Test

The Inside Track...

Here’s a quick round up of stuff that I’m feeling (and playing) at the moment, and I promise to post loads of these as MP3s on the site next week as soon as I make some technical adjustments…After years in the mediocre wilderness, Dan Curtin finally makes a return to somewhere near the form that spawned ‘Art & Science’ and ‘Silicon Dawn’ in the 90s with the spiky ‘Shining’ on Black Dog’s Dust Science label…Plus 8 have reissued the early 90s lunacy of Lemon8’s ‘Model 8’, while that other techno empire, Cocoon, has a new Adam Beyer release, ‘Stereotypes’, out soon, which I feel is superior to ‘A Walking Contradiction’… there’s also a release due on the same label soon by Extrawelt which makes T.Raumschmiere sound like a Kylie-loving chart whore…Vakant deliver more intricate spookiness, this time by Tolga Fidan’s ‘Now I’m Weak’ and, in the same vein, Einmaleins release Seuil’s ‘Electric Breast’, which is pretty much standard reverb and FX-heavy fare from them…if you like these labels, neither release will disappoint, but don’t expect any major surprises or revelations.
The ghost of Basic Channel lingers above the machines (and computers) that Remote created ‘Uninstall’ with for Community Library and it sounds like Andy Meecham has ingested a vat load of LSD and is armed with his favourite Pink Floyd and Italo 12s for the fourth and latest Emperor Machine voyage into the parallel universe of ‘Vertical Tones & Horizontal Noise’.
Kompakt is eulogised by so many and often with good reason, but at the moment, Hamburg-based distributor Word & Sound is hitting the target with great frequency, putting out more raw first-wave minimal-inspired music by Frankie, ‘Husk’, techno supergroup Cobblestone Jazz’s long-awaited debut for Wagon Repair and a great remix by Matt John of Lee Jones’s ‘Kinder Country’ on new label Just Recordings. There’s also a beautiful deep dance floor groove by On/Off on All You Can Beat doing the rounds via Word & Sound, perfect for ears tiring of linear tracks.
Sven Vath and Anthony Rother have also got a surprise in store on the latest Datapunk release: ‘Spring Love’’ sees Uncle Sven put his party antics and big room techno on hold, while Rother escapes from that cheesy electro house nightmare he has been living in for the past few years for a fare more subtle form of seduction. Subway are also on fine form at the moment, dispensing with their uber-polite ambience in favour of some cheesy Italo warmth for ‘Lizard’, and finally, Alex Smoke surprises with a remix for Fresh & Low, a more robust and less complex approach than ‘Paradolia’ perhaps, but one that yields more immediate dance floor returns.

There now follows a broadcast…

Normally, this site isn’t too political, but I’m addressing that shortfall now. In my spare time – something that is becoming an increasingly precious commodity - I am part of an independent voluntary group based in Ireland called Give Us The Night. We are lobbying for a change in the licensing laws with regard to nightclubs in Ireland. Currently, these venues are governed by outdated legislation that does not recognise a nightclub in its modern incarnation. The law as it stands speaks of the almost quaint notion of ‘dinner dances’ - quaint of course were it not so repressive - and nightclubs have to apply for special exemption licences even to stay open until 2.30am, when clubs in other European cities are just starting to get going. We have one of the youngest populations in Europe and one of the strongest economies: despite some problems, Ireland is progressing rapidly, becoming a modern European state that bears little resemblance to the homogenous, backward and recession-plagued place it was until the early 90s.
This drastic change has not been free of transitional problems, and one of the downsides of having much more money swilling about the economy is the problem of binge drinking. Some politicians and special interest groups  - including pub owners, although often, publicans and political deputies are one and the same people - in Ireland have proposed that a tightening of licensing laws will help to solve this problem, but Give Us The Night believes the opposite is true. We are of the opinion that by liberalising the laws for nightclubs and allowing them to stay open longer, we can avoid a situation where revelers from late bars and clubs spill onto the streets at the same time, which inevitably leads to public order offences. If we look at the introduction of 24 hour licensing in the UK recently, a country that has a similar drinking culture to our own, we see a sharp fall in late night public order offences after these laws were introduced. For all of these reasons, we are campaigning and lobbying our government - the people we elected to represent us after all - to at least review and possibly reform the existing laws in this area. If you live outside the Republic of Ireland and would like to lend your support, you can visit our website and sign our mandate, or, if you live in Ireland, please sign the mandate and come to our fundraiser in the Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin, this Saturday, May 27th. We can only affect change with your support…

