WHATEVEREST: The Real Inspector Norse

Easily my favourite tune of 2012, Todd Terje's masterful interpretation of the ARP 2600, Inspector Norse - was part of the outstanding It's the Arps EP on Smalltown Supersound. So what was the inspiration behind the title of track? WHATEVEREST is an award winning short documentary that shows us inside Todd Terje's studio - what a treat - and takes a look at the real Inspector Norse, the internet alias of Norwegian oddball Marius Solem Johanson.

WHATEVEREST from Kristoffer Borgli on Vimeo.

Director Kristoffer Borgli won the Special Jury Award at AFI Fest 2012, and it his treatment of the quirky subject matter that helps the film rise above simple comedic relief. Inspector Norse makes dance videos and homemade drug recipes which he uploads to You Tube, where Todd Terje first witnessed his magic. He is a deliberately strange character, taken to sequined jumpers, and massive amounts of his homebrewed product. The small town setting adds to the David Lynch-like strangeness of the whole thing, but at the end of the day, it's remarkably astute film about personal identity, inspiration, and expression.

You can still grab It's the Arps HERE

Pachanga Boys - We Are Really Sorry

Decidedly hard to pigeonhole and full of as many great riffs as any current rock record, Pachanga Boys debut album sounds like a cross between Hot Chip and Psychemagik, and in some places borders on pure experimentation. That said, it eventually functions as a rewarding listening experience, and veers a long way from the path of their previous disco-house orientated releases. We Are Really Sorry is an odd title. Exactly what are they sorry for? Maybe the fact they've attempted an album that is low on bangers, and demands an actual listen through, in itself a brave thing, given the instant and disposable nature of modern music consumption.



Standout cuts include Vampiros Hermanos, which begins with a laidback stoner rock groove before layers of quirky analog sounds push the track into psychedelic territory. Drunken Dancer is amazing as well, built upon looped voices yet punctuated by a sharp groove, and finally the sort of pads you'd find on a giallo horror soundtrack. It is a theme that is filtered through the entire album, and the manipulation of odd sounds into something that has experimental leanings, while retaining catchy harmonies throughout.



Consisting of Aksel Schauffer, who also produces as Superpitcher, and Mexican Mauricio Rebolledo, whose DJ sets of edgy, odd, rhythm based music initially inspired the duo to start producing. Released on their own imprint, Hippie Dance, which is a subsidiary of legendary German label Kompakt, We Are Really Sorry is an outstanding example of forward thinking electronic that is still fun to listen to, and showcases a duo that offer a huge amount of potential in the future.

Get the album here - We Are Really Sorry

Derrick Carter at Sandwiches

Any time Derrick Carter is in your city, he is a must see. One of those legendary DJs that just does what he always has, avoiding trends, yet somehow through skill and sheer enthusiasm remaining as essential now as he has been for the last 20 years. Carter is known for marathon sets that take in various styles of house music, and occasionally veer off into obscure disco classics, or a 80s pop hit in epic 12-inch dub form, in essence he just plays what suits the vibe.

Schooled from a young age at the peak of the Chicago house scene, Carter's first recording came out in 1987, yet it's as a DJ that rose to near celebrity status in the late 90s. Basically Carter takes you on a journey that can be, jackin', jumpin', or deep, but is always of absolute quality.  

It's almost impossible not to get up and dance when Carter is on the decks, and thankfully those wise heads at Sandwiches have managed to secure his services on Friday, February 1. I'm sure this means a few Wellington peeps will be dusting off their dancing shoes for a good ol' house boogie, but Derrick Carter is DJ for anyone who loves music in general, and dancing, so make sure you leave this date free, it's not to be missed. Trust me.

Follow this link for online tickets: Dash Tickets

Find out more at the Facebook Event Page

Check out this recent mix for Boiler Room, it's downloadable as well.

Sixth Avenue Express - Props

Coming to my attention last year via the House of Disco site, London's Sixth Avenue Express released one of the best freebies of 2012 in Upside Down, a rework of Diana Ross, as well as a slew of other edits and slinky deep house gems, including Chute on Gazeebo International, and Goodbye on Kolour Recordings.

Judging by this new cut, which showcases some of SAE's best production yet; blending the classic sounds of house with some subtle future garage leanings, updating the 90s sound for a more modern set of ears. Imagine Disclosure remixed by Ron Trent, and you're just about there.

One to watch over the next twelve months, Sixth Avenue Express also have an EP out on Pole Position early next month.

