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New: Lil B | Gold House

MERRY (belated) CHRISTMAS! As you may have noticed, we've been covering most of the mixtapes that Lil B drops and this is no exception. Yesterday he dropped his like 12th (or something ridiculous) mixtape of 2011 and it's the second 'featuring' the Bitch Mob (following 'Bitch Mob: Please Respect the Bitch Vol. 1' back in May). He's already put videos out for 3 of the songs; 'Green Card' , 'BasedGod Strugglin' and 'On God', which are all pretty excellent so looking forward to hearing the rest of the tape. Here's the tracklist and download the mixtape HERE. (Courtesy of Datpiff). 01. Green Card 02. BasedGod Strugglin 03. I m Like Killah 04. I m Like Killah (Remix) 05. All I Have 06. On God 07. I Love Strugglin 08. Always A Bitch 09. Talking That Based 10. Gangstas Smile 11. Banga Luv 12. My Day Off 13. My Lawn 14. Awsome 15. BasedGods So Cocky 16. General Bitch 17. Based Gangstas Prayer 

-James

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Manchester Man Get Down #2 - Top Nights 2011

It's getting to that time of year when everyone is unleashing their 'Best-Of' lists, which hopefully we will get out soon as well for albums, but as a little pre-cursor I have done a little list of the best nights in Manchester. Obviously this is all my opinion and since I'm only 1 man, I can't attend every night put on and there are nights which have been amazing (Who's the Goose - Rustie, Night Slugs at Sankeys, few WHP's) but becuase Mancheter has such a buzzing scene, I can't just list every single one of them! There's been loads of new nights that have popped up (PYC Sessions, Project 13) that I haven't had opportunity to attend but definitely will try to in 2012 as well as the already established nights (Content, Continue, Cutloose etc) that are still going off!  But props to all the promoters out there for making Manchester such a vibrant and interesting place to live in, definitely one of the best places to go out in the UK. So without further ado, here is the Best Nights of 2011:

3. Secret Wars / Open Plan / Bitlord

                                                This may seem like a bit of a cheat to group 3 nights together, but whilst they are all slightly different, they are similar and the same excellent residents (and Open Plan isn't really a night anymore)! First, I have to say that Secret Wars is my favorite concept of a night, bringing big artists to a small and intimate crowd of around 100-150 people. They've brought some big names to Manchester, here they are: Appleblim, Horsepower Porductions, Niveau Zero, Cosmin TRG and Shackleton! With the addition of Bitlord (which I covered here), it brings in a new audience but keeping in with the same musical vibes Shackelton at the Soup Kitchen has been one of the best nights of the year, with a variety of different performers and Shackleton played a blinding set, and with them bringing back Shackleton for a NYE party (which I will be attending) as well as Peverlist (and one of his label mates) coming up in the New Year, it's going from strength to strength. Check out (and get tickets) for the Shackleton NYE party Here.

2. Hoya:Hoya

                                                    Hoya:Hoya is one of the biggest monthly nights in Manchester, and their main strength is they do have the best and most diverse residents in Manchester; Illum Sphere, Lone, Jonny Dub, Krystal Klear, Jon K and Eclair Fifi. Some of them you'll know from their own production and some for playing around the UK and the rest of the world but all you need to know is that they are all sick! And we've not even got onto the guest they have down to the Roadhouse. They also experimented with a Secret Guest series earlier this year, with the guests from that including Hudson Mohawke, Ikonika, Oneman, Ben UFO and Mary Anne Hobbs. Then in the later part of this year (after I'd finished studying) they managed to top all of these with sets from Lorn, Machinedrum, Pariah and Kuedo (amongst others). With a list of guests like that, you can see why it's so popular and still up there with the best nights. If you've never been before, I highly recommend getting down there! They are also putting on a NYE party at the Soup Kitchen, check it out Here.

