Trap Magazine 014 by Trap Magazine

ADDISON GROOVE (LIVE) ALEXANDER NUT ALIX PEREZ ANDY C ARTWORK A-TRAK B2B JUST BLAZE BOY 8 BIT BRACKLES BREAK BTRAITS CALIBRE CALYX & TEEBEE CASPA CHIMPO CULTURE SHOCK CUTLINE CYANTIFIC DANIEL AVERY DARQ E FREAKER DBRIDGE DISTANCE DJ DIE DJ HYPE ÉCLAIR FIFI FABIO FAKE BLOOD FOREIGN BEGGARS (LIVE) GOLDIE

COMING SOON www.fabriclondon.com

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PLUS MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED! SATURDAY TICKET HOLDERS GOT A SATURDAY TICKET? WE ARE OFFERING ALL EXISTING TICKET HOLDERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY A TICKET FOR SUNDAY AT £15.00 PLUS BOOKING FEE UP UNTIL THE END OF APRIL.

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MELÉ TRAP MIXTAPE #5

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FASHION

FESTIVAL GUIDE 2013

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ALIX PEREZ

BOSS SELECTIONS DJ’S TOP TENS PLUS IN-DEPTH CHARTS

BICEP

FASHION SHOOT YOUNG HEARTS

STUSSY X GOLDIE

REVIEWS THE LATEST MUSIC & GAMES

FRENCH FRIES

BASSPOINTS THE HOTTEST EVENTS ON PLANET BASS

ART: AIR MAX

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EDITOR: Jon Cook CREATIVE DIRECTOR/DESIGN: Andy Hayes FASHION EDITOR: Kasha Malyckyj SALES & ADVERTISING: Iain Blackburn MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION: Justin Iriajen SOCIAL NETWORKING: Amy Stiff WEB: Daddison & Nick Hills COVER: Alix Perez by Ollie Grove. PICTURES: Ollie Grove, Gareth Rhys, Sarah Ginn, Satoshi Minakawa, Mark Read. WORDS: Kasha Malyckyj, Sam Collenette, Matt Riches Jason Gardener, Monki, Sam Bates, Gwyn Thomas de Chroustchoff, Sean Kelly, Jeryl Wilton, Justin Iriajen, Amy Stiff, Sophie Thomas, Oli Grant, Tim Rayner, James Rompani, Leyla Eroglu.

THANK YOU: Dane @ Two Plates, All @ Urban Nerds, Adam @ Backdrop, Ben @ Run, Rob, Tom & Ollie @ The Blast, Erin @ Columbo, Sam @ Red Bull, Lua @ Dutty, Will @ Coda, Jack @ Pack London, Saul @ Fabric, Andy @ The Bank, Louis, Rich & Syd @50/50,Toni @ Listen Up, Adam @ Exclusive, Jamie @ Hypercolour, Cheba & Sam @ WOC, Chris @ Cable, Chris & Joe @ Idle Hands, Danny Keston, James @ Ninja Tune, Ollie Grove, Neil @ Kish and everybody else we forgot.

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EASTERN ELECTRICS FESTIVAL WIN A PAIR OF VIP WEEKEND TICKETS! As reported last issue, during the first weekend of August London house and techno promoters Eastern Electrics are putting on a massive two-day party at the legendary Knebworth Estate, just outside London.

OUTLOOK FESTIVAL 2013 TRAP & THE BLAST BOAT PARTY

The line-up is enormous, with Ricardo Villalobos headlining a bill that spans the full spectrum of house and techno music. Maya Jane Coles, Masters At Work, Sasha, Blawan and Shadow Child are just a handful of the other DJs booked to play.

Any regular reader of Trap will know all about our love affair with Outlook festival. We’ll save you from the gushing descriptions of how it’s the best and biggest celebration of bass-music culture anywhere on the planet, and just let you know that this year Trap will be hosting a very special boat party with our friends The Blast.

Tickets are on sale now on the EE website, but Trap has a pair of VIP weekend tickets to give away to one lucky reader. To be in with a chance of winning these, simply click ‘like’ on the Trap facebook page and email us on competitions@trapmagazine.co.uk explaining why you deserve the tickets. The best, funniest or weirdest answer wins the prize...

The line-ups for all the boat parties are yet to be announced, and we’re not giving anything away just yet about what we have planned, but keep checking the Outlook website for more news and ticket details.

easternelectr ic s.com facebook.com/tra pmagaz in e

ou tlookfestival.com

CONGO NATTY

ROSHE iD

June will see Congo Natty release ‘Jungle Revolution’ through Big Dada. This album has been years in the making, and a release on the label that brought Roots Manuva to the world promises much for the jungle legend.

Nike’s design-your-own shoe service, iD, has been spoiling us with options recently and has just added the Roshe Run to the list of available models. A real favourite of all at Trap, lightweight Roshes are the perfect summer shoe.

bigdada.com

ni ke. c om /n ik ei d

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LOVE SAVES SUNDAY TRAP HOSTS OWN STAGE

STREET FEST 2013 An al l -d a y ce l e b r a ti o n o f Br i ti s h s tr e e t cu l tu r e i n th e h e a r t o f E ast London, the s i xth a n n u a l Str e e t Fe s t ta k e s p l a ce o n Su n d a y 5 Ma y. Happ e n i n g o n H e a r n e Str e e t i n Sh o r e d i tch , Str e e t Fe s t b r i n gs together creati ve s f r o m th e w o r l d s o f a r t, s k a te , d e s i gn a n d mu s i c f o r a unique party that k e e p s o n gr o w i n g eve r y ye a r. Wi th a h e a vy e mp h a s i s o n a u dience partici p a ti o n , i n cl u d i n g w o r k s h o p s o n th e d a y a n d n u me r o u s co mpetitions givin g u n s i gn e d a r ti s ts th e ch a n ce to s h i n e , Str e e t Fe s t ge ts Tr ap’s full supp o r t. Ma k e s u r e yo u co me d o w n a n d ch e ck i t o u t – n o ma tte r what your inter e s t, th e r e w i l l b e s o me th i n g go i n g o n f o r yo u .

s tr ee tf e st. n e t

Trap is over-hyped to announce that on Sunday 26 May, we will be hosting our very own stage at Love Saves Sunday in Bristol. After the massive success of last year’s Love Saves The Day, this year Team Love (who are also the masterminds behind Glastonbury’s dance areas) have added a whole extra day to the party. While Soul II Soul, Chic and Julio Bashmore headline, and Jah Shaka tests his legendary system all day long, we’ve got no less than DJ EZ, Lil Silva, B.Traits, Mele & Slick Don, Hackman, Squarehead, Walter Ego and Dutty Girl on our stage. Tickets are on sale now - go grab one and we will see you there!

l ov e sa v es th e d a y. or g

CHIMP STORE

TRAP X THE BLAST

Trap is now available exclusively in Leeds in the city’s finest streetwear boutique, Chimp Store. Stocking all the heavy-hitters and located in a Victorian Arcade, we’re proud to be on their shelves. If you’re not up North, check their online store.

This summer Trap will be teaming up with one of the UK’s biggest promoters for some very special parties in our home city of Bristol. Expect genre-spanning line-ups in rarely-used spaces and keep an eye on our website for more info.

thechi mpstore.com

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ARC FESTIVAL AUDIO VISUAL EXTRAVAGANZA HITS BRISTOL Bristol has long been regarded as a global hotspot for experimental music and art, breeding and fostering a seemingly endless stream of creative talents whose impact has been felt far beyond the scruffy streets of Britain’s most laid-back city. Arc Festival, which takes place on Saturday 27 April in Eastville Park, seeks to build on Bristol’s reputation as an epicentre for cutting-edge creative arts by adding a unique new thread to the city’s cultural fabric in the form of a one-day audio-visual spectacular. Some of the world’s leading AV artists will be invited to let their creativity run wild within the site’s two total-blackout marquees and three geodesic domes, while a truly varied selection of the most interesting acts from electronic music provide the all-important soundtrack. Now, we know this all could all sound a bit pompous, but believe us, Arc really does look like something truly unique and special. With the Hypercolour and Applepips record labels on board, you know the music is gonna be good, and just check the videos on the Arc website for an idea of how deep the team behind it are going to make sure this is an unforgettable and truly immersive event.

w ww .a r c fe s tiv a l. c o. u k

ARC FESTIVAL EASTVILLE PARK, BRISTOL 27 APRIL TICKETS: £35 Line up includes:

CLARK, JAMES HOLDEN, MARTYN, DJ DIE, ALSO, LIVITY SOUND, WILL SAUL, TARIK BARRI, ARKIST & KOMON, PINCH, BASS CLEF, NATHAN FAKE.

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Trap’s regular columnist, and one of the finest young DJs out there, swings by with the latest happenings in the club-music jungle...

CATCH ME AT:

I LOVE…

31 MAY FABRIC

KARMA KID ‘IN MY ARMS’

I’ll be in my hometown at the end of May and heading to Fabric to play for Urban Nerds. You can catch me alongside EZ, Breakage and many more across the club’s three rooms. If you can’t make it, fear not; Urban Nerds are also hosting the Streetfest after party on 5 May.

Karma Kid has had a fantastic year with his first single 'It's Always' getting plays on both Radio 1 and Rinse FM, plus a supportive nod from Disclosure. He stormed through the rest of 2012 with a load of successful remixes and now he's ready to release his next single, 'In My Arms'. First debuted on my In New DJs show, the feel good vibes, summer chords and rolling vocal make for a sure-fire festival banger.

BUSSEY BUILDING PECKHAM East London has long had more than its fair share of nights, so it's only natural that the party has started to move elsewhere. Bussey Building in Peckham seems to be becoming one of the venues of choice south of the River. It's a dark and dingy top-floor club with whitewashed walls, brick work and pillars; a great space for a tucked-away rave and it also has a rooftop!

PAUSE LIVERPOOL 25 MAY LOVE SAVES THE DAY I’ll be playing at this Bristolian festival in May and I can't wait! I’m sure Trap is already giving it plenty of love in this issue, but I had to mention this party here. You can catch me alongside Oneman, AlunaGeorge, Bicep, Dusky, Jackmaster, Rudimental, Shy FX and a whole lot more!

ONE TO WATCH SHADOW CHILD A new project from an already established DJ and producer, this alias has been around for a hot minute. With a hefty number of remixes under his belt, including Delphic and Lianne La Havas, plus a release on house don Claude Von Stroke’s dirtybird, this will surely be his year.

Garage is very much rooted in London, but Liverpool is flying the UKG flag high by dedicating a whole night to it! I guess with the influx of garage Soundcloud kids coming through, it's quite fitting in a city heavily populated with students. Held in the dark and dingy Shipping Forecast, the next night includes Oxide & Neutrino alongside Mele & Slick Don doing a strictly garage set.

Subject to licence

Over 100 of the world’s finest house & techno acts including includin :

Sp e ci al Gu Special Guest est Richie R i chi e Hawtin Haw tin Weekend Camping W e ekend C amping g tickets available ti cke ts a v ail ab l e £115 ffrom rom £1 15 Single Day tickets S in g l e D ay ti cke ts £30 ffrom rom £3 0 Tickets available att T i cke ts a v ail ab l e a easternelectrics.com e asternele c tr i cs.c om

Âme Anja A nja S Schneider chnei der Ata At a Ben Be nU UFO FO Blawan B lawan Brian Br i an S Sanhaji anhaji C a tz N D og z Catz Dogz Ch ez Damier D ami er Chez C hr is Liebing Li ebing Chris Ch r istophe Christophe Cl a u de V onS troke Claude VonStroke Cl imb ers Climbers C lo ck work Clockwork D ami an Laza r us Damian Lazarus Dave D ave Clarke Clar ke Deetron D e e tron Dixon D ixon DJ K Koze oze DJ Sn Sneak e ak DJ T Tennis e n ni s Droog Dr o og Dyed D ye d S Soundorom oundorom Eats E a ts Ev Everything e r y t h in g Ellen El len Allien Alli en Felix F elix D Dickinson i c k in s o n Francesca F r an c e s c a L Lombardo ombardo Futureboogie F utureb o og i e DJs

G av in Herlihy Gavin Herlihy Geddes G e ddes Gerd Ge rd Giles G iles Smith Smi th Guy G Gerber erb er Heidi H ei di H uxley Huxley In f ini t y In k Infinity Ink J a ckmaster Jackmaster J ames P r i estley James Priestley J osh Wink W ink Josh J oy Orbison Orbison Joy J ozif Jozif J ustin M ar tin Justin Martin K err i Chandler Chandler Kerri Krankbrothers K r ankbroth ers Ky le H all Kyle Hall Laura L aur a Jo Jones nes Levon L e von Vincent V inc ent Luca L uca Pilato P ila to Lukas L uk as Maceo Ma c e o Plex Plex Magda M agda Masters M asters At W Work or k Matt Ma t t Tolfrey Tolfrey Matthias M a t thi as Tanzmann Tanzmann M aur i c e Fulton Ful ton Maurice

Maxxi Soundsystem S oundsystem Maxxi Maya Jane Jane Coles C oles Maya Mi cha el Mayer Mayer Michael Mig uel Campbell C ampb ell Miguel MK MK Mo derat Moderat Nii ck Curly Curly Nick o Artificial Ar tif i ci al Colours C olours No Pa an-Pot Pan-Pot P BR Streetgang S tre e tgang PBR Plane t ar y Assault Assaul t Planetary Systems Prosumer Prosumer Systems Ralph Lawson Lawson Ralph Rar a esh Raresh Rob o er t James James Robert Ri chy Ahmed A hm e d Richy Roman Flügel Flügel Roman Ryan Crosson Crosson Ryan S asha Sasha S e th Troxler Troxler Seth Shadow Sh ha dow Child Child S oul Bros: Bros: Soul — S oul Clap Clap —Soul Th e Martinez Mar tinez Brothers Broth ers — The Sp p enc er Spencer Subb-an Subb-an Ta ama Sumo S um o Tama

We welcome back Urban Nerds for the latest update on their world…

www.urban-nerds.com

SNOWBOMBING 2013 The Urban Nerds crew has just got back from five amazing days and nights of raving at Snowbombing, which means festival season is officially underway and summer is just round the corner. With too many highlights to mention we wanted to say thanks to all involved in making it such a great festival.

