(Acid House Re-Mix)
B2 Heat It Up
B2 Heat It Up
(Instrumental Mix)
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Wee Papa Girl Rappers - Heat It Up (1988)
Fancy a bit of quality English hip house? Twin sisters did the rap, while the musicians who went on to form the Fine Young Cannibals were in charge of the beats. Fine so far, but it was Kevin Saunderson dropping the track in acid that truly made this a classic.
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Area 10 Featuring MK - Get It Right (1991)
Here's some more from second-wave Detroit cat, Marc Kinchen. He was mentored by Terrence Parker and his early output was very techno. As Separate Minds he released "1st Bass" in 1988; it sampled a sound from Konami's 1987 stealth fighter video game Metal Gear to generate an outrageous melody, then laid a vocal loop from Saunderson's remix of The Wee Papa Girl Rapper's "Heat It Up" over the top to create dance floor mayhem. In taking that video game sample and using it to create music, Kinchen was really pushing the concept of techno - a genre whose name was symbolic of where it came from, how it was produced, and where it was going. Probably only electro (the 80s form, not the current dross) could claim a similar relationship between intent and name.
Having served his apprenticeship in Detroit, MK headed to the bright lights of New York where he became a leading exponent of dubby deep house (see K.E.L.S.E.Y's "Baby Can (M.K. Dub)" on the previous 313 Detroit post here). Eventually, he became one of the city's top remixers, helping Celine Dion and Betty Boo to achieve chart success... so no one's perfect.
But essentially it's just a rehash of "Get It Right", which is uptempo vocal house music bedded over manic percussion (the vocal is courtesy of Aretha Franklin's excellent 1983 release of the same name). MK also introduces some great techno noises later through the mixes, adding depth and twisting them in new and pleasingly darker directions.
Having served his apprenticeship in Detroit, MK headed to the bright lights of New York where he became a leading exponent of dubby deep house (see K.E.L.S.E.Y's "Baby Can (M.K. Dub)" on the previous 313 Detroit post here). Eventually, he became one of the city's top remixers, helping Celine Dion and Betty Boo to achieve chart success... so no one's perfect.
For those of you who like your banging club techno from the turn of the millennium, Carl Cox's Intec imprint will be well known. I think one of its best tracks is Deetron's "Don't You Know Why?" from the Alien Entertainment EP (Discogs). Rocking:
This release also has quality straight up Detroit techno in "Divisions" and another house cut in "Feel The Fire".
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Trust In 6 - Life In Ecstasy (Instrumental Mix) (1990)
Picked this up in a second hand record shop in Seattle in '94 at the height of grunge rock. Couldn't believe my luck; and I think it only cost a few dollars to boot.
I had got the vocal mix on that very fine 1991 compilation Techno Trax; a very decent introduction to German techno trance. But to be honest, it is very rare techno that sounds good with a vocal over the top - rarer still if the vocal is male and exponentially rarer still if they are singing or talking in German - I can only think of one successful example, Konzept's "Hypnotic Beats" (according to Mijk van 'Microglobe' Dijk, the lyrics are pretty silly, but since I can't speak German all I can go by is that they sound pretty cool).
I can't think of any successful examples of a German singing in English, let alone the singer being a man. Hence, the problem for the vocal mix of "Life In Ecstasy"...
So no vocal mix here, just the instrumental. And what a top tune too, an all time favourite. Very strong and energetic, with a wicked synth line that comes out of a swooshing intro. Quite a mental climax too.
Discogs
Life In Ecstasy (Instrumental Mix)
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
I had got the vocal mix on that very fine 1991 compilation Techno Trax; a very decent introduction to German techno trance. But to be honest, it is very rare techno that sounds good with a vocal over the top - rarer still if the vocal is male and exponentially rarer still if they are singing or talking in German - I can only think of one successful example, Konzept's "Hypnotic Beats" (according to Mijk van 'Microglobe' Dijk, the lyrics are pretty silly, but since I can't speak German all I can go by is that they sound pretty cool).
I can't think of any successful examples of a German singing in English, let alone the singer being a man. Hence, the problem for the vocal mix of "Life In Ecstasy"...
So no vocal mix here, just the instrumental. And what a top tune too, an all time favourite. Very strong and energetic, with a wicked synth line that comes out of a swooshing intro. Quite a mental climax too.
