Tag Archive: England

Diggin’ This: Flourish & Jack Howard – “Words Can’t Describe” (Zimbo Records)

  “That’s the one, that’s the one!” is the last thing you hear during the closing moments of this new single from Hertfordshire, UK musician Michael Keefe aka Flourish and Jack Howard.    … Continue reading

Diggin’ This: tinyumbrellas – “Please Don’t Make This Weird”

  Ukelele-driven bedroom pop.       “Please Don’t Make This Weird” is some delicate folk from England’s tinyumbrellas that combines the softly spoken vocals of Arlo Parks with the playful melodies of… Continue reading

Diggin’ This: Foals – “Night Swimmers” (Mura Masa Edit)

  A bleepy and angular rework from the Channel Islands, UK producer Alex Crossan, better known as Mura Masa, of “Night Swimmers” by the English band Foals.     Track of the day.… Continue reading

Diggin’ This: Peter Lyons – “Envy”

  Love this surging, glitchy cut of indie electronic beat tapestry from London’s Peter Lyons.       Strings are a nice touch, too.   Track of the day.   Peter Lyons – “Envy”… Continue reading

Diggin’ This: Ruane Maurice – “Nomenclature” (Official Video)

  “Nomenclature” by Birmingham, England’s Ruane Maurice sounds as if Massive Attack had decided to make house instead of hip-hop.       Digging that textured percussion in the background, those big, chunky synth… Continue reading

Diggin’ This: Ady Suleiman – “So Lost” (Official Video)

  I first heard about Nottingham, England’s Ady Suleiman when I came across “Longing for Your Love,” which I loved instantly and proceeded to hammer at every day party that I could because… Continue reading

Diggin’ This: Roots Manuva – “Facety 2:11” (Produced by Four Tet)

  UK hip-hop founding father Mr Rooty Tooty Manuva is back with his trademark flow on brand new cut “Facety 2:11.” The track’s stumbling, propelling beat is produced by Four Tet, who, after… Continue reading

Diggin’ This: Sons of Kemet – “Going Home” (Blludd Relations Version) (Official Video)

  One part acid house, one part Screamadelica-ish indie-dance, one part messing about on an 808.     Love this lo-fi, rhythmic, drum machine-happy percolator courtesy of London’s Blludd Relations on the remix for UK… Continue reading

Diggin’ This: Tropics – “Blame”

  London’s Chris Ward is Tropics.   His latest song, “Blame,” is a muted, light-filled, sand-sifting electronic soul affair that sits nicely alongside Rhye and How to Dress Well.       Tropics – “Blame”… Continue reading

Dan Digs’ Track of the Day: Mesingnat – “Reduced to Matter” – Powered by Reverbnation

  I’ve been working with the fine folks at Reverbnation and over the past month I’ve been taking submissions from artists from all over the world to be featured here at DanDigs.com.         The final selection… Continue reading

Diggin’ This: Julio Bashmore ft J’Danna – “Simple Love”

  Simple, subtle, and effective.         The airy “Simple Love” doesn’t contain a wallop-you-over-the-head bassline like Julio Bashmore‘s breakout 2012 track “Au Seve,” but it does have a similar churning… Continue reading

William Arcane – “Stay a While”

  Space echoes, synth whirrs and about twenty drum kits worth of percussion fuel this fantastic new song from London’s William Arcane.       My favorite track of the day. Love that… Continue reading

Becky Hill – “Caution To The Wind” (Official Video)

  Hold tight the clockwork glockenspiel!   Love this brand new R&B-pop song strongly sung by Bewdley, England’s Becky Hill and produced by Two Inch Punch, he of the formerly mysterious BenZel duo (read… Continue reading

Honne – “Warm On A Cold Night”

  “OK, it’s 3.17am…”   Fully diggin’ these James Blake nocturnal organ walls, 80s electric guitar chord jangles, and a yearning vocal delivery fully implying honesty and straightforwardness; the very definition of the… Continue reading

BJ Smith – “Prototype” (Outkast Cover)

  Much like burritos and the beach, it is scientifically impossible to have enough covers and reworks of Outkast‘s “Prototype” in your life at any one time.       Last year I… Continue reading

