Hot off the decks we deliver to you Plugcast 005; an exclusive new mix from 40hz front man Spyne.  The Toronto bass ambassador has titled this one Medication Meditation and with it you will find a fresh mix packed with deep selections with the emphasis on melody and dark bass lines.  40 hz Productions have been throwing jams in T.dot for a couple years now and are known for bringing the freshest new talent and backing them up with by massively reinforced sound systems.  This recipe for success has created a solid following of Toronto bass enthusiasts.  Spyne also runs the 3rd week of the month for the Archi-Textures weekly in Toronto and you can catch him performing tonight at the Vaski party at the Great Hall.

Plugcast 005 – Spyne (40hz) ‘Medication Meditation’

Check the tracklisting after the JUMP…

Spyne 40hz – Medication Meditation – Exclusive Mix for PluggedNotThugged.com

1 – Organikismness – Fact
2 – Furesshu – Horizons
3 – Organikismness – Rise
4 – Organikismness & Optimus Gryme – His Masters Voice
5 – Eskmo – Amphibian
6 – Swarms – Separate Sense
7 – Organikismness – Nobody’s on the Moon
8 – Organikismness – Inertia
9 – Calibre – Tenopause
10 – Echo Wanderer – Gham Dub
11 – Youngsta & Kryptic Minds – Surge
12 – Von D – Bon (Distinction Rmx)
13 – EMU – Krishna Dub
14 – TKR – Progress
15 – XI – Light FM
16 – XI – Unfair
17 – RSD – Naked Mario Kart Pt 2
18 – Jack Sparrow – Tormented
19 – Kromestar – Interference
20 – Organikismness – Kinetix

“I’m white, I’m from Hackney and I’m soon to be covered in even more tattoos. If Vanilla Ice wasn’t Vanilla Ice, I would be,” – Professor Green

I’m on that Pro Green tip, and I’m not talking about smoking joints of OG Kush.  Stephen Paul Manderson, better known by his pseudonym Professor Green, was this skinny white kid that surprised the world with his quick-witted battle raps and stereotypically crooked English teeth.  The 26 year old rapper was runner-up in the 2005 Power Summit 50k freestyle battle in the Bahamas and has since gone on to put out a number of successful releases that have helped the young limey reach a wider audience while getting his grill straightened out.  Puff, puff and pass some of my favorite cannons around the cypher – it’s Pro Green, a Virgin Records artist who takes broken bottles to the neck and who wouldn’t even flinch at your best punchline. Straight propane piff.

Want to know more about this guy?  Check out this sick interview at Rivmixx.com to find out more!

Professor Green - Lecture #1 Release Date: 2006 Label: Green Music Ltd   (Buy Pro Green Music)

Professor Green – Upper Clapton Dance (Feat. C.O.R.E & Chynaman)

Professor Green – Drunken Freestyle

Professor Green – Drunken Freestyle #2 (Feat. Skinnyman)

Professor Green – The Green EP  Release Date: Nov 2008 Label: Green Music Ltd  (Buy Pro Green Music)

Professor Green -  Reefer Dreamin

Professor Green – Hometown Glory

Professor Green – Mabye (Feat. Ed Hayes & Prod by 12 Milagram)

Professor Green – Alive Till I’m Dead      Release Date: July 2010 Label: Virgin Records   (Buy the Album)

Professor Green -  I Need You Tonight (Remix of INXS Classic)

I’ve been away for a minute but I’m back with some fresh new dubstep bangers for your ear drums.  Crank up that sub woofer and sit back and rumble to this shit.  Skream has been on the whole giving away free tunes tip lately and I gotta say I am loving it!  His 3 volumes of “Freeizm” have been well received  and he also dropped this new BANGER of a tune “Raw Dogz” via his twitter page.  This tune is straight gangsta shit with that chilling Big L sample “Pullin out gats fo’ fun!”.

Skream – Raw Dogz

Skream – Metal Mouth

Mangetic Man is the first Dubstep “supergroup” to surface and has to be one of the biggest collabs in the game to date.  Skream, Benga and Artwork are the masterminds behind this exciting new trio.  Their live show has been getting rave reviews over in the UK and Europe and we can only hope that we will see them in Toronto in the next year.  The new tune “I Need Air” is already blowing up all over the world and is in some ways carving a new “pop-step” sub genre.  The Magnetic Man album is set to be released October 4 and you can pre-order a copy at Amazon or HMV.

