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VA - Secretsundaze Vol. 2 (mixed by Giles Smith

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:29:31 GMT

Like Roots Manuva not so long ago, this is one those CD’s that makes me pine for home a little bit. Secretsundaze are somewhat of an institution in London, famed for ‘all dayers’ of the highest calibre with the nicest crowds (which is often very difficult for after-hours) and the most cutting edge music. Residents James Priestly and Giles Smith take us on two pretty different journeys on this double CD. Giles has taken the more textured, slow burning approach whilst James injects things with a bit more bump and bounce. Although not exactly chock full of rarities, these two mixes are of the highest order, summing up the sound of their parties perfectly, and providing enough interest for several repeat listens. Bring back the summer, please.

Mr. Oizo - Lambs Anger

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:19:55 GMT

When 'Flat Beat' came out all those years ago, it really was quite unlike anything else I had heard before. I loved it. A lot. Then I promptly forgot about it, just like all those other songs that Levi’s used on their adverts. Then a few years ago, I got reacquainted with that most monstrous of bass lines when a friend picked up the 12” for 50p in Dalston Oxfam. And it is partly for those reasons that I wanted to review this album. I badly wanted like this album, I am not a fan of Ed Banger particularly; I stopped being impressed by soulless electronic noise a long time ago, but I still listen to 'Analog Worms Attack' with some frequency (my internal jury is hung on 'Moustache / Half a Scissor') and was looking forward to Mr. Oizo challenging my opinion of Ed Banger and forcing to me to eat my trousers as penance or something. However, what it feels like has happened is that Oizo has got inside my head, figured out how to annoy me most effectively, and then made an album just to torment me. The only redeeming elements are the interludes and 'Gay Dentists', which is so good that by default, the rest of it makes me want to attack people with moustaches and baseball caps.

Squarepusher - Just A Souvenir

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:15:09 GMT

Somehow I managed to review Just A Souvenir by listening to another CD. I could scarcely believe, and was certainly not impressed, by Squarepusher’s move into mid-tempo Scissor Sisters style house, but I couldn’t discount his status as maverick genius either. So, my review was cautiously critical. When I realised my error and started again, I couldn’t switch the gears of my mind to the ‘real’ Squarepusher album. Which is quite handy really, as it is as far away for the other (nameless) album as I could get. I don’t know much about Jazz, but I know that it is clearly an influence. The funk and broken beat elements are easier to identify, but that’s like saying I can taste onions and garlic in my Bouillabaisse. Essential ingredients, but part of a much bigger flavour. Like label mate Aphex Twin, if you have even a passing interest in electronic music, you cannot fail to be aware of both the talent, and the importance of maverick composers such as Squarepusher. This album apparently was inspired by a daydream of seeing a rock band play behind a huge illuminated coat hanger, working away at instruments that had the ability to shift time. When I read that, I have to admit I scoffed, and thought to myself that someone has been overindulging in horse drugs. It is, of course, a completely accurate description of how the album sounds.

Metro Area - Fabric 43

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:22:31 GMT

I can’t believe it has taken until now for Metro Area to be asked to take part in the DJ love-in that is the Fabric mix series. If rumour on the Internet is to be believed Justice’s contribution was rejected by London’s mega club & label for being too cheesy. Having seen the track listing though, and bearing in mind today’s constant churning up of the past, it didn’t seem too bad. In fact, I am surprised that Metro Area’s mix got past the same cheese censors. But of course, just because Metro Area have mined the mid 80’s for this mix, it is anything but cheesy. In fact people like Garys Gang, suddenly become the original masters of hypnotic electro, and Heaven 17, though always good, have never sounded better. And basically, that is what this mix is about. Taking a period of musical history tainted by high a disposability factor and showing that actually there is a huge amount of amazing music still to be unearthed. OK, I am biased ‘cause I love this kind of stuff, but I am also right. This mix is magic.

