» New music from Bombay Monkey, Skilf, Gelka and Bomb the Bass
Join us as we take a listen to some upcoming releases from Bombay Monkey, Skilf, Gelka and Bomb the Bass.
Bombay Monkey - 130 Astronauts
Out on Lo Tek on 18th August
Listen to ‘Are the Stars?’ the lead track from 130 Astronauts:
Bombay Monkey’s new album ‘130 Astronauts’ is the third in a “trilogy of four parts” following ‘Vanish’ (2005) and ‘Time Travellers’ (2006).
Although ‘130 Astronauts’ is themed around space, the album title is actually derived from the number of space cadets that used to drop by at 130 St Johns Road in Tunbridge Wells, where Bombay Monkey first started making tracks together.
Bombay Monkey describe their sound as being “not unlike alchemy, constantly searching for the perfect balance of numbers - high magic through high maths - mixing the past with the present and the organic with the chemical.”
‘130 Astronauts’ features Rosko John, Mr Thing, Red Eye, Sound Sanctuary and The Origamis and was recorded at their own studio located on a very old farm in The Ashdown Forest, although the initial Bombay Monkey sessions were a very different story. Andy explains:
“Guy shared the flat (the ground floor of an old Victorian semi) with two rappers, Natty and Dwella, and a skater/graffer Jay. I’d turn up with an MPC 2000, a zip drive, and a stack of vinyl while Guy had a mini disc recorder, another stack of vinyl and a stack of DVDs and videos. In the summer, we’d work in the garden - a reasonably over-grown space that was just about far enough away from the road that we could record. In the winter it wasn’t quite as easy. The flat was in a pretty bad state of disrepair with holes in the floor, a broken front door, no light in the bathroom and no heating anywhere. Winter recording was never as comfortable. We’d work in Guy’s room using an oil radiator for heat when we could afford it and as many tea lights as we could find when we couldn’t.”
Check out the video for Money Makes the World go Round
Visit the Bombay Monkey website
Skilf - Slow Me Down
Out 8th September on Riztone Records
Listen to Slow Me Down - the title track from the album:
Skilf is a Brighton based rapper/mc/singer, with intricate lyrics, sharp delivery and an ever growing fan base. Skilf’s new single ‘Slow Me Down’, featuring the Californian singer Michelle Ericsson, was produced by Toni Toolz who was responsible for the official remixes of ‘Trick Me’ by Kelis, ‘She Wants To Move’ by N.E.R.D, and ‘Slipping Away’ by Moby.
Skilf’s journey has been somewhat unusual for a hip hop artist: at the age of seven he started acting in an amateur dramatics group and was involved in many plays and musicals. He starred in a co-lead role in a film called Jim’s Gift (1996) and went on to study performing arts at college - this is where his love for the stage originated. He discovered his skill for writing lyrics at the age of sixteen, during the UK garage era. Since then Skilf has performed at a number of events supporting and appearing on the same line ups as Ghostface Killah (of Wu Tang Clan), Tim Westwood, Kidz In The Hall, Sway, Task Force, Jehst, Skinnyman, Pendulum, Grooverider, Andy C, MC Dynamite Skream, Benga and many more.
With his debut album ‘Original Visions’ released last year, Skilf has also appeared on a number of different mixtapes and promos, including the Brighton Hip Hop Festival CD in 2007, which was distributed through Hip Hop Connection.
New Gelka Album - Less is More
‘Less Is More’ is the new album from Budapest’s own supersonic sound sensation, signed to Wax On, Nightmare on Wax’s very own label. Out on September 15th on Wax On.
Listen to So Many Ways - the lead track from the Less is More album:
Gelka say “It was always our biggest dream to release music in Europe and abroad, but that’s a very difficult thing to do for a Hungarian band or musician. During the past seven years or so, a lot of people told us it would be an impossible mission… we kept our faith and shaped our sound, and now our vision becomes reality… We are free to do honest music and to go in these directions. Wax On gives us that freedom
Bomb the Bass - Future Chaos
Bomb the bass is back with a new album - Future Chaos is out on the 15th September, but put away the smiley face: this is no nostalgia trip.
Listen to So Special, the first single from the album:
It’s been 21 years since Bomb the Bass’ ‘Beat Dis’ helped usher in the era of sampling, acid house and DJ culture. It’s easy to forget how monumental the single was. Going straight to number two in the UK charts, the song’s success quickly propelled Simenon from underground DJ to in-demand knobsman. Long before Marc Ronson or Timbaland, he was the go-to guy for the Midas Touch.
In those early years, he co-produced Neneh Cherry’s stone classic ‘Buffalo Stance’ and Seal’s ‘Crazy’—not a bad run for an upstart fresh out of sound engineering school. Throughout the ’90s, Bomb the Bass continued to blaze trails with the classic ‘Bug Powder Dust’, the trip-hop blueprint ‘Winter In July’ and the dubby ‘Clear’.
All the while, Simenon racked up production and remix credits for acts like Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Curve, Björk and Massive Attack. Just as important were his many collaborations with a surprising range of artists: J. Saul Kane, Jah Wobble, Sinéad O’Connor, Hector Zazou, On-U Sound—even actress Minnie Driver turned up in the mix.
