News: Free MP3 download to celebrate Animal Collective's next single

Animal Collective are releasing the next single from their rather glorious Merriweather Post Pavillion album on June 29.  The sunny psychedelia of 'Summertime Clothes' is undoubtably a highlight from an already pretty damn awesome album so if, for whatever reason, you are yet to check out the album then make sure you have a listen.  The band recently performed the song live on Letterman, check it out:

The single comes backed with a collection of remixes (one of which is by current retro whizz kid Zomby).  If you can't wait or just fancy a free download then the band's label Domino are giving away one of the mixes for free (well, in exchange for the usual personal data) over at the Domino website.  You'll get the Dam-Funk Remix there - is a warm, dubby affair - BlackPlastic has a temptation to feel that remixes of material this good are kind of pointless but this mix does a pretty good job of putting a nice spin on the original.

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Single Review: Minor Riot - 10 Rapid

Having recently got props from Evil Nine and Streetlife DJs you might know what to expect from 10 Rapid, and you'd probably be right...

'Minor Riot' is a dirty little hand grenade of a track.  With horror movie synth strings and a lovely little bass line that builds and builds to the crescendo it's all quite reminiscent of Justice's 'Phantom', if with a little more subtlety.  It's also clearly been built for the dancefloor, with the kind of pacing that will slot right into the build-up of many a DJ's set.  The beauty of this kind of track is that it is pretty much genre-less, happy to slot right into a breaks set but just as happy within the kind of nasty house set that the likes of Adam Freeland now tends to make.

'Minor Riot' is out now over at Beatport.

Also worth checking out is 10 Rapid's mix of Caged Baby's track 'Forced'.  It's a nice, messy little track and there's a fantastic bassline that breaks through every now and then, sidelining the vocals before they gradually filter back in.  It's a catchy track and shows that 10 Rapid can work with vocals and definitely builds on the original.

Download 'Forced (10 Rapid Remix)' by Caged Baby on MP3 (right click, save as).

Check out more 10 Rapid at their MySpace.

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MP3 / Single Review: Sound Reaction - Grum

Put quite simply: This. Shit. Is. Hotttt.

Grum's been knocking around for those in the know for a little bit now but this track seems destined to take him over the top and turn him into a bone fide success, particularly as he's been lapping up airplay from Pete Tong et al.

Grum describes 'Sound Reaction' as "big, fun, noisy, and designed for the dancefloor. A mixture of rave and electro with a hint of disco. I'm very into 80s new wave and italo and came across this sample...it all just grew from there really."

He'd pretty be right but let BlackPlastic distill this for you into one easy soundbite:

'Sound Reaction' is nasty funk with a killer Daft Punk style bassline for summer-time goodtimes.

Download 'Sound Reaction' - Grum on MP3 (right click, save as).

Also well worth checking out is the Phantom's Revenge remix.  It adds a lovely high-hat rhythmic edge and filters the bassline nicely.  The result is a little harder but just as fun.

Download 'Sound Reaction (Phantom's Revenge Remix)' by Grum on MP3 (right click, save as).

Both mixes feature a really nice, summer vibe - it's very reminiscent of Fred Falke and Van She Tech. BlackPlastic looks forward to hearing more.

Check out more from Grum on his MySpace.

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MP3: Moon - James Kane

Melbourne's James Kane, whose mixes and remixes have got BlackPlastic hot under the collar before, has just finished work on a new track called 'Moon'.

'Moon' is a bit of a departure from James' previous work.  It's a somewhat introspective, lonely piano piece against a backdrop of radio echoes and deep space rumblings.  BlackPlastic always loves a bit of space and this captures some of the loneliness that must have struck the participants on the Apollo missions back in the sixties.  It also sounds like it would slot nicely into the soundtrack to the forthcoming movie Moon (if you haven't seen it, watch the awesome trailer).

It's only a short piece and BlackPlastic would actually love to hear an extended version, perhaps featuring some battered male vocals (maybe with a Lou Reed type vibe).

Check it out (right click, save as) and head over to James Kane's MySpace for more.

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MP3: Lifetime (Lifeline) - Madlib

Just a quick note the make sure everyone knows that Benji B's Deviation is taking over room one and the balcony bar at Fabric on Wednesday night for a night of hip-hop:

9pm-3am

ROOM ONE:

BENJI B PRESENTS DEVIATION...

Madlib (Stones Throw), J Rocc (Stones Throw), Benji B (Deviation/BBC 1 Xtra)

To get you in the mood check out 'Lifetime (Lifeline)' by Madlib from his recent Madlib the Beat Konducta Vol,5-6: A Tribute To.... album.  It's got a nice laid back J Dilla type vibe, especially when the sample kicks in at the end...

Speaking of which J Rocc recently did another podcast inspired by BlackPlastic's favourite late hip-hop producer, Tribute to Jay Dee Act 4, which is now available over at Stones Throw.  It blends together a ton of Jay Dee cuts together with some samples from both relatively well known songs that sound like the kind of thing he'd have sample as well as some of the tracks Jay Dee did himself use.  Check it out. 

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