Chase & Status have announced the tracklist for their forthcoming album No More Idols.
1. No Problem
2. Fire In Your Eyes (Ft Maverick Sabre)
3. Let You Go (ft Mali)
4. Blind Faith (ft Liam Bailey)
5. Fool Yourself (ft Plan B & Rage)
6. Hypest Hype (ft Tempa T)
7. Hitz (ft Tinie Tempah)
8. Heavy (vs Dizzee Rascal)
9. Brixton Briefcase (ft CeeLo Green)
10. Hocus Pocus
11. Flashing Lights (ft Sub Focus & Takura)
12. Embrace (ft White Lies)
13. Time (ft Delilah)
14. Midnight Caller (ft Clare Maguire)
15. End Credits (ft Plan B)
As you can see, there are some big names set to collaborate with Chase & Status, as well as including some tracks we've come to love already since their last album, More Than A Lot. You can pre-order the album now from HMV and Play.com.
The highly anticipated High Rankin remix of Professor Green's Jungle has finally hit us, and it is large. I've listened to Professor Green's album a lot since it came out in the summer and I have to say that when I first heard Jungle, I felt it was crying out for a remix. It's quite different to any of the other tracks on the album Alive Till I'm Dead, which is quite an eclectic mix of different styles of grime and hip-hop.
High Rankin is a brilliant dubstep producer, and he always puts a good sense of humour into his work. The video for Meow Meowwas hilarious, while giving a strong message against mephedrone, which was a legal drug at the time (since then it has become Class B, and rightly so).
The latest upload from UKF is Cutline's Let Me Go. This has a club-like feel that we've come to expect from UKF's dubstep channel. I love this kind of music at the moment, with the samples and synths complimenting each other. The track takes some jungle/breakbeat influences, as well as the standard 140bpm dubstep beat we've become so accustomed to.
The good news is, Cutline has made this track available for free download on Soundcloud. The link for that download is below in the Soundcloud player, and you can buy the rest of the EP here.
I bring you good new this morning as Plan B has made the Doctor P Remix of his hit Love Goes Down available for free download on Soundcloud. I've embedded the player so you can download below.
Saturday 11th December saw the 12 hour dubstep takeover on Radio 1. This was a huge event for dubstep with teams from all over the country sharing the latest in all that is dubstep.
One of the main things to come out from the takeover was Trolley Snatcha's remix of Blind Faith; one of the biggest tracks we can look forward to in 2011 from Chase & Status. The original is highly anticipated enough, but there are some brilliant artists working on the remixes.
Now, when I first heard Trolley Snatcha's version, I wasn't a fan and I sent this tweet. I absolutely love the original, so hearing a different version didn't feel quite right for me. However, I've given it a few listens since then and I am absolutely loving it. The bass is a lot more hard hitting than the original, and although at first I felt it wasn't as melodic, after a few listens I think it really does work.
This will be released with the Blind Faith iTunes bundle January 24th.
MJ Cole today on Facebook shared a clip of his remix of Danny Byrd's Tonight. This is such an energetic track and will get anyone out of their seat and bouncing from the walls.
This is very different to what we've come to expect from MJ Cole, and this can only be a good thing. I like it when artists surprise me and come out with something completely different. MJ Cole has proved his versatility here and shown that he can cut it on the garage scene as well as the dance clubs.
This track is set to be released January 24th on Hospital Records.
Well now I'm just as excited as I was then, because the official video is now up on YouTube!
It's made to look like an amateur video, as it's telling a story. It depicts a warehouse rave, these were very big in the 90's, attracting a lot of attention from police. Now, the scene has changed. Raves take place in licensed clubs, and true warehouse raves are kept very quiet.
I like the video, I wasn't quite expecting a video like this to accompany this track but it really works. I love the shots of people dancing and going crazy because of the music, I've been to a few gigs where I've felt like they do. The video features both Chase & Status, and Liam Bailey, as if they were performing at the rave. Playing at warehouse raves has traditionally been a great way for DJ's to get noticed, most notably The Prodigy.
Now, to the track. I did a review after I first heard it on Radio 1, but I do like to give tracks a few weeks to really sink in. I thought the track was huge when I first heard it, I now think it is even better. It's out January 24th, so we can expect 2011 to go off with a huge bang for Chase & Status. The album No More Idols is also being released in January and it is a must have for any reader of this blog.
Chase & Status' last album, More Than A lot is still one of my favourite albums. It had so much diversity, and I could happily listen to any track - This is quite rare, especially for such a diverse album. Since that album, they have released some great singles, collaborating with brilliant up and coming artists.
The Blind Faith digital iTunesbundle will of course come with remixes. We can look forward to remixes from MJ Cole, Trolley Snatcha, and Loadstar, as well as the full 10 minute director's cut of the official video!
The official video for Nero's Me and You has today been broadcast on YouTube. I like the route Nero are taking with their videos, it suits the electronic music they make. Innocence took inspiration from anime, and now Me and You is all about retro gaming.
