Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| falling for the new sounds |
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Welcome to the Fall season here at WCNI. As you may expect, some of the programming will be moving around. Many of your favorite student shows are back as well as many of your favorite community programming. Speaking of moving, my show is now on Friday nights, it will be much easier to juggle with the work schedule and I feel the new time slot will give more exposure to the sounds reviewed in this fourm.
So, for the month of September, we have a lot of new stuff coming onto the RPM shelves. These releases are:
Balkan Beat Box - Balkan Beat Box - Joub Records
Carmen Rizzo - The Lost Art of the Idle Movement - The Lab
Death In Vegas -Satan's Circus - The Lab
dj? acucrack - Killing Mobius -Cracknation
Glass Candy - Iko Iko -Troubleman Unlimited
HVW8 Presents:Music Is My Art - Ubiquity
Mood Food -Ice - Moodfood Music
Pitch Black [nz] - Ape to Angel - Waveform
Revolution 9 - lo-fi glamour -Scarab Records
Safety Scissors - Tainted Lunch - ~Scape
The Juan Maclean - Less Than Human - Astral Werks / DFA
Various -The Obliquesound Selection Vol. 2 - Obliqsound
Basically, in a nutshell: if you liked the singles by Death in Vegas (Zugaga) and The Juan Maclean (Titos Way), you might want to explore the full lengths by these artists “Satan’s Circus” and “Less Than Human” respectively.
If you want to get your electro-pop groove going, check out the releases by Revolution 9, Safety Scissors, and Glass Candy. Rev9 sounds A LOT like early Depeche Mode - in a very good way ( give this one a good listen!)! Glass Candy handle the classic Iko Iko with various remixes. And, Safety Scissors is interesting.
Speaking of interesting... I mean really interesting is the Balkan Beat Box. This could be summed up as a world / electronic hybrid. But, it doesn’t fall into ambient territory. As the bio states, they draw from North African, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European sounds to break through. The Balkan Beat Box is out to prove that all the world is, indeed a stage - and that we are all gypsies. This is worth a listen!!!
Also, on my must listen list is Ape to Angel by Pitch Black [nz}. The [nz] tag is to diferentiate them from the Amercan rap artists of the same name. This duo is from New Zealand, and they provide a dubby -acidic - ambient ride throughout the disc. The whole thing has a nice flow.
And lastly, listen to the Obliqsound Selection vol.2. If you liked Leo Tardin’s Grand Pianoramax (who else could add a touch of crunk to the jazz world working the Minimoog, Rhodes, and grand piano - with just a drummer?) , then check out the other artists on the Obliqsound label. |
Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:45 pm |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Fallin deeper |
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As we finished up September, many more new selections found their way on to the RPM shelves...
Against Me! Don't Lose Touch (mouse on mars mix)
Anoushka Shankar Rise
Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom The Days of Mars
HVW8 Presents Music Is My Art
King Britt Presents Sister Gertrude Morgan
Mr. Oizo Moustache (Half A Scissor)
Official Soundtrack Wipeout Pure!
Princess Superstar My Machine
Robert Strauss Quasars and Phasars
Various Da-Nang (surplus * Indo-chine) Quango
To start off, Against me!? Yes, they are a punk band on Fat Wreck Chords (home of Me First And The Gimmie Gimmies) and Mouse on Mars remixed this track. It falls into breakbeat territory, its clean, and playable... Since I am now on before one of the Metal shows, this could be a 'bridge piece' to work into the next genre...
Anoushka Shankar's Rise has rather subtle electronics (not as electronic as Suphala), but still very good. Hell, she is from the First Family...
If you are into more ambient fare... check out Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom along with the Da-Nang compilation (Quango does it again with the product placement).
Mr Oizo is back! If you remember Flat Eric and the Levi's commercial (1999) then this is a welcome return. Start with the track 'Stunt'. I am trying to figure out the cover art...
Wipeout Pure! is a video game. and the CD is music either used in or inspried by the game... Anyway, its very good - mostly Acid tinged (harder than Pitch Black [NZ]) with some big names.
Didn't care for Princess Superstar. I guess this is sort of a 'concept record' set in the distant future. Heed the explicit language warning... Actually, don't waste air time - pass on this one.
If you like some danceable funk inspired house , check out Robert Strauss' Quasars and Phasars. Good stuff...
And lastly, I am suprised that we got the King Britt / Sister Gertrude project. It is a very timely release. Sister Gertrude recorded the original vocals at New Orlean's Preservation Hall (accompanied by her tamboruine) in 1968 (she died in 1980) . King Britt took the last year to add new music to the orig. accapella. Keep a lookout for white label / bootleg remixes of this, could be interesting... Not that Britt did a bad job, but I felt in places, he could've gavet the Sister some more room... But with the current state of affairs in New Orleans, give this one a listen! Also, there is a good writeup on this in the recent issue of Remix.
www.ropeadope.com
www.mroizo.com |
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Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:00 pm |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Sister Gertrude Morgan - Original |
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I have had some good feedback about the Sister Gertrude Morgan album and many listeners have been hungry for the original versions.
