Valet Productions

A producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who draws an expansive range of styles into his music, he rolls dice and builds algorithms to inject random chance into the way he composes music. This month we were joined by Y4 Bubbler HMD for a live session and a chat. Hamdi makes thoughtful music, influenced by hip-hop, R&B, and his family heritage. Moving to Manchester as a child, he went to school in Denmark, where he started learning the drums and made his first steps into music. He hails from a long line of orators and poets, drawing energy from his roots in Somalia where he was born. This month we partnered Tommy Jeans for a special project called “Support our Sound”.
Flatbush Zombies have been incorporating horror themes into their music for years, but this unnerving short is one of the most daunting. In a similar vein to “Warm”, “Pick N’ Mix” was another statement by Trapo that he is still more than comfortable jumping on a drill beat and flexing his stuff. Once again tapping M1onTheBeat for production, K Trap rides the beat with ease, employing a clever sweets-inspired rhyme scheme for the chorus before shelling both of his verses with a relentless combination of flows and bars.

After that started a new group 2bo4 and a record label Red Egyptian . EM Records presents the re-release of Nicolas Collins' live radio sampling masterpiece, originally released on vinyl in 1986, served up in all its stuttering glory, a time capsule of the mid-80s New  York City airwaves. Acclaimed by Philip Sherburne as 'an early template for techno', the album has a feel somewhat akin to scratching turntablist madness, a block-rocking party put through a blender and reassembled by body-popping demons. The pieces released here are only part of his ongoing, multifaceted and truly experimental activities. The Children of Zeus journey began with a mutual love of 90s Manchester pirate radio; consuming hip hop and beats, r&b and street soul, lovers rock and dancehall, garage and bass music.
Griz-O is an MC defined by his bold and direct approach. Based in the UK’s South West, he totes lyrics and artwork that nod to martial arts; he has the combative, tough-talking braggadocio to match, delivered through smart, head-turning bars. Embracing an experimental, grizzly sound, influenced by grime and UK rap, his career thus far has already seen him travel as far afield as Kazakhstan to play a headline show.

There is a song for every mood across so many different genres and influences. Music is needed for the bad times just as much as good times, so hopefully it can comfort someone during a difficult time. ASDA have scored a viral hit with their foray into drill music, with a custom song from producer KZ soundtracking their September ‘Back to School’ campaign. Masters of pulling out records from seemingly nowhere – often VIPs or dubs they’ll have cut especially for whatever party they’re playing – the two, having both learnt to DJ as kids, are always in-sync with their movements too. When Palms Trax broke through in 2014, he was one of dance music’s fastest rising stars.
Rod Wave’s second album, “Pray 4 Love,” was also a huge success with hit singles like “Rags2Riches” and “Girl of My Dreams.” He’s continued to refine his style with each release and has established his place among the top trap singers in the world today. Rod Wave is another artist who has established himself as a major player in the genre of the melodic trap. His unique mix that combines trap music with R&B Gospel and trap music has made him among the top exciting performers in the business, and his music regularly gets praise from critics. Roddy Ricch is yet another artist who has helped create the sound of popular rap in recent years. His distinctive blend between hip-hop and R&B, along with his empathetic lyrics and autotuned vocals, has made him among the more exciting artists in the business.
Musician breaks aren’t a PITA, they’re an oasis of opportunity. If something is wrong with the orchestration and it takes more than 30 seconds to diagnose or fix simply ask musicians to put it to one side so you can work it out in their break. If the only one that fits the bill is the mutha, and personal favourite of the  producer’s wife , make sure to advise the whole control room that you’re gonna probably come back to it as it is a warm up cue. The musician’s union in the UK allow around 25 minutes of music to be recorded per session so this should also give you a good guidance on organisation.

For our last show of the year we played our favourite tracks over the previous 12 months. For this month’s show, they we showcase the Future Bubblers 3.0 album in its entirety and focus on the inspirations of the artists featured. We’ll be joined by Y6 Bubbler best mobile game Jericho Noguera who’s celebrating the release of his latest EP. He’s also come through with a guest mix of music he was inspired by over the writing period. Y6 Bubbler Tadi The Great provides a mix for a special guest takeover on the Future Bubblers Show.
I don’t think it’s too much of a reach to suggest that the lyrics, which repeat the titular mantra in the choruses but are jaded and cynical in the verses, represent a scathing attack on toxic positivity. The band change tack for the self-titled opener on their fifth album, opting for a fully-fledged song which sees Healy address his audience directly, declaring poignantly “I’m sorry if you’re living and you’re seventeen”. It’s a disarming way to open a record, even if the song itself is perhaps too outrageous a rip-off of LCD Soundsystem’s ‘All My Friends’. This experimental track from the third album may appear to be made up of two totally disconnected songs, but the tension it builds in its first half makes the latter half feel extra cathartic.

We don’t need them to be losing while they’re children in our school. Universal Audio plugins and Apollo interfaces are the best investment any studio can make in terms of sound results and value for money. Find practical solutions to practical problems (how-to and how-not-to) and the inspiration to work harder on mixing and mastering your music.
Also, many of the farmers we work with would like to sell more Fairtrade sugar, and there are still millions more we haven’t reached. Today, less than 1% of the world’s cane sugar is Fairtrade. Meanwhile, more and more companies are making commitments to source their sugar sustainably. They’re looking for ways to use it across their business, in all kinds of sweet treats and beverages.
Citing 90’s and 00’s trip-hop and garage as some of her key influences, it was the Swedish pop scene that kick started her journey and inspired her to begin writing music. Since writing her first song at 14 in order to apply for music school, she never imagined her musical journey extending thus far. Birmingham-born, London based producer and vocalist Arli originally built her name as a Grime MC in the early 2000’s. After a ten-year hiatus that allowed her to expand her sonic palette, Arli blends experimental breaks and electronic styles to create soundscapes that capture all facets of her artistic identity. An artist with minimal online presence, Commodo is one of an increasingly rare few who make waves through the strength of their music alone. He builds bass-focused beats with soul and substance that never perpetuate a formula, distancing himself from contemporaries with ingenious sampling and sound design influenced by his long-time affinity with the vibrancy of hiphop.

Although Dido doesn't rap, this late 90's winner had to make it on to our top collabs list. Nas and Quan got together to create a soulful Hip-Hop classic. Hip-Hop duo Red and Meth are actually signed to Def Jam as solo artists and a group - but the two have been collaborating since back in '94. From Tupac and Biggie to Eminem and Jay Z, these are some of the biggest and best collaborations of all time. Taken the world by storm with his blend of 50 Cent-indebted rap and ghoulish UK drill sonics. Founded in 2008 the music group has branched out into international Music PR, Events, Record Label, Agency and Social Music Network.
The best vinyl records to collect and show off your system The best vinyl revealed - records that will sound fantastic on your record player. It began with a birthday party in the recreation room of an apartment building, 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, in the west Bronx, New York City, hosted by Clive Campbell, also known as DJ Kool Herc. Today it's home to some of the most vital, culturally relevant music in the world. Rendezvous, allows M.I explore niche sounds of artists like Odunsi and Santi, and the entire country thanks him for giving these “new-ish” kids a spot on a big-budget roll-out. That’s great indeed, except that artists signed to Chocolate City could have gotten that ball rolling years ago.