Deadboy: An Interview

After Deadboy's performance with us at the end of March, we managed to have a few words with the man himself.

You can read the interview in full here

Burial // Four Tet // Thom Yorke – Ego // Mirrors – Text Records

It is hard to decide which artist here has generated more excitement; be it the reappearance of the mercurially brilliant Burial, the champion sounds of Four Tet or the return to the solo works of Thom Yorke? Since the release was announced on Tuesday morning, there has not been a build up like this since, well, King of Limbs?

The second that ‘that’ percussion drops in A-side Ego, it’s as if the last two years haven’t happened, and Burial has always been here. Since the last LP, Burial has been very quiet. One old track appeared on an El B compilation, but nothing concrete, nothing original, nothing to completely satisfy.

Original is one word that is synonymous with Burial and his collaborators Thom Yorke and Four Tet. Fresh from the recent release of the harshly treated mini-masterpiece ‘King Of Limbs’, Thom Yorke has seemingly decided to embrace his inner beat master. From playing at Low End Theory with the Brainfeeder crew to now releasing this EP, it is clear that Yorke knows how to enjoy himself.

Released through Four Tet’s label Text Records, it appears that Kieran Hebden has scored a major coup. This is in no way belittling the output that already exists on his label, but by releasing the works of Yorke and Bevan, he has guaranteed himself a sell out and a cult classic. His 2010 album ‘There is Love in You’ was one of my favourite LPs of last year, and he furthers his reputation by appearing alongside two of the most respected and critically acclaimed artists of the 21st century.

A-side Ego has some great moments, from the Jonny Greenwood-influenced horns in the opening salvo to the light keys that stroke and meander their way around the final exchanges. Yorke’s vocals are typically inaudible, needing repeat listens, or a lyric sheet, to decipher, but as with his solo and band work, his voice works as an instrument. The ability to create such an illusion is one that many singers struggle to ascertain, but one that Yorke has in abundance, particularly in his more recent works.

For a lover of Burial’s past work, the concluding couple of minutes are heavenly. To hear those pitch-screwed female vocals in a fresh light, to behold the manner in which he wraps the female’s voice through Yorke’s final words like ivy around bracken, it’s nothing short of miraculous.

On the flip there is Mirrors. This track has the percussion that made There is Love in You such a rewarding experience; ever moving, ever evolving. Yorke shows gives his vocal chords a work out and Burial gives the odd hint that he is still there, particularly in the breakdowns.

All in all, this EP will become a cult classic, especially in it’s 12” format. The three artists on show play off each other with different quality, the contrasting styles of Burial and Four Tet are an uneasy mix, deciding to work after each other as opposed to with each other, though Yorke’s vocals are more than enough to hold the whole thing together.

One thing that I fear may beset this EP is the same fate that has beseeched King Of Limbs since it’s release, that that the artist/s on show are capable of better, so it is not received well. However, when taken out of the context of the collaborators and their past works, this is possibly the best single of 2011 so far.

Burial / Thom Yorke / Fourtet - Ego by dgregory

Burial, Four Tet & Thom Yorke - Mirror by ListenBeforeYouBuy

Koreless 4D/ MTI forthcoming

“Remember when you first heard James Blake, Ramadanman, well remember this is where you first heard Koreless. Remember this: Koreless with a ‘K’.” This is what UK radio legend and tastemaker Gilles Peterson had to say about 19 year old Lewis Roberts, aka Koreless.

After his free giveaway Up Down Up Down featured in many a ‘Best of 2010’ list, Koreless makes his way into the new year with the release of his debut EP, to be released on the highly impressive Pictures Music.

4D itself revolves around an emotional and drained vocal sample, with some light percussion and a beautifully progressive synth and sub bass combination that glides throughout.

Koreless - 4D by Paul Ming

S-X 3000 Followers EP download

Anyone with their ears close to the sounds of the UK Grime scene will be more than familiar with S-X. Yet another teenager, the Londoner has built up a reputation as one of the UK’s foremost grime instrumentalists.

Following on from his production Woo Riddim utilised by D Double E in his eponymous track ‘Bad to the Bone’ S-X’s name has soared and to celebrate reaching 3000 followers on Twitter, he has given away a free digital LP comprised of ten tracks.

As an album, these tracks do begin to merge and appear quite similar. However, when you see them as they were intended; as three minute slices of grime intended for lyricists, you sense that the purported UK urban decline isn’t in such bad hands.

