Nicolas Jaar new EP

This is the new, available as a free download and soon as a limited edition vinyl, 2 track EP from 21 year old Nicolas Jaar. I find both tracks really atmospheric, awakening nostalgic feelings inside me. These spasmodic noises make me feel like I am part of a journey. The first track is slightly more to my liking, though the second one has some really nice melodies. 

NICOLAS JAAR / Don't break my love EP by Clown & Sunset

Zola Jesus

First track I listened to this morning... I seem to like Zola Jesus more and more! Great voice and such a nice video!

Pinch and Shackleton release

Been listening to the latest Pinch and Shackleton release. I love every single track on the album! It's been a while since I listened to something I enjoyed so much! Then again, it was expected, put Pinch and Shackleton together and there is no way it can go wrong.

Marcel Dettmann new release

Here's a teaser of Marcel Dettmann's new release. The two track EP is expected to be released on 2nd December on 50 Weapons, Modeselektor's white label. Other artists having released on 50 Weapons include Shackleton and Roska. 

Marcel Dettmann "Deluge" (50WEAPONS016) OUT DEC 02 by Modeselektor

Tinariwen at KOKO

Wednesday 26th October, Tinariwen playing live at KOKO.

One of the best gigs I've been to! KOKO was packed! Tinariwen played for about 1.5hrs, they had such good energy, the crowd loved it! Everyone was dancing and clapping, such a good vibe! It was almost emotional seeing everyone so into it and also such a mixed crowd, everyone loving it! Another super successful Soundcrash event!



If you haven't had the chance to see them yet, don't miss them next time they play London, I think rumour has it they should be back early next year.

Joker's new album

Joker's new album, The Vision, is released on 31st October. It is already available to be streamed in full though. So this morning I had a listen... and what do I think? Not impressed, I'm afraid... The album consists of 12 tracks. It starts fine with 1.Intro and it finishes fine with 12.The Magic Causeway. Now tracks 2, 4, 9 and 11 are all super cheesy with lots of horrible vocals... 8.Lost adds some unexpected R&B to the album and for something a bit more positive there is a pretty cool grime track 10.Back in the Days.

Now as for the cover artwork...I think it's also horrible...

I wish I had something more positive to say about this album, but unfortunately I don't; I won't buy it and hopefully will never listen to it again.

Tony Lionni

British DJ and producer, Tony Lionni is the latest addition to the Modelisme Records family. Tony Lionni has been in the scene for a good few years and has also released on Ostgut Ton, Mule Electronic and Versatile Records. Here is one the tracks of Model 28, his latest EP released on Modelisme in September. 

TONY LIONNI - ASTROBLACK - MODEL 28 by MODELISME RECORDS

Richie Hawtin documentary

Slices - Pioneers Of Electronic Music Vol. 1 - Richie Hawtin

This is a fascinating 90min documetary, part of DVD special series, Slices - Pioneers of Electronic Music. The first one is about DJ and producer Richie Hawtin, it covers his childhood, how he got into music, his relationship to his parents and how he became the icon he is today. 

Myk Derill releases new EP

DJ and producer, Myk Derill is releasing his new EP, Enclosure, on 15th November on Knotweed Records. This is the second release of the recently launched french label, though Derill has already had a few releases on several other labels. Derill plays some pretty dark techno, influenced by the scene in Berlin, where he is based. I look forward to getting the EP once it's out!

KW 002 - Myk Derill - Enclosure E.P. - Preview by KNOTWEED RECORDS

Seasick Steve

Last Thursday I found myself at an unusual gig for me; Seasick Steve at HMV Hammersmith Apollo! The day of the gig my mate called me to tell me they had an extra ticket for the gig and if I wanted to go, I said... why not?! I'm so glad I said yes! No support group, which was definitely a positive, Seasick Steve was on stage for about 2hrs, and alongside him there were a couple of pretty cool appearances; John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin and Paloma Faith.