Master of Psychedelic Soul: Norman Whitfield

Born in Harlem, before rising to fame in Detroit while employed by Berry Gordy's Motown Records, Norman Whitfield did epic soul like nobody else. Infusing touches of the psychedelic and political, Whitfield and lyricist Barrett Strong helped move Motown away from sugary soul hits, towards a more topical point of view, and a musical blend suited to the social changes of the late sixties. Although Whitfield had been producing The Temptations since 1966, his big break came when the previous songwriting team at Motown, the Holland-Dozier-Holland trio, left the label over profit-sharing disputes. This gave the Whitfield-Strong partnership the break they were looking for, and a hit with references to the abundant drug culture of the times, Cloud Nine by The Temptations, began a series of standout songs for Marvin Gaye, Edwin Starr, and Gladys Knight & the Pips.



His most recognizable songs, Papa Was a Rolling Stone and Heard it Through the Grapevine remain potent to this day, and stand as near perfect examples of what Whitfield achieved at Motown. Flamboyant arrangements, social commentary, and extended track lengths were suddenly the norm at the label, and through his own personal enterprises, The Undisputed Truth and Rare Earth, Whitfield took soul to places never heard before. Originally influenced by Sly Stone's innovation, he cleverly married Stone's raw sound to the slick dynamics of Motown's vocalists, and changed the sound of soul in the mainstream forever.

Whitfield is described by Berry Gordy in his memoir To Be Loved as a tall, shy man who earned a living in his teens as a hotshot pool player. He did his time, like many others, as an junior assistant at the Hitsville studio, and even when established as a producer struggled to get many of his projects off the ground, due to Gordy's tight quality control and often cut throat business mind. Perhaps this rubbed off on Whitfield, and by the mid-seventies his ego had risen to the point where his own picture was bigger than that of the Temptations on his last production for the group, 1973's compelling Masterpiece.



The following year he set up his own label, Whitfield Records, leaving Motown, and found further success with Rose Royce, recording their infamous Car Wash soundtrack in 1977, before slowly falling into obscurity. He returned to work at Motown in the mid eighties, but the music and ideas were a pale comparison to his earlier work, and few notable songs came out of the period.



Notoriously shy and unwilling to be interviewed, much of the motivation behind Whitfield's music remains hard to identify clearly. Was Whitfield a politically minded activist using soul music as a conduit for change, or simply a business savvy producer who spotted a hole in a saturated marketplace? Whatever the reality, Whitfield opened up soul music to new horizons, and laid the path for Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On, The Ohio Players, and Isaac Hayes to push the boundaries even further out.

His often grandiose, orchestrated soul classics include War, Smiling Faces Sometimes, Ball of Confusion, Wishing on a Star, and Ain't Too Proud to Beg, a body of work that is as impressive as it is distinctive. Whitfield passed away in 2008, aged 69, after battling diabetes, and being convicted of tax evasion. He was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2004, alongside lyricist Strong, in respect to their work on Motown. NormanWhitfield remains a mysterious figure whose consistency and creativity make his music a pleasure worth indulging in.

Ikonika: Live in Wellington

Ikonika returns to Wellington this Saturday at San Francisco Bath House. A collaboration between Girl Trouble and Ex.D, our second joint gig after bringing you oOoOO and Lapalux earlier this year. Last time Ikonika played here, she showcased her incredible skills as a DJ for over five hours, and even threw out tour T-shirts to those who had remained until the end of the set. In other words, she blew young Wellington minds, and looks set to do so once again. Her releases on Hyperdub including her debut album Contact, Love, Want, Have, and recent I Make Lists EP, showcase this talented artist perfectly, channeling the influence of Aphex Twin through the modernist leanings of the UK bass scene. If you're after something inspirational that goes above the bland normality of dance music, then you really can't afford to miss this gig.

Also on the bill are some of New Zealand's best acts, with ex-Trinity Roots member Riki Gooch, Electric Wire Hustle cohort Benny Tones, and sensational neo soul diva Estere all performing on Saturday night. DJ support comes from LRD JXN, who you've probably heard on Radio Active and at a variety of venues throughout Wellington. Ex.D's Gus, and yours truly, will keep things sorted either side of the acts.



 
Estere Live at VanguardRed from VanguardRed Magazine on Vimeo.

Tickets are available online HERE, and at Rough Peel Music on Vivian Street. There will also be door sales on the night.

78 Edits mini-mix

The 78 Edits releases have been incredibly reliable as a source of quality disco and deep house. The Edinburgh based producer has been making edits that combine the original elements with a deep house thud and plenty of filters, with the results similar to what the likes of Eddie C and the Melbourne Deepcast have been producing lately. This mix for London based label Retrospective compiles tracks from an upcoming vinyl release, and while it may be only a short 30 minutes, it definitely crams in some quality, with stand out tracks by Rayko, Toomy Disco, and Mudegg.

Retrospective are giving this mini mix away on their Soundcloud. You can also pre-order the full release.

