As promised we are back with more new music for you in the shape of new signing Frameworks, the production alias of 29-year old multi-instrumentalist Matt Brewer. Another product of the thriving music scene of Manchester he’s been building a following over the last few years with releases on Organik Records, My First Moth (new album coming soon with Blu Rum 13) and Hero Records.

We’re delighted to be releasing his debut EP ‘Vanish‘ in a couple of weeks. He’s added the vocal talents of singers Sabira Jade and Ríoghnach Connolly to his lush soundscapes and dusty, jazzy beats. The influences of Cinematic Orchestra and Bonobo are evident, as well as the soundtracks of Danny Elfman.

Check out the teaser video below and keep your eyes peeled for the EP on May 21st – it’s a belter! Any of you that are coming to Soundwave Festival in Croatia this July will be able to see his fantastic live band which will also be playing a few shows in London and Manchester in the coming months.

We’re delighted to announce the signing of Border Crossing. We’ve been aware of BC for a few years now – their track ‘Searching For Mr Manuva’ was a record that rarely left the DJ box back in the day, and it’s very exciting for us to be releasing their new material. There’s a 7″ and a digital EP coming in June, as well as a dub album – in the meantime we’ve put together a free compilation for you to get to know their music. We’ve picked a track from each of their 3 albums, as well as brand new track ‘Just An Ode‘ featuring the legendary Fat Jon on vocals. There’s also a dub version from the aforementioned album – check it out here. You’ll also find their back catalogue there – have a browse, there’s some great music.

Another great new release this week in the shape of Homecut’s remix EP. We’ve got 10 producers to provide their take on a selection of tracks from Homecut’s debut album ‘No Freedom Without Sacrifice’. There’s some heavy-hitting hip hop from Marc Mac (4 Hero), DJ Vadim, Herma Puma and kidkanevil, reggae vibes from Lotek, broken dancefloor action from Souleance, deep funk from Capstone, soul from Social Beings and futuristic beats from Planas and Blue Daisy. Pretty big huh? Have a listen below and purchase here. Enjoy!

As some of you may have noticed, the debut Souleance album ‘La Belle Vie’ is out now! We’re very proud of this release – ever since their first EP way back in 2009, Soulist and Fulgeance have been working towards this full length album and it’s really worth the wait. There are several tracks many of you will be familiar with from their previous EPs and a few newies too, including collabs with Homecut, Rashaan Ahmad & Shawn Lee. Check out the teaser video below and have a listen/buy the album here. There are tons of new releases coming soon on First Word including a lot of FW debuts, so keep em peeled for more new soon!

SOULEANCE • LA BELLE VIE from Émile Sacré / vect on Vimeo.

This Easter Bank Holiday Sunday we’re teaming up with our wonderful friends at Wah Wah 45 to bring you a musical eggtravaganza (sorry, couldn’t resist) to celebrate the launch of “La Belle Vie”, the excellent new album from First Words’ very own Souleance. Also on the bill is the wonderfully talented Paul White from One Handed Music while DJ support comes from Jazz n Milks’ Dusty, Wah Wah 45s Dom Servini and Scrimshire and First Word label boss DJ Gilla. Come and join us at Bedroom Bar for what will no doubt be an eggceptional evening of musical entertainment!

We’re delighted to announce the debut album from Souleance, it’s out on April 9th and features collabs with Homecut, Rashaan Ahmad & Shawn Lee. There’s a single coming in 2 weeks but until then, here’s a lil video teaser from the supremely talented Emile Sacre. Enjoy!

SOULEANCE • LA BELLE VIE (teaser) from Émile Sacré / vect on Vimeo.

Just before Christmas one of our favourite MCs Yungun made the long and difficult journey to Sheffield to record a video with Andy H for their track ‘The Main Attraction’. Thanks to the good folks at Ogle Films, they came up with this:

Pretty nice eh? Once you’ve watched that, you might want to point your cursor at the new Excursions Radio show with DJ Gilla. You’ll find that here:
 

Happy New Year! Well, the festive season is gone for another year and here at First Word we’re recharged and ready to give you another 12 months of fantastic music. Before we get started with the new releases for 2012, we’ve made the staggeringly original decision to have a January sale. It’s quite simple really – all our CD albums are now £5 or less for the next 2 weeks – just visit our sale page and get busy. We’ll be back with more news in the next couple of weeks with our plans for 2012 – which is shaping up to be our biggest year yet. Don’t forget our free compilation Two Syllables Volume Six is still available, so click here if you haven’t already got your copy. Happy shopping! 

So another year comes to a close – 2011 has been amazing for us and to celebrate the festive season we’ve put together another fantastic FREE album for your listening pleasure. It’s exactly one year since the last Two Syllables compilation and the latest instalment keeps up the quality. We’ve got a mix of highlights from 2011, new artists, exclusives and remixes across 12 brilliant tracks. It features music from Ye Mighty, Souleance, Frameworks, Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra, kidkanevil, EPRC, Homecut, Herma Puma, Debian Blak, Lotek & Amenta: we’re really proud of this comp, so please spread the word as far and wide as you can.

2012 is already shaping up nicely, with great new releases coming soon from Souleance, Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra & Herma Puma as well as a few other surprises that we think you’ll love.

So, grab yourself a glass of mulled wine and a hot mince pie and get downloading.

Merry Christmas from all of us at First Word!