DAVID HOLMES WEEK (6)

A David Holmes interview from 2008.

So we’re not in normal dance/DJ interview territory here but then David Holmes, though a staple on the British dance scene for nearly 20 years now, has always been something of an anomaly. Like his peers, he has a nice line in classic dancefloor fillers (Gritty Shaker, 69 Police) but he’s always been as interested in producing atmos-heavy soundscapes with melancholy, leftfield rock bands like Mogwai and Arab Strap.

Unlike the majority of his dance -music colleagues, Holmes has never been a slave to the rhythm – his internationally renowned DJ sets are as eclectic and surprising as they are effective. Perhaps because of his obsession with the cinema (his first album in 1995 was called This Film’s Crap, Let’s Slash The Seats, the third, 2000’s Bow Down To The Exit Signs, was an imaginary soundtrack for a never-made film), he has always been more interested in “making people feel, rather than just making them feel funky.”

He may have started life spinning vinyl at his now legendary club Sugar Sweet, based in Belfast’s Art College in the early 1990s and then compiling acid-house mixes for Radio 1’s Pete Tong show, but, rather unusually for a touring DJ, Holmes has made most of his money adding a little chutzpah to George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s strut with his sassy soundtracks for the Hollywood smash hit movies Ocean’s 11 and Ocean’s 12.

He’s lived a large part of his life at 100mph, working with U2, the Manic Street Preachers and Primal Scream, producing five albums and nine film soundtracks, including this year’s Cannes award-winner Hunger, about the death of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, and the upcoming Five Minutes of Heaven, Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Troubles-based film starring Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt.

He’s spent chunks of his life in London, New York and LA but now, four years after the birth of his daughter and a year after the death of his father, David Holmes has made Belfast his permanent home and has produced a haunting, elegiac album about his family, his friends and the city he grew up in.

“In theory, this album (The Holy Pictures) really started when I lost my mum 12 years ago,” Holmes explains as he hovers over the kettle (he drinks endless cups of tea) in the shiny, hi-tech kitchen of his very cool, and very modern, east Belfast home. “I took her death badly. I remember I came to hate Christmas after she died. On Christmas day I used to just go to her grave. I hated it right up until my daughter was born.

Belfast Telegraph

David Holmes - Gritty Shaker (Richard Fearless Mix)

David Holmes - Gritty Shaker (Red Snapper Mix)

David Holmes - Gritty Shaker (Our Latin Thing Mix) by The Ballistic Brothers

Bonus track:

Justin Warfield - Live From The Opium Den (David Holmes Main Mix)

http://www.myspace.com/davidholmesofficial

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DAVID HOLMES WEEK (5)

Although there will be David Holmes posts over the weekend, we are going to enter it with a special post from D about Holmes' soundtrack work.

Since the 1995 release of his debut long player, 'This Film's Crap, Let's Slash The Seats', David Holmes has contributed to, or been executive music producer on, some 30 film soundtracks. Yes, I was surprised too. Still, the title of his own album was, perhaps, a bit of a giveaway as to where he might be heading. Or rather, such was the quality of his first film score that it was inevitable he'd be asked to provide more.

In 1998, Holmes was commissioned to provide the soundtrack for the Soderbergh-directed and Clooney-starring vehicle, 'Out of Sight'. How cool is that! He contributed nine of the fifteen tracks that make up this highly enjoyable record, the other six being original tunes from the likes of Mungo Santamaria, the Isley Brothers and Dean Martin amongst others.

Punctuated by excerpts of dialogue from the film, the music does what it's supposed to do, enhancing, complimenting and moving the story along nicely. Ranging from the likes of the punchy, neurotic 'Jailbreak' to the sensual, sultry 'The Trunk Scene' and the jaunty and humourous 'I Think You Flooded It', these are tunes that augment and reflect the mood of the film in a way that doesn't feel intrusive or, as so many soundtracks seem to do these days, manipulative.

It's never a dull record either because the change in musical style permeates throughout, so, for example, you get the scattered explosion of 'Bitch Out' with its intense, frantic drumming sitting comfortably next to the down tempo, contemplative 'No More Time Outs'. This is music for emphasis and entertainment and, on both counts, it succeeds with Holmes seeming to have an instinctive feel for what each scene requires without being dull or predictable.

The inclusion of original tracks by other artists could have proved discordant but, in fact, they slot in nicely and only add to what is already a very satisfying milieu. This is because, in many ways, the film has an old-school feel about it, so it's hardly surprising that the music also harks back to an earlier era. This is part '50's rom-com (think Doris Day/Rock Hudson) and part '70's Afro-thriller (think Shaft/Superfly), hence the juxtaposition of, say, Martin's exuberant 'Aint That A Kick In The Head' and Holmes's super funky 'Foley Part 2', neither of which sounds out of place. Thus, we get spoonfuls of funk, samba, soul and swing all mixed up into a nutritious and pleasing meal for the ears. Highly recommended.

If I may, I would also give a nod to the Holmes score for 'Buffalo Soldiers', the 2001 film starring Joaquin Phoenix (before he lost the plot). A darker, more menacing sound than 'Out of Sight', this, again, has Holmes producing some very cool and funky tunes for a blackly comic film. To hear them, however, you'll have to watch the film as the OST was never released for some strange reason.

From the soundtrack to "Out Of Sight":

David Holmes - I Think You Flooded It

David Holmes - Jailbreak

David Holmes - No More Time Outs

David Holmes - Rip Rip mediafire

http://www.myspace.com/davidholmesofficial

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NEW MUSIC: THE BLACK DOG

There's a new mix from the Black Dog for you to enjoy and they've got a new single out. The Black Dog says that every month, for the next 12 months, they are going to be putting up a DJ set of tunes they are feeling, playing out or just "DJ sets from clubs we’ve played".

The Black Dog 01.
01. Mark Broom – Twenty Nine – Unxplored Beats02. Jamie Anderson – Time Is Now (Radio Slave Panorama Garage Remix) – NRK Sound Division03. Oliver Huntemann & Dubfire – Dios – Ideal Audio04. 16 Bit Lolita’s – Goodbye Pluto (Version 2) – Bits And Pieces05. Tadeo – M31 Andromeda – Net2806. Joris Voorn – Decay – Green07. Daso – Tinnitus – Connaisseur Recordings08. Josh Wink – Counter Clock 319 (Reorganized By Chris Liebing) – Ovum Recordings09. Carl Taylor – Warehouse Trax A7 – Auteform10. John Tejada – Artificial Body – Palette Recordings11. Ellen Allien – Just a Woman – Spectral Sound12. Tolerance – Sacrifice – ?????????13. Mr G – Makes No Sense – Rekids14. The Black Dog – Tunnels Ov Set (Crookes Mix) – Soma

Download: http://www.theblackdogma.com/tbd/?p=1059

The second single from "Further Vexations" is due for release very soon featuring "Tunnels Ov Set" reworked by Autechre, Bass Soldier and The Black Dog themselves. This EP also features a previously unreleased track "Tripside Syndicate".

A1. Tunnels Ov Set (Crookes Mix)

A2. Tunnels Ov Set (The Bass Soldier's Manor Top Mix)

AA1. Tunnels Ov Set (Autechre Remix)

AA2. Tripside Syndicate
Full Info and Audio: http://www.theblackdogma.com/tbd/?p=975

Pre-order the vinyl: https://www.duststore.com/

http://www.theblackdogma.com/tbd/

DAVID HOLMES WEEK (4)

This post focuses on Holmes' work in the new millennium. But the tracks are from 1997.

Holmes issued his third studio effort, Bow Down to the Exit Sign, in September 2000. One year later, Soderbergh tapped him to produce another feature-film soundtrack, Ocean's Eleven, and it pushed a single - Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation," as remixed by Junkie XL - into the charts (as well as the top spot in many countries). A cracking record.

Holmes' next project was a studio band, the Free Association, introduced on the 2002 mix album Come Get It, I Got It. On the record, Holmes mixed and matched older tracks with new productions from him and his lab-mate, Stephen Hilton. Late that same year, a full album of new tracks (David Holmes Presents the Free Association, which was reissued with a new track order in 2006) followed it onto the racks, and in 2004 Cherrystones: Hidden Charms came out.

But from 1997:

David Holmes - Dont Die Just Yet La Funk Mob Mix

David Holmes - Dont Die Just Yet max 404s Optymistic Disco Dub

David Holmes - Dont Chant Just Yet (Holmes and Goldsworth Mix)

Bonus track from 1995:

Sven Vath - Ballet (Belfast-Fusion) mixed by David Holmes

http://www.myspace.com/davidholmesofficial

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DAVID HOLMES WEEK (3)

Following his work for TV in the mid-90s, the late 90s saw Holmes move strongly into soundtrack work.

Holmes' first proper soundtrack, the Marc Evans film Resurrection Game, appeared in 1997. The experience inspired Holmes to travel to New York and gather a wealth of urban-jungle environment recordings, compiled and mixed into his second proper album, Let's Get Killed.
He followed with the remix collection Stop Arresting Artists, and in 1998 scored Steven Soderbergh's A-list Hollywood feature Out of Sight with a prescient set of groove-funk. (The attention also earned him a place in Entertainment Weekly's list of the Top 100 Creative People in Entertainment.) His single "My Mate Paul" even featured as the theme music to the Sony Playstation game Psybadek. Essential Mix 98/01 followed later that year, and in 1999 This Film's Crap, Let's Slash the Seats was reissued with a bonus disc of rarities and unreleased tracks.

From 1996:

David Holmes - Gone (Second Night Without Charge Two Lone Swordsmen Mix)

David Holmes - My Mate Paul [Heck Mix] By Skylab

David Holmes - My Mate Paul [My Mainman Paul Mix] By Pulsinger and Tunakan

Bonus track:
David Holmes - Gone (Alter Ego Decoding Gone Pt 2)

http://www.myspace.com/davidholmesofficial

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DAVID HOLMES WEEK (2)

This post picks up the point in the early 90s at which his Sugarclub in Belfast is making a name for itself and he starts to mix with artists from GB.

