BiBaBiDi

BBBD Mix: "Viva Radio Test Program"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:33:24 PST

I've got some cool news for you all today!

I may soon be Viva Radio's newest DJ! Part of the application process is, obviously, the creation of a test program. Since this will never be aired (fingers crossed I get the gig!) and I technically own the thing, I thought it'd be nice to give it to you guys. I wish you could somehow vote for me, but alas, all we can really do now is wait!

(1) Four Tet, "Love Cry"
(2) Bottin, "No Static (Club Version)"
(3) Johnny Hammond, "Fantasy (Faze Action Special Disco Mix)"
(4) the Phenomenal Handclap Band, "You'll Disappear (Jacques Renault Remix)"
(5) Lindstrøm & Christabelle, "Baby Can't Stop (Aeroplane Remix)"
(6) Still Going, "Spaghetti Circus (Radio Edit)"
(7) Röyksopp, "This Must Be It (Rex the Dog Remix)"
(8) Au Revoir Simone, "Another Likely Story (Aeroplane Remix)"
(9) Annie, "Don't Stop"
(10) Greg Wilson, "Elektrons Get Up (GW Special Edit)"
(11) St. Etienne, "Spring (Air France Remix)"

Nik Mercer - Viva Radio Test Program

Pink Skull, "Endless Bummer"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:24:23 PDT

Over at Anthem Online I not only did a really fun and interesting Q&A with Pink Skull in support of their forthcoming sophomore album, Endless Bummer (Rvng International), but I also scored an exclusive track for all you audiophiles to boogie to.

Check out the whole thing right here and download the tune below. It's a rager.

Pink Skull - Endless Bummer

BBBD Mix: "Radio Edit"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:24:45 PDT

It's a truly beautiful day in New York, so I decided to meet up with a friend at Washington Square Park and get out of Brooklyn. The sunshine, comforting breeze, and autumnal foliage palette inspired me to make another BBBD mix for all of you! I know, the workday is over by now (at least for us EST'ers), but I urge you to download this sucker and save it for tomorrow if you are indeed en route to dinner, prime-time TV, and bed. Maybe the weather won't be quite so spectacular when you return to the office and you'll find yourself itching for a pick-me-up.

Strap yourself in for a solid 40-minute mix, folks!

Oh, yeah, and I made a goof between the diskJokke and N.D.B. songs―my sincere apologies for that in advance... I'll work on subduing these twitchy fingers!

(1) Andrew Weatherall, "Walk Of Shame"
(2) diskJokke, "Some Signs Are Always Good"
(3) Neurotic Drum Band, "Robotic Hypnotic Adventure"
(4) Still Going, "Spaghetti Circus (Radio Edit)"
(5) Lindstrøm and Christabelle, "Baby Can't Stop (Radio Edit)"
(6) Beyonce, "Broken-Hearted Girl (Alan Braxe Remix Radio Edit)"
(7) Jackpot, "Encounter"
(8) Karen Young, "Hot Shot"
(9) Ramona Brooks, "I Don't Want You Back"
(10) Greg Wilson, "Walking On Confusion"

Nik Mercer - Radio Edit Mix

Anotheranthe № 1–3

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:46:16 PST

Normally, I don't repost or link to items I've authored on other Web sites or in magazines, but this seems to be an exception.

I've written three columns for the wonderful Dutch Web site Anothersomething.org, a combination arts and culture blog, and design firm and fashion label calling card of sorts (I urge you to check out their shop). The column I author, cutely dubbed Anotheranthem, is about, very generally and vaguely, "anything I like" that somehow fits in with the rest of the Anothersomething.org vibe. The first article I did was on independent book publishers I like; the second concerned various products made through compelling collaborations; and the third and most recent is all about "new disco" artists I love and adore (Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas, diskJokke, Aeroplane).

Check out the archived pieces and today's new one when you get a chance! To entice you, I've included some tunes (one song by each of the discussed musicians) below.

Lindstrøm - Monsteer

Prins Thomas - Mammut

diskJokke - Some Signs Are Good

Aeroplane - Caramellas

BBBD Mix:

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:07:29 PDT

I've got a little 40-minute Friday mix for all of you! This one's quite the heavy-duty banger, though, so be warned as it may not be safe for work or any calm environment.

A few of the tunes I've already posted, but a good number of them are new to the blog. If anything, hopefully this will get you psyched for the weekend; it certainly got me pumped up before I went out last night!

