First off, we are now FM . . . at least from later on this year. OFCOM awarded 209 Radio a five-year FM licence, which means we are now a “proper” radio station, albeit within the confines of Cambridge. This is a big deal for everybody involved. I’m looking forward to establishing my show on the airwaves, while continuing to enhance its online presence. Happy and exciting times ahead I’m sure.

Back to Friday night. I arrived at Legends Bar, (Cambridge City FC in case you don’t know), to be told by the door staff that there was no bar. I soon learnt that the “club” was shutting an hour early. Consequently quite a few people stayed away. Well they shouldn’t have. It was a novel experience to have an international recording artist play Badger Attack, I was even more surprised when I found out a few months ago that Mark Henning actually lives in Cambridge . . . I must find out where and get another night organised because he was class. Playing off a traktor-enabled laptop and vinyl he proceeded to slay the small band of faithful groovers who had kept the faith. Pete Lever played a solid warm-up. I had a great time. Oh, I tried to take some photos but couldn’t. Technology pissed all over me. I remember an ad in the 80s for betamax video recorders with John Cleese saying that they were so simple to operate that “. . even a cat can use one . . “ I had a mental picture of that cat with my camera in my head all night.





The Dance (Mr Negative remix) – Thugfucker (Was Not Was): This is electro that just about errs on the right side of cheese. Uberteutonic-sounding vocals urge the listener to do line dance-like things on the dancefloor while the track pummels you into submission. Ignore the original and head straight for the remix.

Horizons – Sebo K (Mobilee): Strangely enough, this track instantly reminded me of LTJ Bukem’s drum and bass classic of the same name. It’s probably the symphonic foundation and lush syncopation.

Hoarding-Various EP – Silent Paul (Enemy): The track titles are almost worth the price alone. Varied three tracker that gives full value for money and has more than a hint of darkness about it. Having said that, “On A Date With A Woman We’ll Call “Julie” “ has more than a touch of uplifting atmospherics about it.

Audio Therapy EP – Shelter Boyz (Stripped): Linear deepness. Nothing too complicated, it’s all in the detail, or lack of.

To There – Shane Berry (Trapez Ltd): Very understated, atmospheric deep techno by Mr Berry, whose previous release on the same label was something of a minor classic in Cambridge. “To There” is a steady builder with Captain Nemo on the Nautilus’ organ. “For A Moment” and “Sigh” make up the b-side and keep it moody and generally at the low end of things.

Goosehound Presents The Unfound EP (Goosehound): Similar in many ways to the “Hoarding-Various EP” a four tracker showcasing various artists, in this case the ubiquitous Butane, Someone Else remixing Ezekiel Honig and the less currently well-exposed The Suffragettes and Barem. It’s well packaged in a cartoon comic-style sleeve.

El Encuentro (Plus 8) & El Dilivio Azul (Trapez) – Alex Under: Both excellent slabs, highlighting Under’s talent as, in my opinion, the most talented of the techno new school, (along with Luciano). He seems to like Robert Hood and makes good use of synthesised string stabs. Which is nice.

Dawning – Dettmann/Klock (Ostguton): This is a new label run by Berlin’s Berghain club. It’s the first single, the first release being the Andre Galluzzi mix cd a few months back. It’s good.

The Vietnamese EP – Italoboyz (Treibstoff): These boyz aren’t Italian, nor does their music sound “italo” in the slightest. It’s London-based minimalism; dirty, gritty, a few pregnant pauses here and there, some grunty vocal samples . . .this is grubby minimalism for sweaty freaks.


Knock-Kneed – Steadycam (K2): Fast becoming a must-buy label for me. K2 is starting to plough its own furrow of off-kilter electro minimal. This is Steadycam’s second release on K2. I don’t have the first one, but after this I may have to search for it. I played C.LA.U.D.I.A. by MUFO a couple of shows ago and had some very interesting feedback about it. This is another strong release from K2.




