2pworth

Tag: dance

  • SHED: SHEDDING THE PAST

    SHED: SHEDDING THE PAST

    Shedding the Past is a collection of eleven Detroit-style techno tunes by German techno engineer Shed.

    SHED

    SHEDDING THE PAST

    Ostgut

    2008-09-02

    It is a record in the mold of Aphex Twin with a powerful skipping beat that is the trademark of this German hotshot. At times it is intense, monotonous, technically complicated but never dull. From the ambient-tinged “The Lower Upside Down” to the Kevin Sanderson styled (and humorously titled) “Another Wedged Chicken”, one really needs a dark Berlin club in an office block to really appreciate the euphoric highs and beats that wind you. However, even out of that setting Shedding the Past stands up on its own. Detroit techno’s originators may have hailed from Bellville, Michigan but the techno sound was inspired by any number of German electronic musicians, most notably Kraftwerk. Therefore it is fitting that a German engineer should pick up the ball first punted by the Bellville Three and run with it to score a try of his own.

    This review originally appeared on Popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/shed-shedding-the-past-2496119349.html

  • DJ YODA: FABRICLIVE 39

    DJ YODA: FABRICLIVE 39

    The Fabric nightclub in London is one of the capital’s hottest venues. Many international DJs hit this club, which prides itself on its very broad music policy. The range of music played inside can be sampled by perusing the FabricLive Mix Series selection of releases, of which this is the 39th episode. DJ Yoda is in the house this time, and he takes full advantage of the huge palette afforded him.

    DJ YODA

    FABRICLIVE 39

    Fabric

    2008-05-13

    The London-born DJ Yoda has carved a reputation over the years for his eclectic and slightly comic style. He is the self-proclaimed “DJ Shadow with a sense of humour”. From his early How to Cut and Paste mixes (volumes one and two), DJ Yoda has eschewed the regular turntablist rules in favour of a diverse, surreal, and sometimes downright silly set list. This release is no exception. On FabricLive 39 DJ Yoda ferrets through a dust-covered music library at a feverish pace, leaving no dust jacket unturned. On this ultimate party record, we are treated to a bunch of old school and modern rap “choons”. Interspersed with these are such diverse gems as a brass version of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”, the Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun”, and the ubiquitous “E.V.A.” by Jean-Jacques Perrey.

    There are so many places where DJ Yoda could slip up due to his rediculously mixed-up mix, but he only really stumbles in the opening round of this particular set. The pompous overture of “Intro/Requiem” doesn’t set the scene. There is no sense of fun here. This opener is overly grandiose and its unnecessary additional beats in “Blister in the Sun” are jarring. The mix into Skibadee’s “Ticka Tock” comes over as amateurish, largely due to this superfluous drum track. When they meet, the three parts just don’t go. However, after this slightly bumpy start, the album is a real treat.

    FabricLive 39 is not quite up to the same comedy standard as the How to Cut and Paste mixes but it is a damn fine snapshot of a party night out. If you need a CD to just throw on and forget about during your summer soirée then you can’t go far wrong with this one. Unless, of course, you wanted to go into the back catalogue of DJ Shadow, particularly his work with Cut Chemist. This release doesn’t really stack up if compared with the likes of Product Placement or even any of the How to Cut and Paste volumes.

    Unless you are using such releases as a mix tape for a party, they have a sort of “you had to be there” factor. This can sometimes be a bit difficult to translate into a listenable album in the cold light of day. That said, this release is a record in the truest sense: a record of an event. Like a photograph, it allows you to relive the event if you were there, and live vicariously through others if you weren’t. If you just want to pretend that you are a superstar DJ, then slap this CD into your player, stand behind your decks, and dream away.

