215. Once Waz Nice – Messin’ Around (The Wideboys remix)
Posted: August 3, 2013 Filed under: 2 step, best of remixes, uk garage | Tags: 2 step, a song a day, bass, Messin around, Once waz nice, remix, the wideboys, UK Garage, warp Leave a comment
Still as relevant today as they were in the garage era, thanks to numerous top drawer remixes and a few of their own singles, The Wideboys had their own brand of slick, well produced and well executed garage that put them on another echelon to many. “Messin Around” typified their remix excellence, combining a snappy 2 step beat with a warping bass drop that became instantly recognisable.
Well worth also checking out the 4/4 full vocal remix, far jazzier but also excellent.
198. Redlight ft Ms Dynamite – What You Talking About?!
Posted: July 17, 2013 Filed under: bass, dubstep, electronica | Tags: a song a day, bass, dubstep, mdma, ms dynamite, redlight, what you talking about Leave a comment
Originally living as the cheekily named instrumental “MDMA”, Ms Dynamite jumped on to create one of the summer bangers of 2011. Peaking at a respectable #38 in the UK charts, it signalled something of a resurgence for Dynamitee-hee as she went on to work with some of the hottest names in the urban scene (namely, Katy B & Labrinth).
197. Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
Posted: July 17, 2013 Filed under: breakbeat, rave | Tags: a song a day, always outnumbered never outgunned, bass, breakbeat, breathe, firestarter, invaders must die, Keith flint, Liam howlett, maxim power, Prodigy Leave a comment
The original British rave lineup, you don’t get through albums of gut wrenching, viciously excellent bass music without having something special. “Invaders Must Die” emerged as the intro from the album of the same name, a project which Prodigy from a state of flux, having struggled to connect on previous effort “Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned” (even though an excellent album itself).
“Invaders Must Die” creeps in, always puzzling rhythmically (honestly, I always get confused at the intro) but when it drops, rips a brand new hole for the universe. Still the original and best, many have tried to emulate but none have come close.
We are…THE PRODIGY
148. Benga feat Kano – Forefather #newmusicmonday
Posted: May 28, 2013 Filed under: #hotfor2013, dubstep, grime | Tags: a song a day, acting, bass, benga, chapter II, dubstep, forefather, kano, magnetic man, radio 1, skream, wub wub Leave a comment
From Benga’s recently released “Chapter II” album, a long delayed and much changed release after an upping in expectations, post Magnetic Man. Benga is clearly a talented beatsmith but he lacks the experimental eye and execution of his sparring partner of Skream, meaning the album wasn’t received with any level of commercial success.
Kano lets rip on this track – probably one of the best things he’s done in a while. A classic wub wub dubstep bass rips through relentlessly, leaving no doubt in your mind the impression these two wanted to leave.
Benging Kaned
117. Major Lazer feat Flux Pavilion – Jah No Partial
Posted: April 27, 2013 Filed under: #hotfor2013, dubstep, reggae | Tags: a song a day, bass, beyonce, diplo, dubstep, flux pavilion, free the universe, guns don't kill people, jah no partial, lazers do, major lazer, pon de floor, reggae, run the world 1 Comment
Interplanetary reggaetrapdubstep botherers Major Lazer (made up of Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire) are on their second album “Free The Universe”, following on from “Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do”. It’s actually far more accessible in places than the first, but that freedom is probably the reason why they chose to stay on independent labels rather than team up with a major (given the success of “Pon De Floor”, they would’ve had no trouble getting a deal).
This is a classic hybrid track with a dubstep drop, which for once from them, actually makes musical sense. This in part is down to Flux Pavilion’s “guest” appearance, I’m assuming to bring some bass sensibilities to the table. Prone to madness behind the synthery, this actually gives a feel of a track that’ll hit up clubland for the next 6 months, perhaps with a longer edit for the bass. Nevertheless, despite all their fame, they’re yet to see much sales success so it’ll be interesting to see how things progress.
