BiBaBiDi

BTR Articles

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:22:09 -0500

The rad folks over at Breakthru Radio (BTR) asked me to "guest blog" for them for this week.

I did two sort of weird posts so far (with one more to come), the first being on Cluster & Eno's "Steinsame"; the second being on Lizzy Mercier Descloux's "Wawa". Nothing too out there and edgy, but something I've certainly not disseminated to my BBBD readers.

Unfortunately, MP3's can't be posted on BTR (or at least ones that aren't cleared), so you've got to download the tunes from me below and read the articles over there.

Cluster & Eno - Steinsame

Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Wawa

D06

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:15:16 -0500

Now we're going to the Netherlands for a super quick visit.

In 1983, Bas Fortgens, Hans De Witt, and Paul Vrieling came together to form Modern Danceable Music Company, or M.D.M.C. The trio released three singles and a triple-disc vinyl LP, and then all but vanished. (Literally, none of them have done any "real" work since the band split.)

The debut single, "How About It" first appeared as a 12" on High Fashion Music, Benelux's biggest and most prolific Italo-disco label. The song represents a sort of hybridization of the Tom Tom Club and heavy, jammy disco cuts ... with some old school DJ scratching thrown in for an added dose of confusion (and fun!)

I'm hoping that by posting this, the band will realize its awesomeness once again and reissue everything they did. Needless to say, they've been wrongly overlooked for too long.

M.D.M.C. - How About It (12" Version)

D05

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:23:26 -0500

Wow, I could go on and on about today's selections, but I'll try and keep it short -- too many long days.

When I began my Italo-disco Journey, I was perhaps a little overly enthusiastic. Like I've said before, a lot of the material from the loose genre is ... junk. Fortunately, there are gems -- and many of them, the deeper you dig -- and that's what makes the entire disco genre still relevant and something to look back upon in admiration.

Giorgio Moroder and Jean-Marc Cerrone are often said to be the founders of the Italo-disco movement. They had the vision on the production side of things that set a whole genre of music in motion. While their names are readily used, their work is sort of difficult to find because they were either working soundboards or lurking in the background more than taking the limelight.

However, in the 1970s, Cerrone and six other musicians joined together for Kongas, a world music-inspired , tribal-infused disco outfit that represents precisely what I wanted to unearth. The Italian label 12 Inch Stars released their first 12" single in the late-1970s; Kongas' "Anikana-o" was the b-side and Trax's "Crusader" was the a-side. What!? Trax!?

Trax was Pete Bellotte and Keith Forsey, and three or four years, the duo tore the nascent Italo-disco style a new one. Forsey is notable for (a) working closely with Moroder and (b) weirdly being the producer on a ton of Billy Idol singles, EPs, and LPs (i.e. "White Wedding"). Bellotte was another regular Moroder collaborator, but the Brit's work is less compelling than Bellotte's ... maybe one day I'll delve deeper into it.

But we're keeping this short! The below two songs are from the "Crusader"/"Anikana-o" 12" ... play them in the proper order and be blown away. This is a good one, folks.

Trax - Crusader

Kongas - Anikana-o

Special Disco Version Film

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:30:30 -0500

Special Disco Version L.A., August 9 from Anthem Magazine on Vimeo.
Sam and I filmed James Murphy and Pat Mahoney's L.A. Special Disco Version show on August 9, and I thought I'd share it with all of you!

Check out the full story at Anthem Online; get the Vimeo version here.

It was a great party. The thing went pretty seamlessly and totally shook up the entire region of L.A. just east of the river. I want more (of both video and S.D.V.!)

D04

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:33:36 -0500

We're getting weirder and weirder here (and a little newer).

Starting in 1986, the Dutch label, Taurus Records has been releasing a whole bunch of primarily 12" singles. Most of them are pretty out there and totally underground -- and I suspect that a bunch of them completely blow -- but there're a few gems that stand out, particularly Radiorama's "Fire" 12" from 1988.

Radiorama was Mauro Farina on lead vocals, Simona Zanini on female vocals, and Mauro Farina and Giuliano Crivellente on arrangement, composition, and conduction. The Italo-disco act (which eventually turned into more of a Hi-NRG one) was formed in 1985 and still exists today, albeit it in an altered and more amorphous form. "Fire (Special R.E.M.I.X.E.D. Version)" uses a classical song that I'm completely blanking on right now as its core riff and adds a whole bunch of Pet Shop Boys-esque production on top. The thing's dripping with mildly-cheesy disco jams and late-1980s vocals, but there's something really infectious about the tune and I recommend you check it out. Radiorama released a total of four 12"s on Taurus Records, but this one really sticks out for its epic quality (and the fact that the R.E.M.I.X.E.D. version was by the great Lex van Coeverden).

