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)

L I F E L I K E

LifeLike is Laurent Ash from Paris, France. Nice hometown! This guy's been on a roll... He does his own music 'Discopolis', remixes for tons of varied artists such as Front 242, Annie, Chromeo, Sneaky Sound System, Does it Offend You, Yeah and many more. Plus to top it off now he's on tour with Alan Brake! Lucky bastard!

I've been playing out a new Remix he did for The Presets called 'This Boy's in Love' off of The Presets New Album 'Apocalypso'. It's a great one! Really kicks the track into a peak time dancefloor stomper. Also been playing out his disco tinged Remix for Alyoa's track 'It's Been Too Long' which should blend in really well with any nu-disco/classic disco mixes you may have going on..

Here they are for your enjoyment... I'll be doing a Review of the New Presets album soon as well.

MP3: This Boy's in Love (Lifelike Remix) - The Presets (YSI)
MP3: It's Been Too Long (Lifelike Top Gun Mix) - Alyoa (YSI)


Here's the R rated (late night Cinemax) video for Discopolis... Umm, nice!

MIX TAPE :: Dance Jams Edition

Wow, the Quinceanera Party was a blast last night! Jose El Rey killed it and I got to play Freestyle & Miami Bass! That's always fun. Don't get to play that stuff out too often. Some of that Freestyle stuff has some pretty amazing production values and beats. Funny how some of that reminds me of modern stuff I dig now. Music like everything else goes around in cycles. It all comes back eventually, albeit with a new modern twist. Gonna have to do a Freestyle Mix Tape for you guys one day.

Anyways, it's been awhile since I've done a Mix Tape post and I know how much you guys love those! I have a ton of new stuff for you guys so think I'm gonna split it up into two posts. One for this week and one for next week. Can't spill all your beans at once...

First off here's a bad-ass remix of Portishead's Nylon Smile by the Scienticians! It's great how you can get a slow song and have it remixed so it can also be a dancefloor jam as well. This is an excellent example of that!

MP3: Nylon Smile (Scienticians Remix) - Portishead (YSI)

I love Fred Falke as well as his partner in crime Alan Brake! First heard about these guys on the Erlend Oye's DJ Kicks compilation a few years ago and have been a fan of anything they do ever since. They're pretty amazing! Anything they touch turns to gold! I recommend grabbing anything with their names attached to it. They'll never steer you wrong. Here Fred Falke remixes Ladyhawke's 'Back of the Van' and creates a disco dancefloor masterpiece! Sounds like a classic 70's dance jam. Excellent! Check it out, I think you'll will dig it.

MP3: Back of the Van (Fred Falke Ultimate Beverly Mix) - Ladyhawke (YSI)

In keeping with the disco sound here is a great track by Aeroplane feat Kathy Diamond called Whispers. It's the original version. Sometimes tracks don't need to be remixed. They're just perfect the way they are. Like this...

MP3: Whispers (Original Mix) - Aeroplane feat Kathy Diamond (YSI)

I was playing this next track Flight Night by Muddyloop remixed by Love Vs Machine Keenhouse the other night and I had someone come up to me and say House? I never thought of myself as a House DJ but then I realized this track is pretty much a house track. Anyways I find as I've gotten older I don't care for genre boundaries so much. If it sounds good to my ears it's a good no matter what label people associate with it. Good music is good music in my book. Just check this track out and see what you think. If you like this I recommend you check out other stuff by Muddyloop. I got 3 tracks from them and they're all excellent!
'Take a Flight Night... When the Feeling is Right'

MP3: Flight Night (Love Vs Machines Keenhouse Remix) - Muddyloop (YSI)

This next track by Chavy Boys of London called Request Line is pretty pumping dance jam. It's mostly instrumental but it still manages to not get boring. I'm a big fan of vocals, so if a song is instrumental it better be damn good to keep my attention. This is one of them. Great beat and rolling synth lines.

MP3: Request Line - Chavy Boys of London (YSI)

Here's a great track by Headman called 'Catch Me If You Can'. Wasn't there a Tom Hanks/Leonardo Di Caprio movie by that name? Anyway's this is a great pop dancefloor track sure to get the Indie Kids dancing with smiles on their faces.

MP3: Catch Me If U Can - Headman (YSI)

Here's a great housey track by Millioners called Body into Use sure to get you moving up and down that dancefloor. This is also a great track to jam out to while your on the treadmill. Give you that extra energy to speed up even while your body is saying stop!!!

MP3: Body into Use - Millioners (YSI)

Finally I leave you with a track by Zombie Zombie called 'Driving This Road Until Death Sets You Free'. Sounds pretty grim huh... Like the name implies it sounds like the score to a slasher or zombie flick. All dark and ominous. I love it! Great experimental instrumental track!

MP3: Driving This Raod Until Death Sets You Free - Zombie Zombie (YSI)


That should keep you busy for awhile... Hope you enjoy them and pass the love!


Here's the New Video for Radiohead's 'All I Need' off of their latest 'In Rainbows'. Their gonna be performing this coming Monday in West Palm Beach! Time to scramble for some tickets...

Hercules, Hercules, Hercules

A little late to getting to Hercules and Love Affair (at least by Off the Radar standards). My partner Jonathan has been spinning these guys as well as tons of new disco stuff for months. Keeps telling me that's 'the new thing'. We shall see.

One thing's for sure Hercules and Love Affair self titled debut is pretty impressive. They have a disco sound that reminds you of the classic stuff (horns and all), but with a modern twist all their own. In particular the single 'Blind' is out of hand! The vocals by Antony Hegarty is powerful stuff. It's destined to be one of the biggest dancefloor hits of 2008. It's already climbing up the charts in the U.K.

