Category Archives: Music

New/Reviews

New records catch-up since June

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Cripes I’m well behind on music-related stuff.

ATTIAS – Nebukai (Still Music)
-B-side sounding nice and Prescriptiony

NO THEORY – EP #2 (Sin and Soul)
-Pascal Schafer collaboration thingy. Deep warez. Need to get the first one too

JERRY THE CAT aka JERRY JAMES feat GENEVIEVE MARANTETTE I Only Have Eyes For You (Sound Signature)
-Occasional Theo Parrish collaborator on his own. Sounds wicked. The drums are very familiar. really moody and distinct

CONVEXTION – Romantic Interface EP (Arne Weinberg)
-More Texan goodies

Front 242 – Masterhit (RRE)
-Oldie but a goodie

Wayne Kounty feat Amp Fiddler : Someone New (Premier Cru US)
-a cheapo in the waning days of the Juno sale

CV313 : Dimensional Space (Echospace Detroit)
-You’ll never guess what this is like

Deep Chord presents Echospace : The Coldest Season 3 (Modern Love)
-Or this

Quantec : Deep In Mind (Styrax Leaves Germany)
-More dubby-on-the-side-of-techno business

Sven Weisemann : Cabana Fever (Mojuba Germany)
-As is this

Mr. G : U Askin? (Rekids)
-That Dettmann ting

KSoul & Ra H : Morphine 004 (Morphine Italy)
-Detroit house vibes with a slightly techno flavour

Kai Alce : Broken Headlights (Real Soon)
-More Real Soon quality hard-to-pin-down house vibes

Aardvarck : Well Well Well (Rushhour Holland)
-More of that Cult Copy style business

I:Cube : Les Archives Cubistes Vol 1 (Versatile France)
-Sounds like the logical follow-up to Pooh Pah, or more like the Chateau Flight wares

Recent misses
Move D : Got Thing (Philpot Germany)
Kevin Reynolds : Afrik (Todchai US)
Marko Furstenberg : Surphased EP (Artless Germany)

Some oldies
Tori Amos – God (EastWest Records UK)
-C2 remixes. Replacement for stolen CD copy. Can’t believe this sells for only £3

Kuni – Kids Breath (Life Line)
-Nearly a Kuniyuki completist now

Miguel Graça – Pineapple (Bombay Records)
-Been meaning to pick this up for ages after a friend in D.C. put it on a mix of his a while back. Wicked deep house chune

A CD
A Small Good Thing – Slim Westerns Vol II [Leaf]
-Finally picked up the sequel to one of my favorite ever albums. Can’t go wrong with a bit of ambience with slide guitar

Not so new
Depeche Mode – Get The Balance Right [Mute]
Depeche Mode – Some Great Reward (Remastered Collectors Edition) [Mute]
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (remastered) [Apollo]
The Tuss – Confederation Trough EP [Rephlex]
The Tuss – Rushup Edge [Rephlex]
Deep Chord presents Echospace – The Coldest Season 2 [Modern Love]
Monolake – Ionized [Monolake]
Marc LeClair / Rechenzentrum – Musique Pour 3 Femmes Enceintes [Mutek]

Back to the new stuff
Moodymann – I’d Rather Be Lonely [KDJ]
Hieroglyphic Being – Guidance/Direction EP [Apnea]
Lerosa – Seeker EP [Enclave]

Monolake : Axis Carbon (Monolake Germany)
-Late

Iz & Diz : Love Vibe (remixes) (Aesoteric US)
-Missed this Bradock mix when it came out. Juno has one more copy of it in stock as of an hour ago

Daniel Meteo : Memento (Karaoke Kalk Pets Germany)
-Weird Kalk Pets action, less on the minimal tip than the stuff that they put out that I don’t bother with. A fair few hints at Detroit house and techno herein

Jacek Sienkiewicz : Spirits Of Life (Recognition Poland)
-The A side is well weird sounding. B side more his standard fair, but still tasty. Man can do no wrong at the moment

Studio : West Coast (Information)
-My 54th copy

V/A : Kalte Fusse II Vol 2 (Opossum Germany)
-Picked up for nice Jacek Sienkiewicz mix of the Joachim Spieth track

Mark Pritchard / Steve Spacek : Turn It On (Sonar Kollektiv Germany)
-Not what I was expecting it to sound like. More techno. Stupid baseline. I dig

Pendle Coven : Habitual Stress EP (Modern Love)
-Big synths heavy on the release. Who needs reverb?

