|
|
 |
Unkle
27 June 2008 15:04:06
Unkle
'We have just finished a remix of the new Queens Of The Stone Age single which was one of the hardest mixes we have done for a long time'
Back about 12 years ago, James Lavelle was just about one of the coolest muthafuckas in the British Isles, rocking that nerdy-chic style out to the max. He was like a one man Beastie Boys with his Mo' Wax label churning out the finest in dusty, funk laden, jazzed up instrumental hip-hop.
At the time, the epitome of uber-cool was to mope around the back of smoky clubs, backpacked up, sporting combats and a Bathing Ape T, liberally spouting shite about how Jabba the Hut's ratty sidekick is actually a metaphor for Bill Clintons continued suppression of the native tribal cultures of the landmass now known as Haiti.
All joking aside, Mo' Wax did put out some top class product, bringing the likes of Andrea Parker and Luke Vibert to our ears, not to mention the crowning glory of the label, DJ Shadow's 'Endtroducing', one of the most vital albums of the '90s. Alas, the trouble with trip-hop was that, after a while, you got sick of all the head nodding and you just wanted to maybe gyrate some other parts of your body too, y'know?
It was unfortunate for James that it was during this stoner-hop backlash
that the first UNKLE album 'Psyence Fiction 'was released . This collaboration between Lavelle and DJ Shadow, which should have been the pinnacle of the Mo Wax sound, was almost universally panned at the time. Today though, the record stands up well as a summation of the scene at the time. The Shadow connection was severed for the follow up 'Never Never Land' in 2003, and the sound this time round was more breaks based electronic, with Richard Fine now acting as co-pilot.
Again the album wasn't received well but time has been kind to it with many now seeing it as the stronger of the two pieces. On July 9, Unkle's third album,' 'War Stories', once again created with the help of Richard Fine, was released. It sees the UNKLE sound progress into rockier, more traditionally structured territories and has a glut of guests involved, including the Cult's Ian Astbury, Queens of The Stone Age's Josh Homme and Massive Attack's 3D. We spoke to James about the album.
How would you describe the sound of War Stories?
The new record is more organic in the recording process and is more guitar led, but I wanted it to retain continuity with the last two. 'War Stories' is coming out on your own label - Surrender All - what was the reasoning for going solo with this release?
Are there more releases/acts planned for the new label?
Surrender All is a platform for me to release my own records to retain complete creative and business control. I'm not signing other artists at this point.
You're singing on this record! Twice! What did it take to get you behind the mic after such a long time?
Chris Goss encouraged me to sing. It was very liberating. I am not trying to think about it too much.
UNKLE are almost as well known for their remix work as their original output, which remix stands out as a personal fav?
Ian Brown 'The Fear' and The Verve 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' always seem to be the most popular and stand out for me. We have just finished a remix of the new Queens Of The Stone Age single which was one of the hardest mixes we have done for a long time.
Your music has brought you all over the world, what countries do you think are having it at the moment?
From my experiences of DJing around the world the UK is the most exciting club country in the world but places like Ibiza, South America and Eastern Europe are the most hedonistic.
|
|
NEWS
Defected announed new In the House compilation...
INTERVIEWS
If you havent heard of Lutzenkirchen in the last three years then you've obviously been hiding under a rock as the profilic Munich Producer and DJ has been turn...
BLOG
Welcome to Now You Know, a monthly take on what is happening in the Australian hip hop scene and more importantly who is tearing shit up like bouncers on fake ...
DIGITAL NEWS
26/08/08 Developing: Apple Investigating Chinese iTunes Store Block
Apple is now examining why its iTunes Store is inaccessible to Chinese users, according to information emerging Friday. "We are still investigating," a representative told news service AFP.
Earlier this week, users started noticing that the store was inaccessible from inside China, and subsequent traceroutes pointed to a governmental block. The reason for the block is not entirely clear, though the presence of a pro-Tibetan album download is strongly suspected.
The next moves are likely to set the tone for future content "discussions," specifically those tied to albums like Songs for Tibet. In most cases, the Chinese government demands compliance with various censorship rules, a pill that most American companies must swallow.
26/08/08 Terrestrial Radio Revenues Down 6% In July...
Terrestrial Radio Revenues Down 6% In July...
US-based terrestrial radio revenues slid 6 percent in July, according to figures published by the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). The tally, published late last week, showed a 5 percent decline in local advertising revenues, and a 15 percent decline in broader, national advertising. That was offset by a 6 percent increase in off-air revenues, though the pace of that growth has slowed. The revenue information is based on a sample of one-hundred stations, collected by accounting firm Miller Kaplan Arase & Co.
The July assessment follows a string of declines during earlier months, according to RAB reports. In June, the group reported a broader decline of 9 percent, and May produced a drop of 8 percent. In fact, the industry has been posting declines for the past fifteen consecutive months, a trend that predates the current economic malaise. "Radio has entered and seems stuck in a new, discouraging territory with the combined challenges of a secular slide and cyclical recessionary times," commented CL King & Associates analyst Jim Boyle.
26/08/08A Bull Among Bears: Newbury Comics Expanding...
A Bull Among Bears: Newbury Comics Expanding...
Most companies cut costs, shed employees, and table expansion plans during economic downtimes. But for some ambitious players, economic malaise sets the perfect backdrop for an expansion - and market share grab.
In Boston, Newbury Comics is now adopting that aggressive, and more risky, approach. "Every time the economy goes into a recession, that's when you want to invest," company cofounder and chief executive Mike Dreese recently told the Boston Globe. "Virgin just pulled out of town, Tower is bankrupt. If we're going to expand, we should do it now."
Indeed, the company just opened a mega-store in the Boston suburb of Norwood. The massive facility, a former car dealership, offers the perfect space for shows and latte bars, as well as merchandise like clothing, vinyl, DVDs and games. The company also added another store in the city, at Faneuil Hall, a move that cuts an aggressive profile.
Some executives would have trouble stomaching that level of risk, and Newbury is feeling its share of pain. The company pointed to flat sales during the past four years, and a profit dip of 10 percent last year, though Dreese confidently pointed to a diversified product set.
26/08/08 ...And Vinyl Sales Keep Increasing..
The CD is leading the plunge in recording sales, though the decades-old vinyl keeps showing strength. The latest positive report comes from Newbury Comics, part of a broader profile in the Boston Globe. "There’s a huge resurgence in vinyl," chain chief executive Mike Dreese reiterated, while pointing to turntable sales of 600-800 over the past two months.*
In total, the company projected vinyl-specific sales of $1.5 million this year, up 70 percent from 2007. That is part of a steadily ramping format. In June, Newbury pointed to monthly vinyl revenues of approximately $100,000, or $1.2 million annualized.
The trend is being sparked by a number of factors, including nostalgia, more involved product packaging, greater collectability, and the availability of lower-priced turntables. Dreese noted that CDs now account for 43 percent of the broader product mix, down from 75 percent ten years ago.
21/08/08 The iPhone Connectivity Issue: Is Apple on the Case?
The second-generation iPhone is easily the hottest device of the summer, though connectivity issues are now softening the hype. A number of buyers worldwide have been complaining about 3G-specific connectivity problems, including spotty reception and dropped calls.
Now, Apple appears to be addressing the problem through a firmware update, without publicly admitting the issue. The company recently issued the upgrade - OS 2.0.2 - while reservedly pointed to a 'bug fix' release. Just recently, reports suggested that the connection issues were linked to a chip from Infineon, though neither company has confirmed the cause.
The firmware update is automatically triggered during an iTunes sync.
|
|
|
|
Rate this:
'0' comment(s) have been made.
