Yer disco's dead mate, best sort it...

Dead Disco - You're Out (FrankMusic Remix)

If my good deed of the day was helping some old granny pick up a milk bottle (infirm much?) then this Dead Disco remix stolen from Bigstereo will help to balance out my karma and whatnot.

The single proper was released earlier this week so go cop it if you like hot girls from Leeds who make pop/synth/electro music. Try some.

Check the video...

Interesting (or not) development: I just went to the Bigstereo site to check their url and they gone done a post about Shakes, not a week after I did one. Hmm I feel justified about stealing their remixes now. How do these pesky Americans know so much about British music?

Is reason your game?...

Last I heard from Roisin Murphy she was kicking out the jams with Moloko and wearing sparkly mirror wigs. Random. Well it seems like she's back with some new beats and electro swagger, ready to bust out on the dancefloor and that. This here Overpowered track is the lead single off of her new album about which you can find out more here. Herve brings some heat for the remix but i'm not sure about the drum & bass style breakdown in the middle third. You decide. Listen to more remixes at, you guessed it, Roisin Remixed.

Roisin Murphy - Overpowered

Roisin Murphy - Overpowered (Herve & Roisin Mix)

First person to tell me what the squelchy synth reminds me of wins a prize.

The Monday Chiller #3...

Venetian Snares - This Bitter Earth

Argh i've let it slip again, the Sunday became the Monday and now the Tuesday, but to make amends i'm posting a certified chiller of the highest order.

Jazz. The word alone used to inspire fear in my very bones and leave me trembling in the corner muttering about trumpets and horrible free-form screeching that tends to go nowhere, but no more. Well no, I still dislike the genre as a whole but this Snares track is like some sort of deformed breakbeat jazz with proper melody, good structure and a great breakdown that hits you around 1.18 and sends the listener into a jazz trance for the rest of the track.

Restrained sampling and cheeky snares make this a highlight of Aaron Funk's career to date.

He plays the Glade festival in Berkshire in late July. Be there.

Nice...

Plug in the mains, you make my heart start...

Shakes - Sister Self Doubt

One of the best emerging new talents on the British scene, Shakes are making everyone (well, me) sit up and take notice with their hypnotic beats and electro stylings.

They play the Moor Music Festival on July 20th, so if you live in Yorkshire there is no excuse not to attend. I will be there seeing as it's being held 5 minutes away from my house (finally, some good music near me).

Video for Disneyland Part 1. I posted the track back in April here.



Get Shakes at their Myspace

The Monday Chiller...

After a seriously inauspicious start the Sunday Chiller is moving to Mondays to become... ah you guessed it, the Monday Chiller! (Did the title give it away?). This will probably work out better than a Sunday post because anyone reading this at work on Monday will be in need of some calming tunes to allay fears about the week ahead. Or maybe it should be called The Comedown for all you party heads. Anyway, whatever it's called and whenever it's posted there will always be a great tune at the end of the rainbow.

So Tunng then. If I had a blog two years ago I would have posted this song right there and then, instead of sitting on it until now. Chances are you've never heard of them, so briefly here is the deal: two guys called Sam & Mike, both play guitar, one produces and the other sings. Their sound is basically folk, but with a few glitches and bit of electronica thrown in. They are taking music back to basics, and they make beautiful songs that meander through soundscapes of abandoned towns, forests and information superhighways. That last bit is made-up and nicked from Fight Club. The album that this song comes from was recorded underneath a lingerie shop, and the guys had to go through the changing room to get to the studio. Savage.

You can download extra goodies and find out more about Tunng at www.tunng.co.uk

Tunng - Tale From Black

And a little something else, I just got this one off their website today but it's what the Monday Chiller is all about.

Tunng - Woodcat

The New Shit...

The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name

You'd best get on this now before it gets onto the big playlists and hammered into your skull all summer. I've only heard it twice and it's already getting on my nerves.

The Ting Tings hail from Manchester and have only been together for 3 months. Sounding like The Gossip, Metric, Dead Disco and loads of other bands all rolled into one they manage to wear their influences on their sleeve yet distinguish themselves from the crowd with off-the-cuff lyrics and hypno beats.

This would be instantly forgettable if only it weren't so catchy. I like the sentiment though and they got some fair bouncy hooks in there.

That's Not My Name is out on 7" on 25th May.