The gig was so nice! Seasick Steve and his band gave such a nice performance. The drummer was so cool, you could tell he was really enjoying it! John Paul Jones went on stage after the first track and stayed till the end, playing his bass and the mandolin. Paloma Faith sang on a few songs including the last one; Dog House, which seemed to drag and drag!.. He also got his three sons on stage; apparently one has written Whiskey Ballad, the other one has done the artwork for his albums and the third one has produced all his albums or maybe just the last one. Oh yes, at some point he got this girl on stage to sing a ballad to her, how funny! and a bit awkward...

Kelpe free tracks

Yesterday I was listaning to Kelpe's podcast on Sonotown, short and sweet! Quite nice, easy listening podcast. And was then checking him out on Soundcloud and I noticed he's got a couple of free tracks up for grabs!

He's giving away this...

Holy Fuck - Latin America (Kelpe Remix) by Kelpe

And this! A 24min mix of Kelpe's back catalogue that Buddy Peace put together. Really really like this!

Jon Frost free EP

I recently came across Jon Frost, a 27 year old singer and producer from Milwakee. I thought he seemed quite interesting, I went on his website, downloaded for free his EP and had a listen. I have to admit I then deleted it... I guess it was good for what it was, but a bit too pop for me; I just have too much music in my computer, I cannot keep things I'll never listen to again.

Actress

Listening to... Actress! What a great way to start my day! Really nice video created by Luke Alexander, I really like Alexander's work; watch this space, I think you'll be seeing more of him here!

Here is an interview of Actress on his experience of clubbing in Congo 


Actress/Maze from Luke Alexander on Vimeo.

Samoyed releases new EP

Today, Scotland based producer, Samoyed is releasing his new EP Spit on Astro:Dynamics. The EP consists of four tracks; three originals and one remix from Lukid. Here's one of the tracks for your musical pleasure; such a beautiful atmospheric sound!

Malamute by samoyed

Q-tip remix free download

Here is a a Q-tip remix from Sai Love, it's a couple of years old, but only made available to download 4 months ago. Really like the track, perfect to listen on your ipod walking around on a Saturday morning! Nothing mindblowing, but worth having a look around his stuff on Soundcloud, definitely don't like the latest remix he's done, but the rest of it has something..

Gettin' Up (College Days Remix) by sailovemusic

Debruit free download

Today I've been checking out french DJ and producer, Debruit. Next Thursday Debruit was supposed to be supporting Tinariwen at their gig at Roundhouse, which has been cancelled. I'm still going to see Tinariwen at their gig at KOKO, but unfortunately it seems that Debruit won't be there supporting them. It's a real shame, I was really looking forward to seeing both... Anyway, in an effort to keep myself happy I found this free download of one of Debruit's tracks; Pony. I really love what he does, it's so versatile, everything he realeases is so different, so original. It's always intriguing to see what he'll do next! I love the way he creates a collage of electro and whatever sound from around the world he can get his hands on.

'how to dubstep'

Think it's the same guy as in the previous video I posted... He's too good!
...and yes, I'm still on YouTube checking people dancing dubstep videos... 

...and you thought you could dance?..

This morning I've been keeping myself busy looking at YouTube videos of people dancing to dubstep. Have a look at this.
Thanks for opening my eyes D! :)

Hi-Fi by Bante

This morning I discovered Bante, an Italian Director. I watched all four videos he has uploaded on his Vimeo account and really liked his work, enen though they all seem to be 2 years old... Still worth having a look! Below is a music video he directed for Bellavista Social Pub, an Italian nighclub.


Hi-Fi from bante on Vimeo.

Free download from Xhin

Xhin is soon to release his new LP, Sword, on Stroboscopic Artefacts. Here's one of the tracks, This Is What You Drew While You Were Asleep, as a taster of what the album may sound like... It's really atmosheric, almost magical, very interesting to hear this from him... I like it!

Xhin - This Is What You Drew While You Were Half Asleep by Mixmag

And here you can download for free his 2004 debut album Supersonicstate, a bit more to my taste!

