vinyl smell

Got myself out of bed early this morning to get to the Vox Populi record fair on time-- though I only had thirty bucks at my disposal, I believe I came out with some real gems. Here's a list and some comments-- look forward to some selections from these being posted in the next couple of days!

- Best of House Music Volume One (Profile Records)
The double LP version that I got isn't listed on Discogs, which is somewhat surprising. Contains tracks by Marshall Jefferson, Screamin' Rachael, Hercules, and so on.

- Liddell Townsell- Party People Jack Your Body (Trax Records)
Note the extra 'D' in Mr. Townsell's first name. A classic, with production by Adonis, among others.

- Hashim- Al-Naafiysh (The Soul) (Cutting Records)
The original 1983 pressing of this instant electro-breaks classic. In good shape, too, especially for $3!

- Sylvester- Step II (Fantasy Records)
I'm gay, and I love Sylvester. You should too, even if you're not batting for my team.

- Fania All Stars- Habana Jam (Fania Records)
An apparently rare record by the old Fania Records star composers and players. No presence on Discogs, either!

- Black Moon- Who Got the Props (Nervous Records)
One of the first releases on Nervous, this is the 1992 re-pressing. Good shit!

- Coldcut- Doctorin' the House (Ahead of Our Time)
One of the classics of UK acid house, I got my hands on a copy of this version for a mere dollar, and the record itself is in mint condition.

- Funkadelic- One Nation Under a Groove (Warner Brothers)
Figured I ought to have this-- in great shape, super-cheap.

- The Universal Robot Band- Freak in the Light of the Moon (Red Greg Records)
Another somewhat rare find, this group included Leroy Burgess. "Doing Anything Tonight" is one of my favorite disco-soul stompers. Really excited about this one.

- The Westland Steel Band- The Sound of the Sun Nonesuch
From the Explorer series, this record isn't on Discogs either. Perfect condition, bought mainly for sampling purposes.

Made out pretty well, huh? Look forward to the Universal Robot Band tomorrow!

awakening

I am one of the unlucky citizens of the U.S. who has never witnessed a live set by Ricardo Villalobos; even his last performance in North America, at Mutek 2006, was out of my reach. However, it is easy enough to find some great live sets bumping around, and these have taken up quite a bit of space on my various hard drives. Though the seven-hour-long set from Fabric last year is often lauded as the best-- and most leftfield-- I believe Ricardo's set from the Netherlands' Awakenings festival, recorded in early July of 2006, displays his best work. Here is my reasoning:

1) According to my own research, it is the first readily available DJ set where his remix of "Sinner in Me," as well as "Fizheuer Zieheuer," are heard.

2) It builds to a colossal peak perfectly, and doesn't just drop out to some beatless valley. Rather, it does a nice slide downward, ending with the "Fizzy Zizzy," as some like to call it.

3) The first 45 minutes are absolutely fucking unstoppable. I had always liked Ricardo before I heard this set, but the work in this first half convinced me that he is a higher-caliber musical gem. All the hyperbole aside, it is an undeniably slamming set, with rhythm changes and melodic surprises throughout.

4) At almost one hour and forty minutes, it is a perfect length for just about anything. Be forewarned, though-- it takes up approximately 90.25 MB of space.

Okay! Without further ado, here it is:

Ricardo Villalobos- Live at Awakenings Festival, Netherlands (01.07.06)

Tomorrow, who knows? I am going to the Vox Populi record fair here in Philadelphia, so perhaps my senses will be stimulated there.

coming...

I'm out of Ohio for a bit, and still without computer-- I'm typing this from my old 2003-era Dell Inspiron 5100-- but tomorrow, I'm going to give you one of the best DJ sets I've ever heard, from the ubiquitous Mr. Villalobos. If you're familiar with the Awakenings set from early 2006, then you know what I'm talking about. If not, be prepared to have your mind blown. Also, I'm happy that the Shonky and Anja Schneider have been well-received!

sprung

All right, since my iPod has been inaccessible to me for the past day or so-- I left it at a friend's place-- I'm going to give you two soon-to-be-released tracks from two of Europe's finest producers.

