I SAW YOU DANCING ON THE STREET

ok. this track has been getting a LOT of music blog attention from perpetua and the like. i didnt quite get it at first (likely due to the whole distracted two-second listen at work thing), but wow. i get it now.

captain comatose- to my song

ill be singing this on the street for the rest of the day. i can already imagine the music video in my head.

BREAKING

riff central interviews rex the dog. but not really

speaking of electronic music (as i often do), the new earplug.cc is out. please let us know what you think of it here.

RUN INTO FLOWERS

My friend philip sherburne on the new superpitcher remix of m83 and why (nova)mute is owning things right now. He's one of my fav music writers (to see why, click here to read his piece on new order in sf weekly), so read his blog if you dont already mmkay?

I WAS YOUNG I NEEDED THE MONEY.

i cannot wait until these, and these photos show up at a senate confirmation hearing in 20-30 years. the internet remembers. totes not SFW.

THREE FOR BURNT HEROES

jackson c. frank- blues run the game
big star- kanga roo
spiritualized- the ballad of richie lee

all three of these make my head spin. no other commentary. just download.

RUNON SENTENCES

I just hate their self-righteous “we are so so ethical and anti-sweatshop but will totally capitalize on the fact that our models look like they are 15 and bent over a crappy ping pong table in stoner daves basement," vibe.

MAGDA MADE ME FLAPJACKS ONCE, FOR REALS.

This is one of the best things I've come across in awhile.
A choice excerpt between Richie guys Hawtin, Magda, and Ricardo Villalobos. Apologies for the ridiculously esoteric minimal techno nerdiness.
Download a nice mix from the guy responsible for the site here...

Richie: Magda, when I found you I told you that I would be the wise one and you would be the grasshopper?
Magda: Yeah Richie I remember that and if I should forget, you remind me of it every day!
Richie: Well its about 3pm Magda and its time for a cup of tea! Can you put the Philip Stark designer kettle on please?
Magda: PG Tips?
Richie: PG Fucking tips? Im Richie Hawtin! I don't drink PG fucking Tips! Get me a cup of that Lapsang Souching and make it snappy grasshopper!
Magda: One day you're gonna be sorry for this Richie
Richie: Do I have to remind you that Miss Freaking Dinky is after a room in a trendy central Berlin duplex??
Magda: I'll put the kettle on.
Richie: Make sure its a minimal cup grasshopper.
Ricardo: Did someone say minimal?
Richie: Hey Ricardo!
Magda: Hey Ricardo!

Es gibt ein Pinguin auf meinem Schrank.

THE REALLY GOOD ONES

My roommate Greg K. played the stellar Kieran Hebden edit of The Kills' The Good Ones out the other night. We first heard about it on Ewan Pearson's blog, where he says, "...hopefully someone will do the same with 'Hot Wow'; it already has a rhythm track which sounds something like Plastikman through an AC30."

With a description like that, I had to re-listen to the track, and confirm now that he's dead fucking on. Have a listen for yourselves...and someone please fire up your Ableton and have a go at a quick dancefloor edit!

The Kills- No Wow

This one comes from Markus Guentner's new LP on Kompakt, 1981. It's easily the best piece of new electronic music I've heard yet in 2005 (though this might change when i get my hands on the new Isolee LP). Up there with Konrad Black's White Cigarettes as my favorite droney/ ambient house tune.

Markus Guentner: Jellyfish
I'm very keen to check out his 2001 release In Moll, evidently made when he was twenty years old...

The folks at Stylus magazine have a great section called The Stypod. Download the the Ants in My Trance Vol II Mix here.
Some highlights: YYY's Y Control (Tommie Sunshine Brooklyn Fire Retouch), Out Hud - "One Life to Leave (A Requiem), Roots Manuva - "Colossal Insight (Soft Pink Truth Remix)" (Big Dada, 2005)

Been looking back through stacks of CD's and crates of records, revisiting things I haven't heard in awhile.

...Enjoying the Trapist album Ballroom, that came out on Thrill Jockey around a year ago. Here's a little review I wrote for earplug

Artist: Trapist
Album: Ballroom
Label: Thrill Jockey

The first studio album from Vienna-based trio Trapist, Ballroom, is improv jazz first, electronic music second. The musicians — bassist Joe Williamson, Radian's drummer Martin Brandlmayr, and the prolific guitarist Martin Siewert — laid down the original tracks live, with no predetermined structure, and then went back to edit and overdub. What's notable about the recordings is the degree to which texture is made audible: a drumstick scratching back and forth over the snare drum head, the dull ring of a hand-muffled ride cymbal, perhaps even the creak of the drum stool. Silence is almost as important as sound, as evidenced by the vast, empty spaces of "Time Axis." Spacey yet restrained, chaotic yet rhythmic, Ballroom argues for the symbiotic relationship between electronic music and improvisational jazz. (CJN)

Trapist- The Meaning Of Flowers

Ed DMX, who's released on Rephlex and his own Breakin' imprint, lays down a nice electro breakz set for MP3 download here. Check out the tracklisting.

Lex records' Subtle remixing Beck's Farewell Ride. Really good stuff. Direct download here.

Dj Rupture's blog is probably one of the most interesting reads ive come across in some time. Everything from downloadable mp3 mixes recorded for german radio, to musings re: the implications of the new pope's anti contraceptive stance for the 120 million black Catholics in the AIDS-ravaged African continent.

hello to catchdubs readers!

im reposting this for your benefit. jamie lidell live in london. watch it now. trust me.

ACIDISCO

im convinced luke vibert smokes spliffs like cigarettes a la steve zizou. all of his stuff just blows me away, most recently his kerrier district disco LP

this is from his acid record, YosepH, which came out on warp in 2003. its not all blurty, nostalgiac 303 blurps though... you'll find there is a very modern sheen to things.

i love acid

people that grew up in/around cornwall (off the top of my head)
luke vibert
richard d james (aphex twin)
tom middleton
mark pritchard

all of which are stunningly talented producers/ djs.

And the light it blinds my eyes.

Underworld were one of the bands that served as my introduction to the house/techno side of electronic music (photek handled the dnb/ breaks side) back in the day.

Underworld: Dirty Epic

This track makes the hairs stand up on my arm. Its the feeling of a late night transatlantic plane ride when you're awake and everyone else is asleep.

The Guardian on the UK's "Happy Slapping" craze
Excerpt:
In a comment recently posted on a London community web forum, "Happyslapper2" described the craze as a "joke", writing: "If you feel bored wen ur about an u got a video phone den bitch slap sum norman, innit."

erm.

the folks at gomma have a great mix archive going on. i've been vibing on the munk and kiki mixes lately...check em asap.

been revisiting the absolutely brilliant super_collider record lately. it was far, far ahead of its time, and i hope people will get on it.
an excerpt from my friend aaron rietz' prefixmag.com review:

Opener "Messagesacomin" is the sound of an otherworldly elastic dance floor, stretching and confounding space-time. A sci-fi feel, but less Max Rebo Band and more a robo-funk Prince promising things about 1999, if you get my angle. The sonic minutia is astounding, similar to the last few Autechre records as a bar-by-bar evolving beast. It conjures up images of a giant swirling android floating among the wrecked and twisted debris of an urban dystopia. Gears a-whir, "Messagesacomin" picks among the surrounding trash, dull and shiny bits alike, while hovering about, processing the pieces, shooting them back at random. The whole thing coalesces into a maddeningly ephemeral rhythm. You want to dance, but to do so properly would only be to flail about and stutter. This is music to have a seizure to.


also, be sure to check super_collider TV, which is a series of short videos set to the music that influenced the record- from ESG to Del Shannon Ennio Morricone.

my friend nick catchdubs has really stepped up his djing game as of late. check his new mix: oh snap. i put it in about an hour ago, and im completely sold.

wha?
a really clever idea from the organizers of glastonbury. essentially, due to noise restrictions past midnight, they are handing out 3,000 sets of wireless headphones for people to listen to the DJ set with.

Emily Eavis, one of the organizers said, "I like the idea of people dancing in total silence," said Emily Eavis, one of the festival organisers and daughter of the founder Michael Eavis. "Imagine if you were feeling a bit worse for wear and thought, 'This would be a nice quiet place to sit down.'

"You would be completely freaked out to see 3,000 people dancing in silence. It's certainly quirky, but our big push this year is keeping the noise down because that's what the council is keen on."

Attention New York club owners! Spare yourself the money for the fuck off system that you'll never really be able to crank up due to pesky neighbors and noise ordinances. Buy tons of amazing sennheiser wireless headphones and do the aforementioned instead. I'll be there.

a creepy, yet timely, little interlude in boards of canada's geogaddi

energy warning
and
one of their more tripped out & percussive tracks
gyroscope

i wrote about marsen jules' debut LP a bit earlier in the week. here's a beautiful rework he did for autoplate artist arrial:
aarial- shiver (marsen jules rework)

hi to everyone visiting from sarah's blog. i hope you find something you like.

on to the music:

super_collider- messagescomin'
in anticipation of jamie lidell's new LP on warp, here's a taste of his earlier project with christian vogel. absolutely warped electofunk with soulful vocals.

