DJ Dom may have made his debut for the on form PTN label late last year, with four lush slices of flexible house music, but now he’s stepping out on Brackles and Shortstuff’s excellent Blunted Robots label. Joining the impressive roster of releases from the likes of Mickey Pearce, Martin Kemp and Night Slugs very own Bok Bok, Dom’s 12” may well be the smoothest Blunted release yet, taking queues from the deeper side of house and playing it off rawer UK vibes. It echoes the current sets from Rinse FM regular Brackles, who seems to be really enjoying exploring this side of things more and more of late.
It proper sounds like summer is on the way when the hazy good time vibes of ‘Sunshowers’ rolls in, all laid back warm chords, supple bumpy percussive kicks and snatched hits. First heard on Brackles' 'Songs For Endless Cities Mix' the screwed vocals give a woozy air to the track and the dubbed-out organ stabs and echoing bass squelches really bring that brightness alive, living up to the epiphany hinted at in the title. The drawn out heavy EQ sections where the track gets cut out into nothing but highs is pure vibes too, building expectation perfectly. The flip rolls out on a similar tip though ‘You Can’t See Me’ skips and builds with more urgency thanks to the dubby pads, twisted synth smears and fragments of 8-bit bleeps that shatter across the track. It’s the deep sub stabs, acid bubbles and flexible beats that root it to the floor while the synths take you up into those airy, blissed-out territories.
Sitting somewhere in the UK neverland where the likes of DJ Naughty and Martin Kemp can coexist without to much squabbling, Dom’s first outing on Blunted Robots can sit nicely next to the soulful side of Smoove Kriminal or T.Williams just as well as it does here.
We've made no bones of our love for the work of Brackles & Shorstuff over the past few years, interviewing both and keeping in regular contact since the early days of our webspace. To celebrate the launch of their own home on the internet (complete with resplendent artwork courtesy of Wigflex boss man Spam Chop), the dynamic duo are giving a way a free EP from the first artist to release on the label, the faceless, Mickey Pearce. Its three tracks of bootlegs reportedly created by robbing "the work of people more fortunate than himself and passing it off as his own."
Working over Ms Dynamite and Redlight's 'What You Talking About' and JME's 'CD is Dead' with a bonus clip that attacks Wiley's 'It's Wiley' (who according to RWD mag is back making music ready for a release once again on Big Dada) in his own manic, big big drum, ADHD infested style it's time for Mickey to step up from the shadow's joining the ranks of his Blunted Robots brethren, forever immortalised on these here pages.
Ahead of the release of Songs For Endless Cities, his first ever official mix CD - and the inaugural mix in a brand new series being released at the end of August on the !K7 Records affiliated imprint, Cool In The Pool - Blunted Robots co-owner, Rinse FM DJ and all round face, Brackles, is offering out a free download of 'Blo,' the exclusive track taken from the compilation.
Jumping from Flying Lotus, through Zomby, Roska and his Blunted Robots counterparts Martin Kemp and DJ Dom the mix features some huge releases from this year included 2562's 'Dinosaur,' Deadboy's 'IfUWantMe' and something of a signature Brackie Fudge jam, Dorian Concept's 'Trilingual Dance Sexperience.' Basically it is well worth your attention.
*Please note: the following conversation happened on AIM.*
Shortstuff: Yo. The first part of the EP is out on August 2nd. You got the files right?
Sonic Router: Aye. You wanna do a pre time interview? Get the word out?
Yeah man. Sure
Cool… now?
Yeah man.
Cool... So where have you been? Working hard?
I've been concentrating on finishing this EP, doing lots of remixes, working on the label, and playing out and about…
So what’s the deal with this new, Summer of Shortstuff EP?
I think it captures a real progression in my stuff from about this time last year to when I finished the last track, in early 2010. I wrote the A side for my Mary Anne Hobbs guest mix, and the rest follow on chronologically from there. All the project files are dated, so I can tell you that ‘Swine Time’ was written on the 11th of October 2009, when I was laid up in bed, suffering from swine flu.
It's also a bit less frenzied than my first Ramp release, and some of my other singles
Do you think that’s a good thing? I’m all about the Shortstuff frenzy…
Well…The frenzy is still there. It's all still quite twitchy and uneasy, but most of the tracks that made it on there were made very quickly, out of an initial idea or vibe, without too much time being spent overcomplicating them for the sake of it. ‘Galaxy’ for example is made largely from the same record, drums and all. I sat down and wrote the whole arrangement in one session, with each bar triggering the next.
