Merry Christmas

This mix was meant to go up on my birthday, but all the wav. to mp3 conversion programs were really just spam programs trying to get me to buy porn. That never quite worked out, but I was finally able to squeeze this 1.3 GB in a smaller file just over 30 MB. Now I'm having copyright problems with Ableton Live ;) ;) :)

Tracklist:

Queen - Bohemian Rapsody
Walter Murphy & The Big Apple - Fifth of Beethoven - Soulwax Edit
Myster Jets - Half in Love with Elizabeth - Foamo Remix
Kid Cudi - Day n' Night - Crookers Remix
Lykke Li - Little Bit - AutoErotique Remix
Chemical Brothers - Salmon Dance - Crookers 'Wow' Remix
Mr. Oizo - Positif
Little Boots - Stuck on Repeat - Fake Blood Remix
Mr. Oizo - Gay Dentists
Gonzales - Working Together - Boys Noize Dub Mix
Don Rimini - Let Me Back Up - Crookers Tetsujin Remix
Jean Nippon - You Call It Love
Don Rimini - Ohow
Fischerspooner - Danse en France - D.I.M. Remix

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Download -->WHITE CHRISTMAS MIX
Download -->WHITE CHRISTMAS MIX
Download -->WHITE CHRISTMAS MIX

These Boots Are Made For

Beats me who reads this who actually lives in San Francisco, but if you do you're as cold as I am and you need a little whiskey and dance music to warm you up. Well if you're free tomorrow night and you can get there, head to the Attic on 24th and Mission for DJ sets by yours truly and the other lovely faces above. I'll be going on at around 1 am.

You can certainly expect the one that's been stuck on repeat at least for me, one of the gems of this year, also known as Little Boots. On her "Stuck On Repeat," Little Boots takes a page from Róisin Murphy and our Swedish favorites that have fallen into darkness lately, The Knife; like them she's not afraid to combine organic, seasonal sleigh-bells with an electronic, haunting melody. Then her voice comes in, almost reassuringly. The song has a kind of chill to it that I imagine will be at the top of many wish-lists this year.

Little Boots - Stuck On Repeat (alt)

All Too Distant Present

Making the the Top of 2008 lists is not easy; I've been seeing others, and it's safe to say that for the most part, people's tastes even within the same blog scenes are variating. I find this a good thing, hopefully tastes dissipate even further from previous trends, and I hope that music in 2009 sounds a lot more like this, at least for my sake:

Le Knight Club - Rhumba (alt)

Professor Genius - Orange Coco (alt)

Check out these guys' myspaces here and here.

Scylla, Charybdis and the Archduke of Austria

The boys from Franz Ferdinand are releasing their new single Ulysses soon, and they are having a remix competition in order "be surprised by the geniuses out there that no one has heard of yet.” Though I don't doubt their good intentions, the competition will most likely turn out thousands of amateur remixes, with only one picked, and the rest done by more "official" producers, which kind of sucks for those "geniuses". Oh well, if they turn out as good as the one below, I guess I can't get too upset:

Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses (Mickey Moonlight Remix) (alt)

Thanks to FYOF for the track.

Give some love to the boys (remixeur as well) and buy their album, releasing on 01/26/09 in the UK and on 01/27/09 in the U.S.

Royksopp - Happy Birthday

It is a sad thing I have to think about it, trace back and reflect, but Royskopp was a romantic experience for me in college. This was approximately seven years ago. I can clearly recall the time when I went to my first "rave," whatever that means. My friend Joe had coerced me to go, with a broken ankle, into a bus with, of course, some number, probably between useless "1" and and another useless number, somewhat greater than "1," giving us little confidence, not knowing how we would get home as naive and innocent freshman in a particular part of a city that's not so inviting at night, Sacramento. The only thing that can be mentioned here, and the only thing that has any lasting semblance seeing it's made its way this far, seven years, is that on that night, from a drugged and defective someone, I received a flyer advertising and promoting a new certain duo that had just started to attract attention, Royksopp. Here we are again.

Royksopp - Happy Birthday (ALT)

Royksopp & Erlend Oye - Poor Leno - Silicon Soul Remix - There is a Light that Never Goes Out Acapella (ALT)

The as-of-yet untitled studio album is rumored to include contributions from among others Sweden’s much-hyped act Lykke Li.

Thanks a Million, OhhCrapp. You're always up on things! ;) ;)

Upper Cuts, No Pun Intended

Conversation on WAVESATNIGHT

"Hmm. kind feel bad for dude. It became so clear after him and Falke seperated, who the true talent behind their tracks was. 1 decent Braxe track in the past year…20 or so amazing Falke originals/remixes. This isn’t bad by most standards but bland just like all of his solo work…Falke basically said this was the reason for splitting up."

"I know Braxe has kinda fallen off the wagon lately, but for anyone to dismiss him because you think Falke was “the true talent” behind their collaborations is downright absurd. Take a look at some of his Falke-free tracks. The Paradise’s “In Love With You,” (The Paradise is just Braxe and some dude named Romuald Louverjon), is an absolute classic. And then he’s got a host of solo remixes that are pure quality: Shakedown’s “At Night,” Annie’s “Heartbeat,” Ben Diamond’s “Let’s Get High,” Britney Spears’ “Anticipating,” John Lord Fonda’s “So Far Away,” Shakedown’s “Lonely Road,” and Space Cowboy’s “That’s What Dreams Are Made Of” are just a few of the many that I noticed as I quickly glanced down my itunes library. So show a little more respect for the man, please."

"I don’t feel it’s absurd. Let me clarify my reasoning. Braxe in undeniably a solid producer and engineer. However, the only track he has done solo that has that braxe and falke magic is the Paradise track (possibly also Anticipation chord work). All of the others have no memorable melodies, and no real progression. Annie remix is terrible btw…hardly different from the original. I am very much against people who put their name on something they didn’t create, so when I heard this implication (Triple J interview) , i immediately lost respect for Braxe, and the past year has done nothing to contradict that implication. Braxe is indeed a talent, but Falke has had 10 or so “absolute classics” in the past year alone…"

The Paradise - In Love With You (ALT)

Keith - Mona Lisa's Child - Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Remix (ALT)

Alan Braxe & Fred Falke - Rubicon (ALT)

Discoscape

Escapist, dreamlike and evasive are some of the few attributes that have been given to Lindstrom and Prins Thomas' work. Their sound is a bit of a hybrid: it never seems to be full on Balearic, though heavily associated with the scene and it doesn't seem quite italo either, though reminiscent of that genre as well. An elaborate disco instrumental boom box, with several rhythmic sections of singular instruments playing and combining one by one, with one and then another and another for long, spatial segments, only for swooning synths to direct the changes of pace and melody into another realm. These guys have too many tools, too many directions of pace and too many well-implemented ideas to not regard them as essential dance musicians.

