You know, its a human race. And you lost..

A nice disco touch to take us into the weekend: In Flagranti's new single 'Ex Ex Ex' is out this week, the remix package features many rejiggles from a multitude of beat makers. Andrew Butler's Hercules mix is the one that grabbed our ears the most, a slow, bleep laden darling of a tune. You can make your purchase here.

In Flagranti- Ex Ex Ex (Andrew Butler Hercules Mix) (Download)

To finish up here's a marvelous edit of Dr Hook's 'Penicillin Penny'. Mucky Rock & Roll Disco, it's available on this 12" released via Golf Channel recordings.

Dr Hook- Penicillin Penny (Galleon Trade's Hooked On Penicillin Version) (Download)

Your mum's at the door again. Bury me. Bury me deep..

Another week, another great compilation to feast upon: The Minimal Wave Tapes Vol 1 focuses on obscure synthwave tracks from the US & Europe in the late 70's/early 80's:

"Most of the songs were released on limited edition cassettes or vinyl by the artists themselves with distribution limited to underground mail order tape networks, hence their practically unknown status in the much pored over history of post-punk and electronic music. Minimal Wave label owner Veronika Vasicka and Stones Throw head honcho Peanut Butter Wolf have done a hugely commendable job with the selection, plucking out some solid uncut gems and remastering them from their original analog source tapes for maximum authenticity, giving new life to a niche of music that we all kind of knew existed, but didn't have a clue where to start looking for."

A very necessary addition to your collection, you can purchase The Minimal Wave Tapes Vol 1 here. A track from it:

Crash Course in Science- Flying Turns (Download)

“Bass and drums? Yes, please. Let’s emphasize them! Percussion? Absolutely! You could add a few electronic noises here and there. This is no atonal noise, though; it’s just that the guitarist doesn’t know how to play. But who needs a guitar solo, anyway? It’d only spoil the overall mood. We don’t know how to sing, either. But who needs dance music? If there’s any snobbery at work here, it’s only so that we ask more of ourselves.."

So say Kate in the Box. If James Murphy had been born in the Russian state of Rostov-on-Don, LCD may well have sounded like this:

Kate in the Box- Sleeping (Download)

Oompa loompas don't sing in heaven. They tidy up the clouds..

Only one record to start the week off with: Four Tet's 5th long player, 'There Is Love In You' is in your local vinyl emporium now. Heavily influenced by his recent residency at Plastic People, it follows in the same vein as 2008's 'Ringer' EP: A 4/4 pulse is highly prominent throughout this most refined of electronic LP's that once again features the now signature sound of Kieran Hebden; A computerised record that has a very live feel.
To early for album of the year? decade? century? millennium?
Probably. It's available everywhere, go get it. Lots of tour dates coming up, check the Myspace for all the details.

Four Tet- Circling (Download)

There was a wonderful Brian Eno documentary broadcast over the weekend, an absorbing, in depth profile of one of the UK's foremost producers. Most inspiring to witness first hand the joy and enthusiasm the man still has for music. Such a pity about all that U2 & Coldplay stuff. Still, gives me a chance to post this: From his 1981 collaboration album with David Byrne, here is 'The Jezebel Spirit'.

Brian Eno & David Byrne- The Jezebel Spirit (Download)

Snail fiddling is not an occupation I'd be proud of. You dirty fucker..

Deerhoof recently slipped out a new EP as part of ATP's 'Custom Made' series, the theme of which is: something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. The package contains an alternate mix of 'The Tears and Music of Love' (something old..), a reworking of 'Makka Shobu' from single 'Matchbook seeks maniac' (something new(ish), a remix of 'Rrrrrrright' by Germlin (this is something borrowed) and finally a return visit to Apple O's 'Blue Cash' (something blue...you get it). All pressed on heavy vinyl as part of a 7" double pack. Get it here.

