Mark Devlin

THE SOUND OF NOW ... COMING SOON

2012-01-26T05:22:00.000-08:00

I'm very happy to confirm that I'll be back on the radio from early March, starting a new show on a brand new station, OX4 FM. I'll be on Saturdays 6-8pm, with a show called The Sound Of Now - adventurous new music from across the genres, (NO garbage electro-pop!) with a few revivals thrown in. Right where I want to be! The station goes live on 27th February on 105.1 in Oxford, and everywhere else here.

A.L VS J. DILLA: THE LAID BACK E.P - STUNNINGLY GOOD MUSIC!

2012-01-19T03:15:00.001-08:00

This is honestly the best music I've heard in months, if not years. So, so good. This 16-track E.P (so actually more of an album,) from 23-year-old East London newcomer AL has her singing classily over a sublime selection of archive beats from the legendary J Dilla, and with strong rap cameos from Stutta, Mercston and Bruts . As its 'laid back' title suggests, it's organic, neo-soul style the whole way. Absolutely cracking, and very highly recommended. You can get the official Bandcamp download here.

GOOD VIBRATIONS PODCAST VOL. 1: DAVID ICKE

2012-01-17T11:04:00.001-08:00

Why do only an increasingly small handful of artists ever seem to really 'make it' in the music game? What's with all the never-ending covering of one eye in all the videos? Why the insistence on rappers having so many pseudonyms? And why is the robotic vocal programme Autotune still being mercilessly rolled out despite everyone you speak to saying they hate it?

In the first of a new series of podcasts for 2012, Mark Devlin talks to world famous author and public speaker David Icke about the agenda being employed in the music industry as one of many, many facets of the global control system. As more and more people awaken to new levels of human consciousness, the controllers are getting ever more desperate to suppress the movement. The music game - and particularly what passes for 'hip hop' and 'R&B' - is now a much-favoured method of subliminal manipulation.

With names such as Jay-Z, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears being specifically addressed, this will be controversial, and will doubtless upset a few. But the truth will always be the truth, and it's time certain things were said.

Enjoy the ride.

Good Vibrations David Icke podcast by Mark Devlin

MARK CURRY: DANCING WITH THE DEVIL (BOOK)

2012-01-15T02:33:00.001-08:00

I know I'm late on this, but just got my copy of former Bad Boy Records recording artist Mark Curry's book 'Dancing With The Devil: How Puff Burned The Bad Boys of Hip Hop'. It exposes the various fuckeries of Sean 'P Diddy' Combs, and looks at the ultimate fate of the various artists that have worked for him, from Craig Mack, (broke, drugs, obscurity), to Shyne (8 years in jail) to Biggie (dead.) Puffy is DARK! But cause and effect/ Karma is a bitch.

MARK DEVLIN: JUST BUGGIN', QUARTER 4 2011

2012-01-12T01:27:00.001-08:00

Wrapping up the year with the heaviest underground hip-hop and associated genres from the last three months - another oasis of musical creativity in an ocean of mainstream pap!

Just Buggin Quarter 4 2011 by Mark Devlin

MOKA ONLY & CHIEF: CRICKETS

EVIDENCE: THE EPILOGUE

MURS: EPIC SALUTATIONS

LARGE PROFESSOR: KEY TO THE CITY (MAD SCIENTIST REMIX)

ONYX: IF THE HOOD WAS MINE

KONCEPT & TRANSFORMER: HIGH

EVIDENCE, FASHAWN & JERREAU: AMSTERDAM

NIGO FEAT. RAKIM: ONCE UPON A RHYME IN JAPAN

STREET BEAT OF THE QUARTER:  TORAE: THAT RAW

KURUPT FEAT. MURS & UNCLE CHUCC: THIS IS YOUR DAY

NATTY: JJ (DON'T GO)

HEATHER VICTORIA FEAT. HALO: WHAT I NEED

RAPSODY: FOR EVERYTHING

9TH WONDER FEAT. MARSHA AMBROSIUS: PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY

WRIGGLY SCOTT: BRAINCHILD

THE PROFORMS: GET READY

DTMD: MAKIN' DOLLARS

MAGESTIK LEGEND FEAT. FES ROC & AUDIBLE DOCTOR: FEEL WHAT I FEEL

LORD FINESSE: YOU KNOW WHAT I'M ABOUT (REMIX)

SHOWBIZ & A:G: SHOW & A

BUMPY KNUCKLES: FAKE

HEAVY D & THE BOYS: DON'T CURSE (1991)

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY TO AKILAH

2012-01-12T00:21:00.000-08:00

So now it's a big happy birthday to Akilah - one year old today! Zaina got Stevie Wonder the other week, so this one's dedicated to Akilah. (Altered Images were one of the great pop bands of the early 80s, and singer Clare Grogan was a real cutie!)

GOOD VIBRATIONS PODCAST VOL. 1: DAVID ICKE

2012-01-11T03:26:00.001-08:00

MYSTRO: UK RAP UP 2011

2012-01-10T02:19:00.000-08:00

Here we go then - Mystro's UK take on Skillz' 2011 Rap Up.

Catch it here

GOOD VIBRATIONS PODCAST VOL. 1: DAVID ICKE

2012-01-05T02:30:00.000-08:00

MD'S CLUB DATES, JANUARY/ FEBRUARY '12

2012-01-04T03:02:00.000-08:00

Friday 6th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 7th January
Grand Union, Ravenscourt Park, London, W14

Friday 13th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 14th January
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Thursday 19th January
The Living Room, Tower Bridge, London

Friday 20th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 21st January
Duplex Club, Pristina, KOSOVO

Friday 27th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 28th January
Grand Union, Ravenscourt Park, London, W14

Thursday 9th February
The Living Room, Tower Bridge, London

Friday 10th February
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 11th February
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 24th February
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 25th February
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

MARK DEVLIN: JUST BUGGIN', QUARTER 4 2011

2012-01-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

MYSTRO: UK RAP UP 2011 (RADIO RIP)

2012-01-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

... and here's Mystro's UK take on the Rap Up...

SKILLZ, AKA MAD SKILLZ: 2011 RAP UP

2012-01-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

Here it is...

MD'S DIARY, DECEMBER '11

2012-01-01T02:46:00.000-08:00

With a Saturday night gig, and lots of peripheral non-DJ stuff involved, the first weekend of December was always going to be an inspiring one, given that I was due to spend it in Croatia. I set off from London Gatwick on Friday 2nd December, to be picked up in Zagreb by Kreso, manager of Maraschino Bar, and resident DJ Aldo Morro, who had recently relocated from the venue's other outlet in Zadar.

We stopped off for a quick drink at Maraschino, where I was shocked to find punters still smoking openly. Aldo explained that, while there's now officially a public smoking ban in Croatia, it's not strictly enforced, and many venues choose to still permit it for fear of losing customers. From there, Aldo helped me find the place I was staying. To keep costs down, I'd opted for a private room in a hostel. I had no idea how crusty and roach-infested this might be, so I crept up the dark concrete steps with trepidation. The Hilton it wasn't. One saving grace was that it was equipped with wifi enabling me to pass my time there on-line, but by the following morning, after a freezing night shivering under thin blankets, I'd had enough, and I transferred to the far more respectable Laguna Hotel for the rest of my stay!

Saturday daytime encompassed the main reason I'd come to Zagreb - to attend David Icke's all-day talk at the city's conference centre. For anyone unaware of Icke, he's an English author and public speaker whose subject matter includes ... how can I put it? ... OK, who, or what is really controlling events in this world, the false history of humanity that we've been systematically fed, and the very nature of reality itself. Did I really just summarise Icke's theories in one sentence? There you go. It probably explains why his talks last for upwards of nine hours. If your interest has been sparked, you can find out more at http://www.davidicke.com, or search for his name on Youtube for a multitude of revealing videos.

A former TV sports presenter, Icke became a figure of ridicule in the UK when he first came out with his theories. 22 years and 18 books later, many, many thousands of people have re-assessed their views and have come to accept that he was right all along. The Zagreb date came at the tail end of a world speaking tour, which has seen him address thousands of people across three continents. Whatever your view of him, there's something going on here!

The day, as expected, was nothing short of fascinating, and involved a lot of meaningful synchronicity for me. Having arrived at 10 in the morning, the talk was still in full flow at 6.45pm when I sadly had to pull myself away to get a couple of hours' kip ready for my gig.

By 11pm, I was installed back at Maraschino, ready for a marathon DJing session as part of the venue's 9th birthday celebrations. I spun until 4.15am, ripping through party joints, and the place was rammed from start to finish. I left tired and stinking like an ashtray, but with a very satisfying session under my belt.

At 2pm on Sunday, I was at David Icke's hotel, where I'd arranged to record a podcast interview with him, as an add-on to the Just Buggin' Illuminati series I've been putting out. This one was addressing the underground hip-hop movement, who have embraced so much of what he talks about in their lyrics, and the infiltration of the mainstream music business by the corporate control system. It made for a cracking interview, and anyone whose first instinct is to scoff and say 'what the hell does David Icke know about hip-hop?' should take a listen and then decide. The guy is extraordinarily well-informed, and our chat shed light on such commonly-asked questions as 'why is today's music so bland and formulaic?', 'why do only certain artists ever find success and others struggle in poverty?', and 'why the hell is Autotune being used so much?' I'll be putting out the podcast in January. Watch this space.

