Free Downloads From Feeder Side Project!

I've always had a soft spot for indie rockers Feeder, with 'Buck Rogers' and 'Insomnia' in particular being two tracks that managed to fill my adolescent years with plenty of air guitar moments at indie discos. That sounds naff, doesn't it - but you get the point.

Anyway.

Have some big, power-chord magic on us, courtesy of Grant and Taka's new side project, Renegades!

Download 'Renegades' and 'Sentimental here now, for free! Gratis! Nowt!

Free Download - Ocelot 'Our Time (Bird Peterson Remix)'

Coming to you loud and clear from the wilds of Texas and, er, Leeds, Ocelot are James Welsh and Cory Kilduff, and they are pretty fucking good.

The duo first met when Jimmy – from Leeds - was in Texas on a BMX holiday with friends and hooked up with Cory and his hardcore band The Rise. On his return to the UK Jimmy started sending Cory remixes of The Rise tracks via iChat and after the band had toured the UK, with Jimmy acting as tour manager, they asked him to become a full time electronic member of the band.

When The Rise ceased to be, Jimmy and Cory continued to make music over the Internet, from Leeds to Austin. These new tunes, while influenced by their more technical rock background, would take a more electro-pop, house and techno direction - Ocelot was born.

Ocelot first came to prominence for their remixes, with several high profile re-rubs to their credit: Muse Knights of Cydonia, Royksopp Girl & The Robot, Dragonette Competition, The Killers Human and Robyn Be Mine, amongst them.

They’ve had notable props from Franki Chan’s IHEARTCOMIX label ,that rose to prominence during the blog house surge – on of the premier labels in West Coast electro in 2008/09.

Now signed to legendary dance label Wall Of Sound in the UK, Ocelot will release their debut long player in early 2010.

Download 'Our Time (Bird Peterson Remix)' here now!

Review - Radioclit Presents 'Saga Africa'

It's difficult to try and explain how interesting and forward thinking electronic music can be when there are so many moronic records in the charts under the banner. Which is whay it's aways reafreshing to hear something fresh from an act such as Radioclit.

The Saga Africa EP is a Radioclit-helmed compilation of tracks themed around Africa, featuring a few up & coming producers like Douster, Myd & Lazy Flow. It's tribal fidgety madness, and my personal favourite is 'King of Africa' by Douster, which contains a sample you may recognise.

Check it out - I think it's brilliant, I just want to know what you think about it now.

Enjoy...

Free Download - Ali Love 'Love Harder'

Some of you out there may remember Ali Love from his vocals for The Chemical Brothers on their 2007 hit single 'Do It Again'. Some of you may recognise him as the Hackney street urchin who penned the Sigue Sigue Sputnik-meets-The Ramones goodness of his debut single 'K-Hole'. Either way, he's been around a bit, and after a couple of years in the wilds of East London drinking in his first love, the one that his last record label didn't really want to be revealed - his love of electronica and disco. And you can download his new single here, now for FREE!

Hot on the heels of his low-key single release "Diminishing Returns", Ali is back in February with "Love Harder", his first proper single and a scintillating teaser of his brand new album, to be released in spring 2010. Look out for remixes from Prins Thomas, Jaymo & Andy George and Mighty Mouse, but in the meantime, download the extended original mix here now, let us know what you think, and enjoy the Italo house vibes!

Ali Love - Love Harder (Extended Version) by benstroud

BBC Name Top 5 Ones to Watch in 2010

The BBC Sound of 20xx poll has been runniung since 2003 and has successfully predicted some of the biggest names in pop over the coming twelve months on many occasions.  Of course, this mere association and pre-release hype does wonders for a fledgling act, but none can deny that there is the raw talent to back up these claims for the most part.  Well, I guess we won't mention The Bravery or Sadie Ama...

This year's poll result is in, collating the views of over one hundred critics and broadcasters (i.e. the best of whatever was on their desk in December) and the top five looks like this.

1. Ellie Goulding
2. Marina and the Diamonds
3. Delphic
4. Hurts
5. The Drums

So, these are the artists to hit the blogs for now - ensuring your iPod is the one most lauded in February and most criticised come November.

Interestingly the BBC describe winner Ellie Goulding's sound as as "If Kate Bush, Bjork and Stevie Nicks shared a flat in trendy Shoreditch in 2010, this noise would emerge."

Three middle-aged women living in a flat in Shoreditch? Sounds more like a modern, musical pitch on the Golden Girls - now if they can just convince Duffy to join them I think the BBC might have a true winner here.

Serena-Maneesh Return With New Sound

Norweigian psychedelic rock stars Serena-Maneesh have been incredibly quiet since their self-titled debut hit these shores in 2006 backed up with what was, for me anyway, a memorable performance at that year's Reading Festival.  Now they return holding an album five years in the making (and recorded in a cave of all places) with what sounds like a surprisingly new electronic, almost jazz-like sound.  Imagine Muse with no major label obligations, a little more imagination and a total disregard for radio play and you might just be there...

'S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor' is released through their new label, the legendary 4AD, on March 22nd and features eight new tracks including the rather wonderful 'Ayisha Abyss' which the label are offering up as a taster (they're very good like that).

Serena-Maneesh - 'S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor'
1. 'Ayisha Abyss'
2. 'I Just Want to See Your Face'
3. 'Reprobate!'
4. 'Melody for Jaana'
5. 'Blow Yr Brains in the Mourning Rain'
6. 'Honeyjinx'
7. 'D.I.W.S.W.T.T.D.'
8. 'Magdalena (Symphony #8)'

Link: Serena-Maneesh Profile at Culturedeluxe

Panacea Release Free Download EP

This is a bit embarrassingly behind the times, (the thing was actually released in October 2009, civilisations have risen and fell in the blogosophere between then and now), but one of my favourite hip-hop groups have decided to give away their latest EP for free. Panacea's 'Corkscrew Gaps' EP is a collection of rarities, remixes and tracks which didn't fit on to their last couple of albums, and the whole thing is available to download absolutely free.

Anyone who likes conscious & chilled beats with hefty jazz influences should get their digital ass to the link and video below.

http://neosonix.bandcamp.com/album/panacea-corkscrew-gaps-ep