And The Heat Goes On

So if anyone in the bay is interested (and I haven't told you in person already), there DJ Harvey will be at a party called Mas Disco in Oakland at the Oasis Restaurant & Bar on October 4th. I don't know the venue and I don't know the other DJs but I try to see Harvey any time I can. I will post more about it as the date draws closer but mark your calendars.

First up this week, the Brooklyn natives Runway (Jacques Renault and Marcos Cabral) have released a new jam (literally). Last year they had a massive track "Shadows" that was featured on what may be my favorite mix of all time, Lindstrom & Prins Thomas' BBC Essential Mix, and on one of Prince Language's most recent No Comprendo mixes (I think it's 4, but it may be 3 either way you can listen to all of Prince Language's mixes at Lovefingers). Anyways, this track falls away from a housier vibe and more in the vein of techno, but rocks completely by virtue of the piano break in the middle. It's your typical amazing piano rave track, but it is darker and more subverted than anything from the late 80s early 90s, while successfully referencing the time. Also it comes with an L.S.B. remix which sounds slightly more contemporary.

Runaway - Brooklyn Club Jam

Also check out Jacques Renault's new 12" on RVNG International. It has three incredible disco edits, one of which I was going to post, but it has already been posted at several other blogs, check ARAWA.fm or 20jazzfunkgreats.

So in commemoration of the coming harvey party, I decided to post his remix of the Fuzz Against Junk cover of the Talking Heads classic "Born Under Punches". About a year ago I told myself that I was going to try and edit the original, but when I shared my idea with my friend he told me that someone had already covered it and turned me to this (released in 1999). It's quite an awesome cover (I still prefer the original though), but the Harvey mix is something else. In lieu of the posting of the Black Cock edits over at Harvey Sarcastic Disco I began to realize that Harvey has a truly original take on edits/remixes and even though this make come accross wrong, he sounds more like a DJ when he does it than a producer. A lot of remixes I feel are new songs entirely, where Harvey's consist of looping things over and over and adding odd hits here and there. Don't get me wrong the beat is hypnotic, but the overall song structure is lacking. Either way I can't wait to play it on a dance floor. Give it a listen and you'll see what I mean.

Fuzz Against Junk - Born Under Punches (DJ Harvey Remix)

Last comes a track from the famous Outline LP released by Canadian disco god Gino Soccio (btw, can't believe he has a myspace but I guess he still tours?). This album has what some believe to be the best disco track ever, "Dancer". I mean if god made disco, I think it might sound like this, or maybe Gino Soccio is god making disco, or maybe we are really living in a polytheistic realm where he is the god of disco, or maybe he sold his soul to the devil in return for incredible disco-making powers. In any case, "Dancer" is irresistible, but the rest of the album is classic as well. Today I will share with you "There's A Woman". This is classic late 1970s early 1980s synth-infused disco that shows both an influence by classic disco sounds and the italo sounds produced in the early 80s. Straight from 1981, Gino.

Gino Soccio - There's A Woman

Hearts On Fire

So as some of you who read intently may know I lost a posting yesterday. I have no fucking clue why, but I will repost the tracks and as much of what I had put up as I can. Let me know if anything is missing, like links you may be interested in or pictures of me naked or whatever. Anyways, here is an abridged version of the post that was deleted by blogfuck.com.

Aussie electro rock group Cut Copy released their second album this year, In Ghost Colours, which I must say I do not like quite as much as Bright Like Neon Love, which is one of my favorite albums of the dance rock genre that has blown up of late. While "Lights And Music" is the popular track of late from the album, I find it a little too gimmicky (do check out the Boys Noize remix though). I much prefer the first single "Hearts On Fire" which was leaked earlier this year (or late last year?) in much of the anticipation for the coming album. Here we have a remix by Brooklyn-based up and comers Holy Ghost! who have been doing remixes and production on quite a few of my favorite lables of late (DFA and Permanent Vacation). Their single Hold On is in a similar vein to Cut Copy with slightly more of a raw housey feel feel as per the typical DFA style and now comes with two Mock & Toof remixes which are quite good as well. Here they draw out the classic "Hearts On Fire" into a longer dance cut with additional percussion and rearrange the melody structure a bit to give you a feel similar to Williams' "Love On Real Train" (similar to the way Price Language reworked "Happy House" if you're familiar). Either way it's a great mix of track I couldn't get over to begin with, but I do confess I wish they had left more of the sax in there, enjoy.

Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire (Holy Ghost! Remix)

Now for more music from Norway. Rune Lindbæk has been around for a few years and I had heard much about him but none of his stuff. He runs in the same Scando disco crowd as fellow Norwegians Todd Terje, Prins Thomas and Lindstrøm. Today's track comes from Lindbæk's album from last year Klubb Kebabb. I picked it up last weekend when Mike B over at Amoeba recommended it. The album is a collection of edits with lots of lovely reverb effects added in for good measure. All the edits are of fairly classic tracks, such as Key Of Dreams' "Africa" and Codek's "Tim Toum". I chose a funky edit of Boney M.'s disco classic "Silent Lover". Lindbæk strips the song of its verse sections and extends all of the wonky walking bassline sections for a bouncey disco jam that is sure to work well on the dancefloor. Be sure to check out the whole album though, because there are some serious other tracks lying in wait.

Rune Lindbaek - Franz Tranz

This track has been floating around the internet for the past 8 months or so, but I felt the need to post it anyway because I have been listening to it nonstop. This is another summer jam that will help you in holding on to your sunny blue skies as they begin to fade to winterey grey. The Idjut Boys take Phil Collins' "I'm Not Moving" and loop all the good bits into a bouncey summer track that brightens even the gloomiest day. Sure Phil Collins is cheesey as hell, but sometimes that hits the spot when you're reminiscing about summer.

Phil Collins - I'm Not Moving (Idjut Boys Edit)

Glam Bam Thank You Ma'am

Last year I, as I hope everyone at one point does, went through a Bowie phase where I listened to every single Bowie album from 1970 to 1980 religiously for about a month. Along the way I also discovered the incredible English group Mott The Hoople who were on the brink of breaking up when Bowie stepped in and convinced the group to stay together by offering to both produce their next album and let them release the glam rock anthem "All The Young Dudes" he had recently written. The lead singer of Mott, Ian Hunter, went on to a solo career and released several albums in the late 70s collaborating with prominent Bowie backing band member Mick Ronson. The album You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic came out in 1979 and featured some great rock tracks in line with what Mott was doing earlier in the decade, but one darker disco rock track "Bastard" sticks out. Ian Hunter departs from his usual playful hipster tone and the track skips along with a rubbery guitar riff, while John Cale makes a guest appearance, supporting with ghostly keyboard stabs.




















A Mountain Of One take the original and give it a proper reworking on this limited one-sided release (which features some awesome pattern imprinting on the b-side). The haunting AOR original transports you to a sweaty dive bar where Ian Hunter, John Cale and Mick Ronson are playing the strung out melody to a room lit a green light behind the stage. AMO1 speed the track up and give it the crescendos and pacing that the modern dance floor calls for. More and more I am finding that edits draw away from the structures and energy of the original, but AMO1 cleverly rearrange the track to a true disco rock classic, something reminiscent of "People Without Love" from their EP2 with more funk and less psychedelic flavor.

Ian Hunter - Bastard (Rework)




















Changing the pace up, the new English electro-pop band City Reverb have recently released a new wavey track "City Of Lights" with dark low-end string stabs overlaid with fairly typical British pop vocals. The original doesn't really inspire me much (nor does the video for that matter), but it has certainly inspired some interesting remixes. I picked up the first remix release, which features Trevor Loveys, Reverso 68, and Beards Of Paradise (who win my award for most name for a new group this year). The Trevor Loveys and Beards Of Paradise mixes sound a bit too much like electro-house trying to be beardo for my taste, but the Loveys mix does features some bouncey acid synths. The winner here though, is the Reverso 68 remix which turns the Brit-pop into a nudisco jam. I'm particularly partial to the bouncey synths at the start which strike me as something I've heard from a 90s rave track slowed down to balearic perfection. Reverso 68 was responsible for the incredible "Piece Together" last year and several other releases on Eskimo over the last few years. This feel good track will always cheer me up, give it a listen!

City Reverb - City Of Lights (Reverso 68 Remix)

You can also download the Prins Thomas remix of the track for free from City Reverb's Myspace and anything free from PT is definitely worth it.




















