BiBaBiDi

Nope

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:19:30 PDT

I've nothing to offer anymore. Consider this the last call.

Play in order ...

Röyksopp - Röyksopp Forever

the Wake - Sail Through

Lissy Trullie - She Said

DJ Hell - Hellracer

Belbury Poly - The Hidden Door

Camera Obscura - You Told A Lie

Joy Division - Passover

Cage & Aviary @ the Anthem Ranch

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:01:24 PDT

Cage & Aviary DJ Set, Anthem Coachella Party '09 from Anthem Magazine on Vimeo.
We're rolling out a number of shorter DJ-centric clips that we've constructed from the hours upon hours of raw footage we captured that fine Coachella Saturday, May 18, 2009.

Check out DFA's Cage & Aviary spin and get psyched for an Aeroplane clip as well as one of Trouble & Bass.

Anthem Ranch Party, Coachella '09

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:53:17 PDT

Anthem Ranch Party, Coachella '09 from Anthem Magazine on Vimeo.
Our annual Coachella parties just keep getting better! This year, we overtook a huge ranch in Indio, invited some internationally renowned DJ's to spin (Aeroplane, Cage & Aviary, Trouble & Bass), and threw the Americana-themed rager of the year.

Check out our wrap video for a peek into what was the Anthem Ranch Party -- or maybe just to remember the good times we know you had out in the desert with us!

You can find out more about the whole thing -- and what makes Anthem tick -- right here!

Anthem Magazine Coachella Party '09

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:24:50 PDT

Anthem Coachella 2009 Party Teaser from Anthem Magazine on Vimeo.
It’s a new day in America, and we at Anthem are celebrating it this year with a Western-themed fiesta out in Indio. Now that Bush Jr. is gone, we’re ready to celebrate our red-white-and-blue heritage with a bucking bronco, sloppy joes & ribs, and an endless river of ice cold Bud. We're also embracing our newfound socialism by inviting a cast of European DJ's to work the 1s and 2s this year. Belgian's Aeroplane will be making an exclusive U.S. debut appearance and DFA partners-in-crime Cage & Aviary from the U.K. will be hoping the pond, too. You’ve probably heard rumors about our famously decadent pool parties, but this time around we’re one-upping ourselves -- there’ll also be a private lake. No joke.

Stay tuned for further info and mark your calendars. Subscribe to Anthem’s Twitter to get the exclusive scoop on all updates and RSVP information.

One's & Two's: Boozoo Bajou

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:45:45 PST

Our latest One's & Two's podcast was with the spacey Nuremberg, Germany duo, Boozoo Bajou. The pair specialize in making these really ambient tracks that incorporate world music rhythms and dance floor beats alike. Everything's really low-key and relatively slow, sure, but beneath that, there's this amazingly funky groovy-ness.

Be sure to pick up their latest LP, Grains -- it's out now on !K7.

Read the full article at Anthem Online and support us!

One's & Two's - Boozoo Bajou Mix

D16

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:21:42 PST

I was in Chinatown the other day, scouring the art galleries and meeting up with the owners of a certain boutique called Choose Chinatown (check it out, folks!) Somewhere in the back alleys of Chung King Plaza, I stumbled upon a tremendous number of dead/dying bees. I think someone had smashed a hive, but regardless of the cause of death, the sight was pretty jarring in a transient sort of way. The bee apocalypse!

So bees were on my mind, which got me freely associating with everything bee-related, from honey (PB and honey sandwich!) to Bumblebee Unlimited, one of the great New York disco acts of the 1970s. "Why not write about them, considering the circumstances?" I thought to myself.

So here we are at "D16" with a special presentation of Bumblebee Unlimited.

The key players involved in B.U., in my opinion, were Patrick Adams and Leroy Burgess, both of whom achieved massive success throughout their respective careers. (Adams won a total of 32 gold and platinum records, worked extensively with Salsoul Records, and produced a tremendous amount of stuff, including some early, innovative hip-hop by the likes of Coolio and Eric B. & Rakim; Burgess, on the other hand, began his career as the frontman of the successful Harlem R&B outfit Black Ivory and continued to produce material for a number of groups after the band dissolved.)

Anyway, I don't have a whole lot to say on the band. They're a lot of fun ... really loose and funky with plenty of Harlem R&B and soul slink packed in to leave you dripping with heavy-on-the-butter disco like you've never heard before. One of the weirdest things about the group is the vocals. Just listen and you'll know what I mean.

