monoblogofone

eat your prins kite

2009-03-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

the last 3 days were a blast..starting Friday, I first attended a private techno party, co-hosted by the one and only D.J. Girl, and after some seriously loud and funky beats I headed for Prins Thomas's widely awaited return in Athens..I must admit that he is with ease the best deejay I've heard in a while..he adjusted his sound to the space (a relatively small and without any great sound bar) and crowd (the usual somewhat posh Athenians that refuse to dance with some exceptions thankfully), providing us with quality eclectic and mainly retro cuts..what stroke me was that each and every track that he played had a catchy melodic part for the not so involved combined with detailed layers of satisfyingly complex drum patterns, all produced with excellence..I can't say if he spinned re-edits or originals, but the result was astonishing..the place was heavily crowded right from the top and we were like packed sardines up until 4 in the morning whereas mainly the posh attendants got bored and we finally got to do our famous dance moves and spins..I must also add that I nearly got seriously injured by the famously rude and obnoxious owner of the place the event was held, who, after I almost threatened to make a mayonnaise out of his face for pushing me off the stairs, apologized by saying that he was in a hurry because he is the boss and has something to attend to..lame to say the least..

onward to Saturday night, when another comeback was at hand: the one of the amateur boyz to russian trashy disco Meteorit..and what a comeback that was !! the place was crowded with people mostly dressed as distorted idols, in the likes of Frank Sibatman, John Lennin, Pet Shop Bears, while I chose to dress up as Sebastian Atelier, one of my favorite french artists in a posh painter version (!). apart from the boyz that yet for another time spinned quality disco influenced dance music -at times more techno oriented that what hey probably imagined but that was quite cool, to me at least- our "distorted" entertainers were also Yes U Do !! Sure U Do !! and D.J. Girl, this time less aggressive and with a crazy mood to party..all in all it was a night reminiscent of their original parties at the same place 2 years ago, that as usual ended with a hot soup and spicy meat, about 8 in the morning, in a tavern lost somewhere in the center of the city..

Set 3

2009-02-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

For this set I used as an inspiration what early to mid 80's disc jockeys were trying to achieve, meaning a combination between the legacy of disco and boogie and the new sound of Detroit and Chicago. In that frame of mind -and time- I've kept it pretty simple in terms of mixing, with a set that -to me at least- has a flow reminiscent of proto-dance mixes. Old-school but still quite groovy I might add.

I am also happy to announce that I have upgraded my setup, now using a MacBook with a Native Instruments Audio Kontrol 1 soundcard. This powerful combination, in terms of hardware, has already given me the chance to experiment more with reconstructing a track with cue points and extensive use of beat altering effects.

download here

Tracklist:

01a. I Called U (Over The Edge Mix) - Lil' Louis & The World
[I Called U (But You Weren't There), FFRR]

01b. Give Your Body Up To The Music - Billy Nichols
[Larry Levan's Paradise Garage, West End Records]

Classic House track by Lil' Louis, here used as an acapella and a boogie dynamite from Nichols, full of energy and emotion.

02. I'm Your Superman (Disco Mix) - Jan Leslie Holmes
[I'm Your Superman, Jay Jay Records]

Although the original is a wonderful track as well, I prefer to play this mix, since I find it more dancefloor oriented and I always enjoy when the bass kicks in after the vocals bridge.

03a. 2004 Time Machined - Loud E
[Loudefied, Ambassador's Reception]

03b. I Called U (Over The Edge Mix) - Lil' Louis & The World
[I Called U (But You Weren't There), FFRR]

To me, Loud E seems to be a well hidden secret, a notorious record collector with a fine taste of re-editing. 2004 Time Machined is probably, in the same style with Joakim's remix on Pocket Piano by Dj Mehdi, a true epic nu disco anthem.

04. Black Flute - Leftfield
[Leftism, Hard Hands]

Leftfield were far ahead of their time and, although I'm not one of their biggest fans, as one friend noticed wisely there probably aren't too many electronic music artists not influenced by Leftism.

