"caramel" comes from brandon moeller/beat pharmacy's second full lengthed outing on françois k's wave music sublabel deep space media. the difference between the first album "earthly delights" and the second album "constant pressure" is that while the first one had it's dub influences and reverbed-out soundscapes, most of it was stuck between that area of "lounge" (for a lack of better term) & deep house. "constant pressure" went further into the house territories and amped up the level of dub so to speak.
i don't remember how i got turned onto this track or this project at all but it was likely through sets or internetradio. for me it was that flute and the soundcape that attracted me the track and when i tried to play this in sets at first i used disregard the fact it had a four on the floor rhythm part. infact i used to forget that a kick came in two minutes in because i wanted to do long ambient blends. for some reason i the track i used to play it with also had a distinct rhythm but much slower so it sounded trainwrecky.
the combination of the flute, bongo drums and the bandpassed synthpatch that is being playing through out is quite strong as it has it's progression. all the one shot sounds that brandon moeller throws in every once a while are a bit hit and miss though. i really don't like the bright highpitched sound that he uses as a sign of "here something new is about to happen" and there one sound in the background that just clouds up the rhythm for no special reason.
with the other sounds the flute does come off like how spaceape comes off in most of kode 9's productions and especially like in their "sine of the dub". in that analogy the bongos become the bass and i don't know about that but the flute's presence within all the haze is just remarkably beautiful. great tune.
buy here (junodownload)
Thursday 31 January 2013
domu presents pete simpson - it won't mean a thing
right around i had heard mr. scruff's amazing "this way", which featured pete simpson's vocal stylings, i discovered that dominic stanton aka domu had recorded an album with simpson. i believe it was through atjazz's remixes of "coming back around" which a friend of mine was lyrical about following a visit to his studio or attending one of his dj-gigs. none the less the "look a little further" album was a marriage domu's soulful & funky beats and pete simpson's smooth singing and it's something special.
the influences throughout the tracks are worn on their sleeves and it's very much a mixture of motown, minneapolis and detroit but you hear the london perspective shining bright. as usual there was that one track that became a repeated listen, no that's a lie since there are two or three for this album. the title track "look a little further" with it's squirming synth bass and it's anthemic vocal, "the way i see" that sounds like something d'angelo could have pulled out in the 90's and this one, "it won't mean a thing".
when this album was in my conciousness another funky brit had pulled out his album "jim" and on that was "figured me out" which floored me with it's funky rhythms and "it won't mean a thing" is on the same par. another source of funk was circulating through my mind as well and that was stevie wonder's "love light in flight" which had come back in proper at the time thanks to all sorts of re-edits.
to a certain extent also change's "let's go together" but that was more of a personal rediscovery. i had just started to like jazzy m's "jazzin' the way you know" after despising it since it's release, have to thank the knee deep brothers since their remix changed my mind. basically "it won't mean a thing" combines great songwriting with funky rhythms as did with the previous examples mentioned. the keyboard programming on this is quite nice and that stiff but chunky synth-bass is a delight.
i could go in great detail about all sorts of musical elements, but i'll just put it like this: as brilliant as domu's production and beats are, pete simpson goes one step above it and sings his ass off. the only real question is how the demo idea for this track sounded like? it ends on a classy soulballad kind of thing with simpson with just broad pianonotes and upright bass. domu may done it to bridge it better into "i'm left dreaming" but it does want you hearing a full on ballad version of the song
buy here (junodownload)
the influences throughout the tracks are worn on their sleeves and it's very much a mixture of motown, minneapolis and detroit but you hear the london perspective shining bright. as usual there was that one track that became a repeated listen, no that's a lie since there are two or three for this album. the title track "look a little further" with it's squirming synth bass and it's anthemic vocal, "the way i see" that sounds like something d'angelo could have pulled out in the 90's and this one, "it won't mean a thing".
when this album was in my conciousness another funky brit had pulled out his album "jim" and on that was "figured me out" which floored me with it's funky rhythms and "it won't mean a thing" is on the same par. another source of funk was circulating through my mind as well and that was stevie wonder's "love light in flight" which had come back in proper at the time thanks to all sorts of re-edits.
to a certain extent also change's "let's go together" but that was more of a personal rediscovery. i had just started to like jazzy m's "jazzin' the way you know" after despising it since it's release, have to thank the knee deep brothers since their remix changed my mind. basically "it won't mean a thing" combines great songwriting with funky rhythms as did with the previous examples mentioned. the keyboard programming on this is quite nice and that stiff but chunky synth-bass is a delight.
i could go in great detail about all sorts of musical elements, but i'll just put it like this: as brilliant as domu's production and beats are, pete simpson goes one step above it and sings his ass off. the only real question is how the demo idea for this track sounded like? it ends on a classy soulballad kind of thing with simpson with just broad pianonotes and upright bass. domu may done it to bridge it better into "i'm left dreaming" but it does want you hearing a full on ballad version of the song
buy here (junodownload)
Wednesday 30 January 2013
thessity - vill inte bli som dig
petter, sanna & hugo over at swedish podcast "vad blir det för rap" ("what's the rap")* gave me an heads up on this swedish rapper when they played her song "det finns alltid mer att ge" (there's always more to give") awhile back and i didn't think much of that to be honest. however some weeks ago petter decided to play her new song "vill inte bli som dig" ("don't want to be like you") and again on the first listen i didn't like it.
on the second listen though i did get it and it's because of two reasons, her flow and the piano in the intro. for the latter it reminds me of the hook of jungle/hardcore classic "lords of the null-lines" by hyper-on experience. a track that i love because of it's everything but the kitchen sink-mentality and crazy flips and drops. because of the way rap is sometimes you will tolerate mediocre rap if the track is kicking but in this instance the beat is secondary to the rap.
she may sound royally pissed of but "vill inte bli som dig" is much like the rap coming out of the states, basically rap about how the listener is second to the rapper at hand. even though i like her flow and her thesis on how much i suck, i take these claims as seriously as chief keef, azealia banks or 50 cent. i.e. none but as long as they can spit hot fire i will listen to it, except for wack people like curtis jackson or chief keef.
listen here (youtube)
*wordplay on a swedish cooking show "vad blir det för mat"/"what's for dinner" starring eccentric idiot/actor/"chef" per moberg.
on the second listen though i did get it and it's because of two reasons, her flow and the piano in the intro. for the latter it reminds me of the hook of jungle/hardcore classic "lords of the null-lines" by hyper-on experience. a track that i love because of it's everything but the kitchen sink-mentality and crazy flips and drops. because of the way rap is sometimes you will tolerate mediocre rap if the track is kicking but in this instance the beat is secondary to the rap.
she may sound royally pissed of but "vill inte bli som dig" is much like the rap coming out of the states, basically rap about how the listener is second to the rapper at hand. even though i like her flow and her thesis on how much i suck, i take these claims as seriously as chief keef, azealia banks or 50 cent. i.e. none but as long as they can spit hot fire i will listen to it, except for wack people like curtis jackson or chief keef.
listen here (youtube)
*wordplay on a swedish cooking show "vad blir det för mat"/"what's for dinner" starring eccentric idiot/actor/"chef" per moberg.
puddu varano - i'm going away (bjørn svin mix)
i picked up the cdsingle for "i'm going away" some years back and i didn't know what to expect as i knew two names on it but for different kind of music. varano or morten hansen was one half of the project and i knew him for his more loungy affairs and the likes and bjørn svin i knew for his wonderfully charming techno. but this is prior to both of what varano would pull out on his own label murena records and what bjørn svin would unleash with the masterpiece that is "mand over bord".
to some extent the music that svin provides with this remix is close to that but far from the techno he would make as cygnet committee. puddu varano themselves started out as big beat project before transitioning into the type of sounds varano himself would known for and "i'm going away" reaks of something desperately wanting to be tom & ed or norman cook's setlists. svin decides to kick the track in the nuts and do a full on hardcore remix with all of the trimmings.
svin plays up the clichés of the genre to a ten and with the vocal sample pitched right up, cut up breakbeats in the beginning, reverse bass and a hook that is mindnumbingly stupid. the bassline plays of the melody of vocal sample and so does the hook but there is more to the melodic structure of the leadline. i do wish he'd gone more into weirder territories with the remix and there is glimpses of it throughout where it could have been more outrageous.
basically playing the clichés to an eleven if you say so, to a certain degree it could have turned out even more idiotic. however this piece of music isn't trying to be ophidian or serious well made hardcore so no one would care.
listen here (youtube)
to some extent the music that svin provides with this remix is close to that but far from the techno he would make as cygnet committee. puddu varano themselves started out as big beat project before transitioning into the type of sounds varano himself would known for and "i'm going away" reaks of something desperately wanting to be tom & ed or norman cook's setlists. svin decides to kick the track in the nuts and do a full on hardcore remix with all of the trimmings.
svin plays up the clichés of the genre to a ten and with the vocal sample pitched right up, cut up breakbeats in the beginning, reverse bass and a hook that is mindnumbingly stupid. the bassline plays of the melody of vocal sample and so does the hook but there is more to the melodic structure of the leadline. i do wish he'd gone more into weirder territories with the remix and there is glimpses of it throughout where it could have been more outrageous.
basically playing the clichés to an eleven if you say so, to a certain degree it could have turned out even more idiotic. however this piece of music isn't trying to be ophidian or serious well made hardcore so no one would care.
listen here (youtube)
Tuesday 29 January 2013
the knife - full of fire
it's been a while now since the knife released their acclaimed album "silent shout", an album which i love with a title track that is one nothing short of brilliant. in these six years they've toured a bit with their live show for "silent shout", karin dreijer went solo as fever ray and recorded an amazing album. olof dreijer has done production & remix work under his own name and put out all sorts of weird and wonderful techno as oni ayhun. together with mount sims and planningtorock they also scored an opera which i have heard pieces of but never bothered to give it a full whirl.
the hype for this song was quite big and journalists and musicenthusiasts didn't know what direction the dreijer siblings was going to take. was it going to follow karin's more dark and atmospheric affairs as fever ray or olof's berlin-esque output? the answer is a bit of both but i hear more of the music from "deep cuts" and the "hannah med h" soundtrack than "silent shout".
right from the getgo it's hard processed tr-808's that does the heavy lifting as the programming is very dancefloordriven. there is subtle levels of distortion floating around the soundscape and you hear it in the highpitched synths and on karin's voice. it is also present on the vicious bass that comes and sweeps in and punches hard in the bottom end. the key work with all of the sounds in this wonderful 9minute track is processing as no sound hasn't been tweeked to points of aural degradation.
i can hear influences from hard contempoary techno such as surgeon's work in the late 90's/early 00's, miami bass and electro and the berghain massive's house and techno sounds. elements are twisted in and out and there is never a sense of loopdriven music but more that things are to happen for that occasion. karin's vocal presence on the track shifts between her usual demeanour and in morphing states where it sounds like björk in one moment and the spaceape at the next blink. at points her voice is processed into haunting elements and it really signals what the track is about.
fucked up sounds for any sane person to make their day worth wile. basically music for all occasions not just for the dancefloor but the city rush and maybe even the countryside. it's downright proper.
buy here (rabid records store)
the hype for this song was quite big and journalists and musicenthusiasts didn't know what direction the dreijer siblings was going to take. was it going to follow karin's more dark and atmospheric affairs as fever ray or olof's berlin-esque output? the answer is a bit of both but i hear more of the music from "deep cuts" and the "hannah med h" soundtrack than "silent shout".