I headed home on Sunday evening at the tail end of a highly useful and worthwhile weekend's activities.

This month marked the appearance of my three 2011 Bangers mixes, which are available to download on the following links. The "hip-hop" and "R&B" mix is there purely as a record of what constituted those genres in the mainstream this year, (no further comment.) Far more interesting are the Bashment/ Dancehall and UK Funky/ Dubstep mixes. 2011 is also the tenth consecutive year of the Bangers mixes, and all the previous instalments from 2002 onward are available to download on the fourth link.

"HIP HOP/ R&B" MIX:

2011 Bangers Hip Hop/ R&B Mix by Mark Devlin

BASHMENT/ DANCEHALL MIX:

2011 Bangers Bashment/ Dancehall Mix by Mark Devlin

UK FUNKY/ DUBSTEP MIX:

2011 Bangers UK Funky/Dubstep Mix by Mark Devlin

Download vintage 2002-2010 Bangers mixes here

On Saturday 17th I'd been due to play Black Sheep Mag's Christmas party at Lounge 31 in Manchester. Unfortunately, a week before came the news that the venue had been forcibly closed for the rest of the month by the police, taking me back to the days when this was a regular occurrence at the type of spots I used to play. Instead, I scored a replacement booking at Grand Union in Shepherd's Bush, London. More drama on arrival when it emerged that only one side of the Numark CD decks was working. Having exhausted all other options, all that remained was to play my set on just one CD, dashing to juggle discs as quickly as possible. Incredibly, not only did I seem to pull it off, I got cheered by the crowd who didn't seem to mind (or notice?) at all. Another strange experience to add to the memoirs.

The last gig of the Silly Season was on Christmas Eve back at TLR Milton Keynes. It was a relatively quiet one, in keeping with the general pattern in recent years. I next touched down on Friday 30th, before hitting the road to London on New Year's Eve. I'd been due to play the Living Room venue near Tower Bridge, but with the NYE-related drama that seems to occur every year, this also fell through at the last minute. Fortunately, my hustling expertise enabled me to find a replacement, so I saw in 2012 at Grand Union in Islington, which was every bit as booze-soaked, (the punters, not me) and lively as I expected.

The end of the month saw the appearance of the Quarter 4 2011 instalment of my Just Buggin' podcast - the heaviest underground hip hop joints from the last three months of the year. You can catch the download for that right here -

Just Buggin Quarter 4 2011 by Mark Devlin

And that was 2011!

MARK DEVLIN: JUST BUGGIN', QUARTER 4 2011

2011-12-31T05:31:00.001-08:00

2011 BANGERS - MIXES READY TO DOWNLOAD

2011-12-30T01:36:00.000-08:00

So here we go with the latest three-part instalment in the Bangers series - the big dancefloor slammers of the past twelve months.

It's getting harder to label these given the continued blurring of genres, but the first consists of what passes for mainstream "R&B" and "hip-hop" in 2011, and gives a useful indicator of where the music has been at for the past 12 months. I'll say no more on that.

For a more interesting excursion, therefore, hit the Reggae Dancehall mix, while once again, the most musically inspiring one for me is the UK Funky/ Dubstep offering. Plenty of exclusives there that will be of particular interest to anyone outside of the UK, and some speaker-shattering basslines.

2011 BANGERS

2011 Bangers Hip Hop/ R&B Mix by Mark Devlin

BEYONCE FEAT. J COLE. PARTY
CALI SWAG DISTRICT: TEACH ME HOW TO DOUGIE
CHRIS BROWN FEAT. BUSTA RHYMES: LOOK AT ME NOW
YC FEAT. WIZ KHALIFA: RACKS
MEEK MILLS FEAT. RICK ROSS: TUPAC'S BACK
NICKI MINAJ: DID IT ON 'EM
LIL WAYNE: SIX FOOT SEVEN
WIZ KHALIFA: ROLL UP
GAME FEAT. CHRIS BROWN: POT OF GOLD
J COLE: WORK OUT
JAY Z & KANYE WEST FEAT. STYLES P & JADAKISS: OTIS
LUPE FIASCO: WORDS I NEVER SAID
SNOOP DOGG FEAT. T-PAIN: BOOM
MARY MARY: WALKING
MARY MARY: WALKING (AGENT X TRIBE REMIX)
BEVERLEY KNIGHT: FAIRPLAY

2011 Bangers Bashment/ Dancehall Mix by Mark Devlin

RIHANNA: MAN DOWN
WAYNE WONDER: PUT YOUR DRINKS UP
KC JOCKEY: TOAST TO THE DADS
DE MARCO: LOVE MY LIFE
VYBZ CARTEL: SUMMERTIME
(SEXY BAK RIDDIM)
BUSY SIGNAL: GRAB & WINE
ICE MAN: RUDE WINE
KIPRICH: CAAN GET BROWN
TREVOR OFF KEY: WORK IT OUT
VYBZ CARTEL: CHEAT PON HIM
VYBZ CARTEL: CAKE SOAP
GYPTIAN: DUGGU DUGGU
GYPTIAN: NAH LET GO (SOCA REFIX)
FAMBO FEAT. BEENIE MAN & BUSTA RHYMES: RUM & RED BULL (REMIX)

2011 Bangers UK Funky/Dubstep Mix by Mark Devlin

TASHA: SUMMER ROMANCE
SASHA: CHEAT ON U
DJ PIONEER FEAT. EGYPT: STRONGER
ANISA: MUSIC (MISCHIEF MAKERS SPEED GARAGE MIX)
ZED BIAS: FAIRPLAY
YOGI FEAT. AYAH MARA: FOLLOW YOU
DONAEO: MOVE TO DA GYAL DEM
ZINC FEAT. MS DYNAMITE: WILE OUT
PRINCESS NYAH: DO WHAT I WANT
XPLODER: HYPE SHOW
DJ FRESH: GOLDUST (VOCAL REMIX)
ZED BIAS FEAT. ROSCO TRIM: PHONELINE
WILEY: NUMBERS IN ACTION (STICKY REMIX)

Meanwhile, this year marks the tenth year of the Bangers mixes, so for convenience, here are the download links to all the previous volumes from 2002 right through to last year.

2002-2010 BANGERS LINKS

2002 Bangers R&B Mix

2002 Bangers Hip Hop/ Ragga Mix

2003 Bangers R&B Mix

2003 Bangers Hip Hop Mix

2004 Bangers R&B Mix

2004 Bangers Hip Hop Mix

2004 Bangers Ragga Mix

2005 Bangers R&B Mix

2005 Bangers Dancehall Mix

2005 Bangers Hip Hop Mix

2006 Bangers R&B Mix

2006 Bangers Hip Hop Mix

2006 Bangers Dancehall Mix

2007 Bangers R&B Mix

2007 Bangers Hip Hop Mix

2007 Bangers Dancehall Mix

2008 Bangers R&B Mix

2008 Bangers Hip Hop Mix

2008 Bangers Bassline Mix

2009 Bangers R&B/ Urban House Mix

2009 Bangers Hip Hop Mix

2010 Bangers R&B Mix

2010 Bangers Hip Hop Mix

2010 Bangers Reggae Dancehall Mix

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2011-12-29T03:32:00.001-08:00

Big Happy Birthday to my little girl Zaina, three years old today.

MARK DEVLIN: JUST BUGGIN', QUARTER 4 2011

2011-12-26T23:48:00.000-08:00

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE PODCAST EXCERPTS

2011-12-23T23:53:00.001-08:00

‘Tales From The Flipside’ is a witty and candid expose of life at the sharp end of the DJing game. Armed with 20 years of anecdotes from out on the road, Mark Devlin breaks down what life is really like for the average non-superstar DJ ... and the truth is often very different from the common perception.

In this special podcast, MD relates some of the favourite stories in the book.

'Flipside' is an ideal present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, or anyone who's ever been curious about what it is that DJs actually do! Copies are available for £9.99 inc. P&P as part of a current special promotion. Please e-mail mark@markdevlin.co.uk direct to request your copy.

Mark Devlin: Tales From The Flipside podcast excerpts by mark devlin

2011 BANGERS - MIXES READY TO DOWNLOAD

2011-12-23T00:19:00.001-08:00

RAS KASS: JACK FROST II (WHITE CHRISTMAS)

2011-12-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

Oh my days! Ras Kass has come with a 'Nature Of The Threat' part 2, breaking down the real history behind Christmas and Santa Claus. Shakin' Stevens and Cliff Richard it is not!

2011 BANGERS - MIXES READY TO DOWNLOAD

2011-12-20T05:38:00.000-08:00

WAYNE WONDER & BABY CHAM: WARM JAMAICAN CHRISTMAS

2011-12-17T03:30:00.000-08:00

If I must play a Christmas tune at the end of the night, I can cope with this one.