First, there is "Maki," an excellently dubby techno number from Mobilee head Anja Schneider. Taken from her upcoming debut album, Beyond the Valley, "Maki" is probably the best track on the LP. Its delayed main guitar sample, ever-panning and echoey piano line, hi-frequency strings, and congas make it an irresistable track that would fit right in with something by Brendon Moeller. The rest of the album is equally impressive, and when it hits in May, I'd hurry out to get my hands on a copy.

Anja Schneider- Maki



Second off, I got my paws on Shonky's debut album, TimeZero, and it is phenomenal. Sexy, subtle, and banging, with much influence from menacing West Coast psychedelic house and the acid-drenched loops of Detroit. Carl Craig-style hypnotism can be found in many tracks, particularly "Galactica," one of the LP's stand-out tracks-- with a worming bass-line, spacy ascending melodic line, whale-like synth wails, and well-chosen vocal samples, the track is a prime slice of cosmic techno. On Dan Ghenacia's Freak'n'Chic imprint.

Shonky- Galactica

Both Shonky and Anja Schneider have dates set for the WMC this week, so if you're in Miami or heading down there soon, try to catch their sets-- guaranteed goodness! It is my first time away from the WMC in two years, so drink a drink for me on the beach, if you happen to be there.

rinse, repeat

Today's post may be a bit delayed. My computer is done for. Though I need a Mac in order to work with music software and whatnot, I am tempted at this point to just throw in the towel and buy a cheap PC. My old Dell laptop worked almost as well as the piece of garbage I am now in possession of.

Why will it take a while to post today? Here are the hoops: I need to install Senuti on a lab computer; get the two tracks I promised you off of my iPod (since they're relatively new, I hadn't backed them up on my external HD yet); put those tracks onto my external HD; then send them. Sounds like my afternoon is ruined, yeah? Yeah.

printing

Today, a track from 2006 by one of the more fantastic minimal DJs working today, Dominik Eulberg. I closed my set before Boys Noize with "Der Buchdrucker" for a reason-- it is a banging tech track at its most basic, but is perhaps one of the more subtle minimal tracks I have ever heard. With well-padded kicks going at 130-bpm, a weirdly effective yet strangely syncopated bass-line, hi-frequency washes, and nimbly crisp hi-hats, "Der Buchdrucker" is a sure winner with peaks and valleys galore. What's more, the melodic line that comes in halfway through the track is in the same league as the melodic line from Villalobos' "Dexter": hauntingly sad yet triumphant, spine-tingling at its best. The line ends the track after all other elements drop out, making it a memorable and perfect set-ender. One of my favorite Eulberg tracks, this is highly recommended stuff! On Traum.

Dominik Eulberg- Der Buchdrucker

Tomorrow, two tracks: a truly great tech-house remix of Fukkk Offf's "I'm A Freak," and a new tune from the dOP boys, favorites here at deep movements.

beat you raw

Some readers might remember that back in mid-January, a friend of mine gave me his collection of hard UK acid, breaks and hip-hop records. One of the choicer picks from this bounty is a most unlikely record: Raw as Fuck's The Slammer/Theme from Raw, a side bit from the infamous UK breaks crew, Freestylers. Released in 2002, "Theme from Raw" might be one of the more slamming records I own: 138 bpm, a dirty-ass distorted bass-line, descending acid squelch lines, haunting backing synths, and a vocal sample that kills (and is totally amazing to mix with). Though breaks aren't usually my thing, the track below will please just about anyone with ears-- I guarantee it.

Raw as Fuck- Theme from Raw

Tomorrow, a rarely-heard track from Dominik Eulberg that sends chills up a crowd's spine. And after? New stuff from Europe-- no, really!