Fyfe – “For You” (Deptford Goth Remix)

  “Everything little-little-thing-little-thing-I-little-thing-little-I-do…”   I first became a fan of 24-year-old London producer and singer Fyfe when I heard his track “Lies” last year, which I thought was a beguilingly disenchanted song that recalls… Continue reading

Paper Tiger – “Make It Through” (Werkha Remix) (Free Download)

  Manchester’s Tru Thoughts-signed producer Werkha brings his signature bass bruises and clipped claps to this remix of Leeds, UK space jazz and otherworldly hip-hop outfit Paper Tiger‘s latest single, “Make it Through.”… Continue reading

Cash+David – “Pulse” (Official Video)

  Diggin’ the indie-disco-funk-pop of “Pulse” by UK duo Cash+David.       Cash+David – “Pulse” (Official Video)       You will also find me doing similar ballet moves in deserted and… Continue reading

TEMPLES INTERVIEW & LIVE PERFORMANCE AT THE ROXY IN WEST HOLLYWOOD – TV SEGMENT PRODUCED FOR NUVOTV’S MUSIC SHOW THE COLLECTIVE (VIDEO)

  CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS SEGMENT ON VEVO.COM NOW.     “We wanted to create a world for people to fall into…”   British psychedelic rockers Temples recently came to Los Angeles to play one of the best… Continue reading

Aquilo – “I Don’t Want to See It” (Royce Wood Junior Remix) (Free Download)

  Aquilo is cold choral electronic R&B duo Ben and Tom from Silverdale in the Lake District, England.       Royce Wood Junior (whose excellent track “Nuff” was featured on this site… Continue reading

Skepta ft JME – “That’s Not Me” (Official Video)

  Grime innovator and Boy Better Know head honcho Skepta steps up with “That’s Not Me,” a brand new cut with an aquatic, bleepy and bloopy sample that sounds like Spongebob Squarepants’ ringtone.… Continue reading

Anushka – “World in a Room”

  So in love with this tune.   Brighton, UK future-facing dance duo Anushka take house music forward by bringing it back to my favorite elements: celebratory piano stabs, uptempo bass notes, a delectable vocal line,… Continue reading

Mo Kolours – “Mo Kolours” (Free Album Download)

I first heard about the Mauritian-English producer Mo Kolours back in 2011 via the eternally entertaining writing talents of Mr Alex Chase and his One Handed Music record label missive. (You really should subscribe… Continue reading

Ben Khan – “Youth”

London’s largely unknown singer and producer Ben Khan melds guitars from the 1975 with some 80s sheen and croon on “Youth,” while weaving the famous Lyn Collins “Think” hip-hop drum break sample in… Continue reading

Bibio – “Dye The Water Green” (Live) (Official Video)

Warp Records, you are good to us. This live version of “Dye the Water Green” by West Midlands, UK musician Bibio is some much needed Friday afternoon chill.       From Bibio… Continue reading

Fatima – “La Neta” (Produced by Flako) (Official Video)

  Sweden-via-London singer Fatima recently partnered with “soul documentarian” Flako to produce this tempo-shifting, uplifting, singalong synth beat jam.     Fatima – “La Neta” (Produced by Flako) (Official Video)        … Continue reading

Kwabs – “Wrong or Right” (Official Video)

While I’ve written about the versatile vocal talent of Kwabs before, and while his name may remind you of Tweety Bird announcing his favorite seafood in plural form, London’s Kwabena Adjepong’s latest release deserves… Continue reading

Why Goldie’s Timeless is the Perfect Winter Album

It is fast becoming a yearly ritual of mine to listen to Goldie‘s Timeless album in full, straight through, every winter, because it is the perfect winter album.     Cueing up the… Continue reading

The Chemical Brothers – “Life is Sweet” (Daft Punk Remix)

Inspired by this brilliant piece I read today on the life and times of the Chems‘ “Setting Sun,” a song that sounds as vital and compelling now as it did when it shot… Continue reading

Sub Focus – “Turn Back Time” (Paul Woolford aka Special Request Remix)

