Pagan Babies

I really have to warn you - the music on this tape is not even up to the low standards we maintain on this blog :) But I had to post this cassette cause it's sort of African music by a Hawaiian band recorded in Papua New Guinea which I bought in the Oxfam shop in Swansea, Wales. It was too much of a mix of weirdness and the cover makes me laugh. Most of the tracks sound like they were knocked out on a cheap kid's synth at a wedding reception. But the tracks Wasara and African Typic are not too bad for fun african party numbers.

The Pagan Babies of Hawaii, U.S.A.

a1 - Hat, Hat, Hat
a2 - Jungle Beat
a3 - Sebe Allah-ye
a4 - Fire in Belize
a5 - That's My Blood
a6 - Natives are Restless
b1 - Bidimbo
b2 - Could You Be Loved
b3 - Wasara
b4 - African Typic
b5 - Forget About You
b6 - Hot, Hot, Hot


I also want to talk about some new bands. We here at the Dalston Oxfam Shop blog are not content with rave rare cassette postings and hot dj gigs - we also WANT TO BOOK LIVE BANDS. Yeah. I was asked to book the dungeon room at the last People on Horses party and instead of just getting more djs, I thought it would be fun to turn it into some weird freaky band-fest. I had just seen Maria & the Mirrors play at Offset festival where I had been djing and my friend Hannah from The P.I.X. tipped me off to the hot new show put on by the FANTASTICALLY named An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (named after a classic painting). Both of them had an great sort of raw rock/punk/tribal drumming thing going on with a theme of girl-bands-who-drum-standing-up.



Here's a track by An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump - Lights Out. They're 3 english girls, one of Nepalese descent and two filipino sisters. And they make really good RAW sounds. They've recently played with S.C.U.M., Pre and Selfish Cunt and are solidly booked for gigs as you can see on their myspace and are currently playing in Berlin. The youtube vid doesn't really capture the experience.




Maria & the Mirrors is probably a bit lesser known, but their live show has something which is like an avant-garde art/music wet dream. Two girls standing playing drums in sync like some east london aboriginal tribe reborn followed by seagull calls and screams interspersed with the electric bass/loop stylings of their male force with occasional rants from him as well. I couldn't find a good quality track as of this posting, but check out the hebrew symbolistic referential (to equinox) Tekufah on their myspace. Honestly, I have been telling people left and right to book them. The artist Martin Creed obviously agrees with me as they are playing with his band on the 14th Oct. at The Hub on Goulston Street (east london). Pic below is from Offset festival. Somehow at the gig they managed to pull a whole bunch of the Friday night 333 crowd downstairs because it was such a strange yet wonderful sight.

Finally I would like to draw attention to another musical project which is similar to the above in its sense of rejecting the whole "my this is a good vintage, a '98 Chateau Margaux red" with nose in the air approach to musical craftsmanship, favoring instead a sort of Lambrini and poppers freestylin in ye olde squat down the lane. Squallyoaks is the womb of much creativity in London, as it is the fairly inexpensive residence of Karley Sciortino and her mates. I don't know her mates very well, but Karley has been behind the fantastically written Slutever blog, the international slam dance girlcore, which along with other parties she has booked, has made Catch the hot spot again in Shoreditch. She also dates a mysterious, sweet and very talented indie chart star, has her own band Indie Boys Don't Boners, is a hottie, has been in French playboy (as an article, with her clothes on, duh) and was key to the success of my blog as she put me up in lists of good sh*t in like Dazed and such. And she probably still thinks she's not up to anything.

Well she and her fellow Squallyoak-ians decided to put together an album and actually there are some really good ideas on it. It's sort of keeping with the ideas over polish theme in this blog post. Not sure where you can get the cd, but message Karley. Do not assume that the other tracks are like this one.

Squallyoaks - Ridiculous

another Diesel Radio show - DISCO!

I got asked by Diesel U Music to do another live radio show last Saturday. This is a temporary radio station broadcasting live on 106.6 fm in Glasgow and on the Internet here. I felt because of the wave of disco crashing around me from this summer in London that I would try to feature some Doctorates of Disco so I got in Paolo of Tutto Matto and Super Disco Paolo as well as Dan Beaumont of the hit party Disco Bloodbath. They brought a few of their special records and we had a great time chatting. As a matter of fact that was the best part of the show - talking about their perceptions of disco's history and their current perception of music and the scene. Download link and tracklisting below.

