The New Wu Review

In a typical market leader move, Wu-Tang Clan are jumping headfirst into the music distribution website bandcamp.com. 2013 has seen a bunch of new releases trickling out via the Soul Temple Music label and it's really starting to crank up.

Bandcamp.com pays back a much larger percentage of royalties to artists and labels than other services, taking only 10 – 15 percent for distribution. It's such a great model for artists it's not surprising to see the savvy Wu Corp taking advantage of this as early adopters. With the album price for these releases set at about eight bucks, it's also a great deal for fans.

It all started with the RZA's soundtrack to his film The Man With The Iron Fists. Soul Temple Music used the Bandcamp platform exclusively to release mega-deluxe versions of the compilation.

Listen to The Man With The Iron Fists here.

As previewed extensively at the Wu-Tang Coachella performance, Ghostface Killah followed suit by releasing the fantastic full length album Twelve ReasonsTo Die. Produced by Adrian Younge, the album's classic Wu-Tang style combined with Ghostface's lyrical rap opera makes it a very worthwhile addition to the canon.

Listen to Twelve Reasons To Die here.

With the freedom allowed by digital releases, the label has followed this up with Twelve Reasons To Die: The Brown Tape – an alternative version of the entire record produced by Apollo Brown. Brown's beats also follow the formula of classic Wu, but his sample-based interpretation gives the songs a completely different feel. This idea of two different versions of the exact same record could indeed be a world first.

Listen to Twelve Reasons To Die: The Brown Tape here.

In the past few weeks, some actual Wu-Tang proper singles have started dropping. The first was Execution In Autumn, produced by Frank Dukes. The track features rhymes by Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, RZA and an amazing verse from U God. It's uncertain whether this is a new track or something from the vaults, but either way it hasn't seen the light of day before. The track is a free download, and was also pressed as a limited edition seven inch which sold out almost instantly.

Listen to Execution In Autumn here.

This was followed by the RZA produced joint, Family Reunion - an ode to the Wu Family with Masta Killa, Method Man and Ghostface paying respect to ODB. It's more likely this track will show up on the new album than Execution In Autumn. It is also being sold as a limited edition seven inch single while being simultaneously offered as a free download.

Listen to Family Reunion here.

A Tony Touch track Unorthodox featuring Raekwon, JD Era, Ghostface and RZA is also available as seven inch single and download.

Listen to Unorthodox here.

Tuesday 23 July will see the release of a new album from U-God, The Keynote Speaker. Pre-sales have begun with a five minute sampler of the album available as a teaser. GZA, Method Man and Styles P will all appear on the record.

Listen to that teaser here.

With the new Wu-Tang album proper scheduled for a July release, the 20th Anniversary year of the Clan's classic genre defining debut Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) is providing a wealth of treasure for the Wu-Tang enthusiast so far.