Lindstrom and Prins Thomas - Mighty Girl (alt)
Lindstrom and Prins Thomas - Turkish Delight (alt)

Bamboozle their myspaces here and here.

Kilometers Away

Time and time again Sébastien Tellier satisfies that warm spot in our gut where beards are king. A few nights ago I set up camp at a bar called the Attic in the Mission, ordered a Nagrony, and read an article by my friend Brandon about Tellier. The idea of Tellier reaching for the "master subject" I think is apt, yet in doing so he streches himself too thin. While his albums have many gems, others, like Kilometer, require a little polishing before it's as charming as reading a Tellier interview in English. And Moulinex has the goods. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the beginning reminds me a bit of U2, the good U2 of the 80s. But then come the vocals and the song falls into a definite groove. Moulinex has fun with the clip of the moaning woman in the original Kilometer. That night I read the article I ran into Brandon and we discussed the comparison between Tellier and Serge Gainsbourg. I found this video of Gainsbourg performing in the eighties, and from a distance, it might as well just be Tellier himself sans beard.

Sébastien Tellier - Kilometre (Moulinex remix) (alt)

Not your average bears

Seriously, they are making the best of 2008 lists too easy:

Fleetwood Mac - Never Forget (Cut Copy Lifelike Remix) (alt)

Hit 'em up here and here.

Missed Connections

I'm not sure what place comparative music studies have on the mp3 blog scene, but driving home late last night with the iPod on shuffle I made a connection between two, at first glance, vastly different artists that I would like to share with you. So, as part of my "Missed Connections" series, here is your official LTBN personals.

You: walked in to the bar late last night, right before last call, with a plaid shirt muscle-tee and navy blue keds. Made a name for himself after remixing Yelle's cover of "A Cause des Garçons" and in 2005 released Côte Ouest. His instrumental originals sound a little midi-ish, often reminding one of the "Demos" you hear on cheap keyboards. But Tepr, or Tanguy Destable as he is known to some, has fresh, funky vision and it works. Melodies overlap one another, and he lets song build itself up quite satisfactorily.

TePr - Deutschland to italia (1987) (alt)

Me: the English chap sitting at the bar, slightly balding with thick rimmed glasses, clutching a gin and tonic. Michael Nyman, fringe-classical musician and minimalist, published a study on experimental music and John Cage in the seventies. Best known for his film scores in which he developed a distinct style of mathematical baroque sound. Each note, although played by a full orchestra, seems to have been entered as part of a logarithm in a super computer. Nothing is accidental, and his compositions--such as "Wheelbarrow Walk" from the soundtrack for Drowning by Numbers--unfold in the same way a computer loads up. Like Tepr, no note is improvised or accidental, and yet there is something inherently organic about their songs. If interested, want to meet for coffee?

Michael Nyman - Wheelbarrow Walk (alt)

Happy Birthday

Today is birthday. It's shortly after twelve but I've been feeling the familiar but invented feeling that is inescapable during and around this time, yesterday, and will do so even more once I get some rest and wake up into a sea of formalities. Besides the birthday that even spills into this here blog, I want to post a song. If you're thinking to hard about what the lyrics mean, I will tell you you're missing the point.


Michel Polnareff - Love Me, Please Love Me (ALT) 1966

Lassen Sie es Gibt Nacht

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is the the pet project of Riton, who this year has given us some great remixes for Hercules & Love Affair and Mickey Moonlight, and I have to say, I am surprised. Not because it's well done, Riton usually never lets me down in that regard; rather, I'm surprised of the song choice. La Serenissima is a famous Italian song by Rondo Veneziano, and was featured in Justice's rejected FABRIC Live mix. Riton keeps the focus of the original and embellishes on the rhythm section, making it a more dynamic and deeper track with a more modern tone.

Peep it:

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - La Serenissima (alt)

Bonus:

The Sunshine Underground - Borders (Goodbooks Remix) (alt)

P.S. Sorry if my German isn't top notch, my German-literate sister is in Berlin time, hence my being lost in translation.

Bombs Over Blog Land

Seems to me like Guns N' Bombs has done enough (Kitsune work, remixes for reputable artists and some outstanding, high energy mixes) to deserve a little more hype than they get. Sort of a shame that they've been confined to a secondary role while others within their genre receive all the accolades. I guess since they don't whine for themselves, we will do it for them in hopes to raise a profile that is already high enough to be recognized but is inconsistent in exposure.

Dig on some of this stuff:

Guns N' Bombs - Riddle of Steel (alt)
Guns N' Bombs - Riddle of Steel (Para One Remix) (alt)

Bonus:

The Teenagers - Homecoming (Guns N' Bombs 1996 XTC Remix) (alt)

Hit up the guys at their official myspace.

Pascal Arbez

For a while, it seemed certain that I would only be listening to Kings of Leon (my guilty pleasure, loved the first album and most of the second) but that was soon to change. Technology was catching up to some of the talent already out there in the electronic dance world, DFA the main culprits and the emerging French and Australian scene to follow.

What happened between my love for indie poseur music and my electro-nic slide can be largely attributed to Pascal Arbez aka Vitalic. I wasn't aware of his Poney EP, and it was one of those rare gems I came across randomly. His songs were intense arranged cacophonies, with its thumping bass, the crashing cymbals and hi-hats, it's intricate beeping Moroder melodies and of course those shearing, shrapnel-infused, roaring rock/metal synths, a staple sound for Arbez that surprisingly found a vacant melodic niche in the dance world. At the time, Vitalic was the best thing to happen to the people who secretly flirted with the idea of actually liking Ministry of Sound albums, but couldn't come out of their musical credibility closet. In my opinion, Vitalic played a major role in changing the perception of dance music to the general public. The Poney EP, consisting primarily of anthem La Rock 01, Poney Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 were to be successfully translated to his 2006 LP Ok Cowboy, an album that was met with both critical acclaim and popularity amongst the masses. The release of the album marked Arbez' rise to prominence, which came with with noteworthy remix work for artists such as Björk and Röyksopp.