I'm still a little shaky on M.B.O. 99, but "Don't Let Me Down (99 Remix)" is pretty good. The outfit was fronted by Mario Boncaldo (of M.B.O. & Klein, which I wrote about in "D03") with Angelo Valsiglio also being credited as a co-writer and producer. The below remix doesn't seem to have been featured on the 1985 "Don't Let Me Down Again" 12", but that doesn't negate its coolness. The three-track single was put out by Discomagic Records which has released an ungodly number dance cuts.

Dig them both. I'm off to 88BoaDrum for some brain-melting and mind-numbing.

Radiorama - Fire (Special R.E.M.I.X.E.D. Version)

M.B.O. 99 - Don't Let Me Down Again (99 Remix)

Hercules & Love Affair Interview, Concert, and After-party

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:02:08 -0500

Hercules & Love Affair Interview, Concert, and After-party from Anthem Magazine on Vimeo.
Anthem sponsored Hercules & Love Affair's second show ever -- and first in L.A. -- and threw a great after-party (DJ'd by Justin Miller, Hercules & Love Affair, and Nitedog!) at MJ's.

Along with Film Editor Sam Kahn and Sarah Hamblin, we filmed everything, including a pre-show interview with Andrew Butler. Check out the HD video above, in a larger format at the Anthem Vimeo page, or at the Anthem homepage. (So many options!)

D03

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:51:11 -0500

Today, I've a couple strange ones for you all.

First is Danny Keith's "Keep On Music." The 12" was released via Time Records in 1984 and is a pretty strange one. Imagine Depeche Mode with a slightly less eerie and morbid vibe and less intelligible lyrics. "Keep On Music" is the Italo-disco response to "Enjoy the Silence" (or rather, "Enjoy the Silence" is the post-punk response to "Keep On Music"). The track was "executive" produced by Gianni Corraini (a.k.a. Danny Keith while on Time Records) and produced by Giuliano Crivellente, one of the most prolific of his time.

Second is Klein & M.B.O.'s "Dirty Talk." This isn't the rarest track ever (it appeared on Röyksopp's 2007 Back to Mine compilation, for example), but it's really great. The duo was actually only half Italian: Mario Boncaldo represented Italy while Tony Carrasco came from the States. The 12" was released by a ton of independents in 1982, the notorious of which being the TMT Records cut (maybe). Both Boncaldo and Carrasco produced and worked on a great many dance singles in the late-1970s through ... today, actually. Interestingly enough, Carrasco is still kicking in N.Y.C., and working on a decent number of projects.

Anyway. Jam the night away. I know I certainly need to.

Danny Keith - Keep On Music

Klein & M.B.O. - Dirty Talk

D02

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:31:30 -0500

As with most "scenes" -- especially those tight and condensed enough -- certain labels, producers, and names pop up with surprising frequency.

In a lot of situations, this is a good thing. Listeners and distributors are generally smart enough to latch on to stuff that's at least decent, so whether you're in heavy metal or rap, if you're for some reason both sought after by consumers and producers alike, you're in a good place.

American Disco was a "big" label in the 1980s, releasing approximately thirty 12"s. I'll admit some ignorance here, though, because I'm not quite getting the appeal of American Disco. The label specialized, it seems, in discovering acts that fit nicely in between Y.M.O., Depeche Mode, and ... maybe Charlie or something a little classier and legendary.

While I sort of dig the below Scotch track, "Penguin's Invasion" (their biggest "hit"), there's something especially dated about it ... as though it could've appeared on the Hot Dog ... the Movie's soundtrack. I've nothing against that film -- who doesn't like swigging flasks of whiskey on the slopes and ogling hot babes? -- but it's pure novelty.

Join me for D03 soon. Hopefully that installment will feature some more intriguing finds. Not all disco was created equally. (As a bonus, I'm including Prins Thomas' worst song ever, "S.O.S.," here -- not all Prins was created equally. I think he made this in collaboration with Kenny G. for the Norwegian Elevator series.)

Scotch - Penguin's Invasion

Prins Thomas - S.O.S.

D01

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:45:40 -0500

Okay, let's try something new and different here.

