black country grammar

Roundtable.

2008-10-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

It's In the City at the moment, so as per most of the music industry seems to be flying around various bars trying to catch hold of the ever illusive next big thing. I've been asked to speak on a couple panels this year, and I've just got back from the Record of the Day round table, where some people like John Robb, John Kennedy, Bethan from Radio 1 and other important industry types talked about their favourite tracks of the moment, and what they think will be big in the next 12 months. I took along Little Boots, while Mumford and Sons, Frederick Stanley Star and Tom Jones(!) were also notable inclusions. I'll do a more complete try-before-you-buy post when I've got the full list back.

If you've found yourself here because of attending the panel, here's a rather nice remix of Roots Manuva to reward yourself with. You deserve it.

MP3 Roots Manuva - Let the Spirit (Hot Chip Remix)

Golden Tickets.

2008-09-30T01:31:00.000-07:00

Web event entrepreneurs Carsonified are running a competition which expires at midnight where blog posts with 25 or more comments are entered into a draw to win a ticket to all of their events for the next 12 months. It's a prize I'd like a shot at winning, so if you would be so kind to leave a little message in the comments, I might be in with a chance of having all my webby dreams come true. Pleeeeeease???

MP3 The Golden Filter - Solid Gold

MP3 TV on the Radio - Golden Age

It's about to go down.

2008-09-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first Shoplifters since the students arrived back, so it was a super busy occasion. Generally speaking, it was rip roaring fun, packed with good tunes and occasional duff mix, but when there's three of you and you're jumping from vinyl to cd to laptop, it can get a little complex. You'll find us in Odder every Saturday night, do come along.

Here's a couple of tunes that got the kids moving.

MP3 Meterhead - Newness

MP3 MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Remix)*

* The full thing, not the live radio rip that had been doing the round.

A Disco Mix for Angels.

2008-09-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

I don't often say much about food on here, but those of you that know me well know that I'm quite specific about what passes my lips. I'm not a fussy eater - I just like flavours. So it was great to be asked by celebrated local chef Robert Owen Brown to put together some mixes he can play in his new pub, the Angel, as he tells me it's full of "cool and groovies" and he wants the tunes to be their thing. Whether this means he wants banging electro or cool bar tunes I'm not sure, so I've decided to test the water with this mix before knocking up some others. I'm pretty chuffed with the results.

Tempest Trio - Do you like the way that it feels?
Cut Copy - Hearts on fire (Aeroplane Pop mix)
Tori Amos - Professional Widow (SDC Re-edit)
Holy Ghost! - Hold on (Mock and Toof Remix)
Trus'me - Trus'us
Ladyhawke - Dusk till Dawn (Canyons Garage Remix)
Dorfmeister Vs MDLA - Boogie no more (Reverso 68 Remix)
Canyons - Apples and Pears
Lykke Li - Little Bit (Loving Hand Remix)
Moby - I like to move in here (Holy Ghost! Remix)
The Shortwave Set - Now til '69 (Aeroplane Remix)
Blur - Music is my Radar

MP3 A Disco Mix for Angels

Do you believe in rapture?

2008-09-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Rapture are back from what seems like a rather extended period of silence with a new mixtape thingy out soon on !K7. It dropped in my inbox earlier today, and while they don't come across as the most natural of DJs, the mix is nicely put together and leaves me hoping/wondering if it's the sound of the discotheque in NYC at the moment. Correct me if I'm wrong.

MP3 Mujava - Township Funk

MP3 Syclops - Where's Jasons K?

My Purple Past.

2008-09-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

No, this isn't a tribute to my time as a Prince impersonator, it's a spot about the new Deerhoof album "Offend Maggie", out on ATP on 6th October. I've never really explored the band too much TBH, which on listening to their latest leads me to think is a massive mistake.

Do: Grab if you're a fan of angular experimental alternative rock.
Don't: Grab if you're not.

This should help make up your mind.

MP3 Deerhoof - My Purple Past

Win tickets for Matter this Friday!