French contemporaries have since pushed his sound away from a larger mass appeal, and besides playing many festivals, Arbez has been missing in action due largely to a lack of new original or remixed material. We hope that its because of a return to the studios rather than other circumstances, and we hope to hear more from one of the significant figures in dance music.

Vitalic - La Rock 01 (alt)
Vitalic - Poney Part 1 (alt)
Björk - Who Is It? (Vitalic Remix) (alt)
Röyksopp- What Else Is There? (Vitalic Remix) (alt)

Go to the Vitalic Myspace and give him some love.

There's Nothing More to Say

It's Cut Copy, it's marvelous and it's new. Get it you fools:

Cut Copy - Sands of Time (alt)

Thanks to MassHyperbole for this wonderful track.

What's In Your Pocket?

Every once in a while in remix land, a DJ outdoes himself. Ed Banger's DJ Medhi provided the interesting--to say the least--canvas for remixers to work called "Pocket Piano." I'm at a loss to place Medhi in Ed Banger's history. Not quite the hard-rock, mind-trip feel of Justice or Sebastien, part classical, part rap, just a little bit of everything; this song seems to line up accordingly with the Mickey Moonlight direction. Joakim's remix clocks in at just under 10 minutes making it the "Sinnerman" of the French-electronic genre. And with the pianos governing the track throughout, I don't feel the comparison is too far off. Wherever you decide to play this--in your earphones or at your next fondue party--don't pass it up. It's wonderful.

DJ Mehdi - Pocket Piano (Joakim remix) (alt)

Justice - A Cross the Universe

It's not easy being breezy, beautiful, cover boys. I mean . . . people love to hate them, and they love to love them. I'm not 16, but I still love them. Order the DVD HERE. Trust me it's good; I haven't seen it yet. ;)

Justice x Metallica (ALT) A Cross the Universe CD

NY Excuse (Soulwax/Justice Remix) (ALT) A Cross the Universe CD

P.S. I did not get NY Excuse from KidzbyCorrupt ;)

Willow II : 2010

Just Kidding about the Willow II thing. That was a leaked mistake.

We can't help it. Shazam is putting out quality material left and right. We know how much Discodust and MassHyperbole are fans of Shazam, and we here have nothing less to say of him than that we love him as much. How old is he, 15? Will this turn into another Mary Kate and Ashley Olson millionaire baby-gone-bad story? His sound is definitely fitting in really well, from super unpolished tracks with his first Sweaty remix by Muscles, which we wrote about here, to polished production, round basses we all better know as House Music that can be noticed in this remix. What's Next? Shazam will soon remix Sneaky Sound System, and you guessed it, Empire of the Sun. I caught this on Discobelle the other day (Ohhcrapp-- it's not Disocbelle ;) Enjoi.

Tough Alliance - Neo Violence - Shazam Remix (ALT)

In other news, check out a potential TOP TEN ARTIST OF THE YEAR, Empire of the Sun. They have a new trailer for the "We Are The People" music video shot in Mexico. Reminds me of that Jennifer Lopez movie, minus Jennifer Lopez, plus Empire of the Sun.

The Kids Are All Right

Remixes can make a familiar band anonymous. Who knows who's the brains behinds all those Hot Chip remixes, for instance? Vampire Weekend recently received some treatment from the duo who's had a little more practice with the dance floor, Chromeo. Not to say 2008 hasn't been a great year for both these bands--even my mum knows who Vampire Weekend is thanks to NPR. Yet, it remains unclear whether this was a team-effort or the product of one of the two's free time--I'm leaning towards P-Thugg, but I could be wrong. In any case, give this one a listen, it's sure to brighten up anyone's day with a perfect blend of that effortlessly pure voice of Ezra Koenig's and a light techno feel. The kids are sure to dance!

Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand a Chance (Chromeo remix) (alt)

Oh, and anyone planning to see the first of probably many tween-novel adaptations to film, Twilight, have a nice "vampire" weekend.

Jackson Fourgeaud

To every story, there is the wizard, the wise man, the magician. Always kept on the shelf for certain measures, little does he talk, but when he does . . .

Jackson Fourgeaud, or more popularly known as Jackson and His Computer Band, in this cess pool of right-now's banger-crap, is one that stands out, noticeably. One-of-a-kind, sure, but I don't want to hear that again. It sounds too far away to be true, but I originally heard my first Jackson remix five years ago. This was the period of the failed record label GOOOM. From GOOOM, the remaining survivors today are TEPR, Yelle's current tour drummer, and M83, who got played out real hard once PitchForkMedia gizzed all over Anthony Gonzalez's most recent EMO album. But that's beside the point. "Run Into Flowers" was the single remixed by Jackson as the "Midnight Fuck Remix." And there happened, I think, a great schism. There was such a new sound brought to the table, namely those super compressed snare drums all to reminiscent of the snare drum King, Mr. Oizo. Jackson Fourgeaud has been an inspiration and influence to virtually every member on Ed Banger family, but that's no big deal. C'mon -- it's Warp Records. They kinda know what they're doing.

Enough of my silly poetics; Jackson is a much more charming man than I am as he speaks about music, remixes, and influences. We wont mention his production horizon. Let's all hope he's working on new material.



M83 - Run Into Flowers - Midnight Fuck Remix (ALT)

Panico - Illumination - Jackson Remix (ALT)

Hype and Music On My Mind

Far Away is the new single by Cut Copy that will be released digitally by Modular on November 24th. Some blogs are displaying their displeasure at the overkill of extra Cut Copy material released in the past year, but most have been looking forward to it. Mass Hyperbole has been waiting anxiously for this particular release, but it seems BIGSTEREO beat them to it:

Cut Copy - Far Away (Damn Arms Remix) (alt)

Hit up Cut Copy and Damn Arms and buy the Far Away single.

