December 1, 2015With absolutely no knowledge of ragas past or present, or even the tools to start a foundation, I’ve amused myself for hours on Puzzle Me Raga. It’s mostly just listening to the samples then pressing ‘Hint’ repeatedly until the word appears, but an incredibly addictive and enjoyable way to pass time when you should be working. So what’s a raga?…
November 26, 2015‘Original Nuttah‘ has to be one of the most and recognisable (and rewound) jungle tunes of all time. Released by Shy Fx in ’94, the tune was a major breakthrough for the ragga style of drum n bass that was coming through. And it was UK Apache, a proper pioneer in the scene, who voiced the classic track over Shy’s…
November 25, 2015I was pretty late on to Sleaford Mods, but damn I’m glad I got there. Not a lot of groups at the moment that can court a substantial fan base and press while still managing to stand for change, or even say anything at all for that matter. Sleaford Mods are hopefully inspiring a few cats to join them here.…
November 2, 2015The Dead Albatross season has once again come and gone, with Annabel (lee) being crowned the winner of 2015 for By The Sea…(And Other Solitary Places). And while we await the traditional winner’s circle photo there’s no reason not to grab a rewind of the finale in which Paul Ackroyd aka Kamikaze played all albums in contention and counted down…
October 31, 2015The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) in Australia is one of my favourite institutions. Archiving, preserving and curating the country’s visual and audio history, often far from the beaten track of what you’d expect to find, there’s a genuine love of archive from everyone I’ve come across there, which really comes through in what they do. Most importantly is…
October 17, 2015We love our books, exhibitions and collections of all kind, but sometimes one photo and some captivating words is more than enough to put you in the space. Legendary London music photographer Dennis Morris did exactly that this week regarding the above shot of the Admiral Ken Sound System. Arguably best known for his published an exhibited works photographing The…
October 16, 2015One for the digital diggers here; someone’s just brought our attention to the Qatar Digital Library, and the thousand or so hours of material they’ve uploaded for free access via Soundcloud. Qatar Digital Library (QDL) is an ever-growing resource featuring the cultural and historical heritage of the Gulf and wider region freely available online for the first time. Part of…
September 18, 2015…and on the evening of nominations, Murdoc Niccals did speak unto to the Mercury crowd, and thusly said “Mercury award? Sounds a bit heavy, man! Y’know sorta like carrying a dead albatross round your neck for eternity” and the Dead Albatross was born… Yep, our favourite time of year again, Dead Albatross Music Prize 2015 is just around the corner. Stoked…
September 14, 2015Not sure when this became a thing, but the end result is surprisingly dope; far more than just novelty in our eyes. 8-bit Famicom versions of some of the most uniquely styled music ever created. The wonderful recordings of Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band covered more experimental ground than any of their contemporaries at the time, and most other…
June 17, 2015It’s no secret that much of the modern world angers me. Especially post-kids; I look at the crappy commercialisation of everything I once loved and wonder about the environment they’ll grow up in. I often find myself wandering around the internet looking at the constant streams of shit that advertising campaigns ram down our throat, dying a little inside as…