Mix: Hi-Hat Club Minimix by DJ Illiaz

I've touched on the Hi-Hat Club before, about a year ago when DJ Dexter released volume three, and so was excited to take hear that the label behind the series, Melting Pot, are to release a box set containing all five albums released to date.

If you are unfamiliar with the Hi-Hat Club it is basically a series of hip-hop producer albums - a bit like BBE's well known Beat Generation series (in which J Dilla's entry predictably owns) but with a slightly more cosmopolitan feel.

Hi-Hat Club Box Set Minimix (DJ Illiaz) by MPMCGN

Anyway - it's a pretty nice spring day here in England today and this Minimix of the series put together by DJ Illiaz is just the ticket: laid back and jazzy. It certainly makes me want to check out the rest of the Hi-Hat series.

Tracklisting below:

Twit One - Windyridge 
Hulk Hodn - Rawissue 
Suff Daddy - Chinatown Chill 
Dexter - One For Yusef 
Brenk - Cannibal Love 
Fid Mella - Hahaha 
FS Green - 1 Up 
Full Crate - Never Never 
djAdlib - Tatsusan

The Hi-Hat Club Box Set is out now on MPM, although it doesn't look to have had an UK release yet so keep them peeled. It includes five LPs, two CDs and a 52-page booklet.

BP x

Live: London Electronic presents Nicolas Jaar Live at Fabric

Nicolas Jaar's debut album Space Is Only Noise continues to capture the imagine in a way no other album has been able to match so far this year (yes, it is early days)... There is something about the variety on display - one moment it is throwing obtuse lyrics at you in a monotone voice reminiscent of something the Merrit might use on a Magnetic Fields track, the next it's turned into freeform jazz.

Jaar is playing live in London on Wednesday 30 March and it should be a little bit special. Resident Advisor voted Jaar's as the second best live set last year and his focus on atmospherics rather than dancing should make the show unlike pretty much anything else that has graced the venue - particularly as this is a live set, not a DJ set.

London Electronic is focused on taking electronic music away from the weekend and the DJ booth, giving artists the opportunity to play live on centre stage. They will apparently be running events irregularly throughout the year so look out for them.

Tickets cost £12.50 and can be bought from Resident Advisor.

BP x

News: Justice return with 'Civilization'

Having been on hiatus for four years Justice are back with a new single (artwork left) and an as yet untitled album. The single drops on Ed Banger / Because on April 4 but you can check it out now as it is used in the Adidas advert below, directed by Romain Gavras, who also directed Justice's controversial 'Stress' video.

I can't hope but feel a little disappointed with this... Firstly the Adidas tie-in just feels a bit lame - an advert for a sports brand is hardly the most exciting way to announce your return - and more importantly it just sounds so very like the first album.

Hopefully hearing the full track (and the rest of the album) will prove us wrong...

BP x

News: Junior Boys to release new album

I've long been a fan of the Junior Boys sound - there is something about Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus' approach to songwriting and production. When at their best there music has an incredibly polished sound - not something I'd usually appreciate but in their case it really creates a spellbinding mood.

Thankfully a new album is on the way - entitled It's All True it will come out on Domino on 20 June 2011 but Domino are giving away album track 'ep' now. Head over and give up your email address to check it out.

'ep' is classic Junior Boys stuff - sun kissed vocal melodies and warm synths, it's kind of pointless to resist and whilst it doesn't suggest much of a departure in terms of sound it definitely has me excited for the album.

BP x

News: Glastonbury announce the Emerging Talent Competition longlist

Glastonbury have announced the longlist for the Emerging Talent Competition. This features the list of the 123 acts through to the next round to be considered for Glastonbury's Emerging Talent Competition - the winners of which will guest the pyramid stage at the festival this year!

Included in the list are the three acts shortlisted by BlackPlastic.co.uk having gone through over 150 entrants:

1. Encounters [link fixed]
2. Run Toto Run
3. After After Hours

Look out for a feature post on each band over the coming weeks but in the meantime check them out - all three are fairly varied but represented the most exciting bands out of all of those BlackPlastic checked out.

BP x