More Aquacrunk, some Fromage Disco re-edits, Foamo Rockerman remix cos why not,

Firstly to bring to your attention the comment left by Mole below in response to my Aquacrunk post. He said:

" absurd yes, one man no. check out flying lotus, hudson mohawke, dabrye and those of that ilk for more of the same..."

Have checked out Flying Lotus, who is based Stateside, and he's making some diverse noises. He asserts himself with phat dubby/junglist electronica with an old school hip hop flavour, before crossing over into 8-bitty drum-burn, through spine-tingling female vocals with muted polyphonic synths (on Auntie's Lock Infinitum), and it's pretty exciting, and certainly wildly eclectic, stuff. Something to appeal to a lot of niche music fans.

Flying Lotus Myspace

Quite different, but arguably connected is Rustie's fellow 'Wegian, Hudson Mohawke.
The sound is a lot more British, and despite my first impression being Eletronica-Smooooooth-Groove (on Still On It, at least) more than Crunk, I could stretch to accept the latter as a loose term. His Myspace calls him Emotronica/Emotronica - which, whilst added with his tongue no doubt firmly in his cheek - describes him curtly. At times like Death Cab jamming on an MPC and an old 78 player,with DJ Shadow having a bubble bath with Nathan Fake and Cloud Dead in the corner, before the lot of them get drunk on Cava and head down Oceana to get their thang' on. (excuse the exuberent over-extended-flog-it-for-all-it's-worth-metaphor, sometimes you just get carried away).

His myspace boasts some BIG tunes anyway, and when not doing the unexpected he manages to squeeze in hook after hook. Just check out 'Zooo0o0Oo0m (or whatever it's called) on his Myspace. Massive.

Hudson Mohawke Myspace


Next up -


Some tasty disco re-edits by Fromage Disco.

Fromage Disco was started as a club night 2 years ago by Nate B and Dr Disconyx in Melbourne, Australia. They specialise in disco house nu/old disco, and have been 'churning out' re-edits for some time now. A couple of their best:

The Supreme's - High Energy (Fromage Mother Edit)


Hall and Oats - I can't go for that (Fromage Yacht Rock edit)

Myspaceeeeeee

Next -



It's seen a lot of exposure, but I was reminded of this as my good friends in Exeter had managed to bag Foamo for their new night Bangers and Tash at The Amber Rooms on Nov 20th. And it's a class record.

Foamo - Rockerman (Lee Mortimer Remix)

Another strong Lee Mortimer remix (in full 320 glory)

TJR - Sonic Chronic (Lee Mortimer Remix)

Aquacrunk!?

I dearly love a new genre - and the more niche and silly the better - and so when Dean Lofi pointed me in the direction of Aquacrunk, I was not to be dissapointed!

Essentially, Aquacrunk is Glaswegian Electronica-Crunk. Which of course inevitably misses the mark, explaining nothing, thus qualifying the exsitence of the genre title. Aquacrunk makes the crunk link clear, and gives a 'feeling' of what the sound is really like, but in essence a new genre like this needs a silly name to act as signifier for the music itself.

Listening to Rustie - my first impression is of just a glitchy, experiemental hip-hop. Is this was those in the know would call Electronica Crunk (with a Glaswegian twist?), or is this just hopeful scene alchemy? (and if it is, is there anything wrong with this??).

As already stated, I love a good new genre, but it occurs to me - as it does to most people commenting on the Gurdian article below - that this is really just one guy producing this stuff. Maybe this would test even my generous scene-leanings?

But thinking back to any 'scene' picked up by the media in its early days, there's nearly always several other artists already echoing the sound by the time it reaches the ears of the (underground) masses.

The article explains it all very neatly, and Rustie's myspace contains several of his tracks, so head on over and decide for yourself if we face the next 'new-rave', or a one-city phenomenon that will remain a brief tangent amongst the swathes of electronic music out there.


Guardian Article on aquacrunk and Rustie

http://www.myspace.com/rustiebeetz

LOFI HIFI comes to the smoke!

Lofi Hifi is officially coming to London, with a one off at The Fly next Tuesday, the 21st, Ft. the excellent Targets live + support, and Ciara and myself on the 1s and 2s getting you to Shake It Down, plus Tom Lillywhite, lead singer with Targets, playing some excellent indie-rock records. If we can persuade him to!

No doubt it will bring the infamous party vibe with it, and a mix of cutting edge and classic electro, new wave, filter house, fidget, no wave, synth pop-rock and indie oddities.

Plus - you heard it here first - we look set to move into a permanent home as of next month at the Old Blue Last. Things aren't fully confirmed, but all going to plan we should be kicking off next month. More info will follow soon....

http://www.theoldbluelast.com/

REVIEW: [matter] SMD+Lindstrom+Riton+Foamo+Dusty Kid

What does 20 quid buy these days? Jellied eels and mash for both sets of grandparents. 13 tracks on Beatport (Creditcrunch eh Beatport? - 'Creditcrunch', incidentally, should become a genre, perhaps some kind of post-apocalyptic jackin' goth-grime). Half a posh ticket to see Pussycat Dolls' 'Doll Domination' Live at the O2. 1/7th of a Bestival ticket. Enough to secure a winning bid on a 1-1/2"BLK BADA$$$ LEATHER WRIST CUFF Matara Watch NYC on Ebay.
1/100th of a boob job. Probably.

