A who's who,coming in 2 parts, of the key players set to make waves in the dnb scene this year. There's a lot of fresh talent around at the moment so putting together this list was very difficult. Some you might be familiar with, others you'll be meeting for the first time. One thing for sure is that you'll be seeing a lot more from these guys before the year's out! Check out the links and interviews for the definitive guide on what to expect.

Dusk Ensemble's self titled album, the first release from the ultra minimal alter-ego of  "The Sky Is Blue" frontman Jon Rees in nearly 2 years,  has looked to follow one core ethos. Diversity is the theme for this offering, garnished with an intelligent dose of emotion, and it attempts to deliver both courses with aplomb. 

Kicked off by "Nineteenth", a down tempo saunter through a landscape accentuated by a stuttering beat and draped in majestic melodies, Dusk Ensemble lay down the requirement for some concerted effort when it comes to taking in this album, but also just as equally offer the opportunity for some easy listening. The successive track "Twentieth" follows this mould, but with a more melancholic approach. Wood block snares and a healthy dose of reverb combine with a concise string section, and to be fair, by the end of the track you come out of it feeling a lot more positive than when you first went in.

"Twenty First" (can you see the theme developing here?) is a slightly more gritty affair, with filtered and distorted kicks both joining in creating a much darker beat than the previous tracks possessed. There are some haunting pads, again, but unfortunately, just as soon as the track has got going, it seems to end. 

Nevermind. But any disappointment is quickly forgotten as "Twenty Second" leaps into the fray with a lovely Rhodes line. In this writerís humble (and exhaustive) opinion, this is one of the better tracks on this record. Experimental hip hop crossed with euphoric trance, it floats nicely along, and conjures up images of exotic locations, vast mountain ranges, and Centre Parks.

"Twenty Fourth" not only provides us with an anomaly in the sequential naming of the tracks, but also a moment to sit and ponder all that we have learned before this. A tune made up sans le beat, it is mainly a demonstration of what happens when you lump a few airy noises together with (effectively) one chord. The result is: not a lot. Thankfully "Twenty Fifth" doesnít follow suit, and it manages to bound around with a semblance of joy, although given its six other companions on this LP, I can forgive the undertones of angst that seem to be lurking beneath the depths.
And for the finale, "Twenty Sixth" again provides us with some "downtime" to reflect on the voyage we have just been on, although you would have to be pretty laid back to require some relaxation after this album.
"Dusk Ensemble"is a well thought out, vivid release, with elements ranging from electro and minimal all the way through to classical. it is a very considered collection of tracks - But I get the feeling itís more like an electronic Morrisey record rather than a homage to, say, Depeche Mode,  If you like lucid, atmospheric soundscapes this is for you..

The newest genre to attract attention in the dance scene has been labelled ‘Drumstep’.  As the name implies, the genre’s beats consist of a mix of dubstep and drum and bass, incorporating the tempo and emphasis of dubstep’s basslines with the energising, fast-paced breakbeat of drum and bass.  Die hard house and electro fans are unlikely to appreciate what has been called the evolution of drum and bass, and drumstep doesn’t offer any mainstream appeal; you would most likely hear it in the early hours of the morning radio, offering your ears not much enjoyment at all.  This is not to say drumstep has no potential, as with all relatively new genres it needs someone to step up and guide it in the right direction; it took years before drum and bass achieved mainstream recognition with artists such as Pendulum, Sub Focus and High Contrast, but perhaps part of the appeal is the relative secretiveness of drumstep right now.  At present drumstep appears to be caught between two genres, it doesn’t know whether to lean towards the potential for an entrancing, melodic tune that dubstep offers or the energising kick drum and bass evokes.  Tracks from Heist, Original Sin, and Hazard naturally show the same aggressiveness of their earlier drum and bass tracks; releases such as ‘We Need Killers’ and ‘Step On’ bear remarkable similarities to the already established tunes of the genre ‘Jump Up’ and would be sure to go off in a principally drum and bass club.  But would you want to listen to it all night?  Probably not.  The vicious breakbeats of these tracks urges you to get up and move like you would to your favourite drum and bass anthems, but the bass inevitably leaves you wanting.  Alternatively, south London based DJ ‘Distance’ offers something far less overtly aggressive.  Having spawned from the dubstep scene, Distance seems to better understand how to intertwine the bass of dubstep with the breakbeat of drum and bass so as to provide the listener with a situation where one would want to play it.  His tracks such as ‘Free Me’ allow for easy listening that one could play for an extended period of time without wanting to immediately press the stop button.  However, without a firm hand to steer drumstep towards a definite purpose, the genre is set to remain caught between the already immensely popular tracks associated with drum and bass and dubstep, and until drumstep provides a widely enjoyable track, it will certainly not be at the top of the playlist.