Crazy P - Stop Space Return

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:19:23 GMT

Crazy P, the biggest band you’ve never heard of. Or the biggest band you have heard of but never listened to. The Manchester quartet have recently moved to Leeds’ 2020Vision, and things are all the better for it. Their live reputation is formidable, easily one of the best live disco / funk outfits going, and the fact they have been going for the best part of 10 years means they bring a depth of experience that NME feted disco acts sorely lack. However, larger mainstream success has evaded them thus far, perhaps because, whilst listening back to some of their previous stuff, I reckon the fat warm funk sound of their live get up has not been fully recreated on record (CD, download whatever). Until now that is. Title track and album opener Stop Space Return takes a muscular acid bass line and fuses it to a lazy house beat, Thriller synth stabs and electronic handclaps which match perfectly with Danielle’s vocals. And from there on in, things just get better. It’s like the best parts of boogie, disco, funk and house have been forced together to make the ultimate pop-dance record.

Pigeon Funk - The Largest Bird In History Of The World Ever

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:21:07 GMT

Insane. Musique Risquée do a line in house that leads right up my street. Although verging on the challenging in places, especially on little headphones (this is one of those albums that makes a lot more sense when you can really feel the bass), there is enough funk squelching around on "The Largest Bird In History Of The World Ever" to make me a very happy man. Although the beats are of the highly cut up variety, and are as sharp as nails there is moistness that flows over all of the tracks like a sticky slime. The best way I can describe is as the musical interpretation of when Luke, Chewy et al, are trapped in the garbage crusher in "The Emprire Strikes Back". The slimy and the smooth all held together by a humorous tension.

Michna - Magic Monday

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:15:52 GMT

How apt. As I write this review I realise it is Monday. Not quite a Magic Monday, but not a manic one either. Ghostly International have a long history of supporting left field artists, and New York based Michna is no exception. Having produced the likes of Diplo and Bonde do Role, I was curious to see what kind of album he would deliver. Is a New York Mr Scruff taking things too far? I would guess not, because that is the first thing that sprang to mind when I first listened to this. However, while Mr Scruff can get a bit too cutesy after not so many lessons, I have listened to this about 10 times in the last couple of weeks, and so far, it’s not annoying me. Low tempo beats in the main, humorous but not overdone vocal samples (my inner train spotter is tired today, but I didn’t spot any musical ones) and a general feeling of jazzy dreaminess woven in amongst beats that veer from crunchy to cuddly. I guess the main difference which I can hear, but can’t quite pinpoint, is that Mr Scruff probably lives in Brighton, and Michna probably lives in Hells Kitchen.

Woolfy vs Projections - The Astral Projections Of Starlight

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:13:30 GMT

Now that’s a title that needs to have some good music behind it, if it’s not going to be laughed off the shelves by the other CD’s. I had been looking forward to receiving this album for a while, and although I am not the number one fan of Balearic, like everything there are exceptions, and Woolfy always stuck out to me as someone that didn’t belong in the dirty world of genres. I am not sure what the deal is with the Projections, I have lost the press release, but at an educated guess, I would say it is a collaborative effort. Anyhow, that doesn’t matter so much as the music, and where I would have been a bit more ruthless with eliminating the Spanish guitars, on the whole The Astral Projections Of Starlight can in places be a pretty deep and emotional experience, that like a fine wine gets better over time. It’s the deeper more ethereal tracks like Absnyth and Starlight that I will be going back to.

Skatebard - Cosmos

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:09:34 GMT

Somehow this nearly, almost, passed by. Thank god it didn’t. I have picked up a few Skatebard 12”s before, and although they sounded OK, I didn’t end up buying them. Not enough going on, and no real connection to the music. So I wasn’t overly excited about their album, entitled Cosmos. I rather stupidly thought, “I know, more second rate cosmic disco…”. Stupid. Silly. Boy. This is easily my favourite album for a while. I was a quite a late starter with clubbing, and all of it’s associated devilry. When I think back on the time in my life when I truly discovered the connection between ecstasy and music and being with friends you loved at a time when your life is really changing (God, someone pass the bucket), there is a soundtrack of certain sounds, and chords, that always come to me, like musical feelings inside my head. When I listened to Cosmos through the headphones, early one morning after coming home from playing a gig, memories of those years hit me with such force, that I had to stop listening. It was one of the most emotional, and personal experiences I have had with music for a very long time. I didn’t actually plan to write that, but it’s the truth. I have since got a grip on myself, and enjoyed it many times over, and you should too.