Particular mention goes to Motorway Music, with it’s skyscraping synth introduction diving headfirst into some heavy bass and some light keys that could so easily seem out of place, but just fit perfectly, much like most else that features in this giveaway.

Download : S-X : 3000 Followers Giveaway

James Blake - James Blake: a review

James Blake – James Blake LP (Atlas Records)

After a breakthrough 2010, James Blake proceeds into the New Year with his self-titled debut LP, to be released on February 7^th via his own Atlas Records imprint.

In interviews leading up to the release, Blake expressed that it would be a more vocal lead piece than his previous two EPs, taking influence from artists such as Bon Ivor and Joanna Newsom.

As with CMYK’s 90’s R’n’B and Klavierwerke’s Mount Kimbie, Blake wears these influences on his cheek. Grinded into the sound we also detected flavours of Jack Penate, Joe and Wild Beasts.

Out of the 11 tracks on the LP, you can count on one hand how many do not contain heavy doses of re-pitched vocals, a vocal tool championed by one Kanye West. James Blake uses it mostly here to maneuver his voice into different octaves and in essence add extra layers to his production, a la Thom Yorke.

Recent release and hype builder Limit to your Love opened the world to the scope and range of Blake’s broken, yet stunning, voice. He spreads it liberally across minimalistic soundscapes with such ease that belies the fact that this is his first vocal lead release.

There are several potential ‘highlights’ on this record, from the dancing charm of Give me my Month to the indescribable splendour of Lindesfarne I. The penultimate track, I Mind, is possibly the best exponent for James Blake’s latest musical venture, as it perfectly positions itself on the plateau between Blake’s vocal and electronic work.

As with other tracks on the record, over four different vocal pitches are utilized in the track, with the chorus taking in all of these levels as it cascades over the smooth carpet of 4/4 percussion laid down to support it.

Since being previously leaked in the Summer of 2010, I Never Learnt to Share has been given a facelift and an extra 90 seconds in its transition from leak to album track.

The extra 90 seconds comes in the form of an extended introduction with unaccompanied vocals taking us through eight repeats of the burrowingly addictive verse.

After speaking to James Blake when he played at Abandon Silence in September, he spoke of his desire to move away from DJ sets, and into the live spectrum. His upgrade of I Never Learnt To Share appears to have been orchestrated perfectly for that setting. The easy drum build is just crying out for handclaps, and the ultimately hard hitting crescendo lends itself to a festival crowd. With plans for Glastonbury this year, I couldn’t imagine a better setting for Blake to play this record out.

Album opener Unluck is the perfect example of Blake using his influences extensively. In the Pitchfork end of year Polls he spoke of his love for Joe’s recent release, Claptrap. Unluck deploys some fantastically layered vocals spread across some quickfire percussion that does more than nod towards Joe’s Hessle Audio release.

The one track that appears capable of reaching the mass audience garnered by recent 12” Limit to Your Love (which does feature here), is the second track to feature, Wilhelms Scream.

The opening recalls Postpone from the CMYK EP, before some very Jack Penate sounding falsetto vocals seep in. The refrain, “I’m fallin’, fallin, fallin,” is sure to be a crowd highlight when he takes his show on the road in 2011.

When people discussed Blake’s crossover into vocal work from electronic, there were some eyebrows raised; after all, he had received deafening acclaim for his electronic work, so surely the only way was down? Wilhelms Scream butts down any of those fears, with his classically trained vocals echoing across the wall of sound style soundscape that steadily builds throughout the track’s near 5 minute length.

While reviewing this album, there has been one adjective that I have been refraining to use; yet it is the poignant and appropriate word. So, in conclusion, the clearest and most effective method for me to describe this record is simply…

This album is beautiful.

James Blake - Lindesfarne (live on BBC Radio 1) by MSFRQZ

James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream (Live at BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale) by Music Fan's Mic

Hi all, and welcome to 2011!

This year Abandon Silence promises to give you the very best in new music, reviews and of course gigs. We have already organised our shows for now until March, with a very tasty first birthday being planned for June time.

Our first gig of the year is to be held at The Shipping Forecast as always, and features two of our favourite artists of the past 12 months.

Abandon Silence 05

SBTRKT - grizzly
GIRL UNIT - night slugs
rich furness
horza

THURSDAY 27TH JANUARY

£5 advanced from skiddle.com and from next friday, 3B records

10pm - 3am

Abandon Silence is proud to present our biggest line up to date, with two of electronic music’s rising stars coming to The Shipping Forecast on January 27th.