    The review was originally posted on popmatters.com

    The review was originally posted on popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/dj-yoda-fabriclive-39-2496119358.html
  • CEDRIC GERVAIS: SPACE MIAMI TERRACE

    CEDRIC GERVAIS: SPACE MIAMI TERRACE

    CEDRIC GERVAIS

    SPACE MIAMI TERRACE

    Yoshitoshi

    2008-05-27

    Space Miami Terrace is one of those “you had to be there” recordings. It is a two CD, 22-track mixed compilation of dance tracks from the Yoshitoshi, Yo! and Shinichi labels. All tracks are mixed together by DJ Cedric Gervais. It stomps along at quite a pace. By listening to the album alone one can only imagine the heat that would be generated by the sweaty bodies dancing to these tunes. Sadly, without being there you don’t really get the feel for most of these recordings. In the end you are left with over two hours of repetitive beats. These are best heard in a dark sweaty club or blasting from the windows of a boy racer’s car as he waits at the traffic lights. The second of the CDs is the more memorable even if only for George Morel & SPJ’s “Let’s Take Drugs” with its humorous use of George W. Bush samples. I suspect that this joke would wear a little thin after a while. Also in the second set and more memorable is Meck Feat. Dino’s ” Feels Like Home (Dave Audé Remix)” with its ever-present sample from Duran Duran’s “Save a Prayer”.

    This review was originally posted on popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/cedric-gervais-space-miami-terrace-2496144046.html
  • OPTIMO: PSYCH OUT

    OPTIMO: PSYCH OUT

    OPTIMO

    OPTIMO PRESENTS PSYCH OUT

    Eskimo

    2006-07-11

    Optimo is a Scottish DJ duo: Twitch and Jonnie Wilkes. Or, perhaps more accurately, Optimo is a club in Glasgow, Scotland that seems to pride itself on its musical eclecticism, if this release is anything to go by. This mix CD offers a motley assortment of acid house, psychedelia, experimental tracks, rare grooves, and Simple Minds.

    From Psych Out seeps a stinky, dark, sweaty nightclub. If 10 or even 20 years ago, like me, you felt the need to go to cheap student clubs in search of a good time, or even just a late drink, you would have found yourself treated to the sort of musical delights found on this release. Listening to the CD brings back memories of a damp, beer-soaked carpet, a smoke-filled room, and toilets that refuse to perform their most basic duty.

    How these guys can maintain a straight face as they mix Mr Fingers into Chris and Cosey is a mystery to me. Quite how they came up with the idea of mixing The Temptations classic “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” into a hard house track is perhaps best left a mystery. Suffice it to say, any record that includes Hawkwind and Simple Minds within the same frame of reference deserves some kind of accolade. I’m not too sure whether it is a good thing, but I am glad that they did it nonetheless. All of this is packaged in a horrible pink-and-blue Day-Glo cover that is, frankly, impossible to read. So psychedelic and whacky.

    Psych Out works on a number of levels. It’s a cool introduction to some lost gems (the Silver Apples’ “Oscillations” should be played to children as part of their history lessons), and it will serve as a reminder to those funky kids that frequent this Glasgow venue, as well as for those like me who are too old to get into these places any more (aah, poor me). All in all, it should be worth the price of admission.

    Except it isn’t. Something is not quite right in the land of Optimo. The sound quality just does not stand up to scrutiny. In a dark, smelly, smoke-filled club, after you have had more than your fair share of the intoxicant of your choice, everything just sounds cool and groovy. However, when you take these songs from various decades (from the ’60s, ’80s, and so on) and put them together, you begin to realise that that production values have changed somewhat over the last 50 years. A little bit of warble here and a volume drop there just make you think that you would rather be in the club itself, rather than listen to an approximation burnt on to CD. After all CDs and digital media in general are much less forgiving of sound inconsistencies than your beer-addled memory. That said, there are some great tunes on here that still manage to excite more than 10 years after their original release. It is always good to hear Simple Minds’ “Theme for Great Cities” on a relatively new release, even if it is mixed with a lesser-known acid house tune.

    The bottom line is, if you are looking for a mix CD in the vein of 2 Many DJs, then forget it. Optimo’s choice of songs is not as cool, the mixing ain’t really up to much, and the sound quality of the some of the recordings is very poor. However, if would like a musical history lesson where you’ll be introduced to a bunch of tunes that you would not stumble upon normally, then this one is for you. Just get yourself some dark glasses before you look at the cover.

    This review was originally posted on popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/optimo-psych-out-2495695816.html
  • AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND: REMIXED!

    AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND: REMIXED!

