Normally we don’t do mp3s, but once in a while an unsigned Belgian artist pops up who I really think you should hear. This was the case with Lazerface (whose “Face the lazer” recently has been picked up by Acid Girls who featured it in their set on Fluokids), and now there’s City on Fire. This is the alter ego of DJ Mellow, a 19-year-old D.I.M-ish electro producer whose tracks have already received air time on Belgian (Studio Brussels) and British (BBC 1) national radio.
If you thought a bloke you’ve seen pole dancing and jumping up and down like a madman to Les Petits Pilous couldn’t make subtle music, Mellow proves you wrong. The “City on fire theme” is a touching, melancholic soundtrack. Imagine a film about the planet Mingli inhabited by these elflike creatures. There has been raging a war between the Mingli and Morgal elves since 1 gazillion years. The Mingli elves, who are the native inhabitants of the planet and now a minority, are being oppressed by the Morgal elves, an evil tribe that invaded Mingli. In an epic battle Mazinghar, the Mingli crown prince and the elves’ last hope for victory, gets killed and the scene afterwards we see Marridor, the Mingli king, carry his dead son in his arms through the streets of Minglod town (their last stronghold). I’m telling you, the “City on fire theme” would be extremely fit to accompany that scene.
City on fire – City on fire theme
Also check out this Voltron DJ set. Balancing the best of nu-disco and electro, the Aalst-based duo is in my view one the most promising talents around. They co-throw the popular “Smack my pitch up” parties and they have regular appearances at the News Café in Brussels. In November they’ll also be playing Raveslave crew member Cait Sith’s TV OFF, together with Institubes’ Bobmo!
Voltron mixtape for Panik FM
Voltron - Intro
Kathy Diamond - All Woman (instrumental version)(Permanent Vacation)
Silver City - Pendulo (Pete Herbert Edit) (Deep Freeze Recordings)
Mickey Oliver - In-Ten-Si-T (Justin Robertson Edit) (Harmless)
Wolfgang Gartner - Bounce (Kindergarten)
Les Rythmes Digitales - Brothers (Astralwerks)
Stabbed - (Theme From) Chicago (Riton's Maximal House Re-Edit)(Skylax)
Tomski & Fredboy - Do The Tartelet (Tartelet Records)
A-trak & Laidback Luke - Shake It Down (CDR)
The Prodigy - Charly (Blow Up Records)
Proxy - Raven (CDR)
Ghecko - Firelight (instrumental version)(Flexx Records)
Kano - Ikeya Seki (Hispavox)
Force Of Nature - I-ight (Mule Musiq)
FPI Project - Rich In Paradise (instrumental mix)(ZYX Records)
The Shortwave Set - Now Til '69 (Aeroplane Remix)(PIAS)
Lykke Li - Everybody But Me (Diskjokke Remix)(Warner Music)
http://www.myspace.com/thatcityisnotsafeanymore
http://www.myspace.com/voltrondjs
woensdag 1 oktober 2008
vrijdag 26 september 2008
WWW06 - Housemeister interview
Ready for take-off is over (We had a blast, how about you?), but we still owe you an interview with the headliner of the evening: Housemeister - Housi to his fans and Martin Böhm to the police officer who’d fine him for double parking (if Housi were to be double parked and if he has a car of course).
Hey Martin! For starters: Congratulations on your great album!
Thanks a lot, mate! Also watch out for the remixes of the album, coming out on my own label Allyoucanbeat. They’re from Boys Noize, Siriusmo, Alexander Kowalski and CLP to name a few. The limited part one vinyl is out now and the second one (and also the cd) will be released mid-October. I’m actually really happy about them. Until now nobody had ever remixed Housemeister tracks, I was quite weary of it, but now I have nine fuckin’ good ones! Don’t miss out on them!
Tiefschwarz say: “It doesn’t matter whether you use analog synths or software to produce tracks: What matters is the result.” How would you react to that? We know that you’re addicted to analog hardware.
Yeah, they’re right! What matters is the result. But still, I don’t like to work this way, because I like having fun in the studio. I just love the session, and I love my modified old and new machines (analog and digital) and programming step sequencers. The difference with external machines or synths is that you go into a shop and buy them. You get a user’s manual and you get the opportunity to really dominate the machine. The knobs are always in the same place and after a few years you know the machine inside-out and you perfectly know what each knob does. It’s also very interesting that every synth or drum machine has its own personality; like noises, mistakes, tightness and stuff. That adds the soul to the music, it becomes alive!
What music do you listen to at home?
There are quite a lot of things, but unfortunately I don’t have a lot of time to listen to music at home. When I do have some spare time, I really love to listen to my old school stuff. You know, like 2 Live Crew, Beasty Boys, Stereo MC’s and De la Soul. I also like Jazz for the Jetset, Radio, David Bowie, The Doors, EBM, dub and funk soul records, synthesizer and industrial stuff, Kraftwerk, Die Ärzte, 80’s hits and old rave records, but also new stuff from the Streets, Mr.Oizo or Siriusmo. All the music I love I own on vinyl myself, also the full albums. That way it’s easier for me to find back the track I’m looking for. I actually don’t have a lot of respect for CDs and my MP3 player is mostly off. I admit it, I’m old school.
