GET SOME UK UK MUSIC, ART AND CULTURE

Manchester lyricist Skittles has previewed a track from his forthcoming album Poor with £100 Trainers. The single features remixes from Zed Bias, Joe Kalius and Dub Phizix. Excellent video as well, make sure you watch it full screen and HD. Out on November 7th.

We wanted to know more about this elusive character whose work we’ve been following for a while, and managed to catch up with him to get a few answers…

Who are you and what do you do?

SKITTLES… artist, writer, producer, shadowman

Where did you grow up?

South Manchester

What music was around when you were growing up? What are your influences beyond music?

My dad’s a DJ, loves his soul an’ mowtown, I take great influence from him an’ motown. I always was a big MJ fan… From school got on the urban thing… But I was always a bit different… Tried to keep it proppa relatable.

And who do you listen to now?

You know what… music is work. I aint workin’ on your tune so I aint listenin’ to it! But I’m social so hear whats ‘in’ out an about…I hear my peoples’ music… (DUB PHIZIX, BROKE ‘N’ £NGLISH, CHIMPO, ROLLA, SPARX etc. an this is what i would choose to listen to. I’m a cunt.)

When did you decide to start making music?

Dunno really… It wasn’t something I decided to do one day, my life just kind of took that direction. There were lots of MC’s at my school. I wrote but wasn’t good enough to be confident (at least I didn’t think I was) left school and I was the only rhymer in my close circle of friends. At about 16, I bumbled into an old friend I hadn’t seen in years, he was an mc an’ was pretty good we formed the Mank-Union started puttin’ some stuff down.. .This didn’t work out…. An here I am…ha!

How would you describe your sound?

VOCAL/REAL/PERSONAL/BROAD/VARIED/SHADOW!

Tell us about your upcoming album, ‘Poor with £100 Trainers’ – what is the inspiration behind the album, who have you collaborated with, or is it a solo project?

Features from Fallacy, Fox, Saphire, track with Chimpo, track with Dub Phizix… PROBS FORGETTIN PEEPS AS USUAL.. SOZ

Who came up with the idea for the ‘Dot2Dot’ video – it’s great!

Thank you… Hate to say it but… My idea! But my good friends Pete Walker and Tom Dooran added a lot in production.

What would you be doing if you weren’t making music?

Stealin’ stuff an sellin’ stuff

Describe a day in the life of Skittles…

I do what I want to be honest, but there’s always work to be done… I make tunes when it happens.. .I keep my diary empty but get a lot done!

If you could collaborate with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?

OBVIOUSLY MICHAEL JACKSON!

Kelly or Tulisa?

Don’t be daft, Kelly all day.

Takeaway Don or Kitchen King?

Kitchen shadow lord of the darkside

Finally, complete the sentence, ‘Get Some…’

WEED

+++++++

For more info about Skittles including tour dates and releases check Example Media.

Ice. Cold. Techno. From Manchester.

Stream it from Boilerroom.

Following on from Bob’s post of up and coming hip hop talent, check out Manchester’s Sparkz. As you would come to expect from an artist on Example Media’s roster, the lyrics are on point and the production is solid. To get his Back 2 Basics EP all you have to do is go to his Facebook page and hit ‘like.’

Check out Example Magazine online – here.

Looks like HOYA:HOYA, the label of Manchester’s finest Illum Sphere, can do no wrong. They have pulled in the heavyweights for their second release with tracks from emerging super-talent Eliphino, and two of the strongest artists on Flying Lotus’s Brainfeeder label: Lorn and Ras G. A compelling and beautiful release, listen to a taster here:

Get the digital release now on Juno, and other outlets next week. Don’t sleep on this yo.

Manchester Grime MC Skittles, has released the first track from his forthcoming Album, Poor With £100 Trainers. His trademark spitfire delivery and sense of humour separate him from a lot of other MCs out there so keep your eyes peeled and ears open for the album drop. Until then, enjoy this EP, that DOM HZ remix is DOPE.

Tip-i-cal-ly (sampler of single and remixes) by skittles

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Manchester MC, Skittles looks to build on his début album Two Pints of Brandy and a Packet of Skittles with his follow up effort Poor With £100 Trainers and has released this free EP to get the buzz going. His strength is painting a picture with words and that’s why I think his style works better over hip hop than dubstep, which gives him a platform to flow over without drowning out what he’s saying. Definitely worth a listen.

Its hard to ignore the Red Bull Music Academy this year as it invades London. From live shows, to daily newspapers, to seminars the RBMA is involved in so many things these surrounding months. But its not all about the Academy that takes place each year – over on their website, they record and post hundreds of live sets from around the world.

Mount Kimbie, easily one of my favourite acts of last year, played a live show at Manchester’s Deaf Institute and RBMA were there to capture it. 60 minutes of leftfield electronic music that breaks the definitions of any genre I could think to place it in. Essential.

Listen up.