2012 Favourites

Some of our favourite tracks from 2012.
('Death Mix' up coming soon)

TRACK LIST
Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland - 'Track 2 / Baby' (Hyperdub)
Lancelot Layne - 'Carnival Drum Sound' (Soundway)
Ike N Mike - 'Logic Family' (Fresh Up)
Sleep D - 'Bacon' (Death Strobe)
Pearls - 'Wait & See' (self released)
Hieroglyphic Being - 'Shikaakwa' (SOTU)
Lil Silva - 'Gobble That' (w/label)
No Regular Play - 'Won't Quit' (Wolf + Lamb)
Disclosure - 'What's In Your Head (Mak & Pasteman rmx)' (Greco-Roman)
Andrew Ashong - 'Flowers' (Sound Signature)

Congo Tardis #1 feat Damajah - 'Wild N Ready' (Scattermusic)
Courtney Barnett - 'History Eraser' (Milk! Records)
Pond - 'Sun And Sea And You' (Modular)
The Bombay Royale - 'Monkey Fight Snake' (HopeStreet Recordings)
The Magnetic Fields - 'Andrew In Drag' (Merge Records)
Dexys - 'Nowhere Is Home' (BMG)
The 2 Bears - 'Bear Hug' (Southern Fried)
Father John Misty - 'Nancy From Now On' (Sub Pop)
Alabama Shakes - 'Hold On' (Rough Trade)
Quakers feat Phat Kat & Guilty Simpson - 'War Drums' (Stones Throw Records)
 

Adam Askew - Death Mix

It's a hot (almost) Summer day here in Melbourne.
Here's 60+ minutes of new (and old) releases.

Mixed LIVE.

Death Mix 29_11_12 by thedelicategenius

TRACK LIST:
Twerps - 'He's In Stock' (Chapter Music)
Drop City - 'Hard To Smile' (Summershine)
The Soft Pack - 'Tallboy' (Mexican Summer)
Jonathan Richman & TML - 'Angels Watching Over Me' (Berserkley)
Soft Rocks - 'We Hunt Buffalo Now (Weatherall rmx)' (ESP Institute)
ADULT. - 'Pray For Pills' (Cass Records / Erstaz Audio)
TOY - 'Bright White Shimmering Sun (Ant Theaker mix)' (Heavenly)
Tubeway Army - 'When The Machines Rock' (Beggars Banquet)
Pangaea - 'Release' (Hessle Audio)
The Future - 'Treatment' (Black Melody)
Baby Prince - 'Nobody (Lucky Paul rmx)' (Somethink Sounds)
Hair - 'Polykur' (U.S.M. / Out To Lunch)
Night Plane - 'Heartbeat (12" mix)' (Soul Clap)
Looney Tunes - 'Just As Long As I Got You' (Nu Groove)
JD Twitch - 'Is It All Over The Place' (Let's Get Lost)
Aphex Twin - 'Ptolomey' (R&S Records)
Less Foss & MK - 'Goodnight Moon' (Hot Creations)

One Day IWPAMR

One day... I Will Put Away My Records.
Off the cuff mix of records lying around my record room.

Questions I should probably ask myself:

"If I leave these records in a semi-unfiled pile, they'll eventually make it to the shelves, right"?

"If I take a record and inner sleeve, put it in my record bag, play it out, take it out AND then put it another pile later on. I'll remember exactly where the original outer sleeve is, right?"

TRACK LIST:
Bizzy B - 'Solomon B' (Jack Street)
Hollywood - 'I Like To Freak' (Play House Records)
The Sweat Boyz - 'Do You Want To Jack?' (West Madison Street)
Zage 1 1/4 - 'Funtime (Free Fall mix)' (EFF Records)
DJ John Collins - 'Yeah' (UR)
Fantasy Club - 'Mystery Girl (4 Track mix)' (Int. House Records)
Jammin Gerald - 'U Feel' (Dance Mania)
Baby Ford - 'Reprise' (Rhythm King)
Bidi - 'Parties' (Relief)
The Brat Pack - 'So Many Ways (Pump It mx)' (Vendetta)
DJ Funk 1 - 'Native Beats / Digital House' (Underground Trax)
Hieroglyphic Being - 'Shikaakwa' (SOTU)

Neighbourhood Watch - Junji Masayama

Brand new track from Melbourne based producer Junji Masayama. Out now on Get Physical sub-label Kindisch Records.

