Monday 23 March 2009

L&PT II/Milky Disco

Lindstrom & Prins Thomas II (Eskimo)

Quite apart from including one of the best freebie promotional gimmicks ever; an Eskimo Recordings/L&PT fir tree air freshener, this stunning long player firmly establishes Norway’s cosmic kings as masters of their art. Although there are eight ‘tracks’ listed in a typically surreal manner 01, 25, 42, 58, 68, 78, 85 and 92(???) when you load the LP onto real player it saves 99 tracks, some of them only a few seconds long. Unlike L&PT’s rightly acclaimed eponymous debut, L&PT II follows Lindstrom’s solo outing with little in the way of traditional song structures. This is more of a ‘cosmic symphony’ in eight parts, an often beautiful fusion of modern electronica and 70s ‘Kraut’, that repeats motifs and regurgitates chords in endless loops becoming both hypnotic and therapeutic in the process. The chugging basslines and percussion provide the momentum for the melodic synth lines yet this is not ‘dance’ music as such, more a meditative experiment in sound. Fjordtastic!


Milky Disco 2 – Let’s Go Freak Out (Lo)

I’m sure ‘cosmic disco/nu disco/no disco/nu balearic/neo discolearic’ has about another three seconds of life left before the backlash begins (infact the backlash began as soon as any of the above terms were coined) and with the likes of Mixmag getting Aeroplane to compile a ‘Disco Balearica’ mix, it’s no surprise that there’s a reaction against this ‘scene’ within a scene, if indeed a ‘scene’ it is. Yet two years after the fantastic Milky Disco 1 compilation, Lo Recording’s John Tye has brought together some of the world’s best nu-discosmiclearic musicians in another Milky Disco voyage of disco-very. Trippy and hoppy, poppy and jazzy, Let’s Go Freak Out assembles this truly global music’s premier league and channels their restless energy into two teams of eleven.

So on side 1 (the reds) we’ve got Hatchback, Pollyester, Secret Circuit. Ghost Note, Chilled By Nature, Gatto Fritto, Lukas Nystrand, Soft Circle, Black Devil Disco Club, Glass Candy and CFCF.

On Side 2 (the blues) Black Mustang/Kerrier Disrict, Soft Rocks, Pink Stallone, Canyons, Nite Jewel, Expanding Head Band, Black Devil Disco Club (on loan), Georges Vert, Chilled By Nature (recent signing), Subway and Milky Globe/Sorcerer team up.

As compilations of nu cosmodelica go, this one’s the champion’s league lid!

Tuesday 17 February 2009

Feb Jukey/New Releases

Ein Haus Ist Kein Zuhaus – Katja (Liberty)

Ever wondered what ‘A House Is Not A Home’ sounds like in German? Well let the utterly gorgeous Katja Ebstein fill you in…..

Brown Baby/Save The Children – Diana Ross (Motown)

From the Berry Gordy produced ‘Touch Me In The Morning’ LP, Diana does a medley that matches Marv’s orchestration and emotion…quite marvellous!

Wind of Change – Hawkwind (UA)

Who’s for some original shroomadelica? Like Morricone meets Mantovani on Mars, the Hawks take you to the Hall Of The Mountain Mixed Grill kidda!

Clear As The Driven Snow – Doobie Brothers (Warner Bros)

Finger picking good – killer track from The Captain & Me LP.

Outside The Rain – Stevie Nicks (Modern)

‘It’s only ay dream?’ I used to dream about Stevie Nicks a lot and I’ll tell ya what – she couldn’t half play the banjo!

Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond) – Ringo Starr (Apple)

A George Harrison song with the likes of Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Klaus Voorman and George himself helping out, this is a slice of country toe tappin’ cheese that saves Ringo’s self-titled appalling second solo outing.

The Joy Circuit – Gary Numan (Baggars Banquet)

Jaunty lickle fiddletronica tune from Gal’s overlooked Telekon LP.

Chilipoum - Manitas De Plata Et Los Plateros (CBS)

If this don’t get you clapping and flamenco stompin like a gypsy king kong then there’s fuck all down for ya.

Get Back – Rod Stewart (Riva)

Rod gives Macca’s anti-immigrant anthem a fierce, raw throated workout. Get back JoJo!