Did you know there’s an artist named Housemeisters who did a very cheesy remix on Kontor of the Bucketheads track “The bomb”?
Fuck this guy! What does he want from me?!
What will you be up to in the near future?
At the moment I’m busy doing remixes for Cassius, Zombie Nation, Jahcoozi, Alexander Kowalski and CLP. I’m also planning on making my new album with just a Playstation portable! On September 25 I’m already doing a live act with my PSP and a Kaozzpad.
What can the audience expect from your set in Landen September 19?
Maybe a burning dance floor? Yeah!
Danke schön!
(Normally we're posting Housi's set on RFT-O as well, but we don't have any news about that yet)
Hey Martin! For starters: Congratulations on your great album!
Thanks a lot, mate! Also watch out for the remixes of the album, coming out on my own label Allyoucanbeat. They’re from Boys Noize, Siriusmo, Alexander Kowalski and CLP to name a few. The limited part one vinyl is out now and the second one (and also the cd) will be released mid-October. I’m actually really happy about them. Until now nobody had ever remixed Housemeister tracks, I was quite weary of it, but now I have nine fuckin’ good ones! Don’t miss out on them!
Tiefschwarz say: “It doesn’t matter whether you use analog synths or software to produce tracks: What matters is the result.” How would you react to that? We know that you’re addicted to analog hardware.
Yeah, they’re right! What matters is the result. But still, I don’t like to work this way, because I like having fun in the studio. I just love the session, and I love my modified old and new machines (analog and digital) and programming step sequencers. The difference with external machines or synths is that you go into a shop and buy them. You get a user’s manual and you get the opportunity to really dominate the machine. The knobs are always in the same place and after a few years you know the machine inside-out and you perfectly know what each knob does. It’s also very interesting that every synth or drum machine has its own personality; like noises, mistakes, tightness and stuff. That adds the soul to the music, it becomes alive!
What music do you listen to at home?
There are quite a lot of things, but unfortunately I don’t have a lot of time to listen to music at home. When I do have some spare time, I really love to listen to my old school stuff. You know, like 2 Live Crew, Beasty Boys, Stereo MC’s and De la Soul. I also like Jazz for the Jetset, Radio, David Bowie, The Doors, EBM, dub and funk soul records, synthesizer and industrial stuff, Kraftwerk, Die Ärzte, 80’s hits and old rave records, but also new stuff from the Streets, Mr.Oizo or Siriusmo. All the music I love I own on vinyl myself, also the full albums. That way it’s easier for me to find back the track I’m looking for. I actually don’t have a lot of respect for CDs and my MP3 player is mostly off. I admit it, I’m old school.
Did you know there’s an artist named Housemeisters who did a very cheesy remix on Kontor of the Bucketheads track “The bomb”?
Fuck this guy! What does he want from me?!
What will you be up to in the near future?
At the moment I’m busy doing remixes for Cassius, Zombie Nation, Jahcoozi, Alexander Kowalski and CLP. I’m also planning on making my new album with just a Playstation portable! On September 25 I’m already doing a live act with my PSP and a Kaozzpad.
What can the audience expect from your set in Landen September 19?
Maybe a burning dance floor? Yeah!
Danke schön!
(Normally we're posting Housi's set on RFT-O as well, but we don't have any news about that yet)
woensdag 17 september 2008
Ready For Take-Off
Last February the sixth graders of a high school in Tienen celebrated their graduating with a banging party. The line-up featured most of Limburg’s finest deejays (Ed&Kim! Redhead! Goldfox! Der Schmetterling!), Raveslave crew member Liss. and eclectic wonderboy Jules X. The night was one to be remembered: the venue was packed, booze flowed richly, DJs were spinning at their best and happy faces were spotted all over the place. So… end of story, right?
Wrong. The man behind the successful party nourished ambitious plans. This region offered great possibilities for a party concept. He teamed up with his big brother and together, they set up to organize a follow-up to the first Ready For Take-Off. It wasn’t an easy job though. The path they came down was covered with obstacles. Finding a decent location, for example, turned out to be a bit of a stumbling block. And their initial headliner decided to cancel barely a month before the party takes place and finding an equally good substitute wasn’t child’s play.
Still, the boys weren’t thrown back by these unfortunate events and the final result of their labour will certainly pass inspection. Headliner Housemeister second longplayer Who Is That Noize, released earlier this year, was hailed as a great fusion exercise between electro and techno. His track Inordertodance is an absolute belter and has been wreaking havoc on dance floors ever since its release. Suffice to say that this man has earned his rep and will cause dance floor mayhem on the 19th. Antwerp’s Fanklub DJs, also known for their Blast Your Ghetto parties, will be sharing the decks with Housi, as will DJ all-stars Ed&Kim. Our very own Liss. will close up shop with a special deep electro-minimal set whereas the Ghent-based duo Ultravid will open the festivities. See you there?
For more info, check Ready For Take-Off’s MySpace here
Wrong. The man behind the successful party nourished ambitious plans. This region offered great possibilities for a party concept. He teamed up with his big brother and together, they set up to organize a follow-up to the first Ready For Take-Off. It wasn’t an easy job though. The path they came down was covered with obstacles. Finding a decent location, for example, turned out to be a bit of a stumbling block. And their initial headliner decided to cancel barely a month before the party takes place and finding an equally good substitute wasn’t child’s play.