2008-09-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

You might have heard by now that those clever folk at Fabric have only gone and opened another club, this time in a quiet corner of the O2. They've some truly ace shows coming up, so to celebrate this (and other things) we're giving away a VIP pass for you and a mate for Friday. So simply send an email by clicking here and putting something sensible like "Matter Competition" in the subject and you'll be entered into a prize draw. I'll send a copy of the latest Freq Nasty Fabric comp to the lucky winner too. Aren't I nice?

MP3 Dubfire - Roadkill (Mylo mix)

MP3 Reverend and the Makers - Heavyweight Champion of the World

MP3 Midfield General - Disco Sirens (Chicken Lips Malfunction)

Transition

2008-09-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

808 State-r Graham Massey's new outfit Sisters of Transistors hit Manchester Academy on Monday 6th October as part of 2008's In the City festivities. The Sisters have a new single out on 22nd September called 'the Don' (an excellent track name in my opinion) after recently featuring on the Simain Mobile Disco FabricLive. So, if you fancy seeing 3 girls brandishing keyboards in front of a Manchester legend on drums, get yourselves down. Tickets here.

MP3 The Sisters of Transistors - The Don (Acid Girls Remix)

Try.

2008-09-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've tried to do a few things today that just haven't come off, like:

a) Listen to the new Kings of Leon album
b) Write a blog post that could lead to great things
c) Write something else that I can't comment about here (yet)

I have however received an XXXChange remix of a new Gang Gang Dance track, who I've been assured "are in for a big Autumn". I did go through a phase a few years ago where I thought I quite liked them. I bought the album (can't remember which) and realised I didn't. Ho hum. Still, this mix is quite good, and means I may give them another chance.

MP3 Gang Gang Dance - House Jam (XXXChange Remix)

Kill 'Em All.

2008-09-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

Friday sees a pretty wild looking party at Fabric, with James Murphy heading up the Kill 'Em All room, with support coming from Emporer Machine and Filthy Dukes. Klaxons (DJ Set), Black Affair (Live) Stopmakingme and the Blogger's Delight gang keep the venue bouncing in rooms 2 and 3. Check out an exclusive mix from Stopmakingme after the jump.

Golden Bug - Bisco
Volga Select - Transe
Discodeine - Joystick
Out Hud - Put It Away, Put It Away, Put It Away, Dad
Plastique De Reve - Lost In The City
Lionel Hampton - Vibromatic (Joakim Remix)
Beck - Cellphone's Dead (Villalobos Remix)
Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Spasticus Autisticus (OOFT Music Rework)
Cosmic Sandwich - Odyssey (Heavenly 3000 Mix)
Loud-E – Pinchroller

MP3 Stopmakingme - They only want you when you're seventeen / YSI

Strange Overtones.

2008-09-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I heard a new track from David Byrne and Brian Eno, and I was totally taken aback by the results. I was expecting some noodly shite in fairness, but what we get is a well crafted, nice song. Yeah, the lyrics suck a bit, but I don't listen to them too much anyway, and the vocal melody interplays nicely with everything else, so there's little reason to worry. In any case, I won't be expecting a High Contrast remix of this anytime soon.

MP3 Brian Eno and David Byrne - Strange Overtones

Pjaaaaaaaaaanoooooo.

2008-09-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

High Contrast really has turned into a proper sellout of late. Not only does he give Eric Prydz's latest Chav anthem 'Pjanoo' a breakbeat, but he's also been giving the same treatment to Axwell, Adele, and Utah Saints. It's enough for a drum and bass section at any towny club in any town. Apparently, loads of credible DJs have been playing this out, but I really struggle with, especially because of the bloody piano. C'mon High Contrast, you used to be an absolute don, please stop putting us through the sound of the Printworks.

MP3 Eric Prydz - Pjanoo (High Contrast Remix)

Back to work :(

2008-09-08T00:21:00.000-07:00

Boo.

MP3 Drums of Death - Ozzzy!

Neglected.