Life In Ecstasy (Instrumental Mix)
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Supertronic Co. - Sunrise (1992)
"The ultimate opening record for the morning set (especially if it's on the beach). A gorgeous intro, full of birdsong and throat singers. Sounds a bit like portions of KLF "Chill Out". Perfect build up of percussion... then second bass drum hits with a nasty breakbeat and it's all over... arms in the air business. Wonderful arrangement; layers of twinkling keys and comp'd chords fade in and out like waves. Better have another serious record to follow and be ready to mix out; this slice of heaven ends too soon!" (Shalako, Discogs 2005)
Couldn't put it much better if I tried; this is another outing by Jeff Hype (Transformer 2, Liquid Empire, Ravebusters - fuck he basically did most of those early 90s rave classics didn't he?!). It does sample the same throat singers (or frog calls?) as The KLF's Chill Out, and once it kicks off it really does end too soon.
Up there with the best breakbeat of all time. The rush inducing snares are up there too.
Up there with the best breakbeat of all time. The rush inducing snares are up there too.
Glorious.
[Thanks to Tricky for the rip]
I'm also putting up the mediafire link to my mate Davros's 2010 reinterpretation here, performed live at the last Arm In Arm Old Skool Party. It's not too radical a shift, but does add a nice break and grooves it out a bit at the end. Not bad.
Techno Grooves Mach 4 (1991)
The best of the series: "Techno Slam" is the big track, but all are excellent shades of techno - there's the rave of "The Aaaaaaaah", "Instinct" and "Rhaaa !!"; the acid of "100% Of DX-ing You" and all out jacking fest of "I Like P*Z".
Nothing too smart, but good to dance to none the less.
And the track names are pretty cool too.
And the track names are pretty cool too.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sound To Light - Breeze (1991)
More solid Euro Rave; a totally rocking number from the He Butcher EP on Germany's Overdrive Records. Verging on hard trance, it's one of the best tracks to dance to off your head - a perfect blend of uplift and hard grating beats. Like the sample says, "yiiaah."
Discogs
Breeze
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Breeze
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Saturday, March 26, 2011
RJ's Rule - Rave This Nation (1991)
So what is rave and what is rave music? A proper definition would be the music that featured at the first dance parties - by definition, a rave is a wildly boisterous party (usually with music) - so in the mid '80s this might have included some disco, hi nrg, early American house and balearic tunes that took in everything from Manual Gottshing to Hall & Oates.
Okay, but that's not what I think of as rave music. For me, a rave was not just a party with music - it was an opportunity to dance your heart out to quality electronic tuneage. While lots of folks were happily wandering around in some kind of euphoric stupor amazed by the lighting rig and the pretty patterns they could make in the air with their glowsticks, me and a few other like-minded warriors saw the night as an opportunity to go to war with the DJ, pushing our bodies to keep dancing to the non-stop techno music coming out of the speaker bins. If any e-d up rave bunny dared come up to to talk shit while we were rocking our groove they were certain to cop an earful of "fuck off, I'm dancing..."
Our favourite tunes weren't noisy, overly fast or that hardcore sounding; mostly they were European, energetic and just a little bit on the trippy side. But unlike straight up trance (which could kill a dance floor quicker than a round of special-k), these tracks were great to dance to. I've already posted some like Digital Boy's Kokko and Full On Sound's Mayhem, but this is the quintessential rave anthem.
The "Raw Substantial Mix" opens with a sample taken from the Woodstock (1969) documentary at the point when the organisers have realised that they can no longer control the gates to the event because of the massive crowd numbers. From the main stage they announce to the half a million party people that...
So who were the RJ's?
Just one guy actually: Ramon Roelofs, better known today as Charly Lownoise. With his mate Mental Theo, he's gone on to produce some of the most god awful Dutch hardcore ever put down on wax and helped create that atrocious brand of dance known as Hardstyle. A pity.
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Okay, but that's not what I think of as rave music. For me, a rave was not just a party with music - it was an opportunity to dance your heart out to quality electronic tuneage. While lots of folks were happily wandering around in some kind of euphoric stupor amazed by the lighting rig and the pretty patterns they could make in the air with their glowsticks, me and a few other like-minded warriors saw the night as an opportunity to go to war with the DJ, pushing our bodies to keep dancing to the non-stop techno music coming out of the speaker bins. If any e-d up rave bunny dared come up to to talk shit while we were rocking our groove they were certain to cop an earful of "fuck off, I'm dancing..."
