Terrorbird

Welcome, come on in, sit down, be at ease. I want to take you back - back, back, back into the mists of time, when Margaret Thatcher was still - just - in power, Nelson Mandela had just been released from prison, the World Cup was won not by Germany but by West Germany and a man called Tim Berners-Lee published a formal proposal for something esoteric called the World Wide Web. And two young DJ/producers, fresh from their success with the likes of household names such as Yazz and Lisa Stansfield as well as in their own right, returned from a tour of Japan sick of major label bullsh*t and decided to set up on their own. These two fresh-faced young men, Jon More and Matt Black, collectively known as Coldcut, made NINJA TUNE.

Twenty years! Twenty fu*king years!? That's a long time for anything, but for an independent record label it's aeons. So yes, we are going to make a fuss. Yes, we are going to celebrate. But this will not be a tired cash-in, a festival of re-tread or an orgy of old. NO! We are focussing on new material, new newness.

The Box Set
So this is it. You've heard us going on about foiling and seven inch singles and clothbound this and that. There will also be 4 CDs of new music, blinding remixes and full-on exclusives. But first, a recap.

The Ninja Tune label is twenty years old this September. Yes, it's two whole decades since Matt Black and Jon More (aka Coldcut) first released music under that stealthy imprint. And twenty years on Ninja is still going strong, if not stronger, if not stronger than stronger. What we've put together to celebrate this momentous anniversary is not a retrospective but what we're calling a futurespective (that's the kind of people we are. We make up words and you either buy in or we come round your house and suffocate you with a crisp packet.) What we mean is it's a compilation of new stuff, of newness and newly made remixes that are new. What we mean is it's really fucking good, what we mean is... oh, just listen.

So, here we go (this is a fool's game in that one man's monkey is another man's amour.) In terms of the four CDs, particular moments to look out for include (but aren't limited to): Two Fingers' absolutely pummeling opener "Fools"; Autechre's minimalist remix of The Bug's "Skeng"; Toddla T and Ms Dynamite's new collaboration; the return of Big Dada Sound with the cream of the label's UK MCs riding a Bless Beats rhythm; Micachu's remix of Roots Manuva's "Dub Styles"; new and exclusive tracks from Zomby and Dorian Concept (which are killer, but we would say that) ; the Floating Points Ensemble's epic soul-jazz number "Post Suite"; the exquisite link-up between Lou Rhodes and The Cinematic Orchestra on "One Good Thing"; Diplo remix of his own classic "Summer's Gonna Hurt You"; Todd Edward's twisted hijack of Spank Rock's "What It Look Like"; Gaslamp Killer's vicious re-work of DJ Vadim's classic "Terrorist"; the truly far-out "Foley Room" reinterpretation from the Kronos Quartet; Mark Pritchard's virtuosic take on Poirier's "Get Crazy"; Mala's dubphonic interpretation of Andreya Triana's "A Town Called Obsolete"; or a hostof killer tracks from new and up-and-coming artists including Eskmo, Emika, Shuttle, Dark Sky, Offshore and DELS. This four CD promo willbe - more or less - the first four CDs in the box set - these CDs will also have a general commercial release as two double packs (are you following?). A few tracks haven't come in on schedule and they'll be added but it should give you an idea.

And remember, while all of this material will be available in two 2CD packs for consumption in your local HMV, the box set will contain two further complete CDs, plus six 7" singles which will NEVER be anywhere other than in that box. Or on your turntable, obviously. Plus box set owners will also be able to download the King Cannibal mix album, "The Way Of The Ninja" and will be sent 2 free exclusive 12"s more details of which below, cos we just can't give you enough...

What you haven't got, but will also be in the box set is further exclusive music and remixes by Coldcut, Roots Manuva, King Geedorah, The Cinematic Orchestra, Zomby, Modeselektor , The Orb, Cut Chemist,Gold Panda, 808 State, Jaga Jazzist, Prefuse 73,The Heavy, Mr Scruff, EL-P, Kid Koala, Rustie, cLOUDDEAD, Matthew Herbert and many more....(phew)

And, even though by now you are completely exhausted and intimidated by the sheer MAGNIFICENCE of the package we have placed on the table in front of you, its weight, its depth, the circumference of that bad boy, despite all that we still have more to say.

There are 12"s. There are lots of 12"s. (vinyl is not dead, merely resting) Exclusive box set 12"s (only buyers of box set get these, by way of a digital code with the box set for FREE - cos we're like that)

The Book
The paperback edition of "Ninja Tune: 20 Years of Beats and Pieces" will be available soon through Black Dog Publishing, as part of their acclaimed Labels Unlimited series. The book is written by esteemed music journalist Stevie Chick (a founder of Loose Lips Sinks Ships as well as long term NME scribe and current contributor to the Guardian, Mojo etc and author of books on Black Flag and Sonic Youth, amongst others) and includes exclusive interviews with key artists and label staff. Its 192 pages are also lavishly illustrated with original photographs, illustrations and flyers plundered from the depths of Ninja Tune and their artists' archives.

Events
Ninja Tune will be throwing a whole lot of parties in many different countries to celebrate twenty years. You can find more info on their their events in Europe and Japan HERE.

There will be two U.S. Ninja Tune XX celebrations in NY and LA.

28th October New York, NY @ Santos feat.
Amon Tobin, Kid Koala, DJ Food, Poirier, Toddla T, DJ Kentaro, Eskmo, Ghostbeard

30th October Los Angeles, CA @ Echo/Echoplex feat.
Amon Tobin, Kid Koala, DJ Food, Cut Chemist, Toddla T, Eskmo, DJ Kentaro, Ghostbeard