DOWNLOAD (megaupload)

01. Forces - Cinnabar
02. Biscuit - Zoo Zoo
03. Cafe Society - Relight My Fire
04. Chaka Khan - Any Love
05. Boiling Point - Lets get Funktified part 1
06. Margie Alexander - Gotta Get a Hold on me
07. Brief Encounters - Rocking
08. New York Express - Hot On The Cue
09. Natures Divine - Natures Divine
10. Sunshine Megamix
11. Lola - Wax The Van (Kenny's Club Version)
12. Mott The Hoople - Bastard (Mountain Of One Edit)
13. Lama - Love on the Rocks
14. Karen Young - Deetour
15. Willie Colon - Set Fire To Me
16. Bunny Brown - Strawberry Letter 23
17. David Rubato- Cuircuit (Aeroplane remix)

In addition we have the following excitement coming up. On Friday I am hosting the basement room of the People On Horses party at 333 club in Shoreditch and we have the exciting bands of An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump and Maria & the Mirrors. I am quite excited about both of them. I saw Maria & the Mirrors when I was at Offset Festival and loved them and my friend Hanna of the P.I.X. magazine luckily put me on the trail of An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump. They have played recently with The Horrors and S.C.U.M. The bands have a them - both of them involve girls playing drums standing up. I'm big on themes because I think they show something - but it's for you and me to discuss what they show. I will also be djing as well as Suzanne of No Bra (and if you've never heard her dj, you're missing out).





And then on Saturday the 20th we have a our COME party again with Matthew Stone, Yasmine of Pandora's Jukebox and the lovely enigma Theo. No matter that I kept the location secret before, it still has turned into the hottest party of East London this summer. If you're on the scene, you probably know where it is, otherwise e-mail me.

Smylonylon 29

I figured it was time for another Smylonylon. On this one I think I generally prefer side B which has a bunch of fantastic tracks though some of them sound best for being sped up. Previous Smylonylon cassettes on this blog can be found here.

The Silicon Teens track (side B, track 2) is a band by the founder of Mute Records, Daniel Miller, and I have included a few of the tracks which I think are more interesting yet still rare. The Papathanassiou track which is actually Vangelis is actually correctly titled Needles & Bones from the Heaven & Hell lp. And I'm not sure what the Strangles - Paradise track is but it sounds fantastic. Also I managed to find a track called Richard Termini Project - Oh It's a Pop Song but can't find any more info about the band or the song. Also, would love to hear the original of the Sly Dunbar - East of the River Thames track - it's off of this LP Sly Dunbar Meets the Fire House Crew - The Other Side of Dub.

Side A - Download

1 - M - Transmission
2 - Francois Breant - Talmouse Ritual Dance
3 - Weather Report - River People
4 - Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Fire
5 - Nola - Stranger in a Strange Land
6 - Young Marble Giants - The Taxi
7 - DAF - Der Rauber & Der Prinz
8 - Shriekback - My Spine
9 - Tangerine Dream - Speed
10 - Fad Gadget - Coitus Interruptus
11 - Chilly - Have Some Fun Tonight
12 - Dillinger - Supercock
13 - Peter Jacques Band - Walking on Music
14 - Bohannon - But What is a Dream
15 - Fine Young Cannibals - Johnny
16 - Cars - A Dream Away
17 - Jah Wobble - Invaders of the Heart

Side B - Download

18 - Richard Termini - Oh It's a Pop Song
19 - Silicon Teens - State of Shock
20 - Yello - No More Roger
21 - Tangerine Dream - Midnight in Tula
22 - Gary Numan - Down In The Park
23 - Omega - Invitation
24 - Jane - Love Your Live
25 - Disco Kid - Roller Coaster
26 - Tremeloes - Good Time Band
27 - Devo - Satisfaction
28 - Lightblick - Intensivstation
29 - Mythos - mayday
30 - Ramases - Journey to the Inside
31 - Sandokan - Arrivo
32 - Beatles - Baby You're A Rich Man
33 - Papathanassiou (Vangelis) - Needles & Bones (this is only a segment of a longer song)
34 - Richard Harvey - Exchange
35 - Paul McCartney - Momma Miss America
36 - Sly Dunbar - East of the River Thames
37 - Can - All Gates Are Open
38 - D.R.U.M. - Lalabye
39 - Telex - Cliche
40 - Strangles - Paradise
41 - Jarre - Equinoxe 5
42 - Kraftwerk - Dentaku

On a separate note, let me just say that I saw Black Devil Disco Club and Metronomy last weekend at the Offset Festival and both are really deserving all the hype they get. Black Devil had a great sound like nothing you hear today. And Metronomy really are band of the year - every track just sucks you in with its quality and fantastic songwriting. I've said it before.

Debut Magazine Issue 5

Demob clothing store - Beak Street

Here we have another Debut magazine which I picked up on ebay at the request of a comment searching for the Olympic Smiles track. I previously posted Debut Issue 1 here.

I will try to put up more pages from the mag later but this issue had a nice fashion spread on the original Demob store which I have posted. Interesting coincidence (I just discovered this) is that the guy who did the Demob store was Chris Brick who is also the guy who opened the Smylonyon and later Centre for the Dull stores in New York in the mid-90s where the Smylonylon cassettes were sold (which I have featured heavily in this blog). I just discovered via Wikipedia that he opened those stores with his wife who performed as Linda Lamb who some of you may remember as an excellent electroclash era artist who did work with Vitalic and was in the group The Silures who had the fantastic 2003 track 21 Ghosts with The Silures.