3 is the magic number
109. Breach – Jack
Posted: April 19, 2013 Filed under: #hotfor2013, bass, electronica, house | Tags: 808, a song a day, bass, ben westbeech, breach, dark house, electronica, get closer, grime, house, jack Leave a comment
Breach, a.k.a Ben Westbeech (he of singing and the excellent “Get Closer”) has been bringing the dark house vibes for a little while now and “Jack” rings through. Almost grimeish house, with it’s bouncing 808 bass and stuttered vocals, the vocal is one of those classic loops that you’ll have on repeat in your head long after you’ve stopped listening. Also check out “Let’s Get Hot” below for more similar flavour.
“I just don’t know man…what if they didn’t have to take this photo in black & white?”
87. Sepalcure – Taking You Back
Posted: March 28, 2013 Filed under: bass, electronica | Tags: a song a day, back and 4th, bass, bass music, future garage, hotflush, joy orbison, mount kimbie, post dubstep, praveen, scuba, sepalcure, travis, uk bass Leave a comment
The sounds of futuregarage/bassmusic/postdubstep (delete nonsense as appropriate) via longstanding tastemaker label Hotflush Recordings, the duo behind Sepalcure take the Horsepower Productions format and chill it the fuck down. This release from 2011 is like having your face painted with gentle chordiness and skippy beats – it’s all very El-B in 2002 but there’s not a lot wrong with that.
To be honest, Sepalcure sounds a lot like a metal band, they might want to have a look at that.
Sepalcure and the cause
73. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Tapes & Money
Posted: March 14, 2013 Filed under: bass, Uncategorized | Tags: 4/4, a s, bass, funk, groove, polydor, Teed, uk bass Leave a comment
Bass merchant TEED weighs in with this slinky number, stripping back from the more lairy 4/4 sound to bring some funk and groove to proceedings. Big things were predicted for TEED early doors and whilst commercial success hasn’t quite panned out that way on album 1, more of this will see his following grow.
72. Gorgon City feat Yasmin – Real
Posted: March 13, 2013 Filed under: #hotfor2013, deep house, garage | Tags: a song a day, bass, black butter, deep house, foamo, garage, gorgon city, racknruin, rudimental, uk bass, yasmin Leave a comment
Traversing the boundaries between 90s deep house and early garage, this roller is reminscent of Dreem Teem’s work in the late 90s (see the Neneh Cherry Buddy X remix for reference). Gorgon City is RacknRuin & Foamo teaming up, each in their own right a respected up and coming bass producer, and it has to be said, the sum of the parts is definitely greater as a whole. Yasmin, who has struggled to connect commercially beyond her underground work, fits well around the track and could offer her an alternative platform to break thru.
Released late Feb on Black Butter (home to Rudimental), this is one for the summer.
Gorgonzola
50. JME feat Wiley – Sidetracked
Posted: February 19, 2013 Filed under: grime, hip hop | Tags: a song a day, bass, bbk, blam, boy better know, frisco, grime, hip hop, jammer, jme, maximum, sidetracked, skepta, UK, wiley Leave a comment
JME, leader of grime collective Boy Better Know and brother of the equally prolific Skepta, can maybe be best described as the thoughtful, chameleonic leader of the grime game. Starting out as a shouty MC rapping about shanks and serving up, he quickly switched content as maturity hit and with it, came a whole new dimension to not only his game but to grime’s. The genre’s various proponents quite often try and create something deep and emotional, which often comes across rather as contrite and shallow – JME manages to transcend that divide between hard man on the roads and touching upon something more genuine.
Sidetracked saw him teaming up with Wiley to create a hybrid hip hop/electro track. Wiley’s chorus is a thing of magic, one of his best works and J reaches similar heights. It’s the kind of gem you rarely find in the rough of grime but when you find one that shines, it often shines brighter than anything else you hear.
JME
A Song A Day 2013 