BLOG CLART

I've been using hyphens completely wrong for years.

2011-10-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

This goes out to Steve Yates (no relation) one of the best mentors in the world, and the best sub-editor of all time. He has taught me how to punctuate properly.

Also big ups Tom Lloyd on photoshop help!

I wrote about how much I love Erykah Badu for The Guardian

2011-09-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

As part of the 'My favourite Album' series, where Guardian writers pick, well, work it out. Mine was Mama's Gun by Erykah Badu.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/sep/06/mamas-gun-erkyah-badu

Or below:

My favourite album: Mama's Gun by Erykah Badu

Guardian and Observer writers are picking their favourite albums – with a view that you might do the same. Here, Kieran Yates is gunning for Erykah Badu

Mama's Gun … 'Erykah Badu at her most raw'

As a grown woman, I probably shouldn't still have posters on my bedroom wall but I make an exception for Erykah Badu. The reason why is simple: Mama's Gun. Hip-hop purists may cite Badu's 1997 debut, Baduizm, as her best and that's hardly surprising – it was, after all, the one that defined neo-soul and announced this then 26-year-old singer's talent to the world. For me, though, there will only ever be one Erykah album that matters. On Mama's Gun Badu represented the woman I wanted to be – a woman with something to say who could be weird and funny and clever and sexy at the same time.

I still remember watching the video to the first release from it, Bag Lady. I was at a friend's house where I would go to tape hours of MTV on to VHS. Badu jumped straight out from the screen – a dazzle of multicoloured headscarves bearing a message of sisterhood unlike anything I'd heard before. However, being a late bloomer (at that time I was still wearing fake Chinese tattoos and livin' la vida loca) I still didn't quite understand Mama's Gun. It was before I had ever been kissed on the neck (or anywhere for that matter), before I had felt the sting of green eyes and before I'd ever had my heart broken.

But I stuck with it. I began to realise that Badu brought a welcome alternative to the hackneyed version of feminism played out in the mainstream by the likes of the Spice Girls. It wasn't until university, though, that my love affair with Erykah deepened. I was becoming a woman and the lyrics on Mama's Gun suddenly felt like they spoke directly to me. Every track had the power to make you feel something; Green Eyes is punctuated with faux confidence; In Love With You is a simple declaration of love; Orange Moon provides a disjointed, stripped-back tale of emerging from darkness. The funk-filled breakdowns, disjointed beats, smooth piano and deeply soulful vocals blew my mind. This was light years ahead of any R&B I'd heard.

One of my favourite tracks, Didn't Cha Know, is Badu at her most raw ("Trying to decide/ Which way to go/ Think I took a wrong turn up there somewhere"), capturing those moments of being lost, of losing your sense of logic. In contrast, the explosive entrance to the album, Penitentiary Philosophy, is a ball of gutsy, jazz-infused energy complete with ?uestlove's frantic drumming. It has the power to make you reach for the nearest microphone-shaped object, take a deep breath and commit to every vowel in the opening "WOOOOOOOAAAAAAOOHHH!" Elsewhere, Cleva struck a chord with my insecurities about being, well, a bit of a geek: "I got a little pot in my belly/ nowadays my figure ain't so fly/ my dress don't cost no more than 7 dollars/ but I made it fly/ I tell you why/ 'cos I'm cleva." In singing those words, Badu invites you to see the sensuality of intellect, the fact that having something to say was sexier than how you looked while you were saying it.

All great albums will lead you to discover others – this one took me on a journey through D'Angelo, Jill Scott, the Roots and beyond. And it clearly wasn't just me who took the ride – you can sense Badu's influence spurring on Janelle Monáe, Ledisi and, perhaps less subtly, the five-piece London soul band Mama's Gun.
But these discoveries aren't what I love most about Mama's Gun. What I love most is how it can still help me through my more insecure moments. That's why it will always be my favourite ever album. And that's why sometimes I look over at that poster on my wall and whisper: "Thanks."

I was on the Guardian Music Podcast

2011-09-29T12:36:00.001-07:00

I was recently invited on to the Guardian Music Weekly Podcast for the Notting Hill Carnival Special show. Was good fun, and was joned by Alexis Petridis and the delectable Emma Warren.

Listen to it here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/audio/2011/aug/26/notting-hill-carnival-special

MTV Staying Alive- 'Wrapped Up'

2011-09-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.staying-alive.org/en/2011/09/wrapped-up-%E2%80%9Cthis-is-abuse%E2%80%9D/

Wrapped Up: “This Is Abuse”

MTV UK’s urban blog The Wrap Up launch a campaign with ‘This is abuse’ using celebrities to talk about abuse in relationships – Blogger and Wrap Up columnist Kieran Yates talks about why it’s relevant to Staying Alive.

Being a blogger for MTV UK’s Urban Music blog – The Wrap Up and MTV Staying Alive, I like to think that I represent music fans that can feel passionately about issues like HIV, global development, and sexual health.

The Wrap Up’s is supporting the “This Is Abuse” campaign – by using UK based artists such as Wretch 32, Mz Bratt and Miss Dynamite to speak out about violence in relationships . I wanted to dig a little deeper the issue itself, and the possible links abusive relationships could have to issues such as HIV.

Ms Dynamite talking about the "This Is Abuse" campaign

A simple Google search found that according to a 2006 report by the United Nations one out of every three women around the world have been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, usually by someone known to her.

As a response to the levels of abuse and a lot of the time, the taboo surrounding the issue, ‘This is Abuse’ aims to lay out exactly what abuse is, and the effects it can have. Artists in the public eye such as Mz Bratt and Wretch32 are increasingly important in speaking out against abuse, especially in the UK, where thousands are suffering in silence.

But what of the global impact? One of the most devastating global effects that abuse can have, which is not an obvious link, is the spread of HIV infection – an issue that has spurned ongoing research into causes and effects, exploring the relationship between the two.

Abuse is widely seen as a reason why women in particular, are open to extreme sexual vulnerability-in countries where HIV is prevalent, sexual faithfulness and protection is a massive issue, while the risk of HIV transmission increases during violent or forced-sex situations (the abrasions caused through forced penetration can facilitate entry of the virus.)

When you told feel like your voice is not being heard, it’s harder for you to fight your corner in getting protection. When you are trodden down, it is harder to suggest counseling or help when you first see problems beginning to show. If you are ashamed, it may feel impossible to push for sexual health awareness and testing, leading to devastating consequences.

One of the central factors in which abuse thrives is simple: silence. Silence is what ensures things carry on, uninterrupted. Hearing young voices, like that of Ms Dynamite is important, not because if they talk about it we will have a magic wand over the problem, but because it spurs debate, gets column inches like this written, and shows artists accepting a responsibility to look after many of the young people they influence. I support campaigns like this for that reason – using people with loud voices to help those with quiet ones. They do say the simple ideas are the best.

Check out Ms Dynamite talking about “This Is Abuse” exclusively on The Wrap Up Here and let us know what you think…

REVIEW: Hip Hop a Cultural Odyssey for Red Bull Music Acadmy

2011-09-29T12:31:00.001-07:00

http://www.redbull.co.uk/cs/Satellite/en_UK/Event/Hip-Hop--A-Cultural-Odyssey-021243053852332

Red Bull Company LTD

Bigger Than Hip Hop

by Kieran Yates, Aug 1, 2011

On Friday night the Red Bull Studios housed the launch of the celebrated hip hop book, Hip Hop: A Cultural Odyssey- a compendium of artists and cultural figures featuring in the hip hop world over the last 50 years. The books took centre stage in the studio lounge, with people pouring in to lust after its thick glossy pages. At 15 lbs, the sheer weight of the book is a fitting representation of heavyweight influence that hip hop has had on contemporary culture as we know it. The content reads like any hip-hoppers wet dream, chock full of a cross section of hip hop culture including the often omitted graffiti artists, along with producers, DJs, and of course, some of the biggest artists in history- my favourites were Snoop Dogg in a Burberry shower cap followed by more poignant ones of Eminem looking strung out surrounded by crumpled lyric-covered scraps of paper. Beautifully shot, they show the diversity, humour and rise of a culture that was bubbling underground for many years in the US, and has re-written how we see beats, rhymes and life today.

Ghostpoet & Pauli Stanley-McKenzie

The night paid homage then, to the book at the centre of the hip hop storm, with Dizzee’s personal selector DJ Semtex warming the crowd up with high energy pop/hip hop injections, followed by Kayper who flawlessly mixed impressive remixes of Wiz Khalifa’s Black and Yeloow into a Tribe called Quest. Catching up with Semtex after his set, he commented, ‘these kind of events are important because hip hop is one of the most underrated art forms. People documenting the art are always needed-I’m glad to be a part of it, and we hope we get more things like this. The book’s amazing and it really puts the history into perspective.’ Other fans were Red Bull Studios regular, Ghostpoet and Pauli Stanley-Mckenzie, who I caught admiring pictures amongst the noise, commenting, ‘the book is amazing.'

Reggie Yates, Mr Hudson and Manny Norte

Next up on the decks were DJ twosome Reggie Yates and Manny Norte, who shouted and hyped the crowd while playing big bad bumper hip-hop tracks by Nas, Dre and Biggie, with the loudest cheers reserved for Rick Ross (who still continues to make drinks go up in the air). Every recognisable beat made sure I was soaked before the intro had even dropped-such is the power of bassy hip-hop legends. I wasn’t sure how more preened guests which included Gok Wan, Pussycat Doll Kimberley and Kelly Brook might fare, under a barrage of riotous skanks, gun fingers and jumps, but I can report that they were undeterred.

Hudson Mohawke

In contrast to the bangers and bravado of Yates and Norte, headliner Hudson Mohawke crept behind the decks, low-key as ever (he has no visible ego which is in my opinion the best thing about watching him perform-he always looks like a fan first and performer second) and mixed old school hip-hop from Busta and Dilla into ambient soul and jerky electronica. Despite not playing any of his classic remixes (like Tweet’s Oh My’) his set sounded fresh and clean as expected, while his blend of slow and steady broken beats were controlled and interesting enough to stand and listen with no more than a slight head bob- only surpassed by his scratching, - a delicious surprise for the audience who cheered and applauded his cross fader control - a rare treat. In fact, that’s a fitting conclusion for the whole night.

Riot Reportage for The Independent

2011-09-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/08/10/views-from-the-streets/

Peckham riots: views from the streets

By Kieran Yates

Kieran Yates headed down to Peckham in the thick of the riots this week to hear some of the female voices coming from the ground.

Yesterday, along with most of London, I was transfixed by the BBC live coverage of looting and riotous behaviour taking place across the capital, a capital that I describe as my city, my home. In normal circumstances, a TV screen can provide an effective distancing technique between the events on screen and where you are- however, this comfort is shattered as soon as you hear a familiar name. As soon as riots were reported to be starting in Peckham, I felt like an old friend was under attack. I needed to go down there and see the anger and movements first hand and ask fellow young people what their motivations were,( if possible) and at least, see for myself what the general feeling was on the streets. My journalism career has taught me that answers can usually be found on the ground when in doubt.

So, myself and co-journo Mervin Martin walked down, armed with phones to record/capture/film, but mostly to see for ourselves what wasn’t being reported-voices of young people in the community. We walked until we hit Peckham Library at around 7pm last night, the tension was severe, and conflict between police and the crowd was just beginning.

As part of the minority of girls in the crowd, I felt a different atmosphere to one of pure tension- on one hand, lots of guys approached me asking if I was ok and advising that I should leave, “Before things get heavy” while others smiled and gestured protectively, making me feel at ease. In contrast, I also felt suddenly a lot smaller than the guys around me and felt I could easily get crushed in the crowd.

As a result, looking around, one of the things I was fascinated by was the number of girls present, some young, some very small, falling into two distinct camps from what I could overhear. One, encouraging boys to grab things from ‘Blue Inc’, the shop in front of us which was being ransacked in a midst of broken glass and smoking debris, where I heard demands of, “ Go get me some jeans!” and the other, providing a voice of reason to boyfriends, friends, maybe even brothers, berating them and telling them to leave the scene, “Get out of here you dickheads, what are you trying to prove?” (This did prove to be quite effective, it has to be said).

Comparatively, much of the older female voices we’ve heard from within these news stories have been split: On one hand, we witnessed inspiring scenes from Diane Abbott, an MP who has actually taken the initiative to walk around Hackney (her local constituency) and engage with local shopkeepers and frightened locals. An example of strength and compassion, in direct contrast to Theresa May’s bullish ‘Dolores Umbridge’ (as I describe her) like approach to severe zero-tolerance policy who sounds so out of touch with the true thoughts of the people, rejecting the idea of recent events being a response to social or ideological unrest. I know which camp I’d like to see more of.

In the midst of the aggression of guys standing near us throwing bricks, holding on to shards of glass and running towards the police line, I (mainly through worry of being trampled) stood aside with some young girls and asked why they were there.

After tentatively sparking up conversation, I ask them if they’ve seen their boys being stopped and searched and they laugh: “Yeh, it’s why we’re always late” from a girl known only as Keisha, while one other girl simply stared me down and spat, “Obviously”. This anger and helplessness of young girls (the group I spoke to were 16-18) was fully felt in the stoical way in which they talked about episodes of police targeting their friends and though they had not felt police brutality first hand, “It’s the principle innit?” says 17 year old Ayesha, “ You just have to stand back and watch, because what can you do? Not saying this is the answer” pointing to the debris being set alight in front of us.

Our conversation is halted by a sudden surge of the crowd moving forward and I stay back, overhearing a pair of girls behind me swearing. I had just spoken to a looter who declared “We run this city” moments before and I turned around to ask them if they agreed. They giggled and quoted Beyonce’s ‘Who runs the world (girls)’ track, which I also noticed was one of their ringtones, but as I press the question they shrug, “That’s a hard one” and no more is said. They seem far more animated vocalising their incredulousness at the looting going on in Blue Inc, a “ shit shop” where clothes are sold at cheap prices and when I ask if they shop there, they look at me with a mock-frown and respond, “Just cos we’re from Peckham doesn’t mean we dress shit.” I take that as a no.
I watch the guys causing trouble and remember a headline in the Daily Mail last November scaremongering about the rise of girl gangs and female violence, especially within the student protests, and I ask them if any girls they knew would be involved, and almost in unison, they respond indignantly: “No, these guys are just angry and see it as fun, I think it takes more for a girl to get involved in this kind of madness. We would have a reason.” What reason, I ask? A friend interjects, “Well, I don’t know, I suppose I would understand how angry some of these guys are if I was pushed against bars and walls being searched by police, like I’ve seen happen to my brother. He’s never had anything on him.”