Magnetic Man – I Need Air —– (buy here)

Magnetic Man – Mad

Last week 16 Bit passed through Toronto and just DESTROYED Wrongbar with a very diverse and high energy set.  These two young Londoners know how to throw down and this tune had the place going off.

Plan B – She Said (16 Bit Remix)

16 Bit – Jump —– (buy here)

Don’t sleep on these other two bangers as well as Bar 9 puts his chainsaw dubstep twist on a poppy UK vocal track and Matty G uses the Redman sample to perfection “Listen to my 808 BUMP!”.

Example – Kickstarts (Bar 9 Remix)

Matty G – My 808 —– (buy here)

Apologies for the lack of activity over the past week fellow music lovers, but I must confess that I have been too busy listening to a super-catchy tune which has essentially immobilized me for a week straight.  The song is Babe Were Gonna Love Tonight by Senõr Stereo (featuring Lookbook), a heroin-like cover of the 1980’s classic by Montreal’s disco-electronique duo Lime.  For those who don’t know, Señor Stereo consists of Joe Masurka (aka Joe Maz), Danny Gomez (aka Danny Daze) and Matt Masurka (aka Gigamesh).  These three are signed to Slow Roast Records and you will see that they form like a Voltron-esque  disco ball that will blind any dance floor with blasts of leg-twisting grease.  I will warn all disco lovers that these tunes will hit your soul like a god damn musical blitzkrieg.

Señor Stereo – Babe We’re Going to Love Tonight (f. Lookbook)

Lime – Babe We’re Going to Love Tonight (Buy Greatest Hits)

And a special mix that we got from Señor Stereo’s Soundcloud – If anyone can find the tracklisting for this, please post a comment!!

Señor Stereo – Slow Roast Hogcast (April 2010)

Two serious basscasts this week…

Plugcast 004 comes in from Montreal’s multi-talented DJ/producer/blogger Matthew Hiscock. This fantastic mix comes packed with some fresh  future-dub vibes from my beloved hometown with tunes from Hissy Fit (Hiscock’s production moniker), Skinnybones and Bowly (all Montreal natives) as well as  Headhunter & Invisible’s ultra-infectious Love Dup from from the always incredible Soul Motive camp!

From 2004 to 2007 Matthew ran Bodega Records with releases that garnered support from Lee Burridge and James Zabiela among others and now runs the Make Some Bass blog which features interviews on the production techniques used by some of our favorite heads (Bok Bok, Dubbel Dutch, ID & Baobinga). Cutting to the chase now… take it away Matthew.

Plugcast 004 – Matthew Hiscock – Sound Cannon

If you’re feeling this, be sure to check the remix he did for ID & Baobinga here. Awesomely, Matthew has decided to dedicate this mix to a Ontario’s John Pruyn who had his artificial leg ripped off by police during the G20 (and subsequently got thrown into a cell). Read about this here… absolutely ridiculous.

Tracklist after the jump.

Tracklist:
1. xxxy – Straight To Video [xxxy]
2. Hissy Fit – Crosstrainers [www.matthewhiscock.com]
3. 2562 – Unbalance [Tectonic]
4. Ramadanman – Tempest [Hemlock]
5. Skinnybones – Outerspace-Makarapa [skinnybones]
6. Bowly – Bleeps [Berkane Sol]
7. Ramadanman & Midland – Your Words Matter [Aus]
8. Headhunter & Invisible – Love Dup [Soul Motive]
9. Sbtrkt – When Doves Strike [sbtrkt]
10. Hissy Fit – Outdoor Life [www.matthewhiscock.com]
11. Atlantic – Dandelion Crush [Alternative Route]

It’s hump day once again, which unfortunately means you probably will not be getting laid.  It’s OK though.  Regardless of how bad Wednesdays are, there is always good news to be found mid-week here at Plugged Not Thugged.  The third Plugcast in our series comes from one of our local favorites DJ TASC – undoubtedly one of Canada’s sickest turntable manipulators and dance floor agitators .  We hope that you have packed some extra ice in your coolers because this one is EXTREMELY hot.  In fact, this shit is hot enough to bake your ass like a mo’ fucking meatloaf.  Put on your sunscreen and helmet now so that you can minimize the ass-kicking that this spaceballer is about to dish out.

