29 June 2008






pic: Eivind Molvaer



Seizing on an afternoon of non-adventure I compiled the following mix. Have a listen, enjoy it if you can, pass it on if you want.



/ Cosmic / Disco / Experimental / Edits /


Tracklisting:

Jean-Pierre Decerf & Gerard Zajd - Reaching The Infinite
Force Of Nature - Traderoute
The Creatures - Machine's Drama
Alan Shearer - Sons Of The Snake
The Diaphanoids - Escape From Martius 42
Alden Tyrell - Hills Of Honolulu
Automat - Droid
Sumeria - Cosmic Traveler
Knight Action - Single Girl
Neon - Skydiver
C.O.M.B.I. - You Got Love Song
Lovefingers - Zoysia
Easy Going - Do It Again
Giorgio Moroder - Utopia, Me Giorgio
Artefact - Mae
America - Horse With No Name
Super Mama Djombo - Dissan Na M'Bera
Sylvester - I Need Somebody To Love Tonight
Imagination - Just An Illusion (Lindstrom vs Terje Edit)
Andrew Allsgood - Raise It On Down
Helen - Zanzibar (Afro Mix)
Kaoru Inoue - Valley Of Light


DOWNLOAD - 96mb




In furtherance to the above.


Reverso 68 - Especial (alt link)


Killer guitar and synthwork from Reverso 68.


Georges Vert - Electric Bird (alt link)


Dramatic space disco joy from Georges Vert, taken from one of my favourite compilations of last year - Milky Disco.



And to bring you back to ground with a swoosh then a bang.


Sol & Snow - Diaz (alt link)


A deep and epic melodious house track that just builds and builds.


Photonz - Starting Points (alt link)


Crisp beats that unfurl into organised chaos, a crushing delivery of achingly cool electro house. That's Photonz.







27 June 2008







Bot'Ox - The Crash Theme (alt link)



Taken from DC Recordings wonderfully diverse new compilation "Death Before Distemper - Revenge Of The Iron Ferret" Bot'Ox is the recording name of Cosmo Vitelli and Julien Briffaz of French electro duo [T]ékël. The result is cosmic triumph.



Trophy - Slowflight (alt link)



One of Clone's Classic Cuts, Slowflight by Trophy was originally released in 1982, full of crude arpeggiating synths and a definite air of imperfection make this Italo-Disco hit a real winner.









25 June 2008






pic: worse, worst



Chrome Hoof - Egg'n'Bass (alt link)


Chrome Hoof - Tonyte (alt link)



Experimental doom disco orchestra Chrome Hoof are an act i'm totally excited for at Pukkelpop after missing out on seeing them a couple of times now. The live show is really meant to be something.



You may be after something a little more bassy and dancefloor friendly.



Jaimie Fanatic - Meet You At Six (alt link)



Leonard de Leonard - Screaming Dance (alt link)



After killing a Lillica Libertine track, Leonard de Leonard delivers up this. A nice stop start electro track with slightly less peril and screams than those found in this old Jensen Sportag (massively underrated) track.



Jensen Sportag - Japanese Zombie School Girls








23 June 2008






pic: Will Holder




Marcello Giordani - Respect Yourself (alt link)



The second release on Mule Musiq for Marcello Giordani, and quite an excellent one it is too. Dramaticism abounds in this synth heavy italo slammer.



Kasper Bjorke - Lost Signal (alt link)



I'd partly forgotten about the talents of Kasper Bjorke, In Gumbo is a great album.



Randaberg Ego Ensemble - Kepsj (alt link)



It's all about the drums in this track by Randaberg Ego Ensemble. If you like Lindstrom then you'll probably like this.



In Flagranti - Mothers Love (alt link)



Impeccable edit from the best there is - In Flagranti. Emotional R released on Mindless Boogie features 3 edits of obscure hits, so obscure I can't even find what the original of Mothers Love is and who by.



We've booked to go to Pukkelpop again this year, last years line up was incredible and too much fun was had by all, and this year is looking every bit as good. Over the next month or so i'll try and post a few tracks from the acts i'm looking forward to.








16 June 2008







Ambient / Downtempo/ Electronica

Move D and Benjamin Brunn - Mothercorn (alt link)



When I first heard this it was like taking a ride in a time machine back to around the turn of the century - my formative years when it came to electronica I suppose, becoming hooked on Morr Music releases by B.Fleischmann, Manual and many others, but perhaps most notably ISAN. Move D and Benjamin Brunn really hark back to that time on the track Mothercorn as do many of the other tracks on the album Songs From The Beehive. Downtempo electronica / Ambient IDM. Whatever, it's all good!



