Operation: Zombie Nation is the second LP from North London Hip Hop group DefDFires; a conceptual album set in London 2012, making devastating observations about a society on the brink of collapse.  Key Skills’ flawless production fuses elements of Grime, Dubstep, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass and Classical to create the perfect assault course for DefDFires to unleash their most controversial, forward-thinking accomplishment to date.

DefDFires’ commentary portrays the views of an outspoken, confused and frustrated generation; expressing the the insanity of modern life, whilst narrating a complete breakdown of order in the city and how its populous deal with the apocalyptic anarchy that follows. More than a socio-political thesis it is a story told through the perspective of an everyday citizen; drawing from a pallet of sci-fi and zombie references to make a picture that is witty and tongue in cheek, but also profoundly personal and brutally honest.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGr9HYaR0Sw

Under its surface of mass culture mockery and electronic filth, the words and sentiment touch on far deeper subjects; examining the effects of living in a control based system alongside man’s obsession with forecasting his downfall. Part babbling conspiracy theorist, part ancient wisdom and universal truth ‘Operation: Zombie Nation’ is both the soundtrack to armageddon and a manifesto for what can come after.

“Some welcome imagination.  Check DefDFires if cinematic sounds and huge production values tickle your fancy.” – Hip Hop Connection

“Bringing some refreshing drama and lyrical content to the game” – UKHH.com

Find out more:
http://defdfires.co.uk
http://www.o-zn.com

In his own words…

A general social misfit and drop out. Jed Rabid is a self taught music producer hailing from the bottom tip of South Africa. His daily mantra is intoxication and music producing. A self proclaimed psychonaut, Jed Rabid’s music is an experimentation and exploration of the grey area of Dubstep, mixing different beats and bass to create something unique. Most of the sounds you will hear are dark and deep, though at times the music is very layered and dense. This is emotional bending, melodic mending, music for the thinker and genius alike.

Download your free tracks and listen to more

http://www.facebook.com/jedrabid

Poor Vinyl!!

A blend of border pushing beats and fun-yet-meaningful lyrics runs through the album like a current.  Whether it’s “Break up Song” featuring Gift of Gab or the provocative “After the Lights On” featuring The Grouch, each track highlights the ever-expanding abilities of Lostribe as more mature, seasoned artists.

Lostribe’s sound has cultivated greater sophistication due to the substantial personal and professional growth each has experienced since their last effort, and the evidence is inherent throughout Sophie.  A prime example is “Live Like a Rebel,” a track that pays homage to following your dreams while incorporating a dubstep/grime influence with what might normally be considered a simplified Hip- Hop beat.

The group’s talent was recognised in 2008 when JustLuv and Agustus ThElefant were asked to score the Namco Bandai video game “Afro Samurai,” featuring Samuel L. Jackson and RZA. Ten tracks were featured on the game, with Agustus rapping on six and JustLuv co-producing eight.  “Afro Samurai” sold 420,000 copies across all gaming platforms.

1.    Know the Name
2.    Come Down (feat. Casual)
3.    No Other Word (feat. Talib Kweli / Maryann Hunter / N8 the Gr8)
4.    Live Like A Rebel
5.    Over Before You Know It (feat. Mayhem Xclusive / MLB)
6.    Gettin Back (feat. Deja Solis)
7.    Breakup Song (feat. Gift of Gab)
8.    Interlude
9.    Futuristic Fly (feat. The Cuf)
10.  Boombox
11.  After the Lights On (feat. The Grouch)
12.  Find Some Meaning In Your Life
13.  Outro

Their philosophy is easy “People have been sharing mix tapes forever, and the reason they do it is because they love the music and want to turn their friends on to it…..so if you’re a dj, artist, label, sound system, whatever – get in contact!”

The quality of mixes on Subnav.com is very high and you can clearly see the musical education behind the creation of the mixes.

