Friends - I'm His Girl

Hells yeah you are. You're his girl. This ultra hip joint from Brooklyn band Friends is super sexy and cooler than the other side of your pillow. 'I'm His Girl' follows up from their double A side 'Friend Crush'/Feelin Dank' which was released way back when, in March 2011. It continues their bubblegum funk sound, a brand of NY pop that's sweet and sickly, not dissimilar to Sleigh Bells, just sans the grungey guitar riffs.   

Samantha Ubani's vocals are like candy floss with a hint of venom. She's confident delivering the sultry lines, "When you see me walking around with him/ I'm not just another chick/ I'm. His. Girl." The video's made even smoother with it's retro flavour, from the gold bling and 80s tube top, to the boombox and lackadaisical Super 8 camera.

'I'm His Girl' is out on 7" and digital download on Lucky Numbers.

Jack Beats - End of Love

They've been making bombastic bass driven fidget house for a while now and this tune is the epitome of everything they stand for. It's got a preposterously funky bassline following a beat that keeps you guessing, switching from dubstep to house and back again, while a Leonard Cohen sample toasts "to the end of love".

In the Face @ The Volks

It's been a while since I've been brave enough to venture to The Volks and they've had a touch up renovation since my last visit so what better way to welcome me back than some blitzkrieg bassline.

Photo by Zac Colbert

In the Face has been representing Brighton's bassline scene for a while now, catching my attention when they tore up the Concorde's bar during Dave Clarke's gig last year. Tonight Kanji Kinetic and Submerse top the bill, packing their new collaborative EP - Gyaku Gire. Their future bass sounds have the crusty crowd thrashing on the floor from the get-go, the razor blade reverb of 'Nerv' stomps on a demanding 4x4 beat before Submerse's 'Oppai Misairu' become's an instant favourite. The 90's piano chords ring out playfully until a squelching breakdown drops down into a singing niche bassline that wubs away at the dancefloor.

Photo by Zac Colbert

Photo by Zac Colbert

As with most club nights these days, the smoking area is as popular as the dancefloor, which is by no means empty, in fact there's just enough room for a dedicated ravers to get their full skank on. The acid rave vibes of Kanji's 'Southern Cross' stab through the air while a confident techno beat marches underneath and some harmonious female vocals coo over both. The wonky ket-step sonics don't let up till 6 in the morning as the In the Face crew takeover the decks and ram the rest of the night home with nauseous wobbles and jagged drum beats.

Photo by Zac Colbert

Photo by Zac Colbert

Photo by Zac Colbert

Gang Colours - In Your Gut Like A Knife

Just discovered Gang Colours, the Southhampton based producer of idyllic electronica. From his soundcloud profile 'Chance Meeting' is my favourite, but all his tunes are pretty special. His sound is subtle and understated yet tracks like 'Chance Meeting' build in momentum and morph into otherworldly sonics lined with synths that swell with tender fondness.

Gang Colours aka Will Ozanne signed to Giles Peterson's label Brownswood Recordings earlier this year and released his In Your Gut Like a Knife EP in June. On the record you can hear Burial's atmospherics, the sepia soaked melancholy of Massive Attack and there's an evident love of UK garage throughout it. Lush chords and hushed pads abound this is an EP to score daydreams. I'm off to buy it right now.

Disco Deviant @ Audio

Initially we thought this night was called 'Horse Meat Disco' and so my review had a whole equine theme. Turns out the night was actually called 'Disco Deviant' so my editor had to rework it last minute, you can find the resulting review on the Brighton SOURCE site. Below I've posted my original write up.

Photo by James Kendall

Our economy is once again on the downward spiral, the NHS have started charging for wart removal and Tesco are planning their 12th store in Brighton, so there's only one thing for it, time to get down with the gays and dance to disco.

This Friday had some weird equine theme to it, there was Club Unicorn, Donkey Pitch, and our trusty steed - Horse Meat Disco. Bred from the fields of The Eagle in Vauxhall during the hay day of Andy Weatherall, this young colt of a night cantered along merrily before being freed from its London bound stable to trot down to Brighton.

Here the disc jockeys have a chance to delve into the deeper, more dubby side of house and disco, playing with the warehouse ethics of DJ Harvey's marathon 9 hour sets in Los Angeles. As a result they have us and the rest of the crowd chomping at the bit and bucking on the dancefloor till the early morning.

Maribou State - Habitat EP

Yeah, their name does sound too much like Caribou, but you'll forgive them once you hear their 'Habitat' EP, which is brimming with chilled after-party house vibes. 'Silent' has got a warm fuzzy synth-line that's similar to the one on XXY's 'Ordinary Things'. Over this drip drops xylophonic notes that ring with crystal clear clarity. The trio consists of Liam Ivory, Chris Davids and Josh Donald who used to be a live outfit but have recently moved into productions and are now making some beautifully graceful electronica.

'Breathe' is a lithe and laconic track with a melodic vocal cut and repeated over atmospheric ambiance and a funky purple bassline. The whole EP is tender in sound and well defined in structure, the arrangements feel considered, the effects energetic yet restrained around the luxurious hooks. Maribou State are signed to Fat! Records and you can cop their 'Habitat' EP on Juno. Do it.