They've got a new system of free tracks over at emusic. So check out this high energy sampler of African dance music. Take the offer while it lasts.African Dance
sábado, março 31, 2007
Oh My God, Could It Be True?
I've been posting a lot lately... that means that I'm spending a lot of time behind my computer which is true because I've got muito trabalho y ocupações. I'm leaving for Barcelona next week with a couple of friends so its rather muchos trabajos and yes oh boy, I still got work to do. I no longer measure the extends of the labour because it's that much. But I'm going anyway, it's not a convenient moment but than again, nothing ever really comes that way - as a friend with the same problem spook wisely, so is death.
Looking back it's not that bad that The Arcade Fire aren't comin' next Wednesday. Extra time for work :-) but that doesn't mean I don't take the occasional five in order to relax behind and away from the screen. We where thinking of taking a swim in Barcelona and I suddenly remembered a nice open pool on the Montjuïc with a spectacular view. It's the location where the Video Slow from Kylie Minogue is shot and while googling for tha video I stumbled upon this one. Could it be true? I wonder.
I've been posting a lot lately... that means that I'm spending a lot of time behind my computer which is true because I've got muito trabalho y ocupações. I'm leaving for Barcelona next week with a couple of friends so its rather muchos trabajos and yes oh boy, I still got work to do. I no longer measure the extends of the labour because it's that much. But I'm going anyway, it's not a convenient moment but than again, nothing ever really comes that way - as a friend with the same problem spook wisely, so is death.
Looking back it's not that bad that The Arcade Fire aren't comin' next Wednesday. Extra time for work :-) but that doesn't mean I don't take the occasional five in order to relax behind and away from the screen. We where thinking of taking a swim in Barcelona and I suddenly remembered a nice open pool on the Montjuïc with a spectacular view. It's the location where the Video Slow from Kylie Minogue is shot and while googling for tha video I stumbled upon this one. Could it be true? I wonder.
quinta-feira, março 29, 2007
Random Bambiboy
The Arcade Fire cancelled their European Tour because of illness of the lead singer Win Butler. What a pity. Luckily there’s unique life footage on the net like for instance The Take Away Shows. It’s a simple concept but so effective. Just invite a band for a life performance on the streets of Paris and film what ever happens in just one shot. The Arcade Fire’s show is different because apparently that day, it was to cold outside. Instead they filmed inside an service elevator and between a puzzled crowd waiting for the concert.
Arcade Fire away
There's a silly popsong that's been buggin' me for days now. It's Little Donna from the Dutch band Benny Sings. The singing Benny reminds me a bit of a Bambi dressed guy I once met outside a dresscoded party. The video is pretty in pink and hey, apart from a horse in the corridor there's also a Bambi in it somewhere.
The Chemical Brothers got a new release in their ongoing Electronic Battle Weapon output of tryouts and the last one is really smashing. N° 8 sound totally unique, crossing the borders of techno, minimal tech, Big Beat & electro house with finesse, style, dept and dancefloor destroying potential. I definitively wanna hear this life. They Still kick ass!
Chemical brothers - Electronic Battle Weapon 8
And Soulwax has a new remix and it's for the Klaxons this time. As always, they got their act together.
Klaxons - Gravity’s Rainbow (Soulwax remix)
The Arcade Fire cancelled their European Tour because of illness of the lead singer Win Butler. What a pity. Luckily there’s unique life footage on the net like for instance The Take Away Shows. It’s a simple concept but so effective. Just invite a band for a life performance on the streets of Paris and film what ever happens in just one shot. The Arcade Fire’s show is different because apparently that day, it was to cold outside. Instead they filmed inside an service elevator and between a puzzled crowd waiting for the concert.
Arcade Fire away
There's a silly popsong that's been buggin' me for days now. It's Little Donna from the Dutch band Benny Sings. The singing Benny reminds me a bit of a Bambi dressed guy I once met outside a dresscoded party. The video is pretty in pink and hey, apart from a horse in the corridor there's also a Bambi in it somewhere.
