True Live - Found Lost
(CD/Digital) Sakifo Records/Wagram, 2011-03-07

True Live are a truly unique entity. Since their very first performance in 2005, they have defied categorisation and belonged to a genre all of their own. With each of the band's six prodigal members bringing their own set of influences to the table, the outcome is something unlike anything you're accustomed to hearing. Formed from a selected group of musicians from Melbourne's rich improv scene by leader / frontman / producer RHyNO, with the assistance of older, wiser musicians - the young upstart managed to score himself the hands down finest selection of players from some of the more eclectic realms of musical taste. The collective includes late period Miles / Coltrane head with a love for Madlib and Justice, Thai Matus (keyboards) and obsessive bebop violinist Tamil Rogeon. Then there's hip-hop trad jazz DJ / double bassist Tom Tom, rare groove funk drummer Choi (Cookin' On 3 Burners) and heir to the Blake string linage (3 generations deep of string players) and Nitin Sawney collaborator, Tim Blake.

DJ Vadim presents The Electric - Life Is Moving
(CD/2xLP/Digital) Organically Grown Sounds OGS001, 2011-03-01

DJ Vadim, the renowned DJ, producer, record label impresario and air-miles millionaire, known for traveling the globe in search of the perfect beat, has once again united a collective of superb individualistic artists to make a truly international super-group - The Electric. Comprising of Pugs Atomz (Chicago's finest upcoming MC), UK sultry soul-stress Sabira Jade and of course Daddy Vad, this is more than just sick production, soul, broken beats, or battle raps. Life is Moving is more than just another 'indie' rap record; it's neither underground nor some passing star spangled new music fad. This is music that will start a conversation and weave it with a captivating story, filled with emotions, break-ups, beauty and celebration. Balancing fun with raw emotion, it's an album of these times, it's about real people asking real questions about what it is to be alive today, being human amongst so much change, of living and loving, seeking and yearning, and Pugs and Sabira capture these essences in their mesmeric and captivating styles with charm and sincerity, and more than a wry smile on their face. This is a life affirming album and proud of it, not afraid of expressing joy and positivity at life.

C.R. Avery - So It Goes
(CD/Digital) Platinum Records, 2011-02-28

Outlaw Hip-Hop Harmonica Player, Beatbox Poet, Punk Piano Player, String Quartet Raconteur, Rock & Roll Matador, Playwright... Whether performing to thousands at the Royal Albert Hall or the lucky few who made it inside the packed past capacity speakeasy, C.R. Avery is a unique, raw and dynamic performer. His genius lies in many genres - blues, hip-hop, spoken word and rock & roll. He is a one-man band, but one for this generation; with the rare ability to sing poetic verse while beatboxing simultaneously while pounding the piano and adding harmonica like a plot twist. A multi-talented front man for his Legal Tender String Quartet; a crazed lead singer/harp player for his rock & roll band The Special Interest Group; a lyrical dynamo & the musical backbone of the spoken word trio Tons of Fun University.

Blitz The Ambassador - Native Sun
(CD/Digital) Jakarta Records, 2011-05-03

Even though he'll be releasing his 4th album, Native Sun, in may, two weeks ago, I had never heard of Blitz The Ambassador. Then I met with Seun Kuti who playlisted him in his selection for Paris DJs, and who told me to go and check his music asap, describing it as some "Ghanean-American Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, but more hip hop"… After a short downloading session I must admit I was absolutely stunned!! This is HEAVY HEAVY shit, this is not Afro, this is not Hip Hop, it's both, and it's more than both. "Africa Is The Future" indeed!! Blitz The Ambassador has been touring in France these days, so I decided to meet him and invite the man to be the second guest in the World People series of mixes we've just started on Paris DJs (the concept being that the next guest in the series must be someone playlisted by the previous guest). Thanks for the kind people of the iWelcome promo agency, I finally met Blitz last monday (april 18th) and we had a long talk about African music, Ghana, Ebo Taylor, Voodoofunk and Soundway Records, Brooklyn, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Shad and a few other artists from his playlist… which you'll be able to hear in the Blitz The Ambassador mix we'll put online early may!! And this new album? "Native Sun the album is a journey backwards, back through hip hop, the Caribbean soundsystem culture that preceded it, back to its African roots, with the final kora", notes Blitz...

DELS - GOB
(CD/2xLP/Download) Big Dada BD179/BDCD179/BDDNL179 , 2011-05-02

Kieren Dickins aka DELS is a new type of rapper (which is another way of saying that he’s more than just a rapper). Applying the kind of attention to detail, micro-management and macro-vision which Jay-Z used to build a business empire, DELS makes art. Popular art mind you, but art all the same, an album of emotional peaks, musical innovation and surreal, brilliant lyrics, held together by such a unique, such a strong vision that it sounds almost silly to suggest it’s just a debut. Already causing a stir with the tasters Shapeshift and Trumpalump (and the videos he masterminded for them), everything is now ready to show how these pieces fit into the bigger picture…

