Cassettes!

I'm currently sat at home working on my final project for university, drinking tea and listening to lots of music. I find it difficult to decide what to put on some days, I'm a bit bored of my cd's at the moment and I don't like to listen to new music while working as I concentrate on it more than the work itself. So this week I dug out a few old essential mixes I had on cassette. There were some great sets during the first couple of months of 2000 from Mr.C, Parks & Wilson and Sasha. They really helped me develop my DJ style - moving away from the commercial house and trance I started out with and onto more progressive and tech-house sounds. I really enjoyed listening back to all three mixes even after all these years.

There were two tracks from Mr.C's mix that I always loved but could never find on vinyl. The lush Mystical Rhythm by Vince Watson was released on Alola records back in 1999 but still sounds fresh after all this time. Lovely, warm, soulful techno. The other track I was after was Burujha by Octave One, another melodic and deep techno groove.

Vince Watson - Mystical Rhythm.mp3

You can buy a higher bit rate version at Juno Download, I recommend you check out some of Vince's albums if you like this track. If anybody knows where I can buy Burujha please let me know, I couldn't find it on my usual sites.

Gavin @ Myspace

Gramme

As much as a Digital Download Convert as I am, nothing quite beats tracking down a physical release that you've been hunting down for ages. In today's MP3 age you can download pretty much anything you want but actually finding the CD or Record you want can be tough.

I've been after a copy of Gramme's debut (well, only) EP "Pre-Release" for the longest time after hearing the fantastic "Like You" on the excellent Rough Trade Shops: Post Punk 01 Compilation, but my searches for it on any format all drew a blank. However, stumbling into Fopp the other day brought up a copy for £3!

Recorded originally in 1997 on the now sadly defunct Output Recordings, Gramme's distinctly rough round the edges, Post-Punk sound came slightly before the revival spearheaded by The Rapture, LCD Soundsystem etc and if was released around that time a few years later would probably have been held up to similar acclaim. The production from former Output labelhead Trevor Jackson (under the psuedonym "The Underdog") keeps the drums and bass raw and loose, with the percussion especially deserving special mention - it just sounds great, listen to the close of Like You in particular. Although the bass-heavy Like You features (refreshingly non-American sounding) vocals, the EP also features a couple of instrumental tracks including the slow, almost dubby "Rehab" and the breakneck "Lovely".

A couple of MP3 samples:

Gramme - Like You.mp3 (Alt. Link)

Gramme - Lovely.mp3 (Alt. Link)

As mentioned before, if you like what you hear Fopp are selling the 6-Track EP for £3 making it much of a bargain. Don't sleep!

Nazi's, Star Wars & Electro

I bought this LP on the cheap some years ago now, not knowing anything about it. But how could I resist an album called "Generation Star Wars" that had Storm Troopers with the Nazi Swastika emblazoned on their helmets? For this reason, the first pressing was banned in Germany. The second pressing had the offending material removed and the 2000 reprint removed the Star Wars artwork altogether, I assume due to copywrite reasons.

Released in 1994, this was the debut LP from Germany's Alec Empire, a member of Atari Teenage Riot and the founder of the labels Geist and Digital Hardcore Recordings. At the time, it sounded like a noisy mess to me. However, after another listen during a recent vinyl sort out, it appealed more to my now matured ears. It's a cold, harsh soundscape of white noise and distorted electronics, alongside some beautiful ambient synths. I've gone for the epic opener "Lash the 90ties", its long eerie intro eventually making way for some industrial breakbeats. I've also picked out one of the ambient pieces "Pussy Heroin". You can purchase the album on cd from Amazon. Good luck finding a copy on vinyl!

Alec Empire - Lash The 90ties.mp3

Alec Empire - Pussy Heroin.mp3

Gavin @ MySpace

Chk Chk Chk

I've been listening to the new !!! (or Chk Chk Chk or Pow Pow Pow etc) album Myth Takes a fair amount recently. It's been getting some mixed reviews, which has suprised me a little as for myself it's probably their strongest effort to date - tighter, more hooky and with an added focus. It sounds great too, every time I hear it I pick up new sounds and rhythms in the multi-layered production.

I won't up any tracks from the album as it's only just out but you can stream the entire album below, courtesy of Bleep. As samples I'd recommend the widescreen Krautrock funk of the title track, the brooding psychedelic builder "Heart of Hearts" (which reminds me quite a bit of Vanishing Point era Primal Scream for some reason) and the barnstorming "Bend Over Beethoven" which breaks out into a blissful instrumental workout halfway through.




As well as their own material, they seem to be a recepient of some fine remixes too. Both reworks of tracks from their previous album Louden Up Now, the Rub'n'Tug Throwdown builds up slowly into a brooding house workout whilst LFO heads straight for hard acid meltdown - you need to hear the final minute or so!

Chk Chk Chk (!!!) - Hello, Is This Thing On? Rub 'n' Tug Throwdown (MP3) : Alt Link

Chk Chk Chk (!!!) - Me & Guilani Down By The School Yard (A True Story) LFO remix (MP3) : Alt Link

You can buy Myth Takes at Bleep in MP3 format or like I've done, on limited 2CD from Warp.

I'm Serious As Cancer

Something a little different from last weeks breakbeats, but just as good. As I said in my previous post, I liked Rave Alert for it's track selection and here we have two big hits from 1992 in remixed form. The Shamen, along with The Prodigy, were probably my favourite act as a youngster. The sheer amount of material that was available though meant I never heard it all and this remix of Love Sex Intelligence by 'Evil' Eddie Richards wasn't on any their cd's I owned. Eddie ups the tempo a little, cuts up a section of the vocal and slaps it over a chunky 4/4 beat, swapping Mr.C's raps for some big stabs on the keyboard. Simple but effective!

The Shamen - LSI (Freaked Out V1.02).mp3

Next up is Rhythm Is A Dancer from Snap! A classic tune that surely needs no introduction. I always liked the way this remix from Dance 2 Trance (one half of which was Jam & Spoon's Jam El Mar) really smoothed out the original. The main riff is played using a mellow guitar sound and as with LSI, the rap is dropped. I should point out that I have nothing against cheesey 90's raps, infact I think I know most of the words to both of the originals!

Snap - Rhythm is a Dancer (Purple Hazed Mix).mp3

Gavin @ Myspace

Watch Out For The Rave Alert

I grabbed a classic compilation from my youth on the cheap from Amazon Marketplace this week. I can't remember if it was me or a friend that had it originally, but either way I've had a copy on cassette for some years now. Released by Telstar in 1992, the cover warned the listener that a rave attack was imminent and they weren't wrong. Apart from a couple of duffers it's a really solid selection of tracks. It's also nice that they aren't all nasty 3 minute radio edits. I'll spare you the cheesier stuff like Seasame's Treat and A Trip To Trumpton and sock it to you straight with a couple of breakbeat monsters. I'll be back with a couple more tracks from this album in another post.

Jonny L - Hurt You So.mp3
Acen - Trip II The Moon (The Darkside).mp3

Oh and before any of you trainspotters feel the urge to tell me that a certain breakdown is missing from the Acen track - I know, but I feel this version is all the better without those James Bond strings.

Gavin @ MySpace