Man of Many Projects

Maurice Fulton, I had no idea how many projects this guy is involved in. On top of the gazillion remixes (The Rapture, Annie, Hot Chip, etc...) he has done, and solo projects, he is also produced his wife's music project Mu (remember the track Paris Hilton?) and some of !!!'s early tracks and plays with his band, Syclops on Kathy Diamond's ridiculously awesome debut, Miss Diamond To You, and he has now just released my current obsession, the new full length from Syclops on none other than DFA.

Just look at how many aliases and projects he is involved with:

Aliases
Boof, Dr. Scratch, Eddie & The Eggs, Equal People, Javen Souls, Ladyvipb, Noize Boyz, The, Orphies, Sticky People

Projects
2 Flights Up, Chantilly, Hot Sauce, Moonwalkers, The, RWJ, Spenitch, Syclops, Watershine

Syclops first came under my radar with the track Mom, My Radio Broke on Four Tet's DJ Kicks (get it). Well that was the tip of the ice berg. The album drop kicked me in the face when I first heard it. Definitely different. It skips the 4-4 beat most of the time in favor of more experimental beats. An extremely progressive album. (Weird?) These are the types of albums that blow me away and I realize that there are still new ideas being created.

All of this from a Detroit DJ.

Maurice Fulton's name is one of those unexpected recurrences in dance music, I mean still knowing almost nothing about him he never seemed to merit mention along with Frankie Knuckles/Bones/Whoever nor in the Detroit pack of May, Carter, Atkins, and of course the master Craig or early euro-stirrers like Kirk Degiorgio and others. But none of that really matters, much like early hip-hop or the days of disco, house music wasn't created with the intention of lasting, crates of 12"s siphoned off the press with none of rock's bravado of "making it" either financially or into history. It was still somewhat naive. Fulton went a different route than many of his contemporaries. His work appeared on left leaning house label Warp records right alongside deep house classics . His music is more complex than Craig's or Knuckles, breezing through an mp3 can present you with 4 very different compositions in on track, yet on listen your only aware of one central conversation holding the entire thing together.

So what do I have for you today??? First up, is a DJ mix that Maurice Fulton made for Resident Advisor back in 2006. It really showcases his taste in music and his expansive record collection. Next up are a couple of Fulton remixes including the definitive Over & Over remix. (Can you believe this song came out in 2005??? Please don't start playing it again though... It's up there with Le Tigre's Decepticon already...). The Mu track smacks you in the face. He's married to that woman! Next is up is Brighton's disco chantreuse Kathy Diamond. Her follow up album is in the works for this year. And finally it is Syclops with their album opener NR17.

Kathy Diamond's and Syclop's debut efforts are worthy of a splot in your record library. Syclops's I've Got My Eye On You is currently on my shortlist for album of the year. THAT good.

MP3: Maurice Fulton - Resident Advisor - RA.021
MP3: Rollmottle - Take A Break (Maurice Fulton Remix) (ysi)
MP3: Hot Chip - Over & Over (Maurice Fulton Remix) (ysi)
MP3: Mu - Out of Breach (ysi)
MP3: Kathy Diamond - All Woman (ysi)
MP3: Syclops - NR17 (ysi)

Bullet Park

Miami based electronic band 'The Waterford Landing' have just released 'Bullet Park'. This EP is their follow-up to their excellent self titled debut album which they released a couple years ago. I featured 'Skylark' a dark/synthy dance track from their debut on a PopLife Compilation CD in 2005. They also won Best Electronic Act in 2006 by the Miami New Times in it's popular yearly 'Best of Miami' Issue. Not too shabby for these local musicians who have been at the game, albeit with different projects for awhile.

Their first album was more of a New Order/classic electronic sounding affair. This new 5 Song Bullet Park EP sees them experimenting a bit more and trying out new things. Some songs are more pop oriented 'Folksong #1', 'Theme from Through the Night', some more experimental 'GetBent', 'Bullet Park'. One thing's for sure they're definitely growing as a band and trying to push the envelope, which is what every artist should strive for.

Great comic book style artwork by Dan Goldman as well.

Go to their website at www.thewaterfordlanding.com or their myspace link above for more.

My favorite track so far is the intrumental opening track 'Theme from Through the Night' and the self titled closer Bullet Park. I'm only gonna put these on YouSendIt, so they'll be up for a week or so. Get'em while they're hot!

You can buy their EP & album online at CD Baby.

MP3: Theme from Through the Night (YSI)

MP3: Bullet Park (YSI)

Here's the sleek sounding Skylark from their debut album.

MP3: Skylark (Edit) (YSI)

Music for Rainy Days

After dealing with these crazy rains in Miami the past couple of days (and today does not look even better), this album cannot be any more apropos. Seriously, I'm making a playlist and putting the entire thing on repeat. All day.

Amplive has finally reached an agreement with Radiohead and all other parties involved and Rainydayz has finally reached the ears of the public! Add this to the list of Reasons Why Radiohead Is Awesome (dang it, need to get more paper).

The project is the work of Oakland producer Amplive and is a remix project taking Radiohead's In Rainbows and some incredibly talented MC's (Too $hort, Del the Funky Homosapien, members of Jurassic 5, etc...) and creating an incredible interpretation of the British band's latest release.