Elsewhere in the forum, I previously posted a link for '365 days of music'. It is over in the general / public side. Anyway, my gears were turning the other day and I thought Sister Morgan was in there. Took a look and there she was!
If you don't wish to dig through the forums for the link (or dig for the original vinyl) I have the link here. Check out January 19!
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/
The track is oh so open and begging to be remixed! With remix tools even more available (heck Apple GIVES Garage Band Away), I am sure inspiring beatmeisters can have some fun. As open as it is, the track has a certain beauty on its own...
Also, Ropeadope - the label that has released the remiexes has now released the original album for a new legion of fans to enjoy. Go to their web site and find out more...
www.ropeadope.com
SR |
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Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:49 pm |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Go play BOOMISH! at home! |
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For the month of October (so far) these are some of the new titles on the RPM shelves here at WCNI....
Annie DJ Kicks !K7
Bassnectar Mesmerizing The Ultra Organic Music
Boomish The Play At Home Version Kinetisurge
Ernesto A New Blues Exceptional
John Arnold Style And Pattern Ubiquity
Press The Fine Art Of The White Label Lens
Ruts Babylon's Burning Reconstructed Collision
(Dub Drenched Soundscapes)
Sonic Radiation The 121 Project Junk Known Records
Test Shot Starfish Test Shot Starfish Kanpai
Various Diva Brazil Street Beat
Zeroleen All Good Mo Phonics
I an excited to see the DJ Kicks compilatin by Annie. Yes, Ms 'Chewing Gum' is much more than a Kylie rip. She is acually an accomplihsed DJ as well (heck, Rolling Stone gave this comp 3 stars!) It has an interesting track selection and a few exclusive Annie tracks. It takes a bit to warm up, but it is worth the wait!
www.k7.com
Speaking of excitment, the next release to rock me is 'The Play At Home Version' by Boomish! Yes, the exclimation point is part of the name... In an age where is seems like cover art and concept is becoming less important to the iPod generation, Boomish! comes out with this. The band consisting of a Skip Herbertson, Mel Lang, and Bert Slutsky (you know these HAVE to be pseudonyms) create an album that plays like you are part of a60's / 70's musical game show extravaganza. The sound / concept reminds me of Tipsy, but more melodic and some drum & bass sections make this a fun listen. Some tracks feature live musicians (lots of guests) and some tracks are clearly cut n' paste. So far, standout tracks include Curtain #1, Gaseous Clay (which was used in the movie Mad Hot Ballroom), Lanin, and Clams Casino. Go to www.boomish.com to find out more. While you're there buy some Slutsky hot pants!
Keeping the excitment high is the Babylon's Burning Reconstructed (Dub Drenched Soundscapes) by the Ruts. What you have here is 16 versions of this famous track. Every DJ I have presented this to is already familiar with the original track. I am dying to find out which version will be WCNI's favorite. Also, I can't wait to listen to the next PRJB. I wonder if this is 'six pack' material or will it succomb to swill? So far, the Die Toten Hosen & Kid Loco versions seem to be the most straight forward. Personally I am liking the Terminal Head and Apollo 440 versions. Also, this is some pretty exclusive stuff, only 3000 copies were pressed worldwide and we got it! So, it might be safe to say, that WCNI could be the only place where you will hear this!
You won't be dissapointed with releases by John Arnold and Press - solid stuff.
Do give a listen to the Test Market Starfish. Once again, another exclusive. I believe only only 100 copies were distributed to radio nationwide, and we got it! It is analog styled electronica. Sort of ambient, but it does have a beat. Many tracks feature spoken samples .
The People at Sonic Radiation reccomend the 121 project if you like the Prodigy and Crystal Method. Too good reasons to give a listen, I'll say.
Street Beat does a remarkable job in compiling Diva Brazil. Not a dud here! Only the best in Brazilian flavored electronica featuring artists like Bebel Gilberto et.al...
And, lastly, check out the track by Zeroleen. There is a remix by Noiseshaper - what are you waiting for?
I know, this is a little terse, but I have a whole buch of tracks coming, so keep your eyes and ears open. Lock your dial to 90.9 FM - WCNI, New London. |
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Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:20 am |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Who put the boom in Boomish! ? |
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In the previous post, I mentioned a skeptisism of the names of the members of Boomish! Sure, the names sound pretty legit, but something was bitiing at me to investigate further. At the Boomish! site, you can go to each ‘member’s’ sites and check things out. But, then again, there is much to be left. See for yourself...
www.boomish.com
www.skipherbertson.com
www.bertslutsky.com
www.mellang.com
So, after some Googling (is this even a verb?) I came up with this...
Mel Lang = Henry Hey
Skip Herbertson = Tim Lefebvre
Bert Slutsky = Zach Danziger
These guys are an impressive pedigree of musician. Their combined list of credits include Rod Stewart, Busta Rhymes, David Holmes, Mary J. Blige, Saturday Night Live, Ocean’s 12, The Apprentice, and Mad Hot Ballroom (just to name a few). Go ahead, look here...
www.henryhey.com
www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Zach_Danziger.html
www.sadowsky.com/pages/pop_up_artists/lefebvre.html
You might also find this interesting.
www.villagevoice.com/music/9903,norris,3598,22.html |
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Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:42 pm |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Can't get enough remixes... |
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Rounding out October, here are some more new titles for the RPM shelves here at WCNI.
