Mike Skinner has begun work on the final album from The Streets.
Posting on his MySpace blog, the rapper-producer revealed that he is writing songs for his collective's fifth album, which he has previously told NME.COM will be the last under that name.
Revealing he is having a mixing board custom made for him, Skinner wrote that he will not be able to begin recording until he takes delivery of his new equipment next month, so is concentrating on lyric writing.
"I've got four songs," he declared. "Not sure whether they're up to album standard so instead of the usual process of total A&R confusion I will post some on tinterweb at random."
He added: "And when The Streets lighter turns blue [the lighter logo is green on current album 'Everything Is Borrowed'] next year we're on the last album."
The Streets' Mike Skinner has revealed that he is working on a new "rave"-style album.
Writing on his blog at Myspace.com/thestreets, Skinner explained that the follow-up to 2008's 'Everything Is Borrowed' would be influenced by the German city of Berlin.
"The album doesn't sound like Lou Reed's 'Berlin'," he wrote, "because I never said Lou Reed, I only said 'Berlin'. Incorporating some kind of post-modernist arthouse Bauhaus row with foul mouths. But it's not that at all.
"It now sounds ravey. It is a ravey album that bludgeons you over the head with its stick of 1988 Romford, Blackpool and Philadelphia rock. It is an insane album."
Skinner also wrote that he had been composing the album, rumoured to be the last under The Streets moniker, from the comfort of his home.
"I don't have a studio at the moment, so my sofa is it," he wrote. "It is actually quite a good studio," he explained. "It is warm and software can do such a great job these days."
The Streets' Mike Skinner has revealed that his next studio album will be released in February.
The star revealed the information while meeting fans on London Bridge in the UK capital.
Skinner had sent a message via his Twitter page, Twitter.com/skinnermike, saying he would give £95 to the first fan who said "Messi messed up the reds" to him at midday (BST) on the bridge, referencing last night's (May 27) Champions League final.
In a video interview during the meet, which you can watch by clicking below, Skinner said that he decided to offer the money simply "because I found £100 in my pocket". He then revealed that the follow-up to his latest album, 2008's 'Everything Is Borrowed', would be out next February.
He has previously suggested that the record would be the fifth and last he would release under The Streets imprint.
"We're rehearsing at the moment so I'm really busy," he added, before confirming his ambition to make a film following the release of his next album.
Watch Skinner meeting the fans by clicking on the two videos below.
Mike Skinner has revealed the title of The Streets' next album by posting it on his Twitter account.
He explained that the LP, set for release in February, will be titled 'Computers And Blues'.
In a Tweet on the site the solo artist/producer explained that he was "looking at blue lighters".
When fans asked him why he replied in non-grammatical fashion: "The lighter is blue because a: the album is called 'Computers And Blues'. b: I've already used orange which is close to red."
Skinner did not reveal when 'Computers And Blues' would be released, or confirm whether it would be his last under the Streets moniker, as he hinted would be the case in December.
Previously, Skinner explained to NME.COM why the next Streets album would be likely to be his last, and also why he likes using lighters for his music's artwork.
"I did a five-album deal and I don't think it would be right to be making Streets albums after those five," he said. "I always envisaged them as a box set type thing, all the design has been set in stone in a way, there's a style to it.
"I've got a vision for each of the albums, the next one will bring it back to the start in a way. It will be a lot more futuristic in terms of the production and it's going to be a lot more train of thought which the first album was. Maybe when I'm 40 and broke I might come back, but it all feels a bit pants really."
Talking of the artwork (Clipper lighters have appeared on various Skinner promotional material throughout his musical career), Skinner revealed that he's looked into getting the brand to make him some custom designs.
"I'm a bit gutted that Clipper don't make a lighter in the right green though," he said. "They only do dark green and they'll only do you a custom colour if you order 100,000!"
The Streets' Mike Skinner has revealed that he has recruited The Music's singer Rob Harvey to provide vocals on his next album.
Skinner revealed the collaboration on his website, Skinnermike.com, where he posted up a picture of himself with Harvey and explained the situation.
"Rocking out with Rob Harvey from The Music on some vocals for my album," he wrote. "We've been mates for (a long) time but something clicked musically recently."
The Streets' next - and final - album has not leaked online, despite a compilation called 'Computers And Blues' appearing online amid claims it was the new record.
This morning (March 4) fans started sharing the 14-song file batch of Mike Skinner songs, believing it to be the follow-up to 2008's 'Everything Is Borrowed'.
However despite the speculation, the tracks contained in fact prove to be a collection of the "works in progress" that Skinner posted online last year via Twitter while he was recording the album.
Songs on the 14-track collection including 'I Love My Phone' and 'He's Behind You, He's Got Swine Flu' had previously been linked to on Skinner's official Twitter page, http://twitter.com/SkinnerMike.
'Computers And Blues' is set for release later this year.
The Streets' Mike Skinner has posted a new video of himself working in the studio on what he has said will be the final album under the band's name.