T.R.A.C. - The Network (produced by Marc Mac)
(CD/Digital/Digital instrumental version) Barely Breaking Even BBE168ACD/BBE168ADG/BBE168IDG, 2011-04-25

T.R.A.C. was the featured MC on Lewis Parker's underground Hip Hop hit Grand Manoeuvres. This extraordinary Brooklyn based MC currently holds residency at the legendary Webster Hall in NYC. Here's The Network, 15 tracks produced by Marc Mac, One-half of the award winning production oufit 4hero. The album has been hailed as 'the return of real undiluted Hip Hop' and is getting great support through many eclectic Hip Hop online radio stations worldwide. Through the Mc's narration the album centers around today's personal world and societies troubles. All of which are metaphorically thrown into the fantasy of a cable TV Station. Think of each song as an episode on television that you might watch complete with the news, stories, adverts, reality and... good music! Some songs were inspired by the phenomenal Network movie as well as the sending of many wave files back and forth through the broadband. The combination of Marc Mac's melodic production and T.R.A.C.'s exceptional lyrics make these compositions a very worthy and addictive listen. Like it says on "Radio Heroes" they are "here to save you from the same old things"... through "The Network".

DELS - GOB
(12"/Download) Big Dada BD177/BDDNL177, 2011-04-25

Kieren Dickins aka DELS returns with the final single before the launch of his debut album, the track from which his long player takes its name, GOB. With music from production wunderkind Kwes (known for his own releases on Young Turks plus production work with The Invisible and The XX) the track shows Dickins, angry, battered, but ultimately hopeful, rising up through all the shit of the world determined to triumph, succumbing neither to the nonsense around him or his own quest for perfection, gradually lifted aloft on a monster of a bassline. Like a cross between Nine Inch Nails, TV On The Radio and Massive Attack it's a standout moment for British rap and a bold statement of intent. The single will be available on 18th April with remixes by the legendary Dave Sitek (TV & The Radio/Maximum Balloon) & Untold.

The Beat Generation 10th Anniversary Collection - Mixed and Compiled by DJ Spinna & Mr Thing
(2xCD/2xLP/Digital) Barely Breaking Even BBE162, 2011-03-29

The Beat Generation series which launched in March 2001 was BBE's first real foray into original artist albums and featured the debut solo albums for some of the worlds most respected essentially hip hop and modern r&b producers such as J Dilla, Dj Jazzy Jeff, Larry Gold, Dj Spinna and Will.i.am. It also included albums from legends such as Pete Rock and Marley Marl. In addition there were albums leftfield heavyweights King Britt and Madlib. Last but not least the set included a session of unreleased poetry from American literary giants - Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky and Greg Corso whose well documented movement lent its name to the series. These 10 releases have achieved global cumulative sales of over 300,000 CDs to date. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of this cult series BBE enlisted the services of 2 of its stalwart associates and compilers to create a double mix cd featuring the best and most popular tracks from the 9 albums recorded for the series. Dj Spinna - (Beat Generation contributor and compiler of several compilations on BBE ) and DJ Mr Thing - former Scratch Pervert and DMC winner. For Digital customers they will be able to download a bonus mix by a Chris Read - UK Mixtape Maestro/ BBC 1 Xtra. The promotion of this release will be supported by events and re-releases of deleted titles, expanded version of some of the albums...

Exile / Free the Robots - L.A. Series #10
(10"/Digital) All City ACLA10X10X10, 2011-03-28

Irish label All City will be releasing a series of one-off 45's this year in addition to a 10-inch series from LA producers and a series of collaborative 12's. Number 10 of 10 comes from Exile (Plug Research) backed with Free the Robots (Alpha Pup). Exile's side is one track broken into four parts, continuing on from his Radio LP, with a myriad of vocal samples and an ever-changing beat this is a fittingly individualistic piece of music to the end the series with. Flipping over for Santa Ana producer Free the Robots who follows on from his recent Ctrl Alt Delete LP with three tracks here - the heavy organ vibes of Young and Yet Too Old, the MF Doom-esque sound of Destroy and ending the series, appropriately enough, with a shout to percussion on To the Drum!

Jeremiah Jae - Rappayamatantra EP
(Download single) Brainfeeder BFDNL017, 2011-03-21

"...Rappayamatantra EP is a bridge between the Dxnce EP, and my future LP release entitled Raw Money Raps. Rappayamatantra, as a theme, came to me while I was reading Be Here Now, a book written By Ram Dass. It totally reaffirmed for me that everyone possess a divine energy, and through certain practices and principles, anyone can realize and fulfill their own spiritual and creative potential. As a rapper, one challenge that can disrupt that true being, can be to remain relevant and even trendy so that one can be popular and make money. With this record I didn't want to think too much about commercial appeal or trends, rather the personal struggle to remain honest and balanced for anyone, be them a rapper, a teacher, or a friend. This record is intended to be a direct communication for the humans out there, if you dress fly, or not. Even if you like to play computer games or meditate in the mornings. Be empowered and enlightened through your own light the body possesses, and bump this EP in the whip! Please Cop! Hotep." Jeremiah Jae