I hate illinois nazis

White Rose Movement are a band tipped for greatness in 2006. And although to be honest I don't find a great deal there that I didn't hear in 2005 (Paul Epworth production; Sharp haircuts; Punkified 80's tunes) I've given their album a bit of a listen and.... I approve!



The Joy Division comparisons don't end with the Nazi-referencing name (The White Rose Movemement was a student group opposing National Socialism). The debut single everyone went nuts over ('Love is a Number') starts off sounding like a cover of 'Transmission'. And if this wasn't enough, singer Finn Vine has the same haircut, gaunt look and jerky movements as Ian Curtis.

There are also, predictably, hints of The Cure, Duran Duran and Depeche Mode (on Deborah Carne in particular he sounds uncannily like Dave Gahan) in their sound. But hey, as long as it's done well I don't really care. And these guys do it well.

Although, as I say, everyone seemed to go mad for 'Love is a Number', I much preferred the follow-up 'Alsation'. Which is noteworthy for being one of the few things Paul Epworth has remixed where he didn't improve on the original. Watch the video here...


This is the next single off the album, due out on February 27th. It's a bit poppier than the previous two. And i'm not sure what the repeated 'we're crack' means. Appealing to 11 year old girls?!! Whatever, it has a propulsive beat that will rock the dancefloor at Trash, and guitars edgy enough to cut your hair asymmetrically all by themselves.

WHITE ROSE MOVEMENT - GIRLS IN THE BACK


You can also watch the video for this (plus the other singles) via the band's website... and if you can get along to any of the gigs on the forthcoming tour, tickets are still available. You'll find me at Kings College on 13th March.


MARCH 06
Wednesday 1st : LIVERPOOL Barfly : 0870 907 0999
Thursday 2nd : LOUGHBOROUGH University : 01509 635 000
Saturday 4th : CAMBRIDGE APU : 01223 511 511
Sunday 5th : SOUTHAMPTON Joiners Arms : 023 8022 5612
Monday 6th : NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms : 0115 958 8484
Wednesday 8th : GLASGOW Barfly : 0870 907 0999
Thursday 9th : SHEFFIELD Leadmill 2 : 0870 010 4555
Friday 10th : BIRMINGHAM Barfly : 0870 907 0999
Sunday 12th : MANCHESTER Night And Day : 0161 832 1111
Monday 13th : LONDON Kings College : 020 7403 3331


Buy 'em via See Tickets


The album 'Kick' is out March 6th, and is well worthy of your time.

It's Curtains for You

One of the things i've been enjoying most this year isn't new (I think it came out in Feb 05) - however it's new to me. And also the band have been getting increased exposure recently thanks to a: getting a track on the Kitsune Maison compilation, and b: recently remixing Sebastian Tellier and Franz Ferdinand.

The album is called 'Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe)' and it's by Brighton's Metronomy (real name Joseph Mount).



It's a fantastic slice of experimental electronic music that never gets po-faced, repetitive or boring (an accusation you could throw at a lot of electronic stuff the last couple of years). It's full of ideas, great sounds, catchy tunes and most of all... fun. It also comes in one of those beautiful embossed 'hard-back book' sleeves.

I reckon the best place to get it is direct from the label.


The opening track on the album is due to come out as a single any time soon. I won't post it here, but you can go and listen on their myspace page. I recommend you do so. It's a one-man party built round a heavy guitar riff.

I've picked out another couple of great tracks from the album though.

This first one sounds like a drunken sea-shanty. I can almost imagine the band trying to keep time as their boat lists from side-to-side in an Atlantic storm. I hope you scurvy dogs have your sea legs on....

METRONOMY - BLACK EYE / BURNT THUMB


This next track is the only one on the album with vocals, and has a lot of the Hot Chip about it. I think it's that simple repetitive bassline that carries the song along. But the vocals are pretty similar as well. If you love Hot Chip (and you should) you'll love this.

METRONOMY - TRICK OR TREATZ


If I were in London this Friday night, i'd certainly go & catch him live here:





Finally, to the person who sent me the fantastic Coldcut-style mix CD, thanks a lot. I was going to email & thank you properly, but I seem to have lost your note and therefore email address.... really really great stuff. Thanks.

I Am (Really) One Part Two

Part Two of my round up of the first year of headphonesex. I strongly recommend you listen to all these tracks. You will not be disappointed.

July 05

• Super Furry Animals - Slow Life
• Whitey - Leave Them All Behind
• Depeche Mode - People Are People
• Super Furry Animals - Run! Christian, Run!
• Super Furry Animals - Zoom!
• Sigur Ros - Rafmagnið Búið
• Sigur Ros - Ny Batteri
• Arctic Monkeys - Scummy
• O'DONEL LEVY - BAD, BAD, SIMBA

Tuuuuuune! One of the funkiest goddamn jams i've ever heard. Surely only a pact with the devil could leave a man with that much funk in his fingers? This fried my mind when I heard it in a club. Absolutely essential listening.

