It's pretty hard to get philosophical when a track like this speaks for itself. It is what it is - a straight up banger. Toddla Tpartners up with dancehall native Wayne Marshall to produce this energetic monster, tearing out every page of the rule book and clashing styles in one big musical orgy. I particularly like this remix by Douster, who strips the track back presenting it in a raw and gritty light, almost sounding like a homage to a class of earlier grime classics. Toddla T is playing Fabric this friday alongside bass don Drop The Lime, if you fancy a good night on his behalf. Check out 'Sky Surfing' below.
'It's twinkle' by Hotel Mexico is one of those songs that come along every so often, which leaves you feeling pensive and exhilarated simultaneously in one rather confusing four minute block. Having mastered and precision-layered their instruments in an orderly chaos, the psychedelic tones hint at themes of euphoria and nostalgia, whilst the constant energetic tempo may leave the listener in store for a shock, as they are abruptly dropped off at the silence of the end.
Also check out 'Do You Do You HAIA', a track that didn't make the cut of the new album His Jewelled Letter Box. Whilst not as striking as 'It's twinkle', they've stuck to their progressive ethos whilst presenting a lot more of a cultural sound, which if anything to go by, is a promise of exciting things from a band that thrives on experimentation.
There were smiles all round last week when I managed to get my grubby mitts on a last-minute pair of Field Day guestlist places. So late saturday afternoon (bearing a sickly hangover courtesy of the Manchester crew's visit the night before), armed with my camera and Sarah in tow, we arrived at a sun kissed Victoria Park. Now, before we'd even set foot through the gates, this year had already trumped it's predecessors by a long shot. Yes, after past year's apocalyptic noah's ark-esque downpours, the weather had finally got tired of pissing down shitloads on a field full of hipsters.
And what a difference it made. The chilled vibe was infectious, and the mood was uplifting. Even the booze tasted better. The line up didn't disappoint either, with Caribou, whose electronic goodness complemented the setting sun well; although unfortunately, half the festival seemed to think so too - which meant that any type of dancing movement resulted almost definitely in facial contact with the (hairy) back belonging to the guy in front, tripping off the copious amounts of ketamine he had just taken. Phoenix as headliners were an obvious stand out of the day, and their flawless set was an apt closer to a triumph of a festival.
Was at Ben & Jerry's annual marketing ploy unlimited ice cream bonanza this weekend on Clapham Common. Unfortunately, we landed tickets for the day with the shit line up, but the lure of unlimited ice cream meant that it was not gonna stop us. Not a great deal to say about this one - High points consisted of nearly throwing up on a volatile mix of too much ice cream and cider, the sun making a welcome appearance, and the eclectic line up at the acoustic stage; Low points included the mediocre main stage line up, the vomit inducing cider, and Scouting For Girls headlining.
Last week, I managed to nab a couple of guestlist places to the Creators Project Party hosted by Vice and Intel. So managing to coax a few mates to don their glad rags under the promise of free booze, a favourable line up, and cutting edge art installations, we headed out on an early saturday evening to Victoria House in Bloomsbury. What followed was a relatively raucous affair, and upon sight of the open bar, we were like four hyperactive kids who had just been locked in Hamleys for the night.
My speakers have had a lot of good lovin' this week. Here is my pick of the crop.
M.I.A - XXXO
Looks like the hype surrounding M.I.A's forthcoming album is not unfounded. This track, the first single to be released, is a far cry from the earlier leaked Born Free, where she swaps brash punk tones for a more catchy electro vibe. M.I.A might be building up a persona around being some sort of controversial political activist through her music, but it's nice to know that she still knows how to party.
This track by Hurts has all the workings to be an anthem for teenage struggle, but for now, the upbeat synths and feel good vibe will make this the anthem for your next friday night binge boozer. A definite beer spiller.
One major thing to note about this track (or any track on the Sleigh Bells album for that matter) is that it deserves nothing less than speaker love. I learned this a few days ago listening the bass-less fuzz coming from my laptop at 3am, contemplating whether an appearance on Neighbours From Hell would be worth giving this track speaker justice. Unless you can blast this track on loud, don't press play.
Despite concerning whats sounds like a pretty bitter break up, Kele turns the subject into a somewhat euphoric affair. I can imagine this song will sound amazing live, making Kele a must see if you're going to be at the Vice Creators Project party this saturday in London. If you can't wait until then, an awesome live version is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wytuUyvRZN0
Even though Carnival is still a month and a bit away, the recent British heatwave means that it can't hurt to get in the spirit. And this track by Serocee, with its lendings from dancehall and funky, make it the perfect accompaniment.