Our headliner is the anonymous SBTRKT. Having played our launch night back in June, Sbtrkt has gone from strength to strength, collaborating with Sinden and releasing music on the Mercury Award winning Young Turks. His DJ sets are a visceral hybrid of house, dubstep, garage and everything in between. Sbrtkt’s anonymity is maintained even when on stage, playing behind a tribal mask, letting the music do all the work.

Joining Sbtrkt we have the man of the moment, GIRL UNIT. His recent release, Wut, on the Night Slugs label, has been hailed as one of the tracks of the year by Pitchfork and Fact to name a couple. He has emerged from nowhere to become one of the most acclaimed artists of 2010, and we are incredibly proud to gift him his Liverpool debut.

Joining Sbtrkt and Girl Unit will be the ever reliable Abandon Silence residents Rich Furness and Horza.

SBTRKT - Hide Or Seek by sbtrkt

WUT by GIRLUNIT

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from everyone at Abandon Silence!

This year, a whole host of producers have been bitten by the festive spirit and decided to give away free downloads. Luckily for you I am waiting for my Turkey, so I am here to give you all the links to get the very best of these giveaways...

Firstly we have the don of the free download, Skream. He has decided to give away a whole album of free tracks, titled 'The Freeizm Album'. Special mentions go to Lightnin VIP, Skwelcha and his remix of P Money's Left The Room, which has been destroying dancefloors throughout 2010.

FREE DOWNLOAD: http://www.sendspace.com/file/4ad27rhttp://fb.me/P3FYlexz

Secondly we have an exclusive Footcrab VIP from Addison Groove. Footcrab was one of the singles of the year, even popping up in NME's list. The VIP adds an extra dimension to the originals addictive and energetic vibes.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Footcrab_VIP_swamp81.zip

We are still searching for more free giveaways, but for now the third and final of these downloads comes from Mele, who has given away recent Abandon Silence blog hit I Swear Down away for Christmas. Featuring some fantastic vocals and a 'drone' sound similar to the works of Deadboy, this one will get you shaking away your Turkey fat.

FREE DOWNLOAD: http://www.sendspace.com/file/5f7f7z

As a late addition, we have a fresh instrumental from Manchester based producer Numan. i've been following this guy for a while now, and was more than happy to hear that he had released this grime track 'Red' yesterday. It's a little different from his usual stuff, but is fantastic...

FREE DOWNLOAD: numan - red

Please enjoy, and as an extra Christmas treat we give you our (very early) prediction for our Track of 2011, courtesy of the 2010 winner, James Blake...

Zen Death Squad Interview

After last month's contribution from Adam Armitage, Abandon Silence is proud to present a second new writer to the blog, Bear Pills. Bear is a Liverpool based DJ and producer who I believe will add an extra dimension to this blog - both in terms of output and quality.

So, here it is, Bear's interview with glitch outfit Zen Death Squad. Take it away Bear...

---

Zen Death Squad. Besides being one of the bad ass names I’ve ever heard, Zen Death Squad are a group of Glitch Hop/Wonky producers comin’ out of southern England. I discovered them a few months back when I first heard their remix Roger Troutman’s Superman. I decided to get in touch with them.

Abandon Silence (AS): Who is Zen Death Squad and how and when did it come in to fruition?

Zen Death Squad (ZDS): Zen Death Squad are three producers; Screenager, Halogen and Z-Whip. We all come from different musical backgrounds, but all started out in live bands, playing various instruments. We came up with the idea in the summer of 2008, after being inspired by the sound of the US West Coast Hip Hop scene that was blowing up around that time. Originally there were five of us, and it all started with a track called Awesome Patrol, which we all kind of threw at each other across the internet for a couple of months. As it developed, three of us took a more active interest and things went from there.

AS: Awesome Patrol, haha, what a title. How does the writing process go? Is there a process? What does your studio consist of?

ZDS: We use quite a lot of different stuff in the studio. A bunch of old amps, basses and guitars, a load of pedals and samplers. As for software, we use a combination of Logic, Cubase and Ableton Live.

As for writing process, there's no specific starting point. We generally just jam until we find something we like and build it up from there.

We play a lot of video games in the studio which inspire us musically. We feel our music is a cross pollination of Time Crisis and Sonic 2.