Following up from Subeenas single on Planet Mu late last year, we have this two track 12" due out on Opit Records soon. "Picture" and "Spectrums" offer another peek into the talented Italian's interesting take on electro styled bass music.
Starting off with a half step vibe before quickly leaping into a 4/4 jive, "Picture" is a tune thatís powered by a lovely analogue bass. Lo-fi pads and melodies help give this a very authentic, dare I say European feel to it, and this is helped along with some nice filter modulations and a driving beat. "Spectrums" is described in the press release as a "monastic rave", and it is easy to see where this bizarre description has come from. Monks with glow sticks and pie-eyed priests are the image of the day for this track, and towards the end of the tune you are pretty much enveloped by the need to repent.
At only 24, there are already signs that Subeena will be around for some time to come. It's not throwaway music,  its had some thinking time behind it, and that will ultimately lead to it catching more and more people's imagination.
You can keep up with the latest goings on with Subeena over at her Myspace - http://myspace.com/subeena. This E.P is out in the shops on February 15th.

In no particular order this week:

Matt Taylor

Matt Taylor is an artist based in Brighton. He's got some pretty nifty illustrations up on his website. Check it out at http://www.matttaylor.co.uk.

Bicycle Sky Lanes

If you do a lot of cycling, especially round city centres, then you've probably come pretty close to getting squashed under a bus or some equally horrific accident while you've been out and about. This is a pretty genius solution to the problem - by taking all the cyclists off the roads and putting them on special "lanes" which are suspended above the road. It sounds like something out of Futurama but read through the idea and you'll see it's not actually that stupid...

Crocodiles

If that last one was a bit too much, heres some pictures of some pretty menacing-looking crocodiles.

F1 Car(d)

Just watch the video...

The Zonkey

"Sometimes", said Father Donkey, "When a donkey and a zebra love each other very much...."

"Deweaponising" the Gun

Is deweaponising even a word? I'm not sure, but this guy probably isnt arsed - he's too busy making masterpieces by shooting 22 calibre rifle at a sheet of metal.

A Load of...

...Kinetic Balls, moving in perfect unison - apparently. This installation at the BMW museum comprises 714 of said "balls" which "seem to float weightlessly in the air, first rising and sinking haphazardly, then assuming rhythm and pattern as various undulating shapes, and eventually taking on discernible vehicular form". Obviously that's just fancy talk for "theres some balls suspended on wires that move up and down" but the effect is pretty cool.

Just a minute...

What can you do in 60 seconds? Probably quite a lot of things, which is why, I'm guessing, someone decided to throw this list together to put things into perspective - including the fact that in the time it's taken you to read this sentence, Oprah Winfrey has made $523.

(via knucklesunited)

Gratuitous Video of the Week

Ever seen someone burst a watermelon with their thighs? Neither had I...

It's been a good while since making my down to the superclub that is Fabric. Having spotted the line-up on a flyer a month or so before, I was really itching to get down and check it out, especially to witness the Elevator Music Launch based in Room 3.

Queueing was not really an issue, although in these below zero temperatures, anything to do with standing outside for a period of time invokes mild panic and discussions of who may survive to actually enjoy the club experience.  Before bets could actually be taken however we were in and shedding layers to stash in the cloakroom. It's £14 standard price to get in but you'll be happy to hear if you’re a student and can make it in before 3am it’s only £6.   That is an absolute baragin on a night like this. You are going to enjoy some of the finest cutting edge beats and bass on offer at this point in time in London. 

Right? Damn Right.

Many people, I imagine, had come down for the House legend Todd Edwards and that really was a given as the guy did not disappoint House heads I’m sure.

