I am going to try to make this post short in words but long in minutes of music delivered. I feel as if I owe it to you considering my recent absence. Below you will find a few albums I am listening to at the moment (well was listening to a couple of weeks ago when I was meant to make the post until The Presets – Apocalypso came out!!). I am also going to hit you with a whole lot of sweet tracks which various artist have sent me over the last few months which I have always been meaning to get up. So let’s get started.
The Dirty Secrets
I first heard of “The Dirty Secrets” through Sir “Miami Horror” and his remedy to the distorted electro which was dominating club land in the second half of last year. His indie electro masterpiece hooked me straight away with its o so catchy vocals and bigggggg synths. I would say it was one of the remixes of the year – find it again below (I think it may be about the third time I have posted this but once again it deems appropriate).
I was saving listening to their original material until their album landed and I was not expecting such a brilliant indie rock explosion. The album begins with the original of “5 Feet Of Snow” with massive whaling guitars which are soon joined with the familiar lyrics at a rock pace which I can never get sick of. Some other highlights on the album are “Hearts On Fire” and “Lighthouse” which are crawling out for remixes to make “The Dirty Secrets” a true Aussie Indie Electro/rock cross over.
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The Dirty Secrets – Light House
The Dirty Secrets – Five Feet Of Snow
The Dirty Secrets – Hearts on Fire
The Dirty Secrets – Five Feet Of Snow (Miami Horror Remix)
Junkie XL – Booming Back At You
I am not to sure why I got the Junkie XL album I think I was just in the mood for some good old dance music and the purchase would not disappoint. The album is filled with big beat dance floor destroyers like “Stratosphere” with an insanely catchy melody building into a little harder then house 4/4 beat accompanied by a melodic break down. “Cities In Dust” on the other hand I could almost define as House/Rock using the verse chorus verse formula seen with a band. You can tell that old Junkie has been in the production game for a long time with his flawless forumulas for the dance floor.
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Junkie XL – Stratosphere
Junkie XL – Cities In Dust
Crystal Castles
I was not even going to post about “Crystal Castles” because of some of the complete rubbish which is on their album and an interview I read with them in Aprils MixMag. The guy is obviously a very good producer but he seems to have an attitude which is beyond his fame and this is shown in his music. I think the chick is mainly there for show as her vocals are never really showcased at all in the album, usually hidden behind computerised vocoders. I don’t usually ever talk negatively about any one on this blog but this interview I read in MixMag kinda made me hate them – but yeah they have some good songs/remixes and here is a couple of them.
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Crystal Castles VS Health – Crimewave
Crystal Castles – 1991
Hercules and Love Affair
I have spoken about my slight building obsession for disco before, so luckily for me James Murphy, Tim Goldworthy’s and their DFA have released another Nu Disco treat for all the old and new fans to enjoy together. I will leave you with their a couple of their tracks including “Blind” off their album which includes some classic disco octave bass, building percussion, sweet lyrics and progressive beats. Just one of the eras I wish I was there to experience when it first happened but this new stuff is doing its best to relieve those disco balls. Also check out a cool remix of A&E, a track off Goldfrapp’s new mellow yet cool album.
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Hercules and Love Affair – Blind
Hercules and Love Affair – Hercules Theme
Goldfrapp – A&E (Hercules and Love Affair Remix)
The Wombats Live
Thought I might add this little guy in – A set I recorded a couple of weeks ago from The Wombats on Triple J Live At The Wireless. Brings back some good memories of their high intensity sweaty gig at The Zoo (which they mention in the recording – it is always too hot at that place but you just have to get amongst it to enjoy yourself. I have seen a few bands from colder parts of the world really struggle there – namely The Gossip – I wonder why???)
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The Wombats – Live At The Wireless
You’ve got Mail
Swim In The Brisbane River
I am very proud to bring you some local Brisbane tracks first up. I am not posting these through bias – they are really all fantastic productions.
Panther DLX
Although these guys have been gigging around the place for awhile now I am yet to catch them live, but from the sound of it I am sure they would put on a great show. Their tracks fuse funk/electro/rock and most importantly fun with that all important pop edge. The vocalist has a great voice and you can tell by the tightness of the melodies and chords used throughout their tracks that there is a deeper experience in music here (I may be wrong as computers could be their only music theory). I am looking forward to seeing them play their instruments and I hope it is in a club because the synthesised bass would sound the best surrounded by tight walls.
Dyce is a Brisbane producer who has already come up with some very exciting remixes including one for the already mentioned “Panther DLX”. His remix of Damn Arms really plants his feet on the ground in this populating scene with a tougher edge which thankfully managers to just steer clear of the already dated 2007 Boys Noize/Ed Banger dirty distortion and I do believe this is a very good thing. Dyce’s sound fits in well with some of my other favourite Aussie producers of the moment namely Hey Now, Miami Horror and Calling In Sick. Enjoy some of his remixes below.
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Panther DLX – The Fall (Dyce Remix)
Damn Arms – Wooden Leg, Evil Claw (Dyce Remix)
South African Synth Pop???
Johnny Neon.
I am quite excited to bring you a group straight out of Johannesburg South Afica. I do not think I have ever heard any thing from there before so it is interesting to discover. They sound a little like a more analogue version of “Grafton Primary” which gives them a more vintage electronic sound which works well with the guys voice and synthesised melodies used. I think they could probably do with a live drummer because after seeing bands such as “Grafton Primary” and “The Presets” I have found that the power of live drums is very underrated.
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Johnny Neon – Lazer Kill
Johnny Neon – Heart Attack
Scary Electro from Costa Rica?
Cosmetics
And I thought receiving good tracks from South Africa was weird until I got this dark and scary electro thumper all the way from Costa Rica. They call them selves “Cosmestics” and they would like to share with me what they are upto. That is about all I got in their email and when I replied seeking more information none was gained and the mystery behind these guys will have to continue. Their track is an extremely professional production – really progressive, using sounds I think have been taken from other genres I am not to familiar with. This combination has created an incredible original track. If you like your Prog, Tech or harder stuff – I think you will like this one. It really is awesome.
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Cosmetics – Area City On Fire
Just a few more
Bipolar Badwise
I posted a couple of tracks from these very keen young three piece from Melbourne earlier in the year – here. It is still very early stages in these guys career but I know that they are working on a live show and with productions like this I am excited for the future and what they will produce.
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Bipolar Badwise – TV Lust
Troutroo
These guys are a very new band (Just 6 months old) out of the UK. I think they definitely deserve a mention here as their production is already starting to sound very tight. Their track has a little rap break down about three quarters of the way through which I do not know if I really like but it definitely adds to the character of the song. I wish the best of luck to these guys and hope to hear more from them in the future.
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Troutroo – French Girls On The Radar
WOW
Argh I nearly forgot this last remix by Sydney group “WOW” – also see a previous post here. This is their first remix and it is a killer – a real Le Tigre feel. Enjoy.
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The Mania – The Damage (Wow Remix)
I was meant to keep that short wasn’t I? Hopefully I can soon bring you a Kissy Sellout Post for his up and coming tour and the next instalment of A Derogatory Playlist. Thanks for sticking around in these hard times.
Buy the tracks from Itunes