A1 The Armoury Show           Is It A Wonder
A2 Hugh Masekela           Getting Fat In Africa
A3 King           Cherry
A4 The Church           The Unguarded Moment
A5 Fiction Factory           Panic

B1 Visage           Beat Boy (Special live Mix)
B2 Matt Bianco           Big Rosie
B3 Olympic Smiles           Something's Pushing Me
B4 A Flock Of Seagulls           Over My Head
B5 Sid Presley Experience           Hup Two Three Four
B6 Howard Jones           Change The Man

Check out the new disco mix I did at the Durrr party with Matthew Stone. It's not a rundown of the most rare or obscure italo and probably not the hottest sound in London, but it does represent the best quality of the more New York disco sound that was at the heart of what became hip hop, RnB and House, with the likes of Chaka Khan, The Trammps, Odyssey, Celi Bee, El Coco, Chic, etc. Plus there is an edit of rare Chi-Chi Favelas And The Black And White Band track that I did myself.

END OF SUMMER PARTIES!!

Below are listed upcoming parties at which I'm djing - lots of good stuff coming up in September also.

Friday - 29 August - People on Horses host a new party at 333 with Hannah Hanra (The PIX) and I am djing in a room with my fellow Come (the new smash hit secret Dalston Disco party) djs, Matthew Stone, Yasmin (Pandora's Jukebox) and Theo.

Click on flyer below:

Sunday - 31 August - Offset Festival!! Schedule

Unlike most festivals, this is the festival of the achingly edgy cool bands/djs/etc and it's in a forest at the end of the Central line tube! Virtually every hot new band that has played at Durrr, White Heat, the Old Blue Last, Hoxton Bar, Catch, etc., or has come up through the indie press, or new dj who has been doing a new party in London is playing at this festival. Most of all, the best band of the year Metronomy is playing on Sunday along with super rare italo band Black Devil Disco Club (more info here), Ipso Facto, Hatcham Social, the Wire, Gang of Four, XX Teens, No Bra. Girlcore are doing a tent and have asked me to dj in Drag along with all my dj friends, Radioclit, Matthew Stone, Jonjo, Theo, ISA GT - basically it's the gathering of the year. I will be there on Sunday and you can buy day tickets only. Get them here.

Click on flyer below:

Wednesday - 3 September - Pearl Flash

Moustache Bar is the new bar hosting a lot of fun parties in Dalston. I did a late 90s house music night there a few weeks ago and coming up on the 3rd I've roped in the new disco kids to do a party. I first saw Ben laying down an incredible set of italo type synth arpeggios at a warehouse party a year ago and since then he's been building his party portfolio doing parties in Dalston and Shoreditch. And since this will be disco-tinged, should be a fun party. For once the sound system in this bar is decent.


Click on flyer below:

The Face magazine May 1982

OK I have a fantastic new LP coming up for you on the blog, issue 5 of Debut magazine which I previously featured Issue 1 of.

But first I want to treat you to an early Face mag. As you can see there is a bit of a trend here - one of the only ways I can find excitement out of the soup of modern media, clowds of mp3s swirling around me from everyone with a laptop and constant media hype of cycles of designers coming and going with the latest colors and trends which increasingly seem to try to sell for the high street - is to look at media from another time and place. The Face was started in 1980 and covered both music, some politics, and fashion. It was a lot less fashion in the early 80s then it turned out to be by the time it closed a few years ago. Anyway - fantastic to read about these bands from a local London mag at the time they were starting off.

I will eventually put up the rest of the magazine but please note pages 11-12 which feature London fashion week coverage from 1982 with pictures from the Vivienne Westwood show and others. Note that as recently as 1982 London fashion week was being compared to Paris as "comic relief".

Diamanda Galas and Demob store.

Sandie Shaw, Scritti Polliti, Seething Wells, Attila the Stockbroker and The Clash.
Countryman (Island films), Konk, The Boat and Madness.

Yazoo, Vince Clarke, Depeche Mode.

World's End, Vivienne Westwood, Notre Dame X, Melissa Caplan, Swanky Modes, Zandra Rhodes, Steven Linnard, Individual Clothes Show.

And here's another pleasure from the past. Tomorrow night, Wednesday the 6th, I will be playing late 90s house music for Isa GT's new party Musicalia at the Moustache Bar in Dalston. I was listening to some of the stuff last night, proper disco house, and am really excited to bring it back out again. In many ways it just captures what I love in the disco wave going on now with a slightly harder beat to it. Are you Ultra Nate?!! Hope so.

Russian Pop tapes from Ukraine part 2.

This is the second tape in my monster Ukraine post which started with the trance comp here.

Just when you thought I was putting out some quality stuff on this blog, I take you back down again!! Having lots of conversations (arguments?) lately with people about taste and deciding how much it matters - seeing how many people evaluate where someone stands in their historical rise and fall of "coolness" of "commercial success" depending on their perceptions of taste. In that conversation I have realized that I am naturally drawn to things which are by definition usually considered not cool or popular - and that's sort of the defining quality of this blog. This is not to say that they have some inherent edgy good taste to them, I am just drawn to them because they are not popular generally. I am sure there is a couch session there somewhere. It's not like I can't perceive what is generally popular, or even popular in a crowd that is fairly hip, it's that I like to try the edges of what is cool - perhaps it makes me feel safe to know that I can test the edges without concern that I will eat myself or go too far and turn into this - something which even I would know has no cool harbor in sight.

