the intarwebs has been vibing over biggie smalls tracks since it's fifteen years ago the notorious b.i.g. passed away. as usual there will be songs shared and linked to from all times and there is a whole load of them that are quality and will bring the house down proper any day.
this tune is one that i found out about a couple of years ago and it's a mending of three special people, one of the biggest rappers/(or actually artists in general) to have ever come out of sweden (yeah, i know she is a bit uk and us as well but with a birtnname of neneh marianne karlsson, she is sweden); a very talented producer by the name of christian falk or falcon as he used to bill himself in the hiphop heyday and of course a (then) little known rapper called the notorious b.i.g. (or biggie smalls as he was known then).
nowadays biggie is the star and neneh cherry is the lesser but back in '92 the roles were reversed and biggie had only been on a few records officially and this was one of them. rumour has it (according to falk's collaborator & friend dj sleepy) that biggie wasn't the first choice for the guestspot but busta rhymes but he was difficult to get and wanted more money. probably because of his reputation for turning out verses that stole the show.
the beat by christian falk and fabian is typical 90's east coast material and holds up really well and is nice & gritty. biggies verse isn't the best thing in the world but his flow and presence speaks for itself. this track is somewhat forgotten classic and for biggie, i want to bring it back. r.i.p. christopher wallace. and for neneh cherry, keep on rocking and doing what you do. she is still working and doing wonderful music, same goes for christian falk.
listen here (youtube)
Friday, 9 March 2012
Thursday, 8 March 2012
familjen with ninsun poli - bethnahrin
this was discovered while pressing in the name "ninsun poli" on spotify. she's a singer (of assyrian descent) that has been performing both under her own name and in collaborations with other acts including familjen. she's a very talented singer and i loved her debut ep titled "for real" and was in love with "feber" which she made with familjen.
this song is from familjens second album (named "mänskligheten) and featured the same stylings as the previous record, bumping house and acidlines mixed with pop sensibilities in a clever way. i should note that poli sings on two other songs ("mitt bästa" & "vinter i april") on the record and they work in the same school as "kom säger dom" and "feber". however this song differentiated itself quite a lot from those and takes the drums altogether and is a mood piece.
it's moody in the beginning and then a haunting vocal comes out of nowhere and grabs a hold of you on an instant. poli sings in her native suryoyo and talks about the motherland known as beth nahrin that's the assyrian word form mesopotamia. the vocal is something between an syrian-orthodox choir recital and a mawal and it's really powerful.
i think it can compared to a famous piece by ofra haza called "love song" where she does her version of song of songs 8:6-7 (more known as "love is as strong as death") in hebrew. i don't think they are on the same par but they are close and equally powerful pieces of music.
i should note that ofra haza's song is full a capella (and it should be noted that it's been sampled and remixed left and right over the years) and familjen adds dark pads and long sweeping synth sounds to back up and enhance the song.
while this song is no clear hit like most of familjens other tracks it really works as the ending track of the album and brings it all down to a great closing. much like "dansa" in timbuktu's "sagolandet" lp.
buy here (7digital)
this song is from familjens second album (named "mänskligheten) and featured the same stylings as the previous record, bumping house and acidlines mixed with pop sensibilities in a clever way. i should note that poli sings on two other songs ("mitt bästa" & "vinter i april") on the record and they work in the same school as "kom säger dom" and "feber". however this song differentiated itself quite a lot from those and takes the drums altogether and is a mood piece.
it's moody in the beginning and then a haunting vocal comes out of nowhere and grabs a hold of you on an instant. poli sings in her native suryoyo and talks about the motherland known as beth nahrin that's the assyrian word form mesopotamia. the vocal is something between an syrian-orthodox choir recital and a mawal and it's really powerful.
i think it can compared to a famous piece by ofra haza called "love song" where she does her version of song of songs 8:6-7 (more known as "love is as strong as death") in hebrew. i don't think they are on the same par but they are close and equally powerful pieces of music.
i should note that ofra haza's song is full a capella (and it should be noted that it's been sampled and remixed left and right over the years) and familjen adds dark pads and long sweeping synth sounds to back up and enhance the song.
while this song is no clear hit like most of familjens other tracks it really works as the ending track of the album and brings it all down to a great closing. much like "dansa" in timbuktu's "sagolandet" lp.
buy here (7digital)
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
source direct - shimmer
i discovered this one i think either through a set or youtube but it resonated with me on an instant because of it's grand atmospheric sound. it's very good looking records circa mid 90's with amens, a booming 808 sub bass and so much pads and strings you are drowning in lush.
the amen is employed a very straightforward re-jigging and with some key edits along the line to "spice it up". the eq used really brings out the snappy snares or it sounds like they layered on a pitched up clap. while i did exaggerate the uses of atmospherics, it does start as an exercise in pad-showers but gets down to business.
mind you i do think the plan for the tune was some sort of set-starter thing as it fucks around chopped around drums and then goes into full blast. short after that it boils down to drums and (sub)bass with the occasional female vocal sample. it introduces the main string motif later on it but it keeps it fairly subtle and it's a more culmination for the drop in the middle.
i know this record is far different from the bleaker techier records that source direct would make a name for themselves but good atmospheric jungle is always welcomed in my book.
listen here (youtube)
the amen is employed a very straightforward re-jigging and with some key edits along the line to "spice it up". the eq used really brings out the snappy snares or it sounds like they layered on a pitched up clap. while i did exaggerate the uses of atmospherics, it does start as an exercise in pad-showers but gets down to business.
mind you i do think the plan for the tune was some sort of set-starter thing as it fucks around chopped around drums and then goes into full blast. short after that it boils down to drums and (sub)bass with the occasional female vocal sample. it introduces the main string motif later on it but it keeps it fairly subtle and it's a more culmination for the drop in the middle.
i know this record is far different from the bleaker techier records that source direct would make a name for themselves but good atmospheric jungle is always welcomed in my book.
listen here (youtube)
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
ward 21 - this anuh rampin' (prod. kid606)
this track comes of a project assembled by the wall of sound label with the simple concept of putting together a jamaican deejay, singjay or singer and an english-based producer who either do more electronic stuff. the riddims become different in perspective but they did/do come off like modern jamaican dancehall.
