Kidz Rage !

My boy Matty just got a job at NikeTown on Oxford Street @ the NIKEiD studio. With only four studios worldwide – in London, Paris, New York and Osaka – these studios are set to offer a rare experience, where we, the customer, get to design our own exclusive trainers in whatever colours and fabrics we like.

In front of you are five styles of trainers that Nike consider to be London icons:

1. Dunk High, from 1985, inspired by Michael Jordan
2. Dunk Low, inspired by Japanese street culture
3. Airmax 90, the second Airmax trainer
4. Airmax Classic, from the first Airmax boom in 1991
5. Airforce 25, a legacy shoe celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Any customer can get Dunk High, Dunk Low and Airmax 90, but the Airmax Classic and Airforce 25s are exclusive to upstairs, as are various colour, fabric and detail choices. I went for Dunk Highs. Design your own on the website.

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My west coast associate B Real just started a new online marijuana community! He has kindly made me a sponsor, aswell as included us in their European marketing endeavors. Check the site out as its a sick concept, supporting a worthy cause!

Heres a bit of info from the site:

420 Room was created by B Real of Cypress Hill as a means of uniting and empowering the marijuana community as well as Cypress Hill fans from across the globe. Make a free profile, upload pics and music, and start networking today!

420 Room is will soon be the internet’s premier informational tool for all things marijuana related- medical marijuana laws and directories, marijuana legislation, marijuana legilzation, and more.

Sign up here:

http://www.420room.com

Also remember to add ROOR & Subconscious Dub to your cypher !

4 comments

T_! INTERVIEW & MIX – February ’08

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Download the mix here (tracklisting below interview)

PIXELFACTOR:

We’ve seen your name about in the scene for quite sometime now. How did your career start, and how did you get to where you are today?

T_!:

Well I first got on the Djin circuit aged 16, blimey, 7 years ago now. I got my family to blame for my love of music and bass, my Dad has such diverse music taste and I was educated on literally everything throughout childhood, plus he plays bass guitar. I’ve always loved the fact you can physically feel bass aswell as heard it. After becoming hooked on pirate radio from age 12 or so and thanks to my older sisters Dreamscape tapes, all I wanted to do was DJ. There was a record shop in my hometown Stevenage (Big Drum Records) which was like my Mecca, and they were associated with local pirate Impact FM. Around that time UK Garage was kicking off and the guys in the shop kept me educated. After a few months of buying tunes and locking myself in my room on my beloved Soundlab belt drives teaching myself to mix, I got a Saturday morning show shortly after my 16th birthday Djin as “TNT”. Over time things progressed with a local residency, and bookings round Herts/Beds and Bucks and before I know it I was 18 and doing the rounds on the local UKG circuit, and at one stage doing 3 pirate stations a week. I always liked to mix up darker UKG with the nicer more vocal bits, and followed the progression through to Grime as it retained those, dark, industrial sounds.

I’m so so passionate about DJin, so I guess just grafting, putting myself about and working hard has got me here now.

PIXELFACTOR:

We understand that you produce and DJ Dubstep ? How did you get into this genre, and what about it do you like / dislike? Are you involved with any other genres?

T_!:

Production not just yet, I got a few bits unfinished but the man with the plan production wise is R.Demon, the guys a veteran, and he knows his shit! My productions will be about in the future, keep eyes peeled!

I’d been buying dubstep bits for years, Geoff Big Drum got me hooked on El-B/Gurley/Zed Bias/Ghost Recordings/Vehicle stuff, and I became tired of the bad attitude of Grime, there was no focus on the DJ creating the vibes anymore. So, 2 and a bit years ago, after experiencing Filthy Dub @ the Telegraph, I switched to concentrating on Dubstep, and working alongside Macabre Unit, trying to educate people around the Home Counties and East Anglia about it…

I don’t know if there’s anything I dislike about Dubstep, everything is good right now. I love the community spirit, the vibe at dances, the way a bassline can beat the shit out of you, the levels of production, and the diversity of everything that falls under the umbrella “Dubstep”. It’s when you start splitting it up and pigeon-holing it you’ll get problems.

I still play Old Skool Garage bookings, and there’s obviously the Drum and Bass side of Stink Like Sock, but dubstep is something I’m so mad about it takes up most of my time!

Involvement in other genres in kind of limited to just listening to them!

PIXELFACTOR:

As a Dubstep producer / DJ…..who are your favorite and most inspiring artists, both in & out of the Dubstep scene and why ?