Back-and-forth contact between England and Northern Ireland brought Holmes into contact with leading DJs Andrew Weatherall, Darren Emerson, and Ashley Beedle. After familiarizing himself with the studio, he began recording with Beedle (later of Black Science Orchestra) to produce the single "DeNiro" (as Disco Evangelists), a sizeable dancefloor hit in 1992. The following year, his Scubadevils project (a collaboration with Dub Federation) appeared on the first volume of the seminal compilation series Trance Europe Express.

That first taste of success brought David Holmes much remixing work during 1993-1994, for Weatherall's Sabres of Paradise, St. Etienne, Therapy?, Fortran 5, Sandals, and Justin Warfield, among others. He later signed to Go! Discs and in 1995 released his debut album, This Film's Crap, Let's Slash the Seats. Besides the cinema-terrorist persona evoked in the title, the album featured other ties to the cinema: the single "No Mans Land" had been written in response to the controversial Guildford 4 film In the Name of the Father. Television director Lynda La Plante ended up using many of the tracks from the album for her series Supply & Demand, and one track was used in the Sean Penn/Michael Douglas film The Game.

David Holmes - No Man's Land

David Holmes - Smoked Oak

David Holmes - Slash The Beats

Bonus track:

David Holmes - Gone (First Night Without Charge) Two Lone Swordsmen

http://www.myspace.com/davidholmesofficial

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DAVID HOLMES WEEK (1)

W00t! It's the letter 'H'. And at long last we get to David Holmes. To celebrate, a week of Holmes-related posts. Nothing from the albums, you should go and buy them.

Born in Belfast the youngest of ten children, Holmes listened to punk rock as a child and began DJing at the age of 15 - his sets at pubs and clubs around the city during the next few years embraced a range of grooves including soul-jazz, mod rock, Northern soul, and disco. Holmes also worked as an underground concert promoter and wrote a fanzine as well, though he was just out of his teenage years when the house and techno boom hit Britain in the late '80s. Soon he was integrating the new dance music into his mixing, and his club night Sugar Sweet became the first venue for serious dance music in Northern Ireland.

From 1994/95:

David Holmes - Johnny Favourite (Exploding Plastic Ambience Mix)

Holmes And McMillan - Total Toxic Tranquility

David Holmes - Minus 61 In Detroit

http://www.myspace.com/davidholmesofficial

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INDIE DANCE: GARBAGE / DREADZONE

Last time for 1990s altrock darlings Garbage. Remix duty supplied by crusty techno bods Dreadzone for Garbage's massive hit - Stupid Girl.

Garbage may have derived its name from their insertion of seemingly unusable noise in their songs. Another anecdotal origin for their name, was that Butch Vig contributed a remix to Nine Inch Nails' album Fixed, which Trent Reznor labeled 'garbage'.

Stupid Girl was a pretty good pop rock song. I thought the remixes could take it comewhere special. Sadly, the Dreadzone mixes are somewhat earthbound.

Garbage - Stupid Girl (Dreadzone Dub Version)

Garbage - Stupid Girl (Dreadzone Vocal Mix)

Garbage website

Garbage store

G IS FOR GLAMOROUS HOOLIGAN

Trip hop beats, even a bit big beatish with Glamorous Hooligan. This is the last post under the letter G. And next week, we have "David Holmes Week" at Acid Ted.

Glamorous Hooligan were Dean Cavanagh, Enzo Annecchini, Martin Diver. They were briefly active at the end of the 1990s. Their music was not particularly memorable. But they had some good remixers and that's what gets them this post.

Comprising Dean Cavanagh, Enzo Annechianni and Martin Diver, and based in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, Glamorous Hooligan took their name from the members' past experiences "running with a local football firm'. Their breakthrough release came with 1994"s Wasted Youth Club Classics, a collision of breakbeats with disparate samples and trip-hop inspired "otherness". Part of the record's ethos was a rebuttal of the way the modern club scene had evolved, and the expensive ticket prices charged by name DJs. The bleak but realistic mood of the album was further explored with the release of the attendant 10-inch single, "Stone Island Estate". Cavanagh also works as an underground music journalist, scriptwriter and a club promoter. nme.com

Glamorous Hooligan - Stoned Island Estate (Les Rythmes Digitales Remix)

Glamorous Hooligan - Stoned Island Estate (Regular Fries Reshuffle)

Glamorous Hooligan - Stoned Island Estate (A Tranquility Bass Transmission)

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NEW MUSIC: DJ D RAMIREZ

DJ D Ramirez anyone? New to me, although he was awarded Best Remix and Best Producer in DJ Magazine’s 2007 awards and 2006 Player Of The Year in iDJ. Not really my type of commercial electrohouse but perhaps yours.

Bio: D. Ramirez has achieved five top 20 hits, played on every continent and single handedly coined THAT electrohouse sound. He was awarded Best Remix and Best Producer in DJ Magazine’s 2007 awards and 2006 saw him knighted as a Player Of The Year in iDJ. His remix of Bodyrox ‘Yeah Yeah’ scored him an Ivor Novello nomination while past exploits such as ‘Columbian Soul’, ‘Time Fades Away’, ‘Pleasure Me’ and ‘La Discotek’ have all achieved coveted Coolcuts and Buzz chart hotspots, championed by some of the biggest DJs in the game. Deans even performed on Top Of Pops. 2008 saw his critically acclaimed Azuli Headliners album released, followed by 3 singles for the more underground house connoisseur. Over the last few months Dean has been collaborating with Underworld, Matt Tolfrey, Mark Knight & Robert Owens creating several singles due for release this Summer, he's currently remixing Skunk Anansies'Twisted' and he's also revisited his Essential Tune of the Month, Max Linens 'Soulshaker' which is already being heralded as one of the most exciting tunes to hit Ibiza this summer. The future excitingly looms with 5 new singles, summer festival appearances, a month long tour in the USA, re-locating to LA for the summer and working with some of the dance industries most exciting luminaries.

FREE download of brand new track
"Satur8 (Teasing Edit)" too right it's a tease; less than 3 mins
www.dramirez.co.uk/Satur8.mp3

Download D. Ramirez’s July DJ Mix (Tracklisting below):
www.dramirez.co.uk/mData/djmix/DRamirezDJMixJuly2009.mp3

1) D. Ramirez Feat. LDV - 'Wired' (Robert Babicz Mix MP3) - Slave

2) Romanthony - ' Let Me Show you Love' (Hiro Edit) - White

3) Depeche Mode - 'Wrong' (Magda's Scallop Funk Remix) - Mute

4) Bradler & Dualton - 'Definitely' - Flow Vinyl

5) Hobo - 'Midnight' (Original Mix) - Minus

6) Mark Farina - 'Life' (Pezzner Mix) - Ohm Records

7) DKS - Thats Jazz (Pig&Dan Club Remix) - Hysterical

8) Will Saul - '3000AD' (I Cube Mix1) - Simple

9) D.Ramirez Feat. LDV - 'The Road Of Excess' (D.Ramirez Chant Mix) - Slave

10) Stuart Bridges - Popsicle Meltdown - 'Missed Connection' (Cut and chop Mix) - Kult

11) Wake - 'Turbulence' (Koen Groeneveld & Addy van der Zwan Remix) - Abszolut

12) D.Ramirez Feat. LDV - 'Wired' (Original Version) - Slave

13) Tim Sheridan and King Roc - 'Ghosts That Live In Her' (King Roc Remix) - Very Wrong Indeed Records

14) D. Ramirez Feat. LDV - The Road Of Excess (The Excessive mix) - Slave

15) Jim Pavloff - 'Driver' (Sender Remix) - Send Records

16) Dirty Vegas - 'Changes' (D.Ramirez Squeezebox Mix) - Toolroom

www.myspace.com/dramirezmusic
http://www.dramirez.co.uk/

G IS FOR THE GRID (3)

Final post on the Grid to round up a few remixes of their work by a range of artists.

On of the Grid's earliest singles was "A Beat Called Love"(1990). Coming out just before the classic "Floatation", this started to build their reputation. It has a Boys Own connection, with remixes by Farley & Heller. Next, 1993's "Crystal Clear". This was a great single with some really strong mixes by The Orb. This is probably the only of the Grid's release that is remembered with any affection today. It's been featured on a range of blogs, so I've gone for an under-rated mix by Acid Ted favourite Justin Robertson in his Lionrock guise. Another release featuring a Lionrock mix was 1994's "Texas Cowboys". I've used the dub mix as the vocal version shows that the sugar rot that was "Swamp Thing" was only round the corner. Immediately preceding that smash hit was indifferent single "Rollercoaster" which is saved by a complete reworking from Global Communication. And last, 1995s "Diablo". Coming after "Swamp Thing" this sounds the work of a listless group who have lost their way. Even Kris Needs as Secret Knowledge struggles to save it.

The Grid - A Beat Called Love (A Beat Called Club)

The Grid - Crystal Clear (Prankster Prophet Remix)

The Grid - Texas Cowboys (Lionrock Dubs Your Wagon)

The Grid - Rollercoaster (The Global Communication Yellow Submarine Re-Take)

The Grid - Diablo (Secret Knowledge Atomic Bidet Mix)

Grid MySpace

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G IS FOR BEBEL GILBERTO (2)

I wasn't going to anything further on Bebel Gilberto. But I found a couple of rare Peter Kruder extended mixes on a 12".

For Bebel's third album she used electronic producer Guy Sigsworth. From an interview in RemixMag:

"Her organic attitude turned out to be an excellent complement to the precise style of Guy Sigsworth, the Pro Tools devotee with whom she worked in London. Having collaborated with Björk, Madonna and Imogen Heap (as one-half of the ethereal dance band Frou Frou), Sigsworth brought a dance-music sensibility to the studio that helped Momento become more than just a live Brazilian record.

“Bebel obviously comes with a subtle understanding of bossa nova and Brazilian music, which I don't really have,” Sigsworth admits. “I know what I like, but I'm not so honed to the specifics of the bossa-nova style. When she's in the room with her percussionist, and they start saying, “That's an afuche; that's a samba,” I have to admit that I'm kind of slightly faking my knowledge a bit. All I know is, well, that sounds like quite a good rhythm; let's go with that one! In a way, I think my naïveté is probably quite helpful because I don't think she's making records for specific aficionados of that style. She's making records for anybody who happens to like the sound of her voice and her music.”