The Oliverwho Factory : Future Funk (Madd Chaise Inc)
-Nice vocal techno

M Pittman : The Midwest Advocates Part One (Unirhythm US)
-Sick sick sick acid

Gigs

Next gig: Saturday 21 July @ The Prince, Brixton, next door to KFC so you can get your biscuits on yo

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Apologies for the Monstacock Playas SPAM:

It’s that ‘time of the month again’ and July sees Tristan Watkins (Phonopsia/Disception) take to the decks.

Following a nomadic existence in the states, where he co-founded the Metrotechno DJ crew and was involved creation of Metatrack Studios, English born Tristan Watkins returned to the UK in 2002 where he swiftly made an impact on the London scene with his finely honed house and techno sets, often taking in hip hop, broken beat, ambient, industrial and disco en route. Having djed in Chicago, Detroit, Canada and Eastern Europe, he recently appeared alongside the mighty Portable/Bodycode at Süd Electronic. Tristan has also proved a dab hand in the production stakes and his credits include a remix of Sean Deason’s “The Shit” for Matrix records, and Andrew Duke’s remix of Phonopsia’s “Frosting” on his 2006 Consumer vs. User album.

Completing the bill are Monstercock residents Slim and Rupi playing their inimitable blend of eclectic electric sounds taking in Detroit, House, Cosmic and Italo, and dropping a selection of unreleased cdr nuggets for good measure.

Expect a varied musical selection, delivered on a Funktion-1 soundsystem, and of course, expect to dance!!!!

Pub prices all night….

For free guest list email: Rupi, “The BITM” P or Slim “Jim” Jim.

www.gakfoundation.org

Special guest next month – Tony ‘586’ Daly

Concerts

Blatantly the best drummer alive today

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John McEntire

No question. Just saw him tonight as part of The Sea & Cake (one of my favourite bands) on the Funktion 1 at Cargo. In no other traditional rock band have I heard a drummer play such a pivotal role in the way that he does, and often it’s with the utmost subtlety, that you’ll only pick out if you’re watching him perform it live (as often his drumming is a bit too low in the mix on recordings to really pick out all the detail without an intentional effort). Sometimes it’s just raw intensity when he’s given the focus. On other occasions the ways he fulfills his backing rhythm section role puts everyone else to shame, to the extent that I think 99% of drummers I hear are utterly rubbish, doing less than half what they should on any given track.

He has an individuated sense of timing that infects his bands unlike anyone else. His ability to eek out the tightest and closed-est hats at stupid speed hasn’t been approached by anyone that I’ve heard, and seems to be getting better as he ages. For instance they played The Argument tonight at what must’ve been about 180-200bpm. The original had an almost drum n’ bass feel to it, and was likely no more than 150bpm. He’d somehow removed almost all of the swing, but retained that slightest amount which imparted that funk of rigidity, a la Kraftwerk, but at a speed that no man should be able to introduce such subtle variation.

Something about operating within the confines of traditional rock n’ roll (as opposed to his work with Tortoise, as a producer, etc) has produced some of the most compelling rhythms I’ve heard since jazz was good. I wrote a small dissertation about this when I last saw them which maybe sums it up better.

I also love what he’s doing in Tortoise – even, and maybe especially the most recent album, but I don’t think it’s as surprising or important as what he doing within ‘normal’ rock n’ roll. I still have yet to hear The Man Who Never See’s a Pretty Girl That He Doesn’t Love Her a Little live, which would be the moment when McEntire’s head roles off and he continues to drum unabated, but I’ll look forward to that when they return this Autumn.

I know somebody’s gonna say what’s-his-fuck from Rush is better, or some speed metal fool, or some long-dead brilliant jazz dude (who won’t count because he’s dead) but you’re all super wrong in advance. John McEntire is single-handedly better than everything else on earth combined.