T_!:

Within the scene obviously people like Mala, you can see the passion he has for the music, and you can feel it in his beats and in his sets. And people that have kept on it from day dot when it was so small, and continued due to their love of the music, not how much money they can line their pockets with.

Guys like Raff aswell (R.Demon Macabre Unit) cos he’s kept his sound unique, but still moved with the times. Being out in the sticks aswell its harder to get the sounds out there. He’s got tunes that came out in 2001 and 7 years later is still getting beats signed to labels like Boka, he has belief in his sound.

Toasty= gangster, the guy’s on some next level stuff, you could tell from his early work. It’s a shame we don’t hear more from him but it’s quality over quantity at the end of the day.

Dj wise, well I’m all about technical mixing so Youngsta and N-Type top it, I got a lot of respect for what they do.

PIXELFACTOR:

If you could have a peek in any dj’s record bag…who would it be and why ?

T_!:

Definitely Kode 9, you never know what he’s gonna have in there!

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you name a few artists off the top of your head that influence and inspire your sound ?

T_!:

Inspire my sound as regard DJ sets? I’m not sure I like to think I can take a little bit from all of the artists I’m feeling and give a proper cross section of dubsteps different aspects when I play.

PIXELFACTOR:

What’s your favorite drink/smoke ?

T_!:

Alcoholic- Brandy and Coke, all day. Shmokey- Super Silver Haze is a favorite, and I love a good sativa strain but they are so hard to come by in the UK. Also, being close to it’s town of origin, you can’t beat a bit of Cheese.

PIXELFACTOR:

How do you see the future of Dubstep ?

T_!:

It’s got a strong future. A lot of people are worried it’ll go like drum and bass and get commercialized, and raves will become full of dickheads with attitude. I think it’s a marmite thing. You can’t fake liking dubstep, you’d stick out a mile. It’s not a mainstream thing, it can’t become high street, it’s deeper than that. People that might flood dubstep because they see it’s the “in thing” will either become hooked on the music for the music, or not get on with it. It’s about a big dark room, big sub and system, and the music above all else. Not about dress codes, what people look like, how they dance, how many girls you can pull in one night, club décor, some DJ who thinks he’s gods gift, and a tangible “image”. When the commercial crowd come looking for this in a dance they ain’t gonna get it, they will either feel the music, or turn up their nose and leave. I think that’s why its been growing at a steady rate, people are getting hooked on the raw elements of dubstep, while the image chasers and cool squad have nothing to attach to themselves too.

You know when you’re standing in Leeds West Indian Centre at 5am sweating your balls off, with the lights on an every head in there is standing saluting, looking like they skanked for the last 6 hours, it ain’t about image.

PIXELFACTOR:

How did you get involved with Macabre Unit ?

T_!:

R.Demon and Niner had always been about, I’m based in Stevenage and they were up the road in Bedford. I’d always been aware of them being in the locality, heads like us are few and far between in our areas, and I chatted to the guys and collected beats at a few raves. I think I hooked up with them properly after djin with Raff @ Paradiso in Dam 2 years ago, started picking up beats on a regular and pushing them. We worked for a while on raising attention on the artists in the Home Counties, with IMP Batch and Macabre both running through 1xtra on Cameos show in 2006. [It was after that I had to switch from TNT to T_! after veteran producer Trend had a polite word] I’ve always been a fan of that dark, techy, sininster sound (sKum) as R.Demon calls it, and it seemed to fit so well with Dubstep I was playing, it seemed a natural progression. The Macabre production sound has continued to evolve I feel works so well with the current sounds I’m playing, so it’s mad not to push them. Rep your ends and all that!

PIXELFACTOR:

What’s your favourite show played to date ?

T_!:

Blimey there’s been a few thinking back. Dubstep wise, when me and Raff played Dubpressure in Brighton last summer (large up DP gang!), it was bananas! Such good crowd participation and response, the vibe in there was amazing. One of those ones where you finish your set with a proper grin on your face.
Playing at Warning in Cambridge is always a big privilege aswell, considering it’s the UK longest running DnB night, and they are allowing me to rep Dusbtep there.

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you give us your 3 favorite websites you visit:
[Excluding myspace?]

T_!:

1.) www.dubstepforum.com all day, I’m hooked!

2.) www.radiopirates.co.uk cos I’m a pirate radio geek

3.) www.halifax.co.uk to check how well I’m doing at caining all my wages!

