quick audio picks: 12
"Tears Dry On Their Own(1)" is the Salaam Remi-produced standout from Amy Winehouse's recent LP, the joint that interpolates "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with all the lush orchestration. Girlfriend's voice sounds right at home over the Motown-style backing. But the reason...
expand review to cop this one is New Young Pony Club's "Fucked Mix(2)," which, true to its name, distorts Amy's vocals and replaces the soulful styles with some sleazy sounding, bass-heavy electro. Comes on clear vinyl in an import-style pic sleeve. -Chris Lemon-Red
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A brand new single from Annie, and the second volume in Dim Mak's cool little Connect The Dots series. (The first was the Bloc Party joint that Diplo remixed, which is also worth checking.) "Crush(1)" is a Richard X-produced number that strays...
expand review from the sugary electro formula that dominated Anniemal in favor of guitars… and lots of 'em. Usually, when you see RX's name on a 12", you can bet that his mix will be the one worth playing; not so in this case. New York's own Junior Sanchez turns in a thumping dance remix(2) on the B-side, keeping some of the guitars intact, but more importantly adding some BEATZ. Helsinki's And The Lefthanded add their own remix(3) to round out the batch, treading the line between Sanchez and RX's mixes. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Todd Terje and London duo Optimus take their editing knives to this obscure 1989 Belgian new wave cover of Public Image Ltd's "Death Disco." Terje's version(1) accentuates the sick bassline and unsettling electronic freakiness of the original but extends the intro and...
expand review break for your mixing convenience. Optimus' "Deadly Dub(2)" sports some mean stuttery synth work and more of a new skool vibe than the A-side; Arbeid Adelt!'s original(3) seals the deal. Plays at 45. -Chris Lemon-Red
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It's confusing, why an artist/group like Black Devil Disco Club would go to such lengths to cover his/her/their true identity, and then further stir the blog soup with label text comparing the group's tunes to the art of Salvador Dali. It's confusing...
expand review because, while that stuff can be fun, BDDC's music is so good that it doesn't really need hyping. This third (and supposedly final) album from the maybe contemporary / maybe 70s artist contains just six songs, but those six supremely well-executed Italo, electro and disco hybrid jams definitely deliver. There are just so many things to dig in each track: those robot backup vocals in the sinister "Open The Night(1)," the subtle percussion and squelching keys on "Free For The Girls(2)," the overall haunted house vibe of "For Hoped(3)." And the uptempo opener "With Honey Cream(4)" is one of the top tunes this dude/group (see? this is tiring) has come with yet. Here's hoping this isn't really the end. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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The mysterious Black Devil Disco Club emerges once again, this time with a full album of epic dubs for all you space disco fiends out there. I never really knew the real deal behind the BDDC - I mean, the deep disco...
expand review italo sound is so authentic, yet so futuristic I was never sure if this stuff was new or actually from the late 70's. A little investigating into the liner notes and some discogs hunting reveals the man behind Black Devil as Bernard Fevre who actually recorded all of the "Disco Club" cuts back in 1978 using only synths, a drummer, and the occassional tape loop - no MIDI or computers. Simply stunning! After laying dormant for almost 30 years, Fevre has returned in the new millenium to drop these bas ass dubs on ya'll. Check these - "The Devil In Us(1)," ""I Regret The Flower Power Dub(2)," "Coach Me(3)," and "On Just Foot(4)." Trust me, these are all top notch tracks that deserve front placement in your deep space disco crate. Highly Recommended. -snackmaster
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I-eee want nothing. Huge song right now in the indie dance scene (they've been playing the hell out of this on Indie103). This pic sleeve 12" is executed properly with a 12" extended mix(1) and a bmore-hybrid Sinden remix(2). As a unexpected...
expand review surprise, there's also a kick-ass breaks remix(3) from DC Recordings' below the radar producer Vincent Markowski. Well done. Recommended. -the mgmnt
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Now available on vinyl! I really haven't heard anything like this since I stopped listening to Swamp Terrorists and Frontline Assembly back in high school. Black Strobe aren't as hard as those dudes (more of an electronic house feel) but this is...
expand review still a great listen. Check out "Blood Shot Eyes(1)" and "Not What You Need(2)." Yeah, I know you're thinking what I am: where were Black Strobe's parents? They totally let their kids listen to too much KMFDM and Killing Joke. Then again, if they hadn't, we wouldn't have tracks like "Lady 13(3)," would we? "Shining Bright Star(4)" is the lead single off this album and is basically a reworked Ministry track. Fifty bucks goes to the customer who can guess which one. Get at me. Anyways, spring is here and yes it is ok to wear all black, go to the park, and lurk out while listening to this. -David Pitts
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Folks have been clamoring for the aptly titled "Suspense Is Killing Me(1)" from London's Boy 8-Bit since big name DJs like Switch, Basement Jaxx, Annie Mac and Crookers started spinning it advance style late last year. Now the Boy is signed with...
expand review Mad Decent -- label head Diplo called him "the most unique sounding club music out right now" and dropped the track on his huge "I Like Turtles" mix -- and "Suspense" gets a super official release. Backed with the shuddering, trance-flavored Bmore of "Bulbs Burn Out(2)" and infectious bump of "The Cricket Scores(3)," plus a speaker-rattling "Suspense" remix from Drop The Lime(4), this one is, as they say, a no brainer. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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As more of these Turbo reissues roll in, I am developing a finer appreciation for this stalwart new-electro label (last checked, they were over 50 records deep). If they had someone like So-Me drawing the covers, I think the label would have...
