Roll Deep - Eskimo Vocal Mix Download

Scratchy looking a bit like Death - picture from FACT magazine

Roll Deep's Street Anthems is out now, a compilation of various tracks and styles from their weighty history. The opening Eskimo Vocal Mix stands out; an unreleased track that slowly sunk and plopped on grime's bed, its memories were slyly washed away as other tunes made waves.

It's now been reclaimed.

Download: Roll Deep - Eskimo Vocal Mix

Minimal, avant-garde street music at its very best? It's banger.

I only planned to buy Street Anthems for the Eskimo Vocal Mix really. But since FACT magazine have put it up for free, fellow cheap-skates be proud and unite - you have seven days until it vanishes again.

Sorry Target.

The Adventures Of.. A Few Words With Manga

After whispers of his debut mixtape From 'There to Here' - only for a subsequent hush - Manga is back making noise with his solo project, 'The Adventures Of...'



With production from the likes of Wiley, Bless Beats and Danny Weed, Manga skippedy-skips over the beats on offer and, with clips from his pirate radio archive, The Adventures Of... gives the promo format fresh vitality.



Download: Manga - The Adventures Of...

I had to make sure Manga releasing something wasn't a hoax, so I had a few quick words with the man himself to dun any doubts.

So why the title The Adventures Of?

Well that title kinda just sprung to mind. I go a lot of places, I'm not the type of person who just stays in my area and sits down - I've done a lot of different things in my time in the scene that people don't know about, so they're like my little adventures. I thought it's time to share them.

The promo seems full and well-rounded; the radio clips give a sense of history and complement the newer styles of production here - it's different from any promo I've heard. Did you consciously look at what was out there before you released yours?

No. I've never looked at no-one else's promo - I had a clear idea of how I wanted mine to sound. The first idea for the promo was just to have my features and radio clips, simply because I've done a lot of Roll Deep work that people haven't heard. I've also been doing a lot of radio since I joined as well. But a lot of the younger listeners never knew any of that, so I wanted to show that I have been here for a while but at the same time I'm still fresh and relevant. So I done a few tracks and freestyles into the mix and now we have "The Adventures Of.."

The mixtape 'From There to Here' has been in the pipeline for a while - why Adventures Of now? Did you decide to just put something out there, or is the promo part of a plan that will incorporate the mixtape?

Yeah I had to put something out - everyone kept moaning at me! It got to the point where everyone in studio, on bookings and road kept asking where's the CD! I've started From There To Here about four times, but I've had a lot of trouble doing it. Two years ago I nearly finished it, but then the studio got closed down (so I lost all the stuff). I've even been recording my CD and the studio got robbed while I was in it, so I've had a bit of bad luck! Also Roll Deep has its own studio, but as you know there's a lot of us trying to do work at the same time and a lot of the time work gets merged or not finished. So I done the promo so there is something out in the world with my name on it before my CD's out.

Is the general sound of the promo similar to what the listeners can expect from the mixtape? When's From There to Here landing?

My first release won't sound like the promo. Not the fact it's mainly grime, just that I'm going to put a lot more thought into every track and the whole sound of the CD. The title "From There to Here" itself means a lot - it represents my journey from the first time I starting spitting to now (and everything in between), so I need to make sure it gives off the message I want it to. The way you make people feel with your music is way more important than what you say. I see my first release as my first words, so I need to make sure I get my points across properly from early. I'm in the studio most days now, so I'm getting more into a working motion. I'm not sure when it's gonna be out, but I'm working on it now.

While the promo is your time, what's the situation with Roll Deep? 'Street Anthems' has just landed but members seem to be on individual projects - will new Roll Deep material be heard any time soon?

Yeah Street Anthems is out now, 'Aim High: The Revolution' and 'Original Dan' are out at the end of the month and 'Wake Up' EP is out now. I think everyone's just found their stride now - it kinda got lost for a bit. We're working on a new album as well, and I think this one will be a lot better because everyone has become their artist. We're more of a unit of indviduals now, which I think is why people were attracted to Roll Deep in the first place.

If you want more having heard the promo, then you can always catch up with the very latest of Manga's adventures on Twitter.

Dizzee Rascal on Wiley & Roll Deep

What's good grime fans.

I've just seen that Dizzee was on Radio 1 today. His album is out shortly and Jo Whiley went to the Dirtee Stank HQ to chat and that.

I don't know how but, as is usually the case when Rascal's the topic, Wiley was lingering. I heard him on a track called Tupac Robot Club Rock by the Filthy Dukes. Nope, I've never heard of them either, but Wikipedia cites they're a 'synthopop' band. Granted, Wikipedia isn't the most trustworthy source but, then again, I'm in a rush.

Tupac Robot Club Rock


I could well be quite late on this, but still I thought the track was pretty decent. There wasn't time to properly gauge opinion though since Dizzee talked straight after (about 1h 10 mins) about Kate Moss, Kanye West, and a deluded girl asking whether he's single at the moment. Christopher Reeve apparently once said that 'once you choose hope, anything's possible' and - fair enough - he did go on to become Superman, but a pint of cold realism for the lady over there please.

