Right then, best fill the cooler with Red Stripe and find your sun hat, as its time one again for the Family Blunt to present Urban Picnic Sounds 2010, live that the internationally-acclaimed Rhythms Of The World Festival. This year, it’s taking place on the weekend of the 24th and 25th July, with over 170 acts, and 20-odd thousand friends coming together to hear a variety of quality artists from across the world, and the musical genres.

We’re back once again at the single DJ-only stage at this internationally-acclaimed festival. You can check the website tags (“Urban Picnic Sounds”) for info on our previous outings. Essentially, the Blunt Beats crew and some very special guests provide a laid-back soundtrack to the whole weekend via our Urban Picnic Sounds stage. Expect lots of classic soul, barbecue funk, lounging jazz, head noddin’ reggae, and all manner of sunbathing beats. Guests this year include Baron Sound, DJ Herb, Hannah Brown, Reggae-MATT-ic, DJ Widedubz, Morocco, and Adam Williams.

I don’t need to give this one a hard-sell. It’s a great festival, with a cool laid back vibe, and Blunt Beats on the turntables. Simple.

Just to get you in the mood, here’s a link to a couple of sets from previous Urban Picnic Sounds events, courtesy of our very own Doug, and guest Adam Williams.

We’ll see you there!

Yep. We’re back on the air again tonight with another 4 hours of top-quality audio wandering. It’s time for Allsorts. Sets tonight will include music from Blunt Resident Agent M, along with an extended live recording from the family Blunt’s recent outing to Bar Absolute, where residents Doug and Marcus Hurley were joined by blunt-buddy DJ Morocco for a night of funk, breakbeat, hip hop beats, and pretty much anything else they fancied.

If you made it down, it’s a chance to listen again. If you didn’t, it’s a chance for you to hear what you missed, so you know better for next time! Catch all of tonights music live from 8pm UK time via our radio page.

Blunt Beats Radio presents Allsorts. Wednesday 10th March, live from 8pm UK time. Sets from Blunt Residents Agent M, Doug, Marcus Hurley, and DJ Morocco. www.bluntbeats.com/radio.

If you weren’t able to make it down to Bar Absolute in Hitchin last Friday, fear not! We got the while night in the can and it will be revisited in tonight’s Soulfood show.

Tune in from 8pm to catch sets from Morroco, Marcus Hurley and myself. Spanning hip hop, nu-jazz, funk, breaks, electro and DnB, it was a top night of tunes. Don’t miss out a second time!

It’s a bit late, but better than not at all. Here’s the tracklist for parts two and three of last Wednesday’s Groundbeat session, liver from Bar Absolute.

After a few initial teething problems we got things ironed out and some smooth jazz influenced tunes were spun. This was the first of what could be many at this stylish new venue, so keep your eyes peeled for more dates. The download has been available since last Thursday, and will still be on our Radio page until this Thursday. So if you haven’t grabbed it yet, you’ve only got a couple of days left to do so.

Continue reading…

I think we all agree a change is good once in a while. Even if it’s just your socks…Foot hygiene issues aside, it’s healthy to change the norm now and again.

The rambling point of this post (and rather rubbish sock reference), is to let you weblanders know that we’re taking transmission of tonight’s live radio show out of the smoky confines of Blunt HQ, and into Bar Absolute (in Hitchin, Hertfordshire) for the evenings proceedings. It’s fair to say that Bar Absolute has comfier seats and a better range of spirits than we currently have here at Blunt HQ, and they probably empty their ashtrays more often, so we’re glad they’re letting us come over for the night! (“thank you”…)

As advertised, tonight’s show will be another infamous “Groundbeat” session. Expect lots of chilled-out, jazz-influenced beats from across the genres, live from 8pm UK time. DJs will include Blunt residents, and Adam Williams, who returns to the fold once more as tonight’s guest DJ.

If you’re in the area, feel free to pop down to Bar Absolute to say hello, treat yourself to a Campari and Lucozade, and kick back to some live sounds from the family Blunt, from 8pm through until midnight.

If you’re not lucky enough to be nearby, then you can of course listen live to the whole 4 hour session via our radio page from 8pm tonight. You can do this in the comfort of your own home, without even having to change your socks. (“Socks!!! See?? I knew I’d get there in the end! Erm….I’m off for a siesta now.”)

Blunt beats radio presents Groundbeat live from Bar Absolute, with special guest Adam Williams. Live from 8pm UK time – Wednesday 20th January. www.bluntbeats.com/radio

This week’s radio is ready for download. It’s a playback show of live recordings by Marcus, Morroco and myself from Bar Absolute, Hitchin, at the end of last month.

The tracklisting is vast and varied, so keep checking back here for updates. The whole sha-bang can be grabbed from our Radio page for the next week.

Those of you in the Hitchin area can catch Blunt Beats resident DJs touching down at Bar Absolute this Friday. Marcus G Hurley and Doug, with special guest Morroco, will be smashing it with funk, breaks and hip hop to kick up a storm.

If you came along to Rhythms Of The World this summer you’ll most probably have caught Morroco rocking the festival crowd with solid block-party beats, so expect more of the same this weekend. With Marcus and myself sharing the bill it’s gonna be a jam!

You’ll find Bar Absolute, billed as “Hitchin’s only true venue for quality dance music”, in Sun Street with a very slick interior and a friendly atmosphere. A well stocked bar and crystal clear sound system also make Bar Ab one of the best spots in town.

This night is not to be missed, so arrive early as this bar gets packed. Blunt Beats at Bar Absolute, Sun St, Hitchin, SG5 1AH. 9pm – 1am (poss 2am). Entry is free so everyone’s on the guest list!

My word…Not too much I need to say about this, just check out the lineup!
Full details at www.ribstep.com

Zero equals Zero headlining, alongside a live set from Smash TV, with both the Narukami Records and Ribstep crew in attendance. Heavyweight drum and bass, fresh dubstep sounds, and ear-shattering glitch business. If the last party was anything to go by, this ones going to go off!!

Our good friends at Ribstep are also launching Ribstep Radio this Saturday (19th Sept), live from 7pm UK time, with music from Ribstep residents Rib and DJ Swineflu, and a guest set from DJ Akira. More info at www.ribstep.com.

…best get ready to Ribstep!

Here’s some footage from a (very loud) night put on by our friends at ribstep. Booming hip hop, breakbeat, dubstep, drum and bass, and jungle were the order of the day. Nice. Big up to Chronic Sounds for taking care of the low-end bizznizz. A quality night was had by all. Expect to hear more from the ribstep crew in the near future…

You can listen to/download all the sets from this event at www.ribstep.com. Beats from Rib, DJ Swineflu, KZA, Seizmic, Ginger John, and Blunt Beats Djs Doug, the Erbalist, and Agent M.

Tonight’s live radio show sees you the lucky listener treated to more musical mischief from our recent Urban Picnic Sounds project at the Rhythms Of The World festival.

Expect to hear lots of summertime funk, classic soul, barbecue hip hop, and heavyweight roots reggae courtesy of Blunt Residents Marcus Hurley and Agent M, and our good friends Baron Studio Sound.

So. There you have it. Yet another excuse to pour a large drink, sit in the sunshine, and enjoy the vibe from this belter of a festival.

(Talking of which, if you’ve missed any of the live recordings we’ve been playing over the last couple of weeks, then fear ye not. We’ll be putting them out for individual download in the near future)

Blunt Beats Radio presents More Iree Festival Vibes: ROTW 09 – The Playback. Live from 8pm UK time Wednesday 22nd July. Sets from Marcus Hurley, Baron Studio Sound, and Agent M. www.bluntbeats.com/radio