New Ghostface/Meth/Raekwon LP

Keeping the ball rollin' following Raekwon's successful return to form with "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II", the much rumoured collaborative album between Rae, Ghostface Killah and Method Man will definitely see the light of day.

Here's the projected tracklisting:

1. Criminology 2.5 ft. Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man2. Mef vs. Chef ft. Rhythm Roots Allstars
3. Ya Moms (skit) ft. Raekwon and Method Man
4. Smooth Sailing Remix ft. Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Solomon Childs, and Streetlife
5. Our Dreams ft. Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man6. Gunshowers ft. Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, and Sun God
7. Dangerous ft. Rhythm Roots Allstars
8. Pimpin' Chipp ft. Rhythm Roots Allstars
9. How to Pay Rent (skit) ft. Tracy Morgan
10. Miranda ft. Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man
11. Youngstown Heist ft. Trife, Sheek & Bully
12. It's That Wu Sh*t ft. Ghostface Killah and Method Man

'Wu Massacre' is set for release on March 30 on Def Jam Records, complete with a comic book-style cover. Contender for best Wu Tang album cover ever?

SBTRKT - Laika

Following a series of remixes and bootlegs, mysterious man of the moment SBTRKT finally drops his first official release, this being a one-sided affair on Brainmath. 

'Laika' solidifies his futuristic, smooth technoid style, and pits in the same stable as the likes of Fantastic Mr. Fox, Geiom, Sully and Deadboy. A swinging 2-step rhythm and snapping percussion firmly plants the track into the roots of the dancefloor, with house synths and a warming bassline completing a solid, even track. 

www.myspace.com/brainmathbrainmath

www.myspace.com/subtractone

Mark Pritchard - Elephant Dub/Heavy As Stone

Two massive floor shakers by Mark Pritchard for Deep Medi's latest release. As one of the most versatile, forward-thinking producers in electronic music, Pritchard has quietly notched up an enviable list of production credits during his career, most notably as Global Communication, his classic ambient project with Tom Middleton. 

'Elephant Dub' puts itself up there as one of the landmark releases on Mala's seminal imprint. Swamped with a throbbing bassline and springing, Untold-esque drums, it pulls no punches and drags all comers into a murky, minimal landscape that spits the listener out at the end feeling steamrollered.

On the flip, 'Heavy As Stone' begins innocently enough, with woozy synths and airy vocals skipping across a breezy 2-step vibe, before descending into a feverish, jazz-infused beatdown. Awesome.

www.myspace.com/officialmarkpritchard

www.deepmedi.com

Roska -"Squark"

While the premise of a dedicated UK Funky album seemed strange to some, if anyone can pull it off it's Roska. Constantly pushing the boundaries and spearheading the ever-expanding throng of producers distancing themselves from the funky house orientated sector of UKF, Roska has pulled it out of the bag with "Squark".

Laden with truimphant whistles and oscillating keys riding a stripped back, tribal rhythm, "Squark" sets things up nicely for Roska's self-titled debut, set to drop late March on Rinse. Check the promo video here:

Is there no such thing as "the music industry"?

Thought-provoking article here from Music Week editor Steve Redmond on Drowned in Sound. 


He gives his view on why there's no such thing as "the music industry", challenging whether the separate sectors work as a congruent whole, or are simply their own entities, loosely united by the common ground of music. He also touches upon the subject of Spotify, and if it has the staying power to form any discernible grasp on consumer's listening habits. 


Redmond argues that "what we can be certain of is that Spotify is not the future of the music business", and the "future of the music business will be as varied and chaotic as music itself". 


To an extent I agree with this view. As a frequent purchaser of both CDs and vinyl, I know there is a market out there for consumers willing to part with their cash for a physical product. The advent of the mp3 as a dominant music format has led to widespread cries of the CD becoming a dying breed, with scaremongers throwing statistics left, right and centre to anyone naive enough to listen. The same was said of vinyl when CDs themselves entered the market, but a recent resurgence in spending on black wax has (hopefully) set those rumours to rest.


From a strictly business point of view, it may transpire that Spotify is simply not a financially viable business, despite being an excellent, easy to use program that has proved to be very popular. But the very popularity it has achieved may well be its eventual undoing. 


Along with advertising revenue, Spotify gains most of its income through subscribers paying £9.99 a month for the benefit of advert-free listening, with the added bonus of offline streaming. But how many people do you know who actually subscribe to this service? Very few I imagine, as most are willing to put up with the intermittent advert breaks. But with Spotify recently introducing an invite-only policy for free users, it clearly isn't getting the subscriptions it was anticipating. 


This new policy may have also served as a hopeful solution for another problem: the program's rapid growth. Spotify operates on the basis that each track streamed earns the relevant record label a small royalty. With little cashflow and an increasing amount of users, Spotify will possibly fall by the wayside in a similar fashion to other ambitious music programs who have failed in the past, most notably Napster. 


For the sake of record sales, the demise of Spotify may prove a fruitful one, but its ability to gift a single user with a huge library of music, for free in some cases, is a utility not worth losing.
  

DMZ 5th Birthday

Insane line-up announced for DMZ's 5th birthday bash - but who would expect any different? Those making an appearance at the now legendary night include Skream, Benga, Hatcha, N-Type, Pinch, Joy Orbison, Oneman, Instra:mental and of course the customary Digital Mystikz vs Loefah set. Miss this at your peril.....

Zomby & Actress - 'Nothing'

Since providing us with two untitled tracks a month or so ago, a new Zomby & Actress collab has emerged via Zomby's Twitter page. Much like their previous work, 'Nothing' inhabits a sketchy, misanthropic world, swinging serenely for a brief two minutes before rolling to an abrupt stop. 

The mystery of Zomby and Actress' working relationship continues, with no indication from either whether these presumably unfinished pieces are acting as a precursor to a full release (we can hope).