big cat friday

i hate to be the guy who goes and posts two tracks lifted straight from the new aeroplane mixtape, but i guess today ill have to be the villain.. it is friday after all.

like the allez allez mixes, the aeroplane monthly chart mix is an unmissable event for me. i feel like their mixes illustrate the extent to which these guys have their fingers on the pulse. i was truly saddened to hear that they have decided to part ways - hopefully vito will keep flapping that aeroplane flag long after the release of their album ""we cant fly" in early september.

as i said, i hate to be the guy that plagiarises aeroplanes song seeking, but this months mix was an absolute standout.. and these two tracks need to be shared.

i felt like the vocals on the original version of this monarchy track were a touch over-done, but dfa honcho tim goldsworthy turned up with this superbly deep, slightly dark version which is truly excellent. and with the vocals removed, the moody strings have that much more prominence - a very good thing.

Monarchy - Love Get Out Of My Way (Tim Goldsworthy Dub Mix)

the jury is still out with ali love as far as im concerned.. sure, the hooks are addictive as hell, but his vocals are, to me - like monarchy - a little much. having said that, it is a very hard to dislike his latest remix package when names like in flagranti and bottin are involved.

Ali Love - Smoke & Mirrors (Bottin Remix)

you have probably already checked out max sedgley's single 'something special' and its remixes, but i thought i would re-share this crazy p mix cos i was kinda late to the partay.. that organic, soulful bassline is really something to write home about.

Max Sedgley - Something Special (Crazy P Remix)

to finish off on this fine friday is a fine revision from our man dj hell.. a little bit different from the rest of my friday spread, but totally banging. perfect for some friday late night drinks.

Tocotronic - Macht Es Nicht Selbst (DJ Hell Remix)

where to now?

the imperious cage & aviary have been methodically going about their business of late, with their ever increasing catalogue of smooth new disco jams getting love from every corner.
hopefully you bumped into them at some point last year- maybe you caught the sublime, lcd-esque 'television train' released by dfa, or perhaps jamie paton's (half of c&a) magnificent remix of sidwho's 'violet run run'.. maybe you heard both? who would know?
anyway, here is a small measure of cage & aviary called 'low noise' that i have been bumping recently.. it is so full of mystique and eastern promise that i need to take a bath.

Cage & Aviary - Low Noise

you can find that on late 2009's 'beat-n-path ep', which is grabbable here.

in other news, my newly discovered crushes linkwood are playing 202 broadway next thursday (1st april).. definitely and absolutely the best way to spend the first night of your easter 4 day weekend..
if you havent sampled linkwood's deliciously diverse array of work, here is a taster. from the funkier end of their spectrum comes 'fudge boogie': a smooth, dam-funk styled jam bursting with velvet-like synths and some diva-licious vocals..

Linkwood - Fudge Boogie

before stepping down to 202 broadway, grab linkwood's excellent new lp 'system' right here. highly recc'd yo..

simply shit

Readers, before you read on, visit Shit Robot's Myspace to look at his photos and photo comments (here) and then you will be in a jolly mood when you read my review.

Is it possible for Shit Robot to live up to his name and actually create a shit piece of electronic music yet? I think not. Simple Things, his latest track on DFA, is a prime example. The man can do no wrong.

This infectious late-night burner comes straight from a neon-lit Sunset Boulevard, circa 1990. As the cruising 90s beat kicks in and the young Barry White-esque vocals rise from the doldrums, this track makes me close my eyes, sway my shoulders and gently groove my behind. The classic piano chords are just enough and the song exudes élan rather than bangin' it from the rooftops. Hedonistic and utterly cool, Simple Things oozes more mojo than an episode of Miami Vice.

Shit Robot - Simple Things

The only downfall of having a near impeccable track is the tough task its remixers face. In this case, Serge Santiago and Todd Terje both struggled to add anything whilst still retaining the essence of a song that exudes flash 90s cool without even trying.

In Santiago’s case, he’s added too many dynamics. Clanging cymbals, frequent build ups and some blips here and there make the track dance floor friendly but take away from the simplicity and panache of Shit Robot’s original. It’s as though he has struggled with the track’s length as well, showing moments of excitement but lacking cohesion overall. Similarly, Terje’s remix turns up the banging beat and 90s pianos and has glimpses of intensity but otherwise lacks oomph and flattens out a track that had a lot of natural charisma. Both the remixes and the original will suit the club but there’s only one you’d want to pump with a Cadillac full of California girls and a late night of mojhitos ahead of you.

Shit Robot - Simple Things (Serge Santiago Remix)

Shit Robot - Simple Things (Todd Terje Remix)


See this on Pulse Radio. And for all new music as it is added to Blouse as well as pointless shit about shit, get in the Tweetspace bro.

a change

im going to have to keep this quick cos i am about to head go and bid 'adieu' to our balcony, but here a couple of new songs from "our very own" dance-funk strutster's canyons. the songs are so fresh, they are actually still in the oven.