right from the getgo it's hard processed tr-808's that does the heavy lifting as the programming is very dancefloordriven. there is subtle levels of distortion floating around the soundscape and you hear it in the highpitched synths and on karin's voice. it is also present on the vicious bass that comes and sweeps in and punches hard in the bottom end. the key work with all of the sounds in this wonderful 9minute track is processing as no sound hasn't been tweeked to points of aural degradation.
i can hear influences from hard contempoary techno such as surgeon's work in the late 90's/early 00's, miami bass and electro and the berghain massive's house and techno sounds. elements are twisted in and out and there is never a sense of loopdriven music but more that things are to happen for that occasion. karin's vocal presence on the track shifts between her usual demeanour and in morphing states where it sounds like björk in one moment and the spaceape at the next blink. at points her voice is processed into haunting elements and it really signals what the track is about.
fucked up sounds for any sane person to make their day worth wile. basically music for all occasions not just for the dancefloor but the city rush and maybe even the countryside. it's downright proper.
buy here (rabid records store)
spikiri - spiyanko
according to vega "spiyanko" was concieved following a trip down to south africa where he hung around in brothers of peace's studio, probably after or around the time they signed and released "zabalaza". the track was originally made in '03, released in '05 and i heard about it in '07 when i was trawling beatport looking for music. i was mesmerized by the drums and rhythms and that lovely lazy trumpet that floats around the track along with airy keys.
even though this track was much put together by vega in the end, mandla mofokeng aka spikiri and his mates in brothers of peace was largely instrumental for the tracks making. vega is a great producer but has never been known for his own musicality craft-wise but knows rhythms and his way around the studio. vega and mofokeng's drums are punchy and the sheer power of those beats at the beginning is amazing but it's all drums. you also hear the bassline of brothers of peace's jimmy mngwadi and the rhythm guitar of associate george phiri in the mix.
i can talk drums and rhythmwork all day with tracks but for this one there is only star and that's hugh masekala's trumpet. the trompies' chants and adlibs are quite a nice element but the way masekala's horns float in and out with the aid of vega's productionwork is brilliant. fitted together with accenting and accompanying keys from marc cray it's a delight to listen to this.
buy here (vegastore)
even though this track was much put together by vega in the end, mandla mofokeng aka spikiri and his mates in brothers of peace was largely instrumental for the tracks making. vega is a great producer but has never been known for his own musicality craft-wise but knows rhythms and his way around the studio. vega and mofokeng's drums are punchy and the sheer power of those beats at the beginning is amazing but it's all drums. you also hear the bassline of brothers of peace's jimmy mngwadi and the rhythm guitar of associate george phiri in the mix.
i can talk drums and rhythmwork all day with tracks but for this one there is only star and that's hugh masekala's trumpet. the trompies' chants and adlibs are quite a nice element but the way masekala's horns float in and out with the aid of vega's productionwork is brilliant. fitted together with accenting and accompanying keys from marc cray it's a delight to listen to this.
buy here (vegastore)
Monday 28 January 2013
faltydl - human meadow (luke vibert remix)
i discovered this one when i heard it in a set and at first i was a little hesitant to it as it's on a glance seems to be too nostalgic. the original sort of sits between genres but it firmly built around a heavy bassline as everything else seems to be chaotic with drumsounds and loops seems to be in a jumble. the use of vocals are interesting as it's two vocalsamples forming the phrase "i want your love forever" along with a few moans. possibly in a nod to carl cox's oldschool hardcore classic "i want you (forever)".
much like faltydl jumbles the drumgroove the vocals are manipulated with the pitch going up and down a bit. for his remix luke vibert decided to expand on this play with classic vocal samples and load it up heavy. hence my suspicion initially that it was just another nostalgic track as vibert also stabilize the groove and working together a 4x4 thing. the reason why it isn't that track like say danny byrd's "shock out" is because vibert takes it into a level of kitsch when he rides the clichés on top of each others.
you also have to be a good dj when working this in a set because you could play it as it is in peak position but just hints of it together with other tracks puts it in a better context. it is fun to listen on it's own though as you can play spot the sample for hours as some are obvious and some are obscure or only known in second hand-form. the former include world class wreckin' cru's "juice" and dead or alive's "you spin me round (like a record)".
the latter is more fun as it's headrucking like say the moan from the tailend of poor pocket productions' "kick your legs in the air" that i know more from danny breaks' "droppin science vol. 1" or source direct's "shimmer".
buy here (planet mu webshop)
much like faltydl jumbles the drumgroove the vocals are manipulated with the pitch going up and down a bit. for his remix luke vibert decided to expand on this play with classic vocal samples and load it up heavy. hence my suspicion initially that it was just another nostalgic track as vibert also stabilize the groove and working together a 4x4 thing. the reason why it isn't that track like say danny byrd's "shock out" is because vibert takes it into a level of kitsch when he rides the clichés on top of each others.
you also have to be a good dj when working this in a set because you could play it as it is in peak position but just hints of it together with other tracks puts it in a better context. it is fun to listen on it's own though as you can play spot the sample for hours as some are obvious and some are obscure or only known in second hand-form. the former include world class wreckin' cru's "juice" and dead or alive's "you spin me round (like a record)".
the latter is more fun as it's headrucking like say the moan from the tailend of poor pocket productions' "kick your legs in the air" that i know more from danny breaks' "droppin science vol. 1" or source direct's "shimmer".
buy here (planet mu webshop)
beth orton - anything (two lone swordsmen remix)
just like in the entry about the patchworkz dub of "i am", the name of the game for this track is coldly sung female vocal riding on top of electro beats. my friend jan henrik was the one who introduced me the lone swordsmen remix of "anything" as he's played it plentyful times in his sets. i have no real relation to the original what so ever or the album that it comes from. not that i don't enjoy orton's artistry or voice since i do own "central reservation" but that is mainly for "stars all seems to weep" which is a gorgeous track.
on the original from orton's "daybreaker" album this song is a light bossanova-influenced jam that rides on it's string arrangement, trumpet accents and lazy groove. for andy weatherall & keith tenniswood's remix nothing from it seems to have been used as i think the vocal take is a new one. the highlight of the track which is the vicious midrangey saw that arises from the moog, is derived from the original bassline but it's been replayed. as with most elements with the strings and trumpet accents are replaced with lighter keys and synths
proper nice chunky electro music with hard hitting tr-808 drums, chunky bass and nice keys. all topped together with great vocals from orton.
buy here (junodownload)
on the original from orton's "daybreaker" album this song is a light bossanova-influenced jam that rides on it's string arrangement, trumpet accents and lazy groove. for andy weatherall & keith tenniswood's remix nothing from it seems to have been used as i think the vocal take is a new one. the highlight of the track which is the vicious midrangey saw that arises from the moog, is derived from the original bassline but it's been replayed. as with most elements with the strings and trumpet accents are replaced with lighter keys and synths
proper nice chunky electro music with hard hitting tr-808 drums, chunky bass and nice keys. all topped together with great vocals from orton.
buy here (junodownload)
Sunday 27 January 2013
adastra featuring matrix - iaonnama
in late mars '09 i was listening to national radio and the show "p3 populär" and the actress vanna rosenberg was being interviewed. halfway into the interview someone sends an email to the show pointing out that rosenberg once was part of a eurodanceproject called adastra back in '94-'95. she instantly started reminisce about it slightly in a way that you understood she wasn't completely comfortable about that part of her life. i didn't connect the song or the project or remembered hearing it even though i was quite into eurodance at this time.
later on in the show they played the song at hand and everything fell into place really and i remembered "iaonnama" since my friend had the single or album and we used listen to it a lot. adastra was shortlived and was one album and three singles and consisted by producers bengt girell jr. and kim henry bergström and singers åsa schmallenbach and rosenberg. future projects involving the other three has been minor production work for girell jr. & bergström and schmallenbach released an album in '98. rosenberg herself has had a successful career in acting in films, television, on stage but also have sung backup to lisa ekdahl, lars winnerbäck & magnus uggla.
right around my rediscovery of this song i was quite into eurodance, or fact is that i'm still quite into eurodance but i was entranced with this song. i found the cdsingle for the song and the remixsingle that came out the following year and this is the interesting part as the latter has the best version of the song according to me. this juiced up remix comes courtesy of libido or håkan lidbo as he used this moniker for whenever he did eurodancey productions or remixes. it should be noted that even though he has left most of this in history, he did do a refix of leila k's electric in 2012 with jessica folcker reprising her vocals and cleo redoing leila's rap.
never the less the original is a nice affair but what lidbo does is to take it out the housier base at 128bpm and kicked the tempo right up to 140. he also injected new synths that set the pace well and redid a slight structure of the song that included a small drop. the most noted thing is the inclusion of a rap by someone calling themselves matrix and for the life of me i cannot find who this geezer is. the result is this captain hollywood project kind of thing with a darkvoiced rapper taking the most space and then some sung vocals. i love tracks like "flying high" and "only with you" and this follows suit really well.
buy here (junodownload)
later on in the show they played the song at hand and everything fell into place really and i remembered "iaonnama" since my friend had the single or album and we used listen to it a lot. adastra was shortlived and was one album and three singles and consisted by producers bengt girell jr. and kim henry bergström and singers åsa schmallenbach and rosenberg. future projects involving the other three has been minor production work for girell jr. & bergström and schmallenbach released an album in '98. rosenberg herself has had a successful career in acting in films, television, on stage but also have sung backup to lisa ekdahl, lars winnerbäck & magnus uggla.
right around my rediscovery of this song i was quite into eurodance, or fact is that i'm still quite into eurodance but i was entranced with this song. i found the cdsingle for the song and the remixsingle that came out the following year and this is the interesting part as the latter has the best version of the song according to me. this juiced up remix comes courtesy of libido or håkan lidbo as he used this moniker for whenever he did eurodancey productions or remixes. it should be noted that even though he has left most of this in history, he did do a refix of leila k's electric in 2012 with jessica folcker reprising her vocals and cleo redoing leila's rap.
never the less the original is a nice affair but what lidbo does is to take it out the housier base at 128bpm and kicked the tempo right up to 140. he also injected new synths that set the pace well and redid a slight structure of the song that included a small drop. the most noted thing is the inclusion of a rap by someone calling themselves matrix and for the life of me i cannot find who this geezer is. the result is this captain hollywood project kind of thing with a darkvoiced rapper taking the most space and then some sung vocals. i love tracks like "flying high" and "only with you" and this follows suit really well.
buy here (junodownload)
Saturday 26 January 2013
max graham vs. starecase - love the bomb
"love the bomb" was something i discovered a little while after a friend turn me onto max graham's productions on hope such as "falling together", "bar none" and "sepia". i knew that oakenfold was a big fan of his productions being as i saw most of them on his mixcd's. with starecase i only of the vocal stuff like "bitter little pill", "see" and "faith" and to be honest i didn't see the greatness of their productions far later in the process.
it was through their remixes and "lost 22" that i understood that they made proper driving trance especially made for building in sets. in fact this track does remind me quite a bit of "lost 22" but a bit smoother and more driving if that makes any sense. both does actually kick off with and end with breakbeats but go into a four on the floor. in some respects i think it's a tease as starecase could actually do wicked breakbeat tracks as well. also there is nothing kubrickian about the track beyond the title but i like the reference.
as with starecase & max graham's music at the time there aren't a case of big riffs with "love the bomb", there are melodies and small drops but it's all part of the motion of the track. the groove is the most important part and it constantly pushing through with a fast acidy wobble keeping the pace. you don't expect it from the start of the track as there is a very bright pad that oozes mellow vibes and you hear it again in the breakdown. when it's shuved away from the track by the bassline it's a sense of "this isn't going to something balearic so get your dancing shoes on".