there are a number of great collaborations including the tanya stephens/prassay cut on "enuff 4 u" with it's oldschool ragga hiphop throwback and the ce'cile & general degree/jacques lu cont collaboration on "na na na na" with it's suspencebuilding beat. the lucious ska-like collab of big youth & west london deep on "rudie no" is another killer track.
and this one with ward 21 and kid606 which on paper had me thinking of something more crazy but it's certainly bumping. kid606 tones down his glitch and various modulation techniques for this one but pack in a beefy bass.
listen closely you hear some of his sonical trickery in the back but on top you have ward 21 mashing it up in their usual style. it's a very banging tune and ever since i found this compo i've been hooked to this tune and i'm not going to stop liking it any time soon.
buy here (junodownload)
i have to point out that there are number of lacklustre tracks including the spragga benz/roni size one and the bling dawg/city hi-fi track.
there are a number of great collaborations including the tanya stephens/prassay cut on "enuff 4 u" with it's oldschool ragga hiphop throwback and the ce'cile & general degree/jacques lu cont collaboration on "na na na na" with it's suspencebuilding beat. the lucious ska-like collab of big youth & west london deep on "rudie no" is another killer track.
and this one with ward 21 and kid606 which on paper had me thinking of something more crazy but it's certainly bumping. kid606 tones down his glitch and various modulation techniques for this one but pack in a beefy bass.
listen closely you hear some of his sonical trickery in the back but on top you have ward 21 mashing it up in their usual style. it's a very banging tune and ever since i found this compo i've been hooked to this tune and i'm not going to stop liking it any time soon.
buy here (junodownload)
i have to point out that there are number of lacklustre tracks including the spragga benz/roni size one and the bling dawg/city hi-fi track.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
james brown - king heroin
this was a song by brown i discovered late and it's a sombre blues like number. it's a telling of a poem written by a manny rosen and is a cautionary tale about drugs and what they can do to your ways of living. while it's a powerful lyrical expression, coming from james brown it resonates weirdly because brown's person.
then again so goes most anti-drug songs sung from persons you think were probably still doing drugs after doing the song, but i guess this song is valid and should be heard by most anyways. brown (and by default rosen) talks about heroin in the first person perspective, really personifying the drug. he goes off telling what he will do you as the drug and in the last part he says he will send you to hell. effectively saying: i will kill you, have no doubt about it.
buy here (7digital)
another song who runs in the same modus operandi is phuture's "your only friend", it was through this song i found "king heroin" since someone pointed out it's lyrical similarities. it differentiates itself only with the drug in mind ("your only friend" is about cocaine) and it's more blunter telling of the effects of the drugs.
"your only friend" was like "king heroin" an anomaly since it stemmed through a culture wrapped up drugs even though spanky, dj pierre & herbert j (like most of the chicago and detroit producers) weren't users themselves. but you had ron hardy, who famously broke "acid tracks" (which this track is the b-side to), who was a known heroin addict and the culture itself weren't that dissonant of drugs.
"your only friend" is a bit more sinister than "king heroin" but i think it was needed to send a clear picture to the heads in the club where as james brown wanted to talk to the people and elaborate. eitherway they are both really great songs.
buy here (junodownload)
then again so goes most anti-drug songs sung from persons you think were probably still doing drugs after doing the song, but i guess this song is valid and should be heard by most anyways. brown (and by default rosen) talks about heroin in the first person perspective, really personifying the drug. he goes off telling what he will do you as the drug and in the last part he says he will send you to hell. effectively saying: i will kill you, have no doubt about it.
buy here (7digital)
another song who runs in the same modus operandi is phuture's "your only friend", it was through this song i found "king heroin" since someone pointed out it's lyrical similarities. it differentiates itself only with the drug in mind ("your only friend" is about cocaine) and it's more blunter telling of the effects of the drugs.
"your only friend" was like "king heroin" an anomaly since it stemmed through a culture wrapped up drugs even though spanky, dj pierre & herbert j (like most of the chicago and detroit producers) weren't users themselves. but you had ron hardy, who famously broke "acid tracks" (which this track is the b-side to), who was a known heroin addict and the culture itself weren't that dissonant of drugs.
"your only friend" is a bit more sinister than "king heroin" but i think it was needed to send a clear picture to the heads in the club where as james brown wanted to talk to the people and elaborate. eitherway they are both really great songs.
buy here (junodownload)
Saturday, 3 March 2012
u96 - life in paradise
i've mentioned before that i love eurodance and this one is a track i discovered a little while after when i was started playing eurodance-sets. i came to terms that you could play in the faster megamix stylings that i favoured and still build and release. this is like most dance music, if one wants to do an interesting mix then the solution isn't just to play anthems.
which is why you'll never catch me playing something like culture beat's "mr vain" until the end of the set. but you have to get from point a to point b and sometimes you want something subtle but still packing that eurodance-flavour. this is where something like track comes in to play.
to be really honest, it's not my favourite alex christensen production and again i say that in a state that i do have a favourite track done by him. that would be "love religion" but this is something completely different and it comes an album where the big hit was "heaven". a track which a deliberate rejack of cindy lauper's "time after time".
this track is infact album filler and it starts off with the exact same pad christensen used for most of this album (have a listen on the rest of the tracks in the junoplayer), later it introduces some melody that is going to be present for most of the track and then it kills it off to bring out the bass and drums. it's a very subtle production and i know i've reused this statement before but coming from alex christensen, the level of subtle in this is a feat.
it further on treads lyrical grounds of the road world peace in a sort of bleak manner, as done in the "concious nineties". i can easily use this to sidetrack further more but i still find it piss funny that one of the least serious form of dance music spent so much time of peace, love, unity and conciousness. vocalist nikki and/or dea-li deliver this quite well though and it's one of the reasons i like this track.
buy here (junodownload)
to clarify something as well, whenever i say alex christensen production, i do of course everyone but christensen as he had a whole team of co-producers and henchmen on production. i also find it funny that this track one the album is preceded by something ("heartline/lifeline") that is an clowny re-take of union jack's cactus (buy here).
it's sub-ceded by a really awful outro track that sounds like the intro of a really bad happycore track. i don't want to spoil the fun but they bring in the sounds of das boot at the end, in a way that shouldn't make sense and doesn't either.
