A younger counterpart to the YBAs, M.I.A. is a medley of confidence, controversy and 21st century multi-media sensibilities, Ms Arulpragasam has always known how to get people talking – ‘Bad Girls’ isn’t any different.

Another collabo with director Romain Gavras, the video features middle eastern racing boys and girls performing car tricks and Hip-Hop dance routines in traditional dress. Visually stunning, from the tricks, styling and lighting to the dope x-ray style car.

Any artist that manages to get coverage from both The Wall Street Journal and Pitchfork on what they are about to do next is doing something right. M.I.A. understands the ‘what’s’ and ‘why’s’ of cultural relevance to markets, the media and the perception of being an innovative multi-media ‘artist’ and plays the right tune to get everyone moving. That’s not to say there isn’t artistry to what she does, but like Young British Artists before, M.I.A. is in the business of selling her vision.

Check out her label N.E.E.T (yep that’s right, the Not in Education Employment Training acronym) for epilepsy inducing graphics and a roster of artists including NY hipster-rockers Sleigh Bells.

Zebra Katz, from Brooklyn NYC, cleverly subverts the played out hyper masculine narrative to make a record about education.

Don’t think you can get a read on his character from this video alone, as Zebra also appears to be quite the Hipster.

You’ve 2 days to catch The Insomniax‘s debut on Earnest Endeavours as part of the Gilles Peterson show on Radio 1. Sure we’re chuffed at the airplay, but this only the very start of the journey. The track forms part of an upcoming promo release that’ll introduce the world to the EE roster; and what a fine little roster it is.

There’s a lot of exciting times ahead for us as we build The Insomniax brand. We plan on making daydreams a reality in 2012.

Bored with your over sized headphones already? Looking for alternative amplification? Well Mr Simo have got you covered with their Boomcases.

Take a leather or wood vintage suitcase, add a couple of sub woofers, top with a few customised features and there you have it; your own super stylish sound system.

Definitely targeted at the discerning muso and those with an undying love of handmade craftsmanship. The Boomcases are a quirky example of an up-cycled product made for new technology. A perfect pairing me thinks.

We’re dead proud of our former twenty%extra Art Director Samuel Craven, who’s gone on to pursue his dreams of being a music video director.

Sam’s latest work for Brownswood Records new artist, Gang Colours showcases his penchant for found Super 8 footage which he has used spliced with some original film to give a warm and familiar feeling.

A skeleton family, stripped of love and understanding for each other, coming together through a natural disaster to find the full embodiment of what family values really are.

A literal idea and description. Lateral execution and creativity. Remarkable work, all built, shot and edited by Craig Murray in 4 days in a very unremarkable room in Dalston, London.

As a record label with a vision, Stones Throw know that to thrive they need to go live. The modern artist need to be able to cut the mustard on stage. Much like the old skool artist in fact, but these things have a way of coming full circle.

Throughout the year, Stones Throw have been producing a series of live shows in a recording studio facility in east L.A. The shows are being recorded directly to vinyl with no computers, tape, or digital accessories used in the recording process.

To go Direct To Disk like this speaks volumes of the quality one is likely to expect when catching any of the Stones Throw roster live, which bodes well for artist and label alike.

Palm trees are the flavourGuitars, synths and sunshine. Calming blue sea and MJ in his prime. Lo-fi vid meets future hi-fi to create nearly 5 minutes of bliss from this Western Australia Dream Pop outfit.

Dam-Funk and Outrun. 25 years apart yet born of the same time. This is no retro remake folks, as the video is original footage of the game.

The music captures the feel of my memories from playing Outrun in the arcades to tee, thus connecting 25 years of good times. Am I showing my age? Aaah, whateva…

A really nice minimalist player and visual mechanism by Build for ‘Close’ – an anonymous music collective – comes slightly undone by a webpage that annoyingly rescales the image and has no pause on the player. The beautifully shot images by Benjamin Grillon are in a very high resolution, so you can scale them until your hearts content. but it’s the ‘scaling down’ that is the issue.

Bit of a shame, as this promo site looks pretty damn sexy. The music’s not too shabby either (I’m particularly feeling Beam Me Up). It’s worth noting that the Build boys are some of our favourites in the design stakes. It’s just that a little bit of polish in the programming / coding department would have seen this project do more than come close, but hit the mark entirely.