Well it gets you entrance to Matter, London's newest super club, apparently.

The 'dream venue' created by the Fabric team, Matter embraces the bands n' DJs ethos of Fabric, whilst aiming to supercede it with it's world-class sound and lighting (upgrading the 'bodysonic' floor in Fabric with a 'bodykinetic floor here - which to most of us means drums pounding away in the floor!), and take advantage of the purpose built space to give unhindered sight lines to the stage from any location, huge bars and plenty of space to move around.

Walking through the O2 to get there however almost squeezed every ounce of soul out of the venture, as the streets of 'dreamtime boulevard', or whatever the fake street ringing the nil-two should be called, were lined with identi-kit chain restaurants and bars - all trying so very very hard to look vibrant and real, and failing so miserably that the corporate brief may as well be enlarged 700 hundred times and nail gunned to the 'rain weathered effect' teak exteriors, which will never ever see a day of rain in their lives.

As Phill and Jim put it best, the kind of place a sad guy with no imagination takes his girlfriend for a date.

It took a while to get over this, and the sting of the 20 quid entrance fee, but it really is a great club.

All marble (or marble effect), spacious, tea lights glimmering everywhere, DJ booth not too aloof (you can peek in at what's going on) a large balcony, nicely hidden second room (which could be the place where the real shit goes down at future nights) huge, accessible smoking area, THE bodykinetic dancefloor (ok, I was expecting slightly more from it, but perhaps when the bass bighitters come to town it'll be pushed to the max) and most of all just very good music.

Was most excited to hear Foamo - very young and very new to the scene - but as these things go only caught a couple of tracks, but those sounded mighty, and the crowd were definitely feeling him. SMD erred on the side of experiemental, which I really liked - lots of pulsing, grinding electro and disco, with a smattering of big tunes, all swathed in a bubble of upbeatness, which was great for a brand new club, and the atmosphere was genuinely really pleasant as a result.

At one point Crookers were being played in both rooms - which made me laugh, and proof of just how big they are now.

I would really recommend checking it out if you can - try and forget about the location (though they offer an 'oyster compatible boat ride' everyhalf an our - I mean more the fact that it's in the 02) and try and get there on a night when it's cheap/fabric first/you know a friend on the inside who can get you guestlist.

Drums of Death - Breathe! (Curses Remix)


http://www.matterlondon.com/


Also get your ears around this:

Headshotboyz - Detector

Strange, twisting, staggering fidget-opera.

A bit about them:

"We are Headshotboyz from Budapest, Hungary, we have upcoming releases on Crux Records (NY)(with Stereoheroes, Bryan Cox, Toxic Avenger, Gaetan, MKXTC...), Sick Recordings (CHI), Electric Sushi (South Africa) and a remix on Palms Out Sounds"

And check out their excellent mix:

Headshotboyz - The Dolphins Will Never Die (October Mixtape):

1. Richard Dinsdale - Sniffin
2. Stereoheroes - Washout (Headshotboyz Remix)
3. Shinichi Osawa - Detonator (Herve's uxb Remix)
4. Laidback Luke, Roman Salzger - Generation Noise feat. Boogshe
5. Frank Sinatra - New York New York (Chew Fu fix)
6. Destroy Disco - But I Ain't
7. Fentura - Live It (Klaas Dub)
8. Headshotboyz - Elvis
9. Mightyfools - Super Sexy
10. Micky Slim - Hit The Club (Stupid Fresh Remix)
11. Digital Manges - Give Me A Reason (Headshotboyz Remix)
12. Mystery Jets - Half In Love With Elizabeth (Foamo Remix)
13. Larry Tee feat. Christopher Just - Get Your Grind On
14. Stupid Fresh - Get The Fuck Up feat. Stellar MC (Bass Kleph Remix)
15. Pomomofo - Back at the Club (Boy 8-bit Remix)
16. Ed Kane, Will Bailey - Will & Ed's Excellent Adventure
17. Santiago & Bushido - Got That

Killing It

Review: TRAILERTRASH VS DEADLY WAREHOUSE RAVE

Queue queue queue. Long queue. on my own.

As all hope was about to be lost, a kind chap,

sold me a cheap wrist band.

In I went, stumbling on rubble, but sober.

Found some love dup girls, shaking it to Knobbers.

They gave me whisky and coke, as Crookers

put down the big ones.

But the highlight was Bart B More,

taking us on a journey through

re-edits, jiggling basslines, bigguns,

And most importantly,

Killing It.


Bart B More - Killing It

Classics

Two classics I found in the bargain singles section of Music and Goods exchange (I think it's called that!) on Chalk Farm Road.

Having heard a mashup of PDiddy and White Town in Urban Outfitters earlier in the day (yes, I'm so London now) it seemed fate the this one popped up.

White Town - Your Woman

And this one I last heard on a mixtape whilst working at Glastonbury, reminding me of its brilliance. Tune!

Busta Rhymes - Gimme Some More


Incidentally, seems White Town (aka Jyoti Mishra) is still making music. he released a new album earlier this year titled 'Don't Mention The War', which got a fairly favourable review on i-Tunes, though I was less than impressed with the acoustic version of the album track Death In Kettering available on Last FM, though Merry Fucking Christmas is a bit more promising, if a bit too outdated-shoe-gaze.