3. Selective Hearing / Drum Clinic

                                                   As you may have noticed, I'm all about 'who' the night is bringing to Manchester, and there isn't a better list than what Selective Hearing and Drum Clinic (both now the same night) have put on in 2011. From the Swamp81 takeover to Hyperdub specials, they are bringing all the best in established and upcoming names to the sweaty basement of Joshua Brooks (amongst other places), and heres just a few of them: Zomby, DJ STINGRAY (one of the bests sets I've seen in 2011), Loefah, Addison Groove, Boddika, Cosmin Trg, Jon Convex, Darkstar, Ikonika, Deadboy, Hackman Pariah, Phaeleh, George Fitzgerald and Scuba. It's an amazing list of people and if you're into the whole future bass/garage/whatever then this is the night you NEED to attend. I basically (or try to) attend every month and am never let down by how good it is and I'm sure you won't be either. Whilst they aren't doing a NYE party in Manchester (that I'm aware of), they aren't resting on their laurels and in Feb/March 2012 they are bringing a 2 hour set from Kareen (Blawan & Pariah), Objekt, Until Silence, Space Dimension Controller, Redshape and Actress! Wow is all I can say!

-James

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New: Lorn & Dollor | Drugs

Now we've got some MORE free music for you to get on the download and add to your collection. We have a beat tape from Lorn & Dollor named 'Drugs'. It's a collection of dark & sinister hip-hop beats, which can be very dense in places but it's an interesting and enjoyable listen! Don't wanna bog you down in information about them, just get it on the download especially if you're a fan of Lorn, as it's pretty similar to his album and older tunes. Get it Here.

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New: Spaceghostpurrp | Loose Ends

And now again for some free tunes, I'm just too kind to you all! Spaceghostpurrp has been releasing the odd song here and there after the release of 'Blackland Radio 66.6' back in May, and this is a compliation of 8 of these tracks (thanks to SmackDaHoe). Spaceghost, with his lo-fi production values (including a lack of care for proper mixing), his (very) misognistic lyrics and chanting rap style obviously isn't going to appeal to everyone but he has made leaps and bounds from 'Blackland Radio 66.6' both in his quality of production and his rapping. It still has a lo-fi sound but it's sounding a lot more professional and complete since then and greatly helps his overall sound. My favourite he's released is 'Lyk Ah Dymond', with a very 90's rap feel and it's mobile sound ringing in the background. There is even a dirty dubstep style beat on 'Filthy & Fucking Trill' (hear both below). Whilst this isn't a full mixtape, it fills the gap whilst we wait for the next one, and makes me guenienly excited to hear it when it comes out! Download 'Loose Ends' Here (Courtesy of SmackDaHoe).

-James

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New: Silky Johnson | Hater of the Year

Man, I'm already back to highlighting hip-hop, but I promise you it's worth it! AS you've seen from our blog, there has been loads of really good rap & hip-hop mixtapes and this isn't any different. A lot of artists and producers have broken through into the conscience of mainstream listens (more or less) yet one producer who has been quietly been going about his work without the acclaim of others is Silky Johnson. Though from listening to his album 'Hater of the Year' released in back in October, I think he should be getting as much acclaim as some of the up and coming producers from the Green Ova crew as well as even Clams Casino (who if you're fans of, definitely get this album).

On his album, he has included instrumentals of tracks he has done for Main Attrakionz, MondreM.A.N., Western Tink, ZachG and Shady Blaze, so you know what kinda company he's in with. But that doesn't cover half the tracks on the album, so I don't wanna dwell on the names he has already produced for. What I have enjoyed about this album is because of the samples chosen by Silky Johnson is that it feels that there is more emotion in the songs compared to other producers around at the moment, a prime example of this is Cold Heart, with a beautiful orchestral sample (including strings) accompanying the beat. 

<a href="http://silkyjohnson.bandcamp.com/track/cold-heart-shady-blaze" _mce_href="http://silkyjohnson.bandcamp.com/track/cold-heart-shady-blaze">Cold Heart [Shady Blaze] by Silky Johnson</a>

I don't want to go through every track on the album, don't want to be wasting your precious time when instead you could be listening to 'Hater of the Year', and since it's free, there's no excuse not to really. But the highlights of the album for me are the tracks 'Chasin Paper' (with a Lana Del-Rey sample), 'Felicity', 'Cold Heart' and 'Werner and Klaus', some of which you can hear below! So get it on the download for Silky Johnson's bandcamp site here and enjoy those chill-ass beats. 