Audion - Suckfish - Spectral Sound
Donna Regina - Slow Killer - Karaoke Kalk
Jazzanova - Blue Note Trip - Blue Note
Magnetophone -The Man who Ate The Man - 4AD
Mike Boo - Dunhill Drone Committee - Alpha Pup
Mum - Yesterday was Dramatic-Today is OK - Morr Music
Steve Spacek - Space Shift - www.soundincolor.com
Various - Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked
- Impulse
Various - San Fransisco Under A Groove - Newhouse Records
I am liking Audion’s Suckfish. This reminds of the NYC minimal I was getting into almost 10 years ago. Maybe the sound is more Detroit... Anyway, don’t let the songtitles like Titty F@ck or Just F@cking scare you away. This stuff is instrumental, just mention the artist if needed...
If you like Audion, then give Mum a listen! For those of you who still listen to Boards of Canada , stretch a little and try this.
The Donna Regina / Magnetophone releases aren’t doing it for me.
Check out Mike Boo’s Dunhill Drone. This is a scratch record - but not really a hip hop record. Yes, all sounds heard were performed by turntable scratching - we're talking next level stuff here. This plays like Kid Loco’s Grafitti Artist soundtrack; Sort of dark and atmospheric. In concept, its a lot like Q-bert’s animated scratch movie... Very ambient / chill
In the tradition of the Verve Remixed Series (and just the ton of remix compilations that have been released this year) , Impulsive digs into the vault with Impulsive! Tracks by Dizzy Gilespie, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Yusef Lateef receive the treatment by the likes of SaRa, RZA, Prefuse 73, and Kid Koala among others. Just like the the true spirit of the label, these remixes are a little more experimental than the Verve titles.
In contrast, Jazzanova’s Blue Note Trip is more of a showcase of their (Jazzanova) favorite Blue Note tracks. Its more like a mixtape, it has a nice flow, but you can still pick out your favorites. Plus, its on double 12”, how cool is that! Actually, so cool that I will be filing this one with the jazz 12". Look under J for Jazzanova.
And lastly, check out San Francisco Under A Groove. This compilation is divided into two parts - Cocktails & Late Night Grooves. Tracks by Will Felt, Miguel Migs, and Maximillian are featured. Not a continuous mix, but a nice compilation I'll admit.
That’s it for now, happy listening...
www.spectralsound.com
www.impulserecords.com
www.4ad.com
www.karaokekalk.de
www.MikeBoo.com
www.alphapuprecords.com
www.soundincolor.com
www.nhr1.com |
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Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:57 pm |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Rounding Out The Year. |
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I haven’t written in a bit, so here are the latest additions to the WCNI RPM stacks...
Nov. 2005
Grey Area And Then The Clouds waveform
Ghislain Poirier Break Up Down Chocolate Industries
Revolution 9 am/fm Scarab
Carmen Rizzo Remix ep The Lab
Ulrich Schnauss Far Away Trains Passing By Domino
Twink The Broken Record Seeland
And for December, 2005:
Soul Searching The Compost Radio Show Compost
(aka Michael Rutten)
Choncey Langford The Enthusiast Woodson Lateral
DJ Morpheus I Can’t Live Without My Radio Tigersushi
Morgan Page Cease and Desist Nuance
Yoko Solo The Beeps Quake Trap
Various I Like It (vol.2) Compost
Various = (Trevor Jackson, Pole, Richard Dorfmeister, & Trickski)
For fans for instrumental electronica Check out the releases by Grey Area, Ulrich Schnauss, Choncey Langford, and Yoko Solo. They are all good in their own right . You can’t go wrong with any of these
For something a little different, check out Soul Searching ‘s (aka Michael Rutten) The Compost Radio Show; Various (Trevor Jackson, Pole, Richard Dorfmeister, & Trickski) I Like It (vol.2); and DJ Morpheus‘ I Can’t Live Without My Radio. These fall under the mixed compilation category. The tracks on each CD reflect the artist’s (or DJ’s) personal taste. Michael Rutten takes the deeper, soulful route. DJ Morpheus (Samy Birnbach formerly of Minimal Compact) ventures into 80’s new wave. Lastly, Trevor Jackson, Pole, Richard Dorfmeister, & Tricksk’s tastes are more far reaching. After listening to Richard Dorfmeister’s selectons, give his Tosca release another visit. Hmmm,.
Out of this crop of releases, I am liking the Revolution 9, Morgan Page, and Twink releases. Yes Revolution 9 is back oh so soon with some more Depeche Mode sounding tracks. This is actually a good thing even though the real Depeche Mode’s current release is in the rock shelf. Morgan Page showcass his recent crop of remixes. These are designed for dancefloor satisfaction. Of course his remix of ‘Angels’ by Wax Poetic feat. Norah Jones is here - this is the track that notoriously put him on the map. Oiut of this compilation, I personally like his take on Teegan & Sara’s ‘Walking With A Ghost’ and Anton Dvorak’s ‘Symphony #9’. Yes, Morgan makes classical music work on the dancefloor!
