This is an overview of the music that the 909 crew are feeling this month. Not focused on new releases, it serves as an insight to our musical journeys and the discoveries we make on the way.
Jah Wobble, The Edge & Holger Czukay – Hold On To Your Dreams
This is one for those slow, hazy summer days that are unfortunately far far behind us… The first thing that strikes me about this song is how good the musicianship is. The bassline is so damn sexy and groovy, and it gracefully permeates the song. The chords that persist throughout are also luscious and they exemplify the song’s progression and feel. What I particularly like about this song is that it feels like a proper journey. If you listen from about 3 minutes in it’s a completely different song from what is going on at 30 seconds, and you think ‘how the hell did it get to here?’ What is also potentially the coolest part about this song is that the guitarist is none other than The Edge… Yes, THAT one. Wee bit mind-boggling I know, as when he’s not in the Joshua Tree he’s making sleazy summer anthems like this. I guess he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for… As expected, the choppy guitar chords that he provides are really sick and make a nice contribution to the song. Overall, this is a song that encapsulates what festivals like Dekmantel are all about and it is obscure disco of the very highest calibre.
Craig Richards – My Friend Is Losing His Mind
I’ve been awaiting a release for this for ages now. It’s been pounded by Craig all summer and pretty much anyone that’s heard it has been agonisingly waiting for him to confirm that it’s his own track. Before now I’ve always found that his productions have been a bit of a leave it. They were alright but none of it particularly interested me. However, it’s clear that his mindset is thriving in his newfound popularity, and that confidence has reflected into this badboi. One of the most respected and best selectors in the game, he knows better than anyone that electro is the sound of the moment, and this has come out at a perfect time. While some aspects of the song such as the beat are vaguely formulaic, it is so unique in loads of other ways that this isn’t an issue at all. The whole song is really glitchy and busy, with weird noises and bells and whistles intermittently appearing seemingly at random. However, it all feels carefully constructed at the same time and I think that this is a purposeful consequence of really tight production. I find my toe always taps irresistibly whenever I listen to it, as it is enviably groovy and those hi hats are expertly deployed to catch the beat. Probably gonna pick this one up when it eventually gets properly released, and I hope to see more of the same from Mr Richards.
Joe – MPH
Every Hessle release is always gonna receive huge hype. I actually thought that the recent Call Super x Beatrice Dillon EP was a bit meh and the hype it received was just the usual fanfare that accompanies any of their releases. This release from Joe though is certainly different. Everyone is going on about and playing the A side, which is undoubtedly wicked and far more club ready; and I know that Ben UFO and Hunee among others are using it loads atm. I on the other hand am absolutely captivated by the B side, MPH. Again, it has that certain je ne sais quoi about it that most Hessle records have, where it sounds totally alien and weird, yet completely at home on the Hessle label. It’s certainly a slow burn of a song, with the chords seemingly being stuck in motion and continuously shuddering throughout the song. It gets a bit more Joe-ey about 2 mins in, when the weird loopy samples start coming in and the piano chords arise. What I like about it is that it feels like it’s building up to something that is never going to arrive. Very much like a watered down Butric Up, the crescendo never comes, and instead the song slowly fizzles out. This is admirable however, as it shows that it is a far more complex piece of music than just a club tool. Rather to the contrary, this song invites you to get creative with your set and to use this as a build-up for another track. So while the A side will get all the attention on the IDoMG and ITT Group, I just want to be in the corner for the little guy. The probably inferior and less accessible but simultaneously more unique and interesting song. Bigups Joe for a very satisfying and well-rounded EP.
Z.I.P.P.O & Hiver – Singularity
I am obsessed with this song. I heard it near the climax of Dr Rubinstein’s Beats in Space mix and desperately searched for it for a good couple weeks. Eventually I found a rip of it on Youtube (which the link above is, go to 2:30 onwards for the song) and a link to pre-order the EP on Bandcamp… Safe to say that shit has been muthafuckin’ bought!! I try to only buy electro records that I find completely unique and mesmerising. This can mean super heavy and hectic (I-F’s Playstation 2, Transparent Sound’s No Call From New York for example) to pure euphoric stuff à la Lifestyles of the Laptop Cafe or Perspects’ Desire & Efficiency. This is certainly in the latter camp, and while it’s not quite up to the standard of the highs of Lifestyles, it’s a pretty damn good song. My first impressions of it is that it is very deep and atmospheric. I like how the beat is slower than most electro and consequently it feels that there is far more power in its execution. It’s a good productive technique that they have put loads of bass underneath that beat as it results in the beat having a really satisfyingly dominating presence. The shimmering chords that eventually appear are very nice as well, as they are really evocative and embody a sense of exhilaration and euphoria. I love the drop that comes in just before 5 minutes, it feels like one of those moments that you experience in a nightclub where a specific part of a song unites the crowd together and from that point the rave is officially ONNNN. It is therefore a song that you need to play with caution, because it is only suitable for those peak moments of a set. Otherwise its effectiveness is just a bit wasted in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong if I heard this at any point during the night I’d freak, but the art of DJing is all about using songs to their full capability innit. As much as I might wanna whack on some Sync 24 or Drexciya early doors, I won’t. To be honest though, pretty much any DJ that will actually play this out will be way better than me anyway, so my two cents means jack shit. But what I am definitely right about though is that this song is absolutely killer, so you should send money and other nice things to Z.I.P.P.O & Hiver for this madting.
Far Out Radio Systems – LV-426
DJ Paramedic and myself are lucky enough to be playing at the ITT x Origins Halloween Party this weekend, warming up for Rhythm Sisters’ Liv Ayers and the Hessle Audio/Timedance stalwart Bruce. This is a really exciting slot and one where we can explore the darker side to our record collections, whilst not absolutely shelling it. This has led to me digging into the deeper and more euphoric side of techno and breaks, and I’ve emerged with this beauty. Far Out Radio Systems have consistently put out amazing records, with Empty The Tanks (A New Trance Is Here) being one of the hottest cuts around and the closer of Dr Rubinstein’s most recent Berghain set… which I imagine was fairly fun. The alluring acid line of LV-426 is absolutely delicious. It has that Tin Man sharpness to it, and feels mysterious and slightly dangerous. I really like the neurotic beat pattern as well, as you sporadically see acid outside of the 4×4 range, so this is really refreshing and it complements the acid really well. I love the big interlude in the middle as well, as it expertly builds the tension and when the drop comes it feels so triumphant. Absolute fuego. Expect to see ya man Dr Blowfin drop this early doors on Saturday. Catch you on the flippidy-flip!