which is why you'll never catch me playing something like culture beat's "mr vain" until the end of the set. but you have to get from point a to point b and sometimes you want something subtle but still packing that eurodance-flavour. this is where something like track comes in to play.
to be really honest, it's not my favourite alex christensen production and again i say that in a state that i do have a favourite track done by him. that would be "love religion" but this is something completely different and it comes an album where the big hit was "heaven". a track which a deliberate rejack of cindy lauper's "time after time".
this track is infact album filler and it starts off with the exact same pad christensen used for most of this album (have a listen on the rest of the tracks in the junoplayer), later it introduces some melody that is going to be present for most of the track and then it kills it off to bring out the bass and drums. it's a very subtle production and i know i've reused this statement before but coming from alex christensen, the level of subtle in this is a feat.
it further on treads lyrical grounds of the road world peace in a sort of bleak manner, as done in the "concious nineties". i can easily use this to sidetrack further more but i still find it piss funny that one of the least serious form of dance music spent so much time of peace, love, unity and conciousness. vocalist nikki and/or dea-li deliver this quite well though and it's one of the reasons i like this track.
buy here (junodownload)
to clarify something as well, whenever i say alex christensen production, i do of course everyone but christensen as he had a whole team of co-producers and henchmen on production. i also find it funny that this track one the album is preceded by something ("heartline/lifeline") that is an clowny re-take of union jack's cactus (buy here).
it's sub-ceded by a really awful outro track that sounds like the intro of a really bad happycore track. i don't want to spoil the fun but they bring in the sounds of das boot at the end, in a way that shouldn't make sense and doesn't either.
Thursday, 1 March 2012
shorty rogers & his orchestra - taps miller
this one i heard on radio and i was going through the channels and stumbled upon some swinging big band jazz or whatever you want to call it. the track that caught my ear first when i switched to the station was a rendition of "jersey bounce" by joe reisman and his orchestra. i'd never heard it before but i liked the groove and it held me in for the next track which was a downright funky affair.
likewise it was a new piece of music for me but it had the bounce and groove to make this somewhat essential, i think what ferments it is that killer drum-fill near the end and anyone who knows me, knows i like drums. but it's more than drums and i found out that the song is a count basie composition and comes off a record where rogers plays basie.
i'd never heard of shorty rogers before but i had heard of shelly manne who plays drums on this. there is actually a number of names who play on this but i'm not familiar with their work elsewhere but they all perform really well. the track kicks of with a bang and it rides high and stays there on a glorious mood. good stuff.
buy here (7digital)
likewise it was a new piece of music for me but it had the bounce and groove to make this somewhat essential, i think what ferments it is that killer drum-fill near the end and anyone who knows me, knows i like drums. but it's more than drums and i found out that the song is a count basie composition and comes off a record where rogers plays basie.
i'd never heard of shorty rogers before but i had heard of shelly manne who plays drums on this. there is actually a number of names who play on this but i'm not familiar with their work elsewhere but they all perform really well. the track kicks of with a bang and it rides high and stays there on a glorious mood. good stuff.
buy here (7digital)
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
cutty ranks - gunman lyrics
there is an infamous video that's been circulating on the intarwebs since it was resurrected a few years ago with cutty ranks performing in jamaica back in 1986. i thought cutty was improvising and toasting from the top of his head but i later found out that he was doing a variation of his debut single "gunman lyrics".
this song has been done as a "cleaner" (?) version as "fishman lyrics" or "insect lyrics" as he calls it the first run on the video. it's all good but it took me a while to enjoy "gunman lyrics"/"fishman lyrics" on the original "things and time" riddim since selector ansill cuts up the sleng teng riddim in a way that's just awesome.
it also had to do cutty ranks really goes in for it and that constipation face and ants in the pants dance brings the overall experience to a whole different level. i know i'm probably the umpteenth person to write about this one but i don't care. every one has to see this video, hear this song and so and so on.
buy here (7digital)
also, part of the performance as seen on the video can be found as "intro: live at skateland (1986)" from the same compilation you can get "gunman lyrics", "limb by limb", "a who seh me dun" (known to most as the "six million way to die, choose on" tune) and all his other classics
buy here (7digital)
this song has been done as a "cleaner" (?) version as "fishman lyrics" or "insect lyrics" as he calls it the first run on the video. it's all good but it took me a while to enjoy "gunman lyrics"/"fishman lyrics" on the original "things and time" riddim since selector ansill cuts up the sleng teng riddim in a way that's just awesome.
it also had to do cutty ranks really goes in for it and that constipation face and ants in the pants dance brings the overall experience to a whole different level. i know i'm probably the umpteenth person to write about this one but i don't care. every one has to see this video, hear this song and so and so on.
buy here (7digital)
also, part of the performance as seen on the video can be found as "intro: live at skateland (1986)" from the same compilation you can get "gunman lyrics", "limb by limb", "a who seh me dun" (known to most as the "six million way to die, choose on" tune) and all his other classics
buy here (7digital)
Friday, 24 February 2012
soso - who's gonna love me (el-b remix)
this one i heard on national radio and my interest was peeped on the get-go, i didn't know who it was but i heard the start and those drums and synth stabs said, "don't turn this off". i found out afterwards that it was an el-b remix of new sophia somajo project "soso" and it all made sense.
well not about sophia somajo (but i do like her), it was el-b and i should have spotted that from the start. it has his touch all the way with the tight drums and choppy vocals and of course fierce bass. el-b made two versions and for his ghost remix he went a bit darker and with louder bass but for this one it's the kind of garage that el-b made a name for himself.
it's sort of throwback and that's partly the charm but i do also think that i'd rather hear the ghost mix in a club as it's atmosphere and sounds would sound proper. but for listening on my own or in sets, i'd work the el-b mix
buy here (beatport)
well not about sophia somajo (but i do like her), it was el-b and i should have spotted that from the start. it has his touch all the way with the tight drums and choppy vocals and of course fierce bass. el-b made two versions and for his ghost remix he went a bit darker and with louder bass but for this one it's the kind of garage that el-b made a name for himself.