Sigworth's lesson in Brazilian music continued through the recording sessions. “In a lot of bossa records, you really, really hear the acoustic guitars,” he says. “It's absolutely dominant. They really, really want it very, very loud in the mix. It wouldn't be like in a typical English pop record where it's often rolled off and doesn't have much bass end. Instead, it'd be quite a full-frequency sound coming off. So you have to navigate around that if you want the cool electronic noises that I do to come through.”

Bebel Gilbert - So Nice (Inner Space Dub) Layo & Bushwacka

Bebel Gilberto - Tanto Tempo (PK's Bebel im Nebel Remix) Peter Kruder

Bebel Gilberto - Tanto Tempo (PK's Cidade Maravilhosa Remix) Long Version

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NEW MUSIC: ELECTRIC ASSEMBLY

Something new for a change. Fancy some electronic shoegazing from a group that describe themselves as Boards of Canada played by The Velvet Underground?

They say: We describe ourselves as:“Boards of Canada played by The Velvet Underground produced by Kevin Shields arranged by Sun Ra listened to by Syd Barrett.” Musicians that inspire us include Can, Sonic Youth, Caribou, Spacemen 3, Steve Reich, Mogwai, Jimmy Webb, Animal Collective, The Necks, Broken Social Scene, Harmonia............Loads of links to our music are below - both our EPs are available to hear on our bandcamp page.

I can hear Velvet Underground and Sun Ra but not Boards of Canada but there are multiple layers of guitar and drone. Very woozy. The tracks featured are all instrumentals because I wasn't too keen on the vocal ones. But if you ever liked Spaceman 3 or Ulrich Schnauss' recent work, this is for you (and they give their comments on each track).

Electric Assembly - '11:43' - this is from our new EP 'White Splinter' - its 19 minutes long so I was thinking of sending you a shorter version, but this is the version on the EP and I can't find an edit that works quite like this one. Sorry, but it might take a while to download!

Electric Assembly - 'Wipe the Sun off your Shoes' - the last track on the Whie Splinter EP

Electric Assembly - 'Heading for a Fall' - previously unreleased. We've just finished this track and posted a video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzDQrtEFmpc.

Do buy something from their website.

Electric Assembly MySpace

electricassembly.com

electricassembly.bandcamp.com

G IS FOR GOLDFRAPP

Allison Goldfrapp moved from providing vocals for others in the '90s to a very successful career in the '00s in collaboration with Will Gregory. She has skipped across a range of styles from trip hop to glam-disco pop to acoustic electronic. And she's a darling of the fashion press for her adventurous dress sense.

Bath, England's singer/composer/keyboardist Allison Goldfrapp began exploring music as a part of her studies as a Fine Art Painting major at Middlesex University, mixing sound, visuals, and performances in her installation pieces. While she was still in college, she appeared on her friend Tricky's 1995 debut Maxinquaye, which led to appearances on albums from other cutting-edge electronic artists, including Orbital's Snivilisation and Add N to X's Avant Hard. By the late '90s, Goldfrapp began honing her own compositions; one of her friends passed some of her demos on to composer Will Gregory. Finding much in common in their musical tastes and approaches, the duo took Allison's surname as the name for their collaboration. After signing to Mute in 1999, Goldfrapp delivered their debut album, Felt Mountain, in fall 2000. Felt Mountain went on to nearly universal acclaim and spawned several singles, including the Utopia Genetically Enriched EP, which arrived in early 2001. After spending most of that year touring, Goldfrapp spent most of 2002 recording and returned with Black Cherry in spring 2003. 2005 saw the release of the "Ooh La La" single and the full-length Supernature, both of which continued the disco and glam rock influences of the duo's previous album. 2008's The Seventh Tree moved in a calmer, more acoustic-based, but just as sonically lush direction. Heather Phares, All Music Guide

A small selection covering her work for Orbital and two of her own tracks from 2003 and 2004. The Orbital and Ewan Pearson mixes are the one to go for.

Orbital - Sad But New (w/Goldfrapp)

Goldfrapp - Utopia (Genetially Modified Mix)

Goldfrapp - Train (Ewan Pearson Vocal Mix)

Goldfrapp website

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CHARITY SHOP CLASSICS (40)

Who'd have thought I'd get 12"s from the same group from two different charity shops? Not me. They were early releases by progressive house group Sunscreem.

From MOG: One of the first rave-pop groups with live-performance abilities as well, Sunscreem formed around Paul Carnell and Lucia Holm (both on keyboards and vocals) with a handful of contributors including guitarists Darren Woodford and Wayne Simms, bassist Rob Fricker, drummer Sean Wright and Baz the DJ. Holm was a session cellist -- with credits including Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town" -- when she met Carnell at a warehouse rave in Essex and agreed to form a band. Early singles "Walk On" and "Pressure" became moderate British hits and dancefloor favorites, while 1993's "Love U More" became their trademark song (and biggest hit). The debut Sunscreem album O3 was released in 1993, earning American release through Columbia. The "Perfect Motion" single also became a hit, but the group had disappeared from the charts by the mid-'90s. Their second album Change or Die was finally released in 1996, while the retrospective Looking at You: Club Anthems appeared in 1998.

From 1991 and 1992 some progressive house, with a definite poppy streak:

Sunscreem - Walk On (D-Cubed Mix)

Sunscreem - Pressure (12" Mix)

Sunscreem - Walk On (PNO Mix)

Sunscreem - Pressure (Instrumental)

No links to product today. Instead, if you download you could give something to the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (UK) by donating here or Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation (USA) here or to a children's cancer charity in your own country. Or use the donate button at the top of the page for donations which go to The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust.

G IS FOR THE GRID (2)

A further post on now unregarded early Brit Housers The Grid, picking up the story after they 'took a break' in 1995. This post features a classic lost Italo House tune.

Their MySpace bio says: Dave Ball went on to remix Faust, David Bowie and the Pet Shop Boys and produce Kylie Minogue, while Richard Norris has produced and remixed tracks for artists including Joe Strummer, Perry Farrell and Black Grape. His electronic band the Droyds have remixed Ladytron, Client and Armand Van Helden. He has recently completed the official Paul Oakenfold autobiography (out now!) whilst Dave is just about to release a new collection of Soft Cell remixes on Mercury/Universal with Marc Almond called "Heat - the remixes" (with Grid remixes!) which is due for release in 2008. They have recently remixed Soft Cell ('Sex Dwarf' and 'So'), Jackie Chan, Mighty K, Client and Atomizer and have worked on new tracks with Marc Almond. Watch this space for regular uploads of new and rare Grid material; check out the Grid mixes of Man Parrish 'Hip Hop Be Bop' and the B52's 'Private Idaho' (B52's mix available at www.planetclique.net)...The Grid single "Put Your Hands Together" (including remixes by Paul Jackson, MHC, Kriss Darang, The Grid & FA4S) was recently released to great response & the new album "Doppelganger" was released March 24th 2008 on Some Bizzare.

Probably my favourite track of theirs after "Floatation" was "Boom!" from 1991. Seems curiously unknown and it's a lovely House track. A bit Italo influenced but with a fabulous sub-bass kick.

The Grid - Boom! (707 Mix)

The Grid - Boom! (Deep Space Mix)

The Grid - Boom! (Freestyle Mix)

The Grid - Figure Of Eight (Grid Tribal Trance Mix)

The Grid - Figure Of Eight (Todd's Master Dub)

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G IS FOR GROOVE CORPORATION (3)

Last post about Grove Corporation. Dealing with the period 1995 to today.

Just prior to the release of Co-Operation, Network Records were bought out by Sony and G.Corp found themselves once again in the grip of a major label. The first 10,000 LPs were pressed and sold, G.Corp were summoned to a meeting with the head of their label section, only to be told that because his boss did not feel involved they should kill this LP and record a new one with the said boss more involved in the process.

The answer was a less than polite No and G.Corp headed back to their studio The Elephant House confining Co-Operation to rare groove status. A dub of Co-Operation was released on German label Echo Beach - this was to cement a style and also earn them a deluge of remix offers. As well as this G Corp were working on their second dub album 'Dub Plates From The Elephant House Vol. 1'.

The album, described by the press as "King Tubby meets The Chemical Brothers" was released on the visionary indie label Different Drummer. Remixes were also completed for Bob Marley, Bobby Womack, Sly and Robbie, Dillinger ( the anthem Cocaine In My Brain), Ennio Morricone, Maxi Priest, Yabby U and Luciano. What a perfect situation the autonomy of their own studio, making the music they wanted to make with no interference from major labels and a collection of their heroes on the mixing desk to be reworked! A vital selection of these remixes have been put together on one album 'Remixes From The Elephant House' released on the ever cool Chicago based Guidance label.

The Groove Corporation have just finished "Dub Plates From The Elephant House -Volume Two" (2002) for Different Drummer and are currently working on a vocal and beats album for "Guidance Recordings", due to be released early 2003. "Dub Plates From The Elephant House -Volume Three" was released in 2007.

You will also find G.Corp on tour as part of the Overproof Soundsystem, a sound system that evolved from a club night in Birmingham called "Overproof" run by the Different Drummer crew. The sound features live keyboards, percussion and the vocals of Jugla and Tweed from Rockers Hi Fi, the selectors spinning anything from sixties and seventies roots and dub to modern dub and remixes.

Groove Corporation - Rain (Mother Mix)

Groove Corporation - Twist & Change (Isotonic Dub) Ashley Beedle

Groove Corporation - Twist & Change (Revolution Must Come Mix)

GCorp website

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INDIE DANCE: GAVIN FRIDAY / THE GRID

All round Irish renaissance man with remixes from The Grid. Don'tcha love the 'I can read Joyce' pose?

Gavin Friday was born in Dublin on October 8, 1959. He survived a Christian Brothers education to become a singer, composer and painter. Ireland's most avant-garde chanteur founded the legendary Virgin Prunes in 1977. The band's uncompromising body of work ensured a dedicated fan base in Ireland, the U.K. and mainland Europe in particular.