****as an added bonus, check out this live video of lidell performing in london! jawdropping stuff.

joy division- love will tear us apart (squarepusher cover)
stumbled upon this the other day, and its fucking sublime. thankfully, squarepusher didnt decide to get all syncopated on us, and stayed fairly true to the original.

akufen- skidoos
my favorite track from montreal microhouse producer akufen's debut, my way. this is much more on the ambient house tip, and doesn't get too glitched out. a beautiful track

superpitcher- lover's rock
one of the best electronic producers at the moment, hands down. though he's known for his remixes (most recently of m83), this track comes off of his debut, here comes love. best described as melancholic pop polished to a sheen.

deadbeat- port-au-prince
another one from the montreal scene, most of deadbeat's productions can be best decribed as dub techno, in the vein of pole. this is off his to-be-released new world observer LP.

bollywood freaks-she rocks my prada, i dior her chanel.
a one-off cut they did for a collette compilation CD.
once, just once, do i want to hear this played on a new york city dancefloor. then i will die happy

Kompakt launches digital downloads
forthcoming in earplug.cc

Kompakt, Cologne's powerhouse techno label, distributor, and retail store, has announced the launch of a new MP3 download site, giving electronic-music fans around the globe access to the label's back catalogue, along with releases (and audio samples) from 50 associated imprints such as Traum and Areal. According to label co-founder Wolfgang Voigt, traditional wax remains the label's most important format, but new media offer an easy way to distribute music around the world. Additionally, Voigt suggests, the label needs to embrace a broader market: those who listen to music on their iPods, as well as the new class of digital DJs. Individual tracks may be purchased from the site for 1.29 Euro, and at reduced cost for full singles and full albums. Record crates just got lighter; and so did wallets. (CJN)

Check this absolutely amazing Seraph mix by Pablo from the Psychonauts.
Also, the free association mix is well worth checking out. Its pab mixing tunes from David Holmes' Free Association record that came out in 2003.

some tunes:

Gwen Stefani - What You Waiting For (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Vocal Mix)
future misshapes anthem like whoa!

The Normal - Warm Leatherette
one of my fav tunes ever. released in 1978 on Mute and based around J.G. ballard's crash. piss-take of a song (or is it!?), but bear in mind this when this was made.

OMR- The Way We Have Chosen (Ellen Allien remix)
super punky slab of electro. amazing.

Halloween trance remix
Yes, that's right...a trance remix of the halloween theme. A karl briedrick partymix favorite, this was alledgedly done by a member of arab strap. dont quote me on that, but im pretty damn sure.

Rachel Stevens- Some Girls (radio edit)
schaffel-pop rumbler produced by richard x. one of the catchiest things to come out in '04

Boards of Canada-1969
Love this one, especially at 3:21 or so. check it and you'll see.

Lindstrom- There's a drink in my bedroom and I need a hot lady
Norwegian disco with colliding Moroder-esque basslines that sounds like Can doing disco remixes. This track rules.

Bone Thugs- Tha' Crossroads
I'm too tired for any commentary, but I think this one speaks for itself.

Jess Harvell's excellent Pitchfork feature on DJ Clever, one of the most important figures in the drum & bass scene today.

ewan pearson's latest music picks. guy's got amazing taste, writes well, and is one hell of a remixer. check it asap.

a little mix for april.
email me if you'd like a copy

No G.D.M. / Gina X
Trans Europe Express/ Kraftwerk
Pendulum / Broadcast
That's The Way I Like It/Pixeltan
Magnetic/Psychonauts
And Many More /John Tejada
Rise /Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom
To My Song /Captain Comatose
Got It Twisted Sister (The Rapture Vs. Mobb Deep)/Dopplebanger
Do They Owe Us A Living? (Crass)/The Soft Pink Truth
Ghost Rider/Suicide
Vitalic/ Fanfares
My Red Hot Car / Squarepusher
Hi-Jacked /Markus Guentner
Dexter/Ricardo villalobos
Love Will Tear Us Apart/Joy Division (Squarepusher cover)
Maps / Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Ada cover)

Marsen Jules
Herbstlaub
City Centre Offices
a version to appear in earplug

Though the literal translation of Marsen Jules' debut album is "Autumn Leaves," the album pulses with a vitality perhaps better suited to the budding leaves of an impending spring. Consisting of both live and sampled instrumentation, Jules has created a cohesive ambient work that draws equally upon electronics and subdued orchestral arrangements to convey a range of emotion, from warm childhood nostalgia and elation, to the doldrums of melancholy. The tracks unfold their limbs in an organic fashion, with no defined structure, but rather a hazy, open sprawl. "Tous Les Coeurs De Cette Terre," the album’s most emotive piece, consists of gentle string plucks nestled against warm tape hiss and understated swells of sound -- reminiscent in tone to Colleen’s debut LP, Everyone Alive Wants Answers. “Aurore” is considerably more uplifting, with warm, watercolor tones panning and surging. The track, like many others on the album, allows for vivid visual imagery, a testament to Jules promising talent as a composer.

Streams: DIRTY

Forthcoming in Flavorpill.net

Always quick on the draw for new music, the folks at Dirty have stepped up their considerable game to another level. The site now features in-depth interviews with ones-to-watch Hot Chip, as well as Chicken Lips Andy Meecham’s sci-fi disco prototype side product, The Emperor Machine. On the mix front, Richard Fearless from Death in Vegas, who’s new LP Satan’s Circus drops May 24, lays down a stellar dub set that’ll leave the heads satisfied. Dj Rupture mixes his twitchy blend of beats, breaks and machine funk on three decks, while the Optimo DJ’s present one of their splendidly eclectic sets from Sub Club in Glascow.

Richard Fearless: Dirty Mix
(Dub)

Dj Rupture: Dirty Mix
(Breaks/ Machine Funk)

Optimo: Sub Club live set
(Postmodern clubbing)

oh dear.
can't sleep.

some tunes:
ellen allien- down
from her forthcoming LP thrills. mmm. tunes for dark berlin basement bassbins.

mylo- in my arms
too fucking good.

beck- broken drum (boards of canada mix)
how often do the boc remix anything? last things i remember were their forgetable mix of clouddead's dead dogs two, and a super good remix of boom bip's last walk around mirror lake-- which is the most stoned out name for a track ever.

the best house track i've heard in a long time.
familiar to most as the opening track on mmayer's fabric 13 mix, and the closer

heiko voss- i think about you (original mix)


also, the soft pink truth- do they owe us a living

and the ada cover of yyy's maps

hm.
been awhile since any sort of actual update.
how about a session of feeling/ really feeling/ a la blissblog?

really feeling:
platinum pied pipers- triple p
silouette brown- self titled
colleen- the golden morning breaks (wow!)
fannypack- see you next tuesday
ellen allien- thrills
dedbeat- new world observer (wow!)
alex smoke- incommunicado
jaga- what we must
solvent- elevators and oscillators
markus guentner-1981 (wow!)
the glimmers- dj kicks
ellen allien- thrills


feeling- death in vegas- satans circus (have a feeling its a grower)
monika force comp
max hecker- lady sleep

singles:
lady sov- random
jamie lidell- multiply
maps (ada cover of the yyy's)
beck-broken drum- boc remix.

stay tuned for an mp3 blog in collaboration with nate cunningham.

Fluxblog

from 4/19 Flavorpill.net

Part of what makes music blogs so intriguing is that they enable you to dig quite a bit deeper than usual and revel in obsessive fandom. As such, Fluxblog is an essential daily read. Founder Matthew Perpetua mines genre after genre, selecting the freshest, freakiest, and finest tracks — based on pure merit and/or what's close to his heart — and writes a synopsis of each one, providing plenty of context for further exploration. It's a great way to discover new sounds, and Perpetua conveniently links to a purchase site for those who want to own the entire record. Curious to hear the original track that LCD Soundsystem covered when they played NYC recently? Want to read an insightful review of Annie's US debut? Fancy a cut from the forthcoming Fannypack LP? All this and more lies within the Flux. (CJN)

It's refreshing to see someone rewarded for his hard work and dedication to disseminating underexposed music. Since his early days as a student at NYU, Tim Sweeney's been doing just that as both one of NYC's hardest-gigging DJs, and as host of the Beats in Space mix show. Over the years, his guests have ranged from the turntable cut-and-paste dons Coldcut, to innovative DJs like Maurice Fulton, and beyond. The past few weeks have seen a high level assortment of musical talent, including Germany's Thomas Fehlmann (with a live laptop set), a new mix from Output's Trevor Jackson, and an in-studio appearance from Mu. (CJN)

Thomas Fehlmann: Live in-studio (Minimal/dub)

Trevor Jackson: Live(Electro-disco)

Mu: Live in-studio (Mutant disco)

Polymorphic Music was founded to showcase the label's artists, as well as to serve as a free, high-quality clearinghouse for the more experimental side of electronic music. It's not all spaced-out ambient and drone, however. Bands like Psapp feature handcrafted, textured electronic pop, while Kieran Hebden's influential post-rock project Fridge gets equal play. In this installment, check the new White_Line offering, featuring the astonishingly talented Marsen Jules, as well as Lusine and Taylor Dupree. Next, J. Auer showcases the best of the Detroit-influenced Boltfish and Rednetic labels, and finally, Hal's Assembler brings in electronica, jazz, and even krautrock. (CJN)

SI_COMM: WHITE_LINE 5 (Ambient)

J. Auer: Rednetic mix(Detroit house)

HAL: Assembler mix(Electro / krautrock)

Artist: Evil Nine
Album: You Can Be Special Too
Label: Marine Parade
Release: March 29

After a series of high-profile remixes for the likes of Steve Bug, UNKLE, and Ils, Evil Nine have taken their rough 'n tumble approach to breaks and applied it to a cohesive artist album. The duo's music features meaty, overdriven live bass lines and raw, organic drums that stand out as fresh amid a breakbeat sea of recycled sounds. "Crooked," featuring Aesop Rock, is the album's standout — a hip-house/breaks number blending rapid-fire vocal delivery and menacing synth stabs with big room atmospherics, it's a tune that could work in a sweaty hip-hop backroom, or on one of the world's biggest systems. "Pearl Shot" uses the same formula, with a more standard B-boy delivery over taut breaks and distorted guitar. Though a few of their technology-obsessed samples seem overdone, Evil Nine inject a much-needed dose of rock 'n roll swagger into the mix. (CJN)

Annie
Tribeca Grand Appearance
April 14, 2005

A version to appear on www.flavorpill.net

Norway’s Annie, much like M.I.A., has ascended to popularity vis-à-vis the international blogging cognoscenti. So quickly in fact, that Pitchfork named her single, “Chewing Gum” within the top 100 singles of 2000-2004 and “Heartbeat,” the best single of 2004. Her sound is pop with electro undertones, and quite simply, it’s the most addictive thing you’re likely to hear in some time. With high profile remixes from Royksopp and Headman, and some production on her forthcoming LP, Anniemal, from Richard X, the result is a perfect mix of studio-savvy and can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head pop sensibility. Tonight is her live US debut.