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you give us your 5 favorite Dubstep web links:

T_!:

1.) www.indiestore.com/demon

2.) www.subconscious-dubstep.com

3.) www.rinse.fm

4.) www.blackdownsoundboy.blogspot.com/

5.) www.getdarker.com

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you give us your current Top 5 Dubstep tracks:

1.) Benga- B4 the Dual

2.) R.Demon- No Soundbwoy No Cry

3.) Toasty- On Something

4.) Afterdark- No Badness

5.) R.Demon- Sunshine Remix

PIXELFACTOR:

Can you give us your current Top 5 other tracks which we might find on your Ipod:

T_!:

I flex a lot of old music on my mp3 player!

1.) Nas- One Mic

2.) Omni Trio- Renegade Snares

3.) The Clash- Rock the Casbah

4.) The Police- Roxanne

5.) Metalheadz- Inner City Life

PIXELFACTOR:

Any closing thoughts, shouts or greets?

T_!:

Big up my fam! Big up the Perception FM, Stink Like Sock and Macabre unit fams respectively. Out to the Warning crew, all the dubsteppers round the Home counties and beyond that are getting on it! Big up Bush, out to all Dj’s keeping it technical.

www.myspace.com/tntbatch is you – downloads and booking info!

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Download the mix here

T_! Tracklisting:

T_! intro

Macabre Unit vs Don Goliath- No Soundbwoy, No Cry

Benga- 26 Basslines

Afterdark- No Badness

Skream- Nemesis

Sully- Flashback

>> Dexplicit- Blazer Riddim

Headhunter- Sushi Brain

Badwai vs Kode 9- Den of Drumz

Toasty- The Knowledge

Macabre Unit ft Don Goliath- Sunshine [rework]

Skream- I

TrillBass- Fucking Heater

Benga- The Kut

NIN- Hand That Feeds [Dreadless remix]

Coki- Shattered

Afterdark- Number 47

Kromestar- Surgery

Dee Pattern- Who’s The Badman

Skream- Oskillator

Mizz Beats- Saw It Coming [instrumental]

Benga- Zero M2

>> J-Sweet ft Aron soul- Marxman (oh no)

DJ Oddz- Toilet water

The Bug ft Killa P and Flo Dan- Skeng

Macabre Unit- Beserkoman

Virgo- Sad Song

Monkeydubz- Venus In Furs [remix]

Skream- Chestboxing

>> Mondie ft Flirta D, Ribz, Napper, Shizzle- Pull Up Dat

>> Afterdark-Raw

9 comments

My friend Dave did this latest piece for Wired.com…which i find quite interesting!

MENLO PARK, California — Wired.com recently toured the longest linear accelerator in the world, which resides beneath nondescript gray buildings here at Stanford University.

Scientists at the Stanford Linear Accelerator, or SLAC, labs have won three Nobel prizes and are currently amassing the first scientific evidence that there is more matter than antimatter in the universe, by smashing positrons and electrons together.

The lab’s next big project, the Linac Coherent Light Source, will go online next year. Its X-ray free electron laser will be roughly 10 billion times more powerful than existing X-ray sources and let researchers capture movies of atoms and molecules during chemical reactions.

Left (below): This 4,000-ton monster of an instrument sits at the intersection of two curved magnetic-beam paths, where it detects and measures elementary particles that are released when positrons slam in to electrons.

The Large Detector can measure every particle produced by this collision — except neutrinos, which can only be detected when they remove enough energy from the reaction that the scientists know something is missing.

Photo: Dave Bullock/Wired.com

To view the full slideshow click here.

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via Wired

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Again…ive learned something i never knew before…

J Dilla died on my birthday in 2006 ? Boy…it is a shame.

Heres some interesting news and a sick video (at bottom) for the 10th of February…commemorating a super hip hop legend!

James Yancey would have been 34 years of age Thursday just gone. That is no age. But as someone once said “when your chips are up… your chips are up” and James left this crazy casino of a world two years ago tomorrow (Sunday). Jay Dee was an incredible talent and a hugely respected artist amongst his peers, taken from us prematurely, leaving a legacy that has gone from strength to strength.

Each Dilla fan jumped on the Yancey-Express at different stations along his musical journey, but it is pleasing to see so many people getting joy out of his work, both recent and from way back. For many it has been a cathartic experience, and an exploration, to work their way back through his credited work with a diverse array of artists. If I had a penny for every time I heard someone say “I had no idea Dilla worked with Pharcyde!”, I’d nearly have as much money as Kanye West!

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“Jay Dee was a producer’s producer, and not just in a press-release way. The dude made us all feel wack in a way that I can’t even explain to you. He was real black music with the soul out there on the floor, pushing every angle to take soul places it has never been before. He took sounds from other dimensions and infused soul into them. He made exactly what he wanted to hear and didn’t think of how it was gonna sound on an A&R’s table – and he walked away with every shred of credibility and creativity that we all wish we had.