it's sort of throwback and that's partly the charm but i do also think that i'd rather hear the ghost mix in a club as it's atmosphere and sounds would sound proper. but for listening on my own or in sets, i'd work the el-b mix
buy here (beatport)
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
weeping willows - falling (masse remix)
i've already talked about the original song, the spatio kass remixes and probably this remix as well on the intarwebs. it's a great song and i bought the cd-single a long while ago in '02 or '03 and have been loving it since then.
i was reminded of it when it was a big focus on the salazar brothers the last couple of days, or last week even now that they have won awards and been highlighted for their quality production etc etc. swedish hiphop's own archivist claes uggla aka majestic flow was talking about some rarities, remixes and such in his twitter and he mentioned a remix of another song and that triggered me to dig up this track again.
the original had a gary numan and/or martyn ware kind of thing to it and masse's version flipped it into a completely different scene. magnus carlsons vocals are set to a rhythm consisting of a cutup piano rhythm, a sleeker bassline and some crisp drums. the end result is a great version of a great song, the way it should be.
listen here (grooveshark)
i was reminded of it when it was a big focus on the salazar brothers the last couple of days, or last week even now that they have won awards and been highlighted for their quality production etc etc. swedish hiphop's own archivist claes uggla aka majestic flow was talking about some rarities, remixes and such in his twitter and he mentioned a remix of another song and that triggered me to dig up this track again.
the original had a gary numan and/or martyn ware kind of thing to it and masse's version flipped it into a completely different scene. magnus carlsons vocals are set to a rhythm consisting of a cutup piano rhythm, a sleeker bassline and some crisp drums. the end result is a great version of a great song, the way it should be.
listen here (grooveshark)
Monday, 20 February 2012
linn & freddie - be thankful for what you got
i found about this one by checking out freddie cruger's own blog and noticed that he posted a new song on his soundcloud. he posted the song well over a month ago though and i didn't notice it until two weeks ago. i had a hunch from the title that it was going to be a take on william devaughn's classic and it was.
but don't expect freddie cruger to do a straightforward cover and his take on it is in a reggae slant and it's sort of a recreated mashup. the foundation is a nod to soul brothers' "free soul" and that is known to most as being sampled for lily allen's "smile". it employs that rocksteady groove and on top cruger's long time collaborator linn segolson is singing in a nice and lazy way.
massive attack also did a cover of this song in the early 90's and when i first hear linn & freddie's take on "be thankful" i thought they did something that was more massive attack than massive attack themselves.
it's currently on freddie cruger's soundcloud but i believe it's forthcoming in a near future, if i believe what i read on twitter, on gamm.
listen here (soundcloud)
but don't expect freddie cruger to do a straightforward cover and his take on it is in a reggae slant and it's sort of a recreated mashup. the foundation is a nod to soul brothers' "free soul" and that is known to most as being sampled for lily allen's "smile". it employs that rocksteady groove and on top cruger's long time collaborator linn segolson is singing in a nice and lazy way.
massive attack also did a cover of this song in the early 90's and when i first hear linn & freddie's take on "be thankful" i thought they did something that was more massive attack than massive attack themselves.
it's currently on freddie cruger's soundcloud but i believe it's forthcoming in a near future, if i believe what i read on twitter, on gamm.
listen here (soundcloud)
Saturday, 18 February 2012
rnd - transform II
a few month or so i went to peruse one of the charity-shops in the greater stockholm region, it's a store that i've found very good stuff over the last year. this time i found a number of things but one of them being the ohm records label cd compilation.
ohm was one of the first swedish dancemusic labels and it had a little run before other stockholm labels such as planet rhythm, loop and later drumcode, h productions and svek became the more prolific ones. this compilation is valuable to the heads and i think the vinyl issue changes hands for fifty quids.
the compilation has a number of leiner productions, a few cari lekebusch ones and tracks from some other obscure producers. i was happy to find it because it includes the almost the full selftitled robert leiner/source ep. it's missing the the track "random input" but to be honest that track is rubbish anyways. but it does include "levitation" and owning it on a physical format is blissful.
overall some of the tracks have not dated well an they don't work in any way with the music i play in any way but some are useful such as source's "levitation", andromatic's "pure energy", trauma's "coming up good", cerebus' "nechromancer" and then "transform II" from fredrik almquist aka rnd.
i've got to be honest that i'm not that familiar with almquist's backcatalogue but i do know that was a key player in the swedish techno scene but he didn't become the name that adam beyer, cari lekebusch and joel mull did, then again so didn't leiner but he had glory days before being forgotten by a whole generation.
"tranform II" is an electro track and it has the robotic and metallic elements that i love. it also has some key sounds that's in line with the kind of trance or techno influenced electro that was being made in europe after the 80's. after hearing this i did try to find any other of the tracks that almquist made during this period and i found that it did sound like them.
the closest one would be the rnd remix of cyro lab's (that's another almquist moniker) "robotopia" but that is only electro during the intro and then it goes into the trancy sounds that he was making at the time. but aurally it's all there only the trancy/techno productions where a little fuller in it's 4/4 groove.
the thing i like about "transform II" is that it does go on the subtle side and the melodic aspects are in line with the sound and there is no cliché except for how the vocal sample is worked. i also love the bubbly sounds coming through in the second half and especially the filtered not-acid line that's there in the background.
ohm was one of the first swedish dancemusic labels and it had a little run before other stockholm labels such as planet rhythm, loop and later drumcode, h productions and svek became the more prolific ones. this compilation is valuable to the heads and i think the vinyl issue changes hands for fifty quids.
the compilation has a number of leiner productions, a few cari lekebusch ones and tracks from some other obscure producers. i was happy to find it because it includes the almost the full selftitled robert leiner/source ep. it's missing the the track "random input" but to be honest that track is rubbish anyways. but it does include "levitation" and owning it on a physical format is blissful.
overall some of the tracks have not dated well an they don't work in any way with the music i play in any way but some are useful such as source's "levitation", andromatic's "pure energy", trauma's "coming up good", cerebus' "nechromancer" and then "transform II" from fredrik almquist aka rnd.
i've got to be honest that i'm not that familiar with almquist's backcatalogue but i do know that was a key player in the swedish techno scene but he didn't become the name that adam beyer, cari lekebusch and joel mull did, then again so didn't leiner but he had glory days before being forgotten by a whole generation.
