All Change

What a weird few weeks. Getting back from touring India and into 2010 was awesome. We’re all revitalised and prepared to realise loads of great plans for the year, some of which you’ll have seen rolled out already like this blog and the now fully functional Shiva Soundsystem site.

I’m in the video edit for the next Shiva Soundsystem release, “Fray” featuring Orifice Vulgatron from the kings of UK hip hop Foreign Beggars, and we’ve kicked off our new London residency “Return to Bass”.

So it’s a bit of a shame that the BBC Asian Network called time on my weekend alternative music show Electro East as well as Pathaan’s Musical Rickshaw.

We both started our shows on the same night, Saturday 17th June 2006, in a flurry of palpitations and crippling nerves. Electro East used to be on between 8pm and 10pm which was a brave decision because before then, the slot was for languages so it really was quite a change. The idea was to push what I’ve always believed in – that “Asian” music isn’t all just about Bollywood and Bhangra.

I’d like to think that Electro East has helped prove that. We took unsigned, new and international artists and put them in the mix alongside established names of all underground genres. We made sure that their music was the most important thing that we could emphasise about them on air, not their race.

My role at the BBC Asian Network was to blur barriers and I’m proud that I did just that. And I’m never going to stop blurring barriers, on any platform, medium or station continuing, initially, with my new podcast series after March 20th when Electro East fades from the airwaves.

I’d like to thank everyone at the Asian Network for giving me a shot all those years ago and for helping launch my broadcasting career. I was always really humbled by the good nature of my musical heroes that stepped up and shared their work and passion. They turned out to be so of the nicest people and most of we all had a laugh.

The biggest thanks goes to the listeners for such big support & love and the artists for trusting I’d do the right thing with their music, signed or unsigned.

To give Electro East on the BBC Asian Network the send off it deserves, we’ve got some very special stuff planned that started this weekend with our “Heroes Of Bass” season, kicking off with Shy FX and continuing with Adam F and Horx (aka Kicks Like a Mule) next week.

I’m proud of every single track played, every guest we had on the show and the huge amounts of fun we all had doing it. I hope you’ll join me. Every Saturday night, from midnight, on the BBC Asian Network. Until March 20th.

Shy FX and Denaeo Unplugged :: Exclusive

On my show Electro East this weekend, we had jungalistic pioneer and Digital Soundboy boss Shy FX alongside cohorts BTraits and Donaeo. On the show’s Facebook wall we’ve recently started to post video short interviews with our guests on stupid, diconnected topics like their favourite vegetable or something like that. This week the interview didn’t go quite as well. We got something way more interesting than vegetables:

Data Recovery

I’ve been feeling nostalgic recently and looking back over the last few years for reasons I’m sure you’re aware of. If not, don’t worry, I’ll explain all on Monday but the fact remains, I’ve been reminiscing.

Coincidentally, I found an old box of mix tapes I’m made in 1997-1999 and my first ever live mix on radio for Eddy Temple-Morris’ show The Remix on X-FM from 2001. Out of them all, I thought I’d share this mix from 1998 of Drum & Bass and what was then Asian Underground.

Mixed completely on vinyl using two belt driven Gemini turntables (which always changed speed by themselves!) and a broken 2-channel Numark mixer.  It was recorded onto a D90 cassette using the mic input of a battered tape deck.
I re-recorded the tape straight into my computer with no treatment/EQ or editing to keep that roughness, not that there is much I can do to make it sound better anyway! I found a silly picture of me from around the same time too.

So bearing all that in mind, I hope you forgive the sound quality & mistakes and that you enjoy this little taste of 1998:

01 Photek – Ni Ten Ichi Ryu (Science)
02 Photek – Margin 98 (Science)
03 Talvin Singh – Butterfly (Island)
04 Osmani Soundz – Spiritual Master Key (Omni)
05 Roni Size – It’s Jazzy (V Recordings)
06 Goldie/Roni Size – The Calling (Remix) (V Recordings)
07 Lelonek – Kizmet (Omni)
08 Photek – The Water Margin (Science)
09 Talvin Singh – Sutrix (Island)
10 Ges-E & Usman – Flute Song (Outcaste)
11 Krust – Warhead (V Recordings)
12 Ges-E & Usman – Talking Tablas (Outcaste)

Something Wicked This Way Comes

January’s a cold month. Here’s some twisted Drum & Bass warmth for you. I’ve called it “Something Wicked This Way Comes”:

Download link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/f9qg2o

01 Royalston – The Test (Med School)
02 Dexcell – Blissful Thinking (Dub)
03 Subterra & Dekko – Why (Dub)
04 Blu Mar Ten – Believe Me (Blu Mar Ten)
05 REDS & Randomer – Standoff (Dub)
06 Soul Intent – Bro (Blindside)
07 Circa – Future Funk (Dub)
08 D Bridge – Wonder Where (Exit)
09 Randomer – Blind (Med School)
10 Amit & Outrage – Reclaim The Symbol (Function)
11 Deepz – Nitefall (Shiva Soundsystem)
12 Kantyze – Orchid (Basswerk)
13 Logistics – Glow Worm (Hospital)
14 Drifta – Source (Dub)
15 Subterra & Dekko – Eighty Five (Shiva Soundsystem)
16 Nuphlo – Treasure Beyond Measure (Nasha)
17 Blu Mar Ten – Clipjoint (Blu Mar Ten)
18 Randomer – Seeing Angels Redux (Dub)
19 Lynx – Disco Dodo (Creative Source)
20 Alix Perez ft Foreign Beggars – The Cut Deepens (Shogun)

Night for Haiti @ The Den

If you’ve missed any of the horrible shit thats happening in Haiti then read this.

Want to help? Feel helpless? Don’t. True Tiger and Chantelle at  Ctrl.Atl.Shift are throwing a massive charity night at The Den, so you can rave and help people:

Ahhh, the good ol’ days

Remember when CD-R’s were a brand new concept? Remember when Philips introduced the first dual deck CD Burner? Remember this ad? Name that tune…

“We start at the beginning once again”

In 2003, Shiva Soundsystem, the record label I run, started a Blog which ran til 2008. While that’s being archived into the new under-development website, and the new blog’s being created I thought I’d start mine up too. For all Shiva Soundsystem stuff head over there.

This Blog’s is something else. A place for me to rant, share cool sh*t and get a little bit personal.

Sure, my broadcasting work and other projects will pop up here and they’ll be a bit of overlap with the DJing on Shiva Blogsystem, but I’ll try to keep them as separate as possible.

Think of this as an extension of the stuff on Twitter and Facebook.

Let’s get stuck in.