Deep House Mix: Recorded Live 23/03/12

Here is a mix that was recorded live at Saturday Social in Wellington that features tracks by Mic Newman, Aeroplane, Eddie C and more. Shouts out to Jamie Christer and Vernon McCarthy for the gig.

Check the full track list here - http://serato.com/playlists/B_Lo2/saturday-social-3-24-2012

Mayer Hawthorne: Live @ San Francisco Bath House 14-02-12

Scratch 22 warms the anxious crowd with some Bill Withers as the time nears for Mayer Hawthorne to come onstage. The people here are almost as interesting as the music so far, as DJs mingle with jazz musicians, and homies, hipsters, and hotties populate the bar area in search of one last drink before heading closer to the stage. The night is clearly a special occasion for some, with those in the know dressed in slim fit suits, accompanied by ladies in throwback prints.

Hawthorne’s quartet burst through the room, their propulsive funk gleaming with the shine of punk energy. This isn’t a hobbled together group of session musicians looking for a buck, not at all; in fact it proves to be by the end of the night, a band with superior understanding and ability of how to decimate an audience.

I was initially skeptical about the thought of Hawthorne live. Would his voice hold up? Would the slick production and catchy songs transfer to a live set? Can a hip white boy really deliver pure soul music worth your time? After a shaky start, which took up only half of the first song, the Michigan born singer delivered a set which could be seen as some sort of dictionary definition of professionalism. Within a handful of songs Hawthorne’s charisma, call and response, and astonishing band had turn the large crowd into a frenzied pit of singing, dancing, clapping participants. Standouts were predictably the best songs from his recorded output, ‘Your Easy Lovin’, Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’ was delivered with a Commodores’ style stage dance, while the infectious ‘A Long Time’ drew probably the biggest response from the crowd, and ‘Green Eyed Love’ then showed the band at its most precise and effective. Throughout Hawthorne interacted with the audience with ease and charm, the composite front man, even if his voice was exposed at times during ballads as a little flat. Never once were his calls for hands in the air, or singing along to a chorus meet with any hesitation. Every song, joke, and recognition of the crowd was met with mild adoration.

The musicianship was a display of inspired discipline and considered flamboyance. The first half of set was a tightly programmed medley of floor fillers delivered with ridiculous efficiency, underpinned by the sort of rhythm and blues played by musicians whose influences are as broad as Allen Toussaint and Talking Heads. A switch into ballads isn’t completely successful, paling in comparison to what has come before. Towards the end of the show, Hawthorne confesses that he collapsed only an hour before the show, the effects of a busy schedule the cause. Onstage he jokes that it’s just because he’s “living like a rock star”, before continuing to perform. This proves the impetus for a huge finale, with the band showing an emphatic ability to deliver not only grooves, but also break into some impressive solos as they brought the intensity in the room up to boiling point, finishing as they had with Hawthorne leaving the stage first, his band winding things down just as they had warmed up.

Dubbel Dutch - Free MP3 and exclusive mix for URB!

Got this great little package from FACT magazine in the mail, which features the latest remix from the Austin, Texas based New Yorker Dubbel Dutch, who has been fusing funky, old school house and rave into his own suitably unique productions for Palm Out Sounds. An unreleased mix of Planet Mu signing Parson, this cut is destined for anthem status, and is kindly available for 7 days. So get it while you can.

You can check Dubbel Dutch’s latest EP HERE, and make sure you head over to the always interesting FACT website, which features loads of great interviews, plus the magazine’s infamous mixtape series, whose latest edition is from UK band These New Puritans.

Download: Parson – I Rep The Dirty Sound (Dubbel Dutch remix)

A track from the 'Throwback' EP-


As a bonus check out this downloadable mix for URB magazine HERE. Tracklisting and details available by following the link. Much thanks to URB!

Best of the Week: 07/07/2010

There aren’t enough good donuts here in New Zealand, and here in Wellington they really are seemingly nonexistent. The perfect mid-winter treat with a nice cup of espresso, why can’t we get good donuts round ‘ere? We are saturated with just about every other brand so why can’t we at least get a Krispy Kreme here or there to solve a glazed-donut craving. Anyway in the meantime, here are some musical donuts to chew on.