This mix is extra special because exactly one week from now, TASC and fellow heavyweight Marcus Visionary will release “The Stash House EP” – their second collabo release since 2009’s “Sunday Morning EP” on Bad Concept Records.  The 4-track EP will be the debut release for TASC’s brand new Spaceballers Music imprint.  The release draws from it’s soundsystem roots with bassline roller ‘Grind Time‘ and the deep, dark and bouncy ‘Ruffneck’.  The title track – ‘The Stash House’ – brings with it deep melodic strings while party-poppin’ “Drop” guarantees the ignition of an explosive jam.  TASC and Visionary successfully fuse their musical influences on this EP to bring you steady house grooves with lashing subs that will leave your frame rattled and joints sore.  Don’t sleep next to a monster – download the mix, watch the promo videos then head over to any major digital retailer on July 28th to cop this bangin’ EP.

If you just can’t wait until next week before gripping these tunes, you can fast track by picking up a pre-release copy like we did at Bandcamp.

TASC – Plugged Not Thugged Stash House EP Promo Mix

TASC & Marcus Visionary – Grind Time (FREE PROMO GIVEAWAY)

Last night Dirtyred and I went down to The Social to catch some of Zombie Disco Squad’s set and they threw the gauntlet down on our domes with, among other things, this number from Mastiksoul (in dub form). I’ve found Mastik to be a bit hit or miss with his productions. Some of them I just find resonate an unbalanced combination of tacky and awkard, but this one is in every way a hit; original filth. Also maybe a reminder that its Baltic Pine’s turn for a round  2?

Mastiksoul feat. Marla Carlim – Baila Bontio (buy)

Bonus: recent Zombie Disco Mix for Jackmode… this one’s a total comber.

Been dying to share these two tech tunes, both released in the past few months and which I have had on repeat for a couple of weeks now.  German Rainer Weichhold simply killed it with his suspenseful banger Infernal, a song that incorporates beautifully gripping strings that make me want to witness a robbery simply so that I can chase someone down and make a citizen’s arrest.  Copped this tune off of Organic Techhouse Vol. 3, a compilation released by Great Stuff Recordings.  Oxia & Nicolas Masseyeff made a irritatingly catchy tune with their heater Keep the Drums, which was released on Tsuba back in April.  The funky bassline keeps me moving steady, and I am beginning to develop a neck ache from pumping my headpiece like a chicken on uppers. Cluck, cluck.

Rainer Weichhold – Infernal  (buy)

Oxia & Nicolas Massayeff – Keep the Drums (buy)

The second installment in our newly minted podcast series comes to you all the way from Mt. Shasta California from the one and only First Lady of Beatdown Lady Blacktronika! No stranger to PnT, Lady B’s infectious Bill Withers rework Make Me Whistle was featured here just last May, so we’re absolutely ecstatic that she’s contributed a mix to our podcast series. This one is filled with deep soulful summer grooves to get glazed and freaky to on a Sunday afternoon in the sun with a lover. She’s also been hard at work starting her own imprint, crafting new tunes and spinning on her weekly Bang Deep radio show for Stickam. Be sure to keep your eyes here for more Lady B action soon and the interview we promised you in May!!!

Plugcast 002 – Lady Blacktronika – My Man Is Playing Tricks On Me

Toronto dance/electronic music aficionado Denise Benson very kindly invited us out to play her Synchro party this coming Friday at Andy Pool Hall in Toronto and we couldn’t be more excited! In preparation for the occasion, I recorded an exclusive promo mix for all our heads to get down and decent to before we hit it! Check the Facebook event to sync the dance report. Summertime vibes all the way through here!!!

Track list below.

1. Nicholas Jaar – Mi Mujer
2. Malente, Dex – Habibi (Shir Khan Remix)
3. Dapayk Solo – Berfluserg
4. Venom & Damage – Deeper (Doc Daneeka Remix)
5. Dario Nunez – Do You Remeber
6. Thunderheist – LBG (Alias Remix)
7. Dubbel Dutch – Throwback
8. Hackman – Always

Gramophonedzie hit me harder than  hard with his guitar-laden feelgood house track Brazilian.  The ever-building song was first released by the Serbian producer back in May on Nocturnal Groove Digital and really makes my body move.  Who needs Prozac when you could just play this tune a few times?

Gramophonedzie – Brazilian (Original Mix) (Buy)

Summertime groove-miester this one is… one for the ladies! Out now on Shifting Peaks.

