Wednesday, 25 June 2008

MUM'S THE WORD




Baby products and punk funk aren't a pair of phrases often heard in the same sentence. But this isn't some creative writing nightmare, this is about the founder of Mothercare's son and three decades of great records emanating from New York.

Michael Zilkha (he's the baby profiteering one) and Michael Esteban set up ZE Records some 30 years ago, releasing music that merged the conflicting sounds of post-punk and disco-funk to make, for the first time, the indie kids dance.

Described as No Wave, ZE were top dogs during NYC's golden age of the early eighties, embodying the fusion of music, art, cinema, literature and fashion that was lauded the world over - Manchester included. Artists such as Kid Creole and The Coconuts, Was Not Was, James Black and Cristina ensured much success was enjoyed, drunk and snorted until they classically broke down in 1986.

This week ZE - after a 2002 rebirth - are having a birthday party in New York, you should pop along. If you don't have the airfare handy though, have a listen to these bad boys and buy one of their Mutant Disco compilations here!

MP3: Cristina - What A Girl To Do
MP3: James White And The Blacks - Almost Black
MP3: Was Not Was - Tell Me That I'm Dreaming
MP3: Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Wawa

Tuesday, 24 June 2008

FIVE MORE


Five records. Blah, blah, blah. Etc.

Here.


Tracklist:

1. Holy Ghost vs Lykke Li - 'I'm Good, I'm Ghost (The Hood Internet bootleg)'
2. Panthers - 'Goblin City (Holy Ghost Extended Disco dub)'
3. KIM - 'Party Machini (The Emperor Machine remix)'
4. Ladyhawke - 'Back of the Van (Mock and Toof mix)'
5. Pacific - 'Sunset Blvd'


Monday, 23 June 2008

PRIME CUTS


Bad things can happen at weekends. People lose mobile phones and teeth while elsewhere famine prevails and someone reminds you that James Blunt still has a recording career.

However, this weekend was improved when the latest release on Trusme's Prime Numbers label landed in our inbox with what should have been a sizeable thud. The local maverick - a Moodymann for these shores - has assembled three deep tracks for PN03. First up is Linkwood's 'Lost Experiment' - a piece of twitching, dubbed out, Basic Channel-esque technoid business. The flip [technically you needn't 'flip' a zip of MP3s] is reserved for the languid electronic funkiness of Fudge Fingas' 'Dindins4dadda' while Discreet Unit's 'Written In Our Nature' completes the package with a Detroit/disco hybrid punctuated by Martin Luther King samples.

It's out 07/07/08 - on 12" - from all good record shops. But, we imagine, especially those called Piccadilly Records given the appeal of Trusme's earlier recordings.


Saturday, 21 June 2008

NORTHERN-BYTES



Two facts about Manchester;

Firstly, topology - Our grubby metropolis was named after it's "breast-like hill" by the Romans (Mamm is latin for breast innit).

Second fact - more related to this blog - is that Manchester is the birthplace of electronic music. It has been discovered that in 1951 a computer called Ferranti Mark 1 was programmed to bosh out Baa Baa Black Sheep, God Save The Queen and a part of In The Mood.

Following one aborted attempt to record onto acetate, a laughing nerd is heard saying "the machine's obviously not in the mood". Funny bastards back then.

So next time you're listening to Kraftwerk or some seminal Detroit classic, spare a thought for our pioneering Manc predecessors who are no doubt turning in the graves at the thought of another Sinden and Duke Doughnut live set in the city.

Thursday, 19 June 2008

18 RECORDS


Another MP3 here containing 18 records. It's a bit like the radio only with no talking. Feel free to talk over it every so often if you want. Have a phone-in too. Go wild, yeah?




Thursday, 12 June 2008

ANOTHER FIVE


Now there's even more dance noise to keep you going until the weekend. You will find that located here.


Tracklist:

1. Estelle - 'American Boy (Nadastrom remix)'
2. The Black Ghosts - 'I Want Nothing (Sinden remix)'
3. Toddla T - 'Do U Know (Count of Monte Cristal & Sinden dub)'
4. Fake Blood - 'Mars'
5. Adele - 'Cold Shoulder (Rusko remix)'



YOU DIG?


Here's another mix courtesy of, one of our favourite Northern Quarter watering holes, Common.

Representing Dig Yourself - a session from the Naive Melody/Slippery People chaps (which happens every third Friday) - this has a very tasty tracklisting. See for yourself:


1. Eroc - 'Andromeda'
2. Holy Fuck - 'Lovely Allen (Minotaur Shock remix)'
3. Neon Neon - 'Raquel'
4. Out Hud - 'It's For You'
5. White Williams - 'Headlines'
6. Crystal Castles - 'Vanished'
7. Whitest Boy Alive - 'Golden Cage (Fred Falke remix)'
8. Matthew Dear - 'Don & Sherri (Hot Chip cover)'
9. Spoon - '(Matthew Dear remix)'
10. Panda Bear - 'Comfy In Nautica (Ernest Gonzales remix)'
11. Animal Collective - 'Fireworks'
12. Aphex Twin - 'Untitled (Fourtet remix)'
13. Oval - 'Kardamom'



MP3: Fwends Are Electric Mix


Wednesday, 11 June 2008

LONDON CALLING


Remember the good old days - i.e. last week-ish - when we posted a mix from Will of the amazing Tramp?

Well, we also got another mix from Will's partner in crime [quite literally should you take into account sometime flyposting naughtiness]. Yes, James. That's him. And this podcast is to plug his current project, Bad Apple: one of those fancy London nightclubs that has an equally fancy booking agency.

We suggest you download by right clicking and save as-ing this adjacent red word.