UNMOTW

OTHER EVENTS

We have recently launched the Urban Nerds mix of the week series so check out the @urban_nerds twitter for the latest #UNMOTW.

There’s s lot going on with Urban Nerds over the next few months. On 5 May we’ll be hosting the official Street Fest after-party at Victoria Vaults in London, and later in the month we’re running another Sin City take over in Brighton. Oh, and there’s our Room 2 takeover at Fabric on 31 May, too. We’ve also got a couple of other exciting projects in the pipeline that we will be announcing soon.

MARCUS NASTY HOT 5IVE 1. Pete Graham, Marc Spence & Lorenzo ‘Who Dat’ 2. Jakwob ‘Fade’ 3. Cause & Affect ‘One’ 4. DJ Kismet ‘Bionics’ 5. B3 ‘Whose Laughing Now’

5 May – Urban Nerds host Street Fest After Party @ Victorian Vaults London 31 May – Urban Nerds room 2 takeover @ Fabric London

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DANIEL PALILLO danielpalillo.net

F A S H I O 14N WORDS:

Kas ha M alyckyj

Style meets swagger with the latest collection from Finnish designer Daniel Palillo. Known for an avant-garde approach to his craft, the SS13 offering, entitled 'Invasion', is a heady combination of exaggerated silhouettes and bold graphics. The line is a crossover of both guy's and girl's styles, from outlandish oversized tops and sweats to the wearable dresses and skirts that give a distinct nod to Palillo's quirky edge.

TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

GRAND SCHEME grandscheme.com.au

MIISTA

Es ta b l i s h e d b a ck i n 2006, Au s tr a l i a n b r a n d Gr a n d Sch e me i s n o w a va i l a b l e o n U K s h o r e s .

MIISTA.COM

Co mb i n i n g b r a ze n gr a p h i c p r i n te d te e s w i th p r e mi u m cu t-a n d -s e w p i e ce s i n cl u d i n g s h i r ts , s w e a ts a n d ou te r w e a r, Gr a n d Sch e me ’s r e ce n t co l l e cti o n s h a ve ca u s e d a r e a l s ti r, w i th th e ‘Ma u i Wo w i e ’ p r i n t p r o vi n g pa r ti cu l a r l y p o p u l a r. Fo r th e f i r s t U K d r o p , Gr a n d Sch e me i s r e -i s s u i n g th e pr i n t i n a r a n ge o f ha ts , te e s s h o r ts a n d s h i r ts , acco mp a n yi n g a s tr o n g Sp r i n g/Su mme r co l l e cti o n , w h i ch sh o u l d b e a r r i vi n g i n s to r e s j u s t a b o u t n o w.

Statement shoes don't come any stronger than footwear brand Miista’s offering this season. Stacked Perspex heels and jute rope platforms combine with dreamy pastel hues to create the must-have shoes to take you from beach to club and everywhere else in between. The trend-ticking, iridescent brogues hit the top of the Trap gal's wish list, so put you best foot forward and hit up the Miista website now.

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MOST WANTED This months five must-have items...

HUF X D N DIAMO O C SUPPLY HU FW OR

LD W ID E.

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£12

COMMES DES GARCONS AT GOODHOOD goodhoodstore.com

£63

DIMEPIEC

DI ME PI EC EL

$4 8

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SUPREME

SU PR EM EN EW

$4 4 co m

AM EYEWEA AT EYE RESPECT EY ERE SP ECT .co

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Trap links with one of our favourite stores out there, Cooshti, to share some of spring’s hottest footwear drops...

F A S H I O 14N

AIR MAX

NIKE AIR MAX OGS It’s a whole quarter century since Nike released the first Air Max, so we thought we’d take a proper look at the four most-loved incarnations of the legendary training shoe in their original, and recently re-issued, colourways and constructions...

AIR MAX

Boldly futuristic, these two hi-tech members of the Air Max family are regarded as the two other true classics of the range. Immensely popular in the years following their releases, but then shunned over the last decade as consumers opted for simpler, more classic silhouettes and materials, both these models are now making a well overdue comeback. Packed with the futurism of the preMillennium era, and with colourways and materials to match, rocking these feels like you’ve stuck your feet into a couple of spaceships.

AIR MAX

The first and, many would argue, still the best; 25 years since it first appeared, the inaugural Air Max shoe is now considered a design classic. Taking inspiration from the inside-out construction of Paris’ Pompedieu Centre, designer Tinker Hatfield’s decision to put the inner-workings of the shoe on display through a small window in the heel-unit revolutionised sneaker design. There have been hundreds of colour-ways of this classic trainer over the last 25 years, but the OG red and blue models will never be beaten.

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Inspiring just as much love as its eldest brother, the third Air Max model remains a much-worn classic after more than two decades in production. Packed with the then-latest technology, the 90 combined a distinctive TPU panel around the air-bubble with the latest synthetic materials and sported one of the most eye-catching colourways in footwear history; the ‘Infrared’, shown here. With its bulkier shape, the 90 was a favourite during the baggier-jeaned times of the late-90s and early-00s, but an icon like this never goes out of style.

All these shoes and many more available at Cooshti

WWW.COOSHTI.COM

GYM CLASS HEROES Three hot-as-hell takes on classic shoes from a trio of brands that definitely weren’t cool back when we were at school....

ASICS GEL-SAGA & GEL-LYTE Some stunning recent re-workings of running-shoe specialists ASICs’ Gel-Saga and Gel-Lyte models have given the Japanese brand a new lease of life. The Gel-Saga in Black/Light Grey features a speckled sole unit and some killer touches of teal, while the eye-popping Gel-Lyte III offsets greys and blues with bold neon touches.

NEW BALANCE 576: 25TH ANNIVERSARY PACK British firm New Balance is another classic brand that’s been feeling some unlikely hipster love of late and, like the first Air Max, is also marking its twenty-fifth birthday this year. To kick off the celebrations New Balance is re-issuing the classic 576 style in vintage form. Timeless colourways and the highest quality materials, crafted in the UK.

SAUCONY GRID 9000 First released back in 1994, the GRID 9000 by American running brand Saucony has one of the finest silhouettes out there. Following on-point link-ups with Packer and Boston-based boutique Bodega, the brand is making the most of its moment with some dope Spring/Summer colourways lined-up. The Tan/Brown and Navy/Citron models are our favourites.

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Eric Koston

Pro Launch

Over Easter, we at fifty fifty were stoked to get involved with launching the new Eric Koston 2 Pro model from the Nike SB camp. The UK launch happened down in London and featured a mini golf course made up of infamous spots that Koston has shut down during his years in the game. A few of us were lucky enough to get invited and tee off against the man himself. It was a fun night out for sure and big thanks to Nike for putting it on. Meanwhile, back in Bristol, Nike provided some banging window graphics for the in-store launch of the new shoe, which has dropped in five colourways including an all digital-pink option that is pretty bold. Loosely based on a golf shoe and adapted to Kostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own specifications, this is a really versatile and comfortable skate shoe. The golf influence is laid bare in the second limited special which comes in sophisticated black leather. All colour options are available now in-store and online.

WWW.5050STORE.COM

Chomp Ollie Tour On Saturday 6 April, fifty fifty hosted one of the UK legs of the Chomp Ollie tour, which saw the Nike crew roll through town in a old-skool pizza van, providing a kicker to couch obstacle that got shut down by a whole sea of Bristol regulars. There were plenty of freebies as well as free pizza and good tunes; with the sun finally coming out, it proved to be a fine day indeed! The official edit will be dropping very soon. No spoilers here, but a big thanks to everyone who came through and got involved.

Polar Skate Co Swedenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Polar Skate Co has just dropped their Spring apparel line, delivering a rad new collection of logo and graphic-based tees and sweats. As youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d expect from Pontus Alv (the mastermind behind Polar), the attention to detail and quality of the garments is second to none. Polar is exclusively available at legit skate stores, which is also an amazing touch in the current climate. Make sure you check this brand.

WWW.polarskateco.com

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BOSS SELECTIONS Scott Garcia and Sticky are UK Garage royalty. There from the beginning, these two figures have dominated dances with their shrewd selections and landmark productions since the mid 1990s. With the garage sound as popular as it ever was, the two Londoners have joined forces for a new project, Foundation, and have a massive summer of gigs ahead. We tracked the duo down to discover the ten tracks that built their foundations...

SCOTT GARCIA & STICKY:

Foundation

SCOTT GARCIA: BAFFLED – ‘I WANNA HO’ I was lucky enough to work with Baffled in the late 90s. When I heard this little gem on a big system for the first time it blew me away! I remember it was at a Sunday morning rave called Space, which took place at the Chunnel Club, and I was pretty messy! I went home and listened to the track over an over again in total awe! Baffled were a massive inspiration to me and played a huge part in my early career. DUB MONSTERS – ‘WAITING’ To this day, ‘Waiting’ goes down as my favourite piece of work from my music career. It was made in a day with my now long-time mate Ray Hurley and it was actually the first time we ever went into a studio together. I still play it in most of my sets and it always goes down well. I remember a few raised eyebrows when I said I wanted it to go on the flip of Its ‘A London Thing’; glad I stuck to my guns! TUFF JAM FT XAVIER – ‘TUMBLING DOWN’ Tuff Jam were my heroes and I followed them with massive enthusiasm. I was so happy the day I finally got this on vinyl from Release The Groove in Piccadilly. For me, it’s the perfect blend of great vocals and skippy drums, synth stabs and bass, and really defines what the ‘Unda Vybe’ sound was all about. Such a great track. RESTLESS NATIVES – ‘I WANNA KNOW’ You know when you hear a song and it’s like the words were written just for you? I fell in love with this song the moment I heard it. A real sing-along anthem and perfect party vibes after a hard week’s work! RHYTHM IS RHYTHM – ‘STRINGS OF LIFE’ There’s not much you can say about this track that hasn't already been

GOING IN DEEP

said. It’s one of the first rave songs I knew the name of and that’s because it was such a stand-out piece of music at the time. I still get goosebumps from the intro and it just seems to sound fresher and more breathtaking the older it gets!

STICKY: MDUBS – ‘OVER YOU’ I aquired this classic when I was working in the Wax City record shop in Croydon. The ‘Breakbeat Mix’ was my favourite. There are hardly any sounds in it, but it’s completely infectious. NESHA – ‘WHAT'S IT GONNA BE’ (STICKY 2STEP MIX) This was my first attempt at making a garage record and my first big break. This was the tune that changed the whole direction of the music I was making; before this track, it was strictly hip-hop and R&B for me. GENERAL PECUS – ‘BODY WORK SHOP’ Yep. This, for me, was the first Bogle/dancehall tune. I went to ten different record shops trying to get this little 7-inch. Every shop kept saying they’d sold out! It was a new sound in dancehall reggae and I was involved. Without this tune, ‘Booo’ would never have existed. PHAROAHE MONCH – ‘SIMON SAYS’ This is one of my top-five hip-hop beats of all time. Maaaad brass intro .........then the drop "Bah bah bah bah!” Urrrrrgh!!!!!!! AALIYAH – ‘ONE IN A MILLION’ Timbaland is one of my favourite producers, Missy one of the very best songwriters and then to top it all, you have Aaliyah’s vocal talents. This tune is what got me seriously into making beats. Timbo is still inspirational.

SWINDLE RINSE FM

BARELY LEGAL BBC 1XTRA

OM UNIT CIVIL

1. ROYAL T – ‘I KNOW YOU WANT ME’ (RINSE) 2. JOKER – ‘GULLY SIDE’ (KAPSIZE) 3. SILKIE – ‘NECKBACK’ (DEEP MEDI) 4. SWINDLE – ‘DO THE JAZZ’ (PREDITAH REFIX) (DUB) 5. CHEFAL & BLUESY FT RAGGA TWINS – ‘GANJA PARTY’ (VON D REMIX) (SUBFREQ) 6. FLAVA D – ‘HOLD ON’ (BUTTERZ) 7. SPOOKY – ‘BABY’ (DUB) 8. SANGO – ‘OWE ME’ (TAKU RMX) (DUB) 9. PREDITAH – ‘LOOSE CANON’ (DUB) 10. STARKEY – ‘COMMAND’ (PLASTICIAN RMX) (CIVIL MUSIC)

1. IRONSOUL – ‘YOU DON'T KNOW’ (SWEET BEETZ RECORDINGS) 2. WEN - ‘PATWAH’ (WOZ REMIX) (DUB) 3. MY NU LENG & PASTEMAN – ‘2TWOS’ (DUB) 4. SLK FT LETHAL B – ‘LETHAL HYPE’ (DUB) 5. KID LENG - ‘MORGUE’ (RMX) (DUB) 6. WEN - ‘COMMOTION’ (VIP) (KEYSOUND) 7. ZED BIAS - ‘BEEN HERE BEFORE’ (DFL) 8. BENNY ILL AND HATCHA ‘HIGHLAND SPRING’ (TEMPA) 9. DRU HILL - ‘HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE’ (GROOVE CHRONICLES RMX) (DUB) 10. AKA - ‘WARNING’ (SUNSHIP VOCAL) (MIKK)

1. GORGON SOUND – ‘FIND JAHWAY’ (PENG SOUND) 2. ELECTRIC STREET ORCHESTRA – ‘THE NATIVES’ EP (DIRT TECH RECK) 3. ITAL TEK – ‘GLOKK’ (PLANET MU) 4. BOBBY TANK – ‘VORPHEUM’ (MOFO HIFI) 5. PAUL WHITE FT. DANNY BROWN – ‘STREET LIGHTS’ (DABRYE RMX) (ONE HANDED MUSIC) 6. DANNY SCRILLA – ‘FLUXUS’ EP (CIVIL MUSIC) 7. V.I.V.E.K. – ‘OVER MY HEAD’ (SYSTEM MUSIC) 8. HOUSE OF BLACK LATERNS – ‘TRUTH AND LOSS’ (FRACTURE'S ASTROPHONICA RMX) (HOUNDSTOOTH) 9. GEORGE KURTS – ‘MONITOR YOUR THOUGHTS’ (REBEL INSTINCT) 10. ASC – ‘POLEMIC’ (SAMURAI RED SEAL)

