So I think I’ll be going to Fabric this weekend to see DJ Koze (who seems to have suddenly become the most talked about person in house/techno, for whatever reason) Wighnomy Brothers, Reinhard Voigt, Sebo K, and Guillaume/Coutu Dumonts. It’s prob one of the most appealing lineups I’ve seen so let’s hope it goes well. I’ve not seen any of the Kompakt guys (Michael Mayer excluded) since being at Kompakt 100 back in 2003 (I think) so it should be good to see how they are these days.
What about the rest of you? What’s going on where you are living?
On this release Portable takes one of Oleg Poliakov’s original tracks for the thriving Circus Company and makes the “Dayz” even rainier. The effect is instant, coming on like a 10am journey home in winter, a howl in the swirling vortex of that is house in 2009.
2. Achim Maerz-Garish (Dérive)
This steam driven basement track is a pretty fresh take on German house deepness, with considerably more aggression bolstering a treacly, woozy breakdown. It’s easy to imagine hearing this a lot.
3. Audio Werner-Easygoing (Hartchef Discos)
As I mentioned here, this guy’s return was long overdue. “Easygoing” is the sort of erratic trip he specialises in, making a lack structure sound structured, and dropping a jazzy swing into his own trademark deep freeze. The album is on the way.
4. Sven Tasnadi/Juno 6-Tranquillo (Liebe*Detail)
It’s good when two things you are a fan of come together. But while I await the union of anchovies and golf this will have to do. I should be serious here though, not least when I say that for me this is the best Liebe*Detail in a couple of years. It’s the second Juno 6 related release on the imprint that I really rate, and it’s a credit to them that after so many years they’re still finding new artists and trying to improve. Here there’s an original connection between rhythm and melody that makes the track stand out a mile from its recent peers.
5. Detroit Experiment-Think Twice (Mark E Mix) (Juno Records)
Some of you may remember the original of this, on a pretty good LP which Carl Craig was behind back in 2003. This was the standout track on the record and featured on a lot of mix compilations at the time. Of course not having heard of “swine flu” those were more innocent days. The original always reminded me of a soul version of Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You”. Guess what. So does this remix! It’s a pretty joyous rework, with Mark E just ramping up the unbridled cham-caine disco decadence of it all. I wasn’t feeling the Henrik Schwarz version on the A-side though.
6. Anton Zap-Half (Anton Zap Mix)
It’s hard to fathom Anton Zap in some ways. I’ve bought lots of his releases and played lots of them, but it’s as if he’s a specialist in making the very best 4 track EPs for you to mix with, rather than talk about at any length. This is slightly different though, a dynamic dubby groove with a more skewed feeling than his past work. One small complaint/question: can someone please find some good house vocalists to accompany all the amazing musicians we’ve got? This can save us from the dub-mire!
7. Diegors-O Sea…Hello (Comeme)
This wins title of the week, not least for using “…” in a sentence, a tic of mine. The record also offers something different, a slow African influenced disco groove with a heavy psychedelic style. Let’s hope this label can continue to offer music this distinct.
8. Madioko N Rafika-Elleli (Kalabrese Mix) (Innervisions)
This Innervisions Secret Weapons re-issue is easily one of the best tracks you’ll hear this year. Kalabrese’s raw bassline and minimal percussion is backed by Berber singer Rafika, to devastating effect (remember what I said about vocals!) It’s funny with Innervisions how these reissues sometimes sound more quintessentially of the label than some of the original releases. The swooning breakdown midway through the track couldn’t illustrate that any more. All sorts of DJs must be playing this.
9. Max Richter-I Swam Out To Sea (Return) (Waltz With Bashir OST)
If you’ve not seen Waltz With Bashir I can’t recommend it highly enough. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it here before but I’ve been listening to the soundtrack regularly since late last year. The movie is as good a union between music and visuals as you’ll ever experience. This track, like most of the soundtrack, is bursting with drama and melancholy. Remember where you heard it last! You can buy this soundtrack in most record stores.
10. El Perro Del Mar-L Is For Love (Licking Fingers)
Produced by Rasmus Hagg from Scandinavian Balearic act Studio, this sounds like lots of things I’ve been listening to in the last year, especially Julee Cruise and Kate Bush. I liked the first El Perro Del Mar record from a few years ago (about as twee as I get, well, at least as far as musical taste is concerned!) but this one seems deeper and more complete. You can hear more or buy it here.