Our favourite tunes weren't noisy, overly fast or that hardcore sounding; mostly they were European, energetic and just a little bit on the trippy side. But unlike straight up trance (which could kill a dance floor quicker than a round of special-k), these tracks were great to dance to. I've already posted some like Digital Boy's Kokko and Full On Sound's Mayhem, but this is the quintessential rave anthem.
The "Raw Substantial Mix" opens with a sample taken from the Woodstock (1969) documentary at the point when the organisers have realised that they can no longer control the gates to the event because of the massive crowd numbers. From the main stage they announce to the half a million party people that...
"It's a free concert from now on. That doesn't mean that anything goes; what that means is that we're going to put the music on here for free."And then we're off into the realm of heavy duty 4-by-4 kick drums and a pumping bassline. Every 16 bars or so, some new component comes in to the mix, upping the urgency and the call to dance. My favourite part has to be the speak'n'spell chant (taken from an old electro track) mid way through that signals the oncoming (and all too short) climax. The "Fly Tech Groove Mix" is less manically energetic, darker and pretty good too; while the third mix is more of a bridge track.
So who were the RJ's?
Just one guy actually: Ramon Roelofs, better known today as Charly Lownoise. With his mate Mental Theo, he's gone on to produce some of the most god awful Dutch hardcore ever put down on wax and helped create that atrocious brand of dance known as Hardstyle. A pity.
Discogs
A1 Rave This Nation
A1 Rave This Nation
(Raw Substantial)
B1 Rave This Nation
B1 Rave This Nation
(Fly-Tech Groove)
B2 Rave This Nation
B2 Rave This Nation
(People Of All Nations
Dancing Together)
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
My Favourite Mashup - "Stand By Acid" (1991)
I know mashups are supposed to be a fairly recent concept, but this one comes all the way back from 1991. I first heard it on a mix tape I received as a newbie raver and had no idea that it was basically the overlaying of a classic soul track over the seminal acid house track. For a long time, thanks to the label art, I thought it was by Mr Lee - but Discogs revealed the true author of this masterful mix is Darren "Rocky" Rock, who may be better known as part of The Problem Kids, Xpress 2, and countless other dance acts.
Essentially, it's Phuture's "Acid Tracks" overlaid with Ben E. King's "Stand By Me"; not much else to it apart from a siren sound intro, but - as Warhol and Duchamp have proved - genius is in the idea, not the effort (although I suspect Rocky probably knocked it up as a live mix on two decks so it probably took a few takes to get right).
I picked up my copy at a second hand record fair years ago for $10 - bargain.
The b-sides are also quality acid house (Laurent X's "Machines" and Alexander Robotnick's "Problèmes D'Amour") but they're still available so go get them elsewhere.
Another top mashup of the period is by Rhythm Doctor; it's another outing for Phuture but this time with "We Are Phuture" combined with The Art Of Noise's "Moments In Love". I don't own a copy but I know folks who do so I'll post it if they let me...
Essentially, it's Phuture's "Acid Tracks" overlaid with Ben E. King's "Stand By Me"; not much else to it apart from a siren sound intro, but - as Warhol and Duchamp have proved - genius is in the idea, not the effort (although I suspect Rocky probably knocked it up as a live mix on two decks so it probably took a few takes to get right).
I picked up my copy at a second hand record fair years ago for $10 - bargain.
The b-sides are also quality acid house (Laurent X's "Machines" and Alexander Robotnick's "Problèmes D'Amour") but they're still available so go get them elsewhere.
Another top mashup of the period is by Rhythm Doctor; it's another outing for Phuture but this time with "We Are Phuture" combined with The Art Of Noise's "Moments In Love". I don't own a copy but I know folks who do so I'll post it if they let me...
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Selected tracks by The KLF
A little while ago I posited that Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond might rightly be considered as true pioneers of electronic trance. For the most part, The KLF owned all the rights to their own music, publishing it through their label KLF Communications. According to Discogs, in May 1992, they officially ended their music careers to pursue new artistic endeavours; they also deleted their entire catalogue of releases. I've checked Beatport and Juno and there was no KLF to purchase, so it seems that the two remain committed to art over profit.