Note: Annie is joined by James Friedman, Max Pask, and the Misshapes Djs.

The Glimmers @ APT
March 19, 2005

Though their original moniker brought about a cease-and-desist from the
original Glimmer Twins, this Belgian DJ duo carries on-- albeit with a slightly truncated name. They cut their teeth early on in youth discos, starting with hip-hop and breaks, eventually branching out to disco and shiny pop tunes of the day. Like their countrymen, 2ManyDjs, the Glimmer's crates are deep and eclectic, but their sets shy away from the oft-garish mixes of the mashup movement. Instead, they focus on dead-solid party selections for a more discerning palate. This ethic is best seen in their exemplary Series Noire 2 DJ mix. Come, dance, expand your musical horizons, but just don't call them twins.

Smash TV Live
Forthcoming on flavorpill.net

Though they've been making music since 1989, it was meeting Ellen Allien -
queen of the Berlin techno cognoscenti - that served as the catalyst
to launching Holger Zilske and Michael Schmidt's career.
Following their Smash TV debut on BPitch, 2002's Electrified, Zilske helped
polish Allien's Berlinette LP and is currently at work on her forthcoming
effort, Thrills. With their latest, Bits For Breakfast, the duo constructs
pop techno with vocoded vocals and swaggering bass lines. While some tunes
have a clean German sheen, they also embrace gritty 8-bit textures,
crunchy beats, and lo-fi samples that bring a welcome density and intensity
to the proceedings. Though no televisions will be harmed in their live act,
your electro preconceptions may be smashed.

top five guilty pleasures feb 03:

The Knife- Heartbeat (rex the dog mix)
MIA- URAQT (diplo mix from piracy funds terrorism vol 1)
Tori Alamaze- Don't Cha
Bollywood Freaks- She rocks my prada, I dior her chanel
Lady Sovereign- Cha Ching

click the links for the download site

Kitty-Yo
Team Kitty-Yo
version forthcoming on www.earplug.cc

Perhaps best known for breaking Canadian ex-pats Peaches and Gonzalez, Kitty-Yo stands as one of Berlin’s most progressive labels since 1994. They’ve released everything from kitchy electro and minimal techno, to folk and post-rock. The breadth of the back catalogue spans from gentle, ethereal bliss to a soundtrack for debauched evenings. For example, Maximilian Hecker’s glacial “Help Me,” a song that brings to mind the dreamy atmospherics of Sigur Ros, is contrasted with the bounce and swollen synthesizers of Gold Chains and Sue Cie’s “Crowd Control.” It’s admittedly tough to switch gears in such an extreme fashion on one CD, but an equal testament to the openminded music policy. CD2 contains unreleased and rare material, highlighted by a 1996 jazz funk and electronic fusion track from To Rocco Rot, and Tarwater’s dreamy, melancholic, “Doppelganger.”

Simple One
Mixed by Will Saul
Simple Records
Released February 2005

a version to appear in earplug.cc

In its relative infancy, Simple has been putting out some of the most innovative breaks in the scene. Rather than being mired in the dark, techy rut of some producers, the label has achieved a difficult balance between being intellectually engaging and cutting it on the floor. Mixed by Will Saul, Simple One is a fluid mix of live-sounding percussion with distinctive jazz and dub elements and an overall emphasis on melody. Sideshow’s “Waiting in the Darkness” is a percussive groover with a piercing snare tone that sounds sourced from a taut marching drum. Austria’s Walkner.Hintenaus bring forth a live, electro jazz amalgamation with “Karma,” and for added variety, Matthew Jonson re-rubs Sideshow’s “Slide,” adding a bouncing analogue bassline and throbbing techno groove. On the darker side of the equation, Precision Cuts’ “Xylophone” applies a formerly geriatric instrument to a new context, while Saul ends things off nicely with Infusion’s barnstorming mix of his own “Cliff.”

Ubiquity
Rewind! 4
On Tour
variations to appear stateside in flavorpill.net

It's not the most original of concepts: various musicians covering tunes
from producers that have inspired them. However, fresh from being deemed
"Label of the Year" by Gilles Peterson, the Ubiquity crew demonstrate the
depth of their bench with the fourth Rewind! installment. To
celebrate the record -- featuring Platinum Pied Pipers tackling Burt
Bacharach and Nostalgia 77 covering "Seven Nation Army" -- Ubiquity throws a
multi-city bash. SF gets the best bill of the bunch, with the mysterious duo
Yam Who? -- known for their sought-after remixes of Amp Fiddler, Zero 7,
Pharrell, Dwele, and more -- dropping the tunes you'd kill to get your hands
on. Wrap your ears around'em instead. (CJN)

from johann johannson's excellent "Virdulegu Forsetar":
part 4

one of the most lovely things i've heard in quite some time.

cjn

From DNasty:

Mumbai and I

So Wall Street is outsourcing a lot of analyst responsibilities to Mumbai.

As I read of this whitecollar bloodletting I couldn't help but think that we have all been warned.

For certain there was NAFTA, Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan and a host of others. But I am thinking of an even more prescient Laocoon: Great Tiger in Mike Tyson's Punchout. Think back to his callous taunts:

"A kitten is no match for a Tiger!"
"So a pussycat wants to fight a Tiger?"
"Beware of my Tiger punch!"

And finally:

"I have purred long enough! Now hear me roar!"

This he often said before destroying me (Mac) with the aforementioned Tiger Punch.

I thought that I had left that punch behind for good when the firm bosom of a local girl broke me from the bliss of Freudian latency.

Great Tiger is back. He has an MBA from the Delhi Institute of Business Technology and Administration and he wants your job. He will work for 5 cents an hour and a medical plan consisting of band-aids and dental floss to get it.

What is corporate America to do?

An early policy paper leaked from the Brookings Institute has come up with only one plausible solution: A:B:Select-Start:007 373 5953.

The Heritage Foundation has opted to keep quiet on the issue after their disastrous policy recommendation re: The Iran Contra Scandal - Up:Down:Up:Down:Left:Right:Left:Right:A:B:A:B:Select:Start

Psapp
Tiger, My Friend
Leaf

Psapp blend soft vocal hooks with perhaps the most playful and creative approach to making music heard this year. Their sound is unique, but if pushed for a comparison, the duo bring to mind a variation of Stereolab; albeit one that plays with mildly abused garage sale keyboards and uses percussion made from bits and bobs around the house. Instrumentation ranges from glockenspiels and hand-plucked violin, to even a BB pellet plink-plonking around in an old coke bottle. “Leaving in Coffins” features a childlike melody and syncopated glitches, as if Aphex Twin hired a chanteuse to sing over his mayhem. “Chapters” is decidedly darker and tempered with romantic unrest, featuring thick, standup bass stabs and a frosty vocal delivery. Personable and highly innovative, it’s all too easy to forget Tiger, My Friend is a debut album.

CD REVIEW: John Tejada, Logic Memory Center
Plug Research
Released Nov 2004
$11.99 (Amazon)


Emerging from beneath the polished veneer of minimal house and techno, pop has been slowly bubbling to the surface of electronic dance music, as artists like Matthew Dear drop vocals over beds of complex microsamples, snaring a wider audience with their meatier hooks. On his 10th studio album, John Tejada strikes a balance between this formula and his trademark techy sound, honed over years of productions for scores of labels — and one high-profile remix for the Postal Service. "Strange Creatures" sets the alien, near-robotic cadence of vocalist Kimi Recor against thinly sliced samples that dash in and out of the soundfield; "Possessive Patterns" adds an assertive snare/kick to supple, off-kilter rhythms; and the album's most minimal cut, "Loose Change," demonstrates Tejada's compositional talent with a limited palette. (CJN)

DJ
Giant Step Holiday Bash feat. Dego and Platinum Pied Pipers
when:
Mon 12.6 (10pm)
where:
Canal Room (285 W Broadway, 212.941.0900)
price:
$10


One-half of the Mercury Prize nominees 4Hero, Dego's musical path has run the gamut, from sinister drum 'n bass early on, to the jazz/nu-soul styles illustrated on the duo's 2003 LP, Creating Patterns. Alone, Dego is seen as one of the most influential producers in West London's vibrant broken beat scene — for a taste of his sound, check "Got Me Puzzled" with Kaidi Tatham, an electrified, percussive shaker that shows just how grooving the genre can get. Tonight, he brings the latest in soulful, syncopated funk, and is joined by Waajeed and Saadiq of the Platinum Pied Pipers playing live cuts from their forthcoming record on Ubiquity. (CJN)

