Keysound Blog Takeover: Logos' Top 5 Pirate Radio Grime Sets

It’s easy to correlate grime music’s influence in the sound palette of Logos, one of the latest producers to release music on the Keysound label. His tracks like ‘Atlanta ‘96’ and ‘Kowloon’ positively brim with eski beat era Wiley influences. Logos often lets the ice cold synth lines do the talking without relying on a convoy of focus pulling drums in an incredibly similar way to what Wiley did with his beatless ‘devil mixes’ - or mixes that Wiley states simply “sounded evil to me innit”. Removing the drums allows air in between every layer of sound resulting in some truly spacey, contrast music in a club context. In an interview for the Sonic Router blog, Logos made no bones about grime music’s influence on him alongside drum & bass; he even included a couple of classic radio rips in his accompanying mixtape - directly hinting at more of a passion hiding behind the selection. So, as part of the Keysound label’s takeover of our blog space we asked Logos to point us in the direction of five of his favourite pirate radio grime sets. He went one further, providing audio and a detailed description of why they stuck in his memory... 1. Slimzee, Dizzee and Wiley (plus Duurty Doogz, Dog-Z and Godsgift) - Rinse FM 2002 Download (via Mediafire) This set is quite well known I think but for me it is the definite document from early grime and better than the Slimzee Sidewinder tape everyone talks about. Dizzee and Wiley are on top form, trading bar after classic bar while Slim compiles the best of his dubplates from 2002; Pulse X, Freeze, Eskimo, Creeper, Wiley's definitive devil mix of ‘East Connection’, alongside tunes from Alias, Hindzy D and Dizzee himself. Doogz shows up later on to good effect but by then the damage has been done. Along with ‘Boy In Da Corner’ it’s a snapshot of a unique moment in British music. MP3 says this is part 1...if there is a part 2 out there I still haven't found it... 2. Jammer's Birthday - N.A.S.T.Y Crew - Deja Vu 2003 Download (via Mediafire) I had to include a set from the third premier league crew of early grime (alongside P.A.U.G/Roll Deep and Ruff Sqwad). Another mass MC special - guests Wiley, Dizzee, Tinchy Stryder and Crazy Titch join virtually the whole of NASTY on a rapid fire journey through their best bars, accompanied by Mak 10's perfect blends. Worth it alone for the now sadly departed Escobar's flow on ‘Ice Rink’ at the start of the set. This was filmed for posterity - watch here: 3. 'RWD Boyage crew' - Wiley JME, Trim, D Double E, Footsie, Maximum - 2005 Download (via Mediafire) You could pick a number of Roll Deep sets from this period, their Sunday evening show was required listening even if you did have to pick it up from the RWD forum later in the week, but for me this set represents the sound of the definitive Roll Deep incarnation at their peak. Highlights include a classic D Double flow over ‘Bongo Eyes’ and ‘Forward’, what must be an early appearance from Trim and Wiley bounding in over 'Tapplin', and a brilliant 10 minute segment at the 1 hour mark culminating in Double flexing over a rhythm solely composed of gunshot samples - brilliant. DJ Maximum sets the speed throughout with his precision mixing. 4. Logan's last show - Rinse FM 2005 Download (via Mediafire) To commemorate Logan Sama leaving Rinse for Kiss FM; one of the most intense, hyper and well executed mass MC sets in the history of grime, preserved in good quality in this recording. The mind boggles at the logistics of getting Wiley and a large proportion of Roll Deep, as well as elements of Ruff Sqwad, Newham Generals along with Jammer and Faction G and a few others in the same room at the same time, but somehow Logan managed it. Highlights include the JA vocalled dubplates at the start, jokes about Master Stepz and tune after tune of fire from Logan, with the MC's bringing their best rave 16s. It’s all really good but watch out for Riko's rewind bars at the 47 minute mark. 5. Newham Generals w/ Dizzee Rascal Jan - Rinse FM 2006 Download (via Mediafire) I remember spending a long time listening to this set during the freezing winter of early 2006. Tubby's selection is meteorologically appropriate. This recording is usually noted for the reappearance of Dizzee Rascal on Rinse after a three year gap building a fan base away from grime and recording his second and third LPs but for me the highlight is Double and Foots's performance on mic - they sound hungry and roam like wolves over Tubby's angular, opaque beats. Watch out for Double's vocal pirouette over one of the weirdest sounding grime dubs I've ever heard at 01:16:30 - this is why he is (in my opinion) the best grime MC of all time. Catch Logos in Room Three on 20th April for the Keysound takeover. Logo's Kowloon EP is out on Keysound on Monday 23rd of April. It sounds like this...