Myspace

Killdahype - Around The World Rmx

Kill, da hype, kill kill da hype hype. Enough of that. Messing around with one of the greatest dance tracks ever committed to wax could be a daunting task for some, but the hype boys bring it off with perfect steez. I may even like this more than the original.

Myspace

Personal Space Invaders - Pictures in BW Quicktime

I don't accept the friendship of many bands on Myspace, mainly because there is a lot of shite around and also because i don't want to give false hope to the ones who i add and then ignore or slag off behind their virtual back.

However, Personal Space Invaders have this track which i liked enough to post on this site and i became their friend too. They tout their sound as electro/indie/rock and, like Ronseal, they do exactly what they say on the tin.

Favourite bit of the song is the 'stop, to hear what they say' hook. Good stuff. I think the title is right but you can't really tell because the Myspace player cuts it off.

Speaking of which

Andrew Michael Bowers - Papers In Papers

This lad has had some play off of Steve Lurpak on't radio and Papers In Papers is a great tune with a chorus that's been stuck in my head since i heard it. Comparisons to Just Jack would be unfair and lazy... so er so yeah, sounds like Just Jack after some Caffeine & Agro pills.

Could do with a better name for himself though.

Myspace yeah?

Tall Pony - I'm Your Boyfriend Now

Ah, the lighter side of chauvinism. Tall Pony aka Paul and Tony (nice one) come up with some great lines on this track which is gaining a fair bit of cult appeal through plays from Huw Stephens and the particular brand of humor present in said tune.

It's being released on single on 11th June so listen to this shortened version then delete it and buy the single when it comes out.

If your weight exceeds 8 1/2 Stone I will sack you

Hilarious.

My Face

Subtilize your mind...

Subtilized Minds - Popes on Dope Mix

The Knife – Silent Shout

Scroobius Pip – Thou shalt Always Kill (Live on XFM)

Booka Shade – In White Rooms (Neo mix)

Metric – Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT remix)

Knightlife – Ambopop (demo)

Kavinsky – Testarossa Autodrive

Busy P – Rainbow Man (K. Christmon's Slight Tamper)

MSTRKRFT – Paris

Celluloide – Audio Therapy

Audio Bullys – The Things

This is the first mix that Aidan of Certified Banger and I have worked on together, let us know if you likes it.

Do You Know Squarepusher?...

I was lucky enough to get hold of the 3" promo CD entitled Square Window included in pre-orders of Squarepusher's 2004 album Ultravisitor from Warp Records online store.

Wheareas Ultravisitor was truly great in places but probably twice as long as it should have been, Square Window is a succint 20 minute blast of vintage Pusher, and for those not in the know, a perfect introduction to the great man. This is one of those posts where you really love what you're posting and hope that someone else will be as in to it as you. Hey, that's what i'm here for anyway. What i especially love about Square Window is it's total mental and musical breakdown. Each track gets progressively more wilfully obscure, until all that's left is bleeps and blips where once was melody and coherent music. Pick of the bunch is Abacus 2, which skips along and has great layers of sound that build and fade away when the next great melody hits. This is Squarepusher at his experimental best.

Square Window

01 Square Window
02 Abacus 2
03 Venus No.17 (telephone + siren x beats = magic)
04 Itti-Fack
05 Melt 14.6

From Ultravisitor

Tetra-sync

I couldn't do this post without sticking up at least one track from the LP. Tetra-sync is my favourite piece on the album, mainly because my friend Kes pointed out that you can hear the instrumentation switch from live to programmed and then back again, but also because it's a total stomping epic of a tune. Build and release. Build and release.

Official Squarepusher website

Read an interview with Tom and listen to his latest album Hello Everything in FULL at the BBC Collective

Squarepusher Live fansite with loads of sets from festivals, gigs, live video and interviews.

WarpRecords official site

Bleep for digital music downloads from Warp, Planet Mu, Ninjatune and others.

Got love for The Pusher? Hit the comment button charles...

Smog...

Bill Callahan AKA Smog has just released his twelfth studio album and coincidentally i've just rediscovered his 1996 album The Doctor Came at Dawn. So to celebrate both of these facts here is a taste of the new record and some of my favourites from the old one.

From Woke on a Whaleheart

Sycamore

From the Rivers to the Oceans

From The Doctor Came at Dawn

You Moved In

Somewhere in the Night
Lize

I prefer the depressing/downbeat feel of his earlier work but the new shizzle aint half bad for a dozenth alb!

