And I know that because I was there

I guess now the turkey is digested and there's a couple of days respite from the boozing, it's time to look back over the year and remember what made you dance like yr dad, what got you turning your radio up & singing out of the sunroof, and what made you fantasise about inflicting horrendous pain on those responsible.

I can't say it's been one of my most memorable years, either personally or musically. But i've met quite a few very very very very nice people. And some not very nice people. I've been to Brazil and picked up my traditional 'get bitten by something strange and spend a week with my ankle twice its normal size' souvenir (see also: Thailand, Bolivia, Mexico).



I've not been to Glastonbury, which left a large hole in the summer that Lowlands only partially filled. I've seen Bromheads Jacket about 6 times. I have kicked myself hard and often for not, as I was intending, betting £20 on Arctic Monkeys to win the Mercury prize after first hearing their demo. I have slept on many many sofas.

I have severely curtailed my record buying, after realising that my collection of vinyl and CDs has got totally out of control. Only to become instead overwhelmed by the number of CDs that are now dropping through my door. I have signed up to myspace, which has given me even more music I don't have time to listen to. I have not given up smoking.

I have become addicted to buying art. I now own a painting.



I have also bought many many screenprints by Banksy, Eelus, Insect, Space Invader, Matt Small, Faile and Antony Micallef.





I've watched Wycombe reach the Semi-Finals of the League Cup, after unforgettable victories over Fulham, Doncaster and Charlton.




And i've talked a lot of shite right here..... whilst hopefully redeeming myself by posting up some damn good music.

I'll try & produce a few of those dreaded lists between now & 2007. So let's start off with my REMIXES OF THE YEAR. Whoop!

1: The Gossip - Standing in Way of Control (Soulwax Mix)
Soulwax remixed Robbie Williams. A few clips made it onto the internet and made everyone dribble with anticipation, waiting for the day when they could get their grubby mits on a vinyl or mp3 copy of this dancefloor slayer. Meanwhile this remix of The Gossip's smash hit sneaks out into the shops.... and makes the Robbie remix seem rather lacking in comparison. Beth Ditto unleashes the big tonsils. Soulwax provide the big beats. Everyone dances.

2: Lo-Fi-Fnk - Wake Up (Justus Koehncke Mix)
Justus Koehncke (or however the bloody hell you spell his surname) quietly released two amazing remixes this year. It's pretty hard to choose between this, and his version of Zero 7's 'You Are My Flame', but this wins due to the fact it had some kind of magnetic attraction to my car's CD player for a fortnight this summer. Quite a lot slower and less like a slap round the face with a fish than a lot of the noisy buggers on this list... but an irrisistible groove that you just can't ignore.

Justus also gets points for doing probably the best mix of 'Over and Over' (slapping in the beat from Laid Back's 'White Horse'... see what he did there?). But god if there's one song that i've heard about 500 too many times this year it's 'Over and Over'. It's really become self-prophesising. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SHUT THAT FUCKING MONKEY UP!!!

3: Delia & Gavin - Relevee (Carl Craig Mix)
Carl Craig has spent over 15 years doing no wrong. And right now he seems hotter than ever. Last year we had that Theo Parrish remix. This year it was the epic reworking of Relevee... complete with 4 minute intro, magnificent thunderous noises, and a funky-as-shit piano breakdown towards the end. I got a bit of a ticking off from DFA for posting it, but hell, I couldn't keep it to myself could I !!

It was another good year for Carl, with the fabulously dirty 'She's Satan' single, and great remixes of Goldfrapp, Rhythm & Sound and Japanese Synchro System. Wish he hadn't re-issued quite so much of his Planet E back catalogue though. Sometimes you've got to keep this music special.

4: Goodbooks - Leni (Kissy Sell Out Mix)
Forthcoming in January, this is the mix i've enjoyed most in the last few months. The original is a great great single, but I was surprised to see it converting to dancefloor missile with such apparent ease. Squeezing two killer riffs into the track helps of course, but the masterful glitching, squelching and growling all helps it add up to killer.
I've just discovered a Crystal Castles mix of this track, which is rather hot also. Not as hot as this though.

5: Metronomy - Trick or Treatz (South Central Mix)
I heard this on South Central's myspace and flipped. They have since remixed Klaxons and Maccabees, and released their own debut single. Currently locked in a bare knuckle deathmatch with Kissy Sell Out and Duke Dumont for the right to be called the 'BRITISH JUSTICE'. I'll post their Maccabees remix soon. It's real good.

