A Bunch Of Five

Title: Distance Against Time
Artist: Patrice Scott
Label: Sistrum
Cat Number: SIS011
Genre: Deep House

A1: Eclipse
A2: Eclipse Beats
B: Distance Against Time

If there's anyone out there making more emotive, fragile, psychedelic, deep house than Patrice Scott at the moment, then I've yet to hear him/her (OK, maybe Keith Worthy). I can't praise this EP highly enough. Everything falls into place at just the right moment. These tracks are an object lesson in less is more. Deep as you like but with their constituent elements carefully chosen, as space-age and modern as can be, but with a simultaneous feeling of nostalgia guaranteed to provoke unrequited longing, it's all here. We are often accused of falling on our knees and venerating Detroit just for what it is, but when it effortlessly turns out artists of this calibre it's easy to see why. A wonderfully evocative piece of distilled electronic bliss.



Title: Hispanic Causin' Panic
Artist: Hector
Label: 8-Bit
Cat Number: 8Bit030
Genre: Tech-House

A: La Buena Onda
B1: Suavecito (Nick Curly remix)
B2: Suavecito

Clocking in at around ten minutes, 'La Buena Onda' has everything I like about a tribal tech house track. Galloping rhythm, earnest vocal snippets, and an energy that has you visualising yourself dancing like a wild animal on some messy, drug washed dancefloor. It's no-holds barred tuneage of the highest order and should only be indulged in when completely off it or if not afraid to be seen gurning. 8-Bit is often generic, but this is one of its strengths, because when it gets it right it's on the money. And who should pop up on 'Suavecito' remix duties, but label boss Nick Curly; he does a good job too, but fails to match 'La Buena Onda' for hands-in-the-air abandon. The original of the aforementioned track brings to mind that Joeski track on Maya that I can't quite remember the name of (it's around here somewhere, just give me a few days . . .), and as the two artists share a latin-American heritage it's hardly surprising that they should share influences. Best track on 8-Bit for a long time.



Title: Ruckus EP
Artist: Jamie Jones
Label: Hot Creations
Cat Number: HC001
Genre: House

A1: Ruckus
A2: Ruckus (Discoid Dub) [Vinyl Only]
B1: Say What?
B2: Masterplans

Hot Creations extends itself like a plant stem captured by time lapse photography to become the publishing vehicle for Hot Natured, aka Jamie Jones and Lee Foss. Jones has long had two sides to his character, that of deep tech-house don, as well as that of bass-led, funk/disco evangelist. Meeting Foss seems to have been a match made in heaven, as their mutual tastes seem to be so similar that hitting it off musically seems inevitable for a while to come yet. With the "Ruckus" EP they step things up pace-wise a little from what I've heard of their Hot Natured-themed sets to deliver four-tracks of slightly varying tempo, each of which is characterised by a funk and bass so simply effective it's difficult to describe without descending into pretentious platitudes. Squelchy disco breaks characterise the title track and dub, while an acid sensibility and laser-sharp stabs get the point across elsewhere. Music to dance to or you're dead. It's that simple.



Title: Untitled
Artist: VA
Label: Enypnion
Cat Number: env2
Genre: Techno

A1: Entra - Furthr
A2: Elevation - Irratio
A3: Away - Furthr
B1: This Music - Pegaz (2)
B2: High Above - Session View

"Faceless techno (minus the "bollocks")" is still on fine form, and it's represented here on a release from, if my memory serves me well, Poland. God, the chords, sounds, etc on Furthr's 'Entra' are so familiar and derivative, but in a good way. (Please excuse this more impressionistic of reviews.) Five tracks on a single piece of vinyl, snatches of machine moods that belong to a place always just that little bit out of reach. Like a collection of out takes considered to short to mix, this is a fine release of ambient, dubby technoid snapshots that have just the right amount of oomphf to stop them descending too far into the nether regions of dub techno. 'Away' is pitchblend-perfect narcoleptic Basic Channel with a lingering, bittersweet melody, and leads nicely into the slightly more uptempo B side where 'This Music' and 'High Above' invite you to a place that's bathed in analogue warmth and hearkens back to a time when the music was all that mattered. I like to listen to music like this with a glass of brandy and a fat one. How about you?



