Interview: Chipmunk, Griminal & Little Dee (Woofah Magazine, 2008)

I wrote this for the excellent Woofah Magazine in November 2007 and it wasn’t published until March 2008. The points the piece makes still apply, but were more relevant at the end of last when most grime discussion seemed to centre around the new wave of youngsters, so bear that in mind.

Clicks, Whistles and Radio Rips 1 (Fact Magazine, 2/08)

Tom’s from East London and Raven’s from Baltimore. We love grime, hip-hop, Bmore club, dubstep, DIY punk and everything in between. Clicks, Whistles and Radio Rips is where we barrage you with the audio and video that we’ve been obsessed with over the last month

Review: Aiden Moffat - I Can Hear Your Heart (Chemikal Underground)

For my money Falkirk’s Aidan Moffat has been the best lyricist of the last decade, but it’s only with I Can Hear Your Heart, after ten years of collaborating with Malcolm Middleton as Arab Strap and putting out lush, wordless ambient albums as L. Pierre, that he’s graced us with a record where the focus is one hundred percent on his words.

Review: Chipmunk – League of my Own (Alwayz)

Even with Skepta’s album finally coming out and Durrty Goodz coming back from the dead to make the scene’s best record since Boy In Da Corner, it’s Chipmunk who plenty of people will cite as 2007’s true grime success story. Early in the year the sixteen year old MC from North London was bubbling under the surface with four mixtapes to his name (two solo, and two as part of the Motivation Music series – still available to download from his myspace).

Micro-Review for Music Week: The Death Set - MFDS (Counter)

‘Hi-energy, up-tempo, spastic punk-rock songs with electronic elements’ is how Johnny Death Set describes the Baltimore Duo’s forthcoming album. They play on warehouse floors, studio corners and art display houses, and cause a right old ruck – something like Dan Deacon riding a Lightning Bolt.