Technically, he was a genius. Not a technical nerd (I wish he was), but really he was just that good – almost like he was from another planet. If God gives talent, Jay’s was hip-hop, and he even kept God guessing. Dilla invented trends, never followed ‘em.” – Diplo.

I don’t know if there’ll ever be another producer quite like Dilla, but he has influenced many. And don’t be mistaken, he was heavily influencing people way before his passing (like Diplo said above), it’s just like so many stories told, it can take a tragedy to open up some eyes.

“J is absolutely the most influential producer to bless the boards in the past decade, period. His talent spawned a whole new sound in hip-hop, R&B and soul music. I can honestly say that I have developed a bit of Dilla-ism in my approach to making beats at times. He was undeniably every producer’s favorite producer. He kept cats on their toes and was always ahead of himself. His vibe was infectious, electrifying and mystical. J. Dilla is an innovator and a true legend of our generation. I’m going to miss him.” – DJ Spinna.

J.Rocc has released the third and final part of his mixes dedicated to the memory of Dilla. You can find links to the podcast and downloads at the Stones Throw website. Also check out this mural painted just outside Paris…

“Certainly one of the most important producers of our time. Apart from his incredible impact on music, which we all know about, my most poignant memory of Jay Dee was simply how humble and modest a fellow he was. Meeting him the first time I was filled with trepidation that he’d be this overbearing hip-hop monster, all blinged up and stuff, so you can understand how relieved I was when we got straight into a conversation about Cal Tjader. Pure music, man. He’ll be missed.” – Gilles Peterson.

Biggles Jeej for the info shot!

via Just Like Music

3 comments

Check this crazy post i found on the BBC site today:

The machines can only be used by people who have been prescribed the drug for health reasons.

Patients will have to provide a prescription, and be fingerprinted and photographed before being allowed to use the facilities.

Eleven US states allow the medicinal use of marijuana, primarily for pain relief, but it remains controversial.

Vince Mehdizadeh, owner of the Herbal Nutrition Centre in Los Angeles, where one of the two first machines is based, said it would allow patients to buy extra supplies whenever needed.

Series of checks

Once the users have been photographed, fingerprinted and have shown their prescription, they will be issued with a card which can be used in the machines, he told KWTX News 10 in the US.

“They’ll be greeted by a security guard right there. They’ll slide the card in and they’ll fingerprint in to verify that it’s them,” he was quoted by KWTX News 10 as saying.

“A camera takes a picture of them, verifying that they’re actually at the machine. And they get the medicine and they move on.”

The operators think that vending machines issuing prescription drugs could become a common sight in the US.

Proponents say marijauna is a valuable tool for relieving pain and stimulating appetite in the sick.

However, it remains banned by the 1970 Controlled Substances Act and the US federal government does not currently recognise any legitimate medical use.

via BBC

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Unfortunately i wasnt able to make this one, although i really really wanted to…..but with 6:30 am work start and a flight to Germany later on in the day the only way i was able to be part of the night was through streamizm….which was hella dope at that! Got Cotti & Cluekid’s set in room 2 as Kode 9 wasnt streaming his set. Some proper smashers in there…last tune of Cotti & Cluekid’s set was pure filth!

Ended up catching Caspa & Rusko’s set aswell…dirty ! Should really be asleep, but hey…what can you do…

A little blurb about the awards party:

KODE9 / N-TYPE / BENGA / RUSKO b2b CASPA / COTTI b2b CLUEKID / HENY G b2b CONQEST / BLACKDOWN b2b DUSK / BRAIDEN b2b ONEMAN / DUBWAY / BEN UFO / WHISTLA

Dubstepforum.com and Hyponik promotions present the Dubstep Awards, a celebration of the creativity and diversity of the world’s most exciting electronic genre. 2007 saw Dubstep take over clubs across the capital and across the globe and at Herbal on January 17th this will be celebrated with sets from some of the scene’s key players and rising stars. Also on the night awards will be given to the winners of accolades including Producer of the Year, 12” of the Year and Best Radio Show of the Year, as voted for by the members of DubstepForum .

Sets on the night come from DJs including Hyperdub label head honcho, and the man who brought the world Burial, Kode9; Rusko and Caspa, fresh from the release of their storming Fabric Live mix CD; Dubstepforum.com creator Dubway from Croatia and from Sub Fm radio station boss Whistla. The Awards will be presented by Boomnoise and Sgt Pokes in the style of their popular radio show on www.subfm.com with MC support coming from Crazy D, Roguestar and Rod Azlan. Also on the night will be a guest PA from dubstepforum.com legend and lyrical badman MC BUFFALO. The man who gave the world the phrase: ‘POR QUE BRUV CLOT?’