Title: Yes We Are EP
Artist: IFM
Label: Drumpoet Community
Cat Number: DPC028
Genre: Deep House

A1: Yes We Are
A2: Promise Land
B1: Yes We Are (Det-Riot mix)
B2: Yes We Are (Bonus Deep mix)

If you're going to sample Martin Luther King, try and find something that hasn't been said before. IFM, aka Marcello Napoletano & Franchesco Schito, unfortunately don't do this on 'Promise Land', thankfully the quality of the grooves carries one away from any notion of hackneyism. Napoletano has been a busy boy of late, with recent releases on Uzuri, (again as IFM) Mathematics and Quintessentials. He's obviously talented but I do occasionally have misgivings about his choices of spoken word, that on 'September 11' being another to forget. Not to worry, they are but a minor detail on this EP and don't in any way detract from its overall quality. All three versions of 'Yes We Are' offer something a little bit different. This release thrusts a bit more than his others . . .which is nice.

Electrifyin' Mojo & The Wizard On WJLB Radio Detroit

A cassette recording of one of the Electrifyin' Mojo's shows from 80s Detroit. No idea when exactly it was broadcast, but Run DMC "Raising Hell" era feature heavily, as does Prince and miscellaneous other hip-hop of the time, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick, etc. Jeff Mills as "The Wizard" is on the wheels of steel. The recording quality is predictably uneven, but not bad.

I've got some other cassette-only recordings to post. Next up, a recording of Ron Hardy at The Music Box. Soon come later, some pirate radio stuff from late 80s London.: Electrifyin' Mojo & The Wizard

It's in two parts. I was copying it while we had guests so couldn't listen as much as I would have liked, therefore fine detail eludes me. It's been a while since I played it so this was like a meeting with a long-lost friend. Make up your own minds as to its authenticity and quality.

WJLB Radio Detroit 1: Electrifyin' Mojo & The Wizard by Cacophonousbling on Mixcloud

WJLB Radio Detroit 2: Electrifyin' Mojo & The Wizard by Cacophonousbling on Mixcloud

Cacophonous Broadcast: 2

Is available to download here.

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews

Title: Halal Prepared Vol 1
Artist: VA
Label: Boe
Cat Number: BOE007
Genre: House

A1: Kiss The Sky - Kink
A2: Back Up - Iron Curtis
B1: Diamond - Ladzinski

Deep house just how I like it, with a kick and synthesis. Kink won't lose any of the new friends he's recently made with the impressive knee-in-the-bollocks funk of 'Kiss The Sky.' It's a game of two halves this one. Swirling Detroit-influenced synths, tinkling, spaced-out keys and that rimshot-driven percussion, so beloved of the seasoned warehouse party goer. 'Back Up' is a rougher cut, bogged down by thick synthetic squelches. This is no bad thing as a tense, stressed situation is created that makes the inevitable release feel all the better. Finally, Ladzinski rounds things off nicely, picking up the baton from Iron Curtis with renewed momentum with a hypnotic groover destined to take you clear through to the other side. For a perfect example of how depth can be a dancefloor weapon, look no further.





Title: Hush EP
Artist: Jimmy Edgar
Label: Glass Table
Cat Number:
Genre: Esoteric

Hush
Hush (Kyle's Detroit Retro Metro mix)
BThere

The first release from Hypercolour offshoot Glass Table, sees Detroit native Jimmy Edgar behind two slo-mo pieces of fragmentary disco ambience characterised by eponymous repetitive female vocals. Both OK in their own right, but both leaving you slightly underfed and dissatisfied. A little extra helping next time please Mr Edgar, even if it wasn't originally the point. The same cannot be said of current flavour of the month Kyle Hall. He can be very abstract and, dare I say, noodly, can Hall, but his remix of 'Hush' pushes all the right buttons and then some. Recognisably Detroit and very much on a house tip, this is still idiosyncratic enough to be refreshingly original. Lovely bass..



Title: Joint Custody EP
Artist: Gadi Mizrahi & Soul Clap
Label: Double Standard
Cat Number: DS01
Genre: House

A1: So Addicted To You - Gadi Mizrahi
A2: Yer Body (Kills Me) - Gadi Mizrahi & Soul Clap
B1: Funk Sex - Soul Clap
B2: Romantic Comedy - Gadi Maizrahi & Soul Clap

A vinyl-only release, the download of which was ripped from said plastic, all of which serves to envelop the sound in what can only be described as self-conscious analogue warmth. Whether this was intentional from the outset is neither here nor there. All good in any case as this release couldn't be more typical of the whole Wolf & Lamb/Soul Clap sound if it tried. Heaven forbid pigeonholing, or stereotyping, which is why I've referred to this release as very definitely house, rather than re-edits or a reinvention of the sensual, libidinous slowie, that end-of-night dance when you step up with your best girl and let the whole place know you're together. Maybe I'm saying that because the last time I ever indulged in such foreplay was a while back, when these tracks probably took their initial inspiration. In any case this is a good release, and has four tracks each diverse enough to make a difference on their respective floors or respective times. Nothing new as such, but reverent hands have been at work, and it shows.