    For the uninitiated (colour me that shade of ignorant), klezmer music is a form of music that developed in Southeastern Europe and is also associated with Jewish celebrations. There are very particular instruments linked to this musical genre, such as the violin, clarinet, and trombone. One apparently does not usually tie this music in with synthetic dance beats, rub-a-dub reggae, and rap. That is, until now. The concept behind this release is to take a number of klezmer tunes as written and performed by the Amsterdam Klezmer Band and experiment with them until they have a very contemporary feel. Such luminaries as Shantel and DJ Yury Gurzhy (nope, me neither) have taken the reins and attempted bring this style into the 21st century. The result is Remixed!

    AMSTERDAM KLEZMER BAND

    REMIXED!

    Essay

    2006-04-18

    The album feels a little disjointed. It is neither fish nor flesh nor good red herring. If you are looking for a collection of klezmer tunes, then I suggest you keep on hunting because there is nothing to fulfill your need here. The performances by the Amsterdam Klezmer Band (that are almost obscured by the remixers) give you some idea about how entertaining they almost certainly are as a live act. However, the original tunes are reworked and jazzed up for the MTV generation, often leaving little impression of the original. Yeah, well, that is what happens on remix albums, right?

    Where it works best is ironically where the premise fails. The numbers that retain their intrinsic traditional feel are the ones that stand head and shoulders above the rest. For example, all that appears to have been added to “Terk” are some sequenced beats, and as a result we have quite a funky tune that still sounds connected to its roots, albeit somewhat beefed up. The same goes for “Constantinopel Babes” [sic]; it has a phat beat attached, but still it sounds like it could be coming out of the window of the window of a Jewish wedding.

    “Ludacris” is a fine example of this teetering on the edge of being neither one thing nor the other. It begins as a 1970s cop show theme, blends into a Brechtian nightmare of a woodwind solo, and then invites us back to the streets of San Francisco once more. It is simultaneously unsettling and preposterous but strangely compelling. As a matter of fact, the previous sentence sums up the album quite nicely. As it is difficult to find a box to put it in, you are left feeling that you are missing something. Or perhaps that is indeed the problem; because this album cannot be easily categorised, I am left with the feeling that something is not quite right with it but in fact the problem lies within my own bias.

    Actually, the fact remains that after repeated listens it really is the kind of record that you would play if you were hosting a house party or had a long drive and you wanted something to keep you awake. Nevertheless, you must stick with it for a while, as it can be a little bit of a confusing listen. Moreover, this recording can make one yearn for the un-re-mixed versions so that one can enjoy this band the way nature intended.

    This album was originally reviewed on popmatters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/amsterdam-klezmer-band-remixed-2495679462.html
  • THIEVERY CORPORATION: VERSIONS

    THIEVERY CORPORATION: VERSIONS

    Bass is a prominent character in the theatre of the Thievery Corporation. Their “original” albums are inundated with it. The same is clearly true when they helm a remix effort. They take a tune, add lounge or Latin rhythms to it, then put the listener’s head right into the bass bin and stand well back. The result as exemplified here in Versions is a delightful Sunday morning workout of the capabilities of your Hi-Fi equipment. It matters not that they have chosen to rework some obscure tunes that probably would not otherwise grace your record collection. Indeed, it would be almost cheap of them to even consider using mainstream tunes. You want them to pan for lost nuggets of musical gold and then beat them into a beautiful shape so that you and your friends can rub your chins thoughtfully as you listen while slumped in your IKEA furniture. In this respect, Thievery Corporation do not disappoint.

    THIEVERY CORPORATION

    VERSIONS

    Eighteenth Street Lounge Music

    2006-05-16

    Thievery Corporation have taken their lead from the Jamaican dub style by accentuating the bass and the drums; they remove the vocals for the most part and let the spaces in between carry the rhythm and swaddle the result in modern digital reverb and other effects. Due to this, on the proper equipment this recording has the capacity to really piss off your neighbours or parents, so play with extreme caution. I suggest a rainy weekend, using a decent sub-woofer set to the kind of frequencies that only your lungs can hear.

    Among the luxurious tunes that Thievery Corporation have cast their leisurely gaze over is a version of Public Image Ltd.’s “This is Not a Love Song”, but John Lydon’s vocal is nowhere to be heard. It would be too obvious and not tasteful enough to remix that song. Instead we are treated to a cover version by Nouvelle Vague, a French project dedicated to updating 1980s hits using female vocalists that have never heard the originals. Nice. They also direct their beady eyes at the Doors’ “Strange Days” and come up with something quite charming, if a little unsettling. Jim Morrison to a dance beat… not sure about it (think of how you felt when you first heard the David Holmes remix of Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation”; disconcerting but cool). All that receives the TC dub treatment comes out the other end much the better for it. There is no other way that I would like to listen to Norah Jones or Sarah McLachlan.

