Yours

SBTRKT - "HOLD ON" (SISI BAKBAK REMIX)

2012-02-18T15:16:00.000Z

Very nice remix this. SBTRKT’s “Hold On” as flipped by SISI BAKBAK, which just happens to be man like Thom Yorke's new electronica-fuelled side project - but I didn't know this on first listen, and was suitably impressed.

I remember back when Radiohead first began to move away from guitar-heavy music, we had a conversation comparing dance producers to the then-burgeoning beats of Kid A. We (perhaps unfairly) played something like Kirk DeGiorgio straight after, and commented on how much better the overall sound was, as opposed to the sometimes 'tinny' beats of Kid A. Since then Radiohead have come a long way as a band, and so has Thom as a producer. The overall production on "Hold On" is fully in the electronic music arena. There's thankfully no Radiohead-isms at all, apart from a general melancholic energy infused throughout, and the sound has more weight to it then say the lo-fi "The Eraser" project. Very nice woozy background vocals. Reminds of me a little of Laurent Garnier, or a more sparse Plaid.

- FBZY

PROMETHEUS INTERNATIONAL TRAILER

2012-02-16T21:11:00.000Z

Chances are you've heard that Ridley Scott's sort-of-prequel to "Alien", titled "Prometheus", is soon to be unleashed with the fury of a marketing budget from the gods. Here's the international trailer, which if you're a fan of the "Alien" franchise - even the third one - will definitely give you a tingle (as much as a black-penis-monster chasing Sigourney Weaver around a boiler room can do). "Prometheus" stars Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender and Stringer Bell. The film is due for release on June 8.

Prometheus - International Teaser Trailer #1... by addictomovie

USHER VS DIPLO - "CLIMAX'

2012-02-16T20:42:00.000Z

Where did this come from? Shit I might have been wrong about Usher. Just when I wrote him off after R&B got rushed by Bieber, out of nowhere he drops this collabo with producer du jour Diplo. Titled "Climax", as you'd expect it's dripping with sonic cocoa butter, but represents a bold creative leap for both parties. Unlike the most prolific of Diplo's joints - which often sound like 30 tracks looking for a song - the track is very understated and quite beautiful. Sounds like it could be Milosh until the chorus, and then a bit like The Weeknd. Also a very controlled performance from Mr Raymond, who makes it all sound effortless and strangely earnest. Strip club DJs are going to shit when they hear this.

Climax by diplo

2012 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT EDITION

2012-02-16T20:21:00.000Z

OK. I really struggled to find some sort of artistic or creative justification, for posting what is essentially a photoshoot of really, really hot women in bikinis. I could start on how significant it is that the annual Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition is still an event in the publishing world, some 40 years after it's inception. I could argue that it's not objectification in the same way as magazines like Nuts or Loaded, as these women are not presented for male gratification, but more for aesthetic spectacle, which places it nearer to a fashion show or a fleshy design exhibition. But that's all bullshit. This is just amazing. The shoot took place in Sydney, Australia, and features Kate Upton, Bar Refaeli, Cintia Dicker, Natalie Gulbis and others. See the full shoot over at Hypebeast.

Click on the images for the larger versions. Give your eyes some happy.

SOURCE: Hypebeast

- FBX

HOVERBOARDS MINUS THE HOVER

2012-02-14T21:33:00.000Z

It still amazes me how much people love the Back To The Future franchise. I love it of course - but dropping 3k on Air Mags? Really? Now back in '85, I would have murked everyone in Class E for a pair - such is our collective obsession with Robert Zemeckis & Robert Gale's whimsical fantasy about a girl desperately trying to screw her future son. Now with rich nerds and soulless trainer enthusiasts properly fleeced with the release of the aforementioned Air Mugged, Mattel will soon be issuing a full-scale replica of the Hoverboard from Back To The Future 2. Oh yes. Except you can't use it on water. Oh wait - it doesn't actually hover. So... It's just a board? Uh... OK. Man, I hope Kid Cudi doesn't run into a ridiculous mob anytime soon.

Limited ordering begins March 1st.

SOURCE: Aintitcool

- FBZY

RHYE - OPEN

2012-02-11T15:33:00.003Z

Err this is a free download courtesy of The Fader. It's a collabo between Milosh & Robin Hannibal. Say NO More. I'm off to sway around the lounge sighing

Yayoi Kusama

2012-02-11T14:11:00.006Z

Largest exhibition of Yayoi Kusama's work comes to the Tate Modern. Its on til June, don't sleep on the dots n lights n infinities of mirrored space n that.

Bon Iver V The Roots on Jimmy Fallon

2012-02-11T13:54:00.004Z

Shit I wish i was a runner on this show. Hot on the heels of Nas doing 'Nasty' with Ahmir T and crew comes Justin Vernon and this nice extrapolated version of 'Perth'.
Roots having a residency where they can do whatever the fk they like is a blessing and keeps ?uest innovating like the good old days of jazzy yore.

Adamantium Trax 19

2012-02-09T22:17:00.003Z

New Adtrax podcast - Best of all new, re-issues and re-edited goodness from around the audio netheregions including new shit from Shigeto, Jesse Futerman, Superbreaks, Lapalux and Jesse Boykins.

Tracklist

Ólafur Arnalds - Near Light
Essay & CoMa - Deceptive
Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka feat. Abigail Wyles - Halo
Beacon - The Rip (Portishead cover)
Σ-Fly - Danced with Wolves
Shigeto -_Hurron River Drive
Anthony Drawn - Silent Storm
Nocow - Sever Ties
Falcons - Nigeria
Jesse Boykins III & Gora Sou - The Perfect Blues
Jesse Futerman -Yusef
Good News Attitude - Drink My Water (em vee edit)
Perfect Circle - The Hand Of Time
Superbreaks - Rock The House (SB Disco edits 05)
Bear In Heaven - The Reflection of You
Dirty Three - Rising Below
Insightful - So Sorry
Lapalux - 102 Hours of Introductions

Duchamp

MACHETE KILLS

2012-02-09T19:27:00.000Z

Weird. Only yesterday I mentioned the Robert Rodriguez/Ethan Maniquis directed "Machete", which features a whole bunch of Lindsay Lohan behaving badly, then up pops the promo art for the sequel "Machete Kills". Danny Trejo reprises his role as the titular badass, amid some nonsense plot involving arms dealers, Mexico and naked women. Poster has a very Frank Miller feel to it, but what's up with Trejo becoming the Ron Jeremy of Grindhouse?

Click to view the full size image.

SOURCE: Aintitcool
- FBZY

EARL SWEATSHIRT - "HOME"

2012-02-09T14:25:00.000Z

So Earl Sweatshirt (hipster-favourite member of OFWGKTA) has apparently returned home from Somalia or wherever, and dropped this little gem, titled "Home". Might just be me, but damn the whole thing, from the flow to the production, totally reminds of DOOM/Madvillain. Especially that bit at the start when the music cuts for the first drop of the vocal? Villain. Odd Future release their new mixtape "OF Tape Vol 2" on February 20... God I miss Madvillain.

THE BLACK KEYS - "GOLD ON THE CEILING"

2012-02-08T22:39:00.000Z

Let's see. Flight cases? Check. Tour buses? Check. Leather jackets? Check. Grainy footage of adoring fans? Oh check. No it's not the latest Stereophonics video, this is the latest video for your sister's new favourite band, The Black Keys. Currently surfing a wave of critical acclaim and stadium-sized popularity, the band are due to play this week (in my manor) at Alexandra Palace. This video is for the single "Gold On The Ceiling" taken from ace current album "El Camino". The obvious comparison here is... Well, obviously Paul Rogers/Free/Bad Company, but it's a good bet the fuzzy bass, shuffling drums and double hand-claps come courtesy of Danger Mouse (who co-produced the album). Well worthy of a super-8 style montage.

- FBZY

TERRY RICHARDSON & LINDSAY LOHAN IN LOVE

2012-02-08T20:15:00.001Z

We saw Terry Richardson one time in this Japanese fusion restaurant in New York. He was easily one of the happiest people I have ever seen in my life. Like, he just radiated happy. It's no wonder really - he just gets to hang out and shoot awesome people in against white walls in his apartment. Did you see the NSFW pic of him nailing Juliette Lewis mid-air? Amazing. He's having a great time. Anyway, here's his Marilyn-Monroe-inspired shoot with the world's sexiest cocaine addict Lindsay Lohan for the UK's very own Love magazine. I don't know why people are always up in Lohan's grill. Who doesn't like a bad girl? Did you see her in Machete? Swoon. I think she's rad.

- FBZY

BLING 47 RELAUNCH

2012-02-07T19:51:00.003Z

Jay Dilla bday time has come around again. Most interesting thing to resurface this time around is the new and sparkly version of the BLING 47 website. Dilla had a x million styles and they are all dope, but it was his releases on bling 47 that made me really start to understand his level of sophistication as a producer and the scope of the shit that he and Waajeed had in the locker.

These Detroit dudes were bringing the electronic & techno elements to their beats before most anyone else, Waajeed spent time hanging out with UR Supremo Mike Banks honing his production sounds apparently.

Anyway, the website is back up after a hiatus of 3 or so years and it is peachy. There are exclusive Jay Dee beats horded by Jeedo from mixtapes that Dilla did for him. There are nice posts about samples used on Jay productions and lots more. Well worth bookmarking for a trip down memory lane and also one for the future, because whoever they sign will be next level.

Duchamp

JAMES BLAKE REMIXES D'ANGELO

2012-02-06T20:45:00.000Z

The blog has been a little D'Angelo-heavy of late, and this isn't helping, but maybe it's not a bad thing. As a tribute to R&B Jesus' return to form, James Blake debuted a remix of "Left And Right" under his Harmonimix handle, during a guest DJ set on BBC Radio 1 over the weekend. As Harmonimix he has reworked songs by Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and Destiny's Child. The track itself has received a mixed reception. Blake's signature minimalism proving to be quite divisive when juxtaposed against the energy of the original. What do peeps think? And to compare/contrast, below is the Red Astaire version on G.A.M.M. which is probably one of the best remixes I will ever own.

Red Astaire | Follow Me | SP Video Edit from Stefano |SP| Pugliese on Vimeo.

- FBZY

VINTAGE NIKE ADS

2012-02-06T18:55:00.001Z

If like me, your childhood is also roadmarked by trainers and crushes on girls, here's a little trip down memory lane - just on the trainers though - with this selection of vintage golden-era Nike ads courtesy of The Smoking Section and Classic Kicks. Many of these ads I remember first time round, and took me back to a halcyon-ic period when American street culture felt new, exciting and revolutionary, and features arguably Nike's most successful run of advertising. It also made me want to buy another pair of Air Trainer SCs, and call the girl I met on the number 67 bus going through Tottenham in '91. Advertising works!