As things get slightly out of control what with the police being heavily outnumbered, and a girl falling over after a crowd surge, I quickly ask Natasha, one of the girls why she’s there. “I just wanted to see these dickheads” she responds. I look around and am suddenly hyperaware of the anger felt around me- from boys throwing bottles at police, to boys watching their peers with disgust. Gesticulating to the police and crowd, I ask Natasha, “So, how many people here are just dickheads?” She laughs and shouts, “Everyone is a dickhead-these ones just use a different language to the ones in police stations!” and with that, we run away.

Piece for VIBE on the riots

2011-09-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

One of my first pieces for the international hip hop magazine, from last month:
http://www.vibe.com/posts/murder-across-pond-uks-hip-hop-community-speaks-out-london-riots

Or see below:

Murder Across The Pond: UK's Hip Hop Community Speaks Out On London Riots

VIBE.COM By: Vibe Posted 8-11-2011 11:58 am

Last Thursday (Aug. 4), Mark Duggan – a 29-year-old man from Tottenham, north London – was shot and killed by police. The events that followed could not have been predicted. The father of four was gunned down by police officers, after he posed "a threat to life." It was later acknowledged that Duggan did indeed have a firearm, but the bullet found to be shot was police-issued, suggesting that bullet came from a police gun, not Duggan's. At present, according to the BBC, "there is no evidence to suggest Mark Duggan opened fire at police before being shot dead by a firearms officer."

The streets of north London were horrified by the murder of the innocent man, leading to various members of the community to start a protest, demanding answers from the police. These questions were not met, tempers flared, and the protest spiralled uncontrollably into anarchy: police cars were set on fire and shops were looted. The man dem were not playing! What started out as a small protest was about to lead into something much more dark and sinister, which would leave thousands jobless and cause our beloved Prime Minister to leave his family holiday to come back and do, well...absolutely nothing at all.

From the London boroughs of Tottenham, Enfield and Croydon, to cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Leicester – young people around the UK joined forces and started rioting: stealing from shops and burning police stations down, leaving millions of pounds worth of damage behind them. When a chance to laugh in the face of the law came around, people jumped at it. Now, not that I condone any of this behaviour, but could these young people be doing all of this to prove a point?
For many years, the police have used their power against our youth - especially our young black men - so maybe it’s their time to prove that they, too, have power? I'm just saying. It was only a matter of time before a tabloid journo, Paul Routledge, ignorantly pointed the finger at rap music for the cause of these riots. So, I took to Twitter and asked some UK lyricists to share their thoughts on the chaos currently taking place on the streets of the UK.

Exo: "I’ve been beaten up and abused by the police since I was 17 years old. It’s not even a black thing anymore, the system just don’t care about the youth and the government cuts are leaving the country dirt broke. People are fuckin’ pissed!"

Trim: "I believe that we must find more educated ways to tackle our problems. People should vote Labour and become more of a community."

Wiley: "It should have never happened. My thoughts go out to anyone who was hurt or experienced being scared."

Jammer: "All I can say is that I don't condone the looting, at all. End of! The government don't connect with the youth. #Change."

Konan: "It’s some idiot ting! Just shows that people are clones and that they have no morals."

Lioness: "Looting is one thing, but burning down small businesses and homes of the general public is despicable. Cameron came too late and the media reporting is suspect. Not all of the areas affected are shown/spoken about. I wonder why that is?"

Dream Mclean: "No smoke without fire. More than just mindless crime. Need to stop the cause, etc, etc."

Lady Leshurr: "Destroying innocent people's homes and family businesses is not going to make the government realise that there needs to be a change. We’re all going to suffer for this at the end of the day."

Scrufizzer: "The whole riot thing has got out of hand. People have taken it a bit too far. But people are forgetting the reason why this all started. The reason is because Mark’s family wasn’t given any information on how he died and the police had everyone waiting in the station for 4/5 hours. I hope this all stops and that people come to their senses."

Blade Brown: "Too many black men have died in suspicious circumstances involving the police, but I don't condone burning innocent people's homes and businesses, that isn't helping the situation. But every now and again, these things have to happen for a change to be made."

GMoney: "I think the riots started because the police killed an innocent man in Totty! The Government don't do anything for the youth, they only harass them. They started the first riot in north London because the police assaulted a young girl. It's time to let the government know that the youth have had enough!

Mayhem (S.A.S.): "You've gotta look at the reason why this is happening in the first place. Young people in this country are frustrated, angry and restful towards the system here. They are bored, idle and there is a lack of role models in our communities. The government taking away funding for mentors and youth clubs has all added to the madness in the streets, NOT RAP OR GRIME MUSIC! Everyone needs to take responsibility in regards to this issue."

Words: Joseph 'JP' Patterson with additional reporting from Kieran Yates

MTV Staying Alive- 'An ode to Marriage (Or not)

2011-09-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Recent (ish) piece for MTV staying Alive...

http://www.staying-alive.org/en/2011/07/an-ode-to-marriage-or-not/

Or read below:

An Ode to Marriage (Or Not)

“A divine right” but “not my thing” is what South African actress Charlize Theron had to say about marriage in a recent interview. In response, check out what guest blogger Kieran Yates has to say on the topic and why choice is key…

Being a young woman living in London, my Mum worries about me. Her list of worries is usual: “Don’t talk to strangers in clubs”, “Don’t take the nightbus” and ”Don’t shake your ass too much on the dancefloor because guys will get the wrong idea.” Of course, I do all these things, but I assure my Mum that she doesn’t need to worry.

In recent months though, my Mum has ramped up the marriage neuroses and worries that I’ll never get married. She now says things like “What will happen when you peak and your fingers get too fat for a ring?” “Will you be happy if you never find a husband?” “WHAT IF YOU NEVER MARRY AND HAVE AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD?”

Most of this is in jest, (I hope) because although my Mum would like someone to make an honest woman, (lol) out of me, deep down, she knows not to apply pressure. My mum had a failed arranged marriage which, (though is a different issue altogether) means that she realises that my right to choose is more important than we sometimes realise.

Luckily for me, I too, know the importance of feeling like I can choose for or against marriage. I’m glad of this because it leads to healthy debate about choice in other areas – about sexual health, (not necessarily with your Mum) sexual commitments, and sex education in all areas – it might even lead to more HIV testing, being clued up about contraception and saying ‘no’ when you might need to.

I read recently that in an interview, actress Charlize Theron confessed that she didn’t believe marriage was for her, though she respected it as an institution. What Charlize Theron says is important – it shows how far society has come, that celebrities who shape culture can talk nonchalantly about how they don’t think marriage is for them, with little backlash.

This creates a dialogue between those who feel the same way, (or don’t) and helps to quash the pressure of what can be seen as archaic notions of the institution of marriage and what it represents – I have never believed that marriage is a prerequisite for a happy life as a couple, or that is it limited to heterosexuals, but above all, I have never believed that it is a tool to bend women to social pressure, or a commitment they don’t feel committed to.

Not everyone is cut out for marriage. This is by no means a damning attack on those who are- simply stating the importance of women especially, taking ownership of their lives, their own economy, and their own body. When women feel like they can conquer the world without the need of a ring to cement their status in the world, I think it’s is a step towards feeling like they can put the stereotype of Bridal Barbie to rest, and create a new gender aesthetic that sees powerful women speaking proudly about not committing to something they never felt an affinity with.

The voices of our generation, I believe, are louder than those in my Mums era, and though she would love to see me (in white) sealing my marriage with a kiss, she supports me. She taught me that female collectivism is key to being free, to feeling like you can rule the world without judgment, because you have someone behind you – be it a mum, a friend, or a boyfriend who will support you- in sickness and in health.

Kieran Rates- Trim-I am

2011-09-29T12:10:00.001-07:00

I love Trim, I wrote about how much in my MTV column.

See it here: http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/urban/2795-kieran-rates-trim-i-am-lv-remix

Or below:

KIERAN RATES: TRIM – 'I AM' (LV REMIX)‏

Submitted by Joseph Patterson on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 12:59

in Exclusive Feature

I started my journey in music journalism talking about my love of grime music. The high-energy, fast-paced, sometimes angry and sometimes hilarious genre inevitably sits close to many Londoner's hearts. As a result, I have always had a soft spot for the sound and the newest addition to my personal grime airwaves comes via Trim...

The MC is deeply rooted in the grime scene, having working with Roll Deep in the early days and performing at raves across the country for as long as I can remember. Not to mention his impressive back catalogue: 'Monkey Features Vol 1' (and 2), 'Trim City', and the 'Soulfood' mixtapes, to name a few.

Trim’s 'I Am', from 'Monkey Features Vol 2', is a subtle declaration of self that appeals to me, because he doesn’t sound too earnest. The beats are sparse and rhythmic and enough to dance to without heading straight for the mosh pit. With elements of funky, dubstep and sing-a-long vocals, 'I Am' doesn’t have a 'Next Hype' (Tempa T) quality, instead, it’s upbeat with a relaxed feel.

It sounds like he’s leaning on the bar shrugging his shoulders, rather than smashing bottles of tequila on the floor and spraying himself with a beer pump. I mean, both are good, but everything in moderation.

The chilled delivery has a certain poetic quality to it, and the lyrics are filled with a sort of tongue in cheek honesty: "You don’t have to know of me/I’m Trim/I used to kind of flow off beat/but its fresh Trim now/I do not sleep..."

The most interesting element of this is the LV remix – who can cut and chop more than Jamie Oliver – which sees Trim get an up-tempo electro injection. The transition isn’t the smoothest, but it’s good. Good stuff from the Butterz camp, who seem to be consistently releasing quality tracks.

Trim comments: "I’d just like to say, producers such as TRC, Terror Danjah and Swindle are bringing that old school grime flavour back, and I love it."

Me too!

Trim’s new single, 'I Am', is out on August 15.

Stay up to date with Trim on Twitter – www.twitter.com/SithTrim

Words: Kieran Yates (@Kieran_Yates)

Recent piece for The Guardian on why FWD>> IS AMAZING

2011-09-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

See it here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/aug/19/fwd-happy-10-birthday

Or below:

10 reasons to wish FWD>> a happy 10th birthday

From championing dubstep and grime, to letting girls wear trainers, FWD>> has gone down in clubbing lore. Here's why …

Fast FWD>> ... Skream, Jammer and Wiley gather around the decks. Photograph: Georgina Cook

This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of FWD>>, the iconic British club night that created a space for British Underground Music to thrive. Before grime and dubstep had an official name, it was at FWD>> in east London that you could hear bassy beats, and skank with the skinny teenagers who would later become some of the most influential dubstep artists of their generation. It was where Mala, Coki, Skream and Benga were first heard. For many discerning clubbers, FWD>> is the stuff of legend, and here's 10 reasons why …

It helped change the face of pop

FWD>> showcased Ramadanman, Coki, Skream, Kode 9 and Benga but it was more than just a dubstep night. It also paid homage to grime, garage and house, pushing through some of the best British talent over the last 10 years. "I saw FWD>> as an incubator of new ideas," says Ramadanman. "As the sound system was so good, there were no worries about your new tune not being faithfully reproduced, which I think led to more experimentalism." Without this, it seems unlikely that James Blake, Katy B and countless others would have made mainstream waves today.

You could go on your own because it felt like a family

People felt fine venturing out to FWD>> on their own, because they felt sure they'd meet people they knew inside. There was a terrific sense of community. DJ Zinc recalls celebrating Skream's birthday together drinking shots at the bar, while Benga commented on "how familiar it all felt". It's unusual to consider how attached people can be to a club. It wasn't unheard of to have a favourite spot in the grimy corners of the Velvet Rooms (the night moved to Plastic People in 2005). According to Ramandanman: "Plastic People is an intense club. It's no frills, no fancy lights, smoke machines. Just a big pair of speakers and decks. But FWD>> changed my life." Journalist Emma Warren recalls: "There was a real community. The only time I ever saw someone not turn up for a set was Joker, and that was because he missed his train from Bristol. When Martyn [a producer and DJ] played for the first time, he was so good that people started a petition to get him back again. There was a sense that people felt as if it was theirs. You didn't go along in a passive way – it was active, you were part of it."

The girls could wear trainers

If you were partying in the 90s and you liked "urban" music, it was highly likely that you went to Garage Nation. Remember Craig David? Wookie? Sweet Female Attitude (they'd bring you flowers, don't you know)? Garage dominated the pop charts, and the girls at Garage Nation were slick and sexy. FWD>>, on the other hand, embraced a completely different style. The girls wore trainers, a sign that the polished, commercial garage era was nearing the end. As Benga puts it: "People didn't watch for what each other was wearing." The dress code was an anti dress code, and DJ Zinc fondly remembers "suits being turned away at the door because it wasn't an after-work, getting smashed kind of thing ... FWD>> was for people serious about the music."

The DJs would arrive in white limos (but you wouldn't know this)

Well, Croydon-based DJs such as Skream and Hatcha, who travelled from south to east London in limousines for the simple reason that they were cheaper than taxis. The irony being, of course, that there was no sense of celebrity attached to any of those DJs – according to Zinc they'd often "get it to stop round the corner, 'cos it was a bit embarrassing".

There was no hierarchy

All my personal experiences of FWD>> have been dancing to bass and marveling at how many of the DJs end up on the dancefloor themselves with no sign of fans asking for autographs. The clubbers were too busy getting lost in the music, which is why it became a common practice for people in front of the DJ to lean forward and "pull up the track" (ie reload a song that was particularly great). Kode 9 recalls his favourite reload moment: "I remember hearing Classic Deluxe by Horsepower Productions and running from the back of the club to the DJ booth, just to rewind the track. Standard."

It created iconic images

FWD>> attracted a host of industry veterans. Chock full of photographers, A&Rs and journalists, the night was well documented through the underground media. One photographer of note, Georgina Cook (aka DrumzoftheSouth) was a FWD>> staple, documenting the scene. She took the above photo in April 2005 and comments: "At that time there were a few FWD>> regulars getting anxious about the introduction of grime DJs and MCs to the FWD>> lineups. So it was pretty special when Mala (Digital Mystikz) and Wiley (Roll Deep) were billed on the same night and even more special to watch the reaction of Jammer, Wiley and Skepta when Mala dropped Skream's phenomenal Midnight Request Line.

They would stay open when only one person was on the dancefloor

FWD>> was known for embracing the new. So new, in fact, that not everyone was initially up to speed with, say, the breakneck 140bpm of grime, or the heavy bass wobbles of dubstep. Writer, DJ and FWD>> regular Martin Clark comments that: "There were a few times when we'd do a mix and look up and there were, like, two or three people left on the dancefloor, or no one at all, but we'd carry on because it was about getting lost in the music." Journalist and clubber Chantelle Fiddy adds: "The girl count was about five in the early days: me, Ms Dynamite and a few others on the dancefloor, but none of that mattered because we were embracing the excitement about these new sounds."

