; and Femme En Fourrure not to mention this excellent bashy riddim from Aussie based producer Lewis CanCut with the choice of two vocalists riding on top.
This hyper than hype jump up party mix from Micky Slim is getting us well geared up for some good ol' fashioned wrong doing this Halloween at Shout Out Loud's Dance Of The Dead in Cardiff, where we shall be joining, not only the twisted Slimster himself but also the likes of Ms Dynamite, Toddla T & Serocee, Mumdance, A1 Bassline, Squire Of Gothos (whose mix we brought you yesterday), Baobinga, Oneman and Detoboi so you know that's some serious throw ya drinks in the air, dancefloor destroying freakiness of the highest order.
Incidentally if you're creative pulses are twitching and you want to have a go at remixing Skank Out yourself then there's a competition in which you could get your prize effort released on Micky's Bomb Squad label.
Simply download the parts here and email your entry to info@bombsquadrecords.net before the end of November.
Although most UK Funky heads probably don't know who Poirier is, he's been a big pioneer in fusing Soca riddims with Bass music. His new night Karnival at Club Soda in Montreal is guaranteed to live up to the name and be a lively explosion of music and madness. Certainly if this promotional mix by Poirieris anything to go by it will be. Ninja Tunejust sent it over as they're dropping a new EP 'Run The Riddim' from the man himself on 28th September.
Intro by MC Zulu Demarco - Love A Come Down (She Can’t Wait) (Stress Free Riddim) The Dø - On My Shoulders (WILDLIFE! Remix Instrumental) MJ Cole & Serocee - AO (Zed Bias Wind Up Mix) Schlachthofbronx - Farafina feat. Ete Kelly Izé - Oh Narina feat. Omrane Buraka Som Sistema - IC19 Buju Banton - Me & Oonu (Wipe Out Riddim) Bunji Garlin - Fire Fi Dem (Wipe Out Riddim) Ricky T - Like A Jumbie (Poirier Edit) (V12 Riddim)
Our Monday mixtape selections this week are from a great new mix resource that goes live today. Mixcloudhave
Oneman certainly captures that warm Autumn feeling perfectly in his soulful, jazzed up Dubstep mix; Legendary UK Hip-hop pusher Disorda offers up a beautiful slice of off-key Hip-hop and future soul; whilst Bok Bok hypes it up with some Tropically tinted rhythms and filthy basslines.
The guys over at Berlin label Shockout take the Tropical Bass sound to a new level with their latest release. The Disciples of Dread EP is the sonic equivalent of being at Trinidad Carnival when someone spikes the rum punch with Ketamine and the place is over run by a Haitian Voodoo Gang. Dark, twisted and kinda scary at times but also upbeat, fun filled and refreshing. Tracks come courtesy of: BADXMAN, a relative newcomer to the scene; Breakcore come Dubstep don Cardopusher; andKid606 who is as hard to categorise as he is to keep up with. Here's a mix with 3 of the featured tracks plus one in full to whet your appetite.
Couple of releases just dropped this week that we feel compelled to tell you about.
First is a Disco dusted Electro Funk number from Berlin / Barcelona bass infected mic fiend RQM which gets toughened up for some serious late night dancefloor stomping with the Brain Matters and Bass Weazal mixes whilst Big Dope P drops some booty bouncing Ghettotech on his mix, Filewile gets all deep and techy keeping it fairly minimal and Stereotyp gets deeper and sophisticated still with a Dubstep edge to his Voodoo offering.
Next is something a little different from Mumdance as he hooks up with Brodinski for his latest single on Norman Cook's Southern Fried Records. The sounds are recognisable from his Carnival style party starters but it's a much deeper and twisted stomping affair than we're used to. Our favourite remix choices here come from Zombie Disco Squad, with their minimal tech topped tropical taster and High Rankin whose darkly paced Dubstep mix is what being lost in a Favela at night on Ketamine must kinda feel like.
Here's a teaser showcasing the original & the remixes...
Unless specified, any mp3s linked to on this blog are purely for promotional trial purposes only and should be deleted from a computer within 24 hours. If you like what you hear show respect to the person who made it and go buy the album.
If an artist or label spots material of theirs on this blog and is not pleased by this, contact me and I will remove it immediately.
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