Click on an image to view in gallery mode.

- FB

M.I.A. - "BAD GIRLS"

2012-02-06T14:49:00.000Z

Did you see the Superbowl show last night? Bit of a horror show. At one point Madonna AKA Monster Arms was joined on stage by hyperactive-blow-up-doll Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., all gyrating away like drunk HR directors on a hen night. Fucking horrible. Anyways I'm not really a M.I.A. fan, but this track is cool and video is pretty sick. The whole thing is like an Arab remix of that Beyonce video, and the cars-on-two-wheels thing is completely nuts. How long before LDN car accidents triple as a result of this video? Someone needs to contact everyone under 21, and tell them that shit is just not going to work in Dagenham.

- FB

THE INTERSTATE LIFE ORDER FOOD CORRECTLY

2012-02-02T15:25:00.000Z

Giorgio is the lead singer in a band called The Interstate Life, and these guys really, really like drive-thru. So much that Giorgio doesn't just order it - he serenades it. If I could sing like that, I'd also use it for just about anything. He makes ordering burgers from a fast food restaurant in the middle of what-the-fuck sound like a weekend in Paris. I generally think all talented men should use their powers for evil.

- FBZY

FRANK OCEAN - "VOODOO"

2012-01-31T08:49:00.000Z

The formula for the current trend of edgy R&B (90s slow jam-style backing tracks with jarringly contradictory lyrics and themes. Swearing. See also: Terius Nash, Drake) is showing no signs of abating, with this new snippet from Odd Future poster boy and mixtape wonder Frank Ocean. If you haven't got Nostalgia/Ultra already, you really need to get on it - it's the album Kanye's been trying to make since 2008.

With a new Odd Future mixtape dropping this spring, and Tyler working on "Wolf" his follow up to the controversial "Goblin", it looks like Supreme and cat-head t-shirts are going to do alright in 2012.

- FBZY

MARK LANEGAN BAND - "THE GRAVEDIGGERS SONG"

2012-01-30T19:33:00.000Z

Gravel-voiced alternative hero Mark Lanegan has just released a video to accompany the awesome "Gravediggers Song", by his titular band. The track finds his baritone growl at his most melodic, over a ethereal, pulsating, paranoid drone, very reminiscent of QOTSA (of whom Lanegan is a member/frequent collaborator). The fuzzy edges are offset by rolling drums and a beautifully malevolent chord structure. The overall pagan-style-spookiness is doubled when he switches to French mid-verse "tout est noir mon amour". The video is directed by Alistair Legrand for The Masses. "The Gravedigger's Song", is out now as a limited colour 7" vinyl and digital single.

- FBZY

D'ANGELO LIVE IN STOCKHOLM (UPDATE)

2012-01-29T13:36:00.002Z

So the reports of D'Angelo's recent live gigs have been in the resoundingly positive. It doesn't look like tickets for the London shows will be coming my way (bummer), so unfortunately I might not be able to witness the comeback in person. However here's a bunch of clips taken from the gig in Stockholm, Sweden, featuring new track “Sugar Daddy”, "Playa Playa" & "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker" with D AKA 'R&B Jesus' (it looks like that nickname is sticking) in full Prince-mode. He looks good up there, so hopefully 2012 will see the dude on rare form.

UPDATE: Here's two more vids below, (these are from the Paris shows) of "Untitled" & his cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity".

SOURCE: Okayplayer
- FBZY

HONEST OSCAR FILM POSTERS

2012-01-29T13:13:00.000Z

Does anyone even care that the Oscar nominations are now in? With Hollywood eschewing grown-up subject matter in favour on filling multiplexes with lucrative franchises, re-boots, and adaptations on everything from comic books to 30 year-old board games, increasingly it seems the awards are just a way for the rapacious American film industry to justify it's own existence. Perhaps that's an overly cynical assessment. In the past few years we've seen audaciously adult films do quite well, such as 'The Social Network', 'We Need To Talk About Kevin', 'The King's Speech', 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy', 'Shame', and 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'. But then again last year 'Fast Five' grossed over $625 million worldwide, so there's still work to be done. Here's a photoshopped look at this year's Oscar bait film posters, via Uproxx.

The Iron Lady

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

The Ides Of March

A Dangerous Method

Shame

J.Edgar

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

War Horse

The Help

LIANNE LA HAVAS

2012-01-25T13:23:00.000Z

With glowing reviews for her live performances, stunning voice and rare musical ability, this is another of 2012's bright musical future, Lianne La Havas. Hailing from south London, the 22 year-old is born of both Greek and Jamaican heritage. Her father was a multi-instrumentalist who introduced her to the guitar and the keyboard. La Havas launched her career after performing as a backing vocalist for Paloma Faith and Rox. Now signed to Warner Bros, she is working on material for her upcoming debut album due early this year.

Obvious comparison's aside (Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, India Arie), her standout quality is well, quality. Though the sound is generally more on the neo-soul/acoustic side of things, her vocal ability, musical chops and strong songwriting put her in a league with artists like Laura Marling rather than Estelle (no offense to Estelle meant of course!). She played live in London last night and from what I hear - with just voice and guitar - completely smashed it. One to watch.

Below is the video for the single "Forget", directed by multimedia artist Danny Sangra. Followed by a couple of live performances. She's also quite a charmer...

- FBZY

DC COMICS REBRAND

2012-01-24T16:14:00.000Z

To reflect their growing presence as an entertainment company across multimedia, and to solidify their position within the digital arena, DC Comics have re-branded, following from re-launching all their massively confusing titles last year.

From the classic Milton Glaser designed 'bullet' logo in the 70s, to the revamped logo by Brainchild Studios in 2005, the logo has always had a very iconic, solid, American feel to it - like something you'd see on a baseball cap. This has be eschewed in favour of a visual device (referred to as the 'peel'), designed to reflect the duality of the DC characters (Bruce Wayne/Batman), and to appear dynamic in a mix of digital contexts.

As expected with massive re-brands (GAP, Waterstones), the logo has debuted to a very mixed reception. Many feel the new logo lacks excitement and is far too corporate, while some welcome the new modern approach. Still quite a few people are lamenting the Redundant Acronym Syndrome issue (it actually reads Detective Comics Comics). I won't get too much into the debate as this isn't a graphic design blog - read the arguments here. But personally, I hated it at first but it's growing on me. Can't believe designers are still using 'page curls' on graphics in 2012 though - that shit played out a long time ago son. What do peeps think?

- FBZY

JUSTICE - "ON'N'ON" (UPDATE)

2012-01-23T09:40:00.001Z

Here's the new clip for Justice's "On'N'On", directed by Alexandre Courtes (who apparently makes the ladies faint - not in a good way though). Coming on like a cross between the opening titles of "Tales Of The Unexpected" and the last 15 minutes of "2001- A Space Odyssey", It features naked ladies, so maybe not suitable for work viewing (unless you work in Dalston in which case it may be expected).

The "On'N'On" remix EP is available to pre-order and out Jan 30.

Justice - On'n'on by justice

UPDATE here's a brand new remix by none other than Rick Rubin, who apparently is a big fan of the band. Busy P has a nice little story about the hookup on his blog.

- FBZY

YASIIN BEY IS NOT WATCHING THE THRONE

2012-01-22T14:34:00.000Z

This the freshly-monikered Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def now using his legal name, Yā Sīn is the 36th 'chapter' of the Qur'an), dropping a version of Jay-Z/Kanye West's "Niggas In Paris", titled "Niggas In Poorest". Yasiin uses the same flow on the original, but alters the lyrics to make the track a scathing criticism on what "Watch The Throne" represents, which continues to create headlines and debate throughout pop culture and media alike. Mos had previously done something similar with the "Rape Over", a version of Jay-Z's "The Takover". The track was never released, as it was blocked by Jay-Z and The Doors (the samples were never cleared).

"...who the fuck is Margiela?"

Throughout 2011 the participants of "Watch The Throne" were barely off our screens. With over 7 million albums sold worldwide, a number one single for "Niggas In Paris" and a 23 date tour in the U.S. alone which made over $20 million (gross). The VOYR project (of which is unclear whether this is a initiative spawned from Kanye's camp), provided the backstage content, video diary and promotional element to the tour. In a video demonstrating the brand-power of "Watch The Throne", the album and tour is described as a:

"...perfect synthesis of artist, brand and fan, where technology is the delivery system, and a deeply engaged consumer is the ultimate prize"

Yikes. But so far criticisms of "Watch The Throne" beyond the music itself has been few and far between. In probably the most economic, social and politically turbulent year worldwide for some time, this testament to a modern American dream, one of self-actualisation and the will to power through fierce capitalism has come under little fire (incredibly, even when Jay-Z's Rocawear almost starting selling an "Occupy Wall St" t-shirt).

"So what’s fifty grand to a young nigga like me?/More than my annual salary"

From William Randolph Hearst to Bill Gates, the myth of the 'self-made' (though often already affluent) man has always been a compelling story. Framed in the context of the disadvantaged and disenfranchised, the story becomes a legend. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Any successful enterprise takes great will and self-belief, especially in the face of an economic and social class system. So these songs, centered on tremendous feats of success and a compelling future (a technique of many motivational speakers), become mantras. I work out while listening to "The Blueprint", and by the end of it I feel like a goddamn CFO.

So what's the beef? Well, it all depends on how the myth ends. The problem becomes where entertainment perpetuates capitalism as a means of us fulfilling our evolutionary need to survive and prosper. Phew.

Media needs advertising, and advertising needs consumers. We (the consumers) need to feel successful. So we look to media - as well as culture and social proof, areas targeted by advertising - to show us how to be successful. Rinse. Repeat.

Now, black artists do not necessarily need to be politicised just because they are successful. No one's pissed at Dave Grohl for not tackling the U.S. national deficit in his last album. But I believe in a balanced argument, and the right to an alternative. Which brings me back to Yasiin.

“Doctors say I’m the illest/I ain’t got no insurance/it’s them niggas in poorest/be them rebel guerillas”

This is Yasiin at his most revolutionary. Even the now-famous pause in the track which originally featured a Will Ferrel sound clip, has been replaced by monologue from Malik El-Shabazz (AKA Malcolm X). The quote itself was made at a time when Malcolm sincerely felt it his eventual assassination was inevitable, as he was surrounded by enemies on all fronts. Is this Yasiin making a stand without fear of reprisal? The reprisal itself may be economic in this case. Hip-hop deemed as 'revolutionary' can expect little airplay and album sales (see Paris, Dead Prez etc).

Still, if this is the shape of what's to come from Yasiin, I welcome the alternative point of view, and the courage of an artist going against the grain (please no more 'reggae' singing though). The production on this track is rough as hell, so the lyrics are quite hard to make out - I've dropped them in below.