Take It By Forza

Awesome song, awesome video, I never really understood Zombie Nation in any sort of context other than pre French-touch scene trance. I'm glad I do now, as everything they've released recently has given the scenesters something fresh to listen to on the dance floor. Peep it:

Zombie Nation - Forza (alt)
Zombie Nation - Forza (Housemeister Remix) (alt)
Zombie Nation - Forza (Fukkk Offf Remix) (alt)


Give shout-outs to ZN, Housemeister and Fukkk Offf at their myspaces.

Boomerangz

Australian music is hot. We here at LTBN know this. It's not to put down any other countries' music scenes, but in the particular genre of music we focus on, the Aussies seem to be doing it best at the moment. And speaking of moments, look at Shazam growing up right before our eyes. Loved his original stuff (especially Pool Party) but he seems to be doing stuff in the vein of Fred Falke, half Balearic, half French with synth melodies and choruses fading in and out of songs, allowing for the music to have room to breath between more wacky sounds, handclaps and the rhythm sections. Here we find the young prodigy remixing Sneaky Sound System's new single, an effort inclusive of all of his trademarks:

Sneaky Sound System - When We Were Young (Shazam Remix) + (alt)

Next up is an effort between British provocateurs, Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris, and they also receive the Shazam treatment to good results. If there's one detriment to Shazam, it is that he doesn't seem to step outside his sound too much; fortunately for us, that's not that big a setback:

Dizzee Rascal ft. Calvin Harris - Dance Wiv Me (Shazam Remix) + (alt)

Listen to these tunes and give Shazam, Sneaky Sound System, Dizzee and Calvin a shoutout.

Bonus: Shazam - Pool Party (Rogerseventytwo Remix) + (alt)

When Doves Get Married

So Prince takes a stand against gay marriage, and all of a sudden you don't wanna hear what it sounds like when doves cry. Who can blame you? Luckily, La Roux has the alternative. Coming out of the UK, with wind-swept hair that would make the Human League proud, this girl is serious about the 80s--from Prince to Heaven 17. La Roux's single "Quicksand" is being released on everyone's favorite Kitsuné label, which means Ladyhawke and Yelle better not get too comfortable. Her labelmates, AutoKratz, already had a shot at a remix, but I think you better hear this one in its original form.

La Roux - Quicksand

And otherwise, yes we're predictable. Breakbot has a go at Sebastien Tellier's Roche and it's divine. I imagine he had a tough time with taking the slow R&B style of the original, but in the end it sounds like Breakbot took his own funky creation and sprinkled it with Tellier's vocals. It's just as beach-ready as the original though. See what you think.

Sebastien Tellier - Roche (Breakbot remix)

New design on the blog. Drop us a comment and let us know what you think. Edit: pesky blogger and regulations had to take down this post, hit up the linked artists to check out the songs.

Justice - A Cross the Universe

I can't believe the phenomenon that has become Justice. In 2005, a girl I once dated always had Justice in her top four myspace friends. I remember upon my initial listening, I gave it maybe twenty seconds and then proceeded to turn that crap off. It was only shortly later that I came upon Justice through mutual musical friendships, and then I clearly saw how special these guys were. I remember the inception, for myself, for my friends, and to those strange people (namely DJs at local indie nights that HATED Justice ;) :) ;) ) that just didn't get it, and it's amazing to think where they are now. Justice is in a totally different environment today, with a successful maverick album under their belt. My favorite and only next question begs: What will the following album sound like, seeing the time of the Banger is fading out, if not altogether taken upon a different dynamic? This is an exciting question.

Watch this video and read the following article related on Justice. Apparently, the whole world will, now, undoubtedly turn against them . . .

inthemix.com.au


"Currently on the promo trail for their new live DVD/album A Cross The Universe, French electro fiends Justice have made a rather frank – and quite possibly costly – admission in an interview with MTV… They didn’t clear all the samples included on their 2007 debut album †! “If you listen to Genesis, the first track [on †, there are samples of Slipknot, Queen and 50 Cent,” Xavier de Rosnay asserted boldly. “But they are such short samples no one can recognise them. The ones from Slipknot, for example, are just tiny bits of the voice.”

Of course it’s no shock to hear a dance artist would choose to sample another musical act, the entire scene is built on the process of appropriating other people’s music. However it is strange that de Rosnay decided to reveal the exact source of their errant audio snippets, with fellow producers having been sued for copyright infringement for much less. “Sometimes we do also use big samples. On the album, we used three big samples that we had to clear, and all the rest are just impossible to recognise.”

Justice - D.A.N.C.E. 2.0 LIVE ;) ;) ;)

Justice - Two Minutes to Midnight (Live)

grace a ASNMANDAN

So Far Away

Great news I will most likely take advantage of. Cut Copy just announced another, third, US tour to celebrate their albumn "In Ghost Colours."

"We're pleased to announce our final run through North America in support of "In Ghost Colours". This trek will be the last shows we do before we retire to the studio to complete the ideas swimming around our heads and in the laptops for the next record. We're thrilled to be playing a number of cities for the first time, as well as visiting some of the places we previously threw down with Black Kids and The Presets.

Joining us on this tour will be Brooklyn's own Matt and Kim (which should make for an amazingly energetic night), an awesome light show and a special surprise DJ.
We hope to see you there!!

The dates are as follows, and will go on sale this week:

FRI 3/6 AUSTIN, TX @ Stubbs BBQ
SAT 3/7 DALLAS, TX @ Granada Theater
MON 3/9 POMONA, CA @ The Glass House
TUE 3/10 LOS ANGELES, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater
WED 3/11 LOS ANGELES, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater
THUR 3/12 SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ The Fillmore
FRI 3/13 LAS VEGAS, NV @ House of Blues
SUN 3/15 DENVER, CO @ Bluebird Theater
TUE 3/17 ST.
LOUIS, MO @ The Gargoyle
WED 3/18 CHICAGO, IL @ Vic Theater
FRI 3/20 TORONTO, ON @ Circa
SAT 3/21 NEW YORK, NY @ Terminal 5 *** see below
SUN 3/22 BOSTON, MA @ House Of Blues
MON 3/23 WASHINGTON, DC @ The 9:30 club
TUE 3/24 CARBORRO, NC @ Cat's Cradle
THUR 3/26 ATLANTA, GA @ Masquerade
FRI 3/27 ORLANDO, FL @ Club Firestone

We should have ticket links for all shows active in the next day or two, but you can presale tickets for the NYC show from 12pm AEST on Wednesday Nov 12th, by heading to:

http://www. ticketmaster.com/event/0000416AB2A35CD2

and entering the presale password 'cutcopynyc'."