New/Reviews

New chunes

2 Comments

MOODYMANN – Black Mahogani II: The Pitch Black City Collection (PEACEFROG)
-Glad I waited for the price to drop on this b/c I always wanted it but couldn’t justify the original price tag. Now £8 from Interstellar. Result

MOODYMANN feat ROBERTA SWEED – How Sweed it is (KDJ)
-Prolly my favourite Moodymann vocalist

B12 – Slope (B12 RECORDS)
-This is the new one

REDCELL – Practopia (B12 RECORDS)
-This is the old, unreleased one

SANTONIO – Phathom of Techno (CYREN)
-Apparently missed this when it came out. Homily is the cut

J’DAVID – Long Time Comin’ (MADD CHAISE INC)
-Oliver Who remix sounding nice, via Interstellar clearance

PATRICE SCOTT – Atmospheric Emotions (SISTRUM RECORDINGS)
PATRICE SCOTT – Beyond Deep (SISTRUM RECORDINGS)
KSOUL & RAH/KEITH WORTHY/PATRICE SCOTT – Undeground Anthems EP (Sistrum US)
-I’ve been sleeping on this dude. Exactly the kind of house music I’m looking for at the moment

DJ JUS-ED – 1st Unity Kolabo EP (UNDERGROUND QUALITY)
-Nice Jus-Ed collaborations, one with that FXHE dude

KEITH WORTHY aka WORTHY IS DEEP – Emotional Content (AESTHETIC AUDIO)
-A producer who’s records sound like what he plays. Always loved his sets when I caught him at DEMF. This captures some of that. Passed on the second one. Sounds a bit sloppy to my ears

AROY DEE – Lies (M>O>S)
-Mental

DIMLITE – This Is Embracing (Sonar Kollektiv Germany)
-Slept on this one. Sounds like a worthy follow-up to Runbox Weathers, one of my favourite instrumental hip hop (I guess) releases so far this decade

KARMA – Beach Towel (Compost Germany)
-I:Cube and Pascal Schafer remixes. Can’t go wrong

VARIOUS – Box Of Dub: Dubstep & Future Dub (Soul Jazz)
-Not really in to this dubstep thing, but this sounds particularly… dubby, which wins points in my book

ANDY STOTT – The Massacre EP (Modern Love)
-Haven’t been totally in to this guy so far, but this is some mental business. Really slow, exceedingly dark A side with a fast dub/Detroit techno workout on the flip

LOGIC – Blues For You (Strictly Rhythm UK)
LOGIC – The Final Frontier (Strictly Rhythm UK)
REDSHAPE – Steam (DELSIN)
D5 – Future Sense EP (Delsin Holland)
BURIAL – Burial (Hyperdub)
G MAN – Quo Vadis (Styrax Leaves Germany)
BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET/.XTRAK – Seventh City Classics Vol 1 (SEVENTH CITY)
-Reissues, lateness and ting. Glad I waited on the Burial for the wax though

Gigs, Mixes

Tracklist from Sud

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Recoil – Stone [Mute]
Doctor Rockit – Café de Flore [Lifelike]
Dave Aju – Xibalbanasazi [Circus Company]
Laszlo Beckett – Keep Counting [Hand on the Plow]
Second Life feat. Jimmie Wilson – Inner Love {Give It Up) (Black Keys Rework) [Running Back]
Terre Thaemlitz presents Chugga – Theme for the Buck Rogers Light Rope Dance (Deep Space Probe Remix) [Mule Electronic]
Chez Damier – Warfare [Trackmode]
Omar S. – U [Subgroundz]
Gemini – Klonopin [Relief]
Aardvark – Cult Copy (Dexter’d Dikke Cult Copy mix) [Rush Hour]
Brian Harris – Chemistry [Chicago Underground]
Tha Poke – Uncommon Sense [Iridite]
Kit Clayton – W-Shape [Parallel]
Depeche Mode – Told You So [Mute]
Robert Babicz – The Cloudpainter [Out of Orbit]
Sven Weisemann – Slices [Liebe Detail]
Substance & Vainquer – Reverberation [Scion Versions]
Deep Chord – Electromagnetic Dowsing (The Final Step) [Synth]
Sven Weisemann – Aequittal [Styrax Leaves]
I:Cube – Un Proton Pour Toi, Un Neutron Pour Moi [Versatile]
Redshape – Pain [Styrax Leaves]
Jacek Sienkiewicz – Breath [Recognition]
Ray Valioso – Keep It [Real Soon]
Dan Curtin – Executive Order 12333 [Metamorphic]

Link one more time:

Gigs, Mixes

Pretty much what I played at Sud

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I recorded some practice before Sud last Saturday. Since the set didn’t get recorded and there were a few conflicts on the night I figured I ‘d post that up, warts n’ all. It’s 95% the same as what got played. Records are packed up at the moment, but the tracklist goes something like this:

