Flying Lotus graced the Radio 1 decks on saturday for the latest Essential Mix.

I think I'll let the tracklisting speak for itself...

1. Alice Coltrane - Galaxy In Turiya
2. Charlie Hayden and Egberto Gisomonti and Gonjasufi - Testament
3. Flying Lotus - Massage Situation (Stripped)
4. Dimlite - Sun Sized Twinkles
5. Flying Lotus feat Dolly - Robertaflack
6. Flying Lotus - Robertaflack (Mike Slott Reflunk)
7. Ahu - I Know All The Bitches (Bullion mix)
8. Heralds Of Change - Amuse
9. Carlos Y Gaby - Happy Summer Solstice
10. Pudge - Yung Infamous
11. Dorothy Ashby - Myself When Young
12. Nosaj Thing - Bach
13. LL - Turf Day
14. Flying Lotus - Infinitum (Dimlite mix)
15. Clark - Springtime Epigram
16. Burial - Shutta
17. Blank Blue - Blank Blue (Flying Lotus mix)
18. Daedelus - Im String Struck
19. MHE - ?
20. Daedelus and Madvillain - Experience/Accordion (Flying Lotus live mix)
21. Hudson Mohawke - Zoo0000oom
22. Rustie - Black Block (remix)
23. Teebs and Jackhigh - Idea 1 (Clutch)
24. Matthewdavid - Tallahassee Tapes
25. Martyn and Flying Lotus - Vancouver/Pet Monster Shotglass
26. Fulgeance - Chico (Dorian Concept mix)
27. Joker - Solid State
28. Rusko - Moanerz
29. Daddy Kev - Invite8
30. Ras G - Star Messenger
31. Madlib - Unreleased Gem
32. SAMIYAM - Cheesecake Backslap
33. Knowledge - Dawn
34. Flyamsam - Princess Toadstool
35. Sa-Ra - Hollywood
36. Muhsinah and Flying Lotus - With Me/Melt
37. Flying Lotus - Dissecto
38. Flying Lotus - Breathe
39. Mike Slott - Home
40. Flying Lotus - Sangria Spin Cycles (ambient mix)
41. Danny Breaks - Cosmic Dust
42. Flying Lotus - Beginners Falafel (Free The Robots mix)
43. SAMIYAM - Falafel Cannon
44. Flying Lotus - Beginners Falafel
45. Slum Village - Players (instrumental mix)
46. Flying Lotus - Cackle
47. Flying Lotus - Raise It Up
48. Osborne - Definition Of A Breakdown
49. Baron Zen - Burn Rubber (Dam-Funk mix)
50. Mono/Poly - Needsdeodorantbitch
51. Chocolate Star and Nelly Furtado - Stay With Me/Promiscuous
52. Gonjasufi - Suzie Q
53. Kiing Midas - Lost (Flying Lotus live mix)
54. Rusko and Flying Lotus - Terminal3 / Tea Leaf (Dancers live mix)
55. Daedelus - Hours Minutes Seconds (beat invitational version)
56. Kode9 and Flying Lotus - Kryon
57. Zomby - Spliff Dub (Rustie mix)
58. Busta Rhymes - What Up
59. SAMIYAM - Crystal Lake
60. Weather Report - River People
61. SAMIYAM - Flintstone Car
62. Flying Lotus - Backpack Caviar
63. Radiohead - Reckoner (Flying Lotus mix)
64. Bjork - All Is Full Of Love
65. Broadcast - Winter Now
66. Portishead - Elysium
67. Linda Perhacks - Hey Now Who Really Cares
68. Flying Lotus - Infinitum (Exile mix)
69. Flying Lotus - Live Set Practice Run

The mix can be downloaded from here or streamed for the next seven days using the BBC iPlayer.

Happy listening!  