It inspired the wider scene

Mark Gurney of 2nd Drop records says FWD>> inspired the name of his label: "Mala from Digital Mystikz didn't play at FWD>> on that many occasions and he never allowed recordings of his sets, so it was a real moment in 2007 when he graced the Plastic People controls and played his dubstep anthem Lean Forward. For those who know this tune, it has the most beastly second drop, which would get rewinds even though it came two thirds of the way through the record. I remember muttering to myself in a haze of weed smoke and Guinness that it was "all about the second Drop". I texted my best mate James to tell him I had a name for our new label whose first release would be a then little-known producer called Ramadanman, in May of that year."

They couldn't keep the secret appearances a secret

It was at FWD>> that a new secret production outfit called Magnetic Man debuted. Well, it was supposed to be a secret, anyway. As Mark Gurney remembers: "The core dubstep cognoscenti had been caning their tunes Everything Cool and Soulz for months, but nothing was officially known about them. As you walked into Plastic People and on to the dark dancefloor, the decks had been covered by a white mesh screen, a ruse to conceal the identity of the act. But as the hardcore fans had been there since the doors opened we'd seen everyone who'd come in and out of the club. Also, the fact that Benga's Afro was strikingly outlined behind the screen probably didn't help …

They survived closure

FWD>> came close to closure at the beginning of last year, following moves from the Met to review the licence of the club. Although their reasons concerned the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance, Kode 9 claims "there were no fights in FWD>>". A petition was quickly issued, with fans celebrating the club's diversity, and the infamous Plastic People survived. As a result, the night has lived to inspire a new generation, collaborating with the radio station Rinse, and continuing to do what it does best – celebrating young talent. Elijah, of grime label Butterz Recordings, says: "I was going before I started to DJ, it was part of the reason I started to buy records, then part of the reason I wanted to take DJing seriously, then once I did that it was my aim to play there myself." Long may it continue.

Kieran Rates- Context MC- Listening to Burial (Cinematic Remix)

2011-09-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

One of my column posts (Really must get better at posting regularly)

See it here: http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/urban/2841-kieran-rates-context-mc-listening-to-burial-cinematic-remix

Or below:

KIERAN RATES: CONTEXT MC – 'LISTENING TO BURIAL' (CINEMATIC REMIX)‏

Submitted by Joseph Patterson on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:53

in Exclusive Feature

Drum n bass is a genre that I have stepped in and out of over the years. I had a notable love affair with it when I was younger. These days, I tend to treat the genre as more of a guilty pleasure at raves, or steeped in nostalgia...

After all, jungle and drum n bass sum up an era of dance antics and every drum n bass head has had a moment when listening to remixes of the likes of Roni Size, Prodigy and the rest. I’m not to be as clued up on the movements in the drum n bass arena as I once was, so it takes something special to turn my attention that way.

The lastest track to impress me comes courtesy of Norwich-born Context MC, and his remix of a song that has been doing the rounds for about a month, ‘Listening To Burial’. Remixed by production duo Cinematic, ‘Listening To Burial’ is an ode to the great dubstep don Burial, and it has reignited some of the reasons why I took to the genre in the first place.

After spending a lot of time listening to glitchy, pause-heavy, post dubstep beats, it’s almost a welcome rest to sit back and enjoy the vibe that Context MC serves up. Clear and easy to move to, the flow is careful and intelligent: “…intoxication is perennial, I’m floating down to earth, listening to Burial…” The female vocals give the whole thing a decidedly garage-like feel – one of the cornerstones of all urban music in the UK – and gives a real sense of place.

Full of empathy, the track is wholly self-referential. He talks about himself, his experience of music, demanding the world not to interrupt that universal moment when we close our eyes, and to put in our earphones and just let everything else fade away.

Context MC: 'Listening To Burial' – is out now.
Stay up to date with Context MC on Twitter – www.twitter.com/ContextMC
Words: Kieran Yates (@Kieran_Yates)

Kieran Rates- Ghostpoet-Liines

2011-09-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Read it here: http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/urban/2899-kieran-rates-ghostpoet-liiines

Or below:

KIERAN RATES: GHOSTPOET – 'LIIINES'

Submitted by Joseph Patterson on Wed, 07/27/2011 - 14:23

in Exclusive Feature

Ghostpoet has had a good year. A top 10, a collab with Kano, a performance at Glastonbury, and now hitting the headlines this week for his well-deserved Mercury Prize nomination, it seems Obaro Ejimiwe can do no wrong...

I remember seeing him a few years ago at 'Turn Off The Radio' (the infamous acoustic club night) when his status as a performer was far more self-conscious, even borderline awkward, but is testament to his development as an artist that he’s come so far and can now easily pack venues.

Low key, subtle, and almost whispering his acclaimed status into the mainstream, his music is everything I like in electronica: interesting, at times risky, full of loops, samples and slow, calculated vocals that tell of an urban experience. You can almost imagine him scribbling lyrics on a napkin, captivated by the modern world passing him by.

'Liiines' is the next release from his excellent LP, 'Peanut Butter Blues And Melancholy Jam', and, as the title suggests, he continues the tone of melancholy. The track is well produced, with the same sing-along quality as his last single, ‘Survive It’, but with a bit more punch. This has a hefty injection of introspection and, for me, it’s here where the comparisons to Roots Manuva are clear.

His musing is touching rather than preachy: "Life is too short to hold onto grudges. Life is too short to make no plans." He takes us on a journey of self-discovery and witty observations – sometimes frantic, sometimes slow and collected, but always telling a story. There are few great storytellers left in the mainstream world, but Ghostpoet is certainly one of them.

Stay up to date on Twitter with Ghostpoet - www.twitter.com/Ghostpoet
Words: Kieran Yates (@Kieran_Yates)

Piece on Moroccan B-Boys for Asylum mag

2011-09-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.asylum.co.uk/2011/09/15/breakdancing-world-championship-morocco/?icid=cars|DL_1_img

The B-boy revolution: how dance is helping to reshape Morocco

Ahead of this month's breakdancing world championships in London, Kieran Yates investigates how the street dance is flourishing in the unlikely home of Morocco, where young men and women are body popping their way to a new, more tolerant society.

Popping! Locking! Two-step! Robot! Yes, the B-Boys are back from the 80's -- cooler, cultured, and throwing shapes more impressive than you've ever seen before.

So what's it all about then? Haven't we had our fill of watching the last 100 'Step It Up' films, and watching dickheads in clubs who think they're Justin Timberlake (note: girls hate it as much as the rest of you, seriously, no one got laid because he could throw his hat in the air and catch it again.)

In fact, real breakdancing -- the partakers of which are called B-Boys -- is thriving in the UK and beyond, burgeoning in the unlikeliest of places, a world away from the NY streets where it began.

One of the most unlikely homes for breakdancing can be found in the darkest regions of Casablanca and Marrakech, where the sight of flexible locals somersaulting in the streets is commonplace as you haggle over your teapot.

The country is slowly creating its own infrastructure to support its growing interest in B-Boys. Over the last 10 years, dance workshops, classes, and clubs have been created where young people are encouraged to body pop in harmony.

One of the central voices heading the movement is Creative Director of Theater 6, an arts theatre in Casablanca, and life-long B Boy fan Hicham Akbari. He says that the country's attitude changed after the 'Casablanca Bombings' in 2003, when bombings by extremist terrorists killed 45 people (including the 12 suicide bombers), making it the deadliest attacks in the country's history.

"After this, the government and Mohammed 6 [King] realised that we needed a cultural community to steer young people away from extremism," he smiles.

"You might call it a blessing in disguise. After that, we got a cultural voice again, things got easier."

In the years that followed, Hicham was a central part of creating a haven for young people, which incidentally, became a hip hop haven. He says he campaigned for 'the right to be different', and organised festivals every year from 2003 -- often with 5000 people attending without any publicity -- and created the 'Moroccan Underground Federation' for B Boys, DJs and creatives alike.

He tells me: "I loved [1970s New York hip hop group] Rocksteady Crew, and wanted a Moroccan version!"

His dream was lived out. Many famous B-Boys have since come out of Morocco, one of the most famous being La Halla King Zoo or 'Zoo Crew' who have received international acclaim. Their success has directed media attention towards the arts in Morocco, and generated income to put on shows such as the 'B-boy Casa tournament' which now has sponsors and is changing the way the genre is seen by locals in the country.

The crew's leader, 28 year old Anass -- aka 'Robin Hood' -- explains: "From 2005, breakdance has become more and more popular but here in Morocco. We are Muslim, we have fought to be accepted as dancers, without people thinking we are haram [shame]."

The lack of support he mentions refers to a minority of extreme conservative Shia Muslims in Morocco who believe that the Qu'ran forbids music and dancing if the words of the song contain any foul words or vulgarity. This notion can be read more conservatively, with no dancing at all to Western music. As a result, the inherent politics of the situation bubbles to the surface from time to time, not least seen in the crew's name: 'La Halla King Zoo'.

He explains it to me: "It means the situation of the king of the zoo, which is a lion. You can see the bad situation of the lion in the cage, he is trapped. My crew is also is in a bad situation here, it is a bit political".

Another important crew are the 'Anti B Boys' based in Marrakech -- some of the best in the country, who won the prestigous Maya battle in Moscow in 2009. Crew member 'Iron Man' tells me with a grin: "A lot of older muslims think we take drugs to dance like this, they don't understand."

The Anti B Boys have made news thanks to the famous inclusion of women into the group, something that they believe represents the new, forward thinking Morocco they are proud of.

They are also involved with bringing young blood into the scene, commenting: "We would like to go further and further in this field and to be able to train young people so that we can make people discover breakdance, all generations and all ages so that the art of breakdance can be recognised officially in Morocco. Also, so we can teach people our famous moves, Airtracks! (spirals)."

Morocco is now being recognized on an international stage. DJ Hooch, author of 'B-Boy Championships: From Bronx to Brixton' and co-founder of B Boy Championships in 1996, is putting on an event later in the month at Brixton Academy. "Moroccans are some of the best dancers it the world," he says. "They bring something extra to the competitions in terms of expression. It's a global phenomenon."

The element of expression is as key today to the genre as it's always been –- what makes it more striking in Morocco is simply that there are things that many young people feel they need to speak out against, and it is precisely why the genre becomes ever more relevant.

My favourite story from my time there was late one night in Casablanca, amid the busy traffic and cooling temperature, when I watched 'La Halla Zoo Crew' gather on some marble steps by a Ford garage (their territory).

Within minutes, they are spinning, flipping and body popping while a small crowd gathers, and they beat box along in encouragement. Ten minutes or so in, while I start taking pictures of them, Anass looks up at me and laughs. "Kieran, are you looking for a revolution? It's right here!"

The B Boy Championships world finals are at Brixton Academy in October 2011

SBTRKT Interview for The Guardian

2011-09-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Been raving for a while now about how much I love SBTRKT, so I interviewed him for The Guardian...

See it here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/aug/16/sbtrkt-interview

Or below:

SBTRKT Q&A, plus listen to an exclusive remix

Read an interview with the masked music maverick, and download an exclusive Drumma Boy remix of his track Wildfire feat Shabazz Palaces & Little Dragon

- Kieran Yates
- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 16 August 2011 16.10 BST
- Article history

Think SBTRKT looks scary? Wait until you see him with his mask on ...

Link to this audio

Remixed by Drake and hyped to high heaven on the blogosphere, SBTRKT's self-titled debut album – which blends dubstep, garage and soul – looks set to appear on many end-of-year lists. We caught up with the mysterious masked man to talk superheroes, missing out on a Mercury nomination and what it's like to get an email from Thom Yorke … You've been touring Europe. How's it going? Last week was pretty crazy. I did five shows in a row so it involved lots of flying. The music does seem to translate though. We did Melt festival in Germany, which is more techno, whereas in Spain they prefer a more up-tempo sound. Then we played this shitty festival in the Netherlands, which didn't really have any particular crowd. That was a bit random. Drake remixed your track Wildfire. How did that feel? Pretty cool – it's taken on a life of its own. It started out as something he just put on his blog, and it's amazing to see how it developed – now it's big in the States and there's a possible collaboration on the cards. We've been in touch but distance has been an issue, as I'm in the UK and he's in Toronto. What do you like about Drake? He's a mainstream success but production-wise he seems to come up with something less "normal". He found my music through Jamie xx who he's been working with, so he's been listening to everything surrounding that world and [SBTRKT's label] Young Turks. Did you know much about Drake before he remixed the track? It's not something I've ever listened to. I'm generally more in tune with the UK, what's coming out of these crazy subgenres and what goes on in Europe, so really it's funny because I only got to know him through the remix. Who would be a dream collaboration? I'm a massive fan of Björk. It would be amazing to work with her – she's really inspiring, but whether or not it would be great … I'm not sure. I'm doing a remix with Thom Yorke at the moment, for Radiohead – it's been funny because normally when you do remixes it's between you and the label, and the artist never gives a shit 'cos it's just promo for them, but Thom's actually sent me feedback. What do you think of the Mercury nominations? Did you think you were in with a chance? Hard question. I'm cool with it – I always saw myself as the underdog, but I suppose I felt I had a little chance. But the artists they picked are great and represent what a certain panel thinks of UK music at the moment. It's never going to reflect everyone's viewpoint. There were moments when I thought the Mercury was bang on, like in the late-90s with Roni Size, but then Radiohead's Kid A wasn't even nominated for an award and that was their biggest album. You wear a mask for publicity shots. Is that about not wanting to become too closely linked with the music? Kind of. I hate the idea that you have to sell who you are to sell your music. Being an artist is about creating an imaginary place and soundscape. I'm creating an identity for that – a new identity that fits SBTRKT. Who I am in real life is not the same as who I am when I'm creating or performing, so SBTRKT is an identity of its own. And, of course, the mask makes me anonymous so there are a few different levels to it … Were you inspired by masked superheroes? I have no idea. I'm not a superhero. What's the weirdest description of your music that you've heard "New electronic R&B" is one way they described it in Toronto, which was a bit weird but obviously makes sense to them. I guess in the UK everyone would call it dubstep. Where do you see yourself in the current climate of dubstep and where do you see it going next? I don't see myself in a lineage with dubstep. I guess other artists wouldn't either. Well, maybe Katy B in that she has come from a Rinse FM/dubstep world with Zinc and Geeneus. But for me, and perhaps James Blake, I've been doing my own thing. I've never said: "This is a dubstep track." I've taken influences from stuff, but never been fully engaged in the genre. It's natural to assume my music comes from dubstep, when really it comes from a lot of different genres. Which is why, when it comes to the future … who knows?