05. The Hoe - Laurent Garnier
[30, F Communications]

Garnier is the don of french and european techno and one of the most skilled and fun djs I've ever seen perform. Maximum respect..

06. My Sound - Joey Beltram
[Energy Flash E.P., R & S Records UK]

Hearing this techno anthem, it's easy to understand why it was also released by Derrick May's Transmat. Raw and soulful as it was back then.

07. Orange Mistake - Luciano & Quenum
[Orange Mistake, Cadenza]

Quality minimal techno music by Luciano and groove wizard Quenum.

08. Untitled - Los Hermanos
[Tres EP, Los Hermanos]

Los Hermanos is one of the most important techno acts in Detroit, now under the care of Gerald Mitchel and Mad Mike, that provides a soulful blend of deep techno beats with latin-influenced sounds.

09a. Paradiso - Loco Dice
[Harissa, Cadenza]

09b. Captivate - Jeff Mills
[Purpose Maker Compilation, Purpose Maker]

09c. Casa - Jeff Mills
[Purpose Maker Compilation, Purpose Maker]

Loco Dice is an aspiring relatively young producer, that has drawn attention for his slowburning emotional songs and who has provided a remix to Kevin Saunderson for the latest series of EPs by KMS. On the other hand, the Wizard needs no introduction, here on two memorable tracks from the Purpose Maker saga.Lately he was quoted by Wire saying that he can clearly see the time when music is just programmed and people are passive to it, exposing once again his controversial yet deeply spiritual personna and maybe providing us with a warning..

10. Good Life (Mayday Mix) - Inner City
[Good Life, Virgin Records America, Inc.]

As Kevin Saunderson has stated, Good Life was a song of hope. And one timeless anthem I might add, remixed by Derrick May in this version -probably my favorite mix along with the original and the one by Magic Juan Atkins.

11. I-94 - Juan Atkins
[Futurepast EP, Subject Detroit]

One of the big three from Detroit, Juan Atkins, always created forward-minded techno, from his days with Cybotron until present day. He is living history and his music is techno at its best.

12. All Night Dancing - Lipps, Inc.
[Funkytown / All Night Dancing, Casablanca Records]

The b-side of seminal Funkytown is one disco gem that cannot be ignored. Classic fragile warm strings and a funky bassline that immediately creates response from the body.

13. Computerlove - Kraftwerk
[The Mix, Elektra]

Pioneers of utmost importance, that early on set the rules for what we have come to call electronic dance music. The lyrics from this song, originally from their 1981 LP Computer World, seem to describe a world with an eerie resemblance to ours.

14. Blank - Joris Voorn
[From A Deep Place, Green]

Last but not least, Voorn is one of the most important young techno producers. His latest LP was full of beautiful and intense dance music, crafted with sensitivity and great technical ability.

Set 2

2009-01-28T05:38:00.000-08:00

Exactly 2 weeks after the first post, it's time to boogie !!

With the artists from whom I had to pick under consideration and having to decide whether I'd go for a techno set or a disco/house set mixed in a techno style, the second came as a natural choice. Not only because I'm sick & tired of all these so called disco "edits" -whereas most of the time wannabe djs and/or producers straightforwardly mix some disco cut with boring beats and then apply filters only to be hip- but because the last 2 or so years I've been connecting the dots between disco and techno, amassing a wide variety of late 70's/early 80's gems.

There are of course nowadays producers that do wonderful edits of disco, boogie or early electro and are an inspiration to us all -like Loud E just to name one I stumbled upon recently, or DJ Harvey. Respect also goes to blogs like Beatelectric or American Athlete that provide the tools for anyone that doesn't want just to apply effects on an already perfect track. To me, if someone doesn't have the skill or the inspiration to either mix disco live or make an entirely new track from disco pieces, it quickly gets boring. I mean..if Jeff Mills mixed disco with amateur turntables and looped with cassettes why don't we all get a real life if we're not going to challenge ourselves?

