a top up on an overdose?

Not an edit but a remix did by Tim Paris and myself last year. We were huge fan of the original demos of the band and asked to do it. After a long wait, it was finally accepted by the record label... but never released (even if easy to find online).

Most of you are probably fed up of hearing the band in the background of 80% TV programmes in Europe and it seems that themselves, were not able to cope with their huge success. Shame.

When the storm calms down, I may post some of their early demos, which I find much superior to the album versions...

For once, the cryptogram is fairly easy...

CARRE BLANC-BETAMAX (IT'S A FINE LINE RX)

it's warm up north

Sorry for the slight slackening in the rate of proposed edits. Just been very busy. This is only a short phase and, rest assured, there is some material in the pipeline.

In the mean time, Along MBV's 'Isn't anything', The Pixies live performances and 'Playing with Fire' by Spacemen 3, here's one of my best musical memory of a 'golden period'.

so, a simple 'DJ version' (easier to mix intro-outro basically) of a very very dear classic of mine. In its original form (this is the .... rx), it was actually the first house music record I ever bought. My introduction to 'underground dance music', a fever that would grow hand in hand with my love for rock n' roll.

FROM CHEETAM HILL TO THE CASS CORRIDOR (ISE8 DJ TOOL)

in case you missed it...

... here's a link to my recent RESIDENT ADVISOR PODCAST (now archived on their site).



many thanks to angie, melissa,wil, richard, derren and rob.

for your graphic needs...

A is a Name is the graphic design studio responsible for the Colette CD sleeve (still available here or there) and, amongst other things, the design for Tim Paris' label, Marketing Music.

They think right and work fast, music related or not.

Check them out.

KTDJ outdoor party-Nuits Sonores, Lyon, 2010

Quite a few of you have been asking for this recording. Braving the cold, Pilooski, Jennifer, Optimo, myself, and a rapidly super hot audience made the best of this afternoon...
Here's my two hours. a word of warning for 'obscure music lovers', this is quite straightforward club music here. Even, as my partner Fany said, tinted with ' un petit cote petasse'....
Find it through the KTDJ blog, here...

a few things from... Cosmo Vitelli

Cosmo Vitelli and myself have followed some kind of parallel path over the years. I think he may well be, as I am, an indie kid at heart, as testified his first productions during the second french touch wave... If he was not part of the Parisian rave club/scene, that probably, one, saved him from a loads of musical conformisms ('I have to do a 'club track') and, two, whilst we were staying up for days, he was perfecting an already impressive (some say 'obsessive) producing 'technique'. You could consider him as your perfect 'obscure disco' geek (in a way he is) but he is much more than that, a true musical fanatic, 'renaissance style': no genres is forbidden, no style will stay unexplored. I may not always have been fan of his productions/releases (to my charge, I used to consider the blackstrobe remix we did for him as dreadful and, just listening to it, it sounds less dated than 80 % of our other works).Over the last couple of years though, Cosmo and his crew (the I'm a Cliche label, his Bot'Ox project) have grown to be amongst the best and most forward thinking french (actually cross 'french) outlet out there. He is one of those rare people you can talk movies or books rather than trying to impress with your Dissident (just an example) white label.
Oh and I nearly forgot: someone who did an edit of Johnny Guitar's main title has my eternal esteem.

Cosmo was kind enough to give us this amazing piece:

STRAIGHT SHOOTER-MY TIME YOUR TIME (COSMO VITELLI EDIT)

A few words:

who is your forgotten hero?
Joe Caligula

what is the motto painted on your fighter plane?
Dennis Wise

what makes you really angry?
Current french political, social and cultural situation, its governement and generalised corruption. Sorry for my lack of humour about this.

and your final words?
Is it the French press ?


His playlist deals with 'records from the times I did not know anything about what I was listening to'.


Talk Talk "Laughing Stock"(1991)
Possibly my fave record ever. Full of silence, breathe, air…A magic record wich streches the time.

Hugh Mundell : « Africa must be free by 1983 » (1978)
One of the first records I bought while I was a kid, at a second hand record store next to my home in the south of France.
Hugh Mundell died in a car accident in…1983. I’m less sure about the freedom of Africa.

Oran' Juice' Jones : « The Rain" (1986)
The Beastie Boys first album brought me to Hip-hop and Def Jam. Oran ‘Juice ‘Jone album s arrived at the record store of my middle size hometown and for some reason, I bought it.
It instantly became a hit in my bedroom.

New Fast Austomatic Daffodils "Pigeonhole" (1990)
My personal baggy fave (everyone has its own, right? No?).
First CD bought ever, I have seen them live many times in the UK when I was student.
Still a pretty cool record XX years later (and sometimes, I still play the Big – Baka remix)

Mercury Rev : Yerself is Steam
Mercury Rev’s first album. Psych shoegaze ? lofi prog rock ?
They were very first, maybe the only band I wish I could be part of.
Pure masterpiece.


more proof of his impeccable taste and attitude there: http://www.botoxmusic.com/blog/

PULP CLASSICS PT????

One of my favorite track from the RA podcast I just did... and an ultimate Pulp Classic. People will think it is hard to play because it is at 140 bpm but it is so sleazy...

I wish GM was still making music, he was one of a kind...


A CHERRY KISS FROM A YOUNG BUTCH (ISE8 DJ TOOL)

how could this go unoticed...

... well, I really don't know. i mean, I did not notice it until very recently and it has instantly become THE 'end-nighter' of the year... goosebumps (ask those who were still here last night at 6.30 am).