(1) Lindstrøm & Christabelle, "Baby Can't Stop (Aeroplane Remix)"
(2) Bottin, "Sciarando El Scurro"
(3) Lindstrøm, "Breakfast In Heaven (diskJokke Remix)"
(4) Vitalic, "Flashmob"
(5) CFCF, "The Explorers (feat. Sally Shapiro)"
(6) Matias Aguayo, "Rollerskate (Radio Edit)"
(7) Âme, "Setsa"
(8) Majeure, "Teleforce"
(9) Munk, "Back Down (Cut Copy Jackmaster Remix)"
(10) Korallreven, "Loved-Up"

Nik Mercer - Breakfast In Heaven Mix

Lindstrøm & Christabelle

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:14:48 PDT

This morning, Pitchfork gave the Aeroplane remix of the new Lindstrøm & Christabelle track, "Baby Can't Stop," a great score (8/10), which prompted me to post it to BBBD for your listening pleasure.

Christabelle (what a name) adds some woozy, buttery vocals to an already spacey disco jam by the Norwegian dance maestro, who seems completely incapable of both not making music and not pushing the envelope with every one of his projects. Relentlessly, he continues to get better and more innovative with his unique breed of ethereal disco for today's modern world.

One of my favorite parts is the ~~Missy Elliott~~ Cybotron "Clear" shout-out ~~(it's likely inadvertent, though)~~ at the beginning. As usual, Aeroplane dolls out a sufficiently energy-boosting remix that at no point diminishes the aesthetic and strength of the original track.

Lindstrøm & Christabelle - Baby Can't Stop (Aeroplane Remix)

Vitalic Brings A (Flash)mob

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:35:35 PDT

As I'm sure most of you have picked up by now, face-melting electronic dance music isn't really my interest or forte anymore, but that doesn't mean that the whole genre of rave-inducing anthems isn't still in my blood and something that, from time to time, I genuinely appreciate. Additionally, as with any popular form of artistic expression, there is always room for the trend-followers, copycats, or fakes to coexist with the merited geniuses or innovators. While East Germany by way of Ukraine's France's Vitalic churns out fist-pumpers that neon-clad hipsters are likely to fawn over, he distinctly falls in the latter category, and therefore I can only feel proud to discuss his latest full-length, Flashmob, on BBBD.

Vitalic made waves in 2005 with OK Cowboy, a mesmerizing, woozy addition to the growing trope of techno-aggrandizing styles that were rapidly sprouting up in the early 2000s. "My Friend Dario"―a thrashing electro-pop gem of epic proportions―was the hit but I enjoyed tunes like "Polkamatic" more for their off-kilter, creepy vibe. The best songs on OK Cowboy posed to be theme songs to a Tim Burton horror/freak show that never happened.

Four years after Cowboy, Vitalic is back with Flashmob, an LP that starts heavy-handed and never lets up. The producer's penchant for scaring the hell out of his listeners while simultaneously hypnotizing them into spasming on the dance floor is still there but now it's been amped up yet another notch. Flashmob feels incredibly frantic: Listening to it is, at points, like trying to keep up with a friend on the fritz who monologues to you in a panic, failing to take a breath through the whole ordeal. My appreciation for the songs on Flashmob aside, I don't suggest you listen to the thing all at once, and whatever you do, don't put it on while doing something that requires focus and calm (i.e. driving, working at your job). You've read the disclaimer, now download these jams!

Vitalic - Station Mir 2099

Vitalic - Poison Lips

Vitalic - One Above One

Vitalic - Second Lives

Greg Wilson, Credit To the Edit Vol. 2

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:35:45 PDT

Greg Wilson made history (and one hell of a comeback) with the 2005 release of Credit To the Edit Vol. 1, a Tirk Recorings compilation of the legendary DJ's, you guessed it, edits. For those of you who don't know Wilson (or, better yet, haven't had the pleasure of meeting the man and absolutely chewing his ear off for a full evening!), here's his story in a nutshell. Back in the 70s, Wilson started playing around with disc-jockeying after being greatly influenced by "black music" clubs in the U.K. He began incorporating all sorts of funk, soul, disco, and rap with more traditional DJ fodder, oftentimes using a reel-to-reel setup in addition to the widespread turntable one. After scoring numerous gigs and residencies, Factory Records/New Order's club, the Haçienda, picked him up as a regular DJ, possibly in an effort to overhaul the decaying venue's horrendous reputation and unmatched debt. Shortly after getting the Haçienda job, though, Wilson diped out of the limelight and truly stopped DJ'ing for about 20 years, instead producing for others and raising a son. The man was clever in that he knew he'd make a return to the nightlife scene, but wanted to do so only after enough time had passed for his reputation to have fully aged.

Credit To the Edit Vol. 1 was a spectacular collection of edits Wilson put out on Tirk in the early 2000s that, for the most part, revolve around 70s and 80s jams. Every one of Wilson's cuts is impressive in its sublime, utterly natural integration of buttery "black music" (his words not mine!) and energized, punchy electronic dance. Below are three samples from the seminal comp.