So I mostly used loops or extended samples from disco/boogie tracks in combination with modern beats or even minimal bouncy percussion to create something new out of already wonderful music. And believe me, mixing disco is one hell of a task even for Traktor Pro..listen to my mix in about 4.5 minutes and you will hear those mismatch horses galore..

download here

Tracklist:

01a. Getting Hot (Prelude) - Gwen Guthrie
[Padlock - Special Mixes By Larry Levan, Universal Music (Japan)]

01b. Getting Hot (Original 12inch Version) - Gwen Guthrie
[Padlock - Special Mixes By Larry Levan, Universal Music (Japan)]

One hell of a record -that recently was re-issued and re-mastered- and yet another example of Larry Levan's genius. As some friends would put it: Claaaaaaassic !!

02a. You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me) (Larry Levan Mix) - David Joseph
[You Can't Hide (Your Love From Me), Island Records]

02b. The Dance - Derrick May
[Innovator - Soundtrack For The Tenth Planet, Network Records]

This second mix by Levan is even nastier than the first and with a little percussive help by Mayday it really takes off..

03a. Starlight (118 BPM Edit) - Escort
[Starlight, Escort Records]

03b. The Dance - Derrick May
[Innovator - Soundtrack For The Tenth Planet, Network Records]

Escort are what someone would call a modern disco collective. Coming from New York, they combine warm analog synths with funky basslines and beautiful vocals. All that with songs that don't just imitate their influences, but really are nu-disco.

04. Body Work (Vocal) - Hot Streak
[Body Work, Easy Street Records]

With the vocals used recently as a sample, this early electro gem from 1983 is a personal favorite and probably one of the songs that they used to dance to in Sharrivari back in the day..

05. The Player - Carl Cox
[At The End Of The Cliche, Edel Records (UK)]

Long before he became a superstar Mr. Cox was producing quality soulful -kinda tribal- techno. If you don't believe me hear this from 1995 and be amazed.

06. Mahogany Roots - Hardfloor
[The Best Of Hardfloor, Rough Trade Germany]

Hardfloor are an Acid House duo that, aside from the fact that their remixes sounded all the same after 2 minutes, have produced some classic and still quite bouncy cuts for this genre.

07a. This Is My Night (Marley Marl) - Chaka Khan
[Life Is A Dance - The Remix Project, Warner Bros. Records]

07b. New Dawn - Claro Intelecto
[Warehouse Sessions Volume 1, Modern Love]

This remix by Marley Marl is probably my fav from this cool collection of remixes -note also a remix by Frankie Knuckles- and a party blaster. In combination with Claro Intelecto's minimal house beats it seems to me like a match made in heaven.

08. Needin' U (Remix) - David Morales
[Needin' U, Manifesto]

Another classic, this time from one of Larry Levan's most prominent pupils, Morales, back when his music had soul and house was not retarded.

09a. Freedom Dancer - Gerald Mitchell
[Resurrection, Los Hermanos]

09b. Zeno Xero - Dave Clarke
[Red 1, Bush]

09c. Ghetto Chic (Outer Drive Mix) - Gary Martin
[Serious Business/Ghetto Chic, Teknotika Records]

Gerald Mitchel and Gary Martin, though not well-known to many, are two of the most influential American techno artists, the first being the mind behind Los Hermanos. Dave Clarke is of course quite famous and his early releases in the Red series are considered solid gold.

10a. Loving you - Donald Byrd
[Love Has Come Around, Elektra]

10b. Journey Home - Drexciya
[The Journey Home, Warp Records]

Loving You is the b-side on an EP that contains one of my favorite boogie trax, Love Has Come Around, and Donald Byrd is a jazz artist that has successfully combined complex orchestrations with groovy beats, namely in his classic release on Blue Note "Places & Spaces". Drexciya on the other hand are Detroit electro legends that crafted songs for an imaginary tribe of sea people..This song in contradiction to most of the rest of their music is an almost space disco gem.

