Tuesday 24 November 2009

Bristol Soul Part 1

There's loads of Hip Hop, Dubstep and D&B in Bristol but it seems rarely do the soul singers/groups get a mention, so this thread is dedicated to the soulful talent we have in Bristol. I'm a massive fan of soul (the hip-hop I listen to is mainly influenced by Soul & Jazz) and I've been a fan of various local singers for years and they need to get some props!!

In 2007, I went to show my support for Type & JB at Native. On that particular night a few other artists were also on the bill and this is where I first heard Phil King and Beth Rowley. The grand finale of the night was the Roots Elevation band, with the legendary Type Sun on production & JB Love on vocals. Shadz and Nicole Jackson also made guest appearances on the band’s set.
Each person made a huge impact on me and made the night truly memorable. They’ve all come a long way since then and I’m very pleased for each one of them and wish them the best of luck with their budding career’s.
In Part 1 of ‘Bristol Soul’ I bring to you the talent I saw performing on that special night. The footage below is not all from the same night and are taken by others.

Phil King
The song I adore most is ‘Leaves’, here is Phil performing it live (what a heart throb!):



For more songs and info, check out Phil’s profile on m32connections

Beth Rowley
Her voice is quite haunting in person, I had chills listening to her at the gig. She’s such a huge, huge talent. Imagine my glee when some years later catching a tube in London the walls were swamped with her album posters everywhere. Go girl!


Type & JB with the Roots Elevation Band
Here are the snippets I recorded of the night on my phone, Type is on the Drums and JB is of course singing. Shadz is also on stage backing up JB.





To listen to the songs in better quality, check the m32connections profile.

I absolutely love Type’s music and I have to give him huge props. I had this video mailed to me a while ago, it's a video for a performing arts dancer 'Wilkie' but Type produced the track, WARNING - it's a deep one. let it load up, turn the lights down & let your breathing settle...=]

Still Waters Run Deep - Part 3 from Wilkie Branson on Vimeo.


When I heard this, I was literally speechless... it was like listening to Jazzanova or Cinematic Orchestra or something! Type deserves HUGE Props!!!
To check out more on Type, click here
Type is working on his new album so watch out for that and there's a strong chance JB will be on there too. They had worked on so much together in the past, it would be a shame if it went to waste so fingers crossed we see some Type & JB tracks on there.

Shadz
Many of you will know Shadz very well as he’s making big waves in the Bristol circuit. He is now the front man for the Roots Elevation band, meanwhile JB is pursuing his acting career (you might remember him in Adulthood) anyway, Shadz is working extremely hard. Not only is he a member of the band, he is a solo artist in his own right and also member to two other crews ‘Statix’ and ‘Central Spillz’. A couple of tunes of his have been released under M4 Records and ISP and I’m so proud of his progress.
Here is a clip of Shadz the night I saw him on stage with Type & JB:


See how he has progressed with Roots Elevation now:

Truly AMAZING! I love it.

For more info check out Shadz here

Nicole Jackson
And the very last person I will mention in today’s blog is Nicole Jackson. She also came on stage with the Roots Elevation band to perform alongside JB & Shadz with the track entitled ‘Let me know’. I don’t have live footage of this song but you can check Types myspace to listen to it.

In the meantime, check out this vocal by Nicole in her bedroom:


Does she look familiar to you? Well that’s because she was on this years X-Factor and made it to the judges house:



I'm sure she'd rather forget that clip but I thought she was amazing and call me biased but I still think Dani should have picked Nicole for the finals!
For more info on Nicole, click here

New Central Spillz

Two Brand new Central Spillz tracks (produced by heavyweights Joker & Guido) will be available to download for FREE this week. For those that can't wait here are the vids

"How We Roll" produced by Joker



"Fear & Loathing In Bristol" produced by Guido



Check out Central Spillz's myspace here:
www.myspace.com/centralspillzmusic

I'll post up the download links when they're available, keep checking back!

Monday 9 November 2009

New This Week!

So, new this week I bring you...

Da Label-MTG Recordings Profile
Many people think they know Da Label but they don't know the history! Check the biography and their impressive discography:
http://www.m32connections.co.uk/profiles/dalabel/profile.html

$uge Profile.
$uge is a contributing member of Da Label MTG and an artist in his own right, get to know him more here:
http://www.m32connections.co.uk/profiles/suge/profile.html

Illusive/Eva Real Productions
Next up is a Dude is from Bath and tbh I don't know an awful lot about him but I think he is affiliated with Di-Wreck. He hasn't given a detailed biography so I'll deffo get in touch and find out more as I'm interested to know more about him myself.
http://www.m32connections.co.uk/profiles/EVAREAL/profile.html

Split Pupil
Bristol based rapper joins the m32connections webby:
http://www.m32connections.co.uk/profiles/Split%20Pupil/profile.html

If you wish to be featured on m32connections; please email a biography, pictures, any usable youtube videos (code) and 2 mp3's to: m32connections@hotmail.co.uk

I can also provide other services to artists but these may be charged for. Please get in touch if you need help with any type of promo or design work.

Jolo

Saturday 7 November 2009

RE - Best things in life are free Mixtape


The best things in life make you feel hype, make you want to bus' a little skank. The best things in life make you feel happy, sad and everything in between. The best things in life make you think, make you empathise, make you wonder. The Best Things In Life Are Free; a trite statement perhaps, but one that Bristolian rapper R.E. is doing his best to prove true, by giving away over 40 of his baddest studio tracks for ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

A truly talented lyricist, R.E. is equally at home spitting Hip Hop bars or riding Grime and Bassline riddims with alarming accuracy and pyrotechnic lyrical content. A member of Bristol's auspicious and highly regarded Da Label - M.T.G. crew since 2002, R.E. has perfected his craft and carved out a swathe of respect with a string of razor-sharp releases and guest appearances, cementing his status as one of the finest MCs the South West has to offer.

R.E's bars cover a broad spectrum of subjects; he is much more than the typical urban musician that UK Grime and Hip Hop have become so painfully accustomed to. At first listen, the subject matter seems to belie this, but dig deeper into R.E's psyche and you will find an introspective, deep, and sometimes painfully honest writer. Sharp wordplays and intelligent metaphors eke out tales of reality on the roads, showcasing the highs and lows, documenting gritty truths, rather than the artless braggadocio preferred by so many of his peers.

On the track Only god can judge me, R.E. muses on the trials and tribulations of trying to keep his hands clean in a dirty world; "The mortgages they offer me will get me just flats / I don't trust cats / I'm trying not to touch crack / Legal route's long, and pay's not much, that / got me feeling like fuck that". It is statements such as this that lend R.E's style such a unique perspective.

Baiting me up sees the lyricist contemplating his treatment of women past and present. R.E. eschews the usual unilateral approach to the subject of females in favour of a more real approach; from the opening gambit "Real talk, all these gyal tunes are baiting me up / it's alarming, but these things are waking me up" R.E. goes on to soliloquise about the guilty admissions that so many in his position deny feeling.

R.E. has put together a stunning mixtape, sure to be met with universal acclaim. The fact that it is free is astonishing, and indicitave perhaps of the cards that Da Label have up their collective sleeve. This lot are definitely ones to be watching. The best things in life really are free.

-Jim "Pins" Evans

DOWNLOAD THE MIXTAPE FOR FREE NOW!

http://www.sendspace.com/file/96tu94

check out the full profile on m32connections
http://www.m32connections.co.uk/profiles/RE/profile.html