So, it has been a while. Anybody that put any faith in me probably has given up by now. I know all of you. You want a steady stream of content. New things to read and contemplate. Well contemplate this mothafuckas!
This is my new dj mix. Here is the list of songs I used:
Dj Blaqstarr – Hey MF’s
Late of the Pier – Space and the Woods (the c90s Remix)
New Young Pony Club – Ice Cream (Herve Goes Bananas Remix)
ACDC – Thunderstruck (Tittsworth Remix)
Roisin Murphy – Overpowered (Herve Remix)
Crookers – My Penny
Boys Noise – My Head (Para One Remix)
Jamelia – Something About You (Crookers Crunky Remix)
The Count of Monte Cristal – Bounce That Ass
Spank Rock – Bump (Switch Remix)
Crookers – Aguas De Parco
Princess Superstar – Licky (Herve Goes Low Remix)
Liquid – Sweet Harmony (Streetlife Djs Mix)
Scotch – Penguin’s Invasion (Hot Version)
Sinden and The Count of Monte Cristal – We Don’t Give a Damn
South Rakkas Crew – Mad Again (Boy 8-Bit Remix)
Now I know what some of you might say: “Some of this music is from last year or (gasp!) two years ago.” Well indeed that is true and some of it is from the 80’s. Really I don’t give a fuck. I just play music and try to come with the most compelling mixes possible with two record players and a mixer. Really the pleasure of djing for me (if you have not figured it out yet from previous posts) is the mixing of disparate styles. I think an older or even overplayed song can be elevated by creating a synthesis with another song. When I dj, rather than seeing it as an opportunity to show how in the know I am, I use it more as an excuse to make different mixes. It is easy to play one song after the other and make them mix in together but the way I see it, the songs are just links betwenn new mixes. I’m not trying to say I’m special. Just explain myself.
So you thought I was dead? Did you really think I could ever be killed? Even if you succeeded in taking me out another Dirty Frenchman would just appear and take my place. For you see, a little known fact about the French is we have a hive mind. Each French person you see is just a piece of a whole. We cannot be defeated by weapons alone. But I digress. So I’m back after a scholarly hiatus and I’ve got a banger for you. This remix takes what is a semi run of the mill electroclash song and makes it insane. It begins with this assaulting guitar that just keeps on pounding on your ears for 2 minutes. It builds and builds and then just drives you home to ecstasy. I spent my two brakes at my shitty day job just smoking and listening to this song. When I came back to sit at my desk I felt like I had lost a part of myself. Oh god am I ready to drop this on people! By the way, I will be adding more content like mad because this mofo ain’t gotta study no more. Wink.
Now before you say anything, let me say that Elephant Man is one of my favourite, if not my favourite, dancehall artist. However, the growing popularity of this song has caused me to speak up and against him. This song sucks. Let me count the ways:
1. The Riddim: This riddim is repetitive even by dancehall standards. Now that would not be a big problem if the main ace in the hole of this riddim was not just a few notes played with the “creepy” setting of a synthesizer (i think on my yamaha it is selection #186). This song would suck already just from the riddim alone. Almost as bad as Chaka Chaka Riddim.
2. Lyrically: all this song is about is the new novelty dance it advertises. Now I know Elephant Man has done such things before. His lowest point was his Sesame Street song. I guess he just has a lame side. Elephant Man can kill it though when he puts his mind to it. Plus, he is one of the greatest characters in dancehall history. Still, in this particular case he turns in a bad song.
3. The Dance: Now yes, as far as dancehall novelty dances this one is not the weirdest. There was the Taliban Dance, the Signal de Plane just to name a few. All this is is crouching though. I can imagine how they came up with this dance. One guy was like: “Look at me! I have a new dance! I call it the Gully Shuffle!” And the guy beside him was like: “It’s ok. But not that creative. I’m not very impressed. That looks like a thousand other dances.” And the first guy then goes: “Umm…Ok! What if I crouch and do it!” And the second guy is like: “That’s it! You got it! Genius!”. I feel like going to a club with a posse of 20 people and then busting out the Gully Creepa en masse. That would cause a stir.
Yes, I know. This song is from last year and is not new. However I like it so that fact doesn’t matter and I’ll talk about it anyway. I’ve had this song kicking around for a long time on my computer but as most often is the case, I only started to appreciate it when I had one of those moments where it just popped up on my I-Pod unexpectedly. I was on the subway and the song just started up as the subway began to leave the station. The song could be qualified as meditative electro. As I was cruising along under the modern downtown in this metal box in a tube I started to think about technology and how it has insinuated itself into everything. Underground I thought of the city’s bowels. I thought of all the complex systems that work together and are fundamentally behind this order in our lives the we (at least we westerners) take for granted. Our lives are dependent on us being part of these pervasive systems. We are connected and live by this infrastructure. Systems of transportation, information, sewers, garbage collection, etc. All things without which our complex society would be impossible. Yeah, I was high too.