Neo Filigrante - Tresh

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:48:08 GMT

It is 2282. An archipelago of islands surrounds a mysterious crater. Into this crater a spaceship lands, and much experiment begins. After a time, humans stumble across the islands, and discover that upon each is a unique breed of robotic animal. When approached, these animals began to produce a strange music, to which the humans were powerless to resist. On some islands the animals were small and fluffy, and purred out their soft music, causing the humans to lay down and doze. Others though, were large and angry, with exposed metal bones. All shining red eyes and oily breath. They moved furiously and squawked at the humans to dance! dance! whilst flames shot from their bellies. Elsewhere there were fatter, more fun animals, and some that even had the voice of a human! You may get a bit closer to the mysteries of archipelago 1982, and just who or what was in that spaceship, if you go and download Neo Filigrante's album Tresh, now. Unrequested, self released free to download albums that land on my desk, are usually rubbish. (Exception - Disco Beard’s Edits, but I found them…) But as you should be able to judge by my mildly crap literary effort above, this is an exception. OK, I would probably make the whole thing instrumental, but hey, it’s not my album is it? Either way, it costs nothing to judge for yourself, I think on the whole it’s great, and it’s made me excited about electro for the first time in ages, And for free? Ace.

Windsurf - Coastline

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:40:56 GMT

Isn't it funny how quickly fads come and go? This year seems to the year of resurgent "disco", from Italo to no wave club sounds, to the current hype with Balearic, as producers find new ways to find expression through older styles of music. It is both infuriating and interesting how quickly a sound is hijacked and homogenised (or maybe I read too many blogs?). It seems only a few months ago that Balearic was resurrected, but already, in the main, I avoid even listening to stuff that describes itself in this way. Too many Chris Rea guitar hooks, soaked in reverb and cheap sounding beats. Of course similar sounds come from mining similar seams of influence, but what intrigues me is that people seem to find the same influences at the same time. Windsurf however manage to (mostly) elevate themselves above the status of (seeming to be) bandwagon jumpers on their debut album: "Coastline". Much of this album is very nice. Some of it is even great. Pocket Check and Windsurf are well thought out excursions into mid tempo electronica. Future Warriors is retro-futurist electro, from a place in time that is as much 2022 as it is 1982. But elsewhere, the vocals don’t gel with me. I am not a huge fan of vocal driven electronic tracks, unless their lyrical content is along the lines of ‘jack’ ‘get down’ or some other nonsense or they are made by Matthew Dear - see here . I certainly can’t buy in to them, where they’re contained in a musical blanket that is 3 shades short of pastiche and contains ethnic voices. But, that’s just my opinion – what has me reaching for ‘skip’ may have you reaching for the volume. And, out of 10 tracks, only 3 have vocals. So, this is all roundabout way of saying that this album, with the exception of a couple of bits not to my taste, manages to be both step outside the definitions of a genre and be a defining example of the very same thing

SCSI-9 - Easy As Down

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:32:17 GMT

If you are not a computer geek, I will enlighten you. A ‘SCSI-9’ is a 9-pin computer interface, used in the connection of high performance hard disk drives. SCSI-9 the artist(s) make music with machines and computers, and have been around for a while now, though not as long as the connector. With releases on Swiss label Morris Audio, Trapez and Kompakt, Anton & Maxim who hail from Russia, have been gradually building a fan base, far outside their Moscow homes, with an atmospheric take on techno. Easy As Down is their third album, and it is quite different from their first two. With a more soulful approach to their sound palette and the addition of a vocalist – Ryba, on Nothing Will Change It, they certainly offer a lot more depth and personality than before. The beats at places could maybe be a bit fatter for my liking, but on the whole there are a lots of interesting sounds and textures to hold my attention. It’s home techno in the main, and that’s as descriptive as I feel I could, or should be. Have a listen. It's quite good.