As longtime readers (or even, to an extent, new ones) have realized, this blog is experiencing a midlife crisis. My work at Anthem consumes too much time for BBBD to be front and center in the way it used to be, and I've generally become disillusioned and dispassioned by the ease with which one can create and sustain a music blog.

The joy of discovery and in-depth investigation is what makes blogging so fun -- or at least what used to make it so exciting and alluring to me. When blogging is seen as some easy format for malleable and disposable marketing or promotion, though, creators need to take a step back and assess both where they are and where they want to be ... and wonder if the answer is consistent with what made them so happy to express themselves online in the first place.

I'm by no means wagging the finger at others here, nor am I suggesting everything morph into something "new." For me, though, the task of finding music and then disseminating it in a meaningful way has all but disappeared.

This, I believe, is due part to my apparent desire to look back upon musical tropes for "answers" and cohesion: everything I listen to today, I innately assume, is somehow rooted in the past and explained in the pages of compendiums and encyclopedias like The Trouser Press or New Wave Vol. 1. This is certainly not the case, and by no means the way I approach listening to music in the real and everyday world.

I also understand fully now that the brand that a blog represents and the inherent voice it has make the opinions and meaning within it blossom. There's no reason for me to call one artist out as crap and hail another when you all know essentially what my musical preferences are, for example. If you trust me, then you'll come back, eager for more tunes.

I feel as though I've taken advantage of the respect and merit that I've attained (what little of it I have attained is questionable) and feel the need to just ... share again.

So: lengthy introduction aside, I'm making a new series of posts. All of my future write-ups will be a part of this overarching series. In an effort to unearth, (re)discover, and better understand the music that surrounds us -- and surrounded us -- for every 25, 50, 75, or some arbitrary number of posts, I'm going to select one genre to deeply delve into (or as deeply as my self-imposed restrictions allow me to).

Since I'm feeling Hercules & Love Affair right now (keep an eye out for the Anthem video we produced with them) and everyone seems to be into disco of some variety, I'll begin with that (hence the "D"). I now present you Hercule. The Italo-disco artist recorded a couple tracks back in the late-1970s and that's essentially the extent to which we know him. "Little Green Man" is the b-side on the "Sunday Morning Fever" 12". It sounds like Plastics attempting a heavy, funky disco cut. Check it out below and buy the vinyl at Turntable Lab.

I've explained myself, so don't expect this again in the future. Lastly, I'll still randomly post films we produce for an added bit of exposure.

Hercule - Little Green Man

Yukari Fresh Releases New Album

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:50:30 -0500

Love me for this, okay?

Escalator Records' final release will be Yukari Fresh's forthcoming LP, GRRRL SUMMER CAPE KID. The seminal Tokyo-based label has been churning out Shibuya-kei, electro-pop, experimental, and dancey tunes since the early 1990s, and it's with a deep sorrow that we say goodbye to them.

One of Escalator's first signings was Yukari Fresh -- albeit not by that name -- so it seems fitting that the long-standing roster member's new full-length will be released on her first (and only) label. After amicably folding, the ex-Escalator staff will dedicate its time to its Shibuya record store, Every Coversation and Crazy to Live record labels, and its Tokyo dance parties. May the Escalator legend live on.

GRRRL SUMMER CAPE KID is a refreshing return to Fresh's roots. It's spunky and concentrated, hooky and quick, jumpy and energetic. Fresh never fails to cut to the chase with her recordings, and often times, that's a good thing. She's a thirty-something (maybe forty-something?) mother now, though, making the sheer energy and sometimes bombastic forcefulness all the more inspiring. This statement rings very true with the new LP and is certainly not to be missed.

Ah, and if you missed it the first time around, check out the lengthy (definitive English language?) interview I did with Naka, Escalator Records et al's president, for Anthem right here. It looks as though I caught them on the brink of their dissolve!

GRRRL ... is out on August 27; below you'll find one song from that and two extra old tracks to tide you over until the record hits stores.

Yukari Fresh - GRRRL (A FACTOR OF REVOLUTION)

Yukari Fresh - Fat

Yukari Fresh - Lost and Found (Hideki Kaji Remix)

Pacific!'s "Sunset Boulevard" Gets Remixed by Lord Skywave

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:28:01 -0500

We were sold by the first second of Pacific!'s debut single, "Hot Lips," a year or two ago. The Swedish duo has since gone on to push its surfer-meets-electro-pop LP all across the globe, from the U.K. to the U.S., and even to India where they're now enjoying the number one slot on the nation's MTV and VH1 music rotations. Not too shabby!