The Sunday Chiller #1...

Starting this week, every Sunday i'm going to post a track that will ease you through the week ahead and soothe your soul in times of stress. Well that's the mission statement, let's see how well it works out. And i know it's saturday today but my dad's birthday is tomorrow and i'm gonna be bare busy with all that lovely family time.

I hope it's sunny where you are because this track will go great with a beer or glass of wine out in the garden. Suggestions for future Sunday Chillers are welcome.

Devendra Banhart - A Sight to Behold

Animation stations...

I was sitting in my huge leather armchair watching telly, and thinking how marvellous it would be to be a werewolf

I've had this animation for years (good old Kazaa, remember that?) and only recently found it on youtube. Directed by Tim Hope, it's the story of a man who turns into a werewolf and flys about on his rocket which is 'made from pure carbon and smashes through planets'. Great stuff. The first video is the full version and the second a shortened version made for the release of the PS2. Some people think the ad was directed by David lynch but no, Tim Hope is yer man.

Tenuous musical link - the sound design is great.

Wolfman



Wolfman ad version for the PS2 campaign

Something that is directed by Lynch that's pretty incomprehensible but i like it.

Angus & Julia Stone...

And he told me, i'd taste the pain
But i taste it everyday

I thought it best to do a bit of research for this post instead of being lazy like i normally am and nicking tunes from everyone elses blogs then impudently posting them as my own findings.

First time i really listened to this band was when their song Sadder Than You got picked randomly from a playlist of new music on my computer. I was trying to concentrate on writing an essay at the time, and it was half-way through the song when i realised i was staring at the screen and drifting away into day-dream mode. I listened through to the end then stuck the whole track on repeat for twenty minutes. The first thing that struck me was how effortless it sounded, the combination of guitar and voice sitting perfectly with the sentiment of the song. Since then it seems that effortlessness could be the buzzword for Angus & Julia Stone. I don't want to go and and gush at how amazing they are but i do think they're pretty damn good and if the following songs don't convince you then i can do no more. Angus's voice is described as like a young Paul Simon and Julia a diluted Bjork, whereas big Johnny Sharp has this to say: “Most impressive though are the songs - simple but blindingly effective acoustic compositions, warm boy-girl harmonies and delicate, less-is-more arrangements." Check it.

From the Chocolate & Cigarettes EP (2006)

Paper Aeroplane

From the Heart Full Of Wine EP (2007)

What You Wanted
I'm Yours
Sadder Than You previously posted here

The band are playing in Glasgow tonight then on the 11th in Norwich and 17th in Brighton. For more details go to their

myspace

or you can buy their two EPs combined into one CD from

amazon

Lastly, by the power of Youtube...

The host on this Australian show needs to seriously chill out but they manage to get through a slightly strained interview before performing a cool version of Mango Tree right under the Sydney harbour bridge.



Trippy video for I'm Yours, filmed on the recent UK tour in the van and various hotel rooms.

From MSTRKRFT to folk in one fell swoop. Boom!

MSTRKRFT will kill you...

Like MSTRKRFT, love these remixes and trackolas.

Polysics - Ceolakanth Is Android (MSTRKRFT remix)
Para One - Dudun-Dun (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Armand van Helden - NYC Beat (MSTRKRFT remix)
MSTRKRFT -Paris
MSTRKRFT - Community Revolution In Progress
Metric - Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Acid Jacks - Awake Since '78 (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Brazilian Girls - Jique (MSTRKRFT Remix Edit)

Hit up the myspace
or buy their work here

Come back later if your face has managed to cling on.

You tube, do you?

In celebration of me finally realising how to post youtube videos on my blog, here is some stuff that i found surfing round the tube in 30 minutes which may interest you. Or not. They're all on a musical tip.

2.25 on this is where the real breakdown happens. You tell em, geeky guy.



The Knife - Heartbeats live in Gothenburg, Sweden, April 12th 2006. I'm really digging the stripped down bass and synths on this.



Monkey Drummer video by Chris Cunningham, music by Aphex Twin. Buy Chris Cunningham's Work of... DVD here. I have it and fully recommend.



Another video from the Work of... series, this time Spike Jonze. The song is Wax - Southern California. I'd love to see inside Spike Jonze's head.