2008-09-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Optimo Espacio's JD Twitch has a new long player out at the moment collecting his three recent "Betty Botox" re-edit EPs. There's some good shit on there, especially some shit that you've probably heard on the various mixes Optimo have done over the last couple of years. Check it out.

MP3 Love of Light Orchestra - Don't Don't (Beginning of the heartbreak) (Betty Botox Edit)

Recovery

2008-08-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've just about recovered from my rather busy weekend, which saw me take in sets at Odder with Shoplifters and the Bay Horse BBQ with YerMam! and the Stop Making Sense boys. Of course, while I've been away, the intertubes have gone a bit crazy for the new TV on the Radio track. I've also been hearing a new Kings of Leon track on the radio for the last week and it's in my brain. And a tasty slice of Italo by Tullio De Piscopo landed in my inbox last week which is also keeping me happy. And roll on next week, as I've another week off. Awesome awesome awesome.

MP3 TV on the Radio - Golden Age

MP3 Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire

MP3 Tullio De Piscopo - E Fatto E Sorde! E?

Bank Holiday Customer Service.

2008-08-25T04:10:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend has just got off the phone to Orange, to arrange for her mobile phone to be fixed. The guy she spoke to apparently sounded "really pissed off", and I suspect I know why. I'm guessing that the dude in question had been called in to work on his day off to cover someone he knows for a fact spent the weekend taking pills at Creamfields. He's also fed up because all his mates think he's got the day off, and his phone keeps beeping as different friends are sending him encouraging texts advising him that the girl he likes (you know, the fit one that likes him) will be at the pub this afternoon. And then, some retard (my girlfriend) has the bare faced audacity to phone him, at work, to ask for her mobile phone to be repaired. Poor guy, what a sucky day.

MP3 Nick Drake - Poor boy

MP3 PJ Harvey - Working for the Man

Has the music industry cracked it?

2008-08-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

Bloc Party have released their new album, 'Intimacy', today using the web first, physical later model. You can get the album for either £5 for download today, £8 for delivery in October (with 3 bonus tracks), or £10 for download now and CD later. What's even cooler is that the files come in audiophile friendly 320kbps format. Click here to visit their site to download.

Like Radiohead, Bloc Party have tried to combat online piracy by announcing and releasing a product into the market quickly. By announcing the new album only three days ago, there has been no time for it to leak, and is a great way of creating an appetite for the finished product as the only way to hear it as close to release is to pay for it. Sure, it'll be shared throughout the P2P ecosystem as a black market will always exist, but I'm also pretty sure that this will appeal to the same people. What better way is there of capitalising on the buzz of a new album announcement? People just can't wait anymore. Just ask Steve Jobs.

MP3 Bloc Party - Trojan Horse

More Loving Hand.

2008-08-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick late night post for you. Tim Goldsworthy is at it again, lending his loving hand this time in the direction of Prints and their track 'Pretty Tick Meditation'. The intertubes having been going pretty damn crazy for his mix of 'Little Bit' by Lykke Li, which for me is a mix that gets better with every listen, and I've been caining it for the last couple of months. Anyway, if you're fan of that, get your ears around this.

MP3 Prints - Pretty Tick Meditation (The Loving Hand Remix)

Interview: Xaver Naudascher (Supersoul Recordings)

2008-08-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

DFA have got a brand new compilation out this week on their Death from Abroad imprint called 'Nobody Knows Anything', which is a collection of tracks from German label Supersoul. I caught up with label head Xaver Naudascher this week to ask him how the tie up came about, scoring for films, and what he's had for lunch.

Hey there, how's it going?

Good. Very busy atm. So you must excuse my short answers.

What's going on in Berlin? My friends got back from Melt a few weeks ago - looked pretty wild. Were you there?

No. I avoid festivals. I am 37 years old and i have done my fair share of partying and rolling in the mud, i'd like to make space for another generation when it comes to that.

How did the DFA collaboration come about?

They contacted me after my first 12" and told me they liked it very much. At first they wanted to simply license it for their then upcoming Death From Abroad label. Quickly after Jonathan Galkin (MD of DFA) suggested we make a compilation because he liked what kept coming out on Supersoul. They have been terriffic in terms of moral and practical support for the growth of my label.