They're from NYC and signed to DFA, but apparently it's not gonna be available in the U.S. till June. Pitchfork who are big fans gave their album a 9.1! By pitchfork standards thats almost unheard of. Seems their pretty pissed over the lack of availability of this in the U.S. Here's what they had to say about it.


'We've made no secret of our love for Hercules and Love Affair - shucks, we even think it's some of the Best New Music going around. But we've also made no secret of our chagrin over its lack of availability in H&LA's home country: the United States.

But, like a real live Hercules smiting the mighty foe of import fees, the folks at Mute Records have seen fit to license the LP from DFA for release in the U.S. It will be in stores June 24. What's more, they're releasing the fantastic Antony Hegarty-laced "Blind" as a single May 27 for all your American neo-disco needs.'

So looks like your best bet to getting this is in the U.S. is as an import or through lovely blogs like ours for awhile. Here's the amazing Blind plus the almost as impressive Athene and This is My Love to hold you off. Also one of my favorite remixers Riton did a pretty good remix of 'You Belong' which you can get on Hype Machine.

Enjoy!

MP3: Blind (YSI)
MP3: Athene (YSI)
MP3: This is My Love (YSI)


Here's the amazing video for Blind...

Dark Disco

A little no-wave action for you from Portland. Glass Candy has been around for a bit. Even playing a show in Miami back in the day... This summer they are playing P.S.1's Warm Up on August 11 (one of the many reasons to visit NYC in the summer) as part of the Trouble Man Unlimited/Italians Do It Better label showcase. (Anybody else notice the heavy disco line up for this year's Warm Up?)

Anyways, Glass Candy is evolving their sound from the post-punk garage sound to a darker more minimal disco sound (a la the Italians and Germans). The newest single I Always Say Yes has a balearic beat to it (think heavy, slow, 90–110 bpm). Okay maybe a little faster.

We have an older track of theirs Love Love Love where lead singer Ida No channels Siouxsie when she sings (Karen O anyone?). And a newer track where her vocals sounds like galactic purrs. Nice.

MP3: Love Love Love
MP3: I Always Say Yes (12")
MP3: Computer Love (Kraftwerk Cover)

One more. It is so good.

MP3: The Chameleon

Also out is a comp album out on Italians Do It Better called After Dark that showcases contemporary artists embracing Giorgio Moroder-styled synths. Incredible how long disco has survived. Electroclash who? NuRave what? (yeah that died already - how much more of fluorescent colors can you take?) All good music but a little short on the longevity.

It Drives Me...

So I am leaving Miami Beach one evening (okay about an hour ago) and Lindstrøm & Solale's Let's Practise is playing in it's full 12inch glory. And the song just feels right. Then as I approach the MacAurther Causeway, Shit Robot's Triumph queues on the iPod. (Stay with me, it's going some where...) For those of you that do not know the Shit Robot track, it is basically what the theme of Miami Vice would be if it was reincarnated today. Even the synths evoke Jan Hammer's guitars from the original.

Okay, you understand the music a bit, now imagine that you are cruising (there is no better word for it) over the first bridge. Star Island is on your right, on your left is the Port of Miami. Up ahead the new Miami skyline (it is already in the top 20 worldwide in terms of height) is rapidly approaching. Further off, because Miami is so flat, the horizon seems to never end and we can enjoy a sunset at almost 8pm.

The music and the scenery began to form a Pink Floyd-Wizard of Oz moment for me (for the newer kids, it's like the Volkswagen commercial with the Stereolab song where everything from the windshield wipers to the clicking of the turn signals goes with the music).

I always felt that not all songs are meant for the dance floor, headphones, home stereo, and house party... Some songs are only suitable for one of those. Some are only suitable for driving.

The ones that make you forget that you live in a city with the worst road rage. The ones that make you want to take your car to the extreme. Or drive as slow as possible to see everything around you. Kraftwerk's Tour de France was practically orchestrated around bicycle race. I never said you had to drive a car... Listen to the breathing at the beginning of the song. For those that have cycled before you know that feeling. The song is a metronome for peddling.

These are some songs that drive me. What drives you?

From my recent drive home:

Lindstrøm & Solale - Let's Practise (12" mix)
Shit Robot - Triumph

I cannot stop playing this song:

Gui Boratto - Beautiful Life

Try this song on a bicycle:

Kraftwerk - Tour De France (Paris Live)


A 4 minute drive home lasted exactly 7 minutes and 11 seconds until the song ended as the gate to my garage opened:

LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous

(Yes, my driving soundtrack all sounds like disco. I already told you I liked disco. Oh and what did you guys think of the season finale of Lost? I have my theories so do others.)

I heart Disco

I will not lie. I like disco.

When I first listened, I looked around my speakers to see if Moroder was hiding there. This new disco (Nu Disco) is everywhere lately and I'm all for it. Lindstrøm has been doing his remix thing for a while (LCD Soundsystem, Roxy Music, Franz Ferdinand, Chicken Lips, Annie, Juan Maclean - list goes on for a while).

On this track he gets back together with Solale Christabelle as Lindstrøm and Solale. The duo got together last for the 2004 single Music (in my Mind).

Now before you diss repetative music, consider the environment the music was made for. Dancing. So get out under that disco ball and DANCE. Okay this is dub version so might just chill by the pool with it with your favorite vice. But you can help if move a bit. (The dub is done by a friend of theirs that wishes to remain anonymous. I wonder who at Feedelity Recordings did it...)

MP3: Let's Practise (Mystery Dub)