Archive for June, 2008

Australia… Again!?

Monday, June 16th, 2008

So I recently made a comment in my post featuring Theater of Disco about how the Australians are really nudging their way into electro scene. I think I’m going to have to correct myself: Australia isn’t just a favorable contender. No, Australia literally owns the entire genre. They’ve purchased 51% of the shares, and that last little kicker that drove it home goes by the name of Russ Chimes.

You’ve probably heard his name before. He’s the London producer that popped up in the blogosphere about 8 months or so ago with a couple very original, and very well done tracks, and despite the fact that he did not make any huge appearances for an extended period, he’s struck back with a vengeance. Granted Russ isn’t from Australia himself, but his recent collaboration with more than one Australian producer has focused his current release very heavily in Australia. The rather lengthy reaches of the internet have brought forth his latest remix, an interpretation of Australian producer Sam Sparro‘s pending release, “Black and Gold”, and naturally, the disco community is raving. (No pun intended) In fact, Russ Chimes has recently been getting so much attention that the previously little known producer has managed to complete a successful tour and even gather a bit of radio play. Our little baby’s growing up, and his beats are showing it.

Sam Sparro – Black and Gold (Russ Chimes remix)

On a side note, you’re likely going to have to act quick if you hope to grab a copy of the posted remix. Apparently Sam Sparro hasn’t been exactly friendly to poor little Russ, and has been insisting on denying the publicity of the “Black and Gold” remix, so there’s a solid chance that this track may be taken down sometime in the near future. Better get your fingers clicking!

In addition to Sam Sparro, Chimes has recently released remixes for other well known names, including Chromeo and College, and neither of them are half bad. It’s easy to become accustomed to his distinctive soft spoken, yet upbeat and colorful style, so be careful, you might find yourself losing hours of your time to Russ Chimes induced hypnotic trance syndrome, or as it is more commonly known, RCIHTS (pronounced Rickets).

Chromeo – Fancy Footwork (Russ Chimes Remix)

Also in heavy playlist rotation is the latest in Boys Noize remixes. He’s done a good one for Canada’s Gonzalez that’s strangely similar to his earlier work, specifically his Feel Good TV=Off EP. Regression? Maybe. But a solid piece of music nonetheless. Let me know what you think.

Gonzalez – Working Together (Boys Noize Vox Mix)

One Huge Teaser

Saturday, June 14th, 2008

Acid Girls

I’ve had a frustrating day, so pardon my zinger if it happens to become apparent in this little post. I’ll spare you most of the details, but one thing I simply must address is my extreme irritation with a particular track by Acid Girls. You remember these guys, yes? They’ve been producing tracks out of So-Cal (and as of last year, out of Germany) for several years now, and until recently, I could not have voiced the slightest complaint. I have however, stumbled across something that’s really bothering me: They’re literally too good. Frankie Chan recently released a mixtape volume for IHeartComix for which he had Acid Girls create an intro track, and create one they did. It’s noiser, glitchier, and sexier than you can ever fathom, and the problem is, it’s only just over a minute long! There is no full length version, nor will there ever be (that I currently know of) and oh is it frustrating! Maybe if I throw the track up here, we can gather a following of people who are just as frustrated as I and petition Acid Girls for a rewrite. *drools*

Acid Girls – Intro Track

If, in fact, that track did leave you hanging, and you’re looking to pick up a legit hard copy (cover art and everything) of the rest of Frankie’s mix, feel free to send me a self addressed, stamped envelope (big enough to hold a cd obviously) and I’ll mail you a copy. The best part is, it’s a two cd combo; One with the mix, and the other with the individual remixed iheartcomix tracks. Well worth the $.40 :)

You’ll find my address listed on the info page towards the top of the sidebar.