"tranform II" is an electro track and it has the robotic and metallic elements that i love. it also has some key sounds that's in line with the kind of trance or techno influenced electro that was being made in europe after the 80's. after hearing this i did try to find any other of the tracks that almquist made during this period and i found that it did sound like them.
the closest one would be the rnd remix of cyro lab's (that's another almquist moniker) "robotopia" but that is only electro during the intro and then it goes into the trancy sounds that he was making at the time. but aurally it's all there only the trancy/techno productions where a little fuller in it's 4/4 groove.
the thing i like about "transform II" is that it does go on the subtle side and the melodic aspects are in line with the sound and there is no cliché except for how the vocal sample is worked. i also love the bubbly sounds coming through in the second half and especially the filtered not-acid line that's there in the background.
Friday, 17 February 2012
david alvarado - the day
i have a certain tendancy to buy some music and then listening to it a few times, like it and forget about it until i go through my collection again. this track comes from one those records, alvarado's 2004 album "transfiguration". i know i bought the album for "luna" or "sol" but when i went through this album again, it was this track that had me repeating it a few times.
"the day" is aurally much in line with the rest of the record, it employs heavy atmosphere and there a hefty dose of dub influences in the mix. most of the longer tracks on the album are four on the floor and the shorter three minute tracks are with breakbeats and so is this one.
this track is a little longer than that (only two minutes though) and is a sort of deeper dubby house meets electro thing. it's the kind of modern electro that i love but to be honest, i have a dear fondness for anything electro (that is the real mccoy mind you, with be breakbeats, not 4x4 drums).
alvarado knows his grooves and this is no exception, the only thing i'm missing a more firmer bassline but it has a great bottom end in general. the soundscapes are deep and sounds are darting in and out in a dub fashion. the synthline that comes in halfway through with it's piercing resonant sound is near shivering. he follows it up with a round twinkling sound to slowly walk along till the break where it brings back the sampled dialogue from the intro.
this track is well recommended but so is most tracks off this album, "raindance" and "but why" are however too short of their own good. they are immense and would be a little better with a more flesh like this one.
buy here (junodownload)
"the day" is aurally much in line with the rest of the record, it employs heavy atmosphere and there a hefty dose of dub influences in the mix. most of the longer tracks on the album are four on the floor and the shorter three minute tracks are with breakbeats and so is this one.
this track is a little longer than that (only two minutes though) and is a sort of deeper dubby house meets electro thing. it's the kind of modern electro that i love but to be honest, i have a dear fondness for anything electro (that is the real mccoy mind you, with be breakbeats, not 4x4 drums).
alvarado knows his grooves and this is no exception, the only thing i'm missing a more firmer bassline but it has a great bottom end in general. the soundscapes are deep and sounds are darting in and out in a dub fashion. the synthline that comes in halfway through with it's piercing resonant sound is near shivering. he follows it up with a round twinkling sound to slowly walk along till the break where it brings back the sampled dialogue from the intro.
this track is well recommended but so is most tracks off this album, "raindance" and "but why" are however too short of their own good. they are immense and would be a little better with a more flesh like this one.
buy here (junodownload)
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
paul keeley - slick & slim (dennis desantis remix)
this one i discovered when i was getting into netlabels and you quickly found that thinner kept releasing quality stuff. i found the transatlantic nightclub ep (where this comes from) on a few years after it was released but it was gold and i've been working a number of tunes from the release in sets over the years.
right from the get go i was more interested in keeley's two originals from this ep but desantis' efforts grew on me. this remix of "slick & slim" kept the vibe of the original but set it up differently. the original is a sombre affair with a very prominant saxophone, courtesy of andrew spence.
desantis' version is built on the groove and locks it down strong and then introduces the sax on the latter half of the song. the sax is chopped up a bit to fit the deep funk coming from desantis' own groove. i know saxophones with house music is a real divider since it comes of tacky or fake but this really nails it.
the track also has a structure where it's more or less building the whole five minutes and then when it's climaxed it ends and i would lie if i said that that sort of songstructure hasn't given me troubles since have to remember which tracks go really well with it or use filler/bridges, in mid-set that is.
but it's all worth it i say, the track is killer and it's compact and doesn't fuddle around in one bit. well recommended.
listen here (soundcloud)
right from the get go i was more interested in keeley's two originals from this ep but desantis' efforts grew on me. this remix of "slick & slim" kept the vibe of the original but set it up differently. the original is a sombre affair with a very prominant saxophone, courtesy of andrew spence.
desantis' version is built on the groove and locks it down strong and then introduces the sax on the latter half of the song. the sax is chopped up a bit to fit the deep funk coming from desantis' own groove. i know saxophones with house music is a real divider since it comes of tacky or fake but this really nails it.
the track also has a structure where it's more or less building the whole five minutes and then when it's climaxed it ends and i would lie if i said that that sort of songstructure hasn't given me troubles since have to remember which tracks go really well with it or use filler/bridges, in mid-set that is.
but it's all worth it i say, the track is killer and it's compact and doesn't fuddle around in one bit. well recommended.
listen here (soundcloud)
Thursday, 9 February 2012
joi - cravin' (piano dub)
this one i got acquainted with through the intarwebs i believe, i didn't know who joi was nor this song but i was given a heads up somewhere that it was a really deep house track with killer piano work. a little while after i found out that it was joe claussell behind the remix and everything made sense.
the original is a japanese sort of lounge and sort of m.o.r. ballad but it's a great track and the track came out in '00. a few years after joe claussell got his hands on it and did what almost only he can do, create beautiful music. he utilised the best parts of the original and reshaped it into a lenthy deep house gem filled with atmosphere, great musical features and all the usual trimmings.
his original remix does the song justice and then goes into an piano session which is also in line with the structure of original, but it goes on for longer. then it does go back to the original song but that middle piano part is the highlight of this track. so for the piano dub claussell strips it all down and focuses on those ivories.
the one playing the keys is brian mitchell and he's one of the musicians that claussell hires on a usual basis and listening to this, you can hear why. he keeps within the motif of the original but does some wonderful improv work going through chords and passages.