If his tidal XLR8R and FACT mixes weren’t evidence enough, Wales’ Doc Daneeka knows what’s up right now in the biggest of ways. First likely introduced to the Toronto massive through a mix he did for the now retired Curb Crawlers last August, it would be a serious understatement to say that he’s come a ridiculously long way since then. In addition to all his recent mixes and remixes, I think one of Daneeka’s most formidable moves was starting his own Ten Thousand Yen imprint to help push his stand-out sounds forward. Though I’m not sure it’s getting the love it deserves at the moment I for one will most definitely be checking it on the regular if it keeps dropping stuff as creative as the tune below. Tribal chants and filtered house pianos aplenty!

A160K taste: Daneeka’s take on the first in a five part on Ten Thousand Yen…
Venom and Damage’s Deeper.

Venom & Damage – Deeper (Doc Daneeka Remix) (buy the full release on bandcamp)

The Bulldogs are a grimy dubstep/cyberpunk group out of Berlin, Germany which packs a serious punch that will leave your dome piece scrambled.  They have a very strange sound that at times feels almost asynchronous, but once you wrap your head around their unique production style it becomes pretty freaking cool and you really begin to appreciate how wicked their production is.  I also found out from doing some research that these guys play their shows live using things like analog synths and either live drum kits.  Cryptic Motherfucker is an absolutely awesome tune from their upcoming album, scheduled to drop later this year on Audio Phreaks.  The quality of this file is lacking, but the tune is bonesnappingly good.  I also urge you to check out an interview the Bulldogs did with Knowledge Magazine while blasting this sample of The LPO50 Flamethrower, soon available on Audio Phreaks.

The Bulldogs – Cryptic Motherfucker (Buy More Bulldogs)

The Bulldogs – The LPO 50 Flamethrower (Buy More Bulldogs)

Figured I would also throw up Broken String, an older tune that I just love by the UK`s Tek-One.  I love the heavy punches and drawback synths that follow the rolling drums at 00:54.  Greasy, and only available on vinyl.

Tek-One – Broken String (Buy – Vinyl)

Wow.  I really do not know what to say this time.  Barletta consistently impresses me with the sheer number of dirty remixes he can make in a week, and frankly it sometimes makes me kind of sick to my stomach.  Well this week we were pummeled by heavy production fire and wave after wave of file movements.  Just as the dust began to settle and we thought the Barlettzkrieg was over, the BRLTA-52 bomber dropped a megatron nugget of epic proportions on us.  Leezy passed me what I think is perhaps his best work ever, a re-dub of Zed’s Dead’s Give Me Shelter Remix – and let me tell you, this slab of filth is fresh off the bloody meat rack.  This is the HEAVIEST track I have heard in a long fucking time, and once again Plugged Not Thugged is honoured to  be the first blog to drop this firestorm onto the internet.  Toronto is on fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirreeeeeeeeee!!!

Gimme Shelter – Zed’s Dead Remix (Barletta Redub)

Never ones to disappoint, Plus One and Beni G – also known as Jack Beats – have unleashed more sweltering heat from their studio in the United Kingdom. Their new EP on Cheap Thrills has two amazing songs on it; a tech house number called “Revolution” and an electro house banger called “Out Of Body” (listen on youtube).  Hearing the last sounds at the end of Revolution is as sad as seeing your first pet goldfish belly-side-up: it’s nearly impossible to let go.  I love the happy-go-lucky feel this bouncy tech house jam induces, and how you can still hear those signature Jack Beats synths that we all love jumping in and out of the song.  If you wanna tone that body, then get jacked to this!

Jack Beats – Revolution (BUY)

To kick off the new plugcast series here at PnT, we chose one of our favorite up and coming tech house production duos Curious George & The Agent (CG&TA) to provide the first of the series.  Some of you may remember our first post about these UK tech monsters back in March shortly after they had dropped the successful Amsterdam EP; it had several Beatport Top 50’s, received radio play by the likes of Roger Sanchez and support from house legend Carl Cox.  CG&TA formed in 2008 and signed to the respected MUM recordings label in 20o9 which helped establish them as key players in Manchester’s club and production scenes.

The duo is back at it again, following the successful Amsterdam EP with a new release on MUM called the Burning EP.  This new EP features three new tracks and promises to be a hit in Europe and abroad.  It’s officially released to all retailers on Friday July the 9th, but for those who are especially eager to hear the new tunes, we have great news: this PnT exclusive features some of the new productions, and the songs are available for early bird purchase only on djdownload.  Get ready to shake, bounce and shuffle to an absolutely feverish exclusive mix – nothing but pure heat from CG&TA!

