From Electro to Electro


Well, today is more on the guy who is sometimes taking the moniker of the Thin White Duke. It’s Les Rythmes Digitales. I thought of it when I was listening to the On The Floor At The Boutique by Lo-Fidelity Allstars. I have had that album since it came out back in ’98 (or at least that’s when I first laid eyes on it) and I still crack it out every so often. Hell, those of you who dig through our blog posts will find the Jackson and His Computer Band track “Makin’ It Happen” on here. That’s thanks to that same CD!

Well, LRD seminal hit “(Hey You) What’s That Sound?” is on this disc, too. It made me wonder what else he’s been up to and I have to say I found a couple of tracks that I had forgotten about! Now, I can’t stand the group Justice. Sorry. They’re chodes. I mean, there was that whole deal where they basically faked their live set. Although that could be doubtful, too. I mean, if you and I drank too much or sniffed a tad more than needed? We’d probably look like the picture below, also. I can see his reaction now: “Wait. It wasn’t plugged in? Well. We still brought it proper.”

Anyhow, LRD did a remix of Justice’s “D.A.N.C.E.” that’s not all too shabby. And I fucking loathe the original. Whenever I hear the original? It makes me get in my car, drive to a local SPCA, walk up and down the halls of cages, pick the cutest puppy of the bunch, and kick it. Not really. And if you got offended by that? Shut the fuck up. I hear the low price guarantee at Wal-Mart does in fact cover a sense of humor, too. Here’s the track.

Download Justice – D.A.N.C.E. (Les Rythmes Digitales remix)

Well, the man also did what I consider to be a great remix of Cassius’ “Feeling For You”. Much more housey and happy, and I could easily drop this in a DJ set. If I played any more, that is. So you get to drop it in your set instead. YAAAY!

Download Cassius – Feeling For You (Les Rythmes Digitales Dreamix edit)

Lastly is a remix of “Jacques Your Body (Make Me Sweat)”, but this is the Switch remix. When Switch was still any good. Ugh. They split in two, and next thing you know, Switch turns to shit. Sorry, but Switch hasn’t really made anything half-decent in the last two years. It’s depressing, but I guess that sound can only go so far. Well, this is a remix I personally adore. So have at it and enjoy.

Download Les Rythmes Digitales – Jacques Your Body (Make Me Sweat) (Switch remix)

Now go buy this stuff. I have illegitimate children to feed.

Flat


This is gonna be one of those epic posts. Where I discuss in detail a song that for some reason is long forgotten. Sort of.

Anyone remember the Levis ads with the little yellow sock puppet? No? Here’s a reminder. And hell. It is playing the song I am gonna post today.

That song was the epitome of awesome. For real. And the video? Was just as cool. Don’t believe me? Well I have the video, also. So there!

Well, this guy seems to have suffered from the one-hit wonder phenomenon. He’s since made more music, but to be honest? None has really caught my attention. Here’s a really weird vid for the song “Positif” he made last year. Eh. Sorry. Not all that great.

Well, without making you watch any more videos…..well, actually, I will make you watch one more. About how fucking stupid the Snuggie is. Seriously. If you buy one? Kill yourself. Soon.

So yeah. Now here’s “Flat Beat”.

Download Mr. Oizo – Flat Beat

Now go buy stuff. It’s Xmas. Hooray capitalism!

Derrick L. Carter – the interview!


Okay, this is the special treat I’ve worked so hard to get. Just this past Friday, Chicago house legend Derrick Carter graced Boston again. One of my good friends, Randy DeShaies, booked Derrick just two weeks prior to the event, so this was a simple slap in the face to wake me up and make me go dance – which I rarely do. I’ve wanted to get an interview with Derrick for years, now. That started while still helping George with the Vegas website we co-owned earlier in the decade. The blog gave me a new opportunity, and after really being persistent? Derrick obliged.

So after the show Friday, July 10th, he gave me a few minutes to discuss his views and be his usual jovial joker self. The conversation started with a lot of joking, and with Derrick outing his pal Mark Farina – jokingly – via the use of his iPhone. The text he read from it, as Derrick says, has Farina saying, “I was going to pee in Boston Friday, and looked up, and saw your big head staring at me!” Definitely only something the BFFs could share. And most definitely get a laugh out of me.