Taken from the soon to be released, ‘Strange Weather, Isn’t It’ LP on Warp Records, this track demonstrates what I love about Chk Chk Chk, with abstract rock shapes underpinned by a phenomenally funky rhythm. As always this is an essential piece of indie with disco tinges and acts as an indicator of another interesting album on the horizon/Download: !!! (Chk Chk Chk) – AM/FM



Another lead single for a much anticipated album, Chromeo’s latest is one of their best songs yet, and hopefully we can expect the same from ‘Business Casual’ when it is released later this month. This Takes the duo’s satirical r&b sound to new heights with superior production and songwriting/Download: Chromeo – Don’t Turn the Lights On



With his second release on Boys Noize Records, Parisian Djedjotronic is fast establishing himself as a go-to man for slamming electro. Taken from the EP of the same name, this features the sort of production you’d normally associate with Jesse Rose or Riva Starr/Download: Djedjotronic – Bit This Thin Pt. 2



Truly a unique artist and performer, Mr. Oizo has crafted a niche for his own abstract blend of electro house and the avant-garde. His latest project is the film ‘Rubber’, which follows the story of a car tire’s daily life, and features a soundtrack recorded in collaboration with Justice’s Gaspard Auge. If that isn’t enough, the 12" single also features an amazingly weird remix from another one of a kind, Flying Lotus/Download: Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge – Rubber (Flying Lotus ‘Unprotected Sex’ remix)



Madrid based label Lovemonk have seemingly uncovered one of the best new disco acts for some time with the trio Space Ranger, who feature members of Dublex Inc., and deliver the sort of sample based beat odyssey you would normally associate with the likes of Rayko, Todd Terje or The Revenge/Download: Space Ranger – Phase Fever




Get your music from these great stores-Picadilly, Bleep, Rush Hour, Conch, and Samurai.

Mixtape Madness - Stuff to dance to

Just thought I’d share a couple of amazing mixes from two of my favorite producers going around right now. Some of you may already have them, but I’ve been thrashing both these mixes so much I felt they needed to be heard by everyone else, so enjoy!

ROSKA

In an exclusive mix for the Sonar festival and Sonar Radio, UK funky innovator Roska shows why he is the man at the forefront of the progressive movement within the genre. Featuring unreleased material alongside a few of Roska’s recent self-titled LP cuts, the mix also features a couple of garage classics for good measure. You can stream the mix and check out the Sonar blog HERE.

Roska – Sonar Mix 2010

Martyn & Dbridge - These Words (Roska's Speechless Mix)
Zinc - Nexx!
Roska & Jamie George - Love 2 Nite
Crazy Cousinz - Always Be My Baby
Roska - Jackpot
Deadboy - If U Want Me
Roska - Squark
Dj Naughty - Firepower
Roska Ft. Anesha - I Need Love
Laidback Luke - Step By Step (Roska Edit)
Roska & Jamie George - Wonderful Day
Zinc - Blunt Edge
Geeneus & Dynamite - Get Low (Roska Special)
Roska - Tomorrow Is Today
Bingo Players - When I Dip
Youtam Avni - Coke Bouquet
Fingaprint - It's On You
Brackles - El Gordos


Download: Roska – 2010 mix




GIRL UNIT

Having featured on L-Vis 1990 and Bok Bok’s Night Slugs label, South East London’s Girl Unit is a young talent showing much promise with his debut release ‘I.R.L.’, a cut that blends old school rave style breaks with an innovative modern touch. This mix for the absolutely essential FACT magazine delivers those same ingredients, and features loads of exclusive unreleased material. Check out the mix over at FACT’s website HERE.

Girl Unit - Fact mix 154 (May 2010)

Mista Men – Lengthy Riddim
Jay R Revlon – African Runway
Machinedrum – Carry the Weight (Bok Bok remix)
Mauser – Jack Orchestra
Dubbel Dutch – Throwback
Girl Unit – I.R.L (DVA’s Hi Emotions remix)
50 Cent ft. Justin Timberlake – Ayo Technology (Instrumental, Prod. Timbaland)
Pirate Soundsystem – Dub N U (Girl Unit remix)
Gemmy – Dolla Digital
Optimum – Crash Riddim
Japanese Telecom – The Making of Ultraman
Girl Unit – Shade On
Terror Danjah – Sidechain
Dubbel Dutch – Madloopz
De Schuurman – Nu Ga Je Danse
Aaliyah – R U That Somebody (Brenmar’s Windy City remix)
Addison Groove – Nautilus
La’ Chat – Smoke Junt
Girl Unit – Showstoppa
Chrissy Murderbot – I Believe In Love
DJ Rashad – Drop Juke Out
DJ Diamond – Gang Bangz
Cedaa – Tiffany


Download: Girl Unit – FACT mix May 2010

Best of the Week: 30/06/2010

Looking for a flat generally sucks. You so want it to be easy and perfect, yet this is almost unimaginable, let alone feasible. Oh well the trials and tribulations of shifting house, it is the kind of crap we all have to take sometimes, so why not see the funny side. Good luck on your next flat or room hunt. Here are some cool beats to play once you shift in.

