tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-140788842009-06-19T12:22:25.624+01:00A creeping malaise of musical irrelevanciesdroidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-35779776496065218732009-06-12T10:50:00.002+01:002009-06-12T10:52:55.907+01:00

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-89212043937394581242009-06-04T10:52:00.002+01:002009-06-04T10:56:23.872+01:00

Don Rosco and Stacks sez:Powerfm's live 99.5fm broadcasts continue. Live all over the greater Dublin area on FM and always online at www.powerfm.orgTonight we have a rare treat. New music from Dublin's own Naphta. With his last release on The Fear gaining a coveted 'album of the month' or 'super duper record' or whatever on boomkat.com and highly praised all over the camp, this has to be

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-7698509291476345402009-05-27T15:09:00.004+01:002009-05-27T19:06:53.729+01:00

This is 5 months after the fact of course, but I just found a good summary on Youtube so here's a brief dip into the lunatic and increasingly cynical world of dancehall stageshow clash.For those that don't know, Sting 08 was the latest escalation of the fued between the Gullyside (Mavado) and Gaza (Vybez Kartel) crews, with Mavado (aka Mafraudo) ostensibly representing the Alliance... and Kartel

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-73798252208782833152009-05-21T22:26:00.004+01:002009-05-21T22:47:10.600+01:00

We're guesting on the Don Rosco and Stacks show tonight between 12 and 2am playing a selection of ruff ragga and smooth 95 rollers, plus a little bit of crucial early 90's dancehall, and maybe a touch of garage and bleep n' bass - if you're feeling restless and wanna tune in, go to the Power FM site.Should be a laugh - we havent had a chance to get even a semblance of a proper set together!

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-61181004513449022302009-05-15T14:37:00.005+01:002009-05-19T10:17:17.009+01:00

Me over at FACT magazine with the 20 best Ragga tunes of all time (youtube vids included). The original request was for a '20 best: dancehall', which is of course impossible - but even after severely narrowing the category down this exercise still proved heinously difficult - there's just so many great tunes out there! I ended up going all super-subjective whilst also trying to represent as many

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-35986721919017840872009-05-15T14:34:00.007+01:002009-05-15T19:41:14.732+01:00

Seeing as it's now almost sold out, I've posted an extended version of my SUAD interview from Woofah issue 2 over at blogtotheoldskool. This is the first and last time that anything I write for Woofah will be republished online, so enjoy - and if you have any sense you'll keep an eye on the Woofah site and buy the new (and back) issues so you can get this stuff straight from the source in future

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-41468696176679189612009-04-27T16:25:00.004+01:002009-04-27T16:56:15.951+01:00

So, after a couple of years with nothing but youtube videos to drool over, the Staff Benda Bilili album is finally out, and yes, its as brilliant as it should be. Kek has done a demystifying review and interview over at FACT, which says pretty much everything that needs to be said. Believe the hype, folks: Très Très Fort, the new album by Staff Benda Bilili, is truly fantastic. I’ll be genuinely

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-23981356183791579442009-04-17T12:32:00.003+01:002009-04-17T12:39:14.921+01:00

Me over at blogtotheoldskool again, posting what one commenter has described as 'probably the worst hardcore/jungle tune Ive ever heard'.

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-34562821484643723312009-04-07T14:21:00.004+01:002009-04-07T14:37:21.551+01:00

I've finally gotten round to posting something at Pete Devnull's fantastic blogtotheoldskool after much procrastination. You can check out my paean to DJ SS's The Switch/Ruffige (remix) here. There will (hopefully) be more irregular contributions in the same vein from myself over the next few months.

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-65711743132896947732009-03-27T14:52:00.009Z2009-04-07T14:31:53.921+01:00

It's been a baaaad start to 2009 for dancehall and reggae entertainers. *EDIT - updated with video. **EDIT AGAIN - Ninjaman video added.First of all, and perhaps most shockingly, came the news of the assault on Luciano which left him with a head wound. Turns out it was all over a fairly tawdry dispute over money with an engineer who had toured with the messenger and claimed he had not been paid

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-66317636104948147282009-03-23T16:59:00.000Z2009-03-23T16:59:00.443Z

There are some good artist LP's out there, but like jungle, dancehall is all about compilations and singles. Despite a bit of selector snobbery towards the former (a strange one, as compilation cuts are often better than the 7" pressing), comps really do provide both an invaluable resource for introducing fans to the genre, and also for collectors trying to get their hands on that one crucial cut

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-73065948120939540272009-03-19T16:41:00.003Z2009-03-23T16:39:57.346Z

This is gonna be sick. I was at the twisted pepper last Friday for the Space2Pace launch and I like what they've done with the layout and the soundsystem, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. Good to see Heatwave blogamuffin Gabriel getting some props in support.Big up Richie and the Kaboogie cru for taking a risk in bringing over the best grime MC around at the moment!

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-80273505946779006422009-03-19T16:40:00.001Z2009-03-19T16:55:41.307Z

Ruff Revivalism from the label that brought you the excellent Remarc compilations. Unlike the 3 science Ep's which had a mix of great and so-so material, this promises to be an absolutely fucking essential release - especially on 3x12" (coming in July). Check it out on the Planet Mu site.