Mary Anne Hobbs was in town last Friday, filming footage to go alongside the Bristol Rise Up show which will be broadcast on Radio 1 on December 2nd. The interviews with the artists were all filmed at Rooted, which led to an interesting, if slightly manic afternoon's work. Here are a few snaps of the event (unfortunately I didn't manage to get decent shots of everyone). Above: Gemmy blesses mic

Komonazmuk

Even though the focus of the afternoon was firmly on Dubstep, the copy of 'Terminator' on the wall still attracted attention...

Joker's much loved bike ended up inside the shop with him.

Peverelist and Mary Anne Hobbs.

We've been making these 'Bristol Sound' t-shirts for a number of years now and have just got a new batch done in time for Christmas. Until now they have only been sold locally within Bristol but I thought I'd put them up on the site to see if there was any interest from further afield. These were where it all started for us... humble beginnings and all that!

We've managed to get our hands on some of the last remaining Skull Disco hoodies. With the label now winding down it's unlikely that anymore are going to be made, so be sure to grab one quickly if you want one. Their arrival has fitted in nicely with the release of Skull Disco's new 2CD compilation, 'Soundboy's Gravestone Gets Desecrated By Vandals'. The first CD collects together all of the vinyl releases since the label's previous compact outing, 'Soundboy Punishments', whilst the second sees Shackleton, Appleblim and Peverelist's tracks being taken apart and reconstructed by the likes of T++, Pole, Bass Clef, Geiom and Brendon Moeller. The release of a 2x12" made up of these remixes is also imminent, pressed nice and anonymously onto marbled vinyl.

The new CD on the other hand maintains the label's distinctive aesthetic, which is provided as ever by the brilliant Zeke Clough. We hosted a Skull Disco night in Bristol last year and were lucky enough to have Zeke design us a special one off poster for the event (picture below). He has now got his own website set up and it is well worth checking out for more examples of his fascinating work. The address is: www.zekeclough.com/

I have posted this video before but I thought it would be fitting to add it in here as well. The video shows Shackleton DJing (pre laptop era) at a special in-store show at Rooted Records prior to another one of our Highroad events.

Finally, congratulations to Shackleton and Appleblim for 10 fantastic releases which have seen them go from super fans to world renowned artists. It couldn't have happened to a nicer pair of blokes.

Another mix this week, this time from up and coming DJ / producer Rekordah. Originally from Bristol but now residing in London, Rekordah is a purveyor of all things wonky (there's that word again). I recently caught him playing alongside Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, Joker and Jackmaster at UFO v Tape and was really impressed by his set. His mixes combine everything from challenging, off kilter hip hop and dubstep to straight(ish) boom-bapping crunk. He is now promoting his own club night, 'Pollen', which last night played host to man of the moment Mike Slott and next month sees Nottingham based Lone headlining.

His own productions are also going from strength to strength and he has recently been collaborating with Baron Zen for their forthcoming album on Stones Throw. He has been kind enough to do an exclusive mix for us which contains tracks from both himself and a carefully selected bunch of others. Big thanks going out to him for the music.

In his own words:

I'd describe the sound (or scene) as the culmination of multiple pockets of innovation (mostly in LA, Detroit, Glasgow, Sweden, Paris, London etc) finally blowing up and recognising each other, collaborating and drawing inspiration from each other. As a result the worldwide movement of experimental hip-hop is really gathering pace. I also believe that the death of J Dilla really helped a lot of people to discover the vibe of the music and want to sit up and do something. That's what it is as far as i'm concerned, it's hip-hop, hip-hop that has moved (to a degree) away from the culture of the MC and is focusing more on what can be done with the music.

Download the mix here (Right Click Save As).

Tracklisting:

Rekordah - Cherry Coke
JTodd - Luxxxurious
Lone - Interview At Honolulu
Rekordah - Candy Flossin'
Paris Houston - Make It Bounce 4 Ya (FineArt RMX)
Rekordah - Butternut
Rekordah - HypnoRock
Take - Make Believe
Robot Koch Vs. Cerebral Vortex - Madness
Clause Four - Brown Leaves
Rekordah - Green Check

When we interviewed Gemmy back in August he spoke about the influence that computer games have had on his music. He also mentioned rather intriguingly that he had done a few cheeky remixes of tracks from Sonic 2. We've managed to badger him into getting them off of his hard drive for us and you can now listen to these brilliant remakes in the players below. If you haven't already read the interview then it is well worth checking out. It can be found here. Aquatic Ruin: Final Boss Theme:

There is still a very limited number of Punch Drunk T-Shirts left in the colours of Gemmy's release (BK2 The Future / Bass Transmitter), so don't sleep if you want one. They can be found here.