<a href="http://silkyjohnson.bandcamp.com/track/chasin-paper" _mce_href="http://silkyjohnson.bandcamp.com/track/chasin-paper">Chasin Paper by Silky Johnson</a>

<a href="http://silkyjohnson.bandcamp.com/track/werner-and-klaus-zachg" _mce_href="http://silkyjohnson.bandcamp.com/track/werner-and-klaus-zachg">Werner and Klaus [ZachG] by Silky Johnson</a>

-James

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DJ Mix: CFCF | Night Bus II

"Night Bus" isn't so much a specific genre, but a general feeling.  It's the sound of the city at night, a lone drinker lighting up their last cigarette, neon lights flashing past the window as the last bus leaves.  Although originally starting off as a message-board in-joke, night bus has managed to capture the sound of a recent wave of artists and mixes.

CFCF is a Montreal based producer, and on this second night bus mix he captures the "genre" more successfully than anything I've heard before.  The mix is a slowed down and screwed combination of rap, R&B, electronica and 80s pop.  It even manages to include part of the Vangelis soundtrack for "Blade Runner", perhaps the most night bus film of all time. 

As well as making use of vintage sounds, CFCF also showcases some of the most exciting new artists of 2011, from next-big-thing rapper "Asap Rocky" to emerging Minneapolis duo "Elite Gymnastics".

Listening to "Night Bus II" takes you on a journey. No matter which city you're living in, this mix is almost certainly going to make the (usually frankly horrible) bus ride home a treat.

See the tracklist below and grab the whole mix here. (via Gorilla Vs. Bear).

- Matt

1) Vangelis - Wait For Me (Intro) 2) Eurythmics - This City Never Sleeps  3) Jhene Aiko - Stranger  4) ASAP Rocky/Oneohtrix Point Never - Demons/ Behind The Bank  5) Fever Ray - Keep The Streets Empty  6) Beaumont/ Cassie - Aventurescence/ Addiction  7) Elite Gymnastics/Notorious BIG - Here In Heaven/ One More Chance  8) d’Eon - Tongues  9) Underworld/Meek Mill - Sappys Curry/ Body Bount  10) Autechre/Alicia Keys - Lowride/Unthinkable

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New: Gonjasufi | 'Nikels an Dimes'

Hey folks, Tom here. As James mentioned last week I’m gonna be contributing to the blog from now on. I’ll be posting new tracks and albums that catch my ear, also planning on dropping a few mixes as well.

First up here’s ‘Nikels and Dimes’ a preview track off Gonjasufi’s forthcoming album ‘MU.ZZ.LE’ due out in January. If you haven’t heard any Gonjasufi before his tracks sound as if they’ve recently been unearthed and had the dust blown off them.  His first album, last year’s ‘A Sufi for a Killer’, was a great example of this as well as Sufi’s off kilter style and 50 a day croak. Also worth a listen is the ‘9th Inning’ EP that came out in October, however ‘A Sufi for a Killer’ is a better listen all round.

You can download or just stream the ‘9th Inning’ EP here (http://soundcloud.com/hydroshare-tv).