Since Credit To the Edit immediately came off as looking like a series, what with the "volume" being thrown around and all, us diehard fans first freaked out about the record itself and then, almost immediately thereafter, asked ourselves when the second installation would be hitting shelves. Well, it took a little longer than at least I suspected it would, but the good news is that Credit To the Edit Vol. 2 is dropping in November!

Unlike the first one, this new 12-track compilation "provides a perfect illustration of how the present is being shaped by the past, with artists from both sides of the Atlantic producing great new tracks that take their inspiration from the type of music highlighted in the first volume, neatly serving to bring the project full circle in the process." In short, volume 2 is less invested in the past and more in connecting sounds of the 80s to those of today―in a boogie-inducing way, of course! Enjoy these older edits and get psyched for the forthcoming sophomore swing! You can find the full tracklist after the jump.

Raw DMX - Do It To the Funk (Edit)

Kool & the Gang - Sesame Seed (Edit)

Mike T. - T.'s On the Mike (Edit)

1. Love Is The Drug / Roxy Music
2. Don't Turn It Off / 40 Thieves (Feat Qzen)
3. Voodoo Ray / A Guy Called Gerald
4. Love Honey / Sugardaddy
5. Secret Sunday Lover / 1gnition
6. Lady T / Crazy P
7. One Lifetime To Live / Gary Davis
8. Starlight / Escort
9. Oh Snap / Nick Chacona & Anthony Mansfield
10. Dirty Talk / Klein & MBO
11. Messages / OMD
12. Mercy / The Third Degree

Broadcast & the Focus Group

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:56:19 PDT

For a while, I was a tremendous Broadcast fan. The British duo's chilling combination of 60s lounge pop and fragile experimental ambient meanderings just did it for me. Somehow, though, their albums left my main computer, took up residence on my external hard drive, and haven't been seen for quite some time. To my great excitement, though, their label, Warp, just announced the October 27 release of Investigate Witch Cults Of the Radio Age, an EP (at least that's what they're calling the 23-track disc) they created in collaboration with the Focus Group. Witch Cults could be Broadcast's most impacting and significant output to date for its sheer innovation, delicate composition, and wholly enchanting arrangement. You'll be more mesmerized than ever.

For those of you who don't know the Focus Group, it's the musical project of U.K. graphic designer Julian House, who also just so happens to own the label to which he is signed, Ghost Box. House's stuff is really only similar to Broadcast's in terms of texture as the man doesn't sing or even attempt to compose pop songs of any variety on his own. However, he draws largely from the same influences and references: library music sounds, 1970s films and programs soundtracks, old synth warbles, and so on. (By the way―you've seen house's artwork countless times before: he's done covers for Stereolab, Oasis, the Prodigy, and, of course, Broadcast itself.) The official coming-together of Broadcast and the Focus Group was an absolutely genius move. Not only does it further cement each outfit's individual reputation for being spectacularly talented, but it also sets them up to impress the world as a unit that only gets better and more unusual, unique with time and assistance from friends.

As usual, the songs are titled in a style typical only to Broadcast. Everything sounds like a half haiku or a line from a fairy tale that's been flipped and flopped just enough to change its meaning and make you give it a second look, a second think.

Broadcast & the Focus Group - The Be Colony

Broadcast & the Focus Group - How Do You Get Along, Sir?

Broadcast & the Focus Group - Drug Party

Broadcast & the Focus Group - I See, So I See So

Broadcast & the Focus Group - The Be Colony/Dashing Home/What On Earth Took You?

Broadcast & the Focus Group - Make My Sleep His Song

BBBD Mix: "The Rain"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:59:44 PDT

It's been something like a month since I last made a mix, and on account of it being my girlfriend's birthday, I feel especially festive right now. So: without further ado, I present you with "The Rain," the latest BBBD mix. I think the tracklist describes its vibe better than my words would be able to.

Note: Be warned of one big train wreck between the second and third song. My apologies in advance.

(1) Sorcerer, "Shaolin Style"
(2) CFCF, "Monolith"
(3) Altair Nouveau, "Street Thunder II"
(4) Ramona Brooks, "I Don't Want You"
(5) Arcade Lover, "Fantasy Lines"
(6) Shit Robot, "Simple Things (Todd Terje Version)"
(7) Sally Shapiro, "Love In July"
(8) Majeure, "Teleforce"
(9) Lindstrøm, "The Magnificent"
(10) D-Pulse, "Highway To Saturn"

Nik Mercer - The Rain Mix

D19

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:37:54 PDT

Alright, I'll be honest here―the main reason I'm posting right now is to test out Google Docs' latest innovation―PDF embedding! Since I feel conflicted by writing something without including music, though, I figured I had to tack a song on to the PDF. I've been listening to the Michael Zager Band's "Life's A Party" nonstop today, so it seemed only appropriate to doll it out to all of you kind readers.

