Sunday 19 August 2007

Holidays

So I'm in Canada at the moment, visiting my sister and generally maxing out across the water. Thus, no posting for a good two weeks at least, i figure my sister won't want me logging weird music on to her compute in case any of it happens to be virus ridden or something.

Anyhow, i hope everyone's doing ok. Back on the 23rd for TDK cross central that weekend etc.

see you around.

Chuck.



Xxx

Wednesday 1 August 2007

Transformers

One of my friends has proclaimed this "the most important 2 hours 20 minutes of hius life." The fool clearly didn't pay attention when we watched the original but a few days before. Oh well. I've heard the soundtrack is like Nikelback trying to play like Van Halen. Makes you want to shoot yourself, doesn't it.

Anyway, this month has been kind to me. I've seen Bolt Action Five twice, and once with Late of the Pier and Neon Plastix (that was pretty special) and at then Filthy Dukes run night, Kill 'em All at the Camden Barfly las weekend. Woop. They were, of course, great both times, though i think the second perfromance i enjoyed more, purely due to the fact that there were other poewple dancing around. However, they played "Can the Freedom Regulate the Volume" (new single, out in October, AA-side "Think Fast." DO IT!) at the LOTP night... Hard choices.

Also over the last week, that very kind young fellow, Plimsouls sent me a few tracks to have a listen to. The first, a cover of Shitdisco's Reactor party is a good first effort for a remix, certainly the best first attempt i've heard in many monhts i think, though is let down at the middle. It starts off with a long and interesting build up untill little past the two minute mark, and while the drop is by no means bad and woiuld certainly keep most dancefloors (exclude, i'd imagine the ones full of purists. Read: boring people) moving, it something about it seems a touch off... though i can't quite put my finger on it, perhaps the wonky melody running through it seems slightly out of time or something, i'm just not sure. Fuck it, it's still good, using the vocal sparingly which seems to be the otion of choice for some of the better remixers of late. Check it out

Shitdisco - Reactor Party (Plimsouls' Cataclysmic Mix)

The other two tracks i recieved were two new productions of his own, Malc (i assume short for Malcolm) X and Not today. The first, Malc X, represents a sharp improvement in P[limsouls worksounding quite fantastic from the very first listen. It's a fine piece of electro with strong tech influences that would sit comfortably alongside any of the darker Kitsune releases, whilst retaining a distincly British air about, possilby the haunting, almost melancholy , melodys and vocal samples he uses. Anyway, it's quite something.

Not today is a slice of something quite different with a strong lines and beat running through and building slowly throughout the song, this track seems to rely more on stabbing and whirring/swirling electronics through which to crete dancefloor destruction, my guess is that it's a succes, before dropping into a mean throbbing bassline which thenn morphs into something that sounds as though it could have been produced by Mr. Oizo, not a 19 year old. And that... is a serious acheivement i think. Both these tracks mark, as previously mentioned, marked a step in Plimsouls prduction levels with these tracks easily outstriping the older tracks, though this is not undermining those so much as stating the quality of newer stuff as i'm (surprise!) a fan of it all, old and new. Carry on my friend, and we look forward to seeing where things pan out from here and wish you the best of luck.

Plimsouls - Malc X

Plimsouls - Not Today


My friends in Ou Est Le Swimming Pool have also finally managed to produce stuff to a level they felt was adequate enough to put up on their Myspace page. First track, Umbrella is, well, a cover of Rhianna's Umbrella. It immediately outstrips the original (in my opinion) by cutting out the Jay-Z, a man i can't stand, vocal line. That aisde, it's great so go check it!.

Also up are Haddon's Bastard, an brilliantly obscure piece about a drink invented after some exceedingly quaint substances had been drunk at a party. THere's some ammusing references in here also, if you can spot them.

Lastly is All in All... is a track written purely by one Charles Alfredo Haddon, minus thehelp of his usual partner in song, Mr. Joseph Hutchinson. Written in under a week, it's a catchy piece of indy-pop that should sit well with most people.

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Umbrella

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Haddon's Bastard

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - All in All...

Another couple of tracks i've stumbled across and loved are the MSTRKRFT mix of Chromeo's Tenderoni (though the original and Sinden Mix are good also), which is, it has to be said, in a very simialr style to their D.A.N.C.E. mix, though this is no bad thing or even a complaint. Merely an observation.

Chromeo - Tenderoni (MSTRKRFT mix)


Prins Thomas have done a nice and simple remix of SMD's I Belive. A nice gentle elctro re-work that'll keep dancefloors and headphone heads happy alike.

Simian Mobile Disco - I Believe (Prins Thomas Remix)

Then there were a few people that i am entirely new to, Janedge, Riva Star and MESH. Here some samples which range fromincredibly dirty electro to pure dancefloor bangers and some seriously wonky tech-house. Ace!


Riva Star - Thizzle

Janedge - You Sampled That

MESH - I Want to Start

And for a extra bonus some randon Daft Punkery:

Daft Punk - Da Funk (Casio Inc. Mix)

This weekedn is Tales of the Jackalope which i'm far too excited about, what with the likes of Dizze Rascal, The Fall, Late Of The Pier, XX Teens, Errors, Kissy Sell Out, Uffie & Feadz, Shy Child, Foals and DJ Mehdi amongst others. Then i'm off to Vancouver Island for a couple of weeks. Happy times. Catch you all on the flip side of August.

P.S. This lot are playing Jackalope and, along with LOTP, are going to slay the place!

Fucked up - David Comes To Life

Chuck

xxx