Bumblebee Unlimited - I Love You

Bumblebee Unlimited - Lady Bug (Larry Levan Disco Remix)

Bumblebee Unlimited - Space Shuttle Ride

Paris with Cazals

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:56:49 PST

If you've been reading the Anthem Magazine website you probably picked up on the fact that I was in Paris on a bit of a business trip from Friday evening through Monday around noon. (I was working on a photo diary sort of piece with Cazals for the Spring issue.)

In an effort to make sure you guys really are reading the website that I'm pouring so much blood and sweat (and love!) into, I'm dropping the links in this post. Check it out!

When In France: Cazals Diary, Day 1
When In France: Cazals Diary, Day 2
When In France: Cazals Diary, Day 3
When In France: Cazals Diary, Day 4

It was a truly wonderful trip. I would like to thank the entirety of Cazals, The:Hours (their U.S./French label), all the other folks I worked with, and Marissa for being some of the most accommodating, amicable, and intelligent people around. I know I've found lifelong friends in them all.

D15

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:44:12 PST

Well, it looks like the last "D" series post was published on November 24. Damn. My apologies for being so late, but give a brother a break, right?

I'm leaving for Paris in a matter of hours, so lets keep this brief and scattered.

How about we begin with a Grace-Jones-before-she-was-really-Grace-Jones jam: "Send In the Clowns." Yes, this one isn't original -- the lyrics (and arrangements, I suppose) were done by Sondheim way back in 1973 for the musical A Little Night Music. Makes sense for Jones, anyway.

Now on to the heavy one: "Bust That Nut (Downtown Mix)" by Poopee & the NY Squirrels. Poopee and her (his?) gang literally busted only one nut (aka 12") while in existence, but it yielded a euphoria unlike any other. Don't let me bust it alone, alright?

And ... last, but not least, a "message song": Cristina's "Blame It On Disco." The tune is an ode to the woes of living, loving, or even just liking someone who enjoys boogieing every once in a while. The song isn't really all that disco-y ... but that's the point! It has a repressed disco vibe. So, yeah, Cristina might be telling her B.F. to stop with the late nights out, but she's also telling him that she can't resist that beat, either.

Wish me luck! See you soon!

Grace Jones - Bring Out the Clowns

Poopee & the NY Squirrels - Bust That Nut (Downtown Mix)

Cristina - Blame It On Disco

Interview: Lindstrøm

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:15:05 PST

Let's keep this bad boy brief, alright?

I just wanted to point you all in the direction of a fabulous interview with Lindstrøm one of our writers did for Anthem Online. It's pretty thorough and definitely is making me very bitter about not being in S.F. (or Chicago or New York for that matter) for one of his [micro] tour dates.

Try to make one if you can! He will blow your socks off and send you on an epic odyssey through the deepest, most cerebral innards of your mind.

January 29, 2009 ― Studio B (New York City, New York)
January 30, 2009 ― Smart Bar (Chicago, Illinois)
January 31, 2009 ― Paradise (San Francisco, California)

Read the full Q&A here.

Lindstrøm - Grand Ideas

One's & Two's: Cage & Aviary

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:08:54 PST

It's been quite some time since I got a One's & Two's mix together for Anthem Online, but hey, the holidays happen, work gets heavy, and before you know it, it's been three months!

It's with great pleasure, though, that I present you our latest one with Cage & Aviary. The London duo put together a fun 90-minute mix that you really, really need to listen to right now.

Support us and check out the full piece at the website (there's an interview there, too!) You can just download the MP3 below, though, too.

One's & Two's - Cage & Aviary Mix

BBBD MIX: "E-Z Listening"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:58:10 PST

Wow, I need to start doing the posting thing again -- sorry, folks! I promise I'll have something that's not a mix up soon.

For the time being, though, here's a new, relatively short mix for all of you. I'm feeling sort of wonky at present, so appreciate it for it's utter inconsistency.

And yes, Grace Jones is on major repeat for me right now for some reason ...

