Chase & Status - No More Idols (First Impressions)

At the end of last month, Chase & Status released their latest album, No More Idols. Yesterday I bought the album, and here are my first impressions.

As expected, it's quite a diverse album, taking influences from dubstep, drum and bass and hip-hop to name a few. The album features the cream of British talent, with Tempa T, Tinie Tempah, Plan B, Dizzee Rascal and Liam Bailey all contributing their vocals to this album.

The main problem I have with this album is that I have already heard (and in some cases own) a lot of the tracklist. Hypest Hype was a free download at the end of last year, End Credits was the soundtrack to Harry Brown (which I promptly grabbed from iTunes), Let You Go was released as a single last summer, and Blind Faith has been played so much on the radio.

If I gave my views on those tracks they would be dated, and in some cases I have already reviewed them. So, I shall take a look at some of my favourite tracks from the album that I hadn't already heard.

The second track on the album, Fire In Your Eyes is one of my top tracks upon the first listen. The guitars remind me of Distance, or even Pendulum. If truth be told I've been neglecting dubstep lately, but a track like this is enough to get me back on track.



Flashing Lights is the next track I will talk about. This has a liquid feel that I've always loved from Chase and Status, a catchy sample with a clean beat - I really cannot get enough of this kind of music.




Finally, Fool Yourself. This track features Plan B, who has just blown up this year, he's now a household name and for good reason. His latest album The Defamation of Strickland Banks is fantastic, and showed a whole new side to his talents. When I first heard Fool Yourself I wasn't too sure, I really like the start, but I wasn't expecting the track to develop the way in which it does. I have picked this as a favourite though as I can see it growing on me in the same way that End Credits and Pieces.






These are my first impressions, and I'm sure my opinions will develop as I listen to the album more, so I will write a full album review in a few weeks.

Noisia Summer 2010

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.

Chase & Status - No More Idols UK Tour 2011

I recently posted both live and radio ripped versions of Blind Faith, Chase & Status' new single featuring Liam Bailey. This is due to feature on next year's new album, No More Idols - released 31st January.

To promote this album, Chase & Status have announced a UK tour that will start in March 2011. Tickets for this tour are going on sale this Friday, 3rd December. However, you can jump the queue by accessing the 24 hour pre-sale that starts 9am Thursday here.

Shy FX - Raver (feat. Kano, Donaeo & Roses Gabor)

The video for Shy FX's new track Raver went live on the Digital Soundboy YouTube channel yesterday. The video features some huge names from the music scene (even Pete Waterman!). Remix is very much the word with this track, as Breakage, MJ Cole, Skream, B.Traits, Attacca Pesante, Benny Page and Shy FX himself have all provided bootlegs which are are available to listen to on YouTube.

The track itself is strong, but I am expecting more from the remixes, as the artists given remix duty are more to my taste. Kano does a good job on the vocals and can do no wrong at the moment, with his album Method to the Maadness doing very well.

This track is due to feature on Shy FX's new album, Larger Than Life, due in 2011, but will also be released as a FREE download alongside the remixes on December 6th.

Plan B - Love Goes Down (Danny Byrd remix)

You may remember that last week here on The Disc Jockey Blog I shared and reviewed the video for Love Goes Down - Plan B's latest release from his album, The Defamation of Strickland Banks. I also shared the Doctor P remix, which I thought was very good.

Well, a different remix, this time from Danny Byrd, has surfaced on Plan B's YouTube channel. This takes a very different approach to Doctor P and is more melodic, and a bit of a feel good tune. I've been a fan of Danny Byrd for a while, but he has shot to mainstream fame through Ill Behaviour - A bootleg on Wildchild's Renegade Master.

He's really found success with the melodic drum and bass tracks, and it's working very well. This remix of Love Goes Down is very radio friendly and I can see it getting a lot of plays on Radio 1.

Brand New Tracks from Skream

If you follow Skream on Twitter, Facebook or Soundcloud, you will know that today he has uploaded three brand new tracks for us to enjoy.

First up, we have Hats Off
Hats Off by SKREAMIZM

I find this track similar to Burnin' Up that was released by Skream last year with Memories of Third Base. It uses the same sample, and has a slow breakbeat/jungle feel. It has a great jingle to it and is very easy on the ears.

In contrast, we have the next track, Smoke Filled Room.
Smoke Filled Room by SKREAMIZM

A classic dubstep pace, I find this track a bit similar to Benga's On a Mission. I think it's the synths that make me feel this way. This track is again easy on the ears, and not the cut throat noise competition that I've seen in a lot of new dubstep over the past year.

Now I have saved the best for last here, this is Untitled.
Untitled by SKREAMIZM


This reminds me of The XX. The xylophone just gives this track a lullaby feel and makes it so relaxing. I could drift off to the this every night. I think it's quite similar to Getting Nowhere on the Magnetic Man album. I do think this track could benefit from some vocals, but I also think it's brilliant as it is.

Skream's Outside The Box album, featuring tracks similar to the above, is available to buy/download from Amazon.

Archangel Vs Monotonik

You know how it is, when your friends aren't DJ's, but they like their music.. you want to make something to impress them.
One particular mate is really into his liquid drum and bass, but also likes Burial, so I thought I'd combine the two.
I chose Monotonik by Makoto, purely because it's your standard drum and bass beat pattern, and has little that would get in the way of Archangel, the Burial track I chose.
I had to speed it up a hell of a lot, and it doesn't quite work in places, but to the ear of a non-DJ, apparently, it sounds really good. (Which baffles me because it's absolutely cringeworthy in parts for me)
Anyway, due to the popularity I decided to upload it to Youtube, as I'm really keen to boost the amount of videos I have up there. So here it is...



As always, any feedback, positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated. :)