Also, big up to Gemmy for having his Highrise T-Shirt on every time I've seen him out recently! Respectacles!

Some very exciting news just in from Mary Anne Hobbs...

Being huge supporters of the Bristol scene we are obviously very excited!

Hello

The final Special of 2008 on my BBC Radio1 show will focus on Bristol..

I'm calling it:

BRISTOL: RISE UP

12 x 9.30 minute mixes from:

Pinch
Joker
Appleblim
Jakes
Komonazmuk
Headhunter
Peverlist
RSD
Gemmy
Gatekeeper
Forsaken
Wedge

These mixes will be woven into a seamless 2 hour sonic journey through the sounds echoing from the soul of this incredible city..

We are also working on the idea of a film to accomany the special for YouTube.. more on that later..

Bristol: Rise Up
December 2nd >>3rd
BBC Radio1
2am-4am
online all week at www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/maryannehobbs

You have this news first...

maximum respect

m/a.. x

The Brackles and Shortstuff 12" pictured above is the first release on Berkane Sol not to be produced by label boss Geiom (remixes aside). We caught up with him to talk about the label, his own productions and a nice pair of white polished loafers! Massive thanks going out to him for the words.

First of all, why did you decide to start Berkane Sol?

I had a lot of tracks done; some of my music is maybe a bit challenging and I think other labels were not sure if it would sell. When Kode 9 used ‘Overnight Biscuits’ on his Allstars 3 CD it seemed like the right time to start putting some tunes out myself.

The frequent use and style of vocalists on Berkane Sol helps set it apart from other labels. Do you see this as a feature of your tracks in particular, or is it part of the ethos of the label?

Vocals help people connect with electronic music; it kind of humanises it a bit. It was never a conscious decision to put out a lot of vocal tracks but it’s been an interesting process for me to see how they are received.

Do you add the vocals in after the rest of the track has been constructed or are they an integral part of the song writing process?

A bit of both really. The best tracks usually happen when the vocalist is with you during the early stages; they make suggestions about where the thing is going. It’s not always practical for the producer though. I have spent a lot of time making tunes with people who won’t let you change a loop to work on it because they are actually writing to it!

Is the use of live instrumentation something that you see as being important to the label?

I love all kinds of music and know many live musicians. The Magic Radios album I made with Morgan Caney some years back is full of live instruments. It’s nice to be able to incorporate them on certain tracks. In a dance music style like dubstep you hear a lot of nicked samples, so it’s fresh to be able to use, for instance, a live original flute.

Did you know the vocalists before you made the tracks or did you seek out people with particular qualities to their voices?

I was making dancehall with Terrible Shock for ages before we did ‘Feel So Bad’. As you can imagine it’s not an easy scene to break into, especially now that there are very few proper releases in that genre. I did think about putting our own 7”s out, but I never did it in the end. He makes a great dubstep MC. I remember once, Pinch played a Vex’d track at our night and he started shouting ‘the bass too dirty; it’s sinful!’, this was while dressed in an immaculate white suit complete with well polished matching loafers.

‘Reminissin’ (Berkane Sol 6) seems to have something particularly special about it. As you mentioned above the vocals really seem to add a human element to the track. Tell us a bit about the background to the song…

I met Marita at the studio I was working at about 5 years ago. I always wanted to get her on a tune, but never did it until we made ‘Unnecessary Stress’ (Berkane Sol 4). She’s a total natural and has strong opinions about music; she either likes a riddim and really goes for it or decides it’s not the one and refuses to write anything!

Did the success of the track surprise you? What is it about the track that you think made it so popular?