Xhin - Supersonicstate (2004) (Free Download) by Xhin

Philippe Petit releases his first EP

Philippe Petit launched his first EP on 30th September on his own label Knotweed Records, which was also launched this September. Rain In The Valley, available to buy on Juno, consists of three tracks, which should really be listened to on a big sound! I can so imagine myself dancing to this in a club! I think my favorite is Above, although I keep changing my mind... it could be Rain In The Valley... 

Knotweed Records 001 - Rain in the Valley - now available! by Philippe Petit

Photographing Paris

One has to start with the Eiffel Tower














and continue with the Catacombes

Of course Invader's art which can be seen practically everywhere in Paris

And some more street art!

Blueprint party at Cable

Saturday night, Cable, Blueprint Records party, one room, James Ruskin, 3hr Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock back to back set. Of course once again we had to go through the usual super anal security check of Cable to enter the club. Even though their security system is enough to put you off from going there, the security staff is actually quite nice! Got there at midnight and stayed until about 4am. The venue wasn't too busy, which was a relief, as it made the night so much more bearable than other times... It wasn't too crowded, we didn't have to queue for too long to get a drink, the crowd quite young often looking like it was their first techno party... but overall quite happy with the setting! Musicwise, what is there to say? Really enjoyed Ruskin's set, he played some nice tunes, the crowd seemed to enjoy dancing quite a lot! Then the long awaited back to back set of Dettmann and Klock. Dettmann started with his usual darkish sound and the set continued like that! Didn't stay till the end, but I can most definitely say I was happy to be there! I have to admit though, I have seen both Dettmann and Klock at Corsica Studios before and it was far better there... 

Third Party - Release

Listening to this, remembering the good times...

...and then off to the park! Thanks J :)

Modeselektor new realease...

...out today! My pre-ordered copy arrived this morning at 8.30am and I'm listening to it as I type! Monkeytown is a limited edition, signed and hand numbered by Modeselektor; mine is number 354. Such high quality finish; hard cover book with black and white photos, signed and numbered by hand, 2 LPs in clear vinyl, it's all so beautifully made with such attention to detail!

A side really nice, could listen to it over and over again. B side starts with Evil Twin which I thought was a really good track! C side... not my favorite, not even close, don't really like the vocals. The last track is better than the first ones, but still not my thing. D side, like the first track a bit of rap going on there, which I think works quite well and these vocals that so rarely agree with me... here they don't bother me much. And the rest of the side is nothing too impressive either, but I don't dislike it either.

Overall, really happy I got this! Love the 1st LP, not super keen on the 2nd, but such beautiful cover, keep wanting to touch it!.. 

Amon Tobin Isam AV show

I've been watching this video of Amon Tobin's Isam, AV show. I missed the last time he played I think back in July or August, but I'll definitely try to make the next one on 23rd November at The Forum. Super cool visuals!

By the way, you can get a free download of Amon Tobin's Surge Two Fingers Mix; all you need to do is visit his website and type in your email!

Death Grips at Old Blue Last

I first wrote about Death Grips back in June, when I tried to find some information about the project but there wasn't much out there. Last night a friend called me to ask me if I would be up for going to a Death Grips gig... I was quite surprised; firstly I didn't know they were playing; secondly, I wouldn't have thought even if I knew they were playing that anyone would want to go with me!.. So anyway, I found myself at Old Blue Last! The gig was so much better than I expected! MC Ride was on the mic and Zach Hill on the drums, they played for 45mins and there was so much energy in the room. Old Blue Last is not a big venue, but it was pretty much full. At the beginning when I saw that they would play for less than an hour, I thought it was a bit poor, then again I think 45mins was more than enough! If they had played any more than that they would probably have had a heart attack and we would probably have gone deaf! And that is all positive! I loved it! You've never seen anyone as sweaty as Hill, you've never seen anyone screaming and dancing as frantically as MC Ride. Death Grips is definitely one to see live, rather than listen in your living room!..