(Most of these tracks can be bought as MP3s from WhatPeoplePlay, or as vinyl from Phonica or Decks.De, unless otherwise specified.)
While I prepare a chart for you all (A real chart, just like the old days! Then after we’ll go for steaks. What do you mean we never went for steaks? I was busy. Stop making this about me for Christ’s sake!) go and get this Chaton set which was recorded for Munich club Harry Klein’s podcast. This mix is quite different to Chaton’s HIAF podcast and should fill the grey space in between these sunny days very nicely.
A sidethought: don’t more British/Irish clubs need to be dubbed with first names and surnames? For example I would seriously love to open a Dublin club called “Terence O’Connor” or “Larry Murphy”.
The potential for language fusion would be vast. “See Omar S at Larry Murphy” or “Ricardo Villalobos plays Terence O’Connor”. This would send Dublin forward 50 years in time. British please feel free to suggest your own equivalent here, that is if there are any interesting British names.
Just a quick note to say that HIAF@Pygmalion on South William Street in Dublin will now take place on Friday May 15th. If you’re keen to check out the venue, Konrad Black will play there this Sunday.
For those of you who have Spotify, I’m wondering if you’ve found any good house and techno on it. Despite it being an amazing resource for all sorts of other stuff I can’t say I’ve found it to be overflowing with dance music.
For those of you who don’t know what Spotify is, it’s basically a gigantic library of music which you can stream for free, with occasional ads. As far as I know you still can’t use it in Ireland, possibly due to the Catholic Church intervening, but here’s a tip: if Irish people reading are in Britain, get someone to invite and you and install Spotify while you’re here. Then it’ll work when you go home! Magic. At least mine does anyway.
As for my Spotify picks, I really like the below Music for Dreams compilations. We sold a lot of these comps when I worked in Carbon Music in Dublin, and although they veer into coffee table territory at times there are some real gems there. If you only check one track (this summer), make it Djosos Krost-Better Place (Def Jaguar Mix), one of THE great lost house records of the last few years in my opinion.
First, a disclaimer: I love Losoul’s music and have done for a long time. I first got into the dark gothic stuff he was doing around the time of “Getting Even” in 2004. The extended version of “You Know” (streamed via Youtube below) which came out on a one sided vinyl at the time is still an all time favourite of mine.
Even listening back this morning it’s still a really different record from the usual, a distinctly German/European take on house music, which to me is always welcome. What ever happened to the vocalist Malté anyway, who was on several things back then?
Over the years I’ve gone through back catalogues etc and checked out lots of other Losoul stuff, after picking up this slightly brighter release on the very short lived but very nice Friends of Tomorrow label. Most of the time it’s been great, and I’m sure I’ve said that several times in almost three and a half years of doing this blog.
Listening to his new album “Care”, this morning, an LP mostly in the style of the loosely mechanical electronic house rhythms he’s been giving us for the last few years, it strikes me he’s a godfather in a way for some of the current trends in house. (Though depending on their opinions, some producers might take that as an insult!)
At various points through the record I felt that Johnny D’s lo-fi toolish sound or many other records in that style seem like the grandson of Losoul’s rickety grooves. Of course the two sounds are not exactly the same, Losoul is more classical when it comes to those house keys and chords, and the dynamism in his tracks is achieved in a different way, but the point is that wonkiness in German house is not necessarily some recent invention.
I guess the fact Losoul has recorded on Classic fits this too, that label’s sound seems to be reinterpreted a lot at the moment now too.
But back to the album. It’s really nice to have a collection of Losoul productions in this style, and it’s a record which is good from start to finish. We’re not talking some iconic auteuristic triumph here but personally I’ve rediscovered the enjoyment of albums on a more simple level (just listening to one artist’s work for an hour) during the time I took a break from HIAF. That’s after 3/4 years of drowning myself in singles.
“Care” starts pretty slowly, with “Slightly” and “The Crush” serving as a sort of loose intro to the rest of the LP. It’s a low key beginning but by the end ther record is really impressive. “To Last” in particular stands out, a really understated deep track that reduces the histrionic synths of so many of its peers to an emphatic whisper. That’s the name of the game on “Care”, a really technical (techno-cal?) take on house that’s got an almost clinical, surgical bump to it.
