Hello everyone and welcome to the first installment of a brand new guide to music, brought to you by ULIP Radio. The idea of this new blog feature is to impart upon you our diverse knowledge of music. Each guide will feature videos and lots of downloadable content for your perusal. The first guide that we have decided to share with you is for electro swing, a fairly new genre that is becoming increasingly popular, especially in Paris. Its as simple as it sounds really. Swing music mixed with modern house/hip hop/electronic production. First here is a brief history of how and when the electric swing genre originated.


Electro swing first arrived on the music scene in the mid 1990s. Although there were a few one-off hits, on the whole, at this point, the genre remained distinctly underground. Our favourite track that helped kickstart this new style of music is by an American two-man swing-hop group called Jimmy Luxury & The Tommy Rome Orchestra. The song we have chosen is called Cha Cha. The video is great and the song is so very catchy. We think it even featured in Oceans 11. A gold star for anyone who can spot Bernie Mac in this video. We double dare you not to like this song:

Just a few years later, this exciting new genre had trickled across the pond to sunny Macclesfield, where Andy Carthy, better known as Mr. Scruff, released his popular dance track, "Get A Move On". A faster paced take on swing music - with more of a house influence that Jimmy Luxury. Have a listen:

By the mid 2000s, electro swing was fast gaining in popularity. And in 2010, electro swing music charted properly for the first time in the UK. Gramophonedzie, a Serbian producer, shot to stardom with his irresistibly catchy song "Why Don't You". We're sure, here at ULIP Radio, that you've heard the song before. But in case you haven't. Here it is: 

Electro swing has now become hugely popular across Europe and the rest of the world. The Electro Swing Club franchise that began in Berlin, draws in huge crowds. Their home in Paris is La Java, in Belleville. They host regular club nights dedicated to electro swing music, with burlesque shows, dancers and live music performances.

Now here's the bit you've all been waiting for. The links to all the free stuff. Our favourite electro swing DJ of the moment is Odjbox, an English producer. Have a look at his SoundCloud page. He has quite a few tracks that you can download for free.

Finally, here is a free song for you all to download. Its by Parov Stelar, an Austrian DJ who has really shaped electro swing into what it is today. It was his Etage Noir label that since 2005 has been releasing electro swing tunes. Stelar is often considered one of the founding fathers of electro swing. Anyway, enough musing for now. We hoped you enjoyed our very first musical guide. This song is called Baska Brothers. We hope you enjoy it.

Lots of love from Joe and Emma
ULIP Radio

Just thought I'd point you all in the direction of an up-and-coming UK Hip Hop artist, Jungle VIP, a.k.a. Louis Butler. I actually got the chance to interview Louis last summer for Roundhouse Radio in London. Here's a clip from the interview, where you can get to know a little more about him...

As you can see, Jungle VIP is making serious headway and quickly gaining recognition. You gotta listen to a man who's main inspiration is Nas. Anyway, here are a couple more videos for you. The first is his title track, "Jungle VIP", that uses a sample that you all should recognise. The second is a freestyle from a couple of weeks ago that really showcases Louis' talent. So keep your eyes peeled for the Jungle VIP in 2012!