Still, the boys weren’t thrown back by these unfortunate events and the final result of their labour will certainly pass inspection. Headliner Housemeister second longplayer Who Is That Noize, released earlier this year, was hailed as a great fusion exercise between electro and techno. His track Inordertodance is an absolute belter and has been wreaking havoc on dance floors ever since its release. Suffice to say that this man has earned his rep and will cause dance floor mayhem on the 19th. Antwerp’s Fanklub DJs, also known for their Blast Your Ghetto parties, will be sharing the decks with Housi, as will DJ all-stars Ed&Kim. Our very own Liss. will close up shop with a special deep electro-minimal set whereas the Ghent-based duo Ultravid will open the festivities. See you there?
For more info, check Ready For Take-Off’s MySpace here
zaterdag 6 september 2008
Wondering-While-Wandering mixtape 04
More than two months overdue, the fourth mixtape in our WWW-series is finally online. To make it up, we’ve also added an interview with this time’s guest, Hardrock Striker. This French-American is quite the busy bee. He is DJ, producer and party promoter. Hardrock Striker is the man behind three running concepts in Paris - Cosmic Club, Kick out the 12”s and the Skylax parties - that cover a wide range of genres, going from italo to house and electro. Previous guests include the likes of Radio Slave, Daniele Baldelli, Justin Robertson, Steve Kotey from Chicken Lips, Chateau Flight, Riton and many more. At the same time Hardrock Striker also runs the Skylax label and booking agency. The label counts twelve releases so far and mainly offers Hardrock Striker’s own work and re-released old gems (Marshall Jefferson, Mr Fingers, Mike Dunn) with remixes of Prins Thomas, Optimo and In Flagranti to name but a few. Let’s listen to the man himself.
The Belgian crowd is not that familiar with you. Tell us something about your accomplishments in the music business.
I have been working for years to reintroduce some forgotten legends to the scene. For instance, I’ve been one of the first to bring back disco don Daniele Baldelli in Paris. The club was not so crowded, but all the key people (Gilb’r and I:Cube from Versatile, Romain BNO, Miss Kittin & The Hacker, ...) were present and Baldelli played an amazing set. When he stopped playing, everybody stood up and applauded. I was very proud at that moment. Usually people don’t get it, they need the magazines and the buzz to make them understand when something’s hot.
Next to organising parties in Paris I’m also busy releasing music. I started out with the label Parisonic/ Square roots (which doesn’t exist anymore) in 2003, releasing some tracks from Manu Dibango (from his great album Africadelic), with remixes from Jazid / Lindstrom’s first band, nobody knew him back then but I knew already that he was great. I also released tracks of Butch Cassidy Soundsystem, one of the first to combine electro with heavy metal guitars (check the Black Limited mix). Later came releases of for example Kleeer, Stevie Poindexter and Farley Jackmaster Funk.
I guess it’s my work to re-release some timeless tracks that still sound so right at this moment. It’s very important to me to bring the kids back to the old school vibe. This is how you can create a great DJ mix, by including modern and timeless tracks. You can create a story and it makes sense.
I also remember the release of Ralphi Rosario’s “In the night” (Gusgus rmx) on Square roots in 2004 (probably the best known release on the label). That track received massive feedback (from Trevor Jackson and James Murphy amongst others) and also Ivan Smagghe was playing it a lot. He even compiled it on his Death Disco compilation. At that time I was also doing an administration management for him and the best future French DJs: Jennifer Cardini, Chloé, Dan Ghenacia, Djul’z and Jef K.
Another thing that I’m proud of is the support from king of re-edits DJ Harvey. He for instance compiled my remix of Martin Circus “Disco Circus” on his Sonic Disco #1.
I found it peculiar I wasn’t able to find your real name anywhere. Is it that awful or are you just a modest man?
I prefer to stay underground, so Hardrock Striker is the right moniker for me. My motto has always been “Stay underground, it pays”. This also was the idea behind my first record company called Parisonic/ Square roots. With Skylax our motto now is “Music for dancers, music as an alternative". I guess it’s quite a logical extension.
What is your opinion on the nu-rave electro scene that seems to be dominating Paris these days?
Honestly, I am not really into that. All these breaks and blips don’t appeal to me, the way I am mixing and building my sets is more progressive. About Justice, Ed Banger and so on: They are doing great and I am happy for them. It really helps pushing the French scene. However, for one good pop band like Justice, you have 1000 of imitators with a very cheap sound and poor inspiration. This genre won’t last and I feel like it’s over already. Only true originals will stay.
Is there a new Skylax coming up? And when can we expect the next Hardrock Striker EP? It’s already been more than six months since your last release!
Yes! I have just signed Beppe Loda as Italowerk. His first EP is mad as hell, underground italo electro (circa 1982) with a modern vibe to it. He really is the man to me right now. I have also signed Bogus & Bonnes, two guys from Modena, Italy. They sound like a modern version of Klein & MBO. You know that normally I prefer to re-release old tracks with brand new remixes next to my own productions, but I have the feeling those guys wrote some amazing tracks that could still be played in 20 years.