The Chemical Brothers got a new release in their ongoing Electronic Battle Weapon output of tryouts and the last one is really smashing. N° 8 sound totally unique, crossing the borders of techno, minimal tech, Big Beat & electro house with finesse, style, dept and dancefloor destroying potential. I definitively wanna hear this life. They Still kick ass!
Chemical brothers - Electronic Battle Weapon 8
And Soulwax has a new remix and it's for the Klaxons this time. As always, they got their act together.
Klaxons - Gravity’s Rainbow (Soulwax remix)
quarta-feira, março 28, 2007
super surprise
Well what a surprise. This Friday James Holden and Rob Hall - part time collaborator of the part time collective Gescom - are coming to Les Halles in Schaarbeek Brussels together with Autechre.
Well what a surprise. This Friday James Holden and Rob Hall - part time collaborator of the part time collective Gescom - are coming to Les Halles in Schaarbeek Brussels together with Autechre.I've seen Autechre play multiple times. A show by Autechre is always interesting but over the years they're getting further and further away from the dancefloor, far off, almost to the point where I loose interest. As a reminder of those first eye-opening shows in the '90s some Autechre and Gescom classics.
domingo, março 25, 2007
Stones Throw’s indie rap and soul
I’m not a religious person but thank god for labels like Stones Throw. Stones Throw knows that the foundation of hip-hop starts with classic soul and rare grooves. For more than 10 years now, they’ve been releasing throwback left- and offside hip-hop and funksoul projects that nobody else would dare to release or re-release (an extensive part of their catalogue consists of old skool material).
As a kind of random field guide, I offer a private collection of songs that are full of fire and spirit and — above all — soul.
046 Gary Wilson - Soul Travel 1973
First some early ‘70s bizarro funk Soul Travel from Gary Wilson. He’s one of those persons for whom the term cult is a highly appropriate brand. Just read this Wikipedia article on Gary Wilson.
047 Percee P & Koushik - Reverse Part 2
Next Percee P’s speed raps over a sample of Turkey’s first lady of funk, Selda, in a collaboration with Koushik on Reverse Part 2. Percee P has been emceeing since 1979 and is considered one of the few old skool rappers still in the game. He is something of a legend in the underground scene although he has never released an official album of his own. Instead he performed many guest appearances on other alternative and underground hip-hop artists' releases but change is on it’s way, Percee P is currently working on his first official release at Stones Throw.
048 Koushik - Be With
049 Koushik - None In Mind
More output from producer and a vocalist Koushik and somethin’ you might not expect to come out on Stones Throw. Be With and None in Mind are melodic and textural works reminiscent of '60s psychedelic pop, Shuggie Otis, Manitoba or even Beck. What does the trick for me is Koushik's soft, airy voice (reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine and Manitoba) but it doesn't act as the main attraction. He rather uses it as a DJ would, as another sound to add to the songs.
050 Jay Dee aka J Dilla - Two Can Win
American hip hop producer and MC J Dilla aka Jay Dee emerged from the mid-‘90s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit. J Dilla's work received cult-status and embodied the neo soul or nu-soul sound, playing a defining role up till 2006 when he died. J Dilla was highly regarded by better known producers as Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, who named him as his favourite producer.
051 Dudley Perkins - Falling
After the success of Lauryn Hill more and more rappers and emcees changed their style and started back singing instead of rapping. Dudley Perkins, also known as rapper Declaime, is Madlib’s vocal muse. Perkins has an extremely unique sounding voice, but he’s no traditional singer. He released an album of just him singing and doing spoken word over beats produced by Madlib. The track Falling is one of the best songs on the album and mainly a spoken-word piece over an incredible Madlib beat. The mid-tempo rhythm just glides along as a complicated and melancholy orchestral motif plays. The many different melodies change and integrate with each other. It is the best Madlib beat I have ever heard.
051 Mr. Magic - Earth Break
052 Mr. Magic - Coast to Coast [Edan Edit]
053 Mr. Magic - Potential 1980
054 Outlaw Four - Million Dollar Legs
055 Cuzz Band - I Just Wanna Dance
056 Positive Choice Band – 2001 Kazoo’s
And in order to end, a strong emphasize on Mr. Magic as heard on the compilation of old-school rap Third Unheard. Mr. Magic was New York's first all-rap radio DJ, but before that he was a Connecticut rap impresario. Connecticut's proximity to New York allowed it to be among the first to fall sway to the newest form of party music in the late ‘7os. Third Unheard is full of naive but fresh old-school amateur charm. Something nostalgic for the old folks, as to speak.