It’s catchy. Marita nailed both the lyrics and the hook on that one, although it doesn’t have a traditional chorus part. I think the beat is quite instantly appealing, but it doesn’t get too annoying as the chords are kind of thoughtful.

Will the version on Dubstep Allstars 6 ever see a release or is it strictly a dubplate mix?

It’s almost exactly the same as the one on the 12” it just has no hi hats! Appleblim got into the unfinished version I gave him and decided he liked it because “it’s more gabba!”.

You have recently written a few tracks with Appleblim (which are wicked by the way!), are there any plans to release these?

Thanks. We like them a lot too. The plan is to either put them out on Berkane Sol or Applepips, but if some massive label offers us loads of cash for them then we are ready! Will be working on some more tunes with Appleblim quite soon. He has tons of good ideas and is a total demon in 2nd hand record shops….

You have just started releasing tracks from other artists, what was behind this decision?

Corporate expansion, lol. To be honest it did feel a little weird only having myself on the label so that’s part of the reason.

Who are the artists that will be featured on forthcoming releases and how did the link-ups come about?

I’ve known Brackles and Shortstuff as friends for time now. Brackles is one of the most talented Dj’s around; expect big things from him. He has an amazing relationship with a crowd.

Shortstuff is on a curious musical journey making very thoughtful dance tracks that sound enormous and kind of fall over themselves. I cut and played tunes from both those guys and eventually thought that they needed to be immortalised on wax.

What are the qualities that a song must have to be right for Berkane Sol?

I am looking for a particular blend of innovation and respect. I want tracks that are unique and fwd thinking but also sound tough in the dance and mix well with other tunes. One tune does not make a night or a scene so it’s good when the producer’s ego is kept under control.

What else does the future hold for you and Berkane Sol?

Interesting link ups with other producers and labels. I have been working on stuff with D1 which will be one project that we put out. I have remixed a Shackleton track (‘The Branch Is Weak’) in return for his remix of ‘Reminissin’. It will be coming out on Skull Disco soon.

I have also been writing tracks with other Notttingham based producers like DJ Spamchop and Earlybird which has given a new aspect to my sound. These tunes are probably going to be the next 12”.

We are now proudly stocking Punch Drunk t-shirts and hoodies! The t-shirts are currently available in navy blue with yellow print, or black with orange print. The hoodies are black and orange. Just click on the image above to check them out.

We are also looking to further expand our range of clothing, so if you have something that you think we may be interested in then please get in touch.

If you are in or around Bristol over the next couple of weekends then I would highly recommend attending these two events...

Teachings In Dub: Iration Steppas v King Earthquake (Trinity Centre 10/10/08)

Up until now Teachings In Dub has always been run in conjunction with Subloaded, a link up which proved itself to be highly successful. This night sees them going it alone, moving to the Trinity Centre for what promises to be a night of truly devastating bass weight. This is going to be a clash of epic proportions, with both sounds promising to draw for only exclusive, unreleased dubplates. To quote King Earthquake speaking about the night, 'Your trouser leg ah go flap to the breeze of the bassline da night deh seeeen!' 

UFO & Tape present: Hudson Mowhake, Rustie, Jackmaster & Joker (The Croft 18/10/08)

The following weekend sees UFO & Tape playing host to one of the most exciting line ups Bristol has seen for a while. The cream of Glasgow's music scene are going to be making the trip down south for the night and will be joined by local grime prodigy Joker. Ridiculously, this stunning line up is being put on in the intimate surroundings of the Croft, so it will be well worth making the effort to get there a bit earlier than usual. For more information on these producers, check out the 'wonky' round up in the post below.

See you there!

This year has seen a wealth of bleep fuelled, synth heavy tracks which have spanned both genre and geographic location. A new sound seems to be emerging, its disparate parts slowly, almost randomly coming together to form a cohesive, if sometimes unlikely whole. From LA to Bristol, via Glasgow, Ireland and France, the sound is gradually gaining momentum. With an ever increasing range of genres beginning to adopt this sonic palette and with producers from seemingly unrelated scenes beginning to work together, the ‘wonky’ movement is most definitely underway. Whether it will end up becoming an identifiable genre in itself, or simply end up burning itself out remains to be seen, but the excitement of the here and now is undeniable.