It is so simple, so beautiful that I really did not do much to it. Just extended intro and outro for being able to mix it more easily.

it is a recent track on a indie label so please do not share it on other blogs... Same, if you're from the band or the label and want me to put it on streaming only, please contact me...

Such a record, I thought I'd do anything to make it heard by more people....

LAST DANCE, NEW PARTNER (ISE8 VERY LIGHT EXTENSION)

hits in the making

after two all-night long sessions (I wish to thank all who were there and all who made it possible-both were great in their distinctive manner), here are 10 of my biggest 'new' records. some are out. some not yet. some probably will never be.


happy hunting...

UNKNOWN ARTIST-UTOPIA (EWAN PEARSON RX)-SETH THROXLER'S NEW LABEL

JAMIE LIDELL-YOU ARE WAKING (KRIKOR START STOP RX)-UNRELEASED YET

BASTEROID-THICKET-AREAL

UNKLE-FOLLOW ME DOWN (ISE8 INSTRUMENTAL)-UNRELEASED

IN FLAGRANTI-RELAX (UNAUTHORIZED MIX)-CODEK

KINDNESS-SWINGING PARTY (ISE8 EXTENDED)-UNRELEASED

GEBRUEDER TEICHMAN-DURACELL/E BABY-FESTPLATTEN

BOZWELL-IN MY COCOON-FIRM

XYME- B ACID (PEOPLE GET REAL RX)-UNKNOWN LABEL

RMVN-AMEN ADORNO-KILL THE DJ

jut a technical note...

a few people seem to have problems downloading the tracks from Soundcloud. Works fine for me... You just need to click on the little arrow shown here...

the golden days are back again...

NOW DOWNLOADABLE...


Times are good... Well, musically, I think they are. I am quite excited by the new music that is around, there to grab you if you accept to leave safe shores behind... I've never been one to complain about the lack of good records though but I feel so much more comfortable now than, let's say, two years ago...

It's not only the production but also the audience... There is out there a young enthusiastic crowd that surprises me more and more... They may be a mixture of kids growing up of Headbangers stuff and others bored by bongo conformism... They may be something else, who cares...

A noticeable ripple effect of this emergence is playing again records from the (personal) 'Golden Era' of 1999-2002: the proto-electroclash days, the rediscovery of punk funk, rock on the dancefloor, dark electronics and, for myself and above all, Kill The DJ at Le Pulp. For instance, I was amazed the other day, by the crowd reaction to In Flagranti's 'Just Gazing' and my parisian all-night long did have strong reminiscences of these days. I hope to be able to stick a few in London too tomorrow...

No silly nostalgia though, no 'retro set'. Simply because these records fits with a certain fringe of today's production. Bravo.

Here's an extended version of a minor classic of the period. An obscure one though, the more obvious being for you to (re)discover.

ANNA, KATIE AND MONTY (ISE8 EXTENDED)

resident advisor podcast

... that contains the track posted yesterday along some new stuff and old classics of mine...

...never easy to sum it all up in 60 minutes, I will have more time this saturday for my London all-nighter. But I think the spirit is there.

Get it here.

from the seventh hill boudoir

So... We're sailing again...

Here's a glimpse at something I will come back to tomorrow. I can't believe this one has not been picked up by anyone (I am sure you will correct me if I'm wrong), one that seems absent from your usual strange music treasure coves.

It has ' obscure obsessive' tattooed all over it though. And, as the hints indicate, does not hail from uncharted shores . I've cherished this one for years, and kept it a bit secret. Take it as a token of my repentance for having neglected the ship these past weeks.

ACRYLIXXX (ISE8 EXTENDED)

PS: NOW USING SOUNDCLOUD...

collection part 1

'a few things from Ivan Smagghe'... and a few other things took a lot of my time recently but I am back on.

You may be able to find this super limited CD at your usual purveyor of good music. Or obviously in Colette if you leave or are going in Paris, as they 'commissioned' it.

here's a link to their online shop

I was quite chuffed by them asking me and, you know what, I'm happy it's out there.

It's an unmixed collection of edits, some were posted on this blog but some were not and will never be

happy hunting...

une nuit a Paris...

Is this my 'all nighter' month???? following London, this is in Paris. Haven't done it since the Pulp days... Have been digging hard...

Le 8 Octobre au Point Ephemere...

see you there...

a few things from... Pete Herbert

Pete Herbert's path and mine have kept crossing over the years, both of us like living in non exclusive parallel universe. I remember meeting at Atlas (a long gone London record haven) when I barely publicly existed, partied quite hard a few times, partly due to the company of our common friend Stuart McLellan of Pacific Records (whom I once found looking for his left shoe in DC10): and he now makes music with my partner, Tim Paris under the Challenge Moniker. That is not very interesting...

What interests me in Pete may be tough... Hard to pinpoint in a few words but i'd say that I admired his unique 'focused nonchalance': the rare breed of Djs that exactly know what he's doing without that eagerness that ruins all sense of cool, doubled by a total commitment to the sound he likes and has come to champion.
I have expressed here and there my doubts about the all 'nu-disco' thing in 2010 but I don't think it applies to Pete anyway. Disco for sure. And yes, for me, he is saved from the pseudo-balearic wish wash by his proud sense of cheese.

And, o boy, when it works, it works so well. Prime example is his reedit of 'The Swiss' that I've enjoyed playing so much, especially where it will divide the crowd (ie Space main room in Ibiza, Panorama Bar), the kind of last record I actually think about one hour before the end of my set.

