So the new site is up and running, thanks for bearing with us whilst we adjusted things. It’s rough around the edges (yes the whole thing is a bit wide) and some bits aren’t even here yet. Most importantly though everything works (there or there abouts) so we can get on with the most important thing – posting – whilst we tidy it up. The address is different, www.pipedownson.com, so adjust your bookmarks, links are RSS feeds accordingly. Let us know what you think, because you probably know what you want better than we do…

http://www.pipedownson.com

‘Make Me Try’ is a musical collective I’m associated with based in York. It’s not really a band or production team as such, more an amalgamation of musicians with an assortment of different disciplines collaborating from time to time as dictated by circumstance. No fixed membership, no fixed agenda, no win no fee.

This track is one I had very little to do with and I’m pretty sure it’s the best thing Make Me Try have concocted (so make your own minds up about what I bring to the table production-wise). This nostalgia ridden cover of Sweet Female Attitude’s UKGarage classic ‘Flowers’ takes down the tempo and removes the hype but leaves behind a hazy and slightly melancholy imprint of two-step rhythms past. I was 10 years old when the original of this track came out but listening to this I’m almost certain I was falling in love in Aiya Napa not playing with Pikachu in primary school…

Make Me Try – Fourteen Petal Flower

This one comes courtesy of fabric; Starkey in the mix for BBC 1Xtra. The mix features a few tracks from his forthcoming album aswell as a hell of a lot of artists to get you excited about this year. That’s including our own Sduk whose track Clunge is out on Starkey’s own label Slit Jockey in a few weeks (if you didn’t know already). There’s also a wicked interview with Starkey on the fabric blog that’s well worth a read, he plays fabric on the 15th, alongside Trojan Soundsystem, Tayo, Lil Silva, Geeneus and more, check their website for more details…

Starkey – BBC 1Xtra mix

TRACKLIST
Starkey “Fidelio” (planet mu)
SDUK “Clunge” (slit jockey)
Slugabed “Ultra Heat Treated” (planet mu)
Kuedo “Glow” (planet mu)
NastyNasty “Four Letter Word” (dub)
Starkey “Rain City” (rwina)
R. Kelly “Bangin the Headboard” (jive)
Mosca “Square One (Bok Bok remix)” (night slugs)
Kaiser “Lost in an Analogue Dream” (slit jockey)
Gorilla Zoe “Lost (Starkey remix)” (adult swim/bad boy south)
Starkey “Capsule” (planet mu)
Starkey ft. Badness “OK Luv” (planet mu)
Gemmy “The Midnite Drive” (dub)
Kano “Rock N Roller (Starkey remix)” (bpm)
Bon Iver “Woods (Starkey remix)” (dub)

What a way to start 2010. Today Bok Bok let loose a new mix to mark the start of the year. This is pretty much all unreleased stuff, forthcoming cuts from the Hyperdub, Numbers, Butterz, Fool’s Gold and Blunted Robots labels. Oh and of course, Night Slugs, Bok Bok and L-Vis’ brand new label, first release is Mosca Square One, which I’ll flag up near the time you can hear two cuts in this mix anyway. This IS how the start of 2010 is going to sound. Get to know.

Bok Bok – Jan 2010 Mix

TRACKLIST
MR MAGEEKA – Diffrent Lekstrix [Numbers]
APHRODISIAX – Unfinished Business
EGYPTRIXX – The Only Way Up [Night Slugs]
DVA – Natty [Hyperdub]
BEEZY – Dejavoodoo (GEENEUS remix)
MOSCA – Nike [Night Slugs]
COOLY G – Digitally Higher
GIRL UNIT – I.R.L [Night Slugs]
BOK BOK – Citizens Dub ft Bubbz [Blunted Robots]
BOK BOK – Hands Riddim (JAHDAN vocal)
ENDGAMES – Ecstasy (JAM CITY Refix) [Night Slugs]
BOK BOK – Ripe Banana VIP
TERROR DANJAH – Sidechain (D.O.K Remix)
MOSCA – Square One (BOK BOK Remix) [Night Slugs]
UNTOLD – Bad Girls
KINGDOM – Mind Reader (BOK BOK Dub) [Fool's Gold]
2562 – Love In Outer Space
BAD AUTOPSY – MAG (Rare Cymbals Version)

No chance was we going to miss this one. Arguably the biggest collaboration track of oh nine with a twist from one of our favorites, Nosaj Thing. I need say no more…

Drake Feat. Kanye West,Lil Wayne & Eminem – Forever (Nosaj Thing Remix)

It seems everyones picks from the year just gone have already been up for a few weeks now but here’s ours on New Years Eve, a moment of brief reflection before heading forwards. Oh, ever forwards.