Below are five tracks released in the last six months that have particularly grabbed my attention. This list is in no way meant to be comprehensive, and for those of you who have been following the development of ‘wonky’ it will hold few surprises. It should however serve as a nice introduction for those less familiar with the sound. I have included lo-fi clips of each track to help give you more of an idea of what they are all about.

Two years ago the 'Dubstep Wars' show on Radio 1 brought Dubstep to the world's attention. Mary Anne Hobbs recently asked the six artists who appeared on the show to select a producer who they believed was still pushing the 'Dubstep' sound forward. The chosen six were to appear on another Radio 1 show called 'Generation Bass'. Vex'd chose Philadelphia based Starkey, a decision which led to him travelling 3,552 miles around the globe to perform at the event. He was kind enough to talk to us about the experience, as well as about his forthcoming album, his love of grime, and a whole lot more besides...

First of all, let’s start with the age old question; what is your musical background?

Well... I started playing piano when I was really, really young. I took lessons all the way through high school... and I also took up various woodwind instruments along the way as well as bass. I was in my high school chorale, as well as a boys choir for 6 years before that. So yeah... basically, I've been all about music since day one.

The bulk of the Dubstep scene is based in the UK. Do you believe that living in America has led to you having a different sound, or is the scene so internationalised now due to the internet that it doesn’t really matter?

The scene is definitely internationalised. No music movement that gains any momentum nowadays stays in its own pocket of the world for very long anymore. The Internet has really de-regionalized music. But regarding my sound, yeah, I come from a different place. It's not Croydon... it's Philly. It's a different mentality, different surroundings, culture, politics, etc. I think the main difference is dance music culture. In Philly, hip hop is the dominant dance music of the clubs... period. In the UK, dubstep came out of garage, which has its roots in a very different place. So hip hop definitely influences my sound. I also come from "electronica", for lack of better words. Everything from Aphex Twin to Tricky. I probably enjoy trip hop and down tempo music more than anything.

You describe your sound as ‘street bass’. What do you mean by this?

Haha. The term "street bass" was first uttered by Dev79, the founder of Seclusiasis. It was just something he came up with that sounded cool. But, I kind of said one day... let's really use this. We were planning a new party in Philly and I said... let's just throw the term Street Bass real big on the flyer. Just that. STREET BASS. That's where it started really. We were using it to basically describe what you would hear at one of our parties; it was this cross-pollination of dance musics from around the globe that we played. It was a very vocal heavy approach to dance music... mixing up hiphop, r&b, grime, dubstep, electro house, bassline, etc. It was somewhat unique to what other people were/are doing... and the term just kind of stuck. From there we started the mix cd series under the Street Bass Anthems title. Every song has vocals, or cut up vocal samples.... it's a big part of the street bass sound. On a side note, the song that I personally feel was the first street bass tune, Dev79's "In Ya Face", is coming out on 12" soon on Seclusiasis. So I'm really looking forward to that.

You said in a previous interview that you also compose classical music. Do you still do this and what effect do you think it has on the music that you produce as ‘Starkey’?

I haven't written much concert music recently... however, it's definitely an influence on my sound. I think it's just all the music training I've had over the years. I think about people who don't have that sort of training, who make amazing music... and wonder what my stuff would sound like if I didn't know much theory.

Your sound seems to have an ever increasing amount of dance floor energy. Was it a conscious decision to move away from the more electronica based stuff?

Yeah... definitely. My tunes early on kind of had the breakcore structure approach: whatever, whenever. I never made breakcore, but my songs definitely switched around a lot and moved from one place to another. But when I started dj'ing a lot more, I felt as though the tunes I was making just didn't work in my dj sets. They were great for live sets... but didn't feel right for the dancefloor. So I definitely switched to making tunes that could fit better in my dj sets. However.... I still feel as though I write "songs" and not just drops. I want my tunes to hold up listen after listen. I don't want to make songs that are only about drops and have no substance. I feel like a lot of "dance" music does just that.... and the tunes are boring if you listen to them all the way through. A song's structure is a really big deal to me... how it develops over time.