Listening to Ghislain Poirier, I guess it would fall under hip hop. However, the beats are more synthetic, a little more experimental. Call it blip hop? Whatever you call it, it still has a sort of bounce. There is even a track featuring guest MC dujour Beans - “Cold As Hell”. However, the reps give this track an FCC warning. Anyway, there are plenty of other tracks to check out.
And lastly, I have to say I love Twink!. First of all this release is on Negativeland’s Seeland label. Automatic cool cred right there. And second, it is an album of lovingly cut and pasted vintage children’s records. Twink’s (aka Mike Langlie) previous releases usually feature him performing on toy instruments. This time, he digs into his collection of vintage children’s recirds and splices together 21 tracks of mixed up goodness. If you are a fan of artists like Fatboy Slim, give Twink a listen!!! For some reason, this album gives me fond memories of going to Almacs with my mom way back when. You see, in the first aisle, they had a little rack of kiddie 45’s. Every so often we would leave with one. Perhaps this was a catalyst that set the direction of where I have been headed...
I guess this wraps things up for now. Stay tuned, I will be posting my year end revue shortly! |
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Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:19 pm |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| 2005, the year in review |
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So, here we are, closing the doors to 2005. Time to reflect on the music that has come through the RPM channels here at WCNI, New London. This year the RPM was back in full swing with many releases coming into the station. So, what were the big trends that happened in music for 2005? And, which releases rose above the rest and were deemed my personal favorites? Sit back and lets take a look back and listen to what was being enjoyed this last year.
If there were any trends this year, I would say that 2005 was the year of the remix. Granted remixes of songs have been a standard practice for many years - at least 30 years if you look into it. But, this year, it seems like that practically everything that came into the station was remixed. This year saw compilations from the labels Blue Note, Verve, Impulse, and Motown. Also artist compilations of Curtis Mayfield, Everything But The Girl (perhaps the title of their remix compilation ‘Adapt Or Die’ reflects the reasoning behind this trend), and many others were remixed and released for our listening pleasure. What wasn’t remixed? Practically every genre went under the remix treatment this year - even classical music! Heck, even Barbara Streisand came out with a dance 12” (with Barry Gibb no less) this year...
Why remix? Remixes have always been around to serve various purposes. In the earliest days, longer songs were shortened so they could be more ‘radio friendly’. Tracks like the Door’s ‘Light My Fire’ and Iron Butterfly’s ‘In A Gatta Da Vida’ were shortened from their album length indulgences to three minute programability. Sometimes songs were edited for lyrical content. Clean and dirty versions were made available so the song could be played in public or broadcast environments. And, I have seen 45 singles that have stereo and mono versions of the same song so they could be played on various systems. But, the most famous use of remixing a track is to make it friendly for the dance floor. Adding a longer intro and a clean ending (clean meaning usually drums only) allows a DJ to beatmix various songs together to create a seamless blend on the floor. Also these tracks are re-equalized to take advantage of a loud PA system. 12” vinyl was cut ‘hotter’ and the grooves are spread out on the vinyl to make the track sound its best. Over time, this type of remixing has become an art unto its own where certain remixers add their own signature sound to a track. And, in some cases, the dance remix of a song becomes the preferred version of a track.
Also, the art of remixing has been brought to the masses. What used to be available only to a privileged few is now able to be done with modest equipment. No longer does a track have to be remixed from the master session recordings. The days of splicing tape and direct artist cooperation are in the past. People have the tools to create their own remixes on their desktop. With applications like Pro Tools, Sony’s Acid, Abelton’s Live, and Apple’s Garage Band, the tools are in everyone’s reach. Just think, if you own a Mac, you are GIVEN this power (Garage Band comes with the iLife bundle). With this empowerment, artists sometimes give users a chance to remix their tracks. on Sony’s www.acidplanet.com there is always a contest to make a remix of a track by various artists throughout the year.
With remixing being the big trend this year, what were the releases that rose above. What sounds did I like over the past 12 months? Was every track that I liked a remix?
If anything, there were a few broad genres that I enjoyed. Electro Pop (usually with a female vocal), World / electronic hybrids, and just things that warped genres.
Come to think of it, 2005 was a good year musically, after all we did see releases by Nine Inch Nails, New Order, and Depeche Mode! Right off the bat, this was very cool indeed.
In the world of Electro Pop, (This is the best word I can use to describe it) Ellee Ven’s Funky Bohemia received strong plays throughout the year. Many of the tracks on this release are dance floor friendly - ‘Under My Skin’ has three versions to accommodate different styles. Lyrics are positive without being too optimistic. I also liked the self titled release by Venomocean. This duo from L.A. had dance floor appeal, and the vocals once again were just right. I also fell in love with ‘Anniemal’ by Annie. This one was cute. Many tracks were derivative of others. Chewing Gum sounded a lot like the Tom Tom Club’s ‘Genius of Love’. Some may find this annoying, but this added to the charm. Oh, we can’t forget former Sneaker Pimp’s vocalist Kelli Ali’s second solo release ‘Psychic Cat’. There were some strong tracks such as ‘Voyeur’ and ‘Graffiti Boy’ that kept this one spinning hot this year.