FREE download on Last FM

Buy on ITunes

Return of the Mashup

Bestival is over -

Had an incredible time [giant scrabble (KETAMINA!)/bollywood rave massive/costumes/rainrainrain/pear cider/rain/mud/MBV noise fest/parliament-funkadelic/touche killing it/fakeblood-a bit patchy-super sharp shooters-machines don't care multi-drop/justin robertson killing it/latenight sugahill madness/roni size killing it/thali kitchen love/maze/jew lewis wearing his rucksack on stage/beardyman on form/mud wrestling/salsa dancing/EROL killing it/A.N.N.I.E. killing it/born slippy giant helium balloons and firework euphoric finale/...... to name but a few highlights]....

but it has left me just a bit poorly (to work's apparent chagrin). I was sick on the coach over to the ferry, which was a low low point (apologies to all my fellow passengers) The ferry/walk/train/tube/tube/train/walk wasn't much better, but worth it. And a forgotten visit from my mum (who gave me some real TLC and support) and a surprise visit from my lovely friend Kate Stanley today helped me out no end. And the news I recieved whilst at bestival that I became an uncle (welcome Eva Daisy Wigzell!) certainly helped.
ANYWAY

on point again... I'd thought that the mashup was on the wane, but someone's set (I'm afraid the details escape me... let me know if you were there) in the Bollywood Bar on Friday included several brilliant dancehall/bashment/hip-hop mashups that signalled to me the rebirth of the mashup. I mean, it's just great fun. Not one for the chinstroking blogstarr, but when five hours into a festival, pear cider in hand, in a jumping tent it is absolutely perfect.

In celebration here's a re-edit of an old favourite mashup of mine wot I made, and a new one. I have to confess they're both a little simply done - certainly not masterpieces, but I think they do the trick.

Justice Vs Beastie Boys - Intergalactic Waters

Benga Vs Basement Jaxx - Where's Your 26 Basslines?


Haven't got any photos yet! So the above is a Paint representation of the affair.

REVIEW: SECRETSUNDAZE, The Arches Open Air Courtyard, Sunday 24th August

Many things can ruin a Sunday garden beat fest: winding toilet queues, progressively warm beer, tentative volume levels – but more than anything a potential sunsetter knees-up can be foiled by rain. The sky started off beautiful - clear, and blue. Then we had cloud, wandering over in patches. Then it went grey, very grey. People carried on dancing, pretending they weren’t ready to run for cover. Aviators stayed out. Flipflops stayed on.

Pornographic and very funny art adorning the walls.

But in the end…the rain never came. And the beer wasn’t that warm, nor the toilet queues that long. The soundsystem was not quite running at a healthy volume – it did mean the chance for a proper chat, but as the afternoon wore on the need for a more involving volume became apparent. The fact that on approaching the venue there was no chance of getting lost, as the bass could be heard several streets away, made the reality all the more disappointing. But the rain never came, and despite other complaints this turned out to be a class event.

Shiny Disco Balls in the sun.

The venue was perfect – a flashing, intimate indoor space (if mostly deserted for the first five hours due to the good weather), and a brilliant, atmospheric outdoor courtyard, flanked by arches on one side, and by traditional London brick buildings on the other, it lived up to its ‘sprawling urban backdrop’ claim. The décor was fun and flashy whilst not taking itself too seriously, and the two bars quick in service and not over priced.

Musically things started off a little too housey for my personal taste but soon progressed to become sharper and more techy, whilst retaining the funky and breezy element perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Keith Worthy also added an eclectic element, checking in via the Detroit vibe before going leftfield to a more chilled out feel, and then back to a progressive tech style. As the sun set Carl Craig took things a little darker, notching up the four-to-the-floor factor, before the 10.30pm curfew drew things to a close before the rain could be further tempted.

Me and Phil in front of some urban decay, and shit.

All photos are thanks to Hannah Parkin, my photographer, and are her copyright, All Rights Reserved 2008.

Review: Chromeo Hidden Depths, The End

THE END, THURSDAY 21ST AUGUST

Upon arrival, about 10pm, it was quickly clear that the organisers had massively oversubscribed this one. People were queuing around the block to get in, and it was only the press line that got us entry at all. A fair bit of huffing and puffing from fellow press packers (lets call them this) got the line moving, and before you could mutter 'unfavourable review' (not my style, personally) we were inside, beer tokens in hand (actual beer tokens - brilliant! - they know how to buy a happy journalist don't they) with a last, sympathetic look at the masses curdling outside, unlikely to see the bottom of a San Miguel bottle before 1am.

Inside it was jumping. People were packed in wall to wall, but the atmosphere was incredible, a really happy, excited crowd. No doubt the free entry helped. Seams of well turned out Indie Kids
ran through the sedimentary layers of intrigued inbetweeners, all bobbing happily to Herve and Annie Mac, who against the advertised lineup were playing together. This, as the rumours purported, was because the two are definitely an item. I'm not one to get much of a kick from gossip (even if it is the slightly tounge in cheek gossip of the love affair of two electro/house DJs) but in the intimacy of The End, where you almost walk right into the DJ booth when entering the main room, it is hard to ignore them when they are sharing a tasty wonk set and a good bit of old tonsil tennis in the booth!