CHIMPO ESTATE RECORDINGS

HUXLEY HYPERCOLOUR

1. CHIMPO & DEE:SEE – ‘DUMB’ (DUB) 2. CHIMPO, SKITTLES & DRS – ‘BUMBA’ (ESTATE) 3. DJQ & CHIMPO – ‘CHOP SHOP’ (DUB) 4. MY NU LENG & PASTEMAN – ‘2 TWO'S’ (DUB) 5. CHIMPO FT FOX – ‘FRONTLINE’ (CALIBRE RMX) (SOUL:R) 6. OM UNIT & SAM BINGA – ‘SQUARES’’ (EXIT) 7. ENEI FT CHIMPO – ‘VICTIM’ (CRITICAL) 8. MY NU LENG & CHIMPO – ‘‘WAR SPECIALIST’ (DUB) 9. CALIBRE FT CHIMPO – ‘START AGAIN’ (SIGNATURE) 10. MYSTIKAL – ‘HIT ME’ (CASH MONEY)

1. BREACH – ‘JACK’ (DIRTYBIRD) 2. EATS EVERYTHING – DAS HAUS ORGAN’ (DUB) 3. ANNIE ERREZ – ‘MARCHING’ (MR G STRUTTING RMX) (SAINTS & SONNETS) 4. HOT NATURED – ‘REVERSE SKYDIVING’ (SHADOW CHILD RMX) (FFRR) 5. CLEAN BANDIT – ‘MOZART'S HOUSE’ (XXXY REMIX) (ATLANTIC) 6. HUXLEY – ‘LITTLE THINGS’ (DUB) 7. TOM FLYNN – ‘PUSHIN WEIGHT’ (DUB) 8. KRYSTAL KLEAR – ‘ADDICTION’ (EXTENDED EDIT) (RINSE) 9. FUTURE FOUR – ‘INTO ORBIT’ (DUB) 10. SAM RUSSO – ‘LOSING THINGS’ (LEFTROOM)

FRICTION SHOGUN AUDIO 1. ROCKWELL – ‘DETROIT GHETTO TECH’ (SHOGUN) 2. ALIX PEREZ – ‘ANNIE’S SONG’ (S.P.Y RMX) (SHOGUN) 3. FRICTION & SKREAM – ‘KINGPIN’ (SHOGUN) 4. LOADSTAR – ‘REFUSE TO LOVE’ (RAM) 5. TECHNIMATIC – ‘EVENING LOOP’ (SGN:LTD) 6. LENZMAN – ‘EMPTY PROMISE’ (METALHEADZ) 7. XTRAH – ‘SHOCK TREATMENT’ (SGN:LTD) 8. RANDOM MOVEMENT – ‘ALONE THIS WAY’ (GLR) 9. METRIK – ‘BREAK OF DAWN’ (HOSPITAL) 10. BCEE – ‘OUR TIME’ (SPEARHEAD)

Trap’s Rise Up mix series rolls on in style with sets from two hot young things working with a couple of dance music’s most on-point labels. Swamp81’s MC-turnedproducer Chunky drops #011, while number twelve comes from the latest signatory to the mighty dirtybird, the mysterious Friend Within… To download these or any other mixes in the series, go to www.trapmagazine.co.uk

11 I Am...

CHUNKY I AM... Chunky. YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW ME FOR... Being one of the voices coming through the speaker at various parties and on radio shows. I'D DESCRIBE THE MUSIC I MAKE AS... Groove-orientated bass music. WHEN I’M NOT WORKING, YOU'LL FIND ME... Eating or sleeping. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I DREAMED OF BEING... Boddika.. IF I WASN'T DOING MUSIC, I'D... Like to think I'd be doing something creative, where I could meet people while building things and situations. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD TO ME IS... To not be a prick!

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MY MUSICAL GUILTY PLEASURE IS... Johnny Gill, ‘Rub You The Right Way’. YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT... There is more hair on a square-inch of an otter’s back than on an entire human head. THE BEST ADVICE I'VE EVER HAD IS... “It’s not being there, it’s about the journey up.” THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE MY MIX ARE... Shit I like! IN 12 MONTH’S TIME... I’ll know what people think of the collaborations and solo projects I’m working on now... @mcrchunky

12 I Am...

FRIEND WITHIN

MY MUSICAL GUILTY PLEASURE IS... I heard Right Said Fred ‘I’m Too Sexy’ today and thought it sounded good.

I AM... Friend Within. A mysterious producer who likes to remain anonymous.

YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT... A member of my family has won the European Cup.

YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW ME FOR... My debut EP on Claude VonStroke’s Dirtybird label, plus tunes on Pets and Hypercolour. Oh, and a refix of ‘Renegade Master’.

THE BEST ADVICE I'VE EVER HAD IS... Wear earplugs. Took me a while to heed it, but well worth it.

I'D DESCRIBE THE MUSIC I MAKE AS... House with a bottom-end focus, but not always. It can be a little bit garage sometimes… WHEN I’M NOT WORKING, YOU'LL FIND ME... In front of the TV or down my local pub playing darts.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE MY MIX ARE... Tunes I like. IN 12 MONTH’S TIME... I’ll be on Trap’s front cover, with any luck. @friendwithin

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I DREAMED OF BEING... A DJ or someone who made graphics for computer games. IF I WASN'T DOING MUSIC, I'D... Be making graphics for computer games. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD TO ME IS... My other-half.

TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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TRAP MIXTAPE 005

TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Melé

>Download the mix from www.trapmagazine.co.uk

For the fifth edition of Trap’s mixtape series, we’ve invited one of our favourite DJs in the game to show us all exactly what he can do. After dBridge’s old-skool jungle selection for instalment four, we thought we’d completely flip the script, and bring things bang up to date. Melé is the perfect man for the job, having smashed his way to the top of lineups at raves nationwide with his inimitable DJ sets that take in everything from classic house, garage and hiphop, to the freshest bass-music and nastiest grime. There’s much more to Melé than just his skills as a DJ,

and as an avid and self-confessed production geek, his work in the studio has earned him releases on New York imprint Mixpak and Sinden’s Grizzly, as well as remixing major names like Disclosure and Gucci Mane. And now, things are about to go up another notch for Melé, with a release on its way for the mighty Digital Soundboy and a summer schedule packed with festivals. Check the Trap website and Facebook for the mix dropping sometime in May, and check our Soundcloud for all the previous mixes in the series.

@ukmele

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UNIT44 X CANAL MILLS PRESENTS: PHLEGM O

nly launched back in September of 2012, Canal Mills in Leeds has quickly established itself as one of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest music venues, and the converted industrial space is now ready showcase its visual side with the launch of its arts programme. Canal Mills have invited Newcastle-based Unit44 to curate the venueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first permanent installation, which sees anonymous and highly renowned muralist Phlegm incorporating his unique characters into the nooks and crannies of the space. Watch out for news of more cutting-edge music and art at Canal Mills as the year goes on.

canalmills.com unit-44.com phlegmcomics.com

TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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Clothing, Footwear & Vintage Items Asics / African Apparel / Brooklyn We Go Hard / Clae / Colourway / Drifter / Fjallraven / Garbstore / Norse Projects / Percival / Perks & Mini / Ranks / Rockwell / Stones Throw / Super Eyewear / The Decades Hat Co. / The Quiet Life / The Trilogy Tapes / Too Much Posse / Wood Wood

8 Perry Road, Bristol. BS1 5 BQ. Monday - Saturday. 11.00 - 19.00 www.donutsthestore.co.uk

It’s that ti m e o f ye a r ag a i n w h e n w e a l l l o s e o u r s h i t i n f i e l d s a n d p a r k s, so here’s t h e f i r s t p a r t o f Tr a p ’s g u i d e t o t h e b e s t f e s t i v a l s c o m i n g u p i n t h e n ex t f e w m o n t h s. Read on fo r o u r p i c k o f t h e b e s t c i t y - b a s e d a n d o v e r s e a s p a r t i e s h a p p e n i n g in sum m e r ’s f i r s t f e w m o n t h s, a n d c h e c k n ex t i s s u e f o r e v e n m o r e.

FIELD DAY L o n do n 25 MAY Tickets: £54.50 Field Day r e tu r n s to Vi cto r i a P a r k i n E a s t London on 25 Ma y, w i th a n o th e r b o l d line-up comb i n i n g th e s o me o f th e mo s t interesting a cts f r o m th e w o r l d s o f b o th electronic a n d i n d i e mu s i c. With a cap a ci ty o f 30,000 a n d w i th i n e a s y reach of a n yo n e s tu ck i n th e Ca p i ta l o ve r the Bank H o l i d a y w e e k e n d , Fi e l d Da y p r i d e s itself on p r o vi d i n g a tr u l y i mme r s i ve experience i n th e h e a r t o f Lo n d o n . Ho s te d by the guys b e h i n d Bu gge d Ou t! a n d E a t Your Ears, yo u k n o w th e mu s i ca l me n u o n offer here i s go i n g to r e a ch d e e p a n d w i d e , serving up e ve r yth i n g f r o m Ca n a d i a n h i p s te r queen Grime s , to H u d Mo a n d Lu n i ce ’s TNGHT an d th e f u l l H e s s l e Au d i o f a mi l y.

HIGH

F O U R T LIGHTS . E D J A N G T, D J A N G O O P E A R S O , G R IM E S , N SOUN D IS C L D, MOUNT OSURE, TNGH T, K IM B IE , B S H E D, D A N IE L E N U F O , AV E RY.

WWW.FIELDDAYFESTIVALS.COM

HLIGHTS. ..

LOVE SAVES THE DAY / LOVE SAVES SUNDAY B r i sto l 25 & 26 MAY Tickets: £39.50 (final release) Love doesn’t just save one day this year, but two, with the addition of a whole extra day to turn the Bristol city-centre daylong party into a full-on weekend of festivities. You can read more about Love Saves Sunday in our news section (including Trap’s own stage hosting the likes of EZ, Melé and more), so we’ll use this space to tell you more about the Saturday. Taking place in Bristol’s Castle Park, bang in the centre of town, this year’s LSTD delves deep across the full dance-music spectrum, with Bonobo headlining and stages from the Dance Off, Just Jack, Futureboogie, Digital Soundboy and more. Last year it rained, but LSTD was still one of the best parties Trap attended all year. We can only imagine what will happen if the sun comes out... WWW.LOVESAVESTHEDAY.ORG 032

TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

HIG RG E, ALU N AG EO BO N O BO , Y FX , SH , ER XL SE TH TR O O N, JOY O RB IS U SK Y, L, D RU D IM EN TA M AX XI PA LE M AN , ST EM , SO U N D SY BR EA KA G E, R. JA C KM AS TE

WE ARE FSTVL E ssex 25 MAY Tickets: £95 TS ...

HIGHLIGLHA LO B O S , O V IL L, R A R IC D , R U D IM E N TA H T A V N E F IZ E R , SV F U R C S Y DY E D , A, KERR B O D D IK B R E A K A G E , , R E L C H A N D , H U X LE Y, E AT S N D E E T R O RY T H IN G . EV E

Ye s , a n o th e r ma s s i ve p a r ty ta k i n g p l a ce o n Sa tu r d a y 25 Ma y, We Ar e i s a n e w f e s ti va l l a u n ch i n g f o r 2013. H a p p e n i n g a t Da myn s H a l l Ae r o d r o me i n E s s e x, a n d w i th a ca p a ci ty o f 15,000, th o s e d o w n i n th e So u th -E a s t a n d l i vi n g o u ts i d e o f Lo n d o n n o w h a ve s o me th i n g to ge t e xci te d a b o u t f o r yo u r Ba n k H o l i d a y w e e k e n d . Fo cu s i n g o n th e b i gge s t a n d b r i gh te s t n a me s f r o m a l l co r n e r s o f d a n ce mu s i c, We Are p r o mi s e s a p r e tty u n i q u e l o ca ti o n – a s p r a w l i n g e x-WW1 a i r-f i e l d – a n d a h e a vy e mp h a s i s o n p r o d u cti o n , w i th a b e a ch a r e a a n d ma s s i ve s ta ge s ma d e f r o m s h i p p i n g co n ta i n e r s , p l u s h e a vyw e i gh t s o u n d s ys te ms i n e a ch o f th e ma n y a r e n a s .

WWW.WEAREFSTVL.COM

PARKLIFE WEEKENDER Man ch est er 8 – 9 JUNE Tickets: £69.50

HIGHLIGHTS ...

SCU BA, TEE D, JOE Y BAD A$$ , AN DY C, MA YA JAN E CO LES , ZIN C, HO T NAT URE D, NET SKY, JAM ES ZAB IEL A, ROD IGA N, DAM IEN LAZ URU S, DAN NY BRO WN.

Fo r i ts f o u r th i n s ta l me n t, P a r k l i f e We e k e n d e r h a s a n e w l o ca ti o n a t Ma n ch e s te r ’s H e a to n P a r k . Gr o w i n g s te a d i l y ye a r o n ye a r, th e f e s ti va l h a s o u tgr o w n i ts o r i gi n a l l o ca ti o n a t P l a tts Fi e l d a n d i s n o w r e a d yi n g i ts e l f f o r i ts b i gge s t a n d mo s t e xci ti n g e d i ti o n ye t. No w w e k n o w th a t th e s e p a ge s a r e me a n t to b e a l l a b o u t h yp e , b u t b e l i e ve u s , th e p r o gr a mmi n g a cr o s s th e w e e k e n d l o o k s s ta gge r i n gl y s tr o n g, w i th e i gh t ma i n s ta ge s cu r a te d b y th e l i k e s o f WH P, Ci r co Lo co , P a r a d i s e , H o s p i ta l i ty, Me tr o p o l i s , Ro d i ga n ’s Ra mj a m a n d e ve n ‘H u d Mo P r e s e n ts ’ h o s te d b y H u d s o n Mo h a w k e a n d b o a s ti n g a r a r e s h o w f r o m Acti o n Br o n s o n . We w i l l b e th e r e . WWW.PARKLIFE.UK.COM TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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HIDEOUT C r o at ia 30 JUNE – 5 JULY Tickets: SOLD OUT One of th e b i gge s t a n d b e s t-k n o w n U K -r u n Croatian f e s ti va l s , H i d e o u t i s a l r e a d y l o n g sold out, b u t w e co u l d n ’t p o s s i b l y n o t include it h e r e . Mi xi n g th e b i gge s t d a n ce music su p e r s ta r s w i th th e u n d e r gr o u n d ’s hottest ta l e n ts i n a n a ma zi n g l o ca ti o n , i t’s easy to s e e w h y ti ck e ts w e n t s o q u i ck . Kicking o ff o n Su n d a y 30 J u n e a n d r o l l i n g through to th e f o l l o w i n g Fr i d a y, th e s a n d y shores o f Z r ce Be a ch a n d i ts n i gh tcl u b s w i l l play host to e ve r yo n e f r o m Mo d e s e l e k to r and SMD to DJ H yp e a n d To d d l a T. Ad d to that boat a n d p o o l p a r ti e s h o s te d b y th e likes of AU S, H e s s l e Au d i o, 2020 a n d Digital So u n d b o y, a n d yo u h a ve o n e b a rsetting f e s ti va l i n th e s u n s h i n e .. WWW.HIDEOUTFESTIVAL.COM

HIGHLIG H

TS ... CHASE S B T R K T & S TAT U S , , C L AU DE VON STROK E F LO AT IN , A N DY C , G P O IN TS, BAA B A S H M U E R , J U L IO ORE, PE ND W ILL S A U L , J O U LU M , KER .