(1) Devo, "Disco Dancer"
(2) ESG, "I Wanna Dance"
(3) the Whitest Boy Alive, "1517"
(4) Skatebård, "Vuelo"
(5) Franz Ferdinand, "Lucid Dreams"
(6) Kid Creole & the Coconuts, "Something Wrong In Paradise (Larry Levan Remix)"
(7) Don Armando, "I'm An Indian, Too"
(8) Ralph Myerz & the Jack Herren Band, "Natasha '75 (Rune Lindbaek Remix)"
(9) Grace Jones, "On Your Knees"

Nik Mercer - E-Z Listening Mix

BBBD MIX: "I III IX"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:34:21 PST

Yikes, this one is sort of sloppy, but, hey, no one was asking for anything clean and tidy. In fact, I hope you all enjoy my messiness.

Okay, this is not the perfect time for me to be making mixes to begin with, so I leave you with a download link, a stream, and a tracklist. Enjoy!

(1) Greg Wilson, "Cosmic DJ Delight"
(2) Cristina, "Blame It To Disco"
(3) Village People, "San Francisco (You've Got Me)"
(4) In Flagranti, "I Chatted Up the Nympho Secretary (P. I)"
(5) Plastic Surprise, "Disco Express"
(6) Gui Boratto & Anderson Noise, "Triads (Original Mix)"
(7) Kid Creole & the Coconuts, "I'm A Wonderful Thing Baby"
(8) the Passions, "I'm In Love With a German Film Star (Long Mix)"
(9) Grace Jones, "Send In the Clowns"

Nik Mercer - I III IX Mix

BBBD 2008 Holiday Mix

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:25:17 PST

This holiday season is an especially frugal one (let's not get into that), so the more free stuff, the merrier, right?

While my "2008 Holiday Mix" isn't really all that festive in tone, it's a gift to you, my dear, loyal BBBD readers, so enjoy it as such. Grab the tracklist and MP3 below.

Have a great vacation! I'll see you all next year.

(1) Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, "Feuerobe"
(2) Mike T., "Do It Anyway You Wanna"
(3) Dinky, "Burdelia"
(4) Alexander Robotnick, "Problemes D'Amour"
(5) Cristina, "Drive My Car"
(6) Quando Quango, "Genius"
(7) Moment of Truth, "Helplessly (Tom Moulton 12" Mix)"
(8) Section 25, "Looking From the Hilltop (Megamix)"
(9) Elastica, "Connection"

Nik Mercer - BBBD 2008 Holiday Mix

Anthem's Best Of 2008

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:52:47 PST

The magazine that I work for, Anthem, just published its year-end Best Of Music list. Some of the additions were written by yours truly -- see if you can recognize them!

Anthem Online's Best Of Music List

Tussle in Big Sur

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:24:20 PST

Tussle from Anthem Magazine on Vimeo.
Over the Summer, I went up to S.F. and Big Sur with the intention of hooking up with Tussle. I missed them in L.A. because of technical difficulties and thought it'd be best to just head up north and do a film piece with them there, surrounded by beautiful mountains and forests.

We made a quasi-exquisite corpse piece ... check it out above and get the full lowdown on it at Anthem Online.

BBBD MIX: "29"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:34:13 PST

It's way past midnight on Friday night in L.A. -- why not deliver a new mix?

This time I can spare myself the explanation and just drop the tracklist -- that's right, I finally put one together for one of these guys! It speaks for itself.

Enjoy!

(1) Tadeo, "Eclipse"
(2) Alexander Robotnick, "Supermarket"
(3) Azoto, "Zorba's Dance"
(4) Lemon, "Freak On (12" Mix)"
(5) Two Lone Swordsmen, "Patient Saints (Dave Congreve's Boardroom Mix)"
(6) Bumblebee Unlimited, "Funk For Days"
(7) Yello, "Bostich"
(8) Italoboyz vs. No Ze, "Double Trouble"
(9) Simian, "Never Be Alone"
(10) Double Exposure, "Ten Percent (Tom Moulton Mix)"
(11) Love Committee, "Cheaters Never Win (12" Edit)"
(12) Flipper, "Ever"
(13) Animal Collective, "Brother Sport"
(14) Was (Not Was), "Wheel Me Out"
(15) Blur, "Girls & Boys"
(16) Catz 'N' Dogz, "Omanko"
(17) Hatchback, "Jetlag"
(18) Josef K, "Heads Watch"

Nik Mercer - 29 Mix

D14

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:04:15 PST

I've been on a roll here, right? It's been a while, but hey, it's difficult to one-up the past thirteen posts when you think they're going so well! (Or I could just say I've been way too busy with work at Anthem.)

