Local Action are proud to present White Magick, a six-track EP by Deadboy that represents his longest and most complete release to date.
Deadboy is an innovator. His 2009 and 2010 singles ‘U Cheated’ and ‘If U Want Me’ predicted exactly where UK dance music would go after dubstep, though unlike a lot of the acts that followed in his slipstream, Deadboy’s music was never polite, and basslinehouse, dancehall and grime were as big influences as the r’n’b, pop and garage sensibilities that he combined so effectively. His vinyl-only single ‘Fireworks’ remains a high point for that era of UK club music, with Drake singing the track’s praises on radio.
Future EPs like Blaquewerk and Here saw Deadboy continue to apply his unique approach to club music, but on White Magick, he lets in influences from outside the club in ways that he hasn’t before: the influence of new age and ambient music is obvious from the opening notes of ‘White Moon Garden’, while ‘Copwar’ and ‘Sad Sniper’ are the two grimiest tracks that he’s released yet. ‘Inner Palace’, meanwhile, is a reminder that six years on from ‘U Cheated’, there’s still no one combining experimental club music and pop hooks like Deadboy.
a1. Deadboy - White Moon Garden
a2. Deadboy - Inner Palace
a3. Deadboy - Rye Angel
b1. Deadboy - Sad Sniper
b2. Deadboy - Copwar
b3. Deadboy - I Will Let His Ocean Flow Through Me
Finn comes of age with a five-track EP for Local Action.
Finn's debut single 'KeepCalling' was an instant hit. Played relentlessly by DJs like Slackk, MrMitch, DJQ,Kode9, Murlo and EclairFifi, it introduced the world to Finn's sample-heavy blend of grime, r'n'b and US club music, and was one of the year's best-received singles (#6 track of the year on Juno.) It's also responsible for one of the best ever Boiler Room singalongs.
As well as a producer, Finn has emerged as one of the best new DJs around, with a knowledge of r'n'b, Baltimore and Jersey club, house, garage and grime beyond his years, and co-produced 'Final Warning', a hit for grime's latest star-in-the-making Jammz.
On KnockKnock Finn draws upon the history of sample-based club music once again, from the breathless hip-hop of Just Blaze and Heatmakers ('Iya'), Roule and Dance Mania's loopy house ('Coming 2 U'), Low Deep and Iron Soul's chipmunk grime ('BB') and American club styles. Plenty of people are chopping samples into contemporary club music at the moment, but with his uncanny knack for structure and a DJ's ear for what works best on a dancefloor, few people are doing it with as much success as Finn.
"Big EP, Finn is always on point" - Mumdance
"Finn has the ability to respectfully flip a sample in a way that still maintains its original vibe but put into a new context, Knock Knock and Coming 2 U are the ones for me" - Mr Mitch
Local Action presents the long-awaited second album by Lil Jabba, Grotto. Jabba made his name producing hypnotic juke and footwork records, back when he was based in Baltimore, quickly catching the attention of footwork figureheads like the late DJ Rashad. His early music was self-released or issued via small-run cassettes, but built Jabba a cult following online. In 2013, Local Action released Scales, a critically-acclaimed collection of Jabba’s key material to date, described by Dummy as one of the year’s “most singular albums.” Jabba is not just a musician, he’s a painter whose work has been featured in the likes of Vogue and has been commissioned for album covers. Since moving to Brooklyn, he’s operated out of a loft studio called the Grotto that doubles as both a literal and imagined world for his creations – his music, his giant paintings and murals and the creatures and figures that orbit his work. Later Jabba EPs on Local Action and True Panther focused on bringing the Grotto to life, both through a larger, more expansive sound palette (often featuring samples from the Grotto itself, such as echoes from pipes and room tones) and glimpses of the studio in the EPs’ artwork. These EPs also saw him find new supporters in artists like Hudson Mohawke, Sbtrkt, S-Type, Mumdance and Gilles Peterson, who had ‘Waila’ up for Track of the Year at his Worldwide Awards. Jabba’s second album Grotto is the encapsulation of his story so far. It’s a genre-less record that draws from dub, Southern hip-hop, jungle and more without ever conforming to stereotypes, driven by the moonlit melodies and dynamic shifts that have always been present in his work. This is one of electronic music’s most individual voices in its most realised form yet.
1. Waif 2. Crawl 3. Grotto 4. Industry 5. Cave Painting 6. Hazy Ox 7. Solem 8. Lonely Studio 9. Ombre 10. Chamber Mongrel 11. Lime 12. Skattered Tags.
The first edition of Project Nautilus comes packaged in a card inner sleeve and screen-printed PVC outer sleeve. Yamaneko follows the critically-acclaimed Pixel Wave Embrace with a new album of bleak compositions inspired by keygen music and the deep sea. One of electronic music’s most individual voices, Yamaneko operates on the peripheries of instrumental grime, but is equally inspired by new age, video game soundtracks and Drexciya’s aquatic techno. His debut album Pixel Wave Embrace has already proved influential and is considered a cult classic, praised highly by Dummy, Dazed, Resident Advisor, FACT, Tiny Mixtapes and Fader, and played in sets by Mumdance, Objekt, Kassem Mosse, Peverelist and more. Project Nautilus is bleaker, darker and more inward-looking than Pixel Wave Embrace, heavily inspired by the simple, often melancholic music made by keygen composers. It’s not an easy or inviting album, but it’s filled with as much subtle detail as it is blank space, resulting in one of the most haunting electronic records of the year.
Audio coming soon. A taste of what to expect:
1. Blemtrails, 2. Gala Helipop, 3. Loading Bay, 4. Accela Crash, 5. Elite, 6. Pink 3, 7. Pixel Wavedash, 8. Blitter, 9. Rushing The Ice Palace, 10. Playing Fields.
Two of the artists doing most to push instrumental grime in new directions, Mr. Mitch and Yamaneko team up as Yaroze Dream Suite. Written and recorded over the course of a year at Local Action’s London studio, their debut EP sees both artists draw from their shared influences (video game soundtracks, ambient music and naive melodies) across four tracks, including the stand-out ‘In The Moonlight, which features vocals from young singer/songwriter Hannah Mack. Yaroze Dream Suite comes after success for Mr. Mitch and Yamaneko’s individual solo albums. Mr. Mitch’s Parallel Memories was FACT’s #2 album of 2014 and praised by Pitchfork, Dazed, The Quietus and more. It was also ranked as one of FACT’s best albums of the last five years. Yamaneko’s debut album Pixel Wave Embrace was highly praised by Dummy, Dazed, Resident Advisor, FACT and Juno Plus, who ranked it #14 in their best albums of 2014. The album is already considered a cult classic (its limited cassette run sold out in a matter of weeks), with DJ support from Mumdance, Logos, Objekt, Kassem Mosse, Peverelist and more. Ahead of new solo albums for both artists, Yaroze Dream Suite finds them collaborating at the top of their game and promises to be one of 2015’s most arresting experimental records.
1. Pixel Dreams 2. In the Moonlight (feat. Hannah Mack) 3. Awakening 4. Spirit Temple