Tonight! Jodie Harsh high jinks

2011-09-28T05:34:00.000-07:00

Looks amazing. She is amazing. I'm gona dress like a fantastic tranny.TONIGHT

MISHKA HYPE TONIGHTTTT

2011-09-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

TONIGHTTTTTTT! Gona be sick, make sure you get down there- hot girls, big batty beats and SAILOR JERRY! Mishka have got swagger for days, so def worth a look- see you there! (Nearest tube: Brixton)

MTV Column

2011-07-08T02:28:00.000-07:00

Second column for MTV: I rate SBTRKT

http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/urban/2754-kieran-rates-sbtrkt-wildfire

KIERAN RATES: SBTRKT – 'WILDFIRE'‏

Submitted by Joseph Patterson on Wed, 07/06/2011 - 03:06

in Exclusive Feature

My childhood was not one of diverse music genres. I grew up listening to my mother’s Motown CD collection, and then I moved on to R&B and hip-hop in my teens (mostly Ja Rule). As a result, I was firmly of the belief that to sound emotional, or to gauge a soulful reaction, you had to have a 4/4 beat and a diva fist-punching the air and tip-toeing towards those high notes to make you feel something...

As my tastes have developed, one of the lessons I will pass on to my children is that electronica can be as melancholy a genre, as any, and skipped beats, stripped back vocals and jerky pauses can reduce a grown woman to tears.

SBTRKT (pronounced 'Subtract') is the most recent thing I’ve heard that has made me feel this way – and for that, he gets this week. The man behind the trademark tribal mask is Aaron James, who began his journey at the infamous east London club 'Plastic People' – which houses bassy, sweat-filled raves, and is often hailed as one of the early homes of dubstep (and some of the worst toilets everrr). SBTRKT has since remixed everything from Mode Selector to M.I.A., and recently, Drake remixed it. Drake KNOWS.

‘Widlfire’ is the standout track from the self-titled album, which is out now, and features vocals from Yukimi Nagamo of Little Dragon fame. It is one of the best sing-a-long dance tracks I’ve heard for a while coming out of the post-dubstep camp. Where the likes of Katy B and La Rouxhave been sampled to death with their up-tempo pop voices, Yukimi has a certain quirky quality to her soulful, playful and catchy as hell voice, over the head-bobbing bass in 'Wildfire'.

The warped sounds and well placed pauses give the whole track a sense of fun, far more on the side of a soulful piece of work, which can be a hard thing to achieve for electronica, but the whole thing sounds emotive somehow and I love it. Really, the whole album is worth a listen, (my other favourite is 'Hold On') but this really is very good.

SBTRKT told me: "I’ve been creating and making these tracks over a year or so, it’s kind of strange to think people now listen to that in 40 minutes of music. I’m really happy with the balance of tracks and the collaborators I worked with on it. I don’t really think it [the track] fits anywhere. I don’t really come from any particular scene. I just write what I feel like. It’s soul, electronic, genreless stuff and it’s more about mood for me than specific melodic makeup or patterns that make up genres."

So damn soulful. SBTRKT, I salute you.

SBTRKT: 'Wildfire' - is out now.

Stay up to date with Sbtrkt on Twitter - www.twitter.com/SBTRKT

Words: Kieran Yates (@Kieran_Yates)

Recent piece for The Metro on Spoken Word

2011-07-05T02:43:00.000-07:00

I wrote a piece for The Metro one some of the best Spoken Word nights in the country...

Read here if you so wish: http://twitpic.com/5g1zns/full

I have a new column over at MTV

2011-07-05T02:40:00.000-07:00

It will be a weekly piece on tracks that are out that I like, and why. TAKE HEED.

Here's the first:

http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/urban/2699-kieran-rates-starkey-feat-charli-xcx-lost-in-space

KIERAN RATES: STARKEY FEAT. CHARLI XCX – 'LOST IN SPACE'

Submitted by Joseph Patterson on Wed, 06/29/2011 - 02:41

in Exclusive Feature

Kieran Yates is one of the most well-known music journalists in the UK and, having written for the likes of The Guardian, The Independent, Red Bull and Dazed & Confused, she will now be sharing some of her knowledge with The Wrap Up in a new weekly column, 'Kieran Rates'. In the column, Kieran will handpick some of her favourite tracks from grime, hip-hop, dubstep and beyond...

It’s always interesting to me when fans out of the UK have a great appreciation for dubstep. Earlier in the year, I was in Miami for the Ultra Music Festival, and I was struck at how much the locals loved our homegrown sound.

Though a bit weird, the American accents in the crowd screaming for Skream and Benga were an insight into how far the genre has come since my memories of underground raves. So popular, that even its sub-genres have come been notable this year. Post-dubstep is arguably on its way to outselling its predecessor, with releases from the likes of James Blake, Jamie XX,Ramadamman and SBTRKT.

This leads me to my pick of this week from Starkey. Hailing from Philly, which is a long way from dubstep’s London-centric origins, the producer has come out with an impressive body of work, all nestling itself firmly under the post-dubstep umbrella. Most recently featuring on Mistajam’s 'Daily Dose of Dubstep', and receiving great reviews from his last LP, 'Lost in Space' is taken from the album released earlier in the month, 'Space Traitor: Volume 2'.

The track features vocals from 17-year-old UK singer Charli XCX, and echoes the sounds we’ve come to enjoy from post-dub: bass-driven with a measure of skippy, broken beats. The (almost painfully) slow start and ambient build up lead to the jerky vocals that Charlie XCX finally delivers three minutes in.

It’s these qualities that give Starkey his distinctly sci-fi feel. I love it when people have a clear concept that can be heard throughout their music, and the robotic jolts – teamed with the borderline cheesy intro – give a dreamy, space-like feel, while still being energetic to (slowly) skank along to.

Speaking on the track, Starkey told me: "The next logical progression in my production and sound. Charli XCX definitely brings the track to the next level. It's a track that I spent a lot of time revising in the studio, and it really takes the listener on a journey." A weird, awkward journey that you might not be sure of, but still worth a listen.

Starkey Feat. Charli XCX: 'Lost In Space' - is out now.

Stay up to date with Starkey on Twitter - www.twitter.com/StarkbotBeats

Words: Kieran Yates (@Kieran_Yates)

Slutwalk for MTV Staying Aliveeeeeee

2011-07-05T02:38:00.000-07:00

I will be contributing to MTV Staying Alive's blog on a regular basis- it's a great website that focuses on HIV prevention and awareness, and talks about a lot global development issues which is ever more important.They are doing a great job in getting people involved, and working on fun campaigns as part of MTV,so I'm very honoured to be a part of it. Thanks guys!

Here's my first piece on attending Slutwalk:

http://www.staying-alive.org/en/2011/06/taking-back-our-sexual-power/

TAKING BACK OUR SEXUAL POWER

After the great reception that our SLUTWalk LA piece received (thanks Carina!) Check out what happened when guest blogger Kieran Yates headed down to SLUTWalk London on Saturday to celebrate women taking charge of their sexual destinies.

If you are a woman and you enjoy sex, it is likely (and a harsh truth) that you will probably be called a slut at some point. Maybe in jest, maybe in malice, maybe behind your back- if you are unashamedly vocal about your sex life, people can be judgemental. (Not to say that we should all be running around sharing intimate details, EVERYTHING IN MODERATION PEOPLE).

Anyway, last Saturday, I joined 3000 women who were taking a stand, gathering together as part of ‘SLUTWalk’- a feminist protest that took place in the streets of London (Hyde Park Corner to Trafalgar Square) aiming to reclaim the way that women are perceived in society, following comments made by a Canadian policeman that to avoid rape women should “avoid dressing like sluts”. The protests have reached global attention, receiving attention in Canada, Chicago, (with a forthcoming march scheduled in India) to air concerns about rape culture, the treatment of women, and to dispel the shame of female sexual behaviour.

Photo courtesy of Ester Kneen

The word ‘slut’ allegedly first appeared in Middle English in 1402 as slutte, with the meaning “a dirty, untidy, or slovenly woman”- suffice to say the meaning has moved on from then, but still serves to undermine the woman on the receiving end of the insult. Whether it refers to being sexually promiscuous or adventurous, the aim is the same- to make a woman feel shame about her sexual choices and the word has somehow has found itself entrenched into many peoples everyday vocabulary.

It is important then, that women fight back to the perils of the shame factor. Many of the women (and men) on the march were scantily clad as a tongue in cheek response to what a ‘slut’ might wear- fishnets, short skirts, (notably some older ladies in burlesque gear), nipple tassels and stockings, though many (less reported) in jeans and jumpers.

For me, alongside talking about rape culture – the idea that many rapes are still massively unreported, and many victims of attack can be made to feel targeted in court (talking from someone who has experienced this first hand) I can only say that the system leaves much to be desired, but ultimately, what is most unsettling is the shame factor. The culture of shame in many aspects of female life is a much larger issue – be it buying a glossy mag and comparing your body to an airbrushed one, be it not being as sexually experienced as your peers, or be it buying condoms from your local outlet, shame is a driving force that pulls us back, when marches like this celebrate our right to enjoy sex, stamping out the shame of sexual liberation should propel us forward,

The reality is of course, that the taboo still exists of women buying condoms, or being in charge of their sexual health – that waiting rooms in sexual health clinics are still full of averted gazes and blushes. Much of this is thanks to the shame of the word ’slut’ – to be considered one is to be on the receiving end of a word powerful enough to damage a reputation in the workplace, classroom or even street.

SLUTWalk is about taking that power back, about giving women no barriers to be in charge of their sexual health. Placards declaring that ‘a dress is not a yes’ ‘mind your (sexual) manners’ all state an important fact – that we should be taking charge of our sexual health, both emotionally and physically. That women are free in this country to respond to gender injustices is something to be celebrated – to take charge of our sexual health, choices, and educate ourselves is why we some of the luckiest women in the world. The moment when we can shout about sex, is precisely the moment we shrug off the shame that can surround it.

What did you think of Kieran’s post? What impact do you think these SLUTWalks will have? And what impact do you feel the culture of shame has on decision making amongst women?

SBTRKT.Album of the year.

2011-06-29T09:01:00.001-07:00

Seriously.Amazing. Watch out for my feature on him soon...(Listen below)

Context listens to Burial

2011-06-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

Big up the excellent Context MC on this- my fav tune so far, and great (and simple) concept for the video- understated, with a garagey feel-catch me vybzing to this all Summer longgggggggg

I went to St Lucia Jazz Festival

2011-06-06T03:58:00.000-07:00

I was recently sent to St Lucia for the most amazing press trip EVER. Just need to say a big thanks to Sophia and Maleena for reaching out to me and making it possible. I was covering the St Lucia Jazz Festival, review below. (Also some holiday snaps, cos the excitement hasn't worn off yet.)

Press Pass Pose

Interviewing Trey Songz

From the Press Pit- (I'm far right)

Link here: http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/19/st-lucia-jazz-festival-review/

Or below:

St Lucia Jazz Festival Review

By Kieran Yates
Music
Thursday, 19 May 2011 at 11:47 am

The setting is one that makes avoiding clichés a challenge; spectacular white sands, coconut palms, and glistening turquoise ocean-think Bounty advert and you’d be halfway there. What sets St Lucia apart from the rest of the Caribbean islands though, are those five days in May when the island is penetrated with the sound of jazz, playing host to one of the largest and most prestigious Jazz festivals in the world. This year’s buzz centred around the 20^th anniversary of the festival, inviting headliners Trey Songz, John Legend, and the legendary Chuck Brown, among others.

The St Lucia Jazz festival was originally set up 20 years ago by the St Lucia Tourist Board in an attempt to boost trade in the area and the Islands visibility in the main tourist markets (the tourism figures today have grown tenfold as a result, with increasingly more fans visiting from Europe). Despite organisers coming up against initial criticism (other islands such as Aruba and Curacao had already tried to stage Jazz Festivals and had failed) and staging just 4 venues, the quality of Jazz Fusion, and high profile artists in attendance all contributed to its resulting success.

Today, the Island welcomes over 30,000-festival-goers to countless stages over 10 days, with the last 3 days festival culminating at the Pigeon Island national park, spanning 44 acres of green expanse which is transformed from one of the Caribbean’s most historic landmarks, to a bustling jazz forum, complete with by main stages, port-a-loos, jerk chicken stalls and even weave huts where women are on hand to fashion your hair into a local style (I regret not getting this done now). The rest of the events are dotted in various places, little pop up stages around the Island, so named for their location: ‘Jazz on the beach’ ‘Jazz on the square’ ‘Jazz on the pier’ etc, and as a result, the sounds of the festival can be heard in hotels and markets for miles around.

Despite its title, the festival pays homage to a range of Afrocentric and Caribbean sounds, notably, swing, reggae (Morgan Heritage headlined a main stage) folk and blues fusion – more than enough for even the most diverse jazz palate. As the days warm up, people start opening white umbrellas to reflect the sun – think Glastonbury in a parallel universe – and the smell of rum punch I’m told, is as classic to the jazz fest as the saxophonists on stage.

In the run up to the main stages at Pigeon Island, you can visit Rodney Bay to enjoy acts in the evening in the warm up to the long weekend- this year showcased Ledisi, British group ‘Bad Ass brass’ and Regina Carter as highlights. Ledisi, a4-time grammy nominee better known stateside, sang asassy collection of Erykah Badu-inspired soul tracks with infusions of scat, and vigorous impromptu dancing that shook her Mohican loose on more than one occasion. Indeed, the Caribbean has a reputation for high energy dance-I was even pulled up on stage to dance with African songstress Angelique Kidjo on the last night, to my horror, and was forced to represent the UK in a dance off; I feel I did us proud. Regina Carter is also worthy of mention, closing the first night with folk-infused African soul, where the band played accordion, drums, violins and the indigenous kora (21 string bridge harp) setting the bar for the musical quality high.

The festival sets itself apart from others across the world thanks to the simple point of proximity to its Afro-Caribbean origins. The colourful backdrop of older fans teaching young energetic children to scat and hum along with accordions in discordant rhythms and beats, creating makeshift beats with sticks on tin cans or on bottles of ‘piton’(a local beer so named for the landmark pitons that surround the island) is a fresh insight into how the sound of jazz has developed. The line-ups high profile stars are an important factor which reflect just how relevant the narrative of jazz is to a younger generation.One of the most striking and controversial ways the festival encourages a younger demographic is through the often American pop/r‘n’b headliners (past years have included Neyo and Shaggy) where the artists are framed within the jazz-heavy performers. The Saint Lucia Board comment that the line-up “Is effective in portraying the relevance of jazz and its history for a new generation”, and it is certainly true that the energy of the young people give the festival its unique spirit-as a relative jazz amateur, I was struck at how accessible the genre can be if the acts are curated in the right way.

Speaking to Trey Songz, one of the headliners booked for what is traditionally known as a ‘kids night’ by locals, he commented that ‘I’m proud to be part of a festival like this that remind young people where the roots of urban music are. My sound is a development of those early jazz sounds.” Trey’s performance might be questionable in terms of what the more purist London Jazz Festival might expect (clue: shirt ripping, hip thrusting, winking to the ladies) but the sentiment rings true-many of the young people I spoke to recognised the origins jazz in ‘urban’ pop as we know it, and cited Herbie Hancock as a big influence as Jay Z on their musical tastes.