MD'S CLUB DATES, DECEMBER '11/ JANUARY '12

2011-12-16T02:02:00.001-08:00

Friday 16th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 17th December
Grand Union, Ravenscourt Park, London, W12

Wednesday 21st December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

CHRISTMAS EVE
Saturday 24th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 30th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

NEW YEAR'S EVE
Saturday 31st December
Grand Union, Islington, London, N1

Friday 6th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 13th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 14th January
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 20th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 21st January
Skopje, MACEDONIA

Friday 27th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

2011 BANGERS - MIXES READY TO DOWNLOAD

2011-12-14T23:38:00.000-08:00

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE CHRISTMAS APPEAL

2011-12-13T03:28:00.001-08:00

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

I'm doing a promo deal at the moment, so if anyone's interested, drop me an e-mail at mark@markdevlin.co.uk

2011 BANGERS - MIXES READY TO DOWNLOAD

2011-12-11T02:05:00.001-08:00

MD'S CLUB DATES, DECEMBER '11/ JANUARY '12

2011-12-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday 10th December
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 16th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 17th December
Grand Union, Ravenscourt Park, London, W6

Wednesday 21st December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

CHRISTMAS EVE
Saturday 24th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 30th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

NEW YEAR'S EVE
Saturday 31st December
The Living Room, St. Katherine's Dock, London, E1W

Friday 6th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 13th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 14th January
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 20th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 21st January
Skopje, MACEDONIA

Friday 27th January
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE PODCAST EXCERPTS

2011-12-09T05:07:00.001-08:00

2011 BANGERS - MIXES READY TO DOWNLOAD

2011-12-07T02:25:00.000-08:00

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE CHRISTMAS APPEAL

2011-11-28T01:52:00.001-08:00

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

To order a copy, (or for more info on the book) please click here.

MD'S DIARY, NOVEMBER '11

2011-11-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

The last weekend of October had seen me out in Latvia. For the first weekend in November, I was due back in the Baltic states, this time to spin in Tartu, Estonia's second city. Prior to that, however, I'd programmed in 24 hours to visit my old mate Drew Myrie, a former DJ who moved from the UK to Finland, and married his fiancee Mya earlier this year. The weekend consisted of a motley assortment of flights, boats, cars, buses and trains.

Once again, I dragged myself up in the middle of the night to catch a dawn Easyjet red-eye to Tallinn. Once there, I headed through the Estonian capital to the ferry port, where I boarded the Tallink MS Superstar to cross the Baltic Sea to Finland. This is a colossally huge cruise liner that appears to be the size of a small town, and it's a miracle the thing can move at all, let alone stay afloat. On occasion, it travels overnight to Stockholm, whereas the crossing to Helsinki takes two hours. The length surprised me, as the distance looks no further than Dover to Calais on the map. Drew later informed me that the crossing is deliberately protracted to get punters to spend as much money as possible in the array of on-board bars, restaurants and shops.

In a grey and gloomy Helsinki I hooked up with Drew and we headed to his apartment in the neighbouring town of Espoo. Impressively, he has a sauna in his crib - only right for the land where it was invented I guess - and a quick session before sleeptime seemed only right, as I got my insider's insight into the curiosities of life in the country.

It was bright and sunny on Friday morning - always a blessing in a land where suicide rates are high due to the crushing effects of so much Winter darkness. I jumped back on the ferry back to Tallinn, and from there, a two-and-a-half-hour train ride down to Tartu. The city is home to Estonia's largest university. My plans to take a long rest at the Hansa Hotel were dashed when it turned out the whole of the rest of my floor was taken by attendees of an annual dog show .... and they all had their whining, yapping and whimpering hounds in the rooms with them. Great timing.

A while later, Estonian top dog DJ Quest, with whom I was spinning that night, had arrived down from Tallinn, and we headed for a bite to eat before going on to Club Illusion, a former movie house that the owners have turned into a very cool club. It was my third gig there, and it struck me that the crowd were more full-on than last time, which made for an energetic and very enjoyable night. Fortunately the dogs were out for the count back at the hotel, so I was able to manage a few hours' kip.

It was good to get a healthy batch of laptop work done on Saturday as I coached back to Tallinn - moreso than I would have achieved back in the madness of Devlin Towers with the distractions that two toddlers inevitably bring! From my evening flight back to Stansted, I again darted straight to Milton Keynes to launch into my regular spot at The Living Room, feeling shattered from hours of travelling and the two-hour time difference by the end of it.

The third instalment of my Just Buggin' Illuminati podcasts (for want of a better phrase) dropped this month. This is slightly more 'specialist' in nature, shall we say, than other podcasts, and seemingly not for everyone. I felt inspired to bring together another bunch of tracks by hip-hop artists who are alert to what's really going on in this world, (about as far removed from the version of events you get in the mainstream media as it's possible to imagine.) You can catch that one right here, and if you're new to the whole subject, you may well find it intriguing to have a quick peek!

Just Buggin Illuminati Special Part 3 by Mark Devlin

The rest of the month involved routine UK gigs, so I'll resist flogging a dead horse by looking for anything profound to say about them. The only other things worth mentioning are a couple of Youtube vids which surfaced from last month's classy Swish Ball in Swindon, which featured my interviews with UK soul legend Omar...

... and this one with 1Xtra's R&B DJ Ronnie Herel...

And to finish, just a reminder to keep checking Black Sheep, the most happening on-line UK black music magazine out there, It runs at http://www.blacksheepmag.com. And be sure to follow us on Twitter for all the latest news updates - http://twitter.com/#!/blacksheepmag

That, therefore, appears to have been November!

MD INTERVIEWS OMAR

2011-11-25T10:34:00.001-08:00

... and here's me interviewing UK soul legend Omar at the same event.

MD INTERVIEWS RONNIE HEREL

2011-11-25T10:33:00.001-08:00

Here's my video interview with 1Xtra's Ronnie Herel recorded at the Swish Ball in Swindon last month.

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE PODCAST EXCERPTS

2011-11-24T03:11:00.001-08:00

JUST BUGGIN ILLUMINATI SPECIAL PART 3

2011-11-22T03:46:00.001-08:00

If this world ever seems out of control, scary, or just plain absurd to you, some of the reasons are explored lyrically in the tracks on this. Music for people who like to know what's going on.

Just Buggin Illuminati Special Part 3 by Mark Devlin

MD INTERVIEWS OMAR

2011-11-21T12:14:00.001-08:00

... and here's me interviewing UK soul legend Omar at the same event.

MD INTERVIEWS RONNIE HEREL

2011-11-21T12:13:00.001-08:00

Here's my video interview with 1Xtra's Ronnie Herel recorded at the Swish Ball in Swindon last month.

MD'S CLUB DATES, DECEMBER '11

2011-11-19T05:26:00.000-08:00

Saturday 3rd December
Maraschino Bar 9th Anniversary Party, Zagreb, CROATIA

Saturday 10th December
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 16th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 17th December
Black Sheep Mag Christmas Party, Lounge 31, Manchester

Wednesday 21st December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

CHRISTMAS EVE
Saturday 24th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 30th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

NEW YEAR'S EVE
Saturday 31st December
The Living Room, St. Katherine's Dock, London, EC

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE PODCAST EXCERPTS

2011-11-19T05:24:00.001-08:00

JUST BUGGIN' ILLUMINATI SPECIAL PART 3

2011-11-16T00:41:00.001-08:00

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE: THE IDEAL CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR ANY DJ!

2011-11-15T01:03:00.000-08:00

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

If anyone's interested in a copy, please hit me up direct on mark@markdevlin.co.uk for a special Pre-Christmas promo deal. There's further info, meanwhile, including a synopsis here.

HEAVY D & THE BOYZ: PEACEFUL JOURNEY (1991)

2011-11-14T04:19:00.000-08:00

Message music. Heavy's last verse really resonates.

BLACK SHEEP MAG TO HOLD ITS CHRISTMAS PARTY AT LOUNGE 31, MANCHESTER

2011-11-11T01:28:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 17th December, the most meaningful UK black music magazine on the net heads to Manchester's dedicated black music party spot for its big Christmas bash.

There's a good reason why Manchester's Lounge 31 has earned a reputation as one of the city's liveliest party spots with one of the most hard-hitting musical programmes. Rather than being run by corporate investors in suits who are clueless when it comes to music, this venue is owned and operated by a group of young DJs.

The Brown Suga collective, headed by Eddie Down, had already been putting on successful nights in the North West for some time before the opportunity arose to manage their own spot.

Lounge 31 vies for trade with several other bars, clubs and eateries in the bustling Printworks complex, but always tends to come out on top with the city's urban music heads through hosting a variety of special events - album launch parties, celebrity and PA appearances, a healthy array of guest DJs, and regular competitions and giveaways. Even on a regular night, the in-house DJs and MCs guarantee a memorable clubbing experience.

Black Sheep Mag's Mark Devlin will be joining the regular Lounge/ Brown Suga/ Chic Amore crew on 17th December for a lively mash-up of tuneage, keeping the party faithful moving all the way to dawn. Expect plenty of giveaways too - well, it is nearly Christmas.

Lounge 31 is at 31 Withy Grove, Manchester, Greater Manchester M4 2BJ. Phone: 0161 819 4710. Further info here.

TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE CHRISTMAS APPEAL

2011-11-10T02:25:00.000-08:00

Mark Devlin's debut book 'Tales From The Flipside' is an ideal Christmas present for any DJ, aspiring DJ, anyone who works in the music biz, or anyone who's ever been the slightest bit curious about just what it is that DJs do. No-one's ever broken it down like this before!

To order a copy, (or for more info on the book) please click here.

R.I.P HEAVY D. 'DON'T CURSE', 1991.

2011-11-08T21:47:00.000-08:00

Absolutely gutted to hear of the untimely death of Heavy D at the age of just 44. This guy was a hugely under-rated rapper and one of the true influential figures in the hip hop/ new jack swing scene of the early 90s. This joint, produced by his cousin Pete Rock, with an all-star cast of MCs, remains one of my all-time favourite records. The reaper continues to have a field day with our favourite music artists. Another sad and cruel day in the game.

HEATHER VICTORIA FEAT. HALO: WHAT I NEED

2011-11-08T03:57:00.000-08:00

Wow. A cracking R&B/ hip-hop soul track 2011-style. What a rarity! Props to Clyde Pendergrass Mason for putting me up on this. North Carolina in the house!

JUST BUGGIN' ILLUMINATI SPECIAL PART 3

2011-11-05T03:19:00.001-07:00

OK, folks. Time for instalment 3 of this. Heavy music for awakened, open-minded people who like to pay attention to what's REALLY going on and don't need the mainstream media or monolithic corporations to tell them what to think.

Just Buggin Illuminati Special Part 3 by Mark Devlin

MD AT CLUB ILLUSION, TARTU, ESTONIA, THIS FRIDAY

2011-11-01T02:41:00.000-07:00

This Friday night, spinning in Estonia for Connections at Club Illusion, Tartu, alongside Estonian top dog DJ Quest.

BEYONCE FEAT. J COLE: PARTY

2011-10-31T07:06:00.001-07:00

Wow. This is as rare as a dodo's egg - a new Beyonce tune that's actually cool and soulful! Kanye on production too. Damn. Andre 3000's original cameo appears to have been dropped from the release in favour of J Cole, however. Why would you do that??? Here's the official video.

JUST BUGGIN' ILLUMINATI SPECIAL PART 3

2011-10-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

OK, folks. Time for instalment 3 of this. Heavy music for awakened, open-minded people who like to pay attention to what's REALLY going on and don't need the mainstream media or monolithic corporations to tell them what to think. Loving the irony of posting this on Halloween too, given some of the freaks being addressed in the lyrical content!

Just Buggin Illuminati Special Part 3 by Mark Devlin

MD'S DIARY, OCTOBER '11

2011-10-30T05:03:00.000-07:00

Versatility is the hallmark of an accomplished DJ, (in my book at least,) and Saturday 1st October gave a chance to put it to the test. I was spinning my monthly spot in Bath at The Second Bridge, (known by a whole array of names over the years including Roxbury's, Club Blu, The Asylum and Babylon!) I started the night playing in the upstairs feeder bar, The Earl, dropping soul, funk and disco. A short while into my set, however, the manager advised that the DJ lined up to play in the 'urban' room hadn't shown up, and I was asked to immediately head down and take over. Fortunately, I had all the appropriate tuneage. It had been quite a while since I'd had to spin all the Drakes, Rick Ross's and Skeptas, but it all went down very well, and it turned out to be one of the wildest nights I've experienced in The Vaults.

There was an outstanding weekend lined up a few days later, musically speaking. First off was the much-anticipated Swish Ball in Swindon. Stu Campbell and Kev Wilkinson of Cuz We Love It Productions had the idea of staging a ticket-only, soulfully-based music night to a well-dressed, mature crowd, and had lined up a PA from Omar, alongside DJ sets from Ronnie Herel, Rampage and myself.

I kicked the night off, dropping the kind of music that always seems to go down well in Swindon, a town that's far more amenable to real music than most, (in the right venues, at least!) Ronnie then ignited the crowd, ready for Omar's PA, and Rampage's set afterwards. Between acts, I got roped in to interview Omar and Ronnie backstage for a DVD of the event. It was an all-round great night, with a stunning set of pictures as a result. Hold tight for the interview vids on Youtube soon as well, but in the meantime, here's a quick snatch of Omar's performance:

There were more good vibes the following night. DJs Martin 'In Full Swing' Rafferty and John Mustoe run a bi-monthly at Sloanes in Gloucester called Back In The Day. As the title suggests, it's all about 90s R&B, hip-hop and New Jack Swing, (although they also do alternative 00s nights called Back To The Y2K,) and they have a great strategy of only using DJs that were out there doing their thing then, rather than any Johnny-Come-Latelys! The place was rammed with clued-up party people, and I went into a zone during my two-hour set. John and Martin followed with outstanding selections, keeping me jamming and highly impressed that it's still possible to rock peaktime on a Saturday night with all this good stuff. A stunningly good night which I hope to get back to at the earliest opportunity.

The Just Buggin' Quarter 3 2011 podcast went live during the month, consisting of the heaviest underground hip-hop tunes I unearthed during the July-September period all in one place. You can get it from the Soundcloud page here -
Just Buggin Q3 2011 by Mark Devlin

The other is slightly more 'specialist' in nature, shall we say, and seemingly not for everyone. I felt inspired to put together a third JB Illuminati Special, (for want of a better phrase.) This one brings together a bunch of tracks by hip-hop artists who are alert to what's really going on in this world, (about as far removed from the version of events you get in the mainstream media as it's possible to imagine.) You can catch that one right here, and if you're new to the whole subject, you may well find it intriguing to have a quick peek!

Fast forward to end of the month then, and on Friday 28th I found myself hauling my battered carcass out of bed at an ungodly hour to catch a 6am flight to Latvia. This marked what must be my 8th or 9th visit to the Baltic state, this time to spin at Club Tonuss in Jelgava, around 50km from the capital Riga. At the airport I was met by my contact, Alex, and we caught the bus. I say bus, it was more a mini-van of the type that transports labourers to building sites in the mornings. Another memorable travel experience. My in-room wi-fi was a big attraction, but I did the sensible thing and caught up on some sleep and food ahead of the night's gig.

Tonuss is a stark warehouse-style venue on the banks of the River Daugava, and had been decked out strikingly for Halloween. I played from up on a stage, and at the manager's request, took to the mic much more often than I normally would, constantly asserting my British credentials to get a crowd reaction, (his idea, not mine.) It was clear that only high-energy uptempo vibes would work, but I was glad that an extended session of UKG and UK Funky basslines got a great reaction.

The routing home on Saturday was a long one - the rickety mini-van back to Riga, a flight to Torp airport in Norway, then a five-hour stopover before a second flight back to Stansted. From there, it was straight off to DJ at the Living Room in Milton Keynes. I realised only that day that the clocks were due to go back, and the extra hour's sleep came in very handy indeed.

... and that was October.

THE CONCEPT: MR DJ (1985)

2011-10-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

OK, all my old school peeps, who remembers this one?! I used to know all the patter on this off by heart. A much-forgotten gem.

MD AT CLUB TONUSS, JELGAVA, LATVIA, THIS FRIDAY

2011-10-25T18:50:00.001-07:00

MD'S CLUB DATES, OCT/ NOV/ DEC '11

2011-10-25T03:47:00.001-07:00

Friday 28th October
Club Tonuss, Jelgava, LATVIA

Saturday 29th October
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 4th November
Connections, Club Illusion, Tartu, ESTONIA

Saturday 5th November
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 12th November
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 18th November
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 19th November
Mirage, Aylesbury

Saturday 26th November
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 3rd December
Maraschino Bar, Zagreb, CROATIA

Saturday 10th December
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 16th December
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 17th December
Black Sheep Mag Christmas Party, Lounge 31, Manchester

DEAD PREZ: GLOBALIZATION (SCENE OF THE CRIME)

2011-10-22T05:40:00.001-07:00

More tell-it-like-its truths from a group that have never had a problem saying what's on their mind. Respect for that.

K-RINO: SOLITARY CONFINEMENT (2009)

2011-10-22T05:39:00.001-07:00

The lyrical concept of this is INCREDIBLE! Well worth pausing for four minutes, avoiding all distractions and absorbing the science.

TOM CLAY: WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW/ ABRAHAM, MARTIN & JOHN (1971)

2011-10-20T07:19:00.001-07:00

Can anyone not be moved by the sentiments in this? A classic piece of work put together by Detroit radio DJ Tom Clay in 1971. As potent and relevant today as it was 40 years ago. An essential listen.

SWISH BALL, SWINDON PICS - FULL SET

2011-10-15T03:34:00.001-07:00

The complete set of pictures from last weekend's Swish Ball are now on-line. Video interviews with Omar and Ronnie Herel soon.

Catch 'em here.

JUST BUGGIN' Q3 2011 PODCAST

2011-10-15T03:33:00.001-07:00

Just Buggin Q3 2011 by Mark Devlin

You'd never know it from listening to the radio or visiting the average High Street club, but there IS still incredible, classic-quality hip hop being made in 2011. The trouble is, you can never find all the good stuff in one convenient place.

Well, actually you can - the latest Just Buggin' quarterly podcast is here. Strictly essence. No fillers.

Let's go...