Daddy G
DJ Kicks
K7

A founding father of the Wild Bunch and Massive Attack, Daddy G was instrumental in defining the Bristol sound — a blend of reggae, dub, soul, funk, and hip-hop he originally showcased as a soundclash DJ in the early '80s. In this installment of the DJ Kicks series, the master lays bare the definitive influences of his style, which prove to be anything but the diluted downtempo that cluttered cut-out bins in the late '90s. From the opening strains of Willie Williams' dub classic "Armegeddon Time" to a rare Massive Attack remix of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and a Danny Krivit edit of Aretha Franklin, Daddy G narrates an auditory journey of record-box gems that encapsulates the heart and soul of the trip-hop sound he helped create. (CJN)

Various Artists
Compilation #2
DFA
Release:
November 2


iPod loyalists alienated by DFA's vinyl-only releases can rejoice once again. Compilation #2 pulls together the singles the label has released since Compilation #1, along with an exclusive track from Black Dice and '80s proto-electro act Liquid Liquid's "Bell Head." Pixeltan bring gloomy bass lines and pulsing disco drums with "Get Up / Say What" while former Major Force members J.O.Y. add the percussive funk swagger the label is known for. Refreshingly, the Juan Maclean get some long-overdue exposure, with new tracks "I-Robot," the dub-electro riddims of "Dancehall Modulator," and their finest moment (and bass line!) to date in "Give Me Every Little Thing." Disc 3 is mixed, running the gamut of the back catalogue and winding down with the unreleased LCD Soundsystem track "On Repeat." (CJN)

Various
But Then Again
~scape

To mark their five-year anniversary, Berlin-based ~scape have assembled new, unreleased tracks from their impressive stable of artists. The songs range in genre from Thomas Fehlmann's mechanical dub, to John Tejada's melancholic minimal techno, all the way to Crackhaus' glitchy dancehall oddity, "Birthday Bangers and Smash." Plug Research's Soulo and Headset experiment with electronics, acoustics, recorder, and harmonica on "The Fall of Knee High," while Jan Jelinek provides one of the record's finest moments on "Western Mimikry." The track blends warm guitar tones with sparse jazz cymbals as a gentle string tremolo eerily shifts up and down the scale, adding a simple yet resonant texture. (CJN)






 



 

 


 

From Earplug.cc

Triosk
Moment Returns
Leaf

Release:
October 19


Inspired by Jan Jelinek's influential album Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records, the Sydney-based jazz trio Triosk begin experimenting with a hybrid format. After narrowing down their sound to incorporate new compositional forms made possible by computers, the trio eventually collaborated with Jelenik on their debut release 1+3+1. Moment Returns was recorded around the same period, and the resulting record brims with dusty crackles, textures, and samples filling in the space between stand-up bass, slight jazz percussion, and piano. The track "Tomorrow Today (Part 2)" brings to mind the Cinematic Orchestra's compositions, and this jazz-in-the-foreground, electronically augmented background sound generally sums up Triosk's approach. The exception is "Goodnight," a dreamlike track where watery keys slowly spiral in and out of tune, with tones decaying into the ether. (CJN)

Ellen Allien

Forthcoming in Time Out New York



Much has been made of Berlin’s club scene and the sheer quality of electronic music in all its forms coming out of the German capitol. Esteemed producers such as Richie Hawtin, Jamie Lidell and Ewan Pearson have relocated, drawn by cheap living, reclaimed spaces and the thriving cultural scene. Though the city has more than its fair share of expats flooding in and adding their own unique contributions, there stands a true Berlinette: Ellen Allien.

Having resided in the city for her whole life, Allien witnessed the dramatic transformation from division to a thriving artistic mecca and stands as a prominent figurehead of its creativity and collaboation. She’s an in-demand producer, remixer, and as will be evident this week in New York, a cracking DJ. After recently observing a Berlin appearance, noted music critic Phillip Sherburne stated “few other DJs at the moment know how to create [Allien’s] particular brand of empathy – she may be on stage, but she's right there in the general communion.”

Allien cites the influential Warp imprint as well as Kraftwerk and earlier American electronic productions, describing her current style as “hypnotic elect tech,” combining electro and techno with breakbeats. She’s quick to disavow any involvement with the overhyped electroclash scene, hinting that it’s a media manufactured genre devoid of soul and simply “boring.”

Allien has recently released a brand new mix CD “My Parade,” an LP of her remixes of various artists from Gold Chains to Sascha Funke, and 2003’s excellent artist album “Berlinette.” Not content with such prolific output, and restless as ever, she’s currently writing her next record, penning lyrics and keeping up her remixing. On top of all this, she runs the Bpitch control label, doing everything from A&R to choosing artwork and inviting artists to play their parties. At 100 releases for Bpitch, Ellen is currently curating a best of CD entitled “Camping” – a 20 track selection of their finest cuts thusfar. She describes all of her endeavors as “a very creative package that gives me kicks to keep on keeping on because it is part of my life and i can’t stop and wont stop.” With this sort of unbridled enthusiasm, there’s little doubt she’ll even miss a step.

please listen to circlesquare - the distance after ep.

(output)

Mouse on Mars
Radical Connector
label: Thrill Jockey
rating: 4.5

by Colin James Nagy

Mouse on Mars have, throughout their ten-year career, managed to avoid falling into any easily identifiable electronic music niche. They simply don't sound like anyone else. Idiology, released in 2001, saw the duo flexing their collective artistic might while hinting at the infinite tangents that their sound could take. Perhaps most importantly, that album sounds as relevant today as it did when it was initially released. As I listen today, after becoming more versed with the genre, the pop element is more apparent and, in retrospect, extremely prescient. The record combined live instrumentation and vocals with an electronic dexterity that many musicians today, though armed with Reason, Ableton and other significantly more advanced production tools, haven't easily replicated.

The two responsible for this unique sound and prolific output? Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma, two Cologne-based musicians who started in 1994 seeking to fuse electronic music and philosophy. Though most highbrow avant-garde projects of the sort are relegated to sound installations and small labels with even smaller pressings, Mouse on Mars have spawned ten releases since their initial project on labels ranging from the London-based Too Pure to the vinyl-only Sonig before landing at the forward-thinking Thrill Jockey imprint, best known for Nobukazu Takemura and Tortoise.

Radical Connector is the product of three years labor in their St. Martin studio in Dusseldorf. It manages to push things forward again, rising far above the chin-scratching, only-listenable-when-catatonically-stoned IDM/leftfield category that so many conceptual electronic releases find themselves shelved under. Case in point: "Wipe that Sound" is a disco-inspired oddity, and though slightly slower than the pace of a typical 4/4 house tune, it manages to compensate with its layered funk-synth lines, processed, chopped-up vocals, and an unlikely swagger. It's machine-made funk at its finest; the groove hits you immediately, and only upon further listens do you realize the layers brimming with intricate edits and cuts that fill in the rest. It's suited equally for dancing as it is intellectual consumption.

"Detected Beats" features the most satisfying percussion on the record; it maintains a delightfully textured, organic and live-played groove (courtesy of longtime collaborator Dodo Nkishi) with razor-sharp edits that set things slightly off-kilter. "Spaceship" is Mouse on Mars at their most playful, as they flirt with a not-quite-two-step Basement Jaxx-style dance-floor tune that's as zany as it is musically credible beneath the hedonistic veneer. "Send Me Shivers" features lovely vocals from Niobe, a change from the chopped and glitched contributions from St. Werner and Toma. On the track, Niobe's delay-tinged tones are nestled in light synths before being suddenly nudged to float over a bubbly beat, later pitch-shifted and toyed with as the song progresses.

Given their track record, the sheer quality and musical vision of this record doesn't surprise in the least. It shows maturity and focus from 2003's Glam while retaining the same playful ear for pop, veiled behind avant-garde synth noodlings. The duo remains impossible to pin down and have managed to yet again stake their claim on a sovereign chunk of the genre, not likely to be encroached upon anytime soon. For these reasons, as well as their clever juxtaposition of the ass-shaking and the thoughtful, Radical Connector will undoubtedly make my shortlist for record of the year.

V/A: The Leaf Label Sampler
Delivery Room
label: The Leaf Label
rating: 3.5

by Colin James Nagy

By virtue of their prolific output, some labels can be notoriously hard to explore and understand. To counter this notion, the Leaf Label has released a low-priced introduction to some of the diverse talent on its roster, following the tradition of 2002's Lost for Words sampler. Some artists, including Murcof and Susumu Yakota, focus on pure electronic compositions, but the London-based label finds itself increasingly adept at treading the delicate balance between traditional instrumentation and full-blown electronica.

This is best seen with Colleen, who weaves organic tones and instruments via modern sequencing techniques on a laptop, and with Bill Wells's collaborations on "Pick Up Sticks" and "A Soldier's Shoulder," which blend delicate, hand-played percussion, trumpets and computer-processed glockenspiels. Furthering the eclecticism, Japan's Riow Arai displays mastery of the cut-up and glitched-out hip-hop breaks, and Manitoba blends shoegazer inspirations with additional electronic melodies and organic instrumentation.

For the price of a CD single, Delivery Room is a good opportunity to gaze in at some of Leaf's newborn talent and check up on some standby artists you may have missed in the flurry of releases from this excellent imprint.

Cobra Killer
76/77
Monika

Claiming to be a reaction against dull early electro stage shows, the fact that Cobra Killer’s debut came on Alec Empire’s Digital Hardcore imprint comes as no surprise. Their third record blends 60’s pop/rock structures bolstered by filthy synths, samples and an exuberant live presence. But it's not all lo-fi screams and over-the-top electro posturing, the duo’s longtime presence in the scene stems from a high level of musicianship (both girls played in bands from age 12) and an ear for subversive pop hooks. In addition, collaborations from the likes of T. Raumschmiere on the growling opening track “Lets Have a Problem” and Thomas Fehlman on the comparitively restrained “High is The Pine” add some highbrow cred to an already excellent record.