Going Down Slowly – The Pointer Sisters (abc)

As the sistas themselves sing ‘holy moly slowly going down’ – blimey! Pure raunch-disco-soul feminist call to arms don’t get funkier than this.

The Way I want To Touch You – Shirley Bassey (UA)

Lovely string laden disco-lite production with engineering from none other than Martin Rushent. Slinky baby!

Lilac Wine – Eartha Kitt (Ace Of Hearts)

Wibbly wobbly rendition of the wino’s national anthem from the original vamp. Eartha – RIP!

Couldn’t Love You More – John Martyn (Atlantic)

The big man is no more! A beautiful way to go out. RIP!

New Releases

U Can Dance – DJ Hell feat Bryan Ferry (Gigolo)

The best thing Ferry’s done for at least two decades, this epic piece of throb-core brings back memories of prime era Roxy in all their decadent glory. Taken from Hell’s latest double CD/LP ‘Tuefelswek’ (German for Devil’s work apparently).

Black & Grey Stripped Trousers – In Flagranti (Codek)

In Flagranti make neo-punkfunk the way it should be made; with no regards to structure or formality not as a rehash of tried and tested Mutant Disco templates. Returning to form with their ‘Brash & Vulgar’ LP, this track is two minutes of Nouvelle Vague naughtiness – like Breathless on crystal meth!

The Subs – From Dusk Till Dawn (Lektroluv)

Straying too far into Dutch Euro-rave for my liking (they even do a version of the Prodigy’s ‘Breathe’), this is the least ‘shouty’ tune from The Subs’s ‘Subculture’ LP. A bit tits out for the donkers but passable in an electro- minimalism stylee.

Monday 26 January 2009

Ste's 'Everything's AOR' mix

CafĂ© Del Lar – “Everything’s AOR” Mix January 09

Chicago – Prologue (CBS)
Fairport Convention – A Sailor’s Life (Island)
Bobby Charles – Smalltown Talk (Bearsville)
Joe Walsh – Mother Says (abc/Dunhill)
Camel – One of these days I’m going to get an early night (Decca)
Joe Cocker –The Man in Me (A & M)
The Walker Brothers – Den Haague (GTO)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Poor Boy Shuffle (Pt 1) (Liberty)
Dr. Hook – I Call That True Love (CBS)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Poor Boy Shuffle (Pt 2)/Feelin’ Blue (Liberty)
Rare Earth – I know (I’m Losing You) (Motown)
Jose Feliciano – Virgo (RCA)
Steppenwolf – Sookie Sookie (Dunhill)
Seals & Crofts – Nine Houses (Warner Brothers)
America – Muskrat Love (Warner Brothers)
Monty Python – Rock Notes (Charisma)

Tuesday 20 January 2009

January Chiller Thriller - all chiller all killer

10 tunes for a cosy night in kidda....

Shaday (Instrumental Long Version) - Ofra Haza (Wea)
Friends (Instrumental) - Amii Stewart (RCA)
Cold Nights In Cairo - Big Bang (Swanyard)
Screen Kiss - Thomas Dolby (Parlophone)
Found - The Beloved (Atlantic)
Windows And Walls - Dan Fogelberg (Epic)
Saturday Suit - Art Garfunkel (CBS)
Anticipation - Carly Simon (Elektra)
Jessye Lisabeth - Bobbie Gentry (mfp)
Lost Time In Cordoba - Steve Hackett (Charisma)

Monday 12 January 2009

A Brief History Of Cosmic Disco

now that we're into 2009 and so-called 'cosmic disco' is the sound of yesteryear daddio, here's an old Swine skit we did on the origins of the 'scene without a name, except someone named it the cosmic disco scene and I called it 'Scandolearic' back in 2006 and then IDJ magazine reckoned they coined that term in 2008 but really I invented that and got it copyrighted and everything with no name scene'

The History Of Cosmic Disco

In 1937, Swedish molecular scientist Lars Larsson was experimenting in his laboratory when he accidentally spilled some pickled halibut onto his copy of Dvorak’s Poetic Tone Pictures and a new form of music was invented. He called this strange mutant brew of fishy orchestral soup, Classical StinkBeat and died penniless and broken after giving up his microscope and playing the cello with a halibut instead of a bow in the seedier bars of downtown Bergen.