[Intro]
Live from America
Yasiin, Yasiin, Yasiin
N.I.P, sing it

[Verse 1]
Ball so hard, clean clothes look grimy, pretty women don’t mind me
So what’s fifty grand to a young nigga like me? More than my annual salary
Ball so hard, this shit crazy, fought my side, the whole world hate me
Nervous stares hit the third affairs, Savannahs can of police tracing
Ball so hard, this shit weird, we be home and still be scared
There’s grief here, there’s peace here, its easy and hard to be here
Psycho, liable to turn Michael, take your pick, Myers, Myers, Myers, same shit
Ball so hard, got holey socks, dope block on my stove top
Jumbotrons for astronauts, high at all but no planet rock, say
Ball so hard, this chopper too, we starving Marvin, you hot food
There’s birds of prey, no escape, open-air prison, no pursuit
Ball so hard, who getting faded? Little Maurice in the sixth grade
No mama, no father, role model the dope game, say
Ball so hard, bitch behave, standing behind the deuce-deuce-trey
Ice-cold, heat blow, closed casket, cold case

[Hook]
Ball so hard, that shit cray
that shit cray, that shit cray, that shit cray
that shit cray, that shit cray, that shit cray

[Verse 2]
These young bloods is looking scary at the mall
They wearing pants, you can still see they drawers
They rob a nigga in the bathroom stall
They took his life cause he ain’t want to take it off
Singing, ball so hard, that shit cray, ain’t it, Bey? Diabetics, fish filet
Ball so hard, your hustle cold, nigga it ain’t spring
Every winter and I ‘em with my heat again
Bourgie girl, grab your hand, show you how to do this ghetto dance
Fuck your French, we ain’t in France, I’m just saying
Prince Williams ain’t do it right, if you ask me
If I was him, I’d put some black up in my family
Fake Gucci, my nigga, fake Louis, my killa
Real drugs, my dealer, who the fuck is Margiela?
Doctors say I’m the illest, I ain’t got no insurance
It’s them niggas in poorest, be them rebel guerillas, huh

[Interlude: Malcolm X]
I don’t worry. I tell you, I am a man who believed that I died 20 years ago
And I live like a man who is dead already. I have no fear whatsoever of anybody or anything

[Hook]

[Verse 3]
To the kings and queens and everyone in every place, yo
Don’t get caught up in no throne, don’t get caught up in no throne
Don’t get caught up in no throne
Towers of Babylon rise up and so they shall fall
As it was written before, amen, the show goes on
Don’t get caught up in no throne, don’t get caught up in no throne
Don’t get caught up in no throne
These devils out here lying, acting like the people ain’t dying
They silver and they gold, ain’t never saved a soul
Don’t get caught up in no throne, don’t get caught up in no throne
Don’t get caught up in no throne
Shout-outs to the earth and to the heavens, lunar, solar eclipses
We seeking for forgiveness and safety for our children
Don’t get caught up in no throne, don’t get caught up in no throne
Don’t get caught up in no throne, Allah is in control

- FBZY

HONG 10 & FRIENDS

2012-01-21T18:52:00.004Z

err, breaking got crazy! Japan/ S.Korea take over. I don't even know if you can call this breaking? It's like a cross between Ong-Bak, Olympic gymnastics, S&M and Step Up but it's pretty amazing. Elbow pads definitely a pre-req.

OH SHIT - BRUCE LEE

2012-01-20T21:20:00.000Z

This looks amazing. This is the trailer for new documentary "I Am Bruce Lee", the film delves into the life of Bruce Lee and his legacy in both martial arts and film. I'm only really interested in hearing Bruce though. I'm not really sure what the dancer-Lou Diamond Phillips-dude from the fuggin' Black Eyed Peas is bringing to the table. And on that note, don't bring up Elvis, Jay-Z, Bob Dylan or Kobe in the same breath - this guy was a for-real superhero.

- FBZY

ETTA JAMES - RIP

2012-01-20T21:07:00.000Z

Etta James died early Friday at a hospital in Riverside, California. She was 73 years old. Very sad news. Heard it today on the radio and genuinely felt a bit bummed (not just because she looks a little like my kid). The singer, who suffered from kidney diseases and dementia, was admitted to hospital last month. She had been in failing health for several years. Her voice and her soul will be missed.

- FBZY

JUSTIN BIEBER NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD

2012-01-20T18:08:00.000Z

Dirty Loops are noteworthy for two things. The first is making me thoroughly enjoy a Justin Bieber song (I thought that was humanly impossible), and for two having the worst looking website ever (the bio page looks like an adult entertainment website) - and having Pete Burns from Dead Or Alive on bass is not helping one bit. According to the official spiel:

"Dirty Loops is a Swedish power trio that twists pop music in a way never done before"

This is certainly true of their blistering cover of Justin Bieber's "Baby". This is like Phoenix on really good drugs, or Jeff Buckley without the really good drugs. Needs more chords though.

- FBZY

THE BULLITS - "SUPERCOOL" AKA ROSARIO DAWSON IS THE BEST

2012-01-19T14:58:00.000Z

I didn't think Rosario Dawson could exceed my estimation of her, but here she is, dancing on the street with a crackhead and a shopping cart in Soho, London. This seemingly unscripted performance is actually a video for The Bullits latest track "Supercool" (featuring Rosario Dawson strangely enough). It starts with Bullits front man Jaymes Samuel delivering a comedic skit, clearly influenced by Dave Chappelle's Tyrone Biggums character. As 'luck' would have it he spots Rosario on Charing Cross Road, and in a moment of genius 'Tyrone' whips out an iPod and gets the track - and his groove on. Damn I want to dance with her so bad it feels like I need to pee.

"Supercool" is released on March 4th.

- FBZY

SLEPT THROUGH THE DOPE

2012-01-18T10:58:00.006Z

Checking out all manner of best of lists from 2011 as always in Jan and finding so many amazing things I missed out on. Here is some pretty fantastic Chicago type a locked funk business from Medlar on the permanantly on point Wolf Music

SMUG COMEDIAN INSULTS ENTIRE ROOM OF OVERPAID ACTORS

2012-01-16T19:06:00.000Z

AKA Ricky Gervais' opening monologue for the 69th Golden Globes. Always nice to see Hollywood's brightest taken down a few hues, but the Kim Kardashian joke was lazy - it's like when American comics come over here and struggle for topical cultural references as joke-fodder ("David Beckham!", "Prince Charles!" etc). However the whole thing is worth watching just to marvel at Gervais being generally fearless and totally owning the room - at the end he makes Johnny Depp look like an awkward teenager in the wrong class. Makes me wish he did more "Extras", rather than the current one-joke-wonder about the little guy from "Willow". And what's up with Gervais looking more like George Michael than George Michael does? Weird.

PHARRELL WILLIAMS & THE HMI ORCHESTRA

2012-01-16T18:03:00.000Z

Throughout 2011 Pharrell Williams established himself as an international cultural figure and entrepreneur, traversing his hip-hop status into more of a broader creative palette. This looks set to continue into 2012, with his recent trip to the University of Miami Frost School of Music, to link with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra on a theme titled "I Am Other". Though the video doesn't feature the full track, this sounds properly amazing and is hopefully a good sign of what's to come from Skateboard P. Dude is mad inspiring, and always makes me want to step up my creative game.

"Williams composed the mixed-genre orchestral work—which features soft and ethereal atmospheres contrasted with fortissimo brass themes and driving rhythms—to explore a different side of his musical creativity, and to encourage his hip-hop fan base to expand their musical horizons. Shelly Berg orchestrated and conducted the work, and Director of Recording Services Paul Griffith (B.M. ’83) was the recording engineer."

SOURCE: Nah Right

- FBZY

JON DANIEL'S BLACK ACTION FIGURES

2012-01-16T17:01:00.000Z

As a black multimedia creative born to West Indian parents and raised in London, it always amazed me how little my experience - both in my formative years and professionally - has been represented or reflected over the years. So when I first saw one of Jon Daniel’s articles in Creative Review a while back, it felt like I had discovered a unique cultural voice. He's a bit older than I, but the depiction of his journey into a complex racial identity, set against the cultural backdrop of the UK 30/40 years ago, is spot on. Even in his latest article when he describes looking to America for cultural reinforcement - this is something I did as a young man for years.

Jon is an award-winning creative, who was responsible for a series of stamps from the African Diaspora, and writes fantastically inspiring and insightful articles - some of which I'll be posting in the near future. Here's his latest feature on his collection of African American action figures, and the inspiration behind them:

"Growing up through the late 1960s and early 1970s, I think I am fairly typical of the British-born, first generation offspring of West Indian parents, in my search for identity. It took me a long time to come to terms with Britain being a part of who I am. There was little in the British culture that either appealed to me or I felt I could be a part of. Any positive images or messages, were all coming from the West Indian culture of my family and the African American culture of the United States. I was fortunate as a child to visit America on a few occasions to visit other members of my family living there. Everything about America seemed brighter, bolder, blacker and better..."

Visit Jon Daniel's site here

SOURCE: Creative Review

- FB

Eaux

2012-01-15T13:33:00.000Z

So, late last year the Sian Alice Group split up. All very 'boo hoo' and stuff. But, 3/4 of my good peeps have got there crap together and started recording some new material and it's fuckin jamming. Mad into the whole 'dancing all night in a Berlin warehouse with a drunk Swede and watching slo-mo footage of slam dancing, whilst studes bang on gongs' vibe.
Listen below

burnout demo by eauxeaux

WILLIS EARL BEAL

2012-01-14T11:28:00.000Z

Also on the list for this year's Great Soul Hope is this cat, Willis Earl Beal. Young Willis hails from the South side of Chicago, and hollers the blues like a man who's seen some living. Turns out he actually has, and has a epicly-cinematic backstory to prove it. Finding himself in the arid New Mexico desert in a bout of depression after being discharged from the army for 'medical reasons', he started writing songs. But forgoing any sort of conventional path of self-promotion, he eschewed Myspace, Bandcamp et al, in favour of leaving CDs around town with cryptic flyers, "my name is Willis Earl Beal, I want some friends and stuff. I'm not a weasel".

Eventually these flyers caught hipster radar, and found themselves on the cover of US magazine Found. Fast forward to the present, with everyone jocking him from James Blake to Questlove - Mos Def has approached him to make a film of his life.

He's now found a home on the now-mighty XL Recordings (Adele, Tyler The Creator, Radiohead, Friendly Fires, The Horrors, M.I.A., The XX etc etc) which has earned him lots of unnecessary "new Adele" comparisons - come on people, he's better than that. His album "Acousmatic Sorcery" is due out this year.

