Regresar

Made my triumphant albeit bittersweet return to Sydney yesterday, had a quick fly around Beatport and collected a few goodies both new and old. From now on expect things to be getting back on track! Or I hope that's what happens, since I don't have an excuse to be posting sub-par stuff anymore. Seems there's plenty of good stuff I've missed, so here we go...

Will be a good year with WhoMadeWho's new album on the horizon. Really enjoying the bits and pieces that have come my way, still with their signature quirkiness and droooool basslines. The single is pretty solid and it's got some nice remixes. Discodeine's is my fave, though I guess not really what I was expecting. More... normal? Either way they're both great tunes - promising for what's ahead.

WhoMadeWho - The Plot (Club Mix)

WhoMadeWho - The Plot (Discodeine Remix)

Discodeine and the whole Dirty crew get me really excited. I really dig their latest (not really that recent anymore) release, Tom Select. Super dirty and raw, sans yucky distortion. Perhaps not for everyone but for me it's a nice dark change of mood to a lot of stuff I'm listening to. Refreshing. Joystick, on the other hand, is super retro-synthy and upbeat vibey, one of those songs that instantly sounds like a classic you've known for years. Great melody. If you're not familiar with Dirty Sound System, Pilooski and the whole thing they're doing, investigate!

Discodeine - Tom Select

Discodeine - Joystick

Just randomly came across these: A couple of nice easy going soulful laid back discofunk tunes to mix things up. The Amplified Orchestra tune is a beautiful lounge groove to down some Mojitos to. Ultra hip bassline, ultra cool fluttering jazz organ. The Funkworks track is more upbeat with a retro-been-remixed vibe to it. Which I think it is? Good clean fun, nothing over the top - it's just a winning formula.

Amplified Orchestra - U Can't Help But Dance

Funkworks - Dancin' (I Just Can't Stop)

I love love love Escort's sound and was thrilled to find this new gem on my hunt. I didn't particularly like the original Zombi tracks it came with, but Escort predictably manage to perform a super tight funk makeover. Totally solid.

Zombi - Sapphire (Escort Remix)

This old Max Tundra really hits the spot for me. Is there an extended version of it anywhere? Great chopped up vocals from well before the electro era of vox megaediting and completely overdoing it. I have to say I'm still a sucker for it when it's done well like this. I just wish this wasn't such a tease!

Max Tundra - MBGATE

OK. More on the way. Sorry to those who have emailed in the last few months, I'm many thousands behind so it's going to take a long long time to catch up. Promise I'll listen to everything at some point though!

Interesting

This is possibly the most expensive internet cafe on the planet, so will fly through some songs. These remixes of Michoacan turned my head a couple of months ago and to be perfectly honest I'm not 100% sure why. The Fabrizio Mammarella is definitely my favourite of the two, it's a bit more interesting and fun and there's a catchy bassline in there. The Emperor Machine one just drags out a bit and lacks flair. I probably just threw it in for the Emperor Machine value.. Hope you can forgive me if it's not the best thing you hear this week.

Michoacan - She's Sent (Emperor Machine Remix)

Michoacan - She's Sent (Fabrizio Mammarella Remix)

Improving slightly, Dicky Trisco's edit of Zapped is at least a more interesting production. Still a bit bland.. My favourite of these four is Greg Wilson's 1gnition edit. Bassline is really hip and there are some nice blasts of horns and retro funk. If you're pushed for time too, just get this track. Another week in Brazil then home to spend a week punishing Beatport and record stores - expect lots of good music!

Phresh n Low - Zapped (Dicky Trisco Cosmic Edit)

1gnition - Secret Sunday Lover (Greg Wilson Edit)

Bi

Hood

Firstly, for those of you lucky enough to be in Sydney at the moment, if anybody is keen to see EDU K (Sweat It Out's latest Latino addition) I've got a couple of double passes to throw at people. The baile funk maestro is supported by Ajax (still Australia's #1 hero) and MC Gaff-E (world's #1 wardrobe) on this friday the 14th (after good vibes / valentines!) at the Art Factory. Should be a killer night, email me your full name quickly and you shall be hooked up.

Secondly, just jumped on a new WhoMadeWho track from the upcoming album which I'm super stoked about! It's classic WMW, heaps of energy, heaps of fun, heaps of yumyumyum bassline. Really excited to hear the album whenever it's coming out.. You've all heard me frothing over them in recent weeks due to their Aus visit.

WhoMadeWho - Swedish Meatballs

Nextly, some more old but great Metro Area tunage. I'm sure most of you guys know Miura and plenty more will have heard Erodyne but I'm not fussed. Such quality music. I'm always hugely impressed by the way they're albe to synthesise such brilliant sounds and arrange things so delicately so that everything fits like a glove. I just hope they keep churning music out - I hear Morgan Geist isn't all that keen on it anymore.

Metro Area - Miura

Metro Area - Erodyne

Lastly, check out the Beats In Space best of 08 podcast. Amazing. Marry me Tim Sweeney? It's the January 13th one I think.

Sucre was such a cool town. Can't manage to go anywhere without becoming the target of a water fight. Ah it's a hard life being a gringo. Taking a train to brazil (ooh Guillemots reference) tomorrow night, wheee! Super keen.

This Way

Ho hum. La Paz was the kuh-rayziest town yet! Had no idea so much wacky shit goes down there. I feel very satisfied (and still very ill) leaving with my "I survived the world's most dangerous vindaloo t-shirt." Highly recommend it to anybody, especially San Pedro prison.

I'm really looking forward to getting home so I can spend weeks catching up on music I've missed. I feel bad for posting things I scrambled together more than 6 weeks ago... Just wait it out, promise I'll come back strong. For the moment, here are a couple of nice tracks from In Flagranti and Popular Computer. The Flagranti track is typically hip strutty rhythm guitar with locomotive disco drums which dance away oh so prettily. Gorgeous sounding synths too. Sorry that it cuts out early, I guess the album it's from is gapless. Otaku is just a simple laid back easy-goer. Don't have a whole lot to say about it I guess, it's just nice.

In Flagranti - Escapade

Popular Computer - Otaku

A couple more classic remixes here from the ever tiring DD vault by Ewan Pearson and Maurice Fulton. The Playgroup one should be recalled by many, right? It's a classic! And not what I'd usually expect from Ewan and his spacey quasi-weirdo bag of tricks. A little bit twisted, quite addictive. The Over and Over mix (SORRY, I searched every last corner of the internet for a version that isn't cut up at the start, but it doesn't seem to exist. Please explain iTunes and friends..) is again nice and simple. Just a cool bassline and the perfect vocals and you're set. Maurice makes it seem too easy, as with just about everything he does.

Playgroup - Make It Happen (Ewan Pearson Remix)

Hot Chip - Over and Over (Maurice Fulton Remix)

Around about 4 more weeks of this insanity before home time. Wheeeee.