Video: BBC Radio 1 Special, DJ Benji B & Composer Grant Windsor Reinterpret the best of 2012

DJ Benji B teamed up with writer and composer Grant Windsor for an hour long BBC Radio 1 special in which a 16-piece string ensemble play along side a variety of electronic and hip-hop tracks. Benji B handles the decks while a string section provides new layers to some of 2012′s biggest tunes and more. Check out the full tracklist and video below, let’s hoping an audio rip of this gets released.

Tracklist:
Dwele – A.N.G.E.L
Flying Lotus – Do The Astral Plane
Ossie – Love Crazy
D-Malice – Gabryelle Refix
Bok Bok – Silo Pass
Wiley – Highs n Lows
S-X – Bricks
Timbaland – Ayo Technology (Instrumental)
Africa HiTech – Out in the Street (Snippet)
TNGHT – Higher Ground
Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean – Clique
Drake – Headlines
Jeremih – All The Time
Raphael Saadiq – Skyy Can You Feel Me
James Blake – Love What Happened Here
Radiohead – Everything in its Right Place

BONUS: HERE is another similar performance from a year ago.

Listen: Atoms For Peace – “What The Eyeballs Did”

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s side project, Atoms ForPeace, return with the jittery “What Eyeballs did”. The track is built around a killer baseline from band member Flea and some warm horns that give it a great post apocalyptic feel. The tune will act as the B-side for the bands single “Default” which made the rounds at the end of summer and is officially out on November 19^th.

Video: Modeselektor - "Shipwreck" (feat. Thom Yorke)

Electronic wizards Modeselektor are known for putting together some pretty good collaborations on their last couple albums. With last years release Monkeytown, they teamed up with Radiohead's Thom Yorke on 2 track, "Shipwreck" & "This". The video for "Shipwreck" was directed by Tony T. Datis and features zombies, a boy with powers and mean dogs... the usual.

The song is very Thom Yorke-ish and the video feels like one the 28 Days movies. I was going to post the video for "This" but I couldn't even finish watching it as it was pretty cheesy... watch it on your own here.

 Modeselektor is currently touring and will be releasing a new LP, Modeselektion Vol.2 next week.

Listen: Geoff Barrow's Hip-Hop Project, Quakers -"Fitta Happier" (Featuring Guilty Simpson & M.E.D.)

Portishead’s Geoff Barrow has been hard at work on a hip-hop album which he will release under the moniker Quakers. The album features an astonishing 41 tracks and is set to drop March 27th on Stones Throw.

Our first taste of the album comes in the form of “Fitta Happier,” which features Guilty Simpson and M.E.D.The track samples Radiohead in an indirect manner, using a marching band version of “The National Anthem.” Check it out below...

Stream from Pitchfork.

Listen: Deadmau5 remix of Radiohead, "Codex"

Radiohead remixes are coming out left and right these days, some hits but most of them are misses. Misses in the sense that the original is just so much better, so why listen to another version.

I was pleasantly surprised to see one from Deadmau5, who is known for having somewhat of a heavy chaotic sound. His instumental remix of Radiohead's "Codex" is quite beautiful and not what I was expecting at all. Hopefully more to come.

Deadmau5 remix - "Codex"
Radiohead - Codex (deadmau5 cover) by fuckmylife

Original Radiohead version - "Codex"
Radiohead - Codex by mariocon

Listen: Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead with DOOM - "Retarded Fren"

Thom Yorke and DOOM (formerly MF DOOM) are known fans of each other's music and a collaboration has long been in the pipeline (the former has already done a remix for the latter's "Gazzilion Ear").  That day has finally come with the addition of Jonny Greenwood, another Radiohead member, to the team.  On the track "Retarded Fren", indie hip-hop's favorite villain raps in his characteristic on-the-verge-of-spoken-word flow while his two collaborators provide the sleak broken glitch-beat production with some pizzicato strings to take the edge off (don't go looking for a Thom Yorke chorus, he doesn't offer up any vocals on the song).  The track will feature on a 10th Anniversary Compilation for Lex Records.  Stream the track directly at this soundcloud link.