Anyway -- Azoto is the flavor of the day. We're going straight to Italy for our Italo-disco ... not Canada or Brazil or elsewhere. Azoto was the creation of Celso Valli, the guy behind Macho and a whole pile of other groups, both obscure and more mainstream.

Valli is interesting in that he came from a more orchestral background (as did many producers and disco innovators of the 1970s). In the 1960s, he studied music in a more classical manner and found himself directing an orchestra of some sort at the Conservatory while still a teenager.

Then disco hit, and Valli changed his tune. His Azoto work is particularly noteworthy for its insatiable whimsy and fluid funkiness. The below three songs are all testament to this. In chronological order, we've got "Zorba's Dance," a shorter jam from 1978's Music Makers Ltd. (the record that also bizarrely included an outrageous recreation of "Havah Nagilah"), "It's the Way" from 1978's Dance Skinsation (which was actually released under the alias Lucrethia and the Azoto 14,008), and "San Salvador" from 1980's Disco Fizz.

Listen to them all and you'll fully understand the beauty of Valli's creations. They're totally free of pretention and loaded with almost goofy, excessively flamboyant rhythms, horn arrangements, string washes, and elastic bass lines.

Bonus points to whoever can tell me what that harmony is in "Zorba's Dance."

I'm tempted to write on here because Valli was a pretty amazing dude and was involved in a tremendous number of projects, but time is flying by, and I've got to get moving. Next time!

Azoto - Zorba's Dance

Lucrethia and the Azoto 14,008 - It's the Way

Azoto - San Salvador

D13

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:56:36 PST

So, we're going to Canada this time around with a look at Denis Lepage, another one of those disco jack of all trades. He produced, song wrote, engineered, composed, arranged, and even sung.

Starting around 1976, Lepage began churning out disco tracks of all sorts, first -- as with all up-and-coming musicians -- with the smaller stuff. The higher profile stuff came in the early-1980s, and then a patch of obscurity came in the late-1980s (Lepage began putting out bizarre Hi NRG cuts under the moniker Le Page).

All of Lepage's stuff is very distinctly disco-based in tone, structure, energy, and arrangement, but there's something else there ... an X factor comprised of slinky synth ditties and mechanized drum beats. Unlike a lot of other disco from the era, Lepage avoided the super organic, almost soul-/R&B-like in quality, instead opting from the more electronic and digitized. (Hence his inevitable move to Hi NRG).

Lapage may be best known for three projects: first, his production work with Carol Jiani, a successful 1980s disco singer originally from Nigeria who allegedly sang on a Suzy Q track without proper crediting; second, his production work with Voggue, a short-lived female disco duo; and third, his work with his band, Lime.

Jiani put out quite a few good disco singles, but her best, in my opinion, is "Hit 'N Run Lover," which was coincidentally both her first release and the only one Lepage produced for her. Jiani's voice had gusto and unparalleled strength and fit in perfectly with Lepage's bouncy, spacey beats, bass lines, and string washes.

Voggue (Chantal Chamandy and Angela Songui) wasn't nearly as good as Jiani in terms of vocal talent, but several of their songs are pretty decent in their own right. "Dancin' the Night Away" sounds like an ode to Dexy's Midnight Runners or something ... paired with an aping of some easy-listening elevator music and, weirdly, 1960s girl group love ballads.

Lime, which was Denis Lepage and Denyse Lepage (cute, right?), formed right around the time that Lepage was producing the above artists' stuff, but it had a distinctly different vibe. Take these songs from 1982's LP, Lime II, for example: "Help Yourself" is a much more hyper track, "A Man and a Woman" nears dangerously close to arena rock or epic Queen, and "No Reply" sounds like the merging of, say, early Juan Atkins and Lepage's other disco work.

Carol Jiani - Hit 'N Run Lover

Voggue - Dancin' the Night Away

Lime - Help Yourself

Lime - A Man and A Woman (Extended Mix)

Lime - No Reply

One's & Two's: Lee Jones

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:36:59 PDT

One of the latest series features to hit Anthem Online is "One's & Two's," a monthly (possible biweekly) podcast. Our inaugural mix is by the great Lee Jones, who just released a new solo album on Aus Music, Electronic Frank. As fans of Jones know, the guy tends to get pretty minimal, but never loses a sense of humor about the stuff he's playing; there's an unusual edge of fun and whimsy to his music that isn't akin to most minimal artists.