It’s out on Monday and you can hear samples here or one or two full tracks and some older stuff on Myspace. And perhaps you’ve not checked out Losoul’s recent RA podcast which is sweet too.
With a record like this and Audio Werner back around I’ve realised that I’d really like if German and European house started looking inward again. Isn’t there something about that stripped back teutonic sound (you know, experimental, micro, quirky even) that seems to have endured? I can really sense that people will start going back to that. No doubt some never left it behind.
“Are you being sarcastic?”/”Dude, I don’t even know anymore.”
It’s funny how this decade’s techno meta-tracks seem encapsulated by the above Simpsons scene.
Marc Houle’s “Techno Vocals” was a good example, the low warbling vocal seemingly making fun of previous M_nus releases. Yet the record was released on that label and ended up being a pretty big hit.
How many DJs bought it for comic value? How many bought it because they liked the exact sound it was parodying so closely? It seems one person’s knowing laugh-in (in this case probably that of the producer and his friends) is another’s blissful ignorance. Or to put it another way, people hear what they want to hear.
The latest house track threatening to have an opinion is Koze’s “Dr Fuck”, forthcoming on Circus Company. It’s actually difficult to hear any of the vocals they’re pitched so low. But a faintly constipated sounding voice drones “Yeah boy, let’s rock, this is house music. And house is about a feeling, it’s a spiritual thing understand maaaaan”. The faintly monstrous chiding tone guffaws its way through 7 minutes of Koze’s (un)usual menagerie of sounds and dark warped bass, like Erich Cartmann in slow motion.
Who really knows what Koze’s point is, or whether he even has one? The track is great and the vocal is one of several elements that makes it distinctive. What’s interesting to me is the way even lyrics are as subjective as an instrument. You’ll probably see ten different interpretations of this track whenever it comes out.
The beauty of something like this is people will fit the weird vocal to whatever they want Koze to be saying. And actually he’s probably just goofing around. Perhaps in a way a hostile incantation about “house music maaaan” and what it is or isn’t is as much a part of the genre as any classic bassline or hi-hat or whatever. The chatter feels as authentic as Koze’s frothing deranged bass-heavy house, making it a perfect match.
This “is he or isn’t he” irony is something house and techno does particularly well, but not very often unfortunately. It never has I guess, though I think back to people like Green Velvet who always had something funny/weird/sad to say.
Back with Stefan Kozalle, I should say that the b-side’s not bad either. DJ Koze? “Yeah he’s cool.”
NB: I sort of feel like this record will be hotly anticipated, due to the huge popularity of the producer, its sweary title (people love swearing!) and the fact it has this noteworthy vocal. But you know, that’s not my intention, let’s all cooly anticipate it instead. Deep breaths. Fuck.
I was a huge fan of the old T, which was the one club in London I felt like I could go to every week without losing my mind (unless I chose otherwise.)
What I mean by that is that it’s just very relaxed. To draw a contrast, before living here I thought I’d be in Fabric every week (due to the lineups) but now that I do I realise how laughable that idea is. The thought of being in Fabric every week is terrifying. Don’t get me wrong, it can be really great (I’ve never had a bad night there, despite the kvetching) and is a rare experience but it seems such a huge undertaking to go there that it’s a once a month at best for me.
Maybe others feel differently though? I’ve spoken to friends who hate T-Bar or just have no interest in it. Similarly I know a few people who do go to Fabric every week (one of them is currently on a drip.)
For me the old T was pretty simple, it was near where I live, close to one of my favourite pubs, it was free, and you could go in without knowing what was on and expect to hear some music you liked. Lastly it was just one of the best places to have a late drink in Shoreditch, which, if you are having a relatively quiet night out (coming home at 3am is this!) is really hard to find.
So if the new T can keep those qualities (I’ll walk from the favourite pub, as opposed to say having a drink in “Dirty Dicks” on a Friday night!) then I’m sure I’ll be there lots. The lineups look good so far with Michael Mayer, Jay Haze, and above all Arto Mwambé due to play in the opening few weeks.