In 1995 Gavin Friday released 'Shag Tobacco'. Produced by Bomb the Bass' Tim Simenon, the sultry, cinematic album uniquely blends 90's dance rhythms with more traditional European pop set in a world not quite in the future, or in the past. 'It's a very sexual album,' said Friday, 'if there is a location for this album, it is a place where love is most definitely the drug and everyone is a junkie.' The Shag Tobacco tours lasted well into 1996, ending triumphantly with a show at the Olympia Theatre in Friday's home town, Dublin. It is from this period that the tracks below come.

Gavin Friday is a prolific vocalist, artist and composer, whose film work includes the songs written with Bono for the popular 1993 film 'In the Name of the Father'. They recorded the title track as well as the Sinead O'Connor sung hit 'You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart'. In 1996 Friday and Seezer contributed the song 'Angel' to the 'Romeo + Juliet' soundtrack and wrote their first piece of score for the Australian film 'Angel Baby'. His subsequent film scores have included 'The Boxer' (1998), 'Disco Pigs' (2001) and 'In America' (2002). In late 2005, Friday and Seezer teamed up with legendary producer Quincy Jones to score the Jim Sheridan directed 50 Cent biopic 'Get Rich or Die Trying.'

Gavin Friday is currently working on his fourth solo album with writing partner Herb Macken.

Gavin Friday - You, Me and World War III (The Grid - Armageddon Dub)

Gavin Friday - You, Me And World War III (The Grid Armageddon Mix)

Gavin Friday website

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NEW MUSIC: CHEWY CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Chewy Chocolate Cookies are one of the few electroclash acts that I have time for. With most it's just too much compression or scuzzed bass. CCC have an infectious sense of fun and funkiness. And they've a new release out - Delicatessen #1.

Tey said: Few facts behind "Delicatessen #1":

It's the first of a series of releases, called "Delicatessen", 100% focused on experimenting.

Experimenting with a new sound (more clean, but still heavy), experimenting with collaborations (check out the Cyberpunkers Remix... it's an absolute bomb!!) but most of all experimenting with promotion.

The idea was to build the hype about the release, "without the release" (ok, it sounds weird!!)... without any preview, teaser or whatever... it wanted to be a way of testing "the P. of the I." (as Tiga says :)). That's why, so far, all the promotion has been based on that 40 sec video with a 1 sec clip you may have seen on Youtube.

Finally, after hundreds of views on Youtube and countless msgs asking what the hell was it all about, I can say that, thanks to you, it has been a very successful experiment.

After reading this, you might wondering what the hell is wrong with CCC?!?! Nothing really, it's just the need for something new, breaking the classic rules and try to set new standards...wow, that's serious talking, I could run for the next elections!! ;)

To thank you for your amazing support, CCC would like to share with you a 100% free 320mp3 taken from "Delicatessen #1"...

Chewy Chocolate Cookies "This is massive" DubMix - taken from "Delicatessen #1" http://www.zshare.net/audio/6266438075137117/

and please, tell your readers dont’ be selfish, be nice with CCC… they’ve already got a free track, go and dwnld the other 3 @ Beatport ;)

Enjoy it!!!

http://www.chewychocolatecookies.com/

www.myspace.com/chewychocolatecookies

www.twitter.com/chewycookies

www.facebook.com/pages/Chewy-Chocolate-Cookies/18321233291

G IS FOR THE GOOD FELLAS

A fabulous bit of gentle breakbeat, produced by Shut Up and Dance, from all the way back in 1992.

The Good Fellas was only one fella, Mark O'Neill. This was his first release (of three) as The Good Fellas. Released in 1992 on Ruff Quality Recordings - an offshoot of Shut Up and Dance Records. The single was produced by Shut Up and Dance (PJ and Smiley). It's a lovely bit of breakbeat, almost junglish, using the string sample from Pachabel's canon (like the Farm did on Altogether Now). The mixes are pretty similar (the same?), despite the misleading Chill Out title on one.

The Good Fellas - Let The Music Play

The Good Fellas - Let The Music Play (Chill Out Mix)

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G IS FOR GREEN NUNS OF THE REVOLUTION

What kind of name is Green Nuns Of The Revolution? Why did I buy a psy-trance record? Did somebody spike my coffee?

I can excuse one. But two? I can only apologise for the trance which follows. But the comment on God Within reminded me that I did have Green Nuns Of The Revolution. Wincing as I listen, much is bloody awful but "Two Vindaloos & An Onion Bhagee" still works fairly well, despite the cringe-making, puntastic title (after trance classic Two Full Moons & A Trout). There's Underworld's live version of Born Slippy as a bonus for those otherwise traumatised.

From NME: The Green Nuns was initially formed in 1994 when Matt Coldrick and Sev Burden were sharing a flat. Together they made their first recording, "The Whirling Dervish", which was produced by Pete Smith (The Hypnotist) and released on Triumph Records, before Burden left the country to travel. In the meantime, Burden had introduced Coldrick to the sound engineer Dick Trevor, who had been on the techno/trance scene since the days of Castle Morton. Having established their Blaglands Studios, Coldrick and Trevor released a series of recordings that began with "Conflict"/"Cor" (TIP Records 1995) and included "Atomic Armadillo" (on Flying Rhino's compilation Boyd In The Void). Radio exposure from such DJs as Danny Rampling, Annie Nightingale and John Peel broadcast their sound around the UK before the Green Nuns played a number of live shows, including the Brixton Academy, the Trinity Centre in Bristol and the Liberty Science Centre in New York.

While performing on a session for soul singer Gabrielle, Coldrick met the keyboard player Neil Cowley (b. 5 November 1972, London, England, ex-Brand New Heavies), who soon joined the group to work on new tracks for a debut album. Released in October 1997, Rock Bitch Mafia featured more of the band's muscular psychedelic trance. Straightahead rockers such as "Cor" and "Rock Bitch" featured chunky sledgehammer riffs, while "Octofunk" unveiled more quirky, funky melodies and "Klunk" included fragments of cartoon noise. The group also produced a number of excellent remixes for other artists, notably Prana ("Scarab") and Tufaan ("Tufaan"). In 1999 they released the Green Nunions EP, the final Green Nuns Of The Revolution recording. Coldrick, Trevor and Cowley have continued to record and produce as solo artists.

From 1995 and 1998:

Green Nuns Of The Revolution - Two Vindaloos & An Onion Bhagee

Green Nuns Of The Revolution - ring of fire (eat static remix)

Green Nuns Of The Revolution - Green Nunions

Bonus:

For those who don't want psy-trance, cheer yourself up with Underworld's "Born Slippy" (live) via BigShot Mag

Green Nuns Of The Revolution MySpace

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G IS FOR THE GRID (1)

Ah, the Grid. They made some lovely House music in the early 90s. Got huge with the unfortunate 'Swamp Thing' hit and then sank without trace. Unfairly overlooked in my opinion.

As for the basics, their MySpace says: The Grid formed after Richard Norris met Dave Ball in 1987 during the recording of 'Jack The Tab', one of the UK's first Acid House albums. The album was co-produced by Norris and Genesis P.Orridge. The Grid released 10 singles from 1988 - 1995, all of which made the UK charts, including 'Floatation', 'Crystal Clear', 'Texas Cowboys', 'Figure Of 8', 'Rollercoaster' and the million-selling 'Swamp Thing'. They released three albums ('Electric Head', '456' and 'Evolver') and a compilation ('Music For Dancing'). The Grid have remixed and produced numerous artists including Brian Eno, Yello, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Billy Ray Martin, Happy Mondays, Boy George, Robert Fripp, Sun Ra, Marc Almond and more. Grid tracks have been used extensively on television ('Coronation St', 'Emmerdale', 'Home and Away', 'Footballer's Wives', 'Eastenders' etc), and in film ('Pret A Porter', 'Pecker', 'Meeting The President'). The band took a break in 1995.

From those early days, their 1990 classic chillout/ambient track 'Floatation' with the best mixes being by Weatherall in his golden period (The Sonic Swing Mix includes the opening bit of The Stone Roses' "Waterfall" towards the end of the mix):

The Grid - Floatation (Subsonic Grid Mix) mixed by Andrew Weatherall

The Grid - Floatation (Sonic Swing Mix) mixed by Andrew Weatherall

The Grid - Floatation (Progressive Mix) mixed by Olimax & DJ Shapps

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G IS FOR GROOVE CORPORATION (2)

Some more soulful house from Groove Corporation, with more than a hint of dub this time.

The Groove Corporation are Roberto Cimarosti and Brian Nordhoff. Picking up their story after Electribe 101 ended:

A few EP's were released including the legendary "Summer Of Dub" EP and the "Stoned" EP, a joint release with label partners Rockers Hi Fi then known as Original Rockers.

They also contributed some tracks to compilations such as the Ambient Dub volumes on Beyond Records. On the strength of this they secured a deal with the then independent Network Records and a new album "Co-Operation" was commissioned.

No one had any idea what the album would be, the idea was just to make music on their own and with guest vocalists. G.Corp would write music to inspire vocalists in the hope that they would come back with lyrics to inspire them.

Co-operation shows the results of these collaborations, not just one direction but a mixture of hip-hop, dub, and deep house with various vocals from the likes of local rap crew Night Time Crew, beat poet MC 90% Water, through to reggae legend Bim Sherman, all like minded people leaving their egos on the coat-hooks and making music.

Groove Corporation - Flipped Script Dub

Groove Corporation - Lonely Soldier Dub

Groove Corporation - Rain (Dub Mix)

GCorp website

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CHARITY SHOP CLASSICS (39)

A mixed bag today but all House, all from 1988, courtesy of Rap Trax.

Yesterday's charity shop rummage disgorged the Rap Trax CD (rubbish name then, rubbish name now). Has a mixture of Rap and House tracks, which reminded me that this isn't as odd as it sounded subsequently. House hasn't always been as white as it is today.

The sleeve notes say: "Although in their purest forms rap and house remain segregated - this homegrown approach has distorted the distinction between them so much that many big rap hits have been mixed by 'House' DJs, and have curried favourable responses being marketed as House Music.

House music, the upbeat, simple, strictly dancing sound from Chicago has been a magnet to the UK for the past couple of years and from its stronghold in the North of England has launched its latest offensive 'Acid'. The music is brain-tingling with oscilating synthesisers changing frequency over a simple rhythm structure. This sound is already de rigeur for London's fashion-influenced subterranean club scene, and is yet another vehicle for musical novices to create their own individual style."

