'‘Curses presents... Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX’ - Dj Sampler (Eclectic)

 

Title: '‘Curses presents... Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX’ - Dj Sampler 

Artist: Various

Label: Eclectica

Cat Number: 54141667066

Genre: Dark Disco

1: Nuovo Testamento - Heartbeat (Curses Remix) 

2: Mary Möör - Pretty Day 

3: J.W.B. Hits The Beat - Body On Body (Curses Revamp) 

4: Cabaret Voltaire - Blue Heat (12" Mix) 

5: Nuovo Testamento - Heartbeat (Curses Remix - Edit) 

The tracks on this album sampler are scheduled for release later in the year on an album, and feature a couple of remixes from Curses, who also provides occasional vocals, in the shape of  both ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘ Body On Body’. In addition we’ve also got ‘Blue Heat’ from Cabaret Voltaire and ‘Pretty Day’ from  Mary Möör. ‘Blue Heat’, originally featured on ‘Micro Phonies’, and almost 40 years old, still sounds incredibly fresh. ‘Pretty Day’ is a nihilistic, distorted, off balance disco symphony on crack and another track that more than holds its own 41 years later. Both ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Body On Body’ feel toughened up a little. However, they don’t depart too far from the respective originals, which is not a bad thing. Nothing has been tampered with too much; a necessary course of action to preserve the pervasive melancholic, but synthetically funky overtones necessary for dance floor nirvana.

Track Of The Day: Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson - Angel Dust (Arista)

‘Angel Dust’ was Gil Scott – Heron and Brian Jackson’s biggest selling single while signed to Arista. I first heard it as a consequence of listening to ‘Secrets’, the album it features on. I remember going to Reaction Records in New Brighton in the early eighties and buying all the GSH albums they had at the time, three I think, of which ‘Secrets’ was one. Others were ‘It’s Your World’ and ‘Bridges’. I had been introduced to Heron, like a lot of people, by ‘B Movie’, which I first heard around this time and I wanted more. ‘Angel Dust’ represented a shift to a more synthesised sound for Heron & Jackson, rather like ‘B Movie’, and comments on the big drug scourge of the day in The US. Buying these albums turned me into a lifelong fan although, for some reason, I only got to see him play live once. It was a seminal gig though, at The Commonwealth Institute in Kensington with DBC (Dread Broadcasting Company) as support. Myself and some friends travelled down from Merseyside for it. I have very little recollection of the gig, but remember talking to some tramps in the park before we went in for the show.

Track of The Day: Serge Gainsbourg - Initials B.B.(Philips)

Released in that Frenchest of years, 1968. This wonderful piece of pop psychedelia is all about the lyrics, the delivery, the piano and the horns. The horns specifically are very much a frozen in time moment and, whether they resemble those used in other tracks or not, always remind me of the brass section in ‘You Set The Scene’ by Love off ‘Forever Changes’. But that’s just me. Definitely a moment frozen in time, and definitely Balearic. 

214 Sept 2023 Mix

 

214 · 214 Sept 2023 Mix

Track Of The Day: Miles Davis - Decoy (CBS)

Another brilliant Miles track. However, I remember the bass playing much more than the trumpet. It’s a daily earworm of mine, in which I filter out everything but the low end. Apparently “Miles told Darryl Jones on bass who was playing with his fingers no thump it slap the whole song”. (Youtube comment) A timely piece of information given that Level 42 have just reformed and are out on tour. One of the great things about his later stuff is that no one is left behind. Equal weight is given to everyone in the band. The eponymously titled album this track features on represented a break with tradition as Davis produced it himself, longtime producer Teo Macero sitting it out in favour of other projects. And while its glossy sound places it squarely in the 1980s, it still sounds incredibly fresh.

