79-70 Countdown continues...

79. Das Feur (Pilooski Edit) - Holger Hiller (Dirty Edits Vol 2)
See this post.

78. Colder Than Cold – Kari Jess/Drums Of War - Flowsion (High Stakes)

For the full skinny on High Stakes check this post. Kari Jess simply kills this, what a shame then that he's talking rubbish and doesn't have the reportage skills of Flowsion who flexes necessary lyrics about the outrageous Maori 'terrorist' raids at the end of '07. The damage that hip-hop (and relatives) has done to Jamaican lyricism is truly massive, and hopefully not irrevocable, respect to Flowsion from little old NZ for reminding of reggae's value as a vital news medium for those who don't get a voice elsewhere.

(Karispace)
See this post for mas High Stakes.

COLDER THAN COLD - KARI JESS

DRUMS OF WAR - FLOWSION

77. Click My Finger – Erup (Truckback)

Erup truly planted his flag on the 'Gearbox' rhythm, and the dancehall scene in general, with his digital snapping 'Click My Fingers'. His flow is blinding on this (and he hasn't bettered it yet), while the rhythm is some crazy kind of bashment meets teddy boy tune up. The vid below is one of many featuring folks shaking a hip or two to the track, the sound is rubbish on this clip, but I rate it the mostest in every aspect, especially the location.

(Erupspace)

76. The Living Sea - Monkey (XL)
Until not so long ago I wouldn't have given Damon Albarn a light, let alone the time of day. However from his Malian musings with Pablo's bass player, to his Good, Bad & Queening with Simonon, Allen et al my respect, and enjoyment of his work, just grows. The Monkey Journey To The West soundtrack thingie is wicked but as Jamie Hewlett remarked when I interviewed him about the album (seemed like a most unaffected celebrity cartooner, and went well over time with a lot of good things to say) it's not the kind of thing you want to play everyday. This track is. Albarn seemed a little bit titchy at my suggestion that this sounded like an Orientalised The Good, The Bad & The Queen song....but it does!

(buy)
(Monkeyspace) song is on the player here
(Monkeyweb)
(Operaweb)

75. Bombon Asesino Version - El Hijo De La Cumbia (Bersa Discos)

There is so much potential in the nova-digital-cumbia gear and I'm praying that it doesn't go the way of so many interesting tangents, and just become another dancefloor diversion for hipsterati mp3 djs. Lot of faith in this geezer and the Bersa Discos crew who just keep bringing new names through with every release. This version is from one of me Stinkmix CD's (was all I had on hand, apologies) so has additional spoken verd piffle and sting-age on top, guess you'll just have to pile on the files from Turntable Lab if you want it unobscured..

(buy) digi

(ElHijoDeLaCumbiaspace)

(Bersaspace)

BOMBON ASESINO VERSION - EL HIJO DE LA CUMBIA

74. Beautiful Gloom (Dennis Young Version) – Padded Cell (DC Recordings)

Could just as easily been the original from the pretty bloody marvelous 'Night Must Fall' album, but I've plumped for the version featured on 'Death Before Distemper 2'. Dennis Young is originally from the legendary Liquid Liquid, is a percusso-power-puncher par excellence and has more collabos with DC Recordings artists on the way. Check his website (below) for detailia. The killer trumpet (and guitar) comes from Gerald Hammill, points and prizes!

(buy)

(PaddedCellspace)
(DennisYoungweb)


BEAUTIFUL GLOOM (DENNIS YOUNG VERSION) - PADDED CELL

73. 80's - Joker (Kapsize)

Were I considering taking this list riddiculation even further (don't worry I supsect I have already bitten off more than easily chewable) and going down the path of artist of the year and what have you, Joker would be right up there. More to come from him later listwardly, this is some frighteningly fierce future funk.

(buy)
(Jokerspace)
(Kapsizespace)

80's - JOKER 

72. Pendulum - Sisters Of Transistors (This Is Music)
See this post


71. Do Bodda Mi (In Digital) - Roots Manuva/Wrong Tom (Big Dada)
Wrong Tom, often found lurking around Hard-Fi remixes, did a stonking job of overhauling some of the highlights of Rodders latest epic in a dubwise slant on 'Slime & Version'. This jaunty track was a highlight on both the original and the re-jig.