Anyway, Crystal Castles are getting more and more press over here (their hometown) but I don’t think the hype is deserved. One reason is I’m just not into the noisyness of their music. I feel sometimes noisyness is a cop out. It’s easy to fake genius. I can certainly agree that noise is something to be explored and played with but I think to make it the underlying departure point for your work maybe a way to cover a lack of talent no matter how much work you put into that noise. I felt this way about Justice for a while (in particular the first shit they put out like “Waters of Nazareth” but then they won my heart again). I feel this way about Feadz. Anyway, here is the song…
Are Elektrons actually good? I don’t know. I have never heard a non-remixed version of their stuff. Sinden did a sick ass remix of “Dirty Basement” that was so good that I had to include it in my dj mix:
(hint: it is the fourth song)
But anyway, we are gathered here for this song and it is quite a bit of goofy madness. Anyone who has followed the last year or so in house should be aware of the man credited for this particular remix. He is like the Kool Keith of dancing. I think I understand the system for his aliases. He is Herve for bizarre house tracks like this, The Count of Monte Cristal for booty or B-more tracks, Voodoo Chilli for disco and Speaker Junk for..well…I guess that shit sounds the same as the Herve shit but who cares? I’m still right! As I’ve stated before I really like this house sound that has risen to prominence with this guy, Sinden, Crookers, Switch, etc. in the last year. Assholes who write other blogs and in music magazines call it “fidget house”. I think that name sucks. It sounds like gidget or makes me think of someone who took speed and your friends all went to the bathroom and you are forced to hang out with them and it is awkward. So yes, boycott calling this “fidget house”. In fact, boycott calling things “deep house”, “disco house”, ”tech house”, “progressive house”, “electro house” (I’m guilty of using that one), “acid house”, “chicago house”, blah, blah, bumboklaat. Why do we need to categorize to the point where the ingredients of a genre are so specific as to make it impossible for it to progress? I blame it on other djs and music writers. Worse are djs with blogs. Oh shit, wait… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3cocAmOXp0
If you want some dancehall then then here is a good hard song. Vybz Cartel is pissed and he needs to round up is his crew because shit is gonna go down. In the video he spends a lot of time driving while yelling into a cell phone. In the chorus I’m having trouble understanding what he is saying at one point. What I hear is “…spread out like Mister Miyagi…”. Am I right? Vybz Cartel is one of the most solid guys out there right now on a hard dancehall tip. Have you ever seen the footage of Vybz Cartel versus Ninja Man from the 2003 Sting? Shit is crazy. Vybz Cartel demolishes Ninja Man (I’ve actually been unable to respect him since) and then they get into a fight and Ninja gets embarassed. Check it out on Youtube. Anyway, enjoy.
Been a while since I’ve written on Italo Disco and even been a while since I’ve written in general. In the case that anyone cares I am preparing to take the LSAT so gotta be on a studying tip. Back to the music though. Gotta love this tune. Has such a great start, an 80’s start. Even some echoey “Thriller” sounding guitar in the chorus (listen carefully) and the instrumental part close to the end. There is also a line that I think says “What do you think of the Chinese rastaman”. Typical nonsensical Italo Disco english. Just listen to it. The video on Youtube is just pics of Chicago.
Baile Funk time! This one here is a bona fide party starter. The hook is, as in all Baile Funk, sick. The beat is hard. What more can you ask for? Sure, there has been a certain awareness of Baile Funk for a while but I believe that it’s profile will only grow stronger. Europe has been on that tip for a few years and last time I was back in the mothaland, Paris had at least one club dedicated to Baile Funk. Yeah, crazy I know. A lot of big producers have started going on a Baile Funk tip as well. Other than Diplo, there are songs from Sinden, A-Trak and a few others I can’t name off the top of my head right now. Crookers has been all over remixing the music and has created a handful of massive club jams with it. From my own experience with this blog, Baile Funk posts are among the most viewed of all, and many times I have to hold myself back from talking about it more in the quest to drive more views (gotta give more under the radar music it’s chance). Anyway, check it out. The video I found for it is a weird concoction of Baile Funk and Japanese anime. Who knew someone could like thme both.
I’m gonna be honest. Normally I shy away from uplifting or “conscious” lyrics in music. That is why I hate “conscious” hip hop and trance music among many other musics intent on giving off “good vibes” or teach me a lesson. I am a bitter, cynical person and I like my music aggressive or interesting and ask that it not try to brighten my day or dull the pain that is the everyday struggle of life. When it comes to Rastas, I like cats like Sizzla. There’s a guy that has made some happy tunes (i don’t listen to) but has been angry enough in his time and ain’t never scared to “Pump Up Her Pum Pum” and declare “Mi Nah Rape” (in a totally misogynistic manner). The Marley family (who seem to be popping out more members than the Wayans) have always presented a conflictto me. Bob was unarguably and canonically classic, Ziggy not so much and Ky-Mani was annoying in Shottas but made a decent track with Afu Ra once upon a time. Damian the Junior Gong I have to give props to because he did do “Welcome To Jamrock”. Stephen (who I had no idea existed until now) apparently produced “Welcome to Jamrock” so that’s a good start. Apparently there is some other guy Julian Marley and I ain’t never heard his shit before so who knows. In anycase, I am suprised that I like this song because it has that roots and cultural music vibe to it. It has just enough anger though that I’m saying yes to it. This song is one of the standout tracks of the (surprise surprise) Mission Riddim. The other track is just as big and is by Movado called “On The Rock”. Expect to hear these two alot this summer at most fine purveyors of reggae/dancehall.
P.S. – Don’t know if I’m too happy about this trend though in dancehall over the last two years of being all singy songy on tracks (I blame it on Movado).
Alright, now I’m gonna talk about one of the most overused and overplayed songs in electronic dance music making and playing. What’s funny is I bet many more people know this song to hear it played than to hear it’s name. Kano is a group that made funkier sounding Italo Disco in the early 80’s. They have other great classics as well like “Don’t Try and Stop Me” and my personal and era of my life defining favourite “Now Baby Now”. This song is great but it was ruined a few years back when every dj in my town rediscovered it and I heard it at 8 parties in a row. It was sampled for tons of hip-hop tracks, most hilariously 1993’s classic “Whoomp! There it Is” by Tag Team. I just love how from the beginning it just builds and then it just drops that crystaly sounding part. Any connoisseur of what I would call the “dance musics” worth their salt should know this track. If you do not, then I hope at this moment I have implanted in you a certain soupcon of shame. Kano also inspired the character in Mortal Kombat. I mean it.