Matthew Dear at Alpha-ville

Saturday night... Alpha-ville festival... Hearn Street Car Park...

Had a really nice night at Hearn Street on Saturday night, at a party organised as part of the Alpha-ville festival that was on 22-25 September. Got there at about 12.30 when Truss was just about to start. He played for an hour, his sound was quite raw and industrial, a bit too slow at times for me, but definitely enjoyed it! Then Jennifer Cardini... I was really looking forward to seeing her; I had never seen her before, but I love so many DJs on Kompakt, that I had a very good feeling about her. She played for just under 2 hours, I loved her set, she played some super nice techno! It's also so nice seeing girls DJing well! And finally... Matthew Dear! He played for another couple of hours, quite nice, not too harsh, good for the masses, nice visuals, kept us dancing... Overall a good night out, I expected it to be more busy, but hey at least it was good for us to have more space to move around and not have to queue at the bar or to get in!

New Andy Stott EP

On 10 October Andy Stott is releasing his new double EP We Stay Together; 40mins, 6 tracks, the photo above is the cover artwork. To get a feel of what to expect, you can stream the second track; Posers, from The Wire. I really look forward to getting this, I love his dark primitive sound.

So looking forward to seeing him at Corsica Studios on 28 October; great venue, great lineup! Definitely one not to be missed!

Mcbees paints the Berlin Wall

Berlin is not all about music... Here's a video about an exhibition at Freedom Park in Berlin; artists were invited to paint on pieces of the Berlin Wall.

Bloc looking into the future

So, Bloc has outgrown Butlins Minehead and is looking for a new venue for 2012. I was really sad when I heard the news, I've been to the festival the last 3 years and I've always had such a good time. I loved the setting; the stages, the accommodation, the beach... Then I thought, well change is good and I got quite excited with the prospect of a new, better, bigger venue. I then heard some pretty dissappointing rumors on what the future holds for Bloc... As it's not public news yet, I won't go into details, but I think Butlin's Minehead was better... I can only hope for the best though, and even so I can assure you I will be there for Bloc 2012! And hopefully I will love it! Anyway, I'm sure the line up will be good, no matter what...

For now you can enjoy some of the sets from Bloc 2011.

Kutmah & Daedelus at KOKO

Last night at KOKO...

I saw Hidden Orchestra for the first time. It was really good, really liked that they had two drummers each bringing his own style into the mix. Wouldn't mind seeing them again!



Then a super nice, but short set from Kutmah. He played for maximum 1 hour, building up his set really nicely. My favorite bit? When he played The Cure! But before long and very abruptly he stopped to give way for Daedelus, with whom he used to play music in LA back in the days. Such a shame, he should have kept playing for maybe another half hour... It was really sweet as well when Deadelus, before starting his set, said how much everyone was missing Kutmah back in LA...



Daedelus' set was pretty impressive! I really enjoyed his music, a bit too noisy at times towards the end of the set for me, but overall really good. The visual side was also pretty cool! There was a wall of moving mirrors behind him that were reflecting the laser lights all over the place! Pretty cool! So funny as well when this girl got on stage and went for him and the security had to remove her. You don't often see that with DJs... or at KOKO... Have to say though, the crowd was really young, some of the people looked like kids...

Then a really nice dark set from Raffertie! Will definitely be seeing him again! And Luke Vibert to close the night. Can't say I particularly enjoyed his music and I did leave at 2am, when he still had 1 more hour to play. Can't say it was bad either though, as I was dancing to what he was playing, but at the same time I thought it was pretty old school and boring. Then again there is something I like about Vibert... not sure what that is, probably not the haircut... but anyway he looks like a nice guy and I like it when he sings the tunes he plays! I would see him again, but he wouldn't be the main reason I would go somewhere.

To have a look at more videos from last night click here.

New Four Tet remix

And here's another great remix by Four Tet!

Tinariwen - Tenere taqqim tossam (Four Tet remix) by Four Tet

I'm also really looking forward to seeing Tinariwen! They are playing in London on September 26th at the Roundhouse and on the 27th at KOKO. I think I'll go to the Roundhouse to also see Debruit, who's also on that night.