• Otis Clay - The Only Way Is Up
• Annie - Happy Without You (Riton Vocal Remix)
• Annie - Always Too Late (¥€$ Productions Remix)
• The Concretes - Diana Ross
• The Concretes - Miss You
• Bloc Party - She's Hearing Voices (Erol Alkan's Calling Your Dub Re-Edit)
• Build Buildings - Test Me
• Chris Price - Charge Me Up
• Nately - Throw Me A Smile
  

August 05

• Lady Sovereign - A Little Bit Of Shhhh
• Harold Melvin And The Bluenotes - The Love I Lost (Theo Parrish Re-Edit)
• The Clash - Clampdown
• The Clash - Hate And War
• Booker T & The Mgs - Soul Limbo
• Was (Not Was) - Shake Your Head
• Was (Not Was) - Wheel Me Out
• DJ Marky & XRS (Feat. MC Stamina) - LK
• Dolamite - Move Ur Waist
• Cheryl Lynn - Got To Be Real
• Carlos Adolfo Dominguez - B.O.O.B.I.E.S.
• Tomas Andersson - Washing Up (Tiga Mix)
• Arctic Monkeys - A Certain Romance
• PAUL KALKBRENNER - DOCKYARD

A shuffling Kompakt-style groove on Berlin's BPitch Control. Beautifully understated, this swings more a LibDem leadership candidate. Also check 'Gebrunn Gebrunn' from the same album (Self), which is possibly even better than this.

• Manhead - Birth, School, Work, Death
• The Rakes - Repeat (Phones Remix)
• Hard-Fi - Middle Eastern Holiday
• Goldfrapp - Satin Chic
• The Earlies - Morning Wonder

September 05

• The Prodigy - Out Of Space (Audio Bullys Remix)
• Boards Of Canada - Satellite Anthem Icarus
• Beck - Broken Drum (Boards Of Canada Remix)
• Sebastien Tellier - La Ritournelle
• Louie Bega - Mambo #5
• Giorgio Moroder - From Here To Eternity (Side 1)
• RUEDE HAGELSTEIN - ECLECTIC PEOPLE

Every single track on the Kitsune Maison compilation is a belter. But even among that strong competition this stands out. Starts with one of the best basslines you could hear and then just gets better & better as it goes on. We're all Eclectic People now...

• Digitalism - Zdarlight
• Isan - Waves
• Mew - White Lips Kissed
• Jackson & His Computer Band - Utopia
• Diplo - Snoop Dogg Vs The Cure
• Kid & Khan - Goo Goo Muck
• Little Barrie - Free Salute
• Various Production - Cognac
• Battle - Demons
• DK7 - Where'S The Fun
• Belle & Sebastian - Expectations
• The Prodigy - Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix)
• Pendulum - Slam

October 05

• Mercury Rev (Feat. Robert Creeley) - So There
• Mercury Rev - Hi-Speed Boats
• The Winstons - Amen Brother
• Justice - Carpates
• ARCTIC MONKEYS - CIGARETTE SMOKE

A cut that for some reason didn't make the album. Which to be honest I found a little disappointing. I'm sure part of it's due to over-familiarity with the best songs, but I think they could have improved the tracklisting from the one they settled on. I mean two of the songs they included ('Vampires' and 'You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights...') are just crap. And I can think of 5 or 6 songs straight away that could have easily replaced them. This is one of them.

I'm also a bit disappointed in some of the re-recorded songs they've used. They're a bit overproduced and seem to lack the visceral thrill of those demos. Good luck the band though. It looks like by the weekend their record will have become the fastest selling album of all time!!! Looking forward to seeing them again in a few weeks.

• Arctic Monkeys - Wavin' Bye To The Train And The Bus
• New Rhodes - I Wish I Was You
• Betty Botox - Can Can
• Aphasic - The Jackal
• Reload - The Biosphere (Global Communication Mix)
• The Fall - Mr Pharmacist
• Dangerdoom - Benzi Box (Feat. Cee-Lo)
• Dj Format - Ill Culinary Behaviour
• Beans - Mutescreamer (El-P Remix)
• The Long Blondes - Giddy Stratospheres
• Benjamin Theves - Texas
• Tom Vek - Nothing But Green Lights (Digitalism Mix)
• Scott Grooves - Mothership Reconnection (Daft Punk Remix)
• Franz Ferdinand - Do You Wan't To (Erol Alkan's Glam Racket Mix)
• Stacs Of Stamina - Tivoli
• Headphonesex - The Cough Mixture

November 05

• Afx - Every Day
• Aphex Twin - Icct Hedral (Philip Glass Orchestration)
• Munk - Disco Clown (Digitalism Remix)
• Munk (With James Murphy & Nancy Whang) - Kick Out The Chairs (Tomboy Remix)
• We Are Scientists - Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt
• We Are Scientists - Great Escape
• We Are Wolves - Little Birds
• Incognito - Out Of The Storm (C'S Planet E Special Mix)
• 69 - My Machines
• C2 C4 - Specimen 2
• Guillemots - Who Left The Lights Off Baby
• Gravenhurst - Bluebeard
• GRAVENHURST - ANIMALS

Like a pastoral Arctic Monkeys, the author is clearly sickened by the chavvy antics of 'Britain on a Saturday Night'. There are so many fantastic lines in this song that i'd be far better off just pasting the lyrics in rather than attempting to clumsily describe it. Without doubt one of my favourite tracks of last year.

• Bang Bang Machine - Geek Love
• Bang Bang Machine - Geek Love (7 Inch Edit)
• Hot Chip - And I Was A Boy From School
• Clor - Making You All Mine
• Stereolab & Nurse With Wound - Simple Headphone Mind
• Simian - Never Be Alone
• Simian - Drop And Roll

December 05

• Theo Parrish - Falling Up (Carl Craig Mix)
• Datarock - Computer Camp Love
• iLiKETRAiNS - Go To Sleep
• iLiKETRAiNS - A ROOK HOUSE FOR BOBBY

Another of the best singles of last year. Lets face it, a ditty about the troubles of wayward chess genius Bobby Fischer was never going to be a hands-in-the-air disco hit, and this is indeed pretty depressing. But it makes me want to grab a spade and start digging some foundations. If anyone deserves a house shaped like a rook it's Bobby. This comes out of the same Joy Division-y vein as Editors, but better. I'm hopeful that this lot will do something great this year.