The rap tracks are well-known classics, so I've picked a few of the House tracks. Finally, if you want another S'Express track pop over to The Vinyl Villain when you've finished here:

S'Express - Superfly Guy

Jack N Chill - The Jack That House Built

Simon Harris - Bass (How Low Can You Go?)

No links to product today. Instead, if you download you could give something to the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (UK) by donating here or Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation (USA) here or to a children's cancer charity in your own country. Or use the donate button at the top of the page for donations which go to The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust.

NEW MUSIC: KIDS AT THE BAR

A new remix duo, with remixes of Daft Punk and Toxic Avenger.

Kids At The Bar is the musical project of Oklahoma City dj/producer Rad and studio producer/engineer Matt Buckley. The duo first formed about a year ago to create a remix for good friends/colleagues Trash Yourself! Enjoying working together so much they decided to carry on to other projects. This led to the formation of Kids At The Bar, a mixture of electro, punk, hip-hop, and rock. How fashionable!

They say: Here are some remixes we are releasing for our really good friends !Trash Yourself & Toxic Avenger and a very talented group Empire of the Sun. Walking On A Dream was a remix we only intended using for our dj sets, but we have been getting a good response from people, so we thought we might try and share it with everyone. We knew there were tons of remixes of this song already out there, we just wanted to make something a little heavier and that would mix well with the rest of our set. So here is our remix of Die, Walking On A Dream and also a 320! version of our Data - Rapture Remix, which has not been released yet.

!Trash Yourself & Toxic Avenger - Die (Kids At The Bar Remix)

Main Link:http://www.zshare.net/audio/62631292f3657504/

Back Up Link:http://www.mediafire.com/?mnmjjib0onl

Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream (Kids At The Bar Remix)

Main Link:http://www.zshare.net/audio/60862550c8ff3309/

Back Up Link:http://www.mediafire.com/file/2zyiziyim1l/

Walking Data - Rapture (Kids At The Bar Remix)(320)

Main Link:http://www.zshare.net/audio/608624634fcb7dd2/

Back Up Link:http://www.mediafire.com/file/qwyzzjltbmt/Rapture

Daft Punk - Technologic (Kids At The Bar Remix)

Main Link:http://www.zshare.net/audio/61043267d7c09612/

--- www.myspace.com/kidsatthebar

--- www.twitter.com/kidsatthebar

G IS FOR GOD WITHIN

God Within was one of the names used by Scott Hardkiss, who has featured on these pages more than once before, including in May's D Selection.

Scott Hardkiss' background doesn't need repeating. His West Coast psychadelic House was a wonder in 1993 and 1994 when he produced two classic 12"s - Raincry and The Phoenix. Moggieboy recently did a post at Ripped In Glasgow about Raincry, so I won't dwell on that. Instead have an almost equally good track from The Phoenix and one from Volume Magazine's "Trance Atlantic" series of CDs.

God Within - The Phoenix (Riverandrain)

God Within - Conjour Bass Bass (While The Double Agents Lurk)

http://www.scotthardkiss.com/

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G IS FOR THE GENTLE PEOPLE

The Gentle People were a short-lived group from the 1990s. They produced quite lounge-y material but for Rephlex (linked to Aphex Twin). Their connection with Aphex Twin probably go them more attention than they would otherwise have received. It's certainly why I bought them.

The Gentle People claimed to be Dougee Dimensional, Honeymink, Laurie LeMans and Valentine Carnelian. Their MySpace page (for they have recently reformed) says: "Following an extended hiatus, The Gentle People made their long overdue worldwide return in 2006.

Formed out of a nascent art collective of musicians, graphic designers, and gadabouts, The Gentle People first offered up their unique style of subversive lounge music upon their arrival on the London music scene in 1993. Immediately garnering the interest of Aphex Twin's electronica pioneer Richard D. James, The Gentle People were kindly asked if they would issue their music on James' Rephlex Records. The band's first EP, "Journey," was released in 1994 to much critical acclaim, and its success would help foster a whole new genre of lounge "chill-out" music which is, still today, the soundtrack for hipsters throughout the globe, played in funky shops, restaurants, and chic bars forevermore.

After a second hit EP "Emotion Heater"), the band released its first full length album Soundtracks For Living. (The disc was named Mixmag's LP of the month for January 1997.) Three years later, riding the wave of their single "Groovin' With You," The Gentle People reigned in the new millennium with their sophomore album Simply Faboo. Meshing lush dreamy vocals and strings with quirky electro and disco beats, the techno bubblegum feel of Simply Faboo instantly became the pick of many hip sophisticates around the globe."

That bio is wildly overdone, even for MySpace. They were never more than a footnote in dance history. But if you like lush exotica (perhaps Martin Denny) or wish you were on a beach now, give it a listen. These tracks come from the 1995 release of "Journey":

The Gentle People - Journey (Aphex Twin remix)

The Gentle People - Journey (Original Instr)

The Gentle People - Journey (Hazchem Remix)

Gentle People MySpace

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G IS FOR GREYBOY

Not terribly well-known in the UK, I was always fond of Greyboy's jazzy hip hop stylings. Perfect for summer. A minority taste I'm sure. Steer clear of his Greyboys Allstars which veered wildy into jazz funk/acid jazz. Shudder.

San Diego producer and DJ Andreas Stevens, or Greyboy, was initially taken by hip-hop but -- because he couldn't find any decent MCs to hook up with -- shifted his attention to acid jazz. He was, in fact, the very first American producer to do so. And it was an inspired move. In 1994 Stevens served up his debut solo album, Freestylin', with the help of talented sax player Karl Denson. The offering became a cult hit, especially in acid jazz-hungry Europe. Released on the label Ubiquity, it cost $4,000 to make and nothing to market, yet it remains the label's most successful offering. That same year Stevens did his credentials no harm with the underground favorite track "Unwind Your Mind" (another collaboration with Denson), which appeared on Ubiquity's Home Cookin' compilation. His next album, Land of the Lost, came out in 1996, at a time when the popularity of acid jazz was beginning to wane. From 1993 to 1997 Stevens was, along with Denson, also a key figure in the acid jazz band Greyboy Allstars, who put out three albums on their own Greyboy Records label. Stevens then drifted back to his hip-hop roots, pairing up with skateboarding champ Rob Dyrdek to launch the record label P-Jays. Not surprisingly, the label's offerings -- including compilations and 12" releases -- were most popular among skateboarders. Stevens made a return as Greyboy in 2001, with the critically acclaimed album Mastered the Art. A fusion of hip-hop, jazz, rare-groove, and even world music, it also boasted the talents of live musicians Dave Pike and Elgin Park and rapper MC MainFlo.
~ David Peter Wesolowski, All Music Guide

It was the "Mastered The Art" (2001) album that really did it for me. A fabulously summery album:

Greyboy - Mastered The Art

Greyboy - Mastered The Art (Nicola Conte Jet Sounds Remix)

Greyboy - Genevieve (Quantic Remix)

Greyboy website

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G IS FOR GERM

This isn't a swine flu post, though people have it on the floor above me at work - I try not to think about the efficiency with which air con can spread disease. This post is about GRP artist Germ. Some typically GPR-style IDM. Really rather good, none of your autechre being difficult with dissonance and metal bashing.

Germ was Tim Wright. Today's tracks are from 1994 LP "Gone" which was a selection of tunes recorded in York between October '92 and May '94, according to the sleeve. Never otherwise heard of Germ.

According to Wiki: Wright's first commercially available releases were under the pseudonym Germ. Described as "one of the most influential, under-recognized forces of innovation in the European experimental electronic music scene" (Sean Cooper, Allmusic), Germ was initially a solo bedroom project but grew with the aid of engineer John Dalby at Finsbury Park Studios to encompass collaborations with Hilary Jeffery (trombone), Matt Miles (double bass) and Nicholas Bullen (electric bass).

Germ released three EPs and two albums, "Gone" and "Parrot" on General Productions Recordings (GPR) in 1995. Wright continues to use the Germ name for the occasional remix, the most recent being of John Richards' "Suite for Piano and Electronics" (2007 Nonclassical). When GPR ceased trading in 1996 Wright was temporarily forced to abandon the Germ name and went on to pursue a more dance-floor friendly sound with his solo project Tube Jerk. After commissioning the Germ remix of African Nightflight's "Make up your Mind" Sean Mayo, then head of PIAS UK offshoot iLL Recordings, persuaded Wright to tailor his sound for a techno/club audience with the Tube Jerk project. The Tube Jerk sound was instantly recognisable with its use of enormous rolling drum and bass style bass-lines and tight house- influenced drum parts. Still active to date, two full length albums have been released, "Shift" (2003 on Sativae Recordings) and "Fold" (1999 on iLL Recordings) as well as a number of remixes and vinyl only EPs.

Wright also works as head engineer at Parrot Music (formerly Finsury Park Studios) in York. Described as a "private recording studio" it is where most of his work has been recorded. He is credited as engineer on the majority of the output of UK hip hop group New Flesh (Big Dada).
He is currently studying for a PhD in composition of Electroacoustic music at the University of York.

If you only download one track, make it Ssong, especially if you ever liked Beaumont Hannant.

Germ - Ssong

Germ - Gun (Gone)

Germ - Bamboo Groove II

Tim Wright Website from where you can buy mp3s

G IS FOR GROOVE CORPORATION (1)

Groove Corporation make soulful house. Formed from the ashes of Electribe 101, they are still going today.

From their bio: The Groove Corporation first appeared in the public eye as Electribe 101. Hailed by the N.M.E. as the forefront of the British house movement, at a time when house was experimental and only heard on pirate radio or in underground, mainly illegal clubs.

They managed to achieve 3 top 40 singles and a top 20 album, but soon became disillusioned with the business, finding out that it was more about celebrity than music.

They subsequently parted company with vocalist Billie Ray Martin and headed back to the studio for more musical experiments.

The Groove Corporation were always given production credits on Electribe 101 records and on mixes done for, among others the house legend Kevin Saunderson.