NTS: a new community radio station based in Dalston, launched in April this year. The community in this instance is the bubbling sub-culture of electronic music influenced by a staple of soul, funk and jazz amongst others.

Their recent short gives you a glimpse into the beginnings of the station, their developing culture and a five-a-side football team. Que Umbro’s involvement and the second reason for my musings.

Umbro having taken tips from Adidas and Puma, have been quietly repositioning the traditional football gear company as a lifestyle brand, producing content featuring musicians Chase & Status, Liam Gallagher and Murkage and other sports stars.

En route to embedding themselves in pop culture, the Umbro Industries campaign focuses on supporting fledgling creative entrepeneurs in Manchester with £10k bursaries.

The trend of courting creative communities looks like one that will last for a while for culture savvy brands, ensuring buy in from taste makers and all that goes with it. Thus giving creatives alternative forms of investment from financial to profile raising.

When Friday Comes it should always sound like this. Another sneaky treat from the forthcoming Love She Wants EP by The Insomniax ft. Roses Gabor.

The Insomniax will be hosting an After Carnival Party Special today at Life on Old Street, with DJ’s Rapzcallion (Blacktronica) and Dan Anderson (A2B Records), not to mention a live performance of material from The Insomniax’s forthcoming Love She Wants EP, and live radio broadcast on Nasty.fm from 12-2AM.

Don’t say we don’t spoil you, ’cause we do.

It’s Bank Holiday Weekend! If you’re in London for the weekend we have two hot spots for the diary.

Today Earnest Endeavours, Black Atlantic and Dante Fried Chicken team up to bring you Ride or Fry an alternative carnival cook up. DJ’s include Alexander Nut and Fatima, Jon Phonics and more. What started as the KFC R.I.P. loft jams in New York almost a decade ago comes to Mare Street, Hackney. Good music and music come as standard, so do like me and start making room in your belly now.

If there were any debate as to how much talent is required to make it in a very competitive world of creativity, the debate ends now.

Nikita von Teickenberg is a graphic design student from Hannover, studying at Fachhochschule Hannover (FHH), which is – you guessed it – Hannover Germany.

Nikita”s video for Anstam as part of a University project sets the standard for work ethic and execution. Plus it’s a liiiittle bit spooky, with references to The Grudge / The Ring to boot.

Out in the streets, people are doing more than shopping for new clothes and furniture. History has shown that democracy in action isn’t always pretty. Many are now realising that their democratic rights can’t be fought from the comfort of the living room sofa.

If there were a soundtrack to ‘conscientious uprising’, Africa Hitech’s ‘Out In The Streets’ would be it. At twenty%extra™ we created our own version of the video in response to the poignant chorus, which could literally be a soundtrack to our times. Spread the word.

New music from The Insomniax. The Love She Wants is the music you need. If you have bass bins then I suggest you turn them up, because laptop speakers won’t cut it.

Stones Throw are marketing geniuses. The Stones Throw Video Contest which launched back in April and ends today is proof of that.

Such is the nature of genius that it attracts, well, genius. Enter Samuel Craven with a final day entry that’s already got the attention of Mr Perkins himself.

Sam’s video for Flowers provides all the essential ingredients for a summer video: it’s beautiful, calming and uplifting and works in perfect harmony with the track. Sure I’m biased but it deserves your vote, or at least a play or two.

If you’re making a film or advert, there are few things more crucial or overlooked than the soundtrack.

During our recent work on Green Stories, ‘the soundtrack’ has been an interesting challenge. Thanks to Sam’s eclectic ear and The Insomniax’s knack for composition, it was a challenge that we rose to.

The subject indirectly leads me onto one of the catchiest and utterly spot on pieces of music for the Ikea Kitchen Party spot by Mother. The campaign launched last year and has recently made a resurgence, with a soundtrack so good that I initially thought that I’d heard it before. Turns out that I probably had.

Super Super8 video for Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf’s Methods, courtesy of our very own Samuel Craven.

Found during an endless trawl through Sam’s local flea market, the footage is unbelievably untouched and unedited. And that’s where the magic lies.

When heartfelt visuals combine with heartfelt music there’s a synergy for all to see. Spend the next 4 minutes checking out what that magic looks like.