Both were on form, playing steady fidget and glitchy electro, a mixture of the less known and the current big hitters (...........Mars......ping!). And Annie Mac's A.N.N.I.E. T-Shirt! (See below) Fuck the Erol original. I want this! I had to try hard to resist the urge to attempt a high-five with her in appreciation. (again, this is what the intimacy of the end encourages (Sorry Annie, but the way, this isn't your best light, slight quivering lip, bad photo)).



As the zero hour, the hour of Chromeo's cometh neared, things began to get a bit fanatical. People poured into the right hand side of the main room to try and get a perch with a view of the stage. Here the weakness of The glorious End was exposed - a club just not designed for a live gig that everyone in the whole building not only wants to hear but, as is the convention of live music, wants to, believe it or not, see. Various problems ensued, like firstly not being able to move, and then getting pushed over. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to shy away from a good, packed in crowd. I like the smell of another man's hairin my face as much as anyone, but this got a little silly. So much so that the organisers, and fair play to 'em (and they got a good bit of booing from the idiots who somehow sneaked in) they halted the gig until people backed off and left those at the front some more room.

And then, finally, to a a reception I had never predicted, Chromeo took the stage. The one question that was nagging us all night was 'how are so many people into Chromeo?' I had no idea they were this big (to commend a several crushings, football style chantings and a two hour queue outside??!). Unless their record lable, in association with San Miguel, has somehow convinced half the population of, say, Peterborough, that they XXHeartz ChromeoXX LOLS by giving them all free tickets and a selection of ringtones of Needy Girl. This isn't meant to sound bitter, like some 'they've sold out$$$€€' bullshit tirade. I think it's a great thing. I was just genuinely surprised.

The gig itself was not bad. Visibility was mixed, even for myself at just less than 6 foot, which instantly reduced my feeling of connection with the show, even though, in fairness to the organisers, they had a live video feed playing at the back of the room. Chromeo actually seemed a little too awestruck by their reception to genuinely make use of the fervent atmosphere. As the set progressed they began to enjoy things slightly more, but I would have liked a bit more playfulness, experimentation and madness. Some of the lighter funk-pop numbers seemed a little lost in the atmosphere, and it wasn't until the Needy Girl finale that their sound really cut through the crowd. By that point things had gone wild, and all seemed right again, in the way that a really fantastic pop tune can make you forget all that came before.
Overall a good night out, with some surprises, and the overwhelming feeling that Chromeo still have some growing to do to fill the boots that they've made for themselves (or have been made for them!), but I don't doubt that at the same event next year they really would act like they were curating the night, and make the show theirs.


Fellow Lofi Hifi crew and housemate Ciara tells us its 2am and the only way is Clapton. (Via MaccieD's, ouch)



All photos copyright Charlotte Sweeney 2008 All rights reserved.

This week I have been mostly...

Loving this blog:

BRRRLN

And Math Head

Butal. Terrifying. Brilliant.

Math Head - Get Hype // buy on Beatport.com

And check out this very good mix from my friend Osmo at the Erol Alkan Community Podcasts

http://erolcommunitypodcast.com/

Secretsundaze

Another excellent event...

The one and only Carl Craig is headlining the first bank holiday secretsundaze outside of TDK Cross Central, a heady Sunday afternoon affair in a brand new venue, The Arches Open Air Courtyard set against an inner city, sprawling urban backdrop. Just 5 minutes from London Bridge station, the organisers promise that "the site will be transformed with our usual close attention to detail and high production values with outdoor bars and all amenities."

Keith Worthy looks like an exciting prospect, with his recent Fabric debut playing to rave reviews, "making the deepest, purest House and Techno heard for some time".

In the arches we have Disco and Electro, with the exciting, up-and-coming Phoreski, and Richard Sen, playing an eclectic mix of Sunday afternoon beats with typical technical precision.

And of course Mr Craig, doing what he does best, turning London all a bit Detroit for bank holiday weekend, mixing up jazz, funk, soul and a reputation as a world-conquering producer and record spinner, no doubt to create a high tempertaure end to what is inevitably going to be a damp summer London weekend.

Giles Smith pres.Two Armadillos: Warriors


secretsundaze
Sunday 24th August
2.00pm – 10.30pm
The Arches, London Bridge

Open Air Courtyard
Carl Craig (Planet E)
Keith Worthy (Aesthetic Audio)
Giles Smith (Dessous)
James Priestley (Simple)

The Arches
Richard Sen (Padded Cell)
Phoreski (Special Interest)
Loose DJs - Paul Crognale & Cred, 'Aitch & Dan Kinasz

Tickets
£12 advance tickets ticketweb (0844 477 1000) and phonica / £15 on door

Links
http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=279372
http://www.myspace.com/secretsundaze

Dubstep On It

I was always turned off by dubstep - a bit difficult to dance to, a bit samey, despite enjoying the bass sounds, and despite friend's insistence to give it another chance - until I saw Benga at Field Day. His set was phenomenal. Hearing the implausible thunder of incredible basslineafterbassline, all running through the properness of the Blogger's Delight tent system, has forced me to reconsider. I still find some of it isn't up my street, but Benga's own stuff is consistently rude (not sure if any other word describes it better, especially on 26 Basslines) and I can see the ease with which it can slip into a conventional techno/electro set. The Skream and Plastician remix of The Black Ghosts works very well in this way.
The Black Ghosts - Some Way Through This (Skream and Plastician Mix) // Buy on Beatport.com

I'm also appreciating some more techy dubstep such as this track I nicked from Palms Out a while back, which I've been dropping a lot. For me this fulfills my danceable requirements much more than a lot of other stuff.

