Home»Archive for February, 2009

I Used To Love Harry Potter

Feb 27th, 2009 1 Comment
pic: Andy Gilmore

Hey again everyone. I’m sure a lot of you had an awesome day at Good Vibes last weekend. I couldn’t be there so let’s not talk about that. What I am going to talk about though is a band that played there called Chromeo (which I hope you managed to see) and the remixes album they have just released. This may not come as a surprise but the DFA remix is definitely the highlight for me. I love the way DFA are able to use abrasive distortion in this remix without allowing it to drown out the melody and other elements of the song like so many bedroom producers do these days.

Download (Right Click Save As);

Chromeo – Destination Overdrive (DFA Remix)

I’ve got another DFA remix for you today, this time by DFA members Tim Goldsworthy (who has produced albums for Cut Copy, The Rapture and Hurcules and Love Affair) and Tim Sweeney (who runs the Beats In Space radio show, which you can podcast at beatsinspace.net, and was the Soundtrack Supervisor for Rockstar Games (Grand Theft Auto and such) for 2003-2006 ) (Enough brackets?). What I’m trying to say here is they’re fucking good – up there with James Murphy.

Now I’m a bit of a die-hard Michael Jackson fan, so when I saw they had made a remix of his classic Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough I was pretty fucking excited. Like most DFA remixes they extend the song for a lot longer than usual, this time breaking the song into three distinct parts. The first 4 minutes is basically the original song with a bit of disco sprinkled over the top of it, then, just when you think it’s getting a little boring, T&T decide to bring out a big dirty synth for the next 2 or so minutes. Finally, they pull some high-pitched synth punches that are almost Thriller-like.

Download (Right Click Save As);

Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (T&T Version)

Those pictures are made from hundreds of individual crayons – by Chritian Faur

If you liked those songs you’ll love this one. Its an extended edit of Hall & Oates’ classic I Can’t Go For That, this time by Melbourne boys Fromage. These guys have managed to create a version of this song that would rival any DFA remix and that’s no mean feat at all.

Download (Right Click Save As);

Hall & Oates – I Can’t Go For That (Fromage Extended Edit)


Phoenix have recently announced they will be releasing a new album entitled Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix on May 25th. With a member having previously been in a band called Darlin’ with the guys from Daft Punk, it’s easy to see the influence electronic music has had on Phoenix’s brand of music. The first single released from the album – 1901 - is one of the best pieces of indie-pop I’ve heard in a while. It’s in a similar vein to their old classic If I Ever Feel Better which no doubt some of you will recognise.
In a completely different vein, but awesome nonetheless, is their song Twenty-One One Zero. This is one of those tracks that just builds and builds adding layer upon layer until it climaxes near the end of the song, managing to fully engage you even without lyrics.

Download (Right Click Save As);

Phoenix – 1901

Phoenix – If I Ever Feel Better

Phoenix – Twenty-One One Zero

Another band with a new album to get excited about is Lost Valentinos. They’ve released two singles now which both allude to a different sound to their previous work. I personally would’ve liked it if they kept with their old punk-rock sound ’cause I thought it was refreshing, but undoubtedly their new electronic sound fits in with what’s popular at the moment and will win them fans and success. The first single Bismarck is a dirty, haunting sort of track, which contrasts nicely with the almost uplifting second single Serio. Hopefully this means their album will continue this trend.

Download (Right Click Save As);

Lost Valentinos – Bismarck

Lost Valentinos – Serio

You’ve Been Living In A Bubble Made By People

Feb 24th, 2009 2 Comments

Thinking back I can not understand why in the past I have started posts with an apology to all of you for not posting in such a long time. Maybe I felt the teeth of guilt chewing my conscience until my integrity as a blogger was left hanging by a thread. Or maybe I have never really understood anything I have ever said.

Why would I be sorry?

For now I will not be sorry instead I will be thankful to someone who truly deserves thanks and that is Adso for his first of hopefully many posts. I think you all should be very grateful to Adso as well.

Why would you be grateful?

In my defence for something I truly am not sorry about (i swear), at least when I do post it is with many hours thought as I listen to as many tracks as I can and realise some tracks are not worth posting.

Why would I waste money on stamps?

And you see I could post 1 track a day for 38 days or I could give all the tracks enough time to prove themselves and post 38 tracks in 1.

Aren’t you sick of these random questions?

I have changed my approach to suit the lazy downloader – which is all of you. See I have always been about economy when it comes to the incredible hard task of downloading so many songs. So just for you I have zipped each playlist, so instead of 38 “right click save as” you now only have to do 3. I suggest you throw each Playlist in order into Itunes or burn it onto a CD for the full effect of what I have always been trying to do here.