There've been many remixes of Pacific!'s work, but this new one by half of Black Ghosts, Simon Lord, a.k.a. Lord Skywave, is one of the most stunning we've been graced with since Breakbot's stellar effort. As Daniel -- half of Pacific! -- aptly puts it, the edit is reminiscent of "an old Bollywood soundtrack somehow." How perfect, then, that they're a Hindu hit!

Check out the remix of "Sunset Boulevard" below and be sure to pick up the debut, Reveries, when it hits the States on July 22!

Pacific! - Sunset Boulevard (Lord Skywave Mix)

New Liars, "Disgusting"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:19:40 -0500

Liars Interview from Anthem Magazine on Vimeo.
Oh, how I love Liars. The trio is one of those bands that we all know is going to be pumping out albums for years and years to come; one of those bands that will inspire generations of future musicians; one of those bands that will always seem utterly accessible and completely alien (have you ever seen Angus and company live!?)

Four albums and a handful of EP's in, countless recording locations later, and uncanny genre hopping, Liars comes out with a curt single that has no affiliation to anything as far as we know, "Disgusting." Unlike the bulk of their last LP's work, "Disgusting" is more reminiscent of early punk cuts by, say, the Slits during their collaboration with Half Japanese that never happened. The throbbing beat and helter-skelter hook makes the tune messy; the slightly off drumming only further convolutes the thing; the piece is genius.

Now that the band is officially holed up in L.A., I'm hoping to see more of them ... don't tell me this isn't a Los Angelino tune.

"Why can't they turn on the lights? You are a man and I am a drug. It's so disgusting."

It's so disgusting!

Liars - Disgusting

PRDS

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:40:00 -0500

Yesterday, I received an especially brief message from a certain 16-year-old kid named Adam, who makes music under the moniker prds. With a copy of Fruity Loops as his instrument, the Swede pumps out sublime, melancholic instrumental pop gems that shimmer like the setting sun reflecting off a placid ocean. "Lionfish" is a tad repetitive and flat; "Bahamas" is a bit choppy and doesn't spotlight the throbbing bass line that drives the tune quite enough; prds is a work in progress, but with some assuring signs of a positive and creatively fruitful future.

Check out two MP3s below and grab another pair at the guy's Last.fm page.

prds - Lionfish

prds - Bahamas

No Age/Mika Miko/Abe Vigoda @ the Smell

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:55:34 -0500

Early last month, Los Angeles exports No Age, Mika Miko, and Abe Vigoda performed at the Smell's second annual matinee performance. I'm still a little in the dark as to why they decided to hold such a stellar show during some of the hottest hours during the day and how they managed wrangle up every hipster in the great L.A. region, but -- needless to say -- the mini-festival (or whatever you want to call it) was fun.

I did this film for Anthem Online. Check out the original article and small clip here. We got footage of all three bands' sets (amazing), a solid Q&A with No Age, and a fun chat with some of the Mika Miko girls and a couple of the Abe Vigoda guys.

I recommend viewing the high-def version of the video on Vimeo. We didn't shoot in HD for nothing!

Ray Mang

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:15:56 -0500

When I was younger and on a major Pizzicato Five/Shibuya-kei rampage, I remember taking a great liking to Ursula 1000, partially due to the fact that he used a P5 sample in one of his older cuts.

I'm not saying that the loungey heyday of Ursula 1000, Thievery Corporation, and other related artists has come back full swing, but many DJ's seem to be attracted once again to the swanky melodies and rhythms of old jazz jams ... Latin American stuff in particular.

One such act is Ray Mang, a.k.a. Raj Gupta, a London-based disc-jockey who contemporizes the bossa nova and swinger lounge vibes of old. Imagine a Westernized Fantastic Plastic Machine or Konishi Yasuharu in 2008. That's essentially what this guy's like. (He actually toured Japan last year!)

Check out a few cuts below. "Praia do Londres" is pretty old -- it was originally released as an R&S Records 12" and later included on an Eskimo Recordings LP -- but certainly worth putting on repeat. ~~I'm including "Angel" as a sort of joke -- I'm assuming that Gupta intended it as such himself ...~~ Gupta accidentally sent me a bad copy of "Angel," so download it again now and you'll have the authentic MP3. It's a slower jam that just is all at once soothing and exceedingly catchy.

Lather yourself with some sunscreen, throw a linen shirt and Fedora on, grab a Corona, and relax to the smooth beats of Ray Mang on an island in the sun somewhere.

Ray Mang - Praia Do Londres

Ray Mang - Angel