French hip-hop producer Onra successfully undertakes the difficult task of making instrumental beats and pieces sound good without the raps. This almost Pete Rock-esque cut oozes is available on his recent Long Distance LP for Dublin label All City/Download: Onra-Send Me Your Love



Maryland based Maxmillion Dunbar makes beats that blend several genres but manage to retain a certain underground finesse. Check his new EP for the exceptional Ramp Recordings label here, and get a taster from his last release with this tasteful sample based cut/Download: Maxmillion Dunbar-Wouldn’t Matter



Belgian outfit Aeroplane are a duo no more, with one half apparently continuing to record under the name, while the other forges a new solo career. Fortunately the good news is that the final recording as a duo is one of their best, a slinky bit of new disco for fans of Lindstrom and Prins Thomas. Available now from Eskimo Recordings/Download: Aeroplane-We Can’t Fly



Two talented Brooklyn based producers on one tune, remixer Brenmar and songwriter Blondes are two worth keeping a close eye on as 2010 progresses. Check the Blondes EP Touched, out now on Merok Records/Download: Blondes-Spanish Fly (Brenmar remix)



Stunning remix from German deep house maestro Motor City Drum Ensemble of Domino Recordings group Archie Bronson Outfit, this reminds me of Basic Channel meeting Theo Parrish in the studio. Full of backwards beats and shuffling cymbals, it is a cut made especially for those very early hours of the morning/Download: Archie Bronson Outfit-Hoola (Motor City Drum Ensemble remix)



Get your music proper here: Picadilly, Bleep, Rush Hour, and Samurai.

Best of the Week: 23/06/2010

The priorities of University required a little break from the Girl Trouble blog. Now that the exams are finished it must be time for another best of the week, or more like the best music of the last month. For that very reason there is loads to enjoy, with Polish funky, house music from L.A., disco oddities and much more...

Coming with limited details and an unknown artist on edit/production duties, this deceptively simple slice of cosmic disco is finding its way into the right DJ’s record boxes. Fans of Todd Terje or Lindstrom will love this record. Available now on the International Feel label/Download: Unknown-Turmerica

From the recent Mickey Moonlight EP of the same name on French label Ed Banger, this cut is far more subtle and groove orientated than the likes of Justice and Sebastian, but just as appealing. The live sounding bass and subdued vocals give this tune a certain touch of class/Download: Mickey Moonlight-Love Pattern

With a weird science fiction intro and stuttering electro beat, I was surprised to find Morgan Geist on the remix credit, the Environ Records boss taking the original on a journey into almost Kraftwerk-like territory. Another essential release from I’m A Cliché/Download: Bot’Ox-Overdrive (Morgan Geist remix)

House music from Los Angeles, SECT is a collaborative affair between four up and coming producers who have featured on hip tech-house labels Dirtybird and Airdrop previously, and deliver trippy beats and samples that remind me of labels like Tirk and Permanent Vacation/Download: SECT-Thieve $krilla

Far removed from the R&B influenced garage you’d expect from MJ Cole, the Riddim EP features tough beats full of bleeps and pulsing basslines, this cut is my favorite across the four tracks but they are all outstanding. A great record for the open minded DJ/Download: MJ Cole-Flux Riddim

Another essential piece of music from Dublin based All City Records, former Detroit duo Houseshoes now call Los Angeles home, but still deliver the sort of beats you’d associate with Motor City legends Slum Village. Taken from All City’s L.A. series Vol.4, and released on 10” vinyl/Download: Houseshoes-Newports

After releases for Mule Musiq and Compost, Portuguese duo Johnwaynes deliver their best record yet for Endless Flight, supplying tech-house filled with disco touches and Moodymann-like slow and funky beats, this is also available on their Soundcloud page/Download-Johnwaynes-Get Up (Just John mix)

Available on the digital version of the ‘Phaze: One’ EP, out now on Tempa Records, this cut identifies with all the things that make Benga such a fascinating producer; intricate dubstep beats, melancholic Aphex-style textures, and mutant basslines/Download: Benga-Transform

Bristol label Black Acre continue to solidify their reputation with another killer release, this time Dark Sky stars with a cut that sounds a lot like the recent output of contemporaries Scuba and Pinch, with funky rhythms creeping in on the Detroit-like atmospherics and subsonic bass/Download: Dark Sky-Something to Lose

The jury is out on Kelis’ recent output, but this remix Paris-based duo Acid Washed seems to suit her vocal perfectly, somehow reminding me of Giorgio Moroder’s production for Donna Summer. Not many details available on this one so perhaps it is a bootleg/Download: Kelis-Acapella (Acid Washed remix)

Fresh from the Trouble and Bass label, this cut showcases an outstanding remix from the ever improving L-Vis 1990, and features a trademark half-time intro and banging broken rhythm. The EP also comes with a Brackles rework of this Krakow-based producer/Download: Supra 1-Still Believe feat. Amy Douglas (L-Vis 1990 remix)