• The More Assured - You Do It Pretty Well
• The More Assured - Beat You Down
• Maximo Park - I Want You To Leave
• Headphonesex - The Neeedle & The Damage Done
• Hot Chip - Beeting
• Hot Chip - Perfect Circle
• Annie - Happy Without You (Sebastian Remix)
• Annie - The Wedding (Live Mix)
• Shy Child - The Noise Won't Stop
• Les Visiteurs - Pharrell's Acid Drop
• Hot Chip - Over & Over (Naum Gabo Remix)
• The Rogers Sisters - Why Won't You
• Scout Niblett - Kidnapped By Neptune
• Electrelane - Film Music (Jagz Kooner Mix)

January 06

• DIPLO - STAY FLY (MAD DESCENT MIX)

Party time! I've not heard the original (by some folks called the 'Three 6 Mafia'), but this rerub by either Diplo or one of his cohorts from the Hollertronix crew is dancefloor dynamite.... especially when mixed up with some house music. Fuckin' ace!

• Pink Grease - Peaches
• Sly & Robbie - Boops (Here To Go)
• Sly & Robbie - Don'T Stop The Music
• The Automatic - Recover
• The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet
• Voxtrot - Raised By Wolves
• Vicarious Bliss - Theme From Vicarious Bliss (Dave Clarke Remix)
• Selectah - Wede Man
• Model 500 - The Flow (Jedi Knights Remix)
• Link & E621 - Antacid (Jedi Knights Remix)
• Russ Gabriel - Alligator Voodoo
• Lady B - The Groove Is Going (Evolutive Hard House Mix)
• Madame B - It'S Not Enough

So that was that.

Here's to more of the same in '06!

I Am One Part One

Well... it was a year ago today that headphonesex took its first tentative steps into the world. Who'd have thought a year down the line that I would still be arsed to do this.

(Edit: Err, hang on. I seem to have jumped the gun by two days. Oh well.....!)



One day i'll discover girls, and eventually end up spending my spare time either erecting shelves or watching people erect shelves on TV. But it seems that until then you're stuck with me.

Meeting plenty of nice folks has made it all worthwhile. Only a few have been in person rather than hunched over a keyboard, but maybe that'll change over the next year. I've got to thank Nick for helping me get things going, and i'd like to especially thank anyone who's left a comment. If it wasn't for you i'd have given up a long time ago.

Anyway, sorry 'bout that. This isn't the fuckin' Oscars is it.

I thought it would be interesting to see a list of everything i've posted up over the last twelve months... and I've decided to pick out one mp3 a month to revisit. All of which are great.

JANUARY 05

• JULIAN FANE - SAFETY MAN

Heartwrenching atmospheric electronica on the Planet Mu label. Think Kid A-era Radiohead. Or Mercury Rev recording in an Alaskan forest. The album, 'Special Forces' is a pretty amazing piece of work.

• Annie - Heartbeat (Alan Braxe Mix)
• Daft Punk - The Brainwasher
• Maximo Park - The Night I Lost My Head
• Hot Chip - A-B-C
• Hot Chip - Crap Kraft Dinner

FEBRUARY 05

• Ben Watt (Featuring Estelle) - Pop A Cap In Yo Ass
• Bomb The Bass - Bug Powder Dust (La Funk Mob Remix)
• Olav Brekke Mathisen & Sideshow Jogge - Fluffy The Vampire
• Olav Brekke Mathisen & Sideshow Jogge - Hasj Box
• Ride - Polar Bear
• Ride - Twisterella
• The KLF vs Extreme Noise Terror - 3am Eternal
• LCD Soundsystem - Where Is Love
• Soulwax - Ny Excuse
• The Go! Team - Huddle Formation
• Boards Of Canada - Trapped
• Boards Of Canada - 1969
• HIRAM ABIFF - MARK OF THE BEAST

I heard this on the radio and it blew me away. So much so that I had to record it off the radio 1 stream the next day. It still blows me away. As I can tell this was never been released properly... I can't find any mentions of the net apart from on this site and on the tracklisting from the Ras Kwame show I recorded it from. This is an apocalyptic hip-hop track that demands to be heard. Lyrically outstanding. Musically bombastic. Utterly unique. It's just impossible to comprehend that this guy is not a star.... if I was to recommend one thing i've posted it would be this. Sorry about the bitrate and about Ras Kwame's bullshit at the end though...

• British Sea Power - Like A Honeycomb

MARCH 05

• Longview - Can't Explain (Ulrich Schnauss Vocal Mix)
• The Bravery - Fearless
• Bloc Party - Helicopter (Sheriff Whitey Mix)
• The Kaiser Chiefs - Every Day I Love You Less And Less
• Erlend Oye - Fine Day (Phonique Club Mix)
• Ladytron - Seventeen (Darren Emerson Mix)
• JAHCOOZI - FISH (TEAM NATASCHA MIX)

Nonsensical bit of electro house on Crosstown Rebels - starts off brilliantly, then turns into 'French Kiss' and goes off the scale! Loads of fun.

• Mr Scruff - Fish
• The Arcade Fire - Wake Up
• 69 - Desire
• Innerzone Orchestra - People Make The World Go Round
• DJ's Are Not Rockstars - Paint My Neck (Damn, Vitalic's Supersonic!)