Fast forward 70 years and whilst on a trip to visit his Great Aunt Matilde, production whiz kid, Prins Thomas found Larsson’s epic ‘Songs For Cello & Halibut Vol 73’ in a trawlermen’s hostel. Intrigued and fascinated by this haunting fusion of instrumentation and avant-garde anti-noise, Prins turned the Lp to 45 and pitched it up to +15 on his specially adapted ‘superpitch’ mobile turntable.

Hey presto! Cosmic Disco was born. Although never referred to as cosmic disco, Prins and his colleagues, Hans Christian Blackbelt Andersson and Peter Bjorn & Lindstrom then released a 50 minute epic every other week for the next four years on a range of labels such as Smallsound Supertown, Inuit and Lazy Viking Stereotype. Then everyone got bored. However for three days in July everyone from BBC Breakfast’s Bill Turnbull to the Icelandic Minister for Fish got very excited about the sound no-one called ‘the new bleep.’

Here are five ‘cosmic’ must haves for your collections….

1 - Silent Running Soundtrack

it’s so very lonely…..with only a robot and Joan Baez for company in deep space kidda.

2 – Muppets From Space soundtrack

Gonzo & The Gang in the ‘ultimate Muppet trip’ – ya dig what they’re saying there daddio?

3 – The Clangers Music by Vernon Elliot

Not so much a record but the very soundtrack to your childhood on Johnny Trunk’s ever boss Trunk label.

4 – Wattoo Wattoo The Bird From Outer Space Theme

The Crazy cosmic bird who came to sort out the silly geese….an allegory for cold war politics or just a daft cartoon about a space magpie? Who gives a fuck?

5 – Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds

Come on Thunderchild! The Red Weed and the martian massive get cracking on this still unbeatable slice of 70s sci-fi camp nonsense. Phil Lynott never sounded better.

Thursday 20 November 2008

Some tunes for Ste Connor's 40th/PJ's Pick n' Mix/Guest Mixes

One half of celebrated nonentities Cafe del Lar and rabid Evertonian (are there any other type of Evertonian?), Stephen Connor reached his 4th decade on planet earth this week so here are some boss tunes to celebrate his 40th circle around the sun.

Theme One – George Martin (Circle Of Sound)
Danza Mora – Jose Motos (World Record Club)
Can’t Help Myself (Out Front Mix) – Lynx (Chrysalis)
One Love (Dance Mix) – Atlantic Starr (A&M)
Taxi Bamako – Amadou & Mariam (Radio Bemba)
Psychotic Girl - Black Keys (V2)
Listen The Snow Is Falling – Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band
I Betray My Friends - OMD
Molde Canticle Pt 4 – Jan Garbarek
Never Say Never – John Martyn
Beauty & The Beast – DJ Taylor
Love Aint An Easy Thing – Neil Sedaka
Call Me (Instru) – Blondie
Livin’ For The City (Bullring Mix) – Cook da Books
TVOD – The Normal
Perfumed Garden – Rah Band
Voila – Francoise Hardy
Ice Cream Van - Glasvegas
Pigs (In There) – Robert Wyatt
Time Becomes/Planet Of The Shapes - Orbital
Hatchback – Comets (Lo)
Dorothy Morrison – Brand New Day (Columbia)
Lou Reed – Street Hassle (RCA)
Bobby Charles – SmallTown Talk (Bearsville)
Van McCoy – African Symphony (T & L)
Ultra Vivid Scene – Mercy Seat (4AD)
The Commodores – Cebu (Motown)
Hugh Masekela – Don’t Go Lose It Baby (Jive Afrika)
Chicago – Saturday In The Park (CBS)
Mahavishnu Orchestra – Dawnin’ (CBS)
Jim Capaldi – Favela Music (Island)
Freddie McGregor – Big Ship (Greensleeves)
Joe Cocker – The Man In Me (Stingray)
Eddie Henderson – Say You Will (Tower)
The Emperor Machine – What’s In The Box? (DC Recordings)
Robert Palmer – Work To Make It Work (Island)
Dazzle – Reaching (Underdog edit) (Underdog)
Give Me Your Love - Curtis Mayfield (Buddah)
Standing In The Shadows Of Love - Barry White (Pye)
Yes, I Am - The Emotions (CBS)
Super-Tuff - XTC (Virgin)
Fifty-Fifty Clown - Cocteau Twins (4AD)
On Tomorrow - Captain Beef heart & His Magic Band (Liberty)
Wonderland – Joe Sample (MCA)
Sister Honey – Stevie Nicks (Modern)
Hey Girl – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Pye)
This Is The House (Where Our Love Died) – Three Degrees (White)
Spine Cop – Rock Workshop (CBS)
Scream (Primal Scream ) – Mantronix (10)
Casa Forte – Sergio Mendes (Hamlet)
Does Your Mama Like To Reggae – JJ Cale (Mercury)
Good & Plenty – Carolyn Crawford (Philly Int)
Too Much Attention – Gilbert O’Sullivan (Mam)
Jumping The Gun – Rico (Trojan)
Groove Check (Dub) – That Petrol Emotion (Virgin)
Just To Settle My Nerves – Charles Wright (Warner Bros)
Night Train – Steve Winwood (Island)
(Do The) Instant Mash – Joe Jackson (Hallmark)
He-O – Vangelis (Superstar)
Symphony – Marvin Gaye
Obsession (Nassau Mix) - Guy Cuevas
Loop – Tom Browne
Everything Is Neu - Hatchback
Route 101 - Herb Alpert
Grow Your Hair - Coyote
Love Emergency - Teddy Pendergrass
Clam (Kelpe Remix) - Red Snapper
50,000 Legions - Detroit Grand Pubahs
Anja’s Theme - Petar Dundov
12.01 AM (Reprise) - The Commodores
The Wolves (Act I and II) - Bon Iver
Budapest By Blimp - Thomas Dolby