The night after Trey, Sunday, (the big one) welcomed John Legend and the prolific Chuck Brown – a highlight for me. The electric energy of his performance which included disjointed hippy shakes, twists and that deep throaty voice which easily transcended his 74 years. Joined with an MC, who did a rendition of M.I.A ‘Paper Planes’ it was the young people like myself that weren’t as familiar with his extensive back catalogue that danced the hardest and shouted the loudest. ‘Now that’s what I call jazz!’ he sang as he took a bow and made room for John Legend’s piano to be set up on the stage. John performed songs from his new collaboration album with The Roots, ‘Wake up’ with a few of his classics, leaving the popular ‘Ordinary People’ as a well-received encore.Dressed in white linen trousers and a waistcoat, he cemented his reputation as an r‘n’b Lothario, inviting a woman onto the stage and offering her a rose, much to the delight of the swaying couples in the audience. The festival ended with a bang, quite literally, as fireworks filled the sky and the streets of Castries were filled with festival goers and locals setting up makeshift sound-systems to keep the party going. As the younger members of the audience headed home, this jazz amateur resolved to seek out the music of the festival, and this of course is precisely the point. To quote Chuck Brown: “The cultural tradition of jazz focuses on the special relationship between the artist pushing the listener to sample something new, and find some love for the music deep down in their soul.

G SHOCK TONIGHTTT

2011-05-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

WOAHHHHHHH SICK LINE UP. SEE YOU THURRRR

Recent piece for Dazed...

2011-05-17T04:14:00.000-07:00

With the lovely Verena over at Kids of Grime-
See it hereee:

http://www.dazeddigital.com/photography/article/10357/1/kids-of-grime

An interview with me

2011-04-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

I got interviewed by the lovely Luca for his website- a showcase of some of the key players in the creative industries:

See it here:

http://www.iamluca.co.uk/industry-spotlight-kieran-yates/

Or below:

Industry Spotlight: Kieran Yates

Posted by : Luca

On : Apr 18th, 2011

at : 9:00 am

16tweets retweet

Industry Spotlight is the name of a new series of weekly interviews dedicated to sharing the inspirational stories of key individuals within the entertainment industries.
In last week’s Industry Spotlight I interviewed one of the London technology scene’s brightest sparks and I think it’s safe to say anyone who read the article came away feeling inspired.
This week the script has flipped as I catch up with an old friend and a young lady I met whilst I was at the very beginning of my post graduation journey.
I was first introduced to Kieran Yates at the Ctrl.Alt.Shift offices in Waterloo, London where I worked on Social Strategy among other tasks that young social activists with enthusiasm for change do. Our shared network compiled a mix of music industry influencers, key journalists and Mervin Martins.
It was through this network where we both worked to seek and create opportunities and while we both ended up in completely different areas of expertise, we kept in touch and I thought it was about time Kieran showcased just a little of herself to the rest you.
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Kieran Yates and I’m a (mostly music) journalist for MTV, The Guardian, The Independent, Red Bull and a few others. I also do freelance PR and A&Ring [Artists and repertoire] on the side. When I get time, I write press releases and biographies for artists and have also been known to ‘whine pon the floor’ at Dubstep, Grime, Spoken Word and Hip Hop nights.
At the moment, I front the Urban Bards blog, which is a project I’ve just started, to document the Spoken Word scene in London, trying to educate people about what it is, what’s going on, and to shed light on underground voices.There’s a lot of voices to engage with on the underground, I support musicians a lot in my work, but Urban Bards is for the poets, and their culture.
How did you get into this industry and why did you chose this path?
Well, I always knew I wanted to be a writer in some capacity. I did a lot of unpaid work experience at places like LIVE and The Guardian. I could never afford to do them in the Summer, so I did them in half terms and just worked like crazy. Through LIVE, I made a lot of good contacts through some amazing mentors, like Emma Warren and Chantelle Fiddy, and then I moved on to work for CtrlAltShift, and then from there, I just fell into all the other stuff by writing constantly.

When I graduated, I tried to attend every night [gig] going, write about it, consistently update my blog, write for free where I could, and now the hard work is starting to pay off.
Was this how you had planned things to go or are you capitalising on opportunities and simply rolling with it?
I didn’t plan anything at all, apart from the fact I knew I wanted to write. I capitalised on opportunities, writing into the night, sacrificing time, all that kind of thing. I just banged on lots of doors until they opened for me. I still do that now.
We’re in a new era where anyone can create opportunities for themselves. Do you agree?
Definitely! It is hard to be creative; but you have to establish your own path and find opportunities. After putting in the hard work, listening, learning from the experts and having loads of drive, I believe if you want anything enough you can get it.
Would you rather have 100,000 twitter followers to market to or an extra £10,000?
The money. With it I would be able to manage projects and make a lot more things happen, such as events, creating various magazines and the like. You can do all that without money, I think it just takes you longer.

What one thing can you not live without?
My notebook. Half of what I do is about being organised, pitching ideas, and waiting for a brainwave, so when they come, I’m ready. Also, there’s nothing better then putting pen to paper sometimes.
With so many talkers and gamers out there claiming to be experts and influencers. Do you consider yourself a smooth talker, a real talker or a don’t talk to me I’m not a talker?
I’m a real talker! I’m my own worst critic when my work isn’t up to scratch and I always try and tell people the reality of how hard it can be to succeed. Which isn’t being harsh it’s just real talk, that’s not a reason not to try tho.
If you wasn’t in this field, what would you be doing?
I’d probably be teaching, probably some kind of social activism… and I’d rally children to look cute, camp outside parliament and make [David] Cameron feel bad for taking away their EMA.
Name three people who have inspired you in your life.
My mum. For teaching me early on that knowledge is power, and being the most inspirational woman I know; she’s amazing.
As for the rest, I can’t narrow it down. People like Charlie Dark, Rahul Verma, Emma Warren, Steve Yates (no relation) and many other along the way have all inspired me.One of the keys in this industry is recognising the people that helped you when you were coming up, and that’s a lot more than three.. sorry but you know its true.
If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?
Wonderwoman, for the outfit, invisible plane, and thinly veiled feminist sayings. Obviously.
What does the future have in store for you?
Hopefully lots more of the same thing. More writing, more plotting and hopefully inspiring lots of fun things for and beyond…
Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to young creative minds, what would it be?
Don’t be disillusioned by knock backs or people telling you that there aren’t enough opportunities. I had it and you have to push through all that, look at what people are achieving despite the current cuts. It’s a great time for the arts.

Be sure to keep up to date with all of Kieran’s Wonder Woman adventures and her quest for global peace over at her personal blog. Her new project Urban Bards gives a unique angle on the current underground Urban scene so make sure you check that out also.
And if that isn’t enough Yates for you, don’t forget to stalk her on Twitter. Aight!

If you want to suggest somebody who you believe needs a spotlight shone on their head, drop me a line via the contact page or hit me up on Twitter. Thanks

Wiley likes Numbers

2011-04-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

New video from Wiley, out today- very nice video, AND HE'S IN IT.

Blush Blush JP you are nice

2011-04-15T01:58:00.001-07:00

In a recent Media Spotlight Interview, the legendary Joseph Patterson said he liked to read my words, along with some other heavyweights, including the great Hattie Collins.Bless him.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DRzZULLL00I/TadKB0xrDgI/AAAAAAAACpU/XO8qSbSkCYg/s1600/ROTD2.jpg

Guest blog for Urban Development

2011-04-15T01:45:00.000-07:00

I wrote a guest blog for the excellent Urban Development on Spoken Word and its importance on the Urban underground.

Also really like how they say that I'm currently 'documenting the spoken word scene and pursuing her career as a general bad(wo)man. ' (TRUE)

Anyway see it here:
http://urbandevelopment.co.uk/blog-categories/features-reviews/features/guest-blog-kieran-yates-spoken-word-important_1875

Or Below:

GUEST BLOG: Kieran Yates - Is Spoken Word Important?

Submitted by siananderson on 1.26pm, Thu 14th Apr 2011

Kieran Yates is a music journalist writing about all things underground for the likes of The Guardian, The Independent MTV, RWD, Dazed and Confused…and more. She’s currently turning her talents to a new project documenting the spoken word scene called Urban Bards and pursuing her career as a general bad(wo)man.

http://urbanbards.blogspot.com/

http://www.kieranyates.blogspot.com/

Ever since Kano uttered those infamous words ‘They call us street poets/street artists’ on his Mic Check verse (feat.Demon & Ghetts for anyone wanting to hear). I knew I wanted to promote that Grime MC’s/Hip Hop artists were providing a poetic narrative on the streets. Massively ahead of his time, Kano was talking about a lyrical quality which is exactly one of the reasons I loved Grime. Later, in an interview with The Times in 2010, he commented that:

“We are like poets — it’s commentary on what we see. We act as a mirror. We reflect what is going on out there.”

And it’s true. Spoken Word is a scene that sees itself as almost bridging the gap between Urban music and poetry. Dominated by minority voices, humour, and rhythm, Spoken Word is a scene that combines its love of words and beats. I describe it like this on my blog ‘Urban Bards’ like this:

“Spoken Word is one of the most thriving scenes in London- inspired/informed by Grime, Hip Hop, Literature and Bards (classic poets) through the ages. It provides a poetic narration and oral narratives, sometimes accompanied by music, sometimes not, but always providing an oral narrative.”

This project aims to document the Spoken Word scene, showcasing an important way of connecting with people that might have found metaphors and similes fascinating in school or in songs or wherever, but never knew what to do with them- the idea of poets like Dean Atta, James Massiah, Polar Bear, and Grime artists like Akala and P Money getting involved in spoken word events is stripping music back, by finding words as delicious as a beat. By doing events, showcasing musical/poetic talent, I’m looking to get people involved in the scene, to give a voice to ones that might have been overlooked. Now is a time for diversity in the way we consume the arts, and it’s important that we find ways to ensure creative voices won’t be silenced.

I remember when David Cameron first became leader of the Conservative Party, there was a lot written at the time about how he wanted to ‘hug a hoodie’- people that wore hoodies were seen as voiceless, silent young (usually black) men to be feared. In reality, these young people were making themselves heard in the most vulnerable way possible-Grime and Spoken Word artists performing in small venues, often armed with nothing but a piece of paper, telling a crowded room either acapella, or with a beat, about their lives. This is why I love, and I suppose, a reason why any fans love the urban scene- there are so many voices, that tell us about urban experience. You just have to listen.

www.twitter.com/kieran_yates

Ghostpoet mention

2011-04-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Aww, Ghostpoet mentioned me on his website- how nice. What a good'un.Is a lovely soul, always a joy spending time with him, and listening.

Here's some Ghostpoet for you to enjoy in thanks (I love this Kano remix- N.B- Everyone says Kano was way ahead of his time FOR A REASON)

It's that time again...URBAN NERDS BIRTHDAY SPESH

2011-04-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

WOIIIII It's that time again!-Feels only yesterday I was blogging about their 1st Birthday,sigh.

This lineup looks crazy,big up everyone involved- Muchos excited to see Ms Dynamitee-heeee.

Check out their Bday mix here:

Urban Nerds 4th Birthday Mix 01: Marco Del Horno by urbannerdslondon

Sometimes I like to turn the music up real loud, and get mad melancholy.

2011-04-04T02:14:00.000-07:00

I wrote a piece about the rise of Melancholic Dance Music for The Independent here:

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/03/31/the-rise-of-melancholic-dance-music/

Or below:

The rise of melancholic dance music

By Kieran Yates
Arts, Notebook
Thursday, 31 March 2011 at 2:57 pm

Smiling disco divas turn back – the dancefloors have had a melancholic makeover- but still upbeat enough to simultaneously dance and cry to. The arguable leader of the pack is James Blake, who burst (well, shuffled uncomfortably) onto the scene towards the latter end of last year, dropping bassy beats with some of the most solemn tones this side of the mainstream.

2011 has seen a massive wave of underground dance acts from the dubstep/experimental world into Pop, and with it has bought high tempo dance beats, complete with sombre lyrics, and muted melodies. Whether its Robyn stalking an ex on the dancefloor, Ghostpoet’s stoical road to success in the city, or James Blake pining over a limited love, dance music is staging a takeover in the clubs- just not a very happy one.

Of course, there have always been somewhat melancholic musicians (Portishead/Lamb/Radiohead anyone?) but never before have they captured the mainstream dance scene so captively. FACT mag describe Deadboy as famously being ‘music to cry on the dancefloor to’- a moniker that could fit easily with a host of dance artists in the pop and underground realm.

Indulging ourselves in emotion on the dancefloor, has paved a way for a new release – catharsis. So are we the cathartic generation? The last 3 raves I’ve attended have had a heady dose of stripped back beats and quivering bottom lips, while ravers have bought the pain of break ups to a dubstep rave (cue moist faces full of tears, not sweat.)

In terms of mainstream female takes on emotion, perhaps unsurprisingly, the women know their heartbreak. Lyrics that could be straight out of a classic pop ballad in Katy B’s ‘Perfect Stranger’ (feat. Magnetic Man) with accompanying video is quite a forlorn tale of unrequited love (who hasn’t been there) which is an old single now, but is still doing the club playlist rounds.

In the more pop realms, Robyn, the darling of European dance, is far more upbeat in her tone but equally heartbreaking-these are lyrics that will pierce your heart- if you’ve been there, you’ll know what I mean: ‘I’m in the corner, watching you kiss her…’ from ‘Dancing on my own’ is almost sinister in its pain, you can almost smell the salty tears rolling down her face as you listen. Although she provides a sense of jubilation at the air-punching tempo change mid through, almost taking delight in dancing solo, it doesn’t do enough to mop up the teary mess. The album ‘Body Talk Part One’ released in 2010 is old now, but the singles are still a staple on the dancefloors, and they don’t get much happier with gems like ‘With every heartbeat’ and ‘Hang with me’.

Adele, on the other hand, makes no allowances of the fact that she’s essentially, made an album to sit and lip quiver to. Deeply emotive, and remixed from everyone to Cousin Cole, to the great dubstep drops from Jamie XX, her album tracks are a club staple, emotional, beautiful, and best enjoyed alongside a deep sigh. While the downbeat collaboration of Jamie XX’s other track with Gil Scott Heron, ‘NY York is killing me’ is an almost painful recollection of urban life that fails to raise a smile, but sounds great.

So much has been written about James Blake’s understated beats and haunting voice, its seems almost too obvious to point out the effect of the delayed pauses in ‘The Wilhelm Scream’ or the uncomfortable build up in ‘Limit to your love’ that touches a nerve somewhere deep inside, but in no way aims to reach for a smile. After an hour of Blake, it’s safe to say that joyful laughter seems like a alien concept – I felt like a hollow shell of sorts, albeit with a stirred emotion, but no laughs. No laughs at all.