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Live from the Adriatic 2023: Optimo

 

Love International Festival · Live from the Adriatic 2023: Optimo

Track Of The Day: Dr.Octagon - Blue Flowers (Mo' Wax)

A tour de force of modern day paranormality, Dr Octagon’s immortal ‘Blue Flowers’ is rap surrealism par excellence. Kool Keith’s stream of consciousness rapping, accompanied by some excellent scratching and a wobbly string section is the type I like. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, or does it? Could it be that this is the real world and we don’t realise it yet? If simulation theory and The Matrix mean anything, then this is documenting them.

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A Taut Line - Never Any Gain (Diskotopia)

 

Title: Never Any Gain

Artist: A Taut Line

Label: Diskotopia

Cat Number: DSK065

Genre: Ambient House

1: Colour Science feat. Chocola B

2: Never Any Gain

3: Silver Lake

4: Neutral Buoyancy

5: Carmine

6: The Limits & The Lows

7: The following Contained feat. Chocola B

8: Kelsey Kerridge

9: Cameraphone

10: Chakka feat. Chocola B

‘Never Any Gain’ is the 5^th studio album by Matt Lyne, aka A Taut Line. He’s an artist that I’had been unfamiliar with up until very recently when I came across one of his tracks on a various artists release on Diskotopia, the label he co-founded and operates out of Japan, were he has lived for nearly two decades. Originally from Bristol, it’s almost certain that his place of birth and his current home play a large part in fusing his musical direction. However, whatever that is isn’t easy to pin down, and this collection is varied to say the least. Shrouded in what feels like a cross -pollination of synthetic shoe gaze and muggy beats at the beginning, an affinity with the Bristol sound of the late 80s to early 90s could be said to exist, this is particularly evident on ‘Silver Lake’, which then gives way to the faster, more linear ‘Neutral Buoyancy’. Both preceding tracks, the beatless and obviously more zen ‘Colour Science’ and the break beat proselytising ‘Never Any Gain’ are equally contrasting in both their use of vocals and instrumentation. ‘Carmine’ surfaces from the depths of vague sound design and then along with ‘The Limits And The Lows’ descends back into the halcyonic mist that envelopes this collection. ‘Kelsey Kerridge’ is a break beat/stripped back drum and bass piece which gives way to ‘Cameraphone’, perhaps the most abstract track on the album, along with the opener. And the two other tracks featuring the vocal contributions of Chocola B inhabit two different levels of the jazz spectrum, with ‘Chakka’ evoking the soundtrack to a reimagined film from the golden age of the nouvelle vague. A superbly put together album that is much greater than the sum of its parts, this is some piece of work.

Track of The Day: Magazine - The Light Pours Out Of Me (Virgin)

If there’s a band that’s given me more earworms than Magazine then I haven’t met it yet. Built around Devoto’s uber grandiose, emphatic, spoken word singing and outstanding musicianship; Barry Adamson on bass, John McGeoch on guitar, Dave Formula on keyboards and Martin Jackson on drums, they should have been much bigger. Listening to a track like this it’s easy to see why Devoto left Buzzcocks. The elevated pop of Magazine with its often unsettling overtones, surreal imagery and symphonic scope couldn’t be more different than Buzzcocks boy meets girl power pop, even though they occasionally shared riffs, (‘Lipstick’/’Shot By Both Sides’), and design (Linder’s). This track showcases everybody’s talents, but it’s probably McGeoch’s guitar that it’s mostly remembered for.

Various Artitsts - Cross Pollination (Varial)

 