This dude’s fly, and he has a cool Myspace picture

Friday, June 13th, 2008

The best part about this is the “buy the full version” logo. Look at his glasses. Does he look like he’s going to buy the full version? No. No he doesn’t.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I dismissed Myspace as a viable source of creative new sound a long time ago, right around the time that people starting hearing that bands were getting famous through their pages. Huge mistake. Granted, it is a lot more difficult to find anything decent with the plethora of talentless scenesters looking for effortless fame, but I’ve realized that that just makes it even more satisfying when something good does show up. For example, I stumbled across the Denmark based remix combo, i AM Elektronik, a few weeks ago, and was instantly relieved of all of my musical boredom. The guys’ combination of electronic beats, and indie style vocals is quite refreshing, especially if you’ve become bored with the bland, stripped down electro that’s been pouring out like sewage recently. Point is, these guys are rad, and I’m lovin it.

Bloodlines (i AM Elektronik rmx)

Out of Thin Air

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

So there’s this band/group/guy/girl/I-don’t-even-know called Voodoo Chili that’s all the rave on Beatport recently. And it’s no surprise, they’re bomb steak, but the thing is, outside of Beatport, they’re literally no where to be found. No Myspace, no wikipedia, no info whatsoever. I couldn’t even find an image to throw up (hence the bleak and boring text). It’s a total bummer, considering they’ve got such a catchy early disco style that I’m just dying to hear more of. Hopefully they’ll find their way to the surface soon. Or maybe Trevor Lovey will reveal his sources. Either way, I’d be a happy little boy. :) Enjoy!

Voodoo Chili – I Need (Trevor Lovey’s Remix)

Edit:
I got a response to this post with a bit of info. Apparently this guy’s a British producer that works under several pseudonyms, one of which happens to be Voodoo Chili. Others include Action Man, The Count, and Young Lovers. you can check him out on his Myspace page, or as he’s titled it, HerveSpace

Sigur Ros

Thursday, June 12th, 2008


It feels a bit strange to stray from the pure disco path I’ve been taking, but when something as beautiful as Sigur Ros‘s latest work finally lands within reach, keeping it a secret would be the truest of crimes. The leaked track titled “Gobbledigook” (actual name or merely a result of the inability to read Icelandic, I’m not sure), which is due to be released in about a week or so as part of “Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust” (Don’t even try), is an incredible change from the classic Sigur Ros sound that we’ve come to know; It’s lighthearted and gracefully upbeat, but at the same time, the true depth and ability to convey emotion to an audience that can’t even understand their language stands strong. Utterly amazing…

Sigur Ros – Gobbledigook

Theatre of Disco: Phenomenal

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

It’s been way too long since I’ve listened to an album and been absolutely stunned by everything from the first note of the first song, straight through to the end. The genre that we now call “electro” has been saturated with startup bedroom producers ever since 2006, and the quality of music has naturally been steadily declining, but through all this mess, the Australians really seem to be holding it together. First it was Gameboy/Gamegirl, and now the astonishing trio, Theatre of Disco.
They’ve only just released their debut EP, but I would not hesitate to say it is truly of album quality, in the true sense of the word. It’s a welcome change from the LP’s full of club friendly singles we’ve been hearing so much of. And from there, they take nearly everything that’s popular now in the indie – disco scene and mold it into something that is really, truly unique. Yes, the first 30 seconds of the opening track make use of some pretty gnarly electro synths, but that’s about where the familiarity ends. From there, you’ll hear several different sounds and influences, some familiar (lot’s of 80′s esque fluid soundscapes, as well as noises that could have been taken straight out of a Daft Punk album), and some totally fabricated, but all of them have a certain shine to them that can only be achieved by the careful finesse of a talented musician. On top of that, their vocalist (vocalists?) adds emotion to their tracks that simply can’t be expressed with pure electronics. If you’d asked me a week ago how I felt about chopped up vocal tracks, I would have said that they’ve become an uninteresting cliche: don’t ever listen to me. Theatre of Disco combines pure untouched vocals with glitchy chopped up ones, and somehow, it just works. It’s literally bleeding creativity; Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m still talking. You just need to listen to this album for yourself to fully comprehend it’s beauty. Remember how shocked you were the first time you heard Cross? It’s about to happen all over again.

Here’s the title track, plus another favorite or two:

Theatre of Disco – Go Fifi

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Theatre of Disco – Oke

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Theatre of Disco – YOA

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I highly recommend that you don’t stop after these tracks. The entire EP is phenomenal, start to finish. Well worth the money. You can pick up a copy here.
…Enjoy… :)