6: Dondolo - Dragon (Shit Robot Mix)
Dragon. RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH.

Greatest lyric. Ever.

7: Spank Rock - Bump (Switch Mix)
The glitchiest, dirtiest, filthiest and jackingest of them all. Has the potential to send people running away screaming, or else smear themselves in baby oil and writhe naked in a bacchanalian tangle of pink flesh and salty fluids.

Nasty.
8: M Craft - You Are The Music (Playgroup Dub)
....and on to the smoothest, sexiest mix of the year. A chugging guitar. A beardy groove. Some beautiful production draws you in... before exploding all over your face with the revelation that 'you are the music in me'.

I know i'm gonna be alright.

9: Franz Ferdinand - I'm Your Villain (Lindstrom Mix)
I had always avoided Lindstrom, after for some reason developing an idea that his music was just another word for 'boring'. But this wasn't boring! Far from it! It was sexy disco fun. Damn. Another artist with a labyrinthine discography that I need to explore.

10: Jamelia - Something About You (Mr Oizo Mix)
I'm tired and I need to go to bed. This was good as well.

I have no doubt forgotten about many remixes that have thrilled me over the year. Or it's very likely that I've missed a lot of great stuff entirely. Please feel free to add suggestions in the comments... and hey, if you could YSI your suggestions that would be even better! ,-)


Next category is my GUILTY PLEASURE of the year.

And the outstanding winner is Lil' Chris!



Apparently he's 14 and he was on some programme called 'Rock School'. The only thing I know for sure is that he's a fucking pop genius.

His first single, 'Checking it Out', was a tasty enough slice of pop-punk... which is helped by the fact that lil' chris does actually seem to be pretty punk rock (in a chavvy kind of way), rather than a muppet with a stylist and big pot of hair gel.



His most recent single though, is just undeniably amazing. I had to hold off getting out of my car first time I heard it and listen through to the end.

It's a blatent rip off of the Buzzcock's 'Ever Falled in Love', but is it heretic to say that this is.... better? The brilliant intro reminds me of some classic 80s powerpop track like 'Video Killed the Radio Star' or '99 Red Balloons'. The lyrics are cheeky-as, and... is it wrong to say that I like his dancing? (er ok, yeah that's a bit wrong).

I know i'm risking ridicule (and not for the first time), but I think this is superb!

LIL CHRIS - GETTING ENOUGH



The question is, will Lil' Chris ever be known as 'Big Chris'? Or will he follow those other famous Lil's (Lil Bow Wow; Lil Louis) into obscurity....?

Happy Mixmas

Here's a set I played at a christmas shindig last week...

As usual you will find that the mixing isn't seamless. However I still feel i'm getting better! Also, if you've listened to any of my other mixes you may recognise a few of the segues. Well, it was for a party, so I had to roll out some of my tried & tested efforts!

HEADPHONESEX - BRIXMASMIX

Tracklisting:

Black Leotard Front - Casual Friday (DFA, 2005)
Betty Botox - Kasablanca Compact (Botox, 2006)
Dondoldo - Dragon (Shit Robot Mix) (Tiny Sticks, 2006)
Blues Explosion - Mars, Arizona (DFA Mix) (DFA, 2006)
Betty Botox - Music is Music (Botox, 2006)
Serge Santiago - Atto D'Amoure (Arcobaleno, 2005)
Spank Rock - Bump (Switch Remix) (Big Dada, 2006)
Justice - Let There Be Light (Ed Banger, 2005)
Metronomy - Trick or Treatz (South Central Remix) (Holiphonic, 2006)
Goldfrapp - Fly Me Away (Carl Craig Mix) (Mute, 2006)
Model 500 - No UFO's (Metroplex, 1985)
Delia & Gavin - Relevee (Carl Craig Mix) (DFA, 2006)
--> Edu K - Baile Jean (Man, 2006)
Kiki & Silver Surfer - Shake Off (Crosstown Rebels, 2004)
Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow (Nightmoves Remix) (Kitsune, 2006)
Yoko Ono - Walking on Thin Ice (Geffen, 1981)
Theo Parrish - Falling Up (Carl Craig Mix) (Third Eye, 2005)
Three 6 Mafia - Stay Fly (Mad Decent Remix) (Money Studies, 2005)
Fox 'n' Wolf - In Yr Underwear (Jesper Dahlback Remix) (Kitsune, 2006)
Royksopp - What Else Is There? (Jacques Lu Cont Remix) (Wall of Sound, 2005)


Those nice fellas from Adventures Close to Home have bravely booked me in again over christmas...