AS: Haha! Sounds like quite an organic process. If you could choose a Nintendo 64 or Xbox 360, what would it be?

ZDS: We are Megadrive till death.

AS: Haha, didn't see that one comin’! How do you guys play out? CDJs, Ableton, Serato...

ZDS: We like to keep things as live as possible. We only started playing shows this summer, so it's been a constant learning experience and we try to push things further with each set. We currently run Ableton Live with a couple of keyboards and a variety of other midi controllers. We're actually about to purchase more gear, so there'll be a bunch of new stuff integrated for the new year.

AS: Looking forward to it. What are your opinions on the student protests at the moment & the whole Con-Dem government in general?

ZDS: We all have our own views on it. It's been good to see people get motivated and organised enough to protest effectively. One thing we can all agree on is that David Cameron's face looks like it is made of runny cheese.

AS: Hahahaha! If you guys where to have cheese on toast would it be red, yellow or green cheese?

ZDS: Good question. After much consultation we have decided that no cheese is bad cheese. As long as it's cut in the shape of a triangle.

AS: Good answer. I am a cheddar and brown sauce on toast man myself.

What are your views on the electronic music scene right now? Particularly Dubstep, Wonky & Glitch Hop...

ZDS: It's a strong field right now. Everybody seems to be stepping up their game. It's great to see the sounds coming out all over the world, with everyone putting their own ideas and to a certain extent their cultural heritage into the music. There are people like Spoonbill in Australia, Eskmo in the States and Rustie over here in the UK who are creating incredible music, taking the sound in crazy new directions. The UK seems to be warming to the Glitch Hop sound and we are a excited to see what emerges from it.

AS: Spoonbill makes the craziest music! Who or what do you think played an important role in Glitch Hop in 2010 and who or what do you think everyone should keep their eye on for 2011?

ZDS: There have been so many highlights this year, to list a few: The Glitch Mob at Matter on the UK's best sound system. The proto-funk of Debruit. Guys like Flako and Comfort Fit with great records out there. Flying Lotus' Cosmogramma. Nosaj Thing at Plastic People in London was out of this world. iLL Gates also, through his music and his support for the community with his Ableton seminars.

As for next year, watch out for Virtual Boy from the States and Jai Paul from the UK.

AS: What can we expect from Zen Death Squad in 2011? Also, where the hell did the name come from?

ZDS: The name was actually suggested by a good friend and awesome dubstep producer we know.

2011 is looking pretty exciting. We're in talks to get some releases out there, both here and in the States. And after that, just a lot of shows. We just confirmed our first performance in Bristol for 2nd Feb, so are very excited to be heading to new places after a summer of festivals. Trying to line up some US shows for around March/April time, and then who knows? We'll have to see where we end up.

You can check out Zen Death Squad here:

http://zendeathsquad.bandcamp.com/

http://soundcloud.com/zendeathsquad

Keep an eye out as they will be releasing a new free track for Christmas!

NYE Line Up Announced

Thank you to everyone that came to check out the Abandon Silence Best of 2010 Lists. We got some great feedback, even a retweet from the victorious Best Album Winner Flying Lotus. Over 5000 views in 3 days was, by sadly some distance, our greatest period of traffic ever! Thanks again to you all.

I am here to give you great tidings for this coming New Years Eve... We shall be hosting our own party! Well, we will be hosting the front INK room in Chibuku's legendary NYE party, to be held in The Masque, Seel St, Liverpool.

We are bringing back one of our favourite new producers of the year, MELE, for a third time to join our usual residents Rich Furness and Horza. As well as Mele, Rich and Horza, we have two new DJs coming along, Sheppard and Jake Daniel. Both have been on my imaginary waiting list for a long time, and I am so thrilled to finally be able to find a platform for these guys to party with us.

Abandon Silence NYE at Chibuku

MELE - Grizzly

Rich Furness

Horza

Sheppard

Jake Daniel

Firstly, we have Mele's latest release, I Swear Down, which is a fantastic grinding piece of 130 funky that evokes strong Deadboy vibes, but retains it's individuality.

Melé - I Swear Down by Melé

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And as a wee introduction to the two new guys joining us, here is a couple of mixes from the pair of them. I'm sure you'll agree that we have pulled these guys out of the top drawer to join us.

Both these mixes are available to download, just click on the arrow symbol to the right of the player...