I've professed my deep love and admiration for Zager previously, but this song is notable for an additional reason outside of my fandom: Cissy and Whitney Houston provided vocals for it. Back in '77―a few years before Whitney's leap to superstardom―the chanteuse was recruited by the disco maestro for "Life's A Party," a tune that's not quite as good as "Let's All Chant" but certainly up there. It's bouncy―almost flamboyantly elastic―and especially tightly arranged. Whitney and her mother belt out the lyrics with incredible conviction, and, excitingly, sound like they're competing for the top prize at a mother/daughter talent show: Whitney solos with the exuberance of a young teen while Cissy shreds with a professionalism you can only acquire after decades of being in The Industry. Enjoy!

Michael Zager Band - Life's A Party

Lake Heartbeat

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:33:14 PDT

Service Records is, next to Studio's Information and the Tough Alliance's Sincerely Yours, Sweden's greatest―and most varied―independent label in my humble opinion. The Swedes are notorious for concocting "perfect" pop songs, traditionally of the jangle pop persuasion; they are not, however, the most varied musicians on the planet: they tend to stick to what they do best and not fiddle around outside those self-imposed borders much. Generally. Service's strength is in its ability to release music that spans multiple genres without losing its thematic centering. Jens Lekman's Jonathan Richman-style troubadour tunes mingle with DJ Kool Dust's buttery, retro disco jams; the Whitest Boy Alive's thin, airy pop mixes with the Embassy's post-punk synth-fueled melodrama; and so on.

Service's latest release is Lake Heartbeat's Trust In Numbers (buy it), a soothing, loungey modernization of easy-going 60s pop a la, say, Burt Bacharach. Lush string arrangements weave in and out of beachy guitar riffs; bouncy beats and cosmic bells enhance shimmery, reverb-laden coed vocals; and a certain intrinsic optimism fuels the record's overall road trip-ready vibe.

Here're a few samples from the long-player. If you're super excited by the superb creation, skip buying just the album and join Service for €25―they'll digitally deliver everything they drop for your life.

Lake Heartbeat - Pipedream

Lake Heartbeat - Build the Wall Up

Lake Heartbeat - Golden Chain

Rough Jemz

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:42:44 PDT

"Brooklyn, by way of Providence" is not a comment you see much in band bios, but in the case of Javelin, the rarity is reality. Rarer still is for such a young, unknown group to bust onto the scene with a self-released full-length that takes many pages from the Avalanches' style guide and produces the best sample-based album in that vein that I've heard since Since I Left You. Dead serious. (When I write "in that vein," I refer to sample-based music that aims to construct actual songs with melodies, verses, choruses, and so on, and not Girl Talk or 2 Many DJs' mash-up sample-based stuff.)

Javelin's style merges hyper-active, wobbly club beats; synth ditties you would easily find in hundreds upon hundreds of 80s pop tunes; so-melodic-it's-sappy hooks that I wouldn't be surprised to hear come straight out of a Disney film that was never produced; and plenty of riffs and rhythms from a variety of world musics, namely South American ones.

While plenty of the LP, Jamz n Jemz, is dance floor-ready, there're a number of gorgeous, swooning epics that I simply can't get enough of (the cutely titled "Lindsay Brohan," "Tu Machina"). And then there're unexpected funk slow jams like "Doug Flutey" that make it truly impossible to put your finger on just what the hell Javelin is doing but completely okay with hanging out for the rollercoaster of a ride.

You can buy tunes digitally at the band's MySpace page and can invest in a rare 7" of theirs over here. The band is playing with friggin' Miho Hatori at the Market Hotel on September 18. Try concocting a reason not to go. Impossible.

Javelin - Lindsay Brohan

Javelin - Doug Flutey

Javelin - Intervales Theme

Javelin - Tu Machina

Javelin - Tryouts

Milk Crate Crawler: Tirk Recordings

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:00:28 PDT

Tirk Recordings, a U.K.-based independent, is one of those labels that is really good at spotting musical trends and digging up new talent, but not the best at extending careers much past a 12" or two. For instance, Tirk's biggest success in a way was signing New Young Pony Club―one of their first acts―and putting out their debut single, "Ice Cream" (a song that now finds itself being licensed to a myriad of commercials and soundtracks). They also put out Fujiya and Miyagi's breakthrough album, Transparent Things, and the seminal Greg Wilson edits compilation, Credit To the Edit. Taste-makers, yes; big-time capitalist business men, no.

