Best of 2008 Round Up (part 2)

My previous post covered the best albums but these were all very good too.


Quiet Village - Silent Movie

I was quick to dismiss this when it came out in the summer. I'd loved most of the tracks they had put out on 12" but on a first listen I found the album to be slow and dull. And so it sat in the overflowing 'UNSORTED' folder on my hard drive for months until I noticed a large number of people on the DJ History forums naming it as their album of the year. The beards over there aren't always right but I thought it was about time I checked out the album again with new ears. Turns out it was actually a really nice selection of downtempo grooves and psychedelic funk, albeit borrowed from somebody elses old record(s).

Stream selected tracks on the Quiet Village microsite


Q-Tip - The Renaissance

I've not had this long but it's clearly a great album. More time with it may have led to it being in the previous post of 2008's 'great' albums rather than this section of merely 'very good' ones. There are still a couple of tracks I've not fully warmed to yet but there is certainly no bad tracks to worry about. Q-Tip is sounding great as ever with that perfect combination of interesting, well delivered lyrics and funky, catchy beats. Looking forward to hearing it next summer already.

Stream the album on last.fm


Ezekiel Honig - Surfaces of a Broken Marching Band

This is some late night mood music, which for me works best at a low volume; heard only in the background. Everyday sounds are decontructed and reconstructed and mixed with organic and electronic instruments, overlaying the soft rhythmic patterns. Reminds me of Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records by Jan Jelinek and Le Fumeur de Ciel by Julien Neto; two of my favourite albums. Real minimal music, minus the techno.

Stream the album at Anticipate Recordings


Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia

Probably the second best electro/indie mix-up of the year after Cut Copy. It opens with the big trio of Ending of an Era, Into the Galaxy and Shadows and doesn't tail off too badly. It's a track too long for my liking (Nine Lives would be the one I'd drop) but you can't argue with the quality of the production or the variety in the songs.

Stream the album on last.fm


Twilight Moose - Embrace The Loneliness

More old school electro/ambient/soundtrack stuff from Legowelt on his own Strange Life Records. Feels more like a collection of tracks than a proper album (it possibly is) and so although most of them are good it does drag a little. Still, nobody else is really putting out this kind of stuff as far as I know and it's nice to support the guy's doing their own (deep and hypnotic) thing.

Stream album clips from the Strange Life Shop

Cosmic Gypsies

I was put onto this track earlier this week - some inspired UK Hip-Hop from Taskforce, Braintax & Jehst. Smooth beats, good flows, interesting lyrics and added bonus points for all the spacey shit! The video helps I think, some cool imagery. Taken from the Voices of the Great Outdoors EP (Lowlife Records 2000).

Buy it on Play.com

Best of 2008 Round Up (part 1)

I'm not dead! Although my computer was for a while. Plus I'm busy with the festive season and I also got an Xbox recently! Anyway, here is part one of my round up for 2008. I listened to (and enjoyed) far more old music than new but it was still a good year I think. These are my choices for the 'Best Albums of 2008'. There will be more to follow, plus might have beens, top singles and other random tunes....


Kelley Polar - I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling

I thought this was amazing, listened to it so many times and never got bored of it. I loved his first album and so I was equally excited/nervous about how the second one would turn out. Much more weird and wonderful that his debut but it still sounds unique and so obviously Kelley Polar. Love it from the opening vocoder of 'A Feeling of the All-Thing' to the closing strings of 'In Paradisum' with so many great tracks and little moments in between.

Stream the album on Last.fm


Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours

Another I love from start to finish. A great mix of guitars, drums, synths, vocals and effects with catchy hooks, great melodies and spine tingling moments a-plenty. Numerous tracks slap a massive grin on my face with every listen. Stand-out tracks include 'Out There On The Ice', 'So Haunted', 'Far Away' and the best sax solo of 2008 award winning 'Hearts on Fire'.

Stream the album on Last.fm


Morgan Geist - Double Night Time

More synth based songs from the studio perfectionist Morgan Geist (of Metro Area) featuring vocals from Junior Boys' Jeremy Greenspan. Beautiful sounds, wonderfully arranged. Hard to pick highlights when all 9 tracks are great. Try the synth pop of 'The Shore', the disco of 'Most Of All', the lazy groove of 'Ruthless City' and the cosmic instrumental 'Palace Life'.