This video reminds me a lot of my first console - The Sega Mega Drive. I will never forget the hours of fun I had on that console, it was revolutionary for me. Gaming has come a long way since then, but being able to look back on fond memories is always good and that's what I love about this video.
The song itself is strong, using the electronic guitars and the dubstep beat - it's a winning combination for me. Nero have always samples female vocals well, and that is the same case here. It's the sort of track that will stay in your head for a long time. Nero are clearly leaving 2010 with a bang, and as today they were announced in the BBC's list "Sound of 2011", we can only expect bigger things in the new year.
Today, the BBC have released their annual list of musical talent to look out for in the new year, so I thought I would share my pick of the 15 named on that list.
If you're able to work with Gorillaz, you know you're doing something right. This guy's got a great voice, and I really like the song. His image is pretty out there (like any good artist!) and 2011 will be a very important year for him. It will be interesting to see who else he collaborates with, and what he can produce on his own.
This is one of the hottest tracks of the moment. I'd first heard of James Blake when a friend played me CMYK - A garage like track using female vocal samples, well worth a listen! The video above is more harmonic, using the piano to give a more classical element to the song. James Blake is a genius, and fully deserves to be in the Sound of 2011 list. I'm really looking forward to see what he has to offer us in the new year.
I've used a Burial remix to demonstrate this guy's talent, as it is one of my favourite songs. Just listen to the man's voice, it's suits Burial's dark vibe. His singing is so sincere that you truly believe every word he is saying, and it makes the song feel really emotional. The video above was added nearly three years ago, so Jamie Woon has been around for a while. I'm really glad that he's started to break through by appearing in the Sound of 2011 list.
In high contrast to all of the above, dubstep producers Nero. In a way, I was surprised to see Nero in this list. In my mind they are massive and have been around for years. I wasn't sure which Nero track to share as they have made many classics, they are one of my favourite artists! I decided to go for an older track of theirs, This Way. It's an original track, one of my favourites, and shows what they are about. I feel that 2010 has been a huge year for them, so if the BBC think that 2011 is their year, we can expect a hell of a lot.
The full list of artists from the BBC's Sound of 2011 can be found here.
Devlin shot to fame this year, with his UK hit, Run Away featuring Yasmin. Since then, he's been in high demand - most notably featuring in Tinchy Stryder's Game Over.
Now, he teams up with Labrinth for Let Go. It was only going to be a matter of time before these guys collaborated, they're both rising stars in the same area of music, and compliment each other well. Devlin likes to have a catchy/emotional chorus in his tracks, and that is definitely something I feel Labrinth is best at.
This is a really strong track for those worrying that Devlin may be a one hit wonder. I see him as a British Eminem. I'm not saying this purely because he is a white artist in a predominantly black genre, but he possesses a similar style. I'm talking about the aggressive flow to his lyrics, and I also feel that the video is similar to an Eminem production.
I'm expecting big things from both these artists, and hope that they will do more tracks together.
You can buy Devlin's album, Bud Sweat & Beers on Amazon (link below) or iTunes.
Dutch electronic trio Noisia have uploaded a compilation video of their summer tour. The song is the Excision & Datsik remix of Alpha Centauri. This video is showcased on their YouTube channel.
I love videos like these. As an aspiring DJ, it gives me an insight into what my life would be like if I was out there, playing shows on tour. I love the shots of the crowd, as well as the crazy things the members of Noisia do in the video.
Alpha Centauri is available on Beatport and the Noisia Website, as well as the Excision & Datsik remix.
Something a little different today - Coldplay's Christmas track, Christmas Lights.
On first impression, the song is a little dull. However, it's early December and it doesn't feel like Christmas to me yet. I'm sure that when the lights are up, and the mood is set, this track will feel a lot more appropriate and sound better.
I think all Christmas songs need a good few plays at the right time of year to really become classics, and it's nice to see a respectable band like Coldplay come out with a Christmas track that's not a complete novelty.
I'm reserving a lot of judgement about this track due to the time of year but it's well worth a listen.
Sadly, The Streets are due to release their last album next year, but the good news is they look set to go out with a bang.
One of the first tastes we get from the new album (entitled Computers and Blues), is the track above, Going Through Hell. This was given an exclusive first play on Radio 1 a couple of days ago, as their hottest track on the planet.
I really like this track, and expect it to grow on me even more as we get closer to the release date. I'm looking forward to hearing more from the album, and it will be interesting to see where Mike Skinner and The Streets go in the future.
The album is set to drop on the 7th February next year, and can be pre-ordered on Play.com.
Last night on Radio 1, Going Through Hell was given its exclusive first play. Unfortunately, it hasn't made its way to YouTube yet, although there is a "making of" preview to the official video.
It's only a matter of time before a radio rip is uploaded, and when it is I will be sure to share it here. Going Through Hell takes influences from rock, and hip-hop - taking The Streets in a slightly different direction.
I do like Mike Skinner, as he's a fellow Birmingham City fan like myself. Going Through Hell is set to be released in February next year.