Tirk is renowned for their edits and disco-leaning acts, though, too, and today I present you with a nice slice of their choice material that doesn't have to do with fictitious Japanese kraut-rockers and common desserts.

First is Architeq, a "space dub" one-man act who will spook you out just as much as he will soothingly hypnotize you. "Bird Of Prey" is certainly his best song, but I also quite like "Packard," a slightly heavier jam off of his Birds Of Prey EP. I also really enjoy the Kelpe remix of "Birds Of Prey," which can be found on the Birds Of Prey Versions EP.

I also recently grabbed Tirk02, a retrospective compilation of the label's best stuff since 2006. Arcade Lover's "Fantasy Lines" is a standout disco foot-tapper for sure; the Hercules and Love Affair remix of Chaz Jankel's "Get Yourself Together" is a beautiful, funky soul tune that will definitely remind you of Michael Jackson's better material; D-Pulse's "Highway to Heaven" is an invigorating yet mesmerizing disco swirl; and Toby Tobias' "Chick Chick" is a sexy, seductive after-hours minimal club jam that will certainly turn you on.

Sift through the back catalogue and grab some wax right over at Tirk Recordings' homepage.

Architeq - Birds Of Prey (Original Mix)

Architeq - Packard

Architeq - Birds Of Prey (Kelpe Remix)

Arcade Lover - Fantasy Lines

Chaz Jankel - Get Yourself Together (Hercules and Love Affair Hercbump Mix)

D-Pulse - Highway to Saturn

Tobias Toby - Chick Chick

Sorcerer Works His Magic

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:14:46 PDT

Let's go back to Balearic once again, alright?

Sorcerer―an S.F. native who works with Hatchback under the alias Windsurf on occasion―is probably the best artist within the so-called "yacht-rock" offshoot of swirling, cosmic Balearic jammin'. The truly magical musician doesn't solely work with electronic―a huge refreshment to say the least―making sure to sample loads of guitar, bass, and analog synths he himself has recorded, and positions his tunes as less of an homage to early innovators'―who were essentially making more chill and meandering kraut rock―and more of an aural illustration of what today's meditative, peaceful, and relaxing music ought to be. I must say that he's made quite a good case for his style over the course of his two-album career that's been generously sprinkled with collaborative side projects. Buy his stuff over at Tirk Recordings.

But before you shell out a couple dozen bucks, check out three instant classics from Sorcerer's latest full-length, Neon Leon. Each has a different character of its own, but boy is the LP a homogenized journey through soul-soothing psychedelic wanderings.

That guy's done a few computer-generated videos that look sort of like step-cousins of Tron. Watch the ones for "Chemise" and Push 2 Freeze right now!

Sorcerer - Ride the Serpent

Sorcerer - Shaolin Style

Sorcerer - El Condor

Milk Crate Crawler: Mule Musiq

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:56:52 PDT

One of the hippest parts of Tokyo these days is the relatively subdued, quiet, and absolutely beautiful Nakameguro, which is smack-dab in the middle of Meguro, a district to the southwest of Shibuya. The Meguro River is one of the area's landmark destinations for its cherry blossom-lined banks. Being in Nakameguro isn't like being in the rest of Tokyo―it's too consciously, deliberately placid; it can honestly be quite jarring upon your first arrival. No wonder Cornelius made it his base-of-operations after the Shibuya-kei scene effective died.

One musical entity that truly internationally stands out that just so happens to be based out of Nakameguro is Mule Musiq, a four-year-old minimal techno-leaning label founded by Sapporo native Kuniyuki Takahashi. Takahashi has released a lot of his own stuff on M.M. under the names Kuni and Kuniyuki, but he's also released stuff by Mock & Toof, Force Of Nature, DJ Sprinkles, Isolée, and, believe it or not, Lydia Lunch. Their stuff is distributed through Kompakt, so if you'd like to browse through the catalogue, head over here to do so. Mule Musiq also has two subsidiaries: Mule Electronic (the label that dropped International Pony, for example) and Endless Flight (Betty Botox, I'm Starting To Feel Okay Vol. 3).

I've been a fan of Mule's for a while now, but it wasn't until I met DJ Cosmo that I finally decided to write something on the label. Cosmo appears on I'm Starting To Feel Okay Vol. 3 as Wild Rumpus, a duo comprising of the current Londoner and the ex-Captain Beefheart guitar god Gary Lucas. Download their hypnotic, psychedelic jam "Kazan" below.

I'm also giving you all a few samples of what September holds. Mark E's "Gunstone" is the b-side for an Endless Flight 12"; Ribn's consuming minimal ditty, "Lum Lum," is the b-side for a Mule Electronic 12"; and Culoe de Song's more tribal banger, "Inspiration," is the b-side for a Mule Musiq 12". How's that for a September sample pack!?