now to be fair the kind of romantic piano work that goes on this track doesn't resonate with some people. the same way saxophones or flutes doesn't resonate well with others either. what's delightful in someone's ear can be schmaltz to someone else. it's the curse of smooth jazz in the end, wonderful idea but it has been horribly executed by a lot of people.
this is something that if it didn't have that element of bite in the bottom end and a solid foundation would be the equivalent of kenny g's "songbird". thankfully claussell knows his craft well and can knock out an awesome tune like this. well recommended.
buy here (djtunes)
the original is a japanese sort of lounge and sort of m.o.r. ballad but it's a great track and the track came out in '00. a few years after joe claussell got his hands on it and did what almost only he can do, create beautiful music. he utilised the best parts of the original and reshaped it into a lenthy deep house gem filled with atmosphere, great musical features and all the usual trimmings.
his original remix does the song justice and then goes into an piano session which is also in line with the structure of original, but it goes on for longer. then it does go back to the original song but that middle piano part is the highlight of this track. so for the piano dub claussell strips it all down and focuses on those ivories.
the one playing the keys is brian mitchell and he's one of the musicians that claussell hires on a usual basis and listening to this, you can hear why. he keeps within the motif of the original but does some wonderful improv work going through chords and passages.
now to be fair the kind of romantic piano work that goes on this track doesn't resonate with some people. the same way saxophones or flutes doesn't resonate well with others either. what's delightful in someone's ear can be schmaltz to someone else. it's the curse of smooth jazz in the end, wonderful idea but it has been horribly executed by a lot of people.
this is something that if it didn't have that element of bite in the bottom end and a solid foundation would be the equivalent of kenny g's "songbird". thankfully claussell knows his craft well and can knock out an awesome tune like this. well recommended.
buy here (djtunes)
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
gerd - in love with you (feat. ernesto)
this one i came across when i was looking for more jonathan bäckelie tracks a few years ago, i've established that i am a fan of his vocal work and i tend to enjoy most of the tracks he produces/colloborates on. the person he collaborates with on this is no other than dutch techno legend gert-jan bijl/gerd.
this track is from gerd's second album and it's a very good r&b song in the style of babyface's productions. it's groundwork is a great bassline, some snappy drums and of course keys, pads and strings. but it's all low-key and i like it like that. if anyone read my entry about miguel & j.cole's "all i want is you", this description doesn't come as a shock.
the track stays grounded and so does jonathan until the last part where bäckelie unleashes a sort of frustration that's powerful. this whole modus operandi is typical late 80's/early 90's r&b and i really like how the track unfolds.
buy here (junodownload)
but there is something weird of introducing gerd as a techno producer and then talking about an r&b song. for anyone that knows gerd's productions after the millenium it's established that he's shifted sound towards more soulful sound. before he was known for the techno, in particular the mid 90's techno that was coming out of holland that was not quite tech-house, not quite techno and not quite trance.
so i think it was a sort of an electric dylan moment, the same that happened to john beltran when he left his detroit techno and started making latin house, when gerd turned out an album in 2001 that was filled with trip-hoppy stuff, some drum & bass flirts, latin influences, broken beat and basically anything not techno. it was well produced and so was john beltran's material but it wasn't techno.
i think eventually some of the people who shunned the albums will give it's props again and not dismissing it as lounge material in gerd's case and in beltran's case, clichéd latin house. or whatever, i'm probably talking out of my arse on this one but it's just the way i see it.
i do have to mention that on gerd's first album he does something as awesome as an instrumental cover of leon haywoods classic "i wanna do something freaky to you" (known to most people as dr dre & snoop dogg's "nuthin'd but a g-thang"). gerd knocks out of the park with his synth-work and i love the subtle french horn in the back while the bass is packing underneath.
buy here (junodownload)
another well recommended track, but do get leon haywoods original as well, it's that sexy.
buy here (amazon)
this track is from gerd's second album and it's a very good r&b song in the style of babyface's productions. it's groundwork is a great bassline, some snappy drums and of course keys, pads and strings. but it's all low-key and i like it like that. if anyone read my entry about miguel & j.cole's "all i want is you", this description doesn't come as a shock.
the track stays grounded and so does jonathan until the last part where bäckelie unleashes a sort of frustration that's powerful. this whole modus operandi is typical late 80's/early 90's r&b and i really like how the track unfolds.
buy here (junodownload)
but there is something weird of introducing gerd as a techno producer and then talking about an r&b song. for anyone that knows gerd's productions after the millenium it's established that he's shifted sound towards more soulful sound. before he was known for the techno, in particular the mid 90's techno that was coming out of holland that was not quite tech-house, not quite techno and not quite trance.
so i think it was a sort of an electric dylan moment, the same that happened to john beltran when he left his detroit techno and started making latin house, when gerd turned out an album in 2001 that was filled with trip-hoppy stuff, some drum & bass flirts, latin influences, broken beat and basically anything not techno. it was well produced and so was john beltran's material but it wasn't techno.
i think eventually some of the people who shunned the albums will give it's props again and not dismissing it as lounge material in gerd's case and in beltran's case, clichéd latin house. or whatever, i'm probably talking out of my arse on this one but it's just the way i see it.
i do have to mention that on gerd's first album he does something as awesome as an instrumental cover of leon haywoods classic "i wanna do something freaky to you" (known to most people as dr dre & snoop dogg's "nuthin'd but a g-thang"). gerd knocks out of the park with his synth-work and i love the subtle french horn in the back while the bass is packing underneath.
buy here (junodownload)
another well recommended track, but do get leon haywoods original as well, it's that sexy.
buy here (amazon)
Monday, 6 February 2012
m-flo loves chemistry - astrosexy
when my otaku phase was the biggest i started listening to other acts rather just hamasaki ayumi and apart from the other singers that were hot on the scene i also started getting into m-flo. they are/were a japanese hip-hop act that originally consisted of dj/producer(/and occactional rapper) taku takahashi, rapper verbal and singer & rapper lisa although the latter left after their second album.
to explain m-flo to anyone that haven't heard them i'd say a japanese take on black eyed peas wouldn't be that far off. even though black eyed peas stayed backpacker for longer and m-flo had already gone into electronic sounds when black eyed peas was still dipping their toes into it.