Title: Cross Pollination

Artist: Various Artists

Label: Varial

Cat Number: VRL001C

Genre: Techno/Electro, Ambient

1: Ninechecker – C Ten Status

2: Human Concept – Agent X

3: Mat Carter – Mind Expand

4: Derailleur – Antimatter

5: Norris Raider – Sky Dive

6: User Only – The Strain

7: Norris Raider – Arcowaw

8: Karkaavat – Beneath The Waves

9: Ninechecker – Line Out

10: Human Concept – Midnite View

11: Phantom Limb – Visit 1

12: TOHT – Meteor Shower

13: Phantom Limb – Sloth

14: Derailleur - Wolf

The concept behind this collection of artists on Mat Carter’s Varial “is between like minded artists, sharing a love of aesthetics found in video games and science fiction culture.” Now this seems to be the foundation of a lot of the music I listen to nowadays so let’s dive in. Carter is present with ‘Mind Expand’, a brooding, minimal piece of work which could bridge the gap between new beat and cosmic chug, such are its sparing, but effective acidic overtones. ‘Antimatter’ by Derailleur is similar in tone, but lasts a fraction of the time and serves more as an ambient interlude, alongside ‘Visit 1’ by Phantom Limb and ‘Beneath The Waves by Karkaavat. Electro is present in the beats of Norris Raider’s ‘Sky Dive’, both Ninechecker tracks and Derailleur’s ‘Wolf’. While compositions such as ‘Midnite View’, ‘Meteor Shower’ and ‘Sloth’ apply the brakes in order to produce what feels like mood music for when the dust is settling. It’s an intriguing collection, available on cassette for added retro spice, as well as digitally. Worth your while.

DJ Guy - Inspiration Dance (Self Released)

 

Title: Inspiration Dance

Artist: DJ Guy

Label: Self Released

Cat Number: 

Genre: House 

1: On A Fragile Planet

2: Dreaming feat. Margie M

3: Ecstacy In Mind

4: In The Music

5: Time Goes By

6: There Is Always Hope

7: There Is Always Hope

8: Glide

9: Out Of The Darkness

10: Shake It Up And Start Again

11: Journey Onwards

12: There Is Beauty

‘Inspiration Dance’, DJ Guy’s latest collection slaloms between genres and shows that class is permanent. (The “form is temporary” bit is irrelevant here.)  There are nods to rave and nascent hardcore: ‘Shake It Up And Start Again’, ‘There Is Beauty’, house: ‘Glide’, ‘Dreaming feat. Margie M’; idm: ‘On A Fragile Planet’: techno/breaks: ‘Ecstacy (sic) In Mind’; breaks: ‘In The Music’; techno: ‘Time Goes By’, ‘There Is Always Hope’, ‘There Is Always Hope’, ‘Journey Onwards’; and downtempo: ‘Out Of The Darkness’. Right away I’m guilty of rampant pigeon-holing, so it also has to be said that, under the circumstances, these are loose, lazy terms and that quite a few of these tracks more than transcend the genres I’ve assigned to them. The most amazing thing about this record, however, is that it’s self-released. Maybe Guy wanted it that way. Was this the only way it was going to see the light of day though? It’s an amazing album which doesn’t put a foot wrong and accurately reflects the talent and personality of its creator. One of the best interviews I conducted on this blog was with Guy back in 2015, a humble and talented artist who deserves much more recognition and reward for his endeavours. Truly one of The UK’s most genuine artists working in the hallowed sphere of electronic music and rave mechanics.

Track Of The Day: Grace Jones - Walking in the Rain (Island)

The track that first made me properly aware of Grace Jones’ existence. ‘Walking In The Rain’, from her ‘Nightclubbing’ album marked a transition in her approach to her art. Coming out in 1981, the album made perfect sense to 18 year old me who had, up to that time, been immersed in punk and traditional rock combos for the most part. Myself and my friends wanted more though, and Grace Jones, at this point, pointed a way forward of sorts, opening doors to a funkier, dancier direction. Even though she had been experimenting with this semblance of sound design on ‘Warm Leatherette’, it was on the release of ‘Nightclubbing’ that her androgynous style properly took hold. The track itself is also a showcase for Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare’s unshakeable rhythm section, which was so ubiquitous from this point on that it was difficult for me to find a record in my collection without them featuring on it. Many happy, hazy memories of listening to this in the various bedrooms of my friends up and down Wallasey in the early 80s.