I cannot get enough of Paul Woolford‘s Special Request project; inspired by the glorious heyday of early 90s jungle and UK pirate radio transmissions. After remixing Lana Del Rey, London Grammar, Tessela, and Friend Within under the Special Request… Continue reading

Ben Westbeech aka Breach ft Andreya Triana – “Everything You Never Had (We Had It All)” (Official Video)

I first got switched on to the English singer and dance producer Ben Westbeech in the spring of 2007. He’d just signed to tastemaker’s tastemaker Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings and the label was releasing… Continue reading

Maribou State – “Blue Sunday”

I’ve always enjoyed Maribou State‘s musical output. All of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory’s sonic productions maintain a steady, consistent groove throughout, but what sets them far apart from other electronic acts in… Continue reading

James Blake ft Chance the Rapper – “Life Round Here” (Remix) (Official Video Directed by Nabil)

This isn’t the first rap video of late to greatly increase the potency of the song it portrays by being filmed entirely in black-and-white. Perhaps best known for directing Kanye West/GOOD Music’s “Mercy”… Continue reading

Frameworks – “Patience” (Free Download)

I was elated this morning when I found a free download of one of the best compilations of 2013 by a country mile. Not a bad start to a Wednesday. The first track,… Continue reading

Dive In – “Let Go” (Official Video)

Dive In hail from Glastonbury (the actual town, not the festival) in the west of England. Their song “Let Go” is happily planted at the musical crossroads of indie, rock, dance, and sunny,… Continue reading

Phaeleh – “Tokoi” (Official Video)

If you like Bonobo, you should definitely listen to Bristolian beatsmith Phaeleh (pronounced “fella”).   Phaeleh – “Tokoi” (Official Video)       Phaeleh‘s first ever North American tour begins this week. Catch… Continue reading

Kasket – “Warm Regards” (Official Video)

Ambient atmospherics from British producer Kasket aka Charlie Baldwin. The best part is when that Cinematic Orchestra-esque beat comes in at 1min 59sec. It makes the song. Some nice Spanish guitar in there,… Continue reading

Lost Midas ft Taylor O’Donnell – “Love Undone” (Official Video)

My new favorite tune from Lost Midas, the very talented beat producer and songwriter, sporting an impressive mustache and an even more impressive, next-level, Minority Report-filmed-in-Silverlake, hipster edition of Google Glass in the video… Continue reading

Part-Time Heroes – “Words” (Fybe:One Remix) & “Heaven Won’t Make Your Wish Come True” ft Colonel Red (Stream)

Couldn’t decide which new track I thought was more incredible from Ross Wakefield and Toby Vane aka London’s Part-Time Heroes, so I ended up posting ’em both! Taken from “Holy,” the third single… Continue reading

Sure Thing – “Holding You Tight” (Official Video)

Bristol, England goes boogie! Sure Thing is a live boogie funk outfit fronted by the legendary drum ‘n’ bass DJ and producer DJ Die (who also spins disco under the name Laminate Radio),… Continue reading

The Englishman on the Hill: Author, Traveler and Survivor Jonathan Raban is Loyal to His Experience – Article Written by Dan Digs for Seattle’s City Arts Magazine

It was a delight to meet Seattle-based English author Jonathan Raban.   I wrote about it for this month’s issue of City Arts magazine. You can read the story here.  

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – “Fire” (Mr Scruff Remix) (Snippet)

A snippet of new Scruff is better than no snippet at all.   Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – “Fire” (Mr Scruff Remix) (Snippet)   Bass, brass, and cowbell spin you right round.  

Nottingham, England’s Jake Bugg Goes Bob Dylan Doppelganger on “Trouble Town” (Official Video) (Free MP3 Download)

And he’s only 18 years old.   Download this song for free by liking Jake Bugg’s Facebook page here.  

Die & Break ft MC Fats & Buggsy – “Peace & Dub” (from the Grand Funk Hustle EP ) (Official Video)

Pure Bristol vibes.   Rave in peace.

Fenech-Soler – ‘Stop and Stare’ (Official Video)

If Passion Pit were from England, listened to nothing but late 90s trance, wore sequined t-shirts, sped up their bpm’s a lil bit, and didn’t whine so much about being a ‘sleepyhead’, they… Continue reading