Matthew Dear - Body Language Vol. 7

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:23:11 GMT

OK, let me get this of my chest straight away. I LOVE Matthew Dear. No, not like that, but I love his music. Asa Breed is one of my favourite albums from a contemporary electronic producer, in recent times and his labels Spectral Sound and Ghostly International consistently release excellent, forward thinking music. So, as you can probably imagine I was quite excited to receive the latest installment of Get Physical’s Body Language mix series, mixed by Mr Dear himself. In a nutshell, it’s great. It’s super. It’s ace. It’s a perfectly sequenced (somehow I don’t think this was done with records and turntables) mix that starts of slowly and atmospherically, lulling you into a relaxed state of mind before dropping the booty bombs. Kid Sublime, with the excellent Basement Works Vol 1 is up first, before we are off on a journey that takes in Johnny D, DJ Koze and man of the moment Seth Troxler. Dear manages to take a wide variety of producers and find within them a sound, that is actually more him than them. Don’t ask me how, but you can tell who put this together after 10 minutes of listening – who else can you say that about? (That’s rhetorical by the way.)

Yo Majesty - Futuristically Speaking... Never Be Afraid

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:36:16 GMT

I remember when I first came to Berlin. I used to listen to Yo Majesty a lot, well one track in particular; Club Action. The kind of retarded yet cleverly simple party hip-hop / ghetto electro jam that I have a soft spot for. I was at the tail end of a short interest in the new, heavier styles of dance music - Sebastian, fidget house, Switch, that kind of thing, and Yo Majesty represented the cutting edge of that. Wow, that feels like a lifetime ago. I used to be occasionally swayed by what was ‘fashionable’ or ‘cool’ in music. I still had my true loves, but occasionally my judgement could be clouded, and I would believe that the Count & Sinden really did represent an exciting new direction for dance music. Nearly 2 years later, and listening to Yo’ Majesty’s long awaited debut album FSNBA, I am surprised at how much of it I like (and not that surprised at how much is, erm, well bad). They have made a smart number of choices in production, though by working with everyone who is ‘hot’ they ended up basting themselves with the hipster brush. In spite of this their rhymes are at times infectious, and the beats, in places are inspired. There is even a relativley credible 'ballad' However, despite, or perhaps even because all of that, I still can’t escape feeling like a bald, self facilitating media drone, sporting a New Era cap and clinging to my youth. Vice magazine has a lot to answer for.

Crazy P - Love On The Line

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:29:27 GMT

Crazy P(enis) return. It’s often mentioned that this band have bafflingly evaded the attention of the music loving public at large, with the exception of in Australia, where apparently they are huge. A huge crazy penis. The mind boggles.… With 3 albums under their belts, and one of the best (and most sought after) contributions to the Fabric Live mix series it really is a wonder why they don’t enjoy a higher profile. This is the first single taken from their forthcoming album and it has so many tiptop remixes and versions on it, it could be a mini album in itself. Crazy P now find themselves at home on Leeds’ 20:20 Vision, who really are the best label for the live disco / boogie / funk outfit. And, I guess it’s no surprise that label boss Ralph Lawson runs a similar crew with his 2020 Soundsystem. Love On The Line is a moody disco-esque stomper that his been filtered through a house aesthetic for maximum effect. Tight and funky, but with enough space to let the vocals room to brood, the strings, when they finally appear give the whole thing a bittersweet edge reminiscent of Massive Attack. However, before things get a chance to head to the coffee table, the groove kicks back in, and if you were in a sweaty backroom disco party, that would be where everyone would whoop and really start throwing down their moves. It is fat (I hate that saying, but it is the most appropriate). I could write all day about the remixes – they are all great and highlight different parts of what is already a brilliant track, but I don’t have space (or time), so if I had to choose one it would be Art Of Tones’ digital only Dub Mix, which works the groove for a big ol' dancefloor workout.

Damian Lazarus - Sci-Fi-Lo-Fi Vol. 2 - Night Of The Dark Machines

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:59:47 GMT

Volume two (I missed volume one by Andrew Weatherall) of Sci-Fi-Lo-Fi, mixed by Damian Lazarus, is one of those mixes that manages to combine many disparate elements to form one cohesive statement, that is greater than the sum of it’s essential parts. Or it’s a bloody good mix. Just depends on where you went to school eh? When writing about music I really like, stuff that press all of my ‘buttons’ it is tempting to go off on a slight tangent, expressing how it makes me feel, the images it conjours up in my warped little mind etc. And, while that’s good, you may not be like me, so I sometimes have to force myself to write in the fact-based world. So; This mix start out with the glitchy atmospherics of Andy Weatherall and Burial, before sliding into some very deep disco dub, ala Hercules And Love Affair, Solomon & Stimming and Moloko (remixing Pulp, to amazing effect). From there on in it’s an opiate infused journey through the worlds of time, space, bass and machines to a place where things happen very quickly, but feel like they are actually happening in slow motion. Ach, you see I’ve done it again.