South East London’s Hardhouse Banton has been a favourite with me since hearing his awesome funky anthem ‘Sirenz’, so this remix from the man of the moment Roska seems destined for goodness, and damn does it deliver with a combination of tough beats and smooth textures working a treat. Released as an internet freebie only, get yours now/Download: Hardhouse Banton-Reign (Roska’s ‘ard Food remix)

Another Polish outfit, the city Krakow is turning into a new hotbed of talented producers; Teezy & Zeppy deliver a wobbly slice of quirky funky tinged house music. This is a free download sourced from XLR8R magazine, but be on the lookout for an upcoming release on Top Billin’/Download: Teezy & Zeppy-MTP Riddim

Recent collaborations with Ginz and Cosmin TRG show that Baobinga is a producer is much demand right now, and with twisted post-garage beats like this it is not hard to see why. Releasing tracks since 2002, this is out on his own Build Recordings/Download: Baobinga-Ride It

Clever name, and equally clever music, the mysterious Tiger & Woods deliver a slice of disco-house that doesn’t try and get to musical, preferring to tighten up the groove and lay down the fatback funk. Available as a limited white label release on Editainment/Download: Tiger & Woods-Deflowered

Swiss producer Secondo follows releases on Soul Jazz and Dreck Records with this catchy remix of UK trio Kinema. Blessed with perfectly placed percussion and warm rising pads, this cut reminds me of recent outings from The Revenge and Henrik Schwarz/Download: Kinema-Circles (Secondo remix)

Portuguese producer Roulet gets remixed by Londoner Girl Unit, both producers recently featuring with DJ mixes for FACT magazine. This is sub exploding foot stomping goodness, kind of like hearing ‘92 era hardcore reborn all over again, but with better production and ideas/Download: Roulet-Kitamanda (Girl Unit remix)


Get your music here-Picadilly, Bleep, Rush Hour, Conch, and Samurai

Best of the Week: 12/05/2010

Pushing boundaries until there are no longer any barriers in between, post-modern dance music is full of contrasting connections, and hypocritical eccentricities. This week we bring you a crop of new school club beats that don’t identify with the norm, are hard to pigeonhole and bend the rules and clichés, delivering music that excites the senses and shatters your misconceptions.

Another triumph from Bok Bok and L-Vis 1990’s constantly interesting ‘Night Slugs’ label, this is probably the best release so far, hotly tipped newcomer Girl Unit has come up with a staggering mixture of old school rave and new school programming/Download: Girl Unit-I.R.L.



Very little subtlety about this collaboration, but if banging rave with freaky techno overtones is your thing, then there really is nothing better. Erol Alkan and Boys Noize have conjured up a beast that lurks the dance floor in the wee hours looking for the next willing victim/Download: Boys Noize & Erol Alkan-Avalanche



Good cheesy fun that will surely make even the most wary get their dancing shoes on. German’s Malente & Dex are remixed here by Berlin’s man of the moment Shir Khan, hints of Latin guitar add humor value to a frenetic party tune ideal for fans of Sound Pellegrino and Made to Play/Download: Malente & Dex-Habibi (Shir Khan remix)



This beautiful synth-laden cut came out a little while back, but Deadboy has been making such an impression lately that I’ve been listening to this all week. Check out the original EP out on Well Rounded here/Download: Deadboy-Heartbreaker



The legendary DJ Harvey has been mixing records since the eighties, and alongside Andrew Weatherall and Greg Wilson played a huge part in creating the modern disco scene. This slinky piece of late night shuffle shows that in 2010 he is as relevant as ever. Out now on International Feel/Download: Locussolus-Gunship



Fresh on the ever reliable Planet Mu, Swindle’s first official release follows in a similar vein to the likes of Ikonika or Falty DL, matching garage style beats to Warp Records like electronics. The results are essential/Download: Swindle-Daredevil



This much hyped artist is expected to do big things in 2010, and this brilliant mix of piano, disco and banging electro is a great start. Chilly Gonzales has come up with a truly addictive piece of musical oddness. Out on Riton’s impeccable Phantasy Sound imprint/Download: Chilly Gonzales-Never Stop



Get your music here: Picadilly, Bleep, Rush Hour, Conch, and Samurai.

Best of the Week: 05/05/2010

This week our dedication is fairly obvious. Mums are cool, and deserve our absolute adoration. Let’s face it, the unconditional love that Mums all over the world give help us to get through the dark moments and bad times, and are always there to celebrate the magic of life and our grandest times. So this week the selection is for all the Mums out there, let your hair down and have a boogie, your sons and daughters will love you even more for it. It is your time to celebrate.

