12,” 7,” CD, MP3… my record rack runneth over with the output of Rodney Smith aka Roots Manuva, dating back to the mid 90′s. A chance to catch him old school style in a tiny East London basement crammed with a 100 lucky punters is one sticky sweaty opportunity too good to miss. During the course of the evening Rodney himself casts his mind back to bygone Brixton parties and 3 pound draws, before summing it up succinctly while wiping his brow… “I’m sweating me balls off here“.

I’d arranged to interview Mr Manuva MC so when Ninja’s lady in command Maddy spotted Rodney strolling towards us she asked “Quick Interview?,” I gulped in trepidation, or more accurately terror. A shake of the head in the negative later and without breaking stride he was gone and I have to say Ive never been happier to be blanked in my life. No more stressing, just enjoy the show!

A week or so later I caught up with the “Duppy Writer” himself (Ghost writer in Jamaican patois) DJ Wrong Tom to chat about the debut live performance, if he was happy with reviews like “the best reggae album of the last 30 years” and how he was first introduced to the sprawl of musical styles covered by the term, Reggae.
Watch the interview below, featuring clips of the live show and a multi-location interview (entirely planned obviously and nothing to do with me running out of batteries 5 minutes into the interview).

Roots Manuva – Twitter / Facebook / BananaKlan
WrongTom – Twitter / Website / Soundcloud

Read: Tony McDermott talks about his classic Greensleeves sleeve designs – Must read
WrongTom selects 10 all time favourite tracks for CMU Weekly

Buy: Order “Duppy Writer” Now

Listen:
Roots Manuva Vs. WrongTom – “Butterfly Crab Walk (feat. Riddla)” (MP3)

Roots Manuva – “Join The Dots (Drums of Death remix)” (MP3)

Roots Manuva – “Witness (Floorman M20 Edit)” (MP3)

Listen to a “Duppy Writer” minimix below courtesy of Pop Matters.

Kid Koala “Skanky Panky (Wrongtom Dub)” by wrongtom

A quick glimpse at a track by a band WrongTom has been producing called Phantom – WrongTom say “in shit-journalese I’d describe it as Link Wray goes on a murder spree at the hop then sits back and lights a cigarette contemplating who might be next”.
Phantom “Monster” (excerpt) by wrongtom

Anyway on with the remaining 553… lets hope there are some gems hidden within!

14:00PM
At the risk of getting side tracked before I even begin I have to feature a monster of a track that popped up on Twitter.  I’d read a few mixed reviews of “One Armed Bandit” the latest LP from Ninjatune’s Norwegian Jazz collective Jaga Jazzist but if the free edit of “Toccata” is anything to go by I’ll be heading to emusic to get the album later.

Recorded as a homage to avant-garde composer Steve Reich, “Toccata” begins like an lost track from “Music for 18 Musicians“.   The free edit is “only” 5 and a half minutes long but there’s plenty of time for Reich-like repetition, and gradual build over that time.  A piano riff repeats throughout, beats kick in half way through to be joined by what sounds like the entire brass section of the orchestra booming down.  Its a simply glorious sound.

Jaga Jazzist – “Toccata (edit)” (MP3)
Facebook / Twitter / Website / Myspace / Buy

14:40PM
Ok who’s stupid idea was this!? I’ve not found anything that really grabs me and now I can see the clock ticking since my last recommendation.
There are plenty of the usual suspects, the bands that occupy the upper heights of the Hype Machine charts.  Numerous remixes of Marina & the Diamonds of which the thumping house of Juan MacLean’s version comes out top.  The genius that is Chilly Gonzales recorded a orchestral piano remake supposedly for an Eastern European TV show. Watch that here.

Marina & The Diamonds – “Hollywood (Juan MacLean remix)” (MP3)

Another bloggers favourite Yeasayer have been remixed by the uber-cool XXXchange, but to be honest I prefer the unashamedly bouncy pop remake by Alan Wilkis. Be sure to check out Alan’s own solo work, and a host of tasty remixes on his website.

Yeasayer – “Ambling Alp (Alan Wilkis mix)” (MP3)

Any room for some more electronic pop? Dan Black has released one of his unofficial mixtapes featuring borrowed lyrics and un-releasable steals from Goreki, Beastie Boys, Kate Bush and Drake. Grab the Weird Science mixtape here:

Dan Black – “Slave To Paper” (MP3)

And finally with the lighter poppier sounds is Laurel Halo from NYC, but who emailed to say she’d just been in Bethnal Green. She describes her music as “funky and dreamy“, although at the start of  “A Single Breath” I thought I was in for some more Steve Reich.  Visit her blog for more downloads including a “Vampire drum and Bass” version by London’s Radiant Dragon.

Laurel Halo – “A Single Breath” (MP3)

16:20PM
Right, before all that pop rots your teeth, its time for The London Snorkelling Team. They create cocktail, crime, space music that they imagine happened sometime in the 1950s at a party for experimental scientists with an obsession for cartoons. It sounds a bit like the theme music from Inspector Gadget as played by a cocktail band.
They’re playing King’s Place in February as part of the Arctic Circle festival featuring The Willkommen Collective, and to mark the occasion theyve put together a 13 track sampler of all the artists playing the concert series.