it was through their remixes and "lost 22" that i understood that they made proper driving trance especially made for building in sets. in fact this track does remind me quite a bit of "lost 22" but a bit smoother and more driving if that makes any sense. both does actually kick off with and end with breakbeats but go into a four on the floor. in some respects i think it's a tease as starecase could actually do wicked breakbeat tracks as well. also there is nothing kubrickian about the track beyond the title but i like the reference.
as with starecase & max graham's music at the time there aren't a case of big riffs with "love the bomb", there are melodies and small drops but it's all part of the motion of the track. the groove is the most important part and it constantly pushing through with a fast acidy wobble keeping the pace. you don't expect it from the start of the track as there is a very bright pad that oozes mellow vibes and you hear it again in the breakdown. when it's shuved away from the track by the bassline it's a sense of "this isn't going to something balearic so get your dancing shoes on".
electric indigo & irradiation - phytoplankton (jennifer cardini remix)
when i first heard this one was through "ström", a radioshow on swedish national radio hosted by hanna kihlander, andreas tilliander, håkan lidbo & mats almegård. when interviewing cardini it was used in the background but also given some play and i liked it quite a bit. cardini is always more of a prolific dj than a producer but she knows how to turn them out and for this one she got the bass down proper.
the original by susanne "electric indigo" kirchmayr & temp records labelowner patricia "irridation" enigl is quite nice but i think the remixes in this package was much better in execution and sound, done by cardini as mentioned but also from italian producer rosamaria "rossella" melchionda and russian producer dasha ptitsyna van celst aka dasha rush. from rossella there is a dubby workout with vicious bass womps and great play of samples. dasha rush does more of tightening up with the track but removes the melody and focuses completely on the bass.
given that the original is also quite bassheavy but i think cardini's revamping makes of a better track. the melodic sequence that the original is built around is put into better context and with the accenting string-hits and reverbed pads surrounding it. cardini took the tempo down a bit from kirchmayr & enigl's original and also added a lowkey speech about something scientific that works with the title of the track. in general all of the versions of "phytoplankton" is quite proper and has their use in sets but i think cardini's rendition work the best.
buy here (junodownload)
the original by susanne "electric indigo" kirchmayr & temp records labelowner patricia "irridation" enigl is quite nice but i think the remixes in this package was much better in execution and sound, done by cardini as mentioned but also from italian producer rosamaria "rossella" melchionda and russian producer dasha ptitsyna van celst aka dasha rush. from rossella there is a dubby workout with vicious bass womps and great play of samples. dasha rush does more of tightening up with the track but removes the melody and focuses completely on the bass.
given that the original is also quite bassheavy but i think cardini's revamping makes of a better track. the melodic sequence that the original is built around is put into better context and with the accenting string-hits and reverbed pads surrounding it. cardini took the tempo down a bit from kirchmayr & enigl's original and also added a lowkey speech about something scientific that works with the title of the track. in general all of the versions of "phytoplankton" is quite proper and has their use in sets but i think cardini's rendition work the best.
buy here (junodownload)
Friday 25 January 2013
camille jones - i am (patchworkz dub)
when i saw this cd-single in the shop of a camille jones track that i hadn't heard of and was loaded with remixes, it was a sure buy. i know one or two producers would try to make a part two of fedde le grand's version of "the creeps" but it could also include some gems. when i listened through it all i was right on both respects as the versions that were given top billing, done by danish acts the beatchuggers and jesper sidelmann were buzzing sidechained affairs.
the original "i am (what you want me to be)" itself is a piece that works a very electronic backing with murmuring synths and blippy synthlines coupled together with camilles sombre vocals. even though her tone and delivery matches the cold & metallic beats, i get the sense of maybe it was a ballad type song that was taken for a new spin past it's demo stage. probably after she got in touch with producers, in this case the fast brothers (whom i've never heard of prior).
as mentioned there were a couple of good renditions on this single and they were by bob schwarz & jesse funk who created stunning house mixes and patchworkz who had my heart leap with joy with their electro remixes. the first thing i thought of when i heard the dub version, which is not a full dub but more of an alternative version with more atmosphere, was the classic richard x/girls on top mashup of kraftwerk's "numbers" and whitney houston's "i want to dance with somebody"
now it wasn't just punching breakbeats and in combination with cold sombre vocals that was the deal as it's a common thing with electro. however patchworkz also put in a waggly acidy bassline and this always works in my book. stunning piece of music.
buy here (7digital)
the original "i am (what you want me to be)" itself is a piece that works a very electronic backing with murmuring synths and blippy synthlines coupled together with camilles sombre vocals. even though her tone and delivery matches the cold & metallic beats, i get the sense of maybe it was a ballad type song that was taken for a new spin past it's demo stage. probably after she got in touch with producers, in this case the fast brothers (whom i've never heard of prior).
as mentioned there were a couple of good renditions on this single and they were by bob schwarz & jesse funk who created stunning house mixes and patchworkz who had my heart leap with joy with their electro remixes. the first thing i thought of when i heard the dub version, which is not a full dub but more of an alternative version with more atmosphere, was the classic richard x/girls on top mashup of kraftwerk's "numbers" and whitney houston's "i want to dance with somebody"
now it wasn't just punching breakbeats and in combination with cold sombre vocals that was the deal as it's a common thing with electro. however patchworkz also put in a waggly acidy bassline and this always works in my book. stunning piece of music.
buy here (7digital)
three drives - do you trust me?
chances are that i heard of this through jan henrik as he pointed out that "cruise ship", the b-side to three drives' 2004 single "air traffic" was far more interesting than the title track. "do you trust me" may have been in discussion as well when he pointed this out but eventually i did hear it and liked it a lot. if it's better than the a-side that is "sunset on ibiza" i can't really say as i like both of them but i have gone weary of it as there are better versions of it like sonorous remix and above & beyond's remix.
when i heard "do you trust me" i saw it's appeal and potential as it was something to use when simmering down a set. it's groove consists of the kind of rhythm & sounds that you might recognize from "greece 2000" and all the of the three drives tracks from that era, the sort of uptempo balearic trance. most notable for this track is the heavily phased drumloops that is being worked throughout the track along with these really long lazy pads.
yet again i write about a summery track smack dab of winter when it's less than minus 10 degrees celsius outside. i'll defend it with that the sun is set high in the sky and shining every so brightly. the worst kind of sunshine as you are still getting the sensation of needles being rammed into your skin repeatedly thanks to the cold. you think that it's going to be a glorious day but the sun is playing tricks on you with a nelson muntz like "ha ha" being echoed into your head every time you look up and think "some help with this weather please?".
buy here (junodownload)
when i heard "do you trust me" i saw it's appeal and potential as it was something to use when simmering down a set. it's groove consists of the kind of rhythm & sounds that you might recognize from "greece 2000" and all the of the three drives tracks from that era, the sort of uptempo balearic trance. most notable for this track is the heavily phased drumloops that is being worked throughout the track along with these really long lazy pads.
yet again i write about a summery track smack dab of winter when it's less than minus 10 degrees celsius outside. i'll defend it with that the sun is set high in the sky and shining every so brightly. the worst kind of sunshine as you are still getting the sensation of needles being rammed into your skin repeatedly thanks to the cold. you think that it's going to be a glorious day but the sun is playing tricks on you with a nelson muntz like "ha ha" being echoed into your head every time you look up and think "some help with this weather please?".
buy here (junodownload)
Thursday 24 January 2013
omni trio - secret life
was puzzled to see "rollcage II" soundtrack a few years ago with drum & bass from artists that i liked but it was songs in the store that i picked it up in. from a second-hand store i never visit to as they never get any good stuff even in terms of other type of items. i sort of remembered the first game but i never really played it or noticed that it's soundtrack was chock full of drum & bass, breaks and big beat.
i'm gathering that the drum & bass tunes were deemed the most popular and psygnosis struck a deal with moving shadow, who had a few tunes featured on the first game. they gave them a set of exclusives and it gave them exposure for the artists as the game sold fairly well and is considered a good game. not that usually matters to me as in most of the games i play, i have the music turned of or muted and have on my own tunes.
from omni trio's side there are two tracks and one is called "penetration" isn't what you expect from omni trio at all. i don't like it since the bassline is annoying and it sounds like it's trying to be a dom & roland or ed rush/no u-turn type track and i think it fails at it. the other cut is "secret life" which much more in line with robert haigh/omni trio's general output which i am a fan of.
granted i like his music more when the drumbreaks are chopped up more but his sense of melodic elements is tops. this operates with a fairly standard pacey twostepper with a crisp snare and the combination of smacking drums, lovely keys & pads along with a near-legato bass is fantastic.
buy here (beatport)
i'm gathering that the drum & bass tunes were deemed the most popular and psygnosis struck a deal with moving shadow, who had a few tunes featured on the first game. they gave them a set of exclusives and it gave them exposure for the artists as the game sold fairly well and is considered a good game. not that usually matters to me as in most of the games i play, i have the music turned of or muted and have on my own tunes.
from omni trio's side there are two tracks and one is called "penetration" isn't what you expect from omni trio at all. i don't like it since the bassline is annoying and it sounds like it's trying to be a dom & roland or ed rush/no u-turn type track and i think it fails at it. the other cut is "secret life" which much more in line with robert haigh/omni trio's general output which i am a fan of.
granted i like his music more when the drumbreaks are chopped up more but his sense of melodic elements is tops. this operates with a fairly standard pacey twostepper with a crisp snare and the combination of smacking drums, lovely keys & pads along with a near-legato bass is fantastic.
buy here (beatport)
Wednesday 23 January 2013
elegia - basic
when i bought "basic" it was for garnier's spinetingling remix and i think it's still why most would get their hands on the record. i was entranced with it after hearing it in sets and especially on tenaglia's global underground mix where he works it as a builder by just playing the first half even though it's a peak tune. i really had no intention of listening to the original after listening to it in the store but i was persuaded a few years after.
i wasn't expecting something as techno as it either because most of the record's i'd heard by elegia was much more housey. i do think they were trying to make some "chicago" or "detroit" as the first eight bars of "basic" sounds like something derrick may or ron trent would have popped out ten years prior. never the less the bassline is a catchy one and the cutup vocal makes it presence onto the track.
the melodies are quite intriguing as it doesn't sound as conventional and the portamanteu for the notes are a bit off. all done in a good way as it juxtaposes the bassline and the really floaty cloud of pads that is lurking ever so presently. garnier went a bit heavier on the breakdown on his version but here it's limited to taking out the kick for eight bars and coming romping back in full. a little while it slowly strips off one element after the other as it on the tail end.
nothing basic about "basic" at all, just elementary melodic techno with a chunky house groove.
buy here (junodownload)
i wasn't expecting something as techno as it either because most of the record's i'd heard by elegia was much more housey. i do think they were trying to make some "chicago" or "detroit" as the first eight bars of "basic" sounds like something derrick may or ron trent would have popped out ten years prior. never the less the bassline is a catchy one and the cutup vocal makes it presence onto the track.
the melodies are quite intriguing as it doesn't sound as conventional and the portamanteu for the notes are a bit off. all done in a good way as it juxtaposes the bassline and the really floaty cloud of pads that is lurking ever so presently. garnier went a bit heavier on the breakdown on his version but here it's limited to taking out the kick for eight bars and coming romping back in full. a little while it slowly strips off one element after the other as it on the tail end.