ECHO C ro a tia 6 – 9 JUNE Tickets: £65 With all th e h yp e a n d h u ge n u mb e r s n o w surroundi n g s o ma n y o th e r o f th e ma n y Croatian f e s ti va l s , E ch o o ff e r s s o me th i n g a little deep e r a n d mo r e i n ti ma te f o r th o s e who take th e i r e l e ctr o n i c mu s i c s e r i o u s l y, but still k n o w h o w to p a r ty. Taking pla ce o ve r f o u r d a ys a n d n i gh ts i n a beach-sid e l o ca ti o n o n th e i d yl l i c I s tr i a n Coast, Ech o i s u n a s h a me d l y f o r w a r d thinking w i th i ts l i n e -u p , b ri n gi n g to ge th e r some of th e mo s t cr i ti ca l l y a ccl a i me d DJ s from the w o r l d s o f te ch n o , h o u s e , d r u m & bass and e ve r yth i n g i n b e tw e e n . Ti ck e ts a r e stupidly ch e a p , a n d o n s i te a p a r tme n ts co s t just €20 p e r p e r s o n p e r n i gh t. We s u gge s t you check i t. WWW.ECHOFESTIVAL.COM 034

TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

HTS.

HIGHLIG SI O N AC E DI M EN M AG DA , SP ER , KA SS EM CO N TR O LL DG E, DR ES , DB RI M O SS E, AN ED GR O O VE , CK XX XY, LO TA LE X, M AR CU S IN KR O . N DJ RU M , SY

SONAR B a rc el o na 13 – 15 JUNE Tickets: €175 HIGHLIG

KR AF TW ER HTS.. . K, SK RE AM , SH ER W OO D AN D PI NC H, DE RR IC K M AY, DI PLO, OB JE KT, M AJ NI CO LA S JA OR LA ZE R, AR , M ARY AN N HO BB S, SO UL WAX , SK RI LLEX .

Th i s ye a r ma r k s th e tw e n ti e th I n te r n a ti o n a l Fe s ti va l o f Ad va n ce d Mu s i c & Ne w Me d i a Ar t, o r So n a r to yo u a n d I , i n Ba r ce l o n a . A f e s ti va l i n th e tr a d i ti o n a l s e n s e o f th e w o r d , r a th e r th a n a b o o ze -f u e l l e d b e n d e r i n a p a r k , f i e l d o r th e Cr o a ti a n s u n , i f yo u ca r e mo r e a b o u t th e mu s i c yo u ’r e h e a r i n g th a n a n yth i n g e l s e , So n a r i s f o r yo u . By d a y, So n a r o ff e r s co n ce r ts , s h o w ca s e s a n d n e tw o r k i n g e ve n ts , w h i l e b y n i gh t a n e r u d i te l y p r o gr a mme d r o s te r o f th e mo s t p r o gr e s s i ve a n d f o r w a r d -th i n k i n g e l e ctr o n i c mu s i ci a n s f r o m a cr o s s th e gl o b e . Th e l i n e -u p r e a l l y ma k e s f o r s o me i n te r e s ti n g r e a d i n g – a l l w e n e e d te l l yo u i s i t ve e r s f r o m Th e P e t Sh o p Bo ys to Ma j o r La ze r vi a Sk r i l l e x a n d Ma ce o P l e x...

WWW.SONAR.ES

HIGHLIGHTS ...

SNO OP LIO N, BUS Y SIG NA L, ALB OR OSI E, TAR RUS RILEY, PRO TO JE, FAT FRE DDY ’S DRO P, ROM AIN VIR GO , JUN IOR KELLY, GEN TLE MA N.

SUMMERJAM Co l o g ne 5 – 7 JULY Tickets: €99 No Trap festival guide is complete without a good reggae festival, and they don’t come any better than Summerjam. Reggae has long been hugely popular with our continental breathren, so there’s no shortage of specialist European festivals dedicated to the sound, but Summerjam is, in our opinion, the king. Taking place in Cologne during the first weekend in July, every year Summerjam manages to deliver once-in-a-lifetime line-ups that reflect the full timeline and sonic spectrum of reggae music in all its forms. From bonafide current dons like Busy Signal, Popcaan and Tarrus Riley to legendary performers such as Ken Boothe and cross-over acts like Major Lazer and Snoop Lion, you won’t find a better party outside of Jamaica. WWW.SUMMERJAM.DE Trapmagazine.co.uk

035

B L U RRING T H E L I N ES

Alix Perez

WORDS:

Jon Cook

PHOTOS:

Ollie Grove

ince the early days of rave in the late 1980s, dance music has taken many fascinating evolutionary turns. From acid house to hardcore, from jungle to grime and dubstep, the last quarter of a decade has seen innumerable sonic evolutions take their brief turn in the limelight. And while many styles, sounds and their respective scenes seem to melt away as quickly as they erupt, certain genres persistently endure, regardless of passing trends or what magazines like this one have to say. After nearly two decades in existence, drum & bass can now quite rightly be considered alongside house or techno as one of the immovable bulwarks of dance-music culture; taking its time in the sun when fashion dictates, but then happily retreating to the shadows to do its own thing while passing trends carry the media and masses’ attentions elsewhere.

And so, in this current house-music-obsessed moment, where it seems every producer is setting their rhythms to a slower pace and every raver pretending they’ve been dancing to 4/4 grooves since the days they were, in truth, chewing their day-glo faces off at Hospitality or pinching their dad’s credit card to buy the latest Lethal Bizzle track on iTunes, despite what the internet is telling you, D&B is still doing its thing the way it always has – pushing the sonic envelope, with its hood up and head down, and with two fingers proudly up against the rest of the dance-music world.

discovered when we sat down with him in the kitchen of his Dalston flat, that was exactly his intention all along... “I’ve lived in London for many years now, but I’m originally from Belgium; I grew up there until I was five. He begins, exhaling a thick plume of smoke across the table as he explains how he first arrived in Britain. “I don’t remember much of it. I moved to Montpellier in the South of France from there and then, when I was 14, I moved to the UK, to a tiny village just outside Exeter. It was a bit overwhelming. I couldn’t speak hardly any English; it was tough. I was in a brand-new environment, didn’t have any friends and got a lot of stick for being ‘French’. So, I battled through it at first, but then, I’d always been a skateboarder and there were two skaters in the school; they pretty much saved me, I guess. “They were listening to tapes of D&B and stuff, and my mum, she used to DJ and go to the early Metalheadz nights at Blue Note and stuff like that, so I’d already discovered the music through her. When I hooked up with those guys at school, they were on the same page.” Back then, in the late 1990s, before the internet was in every home and an mp3 was unheard of, D&B was pretty much still exclusively a UK thing, only heard either at raves, on tape packs or pirate radio. With that in mind, what was the teenage Alix Perez listening to on his skateboard back in France?

“ I c a n ’ t k e e p m a k i n g t h e s a m e t h i n g o v e r a n d o v e r, I need to challenge myself.” With the public’s attentions focused elsewhere, and the genre’s representation on mainstream radio giving many the impression that D&B has transmogrified into some horrendous strain of vocal-led, fast Euro-trance, the true exponents of the sound have been left to do their thing, free from the hypebeasting and trend enslavement that afflicts any cultural form when it reaches an apex of popularity.

“Hip-hop. A lot of it,” he declares instantly. “Obviously, I was only 12 or 13, so a lot of guilty cheese music like anyone that age, but then I was skating a lot and everyone just listened to French hip-hop like I Am and NTM. And I’d just discovered the New York stuff; Rakim, Big L – those guys are still my top MCs. But then I moved here... If I’d stayed in France, it would have just been all about hip-hop for me.”

One such exponent is London-based, Belgian-born, Alix Perez, an effortlessly cool 27-year-old DJ and producer signed to DJ Friction’s Shogun Audio record label who, as Trap discovered on a blisteringly cold day in early March ahead of the release of his second album, exhibits the artistic stubbornness and selfconviction that any true creative must possess by default. Rather than jumping ship into the swirling ocean of bass-music hype, Perez has opted to stay on board, and help steer the vessel in a direction that he wants it to go. As his new album, titled ‘Chroma Chords’, rudely demonstrates, that direction is a bold and interesting one, which will leave many questioning their ideas of what drum & bass actual is, and can be...

It’s an admission that wouldn’t surprise anyone aware of Perez’s work over the last eight years. The track that really announced his presence on the then bristling D&B scene was his 2007 link-up with Sabre, ‘Solitary Native’, a true classic of the genre that brazenly and beautifully makes use of the same Billy Cobham sample as legendary US hip-hop outfit Souls Of Mischief’s seminal ’93 Til Infinity’. The hip-hop influence has always run deep in Perez’s work, and he has no hesitation confirming that it will always be his true love...

While others may have strayed from D&B to return to the techno roots that ignited their love for electronica in the days before jungle or D&B even existed, Perez’s relatively younger years and his upbringing in the South of France and the rural South-West of England mean that his heritage lies very much elsewhere... His was an adolescence soundtracked by French and US Golden Era hip-hop; a love that’s never strayed far from his heart and that’s shown itself through both his drum & bass productions as Alix Perez and, more recently and more directly, his painfully soulful instrumental hip-hop tracks under the ARP101 moniker for Alexander Nut’s revered Eglo imprint. ‘Chroma Chords’ is, therefore, quite unlike any D&B album you’ve heard before. Focusing mostly on half-time, 85bpm rhythms that could just as easily be termed hip-hop as drum & bass, and featuring a slew of incredible new vocalists and legendary UK rappers, Perez’s sophomore long-player casts both the producer and his genre of choice in a new light. And as Trap

“It most definitely is,” he states, looking us straight in the eye. “I listen to all sorts, from punk to jazz to hip-hop; I need to. I play drum & bass and I’m aware of what’s going on, but I spend most my time listening to other music, and that’s where I try to take influence from.” This statement is backed in force by one listen to ‘Chroma Chords’. Packed with half-time grooves and featuring bars from MCs including Foreign Beggars, Jehst and the indomitable Riko, alongside new London talent They Call Me Raptor, it’s a real step forward for the producer. And it’s a progression that could be heard coming a couple of years back, when the Londoner dropped a couple of ultra-fresh hip-hop instrumentals for the achingly on-point Eglo imprint under his ARP101 guise... “I purely started the alias thing because I was contractually tied in with Shogun,” he explains, leaning back in his chair. “It was a bit of an accident; I made a few bits and sent them to Alex Nut and he picked up on them. I really rated Eglo, so that was a nice surprise. TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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Alix Perez

“I still love writing D&B, but I think there are a lot more things we can do with it.”

“In the last 18 months, I’ve being doing the album, and I found when I was making it, there was a lot of crossover and influence coming from the ARP101 stuff. I wanted to be free with this record and write what I wanted, really try and bring in my influences... The template is 85bpm, so half the traditional 170bpm. So that was the idea, to still work at that tempo but bring something new to it; to the point where people are not quite sure if it’s 85bpm or 70bpm or whatever... You know, blurring the lines a little bit. “And then just bringing a world of influence. There are a lot of nods to Brainfeeder, Eglo, Amon Tobin, Actress, Two Inch Punch, Om Unit, to Kendrik Lemar and the musical rap music that’s such a breath of fresh air right now. I wanted to create something at the D&B tempo, but that brought those vibes and flavours... Of course, there are nods to my first album, I didn’t want to shock people too much; I wanted to warm them to the direction I’m heading now. Obviously, I still love writing D&B, but I think there are a lot more things we can do with it. That was my point. “A lot of the tracks, although they’re not straight D&B,” he continues breathlessly, “I play them in my sets and they work. It brings diversity to that hour I’m playing in a club. And it works; it catches people’s attention, provides those ups and downs, which is how it should be; not just one linear set where everything is so similar it blends into one track...” All this explains neatly Perez’s musical vision and why his productions - and more specifically the new album - sound the way they do. However, you only need to look at the man and his obvious love for the finer things in style and fashion to know that this is someone who cares how the outside world perceives him. With that in mind, we have to question whether his motivations to work under an alias and his determination to bring something new and relevant to the D&B template were driven by a desire to prove wrong those who might dismiss the genre, and therefore the producer himself, as irrelevant and creatively bereft... “Well, that’s exactly my point with the album; to break that barrier, put myself out there where I can be regarded as a producer, not just pigeonholed into one style and overlooked. In bass music now, your average person was into jungle or D&B at one point, but I guess people want to feel like they’ve moved on and will just dismiss the entire genre. I don’t blame them, I get it, but I think it’s quite sad, as there’s some amazing music that can still be made at that tempo. “So I’ve built a template with this album where I can cross over to other things and shift in tempo; I need that to keep myself interested. I can’t keep making the same thing over and over, I need to challenge myself and try to be innovative and bring something new. I hope people get it, but at the same time, I wrote what was in and on my mind; it was a natural process. “It’s just me. It’s a snapshot of where I’m at and where I’m about to go. I’ve been quiet since the last album, it’s taken me a long time to deliver this, but I didn’t want to rush it and I had a lot of ideas behind it, so it took a while. But I’d rather that than put out straight-up D&B tunes every week that are all the same; I’d rather come with an actual project that shows me and my diversity as a producer.”