Update: The Burning EP is now available on Beatport!  You can buy these hot tunes here!

Plugcast 001 – Curious George & The Agent

SPECIAL BONUS: As a special bonus commemorating the new plugcast series, Curious George & The Agent and MUM have generously provided PnT with another track to share with our readers.  Who wouldn’t love these guys?

Curious George & The Agent – Tarauaca (Commemorative Plugcast Giveaway)

Check out the track listings after the JUMP

Plugcast 001 Tracklist

Curious George and the Agent – Disco Cant Have [Amsterdam EP]
James Jackson – What’s That!?! (David Jones & Neuroxyde Remix) What’s That!?!
Cassius – Cassius (Tim Green Remix)
Curious George and the Agent – Things You Do [Amsterdam EP]
Curious George and the Agent – Burning [Burning EP]
Kaiserdisco – Amalfino Azuli Presents Miami
Curious George and the Agent – Before You Were Here [Burning EP]
Curious George and the Agent – Perplex [Burning EP]

The past week has been a sweaty pit-stain of a work-hole here at the Plugged Not Thugged headquarters, and we have been working like dogs to bring our readers some new flavor to rattle the taste buds and energize the mind.  We have two very special bits of news that we are pumped to share with all you floor-stompers across the globe.  The first announcement is that today will be the official launch of our Exclusive Plugcast Series here at PNT, where we will share hot and fresh exclusive mixes by artists from across the world, including our hometown Toronto.  Keep your eyes open for the first PNT plugcast post on the site later today!

The second exciting announcement is that we are honored to have officially accepted an invitation to work with our friends Michael Godsmark and Daniel Gent (of upcoming Tech House duo Curious George & The Agent) on their bi-weekly “Curious George & The Agent” radio show on Manchester Global Radio.  Michael and Dan have said that the show will focus mainly on Tech / House / Minimal music and have asked us to provide them with three “PNT Picks of the Week” which they will feature on the program every fortnight (2 weeks).  I wanted to point out that this isn’t just another online radio-station, but rather a station put together by industry professionals aiming to promote the gnarly influence that is UK underground dance music.  The station boasts a heavily stacked contributor lineup consisting of some of Europe’s finest DJs, producers and labels such as David Dunno (Hed Kandi), Kevin Andrews (Hoxton Whores), Jenny Harrison (Twisted Sista), David Ellis (Funky House), Jeff Jefferson (Moneypenny’s Music), Steve Sinclair (Funky House), Manchester Underground Music (MUM) along with many others.  To learn more about these contributors and others at Manchester Global, click here.

I have put together a little mix n’ match loot-bag for our readers to commemorate this exciting occasion.  This lootie consists of a tech house remix of Dance Area’s AA 24/7, a chewy ‘09 summer jam by Demarco, Mr. Lexx’s heater Dem A Pree – released in the spring – and a little flashy bit from Blackstrobe that Hatchmatik burned the dance floor with during his set with Mandelephant this weekend.  Dust em off !!

Dance Area – AA 24/7 (Noob Tech Remix)

Demarco – Love A Come Down (Radio Edit)

Mr. Lex – Dem A Pree (Cosa Nostra Riddim)

Blackstrobe – Italian Fireflies (Original Mix)

The acoustic guitar driven “Bomb Drop Riddim” is a Tarik “Russian” Johnson production that dropped earlier this year.  The Vybz Kartel ganja tune Marie takes the whole riddim by far but don’t overlook a strong message from the conscious artist I Octane in This is Real (Pressure).

Vybz Kartel – Marie

I-Octane – This is Real (Pressure)

Gyptian – Better Day

The biggest name in dancehall right now is still the “Gully God” Mavado.  Produced by Steven “Di Genius” McGregor, Nine Lives sends a simple message reminding us to not take things in life for granted; “From yuh have life, yuh have everyting”.

Mavado – Nine Lives

I have heard at least five different remixes of Gyptian’s Hold Yuh floating around.  Lately, the Major Lazer rework has been getting some heavy rotations up at our parties around Toronto.

Gyptian – Hold Yuh (Major Lazer Remix)

Here are some other tracks that have caught my ear lately.

I Octane – Lose a Friend

Konshens – This Means Money

Mavado – Gyal A Mad Ova

Vybz Kartel – Turn and Wine (DnA Riddim)

Mary J Blige ft Jah Cure – Each Tear (Black Chiney Remix)

Wayne Marshall – Work Hard (Major and Minor Riddim)