Mix CDs:

Sci-fi Hi-fi – Luciano (Soma): Luciano does the business. As already mentioned in an earlier post, a lot of these tracks have been around for a while now, so there’s nowt too fresh here. It’s well-programmed though. Having said that, he could have done better.

DE9 Lite – Richie Hawtin (Mixmag) : Given away with this months issue. I like it, but that’s really because of the tracks. Rumoured not to be Hawtin at the controls but one of his minions. Who cares. It was free.

I’d like to write a coherent review of what went on last Saturday night, but I can’t. Suffice to say I enjoyed myself, as did everyone else. If I have any complaints it’s a small one about the venue. A bit lacking in atmosphere is the Junction. I’d only visited it a couple of times before its refurbishment, so I was a little surprised when upon entering it after it had been done up I found virtually no changes had taken place; the proverbial lick of paint had been applied and that’s it. To get to the point, it could be, and has had the opportunity to be, so much better.

Terry Francis was fifteen minutes late, but rocked it once he got there. He was followed by Jim Masters, who did the big room techno thing well, after him it was Billy Nasty. Things got messy and I played the role of “club floater” bobbing from place to place saying things to people, some of whom I didn’t know. It was all very profound and meaningful at the time.

Anyway, The Priory are very busy now, supporting the Drumattic Twins this Saturday at Anglia Ruskin University, and playing the Labour of Love boat party on the 30/4. Then they’ve got their May Ball on the 15/5 on the Cambridge City Football club pitch. Before any of that though, we’ve got Badger Attack at Legends this Friday, 21/4, with CleverMusic’s/Multivitamins’ Mark Henning, with Pete Lever and Robin Howells. This is something I’ll defo be attending and posting photos for. I can say that with some certainty as it’ll be me who’ll be taking them. Unlike last Saturday. I’ll post a link to The Priory’s website, or elsewhere, when any surface.

The Easter Weekend is upon us, and in Cambridgeshireland there is a plethora of things to do. I shall be in attendance at The Priory’s big one at The Junction; the likes of Terry Francis, Jim Masters and Billy Nasty are playing.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Mr Francis for the first time in a few years. I was at Wiggle regularly from late 1997 to 2000. We’s just moved over from France, and the Wiggles at Happy Jacks, under an arch by London Bridge, were some of the most hedonistic, sweaty little shindigs in town. I last went to a Wiggle at the end of October last year. I was a little disappointed. Good party but no more surprises. Terribly formulaic. I would love to think its best days weren’t behind it but I fear they are. Even though he seems to be the headliner, Terry’s playing from 11-12:30, which is a pity because it’ll just be starting to warm up then. Fabric’s contractual obligations making themselves felt I reckon.

Billy Nasty should rock the spot though. Jim Masters is up from 12:30 to 1:30 with Mr Nasty following until 3am. Last time I saw him was under a marquee at Sonar ’04, were he was doing a showcase for his Electrix label. He treated the crowd to some hard-edged electro that never descended into booty bass territory, so fine by me. Priory residents Sam I Am and The Fish guide us to the dawn, well, until 4am.

Expect a full review and some photos next week.

From There To Here And Now . . .

is the name of the new double cd mix by Rolando on NRK and it’s ace. Two cds, (before you’ve even heard them you know they’re almost certainly going to represent
“two sides of Rolando’s personality,” “the contemplative and the bonkers,”), that do a lot to re-establish the soulful side of electronica in our current musical climate. I’m listening to cd 2 as I type and Derrick May’s mix of “Sueno Latino,” which never fails to get the hairs on the back of you neck grooving. Good work from The Aztec Mystic, now resident in Edinburgh.