For myself, coming from more a Hip Hop orientated background it was a real buzz to see the main room going off nicely to the crazy mixture of wonky hip hop from Hudson Mohawke and Rustie. With Rustie you can always expect something different thrown in there from gig to gig. He knows how to tap into the psyche of a good crowd and lift them up. With Hudson, at times it  feels like you’ve got caught up in a washing machine full of crazy jazz riffs, Prog rock type Drum breaks and casio keyboards trying to commit Hari-Kiri. Top class stuff.  For me, it's total quality because it shows that a whole load of influences have gone into his music and he has an obvious  understanding of where this type of music is going, especially considering he helped shape the sound of wonky and is not sleeping on the job.

It's not something I’d necessarily would have expected to work on the dance floor but the place was on fire!  When Hud drops his big tunes like ‘Fuse’ or ‘Zooooom’ it’s a real pleasure to see the club crowd react so positively. He pushes that ever elusive musical envelope and gets results.

Shout goes to the  MC for working the crowd hard with various antics but never trying to take over, just adding to the fun and good vibes. It made for a great live experience.

The 2nd room really had the right balance of those bpms. Headhunter and 2562 absolutely killed it with their mixture of no-nonsense, pounding dubstep and techno mixtures. D-Bridge and Instra:mental held it down with their funky DnB offerings which balanced things nicely. It's really good to see the tempo varying from around 140 up to 170 in the same room because it just keeps things well lively.

Can't fault anything in there that comes to mind, just a great vibe and rolling tunes meant people were on the case in their with their raving, standing up on the sides and flailing their limbs about like they were going out of fashion!   Up in the 3rd room  and Untold and Shortstuff equally weren't messing about with their sets and really stood out in for the Elevator Album launch lineup.

Shouts to everyone that played in there but between those two, they pulled out a top mixture of melodic swaggering rhythms and ravey Nu-Garage vibes. Neither of these guys are lacking when it comes to pure dance orientated technical mixing and the crowd lapped it up like thirsty alcohlics. Both sets were a treat in what was overall a night that had a hell of a lot on offer.

This was well worth the money in terms of the range of music on offer and very promising for the quality of what’s contained within the Elevator music album, that's for sure. The general vibe for 2010 is looking really rather good. It’s also worth pointing out that to avoid as much bother as possible you can get the fabric first offer which entitles you £6 entry to nights before 3am and, if I’m not mistaken,a free mix CD every month.  Not to be slept on.

It might be Sunday for you lot but here at Example we have little to no regard for such abstract concepts as "time" and "days of the week", which is great because it means no one can have a go when I post Cyberwaste 2 days late.

10: Broken Laptop?

No worries, you'll find plenty of uses for your overheated slab of metal.

9: Pretty Pricey...

This is a list of the 10 most expensive things ever constructed. The amounts of money involved are obscene but the pictures are well worth looking at...

8: Fancy a drive?

...and this is a list of the most "breathtaking" roads in the world. Admittedly roads probably arent the most exciting thing to read about, so if you get bored just look at the pictures and think "fuck!".

7: Scary Fat People

According to the BBC news website a recent study has shown that obesity (whether or not you grow up to be yay high and wide as a house) is "set" before the age of 2. While I don't doubt that these people were probably on the larger side for most of their life, you have to wonder if they've always been as scary...

"Morbidly obese scary mofos".

6: Hello Kitty?

You know Hello Kitty, the brand that likes to get its name on everything, from quilt covers and pillowcases to cutlery, stationery, clothes, mp3 players, phones, dog leads, baby grows, activity sets, colouring books, action figures and so on? Well now you can add to your Hello Kitty bondage room, Hello Kitty retainer and Hello Kitty kilt with your very own Hello Kitty chainsaw.

5: Stephane Halleux Sculptures

These brilliant little models are made by Belgian Stephane Halleux.

4: xkcd

I've been reading this web comic for a few years now and it still makes me laugh. Some of you won't find it funny in the slightest, some of you will think its the best thing you've ever read. Either way, if you read through the whole thing I'm sure you'll find something that makes you think or makes you laugh.

A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language.

3: Saudi Car Skating

2: Binocular Football

Words just aren't enough...

1: Darth Vader

This is pretty old, but it's Valentine's Day and if you think you've been skanked by your better half then here's a sure-fire way to get back at them....

Until next time...

The newest arrival to join the ever growing ‘Fabric Live’ collection comes from D-Bridge and Instra: mental, arguably the most infamous duo in drum and bass right now, who together formed ‘Autonomic’ after the two collaborated together on a track.

You may be familiar with the ‘Autonomic’ podcasts and club nights, now the duo come together to bring you an innovative CD which pushes forward a new genre merging influences from all ranges of the musical spectrum; from 80s pop (yes, really), to house, drum and bass and dubstep.   