Eventually, we briefly discussed his discography, where he made note that he really doesn’t have a favorite record, per se. “I don’t have one of those moments where everything culminates,” Carter states. He continued by saying he’s “more evolutionary than revolutionary.”

This makes sense to anyone in the game as long as he’s been in it. People simply do need to evolve in order to survive the game, and his statements re-affirm that. As he continued, “I’m just trying to find a spot where everything works out, and it’s all good.”

When asked about putting on a show for the folks that come out to see him, he sort of shirked when I made mention of a quote that Erick Morillo gave me, but it still holds true. All those years ago, he told me that he simply knew people paid to see a show, so he wanted to try to put one on. While this may have changed with Morillo? The statement did speak volumes, and Derrick’s take was a bit more verbose and insightful.

“When you get that sort of platform,” he begins, “and you’re able to do things with people watching, and you’re charged with presenting people with a good time? That’s my situation.” And despite it being a different city on countless nights? “I’m here. This is not my home, but whatever. We’re trying to have a good time, so let’s do it.”

When finally asked about any new projects, he was vague about a new one, but the reasons are simply put by the Chicago legend. “I’ve got an album I’m working on, but I don’t have a whole lot of….’This is some secret shit!’ or have a insight into any of it.”

Despite the brevity of the interview, I felt incredibly lucky to be able to pick his brain with even what sounds like basic questions. Then again, it’s not every day I can spend talking to someone that helped influence how I DJ’ed.

Seriously? Go see this man play. You won’t be disappointed! This week, there are no MP3s posted, but I have left a link where many of the man’s live mixes are posted up online. Click here to check out these mixes.

And take the time to go buy his stuff! Now!

Basically, I just like these songs……


Yep. Two songs I like. Now, I get assloads of promo stuff from places, but I’ll be honest – I don’t like a lot of it. It’s not that it’s not good. It is. I just don’t think it would be fair to post music just for the sake of continued e-mail press releases! There are a few I do like. I promise all you PR-firm folks I will get to the ones I do like! My one year at UNLV back in 2000 was a Comm major with an emphasis in PR, so I feel your pain for the amount of work you do for a mere pittance.

Anyhow, here are two tracks I’m just in love with right now. I just went through a nasty fucking break-up (isn’t it funny how they guy always takes the shit end of that stick?) so this first one made me forget a lot of my problems, which I realize are so damned small compared to everything else in the world right now. Perspective, people!

So first off I’ve got the group Air France. They’re from Sweden. Whoa! Clever! Sarcasm aside, I like what these guys do. Very ethereal and uplifting, and this song of theirs is exactly what I needed right now. This is the track “Collapsing At Your Doorstep”.

[Download Air France – Collapsing At Your Doorstep]

Next is a song I had sort of forgotten about for a while. He’s one of the many artists that continues SubPop’s tradition of really good indie bands. His name is Chad VanGaalen and he’s definitely influenced by guys like Neil Young, if that gives you any real idea of his sound. Check out “Sing Me To Sleep”, and I bet you will understand why I felt good after this. Great tune, folks.

[Download Chad Van Gaalen – Sing Me To Sleep]

And lastly, your PSA telling you to buy some of this or I will kidnap whatever domesticated animal you own and sell it to a Chinese restaurant.

Bringin’ about some classic house….again.

Yeah, I know. It’s more “techno”, as some people like to call it. Well, there actually is a difference between “techno” and “house”. House music is much more sample heavy, and is usually at a much slower pace than what’s traditionally called “techno”. Not to mention, it’s many times – and I don’t mean this as a slight towards techno – much more uplifting and soulful. That’s just the long and short of it. Well, I yanked out a few more of my old house records and have recorded them as mp3s on my hard drive, and am now sharing them with you.

As you’ll see, a lot of these are based heavily around old samples. The first one takes a few riffs from an old disco cut. Which one? Well, Patrice Rushen‘s “Haven’t You Heard” is the cut. Rushen is best known for being ripped off for that garbage Will Smith track that was the theme for Men In Black. Seriously. That song was awful. The original was just that – original. Will Smith is now a scientologist. I think there’s a connection.

