Go ahead and grab a beverage, this one's gonna take a while.
Back? OK. First up is something that I meant to include in last week's Awakening, along with this anecdote: Many times I have been asked (as a DJ, but also just as a music collector), "How do you find your music?" Usually I don't have a good answer for the person asking, but I'm going to make an attempt. Back when I was buying strictly vinyl for DJing, it was following a general spider web path of looking for similarities. If I saw a record with the same sleeve (usually indicating the same record label) I'd usually listen to it at least because I know it's usually going to have a similar sound. Artist, remixer, label, genre... these are all clues that DJs follow to find tracks they know they like or find new but similar tracks. Of course, if you don't break out of your box, you'll miss a lot of kool stuff, so you can't always follow that path. I never would have started spinning indie tracks if I was still following the same clues I was 5 years ago.
I think most people who will be reading this will have heard of Death Cab for Cutie before. And I will even bet that most of those people have heard of Postal Service before. If you're a fan of these two, then you should definitely be a fan of Adam Young. I mean, is it just me or does he sound a lot like Ben Gibbard? Well, like Ben, Adam has been working on a lot of different music projects since at least 2003. His latest solo project, Owl City is definitely taking off. Firelies - Owl City (hosted @ earmilk)
Here's a cut from my deep house side. Crazy Penis (aka Crazy P for the people who don't know how to say penis) is a UK group who have been layin down funky deep grooves for over a decade. I found them when I was in my "everything Naked Music, Om Records, etc that I can get my hands on" phase. Probably best known for thier Willy Wonka rework There's A Better Place, Crazy P are still going strong with this remix Township Funk (Crazy Penis) - Mujava (hosted @ electrorash)
Generally I don't include videos for the tracks I post to share here, but there's always a first. Filewile's website doesn't say a whole lot about them, so I had to go to thier myspace to find out that they're from Berne, Switzerland. However they definitely already have supprt from all over the world including Nicolette (British vocalist formerly of Massive Attack fame), New York rapper and now Berlin resident RQM, Rider Shafique, Mr. Melody and Baby Cham. The video isn't my favorite, but it's still kool because this song is a total pimp driving track. Number One Kid - Filewile
Ladyhawke is just kool. That's my conclusion after visiting her website. The about page is awesome. Plus she's getting remixed by names like Van She, Peaches, Alex Gopher, and Mock & Toof. Yea, I'm sure I'd probably be putty in her hands she talked to me in a New Zealand accent... but I digress. Here are a couple of remixes of her latest release. Even though I'm usually a Classixx fan, I have to say I'm diggin the Swiss remix more on this one. Maybe I've just gotten used to Classixx. hmm. Magic (Classixx Version) - LadyHawke (hosted @ electrorash)
I'm not sure what attracted me to this song at first. Most likely it was me still trying to decide if I liked L'Amour La Morgue. When my friend and I were chillin out yesterday and this song's vocal started, we both just looked at each other and without saying a word, both totally agreed that this song rocked. Of course, the original by Editors is nice and dance-popish, but L'Amour La Morgue have made it into an awesome club banger. These L'Amour guys are really starting to impress me. They're french, they wear kool masks... god I'm predictable. Papillion (L'Amour La Morgue Remix) - Editors (hosted @ bigstereo)
This very moment, there's a big smirk across my face. That smirk is there because I should have known. I just went to Junkie XL's myspace page and the very artist who was on my mind is the first name on his Top Friends list. Why was Pink Floyd on my mind while I was surfing Junkie XL? Well, just listen to his latest release and you'll know why real soon. Cosmic Rave - Junkie XL (hosted @ rcrdlbl)
OK, it's time for... BNGR ALERT!