Check out with other blogs have to say and GRAB IT QUICK at here!!

The Music Slut: We're Awesome
Brooklyn Vegan
Get Weird Turn Pro

MP3: All I Need (Amp_live Remix) (YSI)

Onslaught of Art to Commence Shortly

Next week starts one of the most (if not the most) spectacular weekends in Miami. From the horse's lips:

Art Basel Miami Beach is the most important art show in the United States, a cultural and social highlight for the Americas. As the sister event of Switzerland's Art Basel, the most prestigious art show worldwide for the past 38 years, Art Basel Miami Beach combines an international selection of top galleries with an exciting program of special exhibitions, parties and crossover events featuring music, film, architecture and design. Exhibition sites are located in the city's beautiful Art Deco District, within walking distance of the beach and many hotels.

And honestly I cannot disagree. What makes it more amazing and even larger than life, is that there are dozens of other shows, private exhibits, and parties that occur at the same time (using Art Basel's popularity to draw the crowds) and it becomes a feast for the eyes, ears and mind all over the greater Miami area and not just Miami Beach were the majority of the official Art Basel events take place. I am not an art scholar or critic, I just know what I like and what moves me. So I will try and highlight shows I think (or have heard) are worth attending and hopefully discover some new along the way.

One of the (let's call them companion shows) is the New Art Dealers Alliance (N.A.D.A.) Art Fair at the Ice Palace film studios. This show is full of contemporary art with the goal of making art more accessible to the general public, and nurturing the growth of emerging artists, curators, and galleries.

The show is FREE to the public and highly recommended if you are in town next week. It closes daily at 7pm, except Sunday at 4pm. On Tuesday is the opening night preview with a special performance by Deerhoof! And featuring the art of Ken Kagami (who designed the artwork for Deerhoof's Milk Man album). I think he might be performing with the band? Who knows what can happen it's Basel. More info about the fair here.

Now about that opening preview, if you go to the NADA site, you can buy tickets there for $100-$125, which prices going up to $200 that day of the show!! The lovely Lolo of Sweat Records (go visit the new store location that opens THIS Friday @ Churchill's) happened to give us a little stack of special invites for reduce and I mean REDUCED (speculation is $10-15 but don't quote us) admission to the show... All you gotta do is leave a comment with your favorite Art Basel memory or what you would like that memory to be and we will randomly pick 2 (maybe more, if you're nice) responses to get two fliers each for reduced admission.

Deerhoof @ Ice Palace Studios
Tuesday, December 4th, 8:30PM
1400 North Miami Ave

Since the show is next week, we won't have time to mail them out. So you will have to visit Ray either at Circa28 for CircaSaturdays or Purdy Lounge for Chocolate Sundays (backroom) to pick up your tickets. Hop to it! Deadline is Saturday evening~ish.

UPDATE: Just realized that you guys will have to leave your email (or some way to get a hold of you, MySpace, etc...) so that we can communicate with the winners!

Here is a nice collection of Deerhoof tunes that spans a few albums including their most recent LP, Friend Opportunity.

MP3: Deerhoof - Green Cosmos (YSI)
MP3: Deerhoof - Siriustar (YSI)
MP3: Deerhoof - Chi-tan First Guitar (YSI)
MP3: Deerhoof - +81 (YSI)

Check back through the week, for more Art Basel updates/suggestions/comments/sightings/musings...

Ghosts and Skeletons

I admit, the name Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities drew me to the band. Currently this Brooklyn based band is signed to Ghostly Records. The Skeleton project started off as solo effort of Matt Mehlan (founder of Shinkoyo Records) and picked up a slew of members from classically trained trombonists to punk rock drummers. They have played CMJ and SXSW. And have toured with TV on the Radio and Animal Collective. It is hard to pinpoint their sound, Can, Prince, Sonic Youth, some even say Boyz II Men?

Their latest album Lucas, was recorded in the band's studio (the Silent Barn) in between scheduled shows. It sees not only a name change (they were known as Skeletons and the Girl-Faced Boys for the last release), the album also reflects more of their live experience, more guitars , two drummers, and a trio of horns.

Yet for all the oddness they are known for, they keep their pop sensibility intact.

You can download the web-only album Deity of Hair from their site Skeletons.tv.

MP3: Git (YSI)
MP3: What They Said (YSI)

What are the chances...

Imagine being a new band and getting an email asking you to play Coachella. That is what happened with The Octopus Project a band out of Austin, TX (they have played SXSW too) in 2006. They were entered in and won a contest sponsored by MySpace to fill an open spot in the festival. The best part for the band was that they did not even know they were nominated.

Flash forward to 2007 and the band is working on a follow up to 2004's One Ten Hundred Thousand Million. Here we have a hint of what to expect. Sounds from outer space. Thin drum beats. And an atmospheric melody. Almost as if the track is haunted. We also have a track from the their prior release that is more fuzzy and aggressive.

MP3: I Saw the Bright Shinies
MP3: Tuxedo Hat

Check out a few more tracks and their collaboration with Black Moth Super Rainbow on their website.