[Download Daddy’s Favourite – I Feel Good Things For You]

The next track is also sample heavy, and pretty blatantly so. However, it can be done tastefully, and I think this is one example of it being done so. It received a lot of play from the DJ crews that ran shit back 10-12 years ago, and it was featured on practically every dance compilation you could think of. The sample in Sex-O-Sonique’s “I Thought It Was You” is pretty straight-forward. It was Herbie Hancock‘s tune of the same name. It took me forever to find this, by the way. My records are an absolute mess! This particular version is the Salt City Orchestra remix, and it’s a killer. Enjoy it! A video featuring the original is right after it.

[Download Sex-O-Sonique – I Thought It Was You (SCO remix)]

Here’s another old dancefloor killer that was released on Azuli back in 1999. It’s a stomper of a cut by a group that used some oftentimes obscure disco samples for their cuts, and this one was no different. They used a sample from the track “Le Spank” by Le Pamplemousse for their track “I Like The Sounds”, and used if quite effectively. The Studio 45 track is below, and I’ve given you all a video with the sample there, to boot.

[Download Studio 45 – I Like The Sounds]

Last for this week is an old Deep Dish remix. This track was released way back in 1996. Yes, for some readers, that seems like a long time ago. Or it just says the guy writing this is nearing his mid-30’s and reminiscing like a foolish old man. When I was your age….well, I was your age. Most likely could drink a fair number of you under the table back then, also. Just ask George, here. He’s seen me at my “finest” on a few occasions.

Well, I had problems finding this track in particular. It’s Gusto’s “Disco’s Revenge”, and this remix in particular is, in essence, an extended version of the remix featured on the original release by Manifesto back in ’96. A full four and a half minutes longer, to be precise. Well, this also has a pretty loopy sample, and it’s of Harvey Mason’s “Groovin’ You”. Yeah, bet you didn’t think you’d learn shit today when you read my inane post, eh? Well, you did. So you’re that much smarter for it. And knowing is half the battle. Or some stupid G.I. Joe-like slogan. I hated G.I. Joe. You’d see millions of shots and lasers get fired off, yet no one got hit. Seriously? That was lame. Even when I was ten, I wanted to see blood and guts. Sorry, I got sidetracked. Anyhow, here’s Deep Dish’s remix of Gusto’s “Disco’s Revenge”.

[Download Gusto – Disco’s Revenge (Deep Dish remix)]

At this point, my hands are cramped, and considering it’s a whopping TEN degrees outside as I type this out, I’m somehow pretty damn cold, too. Even still, I have the energy to tell you all to go out and buy some of this stuff. I worked hard to get this all up for you! So go get it and help these folks out!

Armand Van Helden-mania! – Part 2


So last week, I started you all off with a few old school Armand Van Helden tracks and remixes. It got a pretty good response, actually. Well, except from the Strictly Rhythm folks, and we can understand why, so we took down the mp3 of “Break Night”. Hopefully if you guys trust my opinion, you’ll buy the track, anyhow!

So this week, we’re bouncing ahead a little further. After his seminal album 2 Future 4 U, he has just sort of gone downhill, unfortunately. The edge isn’t there, any more. That’s a real shame, because for a good half-dozen years, this guy made nothing but quality. Here I’m sharing a few more of his tracks.

To start off with, we’re going to bring up Daft Punk yet again. Daft Punk was part of a crew that called themselves “Da Mongoloids”. Well, according to discogs, it was just Bangalter of Daft Punk that took part in the crew. The crew would extend out to guys like Junior Sanchez, Basement Jaxx, and DJ Sneak, amongst others. Well, Armand made a remix of “Da Funk” that really is just a nutso take on the original, and here it is.

[Download Daft Punk – Da Funk (AVH mix)]

Next up is possibly his best known remix, and the one that got him the assloads of work he got after this one. He remixed Tori Amos’ “Professional Widow” and then, just about every DJ worldwide seemed to be playing it. It was one of the anthems in dance music in 1996, and for good reason.

[Download Tori Amos – Professional Widow (AVH mix)]

The next three I have listed here are much lesser known remixes by Van Helden. He went on a remix tear for a few years, and was remixing just about anything thrown his way. Hell, I even found a copy of the 12″ for Rednex “Cotton Eye Joe” with three remixes he did. And yes, it’s godawful. I won’t even force you all to listen to that one. Well, here I have listed his remixes of Apollo Four Forty’s “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Dub”, Skunk Anansie’s “Secretly”, and The Trancesetters’ “The Search”. The last one, I’ve seen iTunes list an Armand remix that, unless he made a 2nd version? That isn’t it. So don’t waste the time on it.

