Wednesday 29 April 2009

Fenech Soler


A new UK act who seem to take of with aplomb over the summer.

Dealing in what can only be described as blissed out pop melodies and electronic hooks offset by, at times, mesmerising vocals. I don't really know much else about them, if i'm honest, besides the fact that they are playing Off With Your Heads at The Queen Of Hoxton on 7th May and will be thoroughly worth the trip down, i believe it is free too. Oh, and then there's this; their latest single 'The Cult Of Romance' due out May 11th is quite simply amazing. It has been championed by Pete Tong & Andy George (Radio 1) and was George Lamb's (BBC 6) record of the week.

Not too shabby methinks.

Come down!


Fenech Soler - LA Love

Fenech Soler - Airbrushed


check out their myspace for more! Fenech Soler

Love,

James.

X

Monday 27 April 2009

Junior Boys get it very right

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Junior Boys still seem to come across as a rather underwhelming name, rarely heard outside of certain circles; but when one considers their work with techno legend Carl Craig and tours with the likes of Hot Chip alongside various high profile remixes, the true nature of their position comes to light.

Having actually been together and making music for many years now, one could almost regard them as the forbearers of Hot Chip’s mantle as the Kings of carefully crafted downbeat electronic stylings; though Junior Boys have always maintained more of a tehno influence which one can very much hear in this delightful record.

Opening up on this new EP with the melancholic "Parallel Lines”, with it’s delicate vocals gently layered over minimal landscapes and softened drums. Second track “Work” takes us into darker territories that occupy the land somewhere in between The Knife and Gui Boratto, with acidic loops and a pulsating bass. Then, suddenly, the mood shifts up a gear with “Bits & Pieces” which comes across like the bastard child of Hot Chip and Matthew Dear. There are even handclaps thrown in for good measure alongside layered vocals and hooky yet sporadic melodies. “Dull To Pause” is essentially a wonderful piece of down-tempo pop while “Hazel” takes us in the other direction, being wonderfully upbeat, underpinned with elements of (ex-Hot Chipper) Grovesnor.

Continuing with the theme of contrasts on this record, “Sneak A Picture” once again takes the mood down somewhat, utilising skipping beats, quirky synth lines and gently stabbing bass. “The Animator" is a piece I’m not entirely certain how to describe; whilst being stylistically very much a part of the record it seems to stand on its own slightly but I can’t quite put my finger on why. Needless to say it’s another brilliant piece of dark, electronic pop.

Closing track “What’s It For” is a beautiful, slow burning piece that starts off simply with some subtle background pulsating aquatic synths, before gentle vocals roll in over the top and an ecstactic melody casually builds over the whole thing in such a manner that one will hardly notice it’s presence until it leaves you and the EP has played out.

A wonderfully dark electronic piece, which is all the while strangely uplifting, Junior Boys have once again proved themselves as one of the most criminally underrated bands around today.

Junior Boys - Bits & Pieces

Love,


J.

Friday 17 April 2009

If Not Now...




Plimsouls - If Not Now, When?


Having been kicking around on the blog scene for a couple of years now, the time has finally come for Plimsouls to drop his first full EP on us, via Pieces of Eight Records who have brought us music from the likes of Style Of Eye and compilations from Sister Bliss. Rest assured, he holds his own against such weighty names.
Opening up with the slightly haunting “Twelve” we are a greeted with a huge, thumping kick drum while humming bass and swirling melodies build around the beat and strings begin to stab across building to a peak until, stop, and a huge lead synth melody rolls out and I’m hooked. Hodzo is built around a similarly intense kick drum but with almost more atmosphere, even choral vocals are included here, which the lead slowly builds out of until you find yourself in a sea of distorted bass, which drops away leaving the lead to carry through before the whole songs crashes back in and one is amidst a huge techno track! With breakdowns and builds using elements from each of part of the track, this is a wonderful piece that really sees Plimsouls utilising his potential as a songwriter.
“Tolle” takes us down a more “fidget house” route with its clicking beats squelchy melodies and slamming bass. Another track that goes to show the versatility of the young producer. Having covered almost three genres across three tracks it is also testament to his promising talent that the record also never feels disjointed, the mix through house, techno and fidgety beats is remarkably seamless. We are then taken on the closing journey of “One Step” which is a laidback house track with a nice funky, groove laden bass line, big drops and massive leads, that finishes off the record in fine style. In all honesty, the whole thing is entirely kompakt worthy, let’s hope they sit up and take notice of one of the UK’s brightest young producers.


Love,

J.


X

Thursday 9 April 2009

Switch is back.