/mixes/TristanWatkins_AlmostSud_31-03-07.mp3

Recoil
Doctor Rockit
Dave Aju
Laszlo Beckett
Second Life
Terre Thaemlitz
Chez Damier
Omar-S
Gemini
Aardvark
Brian Harris
Tha Poke
Kit Clayton
Depeche Mode
Robert Babicz
Sven Weisemann
Substance & Vainquer
Deep Chord
Sven Weisemann
I:Cube
Redshape
Jacek Sienkiewicz
Ray Valioso
Dan Curtin

New/Reviews

New records

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Dave Aju : The Table Turns (Circus Company France)
-First of a few tips from Dave To the Bone

Laszlo Beckett : Plowtrax Volume 1 (Hand On The Plow)
-Convinced by the last track. Sounds nice.

Further Details : Volume One (Real Soon)
-First Real Soon record. Decided to take a chance on it even though the clips didn’t 100% convince me

Marcellus Pittman : M Pittman EP (FXHE US)
-Completing the Pittman collection (I think)

Deep Chord : Electro Magnetic Dowsing (Synth US)
-Pretty sure I prefer this to the remixes

Theo Parrish feat Jerry the Cat / Yamini Nayar : Children Of The Drums (Sound Signature US)
-Where’s the album?

Substance/Vainquer : Surface (Scion Versions Germany)
-Ummed and ahhed about this for a while and finally told myself to stop being a div

Ray Valioso : Einladung EP (Real Soon)
-Real Soon veering more towards the techno end of things. Sounds good

Aardvarck : Cult Copy Remixes Part 1/2 (Rushhour Holland)
-Another Dave recommendation, for the 2000 and One remix, which is fairly massive

Oracy : Mind Dance (Mojuba Germany)
-Another Dave tip

Arne Weinberg / Ian Pooley /Sean Deason /As One : In Loving Memory 1:4 (Styrax Germany)
-The Pooley, Deason and the second Weinberg track all sound pretty good from the clips

David Hausdorf / Octal Industries /Redshape : 7th Bouquet (Styrax Leaves Germany)
-Again, all three winners. Styrax is pretty much unstoppable at the moment

New/Reviews

Inadvertently bought some new tunes today

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Dan Curtin : Synaptic EP (Klang Electronik Germany) – in a fairly restrained mode
Kai Alce : Corner Manuvers (Real Soon US) – missed this last Summer
Juju & Jordash : Blue Plates (Real Soon US) – slow and groovy. It’s the track at around 13 minutes in on the Paul Hammond mix on Sonic Sunset this week
San Proper / Steven de Pleven : Proper’s Amsterdam Family Series Part 1 (Rushhour Holland) – more crazy Detroit-inflected house business
San Proper / Tom Trago : Proper’s Amsterdam Family Series (Part 2) (Rushhour Holland)
Matthias Meyer / Sven Weisemann : Voltage (Liebe Detail Germany) – the Sven Weisemann is beautiful. Late, I know
Sven Weisemann : Vivid Memento (Styrax Leaves Germany) – Ditto on this. All four tracks are sounding pretty tight from the clips
Tony Allen : Ole (Honest Jon’s) – for the Moritz Von Oswald remix, which sounds fairly dope based on the clip

And I got these from a friend at the weekend:

Doctor Rockit – Indoor Fireworks (Lifelike)
Heidelberg Project feat. Bill Beaver – Searching (Dis House)
Heidelberg Project feat. Bill Beaver – Same Old Shit Different Day (Dis House)
The Matthew Herbert Big Band – The Process, The Parts, The Many And The Few (Accidental)
Titonton Duvante & John Tejada – Freaky Deaky EP (Residual)

New/Reviews

Payday Pt. II

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Just furthered my ongoing replace-stolen-CDs-with-wax project a bit:

Dave Angel – In Flight Entertainment EP [Blunted]
Born Under A Rhyming Planet – Analogue Heaven [Plus 8]
Richard Bartz – Sci-Fi [Disko B]
Depeche Mode – Construction Time Again [Mute]
Thomas Fehlmann – Flow EP [R&S]

…and a couple of bits these sellers had in stock:

Gemini – Le Fusion [Cajual]
Elegia – Basic [F Comm]

…and this one, from my friend Rory‘s recent mix, for Budapest By Blimp. Tune.

Thomas Dolby – Airhead