Fresh Water. Salt. Techno.
I promised techno, and i've been immersing myself (as I frequently do) in Detroit's finest after watching 'High Tech Soul' last night.
It's a documentary DVD telling the story of the creation and development of techno music, featuring interviews with all of the scene's legendary movers and shakers. It focuses of course on the Belleville Three: Juan Atkins (The Originator); Derrick May (The Innovator) and Kevin Saunderson (The Elevator); but also features interviews with Eddie 'Flashin' Fowlkes, Carl Craig, Blake Baxter, Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin, The Electrifyin' Mojo, Kenny Larkin, Scan 7 and Stacey Pullen amongst others.
For anyone with an interest in the incredible sound of the motor city it's a fascinating watch. It's amazing how charismatic the main characters are, since they often come across dour and over-analytical in print. We learn that the first time Kevin Saunderson met Derrick May he punched him in the face (a reaction that Derrick often seemed to provoke!). We see Juan Atkins as the slightly crazed looking genius you're sure he had to be. There's bitching, gossip, a lot of mutual respect and of course a lot of fantastic music.
Here's a couple of trailers
If you order the film via this link you also get an exclusive Derrick May mix CD.
One of the artists eulogised in the film is Mike Banks aka Underground Resistance. Now by far the biggest shock of High Tech Soul for me, is that based on the brief glimpse we get, he appears to be white!
Now the only artist I can think of who's had such worldwide success but has still managed to keep his identity so secret is his namesake Banksy. As suggested by the fact that out of a 15 year recording career this is only the second picture i've ever seen (in the other he was wearing a mask on the front of Jockey Slut). But still, it hadn't crossed my mind for a second that he could be anything but black. I have never heard a white guy make techno music with as much funk and (dare I say) soul as Mike Banks' UR productions.
Co-incidentally there is a new UR record out this week, and it's another deliciously devastating missile. UR #71 is entitled 'Hi-Tech Dreams'... yet another bassline that your hips won't be able to resist with some stirring gospel wailing over the top. It's his best release for a couple of years IMO, and 'Lo-Tech Reality' on the flip is well worth your time as well... a darker track with a hip-hop beat and a voice saying 'i really don't understand any of this'. Reminds me a bit musically of 'Electronic Warfare', although lyrically it's very far from that call to arms.
UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE - HI-TECH DREAMS
Since we seem to have ended up on a 'hi-tech' theme, here's a UR classic from 1993's 'Galaxy 2 Galaxy' double-pack.
UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE - HI-TECH JAZZ
If you like that, buy this.
This week has also seen a rare Detroit classic dusted off with some new mixes for a very limited re-release. I must admit i'd only previously heard this on Derrick May's 'Mayday' mix, and hadn't realised quite how sought after it was until reading about this re-release & seeing how many people were after it on the discogs page.
The original is a gloriously dubbed-out Basic Channel-style groove, and while that takes care of your feet, some lush chords take hold of your heart and out of control synths buzz around your head like insistent flies. This remix is by label boss Sean Deason, who gives it some more 4-to-the-floor drums that seem to have been sampled from 'Throw' (as posted last week).
Although the production has perhaps benefited from some modern methods, the mix retains a classic early-90s sound, and is no worse for it.
CONVEXTION - MIRANDA (PSYKOFUK REMIX)
If you want a copy of this, don't hang about. There were only 1200 pressed and they're flying out. Beware though, it's gonna cost you. I was about to order from Piccadilly before noticing that it was nearly 20 quid for the double-pack!
I'm just about to tuck into a Convextion live set over at The Ill-Ec-Tro-nic. Not sure yet if it's any good, but it's got to be worth a bash...
It's a documentary DVD telling the story of the creation and development of techno music, featuring interviews with all of the scene's legendary movers and shakers. It focuses of course on the Belleville Three: Juan Atkins (The Originator); Derrick May (The Innovator) and Kevin Saunderson (The Elevator); but also features interviews with Eddie 'Flashin' Fowlkes, Carl Craig, Blake Baxter, Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin, The Electrifyin' Mojo, Kenny Larkin, Scan 7 and Stacey Pullen amongst others.
For anyone with an interest in the incredible sound of the motor city it's a fascinating watch. It's amazing how charismatic the main characters are, since they often come across dour and over-analytical in print. We learn that the first time Kevin Saunderson met Derrick May he punched him in the face (a reaction that Derrick often seemed to provoke!). We see Juan Atkins as the slightly crazed looking genius you're sure he had to be. There's bitching, gossip, a lot of mutual respect and of course a lot of fantastic music.
Here's a couple of trailers
If you order the film via this link you also get an exclusive Derrick May mix CD.
One of the artists eulogised in the film is Mike Banks aka Underground Resistance. Now by far the biggest shock of High Tech Soul for me, is that based on the brief glimpse we get, he appears to be white!
Now the only artist I can think of who's had such worldwide success but has still managed to keep his identity so secret is his namesake Banksy. As suggested by the fact that out of a 15 year recording career this is only the second picture i've ever seen (in the other he was wearing a mask on the front of Jockey Slut). But still, it hadn't crossed my mind for a second that he could be anything but black. I have never heard a white guy make techno music with as much funk and (dare I say) soul as Mike Banks' UR productions.
Co-incidentally there is a new UR record out this week, and it's another deliciously devastating missile. UR #71 is entitled 'Hi-Tech Dreams'... yet another bassline that your hips won't be able to resist with some stirring gospel wailing over the top. It's his best release for a couple of years IMO, and 'Lo-Tech Reality' on the flip is well worth your time as well... a darker track with a hip-hop beat and a voice saying 'i really don't understand any of this'. Reminds me a bit musically of 'Electronic Warfare', although lyrically it's very far from that call to arms.
UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE - HI-TECH DREAMS
Since we seem to have ended up on a 'hi-tech' theme, here's a UR classic from 1993's 'Galaxy 2 Galaxy' double-pack.
UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE - HI-TECH JAZZ
If you like that, buy this.
This week has also seen a rare Detroit classic dusted off with some new mixes for a very limited re-release. I must admit i'd only previously heard this on Derrick May's 'Mayday' mix, and hadn't realised quite how sought after it was until reading about this re-release & seeing how many people were after it on the discogs page.
The original is a gloriously dubbed-out Basic Channel-style groove, and while that takes care of your feet, some lush chords take hold of your heart and out of control synths buzz around your head like insistent flies. This remix is by label boss Sean Deason, who gives it some more 4-to-the-floor drums that seem to have been sampled from 'Throw' (as posted last week).
Although the production has perhaps benefited from some modern methods, the mix retains a classic early-90s sound, and is no worse for it.
CONVEXTION - MIRANDA (PSYKOFUK REMIX)
If you want a copy of this, don't hang about. There were only 1200 pressed and they're flying out. Beware though, it's gonna cost you. I was about to order from Piccadilly before noticing that it was nearly 20 quid for the double-pack!
I'm just about to tuck into a Convextion live set over at The Ill-Ec-Tro-nic. Not sure yet if it's any good, but it's got to be worth a bash...
posted by headphonesex @ 11:27 PM