"3am Eternal (Pure Trance Version)" (1989) is taken from the excellent Warehouse Raves 4 compilation - it's also got the Pure Trance Original of "What Time Is Love?" and a heap of other hard to find goodies (I'll probably post that too at some point). It's quite blissful, with a laid back vocal and a hypnotic groove. A few years later, it too got a stadium update leading to commercial chart success - The KLF had embraced cheese once more.
Cauty and Drummond didn't leave the underground altogether though, at the end of 1990 they reverted to a previous moniker, The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu, and put out the apocalyptic techno of "It's Grim Up North" in a limited release of 350 single-sided 12 inches on grey vinyl. No label text, no obvious artist identification - just a plain grey inner label.
In Melbourne, only one person had it - Mr Terry "H2O" Ho, and he DJed at the massively influential Maze underground night at The Commerce Club.
People waited all night to hear The Grey Record and embrace it's locomotive techno as it stormed out of the speakers and through the smoke machine across the dancefloor and into our shattered minds. It too got remixed and re-released (with new vocal and an awful guitar break), but the original was by far the best.
I thought I would post a few select tracks only - there are extensive tribute site here and here and both have plenty of downloads available if you want to delve further...
First of all, "What Time Is Love?" in its two best forms - "Original Pure Trance" (1988) and "Live At Trancentral" (1990). I've said it before, but the Pure Trance mix is just so way ahead of its time that I can only think of one other track to compare it with, Humanoid's "Stakker" - both from England, both released in '88, both completely rewriting the dance floor template, both glorious mind fuck inducers.
The original mix of "What Time Is Love?" is very bare, has a slow tempo and a haunting sci-fi bassline fusing its melody and subtle kick drum. A Dr Who-like 'ooooooohhh' runs throughout to massive effect.
In 1990, the boys updated their tune (with a bit of help from others such as New York's Lenny Dee), totally transforming it into a high energy rave monster that pioneered the transfer of stadium rock excess to dance music. Everyone from The Prodigy to Underworld and 2 Unlimited took notice.
Discogs
"3am Eternal (Pure Trance Version)" (1989) is taken from the excellent Warehouse Raves 4 compilation - it's also got the Pure Trance Original of "What Time Is Love?" and a heap of other hard to find goodies (I'll probably post that too at some point). It's quite blissful, with a laid back vocal and a hypnotic groove. A few years later, it too got a stadium update leading to commercial chart success - The KLF had embraced cheese once more.
Cauty and Drummond didn't leave the underground altogether though, at the end of 1990 they reverted to a previous moniker, The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu, and put out the apocalyptic techno of "It's Grim Up North" in a limited release of 350 single-sided 12 inches on grey vinyl. No label text, no obvious artist identification - just a plain grey inner label.
In Melbourne, only one person had it - Mr Terry "H2O" Ho, and he DJed at the massively influential Maze underground night at The Commerce Club.
People waited all night to hear The Grey Record and embrace it's locomotive techno as it stormed out of the speakers and through the smoke machine across the dancefloor and into our shattered minds. It too got remixed and re-released (with new vocal and an awful guitar break), but the original was by far the best.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Shi-Take - Don't Look Back In Anger (1994)
More goodness from Billy Nasty and Steve Jones, this is their second outing under this moniker (and first released as a promo in '93). I'll also put up their first "(In The Age Of) Perfect Virtue" - an altogether different track, but very classy - when I get around to recording some more tracks.
The Club Mix is proper hard progressive house, peak time music to dance your arse off to - very percussive and bassline driven, with a crazy "ma - ma - ma" chant to boot. Even my mate Will-E-Tell, the techno don of Melbourne (and who positively hated most things progressive house) liked this track - although he'd never play it in a thousand years. The Dub Mix and Touching The Spirits are a bit less energetic, with a bit of added tribal percussion and fx - more for building a set up than rocking it out. Still good tracks though.
You can find "Don't Look Back In Anger" in the mix on my Another Hard House Experience mix here.
