Any month that includes a new Akira The Don mixtape is a fine one indeed. ATD 16 is here and as ever it’s free from Akira’s website or for a fiver you can get an individually spray painted CD case complete with your name “Is The Don” on the cover.
Mine featured some wonky spelling and a broken badge, but as if by magic a fresh corrected copy landed on my doormat the next morning.

ATD 16’s easily the best mixtape since ohh… ATD 15, featuring as it does all manner of cover versions, sneak previews of the new album, and general brilliance. On its 20th anniversary NWA’s “Express Yourself” gets reworked East London style with doo-wop, Dot Cotton, and the classic rhyme:
“Simmer Simmer, I need a blade for my strimmer“

The Pet Shop Boys “Rent” is also “Don’ed” along with the finest remix of 2008, Akira’s take on Gonzo’s “Working Together“. It’s not all played for laughs, the stark “Eleven In My Mind” is a brooding warning as our civil liberties disappear in the name of fighting “terror”.

Head to the one man multi-media empire that is Akira’s website to buy the CD, T-shirt or download the mix, or why not grab the acapella’s and enter the remix competition (the best will appear on a forthcoming mixtape).

Akira The Don – “Eleven In My Mind” (MP3)

UPDATE: So Akira noticed I’d posted Eleven In My Mind and where some might have sent in the lawyers he posted a full version with intro/outro, an acapella, and instrumental version on his blog. Grab it here now. Cheers Akira!

TRACKS OF THE MONTH

Mercury Rev’s latest album will be hitting the top of those end of year lists in a few months time, and their last single “Senses On Fire” just got a tasty new remix. Fujiya & Miyagi make the track their own with clattering drums, and much more club appeal than the rock approach of the original.
For extra goodness the record company sent over a track by new signing Jape, who’s been remixed by Friendly Fires… very nice it is too!

Mercury Rev – “Senses On Fire (Fujiya & Miyagi mix)” (MP3)
Jape – “Strike Me Down (Friendly Fires mix)” (MP3)

Considering this blog is named after a classic Ska track there’s been shamefully few reggae tracks here recently.
So to put that right straight away, a tune from Tony Rebel thats doing damage to both the dancefloor and the English language, “My Love on Fyah“. For riddim spotters, its on the Baltimore riddim.

Tony Rebel – “My Love On Fyah” (MP3)

Recorded in a Manchester bedsit Sally Murray’s EP will delight fans of Dylan, Drake and Yansch but it also jumps musical styles enough to surprise anyone making assumptions based on those influences. Bowed & de-tuned guitars, lap steel, and ghostly voices all make an appearance topped with her own versatile but beautiful voice. The steel guitar on “Changes On The Ground” is just gorgeous!

Sally Murray – “Changes On The Ground” (MP3)
Sally Murray Myspace

The English love to portray the French as a bit nutty so what better way to reinforce some steareotypes than a joyously bonkers album from GaBLé. Hip-Hop, Indie, drunk foxes, and hoovers are squeezed into 40 minutes of madness.

GaBLé – “No One Knows” (MP3)
Gable Myspace
Buy: Gable – “7 Guitars with a Cloud of Milk“

MIXES OF THE MONTH
Aside from Akira’s epic there were plenty of other superb mixes to enjoy this month.
Lack Of Afro attempted to dampen the clamour for his new album by launching a monthly mix, hosted by clothing company Node. Its what you’d expect from Adam, ie the funkiest tunes you’ve (n)ever heard.
Mix 1 has vanished from the site already so I’ve popped it up here for a short while (The Nas remix is soooo good). Follow the links below to nab Mix 2.

Lack of Afro – “Node clothing mix 01” (MP3) / Tracklist

Visit Node website to download Lack of Afro Mix 2 / Tracklist

Music and politics are often uneasy bedfellows, and road to the White house is littered with the ill-advised political musings of rock stars.

DJ Z-Trip wisely sticks to what he does best, fast and fabulous mixing of the finest tunes, with Obama’s speeches cut up, and a bit of McCain/Bush thrown in for comic effect/warning. The music covers all bases from rock to rap.

You’ll love it even if you HATE politics! It even manages to get away with being the 485th mixtape to use “The Terrorist” T.e.r.r.o….

Visit DJ Z-Trips site to download the mix in either radio friendly or unaltered flavours.

Enough politics? Try a half an hour of huge bass, rattly breakbeats and daft bleep courtesy of the British Males. Featuring Hot Chip mixes, Drums of Death, Ofra Haza, and that Mujava track thats about to go Oizo on the charts.

British Males are concerned about the quality of your evening and provide free mixes here.

AND FINALLY..

Something very very much NOT SAFE FOR WORK, but as its the work of Flying Lotus I had to post. Seriously don’t watch this at work – unless your work involves putting videos in brown bags for married men.

Directed by Eric Wareheim (Tim & Eric) in association with Warp Records and Warp Films. Music by Flying Lotus. Co Directed/ Animation by Devin Flynn. Co Directed/ Edited by Eric Fensler. More info at dancefloordale.com

Popularity: 8% [?]