Keep Smiling

It was with considerable displeasure that I recently read that Wal-Mart, the much-maligned US retailer, is planning to copyright the iconic acid house smiley face in the US. If successful, it seems that the company will be able to prevent anyone else from using the image without their permission
in that territory.
In its defence, Wal-Mart claims that it has been using the icon on its uniforms since the mid-90s.
There are a number of European designers who are claiming ownership of the image, which they say they created at different points in the 60s and 70s. Depending whom you believe, this is long before Wal-Mart started using the image. (Of course the argument branches off in an interesting direction at this stage: it would be as easy to blame house music for ‘borrowing’ the symbol from the cartoon novel ‘The Minutemen’ as it would be to criticise the US retailer for appropriating the smiley face. The fact that acid house was a seismic cultural shift whereas Wal-Mart is purely dedicated to boosting its bottom line should sway any doubters though.)
At least one of the designers is contesting the move by Wal-Mart and at the time of writing, it looks likely to end up in the courts (unless the retailer steps in and offers a cash settlement, which would make the victorious claimant beam even brighter than the smiley itself!).
We are all aware of big brands’ penchant for using underground music as a
soundtrack to flog their wares in TV ads and the phenomenon of corporations owning certain phrases -  correct me if I’m wrong, but I seem to remember that Baileys liqueur owns the rights to the phrase ‘let your senses guide you’: how they enforce this is anyone’s guess -  but the idea of a multinational trying to muscle in and claim ownership of an image synonymous with underground culture sets a new precedent.
What will happen next  - Sony trying to patent Juan Atkins’ Model 500 pseudonym and music (although given his current ‘condition’, it is likely that the once great techno producer would happily sell everything) or Starbucks trying to trademark vinyl? Whether or nor Wal-Mart succeeds and paves the way for more corporate ownership of cultural artifacts will be decided in US courts, but irrespective of the outcome, the smiley face will always remain a symbol for the revolutionary thud and rush of house music for those of us who grew up in the late 80s and early 90s…

Frankie Say…

One of my favourite labels in the past few years has been the French imprint Frankie. Run by a producer of the same name, its low-profile releases take inspiration from classic Dan Bell, Relief and Peacefrog material, raw, bumping analogue electronic music that gushes and flows through the speakers. At times, Frankie’s chopped up non-sequiturs sound like a less jazzy version of Dan Curtin’s finest moments – his ‘Time Undefined’ or ‘Art & Science’ releases. So why you may ask is this tendency to look backward so cherished? After all, the plaudits are coming in thick and fast – and deservedly - for Pier Bucci’s mixture of Warp melodies and angular grooves and Roman Flugel’s interpretation of classic Chicago house as Soylent Green. Uwe Schmidt is also hailed as a clever so and so for abusing the bejasus out of his 303s, compiling the results and pedaling them as ‘lost’ acid house classics. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that, like storytelling, there are only a few original musical ideas and that it is preferable to repeat the best ones. The other explanation is that a lot of contemporary electronic music is shockingly dull – how many more shoddy, second-rate electro and minimal techno releases do we have to sit through – and that anything that tastefully references the past is at least worth a listen. The availability of technology has made it possible for more people to make music, but it also means that there are more people out there making more sub-standard music than before. A democracy, even a cultural democracy has its drawbacks, but it has benefited my friend Frankie, whose beats are fuller and production fuller than his influences, but without sacrificing the raw magic that inspired him in the first place. That’s why this iconic Frenchman sits at the front of my collection alongside the Buccis, Flugels and Schmidts of this world…

Sonar So Good

Hurray, I’ve booked my flight and hotel and I’m going to Sonar! Every year around this time, I debate the merits of going or not attending the festival, but every year, I end up going. It’s been the same way for the past six or seven consecutive years, but Sonar and, as importantly, Barcelona, always persuades me to pack a small bag and head to Spain for a few days in June. If I’m brutally honest, I don’t think that the line up this year is brilliant, but, having said I’m not into that kind of ‘it was better when it was on the beach back in 1993’ one-upmanship anyway and there are some amazing artists playing. Top of my bill must be Isolee’s performance, but I’ll also be checking Senor Coconut’s extravaganza, Sakamoto’s gig, Hot Chip, Pole, Hebert, Goldfrapp playing live and hopefully, Modeselektor’s PA won’t give me the shits. Then there’s the minimalicious love fest that is Hawtin vs. Villalobos as well as Audion and Ryan Elliot stripping techno bare, but the real action will take place in the small sweaty clubs in and around Las Ramblas and more awesome beach parties that flow seamlessly into nighttime events. The internet is awash with rumours of head to heads between all sorts of demi techno gods on the unofficial party circuit, but the ever-reliable Krass has all the right info: my particular highlights of these events include the Mobilee label night in Raum on Thursday; the Kompakt vs. Musik Krause hoedown the following night in Nitsa, while we’re really spoilt for choice on the closing night as Sven Vath and Steve Bug go head to head in the open-air La Terraza venue -  last year, locals objected to its licence, so check up  when you arrive in Barcelona to make sure that the same doesn’t happen again this year -  and the Get Physical party in Loft with T and MANDY DJing and Booka Shade playing live. Another caveat though: this venue turned into n overfilled sweatbox on the launch night last year, so bring a spare T-shirt and some deodorant. Gigolos have their annual party on Sunday at Moog and there’s a Kompakt beach party too for the stragglers, but by that stage, I’ll be on a plane home, probably looking something like this year’s mascot. I’ll also be updating the blog every day when I’m there for everyone who can’t make it over, so expect some funny stories and frontline reports from my annual pilgrimage to Sonar…

It's All A Blur...