Italian producer Bottin is a firm favorite of this blog, his releases and remixes on labels like Italians Do It Better and Tirk have established him as one of the more reliable artists making new disco right now. This collaboration with Rodion features all of his hallmark touches; impeccable bassline, loads of reverb and delay, completed by catchier than catchy melody. Out now on Bear Funk/Download: Bottin & Rodion-Galli (Give It Up)

Incredibly talented London based producer Leo Zero is establishing himself as one of the most adventurous and accomplished disco/Balearic beat makers working today. Part of a package of remixer’s that includes producers The Revenge, Jayou, and Alex Metric, this is funk laden piece of cosmic disco thoughtfully interpolates Kenneth Bager’s already impeccable slice of deep house/Download: Kenneth Bager-I Can’t Wait (Leo Zero remix)

Another outrageously good edit from New Yorker Jacques Renault, whom we only just featured last week, but when you hear something this deep and funky surely the only option is to dance through the middle of the night/Download: Jacques Renault-In the Middle of the Night

Deeper than the darkest trench, this amazing piece of abstract techno slowly builds into a lush ambient arrangement full of soft pads and wooden hits. Available from his Soundcloud page, this is an essential piece of electronica from newcomer’s xxxy. Check their new EP here/Download: xxxy-Save Our Souls

Absolute anthem alert, big-room house music’s man of the moment Riva Starr, takes Dennis Ferrer’s garage inspired classic, and gives it the treatment. Using the vocal to key effect, the Italian has laid down a remix that builds and builds before exploding into horns, bells and whistles. Can’t wait to hear this on the sort of sound system that truly does it justice/Download: Dennis Ferrer-Hey Hey (Riva Starr’s Paradise Garage remix)

Noisemaker extraordinaire Sinden meets distinctive newcomer SBTRKT on this massive piece of bass debauchery. Think of an enormous sonic wall of sound matched to skipping garage style beats and you’re half way there. Check out the rest of the EP here/Download: Sinden & SBTRKT-Midnight Marauder

Improving upon his own original, our favorite dubstep producer, Joker, comes up trumps once again. Adding melancholic beauty to the digital noise and distorted bass which make this artist so exciting and unique/Download: Joker-Tron (VIP mix)

Easily the most exciting producer working in UK funky right now, Roska was originally a 2-step MC who moved into beatmaking. This explains his amazing vocal arrangements, but it is also his broken rhythms and crafted bleeps that make this a producer for anyone with an interest in electronic music to enjoy/Download: Roska-Love 2 Nite feat. Jamie George

Back with a two EP set entitled ‘Sleep Less’ on his own Made To Play label, Jesse Rose is a master of simple tech-house bangers that make dancefloors meltdown, and this new cut with its freaky looped vocal snippet and deceptive drops fits that formula perfectly/Download: Jesse Rose-(Where Were You) Last Night

Get your music here: Picadilly, Bleep, Rush Hour, Conch, Samurai.

Best of the Week: 28/04/2010

The likelihood of you enjoying your current employment is highly improbable, or is that you just don’t get paid enough for the job you do? Generally working sucks, at least when compared to clubbing, DJ’ing and listening to music, which of course is paid for by money made from working? Um, catch-22! So this week the selection is dedicated to all the people who have held down shit jobs to pay for their weekend’s entertainment.

If haunted house music is your thing then it doesn’t come any better than Actress, whose own label Werk Discs, has released a steady flow of adventurous singles that mutate dance into an altogether different beast. This is taken from the upcoming LP ‘Splazsh’, released by Honest Jon’s/Download: Actress-Always Human

South Londoner Boy 8-Bit has that ability to fuse banging dance floor beats with melancholy harmonies, and in the process is creating some of the more interesting electro going around. Released on This Is Music, this acid fueled roller is absolutely essential/Download: Boy 8-Bit-The Keep

The discordant beauty of Pantha Du Prince’s minimal techno is almost staggering, building sculptures out of loops and reverb. This remix of indie band Cold Cave draws you into its dark heart with glistening shapes and hollow pipes/Download: Cold Cave-Life Magazine (Pantha Du Prince First Flash remix)

Half of the brilliant Runaway, New Yorker Jacques Renault also puts out some stunning production and edits under his own name. This cut is from a new EP for the mysterious On The Prowl label, and manages to take in new disco, old school techno stabs, and warehouse bass/Download: Jacques Renault-Miranda

In a similar same vein as Joy Orbison or Scuba, London’s Deadboy is making future garage that bends the clichés, and matches funky rhythms with the rich atmospherics of Detroit techno. Available now on Numbers/Download: Deadboy-If U Want Me

Taken from a collection of reworks by Italian producer Bottin released by Nang Records, this remix of cosmic disco don Lindstrom has a trademark bass riff to die for, and a lush swagger of synth washes/Download: Lindstrom-Passkelyd (Bottin remix)