And, of course, Pete is a true king of the edits too so... he was very kind to offer his totally unreleased:

SENSATIONAL (PH DUB)

and what a treat it is. as are his words and records of choice...

'Who is your forgotten hero?'

Keith Floyd, a true English gent from the old guard, who could cook under pressure any place any time, whilst occasionally endearing himself to the natives...

'What motto is painted on your fighter plane?'

"We'll get there in the e...."

'what makes you really angry?"

in this biz, people that dont reciprocate...that makes my piss boil!


and finally 'what is your final word'?

keep up the good work Ivan...

So a selection of some my favourite and influential tracks....some music for swimming pools. They have been by my side constantly on my travels and always go down well in such settings as well..

Asha Putli 'Space Talk'
Asha Putli was the first, and possibly only, original soul diva from the Indian Sub continent in the mid 70's. She was also the first Indian woman to appear in Playboy. When i first met her on a wet wednesday in Bethnal Green about 10 years ago, she told me that "I Feel love" was originally written for her to sing, but she was dropped by her record company when she became pregnant with her first child, and they then drafted in some unknown kid called Donna Summer to replace her..
she is the surrogate aunt to my best friend, and i'm the godfather to his first born, so i guess that makes me family...which is nice!


Bill Conte 'Reflections'
Clearly not a refection of the film from which it appeared on the soundtrack...Rocky III.

Zakir Hussain 'You and Me'
Whilst running a record shop many moons ago, i became obsessed with the label ECM ..Edition of Contemporary Music...who's motto was 'The Most Beautiful Sounds Next To Silence'. Amoungst the jazz noodle, there were some amazing albums from the likes of Jon Hassel, Pat Metheny, Eberhard Webber and Nana Vasconcelos. The album "Making Music" that this came from is one of my favs..

Derrick Harriot 'Red is Dead'
Jamaican singer and producer who was one of the first people to use the mixing talents of King Tubby in the early 70's, this track is taken from his first album 'Scrub-A-Dub', and is loosly based on the Stylistics "People Make The World Go Round" but drops the tempo even slower....probably about 70bpm...


Claudja Barry 'Love For The Sake Of love'
One time singer with Boney M, Claudja moved on to do solo stuff like this, and very fine it is too, made more popular recently by being included in a DJ Harvey mix a few years back..always a great opener for me...

more here: www.souncloud.com/peteatlas
www.facebook.com/peteherbertmusic

just a tease

we will talk about it again very soon but for you Londoners, it may be worth it... check here for info and possibly more...




As far as I'm concerned, I'm looking forward to it very very much... It is not often that you get given such latitude so I'll try to make the best of it.

to be followed...

balearic quickie

Sorry for the radio silence but have been quite busy. Moving studio has proven to be a real struggle... But we are now kind of back on tracks. I've also been working on a collection of edits (some of which have been posted here, some not) for french fashion emporium Colette but I'll justify myself when the time comes...

In the meantime, I can still dig quick DJ tools like this one, a simple but lost breakbeat track, b-side dub extended.

WHEN ADAM PLUGGED HIS FENDER
(ISE8 DUB EXTENSION)

a sweaty crack...

... may sound disgusting to some, but others will relate to the attraction. or at least, to the scarceness of those pure dirty records, may they be backroom hardcore or over hetero. you know the ones... to each his own(s).

one of mine. extended (and ribbed for maximum pleasure). hope you'll end up salty as hell can be.

THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCSEX (ISE8 EXT)

a few things from... Marc Piñol

If Marc died tomorrow, he may well be my forgotten hero. He's totally fine though. I played with him in Barcelona last night at Nitsa. So I'll put it this way: he is the best resident I know and one of my favorite DJs. Of course, one should have many 'favorite DJs'. For all hours, moods and genres. But playing with him is like playing with a version of myself that could still surprise me: from the acquired taste for borderline trance records to warped up disco pop... etc... etc

And guess what, he also does his own (great) edits like this one, kindly offered to us all:

BAD VEAL TOOK MY BOBBY (MARC PINOL EDIT)

This closeness goes for music, for books, movies, politics, sense of humor and general philosophy of life as well. It can even get spooky sometimes (do you know any Catalan Dennis Potter fans? I do...). The fact that most of you have never heard Marc play is a blatant injustice but he will never do anything to attract fame (his original Dj name was DJ de Mierda). It sometimes pisses me off, but this humility is also what makes him as cool as it gets. I will never miss an opportunity to try to get him out of his grotto. A hidden treasure then... But pointing you in the right direction is the least I can do.


So Marc...

Who is your forgotten hero?
Harry Smith

What motto is painted on your fighter plane?
when it is dark enough, you can see the stars.

What makes you really angry?
My dad's disease and greedy people

Your final words?
I hope to be extremely inspired for my final words.


'Some records / songs I've been listening a lot last week, in no particular order' by Marc Piñol

Lucifer – Black Mass
This one is from Mort Garson, the Moog musician/producer that I love the most. He made lots of nice recordings during all his career, but this is the one the I would save from flames. Sounds a little bit like Jean-Jacques Perrey, Wendy Carlos or Oneohtrix Point Never, really twisted and spacey. Broadcast copied a couple of Garson's tracks some years ago. They were right to do so.

CTI – Elemental 7
This is one of that Chris & Cosey albums that don't get old-fashioned. Drones, proto-acid and lots of insane ambient. If someone out there have the VHS tape included and read this, please be kind and send me a DivX-rip!