Obviously I’m also working on the new Hardrock Striker EP, featuring a very special collaboration, but I can’t tell you more on that right now. Last but not least, I’m doing re-edits on Cosmic Club under the moniker Cosmic Club Mastercuts.
Our own Belgian Glimmers played one of your parties recently, how did they do?
I contacted them because I’ve always loved what they were and are doing. They are real crate diggers (remember their Serie Noire compilation, a must have) and very charming men. Moreover, they really know how to manage a crowd!
To end with, suppose you were asked to compile a CD with your favourite sex tracks, which track(s) would surely be on it?
Tony Sylvester “Pazuzu” (Hardrock Striker Supreme Orgasm Re-edit). I guess it speaks for itself!
You can download Hardrock Striker’s exclusive mixtape here! Prepare for an italo ride, from the past to the future and back.
Check the Skylax myspace here.
The Belgian crowd is not that familiar with you. Tell us something about your accomplishments in the music business.
I have been working for years to reintroduce some forgotten legends to the scene. For instance, I’ve been one of the first to bring back disco don Daniele Baldelli in Paris. The club was not so crowded, but all the key people (Gilb’r and I:Cube from Versatile, Romain BNO, Miss Kittin & The Hacker, ...) were present and Baldelli played an amazing set. When he stopped playing, everybody stood up and applauded. I was very proud at that moment. Usually people don’t get it, they need the magazines and the buzz to make them understand when something’s hot.
Next to organising parties in Paris I’m also busy releasing music. I started out with the label Parisonic/ Square roots (which doesn’t exist anymore) in 2003, releasing some tracks from Manu Dibango (from his great album Africadelic), with remixes from Jazid / Lindstrom’s first band, nobody knew him back then but I knew already that he was great. I also released tracks of Butch Cassidy Soundsystem, one of the first to combine electro with heavy metal guitars (check the Black Limited mix). Later came releases of for example Kleeer, Stevie Poindexter and Farley Jackmaster Funk.
I guess it’s my work to re-release some timeless tracks that still sound so right at this moment. It’s very important to me to bring the kids back to the old school vibe. This is how you can create a great DJ mix, by including modern and timeless tracks. You can create a story and it makes sense.
I also remember the release of Ralphi Rosario’s “In the night” (Gusgus rmx) on Square roots in 2004 (probably the best known release on the label). That track received massive feedback (from Trevor Jackson and James Murphy amongst others) and also Ivan Smagghe was playing it a lot. He even compiled it on his Death Disco compilation. At that time I was also doing an administration management for him and the best future French DJs: Jennifer Cardini, Chloé, Dan Ghenacia, Djul’z and Jef K.
Another thing that I’m proud of is the support from king of re-edits DJ Harvey. He for instance compiled my remix of Martin Circus “Disco Circus” on his Sonic Disco #1.
I found it peculiar I wasn’t able to find your real name anywhere. Is it that awful or are you just a modest man?
I prefer to stay underground, so Hardrock Striker is the right moniker for me. My motto has always been “Stay underground, it pays”. This also was the idea behind my first record company called Parisonic/ Square roots. With Skylax our motto now is “Music for dancers, music as an alternative". I guess it’s quite a logical extension.
What is your opinion on the nu-rave electro scene that seems to be dominating Paris these days?
Honestly, I am not really into that. All these breaks and blips don’t appeal to me, the way I am mixing and building my sets is more progressive. About Justice, Ed Banger and so on: They are doing great and I am happy for them. It really helps pushing the French scene. However, for one good pop band like Justice, you have 1000 of imitators with a very cheap sound and poor inspiration. This genre won’t last and I feel like it’s over already. Only true originals will stay.
Is there a new Skylax coming up? And when can we expect the next Hardrock Striker EP? It’s already been more than six months since your last release!
Yes! I have just signed Beppe Loda as Italowerk. His first EP is mad as hell, underground italo electro (circa 1982) with a modern vibe to it. He really is the man to me right now. I have also signed Bogus & Bonnes, two guys from Modena, Italy. They sound like a modern version of Klein & MBO. You know that normally I prefer to re-release old tracks with brand new remixes next to my own productions, but I have the feeling those guys wrote some amazing tracks that could still be played in 20 years.
Obviously I’m also working on the new Hardrock Striker EP, featuring a very special collaboration, but I can’t tell you more on that right now. Last but not least, I’m doing re-edits on Cosmic Club under the moniker Cosmic Club Mastercuts.
Our own Belgian Glimmers played one of your parties recently, how did they do?
I contacted them because I’ve always loved what they were and are doing. They are real crate diggers (remember their Serie Noire compilation, a must have) and very charming men. Moreover, they really know how to manage a crowd!
To end with, suppose you were asked to compile a CD with your favourite sex tracks, which track(s) would surely be on it?
Tony Sylvester “Pazuzu” (Hardrock Striker Supreme Orgasm Re-edit). I guess it speaks for itself!
You can download Hardrock Striker’s exclusive mixtape here! Prepare for an italo ride, from the past to the future and back.
Check the Skylax myspace here.
zondag 24 augustus 2008
New Goodies
Een smeltkroes van deephouse, soulvolle minimal én… Belgische FuNk!