Bestival 2011 - A retrospective - Day 3

On Sunday I started with Joy Orbison, followed by Kode9 at the Roller Disco, really enjoyed both sets. The left to go to the main stage to see Bjork, who was the last before the closing ceremony. She played really well, again you could really feel the dynamic in the crowd, everyone was dancing and singing. She looked amazing on stage and had a chorus with her. After the ceremony with the fireworks, balloons and these weird massive balloon men walking around the crowd and with some strange choices for music to go with the whole thing, I went back to the Roller Disco, where I briefly saw Joker and then moved on to Bollywood, where Tensnake was playing. I didn't like his set much, it a bit too funky for my taste, so I left to go for a walk in the Ambient Forest, it was magical! Loved it in there! I then rushed to the Big Top to see Derrick May, but to my dissappointment had changed times with DJ Shadow. I think I saw him playing 3 maybe 4 tracks, it was actually quite good, almost drum and bass, and the visuals pretty impressive! Then back to Bollywood to see Paul Kalkbrenner. This was exactly what I needed at that moment! Kalkbrenner played like always most of Berlin Calling which I love and the lights were super cool! And finally Derrick Carter, which for me was pretty dissappointing. We then left and were hoping to find somewhere else with good muysic to go, but we failed. It would have been great if they had organised a little after partty somewhere hidden for those of us still wanting a little bit more techno!.. Finishing at 2am is just too early... Hightligh for Sunday Bjork and Paul Kalkbrenner!

Bestival 2011 - A Retrospective - Day 2

On Saturday I started my festival day at the Red Bull Music Academy with D/R/U/G/S, then October, Al Tourettes and Appleblim. I briefly saw Crystal Castles, but didn't enjoy it, her voice doesn't agree with me... I then went to Rizlab to see Hannah Holland, who played an amazing set, mixing techno with electro and really great visuals. It's so great seeing DJs that enjoy what they do and dance with the crowd! The atmosphere was so positive! At Bollywood I also heard some really good techno from Bok Bok and Claude Vonstroke, even got a CD from Vonstroke, which I still haven't listened... At the main stage I saw PJ Harvey, who was amazing, although I felt like I wanted something more dance at that moment and of course The Cure, that were unbelievably good! They must have played around 2.5hrs, they went off the stage and back twice, you could see how much they were enjoying being there and this energy was projected to the crowd. And i think the last thing I saw on saturday was LFO, who played quite hard and noisy. It was really good, though I don't think I would have been able to have seen them any earlier than last.

For Bestival 2011 videos click here.

Bestival 2011 - A Retrospective - Day 1

What an amazing time I had at Bestival 2011!!! I was there from Friday until Monday and then stayed an extra day at the beautiful Isle of Wight, it's always better avoiding the returning crowds after a festival... While at the festival we were quite lucky with the weather, it was raining a little bit here and there, but it could have been much worse. Overall it was a great experience!

I saw so many good acts! On Friday passing from the main stage I briefly saw Public Enemy, I don't think hip hop goes with festivals... My night continued with some really good techno from Justin Robertson and Lone at Rizlab, then an amazing set from Loefah at Roller Disco and ended up in Big Top to see Groove Armada. My highlight for the evening has to be Loefah! Although I did dance non stop throughout the whole time I was at Rizlab.

For Bestival 2011 videos click here.

PJ Harvey wins again!

I was so excited last night when PJ Harvey was announced as the winner for the Mercury Prize 2011. 'Let England Shake' is such a brilliant album! I went to see her earlier in the year at Troxy in London during her european album launch tour, where I bought the album. The gig was amazing and I knew it straight away this album was a special one and since I got it I've been playing it over and over. Although looking at the other nominees for the Prize last night, there really was no competition for PJ Harvey...

