Longplay love 44.0

Easy summer grooves, anyone? Guess so, as the view out of my office window offers nothing but darkness - yes, it's post-midnight though - , cold and snow and I might not be the only up for some warmth and organic grooves, which are provided by PMJ feat. Roy Ayers' new album "Love Not Truth" on PMJ's very own label Postmodern Jazz spinning rounds right now. A nice soundtrack for high-class loungin' in perfectly designed venues, expensive cocktails in hand and drifting away to jazzy, mostly organic sounds accompanied by excellent vocalists Roy Ayers, Judy La Rose and passed away Mel Nixon. If you're collector or connaisseur of so-called NuJazz - although the term seems to be dated but has not be replaced by a better one to date - this is defo one album to check out these days.

If the term Acid Jazz / Dancefloor Jazz hadn't been that over-abused in the early 90s it would be a more than well fitting definition of what "Socialised Jazz Beats", the third Various Artists compilation on Den Haag's Social Beats, serves to all music addicts. Artists like Cookin' Quintet, Solo Moderna, The Jazzinvaders, Phil Martin - as artist as well as remixer - , and other provide a bunch of all in all 13 tracks for finest jazzfloorin' , slightly influenced by Brazil, House and, this pointin' out to one special track, Drum'n'Bass but still as organic as organic can be. Recommended for club & DJ abuse.

"Marie's Sister's Garden" is the title of Voodooshock's second full-length album which is piped for release on Exile On Mainstream on march 9th. Four troublesome years after their debut Voodooshock come up with a solid 11 tracks journey through all facets of grounded Slow Rock and Doom, sometimes anthemic as in the albums title track "Marie's Sister's Garden" , sometimes epic, dark and creeping as in the nearly 8 minutes long "Funeral Farewell". Served in a detached and unagitated way the albums worth increases every time you listen to it and due to that will well stand the test of time. Might even be regarded as future classic by Doom headz, so make sure to check this one out.

Straight from the Ghetto - News on HipHop, pt. 20

HipHop-experimentalists Dälek are about to release their new album "Abandoned Language" on Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings on march 9th. After a 2 years period of silence since the release of their highly appreciated longplayer "Absence" in 2005 the guys, which are known best for their furious sonic wizzardry, noise attacks and HipHop beats vs. Industrial aesthetics approach, step back from their common path and create an album more accessible to a wider audience, more matching with the dancefloor crowds and less avantgarde than most of their further output. Instead of layering surface noise and dark drones there's reprocessed string arrangements, staggered piano melodies, echoing sounds and at some point even FreeJazz-influenced sax playing that create a sinister kind of epic melancholia, the apocalyptic soundtrack of urban decay. If one band / project is to be called the one that pushes boundaries of today's HipHop further and is responsible for a music evolution within this specific genre, even creating a genre of it's own that must be filed under the flag of Mutant HipHop, it has to be Dälek so make sure to grab "Abandoned Language" blindfolded at the day of release. Highly recommended stuff.

Name it R'n'B, DigiSoul, Phusion, Broken Beats, Future Soul... whatever. Phuture Lounge Records, founded by Dave Jones - better known as UK Garage wizard Zed Bias to many - and Sefton Morley, have thier first CD-compilation on the circuit right now under the name of "Rainbow Soul Volume One" featuring a twelve track showcase of Phuture Lounge-related artists, handpicked and produced by the labels' head honchos Phuturistix. Expect artists like Fyza, Oezlem, Jenna G, Charlene Michelle Amador amongst others to croon upon deep groovy beats that truly do provide a fair soundtrack for adult late night clubbing in tiny venues located deep in the worlds red-light districts and known only by a selected crowd that likes to keep them as a secret. No fake glitz to be found here, just 100% raw underground music.
Up for that? Holla at them Phuture Lounge-camp on myspace...