A chap from Gloucester asked if Dizzee would ever make a grime album again:

'Grime to me in the first place was me just putting all the types of music I like together, and I'm still doing that.'

There's a few grime-heads out there holding onto Reevesian hope. But to all intents and purposes, that looks like a no.

Why did Dizzee leave Roll Deep?

'The fact that I'd already made an album and that everyone was dilly-dallying around...the fact that wherever Wiley got his album (was) because of me'.

Wiley did alright on Tupac Rock Club. And he's a grown man now, making his own way. People would call him bitter and childish.

I wouldn't mind a war-dub though.

"Right Now I'm Working On An Album, When It Comes Out It's Gonna Sell Like It's One Pound"

Having listened to a fair few radio sets in my time, I can say without much doubt that live radio can't be replicated. It's an immediate form, and Ghetts punching Silencer's Dirtbag right on the nose to start the set would have been even more gully in the moment.

This afternoon I willingly immersed myself into the Kisskube, arguably the clumsiest-named radio player on the net and, similar to David Blaine's willing immersion into that cube over the Thames, I found I couldn't get out. Every time I go into the Kube my computer freezes and whizzes frantically, as if on the wrong end of a virtual punch-up. It was a slog but things eventually got going, with even some new music to kick-off.

Roll Deep - Roll Deep Rally


J2K continues to breathe vitality into the entourage and, with the upbeat Swindle production, this is a nice little tune. Scratchy and Riko have featured quite a bit on the pirates recently, and hopefully recent momentum can be brought to the crew as a whole.

Still, where's Killa P?

Swindle's productions are at Spyro's mercy in a recent set with Purple and Realist. Have a listen. His instrumental CD, 'Cirriculum Vitae', is out on 30th March. Three days before, OT Crew's 'Left To Rot' should have landed. This should be on it.

O.T Crew - Military Strength (Radio Rip)


Dogzilla and Devlin have also been active on the pirates recently, as has Trim, who was Logan's first guest. He talked all yardie, emphasising his claims that he's one of, if not the best, yardie spitter in the game. An honourable mention was reserved for Doctor, and Riko was paternally referred to as 'the daddy'. I paused for thought.

Where's Killa P?

Ghetts had a laugh on the set while maintaining high levels of spitting. Wretch can still rhyme on grime with ease. It was a nice vibe, although it was compromised by the beat before Club 5. Someone tell me what it is. Please. It's driving me fucking mad.

Cheers.

Download the set here

TRACKLIST:

SILENCER // DIRT BAG
SILENCER // WORLD WAR 4
SILENCER // WORLD WAR 4 REMIX ?
SCHOLAR // 20 MINUTE MASSIVE
SILENCER // WIZARD
NOCTURNAL // VET
RAPID // NIGHT RYDER
RAPID // ???????????
SWINDLE // SWAGGER
WILEY // WREATH
MACABRE UNIT // TAKE TIME
????????? // ???????????
WILEY // CLUB 5
APPLE // MR BEAN ON DRUGS

'We Roll Deep Regular'

'it's an epic situation once again...'

J2K probably jumped about three guns on this one but I'll allow an MC his hyperbole and, in truth, Roll Deep with Karnage and Logan on deck is one of the better sets I've heard this year. Not that there's been a lot, but still. Better than being one of the shittier sets of the year.

Boy Better Know set trends and, with the release of the Microphone Champion studio set, they've given legitimacy to the medium and, in the process, half-established something that's well worth keeping. BBK get props for that, yet here Manga's not so sly references to Ed Hardy did cause mild alarm and, in the aftermath, the hope that the contagious disease of Ed Hardy and associated lyrical vacuousness doesn't spread like MRSA to other innocents in the scene who, really, I would like to think know better.

However I can't deny Manga a mention of cliche fashion if he so wishes, and the admission is easier given his performance here, amply proving he's a good MC and potentially a real asset to a crew with, in relation to the scene, frighteningly aging members. Flow Dan still has life in him since he provides energy in abundance on this set, and his impeccable flow still gets wheels, showing Manga the right path by bomming 'SKENG' down the mic and getting a straight reload. I've always rated Scratchy and it was good to hear him for the first time in too long. J2K fits in well into the crew, giving the impression he's been around for longer than he has been, and Killa P delivers characteristic hype.

Wiley of course wasn't present but Logan's selection was a nice touch, at one point dropping Sidewinder, Terrible and Flat Derek in succession, Scratchy's Shut Your Mouth, and bangers Eastern Jam and Gridlock. Karnage played newer beats from Maniac and Bless Beats, giving a good contrast between the two DJs.



Hopefully the set provides some good promotion for their new album release, Return of the Big Money Sound, which is available from 13 October 2008.