Cool. What are your favourite tracks on 'Nobody knows anything?"

Of course i like it all but what keeps amazing me is the effect that Moon Unit Parts 1 and 2 have on a dancefloor. It usually doesn't matter what kind of crowd it is they all instinctively know from the first few bars that something great is about to happen. Pure euphoria.

How did you get involved in scoring films and TV?

I have been doing it since '98. Back then i was working as an audio engineer in one of Berlin's major studios called Trixx. The people that made the music for Run Lola Run (in particular Johnny Klimek) hired me to mix some stuff for the soundtrack and they liked my approach so much (even as a mixer i can draw from my musical background) that i was offered a publishing deal to start writing for film and advertising on a more serious level. In the next few months i will be arranging and producing the score for Julie Delpy's new film The Countess. She will be writing the music and i will step in as producer and arranger, probably also mixing the surround version of the score.

Have you had anything interesting for lunch?

Yes i did. There's a fairly new place in Berlin called Kitti that makes delicious crepes with ham, cheese and egg. Funnily something i just have had for the first time a few weeks ago in Britanny where it is a traditional dish for brunch/lunch.

Do you play many gigs in the UK? When are you next over?

Actually I haven't played in England yet. So far I was always so busy with studiowork that i neglected plugging myself as a DJ. I will be playing in Glasgow twice in the next months. First September 13th at the 1 year party of After Dark @ Stereo and then a live gig with Moon Unit (the band we have started after the collaboration for Part 4 with Ros) @ Optimo on October 5th.

What's next for Supersoul?

Lots of good new releases coming.

Walter Jones - his epic All God's Children was never released in it's full 17 min. version. It had to be done. Pure class deephouse.

Plastique De Reve (as known from the comp plus a dirty mix of Resist by Chicago kid DJ Rampage)

Sebastien Tellier (two tracks from the Sexuality album remixed by Strangelets, Record Makers have been kind enough to give us the go ahead to release the material ourselves)

Moon Unit - (one of the tracks from our forthcoming album plus a Ewan Pearson rmx)

...and there's more but you will hear about it soon enough.

And there you go. 'Nobody Knows Anything: Death from Above presents Supersoul' is out now.

MP3 Walter Jones - The Odyssey Sound (Mogg and Naudascher Edit)

Weekend excitement.

2008-08-19T05:19:00.001-07:00

I'm well excited, as this week Shoplifters moves to Odder on Oxford Road in Manchester, for a weekly Saturday night residency. Me and James from Yer Mam! will then be DJing at the Bay Horse Bank Holiday BBQ on Sunday from 5pm til late. Both are free, so get yourselves down to one or t'other if you're in the area. Here's some tracks you can probably expect from me over the course of the weekend.

Mancunian electro poppers Modernaire have had a stab at remixing Metronomy's great new single 'Heartbreaker' and it's by no means a bad effort.

MP3 Metronomy - Heartbreaker (Modernaire Remix)

Parisian Instituber Surkin has a new single out titled 'Next of Kin' featuring a meaty remix by Todd Edwards. Check out the Chromeo mash of the following house gem at Surkin's MySpazz.

MP3 Surkin - White Knight Two

And finally, to celebrate the release of new compilation 'Brotherhood', the Chemical Brothers have pulled in little known Belgian duo Soulwax to remix 'Hey Boy Hey Girl'. I've also heard on pretty good authority that a version exists that replaces the "Superstar DJs" bit with "2 Many DJs... HERE WE GO!". Let me know if you find it.

MP3 The Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy Hey Girl (Soulwax Remix) / Mirror

Hot.

2008-08-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Sky Larkin have gone and finally signed a deal with Wichita. I've been a fan of them for ages, so it's really good to see that they've gone and got themselves signed. To celebrate, they've released a new track which you can download from their website in return for your email address or you can also grab it below. Check it out.