nothing basic about "basic" at all, just elementary melodic techno with a chunky house groove.
buy here (junodownload)
mephisto - mystery (italian progressive mix)
"mystery" was something i discovered through radio as i remember that the swedish nrj stations used to play this an insane amount of times back in '97. it was a catchy track but the part you really remember was the gibberish(?) vocal part right at the start of the radio edit that launched right into the lead melody. it also featured a sung verse by some uncredited singer which ended in a "eeyeaeeoo" and all these three elements formed together "mystery of love"
as i found the cd-single a few years ago and then revisited the track i looked at the track in a different light, i still love it but i found the acidlines and other melodic parts more interesting. maurizio d'ambrosio aka mephisto created a set of versions of the song where i think the main versions with the sung would cater toward the kids and the italian progressive mix would be for the heads, for the lack of better terms. both included the gibberish vocal and the pitchbent hook but everything was structured differently.
it's definantly a piece of music that tells it's date by it's elements and i like it because of nostalgic reasons but i wouldn't hesitate to use it in a set. with right placement and in the right context it would work despite it's the hookline as the tune is driving.
listen here (youtube)
as i found the cd-single a few years ago and then revisited the track i looked at the track in a different light, i still love it but i found the acidlines and other melodic parts more interesting. maurizio d'ambrosio aka mephisto created a set of versions of the song where i think the main versions with the sung would cater toward the kids and the italian progressive mix would be for the heads, for the lack of better terms. both included the gibberish vocal and the pitchbent hook but everything was structured differently.
it's definantly a piece of music that tells it's date by it's elements and i like it because of nostalgic reasons but i wouldn't hesitate to use it in a set. with right placement and in the right context it would work despite it's the hookline as the tune is driving.
listen here (youtube)
Tuesday 22 January 2013
delerium - truly (brother brown dub)
a year ago i wrote about the infusion remix of "truly" and until today i've only cared about two version of the song beong the album version, signum's version and infusion as mentioned. brother brown's versions was something i didn't care for at the time and i have never been interested at listening to it since deleting the mp3's from my own ripped single. henceforth when i listened to a few days ago it was with completely fresh ears and it's amazing.
something for my sets even but not in the original tempo which is at 126 but more in the realms at 140 which is why i'm using the less vocal version. set at this tempo hides a builder with a really driving bassline but also with a nice dark atmosphere. the echoed bits nerina pallot's vocal has been reduced to fits the theme for the track as well. same goes for the bass womps that are more impacting at this speed along with the reverbed synth tones and the somewhat dissonant harpsichord-sounding pluck.
it's a shame that i didn't catch it's brilliance eight years ago but i know that i wouldn't have gotten it then, unless jan henrik or someone else put it in the right context.
listen here (youtube)
something for my sets even but not in the original tempo which is at 126 but more in the realms at 140 which is why i'm using the less vocal version. set at this tempo hides a builder with a really driving bassline but also with a nice dark atmosphere. the echoed bits nerina pallot's vocal has been reduced to fits the theme for the track as well. same goes for the bass womps that are more impacting at this speed along with the reverbed synth tones and the somewhat dissonant harpsichord-sounding pluck.
it's a shame that i didn't catch it's brilliance eight years ago but i know that i wouldn't have gotten it then, unless jan henrik or someone else put it in the right context.
listen here (youtube)
Monday 21 January 2013
peckham royalty - minor villain (broken mix)
"minor villain" was the result of a one-off project between latin jazz pianist chris kibble and bassist gordon "gogsey" smith and the original shows both of their instruments alive and kicking. set to swinging drums it sounds like a somewhat structured jam and i fell in love with it when i heard it on ron trent's deep & sexy mix for francios k's wave music.
i had problems playing the original as it was too musical and vibrant for the kind of house sets i was playing at this time. the solution to my issue became to play the broken mix instead as i started getting into broken beat at the time. i still sucked at mixing it and i still geared towards the rougher london stylings but it worked on occasions.
this version uses the piano in sampled and effected form as the main riff is worked for the most part. the bass is more audible as it's not being overshadowed by shuffling cymbals and a piano going at it. there is also more experimentation as i like how the drums have been cut up and the use of effects on most of the sounds. it works for an epic closing track as the coda is beautiful beyond belief.
buy here (junodownload)
i had problems playing the original as it was too musical and vibrant for the kind of house sets i was playing at this time. the solution to my issue became to play the broken mix instead as i started getting into broken beat at the time. i still sucked at mixing it and i still geared towards the rougher london stylings but it worked on occasions.
this version uses the piano in sampled and effected form as the main riff is worked for the most part. the bass is more audible as it's not being overshadowed by shuffling cymbals and a piano going at it. there is also more experimentation as i like how the drums have been cut up and the use of effects on most of the sounds. it works for an epic closing track as the coda is beautiful beyond belief.
buy here (junodownload)
Sunday 20 January 2013
mari boine - mun da han lean oaivámus (future prophecies remix)
following a cratedig i found the first mari boine remix album and i sort of knew what to expect as it wasn't completely aimed at the housier dancefloors. i was very intrigued with future prophecies remix of "mun da han lean oaivámus" ("just when i had") as i heard the first guitar strums and it launched into a part where boine speaks in english and give a backstory on the song.
it's about her pity of a caucasian man in south africa that was devestated with the changes in the country following the fall of apartheid. she saw a documentary and was disgusted and felt sorry for how he couldn't accept that someone he considered below him would be equal to him. coupled together with boine's heartfelt jojk and the nelson mandela interview except that future prophecies sampled in makes this a powerful track. something does tell me that boine uses the situation of this south african man as an allegory about the treatment of her own native sami heritage by sweden & norway.
given the nature of the vocal and the original, it's more a refitting where the drumprogramming is more intricate than her flowing jojks. everything is built around boine's vocal and to make it impact harder even though most of the people will not understand what she is actually saying. this is why the bass is quite contrained and there isn't that much additional sounds apart from some accenting synthy tones.
buy here (itunes)
note, due to a screwup in the titling of the album, the remix credit is swapped on "ahccai" and "mun da han lean oaivámus".
it's about her pity of a caucasian man in south africa that was devestated with the changes in the country following the fall of apartheid. she saw a documentary and was disgusted and felt sorry for how he couldn't accept that someone he considered below him would be equal to him. coupled together with boine's heartfelt jojk and the nelson mandela interview except that future prophecies sampled in makes this a powerful track. something does tell me that boine uses the situation of this south african man as an allegory about the treatment of her own native sami heritage by sweden & norway.
given the nature of the vocal and the original, it's more a refitting where the drumprogramming is more intricate than her flowing jojks. everything is built around boine's vocal and to make it impact harder even though most of the people will not understand what she is actually saying. this is why the bass is quite contrained and there isn't that much additional sounds apart from some accenting synthy tones.
buy here (itunes)
note, due to a screwup in the titling of the album, the remix credit is swapped on "ahccai" and "mun da han lean oaivámus".
Saturday 19 January 2013
awa manneh - shook, shook, shook (bosslady remix)
this one comes from a compilation sorted out by alexander elb aka dj ulmox that was called "the soul of swedish underground volume 1". along with it, it also includes one of salem al-fakir's early solo tracks, linn segolsson's banging "l.i.n.n." and "bloodpool" by flimpoman of kongo bongo crew. when i saw the compilation a few years ago, i was puzzled by why it had passed me by as it's quality throughout.
in terms of awa manneh i heard her first when she sang on thomas rusiak's "all yours" and then later on her own single "behind the schedule (can i get a witness)". i had not heard "shook, shook, shook" which was her debutsingle and originally produced by christian falk. on this compilation it is manneh's own production and her beats are much more interesting than falk's beats. the bass is heavier and the drums hit harder as the space mostly consisting of rhythm, vocals and light melodic elements.
you do hear some floaty keys and in the tail end of the track there is a bright korg triton-esque horn arrangement but i think there is a digital dancehall feel that awa manneh wanted to reimagine her track as.
in terms of awa manneh i heard her first when she sang on thomas rusiak's "all yours" and then later on her own single "behind the schedule (can i get a witness)". i had not heard "shook, shook, shook" which was her debutsingle and originally produced by christian falk. on this compilation it is manneh's own production and her beats are much more interesting than falk's beats. the bass is heavier and the drums hit harder as the space mostly consisting of rhythm, vocals and light melodic elements.
you do hear some floaty keys and in the tail end of the track there is a bright korg triton-esque horn arrangement but i think there is a digital dancehall feel that awa manneh wanted to reimagine her track as.
Friday 18 January 2013
kitachi - raise it up (capoeira twins steppin razor cut)
i know this one from the react compilation "dope on plastic 8" which carries on the tradition of a multitude of funky grooves and breakbeat tracks. amongst the many quality tracks spread on the two discs was the capoeira twins version of kitachi's "raise it up". it was one of the few in-house label tracks along with some compilation exclusives from artists signed to elsewhere etc.
naturally i was hooked to it thanks to that catchy bassline and guitar that has been borrowed from the bunny lee & the aggrovators produced "none shall escape judgement" riddim, made popular by johnny clarke. i didn't know the source of the sample until selector henrik "eye'n i" blomqvist played it on his radioshow some month ago and it was a moment of recognition.
dynamite mc's rap is also a highlight as his flow is impeccable and works well with the new riddim in mind. i also like the salsa-esque piano and percussion samples in the middle of the track and of course the traditional jamaican sound effects. the result is a skanking fun party number and it's well recommended.
buy here (junodownload)
naturally i was hooked to it thanks to that catchy bassline and guitar that has been borrowed from the bunny lee & the aggrovators produced "none shall escape judgement" riddim, made popular by johnny clarke. i didn't know the source of the sample until selector henrik "eye'n i" blomqvist played it on his radioshow some month ago and it was a moment of recognition.
dynamite mc's rap is also a highlight as his flow is impeccable and works well with the new riddim in mind. i also like the salsa-esque piano and percussion samples in the middle of the track and of course the traditional jamaican sound effects. the result is a skanking fun party number and it's well recommended.
buy here (junodownload)
Thursday 17 January 2013
freq - untitled
when i saw and eventually bought this album i was given the impression that it was by the psytrance producer freq aka sean gallagher. not that it mattered which freq it was but it was the album cover that gave me that impression. as i checked the credits on my way home and saw matrix records and detroit and the name sean deason i understood that it wasn't some psytrance album that i bought.
however the melodic and somewhat hypnotic nature of cuts like "xirtam", "dreamscape", "dolphin dreams" and this one "untitled" made them perfect to play in trancy sets. "untitled" is the fastest and most intense on the album if you don't count "fury" which is drum & bass. much like most of the album it driven by repetition and layered sound aestethics and you could call that minimal which it is but it is also trance.
the pad and muted bongo drum that open the track are eventually joined by a few synthpatches that plays according to the rhythm of the bongo and the chords of the pad. it does get more intricate as the different layers of sound are joined together but that rhythm is the key throughout the track. basically the foundation of what proper trance music should be if you want to be frank about it.
buy here (junodownload)
however the melodic and somewhat hypnotic nature of cuts like "xirtam", "dreamscape", "dolphin dreams" and this one "untitled" made them perfect to play in trancy sets. "untitled" is the fastest and most intense on the album if you don't count "fury" which is drum & bass. much like most of the album it driven by repetition and layered sound aestethics and you could call that minimal which it is but it is also trance.
the pad and muted bongo drum that open the track are eventually joined by a few synthpatches that plays according to the rhythm of the bongo and the chords of the pad. it does get more intricate as the different layers of sound are joined together but that rhythm is the key throughout the track. basically the foundation of what proper trance music should be if you want to be frank about it.