    This is the sort of music that Steven Soderbergh would use in his Ocean’s series of film if he did not already use David Holmes. It supersedes hip and has a recognizable cinematic quality. If you are listening to this album on whatever music device you favour while travelling in a city, you cannot help but feel that you are in a movie and what you hear is the soundtrack. This works particularly well at night if you are on a full metro or other public train service.

    Versions is a damn fine remix record. Also, because Thievery Corporation have a sound and trendy following all of their own; it also works as well as an original release. Although saying that, the original tunes are not as stand-out as the remixes. If you find yourself in the market for a record to put on in the background while you chat to your mates, or if you have a particularly awesome sound system that you would like to put through its paces, then you could do a lot worse than buying this album.

    originally posted on pop matters.com

    https://www.popmatters.com/thievery-corporation-versions-2495676358.html

  • RÖYKSOPP: RÖYKSOPP’S NIGHT OUT

    RÖYKSOPP: RÖYKSOPP’S NIGHT OUT

    Röyksopp’s debut single “Eple” was pinched by Belgian turntable train spotters 2 Many DJs (AKA Soulwax) and mixed with Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” on their As Heard on Radio Soulwax – Part 2. The song was then also bought by Apple (a small computer company that also makes some kind of music playing device) and is the first thing that new Mac owners hear when they boot up their purchase for the first time. It is a wonderful, catchy tune that is also great to dance to. Sadly, “Eple” does not feature on this 40-minute live EP. What we do get is a selection of the cream from their 2002 debut Melody A.M. and last year’s The Understanding and a crowd-pleasing cover version as the penultimate track. If I cut to the chase straight away I have to ask “what is it for?”

    RÖYKSOPP

    RÖYKSOPP’S NIGHT OUT

    Astralwerks

    2006-03-21

    In the main this Norwegian duo (Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge) deliver an energy filled performance, handling most of the duties themselves with the exception of a few guest vocalists and the occasional bit of extra guitar and bass. If you like cool sounding analogue keyboards mixed with really obvious sounding drum machines then this album will be your bag. Like Daft Punk and Underworld, Röyksopp are the obvious next stage in the evolution of the musical project begun by the likes of Tangerine Dream and Neu! Say what you like, this is prog rock to a dance beat. It is not the kind of dry, serious Teutonic experiment in wave forms that you might expect from those German originators. Röyksopp entertain with a kind of techno geeky soul that is not without some humour. It is the kind of music that you get off your chair and party to.

    There are times where they go off the rails. An example of this is on “Alpha Male”. In places it just sounds like a couple of guys jamming in their bedroom to a Tangerine Dream record. This may be where this teams musical roots lie but I am not certain that people will want to fork out actual cash money to hear it. With the exception of this track the performance is note perfect with most of the guest vocalists from the two albums reprising their roles. However, in between songs there is the obligatory crowd noise that intrudes like the laughter track on “Happy Days” (those are dead people laughing), I understand that this is a live album but turn the crowd down and let me listen to the performance of the band.

    It does make you wonder though, as pretty much all of the music on this CD is available elsewhere in better versions (well at least versions without screaming Norwegians on it), who is going to buy it? Röyksopp apparently maintain that this release was primarily aimed at the Japanese fans who in their view are the most enthusiastic. Perhaps in order to appease their other fans there is the inclusion of a cracking version of Queens of the Stone Age’s “Go with the Flow”. In including this tune Röyksopp add some value to the release. It is a vivacious rendition that the band should be really proud of and the audience clearly enjoyed it. However, it is not quite enough to justify the price tag. If you have yet to discover this fine act and you can stand the background noise that accompanies this live outing then it may serve as a primer. However, if you are already a fan but not a completist or you have one of the albums already, then Röyksopp’s Night Out is probably not for you.

    originally on popmatters.com this was

    https://www.popmatters.com/royksopp_royksopps_night_out-2495675919.html