PJ’s Pick & Mix Mix

Ennio Morricone – Nina Nanna Per Adulti
The Monkees – Someday Man
The Poppy Family – Free From The City
Evie Sands – Take Me For A Little While
Astrud Gilberto – Beginnings
The Left Banke – Pretty Ballerina
Dennis Wilson – Lady
Scott Walker – The World’s Strongest Man
Syd Barrett – Terrapin
Simon & Garfunkel – Punky’s Dilemma
David Crosby – Laughing
Roger Nichols – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
The Beach Boys – Til I Die
Rotary Connection – Black Gold Of The Sun
Glen Campbell – Guess I’m Dumb
Lee Hazlewood – Hey Cowboy
Bobbie Gentry – Tobacco Road
Tim Hardin – Misty Roses
Laura Nyro – Eli’s Coming
The Free Design – Bubbles
Dillard & Clark – Train Leaves Here This Morning
Marcos Vale – The Face I Love
Roy Budd – Getting Nowhere In A Hurry

Cosmic Boogie Mix - No Notion Disco

A lickle disco/Balearic/baleario mix we knocked out for the good chaps in Cosmic Boogie wonderland.

http://www.cosmicboogie.co.uk/2008/07/guest-mix-6-no-notion-disco/

Kiki Dee - Chicago (Rocket)
Space - Carry On Turn Me On (Obsessive)
Glass Candy - Miss Broadway (After Dark) (Italians Do It Better)/Cheech & Chong - Lard Ass (WB)
Otis Clay - The Only Way Is Up (Harmless)
Herbie Mann - Superman (Atlantic)
Walter Muphy - Uptown Serenade (Private Stock)
Santa Esmerelda - House of the Rising /Quasimodo SuIte(Philips/Fauves Puma)
Evelyn King - I Don't Know (Popular Peoples Front re-edit) (PPF)
L.T.D - Back In Love Again (A & M)
The Gap Band - Outstanding (Total Experience)
Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes - Wake Up Everybody (Pt's 1 & 2) (PIR)(with the merest sliver of
Funkadelic to bridge it)

6millionsteps guest mix - Curva Nord/Fried Icecream

Here's another disco/funk mix we did for the good folks at 6MS

http://www.sixmillionsteps.com/drupal/node/72

Thursday 13 November 2008

The Guttersnipe - the worst fanzine of all time

We started The Guttersnipe back in 95(ish - can't really remember the exact date) and by the time we finished doing it circa 99/2000 and began Partizan's on-line zine, we'd done 10 or so issues all of which were massively unsuccesful (do you detect a running theme here?) - however, although some of the content is pretty embarassing to look at over a decade later, there are bits worth digging out for posterity. Issue # 1 featured amongst other things :

