Sizzla - Chilling In Chile (Nylon Riddim)

What on earth is Sizzla on about here? Did he just need a word that would make rhymes for both 'family' and 'millions' or has he been taking holidays in the Andes recently?

I'm chilling in Chile, big up the family
Sizzla from out Jamaica, live in Santiago

MP3: Sizzla - Chilling In Chile

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Love is my message to the Chileans
Live in love keep on making the millions, billions
Respect your brothers, your sisters and all them civilians

Don't be silly, put down the 9 milli
And follow rasta man and dash weh the artillery
I rock to reggae music as we chilling in Chile

Still, it's a nice song on a great one drop instrumental by producer Shane Brown from Juke Boxx Productions.

Other vocals on the Nylon riddim come from Busy Signal, Richie Spice, Konshens, Assassin, Petah Heritage and Tarrus Riley:

MP3: Tarrus Riley - Start Anew

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Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 02 October 2008 | 6 comments

Blogariddims Terminus: Five Fevers in Six Minutes

After more than two years and 50 varied and excellent episodes, the collaborative mix/podcast project Blogariddims is wrapped up today with the final episode, Terminus.

Like the whole series, this mix is a joint effort, comprised of eleven minimixes contributed by ourselves, Paul Autonomic, John Eden, Paul Meme aka Grievous Angel, Matt B, The Rambler, Wayne&Wax, Droid, Nick Gutterbreakz, Halvard Halvorsen and DJ Flack:

Mix MP3: Blogariddims 50 - Terminus

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Our six minute selection is a tribute to one of my all time favourite reggae rhythms, Fever, first recorded by Horace Andy (pictured below) for Studio One in the 60s and versioned x-amount of times since.

The cuts featured here come from Horace Andy (Fever), Chronicle (Sexy Girls), Cobra (Love Fever), Flourgon (Bad Boy Tune) and Sugar Minott (Can't Stop Love It):

Mix MP3: The Heatwave - Five Fevers Mix

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Our three previous podcasts for the series, An England Story, La Ola De Calor and Roots, Reality & Culture have been downloaded an astonishing 30,000 times between them and will continue to be available online, and of course An England Story came out as an official compilation on Soul Jazz Records earlier this year.

Massive thanks to Droid and everyone else involved in Blogariddims for putting together such an interesting and consistently high quality sequence of mixes. Before it ends though, check out the next six minute section from Halvard Halvorsen to wind up the story...

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Tuesday 07 October 2008 | 2 comments

Allow me to reintroduce myself

Hi everyone. My name's Benjamin and I will be posting a few bits and bobs up here. I run Immediate Sounds alongside Gabriel and my brother Matthew. I like socialising with friends, listening to music and riding my bike on the weekend.

I will be rambling about grime and bashment and a few other things.

Here's a video from Giggs to get things started. Apparently he came up fom the dirt like a parsnip.

Posted by Benjamin_D | Friday 10 October 2008 | Add a comment

What makes Goodz so good?

Everyone loves a bit of emceeing. There's fast emceeing, there's smooth emceeing, there's overweight emceeing. Each emcee has got a funny little voice they use to shout and mumble over drums and beeps. It's how the whole thing works.

Obviously, certain styles strike you as more tasty than others. You're partial to a bit of Kano, you dabble in some Eksman of a weekend. You don your jogging sneakers and pop the earphones in ready for some Burro Banton. Thats the way the world works. Emcees narrate and shout, guiding us through the foggy passages. We just nod along gratefully.

When it's all finished there will be a few emcees you remember more vividly. Rocking in your chair, dribbling, you'll let your crumbling noggin drift back to the good old days. I'm fairly sure my own senile wanderings will take me directly to the Goodzman.

Mix: Durrty Goodz & Logan Sama - iGrime Podcast

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Durrty Goodz is basically the best around. His flow is like if they could train scorpions to talk in tongues. He is a wizard made of ice. His style is precise and mathematical with the perfect yardsman lilt; he swaggers on the beat eating bass like he's half starving.

It was obvious really. If you gave birth to 20,000 kids in 1980 and raised them all on dancehall, hip hop, jungle and eventually garage - you would expect to get one excellent emcee. Goodz is that guy. It was obviously going to happen. It's just a probability game.

Oh, and by the way, Goodz is coming to sing at our dance next week.

Posted by Benjamin_D | Friday 10 October 2008 | 11 comments

The Heatwave Chart - October 2008

Another massive single from Busy Signal, who's having a great 2008 and has just released his second album, Loaded.

Brand new collaborations from Mr Vegas/Aaron LaCrate and Grievous Angel/Rubi Dan continue to draw the lines between bashment and dance music.

Collie Buddz drops a sweet vocal on the Prison Oval Rock rhythm used for Mr Vegas's Mus Come A Road and Beenie Man & TOK join forces on the hype Money Tree riddim.

Plus the former Jamaican number one from newcomer Konshens, Winner, gets a hip hop refix courtesy of D&H to give us yet another vocal on Lil Wayne's A Milli beat.