Yep, after a year in the wilderness producing the occasional ropey remix and utilising his skills producing albums for producers, many of whom seem to have been plucked from under Diplo's wing, Switch is back on form.

It's been a long time since his Mystery Jets remix hit the 'net in April 2008, but we do finally have more Switch productions worth a good solid listen. Yay! He's even brought a new sound with him. Taking elements of his distorted, crunching fidget stylings, has slowed everything down and taken Bjork into somewhere one might associate with dubstep, though i'd hesitate to say it was full on dubstep. Which is somewhere i'm not even sure the pixie-espue Icelandic cult figure ever expected to be, despite her best experimental efforts. It matters not though, as it's Switch back on form and we know what that means, dancefloor slammers galore. How wonderful!

Anyway, stuff the chat, get down and listen to it!

Bjork - Nattura (Switch Remix)

Love,


James.

X

Friday 3 April 2009

New Kid Blue mixtape & New night @ East Village



Kid Blue returns:

Kid Blue Lot49 Mixtape

1 Dopamine - Spunk
2 Vandal - Captain Magic (Rudi Stakker Remix)
3 Rainer Weichold - Bamboo (Format:B Remix)
4 Worthy & Yankee Zulu - The BS Connection
5 Merka - Another Place (Kid Blue Remix)
6 Eric Etrena & D-Unity - Drugs and Stuff (D-Nox & Beckers Remix)
7 Kid Blue DJ Tool 22
8 Fukkk Off - Rave Is King (Nhan Taan's Electro Boogie Remix)
9 Calvertron - Oh Ley (Kid Blue Remix)
10 Bertolini, Navas & Amo - Nervioso (Olivier Giacommotto Remix)
11 Jeroen Van Anken - Atomic Wobble (Kid Blue Remix)
12 Brian Thomas - The Drop (Kid Blue Remix)
13 Tiga & Zyntherius - Sunglasses At Night (D.I.M. Remix)
14 808 State - Pacific State (Rudi Stakker Remix)





See you there.


J.


X

Krazy Baldhead drops Ed Banger debut album



Krazy Baldhead – The B-Suite

I do not think that anyone but the most hardened of Ed Banger fans would admit that they have been somewhat off the boil since their heyday in 2007, perhaps the last real innovative release being Mr. Oizo’s Patrick 122 (see the original it samples from; Gary’s Gang – Do It At The Disco) over a year ago now. So I have to confess to approaching the new Krazy Baldhead record with a touch of caution, despite having been a fan of his Dry Guilotine/Crazy Motherfuckas release back in 2006.

I am happy to say, that almost immediately upon pressing play, I was greeted by something that, while unmistakably Ed Banger, seemed to bring back that little spark that made them so appealing a few years ago. Mr. Baldhead (aka Pierre-Antoine Grison) has started off by approaching the album from a very different approach to your average. Consisting of sixteen tracks, spread across four “movements” consisting of four “parts” for the first two movements, three for the third while the remaining five make up the fourth and final movement. One could almost conceive that he has purposefully approached this electro record from a classical perspective, with of movements with interrelating parts, flowing together as though part of a mixtape, all the while remaining distinguishable individually.

The opening movement is constructed around a funky, yet distorted, pulsating bassline, whilst flowing in and out more blessed out, melodic moments before morphing back into where it started from in part one.

The Second Movement opens up with a jazz freefall before breaking out into an electronic take on the intro and drops smoothly into a funk fuelled electro/hip-hop piece featuring Tes on vocals. Part three sees the funk bass take on more of groove with some crunching synths layered subtlely on top before part four chops things up somewhat and takes us within the realms of Oizo and sebastiAn-esque material.

Movement numero trois takes into electro/rap territory with guest vocalists Big-O and MllE Yulia, bleeps, electronic squeals and vivacious loops, leading into a laidback melody and some very low-end bass which slowly builds into a an almost techno-esque piece, building around stabbing strings which drops away into distorted rhythmical bass loops and becomes a rather wonderful piece featuring Outlines which harks back to their remix of DJ Mehdi.

The fourth movement goes straight in for the epic jugular, all intense bass and solid drums before suddenly stripping back to a beautiful, high pitched melody and an odd vocal sample which leads gently into the next piece of the puzzle which slowly crescendos into a traditional piece of slamming electro. Part three gives way to a slowed down, distorted and grimy piece which follows into part four, where strings are layered over the top and leads towards a final assault featuring the Beat Assailant which closes down this album with somewhat of a bang.

Ed Banger Rides again.

Krazy Baldhead - Choppin'

J.

X