Hint - Crash & Burn / Daily Intake
(10"/CD) Tru Thoughts Recordings TRU245/TRUCD246, 2012-02-27 (10") / 2012-03-19 (CD)

Hint is back with a new single and a new album and that's reason enough for us to celebrate! His second album, also released on Tru Thoughts Recordings, Driven From Distraction, was killer soulful electronic madness, sounding like nothing else on the map, a really astonishing record that easily made it to our 2008 Top 10. After many singles, tracks here and there and remixes, Hint has just released a new 10 inch, Crash and Burn feat. Natalie Storm b/w Aliens Enter feat. T-Fly... The A-side is a monster dancehall/bass mashup, while on the flip you'll find an addictive piece of abstract and exotic hip hop. Both tracks are to be found in the album to be released march 19th, Daily Intake, which we're supposed to come back to next month, but it's so brilliant we couldn't pass on talking about it many weeks before it's available. Expect hip hop, UK house and bass, dancehall and breakbeat to collide on dancefloors worldwide because this is HEAVY, on the opposite end of the cheesy/cheaply sounding stuff to be found in 99% of dance music out there. Prized tracks include the mesmerizing bounce of Lock The Door featuring Zed Bias, hip hop/bass headphone marvel Peter & I Featuring T Fly and the closing track and aptly titled Mad Nervous.

Zed Bias - Night Lovers feat. Sam Frank
(Digital Single) Tru Thoughts Recordings TRUDD039, 2011-12-12

A stunning slice of wonky vocoder funk, the edgy, woozy and downright irresistible Night Lovers featuring Sam Frank (out digitally on 12th December) is the second single from Zed Bias' highly acclaimed Biasonic Hotsauce - Birth Of The Nanocloud album on Tru Thoughts. One of the standout songs on an LP brimming with heavy-hitters, Night Lovers is as pristine and darkly alluring a cut as you'd expect from the combination of revered producer Zed Bias and wunderkind Sam Frank (whose Skream/Magnetic Man collaborations have seen him take over the airwaves of late). At once timeless and futuristic, a honed and classic pop song shines up through the layers of heavily plied effects, giving this instantly arresting ear-worm a real and lasting charm that will see it gracing playlists aplenty. The single release brings a killer selection of new remixes from Greenmoney, Scratcha (Hyperdub/Rinse/DVA), C.R.S.T. (Well Rounded/No Hats No Hoods) and Heavy Feet, twisting the song for new dancefloors; plus the original and Dub mixes of uptempo album track Yagga feat. Serocee (Basement Jaxx/MJ Cole) as a B-side.

Various - When Shapes Mix Together - Compiled and mixed by Rob Luis
(Mixed CD/Digital) Tru Thoughts Recordings TRUCD244, 2011-11-21

Produced as a giveaway mix for the huge Tru Thoughts night at Koko in London, this mix was so good they had to offer it for general sale. This mix shows the future direction of the label, with new signings alongside the long-standing Tru Thoughts family. It opens with a hip hop influence: Hint goes space-age hip hop with rapper T Fly; Quantic's Cumbia project covers Missy Elliot; and London legend Rodney P drops a track with a positive message (which we released after the UK riots in 2011) featuring Mighty Moe and other big hitters in the scene. Anchorsong takes us into slow disco/boogie territory before Beta Hector roughs it up with his psychedelic bass basher (helped by an Alice Russell classic scream) followed by Nirobi dropping the Bollywood beats. Sleepin' Giantz is a heavyweight project from Zed Bias, Rodney P and Fallacy, and the track you hear in this DJ mix has been a huge anthem in club sets for the DJs who have managed to get hold of an advance copy. The album it is taken from is one of the best hip hop albums you will hear! Zed Bias is then joined by Mark Pritchard (Warp / Harmonic 313 / Global Communications) for a bass anthem before we move into Debruit taking the Brazilian groove of Saravah Soul down a heavy club route. Hint shows his versatile production styles with his remix of Lanu before we hit drum & bass territory with A Sides' remix of Mark de Clive-Lowe. The set finishes off with the more mellow side of Tru Thoughts. Ambassadeurs take Nostalgia 77 through some synths and basslines; Kinny shows her powerful voice to full effect, and then Belleruche unveil their new style. I just had to include a snippet of the title track off the Quantic & Alice Russell album (you need to check the full version to appreciate those strings) and we finish off with a classic from Maddslinky's influential first LP. Please make sure you check out the other releases by any artists whose tracks you are particularly into on this DJ mix, as there is plenty more good music to be heard from them all." (Rob Luis)

Omar - It's So...
(Digital Single) Tru Thoughts Recordings TRUDD037, 2011-11-14

It's So... is the second single from Omar's Sing If You Want It album, which was re-issued to much fanfare on Tru Thoughts in July. The single is released on 14th November, the same day as Omar embarks on a major UK tour with Beverley Knight, taking in venues including the Royal Albert Hall - guaranteed to be a real treat for fans of real soul. In addition to the lead track, this single package brings new music in the form of It's So... (Scratch Professer Retwist) and Your Mess (Mark de Clive-Lowe Remix) as well as the Zed Bias rework of the lead track, which has been going down a storm in clubs and on the radio.

