Albert Einstein’s famous E=mc2 theory of relativity was a major contribution to physics, but didn’t do a damn thing to improve music. Now, however, a combination of MCs from New York and Milwaukee have formed supergroup EMC and are set to change hip-hop’s physics.

Consisting of New York’s Masta Ace, Punchline, Wordsworth, and Milwaukee’s Stricklin, the members of EMC are known as some of hip-hop’s most creative and prolific lyricists. Their new concept album, The Show, drops April 8 on M3 Records, and includes 24 songs and skits that describe every aspect and detail of life on the road for a mid-level hip-hop act.

The Show starts off with EMC stranded at the airport, waiting for a promoter who is two hours late to pick the group up. The album continues to describe, in songs and interludes, events leading up to the show–radio interviews, driving around city, backstage drama. The music throughout is stellar, with beats from Holland’s Nicolay, 9th Wonder, Ayatollah, Marco Polo, DJ Premier, and other heat makers.

The Show’s tour theme enhances the overall project, rather than overrides the songs, and musically it’s an incredibly consistent and classic-sounding boom-bap document, with sonic lineage to Little Brother, The Roots, and Main Source.

Masta Ace is no stranger to concept albums, having produced 2000’s Disposable Arts and 2004’s A Long Hot Summer, each of which had a running narrative and skits galore. Ace also owns M3 Records, founded in 2003 after his former label, JCOR Records, folded. EMC is a tremendous return to form for not only Ace, but also his Lyricist Lounge vets Punch and Words and Midwest sensation Stricklin.

Tracklisting
1. Who We Be
2. Airport
3. Leak It Out
4. The Check In (Skit)
5. Traffic feat. Little Brother
6. Say Now
7. Message (Skit)
8. Don’t give Up On Us feat. ADI
9. Git some feat. Sean Price
10. We Alright feat. Strickie Love
11. Radio Station (Skit)
12. EMC “What It Stand For”
13. Angry Mech. Guy (Skit)
14. The Grudge
15. Make It Better
16. The Lobby (Skit)
17. Winds of Change
18. The Show feat. Ladybuy Mecca
19. Back Stage (Skit)
20. Borrow U feat. Strickie Love
21. Once More
22. U let Me Grow
23. Feel It feat. Money Ham
24. Bonus Track

The godfathers and the up-and-comers of techno will descend on Motor City again over Memorial Day Weekend, for Movement 2008. In an effort to excite electronic music fans for the upcoming festivities–and perhaps also to breathe some life back into the festival–Movement’s organizers have announced their participation in the city’s Winter Blast event.

Stacey Pullen, Rich Korach, John Johr, and Eric Johnston will all perform at the three-day, all-ages event, which takes place on Detroit’s Campus Martius from Friday, February 8 – Sunday, February 10. In addition to the music, Winter Blast will feature a free film festival, food, a wine tasting event, and even some activities for the kiddies.

Stay tuned for further line-up details for Movement 2008, and check the festival’s website for updates, footage from last year, and more.

Pictured above: Detroit techno veteran Stacey Pullen and a crowd shot from Movement 2007.

As reported earlier this week on XLR8R, the U.S.’s VP Records will soon acquire the catalog and publishing of London’s stalwart, 30-year running Greensleeves label. With British label Blood & Fire inactive and Brit reggae distro company Jet Star in financial trouble, the move leaves only a handful of active U.K. imprints, including Mad Professor’s Ariwa, Auralux, and Pressure Sounds. Some reggae industry leaders expressed concern regarding the proposed media monopoly.

Chyna Doll Productions announced a new 90-minute DVD documentary titled Reggae Uncensored, which drops February 26 and promises to do for reggae what The Real World did for reality TV–namely, examine reggae culture via frank interviews and footage. A press released promised “sizzling performances strung together with generous portions of drugs, sex, and the inevitable passa passa.” The first of several episodes features Damian Marley, Sean Paul, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Sizzla, Mavado, Collie Buddz, Aidonia, Macka Diamond, and many others.

New Caribbean social network Kingston P.O. has launched a dope reggae video channel, with wicked new flicks like Tami Chynn’s “Over & Over Again,” Mavado’s “Dreaming,” and Tarrus Riley’s “Beware.” Big sights!

Singer Jah Cure tops the list of nominees at the inaugural Reggae Academy Awards, to be held in Jamaica on February 24.