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-37526179656249290422009-03-19T16:39:00.001Z2009-03-19T17:06:07.340Z

So yeah, been a bit quiet round here. Droid Mk II rolled off the assembly lines in mid December and it's taking a while to work out the bugs in his software - and the constant oil changes and maintenance are pretty time consuming as well... I am confident that his programming will be complete at some point in the next 18 years or so, but until then be aware that posting here may be more erratic

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-28429349351989156482008-12-02T17:40:00.007Z2009-01-21T15:10:10.686Z

Is imminent...Now John Eden and Martin Implode would have you believe that life in the Woofah office is all gritty and 'urban'. In fact it's more like this.Except that Eden does his bratty voiceover in realtime.

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-52180219518118967482008-12-02T15:30:00.007Z2008-12-03T10:54:15.126Z

Haven't done one of these posts in a while, so there's a mountain of stuff that's piled up and then been forgotten... will try and remember as much as possible:Reggae Interviews: Excellent 2 and a half hour long King Jammy's interview from 1xtra. Also - extended sessions with Carlton Patterson and Tony 'Downbeat' Screw on WKCR radio New York.Reggae mixes: There's been a few very digi nice sets

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-65682980425869399162008-12-02T13:49:00.004Z2008-12-03T10:55:13.353Z

Remember that post about a month back bigging up SC: mastering? Well, head honcho Macc has made a ridiculously generous (and possibly drunken) offer to give new customers 20% off the cost of mastering their first tune if you mention The Fear when you contact him... making the already stupidly low price even lower.*If you have tunes in need of mastering, you'd have to be completely mad to ignore

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-28476232962340546912008-12-02T13:15:00.002Z2008-12-02T13:33:09.072Z

'Fallen Arches', the debut LP/EP from one half of Ambulance hit the shelves a couple of weeks ago courtesy of Planet Mu. its out on CD and double LP and the EP is available on 12". The album was also the subject of a M.A.H. Radio 1 special a few weeks back which showcased 5 new live recordings...We've featured some Foal in our mixes in the past - 'Foathing' from the 2nd Front End Synthetics

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-38533205252419386652008-12-02T12:58:00.003Z2008-12-02T13:06:24.259Z

So - that gig seemed to go well. The Worries cru have a pretty good thing going on - nice (surprisingly large for a Sunday) and cheerful crowd giving great vibes all night. So much so that Ive been invited back to do a dancehall set sometime early next year. Unfortunately I couldn't find the charger for my camera, so this shaky picture of my record bag is the best visual I can offer. Audio of

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-53063081160823432522008-11-14T16:00:00.003Z2008-11-14T16:05:25.023Z

As I mentioned here, I'm playing this Sunday night at Worries Outanational in the Button Factory in Temple Bar. I haven't played any reggae out in a good while so I'm looking forward to this one and I have a killer 90's roots and dancehall selection lined up featuring tons of Garnett Silk, and yes - Tiger.It's free in. Doors at about 10.30, I'll be playing at about 11.30 -12.00 for an hour or so,

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-55787381298130364552008-11-14T13:06:00.004Z2008-11-14T14:53:22.221Z

Gavin Bryars on Jesus' blood:"Here was a man, very fragile, someone who was living rough on the streets towards the end of his life. But he was singing this phrase beautifully in tune, with very nice phrasing, even though he has rather a tremulous voice. And at the same time there is this simple optimism in the voice. There's a kind of humanity and dignity in it. Yet here you have someone living

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-47894238309786828862008-11-12T17:19:00.004Z2008-11-13T15:22:31.991Z

So, you've just completed your dubstep/d+b/electronic masterpiece and are about to send it off to get 1000 12"s pressed but you're worried that the sound from your playstation/gameboy/laptop minijack may not translate too well onto vinyl... what do you do?Well - Subverts' Macc and Scope have recently started up a small mastering studio catering especially for the likes of you. For a reasonable

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-52525476142427317502008-11-04T16:45:00.006Z2008-11-05T11:21:05.528Z

Now that's a title I never thought id find myself writing.I commented about the irony of (essentially) conservative and traditional radio stations being the main outlet of radical and extreme music on the Irish airwaves some time back. Other than Irish language station Raidió Na Life, the FM dial here is populated pretty much by rubbish MOR gash of various varieties with commercial monstrosities

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-24196410777959266692008-10-16T17:06:00.005+01:002008-10-16T17:35:16.267+01:00

There's a couple of gigs coming up featuring the weareie Cru which may be worth a look for d+b and reggae/dancehall fans:First up, Naphta comes out of retirement (for the nth time) tomorrow night to play at Don Rosco, T-woc and !Kaboogie's Wobble night at the horrifically renamed 'Twisted Pepper' (formerly Traffic) on Middle Abbey St. The old goat will be playing a set of 'dirty techstep',

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14078884.post-45339277296392280482008-10-06T14:18:00.009+01:002008-10-07T18:29:56.749+01:00

Well here we are at the last ever episode of Blogariddims. Some of you may think that we’re crying wolf – after all the first series ended ambiguously with episode 24, but that was never intended to be a definitive ending, just a pause for breath as I rallied the troops and looked for new blood. We're ending the series with a collection of short sets from some of the most crucial contributors,

droidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06276962882532347259noreply@blogger.com4