Alex Clare - Up All Night (Skream's behind closed doors remix)

I'm keeping on a darker, break-heavy dubstep tip for a quick minute to bring you a little bit of Alex Clare this Thursday. Croydon's finest, Skream, has worked his particular brand of bass magic to create a rolling blend of unsettling synth loops and growling bass which evolves into slowed-down breaks (I think it's the Funky Drummer break). The final product is the musical equivalent of a hungover moment of clarity; bringing back memories you'd much rather have lost in the sloppy alcoholic haze of the night before.

If you think you've heard this tune before, you're almost right; it bears more than a passing resemblance to Skream's massive remix of 'In for the Kill' which was #5 in NME's list of 'Best ever remixes'. Alex Clare's plaintive, powerful vocals take this latest tune to places that La Roux, for all her talent, could not go; the guilt in his voice is almost palpable as hints at hungover lies covering a host of drunken sins; the line 'oh no, she don't know what I do in my spare time' reverberates through the track like the artist's unforgiving conscience.

I was lucky enough to watch Alex perform to a crowd of roughly 12 people in Oxford in mid-June, the man is ridiculously gifted and my tip to break out of the whole Ed Sheeran/Jamie Woon pack of young British talent; I expect great things. Check his soundcloud here and make your own minds up.



ps. If anyone wants to get at me with new music or their thoughts on any posts, I'm available at michael.oates87@gmail.com