Mockin' Bird - Effort

Having said this, the more I listen to dubstep (can I call it D'step? Has this already been done?) the more I also realise that there is a lot of danceable, uptempto stuff that isn't techy.

Have a listen to this mini-mix by Amit from the Man Makes Music collective, recorded to advertise their pre-carnival night this Friday.

Dubstep mini-mix

Tracklisting:
1) Zomby - Spliff dub (Rustie remix), 2) Zomby - Mu$h, 3) Darkstar - Need You, 4) Ikonika - Please, 5) L-Vis 1990 - Change The Game (Starkey Remix), 6) TRG - Broken Heart (Martyn's DCM Remix), 7) Shut Up and Dance - Epileptic (Martyn Remix)

It showcases well the diversity within the genre.

the night looks pretty good too:

MAN MAKE MUSIC + ECLECTRIC CARNIVAL PARTY

Fri 22nd August
Rhythm Factory
10pm-6am

Room 1 - MAN MAKE MUSIC - (B'more, Jackin', Dubstep, Garage, Wonky, Jungle):

RUSTIE (Hyperdub, Dre$$2$weat)
JACKMASTER (Dre$$2$weat)
SCANDALOUS UNLIMITED (True Tiger)
Man Make Music DJs (Sketchy, Zaz & Another Asian)
Solid Gold (Trouble Vision)

Room 2 - ECLECTRIC - (House, techno, electro)

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS (live)
UNION DJs (Union@Fabric)
TJ Hertz
Matt Carter
Rich Smith
Ed Steele
Noel Mas (MMM)

£6 tickets in advance at clubtickets.com
£6 b4 12 / £8 after


http://www.manmakemusic.com




Which reminds that next weekend is carnival. ( I gather that it is referred to as just 'carnival', I guess because this is THE carnival, in this country at least, and therefore requires no prefixes).

I haven't been before, so expect to be a bit bewildered. Have checked out the Time Out's Carnival Soundsystem guide, though, which gets me very excited, if a bit overwhlemed. Any tips for where to stand/dance/eat etc most welcome!

Competition: Chromeo & Friends! + ExclusiveMP3

CHROMEO & FRIENDS @ SAN MIGUEL HIDDEN DEPTHS
THURSDAY 21ST AUGUST: THE END/AKA

Win a pair of tickets!

Curating and hosting an epic night at The End are electro-funk bad boys Chromeo. Fortunately the boys have impeccable taste, and already announced are New Young Pony Club (DJ set), Herve, Neil Parnell AKA Tronik Youth and the legend that is Annie Mac. PLUS, the full line up won't be announced until the night itself, and we are promised some very exciting special guests.
In understandable exuberance the organisers saw it fit to provide me with a couple of tickets for the event for you, dear readers.

To win simply answer this question: WHAT IS Hervé's REAL NAME?

and email your answer to georgewigzell AT hotmail DOT com ----

One email will be picked at random from all the correct answers.


PLUS they gave me this exclusive mp3 for your aural pleasure.

Chromeo - Opening Up (ce soir on danse album version)

Fast, Cheap and Out of Cigarettes.

On opening Fast, Cheap & Out of Control, the first thing that strikes you is the Marlborough fag which is inserted into the (inaccessible) spine of the jewel case. I am instantly sold by this. Yes, despite the cheap-shot potential, it makes you instantly feel there is something tangible and personal about the album. It says, from the outset, that this is an album with an ART agenda, united by concept ( a naughty word it seems, but here used justifiably, more borrowed from visual art than from the darker moments of experimental pop history) and not just the creative subconsciousness of the artiste. .

Putting on the CD you whisk through catchy pop in a dizzying array of forms, from high couture diva pop to sleazy art school e-clash, somewhere via 80s stadium rock, early Bowie and Kraftwerk.

Overall, the tunes achieve catchy pop heights with consistent skill. Some miss the mark, but there is enough variation, and enough hooks, to keep you listening to the end. This really is Pop Art, taken to its logical future, which is certainly an exciting prospect. The problem is, in deciding to make a statement with her album, she seems to have missed the real sense of excitement that seeps from good music. It is technically strong music; but, with the very good, though uber-slick production of the pure synth pop, it ends up sounding like she is singing over karaoke backing tracks, dreamt up by a ‘noughties’ Warhol if he hadn’t let the Velvets (or the modern equivalent) do it for him. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just not a great thing.

There is no doubting the quality of her voice though. This, alongside an excellent, wacky style, makes her a more than worthy proponent of this concept. I can’t help but feel, though, that the album comes across too frequently as an over-serious ‘statement’, when it might want to be exclusively playful e-clash, art-school pout.

That said the track posted below is rapidly elbowing its way into my head. I’ve found myself playing it a couple of times in a row, a few times now. Maybe the whole album will burrow its way into my pop lobes, and stay there, no doubt an intention of HK119.