Tom Sharkett - It's Not That Deep EP (Optimo Music)

 

Title: It’s Not That Deep EP

Artist: Tom Sharkett

Label: Optimo Music

Cat Number: OMDD51

Genre: Synthetic Disco Bliss

1: Mechanical Love (ft. Modema)

2: It’s 5am Somewhere

Well this is just what I needed. It’s 10am, the temperature’s rising nicely and I’ve got a ”relentlessly throbbing SH-101 bassline” to keep me company. For that is the dominant motif of ‘Mechanical Love (ft. Modema)’, (I misread “Modema” as “Moderna”, which is nice). This is the spacey stuff that we dream of in the disco of the mind. Breathy vocals filtered through an echo chamber of dark, bittersweet destination from Modema, and the rest just hanging together in a nicely wonky way, but underpinned by the unlimited simplicity of metronomic percussion, around which anything mind warping can by hung. ‘It’s 5am Somewhere’ wears its italo colours on its sleeve, and is more optimistically framed. Upbeat, some might say. It’s equally as brilliant as the flipside and if I don’t hear both of these in the castle at Covenanza then something’s gone wrong in the world. More please!

Track Of The Day: Family Four - En Häst Utan Namn (Metronome)

“Family Four were a Swedish pop group who recorded during the 1960s and 1970s. They were made up of Berdnt Öst, Marie Bergman, Agnetha Munther and Pierre Isacsson. They won Melodifestivalen twice, in 1971 with ‘Vita Vidder’ and in 1972 with ‘Härliga sommardag’. They went on to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest on these two occasions. They finished sixth in 1971 and 13th in 1972.” (Credit To The Reddit)

This version of America’s classic ‘Horse With No Name’ could be the Swedish equivalent of The New Seekers covering ‘Walk On The Wild Side’, was almost certainly something that featured on prime time TV in the early 70s, and is incredibly Balearic. 

Track Of The Day: U Roy - Natty Rebel (Front Line)

U Roy was the original toaster, “not a boaster”. And his sense of timing and melody was/is the template to emulate. I was looking for a track that would cut through the heat and humidity of this uncharacteristically hot September Sunday afternoon and I thought of this. There’s nothing that better encapsulates the clammy conditions and the freedom from responsibility they bring than this all too short skank from reggae’s golden age. The lines are delivered with such swagger and panache that it’s difficult to imagine a tune that is more energetic and relaxing simultaneously. 

Track Of The Day: Point Blank – A Game Of Two Halves (Phono)

It’s very apparent, if you know your onions, that the super taut, hydraulic break beats that characterise most of this 1 minute magnum opus are the work of Richard Brown and Chris Duckenfield, aka Swag. Sheffield’s finest, operating with punitive discretion on discerning dance floors for the last 30 years or so, never really put a foot wrong throughout their existence and seemed to have a preternatural ability to move the crowd across a wide sonic range unified under the auspices of H.O.U.S.E. The track hurtles full throttle into percussion perfection before a symphonic breakdown that evokes the mist settling on the English countryside as viewed at sunrise from a messy hoodoo hoedown, Then it retsrts with added funky entrails. REWIND!

Track Of The Day: Rhoda Dakar - The Man Who Sold The World (Sunday Best Recordings)

There’s nothing like a great reggae/ska cover version to keep you company on the hottest day of the year so far, and this interpretation is right up there with Lulu’s I reckon. Rhoda Dakar, who was also responsible for reinventing Morrisey’s ‘Every Day Is Like Sunday’ wraps her formidable chops around Bowie’ classic and does it proper street justice. Wonderful voice, full of energy and great production. Right, that’s enough. It’s too hot to type.

Photonz - Daylight Saving 2 Ruled By Venus (Photonz)

 

Title: Daylight Saving 2 Ruled By Venus

Artist: Photonz 

Label: Photonz

Cat Number: PBC002 

Genre:Who Knows?