Experimental hip hopper Ghostpoet with his album ‘Peanut butter and Melancholy Jam’ provides a lens into the stoicism of drudging through the city. The female vocals on ‘Survive It’ is less a desperate plea, more an apathetic musing on the blackness of living mechanically day to day; a soundtrack to depression might be a harsh but more fitting description. That by no means takes away from the musical prowess of the album as a whole-quite the opposite-melancholy is celebrated throughout, and its honesty is precisely the reason it works.

There are other artists that do this in less obvious ways on the underground dubstep scene. It has been said that Girl Unit’s ‘Wut’ is a sad affair; hollow, sweet voiced vulnerable vocals, and overpowering drops. I can’t put my finger on exactly why it feels so sad, but rest assured, full of joy it ain’t. Jai Paul, also deep in the depths of the underground, has built a following on what appears to be essentially, two songs on his myspace (if you’re reading this, please remedy!) where he sings on ‘BTSTU’ , ‘I’m back and I want what is mine’ a track about heartbreak, and the almost saccharine vocals are syrupy sweet goodness are juxtaposed alongside almost violent beat interjections, but they work perfectly, sort of like seeing a small kitty being kicked by a very heavy, very amazing boot.

So is this is a real move into melancholy or just an attempt to contain the current sound stream of downbeat (in every sense) tracks? I wouldn’t want to deconstruct too much for fear of losing the joy of listening, but it might make sense that in these dark days of cuts, high cost urban living, and political heartbreak, that music might respond to a downhearted climate. We need the beats now, more than ever, and they deserve applause for providing a real reflection of how we feel. The over-arching message is this: things are shit, but the music isn’t. It seems melancholic dance has arrived and it’s here to stay. I couldn’t be happier.

Tagged in: Dubstep, ghostpoet, James Blake, katy b, Robyn

Photoshoot for CODE Magazine

2011-03-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

So, a little while ago, a group of us got together for a photoshoot with the big men on campus,(and some of the best photographers in the biz) Tim and Barry for CODE magazine. They were asked by CODE to

'Select, assemble, and photograph a who's who of emerging British creative talent, at their headquarters in East London'.

The results are below- (or they can be downloaded here on sendspace) Tim and Barry kindly chose me to feature alongside the likes of Motive, one of the best DJ's ever (big man with the big beats), Baddaman JP,good friend, journo, and editor of MTV The Wrap Up, SBTV's Jamal Edwards, Swindle,Funky house girl Princess Nyah,P Money and more...enjoy and thanks!

Disclaimer: Also should say at this point that this has taken me about 3 hours to upload, cos I'm watching the cricket and INDIA MIGHT WIN,so apologies if mistakes, - Silencer and Maxsta images soon come.

Tim and Barry

Swindle

Party and Bullshit Crew!

Princess Nyah

JP, P Money, SBTV etc

New beats from the streets

2011-03-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Been bumping to the delectable beats of ROFL HARRIS, a lot recently, aka the ultra talented Producer Louis Beresford. 21 year old Louis, from England but now based in Seville,cites the likes of Wu Tang, South American folk music, Jungle, and Arabic hip hop as his influences, and is surely gona be doing big tingssss. Check him out here: (Cavalo and Go Head are my favs)

http://soundcloud.com/rofl-harris

Latest tracks by Baron Wasteland

K-Yates = K-Dash

2011-03-30T02:25:00.000-07:00

I heart you Kim Kardashian.Ok, so she may not be the best role model that ever lived, but the booty is amazing and she brings the lols.In these dark times, we need K-Dash more than ever, non? If I saw placards with her bum on them on the March 26th March for the Alternative, I feel like I would have been spreading the love.It's not all bad.

This is me being her:

Also, you may or may not know that she released a single recently- 'Jam' to negative reviews.I can't believe this. DON'T WATCH THE HATERZ BABEZ.

Thanks Diana Hoyes for this pic-I feel like this is an excellent way to spend your design time.

I do a lot of things

2011-03-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned earlier I do freelance PR for Context MC- I'm not really a PR, but now and again I take on projects I think develop and give a voice to artists, it's why I started the Urban Bards project, one of the reasons I love writing about Grime, and why I do work with Independent labels. Anyway, it's good to see the hard work pay off, and here's a little update on how well Context is doing:

-He has been featured on MTV, and added to their PLAYLIST- woop! It will be played every day between 7pm and 7am.
- He has also been added to the FLAVA TV playlist, and the BBC.
-Recently performed at iluvlive and reviewed in RWD
-Been shortlisted to play at Glastonbury
and lots of other things I might have already mentioned, or can't mention yet...

This sort if thing makes me happy- big up the very talented Context MC. Me feel ah pride.

My sister does calligraphy.Like a monk.

2011-03-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

My sister is a master Calligrapher- look at how beautiful this is! She writes likes Shakespeare. She is 14 and absolutely amazing by the way.That's all.

Press on Urban Bards in LIVE magazine

2011-03-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

LIVE magazine wrote a lovely piece about my new project 'Urban Bards'. Thanks for that guys! Also big up Taylan on the piece.

Also. This project is going to be AMAZING. REMEMBER I TOLD YOU

See it here: http://live-magazine.co.uk/article/urban-bards/488

Or below:

CommentWRITTEN BY TAYLAN

16 Mar 2011 | Pic: Verena Stefanie Grotto

Ex-Live contributor Kieran Yates has set up a blog to promote spoken word, says Taylan Rifat.

Spoken word is a music scene that gives stage to young people interested in music and lyrics. It merges hip hop, grime and literature together creating a vibrant, exciting scene for anyone who needs it. Spoken word travels around the capital allowing modern day poets to get their voice heard and their name on the streets.

Kieran Yates, a freelance journalist and ex-contributor to Live, has been a fan and has followed the spoken word scene for four years now and has taken it upon herself to tell the world about it. Kieran set up a blog called Urban Bards to represent spoken word as she believes that not enough is done to promote it. She writes for national newspapers such as The Independent and The Guardian and has used this opportunity to document the way spoken word, or performance poetry, has changed the way the mainstream see grime.

Spoken Word not only opens doors for young artists, it opens the eyes of academics who, before now, didn’t see grime and hip hop as anything other than kids talking topics that would be classed as taboo in their society. Kieran hopes to go on and write a book about the scene, which will finally put spoken word on the social map.

Big companies like Red Bull are supporting spoken word (they hosted a spoken word night last year) and regular nights like Bookslam help promote it. Bookslam is the only literary nightclub in London and plays host to some of the biggest names of the time including Kate Nash and Plan B.

A blog has been started by Kieran (urbanbards.blogspot.com) that allows readers to understand what spoken word is and read reviews that have been written about the different performers. It is also a chance to for people who are new to the grime scene to listen to some examples of the work that is presented at spoken word events.

Now more than ever, young and old people alike need something new, fresh and current to prevent them from dying of boredom from the same music being repeated over and over again. Urban Bards is the exact project which will bring this underground scene mainstream.

Urban Bards

2011-03-16T03:02:00.001-07:00

I've started a new blog!

All things Spoken Word...Check it out: http://urbanbards.blogspot.com/

I'll still be doing this one for everything else, but above is a new project I'm starting, so get in touch if you want to get involved :)

Red Bull are 1!

2011-03-14T11:01:00.001-07:00

One of the best parties I've been to for a long time.Amazing.Has been a pleasure writing for them this year-keep checking the website for updates from yours truly.

Here's a picture I took of the framed issue of the Daily Note on the Red Bull Music Studios wall, with my double page spread on spoken word inside. (I was drunk and emotional when I took this.)

Gotta give props to Kano (he did P's and Q's!) and Skream and Benga downstairs who had the place packed OUT.

Producer of the moment

2011-03-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Recent piece for Boxfresh on Marco del Horno- watch out for this one:

http://www.myboxfresh.com/2011/03/14/producer-of-the-moment-marco-del-horno/

PRODUCER OF THE MOMENT :MARCO DEL HORNO

Kieran Yates checks out her producer of the moment, rising star Marco del Horno.

Marco del Horno is one of the biggest Producers of the moment, specialising in betas, bass and beyond. Alongside producing he runs his own label, ‘Bullet Train’, holds a weekly show on Rinse FM, one of the most prolific underground stations in the UK, and is a resident DJ at the legendary Ministry of Sound. It’s a lot. I first heard of Marco after his involvement with Grime artist ‘P Money’s single, ‘Ho Riddim’ with DJ Swerve, but turns out he has been on the music scene for over 10 years- delving into all manner of genres- he notes that his experience in the industry and eclectic tastes have contributed to a more 3-dimensional feel, ‘People need to feel like they’re on a journey with you.’

His musical tastes have certainly been on a journey- describing his music as ‘one part house, one part garage, and one part dubstep’, he embraces a range of sounds, something which sets him apart from the flat sounds of many of his counterparts. He has worked with the likes of R&B act McLean for his new single, ‘Lose Myself’, and rising stars ‘White Powder Gold’, an Indie duo who are perhaps an understandable choice, thanks to the soul/funk inspired fusion of their sound. He remixed their single ‘Can’t stop me now’, turning it into a club banger.He comments that, ‘Working with WPG was great – as I haven’t really remixed any more indie sounding vocals. It means you approach the whole project differently and come with a new angle to the sound. ‘I’m half way between house / tropical and dubstep. Call it TropifunkstepN’Bass!’ A producer who embraces change, has a sense of humour, and has bigger beats than you can shake a (pimp) stick at? Remember where you heard it first.

MARCO REMIX SNIP by Twentyonerecords

Recent Independent Piece: Why grassroots feminism has its voice on the urban underground

2011-03-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

Recent Independent Piece:

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/03/09/why-grassroots-feminism-has-its-voice-on-the-urban-underground/

Why grassroots feminism has a voice in the Urban Undergound

By Kieran Yates
Notebook
Wednesday, 9 March 2011 at 10:14 am

This week saw the centenary of International Women’s day, a day to document the development of the female experience, namely- what we’ve achieved, and how far we have yet to achieve. Despite us looking back 100 years, the most exciting element of events like these is that is forces our gaze inwards to look at the state of young women now. Is feminism still present in the dialectic of young women in the UK?

For me, the most exciting place to consider evidence of a female voice is in urban music culture. It is fascinating to see how progressive the young scene is in supporting its females. Feminism undoubtedly has a distinctive, if not always conscious, voice on the underground.

To make an obvious example, taking a look at my twitter timeline on international Women’s Day, you could see it being inundated with the #internationalwomensdayhashtag, a great deal of that being from young people from both genders (17-25) calling for celebration and acknowledgment- @iCandieCupcake s ‘Everyday millions of nameless women excel, succeed, encourage & provide. U dont need 2 b J.Lo, ur a star in my eyes #InternationalWomensDay’ ‘@tomspot1 ‘women are true incubators of life..treat them right!’ ‘@evolheist ‘everyone is gifted in some shape or form.Embrace #iwd’.

These voices are heard in their thousands, thanks to the medium of twitter, but is it a true reflection of the scene’s attitudes towards women? Urban music traditionally has experienced a bad rap, be it the male dominated aesthetic of the scene, or unattainable body images, linked to stories like that of Claudia Aderotimi recently(who died after receiving buttock implants).

In reality, there is a impressive amount of liberal thinking towards gender roles with the young people. SBTV, a key voice, and one of the UK’s largest urban music online broadcasters, invited its viewers (typically aged 15-30) to ‘Join in with today’s global celebration of women’s achievements on SBTV.co.uk,’ with an interview with songstress Estelle, talking about entrepreneurship and charity work.Founder and CEO, 20 old Jamal Edwards comments that, ‘It’s not all about the mandem and I think women should be acknowledged for their hardwork too, and that’s everyday.’

‘Doing it for the girls’- has become a staple part of the youth vernacular, a welcome sense of female collectivism for a demographic who do not need to be familiar with the academic writings of Simone de Beauvoir to understand what the concept at the heart of feminism is all about. Collectivism, recognition of equal opportunities, and getting your voice heard amongst the cacophony of male ones. Whatever your opinion on the questionable lyrics of Jessie J’s ‘Do it like a Dude’, there is an argument to say that in the domestic sphere of the home, the often cut-throat workplace , or even on the sports field, women can indeed, do it like the mandem.’

One notable example of females grappling for space on the Grime airwaves was seen at the latter end last year, when a collective of female MC’s including Envy, Cherri V, Baby Blue,A.Dot, RoxXxan, Lioness, MzBratt& Lady Leshurr remixed one of the year’s biggest instrumentals, ‘Game Over’ by TinchyStryder, Professor Green et al. The took to the studio to record a female version titled, ‘Game Over Remix-Female Takeover’and were met with a flurry of support on twitter and blogs.

In a more formal capacity, Urban Development, an organisation that celebrates business acumen and youth culture in the music industry held an event last November titled: ‘Beats, Bars and Beauty: Women in Music’, a seminar/open mic event discussing the roles of young women in the media, including DJs, MCs, and Journalists among others- aimed at inspiring women not only to get involved in a undoubtedly male dominated world, but to fight for respect where due and equal pay- a message that transcends the music industry alone. Director Pamela McCormick comments that: ‘It makes me feel we’re doing our bit to help talented young women access an already competitive music industry where only 44% of the workforce are females. In my first music job, because I was a grafter, I had a boss who encouraged me to believe that anything was possible. I’d like to instill the same values in the young people who work with us at Urban Development.’

Young people are increasingly important to changing attitudes, and thankfully, they are doing it with heart. Take a look at Brixton-based LIVE magazine’s website, a mag that proudly declares its tagline as ‘For young people, by Young people’ (and made up entirely of young people aged 14-22) and an article given central billing online is a featuretitiled, ‘Sexism sucks’ by 16 year old Sandra Nanyanziwho discusses what it means to be a young feminist, commenting that ‘I’m an independent girl who wants to have as much potential as all the boys in my class at school.’

These examples of female support and solidarity are a heartwarming view at the solidarity that the urban music industry shows its women on a grassroots level- a far cry from the criticism on misogynistic lyrics, and exploited video girls that it usually receives. Although these issues are relevant, (just a flick through MTV Base, Channel AKA that show gyrating hips galore, or the recent documentary on the BBC ‘Hip Hop Honeyz’ is testament to this) These examples strengthen the idea that more needs to change, but perhaps more tellingly, that we need a complete restructuring of how the media portray the female aesthetic. Of course, there is always a way to go, (I personally, would like to see recognition for women in the UK and beyond, a total eradication of fear of sexual violence, and for young women to reclaim the streets as their own- it is a right for us to attend a gig without fear of the walk home.)

What is most important to consider are the young voices that are making themselves heard using urban culture as a platform for grassroots feminism. The scene must be celebrated for its move towards creating positive voices from young people in support of women, especially considering how young it is. Other industries had better be taking notes.

Tagged in: feminism, International Women’s Day, urban underground

I heart Evol Heist, Verena and erm, myself.

2011-03-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

Look its me! Muchos thanks to the lovely photography by Verena Stefanie Grotto, aka @kidsofgrime who shot this of me, it will be featuring on my new website coming soon (www.kieranyates.com) Very exciting.