-Tom

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Review: Zomby | Nothing

We've been covering a lot of rap in the previous posts so I thought I'd do a quick post about the forth coming Zomby record that is due out on the 28th of November on 4AD, a follow up to his excellent 2nd album 'Dedication'. All of the tracks that appear on this new release have been knocking around the internet a while now, since they were all included on the Japanese CD version as bonus tracks (with 'Stargate 5' getting renamed 'Equinox') so I expect most people have heard at least some of them by now. I'd view 'Nothing' as a say a companion piece to 'Dedication' as it does have the same music styling yet harks back to the more dance friendly sound from when he first burst onto the scene in 2008. Half the tracks featured on here sound like cuts from 'Dedication', harboring the same atmosphere and emotion that appreared in a few of the songs. The faint piano keys over the shuddery bass on 'Digital Fractal'(listen below) is the best example of this, you could fit this on 'Dedication' and it wouldn't feel out of place, yet feels more finished and complete than them (which I initially felt was a small problem on 'Dedication', the demo like feel of some of the tracks). 'Equinox' is more of the same, the game-like blips and blops that Zomby uses so often featuring heavily. 'Trapdoor' and 'It Was All A Dream' aren't anything special, again sounding like cuts off 'Dedication' so nothing to write home about there.

But it is the other tracks on the album that excite me the most, where Zomby returns to the breakbeat, ravey tracks that gave him his name back in 2008. He's back to making club tunes again. 'Labyrinth' is my favourite on the record, the thudding bass, the classic airhorn and great vocal sample sounds like it could have come straight from 'Where Were U In '92?' (listen below) and 'Sens' has a jungle-esqe bassline that bridges the gap between his 2 full length records. The last track on the album, 'Ecstacy Versions' plods on for the first minute until into bursts into what seems to be a combination of all the sounds that Zomby has been experimenting with recently, yet gives us no indication of where he might be heading next. 

Overall, I have really enjoyed listening to Nothing, and if you were a fan of 'Dedication' then I'd recommend that you check this record out, it does have some great tracks even if some of them are just outtakes from Dedication. What this record doesn't do is give us an idea of what direction Zomby is going to be taking next, but that what makes Zomby exciting, you don't know what he's tunes he's gonna make next. Pre-Order/Buy 'Nothing' here (Boomkat)!

-James

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New: G-Side | iSLAND + A New Addition

I was pretty late to jump on the G-Side wagon, especially since I pretty much ignored their last album, the acclaimed 'The One... Cohesive' which came out earlier this year. After finally checking them out just before the release of their latest album 'iSLAND', I was impressed. One of the first acts to be associated with the 'cloud rap' genre, they have that dreamy sound associated with fellow duo Main Attrakionz and producer Clams Casino, yet they have a more developed and mature sound that straddles the border of the cloud rap sound and mainstream, conventional rap. 

Most of the production is handled by Block Beattaz, who I think are one to watch (even if they've been about a while). It's big and funky, supported by some excellent backing vocals from Joi Tiffany & PH. Though it's not all one style, some of the tracks like Cast Away & Stay-Cation (both featuring Joi Tiffany) having a much more jazzy and laid back feel and does have a R&B sound throughout the album. There are some interesting choices of samples on the album, sampling Joy Orbison and Tama Impala on the tracks 'No I In Us' and 'Gettin It' respectively, with the latter being one of my favourite tracks. 

But anyway, this isn't a review, more just a heads up for rap fans who may have missed it this release. It's highly recommended (and well worth the $11), listen to Gettin' It below and Buy/Steam the album here.

And finally, a big welcome to the newest addition to the 'Cracks in the 45' family, Tom, who will be writing for us from now on, which means more content for you lovely readers! 

-James

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Mix: #1 | A Strange Affair

Here's a quick mix I put together. Normally the blog will be following new music, but I thought a nice upbeat mix would come in handy for the coming winter months! 

Despite being mostly oldies, the mix does kick off with an awesome remix of Lana Del Ray by the guys from Clique.  You can find their other remixes here.

Enjoy!

- Matt

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Review: Perrion | Circuit Breaker

                   Today is just a quick review of a free mixtape 'Circuit Breakers' from 20 year old rapper Perrion. Before checking out this mixtape, I had never heard of Perrion and only downloaded this on a whim as wanted to check out some talented, new producers. Surprisingly, this wasn't what I got; I already knew all of the producers, just not from producing any rap music. All the producers featured on the album have carved out their careers either producing chillwave (Washed Out & Neon Indian) or various forms of instumental hip-hop (Lone, Onra & Bibio). It's a daring experiment for the Harlem resident but one which I think works a treat. 