There are heaps of tracks that didn't make the cut that might be more polished and typical of the ‘zaney’ style you hear on some of my other stuff, but I'm happy that the ones which survived each capture a moment in my head, without too much thought for a style that people might expect from me.
So the title ‘The Summer of Shortstuff’ does that refer to the staggered release schedule?
No it does not. It's a Seinfeld reference
OK.
Basically... There is a Seinfeld episode called ‘The Summer Of George,’ where George receives a load of severance pay from his old job and vows to do something big with his the time off...
In reality, he ends up sitting around doing nothing. This speaks to me on so many levels, because I, like George, am a deeply lazy individual, hampered by my own neurosis; who overthinks things and drives himself to distraction in the process. So, given that it took me 12 months to come up with 7 tracks that I was happy to put my name to, coupled with the summer release, Summer Of Shortstuff seemed perfect.
It's definitely NOT stating that this summer is all about me. The opposite in fact
But you are you releasing it in several parts?
Yes. It is coming out on three 10"s throughout August. August 2nd, 15th and 30th. Roughly… The 3rd record will coincide with a digital release where you can grab the digital bonus track
So you will be omnipresent throughout the main summer month though…? Ha.
Yes I will. Hovering around like a bad smell.
Indeed. So… more gigs etc?
Yep. I'm playing Tomorrowland festival, Boom festival, a Field day afterparty, shows in Hamburg, Barcelona, Greece, Bristol and a heap of other stuff
Wowzer. Back in the game.
I was never out of the game. Just off AIM.
Who did the artwork?
One sec. Getting his website [goes idle]. It's a Japanese guy by the name of... OK I'll get that. Tom's getting his address for me. Next question?
He's wicked though…
Yeah he did my first Ramp single too. The ‘A Rustling’ single was sick, but he does all this stuff with actual paints, that was what first attracted us to him, and he really came up with goods. It looks like the record sounds. Better in fact.
All the Ramp stuff has nice art.
Yeah, Tom takes a lot of care with that side of things. I wish it sounded like his art looked...
So is anything lined up after these 3 x 10"s
After this, I have some remixes, including one Brackles and I did of Deadboy's 'If U Want Me' and my remix of 'On A Mission' by Hem, which was featured on Oneman's Rinse CD. Then, to celebrate the 5th Blunted Robots single, we have a tune Brackles and I did with an MC from Nottingham called Terrible Shock. Other than that, I'm working on lots of new stuff, vaguely aiming at a larger project, but trying not to think too much about it. I work much better if I don't think too much.
Cool! And finally… Damage or Take That?
Going to have to remind myself of Damage…
And yes, before you ask, this has already been discussed today…
Oh.
It's gotta be Damage…
Yeah. They had an edge. Somewhere in all that polish, there was an edge…
Allow the Eric Clapton cover though…
Yeah… ruin the first song I ever learnt to play the guitar solo of why don’t you…
LOLOL.
::
Catch Shortstuff at The Summer of Shortstuff launch party – Fri 6th August at Rhythm Factory, London.
Mr. Shortstuff emerges from the cold static of his recent radio silence with the latest edition of the Hotflush podcast. News of forthcoming projects from him should surface shortly but for now get this on the DL and keep an eye out for Martin Kemp's next 12" - 'Fix' b/w 'Wot U Got' - dropping soon on Shortuff's co-run Blunted Robots imprint... 'sabiggun.
This one sided super limited platter comes to the public from the mysterious Brainmath label who have been carving a ghostly niche of their own over the last year or so with music from a diverse bunch of producers. Zomby, SBTRKT, Spiders, Airhead & James Blake and Untold have all brought tracks to the table that sit with the Brainmath's other worldly aesthetic but never mark it down as just one sound; it's as if the label simply provides a service, an outlet for small nuggets of vinyl brilliance released with no fuss or hyperbole.
The latest release comes from Brackles who as a producer, DJ, Rinse.fm regular, and label curator with Shortstuff for the Blunted Robots imprint has been pushing the flexible broken garage meets UK funky sound, bringing bumpy beats and plenty of energy to the dance. The first Brackles 12” to drop was a quality number called ‘Glazed’ on Berkane Sol which somehow harnessed the grimy attitude of Dizzee Rascal’s ‘I Luv U’ in its bumping’ drum patterns as well as harnessing a deep dubbed out techno-like atmosphere. Well, ‘6am El Gordos’ – named after a Nottingham boozer that saw numerous after parties laced with frantic sets of new and weirdly interesting music which helped shape some of the now prevalent Notts explosion - feels like the tropical cousin of ‘Glazed’. Brackles layers shuffling soca laced kick drums, pulsing bass tones that shake the floor with skipping snares and hats getting quirky on top, with synths that sound like they’ve been made under high air pressure for maximum energy. In typical Brackles fashion he underpins it all with soulful, loved up vocal snatches that bring am exceedingly summery edge to the production.