Canyons - Fire Eyes (dfa stream)

Canyons - Dancing on Silk (dfa stream)

dfa are the men behind the men on this occasion, and im guessing that working with them was more than a little exciting for "our" canyons. they seem to be doing a great job of flying under the radar while still securing heaps of cred. check all the parties they are playing in americatown on their 'space. wowee

if youre stuck late at work on a friday like i am, then please put these on and take your shoes off. the whole release fits the "friday night stuck in office with bottle of wine" mould pretty well. and with liberal amounts of sax, jungle sound effects, squeaky synths, and breathy female vocals i dont think it could have been anything but sex.

the official release date is this tuesday, so keep your eyes on the prize.

nearly there

this sounds really really sad and lame, but this whole month of sobriety has made weekends seem insignificant. thats right. no alcohol and no clubs = nothing to look forward to in steve's sad life. well that actually isnt true.. this weekend is my last weekend off. i can look forward to getting back down to business next weekend. thats a nice thought..

i wanted to celebrate that thought with the new shit robot single 'simple things' which was officially released with a terje remix sometime last week, but apparently we're not allowed to post that yet.. so enjoy instead this rolling wave of a track from 07. amazingly amped and distorted disco

Shit Robot - Chasm

i always expect such diversity and flexibility from dfa artists, but shit robot have really outdone themselves.. while 'chasm' is a tough dancefloor filler, 'simple things' feels like it is being beamed directly into your ears from frankie knuckles' studio in '87. pick it up here

this mock & toof track from late last year is also high up on my 'most enjoyed' list at the moment..
love the hot chip-style road they went down with it.. a far cry from the rest of their superb tech-disco catalogue..

Mock & Toof - Underwater

that boppy bass is really irresistible.. pairing it with the pianos at the end was an absolute stroke of genius. i hope you dont skip through it too much - the way it builds is fabbo. i think it will get you through tomorrow.

bonus psychedelic-disco from mock & toof:

Mock & Toof - Brown Bred

someone was telling me the other day that 90s pianos are starting to wear a bit thin.. what do you think? i think im still enjoying them

crying woolf

woolfy are one of those bands that i cant believe ive never heard about. they have had tracks championed by tim sweeney and james murphy, been remixed by the likes of in flagranti and have just had their latest release put out jointly by dfa and rong..
this last release officially came out last week and is called 'if you know whats good for ya!!'. i for one am over the moon that i somehow managed to find it.

tripping between upbeat and charming adolescent-like dance-punk and ethereal space-funk, 'if you know whats good for ya!!' is defs one of the classiest releases i have heard in recent memory.

Woolfy - Loa The Disco

Woolfy - Two Far Gone (Carlos Hernandez Remix)

if you like what you hear (i hope you do) wobble along to beatport and grab yourself the album.. and while youre there, treat yourself to some of the older woolfy vs projections work.. very nice.

i may have had an erotic dream involving a snowman last night

I HAVE HEARD PAPER PLANES SO MANY TIMES THAT I HAVE RECURRING NIGHTMARES WHERE M.I.A. COMES AND STABS MY EARS WITH ICE PICKS UNTIL I SING PAPER PLANES BACK TO HER WORD FOR WORD. But I seriously can't go past this remix, it has definitely been one of my standouts of 2008. BUT IF I HEAR PAPER PLANES ON FBI OR WHATEVER ALT INDIE STATION AGAIN I THINK MY EARS ARE GOING TO BLEED.

M.I.A. - Paper Planes (DFA Remix)

Another remix I quite like from 2008

Of Montreal - Id Engager (Mad Decent Remix)

Original Of Montreal - Id Engager

Love you M.I.A. Love you Santa. Love you Modular. Love you Snowman. Love you Peaches Geldof. Love y'all at Christmas time x

doves from around

the ONLY way to spend time waiting for kate to pick me up is to post DFA goldness.. no time to write- only listen

Liquid Liquid - Bellhead

The Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing

Pixeltan - Thats The Way I Like It

is there any better way to waste time than with DFA tracks?

<3*


*repeater like a million

shades

after a many a listen recently, im still not 100% sold with this full on disco stuff... i do love listening to it- but would it fill out a d-floor? i know that in a few months such a question will seem stupid in one way or another but after so many moons of bangerszszsz can people get as pumped up about disco???
(i guess people will get pumped about whatever everyone else is getting pumped about)
i really have no idea, and for now i think that it would be good to play/hear 'transitional' or new-wave disco..
i think that i actually like this kind of disco a little more anyway..

The Rapture - Sister Saviour (DFA Dub)

The Faint - Mirror Error

Cobra Dukes - Airlight (Aeroplane Remix)

i know that many of you will probably just think that these sort of tracks are just indie dance tracks but i do think that there is a lot of crossover with the floaty highs, funky basslines..
if you dont believe me check out these primo O-S disco traxx and compare..

Escort - Love in Indigo

J Walter Negro And The Loose Jointz - Shoot The Pump

hmm maybe they would pack out a club.. maybe the indie vocals arent as passionate or.. black as the O.G. tracks but i still think there are similarities.

this is really a nice refreshing direction. and maybe this will see peeps busting out old vinyls as well..!
definitely a good thang