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While Perez’s influences and approach are uniquely his, the new perspective on drum & bass that he’s so keen to push is currently shared by a handful of his peers, with the likes of Om Unit, Dub Phyzikz and of course Exit Records boss dBridge and label mates SpectraSoul all wowing the critics with recent releases that have proven the D&B template is far from exhausted, exploring alternate rhythmic structures and bringing new influences to the sound. With that in mind, does the producer believe the genre really has a long-term future, or is all this just a clever way to plot an escape plan? “No, not at all, I love this music,” he says without hesitation. “I don’t want to alienate myself from drum & bass at all, because I love it and love playing D&B nights, and I want that to carry on. But I just hope we can let be what it can be, and not be so militant about ‘how it should be’ – there’s no way it should be. “For me, in terms of receiving music from other people, I hate receiving clones of clones of clones, it’s quite depressing sometimes and that can occasionally push me away a bit and make me reconsider where I am and what I’m doing. But, like I said, that’s the point of the album; drum & bass can be so much more. I want to diversify and be able to play at different nights and stuff. I just think, the way genres can and are crossing over, there’s just so much potential. And I’m hoping people are gonna carry on bringing more to the table; there are others, it’s not just me. “Om Unit is a great example; his music is at a D&B tempo, but it’s so different. It’s great; it ties things into the juke sound, and when you look at it at 85bpm, it’s really close to so many things that are happening at the moment, like the whole Hud Mo thing. At half-time, it’s just a few beats per minute separating D&B from so many other sounds. It all blends in, and that’s what I’m now able to do with my sets.” Listening to him talk, you’re left in little doubt that this is an individual who feels he has a point to prove to the wider world. For a man with cultural interests and passions as broad as his, the respect his name receives within the world of D&B clearly, and understandably, isn’t enough. However, although he professes hip-hop as his first love, and much of the music he now makes is eons away from the traditional form of drum & bass, Alix Perez is still there, unswayed by the temptation to join the house-music hype train and keeping true to what he loves and believes in... “Drum & bass is still hugely important to me,” he says pensively, stubbing out his third cigarette of the hour and watching its blue smoke trails slowly rise between us. “I just wish people gave it a bit more time. I’m less frustrated now than perhaps I once was; because I’m doing my thing and it’s working for me. But I understand that if you don’t know where you’re looking and only seeing the surface, then you might not find that music interesting or challenging and think the genre’s lost its way. But underneath, there’s just so much...

‘Chroma Chords’ is out 20 May on Shogun Audio, the first single ‘Annie’s Song’ is out now.

alixperez.com

“ We s p e n t a c o u p l e o f y e a r s getting our heads down, just producing and being really critical of our sound.”

ince the conception of their award winning ‘Feel My Bicep’ blog, Andy Ferguson and Matt McBriar have been benching up. In fact, between the 90s piano grooves of ‘Vision Of Love’ and breaching Will Saul’s superlative Aus label, the Northern Ireland duo have held down residences at Manchester's Warehouse Project and set up their own Wax Slingin' imprint. Ahead of their release on Aus, Matt and Andy took some time out with Trap to discuss their clubbing roots, the Feel My Bicep imprint and collaborating with Simian Mobile Disco....

TRAP_Let’s start from the beginning. We heard that you guys were friends from a young age, but what brought you together musically? Matt: Well, our love for dance music actually spawned from the clubbing scene in Belfast. It's funny because people don't normally think of the city as a clubbing destination, but the scene's really good over there! When we were younger we used to go to this night called Shine where you'd regularly see acts like Green Velvet, Richie Hawtin and Underground Resistance. Andy: Even Dave Clarke was a resident there... People look up

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to him as one of the most influential figures in techno, but back then he was just a resident at our local club. TRAP_Was it these clubbing experiences in particular that influenced the Feel My Bicep blog or was it inspired from nights further afield... A: Well, all of our friends used to love going up to this club night called Optimo in Glasgow. That was the one night out that you could convince everyone to go to. It was a really eclectic party that mixed techno, punk, weird disco tracks... Pretty much anything! It felt really fresh, especially with the monotonous minimal movement that was dominating the scene at the time. That night in particular was one of the main things that inspired our Feel My Bicep blog and, naturally, when you get into talking about music a lot, you want to take the next step and produce... TRAP_Had either of you done any production prior to Bicep? M: Well, we'd always dabbled. I can remember my first ever release. It might have been under Fifeapple or something like that... The tracks were made with a demo of Ableton and in those days you couldn't even save on the demos, so I'd actually recorded the tracks out to mini-disc and then recorded them back into a Sound Forge audio recorder. On one of the tracks you could actually here a bleep from the mini-disc player... It was ridiculously shit!

Flexing Theirs WORDS:

But anyway, it got to a stage with Bicep where we thought: let’s buy a bit of hardware, let’s get a good computer and let’s start producing seriously. We spent a couple of years getting our heads down and really understanding it. No sending out to labels, none of that. Just producing and being really critical of our sound... TRAP_'Vision of Love' has been the only release so far on your label Feel My Bicep. It was a massive hit for you; what’s next for the label? M: We've actually got the next release for the label finished and it's being remixed as we speak. I think that when you have a label, you don't want to put out a record every month because unless you've got a good EP to release every few weeks, you shouldn't really bother. Our next release sounds quite different as well, so that was another reason for leaving a bit of time.... Let's just say there's no more 90s house or thumb pianos. TRAP_How do you think people will react to the change in sound?. M: It's funny, because as anybody who's brought all our stuff from the beginning will know, Bicep's sound has always shifted... Our first release on Throne of Blood, 'Drippin', was actually really dark and the release after that was packed with loads of camp disco edits. It's only because of tracks like '$tripper' and 'Vision of Love' that people have tarred us with

Matt Riches

this 90s house brush. So with that, our new Aus release and a collaboration with Simian Mobile Disco coming out, it's going to be interesting watching people’s reactions.... TRAP_We'd heard rumours about this Simian Mobile Disco collaboration. How did you make that particular connection? A: Well, we actually share the same management and have been friends for years, so it was just something that came up in conversation naturally. After we'd agreed to do it, we got to spend a couple of days in their studio and learnt so much. It's a labyrinth of amazing equipment and even just to go in there and see how they work was pretty amazing... M: We were also lucky enough to warm up for them a few times recently and it's really interesting to see how they try to take the studio on tour with them. Now, if I watch live shows I just don't think it’s proper unless they're doing it like the SMD guys. TRAP_Any desires to do a live show like that yourself? M: Yeah, definitely. We've actually been stockpiling lots of drum machines and synths over the past year... It's going to be a slow process but it's definitely something we'd like to pursue. Bicep's Stash EP is released on Aus music on 16 April. Catch them playing at Eastern Electrics Festival, 2-4 August, Knebworth Park, Hampshire.

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“All of these clothes here, this is the hard copy my friend.”

WORDS:

Jon Cook

PHOTOS:

Ollie Grove

S t üs s y x G o l d i e

ere at Trap, when we’re not sweating blood and tears to get this little magazine together every two months, we spend our time daydreaming about fantasy interviews and features we’d love to do. Ever since our very first issue, we’ve had a crazy idea of somehow convincing Goldie to let us raid his legendary collection of Stüssy clothing, photograph it and interview the man himself about his life-long obsession with streetwear’s most enduring and iconic brand. And that’s all it was – an idea. Until, that is, we heard that Goldie was granting press access ahead of the release of his career anthology, ‘The Alchemist’, reflecting back on his most influential and important sonic works. Seizing our chance, and with no expectation of even hearing back, we sent our pitch to Goldie’s press team and forgot all about it. Then we got the call. Goldie had read the pitch and was on board. “Meet Goldie at his house next Friday, you have three hours with him; he’s getting some choice pieces ready for you.” One week later we arrived at Goldie’s large suburban house on the outskirts of London, Dictaphone and camera ready. What followed was an experience none of us at Trap will forget. As 90s kids that grew up on jungle and rocked Stüssy whenever our pocket or birthday money could afford it, we were, as you’d imagine, just a little bit excited. Over the next three hours, we rooted around in Goldie’s bedroom and clambered through the crates and crates of neatly packed vintage Stüssy in his loft, dragging hundreds of sweats, tees, hats and varsity jackets downstairs and placing them around the gold-toothed one as he watched Sky Sports News on a massive L-shaped sofa in his lounge. The amount of pieces in Goldie’s collection was staggering – we knew he was obsessed with the brand, but it was hard to actually take in the sheer volume of classic, ultra-rare vintage streetwear from the 1980s and 90s that he has in his possession. As we unpacked the crates of garms around him for the benefit of our cameraman, occasionally, a certain piece would catch his eye; a vintage waistcoat sample, then a Japan-only varsity, then a sweat he wore in an ID photoshoot, and he’d bark at us with excitement as he explained exactly what it was. We were, to coin a cliché, kids in a sweetshop. Once we’d finished unpacking what we could around him, Goldie snatched the Dictaphone from my hand, placed it on his lap and let loose a near-monologue on his memories of discovering, rocking and obsessing over the king of streetwear brands...

coat and hat with the Puma States and Stüssy tee... And DJ Milo; now we’re talking. That’s the shit. I had my first pair of hi-tops from Milo; Wilson black hi-tops; those guys taught me the style. “I just wanted to be like them. But, at the time I was more ‘Alright, I’m, like, Goldie, from Wolverhampton.’ For me, seeing that crew; that’s who I wanted to be and that’s what it was about. That was the lifestyle, and Stüssy allowed me to live that and be that. I just started hanging out with them, got asked to do a few photoshoots. And then I did a few canvases for Stüssy with Kemistry; I did a rare Stüssy logo for Michael for a shoot with Face or ID or something. “That’s where it all started for me. I just got really taken by the lifestyle of it – it was this b-boy hybrid, rocked by trendy kids. And when I say trendy, back then, it was trendy. We used to go to a place called Quiet Storm, you had Brain club, then The Wag and then Quiet Storm came along. We used to go down and hear guys spinning rare cuts. There was this big Japanese connection; I was looking at all these trendy kids from Japan coming over, walking through the door, way before Bathing Ape or anything like that. It was an amazing time. “And I just started going down to the warehouse and hanging out, getting as much Stüssy as I could, hustling. Getting other labels like Soviet and selling that out of boxes in the back of the car, just to go and hook up some more Stüssy, you know? It became an addiction.”

TRAP_The brand really stuck out that much, even back then? “Oh, yeah, Stüssy was all that it is mate. Stüssy was to street fashion what Metalheadz was to D&B. I ain’t blowing smoke out my arse; you look at what Stüssy first released and how people looked at it as a brand at the time and the brands that followed

“I never wanted to get paid by Stüssy to wear their clothes, because it was my lifestyle. It was as raw as that.”

TRAP_When did your Stüssy obsession start? “When I came back from Miami in the late 80s, there was a crew of really trendy London kids that were way ahead of their time. I’m not talking like trendy kids you get today; I’m talking King’s Road. So I started to hang around these people, and I used to go to the Brain and the Wag, two old clubs that are long gone now. One guy I met down there, who was probably the daddy of Stüssy back then, the man about town really, was Lord Barnsley. “He wasn’t a Lord, but he was from Barnsley. He was a bit of a legend, and I’d go and hang around these places and meet these people and it was amazing; we’d go out hang out at Brain and Wag, get shitfaced. From there, I started meeting people like Gordon Hagen, who went on to become a big player at Sony, and people like Michael Kopelman. “Michael K is a fucking legend. That guy is responsible for what you are wearing now. He’s the guy behind so many brands in the UK. He is the man who made it happen. He had the Stüssy store in London, and he obviously now has The Hideout. I love him; he is the quietest guy you’ll ever meet. “But anyway, so I was hanging around with all these amazing kids, and I kept hearing about this Stüssy store on Newburgh Street. I remember my biggest influence in fashion was and is Nelly Hooper. Nelly was part of Soul II Soul and Massive Attack. Without him, I wouldn’t be rocking what I am right now. Nelly and Barnsley, they were the dons. Nelly was wearing the sheepskin TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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“Stüssy was to street fashion what Metalheadz was to D&B.”

S t üs s y x G o l d i e

“I used to pull up in a red Ferrari and think I had this god-given right to just take as much stuff as I liked.” its path like Supreme. I think, for me, it was all about ‘What is Stüssy? What the fuck is it?’ And Michael filled me in, he told me about how Sean Stüssy had started the company doing surfwear, he was living in Hawaii and had retired... “It was surfer wear that had transcended into being cult streetwear. Now that’s really fucking rare. It went straight from surf into style. It was about people having threads. Stüssy was the lifestyle. It captured that exaggerated b-boy culture that spilled into Manhattan from the Bronx.”

TRAP_You famously went to meet Sean Stüssy himself for Channel 4’s Passengers series in the early 1990s. Tell us about that. “For me, going and seeing Sean; I just wanted to go find the man at end of the Yellow Brick Road and look behind the curtain; because it was Wizard of Oz shit man. It was a dream; no different to me meeting Grooverider or meeting Bikram or any of my heroes, meeting Sean Stüssy was like that for me. I was doing crazy shit, on tour in America with Jane’s Addiction, playing clubs like The Troubadour in LA and getting all these crazy hook-ups. “And I remember hearing that Michael was coming to LA; there are documentary makers in town for Passengers... I thought, ‘Fuck it, let’s go to Kauai and go meet Sean.’ I got to go to Hawaii and interview Sean Stüssy! That, for me, is as major as getting the chance to go and play at Buckingham Palace. It was major man. Meeting him, it wasn’t disappointing like so many of my heroes have been. You realised, speaking to Sean, how laid-back he was. He was that West-Coast surfer dude; ‘Yo man, take it easy man; it’s just the flavour man.’ Meeting his family and being invited into his home, it was amazing. One thing Sean said to me was ‘We’re never gonna be disposable heroes.’ But now, they have made us disposable heroes, it’s all digital and disposable. But this, all of these clothes here, this is the hard copy my friend.”