2012 - The Story Goes On

Neighbourhood Watch - Polo Club

Melbourne's Polo Club have been kicking around a few years now. Having started out with grime-influenced hip hop beats and rhymes, they've mutated into a rhythmically wonky pop outfit. Latest track 'See You Again' is one of those songs you can listen to on repeat.

If It Wasn't For The Nights

In the past few months two British acts, who know a thing or two about club music, have issued releases that look back on lives spent immersed in music. Both Whitey and Saint Etienne reflect back at what was lost (our minds, according to Whitey) and gained (song ghosts, say St Etienne).

Whitey has battled to get material released since becoming the toast of the post-electroclash underground in 2003 and last month decided to release his music himself online. The Lost Summer album is Whitey's first 'proper' album in eight years (two albums were aborted but mutated versions eventually became available). It's no wonder his is the more bitter retrovision. On 'Saturday Night Ate Our Lives' Whitey sings about those long ago weekends spent in euphoric states: "Lost in a dream and the world seems far behind me..." But he adds, "something has to change now."



Singer Sarah Cracknell takes a less cynical stance on Words And Music By Saint Etienne. Her band's album is almost a conceptual take on the life cycle of a music fan - from childhood obsessions (Cracknell namechecks Marc Bolan in 'Over The Border') through clubbing ('DJ') and, finally, to adulthood's need for tunes of a lost youth ('Haunted Jukebox'). There's also praise of synthesisers, KLF and 'Jack Your Body'. First single 'Tonight' (released earlier in 2012) celebrates the joy of seeing your favourite band play a gig ("Maybe they'll open with an album track, or a top five hit - no turning back"). The album also features contributions from past UK pop heroes of the band, including Tina Charles, KLF cohort Nick Coler and mash-up pioneer Richard X. But it's not all about the past, as they have 2 Bears remix 'Tonight' into the future.

Adam Askew - Death Mix

Death Mixes are back (like Poltergeist).

Adam Askew (coughcough* me!) recorded LIVE in Coburg.

60+mins. All vinyl.
No effects. No edits.

Play it loud!

Nu Raveonettes

The Raveonettes @ The Forum

Danish duo The Raveonettes just rolled through Melbourne with the Brian Jonestown Massacre roadshow. The wall-of-hum produced at their Forum gig paid homage to their Lee & Nancy Chain influences. They flitted between playful fuzz'n'roll and intense squalling jams. The set climaxing with Sharin Foo shredding one of the many basses she swapped between during the night.

In April a new EP appeared from band on their own Raveonettes LTD label. The five-track Into The Night set found them back in the studio with Richard Gottehrer. It's the perfect union as Gottehrer gained popularity co-writing '60s hits ('I Want Candy', 'My Boyfriend's Back'). And, he later meddled with US punk, producing Blondie's classic garage pop album Plastic Letters as well as recording with Richard Hell And The Voidoids and The Bongos. Most recently, Gottehrer produced Dum Dum Girls.

A new LA-recorded album is expected from The Raveonettes by year's end. Buy Into The Night here.

'Too Close To Heartbreak' - The Raveonettes


'I Want Candy' - The Strangeloves


'I Didn't Have The Nerve To Say No/Bermuda Triangle Blues' - Blondie

2012 - The Story Some More

South Side Hustle - Sun 8th April

It's a House Party!
Sunday 8th April.
7pm - 3am.

Now: The Hit Comps Of 2012

SMOKEY

Two strong compilations have landed within a matter of weeks of each other: Strong Love (Chapter Music) and Metal Dance (Strut/Fuse). 

Strong Love is a collection of Gay Liberation anthems that spans the '70s. While it leans heavily on post-hippy folk, there are also funky protestations (Buena Vista, International Gay Society), soul statements (Blackberri) and soft cock rock (Chris Robison). But the highlight. and reason alone to purchase this set, is from LA sleazoid Smokey. His track here, 'Strong Love' is dark, almost proto-house. From 1976, it could just easily have come out a decade later and been given a slight retweak to masquerade as something Frankie Knuckles and Jamie Principle were getting up to. The liner notes tell us that Smokey worked with members of Quiet Riot, Tin Machine and The Motels at different stages of his career. It makes sense. It also makes sense that Chapter tease us with the promise of an entire Smokey reissue disc soon.