1. Busy Signal - Ackee Tree - listen
2. Mr Vegas, Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir - Oh My Gosh - listen
3. Jazmine Sullivan - Need U Bad (Crazy Cousinz Remix)
4. Grievous Angel & Rubi Dan - Move Down Low (Funky Remix)
5. Beenie Man & TOK - Trapped (Money Tree Riddim) - listen
6. Collie Buddz - Hustle (Prison Oval Rock Riddim) - listen
7. Timberlee - Heels (Benny Hill Riddim) - listen
8. Konshens - Winner (D&H A Milli Refix) - listen
9. Enur feat Beenie Man & Natalie Storm - Whine - listen
10. Sizzla - Chilling In Chile (Nylon Riddim) - listen

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 15 October 2008 | 1 comment

Welcome to Ben Dubstar

Just a quick one to (re)introduce Ben Dubstar, who runs the Immediate Sounds nights we've been involved in recently and who will be posting on the Heatwave blog from time to time...

His first post was all about the irrepressible Durrty Goodz, who's performing at the Get Me vs Immediate Sounds night in West London this Friday.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 15 October 2008 | Add a comment

The Heatwave on Radio 1

We were featured on Rob Da Bank's Sunday night Radio 1 show this week with an hour long mix and a short interview.

The mix covers the A to Z of The Heatwave, from Alison Hinds to Zebra - signature Heatwave club tunes and personal favourites from the past.

You can download the mix from our website or listen to the whole show including interview on the BBC iPlayer.

The show will be available there until Sunday night - our segment starts at 59.40.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 15 October 2008 | 1 comment

Durrty Goodz live PA this Friday

This Friday we're doing our third Immediate Sounds night, this time alongside West London promoters Get Me. Highlight of the night will be a rare live PA from grime/hip hop/bashment MC Durrty Goodz.

Ben from Immediate Sounds has already outlined Goodz's good points, but here's some more video footage in the unlikely event that you still need convincing:

As well as showcasing his flawless flow, here Goodz sheds light on the varied influences that have shaped him. Which range from 80s dancehall artists like Super Cat and Nicodemus to soundsystems like Stereo Mars and Killamanjaro to his uncle playing him Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions and a teenage Goodz "spitting lyrics over jungle round the time when Snoop Dogg dropped".

In the same video he puts himself alongside the likes of Ninjaman, Sizzla and Bounty Killer. It seems audacious, but while he may not have the stage presence, back catalogue or hooks of these artists, when it comes to his flow he's right.

Producer/DJ/writer Blackdown, who hooked us up with Goodz's management for this Friday's booking, says that the Firin' Squad video featured in Ben's post was a real inspiration for this video for Dusk & Blackdown's debut album, Margins Music:

Finally, Get Me promoter and DJ Lixo has a wicked new mix out which you can download from zShare.

The mix features artists like Mujava, Warrior Queen, Tayo, Kid Cudi, Buraka Som Sistema, Dizzee Rascal, Boy 8 Bit, The Bug and Diplo. Plus it opens with an Alan Partridge intro and a B-more remix of Congo Natty's Junglist. Big.

Get the full tracklist from Lixo's blog.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 15 October 2008 | Add a comment

Video: Conquering Lion - Code Red

Back in the day video selection from an incredible 14 years ago: Conquering Lion's ragga jungle classic featuring vocals from Reggie Stepper, Super Cat and General Degree:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Friday 17 October 2008 | Add a comment

Trevor ‘Toaster’ McDonald on the mic

Who knew that Trevor McDonald had a second career as a reggae artist?

MP3: Trevor McDonald - Sweet Like Candy

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Actually, Trevor's not a musical hitmaker from Jamaica but a British newsreader from Trinidad & Tobago and this tune is Sweet Like Candy by Winston Williams.

But his voice here is similar to Trevor's and even Williams's friendly advice could be an anchorman's corny sign off at the end of the news:

"Let's live and let others live"
"Be smart, don't go breaking each other's heart"

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Friday 17 October 2008 | Add a comment

Randy’s 50th Anniversary (VP Records)

To celebrate its 50th year in the music business, New York-based reggae label VP Records is releasing a double CD/DVD collection this month.

Vincent and Patricia Chin opened their record shop Randy's in 1958 and then a studio at 17 North Parade in the early 60s before they relocated to the US in the 70s and founded VP Records.

Reggae Anthology: Randy's 50th Anniversary brings together 50 of the greatest productions from Studio 17, featuring musical icons like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, The Skatalites and Dennis Brown.

We've got three pairs of tickets to give away for the launch party this Friday 24th October at Brixton Town Hall. Just send an email to info@theheatwave.co.uk to claim your prize!

If you can't make the party, check the video below for a sneak preview of the anniversary DVD:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Monday 20 October 2008 | Add a comment

Night Slugs bring Trouble and Bass to London

This Thursday, South London promoters Night Slugs are doing a free party at East Village in Shoreditch with New York's Trouble & Bass crew featuring Drop the Lime, The Captain, Star Eyes and Math Head.