*

DICE RAW: 1995

LL COOL J: YEAR OF THE HIP HOP

DTMD Featuring YU: KEEP ON

SOULBROTHA Featuring BLAQ POET, NYGZ & KRUMBSNATCHA: REAL MCEES

KOOLADE Featuring STYLES P: NO MORE MUSIC

STREET BEAT OF THE QUARTER:
GAME: BORN IN THE TRAP

NAS: NASTY

JAY Z & KANYE WEST: NEW DAY

SHAUN BOOTHE Featuring CYHI DA PRINCE: LET ME GO

THE GAME: CALIFORNIA DREAM

EVIDENCE: YOU

40 GLOCC: TAKE ME AWAY

ROCHELE JORDAN: MARVIN'S ROOM

JILL SCOTT: I DON'T KNOW (GOTTA HAVE YOU)

ODDISEE Featuring OLIVIER DAYSOUL: MATTERED MUCH

DJ SOLO Featuring JIBBERISH: INTERVENTION

CONSEQUENCE Featuring GREG NICE: MY FOOT ON THEIR THROAT

ROYCE/ EMINEM: WRITER'S BLOCK (DJ PREMIER REMIX)

RAS BEATS Featuring MASTA ACE: LET IT BE

BIG SHUG: WE MISS YOU

OMAR PERFORMS 'BE THANKFUL' AT THE SWISH BALL, SWINDON

2011-10-09T03:57:00.001-07:00

UK soul legend Omar performs 'Be Thankful' at the classy Swish Ball, Bushwackers & Sin in Swindon, 7th October '11.

JUST BUGGIN Q3 2011 PODCAST

2011-10-07T11:40:00.001-07:00

BACK IN THE DAY @ SLOANES, GLOUCESTER, THIS SATURDAY

2011-10-05T01:52:00.000-07:00

Great event on the way in Gloucester this weekend - feel-good 90s throwbacks all night long with Martin Infullswing Rafferty and crew. Strong anticipation for this one.

OMAR, RONNIE HEREL, MD @ THE SWISH BALL, SWINDON, THIS FRIDAY

2011-10-05T01:33:00.001-07:00

This one promises to be great, and not long to go now. Omar in PA, Ronnie Herel, Stu Campbell and myself bringing the soulful business, with Rampage leading the urban business in Room 2. All at the classy Swish Ball in Swindon on Friday 7th October. Check the flyer for ticket details, or holler at me.

JUST BUGGIN' QUARTER 3 2011 PODCAST

2011-10-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

MD'S CLUB DATES, OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER '11

2011-09-30T10:50:00.001-07:00

Saturday 1st October
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 7th October
The Swish Ball, (with Omar/ Ronnie Herel/ Donaeo/ Rampage,)
Bushwackers & Sin, Swindon

Saturday 8th October
Back In The Day, (90s Revivals,) Sloanes, Gloucester

Saturday 15th October
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 21st October
The Living Room, London, W1

Saturday 22nd October
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 28th October
Club Tonnuss, Jelgava, LATVIA

Saturday 29th October
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 4th November
CONNECTIONS @
Club Illusion, Tartu, ESTONIA

Saturday 5th November
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 12th November
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 18th November
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 19th November
Mirage, Aylesbury

Saturday 26th November
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

URBAN ANTHEMS WITH MARK DEVLIN - THE LATE SUMMER '11 EDITION

2011-09-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

Feeling the latest Nicki Minaj/ Drake/ Wacka Flocka/ Kanye/ Rihanna joints? No, me neither. All the more reason to take it back with the latest Urban Anthems instalment then. More back-to-back feel-good joints from the golden years - classic R&B, hip-hop, reggae dancehall and soul to get your head nodding and send a chill down your spine. Not all the ones you usually hear, either. This is the alternative selection, and trust me, it's all good baby, baby!

Urban Anthems late Summer '11 by Mark Devlin

Download, reminisce and enjoy.

LL COOL J: MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT

BRAND NUBIAN: ALL FOR ONE

CYPRESS HILL: HOW I COULD JUST KILL A MAN

FREEWAY: FLIPSIDE

BLACK GIRL: KRAZY (BOSS' HIP HOP MIX)

TANYA VON: TONITE

FATHER MC: LISA BABY (HIP HOP FAT MIX)

50 CENT: MANY STEMS

CAPLETON/ METHOD MAN: WINGS OF THE MORNING

CAPLETON: TOUR

CUTTY RANKS: WHO SEH ME DUN

RAYVON: BIG UP

MAD COBRA: LIMB BY LIMB

FIVE STAIRSTEPS: OOH CHILD

2PAC: KEEP YOUR HEAD UP

ICE CUBE: CHECK YO SELF (REMIX)

JURASSIC 5: CONCRETE SCHOOLYARD

LOST BOYZ: JEEPS, LEX, COUPS, BIMAZ & BENZ

KEITH MURRAY: I GET LIFTED

KENNY DOPE: GET DOWN

RUDE RYDIMS EXPERIMENT: EVERYBODY BOUNCE

SHAI: IF I EVER FALL IN LOVE

Y EN VEE: CHOCOLATE

CASE/ FOXY BROWN: TOUCH ME TEASE ME

DA BRAT: GIVE IT TO YOU

ERIC BENET/ FAITH EVANS: GEORGIE PORGIE

DR DRE: THE MESSAGE

JAY Z: THIS CAN'T BE LIFE

BACK IN THE DAY @ SLOANES, GLOUCESTER, SATURDAY 8TH OCTOBER

2011-09-28T02:32:00.001-07:00

Great event on the way in Gloucester next month - feel-good 90s throwbacks all night long with Martin Infullswing Rafferty and crew. Strong anticipation for this one.

MD'S DIARY, SEPTEMBER '11

2011-09-27T00:43:00.002-07:00

The month got off to a good start with a trek up North to Block Party in The Lake District - always a welcome addition to the diary. Life in Devlin Towers is so mental these days that I only get the chance to properly listen to new music in the car, so I lined up a stack of CD listening accordingly. The journey ended up taking seven hours incorporating a diversion to Manchester to take care of a little business, (nothing sordid, you understand,) so much tuneage got absorbed.

The gig marked Block Party's 9th birthday, so hats off to Clyde, aka DJ Bligeness, for keeping it going for so long. This dude's one of the most dedicated in the game, with a taste in hip-hop that's virtually identical to my own. It's always great to get the opportunity to let rip with a full-on audio assault at The Wheelhouse.

Fast forward to Wednesday 14th, and a re-visit to another fondly anticipated spot, Soul City in Ibiza. Each Summer I play a peak-season night in July, then go back for some closing season action in September when the crowds are a little more civilised, and the weather's less scorching. On this occasion, veteran DJ Horse was off for the night, so I was spinning alongside his co-host Mister Ice. The Soul City atmosphere never disappoints, and I tore through styles like a madman while Ice took care of the mic.

I span the last tune at 6am, and stumbled out into the San Antonio dawn. My usual sensible demeanour goes out of the window when it comes to Ibiza, and my alcohol consumption resembles that of a naive 18-year-old. On this occasion I hadn't eaten before coming out, so felt like I'd been marinated in vodka. I managed five hours' sleep back at the Bellamar Hotel, but it wasn't until back at the airport in the evening that I started to feel human again. Oh dear. When will I learn?

I'm fortunate enough to have a Dad who shares my interest in deep and alternative matters, (the nature of reality, who really controls the world, that type of thing,) so we both set off for Swindon on Saturday 17th to attend a conference event entitled Weird, (which many doubtless think would also apply to me!) On the agenda was a full day of presentations falling into what I guess would get dubbed the paranormal and 'conspiracy theory' fields. The speakers included Graham Hancock, author of 'Fingerprints Of The Gods', a book that truly knocked me sideways when I first read it. Hancock spoke about out-of-body and inter-dimensional experiences, particularly those achieved by ingesting the powerful hallucinogenic ayahuasca. Totally captivating stuff.

It was family holiday time in Weymouth, Dorset the following week. I use the term 'holiday' very loosely, as five days in a caravan with two small kids would be far from most peoples' idea of relaxation. Although Parveen and myself returned home sleepless and battered, two-year-old Zaina had a whale of a time, which was all that really mattered.

It had been a minute since I'd last visited Cardiff, a city that was virtually my second home in the late 90s. On Saturday 24th, I was happy to be spinning at the second birthday party of 411, a club dedicated exclusively to black and urban music. Mo Moniz and his team have done a fantastic job of creating a stylish venue that attracts a happy, dressy crowd, but with no compromise on the music, which is as real as it gets. I spun for an hour between DJs Jigga and D Stylus, who were both on-point, and much old-school tuneage got rinsed. It was great to catch up with some old faces again. I also remembered that 411 used to be known as Liberty's, the first club I ever played in Wales. I got home at dawn, wondering how the hell I used to manage that motorway trek there and back twice every week. I guess I was quite a bit younger then!

OMAR, RONNIE HEREL, MD @ THE SWISH BALL, SWINDON, FRIDAY 7TH OCTOBER

2011-09-27T00:43:00.001-07:00

411 CLUB 2nd BIRTHDAY JAM IN CARDIFF, TONIGHT

2011-09-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

All set to head to Cardiff tonight, spinning 1-2am alongside an all-star DJ cast at the 2nd birthday of 411 Club. Shouts to So Funked and the crew for holding down the city's only venue specialising in urban music in all its forms.

