Trudging On

Back to business as usual. I've been listening to this one tune in particular after I found I'd kinda missed it on a record i bought a while ago. Which seems to happen a lot... I'm the worst listener. It's by Stratus and features on Eskimo's fab Cosmic Balearic Beats collection (of which I hear there is another on the way!) which has some groovy beatage from In Flagranti, Lullabies In The Dark, Phoreski, Bottin etc etc. You may find this track drags on a bit, or you may not. For me it's just sublime the moment the bassline surges in - it's so easy to get lost in the dreamy galactic synths. Hope you dig it!

Stratus - Footprints

The remixes of The Plot keep rolling in, and despite my disappointment with WhoMadeWho's second effort in the studio, I'm constantly impressed with the numerous offspring that have been popped out as a result of late night motel encounters with various producers. The surprisingly un-quirky Discodeine mix, Lutzenkirchen's dark techno rumbler, and Noze's beautifully crafted dreamy version have all really done it for me. Now I'm listening to the Muzzle Flash remix a fair bit and I'm quite enjoying it's sneaky upbeat vibe. The chorus is especially great! Although for me the album was a letdown, perhaps this shows that with a bit of outside help the songs can be turned into something pretty spesh!

WhoMadeWho - The Plot (Muzzle Flash Remix)

Speaking of Noze, I found this track from quite a while ago in amongst things which AGAIN I think I missed. Something a bit different to what I'd usually post, but it's fun and happy and cool and I like it. Can't think of a fifth reason. Cop it!

Noze - Remember Love

Every Disco Deviance record I've bought has been a screamer. Probably my favourite track I've heard is Boogie Corporation's fantastic edit/remix/whatever you'd call it of The Clash's Magnificent Seven (or to be more correct, the dub of it called Magnificent Dance.) Actually it's a total, barely recognisable makeover - the bassline is about the same, and maybe slices of the percussion, that's it. Whatever, it's brilliant! Dazzling string disco with fresh new production elements which, overall, can't be disliked.

Disco Deviance - Magnificent Disco (BC Edit)

As an aside, Sydney pals Generic Podcast are going to be running nights in the coming months and building an empire of irony, have a peeky and get in the loop early. They know what they're doing.

Happy Birthday DD: Chapter 2

Two long arduous years later this thing is still going! That's like 5 blog generations of music, and feels like it too. I'm the kind of guy who goes through big phases, as you might have realised, so I figured I'd give a bit of Disco Delish history and delve into the many faces/phases of said weblog - see how we got from A to B. I'm not one to deny my past, as inviting as that may be at times, so be prepared to take the good with the bad.

WARNING: Selected tracks may offend some readers

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The BEGINNING OF IT ALL INDIE/ELECTRO phase

Had been reading blogs for about 18 months at this stage so was somewhere between enjoying the indie music I had previously had a thang for and Justice fanaticism. The fabled first post is a pretty good reflection - some !!!, Goose, Switch, D.I.M, Good Shoes and more. Anyone remember Neon Plastix? That indielectro sound that kept rising and rising? I have to admit I still find their stuff pretty fun, although nostalgia has to play a big role. Was still going through the big Presets phase which fits snugly into the same boat. No denying they were fun blogtimes.

Neon Plastix - On Fire

Goose - 3T4

The Presets - Cookie

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The FULL ON ALL OUT BLEEDING EAR BANGERS phase

They were the best of times, they were the worst of times. Looking back it's a mixture of shame and embarrassment, yearning and desire, humour and horror. Oh the bangers... It was like reliving the angsty teenage metal phase all over again but this time with hugs and dancing rather than confusion and pubescent anger. Aside from Daft Punk, probably the most musical thing I was listening to was Steve Angello. Ha! Since the phase was so all out, I won't hold back here. Just take these lightly and have a good giggle.

Justice - Waters of Nazareth (Justice Remix) (big lol)

New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream (Herve Remix)

Muse - Map of the Problematique (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix)

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The ROAD TO RECOVERY, 'MUSICAL' MUSIC AGAIN phase

And things started to look up - at least in terms of maturing a tiny bit. Still all electro and still plenty of shockers, but scattered with glimpses of a way out. I think these songs describe this phase better than words can. The Timberlake remix in particular is still a real corker I reckon, despite the fact that it's JT. Much love to Casino Inc. I suppose this was around the time when Aussie acts like Midnight Juggernauts and Cut Copy were on the brink of making their huge impact on the blogosphere, which makes sense.

