Big fans of the Diffrent label here at Robot Bodypop. The label bosses seem
to have a clear view of what they want to put out and whilst it may
be indulgent, the quality is always there. In their own words; “We believe theres a lot of soul-less D&B music
out there due to labels having to put out music that “HAS” to sell.
Ultimately we’re about making music fun, trying new things
& putting out music that we truly love!’ – Hunchbak
& Dexta The title track ‘Cutting
Edge’ opens the release off with its steppy breaks
and chopped vocal stabs. It doesn’t build so much as hit you in the
face from the off. ‘Lost’ opens with
some haunting synth’s and draws you in before the crisp break
drives through the cold vibes Diffrent is known for before it peaks into a breakdown that
runs with piano licks and twisted electronica. Followed by personal
favourite ‘Game Changer’ it builds
slowly before the lyrics force a key change and the bass wraps
around the vocals interspersed with killer soundbites. Badness ‘Serrated’ works on the low end right
the way through. Its a deep track. One for the heads. A strong release and out to
pick up now at Juno Records and all decent online
retailers.
Estate Recordings goes from strength to strength showing that the recent Umbro bursary was well deserved. The new single, their 7th release, drops on the 20th August and it’s a killer.
On the A side it’s the first release from super-producer and selector Chimpo and ridiculously good vocalist Fox. They go by the name of The Eyes and it’s a fantastic mix of talents with each artist going back to the roots of music with the vibes on this plate. Both tracks found their way onto the playloist of this weeks Robot Bodypop radio show.
‘Harder’ is a reggae anthem with a hook, which should have people singing throughout the summer. On the flip you have ‘Come Again’ which switches up the vibes with a dancehall riddim this time featuring Strategy found recently rocking speakers worldwide with ‘Marka’
Talented video work from Joe Gavin once again. Really excited to see whats next from both Estate Recordings and The Eyes.
With releases on RunDNB, Audio Tactics and most notably Renegade Hardware and Dispatch Recordings, Octane & DLR are set to drop their long player on the 10th September on Dispatch Recordings. Pushing the limits with their cross-genre vibes has gained them huge support from their peers. Regular radio play comes as a result, as the sound they have spent the last 12 months meticulously carving is ridiculously fresh. The album features mouth watering collabos from Break, Cern and EBK as well as guest vocalists and MC’s Fokus, Kemo, Gusto and Marion.
To whet your appetite catch this preview mix as its absolute FIRE! Just when you thought you’d heard it all before.
Be sure to check out the full dates of each drop
FULL ALBUM RELEASE DATES:
Vinyl album sampler + digital formats drop on 13th of August 2012
Vinyl plate 1 + digital formats drop on 3rd September 2012.
Vinyl plate 2 + digital formats + Full album CD + full album digital (plus extra bonus tracks) drop on 10th September 2012.
Vinyl plate 3 + digital formats drop on 17th September 2012.
In anticipation of the forthcoming ‘I Don’t Usually Like MC’s But…’ long player from DRS, Soul:R label boss Marcus Intalex teams up with the mic-man himself with a stunning mix featuring cuts from the album. An exclusive to the DataTransmission collective, its a showcase of talents from both DRS and the producers. The LP is set to drop at the album launch party at the ‘Bunch Of Cuts’ night on the 25th August where DRS will feature alongside Marcus Intalex, Dub Phizix, Calibre, dBridge and S.P.Y amongst others. A truly mouth watering line up which serves this release justice. Tune into the mix to see what all the hype is about.
I first met DRS skateboarding in Manchester. Albert Square was a plaza for wheeled talent and Del used to drop by with Matt Harfield. This was back in the 90’s and I still remember being shocked that this friendly and humble guy was also the voice of LTJ Bukems Progression Sessions alongside Conrad. Fast forward a decade and more and DRS has firmly rooted himself within Manchester’s history. Del is a musician, producer, MC & illustrator and his new long player ‘I don’t usually like MC’s but…’ is about to drop and from a punters point of view it’s one of the most anticipated releases of the year. As well as his hard work with Broke ‘N’ English and the Estate Recordings camp, DRS has managed to put together an album which both himself and his peers are incredibly proud of. The debut single ‘Count To Ten’ ft. Enei is making serious waves most notably since Kasra featured it on his Fabric Live release.
A testament to the albums quality is it’s release on Marcus Intalex’s Soul:R label. ‘Count To Ten’ with ‘Holding On’ featuring Jehst, Lenzman and Riya on the flip is out to buy on 23rd July at any retailer worth its salt.
DRS talks about the forthcoming single: A. Count to Ten
“This is the second of a trilogy of tunes me Alex (Enei) and Kasra have put
together. Its a play on the count to ten technique used to hold down a bad
temper, which not a lot of people know I do have. I manage to tame it most of the
time but people who are close to me have seen its very ugly face! This tunes
about how I feel before I lose control!! I am not glamourising this in anyway, but
a heavyweight tune came out of telling the tale. Its the part of my character I’m
most ashamed of. If my music is anything its honest.”
AA. Holding On
“This is the first of the two Lenzman collabs. Another sumer roller, driven by a
hip hop piano. It reminded of some old UK hip hop sample, thats what gave me
the idea to get my mate Jehst on this riddim (making his dnb debut). I put my
verse down first, an insight into the actual logistic of life on the road and the
bullshit that comes with it. Jehst followed suit. and desecrated the tune. While
he was recording his verse I came up with the hook. I put it down and we sent it
to Lenzman. He suggested getting Riya to sing along with my hook! oof! that was
the icing on the cake. Bleak,but at the same time feel good. some how??
Bag the single and prepare for the LP and in the meantime you can roll through Del’s influences via the Youtube playlist below. Hardly surprising that its full of warm harmonies and pinnacle tracks.
Clearly a man who understands his music and is right on the cutting edge of whats new, DRS is making himself a ridiculously hard act to follow. Inspirational and aspiring are two words that spring to mind. People have tried to tell me that Manchester is stuck in the past & trying to hold onto the music that made the City famous. It’s people like DRS that give us ammunition in countering those ridiculous arguments.
Hotly anticipated on the Estate Recordings label, wordsmith Skittles returns with his second LP. The album features Skittles own productions alongside Chimpo, Dub Phizix and DRS alongside vocals from Mr Fox and Fallacy. A serious recipe for a long player. The album features cuts released previously as a taster such as ‘Tip-i-Cally’, ‘Boys In Blue’ and the monster ‘Dot2Dot’ as well as some fresh cuts like Robot Bodypop favourite, ‘Lying Here’. As Estate Recordings like to put it:
Imagine a piece of classical music, put it in a blender and add some reggae/ska to it, throw a load of broken instruments in the mix and a few proper cold rappers, sprinkle in some grime an a vinyl,add a bit of pop an pulse until smooth, an you will have nothing like what this album is.
Released on the 5th March in Manchester where you can catch the launch party at The Deaf Institute with a worldwide release following on the 12th March. Pick this album up. Don’t sleep.
Big fans of the Diffrent label here at
Robot Bodypop 