[Download Apollo Four Forty – Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Dub (AVH mix)]

Skunk Anansie – Secretly (AVH mix)

Trancesetters – The Search (AVH mix)

Now, I have plenty more Armand cuts, and for now, I am going to leave those on the backburner. I think I’ll revisit this topic again in the next month or two, because I have a lot of good stuff to share that wasn’t made by Armand. Stay tuned if you’re a househead, because I have a few more gems to share with you all!

Now, go buy some of this! We do, and so should you!

Armand Van Helden-mania! – Part 1


So this week, I’m going to give you guys mostly a bunch of old Armand Van Helden tunes. I shit you not, if it’s from the years 1994 to 1998? I most likely have it on wax. He used to reside here in Boston, and played at the locally legendary Loft. I missed out on the Loft back in ’96 by maybe a few months, and man, I am still upset I never got to experience it. Those were my formative days with house music, and I am sure that would’ve just sped up the process!

Since I’ve found so many tunes that Armand’s done that I want to share, I will keep this in two parts. A couple of local Boston guys have done the Armand theme in the past, and it’s really not easy picking what tunes to represent what Armand did! The Soul Clap guys have been in Boston for a long ass time, also, and know their shit. Here’s a link to their blog postings on Armand.

So let’s get this shit started! If I find the response to these little retrospectives to be very positive – meaning you should leave comments or e-mail me at waltzink@gmail.com – then I may do a second batch of his old school shizzy!

First off, I remember talking to a guy about five years ago that knew Armand back in the Loft days, and he actually told me I reminded him of Armand from the attitude standpoint. Basically, fuck trends….fuck “top ten” lists….do what you like and take some chances. It was probably the most humbling thing I’d heard in…well…ever. He told me that when Armand first moved down to NYC, he was actually essentially homeless for the first three weeks there! A lot can change in just two or three years, huh? Whether or not that’s true is up for debate, and Armand, I hear, hates interviews. And I know some kids who hang with him and they’ve said even with their help, it wouldn’t be likely.

Armand’s early stuff actually bounces around a lot. Here, you’ll see what I mean. I have given you guys what is probably my favorite Armand cut – The Mole People’s “Break Night”. It’s a 13 minute long track! It’s deep, tribal, and hypnotizing. Released on Strictly Rhythm back in 1995, it was just one of many Armand tunes that would help establish him as a future force in dance music. Of course, I could’ve just given you all Armand’s “Witch Doktor” as the tune that embodies his old stuff, but everyone does that.

Editors Note: Strictly Rhythm has asked us to no longer offer the track from Mole People from our site.  Like a responsible music blog, we complied.

So the next two are from the same album. He was also on another classic label – Henry Street. These two are lesser known tracks from his Old School Junkies persona. “Brooklyn Beats” has a sort of twisted story, however. It’s on Armand’s Old School Junkies – The Album (parts 1 and 2) but when I first heard this? I was under the impression it was another artist by the name of Scotti Deep. Well, I can’t see anywhere where the track actually was produced by Armand. In fact, this particular mix was done by Pulse 2 Rhythm. So who knows who actually gets credit for this one. For now? I will put it here as Armand’s “version” I guess. If anyone can clear this up, feel free!

[Download Old School Junkies – Brooklyn Beats]

The next is is a very underrated track of his. “Play The World” is very deep and funky. It’s actually a few years ahead of its time, in my opinion. While some artists may have done deep tracks like this, none were getting released in such a manner that reached a pretty large – for electronic music – audience.

[Download Old School Junkies – Play The World]

The last one is a remix Armand did about the same time he produced all of the above tracks. Sagat is known for one track. The song “Fuk Dat” got wide play, and was remixed by the likes of Josh Wink and Armand. Here, Armand has it in a very stripped down format, and has a killer acid loop (albeit not in the classic Chicago acid house sense) backing it. There’s another mix he did with the full vocals, but this one takes the cake.

[Download Sagat – Fuk Dat (Armand mix)]

In fact, he even made a video for this cut! Of course, he had to tone it down a bit, and it was re-titled “Funk Dat”, but you get the point!