Also, a massive thanks to my new loves, jewellrey designers Evol Heist who sent me over a bespoke knuckle duster ring (it says Yates, I'm holding it in my mouth).Quite possibly the most narcisstic thing ever to wear to a rave, BUT I DON'T GIVE A RAGGS I LOVE IT.

Anyway, definitely definitely check them out, they are amazing, and are launching their new 'Egypt' collection, which is so beautiful- will upload some pics of me adorning some bits soon too. For now, here's a little glimpse- I heart them.

AMAZING.

See? Think, exotic-other-meets-ghetto-fabulous-in sexy-gold-perspex-Cleopata-wet-dream.Mmm.

Also, they put put me on their very delicious tumblr- very sweet, now I can tell people I'm a model,Mum!I' m a model!

Ghostpoet review for RBMA

2011-02-28T03:26:00.000-08:00

Latest piece for Red Bull Music Academy:

http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/daily-news/post/17/0/2082

I went down to check one of the many men of the moment, Ghostpoet at his album launch- very good, also big up @soundcrashhq for yet another sell out show. Great promoters,great events, they are ON.POINT.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011 AT 03:28 PM - CATEGORY: FEATURES
WRITTEN BY KIERAN YATES

Iambic Dimensions

Review: Ghostpoet's album launch party

THE GHOSTLY ONE

Since his sessions in Red Bull Studios London last year, 24-year old Ghostpoet has just got bigger and badder. After initial support from his mentor Gilles Peterson, he's been showcased all over the airwaves, from mainstream TV to Radio 1 - proof that underground voices are as strong as they’ve ever been. In short, what a difference a year makes. Kieran Yates got down to his album release party to check his progress.

I first saw him playing at one of the infamous 'Turn Off Your Radio' acoustic events a few years ago, where a somewhat more nervous Obar Ejimiwe performed an array of songs with keyboardist Fabiana Palladino bringing an electro backdrop on the keys, while he performed synthy conversational vocals.

Two years on, and the conversational vocals were back, but perhaps a better indication of how his profile had grown was seen in the packed venue, Elektrowerkz in Angel. With tickets selling out, (and proud family members looking on) the venue, usually a showcase for death metal bands, was transformed into a soulful backdrop for the launch of his album, 'Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam' on Brownswood Records. Supported by the progressive-soul outfit Embers, the soulful vocals and melodic lilts were a perfect accompaniment.

Dressed in his trademark skinny jeans and trilby, Ghostpoet made social commentary (‘Been shown the door cos they talkin’ about cutbacks’ on Survive It) alongside his own personal introspection (‘I've kinda lost my throne, I'm absent from the scene / I'm searchin' for a way in life, I'm lookin' for a theme’ on Cash And Carry Me Home). For his collborations, he called up 2 nervous female vocalists individually from the crowd impromptu, resulting in the whole evening achieving a delicate balance between an exciting live show, while also making the audience feel as if they were being made privy to Obar as he jammed with friends in his living room.

Singer and keyboardist of the support band Embers, Fabiana Palladino was first up, singing the vocals onstage for 'Survive It’ from the album: '’No, no, no,no, no, no, ain't on a licence to kill like double O, I just wanna live life and survive it’, followed by a performance with another collaboration on the album, Micachu for ‘Morning.’

Armed with his trusty loop pedal, and moving between synth and understated hip hop beats, he paused for extended periods of distortion that made the chandeliers shake, before settling back into his smooth delivery of lyrics - storytelling about his life of regrets, and of the desire to succeed. The hints of street poetry are not lost, and it's for good reason he calls himself so, as his natural lyrical rhythms hold their own, despite the noise of the excited (and mixed) crowd.

Closing with the single ‘Cash And Carry Me Home’, the crowd cheered the loudest, screaming for an encore, while Ghostpoet flushed with pleasure and obliged. Accompanied by just a few of his influences, Biggie Smalls and Fela Kuti, on the visuals behind him, his sound is reminiscent of a hybrid between Tricky and Roots Manuva(the former is comparison that has been made numerous times, but is undeniable) but something about the articulate and genuine delivery of Ejimwe sets him apart. “I like experimenting with things like delay and pedals, they give a bit of ambience and movement, to the end of verses and choruses. I like having the ability to mess things up a bit, and bend and distort things, like you’re creating depth and feeling. I just hope people feel something in the end.’

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Morocco feature has taken over my life.

2011-02-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

My blog has been sad and bare recently as I've been mad busy on a reportage piece in Morocco-won't give away the details yet as it's just going to print, but believe me when I tell you it will be ah-ma-zing. (The result of many days locked in a dark room writing.Just how I like it.)

Context MC- Off with their headssss, a few thanks to all involved so far!

2011-02-23T08:26:00.001-08:00

I recently cameo'd (lolz) in a video by Context MC ft.Vertex, called 'Off with their heads' alongside some other big industry players, JP, SBTV,Hyperfrank, Genesis Elijah and Ed Sheeran. BIG UP Context on this one, really not my finest moment (I look better in real life,honest and I'm shy) but was all good clean fun.

Although I'm a writer first, I sometimes dabble in the Music Label/PR world, and have recently been doing PR for Context MC. I worked on getting the video sorted, so a massive thanks to everyone involved, especially Ed Sheeran, as was so last minute. (God bless the power of text). Also a massive thanks to RWD for debuting the video (Big up yourself Tego and Hattie!)

Context MC has featured on the likes of MTV, K Mag, Streets on Demand, among others so far, and has many other big things coming up so watch this space... One of the most talented up and coming artists on the scene right now, nice guy and super intelligent (mans doing a Ph.D!) is a pleasure to be working with him.

Any queries/interviews contact me on misskyates@gmail.com Thanks!

Also, bless him and his nice words about me, *blushes* (Not really blushing, I know I'm amazing.)

The Rootssssssssss

2011-02-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaardamercyyyyyyy. The Roots documentary 'The Legendary' trailer is up, SO EXCITED. Just waiting for Tribe Called Quest and my life will be complete.It gon' be good.

The Legendary: A Film About The Roots from Cam Be on Vimeo.

Me at the Tate

2011-02-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

Just a tiny snippet (and very bad quality) of my Tate poem that I did earlier in the year- I only just tracked down this footage, am quite embarrassed to post, (I'M A WRITER NOT A PERFORMER )but you know, good to step out of your comfort zone and all that.You can read more about it in some posts below...

New Erykah video

2011-02-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

Erykah Badu - Gone Baby, Don't be Long from beeple on Vimeo.

New Erykah video from New Amerykah Part 2- one of my fav tracks, so glad to see this released as second single. Made in Cinema 4D and directed by Flying Lotus, this is delicous.

I heart women

2011-02-03T02:07:00.000-08:00

Link to Census form from 1911, spoiled by Suffragette Campaigners.

This makes me so happy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/31_01_11_census.pdf

Looping feature for Red bull- Ghostpoet,Jamie Woon, Blakey,Andreya, etc

2011-01-21T03:22:00.000-08:00

Of course, the loop pedal has been around for ages in Pop and beyond, but an interesting trend I noticed while on the frontline of the heady world of underground music scene in the UK is its use with a lot of young artists in Electronica, Hip-Hop, Grime, and the rest.

It hasn't really been documented which I think is an oversight so I talk about it in my recent feature for the Red Bull Music Academy. A bit more techy than usual, but deffo interesting stuff. Very nice when an editor agrees when I tell them something is interesting...Usually it's just my mad ramblings about cardboard clothes and bumbags for your head.

See it here:

http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/daily-news/post/17/0/1998

Or below:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2011 AT 07:42 AM - CATEGORY: FEATURES
WRITTEN BY KIERAN YATES

Loopdiggaz

The rise and rise of the loop pedal

WOON, TWO, THREE, FOUR, LOOP, TWO, THREE, FOUR...

The last year showcased some of the most exciting names in music, which look to soar this year. Kieran Yates notices a recurring theme with some of them and uncovers the loop pedal’s role in their success.

Three weeks in and already 2011 year promises to be teeming with young talent, with many column inches already dedicated to promoting them. With urban, electronic and dance music (if you want to separate this way) cementing itself into the mainstream pop charts consistently last year, a fresh dose of newer sounds or versions of these have been long awaited. One of the ways promising new artists have manipulated the bubble gum world of pop/urban/soul/dance and indie has been through the influx of the underground radio plays, careful trickling of digital releases, and in a more physical sense, by adopting technology to distinguish their sounds from what pop has seen in recent years.

A trend emerging with many young artists towards the end of 2010 was the extensive use of looping in live performances and in recorded tracks – that is, using a loop pedal to enhance and layer sounds. What might have started off as a gimmick is now a staple to many of these ‘one to watch’ artists' live performances - most notably James Blake, Andreya Triana, Ed Sheeran, Jamie Woon, and Ghostpoet.

Jamie Woon’s ‘Spirits’ is for me, perhaps one of the strongest recorded examples of really stripping a sound down to a loop - my first view of it on youtube was a stand-out moment early last year before his steady growth in popularity. ‘Night Air’ has strengthened the appeal of Jamie. The singer-songwriter’s electronic soul has received love from the dubstep community, and he looks set to elevate, with exciting responses to his tour coming up later in the year.

Experimental hip hop artist Ghostpoet has received critical acclaim from Giles Peterson, and has been performing in dingy venues in East London to the excellent ‘Turn Off Your Radio’ for a few years now, but is set to go clear this year when his album is released, and ‘Cash and Carry Me Home’ has achieved mainstream recognition. Ghostpoet uses looping as a means of showing the versatility of its capability as a tool, both using his voice and pre-recorded sounds. He comments "I use a guitar delay pedal onstage with a loop facility for vocals. I just love sound manipulation, so I use looping to add to the soundscapes-type stuff I try in-between tracks. I like my live shows to be as interesting, varied and as fun as possible each time and being able to loop, delay or warp my voice is an element I could never do without."

The loop pedal has felt its musical presence across genres as successfully as the likes of autotune or other recognisable audio features that might have been limited to urban ‘pop’ music in the past. James Blake, for example, looped on the Harmonimix remix, of grime MC Trim, which received cult praise on blogs and beyond last year, and his newly released album looks set to lay the foundations of a successful career, and potentially, a large grime audience off the back of it.

Similarly, fellow looper Ed Sheeran has crossed over from what has been called 'grindie’ at one point, with his an acoustic/mc sounding hybrid, to working with prestigious names in the grime scene, including Wiley, P Money, and Devlin and developing into an artist in his own right. He says "I was first inspired by artists like Foy Vance who used loop pedals in a really interesting way, and it moved more into pop. I think the loop is a really cool tool for live music, especially artists like me who want the freedom to just get up on stage with no band, and strip it down to a guitar, voice, and loop. I think if you don’t have the budget for a huge live band and PA it’s great."

The reasons for the introduction of the loop pedal into contemporary sounds could be a response by young musicians that mirrors the stripped back nature of the arts over the last year. The benefits of a pedal mean that artists with no budget for a band can layer sounds and perform with nothing but a few pre-recorded beats. Loopstation’s are often used when playing full band shows too, where loopers are used to trigger beats and samples alongside other FX pedals, adding an electronic layer to the organic sounds of the live band.

One notable advantage that has been mentioned is that it creates relatively little equipment needed to carry (good for those with no entourage) and allows performers to be stripped of potentially, just a man, a guitar, and a voice. In an acoustic scenario for example, using a looper gives you scope to create larger soundscapes than just two people playing i.e. layering up harmonies, rhythms and textures. You might say it does the work of ten men for you.

The idea of looping that appeals to me is the idea of taking hold of transient sounds and embedding them in our memory, which acts like a repetitive, rhythmic poetry. You might say it’s a subconscious response to the transient nature of the pop world of ‘here today/gone tomorrow’ in that the looped sound is here to stay - well for four minutes or so at least. The result is that he songs are inevitably catchy, but without a backing dancer or Simon Cowell in sight.

Of course, looping is by no means a new trend (KT Tunstall anyone?) and has been used in pop, jazz and beyond for many years. However, it is interesting to note it’s achieved a new found popularity with young ‘underground’ artists, which has certainly transformed the way that many singers perform. Soul singer Andreya Triana made her name with her collaboration with FlyLo and supporting Bonobo on tour, but I first heard her on RBMA Radio chatting with the great Emma Warren, and later on SBTV’s A64 channel, where she sits in a room with nothing but a pedal and her voice.

Andreya says "I started using a looper (Line 6 DL4) originally as I didn't have a guitarist at the time to play with for gigs and couldn't play myself. Having the looper meant I was able to accompany myself in an interesting and different way and it grew from there. It's become less of a focus of my live show and I use it mainly to enhance the sound and add select harmonies and fx now, but I think the appeal of doing this type of thing has spread as it makes for a more interesting sound. There are definitely more vocalists using loopers now than when I started a few years ago and I think that’s a great thing."

It seems that the distinguishable sound is going nowhere anytime soon, as many artists rooted more firmly in the underground landscape use it in live performances, from electronic dubstep artists Jai Paul and Girl Unit, to two-piece Buffalo, who call their pedal ‘the secret third member of the band’ and performer Laura Bettinson of D&C - who has performed at lives shows from the Amersham Arms to Glastonbury, which often consist of nothing else but her voice and her Boss RC-50.

These artists have differentiated themselves, and what might have begun as a small cluster of pioneering sounds has grown steadily, to where we are now - the loop pedal and its capabilities are not merely limited to the vernacular of music technicians. Many fans talk about pedals, sound layering, and density as much as they do of the artists. Being a vocalist and being able to manipulate your sound/voice onstage is a risky business (after all, if you make a mistake on the spot, it’s heard over and over again), but this could note an exciting shift for unsigned musicians performing live, and having an independent hold on the way they are heard. Thankfully it allows for, above all, versatility. As Laura comments, "Looping will forever be a part of my live show, as it is for many others now. I've seen them used in such a variety of ways but when they are used well, I'm never bored." Looping looks set to be a feature of many performances this year… and beyond? Watch this space.

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Nice words...

2011-01-17T02:52:00.000-08:00

Lovely mention from the legend that is Charlie Dark- muchos honoured.

http://schoolofdark.tumblr.com/post/2752759139/planes-trains-and-museums

"On another note but definitely connected I’d like to send a huge Big Up Your Chest To Kieran Yates for the words and links below. I’m terrible at keeping up with the mentions of what I’ve done so when these dropped into my inbox earlier this week I knew my mum would be happy. For those of you who do not know Kieran and her work then get to know. Every few years a journalist pops up who understands the importance of what is going on and takes it upon themselves to document the most important events. I count Emma Warren, Chantelle Fiddy, Hattie Collins, Jackie Springer and Martin Clark amongst this collective between them covering most if not all of the major musical shifts over the past 15 years. They will all conclude that at some point I have rung them up and gavin them the ‘Big Up your Chest I need to talk to you talk’. There were more before them and there will be more coming soon. At the moment my money is on Yates who I believe is currently carrying the torch. If you are an artist trying to make it up the ladder then you might want to put yourself on her radar while the coast is clear. You have been warned. Until then a few examples of stuff she’s written about myself and others. Enjoy.