12-year-old Pookey Blow, nephew to Magic, shows up with Magic for the highly rated rare groove Earth Break, followed by Coast to coast and Potential 1980.
Apart from Mr. Magic there was in 1980 more going on in Connecticut as shown in the tuneless-yet-still-compelling chorus of the Outlaw Four's disco-rap Million Dollar Legs, Cuzz Band’s I Just Wanna Dance and Positive Choice Band’s 2001 Kazoo’s.
I’m not a religious person but thank god for labels like Stones Throw. Stones Throw knows that the foundation of hip-hop starts with classic soul and rare grooves. For more than 10 years now, they’ve been releasing throwback left- and offside hip-hop and funksoul projects that nobody else would dare to release or re-release (an extensive part of their catalogue consists of old skool material). As a kind of random field guide, I offer a private collection of songs that are full of fire and spirit and — above all — soul.
046 Gary Wilson - Soul Travel 1973
First some early ‘70s bizarro funk Soul Travel from Gary Wilson. He’s one of those persons for whom the term cult is a highly appropriate brand. Just read this Wikipedia article on Gary Wilson.
047 Percee P & Koushik - Reverse Part 2
Next Percee P’s speed raps over a sample of Turkey’s first lady of funk, Selda, in a collaboration with Koushik on Reverse Part 2. Percee P has been emceeing since 1979 and is considered one of the few old skool rappers still in the game. He is something of a legend in the underground scene although he has never released an official album of his own. Instead he performed many guest appearances on other alternative and underground hip-hop artists' releases but change is on it’s way, Percee P is currently working on his first official release at Stones Throw.
048 Koushik - Be With
049 Koushik - None In Mind
More output from producer and a vocalist Koushik and somethin’ you might not expect to come out on Stones Throw. Be With and None in Mind are melodic and textural works reminiscent of '60s psychedelic pop, Shuggie Otis, Manitoba or even Beck. What does the trick for me is Koushik's soft, airy voice (reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine and Manitoba) but it doesn't act as the main attraction. He rather uses it as a DJ would, as another sound to add to the songs.
050 Jay Dee aka J Dilla - Two Can Win
American hip hop producer and MC J Dilla aka Jay Dee emerged from the mid-‘90s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit. J Dilla's work received cult-status and embodied the neo soul or nu-soul sound, playing a defining role up till 2006 when he died. J Dilla was highly regarded by better known producers as Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, who named him as his favourite producer.
051 Dudley Perkins - Falling
After the success of Lauryn Hill more and more rappers and emcees changed their style and started back singing instead of rapping. Dudley Perkins, also known as rapper Declaime, is Madlib’s vocal muse. Perkins has an extremely unique sounding voice, but he’s no traditional singer. He released an album of just him singing and doing spoken word over beats produced by Madlib. The track Falling is one of the best songs on the album and mainly a spoken-word piece over an incredible Madlib beat. The mid-tempo rhythm just glides along as a complicated and melancholy orchestral motif plays. The many different melodies change and integrate with each other. It is the best Madlib beat I have ever heard.
051 Mr. Magic - Earth Break
052 Mr. Magic - Coast to Coast [Edan Edit]
053 Mr. Magic - Potential 1980
054 Outlaw Four - Million Dollar Legs
055 Cuzz Band - I Just Wanna Dance
056 Positive Choice Band – 2001 Kazoo’s
And in order to end, a strong emphasize on Mr. Magic as heard on the compilation of old-school rap Third Unheard. Mr. Magic was New York's first all-rap radio DJ, but before that he was a Connecticut rap impresario. Connecticut's proximity to New York allowed it to be among the first to fall sway to the newest form of party music in the late ‘7os. Third Unheard is full of naive but fresh old-school amateur charm. Something nostalgic for the old folks, as to speak.
12-year-old Pookey Blow, nephew to Magic, shows up with Magic for the highly rated rare groove Earth Break, followed by Coast to coast and Potential 1980.
