Rothmans latest - The Alberto Tarantini release

So those chaps at Rothmans ,fast becoming my favourite label, have done it again with the latest vinyl offering from them for our yuletide pleasure.Sporting a little bit of facial fuzz Alberto Tarantini slipps one in to the back of the net with some help from messrs Fairplay,Gobi,Walker and Essa with total passion for the game.Timothy Fairplay dons his minimal moodscape cape and gives us a slinky little clunker with a mildly upbeat chi town rhythm and Tommy Walker 3 carries the sounds and builds them to a cheeky peak culminating in a wonderous swirl of noise and emotion.Max Essa provides the excellent (in sound and title) Stereoscalpedmysexpool,which you must have heard out in all the best/dirtiest chug dens this fair isle has to offer in the latter months of this year.Rounding this hot cacophony off is Al Gobi,who I am not aware of until just right now but I like it,it being a track titled Quibble and so will you.

 Listen here


 Out now,grab a copy before it's too late!
 The Alberto Tarantini Release

Adidas EQT Running Cushion and Running Support Re Issues for early 2014

Now I like a good trainer re issue and as I have stated a few times already Adidas are killing the competition on this front,Nike seem intent on rehashing the same old stuff much to my annoyance (although I am  are a retro of the Hua light is making an appearance next year,a given after the light free model) and losing ground.
Yes the new technology is good and you must keep evolving but what most "heads" my age want is a good solid retro.
Case in point being these two future releases from the brand with the three stripes,the EQT Running Cushion (in white,blue and red) and Running Support.Still attaining daft prices on ebay (999 euros in one recent auction) these are ultimate must haves for collectors and are rare as hens teeth to find in even a halfway decent condition,so these coming releases make me all warm in my suede and mesh orientated heart.Not content with the Allegra,Tech Super and nomalicious (soz) Integral S retro releases this year,2014 sees even more releases from the vast and shockingly untapped vaults at Adidas in the form of these superior runners.Throw some lesser seen ZX series in the mix,the 710 and 100 to name a few and the retro onslaught against Nike continues apace with no sign of letting up,this is good.

via sneakersaddict

Nike x Roundel by London Underground Air Max Collection

The iconic Nike Air Max models and the London tube have inspired this latest collaborative effort by the Swoosh. Inspired by the famously bold seat upholstery found in the underground cars, a strong patterned London fabric has been used on the sneakers of this limited edition collection.For me it harks back to my youth (?),even outside of London public transport had a distinct character of its own before the uniformity and plastic molded seats appeared a few years back.

The Nike x Roundel by London Underground Air Max collection, consisting of the Nike Air Max 1 Jacquard and the Air Max 90 Jacquard, debuts December 14, 2013 at select retailers.

Via Highsnobiety

Plastic Poople

So last week I popped down to London on Thursday for a bit of,what turned out to be,tricky treating. Plastic people was the destination for an intimate ALFOS soiree among the like minded appreciators of heads down,get yer shuffle on chugthiasts.What started out as a standard but welcome sound increased the pace and went quite house with a garage (old housey garage) flavour.Only spoiler on the night was having to use the loo to discover a lack of loo roll,cue me waddling to the ladies and excusing myself whilst I grabbed some clubland tracing paper and waddled back to the solitary cubicle queue in the mens (not being able to find the flushy handle didn't help either,turns out it's all infra red hand waving based flushy). Crisis averted the night was a resounding success and we ambled back in no direction finding people and losing others, for me to eventually curl up on a friends floor and drift off til the sun struggled to break the blanket of grey.

ALFOS at Plastic People,31st Oct 2013.

If you squint you can just about make out no one.

