Random fandom

Yes yes, it's been a while since I last put finger to keyboard so here I am to rectify that very situation. Hold on to your hats as this is an assemblage of many bits and pieces that I have noticed and liked lately ( so not quite on the ball as I pretend to be).

Floating Points recently released an amazing tune on a 12" called Montparnasse, I had forgotten how gorgeous the sounds created by Mr Shepherd can be so it was a nice surprise to be reminded (the last few minutes are Reichesque in the best possible way). There is a do on at Soup Kitchen in August to celebrate their 4th birthday and amongst those djing is mr Points himself so get yourselves down if you can, it's free before 12 but I can imagine it being busy early.

 I also came across this album Hello World by Khotin last week, I love this sort of sound as it takes me back to my youth I suppose. Mainly I would spend hours dicking about with my 707 before it was cool (it was a cheap entry to the Roland 0 series of drum machines) and I think some tracks have a Warp Artificial Intelligence sound to them. As Boomkat say "Louche yet strident daydream house music from Edmonton, Canada's Dylan Khotin-Foote, or just Khotin to you and us. Operating in proximity of 100% Silk, Mathematics and Opal Tapes spheres, Khotin's sound is a light, melodic and gauzy take on classic house memes, with highlights in the hypnotic warehouse jack of 'Infinity Jam', the jazzy wooze of 'Flight Theme' and the Vibert-esque charms of 'Why Don't We Talk'."

Andrew Weatherall has a residency at NTS radio this month doing his Music's Not For Everyone thang every Tuesday at 2pm, when most of us are at work. However what with the marvel of modern technology we can listen again at any time, HUZZAH! Last Tuesdays (the 8th of July) was his second show and we still have 3 shows to go.

 Don't expect techno or chug though, well the odd one or two maybe but it's everything in between much like his 6mix shows. I love listening to these shows as it's a good way of discovering new music and learned of this Italian duo after listening to last weeks show amongst all other new sounds.

Here is a link to the latest show http://www.mixcloud.com/NTSRadio/andrew-weatherall-8th-july-2014/ enjoy!

Right I must go as I need to feed my friends cat whilst they're away at some Croatian festival or other, laterz.

Mark Barrott - Sketches From An Island

Out today on the ever quality International Feel label is this album from Mark Barrott, formerly of Future Loop Foundation and other guises such as Rocha, Young Gentlemen’s Adventure Society, Boys from Patagonia, Flights of Fancy and Bepu N’Gali. Rather good it is too, eight tracks of audio warmth evoking mental images sunsets and sunrises in the Med or even the Adriatic with hazy synths and simple rhythms recalling production work of late 70s and early 80s ambient (yes) pioneers.

In an effort to encapsulate the island of Ibiza and all the balearicness from over the years in sound form ,this obviously being the polar opposite of the current reign of the superclubs and the super egos of its residents, this was recorded on the North of the Island since mark moved there. I genuinely urge you to give this a listen as words fail to do it justice.
You can check out the website and the album is available digitally and on cd.

Young Marco - Biology

From Amsterdam comes Young Marco and his first album on ESP Institute is out now. Making waves for a while now with a number  releases on the afore mentioned ESP and also Hand Of God and Studio Soulrock (check out Darwin in Bahia if you can), this album deftly sums up his varied sounds into one package and is well worth checking out.

 Boomkat say it better than I - Young Marco pays up on the promise of his early singles and tracks with a sparkling suite of mid-tempo boogie house cruisers for ESP Institute. His 3rd release for the label and first since 2012 is a wonderfully optimistic thing, beaming with naive delight in the shimmering rhythmelodies of 'Sea World', drifting away with iridescent DX7-style chimes in 'Out Of Wind', raising the heartrate with Italo romance on 'Suzaku' and lathering saccharine melody on the uplifting jack of 'Can You Really Feel it?

Available from all good music retailers now.

 

pic - residentadvisor

 

Nike iD Air Max 90 “Zebra” VIP – Hong Kong

A Few years ago, Hong Kong’s Nike iD studio allowed VIP members to add Faux Animal material onto their Air Max 90′s and one of the most sought after in the collection, was the Air Max 90 Zebra. The Nike iD features the two tone Zebra Print on the Uppers, While a black and white midsole was added for color balance. You couldn’t find these babies if you paid top dollar. The Air Max 90′s are very rare and you’ll be very lucky to catch a glimpse in person. I'm not one for showboating these days but these are absolutely amazing ,in my humble opinion of course!