Over and Out Charlie Dark"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/mar/12/urban-artists-art-critics

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/01/05/how-urban-music-has-helped-the-arts/

http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/fileadmin/blog_files/daily_note_4.pdf (Article named ‘Urban Barred’

http://content.thehospitalclub.com/fileshare/images/magazine/h.issue24(Page 10/11)

http://www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk/article/ctrlaltshift-tongue-fu

Michael Jackson/Revolution and wetting my pants.

2011-01-17T02:39:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks ago (only just calming down from the fear of public speaking) I took part in an event at The Tate Britain, called 'Off the Wall' (I wrote a preview here). Headed by the multi-talented Charlie Dark, it showcased 10 writers all responding to a title track of Michael Jackson's album,(Off the wall-obvs) through the medium of poetry, prose, short story, or whatever they felt fit.

My title was track 8, 'I can't help it'...not really a seasoned public speaker, despite having done a few lectures and speeches at uni's/The Guardian etc, I was literally wetting my pants with nerves.Special thanks to Phoebe Lovatt for her wise words of wisdom so I didn't completely freak out, which were basically along the lines of 'man up/will be fine/don't be sick.' This girl is wise.

Anyway, in the end, it all turned out well and I was pretty pleased-remembered all my lines and all that.Was also good to see so many faces supporting, and ultimately, was a massive honour to be part of such a prestigious event. Will be looking/pushing for more of the same in the future.Is amazing that the Tate recognises the power of young voices/spoken word and I'm proud to be a part of that. The arts cuts can suck out to be honest, because these things just give me hope that in whatever climate,important voices will never be silenced.

Anyway,this is less a post about me and more a massive big up to everyone else involved-every single person was inspiring, and fantastic.We had a little pep talk before hand and I was seriously impressed with the talent in the room. Not to sound like a crying fool. Anyway, big up to:

Dean Atta,

Rob Auton,

Charlie Dark,

Hannefah Armstrong,
Inua Ellams,
Phoebe Lovatt,
Nick Makoha,
James Massiah,

and
Kayo Chingonyi.

and a special mention of Dean Atta and James Massiah-fantastic performers, and definitely ones to watch.Will be writing about them soon for sure.

Revolution in the arts-this is just the beginning.

Down with the Kidssssssssss (of Grime)

2011-01-17T02:13:00.000-08:00

Kind words from the delectable Verena Aka Kids of Grime-

http://kidsofgrime.com/2011/01/press-engita-p-money-slang-like-this-behind-the-scenes/

Press: ENG/SPA: P Money – Slang Like This – Behind the scenes
January 14, 2011 / Tagged with

Couple of months ago I was honoured to be invited to the video shoot of P Money, for the amazing tune -Slang Like This – true Tiger ft. P Money, by the journalist and beautiful Kieran (@kieran_yates), and from P Money himself. After wandering around for half an hour or something, rushing from my architecture photography seminar, I finally found the spot, where people were already moving to the second place for recording.
This is the result of some of the pictures used for the behind the scenes article written by Kieran yates for BoxFresh >>>> check her article out clicking HERE

Hace un par de meses tuve la opotunidad de ser invitada a la grabacion del video del mitico P Money, para la cancion – SLANG LIKE THIS – invitada por la periodista Kieran Yates (@Kieran_Yates) y tambien por P Money mismo, fue un verdadero honor.
Despues de correr como una loca de mi clase de fotografia de arquitectura en Elephant and Castle hasta donde se estaba grabando el video en SW23 (muy lejosss) y andar por media hora o mas sin encontrar el sitio, llegué que ya habian acabo de grabar lo mas importante del video. Da igual, pasamos al siguiente spot, donde estan grabando la escena de Blacks (parte de la crew OGz también, crew de P Money). Este es el resultado del todo, Kieran escribiò un articolo del Behind the scenes, para BoxFresh y podeis verlo clicando AQUI

VIDEO:

I've made it big, Mum.

2011-01-12T03:25:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia quoted me I AM OFFICIALLY A HARD HITTING FAMOUS JOURNALIST.(Ahem.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katy_On_a_Mission

Talib Kweli Interview for MTV

2011-01-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

Have been a major fan for a while, so slightly starstruck.I also rapped my favourite lyrics to him during this int.Edited that bit out.Ahem.

See it here:

http://www.mtv.co.uk/music/urban/252034-a-quick-catch-up-with-talib-kweli

Or below:

A QUICK CATCH-UP WITH: TALIB KWELI

When you think of some of the biggest legends of the hip-hop world, Talib Kweli rates highly. Having worked with some of the biggest names in the urban music world, including Mos Def, Hi-Tek, Mary J. Blige et al, the conscious rapper is about to drop his new offering with an album entitled, ‘Gutter Rainbows’. Kieran Yates caught up with Talib Kweli at the end of last year to talk about the new album, being a political voice, and er, The X Factor…

The Wrap Up: Who are you listening to at the moment? Who’s on your iPod?

Talib Kweli: I actually don’t own one. Well, I do own one, but I’m not listening to much at the moment because I’ve been so busy with my own stuff. I always listen to people like Jean Grey, but I’m open to anything. I’m not a music snob when it comes to new things and new sounds.

TWU: ‘Gutter Rainbows’ has been an eagerly anticipated release. How would you describe the sound of it and the concept behind it?

Talib Kweli: It’s being released out of the music industry; it’s only available on CD in the UK and digitally in the US. The concept is about finding beauty in the hideous. You know when you see an oil spill and it creates a rainbow film and you forget for a moment what it is? Pollution. It’s sonically a return to that kind of idea of finding beauty in unexpected places and having fun. I worked with Madlib on it and that was great.

TWU: Madlib! How was that?

Talib Kweli: I worked with him before on ‘Liberation’. Madlib is one of the greatest producers of all time, in my mind. I love what he does and I love what we’ve made together.

TWU: You’re also a fan of Erykah Badu, right?

Talib Kweli: Fan is too small a word for what I feel for Erykah, it goes beyond that. I think her existence in the music business has changed it forever, and we’ve all benefited from it. I supported on her Mama’s Gun tour with The Roots, so I owe her a huge personal debt for that opportunity.

TWU: The London spies tell me that you were in Brixton the last time you were in the UK. How did you like it?

Talib Kweli: Yeah! I had a great time in Brixton Market filming there. I didn’t really buy anything, but it all looked good. Next time I’ll definitely shop more.

TWU: Did you get to hear any UK artists while you were here?

Talib Kweli: I heard a lot of music, but I never really know if it’s UK or not. Like, I like artists like Amy Winehouse. Is Big Sean British?

TWU: No.

Talib Kweli: Oh, right!

TWU: Okay, I’ll say some names and you say whether you’ve heard them before…

Talib Kweli: Okay!

TWU: Skepta? He did a grime remix of P Diddy’s ‘Hello Good Morning’ this year.

Talib Kweli: Skepta?

TWU: Skepta.

Talib Kweli: No.

TWU: Okay, let’s leave this game. So, in tracks like ‘Lonely People’ and ‘Ballad Of The Black Gold’, you talk about government responsibility and issues like the oil spill etc. Do you consider yourself to be a social commentator?

Talib Kweli: I don’t consider myself outright a commentator, but I recognise that I could be an important voice when it comes to be political or social commentary. I highlight issues that I’m passionate about; I support grassroots activists and political prisoners. I support people like Malcolm X, but first and foremost, I’m a musician. I feel passionately about political prisoners that have been imprisoned just for voicing their opinions and politics.

TWU: I heard rumours of a block party coming to the UK and saw Jay Electronica tweeting about it. Would you perform if so?

Talib Kweli: Yeah, when I was in the UK last I heard Jay Electronica talking and tweeting about it, but I don’t know; I haven’t really heard anything since. I mean sure I’d get involved if it was worth my while. The UK is a long way (laughs).

TWU: Please do it. It would be AMAZING!

Talib Kweli: (Laughs) Okay, I’ll try.

TWU: The nation has just finished watching this year’s The X Factor, but if there was a hip-hop version of The X factor, would you be a judge? The H Factor, maybe…

Talib Kweli: Maybe! I would be truthful, I mean, Simon is truthful. I wouldn’t be mean.

TWU: I’ve heard a lot of talk about a potential Tribe Called Quest documentary. Apparently Q Tip isn’t in support. What are your feelings on this?

Talib Kweli: Well, I’m good friends with Michael and also good friends with Q Tip, so I mean, I don’t really know the ins and outs of it specifically. I was involved in the filming of the documentary and I’m a massive Tribe Called Quest fan, so it would be a real shame if it doesn’t get released, but I don’t really know the details. I’m a fan of both parties, but I did have fun filming.

TWU: Seen it, love it. You need to tweet it for the masses! Are you a fan? I’ve seen you on it, but is it really you?

Talib Kweli: Yes, it’s me! You have to follow, I’m funny. (Background laughter) Oh wait, now my wife’s laughing because I said I was funny. But I am. Follow me, I got jokes, music, it will be the best decision you ever make.

TWU: So if I tweet you, will you tweet me back?

Talib Kweli: Yes! (In case you’re wondering, I did and he did.)

TWU: Okay done. Thanks for speaking to us Talib, can’t wait to hear the album!

Talib Kweli: Thank you!

Talib Kweli: ‘Gutter Rainbows’ – is out January 25.

Stay up to date with Talib Kweli – www.twitter.com/RealTalibKweli

Words: Kieran Yates

First piece of the year!

2011-01-10T03:42:00.000-08:00

For The Independent on Spoken Word, Culture and my impending fear at a Tate Britain event, which actually turned out to be brilliant, and hardly that scary at all. (That last bit is a lie.) Props of course, to Charlie Dark, and special big ups to Phoebe Lovatt,Dean Atta, and James Massiah for inspiring words on the night.

Read here:

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/01/05/how-urban-music-has-helped-the-arts/

Or below:

How urban music has helped the arts

By Kieran Yates
Arts
Wednesday, 5 January 2011 at 12:34 pm

Last year saw a major rise in the crossover of what you might call the ‘high’ cultural arts to the underground urban world. Grime music, classically limited to East London raves or on the pirate radio airwaves infiltrated the theatre, art galleries, and the literary elite finally stood up and took notice of wordsmiths formerly only heard on ‘the road’, and surprisingly, the genre wasn’t all ‘guns and violence’ (thanks Dizzee.)

The rise of the Grime artists doubling up as poets/spoken word artists with artistic integrity has made a move towards challenging perceptions of the literary content of Urban Music. The contemporary references, teemed with punchy metaphors, complex wordplay and more often than not, delivered with humour has been met with interest by young people who may not have previously engaged with poetry on the school curriculum.

Urban acts were littered all over the arts: from acts like P Money who performed at the Red Bull Music Academy‘Bookslam’, to Grime MCs who took part in the show ‘8Sixteen32’ which was shown at the Albany theatre. Rinse MC was on the bill at a Tate exhibition alongside Chris Ofili and Tinie Tempah, who were asked to create bars in response to chosen pieces of art around them, and hip hop artist Akala performed spoken word at a later Bookslam, on the same bill as novelist Zadie Smith.

Applause must certainly be granted to these institutions that, in the wake of arts cuts have given young urban artists a forum to express not only their urban experiences, but most thrillingly, to be taken seriously next to more established artists such as Ofili and Zadie. Luckily, it seems that the genre is picking up momentum already this year as The Tate Britain showcase the first notable example of this of the year.

As part of their ‘Late at Tate’ sessions, the Tate are showcasing a project called ‘Off the Wall’ where 10 different writers re-interprate Michael Jackson’sseminal ‘Off the Wall’ album through the medium of poetry. Each writer (including yours truly-argh!) will be choosing a song using the titled track as each poems title. For me, this will be my first step into the creative foray, or public speaking of any kind, (my knees are shaking with nerves as I write) and though it fills me with fear, it notes a shift in the aesthetic of urban culture that events like this are commissioned. (I think the thinking behind my involvement is that hip hop fans are already experts wordplay after years of listening to flow, beats and rhymes). In a time of art cuts, student fee hikes, and low social mobility, young people need to find ever more creative ways to make their voices heard, and the genre has unwittingly turned itself into an artistic force to be reckoned with. Wish me luck!

‘Off the Wall’ will be taking place Jan 7 at Tate Britain. Details here.

Highlights of 2010...

2010-12-23T06:55:00.000-08:00

Interviewing the greatest living artist in the world (in my opinon.) I love her I love her more than I can explain, and just about held it together in her presence. I went to her listening session for New Amerykah Part 2 and interviewed her for The Guardian and MTV. Amazing. Big thanks to JP and Akhil for hooking that up for me. I know I may be too old for posters on my wall but for Erykah I have made an exception. All my problems feel so much better after a good session of Baduizm.

Taking on Jay Z's hip hop recommendations for The Guardian where I chose my fav beginner tracks.

Gigs-wise there's too many to mention, but a few definite highlights were Erykah, Mos Def/Method Man (despite the waiting) Rodigan, Dead Prez/Lowkey/Akala, and Bonobo at the Roundhouse. Also many Bookslams- esp the one with P Money, then later one with Zadie Smith.

But my favourite was by far The Cinematic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall...

Discovering Jai Paul

Exercising my outrage at the protests against the University Fee Hikes. I wrote one of the early pieces on how cuts would affect students back when our biggest problem was the quangos, and they hadn't even hinted at a hike. These voices won't be silenced in the New Year.#solidarity

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/kieran-yates-pity-the-poor-arts-graduate-2041719.html

Also, the exposure of this video and the following incredulousness that came with it. Jody is a good friend and hero of mine. Props.

Breaking my tabloid cherry..ahem.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/3242289/Grime-boys-in-love-with-Essex.html

Celebrating the hope and joy at Chilean release with some of my favourite girls:

And these songs/videos: (Quite obvious choices but whatever...)

Merry Christmas!

And just a really quick thanks to a few people for making my year great: Mum, (obvs),Naomi, Callum, Tom, Alice, Fabi, Chris, JP, Sian, Ayesha, Diana, Merv, Dwain,Jody, Ben, Mof, Marcus, Tim, Will, Steve, Rahul, Emma, Chan, Dan, Charlie,Whoo, all the people at The Indy,Guardian, MTV, The Sun,Hecklerspray, Don't Panic,Red Bull Music Academy and the rest...you know who you are! Merry Christmas guysssss x

BLOG CLART

I've been using hyphens completely wrong for years.

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CommentWRITTEN BY TAYLAN

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PRODUCER OF THE MOMENT :MARCO DEL HORNO

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Morocco feature has taken over my life.

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Blush Blush JP you are nice