The Club Mix is proper hard progressive house, peak time music to dance your arse off to - very percussive and bassline driven, with a crazy "ma - ma - ma" chant to boot. Even my mate Will-E-Tell, the techno don of Melbourne (and who positively hated most things progressive house) liked this track - although he'd never play it in a thousand years. The Dub Mix and Touching The Spirits are a bit less energetic, with a bit of added tribal percussion and fx - more for building a set up than rocking it out. Still good tracks though.
You can find "Don't Look Back In Anger" in the mix on my Another Hard House Experience mix here.
A1 Touching The Spirits
A2 Don't Look Back In
Anger (Road Rash Dub)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Update: Live @ Arm In Arm 5 - Tracklisting To My 2010 New Year's Old Skool Mix
OK peeps, I've had a few requests for track info for my last set post (which was a while ago, and I do plan to do more ... no really, I do.) For those who don't read past blog posts, this mix was born from a 1 hour live set I played at an old skool party late last year. It was my second outing with the laptop and ableton live (version 6). I cut all my tracks up into parts and pre-prepared for my set by arranging the parts into something that flowed with a little bit of cohesion. On the night I used a midi keyboard to trigger the parts as I deemed fit - looping and rearranging on the fly. But being a dickhead, I forgot to record it.
Coming up to New Year Eve, I sat down and re-performed the set as best as I could remember, and then cleaned it up a bit, adding a few extra effects and fine tuning some of the cuts. I also chocked on an extra half an hour of favourites.
It's a pretty pumping choice of choons from '88 to '91 and moves along at about 130bpm or so; for anyone who wants it you can find it here. As always, thanks for listening and all comments are welcomed...
Electrotête - Grigri (Remix)
Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious 5 - White Lines '89 - Part II (Short Version)
T99 - Anasthasia
Subject 13 - Eternity (Spiritual Club Mix)
The Raid - The Party
Quazar - Midsummernight's Dream
R-Tyme - R-Theme (Dramatic Mix)
Xpansions - Move Your Body (1991 Remix)
Piece - Free Your Soul (Future)
Rhythm Section - Check Out The Bass Bass
FPI Project - Going Back To My Roots (Vocal Version)
Trust In 6 - Life In Ecstasy (Instrumental Mix)
CJ Bolland - Horsepower (Exclusive Remix)
Brainstorm - Rock The House
Konzept - Hypnautic Beats (Ambient 1990 Mix)
Cubic 22 - Night In Motion (Original Mix)
The Shamen - Pro>Gen (Land of Oz)
Earth People - Dance (Club Mix)
The Melody - I Want Your Love
Frankie Bones & Lenny Dee - Hold Me, Squeeze Me (Vinyl Zone Mix)
Moby - Go (Voodoo Child Mix)
MIC - OOBE 2
Spectrum - Amplification
Mental Mayhem - Joey's Riot
Art 1 - Olympia
Altern 8 - Real Time Status
FSOM - Melodia
Inner City - Good Life (Magic Juan Mix 12")
Ramirez - La Musika Tremenda (DJ Ricci Remix)
Quadrophonia - Quadrophonia (Original)
a little bit of anti-acid house media hysteria off youtube
Neal Howard - Indulge (Club House Mix)
Tronikhouse - Multifunction (Multi-Mix)
Humanoid - Stakker Humanoid (Snowman Mix)
PKA - Let Me Hear You (Say Yeah)(Bass Bins At Dawn Mix)
Yin Yang - Oh-One (Oh-Too Mix)
S'Express - Theme From S-Express
Adamski - Bass Line Changed My Life
Coming up to New Year Eve, I sat down and re-performed the set as best as I could remember, and then cleaned it up a bit, adding a few extra effects and fine tuning some of the cuts. I also chocked on an extra half an hour of favourites.
It's a pretty pumping choice of choons from '88 to '91 and moves along at about 130bpm or so; for anyone who wants it you can find it here. As always, thanks for listening and all comments are welcomed...