Via Modern Notoriety

Grimm Up North presents: JOHN CARPENTER SEASON

Grimm Up North are putting on a run of classic John Carpenter films over a two month period at The Dancehouse on Oxford Road in Manchester from May 23rd. Such news makes me extremely happy as a number of these films are amongst my favourites and the opportunity to see them on the big screen is one not to be missed. Three of these films feature John Carpenters muse in the eighties, Kurt Russell who plays each role with the relevant swagger be it The Thing,Big Trouble In Little China or Escape from New York. The first film to be screened is They Live,starring Rowdy Roddy Piper in a satirical look at the way we (as humans) are governed by forces we are not fully aware of or probably even care about so long as we are given our daily dose of mindless media guff. I can recall ,as a kid, seeing a trailer for an ITV screening of The Thing during an ad break in Auf Wiedersehen Pet and that alone was enough to give me nightmares for weeks!

Not one to miss you can find more info and tickets here .

Kosmischer Läufer

Hello again,time to dust the cobwebs off this shambling mess I write on,so back with a spacey whoosh I bring to your attention Kosmischer Läufer - The Secret Cosmic Music Of The East German Olympic Program 1972 to 1983. This is actually volume two I present to you,volume one released in June last year, I am only recently aware of this project and after finally getting around to listening to it I cannot recommend it enough (thanks to Apllywarch and his Tumblr for making me aware of this). I will let you read on with the biography of one Martin Zeichnete and the ideas which helped create this music.

 In East Germany in the early 1970’s Martin Zeichnete worked as a sound editor for DEFA, (Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft), the state-owned film studio. Like many young East Germans of the time he would listen furtively to West German radio at night and became infatuated with the Kosmische Musik or ‘Krautrock’ epitomised by the likes of Kraftwerk, Neu! and Cluster emerging from his neighbouring country. Martin, a keen runner, hit upon the idea of using the repetitive, motorik beats of this new music as a training aid for athletes.
After sharing his concept with colleagues Martin was taken from his studio to East Berlin, quizzed by the authorities about his ideas and, fearing the worst, was surprised to find himself put to work by the Nationales Olympisches Komitee immediately. Installed in a cold Berlin studio with the few electronic instruments the state could supply, (Martin asked for a Moog but was refused), he began one of the strangest journeys in music. Know to the government as State Plan 14.84L, Martin and his fellow musicians informally called it ‘Projekt Kosmischer Läufer’ (Cosmic Runner).
For the next 11 years Martin would be spirited to Berlin to work on tracks with little notice. He created hours of music fusing traditional rock instruments with synthesizers, early drum computers, tape slicing and looping techniques he and his engineer formulated themselves. His output included tracks for running at various paces, warm up pieces, ‘ambient’ music to play in gyms during training and pieces for artistic gymnastic routines.

Suffice to say you should get a hold of these two volumes if Kosmische Musik is right up your strasse (sorry), much more can be found on the website,including an interview with  Martin Zeichnete himself and details of how to get a hold of the music.

New Balance 996 , Black/Brown

The 996 has had a good run in the past few months,with there being a decent selection making their way over to our side of "the pond" as well as many (some say too many) revlite versions easily in reach. This model shows no sign of stopping in terms of quality, it being a US made silhouette that is something never in doubt and in terms of colour application. A choice of  a black and white colourway is supplemented with leather detailing,speckling on the midsole and laces in a similar fashion to the recent national parks offerings.
If you've never even tried on a US made air of New Balance you are missing out,the superb build quality is noticable as soon as you put a pair on your feet.

Read more over at Sneaker Freaker .

A handy guide to shopping in small,independent shops.

I have decided to write up a handy guide to shopping in small,independent and boutique style shops as in my many years of retail experience I am still constantly surprised by such twatty behaviour from customers that boils my piss no end. Many of these situations can also apply to major retailers too and yes I am aware that sometimes, as a customer you can get surly and snotty staff so it's not all one sided.Anyway,let me begin...