expand review become a cultural phenomenon similar to Ed Banger. This 2006 release is one of the first from Boys Noize, whose recent Oi Oi Oi album has catapulted him in dj fame status. It features the tracks "Erole Attakk(1), Haldern(2)" and "I Go Raven(3)." -the mgmnt
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I always found it interesting that this dude and Digitalism were both from the land where minimal reigns supreme, because there stuff is the exact opposite of subtle. Busy P himself said that Boys Noize could have easily been on Ed Banger....
expand review But oh well, he said screw signing with a label and started his own. So here we are with the third single of his debut album, appropriately tittled, Oi Oi Oi. First let me say that I guarantee that 9 out of 10 moms would HATE this, and we all know that is not a bad thing. The Original(1) is a bruising minimal electro cut with only a slight underlying synth line near the end. Listening to the sound sample should give you a good idea of the entire track. Remix man number one, Feadz, has a pretty diverse musical background, from making tracks on Germany's BPitch control label, to producing new electro hip pop cuts for Uffie on Ed Banger. Here he gets to utilize some of that Berlin-style attention to fine detail, while still keeping the intensity level at 10. The real shiner on this 12 though is Para One's remix(3) of non-album track 'My Head'. Less choppy than the usual Para production; think Soulwax remix without the epic build. This is peak time shit to the highest degree right here. I can see Steve Aoki right now at Cinespace - shirt off, sweating ballz, doing his little Jesus on the cross pose, staring at the heavens with his eyes closed as his disciples do handstands or backflips or whatever the hell they do there. Major! Also, with three handy noise loops at the end of side A. -Rezound
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Another banger from the always on point Tirk records. The star on this 12" is former Ian Dury bandmate Chaz Jankel, who's been making disco funk goodness since the 80s. "Get Yourself Together(1)" was written for his recent album on Tirk, which...
expand review included vintage hits as well as some unreleased stuff. DFA associate Hercules & Love Affair turns in a great remix(2) - got that disco-synth-pop and funk sound that I cream for and will get people moving, I promise. His other edit is the "house mix," but it's not too over the top. Todd Terje's mix(3) is true to his style, crazy dubbed out and just funky as hell. Solid 12" all the way through, really. Plays at 33. -RikRok
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Back in print on blue vinyl! They may be internationally known now, but back in 2000, !!! were sharing a label (Cali's Gold Standard Labs) with artsy hardcore bands like The Locust, Mars Volta and Le Shok. This self-titled debut LP is...
expand review full of leftfield dance-punk (emphasis on the punk; analog rules here) and moderately skilled horn playing - and in that way, it's miles more charming than their recent output. Check out "Feel Good Hit of the Fall(1)," "Hammerhead(2)," "KooKooKa Fuk-U(3)" or "Intensity(4)." And though it's not really useful for playing out, it should be noted that "There's No Fucking Rules, Dude" has one of the better song titles in recent memory. NOTE: The tracklists on the album's sleeve and center label are slightly different - the center label is the correct one. 7 tracks total. -Chris Lemon-Red
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The monster title track from Chromeo's latest album gets a fresh pair of remixes - can't be mad at that. The two-steppin', squiggly synth'd original(1) is pretty tough to beat, but the always game Crookers(2) put an interesting spin on it. Their...
expand review remix isn't a headcrusher or anything too over the top but it packs some cool energy, mixing up electro and house with subtle juke elements and even a nice half-speed breakdown toward the end. Kissy Sell Out's "Six Different Ways" mix(3) is an electro shape-shifter, effortlessly changing BPMs a bunch of times (like six maybe!) but keeping Dave's cool vocals riding over the top throughout. A-side plays at 45, B-side at 33. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 12
Laidback Luke is quickly becoming the go-to for the big-sounds club remix. His remix(1) of "Fancy Footwork" is the hypest yet for the hit, booming my headphones as I write this (whilst never really overpowering the vocals). And with those synth sirens...
expand review and massive breakdown, it's probably safe to call this a summertime anthem. And not to upset their boogie-electro fans, the duo has included a super tasteful remix by newcomer Russ Chimes(2) on the flip. Comes in a custom Chromeo sleeve. -the mgmnt
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Woah, really? Out of nowhere, we get three new remixes of Chromeo's "Needy Girl(1)," a track from their debut album which is now getting the recognition it rightfully deserves as one of the best pop songs of the last 10 years. New...
expand review Mad Decent family member Boy 8-Bit(2) puts a severely bassy spin on things, while Teenage Bad Girl(3) give it the French touch with plenty of cut-up bass and synth and a pure electronic freakout at the end. Also includes a dub style electro remix from Lifelike(4) which stays pretty true to the original. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 123
If you have a soft spot for early 80's style r'n'b funk beats, squiggle synth and vocoder action (like me), then you already know Chromeo is pretty much one of the only groups making original material in that style these days (and...
expand review doing it up proper). "Tenderoni(1)" continues their reign of serious synthesizer funk with Dave 1 busting the smoothy smooth vox and P-Thug rocking the keys to make you boogie out your seat. The OG mix is fresh to begin with, but they went ahead and threw in the beefed up MSTRKRFT version(2) which ups the intensity to stadium-rocking levels, and the twisted Sinden Remix(3) to make people loose their shit. Another very crate-worthy 12" from the Chromeo dudes. -snackmaster
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