For the most part, I cringe when world / electronic hybrid releases come into the station. It is hard to sit on this fence, you either succumb to the electronics and the world side becomes an accessory - or the world instruments are in the forefront and the electronics are added spice. This year Suphala’s ‘The Now’ changed my perceptions on this genre. Electronic sounds accompanied her tabla playing along with some well known guest performers including Norah Jones, Vernon Reid, and a ton of others. I also fell in love with the self titled release by the Balkan Beat Box. This release kept jumping between both sides of ‘the fence’ I mentioned earlier. This ensemble maintained a party vibe while keeping their traditional roots. And I couldn’t forget ‘Pyramid In Your Backyard’ by Praful. This release had a more ‘smooth jazz’ flavor so I actually used this in some gigs I had throughout the year!
And lastly, the genre warping releases. These do not fit in one category. Probably one of the most unique releases that came out this year was ‘King Britt Present’s Sister Gertrude Morgan’. Sister Gertrude Morgan, a self proclaimed bride of Jesus, spread the gospel on New Orleans’ street corners and through her folk art. She recorded a gospel album in the late 60’s using her vocals accompanied only by her tambourine. This year, King Britt along with Tom Motzer created new music to go with the original vocals. I wouldn’t consider this a remix album at all. These tracks were ‘reinterpreted’. Keeping the New Orleans flavor, many tracks feature slide guitar and audio collages between the tracks. Also, this album happened to be released right in the wake of hurricane Katrina (I don’t believe this was intentional). To me, the sister offered us her own message of hope. Thanks Britt! Another way to morph genres is to use cut and paste techniques. Twink and Boomish pulled this off rather well this year. Twink assembled various vintage children’s records into these fun collages that harkened many memories. Listening, to these tracks I was remembered some of the original records. Boomish! is the word. When people put down electronic music and think that many of its artists are talentless button pushers; I turn them on to Boomish! The members that make up this collective are quite accomplished. When not playing with the Saturday Night Live house band, backing up jazz greats, or even touring the world with Rod Stewart; the guys come together to create some fun sounding music. On their latest release, they incorporate elements of classic game shows (which is a theme they use in their live show) into the mix. Fun stuff indeed. So, which elements are live? What is programmed? Upon casual listening, it is hard to tell but upon repeated listening, you may draw your own conclusions. For me, the ultimate release that came out in 2005 came from the Thirsty Ear label. In keeping with the spirit of genre warping, DJ Spooky and Dave Lombardo presented their ‘Drums of Death’ release this last summer. And what a release is is! DJ Spooky is well, DJ Spooky - ‘nuff said. Dave Lombardo is the drummer for Slayer. Additional musicians on this album included guitarist (and so much more) Vernon Reid and Meat Beat Manifesto’s Jack Dangers on bass / electronics. Oh, and we can’t forget the MC stylings of Chuck D. on a few tracks. So, on this album we have a scratch battle between Spooky and Lombardo; a couple of Public Enemy classics performed by the one of the coolest backup bands assembled this year ; and some electronic soundscapes by Dangers using his arsenal of vintage and bizarre equipment. This release had everyone interested. Hip Hop heads raised an eyebrow to the P.E. covers and metal fans were drawn in to hear what Lombardo was doing. This is a unique album from a unique label. Heck, Thirsty Ear is based out of Connecticut. That is high on the cool factor for me.
These are the the sounds that kept my interest for 2005. This is only a small portion of everything I enjoyed. The remix of ‘My World is Empty Without You’ on Motown Remixed really stood out. the remake of Nu Nu by Fannypack received some heavy spins as well. Oh, and locally, I fell in love with Eight To The Bar’s cover of (The Police’s ) Synchronicity II (sorry Fatal Film, this track blew away Rocks). Lets look forward to 2006 and see what new sounds come into the station (if you haven’t heard, Morgan Paige’s remixes are starting to generate some heat).
If you would like some more information about these releases, please check out these links.
Buy their music! This is independent music, music produced and marketed by the artists themselves. Instead of supporting large corporate crap, this is truly grassroots.
Ellie Ven “Funky Bohemia” Hot Sauce Records
http://www.elleeven.com/
http://dancemusic.about.com/od/reviews/fr/ElleeVenFunky.htm
Kelli Ali “Psychic Cat” One Little Indian
http://www.kelliali.com/
Venomocean “Venomocean” self
http://www.venomocean.com/
Annie ‘Anniemal’ Big Beat
http://www.anniemusic.co.uk/
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/a/annie/anniemal.shtml
(Also check out her DJ mix on K7 records)
Suphala ‘The Now’ Rasa
http://www.suphala.com/
Balkan Beatbox ‘Balkan Beatbox’ Jdub
http://www.balkanbeatbox.com/
http://www.jdubrecords.org/
(while here check out Matisyahu)
Praful “Pyramid In Your Backyard” Rendezvous records
http://www.praful.nl/
Dj Spooky & Dave Lombardo present: “Drums Of Death” Thirsty Ear
http://www.thirstyear.com/
(also, check out Meat Beat Manifesto’s ‘At the center’ while you are here)
KIng Britt presents “Sister Gertrude Morgan” Ropeadope
http://www.ropeadope.com/
Boomish!
http://www.boomish.com
Twink ‘ The Broken Record’ Seeland
http://www.angelfire.com/stars/twink/index.html
http://www.negativland.com/nmol/seeland.html
http://www.ververemixed.com
http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/product.aspx?ob=n&src=lb&pid=11347
http://dancemusic.about.com/od/reviews/fr/ImpulsiveRvJazz.htm
http://www.motownremixed.com |
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Mon Jan 02, 2006 2:16 pm |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Warped for 2006 |
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Before the month of January ends, there is a LOT of new music here on the RPM shelf to listen to and play. Check it out!