The deep bass, eerie synths and unusual beats create a unique, futuristic and very minimalist sound, all at a chilled 100 bmp. This links perfectly with the haunting yet heartfelt vocals, which bring emotion and create a very euphoric atmosphere, mixed in a way which flows flawlessly and takes future electronic music to a new level. I enjoy it in a similar way to Fabric live 44 by Commix, my favourite so far, in the atmosphere it creates and the diversity that it brings to drum and bass.

The album begins with ‘Seems like’, which mixes a spaced backing track with the dreamy vocals by ‘Riya’, who has previously sampled on tracks by liquid drum and bass legend ‘Lenzman’

The album then progress onto deeper and darker notes, touching on soft electronic sounds, a personal favourite being the subtle ‘end credits’ by Instra: mental which he mixes into his original ‘Watching you’

The album also features unique tracks from other producers who deserve acknowledgment – watch out for ASC and Abstract Elements.

I think this pioneering duo deserve the recognition that they seem to be achieving, and I hope that every one who listens can appreciate and respect the new atmosphere that they are bringing to the music scene, even if they don’t personally enjoy it.

I can see why fans of ‘Jump up’ -  sorry ‘high energy jungle’ may find these vibes hard to grasp, I will admit its not ideal if you’re looking to go out on a big one, get wide eyed and rave all night. But what you will get from seeing the ‘Autonomic’ crew work their magic on the decks is a completely different and unique experience, one which is not to be missed, and needs to be in your itunes.

DECREE: well the 5 years of experience are stretched out between me making mistakes and learning the ropes of running a label, and then on the side when I have time after school working on tracks, there was a good 2, almost 3 year period where I worked very little on my own tracks and I never publicly sent out tracks to anyone.

DECREE: The good old VD days haha, well the story there… I released Flesh Eater to Future Sickness Records and then they made it into a big remix contest at the time. Various remixes released on several labels including my original. There is a vinyl somewhere on some breakbeat label as well. I had some other small digital releases, some being free releases. Then Future Sickness released a collaboration track between me, TitanZero and Element01. Because of the long names we were all shortened and I became VD. I was 15 at the time and someone pointed out to me that VD was short for Venereal Disease. That was when I started to work on Flight Recordings instead of producing Hard Drum n' Bass and Dubstep for Venereal Diseases sufferers worldwide, it could have been serious charity but I guess I am just selfish. haha

DECREE: Actually great, to be honest I have been using reason since I was 11, but not until recently do I feel a major change in my understanding of what I am actually doing when I produce. Since I have no background in music I always look at what I make as a form of math. That is starting to change now, but I will never change the weird ways I taught myself to write music and automation away from the computer, or the ideals I used to better explain and translate what I wanted from my head to my songs.

DECREE: Well to me it virtually all breaks down as math to me, even though I hate math, I love how just by equally adding or subtracting something from something else can get you anything from an intense FM sound to a simple chord. It started when I noticed that if I placed a note somewhere and then I added a note 2 steps above and then another 2 steps below it would work out. Then I applied it to synthesis of sound, now I am applying it to my mixdowns (in a ratio sense).

DECREE: So far almost completely Dubstep except for one Drum n' Bass track. At first I just like making intense bass driven Dubstep madness, but now I branched out (as well) to both that Gorestep sound and the deep dubstep sound. I just love Dubstep right now, so many textures and tones it makes it easy to allow almost anything

DECREE: oh man its that dirrrrty sound that people love or hate. Borgore, Funtcase, well now there are many more people making this. yeah I feel like you can't go wrong with dirty, i guess its been in my blood since VD

hahaha

DECREE: Actually the funny thing about that EP is its all my first Dubstep tracks I produced. I really love the EP because it shows the sounds I wanted to make when I first heard the genre and reflects on the Drum n' Bass background I came from. Its a mix of evil and dirty with a happy twist, something I have been into lately.

DECREE:The Savory Audio Release is Whistle While You Work which I produced with Enuf a local buddy of mine (check him out) we also did the Brahms War track together on the Surge EP. Whistle While You Work is just a very funky and ecletic track, we wanted to try to make the wobbles and squeaks sound like they were yelling at each other in a construction yard hahaha. The Heart Ripper which is the second track on the Savory Audio Release is just a big bass in your face track .   I have a release forthcoming with Stupid Fly Records which will drop mid January.