OK, it’s been quite a while since the last post, and from my own experience I can understand that there’s nothing more frustrating than an infrequently-updated blog, but I have a pretty good excuse this time: I injured one of my eyes over the April Bank holiday weekend and haven’t been allowed to go near a computer for the past week. In case you’re assuming that it was a result of a four-day binge spent sniffing illicit powders off silver trays served up by naked dwarves, I have to clarify that what really happened was far more banal: I was in my back garden picking up some grass and got up too quickly and a branch scratched my eyeball. I doubled over in agony and nearly got sick, but managed to sit down and the initial wave of pain gradually ended. I was due to play that afternoon at the Mixed Salad gig and nothing was going to stop me. Anyway, by the time I was driving into town, my eye felt much better and I was looking forward to playing. Things went pretty well - apart from a skipping needle, but hey, this stuff happens all the time - but after my slot I was down in the outside section of McGruder’s with all the mad people who hadn’t slept and suddenly, my eye started to hurt again. I made my excuses and left, driving home and stopping along the way a few times when the pain worsened. I chilled out that evening, but didn’t sleep much as I was in too much pain. When I woke on Monday, my eyelid had ballooned and the discomfort had increased, so we went to accident and emergency. Luckily, there was no queue and the doctor gave me some drops to kill the pain and explained that I had scratched my eyeball, but that luckily, no permanent damage had been d one. He ordered me to take it easy and not to strain my eyes, hence the lack of contact with computers. It’s all sorted now, so expect regular service again!
Anyway, rewind a few days before that, eg, last Thursday week and I found myself at Electric City for the Irish debut of Ricardo Villalobos. Maybe he knew that people here like it tougher than in most European cities, or maybe he was just in a bad mood, because his set was darker and more tribal than usual. Sirens dive-bombed the club as he built and built to a foreboding crescendo and swigged from a bottle of vodka. It was in marked contrast to the last time I saw him, just before ‘Alcachofa’ was released in 2003, when he played a spaced out, abstract selection as the sun came up. Due to Ireland’s ridiculous licensing laws - more about that in an imminent post – things finished up at about 2.30am, but Villalobos and his entourage, which included a strange peroxide dwarf, were brought to an after party. Being a school night, I bailed out and went home, but there are reports of loads of bad behaviour, bun bags being used as illicit cross-border conduits for a variety of substances and Villalobos not checking into his hotel room until the following day!
The next night I went out to celebrate a friend’s birthday and got very drunk, so that set me up perfectly for the rave on Donabate Strand on Saturday, which I was playing at! I’m glad I got the desire to get drunk out of my system on Friday, because I wanted to drive down to Donabate to avoid getting messy and stuck there until 7am. Unfortunately, when we  - we being Barry Redsetta, Skkatter , who took this photo (thanks!)  Simon and Fuinneog - arrived there, we were told by the organizers that the police had been at the beach to unnerve them and that they were waiting until the powers that be got a call to attend to a more pressing matter.
We waited around until about 2am, when the guys putting on the event decided that it was unlikely that the police would turn up again. They set up quickly and, due to time constraints and logistics, Barry and myself decided to do a back-to-back, two records each set, with Eddie Brennan on after us. By this stage, there were a few hundred people desperately in need of music, so it gave me a very satisfying feeling to put on the first record, an old school house number by Ris called ‘Love N Music’, and watch people go bat shit crazy to the ‘feel the music, love the music’ refrain.
Some of the other stuff I played included WeltZwei’s storming ‘Radarius’ on Sender, Stephan Bodzin’s ‘La Luna’ on Systematic, that brilliant ‘Intimacy Girl’ record by Heartz and Tejada’s ‘Asanebo’, the flip side to ‘Big City Music’. Barry was in great form, dropping ‘Rej’ by Ame, one of the remixes of Cosmic Sandwich’s ‘Man In A Box’ and to finish off, a beautiful remix of Ron Trent’s ‘Altered States’. I completely ruined his vibe by dropping a cheeky re-edit of Mr Flagio’s classic Italo record, ‘Take A Chance’, and then let Eddie take over with an excellent vinyl/Serrato hybrid set. By about 4.30am, the place was hopping, but rather wisely, we decided to cut our losses drive back home at that stage, because we feared that it would get messy -  which it did -  and that we would end up misbehaving -  none of us did. Anyway, it’s good to be back in the land of the living, stay tuned for more posts soon…