Apart from Mr. Magic there was in 1980 more going on in Connecticut as shown in the tuneless-yet-still-compelling chorus of the Outlaw Four's disco-rap Million Dollar Legs, Cuzz Band’s I Just Wanna Dance and Positive Choice Band’s 2001 Kazoo’s.
sábado, março 24, 2007
Electrolatino
Ricardo Villalobos will be playin' at the fuse this evening. I don't know what to expect because I've never heard him dj before. So far, I can only get an idea on the basis of his last album which is really great but I should better check http://linkset.blogspot.com/.
As a forproof listen to Unflug and Que Belle Epoque at an earlier post from the beginning of this year or at my public box over at the right counter.
domingo, março 18, 2007
Back to Black
The show must goes on. Bringing you this time some older and more recent stuff that I stumbled upon while wading through my digital files.
042 Joss Stone - Girl They won’t Believe it
The show must goes on. Bringing you this time some older and more recent stuff that I stumbled upon while wading through my digital files.
042 Joss Stone - Girl They won’t Believe it
Joss Stone has a new album out. I'm not really a big fan of her but I like ze genre and some of her songs. This one is great though. A nice steady offbeat shuffle. I went through the backs of my mind but I can't recall having heard this rhythm before. Which probably says more about my musical knowledge than the originality of the songwriting. But one never knows.
043 Flanger – Outer Space Inner Space
Electronic Jazz. There's tons of it out there but I find most of it rarely satisfying. A happy exception is Flanger. Some people will find this just noodles but I like the hard uncut edge. It doesn't have to be perfect. It ain't Rocket Science.
044 Sun Ra – Space is the Place
And since we are talking 'bout space and rocket science now... Space is the Place, indeed. I wonder whether one's inner space is as vast as outer space. Or whether the inner space can be a metaphor for the depths of the far far galaxy. Is everything we can imagine, also somewhere out there? Is there a limit to our minds? Am I ready for Los Straightjackets right now?
045 Joe Bataan – Chick-A-Boom (Chris Joss remix)
I recently purchased a compilation of the Thievery Corporation's ESL Label. Last year they produced their 100th release. Favourite track is the David Byrne collaboration The Heart's a Lonely Hunter in the Louie Vega Mix. You can already find it somewhere else on this site. But a nice surprise (and reason of purchase) was the Joe Bataan song Chic-A-Boom. I like Joe Bataan. A Salsoul and early hiphop pioneer. I knew the song but I couldn't find it anywhere. Now I have it in a worthy Chris Joss remix. A genuine Floorfiller!
By the way, I'm using Zshare right now. As a test because I'm running out of storage space at the Box. It's easy. A nice features is the possibility of hearing first what you're going to download. If you don't like it you can just split.
sábado, março 17, 2007
Superdiscount
put on yer dancin' shoes... you dirty little swine 'cause Etienne de Crecy is comin' to town with a whole lotta Digital Soul... Oops. There was no digital soul apparently, but a four to the floor partyrave. Well, for once that's just as good for me.
...and somethin' else, a suprise from a friend at meckermeckermecker Kompakt's cool taste Partial Arts - Trauermusik
...and more Battles Leyendecker
put on yer dancin' shoes... you dirty little swine 'cause Etienne de Crecy is comin' to town with a whole lotta Digital Soul... Oops. There was no digital soul apparently, but a four to the floor partyrave. Well, for once that's just as good for me.
...and somethin' else, a suprise from a friend at meckermeckermecker Kompakt's cool taste Partial Arts - Trauermusik
...and more Battles Leyendecker
segunda-feira, março 12, 2007
What do you do with the pieces of a Broken Heart.
Sometimes I feel like the bandleader of a Lonely Hearts Club Band. Recently I had multiple friends lamenting on me about their present and past love life. A nice side effect of listening and worrying about other people's misery is that one forgets one’s own.
So, for those poor suckers with a broken heart (be it unanswered or played around with) here's a nice comforting video Chinese Translation from M. Ward. A lot gets lost in translation and the will to communication. Let’s just all stop wanting. You’ll know what you want if you get it. Si Vis Amari, Ama.