So those of you in Dublin may have heard about Pygmalion, a new club/bar in the Powerscourt Centre on South William Street.
Starting on Friday May 15th I’ll be doing a monthly HIAF residency at the Pyg, which should be really great fun and a great chance to play some of the records I mention here and elsewhere.
There’s a real buzz about Pygmalion so far, I’ve heard great reports from people and not just those involved in running the place! It’s also been full for its first few weekends so it seems things are going well. Regular residents at the moment are Aidan O’Connell and Jaycee, two great DJs, who’ve played around the city for years at all the main venues, but plenty of local and international DJs are due to be involved.
Everyone involved in this place is really determined to make this a different and worthwhile venue for dance music in Dublin, from DJs to promoters, and so I recommend anyone who has the chance should check it out. I’ll have more info on the HIAF residency over the coming weeks.
It’s an interesting time for the Prins. These days it seems the weird blend of folk, rock, disco, dub, and house he’s helped to infect the world’s dancefloors with is still growing in popularity. But it was a curiously slow rise to prominence from the Feedelity days, almost 6/7 years ago now.
Back in 2003 or so it wasn’t unusual to see PT or Lindstrom releases languishing in the bargain bins, with battered blue and white covers, at least until “I Feel Space” came out that is. Prins himself has made huge strides since, starting his own label and really standing out as one of Europe’s most original DJs and producers.
It’s that boldness that stands out on “Live at Robert Johnson Volume 2″. In an era when commenting on a DJ’s eclecticism rapidly descends into a wang measuring contest, Thomas shows that it’s not mixing different genres that deserves praise, it’s crossing seemingly uncrossable boundaries and raising unanswerable questions.
For instance, in a mix that’s full of heavy stoned grooves and lost older tracks, you have Mathew Johnson’s “Followed by Angels”, one of 2004’s finest records. It still sits perfectly here, showing a real vision on Prins’ part. The mix is full of great records which come on like some lost alternative path for house and techno. Check Still Going’s remix of Low Motion Disco’s “Rushing to Paradise” for an intensely dramatic track that reminds me of Carl Craig’s “Science Fiction”. (Note to producers, more hand wringing emotional guitar solos please)
Elsewhere Map of Africa’s “Wyatt Urp” seems to tap into the same oddball intensity and distinctive weirdness, while Babytalk’s “Chance” is the sort of percussive deep disco you’d expect to hear on Innervisions. By the time Prins drops Sebastian Tellier’s heroic “Sexual Sportswear”, basically a lost track off Daft Punk’s “Discovery”, it seems clear that this is a zeitgeist defining mix, a fact made all the more interesting by its mix of new and old music.
The obvious reference point for Prins’ style here would be the Glimmer Twins, arguably the greatest compilation DJs of the 00s. That’s a comparison any DJ should be happy with.
The comp is released on May 4th. Tracklist below:
01. A very small Intro
02. Arpadys - Funky Bass (Idjut Boys Version)
03. Cage & Aviary - Giorgio Carpenter
04. Capracara - King of Witches (Rub N Tug Remix)
05. Trans Am - First Words
06. Map of Africa - Wyatt Urp
07. Bjørn Torske - Kokt Kveite
08. Käre & The Cavemen - Gallery Oslo
09. Babytalk - Chance (Babytalk Remix)
10. Frankie Valentine - Zumbi (Isoul8 Remix)
11. Low Motion Disco - Love Love Love (Still Going Remix)
12. James Yuill - This Sweet Love (Prins Thomas Re-Edit)
13. Dogs Of War - Le Stress
14. Cos/Mes - Build The Band
15. Ricardo Villalobos - Waiworinao
16. Anarchic System - Generation (Long Version)
17. Argy & The Mole - Cantstandlovegetaway
18. Martin Circus - Disco Circus
19. Opolopo - I Do (Domu Discotech Mix Ð Intrumental)
20. Acid Test - Test 1
21. Mathew Jonson - Followed By Angels
22. Samos - Alpha Storm (Original)
23. Sébastien Tellier - Sexual Sportswear
24. Closer Musik - Maria
25. Lindstrøm - Contemporary Fix (Bjørn Torske Remix)
26. Steel an’ Skin - Afro Punk Reggae (Dub)
27. A very small Outro
