The long and the short of it

Caught on the dancefloor.

So, having played at a few parties recently, there’s been a couple of records that I’ve found have surprised me. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like (nearly) all of my records but there are some that you think, yeah, that sounds good, that’ll work, but that you don’t really listen to that well, often I find, long ones, that in the narrow window’s that I get to listen to my records outside parties or the radio because they’re avoided as they’re too long, or skipped through, as you feel the pressure of time to maximise all that you can get through and so only vaguely familiar. Maybe it’s the context of the party, deep in the dance that makes these records special, maybe the dynamics of the sound that listening loud conveys nuances too subtle for a home listening environment. Maybe there’s just something that you don’t like in them but you think that the beats fit with that moment in the party so you’re going to play it but wouldn’t listen at home. Whatever. Some of these tracks recently have stuck in my mind because they’ve caught me off guard when I played them and I’ve been astounded, like, fuck me that’s really good and I feel it’s the length that’s allowed this depth of sound and groove to blossom. I think, I’d really like to listen to them again but they’re bloody long and the context isn't right.

DJ Sprinkles & Mark Fell – Complete Spiral

Thought this was a bit of a snooze-a-thon, but I wanted to set a deep mood for the party early doors, gentle sounds with a nice pulsing rhythm to relax people and welcome them. Blimey, I was completely tripping to the crazy deep trance inducing bassline that I’d not even noticed metamorphosing throughout leaving me dribbling and very pleased with myself by the end of it. When it stopped it left an emptiness hard to explain.

Sotofett – Trans Jungle Trip

Jungle breaks at a house tempo. Surely this’ll satisfy the drum-n-bassers in the crowd. I like the revivalist idea (I think Drum & Bass has come and gone again already…). It’s done really well, but rinsing that idea for 12 minutes? Dunno about that. Is it finished yet? Wait, hang about. Where did that orchestra come from? Those strings? Eh? Have they been there all along? WTF? That bassline is locked on! This is gorgeously deep. Forget the amen break, that’s just window dressing! Gloriously euphorically lush!

Lil Louis - 6AM (Extended mix)

Well, it’s Lil Louis, it’s gotta be good, so I’ll play it. But it’s a bit fast. And I really hate a cheesy saxophone. Hang about. People are really dancing to this. In fact. It’s bloody rocking. People are losing their minds. It’s incessant, relentless.

Pepe Bradock - Mujieres Nerviosas

Same as above, it’s Pepe Bradock, it’s gotta be good. He makes weird music though. I like weird, but a dancefloor often doesn’t. It’s acid house though, can’t go wrong, give it a spin. That melody is so de-tuned, it’s horrible. But no, it’s actually kinda catchy. Totally fragmented. Not there when it should be. Over the top when it shouldn’t be. But damn, I’m singing this in the taxi, still.

And on a similar note:

Short ones better than the long ones, the 7” version is soooo much more killer than the extended mix on the 12”

Panda Bear - Surfers Hymn (Actress Mix)

Bayara Citizens – Ju/Ru Dubness


Search, find. Or tell me your own.

at LAST!

So, Andy and I checked this party out on friday night. We've been a fan of the Beautiful Swimmers since release #1 and their record label "Future Times" has an impeccable catalogue. In fact Ari Goldman and Andrew Field-Pickering (Beautiful Swimmers) are part of a group of new production outfits including "Rhythm Based Lovers", "Protect-U", "Slava", "Innergaze", "Sensual Beings", and "Alan Hurst", "Steve Summers" and "Jason Letkiewicz" all making innovative deep electronic dance music influenced by a wide range of sounds from Chicago and Detroit to the Balearics and the African diaspora. Andrew also produces music under the Maxmillion Dunbar/Max D pseudonym. Kyle Hall is the Detroit wunderkid who, at 18 years old has garnered plaudits from the detroit underground and is now blowing up worldwide thanks to an infectious energy to his programming and a penchant for the wilder, crazier and downright jacking sounds that keep house music interesting and innovative nearly 30 years after it's birth.

Soft Rocks kicked the night off playing some pretty weird gear (hooray!), mixing up classic disco with cosmic slop and deep trippy dubwise house. The brilliant warm up was followed by the Beautiful Swimmers who were deliciously on point - banging acid house, proper warehouse vibes, rewinds galore - I didn't even mind the MC occasionally grabbing the mic, it gave the show more of a rough, underground vibe, more of a party than a club night. Kyle Hall followed and turned the jacking acid up to 11. It's been a while since I've tried to dry hump a pillar to a soundtrack of white noise. Theo Parrish was dancing next to us and he had a smile on his face that said "yeah, this how we do in tha D".

I heard
Fingers Inc - A Path
Robert Owens - I'll Be Your Friend
Inner City - Good Life
ML Booster - D___'s House Moods
Patrice Rushen - Haven't You Heard
Adonis - No Way Back
Candido - Dancin & Prancin
Beautiful Swimmers - Give It All You Got
Armando - 151
and lots and lots of very twisted acid trax

This Fela walks into a bar

I saw Fela! the musical last night, broadcast live from the National Theatre direct to Cambridge Arts Picturehouse. I dig that this kind of thing is possible now and makes for a nice idea, working well for some projects, not so well for others. We're big fans of Cambridge Arts Picturehouse, the cafe is great, you can booze in the cinema and they do show a great alternative selection of movies and film projects on the big screen, so big up them for hooking up with the NT Live team.

However, the musical itself didn't really translate all that well as a filmed event. I reckon you had to be there (Steve?) to get the full effect as whilst the dancing and production was awesome to watch, the colour and vibrancy and movement and depth was lacking - you wanted to see the whole spectacle, not just where the camera was directing your attention to. As for the sound, forget it - with Afrobeat, you need the drums firing into your face, shaking you to the ground - whoever was EQ'ing the broadcast needed shooting. Still, not to take away from the fact that it was really well done, really enjoyable and didn't water down the music or his life - I wasn't bored for a second and it was about as good a "musical" as you could ever hope for. Dude who played Fela was top dollar - puff, puff, pass! I'd recommend seeing the show while you can.

Up on Thursday 20th January at Cambridge Arts Pciturhouse Cinema:



RIDE, RISE, ROAR is a David Byrne concert film that blends riveting onstage performances with intimate details of the creative collaborations that make the music and performance happen.

Shot with multiple cameras over several concerts during the 08/09 tour, the film combines the energy and charisma of classic Talking Heads with the heartfelt pathos of David Byrne and Brian Eno’s most recent collaboration (‘Everything That Happens Will Happen Today’).

Between the songs (each of which is shown in its entirety), the film achieves an unprecedented intimacy with David Byrne and the band, documenting behind-the-scenes auditions, rehearsals and interviews with key players while revealing the creative process that led to the show's unique fusion of pop music and modern dance.