The singer has uploaded a clip entitled 'Comfortable' onto his official site, The-streets.co.uk. It features a series of messages accompanied by instrumental music and Skinner playing the keyboard.
The Streets look set to release their new album on February 7 next year.
A countdown ticker at the band's official website, http://www.the-streets.co.uk, is currently active and set to end on that date. NME understands that the album is complete and that The Streets mainman Mike Skinner had been planning an early 2011 release.
Here it is then - Mike Skinner's supposed last hurrah under the moniker The Streets. We've had five albums in almost a decade from the bard of Brum, and whatever you think about his music now, it's undeniable how influential he's become since 'pushing things forward' way back when.
He's all but confirmed this as the final Streets album - and still hasn't given many clues as to what he'll do next. Admittedly, he never truly made it as the British Eminem, and Dizzee Rascal has long since stolen his mainstream rapper du jour crown, yet to a certain ilk of society Skinner'll forever be held in high regard. So without further ado, let's put on our copy of 'Computers And Blues' and have a little dance (sorry, listen) shall we?
Outside Inside Backwards vocals and bleepy computer samples swirl around before Skinner kicks into action, ordering the world to "wake up and smell the coffee". It morphs into a slow-paced, sax-heavy funk shuffle, lyrically seeming to centre around the perils of smoking way too much dope and not actually doing anything productive.
Going Through Hell '99 Problems'-style guitars and a lengthy, proper chorus sung by The Music's Rob Harvey. This is Skinner embracing his inner AC/DC-isms, and an introduction to the guitar-heavy side of the record (guitars alongside drum machines, keys and dub bass, we should add).
Roof Of Your Car Mike gets all woozy, singing about romance. And massive joints. And weird scientific stuff. And good, and band, and evil. All while sweet sounding arpeggios descend around him.
Puzzled By People Lyrically harking back to the Skinner of old, 'Puzzled By People' is one of those wise, wide-boy rants that helped make him stand out all those years ago. "We never had a crossed word/My words got lost and you never heard/I'm too down/You're one across the room," he chirps.
Without A Blink A blatant steal from Eric Prydz' 'Call On Me' (itself sampled from Steve Winwood's 'Valerie') - until it flips 180 and goes into a fey funk riposte - this could almost be Skinner's lyrical interpretation of Andrew WK's 'Party Hard'. Let's face it, such enthusiasm for going out on the town and getting on it is quite admirable after all these years.
Blip On A Screen "A blip on a screen/You don't know me/I think about you/And what you'll grow to be". And here you have it - Mike Skinner's first paean to an unborn child.
Those That Don't Know Rhyme after rhyme of weed-fuelled madness and a homage to London town to boot. Probably the fastest song on the album, which generally veers between medium paced and ever so slightly faster. Mike's riffing on the stars, space, time, partying, girls, getting older and smoking dope here – evidently the central themes of 'Computers & Blues'.
Soldiers Rob Harvey's back, sounding more like Noddy Holder than anyone else ever in the history of the world (that includes you, Noddy), backing up Skinner while he bigs up the festival massive. "80,000 people in a state of rowdy fever/There will never be a sequel to this evening", his story it starts. You get the impression it has been designed purely to cater for the Glasto/Reading/Beni masses.
We Can Never Be Friends Alongside 'Dry Your Eyes', probably the most obvious ballad Mike's ever penned, and this tackles a similar subject matter too. Peppered with Gallagher-esque guitar breaks slotted in neatly between the vocals.
ABC Sounding like the older, grimmer brother of 'Too Much Brandy', Mike gets his lyric on with an alphabet-exercise in rhyme here (literally - he ends each line with a letter). So we get: "A/You can't say what you B/I don't see what you C/I hear a melo-D"… you get the picture.
OMG Another slowie that portrays a series of character-based revelations played out across a Facebook page. The sly storytelling wit could have slotted quite happily in the grand scheme Mike cooked up on 'A Grand Don't Come For Free'.
Trying To Kill M.E. Rolling, repetitive piano loops provide backing to an older and wiser Skinner here, intent on rallying against everything from drugs to music to, well, pretty much everything else that makes him tick in 2010. The final 30 seconds morph into a neat little new song, where he spits stuff like "the oldest cell in my body is only 10 years old". Now that can't actually be true, can it?!
Trust Me This one you'll know, as it was one of the tracks leaked on Twitter in 2009. It's really great too - Skinner sounds just as young, energised and downright vital as he did on 'Original Pirate Material'.
Lock The Locks Fades in from the end of 'Trust Me', and reveals itself to be something of a teary, sorrowful goodbye note. The last ever Streets song? Quite possibly. Of course, the whole thing is done in character, with Mike re-imagining himself leaving some dull office job, but it's totally designed to have you reading between the grooves. Juicy lines like "I never stood up for what I wanted to do" must surely been included to be pored over. Skinner ends the record - the final Streets record - by rapping: "I'm packing up my desk/Put it into boxes/Knock out the lights/Lock the locks and leave." And that's it. Bye bye.
The Streets, 'Computers And Blues' is released on February 7
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