Indie BNGR: This one is more of an all out indie rock track than a club track, but I can definitely see any creative DJ find a good place to work it in. The last Presets tracks which found heavy rotation on my tables was very different from this offering. I'm refering of course to the CFCF remix of 'Talk Like That' which was super dreamy and chill. This time, VanShe has taken The Preset's latest single and rocked it out as electro rock heavy as I could ever wish for. Are You The One? (VanShe Tech NYC Rush Mix) - The Presets (hosted @ earmilk)
MSHUP LCTRO BNGR: Yeah, I said it. Mashup electro banger... you got a problem with that? I didn't think so. It's a match made in electro-indie-pop heaven... MGMT vs. Justice & Simian. Now, click and enjoy! We Are Your Kids (Tevar Mashup) - MGMT vs. Justice & Simian (hosted @ earmilk)
P.A.T.T.'s Pre-Halloween Picks
As we get closer and closer to what I think is the most popular holiday all year... Halloween, I have come across a few tracks that are either obviously meant for this especially devious celebration, or just have that spooky sound all on thier own. Either way, here are a few tunes from the darker side. The first one is actually a deeper cut from Zero 7's new album - Yeah Ghost. I say deeper cut because Pop Art Blue has been getting a lot of play already because it has the very well-known Zero 7 sound. This track has some eerie processors going on the vocals with the occaisional slow breakbeat that I love. Ghost Symbol - Zero7 (hosted @ hypemachine)
The Toxic Avenger has been back on the scene with several new releases. He's on a worldwide tour at the moment and Scion is releasing his tracks on an upcoming Sampler EP and IHEARTCOMIX put this latest offering out last month. Can you say "perfect timing?" Toxic Is Dead (DeltA Remix)- The Toxic Avenger (hosted @ earmilk)
Now, I couldn't lead you up to Halloween without something truely creepy. So I will leave you with this almost tackey horror movie sample filled electro trasher from french producer Sawgood. If you're a fan of Proxy, Feed Me, Toxic Avenger... you'll probably enjoy this one. We Are A Candyman - Sawgood (hosted @ dsquared)
Thank you my friends as always. Stay happy. -- P.A.T.T.
Virus Alert Shirt" - don't ask me what it does... it's a "Second Life" item? OMFG!
That lyric has rung true for me since the first time I heard it. Whether it's the Beastie Boys laying down some funky, jazzy rhymes... Dr. Alex Paterson and the long list of Orb collaborators tripping us out, or something new, undiscovered and beautiful... the artists who you can listen to for hours without feeling like it's time for a change are few and far between. Burial is one of these artists. My friend James has been telling me about Burial for a long time and I have just this week discovered what he was talking about. If you, like me, haven't listened to this great UK dubstep producer/remixer yet... I highly recommend you rememdy that situation right now.
Next up, another artist I can listen to for hours... U.N.K.L.E. the British musical team of James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and has employed a variety of guest artists and producers. I became a huge fan of U.N.K.L.E. because of tracks I heard Sasha remix of thiers and then the Boxed Boys over at Global Underground (yes, I own every single original GU compilation up through 32) released 23 with James Lavelle rockin a few U.N.K.L.E. tracks in Barcelona and again with 26, James laid down even more U.N.K.L.E. in Romania. I found a copy of U.N.K.L.E.'s 2nd album 'Never, Never, Land' and listened to it non-stop. Here's something to get your palate wet...
DJ Shadow rockin it live...
Oh, and here's something kool. I found this track recently and instantly thought the vocalist sounded like Richard File (vocals on several U.N.K.L.E. tracks)Midlake - Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Mix)
You can probably tell by now that I've been on a bit of a progressive/chill kick. Well this next one selection is a little bit of that with a dose of electro synth to nod your head. DigitalFoxglove is a german graphic designer who has teamed up with Freak You on his first release Beasts And Flowers. I think Aleks at discodust said it best, it's full of "epic dreamy soundscapes".
Okay, if this is the first time you've heard of Miike Snow... please let me introduce you. Miike Snow are a Swedish band, who formed in 2007. The band consists of singer/songwriter Andrew Wyatt, and the producing team of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, also known as Bloodshy & Avant. 'Animal' has been collectiing a long list of remixers like Treasure Fingers, Fake Blood, Punks Jump Up, and Peter Bjorn and John. But my new favorite is 'Burial'. An awesome song with a really good video too.
Here's the band doin it live @ KCRW
Ooo, here's another newer producer who I am really beginning to like his tunes when they come on my shuffle... Protokol (on BIGSTEREO). And yes, he is from OZ. Anybody got a free ride and a free room in Sydney I can sport for a while? No?
Lastly I will leave you with this uplifting track by Florence and The Machine with remix treatment by Lionheart. Interesting factoid about the group I found on wiki, "Florence and the Machine are managed by Mairead Nash who is one half of the DJ outfit Queens of Noize. Nash decided to manage the group when at one of Nash's club nights an inebriated Welch dragged Nash into the toilets and sang an Etta James song to her."Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