Hidden Orchestra - Flight EP
(Digital Single) Tru Thoughts TRUDD032, 2011-11-07

The Flight EP, out digitally on 7th November, is the second single from Edinburgh based quartet Hidden Orchestra, who released their stunning debut album Night Walks on Tru Thoughts in September 2010, and have seen their star continue to rise in the intervening year with an ever-growing media and word-of-mouth buzz. Highly in demand as a live act, their touring schedule this year alone has taken in 20 countries as their incredible music has worked its way into hearts and minds the World over. This EP brings eagerly anticipated new material and remixes.

"The deep, spiritual and sensual folk-jazz with electronica touches of Hidden Orchestra is the one of the major discoveries of the recent months. Their album is a masterpiece, their mixes for Paris DJs are as much incredible as they are intensively addictive, and this new single is a cinematic lounge jazz monster. Remixes are trippy too but I keep on coming back to the tense & dreamy 'Flight' track again and again." (Djouls/Paris DJs)

Toddla T - Streets So Warm
(Digital Single) Ninja Tune ZENDNLS300, 2011-10-17

Fresh from the release of his acclaimed second album Watch Me Dance, Toddla T re-visits the sounds of Jamaica for his follow-up single Streets So Warm. For the track Toddla enlisted Kingston local Wayne Marshall to provide vocals for his dancehall tinged production. The single is the third to be taken from the acclaimed album, it is a timely reminder of his raw production talent given that getting his second album out there has not been particularly an easy path for Toddla T and all those involved. Firstly, the LP was leaked months before release, followed by the finished stock being destroyed in the PIAS warehouse fire during the London riots, delaying it's availability by a week. Remixes for Streets So Warm come from Zed Bias, Serial Killaz and Ross Orton & Pipes.

Various - Shapes 11:01 - Compiled by Robert Luis
(2CD/LP with 2CD) Tru Thoughts TRUCD/LP239, 2011-10-10

The new bi-annual Shapes compilation from Tru Thoughts Recordings is coming out in october and once again it's full of classic tracks, new signatures and exlusives for a very cheap price tag. The first CD is a nice selection of horizontal grooves, songs & electronica from the vast palette of style from the label's recent output. Among the discoveries : new signings Anchorsong from Japan, and his trippy live downtempo music, Lossy from East London, a duo of jazz-infused electronica, groovy, soulful and uplifting trip hop, a new track from songstress Kinny, the kind of perfect sweetness for the ears to rub yourself into, the glorious reggae interpretation of the Dr Who Theme by the Smerins Anti-Social Club (only available on a strictly limited 45 for record store day before) and of the Dr. Dre hit Nuthin' But A 'G' Thing cover in cumbia mode by Quantic Y Su Conjunto Los Miticos Del Ritmo (only available on a limited Serato 12 inch before). The second disc is a more clubby, uptempo affair, with a tendancy towards crunchy or bassy speed-ambient. Among the notable new stuff are the afro-wobbly remix by Débruit of Saravah Soul is killer bouncy electro deconstructivism, Hint bringing hard to describe, crazy & addictive dance thingies to the table, and label honcho Rob Luis alias Nirobi who's also there with his heavy bass and percussive dancefloor beats to rock the roof off. Djouls - Paris DJs

Mark de Clive-Lowe - The Why feat. Nia Andrews
(Digital Single) Tru Thoughts TRUDD031, 2011-10-03

"Mark de Clive-Lowe has always ranked among the most prolific and soulful broken beat producers in my mind. He'll be releasing an eclectic (9th!) album on Tru Thoughts Recordings mid-november, called Renegades, and judging on this epic taster, it might be a wonder to behold... The Why is indeed an uptempo majestic soul number with stunning string arrangements by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, and Nia Andrews vocal part is beautiful, something between Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu. Some deep and clubby remixes are available along with the a capella, but then it's the instrumental version that really brings the killer soundtrack vibe in there!!" - Djouls / Paris DJs

Zed Bias - Biasonic Hotsauce - Birth of the Nanocloud
(CD/Picture Disc 12"/Digital) Tru Thoughts Recordings TRUCD237/TRU238, 2011-09-26

Nothing is stopping Mancunian Zed Bias in pioneering new directions in the world of bass music. After the Maddslinky album and reissue, and the single with Omar, he'll release yet another new album on Tru Thoughts this autumn! We've gathered some Soundcloud streams to listen to, a podcast from XLR8R with a lot of exclusive tracks from the album, and a free track, also from this upcoming album, to download, Salsa Funk, available on Annie Mac's blog. Plus a link to the illustrator's page, Boo Cook, of Judge Dredd/2000 AD/Marvel Comics fame.. The artworks we've featured here are his works in progress, really beautiful stuff...

Zed Bias - Fairplay / Phoneline
(Digital Single) Tru Thoughts Recordings TRUDD029, 2011-08-29

Fairplay / Phoneline is the first single from the eagerly anticipated new Zed Bias album, Biasoinic Hotsauce - Birth Of The Nanocloud, which sees the UK club maestro making his comeback in epic style. Both tracks are not only straight-up dancefloor cuts, but insanely catchy, with the Soul 2 Soul cover, Fairplay channelling a swingy, party-fuelling, school disco inspiration, and Phoneline turning the tables with some grimey badness. The double A-side digital single release - featuring Jenna G and Rosco Trim, respectively, on vocals - is out on 29th August followed by the album in September.
"Fairplay" is a Headhunters meets modern soul dancefloor bouncer! - DJOULS (PARIS DJS)