APRIL 05

• Norma Jean Bell - I'm The Baddest Bitch (Moodymann Mix)
• David Shrigley - Don'ts
• Ske - Stuff
• Ske - Julietta 1
• The Chalets - Sexy Mistake
• Heiko Voss - I Think About You
• Mew - Comforting Sounds
• Chok Rock - Happy Man
• Underground Resistance - Transition
• DAVINA - DON'T YOU WANT IT

A timeless, genius piece of house music produced by Underground Resistance's 'Mad' Mike Banks, taking a break from the Techno. Rare as fuck, and one of my favourite house records ever. Detroit in full effect.

• Pink Grease - Peaches
• Recloose - Dust
• Nice Nice - Uh-Oh
• David Gilmour Girls - Hmmm
• Racecar - D Is The New C
• Midnight Star - Midas Touch
• Cybotron - Alleys Of Your Mind
• A Number Of Names - Sharevari
• Belle And Sebastian - Your Cover's Blown

MAY 05

• Depeche Mode - Halo (Goldfrapp Remix)
• Chaos AD - Generation Shit
• Moodymann - J.A.N.
• Slam - Visions (Vitalic Remix)
• Vitalic - You Prefer Cocaine
• Delicate Vomit - Nowhere Boy
• Bang Bang Machine - Geek Love
• DBX - Losing Control
• Metro Area - Honey Circuit
• Blues Explosion - Mars, Arizona (Dfa Remix)
• Maximo Park - Limassol
• Anthony Rother - When The Sun Goes Down
• Jona Lewie - You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties
• Les Rhythmes Digitales - From Disco To: Disco
• Yoko Ono - Walking On Thin Ice
• Gang Of Four - At Home He's A Tourist
• PLAYER - ANGEL OF THEFT

Amon Tobin does a ferocious drill 'n' bass bootleg remix of Slayer. Much loved by 2 Many DJs (Soulwax), who frequently open their shows with it. Much loved by me also. Check those beats!

JUNE 05

• The Mogs - Kelly Blame (Vocal)
• Soulwax - Ny Lipps
• Hard-Fi - Cash Machine
• Bad Company - The Fear
• Bad Company - Four Days
• Model 500 - Night Drive (Thru Babylon)
• Daft Punk - Technologic (Peaches No Logic Remix)
• THE MAGIC NUMBERS - LOVE ME LIKE YOU

Just impossible to dislike. Close your eyes and think of the summer...

• The Brakes - All Nite Disco Party
• Death From Above 1979 - Luno
• Dj Mink - Hey! Hey! Can U Relate
• As One - Mihara

Part two to come in the next couple of days....


Yesterday was officially the most miserable day of the year. So it's all uphill from now on. Hopefully those selections will help you on your way.

Thanks for visiting....

xx

Think of a Number

This second treat by Lady B, also released on F-Communications, is a bit of a special record.

When it was released I had never heard anything like it, and in my opinion this was this record that originated the whole 'disco house' sound of France. Without this there'd be no Bangalter, no Falke, no Cassius... and no Braxe.

It was only available as a very limited one-sided red vinyl 12", so the chances are you've not heard it.

Until now....

MADAME B - IT'S NOT ENOUGH

Discogs

Just Get The Groove Going

A record released in 1994 on Laurent Garnier's F-Communications label, this is from the days when 'trance' wasn't a dirty word. Please also don't let the words 'Hard House' put you off. I still play this any chance I get.

Lady B, like Garnier, is a Frenchy, and although his releases are few, the quality is high. He's recently released tracks on Vitalic's 'Citizen' label and 'International Deejay Gigolos'. As well as putting in a smart remix of Ascii Disco's excellent 'Einfach'.


LADY B - THE GROOVE IS GOING (EVOLUTIVE HARD HOUSE MIX)

Discogs

Look around, there's nothing but blue sky

'Two Posts a day'? Not blimmin' likely. Although in my defence I have been out getting a bit of cultcha. Saw an Alan Bennett play tonight called 'The History Boys' at the National Theatre. Perhaps bizarrely it's one of my favourite buildings in London - I find it's brutalist minimalism fascinating - but for some reason i've not been inside before.



The play really was incredibly good. I wouldn't have gone of my own accord, for some reason associating Alan Bennett with nothing but whimsical reminiscences about a Northern upbringing. I'm very glad I did though. This was hilarious, superbly acted, beautifully written, moving, poignant, thoughtful. All in all very highly recommended.

Very unlike a place we went for a bite to eat beforehand. It was called Giraffe and is seemingly part of a chain spreading virus-like all over London. Avoid it. I could deal with the 'garlic' bread accompanying the soup being quite the most disgusting thing containing yeast and flour I had ever tasted (it had a flavour of 5-times used cooking oil), but my Vegetable Burrito was something else.

To be fair the filling wasn't too bad. Mangos, mushrooms, two types of cheese, 'spicy' sauce. Well actually, no, that wasn't very good either. But I could handle that. What really wasn't good was that beneath this was an inch thick layer or tortilla that was a: welded to the hot plate it had been cooked on and b: of a remarkable consistency something along the lines of fossilised plaster that despite considerable effort I couldn't even dent with a knife or fork. So out of a miniscule portion of dinner to begin with (my stomach wept when it was placed in front of me), a third of it was completely and utterly inedible.

So the otherwise helpful waiter came to collect plates and I showed him this large thick rock still welded to mine. And also demonstrated it's remarkable resistance to cutlery.

Him: 'Oh sir, I am sorry. That is completely unacceptable'.

and whisked it away for what I assumed would be forensic testing and a date with the manager.

So then 2 minutes later he appears with the bill, plonks it on the table and disappears without a word. Looking at the bill I see they haven't taken anything off for my inedible dinner, and have even kindly added on 12.5% service charge for us.

So of course I try and get his attention.

Me: 'Excuse me, but you described my meal as 'completely unacceptable' but have still decided to charge me full price for it.