1: Rising From The Waters

2: Ace Of Cups

3: Wish Fulfillment

4: The Sunday

5: The Moon

6: The Wheel Of Fortune

7: The Empress

8: Lust Strength

9: The Magician]

10: The Hanged Man

11: The World

12: The Fool

Photonz are from Portugal, and I live in a town in Suffolk that has a large population of Portuguese  immigrants. There are some who live on my street, and when taking my dog for a walk at around 7am, I bumped into one, Grace, who was going back to Portugal to do some work. And then I thought, I’d better listen to that Photonz album today. Funny how the mind works innit. It’s also funny how this album works. It is, according to the press release “A free-spirited, sun-soaked collection of music put together under a loose definition of what the astrological Venus could signify aesthetically.” Well, that’s me told. In truth it feels like Photonz have gone up to their attic, salvaged what they could and stuck it on here for your listening pleasure. Up to now they’ve entertained us with all manner of decadent acid disco, filtering new beat, techno and a cosmic smorgesbord through their sonic prism in order to elicit wild abandon. This isn’t necessarily the case here. The first four tracks are each mood setting jams which evoke a range of approaches but feel unified by a reimagined 60s west coast hippie ambience (‘Rising From The Waters’, ‘Ace Of Cups’). In truth there are probably only a couple of tracks here that stick with their normal recipe for success: ‘The Moon’ and maybe ‘The Empress’. In the main we’re treated to a swirling hinterland of different approaches which range from the aformentioned Californian aestheitc and that of the slowed down grinding disco not disco, to drum and bass (‘The World’) and the languid *jazz club* approach (‘The Fool’). There’s a conceptual tarot layer to this collection, and also a lively use of spoken word. It’s also been out since last month and is donating 50% of its profits to a Portuguese anti racism organization, so get on it.

Track Of The Day: The Mo-Dettes - White Mice (Mode)

The Mo-dettes emerged around the time of the first mod revival, and therefore slotted nicely into a space that had been kept open for them since its start; ie: a sonic female presence amongst the testosterone anointed mohair suits They were anything but a mod band however. I suppose post-punk may be more accurate? In any case, I remember going to mod clubs around the time and everyone losing it to this track, in rather the same way that people turned up to the Sleaford Mods’ gigs wearing parkas.

Kalcagni - Mute Mode (Cosmoba)

 

Title: Mute Mode

Artist: Kalcagni

Label: Cosmoba

Cat Number: CMB002

Genre: Electro

1: Mute Mode

2: Up Here (In The Head)

3: System Addict

4: Worn Out Version

‘Mute Mode’ is Kalcagni’s second release on Cosmoba, following up ‘Lost In The System’, which was released at the end of last year and set the tone for this four tracker. Deep electro and acid which works wonders on the dance floor, and equally well in your living room late at night when you’re engaged in cerebral pursuits. The tracks engage their extremes with ease, eking out imaginary worlds through well-defined sound design which deploys classic electro tropes in such a way as to render them fresh and slightly unexpected. ‘Mute Mode’ and ‘Up Here (In The Head)’ utilise an acidic layer to get their point across, while  ‘System Addict’ and ‘Worn Out Version’ feel lighter and more jet propelled as a consequence of not doing so. Whatever the slant, the tracks here are versatile and well-balanced enough to insert into a set at almost any juncture, eloquently setting the mood when all else fails. ‘‘Up Here (In The Head)’ stands out for me with its new beat throb and dramatic flanging, which is nice.

Track Of The Day: Extra T'S - E.T. Boogie (Sunnyview)

Novelty records come and go, and there are so many of them. However, this is so good that I hesitate to label it such. It’s ET content is quite minimal, using a few “samples” from the film which may or may not have caused an issue for the record label and artists at time of release. What isn’t in doubt is its funk content. Break beats, what sounds like a rising and descending electric glockenspeil and a languid guitar sample. Much too short. Buy two copies. Still cheap on Discogs, but for how long? Block party heaven.

