Speech Debelle - Freedom Of Speech
(CD/LP/Digital) Big Dada Recordings BD193, 2012-02-06

Two years since winning the 2009 Mercury Music Prize for her debut album, Speech Therapy, and having ridden a rollercoaster through life since then, Speech Debelle is ready to drop her second collection of music. Entitled Freedom of Speech, the album sees Speech turning from introspection to stand up, face and engage with the world around her, spitting confident themes of revolution and love. A first taste of the album came in the aftermath of this summer's riots, when Speech reacted immediately, leaking the track Blaze Up A Fire, (also featuring Roots ManuvaRealism), a track about political revolution written months before. Now the build-up begins to the release of Freedom of Speech in early February 2012 with the free download of the track Studio Backpack Rap. From political to musical revolution, Speech describes the track as being "all about virtual instrumentation and an ode to KwesSpeech Therapy, while showcasing just one aspect of her remarkable new album.

DJ Format - Statement of Intent
(CD/2LP) Project Blue Book Records 2012-02-27

The new DJ Format album is coming out on Feb 27th but it's already been playing on repeat @ Paris DJs for a few weeks! The man is one of the most interesting and groovy DJs from the England, fresh, funky and shining like none other on the island. With his friend Simon James, DJ Format has released as The Simonsound in may 2010 an astounding album, Reverse Engineering, and if you slept on this one it's high time waking up! We deeply wanted to host a Simonsound mix on Paris DJs, but since Format was in between albums, preparing this Statement of Intent, we finally agreed on publishing a DJ Format & The Simonsound mix, blending psychedelic and electric records with a hip hop spirit. 6.000 people downloaded the mix and we hope they'll be at least as many to buy the vinyl (or the CD if there's no vinyl, or the digital release if you don't mind paying for owning nothing). Anyway now's the time for the DJ Format album and both old school b-boys and psychedelic music nerds will be more than pleased. This is really heavy shit, and with many guests: The Simonsound, of course, Sureshot La Rock, Edan, Mr Lif, Nostalgia 77, Beta Hector... Prized choices for us in this orgasmic collection of music are the two Simonsound collaborations, the retro-futuristic psyched-up breakbeats of Battle of The Planets and the party-people-ready Beyond disco which we'll be spinning very very soon in our monthly Bag of Goodies mix, and the over-groovy James Brown-esque Horse Power.

Dafuniks - Enter The Sideshow Groove
(CD) Underdog Records 2012-02-22

Dafuniks are a Danish trio recently signed on the French rising label Underdog Records who released the nice Fanga DVD last year. Their deeply souful hip hop blends admirably live instruments, breakbeats and samples for a really old school and funky vibe. The production will slap your ears like a forgotten classic from the golden age, and they even managed to get Pigeon John as a guest! Well, don't know about you, but having this supacool rapper on an album is a sign for us. We had to choose a track to play for our monthly Bag of Goodies mix (to be aired very soon) and it was not easy but their Ease My Mind won the prize, evoking the spirit of both Portishead and Handsome Boy Modeling School - remember this marvelous project from Dant The Automator and Prince Paul and their classic hit The Truth? Oh we could have played the organ-ized Disko Dansen, the irresistible Typical Guy or the poppish All I Want, the minimalistic Breakers or the almost lazy Hello I Love You... It's rare to find such consistency on a hip hop album released on a French label, so we're proud to be supporting these cats. They'll be playing in Paris on april 7th at La Maroquinerie, see you there if you're not lost gone listening to standardized rock or 80s synths stuff.

Wiley - Evolve Or Be Extinct
(2LP/CD/Digital) Big Dada BD187, 2012-01-19

What is the true mark of the wayward genius of Wiley? Is it that, less than six months after the release of his last full album, 100% Publishing, he has another record all set for release? Is it that he has insisted that it is released on his birthday, Thursday January 19th 2012? Or that he initially refused to release a single from it? That he has made so much music that his fans will receive two CDs, the second with at least eight further tracks on it? Or even that one track on the album has no music (Customs)? No, it's not any of these. It's that we can say, without fear of contradiction (or without much fear), that Evolve Or Be Extinct is the best album (so far!) of this unique artist's career. Dark, funny, wild and exhilarating, this is a record which shows just what Wiley is capable of when he forgets the minutiae of recording contracts and concentrates on the many weird and wonderful facets of his life…

King Porter Stomp - Let It All Out (Limited Edition EP)
(CD/Digital) Comm:UNITY Sounds, 2012-01-23

'Let It All Out' is a limited EP edition and a new release for King Porter Stomp, a truly original band from Brighton, UK. This seven-piece ensemble delivers a strongly compelling blend of funk, ska, hip-hop and afrobeat, personified by its charismatic leader MC Jonezy. The man really toasts, with a style of his own that mixes power, rage and melancholy in a single voice. King Porter Stomp’ first album (Poison The Beat, Comm:UNITY Sounds, 2008) got rave reviews in UK and was followed in 2011 by a dub version EP, Antidote Dub. Meantime, with their intense live performances at big festivals, it became obvious that King Porter Stomp was killing it, both on stage and in the studio. This EP is a perfect candy to wait for their eagerly awaited second album. It's also a great fusion of the band's ingredients: political awareness, solid lyrics, smooth grooves with superb horn arrangements, afrobeat and rocksteady glints.