Last but by no means least is this remix from ages ago by Armand Van Helden of Daft Punk's timeless "Da Funk." I must say that Daft Punk was the group that got me into dance music a few years ago and while their popularity has only grown larger in lieu of their most recent live tour (which was the best live show this planet has ever seen) they have making incredible music since their acid house beginnings in 1994. A lesser known (at least amongst all the newly converted Daft fans of the last year) live set was their release from a decade earlier, Alive 1997, which featured the same kind of live manipulations they showed in Alive 2007 with their earlier material. The set is pure adrenaline-pumping house madness where DP toy with only a few tracks but exquisitely draw them out over a fantastic 45 mins. They begin the set with their original of "Da Funk" and then glide into this fantastic remix which has a fantastic bouncing synth line dancing over the thumping beat. This is a flashback to what the 90s french house music scene was all about before the robots emerged from the rubble after Discovery overturned the dance music scene in 2000, and check the live album out as well. This is from the Da Funk 12", enjoy!

Daft Punk - Da Funk (Ten Minutes Of Funk Mix)

Ride Into The Sunset

Tonight comes another installment of psychedelic disco rock from the amazing English group A Mountain of One as interpreted by The Time & Space Machine, a new project by Richard Norris, one half of Beyond The Wizards Sleeve. The track "Ride" comes from their incredible first self-titled EP. Fontän contribute a rework as well which takes the original into a proggy, etherial realm that strips the away the rhythm and structure of the original. However, The Time & Space Machine mix heads in the other direction, layering cold electric harpsichord arppegios over the chugging guitars to create the icy cosmic sonic landscape shown in the artwork for the release. I don't think it can really be compared to the Studio version of "Brown Piano," but it is certainly an inspiring reinterpretation.

The Time & Space Machine also have an album out, Volume One, as heralded by the musical oracles over at 20JFG so be sure to check it out.

A Mountain Of One - Ride (The Time & Space Machine Mix)

MP3 Kills Vinyl

After DJing my first party up here in the bay this Saturday, which was a great party with great people and plenty of dancing to go around, I realized exactly how incredible Todd Terje is. I have been collecting remixes by him over the past year and everything from his Tangoterje edits to his original production on Full Pupp to his release on RVNG International under the moniker Wade Nichols to the remixes he releases under his own name are fucking amazing! Dropping any track he has touched at a dance party results in absolute dance floor mania. His remixes lately have been particularly on par. I included his funked out remix of Reverso 68's "Piece Together" on my Sunset Stands Still Mix below and on Saturday I played his remix of Jose Gonzalez's "Killing For Love" and the party blew up. Whether it's the disco basslines of Chic's "I Want Your Love," the percussive drums of Paul Simon's "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes," or his acoustic guitar work on America's classic "Horse With No Name" he has the amazing ability to groove out a track into a pure Weapon of Mass Dancestruction (maybe too lame of a descriptor but I'll go for it) while leaving enough of a track intact that you remember why you fell in love with the original.





















This track is no exception and I say it could very well be the Remix of the Year in my book (not that it matters or that anyone cares about my rankings). But this drawn out masterpiece of Simon Baker's "Plastik" (more prominent in the techno community than the disco contingent) is basically what I have come to expect, a track that I can listen to over and over and over again. This has been on repeat for a while, taking me to an Turkish dance club with finger cymbals and belly dancers partying until the break of dawn in a smokey room lit by red hanging lanterns. Since it is such a monster it will be the only track I leave with you tonight, enjoy!

Simon Baker - Plastik (Todd Terje Türkatech Mix)

Don't Stop When You Hear Me Callin'

So I finally found an mp3 version of a song I have been trying to find for the past few months (the vinyl is uber-expensive so I will settle for now until I find it cheap in a shop). Thanks to the newly discovered (for me at least) fellow San Francisco blog ARAW.fm, who posted this in May, I was finally united with the incredible track by Escape From New York, "Fire In My Heart." Quickly uploading it to my iPod, I set off on the morning commute and my imagination got the better of me while I was waiting for the train to come. I started to daydream about a music video for this haunting track portraying a forbidden love between a young man and his werewolf woman lover. The video starts as the sun sets on early 1980s New York and the boy leaves his work in the kitchen at a diner. Throwing his apron off he begins to walk the city streets when he hears the cry of his lover. Cutting back and forth between shots of him walking the streets and of her singing in a Flashdance-esque tattered sweater, yellow eyes aflame as she tries to reprieve the primal force from within her taking control. But the man cannot keep away and ultimately he arrives to find his girl transformed. Upon which a bloody fight ensues ending in the boy's tragic murder. Flash back to reality and I'm getting off the train for work. Alas my dream of a music video has yet to be realized nor do I think it ever will. Had it been made, it just might have rivaled the other classic horror 80s music video, also one of my favorites, "Thriller". Either way Escape From New York had some serious tracks in their short term of existence (known to me at least). Here is the classic track "Fire In My Heart" from 1984 (again thanks to blogging compatriot ARAW.fm) along with a dubbed out edit I picked up on the second volume out by Disco Exotique from the band's release prior to it "Save Our Love" from 1983.

