Just Press Play Mixtape Vol 7: Optimo Special

The Mixtape returns: It's a tribute to Optimo and features tunes from The Jellies, The Flirtations, Green Velvet, Liquid Liquid and more. Get it here or on Mixcloud.

You’re either good or bad. We were in between..

Sometimes a record comes along that perfectly fits the noise in your brain. This is certainly one of them: Gatto Fritto's remix of Williams 'Confused Arp Disco' is a glorious slowmo grind with oodles of tension. You can get the EP here.

Williams- Confused Arp Disco (Gatto Fritto Remix) (Download)

Tame Impala's debut for Modular is a shimmering-psych pop gem. Ed Banger Mickey Moonlight tweaks the bliss even further:

Tame Impala- Solitude Is Bliss (Mickey Moonlight Remix) (Download)

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it..

Chrome Hoof unleash their 'Crush Depth' LP this week. As previously alluded to it's a brain melting adventure that continues the groups Progmetaldisco experimentation's. They are also one of the best live turns on the circuit, catch them at your earliest opportunity (See Fridays post):
"A veritable orchestra of musicians perform, decked out in futuristic monks' robes, kicking it like some unholy hybrid of Sun Ra, ESG, Goblin, Parliament-Funkadelic and Black Sabbath, complete with choreographed dancers, actors taking vaudeville interludes, and a twelve-foot tall metallic ram dominating the dancefloor." You can get your copy of 'Crush Depth' here.

Chrome Hoof- Sea Hornet (Download)

Had lots of fun doing our show on Chorlton Arts Radio yesterday, managed to play lots of nice pieces including this from the mysterious Moxie.

Moxie- Loving It (Download)

Competition Time

To celebrate the release of their mind-crushingly good new album 'Crush Depth', Chrome Hoof are throwing the mother of all parties. On June 4th Bocking street warehouse will be transformed into the Chrome hoof space station. The band will of course play, ably supported by Simian Mobile Disco (DJ Set), Andrew Weatherall & David Holmes. Extra special surprises lined up for the evening as well. Sound like the gig of the year? You can win a couple of tickets to it by answering the following question:

Who do you think would win in a fight between Grace Jones & Brigitte Nielsen?

Answers on a postcard to Just Press Play, 1 Manchester rd, Manchester. Or email your answer to jthirkettle@hotmail.com by Friday 28th May (Subject: Grace Vs Brigitte). You can also purchase tickets for this event for a bargain £11.
As an extra treat, Milo Smee from the 'Hoof has put together a very specials disc jokey selection:

Tracklist:

1-Piramis - soha nem volt ilyen jo neked
2-Triumvirat - Illusions on a double dimple
3-Chrome Hoof - Towards Zero feat. J.P. Massiera
4-Whodini - Nasty Lady
5- African Headcharge - Some Bizarre
6- This Heat - 24 track loop
7- Visage - Night Train
8- Acid Junkies - sector 9
9- Kate Bush - sat in your lap
10- The Police - When the world is running down (edit)
11- Angletrax - Anorexia Nervosa
12- Chrome Hoof - Mental Peptides
13- Tontos Expanding Head Band - Birds Fly Free
14- Vangellis - Bacchanale
15- Blue Pyramid
16- Unique 3 - Theme (original chill mix)
17- King Crimson - Larks Tongues in Aspic

Download

You wake a sleepwalker, you risk getting urinated on..

A couple of tunes from a couple of electronic maverick's: FunkinEven's latest single is a blistering slice of P Funkstep, taking in the likes of Kraftwerk, Vibert & Prince. Go get it.

FunkinEven- She's Acid (Download)

Actress's second long player, 'Splazsh' is on the horizon: "For Splazsh the fog has lifted, the sounds are less submerged than before, but still sticky and close — a signature combination of exuberance and introversion, luminescence and puzzlement". Intrigued? You should be. From previous EP 'Machine & Voice', here's the imperious title track.

Actress- Machine & Voice (Download)

Television has brought back murder into the home - where it belongs..

Hot on the heels of his superb EP for Fright recordings, here's a full length offering from Antoni Maiovvi. 'The Thorns Of Love' is dedicated to those moments of murderous heartbreak, and continues his adventures in all things analog. Supported by everybody from Jamie Vex'd to DFA, this will be in the box of all the right jocks all summer long. Head over to Caravan recordings to pick up a mix from the man himself.

A n t o n i M a i o v v i "The Thorns Of Love" :: CVANCD003 by Multiverse

Mark E can do no wrong at the moment, here's his remix of Erdbeerschnitzel's '4 Months'. Awesome space chug. You can get the EP here.

Erdbeerschnitzel- 4 Months (Mark E Remix) (Download)

You can't solve all your problems by shooting someone or setting a stranger on fire..