11a. Harder, better, faster, stronger (Jess & Crabbe Remix) - Daft Punk
[Daft Club, Virgin]

11b. Time Out - DJ T.
[Time Out, Get Physical Music]

Daft Punk are at this time one of the most respected acts all around the world, while their first releases seem now as the base to where the Nu french house scene has build its rock-influenced-bass-heavy sound. I used their vocoder vocals in combination with this classic cut by another disco-freak, Dj T.

12. Crockett's Theme (Zyntherius Lame mix) - FPU
[Crockett's Theme (Remixes), Turbo]

Miami Vice was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid and its music -written by Jan Hammer- was memorized by me almost automatically. The re-interpretation by FPU was kinda lame and pseudo-trance but the remix by Tiga and especially this one by Zyntherius are beautiful retro dance music to my ears.

13a. Loves Unkind - Donna Summer
[The Journey - the Very Best of, UTV Records]

13b. Put Your Hands Up For Detroit (Dj Delicious and Till West Remix) -
Fedde Le Grand
[Put Yout Hands Up For Detroit, C2 Records]

Last but not least, the muse of disco father Moroder with a loop that expresses all her drama and majesty. Instant queen.

Yes It Was

2009-01-19T03:07:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was fun. The latest edition of Yes It Does Sure It Does mobile party was on, featuring miss Goldierocks and the usual suspects. It's not that I was enthralled by the guest dj's musical selections but still, the residents + a quite positive crowd made the night worth it. I also had the chance to catch up with people I haven't seen for a while and overall have fun while in a non-posh enviroment that doesn't pretend to be the next cure for HIV.
Thumbs up yet for another time for the crew !!

Van Varenberg

2009-01-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

And when you think you've seen it all..here comes a film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as..himself. I was told about this film by a friend of mine and after 5 minutes of him describing it to me I was all over the net searching for it. And I will be honest to you: I am not a freaking fan of karate movies, except maybe when its late at night and I am trying to digest Chinese food, semi-drunk and acting like a pathetic couch potato.

But honestly, JCVD?
Well..yes. Monsieur Van Varenberg decided that he had something more than fists of iron. He had talent. And a really promising director/ writer to make him a movie about how it feels to be a passe karate idol with marital and abuse problems. But this is no drama. It's a modern, dark and witty comedy, magnificently stylish and quite an amusing film to begin with.

Van Varenberg plays himself, in a stage of his life where the shit has hit the fan. Isolated, overpowered by Steven Seagal (sic) who now gets all the good parts and frustrated by a divorce that has sucked all the life out of him. A series of events will lead him in the center of a bank heist with things getting really wild afterward. Not wanting to spare you with any spoilers -since director Mabrouk El Mechri has put quite an effort in giving us the story through multiple angles- I am just going to say that aside from the protagonist, the plot is surprisingly interesting and sophisticated.

All in all JCVD is not a film about karate. It's a film about self-understanding, popularity as a defect and, in the end, basic human emotions. I give Van Damme way too much credit after this film, not only for exposing himself or accepting a part where he doesn't kill anyone with only a toothpick, but because he has a message to deliver. And he does that in style.

As a special treat I give you a track from the also cool funky/boogie soundtrack of the film.Enjoy !

"Hard Times"
Written by Curtis Mayfield
Performed by Baby Huey & the Babysitters

Set 1

2009-01-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

This is the first from a series of mixes I am going to upload to this blog. Its concept is simple: while I'm doing a spring cleaning in my hard drive and re-organizing my Traktor library, I am going to mix each small group of artists I'm done classifying. This meaning that I will not select the who -this will be done alphabetically or later by label- but the what, making it a good challenge since I will have to blend quite different styles of electronic music into 1 set of approximately 40 to 60 minutes.

Crossover styles of mixing are gaining more and more popularity -let us not forget the Wizard or the Electrifying Mojo since they were the pioneers- and this project can create even more unexpected mixes that could run through 10 or 20 years of electronic music.