Calvin Harris - Merrymaking at My Place (Mr. Oizo Remix)

Mercy Arms - Kept Low (Cut Copy Remix)

Justin Timberlake - My Love (Casino Inc Remix)

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The BIT OF TRENTERTAINMENT ON THE SIDE phase

Still big thanks to T-bone as I'm going to affectionately call him for his stint on the blog. I probably would have otherwise just given up for lack of motivation so thank golly for the way things eventually happened. Wingman T-bone introduced me to some crazy good music which still hits the spot square on now, including two of the best mixes I've heard to date. Art Killers is in classic Bang Gang ultramashup style mixing every genre you can think of... The way it's put together is pure genius. Ash Le Rouge's Portals is still a coin flip for my favourite mix ever, nuff said. And not that this has anything to do with this bit, I'll rudely butt in and throw in the mix which is on the other side of that coin - Gimix is just breathtaking. You can enjoy these 3 mixes for the rest of time. Tracklistings in the comments.

Ash Le Rouge & Will Hawthorn - Portals

Bang Gang - Art Killers

The Avalanches - Gimix

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The SUDDEN FRENCH HOUSE REVIVAL phase

For some (good) reason at one stage I just suddenly started ripping into Roulé and all that kinda stuff. Such refreshment! Filter house is the shit and nobody should argue with that. I doubt there are many current producers connected to some form of house music who can say they weren't influenced by it. Sink your teeth into these tunes, whether you've heard them eight thousand times before or if they're brand spanking new. It truly was a golden mini-era for dance music.

Roy Davis Jr. - Rock Shock (Roy's Original Mix)

Alan Braxe - Vertigo (Thomas Bangalter's Vertigo Edit)

DJ Falcon - Honeymoon

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The SORTA FRENCH HOUSE SOUNDING DISCO HOUSE phase

French house was a nice segue into what I guess you'd call disco house. I'm no good with genres anyway. This great phase includes all artists on the magnificent Us Two Music label which fueled my incessant disco house hunger. Big guns like Matt Hughes, Matt Turner, Livyo, Lebatman, Pierce, The Phantom's Revenge (the pioneer of the disco banger!) et al. were all big stars of this juncture. Enjoy these tasty samplers

The Phantom's Revenge - Moondancer

Pierce - GoodFriends

Matt Hughes - Can't Talk Now

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The SUCKED INTO THE DFA VORTEX phase

This was kind of running parallel to the previous couple of phases and continued to balloon indefinitely. I'd always been hooked on DFA born bands like The Rapture and Hot Chip but had never fully dedicated myself to the label as I did in this productive time. I put it after the last two, however, because it's a good segue into nu disco - finally really getting into James Murphy's many disco/dance punk projects may well have been the deciding factor. Casual Friday in particular really sums up everything I love about DFA. The quirkiness, the disco vibe, the indie attitude, the scorching hot basslines (no matter how simple). So good.

Black Leotard Front - Casual Friday

LCD Soundsystem - Yeah (Crass Version)

The Rapture - Sister Saviour (DFA Vocal Remix)

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The JUMP ON THE NU DISCO BANDWAGON phase

And boy am I glad I did. Great things are happening at the moment, and I love all the different shapes and sizes that nu disco comes in. Unlike electro house which is currently identified as sounding like a detuned radio having sex with a chainsaw, disco is a stealthy, fluid being who you can only recognise by feel, not sound. I'm going to lump disco edits into this category too - not sure if that's kosher? I say it is. Allow my friends Mock & Toof, In Flagranti and Raoul7000 to wow you with the genre's excellence.

