Bozak boogie.

Hey you!

It's been a while. Too long. How have you all been keeping? Anyway...


After seemingly months of anticipation, I've finally heard James Murphy and Pat Mahoney's (of LCD Soundsystem, in case you didn't know) Fabriclive mix and it's - deep breath - well... it's not great. It's entertaining and you can't go far wrong with this much disco music in one place, but the mixing, whilst natural and done on a hand-to-hand Bozak (like what Larry Levan used to use), is unadventurous to say the least. I suppose that's partly the point really, to make the mix seem unobtrusive and I guess the largely disco tracklisting leads to it sounding a little plain (inasmuch as a disco mix can sound plain), but I can't help but feel that this could have been a lot better.

I feel bad knocking something where there's clearly a lot of love for the content involved, but knowing how eclectic Murphy's tastes are, something a little more all-over-the-shop would have been nice. Then again, there's a lot of those about and maybe the guys didn't want this to be like those. Bad points aside though, this features some of my favourite all-time disco tunes ('Love Has Come Around', 'Tell Me That I'm Dreaming', 'Put Your Pants On') alongside some great modern discoid sounds (tracks from Baby Oliver and Eric Broucek's Babytalk project to name but two), so it's hard to be too churlish. It's just, y'know, no Cosmo Galactic Prism or anything, but then again, what is?

Fabric should have got Tim Sweeney to do it instead, methinks. Speaking of which, I think I'm starting to prefer the shows where he's on his own to those where he has a guest. His Beats In Space show for September 4th (Tim plays Beats In Space classics!) is essential. Lots of new wave, Balearica and early house and techno. Go get it! Also, while you're on the download, check out a really great disco mix in Rahaan's 'Disco Love' over at Million Dollar Disco. Proper funky.

Check out Black Country Grammar to sample some more tunes that James and Pat throw in the mix, after you've grabbed these ones that is...

Was (Not Was) - Tell Me That I'm Dreaming (mp3)

Junior Byron - Dance To The Music (mp3)

Baby Oliver - Primetime (Uptown Express) (mp3)

That's all for now,

JMx

"Then you think again..."

I sent an email to Jon from Black Country Grammar the other day which detailed my initial thoughts on the upcoming LCD Soundsystem remixes package, which went a little something like this...

"On first listen... They're all pretty great. The Windsurf remix is nice and spacey and a little proggy. More of a tripped-out cover than a remix though. Soulwax's take on 'Get Innocuous!' is surprisingly subtle and not the durr-durr-durr overload I was expecting. Gucci Soundsystem amp up the funk in 'Time To Get Away' turning it into a tough little electro-cowbell-house doozy. Major plaudits reserved for Carl Craig who turns in a crowdpleasing tech-soul re-fit of 'Sound Of Silver'. Points deducted for the slightly lazy fade-out at the end but it's probably because it could have gone on for days without it.

All in all; OMFG! DFA is teh shiznit!"

I still stand by these sentiments now I've had quite a few more listens. The fade at the end of the Carl Craig mix still bugs me as it needs at least another three minutes and I've cooled a little on the Gucci Soundsystem mix of 'Time To Get Away', but the Windsurf cover of 'Us Vs. Them' gets better everytime I hear it and I'm still surprised by Soulwax's display of subtlety while working over 'Get Innocuous!'. It'd be unethical to post one of them at this early juncture but I'm sure I'll get around to it at some point so keep an eye out.

This is essentially a really lazy Sunday afternoon post to show you, if nothing else, that I speak to people I know exactly like how I write on this thing.

Just one more thing; Shit Robot was excellent last night at Get Girl. Kill Baddies. Save Planet. banging out a tough, funky techno set that really got the crowd moving. He dropped this little blinder from about four years ago and it was most definitely the tune of the night, in my opinion...

Freeform Five - Perspex Sex (Ewan Pearson's Hi-NRG Mix)

Earlier in the night, I played a brief set to two - count 'em - punters (note: they were both friends of mine too). I couldn't really have expected any more than that as I was on at 9pm and it didn't really get rocking until midnight anyway, but I had fun all the same. Here, if you're interested, is what I played, roughly in order...

Västkustska Ryggdunkarsällskapet - Town Out Of Order
Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band - I'm An Indian, Too
Ministry - I Wanted To Tell Her
Shocking Pinks - SmokeScreen
Liquid Liquid - Optimo
Stevie Wonder - Do Like You
Hamilton Bohannon - Let's Start The Dance III (FK Instrumental Club Mix)
Chic - I Want Your Love (Todd Terje Edit)
Chaz Jankel - Glad To Know You
J.A.M. - Number One

That may look like a pretty great set written down, but wait 'til you hear it complimented by my shitty mixing skills. Hot like fiya!

Also, you can now join the Yer Mam! facebook group, should you be interested in such a thing.

Laters,

JMx

Plug me in.

It's that time of the month again. Yup, it's Get Girl. Kill Baddies. Save Planet. time! Tomorrow (Saturday 8th) the Get Girl crew have a very special guest in the form of DFA's in-house crap android, Shit Robot. It's going to be a good one, so get down to The Roadhouse from 9pm. If you get there really early, you'll be able to see yours truly playing a set that shouldn't really make any sense and, naturally, doesn't. I know you all want to see that.

For a flavour of what to expect from Shitbot's set tomorrow, go here.

Shit Robot - Triumph (mp3)