For a flavour of what you'll hear on the night, check out the latest Sub FM radio show from resident DJs Bok Bok and L-Vis 1990 featuring UK house, heavyweight bassline and more.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 22 October 2008 | Add a comment

Durrty Goodz live recording and video acapella

The live recording and photos of Durrty Goodz's live set at our night Get Me vs Immediate Sounds last week are now online.

Plus an Goodz did us an exclusive video acapella outside the club:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 22 October 2008 | 1 comment

Dark side of the tune part 1

Read Ben's Dark side of the tune part 2

We were discussing - at some point or other, driving back from somewhere in the street light - the glories and the pitfalls of 'dark' music. Shady, political, mysterious, haunting - music that does not immediately make you want to grab a lovely member of the opposite sex, but floods you with different, equally excellent urges. Throwing bricks at the police for example, kicking in shop windows, sulking in a corners. That sort of thing.

The Heatwave has always pushed the upbeat, the big, the bad, the juggling. it's about trying to play the music that makes people start smiling and jumping around. Or shaking and whining around. Whatever. But happy music. Filter it out a bit, select the stuff you like, but generally it's just a good time party vibe.

There's obviously a flipside to all that. Some of my favourite bashement and reggae songs are absolutely not 'dancehall-friendly', far more likely to clear the floor than anything. When I do play that stuff out it's like a countdown until, "can you play something we can dance to"...

Personally, I love that shit. The unfriendly, uncommercial, unpleasant rawness. Music that doesn't smother you in cotton wool and tell you it's all going to be fine, or give you a candlelit massage safely tucked up in your lovely comfort zone.

Here is a Sizzla tune I was obsessed with for a while, and a Bounty Killer song which also helps to illustrate the point.

MP3: Sizzla - Love Is All

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MP3: Bounty Killer - Look

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Posted by Benjamin_D | Thursday 23 October 2008 | 3 comments

Beauty and The Beast riddim

Two complementary halves of a brand new rhythm track from TJ Records, produced by Teetimus and Daseca, which is already being compared to the classic Diwali riddim.

MP3: Teetimus and Daseca - Beauty Riddim

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Beauty doesn't have the same percussive propulsion as Lenky's all-conquering instrumental, but the lush R'n'B synths, prominent handclaps and customised mixes for different voicings are certainly reminiscent of the 2002 global smash hit.

It's also got a melodic, radio-friendly feel that gives it the potential to cross over like Diwali did. It's easy to imagine American R'n'B singers jumping on this - let's just hope they ride the rhythm better than Lumidee did!

My favourite track on the rhythm is probably Deh Pon The Scene, on which Mr Vegas (pictured) advertises his retirement from dancehall: "Ladies you know this is the final one for you". Hopefully his idea of retirement is closer to that of Jay-Z or Wiley rather than Super Cat or Grandpa Simpson.

MP3: Mr Vegas - Deh Pon The Scene

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Other standout vocals on Beauty come from Chino and Voicemail - I love the way on Chino's version the handclaps are doubled to switch up the beat.

MP3: Chino - Style It

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MP3: Voicemail - Put It Up

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The Beauty and the Beast concept is nice too, with two related rhythms voiced by two sets of artists released simultaneously. The Beast is a darker, militaristic version of the same core idea, featuring more hardcore or gangster vocals by the likes of Aidonia, Mavado, Demarco and Bugle (pictured).

MP3: Teetimus and Daseca - The Beast Riddim

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It's a shame, though, that the division of labour between the riddims is so stark, with Beauty being dominated by singers - artists like Busy Signal, Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel would undoubtedly deliver outstanding cuts on such a good rhythm track. But I'd be surprised if more people don't jump on the riddim if it proves to be a dancehall hit, so that's something to look forward to.

If anything I favour Beauty - I guess for the sort of reasons outlined by Ben Dubstar in his recent post on dark tunes - but The Beast is still a powerful production and there's some great voicings on it. Notably, and not surprisingly given the form they've been on this year, Mavado and Bugle both set the bar high with impressive vocals.

MP3: Mavado - Gangsta Nuh Play

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MP3: Bugle - Hypocrite Friend

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The multi-talented Demarco (pictured), as proficient on the mic as behind a mixing desk, also smacks it. His dual style flips between haunting auto-tune falsetto and the authoritative boom of his MCing.

MP3: Demarco - No Fear

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Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 23 October 2008 | 10 comments

Gigs in London and Bristol this weekend

This Friday is our monthly London residency at Salmon & Compass in Islington - a Halloween bashment special with the best in brand new and classic dancehall reggae and Caribbean rave music. Henry Heatwave is down from Bristol to play alongside Gabriel and Rubi Dan.

We've got a couple of places on the free guestlist to give away to the first two people who send an email to info@theheatwave.co.uk.

If you can't make it down, why not enjoy watching this video of Durrty Goodz performing his track Reloadz at our recent night Get Me vs Immediate Sounds:

And on Saturday night we're heading up to Bristol to play at the city's infamous superclub, Lakota, alongside the likes of Sinden, Herve, Marcus Intalex, Detboi, Annie Mac and the Ruffnek Diskotek crew:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 30 October 2008 | Add a comment