I sense a strong grime influence, especially in your latest tracks. Would you agree, and if so what is it about Grime that appeals to you?

Grime is my favourite genre of music probably. That's basically what brought Dev79 and I together in Philly. We were like 2 of the only people that knew what grime was. We started the 1st ever grime party in the US, called "In", back in 2004. It's the vocal element that really did it for me... and the raw energy of the riddims. I know that I just went on about song structure, developing songs, blah blah blah... but there's something about 8 bar grime that really does it for me. It's like the anti-formula. I kind of try to capture that spontaneity with my MOVES!!! stuff which is straight dancefloor. But grime, yeah... I wish the scene hadn't killed itself... or at least it feels that way from afar.

You often use a laptop when playing live. Why have you chosen to do this and how important do you think it is to your performances?

I've mostly been doing dj sets this past year, but I still use a computer. I use Serato with vinyl control. It's the best of both worlds really. You get that tactile turntable control with any tune you want on your hard drive. I can play tunes I just made that day... and my friends made that day for that matter. That's what it's about for me really. CD-J's were never really big in Philly, or in the US for that matter, so computers were just the way to go. It's one of the big cultural differences that I find between US and other "dubstep" dj's. I still buy vinyl... but I always record it into my computer and it ends up on my harddrive.

Starkey playing on Radio 1's 'Generation Bass' show:

It was Vex’d who chose you to appear on the Generation Bass show, how did you first hook up with them?

Hmmmm.... The first time I met Jamie from Vex'd was when he and Plastician (then Plasticman) came to Philly to play. We kept in touch after that and have since played shows together in Philly again and Los Angeles. We trade tunes online a lot, get each other’s feedback, etc... I think we have a similar approach to song writing and have similar tastes, although our sound might be a bit different. We all just enjoy each other’s music really.

Why do you think that they chose you over other producers?

I was flattered obviously. There are so many great producers out there right now, so I was honoured. I mean.... like I said... I think it's our approach to song writing that unites us. We're also kind of outsiders to the core dubstep scene as well, whatever that means... haha.

How did you feel when you first heard that you had been selected?

Well... Jamie first contacted me personally and said... “yeah, so Mary Anne Hobbs is doing this Dubstep Wars II thing... and we picked you to do it.... Are you down?” I mean, we talked a little about how my music would now be labeled as ‘dubstep’ to many people out there and how I felt about that. But, ultimately, she ended up changing the name of the show... so that wasn't really even an issue. I basically feel as though people are going to label your music whatever, so it's no big deal what they label it. Who cares really. If it's good music it's just good music. I mean... I don't think Joker, who also played that show, is dubstep as much as I'm dubstep.

What has the response been like since the show aired?

It's been really nice. A lot of people have been saying how much they enjoyed my set, which I really appreciate. It's great to hear that people are enjoying what I'm doing and connect with it.

The show was all about showcasing artists who are pushing the Dubstep sound forward. In your eyes who is doing this at the moment?

Dubstep is at such an interesting place right now. I feel as though there are so many factions within the scene. There are people who come from drum & bass, others who are into the breakstep thing, others that are more dub influenced. But here's just a brief list of favorites right now, some of whom are really not dubstep..... Darkstar, Raffertie, Zomby, DZ, HudMo, Rustie, Gemmy, Joker, Jamie & Roly Vex'd, Drums of Death, Dusk & Blackdown, .... I know I'm missing some people... so out to all crew, you know who you are!

You have an album forthcoming on Planet Mu, tell us more about this…

Well, it's called "Ephemeral Exhibits". The title comes from the idea that an album is a look into someone's world; a snapshot in time and place. It's going to be out in November on cd, triple 12" and digital. I'm really excited about the album because the few people who have heard the whole thing from start to finish have been really amped about it. It's definitely something you can listen to from start to finish. It doesn't just feel like a collection of songs.... but most of the tunes still work on the dance floor. It's really exciting to be on a label like Planet Mu as well. Mu was one of the first labels I really started following when I got into electronic music.