You may also be interested in: PJ Harvey in London

Real Scenes - documentaries on the music scene in Bristol, Detroit and Berlin

Resident Advisor and Bench have teamed up to produce a series of documentaries on the musical, cultural and creative culture in some of the key destinations in today's music scene; Real Scenes. The first of the series; Real Scenes: Bristol, was out in July. It focuses on the influential electronic music scene in Bristol. The second one; Real Scenes: Detroit, out in August, explores Detroit, the birthplace of techno. And the latest one; Real Scenes: Berlin, came out today and focuses on the techno scene in Berlin.


Real Scenes: Bristol from Resident Advisor on Vimeo.


Real Scenes: Detroit from Resident Advisor on Vimeo.


Real Scenes: Berlin from Resident Advisor on Vimeo.

need more techno

So, what have I been up to the last two weekends? Partying and listening to Juljan play!.. Whenever the DJ would change, I would just wait until Juljan would be back on the decks! And yes the highlight was definitely the last set on Sunday morning, I just couldn't get the smile off my face!

Very excited to find him on Soundcloud, though quite dissappointed there are only two mixes... Juljan you really need to upload some more music!..

Thank you for the hours of fun! 


Summer Breeze Mix by JulJan

New videos from Sonar 2011

It took me a while to upload these, but here they are! I wasn't impressed with Sonar Day Friday and Saturday, I thought the lineup was really poor, still I had a lot of fun! Sonar Night on Saturday on the other hand was amazing! Trying to remember who I saw seems almost impossible... To name a few (while looking back at the programme); Chris Cunningham, Underworld, Surgeon, Silent Servant, Africa Hitech, Paul Kalkbrenner, James Holden, Shakleton, Lucy... Didn't stay to see Shakleton for long, as I had seen him a few times before... Underworld was super nice; getting old, but still got it! Very excited to see Chris Cunningham that by the time I decided to see him when he last played in London, the gig was sold out... Paul Kalkbrenner is such a performer! He had everything needed for a closing act (even though he wasn't really the closing act); the big stage, the lighting, the attitude, and of course probably all the tracks from Berlin Calling. The crowd loved him! And I did too! After Paul Kalkbrenner, a couple of disappointing tracks from James Holden and off to see Silent Servant, who for me was perfect to end the festival, with a pretty industrial dark set.

New tracks from Philippe Petit

Check out these tracks to see what Philippe Petit has been up to this summer...

Free (Demo) by Philippe Petit

Above (Demo) by Philippe Petit

Rise (Demo) by Philippe Petit

Rain in the Valley (Demo) by Philippe Petit

Harmonic 313 & Kode 9 at KOKO

June 11, Soundcrash at KOKO in Camden.


Managed to get there just for the last 2 hours, so only saw Harmonic 313 and Kode 9. Didn't mind not seeing Alex Nut, as I've seen him a few times. Would have loved to have seen King Midas Sound, his live at Bloc was one of my favorites! And Dorian Concept, would have been a first...

Got there when Harmonic 313 was on. Such an amazing set! He kept switching styles, from bass to dancehall, so effortlessly! Then Kode 9, also really nice set. Played really really well. Such a shame it took me so long to write about this gig and don't remember details... I think the only dissappointng moment, if I remember well, was the track Kode 9 chose to close his set and the night, which now escapes my mind... 

Battles at Heaven

On June 8, I saw the Battles at Heaven. Before listening to the new album a couple of days before the gig, I was really looking forward to the gig... Once I listened to the album for the first time I was a little disappointed, it wasn't as good as I expected. Anyway, I was still really up for going to the gig, I had seen the Battles play live twice before in London in the last 9 years and was really curious to see how they would perform missing one of their members.

The gig was amazing! The vibe was good and the tracks sounded so much better live than on the CD. I really liked what they did with the guest vocalists, having them projected in the background.

More of Athens walls

Nick Craddock mix

Listening to this mix that Nick Craddock; a London based techno/house DJ, prepared to put us in the mood for the next Plex party at Corsica Studios on July 2, where he will be playing. Deep and melodic summer sound!