AFX “Hangable Auto Bulb” Warp
Ian Allen “Nova’s Lounge” Mia Mind Music
Audio Bullys “Generation” Astralwerks
Banig “Walk” Double Play
Boards of Canada “The Campfire Headphase” Warp
Caural “Remembering Today” Mush
Jackson And His Computer Band “Smash” Warp
Jel “WMD / All Around EP” Anticon
Jen “Mellow Drama” Poet1
Larry Kucharz “Ambient Green Washes” International Audiochrome
GD Luxxe “Make” Tigerbeat6
Matisyahu “King Without A Crown” jDub
Mozez “So Still” Apace Music
My Life With “Gay, Black, and Married” Rykodisc
The Thrill Kill Kult
Phon.o “Burning Down The Town” Tigerbeat6
Anoushka Shankar "Rise - Remixes" Angel
Ellee Ven "Project 11 vol. 2" Hot Sauce
VHS or Beta “ You Got Me” (remixes) Astralwerks
Various “DJ Cam Revisited” Recall
Various “Go Commando With James F!@#$%^ Friedman” Defend Music
Various “Senor Coconut Presents Essay Recordings
Legendary Latin Club Tunes”
Various “The Now Sound of Brazil 2” Ziriguiboom / Six Degrees
OK, this is a lot to review but, just a couple of comments of a few things that are really doing it for me...
Right now, the biggest news is that we now have service from Warp again!!!! That means we now have the latest releases by AFX, Boards of Canada, and Jackson And His Computer Band. These three are really good, but give Jackson a spin... Sort of glitchy, but accessably familiar... BTW FCC on #5
Go Commando With James F!@#$%^ Friedman is the .... Well, it starts of with a remix of Annie's "Me Plus One". It plays out as a continuous DJ set and is drenching with one heck of a vibe. If you've been listening to my shows recently, you can understand my excitement.
Interesting release is the Ian Allen. NFL star plays electronic lounge jazz. I guess it keeps his ying and yang in check but it is rather good...
Last year I fell in love with the Balkan Beat Box. JDub records also have Hesidic reggae-rapper Matisyahu. I have the single “King Without A Crown” on the shelf. Give it some support and love before he becomes the next big thing.
Speaking of 'next big thing' Baby Daddy (of the Scissor Sister's fame) remixes a track by VHS or Beta - worth a listen.
Interesting side step is the Thrill Kill Kult's 'Gay' album. Its a disco release, but it falls a liittle short. Sure there is a Peter Brown cover, but I was expecting more - commisioning legendary disco session musicians (sort of like what King Britt does) or at least using real strings would've made it great. Still not bad. High on the sexual content, but nothing to alarm the FCC about...
And I can't forget, RPM fave Ellee Ven has some fresh remixes for 2006 in Project 11 vol. 2. Funky Bohemia's "Time and Trial" gets redone while you can get your ears accustomed to the new track Vascillation.
This is the tip of the iceberg for January's new releases, please listen and love them, I hope some of these do not get lost. |
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Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:49 am |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Keeping it hot for Feb. |
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Here are the latest releases for Feb. to hit the RPM shelves.
Roy Ayers “Virgin Ubiquity – Remixed” BBE /Rapster
Bitter:Sweet “The Mating Game” – single Quango
Boom Boom Satellites “Full Of Elevating Pleasures” Tofu
Jimmy Edgar “Color Strip” Warp
Sergio Mendes “Timeless” Concord Records / Hear Music
Prefuse 73 “Security Screenings” Warp
Prodigy “Their Law : The Singles 1990-2005” XL
Ursula Rucker “Ma’at Mama” !K7
Vacabou Vacabou Hannibal / Ryko
Various “Rendezvous Lounge 2” Rendezvous
If you like the remixed classics, check out the Roy Ayers and Sergio Mendez.
I am loving the Mating Game track. It has that James Bond - spy jazz sound. Oh yeah!
The Prodigy release is essential listening - DO NOT STEAL THIS ONE! We need this one around for future DJs to learn about this one...
If you liked Praful's release last summer, explore the Rendezbous Lounge.
A word of caution for the Ursula Rucker. Yes, she is a master at the electronic spoken word thing - working with some of Philly's finest (Josh Wink / King Britt, etc). On this release she has a LOT to rant about. This is for the the 'after 10pm' set and check the FCC warnings... |
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Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:21 pm |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| March 2006 New RPM |
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I can't believe that March is almost over! Anyway, check out the new releases to the WCNI RPM shelves.
Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass Re-Whipped Shout Factory
Badawi Safe Asphodel
Blondie vs. The Doors Rapture Riders (Single) Capitol
Caroline Murmers Temporary Residence
Gecko Turner Guapapasea Quango
Hot Chip Over And Over (single) Astralwerks
Marconi Union Distance Rykodisc
Nightmares on Wax In A Space Outta Here Warp
William Orbit Hello Waveforms Sanctuary
Royksopp Night Out EP Astralwerks
Alif Tree French Cuisine Compost
Vargo Beauty Sounds True
Various DJ Kicks - the exclusives K7!
Various Idol Tryouts Two Ghostly International
Various Nublu Sampler Nublu
Various Traveler 06 Six Degrees
Last month, Sergio Mendez got the remix treatment, well, it was only logical to do the same for Herb Alpert. I found some of the remixes too slow for my tastes, but, they do work in an elecro-lounge set.
Speaking on downtempo, check out the releases by Nightmares on Wax, Alif Tree, Badawi, and William Orbit. Nightmrea treads into the soulful hip hop realm. Alif Tree is downtempo jazzyness with a French vibe. Badawi, is none other than Raz Mesinai - the man who came out with the Ladyman release last year - this release, Safe features strings and low brass over Indian influenced tracks. And lastly, William Orbit's Hello Waveforms, fills in more ambient / downtempo areas. Yes, Orbit was the one who worked with Madonna on her Ray of Light album, even though Waveforms fills different sonic territory, you can still hear certain signatures that made Ray of Light so good.
The rest of the releases are self explanitory... Just a note, Six Degrees Traveler 06 seems to be more dance friendly then some of their other releases.
I can't forget the Gecko Turner is another world hybrid thing. Check out his take on Subterranean Homesick Blues...
Stay tuned, I've got more stuff coming in April... |
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Sun Mar 26, 2006 10:00 am |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Marathon 2006 - See the Tee Shirt Designs |
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Here it is April, 2006 and our annual fundraising marathon is upon us. Please call up your favorite shows and pledge your support! This year we have some great incentives for your pledge. In addition to the usual swag, we have a travel mug (instead of the can kozie), beach towel, and zippered tote bag.
One thing exciting this year is that my flame design has been chosen for the official tee shirt for 2006. You should see the design here...
There will be variants of this design for the Metal and Polka shows.
Also for you RPM heads, I have made up a design that I have been kicking around for a while. Since we are 90.9 FM, I decided to go with a TR909 theme...
I will have a few of these printed up. Dark Orange Ink on a Grey tee (Thanks to Susan @ The Dew Art Gallery). Please request this design during your favorite dance / electronica shows (i.e The Danze Zone and Controlled Voltage).
Call your favorite show (860) 439-2850
Or, mail us your pledge (check made out to "Connecticut College Community Radio") to:
WCNI - 90.9 FM
Box 4972
270 Mohegan Ave
New London, CT 06320
Last edited by Streed_303 on Tue Apr 11, 2006 8:03 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:47 am |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| Bringing on the New Beats for April |
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Now, that I have gotten the t-shirt and other matters out of the way, here are the new RPM adds for April 2006.
Artist Album Label
Bitter:Sweet The Mating Game (full) Quango
Border Crossing Ominous Recall
Eliot Lipp Tacoma Mockingbird Hefty
Gotan Project Lunatico XL
Karsh Kale Broken English Six Degrees
Kudu Death Of The Party Nublu
Mia Doi Todd La Ninja: Plug research
Amor and other dreams of Manzanita
Milosh Meme Plug Research
Mr. Anonymous Mr. Anonymous Cool And Easy
Ms. Jon Soda Notes And The Like Morr Music
Mylo Destroy Rock & Roll RCA
Omar Sosa Mulatos Remix Ta
Spankrock YO YO YO YO... Big Dada
Swayzak Route De La Slack !K7
The Beat Club Robotica Electrobeat
Ursula 1000 Here Comes Tomorrow ESL
Various The DFA Remixes - Astralwerks
Chapter One
So, right now I am excited by the full length releases of Bitter:Sweet and Ursula 1000. Since the release of the Sergio Mendes and Herb Alpert remixes, my last few shows have taken a turn for things lounge. These two releases will help me satisfy this habit. Also, I am sure I can squeeze in the Gotan Project into this niche...
Check out, the Ms. John Soda release. Yes, you recognize that voice, this is the same person who sang on a few tracks on Jel's Soft Money release a few months back.
I am also liking the Eliot Lipp. Yes folks using real synths (a vintage Sequential) makes a difference.
One thing of note is that many of us (myself guilty) have been pronouncing Karsh Kale's name wrong all this time (sorry dude). On the press sheet, they put down the phonetic spelling - it is (pronounced Kursh Kah-Lay). |
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Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:09 am |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| And the new music keeps coming |
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One thing is for certain is that it takes time for a new release to catch on. But when they do, its for real. There is no hype or spin saying you have to play something. Perhaps you read a review in a magazine; you heard another DJ play a cut and you decided to explore it deeper; heck, whatever... What I am getting at is I find it interesting listening to other DJs as they discover these releases on their own - not because someone said they HAD to play something.