Canada-based rapper K-OS, which is short for “Knowledge Of Self”, is about to release his new album “Atlantis – Hymns For Disco” in late february, which is now triggered by a four track white label put on the DJ circuit by Labels / EMI. Referring to a time when HipHop was seen as music to dance, break and b-boy to all tracks featured on this 12” piece come as smashing uptempo tunes, “Electric Heat – The Seekwill” even based on a proper, safely cut & looped Amen break which hasn’t been used on a mainstream production for a while but is good to be seen back as this brings a bit of oldskool approach to the floor again and might open the younger kids‘ minds for beat knowledge instead of imitating gangsta and ghetto images. “Catdiesel” on A2 as well serves oldskool feel similar to the Stereo MC’s in their heydays, whilst “Sunday Morning” & “Born To Run” on the flipside are flirting with Pop-compatible sounds and kinda offbeat guitars which have been used by the likes of The Police in a similar way years ago. Nice one. Check myspace for snippets!

A DJ-only five track 12” has been put on the circuit by Def Jam Recordings these days under the cat.no. of DJSAMPVP3. Apart from Nas‘ massive uptempo smash “HipHop Is Dead” as well as Young Jeezy’s booming “I Luv It” which have been on promo before the A-side holds the formerly unreleased Young Jeezy tune “Bury Me A G” - a fair addition to every set featuring epic string arrangements plus an anthemic chorus that’ll properly bash every dancefloor throughout the small hours. Ghostface Killah’s “Good” is still disappointing as we knew that track before from another disc and it did not get better but his “You Know I’m No Good” on B2 is a proper oldskool reminiscence and about to be well appreciated by true HipHop connaisseurs.

Longplay love 43.0

Netherland-based band / project Labasheeda, mainly consisting of David Jackson, Paolo Panza and Saskia v. d. Giessen, are about to put their new CD "Charity Box" on the circuit within shortest of time, a nine track journey recommended to all lovers of high quality Leftfield / Indie / Alternative Pop music. Melancholia meets electric guitars meets fragile female vox and kinda catchy vibes. Sometimes Labasheeda's sound is not so far away from what happened in the underground structures of the so-called "Hamburger Schule" throughout the late 90's - anyone reading this by chance remembering the various artist compilation "Hamburger Bunker Sampler" from back in the days ? - and revealing the same power, a fresh, energetic, individual sound that is hopefully to stay when the band's about to gain the mainstream attention it surely deserves 'coze they're good. Get that.

All lovers of Post-/ Instrumental Rock are recommended to mark february 16th in their diaries and schedules as the Montreal-based label Constellation Records is about to release the fifth studio album of their most recognised act Do Make Say Think on this specific date. As in their former albums the band once again deals with highly complex structures of layered guitars, multithematic songs and drums / percussion paying attention to details without being artsy or academic. Instead of this the whole of the eight songs featured on "You, You're A History In Rust" are floating around in a vibrant space-time-continuum that agrees upon the use of a main mixing board as additional instrument, playing around with dynamics and presence of single instruments or tracks in the multitrack recording process. Not an easy accessible one but defo recommended to fans of the genre.

D'Stephanie's new album "Droppin' It!" has been released on Belgiums Format Music recently, which is to be filed as melting put of BrokenHouse / Phusion / Westlondon Breaks, Funk-influences, classic House music and a kind of Pop-attitude that well fits for an ambitious grown up audience - no matter if used in a club context to spice up the dancefloor crowd or if referred to as a proper challenging album for home consumption. One thing for sure - be ready to stepp onto new musical terrain while listening to "Droppin' It!" as the crossover-field of Electronic Dance Music and Pop is still a wide one with many white spots on the map. Best tune beatwise - "Freedom Fighter" featuring Philippo.