Escape From New York - Fire In My Heart

Escape From New York - Save Our Love (D.I.T.S. Dub)

The Greatest Tits

Yesterday was the first day that I woke up to a gray sky and it spelled the closing of summer to me, but listening to this summer jam by one of my favorite groups of the last year, Studio, helps in hanging on to the summer sun and days at the beach. It also confirms in me the belief that every song, no matter the genre should have a Version By Studio, because I have yet to hear a group that so consistently delivers magnificent covers of other groups' work (see their new album Yearbook 2 for more examples as well as multiple other releases over the past two years). This one comes off a pink 7" I picked up of the LA-based The Little Ones, whose original has a bubbly beach rock vibe. But Studio take it down in tempo and bake the morning tide to a perfect sunset vibe that leaves you reminiscing on the days of summer past.

The Little Ones - Morning Tide (Studio Mix)




















Tracking to a totally different vibe is this track off of a sampler I received of DFA's new Notwave Compilation, the term they are using to describe the New Wave/Electro/Noise/Disco rock vibe that grew out of New York in the early 1980s. Others have been reaching into this underground leftfield brand of disco such as this Disco Not Disco compilation. To be honest some of it sounds great, but some of it lies flat to me and just sounds like post-punkers trying to do disco in a noisy fashion. Nonetheless, there are a few winners and off this sampler in particular, this track is best described in the manner my friend over at Robots In Heat described it to me, a sinister house version of "Peter Gunn." Give it a listen and you'll see what I mean.

Welcome Stranger - Smoke Machine




















Reaching again across genres and generations comes the compilation put out by one of my favorites', Prins Thomas', label Full Pupp that contains both a mix by Prins Thomas of some of the biggest releases of the label over the past three years along with an unmixed group of lesser known tracks by artists on the label. The mix does not really do many of the songs nor does it do Prins Thomas' incredible mixing abilities as he seems limited by genre anchored material. For a truly mindblowing showcase of Prins' skills catch his Cosmo Galactic Prism from last summer. Anyways, there are a few gems in the umixed group and one is from the exciting new producer Diskjokke. This is acid-house, meets the Scando-funkiness that we have come to expect from others on the label like Ytre Rymden Dansskola, Blackbelt Andersen, and not to mention Todd Terje, as well as others. You are thrown into a bouncing beat with unexpected breaks and electronic dinsosaur noises strewn over the percussive madness, need I say more?

Diskjokke - Cearadactylus



















Lastly, comes and oldie but goodie. Well to be honest it's not much of an oldie to me because I've just started really listening to hear, but Kate Bush explored the world sound of the 1980s as well as anyone else of the time along with using some of the more ingenious and experimental electronic production techniques I have heard in pop music from that era. This is one of her most famous tunes, but I thought I'd share it anyway because it has been on repeat consistently over the past few weeks. Here is her track "Running Up That Hill" from her widely acclaimed 1985 release Hounds of Love.

Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill

Hide From the Light

I was quite disappointed when I found out yesterday that Saturday had been the date of a Harvey Sarcastic Disco Party in LA and then even more depressed when I found out that he had played with special guest Gerry Rooney. Gerry and Harvey had formed Black Cock Records in the early 90s and released some of the most select edits of that time. Some of the releases are shared at Harvey's website for the party, but otherwise you are going to have to pay some heavy dough for these super limited releases. I made the party in May and I can easily say it was nearly as religious of an experience as when I saw Daft Punk for the first time. The parties happen quarterly and go from 11pm to 7am, and usually Harvey DJs the whole time. Some might think 8 hours of dancing would be exhausting, and it is, but Harvey controls the energy of the room in such a stimulating fashion that you cannot help but dance the whole time. I will try to make the next one which should be around December so if anyone has an interest let me know so we can road trip it down there.



