Vernon & Dacosta – On fire
Recentelijk mochten ze bij Aroma, hét Belgische house label bij uitstek, 10 kaarsjes uitblazen en dit mocht uiteraard niet onopgemerkt voorbijgegaan. Head Honcho Raoul ‘Swirlpeople’ Belmans kwam dan ook gepast met een 10 years Aroma sampler op de proppen. Daarop stonden alvast 3 tracks die de voorbode waren van de Aroma 10 Years Mix Cd, een cd die bol staat van nieuwe remixes. Het Belgische funkduo Vernon & Dacosta waren toen ook al van de partij om de track Changing van Brown & Steve Littlemen in een nieuw zomers kleedje te steken. Nu enkele weken later, laat het tweetal opnieuw van zich horen en ditmaal met een nagelnieuwe release van eigen hand op het zusterlabel, A second smell. Dit label belicht de meer funky kant van house en heeft zichzelf ter harte genomen enkel puur dansvloermateriaal te releasen voor in peaktime sets. Denk maar aan de housebom Calling Chicago van de SoulMigrantz. De track On fire van Vernon & Dacosa breidt nu een vervolg aan deze reeks van uitstekende releases en getuigt wederom van een staaltje vakmanschap. De aanstekelijke vocals, funky pianosynths en jackin’ basslijn zullen ongetwijfeld voor aroma en geur aan menig dansvoeten zorgen.
David Durango – Move with me
Totally feeling this guy! Recentelijk nog zijn Myspace afgeschuimd, op zoek naar ‘zijn’ sound. De tracks in zijn chart voor de maand augustus zijn stuk voor stuk pareltjes en de muziek in zijn musicplayer strookt volledig met mijn hedendaagse visie op house en minimal. Maar naast een – voor mij alvast – uitstekende reputatie op gebied van platenkeuze, weet deze Spanjaard ook hoe de vork in de steel zit als het op producen aankomt. Met zijn release Move with me op Pokerflat zou hij wel eens dé summer burner van het najaar op zak kunnen hebben. Move with me begint meteen veelbelovend: een stevige basslijn, een zwoele vrouwelijke vocal en soulvolle, korte flarden van synths. Gaandeweg word je helemaal gefascineerd – lees: gedrogeerd – door de hypnotiserende beats. Uiteindelijk ontpopt Move with me zich tot een minimal-housemonster waarvan je haar op de armen omhoog komt te staan. Labelbaas Steve Bug mag zich dus wederom een gelukkig man prijzen, want met David Durango heeft hij opnieuw een goudhaantje binnen zijn rangen. Move with me: something to move your mind, body & soul.
Jona – Sunset
Met releases op het Berlijnse label Get Physical en Carl Craigs (!) planet E, is Jonathan Troupin aka Jona niet alleen de meeste toonaangevende artiest van de Belgische house- en technoscene, maar maakt hij tegelijkertijd ook heel wat furore op internationaal gebied. De jonge Belgische producer begon zijn carrière met releases op labels zoals Resopal en Fumakilla, maar hij overtuigde de wereld pas echt van zijn kunnen met zijn debuut in 2006 voor Get Physical, meer bepaald The Learnings. Sindsdien duwt hij zichzelf naar ongekende hoogtes, met een van mijne persoonlijke hedendaagse favorieten, Altiplano op Planet E. Jona heeft voor zijn gloednieuwe track Sunset andermaal de saxofoon vanonder het stof gehaald en het lijkt alvast opnieuw een schot in de roos te zijn. Wat op het eerst zicht zo eenvoudig lijkt, is bij nader inzien dodelijk effectief. De soulvolle en funky saxofoongeluiden smelten heerlijk samen met een groovy en rollin’ basslijn: 8 minuten vol verrukkelijke (Belgische) funk!
Vernon & Dacosta – On fire
Recentelijk mochten ze bij Aroma, hét Belgische house label bij uitstek, 10 kaarsjes uitblazen en dit mocht uiteraard niet onopgemerkt voorbijgegaan. Head Honcho Raoul ‘Swirlpeople’ Belmans kwam dan ook gepast met een 10 years Aroma sampler op de proppen. Daarop stonden alvast 3 tracks die de voorbode waren van de Aroma 10 Years Mix Cd, een cd die bol staat van nieuwe remixes. Het Belgische funkduo Vernon & Dacosta waren toen ook al van de partij om de track Changing van Brown & Steve Littlemen in een nieuw zomers kleedje te steken. Nu enkele weken later, laat het tweetal opnieuw van zich horen en ditmaal met een nagelnieuwe release van eigen hand op het zusterlabel, A second smell. Dit label belicht de meer funky kant van house en heeft zichzelf ter harte genomen enkel puur dansvloermateriaal te releasen voor in peaktime sets. Denk maar aan de housebom Calling Chicago van de SoulMigrantz. De track On fire van Vernon & Dacosa breidt nu een vervolg aan deze reeks van uitstekende releases en getuigt wederom van een staaltje vakmanschap. De aanstekelijke vocals, funky pianosynths en jackin’ basslijn zullen ongetwijfeld voor aroma en geur aan menig dansvoeten zorgen.
