-

Spotlight On: Chester Watson
After first hearing Chester Watson’s “Phantom” last year, I was instantaneously drawn to his enigmatic sinister-sounding instrumentals and nonchalant lyrical flow. Initially, I thought he might have been associated with Pro.Era but after digging through a multitude of hip-hop blogs, it seemed as if he was rolling on his own. It wasn’t even clear where [continued]
-

Gig Review: SBTRKT
SBTRKT clearly aim to surround themselves in an air of secrecy, and this was certainly achieved long before their arrival at the 02 Academy in Leeds. The audience was very audibly discussing which direction the performance would head thanks to various online ‘tips’ – with rumours of recent collaborator Raury appearing (despite his being in [continued]
-

Review: Messenger Soundsystem
Last Friday saw this semester’s hottest ticket to date as Venue 1 was transported to the heart of Jamaica with the ever passionate Music is Love bringing Edinburgh’s own Messenger Soundsystem for a night of basslines, hooks and reggae grooves. The 600 capacity event saw the union transformed into a carnival-esque set up, with towering [continued]
-

Gig Review: Alt-J
The surrounding streets were filled with political fervor as Alt-J took to the stage last Thursday, the eve of the Scottish Independence referendum in Glasgow. There was chaos in the rest of the city, with riots and hordes of flag waving demonstrators taking over George Square, but for a couple of hours that night, the [continued]
-

The Art of Sampling
The aim of this article is to discuss ‘sampling’ which over the past 40 years or so has become an increasingly popular method of producing music. As sampling has become the basis for various popular genres such as Hip Hop, critics have let it been known that they regard the production form to be unimaginative [continued]
-
The DJ Dilemma
Innumerable opportunities for creativity obviously lead to a plethora of pathways for production. As such, genres both conflate and dissipate their musical stylings amidst a sea of sounds. While most styles of electronic music retain a core characteristic – such as the overlapping feature of the 4×4 beat prevalent in techno, house, etc- the subcategorization of [continued]
-

Album Review: My Everything – Ariana Grande
In the midst of the VMA PDA-ing with Big Sean, hardcore relationship question-dodging, and a mass celebrity nude-photo scandal, Ariana Grande actually has released a new album. Almost a year prior, Yours Truly was a transition from TV starlet to poised-to-be pop princess, with approachably infectious hits such as “The Way” and “Baby I”. Grande’s [continued]
-

An Interview With: Sebo K
Sebo K is a crucial figure in Berlin nightlife. He entered the scene at a very early age and was there from the beginning. A resident DJ since the opening of the legendaryWatergate, he uniquely mixes house records to create an unbeatable groove on the dance floor. As one of the most important artists at [continued]
-

In The Buff: An Interview With MSCLS
On the heels of his newly-released tune “Time To Move”, we sat down for a quick chat with Austin producer MSCLS to learn about his style, sound, and upcoming USA fall tour. Read on for more about MSCLS, and be sure to grab the free download of “Time To Move”! 1.Hey! Thanks for chatting with [continued]
-

A Tribute: Bobby Womack
This past weekend saw the loss of soul legend Bobby Womack, with a career spanning more than fifty years and a plethora of hits and songwriting credits to his name, PressPlay reflects upon the loss of one of the greats. Womack was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1944, the son of a guitar-playing minister, his [continued]