- FABREEZE

MICHAEL KIWANUKA - "TELL ME A TALE"

2012-01-14T10:51:00.001Z

I don't know why I haven't written about this dude before, but better late than never here's the much feted, BBC's Sound of 2012 poll winner, and this year's shining light Michael Kiwanuka. This track "Tell Me A Tale" has been knocking about for ages, but since has garnered 'A list' status on Radio. The next video is from his appearance on 6 Music's Lauren Laverne show. Echoes of Bill Withers, Otis Redding and (according to my GF) a young Issac Hayes (?) ring through, while his authentic voice and world-weary soul belies his 23 years. His forthcoming album "Home Again" is due out in March on Polydor.

- FABREEZE

QUENTIN DUPIEUX'S "WRONG"

2012-01-14T09:42:00.001Z

Here's the latest effort from French producer/musician/director/visionary Quentin Dupieux AKA Mr Oizo. We featured art from his last directorial effort, the bananas "Rubber", on here a while ago. I have to say though I was a little bit disappointed with "Rubber" - felt like it could have been 45 minutes shorter ("it's a killer tyre!" "It's a killer tyre again!"). But still it was an assured and beautiful effort. His latest is "Wrong", which will be premiered at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival. Hazy on the synopsis, but it involves a man searching for his lost dog, encountering a pneumatic pizza-delivery girl, a jogging neighbour and a "mysterious righter of wrongs". Music by Oizo and Tahiti Boy. And it sports a very nice poster. So French.

Visit the official site here.

- FABREEZE

Pingu's The Thing

2012-01-13T21:58:00.001Z

MACHINEGUN - "NO RESPECT"/"DDD"

2012-01-13T15:25:00.000Z

Here's two delicious cuts from Travis Stewart's (of duo Sepalcure fame) side project "Machinegun". The new EP is titled "SXLND", out Jan 17th on Lucky Me. On "No Respect" echoes of Sepalcure's minimalist twitchy percussion slide under some lovely Detroit-warm chord drapery, building into crashing waves of liquid crystal. "DDD" starts off like a deep cavernous Chicago groove, choppy confused vocals weaving in disharmony over a synthetic pulse, but then suddenly morphs into a droolingly assertive minor chord flight of fancy. Very, very nice.

- FABREEZE

ZED BIAS

2012-01-12T20:46:00.003Z

Mr Dave Jones continues to take his music to finer, mightier places via his maddslinky and zed bias alternyms. This new currently vinyl only 'stubborn phase' project is just about the most 'UK' possible sounding slab of wax you could possibly purchase. It's all there. gutter v cricket & a picnic

LOOKS LIKE SEX

2012-01-12T18:47:00.000Z

Damn. What? Mike who? Uh, OK. Whatevs. Nah really this is American singer/songwriter and Timberlake-stand in Mike Posners video for his track "Looks Like Sex". Looks like a good fuggin' video to me... The track itself is like the aural equivalent of Lynx: Africa, or a hen night in Ayia Napa. I'm watching it right now and I can't remember it. But the video... My goodness. There's some weak "Tron: Legacy" visual motif in there, but it's really all about the girls. Still, Mike might be alright. He's currently writing with Pharrell, so that should be decent. But back to the video. Wow.

- PERVALOUS B

FIRST FIVE MINUTES OF "HAYWIRE"

2012-01-11T21:32:00.000Z

There's a lot of buzz surrounding Steven Soderbergh's all-out-ass-kickery flick "Haywire". Early screenings have reportedly been incredible, and there's a lot of talk about MMA star Gina Carano's performance, where she kicks the collective asses of Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor and Channing Tatum. It also sports a nice retro-style poster (below) by Neil Kellerhouse (who also designed the "Social Network" poster, and one of my faves "I'm Still Here"). Here's the first five minutes, which are unexpectedly brutal so maybe not for office viewing. Good though.

- FB

MORE REAL THAN REAL

2012-01-10T11:11:00.000Z

The sickest thing about these images by Argentinian-painter Diego Gravinese, is that they're not photographs. These are actually hyperreal oil on canvas and acrylic paintings. Paintings. The scenarios are framed in the everyday, the mundane, but the incredible detail and the vivid colours take the pictures into a heightened sense of reality - more real than real. I really need to see this up close, because right now staring at these trying to find a fucking brush stroke is hurting my head.

SOURCE: Juxtapoz

- F. BREEZY

Helium Robots

2012-01-09T22:45:00.003Z

err don't you hate it when people you know sneakily go and bring out a record with their tune on the A-side and Theo Parrish remixes on the flip? Fresh from his acclaimed rewiggle of Lana Del Rey, live show, 2nd child and god knows what else; Yours! luminary and bloody good egg E1 steps out on Running Back with this killer bee:

Read full review of Jarza (Theo Parrish Translations) - Helium Robots / Theo Parrish on Boomkat.com ©

JAY-Z - "GLORY"

2012-01-09T20:39:00.001Z

So unless you've been living in a cave, an underwater cave, maybe like the last 30 minutes of the Abyss-type-shit, but yeah a cave, lined with lead, kryptonite - no wait, fucking red kryptonite, adamantium, whatever the Green Lantern's ring is made of, Vibranium (swag) and you've been wearing one of those oldy-worldy diving suits like Thom Yorke in the "No Surprises" video, you may have heard that Sean Corey Carter AKA Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles gave birth to a baby girl a couple days ago. A baby girl they've inexplicably named Blue Ivy Carter. Hova wasted no time documenting the experience in the booth, and the result is this new Pharrell-produced track "Glory", which features the young lady herself. While it's not on Stevie and Aisha's level, it's a nice touch.

Glory Feat. B.I.C. by RocNation

New M-Phazes produced Jean Grae sneak

2012-01-08T21:49:00.006Z

Everyone seems to have been hording up their sonic treasures for the New Year because 2012 has kicked off like its actually a sprint not a marathon. Here's just one fine example of the type of goodness coming your way in the first couple of months of the new year. The beat is by Aussie beat-maestro M-Phazes and its a sneak from the new Jean Grae album out in Feb. Ms Grae int normally my go to rapper of choice but aint no riding this wrong. http://soundcloud.com/m-phazes

DJ PREMIER - "OLD SKOOL NEW YEAR" MIX

2012-01-08T12:54:00.000Z

DJ Premier takes the new year old school, with this incredible two hour set debuted on DJ Premier Blog Radio. We go way back like spinal chords and car seats on this one, with classics from Ultramagnetic, UTFO, Schooly D, Big Daddy Kane, BDP and many others, including our favourite "It's Yours" by T La Rock. Nice.

Live From HeadQCourterz (12/30/2011) by Dj Premier Blog Radio on Mixcloud

- FABREEZY

STEVE JOBS ACTION FIGURE (WAIT, WHAT?)

2012-01-04T19:49:00.000Z

Uh, this is weird. While there's no doubt the late Steve Jobs will forever be a cultural icon, the idea of a Steve Jobs action figure just feels... And looks... A little creepy. Perhaps it's too soon. Perhaps it's in poor taste. But hell I bought a Tupac one, so why should this be any different? By rights the real-life 'Tony Stark' deserves his own action figure, but this little thing is just weirding me the fuck out. It's the sort of thing I'd have to lock in a cupboard before I went to sleep at night.

Produced by in icons, the Steve Jobs figure is a 1:6 scale model built with alarming accuracy. Check the outfit, he's even rocking New Balance. Brrr. Just need the Amy Winehouse one and my haunted toy shop will be complete.

SOURCE: HYPEBEAST

D'ANGELO - "BLACK HOLE SUN"

2012-01-03T11:01:00.000Z

Where did this come from?! Incredible. Saw this in my inbox this morning from the dude Che. Sounds like D'Angelo is truly back. Here he is covering Soundgarden classic "Black Hole Sun". Heavily effected vocals in a Stevie Wonder "Maybe Your Baby" style, drip over a lush arrangement, which is both simplistic and layered. The backward strings and decayed Rhodes give the track a timeless quality - this sounds like it could have been recorded in 1981 or yesterday. As a massive Soundgarden fan I can say this is the best cover I've ever heard.

I can personally confirm that the word from D'Angelo's label is that the Europe gigs are all go, plus Questlove confirmed working on the set with D over Christmas on his Twitter...

D'Angelo " Black Hole Sun " (Demo) by FUNK★U

- FBZY

RAEKWON MIXTAPE - "UNEXPECTED VICTORY"

2012-01-02T16:05:00.000Z

The new year saw a slew of hip-hop mixtapes hit the web, from T.I. to LDN's own Kano, everyone looks like they hit the ground running. Here's Wu-Tang's Raekwon's effort, titled "Unexpected Victory". Though given Rae's level of output and consistency, expect dense discourse, woven tales of criminality, indecipherable drug slang and soul samples. Solid.

Tracklisting:

1. Intro
2 .Just A Toast ft JD Era (prod by Mark Henry)
3. The Brewery ft Ceazar-N-Reason (prod by Scram Jones)
4. A Pinebox Story (prod by 9th Wonder)
5. Goodfellas ft JD Era & Camoflauge (prod by Pro Logic & Moss)
6. Silk ft Cl Smooth & Sauce Money & Big B (prod By Scram Jones)
7. That Good Good ft Altrina Renee (prod by Scram Jones & Blickstreet)
8. Luxury Rap ft Fred Da Godson (prod by Djsemaj For Ssa)
9. Chinese Marines ft Mobb Deep (prod by Scram Jones)
10. This Shit Hard ft L.E.P Bogus Boys & Dion Primo (Prod by The Olympicks)
11. Soldier Story ft Jd Era (Prod by Pro Logic & Moss)
12. MTV Cribs ft Busta Rhymes (prod by Vin Da Chin)
13. A Few Good Men ft Vado & Tommy Nova (prod by Bluerocks)
14. Chupa Cabra ft Capone-N- Norega (prod by BT)
15. Facetime Introducing Altrina Renee (prod by Blockstars & Mantic)
16. Gangsta Cazals ft Styles P & JD Era & Camoflauge (prod by Statik Selektah)
17. Black Dust ft Tommy Nova & Mean Doe Green (prod by The Fr3Shmen)

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Powered by DatPiff.com

ADAMANTIUM TRAX BEST OF 2011 PODCAST

2012-01-02T13:14:00.005Z

Happy New Year Errbody.
In my humble there's been a bit of a drought on the AMAZING album front this time round with a few notable exceptions including the enormous Tropics album.
A Ton of quality bits and bobs though including a last minute contender for single of the year from James Blake with 'Love What Happened Here'
A Lot of new styles bubbling and threatening to get serious in 2012; especially for me the footwork thing heading off into techy/electronica areas which looks set to be a superdoozy. Hate to say it, but overkill on the instrumental beat-makers and that scene is in need of freshening up on the most parts, and will be i'm sure with the talent knocking about. Saying that, loved Ackryte 365 for smacking wonk upside it's head. Unifying force to a lot of stuff I loved this year is the found sounds thing so expect a lot of coins falling of of pockets and djembes striking across the skinny backsides of boys who never come out of their bedrooms except to get more weed. Loved the hyperneon sounds in Tank, Mohawke etc and the infusion of that aesthetic into 80's rnb rewiggles, that seemed to nicely bring together indie boys, pop peeps and Headz. The rest is all foul mouthed braggadacio and melancholy complexity like I like it. Enjoy.