Wild Rumpus - Kazan

Mark E - Gunston

Ribn - Lum Lum

Culoe De Song - Inspiration

I Got A Fever

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:05:19 PDT

I posted about Rekids a little while ago, but I thought it'd be fun to bring up the wonderful Cabin Fever Trax 12" series that's put out by their unofficial sub label, RKDS. Each single includes "revamped" edits of old, obscure house jams, and they seem to be doing pretty well as the sixth installation just came out in June (buy it at Phonica).

House is a genre that fades in and out of favor with me... I think this is largely due to the fact that it tends to be pretty heavy-handed and aggressive whereas something like disco (oh, how vague you are) necessitates a certain amount of organic warmth and elasticity. House, when done well, can be really engaging in a natural, almost psychedelic way, though, and when I get tunes of that variety, I can only love them to pieces.

Here's the b-side of Jacques Renault's Cabin Fever Trax Vol. 6 12". It's more of a after-hours comedown chiller, but there's still loads of rhythm in there to keep you spinning on the dancefloor in the middle of the night as well.

Jacques Renault - Cabin Fever Trax - Let's Play House

LCD Soundsystem's Jogger Jams, Remixed

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:56:06 PDT

Before I begin this post, I must tell you all that it's my 1,400th. Without realizing this, I decided to write about LCD Soundsystem's 45:33 Remixes LP today. The significance? I've professed my love for James Murphy, DFA Records, and everything its adherents and associates touch since, well, the beginning of BBBD, really. (I just searched through the archives and found dozens of mentions of his name dating back to 2005, my first year.) Coincidentally, I chose to write about one of my faves for this landmark post!

45:33 Remixes is, as you've probably guessed by now, a remix album/compilation of the jogging "soundtrack" Murphy and company made for Nike. Editors include Runaway, Prins Thomas, Theo Parrish, Padded Cell, and Pilooski, so know that you're in for a good one here.

Each artist pulled whatever they wanted from the three-quarter-hour jam and produced a slimmer edit that embodies their personal style while retaining a good chunk of LCD. The Prins Thomas version is a spooky, deep house foot-tapper that will wholly hypnotize you; the Padded Cell mix cleverly incorporates J.M.'s vocals and is much more invigorated yet still pretty shimmery, spacey; the Pilooski one is quite deep as well, but bouncey and somewhat humorous. I'll keep the rest a surprise for you folks.

LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)

LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 (Padded Cell Remix)

LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 (Pilooski Remix)

Milk Crate Crawler: West End Records № 1

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:31:28 PDT

I've talked quite a bit about record labels in my artist-focused D posts, I've noticed, so it only makes sense to commence a new series of pieces that centers on those companies instead of simply dwelling on the singers and groups that resided on their rosters.

While I'm starting with a disco label, I can't promise I'll stick to that genre or even the broad category of dance music. Bear that in mind.

West End Records was founded in 1976 by disco pioneers Mel Cheren (R.I.P.) and Ed Kushins who named it after the area in which their office was located (the Manhattan theater district). (Strangely enough, many disco "institutions" were located in or around the building West End operated out of, most notably Studio 54.)

The label is typically―if not famously―associated with two things: First, the great DJ and producer Larry Levan, and second, the popular dance club Paradise Garage. Levan produced, mixed, remixed, and edited for all sorts of people in the 70s and 80s (Salsoul Records' artists being one of his main clients), but West End historically comes off as being his home―so let's start with some Levan!. [Note: West End Records only officially closed its doors in 2007 after Cheren's unfortunate passing. Legal and personal arguments, inner-turmoil episodes, and general disagreements, though, crippled the company through the 80s and 90s.]

With W.E., Levan did a load of work with Taana Gardner, a disco singer who had a slightly thinner yet throatier timber than most vocalists of the time who used their talents in flashier ways, whipping notes all over the place and adding frills to just about every syllable. Two of my favorites are 1979's "Work That Body" and the buttery 1981 jam "Heartbeat." Gardner's material tended to be of the slower variety, which I think is great considering the fact that so much of 1970s disco tends to be of the hyper-active variety. Gardner's stuff is normally (always?) below 100 bpms in terms of tempo.

Karen Young was another W.E. singer who actually scored the company their best-selling 12" with "Hot Shot," a much more rhythmic, pumped-up, bass-heavy all-night-boogie-inducer that will get in your ear and never leave. I love how it incorporates this really unusual swing jazz instrumental track. It's no wonder that it sold over 800,000 copies. (That's a lot for a disco single, but many, many singles hit that mark over the years. You can guess why so many record stores, garage sales, and thrift shops are absolutely loaded with disco!)

I'll sign out for now, but rock the Mondays away to these four tunes and expect more West End samples soon enough.