Anyway, from the recent releases, I am really into the Spank Rock! go to www.spankrock.net to find out what they are all about. But, briefly; the beat productin is unique - using video game sounds, cheap drum machines (Korg DDD-1), and other budget equipment. Naneem (Disco MC) has quite the flow that appeals the nerd side as well as the booty! Play it , Love it , but don't steal it!
Now, for May, I've got a whole bunch of new releases on the shelf.
Fe - Mail Blixter Toad Asphodel
Groove Collective People People Music Music Savoy
Junkie XL Today Ultra
The Mackrosoft Antonio’s Giraffe Mackrosoft
Matmos The Rose Has Teeth Matador
In The Mouth Of A Beast
The RH Factor Distractions Verve
Roots Tonic Meets Bill Laswell ROIR
Thievery Corporation Versions ESL Music
Various Dub Club (Picked From The Floor) G-Stoned
Voom Voom Peng Peng !K7
Groove Collective, Mackrosoft, RH Factor, as well as Omar Sosa (from last month) go well together to make a lovely jazzy - hip set. Lots of electric piano, real brass, and tightly produced drums to get the vibe going. Out of this lot check out the RH factor - I sent a buzz over to the JazzMan to see if he feels it as well. Basically RH is Roy Hargrove on trumpet & fleugelhorn. Roy is assisted by quite the roster of talent including Renee Neufville (formally of the R&B duo Zhane) as well as some production help from D'angelo.
Check out the Thievery Corp's Versions. This is a collection of their recent remix work. Stellar tracks include (pretty much everything!) 'This is Not A Love Song' - yes a PiL redux as well as a remixes of The Doors, Anoushka Shakar, Bebel Gilberto, as well as some of their own recent work.
I can't say enough about Roots Tonic! Roots Tonic is Matisyu's (the Hesidic reggae rapper 'King Without A Crown') backup band. Producer Bill Laswell kept these guys in the studio right after the 'Youth' sessions to produce this slice of dub goodness!
And lastly Voom Voom could be considered an electronica 'super group' consisting of Peter Kruder, Christian Prommer, and Roland Appel. These guys are recognized for their work in Kruder & Dorfmeister, Truby Trio, and Fauna Flash. I think you can take it from there... |
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Sat May 13, 2006 8:13 pm |
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Streed_303
Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 122
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| So, who is dude behind 'Rapture Riders'? |
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Who is the man behind Rapture Riders? For those uninitiated, Rapture Riders is a mashup comprising Jim Morrison’s (Doors) vocals over Blondie’s Rapture (beats and rap). This little nugget is included on Blondie’s latest greatest hits compilation. But, the real gem is the single version! While the greatest hits version is a little over 3 minutes, the single version ups the ante and gives you almost 6 minutes of musical pleasure. Apparently, this track has been recieving enough buzz that there is a video on VH-1 which combines vintage Door’s performances superimposed with Blondie’s Rapture video. When, I was shown this video and subsequent interview with Blondie, they referred the ‘remixer’ as “Some Kid”. I did some research, and this ain’t just ‘some kid!
Rapture riders was put todether by Mark Vidler; a UK DJ who under the moniker of Go Home Productions , produced this back in 2004. So, what makes this particular mash work? First off, the vocals fit the chords. That works on a purely mechanical level. But on a stylistic lever it ges much deeper. Both Jim Morrison and Debbie Harry are considered sexy. When paired togeher, this track just oozes sexuality! Also, on an ironic side note. I did some more searching and found out that Door’s organist Ray Manzarek and Blondie’s bassist Nigel Harrison were actually in a band together in 1977 called Nite City.
Unfortunately, as with the fate of all things good (that exist in our music library) the promo Rapture Riders single has met the fate of theft. This is so unfortunate - Until now. In my research, I found that Mark Vidler has a web site and a Myspace presence. You can go and check them out here.
www.gohomeproductions.co.uk/
www.myspace.com/markvidlerGHP
http://www.gohomeproductions.co.uk/riders.html
Upon visiting his site, Vidler has quite a body of work! In addition to Rapture Riders, there are a many more tracks available for your evaluation. Out of the array of tracks, Mark loves to play with The Beatles! Imagine The Beatles ‘Fool On The Hill’ over Queen’s ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’; ‘A Day In The Life’ over Radiohead’s ‘Karma’’; or how about ‘Paperback Writer’ over the Monkees ‘ I’m A Believer’ (this one is already hip to Dead Air’s Hugh).
A few more tracks that have caught my attention is ‘Wrapped Detective’. This features The Police ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger’ over Elvis Costello’s ‘Watching The Detectives’ in a wonderful dub style. Lionel Richie’s ‘Hello’ and The Hollie’s ‘Bus Stop’ pay a visit as well... But the piece de resistance is ‘Marvin’s Not In Love Part 1&2’. This is basically Marvin Gaye's ‘Lets Get It On’ inter-woven with 10cc’s ‘I’m Not In Love’. There is a 12” version that has a part 3! You know I placed an order for this. I can’t wait to see where it all goes...
Anyway, I don’t have the time to review all the tracks, but you can find a compilation in the RPM stack. I just hope this doesn’t go the way of the original Rapture Rider’s single... |
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Thu May 25, 2006 9:00 pm |
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