ADAMANTIUM TRAX BEST OF 2011 by che'puss

2012 is What You Want Radio relaunch so prepare for a new powerstation to supercharge your sonic pleasure - an abundance of stuff on the way from probably Feb onwards including the king of the podcasts himself SIX and some raw goodness from Adtrax, Admantium Brasil and special guests with our own ELU stepping up to bat first off, you don't wanna miss that FFS

Beware, here is the full list for Best of 2011:
Best Songs

Nas – Nasty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo97R0ib1CE&ob=av2e
Kydd feat Yela Wolf – Hall Pass
http://www.hulkshare.com/pyuqb4iss9db
John Heckle – Ancient Deep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMRBCczWH2U&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Clams Casino – I’m God (instrumental)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW_mVoziMok
James Blake – Love What Happened Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff-ThypkdaM
Klaus – Tusk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mJOWcjddcw
Ackryte – Omni
http://ackryte.bandcamp.com/track/omni
Glen Campbell – A Better Place
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4mylwPMPhM
Pavel Dovgal – Kiss Purple
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz96vMJFtxA
Paul Weller – Starlite (D-Pulse Remix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjEiD2KPkts
How To Dress Well – Suicide Dream 3 (Solar Bears Remix)
http://soundcloud.com/solar_bears/suicide-dream-3-solar-bears
Kissey – Cry
http://soundcloud.com/kissey/cry
Krts – Whatever
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWawrwtixY
Crazy P – Eruption
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NItwMzRQdcM
Raphael Saadiq – The Answer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz5PeA1sXS0
Ackryte x Al_PD – Fully
http://cascaderecords.bigcartel.com/product/ackryte-x-al_pd-sententia
Frank Booker – El Salvador
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYhGc-OtqhM
Kwala – Tobias
http://soundcloud.com/bluntgutsnation/kwala-tobias-projectionss-ep
Blawan – Peaches (Coronation)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVHGSP0bxSo
Onra – Keep On Loving Me Edit
http://soundcloud.com/onra/keep-on-loving-me-edit
Fink – Perfect Darkness (Lapalux Remix)
http://soundcloud.com/lapalux/fink-perfect-darkness-lapalux
Black & Brown – LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqW1iplHOd0
Med – Blaxican
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0RvPfxRPig
Royalty – Heart Strings
http://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2011/10/heart-strings
I Break Horses – Winter Beats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sg7YkPnEYw
Rashid Hadee – Someday
http://rashidhadee.bandcamp.com/track/someday
Sigmafly – Tetrachrome
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zO1GpqaaA4
Alaclair Ensemble – Piles Compromises
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSWa_NehpX0
Tornado Wallace – Rainbow Road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSWa_NehpX0
East Liberty Quarters – Streetlights
http://soundcloud.com/undeground-funk-music/east-liberty-quarters
Her Majesty’s Pleasure Vol.2 – Just Can’t Get Enough
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4EJloFJNHI&list=FLCRDJ21c84xfG9nOIZHDWkQ&index=66&feature=plpp_video
Big Strick – State Of Emergency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECIRKJ1tTU8
Tiger & Woods – Gin Nation
http://www.junodownload.com/artists/Tiger+%2526+Woods/releases/
PBR Streetgang – J2ThaB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98tpBKkWZuU
Abacus Presents Idrum – Bang The Djembe
http://boomkat.com/vinyl/478588-abacus-presents-idrum-idrum-this-djembe-this-is-not-a-bongo
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Bats In The Attic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK4WAKc9R4g
Hudson Mohawke – Thankyou
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgdoPtMAobU
Tycho – Hours
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgdoPtMAobU
Cloudboat – Bastion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SPtoiGmxYU
Magestik Legend – Judas Priest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WyNpkneACk
Adele – Set fire To The Rain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hm2E58P_dc
Holy Other – Yr Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LacbQ4Lh7wk
Yann Kesz – Electric Nose
http://soundcloud.com/tradviberecords/yann-kesz-electric-nose-tv002
Jesse Futerman –Tribute To Horace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUpi0V1DpzU
Ital Tek – Pixel Haze
http://www.planet.mu/discography/ZIQ311
Gwen Stefani – Luxurious Lapalux Bootleg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzh-BqH6gxE
Mr Sobers – Hustle Instrumental (Prod by J Bizness)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbONAfzHfkA
Mizz Beats – 2 Bit Road
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F97cOmBJEX0
Rick Wilhite – Blame It On The Boogie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xll592DFM88
Mayer Hawthorne - Work To Do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3_PMFMhrrU&feature=related
Essay – Love & Air
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNYg8OBU6vg&feature=related

Best Albums

BMB Space Kid – MacroKosmos
http://spacekid.bandcamp.com/
Vondelpark – NYC E.P
http://randsrecords.greedbag.com/buy/nyc-stuff-and-nyc-bags-ep/
Benny Sings – ART
http://www.bennysings.com/disco/benny-sings-art
Wesseltoft Schwarz Duo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtLnQc_HZ8c
Wayne Tweed – GP Funk EP
http://bmbakawaynetweed.bandcamp.com/album/gp-funk-ep
Apollo Brown – Clouds
http://mellomusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/clouds
Shlohmo – Places E.P
http://boomkat.com/downloads/391228-shlohmo-places-ep
Lapalux – Many Faces Out Of Focus
http://www.lapalux.com/#259/soundcloud
Active Child – You Are All I See
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/you-are-all-i-see-deluxe-version/id479654318
James Blake – James Blake
http://boomkat.com/vinyl/375278-james-blake-james-blake
Tropics – Parodia
http://www.planet.mu/discography/ZIQ305
Boddie Recording Company – V/A
http://www.numerogroup.com/catalog_detail.php?uid=01313

Labels Of The Year

R&S
http://rsrecords.com/
Clone
http://clone.nl/
Cut
http://cutrecords.bandcamp.com/
Project Mooncircle
http://www.projectmooncircle.com/artists/
Planet Mu
http://www.planet.mu/
Numero Group
http://www.numerogroup.com/
Delusions Of Grandeur
http://www.juno.co.uk/labels/Delusions+Of+Grandeur/
Ndatl Muzik
http://clone.nl/label/ndatl+muzik

10 Artists Of The Year

BMB Space Kid/ Wayne Tweed
Vondelpark
Apollo Brown
Tropics
Shlohmo
Lapalux
Danny Brown
Ackryte
Blawan
Madlib
BadBadNotGood

IDLE WARSHIP - "LAZER BEAMS"

2012-01-01T23:59:00.000Z

Idle Warship is the brainchild of a musical pairing between Talib Kweli and too-hot Res. I really don't know how Res didn't blow up - super talented and fuggin' stunning to boot. Anyways this is the new track "Lazer Beams" from their new album "Habits of the Heart" which just debuted over at Hypetrak. Really nice, sounds like a lot of work went into the arrangement, and the production is a bit Danger Mouse-esque (60s-style double hand claps ahoy) - but no bad thing.

- FBZY

THE RAID

2012-01-01T23:18:00.000Z

So kicking 2012 off with a face full of shrapnel, here's the trailer for the upcoming Indonesian flick "The Raid". Already hailed as a masterpiece of ass-kickery, the film will see it's debut at Sundance, with a Screen Gems US release at some point in the year. It looks totally insane. Like "Ong-Bak" meets "Die Hard". Full synopsis below:

"Deep in the heart of Jakarta's slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world's most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the rundown apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, the building's lights are cut and all the exits blocked. Stranded on the 6th floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city's worst to survive their mission. Director Gareth Evans (Merantau) and rising martial arts star Iko Uwais reunite in this adrenaline-fueled action film."

- FBZY

D's attempt at a best of 2011

2012-01-01T23:17:00.000Z

So, on the heels of Dr Fabulous, here are some things that were mainly above average from 2011.

1. The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence.Really love the tweeked out approach to R'n'B. Tons of reverb and atmospherics whilst we hear the usual shit about pleasuring women, being left by a women, pleasuring other women etc.

2. Cass McCombs - Humor Risk.I don't know how he can do his super simplistic singer songwriter schtick without it heading towards middle of the road cack, but he does and I love it. Super sarcastic and spiteful lyrics (and other words beginning with 'S')

3. Kurt Vile - Baby's Arms.Would have been the best song of 2011 if it wasn't for...

4. Gang Gang Dance - Glass Jar.I drank a butt load of Jamesons and danced like a twat to this song when GGD played in a Firkin pub in Bristol. I was a winner that night.

5. Lola Colt. I can't vote my own music so I'll vote a friend's who I played with in 2011. Banging video.

6. Logic Pro 9.When I first started using Logic it was owned by one of them countries that have months of darkness and it cost £1200. Now Apple own it and in December they the price of version 9 to 140 quid. Mental. I'm sure version ten will be out soon with some kind of Kanye EQ that only lets through audio dog shit.

7. SennaThat documentary was alright. And that Hanna movie was okay.

8. PJ Harvey.She's still rad.

F.BREEZY'S 2011 TOP TEN

2012-01-01T18:32:00.000Z

So 2011 was a bit intense then. Towards the end I was pretty sure this was the early stages of the apocalypse, or a Michael Bay film. If Skynet had suddenly taken control of the world's computerised military systems, I wouldn't have batted an eyelid. If the fucking Cloverfield monster started attacking New York I would've been like, 'oh okay'. But inbetween the natural disasters, crumbling western economies, coups, riots, casual racism, corrupt news media, "Top Boy", global social unrest, and our steadily diminishing human rights, there were a few gems along the way. So here's my top moments across entertainment and culture that managed to distract me from pantless-screaming in public.

I've stayed away from all of the obvious stuff - you have The Guardian for that - and I've not listed any dead people as a 'highlight'.

#10 - NAS CAME CORRECT IN '11.

This was a pretty good year for the God Nasir. No real output as such, but he stole the show on Common's blistering "Ghetto Dreams", and smashed it on the Salaam Remi-produced-old-school flavoured "Nasty", which is reportedly from his tenth studio album "Life Is Good". Esco historically has difficulty maintaining consistency on both beats and lyrics on his albums, but the slightly retro flow and production is a kick-step in the right direction. Video for "Nasty" looks like it was made in 1993 though so I'm not sure what happened there.

#9 - BON IVER KILLED IT.

