From the vaults: mix for Sinden’s show on Kiss FM

A half hour mix from November 2007 that I uploaded to the website for the first time recently. Features specials from YT and Yungun alongside remixes by ourselves, Sinden and Paul Beats and tunes by the likes of Ghislain Poirier, TOK and Voltio:

MP3: The Heatwave - Mix for Sinden on Kiss FM

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And while I'm here...don't miss the scorching x-rated live set that Warrior Queen did with me on our Rinse FM show a couple of weeks ago, riding 80s and 90s dancehall riddims for nearly an hour:

MP3: Warrior Queen & Gabriel Heatwave - Live on Rinse FM

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Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 01 July 2009 | 2 comments

Natalie Storm - Get In and Hot Fuck

Two brand new tracks from Natalie Storm, one of the most exciting dancehall artists to come through in the last year or so. I'm particularly excited that she'll be voicing a track on an upcoming Heatwave release, the Popcorn riddim. More on that coming soon...

In the meantime, she's been working with Prodigal from Swatch International, voicing the saucy and breathless Get In on the grimey grind of the Stripper riddim:

MP3 preview: Natalie Storm - Get In | Buy full track

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Natalie's never been one to stick to straight up dancehall sounds and is as comfortable vocalling house and electro instrumentals as she is on bashment riddims.

On Hot Fuck, New York DJ Stretch Armstrong adds a dirty Bmore-style beat to the hype slackness of the vocals by Natalie Storm and Jigsy:

MP3 preview: Natalie Storm & Jigsy - Hot Fuck Remix | Buy full track

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Natalie has also been stepping out from the vocal booth and getting busy behind the mixing desk recently. She's currently putting the finishing touches to her first productions, the Cheese Trix and Firestorm riddims.

Vocalists on the tracks include Sizzla, Macka Diamond, Ward 21, Tiki and Charly Black. In Ms Storm's own words:

"The Cheese Trix ah go hard, it have a different vibe so far than Firestorm because it has more of an original dancehall feel. And because so much R'n'B out there in dancehall, we’re bringing back the good old hardcore dancehall days".

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 02 July 2009 | 3 comments

Born Inna Babylon and Joyride soundclash on Rinse FM

Two fifteen minute excerpts from our Rinse FM show on Thursday 2nd July that I'm featuring here: a preview of YT's new album Born Inna Babylon and a focus on three recent relicks of Dave Kelly's classic Joyride riddim.

You can also download the whole show from the archive page on this site. And don't miss tonight's show featuring David Boomah and Rubi Dan spitting over new and classic dancehall riddims.

Christopher Birch's tribute to Joyride, the Baddaz riddim, was released last year with vocals from the likes of Busy Signal, Vybz Kartel and Beenie Man.

Two more new relicks of the rhythm track have surfaced in the last month or so: Sweet Ride by Richard 'Shams' Browne and Good Ride courtesy of Fire Ball Records.

On last week's show I played a couple of vocals on each version to compare and contrast the different productions. I think Birch's bassy Baddaz comes out on top, but I love how Shams switches up the beat with a Dem Bow-style drum pattern - and Pressure's tune on Good Ride is one of the strongest vocals on any of the new Joyrides.

Let me know in the comments box below which of the three versions you're feeling the most...

MP3: Gabriel Heatwave - Joyride Relick Soundclash

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• Richard 'Shams' Browne - Sweet Ride Riddim
• Mr Vegas - Long Time (Sweet Ride)
• Hawkeye - Gimmie My Own (Sweet Ride)
• Spice - I Need A Good Ride (Good Ride)
• Pressure - Good Vibes (Good Ride)
• Beenie Man - Mek De Money (Good Ride)
• Christopher Birch - Baddaz Riddim
• Busy Signal - Hustle (Baddaz)
• Vybz Kartel & Lisa Hype - How You Do It Like Dat (Baddaz)

Also on last week's show, I ran a few tunes from the latest album by UK dancehall reggae sensation YT. The album, Born Inna Babylon, is out now on Sativa Records and features collaborations with the likes of Daddy Freddy, Million Stylez, Shola Ama, Blackout JA and Skinnyman.

The production levels are consistently high and YT's biting lyrics are a lesson to less gifted MCs - especially when he's explicitly pointing out their deficiencies on Write Some Lyrics.

You can buy the album direct from Sativa Records for only £7 or download the digital release from Amazon.

MP3: Gabriel Heatwave - Born Inna Babylon album preview

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• YT - Born Inna Babylon
• YT - Mr Politician
• YT & Daddy Freddy - Who Dem Think Dem Is
• YT - Write Some Lyrics

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 09 July 2009 | 2 comments

Video: Ms Dynamite & The Nextmen - The Lion’s Den

New track from The Nextmen alongside Groove Armada's Andy Cato featuring Ms Dynamite on vocals.

