Following the ground-rupturing, genre-fusing success of their ballistic debut full-length, 2009’s 'Join The Q', The Qemists return with their brilliant second album, 'Spirit In The System', a bolder and more sophisticated beast betraying a confidence drawn from playing their wild noise to riotous audiences across the globe.
The Qemists – Liam Black, Leon Harris and Dan Arnold – formed while they were school-kids, looking for distraction from the boredom of life on the rural outskirts of Brighton, Rock kids quickly seduced by Rave and Jungle who spent every free hour rehearsing in a barn, or building Electronic tracks on computers. Following years spent experimenting in search of the perfect hybrid of Drum & Bass, Rock, Dubstep, Techno, Dancehall and everything else The Qemists loved, the group exploded onto the scene in 2006 with an acclaimed remix of Coldcut’s 'Everything Is Under Control', subsequently signing to Ninja Tune as artists in their own right.
While 'Spirit In The System' delivers plenty of The Qemists trademark visceral energy – like 'Your Revolution', first single off the album, with its galloping Drum & Bass tempo changes and ribcage-rattling sub-bass riffs and captivating vocals from Brighton-based Matt Rose – it's a deeper experience than its predecessor, the group having gained the confidence to touch feelings as well as move bodies. Long-time Qemists collaborator Jenna G delivers the brilliantly anguished vocal for 'Hurt Less', second single from the album, one of several cathartic emotional crescendos on the album. Other guest singers on the album include Rob Hawkins, vocalist for Welsh rockers The Automatic, who sings on muscular Techno pumper 'Apocalypse'; Grime MCs Maxtsa and MC ID, who rap on the wailing-siren skank of 'Renegade'; Chantel, singer with Invasion, whose vocals grace the windswept drama of 'Fading Halo' and drive searing Soul of 'Life’s Too Short'; and Qemists live hype man Bruno Balanta, who joins Matt Rose for the pavement-shattering stomp of ‘Dirty Words’. Recent tour-mates Enter Shikari, meanwhile, provided vocals and guitar riffs for the riot-starting Thrash-Jungle of 'Take It Back'.
Roots Manuva - 'Something Wicked' Dub
This week's Ninja Tune XX giveaway is a truly special, brand new creation from one of Big Dada's all time greats, Roots Manuva. Arguably the greatest hip-hop artist Britain has ever produced, Rodney Smith's strengths have always been his fearless individualism and astounding artistry. As one of several parts of his involvement with Ninja Tune's 20th anniversary, he recently crafted a dub of The Herbaliser's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes,' which, we think, is astonishingly good. Featuring infectious, eerie sonics, Manuva's inimitable swing and new, ruminative verses from the man himself, it's everything great about Roots boiled down to one song.
Better yet, Big Dada founder and Manuva-mentor Will Ashon filmed the dub being made. The video is truly a treat, and shows Rodney having fun as he created the final dub.
Roots Manuva is headlining the Ninja Tune XX party at London Ewer Street on 2nd October, as well as playing dates in Paris and Brussels. He has two new tracks on the compilations, and remixes of his work by Micachu, Modeselektor, Cut Chemist and Slugabed amongst others.
His latest album, 'Duppy Writer,' a collaborative remix collection, is out on September 6th.
06.09.10Ninja Tune exhibition at the AB restaurant in Brussels
Didn't get a ticket to the (sold out!) Ninja Tune XX show at Ancienne Belgique - AB? Want to celebrate the label's anniversary?
Get your ass down to the AB Resto and see some of the best Ninja Tune artwork, chosen by the London crew themselves.
05.09.10Eskmo - Cloudlight
Welcome, Ninja Tune’s latest signing, the one and only Eskmo. Brendan Angelides, a native of Connecticut now based in San Francisco, has been causing a considerable stir for the last few years, releasing music on labels including but not limited to Warp, Planet Mu and his own Ancestor imprint. Already tipped by many in the electronic music community to be a major presence for years to come, Eskmo shows exactly what the fuss is all about on his debut for his new home-label.
'Cloudlight' somehow manages to rope together the aesthetics of glitch, dubstep and r&b into the kind of song Marvin The Paranoid Android might have recorded if he were put on a course of anti-depressants, got laid by a washing machine and munched enough ecstasy tablets to explode a cat. Troubling, beautiful and strangely uplifting all at once, it states, simply and without the need for any of these words, that Angelides is a unique presence in electronic music. 'Come Back' develops the sound perhaps even further, a narcotisized Timberlake number or a disembodied ghost voice? It’s a question only the listener can answer, though Angelides injects real longing into his deadpan vocals. Remix duties are dealt with by Brainfeeder’s Lorn, who turns in a brutally pummeling remix.
'Cloudlight' download single is out now, with a self-titled album coming 4th October.
04.09.10Roots Manuva Pop-Up Shop
News direct from the mouth of Mr Manuva: "Come and meet the Ghost writer behind all the Roots Manuva Classics. Rodney's dead twin from Duppy Land will be haunting East London 2-6pm. Can't stay long he has to get back to being dead." Or to put it another way, Roots and friends will be celebrating the release of the record by taking over the shop Pelicans & Parrots at 40 Stoke Newington Road, Dalston, N16 7XJ; 2-6pm; Monday 6th September!.
A mixture of instore, pop-up shop and chaotic mess, come through, listen, smile, buy something and get it signed. Should be fun...
03.09.10Solid Steel Radio Show - DJ Self Help, DJ Moneyshot
Solid Steel in association with Serato (3rd September) This week DJ Self Help’s “clusterfunk” mix is a borderline schizo blend of more genres than you can count on both hands and feet; not for the faint of heart or the closed of mind. No combination of styles is left unexplored, everything from Dancehall-Afrobeat blends to Hip Hop laced over top Brazilian chants, old Soul, noisy Electro, indie rock remixes, and a few of self help’s remixes (Dolly Parton, Bat for Lashes, The Zombies) and original beats thrown in for good measure.
DJ Moneyshot takes care of hour 2 with a brazilian mix perfect for stretching out the last few weeks of summer. Music from Jorge Ben ,Tim Maia and Os Mutantes, alongside Gal Costa, Sergio Mendes and interlaced with commentary on Brasil's football legend Pele.