This was the year that writer/singer/guitarist Justin Vernon's band really hit, with their self-titled second album released in June. Though often cited as a folk band, Justin's collaborations with artists like Kanye West, and the ambitious, layered production on "Bon Iver" suggest otherwise. As opposed to other bands of this ilk (Mumford, Fleet Foxes etc), they sound authentic without becoming a pastiche. Here the intricately woven songs are steeped in Americana without being retro. Here's the beautful video for standout track "Holocene".

#8 - CHRISTINA HENDRICKS STOLE MY HEART.

So this is more a 2010 thing really, and certainly a ~~pervy~~ personal favourite of mine, but buxom-actress de jour Christina Hendricks still owns Mad Men, with her portrayal of advertising matriarch and canny survivor Joan Holloway. She also had a good turn in Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive" (further down the list), voiced Lois Lane in the animated "All Star Superman", and is currently selling the shit out of Johnnie Walker.

#7 - TYLER DROPPED GOBLIN.

Unfortunately these days since we're all voracious culture-disseminators, an artist barely has time to blow up before the inevitable backlash begins. Following a huge buzz off the track "Yonkers" in Feb, Tyler the Creator dropped the full album "Goblin" to a maelstrom of controversy regarding lyrics and subject matter - it was as if Eminem never existed. While some of the criticism was justified (sorry but 'rapey' lyrics are never going to be OK), a lot of it was the same right-wing conservative fervor we've come to expect in response to challenging art. Whatever the internet decided, there's no doubt he's a super-talented dude and there are some incredible moments on "Goblin", especially when the dude Frank Ocean gets on. "She" was my joint for early summer, and not a bad video either. Looks like Supreme had a pretty good year too.

#6 - DANNY BROWN WENT NUTS.

Is it the haircut? The voice? The teeth? Whatever 'it' is, Detroit MC Danny Brown came out of nowhere and dropped a hip-hop classic on us. The bugged out lyrics, asymmetrical haircut and skinny jeans (jeans which apparently cost him a deal with G-Unit) sealed his position as current number one hip-hop weirdo, but then he went and actually backed it up with a solid album, the much lauded "XXX". Here each track and it's abstractly debauched scenarios are relished with clever wordplay, good production and laugh-out-loud humour. And where Odd Future's nihilism might seem to feature for it's own sake, Danny's depravity is rooted in some real hard living. Este had turned me on to this gem, "Guitar Solo".

#5 - VAN PERSIE HELD IT DOWN.

I wish I could've watched more football this year, but at the start of the season this was almost a blessing, as Arsenal got off to a truly fucking awful start. As it stands we're fourth, thanks largely to my homie Robin Van Persie. This year the Arsenal captain was just one goal short of reaching Alan Shearer's record for most Premier League goals in a calendar year. His contract is up at the end of the season which is pretty worrying, but ESPN have just reported he looks likely to stay, having espoused his love of London. Please stay. Please.

#4 - "DRIVE".

Very much my film of the year, "Drive" was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, and starred current doe-eyed ladies favourite Ryan Gosling. The response to the film on release focused on a lot of the surface elements - the "French" soundtrack, the stylised violence, the scorpion jacket, the cars, but look past that and there's some real substance to this film - perhaps not in subject matter, but moreso the touchpoints on both classic American and European cinema. It's been described as a "neo-noir art house feature", an apt description for both the screenwriting and cinematography. Another interesting observation, which I clocked but no-one picked up as far as the reviews went, is when the director describes "Drive" as his "superhero movie":

"I've always wanted to make a superhero movie. I even said I would like to make a Wonder Woman movie and no one ever called me. So I was like, 'I'll make my own superhero movie'. So Drive was essentially an allegory of a superhero in the making..."

- Refn as told to Vulture

Don't get me started on the poster though.

#3 - RADIOHEAD.

These guys had a killer 2011 with their independently released and critically acclaimed album "The King Of Limbs". The album was more a study in rhythm than previous outings, and showcased much more of a textured, multi-layered aural backdrop to singer Thom Yorke's croon, as well as more focus on Colin Greenwood's dexterous bass playing, amid diverse stylistic influences. The band also demonstrated that musicians can produce and control their own output, without major backing from a record label. Thom also demonstrated he could dance like a motherfucker.

#2 - SEBASTIAN DROPPED "EMBODY". MADE ME DANCE.

Still my number one joint of the year. This was the lead single from Ed Banger stalwart SebastiAn's album "Total". I remember this came out the same day as Justice's "Civilization", which was a bit "meh", so as soon as I heard the first 15 seconds of the iTunes preview for "Embody" I think I actually fell over. When the chords came in at around the 0:30 mark I almost threw up. Then the video dropped it was like when the planets align in Kubrick's "2001". I've been dancing ever since.

#1 - PAULINE PEARCE SPEAKS THE TRUTH.

I think everyone is over me talking about the riots in London over the summer, probably as much as everyone is over every news outlet and 'year in review' show talking about the riots, so I won't get into it, but suffice to say this is probably one of the most uplifting things I've ever heard. I'm not sure why all the Youtube videos now feature the music from "Inception" behind it - the scene doesn't really need more drama, and some of the subtitles are just fucking weird. Still, this was as good as my year got. Take 'em to church P.

So with that, I'm ready for 2012, which by all rights will probably be just like "2012".

- FBZY

MERRY CHRISTMAS BITCHES

2011-12-27T11:55:00.001Z

... And thank god that's all over. Now I get to sit in my Knicks top (thanks bro), chill in me own yard, watch films and buy music with all the vouchers I was kindly given (Xmas: iTunes vouchers are the new socks). We don't do the sales over here - especially since people started getting shanked in Foot Locker - so from here on in it's compiling 2011 'best of' playlists. "What You Want Radio" has a good genre-spanning one up. And 20 Jazz Funk Greats has an amazing page dedicated to this year's best, which is awesome as per usual. Nice.

WhatYouWant Radioshow#40 by WhatYouWant Radio

- FBZY

TIRON & AYOMARI - "ALL MY LOVE" FEAT. YUMMY BINGHAM

2011-12-21T23:24:00.000Z

FEEL GOOD HIP-HOP! This is my TUNE. Definitely my track of the week. This is TiRon and Ayomari featuring Yummy Bingham with their new video for "All My Love". The track brings back warm feelings of circa -'91 hip-hop gold. From the opening break which could be off "O.P.P.", to the Slick Rick cuts in the break, it manages to sound a bit retro without falling into pastiche territory, which is a difficult thing to do. That and the lighthearted video takes me back to Black Sheep, Tribe, Chi-Ali, Pete & C.L., ahhh... I might need to break out some Karl Kani for this shit. And oh my gawd Yummy Bingham ("what is UP girl?!"). You may remember her from De La Soul/Dilla classic "Much More". Give yourself some happy on a cold winter night and check it out.

- FBZY

QUADRON - "EX FACTOR"

2011-12-21T18:57:00.001Z

Whoa. 'Electronic Soul' band Quadron did what? There are cover versions, and then almost impossible cover versions. Songs that are so wedded to the artist it takes a gargantuan effort to even get through the door. So how do the Danish duo (consisting of singer Coco Maja Hastrup Karshøj and musician/producer Robin Hannibal) handle one of the most iconic modern soul songs ever, in the shape of Lauryn Hill's "Ex Factor"? They kill it. They break down the song to its bare bones, focus on the essence of the track - the vocal performance and those lilting harmonies, and pull it together to deliver a spine-tingling performance. Incredible.

- FBZY

GAME VS TYLER - "MARTIANS VS GOBLINS"

2011-12-21T18:38:00.003Z

Here's the new video for the Matt Alozondo-directed Tyler and Game joint "Martians Vs Goblins", which originally appeared on Game's 2011 album, The R.E.D. Album. Visuals are pretty standard-fare for a hip-hop video. Faux-mental asylum setting? Check. Coloured demonic-style contact lenses? Check. Straightjackets? Check. Really, straightjackets? Straightjackets in a hip-hop video in 2011 is almost retro.

Track itself is decent. Game sports a celebrity-baiting Tyler-esque flow over a slightly 2001-Dre-sounding beat (lot of hyphens here I know), Wayne on the hook but thankfully skips the bars. It's not quite as thematically engaging as "Watch The Throne", or as blistering as the Nas/Common hookup, which stands as the best of 2011 in my humble opinion.

SOURCE: Pitchfork

- FBZY

HIP-HOP VS COMIC BOOKS

2011-12-20T19:31:00.001Z

Spotted this over at Boing Boing. According to his website, Ed Piskor has been cartooning since 2005, having previously worked on American Splendor. the series of autobiographical comic books written by the late Harvey Pekar. Among other projects, he recently designed the characters for the new Adult Swim series, "Mongo Wrestling Alliance". Here's a nicely illustrated retro paean to hip-hop and comic book culture, with some help from Tom Scioli on the Kirby-steez panels. Click here to view the original size.

SOURCE: Boing Boing

Ed's Wizzywig Comics

- FBZY

JUSTICE GET A GIRL NAKED

2011-12-20T18:57:00.000Z

Completely missed this a few days ago, but caught sight of this over at Pitchfork. Seems like the good folk at Ed Banger caused a little furor when they debuted the art for the new Justice single "On'n'On". The art features the same visual motif informing the whole album campaign, it what looks like a massive cross being carved out of a quarry. In the foreground of the image is a naked young lady looking on, with a somewhat suggestive hand placement (this could be me projecting here).

I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it seemed to piss off more than a few people - including Justice fans, prompting Facebook to delete the photo. Understandably peeved at this, Pedro Winter posted the following response on the Ed Banger Facebook page:

"For some reasons, some of our "fans" complained about the nude girl on the Justice new single cover... Facebook deleted the photo and sent me some warnings emails...

Let's play a new game my friends, please oh please stop following us, let's get less fans, we don't need you here. It's time to make a choice, if you don't trust us, you should not waste your time with such a shitty label right ? To the other ones, those who are following us since day one, those discovering us now, let's stay strong, ED REC is soon 9 years old, thanx to you."

Word. We're still not over naked people on record sleeves? Jesus. There are wars on, people.

SOURCE: Pitchfork

- FBZY

RADIOHEAD - "THE DAILY MAIL"/"STAIRCASE"

2011-12-20T15:23:00.001Z

You may have heard already, but the mighty Radiohead have unveiled two new songs online. Recorded during sessions for the new album The King Of Limbs, the two tracks "The Daily Mail" & "Staircase" are available directly from the Radiohead site (which is awesome BTW). The tracks will also be performed on the forthcoming live session DVD and BluRay "From The Basement", which features live performances of all eight songs from KOL.

"The Daily Mail" starts with a mournful piano behind Thom's voice intoning that "the lunatics have taken over the asylum", before descending into a minor-key stomp akin to "Pyramid Song", & "You & Who's Army" (both from their 2001 album Amnesiac). It's way heavier than Radiohead have been of late - this could have easily been on indie-purists favourite The Bends (1995).