DECREE: That release is called Do You Remember, it has my wierd Nu-Disco-Step sounding track, I wanted to get the sound of Nu Disco with more bass and Dubstep influence. Nuclear is on there too which is just another bass banger. as for 2010 I havent sent many tracks out yet but trust me it will be a big year for Decree indeed!

DECREE:  from what I get about this brostep thing is that its just a fun term thats getting hyped into a definition by the internet as a whole. From what I can tell it means you have a midrange or a dirty midrange. To me that is fine I only see that as another versatile arm or leg of Dubstep. I mean I love in your face bass and midrange it is just pure fun, I am curious if more accoustic genres have actually seperation between arists because they use a specific instrument or sound and other bands don't. haha it would be funny, maybe like rock bands hating on other rock bands that use an organ, OrgRock vs Rock

how can you go wrong with calling everything Bro?

until you watch Jersey Shore

hahaha

DECREE:  haha its an American TV show about guidos from New Jersey

DECREE: well our 003 vinyl featuring Misanthrop and Lost Sequence just hit digital stores, but people be real and BUY VINYLS! other than that we have our 4th vinyl coming soon which features Future Signal, 5th vinyl will remain a secret for now but its a juicy one. As for Digital we have a release coming out with Mefius & Bowser and another one featuring Neutral Point which is a serious banger, watch out for those releases in a month (things will be slower for us in January). Also always be on the lookout for Flight Events and Flight Terminal Parties.

DECREE: Its starting to pick up here, NYC seems to have several bass related things a week now, but its only once in a while that we get a big nice Dubstep name from the other side of the pond. Although I have been hearing about some sick things from the west coast scene. In all it really is picking up here in America, but a lot of America is not used to this type of sound… In time though, its all killed off more or less by the 21+ drinking age changing that would make things explode here but its great to see a steady and gradual improvement in the scene.

DECREE:  god I really hope so, I am planning to be completely ready and have various shows in USA during 2010 ( I still haven't really played live yet) but it is my dream to play out to you guys in the UK sooner than later

blow up some heads and such

DECREE:  well starting with tracks

I have to say the typical answers at the moment and say Doctor P - Sweet Shop and Badman Sound

but I also have to say Eskmo's latest work I simply love

I really look up to Eskmo right now, perfect blend of sound textures with musicality, to me he is a genius and a bridge for many people who are against that electronic movement to really understand what is capable for shout outs : big ups to my doods Enuf, Rakoon (sort of taught me reason when I was 12), Proktah, Dom Almeida, Kronos, Adapt, Bleach. My local crew holding it down haha, Jack, Nick, Craig, Chris well man my Mom n pop and just about everyone who loves Dubstep gets love from me

So. Valentines day is around the corner and what do you have planned?

Valentines day for many (including myself) has always brought a blind rush of panic. There are so many awkward aspects to this nationally inflicted day of 'love' that each and every one of us is affected in some way...no matter how much you say “Valentines day is shit” you are never far away from some kind of socially awkward situation.

If you're single, you suddenly have to defend your corner and your exposed single status... coy phone-calls to fellow single friends are made to try n check out what they're doing...maybe arrange some kind of group anti-valentine activity but preferably in-doors as all public outings lead to some kind of depressive/angsty combo and that's not fun.

If you've been with your beau for a long time, a conflicting air of hope lingers; somewhere between an acceptance of the day's consumer greedy demands and a lost faith that maybe he'll sort something out this time.

If you're just starting out, this time of year is exceptionally critical... do you get cards?....presents?! what about the actual date (arghh). Basically it's a social minefield, it's not the best and I've had more painful experiences than good surrounding the 14th but you can't deny there's something childhood sweetheart style cute about the day.

Sincerely yours
?

Drum Music's 5th anniversary was marked by it's triumphant return to the bass-heavy sonic shelter known as The Attic.  The line up perfectly characterised its unique place on the Manchester scene...

with music from Tanate Feat Iya Sako (Afrikan drum styles), to Lost Property (old skool jungle drops), Monkey Puzzle (classic Stumblefunk)to the latest in dubstep's frontier with the likes of Ken Evil, and bashy hip hop beats from RufMouth, this party was set to go off!!