Perhaps the most innovative figure in funky, Roska is a forward-thinking producer whose tracks have the playful jack of early Chicago house, and staggered rhythms of the broken beat scene. This is taken from his new LP out on Rinse Recordings/Download: Roska-Squark

The latest DJ/producer to provide a mix for the DJ Kicks banner, The Juan MacLean continue their stellar run over the last year, following on from the brilliant ‘The Future Will Come’ LP with this killer indie disco tune, available as a limited release alongside the album version(s)/Download: The Juan MacLean-Feel So Good

Another excellent rework from the ever improving Texan Dubbel Dutch, taking dubstep star Silkie’s already inspiring post-jungle vision further towards the dance floor/Download: Silkie-Quasar (Dubbel Dutch edit)

With his distinctive voice and conscious lyrics, Ty has delivered a body of work that is both accessible and completely single-minded. This track is the title cut from his new LP, which takes in hip-hop, soul and r&b, and is out now on BBE/Download: Ty-Special Kind of Fool feat. Erik Rico


Get these releases here: Picadilly, Bleep, Rush Hour, Conch, and Samurai.

Ikonika: Contact, Want, Love, Have

Since her debut with the stunning ‘Please’ on Hyperdub, Ikonika has developed a highly original blueprint for her production, featuring synth work you’d expect from early Derrick May records, matched to garage inspired dubstep rhythms. The result is a beguiling mix of club and art, abstraction and syncopation, and confounds the clichés attached to the UK bass scene. Now with her debut album set to drop, once again on Kode 9’s Hyperdub, we can expect an exceptional 2010 from this unique producer.



‘Contact, Love, Want, Have’ collects her output over the last two years and the record contains a great balance and sense of creativity. ‘Fish’ and ‘Idiot’ balance synthetic beauty with intricate beats, while opener ‘Ikonoklast’ features an eccentric accordion line, elsewhere she delivers glitch-hop par excellence on ‘Sahara Michael’. Overall it is a dynamically varied collection that for the most part succeeds as a singular musical vision. Fans of forward thinking electronic music of any genre simply can’t afford to miss this compellingly creative talent.

Get the album HERE

Download: Ikonika-Fish
Download: Ikonika-Sahara Michael
Download: Egyptrixx-The Only Way Up (Ikonika remix)

Best of the Week: 14/04/2010

Music for the hectic lifestyles we all lead surrounds us, take the selection this week for example, full of beats and melodies that will sound equally good in the headphones or on the floor in the wee wee hours. After the loud and dirty special last week, we take in some more laidback tuneage, with cutting edge future beat jams; some blues influenced hip-hop, and cosmic house music full of lush atmospherics. All designed to bring enjoyment to your busy day.

Parisian producer Onra has quietly built a reputation for quality sample based hip-hop, crafted with some skill, but this new cut for All City sounds more like Cameo or early Prince/Onra-Long Distance

This brilliant new song from Aloe Blacc could easily be mistaken for Willie Mitchell-produced Al Green, or Bobby Womack, and that is some big compliment. From the new LP ‘Good Things’, out soon on Stones Throw/Aloe Blacc-I Need a Dollar

Brooklyn produces so much good music these days, and that includes newcomer Lando Kal, who comes at us with a deceptively simple future beat, complete with appropriate bleep and bass distortion. It is taken from the ‘The Golden Handshake’ EP, out on Numbers/Lando Kal-Fuzzy Ankles

The deep house fuzziness at its very best right here, Pete Herbert aka Reverso 68 does a smooth and funky job remixing Gomma artist Golden Bug, turning in a groove that will stay with you for days/Golden Bug-Flamingo (Pete Herbert remix)

Taken from the debut album ‘Deep & Meaningless’, this is soulful disco slowed right down to sound like raw rhythm and blues, and takes Ron Basejam’s production to another level/Ron Basejam-Into My Life

You can support these artists by purchasing their music here: Picadilly, Bleep, Rush Hour, Conch, and Samurai.

Another outstanding Flying Lotus album!

Without doubt one of the most respected and celebrated producers in electronic music today, Steven Ellison under the moniker Flying Lotus has over the space of a few short years become the focal point for the glitch-hop scene, and therefore with album number three the expectation is high. Released on Warp Records, ‘Cosmogramma’ is a record that is continually experimental yet on the other hand completely listenable. Some moments push the sonic boundaries to new levels, while others blend vocals into the mix, the record flowing through emotions and textures, tones and settings.



You can check out the album here. We’ve also included a couple of moments from the LP for you to get a taste.

Download: Flying Lotus-And the World Laughs with you feat. Thom Yorke
Download: Flying Lotus-Quakes