Stream the album on Last.fm


Lindstrom - Where You Go I Go Too

Epic. Progressive. Cosmic. Synth! WYGIGT sounds like nothing anybody else has put out recently. It probably has more in common with the music of old to be honest - the early synth pioneers, krautrock and the more electronic end of the disco spectrum. But Lindstrom takes these ideas and rather than ripping them off or poorly imitating them, he expands them; weaving their influences into his own unique style of music. The mid section of 'The Long Way Home' is just pure bliss.

Stream 'The Long Way Home (Prins Thomas Edit) on RCRD LBL


Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality

Yet more excellently produced synth-pop stuff. Sexy and sleazy; and often cheesey. I dare you not to love the thick synth funk of 'Kilometer'. Other highlights include the slow grind of 'Pomme' and 'Une Heure' and the epic layers of arpeggio's on 'Sexual Sportswear' and the almost annoyingly catchy 'Manty'.


Jamie Lidell - Jim
I enjoyed about half of his previous album but felt that it was spoilt by the inclusion of some really weak tracks. 'Jim' rectifies this with a whole album of goodness. The guy's got a great voice and a soulful sound that I really dig. How about this for a feel good album opener: 'Another Day' - if that doesn't put you in a good mood you must be dead inside! My other two favourite tracks are 'Figured Me Out', which makes me wanna dance across the room every time I hear it - funky beat, great chord progressions, a swinging chorus and even a sweet little synth solo! Things are a bit smoother on 'Green Light' but again, lovely chords and little melody hooks and a great vocal delivery.

Alphonso Johnson - Moonshadows

Philadelphia born Alphonso Johnson begun his career in the early Seventies as an upcoming electric bass player on the jazz scene. His first recordings were with artists working under Gamble and Huff, before moving to LA to work with the Woody Herman Orchestra. In 1974 he replaced founding member Miroslav Vitous in the group Weather Report and later went on to work with the likes of George Duke, Billy Cobham, Santana and even Phil Collins. Moonshadows was his debut solo album from 1976, released on Epic and featuring some great jazz funk fusion. Players on board included Patrice Rushen, Flora Purim, Airto Moriera, Lee Ritenour and Bennie Maupin among others. Alphonso's work on the bass is excellent throughout the album: sometimes funky, sometimes driving, other times more experimental. I also really like the drumming on this album, and as with all my favourite jazz albums - it features some good use of synthesizers.

The opener Stump is a nice mid-tempo funk workout with some sampladelic drumbreaks and a great false ending. Involuntary Bliss, with vocals from Flora Purim, starts out smooth and dreamy before the groove gets more urgent and noodle heavy in the mid section. Third track Cosmoba Place has a rockier vibe to it with heavy drums, some B-3 organ and a strong lead guitar. There are some mad bass effects to mess with your head too. Side 1 closes with the short and dreamy interlude Pandora's Box. Up From The Cellar starts side 2 off in fine funky style. Probably my favourite track from the LP featuring nice tight guitar licks, smooth keys and lush vocal sections. Amarteifio is a cool, mellow vocal number with some lovely chords and harmonies. On The Case rolls along nicely with its mix of rock/jazz psychedelia, again with a strong lead guitar from Lee Ritenour. The album ends with the euphoric Unto Thine Self Be True - great hooks, great synths, beautiful music. What more can I say?

T.C. Curtis & Bryan Loren

A couple more 80s jams for your listening pleasure, both of these are on the Virgin label. First up is a nice little mid-tempo boogie/disco shuffler called You Should Have Known Better. There were 2 versions of it doing the rounds in 1985 - this one from T.C. Curtis and another from Skratch. They're not hugely different, Skratch had a tighter beat but I prefer the vocals on this one (backing vocals from Galaxy). It was written by William Alexander Smith and licenced from Hot Melt records.