So sail a wild, wild sea, climb up a tall, tall mountain, meet a old, old man beneath a weeping willow tree and ask him these questions three.
Sometimes I feel like the bandleader of a Lonely Hearts Club Band. Recently I had multiple friends lamenting on me about their present and past love life. A nice side effect of listening and worrying about other people's misery is that one forgets one’s own.
So, for those poor suckers with a broken heart (be it unanswered or played around with) here's a nice comforting video Chinese Translation from M. Ward. A lot gets lost in translation and the will to communication. Let’s just all stop wanting. You’ll know what you want if you get it. Si Vis Amari, Ama.
So sail a wild, wild sea, climb up a tall, tall mountain, meet a old, old man beneath a weeping willow tree and ask him these questions three.
sexta-feira, março 09, 2007
Awesome
There are some great new Warp label releases that I simply have to share with you all.
First, the new release Atlas from Battles's forthcoming album Mirrored. I never liked Helmet but I really like this stuff. It's something fresh. Some primitive bouncing rhythms which refer to German Motorik but the end result is something else. It has a catchy edge while those Krautrockers usually kept noodling on and on.
Next a song from last years album Body Riddle by Warp label protege (Chris) Clark. It's out on a special EP now. My favourite track at this moment. I just can't get out of my head. Dirrrty!
Clark - Ted
There are some great new Warp label releases that I simply have to share with you all.
First, the new release Atlas from Battles's forthcoming album Mirrored. I never liked Helmet but I really like this stuff. It's something fresh. Some primitive bouncing rhythms which refer to German Motorik but the end result is something else. It has a catchy edge while those Krautrockers usually kept noodling on and on.
Next a song from last years album Body Riddle by Warp label protege (Chris) Clark. It's out on a special EP now. My favourite track at this moment. I just can't get out of my head. Dirrrty!
Clark - Ted
quarta-feira, março 07, 2007
domingo, março 04, 2007
And the magic word for tonight is Patrick Wolf. His last album The Magic Position is really first-rate smashing ausum. It’s not yet for sale over here, but what the heck, it’s circulating all over the net right now. I downloaded it a while ago but I know I’m gonna buy it anyway, if it isn’t for the music than at least for the fancy silly album cover. It’s completely over the top and full of attitude but hey, that’s the spirit if you wanna sell records and get attention these days. What is it with the orange hair? Too much carrots... It seems that he changes looks like other people change their undies but I think it looks great. It’s my favourite colour anyway, especially for everything that spells... hair.
Favourite track this time is Bluebells which sounds a bit like David Sylvian to me.
This post is meant for a friend who, I reckon, is craving for this album and it's cover right now ;-)... so it’s password protected since I have the policy of not posting complete albums (most records these days aren’t worth listening all the way trough anyway). Have fun.
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One year in business
II started this Blog just one year ago. Around this time of year there are always 2 major events. One is keeping the memory and legacy of Serge Gainsbourg alive and the other one is the International Women's Day. The 2nd of March has passed and 8 March is still on it’s way so as a foreshadow of future events an the occasion for men to express their love to the women around them, this tribute from Tom Zé to the women of brasil and a lament on the still harsh conditions some of them live in.
II started this Blog just one year ago. Around this time of year there are always 2 major events. One is keeping the memory and legacy of Serge Gainsbourg alive and the other one is the International Women's Day. The 2nd of March has passed and 8 March is still on it’s way so as a foreshadow of future events an the occasion for men to express their love to the women around them, this tribute from Tom Zé to the women of brasil and a lament on the still harsh conditions some of them live in.
These studies on the musical genre of Pagode are set up as a form of soap-operetta. Pagode is a natural evolution of Samba, Rio style, bringing funny and smart lyrics about malandragem (freely translated as the way of live of the outlaw), hard life and the brazilian way of solving problems in a convenient manner. In many lyrics, the small criminal outlaw who lives this kind of live, the Malandro, gives comment on his lifestyle, the government, the police and… bad women. This way Pagode is also known for it’s often women unfriendly lyrics (reminiscent of gangster rap).
As a form of critic Tom Zé used this musical style to give form to one the most powerful musical tributes to women I know.
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