Calamalka
Shredders Dub
Plug Research

forthcoming on www.earplug.cc

After discovering dub as the keystone connecting today’s hip hop and electronic music, Vancouver-based Calamalka wasted little time in setting out to craft his own. While most modern dub tracks sound overly processed and lack the organic textures that make those original King Tubby tunes sound so deep, Shredders Dub manages to stay true to the genre’s roots, while maintaining a live-played feel. On “Hear the Most,” each snap of the snare resonates and drifts off into the ether as the bassline snakes around lingering melodies and samples. “Chassi” is a welcome injection of warped and staggering funk while on “Bumpea,” lo-fi synths and percussion sit atop a chest-caving, volcanic bassline seemingly excavated from the depths of the Mariana trench.

Kiki
Run With Me
BPitch Control

A version to appear on www.earplug.cc

Kiki’s debut LP for BPitch is a study in contradiction, where dubby hi-hats and detroit-inspired melodies find equal footing with swollen, cinematic strings and organic drum tones. Inspired by the sound he searched for in his high school band days, “The End of The World” is Sisters of Mercy-styled goth, anchored by overdriven, grating synths and a drum pattern more suited to an arena rock track circa 1980—all the while making perfect sense on a 2004 dancefloor. "On the 104th Day" adds variety in tempo with a tape loop jazz break while the album’s highlight, “Luv Sikk Again” finds echoing timpanis and urgent string stabs sharing space with burbling synths, neatly wrapped in a 4/4 package. (CJN)

Diplo
Florida
Big Dada/ Ninja tune

The Diplodocus is perhaps the most recognizable dinosaur of the late Jurassic period -- a large, lumbering herbivore characterized by its long neck and the distinct absence of any dexterity whatsoever. An unlikely guise then for the Florida-raised and Philly dwelling DJ who is characterized by a fluid, genre-bending dexterity that sees him embrace diverse sounds ranging from Baltimore, hip hop and funk to southern bounce, dancehall and assorted psychedelia.

Best known for being one half of the Hollertronix duo, his debut LP on Ninja tune/ Big Dada comes after a string of 12’ releases on the label and illustrates a mature and eclectic production style, perhaps forged from his days cutting up samples on an old Akai S20. Florida treads musical ground as expansive as the state itself--from the strings and dusty breaks of the David Axelrod-inspired “Big Lost” to the Jamaican dancehall “Diplo Rhythm” featuring Vybz Cartel, Sandra Melody and Pantera Os Danadinhos.

One of the strongest collaborations on the record comes with Martina Topley-Bird’s soft vocals on “Into the Sun”. It’s an unlikely downtempo amalgamation of said vocal talent, swirling Beatles Revolver-esque tape loops, all the while propelled by drums straight out of a booty bass track. An odd combination in theory, but here it simply works.

“Indian Thick Jawns” features an outstanding flow from Peace over a lumbering beat with a Talvin Singh-styled blend of intricate tabla percussion and synths, furthering the eclectic sound on the record. “Summer’s Gonna Hurt You”, originally featured on the Epistemology Suite 12’ release, is a psych gem featuring thick upright bass tones punctuated by sputtering lo-fi drum machine breaks and sampled, crooning vocals.

Though Florida does contain elements of the booty bass and crunk familiar to fans of his DJ sets, it also shows Diplo as a serious student of various genres of music, a devoted cratedigger and perhaps most noticeably, a producer with a classical composer's feel for development. It’s a stunning debut from the man with the endearing, though unlikely name.

Cylob/ Machine Drum and Eustachain

forthcoming on flavorpill.net

Aphex Twin's Rephlex imprint continues its stateside push with this debut live appearance from Chris Jeffs, aka Cylob; a prolific artist known for his leftfield productions and remixes for everyone from Soulwax to Christian Vogel to Richard D. James. For this performance, expect him to pull out everything from bleepy techno and electro to chopped-up static funk. Furthering this sonic eclecticism are Machine Drum and Eustachain, also playing live. Throw in a few pints of Zywiec, a high alcohol-content Polish beer popular at this unconventional venue, and you've got yourself a memorable (or is that dis-memorable?) night. (CJN)

Konsepshun w/ DJ Craze

forthcoming on flavorpill.net

Though sweaty ravers yelling "Rewind!" have become increasingly rare in the city as drum 'n bass plays second fiddle to house and hip-hop, the music is undoubtedly thriving in the global scene. That three-time DMC world champion DJ Craze chooses to apply his jaw dropping deck skills to d 'n b, slicing and splicing frantic polyrhythms in lieu of the hip-hop his contemporaries generally focus on, is a testament to the genre's vitality. Also on hand tonight is one of the scene's legends, Jmajik, who's gained widespread notoriety for his house- and jazz-inspired productions as well as his technical ability. Support comes from an NYC breakbeat legend in his own right, DB, as well as some local talent. (CJN)

Troubleman
Time Out Of Mind
Far Out Recordings

forthcoming on flavorpill.net

When Masters at Work's Kenny Dope hails your beats as "the phattest ever," it's a hearty endorsement indeed. Mark Pritchard, the recipient of said compliment, is widely seen as one of the UK's most talented, eclectic producers. In his Troubleman guise, he brings a handful of crispy breaks and delightfully percussive funk, soul, and bossa to the table, and authoritatively throws down aces. The subtleties and attention to detail that make this record truly special are best captured on tracks such as the Fela-esque breakdance epic "Strikehard" and the David Axelrod-inspired keys and wobbly bass groove of "The Righteous Path." (CJN)

The Beans
Bassplayer
Intr Version

The Beans' debut for Mitchell Akiyama's Intr Version imprint focuses on a decidedly atmospheric post-rock formula, where acoustic guitars, minimal snare rudiments, and electronic shards and textures lay scattered amidst spacious layers of sound. Bassplayer is cerebral and cinematic, though notably more subdued than the grandiose output of their Canadian countrymen Godspeed You! Black Emperor, to whom they are often compared. "My Love is a Rhinestone" is easily the album's highlight; a song that builds from the murky depths of melancholia toward an absolutely blissful conclusion, akin to waking up from an unnerving dream and realizing you're lying in a sun-drenched field of flowers. (CJN)

Murcof
Utopia
The Leaf Label

2002’s bestselling Leaf release, Martes, featured swollen classical strings, jaw-dropping production and perhaps the most raw and penetrating emotion of any recent electronic release. After its completion, and before putting the finishing touches on his forthcoming record, Fernando Corona, known as Murcof, released two tracks from Martes as well as two unreleased pieces to various artists on the label’s roster for remixing. Those employed for the task, including Parisienne Colleen, Corona’s Mexican collaborator Fax, and San Francisco’s Sutekh add their own unique twists and personality to the already genre-defying groundwork. The undeniable standout comes from Fax’s version of Ulysses -- it’s a slowburning house track, featuring the unforgettable strings from the original, with added clicks, textures and microsamples while retaining the same dreamy, yet slightly melancholic feel. Sutekh's interpretation comes in the form of subtle clicks and cuts over more dancefloor-oriented housey breaks, while Colleen takes the blue tones and mournful strings, reconstructing them into a nostalgic, highly personal composition.

Sex In Dallas
Around The War
Kitty Yo

Three French-electro slackers adorned with the little jackets that James Murphy laments in Losing my Edge, have managed to distill their love for often-absurd French house and oversexed electro into a diverse and entertaining record aimed for fashionable dancefloors. Despite the overdriven kitsch involved, it's sufficiently warped and clever as to not fall into the ever-prevalent, general electroclash compilation fodder. The trio illustrate a punk ethos through their subdued screams on Around the War, sounding as if Atari Teenage Riot lightened up, listened to more Daft Punk and weren’t quite AS intent on tearing down social structures. The single Everyone Deserves to be Fucked, recently supported by Weatherall and Trevor Jackson, shows the trio at their most outrageous. It’s a powder-influenced rant about sexual liberation nestled under warped 303 acid blurps and overdriven rock n’ roll synths. Rumors of actual electro-induced fornication in Dallas are as yet unconfirmed.

Best known for producing Primal Scream's Screamadelica and for hisparticipation in left-field duo Two Lone Swordsmen, Andrew Weatherall is oneof the most influential DJs and producers of the last 15 years. For thisone-off New York appearance, he empties the usual techno and electro cutsfrom his well-travelled record box, opting instead for the punk-funkrarities, rock, and early electro that he seldom gets to play out. The gigwas originally scheduled for last February but was cancelled due to illness,so the Pop Your Funk duo of Roy Dank and Brennan Green have stopped atnothing to finally secure what will undoubtedly prove to be the dancehighlight of the summer. (CJN)

Ulrich Schnauss
A Strangely Isolated Place
City Centre Offices/ Domino

A version to appear in www.earplug.cc

Several recent electronic releases have taken the grandiose, spacey production of bands like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, reproducing elements using bedroom laptop rigs. Far Away Trains Passing By is guilty as charged, as it was recorded in Schnauss’ Berlin bedroom and not in a label-bankrupting studio for years on end. But this is not a bad thing. The unbelievably beautiful melodies and walls of ethereal sound are enough to keep your head in the clouds (or gazing at your shoes), at the same time making you remember why you loved these bands in the first place. Schnauss melds his blissful, expansive tones over minimal breaks, occasionally augmented by the falsetto wail of his girlfriend, Judy Beck. Clear Day is the best example of this formula working perfectly, while On My Own diverges from the overall album tone and sounds like a speed-addled space rock band fronted by Jonsi from Sigur Ros.