Jonna Gault & Her Symphonopop Scene – Wonder Why, I Guess
She was only 21 at the time of recording her album. I've been looking for info about her (I don't know if she's alive or not), but I didn't found anything. I just can't understand how she didn't made any more records. The production, arrangements and lyrics are dope.

The Scientists – Heading For a Trauma
Mental, raw, psychedelic australian punk. I had not listened to this album from some time, maybe ten years. I did it two days ago and it worked fine for me, even if I prefer their first lp. But there's “Swampland”, and I like that song so much that I didn't care about the rest .

The Poppy Family – Shadows On My Wall
Been listening some of their 60s records a lot these days. They still sound shiny and slightly eery at the same time. I love their abuse of reverberation.

Daily Fauli – Fauli Til Dauli
My girlfriend is from Denmark, so I'm always trying to find some rare danish stuff to impress her. Whatever, this is so weird that I decided not to mention it to her. Kind of postpunk à la C86 with disturbingly funny lyrics. Take a listen to “Out Of Sync” or “Speed” and you tell me. Sounds really crispy and fresh.

Soit-P.P. - n.IASP
This Richard D. James song was on a hard to find CD from Rephlex, “Philosophy Of Sound and Machine”. I've been looking for it for ages, but usually the price was over 100£, so I forgot about it. I'm not that rich. Finally I found it on a blog, ripped at 320 kbps. So God bless you internet.

Hugh Tracey field recordings
I could listen to them forever and never get bored.I always find something truly inspiring there.

The new Hivern digital compilation
Hivern is my favorite spanish label, by far. We are close friends, ok, but I really love the things they're doing so I'm not forced to talk nice about them. In this release you have Pional (this guy's a genius) and Aster making some kraut beats, Kresy sampling 50 Cent in a very moodymanesque way, newcomer Pettre following the Omar S path and D.A.R.Y.L. going wild in a 14 minutes long, hypnotic odissey. Love the music & the people behind it.

orient express

this one had been lingering on in the pile for ages... thought as a sample for a long time, the idea of turning an epic Lebanese disco anthem into some kind of hard fast (almost Northern Soul? am not a specialist) funk shortie was definitely more attractive. Kind of works I think...You'll let me know...
thanks to Mr Nathan Gregory Wilkins for the original.

THE BEIRUT-WIGAN EXPRESS (ISE8 7" VERSION)

For Glasgow and its people

Just played HUNG UP!, the new venture of the Optimo boys. Glasgow has the best crowd in the world, a crowd who can take anything from Joe Dassin's 'L'Ete Indien' , rave on BDI's 'City and Industry' and truly appreciate 'Blister in the sun' by the Violent Femmes as a last record.
Their kindness and total lack of attitude was confirmed when Keith and his lovely Iona took us to a 'flat/part/squat' that sent me back to my early twenties. Youth still is youth. Good. and i got a new nickname 'Smagghie Tatcher'. What more could you ask for...

Betty Botox did her own edit of this ultimate OPTIMO classic, I took it the other way round. Short and long version included in the pack. This one definitely goes...

FOR GLASGOW (ISE8 LONG & SHORT VERSIONS)

sunrise

'balearic' is probably one of the most over and misused in Dance Music. Probably because if you do not hold to its strict definition (see http://www.djhistory.com/features/search-balearic), you can stick whatever you want under the label. Point being that it was 'music without label'... Anyway, everybody has his own lost balearic classic, here's one of mine... On the techno side of things and absolutely not played by Jean-Claude Maury in the early days...

JUST OWN THE BOY ED-ISE8 DISCOMIX

an honor and a privilege

Since the early Kill the DJ days, Optimo has been the closest thing to home, Jonnie and Keith being not only faves but also close friends. I Played Optimo back in... and it was one of the scariest gig of my 'career'... Once again, Jonnie and Keith are leaving me alone behind the wheel this sunday at HUNG UP!, their new night. I must admit that I am nervous but pretty much excited.
so... what do you play there ? that's the thing, anything you want, knowing that you're facing the best but most knowing crowd in the world. I'll go to from weird to rave then... but the first part of the night is the very special one, the moment that separates boys from Boys... I could drop things like this one. or not...

STEEL PANTIES (ISE8 EXT)

if you can, see you there...xxx

a few things from... Tim Paris

I suppose it is a bit awkward to introduce the person you work with almost every day. In a way, he probably needs no introduction to you who follow what happens here.
Studio partners relationship are strange beasts though. Luckily, this one has no ego to feed on.
No flattering then. But I'll still say a few things about the humble guy. Tim also does stuff on his own and under the Challenge moniker with Pete Herbert; Tim takes piano lessons and gets up at 6am to swim 5 miles; Tim is at the top of his djing game and you should be able to hear him more often; Tim is a France Culture fanatic: Tim is a good reader and has not got bad taste in movies either; Tim has a lovely little one year old girl called Lee; Tim has always been there for me since we both ended-up in East London. So, for all this and more, and in its own peculiar way, I suppose Tim is one of my best friends. And, believe me, the people you work with not always are.

here are his few words and selection:

'Who is your forgotten hero?'
Alfred Cortot

'What motto is painted on your fighter plane?'
Blessed are the hearts that can bend

'what makes you really angry?"
The world seen through the prism of mass media

Not an easy task to link cleverly Electronic and Classical. Especially in my case as i got hooked into Classical as a reaction against the hopeless lack of meanings in Dance music. 'Entertaining' and 'Serious' music couldn't be more opposite: one may love both but how to connect them ?