TRAP_So, in this disposable age, why do you think the brand has endured? “It’s endured, because it was built to last. They said it, they stated it; ‘Yo, it’s built on shit man.’ Stüssy was built on shit because it was the lifestyle first. For instance, they acknowledged people like me by sending you a tribe jacket; they made you feel like a part of the brand. It wasn’t about going into Adidas and having someone knock you up some boots with a few sequins on them for some PR stunt. It wasn’t about that. It was about being down. I can go online now and see the brand and see what it is. But it was collectable back then; you had to work to find and get it. You had to go to the shop, go on the journey, if you didn’t know anyone, Miles or Michael, then you just didn’t know. “I’d go down to the store in London, and Michael, I’m sure he used to cringe when I rolled in. I used to pull up in a red Ferrari, get out and go ‘Right! Wahoo!’ I used to think I had this god-given right to just take as much stuff as I liked. And I did; I used to come out with bin-liners full. But I’d go out there and wear it, it was cool. And then I’d see Michael and he’d have a varsity for me... “It was the unspoken word; I never wanted to get paid by Stüssy to wear their clothes. Because it was my lifestyle; it was as raw as that. Other brands pay, but when it comes to Stüssy; I was just the kid that grew up on it. And I lived the dream with it, and now I’ve got all this...”

TRAP_It’s an amazing collection... “A lot of this will become vintage one day, if it’s not already. Getting romantic and nostalgic collecting Stüssy was a big thing for me. I remember coming back from Hawaii and the States on such a buzz and then going back when Frank bought the company and running into the Stüssy warehouse and him saying to me ‘Yo, Gold, you wanna have a rummage around? Go next door into the other warehouse, there’s shit in those cages no motherfucker’s seen for years. Go knock yourself out.’ And I’d go in there and it’d be all the rarest stuff, and I’d be running round pulling shit out, putting it all in crates and taking it back to England. The rarest shit; the leather baseball jacket over there is a great example, you’re never gonna see that again. I had it in every colour. I was borderline OCD and frantic with it. “I had so much of the stuff, I just lived it. But then, if I had a pound for every piece of Stüssy I’d given away, I probably would be a millionaire. I’ve given so much Stüssy away; turning people on was what Stüssy was about. You gave someone a piece. Lord Barnsley gave me my first piece. It was a mustard orange tee, with a little stickman with little locks. I took that teeshirt and I just wore it.”

TRAP_These days there are hundreds of streetwear brands out there. Finally, as a man that’s seen the whole show, what do you think it takes to build a brand that lasts like Stüssy has? “We don’t know what brands are gonna make it, brands come like The Hundreds, Supreme, but we are talking here about surfwear that made it big on the street and transcended. Obey fits very nice when you contain it into a teeshirt - because its coming from the lifestyle of the street; it’s like you manifest the culture, the ethos, the whole thing, into hard copy; it manifests in that shirt. “Whereas now, you’re getting a lot of people that are trying to be brands, but they’re having to take from lifestyle, they’re not coming directly from and as a result of that certain lifestyle. It’s just coming from the youth culture of now, hot off the press like a dubplate straight to the DJ. There’s not the backing, the basis behind it. People spend years doing this shit. That’s what it takes to build a brand that lasts and is real; and that’s what Stüssy has in mass.”

Trap would like to thank Goldie for letting us invade his house for the afternoon. His career retrospective ‘The Alchemist: The Best of 1992 – 2002’ is out now.

@mrgoldie www.stussy.com TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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CLE K CLE K BOOM

French Fries WORDS:

Sophie Thomas

TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

s a French kid growing up on a musical diet of West Coast hip-hop and Southern crunk, it's easy to see where Valentino Canzani Mora got his Americana-themed artist name, as well as his penchant for grimy, ghetto drenched house music. After grabbing the attention of home-grown Night Slugs boss Bok Bok, French Fries has made the world take notice with releases on his own ClekClekBoom label and Claude VonStroke’s dirtybird. Glock pops, dirty vocal samples and vibrant synths, all strewn over never-soft bass lines, are what make French Fries’ distinctively Gallic strain of bass-heavy house stand out from the crowd. The label he heads up epitomises what's going on across The Channel in terms of bass music right now. Artists such as 50 Weapons-signed Bambounou, veterans Ministre X and The Boo and fresh meat Manare and Coni all came up through the ClekClekBoom school and, after only a year in attendance, the underground’s eyes are firmly upon them. Young, excited and with their ears to the ground, the ClekClekBoom gang are putting out some of the most relevant and engaging electronic music about right now… We thought we better sit down with the main man to get an education in how it's done, the French way.

TRAP_You’re on record as being a massive hip-hop fan. Which artists would you say have influenced your current sound, and how did you make the transition into being a house producer? When I was young, I listened to artists such as Three 6 Mafia and Paul Wall. I like the idea of keeping a ghetto vibe when I make house tracks. There's this DJ Paul and Juicy J mixtape called ‘Da Exorcist Vol.2’ that particularly influenced my productions; some tracks were produced like stripped-back house music in terms of structure; a beat, a sample, and a vocal loop. No verse, no chorus. The grooves are definitely hip-hop but it sounds like it was produced by DJ Deeon! Hip-hop has had a massive influence on me, but that’s not to say that other genres like Chicago house, Baltimore club, grime and baile funk haven’t too… TRAP_Your family is Uruguayan, and there’s definitely a Latin flair to your productions; how important are your roots in what you do now? Well, my father is a sound engineer and a Latin musician; he sings and he plays guitar. I hear Latin music all day long at my parents’ house. I remember being in the middle of a Murga in Uruguay during the carnival when I was younger; I was fascinated. I do use a lot of South American percussion in my productions, but the best thing about having a Uruguayan family that lives in France is that they made me listen to music from all around the world from a young age. When I was really young, I listened to Prince, James Brown, Fela Kuti, Caetano Veloso… I actually still have all those records. TRAP_That collusion of influences and cultures is apparent in the set-up of your label, ClekClekBoom. What’s so special about the label? ClekClekboom is a family; we wouldn't be what we are today without every member’s contribution. Each artist brings something to the label, everyone has their own

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flair and their own background. We spend a lot of time together, we listen to each other's work and we help each other. Artists like Jean Nipon always surprise me; every time we listen to a new track of his we're like, "wow this is the best tune you've ever done" and three weeks later we'll listen to a new one and it’ll be even better… Or Bambounou, who can make a club track without using any kicks, but still make it work somehow. TRAP_For those that are new to the ClekClekBoom back catalogue, which releases would you chart as the most important in the label’s history? Every release is important to me. But if I had to choose, I would say that Bambounou’s ‘Night / Brawl’, Jean Nipon’s ‘Put It In The Trunk’ and my collaboration with Bambounou, ‘Champagne / Hugz’, are all important releases for the label because they created a specific ClekClekBoom sound. TRAP_Describe the French electronic music scene right now, especially what’s happening in terms of bass music. There are a lot of new producers in Paris, and I'm pretty sure they all know who Burial is now… haha. A lot of producers here mix bass music and hip-hop with techno, which is really exciting. The crowd is growing too, people are more clued up; they know about the UK DJs, they're not so afraid of ‘alternative music’ anymore. There's also a big underground techno scene at the moment, thanks to the Concrete parties. It's funny because everything’s sort of coming together in the city. I love that. TRAP_What’s the approach to ClekClekBoom label parties? We organise parties in Paris every two months and we also tour together all around Europe. Our point is not to book big names or anything like that; we just want to have fun together and sometimes invite some friends of ours, or artists that we like, to come and play. Label nights are different, for us it’s the opportunity to create a vibe from midnight to 7am, to have fun and to share it with our crowd. TRAP_Bok Bok often guests at your ClekClekBoom events and you’ve worked with each other ’s labels in one way or another. It seems that you two get on well? Well, first of all, Bok Bok is a good friend of mine; he did a remix on my very first EP. I did a remix for Girl Unit during the early stages of Night Slugs, too. I think Night Slugs is definitely one of the best UK labels right now. They have a really specific sound, they're really creative and they have a strong image. What brings us closer musically is that we have very similar influences, we both try to recreate this 90s rave vibe when we do our parties. We like to mix old school with a very futuristic side of electronic music. TRAP_What’s next for ClekClekBoom? We just celebrated our first anniversary, so we worked really hard on this new project ‘Paris Club Music Vol I’. It’s a double CD, 12" and digital compilation, which contains a selection of the best releases from the label and also seven brand-new original tracks. After that, my next white label will see a release and a new EP from Coni is being pressed right now. ‘Paris Club Music Vol I’ is released April 22 on ClekClekBoom. @mrfrenchfries

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NIKEAIRMAX T REINVENTED EXHIBITION

he most iconic line in sneaker culture is marking 25 years in existence throughout 2013. In March, Nike brought the celebration to London with the Air Max Reinvented exhibition at Hoxton Arches, inviting five local artists to ‘reinvent’ a different Air Max in their own style and using their own specialist medium.

Getting to work on the 87, 90, 95, 97 and 2013 models of the classic trainer were designer Rosy Nicholas, illustrator Oscar Bolton Green, set design and photography team Gemma Tickle and Bruno Drummond, graphic artist Sam Coldy and animator Matt Box. Over the next four pages, we present some of the final pieces and images capturing the works in progress. Check online to watch Matt Box’s animated take on the 87...

Bruno Drummond & Gemma Tickle Air Max 90

Matt Box Air Max 87

Oscar Bolton Green Air Max 97

Sam Coldy Air Max 2013

Rosy Nichols Air Max 95

M U S I C R EV I EWS REVIEWED BY: OLI GRANT, MATT RICHES, SEAN KELLY, JUSTIN IRIAJEN, LEYLA EROGLU, SOPHIE THOMAS, DJ DUBBOY, GWYN THOMAS DECHROUSTCHOFF, JERYL WILTON, SAM BATES.

BASS GUIDE:

DRUM & BASS

DUBSTEP

HOUSE/TECHNO

RINSE 22 Kode 9 (Rinse) Steve Goodman has been at dubstep's core since day-dot, a stalwart of the scene responsible for one of the most consistent and forward-thinking labels in modern bass music. Joining the dots between garage, grime, UK funky, electronica and footwork with ease. Hyperdub has a truly eclectic back catalogue, where the only constant is Kode 9's exquisite ear for detail and a penchant for speaker-bothering bass. His new mix for Rinse is a true reflection of this aesthetic. A seamless blend of upfront tracks from across the bass-music spectrum, which manages to offer darkness and light in equal measure and go from 120 to 160bpm in the blink of an eye. The swung groove of Theo Parrish's 'Kites on Pluto' comes cruising out of Burial's dystopian lament 'Truant' like a Cadillac from a rain cloud. The pressure soon rises and the pace quickens as more house leaning cuts from Joy O and Funkystepz, get thrown into the pot. Before long we are are balls deep in footwork territory, a sound Kode 9 has been championing of late. Many of the OG chicago cats feature such as RP Boo, Manny and DJ Rashad. Addison Groove and Sam Binga represent the UK wing of the juke continuum adding extra jungle snares and blue note pads to a half-time workout on '11thâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. A lot has happened since the early days of dubstep, the sound has splintered off into a million different directions and moved well beyond the strict 140bpm framework. This mix perfectly encapsulates all this. If you like honest, high energy, intricate dance music, then this is for you.

T R ATPRM GA C EO. .CUOK. U K069057 AA PM A ZGIANZEI.N

GRIME

DANCEHALL/REGGAE

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DEETRON ‘Out Of My Head’ (Music Man)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

‘Tectonic Plates Vol.4’ (Tectonic) From the embryonic days of dubstep, to 2013’s increasingly mutated forms of the genre, the Pinch-curated Tectonic stronghold has been at the forefront of sub-frequency innovation. The adventurous collection of styles compiled on ‘Plates Volume 4’ is a reflection of their current diversity, with everything from the hyper-futuristic grime of Mumdance & Logos’ ‘Drum Boss’, to the belching tech malevolence of Beneath’s ‘Flight’, and the cavernous sub assault of Kryptic Mind’s ‘Convoluted’ among the highlights. ‘Volume 4’ serves as a fantastic indicator of Tectonic’s rude health and eclecticism, unearthing fresh talent Acre and his propulsive ‘DXTR’, together with heavy cuts from familiar faces such as Jakes, Guido, Distal and Armour. With their tenth birthday approaching, there’s no sign of Tectonic’s influence waning.

T.O.K. ‘Walk & Broad Out’ (Stickle Productions) After the recent dancehall success of acts such as RDX and Voicemail, it’s excellent to see the return of the original JA boyband, T.O.K., with an overdue gal anthem. This is pure dancing vibes, with lyrics urging the girls to whine, broad out and muscle-up dem bodies. As always, T.O.K's melodies and harmonies stand out, and this track is utterly infectious as a result. Tip!

This cut is further indication that Deetron's forthcoming LP will be something that mostly floats above the dancefloor, rather than shake it, but that doesn't mean the Swiss producer's latest offering won't get hips swinging. In fact, with its tropical vibes and breezy vocal hooks, 'Out Of My Head' sounds perfect for the impending Balearic summer and comes backed with remixes from George Fitzgerald and KiNK.

DJRUM ‘Seven Lies’ (2nd Drop) An impeccably tasteful collection here from Felix Manuel; 'atmospheric' dubstep with 2-step influences. The problem is that, over the years and across the discographies of many labels and producers, the 'atmosphere' in question is rarely at all surprising, fluctuating between sullen night-bus melancholia and gasping, gurning elation. Little more is on offer here, though it’s all brilliantly composed. Opener 'Obsession' is perfectly honed poignant euphoria; 'Honey' melts throaty soul into bubbling caramel bass, with bitingly crisp percussion, while 'Anchors' silkily propels ethereally-voiced folk into opoid momentum. Wet-eyed synths, crisply programmed structures of crafty, ninja-swift polyrhythms and tightly interlocking sub-bass parts; everything here's as polished and as ergonomic as a really “wow!” car advert. This is not a bad thing, and DjRUM does it with grace.

NU:LOGIC ‘What I’ve Always Waited For’ (Hospital) The brothers Gresham bring us the highly anticipated debut Nu:Logic album on Hospital Records. Having brought us the excellent ‘New Technique’ EP in 2010, the pair went their separate ways for 2011-12, before coming storming back this year. ‘What I’ve Always Waited For’ is a 14-track opus with a vocal-driven, melodic core, featuring the talents of Lifford, DRS, Robert Manos and fellow Hospital signing S.P.Y. Highlights from across the selection include blessed-out opener ‘Morning Light’ as well as the tough, gnarly sounds of ‘Tripping In Space’ and of course, title track ‘What I’ve Always Waited For’. Breathlessly brilliant from start to finish, this is a must for all D&B heads, new and old.