Oh yeah! Go buy this stuff! Or else someone named Vinny is coming to your house. My guess is it won’t be for dinner, either.

Since it’s the holidays, how about some gifts!

So I fully had the intention of tracking down a bunch of my Jess and Crabbe records for this post. I’ve got six or seven of them. Anything from all three of their “Tribute” volumes to “The Big Booya EP” and more. Well, digging through all my records, I found a ton of stuff I just got so excited about. Not least of which was the one George spoke of in Monday’s post, which is Jackson & His Computer Band’s “Sense Juice EP”. So today, I will still be posting a Jess and Crabbe cut, but I have plenty of other tracks in store. All are in the vein of house music, so just kick back and enjoy. If you’re somehow averse to house music? Well, just imagine being in a nightclub when this stuff is coming much louder and you’re surrounded by people who are just out for a good time!

First up is Jess and Crabbe. These two dudes from France make some great shit! This one if off the EP “The Hell and Back”, and is the title track. If you want to know where the sample comes from? It’s from a hip-hop group called Da Youngstas, and the track samples is “Iz U Wit Me”. I actually had that groups first album. That’s me showing my age, obviously. So here’s Jess and Crabbe’s “The Hell and Back”.

[Download Jess & Crabbe – The Hell and Back]

Next up are two tracks from a mix CD by Cevin Fisher (Dangerous Disco, the Adventures of Double O Cevin) I heard about ten years ago. There were two tracks that stood out – The Avenue’s “I Am (Filthy Rich’s own mix)” and Agent Purple’s “Kings of Spain (Mandrax Lower East dub)”. I somehow found two copies of the first record over the years (hell, I think I may have three, but that just shows you how much I love this song!), and I just recently came across a copy of the triple-pack unmixed vinyl of Fisher’s album, so I got both of these stellar tracks.

[Download The Avenue – I Am (Filthy Rich’s Own mix)]

[Download Agent Purple – Kings of Spain (Mandrax Lower East dub)]

Next up is the aforementioned Jackson and His Computer Band track. I first heard it on Lo-Fidelity Allstars contribution to the “On The Floor at the Boutique” series. It’s called “Makin’ It Happen” and good lord is it funky and just a stomper of a track! Just enjoy it!

[Download Jackson & His Computer Band – Makin’ It Happen]

The last two are classics. Two tracks that just make me love life and the fact that somehow I have managed to stay alive and kickin’. Terrence Parker is a fucking legend. If you don’t know soulful house, please do yourself a favor and look this guy up. This is certainly more my end of the spectrum, as he focuses more on the disco element with “Your Love”, but regardless, his stuff is awesome. “Your Love” has a backstory, of sorts, also. Problem is? I can’t find the story! Instead of even attempting to tell it, I will hope someone is nice enough to read this and explain. Story does go that it was dedicated to a late Detroit DJ and friend of Parker’s, but that’s as far as I will take it.

[Download Terrence Parker – Your Love]

And yes, I said I had two classics. Ever heard of South Street Player? Most people haven’t. What about Roland Clark? Maybe? Well, he did vocals on Armand Van Helden’s “Flowerz” and has been around for quite some time. He does the vocals on South Street Player’s “(Who?) Keeps Changin’ Your Mind” and to top that off? A video featuring the song, also. Some classic ’80’s breakin’. Not sure how it all ties in, but I figure if I start thinking too hard about it, my nose will start bleeding, and next thing I know, I’ll be in my 50’s and just waking up out of a coma.

[Download South Street Player – (Who?) Keeps Changin’ Your Mind]

And yes, this is where I tell you to buy this music! Hey, I did! So should you! And hell, for 99 cents a song at some places? It’s well worth it!

More of the French! Viva la stupid arguments!

How important is an argument about a band? Well, it ranks right around watching paint dry, in my opinion. I got quite a testy response when talking about the fad-driven band MGMT, recently. Which made me wonder why people get so snippy about something so awesome as music. We’re all snobs to a degree with our music. We all hate certain bands, or certain types of music. Instead of saying, “This band sucks!”, I think what would be more appropriate would be, “This just isn’t my cup of tea.” And I hate tea! The site here isn’t intended to not be inclusive with our music choices. And the debate with these two hipsters – who are right now probably shopping at an Urban Outfitters and lamenting the state of a band only six months ago they went apeshit for – made me realize this even more clearly.