Cut Copy - So Haunted - Knightlife End Edit (So Cosmic Rip, not EP Version) ;)


The Hercules and Love Affair Remix can be found at good peoples WavesatNight here, here, and here

See you in L.A.!

Finally, Miami is Horrifed

I've been waiting for so long and it's only a few days away now. To say Miami Horror's Bravado is highly anticipated is a disservice to the artist and to the work. The demo for Summerfest 86 often streamed in my computer, and the original Don't Be On With Her quickly became one of my favorite songs ever, not to mention the many remixes he's done (I'm gonna say around 15).

To get you psyched, I decided to post a couple of goodies I found at OhhCrapp: a widget with all of the songs from Bravado, and the awesomely nickaracadish video for Don't Be On With Her. Check it out:

Miami Horror - Don't Be On With Her (Official Music Video) from Moop Jaw on Vimeo.

And to get you guys even more hyped up here is his original Don't Be On With Her, as well as Summerfest 86. Enjoi:

Miami Horror - Don't Be On With Her (old version)(192kpbs)
Miami Horror - Summerfest 86' (128 kpbs)

Please support Miami Horror and buy this fantastic EP, I know I will.

Total Recall

Yes, I effed up. Should be more careful about posting music that isn't high quality (320 kpbs is STANDARD in the blog world). Most importantly, I want you, the readers, to have the best because that means I have it. No matter, I'm happy to rectify on past failures.

It was made apparent to me by comments around the blogosphere (and later takedowns of the song) that Tiga's Mind Dimension 2 leak was a low quality recording made into a 320 kpbs file. Seems like the culprit finally got his hands on the original:

Tiga - Mind Dimension 2

On an earlier post I had talked about ZZT's newest single, The Worm, and though I had covered my steps on that post (cuz I said that it was part of a mix CD) I did want to bring you the full version, so here it is, accompanied by the rework by one of my favorite artists, Mr. Erol Alkan:

ZZT - The Worm (Original Munich Version)
ZZT - The Worm (Erol Alkan Extended Mix)

Holla at these boys and give them some love and buy Tiga's Mind Dimension 2 on December 1st.

Driverzz

It's what these songs do (it's what i don't, wink wink). Repetitive, monotone and non-improv but so what? The only thing that makes the following songs catchy as hell is to keep a steady hand and drive the beat forward so that the melodies and hooks can make our heads bop.

Charlie Fanclub is known for his D.A.N.C.E. remix as well as a couple others for Surkin and Stardust. This particular song comes from his new Nightbreed EP and it's bangin' throughout, well worth a couple good listens to the tittle tracks, which are blasts of funky house music in the vein of Louis La Roche with some Boys Noize character in the melody, as well as several of those trance horns that are a bit fresher now than they used to be back in the day. My favorite one below:

Charlie Fanclub - Nightbreed Part 1

BUY IT AT BEATPORT

This other song is in the same vein and has had me enthralled ever since I first came across it. Cicada is a staple in the house scene since their debut self-tittled, and they sound a little bit like the girl-led vocalist 80s revival groups that have come into prominence in the indie scene. In this particular remix, Moulinex (of DISCOTEXAS fame) cuts out all the lyrics except the "again and again and again part" and it works wonders. I had this song on my head for two days thinking I would never hear it again, and it just so happens I had uploaded onto my mp3. Go figure:

Cicada - Falling Rockets (Moulinex Dub)

Show Charlie, Cicada and Moulinex some support at their respective myspaces and enjoy.

It's That Easy

Ok, ok. I waited and was patient and finally it came today on LaFriendly. Surprise, surprise! No it doesn't surprise anyone that KidzByLawsuit got it first. After OhhCrapp posted "Alternate" (OMGZZ!!!!), I contacted the man himself if he could send any love to LetThereBeNight. Unfortunately I didn't receive an e-mail :( but I am here to provide you with some wonderful work done to Late Of The Pier's Bathroom Gurgle by the man whose name I have not yet mentioned: Burns. BTW, is Late Of The Pier a Disney Channel Band?

Late of The Pier - Bathroom Gurgle - Burns Remix (320 kpbs)

Burns - Alternate (320 kpbs)

Abomination vs. Obamanation

Its been a crazy week here in the states, with our nation engrossed in the political consequences of the historic elections that just took place. Very nice to see a candidate with such a positive message eager to engage the calamity that is our republic at this moment.

Enough is enough though, and since we are all getting down to business to resolve the crisis from all fronts, I should do my part and resolve the minor absence by our blog this past week with some interesting, and hopefully fresh, music for your ears.

First up is a choice hit by Rogerseventytwo, quite possibly one of the most underrated DJs in the electronic music scene. He has many things going for him, like the use of bass for rhythm and funk elements for melodies in several of his songs, and although his love for that music label can get the better of him sometimes, it's a minor fault. Here's a fairly new one:

Destroy Disco - Fly or Bounce (Rogerseventytwo Remix)

I first heard the original of this song four years ago, part of a Colette mix, and it was pretty amazing stuff, slow with lounge elements, and I would say that the name of the group is very apropos. This is a remix of that song that made me reminisce about what dance music was then and what is now, inherent in the contemporary elements provided by the remixeurs on the song:

Colder - Dance to the Music (Lotterboys Remix)

To keep it old school, we'll go with probably my favorite song from Cut Copy's Fabriclive set, definitely the best thing I've ever heard from Super Discount, hopefully they make more like it. The squiggly voices, the pounding synths and the crescendo buildups make this a slow bpm classic:

Whomadewho - Out the Door (Super Discount Remix)

Newer stuff coming soon, stay tuned peeps.