Nick Craddock - Preplexing by plexlondon

Death Grips

I recently discovered Death Grips; a pretty hard hip hop / rap project. It's quite brutal and old school, not necesserily what I personally think is needed in the music scene at the moment, but there is definitely still an audience for this kind of stuff; and I include myself in this audience... I wouldn't necesserily play it first thing in the morning, although it was the first thing I played this morning quite loud while writing this blog. Not sure if my neighbours appreciated, but they should be at work anyway! I've been trying to find out more about the project, but there doesn't seem to be a lot out there, except Zach Hill's name that seems to be popping up a lot. Hill; an American drummer, is known to play noise, rock, experimental. I think Death Grips is his latest (or one of his latest) projects.



You can download the Exmilitary Mixtape and two tracks; Full Moon (Death Classic) and Face Melter (How to do impossible things).

Bela Lugosi's Dead...

Watched Ed Wood (again...) a couple of nights ago and was reminded of this!..

Joy Orbison at Black Atlantic

Saturday 28 May... A warehouse in Hackney... Black Atlantic presenting... Moodymann and Joy Orbison.

I got there just after 2am, no queue outside, we literally just walked in and inside it wasn't packed either. Moodymann played until about 3.30am and then Joy Orbison until the end, about 5.30am. Moodymann was good, some tracks I liked some I didn't, but overall it was ok; he was full of energy mixing tracks you would never think of mixing and the crowd seemed to enjoy the set quite a lot. I can never really say for sure whether I actually like him or not... He played at times more funky, then more jazzy... At times there seemed to be some issues with the sound... and from what I was told, before I arrived there were massive issues with the sound... Far from ideal situation...

There were also some issues at the bar, which didn't help... I think one of the bar staff decided to quit on the night leaving the bar short staffed and there was soon a big crowd gathering around the bar area. And then... they run out of beer!... Pretty frustrating situation, though in reality I couldn't care less! I didn't really want anything from the bar and Joy Orbison was on! Really nice set, we were dancing non stop! He also played a few of his 'hits'... like Hyph Mngo, which I quite like. Wasn't crazy about the track he chose to close his set, though I can't remember which one it was. I do remember though it was really slow and atmospheric, I'm sure others really liked it, but personally to close the party I would prefer something louder, more dynamic.

Technical Drawings

"Technical Drawings is a hyper-modified percussion duo consisting of Melissa St. Pierre (prepared piano) and Jesse Stiles (computer). St. Pierre and Stiles’ performances and recordings embody a diverse set of influences including neoclassicism, rock, gamelan, and electronica. Using interventions both physical (rusted bolts, pencil erasers, melted coins) and digital (custom software, hacked electronic devices), Technical Drawings radically untames two of modern society’s most “civilized” devices, the piano and computer, allowing the audience to viscerally experience these instruments with fresh ears and a new, highly warped perspective."

In March Technical Drawings released their latest LP The Ruined Map on Gagarin Records. The album consists of 8 tracks which can be streamed here. I really like the sound of the band, haven't heard of anything quite like them, I've also haven't listened to anything else of theirs other than this album, but I'll definitely be looking into this a bit more. For now I think my favorite track is the one featuring vocalist/rapper/poet Todd Jones, I love his deep chanting voice and how the track is evolving becoming more and more dramatic.

Krautrock documentary

Another really cool BBC documentary! This one is about krautrock; the experimental rock scene that appeared in Germany in the 1960s, and moved to Britain in the 1970s.

Group Doueh at Barbican

Group Doueh from the Western Sahara, played at the Barbican on 13 May. The group is on Sublime Frequencies, a record label that specialises on music from Southeast Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

The gig started with just the synth; the guitarist, Doueh, was introduced as the 'master guitarist'; and then throughout the gig amazing vocals and traditional dance. Only drawback was the sudden end of the gig... The audience was so into it and suddenly someone came on stage to announce the end of the gig, which was a surprise to both musicians and audience. I guess it was about time for the gig to finish and then move onto the foyer where Sublime Frequencies DJs started playing. Personally, I wasn't too bothered about seeing the DJS, I would have definitely preferred to have seen Group Doueh for a little bit longer.