So in 1997 this was the face of Russian pop I guess. My friend Dima helped me track down image and videos for lots of these artists. Dima is the hot sh*t in Moscow these days. You can check out his most recent mix for Moscow fashion mag Lam magazine here.

Some of these tracks I do really like, such as the Alla Pugacheva - I'll Come to the Water (honestly, I can't see how that song title matches the video), the Balagan Limited - Bahamas, mama! (which is a Russian cover of Boney M's Bahama Mama) and Alena Apina - Tuk Tuk. Not all the tracks on the cassette cover are on the cassette so I have numbered them as available. Enjoy.

Side A

01. А. Апина и М.Насыров - Лунные ночи - Alena Apina & Murat Nasirov - Moon nights
02. М. Леонидов - Видение - Max Leonidov - Vision (picture)
03. Т. Буланова - Серебристый тополь - Tanya Bulanova - Silver tree (picture)
04. К. Метов - Где-то далеко идут дожди - Kai Metov - its raining out there somewhere (picture)
05. А. Пугачева - А я в воду войду - Alla Pugacheva - I'll come to the water (officially biggest Russian star ever)

06. Русский размер и профессор Лебединский - Глазунья - Russki Razmer and Prof.Lebedinsky (picture) Apparently a pretty funny chav-rave band. Some vids and vids.
07. А. Горбачева - Танго - A. Gorbacheva - Tango
08. Демидыч - Гитара - Demidych - Guitar
10. В. Сюткин - Далеко - V. Syutkin - Far Away (picture)
11. А. Цой - Полет - A. Tsoi - Fly (wikipedia) According to Russian friends, he is kind of an underground hero and was a lead singer for the band KINO.
13. Ляпис Трубецкой - Ты кинула - Lyapis Trubetskoi - you left me. Most recent video.
14. Дюна - Воздушный змей - Duna - Vozdushny Zmei (picture)
Most interesting video.
15. Белый орел - Потому, что нельзя быть на свете красивой такой - White eagle - because you cant be so beautiful!

Side B
01. В. Меладзе - Самбо белого мотылька - V. Meladze - white butterfly's sambo (picture)
02. Л. Агутин и А.Варум - Королева - L.Agutin and A.Varum - Queen (picture)
03. Т. Буланова - Мой ненаглядный - T.Bulanova - My precious
04. Балаган Лимитед - Багамы, мама - Balagan Limited - Bahamas, mama! (picture) (cover of Boney M)

06. Рок-острова - Не любить не возможно - Rock - Islands - It is impossible not to love
07. Ф. Киркоров - Единственная - F. Kirkorov - Only One
08. М. Хлебникова - Чашка кофею - Marina Khlebnikova - Cup of Coffe
10. Shura - Отшумели летные дожди - Shura - summer rains (picture) this dude is a super camp freak.
12. М. Насыров - Туда-сюда - Murat Nasirov - Tuda - suda
13. А. Апина - Тук-тук - Alena Apina - Tuk Tuk
14. Несчастный случай - Что ты имела - Neschastny Sluchai - what you had in mind?
15. Клементия - Небесный пилигримм - Clementia - sky piligrim
16. Чиж и Ко. - Тучи над городом встали - CHizh & Co - Clouds over a city

COMING UP

This Friday Durrr is doing its first party in Paris and Metronomy is playing live. I was listening to the new Metronomy album last night and it is sooooo amazing - probably best album of the year so far. After listening to the whole album properly I think Radio Ladio and On the Motorway are my favorites. This is the band to see. And if you are in London Matthew Wowow/Stone and I will be playing a disco set this coming Monday at Durrr.

And next Friday the 18th is the 2nd of our "Come" parties - our secret Dalston party. The last one was just about my idea of a perfect party - fantastic sound system, great crowd and easy access in and out. Pictures here. If you don't know where it is, ask your friends.

Diesel U Music - African radio show

Last month Diesel U Music had a temporary radio station and I was invited to do 2 shows. The first was with Matthew Stone (Wowow) and we did trance/rave music. You can listen here.

This is the second one I did, which was a chance to show the music I usually play at the regular African parties we do, the Manifesto parties. Lots of music on here is stuff you won't find anywhere else and it's fantastic - from kuduro, coupe decale, funana and finally some older central african pop. Have a listen and enjoy.

Download (160 kpbs)/123 megabytes

Sound of Mob Culture - Lime Lizard magazine

This tape was loaned to me by good friends Josh & Tamara who do a lot of work with the Whoopee club. Josh told me that he doodled the image on the cassette cover himself.

This is really really indie from the early 90s. Most of these artists never got big. Cornershop had a hit 4 years later, and Gallon Drunk had James Johnston who is in Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. But where is Voodoo Queens, Jacob's Mouse, Mambo Taxi, Dog Hunch, Breed or Blood Sausage today? Some good tunes on here. Poems on the Underground is quite catchy.

