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Now These Shackles Graze My Knees

Apr 28th, 2010 1 Comment

Well it has been 6 whole months since the last Derogatory Playlist and the longer I left it the harder it got to put one down as my long list of dance tracks got stale. I came to the decision that I just had to make the post sooner rather then later so I am able to move forward. This playlist will be a little different to the others as it has been 6 months of tunes shrunk down to 11 carefully selected tracks. What you have below are 11 tracks I have heard over the last 6 months new or old which have stayed with me until now – from 2009’s Die Verboten which I heard for the first time this week, to the 1997 Jam & Spoon track I stumbled upon earlier this year. From Krautrock to dubstep, disco to funky house, electro to psy trance and progressive back to electro. There were no rules with this playlist and that is why it probably will not flow as well as the others (starting with a 20 min track will probably not help either). I hope for those of you who have not heard some of the below tracks you really enjoy the levels they can take you.


A Derogatory Playlist PT XVI

Download the Complete playlist zipped

1. Die Verboten – Live in Eivissa
2. Bat For Lashes – Pearls Dream (Skream Remix)
3. Tensnake – Coma Cat (Original Mix)
4. Holy Ghost – On Board (feat. the DFA Celestial Choir)
5. UNKLE – Heavy Drug (Surrender Sounds Mix)
6. Gramophonedzie – Why Don’t You (Original Mix)
7. Gorillaz – Stylo (Alex Metric Remix)
8. Jam & Spoon – El Baile
9. Two Door Cinema Club – Undercover Martyn (Softwar Remix)
10. Sherlock’s Daughter – Kids (Alison Wonderland Remix)
11. Das Racist – Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell (Wallpaper. RMX)


I highly Recommend

Live In Elvissa – Die Verboten

I have been hanging out to hear this track for over 3 years ever since I first heard that Soulwax was going to team up with Riton and produce an experimental Kruatrock band. Live In Elvissa is the only track to be released from the group and was released on a limited edition vinyl pressing of 300 last year. I regretfully did not get myself a copy of this as I could not justify the postage at the time. Due to this error I did not get a chance to hear the track in its full until I received this vinyl rip from a dude over at the Soulwax – thanks Lynxx.

Live in Elivissa is a 19 Minute journey through the parallels of instrumental electronics with incoherent conflicts of sounds creating a quest for the main melody. Riton and the Dewaele brothers use a combination of their excellence in composition and electronics to funnel surrealism from their mind into our ears, where a world of sliding synths and stabbing melodies chase each other into the abyss.

Bat For Lashes – Pearls Dream (Skream Remix)

I am glad that a dubstep mix made it into the playlist as it is reflective of my slight fetish I have had for the genre in the last 6 months. Bat For Lashes were quite a big band of last year and the vocals work perfectly in-front of the deep frequencies and off beats which help keep the track dark and cold. Similar to his Chromeo remix, Skream has managed to really exploit the most underground sounds into a final product of pop.

Holy Ghost – On Board (feat. The DFA Celestial Choir)

This Holy Ghost cover of Friendly Fires On Board was one part of a joint EP they released earlier this year where both bands covered each others tracks with Friendly Fires doing Hold On. I think most people agree that Holy Ghost was the band out of the two who hit the spot with their version of On Board featuring the heavenly DFA Celestial Choir (I think I hear Nancy in there). I was thinking of posting the Celestial Choir Dub Version but I now believe that the vocals do add to the track. The big bass synth dominates the track throughout holding the chords together as Holy Ghost’s DFA disco style dances over the rest.

Gramophonedzie – Why Don’t You

It is not often I will post a house track on this blog as I do not really get the chance to listen to enough of it to find the good stuff. I have a feeling though that House may be making a return to the mainstream (Yolanda Be Cool as an example) as electro starts to get more distorted and girls get sick of sharing dance floors with sweaty, teeth grinding alpha males while the sound of a chainsaw screams from the speakers. House is more classy then electro and there is always a place and time for it. Gramophonedzie has tapped into this new sub genre of house which mixes vintage records with house beats creating a somewhat cabaret feel about it. The track will keep you moving for the first minute and a half with a simple funky intro. The interesting part starts after this when it cuts into the sample of the old record that then drops back with the beat. I believe that this will keep a dance floor very happy.

Jam & Spoon – El Baile

El Baile was produced in 1997 by the duo Jam & Spoon who clearly had massive influence on trance in the 90’s and today. I love unexpected variation in genres and El Baile has to be one of the biggest jumps I have ever heard from sweet Spanish guitar and vocals to rolling bass and deep beats similar to modern psy trance. The track continues to progress into an electronic monster with break downs cued by the sweet acoustic guitar.