Electrotête - Grigri (Remix)
Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious 5 - White Lines '89 - Part II (Short Version)
T99 - Anasthasia
Subject 13 - Eternity (Spiritual Club Mix)
The Raid - The Party
Quazar - Midsummernight's Dream
R-Tyme - R-Theme (Dramatic Mix)
Xpansions - Move Your Body (1991 Remix)
Piece - Free Your Soul (Future)
Rhythm Section - Check Out The Bass Bass
FPI Project - Going Back To My Roots (Vocal Version)
Trust In 6 - Life In Ecstasy (Instrumental Mix)
CJ Bolland - Horsepower (Exclusive Remix)
Brainstorm - Rock The House
Konzept - Hypnautic Beats (Ambient 1990 Mix)
Cubic 22 - Night In Motion (Original Mix)
The Shamen - Pro>Gen (Land of Oz)
Earth People - Dance (Club Mix)
The Melody - I Want Your Love
Frankie Bones & Lenny Dee - Hold Me, Squeeze Me (Vinyl Zone Mix)
Moby - Go (Voodoo Child Mix)
MIC - OOBE 2
Spectrum - Amplification
Mental Mayhem - Joey's Riot
Art 1 - Olympia
Altern 8 - Real Time Status
FSOM - Melodia
Inner City - Good Life (Magic Juan Mix 12")
Ramirez - La Musika Tremenda (DJ Ricci Remix)
Quadrophonia - Quadrophonia (Original)
a little bit of anti-acid house media hysteria off youtube
Neal Howard - Indulge (Club House Mix)
Tronikhouse - Multifunction (Multi-Mix)
Humanoid - Stakker Humanoid (Snowman Mix)
PKA - Let Me Hear You (Say Yeah)(Bass Bins At Dawn Mix)
Yin Yang - Oh-One (Oh-Too Mix)
S'Express - Theme From S-Express
Adamski - Bass Line Changed My Life
Monday, March 14, 2011
Some Other Worthy Sites To Check...
On my regular missions to pillage as much old skool as my connection will allow, I find a lot of good shit - much of which I keep a secret and don't share. But I am not a totally selfish fucker - especially when it comes to good DJ mixes (which are harder to find than you might think)...
Obviously, there is Tim Acid's The Acid House - he regularly puts up good mixes, mostly focused towards Balearic or proper late 80s acid house. If you've not visited, do yourself a favour and git over to it...
Then there is Californian DJ Ellis Dee's site - it's not too pretty to look at, but all the mixes I've downloaded have been worth the effort (but mind out, not all are old skool).
A Jackin Phreak is someone I've only just discovered; he's French, but I'm not going to hold that against him too much. Doesn't look like he's been that active for a couple of years and that's a shame because this guy knows his old skool acid house; his mixes are laced with obscure gems as well as the classics and he combines them all rather well with contemporary tracks of complimentary flavour. Hot stuff.
Even better, the dude has produced some great revivalist acid house and hip house that you can preview here before buying/stealing elsewhere.
Other acid house revivalists include Kings Of The Universe, and much of their work is available for download on Soundcloud. I quite like their remake of Tenaglia's "Music Is The Answer", "Acid Is The Answer" - because if dropping acid isn't the solution, then dancing to it always is.
Oldskoolmixes.com is a bit out of date (seemed to have migrated to crackbook), but still has plenty of good stuff to find - although because a lot of the mixes come off 20 year old cassettes the sound quality can be quite shitty. A pity, because the DJ Hype pirate tapes are really quite entertaining.
Obviously, there is Tim Acid's The Acid House - he regularly puts up good mixes, mostly focused towards Balearic or proper late 80s acid house. If you've not visited, do yourself a favour and git over to it...
Then there is Californian DJ Ellis Dee's site - it's not too pretty to look at, but all the mixes I've downloaded have been worth the effort (but mind out, not all are old skool).
A Jackin Phreak is someone I've only just discovered; he's French, but I'm not going to hold that against him too much. Doesn't look like he's been that active for a couple of years and that's a shame because this guy knows his old skool acid house; his mixes are laced with obscure gems as well as the classics and he combines them all rather well with contemporary tracks of complimentary flavour. Hot stuff.
Even better, the dude has produced some great revivalist acid house and hip house that you can preview here before buying/stealing elsewhere.
Other acid house revivalists include Kings Of The Universe, and much of their work is available for download on Soundcloud. I quite like their remake of Tenaglia's "Music Is The Answer", "Acid Is The Answer" - because if dropping acid isn't the solution, then dancing to it always is.