Steve Reich 'Different Trains'(after the war)
Here's The piece i would dream of hearing in a club at 5am, i'm actually working on an edit. (To be followed on this page ? )

Arvo Part 'Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten'
This one affected me the same way 'Kaotic Harmony' (Transmat) did the first time i heard it. Arvo Part is certainly the most uncompromising musician alive, music is a matter of life and death to him.

Edgar Varese 'Poeme Electronique'
Written for the 1958 World's fair, it says it all in the title. One of the very first sample bank to be created ! More seriously this was a fantastic visionary project which gathered Varese, Lecorbusier and Xenakis.

Luciano Berio 'Sinfonia' 3rd movement
Composed in 1968, it's actually the principle of sampling which is invented here. Berio adapted and transposed excerpts from dozens of different plays and pieces to form just one. You'll find here some bits from Debussy, Ravel, Malher, Shoenberg, Stravinsky and others.

'Spectral' music
Terrible word which results inevitably in a sequence of yawns. But if you accept to listen to sounds for some reasons other than pleasure, it could work for you just as it did for me. The French are currently on the forefront in that field, here is a couple of work you may try:

Tristan Murail 'Ethers'
18 minutes of shaker melted with evolving woodwinds' sounds.. Challenging !

Gerard Grisey 'Le Noir de l'etoile'
If someone who studied music composition for over 50 years at the highest possible level was commissioned to compose an album for Richie Hawtin's Minus, it could be something of this kind

more and more...

Just back from 10 days in Asia, more about this later...

For after-hours fiends who thought Berlin was hard, I think they should make the trip to Tokyo.

xxxx

off to Japan...

off to Japan tomorrow. as exciting as ever.
here's a little (but long) follow-up to the 'proper old school house' edits posted a little while back.

once again, sorry for the rubbish sound but my copy has suffered and getting a new one is pretty expensive (but worth every penny) these days. I'm realizing these days that there are a lot more unsung classics in the early Chicago stuff than I thought...

both instrumental and vocal versions used to send shivers down my spine. I tried to get the best of both worlds...

TWIST AND TURNS (ISE8 VOCAL DUB)

come come come

a variation on a very dear theme

Most of you what happened when Marc Grouls, up north and back nearly three decades, decided to play Split Second's Flesh at the wrong speed (45rpm to 33rpm): "One Nation Under a (Slowed Down) Groove"... Those who don't know should read the 1991 eponymous article by Richard Norris (hat off to him actually).

The story goes that it was 33rpm/+8, it's hard to find that handles the pure switch. In a way, this one does. just... It may be rough and unplayable but Grouls and the others were just spinning rough and unplayable records. so take it as an homage on a style that shaped a lot of what I am today.

HOMAGE TO THE GROULS ROUTINE (ISE8 VARIANT)

ps: let's see if anybody recognizes the original....

for the remaining summer days

This is one of these edits that I'd always said i would do... Such a perfect summer track but 2'30 is a bit short, especially when it shines like gold. Despite its original title, I haven't turned it into a moody burner. This is sugary pop funk at its best, probably one of the best of that rare breed I had heard in years.
and the best and worse about it ? the (major) label who commisionned it did not give it a full release. As scandalous as the non-release of Pilooski's remix of Jarvis Cocker's 'Angela'. We may come back on this one but in the meantime:

BLACHOLIMONIE (ISE8 EDIT)

the real deal?

I am pretty sure that professional DJs and music lovers will agree, as useful as they are Beatport charts are pretty annoying: too much plugging (even if you kind of have to), obligation to chart tracks available on the platform, massive influence of a handful of DJs etc... And I do not subscribe to Resident Advisor. for a long time, I was reluctant to put 'real' charts out there ,after all, my 'reputation' has always been based on the singularity of my record box more than anything else... But I am getting older (sure) and wiser (may be). I can't think of any good reason to hide the tunes I love anymore... You'll find below a bit of everything: demos, promos, unreleased, vinyls, tracks bought elsewhere than Beatport (I'll come back on the matter soon). I am not saying that none of these can be find there but the point was surely to give an alternative to the chart I sent yesterday to the big B.

In no particular order, these really rock my world right now:

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM-I CAN CHANGE (TIGA RX)-DFA
HARMONY FUNK-CAN'T LET YOU GO (MB RX)-CLONE
CARIBOU-BOWLS (JAMES HOLDEN RX)-CITY SLANG
DAN GHENACIA-GLOBES-FNC
GONZALES-CAN'T STOP (EROL ALKAN RX)-PHANTASY
MONOBLOC-DIRTY (ISE8 RX)-REMAIN
HIGAMOS HOGAMOS-DEUCED-HH
DEXTER-1992 (VOCAL)-CLONE
CHLOE-ONE IN ANOTHER (ALEX SMOKE RX)-KTDJ
RMVN-AMEN ADORNO (THE EYES IN THE HEAT RX)-KTDJ
SHONKY-MIZ MIZ-???
RILEY RHEINOLD-ASHPHALT HEROES-MBF LTD
MEGAPHONO-DON'T COUGH-BARKING DOGS
AL USHER-LULLABY FOR ROBERT-INTERNASJONAL
ROTARYDISCO76-B1-???
HOUSEMEISTER-HYPERACTIVE-BOYSNOIZE

you'll be able to find some of these. others will not come out for months. sorry but there's no middle line here.