On the Friday it was back to Manchester for HomoElectric at ,what is hopefully,it's new residence at Antwerp Mansion just outside of the city centre.Moving to a venue outside of a standard clubbing hub is a gamble outside of the capital but it worked well as the run down/falling apart setting is a natural progression from the former rave caves of Legends (wipes tear from eye).Rooms were to the standard scenario of Jamie Bull opening and closing either side of James & Jim Horsemeat Disco,however the tunes were far from standard fare from all those playing.Downstairs Chris Massey opened up with a slightly differing sound for the night but fitted in perfectly overall and did a perfect job of warming up for Dan Beaumont,the second of the secret guests.Will Tramp closed the room perfectly,all in all the venue has a lot of potential,fingers crossed for many a good night in the future.

 Treasure Hunting Volume Two is the second,yes really,compilation release via the Astro Lab label from France. This release sees a more varied selection style wise from volume one,mixing dark brooding tracks with more cosmic melodies whereas the first compilation was much more a 4 to the more techno affair in style.Featuring production from artists like Jokers of the Scene,Eskimo Twins,Deadstock 33's and other newer/lesser known talent  it's very much a statement of how proud they (Astro Lab) are in being able to bring you these tracks as opposed to just trying to sound current or fashionable.

tracklisting:

CD1:
1. Canyon Cosmos - Fear Of Plastic (Pilooski Remix)
2. Hiem - Tokyo Night
3. Rodion & La Royale - Chamorro Tomorrow
4. David Shaw And The Beat - Sex Gang
5. Carreno Is LB - Pitch Housing
6. She Lies - Needed You
7. Remain - Noses, Claudine & Horses
8. The Deadstock 33's - Reverse The Role
9. Jimi After - Looking Glass Feat Gina Olafson
10. Red Axes Vs Moscoman - Wire Conflict
11. Vosper - Interstate
12. Javi Redondo - Lonely
13. VoX LoW - I Wanna See The Light (Ivan Smagghe Version)

CD2:
1. Capablanca Vs La Mverte - Distortion
2. Mar Pinol - The Fix
3. Offset - Milky Polar Bitch
4. Eskimo Twins - Skraeling
5. Morgan Hammer - Moonshining
6. Club Bizarre - What Is That About
7. People Get Real - Blurred Vision
8. Crackboy - Ride
9. Jockers Of The Scene - Jots Silencio
10. Monoblok & PSLKTR - Spooky

Available now on double cd.

 A recent release on Leng is Auf Togo's latest works,Old Models/Waiting For Beggi. Old Models drives along with an air of Adriatic sunshine in its step,making you want to get off yo ass and shimmy even if you've been skulking in a corner for the first half of the night.Waiting For Beggi is equally as chilled but strangely able to lull you into a focussed groove with it's deceptively simple percussion and lazy hazy sweeping synth sounds.A worthy purchase if you can find it!

End Of Year Riot! This was announced last week,as you ought to know it is an institution in Manchester post xmarse and pre new year to get merry and indeed messy or even just celebrate the drawing to a close of the year gone by with a killer line up.This year is set to be a good one with guests as solid as Horse meat Disco,Chris Duckinfield,Justin Roberston,Il Bosco,Joes Bakery and the Unabombers of course. What grabbed my attention was that one Derrick Carter is commanding one room all night long,6 hours across the board!Cannot wait for that,as good as he is I was getting bored of him "doing disco". The venue is of course The Factory FAC251,so those leccy types follow in the tradition utilising spaces sought out by its cuz HomoElectric,which is no bad thing. Tickets are available from Skiddle as well as in paper flavour from Piccadilly Records and Electrik bar next week.

Adidas Torsion Integral S - OG vs 2013 retro

So the retro of the much lusted Adidas Integral S is nearly upon us and Sneakers Addict have done a pictorial comparison of the origninals in comparison with the new retro model.

The largest bone of contention with appreciators of vintage models a profile not being quite like the original,ffrom cries of "shape's way off" and "look at the toebox,not right at all" and so forth.Now we can see here the front is indeed boxier than the OG but considering how much of a better job Adidas do than Nike with retros I can forgive this one,compare the OG Tech Supers and the re issues to any Nike retro (Air Base II,i'm looking at you) of late and you must surely agree.

