Riz MC

Just did a cover of Jai Paul‘s amazing track ‘Jasmine’.

Free download here http://goo.gl/YIXbr

Proud to announce I will be supporting the legendary Wu Tang Clan on their UK tour 13-15th July.

Tickets: http://www.hmvtickets.com/events/6381

“radiates ambition and promise” – Killian Fox, The Observer

“Ace… Love that track!” – Lauren Laverne (BBC 6Music)

“He’s an amazing talent!” –John Kennedy (XFM)

“Uncompromising and diverse, thrilling and ambitious” – The Independent

“Witty. Impassioned. Poignant.” – Metro

“One of the most innovative and fresh sounding albums in recent memory” – 9/10- Data Transmission

“Made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up” – Huw Stephens (BBC R1)

The deluxe physical release of Riz MC’s ‘MICroscope’ album is out on 18th June on Tru Thoughts. ‘MICroscope’ sets Riz MC apart as a singular voice with an innovative and bold musical vision; featuring collaborations with Redinho (NMBRS), Plan B, Lazersonic and Zed Bias, alongside a host of cutting edge remixes, the new release sees this highly intelligent, multi-talented rapper mixing big ideas with big bass on an adventurous musical canvas.

Two singles precede the new album package: the dark and brutally honest twisted love song, “All Of You” (with remixes featuring Plan B, dBridge and more) came out in March to immense tastemaker support; next up on 21st May is the second single “All In The Ghetto” – a laconic and witty sidelong look at gentrification with a tongue-in-cheek animated video which you can find on the Tru Thoughts YouTube channel now. An intriguing segue, “All In The Ghetto” brings to the fore Riz MC’s impressive versatility and deft satirical touch, illuminating the fun and funkier side of his cerebral brand of rap; the infectious bouncing bass beat showing why producer Redinho (NMBRS) is currently to be found all over the playlists of Annie Mac and MistaJam. These two tracks, supported by tastemakers as diverse as Nihal (BBC R1), Lauren Laverne (BBC 6Music), Charlie Sloth (1Xtra), Eddy Temple-Morris (XFM), Laurent Garnier and John Kennedy (XFM), set the tone for what’s to come – ambitious and wide-ranging songwriting with sharp honesty and wry humour – asking questions at the same time as taking us to the dancefloor.

Having self-released an early digital version of the album in 2011 to rapturous press and media coverage, RizMC ups the ante with this augmented edition of ‘MICroscope’, marking the first everCD outing with a stash of new content that sees him developing his ideas and raising the bar again. The worldwide physical release on established indie label Tru Thoughts brings all-newskits created and recorded in collaboration with Zed Bias,plus a guest appearance from Plan B and a host of new remixes from the cream of UK electronic music including dBridge, Bok Bok, Sukh Knight, RackNRuin and True Tiger, for a truly essential package.

“I feel these collaborations complete the vision for MICroscope”, Riz explains; “My influences are steeped in UK club music, so the involvement of these remixers is something very close to my heart. And Zed Bias in particular is a hero of mine, so his desire to be involved and help realise the sci-fi tone of the album with specially created interludes feels like a huge validation and blessing to the whole enterprise.”

RIZ MC – LIVE PA DATES (MORE TBA)

22nd June Gottwood Festival Wales

6th July Hit & Run @ Corsica Studios London (ALBUM LAUNCH)

“High concept sonic theatre” – Guardian Guide

“Spine tingling” – Jo Whiley (BBC R1/R2)

“A truly talented man” – ShortList

“varying methods and mastery of expressing himself… an impressive feat.” – Clash

“Hip-hop doing what it does best –Rapacious, right-on shit” – DJ Mag

“casting black magic on his listener.” – The Sun

“a calm flow, a rhythmic agility and a neat line in mordantly witty rhymes” – 4 Stars – Uncut

“refreshing, inventive and insightful” – Mail on Sunday

“sardonic take on 21st-centuary politics and pop” – 4 Stars – Q

“a truly killer MC” – Dazed & Confused

“explosive, lyrically driven descriptions of modern life…an MC to listen out for” – Channel4.com

LOOK OUT FOR INTERNATIONAL GIGS AND FULL ‘MICroscope’ LIVE SHOW TOUR DATES IN FUTURE.

All press/promo enquiries please contact Rosie James: Rosie@decpromotions.co.uk / +44 (0)1273 694617

www.rizmc.com :: www.tru-thoughts.co.uk

Click HERE for tickets.

Check out the video for “All In The Ghetto” by original dons DNR Films 

Gentrification crunk for every ‘hood:

Upcoming Shows:

5th May – Live @ Leeds w/ Jakwob

10th May @ Coalition, great escape festival, brighton @ 1.30am

6th June w/ James Blake, Now Wave vs Hit&Run, Manchester

22nd June GOTTWALD FESTIVAL, Wales

6th July, HIT&RUN London, Corsica Studios

Here’s the new version of ‘ALL OF YOU’ featuring Plan B.
(You can still get a free download of the original version when you complete the MICroscope video game at www.rizmc.com/lab)

Produced by Lazersonic, directed by Thom McKay, & starring one of my favourite actresses Jodie Whittaker (Venus, Attack the Block, Black Mirror)

Out on 12th March on iTunes with remixes from dBridge, and RacknRuin, as well as the Original mix and Plan B version.

Aruba Red is someone I have known for years, since we were both picked by Nitin Sawhney to be part of the South Bank Centre’s Emerging Artist in Residence programme. She makes soulful, conscious music and is supporting Maverick Sabre in concert soon.