also m-flo did hoodie rap and r&b as well after they went more electronic and the thing to know is that it didn't go fully house oriented, it was a whole lot of drum & bass and some garage and big beat flirts.
anyhow, after lisa had departed they started taking on various j-pop singers & acts and having them guest on their tracks. this is where i got into the game when it was near impossible to escape a song called "miss you" (that had an amazing video), the b-side to miss you was this track "astrosexy".
this was a track i originally didn't like but damn if it was catchy and eventually it won me over. to be really honest it sounds like they were trying to a daft punk kind of thing but with little party hip-hop action going on. it kicks off with some nice rough drums that make you think it'll be a big beat nod but it then goes into the filterfunk but with a 2-step slant.
it shifts back and forth throughout the track and this was another factor for me to liking the song. taku takehashi's production on this is insane as there is so much sound swelling through and it keeps consistent. even when he just randomly throws in the riff from marshall jefferson's "move your body" in a bridge, it alls just makes sense.
the featured act on this is called chemistry and are/were a number one selling japanese r&b act, i have no idea about them elsewise as i wasn't interested to hear their songs before and neither am i now but i do want hear this more. but i'm more likely to play the instrumental version of this.
listen here (youtube)
i think it's also available buying on itunes but i can only find the japanese link (here), this song was also redone as "now or never" for the japanese astro boy series. that version is a bit smoother around the edges and loses it's charm.
to explain m-flo to anyone that haven't heard them i'd say a japanese take on black eyed peas wouldn't be that far off. even though black eyed peas stayed backpacker for longer and m-flo had already gone into electronic sounds when black eyed peas was still dipping their toes into it.
also m-flo did hoodie rap and r&b as well after they went more electronic and the thing to know is that it didn't go fully house oriented, it was a whole lot of drum & bass and some garage and big beat flirts.
anyhow, after lisa had departed they started taking on various j-pop singers & acts and having them guest on their tracks. this is where i got into the game when it was near impossible to escape a song called "miss you" (that had an amazing video), the b-side to miss you was this track "astrosexy".
this was a track i originally didn't like but damn if it was catchy and eventually it won me over. to be really honest it sounds like they were trying to a daft punk kind of thing but with little party hip-hop action going on. it kicks off with some nice rough drums that make you think it'll be a big beat nod but it then goes into the filterfunk but with a 2-step slant.
it shifts back and forth throughout the track and this was another factor for me to liking the song. taku takehashi's production on this is insane as there is so much sound swelling through and it keeps consistent. even when he just randomly throws in the riff from marshall jefferson's "move your body" in a bridge, it alls just makes sense.
the featured act on this is called chemistry and are/were a number one selling japanese r&b act, i have no idea about them elsewise as i wasn't interested to hear their songs before and neither am i now but i do want hear this more. but i'm more likely to play the instrumental version of this.
listen here (youtube)
i think it's also available buying on itunes but i can only find the japanese link (here), this song was also redone as "now or never" for the japanese astro boy series. that version is a bit smoother around the edges and loses it's charm.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
the persuader - centralbron (birdy remix)
this one i heard a while after i heard the original and i don't know what was wrong with me because i know i did not like it at first, then again "centralbron" was not a track i did like from the get-go either. it wasn't a "djurgårdsbron", "gamla stan" or "södermalm" or any other jesper dahlbäck/the persuader tracks that had that sort of sound.
i was quite transfixed with the persuader being dahlbäck's more lush & deeper house sound when i digged deeper and noticed that dahlbäck did more rigid techy ordeals under this name. i did catch on and i certainly did catch on to this remix, i think it had to do with listening to something right and not in the background.
i know i'm planning to write more about svek and i even mentioned in the entry about "my world (night drive mix)" that i am a fan of the label and can go on and on about it but i don't have to really. the tracks speak for themselves and the fact that certain records are still being played out by dj's is proof of that.
this remix came out on the tail end of svek's livelyhood while the original came out in the prime. the original was more or a stripped down robot funk house kind of number, something that can be described as minneapolis meets perlon. this version kept the robot aspects but kicks up the tempo, changes the groove and adds more funk. the endresult is very electro and unbelievably funky.
because birdy is grieder & dahlbäck, i think dahlbäck saw an opportunity to revisit his original and do it in a way that was sounding like the techier side of the sunday brunch records.
buy here (beatport)
i was quite transfixed with the persuader being dahlbäck's more lush & deeper house sound when i digged deeper and noticed that dahlbäck did more rigid techy ordeals under this name. i did catch on and i certainly did catch on to this remix, i think it had to do with listening to something right and not in the background.
i know i'm planning to write more about svek and i even mentioned in the entry about "my world (night drive mix)" that i am a fan of the label and can go on and on about it but i don't have to really. the tracks speak for themselves and the fact that certain records are still being played out by dj's is proof of that.
this remix came out on the tail end of svek's livelyhood while the original came out in the prime. the original was more or a stripped down robot funk house kind of number, something that can be described as minneapolis meets perlon. this version kept the robot aspects but kicks up the tempo, changes the groove and adds more funk. the endresult is very electro and unbelievably funky.
because birdy is grieder & dahlbäck, i think dahlbäck saw an opportunity to revisit his original and do it in a way that was sounding like the techier side of the sunday brunch records.
buy here (beatport)
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
blackstreet - no diggity (teddy riley jungle mix)
i remember seeing this version on the back of the blackstreet single "don't leave me", probably saw it in a charity shop but i had never heard of that track before. but the idea of teddy riley making a jungle version of "no diggity" did catch my attention and warranted it definitely a buy.
i did however know that there was a jumpup version by urban takeover (aphrodite & mickey finn) and i don't know if this was done before or at the same time. maybe teddy riley heard of the bootleg and thought of making a proper rerub himself. i have to say though that i'm don't rate the effort of aphrodite & finn did, it does have some good ideas but then it also has that awful bass that aphrodite over-used.
while the urban takeover mix was done by using a combination of acapella & original, riley did his remix with a few new vocals. queen pen's verse which kicks the track off (beside the jamaican style hype-ups that riley added himself) is not the same one from the original but the verse that was used for the new remix of no diggity called "das diggity".