All four of us (Sduk, SimonSays, Jack and myself) have chosen 10 tunes that made 2009 for us, they may not necessarily be the best, but they shaped our year and made it what it was. We’ve then mixed them all into an hour, which seemed like a nice idea at the time but was pretty hard to put together, we had to draw for Ableton at the end, it’s definitely very eclectic. But I think that’s appropriate, 2009 was a year of styles coming together and of crowds being happy to be at the receiving end of a wide palette of sounds chucked at them in a dance.

So 40 tunes, 60 minutes, hope it says something of the year gone by to you, it certainly does for us. 2009 after all was the year we started this thing and yes we do have plans for 2010, they’ll begin to appear over the next few weeks. Have a good one…

Pipedown – Favourites from 2009

TRACKLIST
Phoenix – Lisztomania
Luke Vibert – We Hear You
Dam Funk – Hood Pass Intact
Passion Pit – Little Secrets
Débruit – Persian Funk
Joker – Digidesign (Om Unit Pop Lock Remix)
Invisible – London Girl
Floating Points – Love Me Like This (Nonsense Dub)
Gold Panda – Quitters Raga
D-Bridge – Wonder Where
The Big Pink – Velvet
Sleigh Bells – Crown On The Ground
Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Hudson Mohawke – Gluetooth
Drake – Killers
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Party Started
Dirty Projectors – Stillness In The Move
Burial & Four Tet – Moth
Cooly G – Love Dub Refix
The xx – Islands
Dorian Concept – Trillingual Dance Sexperience
Sticky – Jack It Up
Zed Bias – Neighbourhood 09 (Roska Remix)
Miike Snow – Animal (Fake Blood Remix)
Major Lazer – Pon Di Floor
Lil’ Silva – Different (Kingdomm Remix)
Mosca – Nike (Club Edit)
Rylski – From The Box
Florence & The Machine – You Got The Love (The xx Remix)
Joy Orbison – Hyph Mngo
Bok Bok – NNTF09
Crystal Fighters – I Love London (Brackles Remix)
Starkey – Gutter Music (feat. Durrty Goodz)
BD1982 – Space Boots (Slugabed Remix)
Tempa T – Next Hype
Ramadanman – Revenue (Untold Remix)
Starkey – Rain City
Mark Pritchard – Wind It Up (feat. Oh’Mas Keith)
Guido – Chakra
Untold – Stop What You’re Doing (James Blake Remix)

I don’t think there’s really been a song that’s captured the imagination of as many people within this relatively small niche this year as Hyph Mngo. Since both Bok Bok and Blackdown raved about it, it’s probably the only tune that’s got close to being overplayed, hell it was Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record In The World. It was with a bit of doubt I stuck this on, a Christmas present from Andreas Saag aka Swell Session, a reinterpretation of that tune, Hyph Mngo. But boy did that doubt quickly disappear, simply put this is an 8 minute house version of the original, it keeps everything that made the original so special, the vocal, the warm, euphoric synth line and stop rhythms. This is the perfect tribute, celebratory and ever so joyful. An absolutely essential download.

Joy Orbison – Hyph Mngo (Andreas Saag’s House Perspective)

Sorry for the lack of posts around here in the pre-Christmas run. We’re working on something very exciting that we’ll announce in the new year and we’ve got our end of year thing coming probably NYE (don’t worry it isn’t a list). But in the week before Christmas there was a heap of mixtapes dropped that you may have missed whilst your hand was up a turkey or something.

First up, Rinse FM DJ Braiden in the mix for Discobelle. A very varied mix through house, techno and grime, exactly the sort of thing you’d hear at Night Slugs. And like all the other offerings in the Mixin’ It Up series be sure to look at the original post as he writes a bit about the mix and each individual track. Braiden is also a sick photographer, check his work here.

Braiden – Mixin’ It Up for Discobelle.net

TRACKLIST
Aphex Twin – Windowlicker (Run Jeremy Edit)
Deadboy – Ifuwantme
Japanese Telecom – Japanese Animation
Little Jinder – Youth Blood (Bok Bok Remix)
Mark Henning – Sick Note
Greena – Actual Pain
Alden Tyrell – Disco Lunar Module
Major Lazer – Pon De Floor
Housemeister – Rambo
Martin Kemp – No Charisma
L-Vis 1990 – Untitled
Pangaea – Sunset Yellow
Dizzee – Stop Dat
Crystal Fighters – I Love London [Brackles remix]
Ruff Sqwad – RSMD

Next up one of the most distinct sounds of 2009, Untold. His offering for one of the most consistent podcasts, Electronic Explorations, is something a bit different to what you may have expected. In his own words “join the dots between some of the housey UK tunes that have come out of dubstep and funky with US house that sounds like dubstep”. Most of the stuff is as of yet unreleased, BIG.