Side A

1. Gallon Drunk - Arlington Rd
2. Moonshake - Two Trains
3. Cornershop - England's Dreaming
4. Voodoo Queens - Supermodel Superficial
5. Jacob's Mouse - Solo
6. Mambo Taxi - Poems On The Underground

Side B

7. Pram - Watertoy
8. Dog Hunch - Jack Death
9. Breed - Woah Woah Woah
10. Seefeel - Time To Find (Saturnalia Mix)
11. Blood Sausage - Billy Joel

Friday the 13th, a new secret party is being launched with Trevor Jackson, Matthew Wowow, Pandora's Jukebox and myself at a hidden venue in Dalston with an amazing sound system. E-mail me if you want to come and want details.

Euro Disco

Another cassette from a friend - Matthew Wowow (Stone) - and I have a particularly soft spot for this kind of mid 80s Euro Disco right now. I assume part of the reason for this is that I have a fairly strong knowledge of late 70s early 80s disco that came out of the US, but pretty much missed completely this mid 80s european stuff. Not all of these are excellent, but the 'Cause You are Young by C.C. Catch is great as is Japanese Girl by Max Him.

I must admit I did not actually record this cassette because it was not good enough quality - but I liked it enough to track down the songs elsewhere. I will put up all the tracks by this evening.

Side A

1 - Brother Louie - Modern Talking
2 - Cold Dresses - Al Corley
3 - Touch in the Night - Silent Circle
4 - Touch by Touch - Joy
5 - Dial My Number - The Back Bag
6 - Cause You Are Young - C.C. Catch

Side B

1 - Tonight - Ken Laszlo (Extended mix)
2 - Japanese Girl - Max Him
3 - Pretty Young Girl - Bad Boy Blues
4 - Another Boy in Town - Two Girls
5 - Fire and Rain - Dresden China
6 - Where Do I Gebin - Eruption

Here are some of the vids for these tracks:

Japanese Girl - Max Him


'Cuase You Are Young - C.C. Catch


I WILL BE DJING AT CLUB XLIB IN KIEV

This Saturday night, 31 May, I will be djing at Club Xlib in Kiev/Kyiv with Dima Ustinov and Roman Mazurenko and other friends from Moscow (they are the hottest thing in Moscow fashion press and you can read here). If anyone reads this in Ukraine, come by and say hi.

Diesel U Music radio show in London

I am participating tonight in a radio show with Matthew Wowow from 6-8 pm British Standard Time on 87.7 fm. It's part of the Diesel U Music temporary radio station. You can listen on the link below. It is our intention to explore the area of very synthy trance/rave music from the early-mid 90s which is almost cathedral in nature . . . and also very naff in some people's minds. Check it out.

http://dum.diesel.com/radio

Edit: You can download and listen to the show on the link below. Warning! I sound like a super dork. But I sound better in the African music show which I will post soon.

download/podcast

Live at the Brain 2 - rare early techno

I went round to a friend's house recently in Whitechapel and he had a stack of tapes on his windowsill. I scanned through them and pounced on a few which he was kind enough to lend me. This one is excellent stuff and I think my taste is moving in this direction. This came out on CD and vinyl and almost all the tracks are from quite obscure artists with most of the tracks only appearing here. You can see polaroids here taken from the Brain club back when this was recorded.

You may recognize Sheep on Drugs, but this track was not on any of their other releases. Hi-Rise and Purple Room are artists who ONLY appear on this compilation according to Discogs. Nexus 21 is also on a similar Biorhythm 2 compilation I posted here but I prefer this cassette for some reason, it is more synthy and colorful to me than the more american stuff on the Biorhythm 2. I feel like this music falls in the space between italo, house and techno. My favorite track here is Kersnipp by Doi-Oing. If anyone has any of their other releases let me know - would love to hear them. (FYI - I did not record the Techno Sleeps side of the cassette as it didn't grab me.)


1 Nexus 21 Container
2 Sheep On Drugs Out Come The Freaks
3 Hi-Rise JP 233
4 Man Machine Robotu Okoku
5 Ultramarine British Summertime
6 The Purple Room Triangle
7 Lunarci Sbassed
8 Doi-Oing Kersnipp

Oh and, as it turns out, at least in america, most young bloggers are actually girls. Who knew?!!


WARNING: BLATANT SELF PROMOTION BELOW

Check my new blog Der Fresh Creamy - it's a record of what I think is party hot, but with a difference - I only put links to other blogs. So it's not just what I have to post, it really is what I think is hot. And listen to my Durrr party podcast here.

LES CHOEURS DE L'ARMEE SOVIETIQUE

I don't have much to say about this other than I really like this soviet army choir singing these military themes. Hope you enjoy. Weird that it's from Turkey? I wish this cassette had this alternate cover which I found on the nets.