According to his twitter Shortstuff is stranded at an American airport, his flight delayed, his blackberry running low on power and he's left his suitcase in a cab someplace... So please spare a thought for him and his plight while you download his latest mix he made in promotion of the Icee Hot night he played at recently.
01. Dizzee Rascal “Brand New Day” (XL) 02. Terror Danjah “Air Bubble (Geiom RMX)” (Butterz) 03. Guido “Mad Sax” (white) 04. Machinedrum “SXLND” (white) 05. Roska “Squark” (Rinse) 06. Jam City “Let Me Bang RMX” (white) 07. Lemonade “Lifted (Shortstuff RMX)” (True Panther) 08. Egyptrixx “The Only Way Up(Ikonika RMX)”(Night Slugs) 09. Shortstuff “Fig Rolls” (Ramp) 10. DJ Dom “UCSM” (white) 11. SBTRKT “Sleep in Tokyo” (white) 12. West Norwood Cassette Library “What It Is” (white) 13. Untold “Come Follow Me” (white)
Look out for Blunted Robots (his and Brackles label) 3rd release featuring them two and Bok Bok - in shops now, and Shorty's 'Tripped Up' 12" coming soon on Ramp Recordings.
The next edition of Sonic Router on URB.com is live now, presenting a snapshot of the dubstep releases that are imminent or ominously close on this date in March 2010. It includes words on Addison Groove, Ramadanman, Shortstuff, Blunted Robots, Joker, Pariah, those Mount Kimbie remixes, DJG, Simon/off, Milyoo and this particularly handsome sentence:
"my position deep in the colon of James Blake is patently well documented if you’re adept enough to use google at even a novice level"
3rd release on the Blunted Robots imprint marries Bok Bok's throbbing 'Citizens Dub' with a collaborative wamper in the form of 'Pipey D' from label heads Brackles & Shortstuff.
The younger brother of the Kemp clan, Martin, drops what I think is the third [?] (we were the first, but who's counting/gloating...?) in his line of mixes, ahead of the Accordant show on the 26th March at the Rhythm Factory, London.
The line up is pretty much flames with 4 Rootah favourites vying for your dollar bills... Ikonika, Martin Kemp, Hyetal and Greena (who duppied fabric when he played at the Apple Pips night) are all on the bill alongside ledge Sticky and local support.
01. Brackles and Martin Kemp - Untitled, 02. Donga and Blake - small hours (Geiomix) 03. Procedure - Sunshowers 04. Martin Kemp - Terr 05. Rishi Romaro - African Forest 06. Deep Teknologi - Anthem 07. Zinc ft Ms. Dynamite - Wile Out 08. Brackles - I Can’t Wait 09. United Sounds of London - Making Love 10. Martin Kemp - What You Got 11. Bok Bok - Citizens Dub feat. Bubbz
Superb mix from Untold. Featured on Sinden's KISS FM show last night. Headhunter & Invisible - 'Luvdup' - fothcoming Soul Motive. Bok Bok - 'Citizen Dub' - forthcoming Blunted Robots.
Boys noize - Transmission (Untold remix) - forthcoming Boys noize Bok Bok feat. Bubbz - Citizens Dub - forthcoming Blunted Robots Untold - Tastes like chicken - Unreleased Wu Tang – Do It Big (Baobinga & I.D. Remix) – Cdr Mark Pritchard – Elephant Dub – Deep Medi Schlachthofbronx – Ayoba (Inst) – Man Recordings Headhunter & Invisible – Luvdup – Soul Motive Untold – You Dropped Something – Cdr Sisters Of Transistors – Solar Disco (Untold Remix) – This Is Music Ramadanman – Glut – Hemlock Dj Eastwood – U Aint Ready (Untold Remix) – No Hats No Hoods
Martin Kemp's put together a mix for XLR8R, something you really should not miss out on. His debut solo 12", 'After The Night' b/w 'Aztec' should be out now at all good retailers on the Blunted Robots label - look out for the RA review coming shortly.
