SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "MISSING U" - Robyn /// "KONG" - Neneh Cherry

2 Swedish divas are back! It's been 4 years since Neneh Cherry's experimental "Blank Project" and 8 years since Robyn's epic Pop triptych "Body Talk". For the euphoric "Missing U" Robyn teams up with her long-term artistic ally Klas Åhlund and Metronomy's Joseph Mount while Neneh Cherry is joined by the legendary Massive Attack's 3D and Four Tet constructing a haunting ambiance of electronica and dub on "Kong". Two very much welcome comebacks in one week.





And here are both singers joining forces for their collaborative single "Out Of The Black" which was out 4 years ago:

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SHREM'S TRIP-HOP RETROSPECTIVE: "Ladybird" - Baby Fox

ARTIST: Baby Fox
TITLE: "Ladybird" + Aphrodite Remix
RELEASE DATE: 1996
LABEL: Malawi Records
LOCATION: UK
ALBUM: "A Normal Family"

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SHREM'S CLUB BIZARRE INTRODUCING: "DAMN THAT VALLEY" - U.S. Girls

4AD have been pioneers in discovering unique musical talents for almost 4 decades at this stage. This British independent record label introduced me to Cocteau Twins and Gus Gus, two of my most beloved bands. Joining the extraordinary palette of their currently signed artists, the likes of Bon Iver, Ariel Pink, Grimes and Gang Gang Dance, is the mysterious U.S. Girls. Oscillating between bizarre pop and wonky dub with a solid dose of sweet cacophony and punk aesthetics, “Damn That Valley” easily finds its spot among this year’s most uncompromising and fascinating singles to date. You’ll either adore it immensely or it’ll annoy the hell out of you at first listen. Fashionably off-note and wondrously intense.

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SHREMIVERSARIES: Massive Attack's "PROTECTION" 20th

MASSIVE ATTACK "PROTECTION"

RELEASE DATE: 26th September, 1994
PRODUCERS: Massive Attack and Nellee Hooper

SINGLES:

"SLY" - with Nicolette, released 17 October 1994

"PROTECTION" - with Tracey Thorn, released 9 January 1995

"KARMACOMA" - with Tricky, released 20 March 1995

FAVOURITE NON-SINGLE TRACKS:

"THREE" - with Nicolette

"SPYING GLASS" - with Horace Andy



"BETTER THINGS" - with Tracey Thorn

+ that one exquisite cover featuring Tracey Thorn that was later released on "Batman Forever" soundtrack: "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game"

FAVOURITE REMIXES:

"PROTECTION (Underdog's Angel Dust Mix)"



"SLY (7'' Stones Mix)"

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SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "GO" - Grimes feat. Bloody Diamonds

Can this year get any better musically? Seriously! Here's a truly luscious new single from Grimes showing her subtler, more melodic and slightly more commercial side. "Go" is an absolute beauty of a song, it features Blood Diamonds and entices you with some unexpected, delicate Oriental touches. This is exactly what I like to call exquisite Pop a genre created by another idol of mine Nicolette. You can download "Go" for free on Grimes' official website HERE!

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SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "DOUBLE BUBBLE TROUBLE" [Video] - M.I.A. & The Partysquad

Rebellious, risqué and in your face... The multi-talented and brazenly uncompromising M.I.A. has just released a self-directed video for her latest single "Double Bubble Trouble", one of the most distinguished tracks on "Matangi" which I chose to be the album of the year in 2013. Is there anything that girl cannot do? If it was ever even possible I appreciate "Double Bubble Trouble" even more now. Check it out below:

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "FLAWLESS (Baddygirl 2 M.I.A. Partysquad Remix)" - Beyoncé /// "DOUBLE BUBBLE TROUBLE (live)" - M.I.A.

The uncompromising ultimate "Bad Girl" M.I.A. returns with this hyper-energetic remix of Beyoncé's "Flawless" and we get to see her performing "Double Bubble Trouble", one of the stand-out tracks from "Matangi", live before the premiere of its official video directed by Miss Arulpragasam herself. And so the "Matangi" era continues...

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SHREM'S TRIP-HOP RETROSPECTIVE: "KAZDOURA" - Soapkills

ARTIST: Soapkills
TITLE: "Kazdoura"
RELEASE DATE:  2002
LABEL: Self Released (Lebanese Underground)
LOCATION: Beirut, Lebanon
ALBUM: "Cheftak"

soapkills band ♥ kazdoura by Dr.3ezz

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SHREM'S INSTITUTE OF LOST CLASSICS: "ONE NIGHT IN TOKYO" - Colder

This dubby piece of electronica comes from Colder's debut album "Again" released back in 2003. The whole albums could be filed under the "Lost Classic" category as it is packed with moody, understated, precious tracks like "One Night in Tokyo".