When Electribe 101 split they chose to work under this moniker. They formed their own label, the Cake Label along with fellow Birmingham dubsters Rockers Hi Fi, and were credited with mixing the ground breaking Rockers Hi Fi track "Push Push".

There's nothing particularly radical about their work but it is good quality soulful House, with dub influences. Perhaps in the Ashley Beedle vein.

Groove Corporation - Let Me Out

Rockers Hi-Fi - Push Push (Groove Corporation Remix)

Altern-8 - Brutal-8-E Z-Trance Mix) By Groove Corporation

GCorp website

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INDIE DANCE: GARBAGE / RABBIT IN THE MOON / MASSIVE ATTACK

More remixes of Garbage from their prolific 1995/96 period. This time by West Country stars Massive Attack with one of their skunk paranoia mixes and West Florida dance stars Rabbit In The Moon.

FRom the official Garbage bio: "When Shirley Manson first hooked up with Butch Vig, Steve Marker and Duke Erikson, the band was pegged as ?"three producers and a girl.?" Vig and Erikson had been, respectively, the drummer and the frontman for Midwestern guitar-pop favorites Spooner, as well as mid-?'80s college radio successes Fire Town. Vig?'s old college buddy Marker engineered Spooner?'s very first recordings on a four-track in his basement; the two men went on to found Smart Studios, producing and engineering such seminal post-hardcore bands as Killdozer and Die Kreuzen. Then Vig manned the console for such landmark records as the Smashing Pumpkins?' Gish and of course, Nirvana?'s Nevermind, as well as discs by Sonic Youth, L7, House of Pain and Freedy Johnston.

Garbage was meant to be a lark, a way for three old friends to take advantage of success and have fun on the other side of the control room. But someone had to sing. ?"It was just going to be a blip in our personal history,?" says Manson, who began her career playing keyboards in the Scottish combo Goodbye Mr. MacKenzie, then fronted her own band Angelfish.

Three records later?--1995?'s Garbage, 1998?'s Version 2.0 and 2001?'s Beautiful Garbage?--Garbage has seen their albums top the charts around the world, had countless hit singles (?"Queer,?" ?"Happy When It Rains, ?"Stupid Girl,?" ?"Special,?" ?"Cherry Lips?"), graced every year-end best-of you can name, earned several Grammy nominations (including Best New Artist in 1997 and Album of the Year for Version 2.0 in 2001) and cut a James Bond movie theme (?"The World Is Not Enough?"). They?'ve also played close to 1000 shows, from dives to sheds to giant festivals, as well as tours with Smashing Pumpkins, Alanis Morrisette, U2 and No Doubt."

Garbage - Milk (Massive Attack Remix)

Garbage - Milk (Rabbit In The Moon Remix)

Garbage website

Grabage store

NO MORE POP |5| Neo Filigrante‏

I got this strange email from Germany. But it has a great mix attached, with some Pocketknife remixes which can't be bad.

__________________

oh my god, no more pop 5

once somebody asked me:

"freako, in what do you believe?"

and i answered:

I DO BELIEVE IN ROMANCE AND BEAT

__________________

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.nomorepop.net/sets/NoMorePop__-5-__Aerodrome_with_Neo_Filigrante.mp3

No More Pop 5 - Aerodrome with Neo Filigrante

Playlist:

1 - Change - The End

2 - Little Casper and the MX's - The Ultimate Warlord

3 - Snuff Crew - Slam it

4 - TC 1991 - Berry (Fratty Version)

5 - Black Metoric Star - Death Tunnel

6 - Ragtyme feat. Byron Stingily - I can't stand away(Lil Lous Mix)

7 - Albion - Space Time Continuum

8 - Revolver - Birds in dm (Joakim Remix)

9 - Feist - Gatekeeper (Pocketknife Mix)

10 - White Magic - The Gypsies Cam Marching After (Pocketknife Mix)

11 - John Talabot - Sunshine (Ilya Santana Version)

12 - Supersound - secret life

13 - Subway - Simplex (Gatto Fritto Mix)

http://www.nomorepop.net/

G IS FOR GROOVE ARMADA

Hardly unknown but I thought I might as well tick them off the list. Smooth downtempo for the masses. They came to prominence in the downtempo boom around the millennium but have continued to today, their music getting more interesting and funky as time passes.

London dance duo Groove Armada consists of Tom Findlay and Andy Cato. The group formed in the mid-'90s after being introduced by Cato's girlfriend and soon started their own club, also named Groove Armada (after a '70s discotheque), which featured their spinning. By 1997 they released a handful of singles, including "4 Tune Cookie" and "At the River"; their debut album, Northern Star, followed the next year. 1999 saw the release of Vertigo, which made the Top 20 of the British charts and silver status in the U.K. The album's singles achieved similar heights, including "I See You Baby," which was remixed by Fatboy Slim. The group followed this success with a stint as Elton John's opening band and with the U.S. release of Vertigo in early 2000. An album of remixes followed shortly after, featuring post-productions by DJ Icey and Tim "Love" Lee. After releasing a mix album, Back to Mine, the duo returned with a sophomore production effort, 2001's Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub). Two years later, Lovebox highlighted a new kind of funk for Groove Armada, with kitschy vibes and collaborative efforts coming from Neneh Cherry, Nappy Roots, and R&B chanteuse Sunshine Anderson. Soundboy Rock continued the emphasis on catchy hooks and became the fourth straight GA album to reach the British Top Ten. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

'At The River' was the track that really brought them to public attention, insinuating its way into public consciousness by 1999. It then took over as a soundtrack to gardening programes everywhere. I never liked it. Annoying lyrics and that bloody trumpet. Despite that, their work did acquire a bit of funky backbone over time. And you can't fault their work on the Lovebox festivals and events.

Groove Armada - At The River (English Riviera Mix)

Groove Armada - Chicago

Groove Armada - My Friend (Dorfmeister Vs. Madrid de los Austrias Dub)

Groove Armada - At The River (Presence Mix)

Groove Armada MySpace

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INTERFERENCE

At the start of the week, I asked what you wanted to hear from the Interference album recorded at the 1994 Love Parade.

The Love Parade was a dance festival that was declared a political demonstration. It has its roots in the spirit of a changing Europe. In 1989, it was first celebrated four months before the demolition of the Berlin Wall. It was started by the Berlin Underground under the initiative of Matthias Roeingh aka "Dr Motte" and his then girlfriend Danielle de Picciotto. It was held as a political demonstration for peace and international understanding through love and Music. It was really a big street dance party but under German law the state has to pay for security during political demonstrations, as well as cleaning up the streets after the demonstration. In the case of a commercial event however, the organizer must cover these expenses. For a large event like the Love Parade the costs are quite high. The Love Parade was therefore initially held as a "political demonstration" to save costs. Although incredibly successful in the 90s, the Love Parade has had a troubled 00s, with cancellations in 2004, 2005 and seemingly 2009.

Here are the most popular choices:

Plastikman - Gak (Remix)

Sun Electric - Northern Lights #5

Higher Intelligence Agency - Whirligig

Bonus:

Thomas Fehlmann Banda (I.A.O.O.L.)

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G IS FOR BEBEL GILBERTO (1)

Some dreamy bossa nova house and Bebel Gilberto.

Bebel Gilberto (birth name Isabel Gilberto) was born on May 12, 1966 in New York City, New York, USA. She comes from a famous musical family in Brazil. Her father is João Gilberto, known as the "Father of Bossa Nova", her mother is the singer Miúcha, and her uncle (Miúcha's brother) is Chico Buarque de Hollanda. She learned how to sing with Miúcha, and as a child, she was already participating in musicals such as Saltimbancos and Pirlimpimpim. At seven, she had her recording debut on her mother's first solo album. Two years later, she performed together with her mother and Stan Getz at Carnegie Hall.

She eventually made her solo debut with 1986's Bebel Gilberto, an album written through collaborations with Brazilian pop/rock artists like Cazuza, Dé, and others. In 1991, Gilberto moved to New York and began gigging in clubs, performing at the Lincoln Center, and working with David Byrne and Arto Lindsay, among others. That same year, she participated (together with Gal Costa, Naná Vasconcelos, and Laurie Anderson) in a tribute to Carmen Miranda.

She began participating in productions that targeted the dance music market with a Brazilian bossa nova flair, even co-writing the worldwide hit "Technova" with Deee-Lite's DJ/producer Towa Tei. She also appeared in singles by the Thievery Corporation ("Só Com Você"), and had relocated to England by the end of the '90s. Tanto Tempo arrived in 2000 on Ziriguiboom Records and won two Latin Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Música Popular Brasileira Album in 2001. Its companion, Tanto Tempo Remixes, was also issued that same year, and Gilberto hooked up with producer Marius de Vries for her second album shortly thereafter. An introspective, self-titled effort appeared in mid-2004, followed three years later by Momento.

The sun is shining. And there is something incredibly sunny about her voice, allied to a credible selection of remixers.

Bebel Gilberto - Tanto Tempo [Peter Kruder Remix]

Bebel Gilberto - Close Your Eyes (Buffalo Bunch/We In Music Remix)

Bebel Gilberto - So Nice (terrace Mix By Layo and Bushwacka)

website

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G IS FOR OSCAR G

Oscar G is part of MURK and Funky Green Dogs, a fact for which I was chided for my lack of knowledge. Anyhow, something on the edge of postability for this blog, the Dark Beat single from 2002.

Discogs gives his bio as "Starting back in '91, Oscar G and his partner Ralph Falcon released a string of underground classics that would earn them a place in the hallowed history of House, forever. When Liberty City's "Some Loving" and Interceptor's "Together" dropped on their Murk label, Danny Tenaglia and Junior Vasquez executed their magic and, in giving these records their full support, played these songs into anthems. As half of the Murk boys, Oscar G remixed pop icons Madonna to The Pet Shop Boys, as well as many more 'underground' acts; not to mention his many and varied productions in his own right as an artist. Also part of Funky Green Dogs, whos 3 #1 Billboard smashes were "Fired Up", "The Way" & "Body" as well as winning 4 ASCAP songwriter awards. His success as a producer/songwriter noted, Oscar's true passion is DJing. In addition to his longstanding Saturday night residence at Miami's premier Club Space, he has played the legendery Twilo and Vinyl. As a global DJ he has played destinations from Pacha in Ibiza; Ministry Of Sound in London; Tokyo's Yellow to Echoes in Italy - to mention just a few. He also continues to remix, produce solo a well as work and remixes with Murk and other projects. Oscar has released have a dozen acclaimed DJ Mix CD's in the last five years; with the latest being: the Nervous (2007)/CR2 (2008 & enhanced with a 3rd disc a DVD: "Addicted To Drums") release "Oscar G Live & Direct Space Miami"."