Do you see working on an album as being different to working on a series of individual tracks? What were you trying to achieve with the album?

This album kind of came together rather quickly. The tunes are pulled from the last year or so of writing... but most are fairly new. Mike from Planet Mu hit me up this summer and I basically sent him every tune I had been working on. We compiled the album from those, along with a few older tunes that I revised for the album.

Which tracks off of the album are you particularly pleased with and why?

Every producer has their favourite tunes... and there's always tunes that you may not necessarily love as much later in your career or after they are released. But, to be honest, I've listened to this album over and over again… and I can honestly say that I really enjoy it from start to finish. There's definitely stand outs though... I really love "Gutter Music" (which is only on the cd/digital version of the album (12" will be on Keysound), "Pressure", "Dark Alley" & "Spacewalk". I'm also really happy with how "Time Traveller" turned out. It was the last song written for the album. Actually, we had already decided to do an album at that point, so my head was at a different place when I wrote that tune.

‘Leak Riddim’, which appeared on the ‘Slit Jockey Vol 1’ mixtape, was vocalled by Kano and Ghetto. Do you have any plans to work with vocalists again in the future?

Yeah... I love vocals. I'm already working with some singers and mc's on some collaborative tunes.

What other releases do you have lined up?

Well... like I said, the "Gutter Music" 12" is going to drop on Keysound. I'm also working on a mixCD for LoDubs which will be out in the early new year. It will be an official thing... like the Analog Clash cd that 6Blocc did this year. Out soon is the "Just a Million" 12" on Rwina Records out of Amsterdam and also the MOVES!!! "All Skate & Playaz" 12" on Dress 2 Sweat out of Glasgow. I've also done a few remixes for people which should hopefully see the light of day soon. After all that I'm going to start thinking about Street Bass Anthems Vol. 4.

More of a rapid fire Q&A than an in depth interview, below is the transcript of an early morning AIM conversation with Ramadanman. It's been tweaked a bit for readability, but is still essentially in its original state. No long ting...

Although it was actually released in July, I thought I'd give people a quick heads up about the above DVD, as it will probably have passed a lot of you by.

'Musically Mad' is the result of years of hard work by Swedish film maker Karl Folke and sound man Andreas Weslien. Filmed over the course of several self funded trips to the UK, the DVD documents the UK's roots reggae scene, looking at its history as well as at the current state of the scene. It is enjoyable, informative and humorous (especially some of the Iration Steppas footage), and is positively bursting with great music. The list of interviewees reads like a who's who of the British roots scene and there is a wealth of sound system footage from both past and present. The film is about an hour in length and comes packed with an abundance of extras (over another hour in total), as well as a 16 page booklet written by David Katz.

As far as I'm aware it is actually sold out at the moment, but more copies are due to be pressed soon. You should be able to find it in a selection of underground music stores, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!

Below is a trailer for the film as well as a short description from the makers:

"MUSICALLY MAD takes you into the hearts and heads of the singers and soundmen, the backbone of the UK roots reggae sound systems. With them they bring the deepest bass and the highest chants, delivered by massive stacks of speakers and custom-built sound equipment. For some, attending a sound system dance is a religious experience, channelled through the music and the message. For others it`s the natural way to connect with the music they love. Either way, sound system culture is growing and changing.

From their humble beginnings in the backyards of Kingston, Jamaica, sound systems were brought along by Carribean immigrants, gradually gaining a strong following in the UK. As David Katz´included extensive essay "Steel Horns And Bass Bins In Blighty" concludes, the dances were crucial in lifting the spirits of the Caibbean exiles, helping them to forget their hardships. Something that reggae and sound system culture now does worldwide, regardless of color or nationality.

MUSICALLY MAD is the story of the people pushing reggae to the masses."