Deerhoof- Blue Cash (Full Band Version) (Download)

Splendid EP from Idioma to tell you about: The title track is a blissful, spaced out slice of electronica, remixes come from Shit Robot & Tim Paris and they are both rather good. Buy it here.

Idioma- Landscapes (Shit Robot Remix) (Download)

Yes, I'd Love To Try Some Of Your Vomit..

Kompakt are celebrating a decade of annual bliss with the release of Pop Ambient 2010. This years collection contains select cuts from the likes of Marsen Jules, Wolfgang Voight, DJ Koze & The Orb. Always a welcome addition to the MP3 player during the shivering months, you can pick it up here.

Andrew Thomas- Clouds Across Face (Download)

And whilst we're in a laid back frame of mind, here's an excellent edit of The Beatles 'Flying' from Eleventhirtyeight: He turns in a drawn out, dubby rework, even adding his own guitar parts . Check out the Soundcloud page for more musical treats. Get ya lounging gear round this:

The Beatles- Flying (Eleventhirtyeight Edit) (Download)

Don't take this the wrong way, but you're a fucking retard..

The first great compilation of the year is with us: 'Sherm Sticks & Other Nasty Joints' is an eye-popping, ear burning collection of mutant funk, disco, glam, afrobeat and rock. A must purchase item, you can get the Wax (Hurry, there's only 300) or CD here, or you can get it digitally here. A couple of tracks from it:

Syphax- Skate Dance (Download)

October Cherries- Are You Ready (Download)

Image courtesy of Lola Dupre, you can view her excellent blog here.

If I wanted to see a long nose and a big ass, I'd look at a horse..

Don't you just love it when a record comes along that perfectly soundtracks the current season? Pantha Du Prince's new long player 'Black Noise' certainly does that, it's brim full of gentle, frosty textures & crisp, glacial beats. An ideal companion as you battle your way around Snowpocalypse UK. It comes out early Feb on Rough Trade records, here's the epic album closer:

Pantha Du Prince- Es Schneit (Download)

Walter Jones continues his excellent run of releases, 'I Am Loved' was recently included on a new Permanent Vacation records compilation ' If This Is House I Want My Money Back'. Optimum disco gear:

Walter Jones- I Am Loved (Download)

The titles of this weeks posts have come from Sleep Talkin' Man, go have a look.

I haven't put on weight. Your eyes are fat..

A couple of choice selections from 14tracks these past few weeks, some Scandinavian disco to kick off the year & this weeks focus is on psychedelic wanderlust:

"At the fringes of lo-fi, freeform folk, blues and experimental electronics are a number of artists operating with an untamed and psychedelic spirit of wanderlust. In the mists of the online environment these scattered souls are able to proliferate in the undergrowth, leaving truffles of rare and unexplored beauty ready to be found by intrepid explorers like yourself."

The Alps's 'Morning Light' is a beautiful way to start the day, perfect staying under the duvet music.

The Alps- Morning Light (Download)

A few of Tin Man's EP's have recently popped up over at Boomkat, head over and avail yourself of some of the finest Acid creations of the 00's. From the 'Keys Of Life Acid' EP, here is 'Life Is Acid'.

Tin Man- Life Is Acid (Download)

Say Goodbye To What?

More multi-coloured psychedelia from Bullion, keep an eye on this one. Check the Myspace for live dates:



Well worth 60p.

You. DJ. Bloc?

Bloc is fast becoming the premier electronic music festival in the UK: This year it features the likes of Salt N Pepa, Grandmaster Flash, Derrick May, Autechre, Lindstrom and possibly you. Mixcloud, in conjunction with Bloc & Man Make Music are giving you the opportunity to get behind the wheels of steel on the Saturday night. Here's the deets:

Put together a 30 minute mix that represents you and what you’d want to play at BLOC, no restrictions.

1. Upload your mix to Mixcloud.com. Make sure you name it “BLOC Make Music 2010 Competition Mix“, and tag it “BLOC competition“. If you fail to tag your mix correctly, it may be missed.
2. Choose some dope artwork. This is not necessarily part of the judging criteria, we just like nice design!