Definition//Mix 2010 by SPD//SHEPPARD

Tracklist:

Horsepower Productions-HDN
Scratcha DVA-Jelly roll
Geiom-Eyl
Cosmin Trg-Since last night
Geiom ft marita-Sugar Coated Lover
Cooly G-Dis Boy
2562-Flashback
Sully-Sleazy
Pangea-Bear Witness
King Midas sound&Pupajim-Frequencies
Peverelist ft. Pinch-Revival
Addison Groove-Footcrab
Scuba-Three sided shape
Headhunter-In motion
Breakage-Higher
Commix-Bear Music
High Contrast-Tread softly
MRSA-Different
Spectrasoul-Mimic

Promo Mixtape (03-09-10) by Jake Daniel

Tracklist

Lusine - Two Dots [Pezzner Remix]
Minilogue - Second (Colour & Sound)
Johannes Heil & Extrawelt - Erdbeerfeld
Robert Babicz - Come Closer [Kollektiv Turmstrasse Remix]
Moonbeam - Run For Me
Marcel Dettmann - Reticle
Martyn & The Spaceape - Is This Insanity? [Ben Klock Remix]
Matt Walsh - Honey Comb [Sei A & Logan Remix]
Kevin Gorman - Shakey Stripped
Peter Van Hoesen - Terminal
Glimpse - Employable Enjoyable [Marcel Dettmann Remix]

-----

Playing in the Theatre room in The Masque will be a selection of Chibuku's 'Residents and Friends', including James Rand, Mark Mac, Paul McGuire, Revo and Mr Paul.

Mr Paul is a Liverpool based artist who has a residency with Chibuku and fantastic underground house night Discoteca Poca. This mix is a great exponent for his DJ skills and a good indication at the kind of sounds to expect on NYE!

Bisco by mrpaul7t7

Tracklist

Mark E - Smiling [White Label]
6th Borough Project - The Formula (Dub Vibes)
Chaz Jankel -Glad To Know You (Todd Terje Türkatech) [Permanent Vacation]
The Revenge ft Danielle Moore - Just Be Good To Me (Ron Basejam Remix) [Needwant Recordings]
Timmy P - We Had Disco
Johnny Dynell - Jamhot (Tensnake Remix) [Needwant Recordings]
Disco Channel - Honey (The Ground Floor Chicago's Reworks) [Little House]
Kevin Irving - Children Of The Night (Disco Bloodbath) [Disco Bloodbath]
Jamie Jones - Say What? [Hot Creations]
Russ Yallop - Rock Me [Crosstown Rebels]
MSTRKRFT ft N.O.R.E - Bounce (Maya Jane Cole Remix)
Model 500 - OFI [R&S Records]

Tickets are available at www.Chibuku.com/shop -- see you all down there

The Abandon Silence Best of 2010 lists

When I approached the compilation of these two lists, I had a general idea as to what the top 5s were going to be. The problems came when decided which tracks to include and leave out, thus I extended my top 10 tracks to a top 25, though still several glaring omissions that I am finding it hard to live with.



When I started to think about creating this lists, I knew that James Blake had to be my number One. I restricted myself by deciding to include only one track per artist, and I just had to put the anthem in. CMYK is just a clarrion call for all that was good about UK music in 2010. This was the sound of an emerging artist finding his feet, but doing so miles ahead of his contemporaries. He is sure to take over 2011 with his vocal works.

Tracks -- (all are YouTube links)

1)James Blake - CMYK
2) Girl Unit - Wut
3) Mount Kimbie - Maybes
4) Foals - Spanish Sahara
5) Flying Lotus – Do the Astral Plane
6) Ramadanman – Glut
7) Kingdom – Fogs
8) Deadboy - If U Want Me
9) Skream/Instra:mental & D:Bridge - Acacia Avenue
10) White Ring - ixc999
11) Gil Scott Heron – New York is Killing Me (Jamie XX remix)
12) Balam Acab – See Birds
13) Sepalcure – The Warning
14)Jamie Woon – Night Air (Ramadanman remix)
15) Gold Panda - You
16) Datsik – Firepower (Moombahcore remix)
17) Burial - Prophecy
18) SX – Woo Riddim
19) Magnetic Man ft Katy B – Perfect Stranger (dBridge remix)
20) Pariah – Detroit Falls
21) Redlight ft Ms Dynamite – What You Talkin’ About
22) Swindle - Airmiles
23) MJ Cole & Wiley – From the Drop
24) Pangaea - Why
25) Joy Orbison – The Shrew Would Have Cushioned the Blow

The album list could easily just be the top 2 on their own, as FlyLo and Kanye's efforts were just streets ahead of the pack this year. No other albums got near to connecting with me and I will always remember 2010 for those two LPs. Notable mentions for the fantastic Mount Kimbie record, Four Tet creating his best album to date, Foals finding maturity within their glitchy indie pop, Arcade Fire stepping up yet again and two obscure record labels, Autonomic and Night Slugs, coming to the fore of 'UK Bass music'.