1. The door.
If the door is closed when you walk in then close it behind you,do not leave it open or leave it slightly open in some failed attempt to look considerate.Just close it,this applies just as much when leaving the shop.

2.The door sensor.
If it beeps as you enter do not mimic it, unless you are of an age that requires you to be accompanied by adults, this will instantly make any staff regard you as a twat and rightly so.

3.Phones,ipods and walkmen.
Do not enter a store whilst having conversation on a phone or at least end any conversation as you enter.
Take off your Beats By Dre headphones or yank out your earphones and turn the music down or off,do not have them blaring out music if you wish to engage any member of staff in conversation. Why should the staff engage with you if you can't be bothered to make an effort?

4.Kids.
Yes they're adorable I am sure but unless you're in a toy shop they do not care and are probably bored stupid,so will try and entertain themselves by playing with a sibling if present or just annoying the fuck out of the staff. Do not browse, amble or dither. Do not forget you are in a work enviroment do please don't let them play hide and seek or run around like they've had 2 litres of undiluted Kia Ora or there will be tears.

5.Trying on/Handling goods.
Treat it as your own,i.e don't force the shoes on or kick them off, do not roughly manhandle a jacket to "check" how strong it is. More than likely if you are in an independent shop that item has to be sold too,so take care when trying things on
please. Try and limit the number of items you are trying on to as few as possible,especially if busy and the shop does not have many staff.

6.Listen to the staff.
Simple and obvious but when a member of staff makes a suggestion it is usually for your benefit,for example "do you want to try these on?" is a question you may be asked,now just because you bought something in the same size it is advisable to always try something on. Even products from the same brand can vary in size and it will save a return journey if you need to exchange anything.

7.Food & drink.
Eating and drinking on the go,quite simply don't do it in any shop. If you are in such a rush that you have to eat on the move then you certainly haven't got time for shopping.

8.Farting,snotting and littering.
Sadly quite common. Snotting refers to those situations when someone draws the snot back up their nose to avoid blowing said nose, again this is only acceptable from small children, farting is akin to expelling millions of tiny poo particles. Littering is obvious.

8a. Fully grown men who wear tracksuit bottoms and put their hands down the front of said clothing, please don't.

9.socks.
If you are shopping for footwear then for the love of god wear socks or tights (as appropriate).

10.Inane and stupid questions.
"Have you got these in my size?" - Shop staff are not clairvoyant.
"Have you got these in X colour?" - Yes of course ,we just don't bother putting a lot of stock out......
If you can't see it the chances are it isn't in stock.
"You didn't tell me I couldn't get a refund" - Not legally obliged to verbally but there is a big sign at the till and it states the terms and conditions on your receipt,you did read that yes?
"I saw this blue hat a year ago ..." or "I saw a picture on the internet..."- Well do you have a picture or a brand name we can work from?
Most shops are highly unlikely to carry stock for over a year so a bit of common sense and research beforehand is a wonderful thing.

11.Being greeted by staff.
I hate being jumped on by staff as soon as you enter a shop but in smaller independent shops the shopfloor isn't that big so most of the time staff ARE just being polite when saying hello or some variant. A response along the lines of "just looking" or "yes,just having a look if that's alright" whilst having an expression like you've been caught in the underwear section of M&S isn't required. A hello will do.

12.Discounts.
Don't ask for a discount, end of. It is not uncommon to be told at the till "i'll knock some off for you" or something similar,this is usually because the preamble leading up to the purchase was humorous,well mannered on both sides and the member of staff enjoyed serving you as a customer. Asking for money off because you're buying two items is not reason enough for a discount,I doubt you ask for a multiple item discount in Tesco do you? No and they can afford it.

Another classic line is "I know the owner",while this makes us happy for you in millions of ways it doesn't mean you will get a discount. Besides, if you know the owner so well maybe you should have asked them for the discount eh?

13.Chip & pin machines.
When a chip & pin machine says,do not remove card (you're ahead of me here) DO NOT REMOVE THE BLOODY CARD! Onscreen instructions are there for a reason unsurprisingly.

Please do not assume all staff are on commission,believe it or not retail staff do get satisfaction from providing decent customer service and helping people when possible to the best standard they can.
I am sure I have missed some bits that I will think of in the future but this covers a lot of areas,so please bear these points in mind next time and thanks for reading.

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.