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "HEARTBREAKER" - Alice Russell + FaltyDL Remix

I have always been very fond of Alice Russell. Her smokey soulful vocal skills would move a stone! She has already put a spell on me once this year, her superb collaborative album "Look Around the Corner" which Russell recorded with long-time music chaperon Quantic, is a true masterpiece. "Heartbreaker" is the first single to be lifted from this much loved British soul and blues singer's upcoming fifth album "To Dust", which follows in February 2013. Tru Thoughts prime diva might have just delivered one of her most magnificent performances. What a song!!!



  Alice Russell - Heartbreaker (FaltyDL Remix) by Tru Thoughts

And here's a rather sensational live version of this beauty:

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "Gå" - Det lilla extra

Do you remember "En Enda Röst"? A fascinatingly dark piece of Swedish witch house that didn't quite sound like anything else in 2011? Well Det lilla extra, the enigmatic act from Umeå, has just posted another utterly magnificent piece composed around their very own recipe of mixing Balearic, dub and electronica. I feel bewitched. Head to the band's soundcloud for more of those lush sounds.

  Gå by detlillaextra

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "BABY" - Tiombe Lockhart

Miss Tiombe Lockhart never fails to amaze me. Her versatility as a vocalist and uncompromising choice of musical styles make her one of the most unique of all female singers out there. Cubic Zirconia's brazen front-woman has just revealed her first solo effort in a while called "Baby". It's all about subtle dancehall production, oldskool dubby echoes and sassy vocals. As a massive Cubic Zirconia fan I welcome this release with a particular pleasure.



  Baby by TiombeLockhart

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SHREM'S WORLDLY DELIGHTS: "Elhem - 1" - Diaspora feat. Amina Annabi

I have been grooving to this vibrant mélange of world beats for months last year and somehow never had a chance to share it with all of you here. It is a rare mixture of Egyptian and Jamaican sounds with a rather wondrous vocal performance from Tunisian legend Amina Annabi. You can find another 3 tracks featuring Miss Amina on Diaspora's "A Jamaican in Cairo" album via Green Queen Music. A burst of pure oriental beauty in a song.

   Diaspora (Feat Amina Annabi) Elhem-1 by greenqueenmusic

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SHREM'S ACADEMY OF ALL TIME BEST SINGLES: "FEEL NO PAIN" - Sade

We all have our favourite Sade songs... Well here's mine - "Feel No Pain" very often outshadowed by some of her bigger hits. This however is the most exquisite song in her repertoire in my humble opinion. Well along with "Love is stronger than Pride" which coincidentally appeared on side B of the single, remixed by dub maestro Mad Professor.

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "I WANT HER BUT I DON'T WANT HER" - Zahed Sultan /// "CHEFTAK" - Soapkills

It's no news to any of you at this stage that I have a long term crush on Arab music. When it's mixed with electronica though, my other huge passion, well then it's just a dream combination. I have discovered this Kuwaiti dj Zahed Sultan only yesterday and instantly fell under his spell of truly magical mélange of dub, electronica and Oriental samples. As for Soapkills, currently a cult group in Lebanon, I've been a devoted follower of their unique sound for many years now. These two tracks together sound hmmmmm scrumptious...

GramaFoon.CoM - Soap Kills - Cheftak by Ammar Mahmoud

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SHREM'S LATE MONDAY NIGHT SESSIONS... "En Enda Röst" - Det lilla extra

Det lilla extra sound like a mysterious bridge between the pioneers of the Swedish electronica scene The Knife and the new up-and-coming indie acts from Sverige - Museum of Bellas Artes and Nottee. It's dubby, it's trippy and it's utterly intriguing.

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SHREM'S INSTITUTE OF LOST CLASSICS PRESENTS... YALLA CHANT - Natacha Atlas نتاشا أطلس

15 years ago I have come across this unbelievable vocalist for the very first time... Since then I have been a devoted admirer, collector and connoisseur of Natacha Atlas... Just around the release of her long anticipated 9th studio album - "Mounqaliba" I thought it was very fitting to remind myself and all of you of how it all started...

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