Lots of decent long players floating about at the moment. Always been a sucker for Steve Mason's voice and after a few false dawns he appears to be back on form with his new record 'Boys Outside'. The album has been produced by Richard X and is out now via Domino. In the words of Erol Alkan 'If talent equated fortune then Steve Mason would be a billionaire'.

Steve Mason- The Letter (Download)

And speaking of Mr Alkan, his label Phantasy are offering up the debut from Connan Mockasin. 'Please Turn Me Into The Snat' is out this week and beautifully evokes the first summer of love. Hopefully we can partake in the 43rd summer of love if the weather allows as this will undoubtedly be the soundtrack. Go get it.

Connan Mockasin- Please Turn Me Into The Snat (Download)

Hey, I Hope I Don't Sweat On You..

A little eine kleine nachtmusik for the weekend? Soul Jazz records come up smelling of roses once again with a new compilation entitled Deutsche Elektronische Musik, it's focus being on German rock and electronic music from 1972-1983. You get all your favourite Krautrock hero's including Harmonia, Can, La Dusseldorf, Neu!, and tons more. You can get it here.

E.M.A.K- Filmmusik (Download)

Bringing things right up to date are Walls, a collaboration between Banjo or Freakout and Sam From Allez Allez. It's a beautiful blend of krautfolktronica that's perfect for late night lounging. Get it over at Boomkat.

Walls- Hang Four (Banjo Or Freakout Remix) (Download)

He would make a lovely corpse..

James Holden steps back into the arena with a splendid mix as part of the DJ Kicks series. Tracklist includes such luminaries as Caribou, Mogwai, Arp, Legowelt and many more. It also contains a new tune from the man himself, the type of track Cluster would have made if they had spent their formative years hanging out at Studio 54.

Holden- Triangle Folds (Download)

A new Gavin Russom remix to tell you about: He spreads his mucky acid business all over Chateau Marmont's 'Monodrama'. If you have seen the LCD Soundsystem show lately, Russom is the one knob twiddling the vintage synths. Also looks like a lost member of Hawkwind.

Chateau Marmont- Monodrama (Gavin Russom Remix) (Download)

Unconvention: Factory

What a rip-roaring success Unconvention Factory was, a very special day that included: animated discussions and panels from the likes of Don Letts, Martin Atkins, Har Mar Superstar, Andrew Dubber, Brian Travers and many more, covering the many vagaries of the modern day music industry (A recurring message being: FUCK the music industry). A live radio feed running all day, face moulding which was later turned into a stunning effigy, developers building Iphone apps, Artists creating a sprawling panorama. Amongst all this eight bands each recorded a track from Iggy Pop's 'The Idiot'. This was then produced, mixed and released in time for the gig which followed the event. The artwork was also done on site & was printed in time for the evening's festivities. Amazing what you can do in one day. Unconvention continues to extend all over the globe, if you have any interest at all in the music industry these events are essential. At the very least you'll meet a whole bunch of amazing people.

I Am Kloot- Nightclubbing (Download)

Its a new dawn, its a new day..

One of the pro's of writing a music blog is that you get sent a lot of music. A LOT of music. Sometimes it's hard to keep on top of it all but here at JPP a team of dedicated ears are always on alert. The blurb that accompanies said music is often very amusing: "It's a bit like Nigella Lawson having an egg mask facial with Fugazi". That type of thing. We recently received a communication from Hind Ear with these words: 'They are influenced by post-filesharing aesthetic promiscuity, from Black Dice to Black Eyes, Chicago house to contemporary R&B, Fleetwood Mac to Jim O'Rourke'. And guess what? Their good. VERY good, a bit like Nigella Lawson having.......you get the drift. Watch these dudes fly..

Hind Ear- Origami

Tomorrow I'll mostly be at Unconvention Factory, which promises to be marvelous. Come and say hello..

Vote Or Die.

You're only as good as your last haircut..

A splendid musical bank holiday then, Mr Weatherall gave a DJing masterclass at Naive Melody (Easily Manchester's best club night) on Friday evening, keeping the dance floor bumping at under 110 bpm for most of the night (Or Meaty chuggers as one punter described it). Onto Saturday and LCD smashed Academy 1 into pieces. In truth the newer stuff doesn't really hold up against the old stuff, but the set drew very nicely from all three records. My personal highlight was the obscene bass line that dropped halfway through 'Get Innocuous'. Boom. From 'This Is Happening' here is the closer 'Home'.

LCD Soundsystem- Home (Download)

The second release from Zone is just about to drop, this time it's Ali Renault who delivers a marvelous EP. The first release came via Gesafflestein & he's roped into add an extra technoid bump. Wunderbar. Keep your eye on the blog.

Ali Renault- Catiness (Gesafflestein Remix) (Download)