I’m not sure quite how they’ve done it, but Portico Quartet are now as comfortable on Rinse FM as they are on stations that play little other than Blue Note recordings. The tranquil and detailed modern recordings found on their two first albums, the mercury music prize nominated Knee Deep in the North Sea and superb follow up Isla, sit next to bold touches of electronic music on this their third, self-titled album.

The switch didn’t have to be made; people, myself included, still like long and carefully composed contemporary jazz pieces. Especially the mystical ones found on Isla from 2009. Fans of London’s finest jazz band, myself still included, might have fretted about Portico Quartet breaking new grounds on this release.

But, as Steve Jobs would have it, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them. The album’s electronic edge occasional pop excursions, such as on the serene ‘Steepless’, are carried out in taste. The guys have one foot in jazz improvisation, a second in their tested modern waters and the inevitable third in the kind of avant-garde electronica that cannot have escaped them in London. That’s not to say that the modern compositions aren’t still around: ‘Window Seat’, the opener, is all about its deep strings. But the synth details that underpin it hint at the group’s new direction. Every track comes equipped with something new.

‘Spinner’ – which wouldn’t have been out of place on one of Portico Quartet’s first two albums – mixes stilted percussion with a deep contrabass and Jack Wyllie’s distant saxophone. ‘Rubidium’ is a blast into several directions, and probably the best example of where the group has gone for this album. Four minutes into the nine-minute track, a glitchy Nintendo synth emerges, supported by some chaotic jazz drumming on the hang the group is known to use. It’s anachronism at its finest; the change of clothes hits home. Hats off.

words Sven Hultberg Carlsson

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Buy Portico Quartet album

Jewbei starts the first of our in house mixes dropping every friday.

A collection of Japanese rare grooves and funk from the late 70s and early 80s, oh how we love Jewbei.

DOWNLOAD the mix here.

Jewbei also happens to be a super cool producer too. For more of his music check his soundcloud.

Tracklist
Tatsuro Yamashita – Dancer
Minako Yoshida – Asa Ha Kun Ni
Kimiko Kasai – Love Celebration
Kiyoshi Sugimoto – Yeh! Boogie
Yasuko Agawa – LA Night
Masayoshi Takanaka – Disco B
Hiroshi Sato – Say Goodbye
Toshiki Kadomatsu – Step Into The Light
Tatsuro Yamashita – Love Talkin’
Masayoshi Takanaka – Chill Me Out
Hitomi Tohyama – Love Is The Competition
Chocolate Lips – Milk & Honey

“..like chicken soup, biscuits and lemonade…”

An alternative love tune from king of electronic cool.

From the magnificent Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam.

Knew Knowledge celebrate their 1st Birthday this Tuesday, 7th February, in big style at CAMP — The City Arts and Music Project.

Hosted by 1XTRA’s CJ Beatz, the industry showcase is set to present a big lineup of future music talent.
CJ Beatz exclusive mix for KK:

Illustrator and artist Charlie Anderson will be making an exclusive mural piece on the night too (check the video teaser) and of course where would the birthday party be with free KK birthday cakes.

For more information on KNEW KNOWLEDGE or for press/industry guest lists, contact ryan@knewknowledge.co.uk.

KK facebook page

Godfather of Grime — Wiley.

Taken from Race Against Time

It’s that time again when we get to celebrate the legend that was J-Dilla.

Organised by The Doctor’s Orders, expect a huge and positive night of some of the best hip hop ever made as artists large and small show their love in tribute of the Detroit genius.

All proceeds from the night are donated to the J-Dilla Foundation & Lupus UK

Details:
7pm-Midnight Sunday 5th February 2012
@ Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, London N1 9NL

Minimum donation £6 in advance or on the door.
£30 VIP Tickets grant exclusive access to VIP bar and balcony & include an exclusive J-Dilla T-Shirt & CD.

Advance tickets from here.

Facebook event here

Before Example made the music he’s making now, he once made some very good hip hop.

From his first album, What We Made we recommend ‘So Many Roads’. A reflective track that samples the carpenters.

Rapper and producer Asaviour, aka Savvy, is the next to offer this exclusive mix as part of our guest producer series.

A mixture of feel good hip hop, reggae, retro-pop and electronic selections, the infectious tracklist provides a unique insight into the talented musician’s musical inspirations.

Now on his third mixtape —Play To Win Vol 3. Adapt or Die, the northern inhabitant and adopted mayor of Huddlesfield has two award winning albums under his belt as well as the Play To Win series and of course that Savoir Faire EP.

DOWNLOAD mix here.

For more music and gravy flavours check Asaviour’s website.

Tracklist
Flora Purim – Dindi
Gil Scott-Heron- The Revolution…
Drake – ComeBack Season
Boss – Deeper
Althea & DonnaAlthea & Donna – Up Town Top Rankin’
A Tribe Called Quest – Award Tour
Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre – Ain’t Nothing But A G Thang
Roisin Murphy – Overpowered
N.E.R.D – She wants to Move
The Clash – Rock The Casbah
MGMT – Electric Feel
Bell Biv Devoe – Poison
The Pharcyde – On The DL
Jay Dee – Shake It Down
Volton Craggie (VC) – By His Deeds
Benga – 26 Basslines
Roots manuva – Witness (1 Hope)
De La Soul – Stakes Is High
Michael Jackson – Rock With You
Alan Hawkshaw – Chicken Man (Grange Hill Theme Tune)
Roni Size – Brown Paper Bag
Minnie Riperton – I Just Got To Be Free
Clipse – Grindin
Jay Electronica – Exhibit A (transformations)
Neneh Cherry – Buddy X
Daft Punk – Something About Us
Jay Z & Kanye West – Ni**as In Paris
Willy Wonka – Pure Imagination
Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – Lou Ferigno’s Mad
OutKast – Stank Love
Talking Heads – Once in a lifetime
Willy Mason – Oxygen

Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown and Guy Ritchie’s Lock Stock,.. are both prime examples. So too is the soundtrack to Nicolas Winding Refn’s low-budget, arthouse noir Drive.

It’s one of the best pieces of music you could possibly buy in recent years. Built on retro synths, electronic touches and seductive vocals, it screams eighties cool and follows perfectly in the films unpredictability and highly addictive nature.

The soundtrack is a tour through mainly short scores of bliss and serial synth made landscapes made specifically for the film itself, like ‘I Drive’ and ‘Rubber Head’.

But within it are four superb cohesive stand out tracks that are sure to melt even the coldest of souls. The instrumental and slightly sinister ‘Tick of the Clock’ by Chromatics, leading track and film opener ‘Nightcall’ and my two favourites; the uplifting ‘A Real Hero’ by electronic Composer College, featuring Canadian duo Electric Youth, and heart-stopping ‘Under Your Spell’ by also Canadian band Desire.

‘Nightcall’ deserves its extra props as an amazing pop anthem too. Featuring Brazilian lead singer of CSS, Lovefoxxx, it bares all the characteristics of its producer father, Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo. Invoking an image of robot-meets-girl-on-a-dark-dance-floor kind of thing.

­True watching the film does add something when going through these tracks, even if it is just being transfixed by Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan’s lengthy, passionate silences. But such is Drive‘s sonic beauty and rare retro quality that it stands out as a great project no matter what the aesthetics.

From the brilliant Brothers, it’s the super cool duo Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of The Black Keys.