LES CHOEURS DE L'ARMEE SOVIETIQUE
DIRECTION: BORIS ALEXANDROV

SIDE A

1 KALINKA
2 CHANT DE LA LIBERATION (Chant des Partisans francais) (A. Marly-J. Kessel-M. Druon)
3 LA CHANSON DU BOULEAU
4 PLAINE, MA PLAINE (L. Knipper-V. Goussev)
5 LA VARSOVIENN
6 LES BATELIERS DE LA VOLGA (arr. B. Alexandrov)
7 EN ROUTE (M. Doudine-V. Soloviev-Sedoi)

8 EPITAPHE (Mikis Theodorakis-Yannis Ritsos)

SIDE B

9 BELLA CIAO
10 LES PARTISANS (T. Atourov-S. Alimov-A. Alexandrov)
11 SOIRS DE MOSCOU "LE TEMPS DU MUGUET" (M. Matousovski-V. Soloviev-Sedoi)
12 VENCEREMOS
13 LE GLAS DE BUCHENWALD (V. Mouradeli)
14 SOULIKO (arr. A. Alexandrov)
15 CHOEUR DES SOLDATS DE FAUST "Gloire immortelle de nos aieux" (Charles Gounod)
16 LE CHANT DU DEPART (M. J. Chenier-E. Mehul)
17 LA MARSEILLAISE (Rouget de Lisle)
18 HYMNE SOVIETIQUE (A. Alexandrov)

Also, head over to the Durrr party site to download a new podcast I did in early April for the party. I really like this one, featuring lots of the tracks which I dj currently, as well as some unusual ones like the elevator music track Wives and Lovers at the start, the track from the new Chap album and Ata Kak african track which is hypnotic and hilarious.

Finally, if there is anything that I am all about, it's showing the other side of something we know well. Looking at hidden layers forgotten and showing how the past not only endlessly repeats itself, but also forgets nuances that are really fantastic. That's sort of the manifesto for the blog actually. And in that spirit, I picked up this tape on ebay from Princess Julia who has been glitterati of the demimonde in London for years. She is now (with the lovely Hanna Hanra) behind the very well connected and informed The P.I.X. magazine which is your ultimate source for all that is really new and hot in music. I don't know much about Milky Lunch, or the tracklisting for this, but it's bouncy progressive housey stuff from 1994. Enjoy.

Princess Julia at Milky Lunch

Side A (alternative zshare link)

Side B

Smylonylon 18 - Diskolos mixtape

I don't want this blog to become a Smylonylon posting spot so I will put up a new cassette in the next few days. But this Smylonylon tape is too amazing to leave to my friends only. This IS the definition of spaced out disco. Lots of people are chasing this sound but this cassette gets it so right. I've posted previous Smylonylon stuff here, but this is probably the most amazing for being equally obscure and yet very enjoyable. I think Magnifique on the first side is a standout track (you can sample it on my other blog here) and the end of side B covers that amazing Black Devil album that has been floating around the web, with some tracks to sample on the Yermam blog here.

Smylonylon 18 - Side A

Smylonylon 18 - Side B

Edit:

I had to post the Depeche Mode - Big Muff track after I listened again to Side B last night. It's such a good mix. If anyone has the Steve Bender - Good Lovin' send it to me. I can't find it.

Depeche Mode - Big Muff

Some lost east african gems

Our african party Manifesto has been doing surprisingly well. I really think the music we play is amazing, but I was surprised that every tuesday we would get more and more people to come out. Last night was so packed we had to turn away people, and on a rainy night.  Its every Tuesday at the Burlington Club, 12 New Burlington Street off Regent Street in Mayfair, if you are in London.  We even have a sort of live house band :)  Pics at the bottom of the post.

Anyway, my partner Alberto had managed to get hold of 2 seven inches which I heard him play at some point and asked him to let me borrow and blog. I can't find any info about either of these on the web, but they are east african congo style tracks. The standout track is Bolingo pt. 2 in my opinion.

Bolingo Pt. 1 - Mukala wa Mulumba - Orchestra Mbuta Mbuta

Bolingo Pt. 2 - Mukala wa Mulumba - Orchestra Mbuta Mbuta

Mama Sango - Chako ni Chako II - Special Baruti International

Hawa Vumilia - Chako ni Chako II - Special Baruti International

NME 002 - Jive Wire

I had a real fantastic haul at the Dalston Oxfam Shop this last week. FYI the Oxjam events are starting today and going on through April. Go support cause it's a fantastic shop and organization and they've given me so much.

But back to me . . . I picked up 3 of the early NME cassettes including this one, NME 004 and NME 005. So if you look at all the NME cassettes listed here, if you add those with the 2 others I've posted on this blog already, the Mad Mix II NME 008 and the Ace Case NME 009, I have a lot of the early cassettes. Looks like the really famous C81 was followed up by a NME 001 in the same year. Weird.

In terms of tracks there are some really unusual and odd things here. On Side A my favorite track is probably the Leisure Process track - it's like twice as long as other versions I've seen on the web. But the track from Buzzz for example is apparently only on this cassette and I can't find any more info about it. I look forward to comments from those more enlightened.