Ricardo Tobar - El Sunset


Ricardo Tobar - Made



Border Community and Ricardo Tobar. This release from Tobar fits right at home amongst the BC roster. This kind of electronica has almost become the signature sound for Border Community. Fuzzed out, organic, slightly off kilter analog dreamscapes. Made will no doubt call to mind M83 whereas El Sunset brings together the best parts of Holden and Fake. It doesn't get much better.



Efterklang - Mirador (Vincent Oliver Remix) (alt link)



Fellow friend of Border Community and talented visual artist Vincent Oliver puts his touches to Efterklang's Mirador here. The result sounds like a fantastical journey through a child's mind on a summers day trek through field after field, chasing butterflies, spotting mice.....i'll stop there. An enchanting pop translation of the epic original.


Finally, a wonderful example of the beauty found within ambiance.


Brael & Tokyo Bloodworm -
Golden Mean Rectangle (alt link)


Brael & Tokyo Bloodworm -
Seed



Brael & Tokyo Bloodworm combine intricate sound treatments with elements of dense, reduced shoegaze, lilting pop and breathless drones with an exquisite attention to detail. Released through Moteer, Living Language is without doubt one of the most sumptuous and immersive releases you will hear this year.








15 June 2008






Pic: Crystal Barlow




Hypnosis - Bormaz (Todd Terje Edit) (alt link)


Hypnosis were an Italian synth-disco band from the early '80s, born in Parma and founded by Stefano Cundari. They were particularly popular in Germany, thanks to a Vangelis cover of Pulstar. Bormaz and Oxygene were tow tracks released on a 12" in 1983 with the latter being written by Jean-Michel Jarre. Bormaz receives the subtle edit treatment from Todd Terje here. About as catchy as it can get, incredible.




909d1sco - Donnerstag (alt link)


909d1sco - Alien Attakk (alt link)


Boys Noize - Arcade Robot (alt link)


Archigram - Padre



909d1sco is/was a lesser known alias of Boys Noize. Under the 909d1sco moniker Alex Ridha released the extremely limited vinyl only bootleg entitled 'Donnerstag'. It really is quite special, instantly calling to mind as strange as it may seem, The Field, with its consecutively looped segments over a very dancefloor friendly beat creating a tremendous feel good dance track that offers a firm nod in the direction of italo-disco. The other track Alien Attakk samples the best part of Lipps Inc's Funky Town along with the intro Boys Noize's track Arcade Robot (which in turn sounds like a danced up version of an old fave by Archigram). Not half as good as Donnerstag but still worth a listen.



Mix number 2 - Minimal


Compared to my last offering this mix stays a lot more within the confines of minimal/tech-house and delivers up some great new tunes as well as a couple of old favourites. I hope you enjoy it and can forgive the occasional slip up in mixing! But all in all I think it's quite a good listen.


Tracklisting


Ulysses - Resistance (Tony Rohr Remix)
Dusty Kid - Constant Rising (Mason Remix)
Falko Brocksieper - Lament
3 Channels - It's Gettin' Kinda Hectic (Steve Berry Remix)
Crackdown - Politic Velvet
Trulz & Robin - Move Your Ass Guttan
Stephan Bodzin - Mondfahrt
Rekorder - Rekorder 0.0
Nathan Fake - The Sky Was Pink (James Holden Remix)
Oxia - 12 Years Later
Style Of Eye - The Prophet
Hugg & Pepp - Mormor
Apparat - Fractales (Apparat Ibiza Version)
Williams - The Unbearable Truth
Phil Kieran - Again And Again
Arne Michel - Goodbye//Danke (Basic Remix By Chat Noir)

Length - 1hour 1minute 10seconds

DOWNLOAD - 84mb












13 June 2008







Dusty Kid - Constant Rising (alt link)


Dusty Kid is yet another promising Italian production talent. This track is very reminiscent of a certain Franz & Shape track, persistent driving electro beats.


Boy 8-bit - Suspense Is Killing Me


Boy 8-bit goes from strength to strength. The nauseating sub bass will kill you. Drop The Lime has also done a mix of this track which is on Boy 8-bit's new EP.