Title: Soul Skool EP
Artist: Subb-an
Label: One Records
Cat Number: ONE003
Genre: House

A1: Soul Skool
B1: Soul Skool (Shaun Reeves remix)
B2: Tool 01
B3: Tool 02

It's a nice touch to incorporate tools into a release, but are they really necessary in this day and age of digital DJing and endless loops? One Records obviously think so, as this type of surprise has characterised all of their releases so far. I was reasonably impressed with Subb-an's first release on the label, 'The Musik' a lot less so with the second release by Little Fritter. This is, in its original form, a good old heads-down no-nonsense tech-house banger, driven forward by an insistent bass, subtle percussion and a gospel-inflected vocal. You can't go wrong with this. Shaun Reeves' remix slows things down and emphasises the bass so it throbs. Nice handclaps too. Things are a little bit spacier and dubbier and it's a decent rework.



Title: Your Reference To Positional Stability
Artist: Retail & Leisure
Label: Retail & Leisure
Cat Number: RNL001
Genre: Techno

A1: Your Reference To Positional Stability
B1: Your Reference To Positional Stability (Adrian Ross Augment)
B2: Track 3

City Centre Offices, Sandwell District, Forward Strategy Group and now Retail & Leisure. There are doubtless others who use technically obscure, and shadowy business/ council monikers to create an atmosphere of insect menace, but I can't be arsed looking them all up now. The title as well 'Your Reference To Positional Stability' creates an instant feeling of intrepidation before the record has even reached the turntable. Taking its cues from Axis, this track takes its inspiration from, amongst others, the mighty 'Growth' and goes forth to reside in a nether world of swirling winds and disembodied voices. The 'Adrian Ross Augment' doesn't, as its name suggests, improve on the original, just turns it into a bouncy, industrial symphony of of controlled discord. 'Track 3', so good they couldn't think of a name for it, is paced similarly to the 'Augment' and is a sparse accompaniment to a night in the sweatshop, making cheap clothes to dress people with no style. Ominous and fascinating.

Two More Before I Forget

Soul Clap

A set of theirs recorded at the arse end of last year at a Culprit after party, purloined from the Happy Please blog. I haven't listened to this yet, but the tracklist is below. Looks interesting.



SECT - SECTsy - Culprit
Sloe Clap - KG vs TT Edits - CDR
Trus'me ft. Dâm Funk - Bail Me Out - Prime Numbers
Levon Vincent - I Owe You Everything - Novel Sound
Michael J Collins - Ixias Dub - CDR
Michael J Collins - The Cosmos Is Wrapped In Cottonwool - CDR
40 Thieves - Crystal Mountain Thunder - CDR
Move D - Computer Flop - Workshop
Soul Clap & Trickski - Members Of The Clap - CDR
Daz Nazziz - Daz Nazziz - CDR
Mark E - Get Yourself Together - MERC
Earth, Wind & Fire - Kalimba Tree (Terje Edit)
Manolo - Lose Myself - Delusions Of Grandeur
Phil Collins - I'm Not Moving (Edit)
Rene & Angela - I Love You More
Dâm Funk - 10 West - Stone's Throw
Massive Attack - Unfinished Symphony
O.M.D. - Talking Loud And Clear (Edit)
Soul Clap - Bakerman - AUX



Appleblim & Ramadanman Back To Back, Plan B London 12.2.10

Again another quick addition because I'll forget if I leave it any longer. Recorded at Sin City in London last month. Another I've yet to listen to, but I've got no reason whatsoever to think it won't be wonderful. Check it here.

More Overdue 'Tings

God, I've been neglectful. So much to do over the past few weeks, kids, new job (the wife, not me), reading, thinking and other important activities. The blog will rise again though. Expect some reviews tomorrow, and an end-of-month chart next weekend.