The colours are spot on,I had feared they wouldn't get it right from early  images I had seen but once again Adidas have pulled it around to great effect.

The darker Grey of the OG I  am putting down to age,I am however liking the addition of the trefoil however pointless it actually is.

The toebox looks more rounded  on the OG,however this may be down to age and wear. All in all,a good retro of a much sought after sihlouette,I doubt it'll bring OG prices down but it is a definite winner from Adidas in a year of quality from  them.

 

Recent music - Cosmic machine , Rothmans & Tornaado.

Hello you,thank you for persevering and taking the time to have a read of these ramblings of mine. Recent releases I've enjoyed in no particular order coming up.

First up is a compilation entitled Cosmic Machine - a Voyage Across French Cosmic & Electronic Avantgarde (1970 - 1980). Absolutely brimming with artists you will have heard of and others you may not be aware of but have undoubtedly heard the music of at some point in time.From the Gallic standards of Serge Gainsbourg,Jeanne-Michel Jarre to the disco keystones of Patrick Juvet and Cerrone and many more in between this is most certainly a must if you enjoy electronic music of any kind as influences on current electronic artists become apparent upon listening. I am fairly sure some of these songs were used by primary school teachers in the late 70s and early 80s during PE classes where upon we were freeform danced like nobody's business.This compilation also contains the absolutely boss Magic Fly by Space , along with Jean Jacques Perry's E.V.A which had a resurgence in the early noughties (sorry) through being used in an advert for something or other....I think.

Next up is a label I have mentioned before and hope you took some notice because this latest release is probably sold out in most places. The fourth EP from the Rothmans label is upon us, the Claudio Gentile release sounds a little leaner in terms of the track styles ,more focused so to speak towards one sound but by no means is the quality of the tracks diminished.
Posthuman put in a sterling show in the form of Make More Man,sounding unrelentlessly dark with a driving but simple percussion track.Partnered perfectly with Lean On Me (Felix Dickinson Foolish Dub) by Cage & Avery,Dickinson pushing the light sprinkling of acid with great effect. Ali Renault provides is with a genuine future chug classic in the form of The Black Heart and Iron Blu finish us all off with Oiche Shamhna,a track with film score overtones pinned down by some low frequency acid rumblings.

Finally we have Tornaado,something a touch different but ace for the fact it has been released at all. The group Tornaado hailed form Tallinn in Estonia and released six instrumental tracks named after different sailing classes in the Olympics to garner attention as the Moscow Olympics were to host the sailing events in Tallinn in 1980.Apparently they were more pop orientated than the tracks here but the plan worked and their music was used with frequency by the broadcast media in Russia.Unreleased before and in limited quantities it's worth grabbing if you want to impress with some real yacht rock/jazz/disco/pop/easy listening....

All these records are available from Piccadilly Records .

Speaking of tornados, one Tornado Wallace is playing in Manchester at the Soup Kitchen on the 26th.

With support from Jason Boardman and Annabel Fraser this is definitely worth attending if you're about next weekend. Tickets available from here

For your attention

Out on Is It Balearic is this lovely little 10 inch treat from Felix Dickinson entitled Ousana,with a Coyote remix on the flip side.Sounding like a fond farewell to summer and containing all the elements to make this track work on a boat,beach or a club with its hypnotic bubbling bass, sweeping synths and simple vocals being enough to reel you in.

 

Ousana

 

The Coyote remix slows things down yet at the same time making everything slightly more intense,in a drawn out but better manner (I personally am hearing a little bit of Voodoo Ray in the remix but I am probably imagining it......).

On a blissed out tip is this release from Circuit,Burns & Hawk on Legal/Rush Hour with two tracks simply titled track 1 and track 2. A collaboration (or meeting of minds even) encompassing the talents of Secret Circuit,Torn Hawk and Willie Burns this plays out like some seriously slo mo balearic sunset/rise tuneage. All of the component sounds are in no rush to get to a point but manage to carry you on a journey you were not expecting regardless.