CLICK HERE for a free to download 13 track sampler

The London Snorkelling Team – “Samuel Langoustine” (MP3)
Myspace / Buy beautifully packaged Audio Recording and map
Hildur Gudnadottir – “Erupting Light” (MP3)

16:50PM

How could I forget to mention the latest Akira The Don mixtape!!? ATD 20 is available to buy in various bundles with tshirts and the like, or as a Free lower bitrate MP3.
The Don didnt sleep for 40 hours while creating this epic mix that takes in the Jungle Book, Black, a new version of Thanks For All The Aids and all kinds of new Akira goodness.

Listen to The Bare Neccesitys (Akira The Don) remix below or watch the video here.
Akira The Don – Bare Necessities by Akira The Don

The man has even branched out into spoken word territory with the beautifully shot version of “Security“. Filmed on location at the Olympic construction site just across the canal from his Hackney home.

17:30PM
Emails are great ive learnt about fresh revenue opportunities, that Mr Motivator has confirmed his appearance at an Austrian music festival, and that the Heavy rocked David Lettermans world so much he forgot to sleep with a member of staff (and asked the Heavy to play the same track twice). Watch it, they’re fantastic live.

19:59PM 0 Emails left to be opened… 433 tracks to potentially be listened to! Not sure this experiment in clearing my mail really works as a spectator sport.  Now to cook some dinner and start listening to a few of these tracks… where to start!

I’ll sign off with a video from Benin City who did send me a link to their new single but by the time I’d checked it out the link had expired. If this video of “The Beat” Live is anything to go by it’ll be well worth snapping up. Check their Myspace or become a Facebook fan, then watch the video below which reminds me of old style Hip-Hop mixed with a little Go-Go. The Beat does indeed sound very very nice!

Grace Jones, Andrew Motion, The Royal Opera House, Thom Yorke, Shane Meadows… all at Latitude this weekend and I’m working so i’ll probably miss them all (not that Im complaining).
On Friday night Ill also be trying to look inconspicuous on the Film & Music stage having volunteered to do a bit of filming for Indie Ghetto (I didn’t notice the Pet Shop Boys were on at the same time when I said yes!!).
Back in January as part of a feature on DIY Music TV for BBC News, I hung round a gents toilet for a couple of hours to film Dan & Rick the makers of Indie Ghetto – a video series featuring indie acts recording hip-hop cover versions.  The clip above has La Shark covering Always On Time, and Alexis tackling Trick Me.
For Latitude, Indie Ghetto are going Live, with a host of guest acts trying their hand at the hiphop classics.  Turn up at 10.00 (Fri) to see among others, Alan Powell giving love for Beyonce (see below) and 21 poets covering So Solid.
Hip-Hop purists should probably look away!

I was going to do a preview to the festival but then I discovered the Ipswich Calling website.
Visit it for myspace/google/amazon links to every band playing, along with performance times for all the stages.

Latitude 09 – Website / Twitter updates

Unofficial Latitude site / iphone artist list by stage site / Calender for weekend including create your own personal festival plan option.

Drowned In Sound’s excellent Latitude preview / BBC Suffolk Latitude

Latitude Twitters:
BBC Suffolk / Writer Jon Ronson / Mark Thomas / Comedian Robin Ince / Maggie Philbin
You can also follow Music Like Dirt but to be honest I won’t be spending my whole time tweeting (and my phones battery will be dead by Friday night). See this amusing post on the Latitude forum for an alternative view of twitter.

A few Latitude related MP3′s:

Hjaltalín – “Traffic Music” (MP3)
Jeffrey Lewis & Laura Marling – “Brain Damage (Eminem cover)” (MP3) – Jeffrey replaces the ill Lightspeed Champion’s Harold & Maude covers set.
PolarBear – “David (Player Piano mix)” (MP3) / “Creatures Of Habit” (MP3)
Alela Diane – “White As Diamonds” (MP3)
DM Stith – “Pity Dance” (MP3)

But Latitude is about more than just the band stages:
Jeremy Warmsley and Little Words will be playing the songs of Tom Waits and Daniel Johnson
Poet Nathan Jones teams up with The Wave Machines
Jeffrey Lewis gives a lecture on The Watchmen
Pre-release screening of Shane Meadows “Le Donk” followed by Q&A with Shane, and Paddy Considine.

“I am in mourning for your face/ The one I used to love to see/ Leaping, glowing upon the stage/ The mike eager…/ Thrusting in your fist.
I am in mourning for your face/ the shining eyes/ the happy teeth/ the look that said/ I am the world/ and aren’t you glad/ Not to mention deeply in luck…
Oh, my pretty little brother. Genius. Child. Sing to us. Dance./ Rest in Peace.”
taken from ‘Natural Star‘ by Alice Walker

Questlove – “I think its time we let him rest in peace and learn to separate the ART and the ARTIST. –that is the MJ i will forever remember.”
Quincy Jones: “I’ve lost my little brother today, and my soul has gone with him.”

