With her show-biz pedigree (she’s the daughter of the British actor/musician Keith Allen) and a whole lotta MySpace love, Lily Allen quickly became the bloggers’ darling long before any of her tracks were domestically released. Fortunately, she’s delivered nicely on the virtual promise. Packed with addictive pop hooks and influences from all across the board (hip-hop, ska, lounge, club), Alright, Still has everything that it takes to succeed in iPodland. But Allen’s lyrics can tend to seem shoehorned (using “People in the city having lunch in the park/I believe that is called al fresco” to rhyme Tesco), the production a bit disposable, and the genre-chasing tiresome. That said, she still croons like a Mockney bird (“Everything’s Wonderful”), throws down the gauntlet (the ex-hatin’, ska-inflected “Smile”), and does the dance-diva thing (“Friday Night”) like no one’s business. At only 21 years old, that’s saying something.
Federation My Rims
First time I heard this, I was laughing hysterically and yelling, “They flipped Al B.’s ‘Night & Day.’ They crazy!” On the third listen, I was doing a thizz face and poppin’ my collar, but still keeping it grown and sexy in a smooth 2-step. That’s a powerful record. Rick Rock’s team did it again.
The Game feat. Will.I.Am Compton
I’m not a fan of The Game at all and I’ve spewed much hate Willie’s way for his BET crap show. But Dre makes sure Game stays laced with great beats. I can’t front on what Will did here, on Busta’s “I Love My Bitch,” or on Too $hort’s “Keep Bouncing.” Dude is a talented producer who hasn’t forgotten how to make good hip-hop records.
The Cataracs Blueberry Afghani
The brains and brawn behind The Cataracs, Cyrano and Campa, are barely legal. No joke. They’re 18. Go find their album Techno-Hop. Lurk on www.myspace.com/cataracs. Maybe if you stalk them long enough, you’ll get to check out “I’m a Star,” “Gumdrops,” or another exclusive joint before they pop up on what’s sure to be a huge major-label debut.”
UNK feat. OutKast & Jim Jones Walk It Out
“My Rub brethren and I recently played at the Brooklyn Museum’s monthly free party. When my partner Ayres dropped this joint, everyone under 16 went crazy. It’s not a huge departure from other snap music records but, if folks as high-profile and diverse as OutKast and Dipset cosign, don’t sleep.”
Intex Systems Research And Development
James Clements is known for his innovative and nuanced drum & bass releases under the name ASC. But as Intex Systems, all bets are off. You might find a hint of D&B within these 18 tracks, but Research and Development is by no means a dance record. Instead, breakbeat elements seem to float in and out like parts of a barely remembered dream, and lush pads give way to ticking beats and far-away melodies, which terminate in effects straight from Blade Runner. Reminiscent of Future Sounds of London or early Aphex Twin, R&D is an impressive achievement.
Skream Kut-off
Skream is a phenomenal, elemental force within the context of this scene. I absolutely love “Kut-off.” According to people who have a greater understanding of mathematics than I have, it’s built using triplets, but I cannot figure out how he’s done the math. It sounds to me like there’s one too many beats in every section, but it’s just one of these incredible beats that just tumbles and tumbles over itself. Every time you play it in a club it’s incredible, because people just skank right out, and yet still you can see they’re confused about the pattern.
Darqwan M/a..ximum Reespek
Oris Jay [a .k.a. Darqwan] is a godfather of the sound… He came out of garage and started twisting dark techno and drum & bass influences into garage, and his beats form the blueprint of dubstep today. The next tune that he’s gonna come with on Texture is “M/a..ximum Reespek.” I put an old-school garage special together with El-B versus Oris. I wanted to them to show the transition from garage to dubstep. Oris made this tune “M/a..ximum Reespek” [Mary Anne signs her emails “m/a.. x”-Ed.] especially to end that particular mix.
Asbo Productions AsboTOO
Asbo Productions have just had their MySpace deleted because they’ve been flaming people… Asbo makes some of the thickest, most naked, most dark, brutal beats that you’d ever hear, but then they put, like, birdsong or the sound of the ocean in the middle of it… They are quite extraordinary in every way. Beloved by serious bass-builders, their sound is very simple, but it will hit you so low. It’s a sort of sound that could floor a herd of charging rhinos.
Best of 2006: Best Music Gear
The XLR8R staff has polled our favorite labels, producers, graphic designers, clothing companies, and friends to find out what was hot in the world of music technology this year. Read on to find out the undisputed winners of 2006.
Serato Scratch Live
Hands down, Serato Scratch Live is running things. There’s nothing like playing your own remix for a dancefloor the night you make it. Now if only every club were to install a Rane TTM57 (their
mixer with Serato built in)…
Ross Hogg, XLR8R writer
It’s simple and works great. I’ve been waiting for something other than Final Scratch… Plus, Serato’s other software is some of the best quality-sounding programs I’ve ever used.
Jimmy Edgar, Warp Records
Serato still murders all competition.
Mats Karlsson, Raw Fusion
Rane got it right. No bugs, easy to use, sounds great, fits in your pocket (almost). Never go back.
Kid Kameleon, XLR8R writer
Ableton Live 6
I think what Ableton Live is doing, and where it’s going, is a very special and exciting addition to the electronic-music live-performance scene. Each version they release is even more flexible than the last,
and has a pretty open door when it comes to abusing it.
Andy Dixon, Ache Records
The best just got better…
Deadbeat, ~scape
Honestly, I don’t know a musician who doesn’t use it and, what’s more, almost every musician I know uses it differently. Its malleable interface allows you to pretty much do whatever you want. And, no, I don’t work for them.
Jason Forrest, Cock Rock Disco
You could have just said [version] 5 and it would have been all good, but 6 is off the hook for the splash screen alone!
Subtitle, Alpha Pup/GSL
More of XLR8R’s Best of 2006:
Justice’s Best of 2006
