Sneaky Pete's

The Ones Live (Madhat, Riddlah, Silvertongue, DJ Fusion)
Tactus & Abaga Records DJ’s
Fusion

As part of its operational restructuring plans – titled ‘Delivering Quality First’ – the BBC has responded with a number of sweeping changes which include scrapping the Introducing in Scotland radio show, hosted by Ally McCrae every Sunday night from midnight to 2am. This show has a remit to provide “the best new unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar music in Scotland” every week and it never fails to deliver on that promise thanks to the talent and expertise of its producers, technical staff and presenter. Under Ally McCrae this year and his predecessor Vic Galloway in the 11 years before that, this has been the only outlet provided by Radio 1 to showcase up-and-coming bands and solo artists from Scotland to a Scottish audience. Pretty much all Scottish success stories from the past decade are where they are today because of early exposure through airplay and live sessions on this show. We, the undersigned, call on the BBC to rethink their plans to scrap the Introducing in Scotland show and, instead, protect and promote this unique programme.

L-Vis 1990 (James Connolly) and Bok Bok (Alex Sushon) are the men behind Night Slugs, one of the most respected labels and collectives in today’s British bass scene. These two geniuses are at the forefront of the London scene, and dish up dubstep, funk and all the possible subsets of recent club sounds in their memorable sets.

From the heart of the Scottish ‘new’ town of Cumbernauld hails what could be one of the UK’s most disenfranchised and socially outspoken bands. Cumbernauld, recently voted the worst place to live in UK, twice winning the prestigious Carbuncle Award, is a town with its own Eco system, mentality, religious divides, gang violence and poverty. The overspill of Glasgow, the town takes the city’s heart …& bile.

It’s no wonder then that ‘How Much Rug? How Much Carpet?’ reflects singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player Tom McCreery’s unashamedly blunt view on society, life, and all that goes with being British today. Oswald are all about today’s society, life and people.

Firebrand Super Rock play real classic heavy metal with soaring female vocals, thundering riffs and screaming solos. Since forming in Edinburgh in late 2004, FIREBRAND SUPER ROCK have gigged tirelessly, played at festivals such as Bloodstock Open Air and Hammerfest and supported Slayer, Trivium, Mastodon and Amon Amarth at London’s Hammersmith Apollo.

The press have embraced the bands sound, with a full page live review and double page feature in Metal Hammer, airplay from Bruce Dickinson and countless other glowing reviews. In a musical climate starting to swing towards real, traditional Heavy Metal, FIREBRAND SUPER ROCK have the songs and the stage show to put them way ahead of the pack.

(So) I’m Alone by my electric love affair (2010) from Nozomi Matsuyama on Vimeo.

The move to the album format for electronic producers previously used to dealing in the club-focused 12in is often one that disappoints – but the debut from Bristol’s David Corney, aka Hyetal, is a resounding exception.

Broadcast is a curveball for anyone familiar with either Corney’s dubstep work or the excellent mutant funk he released last year as Velour (a collaboration with another emerging talent, Julio Bashmore) – though his instinct for melody and sense of prettiness remains. Waves of washed-out synths loom over proceedings, combining with the rattle of Prince-esque drum machines and the occasional yawn of an abyssal vocal sample for an aesthetic that combines haunted house menace and starry-eyed romance. Beach Scene and Dimepiece, in particular, feel like they should be soundtracking moonlit moments in an 80s gothic teen movie.

What enables Hyetal to stand out from the plethora of chillwave and witch-house acts tilling similar territory is the depth and richness of his sound, resulting in an album that sounds bold and distinct. – Alex McPherson The Guardian

Hyetal – Beach Scene from João de Almeida on Vimeo.

Kenneth Ishak & The Freedom Machines is the new project from Norwegian tunesmith and producer Kenneth Ishak, known for his solo work and leading the norwegian cult indie-rock/powerpop band Beezewax in the late 90s and early 00s. With Beezewax he toured around the world and went through the classic from punk/indie/diy to major label, and back again routine, before they stopped playing. Since then he’s quietly been releasing solo albums on small indie labels and touring the world some more. Kenneth has also become a prominent figure in the Oslo indie scene, producing records for bands like Death is Not Glamorous, Hiawata! and The Little Hands of Asphalt.

With this new album and project he wanted to take a step away from his singer/songwriter-labeled solo work and pursue a fuller sound, without the limitations of being in a rock band but rather utilising the possibilities enabled by making it with a large collective of musicians from around the world. Recorded in Oslo and Giske in Norway, Stockholm in Sweden, Brighton in the UK and in New York.

With his new album he stretches the sound to emulate norwegian nature. Big, rough, arctic, warm and cold. The missing link between Pinback, Sonic Youth, Wilco and Elliott Smith, with a scandinavian feel.

www.soundcloud.com/kennethishak
www.facebook.com/kennethishak

groove.no Rastløs #15 – Kenneth Ishak from groove.no on Vimeo.