Behind The Curtain

Let's, for a moment, take a step back from your typical main room d-floor and stumble over to the oh-so-alternative backroom with beanbags and incense burning and a couple of people busting out some way too enthusiastic experimental moves who everyone pretends not to be looking at. The music is nice in here too! Genre is no longer considered. Quirky op-shop garments are essential.

You could get started with some things just a little left of center like Bot'Ox, maybe reeling in some curious electro kids. It's got that sort of vicious edge they seem to be drawn to but, as you could easily forecast with Bot'Ox, is masterfully produced and is interesting enough for anyone to get into if they're keen. You could also chuck in some Padded Cell to again ease into things for the same reason. Big appealing bassline splattered with dissonant guitar, squawking sax and galactic sounds. Or perhaps some overly twisted classic disco like Erobique (thanks to blouse for this one!) which is defaced by some kind of mutant bass playing anti-melodies.

Bot'Ox - Arab Drift

Padded Cell - Faces of the Forest

Erobique - Endorphinmachine

You could probably get away with playing your average new agey psychedelic tribalfolk tune like Faux Pas' spectacular Rose's Lament, my new favourite song. It's like if Enigma was no longer awfully cheesy, they learned to play and use lots of different instruments and sounds, and... I don't know, became about 300 times better. Even then that's a terrible thing to compare it to, but the thought flashed through my mind on first listen. It's a really beautiful journey which you should take with the candles blown out and the volume up at dangerous levels. Thanks to Faux Pas' chart on RVNG this month I'm aware of this perfect Bullion tune which could aid a summer pool party as well as it could a back room full of happy huggy gurning kids. Just gorgeous!

Faux Pas - Rose's Lament

Bullion - Time For Us All To Love

There is of course always the option of throwing in some Pilooski stuff. Possibly more on the rocky side of things? His Michael Bundt edit is a sort of psychedelic rock dance fusion which, rather than really going anywhere, wades around through a bunch of slowly developing synths. The Can edit is more legit 60s psych-rock and would be killer for a beanbag moment or a hippie flowerdance. Love you Pilooski.

Michael Bundt - The Brain of Oskar Panizza (Pilooski Edit)

Can - Mother Sky (Pilooski Edit)

Or if you just think the kids are so fucked up they wouldn't notice a herd of rainbow oxen stampeding on the dancefloor, you could play something like this cheeky Joakim 30 second summary of the modern modern music. You could get kicked off the decks though. Yes, you'd be very foolish to even post this on a blog let alone play it in a club.

Joakim - One Minute to Catch Up and Forget

That would be a pretty messed up set... Probably don't take my advice.

Cosmic Cosmosis

Hey gang. To begin with, I'd like to put out a bit of a squeal for help. I'm going to South America from mid December til the end of Feb and was wondering if anybody in the area would be able to help me get a gig in either Bariloche, Buenos Aires, or Rio during Carnaval... Just thought it'd be a load of fun to have a spin while I'm over there, but I can't say I have too many South American contacts :\ any help would be greatly appreciated! (send me an email)

In other news, Cosmo Vitelli hits Sydney on Friday night and I'm seriously excited! To celebrate I've got some glorious tracks to hand out. Cosmo doesn't need much of an introduction - a really forward thinking producer who's been around the track and has built up a varied repertoire of sensational tunes. Currently I'm giving some of his remixes a good bashing. His more recent mix of Hotdog (featured on Sample and Hold) is killer. A nice muddy disco jam. His Yuksek mix is several shades darker and thumps along with a slight yet funky hint of something industrial. CANNOT wait to see him! More info.

Simian Mobile Disco - Hotdog (Cosmo Vitelli Remix)

Yuksek - Everywhere In Town (Cosmo Vitelli Remix)

Cosmo's label, I'm a Cliche, is just as superfab and I can't count how many times I've seen it refered to as the European answer to DFA. Probably not far off. The latest release by ENTERTAINMENT is fuckin cool! Big sexy bass cooljive complete with chocolate vocals and Herbie Hancock 'Rockit' synths. Actually come to think of it, the bassline is damn close to it. No wonder I love it! Bot'Ox - one part Cosmo, one part Julien Briffaz - are something a bit different from Mr. Vitelli, but equally quality. Have a look back on the blog for Babylon By Car, if it's still up.. Grand Central is a pretty little number. And I'll throw in an old SMD track from their 2004 release on the very same label. If you haven't heard it, it may not be what you expect!

ENTERTAINMENT - U 1988

Bot'Ox - Grand Central

Simian Mobile Disco - Upside Down

Also popping its head out of the record box, but with no relation to CV and the gang, is another guy I stumbled across with thanks to Tim Sweeney (not going to stop spurting drooling love rants about him for a while yet) who resides on the fantastico Permanent Vacation label. Lullabies In The Dark is one half of Aeroplane, so instant cred is given, but further listening proves within a shadow of a doubt he's pretty swish. Have a look. Also been listening to a lot of Pilooski and stuff on Dirty Edits, which is all brill. This one is a particular fave of mine - a really tight funky wakka-wakka guitar burrrrning disco.

Lullabies In The Dark - Code 7429

Octet - Euro vs Dollar (Pilooski Edit)

See you at Cosmo (yes?)