ALWAYS EVERYTHING

ALWAYS EVERYTHING MIX 002: GRIME FUTURISM 2

Next in our mix series, a long overdue sequel.

Austere and alien, the classic 2002-2005 era of grime instrumentals remains one of the most futuristic and alien subgenres of electronic music. Though partly attributable to coincidence- the space required for MCs disfiguring UKG into asymmetry together with naive approaches to extremely restrictive technology- with the requisite imagination it is easy to place grime instrumentals into a lineage with early electronic work, electro, neue deutsche welle and other bold leaps into the unknown. Perhaps its the emphasis on hollowed out sinewaves, a sound that will always be associated with futurism. Maybe the hyper-functionality of 8-bar tracks and stark minimalism puts in mind classic modernist tropes of utopia. Or maybe its just the combination of hungry youngsters absorbing video game soundtracks and a naive approach to technology that calls to mind the usual examples from early electronic experimentation.

At the same time, the complete unattainability of so much of grime has almost imbued the music with a totemic kind of mythology. With limited white label runs, poor distribution infrastructure and rumours of the complete hard drive failure of some classic producers, incredibly there is a wealth of music that will never see the light of day outside of the battered copies in obsessives’ collections. Bizarrely, this futuristic music harkens back to an age before the internet gave everybody instant access to everything, creating a weirdly contradictory exoticism around tracks which can only be found in fossilised form, the lo-fi rips of records endlessly scavenged and re-encoded.

Futurism aside, its still some of the most striking dance music ever created, in its best spots attaining a delicate balance most fail to meet. Steely complexity and sonic experimentation is always tempered with an IDM-dodging functionality and security in purpose. Fierce sexuality and violence offset with a playful, often naive approach. Its at once exploratory and completely direct. Through all of these dichotomies the best grime instrumentals hit all the pleasure spots of the best UK dance music whilst crucially avoiding the oversteps and excesses of the more indulgent underground niches. Its always slightly baffled me that grime was pushed onto a braggadocio/violence side of the dubstep/grime false binary given how diverse the beats actually are, and I still experience a steadfast resistance from detractors who have already written the genre off. I’m still convinced that people from fairly distinct musical backgrounds can find a lot to enjoy in music that seems to exist, artificially or not, at the intersection of lo-fi, electronic music futurism, hypnogogic pop and UK dance music. Perhaps the recurring theme is music that works against restrictions; more and more I think that idea underlies the majority of worthwhile music.

This mix is a collection of a few more white labels I acquired since the previous Grime Futurism mix I did, together with some newer tracks that touch into that unique space. It seemed about right with the announcement of a (sacrilegious) Blade Runner sequel.

ALWAYS EVERYTHING 002: GRIME FUTURISM 2 by Always Everything on Mixcloud

Tracklist

Darq E Freaker - Queen of Hoxton
Superisk - Find Your Way
Big$hot & F1 - Armageddon
Becoming Real - Showdown In Chinatown (Instrumental)
Plasticman - Shockwave
Bok Bok - Crew Instrumental
Big$hot - Stomp Remix
Joker - Untitled.rsn
Zomby - Aquafresh
Starfox - Blink
Jon E Cash - Spanish Fly
Jay Weed - On The Nile (Becoming Real Remix)
Wonder - What
Mr Mitch - Skittles (Brey Remix)
Big$hot - Short Circuit
Jam City - Island
Royal T - Orangeade
Skepta - Love Is Here To Stay (Terror Danjah Remix)
Bossman - Bongo Eyes (Backwards Riddim)
Nocturnal - Bun Man
Bok Bok - Silo Pass
Wiley - Avenger
JME - Skeng
Untold - Never Went Away
Wiley - Colder (Bass Mix)

Vangelis - Main Titles / Ruff Sqwad - Lethal Injection

Download 320: http://www.mediafire.com/?ijytryq70t65yx6

Previous Mix: Always Everything 001: Flex Mentallo