One Year Ago Today

On the eve of the eve of All Hallow's Day, Let There Be Night was born. It was a momentous occasion and it has continued to affect our lives and the way we listen to music. We're still not sure where this is going, but we hope wherever it goes, you'll go along for the ride. So Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday. Here is a goodie-bag to celebrate. Be safe tonight and watch out for razors in your candy!


Kanye West - Love Lockdown (DYC remix)
Journey - Don't Stop Believing (Andy Clockwork remix)
Deadmau5 - Ghosts N' Stuff
Herve & Kissy Sell Out - Rikkalicious

Every time I Look Into Your Eyes I See WTF

Ok maybe I'm just not letting the music to hit me, but it seems like Tiga's Mind Dimension is a bit overhyped. I won't lie, I can't wait for his new stuff to drop and I can imagine this particular song feeling different on a dance floor, but until that happens for me, I'm gonna remain skeptical and very puzzled. One sure thing we can say for Tiga is that he does look out for us, promoting "Mind Dimension 1" in stream at Ohh! Crapp and allowing LAFriendly to post"Mind Dimension 2" as an exclusive. For those who are rather lazy or just like giving us the hits, we'll host it for a lil' bit:

Tiga - Mind Dimension 2 (Soulwax Version)

In other news, as most of you know, the US crowd is preparing for Halloween, and for the kids that means candy, for the adults that means parties....and shows. Here in the southwest part of the country, LA happens to be hosting the best concert of the year I'm not going to (sold out) and a 'Sin City' is having one of my favorite artists at another massive outing that I can't get to. I thought I was gonna have no sort of Halloween excitement, and then I saw that The Toxic Avenger and Franki Chan are gonna be in San Diego this Friday for the festivities, so I find myself graced by luck once more:

The Toxic Avenger - Escape (Damage Remix)
Franki Chan SXSW DJ Mix

In any case, if you happen to be going to any of these shows, I wish you a good, safe time with lots of chainsaw accidents, ouija board resurrections and Barack Obama/Sarah Palin costume hating.

Hot Hot Feet

Currently I'm unemployed and homeless. My days see a lot of cafe-inhabiting using wifi and intense mp3-browsing so that I can prepare for my DJ session for Halloween. Here are some gems I've come across so far that I'll be playing next Friday. First this Ladytron remix by Stray Dogs in Paris. Makes good use of piano without sounding too cocktail-partyish. We'll see if this one can keep the feets shuffling. It's good that's for sure, but it might be too slow. Let me know what you think.

Ladytron - Runaway (Stray Dogs in Paris remix)

Then there's this Tepr mix that I guess slipped through the cracks, mine at least. Somehow Tepr turns a Top 40s favorite into a electro slash Franz Ferdinand-sounding hit. This one has a good sample of everything.

Kid Sister - Pro Nails (ft. Kanye West) (Tepr remix)

And of course I'll play all the familiar favorites, including this one, MSTRKRFT's lovely remix of Metric's Monster Hospital.

Metric - Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT remix)

Thriller Nite?

The release is tittled "Thriller". And no it's not Quincy Jones' and Michael Jackson's gem of an album. It's supposed to be a pet project of a well known producer from a well known record label in the dubstep, wonk-bass genre, and I have a pair of educated guesses but the guy is trying to keep anonymous, so I'll stay true to his schpeel and keep it incognito even if one of my guesses is rite. Besides, it's not ignorance of knowing who the artist is that has to be penalized here; the real crime would be not posting this amazing song from someone I hope we hear more from. The song "Genie" is the B-side (the flip side carrying the more hip-hop sounding "BBQ") and sounds like it belongs to Biggy during his 'Juicy' days, and in my favorite ways, it reminds me of Alan Braxe's short but well lived The Paradise project.

Enjoi:

Thriller - Genie

Watch You Gonna Be?

80% chance that I'll be DJing this Halloween (ahem, Let There's real birthday, Matt). I'll be the Karate Kid. And ya'll better believe I'll be playing this song. Whoever DJ Ayers is has made an apt song for the festivities; love the way Mobb Deep's chorus falls into place like a glove. Could this be the work of William Ayers, former domestic terrorist, and most recently reason for McCain to suspect Barack Obama? Guess not--better not get it twisted.

Mobb Deep vs. Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters Got It Twisted (DJ Ayers remix)

Let me know if you want to come to the party I'll be DJing.

Back to the Bot

Well guess who's back. Ok, ok, I flew in from Thailand last Thursday. Sorry I didn't bring you any souvenirs. In fact, the only thing I brought back with me besides photos and memories is a Justice t-shirt. But more importantly for your ears, Breakbot is back with another great remix. I really don't know how The Frenchman does it so well. If you listen, you can hear the clear relation to Justice with the funky, light bassline, and yet he has his own, distinct sound. I really think Mr. Bot is in a league of his own. Check out his touch up of Digitalism's Apollo-Gize and be enlightened.

Digitalism - Apollo-Gize (Breakbot Hypnotoad mix)

To Die For

Is it Christmas time? I guess L.A. Friendly is always up on things, because he did get his hands on the new Mr. Oizo album "Lamb's Anger." For one, and this is always true of Oizo's songs, Steroids is totally messed up, and I really can't put my finger on it. I think I'll play it safe and say, "I just need loud speakers." The king of the snare has produced another bizarre track; really, it's a reassurance we get another anomaly like this. My best analogy would be there is a curious uncle who happens to come upon some drum machines/ production studio and he produces off-kilter yet interesting "I don't know what I'm doing" songs. The crescendo that points to this is when Uffie, totally out of note, says, "steroids." I can never fully say I dislike it, or fully know that I do really like it, because there is something always there that attracts me to both sides -- this could be novel in itself. Uffie is rapping about "I have no idea." The wave is in. There is a clear "Half A Scissor" sample, the same song that was later self-sampled for "HalfanEdit." I can't wait for the rest of this album. As for now, it's Friday folks.