.

up north and personal

A very quick word on one of Chloe's favorite sub-genre (Chloe being my girlfriend but not being 'DJ Chloe'- we'll leave that pairing to the wanking fantasies of a committed trainspotter or trainspotteuse...):'twee synthabilly'? 'lo-fi beatbox twist', 'retro swing wave'????
She, nor I, would not want to pin it down but in our heads, it's quite a defined genre. When one of us bump into a track that fits that strange box, I suppose he is instantly reminded of the other.
Yes, We'd rather die than celebrate Valentine's day but we are proudly romantic. I'll add for my part that having a girlfriend that is into (good) music is one of the best things that ever and could happen to me...

oh, sorry, you'd rather have examples of the style than feel a bit quaint from that sudden exposure of feelings ? hmmm... Klik Klak's 1919 is the ultimate one, Adn Ckrystall's Do Zeu Twist, Los Alamos by J & J Hudson in a way, but going up to Fairmont's Bikini Atoll or Mark Kammins' incredible rx of J Dynell's Jam Hot...

May only make sense to us two but you got that it's enough. Selfish as it may be, you may enjoy this little extension of a lesser known track by one of the main bands from this imaginary school.

NIKOLA'S DEATH TWIST-ISE8 SIMPLE EXTENSION

As sorry as you seemed to be...

A few words of explanation about Andrew Weatherall's and myself set at T in the Park, Glasgow on Sunday.

I think the ones who were there kind of got what happened (I even took the mike to apologize) but I'll make it clear. Basically, Tricky was playing after us and his band went for a bit more than the usual 'line check'. the bass/guitar/synth was a bit annoying, but 30 minutes of drumming (so loud that the first few rows could actually hear it) made mixing impossible. The final straw being their sound engineer's instructions being suddenly heard by everybody and ending, after an hour of hell, by 'well, shall we do a line check then ?'...
Andrew and I got so furious (we were playing in front of 7000 people) that it became kind of funny/surreal. The crowd was getting so pissed off that extra-security had to be brought in resulting in the incident being 'logged in' and the stage manager getting a slap on the hands. To his credit (if you take things the right way), it is the first time in my career that a festival stage manager actually apologized to (a very very angry) me and agreed that he had no excuse for what happened (those in the trade will agree that you do not see this every Sunday). Credit also to Tricky's drummer (and the rest of his band) who came up to us afterward truly sorry for what had happened. Headphones on his head, focused on his click, he had no clue of the whole mess.

All in all, a very strange afternoon, but Glaswegians being the nicest people on the planet, anywhere else, it would have really turned sour.
This whole thing of course deflated in smiles, Crookers (booked by Dave 'Soma' clarke for his teenage daughter) started their set and real hell broke loose. Time to go. That's what we did.

may be watch...

As I said last night there was 'loads of good music around at the moment and that many names came to my mind', someone instantly asked about these names. He or she forgot that gems need hard digging and that I'm a strong advocate of individual taste but... Here are a few things that have 'rocked my world' recently. I should say 'electronic world' as I'll stick to electronic music for this first list...

These are from the top of my head and should not be taken too seriously. Same, this list is not exhaustive. More lists will come... One last thing: the obvious flaw from that type of thing is 'plugging'.I've tried to avoid that as much as possible.

10 CONTEMPORARY ELECTRONIC THINGS WORTH CHECKING OUT ?
(IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)


THE NEW 'TURBO/TIGA'...

I did musically part ways with my dearest friend at some point but the 'headbanging' phase seems nearly/truly over. Tiga played a great 125 bpm deep acid set at Stereo before myself a couple of weeks ago, his new remixes of both Jamie Lidell (funk funk funk!) and LCD (amazing slow burning acid song!) blew my head off, the label is getting better and better (or I like it more and more)... Not to forget Thomas Von Party's DJing that deserve an independent recognition from its brother's. You never went away guys, but nice to have you back.

ANTHONY ROTHER's REMIX OF AUX 88's 'VOICE MODULATION' (ECHOISM REC)

This was going to be an obvious hit for me. But I was quite surprised by the amazing reaction from the crowds. The return of....

MARGOT

Now part of the Border Community stable (one of the very few constant 'quality tag' I know), the next generation of dancefloor electronica. Them being from...yes... Rimini only makes the whole thing stronger.

NIEDERFLUR

I agree with Richie Hawtin here... True minimalism, meaning with large ideas and a massive sense of funk. An electronic antidote to bongos and all...

THE NEW 'E-FUNK'?

Generic name (also a mix by Soul Clap but totally different subject) but great music. Following the steps of Wolf & Lamb/Soul Clap, there is a lot of great late night funky house (yes, funky house) around at the moment. Check Whim-ee/Lullabad, Hot Natured, Dyed Soundorom's 'late call' rx of Frank Roger, Earl and Sam... A good alternative to the dull side of (not so) nu-disco.

NAKION

Talking of 'nu-disco', this is the top of the shelf, the real deal. fave ? 'Arcadia" on Dischi Bellichi and his 12" on Supersoul (great remix from Xav). Nakion is a young lady From Korea making me wonder about the scene over there.

DOCTOR VINYL

One of the best record shop in Europe (in Brussels-Where did you think Geoffroy was getting all these gems?), now a label, Metaphone Records. Proper wonky music, the true spirit of Boccaccio revived... Fave? hmmmm... Probably DC Sala's 'Peru'.

MISS FITZ's FORTHCOMING STUFF?

Awaiting to hear the material for her forthcoming Freak n' Chic album but Dyed Soundorom played last week a track that made my night. Slow trippy techno. Also check Dan Ghenacia's new track on Crosstown Rebels, for me, his best from far.