*why we hate the british fashion mafia - an attack on the W1 fashionistas that became the blueprint for my book 'Casuals'

*fashion pieces on Kangol & Raggy

* why cosa nostra suck

* why goatees rule

* Dr John's The Night Tripper sleeve notes

* top 10 proper wenches

* retro fashion

* Jazz v rock

* style icons - dizzy gillespie

but there wer elong bits and i cant be arsed typing em out so here are a few bits n' bobs from that issue

New Mod? Old Hat! Old wave of new mod memories

* Swapping your 999 and UK Subs 45s for the Merton Parkas and The Lambrettas

* Wearing your grandad's trilby

* legging sad divvies on Yammy 150s whilst shouting 'get the rockers!'

* wishing you'd never sold your northern soul collection

* pretending to have been at Scarborough when it kicked off

* doing the 'Green Onions' dance

* trying to do a 'Jimmy' up an alley and failing miserably

* the Jam are punks/mods arguments

* talking in a ropey Cockney accent

* pretending to be on 'blues'

* robbing thousands of wing mirrors

* not knowing who The Who were

SOAP UPDATE

Backside - creepy Satanist, Edgar D. Evil continues to brainwash the Close's youth into painting occult symbols onto the sides of Farmer McMoron's sheep. Jimmy Video has taken his estranged wife hostage and is demanding three million pounds, a quid's worth of Red Leicester, two Cadbury's Cream Eggs and a plane to Douglas, Isle Of Man as a ransome. Militant black muslim community leader, Mustafa Al-Anhansen is planning a protest march to complain about the opening of a non Halal butchers on the parade. Aristocratic couple, Piers and Melinda Forbes-Cholmondeley have returned from their ski-ing holiday to find a tribe of new age travellers squatting in their palatial three bedroom semi. Union leader and All England Gay Paragliding champion, Dave Anus has been ostracised by the Residents Association after refusing chairman, Major Crabtree's advances. Quiet newcomer, Gordon Evans is secretly turning his garage into a DIY sulphate factory. The ghosts of Roman Legionnaires are still appearing at No 15.

Bellenders - Pickled turnip stall proprieter, Ernie Mash has gone gone to the toilet. Doreen Eel is minding his stall till he comes back. Alfie Pie has nipped to the bookies. Irene Whelk's laundry has gone missing. Elsie and Ronny Sausage have been arrested following a raid on their lock up. 30,000 quid's worth of counterfeit Queen Mothers have been seized. Bert Saveloy has been elected Grimford's first deaf, diabetic Communist mayor.

Cosynation Street - Teddy Boys have been causing trouble in the Ranger's Rover again. Brassy landlady, Maggie Front is having an affair with handsome cellar man, Sid Stout but there's competition from Miss Muckdale 1963, Debby Cleavage. Harold Wilson is due to pay a visit to the area and a street party to celbrate VE Day has been organised by old soldier, Bill Shrapnel. The General Strike has brought chaos to Muckdale but the locals are cheerily doing their utmost to carry on regardless. Queen Victoria's jubilee celebrations are being planned and Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentary army has been spotted five miles away.

Ozmates - Bobby's surfboard has held up the local Post Office. Noelene and Clive have eloped to New Zealand. Bowser has been pining for then, keeping shift worker Ray awake all night. Teresa's trombone lessons are causing big headaches for Don and Babs. Frank's business venture has come unstuck and Jamie's bike has appendicitis.

Playlist

Speed Up - Betty Moorer
Home Of The Whale - Massive Attack
Agony Of Defeet - Parliament
Jacob St 7am - Sabres Of Paradise
Yahoo - Happy Mondays
See The Day - Ann Consuelo
Persons Unknown - Poison Girls
Genetix - The Stranglers
Baby Sinister - Slave
For Your Love - Yardbirds
Black Spade - Jason Ryder Sound
Bunker Soldiers - OMD
Mr Moon - Jamiroquai
Securicor - Crass
Wheel Me Out - Was Not Was
Vibe Da Joint - Kaliphz
Ivo - Cocteau Twins
Ten Feet Tall - XTC
Seen & Not Seen - Talking Heads
q-Mart - 808 State
Going For The One - Yes
USSR - Mr Fingers
Hellbent On Rockin' - The Shakin Pyramids