Oldskoolmixes.com is a bit out of date (seemed to have migrated to crackbook), but still has plenty of good stuff to find - although because a lot of the mixes come off 20 year old cassettes the sound quality can be quite shitty. A pity, because the DJ Hype pirate tapes are really quite entertaining.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
2 tracks that pump...
Thinking about the last post on The KLF's contribution to sample-based music as a method of achieving pop chart success, brings to mind "Pump Up The Volume" by M/A/R/R/S, the first of the do-it-yourself-by-not-doing-it-yourself sample-based house music UK # 1, way back in 1987. Everyone's got a copy, so no need to post it here; but I will put up 2 of Timo Maas' 1999 reinterpretations. There's a third mix in a break beat style on the 12" but for some reason I didn't feel the need to record it so you won't find it here. Sorry.
Timo Maas (or Maas On Plastic here) couldn't secure a full release - so it remains one of those secret weapons to drop to a pumped up party; gritty, techy, but not very deep.
In a different vein, I've also got Mr Lee's "Pump That Body" from 1990. Not his finest work, but a good example of 1990s hip house, a style which had well and truly reached its peak by now. By the way, it's also a good track for a pumped up party.
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Timo Maas (or Maas On Plastic here) couldn't secure a full release - so it remains one of those secret weapons to drop to a pumped up party; gritty, techy, but not very deep.
In a different vein, I've also got Mr Lee's "Pump That Body" from 1990. Not his finest work, but a good example of 1990s hip house, a style which had well and truly reached its peak by now. By the way, it's also a good track for a pumped up party.
Discogs
A1 Pump That Body (Club Mix)
B1 Pump That Body (Radio Mix)
B2 Pump That Body (Underground Club Mix)
A1 Pump That Body (Club Mix)
B1 Pump That Body (Radio Mix)
B2 Pump That Body (Underground Club Mix)
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Timelords - The Manual (How to Have a Number One the Easy Way) (1988)
Recently I found a html version of this classic text online. I've saved it as a text file (so as to delete all those embedded adverts) and encourage you to take a look. It's not exactly a magnum opus - only 36 pages when printed out onto A4 paper, and it took en easy 3 lunch breaks to read.
Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed. Very well written, intelligent, humorous and enlightening.
For those not in the know, The Timelords are King Boy D and Rockman Rock, also known as Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty - but you might know them better as The KLF. Cauty was also half of The Orb (with Dr Alex Patterson). They produced one of the greatest ever rave techno tracks in "What Time Is Love? (Live At Trancentral)", and also some of the worst pop dance ever with "Kylie Said To Jason" and "Justified & Ancient" featuring Tammy Wynette. These guys are geniuses - of real artistic merit, and not afraid to take the piss - hence "Justified & Ancient" I suspect.
Apart from their pop sensibilities, the KLF probably launched the ambient dance movement with the "Chill Out" album - which even 20 years on is still fucking brilliant; I also submit that they helped define what proper trance music is with their original pure trance mix of "What Time Is Love?". Released in 1988, it is a serious piece of blissed out mind fuck - way ahead of any of the Belgium/German New Beat of the time.
I don't think any of their catalogue is still commercially available so I might post a few of their choice cuts later.
Anyway, in 1988 Drummond and Cauty got a #1 in the UK pop charts with "Doctoring The Tardis", which basically laid parts of the Dr Who theme over the rhythm and beats of "Blockbuster" by Sweet and "Rock & Roll, Part 2" by Gary Glitter - both glam-rock hits.
I would never rate this as anything more than a lager friendly mashup (I remember getting down to it at an underage nightclub when it was released; yes, it's a sad memory), but it was one of the first success stories of blatant audio sampling as creative endeavour. The duo claimed it had been a conscious effort to make a pop hit, and wrote a manual on how they did it - with a money back guarantee that anyone else could do it too. At least one band claimed to have made a #1 following it - Edelweiss' "Bring Me Edelweiss" - it is a truly dire piece of turd, and it sold 5,000,000 units. Go figure.
How did they do it?
How can you do it?
Read the book - even now it's still relevant, and a great insight into the act of musical creation and of the music business in general.
Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed. Very well written, intelligent, humorous and enlightening.