Given the diversity of the music and the bold intention of using progressive pop music, and its conventions – the creation of ideology/mystique/populism – to comment on modern life, this album has a lot to offer, and is definitely one to check out for yourself. I’m just unsure at the moment whether it will emerge as a musical winner. And if I grow to dislike it I can always crack open the case for an emergency fag.

http://www.myspace.com/festivalideal

HK119 - Mind

Stokey!

Quick message to say I have just moved to London so have no internet at home= few posts/tracks... but that shall be rectified shortly. Lofi Hifi is carrying on in Exeter, but I think I'll carry on the blog from here.

I'm already loving London. Have an amazing house, though still unemployed. But so hard not to have fun, like last night spending £3.50 all night, buying a fourpack and sitting in green park by Buckingham Palace getting drunk and feeling about 15, or last Friday, ending up in Marathon Bar in Camden with the great Elvis impersonator playing and cans of stella the only beer available. Or just getting lost in London, going to Hampstead Heath, hanging out in Clissold Park near our house. Anyway, time runnign low on internet session. Quick link:

http://www.myspace.com/motelproject Good stuff

Filthy 22 Grand Team Penetration

Ola,

Currently working exhausting 55 hour weeks so not a lot of time for blogging let alone promoting Lofi/moving house/finding a new house in London/finding a job/sorting my life out, so excuse the silence.

Very excited as just found out that the last Lofi of the year - and 7 out of the 8 Lofi lot's probable last ever Lofi sob sob - will be with the up-and-coming, guitar-and-bleep dancefloor destroyers, remix junkies, DJs and poducer extrordinaire's Filthy Dukes.

They hit Lofi June 11th - and it is a welcome treat for those in Exeter 'vibing' the guitar-house/electro/bloghouse thing, as few up-and-coming bands of that ilk make it this far down the country.

They arrive at Lofi fresh from razzmatazz in Barcelona, which i had the pleasure of visiting last Christmas time, and can be seen at Glasto, Field Day, Global Gathering this summer and AITBF at Fabric regularly (which if I'm informed correctly they also run - AITBF that is not fabric haha) as well as at our friend's Jac The Discos night Last One In's a Rotten Egg in Camberwell (which in fact is probably happening as I write this (how unfair that I'm here in bed on a saturday night too exhausted to go out to a mediocre indie disco in Exeter when I could be out in Camberwell - moan moan moan - that is why Im moving to London...anyway))

So, they're hotly tipped peeps. Their debut single 'This Rhythm' features vocals from Samuel Dust of Late Of The Pier and sits as happily as a dance floor destroyer as it does accessible pop song. Layered 80s synth bleeps are compelled by a scuzzy saw bassline and made instantly rememberable by the breezy chord sequence and catchy vocals. This reminds me of the Chemical Brothers in its refusal to alienate either dance music enthusiasts or radio 1 daytime listeners, as well as the quiet euphoria it invites.

Filthy Dukes - This Rhythm // Buy.
The Rakes - 22 Grand Job (Filthy Dukes Society Remix)



Got a Myspace add from Team Penetration the other day, and was greatly impressed by a very head-noddable, fast moving, freeform take on the disco/electro/indie thing. Team Penetration don't seem to fuck around, so to say; they bang straight into siren like guitar riffs, assertive, opinionated lyrics delivered with the force of telling you not asking you, with all the swagger (and some of the intonation) of Ian Brown. That, plus at his most angry think TV preacher man possesed by the ghost of Johnny Rotten (ok, hes not dead, yet anyway (incidentally the chef at work said he saw the Pistols play a few years back and after a black guy in the crowd repeatedly threw a bottle at Lydon he got on the mic and instructed 'Skin The N****r lads' as 20 skinheads set into him - fucked up huh? Anyway, incidental comment - this isn't anything to do with Team Penetration)) calling you a cunt.

So after the myspace listen I was duly intrigued and messaged asking for a track to blog. They courteously obliged, and here we are:

Team Penetration - Guitars Are Overrated

[21/5 - Edit: These boys are now called Drop Like Bombs - www.myspace.com/droplikebombsnow.]

Enjoy.

Finally,

This is the video for the new Young Knives video which was partly recorded when they played at Lofi @ Cavern earlier in the year:

Lofi trounce the FYC and future gigs

May 21st sees Zombie Zombie hit Lofi Hifi.

ZZ play Kraut rock style dark psche-disco mayhem, and seem to be making some waves with appearances at Bestival, Shoreditch Crawl and a 13 date tour of the UK and Ireland.

In their biog it reads:"Zombie Zombie is a crazy scientist and musical project based in Paris city, France, lead by two people, professor Etienne Jaumet and Cosmicnewman (from Herman Dune) Using sound and rhythm to explore the feeling of fear growing deep inside you..."

The Album, "A land for renegades" is released in the UK May 5th, and "Driving this road..." is already being described as "a lost Can anthem.”