Albums

1) Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
2) Kanye West – My Dark Twisted Fantasy
3) Mount Kimbie – Crooks & Lovers
4) Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
5) Four Tet – There is Love in You
6) Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
7) Foals – Total Life Forever
8) Fabric Live 51 – Autonomic
9) Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
10) Night Slugs – Night Slugs Allstars



Please use the comments box below to vent your fury, or maybe even agree, with my decisions.

Jamie XX vs Gil Scott Heron

There isn't a lot that needs to be said about this track. It is just fantastic. The break at 2:00 is the moment where I realised that I had to order the album there and then. Jamie XX has already proven himself to be a great producer with his work with his own band, and with this passion project he is more and more proving that he is the brains behind the whole operation.

Organik: In the Mix

Tonight we will be giving you a fresh mix from one of the finest new DJs in Liverpool, Organik. Through running his superb club night Takeover, he has had support slots for Phaeleh, Submerse and loads others. This mix is an excellent exponent for his DJ sets, with an eclectic choice of tracks involved and some great mixing thrown in for good measure.

Take some time and have a listen, and find Organik at his Soundcloud



L15 Future Tense mix 04 by organik

Tracklist

Grown Ups - Donga & Blake (Well Rounded Records)
How U Like Dat - EL-B Vs. Laze (Night Audio)
Ur All - Modepth (dub)
Evelyn - Fantastic Mr Fox (Black Acre)
Boomslang - Lv & Okmalumkoolkat (Hyperdub)
Cervantis Riddim - C.R.S.T. (dub)
Crystalised - The XX (Dark Sky remix) (Young Turks)
Long Weekend - Fused Forces (L2S Recordings)
Bust Broke – Kingdom (Night Slugs)
Good Love –C.R.S.T. (No hats no hoods)
Finally – ital Tek (dub)
Spending All My Time – Kovu (dub)
Touched – Price (L2S Recordings)
Reasons – Dark Knight (Urban Riddims)
Chaka Mad – Gon (Infrasonics)
Never Know – Primary 1 (Submerse Remix) (dub)
Earthquake – Littleboots (Brown Noise Bootleg) (dub)

Mount Kimbie: An Interview

This is a first for Abandon Silence, our first ever outside contributed article. Whilst I struggle with balancing final year of University, plus the rigours of a club night, I have decided to welcome a few extra writers on board to keep the blog going. Our first contributor is Adam Armitage, whose mix was featured in a previous post. At the Abandon Silence gig with Mount Kimbie, Adam was lucky enough to catch a few words with the guys, and here is his article and interview from that night. I hope you enjoy it and welcome Adam into the Abandon Silence family...

Last week I had the pleasure of watching Mount Kimbie perform live for the first time in my hometown, the grim n gritty, northern city of Liverpool. I hadn't expected that i would be able to get close to them prior to the show, but as I stood eagerly waiting for the support acts to finish over a pint and some conversation in the smoking area of The Shipping Forecast. In the corner of my eye, i spotted Kai talking to a fan and i became aware of the chance to conduct an impromptu pre-show interview, right then.

Dashing around to find writing material, I hastily penned some questions that had already dawned on my mind about Mount Kimbie.

So, conducted in the drafty storage room on the top floor of the club, (props to Abandon silence for the set-up), I held down my first interview.

Both Dom and Kai are seriously easy-going, friendly to talk to and very humble about their work despite such attention they have received over the last months. We began the interview and they were more than happy to talk and discuss the questions with me, but also with one another, bouncing questions back and forth between themselves that made them appear to be very passionate about what they do and interested in engaging with their fan base.

Abandon Silence (AS) 'I believe this is your first Liverpool show, have either of you been here before and how are you feeling about the show tonight?'

Mount Kimbie (MK) Kai answers on behalf of Dom, 'He's been here before for when he was younger with his mates I think, but I've not ever been here myself but I'm quite excited for tonight, the crowds are always different wherever you go in the UK', Dom responds, 'Yeah, I've not seen the place much though, it was winter time and really cold but strangely, still all the girls were wearing little clothing'. I laughed and told them that’s just how the girls are round here whatever the weather.