For those not in the know, The Timelords are King Boy D and Rockman Rock, also known as Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty - but you might know them better as The KLF. Cauty was also half of The Orb (with Dr Alex Patterson). They produced one of the greatest ever rave techno tracks in "What Time Is Love? (Live At Trancentral)", and also some of the worst pop dance ever with "Kylie Said To Jason" and "Justified & Ancient" featuring Tammy Wynette. These guys are geniuses - of real artistic merit, and not afraid to take the piss - hence "Justified & Ancient" I suspect.
Apart from their pop sensibilities, the KLF probably launched the ambient dance movement with the "Chill Out" album - which even 20 years on is still fucking brilliant; I also submit that they helped define what proper trance music is with their original pure trance mix of "What Time Is Love?". Released in 1988, it is a serious piece of blissed out mind fuck - way ahead of any of the Belgium/German New Beat of the time.
I don't think any of their catalogue is still commercially available so I might post a few of their choice cuts later.
Anyway, in 1988 Drummond and Cauty got a #1 in the UK pop charts with "Doctoring The Tardis", which basically laid parts of the Dr Who theme over the rhythm and beats of "Blockbuster" by Sweet and "Rock & Roll, Part 2" by Gary Glitter - both glam-rock hits.
I would never rate this as anything more than a lager friendly mashup (I remember getting down to it at an underage nightclub when it was released; yes, it's a sad memory), but it was one of the first success stories of blatant audio sampling as creative endeavour. The duo claimed it had been a conscious effort to make a pop hit, and wrote a manual on how they did it - with a money back guarantee that anyone else could do it too. At least one band claimed to have made a #1 following it - Edelweiss' "Bring Me Edelweiss" - it is a truly dire piece of turd, and it sold 5,000,000 units. Go figure.
How did they do it?
How can you do it?
Read the book - even now it's still relevant, and a great insight into the act of musical creation and of the music business in general.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tyree Cooper - supa dupa 80s house producer
Along with Fast Eddie, Tyree was king of the late 80s Chicago acid house and hip house sound. Both guys were probably a bit more commercial than other cohorts such as Adonis or Mike Dunn, but they were also more successful, so there you go.
According to Discogs, by 1987 acid house was already beginning to sound played out to Tyree - it was after all over 2 years since the release of Phuture's "Acid Tracks". So his contribution to the acid sound, made on a borrowed TB303, was intended to signal that acid was over. It may well have died out as quickly as it had been born if it stayed in US clubs, but it was in late 87 that the UK caught on to the whole house sound and discovered just how fucking good acid sounded on e... "Acid Over" became a hit.
Tyree though was more comfortable with the growing fusion of rap and house - hip house; most of his 80s discography is embedded in it one way or another. Together with rapper Kool Rock Steady he created 1988's monster smash "Turn Up The Bass", rivaling Fast Eddie's "Yo Yo Get Funky" as the definitive American hip house tune.
Discogs
A1 Acid Over (Tyree's Mix)
A2 Acid Over (Union Jack Mix)
B1 Acid Over (Original Mix)
B2 Acid Over (Piano Mix)
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
Discogs
A1 Turn Up The Bass (Hip Hop Remix)
B1 Turn Up The Bass (Original Mix)
B2 Turn Up The Bass (7" Edit)
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
According to Discogs, by 1987 acid house was already beginning to sound played out to Tyree - it was after all over 2 years since the release of Phuture's "Acid Tracks". So his contribution to the acid sound, made on a borrowed TB303, was intended to signal that acid was over. It may well have died out as quickly as it had been born if it stayed in US clubs, but it was in late 87 that the UK caught on to the whole house sound and discovered just how fucking good acid sounded on e... "Acid Over" became a hit.
Tyree though was more comfortable with the growing fusion of rap and house - hip house; most of his 80s discography is embedded in it one way or another. Together with rapper Kool Rock Steady he created 1988's monster smash "Turn Up The Bass", rivaling Fast Eddie's "Yo Yo Get Funky" as the definitive American hip house tune.
A1 Acid Over (Tyree's Mix)
A2 Acid Over (Union Jack Mix)
B1 Acid Over (Original Mix)
B2 Acid Over (Piano Mix)
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
A1 Turn Up The Bass (Hip Hop Remix)
B1 Turn Up The Bass (Original Mix)
B2 Turn Up The Bass (7" Edit)
Vinyl Rip _ 320kbps MP3 ...mediafire
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