buy here (junodownload)
jamie myerson - crucial
"crucial" comes from jamie myerson's debut album "the listen project" and this caught my ear on the first listen as it sprung to mind an other song. the bells from "crucial" sounds like the ones from quench's "dreams" but it wasn't a straight nicking but more of an influence. the full riff isn't worked but more the first notes and then there is some reversing the chord progression of this riff is used instead.
that being said it is also a possibility that the bell riff isn't unusual and that it's probably taken from elsewhere. the track isn't just the bells but there is also very intricate drum & break programming that is incredible along with a suspensebuilding track structure. it does sort of take away from the bass that sounds like it's just roaming when it doesn't hit you with subby tr-808 kicks.
buy here (itunes)
that being said it is also a possibility that the bell riff isn't unusual and that it's probably taken from elsewhere. the track isn't just the bells but there is also very intricate drum & break programming that is incredible along with a suspensebuilding track structure. it does sort of take away from the bass that sounds like it's just roaming when it doesn't hit you with subby tr-808 kicks.
buy here (itunes)
Wednesday 16 January 2013
rulers of the deep - the last survivor (buick project main mix)
escaping this one in many of the techno and house sets was near impossible back in '05/'06 and after a while i did grow sick of it eventually. none the less i still enjoy it and it's charm comes from the murmuring acidy bassline and the bleak vocal. on the original there was too much a groove for jason butlers dystopian story and while it's a good track, it was done right by the buick project.
so much that rulers of the deep's own update from the '09 re-release sounds more than the own project and so did the additional remixes. i wouldn't say that it's an original take of the song as it stems from the chicago-esque tradition of acid house with spoken vocals. it's supposed to be menacing and dark as opposed to the uplifting style of house with the pianos or sung vocals etc. chatterley and fanciulli's sets jason butler's vocal in center and after he does his introduction the bassline is kicked in and it's really hard to not have a body part reacting to it.
the groove is captivating and it is helped by the bass but there is a sense of trying create a hypnotic state within the track. it isn't fully implemented as they break up the groove to cause those small frenzied highlights on the dancefloor. they are done by either working this midrangy bass-fill or stripping it all down for some bars to beats, bass & the occasional pad as butler tells more in his tale of the robots and the decay of man. the result is william gibson-esque stories and aestethics together with acid house. lovely.
buy here (junodownload)
so much that rulers of the deep's own update from the '09 re-release sounds more than the own project and so did the additional remixes. i wouldn't say that it's an original take of the song as it stems from the chicago-esque tradition of acid house with spoken vocals. it's supposed to be menacing and dark as opposed to the uplifting style of house with the pianos or sung vocals etc. chatterley and fanciulli's sets jason butler's vocal in center and after he does his introduction the bassline is kicked in and it's really hard to not have a body part reacting to it.
the groove is captivating and it is helped by the bass but there is a sense of trying create a hypnotic state within the track. it isn't fully implemented as they break up the groove to cause those small frenzied highlights on the dancefloor. they are done by either working this midrangy bass-fill or stripping it all down for some bars to beats, bass & the occasional pad as butler tells more in his tale of the robots and the decay of man. the result is william gibson-esque stories and aestethics together with acid house. lovely.
buy here (junodownload)
Tuesday 15 January 2013
all saints - black coffee (the neptunes remix)
someone reminded me of trevor nelson's show "the lick" that used to air on regular mtv here in sweden and i got to thinking of this track. i may be mistaken but i think he used this track or something that sounded like it as an intro to the program. chances are that it's just my imagination but it doesn't detract from that it's an great track.
i have a great fondness with all saints' "pure shores" and i much like say the sugababes, had a liking to most of the singles. my interest for the songs are just on that level, i don't really care about their albums but when they deliver great songs i will openly profess that i love them. the original of "black coffee" is much on their usual high quality but i remembered it more for the video than the song.
for their rendition of the song the neptunes go very barebones and it's all saints' warm harmonies on top of it's tr-808 drums and sounds from their korg triton. you notice that those sounds are much better with some processing or with something more than just the element at hand. most apparent is the fake pitchbent guitar and the strings during the choruses.
never the less it doesn't detract from the song nor does pusha t's questionably mediocre verse that hugo & williams included. this is all open for interpretation but you notice it when you have listened to something multiple times in a row. love it.
buy here (itunes)
i have a great fondness with all saints' "pure shores" and i much like say the sugababes, had a liking to most of the singles. my interest for the songs are just on that level, i don't really care about their albums but when they deliver great songs i will openly profess that i love them. the original of "black coffee" is much on their usual high quality but i remembered it more for the video than the song.
for their rendition of the song the neptunes go very barebones and it's all saints' warm harmonies on top of it's tr-808 drums and sounds from their korg triton. you notice that those sounds are much better with some processing or with something more than just the element at hand. most apparent is the fake pitchbent guitar and the strings during the choruses.
never the less it doesn't detract from the song nor does pusha t's questionably mediocre verse that hugo & williams included. this is all open for interpretation but you notice it when you have listened to something multiple times in a row. love it.
buy here (itunes)
Monday 14 January 2013
eric prydz & adeva - in & out (hugg & pepp remix)
with the nature of adeva's "in and out of my life" being somewhat of a house or new york garage classic, i have little to no relation to it. first time i heard the track was in sampled form and even then i didn't really like it. of course i'm talking about atfc's rework/mashup of it and fatboy slim's "right here, right now". that being said there are one or two versions of that i'm fond of and they are knee deep's remix and quake's dub. reason being that i didn't like how the vocal was handled, that also goes for the horrific radical noiz version.
eric prydz's remix is something that i can tolerate but i don't think much of it, it sounds like a combination of the remix of "lola's theme" and one of the pryda tracks and then adeva's vocal on top. prydz also asked the dahlbäck cousins to knock out a version in their hugg & pepp moniker and this version suited me in style and i was nuts for when it was released.
the dahlbäck's rendition musically is directly connected to the original and uses it's bassline, melodies & aestethics but all redone in an deeper big room technohouse styling. rhytmically jesper dahlbäck's trusted tr-808 (which i have seen him rock out on in a live setting) is the star where it's played in a typical oldschool chicago fashion.
dahlbäck also uses his tb-303 as a bassline but he also lets it rumble & squelch in the big breakdown on the second half of the track. these machines and two different synth patches (from some machines i can't name at hand) where one works as a broad pad and the other is an plucked arpeggio, is the backing for adeva's rich vocals. as the track is built around her vocals it's really impacting hard and when she belts it out, you feel her every word. as it should be.
buy here (junodownload)
eric prydz's remix is something that i can tolerate but i don't think much of it, it sounds like a combination of the remix of "lola's theme" and one of the pryda tracks and then adeva's vocal on top. prydz also asked the dahlbäck cousins to knock out a version in their hugg & pepp moniker and this version suited me in style and i was nuts for when it was released.
the dahlbäck's rendition musically is directly connected to the original and uses it's bassline, melodies & aestethics but all redone in an deeper big room technohouse styling. rhytmically jesper dahlbäck's trusted tr-808 (which i have seen him rock out on in a live setting) is the star where it's played in a typical oldschool chicago fashion.
dahlbäck also uses his tb-303 as a bassline but he also lets it rumble & squelch in the big breakdown on the second half of the track. these machines and two different synth patches (from some machines i can't name at hand) where one works as a broad pad and the other is an plucked arpeggio, is the backing for adeva's rich vocals. as the track is built around her vocals it's really impacting hard and when she belts it out, you feel her every word. as it should be.
buy here (junodownload)
Sunday 13 January 2013
magnolia - it's all vain (meat katie vs. christian j rollerball dub)
right around 2004 i was suddenly more interested into the essential mixes and heard meat katie's which included his & christian j's remix of magnolia's "it's all vain" and i think it was either through it or by recommendation of a friend. it wasn't the most popular version of the song by far as i know dogzilla's rerub was doing it for the trance crowd and everyone else was focused on the steve angello remix. i don't think much of the former but i love the latter and it rates second best to this version.
it's a piece of driving breaks with a vicious bassline and i have banged this one out in my sets countless of times. the only thing used from nick ferrando's original is small parts of the vocal. the hardsell of "it's all vain" was the track with the cutup guitar and the lush piano break and a hook that owes to michael jackson's "man in the mirror". angello used the piano and the hook to great use and turned in a nice peaktime houser while this is more of a near peak-builder in a big room breaks set.
meat katie & christian j did base this off some previous productions, one of which i can't name for the life of me but i think it's "cusp", but it works really well. it's not completely spun off nick ferrando's original version but the more clubbier versions done innervisions. they feature some of the sounds and most notably the dirty rumbling bass that is the focal point of this remix. meat katie & christian j boiled it down to that and all the driving synthsounds are spun of them. the track oozes of energy and it's the force that is pushing the track forward, it's relentless and it makes your body move. in all of the right ways, as it should be.
buy here (junodownload)
it's a piece of driving breaks with a vicious bassline and i have banged this one out in my sets countless of times. the only thing used from nick ferrando's original is small parts of the vocal. the hardsell of "it's all vain" was the track with the cutup guitar and the lush piano break and a hook that owes to michael jackson's "man in the mirror". angello used the piano and the hook to great use and turned in a nice peaktime houser while this is more of a near peak-builder in a big room breaks set.
meat katie & christian j did base this off some previous productions, one of which i can't name for the life of me but i think it's "cusp", but it works really well. it's not completely spun off nick ferrando's original version but the more clubbier versions done innervisions. they feature some of the sounds and most notably the dirty rumbling bass that is the focal point of this remix. meat katie & christian j boiled it down to that and all the driving synthsounds are spun of them. the track oozes of energy and it's the force that is pushing the track forward, it's relentless and it makes your body move. in all of the right ways, as it should be.
buy here (junodownload)
Saturday 12 January 2013
spirit catcher - voo doo knight
as with most people i encountered this track when i was hearing it out in sets and the whenever it was mixed in i kept thinking the same thing: "oh cool, thriller". the key thing with "voo doo knight" is that it doesn't keep the "thriller" bass riff (from the break, not the start) throughout the track, only on the build-up. you hear it build and there is a slowed down hazy vocal giving you "instructions". after it has said it's last fully spoken sentances that there is a whole load of echoed vocal fragments and along with it the high pitched string is being more tenseful.
when it all boils down and you expecting a big drop which maybe is going to lead to the famous bassline from the start of thriller, it changes into a different modus operandi. the acidy bass that were playing the "thriller" notes is uncaged and it goes into a whole different melody and chord. the only thing that is the same with this riff and the "thriller" riff is they are both damn funky. the acidline gets to squelch a bit on it's own but then additional sounds and accents are played along.
the hardcell for this track is that it's a "thriller"-knick with a twist as it ends on a completely different note, it's quite melodic near the end. when the bassline it taken off on the last 16th bars there is more traits to what spirit catcher would release on future releases.
buy here (junodownload)
when it all boils down and you expecting a big drop which maybe is going to lead to the famous bassline from the start of thriller, it changes into a different modus operandi. the acidy bass that were playing the "thriller" notes is uncaged and it goes into a whole different melody and chord. the only thing that is the same with this riff and the "thriller" riff is they are both damn funky. the acidline gets to squelch a bit on it's own but then additional sounds and accents are played along.
the hardcell for this track is that it's a "thriller"-knick with a twist as it ends on a completely different note, it's quite melodic near the end. when the bassline it taken off on the last 16th bars there is more traits to what spirit catcher would release on future releases.
buy here (junodownload)
Friday 11 January 2013
psilodump - tangens (homerun's breed remix)
chances is that i discovered psilodump's music either through sets on or when i was trawling net-labels on archive.org. simon rahm has spit out a huge amount of music over the years and i have enjoyed a large number of the tracks that i've heard. however i can't remember most of the names except "the night i lost you all you all" and "jag och psilodump", the latter of which includes "jag hatar psilodump" which i love and have planned to do an entry about but have forgotten to do so.