Untold – Electronic Explorations 92 (direct link, right-click save-as)

TRACKLIST
A Made Up Sound – Sun touch (Unreleased)
Cooly G – Weekend fly (Hyperdub)
Martyn – Hear me (Zomby mix) (Forthcoming 3024)
Mosca – Square one (L-Vis 1990 remix) (Forthcoming Night Slugs)
Julio Bashmore – Batak groove (Unreleased)
Roska and Untold – Long range (Unreleased)
Marlon D – Jesus Creates Sound (Strictly Rhythm)
Thommy Davis – Mars Needs women (Code red)
Roska and Untold – Myth (Unreleased)
Mark Henning – The right time (Chris Simmonds remix) (Forthcoming Hypercolour)
Justin Drake – Gotta let me know (Dj Sneak remix) (Tsuba)
Reboot – Enjoy music (Defected)
Deadboy – If you want me (Forthcoming Numbers)
Julio Bashmore – Banda 2 (Unreleased)
Plasmik – Retune (Forthcoming Hypercolour)
Ation – Lovers dub (Forthcoming ABUCS)

Darkstar’s Aidy’s Girl Is A Computer is without a doubt one of the tunes of the year. But with an album coming and ever-pending live show be excited for 2010. This mix for 20 Jazz Funk Greats is the perfect example of computers making soul music.

Darkstar – XXJFG Mix (direct link, right-click save-as)

TRACKLIST
Charles Dodge – When I am With You
Snap – Rhythm is a Dancer (Mux Mool Edit)
Actress – Purple Splash
Jay Dilla – Its Funk Kay…. Its OK
Charles Dodge – He Destroyed Her Image
Theophilus London – Cold Pillow
Instra:Mental – Watching You
Unknown – Unknown
Zackey Force Funk – Zackey’s Style
Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You (Mux Mool Edit)
<<>> – Know You
Charles Dodge – The Days Are Ahead
Darkstar – Aidy’s Girl Is A Computer
Lee Fields and The Expressions – My World Is Empty Without You
Unknown – Unknown

And lastly, R1 Ryders. Make no mistake you’ll be hearing alot more of them soon. They make their own sound Funkitek, which is basically, a hyped-up, souped-up version of funky, imagine if Tigger made funky or something. As you can see from the tracklist this too is packed full of exclusives and unreleased stuff. Big is definately the word.

R1 Ryders – Bah Humbug Mix

TRACKLIST
R1 Ryders – Bah Humbug Dub (CDR)
Jan Driver – Rat Alert (Music Man Records)
Dotstar – Dirty Bass (CDR)
Emvee – Freak Meesha (CDR)
R1 Ryders – Skankout Dub (CDR)
The Count & Sinden – Strange Things (R1 Ryders Funkitek Refix) (Domino Records)
Mosca – Nike (Night Slugs)
Brackles – Untitled (CDR)
Geeneus Feat Miss Dynamite – Get Low (CDR)
R1 Ryders – Hydraulic (CDR)
Major Lazer – Pon De Floor (R1 Ryders Funkitek Refix) (CDR)
Brown Acid – Bastard Kids (Ikonika Remix) (CDR)
R1 Ryders – Rubberband VIP (R1 Ryders)
New Sound Therapy – House Music (CDR)
Vato Gonzalez – Badman Riddim (CDR)
New Sound Therapy – Tribalsteppin (CDR)
R1 Ryders – Karni4 (CDR)
Fis T – Night Hunter (CDR)
Breakage Feat Newham Generals – Hard (Digital Soundbwoy)
Emvee – Repeat Me (CDR)
Ill Blu – Blu Magic (R1 Ryders Dub) (CDR)
R1 Ryders – Karni4 Refix (CDR)
Joy Orbison – Hyph Mngo (Hotflush)
R1 Ryders – Intellitek (CDR)

New Years Eve is always an odd one, for some it’s the best night of the year, others the most disappointing. Sduk and me will be playing at The Old Blue Last, they’ve asked their favourite 8 promoters to host 2 hours each, we’re part of Goldsmith’s Bass Society bit. Kate Bones, Cool For Cats, No Pain In Pop and Dance Magic Dance are downstairs. Fuck the White Board, Pearl Flash, Dollop, Goldsmiths Bass Society are upstairs. Also man like Solo will be stepping and playing the midnight set bringing 2010 with some fine house music. And it’s FREE before 9pm, £10 after and £7 advance which is mere pennies compared to most other nights. Come down if you got nout else to do, I’m sure we’ll find an after party somewhere too :).

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