06.02.2007 Pure Garage & Silk @ Parzelle / Hamburg

file under: UK Garage Classics

decks:
baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings / Rudel Records]

doors: 9 PM

Parzelle
Hamburger Berg 15
Hamburg St. Pauli
Germany

05.02.2007 Eclectic Groovez @ Meaniebar / Hamburg

file under: DeepHouse / Disco / BrokenHouse / Phusion

decks:
baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings / Rudel Records]

Meaniebar
Spielbudenplatz 5
Hamburg St. Pauli
Germany

Longplay love 42.0

Bracken's "We know About The Need" is the first album on Anticon. to hit the streets in 2007 - a work of 11 tracks on which typical, foggy Anticon.-styled beats meet abundant string arrangements and what media calls AntiFolk these days. A whole lot of melancholia is to be found, too, mixed up with a certain restlessness like the one man experiences when waking up after a nightmare, impossible to fall asleep again. Due to this "We Know About The Need" is not to be called an "easy" album anyway, but one that's made for attentive listening sessions in which it might grow compared to the first impression it makes.

February 9th is the streetdate for The End's new album "Elementary" , which is due to be released on Relapse Records then. Dark, heavy Hardcore influences and brutal, exceeding walls of sound meet epic choruses and harmonies that almost fit to be filed under Pop - not in a sense of mainstream radio Pop, of course. This fusion is at least interesting as a wider audience will gain access to guitar-based Hardcore through this but at the same time there might be voices bemoaning a point of sell-out of the HC movement. Leaves me kinda undecided so the best recommendation might be to check this one on your own at your local record store.

Southern Lord are about to put out "The Resurrection Of Whiskey Foote" on February 23rd, which is the third longplay workout of Maryland-based The Hidden Hand, an eleven track masterpiece of epic, down-to-earth Doom Rock. The four piece band of Scott "Wino" Weinrich, Dave Grohl, Bruce Falkinburgh - also responsible for the whole recording process - and Evan Tanner delivers a raw and high-proof view on the dark side of classical heavy Rock, ravaging through a running time of 42+ a bit minutes evoking pictures of deserted land and endless motorcycle rides in the heat of a hot summers day. Nice one.

Longplay love 41.0

Cat.no. 022 of Super 6 Goodies is Jerzz' "Sistina Sinistra E.P.", a six track E.P. with a running time of approx. 55 minutes - the reason why we handle this as an album here. Musicwise Jerzz deals with dry, mostly minimalistic House / Techno music of a experimental kind that is defo made for advanced dancefloors and long dark afterhours due to their complex structures, except "Kannie Slapen (Sascha Müller Jerzz Is In The House Remix)" which is a raw & pure Acid fueled stomper that fires up every crowd no matter when played out.

Carsten Lehmann a.k.a. Ohrchitekt has put out his recent album "Klappe die 2" on Pharmacom Records recently, which contains a whole of 18 tracks that span a musical range from classical Ambient / Listening to more experimental, Industrial-influenced Electronica and complex, acidic beat-splicing of Aphex'esque nature. All in all excellent stuff for ultra-advanced electronic dancefloors as well as for Rhythm Industrial-proved crowds preferring distorted and fucked up uptempo beats that, at least to non-experienced consumers, might seem a bit abstract or de-structurised, while the head of the old school discovers parallels to Steve Stoll's concept of so-called TechnoJazz which he outlined in legendary releases as "Supernatural" in the late 90's. Recommended!

Nine tracks spread over a total running time of approx. 25 minutes only - this is what to be found on "Lips", the new album of Trencher, the world's first and probably only band being active in a genre they do call Casio Grindcore. To be released on Southern Records on February 9th all tracks of "Lips" hold classic Grindcore elements being topped by the cheap and trashy sound of a toy keyboard, which makes each song sounds like fucked up trash version of "The Munsters" title melody. Weirdo as weirdo music can be and defo a tremendous asset to your album collection. File under: top notch.

