I stumbled across this track while meandering through YouTube links earlier in the week. It is taken from Parisian DJ (or “Synth Magician” accoring to RA) dÉbruit’s 2009 EP Spatio Temporel.
I really love it’s contemporary take on that classic world music sound.
dÉbruit:
/RjK
*Artist #724
The journeys that music can take you on just blow my mind sometimes. In this instance from disquiet to thrall.
While writing up my post from Saturday, I spotted this remix album by London producer and chillwave trailblazer Bullion. It mashes up some beats from the late hip hop legend J.Dilla with The Beach Boys seminal Pet Sounds album in a mix that he rather nicely called Pet Sounds in The Key of Dee.
At first I was outraged, but a little intrigued. The more I have subsequently listened to it the more it has grown on me. The whole album is here, I can’t seem to stop listening to it.
Songs in the Key of Dee:
/RjK
DJ/rupture* – Minesweeper Suite track 1
Oddisee – Paralyzed
99 Records and New Wave
Post-punk, new wave, no-wave, punk-funk, dance-rock….Turgid. Immediately conjures the image of a ‘Flock of Seagulls’ posturing in a shit club in Bristol.
Now rewind, imagine a warehouse party; walls adorned with projected videos, pimpled young art graduates called Eno and Byrne in awkward discussion over tones of this new sound which combines the vibrancy of 70’s disco with punkish grunge and the naivety of new technology. This loosely defines the ‘scene’ that was developing within the confines of New-York Tri-State area in the early 80’s.
99 (nine nine) Records are one of many independent basement run labels of the day. Its output however was particularly driven by heavy funk baselines and chiming guitar riffs. I first came across the label on hearing Cavern by Liquid Liquid. (Incidentally this song led to the financial ruin of the label following a lengthy copyright battle involving a Grandmaster flash sample-see White Lines).
ESG, a band formed by the Scroggins sisters (I know!), had youth, rhythm and pop sensibility in abundance. Singles such as Dance and Moody sound much like New Order’s 3 minute wet dream. Bush Tetris another 99 staple continued the theme of percussive grooves.
This scene played out in clubs like the Ritz, Mudd and CBGB and despite being well documented by a host of artists/photographers at the time remains largely unrecognised now. Its substance is clearly evident in today’s raft of indie/electronic rock bands.
UK exports into the genre were largely by-passed here but big NYC floorfillers namely APB’s – Shoot you Down and Medium Medium – So hungry so angry.
Of course like everything else it eventually consumed itself and we were left with a pile of excrement, namely ‘no-wave’. Avoid at all costs anything that describes itself as ‘sonic experimentation’!
RMcD
*Artist #372
Dr.Dre/Grease – You’re the one that I want in the next episode
Rory’s comment (thanks for that) yesterday inspired me to remember this. Typically, I find myself underwhelmed by mash ups. They tend to take two songs I like and turn it into one that I don’t. But once in a while a DJ strikes gold. This is probably my favourite example of that phenomenon. It is clever and funky, and the two songs actually fit together remarkably well.
RjK
Amerie – One thing
This perhaps isn’t typical of the blog and indeed my usual taste. It is however, a stomping dancefloor classic with a typically insane (and as such pretty pleasing) video to match here.
It is probably more of a weekend tune, but the reason I am posting it today is that I came across this fascinating cover version of it by Peter and Kerry, who featured on the blog earlier in the year. It is great how two versions of a song can be so starkly different yet satisfying at the same time. One technicolour and relentless, the other reflective and subtle. I am sure you can tell which is which!
RjK
Dead Prez vs. Grizzly Bear – Two weeks of hip hop
This just works, it probably shouldn’t, but it just does. A real meeting of two starkly different genres but I like it. Grizzly Bear are NYC hipsters and Dead Prez are angry, conscious rappers with something interesting to say. It’s great when a mash up enhances rather than detract from 2 good songs, which is my normal experience of them.
You would rather have a Lexus or justice? A dream or some substance? A Beamer, a necklace or FREEDOM?
Mobb Deep – Shook Ones (MF Doom Remix)
When I first heard Mobb Deep it was unlike anything I had ever heard before. Their music was full of anger and told tales of thugs and gangsters that were very far removed from my life in a rural town in Northern Ireland and I found them to be fascinating. I have cooled towards them now the novelty has worn off but I like this remix, the contrast between the vitriol and the mellow beat works really well.
Also, MF Doom is a great DJ name. A friend reminded me of one of his tracks during the week and it led me to revisit his work which I like a lot. It is very mellow.