Him: 'Yes sir'

Me: 'Well don't you think that seeing as a large portion of it was inedible I should be entitled to some sort of discount'

Him: 'I'm sorry sir, only the manager can authorise a discount on the bill'

Me: 'Well do you think I might be able to speak to him?'

Now the manager had come over during the meal and asked how it was. Since we had to shoot off to the theatre pretty swiftly, we of course (being British) replied 'Oh, it's great thanks'. Despite having just been moaning about it.

I'll sort it out afterwards, I thought.

So he comes over.

Manager: 'Is there a problem with the bill?'

Me: (after describing the archeological find) '..... so most of my dinner was inedible. The waiter described it as completely unacceptable. And i've been charged full price for it'

Manager: 'But I came over during the meal and you said everything was fine. If you'd told me there was a problem I could have changed it'

What the fuck? Did the waiter not show you the enormous fossil stuck to my plate? Why am I arguing about this? Just take the fucking 'burrito' off the bill.

Me: 'Yes, but we have to leave for the theatre in a minute. I didn't want to have an argument about it in the middle of my meal, and then have to eat it on my own once everyone else had finished. Or more likely not eat anything as we'd have to leave'

Manager looks at me like i'm trying it on, then rolls his eyes

'I'll see what I can do sir'

Manager returns, and speaking as if he's done us a massive favour

'There you go sir. I've taken 10% off the entire bill for you.'

Now this didn't even cover the compulsory tip, and still meant that i'd spent nealy a fiver on, well, about five mouthfuls of shit food.

So I did the only decent thing and stood outside for five minutes telling everyone who looked at the menu that it was a shithole and to go and eat elsewhere.


Apologies for turning into whatever the opposite of WaiterRant is for a minute there, but it's the sort of chain that's spreading round London like a cancer and which even though it's quite aimed at families you may at some point be tempted to eat in. I feel it's my duty to prevent you from doing so.



So if you're still with me, the reason I logged in was not to moan about my dinner but to post up another cracking track.

Released on the mainly superb Soma Quality Recordings in 1996 this is a tasty little number by Russ Gabriel - proprietor of the excellent Ferox label, and purveyor of fine jazzy techno soul.

No words I could conjure up in an attempt to describe this could possibly beat the title. 'Alligator Voodoo'. For that is what this is.

It's swampy.

And far tastier than anything any Giraffe has ever done.

RUSS GABRIEL - ALLIGATOR VOODOO

Discogs


Oh, and the title of this post refers to that long lost friend the sky. Which today appeared from behind the gloom for the first time this YEAR

:-o

Welcome back brother.

Lino Squares

Tom and Mark. Global Communication; Reload; Chaos & Julia Set; Link; The Chameleon; Secret Ingredients... and also of course the Jedi Knights - their old skool b-boy guise that acted as the catalyst for the still ongoing electro revival.

These are two stunning remixes from 1995. The first of a track by Model 500 (Juan Atkins - a man who managed to invent Techno AND produce the archetypal electro tune (Clear by Cybotron)).

MODEL 500 - THE FLOW (JEDI KNIGHTS REMIX)

Discogs

This second track is a lesson in identity confusion, with Tom & Mark (as Jedi Knights) remixing Tom & Mark (as Link & E621). The Jedis win.

LINK & E621 - ANTACID (JEDI KNIGHTS REMIX)

Discogs

If only George Lucas hadn't put a stop to all this fun.

Nitrate Nights

So i've decided since there's nothing new catching my attention right now to just have a flick through some vinyl from my youth & post up some forgotten classics.

These posts may be short & sweet... just listen & enjoy.

First up a tune that featured on the Chemical Brothers' 'Live at the Social' mix CD, and was a bit of a classic in my days of sniffing amyl at The Heavenly Social & Big Kahuna Burger.

Released on the Athletico label in 1997, this is a skanking ragga-fied bit of big beat produced by someone called Frankie Cutlass.

sniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiffffffff

SELECTAH - WEDE MAN

Discogs

I'll try and get a couple of tunes up a day for the next week or so (damn... I know I shouldn't promise things) so check back regular like.

Your shoes look so good they're almost part of your clothes

I know we're only a couple of weeks in, but so far in 2006 i've not heard much to get my pulse racing. I think I might have a rummage through my boxes and pull out some ageing gems.

In the meantime here's some Justice-related excellence I got second-hand last week. Vicarious Bliss released their debut 12" on Ed Banger records (along with a Justice remix) a couple of years ago.



It appeared on a couple of mixes last year (Erol Alkan's Bugged Out and Dave Clarke's World Service 2) and was also re-released by Skint Records. I didn't bother buying the Skint version as I had 3 of the 4 mixes already, however I saw it in a shop at the weekend for 50p and thought I could probably stretch to that to give the Dave Clarke mix a punt. Well i'm glad I did. It's ace.

Dave Clarke is of course one of the biggest names in UK techno. The cigar-chomping ex-radio 1 DJ came to prominance with the ferocious 'Red' series, whose backwards drums and metallic beats took clubs by storm in the mid-90s.

Forever uncompromising, this mix has kept that industrial (as in factory assembly line) sound, with clattering hi-hats and a buzzsaw synth over some throbbing bass and thumping beats. By the time the half-spoken vocals arrive there's nothing vicarious about the bliss i'm experiencing.

Set the smoke machine to stunnnnnnnnn...

VICARIOUS BLISS - THEME FROM VICARIOUS BLISS (DAVE CLARKE REMIX)

I Started Something...

Voxtrot are a band who've been getting a lot of love from other blogs. That's no reason for me not to join in though... so I shall.