One of reggae music’s (and specifically Canadian reggae’s) rarest albums, Innocent Youths’ 1977 recording Earth, Roots & Water, will be reissued soon on Seattle’s Light In The Attic imprint. The virtually extinct album features Johnny Osbourne, Carl Dawkins, Adrian Homer Miller, and Bunny Brown (The Chosen Few), and will be available on digipak CD and vinyl, packaged with a foldout poster with the albums distinctive black and white cover graphics. The album includes “Jah Les’ Lament,” one of the heaviest ’70s recordings ever.

On Friday January, 25 Oakland, CA reggae veteran DJ Common Sensi celebrated his 100th broadcast of his All-Spice online radio show on Big Up Radio.

Dancehall recording artist Esco has a new single collaboration with artist Fresh, titled “Dun Dem Credit,” on Seanizzle Records’ Creepa Riddim, just released in Jamaica last week. Hear an audio sample at the Seanizzle space.

Dancehall superstar Shaggy performed his latest single, “What’s Love,” January 21 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. In other news, singer Ali Campbell has left popular British reggae band UB40 after almost 30 years.

A press release from DJ, producer, and singer Michael “Mikey Dread” Campbell’s camp has news of his battle with a brain tumor. “Mikey continues in the recovering stages and is responding well to the chemotherapy treatments,” said announcement. Although Campbell is currently recovering from treatment, according to the statement, “he’s eager to return to the stage to share his heartfelt appreciation to his fans.”

Pictured above: Michael “Mikey Dread” Campbell.

New York’s Top Five Reggae Singles
1. Queen Ifrica “Daddy” (No Doubt)
2. Sean Paul “Pick It Up & Drop It” (Birchill)
3. Pressure “Love And Affection” (Don Corleon)
4. Daville “Fling It Up Pon Me” (Birchill)
5. Etana “Roots” (Freemind)

Did you hear about the monkey who recently controlled a Japanese robot’s movement with her mind? Pretty ridiculous. Now you too can lord over electronic devices via the internet, thanks to a project called ABSOLUT Machines (put together by Sweden’s notorious vodka mavens).

ABSOLUT Quartet was developed by M.I.T. alums Jeff Lieberman and Dan Paluska (whose Fotron2000 was used to make the cover of The Juan Maclean’s Less Than Human album). Their Mouse Trap-esque sculpture is comprised of a marimba played by rubber balls that are shot out of small cannons. A second component is made up of spinning wine glasses played by robotic fingers (just how you did it as a kid). Online users provide melodies via a small onscreen keyboard, which the machine then interprets into three-minute songs.

Meanwhile, Swedish design studio Teenage Engineering came up with ABSOLUT Choir, a series of 10 adorable wooden characters of different shapes and sizes that can belt out notes in different registers and make-up their songs. Participants input words, which then impact the songs’ composition and lyrics.

Check out the projects, which go live January 31st, and register for some alone time with the machines.

Pictured above: Sweden’s Teenage Engineering crew in its studio.

With the release of Panther‘s Kill Rock Stars debut just a few weeks away, Charlie Salas-Humara and Joe Kelly prepare their arsenal of instruments and dance moves for the road. Add to that Humara’s newfound talent as a songwriter, and you have a several nights not to be missed. WHY?, who also has an album ready to drop, will join the boys for a few dates, as will punk band Parenthetical Girls and Citay, White Hinterland.

Download “Puerto Rican Jukebox”

Download “Violence, Diamonds”

Tour Dates
02/08 Mount Vernon, WA: The Retrodoxy
03/01 San Francisco, CA: Rickshaw Stop
03/04 Seattle, WA: Nectar
03/06 Portland, OR: Holocene*
03/08 Salt Lake City, UT: Slowtrain
03/09 Denver, CO: Larimer Lounge
03/11 Oklahoma City, OK: Conservatory
03/12 Austin, TX: SXSW
03/13 Austin, TX: SXSW
03/14 Austin, TX: SXSW
03/15 Austin, TX: SXSW
03/17 Baton Rouge, LA: Spanish Moon#
03/18 Atlanta, GA: Drunken Unicorn#
03/19 Knoxville, TN: Pilot Light
03/20 Washington, DC: Red and Black
03/21 Philadelphia, PA: Khyber
03/22 New York, NY: Knitting Factory#
03/23 Somerville, MA: PA’s Lounge%
03/26 Detroit, MI: Scrummage University
03/27 Chicago, IL: Abbey Pub
03/28 Minneapolis, MN: 7th Street Entry
03/29 Fargo, ND: Aquarium

* = w/ Parenthetical Girls
# = w/ WHY?
% = w/ Citay, White Hinterland