It looks like 2009 is the year that her bashment flow makes a permanent comeback - tunes with Sticky and Geeneus so far plus this and a vocal for DJ Zinc coming soon as well...

I'm playing alongside The Nextmen at the Big Chill House third birthday this Thursday - come down for some animated ninja action.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Monday 13 July 2009 | 1 comment

The Heatwave Chart - July 2009

Too many big tunes this month so I've done separate charts for dancehall and funky bashment. Stush and Busy Signal take the top spots.

Dancehall

1. Busy Signal - Picante
2. Mavado - Sweetest Time (Fitness Riddim)
3. Alison Hinds - Wine To Deh Back (Patti Cake Riddim)
4. Vybz Kartel - Bicycle (Triple Bounce Riddim)
5. Beenie Man - Gaza Mi Seh
6. Gyptian - Life Hard (Coming In From The Cold Riddim)
7. Busy Signal - Like A Shaker
8. Pressure - Good Vibes (Good Ride Riddim)
9. Supa Hype - Weed Flex (Birthday Sex Riddim)
10. Busta Rhymes, Bounty Killer & Mavado - Kill Dem (Remix)

Don't miss our showcase at Fabric on 7th August with Sticky, Hard House Banton, Doctor and Lady Chann, or a two hour funky bashment special on next week's Rinse FM show...

Funky bashment

1. Stush & Hard House Banton - We Nah Run (Sirens Riddim)
2. Ms Dynamite & Geeneus - Crackish
3. Doctor - Go Down (Inflation Riddim)
4. Busy Signal & Sami Sanchez - Da Style Deh (The Heatwave Refix)
5. Serani - No Games (DJ Target Roll Deep Remix)
6. Garrison Hawk - Sweet Music (Crazy Cousinz Remix)
7. Tower T & JT Royal - Funky Swing
8. 321 feat Keflon & Rubi Dan - Bring It Back (Ill Blu Remix)
9. Maxwell D & Sticky - Uno Dos Tres Gotcha (Jack It Up Riddim)
10. Mavado - No More (Bless Beats Remix)

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 22 July 2009 | Add a comment

Hot Wuk, Secret Garden Party and FWD>> this weekend

After playing The Glade festival, Hospitality in Bristol and the Big Chill House third birthday bash last weekend, we've got another triple whammy lined up for the next few days.

First up is Hot Wuk on Thursday night - free dancehall reggae, bashment and Caribbean rave music in King's Cross from 9pm to 1am:

On Saturday night I'll be playing the Valley of the Antics stage at Secret Garden Party from 12 midnight:

And then on Sunday night I'm warming up for Plastician and Cooly G at FWD>>, playing a funky bashment set to get things moving:

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 22 July 2009 | Add a comment

Sticky in a sticky situation

Sticky, one of the producers at the forefront of the funky bashment crossover that's doing so much right now, had his studio broken into last week.

Awful news - everything was taken, even the acoustic tiles. And most importantly, hard drives containing 10 years of work and undoubtedly a whole heap of unfinished bangers. In Sticky's own words:

My studio got robbed on Saturday night. They took everything! I dont understand! Took my hard drives as well with all my work.

I can deal with everything else, but my hard drives? That's all my work in the last ten years. It not fair! No one deserves that to happen to them.

Have to stay positive! All i wish for is my hard drives back. That's all I ask.

At the risk of making a slightly crass link, this seems like a good time to feature Sticky's collaboration with Lady Chann, Sticky Situation, a big, bassy and bashy garage bouncer:

MP3: Lady Chann & Sticky - Sticky Situation

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In other, happier, funky bashment-related news, DJ and producer Sami Sanchez has apparently woken from the coma he's been in since being attacked outside a club he was playing at a couple of months ago.

Hopefully he'll make a full recovery and can get back involved in the UK/JA crossovers we were talking about before this all happened. I know he's gonna love the Tifa special and Busy Signal refix I've done of his tunes Dirty Trumpet and Dirty Salsa.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Friday 24 July 2009 | 5 comments

Rinse show tonight, Amsterdam on Saturday

On tonight's Rinse show I'll be playing a full two hours of UK funky vs JA bashment. Expect to hear x-amount of exclusives, specials and Heatwave refixes. Listen live at www.rinse.fm or tune in on 100.4FM from 1am tonight...

This Saturday me and Rubi Dan are heading to Amsterdam for the Raw Rhythm Festival where we're playing alongside the likes of Hard House Banton, Dizzee Rascal, General Levy and Toddla T.

Posted by Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 30 July 2009 | Add a comment