Amon Tobin
Live
Ninja Tune

rough draft, but a final version to appear on prefixmag.com

Brazil’s Amon Tobin has, like many of his countrymen, rhythm embedded deeply in his soul. His exposure to UK drum and bass from the likes of Goldie and Grooverider added another perspective early on, allowing him an insight into a form of music constructed from sampled breakbeats, with swollen synth basslines and frantic percussive elements. However, unlike fellow Brazilians Marky and Patife, who adopted this as their genre of choice, adding their own native melodies and other touches, Amon chose to adopt a different, unorthodox approach to making music. Fast forward to today, where he has four full lengths of twisted, delightful cut-up, reconstructed jazz breaks out, along with countless singles and remixes.

Live is the fourth installment of the esteemed Solid Steel mix series, essentially modeled from the eclectic spirit and experimentation exhibited on the long-running radio show. Mixed using a program called Final Scratch, Amon was able to access limitless files, re-edits and essentially anything he could fit on his laptop, while controlling them from two coded pieces of vinyl that interface with the computer.

The result is an amalgamation of Amon’s own edits, bottom heavy, floor destroying drum and bass, abstract breaks, a dash of downtempo, and lest things get too out there, a reworking of the Velvet Underground’s Venus In Furs. Rarely is one track playing at a time, rather, Amon is in the mix constantly—layering one track over another and creating sonic collages out of breathtakingly complex tracks. Anyone who has taken to the decks before knows how much focus it takes to keep two tunes in the mix for an extended period, let along tunes like these. Its enough to make the average bedroom DJ’s head spin and give it up altogether.

With the exception of Destiny’s Child refusing to clear their cameo in the mix (and the resulting edit out) the mix was all done on the fly one night in Melbourne. It’s an excellent overview not only into the mind of one of the most innovative electronic producers around, but also into the tunes that he finds inspiration in. Most impressive though is the Djing talent on display. It would have been perfectly acceptable to trigger a few samples from a laptop as many artists play “live” today, but just like with his productions, Amon saw it fit to taking things a step or two further. Bravo to that.

from flavorpill.net:
 
The latest installment in the FABRICLIVE series comes courtesy of Andy Turner (aka Aim), and like the earlier John Peel mix, it revels in eclecticism. The sounds twist and turn from the psychedelic and subversive synth melodies of Boards of Canada to varied hip-hop gems dug from the crates to, surprisingly, the Byrds' "Wasn't Born To Follow." Included here is a half-hour radio mix from Aim, complemented by summertime selections from Jon Marsh and heavyweight breaks from the Plump DJs. (CJN)
 
Aim:
 
http://www.fabriclondon.com/streams/radiomix_fabriclive17.ram 
  
Plump DJs:
 
http://www.fabriclondon.com/streams/radiomix_eargasm.ram
 
Jon Marsh:
 
http://www.fabriclondon.com/streams/radiomix_fabric03_2.ram 
 
 

Ed DMX (Rephlex Records, Breakin' Records) - London
 
Richard Fearless (Death in Vegas) -
 
London Cowboy Mark (The Crucial Get Down)
$7 in advance at Other Music
$10 at the door
Saturday July 24, 2004 
Happy Ending 302 Broome st.
 
Not to be confused with the gravel-voiced rapper of the same name, Ed DMX is best known for his recordings for Aphex Twin's Rephlex label, as well as the electro, disco, and experimental sounds released on his own Breakin' imprint. He's joined on the decks by Death In Vegas frontman Richard Fearless, whose long-running DJ career has seen him play dub, acid house, electro, and Detroit techno around the world. We anticipate he'll turn up with a box brimming with the finest of said genres, alongside crisp new Kompakt productions and perhaps even some machine funk courtesy of Soma's Percy X. Support comes from London Cowboy Mark. (CJN)

Sasha Interview

A version to appear on www.prefixmag.com

I could see it in his eyes before he even uttered a word: Sasha is well beyond tired. It’s not surprising, being as he flew from London to Chicago, played a set well into the next day and caught a flight to New York to do press before another gig at Crobar that night. Anyone who’s ever suffered from jetlag knows this disorientation and bleary-eyed fatigue is no fun at all; take that feeling and multiply it across the span of global tour lasting well into December.

This blur of city, airport, hotel, airport, new city is nothing new for Sasha -- he’s been at it for quite some time. Dubbed the last true rock star deejay by James Lavelle (of UNKLE fame), Sasha is set to continue the frantic pace for the duration of this tour in support of his latest mix CD, Involver, released in June on Global Underground.

It’s been quite a journey, from his days as a hack deejay blagging himself a spot playing various clubs in Northern England to becoming perhaps the most recognized name in dance music, period. He’s progressed from the dual decks and vinyl of 1989 to 2004, where you can remix and edit during a train ride to the venue, burn a copy and have the mix road-tested that same day. He champions the use of Ableton Live, technology that could well change the face of dance music production and live performance for good.

Involver is a unique take on the mix CD. Rather than blending tracks from various artists, Sasha has taken tracks from different genres including rock and electro, and re-edited them to fit the context of a proper mix.

“Involver stemmed from boredom mostly,” said Sasha. “I completed my artist album (2002’s Airdrawndagger), and when I sat down to put together another conventional mix CD, it just didn’t really feel right. After everything I had done with other mixes, sitting down to do another felt like taking a step back.”

Inspired in part by the on-the-fly bootlegs of the Beatles, Queens of the Stone Age and Mercury Rev that James Lavelle and Richard File have been rocking as UNKLE on the dance floor at London’s Fabric, Sasha sought to take tracks that didn’t necessarily fall into the dance-music realm and re-contextualize them for a dance setting.

Perhaps what is most noticeable is Involver’s variety and track selection. Great, largely underexposed bands such as England’s Grand National and German producer Ulrich Schnauss are featured prominently as the first and last track. But, for someone who is completely inundated with dance-music releases, how does one keep up with the goings on outside the realm of 4/4?

“I get sent a lot of music, and a friend from [the English label] Sunday Best sent me the Grand National record,” Sasha said. “I took that and Ulrich Schauss’ A Strangely Isolated Place on holiday with me, and they served as the soundtrack.”

He spoke to Grand National, who gave him free choice of anything from their yet-to-be-released record “Kicking The National Habit” to re-edit. Schnauss’ On My Own was the first track he worked on, chopping it up, adding extra tracks and beefing up the drums and bass line from the original. After hearing this early bootleg and loving it, Schnauss sent each element to the track, which were gradually added into the equation.

Sasha’s relationship with Lavelle and File allowed him access to the masters from the recent UNKLE record, Never, Never Land. Sasha used two tracks from the record: the a capella from “What You Are To Me” as a bridge track from Petter’s “These Days” into the warped, elastic bass line of the Youngsters’ “Smile.” He used “In a State,” a track he remixed previously, and cut the vocals into tiny shards while dubbing out the bass line and creating another variation of the song. The rest of the tracks range from those he road-tested on previous tours, such as Spooky’s “Belong,” to those that stem from other personal friendships, like that of Felix Da Housecat.

The album flows together freely, sounding like a conventional mix CD on first listen. Only upon closer examination does the listener discover the painstaking work and reconstruction that has gone into each track to make it fit in context. It’s a labor of love, one to cure the boredom of mixing other people’s records together day in and day out, and it makes the entire process a bit more personal.

To translate this to a live setting, Sasha has embraced technology that, though sure to make the vinyl purists of the world scoff, allows significantly more artistic breathing room. To start, in his regular sets around the world, Sasha has switched to CDRs and the Pioneer CDJ-1000s, which emulates the familiar touch of a record.

“I’ve lost too many record boxes at airports, and CDJs offer exactly the same sort of cueing and feel,” Sasha said. Not to mention getting rid of about one hundred pounds worth of burden on the way to and from airports all the time.

Though a fairly recent phenomenon, Sasha plans to use even more innovative digital technology to move things a bit farther, eventually planning to implement it in every live appearance. “I have three people currently transferring my records (about 35,000) to digital, and I’m having a hardware controller built so I can play live using Ableton.”

Used often on the record, Ableton is software that allows a deejay to take elements of one track and put them over another, while simultaneously synching beat and key.

“It’s like being able to use 12 decks at once,” he said. “[Ableton] kills any need for filler tracks -- you create your own moments. Need a breakdown? Put in a breakdown. You need a bass line? Put in the bass line in on the fly. All those tracks used to build or get from one place to another are quickly going to become redundant.”

Sasha called Ableton “much more intuitive and spontaneous,” allowing him much more creative control over sets and a greater ability to react to a crowd. It also will allow him to be more eclectic with his performances; the technology allows thousands of songs to be readily available, rather than the limitation of what can fit into a record box or CD case.

“It’s going to let me to do stuff in my own personal way -- if I want to incorporate a one-off bootleg or re-edit, it’s much easier to fit it into a set,” he said.

More importantly, he believes this technology will allow him to focus on what deejaying is actually about.

“It really takes it back to the true art is: having the best content and the ways you present it,” he said. “Everyone is too into the idea of mixing. Is it just the fact that you can lock two records together, or is it the way you play one record after another and how you drop it? Beat-matching is tedious and takes up too much energy. This technology allows you not to have to worry about it.”

This sentiment is sure to irritate the purists. But consider that the enlightenment toward this digital technology comes after nearly fifteen years of putting in the hard work the old fashioned way -- with two decks, a crowd and creativity.