I was sent their CD about 6 months ago, really enjoyed it, and was meaning to write about it then. That was until I misplaced the CD. I finally unearthed it again a couple of weeks ago... only for another copy to arrive in the post the next day!

The EP has 5 tracks, of which the first two are particularly great. The Smiths and Belle & Sebastian are obvious influences., and the second track in particular ('The Start of Something') has some moments of uncanny Morrissey-ness. I'm sure you can find it via the Hype Machine.

I'm far more partial to opening track 'Raised by Wolves', which is about as good as indie-pop gets. It has an anthemic quality that reminds me of The Killers... and could see this going down a storm on the festival circuit.

VOXTROT - RAISED BY WOLVES

I've been hearing about the band for months, but they're still unsigned as far as I can tell. Although i'm not sure how they define unsigned, since the EP has a catalogue number & barcode, and is available from many places in the UK and the States. Try Rough Trade if you'd like to buy a copy. Anyway, if I ran an indie label i'd snap 'em up immediately, along with 'The More Assured' - who I featured a couple of months ago and have a very similar sound. Maybe these bands are an indication of an impending C86 revival?

Mark Philo RIP

I've had a few tears welling up the couple of days after hearing of the tragic death of Mark Philo. He'd only played 17 games for the Wycombe first team, but was clearly an exciting talent and by all accounts a thoroughly decent chap as well. The many pages of tributes here show how much he'll be missed.

Space travel's in my blood

I guess I ought to pull my finger out & post something musical. Last weekend was a bit of a heavy one (fuck detox!) with a monster chinese restaurant karaoke piss up on Saturday night, then out to Trash on Monday. I can't believe it's Friday again. I think i'll try & take it easy & more importantly try not to get any more overdrawn this weekend. I need a holiday and don't have any cash :-(

I'm thinking Rio. Carnival. Yeahhhhhhhh.

So Trash was ace once again. Comanechi played live - a pretty Japanese girl screaming like a banshee and banging drums with all her might, accompanied by a hairy man in a blouse throwing down the heavy metal riffs.



Their myspace page puts it much better:

Comanechi is - singer and drummer Akiko Matsuura and guitarist Simon Petrovitch. Formed in 2003 Comanechi have become one of London's most full-on bands, Akiko belting out train crash drumming while singing like an orgasmic out of control release, Petrovitch provides bowel loosening brutally heavy guitar riffs from behind his low slung fringe of hair.

They were loud as hell, and scared most of the crowd off to the main dancefloor or the bar. The songs were pretty indistinguishable but I enjoyed them a lot & had a good jump around. Albeit by myself.

I suggest listening to the excellent 'Naked' from the aforementioned myspace page, which is about as pop as they get.

Erol Alkan rocked the main dancefloor later on, with another set of indie rock classics. What got me dancing most? The Naum Gabo mix of Hot Chip (which you know is amazing - and if you don't you've probably got another day or so to download it below); The Rogers Sisters track (which you can also get below for not much longer) and this... during which I realised that Ant, you were right all along. It (probably) IS the best song ever written. Sorry for ever doubting you.

THE ONLY ONES - ANOTHER GIRL, ANOTHER PLANET



What do I know about The Only Ones? Well not a lot. They released 4 albums in the late 70's, struggling all the while to hold it together in the face of lead singer Peter Perrett's smack habit (he's on the right in the picture). He's pictured shooting up on the inner sleeve of their eponymous debut album. They disintegrated in 1980 so that Perrett could become a full-time smack-head. The opening line of 'Another Girl, Another Planet' - 'I always flirt with death...' could hardly be more appropriate. He did survive though and I seem to remember a comeback of sorts in the 90's, calling himself 'The One'.

All of that is kind of irrelevant to the glory of this record though. It manages to reflect the complexities and difficulties of love whilst being all the while unashamedly joyful. Yeah it's gonna fuck you up, but it's worth it in the end. 'You get under my skin, I don't find it irritating'.

EDIT: I've just realised chatting to a friend on MSN that the song is, of course, about smack. What else do junkies sing about?


A lot of people have done covers of this, but if you don't mind i'd like to pretend they haven't. I'm sure you're all well familiar with this, but if one person hears it for the first time it'll be well worthwhile posting up.

Enjoy....




By the way I have been advised by my lawyers to state that the popbitch story about Pete Burns I mentioned below is almost certainly fictitious.

He was wearing espadrilles, not stilettos.

Er, no, but seriously. Forget you read anything. It's all lies I tell ya.


By the way I also realised at the weekend that a friend of mine IS Big Brother (well, one of them). Quite odd.

I'd like to thank...... err......

The only news story today of course concerns awards.

Yes, as i'm sure you all know by now, headphonesex has been awarded the prestigious Stumpy Moose website of the year!

The postman brought news of my famous victory this morning, when he stuck a couple of kippers through my letter box.



So tell me James Blunt... can you eat a Brit Award for breakfast? I think not.

Futurama

The BBC website has announced its annual '10 bands for 2006' list.

They've been pretty good at spotting new talent the last few years, although most of the bands i've heard on this year's list leave me a little cold.

1. Corinne Bailey Rae
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
3. The Feeling
4. Plan B
5. Guillemots
6. Sway
7. Chris Brown
8. Marcos Hernandez
9. Kubb
10. The Automatic

Guillemots i've mentioned before, and I think are pretty great. Plan B did a single I quite enjoyed, while i'm yet to fall for the supposed charms of Sway or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! Chris Brown = Usher but worse and Marcos Hernandez is another boyband reject.

This band at number 10 though, The Automatic, seem pretty promising on the basis of this one song i've heard.