BEACHCOMA RECORDINGS

Always been a Pan/Tone (been playing 'Tomorrow never knew' again) and Metope fan so... the first release, 'From Druida' probably was my track of 2009. Three very strong release for now. We need more labels like this one.

TIM PARIS ' RECENT SET AT ROBERT JOHNSON...

... And what followed...I said something about 'plugging' earlier but this has nothing to do with it. I obviously play with the guy a lot but he is like a new him. He dropped Traktor, is confident and played one of the best set I've heard in ages. Tunes that have been big for me recently (like Jamie Principle's 'The call' or these Fly-o-Tek and Shytone records), well, guess where they're coming from... Now you promoters around, need to understand that, in this present case, YOU DO NOT NEED ME!!!!!

living in the present

Sorry for the silence but I've been touring quite a lot. Work but also a fair amount of partying. Ibiza was quite enjoyable, the 'in-and-out' thing it has become, suits me. 2 Many DJs at We Love was like having your brain washed (not 'brainwashed'), a clean slate for the new year, The rest I heard I kind of didn't (is that being 'brainwashed'). Ok, we got pretty hammered but I've always said that the higher you get, the better the music should be. This time, it was almost the other way round, the blandness stopped me from getting locked in the groove and I spent proper time with friends I had not partied with for years. Hail Hail to boring music then?
Errrrr... No. Full on hedonism lasts what it lasts but you should still live in the present when comes the day after. There are loads of great music out there at the moment... Many names come to my mind but one that has constantly (but, him too, going 'higher and higher') is Glaswegian Alex Smoke . His label, recent album and remixes are constantly pushing the limits. He has just delivered Kill The DJ two incredible remixes of Chloe (who today tells you 'I don't know which one to choose so I'll do both)...Some may find these corners of the dancefloor too dark, and his stuff definitely is edgy. But as the other one said: 'if you're not living on the edge, you're taking too much space'.

I did this edit in order to be able to play this magic Smoke remix as often as possible. Hope it will convince some of you to check the rest of his stuff...

AXEL FUMES-MA/SL IS DJ EDIT

wooooooooooin!

ah, almost forgot this one... it's recent and european but fits so well the NY block party imagery. in a good way though: chicas, extra chilled Pacifico clara, hip hop and house dancers... Dropped on saturday in Brooklyn (where else?)to maximum effect, this edit (or rather tool) also shows that, sometimes, you just need a tiny alteration to make a brilliant original into a dancefloor shaker.


This one goes out to Max Pask in the Big Apple...

CALIENTE CALIENTE (ISE8 DJ TOOL)

(to the original producer and label: just hit me back if you want me to take the edit off this page)

radio days

Just back from a few days in America... The sound system at Stereo in Montreal was just sick, the Soul Clap guys in Boston so genuine it hurts and NYC seems to be on the rise again (great 'Mr Saturday Night gig)... or it was just me may be... Not much time for posting but I finally met up with Tim Sweeney and did his legendary 'Beats in Space' show . As we say, the guy is both a gentleman and a scholar... you can have a listen to the show(a few unreleased IAFL/Kill the DJ things in there) aired last night here...

dusty and fresh

I may not keep my 'one-a-day' diet as I'm leaving for America tomorrow: Boston (with the Soul Clap boys), Montreal (at Stereo for the Turbo gang) and NYC (for the last Mister Saturday Night). But you never know, flights being long and boring.

In the meantime, a rough (very hard to find a better source than the one I have) and charming song:

IT'S THE BONOBO SEASON (ISE8 RETOUCH)

teenage kicks

Digging through old records, I mostly go through 'phases'... Like little (but quite intense) genre obsessions that fade in and out. Recently, there has been 'Dimitri from Amsterdam classics', 'proto-electroclash', 'rockabilly and electronics' etc... For the past few days, I got sucked into my C86 roots.

As ever, no add-ons, just extended. if you do not like the beat ending, there is a version ending with the preceding chaos.

SUAVE SQUAD-ISE8 EXTENDED

LOOKING FOR STUDIO SPACE IN LONDON

AN OFFICIAL MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSORS (I.E. MYSELF)

'Hello all,

IT'S A FINE LINE, Tim Paris and myself, are looking for a music studio space, preferably in East or North East London (but all offers considered).

We would consider all types. We'd rather rent a studio as such (soundproofed etc...) and would love to have access to a booth (possibly shared). That said, we could consider "blank space" if making it into a recording space is possible.

We work most week days so sharing a single space would not be realistically feasible (with musicians or others).

Price ? obviously it really really depends on the space so if you have something to propose, do not hesitate, we will consider any serious offer. This is a serious demand and are actually in an expanding frame of mind. We have at the moment a upper scale electronic music studio but are looking to extend it towards live recording.Note that we have our own in-house engineer.

Please forward this email freely to anyone you think could be of help in our search.

You can preferably reach myself on this email or Tim at info@mkgmusic.com

many many thanks to you all

Ivan Smagghe & Tim Paris'

not for the faint-hearted...

... but a firm old fave of mine nonetheless. It has been slightly retouched, not that it makes the madness easier to play. Its essence is 'to be all over the place, so I suppose one needs a bit of an acquired taste (or an amazing turntable technique). I may be wrong though, let me know...
two-eyed cyclops (ISE8 retouch)

a few things from... Geoffroy Mugwump (part two)

06. Garsaaidi "Frank Zaffa" (Orange Egg)
Trip-hop-affiliated labels sometimes satisfied Belgian dj's like me, in need of some uptempo, fucked-up leftfield tunes. This 1996-97record was the 6am sound of my then newly begun (and very open-minded) residency at the Food club in Leuven, in between deep house and techno of all sorts.

