by Ed Biggs Since he released his debut album Butter in 2009, Glaswegian electronic wiz kid Hudson Mohawke (real name Ross Birchard) has become something of a producer-by-appointment to the hip-hop royalty of America. In the last five years, he’s accumulated credits on albums by Drake, Pusha T, Azealia Banks and Lil Wayne, and was named as Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. label’s in-house producer, all for his talent at infusing rap music
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by Ed Biggs Franz Ferdinand & Sparks may have recently sung about how collaborations don’t work – oh yes, they do! Surf, a weird and wonderful record surprise-released at the end of May as a free download, sees a very unlikely (and probably one-off) combination of hip-hop upstart Chance The Rapper, young jazz musician Donnie Trumpet (the stage name of 21 year old Nico Segal), his backing band and a stellar
by Matthew Langham Since his sampled voiceover on Daft Punk’s 2013 album Random Access Memories, which in turn was a kind of tribute album to the man himself, legendary Italian-born producer Giorgio Moroder has seen something of a revival in fortunes in terms of his critical stock. Famed for producing hit records such as ‘Hot Stuff’ and the effortlessly futuristic ‘I Feel Love’, this is his first record since 1985’s collaboration
by Matthew Langham At first glance it is remarkably obvious how Franz Ferdinand have been inspired by ‘70s avant-garde pop group Sparks. Franz’s Alex Kapranos first mooted a hook-up with their quirky pop heroes more than a decade ago and, at long last, we get to hear what many of assumed only existed in his head. Needless to say, this collaborative effort FFS from both bands is immensely fun and humorous,
by Ed Biggs When we talk about classic albums and great artists on this site, we often talk about their ‘imperial phase’: that period during their career where everything they touch turns to gold, the critics and fans are united in adoration, and the material remembered and revered years down the line. Often, that period only seems golden with the benefit of hindsight, when the artist in question isn’t producing work
by Ed Biggs Manchester’s all-female quartet PINS made one of the better British guitar debuts of 2013 with Girls Like Us, a solid if unspectacular study in post-punk revivalism in which they demonstrated a thorough understanding of the dynamics of the genre. While it didn’t really add anything to the canon, it indicated great promise for the future. More impressive was their prodigious work ethic, relentless touring and the curation of
by Matthew Langham Icelandic folk-rockers Of Monsters And Men got their breakthrough in 2010’s Reykjavik’s annual battle of the bands and the quintet have never looked back since. Their 2013 debut My Head Is An Animal sold a staggering two million copies on the back of their hit single ‘Little Talks’. It’s pretty clear to see why they have done so well in the UK, essentially hitting a marketing sweet spot
by Ed Biggs and Matthew Langham R.E.M. called time on their nearly thirty-year recording career in September 2011. During that time, they displayed a longevity, consistency and dedication that has eluded almost everybody else: they never went on hiatus or pursued solo projects and, with the sole exception of the gap between Around The Sun and Accelerate in their final decade, never waited more than three years between studio albums. The story of their career and the way
by Ed Biggs Cult heroes Leftfield were one of the holy pentangle of British dance acts in the ‘90s, along with The Prodigy, Underworld, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers. Just like those heavy hitters, Neil Barnes and Paul Daley were able to win critical respect as well as do serious damage to the charts in the decade when big beat ruled supreme. 1995’s Leftism is one of the finest artefacts of
by Ed Biggs Ever since the masterful Black Holes And Revelations in 2006 and the legendary shows at Wembley the following year, Muse’s chief concern has become the live arena rather than the studio. It’s something that happens to all truly massive bands – U2, Depeche Mode, Oasis, Coldplay to name a few – their albums become an excuse to tour, pack the arenas and coin it in. The audience, likewise,