DJ RASHAD ‘Rollin’ EP (Hyperdub) Probably the most UK-accessible footwork EP ever released, Rashad's entry into the Hyperdub fold sees him presenting juke/footwork alongside ideas grabbed deftly from jungle and hardcore. He pulls it off incredibly well; 'Rollin' and 'Let It Go' both drop pitch-shifting vocals masterfully alongside trancey twinkles and hard, street rhythms that will knock most dancers to the ground, while 'Drums Please' and 'Broken Hearted' get even more outlandish. Crazy good.

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CHAMPION ‘Hydra Sound’/’Prince Jammy’ (Formula Records) Champion returns after a busy 2012, with two cuts packed with the hallmarks of his recognisable production style - sound effects, congas, sharp snares and claps with a contagious swing; all anchored by a deep bass. ‘Prince Jammy’ is the standout here, with its name a nod to a dub pioneer. Although not pushing his sound in a new direction, both cuts are sure to be dancefloor favourites, containing the elements of groove and funk that make his style so compelling.

HYETAL ‘Modern Worship’ (True Panther) Bristol's Dave Corney confirms here that his discography has constantly reflected an everprogressing journey. Recent single 'Speedway' – from his Velour side-project – hinted at the direction he’s now taken. Often at the forefront throughout are fuzzy, almost live-sounding drum rasps and synths that seem to reference 80s boogie as much as anything else. Stretched, echoing breaths and sublime harmonic bursts dapple the album, meeting the jittery drum machine rhythms at a dawn-lit junction, resplendent with soulful vision and originality. It's long been apparent that, for Corney, style and genre are just transient means to an end. ‘Modern Worship’ should be his breakthrough moment, with its enormous breadth and deeply-felt warmth. Hyetal's key constant is shown here to simply be an awestruck, evocative and overpowering feeling of beauty.

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EMPEROR ‘Begin’ EP (Critical)

CASPA ‘Alpha Omega’ (Dub Police) The follow up to 2009’s ‘Everybody’s Talking, Nobody’s Listening’ sees Caspa cement his evolution from fresh-faced dubstep pioneer to full-blown electronic dance music superstar. However, any listener expecting 15 straight-up club bangers may be a little disappointed. Although the Londoner’s dubbed-out, dancefloor-shuddering style does still shine through, it’s his collaborations and features that really give this album definition. Prodigy front man Keith Flint, rising bass-music star Dismantle and legendary vocalist Diane Charlemagne are just some of the talent called upon – helping to elevate this album beyond the standard dubstep template. The crossover hits craved by today’s bass-hungry generation are all here, and Caspa proves he is still as fresh and relevant as ever.

JUSTIN JAY ‘Static’ (dirtybird) The 19 year old Justin Jay has appeared on dirtybird a total of three times in the last two years, yet when you listen to ‘Static’, it feels like he's been on the roster from the very beginning. Skittering layers of percussion and a gargantuan bassline bring the 119bmp title track to life, while the tuned 808s and rolling grooves of 'The Return' hark back to a classic fair feathered sound. Definitely keep an eye on this young gun.

Rising talent Emperor puts together a razor-sharp EP for the super-credible Critical imprint. After a clutch of mainly neurofunk-influenced releases, the producer looks to establish himself as a more rounded artist. There’s undoubtedly a more diverse feel – with soaring female vocals, electro bass and jazz influences all shining through. However, the energy and dancefloor sensibilities so prominent in earlier productions thankfully remain.

HARDRIVE PRESENTS

‘Hard Wired’ (Hardrive) Terror Danjah follows up the release of his highly rated sophomore album, Dark Crawler on Hyperdub last September, with a compilation album via his Hardrive records imprint. Many of his collaborators and contemporaries are present on this expertly curated collection of new and old music, which somehow manages to remain coherent despite the diversity of producers on show. The compilation represents modern instrumental grime at its best, but less obviously touches on UK funky, UK garage, dubstep, jungle and even experimental electronica. Much hyped Terror Danjah collaborations such as ‘Gully Goon Estate’ with Joker are included, alongside new work such as the outstanding ‘Iceberg History’ with the legendary Zed Bias. D.O.K weighs in with some particularly impressive tracks, alongside big names such as Kode 9, Bok Bok, Champion, Royal T and More. Unlike most compilations albums, there is an aesthetic and quality present throughout that will keep you hooked.

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EASTWOOD ‘U Ain’t Ready’ (No Hats, No Hoods)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

‘Paris Club Music’ (ClekClekBoom) At the forefront of Parisian, bass-focused output is the ClekClekBoom crew, who celebrate their first anniversary this month with the double-disc compilation,‘Paris Club Music Vol I’. Featuring brand-new exclusive tracks, as well as a summary of the label’s first eight releases, the selection epitomises the label artists’ youthful, abundant energy and penchant for ghetto house and techno, stained vocals and basslines more associated with Bow than the Boulevards des Maréchaux. The stand-out track is, without question, label boss French Fries’ ‘Yo Vogue VIP’, a dark, eerie synth-laden house tune with all the bravado of a hip-hop instrumental. 50 Weapons-signed Bambounou showcases his kooky production style on ‘Night’ and Manaré, Coni and Jean Nipon also provide notable heavy hitters.

ISHAN SOUND FT RAS ADDIS ‘Clash Of the Titans’ (Peng Sound) After the roaring success of their debut release, Gorgon Sounds 'Find Jah Way, Bristol's Peng Sound return with their second offering from one of the city's rising reggae producers, Ishan Sound. The beat is a luscious, deep dub cut that rolls ever forwards and is heightened by Ras Addis' hypnotic chants. Also, be sure to check the excellent Dubkasm remix on the flip. A promising debut from an exciting talent.

After re-releasing a b a tch o f amazing Ruff Sqw a d instrumentals last ye a r, NH NH have decided, afte r te n ye a r s , to re-press one of th e p i vo ta l 8-Ba r tunes of the early gr i me e r a . Th e original white-labe l vi n yl r e l e a s e sold over 5,000 co p i e s , becoming an anth e m f o r th e scene and earning p r a i s e f a r beyond. Head man gl i n g r e mi xe s from Untold and Sp o o k y a r e included alongside th e devastatingly simp l e o r i gi n a l , making this a mus t-ch e ck for anyone.

LOADSTAR ‘Future Perfect’ (Ram Records) With a slew of dance-floor filling monsters already behind them, it seems like a natural progression for Loadstar to apply their impressive talents to an album. As with any Ram LP release, there are a healthy number of big hitting rave smashers here – recent hits ‘Black & White’ featuring Benny Banks and ‘Refuse To Love’ are included. However, what really impresses is how the duo effortlessly switch between tempos and styles without compromising their stadium-sized sound. Tracks such as dubstep bruiser ‘Losing You’ and the jungle-rooted ‘Be There’ contrast in style, but still induce that hands-in-the-air emotion that the production duo have proven masters of. After years plying their trade, this long-awaited album promises much for a highly talented duo.

VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘This Is How We Roll’ (Keysound) In their long-running role as curators and explorers, Keysound and Rinse FM's Dusk & Blackdown present a focused and inspired blend of UK funky, grime, dark garage and dubstep, showing that the latter genre's embryonic state still inspires new talent. This has a lot in common with seminal releases such as ‘Tempa Allstars’ and ‘Grime I’ & ‘II’ on Rephlex, which is interesting considering the decade that's happened since. As usual, Beneath is on amazing form, the bashy, snakelike rhythm of 'PVO' showing more confidence than anything else here, while his collaboration with Visionist and Wen is happily reminiscent of D1's early releases. Double Helix, Gremino, Mumdance & Logos and Rabit impress too. The influences here are varied, the ideas diverse and engaging, and the execution often excellent.

KAHN ‘Kahn’ EP (Black Box) There is absolutely no stopping king Kahn right now. His latest masterstroke comes in the form of an ocean-deep five-track EP of poignant musical visions, rife with show-stopping vocal performances from the likes of Flowdan, Jabu and Rider Shafique. Rudebwoy lyricism, all-enveloping bassweight, melancholic poetry and mystic dread converge to formulate what might just be Kahn’s most accomplished work to date.

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EASTWOOD ‘U Ain’t Ready’ (No Hats, No Hoods)

VARIOUS ARTISTS

After re-releasing a b a tch o f amazing Ruff Sqw a d instrumentals last ye a r, NH NH have decided, afte r te n ye a r s , to re-press one of th e p i vo ta l 8-Ba r tunes of the early gr i me e r a . Th e original white-lab e l vi n yl r e l e a s e sold over 5,000 co p i e s , becoming an anth e m f o r th e scene and earning p r a i s e f a r beyond. Head ma n gl i n g r e mi xe s from Untold and Sp o o k y a r e included alongsid e th e devastatingly simp l e o r i gi n a l , making this a mus t-ch e ck for anyone.

clean bandit

includes mixes from xxxy my nu leng

mozartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house

out now

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RUDIMENTAL ‘Home’ (Asylum)

Last summer, something strange happened. Rudimental, a collective of producers making underground waves off the back of deep house track ‘Spoons’, dropped a full-on drum & bass anthem out of nowhere. Even in these genreshifting times, the switch in styles was pretty remarkable, but what was really amazing was that this track, ‘Feel The Love’ featuring the vocals of John Newman, went on to become the first full D&B track ever to chart at Number One. One year later, the Hackney quartet are now ready to drop their debut album, ‘Home’, which features both of those past moments, alongside ten other tracks that, despite travelling

TUESDAY BORN ‘Singing In The Dark’ EP (Audio Doughnuts)

LURKA 'Full Clip' / ‘BR Greeze’ (Hotline Recordings)

This EP sometimes floats, sometimes mopes, in the somnambulistic space that James Blake and Mount Kimbie helped build. Though the slumped rhythms and woozy accordion-esque synths sometimes drag, there are some well-crafted shoe-gazing melodies, not least in the croons of 'Sleep With Stars'. In 'Wake', the rich voice of the singer survives unnecessary pitch switching and the track lollops nicely. Fans of Little Dragon and The XX will enjoy this.

Two engaging dancefloor monsters from Lurka grace the fledgling label’s sophomore 12”, marking an agile step away from the 140bpm confines of his previous releases. The results are both infectious and innovative; crunchy mid-range synth riffs are contorted over riotous dancehall-leaning slow/fast rhythms, ultra-tight drums and colossal subs. Truly havoc-inducing beats and a unique direction that we would love to hear more of.

stylistically through everything from hip-hop to house to D&B, all share one common element; soul. And while the productions are all faultlessly executed and imagined, it’s the featured vocalists on every track on ‘Home’ that elevate it far beyond the confines of the genres from which it takes its cues. Fellow Hackney resident Emile Sandé appears on two tracks, while MNEK, Syon and Disclosure collaborator Sinead Harnett all add their own blissful vocals to what makes for the perfect summer album and sets Rudimental up for the festival season that ‘Home’ makes it clear they (and their 12piece live band) were born to conquer

CHRIS OCTANE ‘Synthetics’/ ’Gaia’s Dub’ (CO:RE) Ch r i s Octa n e h a s ch o s e n tw o s l i ce s o f th u d d i n g, b a s s w e i gh t-f o cu s e d d a ma ge to b e gi n l i f e a f te r s p l i tti n g f r o m r e gu l a r p r o d u cti o n p a r tn e r DLR. Dr o p p i n g o n h i s n e w l a b e l , CO:RE , f o l l o w e r s o f h i s p r e vi o u s w o r k w i l l n o t b e d i s a p p o i n te d w i th th e b r u ta l i ty o f l e a d tr a ck ‘Syn th e ti cs ’. ‘Ga i a ’s Du b ’ o n th e f l i p i s mo r e e xp e r i me n ta l a s th e p r o d u ce r ve e r s a w a y f r o m th e 174b p m te mp l a te .

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M U S I C R E V I E W S 14

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DJ MADD FT G.RINA ‘Never 2 Late’/ ’Murda Dub’ (Roots & Future)

ALIX PEREZ

‘Chroma Chords’ (Shogun Audio) This issue’s cover star’s second album for Shogun Audio establishes a bold new direction for the Belgian-born, London-based producer, and helps further cement Friction’s label’s reputation as one of dance music’s very finest. Interweaving influences from a childhood passion for hip-hop and a healthy knowledge of the current wider bass-music world, Perez has produced a D&B album like no other. Although there are a few beautifully constructed traditional liquid rollers, this album focuses mainly on half-time rhythms and features vocals from the likes of Jehst, Riko and Foreign Beggars. Dripping with soul and emotion and alive with detail, ‘Chroma Chords’ is one of most interesting and forward-thinking albums we at Trap have heard in some time. If we gave scores, this would get a ten.

PEV ‘Aztec Chant’ / ‘Livity’ (Livity Sound) Among the most confidently original dance music producers around, Peverelist always operates somewhere under the radar. 'Aztec Chant's acid house drum machines and Photek-style breakbeats spiral into the heart of the bassbin. 'Livity' encapsulates the life-force its title refers to, almost maddeningly alive with jabbing keys, a writhing spine of bass and overwhelmingly layered rhythmic patterns. Real dubstep; this record will make your bone marrow buzz and your skin dance.

When it comes to reggae inspired dubstep riddims, few do it more convincingly than DJ Madd. His freshly minted imprint ‘Roots & Future’ is here home to a pair of sun-drenched skankers that glow with real warmth and rich tonality, layering lilting vocals, rasping woodwind and bold brass sounds over those huge dread basslines. Rugged, raw and timeless soundsystem music. .

MERKY ACE ‘All Or Nothing’ (No Hats, No Hoods) As a member of the new wave of grime MCs that burst onto the scene in 2010, Merky Ace has made a name for himself with his rapid-fire delivery and consistent releases. This album represents the first of a two-part series and showcases the South East London MC’s lyrical dexterity to the fullest. Guest features are kept to a minimum, with only fellow FT Collective members present beyond Merky himself. While fully representing grime, the album embraces elements of the hip-hop and trap styles that have come to dominate much of the underground scene recently. Behind the thumping 808s, masses of hi-hats and snare rolls are some of the best producers making gritty electronic bass music in London, including Teddy, Faze Miyake, Rude Kid and Deeco. This is one for those who like their MCs backed by bass heavy, dark, neck-snapping beats.

VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘New Blood 13’ (Med School ) Med School’s ‘New Blood’ series is always one to watch out for. For the last three years, the envelope-pushing label has released a ‘New Blood’ compilation album, bringing together tracks from a whole new generation of up-and-coming artists. Focused mainly, but not exclusively, around the D&B tempo, this year’s offering features a wide array of talent from across the globe. There are some true gems in there – be it Etherwood’s awesome opener ‘Unfolding’, Joe Ford’s Rockwell-meets-Noisia-esque ‘Frozen Sound’ or Barefoot’s delicate ‘Rising & Falling’. There are four digital exclusives and a mix, too. Whether it’s dubstep, downtempo, experimental beats or straight up D&B you’re into, this is well worth checking.

STUSH ‘No Chorus’ (Necessary Mayhem) After the blistering 'Call Mi Phone', Stush again teams up with Necessary Mayhem's Curtis Lynch for another superb dancehall cut. ‘No Chorus’ is a track laced with wicked strings and a growling bassline. As you may have guessed, Stush doesn’t have time for a chorus, she’s got too much to say, touching on the state of music, racism, promoters, smoking and gun lyrics… Pure fire.

G A M E S R E V I E W S W I T H C U T L I N E 14

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TOMB RAIDER SQUARE ENIX (PC, PS3, XBOX360) Out Now

The Tomb Raider series is one of Playstation’s greatest successes. Created during the Spice Girls era of Girl Power, Eidos seized the moment and crafted a part Indiana Jones, part posh totty lead that would simultaneously travel the globe hunting down lost treasures and haunt the wet dreams of teenagers the world over. This year sees Square Enix take up the mantle of divulging Lara Croft’s origins story, and they have smashed it out of the park. The incredibly rich graphics are only matched by the thoughtfully detailed

storyline and intense combat, which all means playing Tomb Raider is an absolute joy. Square Enix have added several notches to the gore meter, drastically changing the playing style of the series and creating a visually stunning game without compromising once on the golden rule: games should be fun to play! If you’ve loved Tomb Raider in the past then you should welcome this game with open thumbs. If you’ve never played Tomb Raider before – well, it’s like Uncharted but a lot better and with bigger boobs. What more could you want?

GOD OF WAR: ASCENSION SONY (PS3) Out Now

SNIPER: GHOST WARRIOR 2

DRAGON’S DOGMA: DARK ARISEN

CITY INTERACTIVE (PC, PS3, XBOX360) Out Now

CAPCOM (PS3, XBOX360) Out 26th April

Playstation’s origin stories keep coming. This time, it’s the return of Spartan warrior Kratos in the most ambitious instalment of the God of War series to date. Taking you back to where it all began, God of War: Ascension gives you the chance to see where it all began and guide Kratos through his first steps on his legendary quest for freedom. This is unadulterated fun that will have you steeped in Greek mythology andbattering down enemies in a combo-based combat style for hours upon hours.

It was remarked on our Facebook page that “It takes a certain kind of man to play Sniper:Ghost Warrior,” and they weren’t wrong! As the title suggests this is the second instalment of the Sniper series where you play, you guessed it, a sniper. You creep, crawl and snipe your way through a series of Black Ops-style missions in order to secure a Bio-Weapon WMD. If your patience levels are huge and you’ve always wanted to shoot people with a high-calibre rifle, this is the game for you.

We’re told that Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen “is the next exciting chapter in the Dragon’s Dogma franchise delivering a huge brand new area, missions, enemies and more, plus all of the content from the original game.” So to all intents and purposes this is a very large expansion pack, but for those of you who haven’t dived into Dragon’s Dogma yet, you can now do so right from the start. If you like the idea of playing a knight in an open world hack-n-slash game with a Dungeons & Dragons feel, this is for you.

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G A M E S R E V I E W S W I T H C U T L I N E 14

BIOSHOCK INFINITE 2K GAMES (PC, PS3, XBOX360) Out Now

Step into the shoes once more of Booker DeWitt. In the greatest of all fairy-tale style stories DeWitt has to rescue a young girl, Elizabeth, from a tower high in the sky. But this protagonist is no prince. DeWitt is deep in debt to the wrong kind of people and has one opportunity to save his own. This decidedly dirty take on the age-old template puts BioShock Infinite in a league of its own as 2K Games build a 1912 world of science fiction, corrupt politics, extreme violence and a genuine bond between Elizabeth and DeWitt as the backdrop. Gameplay wise, BioShock Infinite is a real

treat to those bored of the standard first person shooter style. As in previous games, DeWitt has his ‘Vigors’ to call upon – special powers that grant him the ability to shoot fire, possess people and machines and more. But the real bonus is the addition of Elizabeth who runs around the sky city of Columbia collecting cash, health and weapons on DeWitt’s behalf. Even more helpfully she can rip tears in the fabric of space-time to provide defences, new ways to move around the map or caches of useful objects. BioShock Infinite is glorious to play, engrossing to follow and undoubtedly one of the best games we’ve played in a long time.

MARS: WAR LOGS

EPIC GAMES / PEOPLE CAN FLY (XBOX360) Out Now

ARMY OF TWO: THE DEVIL’S CARTEL EA (PS3, X360) Out Now

SPIDERS (PC, PS NETWORK, XBOX ARCADE) Coming Soon

One of Xbox360’s flagship titles returns with its latest instalment. Truth be told we’ve never quite got to grips with the GoW combat system’s sometimes awkward camera angles, but we know we’re in the minority. So, for those of you who want more of the same (and this is more of the same), step right up and get yourself immersed in the GoW universe once more. New touches include the ‘Mission Declassification’ system and spontaneous enemy generation that should more than satisfy fans of the title.

Working as mercenaries on the war-torn streets of Mexico, Alpha and Bravo are possibly two of the least charismatic protagonists around. However, if pointless dialogue and a fairly insubstantial storyline don’t bother you, there’s fun to be found in shooting down the local drug cartel. Go into this with your eyes wide open and you could find yourself thoroughly enjoying what some might cite as an average shoot ‘em up game. But if you’re looking for something with a story or half decent voice acting, avoid like the plague.

We know reasonably little about this game, but an accidental watch of the combat trailer had us enthused enough to check it out. Essentially, this is a cyberpunk-style RPG which “takes you to the red planet over a century after the catastrophe that threw the planet and its colonists into chaos.” You will play as Roy Temperance, a renegade who’s stuck in the middle of a war for Mars’ water resources. Built on Spiders’ own Silk Engine with some impressive looking graphics, this looks well worth checking.

GEARS OF WAR: JUDGEMENT

BASSPO I NTS

CLUB LISTINGS

08 0

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LISTINGS@TRAPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

APRIL / MAY SATURDAY 20 APRIL BUGGED OUT PRESENTS ONEMAN & FRIENDS @SECRET LOCATION, LONDON On e ma n + f riends.

SUPERCHARGED

R E G U L AT E P R E S E N T S : H I D E O U T P R E - PA RT Y F R I D AY 2 4 M AY FIRE, LONDON

@DIGITAL, BRIGHTON Redlight, Bondax, Karma Kid.

FRIDAY 26 APRIL: SHOGUN AUDIO @GREAT SUFFOLK STREET WAREHOUSE, LONDON No i s i a , Fr i ction ft P Money & Scrufizzer, Alix Perez, DJ E Z , Ro ck w e ll, SpectraSoul, Om Unit + more.

DETONATE PRESENTS: RAM RECORDS @STEALTH, NOTTINGHAM An d y C, J u s t Blaze, Loadstar, Jubei, Salva, Mi n d Vo r te x, Ivy Lab.

APEX @BLUE MOUNTAIN, BRISTOL XX X Y, K i d n ap Kid, Arkist, Woz, OH91.

SATURDAY 27 APRIL DONUTS

Re gu l a te h a s b e e n s te a d i l y b u i l d i n g a r e p a s o n e o f th e ca p i ta l ’s mo s t o n -p o i n t p r o mo ti o n s f o r a mi n u te n o w, r e gu l a r l y l i n k i n g w i th th e b e s t l a b e l s a r o u n d a n d tu r n i n g o u t s o me k i l l e r l i n e -u p s a t So u th Lo n d o n ’s Fi r e ve n u e . Th i s o ff i ci a l Lo n d o n p r e -p a r ty f o r J u l y’s s o l d -o u t H i d e o u t Fe s ti va l i n Cr o a ti a p r o mi s e s s e ts f r o m Br e a ch , Ma k & P a s te ma n , Bl a ck s mi f a n d th e s u p e r ta l e n te d OH 91 a cr o s s i ts th r e e r o o ms , b u t i t’s a l l a b o u t th e h e a d l i n e s e t, w h i ch s e e s J a ck ma s te r a n d h i s go o d ma te On e ma n d o i n g th r e e w h o l e h o u r s b a ck to b a ck .

f ac eb o o k. c o m/r e du l a te.l d n

@SECRET CITY CENTRE LOCATION, BRISTOL So u n d s tr e a m, Behling & Simpson, Tom D.

SYSTEM @MINT CLUB, LEEDS Ma r ce l De ttmann, Tini, Annie Errez, Bobby O'Donnell.

VISIONQUEST 13 @WHP, MANCHESTER Vi s i o n q u e s t, Seth Troxler, Lee Curtiss, Shaun Reeves, Rya n Cr o s s on, Laura Jones + more.

THE BLAST PRESENTS: RODIGAN’S RAMJAM S AT U R D AY 2 7 A P R I L MOTION, BRISTOL

SWAMP81 @FIRE, LONDON Lo e f a h , Bo ddika, Zed Bias, Mickey Pearce, Pinch, Sk r e a m, Du sky, Paleman, Klose One, Chunky.

FRIDAY 3 MAY FOREKAST @CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON Floating Points, Hannah Wants and Dr Dr.

DEVIATION

Rodigan’s Ramjam show rolls back up to Bristol for another huge party on Saturday 27 April, packing Motion’s three rooms with another massive line-up that covers the gamut of bass-music culture.

@VARIOUS LOCATIONS, BOURNEMOUTH

In the main room, Rodi is joined on stage by UK reggae legend Bitty Maclean, with Toddla T and his sound system, The Nextmen and Dub Phizix & Strats providing ample backing. Room Two gets a full Metalheadz takeover, with Goldie, Ulterior Motive, Amit and Mikal all doing their thing, while Motion’s Cave room will be keeping things roots and dub with a set from Channel One’s Tudor Lion.

Mi gu e l Ca mpbell, Jackmaster, Friction, Bondax, Duke Du mo n t, Ma xxi Soundsystem + more.

f ac eb o o k. c o m/th eb l a st ak a s tb

@XOYO, LONDON Be n j i B, Omar S, Jackmaster.

SATURDAY 4 MAY THE BLOCK PARTY

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BASS PO I NTS

081

CLUB LISTINGS

MAY

TRIX PRESENTS: NAKED NAKED F R I D AY 2 6 A P R I L DANCE TUNNEL, LONDON

FABRIC PRESENTS @FABRIC, LONDON Cr a i g Ri ch a r d s , Ma ce o P l e x, H u xl e y, E a ts E ve r yth i n g, T. Wi l l i a ms + l o a d s mo r e .

TROUPE @XOYO, LONDON De n s e & P i k a , So u th Lo n d o n Or d n a n ce , P a l e ma n , Ba r e s k i n .

SUNDAY 5 MAY DOLLOP PRESENTS EVERYWHERE @STEALTH, NOTTINGHAM One of Trap’s favourite promoters links with one of favourite record labels for a very special Naked Naked showcase at Dalston’s Dance Tunnel. Run by the producer known as Breach, Naked Naked only dropped its first record last year, but a string of solid-gold releases that have seen Breach collaborate with Midland, Darksky and Dusky have rapidly made the label a buy-on-sight imprint. This is a secret line-up kind of affair, with only the man himself confirmed to play; but we all know the ‘special guests’ are gonna live up to their billing, so make sure you check this if you can. facebook.com/trixlondon

Ar t De p a r tme n t, Bo n d a x, Cyr i l H a h n , Du k e Du mo n t, E a ts E ve r yth i n g, Ge o r ge Fi tzge r a l d , J a ck ma s te r, MK , P e d e s tr i a n , SBTRK T, Sh a d o w Ch i l d , Th e H e a tw a ve + mo r e .

BASSLACED @FIRE. LONDON Sta n to n Wa r r i o r s , J o k e r, A Sk i l l z, Br e a k a ge , P l a s ti ci a n , Fr e e s tyl e r s , Br o o k e s Br o th e r s , De e k l i n e , Wo z.

FRIDAY 10 MAY SHADOW CITY @RAINBOW, BIRMINGHAM Bo n d a x, Syr o n , Ba s ti a n , Op yn .

SATURDAY 11 MAY TROUPE

OFFICIAL MAJOR LAZER A F T E R PA RT Y F R I D AY 3 M AY EXCHANGE, BRISTOL

@XOYO, LONDON Dense & Pika, South London Ordnance, Paleman.

OSCILLATE WILDY @HOPE WORKS, SHEFFIELD J i mmy E d ga r, Bi ce p & De l r o y E d w a r d s .

HYETAL LP LAUNCH @EXCHANGE, BRISTOL

H ye ta l ( Li ve ) , P e ve r e l i s t, Ve s s e l ( l i ve ) , Th e K e l l y Tw i n s .

FRIDAY 24 MAY TOKYO WAX

@RHYTHM FACTORY, LONDON H ye ta l , De a d b o y, Ap p l e b o tto m + mo r e .

Trap is pleased to announce that, on Friday 3 May, we’ll be hosting the Basement at the official after-party for the Bristol leg of the Major Lazer tour. With the main man himself, Diplo, playing on the night, this is going to be one rammed-out party and Trap couldn’t be happier to be involved. Taking place at the city’s newest venue, The Exchange, Diplo will be backed by a set from hotly-tipped Trinidad-meets-Bristol Soca bass duo Jus Now, whose recent ‘One Time’ EP for Gutterfunk has been making serious waves. We’re not sure who we’re gonna get to play for us downstairs yet, but we do know it’s gonna be one serious party.

facebook.com/exchangebristol

MARCH FABRICLIVE @FABRIC, LONDON Foreign Beggars, Artwork, N-Type, True Tiger, Calibre, dBridge, Fabio + more.

DROPDOWN

@CABLE, LONDON Mickey Pearce, Leftwing & Kody, Jack Swift B2B Listener, DJ True.

SUNDAY 26 MAY CRECHE BANK HOLIDAY OUTDOOR RAVE PART 2 @TBC, LONDON

Dusky, Dixon, Miguel Campbell, Waff.

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