So to go in a complete one-eighty of such trivial and banal bullshit? I head back the way of the music I started in on last week. The French pop sound. And with that awesomely long-winded introduction, I give you Benjamin Diamond. Benjamin Diamond? Who the fuck is that? Rhetorical question, mind you. Diamond was the head of Diamond Traxx, and possibly best known for his stellar vocals on the seminal cut “Music Sounds Better With You”. He’s essentially the Prince of France, and deservedly so!

Stardust was the trio that featured Diamond on vocals, as well as Thomas Bangaltar (from Daft Punk) and Alan Braxe. Braxe would later release cuts like “Vertigo” and the EP Intro with the help of Fred Falke. Unfortunately, his latest efforts have been dull and uninspiring, but he did help with this cut, and we’re certainly thankful for that! Below I’ve brought you all the original mix, but as a little gift, I’m also featuring the DJ Sneak 32 on Red Mix. This is possibly my favorite DJ Sneak remix job, as it served admirably on its own in house sets of mine, as well as a great DJ tool record.

Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You (Radio Edit)

Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You (DJ Sneak 32 on Red Mix)

Well Diamond has had a solo career for close to ten years, now, and he’s just released a new album. Here, I’ll be featuring the track “Little Scare” off of his debut album Strange Attitude, along with the song “Baby’s On Fire” from his latest effort, Cruise Control. Viva la French pop!

Benjamin Diamond – Baby’s On Fire

[Download Benjamin Diamond – Babys On Fire]

Benjamin Diamond – Little Scare

And again, please do buy some of these! It helps to go a long way in helping us bring you this awesome stuff!


Fuzzy animals make fun music

Okay, so this is not going to seem “new” to a lot of people. Who cares! I’m here to share music I love. So for this one I’ll be posting up a couple of songs from a man who goes by the artist name of Panda Bear. Many of you probably know who this guy is, already. For those who don’t? Click here for his Wikipedia page. The album Person Pitch is what initially got my attention. Better late than never, one might say. I was listening to Sirius’ Left of Center, and heard what I initially thought to be something in the mold of the Beach Boys or at the very least inspired by their frontman Brian Wilson.

Well, after a little digging, I found out what the song was, and went bonkers when I bought the album and took a listen. The song I’m posting is what gave me an utterly euphoric feeling I hadn’t had from music since listening to the other cut I’ll be posting. See what I did there? I made you have to scroll through to find out what the other song was! I’m tricky like that. So here you have the track “Bros”.

And here is a video of a live performance by Panda Bear doing the aforementioned “Bros”. I had a chance to check him out live in New York City last year during the summer. First off, the band opening for him? Atrocious. Good lord, people that tag their band “experimental”? Stop it. It’s meant to be played to torture terrorists in Gitmo. Not for performing live. Anyways, he doesn’t really “perform”, per se, but in a way DJs. Now, coming from a DJ background, I’ll sort it out. He uses a mixer and instead of turntables, he has samplers that are loaded with presets that he triggers. All the while, he is singing.

Once samples are triggered, he “mixes” the tracks. It makes for a continuous hour of music all while trippy videos and images are shown on a screen behind him. The show was great in a very odd way, but I just have to reiterate my disdain for the uber-hipster crowd. You’re not cool. Stop dressing like Marty McFly and waxing pretentious when it comes to any number of artsy topics. The crowd at these sorts of shows are usually lame and uninspiring, and this crowd was no different. No movement, no sound, no FUN! Seriously, this music was awesome, as was the show. That’s really besides the point. Here you’ll see what I mean about the “live” show.

Now, earlier I mentioned the euphoria I felt through song. This next track had me dancing on yet another trip down to New York City while watching the legendary Francois K DJing. He hopped around from ultra deep house to ragga, but this track had me going insane. I rarely dance. That says something. This is Global Communication’s “The Way” (The Secret Ingredients Mix) from 1996. I first heard it while in a club in Boston when it was brand spankin’ new, and it’s one of those tracks that led me down the path of house music. Utterly phenomenal song! Enjoy!

And please do make a purchase or two! That would just be splendiferous. And neat. And other words that sound just plain silly.