Come on down & i'll buy you a mince pie.

Back by Dope Demand

There is nothing worse than bloggers apologising for not posting. But i have been a bit quiet lately so sorry about that. I wish I could say i've been raving it up and shagging supermodels, but rather more mundanely i've just been busy as hell at work and getting home bloody late.

But I have to post this up due to its marvellous timing. I woke this morning still glowing with cup glory, following Wycombe's incredible performance at Charlton. Lo and behold, waiting on my doormat is a CD proclaiming 'Lewisham Born, Lewisham Bred'. Lewisham is of course the London borough that Charlton play in, so I took this as some kind of sign. A sign of what I don't know, but you have to look out for these kind of things, what with christmas round the corner. After all, if those wise old fellas hadn't paid attention to that star, who knows how differently the world may have turned out. Rather more peacefully I suspect.



So this here CD is a split effort by Dope Casio and Lewisham Born, Lewisham Bred. And it's ace. And finally something that deserves to be called 'Nu Rave'. For this is spastic fun for people who enjoy leaping round monged up on beans. The all important breakbeats are present and correct (listen NME... you cannae rave without breakbeats); and the even more all important cheesy piano riffs are present and correct (listen NME... you definitely cannae rave without waving those hands in the air).

Elsewhere there's also some old-skool Aphex influences (the pretty silly 'You're a Bender' byLB, LB for instance). Some hoover noises (on Dope Casino's 'Alien Lockdown'). Some KLF-style farmyard sounds (on Melvin's Place by LB, LB). And a whole host of mind-altering electronic sounds flying out of your speakers at every other time.

I guess what distinguishes this from 'old' rave music is that they have taken that rather simplistic blueprint and thrown in a whole load of influences from everthing that has come since. It's just dancing fun for your ears and speakers.



DOPE CASIO - CUT OUT AND KEEP



LEWISHAM BORN, LEWISHAM BRED - CHECHNO


Sounds like if you send a nice message to LB, LB via their myspace, you can get a free copy of the CD. I recommend that you do.




I've had a mix ready to post up for a couple of weeks, but my aforementioned busy-ness has prevented me from doing so. Hopefully next post, hopefully tomorrow.

Unbelievable

Two semi-finals in 6 years!

What a night last night was....



Edit:

Yes I know no-one's remotely interested. But i'm still buzzing from the game last night.







Amusingly, despite being in the semi-finals, we're still 55-1 to win the cup with Betfair!!

Mister Mister

Also excellent at the Mika gig were Mr Hudson and the Library. A five-piece band trimmed to three for this acoustic gig, the combination of piano, guitar, steel drum & vocals was certainly unusual.



The ska-tinged songs ranged between good & superb, but it was the astounding piano playing of TJ that really caught the ears. He was pretty incredible, and I think caught the other two off guard a couple of times with some extended and unexpected outros. Coaxing a rocking garage beat out of a grand piano was quite some work!

Ah, look! As luck would have it, someone's uploaded one of the very jams I was talking about. Mr Hudson & steel drummer Joy don't seem to know quite what to do with themselves!



This is their next single, out early next year, and quite a song it is too.

MR HUDSON & THE LIBRARY - TOO LATE, TOO LATE

Seems like they performed this on Jools Holland last week as well:



So another track i've got here is from a mixtape (well, CD) they were giving out. It's a mix of their debut single 'Bread & Roses' laid over a Dr Dre beat. Of course if I was a proper muso i'd tell you the track that Dre sampled. But I can't think what it is.

MR HUDSON & THE LIBRARY - BREAD & ROSES (D&A DUBPLATE MIX)

My only criticism would be the Sting-esque Jamaican inflection that Ben (Mr Hudson) sings with. Let's face it, being reminded of Sting at any time is very far from a good thing. Otherwise they were great fun...


About a month ago I bought a Banksy print off ebay at quite ludicrous expense. Quite quite ludicrous expense. So I went round this guy's flat in South London to pick it up, and it turns out he runs a record label. His pitbull made himself comfortable in my crotch whilst I listened to a few tunes.... filled with a slight fear that I may be spending christmas without any baubles.

Turns out his label is rather good. And I left with a 10" dubplate by someone (something?) called Mr Hopkinson's Computer. It's got three cover versions performed by a singing laptop. Or somesuch. As you can see, the trend for facial foliage has even reached the computer world:



As you will find out if you give 'em a listen, they're quite fun. The 'Fools Gold' cover is surprisingly phat for something that sounds like Stephen Hawking fucking a Commodore 64. While the version of 'Fake Plastic Trees' is surprisingly emotional for something so synthesised. The one you're missing is a version of 'Where is my Mind' by The Pixies. And that's pretty ace as well.