They say there’s nothing new under the sun. Here’s what came from the father of James Blake. Sound familiar?

James Blake may be the one with the hits, but some creative parenting and dad on writing credits sure helps.

I randomly met Josh at Richmix last year whilst bumping into Eska who I hadn’t seen in ages. She was going to perform at his event Poejazzie and we got chatting. From that moment forth, Josh has been in my top ten of people who can hold the most random, right angled tangent, conversations ever. He would have made a great contestant on Mallett’s Mallet.

Anyhow, it was great to hear his fertile imagination and humour in action on the new LV collaborative album ‘Routes’ .

Rather than trying to put it into a neat little genre, I’ll keep it simple. Routes is ‘good’ music. It’s a medley of songs that will make you want to dance / skank / laugh out loud to Northern Line, listen closely to Murkish Delights and dreamily electro-glide to Deleted Scene.

And to give it further endorsement, after the first spin of the album Ansel wanted to do a mix (he’s been dying to do one since the Africa Hitech release, but more on that later). So it’s official, it’s going in the next mixtape.

Routes has been out since Monday 23rd May via iTunes.

There’s still time to catch the the book launch & exhibition of Flip the Script – A Photographers Music Diary, by Kingsley Davis & preface by Norman Jay MBE

The original event featured a special performance by Jonzi D – Choreographer, MC, Poet & Curator of Breakin Convention + Flip the Script video premiere.

Rather than dwell on what you’ve missed, get yourself down the exhibition, which runs until May 28, 2011.

Address: Westminster Reference Library, 1st Floor, 35 St Martins Street, London WC2H 7HP

Ordio Kid of Urban Nerds goes in hard on his May mixtape which is free to download via his DJ Ordio Kid Mixcloud page.

In the mix you’ll find more big tunes and remixes than you can poke a stick at, with artwork produced by the twenty%extra crew.

Wiley isn’t so much raising the bar, as he is defining where it should be set.

Apparently music is supposed to be a young man’s game. Over the last few years in particular, Wiley is showing that it’s really a smart mans game, with an alternative approach that continues to keep his growing audience guessing.

1:10 -1:17, second from left – an old skool move that may not show his age, but definitely shows mine.

The joys of Spring brought new faces to the office recently in the form of the Black Atlantic crew. When it comes to the club / cultural experience, Tom and Ben are raising the bar to create the equivalent of a pole vault event.

Only innovators need apply, and this weekend Berlin based producers Modeselektor will be joining Mala, Siriusmo and more at a secret warehouse party (location TBA).

Judging by the two wind turbine sized fans perched by their desks they’re expecting a bumper turnout, and with good reason it seems.

This was the first video uploaded on the YouTube account, wwwdotnet, apparently showing all round don Jehst in his day job as a postman. Forums like UKHH and Rap Worlds went nuts with terrified members questioning the future of UK Hip Hop if one of it’s chief exports had fallen to being a normal dude with an early start.

Two months later wwwdotnet uploaded this;

Concept / Direction: Ian Pons Jewell
DOP / Steadicam: Doug Walshe
Stylist: Miranda Florence Boucher
Editor: Gaia Borretti
Focus Puller: Max Mallen
Assistant Producers: Tamas Jakics / Bruno Travers

The Insomniax Radio Show on Nasty FM is a weekly musical journey that covers everything from Grime to Soul, Indie to Electro and Dubstep to Hip Hop.

You can catch them tonight and every Monday night from midnight til 2am, but if you have problems staying up past your bedtime, then simply pop to Mixcloud, where you can catch up on a months worth of shows.

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Let’s Be Brief crew! Do we have a treat for you..

Finally, the dish we have been wanting to share with you for a while is out of the oven and ready to serve.

The Macaroni Cheese Mixtape has been a little labour of love, and we can’t wait for you to hear it. We’ve been working closely with The Insomniax to develop the brand and overall marketing strategy that will help introduce the world to The INX movement.

This mixtape is just a taste of their diverse sound, but what a tasty treat it is.

This is Rebecca Black’s song, Friday, and it’s been gaining a million plus daily YouTube views this week. The song tells the story of an average Friday for Rebecca, full of fun fun fun and thirteen year olds driving convertible cars.