CD1:
1. Sound Stream - Soul Train2. Trackheadz - My Love3. Da Sunlounge - Baby How Long (Johnny Fiasco Edit)4. Ame - Basic Track5. Theo Parrish - Falling Up (Carl Craig Mix)6. Nick Holder - No More Dating DJs (John Ciafone Dub Mix)7. Next Evidence - The Light (Rolando Mix)8. DJ Sneak - Bad Mutha9. Quentin Harris - Let's Be Young10. High Caliber - Tunnel Vision11. Floorplan - Funky Souls (Club 246 Mix)12. Hipp-e - Dazed 'n' Confused13. Ritzi Lee - Je Suis Ici (Orlando Voorn Mix)14. Trevor Rockliffe ft. Blake Baxter - Relax15. Tommie Nevada - Stargirl16. Kerri Chandler - Bar A Thym (Foremost Poets Vocal Remix)17. Andreas Saag - Release The Groove18. John Thomas - U Say Come On19. Rolando - In-Transit

CD2:
1. Malik Alston - Butterfly2. Trackheadz - Amor Por Ti3. Tokyo Black Star - Black Star4. Quinn - No More Drama5. David Alvarado - The Day6. Trackheadz - Jah Shall Come7. Tread - Opacity Omen8. Indigenous Space People - Across The Universe9. Sueno Latino - Sueno Latino (Derrick May Illusion Mix)10. Vince Watson - Cycles

DJs Who Make Mix Compilations But Don’t Like Them:

Mix comps in general that is. James Holden did it to us last month with “At The Controls,” (React) and Luciano’s about to with “Sci-Fi Hi-Fi Vol. II” (Soma). I’ve heard a few in my time, most recently “Boogybytes Vol. 01” (BPitch) by Kiki and “Fabric 27” by Mathew Dear as Audion, both of which were great. Of course there’s a plethora of them out there, and we all know the old chestnut about “not being able to condense a 24 hour set into 80 minutes, but surely good music is good music? Holden’s tracklisting was, to some, inventive, and it was certainly well-programmed, but the bottom line is that if you don’t like the tunes, then you’re not going to buy it. I anticipate a bit of a backlash for Luciano who, in my opinion, has missed an opportunity. He finished his mix at the beginning of this year. Look at the track listing and tell me what he’s produced isn’t radically different from the multitude of live sets he was playing during the last few months of ’05. Soma have sat on the release of this one for too long. I can’t see this selling as well as it could have. Hope it does though. If it’s half as good as Ewan Pearson’s launch for the series (which, along with Dominik Eulberg’s “Kreucht & Fleucht” (Mischwald) were mix cd highlights of last year. For an excellent review of the Eulberg cd, click here), it’ll be worth it.

Here’s a full tracklisting for last Saturdays show, which can be found here. Jonny hasn’t included the labels in his tracklisting and, although I know them, I’m much to lazy to fill them in.


Machines Are Funky: 1/4/06

Charlie’s House (Apparat remix) – Nathan Fake (Border Community)
Grace (Anxiety) – Troy Pierce (Underline)
Atrau – Me – Undo (Factor City)
First One – Shaka (Floppy Funk)
Unbreakable (Exercise One Fragile mix) – Sweet n’ Candy (Dumb Unit)
Warm Soul – The Architect (Karloff)
U Can’t Touch This – Jerome Plays The Bass (Be My Sheep)
La Demission du Coach – Sarah Goldfarb (Triebstoff)
Land of Confusion – Armando (Djax-Up Beats)

Jonny Davies aka Le Jockey In The Mix
1. Dextro-Do You Need-Holden Noise Tool2. Mandy Vs Bookashade- Body Language-Afrilounges Deep Reconstructed Mix3. Anja Schneider & Sebo K- Rancho Relaxo-Jennifer Cardini & Shonkys Eifel Tower Mix4. Trentmoller-Serenetti-Hemmann & Kaden Remix5. Ryan Crosson-Painters Day- N/a6. Matthias Tanzmann-Bulldozer-Robags Herbstmoosmutzel Remix7. Trentmoller-Polar Shift- N/a8. Anja Schneider & Sebo K-Side Leaps-Magda Remix9. Matthias Tanzmann-Bulldozer- N/a10. Shane Berry-Fillertet 2- N/a11. Elektrochemie-Pleasure Seeker- N/a12. Nathan Fake-The Sky Was Pink-Holden Remix12. Dextro-Do You Need-Holden Remix