AS 'So, how is the tour going so far, this is your first organized tour right? Has it been a great experience?'

MK Kai answers, 'So far, the tour has been really successful, we've been doing a lot of shows around Europe and were quite surprised how popular they've been. We did a month long tour in the US and that was well received, a lot of the fans were grateful and always thanked us at shows, just in recognition of the distance we had travelled to play for them'. I then ask,

AS 'How do the shows across the water compare to playing here in the UK?'

MK Dom added, 'I don't think it was something we really expected, but the US was very accommodating, the live shows in the UK are getting better every time, the audiences are always a lot steadier here than overseas and it's good because it can be a difficult scene to break here, as so many decent artists are getting known at the moment.'

AS 'I've read an interview where you mention that some of the acoustics were recorded in a tunnel in Brighton where the natural reverb was really heavy, I had my assumptions that it would be the grotty underpass along the beachfront, is that right?'

MK At this point there is a slight pause, I get some rather bewildering looks from the two of them, they stare at each other and try to fathom an answer, I knew it was a stupid question to ask but Dom responds,

'You know, actually it was an underpass in my hometown Saltdean that gives off this really eerie impression, The both of us and James Blake were drinking one night and were singing when we ended up walking down there and were amused with the sound and then we came back a few weeks later with guitars and took down some recordings that really worked, so we used them'.

AS 'Do you have any favorite producers coming out of the UK scene at the moment, any particular DJs perhaps?'

MK Both Dom and Kai appear to be very selective of who they choose to name drop and I'm certain they must share very similar tastes as they both agree and mention almost simultaneously that they don't currently listen to much dubstep or dance music, but they do like Deadboy, which reminded Kai of something he had forgot to do earlier, and so he rushes off to get Deadboy on the guestlist for their show as apparently he was also in town. When Kai returns, Dom mentions,

'We've both been really keen on 'Wu Lyf' at the moment, a group from Manchester that are producing really good music, we are also into some bands from Australia', Kai Nods and adds, 'We're always updated on whatever James (Blake) is doing as well, we caught up with him at his show in Poland recently, he was mixing with vinyl as opposed to his live performance shows.'

AS 'I've heard a lot about the differences between James Blakes live shows and his DJ sets, many people I've spoke to say his live performances are much more interesting'.

MK Dom answers, 'I suppose James is a lot more technically able with using software like Ableton, obviously his shows are a lot tighter when he performs this way but his DJ sets are also getting a lot cleaner'.

'James Blakes output is multi-faceted, producing music under a different moniker as well as having a background in more traditional musical approaches, maybe it is what makes his performances different each time?'

Both Dom and Kai agree to this point, Dom adds 'James is also a very emotional musician, if he's not feeling up for a live show, he won't play it, he does what he feels like and if he's happy or sad, it comes out in his choice of performance'.

AS 'You both seem very close with James Blake personally, at once he featured in your live performances, is their ever going to be a return to this, are there any collaborations in stall for the future?'

MK Kai makes a point of saying that, 'Time constraints mean it's very difficult to work together at current times, we're no longer being able to pass music back and forth to work on ideas together, and as well James is very busy with his own music and touring, especially with the promo for his new album'. Dom adds, 'It's possible in the future we may do the live thing again, there's nothing planned so far for producing a track together though, but it will definitely happen'.

AS 'So, what's next for Mount Kimbie, what can we expect in the coming months?'

MK Dom says, 'Were having a few weeks off over the new year period but then we're back touring again up until end of February and then we will start to question what's next. So far though, we haven't got plans to be releasing anything over the next few months'.

I can tell Kai is itching to get back in the club, or at least to get a drink at this point and as he fiddles around with his phone, I manage to ask one last question.

AS 'What advice do you both have for new producers or DJs trying to break into the UK bass scene currently, how did it happen for you?'

MK Kai was very certain on his answer to this question and suggested that, 'If your consciously trying to 'break into' any scene, your probably going about it the wrong way, always do your thing, keep making music and performing for people, give it time and if your getting the elements right, people will take notice, but don't push it', Dom nods, and it's clear that there is a very clear unity in mind and ideas between them both.

Maybes - Mount Kimbie by funktional

The Future

As we near the conclusion of what has been an unforgettable year, Abandon Silence now looks to 2011 and the musical delights waiting in store for us all.