Sherlock’s Daughter – Kids (Alison Wonderland Remix)

I received this track earlier this year over email and made a promise to myself that I would post it at some stage. Sherlock’s Daughter are an indie rock band from Sydney who are starting to poke their head into the scene. The vocals on the track allow for a perfect back setting for Alison to come over with some quality electro production which is the focus on this remix. Big synths stab as they run cleanly through the chords creating a true indie dance verse. The soothing female vocals are perfect for breaking down the track and it is evident that Alison has her fingers on the pulse when it comes to laying down tracks. I look forward to hearing more from her in the future.

Alison Wonderland’s Myspace
Sherlock’s Daughter’s Myspace

Thanks once again to Adso for the great posts over the last couple of months – he has got me into some fantastic bands as I am sure he has done the same to many of you. I will be back soon with another album post as the good ones are starting to stack up again with many more on the horizon!

Thanks

Jimps

Y Is Just So Vertically Vast, And The Infinity of X Disappears So Fast

Apr 6th, 2010 1 Comment

Well it has almost been a couple of months since I last posted and although I have been listening to many albums in this time there has just been a few which have been receiving the attention they deserve – enough attention to post about anyway. I am hoping I can make a quick return once some of the others have been broken in a little more.


We Have Band – WHB

I have only had We Have Band’s debut album for a week yet it is already the album I have been most excited about this year. It could be too early too tell as I am still in the very early stages of listening to it however I believe that this could definitely be one of the stand out’s of the year for me. The band has been getting around for a couple of years with a few singles however I had heard nothing of them until now (except for a Bloc Party remix they did). I would consider them indie-electro-synth-pop, with similarities to The Rapture, New Young Pony Club, Hot Chip, and my favorite band of last year When Saints Go Machine. Although there are many similarities to other bands they have a truly original and complex sound that instantly grabbed me.

The track of the album for me is ‘Hear it In The Cans’ a perfect pop song with potential to rope in an instant fan base with radio play. I find the track just so cool with an outstanding composition, the intro and chorus will have you singing along before your first listen is up however it is the verses that really stand out for me. There are two separate vocals lines in the verse panned right and left respectively in each speaker, completely unrelated yet entwined like a knot together to make one. You will find yourself with both lines in your head unable to decide which one to follow yet perfectly happy with the confusion.

I have posted a couple of other tracks below for a taste of the album. Divisive is rolling synth number, separated by running bass and flowing vocals. Honeytrap is another track that is defined by the vocal variations. Three different voices are used to create a truly original piece that is broken down at about 2 mins with the addition of the female vocal which sharpens the entire track and creates the edge.

Due to the fact that I am in the first week of listening to the album I am hoping that this feeling is just not hype and it continues to grow rather then letting down.

We Have Band – Hear It In The Cans
We Have Band – Divisive
We Have Band – Honey Trap

Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History

Adso posted a couple of tracks from these guys awhile back (almost a year) and they have finally released their debut album Tourist History. This album has been the one that I have been listening to the most in the last month. It seems as though the Indie Dance sound I enjoyed so much a few years ago which has been manipulated and failing to hit the same spot recently has finally been brought back by a string of bands who are doing it right – how it use to be done. Two Door Cinema Club are making tracks that sound like the really good remixes of indie bands a couple of years ago. The originality I found in We Have Band above was not really there as much on this album. The tracks all seem to follow the same formula that works without fail, however at the end of the day I always need a little more variation. The album is almost like electro pop punk, with fast chorus’ and slow broken down verses which are concentrated by bass and drums and strong vocal hooks. I am pretty confident that we will get an opportunity to see these guys this year in Australia, maybe at Splendour or Parklife – I sure as hell hope so, as they would be so much fun live.

Two Door Cinema Club – Undercover Martyn
Two Door Cinema Club – Undercover Martyn (Softwar Remix)
Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk
Two Door Cinema Club – Eat That Up, It’s Good For You

Massive Attack – Heligoland


I have not listened to that much of Massive Attack’s catalog, only ever owning Mezzanine and well after it was released. Heligoland has taken a very different approach with relying on a range of guests to lay the vocals with the more known collaborators Tricky, Shara Nelson and Mushroom now gone. The album is really something special and takes you on a bass heavy ride with strong melodies and harmonies to keep you in check. My favourite track would have to be the opener ‘Pray For Rain’, which features Tunde Adebimple from TV On The Radio on vocals. I got the Itunes Delux version of the album which included 5 remixes, one being the Tim Goldsworthy remix of ‘Pray For Rain’ which I think adds to the greatness of the original in true DFA style. ‘Paradise Circus’ is another fantastic track on the album, which is also made better by Gui Boratto’s minimal progressive remix. I was unable to go see them live when they just recently toured a couple of weeks ago for a few reasons I still regret. I did get to see Delphic on the Thursday though and they were the best live act I have seen this year so far.