David Durango – Move with me
Totally feeling this guy! Recentelijk nog zijn Myspace afgeschuimd, op zoek naar ‘zijn’ sound. De tracks in zijn chart voor de maand augustus zijn stuk voor stuk pareltjes en de muziek in zijn musicplayer strookt volledig met mijn hedendaagse visie op house en minimal. Maar naast een – voor mij alvast – uitstekende reputatie op gebied van platenkeuze, weet deze Spanjaard ook hoe de vork in de steel zit als het op producen aankomt. Met zijn release Move with me op Pokerflat zou hij wel eens dé summer burner van het najaar op zak kunnen hebben. Move with me begint meteen veelbelovend: een stevige basslijn, een zwoele vrouwelijke vocal en soulvolle, korte flarden van synths. Gaandeweg word je helemaal gefascineerd – lees: gedrogeerd – door de hypnotiserende beats. Uiteindelijk ontpopt Move with me zich tot een minimal-housemonster waarvan je haar op de armen omhoog komt te staan. Labelbaas Steve Bug mag zich dus wederom een gelukkig man prijzen, want met David Durango heeft hij opnieuw een goudhaantje binnen zijn rangen. Move with me: something to move your mind, body & soul.
Jona – Sunset
Met releases op het Berlijnse label Get Physical en Carl Craigs (!) planet E, is Jonathan Troupin aka Jona niet alleen de meeste toonaangevende artiest van de Belgische house- en technoscene, maar maakt hij tegelijkertijd ook heel wat furore op internationaal gebied. De jonge Belgische producer begon zijn carrière met releases op labels zoals Resopal en Fumakilla, maar hij overtuigde de wereld pas echt van zijn kunnen met zijn debuut in 2006 voor Get Physical, meer bepaald The Learnings. Sindsdien duwt hij zichzelf naar ongekende hoogtes, met een van mijne persoonlijke hedendaagse favorieten, Altiplano op Planet E. Jona heeft voor zijn gloednieuwe track Sunset andermaal de saxofoon vanonder het stof gehaald en het lijkt alvast opnieuw een schot in de roos te zijn. Wat op het eerst zicht zo eenvoudig lijkt, is bij nader inzien dodelijk effectief. De soulvolle en funky saxofoongeluiden smelten heerlijk samen met een groovy en rollin’ basslijn: 8 minuten vol verrukkelijke (Belgische) funk!
dinsdag 19 augustus 2008
Wondering-While-Wandering mixtape 05
We tend to behave in a contrary way, I admit, but this is not an act of rebellion: mixtape 05 in the “Wondering while wandering” series is coming before the 04! The fourth mixtape, by Hardrock Striker, has arrived by post (the man is really old school!), but we’re having technical problems getting it online. So in order not to be too long overdue, we decided to post the fifth panel of our infinite painting now.
The boys from Ultravid were on mix duty this time, and we’re very glad to have them over. Ultravid is one of the most promising talents of the flux of creativity coming from Ghent, the city of 2manydjs and the Glimmers. Delivering a mix of fidget house and baile funk topped off with a twist of ravyness, the duo comes with a guarantee on dance floor madness. They soon outgrew their hometown and currently they’re prowling around parties all over Belgium (Tendaysoff! Bangers! Infected Music!), spinning next to the likes of Busy P, Etienne De Crecy, The Proxy and many more. Beside DJ’ing, Ultravid also hosts the successful Ghent-based Cish Cash parties, to which they’ve already invited Jean Nipon, Casper C and Daniel Haaksman. It’s clear that the Ultravid moniker suits them well: they have all of Belgium in their eyesight.
As I said, Ultravid normally stands for dance floor mayhem, but for us they wanted to do something special. They decided to dig up the gold nuggets (old and new) of their record collection, delivering a coherent mix of disco, electronica, house, electro, fidget and… Vanessa Paradis!
You can download it here
Tracklist
ambra - release [white rose]
ali renault - our world is... [dissident]
ratatat - mirando [xl]
mdslktr - the wedding toccata theme [bpitch]
cadence weapon - messages matter [upper class]
drums of death - adova 1 [avant]
discodromo - cosmorama [Internasjonal]
seiji - rasberries [sonar kollektiv]
etienne jaumet - repeat again after me [versatile]
jackson & his computer band - radio caca [warp]
siriusmo - lastdear [boysnoize]
peter visti - tokyo by night [eskimo]
kruton - nitro hassle [dissident]
photonz - shaboo (andy's edit) [dissident]
laurent x - machines [house nation]
machines don't care - trouble on the floor [machines don't care]
laidback luke & a-trak - shake it down [cdr]
thomas bangalter - outrun [roulé]
chemical brothers - electronic battle weapon 3 [freestyle dust]
belle & sebastian - funny little frog [rough trade]
vanessa paradis - be my baby [polydor]
666 - the four horsemen [vertigo]
You can check out Ultravid's myspace here and the Cish Cash myspace here
The boys from Ultravid were on mix duty this time, and we’re very glad to have them over. Ultravid is one of the most promising talents of the flux of creativity coming from Ghent, the city of 2manydjs and the Glimmers. Delivering a mix of fidget house and baile funk topped off with a twist of ravyness, the duo comes with a guarantee on dance floor madness. They soon outgrew their hometown and currently they’re prowling around parties all over Belgium (Tendaysoff! Bangers! Infected Music!), spinning next to the likes of Busy P, Etienne De Crecy, The Proxy and many more. Beside DJ’ing, Ultravid also hosts the successful Ghent-based Cish Cash parties, to which they’ve already invited Jean Nipon, Casper C and Daniel Haaksman. It’s clear that the Ultravid moniker suits them well: they have all of Belgium in their eyesight.