Mr. Oizo - Steroids ft. Uffie

Mr. Oizo - Positif

Turpentine Kisses

I was thinking about remixing 'Zero' by the Smashing Pumpkins. No joke. Melloncollie and the Infinite Sadness was my favorite album from the 90s and I've played it out three separate times. That amount of playability is rare, especially with my tastes, which swing all over the place and try to dedicate more time to weird genres. That being said, it's impossible not to notice the potential of 'Zero' as a remixable song, or some of the samples within it, and Le Castlevania has just beaten me to the punch (not that I would've followed through with making a remix given my lack of skill) and made a pretty fun song; in the beginning of the song, the sample fades out underneath a bobbing trance rhythm, until the guitar riff sample hits, and then the electro banger elements climb in to give the chorus some depth. It is guilty of 'bangerism', the preferred style that exemplifies the electro scene's identity of excess and debauchery, a source of pride but quite possibly in the future, the source of its decline. No matter, there's no other way to do this song, and together with Patrick Alavi's Nirvana cover of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', we finally have another worthy addition to 90s grunge remixes.

Enjoi:

Le Castlevania - Zero Machine

Bonus:

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Patrick Alavi Rerox)

BEST POST EVER

Of course it's not, but it's big. I'm really supposed to be studying for two exams I have tomorrow, but as of now, I guess I'm ignoring those. I was really excited for this post, but am now more or less let down.

Kavinsky used to be my favorite man, especially when Ed Banger was blowing up and Kavinsky had like the favorite E.P. around. Testarossa Autodrive was the most anomalous and successful song during that virgin time, in my opinion. And when everyone first heard the Sebastian remix during the Justice 2006 I Love Techno set, the world went madd. Anyways, that period is now over. I whine about it all the time; 90% of the artist we all blog about now owe responsibility to that interesting time that started somewhere in late 2005/2006. So, this Kavinsky remix is totally lackluster, sadly. When I think of Kavinsky, I think madd potential, but no result. 1986 is bonkers, but nothing has come to the surface, really, since the M.I.A. bootleg. Kavo wtf man? We want another EP, if not an album. The candle's slowly burning out . . . Boys Noize, wtf? One of the top remix spots in 2008, and we get this, more or less the 2 min. "preview?"

Sebastien Tellier - Roche - Kavinsky Remix

Late of the Pier - Focker - Boys Noize Remix

On a smaller note (jk), our blog has officially turned one year old. Oct. 30th was our birthday, but we've been that busy. We want to thank all the readers, some of which we know, many of which we don't, for stopping by to hear what's good. I want to also send kisses out to Alex and Albie, the other two bloggers. <3 <3 Since the 30th, we've been getting a ridiculous amount of hits, ridiculous for our standards. And we've never asked anyone to put is in their blogroll. Let's have fun!

In other worms

Personally, I don't understand the dislike for Crookers or their 'wonk' scene that is exhibited in the blog world and music forums. It's understandable that people want their music to be smart as far as structure, melody, tone, etc. but the nature of most of electro music scene is suited to clubs and to clubbers, which means noise, alcohol, and drugs, not exactly a place where you go to be intellectually stimulated. Not to mention that the wonk sound is really only suited for clubbing, so you can feel your entire body vibrate, not for a bike ride in the middle of the afternoon or for listening in your room as the rain hits your window, while your cozy in your bed or some shit. As far as the boring and bland tag they get sometimes, well, most of the time I hear something played by them, it gets people hopping, so it can't be that boring, can it?

What I'm getting to is this: ZZT is gonna release "The Worm" soon and it's closer to something Switch or Crookers might make than to ZZT's previous track, its philosophical opposite "Lower States of Consciousness". Can bad 'wonk' stuff be released? Sure, in fact it happens ALL THE TIME. But I hate the idea of disliking an artist based on reputation/sound they built up before. Instead, I choose to dislike things after I heard them. Apples and oranges, i guess.

Enjoi:

ZZT - The Worm (Original Munich Version) (from I Love Techno 2008 mixed by Boys Noize)

Bonus:

Fatboy Slim - Champion Sound (Switch Remix)

EMPIRE OF THE SUN

Can I emphasize it more? Empire of the Sun are such a gem. Sunday, they gave a sneak peak of their album "Walking On a Dream" by releasing five more songs onto their Myspace player. I want to talk all about it but you should check it out for yourself.

The album will be released digitally and as CD October 4th. Go out and pre-order here, here, and here!!!

Tracklist:

1. Standing on the Shore
2. Walking on a Dream
3. Half Mast
4. We are the People (Full Song)
5. Delta Bay
6. Country
7. The World
8. Swordfish Hotkiss Night
9. Tiger by my Side
10. Without You

Mr. Oizo - Lamb's Anger

Arrêter De Vous Reproduuuuuuire . . .


In BIG news, Mr. Oizo is set to release an album November 17 with Ed Banger. "Bruce Willis is Dead" will in fact appear on the LP, contrary to the popular belief that it was a "joke" song. For those that are not familiar with Mr. Oizo, and this may include the million 16 year old kids I saw at the Justice show last night in Street Scene, Quentin Dupieux was key to putting Ed Banger on any map. Uffie toured like a maniac when Oizo produced the undeniably catchy "Ready to Uff," while Justice were still popularly recognized as "DJs." In his earlier productions, it was kinda hit or miss, but since his joining the Ed Banger records, there has been no better style brought to the table. Here's a preview of "positif" a song that blew we talked about here. Support Mr. Oizo; it's a select injunction.

Mr. Oizo - Positif

P.S. Stay tuned for a remix from Oizo's best friend . . . Sebastien Tellier - Roche Kavinsky Remix coming up soon !!!

Lovers Across the Atlantic

I've always had a special place in my heart for Lovers-Across-The-Atlantic themed songs. While there aren't too many of them, they're particuarly touching: just take a look at a map. It's one thing if you live two hours away from your lover, but separated by an ocean: that's quite a daunting separation.

First, there's "Honey Pie" by the Beatles. They take a humorous approach to the theme. A small-town English girl runs away to find fame and fortune in Hollywood and her lover croons after her, "Honey Pie, you are making me crazy/ I'm in love but I'm lazy/So won't you please come home."

Sunset Rubdown offers a more melancholy, sea-shantylike vision in their "Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings," where Spencer Krug calls to the "distant shore." Perhaps on tour, he thinks of his girlfriend and yearns to prove his fidelity through "Drawings of men with faithful hands." Anyone who's been in this situation can identify with Krug's toast: "And if I fall into a drink/ I will say your name before I sink." The ending of the song sound triumphant, dreamlike as the title suggests, and pierces the hearts of those who can empathize.