Speaking of now expensive releases, an exciting new track from the amazing New York label Whatever We Want Records, that is in my opinion on par with the early work of Map Of Africa and Quiet Village (these are already sold out at major vendors and are selling for over $50 at second hand dealers). The Laughing Light of Plenty, a new project by Thomas Bullock (one part of Map of Africa as well as one part of Rub N' Tug) has him teaming up with Eddie Rushca of Future Pigeon (who I need to get more of) for two tracks. The B-side has Listen Here, a goofy country dance track that is oddly entertaining and simultaneously bizarre, but the winner of the two is clearly the psychedelic disco rock anthem The Rose.


Laughing Light Of Plenty - The Rose



















The next track is one of my favorite disco edits of late by a mysterious new label called Super Value. Even as I'm finding more and more poor disco edits circulating about as they become even more the craze at Phonica and Piccadilly, the three tracks on this labels debut LP & Cassette are all tastefully rendered from rich Philly soul disco jams. For today I'll share the choice edit of Billy Paul's classic Let The Dollar Circulate which is spun out without robbing it of its moments.

Super Value Edits - Dollar




















Japanese electronic, future-jazz producer Kuniyuki Takahashi's new album from late last year, All These Things, was released on the amazing Mule Musiq label which also features Japanese acts like Force of Nature and Kaoru Inoue. The album has been followed by three volumes of remixes by some of the most prolific artists around right now. In particular Kuniuki Remixed Vol. 2 has two incredibly sexy remixes from A Mountain Of One and Cobblestone Jazz, the former of which is featured as the opening track of my mix below. But here for you I have perhaps an even more epic remix from controversial and genius techno producer Theo Parrish from the first volume of remixes. Minimal developments over more than 14 minutes shimmer a percussive cymbal beat that cuts through a chugging beat and ambient vocals. Truly a visionary remix that displays TP's raw talent as a producer.

Kuniyuki - All These Things (Theo Parrish Remix Vocal Ver)

Enjoy these for now and I will be back with more as soon as I can, thanks for reading!

Sunset Stands Still Mix

Even though I've posted this on facebook already, I originally wanted to begin the blog with this short mix I made about a month ago.

Sunset Stands Still Mix

1. Kuniyuki - Touch (A Mountain of One Peyote Mix) / Mule Musiq
2. Reverso 68 - Piece Together (Todd Terje Spinning Star Mix) / Eskimo Recordings
3. Tony Allen - Nepa Dance Dub / Compost
4. Talking Heads - Slippery People (Remix Extended Version) / Sire Recordings
5. Rollmottle - Take A Break (Maurice Fulton Remix) / Sonar Kollektiv
6. Low Motion Disco - Things Are Gonna Get Easier (Windsurf Remix) / Eskimo Recordings
7. Mock & Toof - k-choppers / DFA
8. Ytre Rymden Dansskola - Afterski (Magnus International Remix) / Full Pupp
9. Tullio De Piscopo - 'E Fatto 'E Sorde! E? (Maxessa Edit) / Strut
10. Sammy Barbot - Mexico (Lovefingers Barrio Edit) / Blackdisco
11. Mark E & Dragon - Good Times (Prins Thomas Diskomiks) / Internasjonal
12. Farah - Law of Life (Midnite Remix) / Italians Do It Better

Also check out the RA podcast this week by Heartbreak. It's a mix of italo, old-school techno, horror pic samples, and other danceable goodness.

More mixes to come...

The Disco Horror Show Is Born

So today I decided to give up being OCD about the color scheme and title of my blog and get it up and running before I equivocate any further and decide to change the name/theme of it again. The Cosmic Disco Horror Show is the title I came up with because I have been watching a lot of classic horror lately and there's nothing I like more than some dark, dubby, deathly disco. I won't even try to describe the music I choose like my amazingly imaginative and tasteful counterparts at 20JFG, but I'll try to throw some new music I find and mixes up here as well in a hope to create a true disco bloodbath. Check in soon and I'll post a thing or two and hopefully this dreadful explanation will fade away as more interesting things are posted...