Lyrically, it's the same stlye and content as fellow NYC rapper ASAP Rocky (Matt's review of his mixtape can be found here) and Spaceghostpurrp; fucking bitches, making money etc. There are also some guest verses from some of the ASAP crew (ASAP Soloman Faye & ASAP Ferg) and does have shout-outs to both Rocky & Spaceghost so they are obvious an influence on him (among others). Whilst it's not breaking any new ground, it works because these mixtapes are mainly focused on the production rather than the lyrics (or for me anyway) so they can get away with it whilst the production is good. Perrion's flow on the album is very good, especially as the 'beats' on this album aren't made specifically for rapping over so he holds the mixtape together really well which makes it a really enjoyable listen.

And this leads me onto the production of the album. I wouldn't have thought that the tracks produced by Washed Out and Neon Indian would work as rap tracks, but these are the 4 that work best on the album, especially "If I Knew, I'd Tell You" (listen Below) and "Feel It All Around". Onra, who contributes 3 tracks to the album, is one I'm going to keep an eye out for; his broken beat, funky instrumental hip-hop beats compliment Perrion's flow perfectly and they sound like they'd be sweet tracks by themselves. It's the same style as one of Manchester's Hoya:Hoya resident Lone (who also contributes), and this compliments the more chilled out tracks from the chillwave producers. There is also have a contribution from Bibio with the track 'Fire Ant', but this is my least favorite track on the album. The high pitched, disjointed vocal samples on the track clash with Perrion's rapping and sounds cluttered & messy, this is where the experiment doesn't really work.

The last track on the album is the only conventional hip-hop beat, produced by MF Doom and is probably my favourite on the album. It's nothing new from Doom, but the classic jazz piano sample is a nice change to close the album. Perrion rap's on the first track "You are now in the presence of a mother-fucking future star", which may not end up being true, but there is enough substance on this album where Perrion can hold his own in the increasingly crowded rap game. Download the mixtape Here (Courtesy of Earmilk). Also check out the Official Video for "Don't Stop" below:

-James

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Refresh: JJ | Kills Mixtape

After two successful albums, Swedish indie pop duo jj released their first mixtape, "Kills" almost a year ago.  It blended hip-hop and indie pop to create a record that felt fun, fresh and original.  Since then, the connection between indie and hip-hop music has deepened even further.  Popular new R&B outfit The Weeknd have sampled dream-poppers Beach House on more than one occasion.  Even pop princess Rihanna has jumped on the bangwagon, using The xx's "Intro" as the basis of a recent track.

For alternative artists, sampling hip-hop is a little more tricky.  Many attempts at integrating hip-hop swagger into indie music have come off as utterly false.  The recent slew of hip-hop/alternative mash-ups are for the most part embarrassing, and leave you feeling that perhaps the two genres should be left separated.  Luckily jj have a brilliant ear for sampling, and on "Kills" they succeed in merging the two styles, adding an otherworldly feel to some of the biggest rap hits of the last 10 years.  They even manage to turn Akon's vapid hit "Right Now (Na Na Na)" into a heartbreakingly perfect jam in the form of album stand-out "Let Them".

"Kills" is an excellent achievement, and should appeal to a large range of music lovers, from fans of Belle and Sebastian to Beyonce.  Stylistically it sits firmly in the night-time listening pile.  It's a record for that period of the day you really shouldn't be awake for.  Repeated snippets from the last Kanye album also note a weed influence.  "Can we get much higher" the album closer asks?  If you find yourself awake in the early hours of the morning with something to smoke, you could probably do with this mixtape in your life.

Check out the Dr. Dre sampling "Still" below for a taste.  If you like that (which I bloody well hope you do!), grab the whole thing here.