What have I been trying to do here?


A Derogatory Playlist PT IX

Download (Right Click Save As);
A Derogatory Playlist PT IX Zipped

1. Van She – Kelly (M83 Remix)
2. The Shortwave Set – Glitches ‘N’ Bugs (Mungolian Jet Set Remix)
3. Friendly Fires – Paris (Aeroplane Remix ft. Au Revoir Simone)
4. Cut Copy – Far Away (Hercules & Love Affair Remix)
5. Grace Jones – Williams Blood (Aeroplane Remix)
6. Bipolar Badwise – Entwined
7. Digitalism – Apollo-Gize (Fred Falke Edit)

8. Who Made Who – TV Friend (Hot Chip Remix)
9. Curses! – The Deep End (ft Nancy ‘LCD Soundsystem’ & Juan Maclean)*Holy Ghost! Day School Dub)
10. CSS – Let’s Reggae All Night (Peter Makebish & Patrick Quade Remix)
11. That’s A Secret – Dope Fiend (Malente’s 1 Hour Remix)
12. Beni – My Love Sees You (Etienne De Crecy’s Coco Walsh Remix)
13. Shadow Dancer – Soap


A Derogatory Playlist PT X

Download (Right Click Save As);
A Derogatory Playlist PT X Zipped

1. The Chaplin Band – Il Veliero
2. Harris Chalkitis – Right On Moving
3. The Long Blondes – Nostalgia (Glass Candy Remix)
4. Loin Brothers – Heavy Helmet
5. Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses (Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve Remix)
6. The Juan MacLean – One Day
7. Tiga – Love Don’t Dance Here Anymore
8. Gang Gang Dance – House Jam (Hot Chip Remix)
9. Kaiser Chiefs – Never Miss A Beat (Cut Copy Remix)
10. Datarock – Give It Up (Kissy Sell Out Remix)
11. FrankMusik – Better Off As Two (Fan Death Remix Instrumental)
12. Royksopp – Happy Up Here (Boys Noize Remix)

I decided because I am such a cold and lonely person and I never show remorse for anyone I would post another 13 songs just for the road.

13 Songs for the Road

Download (Right Click Save As);
13 Songs 4 The Road Zipped

!!! – Take Ecstacy With Me
Foals – Cassius (Tensnake Remix)
Them – It’s All Over Now (Kissy Klub Version)
Metronomy – A Thing For Me (Blackout Remix)
Who Made Who – The Plot (Discodeine Remix)
V.V. Brown – Leave (Featuring Little Boots)
The All-American Rejects – Gives You Hell (The Bloody Beetroots Remix)
Kanye West – Love Lockdown (White Chokolate Remix)
Candice Alley – Falling (Fred Falke Vocal Mix)
Jape – Floating (D.I.M Remix)
Lykke Li – Little Bit (Death To The Throne Remix!)
Digitalism – Echoes (Siriusmo Remix)
Mustard Pimp – Gold


I highly Recommend

Friendly Fires – Paris (Aeroplane Remix ft. Au Revoir Simone)

Well it’s quite obvious to see that Aeroplane are currently my favourite producers with three appearances in the above playlists. They seem to have perfected the pop disco mix and have the perfect ear for choosing exactly the right song to remix. With help from Au Revoir Simone; they have turned Friendly Fires ‘Paris’ into a melodic journey into an elegant electronic space which can only be described with a smile. I just love the break down at 4:17 when they begin to use some deeper organs to launch the track into a screaming ending.

Grace Jones – William’s Blood (Aeroplane Remix)

A Derogatory Playlist PT IX has a down tempo feel for almost three quarters of the way. This is evidence of my changing dance music taste over the last 6 months. Once again Aeroplane fly into the ideal vocal track, this time using the immortal disco queen Grace Jones and her come back single ‘Williams Blood’. What happens during this track is amazing – an old school disco voice mixes with the new school disco beats which after a break builds into a distorted synth sample spew which I am sure Aeroplane must have stole from Soulwax.

Who Made Who – TV Friend (Hot Chip Remix)

I was lucky enough to see Who Made Who play live a couple of weeks ago and it was an absolutely brilliant set. Their new album is set for release in March and they have already launched a couple of singles. When I am looking forward to an album I always try to ignore the bands singles as I think it can ruin the album when your start listening to it from start to finish and already know 1 or 2 tracks way more then the others. This rule offcourse does not apply for remixes and Hot Chip as always have done an original job at turning this one into a 8 Min masterpiece. WMW have always concentrated on short and catchy lyrics and when they are mixed with the production expertise of someone like Hot Chip you are destined for a hit.

Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses (Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve Remix)

Well as anyone who knows anything knows – you never look past the Wizards Sleeve or should I say anything the Wizard Erol touches. Franz’s new album has definitely opened a whole new door for them in terms of fans and people who will be knocking on it to remix any number of their 20 new tracks. It is not a surprise that Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve does an impeccable job of keeping the track dark yet bouncy at the same time, which I think puts it just ahead of Franz’s other version ‘Feeling Kind Of Anxious’.

The Juan MacLean – One Day

I must say that this track got me extremely excited for The Juan MacLean’s new album which is coming out I think in April. It seems that Maclean has spent quite some time just doing DJ sets and the odd remix here and there so it was a pleasure to hear a song which has been produced for the band. I am hoping it gains enough popularity to see a tour come to Australia and hopefully bringing with it some DFA celebrities. The track itself is probably my favourite of the moment with its catchy sly verses which will set up a tent in your head until you listen to it again.

Kaiser Chiefs – Never Miss A Beat (Cut Copy Remix)

Whatever Cut copy touches usually turns into gold – but I must say they had a little help here with one of the most catchy songs of last year in Kaiser Chief’s ‘Never Miss A Beat’. I remember first hearing the original live in Belgium last year and knowing that it was going to be a simple hit – so with a little bit of Cut Copy magic it will/has turned into a dance floor favourite.


You will hear from me again but right now I am a little exhausted

O yeah – that’s why I was saying sorry.

Lucid

Feb 11th, 2009 2 Comments


Hello blogosphere, my name is Adso and I will be helping Jimps out with the blog from now on. With that awkwardness out of the way, time to get into some tunes.

I picked up Franz Ferdinand’s new album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand recently and have been really impressed with the catchiness and diversity of it. Just when you think a track sounds identical to its predecessor, they go in a completely different direction with the track while still managing to keep the album sounding cohesive. On the first listen I was shocked and thrilled at the same time when I heard track 10 Lucid Dreams. The first half of the song is not too shocking at all – although it is noticeably different to the leaked version that Triple J were playing for a while. However, at the 4:45 mark the song turns into a distorted electronic nightmare – in the best way possible.

Download (right click save as);

Franz Ferdinand – Lucid Dreams

I also got Yuksek’s first album recently entitled Away From The Sea. It’s a pretty sweet electro album that’s not all just non-stop heavy bangers. The tracks I Could Never Be A Dancer and So Down (Featuring one of my favourite bands Chromeo) display Yuksek’s diversity by proving he can make funky chilled out tracks too. I actually prefer these kinds of tracks he makes over the harder ones, but sometimes you just can’t go past an awesome banger like Break Ya, which I swear I’ve heard on some sort of Bang Gang compilation or mix before.

Download (right click save as);

Yuksek – I Could Never Be A Dancer

Yuksek – So Down feat. Chromeo

Yuksek – Break Ya

I went to the Gold Coast leg of the Big Day Out festival not too long ago and suffice to say I had an awesome time. The highlights for me were TV On The Radio, Lupe Fiasco, Simian Mobile Disco, Hot Chip Holy Ghost! and of course The Prodigy. Being about 10 people back from the front at The Prodigy was probably the craziest atmosphere I’ve ever been in, closely followed by Rage Against The Machine at the same event last year.

Lupe impressed me with the energy and intensity of his performance which was the perfect thing to get warmed up to in the late afternoon. I’m sure many of you have heard his track Daydream so I’ll post the original song that he pretty much add lyrics and lays a beat over to create his own version, which is just as good I think.

Download (right click save as);

I Monster – Daydream In Blue

Hot Chip were my favourite act of the day. The way they extend their songs for the live show is just amazing; it even made one of their most overplayed songs Ready For The Floor seem fresh. You have to be there to appreciate the greatness of their live versions and they haven’t officially released any live recordings, so I’ll post their recent cover of Joy Division’s Transmission, which is just fucking brilliant and I can’t stop listening to.

Download (right click save as);

Hot Chip – Transimission (Joy Division Cover)

Finally, Simian Mobile Disco were a very close second favourite on the day. They put on a live show unlike anyone else going around with the switchboard-like machines they use and their awesome light show. The track below is an older song, released in 2004, it’s a bit different to what you might expect, but it’s got such a sweet bass line it’ll be hard not to like.

Download (right click save as);

Simian Mobile Disco – Upside Down