Read the full article and stream the audio at Anthem Online

Lee Jones - One's & Two's Mix

BBBD MIX: "101808"

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:20:12 PDT

It's early on Saturday morning in L.A. -- what would be a more appropriate thing to post than a relatively subdued mix made by yours truly?

This one's more focused than the previous one -- and significantly shorter (it runs a bit longer than forty-five minutes) -- but hopefully just as fun and/or interesting.

There's some weird stuff on it ... if you want to know what anything is, leave a comment and inquire! I promise to start making tracklists.
Note: The very end of the mix cuts off ... I'm not sure why that is since it happens probably less than a minute before it was supposed to end.

Nik Mercer - 101808 Mix

D12

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:50:48 PDT

Continuing my fascination with producers, I present you all Cory Robbins, a relatively minor disco guy who may not have been especially prolific, but the stuff he did do was pretty impressive.

Everything Robbins touched (1977 - 1984 or so) has this incredible whiff of snooty cocktail parties and dramatic big band productions. On top of that underscored charisma, Robbins dropped awesome disco bass lines, vocal melodies, funky guitar hooks, and dancey horns and strings.

So ... what do we have here? First up is Front Page's "Love Insurance," a cut Robbins made in 1979. As with 90% of disco acts from the 1970s and 1980s, Front Page literally recorded only one song. It's a fun one, though, so who can complain?

Second is Nightfall's "Keep It Up," a jam that cracks me up every time I hear it. It's saucy and light and strangely sexy, but ... yeah, a bit cheesy. Listen to it a.s.a.p. and you'll get my meaning.

Third is Betty LaVette's "Doin' the Best That I Can." LaVette was actually a bit of a child star, beginning her recording career in 1962 at the tender age of 16. Once the disco thing rolled around, she put out a few singles that Robbins produced, including the wonderful "Doin' the Best That I Can" which was, at one point, featured on a split 12" with Arthur Russell's Loose Joints -- and something of a hit. The disco world was a small one ... and one that never excluded anyone.

Front Page - Love Insurance

Nightfall - Keep It Up

Betty LaVette - Doin' the Best That I Can

533 Mix 01

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:10:40 PDT

Alright, let's start with some cold, hard facts here.

I live in downtown Los Angeles at a loft that provides more than one function for me (keeping a roof over my head): it's also a studio and gallery space. I don't produce art, but I live here -- it's enjoyable.

We like to throw parties. They may not be the biggest around; they may not be the loudest on the block; they may not be the most crowded -- but they are a lot of fun, and they tend to attract a rainbow pastiche of people.

Last night we had one such shindig to celebrate a friend's birthday. Below is my entire DJ set from the night (it's nearly four hours long). I don't have a tracklist for it and I wasn't in top form. While the thing starts well, it degrades over the course of 220 minutes or so of audio. If anything, this'll keep you occupied for the bulk of your work day, so check it out for that if nothing else!

It features loads of disco, plenty of minimal, a few handfuls of Latin stuff, and some goofball jams (courtesy of my "partner" for the night, DJ Pussyfinger, who has an obsession with Pulp and all things Jarvis Cocker). Lastly, due to technical difficulties, the mix was interrupted twice. I cut out the blank spots, but they sound a little choppy. Be warned.

Rock.

Hot Flesh & Pussyfinger - 533 Mix 01

D11

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:15:35 PDT

To begin with, my apologies for the technical difficulties and for slagging off for the past couple of weeks. They've been busy -- but productive! -- I assure you. Hopefully there'll be some film pieces soon for you to enjoy.

I'm going to make it up to you today with a massive Boris Midney love fest.

Midney was a Russian national who did the bulk of his work in the States (more specifically, the Eras Studios). A ton of his stuff (both under his own name and aliases or for other bands) was put out on T.K. Production (a.k.a. T.K. Disco), so he was pretty high profile, although he somehow has only fallen under my radar recently.

Starting in the late-1970s (possibly with production work for One X One), Midney churned otu hit after hit well through the 1980s. Below are some of my favorites.

