2009

Is upon us at last, here to get rid of this fairly shit year that has been 2008. Summed up, unfortunately by:




When a year summed up by:



would have been a lot nicer. Though it was close, for me anyway.


Despite the fact that it brought us great albums from the likes of Late Of The Pier, Hot Chip, Foals, Vampire Weekend, Rolo Tomassi, Fucked Up, These New Puirtans, Crystal Castles, Friendly Fires, Metronomy, some brilliant fabric comps from Luciano, Ame and more, The Death Set and a fairly average one from MGMT with sme stupendous moments. amongst the many more i've forgotten down to alcohol abuse and a terrible memory bordering on brain damaged.

As there have already been a slew of end of year "best of..." lists flying around i really can not be bothered to spend the time on one as per last year which took me fucking hours (around 5 of them, no lie). So just a few categories that i feel like with a winner for each.

Firstly:

Weirdest sight of the year:

Watching a drunk dwarf singing a cheesy commercial house single into the microphone to Pink Eyes on stage in the middle of a Fucked Up gig in The Barfly in Camden.


Band person i am most in love with:

Alice from Crystal Castles. If you've seen them live you'll know.


Best gig:

Rolo Tomassi album launch at The Old Blue Last In September. 250 people crammed into an 80 odd capacity room, all going mental to one of the best bands around at the moment. Then a long after party all night, all over London resulting in crawling home at 7:30 am on a Tueday morning. Oh, and Rage Against The Machine at reading was so good i cried. Again, that's not a lie.

Worst thing:

Well, it's not the worst, but it's what i'm putting. Not getting a full time job so being ridiculously poor for the last few months. And having a friend in and out of l'hopital too much recently. That sucked.

Best thing:

Getting KiD COLA played on Radio 1 by Kissy Sell Out. Not bad!


Nicest people:

Probably Youth Attack, closely followed by Urchins. Although Andy George and most of the Lincoln crew seem ridiculously sound as well.

Best musical thing:

Foamo's Mystery Jets remix doesn't get old. I seemingly can't get of enough of Juri Hulkkonen's mix of This Boy's In Love either. And seeing KiD COLA's Secret Machines Remix get the reception it did was pretty special to.


Best thing in 2009:

Is definitely going to be KiD COLA. Watch out.

And to see you in to the new year... how about some odd minimal stuff?

Minilogue - Jamaica

Massive Attack - Teardrop (Minilogue Remix)


I think i'm going to be at 333 with Trevor Loveys, Mowgli, Hijack, We Have Band, You Love Her Cuz She's Dead and many more tonight, so if you're around come and say hi. Though i'll also be paying fleeting visits to Brixton Academy for Operahouse and The Old Blue Last for Youves (Mirror!Mirror!) and Rolo Tomassi. And possibly Gash Vs. Skill Wizard... Deary me.


Happy 2009 to all.


Love,

James.

Xxx

P.S. Another big shout out Kissy Sell Out for the KiD COLA support.

Frankmusik

So, we've heard of Frankmusik, right? Frankly (no pun intended), it has been pretty hard to investigate new music or gig line-ups, or even walk around London without seeing his name pop up somewhere, be it on blogs, on posters, at gigs or even in the broadsheets. He as been consistently listed as one of the most exciting up and coming producers the country has to offer.

Now, I have been criminally ignoring him until a couple weeks ago when my friend KiD COLA rang me up to say that Frankmusik had sent him a message to let him know that he (KiD) was his new favourite artist of the moment. I figured that was pretty cool since he was quite a big name, but i wasn't familiar with the music. So i wandered home after dinner and pulled up his myspace page. It was here that i found myself quite shocked that it had taken me this long to get around to listening to the young chap, as his productions turn out to be simply delightful pieces of alternative pop which deserve nothing less than to be heard by everyone and need to HUGE!

Check out this little gem you can hear on his myspace page:

Frankmusik - Vacant Heart

I hope you enjoy it as much as i do. And if you're in Scotland, it might almost be worth paying the ticket cost for that Keane gig to catch him in support.



James.


X

Disco Wizards

Scotland seems to be having a nice surge in musical productions these days, what with the likes of Hostage hammering out massive tunes from up North. This is a good thing as it makes up for us having had to put up with the likes of The View for the last few years.

Fresh out of Perth, Disco Wizards are two young gentlemen still in full time education, but still managing to produce mind-bending electro around this bothersome time constriction.

Hopefully we shall be hearing much more from these two in the new year!


Disco Wizards - Discoteq

Disco Wizards - Fuck Up Do Well

Love,

J.

X

Steed Beats

It would seem that Jack Beats remix of Steed Lord has finally been shot out on the promo lists. It's also good. Very good. Not massively surprising, but then.. you know what you're getting with Jack Beats; top quality house with massively squelchy bass. And we like it a lot!

I have to say, i haven't seen these guys play since we had them at Voodoo back in August, but they were incredible then and have most likely only got better since, so go hunt down over the festive period for some low end fun.

Steed Lord It's What U Do 2 Me (Jack Beats Remix)

Boom.

J.

X

Trouble And Bass take on Fat!

Yep, Baobinga has been getting dirty with Drop the Lime's NYC crew and has had the interesting result below:

Drop The Lime - I Love New York (Baobinga's Fucked Up Like Woah Mix)

Frankly, it pretty nasty. I recommend it.

James.

X

Acid Alphabet

As promised, KiD COLA has delivered us his first exclusive mix in the last few minutes so i'm now putting it up for all of you lovely people Any feedback is welcome.

It has a healthy mix of pop, electro and bass, all delivered with dexterity and funk. Get down!