Morten Sorensen - Start Something


Morten Sorensen's EP is still on high rotation for me. This track reminds me of a funked up Simian Mobile Disco. Yeah.









12 June 2008







Techno-ish.


Kiko - Requiem For A Dream (alt link)
buy




Oliver Huntemann - Paris (alt link)
buy

The breakdown in the middle is nuts.




Paul Kalkbrenner - Altes Kamuffel
buy




Jesse Somfay - The Days Of My Youth Ended With Broken Bottles (Dominik Eulberg and Riley Reinhold Remix) (alt link)


I love Riley Reinhold and his Traum Schallplatten label, responsible for some great output over the years. The label recently reached the 10 year and 100 release milestone and put out a triple LP in celebration - solid. The next collab with Steve Barnes is a great piece of minimal tech-disco



Riley Reinhold & Steve Barnes - Odyssey (alt link)




Broker/Dealer - Midnight

Brilliant dreamy stuff.







6 June 2008







Gameplay - Beirut Disco (alt link)

Beirut - Nantes (alt link)

A sublime edit of Beirut's track 'Nantes'. The pumping beats give the track a whole new aura that's ready for the summeriest of disco dancefloors - bouncy, melodic, underpinned by a solid four four and topped off with a woozy feel. Gameplay's promising debut EP is a certain triumph with the other track paying homage Balaeric style to self-taught French double-bassist Henri Texier. Get the vinyl release HERE.

Peter Visti - Heaven Is A Disco (alt link)

Some more essential Balaeric listening from Peter Visti and his exquisite follow up to 'Balaeric Love'. Heaven Is A Disco has a glorious driving rhythm, it's all about the solid basslines and dreamy synths. Eskimo continue to do no wrong. An aside - check out Eskimo's Cosmic Disco?! Cosmic Rock?! mixed by Daniele Baldelli. Solid gold from yonder.






3 June 2008







Of Norway - Arch Enemy (Mix 1) (alt link)



Taken from the excellent new compilation I Love Norway this track from duo Of Norway provides an atmosphere that swathes its listener with an abundance of exquisitely applied sounds layered over an inherently minimal backbone. Nice.



John Tejada & Arian Leviste - Mathemagician (alt link)



This could soundtrack the workings of a complex machine. Formulaic and crisp. The machine would be housed in clean surroundings with the men operating it decked out in raiment white.



Lithops - Harpoon Point (alt link)



This could soundtrack the workings of an industrial beast. Also formulaic, however, weathered by laborious duties possibly involving molten lead. Lithops is actually a side project of Mouse On Mars and Von Sudenfed member Jan St Werner. Mound Magnet offers all kinds of experimental IDM joys.



Well, i'm as good as there now and I haven't posted some more experimental stuff in time. So here's a very brief selection of what i'm digging.



Neptune - Grey Shallows (alt link)

Neptune and their homemade oscillators make for a Numbers (when they were about fun) meets Les Georges Leningrad sound.


Kruton - Nitro Hassle

A coalescence of what sounds like all your favourite TV theme tunes and Herbie Hancock tracks into a sordid 8 minute minimal synth triumph! Dissident continue to keep hammering out these tracks that reek of bygone uncool times but somehow manage to make it sound 100% bang up to date.


Droon - Cripplefight (alt link)

Breakcore to the max it's Droon who samples South Park and completely kills it along with Belinda Carlisle and the abhorrence that is trance music. Even if you detest breakcore this is worth a listen just for the experience.


Cheap Dinosaurs - Hot Plate

Pitch shifting 8-bit delight from one of my favourite chiptune exponents - Cheap Dinosaurs


And that's the reason I hate being asked: "So what sort of music are you into?"




2 June 2008







Sally Shapiro - I'll Be By Your Side (Tensnake Remix) (alt link)


Tensnake - Look To The Sky (alt link)



Techno with an '80s italo twist. Tensnake's older stuff definitely has more of a techno vibe to it whereas his recent remixes and upcoming Keep Believin' EP are very indicative of his adoration for the early '80s disco sound. A winning combination that I think can keep both the technophiles and revivalists happy.



John Daly - Move (alt link)



John Daly's 'Move' is full of heavy toms, eurodisco bassline and arpeggios, all anchored with a strong melody that just wont leave your head. The other track on this 12" is in stark contrast, a drawn out 10 minute affair that wouldn't sound out of place at the end of a 1970's sci-fi flick.