Justin Bieber has obviously inspired a lot of young people to try to become successful recording artists, however he’s also filled parents and record label owners eyes with pound / dollar signs who are now pushing enthusiastic children down that path regardless of their talent.

There’s a beautiful story behind the late great J DIlla‘s album cover photography. Video director Andrew Gura tells the full story here, but the long and short of it is that Stones Throw Art Director guru Jeff Jank needed photography for the 2006 Donut’s EP. J Dilla was in no position to provide any due his ailing health, and that’s where Gura’s video-shoot offcuts came in.

Gura provided 3 stills from that shoot for possible inclusion on the cover. In turn, what at first might look like a generic shoot spawned what even J Dilla’s mother considered to be the perfect encapsulation of her son’s spirit.

Behind the smile lies a beautiful story indeed.

American Men – Claude Speeeed (IKONIKA AND OPTIMUM remix) by Ikonika

Only recently has the face behind artist moniker Ikonika (oh the wordplay) stepped out from behind the brand. I was immediately drawn to the bold typeface and use of golden section references in the design. WIth such well crafted design you’ll be glad to know that the music doesn’t disappoint either.

I’d only recently discovered that this artist / producer DJ / label owner is in fact a ladyyyy, which in a male dominated underground scene makes Ikonika a premium in marketing terms. But as with all artists with a view to longevity the focus has been on putting out premium product.

Ikonika’s remix for American Men is a case in point. Hotness.

Didn’t get what you wanted from Santa? Realised some time back that he doesn’t reeeaaally exist? Whatever your position on all things seasonal, here’s at least something to dance to, courtesy of the twenty%extra crew.

Ho Ho Ho! Or something like that…x

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Track list

Martyn – Hear Me
Africa Hitech – Lash Out
Joy Orbison – The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow
United Vibrations – No Space No Time
Floating Points – Peoples Potential
Mzo Bullet – Cassablanca
Roska – Time Stamp
EWF – Runnin
52nd Street – Tell Me
Big Boi – Shutterbug
Everything Everything – Schoolin’
Ty – Something Big feat. Carroll Thompson

This short feature by Marques Toliver made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It may not work for you, but in which case you really need to stop shaving the back of your neck.

Soul Litchfield provides a musical tribute to talented graf writers everywhere. The vid features some very rare (and old) footage from Channel 6 News in Philadelphia, while the track features on King Britt’s Saturn Never Sleeps project.

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via KingBritt.com

We might not know how good the new Tron movie will be, but with Daft Punk’s help we know what it will sound like. Roll on December 7.

Music through the back door is about to take over the high street.

Two of our family-favs combine as Rhythm Response (formerly known as Demon Sounds) provide cutting edge tuneage for cutting edge programming.

With his second album, Oliver ‘Skream‘ Jones is clearly thinking outside the box. Take a look inside the box though and you’ll find attention to detail and an appreciation of the small print.

He and many of his peers have been stepping up the pace in the marketing and branding stakes, ensuring that a musical movement is seen heard, not to mention actually held in your hand. MP3’s? What about MP3’s?

Not to sound like an Old-Skool grandad, but Hip-Hop in its prime is an art form of humour, genuine emotion and boundless creativity. When it achieves those heady heights, it looks a lot like El-P’s Stepfather Factory from 2001.

A product for society becomes a product of society in this thought provoking (but ultimately slept on) addition to the nature vs nurture debate.

The video may not have made it to MTV and the like, but when it comes to a creative concept that’s both brilliantly thought out and impactful, work like this should pop up on your radar.

From the ashes of Rise comes the UpRise Anti-Racism Festival on October 3 in Finsbury Park London.

The previous incarnation went down in a blaze of contention and glory. Brazen Bunch, Zap! Bang! and twenty%extra™ have bowed to the will of the people to bring back an event that never should have left in the first place.

We’ve achieved an awful lot in a very short period of time, but there’s still much to do and funds to raise. So if you – like us – want to put our money where our mouth is so to speak, then please lend your support by joining the ever growing £1 Crew [larger donations ARE welcome], joining the FB page or just spreading the word.

Art direction, illustration, typography & design by Non-Format for the new Magnetic Man 12″.

Look at how the light version of the typeface in the second image takes its form from the bold ‘M’ of the very bold and striking Magneto Man logo.