It’s clear to see that Sasha’s enthusiasm stems from a basic love of music in general. This has translated to his recent playing, which has moved away from the long, progressive mixes from the Twilo days with John Digweed and even further from the piano-led trance he began his career on. He professed an affinity for the “acid electro sound,” citing Tiefschwarz as producers that have been catching his ear as of late, along with James Holden and some releases from Cologne’s techno/ minimal label of note, Kompakt.

Not one to be tied down to dance music and all things electronic, as the interview winds down, Sasha tips me off to a few new bands I hadn’t yet heard before gushing about the Langley Schools Music Project.

“It’s essentially this choir instructor in Canada that had his young students sing David Bowie, the Beach Boys and Neil Diamond tracks instead of the traditional songs,” he said. “It’s amazing.”

Later at the gig, I hand him a CDR I brought of the Brian Wilson’s masterwork, the unreleased “Smile,” which he is equally excited about. From this point, he’s off to embark on another multi city tour, propelled by this sheer enthusiasm for new music, and the opportunities to play it in front thousands of people. It’s an opportunity well worth fighting through the jetlag for.

A version to appear on www.flavorpill.net (NYC and London editions)

Featured Stream: www.beatsinspace.net

Beats in Space originated as an AM radio show at NYU in 1999 and has since
become one of the most consistent mix shows around today. Inspired by
Coldcut's eclectic Solid Steel program, Tim Sweeney mixes the newest
electronic music from all genres, along with anything else he finds
intriguing. The show features special guests nearly every week, the
first-ever being Strictly Kev and PC as DJ Food. Today, the archives look
like a who's who of innovative DJs and producers, including James Murphy
from DFA, Paul Mogg from the Psychonauts, and a recent mix from Spektrum.
(CJN)

Channel 3: A Compilation of Output Recordings
Released: August 2004

A version to appear on www.prefixmag.com

Most labels like to tout a strong identity in one way or the other, especially when putting out a compilation of releases. Odd then, that the past two Output comps have been devoid of any mention of the imprint, aside from a small nondescript logo on the back. This is purely intentional, and speaks volumes about the founder Trevor Jackson’s ethos toward releasing music. “The label is about the artists…not the label itself,” Jackson said. “…All it says is are the names of the bands, because that’s what’s important to me. I would rather have the music speak for itself and the artists to speak for the label.”

And speak loudly they do. Channel 3 is yet another overview of one of the best and most consistent labels at the moment. Widely touted as the heir apparent to Rough Trade or Factory records, in its relatively short history, Output has been responsible for some impressive A & R finds and genre-defining releases. Kieran Hebden, best known as Four Tet, released the seminal “36:35” on the label back in 1998. The recent acid revival darlings Black Strobe released the label’s bestselling 12’, “Innerstrings,” back in 2000, garnering support from influential DJs like Andrew Weatherall and Laurent Garnier. Most recently, Output handled the UK rollouts of such acts as LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture.

Several genres get play on Channel 3, ranging from acid house and fractured funk, to off-the-wall electro and straightforward rock and roll. After beginning their careers with the brilliant shoegaze EP, The Distance After, Circle Square contribute one of the strongest tracks on the comp. “Fight Sounds” is goth-tinged downtempo tempered with huge distorted bass stabs, simple keys and detached vocals. The attention to subtlety and stellar production make it stand out on its own, and though characterized by its slow pace, its one of the most intense moments on the record. Mu’s “Out Of Breach” is off-kilter electro at its finest, and Dead Combo’s “Hey Dusty” is lo-fi rock and roll, complete with requisite leather-clad posturing. Trevor Jackson makes an appearance with the comp’s highlight—his Playgroup mix of The Rapture’s “I Need Your Love.” Jackson dubs out the bassline, edits the vocals and adds some squiggly TB-303 and hand claps, making a played-out tune suddenly relevant again. Beware, reactionary Rapture-haters may even find themselves dancing uncontrollably.

Electronic music pioneers Yello appear with the reissue of “Base For Alec,” which originally appeared as a b-side back in 1982. With modern producers mining for old tones and influences, it still sounds yet oddly relevant despite being created over a decade ago. Rekindle’s “Ice Skating Girl” (Linus Loves Remix) is the only misstep on the record, and the remix takes a slightly annoying song and makes it significantly more so. This aside, more strong contributions come with the lovely synth melodies of 7 Hurtz’ “LVL” and the choppy funk bassline of Colder’s “The Slow Descent.”

For a label that issues so many great singles, Channel 3 stands with its earlier counterparts as an excellent introduction to the label, focusing on tracks that haven’t been necessarily released on complete artist albums. All two often, great 12’s slip though the cracks of public consumption, relegated to the record boxes of DJs, and the collections of true aficionados. This puts them all in one place, and serves as further proof of Output’s consistency and vision since inception. Most importantly, it whets the appetite for whatever Trevor Jackson decides to come up with next.

Bill Wells w/ Stefan Schneider, Annie Whitehead and Barbara Morgenstern
Pick Up Sticks
The Leaf Label
Released: May 25, 2004
4.0/ 5

Put simply, The Leaf Label releases some of the most consistently innovative and emotive music today. It regularly defies genre, leaping between the swollen strings and electronic compositions of Murcof, to the dusty nostalgia and intimate textures of Colleen, to the fragile swaths of ambient sound composed by Susumu Yakota. Knowing this, it comes as no surprise that the recent release, Pick Up Sticks, manages to stand tall in such strong company. It’s experimentation at its finest—several musicians coming together, embracing both technology and tradition, in turn creating a record that sounds completely original. It’s a fascinating combination of minimal jazz and electronic music, augmented by organic percussion elements. Pick Up Sticks is most certainly a record that needs to be listened to intently, as the tiny nuances comprise the most rewarding moments.

The frontman, Bill Wells, is best known for his talents in composition, and his contributions to the Glascow music scene. In the past, he’s worked with names such as Belle & Sebastian, Arab Strap and The Pastels. On this release, he recruited world-class trombonist Annie Whitehead and electronic musician Stefan Schneider of To Rocco Rot as collaborators, along with German luminary, singer-songwriter Barbara Morgenstern.

Recorded in Berlin, the resulting sound is largely improvised, featuring Whitehead’s trombone work interspersed with plodding electronic beats and textures that add warmth to the arrangements. This formula is best seen on “A Soldier’s Shoulder.” The trombone is declarative yet restrained, and serves as an additional rhythmic element as it dances next to a thick electronic cadence. A processed glockenspiel adds another gentle layer to the composition, and sits amidst tinny pops and crackles of sound.

“Waft” stands as another album highlight, and though it relies more on keyboards, Whitehead’s trombone sounds melancholy and utterly expressive given the minimal, almost ambient tone of the piece. “Perfect Window” is without a doubt the best example of just how expressive the album can be despite this overall restrained tone. The mournful, open trombone sits alongside acoustic guitar and low-pitched synth pads, as a gentle flam of wood clicks the time. Despite its strengths, the arrangement is not allowed to develop quite enough, and ends before it fully unfolds, a qualm that stands with a few other songs on the album.

Despite these minor shortcomings and a few premature endings, Pick Up Sticks manages to largely revel in its restraint, working with tension as a major building block. And, to the utmost credit to the musicians involved, it must be remembered that the songs were largely improvised. An impressive feat, given the sheer beauty and emotion captured within such a minimal canvas.

Channel 3
Output Recordings
Released August 2004

A version to appear on www.flavorpill.net

The third installment of Output’s compilation series, Channel 3 is a summation of recent releases from one of the most creative and varied labels around today. Compiled by founder Trevor Jackson, it runs the genre gamut from electro stalwarts Black Strobe, to the Parisian dub of Colder and even leather-clad Finnish rock from Dead Combo. In addition, the comp features an exclusive re-release of "Base for Alec" from electronic music pioneers Yello, originally released as a b-side in 1982. An undeniable highlight comes with Trevor’s 303 acid dub of the Rapture’s I Need Your Love, which breathes new life into the track and further shows that he’s not only a label visionary, but an ace producer as well.

Versions to appear on www.earplug.cc

Artist: Amon Tobin
Album: Solid Steel Mix
Label: Ninja Tune
Release: August 12

Reclusive by nature, Brazil's Amon Tobin prefers to let his warped, cut-up breakbeat constructions do the talking. Having recorded three artist albums for Ninja Tune, he contributes the fourth mix to the Solid Steel series, utilizing FinalScratch technology to allow him unlimited access to his own songs as well as the tunes that inspire him. This studio performance, free of any post-production, is an excursion into leftfield breakbeats and swollen bass lines, with tinges of drum 'n bass and downtempo to even things out. Rarely do you find one track playing on its own — generally, it's a multi-layered sonic collage constructed on the fly. Tobin airs special edits of his own productions, and, lest things get too abstract, he throws in a reworking of the Velvet Underground's "Venus in Furs." Amon Tobin is as jaw-droppingly innovative improvising as he is on his albums. (CJN)

Artist: Biosphere
Album: Autour de la Lune
Label: Touch
Release: July 6

In the 19th century, Jules Verne penned the eerily prophetic De la Terre à la Lune, which described a manned space flight launching from Florida and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Having been granted access to a '60s audio dramatization of the piece from Radio France's archives, Biosphere, aka Geir Jenssen, combined the material with his own productions and added samples sourced from the Mir space station. The result can most closely be compared to Brian Eno and Harold Budd's homage to the space age, Apollo. Biosphere's Autour de la Lune is a nine-movement symphony characterized by soft, expansive ambient tones and an occasionally menacing and otherworldly feel. Undoubtedly abstract by virtue of the subject matter and source material, the record conjures the vastness of space without resorting to cliche. (CJN)

