Jack Lawrence

Go and visit the website of Jack Lawrence for more of his fantastic artwork. This sketch came from the DemonCon2 show in Maidstone on Sunday 6th November 2011.

Ace of Spades Slow Acoustic Version Kronenbourg

On October 4th 2010, we took Lemmy and his band Motörhead to a French bar. Here, inspired by the laid back atmosphere and a slow, cold Kronenbourg 1664, they played their legendary manic song, The Ace of Spades, at half the normal speed.

If you've seen the Kronenbourg advert and liked the original tune (I first saw it performed on The Young Ones) you've probably wondered if you can download the MP3 - it was free from the Kronenbourg website but it's since been replaced by a new version of Baggy Trousers by Madness - check it out here.

The Lemmy & Motorhead Slow Acoustic Version of Ace of Spades can be downloaded here. Here's the advert...

Puressence - Solid State Recital

Solid State Recital is the band's fifth studio album & features American folk icon Judy Collins as special guest vocalist on the tracks 'When Your Eyes Close' & 'Swathes Of Sea Made Stone'.

Recorded in Lincolnshire & London the album has been produced by the band alongside Ashley Hannis & Ian Grimble & includes the tracks 'Burma' 'Solid State' ''In Harm's Way' 'Another World' 'Raise Me To The Ground' & 'Cape Of Good Hope (Water's Edge).


Tracks
1. Swathes Of Sea Made Stone (featuring Judy Collins)
2. Burma
3. When Your Eyes Close (featuring Judy Collins)
4. Cape Of No Hope (Water's Edge)
5. Majesterial
6. Solid State
7. Raise me To The Ground
8. In Harm's Way
9. Another World
10. Our Number's Oracle

Order here
Full review to follow.

Original Dope

At long last there seems to be not only an interest in the history of UK Hip Hop but some actual movement and action. Original Dope is a label headed up by Andy Cowan who some of you will know from his time editing Hip Hop Connection magazine.

OD seems to have a firm belief and statement and shows lots of promise with it's first two releases (see below) - the third release promises to be MC Dukes Organised Rhyme album and there has even been talk of a reissue of Hijacks Horns of Jericho but I wouldn't hold your breath about that one! I'd imagine the copyright issues and links to Rhyme Syndicate records would mean an international agreement would be needed before a release and that's not even factoring in the individual members of the group agreeing to this.

Original Dope is committed to preserving the legacy of the best hip-hop music on the planet. With a strong emphasis on classic British rap and lost American standards – if it bangs, we bring it! Curated by Andy Cowan, long-time editor of the world's original rap magazine Hip-Hop Connection, special care is taken to ensure all Original Dope releases have the extra boom your buck deserves. Every CD is a digitally remastered, expanded edition, with lavish packaging, exclusive liner notes, original photography and super rare bonus beats. Original Dope is an imprint of the Cherry Red Records group.

BLADE - The Lion Goes From Strength To Strength (No Compromise)
Hip-hop’s
first double album October 11 2010 ODOPE1002D

BUY NOW Blade carved himself a career out of sheer will power Despite cementing a fierce reputation on the UK hip-hop scene in the mid-80s, the Armenian-born rapper’s attempts to court a major deal – then seen as a prerequisite for success – had come to nought. Resourceful as ever, the self-styled Lyrical Maniac opted to go it alone, using both fair means and foul to establish his 691 Influential label, run from a spartanly furnished flat in south east London.

RUTHLESS RAP ASSASSINS - Killer Album – The 20th Anniversary Edition
Back on the racks October 11 2010 ODOPE1001

BUY NOW Ruthless Rap Assassins broke the mould. For a brief moment in 1990 they not only shifted the nucleus of UK rap away from the capital to their native Manchester, they also offered a thinking man’s alternative to the indie-dance stylings of Happy Mondays and Stone Roses then monopolizing the music press.Their debut LP, Killer Album, reflected the black British experience in a unique, often poignant way. All the way live from the notorious North Hulme estate, the trio of Anderson, Carson and a pre-Black Grape Kermit eschewed the phony Brooklyn accents of many London contemporaries for a hard-bitten, sometimes bitter but always razor sharp trawl through the harsh realities of low-budget living – packed with depth, humour and social comment. Using a sampledelic approach incorporating elements of rock, reggae, pop, jazz and even rock’n'roll – segued into a continuous soundscape by producer Greg Wilson’s guerilla mix skills – British rap’s three wise men’s open embrace of diversity has haunted the grooves of countless acts that have flowed in their wake.