Tracklist:

1. London Posse - 'How's Life in London?'
2. Mixmaster Mike - 'Supa Wyde Laces'
3. Stetasonic - 'Talkin' All That Jazz'
4. James Pants - 'Crystal Lite feat. Deon Davis'
5. Hudmo - 'Come Get It
6. SAMIYAM - 'Unknown'
7. Busta Rhymes - 'Abandon Ship'
8. Oh No - 'Heavy'
9. Lootpack - 'Whenimonthemic'
10. Pharcyde - 'The E.N.D'

Sunday, 8 June 2008

KID'S PLAY


The problem with those open-to-everyone remix projects is that you get a couple of half decent entries from established outfits [that then get picked up by the world and its blog] while the standard elsewhere is usually just a little bit shit. Dare we say it, versions that are less than the sum of their parts.

The Foals competition on Last.fm was in danger of following suit but, up and coming local lad, Kid Machine has upped the ante with a smart reworking of the band's 'Electric Bloom'. You can listen and vote for that interpretation by following this clickable link. It's also downloadable there and below.


MP3: Foals - 'Electric Bloom (Kid Machine Gunshot remix)' [Yousendit]


Thursday, 5 June 2008

GLOBAL COMMUNICATION


It seems that some people are still bitching about Eurovision due the fact that a TV talent show loser we sent along with some Sydney Youngblood b-side didn't beat the Timbaland-produced Russian Robbie Williams (who performed alongside an olympic ice-skating whizz and a guy with an expensive violin).

Enough, stupids.

With Euro 2008 imminent, we actually thought it was about time that we showed some international love and recognised our oversees readers. In fact, only a little over 50% of viewers of this blog are British. Currently 14% are from the U.S. while 6.47% are from some place called 'Unknown'. We also get a number of people checking us out in Canada and Australia yet it's France and Germany that seem to be appreciating our fairly useless blend of noise and randomness which may or may not relate to club-esque things in Manchester, England. Other individuals that have been shipwrecked here while 'surfing' the internet seas came from far-off lands like Sweden, Italy, Estonia, Spain, Hungary and Bulgaria. Oh, and Japan, Argentina, Singapore, Hong Kong and teeny-weeny Andorra.

Nobody from Russia, mind. We assume that the population is scared by our 'backwards' letters. Or are just too busy with their Russian Robbie Williams to even care about witterings from a country where a rubbish binman is some kind of ambassador for music.

(Yeah, we do track where you're from on a little map. It's nothing sinister. Honest.)



Wednesday, 4 June 2008

BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN


Thanks to local architecture guru Eddy Rhead, we now know about the above print which depicts the old Russell Club in Hulme: the venue that played an important part in the Factory Records story well before the Hacienda opened. Pretty, isn't it? Anyway, it's available from We Live Here.

Fans of local buildings might also get a kick out of some other merchandise which pays homage to the concrete majesty of Hollings College - A.K.A. 'The Toastrack'. Funnily enough, they don't actually make a toastrack version. Still, that stuff is available from People Will Always Need Plates.

Tuesday, 3 June 2008

THE DOG'S BALEARICS



As big as the 'don't call it fidget house' fidget house scene is at the moment, the sound of the edgiest dancefloors in the UK and Europe this summer will be what is now popularly called Nu-Balearic.

The lush and sweeping genre, exemplified by artists such as Lindstrom, Reverso 68 and Al Usher, has grown over the last few years into the most exciting and progressive sub-genre of dance music. In light of this evident popularity, Ministry of Sound are releasing a new compilation - sensibly titled Nu-Balearica - to stick on the shelves of Tesco next to their Annual 2008 or whatever.

The curious Mancunian need not eat into their CD budget to live the balearic dream - or even fly to the white isle - for we are blessed with one of the most vibrant Nu-Balearic scenes in Europe. This weekend alone you can dance to NB demi-gods Prins Thomas and the Unabombers at the Paradise Factory or pop-in on the residents at the wonderful El Diablo's or Nish Nash Nosh for similar sun-kissed disco treats.

Monday, 2 June 2008

I AM THE RESURRECTION


Midweek rave fave Tramp returns this Wednesday for a one-off at the Deaf Institute. To get you in the mood, here is a fine mix from Will Tramp.

Ghetto Glitch tracklist:

1 Intro/ Rustie -'Clipper'
2 Missy Elliot- 'Ching a ling (Atlantic Connection Bass it Remix)/'Wake up' loop
3 Plastic Little ft. MF Doom-'More Tongue Less Tongue'
4 Jahcoozi- 'Black Barbie' (Modeselektor remix)
5 Toddla T- 'Fill Up Ma Portion'
6 Ghislain Poirier-'Dem Nah Like Me'
7 Young Leek- 'Jiggle it'
8 Santogold-'L.E.S. Artistes (xxxchange remix)
9 Dave Nada-'Kick Out The Jams
10 Buraka Som Systema-'Yah'
11 Benga- 'B4 The Dual'
12 Rusko- 'Cockney Flute'
13 Zombie- 'Spliff Dub' (Rustie remix)
14 Candance Weapon- 'House Music' (A1 Bassline remix)
15 Unknown Deadly D Pressure!
16 Congorock 'Exodus'
17 O Darcy-' Gaiolo Das Popozudas'
18 Rusko- 'Cockney Thug' (Drums of Death Bmore remix)
19 Young MC -'Know How' (Aaron Lacrate and Debonair Samir remix)
20 Dj Tameil 'Bump Like This'
21 D'secret Svc -'Tight Jeans'
22 Best Fwends 'Myself' (xxxchange remix))
23 Switch-'Waking The Dread'
24 Alter Ego-'Ghost M