411 CLUB 2ND BIRTHDAY PARTY, CARDIFF, THIS SATURDAY

2011-09-20T05:54:00.001-07:00

Looking forward to getting back to Cardiff next Saturday night to spin at this, the 2nd birthday party of 411 Club, the nightspot dedicated exclusively to black music in all its genres. Shouts to So Funked and all the crew. Any Forum/ Swing Shift crew from back in the day, be sure to come and party.

http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/lifestyle/places-to-sparkle-in-105371?click=main_sr

BACK IN THE DAY @ SLOANES, GLOUCESTER, SATURDAY 8TH OCTOBER

2011-09-20T05:53:00.001-07:00

Great event on the way in Gloucester next month - feel-good 90s throwbacks all night long with Martin Infullswing Rafferty and crew. Strong anticipation for this one.

OMAR, RONNIE HEREL, MD @ THE SWISH BALL, SWINDON, FRIDAY 7TH OCTOBER

2011-09-19T00:34:00.001-07:00

This one promises to be great! Omar in PA, Ronnie Herel, Stu Campbell and myself bringing the soulful business, with Rampage leading the urban business in Room 2. All at the classy Swish Ball in Swindon on Friday 7th October. Check the flyer for ticket details, or holler at me.

411 CLUB 2ND BIRTHDAY PARTY, CARDIFF, SATURDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER

2011-09-18T03:16:00.001-07:00

DJ MISTER ICE DESTROYS SOUL CITY, IBIZA

2011-09-16T03:19:00.000-07:00

Resident DJ Mister Ice sees out Summer 2011 with another full-on session at Soul City, Ibiza's liveliest jump-up party bar.

URBAN ANTHEMS WITH MARK DEVLIN - THE LATE SUMMER '11 EDITION

2011-09-11T11:32:00.001-07:00

THE LEGENDARY LATE NITE FLAVA AT THE FORUM, CARDIFF REVISITED ON URBAN FUSION'S LATEST PODCAST

2011-09-11T11:30:00.001-07:00

The newest edition of Cardiff crew Urban Fusion's popular podcast features a contribution from myself, reliving the glory days of The Forum, and the legendary Late Nite Flava club nights in the late 90s, including a recording from Millennium Night 1999/2000. Check it out!

Urban Fusion presents Kind Of A BIG Deal Episode.18 (Forum Special) by Urban Fusion

SMILEY CULTURE'S DEATH: MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

2011-09-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

As written by Black Sheep Mag's Nobby Lamb in the latest Hoof To The Head:

This week the Independent Police Complaints Commission have decreed that there was no liability or evidence enough to convict the police officers involved in the death of 80s U.K reggae artist, Smiley Culture. Smiley died in suspicious circumstances: the official line was that his South London house was raided by police (assumption- a tip off that Smiley was dealing or possessing drugs,) and that, during the raid, he went to make a cup of tea and then in a fit of pique, not to mention mental imbalance, stabbed himself to death.

(By the way, the IPCC are already on the rack over the death of Mark Duggan in Tottenham for misleading the public and the media after their initial findings' narrative painted a more favourable position for the police. So, I wouldn't think they had any less reason for giving out a wooly explanation for Smiley's death and whilst there is some sort of criticism levelled at the officers' dealing with his death, it de-emphasises, through spin, the incompetence of said officers'. So, let's not take the IPCC on face value, no matter how "independent" they claim they are. They're not!)

The explantation of Smiley's death is murkier than a Florida swamp. It's the assumption that both Smiley's family and the wider public, (who the police are supposed to be accountable to,) will blindly believe that Jedi mind trick. Even if Smiley had drugs in his house and he was looking at a long sentence if found guilty, would he have killed himself? We will never really know what happened on that fateful day, mainly because the police have the upper hand, including controlling the information that flows out of an incident from the parties concerned.

In the wider sphere, however, we have yet another black man dying in suspicious circumstances with, clearly, a huge smokescreen fogging the real issues and the need for transparency.

It seems that nothing has been learned from people dying innocently from police mismanagement (usually minorities) throughout history. It does hark back to a slavery-master psyche that dictates that a black life is worth a lot less than a white one.

I understand that the police have a tough job, but they don't do themselves any favours with this latest blunder. And, yes, Smiley's reggae star years were well behind him the day he was killed, but it's indicative of a deeply ingrained, dare I say it, racist stench, pervading from the police.

It's tempting to make cliched comments about mainly white, possibly racist police officers dealing with a black man in a manner that is sub-human and vile, proving that we still don't have the kind of parity between all races. But it does seem to ring true. Smiley's family aren't playing a cynical race card to get leverage for the truth to come out. But there are questions to be answered. It seems that the power structure and those representing law and order in this country still see fit to (excuse the pun) whitewash a serious incident resulting in a human being's death (irrespective of Smiley's possible criminality.)

Smiley is entitled to due process. His family is entitled, reasonably and ethically, to get the full truth of what happened, and for those with blood on their hands to be punished to the full extent of the same law that allegedly governs us all, equally.

Ending on that laughable irony, Smiley's biggest hit was 'Police Officer'. Art and reality merged fatally some 25 years later to wipe Smiley off the earth. His music lives on, but questions remain unanswered and still we don't value everyone equally. So much for so-called progress.

BACK IN THE DAY @ SLOANES, GLOUCESTER, SATURDAY 8TH OCTOBER

2011-09-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

Great event on the way in Gloucester next month - feel-good 90s throwbacks all night long with Martin Infullswing Rafferty and crew. Strong anticipation for this one.

OMAR, RONNIE HEREL, MD @ THE SWISH BALL, SWINDON, FRIDAY 7TH OCTOBER

2011-09-05T02:50:00.001-07:00

THE LEGENDARY LATE NITE FLAVA AT THE FORUM, CARDIFF REVISITED ON URBAN FUSION'S LATEST PODCAST

2011-09-05T01:16:00.000-07:00

URBAN ANTHEMS WITH MARK DEVLIN - THE LATE SUMMER '11 EDITION

2011-09-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

THE LEGENDARY LATE NITE FLAVA AT THE FORUM, CARDIFF REVISITED ON URBAN FUSION'S LATEST PODCAST

2011-08-31T12:43:00.001-07:00

THE BLOCK PARTY 9TH BIRTHDAY, THIS THURSDAY

2011-08-30T01:14:00.001-07:00

Once again it's on. On Thursday 1st September all roads lead to Block Party's 9th birthday, kicking serious ass in the Lake District!

URBAN ANTHEMS WITH MARK DEVLIN - THE LATE SUMMER '11 EDITION

2011-08-26T00:53:00.001-07:00

ABSOLUTELY IMMENSE ARCHIVE OF BLACK/ URBAN/ DANCE RADIO TAPE RIPS FROM THE 80s/ 90s. DOWNLOAD AND REMINISCE

2011-08-25T04:15:00.000-07:00

Here we go with something for all nostalgists/ music historians/ fans. This is an exhaustive collection of radio show audio from back in the day, covering a variety of black/ urban/ dance music DJs and shows. Although many of these have come from my own garage cassette archives, a fair few have been sourced from various other uploaders, so respect and acknowledgement to all concerned for their posts. Much of the audio has appeared before and has been in wide circulation on the web, but there's sure to be something of interest to pretty much everyone among this lot.

My personal favourites are a happy and high Danny Rampling on Kiss FM in Summer 1988 when it was still a pirate, a very young Trevor Nelson on Kiss from the same era, and Pete Tong delivering his Soul Session on Capital in early '88. There's also a snippet of Westwood on the pirate LWR in 1985, along with a bunch of classic audio from the legendary Capital Rap Show; the programme from 12th Jan 91 is absolutely on-point, as is the Live To London session broadcast live from The Arch in Vauxhall in May '92. Loads of Robbie Vincent and Jeff Young on Radio 1, for anyone who remembers when these dudes were on top of their game.

In addition, I've uploaded a few of my own Swing Shift shows from Galaxy 101, which will hopefully find favour with anyone who used to listen to that in the golden years.

The oldest recording remains the excerpt from Greg Edwards' Soul Spectrum on Capital, from 1978.

Everything else pretty much speaks for itself, and is grouped by station for convenience. Happy listening.