Now, Ladyhawke has something to add to the tradition. Naturally, the Kiwi's melodic backgrounds are vastly different than the first two songs--and also more clearly autobiographical--sounding kind of like a cross between Ladytron and Stevie Nicks. She sings about a man who comes to her show, she spots him in the crowd and falls in love with him. Well, shit, it turns out he lives across the Atlantic. Turns out Ladyhawke too, like Paul McCartney, is lazy: she promises, "one journey for you, but it's worth it/ one life here with me, and it's magic."

Ladyhawke - Magic

That said, by the time you read this I'll be in Thailand--"Oceans never listened to us anyway."

Truth Derailed

I don't know about you, but when I download a remix I expect to hear something I can dance to. Admittedly, the nature of the remix seems most suitable for the dance floor: you take a song that you can't dance to, add a four-four electronic bass drum and then work your magic. Indeed, where else might you hear those often obscure remixes but through a DJ at a club. But then, it's not often that you'll hear a Four Tet remix at a club. Nowadays, however, that doesn't always have to be the case, especially if you're working with songs to which you can already dance. So why not remix a song without the intentions of making it danceworthy? Enter Trentemøller.

Ever since I heard Trentemøller's remix of Moby's "Go," I was intrigued. The beat seems just slightly too slow to dance to, like just barely misses the mark for appropriate BPMs. But that doesn't take away from the quality of the remix. I love the way he uses the percussion in the beginning, almost like a drum solo wandered into the wrong party. It definitely sets the tone and raises the intensity level to get the song kicked off.

Moby - Go (Trentemøller remix)

In the Dane's latest work he pays respect to his fellow countryman-and-woman, The Raveonettes. He uses a similar sounding drum line to get things started, seems to be his signature sound. But then when the somber guitars chime in, you can hardly tell it's a remix: definitely not suitable for the dance floor. I wonder then what it was meant for. Well, that's for you to decide.

The Raveonettes - Lust (Trentemøller remix)

The Prydz Before The Fall

I´ve pretty much decided recently that I don´t hate all trance music, and that´s pretty hard for me to say (that the last 20 minutes have been spent trying to decide exactly what words to use to write this last sentence prove to me as much). I always try to keep my mind open as far as music but trance music had pushed me against a corner, due to its lack of soul and its overly annoying and dull repetitiveness. Artistry seems largely missing from this genre, most of its great examples stuck between a commercial sound and artistic anonimity.

To me it´s pretty amazing that Eric Prydz wasn´t subjected to the one and done trend that a lot of house-trance artists tend to suffer after his massive dance hit Call on Me, probably not just because of their musical abilities, but because of the overwhelming amounts of trance music available by the dollar.

However, lack of craftsmanship and a disappearance from the public (dance) ear are two things Eric Prydz does not suffer from. Even with the huge emergence of electro music, Prydz has managed to stay on top of what he does best: quality trance music combining soft melodies with Bennassian basses and substituting the overly used and annoying trance drum kits for a deeper rhythm section.

It´s not that Prydz doesn´t suffer from some of the same setbacks that most trance artists suffer (monotonous and unrevised structures; intro-outro like transitions that serve for buildup/dramatic purposes but to me sound like filler and waste momentum) but his deficiencies are more indicative of the genre than of the artist. In the end, Prydz´s strengths overcome his weaknesses and make him an important player in the new wave of electronic music, as evidenced by the release of Pjanoo this year.

The following is one of my favorite unexpected tracks of the year, along with Raven (Proxy) and Take A Chance (The Magic Numbers). My love affair with this one commences with the 8-bit Megaman-esque melody, cut apart by intense drumbreaks and follows through with a memorable trance structure that favours the songs softer overtones and reminds me a lot of Shinichi Osawa/Fred Falke/Paul Wall:

Eric Prydz - Miami Atlanta

Visit Eric´s Myspace as well as his official website.

MGMT - Kids - Soulwax Remix

It got out today and we got our hands in early enough to say it has been a lot of hype. Erol's version was probably an edit. Both Soulwax or MGMT sound real great at this present time, but this remix is lackluster. Has anyone seen Part of the Weekend Never Dies?

MGMT - Kids - Soulwax Remix

Also; what happened to Kidzbycolette? hehe, jk, lolz.

G.L.O.V.E.S.

It's not C.L.A.W.S. . . I mean Melbourne duo G.L.O.V.E.S. have signed on for two 12s to familiar label BANG GANG, a record label way underrated. AU readers; they read our blogs the most, second only to the French. Where is the Justice? Anyways, this remix came up recently and made the rounds at Bouleafacettes and Hyperbole too, but it's still worth posting here. This bit impressed me, those reminiscent high-hat hits that started everything in blog-universe . . . Any guesses? G.L.O.V.E.S. are scheduled to handle Cut Copy and Sneaky Sound System in the near future. Stay glued.

The Death Set - Listen to this Collision - G.L.O.V.E.S. Remix

New Mr. Oizo

There's a lot that can be blogged about right now. I have several songs in mind that I've wanted to post for a while, but when this came up, I thought I can't afford to lose my dungeons-and-dragons like allegiances to artists I feel are really "important," meaning artists that do what they like to do, no reservations. Not only that: the formula works, and it's way under appreciated. As some of you may now know, Mr Oizo recently made it public that he has finished work on his latest album. It's Mr Oizo. Stunt, halfanedit, Patrick 122; do these mean anything to you? Secret gems from a mysterious man. And here's what is in store next . . .

Mr Oizo - Vous êtes des animaux
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The 4 Corners of the Universe

The roads of the universe converge at the intersection of four letters: MGMT. They're receiving all the attention from the best names in the business, so that means we have to blog about them. Here's the latest leak from Soulwax, a live rip of their Nite Version of "Kids." As for me, I'll have to hear the high-quality version before I can fully judge, but "Kids" has some big footsteps to fill after "Standing in the Way of Control" and "Gravity's Rainbow." Let's hope this comes close.

MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Nite Version live)