Technically speaking, I will be using Traktor Pro with BCD3000 USB mixer and I will try to bring out the most from this amazing new software by editing tracks, creating loops or by totally reconstructing an artist's creation. All will be done live, no overdubs and no post-editing, to capture how the technology of the 21st century can truly release the creativity of the dj and break the boundaries of what we call electronic music.

download here

Tracklist:

01. Duffy - Boards Of Canada
[Acid Memories, Music70]

This is the opening track from a rare Boards Of Canada EP. I love how they can create moments of musical euphoria through repetitive and analog sounds.

02. Delphium - Aphex Twin
[Selected Ambient Works 85-92, Apollo]

The first record of Mr. Aphex that I ever bought was Classics -which is still considered one of the hardest sounding of its era. Selected Ambient works came as a relief for me and is a great source of inspiration.

03. On Just Foot (Slide Inside version by Prins Thomas) - Black Devil Disco Club
[In Dub, Lo Recordings]

BDDC are considered a very influential disco project and a remix by Prins Thomas is probably as good as it gets.

04. Arsid - Burnski
[Pop EP, 20:20 Vision]

I wasn't aware of this good producer until recently though the label is one of my all-time favorites. His latest release New Road FM is also amazing..

05a. Distantes - Alex Under
[Collage, Plus 8 Records Ltd.]

05b. Untitled - Alex Under
[Multiplicanciones, Apnea]

One of the most innovative and funky producers of the new minimal sound -in contradiction with the legacy of the 90's Plastikman,Robert Hodd, Maurizio and Basic Channel- with roots deep inside soulful techno. One of my faves from Spain and an important influence in the way I understand dance music.

06a. Skitzoid - A Guy Called Gerald
[Proto Acid: The Berlin Sessions, Laboratory Instinct]

06b. Sand (Arctic Hospital Remix) - Anders Ilar
[Sand, Narita Records]

06c. Estaferia - Alejandro Lopez
[Poligono De Frecuencias, Pariter]

A Guy Called Gerald is a living legend and his track really takes off with a loop from Ilar that adds a tech-house feeling to it. Lopez is a relatively new producer and one to watch closely.

07a. Oh ljuva Sommar - Ataril
[Junction, Republic Of Sweden]

07b. Forthcoming - Adam Beyer
[Protechtion, Drumcode]

07c. Tears (Pt. 2) - Aaron Carl
[Tears, Subject Detroit]

Junction is a rare tech house gem EP by Arhil Brikha as Ataril, whilst the other 2 gentlemen need no introduction to techno freaks out there. Drumcode is one of my faves from Beyer's milestone LP. Its dark and hard sound still gives me the creeps..

08a. OK - Alex Smoke
[Incommunicado, Soma Quality Recordings]

08b. Creaky Thoughts (Hemmann And Kaden Creaky Freaky Remix) - Anja Schneider
[Creaky Thoughts, PIAS Germany]

Taken from his debut LP, OK is probably one of Alex Smoke's darkest moments while Creaky Thoughts comes from the owner of one of my favorite German labels and a really good dj to dance to.

09. 10.000 Dancer - Anthony Rother
[Popkiller, Datapunk]

Along with Age this track is a favorite from Popkiller and a song that my girlfriend always wanted to play at the end of one of her live sets. She did recently but the party did not deserve it.

10. Useless Information - Apparat
[Walls, Shitkatapult]

Taken from Walls, this song is one of the more pop songs that this brilliant German producer has written. But still, I love it for its melancholy and its string arrangement.

11. Poa Alpina - Biosphere
[Substrata / Man With A Movie Camera, Touch]

Movie fans would probably have more interest in Biosphere's take on Man With A Movie Camera soundtrack but for me Substrata is one of the most brilliant ambient works I have in my collection.

12. Weightless - Brian Eno
[Apollo (Atmospheres & Soundtracks), Virgin]

Last but not least, the man who crafted ambient in a beautiful song with Daniel Lanois.