It was conceived as "the soundtrack to an imaginary road movie about two mercenaries racing against the night, hounded by unseen forces. " The driving rhythms, so Kraut rock in their repetitiveness; the tentative chord changes; the muted synth screams and layered fuzz-siren really do have the feel of a horror movie soundtrack, genuinely teeming with narrative. Things seem to happen in their songs, creatures chase you and jump out in front of you. And meanwhile the sense of fun remains, and it seems so very danceable. The feeling of atmosphere is only enhanced by their commitment to old technology:
“We use hardly anything made after 1980. With computer programs, you can do anything, so you end up playing them. With an old synthesizer, they are so temperamental that they end up playing you.”"
And meanwhile the sense of fun remains, and it seems so very danceable

Zombie Zombie - Driving this Road Until Death Sets you Free (Joakim remix)


************************



Weds night saw us take our 'rivals' in Exeter, The FYC (of which me and Jamie are also a part, though ssh!)
It turned out to be one of the best nights in ages, possible ever. That good.
EachLofi DJ took on an FYC DJ, in an appropriate pairing and had 15 mins to prove their worth with the audience voting. The pairings saw new-wave take on new-wave, boyfriend take on GF, Happy Hardcore (Lofi) take on Ganster Rap (FYC) and laptop take on laptop (Me "Jawline Frigzell" and Patrick "Pschyo bateman" Dishman)
The pre-battle 'beef' was hilarious, with both sides trading some serious, and at times rather personal insults. The resulting hype set us up for the fervour of the event itself.

The quality of tunes played was amazing, as was the variety of the music played. We had Ollie playing Happy Hardcore and Dean playing classic Disco as me and the boys danced in Balaclavas:
Rich, a Lofi hardcore regular stepping last minute to save the day - he ran home to get his records, turned up with minutes to spare and pulled out a blistering set to avoid forfeiting the round. Rosi, girlfriend to Matt, the guy on the right in the poster, played her first ever DJ set and tore it up at only 10 o clock with a combination of gangster rap and bouncing rude gal stylee in an amazing fur coat flanked by her two (very tall) hype men, the night's hosts Tim and Jim.

The best thing about the night was how absolutely wild the crowd was. It was the first week back of Uni, and people ended up queuing 2 hours to get in, so as a result the place was absolutely going off. By the time I played my set it was spilling onto the stage, and there were friendly faces everywhere you turned. Playing to a crowd that up for it is what makes DJing completely worth it. All those nights playing to a mostly emplty dancefloor suddenly seem worth the graft. Nights like Weds only come around once or twice a year but when they do it's the best feeling imagineable.

And to top it all off (it didn;t really matter) but Lofi Hifi won the competition, and I instigated a spotaneous three cheers for FYC to a packed room (ah bless cheap vodka).

Anyway, I'll post my mix tomorrow when I haven't got to get up in the morning at 10 the next day.

Violet Violet

myspace.com/violetviolet1

New and Future releases

Saw the Mystery Jets play a free gig at Exeter Uni yesterday - and I'm really liking their new stuff. Twenty One is released "very soon indeed" and they've taken a great direction with it. Their new stuff uses all the talents of the band - Blaine's haunting voice (flecked with a hint of vibrato, reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, though he still very much has his own unique style) on Flakes, William's voice and songwriting talents on Young Love, the counter edge that Kai's voice brings and some beautiful bass riffs, especially on 'Half in Love with Elizabeth'. We were treated to an exclusive half and half acoustic/electric version of that particular song when the audience couldn't choose between the version they wanted to hear. They also plucked a yoing lady from the crowd to sing laura Marling's part on Young Love - and despite the fact that the lady in question confessed she 'couldn't sing at all' - she got up on stage and gave it a great go and at the same time created a truly magic moment.

It was fantastic to see a band playing such new material at a time when they're still revelling in the quality of the songs they've just written. There was a genuine enjoyment and freshness to their playing that no doubt begins to wain once the album is released. And they're such nice lads too - you got a real sense of ego-lessness which made a warm, intimate atmosphere.

We met them before when they DJed at Lofi Hifi and there was no sense of fame going to their heads then - and nothing's changed. Unrelated really, but I also once had sex in the same room as Kai. Fact. Not with Kai may I point out. And the atmopshere was intimate then too. they've just got it going on.

Great pop songs, and I have my fingers crossed that the rest of the album is as good as the tracks I've heard.

head to the myspace for a listen.

I know I always go on about Carl Craig - but very excited about the Carl Craig Sessions CD just released. As Phonica says
" New double CD collection highlighting why Carl Craig is one of the best remixers & producers in the world. 23 tracks from classic techno tracks to recent 2007 remixes (a lot of which have been only available on vinyl!) - its only when you see them all here in one place, that you realise how prolific & consitent he is"


I rarely dare play out the Like A Child remix - It's such a great tune - but in the way that his brand of techno is it's quite a subtle brilliance - it has to be dropped at the right time in a set, when everyone's really into the music - or the kind of crowd who'd really appreciate this kind of stuff - in short supply in Exeter sadly.

Anyway - this track is an anthem in the making:
Francesco Tristano - The Melody (Carl Craig Remix)

The album is out now and at £13.99 I will be getting myself a copy very soon. review will follow.

Also worth a mention:


As the promoters have said:


"It's all happening in a beautiful 600-man private space (good for all the smokers amongst you) with massive projections and other quirks and performances in an accessible East London warehouse. On top of this it's a very reasonable £5 a head with option to bring your own booze. However, there will be a fully stocked bar in the venue should you find yourself without a drink."