Firstly, I have two artists that have been included on the pretty awesome Night Slugs label compilation being released on the 29th November. Jacques Greene and Optimum are two artists that I have found incredibly tricky to track down, though I have just been listening to these two tracks from each producer religiously for the last few days.

Jacques Greene's track here is The Look. The track is similar to the work of Lone (below) in it's uplifting and inaudible yet prominent vocal tracks. This tune could quite easily blow up on the back of the hype that this artist will gain from the compilation, we will have to wait and see...

LM007 - JACQUES GREENE - THE LOOK by Jacques Greene

The second artist to be included from the Night Slugs camp is Optimum. When I said that I have found it hard to track people down, I really do mean that this guy is hard. With such a generic name, it's pretty hard to just google 'optimum' and hope for the best (and yes I did try different connotations of the search, with no luck.)

Their track here is Watchmaker, very nostalgically embedded from Myspace (the best I could do, apologies.) This track is more like the works of other Night Slugs artists Girl Unit.The track at hand, Watchmaker is futuristic, glitchy, hip hoppy greatness. It's in the same bracket as artists like Flylo, who are just so god damn hard to put into a genre. Anywho, here is said fantastic track, enjoy...

Find more artists like Optimum at Myspace Music

Our next artist/s are sharing a joint award as it's a bit unfair to give whole awards to mates - I don't want to appear biast! The artists in question are Mele and Koreless. Both are local to me, and are both ridiculously sound. Both of them have performed at Abandon Silence shows, and both are set to take major leaps forward in 2011. Mele has had a hugely productive 2010, working his way into the upper echelons of the Grizzly imprint, being tutored by the label's head honcho Sinden has surely helped as well. With the release of a new EP in January on said label, Mele will really begin to turn heads, and we can't wait to be able to give a nice big cocky, "I told you so!" His personal style of productions fit in superbly with the UK's current trending towards funky and grime, and I believe he will be very successful.

Melé - Digits by Melé

Koreless, aka Lewis Roberts, is a welshman based in Scotland. I got to know Koreless through a mutual friend and I was instantly hooked his productions. He is currently working with Pictures Music, a fantastic new label owned by the also sound Alex Clapworthy, which is another label that you should keep your eyes on. For now, enjoy the fantastic Up Down Up Down and just let his music wash over you...

Up Down Up Down by Koreless

Now for another North West based artist - unlike the previous two artists, Lone is not an acquaintance, so I can unrecroachably say that this guy is just fantastic. I discovered Lone by wandering through into the back room of the Warehouse Project to have a breather from DMZ's obliteration of the main room. The track to stream here is called Outlander, and is a great exponent for the other productions that I have been lucky to get my ears on - in particular, look out for Raptured. The calypso Summer vibes are the perfect pick-me-up for this time of year, please check him out...

Lone - outlander by Lone

The final artist that I am going to be discussing as a potential future star is Krystal Klear. Having recently had his first release, on Manchester based Hoya Hoya Recordings, Krystal Klear is set for a major year. He uses chopped hip hop styles and the same feel good vibes portrayed by Lone to harness his own sound. Here we have his track Let's Go Dreaming, enjoy...

Lets Go Dreaming by KrystalKlear

Just to say, it is still November, so I am sure that I will do another feature in the style of this in January, though for now I am confident in all of my choices and I cannot wait to see each of them flourish and grow in stature as the weeks and months go by.

Abandon Silence 04

As we enter a new month, a draft of work has been lifted onto me. I find myself stuck in dissertation hell, as well as organising next year's Abandon Silence line ups. We have successfully confirmed January and February's line ups, and you will be the first to know who we have in store.

Next month we turn our attention to Abandon Silence 04, featuring Breakage, Mele, Horza and Rich Furness.

This night promises to be the biggest Abandon Silence yet, I cannot wait to host the digital soundboy himself, as well as one of the countries most prodigious producers.

As well as the DJs, we have a fantastic artwork campaign. This is by far the most ambitious promo that we have ever used. Designer Ben Thapa has yet again excelled himself, and as I am sure you can see, his designs are unreal.

To play us out, here are a few select cuts from this month's guests...

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR TICKETS TO ABANDON SILENCE O4

Breakage - Vial feat. Burial by spex

Prayin' (Breakage Remix) - Plan B by DanDubaholic001


Flexi - Melé by Melé