07. Psychotropic "Psychosis" (02)
Psychotropic was probably associated with the hardcore scene in the UK but in Belgium, this was a very sought-after track and the proof you were at the right party with the right people. A big hit from Poltergeist again.

08. Florence "The Vineyard" ((Peter Ford rmx) (EEvolute)
Stefan Robbers is one of the true european techno don and is still active today. The Peter Ford mix is frankly one of the best piece of truly haunted 4/4 music i know and is cellotaped in my box since its 1996 release. This was the Ifach era and big in Fuse with its resident Pierre too. Great 12' !!!

09.Optimus "Deadly Dub"/"Dirty Harry" (Hi-Phen)
A more recent 2004 outing on my now defunct Hi-Phen label, "Deadly dub" is a rework of an Optimus (Pete Herbert's older alias with Mat Anthony) remix from Minimal Compact 's "Deadly Weapons". The dub had not been used by the label (Crammed Discs/SSR) so i suggested they extended and rework it and it was frankly really worth it. killer record.

10. White House White "Disdain" (?)
Killer New-Beat/ EBM workout from Antwerp with a bassline very reminiscent of Nitzer Ebb.Koenie recently found a batch in a warehouse and you can still get it at his Wally's Groove World shop and site. This really is a Belgian lost classic.

Geoffroy, your final say in a few words?

'Has the wave trully rolled back'

You can find most of Mugwump original music on Kompakt, or the just released excellent 'the congregation of discalced clerks' on Throne of Blood. And their remixes? just about everywhere... best is to check here.

a few things from... Geoffroy Mugwump (part one)

There was no way this was gonna be all about me. Believe it or not, I do have friends. People I musically respect of course, but it goes a bit deeper than that. To keep it simple, I'd say we share common ethics and attitude towards this whole thing. To all these friends, I'll ask the same three questions. They will also kindly offer us a (freely) themed playlist and, by all means, have the final word.


First of these 'guests' (I don't like the word, the door is open to those who know the way to get here) is Geoffroy Mugwump. Tough, to me, he's simply Geoffroy, I think we've known each other long enough. We met when Brussels was the best night spot in Europe, and Food, where Geoffroy was resident, was my favorite club. Belgium always had its own electronic culture (see the playlist below) and Geoffroy, alongside a few others, still represent what I love about it: extensive musical culture doubled with complete originality. He is one of the DJs that always played, and still does, records that not only I don't know, but would and will rush to get for myself. When this seminal Belgian scene (born of the ashes of the Boccaccio, where Geoffroy got, I think, a lot of his education) fizzled, Geoffroy stuck to his guns, got deeper into production. The singular sound of Mugwump can now be heard from Kompakt to International Feel, From Gigolo to Coccoon.

Who is your forgotten hero?

'Dance music-wise, a bionic man obviously composed of Dimitri from the Roxy, Koenie from Antwerp and Poltergeist from Brussels. My roots.'

What motto is painted on your fighter plane?

'I'm sarcastic but i love you, i really do.'

What makes you really angry?

'you mentioned "underground conformism" once, i think what makes me really angry is the total lack of open-mindness in most of the dance music scene. you either have to be this or that. moi ce qui m'intéresse c'est les nuances.'

--------------------------------xxx-------------------

GEOFFROY'S 'BELGIUM THROUGH THE AGES' LOST CLASSICS

01. GATE CRASH "Bassoon" (UPCULT)
Lost gem (produced by a dutch dj called Nathanel together with Babies from Gong aka Dylan Hermelijn of 2000 & One fame) that i cant recall anyone playin. It harks back to the days when Dimitri from the Roxy in A'dam was unbeatable. I was really pleased to hear In Sync's 'Storm' (a track Dimitri really broke BIG TIME before anyone else) getting played by the likes of Ricardo & Sascha Funke a couple of years back. Far from being such a classic, this simple yet weird techno track could really get plays from some of the most adventurous dj's now; i know its a dying breed these days

02. PIL "Death Disco" (VIRGIN)
The 12' version of this early and well-known PIL song from the end of the 70's was one of the biggest anthem in the pre-New-Beat Belgium (soundtracked with industrial, EBM and dark pop) and became an anthem of New-Beat later as well when it was covered by Arbeid Adelt as "Disco Death". They were usually played one after the other (often followed by James Brown's "Ain't it funky now" at - 8, fan facts). Reminds me of a title from an Eskimo comp too. ; )

03. ELECTROGROUND "Electrolove" (MASQUE)
Not a very exciting title indeed but a useful and very simple piece of e'd up deep house produced in Italy in 1992.. also a recurrent tool from Antwerp legend dj Koenie (Wally's Groove World/Wonka/Mayaku) for years.

04.SCOTT SELLARS "Let's dance shall we" (BIG SOUND MUSIC)
Scott Sellars and Kirk Smith at the controls. This label was sometimes swimming in the same seas than Transmat but never left the same footprints on the techno sands. This deep-house track was big with Poltergeist, a great unsung hero from underground Belgium and a dj who pioneered all sorts of interesting AND fucked up house music in Belgium (together with others early international dj's playing in our country, such as Ricky Montanari, Eddy Declercq or Jon Dasilva)

05. Stevie V "Jealousy" Red Zone dub (MERCURY)
Yes its David Morales in its Redzone period and the piano was just massive. Absolutely huge in the Roxy where we religiously traveled nearly every Thursday.

... the rest, and Geoffroy's final say, follows tomorrow...