Taana Gardner - Work That Body

Taana Gardner - Heartbeat

Taana Gardner - Heartbeat (Party Mix)

Karen Young - Hot Shot

Tally-ho, Balihu!

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:53:45 PDT

Daniel Wang―an out-of-this-world DJ, producer, and vintage synth/studio gear nerd of epic proportions of Taiwanese descent―has been pumping out some of his best work ever over the past few years ("Berlin Sunrise," "Echo By Midnight," "Roller Giggle") on various labels (notably Ghostly International), but his earlier works―the stuff he created in the early 90s through the turn of the millennium―is often overlooked. Fortunately, thanks to the forthcoming release of Daniel Wang Presents Balihu: Rush Hour that will no longer be the case.

Way back in 1993, the soon-to-be-NYC-dweller started Balihu Records in an effort to combat the "increasingly unmusical soundtrack of modern nightlife" and put out his own material. (Balihu's discography is 90% Wang's work.) The lanky DJ is often described as being a disco producer, but I find his tunes to be a little too atmospheric, refined, and house-leaning to confidently dub him as such. His music flows like a misty seascape at night (or, in the case of "Berlin Sunrise," lifts up into the sky like a consuming, fiery sun over a urban sprawl on the verge of a morning's bustle); but it's just too clever and purposefully crafted to be lazily confined to disco crates.

That said, some of his stuff―like "Dancing With the Best" or the infamous "Like Some Dream"―tend to veer pretty near to being straight-up disco. Fat bass riffs; spacey, sometimes tribal rhythms; and ear-catching synth hooks make for some great discotheque dance floor jams.

Here're a few tunes from Balihu: Rush Hour. Enjoy and be sure to reserve a copy today.

Daniel Wang - Dancing With the Best

Daniel Wang - On the Moon

"Ground Control To Major Tom"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:14:21 PDT

We need more fun summer songs that aren't by idiot Top 40 artists. I think James Curd is one such genius.

Signed to DFA, he, with the help of one hell of a wonderful vocalist, pumps out some of the most exhilarating hip-hop disco (or whatever the hell you want to call it) you can imagine. The sultry yet energetic funk bass drives along with the syrupy lyric flow making for an incredible modern tip of the hat to a style of music we've not seen for decades. "We Just Won't Stop" is one of Curd's less deep housey jams, and that's a good thing. "Boom," for example, is a decent tune, but it's too light on the vocals for me; "Buffalo Girl" is way funkier for sure, but it's still a little too finicky, jumpy.

That was a short one! Grab the 12" at DFA's Web store or at the Amazon.com MP3 shop.

Oh, and yes, this song is on the last BBBD mix.

James Curd - We Just Won't Stop

BBBD Mix: "081809"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:28:23 PDT

I'm returning to the 1s and 2s, people! (No, that most definitely doesn't merit a round of applause.)

I'm playing around with some new, updated software that allows for me to mess around more with actually editing music. Now, instead of simple beat-matching; occasionally looping; and trimming or changing highs, mids, and lows, I can manipulate audio in numerous, diverse ways. You'll hear what I mean soon enough.

I made a few goofs on this ons, but its light years ahead of last night's attempt. This one's about 35 minutes long and features quite a few choice selections from DFA Records' roster in addition to a couple weird old jams. I bungled the Unlimited Touch song a little... my apologies for that.

(1) Bottin, "No Static (Club Version)"
(2) James Curd, "We Just Won't Stop"
(3) Traks, "Long Train Running"
(4) Walter Jones, "Living Without Your Love"
(5) Unlimited Touch, "Feel the Music" → "I Hear Music In the Streets"
(6) Hercules and Love Affair, "I Can't Wait"
(7) Runaway, "Putting In the Overtime"
(8) Lullabies In the Dark, "Iridium"

Nik Mercer - 081809 Mix (YouSendIt)
Nik Mercer - 081809 Mix (ZShare)

Ze Turns 30!

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:36:22 PDT

2009 marks the 30th birthday of Ze Records, a label founded, well, actually technically back in 1978 by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban (I bet your detective skills will lead you to unearthing why it was given its name!) Zilkha's father was a U.K. record industry hotshot; Esteban was the owner of a Parisian punk shop and magazine; and together, they formed one of the most seminal NYC dance labels. Strangely enough, John Cale was the fellow that connected the two idealists. Roster members included Lizzy Mercier Descloux, James White and the Blacks, Was (Not Was), Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Suicide, and many more.