Read:
BBC News – Obituary
Guardian: the child star haunted by fame and scandel / the natural successor to Elvis
Lisa Marie Presley says Michael worried he’d die like her dad – “I’m afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did“
Paul Gambaccini looks back on Jackson’s life
A tribute to my friend, Michael Jackson by Deepak Chopra
The Secret behind the Moonwalker lean dance move (its all in the shoes)
How Perez Hilton reported the news – “either he’s lying or making himself sick… he’s pulled this stunt before”

Listen:
BBC 1Xtra – 30 minute documentary looking at Michael’s life, from the early years up till now. (Click to listen)
Jackson 5 – “Its Great To Be Here” (MP3)
Michael Jackson – “I Can’t Help It (tangoterje mix)” (MP3)
Shinehead – “Billie Jean” (MP3)
Justin Timberlake – “Cry Me A River” (MP3)

Warning! Heat Ray! – “Beat It” (MP3) – (in 6/8)
Read Ash’s thoughts on MJ “Fuck Cynicism, This Is Tragic”

The Game feat. Diddy, Chris Brown, Polo, Mario Winans Boyz II Men – “Better On The Other Side (MJ Tribute)” (MP3)

Video of Dwele covering Human Nature as a tribute to MJ (Lovely stuff)

Look:
Some beautiful pictures of MJ
BBC Audio Visual slideshow – MJ in his own words

Watch:
Newsnight Special on MJ’s death / Newsnight Review discuss MJ
Michael getting all geeky and admiring a film crews HD cameras…oh the Panasonic one is cool. (Nice vid)
Roberta Flack & Michael Jackson in 70′s kid film – He likes what he looks like, and doesnt have to change at all

The Making of Thriller (45 Minutes) (You.ju)

Fred Astaire stars in MJ’s Smooth Criminal – Video showing Astaire’s influence on MJ

The Origins of The Moonwalk

Louis, Martin & Michael – Louis Theroux documentary – trying to interview Michael Jackson (BBC)

James Brown, Michael Jackson & Prince (Google Video)

Michael Jackson – “Man In The Mirror”

A quick word of warning – it’s a little bit smutty, so if you watch it at work, one of you will get fired.

Visit the Cassetteboy blog or Youtube channel.

Thanks to Roomyverse for the tip.

First up we have Poeticat. Poeticat has been playing gigs all round the UK and the festival scene for afew years now. With deep, heartfelt tales and stories she will have the crowd enraptured from start to finish.

Next up we have Excentral Tempest. Now, anyone on the spoken owrd scene/circuit will know just how good Excentral Tempest is. Generally considered to be at the top of the spoken word mountain right now, Tempest will fill her stage time with so much knowledge and intensity you may need to cool off once she leaves the stage. Not to be missed. Also check out her band Sound of Rum who a very good indeed as well.

Finally Peggy Sue provide the musical section of the night!  Having just made a huge impact at SXSW before recording their new album in New York, this stripped down, intimate set will be the bestest i swear!

Puregroove Records….6.30pm-8pm.

(words nicked from pip’s site)

Unlike my Top 100 tracks list I can’t claim to have driven myself insane trying to root out and listen to every fantastic album released this year. In fact its a challenge these days to get me to actually listen to a full album, so destructive has the ipod shuffle function been to my attention span.

Here then are my albums of 08. Its not really a best of, but they are the ones that got the most listens and gave me the most pleasure. As ever I’m sure I’ve forgotten as many future classics as I’ve remembered.

1. John Fairhurst – ‘Joys Of Spring’
“Obnox Stomp” (MP3) – BUY
2. Julian Cope – ‘Black Sheep’
“Dhimi Is Blue” (MP3) – BUY
3. Apparat – ‘Things To Be Frickled’
Nathan Fake – “Charlies House (Apparat mix)” (MP3) – BUY
4. Sigur Rós – ‘Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust’
5. Vampire Weekend – ‘Vampire Weekend’
6. Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip – ‘Angles’
7. Superimposers – ‘Harpsichord Treacle’
“Autumn Falls” (MP3)
8. Cadence Weapon – ‘Afterparty Babies’
“Do I Miss My Friends” (MP3) – BUY
9. School Of Language – ‘Sea from shore’
“No Control” (MP3) – BUY
10. Metronomy – ‘Nights Out’
“On The Motorway” (MP3)

11. White Denim – ‘Workout Holiday’
12. Kelpe – ‘Extra-Aquarium’
“Colours Don’t Leak (Boats mix)” (MP3) – BUY
13. Wizard Sleeve – ‘Beyond The Wizards Sleeve’
“Get Ready To Fly” (MP3) – BUY
14. Peter Broderick – ‘Home’
“And Its Alright” (MP3) – BUY
15. Akira The Don – ‘ATD 16′
“Eleven In My Mind” (MP3) – Download for FREE or Buy
16. Gable – ’7 Guitars With A Cloud Of Milk’

Click here to download the video in the .mov format (So you’ve got a copy to keep).

The Real Tuesday Weld MySpace

Revolution08 / RemixAmerica.org