T.C. Curtis - You Should Have Known Better.mp3

Next we have Bryan Loren who had a minor hit with Lollipop Luv in 1983. Easier Said Than Done was the follow up single from 1984, licenced from Philly World records. It's a little less poppy sounding and more funky. Doesn't look as if Bryan released anything else, although he has a number of production credits on Discogs including Bart Simpson's Do The Bartman - which to this day I never knew was written by Michael Jackson!

Bryan Loren - Easier Said Than Done.mp3

Morgan Geist - Double Night Time

My review of the new Morgan Geist LP is online at www.dorq.co.uk, the new place online for Digital Opinions, Reviews and Questions. A friend of mine has just set it up and asked me to write something for the site. Below is a direct link to my review, any comments would be most appreciated as it took me forever to write and I still didn't really like it when I was finished!

http://dorq.co.uk/Music/Morgan-Geist-Double-Night-Time-album-review

Juicy - Sugar Free

Juicy was brother and sister duo Jerry and Katreese Barnes, who released a few singles and two albums between 1982 and 1987. This was their biggest hit from 1985 and was produced by Eumir Deodato. I must admit that I didn't realise he did electronic music, I'm more familiar with his jazz-funk/disco stuff from the seventies, but it seems he did quite a bit of production through the eighties. It's very nice though, that slow Electro-Soul vibe reminiscent classics like Hangin' On A String or Dare To Dream. There are two versions on the 12" - the dance mix and the radio mix - no real difference apart from the length. There are also two bonus tracks taken from the first LP. Bad Boy is a more uptempo and pop sounding club track, Forever And Ever is somewhere between the two, not a club track but not as mellow as Sugar Free. All in all, a nice little package. Enjoy!

Juicy - Sugar Free (Deo-Super Dance Remix).mp3

Canterbury Digs

Here are my findings from Canterbury Rock (in Canterbury suprisingly!) and B-Side the C-Side in nearby Herne Bay.

Herbie Hancock - Death Wish Soundtrack LP
Libra - s/t LP
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - Expansions LP
Rhythm Heritage - Disco-fied LP
Climax Blues Band - Stamp Album LP
Steely Dan - Gaucho LP
The Limit - s/t LP
The Intergalactic Touring Band - s/t LP (for the artwork in the booklet)
Klaus Schulze - En=Trance LP
Klaus Schulze - Untitled double LP compilation
Omega 9 - Gammapolis LP (some weird Hungarian Prog-Rock)
Gabor Presser - Electromantic LP
Edgar Froese - Stuntman LP
Vangelis - The Dragon LP

Break Machine - Street Dance 12
Detroit Spinners - Love Is In Season (b/w Could It Be I'm Falling In Love) 12
Stacy Lattishaw - Jump To The Beat 12
Serious Intention - Serious 12
Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind 12
Juicy - Sugar Free 12
Wally Badarou - Chief Inspector 12
Keith & Darrell - Work That Body 12
Chantal Curtis - Get Another Love 2x12
Bryan Loren - Easier Said Than Done 12
T.C. Curtis - You Should Have Known Better 12

Wax Stag - Short Road

This featured on a recent compilation cd I received from a friend. The video is some bizarre, probably drug related shenanigans, but the song is just joyous!

Evelyn Thomas & Eleanor Grant

A couple of Electro-Soul gems from 1984 for you today...



Heartless on Vanguard records was written and produced by Ian Levine & Fiachra Trench, who supposedly started the High Energy trend with their production of Evelyn Thomas' other 1984 hit High Energy. Heartless is a much smoother and more soulful number though, the loose vocal & piano intro leading beautifully into a super funky groove with a nice little synth hook. It's a great song once it gets going, with a well delivered vocal about a lover who turns out to be married. Not sure the key change near the end was needed but top stuff otherwise.

Evelyn Thomas - Heartless.mp3

I picked up this track by Eleanor Grant thinking it would be a cover of the Michael Jackson classic. It's not though, they just share the same title. The 12" was released on Catawba/CBS Records and was produced by George Kerr. It's a good track with a classic chunky 80s beat and bassline sound. I can't find much info about Eleanor Grant; Discogs only has 3 releases listed and there is nothing on Youtube. Oh well, just enjoy the music!

Eleanor Grant - Don't Stop (Til You Get Enough).mp3