Side B has some really great stuff too. The Altered Images version of Happy Birthday may be the coolest Happy Birthday song ever, and the Pablo track Madaleina is fantastic vintage african pop.

Side A

A1 Thompson Twins - In The Name Of Love (3:45)
A2 David Gamson - No Turn On Red (6:12)
A3 Leisure Process - Love Cascade (6:19)

A4 Buzzz - Tonight's Alright (3:31)
A5 Pigbag - A Live Orangutango (6:04)
A6 Aswad - Ghetto In The Sky (6:25)
A7 Scritti Politti - Asylums In Jerusalem (3:10)
A8 The Beat - Get A Job / Stand Down Margaret (7:02)
A9 Gil Scott-Heron - B-Movie (5:19)

Side B

B1 Suicide - Dream Baby Dream (3:16)

Producer - Ric Ocasek (from the Cars)
B2 Kraftwerk - Das Model (3:39)
B3 Altered Images - Happy Birthday (3:15)

Producer - Martin Rushent
B4 Theatre of Hate - Dreams Of Poppies (3:45)
B5 The Gun Club - Ghost On The Highway (2:43)
B6 Tav Falco's Panther Burns - Ms. Froggy (2:30)
B7 Black Uhuru - Happiness (4:30)
B8 Defunkt - Illusions (7:00)
B9 Rip Rig & Panic - Billy Eckstein's Shirt Collar (3:15)
B10 Carmel - Storm (4:07)
B11 Vic Godard & Subway Sect - Just In Time (2:35)
B12 Pablo Lubadika Porthos - Madaleina (4:00)

B13 - hidden track - Sugar Hill gang style hip hop ad for NME (pretty funny)

We are also relaunching our african party Manifesto tonight, 1 April in London off Regent Street at the Burlington club. It will be downstairs in the chic club space with djs and a few live musicians (but no band) and then once a month we will do as before with the full venue being used for the party with top live african bands, etc. It's easy to get in and not super expensive and still the best african party in London cause it's new AND old - and I'm djing :)

Personal Compilation from Marseille - Boom No. 12

A friend of my girlfriend's parents who lives in Marseille is a musician and put all of his music collection from the 60s and 70s into cassette compilations. Last year he decided to get rid of the cassettes and so I inherited them. Lots of them are cassettes full of Led Zeppelin and french pop from the 60s like Francoise Hardy and Michel Polnareff but there are a few compilations of rare disco and other 80s rarities that are quites something.

I am not sure in what kind of world you would consider it a good idea to do a 10 minute disco cover of almost every Beatles song, but that is what Cafe Creme felt like doing. When you combine that with the Rockollections by Laurent Voulzy who mixes a modestly ok french sentimental ballade from the early 70s with occasional dips into famous english pop rock hits like the Beach Boys (check the vid), and the Otis Redding disco cover by Mondo Wells, this is undoubtedly the CHEEEESIEST painful post I have yet put on this blog. But fortunately the Cerrone track "Love is the Answer" and the Elton track, and in particular the Mondo Wells on Side B, redeem it somewhat. I never realized that Elton did so many great tracks in the early 70s and did a Greatest Hits album already IN 1974!

Side A

1 - Tata Vega - Full Speed Ahead

2 – Elton John - Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word

3 – Abba - Money, Money, Money

4 - Laurent Voulzy - Rockollection Part I

5 - Laurent Voulzy - Rockollection Part II

6 - Café Crème - Citations Ininterrompues

7 - Café Crème - Dreaming

8 - Cerrone - Love is the Answer

9 - Mondo Wells - Otis Disco Citation (Medley)

Side B is a bit better because it features the very first single from Mondo Wells from '77. Rare-ness - featuring the best track on this cassette, White Smile, with a bit of an african/reggae disco. And Revelacion's 16 minute disco cover of House of the Rising Sun, which is a very famous old folk song which actually was first recorded in 1993, is also quite special because it was written and produced by Cerrone (see his track on Side A) and Don Ray, two of the best disco French disco artists who did a number of hits, including Supernature and the amazing album Garden of Love. Revelacion is not the most amazing work they did, but a lot rarer and still quite fun.

Side B

1 – Mondo Wells – White Smile

(here is the cover of the Mondo Wells 7 inch)


2 – Helen Davis – Satisfaction

3 – Helen Davis – Yesterday A King

(here is the cover of the Revelacion album below)


4 – Revelacion – The House of the Rising Sun + Revelacion Suite
5 – Revelacion – Crocos Dance Part 1 and part 2
6 – Revelacion – Time for Love

7 – Santa Esmeralda – Hey! Gyp!