KiD COLA's Acid Alphabet Mix

Hope you like.


James.

X

I Love Cambridge and Texas

My boy KiD COLA has come out with another slamming remix, time round of Crystal Fighters' "I Love London" and it's pretty grubby.

Using a cocktail of vocals and percussion and general quirks from the original combined with his gritty, crunching bass and trademark drum build ups, it is a progression on the slightly more traditional format of the previous output.

Check it:

Crystal Fighters - I Love London (KiD COLA Remix)



Bird Peterson has been doing his thing slightly off my radar recently, but is coming back with his first UK tour in February and with new material that sounds absolutely massive! Check this bass loaded monstrosity for hints at what to expect when he's over.

Bird Peterson - Shooked

Catch him a Chew The Fat! at Corsica Studios on 6th February with Fake Blood, Foamo, Zomby, A1 Bassline and more! Can't reeeeaaaally afford to miss that line up, can you?

You can pick up a brand new mix which, frankly, is getting my feet itchy for that Corsica Studios' dancefloor already, right here and exclusively:

Bird Peterson's exclusive UK tour mix



Out.

James.

X

Shoes...

I always have a problem getting shoes. I'm telling you, size 12 feet are a nightmare, i always just end up getting eleven's and wincing until they stretch out. Anyhow, enough tenuous linking and onto to my main point.

Little Boots.

Stuck On Repeat was good right? As Was the Fake Blood mix. Oh yes. Well, she has (what i believe is) a new track entitled "Every little Earthquake" which, frankly, is a piece of pop genius. I honestly think it might be the best piece of straight up pop music i have heard all year. It shows a maturity and songwriting ability which i always felt was lacking in Dead Disco, but is on full show now she has gone all solo!

See what you think.

Little Boots - Every Little Earthquake


And that aside i have mix of deep house and bangers i want to put up but haven't got the energy to write in depth about, not that you'd read it anyway. Ha.

Foals - Red Socks Pugie (Henrick Schwarz Remix)

Hot Chip - Touch Too Much (Ewan Pearson Remix)

Vitalic - The 30, 000 ft Club

Japanese Popstars - Electronic Poet

Guns n' Bombs - Riddle Of Steel


Out.

James.

X

Taste Pimpin'

So, have we all had enough of this new wave of French Touch and electro? Well, i guess the answer is probably no, judging by how popular the whole thing still seemingly is, and by the fact that youngsters such as Surkin and Bobmo keep maturing into better and better producers. Oh, and old mentalists like Mr. Oizo continue to toss out glamourously futuristic tracks way ahead of their time that are, probably, genius (especially when he has the gall to name them Gay Dentists or Bruce Willis Is Dead
). However, it seems the bass heavy thing is catching on, as France's rather popular and rather good Mustard Pimps will testify. They do the whole fidget thing with aplomb, and are very nice chaps to boot. Big, grimey tracks with slamming beats and pounding bass. I like. Oh, and if that's not enough, one of their songs is called Zombie Revenge. Fucking sold! So, get in on the free for all!

1)Designer Drugs - Zombies!
2)Jackinori - Bad boi J'Taime
3)Jeff Doubleu - Back Again (Original Mix)
4)Sound Of Stereo - Evil Panda
5)A1 Bassline Vs Dean Tynan - Pussy
6)Stereoheroes - Washout (Ill St M remix)
7)Jason Sparks - Oublie Moi (Charlie Fanclub rmx)
8)Mustard Pimp Ft. A Girl & A Gun - Beetle Gum
9)Tits & Clits - Dan
10)A1 Bassline - Bad Man Horror Theme
11)Mustard Pimp - Oh la la Satan
12)The Quemists Ft. Wiley - Dem Na Like (A1 Bassline rmx)
13)Mustard Pimp vs Stereoheroes - Shark Spray
14)Rex The Dog - Bubblicious (Congorock remix)
15)Clazziquai Project - Prayers (Shinichi Osawa Remix)
16)Bondo Do Role - Geremia (Chewy Chocolate Cookies Remix)
17)Mustard Pimp - RER D (Villeneuve Triage Edit)



-Mustard Pimp - Oh la la Satan


-Mustard Pimp - Zombie Revenge


-Mustard Pimp - Oh La La Satan (Stereoheroes Remix)


-Stereoheroes -Washout(Mustard Pimp remix)


James.

X

SO, Sinden's remix of this 2008 classic is finally on the shelves for you to pick out at a time of your choosing. I recommend doing it now before every other blog picks up on the pairing of these two hype machine favourites.

That's right, here is Sinden's re-work of Township Funk.


Mujava - Township Funk (Sinden Remix)

I'll let you make up your own thoughts on it, does it work, woesn't it? You decide.


This, however, is definitely wobbly as fuck! But what wuld you expect from Trouble and Bass All Stars. AC Slater takes on remixing duites of Hear Me, from Drop The Lime's Recent "Hear Me EP", Just thik of the low end possibilities, AC Slater's trademrk distorted synth/bass sound couple with DTL's bass wobbles, like Rolf Harris if he used synths instead of a board and wasn't on a par with Noel Edmounds

Drop The Lime - Hear Me (AC Slater Remix)


Also, i've just noticed that, on Hype Machine, there are a lot of blogs out there who clearly have a loose grasp on English and have mistaken Ewan Pearson's remix of Hot Chips "Touch Too Much" for one of "Hold On" which does not exist. Switch remixed Hold ON, and it's... ok. Wonky as hell, but not amazing. Stick to the Hideaway edit for the time being.

Oh, and this is a bit good. Finally Udachi does something i genuinely like.

Jason Tyler - Run Around (Udachi Remix)

Out,

James.


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