If you use your noddle like these guys, custom typeface design needn’t be so hard, but it sure will look hot.

One of Dubstep’s finer exponents – Benga – goes all Art-house Plus courtesy of video direction by Kristofer Ström.

BIG.

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via INX blogspot

Traffic Wardens: We can’t stand them. The Insomniax: If you don’t know them, by the time we’re finished you will do.

Crystle Clear Cinema presents A Bad Day For Benny trailor for the impending short film, featuring Insomniax band member and fully paid up theatre performer Mark Anderson. Benny’s the Warden who can never catch a break, though we can probably agree that he doesn’t deserve one.

With soundtrack by The Insomniax and a cameo by INX’s very own Doctor Sydney Velvet (that’s right), what this video hints at is a) the versatility required by the modern performer and b) the analytical / creative spontaneity of American Director Crystle Clear who discovered a phenomenon we despise and turned it into a short film we can warm to.

Sometimes if you want to create extra footfall for your brand, you’ve got to take it to the streets. Literally.

Brand Mystro has certainly figured that out, so follow him and his tape-deck roadshow, as he travels the tube from markets to the Millennium Bridge getting more than a smile or two along the way.

Genuine human to human interactivity begets viral / trailer, begets complementary blog piece. See how this marketing thing works? I know what it’s like around my way, turns out Mystro’s way is pretty similar.

It was only a matter of time: the return of the tape cassette. I’ve been waffling on about its return for some time now though I’m not one to blow my own trend-setting trumpet.

The tape release of Goldfrapp’s latest album Head First could well see the floodgates open in the near future, as other tastemaker artists / labels are do whatever it takes to create commercial viability / visibility for their physical products.

The albums is of course available in the traditional formats, but I’m sure though that Goldfrapp’s longstanding relationship with Big Active will have no doubt forced the creative issue.

What to do in an age of ever-decreasing record sales and the impending death of analogue?

Well if you’re Stones Throw, whose founding father Peanut Butter Wolf has a more than vested interest in vinyl culture, you teamed up with Serato and J Dilla Estate for the ultimate analogue digital combo.

For the uninitiated, Serato Scratch Live is a DJ software that allows DJs to use their ever growing MP3 collection while utilising the ancient art of Turntabalism ( or good old fashioned record spinning). J Dilla was a prolific Hip-Hop producer who passed away 2 years ago from Lupus, leaving a legacy of music longer than all our arms put together.

He was also a Momma’s Boy, and this set of 2 discs with six J Dilla tracks (2 sides with Serato Control Tone) and 2 donut slipmats in a package designed by Studio No.1. will be released May 10th, the day after Mother’s day.

You know Jay- Z the artist, you definitely know Jay-Z the brand, but anyone for Dan Tobin Smith the photographer? Didn’t think so, but Tobin-Smith, along with Nicola Yeoman, and Greg Burke are the trio responsible for Jay-Z’s recent album art for Blueprint 3,

At first glance you’d be excused for thinking it was some Photoshop magic, but delve a little deeper and you’ll be rewarded by work that is not just a strong concept, but an elaborate feat of production. The album’s aesthetic and concept actually owes more than a little nod to Tobin Smith’s earlier work for Athlete’s Tourist album, and uses some clever plays on perspective.

So why some keyboards in a corner you might ask. Well Dan (first name basis and all that) refers to the gathered instruments by saying: “These things are like the forgotten pieces in hip-hop…”

Did you realise that the 3 stripes were actually painted onto the instruments themselves? Me neither, but check out the behind the scenes video to appreciate the craft that goes into such a project, or for more from the horses mouth, go to itsnicethat.com, where Dan goes into great detail about the whole process.

The only question left to be asked is: Is New York really running it, or a couple of young designers from London?

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via Sleevage

Delphic – This Momentary from Delphic on Vimeo.

Stunning artwork from Indie band Delphic, by one of our favourite agencies Non-Format.

With stylish photography, well crafted typography, and die-cuts* to die for, you don’t even have to like the music to appreciate the band’s brand, though the music does have its benefits too.

Need proof? Then check out the This Momentary video, beautifully shot amidst the hardships of life in Ukraine.

*shapes cut from paper or other materials