MP3 Sky Larkin - Molten

Dough

2008-08-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Following on from including the Modeselektor mix of 'Black Barbie' in a post last week, I got an email from Jahcoozi member Robot Koch. Turns out he was quite happy about the track being featured, and gave us an exclusive of his own tune, 'Dough'. It's been "tearing up dancefloors" recently in Berlin, and really should be given a good rinsing in UK clubs too. Check it out.

MP3 Robot Koch vs Addiquit - Dough

Why no ZShare?

2008-08-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

On average, I receive about 20 emails a day from PRs, artists and bands all asking me to feature their work on BCG. I also receive about 10 emails a week from DJs asking me to push their latest mixtape. The commonality between all these: Their music is distributed on filesharing site ZShare.net.

Since last week, some funny business has been going on with ZShare, making the site unusable for most customers of BT or Virgin Media (2 of the UKs largest ISPs). If you are a band, PR or DJ and you're trying to send me stuff for consideration, please post to another filesharing host, such as Yousendit.com. Sharebee.com is a good service, as it will upload to four different hosting options for you (including ZShare), meaning that you music will be heard by those you're trying to reach.

Rumour has it that this is part of the new drive by the BPI and UK ISPs to stamp out piracy. Fair enough, we all know that filesharing sites like ZShare are used to distribute albums by hard up artists like Madonna and Coldplay. But by stopping access to ZShare, the BPI are hitting the industry where it hurts - at grassroots level, where Artists, Bands and DJs who can't afford to host their own music use the service because they're aren't backed by a 6 figure marketing campaign.

As one door closes, another opens. But for all the petabytes of demos, mixes and E-PR that are currently inaccessible to many key members on the bottom rung of the industry ladder, as well as to the fans who use these channels to help support the next Lily Allen, Arctic Monkeys or [insert your own music phenomenon here], this is a cruel blow. Especially when there are thousands of search engines, forums and blogs out there that are using other tools to illegally distribute content on a mass scale.

Combatting piracy does not mean closing down services people rely on. How long until MP3 blogs (like this one) are closed down or ignored by ISPs? And who decided that ISPs could dictate which content we could view and use anyway?

Disco flavour.

2008-08-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

I've got an awful lot of music on my laptop. This isn't a boast, more a stark realisation that my hard drive is starting to creak a bit, and it's time to lose some weight before it buckles completely. I get a fair amount of stuff sent to me that I'm really not supposed to share, though in all fairness some of this stuff is at least 6 months old now, so I guess the coast is clear. These are all some tracks I'm thinking about chucking on a mix soon, so don't be surprised if you hear them again in the future.

Here's New Yorkers Escort with a disco jam from some point in the last 18 months. If you're a fan of their stuff and not heard this, it's a little more retro than their usual sound, but that's no bad thing. Worth a boogy.

MP3 Escort - Love in Indigo (Extended mix)

I'm not sure where I got this tune from. I suspect it's either the product of a late night Hype Machine raid, or has been put on my laptop by a certain James with the intention of playing out at one of the many gigs we've done together over the last 12 months. Well, it's mine now. Booty Luv covered it last year too.

MP3 Lucy Pearl - Don't mess with my man

This track ended up on a below par mix I put together on New Years Eve. It started off OK, but got a bit week half way through when I was distracted and started playing some minimal instead. It's a track I keep going back to, as while I don't know the original, this mix is pretty hot as the percussion keeps dragging me back for more.

MP3 Wolf and Cub - This Mess (Serge Santiago dub)

And finally, here's a track by Rodgriguez that I'm sure we've all heard on mixes before (notably David Holmes' 'Come get it I got it') and is a nice 70s jam all about narcotics. Enjoy.

MP3 Rodriguez - Sugar Man

Squeeze me.

2008-08-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

This fidget-soul mix of Dutch DJ sorts Kraak & Smaak's 'Squeeze Me' by Machines don't care-r Trevor Loveys graced my inbox a few days ago. And aside from the fact I love it, that's all I really have to say. Check it out.

MP3 Kraak en Smaak - Squeeze Me (Trevor Loveys Skeezer Pleezer Mix)