RADIO 1

Robbie Vincent's first Radio 1 show 1/1/84 1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/t1wua1

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1984 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/6vv9je

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1984 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/y2768u

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1985 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/p3j1bq

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1985 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/v11ggm

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1986 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/rxriy5

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1986 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/9d2i6g

Robbie Vincent R1 Apr 1987.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/4jpyd9

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1987 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/qptl43

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1987 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ep66e2

Robbie Vincent Jul 1988.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/c97ufp

Robbie Vincent Sep 1988.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dp89h0

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1989 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/f7ys4l

Robbie Vincent Killer Cuts 1989 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/7uvjz3

Rankin Miss P/ Robbie Vincent R1 trailer, R1, C. 1984
http://www.sendspace.com/file/g0j98r

Jeff Young's Big Beat Nov 1987.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1kw9s6

Jeff Young 25_12_87 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vcqfqm

Jeff Young 25_12_87 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/musv3b

Jeff Young 1_1_88 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/qf45pi

Jeff Young 1_1_88 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1d649s

Jeff Young 1_1_88 P3.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/n47wnf

Jeff Young's Big Beat Feb 1988.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/eb5liu

Jeff Young Dec 1988 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kbhlq4

Jeff Young Dec 1988 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/3murno

Jeff Young, National Fresh, Radio 1, 1989.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5f2gn3

Jeff Young, Radio 1, Nov 1989.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/05v2lv

Jeff Young, Radio 1, Jan 1990.mp
http://www.sendspace.com/file/b500ko

Jeff Young 28_12_90 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/q8htbw

Jeff Young 28_12_90 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dewgw2

Jeff Young 28_12_90 P3 (Rap).mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/hvyjou

**

CAPITAL RADIO

Greg Edwards Capital Radio 1978.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/ximy9t

Mike Allen Best of 1985.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/4k419t

Mike Allen Capital Radio Xmas 1985.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1arf9b

Mike Allen Best of 1986.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/g5q7ii

Mike Allen 3_4_87 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/js746z

Mike Allen 3_4_87 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/s5d0ki

Pete Tong, Capital Radio C. 1988.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5rps01

Pete Tong, Capital Radio, 5/3/88 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/02ea56

Pete Tong, Capital Radio, 5/3/88 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kx3eip

Chris Forbes Capital FM Oct 1988.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/qzpdwc

Westwood Capital Rap Show Early 1989 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/379yi3

Westwood Capital Rap Show late 1989.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/a4mj7b

Pete Tong Capital 95.8 28_4_90.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1pshwf

Pete Tong Capital Radio 22_12_90 Part 1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/umhwty

Westwood Capital Rap Show 12/1/91.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/emn0w4

Westwood CRS Live To London, 29_5_92 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kij3jr

Westwood CRS Live To London, 29_5_92 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/koqo2u

Westwood Capital Rap Show 26/12/92 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/imj0gs

Westwood, Capital Rap Show 26/12/92 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/frffrd

**

KISS FM (PRE-1990 PIRATE)

Trevor Nelson, Kiss FM (pirate), Jun 88.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/w8t02r

Danny Rampling, Kiss FM (pirate), July 1988
http://www.sendspace.com/file/eqp82i

**

KISS FM (POST--1990 LEGAL)

Gordon Mac/ Norman Jay Kiss FM legal launch, 1990 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/p1bwkp

Gordon Mac/ Norman Jay Kiss FM legal launch, 1990 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vpbhcx

Danny Rampling Kiss FM 1990 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/1mk9oq

Danny Rampling Kiss FM 1990 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/wsk1ng

Paul Trouble Anderson, Kiss FM, 7/12/91.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kkbw5g

Danny Rampling, Kiss FM, 26/9/92 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/oybyfs

Danny Rampling, Kiss FM, 26/9/92 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/p28bcd

CJ Mackintosh, Kiss FM C. 1995.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/iuyfcb

Graham Gold Kiss 100 Dance Chart, March 1995
http://www.sendspace.com/file/93yx3e

Steve Jackson, Kiss FM C. 1995 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/kf68av

Steve Jackson, Kiss FM, C. 1995 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/3ktjmb

Paul Trouble Anderson, Kiss FM, mid 90s.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/57p9jt

Bobbi & Steve Louie Vega, Kiss FM 1998
http://www.sendspace.com/file/9ilexm

**

GALAXY 101

Swing Shift 5/7/96 P1
http://soundcloud.com/markdevlindj/swing-shift-5-7-96-p1

Swing Shift 5/7/96 P2
http://soundcloud.com/markdevlindj/swing-shift-5-7-96-p2

Galaxy 101 DJ Lynx classic mixes 1996 - Luchini/ Incredible Hulk!
http://soundcloud.com/mark-devlin/galaxy-101-dj-lynx-classic-mixes-1996-luchini-incredible-hulk

Swing Shift 3_1_97 (Best of 1996) P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/f4klzn

Swing Shift 3_1_97 (Best of 1996) P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/c3n2j1

Swing Shift 3_1_97 (Best of 1996) P3.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/e9zgzl

Swing Shift 3_1_97 (Best of 1996) P4.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jtspbp

Notorious BIG tribute section 14_3_97.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/k67zd7

Swing Shift Ragga Selection Jun 97.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/sep4m8

Swing Shift 1997 Summer Revivals.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/y6lxil

Swing Shift 26_12_97 (Best of 1997) P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5pc5on

Swing Shift 26_12_97 (Best of 1997) P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/htnatw

Swing Shift 2_1_98 (Best of 1997) P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/rlxcnp

Swing Shift 2_1_98 (Best of 1997) P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/msgzqg

Swing Shift 2_1_98 (Best of 1997) P3.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/17a2eh

Swing Shift 27_2_98 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/tmo2es

Swing Shift 27_2_98 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/d98704

Swing Shift 27_2_98 P3.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/z4df4b

Swing Shift UK Special 21/4/98 P1
http://i.mixcloud.com/CYR0o

Swing Shift UK Special 21/4/98 P2
http://i.mixcloud.com/CYVeC

The very last Swing Shift, Galaxy 101. 21/8/98
http://soundcloud.com/mark-devlin/the-swing-shift-galaxy-101-21-8-98-p1

MISC

Disco 94 US Radio KRLY March 1979.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5n1nlx

Robbie Vincent Radio London Soul Show P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/9vfxdv

Dread Broadcasting Corporation, Notting Hill Carnival 1984
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vgi6mb

Funkmaster Flex 90s Revivals, Hot 97 Jul 2007 P1.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/oh3bvl

Funkmaster Flex 90s Revivals, Hot 97 Jul 2007 P2.mp3
http://www.sendspace.com/file/oo5v5m

Tim Westwood, LWR, Nov 85
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vxtea9

THE BLOCK PARTY 9TH BIRTHDAY, THURSDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

2011-08-25T03:48:00.001-07:00

Once again it's on. On Thursday 1st September all roads lead to Block Party's 9th birthday, kicking serious ass in the Lake District!

URBAN ANTHEMS WITH MARK DEVLIN - THE LATE SUMMER '11 EDITION

2011-08-24T02:24:00.000-07:00

THE GAME: CALIFORNIA DREAM

2011-08-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

Another one from Game, and this one's a real surprise as he documents his experience in becoming the dad of a little girl. Very emotional, and a great sample. There IS still good hip-hop being made!

THE GAME: BORN IN THE TRAP (PRODUCED BY DJ PREMIER)

2011-08-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

Like LL Cool J, The Game is real inconsistent as an artist. When he's weak, he's really wack, but when he's on form, he comes with some serious slammers. This joins 'Higher', 'Game's Pain' and 'Hate It Or Love It' as a certified banger. Produced by DJ Premier from his new 'R.E.D. Album', this is some proper heat!

THE BLOCK PARTY 9TH BIRTHDAY, THURSDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

2011-08-19T04:51:00.000-07:00

Once again it's on. On Thursday 1st September all roads lead to Block Party's 9th birthday, kicking serious ass in the Lake District!

BOOK REVIEW - GRANT GODDARD: KISS FM; FROM RADICAL RADIO TO BIG BUSINESS

2011-08-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

Grant Goddard is either a prodigious note-keeper, or possesses a razor-sharp memory, such is his penchant for intricate detail in this fascinating tome. Goddard was a senior executive at London's Kiss FM during its transition from pirate to legal status, and the book charts the turbulent behind-the-scenes history of the station as it balanced a well-meaning passion for music with the harsh realities of corporate survival.

On the face of it, the book should be uninspiringly dull, as it proceeds chronologically through a brief history of the 70s and early 80s London pirate scene, into the months and years leading up to 1990, the year Kiss first broadcast legally on Saturday 1st September. Goddard's candid and precise recollections, however, are never short of captivating, and go far beyond the routine machinations of a business. The book charts the personal crises, ego trips, power struggles and monumental clashes of personality that occur in any workplace, but seem particularly magnified in media-related operations given the types of individual they attract.

Much light is shed on the unpredictable personality of Gordon Mac, Kiss's leader, and the station culture his style of management brought about, along with the unflinching passion for the Kiss 'mission' exhibited by head of music Lindsay Wesker, (who himself has a book out shortly co-written with long-standing Kiss DJ Max LX, titled 'We Created History: UK Black Radio.)

Goddard does not shy away for a minute from revealing the uglier side of the business, along with the triumphs and achievements, even dwelling on his personal setbacks, such as an attempted Margaret Thatcher-style coup to remove him from the management team, and coming back from a three-week holiday in Gambia to find his flat cleared out by a bitter ex-girlfriend. As with insider accounts of life in Hollywood, or the TV business, the behind-the-scenes shenanigans are a far cry from the glossy exterior presented to the public, and the revelations of in-fighting and disharmony make you wonder how the business could operate at all. Among the DJ anecdotes are the failed attempt to poach Tim Westwood from Capital Radio, and an insight into the nocturnal activities of Paul Anderson and a clue as to how he earned his well-known 'Trouble' nickname.