As I said, Ultravid normally stands for dance floor mayhem, but for us they wanted to do something special. They decided to dig up the gold nuggets (old and new) of their record collection, delivering a coherent mix of disco, electronica, house, electro, fidget and… Vanessa Paradis!
You can download it here
Tracklist
ambra - release [white rose]
ali renault - our world is... [dissident]
ratatat - mirando [xl]
mdslktr - the wedding toccata theme [bpitch]
cadence weapon - messages matter [upper class]
drums of death - adova 1 [avant]
discodromo - cosmorama [Internasjonal]
seiji - rasberries [sonar kollektiv]
etienne jaumet - repeat again after me [versatile]
jackson & his computer band - radio caca [warp]
siriusmo - lastdear [boysnoize]
peter visti - tokyo by night [eskimo]
kruton - nitro hassle [dissident]
photonz - shaboo (andy's edit) [dissident]
laurent x - machines [house nation]
machines don't care - trouble on the floor [machines don't care]
laidback luke & a-trak - shake it down [cdr]
thomas bangalter - outrun [roulé]
chemical brothers - electronic battle weapon 3 [freestyle dust]
belle & sebastian - funny little frog [rough trade]
vanessa paradis - be my baby [polydor]
666 - the four horsemen [vertigo]
You can check out Ultravid's myspace here and the Cish Cash myspace here
zaterdag 12 juli 2008
Shake it like a Sovjet
It took me my deepest décolleté and I had to punch some bitches in the weak spots, like, real hard in that mud wrestling contest, but it was worth it.
I’ve never been happier then when those darling Raveslave kids sent me across the Iron Curtain to report about my Eastern Bloc Parties. I promised them to be the high-heeled, drinking and swearing version of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. Quoi qu’il en soit, I decided to Czeck out what ex-bolshevist, Lada-driving and vodka-lurking communists party like. And for that sort of private investigations, there’s no better place than Roxy Klub, in Prague, Czech Republic.
Should you pussycats ever end up in Roxy Klub, there’s three things you’ve got to keep in mind. One: if you dress stylish, the KGB will arrest you and send you to the Gulag. It’s fricking cold over there, so kids: don’t do style. Two: “Kanaplja” is actually Russian, but those sweetheart Czech kids understand it perfectly well. And three: Bohemian-style absinth is infamous for a reason.
Deciding to go partyhardy in Praha is one thing, getting there is um- another. I had the incredibly bad idea to trust my brother on the ‘men have better orientation skills’-thing. Lost in the small Prague streets, I cursed my belief that men are as good at finding the way as they are at finding the closing of your bra. I mean, if you see the speed and efficiency that they usually go straight for their objective with… But that’s my next blog.
So after, like, 7 hours of roaming, we finally arrived at Roxy Klub. The club wasn’t the tightest I’ve ever seen, but I guess, trendy in a Marxist-kind of way. The place looks like an old warehouse or something, lots of concrete and dirt, and holes in the fricking floor. Holes, by Jove!, and I was wearing high heels. Ah well, at least I could, little hypocrite that I am, use the holes as an excuse for my stumbling and staggering, rather than the absinth.
Something completely inexcusable, on the other hand, is the way people dress over there. You know that kind of cheap shapeless t-shirts you win at a lottery for some charity thing for blind disabled Chinese orphans with aids? Helluww- they’re meant to wash your car with, not to be WORN! And for the whores- sorry, I mean: the girls- the battle cry apparently was: “put a stamp on your ass and call it a skirt”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a total fan of the ‘show some leg’-concept. But. Those Czech chicks. Have. FUCKINGUE. Cellulite. All over their fat communist upper legs, for reals! Pathetic.
They were playing some sort of techno, nuff pounding, but still a little boring. It sounded actually much like a bread machine. (I know this because my dad thinks it’s oldskool to bake whole grain bread on Sundays. He’s such a darling man in his midlife.) The music was an unrecognizable stream of beats to me, and the line-up, consisting of Yanota, Steen vs Keeper and some other dudes didn’t really ring a bell either. If all of you smart kids now jump up in indignation, hurling: ‘who ever asked this ignoramus to join our beloved Raveslave!’, well I guess it’s actually Niels you should blame. I won the all-you-can-booze, not the say-something-clever-‘bout-the-music, remember?
Anyway, I didn’t know the dj’s, and that, together with quite a lot of cheap absinthe, left me looking like a confused little capitalist lost in the USSR. But Czech boys are extremely lovable (I called them all Kafka, for reasons of simplicity), the place was spanking and not a single kitten in the club that wasn’t shaking his Czech ass off. It was mad, an unceasing daze of sweaty bodies swayed to the music, flashing lights reflected on bare skin and the beats that control your body. A true MOAB of a party.