Mock & Toof - Black Jub

In Flagranti - Brash & Vulgar

Skyy - Skyyzoo (Raoul7000's Acme Edit)

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Here's A FEW FAVOURITES FOR THE SAKE OF IT

Just a couple more things I really want to double up on, because I think they're that cool. The Young Punx remix of 7NA is a monstrous summer club house bomb which never fails to destroy (in a good way) a dance floor. Huge. Massive. Gargantuan. Freeform Five's remix of the Elton classic is a total show-off showcase of what they're capable of. Every different section is equally impressive; this tune will never age for me. Finally, Serge Santiago's dub of Wolf & Cub turns a track I absolutely froth over into a DJ friendly groove machine. Soo irresistibly cooooool.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (Young Punx Remix)

Elton John - Are You Ready For Love (Freeform Reform Vocal)

Wolf & Cub - This Mess (Serge Santiago Dub)

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The FUTURE.................

'Lame' you might think. You might think right. Actually I don't really have a clue where things will go. I DO know, however, a few artists whose music will continue to impress and excite me. In particular: Zongamin, Mickey Moonlight, Prins Thomas and Pilooski, to me, are some of the most forward thinking and (sometimes) challenging producers around. Hopefully everyone has these tracks already but just for the sake of it, here's a reminder of some of my favourite tracks by each.

Elvis Presley - Crawfish (Pilooski Edit)

Prins Thomas - Mammut

Zongamin - Painless

Mickey Moonlight - Interplanetary Music (der..)

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So here we are. Seriously, it's been so awesome doing this and I mega appreciate people still checking it out. Stacks of great music to come, so keep your thumb in the page and turn back often. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

LOTS OF LOVE.

Opinions Please

Picked up the latest Moxie release the other day and I'm struggling to decide whether I LOVE it or if I'm just confused by it. I admit half of the reason I ended up buying it was because of a bit of blind faith I have in the label - if they say it's good, a small part of me just wants to believe them without formulating my own opinion. And that doesn't happen with many (any?) other labels. This is just a vinyl rip I did which isn't brilliant (there's a mark running from outside to inside which I should have noticed...) but should do the job. The song is kinda warped, strange, noisy big disco funk. Very noisy. All I know is it has some kind of mystical effect on me which draws me right in. DO YOUR BIT PEOPLE, TELL ME WHAT TO THINK! But really give it a go before you judge.

Captain Hands - Dispel Disco

NB: Wrote this post about 4 days ago and have since decided the track is a winner. But share your thoughts.

Aside from this, I've been a big boy in the last week and have decided all by myself the new Lindstrom & Prins Thomas is simply remarkable. 'II' is pure aural bliss, I feel like my soul has been cleansed three times over. Or, if you're not into that kind of thing, maybe it's like a really thorough deep pore cleanser which has a beautiful vanilla scent and makes you feel total revitalisation. Because you're worth it. Their psychedelic spacey jams, such as Tirsagsjam which isn't on the album(?), stretch on and on launching you onto a beach party in outer space with starfish in moon boots playing mean drums and wacky synths. Thanks to 20jfg for this one.

Lindstrom & Prins Thomas - Tirsdagsjam (Lang Version)

Mmmm James Murphy & Pat Mahoney's Fabriclive will never age, and this song remains one of my favourites on the disc. It's a dark, plodding, brooding and grooving track with a kind of sinister humour about it. Not completely sold on some of the other Baby Oliver tracks I've heard, this one is a diamond in the rough.

Baby Oliver - Primetime (Uptown Express)

And I'll throw in this Cosmo Vitelli edit of a Skyy tune which is pretty dandy. I don't think it comes close to Raoul7000's breathtaking edit of Skyyzoo (back here) but it should keep you entertained enough. I don't have much/anything to say about it... Do toilets really mostly flush in E flat?

Skyy - First Time Around (Cosmo Vitelli Edit)

Hope you all had a killer Easter weekend!

Just Some Suggestions

Just a quick heads up about goings on this weekend in Sydney this Easter weekend (sorry everyone else :( but you really should be living here.) Let's have a fun fun fun few days!

Thursday is Egg Hunt at Fringe Bar which does indeed include an egg hunt. Hott luneup with sterling locals Sleater Brockman, The Inappropriates, Mehow, Tyson and a handful of others. Email me your name, whoever's first gets a double freebie. Seriously, go see the Inappropriates (with MC Gaff E) and marvel at the extravagance. An excellent way to kick off the festivities!

Friday if you're really keen there's the Ladylux annual boat cruise with Carl Kennedy and Garry Todd. Personally I'll be recouping but the music and vibe should be great.