"tangens" is one of his many proper techno numbers but it's aestethic and creative use of sounds and samples makes it distinctive of rahm's other output. i quite like it but i consider pierre jerksten aka homerun's version to be much better. it boils the track down to it's essentials and emphasises the groove which is one of the strongpoints of the original.
jerksten takes the tempo down a smidge and when doing this the rumbling bassline becomes even more powerful. as homerun pierre j is more known for the sort of chuggy tribal progressive house/techno sound and this is no exception except the percussion are more of a background element imbedded into the groove. he puts all the focus on the bassline and as the track progresses, it's doubled up on other synths that are in midrange.
there is also a small melody that was employed in the latter half of the original that jerksten used in the first half of the track right before the break. never the less i wouldn't say that is the key melodic element as the way that midrange bassline, is filtering in and out ever so resonantly, is the hook. it sounds like a processed acid warble backed up with bitcrushing, some white noise and reverb. when it is at it's loudest, you really expect it to explode into some arpeggiated acidline but it never does.
a vicious piece of big room techno. well recommended
buy here (junodownload)
"tangens" is one of his many proper techno numbers but it's aestethic and creative use of sounds and samples makes it distinctive of rahm's other output. i quite like it but i consider pierre jerksten aka homerun's version to be much better. it boils the track down to it's essentials and emphasises the groove which is one of the strongpoints of the original.
jerksten takes the tempo down a smidge and when doing this the rumbling bassline becomes even more powerful. as homerun pierre j is more known for the sort of chuggy tribal progressive house/techno sound and this is no exception except the percussion are more of a background element imbedded into the groove. he puts all the focus on the bassline and as the track progresses, it's doubled up on other synths that are in midrange.
there is also a small melody that was employed in the latter half of the original that jerksten used in the first half of the track right before the break. never the less i wouldn't say that is the key melodic element as the way that midrange bassline, is filtering in and out ever so resonantly, is the hook. it sounds like a processed acid warble backed up with bitcrushing, some white noise and reverb. when it is at it's loudest, you really expect it to explode into some arpeggiated acidline but it never does.
a vicious piece of big room techno. well recommended
buy here (junodownload)
Thursday 10 January 2013
dinky - this is your heart
"acid in my fridge" spread like wildfire when it came out in late '05 and mostly it was tobi neumanns rerub that got most play, including from me. it must have been that been that bassline that did the works including the vocal from alejandra iglesias herself saying "take a trip, there's acid in my fridge" in her somewhat cold demeanour and accented english. it also worked as i was busting out the abe duque remix of chloé's "take care" at the time and chloé thevenin had the same kind of delivery in her vocal.
when i was looking at her catalogue, as i was purchasing the original "acid in my fridge" digitally, a few of her newer releases came to tickle my ears and one of them was the "time to lose it ep" on visionquest. a really well produced ep with a lovely title track and a funky cut called "teka" that i'm sure set some dancefloors on fire. then there was techy "this is your heart" which i remembered that dj sandra mosh played in one of her sets on national radio and i love this track.
it employs a rather subby bassline and on top there a stiff techno groove moving along in a nice pace. the sound from iglesias' synthesizers and machines are present right as the kickdrum go in and you hear a warm pulsating sweeping sound that bring forward an arpeggio that is present throughout the track. the pulsating sound fades in and out of sections and it bring a nice dynamic as it works as the tension builder. also it wouldn't be dinky without her voice occasionally gracing the track and you hear say "this is your heart" every once a while. great tune.
buy here (junodownload)
when i was looking at her catalogue, as i was purchasing the original "acid in my fridge" digitally, a few of her newer releases came to tickle my ears and one of them was the "time to lose it ep" on visionquest. a really well produced ep with a lovely title track and a funky cut called "teka" that i'm sure set some dancefloors on fire. then there was techy "this is your heart" which i remembered that dj sandra mosh played in one of her sets on national radio and i love this track.
it employs a rather subby bassline and on top there a stiff techno groove moving along in a nice pace. the sound from iglesias' synthesizers and machines are present right as the kickdrum go in and you hear a warm pulsating sweeping sound that bring forward an arpeggio that is present throughout the track. the pulsating sound fades in and out of sections and it bring a nice dynamic as it works as the tension builder. also it wouldn't be dinky without her voice occasionally gracing the track and you hear say "this is your heart" every once a while. great tune.
buy here (junodownload)
circulation - cherry (side b)
this one i heard a few months after it has been released and it was a case of catching up on the latest circulations record. they released one after one or two months and "cherry" was something i originally skipped out on because the a-side was drab boring tech-house and i forgot to listen to the flip. the deal with their record that while the tracks were released under the same colour, they weren't different versions of the song.
fast forward when i did take a listen to the b-side of "cherry" and was in love with it's bubbly and summery house sound. this was also at a time where i was incorporating more house into my sets and while i was still trying to play everything at 130 bpm, i was becoming better at it. i used to play this as bridge into funkier sounds as it pretty much starts with it's strings and pads and lets the rhythm grow in.
i didn't like to use it right smack dab in midset or peak as it was a track in motion and either you used it get to somewhere or to take it down as the last section of the track is great for simmering down as well. no matter how you use it it's a something chunky and summery with nice melodies and some vibrant percussion, all served together with a nice light but round bassline
buy here (junodownload)
fast forward when i did take a listen to the b-side of "cherry" and was in love with it's bubbly and summery house sound. this was also at a time where i was incorporating more house into my sets and while i was still trying to play everything at 130 bpm, i was becoming better at it. i used to play this as bridge into funkier sounds as it pretty much starts with it's strings and pads and lets the rhythm grow in.
i didn't like to use it right smack dab in midset or peak as it was a track in motion and either you used it get to somewhere or to take it down as the last section of the track is great for simmering down as well. no matter how you use it it's a something chunky and summery with nice melodies and some vibrant percussion, all served together with a nice light but round bassline
buy here (junodownload)
Wednesday 9 January 2013
das bo - türlich, türlich (sicher dicker)
the result of spending almost the whole summer of 2000 in germany was that i became hooked onto a whole load of german hip-hop, mostly the commercial kind. there was days i wouldn't have anything to do and i would check viva, mtv and other channels of the sorts for the liking. it also helped that my german cousin was quite into hip-hop but more of the american kind.
i would hear countless tracks including dj tomekk's "ich lebe für hiphop", deichkind's "bon voyage", fettes brot's "da draussen" and then this track by das bo. "türlich, türlich" is proper stupid miami bass with lyrics about partying, ladies shaking the behinds and the thirst for more bass. i've actually heard a number of das bo's other tracks and while they nice i have no relation to them as much as this.
at some point i've even heard it out in a club while some dj was mixing up hiphop and beats from all parts of the globe and you would hear something in swahili into french into japanese etc etc. it was at this event i also heard the bass of "türlich, türlich (sicher, dicker)" in it's full glory. it also helps that it drops for a second from it's regular sample of faze-o's "toe jam" for a small replay of technotronic's "pump up the jam".
buy here (itunes)
i would hear countless tracks including dj tomekk's "ich lebe für hiphop", deichkind's "bon voyage", fettes brot's "da draussen" and then this track by das bo. "türlich, türlich" is proper stupid miami bass with lyrics about partying, ladies shaking the behinds and the thirst for more bass. i've actually heard a number of das bo's other tracks and while they nice i have no relation to them as much as this.
at some point i've even heard it out in a club while some dj was mixing up hiphop and beats from all parts of the globe and you would hear something in swahili into french into japanese etc etc. it was at this event i also heard the bass of "türlich, türlich (sicher, dicker)" in it's full glory. it also helps that it drops for a second from it's regular sample of faze-o's "toe jam" for a small replay of technotronic's "pump up the jam".
buy here (itunes)
rosie brown - blow the man down
first time i encountered rosie brown was with the incredibly funky "bliss" which jazzanova put on off their compilations. i love that song and there has been times where i'd listen to it in repeat but apart from it i haven't really dug deep into her catalogue, until a little awhile ago. someone gave me a heads up on "mega fauna" off her latest album "strange recollection" and it was short but equally funky as "bliss".
the album itself is a decent affair but i was looking at from a different state of mind as most of it is folky blue-eyed soul but i was looking for downright funky material. after giving it the old college try i did like this track "blow the man down" as it there was some groove to be found. you had to let the intro with it's wistful horns and rosies vocal introduction go on and then there is something that was a mixture of jazz, folk, country & soul
and the end result turns out really nice.while i don't know what the song is about as brown sings quite lowkey in her usual ways, it is quite interesting musically.
buy here (itunes)
the album itself is a decent affair but i was looking at from a different state of mind as most of it is folky blue-eyed soul but i was looking for downright funky material. after giving it the old college try i did like this track "blow the man down" as it there was some groove to be found. you had to let the intro with it's wistful horns and rosies vocal introduction go on and then there is something that was a mixture of jazz, folk, country & soul
and the end result turns out really nice.while i don't know what the song is about as brown sings quite lowkey in her usual ways, it is quite interesting musically.
buy here (itunes)
Tuesday 8 January 2013
hertz - granit (cari lekebusch remix)
i heard this record at my infatuation with banging swedish techno and i had known of the track on the original ep and pierre jerksten aka hertz's "granit" was just a loop. it was a good groove but apart from some small changes in the drumprogramming, it really didn't go anywhere and was just meant to be played with a shedloads of others.
cari lekebusch's remix came out a month or so after it on a limited released with a pär grindvik remix of adam beyer & henrik b's "walk out". i've had use for both tracks in my sets but i like lekebusch's version of "granit" a lot as he took a tool and made into a track. he also added these vocodered vocalsamples saying "drumcode" & "27.5" (label and cataloguenumber) and i like their presence on the track.
there is also some additional dubby warm stabs and some more reverbed sounds, including these crowdsounds that i'm not really a fan of. i do however like the breakdown and the pseudo-breakbeat that it builds around as it works well in the mix but it's also a good transition point.
listen here (youtube)
cari lekebusch's remix came out a month or so after it on a limited released with a pär grindvik remix of adam beyer & henrik b's "walk out". i've had use for both tracks in my sets but i like lekebusch's version of "granit" a lot as he took a tool and made into a track. he also added these vocodered vocalsamples saying "drumcode" & "27.5" (label and cataloguenumber) and i like their presence on the track.
there is also some additional dubby warm stabs and some more reverbed sounds, including these crowdsounds that i'm not really a fan of. i do however like the breakdown and the pseudo-breakbeat that it builds around as it works well in the mix but it's also a good transition point.
listen here (youtube)
micah & nicholas bennison - drivetrain mechanics
"drivetrain mechanics" came as a recommendation during the time when nicholas bennison was being heralded as the new best thing within trance music. not on a pure hype perspective but he along with a select few other producers seemed to make epic trance that was driving and wasn't put all the focus within the breakdown.