Double Discovery was a relatively large band that Midney assembled for one 12" ("Can He Find Another One?") in 1982. The two songs were arranged by, conducted by, and produced by Midney, but a whole pile of other folks were involved in its creation. (Double Discovery refers specifically to the female singers Midney brought together.) "Can He Find Another One?" is an addictive funk-based, slightly schlocky disco cut.

That's the thing about Midney that becomes very clear very soon after getting into his stuff: he was sort of cheesy. Take Companion, another group Midney was involved with in 1981, for example. The band released an LP, a 12", and a 7" (and then dissolved), and all of the songs are these horn-heavy, vocally-flamboyant epic odysseys into the worlds of funk, soul, disco, and gimmicky club hits. That being said, I love "This Is A Test." It's quintessential disco fodder -- take it as such.

Masquerade was another outfit Midney assembled, but back in 1979, so it's substantially smaller (just Midney and a few vocalists). The one and only LP Masquerade released, Pinocchio, is a swooning, almost ballad-like hodge-podge of sultry disco jams with a twist of Midney's trademark funk and orchestral schlock.

Midney also did plenty of stuff under his own name, but the one release that stands out most is 1980's Music From The Empire Strikes Back (I wish I knew more about this one since the film itself didn't come out until 1982). The four songs included on the 12" include "Yoda's Theme," "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)," "Han Solo and the Princess (Love Theme)," and "Star Wars (Main Theme)." Yeah, Midney was a huge dork, it seems. The songs are all funky and extended twists on The Empire Strikes Back's score, and while I don't really recommend listening to them all (they get a little tiresome) they're great examples of Midney's awesome production skills and sense of humor.

Last but certainly not least is U.S.A. - European Connection, a band that Midney kept around for a while (five years). The group's body of work represents some of Midney's crowning achievements. Many of the songs exploited 48-track recordings, and they tend to be really long, energetic, charismatic, and vibrant. If you get hooked on Midney, U.S.A. - European Connection is the stuff to pay the most attention to.

Anyway -- enough with my summarizing. Download the songs and boogie down!

Double Discovery - Can He Find Another One?

Companion - This Is A Test

Masquerade - Don't Leave Me Hanging

Boris Midney - Star Wars (Main Theme)

U.S.A. - European Connection - I'd Like to Get Closer

D10

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:13:12 PDT

Giancarlo Meo was a relatively major disco producer in the 1970s and 1980s. He worked extensively with the great Banana Records (if you're looking for solid fun, go to Banana) and did quite a bit of work for C.B.S. among many others.

Below are a few of my favorite tunes produced by Meo. He didn't do his own stuff, really, although he was in a "band" or two, including Capricorn. Maybe I'll publish some stuff by them in the future.

Everything that Meo touched was graced with this amazing synthetic yet incredibly organic vibe. Production-wise, his cuts sound a little cold, but the warm vocals, energetic bass lines, and funky filters make all the stuff loads of fun. Jam.

Easy Going - Baby I Love You (Extended Remix)

Vivien Vee - Wanna Feel

Vivien Vee - Gotta Go

D09

nik.mercer@gmail.com (Nik Mercer) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:14:28 PDT

Two posts in two days! I'm back to my old tricks -- sort of.

I acknowledge that there was a big gap between "D07" and "D08," so I'm trying to deliver the goods that you, my trusted readers, were in want of over the past couple weeks.

Today, we look at Macho, a group fronted by the great Italian vocalist Marzio Vincenzi with his friend, Mauro Malavasi, standing in on production duties. Vincenzi was most active in the late-1970s and early-1980s, not only working on Macho efforts, but also pursuing other solo outlets like Marzio and Marsius. I can't dig up anything he did under the latter two monikers, but I'm expecting their in a similar vein. Macho's music is high-energy Italo-disco with a heavier, rockier vibe underscoring the flamboyant vocals, horns, and ultra-funky bass lines.

I really enjoy their second LP, Roll (and I'm not just saying that being of the rad cover art!): it's a confident merging of gritty, electronic dance and incredibly catchy, somewhat goofy disco. Check out a couple tunes from the record below and send me stuff by Marzio or Marsius if you've got it! I can't express how badly I want to hear that stuff!

Macho - Got To Make A Move

Macho - Montreal

Links for 2006-07-01 [del.icio.us]

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 00:00:00 PDT

Links for 2006-06-30 [del.icio.us]

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 PDT