Wiley - Boom Blast
(Digital single) Big Dada BDDNL196, 2012-01-16

Wiley builds up to the birthday release of his new album, Evolve Or Be Extinct, with the club smasher Boom Blast. Produced by Most Wanted Mega, Boom Blast sees Wiley spitting pure party lyrics over a low-slung, bass-led groove. WIth enough vocal hooks to keep an angler in fish for a decade, this is perhaps the most immediate tune from the Godfather of Grime™ since Rolex, three minutes thirty of energy and good humour. Leaked by the artist to select DJs, it's already had plays from Mister Jam and Zane Lowe, with many more to follow. The package is completed by two excellent remixes. Herner Werzog takes the tune into housier territory, giving things a distinctly cartoonish feel, whereas Sticky hardens up the funk and gives Wiley the disco work-out of his life. Wiley's loyal soldier Alex D comes with the crunch-funk in a superb electronic reinterpretation. Evolve Or Be Extinct is perhaps WIley's most complete album to date, showing many facets of his fascinating and at times contradictory character. It will be released on Thursday January 19th because that s Wiley's birthday and that's what he wanted. Go figure.

Roots Manuva - Here We Go Again feat. Spikey Tee
(Promo CD/Digital Single) Banana Klan/Big Dada BD197, 2011-12-05

Roots Manuva returns with a new single and it's one of the standout cuts from the acclaimed 4everevolution, the brooding, magnificent Here We Go Again. Over an intense, thunderous collision of hip hop, techno and dubstep, Rodney Smith aka Roots Manuva drops lyrics about an old friendship gone bad: "something in his life isn't right with him/ He's caught up in the hype and it bites within." A clear-eyed, deadpan exposition of the dangers, temptations and, more cuttingly, childishness of "street life," Smith is keen to emphasise he isn't preaching. Everything he says applies to himself as much as anyone else and a fate he avoided more through luck than judgement. The tune is finished off perfectly by a pure, soulful chorus from Spikey Tee.

The Roots - Undun
(CD/LP/Digital) Island Def Jam, 2011-12-03

Amidst The Roots' busy schedule, from performing as the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to recently hosting a Pre-Emmy Awards jam session, the legendary crew has returned with their latest musical creation, a new album entitled Undun (Island Def Jam). Set for release on December 6, 2011, Undun marks the first conceptually-based album from The Roots and quickly reaffirms the creativity of the outfit that are notorious for pushing the envelope. The album's first single, Make My feat. Big K.I.R.T. is set for release November 1st on iTunes. In addition to their new album, The Roots are set to perform in New York City on November 29th and 30th and December 5th at the Highline Ballroom. Undun is an existential re-telling of the short life of one Redford Stephens (1974-1999). Through the use of emotives and Redford's internal dialogues the album seeks to illustrate the intersection of free will and prescribed destiny as it plays out 'on the corner'. Utilizing a reverse narrative arc, the album begins as the listener finds Redford disoriented -postmortem- and attempting to make sense of his former life. As he moves through its pivotal moments he begins to deconstruct all that has led to his (and our own) coming "Undun".

Git - Imagination
(CD/Digital) Yoruba Records/Barely Breaking Even BBE190ACD/BBE190ACDG, 2011-11-14

Git's album Imagination could be described as an Experimental Design with roots in underground Hip Hop. Git's musical style may be hard to pin point. His love of drums set the foundation for his sound: driving, percussion heavy productions anchored in traditional Hip Hop, with an experimental streak. His sound has many flavours and is not to be boxed in one label. One of the goals of this album is to fill the void that pop music has left. Imagination will remind us that talent and emotion can still be found in music today and one not always needs a million dollar budget to make good music. If you like music that is raw, pure and speaks from the heart then you will love this project. This is a solid album from start to end, sounding a bit like Pete Rock if he wasn't so stuck in the past glorious period of Hip Hop, without any cheap electro stylings for the uneducated masses. Recommended lounging for fans of J Dilla, Mos Def, Raekwon...

Speech Debelle - Studio Backpack Rap
(Free Download/promo CD) Big Dada Recordings BDDNL192, 2011-11-10

Speech Debelle's new single and a FREE DOWNLOAD! Two years since winning the 2009 Mercury Music Prize for her debut album, Speech Therapy, and having ridden a rollercoaster through life since then, Speech Debelle is ready to drop her second collection of music. Entitled Freedom of Speech, the album is released February 2012 on Big Dada Recordings. The first single and a free download is Studio Backpack Rap. From political to musical revolution, Speech describes the track as being "all about virtual instrumentation and an ode to Kwes the producer". Over a catchy, bumping, jostling piece of music, Speech lays out clever, witty lyrics about the high-tech, low-gloss DIY attitude which has relevance far beyond just creating music. Optimistic, sly, funny and an undeniable head-nodder, it's a long way from Speech Therapy, while showcasing just one aspect of her remarkable new album.