Oscar G & Ralph Falcon - Dark Beat (MURKstramental)

Oscar G & Ralph Falcon - Dark Beat (MURK Monster)

http://www.djoscarg.com/

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CHARITY SHOP CLASSICS (38)

Just the one record this time. It's from Andy Pickford (no, me neither). But it was on GPR and had Beaumont Hannant mixes which is good enough for me.

Discogs doesn't have much info on Andy, other than he also operated as Psyborg Project. The featured single is Andy's first release "Apocalypse of Love EP" from 1994. He only had a couple of singles on GPR before moving on to Centaur Discs. These are quality IDM remixes, perhaps a little more Autechre-flavoured than Beaumont Hannant's organic "Texturology".

Andy Pickford - Akira (Beaumont Hannant Rework 1)

Andy Pickford - The Furnace (Beaumont Hannant Rework 2)

Andy Pickford - Apocalypse of Love (Beaumont Hannant Rework 3)

No links to product today. Instead, if you download you could give something to the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (UK) by donating here or Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation (USA) here or to a children's cancer charity in your own country. Or use the donate button at the top of the page for donations which go to The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust.

G IS FOR GLOBO (2)

When we had a post on Globo a week ago, I said I had a promo of key single "Thirteen" but couldn't find it. Finally found it and these rare tracks, including an excellent Beaumont Hannant mix, are included below.

The press release with the promo 12" (1995) says:

Up, up and away with the superb Hydrogen Dukebox label. If you're not familiar with hte releases and you class yourself as having eclectic tastes, have a rummage around your local vinyl emporium. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.

'Thirteen' is Globo's third single, and the first to be taken from album Pro War'. The 12" contains a top notch remix from Beaumont Hannant in a most accessible mode, and is flipped by a truely wonderful and mighty bizarre uptempo mix mayhem style by Globo themselves.

Thirteen will also be released on CD, with a different Beaumont Hannant mix, and four mixes by Globo, none of which appear on the vinyl 12".

Some quite serious police action has been involved in the lead up to the single, which has lead to some very nervous band members. This is because the single was based around an interview tape from a police cell.

Globo - Thirteen Beaumont 1

Globo - Thirteen Backstab Catastrophic

Globo website

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G IS FOR LAURENT GARNIER

Acid house music from the godfather of French dance music. Laurent Garnier was in England when Acid House took off and then brought it to France. He is still active today.

Laurent's biography in his own words (from 1996):

"I worked in Manchester as head chef for Mr Anthony H Wilson, at Dry Bar. I've worked at the French Embassy in London where I served the Queen and Lady Di. I served Margaret Thatcher four times.

I picked up my first professional DJ work at the Hacienda in '87 playing disco, cha-cha, go-go and when I heard acid house it blew my mind. I had to leave Manchester for National Service, which is still compulsory in France, then back to England for six crazy months. But eventually I went home because Paris did not have many DJs or good house clubs. So I opened Wake Up which lasted three crazy years."

From 1994:

Laurent Garnier - Astral Dreams (Speakers Mix)

Laurent Garnier - Astral Dreams (Headphone Mix)

Bonus tracks:

Laurent Garnier - The Man With The Red Face (Svek Mix)

Laurent Garnier - Dance 2 The Music

Laurent Garnier website

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WHAT INTERFERENCE?

I was having a rummage and came across this LP, lost for almost fifteen years. It's called 'Interference' and is Live At Love Parade '94. Came on four beautiful coloured vinyl.

An interesting selection of tracks but I wasn't sure which three you'd want to hear. So I thought I'd ask you. Stick your top three in the comments section and the most requested get posted on Friday. No-one comments and I go random. The LP was compiled by Dr. Motte and all tracks were taped live during the Love Parade sets.

Tracklist:
A1 Mixmaster Morris Intro (0:54)
A2 Thomas Fehlmann Banda (I.A.O.O.L.) (8:43)
A3 Air Liquide This Is Not A Mindtrip (6:05)
B1 Higher Intelligence Agency, The Whirligig (6:40)
B2 Panasonic* Sähkötin (6:38)
C1 Deep Space Network Earth Interlock (13:00)
C2 Hertsi Ohitus (5:05)
D1 Plastikman Gak (Remix) (6:52)
D2 Euphorhythm The Song Of Karma (12:07)
E Namlook* Subharmonic Interference (15:00)
F1 Voov Inter-Fusion (12:05)
F2 Source Allstars Jam (5:00)
G1 Pyromania Arts Lab Magic Bufo (7:00)
G2 Ebi Ebi Curry (10:43)
H Sun Electric Northern Lights#5 (13:17)

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G IS FOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATION (3)

Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock...a few minutes into this record and my head is nodding in simpatico with the metronomic sound that intros this classic 1994 long player from Global Communication.

Halfway through and I'm almost nodding off entirely, horizontal on my bed and going nowhere fast, having abandoned any attempt to jot down notes, my eyelids drooping and my mind melting slowly away.

There are no song titles here because, according to the inner sleeve, 'numbers are chosen to identify separate tracks because 'names' tend to bias the listener by pre-defining images, places and feelings.' Really? We are also invited to 'share your thoughts with us' and asked 'where does your mind take you?' Mmm...I think you know where this is heading.

Welcome to 76:14.

Ambient. So what's it all about then? Well, judging by this quintessential ambient masterpiece, it's pretty much anything you want it to be. Sampled choirs, crashing waves, garbled foreign languages, sinister whisperings, odd sounds, all layered and scattered over throbbing, humming undercurrents that undulate throughout like slowed-down sonar, the effect is utterly hypnotic.

Several of the 'tunes' consist of a series of seemingly random noises and voices strung together or plonked on top of each other that should sound ridiculous or just plain irritating but, here, form a soothing, aural massage that all but orders you to drift off into the furthest recesses of your mind. Number four, particularly, has 'space-cadet' written all over it and could soundtrack any number of movies set in far flung parts of the universe with its deep, slowly pulsating heartbeat and ethereal voices breezing in and out. Ladies and gentlemen, we are, indeed, floating in space. All very transcendental, maaan. And all very beautiful, too.

Two or three songs, however, stray into the land of convention and not only have beats but recognisable rhythmns. One even begins and proceeds at a relatively brisk clip, jolting you out of the soporific stupor induced by the previous offerings and leaving you feeling slightly startled at the change in pace. Even so, these are still not your run of the mill, whistle-while-you-work melodies and the effect is much the same as the others, gently prodding you into an altered state of mind. Unconscious, perhaps, or, at least, beyond caring.

What's interesting about the record as a whole is that as seemingly meandering and supremely mellow as it plays, this is a very disciplined piece of work which, thankfully means that, at no stage, does it just drift along pointlessly before disappearing up its own fundament. As much as the individual tracks can ping off in different and unexpected directions, the album as a whole remains remarkably linear in its presentation.

I almost certainly first heard this record on my return from a club, considerably hammered and in need of a peaceful denouement to the night's exertions because, let's face it, this record invites you to smoke lots of weed whilst listening to it. The great thing about 76:14, however, is that you don't need to be under the influence of anything to appreciate its quality. Stoned or straight, this is a beautiful record.

My thanks to D for this post. Go buy the CD. Here's a track plus some later remixes.

Global Communication - 9:25

Global Communication - Maiden Voyage (Original 8:07 to 5:23 Mix)

Global Communication - 7:39 (Link and E621 Appliance of Science Mix)

Global Communication - Maiden Voyage (Spiritualised Electric Mainline Mix)

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INDIE DANCE: GROTUS / TRANSGLOBAL UNDERGROUND

Bit of a strange one this. San Fran band Grotus on none-more-punk label Alternative Tentacles gets a remix by London ethnic-trancers Transglobal Underground.

I know nothing about Grotus, so this will have to suffice:

With their eccentric blend of disparate musical styles, San Francisco's Grotus fit in extremely well with the 1990s freewheeling alt-rock spirit -- so well, and so freewheeling, in fact, that hardly anyone remembers their existence. Birthed along with the decade itself, the quartet comprised of Lars Fox (vocals/samples), Adam Tanner (guitar/bass/samples), John Carson (bass/samples), and Bruce Boyd recorded several albums (including 1991's Brown, 1993's Slow Motion Apocalypse, and 1996's Mass) featuring heavily electronic/industrial distortions of alt-rock and metal -- all topped with often inscrutable, nearly dadaist lyrics decried in a schizophrenic array of voices. That Grotus managed to attract a small cult following almost goes without saying, but mass acceptance was probably never an option, so, after being juggled by a number of well-intentioned but equally perplexed independent labels, the group's career (also filled with several EPs and remix sets) finally ground to a halt in the late '90s, along with the alt-rock era's enthusiasm for anything so quirky. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

The featured tracks are taken from the Opiate of The Masses single (1994), itself taken from the Slow Motion Apolcalypse LP (1993). The tracks are a fusion of ethnic punky rock with ethnic trance. I didn't think much of it at the time. Either I've got mellower or time has served them well but they aren't bad in a 'historical artifacts' kind of way.

Grotus - Vishnu Fulfilment (Transglobal Underground Mix)

Grotus - Afterglow Tantra (Transglobal Underground)

Grotus - Hanuman The Protector (Transglobal Underground Mix)

Grotus website

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G IS FOR GIRL EATS BOY

Girl Eats Boy was an alias for Lol Hammond, after he left the Drum Club and after he stopped working as Slab with Nina Walsh (ex-Sabrettes). This was muscular techno.

Lol Hammond was part of the Drum Club - see here - which finished in 1995. He then worked for a short while as Slab with Nina Walsh (sometime GF of Lord Sabre) before going solo as girl Eats Boy in the 1997-1999 period. He produced a small number of singles and just the one album - Thrilled By Velocity & Distortion (1999) under this name.