New Music

3 amazing musical groups have albums coming out - Buraka Som Sistema (sort of kuduro-ish which I have been banging on about for a while, as here), The Long Blondes and Mystery Jets. The Long Blondes and Mystery Jets albums have been produced by my version of musical God, Mr. Erol Alkan (read about Mystery Jets album in Drowned in Sound here). Erol is one of the few musicans who I really really admire because he seems to have a talent which I cannot even imagine. This is the essence of a hero, someone who can do something which you cannot even imagine doing even if you put in a LOT of hard work. Also, Mystery Jets have some really nice guys who have become friends and I have been a fan of The Long Blondes for their amazing tracks in the past. For this reason I am very excited about these albums. You can listen to tracks on their myspace or have a listen to my favorite track from each artist here:

Buraka Som Sistema - Wawaba

The Long Blondes - Guilt

The Mystery Jets - Veiled in Grey (on their myspace)

They all have gigs coming up, but Buraka Som Sistems is playing this evening (19 March) at Hoxton Bar and Grill in London, DJ/MC set at Yo Yo at Notting Hill Arts Club on 20 March and at Fabric live performing Friday 21 March. They will make you dance.

And Mystery Jets are playing at Durrr on Monday 24 March.

SMYLONYLON No. 1!!

I feel so lucky. Friday a week ago I was djing for the first time at Fabric and Alex Gloor and Sasha Crnobrnja of In Flagranti came by and hung out for a while behind the dj booth and had a nice chat. Alex Gloor did the Smylonylon tapes which I've posted here before and he gave me this very first tape of them all! In Flagranti were playing live on the same night and are a hot item right now, which has a lot to do with their fantastic music knowledge, as evidenced by the Smylonylon tapes. You can listen and buy their new release Grand Central Shuttle here.

The early Smylonylon were more exotica/easy listening, so don't expect the dancey/droney mid 80s rare german disco that you can find on some of the later tapes. Still the stuff on here is in a league of its own and very hard to find. I discovered some of the tracks on this amazing Weils.nl blog which has rare 80's stuff, soundtracks, live shows of Siouxsie and the Banshees and more. It's truly an amazing blog.

Also - check my new blog for new music every day. Derfreshcreamy
Smylonylon No. 1 - Side A

1. Piu forte ragazze! - Samba
2. Bimbo Jet - Buffalo's Band
3. Anonymous Venetian - Main Theme
4. Enoch Light - Scarborough Fair
5. Ward Swindle - Windmills of our Mind
6. Heino - Bergvagabunden
7. Klaus Wunderlich - Lotto Zahlen
8. Silvetti - Steps in the snow
9. Esquivel - Sun Valley Ski Run
10. Martin Denny - Flamenco
11. Fabio Paramo - Playa Corola
12. Switched on Bacharach - Do You Know the way to San Jose
13. Enoch Light - Marrakesh Express
14. 10th Victim - Main Theme
15. Ernst Mosch - Dompfaff
16. Esquivel - Bye Bye Blues
17. Switched on Bacharach - Wives and Lovers
18. Enamuelle - Eternal Anguish
19. Enoch Light - past and I Call You
20. Lady nelson and the Lords - Call Me
21. Chuck Davis Orchestra - Spirit of the Sun

Here's one stand alone track:

Switched on Bacharach - Wives and Lovers


Smylonylon No. 1 - Side B

22. Mason Williams – Baroque a Nova
23. Bent Fabric – The Dipsy Doodle
24. Flutes and Percussion – Mountain Greenery
25. Martin Denny – Bacao
26. Harmonicats – Mambo Jambo
27. Latin Love Machine – Hare Krishna
28. Paul Bley – Parks
29. Claudine – My Guy
30. Vision of Eight – Olympic Village
31. Jerry Allen – Fly me to the Moon
32. Crown Heights Affair – Dreaming a Dream
33. Dexter Wansel – Life on Mars
34. Latin Love Machine – Peanut Vendor
35. Brain Tickets – Black Sand
36. Sadistic Mika Band – Suki Suki Suki
37. Incredible Bongo Band – Let There Be Drums
38. Sandy Nelson – Drums a Go Go
39. Titanic – Sante Fee

Below are some tracks from this mix. I couldn't find Suki Suki Suki from the Sadistic Mika Band, but I found this great track Picnic Boogie. And the Incredible Bongo Band track Let There Be Drums is from the same band that did Apache, which is well known as one of the most sampled of early hip hop songs and very heavily used in drum and bass (you'd recognize it). Of course the Dexter Wansel and Crown Heights Affairs tracks are famous and you should get them if you don't know them.

Incredible Bongo Band - Let There Be Drums

Sadistic Mika Band - Picnic Boogie

NEW ARTIST SECTION:

Bishi is someone who I have know for a while as she has been on the London scene doing some of the hippest parties (I first met her at Kashpoint, which coincidentally will always have a special place in my heart as I met my girlfriend there). Now she's flying on her own, has learned to play the Sitar very well and is in general a very sweet person. So I think she needs a little props up as she is doing something niche - writing and performing pop songs with a Sitar, so she certainly has a hook to her appeal. The song she sent me here is quite catchy and she wrote it with Matthew Glamorre, another very sweet and very creative person (responsible for the above mentioned Kashpoint). I think she really has some potential though I have told her I think the tracks need to be remixed or have more of an edgy dance sound to them (where are the odd 90s beats and other dance sounds from Kashpoint?). Any way - still a great track.

Bishi - On My Own Again