Check out Subnav.com

On Friday June 17th 2011 Thomas Goddard will be showing 38 new drawings from his Ape to Adam to Apocalypse series alongside animations and prints in his solo show at the exciting Supersaurus Project Space in Swansea. The Preview event this Friday from 6pm coincides with the Swansea Met MA show which is located nearby, so you have two reasons to head to Swansea! The Supersaurus Project Space is open to the public on Wednesdays from 12pm-3pm and Fridays 6pm-8pm.

Tom is also currently exhibiting ‘The Flood’ animation in Welsh Artist of the Year at St David’s Hall in Cardiff until August 6th – if you visit please don’t forget that if you like his piece you can vote for him for the People’s Choice. Finally three of Tom’s drawings are on display at the ‘XX’ show at the University of Glamorgan, celebrating 20 years of the Foundation course, alongside other alumni such as Anthony Shapland, Sean Edwards and James Green.

www.ohmygodtom.com
www.cerbyd.org

These masterclasses will be headed up by Jimi Crayon, Mr K, Stika, Jamie Brown, Jiggery Pokery and Hit + Run and promise to be as fun as they are insightful.

Jimi Crayon says:
“We want to give people a chance to have a go at something they might not have tried before and see if we can get them hooked on a new skill”

There will be music, a freestyle art room for anyone to turn up and draw and of course some free chicken.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWMfd3elfMY

Trying something new is what Nando’s xPERimental Sketch is all about! After the massive success of the Skate Jam design-a-deck comp last year, we realised there are a loads of budding artists out there looking to get their first taste of live art – which is exactly why we’ve created Sketch. This event will bring together top street artists from the UK and South Africa to help young people learn all about street art and improve their artistic skills.

With help from our friends at street art collective Monorex we’ll be hosting a day of Sketch sessions and workshops so you can get involved in creating your very own masterpiece. There will be a host of talented artists to watch and learn from, including South African based artists Rasty Knayles & Kutzanai Chiruai and of course, Nando’s will be there serving up enough PERi-PERi to fuel your creativity throughout the day.

The Nando’s xPERimental Sketch event will be happening on the 22nd May 2011 between 9:30am-6:00pm at the Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf, London, SE1.

Now he’s about to release his debut LP, Versionen on limited 12″ vinyl and digital download this summer on Tangled Talk Records. The album consists of eight remixes from an eclectic range of artists including Rolo Tomassi, Eleven Tigers, Thunderskank, Kerouac and more.

We’ve checked the tunes out and they really do stand out, some great deep tracks on this LP.

http://www.tangledtalk.com/promo/assets/tracks/TTR014-Gutter.mp3

Having already performed on countless recognised urban stages including NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL and the circuit in AIYA NAPA, Twissman came to prominence in March 2010 when his self-funded video to track ‘THE WAY SHE MOVES’ achieved the coveted Number 1 spot on MTV Base and Flava charts, both of which are compiled by public vote.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlX1OZ3loAQ

A live session with DJ CAMEO at BBC 1Xtra followed where Twissman was given the chance to show everybody that he had the talent to freestyle with the very best. He didn’t disappoint and naturally record companies came calling so it was no surprise when in June 2010, Twissman signed a deal with independent label ZY Records.

Immediately, he was sent into the studio to work on his stunning debut album ‘THIS IS TWISSMAN’, which features collaborations with SWAY and G-FRSH and is produced by the acclaimed and award-winning LAURENCE ‘Woo’ ALLEN (10 years DEATH ROW USA / SUGE KNIGHT / DESTINY’S CHILD). The album, set to drop in 2011, is full of hooky urban pop yet still manages to maintain an edge with integrity that only Twissman could bring given his background in the UK Grime scene.

This is all summed up perfectly in the first single taken from the album. With its electronic synths, a contagious vocal from Ginny B and Twissman’s unmistakable rapping skills, ‘SUMO’ and its stylish video to go with it, is hotly tipped to take radio and television by the horns!