Synth Britannia documentary

Really cool BBC documentary showing how different post punk bands and musicians started using synths in the 1970s.

Tunisia

Tunis

...the right hand on the heart...

Dried chameleons... In Tunisia (and Morroco) chameleons are thought to have considerable magical power. It is traditional practice to kill and dry their skin or burn them to keep the 'evil eye' and bad luck away. Slightly disturbing if you have a pet chameleon...

Around the Jerid area

Djerba

DJ Eprom RobotSexTape

Listening to this mix from Warsaw based DJ Eprom, not bad.Can be streamed it or 'pay what you like' to get it!

Track of the week

'this is a journey into sound'

Don Daneeka's Skream remix

Listening to Don Daneeka's remix of Skream's Where You Should Be.

Skream -Where you should be remix - DocDaneeka's Curtain Rd. Remix by DocDaneeka

Battles new music video

Battles' new music video of Ice Cream, one of the tracks of their new album Gloss Drop, featuring Matias Aguayo. Such a cool track and such a cool video! The album is expected to be released on 6/7 June. Copies can be pre ordered at Bleep or by choosing the £20 option ticket for their upcoming shows at Heaven in London on 8 June or at HMV Institute in Birmingham 27 June.

Africa Hitech new release

Today is the release date of the new Africa Hitech album, 93 Million Miles on. To get Glangslap, one of the tracks, for free, leave your email on the Africa Hitech website. There is a really cool remix of Out in The Streets, 5mins 12sec in a loop... Always liked Damian Marley's original...

Africa Hitech - 93 Million Miles by Warp Records

DJ Qbert scratching

DJ Qbert scratching to DJ Design - Gather Round. He makes it look so easy...

Track of the week

Ryan Elliott at Electric Minds

 


Last Saturday I went to an Electric Minds event at a secret location in Shoreditch, where Ryan Elliott was playing. It was in a basement just off Hoxton Street. Really nice location; quite big, well ventilated, Funktion One in white; it really does look impressive in white!


I got there around 2.30am and I knew straight away I was going to love it! And it kept getting better and better. Berlin based Ryan Elliott, currently on Ostgut Ton, played an amazing techno set. I just couldn't stop dancing! His mixing was flawless, the tracks were just right for the mood, the crowd was loving it and he seemed to be loving it too! There were a few moments I could have done with a little bit less vocals, but then again that definitely didn't ruin it for me to the slightest! So no complaints really!

The only disappointing thing was that for some reason they closed the night at 5.30am instead of 6am. Maybe it was because people had started leaving, but I think the ones that were still there would have definitely liked to keep going for another half hour... Or anyway I would have for sure! Nevertheless, what a great way to finish the bank holiday weekend! Without a doubt best night of the weekend!

Here's a pretty cool tech house mix by the man himself!

Gonjasufi last night...

...was sick!

I had been waiting for this gig extremely excited since it was announced! I was so happy to be there last night and it was even better than I expected! No idea how long they played for... definitely over an hour... Gonjasufi was there with a full live band; drums, guitar, bass... and this guy who was on stage with them throughout... He first kind of blessed everything on stage; the mics, the pedals, the band, the speakers, then the audience... He then stayed on stage filming, taking photos, dancing around, hanging around and doing random stuff when Gonjasufi and the band were off the stage, which happened a few times. And at the end he came out to thank us for being there and send us home! Anyway, the gig was so good! It was really rock, played some of the classics of course including She's Gone, that I really like! Gonjasufi was amazing with his weird yet beautiful vocals and the band played really well!

Kutmah was supporting and played a really cool set... again he mixed everything he could mix... I think I liked it more than last time I saw him, same venue with Jehst, Kelpe, Lukid etc. Really like his style, I don't think there are many DJs that could do what he does; he just plays whatever he likes no matter how irrelevant the tracks are with each other and it's so good!