(buy)


70. Zeitghost - The Time & Space Machine (5D)

Following on from the exceptional Beyond The Wizards Sleeve series of edits and enhancements to 60's and 70's hooha (made with the oft-surprising Erol Alkan), ex-Gridster and thoroughly nice bloke, Richard Norris, struck out on his own as The Time And Space Machine. This release is, if anything, even better. Pretty sure this is hard to track down now, look out for a quick (unpublished) interview with the musically very well travelled Norris, about the whole re-edit fandangle up here in the next month or two.

(Time&Spacespace)

ZEITGHOST - THE TIME & SPACE MACHINE

spanking you for your attention.....

It's Jim Up North (apologies to Cauty & Drummond)

Please do not expect posts every day, this is extraordinary! Im just trying to get a bit of a head of steam up to make this malarkey worthy of your perusal (especially after all the time I've spent not getting this blog started)!
Despite coming close to two decades in the mighty Auks and the stenching shire that is NZ my default settings, at least navigationally, are still in Blighty.
So when I think of Manc mistresses (and 1 mister) Sisters Of Transistors and Glasvegan beat brutaliser Rustie, my Midlands mind automatically goes 'up north' (with a doff of the proverbial cap to the KLF).



Having just released one scorching single on This Is Music, Sisters Of Transistors may have not have produced a blip on enough folks radar yet, but the strength of that 12" suggests it won't be too long. The four sisters are keyboard toting madams who also sing, and they are joined by the ever impeccable Graham Massey, ex-of 808 State, Toolshed, Homelife etc etc. In all honesty the track that provoked me into searching out, and securing, this wonderful wax (thank you Piccadilly Records) is 'Pendulum' a smoldering instrumental that sets the organs (their keyboards, and possibly my vital ones) onto stun, but the A-side 'The Don' has also worked its charms on me big time. This kind of reminds me of Cadet Records incomparably fruity Rotary Connection being dragged willingly into the 00's, and it carries that delightful Bisto-like whiff of musical obsession that Manchester seems to have in spades. Last time I played in Manchester, 5 or 6 years ago with me pal Trevor Whateva, I was delighted and not a little flummoxed that every single person encountered was charged and ready to enter into serious and intense musical discussions and enthusiastic, knowledgeable 'have you heard this???' conversations at the drop of a proverbial piece of headwear. They take it serious, and I can respect that till the bovines have returned to their domicile.

You can hear that kind of passion in the Sisters Of Transistors tracks, and it once again proves that man Massey should have a target on his back, for easy identification as far as following them tunes is concerned. This track gets remixed quite nicely by those stereophonic sluts Hot Chip (is there anyone they haven't remixed?? come on, get off there and give someone else a go, honestly they're like the kids on the trainset at Toys R Us) and I know James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco, Klaxons producer etc) is a big fan, when I interviewed him a year or two ago he spoke at length and very highly about Massey as a major influence and mentor, so Im guessing you can expect SMD mixes at some point in the future.
You can pick the 12" up from these fine folk
or right here

And the murdokkkspaz is ici

SISTER OF TRANSISTORS - THE DON



On the back of just a few 12"s and remixes Glasgow's Rustie has become a standard bearer for 'wonky' alongside the likes of Flying Lotus, Ras G, Samiyam, Bullion etc. Despite have a pretty rubbish umbrella name for what is essentially messed up beats, them folks are making some good and challenging tunes. The crossover with the more progressive end of dirty old dubstep, and the simple fact that this seems to be a musical area where experimentation is encouraged bode well for the future, though I have difficulty with the fact that all these artists have a tendency to draw on a similar palate of sounds and feels which makes it a little bit like when everyone wanted to be Prefuse 73 a few years ago (and look where that ended up!) Rustie does seem to have the handle though as his devastating remix of Zomby's 'Spliff Dub' on Hyperdub easily demonstrated, and this track which is the B-side of his collabo with the utterly mindboggling Joker on the jocular ones Kapsize label has sent me in the last couple of weeks. Joker has been responsible for several of my favouritest and most played tunes in 08, so the mere fact that I'm whacking up the flipside should speak volumes.

You can score it like this
or like that

RUSTIE - TEMPERED


Keeping it Glaswegian and on a completely different tip, this 'last gang in town' have done my nut in (ta for the early warning KH) and will no doubt be getting a post of their own soonest, in the meantime check this Youtubery (not allowed to embed any of the proper vids, boo hoo)for a rare case of believe the hype!