Kemp had a track on a split 12" with Mickey Pearce, also on Blunted Robots, earlier this year, he has remixed Royal T's grime anthem '1UP' - also out now - and his track 'Bowzer' is set to appear on the Hold Box Flat imprint early next year.
Hard House Banton – Reign (Roska VIP mix) >> Martin Kemp – No Charisma Geiom & Shortstuff – Wardenclyffe Mos Wanted Mega – Different Lextrix Martin Kemp – Wot U Got Martyn - Friedrichstrasse D Malice & Rebecca Knight – Poison (Roska mix) Martin Kemp – After The Night TRG – Discotek 79 Joey Beltram – Back Porch Deadboy – If You Want Me Mosca – Square One (Greena mix) Brackles – Bad Sandwich >> Youngstar – Bongo Untold – Bad Girls Geiom feat. Marita – Sugar Coated Lover (Brackles & Shortstuff mix) Shortstuff – Tweaked Ramadanman – A Couple More Years Untold – Flexible Brackles & Shortstuff – Ipkiss Riddim Shortstuff – Galaxy >> Aardvark – Nosestep Sully – In Some Pattern Clouds – Napalm Pangaea – Dead Living James Blake – Pembroke
In association with Dirty Canvas, Blunted Robots celebrate their 2nd vinyl release, Martin Kemp's highly anticipated 'Aztec' b/w 'After The Night,' with a launch party at Gramaphone in East London.
With a couple of projects well on the way for Ramp Recordings and a DJ schedule thats shaping up impeccably, Shortstuff is back, this time handling a mixtape for SuperSuper which you can read about and download at the convenient text link below.
Planet Mu’s release schedule has been burning up the ether this year – it seems like hardly any time has passed since they put out Blunted Robots honcho Brackles’ last twelve. Considering what came before, it was less an evolution and more a wholescale shock to the natural order of things – ‘LHC’ felt like a total genetic modification of dubstep’s DNA, as he married a fidgety melodic line to hard-and-fast futurist garage beats. The same could be said of his and Shortstuff’s ‘Sutorito Faita,’ a cavernous plunge through grating subs and warped vocal samples.
So it’s surprising given its title that ‘Rawkus’ is probably the most graceful thing he’s ever produced, awash in spiraling synth patterns, fragmented vocals and a strange sense of contemplation. Its thoughtful aura and minor key moves tie in closely with the recent explosion of half-remembered garage beats and post-rave atmospherics, a trend making its presence felt through everyone from Zomby and Flying Lotus to Scuba and 2562. All of this having been said, it was never going to be Brackles without a bit of cheeky humour and an essential sense of dancefloor dynamic; after all, the man’s a next level DJ. His sense of timing and ear for the drop is as keen as ever, most strongly felt in razor-edged snares and a cartoonish instruction: “Shut up already! Dance!” It seems pretty foolish to disobey.
‘Air Pie’ on the flip is in much the same vein, a slower and more considered number pivoting around a central sample which drifts through the mix to reach the forefront before the kick suddenly trips over the high end into a heavily skanking drop. The overall effect is slightly disorienting – sudden glitches and rhythmic stumbles hardly make for well-balanced dancing – but pleasurably so. After the manic, technicolour party bursts of Brackles’ last twelve, the two cuts here are a slightly different but no less effective experience, and coming out of a massive pair of speakers his thrusting sub lines are transformative.
Geiom's label, Berkane Sol, has consistently provided on point music from the Nottingham scene's bubbling underbelly (further reading on this is available over at The Quietus) and this Friday, alongside some of his most prominent proteges and contemporaries - Brackles, Shortstuff, Martin Kemp and Spam Chop - he takes over Room Three at fabric.
Ahead of the event he's kindly passed out this FREE download of 'Flic En Flac' for your hard drive's pleasure.
Up now - to stream - is a new mix from Brackles on Dazed Digital.
You can check him going back to back with Reecha, just after the Patchwork Pirates at the Pull & Bear launch afterparty tomorrow night at the Bathhouse (nr. Liverpool St) in East London.
1. The Hizatron - Von Glooperstein 2. Cooly G - Jus Wanna 3. Martin Kemp - After The Night 4. Dead Boy - If You Want Me 5. Brackles - 6am El Gordos 6. Brackles and Shortstuff - Pipey D 7. Hem and Terrible Shock - On A Mission (Shortstuff remix) 8. Untold - Stop What You're Doing (James Blake remix) 9. Untold - Palamino