25.01.2007 Le Widerstand @ Neue Heimat / Hamburg

decks: baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings]

sound: Experimental Electronics, Illbient, Electronica

doors: 8.30 pm


Neue Heimat
Neuer Kamp 19
20359 Hamburg
Germany

Parts in the post, pt. 52

Vadim Lankov's "Alice's Flashback E.P." is cat.no. 021 of german imprint Super 6 Goodies which kindly fuses a crisp, mostly minimalistic approach, deep sounds and dry, partly pumping drumbeats which kinda remind me of early works on Ladomat like DJ Enrique's "The Talent E.P.", a sought after example of how well pure dancefloor functionality and experiments in sound get along with eachother. Although this attitude is hardly found to be pressed on vinyl these days, which makes it a bit harder to blend this one into a contemporary club set, "Alice's Flashback E.P." defo holds four tracks all worthy to be played out so give it a try or two and you'll soon love it anyhow.

Mika’s new single named “Relax, Take It Easy” has been put on promo circuit by Casablanca Music recently featuring the original version alongside not less than three reworks by legendary producer Ashley Beedle. Expect – if you can deal with Mika’s vocals anyway -a nice mixture of 80‘s Pop flavored Disco sound, DeepHouse and at least a bit of Italo / Cosmic weirdness. Spaced out stuff that needs special occasions to be played out and won’t fit easily into a regular DJ-set.

A new one on Universal Island Records is Amy Whinehousee’s latest single “Rehab”, a Jazz / Soul-flavored tune – see B3 for the original song – which is remixed by Hot Chip on the A-Side who deliver a typical crossover between classic song structures and their definition of Neo Phusion R’n’B they are loved so much for these days. On the flipside there’s the so-called Ded-Remix, coming up with a bit of 2Step-swing, although not exactly Garage but way more straightforward than the A-side versions. Wanna know more? Check myspace...

Parts in the post, pt. 51

Is Trance back? Or at least to come back? This question has been discussed on several forums spread over the whole internet thousands of times before and it seems like no-one denies a revival which is to come for sure, but what Holy Ghost deliver with their new / old untitled release on the new label Flying Circus – cat.no. 001 - is a massive hint that we’re at least not too far away from that. One track delivered on the one-sided half of this 2x12” here which must be an old original tune from the early 90‘s featuring deep, hypnotic sounds and most important a dreamy, beautiful piano line of pure innocence – as classical as this has been a blueprint for a whole genre back in the days. This is what Trance is like or at least was meant to be – timeless, melodic and still hypnotic dance music, drifting away through barriers of space and time. Disc 2 offers two remixes of unnamed origin transferring these vibes to a more recent context. While the “Label Side” serves a deep grooving flow accompanied by sparkling sounds and decent, ever building string arrangements plus a sweet chicago’esque bassline which is pure sex, the flipside is on a minimalistic tip reflecting a contemporary agreement on the state of how Minimal House / Techno sounds today that is proved right by labels like Audiomatique or similar, which kind of do refer to specific “Jack” elements of the past as well as deep, detroit’ish influences of today. This release surely is a nice example of how thrilling club music still is after all these years and how easily some tunes stand the test of time. Will be heard on dancefloors for ages.

What a storming release! Austria-based imprint Hirntrust Grind Media comes up with a new, onesided 7” , once again limited to less than 250 copies. Responsible for the sonic art, this unbelievable eruption of violence named “Mushimamire” is the japenese artist Maruosa, melting genres like Digital Hardcore, Noize, Breakcore as well as Grind-/Crustcore into three short but ultra-intense tunes that do redefine brutality in early 2007 like no other tracks around. Pure information overdose – imagine Atari Teenage Riot layered on top of Lolita Storm played on on 78 RPM. Sickness.

Alexey Filin a.k.a. DP-6 is responsible for cat.no. 020 of Super 6 Goodies named "Tech Support E.P.", which serves at least four excellent Club Techno tunes of timeless quality that are about to work every dancefloor right, no matter if played as prime time bangers or decent late night work outs. All ravers of the old skool will defo love this stuff as this is quite similar to what BFBS-hero and alltime legend Steve Mason used to spread airwise back in '94 / '95. Check!