The Drum Music aesthetic could be described as a  happy clash of drums, and beats and genres at both local and global levels- its 5th anniversary was no exception. The night has a history of bringing the very best in drum inspired genres from tribal style vibes and earthy banghra riddims, to showcasing classic jungle, drum and bass and dubstep from the nineties, noughties and beyond..it is a night that has induced many manc'union' members to the wonderful new worlds of new drum genres including myself. 

The unique clash of the Attic's grimy sonoshpere gave the night a quality which felt a bit like woodstock in an air raid shelter -its happy clientele, and musically induced dropping of inhibitions make it a place where everybody parties on the same level. The stand-out 'new era stares' you may find more commonly on Manchester's dance floors these days are not welcome here. Although me n flash unfortunately could stay long we will be back and it's well recommended that you check out the next night...nowhere in the North can you feel such vibrancy and heat on such a winters night.

drummusic.org

Ed Lilly, an Essex lad who somehow stumbled upon the short film industry, has become an established Producer/Director for his video production company Blind Aura Pictures, the sickest video-making machine in Manchester.

Working with some of the biggest names in the Manchester underground hip-hop and dubstep scenes, Blind Aura have gone from strength to strength.

With Bafta and Royal Television Society nominations already in the bank and an independently produced short film, ‘Three Little Words’ being screened before all major feature films in 214 cinemas across the UK after winning the 2009 Virgin Media Shorts Competition, Example decided to catch up with the focused Lilly for a cuppa and a biscuit to discuss his triumphs and life in the fast lane on the road to recognition.

Example: So how you been Ed? Have a good Christmas and New Years?

Lilly: I’m great thanks, keeping busy! New Years was good thanks, had a few beers and watched the fireworks, nothing very exciting!

Example: Well with the year you’ve had a rest is needed! (am sounding like an old woman!) Lets get the ball rolling, when did Blind Aura Pictures first kick off?

Lilly: We first started working under the name Blind Aura around 3 years ago.

Example: Have you always been into making films, robbing the family cam-corder as a kid?!

Lilly: Ha ha, nah none of that! I kind of stumbled into it really. Before I moved to Manchester to study I was working full time in London, doing a long commute from Essex everyday and just needed to get away from everything there! Manchester was my escape and I kind of picked a course to study and went from there. I’d always been interested in photography which I think stems back to my Dad, cos he was always into it. Making films is a lot about just putting things in frames and arranging their order!

Example: For the budding producers and directors, how have you worked your way up to get Bafta nominations and making videos for Nokia and City Councils, cos that’s a big achievement in such a short space of time.

Lily: Just hard work really. The BAFTA thing was a good thing for us cos it began to get our work seen by more people. Nokia and the City Council are part of the corporate side of what Blind Aura does - obviously the Nokia thing was a good opportunity for us and was made easier by Skittles writing a great tune that was pretty much an advert in itself! The Manchester Council project was good too cos it got us working with more people - we put a lot of work into that at the start of 2009.

Every young actor in that is a 'non-actor' so to speak, and had never acted before in their lives. We ran a load of auditions and workshops with the help of the Contact Theatre and actually found the lead in that film just one Saturday afternoon on Market Street.

Example: Besides Skittles then you’ve also made vids for Virus Syndicate and Highrise, where do your ideas come from for making the thought provoking fresh music videos?

Lilly: It varies really. Like the recent Highrise vid they came to us knowing that they wanted to recreate a Silent Hill esque thing for the video. And then its just a case of us looking into exactly what we need to do to achieve it; from the location to the props and the costume - and then further into how we're gonna shoot and light it to get that dark 'horror' feel. Other times an artist just comes with the track and we have a blank canvas - that was the case for 'Believe' with Virus Syndicate and Skittles' 'We'd Drink' - they both gave us a free reign on them - we didn’t make it easy for ourselves though particularly with 'Believe'!

“Ed Lilly is a one off. Him and his team have a real understanding of how the artist wants to come across and knows exactly how to translate the shit you feel from the song into something physical and visual. I would only trust Ed with my videos, its like the barber you been goin to for years thats got your shit crispy. Eds the dogs bollocks!” Quote From Shotty Horroh

Example: Whos been the easiest and worst to work with?

Lilly: Hahaha. Everyones different! To be honest everyone we've worked with has been fantastic. I think it comes down to everyone needing to work together to achieve the bigger thing.

Example: No diva-like requests from anyone then like only green m&m’s!?