Here is a recent(ish) mix by Torn Hawk for your goodselves to wrap your ears around.

Both these are available now from Piccadilly Records and other good outlets.

Latest Puma & Nike

Earlier on this year I was bemoaning the fact that some manufacturers of sporting footwear were not digging deep enough into their respective archives to bring us re issues of trainers from a golden age,too much focus was being given to models that sell regardless of quality or any redeeming qualities at all.Well someone heard my prayers/gripes of a suede and mesh persuasion  as this week we have two vintage silhouettes that haven't been done before in one case and not very often re made in another.

Size? have an exclusive on the re issue of the Air Max 93 (doubtless OG colourways will follow and be more widely available) releasing this Saturday the 28th.At first I was a bit disappointed it was to be an exclusive but after seeing the colours and materials used the end product is definitely not as bad as first thought.An often overlooked model but not forgotten,thankfully,these were and still are fairly rare to come across in good condition on certain internet auction sites.So it is a good thing in my book that it has been chosen for a new lease of life,I will find it hard to bite my tongue though when legions of skinny jeaned, five panel wearing youth sport these badly.

Who ever thought titling it a universal exclusive needs a talking to,although they even went all Red Bull Bumgardener on us and made a video....

My second selection is the Puma Trinomic XT 2 Plus,the first Puma runner to have the Trinomic cell technology we all know and ..er... love.Released in 1990 it had in its sole a honeycomb cell design that held on to the energy created when running and released it back to aid the runner,it was used throughout many more of Pumas models for many years. Naturally these are much more for the lifestyle market as running shoe technology has surpassed this tenfold,so be ready for more colourways (hopefully) and its forerunner , the XT 1, isn't far off a release either. It is nice to see so many companies looking further back into their heritage this year and not rely on the same old models to see  them through (name me more than five Puma shoes off the top of your head,excluding the Suede,States and Clyde!).Availble from most good footwear outlets like Ran  from the 25th of this month.

New post,Hey Tusk!

Yikes!Nearly two weeks and no posts,how do you all cope with such infrequency?I blame Trevor in Sandy Shores.....

Starting off with the DRVG CVLTVRE EP on Porn Wax out this week,this is some industrial strength deep chug indeed.I first heard this on a mix by Tusk way back in February entitled "forthcoming",not ones to rush quality it is finally out and worth grabbing if you can.Popping up on various labels,Rothmans being a  recent sort to have them grace their vinyl,DRVG CVLTVRE can go one of many audio ways but whichever way they do take you it's going to be a good journey.

Also worth checking out is the most recent Tusk mix on Test Pressing , again full of solid tunes you will be hearing out and about quite alot (if you frequent the places I do).As they say on the site,it is a rarity for there to be a track list on any Test Pressing mix so get stuck in.

Next up is another Emperor Machine release entitled Hey! and is slightly more upbeat and less sleazy (in the best way) than previous material produced by them of late.It is also a worthy purchase for the two Ewan Pearson remixes included, making it value for money in a world where uber limited new vinyl releases containing a single track verge on the £10 price point.

As usual these are available at Piccadilly Records now.

New vinyl this week...

I have chosen 3 releases to bring to your attention (waffle on about) this week,all available at Piccadilly Records naturally along with all other decent independent outets.

First up is a reissue of Movement by Daniel Avery on Throne Of Blood. Another relative (?) newcomer who has been fortunate enough in being not crap with any releases of his therefore getting the support of all the people that matter in the dance music industry as it is.Able to turn his hand to various styles this one has a definite 90s styling to it and features a remix by (one guess) Andrew Weatherall. Apparently this caused some surprise as it was regarded as a bit fractured even for him but to me it sits perfectly on the B side by echoing the more left field electronica that came to the fore around that era.

