Iron Heart

Netsky's album landed a couple of weeks back and is already establishing itself as one of the contenders for album of the year - I know this because my girlfriend, a self-proclaimed hater of drum & bass, actually bought the album after hearing it! The boy from Belgium is certainly making all the right noises.
Standout tunes on his self-titled debut include the likes of 'Secret Agent', 'Mellow' and 'Let's Leave Tomorrow', which I recommend to anyone regardless of whether you like drum & bass or not.
However, it's the first single 'Iron Heart' that gets a rare video treatment that I want to share with you. Available to watch in HD, featuring the obligatory "person running in an dance music video", but this time with a twist. Hospital's foray into music video's comes up trumps once again! And keep them peeled for a brand new High Contrast tune and video in the coming months...you have been warned ;)

Scribble

Underworld cement their place at the top with another epic anthem, this time recruiting one of Drum & Bass's legends in the making - High Contrast. 'Scribble' is definitely one for the summer festivals - sun going down/hands going up kind of ish! If you're quick you might still be able to grab the radio edit FREE from the official Underworld website!! That's right, FREEEEE!!

"...and it's okaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy".

Creamfields 2009 Review by Roland Dubbs.

Everybody tries to do something special for August Bank Holiday weekend, it's a British institution. No matter who you are, the choices seem endless.
I chose to go to Creamfields. Just like I did last year. And once again it was incredible, thoroughly deserving of it's moniker of 'best dance festival in the world'. The above photo sums it up really - you just want to be there.
As you would expect, lots of alcohol was involved - particularly my favourite drink of the moment; Sailor Jerrys and coke, which was mainly the reason why I don't remember the first half of the Saturday in the arena. Apparently I saw all the acts I wanted to see, I just can't remember it for the life of me! So who rocked Saturday you asked? Well let me tell you...

SATURDAY:
Spent most of it in the Ape tent and saw;
Skream & Benga
Beardyman
Andy C...

(...then nipped out the tent with the intention of coming back for High Contrast - but it seems like EVERYONE had the same idea, so I couldn't get back in - Gutted. I hope you enjoyed a full tent Lincoln - I was about 15 deep and that was just at the bloody entrance!
I have been the biggest High Contrast fan for a very, very long time now - ever since True Colours bust onto the scene. I've seen him all over the country and he never fails to absolutely smash it. I buy practically everything he produces including his Two Fisted Tales stuff, and I'm chuffed he now writes his own blog 'Highly Contrasting' too. He is one of my hero's and he demonstrates to me that you can be intelligent, well read and sensible yet still make slammin' electronic music that destroys any rave.
People often assume that to make 'dance' music that's dirty/uplifting/off the beaten track, you must be off your face on something - Mr. Barrett shows this isn't the case. I remember bumping into him at Hospitality @ Plug way back in like Feb or something - and being so star struck that all I could muster was "Fuckin' amazing mate". What an idiot. Anyway - I love The Contrast, I think you get the picture.

By this point on Sat I was at the height of my Sailor Jerrys dreamboat to drunkeness so I think I also saw...

Crookers
a bit of Tiesto - not as good as last year.
All in all - a good day.

SUNDAY: (much more successful as far as the temporary amnesia goes)

Jack Beats - unreal squelch.
Toddla T - awesome.
Diplo - highlight of the weekend, chuffed to see so many people digging the Diplo - when he dropped "Pon De Floor" things just went mad. Serious.
Annie Mac - pleasantly surprised, knows her shit and totally killed it...
FAAAAKE BLOOOOOD - Highlight along with Diplo. His ability to edit on the fly using CDJ's and for it to never sound shit was out of this world - and with a healthy dose of some serious scratching he stole the show. His set just bubbled along seemlessly and always erupted just at the right time.
Deadmau5 - seemed all good, missed the unveiling of his new head as I was at Fake Blood, but I was too far away to tell what Deadmau5 was doing - bit gutted...so I headed to...
Basement Jaxx - The Jaxx demonstrated why they are one of the biggest names in dance. I'm hesitant at seeing acts on the big stage because sometimes it's just so huge it's hard to get down with crowd and not seem distant up there and out of the way. But Basement Jaxx have obviously been doing this for such a long time they knew what they were doing. Their own material was brilliant with some excellent live skits added and extra BIGNESS for the live show. They also droppped/covered some recent big tunes including a few Dubstep tunes, which was right up my alley - definitely better than I ever expected.

Creamfields review over. Excellent weekend, best value for money (only £100 a ticket!), Diplo and Fake Blood won it for me. See you next year.

RD.