Ultimately, though, it becomes clear that Kiss was very much a labour of love for the pioneers involved before - as becomes unavoidable in all cases - the corporate suits got a sniff of a thriving business opportunity and it became all about spreadsheets, red braces and pie-charts. Definitely an absorbing read for anyone with an interest in the daring days of radio, and UK black music history generally.

JAY-Z & KANYE WEST: WATCH THE THRONE REVIEW

2011-08-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

My review of 'Watch The Throne' as featured on http:www.blacksheepmag.com

*

The greater the hype, the bigger the disappointment when a project fails to deliver. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 'Watch The Throne'.

There can be few better barometers of where hip-hop is at than a collaboration between arguably the two most important names on the mainstream scene. If 'Watch The Throne' is indicative of where it's all going, we might as well all become country and western or heavy rock fans now, and lay a wreath for our once great and lovingly cherished art form.

Sub-par lyrics can be overlooked provided they're delivered over some captivating and sonically epic production, so your subconscious has something else to focus on and get the head nodding. This is 'Watch The Throne's great downfall. The factory conveyor belt-style electronic beats are lacking in soul and substance, and are a far cry from the ingenious sample-based cuts of the 90s, or even the inventive Just Blaze and Kanye dramatic beats of Roc A Fella's glory years in the early to mid-00s.

When you add to that Kanye's naggingly annoying vocals, you're really not left with much. From appearing as hip-hop's great hope with 'The College Dropout' in '03, the dude has gone on to become a clear corporate stooge, and the once-meaningful lyrics have given way to stupefyingly boring generic droning about nothing in particular, delivered in an exaggerated drawl that's now as annoying as listening to a dentist's drill. I came away from the album remembering nothing that Kanye had rattled on about other than something about pyjamas.

To be fair, Jay does demonstrate that he still has verbal dexterity all these years on, his verses flowing far more lucidly, and with some characteristic wordplay. But again, you don't exit 'Watch The Throne' with a memory of any uplifting, empowering or thought-provoking message.

Thankfully, the set does have a couple of redeeming features in its two reflective/ soul-searching tracks. 'New Day' has J and K delivering an ode to their imaginary sons, urging them to draw wisdom from the mistakes of their pops', while 'Made In America' has spiritual overtones - even if the much-repeated gospel-style sample about 'sweet baby Jesus' sits uncomfortably with Kanye's insistence on continually using the N and F words. (Elsewhere on 'Otis', of course', 'Ye proclaims 'I made 'Jesus Walks' so I'm never going to hell', so he seemingly sees no contradiction here.)

'Otis' itself remains the only other strong feature. Sadly, its usage of huge chunks of Otis Redding didn't signal the return to sample-based beats on the album that many had hoped for.

In all then, if the 'Throne' part is treated as the common euphemism for 'toilet', then it serves as an appropriate title, for that's where this - along with its anally pretentious 'high end' artwork - best belongs.

MD'S CLUB DATES, AUG/ SEP/ OCT '11

2011-08-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

Friday 19th August
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 20th August
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 26th August
The Living Room, Heddon St., London, W1

Thursday 1st September
Block Party 9th Birthday, The Wheelhouse, Bowness On Windermere

Saturday 3rd September
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 9th September
Mirage, Aylesbury

Saturday 10th September
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Wednesday 14th September
Soul City, San Antonio, IBIZA

Saturday 24th September
411 Club 2nd Anniversary Weekend, 411 Club, Cardiff, WALES

Saturday 1st October
The Earl, The Second Bridge, Bath

Friday 7th October
The Swish Ball, (with Omar/ Ronnie Herel/ Donaeo/ Rampage,)
Bushwackers & Sin, Swindon

Saturday 8th October
Back In The Day, (90s Revivals,) Sloanes, Gloucester

Saturday 15th October
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Saturday 22nd October
Mirage, Aylesbury

Saturday 29th October
The Living Room, Milton Keynes

Friday 4th November
CONNECTIONS @
Club Illusion, Tartu, ESTONIA

ABSOLUTELY IMMENSE ARCHIVE OF BLACK/ URBAN/ DANCE RADIO TAPE RIPS FROM THE 80s/ 90s. DOWNLOAD AND REMINISCE

2011-08-08T02:23:00.000-07:00

MD AT BEAT BOX, PORTRUSH, N. IRELAND, SAT 6TH AUGUST

2011-08-04T03:00:00.001-07:00

Back in Northern Ireland on 6th August to tear up The Playhouse in Portrush for Beat Box, alongside Needle Knievel.

MD AT BEAT BOX, PORTRUSH, N. IRELAND, SAT 6TH AUGUST

2011-08-01T05:05:00.001-07:00

Back in Northern Ireland on 6th August to tear up The Playhouse in Portrush for Beat Box, alongside Needle Knievel.

MD'S DIARY, JULY '11

2011-07-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

As regular readers of my Facebook and Twitter comments will be aware, what passes for 'urban' music in 2011 doesn't entirely impress me, (and that's taking great liberties with the art of understatement!) So when the opportunity came to spin a two-hour set of nothing but pure 90s revivals at Supa Dupa Fly in London, I bit the promoter's hand off, and looked forward to it like a kid at Christmas. Thank fuck Pitbull wasn't around in the 90s!

A bonus was that the night, on Friday 8th July, was at the world-famous Jazz Cafe, a venue I've visited many times to see live acts, but never played. The place was nicely packed as I took over from Benji E at 1am, and proceeded to blast through tunes from the best decade of them all, ranging from hip hop to New Jack Swing, street soul and ragga. Many of the tunes can't be got away with on the average 2011 dancefloor, given many punters' apparent lack of interest in dancing to anything under 125bpm, but the Jazz Cafe crowd lapped it all up keenly. I bounced around stupidly as the tuneage brought back the memories. The promoter later remarked "I could see you were in the zone." He wasn't wrong.

A few days later came my annual pilgrimage to Ibiza. I may hold the record for the briefest visit to the island, having stayed for as little as ten hours on previous occasions. This time Julian, owner of the Soul City venue, convinced me to stay for two days, and I was really glad I did. SC resident Mister I picked me up as I landed on Tuesday 12th, and I grabbed a power nap at the Bellamar Hotel to recharge myself for what I knew would be a heavy night at the club, on the other side of San Antonio Bay.

The competition has come and gone over the years, but Soul City has held its own as the original Ibiza venue specialising in urban music, and its reputation has now hit such a buzz that it seems to get still livelier every year. I jumped on at 2am and had the time of my life, tearing through tunes like a madman as Mister I and DJ Horse hyped it up on the mic. By the time the lights came up at 6, I was suitably hammered from the non-stop supply of shots. I take my hat off to Mister I and Horse, who do this six nights a week til 6am, all the way from May to October. They're clearly made of stronger stuff than me.

Here's a video snippet from the night -

I'd just about lost the headache by Wednesday afternoon, when I headed with Julian to a Soul City staff barbecue taking place on Pinet Beach, further round the bay. The setting was the Global Reggae Bar, where the musical backdrop was perfect for a lazy afternoon by the waves. There were even vegetarian sausages on the grill, meaning I didn't have to put up with just a plate of lettuce for a change. Later on, I hit the decks at Soul City for a second night, this time pacing myself a little more carefully, (beers instead of vodka) in light of my morning flight home.

Just across the way from Soul City is 2Nice, the bar opened a couple of years ago by the Twice As Nice crew. Midweek, it serves as a taster for the brand's big Thursday nighter at Eden, with whatever DJs and artists happen to be in town putting in an appearance. I bumped into Steve Sutherland, and we had a long chat reminiscing about old times and comparing travel anecdotes. Dr. Psycho was in the house, as ever, as was an immaculately turned out Chipmunk, who was being led by the hand by a PR girl across the street to Soul City. The 10am flight allowed for just a couple of hours' hotel sleep. Back at Stansted, I found myself standing next to Zane Lowe who was returning from playing Ibiza Rocks and Majorca Rocks, and more musical chewing of the fat (so to speak) ensued.

The newest additions to the Soundcloud page included a special 80s edition of Urban Anthems, bringing together much-forgotten and fondly-remembered gems from another great decade. Copt that one here:

Urban Anthems 80s Special by Mark Devlin

Otherwise, the Quarter 2 2011 edition of Just Buggin brings together the heaviest brand new underground hip hop jams from the last three months, in my humble opinion. That one's at:

Just Buggin Quarter 2 2011 podcast by Mark Devlin

The month was rounded off with another well-anticipated revival session. Swindon is a town that seems to have an above-average appreciation of soulful grooves - far moreso than student-dominated Oxford - and I've enjoyed many a quality session there. On Saturday 30th, the action was happening at The Pig On The Hill, for an edition of the All Soul'd Out event. I was spinning alongside my good friend Stu Campbell, a guy with impeccable musical taste, with a live performance from Laura Kaye Johnson. 80s and 90s nuggets got rinsed, and it was happy faces and nice vibes all round.

... and that was July.

MD AT BEAT BOX, PORTRUSH, N. IRELAND, SAT 6TH AUGUST

2011-07-27T03:04:00.000-07:00

Back in Northern Ireland on 6th August to tear up The Playhouse in Portrush for Beat Box, alongside Needle Knievel.