The 3rd London Independent Label Market took place in Spitalfields on Saturday. 30+ labels including Warp, XL, Domino, Ninja Tune and Bella Union set up stalls for a day, run by the label staff. Many thanks to Yu Sato for hand-making the bunting and shout out to everyone who came down. More info interviews etc at The405 and TLOBF. If you couldn’t make it, check out Lex online store…

Photograph by Sonny Malhotra for The Line of Best Fit

The latest issue of Bonafide includes an interview with DOOM. Magazine available in shops now and free Lex T-shirts for the first 20 people who order copies at their website. mini-preview here:

“Hmmm, I’m not sure about that shit.” Cue slightly uncomfortable silence. This wasn’t the start I was hoping for as one of rap and indeed modern music’s most intriguing voices gives my opening gambit short shrift (for the record, I asked him about the reported beef between his old friend and collaborator MC Serch and the Beastie Boys).

I interviewed DOOM as a precursor to his first UK tour late last year, including the much-anticipated London date with Ghostface Killah, as well as the not so small detail of the DOOMSTARKS collaborative album, Swift & Changeable. A release that still seems no closer to a reality several months on and is perhaps better left in a fragmented cyberspace of memory, mystery and the imagination of rap raconteurs.

The only real nugget of insight so far has been the DOOM produced Victory Laps single (although the superior Madvillainz remix saw the first public airing) – steeped in DOOM’s signature lo-fi keyboard loop and dusty drum sound, both he and Ghost spit fire but it feels a little like a warm up, an apéritif – what of the main course? DOOM, evasive for perhaps the only time we speak, hints at the reason: “That’s my brother from another mother. Well, Victory Laps is out, it’s taken a while but it’s coming out. He’s [Ghostface] not easy but he makes it fun, trust me, there’s going to be a lot of story-type shit.”

Despite almost twenty years of recorded output, DOOM’s music seems to inspire and influence more artists in hip-hop and beyond now than it ever has. Why is this? Perhaps the answer is in the question, DOOM, or Daniel Dumile as is written on his British passport, is a man of some experience and over the past decade has gone about cultivating a musical alter-ego like no other. This isn’t in a controlling ‘I’ve spent a million dollars on this video’ but rather from making mainly only the right decisions. From his collaborative efforts, which are often as surprising as they are interesting, to knowing when to introduce a new rap guise (possibly only Kool Keith can claim to have more aliases) and holding back enough to perpetuate the enigma, ‘DOOM is not on Twitter’ states the verified account for those who bother looking…

DOOM & Ghostface Killah will be touring in Australia this June. Tickets available now from the following locations / websites. DOOMSTARKS track ‘VICTORY LAPS’ available to download here.

ADELAIDE - 1/6/12 - HQ (Oztix, Venuetix, Clinic 116, Klinic, Cold Krush)
SYDNEY - 2/6/12 - Enmore (Oztix, Ticketek, Lopez, Notorious, 567 King)
PERTH – 3/6/12 – Metropolis  (Oztix, Moshtix)
BRISBANE – 8/6/12 – Arena (Oztix).
MELBOURNE – 9/6/12 – Forum (Ticketmaster)

Complex Vol.1 is now available in record stores worldwide and online:
Vinyl + MP3 + Poster at Lex Online Shop
iTunes: US / UK / Australia / France /  Ireland. Amazon: US / UK.
Boomkat / 7 Digital / EMusic / Piccadilly / Bleep

10 exclusive tracks, remixes and collaborations to celebrate 10 years of the label… DOOM with Thom Yorke / Jonny Greenwood, a Danger Mouse & Jemini track from their Ghetto Pop era, Dave Sitek remixes a new track from the forthcoming JJ DOOM album, Neon Neon (aka. Gruff Rhys & Boom Bip) return with a track based on Jonny Carson’s alleged involvement in the Delorean story… Xeno & Oaklander make  a rare appearance with a live studio session version of their most recent album title track, Zongamin & Drew Brow (aka. Tiago La / S.A.Andrée) collaborate as Stalactite… plus new tracks by Jel (Subtle/Themselves), Boom Bip and Jneiro Jarel.

Free MP3s when you order the vinyl via Lex online shop HERE. Album preview via Soundcloud below:

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip’s track Thou Shalt Always Kill was released on Lex 5 years ago last Monday. To celebrate, we’ve got 5 white label test-pressings of the long sold-out 7″ vinyl to give away signed by Dan and Pip. UPDATE: COMPETITION NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WERE ANNOUNCED 24th APRIL 2012.

Meanwhile, watch their special one-off performance of Thou Shalt Always Kill live from Dan’s kitchen HERE.

Amapola – A night of tropical musica with live Cumbia from Malphino.
King Charles I pub – Kings Cross, 55 Northdown Road, London, N1 9BL. 7-11pm. See you there…

DOOM is performing live in London on October 12th at The Forum in Kentish Town. after show club night including Dels and Bullion. Tickets available via Soundcrash.

DOOM is performing live at Sónar Festival in São Paulo in association with Red Bull Music Academy – 11th May – SonarVillage - 23:30. More info and tickets at the Sonar website.

The latest addition to Lex 10th anniversary compilation is from Crook&Flail aka Andy Broder (Fog) with Adam Drucker (Doseone, Subtle, Themselves), recorded around the soundtrack to Alan Moore’s Unearthing audiobook project. Download MP3 and pre-order 12″ picture disc at Lex online shop. Photo artwork by Yu Sato.

Knuckle Sandwich II is the sequel to a track from Danger Mouse & Jemini’s Ghetto Pop Life album and is the latest addition to Lex 10th anniversary compilation Complex. Both tracks were recorded around the same time however this is the first time part II has been pressed to vinyl. Download MP3 and pre-order 12″ picture disc at Lex online shop.