This work doesn't compare to that he did as part of the Drum Club. But if you ever liked techno-squat music or had a dog on a string then this is for you. The first track from 1997 is the best.

Girl Eats Boy - Napalm In Bohemia

Girl Eats Boy - Girl Eats Boy

The Drum Club - You Make Me Feel [Girl Eats Boy Mix]

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NEW MIX: THE BLACK DOG

Some news about Black Dog releases and a new mix to download.

The second single from the album "Further Vexations" features "Tunnels Ov Set" reworked into three new forms by Autechre, Bass Soldier and The Black Dog themselves. The EP is rounded off with the exclusive new piece "Tripside Syndicate".

A1. Tunnels Ov Set (Crookes Mix)

A2. Tunnels Ov Set (The Bass Soldier's Manor Top Mix)

AA1. Tunnels Ov Set (Autechre Remix)

AA2. Tripside Syndicate
Full Info and Audio: http://www.theblackdogma.com/tbd/?p=975

Pre-order the vinyl: https://www.duststore.com/

The Black Dog DJ Set @ Sheldon Row 2009

There's a new DJ set online now for you to download.

Download: http://www.theblackdogma.com/tbd/download-manager.php?id=24

Tracklist

01. The Black Dog – Stempel (Edit) – Soma Recordings

02. Paul Kalkbrenner – Moob – BPitch Control

03. Rhythm & Sound – Poor People Must Work feat Bobbo Shanti (Carl Craig Remix) – K7 Records

04. Rob Hood – And Then We Planned Our Escape – Music Man Records

05. Water Lilly – Invisible Ink (Black Strobe Arnaud Rebotini Mix) – Mental Groove

06. States of Mind – Elements of Tone (J’s A Mix) – Plus 8 Records

07. Newcleus – Jam On It (Claude VonStroke & Galen Disco Kryptonite Remix) – Deeplay Soultec

08. BSOD – A Bit Sketchy* Fragments. Datassette – Box – Ai Recordings

09. Pan Tec – Espias Psiquicios (Jonas Kopp Psiquic Remix) – Spectral Sound

10. Avus – Furry Hat – Border Community

11. Sweet n Candy – Act Up – Laka-Tosh

12. Ellen Allien – Go – BPitch Control

13. The Black Dog – You’re Only SQL (BCN Mix) – Soma Recordings

14. Regis and Female – C/Chaos – Dust Science Recordings

http://www.furthervexations.com/

http://www.theblackdogma.com/

http://www.somarecords.com/

http://www.kinetic-am.com/theblackdog.php

http://www.dustscience.com/

http://www.duststore.com/

G IS FOR GUSGUS

GusGus are an Icelandic group, including ex-members of The Sugarcubes when Bjork left to go solo.

NME: Gus Gus began as a creative collective of nine members, ranging in ages from 19 to over 30 and spanning a wide spectrum of backgrounds and interests, including two film makers, a computer programmer, a photographer, a DJ, an actor, a political campaigner and a film producer. The original line-up featured Steph Stephenson, Daníel Ágúst, Biggi Thórarinsson, Magnús Jónsson, Herr Legowitz, Hafdís Huld, Stefán Árni, Siggi Kjartansson and Baldur Stefánsson. They assembled almost accidentally when Siggi Kjartansson and Stefán Árni sought a cast for a short film they were making. When shooting was postponed, songwriters Ágúst and Kjartansson suggested they make an album. Polydistortion was recorded in 11 hectic days and was released in Iceland in late 1995. A copy found its way to the UK's independent label, 4AD Records, home of the Pixies and the Cocteau Twins. Liking what they heard, 4AD signed the band and Polydistortion was released in the UK in Spring 1997, receiving widespread critical acclaim.

The second Gus Gus album This Is Normal displayed an eclectic range of influences, taking in several styles including hip-hop, funk, electro, techno and house. Despite their experimental tendencies and often unusual lyrical themes ("Ladyshave' explores a sexual fetish), dance music is integral to Gus Gus" sound and influences such as Carl Craig (who remixed the single "Polyesterday"), Masters At Work, Sly Stone and Prince can be heard. The band have gained plaudits from such respected names as Madonna, Beck, the Beastie Boys, Nellee Hooper, David Byrne and the DJ, Sasha, who remixed their track "Purple" with the Light in 1998. The 2000 release Gus Gus Vs. T-World featured remixed versions of tracks recorded by Biggi and Legowitz (as T-World) before they joined Gus Gus. The band's sprawling line-up was reduced to a core of four members (Thórarinsson, Legowitz, Stephenson and new singer Urdur Hakonardottir) on their third album, Attention, released in 2002.

As for now, their May newsletter says: "Summer is here and our boys in Gus-gus are livelier than ever. This winter the seeds for the “24/7” album were planted in the studio at Önundarfjordur – and the crop will be harvested and disseminated far afield this summer. The testing of “24/7” has been gone over tremendously well in the Icelandic market, despite a national dance of financial crunch in times of crisis. The result of a remarkable diligence and resilience was obvious at the two first SRO local Gus-gus performances in Reykjavik and in Akureyri – you could see the perspiration cover the walls, jaws caressing the floors and all joints squirm and wriggle in amazement and joy !"

A number of tracks from just before and just after the millennium. Polyyesterday is a personal favourite whilst David is a critics favourite (released on Darren Emerson's Underwater label):

GusGus - Polyesterday

GusGus vs Ian Brown - Desire

GusGus - David

GusGus - Anthem

http://www.gusgus.com/

remixes for Remute and Paul Jackson
https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/release/detail/164646/out_of_trouble

GusGus Supermarket

G FOR GRANTBY

Just a quick one this. Grantby (Dan Grigson) hasn't released much himself but does have a pretty good remix catalogue. His music tends towards the leftfield downtempo.

I don't really know anything about Dan, so this is from last.fm: Grantby aka Dan Grigson released a 12” on Cup of Tea records in 1995 (COT 13) called Time Booth. Hereafter he remixed over a dozen of songs for other artists (under which also the track ‘Home’ from Depeche Mode) and appeared on several compilations such as Coffeetable Music and the famous Headz 2B edition of Mo’Wax. Though Grantby is critically aclaimed for his triphop / downtempo sound, information about him and his future intentions is rarely known. Recently one of his fans started a website and since Grantby has granted his permission for this, the site is now official (www. grantby.com). Grantby is currently finishing a project involving sounds and images recorded over October 2006 in West Cornwall, and a 1970’s mixing desk Grantby has modified into an instrument.

Grantby - Timber

Depeche Mode - Home (Grantby Mix)

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G IS FOR GABRIELLE

You wouldn't really exepect a R&B artist to appear on these pages. But Gabrielle was never a conventional pop star. She didn't only have R&B/Urban remixers for her work but also dance remixers. And she had 'that' eye patch.

She was something of an outsider at school, a gawky kid with a lazy eyelid (hence the later eye patch), but was inspired to starts writing lyrics and songs after writing poetry in her English lessons. She wrote her first song at the age of thirteen, and would put on lunchtime performances for friends 'until the dinner lady caught me and put a stop to it.'

Gabrielle kept up the music after leaving school, but in distinctly unglamorous circumstances. Doing temp work by day in the Lord Chancellor's office, she performed unpaid in various West End night clubs, until someone she knew lent her the money to record a demo. The resulting track, 'Dreams,' which relied on a sample of Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car', gained attention from execs at Go! Beat, such that by 1992 Gabrielle put the ink on her first recording contract.

'Dreams' was rerecorded and released in the early summer of 1993, with the Chapman sample removed, and the girl with the eye-patch had a stunning debut single on her hands - the song broke the record at the time for highest chart debut, entering at number two and landing the number one shortly after.

Further single success followed in October that same year, in the shape of 'Going Nowhere', which again reached the UK top ten. Likewise, her debut album 'Find Your Way' was released that month, and reached number nine, selling a million copies globally. The deluge of good news was then capped with her winning the BRIT best newcomer award.

As the stellar successes of her career were only just starting to sink in, domestic life for the singer took a horrific turn for the worse.

Her ex-partner Tony Antoniou, the father of her son, went on trial in Nottingham for the murder of his step-father, just two days before Christmas in 1995 (stabbing him and then beheading him with a samurai sword). The resultant media coverage of the 1997 trial could not have been more unwelcome for the singer, not least because of the knowledge that her son would eventually need to know the full story. Gabrielle has stated that thanks largely to what happened, she has not been able to trust men since, and in fifteen years has not had a meaningful long-term relationship.

Her career faltered although she has continued to make music. From 1996 and 1999:

Gabrielle - Forget About The World (Daft Punk Remix) mediafire

Gabrielle - Forget About The World (The Rollo and Sister Bliss Mix) mediafire

Gabrielle - 5 O'Clock [Sunship Vocal Mix] mediafire

Gabrielle - Sunshine [Frankie Knuckles Classic Club Mix] mediafire

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G IS FOR GLOBO

Globo were oddball UK dance act on Hydrogen Dukebox. Both band and label could be hit and miss but when they got it right, they got it very right. Sampling a police interview for a single isn't the mark of the faint-hearted.

The sampladelic act Globo released their debut album, This Time It's Globo..., on Hydrogen Dukebox in May 2000, though not before a questionably-sourced police interview sample on their 1995 single, "13," attracted a lawsuit and delayed its release. Globo used parts of an interrogation for white label releases of this track. They had to remove it for the proper release because it was part of an interrogation in a case still in court. Thought I had that white label somewhere but can't find it. The mix below is from the CDS.

Globo are based in Norfolk (you couldn't get less rock and roll) and were formed by the burnt out remnants of art-rock group Basti, they claim they are "less a group, more an experiment" and have a sort of Devo-ness about them (minus the hats). Indeed they have released a cover of "Whip It". During 2008 they have worked on a cover version of the entire This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall, which features guest performances from other local artists principally Mia Vigar, Bearsuit and The Neutrinos. You can buy it from their site and watch it on Youtube. They continue to produce a weird hybrid rock/art/terrorism today.

Globo - Thirteen (Remixed by Beaumont Hannant)

Globo - Hope And Glory

Globo - Breakdown (Meat Beat Manifesto Mix)

Globo website

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