other than that riley built this with a crisp rolling break that i can't name at the moment, the bass is subby and it's not that accentuated like urban takeover did. the track loses the bill withers sample of the original but it does use that piano-fill. i quite liked this version and it does rate high within the versions i've heard of "no diggity"
i.e. the all-star remix that uses the same charmels sample as rza and features queen pens original verse uncensored. also the infamous billie jean remix/version and the das mix which uses the beat/samples from das efx's "they want efx".
it's always fun to see or hear people who are defined to a particular sound, in this case with teddy riley it's new jack swing and r&b, doing something else way outside of their usual comfort zone. i think it would have been less shocking if riley's done a bumping house version because he's delved into that before. i quite like this remix and while it's not anything i would play in a set i think it's steady and really good. well recommended
listen here (youtube)
i did however know that there was a jumpup version by urban takeover (aphrodite & mickey finn) and i don't know if this was done before or at the same time. maybe teddy riley heard of the bootleg and thought of making a proper rerub himself. i have to say though that i'm don't rate the effort of aphrodite & finn did, it does have some good ideas but then it also has that awful bass that aphrodite over-used.
while the urban takeover mix was done by using a combination of acapella & original, riley did his remix with a few new vocals. queen pen's verse which kicks the track off (beside the jamaican style hype-ups that riley added himself) is not the same one from the original but the verse that was used for the new remix of no diggity called "das diggity".
other than that riley built this with a crisp rolling break that i can't name at the moment, the bass is subby and it's not that accentuated like urban takeover did. the track loses the bill withers sample of the original but it does use that piano-fill. i quite liked this version and it does rate high within the versions i've heard of "no diggity"
i.e. the all-star remix that uses the same charmels sample as rza and features queen pens original verse uncensored. also the infamous billie jean remix/version and the das mix which uses the beat/samples from das efx's "they want efx".
it's always fun to see or hear people who are defined to a particular sound, in this case with teddy riley it's new jack swing and r&b, doing something else way outside of their usual comfort zone. i think it would have been less shocking if riley's done a bumping house version because he's delved into that before. i quite like this remix and while it's not anything i would play in a set i think it's steady and really good. well recommended
listen here (youtube)
Monday, 30 January 2012
paganini traxx - zoe (timo maas remix)
as far as this one, i know i bought the record back in 2003 in a clearence sale and i think i grabbed it because i had seen the name on a few tracklists back then. probably also of the strength of timo maas, who i wasn't that much of a fan anyways but for in great condition and 20kr, i'll bite.
i listened to the record after i took it home and it really puzzled me how long that intro and outro was, but yeah it was a good track. the original back then always had me thinking, this track sounds like... and i couldn't name what, later on i realised i was thinking of underworld's "rez".
the original is nice but for something that has two musical ideas and only one being good it squanders about too much. maas did a simple but effective remix on this and he kept the groove which is the best part of the original. he also kept the buzzing "rez"-type lead and left that stupid high pitched acid-clone squeal in the bin.
maas also understood that there was no point in going with the track for too long as while the two-three good ideas it has, there is no point in doing more than tighten it up. now some other producer would add more but maas (and when i say timo maas, i of course mean maas, martin buttrich & andy bolleshon who worked together) wasn't really known for doing elaborate productions, (well under timo maas' own name).
but heaven knows why he didn't just give the five minutes that is the meaty part of his remix if that was truly the intent, but the two minutes who precede and sescede the main part are made for the dj. the track is brilliant as an intro or outro, the latter form hasn't been used that much but i still think it's a good last track if you weren't planning to end on bombast.
buy here (junodownload)
i do have to drop a word on the remixes that led to this re-release (should be noted that maas remix was part of a re-release as well but only after two years as the original was out in '96 and his remix in '98). i'm going to drop a qualified guess that funkagenda is the one who probably made some remix or whatnot and next thing you know the track it's out on toolroom trax.
garraud, funkangenda, blake jarrell & sam paganini himself all use timo maas' version as guideline but there is one big difference, the tempo is taken down from 138bpm to 128bpm. typical but they lost the plot when it comes the structure as they took one to many notes from the original mix.
while maas' remix was (in reality) a compact five minute track with a break that was as much as it needed to be, these new version have breakdowns that are senselessly too big and take too long. it's all big room fodder with the excuse of paganini's remix which isn't bigroom but repeats itself
in short, they really missed the boat on what timo maas tried to do with his remix.
i listened to the record after i took it home and it really puzzled me how long that intro and outro was, but yeah it was a good track. the original back then always had me thinking, this track sounds like... and i couldn't name what, later on i realised i was thinking of underworld's "rez".
the original is nice but for something that has two musical ideas and only one being good it squanders about too much. maas did a simple but effective remix on this and he kept the groove which is the best part of the original. he also kept the buzzing "rez"-type lead and left that stupid high pitched acid-clone squeal in the bin.
maas also understood that there was no point in going with the track for too long as while the two-three good ideas it has, there is no point in doing more than tighten it up. now some other producer would add more but maas (and when i say timo maas, i of course mean maas, martin buttrich & andy bolleshon who worked together) wasn't really known for doing elaborate productions, (well under timo maas' own name).
but heaven knows why he didn't just give the five minutes that is the meaty part of his remix if that was truly the intent, but the two minutes who precede and sescede the main part are made for the dj. the track is brilliant as an intro or outro, the latter form hasn't been used that much but i still think it's a good last track if you weren't planning to end on bombast.
buy here (junodownload)
i do have to drop a word on the remixes that led to this re-release (should be noted that maas remix was part of a re-release as well but only after two years as the original was out in '96 and his remix in '98). i'm going to drop a qualified guess that funkagenda is the one who probably made some remix or whatnot and next thing you know the track it's out on toolroom trax.
garraud, funkangenda, blake jarrell & sam paganini himself all use timo maas' version as guideline but there is one big difference, the tempo is taken down from 138bpm to 128bpm. typical but they lost the plot when it comes the structure as they took one to many notes from the original mix.
while maas' remix was (in reality) a compact five minute track with a break that was as much as it needed to be, these new version have breakdowns that are senselessly too big and take too long. it's all big room fodder with the excuse of paganini's remix which isn't bigroom but repeats itself
in short, they really missed the boat on what timo maas tried to do with his remix.
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