THE AUTOMATIC - RECOVER

There aren't too many things out there that don't have an electro-ey influence right now, but this song uses that old Gigolo arpeggiator better than most. This would certainly get me spilling my drink down at the indie disco. I've just listened to it like 8 times in a row.

Make that 9.

Bad Porno

Driving home this evening, an unremarkable chart-bound 'banger' came on the radio. Apparently it's by some Italians calling themselves Porno (that'll boost the hit counter) and it's coming out on Data records. So will no doubt be crashing the top ten anytime soon.

What got me listening though was the sample they used. I was racking my brain the whole way home to try & figure out what it was until I twigged that it from was a superb 7" I have by Sly & Robbie - called 'Boops (Here to Go)' and released on 4th & Broadway records in 1987, when it hit the heights of #12 in the UK charts.

I don't know too much about the pair, so fortunately I have wikipedia to help out.

Apparently Lowell (Sly) Dunbar and bassist Robert (Robbie) Shakespeare are rumoured to have worked on almost 200,000 tracks !!!!

Christ.

They've a long and influential history in Jamaican reggae, but only had a brief flirtation with the UK charts around the period of this single. This record was produced by possibly the only man who could rival Sly & Robbie for prolificity (?) - Bill Laswell.

I always knew Bill Laswell as an ambient producer in the early 90s - with releases on labels such as Pete Namlook's Fax - but you can see from his discogs entry that he has been a busy chap these last 30 years. I've been aware of him more recently thanks to his productions as 'Material', under which he contributed superb tracks to both 'Disco (Not Disco)' compilations.

This is a hard track to describe - it's an electro-esque hip-hop track with Middle Eastern samples and a 'White Lines' style bassline. And one of the best whistling solos of all time. Suffice to say it's fuckin' awesome. Get downloadin'.



SLY & ROBBIE - BOOPS (HERE TO GO)

But if you thought that was good (and I guarantee you will), I always preferred the B-side - a slice of PURE FUNK with one of the best basslines going. You can tell why Dunbar named himself after Sly Stone. This is amazing, and is one of those things that sounds instantly familiar even if you've never heard it before. Maybe it's a cover? If you know please comment me up.



SLY & ROBBIE - DON'T STOP THE MUSIC


I've just caught some of the first episode of Celebrity Big Brother. I really don't want to watch... but come on. Michael Barrymore, Dennis Rodman, Jodie Marsh, Maggot (Goldie Lookin' Chain), George Galloway MP and Pete fuckin' Burns in a house together! Ha! And the woman from Baywatch (Traci Bingham?) seemed to be one of Rodman's no doubt many exes. He didn't seem to pleased to see her...

What a bunch of nutters.

Seeing Pete Burns reminded me of a great story I heard on Popbitch a while back (so it must be true!):

>> Pete Burns goes mad. Again <<
Glueing shoes to cars - not a good sign

Poor Pete Burns. The Dead Or Alive singer has been sectioned by the police for his own safety. The problems began when Pete was seen in Notting Hill trying to superglue one of his stiletto shoes to a parked car. A friend saw him and, thinking he'd been on a drink or drug binge, suggested he go home and sober up. Pete tried to go home, but he had forgotten where he lived, so broke into his neighbour's house. She came home a few hours later and heard singing and music coming from upstairs. Upon reaching the bathroom, she found Pete sitting in her bath in full drag, singing "You spin me round" in a trance-like state. Pete is currently being held in a maximum security "celebrity relaxation centre"...

Still bored? Check Best Foot Forward for the Jackson mix of m83. I had it on a couple of mixes (like Michael Mayer's Fabric mix) but never the full version. Awesome.

Art Bruts

Niall in the comments reminded me that I took another visit to Santa's Ghetto over christmas & took some more photos.

This is a new Banksy canvas.... they were selling prints of it at the shop, and no doubt they'll be available from the usual place soon enough.



They were also selling a canvas version of the 'Love is in the Air' print I have. A bit out of my pocket unfortunately :-( (£7500)



They had a DIY canvas section downstairs - I loved the ones someone called 'Pure Evil' had done. Check this out:




And here are some of the photos 'I Like Drawing' had up.

Aaaah!








'In the future, everyone will be anonymous for 15 minutes'

Better Late Than Never

So after a bit of careless consideration, i've come up with what I think were my favourite singles, albums and remixes of last year. A bit late I know, but I've never been very punctual.

I would like to have put a few more MP3s up, however i've posted nearly everything on this site already, so it seems a little pointless.

No doubt i've forgotten about loads of things - for example I missed Annie & Datarock off my favourite gigs of the year list. However if you were to sit and listen to all this you would emerge at the other end with a big smile on your face. And I guess that's the main idea.



Top 25 Singles of the Year
1: PINK GREASE - PEACHES
2: Arctic Monkeys - 5 Minutes With...
3: Sebastian Tellier - La Ritournelle
4: Gorillaz - Dare
5: Long Blondes - Giddy Stratospheres
6: Hot Chip - Over & Over
7: Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
8: Hard-Fi - Hard to Beat
9: Poni Hoax - Budapest
10: We Are Scientists - Either Great Escape or Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt (I can't decide!)
11: AFX (Aphex Twin) - Analord 10
12: iLiKETRAiNS - A Rook House for Bobby
13: Teh Strokes - Juicebox
14: Antony & The Johnsons - Hope There's Someone
15: Tom Vek - Nothing But Green Lights
16: Chok Rock - Big City Loser
17: Justice - Waters of Nazareth
18: Arctic Monkeys - Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
19: LCD Soundsystem - Tribulations
20: Futureheads - Hounds of Love
21: Clor - Love & Pain
22: Stereophonics - Dakota (just admit it... it's great)
23: Recloose - Dust
24: Various Production - Hater
25: Guillemots - I Saw Such Things in my Sleep