Saturday, HAHA Industries are putting on a warehouse party *somewhere* which can't be anything short of 'YESSSSSS'. Their night last year with Tim Sweeney was my best night out of 08, perhaps this will be a contender for 09? Keep an eye on the website, not sure when they're announcing the venue.

Sunday is We Had Parties which is the annual ridiculous mash of Purple Sneakers, Starfuckers, Hot Damn, Ro Sham Bo, etc etc etc. over about 800 rooms with 300 million people at the Exchange Hotel. Numbers may not be accurate but it's still a pretty massive party.

And for those of you who this post doesn't have any relevance to, here's a yummy easter egg apology. Be happy!

The Turtles - Happy Together (Wade Nichols Edit)

Have a lovely weekend all.

Centurion

Well how about that, the 100th post on Disco Delish. If you do the maths, yes it hasn't been too speedy, but I think it's gone alright. Let's hold off on the ultra crazy celebrations though until the big 2nd birthday in a couple of weeks. Shhhh.

No points for being speedy on these ones, but I'm willing to forgive myself if you are. U-GO-B and Jimmy2sox are a couple of Sydney finest discoboat captains and their Big Fat Rio remix is summer booze-cruise-tastic. Pina coladas, palm tree fans, banana lounges and Hawaiian shirts ahoy! And U-GO's Gonzales edit is a more DJ-sympathetic alternative to playing a glorious, uplifting string house disco dazzler. Makes me feel pretty, like I should be wearing a set of silver sparkly angel wings or something.

Bumblebeez - Rio (Jimmy2sox & U-GO-B Remix)

Gonzales - Let's Ride (U-GO-B's Disco DJ Friendly Edit)

BAM, rad disco orchestra mover right here. Tim Maia was a killer Brazilian multi-talented musician who is a MUST listen! You just know groups like Escort bow down to this kinda thing. Big sharp horns, wakka-wakka guitar, cheeky bassline, it's got all the classics you need.

Tim Maia - Vitória Régia Estou Contigo E Não Abro

This is on a cool Steve Kotey & Max Essa release which I only discovered yesterday on Electric Minds. Kinda dirty grungey guitar disco which is really addictive. It's a bit of a psych jam and it doesn't go a whole lot of places but in my honest opinion (from here on in now abbreviated to 'imho') just a good solid listen.

Steve Kotey & Max Essa - 1974

Also been thrashing Prins Thomas' latest release on his label Full Pupp which, until now, I haven't paid enough attention to. I really struggled to decide whether to post Mammut or Remiksosaurus, it's like picking a favourite son. But Mammut is probably better. What makes this release so great for me is the authenticity of its sound. I'm not sure how it was recorded but it really has the feeling of being a perfect one take live jam. The drums and percussion are just so fucking hot. The bassline is completely mesmerising and sucks you in like a giant bathtub full of groooove. This is what props Prins Thomas a head and shoulders above the competition. You need to own this 12"!

Prins Thomas - Mammut

Anywho, keep lending your eyes and ears to your old friend DD and let's charge forward at a snails pace towards the big 200. You're all super coooooooooool!

This Is A Totally Legitimate Post

I'm starting to look back at my listening career in music and for the first time I think I'm really gaining some perspective on everything. Have you ever had one of those moments in your life where you've taken a look around and said 'wait a sec, how the fuck did i get here?' I had another listen to The Rose by The Laughing Light of Plenty (my favourite track of last year) and realised I've gone completely off the rails. Why do I keep listening to boring repetitive mindless feelingless music? Where did I go wrong?

So I endeavored to trace things back to a point where I WAS listening to real quality music. Stuff that not every average idiot could comprehend or enjoy on the level of intellectually gifted people like myself. I was, in fact, surprised to find just how long ago it was when this kind of music was a big part of my life. To be exact, this was when I was the ripe old age of 12. Without further ado, allow me to present one of the finest reminders of my golden years: the megamix from genius Nick Skitz's sixth fantastic Skitzmix release.

Nick Skitz - Skitzmix 6 Megamix

Oh and did you hear that Daft Punk something something something something new album with Bill Clinton on sax something something nu-jazz-metal-rave-classical-core? It should really be something.

Wank wank wank OK go prank somebody now, the crueler the better. Have a nice day.