David Harrow - Rare Earth Technology (Workhouse Digital)

 

Title: Rare Earth Technology 

Artist: David Harrow 

Label: Workhouse Digital

Cat Number: 

Genre: Dub Stylings

1: Canyon Sound

2: Walking Ghost

3: MrWhiskah

This is a three track album sampler of David Harrow’s forthcoming ‘Rare Earth Technology’ album, which I haven’t heard so can’t really comment on its overall outlook. As far as these three tunes are concerned, what we have are three compositions which each plumb the different depths of dub. ‘Canyon Sound’ is a collision of different aspects of sound design and, as such, feels very much like a Lee Perry tribute act. That’s derivative, but in a good way. There’s great attention to detail and one does feel stoned listening to it. ‘Walking Ghost’ continues with the fug. It’s a linear, percussive spinal chord of metronomic certainty around which is shrouded all manner of psychedelic niceties. (I’m a big fan of playing orchestral music backwards, if that is what is happening here. If not, I’m still a big fan). Is ‘Mr Whiskah’ about a cat? If so I suppose it’s an appropriate soundtrack to the typical can’t be arsed attitude of most moggies. Similar in tone to what has already been mentioned, with the strategic deployment of a melodica, which evokes Augustus Pablo doesn’t it? Also, maybe an even more desiccated feel to this piece than the other two, which in this day and age is absolutely essential. 

Track Of The Day: Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too (Smalltown Supersound)

The title track of Hans-Peter Lindstrom’s debut album is as vast in scope as it’s possible to be while still remaining “a track” and not a soundtrack. Weighing in at a hefty 28 minutes long, it’s an epic of its type. And what exactly would that be? Cosmic disco you say? Well, why not? Nothing is more cosmic than this. It’s galaxy sized and a mixture of samples and live recordings. I suppose the most challenging aspect of making a piece of music this long is to make sure it stays fresh from start to finish which, in spite of appearing to contain no more than the average number of of shifts and notions of a normal piece of disco, it does. Just after the middle of the track there’s a pause in which the lower end disappears and everything seems to dissipate a little. This particular part puts me in mind of ‘Autobahn’, another similar sized track, slightly different in tone, but not in the concept of forward movement. A stunning, psychedelic piece of work that shimmers throughout.

Track Of The Day: The Stranglers - Walk On By (United Artists)

The sonic ramblings of the Burt Bacharach/Dionne Warwick dynamic duo were reinvented by The Stranglers in 1978 to devastating effect. Whether this is better than the original is a moot point. It’s an interpretation that stands on its own somewhere in pop punk Shangri La. It’s also as typical a Stranglers song as any other around that time. What stands out is Dave Greenfield’s superlative keyboard playing, JJ Burnel’s snarling bass and Hugh Cornwell’s soloing. Jet Black remains the incredibly solid drummer he always was. 

Jonny Rock | Boiler Room x Polifonic Festival

Molly LIVE set @ Waking Life 2022 - Outro Lado

 

molly.emeline · Molly LIVE set @ Waking Life 2022 - Outro Lado

Track Of The Day: Cozy Powell - Dance With The Devil (RAK)

A rather unusual entry, but one that’s been in my head for a while now and, as it’s been a similar time since I last penned some words on the blog, why not? ‘Dance With The Devil’ has its own Wikipedia entry, so I’ll leave the fine detail here. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of those songs from a golden age of pop, when hit makers hid behind groups and singers and wrote number 1 after number 1, the act a vehicle for their words and their libidos. This track got as far as number 3 in the charts, quite an achievement for a pop metal instrumental, and came out on RAK; pop svenghali and ‘New Faces’ panellist Mickie Most’s label, also the home of Mud and Suzi Quatro. I can remember it being wheeled out on ‘Top Of The Pops’ and thinking that it had to be one of the curios, and most interesting pieces of pop music, of its time, which it was.

Jane Fitz at Karma Kastle 3.0

 

Karma Klique · Jane Fitz at Karma Kastle 3.0