parklife

This coming Sunday Parklife will hit Sydney, a long weekend and celestial Spring weather. There really is no better combination to usher in the festival season. The only thing that could compare is if the moon became a strobe light on NYE. Or spun around and said something dopey.

Fellow Parklifers, there are things you should and shouldn't do this weekend. I'll illustrate.

*Cue dark synths and smoke machines* It was way back (last week), one sunny summer afternoon in a Potts Point apartment. A raving buddy and I hung our arms from the breezy window, above a fucking hipster's balcony. We smoked cigarettes like air, drank Vodka like water and debated the "way of the rave" for hours.

We discussed 'rules' for Field Day 2010, but the ideas applied to any festival. Like Confucius, my buddy's words echoed through time like planets colliding. Her name is Lauren Murada. She is also a hipster, loves Top Shop, indie-electro, will trip in heels of any height and reckons chicks go to dubstep nights to experience vibrating toilet seats. This is what she said:

"My advice would be to definitely leave your shirt on. Don't wear thongs. Invest in a pairs of Cons or High Tops. Wear sunscreen. Don't pass out before 1pm and don't wet yourself. Oh, and see the Juan Maclean."

Empire of the Sun - Standing on the Shore (Cassian Remix)

Miike Snow - Black & Blue (Tiga Remix)

La Roux - I'm Not Your Toy (datA Remix)

La Roux - In for the Kill (Diplo and Bot Edit)

Services - Element of Danger (MSTRKRFT Remix)

Late of the Pier - The Bears are Coming (Joakim Remix)

Bloc Party - Hunting for Witches (Crystal Castles Remix)

Claude Von Stroke - Who's Afraid of Detroit? (Audion Remix)

Metronomy - Not Made for Love (Joakim Remix)

The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers (Morgan Geist Remix)

Sydney Parklife 2009 set list.

shop

Photo by Patrick Fraser

what a strange day today... it seems that strangeness occurs when work doesnt..
hope everyone had a fun weekend! if anyone went to oxford art to see jerry bouthier- how was it? send us a review yo
ill review my weekend for you now: it was chilled.

in the meantime datA and Moby have definitely not been having chilled out weekends with the release of their new singles..

i have always been a big fan of datA.. somehow he always manages to take the plinky 80's computer game/keyboard sound and make it his own.. he has proven to be a bit more versatile than other similar producers out there as well, releasing a few harder tracks, as well as a few housier ones.
with his new single 'Rapture' however, it seems like datA is trying to become more of a legitimate producer. although he is still embracing his vintage synths with both arms, 'rapture' sees the inclusion of some pretty cool indie vocals by ultra super mega star Sebastian Grainger (DFA 1979 :( ). the result is good, but i reckon it could have been even better with the inclusion of a stronger bassline.. wicked shredding at the end though

DatA - Rapture

DatA - Rapture (Pacific! Remix)

DatA - Rapture (The Skywriters Remix)

i hate to say it, but on this occasion i think the remixes might have actually pipped the original.. they both repeat the very 80's vibe that datA is rocking but use a wider, softer spectrum of sounds..
the skywriters remix focuses on longer, softer almost fred falkey chords while the pacific! remix feels a lot more complete with a wider range of synths and more emphasis on the backing vocals which really gives the track depth.

Moby is someone that has gone through many many different sounds over the years.. i havent really followed him very much since 'play' so it is surprising for me to hear the new bunch of singles that he has released.

Moby - Alice

alice is a very dark massive attack-y sort of track with a cool swinging bassline and that trademark wailing guitar over the top.. does anyone else think that the rap over the top provided by the 419 squad and Aynzli Jones is really similar to 'rolex' by wiley?
but anyway, what really made me post this song is the remix by general midi which is a barnstorming electro/breaks number that im quite enjoying at the moment.. not my usual genre or type of track but i was deprived of big tunes on the weekend so this is how im making it up

Moby - Alice (General Midi Remix)

Moby - Alice (Drop the Lime Heavy Bass Remix)

Expresh Sesh

photo: Jack Walsh

writing about dodgy sunday mornings listening to Siriusmo in darkened rooms reminded me of a fun game to play in these sorts of situations. thought i might pass some love on britney spears style.

so.... if you find yourself in a similar scattered situation this weekend, or indeed any weekend (or weekday for you crazy kids) have a crack at it. it is a big industrial/donkey kong sized barrel of laughs.

the game it is called Expression Session and basically the aim of the game is to nominate 2 facial expressions and to express them both on your face at the same time.
Usually one of these would be a standard emotional expression such as happy, sad or angry while the other would be a less emotionally specific expression such as puzzled, content or deranged.
For example, someone might get picked to express 'Happy, yet puzzled'.
im sure the game doesnt sound all that fun now in the sober state you may be in but believe me, after a big night it is the funniest shite going around.

and... to perfectly complement a morning of facial antics (or even better, a night of bootay clappin') is our old friend datA.
I know that these tracks are old but damn they're good.. i can blame gus da hoodrat for reminding me of datA after i heard him playing the minuit jacuzzi remix at daft punk.
anywayz...

datA - Aerius Light

datA - J'aime Pas l'Art (2007 Mix)

Tepr - Minuit Jacuzzi (datA remix)

Chromeo - Needy Girl (datA remix)