Plan B has been a long time collaborator since he appeared in my 2008 video Sour Times, and we made the track SHIFTY together with Sway soon after. Since then he played at my event Party4Pakistan, and I acted in his debut feature film asa director ‘iLL Manors’ – which is out in May 2012.

C
If you missed them, and want to know more, here’s a couple of interviews that were out recently, where I talk about iL Manors and other upcoming releases, in The Evening Standard and Shortlist Magazine.

I was in Egypt on the Anniversary of the revolution. I mainly hung out and didn’t do much. Basically people seemed pissed off that the revolution hadn;t brought any real change. I visited the actor Khalid Abdalla (Kite Runner, United 93) who works with this interesting NGO who make videos to try and mobilise people into refreshing the revolution.

I also took some photos. Click for full size.

Soon after Egypt I went to the Berlin Film Festival, where I was invited along with 9 other actors from across Europe to receive a ‘Shooting Stars’ award.

Here’s John Hurt giving me the award while saying “Jolly bloody well done matey!” like the absolute don that he is.

Am back in the socialist-capitalist, traditional-cutting edge, muticultural-classist, anomaly that is the UK.

Been a mad year. Have shot three films and signed to a label I respect and rate – Tru Thoughts – the home of Quantic, Bonobo, Zed Nias, Rodney P, Belleruche, and more. They will be releasing a deluxe CD edition of the MICroscope album in early 2012 – with loads of new remixes.

The way it has worked out was funny – I finished filming the exact same day I signed to Tru Thoughts, and the same day I turned 29. Was a good day. Except I had the shits and spent a lot of it on the toilet and in front of camera and hot lights. Dehli Belly Birthday.

So this is where I been…

Earlier in the year I shot Black Gold in Qatar, and Trishna in India.

Black Gold

TRISHNA

Just now I have finished a shoo for The Reluctant FUndamentalist. It was longer, and more of a journey than anything I’ve done. I always wanted to work with Mira Nair, since I saw Monsoon Wedding and Namesake – and always loved Mohsin Hamid‘s amazing novel . The shoot was gruelling – and inspiring becuase of what I learnt, who I met, and where I went…

To prepare for the character of Changez, I read up on international finance, Urdu poetry, and Pakistan US relations. This was eye opening enough (especially the amazing poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz), but then a lot of the journey also seemed to play out unexpectedly in really personal ways, while we were filming…

For example, I was in NYC on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 for research, and encountered some unbelievable racism, alongside some humbling and dignified mourners (a documentary of that day will be posted up over the next few weeks).

Then, the Occupy Wall St movement kicked off while we were shooting in NYC a month later! The main arguments of the protest at Zucotti Park, about how we really measure value, was a central thread of the film. It was interesting talking to people down there, so I made a documentary about it:

WHAT\’S IT LIKE AT OCCUPY WALL ST?

I also ended up reconnecting with Pakistan. My connection to Pakistan is mainly through the UK community here – which is very particular and has evoled in its own ways, but hanging out with novellist and singer Ali Sethi, Pakistani music star Meesha Shafi who plays my sister, meeting legendary Qawalli singer Fareed Ayaz – all this opened me up to a more spiritual, liberal, and humanist side of what’s going on in Pakistan.

Then, before we wrapped in India I snuck in a gig at the NH7 Music Festival in Pune, near Bombay. It was a really good gig, with DJ Nihal behind the decks for me, and a really receptive hard core at the front (despite around 60% stood watching, slightly confused). Have a look at the gig video (from 1 hour 11 minute).

Then we finished the film in Turkey. Istanbul hit me over the head and then stretched my skull – it shredded all fake East-West distinctions that we are fed growing up. It used to be capital of the Roman Empire, The Byzantine Christian Empire, the Ottoman Muslim Empire, and is a HUGE modern, liberal, secular city, full of white skinned, football crazy Muslims. It broke down lots of the pigeonholes that we take for granted.

Here’s the Aya Sophia – a church form 500 AD, full of Roman artefacts from 200 BC saved form Rome when the empire there fell, converted into a mosque in the 1400s. Notice the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus mosaic on the ceiling, which wasn’t covered up for at leats the first 100 years that it was being used as a mosque.

Above all tho it’s good to be home. I had another exhaustion related hospitalisation the minute I landed – was weird to go form 1st class to spending the night on an NHS Hospital trolley (keepin’ it real), but I guess my body needed to chill out properly.

Now I’m charged up and ready to make some ridonkuloid music for 2012.

Thanks for the support on fb, twitter, and everywhere.

x

The legendary Tru Thoughts label is gonna be releasing my debut album MICrosope on CD.

New remixes on this Deluxe Edition will include remixes from the following super heavyweights (I have linked their names to their sites in case you don’t know who they are)

Plan B remix of All of You, dBridge remix of All of You, Zed Bias remix of Dark Hearts, Bok Bok remix of Dark Hearts…As well as these remixes you have heard before from True Tiger, RacknRuin, and P Money.

Can’t wait to have a physical CD in my hands – hope you can support the release.

Right now I am in Atlanta, Georgia – shooting a big film with some big actors, that I’m really excited about… I hope to be able to tell you about it very soon!

I’m co-organizing this fundraiser for the Pakistan floods.

AMAZING LINEUP (the best in the world that night??)

URGENT SITUATION (20 million homeless!!!)

So please spread the word. All money goes to the DEC.

Tickets are here – first 100 are £10 get em quick!!!

If you’re lucky Plan B and myself will do an Ant+Dec tribute act.

…maybe even a bhangra version, check it out…