Which brings me to Purple Maps by L/F/D/M on Optimo Trax,the first release of many on a record label with an already solid and respected founding. Each track is a minefield of bubbling acid and sharp percussion in varying degrees of intensity.
L/F/D/M Purple Maps

Created by one R Smith,this reminds me somewhat of European acid of the early to mid nineties and certain labels like D-Jax Upbeats and Trope.Tracer and Abacus are definitely the more accessible of the songs,not to say the others are bad but they are very much more for the "proper banging" clubs in your locale.

I await the second release from this new label with keen interest.

                                                       Frederick - Episode of Love

 Lastly is Episode Of Love by Frederick on Miseriedits.Simplicity is the key in its original slo mo version, a simple synth progression with hauntingly beautiful sweep backing it up lulls you into a trance before you know it.Of the two remixes I definitely favour the Hardway Brothers remix to the Hot Lunch New Beat edit,good as it is.All in all a good release and one sure to not hang around for long.

Timothy J Fairplay - Somewhere In The City

So after a hectic and sweaty few weeks of moving home and weddings I am hoping to get back on track with the posts.Out this week on download is Somewhere In the City by Timothy J Fairplay,who needs no introduction to those who follow these ramblings of mine.  I like artists who don't stick to one distinct style of music and you never know quite what you'll get with Mr Fairplay,from dark and brooding techno to light and joyful melodies he can cover all styles with great aplomb.Mixes come from Daniel Avery (standard these days with the two being involved in the Axis artists based around the East London hive,others being Scott Fraser,Sean Johnston & Weatherall) and two from Tiago it is a definite winner on all fronts.

Available from Boomkat and all other quality online music vendors now.

Soundcloud - Timothy J Fairplay & Matilda : Xylophone

The Asphodells - Remixed : A review of sorts

The Asphodells album remixed by most of the axis powers is finally upon us (friends and colleagues of messrs Fairplay and Weatherall not the bad ones from world war two) and here is my humblest of opinionated thoughts upon hearing it with my own two ears.

Opening with Another Lonely City by Group Rhoda (one Mara Barenbaum), this easily sets the mood for the rest of what is to come.Ethereal and melancholic as it is the original sound is still present within its new body,short enough to not get boring yet it has enough potential to be one of those good earworms you undoubtedly prefer over Agadoo. Phil Kieran steps up on a remix of Late Flowering Lust, with a swaggering riff accompanying sinister pulsing synths creating a sweeping east end film noir feel sitting atop a tightly structured percussive rhythm section.

Third in the queue is Justin Robertsons Deadstock 33s remix of Beglammered,stripped down and leaving just the ghosts of the original and then forming any remaining components into a sleeker more unforgiving beast. Next up is the mysterious (George Thompson,now less mysterious) Black Merlins take on Skwatch,effortlessly sounding like a John Carpenter track fed steroids by the anti christ. This chugs along with enough menace to make lesser mortal tracks step to one side whilst it cruises by like nobodies business,it certainly has had the most plays from me so far. The singularly plural Hardway Brothers take on Never There,whilst it would have been easy for Sean Johnston to ring this one in you know he made a choice to create a less is more approach and tweaked it to tease us into wanting the dirty bassline to pulsate to a crescendo that never is.

Daniel Avery submits his remix of  We Are The Axis,starting off with the familiar percussion but slowly removing almost every trace of the original and placing layer over layer of harmonic dissonance to create an ecstatic rapturous effect and ending with a rather discombobulating wobble. Danielle Baldelli and DJ Rocca turn in a wonderful version of Another Lonely City, adding their own layers and Mediterranean cosmic motifs to the distinctive guitar of the original version. Beglammered gets sharpened up by Richard Sen,retaining the Arabian sound of the original and upping the tempo to add a sense of focus and drive.You (by you I mean me) can almost envisage The Asphodells themselves mooching around the Soukh and chuffing on a hookah before riding off into the night perched on ships of the desert.