"Staircase" is an atmospheric, infectious afrobeat-style groove with proggy tendencies. Drummer Phil Selway is joined by a second drummer, Clive Deamer — the British jazz session player of Portishead fame. One of the things that really stands out for me on these two tracks is how bass-orientated they are. Colin Greenwood's bass drives and shines through, where once his brother Johnny's chainsaw-guitar-histrionics took prominence.

The site even promises delivery in time for the Christmas period. These guys are fucking incredible.

Click here to visit the Radiohead store

- FBZY

THE INTERNET - "VISIONS"

2011-12-20T14:48:00.000Z

'The Internet' is the latest offering from the OFWGKTA collective - and probably the best so far. The duo consisting of DJ, singer and producer Syd Tha Kid and producer Matt Martians, have a cool, ambient vibe akin to the mellower moments of Tyler's "Goblin" (albeit without the controversial lyrics). This track is "Visions", and the album Purple Naked Ladies is available from today. Also here's "Cocaine" which dropped a while back. The whole thing sort of reminds me of a hipster Groove Theory. Which is no bad thing.

- FBZY

DARK KNIGHT RISES THEATRICAL TRAILER

2011-12-19T20:45:00.000Z

In what looks like one of the most anticipated films of next year, Christopher Nolan gives us his swansong of his "Batman" films. In fact it is this element which seems to be the most tantalizing, as rarely do we see a big-budget Hollywood franchise announce its own demise - and hinge an entire marketing campaign around it. The director of "The Prestige" and "Inception" has done a good job of rooting the campness of previous Gotham-based efforts in a real-world setting, with touchpoints on terrorism, fanaticism and apathy as real-world social ills, but Catwoman? Good luck rooting that in any kind of reality. Still, Nolan hasn't put a foot wrong yet, so we'll be in line with the rest of them...

- FBZY

JAMES BLAKE - "A CASE OF YOU"

2011-12-19T19:35:00.001Z

Here's the new James Blake video for 'A Case Of You' from the recent EP "Enough Thunder". This is a sparse, haunting affair miles away from the minimalist electronica that saw him blow up this year. On this achingly beautiful track he eschews the processed vocals and dubby production in favour of a clean vocal over a somber piano. Seems like he's well on his way to traversing the dub-step category he's often placed in, for a more universal sort of artistry. The video was shot in London last week by film-maker Seb Edwards. The video features actress Rebecca Hall of "Vicky, Cristina Barcelona" fame. Powerful stuff.

- FBZY

SOURCE: Okayplayer

THE RETURN OF D'ANGELO

2011-12-19T15:23:00.000Z

So at the start of this month, the artist who rock critic Robert Christgau dubbed as "R&B Jesus", the enigmatic D'Angelo made headlines once again. But these time it wasn't related to any of his legal woes or personal struggles - both of which have been fodder for media and fans alike. This was the announcement of forthcoming concerts in Europe next year. The gigs will be at London's Brixton Academy on 3 February, Paris's Le Zénith on 29 January, and Amsterdam's Paradiso on 31 January (I'm assuming y'all know this already as tickets got rinsed). Questlove also confirmed to Pitchfork that the new, epic-ly anticipated album possibly entitled "James River" is "97% finished".

Having only released two albums, and had significantly more media coverage for his misadventures than his music, D'Angelo is still feted as our great black hope. The one true heir of Marvin & Prince. Perhaps it's those sort of statements that enforced his hiatus and various pressures. Just filling one of those artists' proverbial shoes would be a tall task, but both?

It's a testament to D'Angelo's talent, charisma and soul that we're still talking about him, 12 years after he last officially released any music. Without wishing to cast any disparaging comments on other artists, fans just don't feel that way about most of today's 'Neo-Soul' singers.

So thinking about this, yesterday I had a good Sunday vibe on and was playing some of the joints off "Voodoo" (released in 2000). I wanted to post something affirmative about D, with him at his best (rather than that loopy joint offa Ronson's thing).

So here's one of the tracks leaked onto the recent-ish album of leaks, titled "James River (album prelude"). This is probably the best one I've heard, entitled "Really Love" which dropped in 2007. Don't know much about it production wise, but I can hear Dilla all over it. Also is a old interview about D'Angelo and his reaction to Marvin's death as a child.

Let's hope dude can keep it together until the new year. I don't think peeps are expecting a 'comeback', we're just hoping dude gets back in the game for the sake of the music.

You can find ticket info for the upcoming gigs here

- FBZY

DIE ANTWOORD - WHO NEEDS LABELS?

2011-12-19T10:41:00.001Z

This was something I thought would be of interest, both to fans of good music/music appreciators and for the people making the music. As someone who works in music, for ages I've been banging on about what I see as 'the new model'. The digital landscape has changed the way society consumes entertainment, and the opening salvo has been the music industry. I see it going two ways, the first is the '360' entertainment deal. This is when an artist signs not only their music, but their licensing, live act, endorsements, merchandising and everything else to the music industry company. This creates revenue streams that don't rely solely on the amount of albums/tracks sold. As this involves selling the artist as a 'brand', of course such a deal is likely to relinquish most of the creative control of the 'brand'. These deals cater to music as mass-produced entertainment, and rely on the product being as accessible, salable, conservative and safe as possible.

Then there's the other model. In this model the digital landscape has little need for the music industry company - the label. The artist has direct access to the consumer, and the means to manufacture the product at their fingertips (home studios). In this model A&Rs are unnecessary as the people essentially do this job for themselves. If a band/artist becomes hot, their popularity spreads virally. In this model the artist can then cultivate this interest to build a fanbase. It's worth noting though in this model, the art only has as much value as the people perceive (think the last few Radiohead releases), and there's a lot, a lot of music out there. So you have to come with the goods. But this also raises the standard of the art that gets through. It's also worth noting that this model seems to be shying away from streaming services (Spotify et al), but this can only raise the value of the product in my opinion.

This brings me on to 'Die Antwoord', a South African hip-hop/rave group with a huge following, based on their members being part of the local hip-hop scene for years. Their debut album "$O$" was made available as a free download and almost crashed their local internet service provider. When their video went viral, the band were subsequently whisked business-class to L.A. where they signed with Interscope/Universal.

I worked on some of the marketing for this campaign here in London. While the band's style of music was lost on me, I got the appeal and why it was relevant for their core fans. I could appreciate they had their own steez, and weren't compromising anything in terms of style or substance for a global market.

Fast-forward a few years and accolades later, the band had recorded the follow-up to "$O$", entitled "TEN$ION" (the dollar sign thing gotta stop yo) - album art pictured above. Due to be released, the lead single was slated to be "Fok Julle Naaiers" (which translates as "Fuck you all"). The label went, "um, no", and requested a more radio-friendly single. According to sources the label actually wanted the entire album re-recorded for a more commercial market (Black Eyed Peas, Gaga etc). Members Ninja and Yo Landi (pictured) decided to go the other way completely, enlisting their lawyers to promptly sever all ties with Interscope/Universal, losing a million dollar guarantee on the new album but gaining complete creative independence.

The band will release "TEN$ION" on their own label Zef Records. Tracks will be available as digital downloads and Flash drives. The single "Fok Julle Naaiers" has been released as a completely free, DRM-free download. The band intend to release their music this way, coupled with an intense touring schedule starting Feb. While they tried to release their video, which they created in it's entirety themselves, they haven't been able to wrangle this away from the label, despite parting company.

The band have other machinations in the works, and intend to release details of their new business model. Labels schmabels...

FOK JULLE NAAIERS from Die Antwoord on Vimeo.

Click here for the Die Antwoord offical site

SOURCE: Boing Boing

- FBZY

THE ORIGINAL GREEN GOBLIN MASK (2002)

2011-12-17T19:07:00.000Z

Here's an amazing bit of footage, featuring the original prosthetic Green Goblin mask in the first of Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" films. Released Friday by the effects gurus at Amalgamated Dynamics, it shows a creative direction infinitely more faithful to the comic book vision. Rather than the emotionless, shiny, robotic helmet we saw in the final version, this looks creepy, ghoulish and real.

In a comic strip emotions are represented by still frames and the context of the illustration. In between the panels we fill in the gaps, and our inner voice informs the scenes drama - this is why you can render masked characters without eyes and mouths emotively. However in a live-action setting this just doesn't work. As the big screen fills the gap of our imagination with scene, sound, colour and music, it's as if that same inner voice gets switched off. So we need to see emotion - nuance, expression, gesture, performance - in order to feel it.

This brings me to the scene in Raimi's "Spider-Man", where a captive Spider-Man is engaged by Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin on a Manhattan rooftop. Both characters are completely masked, rigid. Unlike the comic book Spidey's eyes don't widen with shock, and the Goblin's grimace is frozen and artificial. The performance feels hindered by this, and judging by the overwhelming out-of-place laughter that echoed through the cinema the night I saw this ten years ago, this is the weakest scene in an overall strong comic book adaptation.

Imagine the scene now, with the original prosthetic mask. The Green Goblin sneers, he growls, he cackles... Amazing. What could have convinced Raimi to go with a goblin that looks like it belongs in a video game, we may never know. Bad call my friend.

SOURCE: Underwire

- FBZY

DOOM VS DAVE SITEK - "RHYMIN' SLANG"

2011-12-16T20:28:00.000Z

Another DOOM joint of the upcoming Lex Records 10th Anniversary compilation titled "Complex", this sees Metalface Destro over a Dave Sitek (of TVOR) remix, originally produced by Jneiro Jarel. Give it a listen here. The hook made me want to hear some actual "cokney rhyming slang", so I'll be bumping some London Posse next. Not quite as mind-blowing as the previous Radiohead collabo, but still pretty fresh.

- FBZY

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK IN SPACE

2011-12-16T16:32:00.000Z

Um, so in the not-too-distant-future, a wisecracking, chain-smoking, designer-stubble tough guy is enlisted to infiltrate a maximum-security prison in space, to rescue the presidents daughter from the clutches of the cyber-punk-style convicts who have taken it over? Really? Wow. OK.

This is the trailer for "Lock Out" AKA "MS One: Maximum Security" AKA "Escape From New York In Space", starring Guy Pearce in the Snake Pliskin role, produced by Luc Besson. Old school action movie in space? I forgot they made movies like this. I also forgot they actually made this movie.

If you really want an Escape From New York fix, I suggest Neil Marshall's "Doomsday", which is almost embarrassingly rehashed, but very enjoyable.

- FBZY

RAIDING THE LOST ARK

2011-12-16T16:01:00.000Z

Jamie Benning likes films, and he really likes documentaries. So much so that he started making his own unofficial documentaries, which turned out to be better than the real deal. Combining rare footage, behind-the-scenes gems and interviews he manages to weave a compelling narrative. After his success on three Star Wars "filmumentaries", here he is looking at "Raiders Of The Lost Ark". Parts one and two are below, and you can see more at Filmumentaries.com. Maybe it will explain the totally weird ending where the heroes just shut their eyes until it's all over.