Top 13 Remixes of the Year
1: Annie - Heartbeat (Alan Braxe Mix)
2: Theo Parrish - Falling Up (Carl Craig Mix)
3: Beck - Broken Drum (Boards of Canada Mix)
4: Royksopp - What Else is There? (Trentemoller Mix)
5: Scenario Rock - Schizo Dancer (Justice & Thomas Bangalter Mix)
6: Gorillaz - Dare (DFA Mix)
7: PHARRELL'S ACID DROP
8: Soulwax - NY Lipps
9: Diplo - Hollertronix Vols 2 & 3
[Here's DIPLO - STAY FLY (MAD DESCENT REMIX) From Vol. 3]
10 Annie - Happy Without You (SebastiAn Mix)
11: Pink Grease - Peaches (Peaches Remix)
12: Tomas Andersson - Washing Up (Tiga Mix)
13: Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To (Erol Alkan Mix)



Top 16 Albums of the Year
1: Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger
2: Arcade Fire - Funeral
3: Various - Kitsune Maison
4: LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
5: Arctic Monkeys - Beneath The Boardwalk (Demo)
6: Julian Fane - Special Forces
7: Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
8: Juan Atkins - 20 Years of Metroplex
9: Vitalic - OK Cowboy
10: Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
11: Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft
12: Whitey - The Light at the End of the Tunnel is a Train
13: The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers
14: Stacs of Stamina - Tivoli
15: Hard-Fi - Stars of CC-TV
16: Jamie Lidell - Multiply

Tracklisting of my Christmas Card 'Best of 05' CD:
1: Arcade Fire - Wake Up
2: Maximo Park - Limassol
3: Pink Grease - Peaches
4: Arctic Monkeys - From The Ritz to the Rubble
5: Clor - Love & Pain
6: Hot Chip - Over & Over (Naum Gabo Remix)
7: Hollertronix - Snoop Dogg vs The Cure
8: Les Visiteurs - Pharrell's Acid Drop
9: Soulwax - NY Lipps
10: Digitalism - Zdarlight
11: Annie - Heartbeat (Alan Braxe Remix)
12: Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch
13: The Long Blondes - Giddy Stratospheres
14: Whitey - Can't Go Out, Can't Stay In
15: Sebastian Tellier - La Ritournelle




Phew!

Just the thought that 2006 might bring that much good music is filling me with joy. Here's to it. And dancing to it. And toasting it with many nice cold beers. Either way it's gonna be another fun filled ride....

Happy New Year




Finally, if that's not enough lists for you, i've been enjoying the end of year run downs at ipop... particularly since she had the good sense to vote Maximo Park as #1 album. You may not understand all the Dutch, but there are plenty of pictures and mp3s to compensate! I just spent an enjoyable day listening to ALL 30 of the best remixes of the year.

Make it stop

I'm still waiting to shake off the christmas lethargy and lead you steaming into 2006 with some smoking new records.

Maybe tomorrow.

Until then, please go and visit Dilated Choonz... an MP3 blog with seriously fantastic tunes AND a conscience! The blog is running until February 18th in order to promote a party on that date in aid of 'Stop the Hiding' - a charity helping victims of domestic violence.

No doubt the party will feature domestic abuse favourites 'Smack my Bitch Up', 'Women Beat Their Men', and as many versions of 'i'll beat that bitch with a bat' as they can squeeze in.


Or maybe not.

,-)

Seriously though, you must listen at least to Carl Craig's majestic 'Desire'; Speedy J's 'De-Orbit'; Willis' version of 'Word Up'; Juan MacLean's 'Give me Every Little Thing'; The House Crew's 'Keep The Fire Burning'; Tori Alamaze's far superior original version of 'Don't Cha'; Dinosaur's classic 'Kiss Me Again' and best of all the rare 'ardcore classic 'Finest Illusion' by Foul Play.

A nifty little play facility on each post means you do so with ease. I may have to beg Kevin for the code!

Hopefully they should keep you busy till I pull my thumb out, but if not mi amigo Steve - a man of impeccable taste (and pictured staggering around Riga here) - sent me this list of records, complete with recommended track from each, he's enjoyed this year.

Amblance Ltd. - self titled - Ophelia
Architecture in Helsinki - in case we die - In case we die (parts 1-4)
*Art Brut - bang bang rock n roll - modern art
Who made who - who made who - the loop
Bitstream - domestic economy 7 - open sesame
Ellen Allien - thrills - come
Broadcast - tender buttons - america's boy
Neutral Milk Hotel - in the aeroplane over the sea - in the aeroplane over the sea (re-released i think)
Deerhoof - the runners four - wrong time capsule
Love is All - nine times that same song - spinning and scratching
Richard Hawley - cole's corner - born under a bad sign
*The Decemberists - picaresque - we both go down together
*New Pornographers - twin cinema - sing me spanish techno
*Aimee Mann - the forgotten arm - video
Sleater Kinney - the woods - jumpers
Ladytron - witching hour - destroy everything you touch
Bonnie Prince Billie and Matt Sweeney - superwolf - bed is for sleeping
The Tears - here come the tears - refugees
Gillian Welch - caleb meyer
Alexander Kowalski - hot spot girls (jesper dahlback rmx)

Steve says "' * If you cannot be arsed or feel you need to prioritise then go for these first "

Personally i've only listened to about 4 of those albums myself, so do let me know if you agree (or don't) with any of Steve's picks.