it is a collaboration with canadian producer micah lukasewich and is quite a sturdy track, not focused completely on the melody but more on the groove. the thriving bassline sets the pace leaving the percussion to be wild and part of the layers, the way the drum hits are programmed does remind me off when james holden used to wild out. the melodic parts are broad and sweeping but part of the groove with some key parts being emphasised with effects.
overall "drivetrain mechanics" is a fierce builder that has served me well in sets. i know for a certain that lukasewich doesn't like to be associated with the trancier tracks of his past but i've pointed it out to him that he has nothing to be ashamed over. never the less with bennison you have more of this in store in terms of his catalogue. well recommended.
buy here (junodownload)
it is a collaboration with canadian producer micah lukasewich and is quite a sturdy track, not focused completely on the melody but more on the groove. the thriving bassline sets the pace leaving the percussion to be wild and part of the layers, the way the drum hits are programmed does remind me off when james holden used to wild out. the melodic parts are broad and sweeping but part of the groove with some key parts being emphasised with effects.
overall "drivetrain mechanics" is a fierce builder that has served me well in sets. i know for a certain that lukasewich doesn't like to be associated with the trancier tracks of his past but i've pointed it out to him that he has nothing to be ashamed over. never the less with bennison you have more of this in store in terms of his catalogue. well recommended.
buy here (junodownload)
Monday 7 January 2013
pinch - teleportation
"teleportation" was something i heard a while ago on juno and i was attracted to hear the release as the a-side was called something as good as "attack of the giant killer robot spiders!". shame the track wasn't as good as the name, sure it had some nifty rustie/flylo-esque type drumchopping going on but that was it. where the main track of the release didn't give me any satisfaction, the b-side really delivered.
going by the intro i thought it was going to be a traditional halftime type of track but after i heard it kick in, there was some nice groove to it. as the track is about the deep subbass and the atmosphere in general there isn't many elements beyond drums, bass and then a few select sounds. one of them is the number of pads that float on top and set the mood. the main one sounds like a wind sample that has been modulated and reverbed to be much longer.
i understand that something like this should be part of a mix and/or heard on a big system as the impact is much bigger in that state but it's also something for headphones. perfect music for nights, winters, autumns or even a drearily hot day smack dab in the summertime.
buy here (junodownload)
going by the intro i thought it was going to be a traditional halftime type of track but after i heard it kick in, there was some nice groove to it. as the track is about the deep subbass and the atmosphere in general there isn't many elements beyond drums, bass and then a few select sounds. one of them is the number of pads that float on top and set the mood. the main one sounds like a wind sample that has been modulated and reverbed to be much longer.
i understand that something like this should be part of a mix and/or heard on a big system as the impact is much bigger in that state but it's also something for headphones. perfect music for nights, winters, autumns or even a drearily hot day smack dab in the summertime.
buy here (junodownload)
blu peter - substance (salt tank psilocybe skies mix)
friend of mine had the threedisc unmixed compilation "21st century trance" that came out on react in '99 and it contained a number of really good tracks. like the fire & ice remix of sunscreem's "exodus", solar stone's "seven cities", the olmec heads remix of rapid eye's "alderaan" and the armin van buuren remix of denzil & dwayne's "force of habit". basically epic trance galore and when i first heard of the compilation in '02, it was those i was after.
later i borrowed the collection and discovered that there was other interesting tracks also like the marc o'tool project ballroom with "4am", the shortlived german project earthbound's "substance" and this one. it was like many of the tracks on the compilation something originally released on react and it's amongst the deeper ones.
blu peter's original revolves around a groovy acidline, this twinkly lead melody and a vocal sample that concerns narcotics. it's quite nice and i like the groove but it's a little to stiff concerning the mood he is trying to project and i don't like how he twisted the vocal with effects. what salt tank did for their version was to focus all on the groove and atmosphere to really emphasise the drug-infused haze for a lack of better terms.
the drums have been changed to something less rigid and with the additional percussive elements it chugs away while the small acidsequence gets almost a solospot in the first half of the song. as the song drops for a small breakdown where it runs the vocal sample and introduces the melody. as the breakdown flows naturally and feels it serves it purpose well for the second half of the track.
salt tank never plays out the melody in full as it expands upon in the original but keeps it as a layer of sound in the reverbdrenched soundscape. they introduce the stringpads and also add another layer of drums that are given some extra delay. so are the pad and most of the other elements and the small but efficient peakmoment where every element is in right before it drops down, is really meaty. love it.
buy here (junodownload)
later i borrowed the collection and discovered that there was other interesting tracks also like the marc o'tool project ballroom with "4am", the shortlived german project earthbound's "substance" and this one. it was like many of the tracks on the compilation something originally released on react and it's amongst the deeper ones.
blu peter's original revolves around a groovy acidline, this twinkly lead melody and a vocal sample that concerns narcotics. it's quite nice and i like the groove but it's a little to stiff concerning the mood he is trying to project and i don't like how he twisted the vocal with effects. what salt tank did for their version was to focus all on the groove and atmosphere to really emphasise the drug-infused haze for a lack of better terms.
the drums have been changed to something less rigid and with the additional percussive elements it chugs away while the small acidsequence gets almost a solospot in the first half of the song. as the song drops for a small breakdown where it runs the vocal sample and introduces the melody. as the breakdown flows naturally and feels it serves it purpose well for the second half of the track.
salt tank never plays out the melody in full as it expands upon in the original but keeps it as a layer of sound in the reverbdrenched soundscape. they introduce the stringpads and also add another layer of drums that are given some extra delay. so are the pad and most of the other elements and the small but efficient peakmoment where every element is in right before it drops down, is really meaty. love it.
buy here (junodownload)
Sunday 6 January 2013
rihanna - rude boy (marcus price remix)
this particular version of "rude boy" was something that i was given a heads up on through a blog and i had just finished doing my own version of the song when i heard of this remix. my version was something to test out a beat done when messing around with the drums of labi siffre's "the vulture" and the chords to jazzstandard "autumn leaves". meaning a fairly traditional hiphop mix of something that was modern r&b in it's original state.
marcus price however flipped the track around and did a masterful footworky rendition where the pace is fast and the bass hits hard in the lower end. right from the getgo where he loops one of phrases that's been pitched down and processed and along with it you hear the bass in staccato. after some runs of the vocal with plenty of repetition, he lets rihanna sing the verse out in full and goes for the jugular with a mighty bass drop.
he also includes a small synthpatch that plays the same notes as the bass and melody comes out sounding random but it's this madness that makes it all work. the subby tr-808 kicks that is punching through and a relentless clap being the rhythmical backdrop and on the dancefloor, this frenzy is nothing but. it translates to pure energy as the lower end provides a manual to what is essential to dance music.
listen here (soundcloud)
marcus price however flipped the track around and did a masterful footworky rendition where the pace is fast and the bass hits hard in the lower end. right from the getgo where he loops one of phrases that's been pitched down and processed and along with it you hear the bass in staccato. after some runs of the vocal with plenty of repetition, he lets rihanna sing the verse out in full and goes for the jugular with a mighty bass drop.
he also includes a small synthpatch that plays the same notes as the bass and melody comes out sounding random but it's this madness that makes it all work. the subby tr-808 kicks that is punching through and a relentless clap being the rhythmical backdrop and on the dancefloor, this frenzy is nothing but. it translates to pure energy as the lower end provides a manual to what is essential to dance music.
listen here (soundcloud)
Saturday 5 January 2013
mary - dreamin' of lovin' you (rex mundi sweet techno remix)
"dreamin' of lovin' you" was a record that i bought a few years ago i think on the strength of the jaydee remix but also since i really liked the sleeve. both the main sleeve and the artwork for the record containing remixes by stuart had a magazine layout to it with some of the lyrics printed out as the "article hooks". robin albers (aka jaydee) and boy hagemann who together form rex mundi produced the original and it's a decent housey affair.
on his own solo remix jaydee strips it down on somewhat progressive edge and i like the use of the trumpet but upon listening to the rex mundi remix after i took it home, it was irrelivant. i liked it but i found no use it in my sets but i did with the rex mundi version which is a corker of a track. it sits on the line between pumping clubby big room techno and funky driving trance and it reminds me of the sound that peter horrevorts produced as oliver shine and what was coming out tsunami's special blend sublabel at the time.
the thick groove is kicked off and spearheaded by a driving bassline and is loaded with shuffling percussion and buzzing synths and i really like how they worked this reversed part of the vocal on the buildup and till the break hits. the breakdown features some of the vocals but also serves it's purpose and drops at the right time and creates some tension. after the drop there is more icy pads and airy but fiery synthwashes that has their place on top the groove.
i loved this movement in trance but i had problems with fitting it with other stuff as it was too funky for trance and to trancy for loopy percussive techno. my friend jan henrik was better at playing this kind of material because he also has a broader crate and was turning me onto a number of the tracks. never the less it was exciting for this kind of groove being matched together with the rhythms and sounds of epic trance or whatnot. well recommended.
buy here (junodownload)
upon writing this entry i did some slight research and noticed the song itself is a remake of a song by british r&b act david's daughters. i know them exclusively for their collaboration with swedish hip-hop and r&b project blacknuss and especially the song "don't break my heart". i took a listen to the original on junodownload and i liked it and the remixes, i recommend the stepchild remix on the hip-hop tip and the basement culture mix & sharp boys dub on the housier flavour.
buy here (junodownload)
on his own solo remix jaydee strips it down on somewhat progressive edge and i like the use of the trumpet but upon listening to the rex mundi remix after i took it home, it was irrelivant. i liked it but i found no use it in my sets but i did with the rex mundi version which is a corker of a track. it sits on the line between pumping clubby big room techno and funky driving trance and it reminds me of the sound that peter horrevorts produced as oliver shine and what was coming out tsunami's special blend sublabel at the time.
the thick groove is kicked off and spearheaded by a driving bassline and is loaded with shuffling percussion and buzzing synths and i really like how they worked this reversed part of the vocal on the buildup and till the break hits. the breakdown features some of the vocals but also serves it's purpose and drops at the right time and creates some tension. after the drop there is more icy pads and airy but fiery synthwashes that has their place on top the groove.
i loved this movement in trance but i had problems with fitting it with other stuff as it was too funky for trance and to trancy for loopy percussive techno. my friend jan henrik was better at playing this kind of material because he also has a broader crate and was turning me onto a number of the tracks. never the less it was exciting for this kind of groove being matched together with the rhythms and sounds of epic trance or whatnot. well recommended.
buy here (junodownload)
upon writing this entry i did some slight research and noticed the song itself is a remake of a song by british r&b act david's daughters. i know them exclusively for their collaboration with swedish hip-hop and r&b project blacknuss and especially the song "don't break my heart". i took a listen to the original on junodownload and i liked it and the remixes, i recommend the stepchild remix on the hip-hop tip and the basement culture mix & sharp boys dub on the housier flavour.
buy here (junodownload)
Friday 4 January 2013
ppk - i need rhythm 2001
when i was revisiting my old minidisc mixtapes i heard this track that was russian act ppk's remix of fellow russian singer marina khlebnikova's "печаль моя" ("my sorrow"). it was a track that i heard a year after i'd heard ppk's massive hit "resurection" and their album "formation" back in 2002. my friend turned me onto the album and he was into some of the tracks and after i'd heard listened to the whole thing i was hooked on to one track called "мне нужен ритм 2001" ("i need rhythm 2001")
it was catchy and featured this repetitious hook in russian sung by vera kafitina and at one instance i sang the thing while in physics class. it caught the attention of a friend of mine who spoke russian and he asked "why do you need this rhythm?". i already had a grasp of the translation of that lyric but i didn't know the other ones but he kindly translated after he listened to it. they were "i need rhythm" (of course), "i want to be with you" and "take me with you".
