Wednesday, April 30, 2008

LES CHOEURS DE L'ARMEE SOVIETIQUE


I don't have much to say about this other than I really like this soviet army choir singing these military themes. Hope you enjoy. Weird that it's from Turkey? I wish this cassette had this alternate cover which I found on the nets.

LES CHOEURS DE L'ARMEE SOVIETIQUE
DIRECTION: BORIS ALEXANDROV

SIDE A

1 KALINKA
2 CHANT DE LA LIBERATION (Chant des Partisans francais) (A. Marly-J. Kessel-M. Druon)
3 LA CHANSON DU BOULEAU
4 PLAINE, MA PLAINE (L. Knipper-V. Goussev)
5 LA VARSOVIENN
6 LES BATELIERS DE LA VOLGA (arr. B. Alexandrov)
7 EN ROUTE (M. Doudine-V. Soloviev-Sedoi)
8 EPITAPHE (Mikis Theodorakis-Yannis Ritsos)

SIDE B


Also, head over to the Durrr party site to download a new podcast I did in early April for the party. I really like this one, featuring lots of the tracks which I dj currently, as well as some unusual ones like the elevator music track Wives and Lovers at the start, the track from the new Chap album and Ata Kak african track which is hypnotic and hilarious.

Finally, if there is anything that I am all about, it's showing the other side of something we know well. Looking at hidden layers forgotten and showing how the past not only endlessly repeats itself, but also forgets nuances that are really fantastic. That's sort of the manifesto for the blog actually. And in that spirit, I picked up this tape on ebay from Princess Julia who has been glitterati of the demimonde in London for years. She is now (with the lovely Hanna Hanra) behind the very well connected and informed The P.I.X. magazine which is your ultimate source for all that is really new and hot in music. I don't know much about Milky Lunch, or the tracklisting for this, but it's bouncy progressive housey stuff from 1994. Enjoy.


Princess Julia at Milky Lunch


Side B

Monday, April 28, 2008

Smylonylon 18 - Diskolos mixtape


I don't want this blog to become a Smylonylon posting spot so I will put up a new cassette in the next few days. But this Smylonylon tape is too amazing to leave to my friends only. This IS the definition of spaced out disco. Lots of people are chasing this sound but this cassette gets it so right. I've posted previous Smylonylon stuff here, but this is probably the most amazing for being equally obscure and yet very enjoyable. I think Magnifique on the first side is a standout track (you can sample it on my other blog here) and the end of side B covers that amazing Black Devil album that has been floating around the web, with some tracks to sample on the Yermam blog here.
Edit:
I had to post the Depeche Mode - Big Muff track after I listened again to Side B last night. It's such a good mix. If anyone has the Steve Bender - Good Lovin' send it to me. I can't find it.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Some lost east african gems





Our african party Manifesto has been doing surprisingly well. I really think the music we play is amazing, but I was surprised that every tuesday we would get more and more people to come out. Last night was so packed we had to turn away people, and on a rainy night.  Its every Tuesday at the Burlington Club, 12 New Burlington Street off Regent Street in Mayfair, if you are in London.  We even have a sort of live house band :)  Pics at the bottom of the post.

Anyway, my partner Alberto had managed to get hold of 2 seven inches which I heard him play at some point and asked him to let me borrow and blog. I can't find any info about either of these on the web, but they are east african congo style tracks. The standout track is Bolingo pt. 2 in my opinion.












Tuesday, April 01, 2008

NME 002 - Jive Wire



I had a real fantastic haul at the Dalston Oxfam Shop this last week. FYI the Oxjam events are starting today and going on through April. Go support cause it's a fantastic shop and organization and they've given me so much.


But back to me . . . I picked up 3 of the early NME cassettes including this one, NME 004 and NME 005. So if you look at all the NME cassettes listed here, if you add those with the 2 others I've posted on this blog already, the Mad Mix II NME 008 and the Ace Case NME 009, I have a lot of the early cassettes. Looks like the really famous C81 was followed up by a NME 001 in the same year. Weird.


In terms of tracks there are some really unusual and odd things here. On Side A my favorite track is probably the Leisure Process track - it's like twice as long as other versions I've seen on the web. But the track from Buzzz for example is apparently only on this cassette and I can't find any more info about it. I look forward to comments from those more enlightened.

Side B has some really great stuff too. The Altered Images version of Happy Birthday may be the coolest Happy Birthday song ever, and the Pablo track Madaleina is fantastic vintage african pop.


Side A



Side B


Producer - Ric Ocasek (from the Cars)
B2 Kraftwerk - Das Model (3:39)
B3 Altered Images - Happy Birthday (3:15)



We are also relaunching our african party Manifesto tonight, 1 April in London off Regent Street at the Burlington club. It will be downstairs in the chic club space with djs and a few live musicians (but no band) and then once a month we will do as before with the full venue being used for the party with top live african bands, etc. It's easy to get in and not super expensive and still the best african party in London cause it's new AND old - and I'm djing :)