BYO + smoking + Nathan Fake = unmissable

Answers and heavy rotation

copyright Alex Cambell 2007


First the (belated) answers to my cryptic quiz


a) Green Velvet - No Sex
b) Junior Boys - Like A Child (Carl Craig Remix) - haven't been able to get this out of my head for days and weeks, absolutely relentless. How one great bass riff can be made to sound masterful for 8 minutes I don't know.
c) Johnny Foreigner - Champagne Girls I Have Known - another track that I can't seem to shake. Saw them a few weeks back and their live show is as good as the EP. So brilliantly driving, never letting you get comfortable, always throwing something new at you, yet never once swaying from catchy pop brilliance.

A few tracks on heavy rotation this week:

Glass Candy - Candy Castle
I gather I'm a bit late on picking up this one but for anyone who hasn't heard this one then grab a listen. Coming on the exciting Italians Do It Better imprint, they take the classic Italodisco sound and a perfectly produced vintage synth and have created something both vicious and haunting. Like disco dancing in treacle. It makes me want to pop over to Portland and have a play with their synths, and to make a track with bass that prominent in the mix.

Another tune of the moment that does a similar bass-centric thing is Ebony Bones - We Know All About You.

It's the first properly blistering pop tune I've heard in a few weeks, and it just makes me very excited. I love the layering up of drums in the opening minute, getting more and more frantic to the point of bursting, and doesn;t allow you not to get your groove on. I also like the latino flavour and experimentation going on in the percussion. Proof that you don't just need a drum machine to make good dance music - this takes some of my favourite percussive elements: hand clapping (ala Etalking), strange little samples, melodic junk drumming (on what sounds like bottles containing different levels of water), counter rhythms.

Also very very worth checking out is the NLLR Mixtape project (unsure if this link will work - if not search for it on facebook- a series of free mixtapes from some big name in electronic music with new mixes posted regularly. It is run by Lee Norman Williams of No Love Lost Records - the blurb explains more:

"Launched in November 2007 by lifelong dance music fanatic Lee Norman Williams, the NLLR Mixtape Project is a free side-project of his dance music record label No Love Lost Records, featuring masterfully mixed sets by talents of every genre and sub genre of the music we love... dance and electronica. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of -- deep breath -- Techno, Electro, House, Drum’N’Bass, Bassline, Dubstep, Trance, Breaks, Hard Dance, Hardcore, Progressive, Minimal, Micro, Blog, Bmore, Garage, Grime, Hip Hop or IDM, I love them all, which means you’ll get to hear them all."

with mixes from OCELOT
LAURA HEATH
MEMEME
THE BLOODY BEETROOTS
TRONIK YOUTH
L.A.O.S.
RUPERT ROMARO
MARAL SALMASSI
TYSKERHAR
CONGOROCK
ARTHUR BARR
MISTRESS DE FUNK
ZOMBIE DISCO SQUAD
CRYPTONITES
ZOLTAR (SPEAKS)
JAHCOOZI
LILLICA LIBERTINE this is exciting stuff, and the quality is up there.

Enjoy. x

Puzzlecore Tuesday

The tracks posted next Tuesday will be the answers to the following clues. This is a game I used to play to while away the long, dull hours when a pot-wash aged 15. Each is a cryptic clue to the band name. With either each word representing a similar or opposite word in the band name, or the clue being a more general cryptic clue. Which sounds more dull than it is. Promise. Answers in the comments section, please.

1 - Envious Suede
2 - Senior Girls
3 - Contraception National (clue: West Midlands band)

Listmas Time

Happy New Year

Because why not:

Top 25 of 2007 (top 25 = why constrain myself to less??)

1 - Brodinski – Bad Runner [Mental Groove]

2 - ZZT – Lower State of Consciousness [Turbo Recordings]

3 - La Priest – Engine (Erol Alkan's Transonic Re-edit) [Phantasy Sound]

4 - Larry Tee ft Princess Superstar – Licky (Work It Out) (Herve Goes Low Remix)

5 - Chemical Brothers – Saturate [EMI]

6 - Digitalism – Jupiter Room (Erol Alkan’s simple yet effective mix)

7 - Dusty Kid – The Cat [Southern Fried Records]

8 - Justice - Phantom Pt 2 (Soulwax Niteversion) [EMI]

9 - Justice - Waters Of Nazareth (Woodie!'s The Underwater Adventures of Ghettoruckus ReRub)

10 - Robbie Williams – Lovelight (Soulwax Ravelight Mix) [EMI]

11 - SebastiAn – Walkman (Re-edit) [Because Music France]

12 - Justice – Stress [Ed Banger]

13 - Thieves Like Us – Drugs in my Body [Kitsune]

14 - M.I.A – Paper Planes [XL]

15 - Primary 1 – Outside [Demo]

16 - Sinden & the Count of Monte Cristal – Bleeper [Counterfeet]

17 - D.I.M. – Is You [Boys Noize]

18 - Johnny Foreigner – Champagne Girls I Have Known [Best Before]

19 - Black Ghosts – Any Way You Choose to Give It (Extended Mix) [Southern Fried]

20 - Hot Chip – Shake a Fist

21 - Proxy – Decoy [ Turbo Canada]

22 - RATM – Killing in the Name of SebastiAn [Ed Banger]

23 - Beirut – Postcards From Italy [Ba Da Bing! US]

24 - Simian Mobile Disco – It’s The Beat[ Wichita]

25 - Golden Bug – Barbie’s Back