the 2001 version of "мне нужен ритм" on "formation" was a remix and it probably made to fit with the other tracks of the album which was a collection of previously released singles and a few new tracks. the original which i heard as well by digging up the mp3 on p2p at the time is a decent but trite commercial not-quite-house-but-not-quite-trancer. ppk did a serious update on it and redid everything and the endresult is a synthheavy epic trancer.
what polyakov and pimenov also did was to fit the track with a proper groove and a nice bassline, it's a variation on the standard offbeat trance bassline but has some swing to it. the treatment of vera's vocals and it's progression of the track is big plus for it and the small chordchange that happens three quarters in is really nice. with the synths there is a whole wall of melodies and sounds blasting through the five minutes it plays out. my favourite is the squelchy one that plays it low the first half of the track but goes up in pitch and resonance after the breakdown and get's somewhat of a solospot on the outro.
buy here (itunes)
it was catchy and featured this repetitious hook in russian sung by vera kafitina and at one instance i sang the thing while in physics class. it caught the attention of a friend of mine who spoke russian and he asked "why do you need this rhythm?". i already had a grasp of the translation of that lyric but i didn't know the other ones but he kindly translated after he listened to it. they were "i need rhythm" (of course), "i want to be with you" and "take me with you".
the 2001 version of "мне нужен ритм" on "formation" was a remix and it probably made to fit with the other tracks of the album which was a collection of previously released singles and a few new tracks. the original which i heard as well by digging up the mp3 on p2p at the time is a decent but trite commercial not-quite-house-but-not-quite-trancer. ppk did a serious update on it and redid everything and the endresult is a synthheavy epic trancer.
what polyakov and pimenov also did was to fit the track with a proper groove and a nice bassline, it's a variation on the standard offbeat trance bassline but has some swing to it. the treatment of vera's vocals and it's progression of the track is big plus for it and the small chordchange that happens three quarters in is really nice. with the synths there is a whole wall of melodies and sounds blasting through the five minutes it plays out. my favourite is the squelchy one that plays it low the first half of the track but goes up in pitch and resonance after the breakdown and get's somewhat of a solospot on the outro.
buy here (itunes)
Thursday 3 January 2013
aphex twin - vaz deferenz
recently i picked up the "donkey rhubarb" single as it included the magnificent philip glass rendition of "icct hedral". after listening to the whole ep i thought little of "donkey rhubarb" and "pancake lizard" was fun but meaningless. second track on the single was "vaz deferenz" and it was something that i hadn't heard before but i became a fan out it instantly. if it's something richard d james is brilliant at then it's making electro and "vaz deferenz" come through hard.
it reminds me of "isopropanol" and "dodeccaheedron" from the first two aphex twin ep's but it's more techno than proper electro but it doesn't matter. synthesised bubbly and crunchy sounds together with bleeps and bloops on top a rigid sub bass and really hard kicks. it wouldn't be out of place in a techno set or an electro set, depending on what type of electro one is playing. someone like me that is all over the place will cram it with whatever i'm playing. be it some soulful new jersey garage or banging trance, i'd punch it in.
buy here (bleep)
it reminds me of "isopropanol" and "dodeccaheedron" from the first two aphex twin ep's but it's more techno than proper electro but it doesn't matter. synthesised bubbly and crunchy sounds together with bleeps and bloops on top a rigid sub bass and really hard kicks. it wouldn't be out of place in a techno set or an electro set, depending on what type of electro one is playing. someone like me that is all over the place will cram it with whatever i'm playing. be it some soulful new jersey garage or banging trance, i'd punch it in.
buy here (bleep)
helen cristina - canto de ossanha (gui boratto's extended mix)
another compilation find but it's also something that i found trawling around discogs and saw the name gui boratto in the context of drum & bass. as boratto was blowing up a house and techno producer, this context was even more interesting and i've mentioned that before. the concept of a groovy jungle rendition of one of the most famous brazillian folk songs ever is also interesting and especially when it's as good as this.
i don't know who helen cristina was but i like her vocal effort on this one, i can't say i rate it above astrud gilberto or vincius de moraes (who sang it originally) or elis regina but she nails the song. this version is taken from the compilation "sambass vol. 3" on irma and the concept is brazilian drum & bass but to be honest, i always found this labelling a bit constrained. i understand it but fact of the matter is that in most cases it's just liquid funk and maybe some samba-esque percussion and stylings but it's still housey drum & bass.
none the less with cristina & boratto's version of "canto de ossanha" you have punchy drums and a flowing guitar along with some nice light keyboard sounds. not much of a bassline but they got everything else down quite well and they nailed the summery aspect of the sound.
listen here (youtube)
i don't know who helen cristina was but i like her vocal effort on this one, i can't say i rate it above astrud gilberto or vincius de moraes (who sang it originally) or elis regina but she nails the song. this version is taken from the compilation "sambass vol. 3" on irma and the concept is brazilian drum & bass but to be honest, i always found this labelling a bit constrained. i understand it but fact of the matter is that in most cases it's just liquid funk and maybe some samba-esque percussion and stylings but it's still housey drum & bass.
none the less with cristina & boratto's version of "canto de ossanha" you have punchy drums and a flowing guitar along with some nice light keyboard sounds. not much of a bassline but they got everything else down quite well and they nailed the summery aspect of the sound.
listen here (youtube)
Wednesday 2 January 2013
superpitcher - tell me about it
"tell me about it" comes from the kompakt label compilation total 6 but it was not for it that i purchased the album. it contains kaito's brilliant "hundred million light years", rex the dog's "i look into mid air" and the mfa's "the difference it makes" amongst others. i discovered it when i took it home and skimmed through some of the pieces and the first ten second really hooks you in with it's moody reverbed piano and female vocal sample.
as the song progresses there is a deep techno groove at hand and it's really subdued and suggestive with the element in the intro constantly re-appearing. the echo delay becomes longer and it resonates well with the pulsating synthline that is other driving force. i love the track on it's own as the nature of it makes it not really perfect for the dancefloor, maybe in the early stages of warmups or in afterhours but it's too suggestive and not enough rhythm.
i would describe it as a hypnotic mood piece disguised as deep house and it's awesome at it. well done aksel schufler/superpitcher
buy here (beatport)
as the song progresses there is a deep techno groove at hand and it's really subdued and suggestive with the element in the intro constantly re-appearing. the echo delay becomes longer and it resonates well with the pulsating synthline that is other driving force. i love the track on it's own as the nature of it makes it not really perfect for the dancefloor, maybe in the early stages of warmups or in afterhours but it's too suggestive and not enough rhythm.
i would describe it as a hypnotic mood piece disguised as deep house and it's awesome at it. well done aksel schufler/superpitcher
buy here (beatport)
dayeene - dancing with tears in my eyes
this one comes from when i used to be glued to sounds of swedish nrj and i heard the dayeene cover of "dancing with tears in my eyes" on a number of occasions. it wasn't a song i really liked and i thought it was annoying, then again i didn't like ultravox's original either, it was a case of that i liked the melody but that's about it. so when i saw the single a year ago my thought was in reluctance but it had a stonebridge remix and i thought he maybe could do something great with the song.
bought it and took it home and when i listened to his remix, i did like it but when i heard the drums in the original my lept with joy. jonas von der burg who produced the song, and also contributed with an ok remix as subsucker, worked some drumbreaks in the jungle stylings and there is even subby tr-808 kicks punching in at times. i still don't think ultravox's original is anything special but here the song shines.
buy here (itunes)
bought it and took it home and when i listened to his remix, i did like it but when i heard the drums in the original my lept with joy. jonas von der burg who produced the song, and also contributed with an ok remix as subsucker, worked some drumbreaks in the jungle stylings and there is even subby tr-808 kicks punching in at times. i still don't think ultravox's original is anything special but here the song shines.
buy here (itunes)
Tuesday 1 January 2013
attica blues - 3ree (a means to be) (as one instrumental remix)
found the single a few years ago and it i didn't know about it but thought it was interesting and i really like the original version the most until i listened to kirk degiorgio version. "3ree (a means to be)" is a loose remake of james mason's discotinged jazz-funker "free" from '77 but it's redone to a whole new set of beats. tony nwachukwu and charlie "d'afro" williams uses a really dirty version of the tommy roe "sweet pea" break and also used the horns from tyrone washington's "submission".
this flip is done quite well but what kirk degiorgio was to focus on mason's composition instead as attica blues only borrowed the lyrics and a version of the bassline. degiorgio also used the "sweet pea" break but it's more powerful and the shuffled hihats and groove mason's track is implied with chaotic mess of drums that is heard.
gene torres' original bassline is replayed synthetically with effects and it fits with the metallic haze that the track brings out. as with the vocals at hand degiorgio decided to a mix of talkbox and vocoder and an affected synthesizer to play the vocal melody and fact is that i love it. it all sounds very retro-futuristic and to use a cliché term, it sounds detroit although not as in techno but more like the funk and space music. detroit as in what the electrifying mojo used to play, if the testimony of all the detroit artists living at those times comes true.
i wouldn't know hence i'm more reluctant to even use the term since my idea from it comes from interviews of stacey pullen, dj t-1000, alan oldham & kenny dixon jr to name a few. i understand that i could easily draw the link to space rock as that's more of an european thing and all the parties involved at making the song (degiorgio & attica blues) are british, however as one is always mentioned in the same terms as detroit. you know what? this isn't detroit music, it's space music and it's awesome.
listen here (youtube)
this flip is done quite well but what kirk degiorgio was to focus on mason's composition instead as attica blues only borrowed the lyrics and a version of the bassline. degiorgio also used the "sweet pea" break but it's more powerful and the shuffled hihats and groove mason's track is implied with chaotic mess of drums that is heard.
gene torres' original bassline is replayed synthetically with effects and it fits with the metallic haze that the track brings out. as with the vocals at hand degiorgio decided to a mix of talkbox and vocoder and an affected synthesizer to play the vocal melody and fact is that i love it. it all sounds very retro-futuristic and to use a cliché term, it sounds detroit although not as in techno but more like the funk and space music. detroit as in what the electrifying mojo used to play, if the testimony of all the detroit artists living at those times comes true.
i wouldn't know hence i'm more reluctant to even use the term since my idea from it comes from interviews of stacey pullen, dj t-1000, alan oldham & kenny dixon jr to name a few. i understand that i could easily draw the link to space rock as that's more of an european thing and all the parties involved at making the song (degiorgio & attica blues) are british, however as one is always mentioned in the same terms as detroit. you know what? this isn't detroit music, it's space music and it's awesome.
listen here (youtube)
fatboy slim - first down
"first down" comes from norman cook aka fatboy slim's first album "better living through chemistry" and is like most of the track on the record, a funky groove assembled through an array of samples. it isn't by any stretch one of the most obvious tracks on the album like "punk to funk" or "everybody needs a 303" but when i heard it again a few days, i certainly thought that it was damn funky.
it's constructed mostly out of the groove of fela kuti's 1972 piece "roforofo fight" and follows in the mold of "everybody needs a 303". different loops and samples are brought on and it drops the first time for a introduction of a some phased keys that then gets lost in the mix but they are nice in the groove. the real drop comes halfway in and it's stripped down to bongos and you hear that fuzzy waggle from the silver box. norman lets it grow and explode right when the full beat is kicked in along with the trumpet.
while this one isn't completely original, it's does what it does well. kind of like the modus operandi of this blog.
buy here (itunes)
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