Scott Fraser brings us back to a sweaty night in a distinguished club near you in a remarkably jacking style,keeping the bass bubbling under just enough to give a lead to rimshots, claps and other percussion.The biggest surprise for me on this album and rounding it all off is Ivan Smagghes remix of One Minutes silence,in a good way it is not what I was expecting.A banger is what I would have thought he would produce but it is gloriously freeform and uncaring,well I say freeform however it starts off like the original but mutates from there on in to something like audio Marmite.

Asphodells remixed is currently available on CD and download from Rotters Golf Club here with the vinyl release not far off. The usual physical record stores and online outlets will have this available from Sept 2nd.

Jagwar Ma - Come Save Me ( Weatherall Mix)

 Jagwar Ma have decided to share Andrew Weatherall’s take on Howlin highlight “Come Save Me.” The pairing of Weatherall with Jagwar Ma feels a natural fit, Weatherall takes the upbeat bounce of the album version and gives it a slinky, late-night feel all while keeping the essence of the original intact.

http://www.highsnobiety.com/2013/08/17/jagwar-ma-andrew-weatherall-come-save-me/

via highsnobiety

Adidas Autumn/Winter

Summer is coming to an end (for once we can't complain about it this year as it was good) and autumn is rearing its head,for many this isn't well received news but I love it as it means new collections are not far away. Adidas have a plethora of shoes and apparel launching over the next few months ,they have always been reliable for a mix of sensible sportswear and outlandish creations.Included in the next season are many collaborations with known designers and respected brands who really compliment the mark with the three stripes.

From the garishly popular Jeremy Scott ,think what you will of his creations and takes on established models there is no doubt of his  popularity and his power to divide opinion,to Mark McNairy and established collaborators Ransom.In addition it marks the trefoil brands first foray into partnership with Bedwin and the Heartbreakers,the Tokyo based label with a history of understated style indebted to classic American clothing design. Taking 70s era Adidas clothing and adding their own subtle hints and pallettes they have definitely raised a bar in casual sportswear collaborative design. Not forgetting that Adidas themselves are taking on their own catalogue and giving it a new spin with themed prints and recurring patterns to dazzling effect. Expect to start seeing these new pieces make their way into the shops soon.

Needle Exchange 6 : Intense in ten cities

http://www.mixcloud.com/Tourist/mark-algar-needle-exchange-6-intense-in-ten-cities/
Contains rude words,play it at work loud and see how long you can get away with it for.......

Reebok Inferno

Reebok are joining the late eighties/early nineties retro runner revival in a big way this year by adding to an already well loved number of models with the Inferno. Not one to be shy this wears its history loudly with bright bold colours in a number of colourways that certainly evoke that 90s feel with flashes of neon and base shades of teal and white respectively.

They have all the styling and technical constituents of the originals making them a definite head turner , in the current age of endless air max 1's and "new technological advances in trainer design" its a definite plus.
Originally these made their debut in 1991 and incorporated Reeboks Hexalite cell cushioning into the sole, the first runner from them to do so. Materials used on these releases are the classic runner make ups of mesh on the white and premium suede on the teal and black models. 

 Available in the colours you see here and soon in black from Hanon and End .

Adidas City Marathon PT

As I have mentioned previously,several sportswear brands are pulling some amazing old models out of the back catalogues and putting them in to  production again. Adidas have done good with this marathon reissue, available in shops now along with their own webstore,evoking an era when it was all about the big two brands in a cold (trainer) war kind of way. Utilising two classic Adidas applications,the Dellinger webbing on the midsole and the ghilly lacing system (the plastic loop bits in case you were about to ask) along with a simple yet effective colourway (there are 3 initially) making this a definite winner in my book.

 Other little touches make this an intriguing number,from the perforated toebox to the velcro label on the tongue ,perfect for carrying er.....keys...yes keys,in addition to the clearly defined outline (something Adidas seem to excel at with recent retros is maintaining the original shape,a process Nike clearly have issues with) making this a trainer everyone can appreciate.

Club Preview - Clubsterben at Islington Mill

Preview - Clubsterben at Islington Mill