A look at the results:

Best Producer

1. MALA

2. BURIAL

3. BENGA

4. COKI

5. TES LA ROK

6. KODE 9

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Best Newcomer

1. RUSKO

2. 2562

3. CLOUDS

4. PEVERELIST

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Best DJ

1. N TYPE

2. KODE 9

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Best 12″

1.

MALA – Lean Forward / Learn
(DMZ 012)

1.

UNCLE SAM – Round The World Girls (Tes La Rok Remix) / Ignition
(ARGON 011)

3.

COKI – Spongebob / The End
(DMZ 013)

4.

MALA – Changes / Forgive
(DEEP MEDI MUSIC 004)

5.

THE BUG – Jah War / Jah War (Loefah Remix)
(NINJA TUNE 192)

6.

THE BUG – Skeng / Skeng (Kode9 Remix)
(HYPERDUB 006)

7.

MALA – Bury Da Bwoy / Hunter
(DMZ 011)

8.

2562 – Channel Two / Circulate
(TECTONIC 015)

9.

GOTH TRAD – Cut End / Flags
(DEEP MEDI MUSIC 005)

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Best Label

1. DEEP MEDI MUSIK

2. HYPERDUB

3. DMZ

4. HOTFLUSH

5. ARGON

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Best EP/LP

1. DISTANCE – My Demons (PLANET MU 170)

2. BURIAL – Ghost Hardware (HYPERDUB 004)

3. RUSKO – Babylon Volume 1 (SUBSOLDIERS 002)

4. SKREAM – Skreamizm 3 (TEMPA 028)

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Best Radio Show

1. N TYPE – Sub Sundays (RINSE.FM)

2. BUNZERO – Fob Show (SUBFM.COM)

3. BOOMNOISE AND POKES Show (SUBFM.COM)

4. MARY ANNE HOBBS – Breezeblock (BBC RADIO 1)

5. SKREAM – Stella Sessions (RINSE.FM)

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Best Radio Station

1. SUBFM.COM

2. RINSE.FM

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Best MC

1. SGT POKES

2. FLOWDAN

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Best Digital Mix

1. KODE 9 – Sonar Mix (GO MAGAZINE)

2. SKREAM – Essential Mix (BBC RADIO 1)

3. VACCINE – Medicate With Bassweight (FEB 07)

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Best CD

1. N TYPE – Dubstep Allstars Volume 5 (TEMPA CD 009)

2. SHACKLETON / APPLEBLIM – Soundboy Punishments (SKULL DISCO CD 001)

3. DISTANCE – My Demons (PLANET MU 170)

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Best Artwork

1. SKULLDISCO (Artist: Zeke)

2. DEEP MEDI MUSIC (Artist: DeadWorldArt)

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Best Website

1. BAREFILES.COM

2. BLACKDOWNSOUNDBOY.BLOGSPOT.COM

3. SUBFM.COM

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Best Record Store

1. REDEYE

2. BOOMKAT

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Best Event

1. DMZ (London)

2. EXODUS (Leeds)

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Best Digital Release

1. RAMADANMAN – Agreement (RAMADANMAN 003)

2.FORENSICS – Dungeon Master (Alien Pimp Remix – DUBKRAFT 003)

2 comments

Jeej, a fellow blogger gave me a tip on a new web 2.0 site called The Sixty One….a music adventure!

What a great site! Really feeling it as i think its a great way for artists to get some exposure for their music aswell as some critique from both fellow artists aswell as fans by the “bumping” system which they use on the site!

http://www.thesixtyone.com/Pixelfactor

You can sign up HERE

or email me for an invite.

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This sounds quite interesting as i know 2 people who are heavily into audio warfare…..

Blissfully unaware that it’s up against a generation raised in the sensory madhouses known as techno clubs, the Pentagon is reportedly working on a non-lethal weapon that utilizes light and sound to sicken and disorient targets. Like Homeland Security’s “pukelight,” the so-called Distributed Sound and Light Array Debilitator being developed by Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory is meant to induce a feeling of nauseousness, in this case combining light patterns with “aversive noises.” So yeah, like we said, sounds pretty effective unless you happen to run into a group of insurgents hardened by years of all-night raving and the accompanying neurological damage.

via Engadget

2 comments

Poison Dart Video – The Bug & Warrior Queen….what more needs to be said! A totally sick video and tune!

via Drumz Of The South

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