Zilkha (now a Texan in the renewable energy industry) and Esteban wanted to release records that illustrated the merging of art, music, fashion, literature, and film that the 70s saw (think Richard Prince and Glenn Branca and Robert Longo and Cindy Sherman and David Salle and Glenn O'Brien and all those arty New Yorkers of the era that acted as cultural catalysts, bringing together seemingly disparate worlds in new and creative ways). Ze did pretty well through the mid-80s until its 1986 demise thanks in part to a distribution deal of some sort with Island, and, of course, the quality of their represented artists. The musicians signed to Ze tended to extend disco to the post-punk of the era or the other way around making for especially exciting, funky, foot-tapping singles and full-lengths alike. Artists like Descloux (who happened to be involved with Esteban) incorporated Afro-beat and various form of world music into their compositions to further enhance their sound; some, like Kid Creole, buttered their stuff up with plenty of Latin swagger; others, like James White (James Chance), looked to the world of free-form jazz for inspiration (White continues to be an established saxophone improvisationalist... now he's less violent, though); and most of them hung quite tightly to the No Wave movement that was sweeping the city.

Below are a few jams from the 30th anniversary compilation, Ze 30: Ze Records Story 1979-2009. Some of them (the classic "Tell Me That I'm Dreaming") you'll probably recognize.

Was (Not Was) - Tell Me That I'm Dreaming

Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band - Deputy Of Love

Lizzy Mercier Descloux -- Hard-Boiled Baby

James White & the Blacks - Contort Yourself

Kid Creole & the Coconuts - Something Wrong In Paradise

Suicide - Dream Baby Dream

D18

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:39:58 PDT

The Michael Zager Band is a shimmering example of what I'm now dubbing (not uniquely) "white boy disco."

One of the interesting, possibly funny aspects of disco is how it, like various forms of jazz, was―and continues to be―racially segregated to an extent. (I'm not attempting to begin some sort of race argument here―I'm merely shedding light on a trend, an observation.) "Black" disco tends to have a heavier, funkier edge to it, and this rawness isn't unexpected―the genre was created by African-Americans who came from R&B and soul backgrounds after all. "White" disco tends to be of the, may I, cheesier variety. The tunes have a lot more treble going for them, goof around with more electronics and synths, and seem to place great importance on The Hook rather than The Vibe.

Michael Zager―defintiely a white boy (he looks sort of like Phil Collins)―epitomizes this sort of "white" disco. He worked with numerous award-winning blacks in the 70s and 80s ( Whitney Houston, Cissy Houston, Gladys Knight), but, through all his interracial activity somehow maintained this really... well, white aesthetic. The songs he wrote, recorded, produced, and performed with his own outfits (the Michael Zager band and the Afro-Cuban Band) are pretty glitzy, pretty schlocky. That said, they are indeed infectious. "Let's All Chant" is a classic by all accounts―a hook like that doesn't come along too often. (Oh, and a wonderful video doesn't either!)

White musicians―as usual―copped an African-American form of dance music and conformed it to their lighter sensibilities. Think Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" here...

While Zager is indeed a spectacular musician who has been widely lauded in both the creative and commercial worlds (he did TV commercials and soundtracks, for example), he remains an illustration of how the American majority swipes what the marginalized minorities concoct and formulates it into their own creation. Jam out... but with a little hesitation, maybe.

Michael Zager Band - Let's All Chant (12" Version)

Michael Zager Band - Music Fever

Rekids, Records, Rekids...

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:59:56 PDT

London record labels intimidate me to no end. Hell, London music collectors intimidate me to no end as well! The whole business of records― producing, releasing, distributing, buying, collecting―throws me off over there because of its seriousness, its severity. That's not to say that American labels can't be just as intense as British ones, but for some reason, I get especially fidgety when the conversation makes the leap across the pond. Maybe this somewhat irrational fear is based more in ignorance than anything else.

Anyway, stupidity aside, I'll attempt to forage ahead with a Rekids Records dialogue.

Rekids, a London-based company, has been pumping out 12" after 12" since their 2006 debut dance hit, "My Bleep," by Radio Slave. The bulk of the stuff they put out is by five or six masthead roster members that I honestly don't care for all that much as they've a penchant for producing rather aggressive techno that I can only listen to for so long. (They also put out tunes by my New York buddies Runaway, though, so they're not all heavy-handed rave-ready material.) Luke Solomon is probably my favorite regular. In December of 2007 he dropped The Difference Machine, a glistening example of minimal techno with a funky, creative twist. The below two songs come from that LP, actually, although I pulled them from the Rekids Revolution compilation that came out a few months back. "Martin, A Cello & Me" is a wonderful jam that, yes, incorporates a cello, while "Spirits" is a more progressive fist-pumper that has been reworked by Prins Thomas here. Enjoy both!

Luke Solomon - Spirits (Prins Thomas Disko-Tek Miks)

Luke Solomon - Martin, A Cello & Me

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