Mood & Mood Basement R.I.P

Ok, so I wouldn't expect anyone outside of my home town to know this, but the home of alternative music in Buxton - 'Mood', and it's downstairs sister venue; 'Mood Basement', has closed it's doors for the final time. A shock to many, including now legendary manager Simon Aldous, the news came yesterday completely out of the blue that the whole venue is, basically, going to be liquidised. As of today there will be an empty shell of what was once Buxton's very BEST nightclub for House, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass, Soul, Funk, Bmore, Electro, Hardcore, Grindcore, Jungle and literally anything off the beaten track - Mood was always willing to give it a go...
And more often than not, it worked - from 2003 until 2008, here is the story of Mood, told from a personal perspective, but an entertaining one, by fellow DJ and bezzie friend of Roland Dubbs - Figure Of Wax....
(to anyone who was lucky enough to find themselves in the Basement on a Saturday night - there will be some part here you can relate to and appreciate, guaranteed!)

"From the days when doorman Tim would let us into 'Burlingtons' at 16 (we'd sneak downstairs round the pool tables so we wouldn't get caught drinking) through to working for 18 months behind the bar - not to mention our night in The Basement (April 30th 2004 - 2008)...I have a vast amount of excellent memories regarding Mood.
Mood and The Basement was and still is the ONLY thing in Buxton / Derbyshire to let open-minded young artists / DJs introduce new and exciting music to people - consider it the John Peel of the venues!
In the years which we proudly rocked The Basement (and sometimes the main bar) I have personally seen artists go from strength to strength, to name a few:

*Bob Adams' Punk Night*
Although the name of the night escapes me, the very first alternative night to grace Mood Basement was Bob's capacity-smashing punk night. Wall to wall with the likes of The Kirkz, Monkeyshuffle, Creosote, Sperm Free Nation and many more - it went off! It was the first time people realised that something different was happening in Bucco and the curiosity worked without fail.

*Emergency Services*
I remember the day Jim, Tom Speed and I approached Simon about putting on a night and offering to do the first two for free as a taster. A year later I think we had drunk himout of £1000's of stock and went back to doing it for free! It was the first DJ night at Mood and I'd like to think we did a good job of things... Through any sketchiness it has led to us now serving under several guises across the UK:
Figure Of Wax, Electrique / Roland Dubbs, .gingerbrown, taRDyboy, whataboutthebeats?...
ES played host to such acts as Paper Tiger (now running 'Future Rhythm' @ Leeds Faversham), Blessed House (live support to Verb T + Mystro), These Monsters musicians (Leeds / Reading Festival BBC Radio 1 Tent 2008) and many, many more...

*Elements / Keepin' It Dusty...*
Coop, Matter Of Fact, LA Soul - These dudes opened my eyes to the fact that there were other heads out there and we now all had a platform to work from. On our first anniversary night of ES we'd left it too late to book - these lads had pipped us to it! Rather than fanny about and cancel, we hooked up on the same night and bounced back and forth - to the point where eventually we became the same night!

*Thirsty Ear*
Easily the most focused group of DJs to take The Basement's atmosphere and let it grow into one of Sheffield's best new nights. Without doubt the best fancy dress nights and ridiculous banger DJ battles (Urban Smackdown 2005 - need I say more? ;) went off here. Always good fun and the way it should be! One of my favourite Basement memories is going mental to 'Once in a lifetime' by Talking Heads on Thirsty Ear's Christmas Eve party 2006.

*Doom*
The Marionette Records crew have roared down ear canals and pierced their drums from The Basement to the internet with releases on both iTunes and Canada's DTRASH label over the years. I've seen many sights that have mentally scarred me at Doom - mainly they involve people being naked and I'm almost certain one has involved a horse. If anyone remember Alex and his magical bumbag from Doom then I'm sure they'll be smiling ;)

*Soundboy Massacre*
Jack and Waggy kept it dutty with the hardest jungle, d+b, breaks and reggae sets under the pavement. I used to love warming up Soundboy and knew they were onto a winner whenever they organised a Main Floor bash or simply rammed the place with more people than possible. If Rick Baker had his top off and was trying to climb on top of the speakers to Woolfy's set- you knew you were at a proper party. Paid off though as Mr. WAGZ now has a safe spot at Sheffield's Detonate (playing alongside the likes of Roni Size, Goldie, High Contrast...)

Moving to the main bars - working there was without a doubt a way to make the monotony of small-town living worth living. Drunken kisses or fights made work exciting but even on cold, dead winter nights it'd still be sweet as chilling with a takeaway pizza and watching Extreme channel.
Although I've been out of Buxton for a couple of years now, Mood's always been a safe place to return to when I'm back. All I will say (and I honestly hope any heads from Buxton who either manage or own venues are reading this) Buxton will entirely lose touch of creativity unless somewhere can capture the ethos that Mood did. The last time I can remember a scene in Buxton this big was back when my brother and his friends put on raves as Black Moon Soundsystem. That was around 15 years ago!

Simon, I wish you and the family all the best and I'm very sorry to hear the news. Good luck with it all and cheers for the opportunities - time well spent. Everyone else: please continue to support and achieve the work that Mood staff have put inover the years - Buxton needs it.

-Tom "The Uncoof B*st*rd" Speak, Figure Of Wax, Willy Warm-Up.