Lilly: What are the green m&m’s? the ones?? Ha! nah none of that. Everyone just gets on with it. But if you can get a hip hop artist up a hill at 530am you can do anything!

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LUaCuRFhm-g

Example: Is that the anticipated arrival of Shotty Horroh’s new video, Winner’s Anthem you’re hinting at there Ed?

Lilly: Maybe!

Example: Ha keeping it top secret? What are you working on at the moment?

Lilly: We've just completed two music promos for Shotty Horroh and Sidewinder Raw Entertainment. So depending on when this goes out, they should be available on the net or soon will be! On the short film side of things we have been commissioned by the UK Film Council to produce a 6 minute short titled 'The Greasey Spoon' - we'll be shooting that at the end of January!

Example: So graftin hard! Whats been your favourite project so far?

Lilly: I get excited with every project. That’s the great thing about what we're doing is that even when you're tired or stressed or working too much, a new project is like a breath of fresh air and is another opportunity to push the boundaries of what we have already done. Obviously the success that Three Little Words has had this year has been a great experience - shooting that was hilarious!

Example: Always good to be able to get a kick outta what you do. So who has influenced you the most, given you that push to become the video skilled man that you are today?

Lilly: I’m influenced mainly by the people directly around me. I’m not a film buff or a music video expert by any means - like I concentrate on what's relevant. I look up to some people in Manchester who are doing the same things as us, producing short films and music videos - I think its important that you set yourself high standards but at the same time think about what is realistically achievable - if you constantly live in a dream world you’re not gonna get anywhere!

Example: You seem to have a good side behind you too.

Lilly: There are quite a few of us who have all developed Blind Aura together over the last few years. We've got a really tight team of people and that is really important when it comes to video production because it aint easy! We've also been really lucky enough to work with some really talented actors and artists!

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=f5Gc3-Ai4Qc

Example: Well you and the team have certainly become a favourite, seems a big red arrow is pointing all the Manchester underground artists in your direction! How do you feel when seeing your media productions or knowing that others are going to be seeing it?

Lilly: Yeah its great - but you know by the time anyone is seeing it, I’m either sick of it or I’m already working on the next thing! Essentially at the end of the day, you're doing it so others can see it and hopefully enjoy it but at the same time its not great to solely focus on that! Ya gotta enjoy what ya doing and just try and enjoy the journey of it all!

Example: What did you ask santa for?

Lilly: A brewery.

Example: Did you get one?

Lilly: Nope

Example: Bless up  Ed for doing the interview all the best for 2010. Expect big things from ya!

Apologies for the slight delay this week, but what can you do eh? My brain feels like a shrivelled balloon.

This weeks links are more interesting than funny but if you get time to read them you definitely should.

Lifesize Blue Whale

http://www.wdcs.co.uk/media/flash/whalebanner/content_pub_en.html

Water Marbles

Brandt Photography

A series of pretty amazing photos from Africa, taken by Nick Brandt.

Special Defects

There's a few interactive Flash bits on here that I know some of you will love... Check it out.

Human Trivia

Some interesting facts (and probably some bullshit) about Human history and general shit.

New Species

Anyone who watched Lost Land of the Volcano will probably appreciate this blog.

Bowl of Water "Trick"

Might be worth giving it a try?

ShinyBinary

I first saw this guy's site years ago but it seems not many people have seen it. Some sick digital artwork and photo manipulation, amongst other bits.

Take a look.

Ancient Tings

A list of things that are apparently thousands of years old but are far more advanced than anything else found from that age...

Nanaka Crash

More people need to play this game, it's brilliant.

In a follow up to our recent article about Mephedrone, I thought I should write about another "legal high", this time from the opposite end of the spectrum: the hallucinogens.

Salvia Divinorum or just simply Salvia is a psychoactive plant that has been used for as long as anyone can remember by Shamans and seers as a means of divination and healing - the name literally translates to "Diviner's Sage" and can induce anything from a fit of giggles to a complete other-wordly experience (you can read more about the plant itself on Wikipedia).

You can buy it from most headshops and it comes in standardised, lab-extracted concentrations, usually ranging from 5x strength to about 60x, but upwards of 100x is not unheard of. My first experience was at the lowest end of the scale and didn't really do much other than make me laugh and stare at a lampshade; after that, I moved onto 10, then 20, and finally I got my hands on some 30x - that was enough for me.