MR HOPKINSON'S COMPUTER - FOOLS GOLD

MR HOPKINSON'S COMPUTER - FAKE PLASTIC TREES

You can buy an interesting looking CD from here for only a fiver! Woo!


Thinking about the title of this post, i've often thought of attempting to write, KLF-style, a shit but hugely successful number one single. Perhaps a cheesy house version of 'Broken Wings' could do it. I have 'The Manual'. I think I should study it once again...

A victim of the times

It was pretty nice to be invited along to a PR junket the other night. A funny old business. Look at all these losers modelling their free sunglasses. The canapes were great though! Not quite sure why I was there, since if the idea of the evening was to get fashionable people wearing Ray Bans it was a bit lost on me. For starters i'm very far from fashionable. And most of all my useless eyes are rather dependant on a pair of ferocious prescription glasses to be able to see. But hey, free drinks & shades. And the canapes were lush. I'm not complaining!

I had to leave early, so missed all the 'proper celebrities'. Mind you it was quite entertaining watching certain unnamed Z-list stars desperately trying to get in front of the cameras whilst at the same time trying to appear to be nonchalently avoiding them. Well hell, let's name names. Meg Matthews!

Why the early departure? Well I had tickets to see MIKA at a special gig at the Reindeer Theatre on Brick Lane. This is a small temporary venue that's only open over christmas... and it was a real treat to see someone so talented, and so destined to stardom, in such an intimate theatre.



It seems obligatory at this point to mention Freddie Mercury & Scissor Sisters. And much as i'd like to think of some more interesting frames of reference... I think they'll do fine. Charismatic and camp, he's a grand piano wielding singer-songwriter with a disco falsetto and some catchy as hell tunes.



This is the first track of his that I suspect will blow up to huge proportions early next year. If you're anything like me you'll find yourself humming it at every quiet moment.

MIKA - GRACE KELLY

Love it or hate it, you'll be hearing that a lot next year. Head over to his myspace for more. My sister, Emma, is rather taken by 'Billy Brown', while 'Relax' is radio-friendly pop gold also. Although the gig as a whole was quite mesmerising, I found he overdid his falsetto a bit. When he reverted to a more natural voice for the chorus of the penultimate song it really gave me shivers down my spine.

Here's one more... the most Scissor Sisters-sounding of his songs. Mixed in with 'I Just Died in Your Arms' by The Cutting Crew. You'll have to turn a bit gay for this one.

MIKA - RELAX, TAKE IT EASY

I've just found a (very short) clip of Mika from the gig:



And another version of the song on Jools Holland:

Monty on a Run

Well surprise surprise, Monty finally gets a game, and rips through the Aussies.... as we all knew he would. The guy's a legend!

Come friendly fire

I LOVE the Super Furry Animals, so a new Gruff Rhys solo album is always going to make me dance a little jig. It's called Candylion and it's out on January 29th.





The obvious difference from his previous solo effort 'Yr Atal Genhedlaeth' is that some (most) of the songs are in English. [Example Welsh lyrics from 'Yr Atal': "Ni yw y byd, Ni yw y byd, Glynwn fel teulu achos Ni yw y byd. Ni yw y byd, dewch bawb ynghyd, Paratown am chwyldro achos Ni yw y byd. Ni yw y byd, Ni yw y byd, Yfwn ein cwrw achos Ni yw y byd. Ni yw y byd dewch bawb ynghyd, Lluchiwn ein gwydrau achos Ni yw y byd Ni yw y byd, Ni yw y byd, Carwn ein gelynion achos Ni yw y byd"] It's also a much more polished and poppy affair. It's evident if you've listened to an SFA record, that the man has more tunes than a cough sweet factory. And you'll find yourself humming along to several of the tracks on here.

I would't count lead single 'Candylion' among my favourites on the album. But it's quite sweet. Check out the video:



What i've really fallen for is the near 15-minute album closer 'Skylon!'. A love story set on an hijacked aircraft, it's apparently a nostalgic look at 1970s terrorism... 'before people started blowing themselves up'. The music sounds appropriately nostaligic, with a psychedelic groove (and accompanying far out noises and flutes) that you might expect to find on a 'Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve' record. Wonderful stuff.