Metal Dance is a collection of post-punk industrial electronic "rarities and classics" from the '80s. Compiled by UK producer Trevor Jackson (Playgroup), there is not one dud cut on this 27-track set. There are the big names in synth punk, new wavery: Cabaret Voltaire, Nitzer Ebb, DAF, Yello and, film director/composer John Carpenter. Aus electro icons are remembered too, with Severed Heads and SPK (whose selection here gave this comp its name).  Best is that Jackson includes those less remembered for being a part of this exciting moment in music history: Pete Shelley (usually cast aside as a one-hit wonder in solo mode, while being lauded as a member of punk band The Buzzcocks), Honey Bane (she spent most of the '80s as an erotic model and is often derided as a poor man's Toyah) and Alien Sex Fiend (mainly lambasted for their role in the first wave of goth). There's also acts who were critically-acclaimed at the time but who are rarely rated for their importance in the evolution of electronica: one-time PiL bassist Jah Wobble, 400 Blows, Mark Stewart (of seminal disco punks The Pop Group) and Fini Tribe (singer Chris Connelly later joined Revolting Cocks). At its best though, Metal Dance uncovers acts that may have escaped your notice previously: Diseno Corbusier, The Bubblemen and Analysis.

Neighbourhood Watch - The Cactus Channel

The Cactus Channel is a Melbourne ensemble of musicians making some of the funkiest tunes in Australia right now. And they've only just finished school - in fact, their new single was recorded while finishing their final months of study at high school. The two new tracks 'Emanuel Ciccolini' and 'Budokan' are getting release on 7" vinyl through Hope Street Recordings - also home to The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra and The Bombay Royale. While 'Ciccolini' is lean superfunk, 'Budokan' is a lights-down/pimp-out soundtrack. An album is promised mid-year.

2012 - The Story So Far

Neighbourhood Watch - Congo Tardis #1

Melb-based nouveau tropicale outfit Congo Tardis #1 have materialised into 2012 with a three-track release, led by the jittering and bugged out 'Wild 'N' Ready'. Way ahead of the local club curve (those mainrooms are all about the wub wub), 'Wild 'N' Ready' features some crazed toasting from Damajah - so good not to hear another feeble pop rap flow. But that's not enough for this crew, there's also the calypso-dub 'Sweet Lime', which is worthy alone for its inclusion of a featured guest with the name Marawa The Amazing. It nods to Harry Nilsson's 'Coconut', utilising his famed refrain, "Put de lime in de coconut and drink em both up". ['Coconut' was also covered by Dannii Minogue in 1998.] It concludes with an accelerated Faux Pas remix of 'Doala'. Available to buy on vinyl or download.




Sweet Lime by Congo Tardis#1 from jeanpoole on Vimeo.

2011 Favourites - Part 2

Continuing the annual tradition of the Dead, here's part two of our 2011 wrap-up...

Twelve selections finally whittled down from a long-list of about forty favourites.

'2011 Favs - Pt.2' selected & sliced by Andrew Mast (direct link)

TRACK LIST:
Porcelain Raft - 'I Found A Way' (Acephale)
Melodie Nelson - 'Tonight' (Other Tongues)
Colleen Green - 'Worship You' (no label)
Ghost Wave - 'Hippy' (Arch Hill Recordings)
Razika - 'Taste My Way' (Smalltown Supersound)
tUnE-yArDs - 'Gangsta' (4AD/Remote Control)
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - 'Bicycle' (Fat Possum Records)
The Beets - 'You Don't Want Kids To Be Dead' (Hardly Art)
Royal Headache - 'Honey Joy' (RIP Society)
Peter Bjorn & John - 'Black Book' (Cooking Vinyl)
Wooden Shjips - 'Lazy Bones' (Thrill Jockey)
Little Barrie - 'Surf Hell' (Non Deluxe)