Massive Attack – Pray For Rain
Massive Attack – Pray For Rain (Tim Goldworthy Remix)
Massive Attack – Paradise Circus
Massive Attack – Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix)
Massive Attack – Rush Minute


I am currently trying to sort though the dance music I have stored over the last 4 or so months to put together another Derogatory Playlist and hope to do this sooner rather then later so I can move onto some newer tunes. Sorry for not keeping the blog upto date as of late, I hope to move it forward in the future if you the readers are still keen.

Thanks

Jimps

Questions, Answers, Fetishes

May 12th, 2009 Leave a comment
Ludwig van Beethoven

Whoa, haven’t done this in a while. Some might say too long? I think so. Anywayyy, I’ve got some really cool stuff for you today. First off, I finally found my most sought after track in decent quality. If you haven’t heard this played live in some form you have been seriously deprived. It sounds much better live and I almost feel guilty about giving this out in not-perfect quality, but I couldn’t help myself.

(To Download Right Click Save As)
Soulwax – Beathoven (Edit)

I’ve been really enjoying some new material from one of my favourite producers Siriusmo. While he is usually very hit and miss with me, these two tracks from his new EP The Uninvited Guest are both resounding hits to me. My favourite of the two is Nights Off, its got the perfect mix of dark synths, a good melody and driving drums. Apparently, he will be releasing another EP and an album by the end of 2009 on Modeselektor’s new label Monkeytown Records.

Siriusmo – Nights Off

Siriusmo – High Together

As pointed out to me today, Datarock will be playing live on June five at The Zoo in Brisbane. They are touring to support the release of their new album Red which will be available through etcetc in June. The first track on the album is called The Blog so I’m guessing that will be another hilarious stab at computer geeks (wait, does that make me a… shit) in the mould of their classic Computer Camp Love. I have a preview of the album for you with the song Dance! When you hear the catchy-as-fuck riff at the start it seems destined for greatness. Sadly I don’t think it ever reaches such great heights – to me it seems like the track never really gets started and then all of sudden it’s finished already, I think that may be because the chorus isn’t pronounced enough from the verses. Still, it’s a solid track, and definitely worth a listen.

Datarock – Dance!

The fact Dance! is not actually the lead single, rather the track Give It Up is, gives me hope that the rest of the album will have more direction. Give It Up is a better song and is available right now to download from iTunes. The reason I’m not posting it here is I think I have something much better for you. One of the rising stars of French electronic music Chateau Marmont has provided a remix of Give It Up which I much prefer over the original. The duo keep most of the Romeo & Juliet referencing lyrics intact, albeit in robotic vocodered form, and give the track a much stronger electronic feel. I’ve added a similarly awesome remix they did of Poney Poney (a band which Xavier from Justice produces for) and a nice bouncy original track from their Solar Apex EP. Definitely ones to watch for the future.

Datarock – Give It Up (Chateau Marmont Remix)

Poney Poney – Junior (Chateau Marmont Remix)

Chateau Marmont – Anything & Everywhere

This Austrian guy named Parov Stelar seemed to pop up out of the blue recently and I have been loving him ever since. He makes dark electro-house songs that really stand out through his samples of jazz instruments. They are so suave and groove-laden, yet would suit the dance floor at a party really well.

Parov Stelar – Chambermaid Swing

Parov Stelar – Kiss Kiss

Finally, is one of uber-cool French label Kistune’s latest signings Two Door Cinema Club. These guys are from Ireland funnily enough and make poppy guitar rock in a similar vein to Phoenix (whose album is out at the end of the month!!!). Something Good Can Work is featured on Kitsune’s upcoming compilation Maison 7: The Lucky One which looks like it will be a corker.

Two Door Cinema Club – Something Good Can Work

Two Door Cinema Club – Hands Off My Cash, Monty

Hope you enjoyed this instalment,

Adso

P.S.
Ratatat were amazing at the Hi-Fi last weekend. Guitar solos, crazy eyes, trippy visuals, bongo solos and rock star moves were aplenty. Even though there was a hint of pre-recordedness (it’s only a two-man band though), I highly recommend seeing them if you ever get the chance.