Dave Aju - Open Wide

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:32:41 GMT

Techno is dying! Disco is dead! Long live house! Dance music seems to be in the dock right now. Everyone (if you believe what you read in magazines) is chattering like there is no tomorrow about the state of things in 2008. Music making is too easy, there is no money to be made, computers versus lumps of wax, too many edits, too much music, file sharers (have you ever actually met a file ‘sharer’?) not enough good music, too many labels, not enough innovators. Man how boring. Forget all that, stick on Dave Aju’s latest album; Open Wide and realise that whatever is written about music, none of it really matters. Talking about music is what you do when you are waiting for something good to come along. So, check it out, it’s good. Obviously, I like it. Oh, that’s not enough really is it? OK it’s a really good, innovative house album. Lots of my favourite - weird sounds, house groves that meander from super low slung to practically jump-up, but the whole thing about it that makes you go WHOAH, is the fact that no instruments were used to make this, just Dave Aju’s mouth. OK, he’s not the first, but it’s the best I have heard, and the only one that makes me want to dance around the office. If this album doesn’t sum up why there is nothing worth stressing about in 2008, I don’t know what does

Detroit Grand Pubahs - Nuttin' Butt Funk

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:25:25 GMT

Detroit Grand Pubahs’ first new album in nearly 3 years, and what a corker it is. Recent singles Skydive From Venus and Birth In Zero Gravity have reawakened interest in the duo that bought us Sandwiches, crackwhore beats and a very childish sense of humour. With song titles such Nightflight From Uranus, growing up and presenting a more mature sound was never really going to happen. Or was it? Lyrically, gutter humour is still in full effect, with Mr O’s surreal skits sitting alongside the chipmunk-esque vocals on tracks like Earth Hoes that somehow never become annoying or detract from the quality of the music. But, that is to be expected. Detroit Grand Pubahs’ have been in the game long enough to know how to craft some heavyweight beats that veer from squelchy bitch electro to surprisingly mature dancefloor techno. For an act that clearly don’t take themselves to seriously, they have made seriously good fourth album.

Format: B - Steam Circuit

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:18:20 GMT

Minimal techno has had a fair bashing recently. The backlash against the genre has been wide ranging, and hard hitting. Now, very few wish to associate themselves with that particular sound, even those that are still effectively making it. Format: B, an act often linked with the ‘minimal’ sound, have always had a lot more to offer than plinks and plonks. Their sounds are anything but minimal though I am NOT going to call them ‘maximal’. That would be a faux-par too far…. Steam Circuit, their debut is a ‘club’ album in its purest sense. All of these tracks will be doing serious dancefloor damage somewhere over the coming months– like all good electronic artists, Format: B have a sound instantly recognisable as their own, though to explain that in words is often a difficult task. Killer techno with some serious groove might get you part of the way there…

Sisters Of Transistor - The Don / Pendulum

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:43:06 GMT

Sisters of Transistor are a 5 piece outfit hailing from Manchester, creating spooky organ electro which is seriously inventive, full of humour and weirdness – the sisters themselves describe it as a ‘contemporary take on 1930’s occult parlour music’ – that is not remotely like anything else Graham Massey (of 808 State Fame) has been involved with before. Here, he is on drumming (and production) duties, but really it is all about the sisters. Apparently organ quartets where all the rage half a century ago, but the excitement that they created led to them being banned. I suppose some references to Goblin era disco would be in order, but that’s just a bit lame - not everything sounds like something else. I hope an album is coming soon, because based on this single, all harmonised voices, organs and spooky theatrics lain over a stomping beat the spirit of Screaming Lord Sutch has been channelled back to the 21st century via the sister's organs of doom.