Album Review: Martyn – Ghost People (2011) Brainfeeder

Well-revered veteran of bass music Martyn returns with his eagerly awaited sophomore album “Ghost People” proving that chart friendly Dutch House is not the only music coming across the North Sea from Holland right now. After opting to see Martyn instead of Skream at Outlook Festival earlier this year, he became one of my highlights from the festival season, with a set which showcased a number of new tracks featured on this album – making me even more excited to hear his newest output

This album showcases the true depth and detail Martyn explores with his bass-orientated brand of electronica. From the eerie opening track “Love and Machines” (Featuring Hyperdub Records regular ‘Spaceape’) the scene is set for the musical amalgamation of man and machine which ensues.

Forgotten Songs: Gene Vincent- Crazy Beat

From the 1963 album 'The Crazy Beat of Gene Vincent', this isn't one of Vincent's most well known songs. Straying from his trademark rockabilly safety net of the 50s, Vincent adapts his music to a new decade through mimicking a Phil Spector-style 'Wall of Sound'. The track's eerily cool backing vocals made it a breath of fresh air then, whilst the song still sparkles with edginess today.

Chapelier Fou- Al Abama E.P

****

Cross breeding fine tuned classical strings, with subtle, electronic beats, this formally trained violinst is creating a new genre of his own. Going under the name  of "Chapelier Fou", French for "Mad Hatter", the well loved Lewis Carrol character, Louis Waryinski is a one man band who is gaining a cult following in Europe. Due to general lack of promotion, his debut album "613" was extremely underrated, partially because the c.d is almost impossible to get hold of online. Likewise, the Hatter's latest E.P "Al Abama", the final third part of a compilation trilogy, is already sold out on Amazon.

Clap your hands and say yeah! : Queens Social, 6/10/11

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! were one of the first hyped bands from the now established world of the 'blog'. The American's gained exposure for their quirky debut album, but once the hype left, it felt like the band did too. Six years on, the band are set to release their third album, Hysterical, but first, a night out at a working men's club in Sheffield on a damp Tuesday, lovely. Queens Social Club had the tacky deco that you would hope to find at such a place, with disco lights and cheap beer, the only difference to any other night at the venue was the clientele, who were more about skinny jeans than tracky bottoms. Before the New Yorkers, the room was already full for new local heroes, Hey Sholay.

Death By Shoes Interview

Death By Shoes has been one of the best nights in Sheffield for ages playing post-punk, 60s garage, rock n’ roll, no wave, and everything in-between. It’s held on the third Saturday of every month at The Cremorne on London Road. I caught up with Daniel Dylan Wray who founded the night and spoke to him about the night itself, music, Sheffield, and the music in Sheffield…

First of all, could you tell us a little bit about Death By Shoes, - how long it’s been running for, and how it all got started. Over four years now. It's free and runs the third Saturday of every month and is at the Cremorne on London Road. I started it with a friend as a co-venture, he moved to London about a year or so into doing it and I have run it solo ever since. We used to have bands play every month, but now we have bands on a little more sporadically, as i found people seemed to be leaning towards favouring it as a club night rather than a place to go watch bands early on. But having them on every few months or so seems to strike a balance that works. I guess essentially it's a night that focuses on anything and everything that is a bit alternative, both in a popular and obscure sense.

Yanqui- album review

There are times when one has to worry about the fate of the rock-band. These times don't come often, but when they do they're certainly convincing. Yanqui are a fine example of an electronic-based band with the potential to, quite frankly, get people worrying. Yanqui's self-titled debut offers a literal spectrum, covering everything from dance numbers to dark brooders. But where did they come from? All that can be found of the group is a self-released EP dated October 12th and a location (Brooklyn). It seems as though Yanqui are just one of the many acts of this age; establishing themselves through online platforms and blogs, which isn't a bad thing. If anything, the group are a fine example of how the in the past few years the industry has been spun on it's head until it vomits.

Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip -27/10/10

Location: Plug, Sheffield.

'I fucking hate Sean Bean, I'll knock him out.'
I think it's fair to say that a gig in Sheffield has taken a rather strange turn when esteemed local actor and celebrity Sheffield United fan, Sean Bean is derided for a solid two minutes by a performer - and the crowd cheer enthusiastically. Such is the scene in a small room in Plug on a cold Wednesday night. The hip hop/spoken word duo Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip well and truly have the crowd under control, they can seemingly do no wrong. Excellent support from ‘Kid A’ and ‘Misty’s Big Adventure’ hyped into a fervour before the main act arrived on stage and when they did, things only got better.