An exiting moment, considering my dj-slut reputation, was when this douchebag was dancing just a petit peu too close to me, and some other ugly dude yelled in my ear: ‘That’s Stifler, he’s a dj here!’. The Stifler-guy was as handsome as an abortion, but the fake blondes nearby almost burned their cellulite with jealousy and Dj Douchebag bought me pink cocktails, so I put on my most arrogant face and enjoyed my newly obtained groupie status.
Up till the point where the Stifler-thing got too conceited, placing his sweaty hands on my derrière and demanding ‘a naaaiizz lietell kiesss’. There it was, Friggin Czech Groupie Walhalla, and I was right there. But Stiffie stank from cheap beer, and I was still not wankered enough to fall for ugly boys. So I smiled and said: ‘Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.’ And carefully avoiding eine Hüre who had just puked on her own pumps, I hauled my brother away from his Matroesjkas, and started stumbling my way to the exit. On high heels. With those fricking holes in the floor. But elegance is refusal, as Coco used to say.
I’ve never been happier then when those darling Raveslave kids sent me across the Iron Curtain to report about my Eastern Bloc Parties. I promised them to be the high-heeled, drinking and swearing version of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. Quoi qu’il en soit, I decided to Czeck out what ex-bolshevist, Lada-driving and vodka-lurking communists party like. And for that sort of private investigations, there’s no better place than Roxy Klub, in Prague, Czech Republic.
Should you pussycats ever end up in Roxy Klub, there’s three things you’ve got to keep in mind. One: if you dress stylish, the KGB will arrest you and send you to the Gulag. It’s fricking cold over there, so kids: don’t do style. Two: “Kanaplja” is actually Russian, but those sweetheart Czech kids understand it perfectly well. And three: Bohemian-style absinth is infamous for a reason.
Deciding to go partyhardy in Praha is one thing, getting there is um- another. I had the incredibly bad idea to trust my brother on the ‘men have better orientation skills’-thing. Lost in the small Prague streets, I cursed my belief that men are as good at finding the way as they are at finding the closing of your bra. I mean, if you see the speed and efficiency that they usually go straight for their objective with… But that’s my next blog.
So after, like, 7 hours of roaming, we finally arrived at Roxy Klub. The club wasn’t the tightest I’ve ever seen, but I guess, trendy in a Marxist-kind of way. The place looks like an old warehouse or something, lots of concrete and dirt, and holes in the fricking floor. Holes, by Jove!, and I was wearing high heels. Ah well, at least I could, little hypocrite that I am, use the holes as an excuse for my stumbling and staggering, rather than the absinth.
Something completely inexcusable, on the other hand, is the way people dress over there. You know that kind of cheap shapeless t-shirts you win at a lottery for some charity thing for blind disabled Chinese orphans with aids? Helluww- they’re meant to wash your car with, not to be WORN! And for the whores- sorry, I mean: the girls- the battle cry apparently was: “put a stamp on your ass and call it a skirt”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a total fan of the ‘show some leg’-concept. But. Those Czech chicks. Have. FUCKINGUE. Cellulite. All over their fat communist upper legs, for reals! Pathetic.
They were playing some sort of techno, nuff pounding, but still a little boring. It sounded actually much like a bread machine. (I know this because my dad thinks it’s oldskool to bake whole grain bread on Sundays. He’s such a darling man in his midlife.) The music was an unrecognizable stream of beats to me, and the line-up, consisting of Yanota, Steen vs Keeper and some other dudes didn’t really ring a bell either. If all of you smart kids now jump up in indignation, hurling: ‘who ever asked this ignoramus to join our beloved Raveslave!’, well I guess it’s actually Niels you should blame. I won the all-you-can-booze, not the say-something-clever-‘bout-the-music, remember?
Anyway, I didn’t know the dj’s, and that, together with quite a lot of cheap absinthe, left me looking like a confused little capitalist lost in the USSR. But Czech boys are extremely lovable (I called them all Kafka, for reasons of simplicity), the place was spanking and not a single kitten in the club that wasn’t shaking his Czech ass off. It was mad, an unceasing daze of sweaty bodies swayed to the music, flashing lights reflected on bare skin and the beats that control your body. A true MOAB of a party.
An exiting moment, considering my dj-slut reputation, was when this douchebag was dancing just a petit peu too close to me, and some other ugly dude yelled in my ear: ‘That’s Stifler, he’s a dj here!’. The Stifler-guy was as handsome as an abortion, but the fake blondes nearby almost burned their cellulite with jealousy and Dj Douchebag bought me pink cocktails, so I put on my most arrogant face and enjoyed my newly obtained groupie status.
Up till the point where the Stifler-thing got too conceited, placing his sweaty hands on my derrière and demanding ‘a naaaiizz lietell kiesss’. There it was, Friggin Czech Groupie Walhalla, and I was right there. But Stiffie stank from cheap beer, and I was still not wankered enough to fall for ugly boys. So I smiled and said: ‘Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.’ And carefully avoiding eine Hüre who had just puked on her own pumps, I hauled my brother away from his Matroesjkas, and started stumbling my way to the exit. On high heels. With those fricking holes in the floor. But elegance is refusal, as Coco used to say.
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