GRUFF RHYS - SKYLON!

A new SFA album is one of the things i'm looking forward to most in 2007. But this will tide me over nicely until I can get my hands on that.



If you're just falling into a skunk haze, this may rouse you somewhat. I've just come across this mix by Rub 'n' Tug, who I eulogised about last week. I'm not the biggest Beastie Boys fan in the world (well, not since 'Licence to Ill' anyway. Christ, that seems a long time ago), but Tom & Eric have made them more than listenable here.

This was an unofficial release, and is a version of 'An Open Letter to NYC' from the 'To The 5 Boroughs' album. To be honest i'm tempted to write 'an open letter to NYC' myself after my visit there last month. It was an unreservedly disasterous trip... and well, if all New Yorkers' idea of hospitality is what I experienced, then I won't be hurrying back!

Maybe I ought to rework this for London. We don't seem to have the same inclination in this country to constantly sing the praises of our towns & cities, but it might work.

'Hackney, Harringey, Stoke Newington & Lambeth;
from up at Ally Pally across to Crystal Palace.....
..... Black, White, London you make it happen!'

On the other hand, no. It sounds shit doesn't it! Best leave it to the sceptics.

Although I still feel I have a song in me somewhere that will leave the people of the world dreaming of the romance of Slough's bus stations and car parks. After all, i've been to plenty of shitty places that have been immortalised in song. Acapulco, Copacabana and LA spring to mind!



Maybe I will call it 'Silicon Slough'. The chorus will go 'Extensive transport links make Slough one of the most important business centres in the South East of England'. I could also sing about 'Montem Mound'. 'A mysterious mound of earth' that's drawn sightseers from as far away as Maidenhead. There's also of course the world's largest Tescos.... enough to fill anyone with civic pride. Yes, I can see a number one hit coming together here...





THE BEASTIE BOYS - NEW YORK CITY (RUB 'N' TUG MIX)

It's Oh So Quiet

No I've not disappeared... well I have, but not permanently.

Truth be told i've been busy preparing a slamming dj set for a party this weekend. Which has meant i've not been listening to too much other music. As a result i've just sat down to knock out a quick update, and for once nothing immediately smacked me in the face and shouted 'post me'!

I did listen to something today that unexpectedly got my toes tapping - the 'new' single by Graham Coxon... he out of Blur. Truth be told it's the first solo thing of his i've ever heard (as far as I know), so as a result I hadn't realised I was sent this to promote the American release of an album that came out in the UK back in March.

So not really new, but quite good all the same. Mainly because it starts out sounding like a Pink Grease song.



GRAHAM COXON - TELL IT LIKE IT IS


Ah yes, this is a good track that's not got too much coverage. Oh. Okay, let me rephrase that. It's not got too much coverage in the blogs I read. Tokyo Police Club are from Canada. This mini-album called 'A Lesson in Crime' has I presume been getting a lot of hype, by the looks of all that bloggin'. To be honest out of 7 short tracks only two are any good. But i'm really liking the opener, 'Cheer it On'. It sounds like an update of The Strokes' 'New York City Cops', and is perhaps what those particular fashion victims would sound like now if they hadn't lost whatever tiny sense of humour they began with.



TOKYO POLICE CLUB - CHEER IT ON


OK, I tell you what. This has been a rubbish post. Maybe I can redeem myself with something old... a bootleg by Basement Jaxx, mixing up 'Start' by The Jam & Eminem's 'My Name Is'. I've not played this anywhere myself, since I don't have it on vinyl. However I can imagine that Eminem repeating 'Get Fucked Up' over that familar Bruce Foxton bassline should get people moving.

BASEMENT JAXX (BANANA KRU) - MY NAME IZ START

Actually now I think of that, it reminds me of something astonishing I stumbled upon last week.

OK now you know, I hope, that 'My Name Is' samples 'I Got The...' by Labi Siffre. One of the funkiest, sexiest and most soulful songs of all time. And something I will never ever tire of listening to.

Well get this. According to Wikipedia, the funky breakdown as sampled by Eminem was played by...... no, really....... you won't believe this....... CHAS AND DAVE!!!!

Yes, THE Chas & Dave.



Well I couldn't believe this was true, particularly knowing how Wikipedia can fall victim to pranksters. However a quick search of the web brings up quite a bit of evidence that yes, Chas & Dave did indeed bring the funk to one of my favourite records. Truly one of the most bizarre music facts i've ever heard!

LABI SIFFRE - I GOT THE.....

rabbit, rabbit, rabbit