- Matt

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New: Lil B | BasedGod Velli

            YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Finally Lil B has dropped the follow up to his 'The Silent President' mixtape that came out about a month ago! As mentioned in the previous Lil B post, this is gonna be around his 9th or 10th release of 2011, so there's a load of material for y'all to check out if you're digging the past 2 mixtapes! Listen to one of the tracks from the mixtape below, an AIDs awareness song with a pretty sweet beat! And get the mixtape from the link below and here's hoping that it's another good one:

http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/lil-b-basedgod-velli-mixtape.33494.html

Soon I'm going to be doing a rap round up of the best mixtapes/albums I've been checking out recently (excluding the ones Matt has blogged about earlier, so watch out for that in the next 2 days!

-James

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New: Keep Shelly In Athens

I only discovered Greek band "Keep Shelly In Athens" last night, but already I think they're worthy of attention.  So far they've released two EP's, 2010s "In Love With Dusk" and the recent "Our Own Dream".  The names of the EP's definitely reflect the music.  These are downbeat, balearic tinged tunes suited to 4am listening.

There's almost certainly a chillwave influence here, but "Keep Shelley In Athens" don't feel like they fit into that movement.  The breathy female vocals are entrancing, especially over the variety of backdrops that the band create.  There are hip-hop influences, almost trance like beats and jazzy trumpet interludes.  I think Gorilla Vs. Bear, the website and label which the band are signed to, sum their sound up perfectly when they call them "perfect for soundtracking all the lingering yearning and regret of your next late-night comedown." 

Start with their first EP and work from there.  There are plenty of remixes and internet only tracks out there too which I'm looking forward to finding!

You can also find a fair few free mp3's here.

- Matt

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New: Asap Rocky | LIVELOVEA$AP

LiveLoveA$ap is the first full length mixtape from Harlem rapper Asap Rocky, perhaps the most hyped artist in a pretty exciting new hip-hop scene.  Asap treads the line between a classic hip-hop sound and the new breed of "cloud rap" which is quickly gaining momentum.  On this tape it's his beat selection which is most impressive. Teaming up with Clams Casino on five tracks pays off. Clams is making some of the most interesting beats around, and Asap sounds great over that bass driven sound.  The other tracks on offer here are of high quality too, especially the Beautiful Lou produced "Trilla" and the already stone-cold classic "Peso".

Lyrically speaking Asap isn't really doing anything differently from similar artists like Main Attrakionz and Lil B.  However, this isn't really to his detriment as he has enough charisma to carry the tape.  The mixtape does come highly recommended, though if you haven't heard it I suggest downloading Main Attrakionz's "808s & Dark Grapes II" from earlier this year too.  It has an even better selection of beats, and while it's maybe a little less accessible, it feels slightly fresher and more exciting.

Download "LIVELOVEA$AP" for free here and "808's & Dark Grapes II" here.

- Matt

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New: Adult Swim | { U N C L A S S I F I E D }

Following on from my last post which included some free tunes, here is another set of free music for all you out there! This has been out a while, but it's a really good collection of unreleased/rare tunes from some of the biggest and most talented names in the world of bass music. It has tracks from more of the bigger, established names from the world of dubstep and bass music such as Burial, Pinch, Kode9 and Zomby as well as some up and coming names (kinda) like xxxy, Babe Rainbow and SBTRKT; and all for free as well. If you're into these kinda tunes, you'll recognize some of the tracks, and as some are unreleased you may not, but it's an album I'd highly recommend you download (and there's no real excuse since it's free). Check out 2 of the tunes from the complilation below and download the album HERE.

-James

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New: Nicolas Jaar | Don't Break My Love EP

Now then, not going to keep y'all long with this post, just another heads up for fans of Nicolas Jaar or any ambient/deep house tunes (a little bit late onto this but been preoccupied!) Nicolas Jaar just released a free EP that you can download off Soundcloud now. Only 2 tracks long, clocking in at 11 mins, it's a continuation of his fantastic album 'Space Is Only Noise', with the track 'Why Didn't You Save Me' my favourite of the 2. Perfect tunes for getting to sleep or a post night out chill out! Check out the 2 tracks below and download if you dig it! 

NICOLAS JAAR / Don't break my love EP by Clown & Sunset

-James