Judging:

• The winner will be selected by a combination of the community and the judges
• The community means popularity (number of plays and number of favourites) as well as quality of comments/feedback.
• The judges will be the Man Make Music team and the BLOC team.

Prize:

• 1 hour set at the BLOC Weekend on the evening of Saturday 13th March 2010
• 1 x free entry to BLOC Weekend
• Respect and kudos from your peers!

The closing date for mix submissions is Friday 22nd January 2010, and the winner will be announced a couple of weeks later.

Now fuck off and let me bask in the glory of being me..

We mentioned 'Forge Your Own Chains' in our round up of '09, time to give it a proper acknowledgement. Released on Stones Throw subsidiary Now Again, it's a terrific collection of weeping, psychedelic ballads & hallucinogenic dirges. A must for anyone with ears. Available in all the usual places.

Ofege- It's Not Easy (Download)

A good portion of the Cluster/Moebius back catalogue has been made available digitally for the first time via the Bureau B imprint. Dieter Moebius's debut long player is out this week:

'Tonspuren' was released in 1983, which with the benefit of hindsight, was to presage the emergence of techno with linear and streamlined machine rhythms, sparse synth experimentation and a freshly economical outlook for electronic music. It's almost possible to draw a parallel between the quivering neon synths and lolloping rhythm of 'Transport' and the nascent digi-dub movements of Jamaica at the time, and while the driving insistence of 'Nervös' may never have been used in a club, it certainly foreshadows much of the Industrial techno which was to rule Germany in coming years' (Via Boomkat)

Moebius- Hasenheide (Download)

Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future..

Snow. Snow. Snow. If your reading this from the US or Canada, your probably wondering what all the fuss is about. We've had about a foot of snow in Manchester. All the news channels are running 24 hour, round the clock snow updates. Snow stories. What to do if it snow's features. What snow looks like etc etc.
People rushing to the stores to buy bread, milk, eggs & porn like it's the end of the world. It really is just like an episode of The Simpsons. This is what happens when it snows in England, there is no logical explanation for it. As was, as is, as will be.
Best off wrapping up with some suitable music then, I've been getting acquainted with KCRW's eclectic 24 wireless broadcast. It's thrown up a whole bunch of gems old and new. It's available as a free app if you have one of them fancy phones. A couple of choice cuts:

Ruth Brown- I Don't Know (Download)

Louis Armstrong- That Lucky Old Sun (Download)

What's going to happen? Something wonderful..

The Juan Maclean rounded off a stellar '09 with a remix EP that featured revamps from fellow DFA'ers Shit Robot, Canyons & Gavin Russom. It's the later who we feature here, he turns in a superb mid tempo rendition complete with obligatory arpeggiating synthesizers wriggling about all over the place. Get the EP here.

The Juan Maclean- Accusations (Download)

Stunning new EP via Optimo music to tell you about, Louise McVey & Cracks in the Concrete slipped out this self titled release just before the Christmas break. Absolutely deserves your full attention, imagine the Bad Seeds fronted by PJ Harvey & your pretty much there.

Louise McVey & Cracks in the Concrete- Ode (Download)

2010

I like the future, I'm in it: Happy New Year. Let's ease into the new decade with a little bit of lovely, the aural equivalent of a large glass of Alka Seltzer via Jerry Byrd:

Jerry Byrd- Blue Mist (Download)

A couple of tunes that have received heavy rotation this festive period, from The Temptations here is 'Smiling Faces Sometimes'. 12 minutes of proper psychedelic soul.

The Temptations- Smiling Faces Sometimes (Download)

And from a new Compost records compilation here's a splendid rework by Crazy P, some fresh disco tackle.

Roberto Rodriguez- About This Love (Crazy P Remix Dub) (Download)

Thanks very much to everyone who made it down to Just Press Play on NYE, you made it a very enjoyable evening..