Meanwhile, a few more mixes from the interweb. I'm sure you'll have seen some of these already, but they're here in an easy-to-digest post for those of you who can't be arsed looking elsewhere.



Droog

Here's a podcast that LA housers Droog did for the self-conciously over-camp "Fortuna That Vicious Slut." Droog play on the roof of The Standard hotel in Los Angeles once a month over spring and summer. Here's a link to their first big party of the year. They also run, or have a hand in, the rather excellent Culprit label.



Moodymann

Kenny Dixon Jnr was in London t'other week for The Red Bull Music Academy, and hosted a roller disco. Here's his set, and above, some footage of the evening. here's another link to an entertaining pre-gig interview avec the Moody one.



Donato Dozzy

This is part of a set recorded live at Unit Tokyo at the end of January. Really hyped to the heights by Mnml Ssgs, and a pioneer of what has been endearingly named "headfuck techno, this is the most recent set of his to appear. Great DJ and one with an eclectic approach that, simultaneously seems all his own.

Keep it locked.

Some Bits

Blog activity has been a bit slow around these parts recently. Family life has taken over as has laziness. Anyway, I always need an occasional hiatus to remind me why I do this, as well as some time to take stock of my situation. My radio show is no more and I'm plotting my next move (s). As mentioned on my previous post "Requiem For Detroit" was on BBC2 over here in merry olde England last night. Great programme. Despite the odd snippet of vaguely technoish music being part of the programme's soundtrack, the only person who got a name check in the realms of techno was Richie Hawtin, whose name was briefly mentioned in reference to some parties he used to hold at The Pakard Plant, which he named a track after, and has now become a vast, decaying urban wasteland, like so much else of the city. I can hear Eddie "Flashin" Fowlkes coughing into his cornflakes from here.



Anyway, here's a mix I came across this morning while readying myself to go out for a dim sum lunch. Lee Foss put this together for what looks like a quite good blog, Keep It Deep. Mr Foss is one of my personal "ones to watch" for 2010. His mixes don't come along that often, so one should take complete and utter advantage of them when they do. Here's a link for the mix. It's at the bottom of the article, which is about London bog clubbing sensation, Kubicle. Here's a link to an interview I did with Lee, for this very blog, at the end of last year. Now what happened to the Jamie Jones answers? Mmmm . . . .



Gentlemen, that reminds me. Another link to another great mix I came across over the weekend. Finn Johannsen is someone whose mixes you have to track down if you can. Here's one he produced for a blog with a ridiculously long name. He's got a bit more experience than the average spinner, has Finn, and this shows, not only in his selections but in his occasionally effortlessly epic transitions. Check out Oneiro going into Terence FM on this baby. Here's the tracklist.

Isolée – Brazil.com
Raudive – Paper
I-F – Energy Vampire
DJ Sprinkles – Masturjakor (Masturmix)
U2 – Lemon (Bad Yard Club)
Terence FM – Stay Around (Cajmere’s Black Hole Mix)
Oneiro – Oneiro Say Shhh! (Slide On The Wild Side)
Losoul – Brother In Love
Dave Angel – Fever
Roy Davis Jr. – My Anthem (Plant Life Mix 1)
Paul Johnson – My Free Feelings
Gemini – Le Fusion
Raudive – Brittle
Theo Parrish – Solitary Flight
Terre Thaemlitz – In The Style Of Terre Thaemlitz Untitled Tape Recording Age 10 Pt. 1



And there's more . . . here's a link to an interview with Detroit's legendary radio host,
The Electrifying Mojo. I haven't listened to this yet but, judging by the comments it should be interesting at least. I have a cassette of one of his shows somewhere in the deepest recesses of my dungeons. I shall try to root it out and upload it this week.

Requiem for Detroit

If you live in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland, or have access to BBC2 somewhere, try and tune into this at 9PM GMT. For more info, click here.

Cacophonous Broadcast: 1

Is available to download here.

"Time Flies By . . .

. . .when you're the driver of a train" or even when you're a once - employed radio show host. It'll have been two weeks since my last show this Saturday evening so I should do something to fill the void . . .and I will. I plan to record a two - hour unmixed "podcast" (the byword for almost all audio preparations these days), live over the weekend. There'll be no talking as I don't have a half-decent mic, just good music. Each "show" will be available to download from my Tumblr site, the only post on which thus far has been my Modyfier mix. Oh, top link at the side of the page.