Artist: Adam Freeland
Album: Fabriclive 16
Label: Fabric
Release: June 28

Though he has focused recently on his live band, Freeland, Adam Freeland's heart is behind the decks. He is widely seen as the world's foremost breaks DJ, and spends a disproportionate amount of his time touring. This latest edition of the Fabric series offers an excellent representation of what he has been playing out. Mixed using three decks, CDJs, and software effects, it runs the gamut from rock-influenced productions to the heavyweight electro bombast of LFO's "Freak." Moving toward a more organic, eclectic vibe, the mix is a welcome departure from the overly tech-focused sound that has dominated the breaks scene (especially in the US). The mixing allows subgenres to cohabitate and complement each other — one highlight is an Aesop Rock a cappella over Evil 9's heavyweight "Crooked," along with the crunchy synthesizer tones of Radioactive Man's "Airlock." (CJN)

itunes mix 11:27 pm june 23 2004
email me if you would like a copy


A Soldier's Shoulder- Bill Wells, Stefan Schneider & Annie Whitehead-Pick Up Sticks

Microbial- Soft Verge- Channel 1 A Compilation Of Output Recordings
this is the hardest version king tubby- at the controls
Porpoise Song-The Monkees-Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets From The WEA Vault
Smell Of Incense- The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
Sunrise- Radio Colette No. 2
Royal Peppermint Forest-Kiln -Sunbox
Keeping Up-Arthur Russell- The World Of Arthur Russell
do you like worms-the beach boys- smile
Woundelife on Brayt a Cool- Radio Colette No. 2
PIng Pong- Plastikman- Closer
Skeleton-Black Dice- Creature Comforts
The Juan Maclean- track two- unreleased LP
superpitcher- babys on fire- kompakt total 4
Putsch '79- 1300 Disco Pogo For Punks In Pumps Vol.5
Everpresent [Original Mix]- Justin Robertson presents Revtone

James T. Cotton
The Dancing Box
Ghostly International
2.3/5

A version to appear on prefixmag.com

Tadd Mullinix, known for releases under Dabrye and SK-1, drops his first LP as James T. Cotton on Ghostly International. For such a consistant label, The Dancing Box is certainly not another feather in the Ghostly cap. Rather, it’s an inconsistant mismash consisting of a few solid singles and a lot of distorted filler.

The album, rooted in Chicago acid and Detroit techno, succeeds in its intention with tracks like “The Drain,” which revel in old 303 tones and classic drum samples. “Blood Red” is drawn from a similar source, and stands as another highlight on the record. It’s acid-influenced, with a slightly more modern glisten. These two stand as the essential cuts on the record. “That’s How I Like It (illusions) stands in the middle ground, as it is reminiscent of Plastikman, but lacks the distinct cerebral element that make Hawtin’s productions stand out so much.

From here, the album descends into an almost unlistenable place. The beats grow more and more distorted (think Atari Teenage riot drum tones), synths get harsher and the compositions become more abstract. If Mullinix would have stuck to the acid revival sounds a bit more, the album would be considerably more consistant and dancable. However, as it stands, The Dancing Box is anything but an apt title.

Wagon Christ
I’m Sorry I Make You Lush
Ninjatune

forthcoming on www.earplug.cc

In the past year, ever-prolific Luke Vibert has released the 303-reverent YosepH, disco oddity Kerrier District, and straight-up drum 'n bass as Amen Andrews. He now returns to a pseudonym from the Mo' Wax and Ninja days, Wagon Christ. I'm Sorry I Make You Lush uses breakbeats and hip-hop structures to support an array of the most varied and absurd synthesizer and organ tones of the past few years, illustrating the great variety in Vibert's production talents. He even samples C-3PO's spiel from Star Tours and gets away with it (at least until the lawyers read this review). In fact, the snippet serves as a good summary of the record: playful, nostalgic, and unafraid to embrace a few tried and true clichés. (CJN)

Beckett & Taylor/ Spandex
Lies 12’
Hand On The Plow
4.0

forthcoming in prefixmag.com

Hand on the Plow's first release, the 12’ “Work” garnered copious praise from the electronic music cognoscenti. Matthew Herbert named it one of the best records he’s been sent in some time, and the often highbrow Wire showered it in praise. Not bad for a debut. Here, Beckett and Taylor return with another four track, split release. “Lies” is generally in the same vein as their first release; Microsamples, crunchy textures and attention to detail tied together with an underlying pop sensibility that seems to be reemerging in electronic music today. In short, it’s catchy as all hell. “More Lies” is a 4/4, uptempo continuation of the same formula--small chunks and slices of the original vocal track cut up and pasted back together over a stomping beat. It’s reminiscent, yet not overly derivative of the aforementioned Herbert’s productions. The highlight of this release, Snakeskin Teeth by Spandex, is an absolutely warped electrofunk tune with a dirty synthline, heavily edited vocals and lyrics that tend not to leave your head-- The most logical pick for the dancefloor. “Abusing the Body” is a leftfield mishmash of Hall and Oates microsamples, with shards of percussion and elements of the original tune chopped up and rendered nearly unrecognizable, other than the familiar lyrics to “I Can’t Go for That.”

Klimek
Milk and Honey
Kompakt

forthcoming on www.earplug.cc

If forced to pick out highlights from the last two Kompakt Pop Ambient compilations, it’s a good bet that Klimek’s contributions would shoot to the top of the list. An impressive feat indeed, given the consistent quality of music showcased. For his forays into the genre, Frankfurt-based artist/composer/sound designer Sebastian Meissner uses an instrument rarely explored in ambient music—the acoustic guitar. It’s a uniquely analog source that adds a layer of familiarity and emotive human comfort to the largely electronic soundscapes. The songs have a uniquely cinematic quality to them, best exemplified by album opener (Sun) Rise. Gentle, sparse string plucks are set against crackly, warm textures. It is, in essence, an audio evocation of the tender moment just a few seconds before sunrise.

Switch
Get On Downz 12’
Freerange

A version to appear on turntablelab.com

Freerange have gone for the both sides of the house spectrum with the Get On Downz 12'. Switch bring a funky, groovin’ house number with the original--it’s got catchy vocal hooks, peaks and valleys, the whole bit. However, the remix is where it’s at for me. Henrik Schwarz, known for his stellar “Chicago” and a host of recent remixes, lays down a slow burning 10 minute track. His mix takes bits from the original, brings the tempo way down and reconstructs it completely. The remix is best described as Moodymann meets Plastikman with layers of percussion a la Theo Parrish. It’s extremely cerebral, with dub/jazz undertones and twisted pitch-bent bass. Light, distorted keys float in and out, along with a heavily edited vocal sample from the original. The track starts building with tense, repetitive piano notes at about 3:15 in, and swells in grandiose fashion before subduing to build back up again. All and all, it’s a spellbinding, hypnotic mix that illustrates you don’t have to be uptempo to have amazing dynamics.

From: "John Sundermeyer"
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 14:36:50 -0800
To: colinjn@yahoo.com
Subject: Fwd: Treasure takes thrown

There is a new Make Out King reigning over the province of San
Francisco. Had a holloween party last Saturday in the basement of shras place,
pretty fuckn fun, got trashed and DJ'd all night. Treasure came out, drank
way to much and started making out all over the place with this chick on the dancefloor. I first saw him yelled FUCK YOUUUUUUU AHHHH and threw
vondka in his eyes, then rushed him upstairs cause his eyes were burning out
"LOOKOUT^ LOOK OUT HES BLEEDING OUT OF HIS HEAD!!!! girls in line for
bathroom freaked out and let him right through -suckers. Josh carman showed up
also, lots of kids there dancing, technics chris scratched alittle, Slant
eyed Nick came an relieved me for a bit on the turntables, but kept playing house music that the kids hated so after fighting with him a bit shira just pulled the plug to all the power and I went back on, pretty shitty
move. I couldnt really stand up straight and kept falling over drunk and
trying to reach the fader from the floor, I pulled through and kept the kids
dancing, Treasure wasn't so lucky he and the girl passed out in the middle of
the dance floor cold as ice, D.O.A, P.O.W, M.I.A shiiit he was done, I had
to drag him out by his ankles at the end of the night. he ended up
crashed at my place. next morning II go to wake him up and my bare feet step in something wet "What the fuck is this treasure?? Did you spill
something over here?? uhwhat? I dont know ehhAhhhh back to bed" finally I get it
out of him that in the middle of the night he was too trashed to make it
to the bathroom so he just rolled over and pissed all over the floor and
carpet, sneky little fucker, GODAMN HE TURNING INTO A FINE YOUNG MAN THOUGH!
you would have been proud. anyways that waas a good weekend, the kids that
fun fanclub at the lipo lounge dug my set so looks like Im going to get a regular gig there on thursdays, pretty hot that place is hoppn'. robby
P just didnt have the heart to fire his allstar so looks like I stay and everyone else that was working gets the axe, I really have no clue how
that happened but whatever, holloween is tomorrow they dont have that one
over there do they? theres a pre party at this comic book shop below my
house go get drunk with abunch of geeks (prized for best Xmen costume I here)
I'd make a helluva wolverine I think, a bunch of us a going there, then
the owner of the shop rented limos to go to castro should be a fun one
think Jitson and I be on noogie patrol. Im going as a space assasine, got a
lazer gun, jumpsuit, helmet, computer chest pack and a bottle of Skyy should
be good, but thats the news from the front, crazy town leftovers? you
dirty sunuvabitch, pass that shit to nagy and git yourself some proper girl
with fucked up teeth and big tits. over and out- Gavin