@jamieswb Raiding the Lost Ark: A Filmumentary - Part 1 from jambe davdar on Vimeo.

@Jamieswb / Raiding The Lost Ark: A Filmumentary - Part 2 from jambe davdar on Vimeo.

- FBZY

MAR & SZJERDENE

2011-12-15T21:13:00.002Z

Blessed with some new 'Variations' from Mar, this time with Szjerdene over Aphex Twin's 'April 14th' There's a pretty video but maybe a bit harrowing for here. Free to all as always, hit the below for the MP3.

http://www.nalden.net/marvariations/Mar_Variation-Avril_14th_with_Szjerdene.mp3

..also go visit the source website Nalden.net
There are always shiny things on there.

ANTHONY DRAWN

2011-12-15T20:20:00.007Z

Young buck out of Mainz Germany, well, i say young buck, i dont have a clue how old he is actually, it just souunds appropriate. Makes some super refined and pleasantly unwieldy music for the sichtexot label.

How Long Can I Wait For You by Anthony Drawn

Radiohead - Creep [Anthony Drawn Remix] by Anthony Drawn

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS LIKES SCOTCH

2011-12-14T11:41:00.003Z

Sometimes when advertising runs out of ideas - which is often - the only recourse left to hock your products is (a) a CGI 'character' or (b) completely random celebrity endorsement. Now if you're going for (b), why not capitalise on three of the most popular things in the world? Like for example, 'Mad Men', breasts, and people Googling pictures of Christina Hendricks on the internet. Congratulations Johnnie Walker, you just created one of the greatest marketing campaigns of all time. I didn't drink Scotch before, but I do now while alone in front of my computer at 2am. It works people, it works.

SOURCE: Uproxx

- FBZY

HAZEL - 'TWILIGHT'

2011-12-13T20:43:00.000Z

Saw this on the dude Onra's Twitter feed, this is "Twilight" by Hazel, from the "Playground EP" released on Onra's Catblock Records. A mellow and blissed-out affair set to a 80s-jazz-funk minor chord progression, with some nice choppy sampled harmonies dripping over the top. I will probably enjoy this more round July when we have more than 5 hours of sunlight though.

Twilight - Häzel by kronika

- FBZY

TRENT REZNOR & KAREN O - 'IMMIGRANT SONG'

2011-12-13T16:28:00.000Z

This is the incredible new video directed by David Fincher, for the lead track from his upcoming 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' remake. The track you may have heard on the teaser trailer we posted a while ago, by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Karen O.

This is the best Zep cover I've ever heard - I may even like it a little bit more - but the video. Apparently these graphics make up the opening credits. A dark and disturbing choppy montage, with macro shots of liquid juxtaposed with jarring close-ups of a woman in negative, with the overall effect of the TV in 'Poltergeist'. No embed on the video available yet, but you can view it over at Pitchfork here.

- FBZY

TOUCH OF EVIL

2011-12-13T15:22:00.002Z

"Touch Of Evil" is a brilliant series of video portraits produced by the NY Times, and directed by Alex Prager. Each portrait is inspired by a figure of celluloid villainy, with this year's leading actors portraying the essence of the character both in performance and styling. The performances are offset with fantastic cinematography and music by Ali Helnwein. View the full series here, along with interviews and the inspiration behind each performance. Here's a tip: don't watch the Gary Oldman one alone. Really.

- FBZY

THE NEW THREE STOOGES LOOKS TERRIBLE, AND YET...

2011-12-13T11:02:00.001Z

The Farrelly brothers' new update of the The Three Stooges could be the cinematic manifestation of the phrase 'scraping the barrel'. But I have a feeling grown men everywhere will watch it. Might have something to do with Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton's cameo as a nun in a bikini. But if you don't think you can sit through an hour and a half of warmed over 'gags', ~~her~~ the best bits are in the trailer.

- FBZY

DANNY BROWN NEW VIDEO - 'MONOPOLY'

2011-12-13T02:15:00.000Z

Danny Brown continues to unleash torrents of verbal and visual insanity upon the masses. I only just clocked the ASAP Rocky-directed video for 'Blunt After Blunt', which genuinely gave me weed paranoia - even though I don't smoke, but now he's dropped a Ben Fries-directed video for 'Monopoly' & cemented his status as weirdo-hip-hop poster boy. Dude is incredible and seems like he might be actually crazy, like genius-crazy rather than Kanye-crazy.

- FBZY

DAS RACIST - 'BRAND NEW DANCE'

2011-12-13T02:01:00.000Z

Brooklyn natives 'Das Racist' twist up your ears and your eyes once again with 'Brand New Dance', featuring a video directed by Joseph Zentil. There's no real story to the vid, but it does a good job of letting Heems, Kool A.D. & Dap's bugged-out vibe shine through via some slick, photography in (what seems like) mostly natural light. Love the track - I couldn't stop saying that 'I'm selling OxyContin...' line for about a day.

slept on tron v playboy somehow! shame on me in many different ways

2011-11-26T12:21:00.003Z

SALUTATIONS FROM THE LOVE TORNADO

2011-11-06T19:38:00.003Z

THANK YOU HOMIES, WE LOVE YOU - MR N MRS H

Nice

2011-11-06T12:38:00.000Z

Yesterday, a good thing happened.All the best to Mr and Mrs Chezza from your boys.

RANDOM HUMOUR

2011-10-24T20:30:00.000+01:00

From Billionaire Boys Club.

- FB

STEVE CUMBERLAND AUDITION TAPE

2011-10-21T20:24:00.002+01:00

BAAAAHAHAHAHA

- FBZY

STONE ROSES UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

2011-10-21T20:23:00.001+01:00

Very good. It's doing the rounds and will no doubt be on 'Rude Tube', but still good.

- FBZY

KIKS GIRL

2011-10-21T10:11:00.001+01:00

I really struggled with finding any sort of artistic or conceptual justification for posting this. One could say it's shot very well, and I guess there's a couple of decent tracking shots and good use of shallow depth in the field. The lighting lookd good. Mostly natural light works well.

But really this is just a bunch of insanely hot Japanese girls in their underwear frolicking and licking whipped cream off things. And I guess that's OK.

From Japanese brand KIKS TYO, here's KIKS GIRL with Mai Nishida, Aya Kiguchi, Sayuki Matsumoto and Yua Saito. A full DVD release is slated for Spring/Summer 2012.

- FBZY

REMEMBER 'MOTOR MOUTH' FROM POLICE ACADEMY?

2011-10-20T18:48:00.002+01:00

Sgt. Larvelle "Motor Mouth" Jones of art-house classic 'Police Academy' was portrayed by Michael Winslow, and man I used to love this guy. Was there any sound he couldn't make? Sirens, radios, 'uptight' white people, bugles, drum machines from 1982. Amazing. Dude was almost a Transformer. Here he is laying waste to 'Whole Lotta Love'. I'm not really sure what's going on here. And I was genuinely scared of his face around the 1:30 point. But, wow.

- FBZY

SEPALCURE - 'I'M ALRIGHT'

2011-10-20T15:38:00.002+01:00

Sepalcure (duo producers Braille and Machinedrum) are getting ready to release their self-entitled album on Nov 7th on Hotflush. Gearing up to it they've 'leaked' the b-side to new single "Pencil Pimp", entitled "I'm Alright". It's better than alright - pretty damn good actually (especially about 4mins in).

Sepalcure - 'I'm Alright' by BOILER ROOM

- FBZY

INDUSTRIES OF THE BLIND - 'THE LIGHT...'

2011-10-20T15:24:00.001+01:00

Is this on the soundtrack to Terrence Malick's 'Tree of Life'? If not it fuggin' well should be. Hailing from New York, Industries Of The Blind describe themselves as a 'Post-rock / Neoclassical band'. Which is pretty much on point, as this is widescreen epic-journey-coming-of-age-Raymond-Carver-the-summer-everything-changed-I-will-be-right-here(points to heart) aural drama. Massive.

- FBZY

THOM YORKE 6 MUSIC MIX

2011-10-18T14:31:00.003+01:00

Here's the dude T.Yorke in the mix demonstrating his impeccable music taste, spinning Dilla, Madlib, Dabrye, Pangea, Autechre, Wiley, James Blake, Modeselektor, Radiohead and other things that will really impress your hipster mates.

With this and his curating the TKOL remixes, bumping uglies with SBTRKT, Jamie XX and Four Tet amongst others, Mr Yorke seems to carving out a nice niche for himself as the new Brian Eno, while his warm and welcoming radio manner (jokes! laughing!) might set him up as the new John Peel (sorry Jarvis). Good to see commercial success, creative freedom and artistic integrity are values still viable in these spiritually bankrupt times (sorry Coldplay).

- FBZY

jamie lidell in bed on imaschine live. funny boy

2011-10-07T21:04:00.001+01:00

AIN'T IT COOL BEHIND THE SCENES

2011-10-07T16:11:00.001+01:00

The ever-geektastic Ain't It Cool News have compiled their awesome 'Behind The Scenes' series. Readers submit rare or previously unseen photos from film sets and the like. There's tons of them and they're all good. I've got a few favourites below after the jump. View the entire series at Ain't It Cool News here and here.

R.I.P. STEVE JOBS

2011-10-06T15:31:00.000+01:00

- FB

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA - 'MANHATTA'/'ENTR'ACTE'

2011-10-05T15:44:00.000+01:00

This is incredible! Fucked me up a little, but I can't even listen to 'To Build A Home' without bursting into tears. Just saw this on iTunes, which tried to charge me £4.49 for one track (really iTunes? really?).

Manhatta is a soundtrack by The Cinematic Orchestra for Charles Sheeler and Paul Strand's 1921 short film 'Manhatta', released on Motion Audio Records.

Entr’acte (1924) is René Clair’s Dada-influenced 20-minute short,commissioned for the interval of Francis Picabia’s new ballet, Relâche, in Paris in 1924.

Of the two Manhatta is my pick, still both amazing though.

- FBZY

DAVE SHRIGLEY TATTOOS

2011-10-04T14:52:00.000+01:00

Images taken from the Dave Shrigley tattoo site here.

DREW STRUZAN: OEUVRE

2011-10-04T14:49:00.001+01:00

From Drew Struzan's new book, out tomorrow. A lovely hardback which looks more at the finished pieces rather than the process. Not just the film work in here, the book also covers commercial art, band art and loads more.

- FBZY

SIMPSONS INTRO BY JOHN KRICFALUSI

2011-10-03T18:05:00.000+01:00

Sunday night's episode of The Simpsons featured a special couch sequence by none other than John Kricfalusi.

SOURCE: Boing Boing

- FBZY