If you’re a regular on this blog, you will probably already know SertOne is held in rather high esteem around this neck of the woods.
Well, not just content with knocking our sock off with his hip-hop influenced electronics, the ever prolific Liverpool based Irish producer has an equally impressive body of work under his other pseudonym CL Moons. CL Moons is his a footwork/juke sideline and as an introduction to this alter-alter ego, is his reworking of Swall’s ‘Bright//Moon//Light’. It sees Swall’s soft wandering pop recast in a different light, with Moons kicking in with sharp, snappy beats at a BPM up there with the national debt (that’s high in case you were wondering).
This tune has been on constant rotation along with CL Moons’ edit of DJ Fresh ‘Gatekeeper’ for the past month. You can listen to them both below. See also, Sweekers Vol. 1 & Vol. 2, where by Mr. Moons has teamed up with fellow Irish producer Lemonada.
SertOne is without question one of Ireland’s most promising producers, both prodigious and prolific. It is strange to still refer to him as ‘promising’ such is sheer dearth of material already under his belt, but with each release comes promise of even greater things to come. One wonders where will he go to next?
For now at any rate, it is back to the future. Released digitally last year, Shapes in the Sky has now thankfully made it’s way onto 12″ vinyl. The EP itself is fantastic; head-nodding beats, slick samples and hip-hop influenced grooves are met with swagger and confidence, to produce some serious funked up jams that will bounce around your head all day. The 12″ is out now and comes with quality exclusive remixes from Danny Drive Thru, Lemonada and SIGNAL, which you can sample below.
Shapes in the Sky is out now on 12″ vinyl through Melted Music & can be ordered from here. For the record (no pun intended, my copy hasn’t left the turntable since it arrived this morning.
It’s that time of year when every music website, publication and blog (including this one) are busy compiling end of year lists. This time around, I thought I’d shift the focus to the bands and artist’s who’ve played a ‘BarryGruff Presents’ show this year and ask them for their ‘favourite album of 2012′, ‘favourite song of 2012′ & ‘favourite Irish song of the year’.
Right, that is enough from me, over to Dan Shanahan of Wayfarer and his picks from the year that was 2012.
On a whim, I agreed to go see these fellows in the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge one wet Thursday and by grud, it was a show I would never forget…I was sitting two rows from the front in a near empty venue watching three of the finest folk musicians to emerge from the British Isles, playing as if it were just for me. I was wrapped tight in a blanket of sounds that made me close my eyes and lose myself in the intricate musicality. Chris Drever on guitar with his tightly controlled and constant chord changes, complimented with a soft aching Scottish voice, singing songs about unrequited love in old folk songs. Aidan O’ Rourke holds his own with expert fiddle playing that gives soul to the compositions while Martin Green is unbelievable on the accordion, jumping in his seat as if possessed by the music…he’s the Hendrix of accordion players, no joke! These guys have featured on Jools Holland after they released this album and seem to be on the up and up so whenever they come back to Ireland, I dare say, check ‘em out! And in the mean time…buy this album!!
Favourite song of 2012: Field Music – ‘Start The Day Right’
I’m crap at finding new music that I like, I’m old school…preferring the comfort of listening to Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti for the millionth time than pretending to enjoy such and such’s album because they’re “cool” or “the in thing” or whatever. I know, i sound like an old fart but good music always seems to creep its way onto my now defunct, 29 year old radar in random ways. Field Music’s Plumb was one album, blasting out of a mate’s car speakers one day, that grabbed my attention. This is the first song off of Plumb and it doesn’t mess around. These guys wear their influences on their sleeves with a prog-rock 70′s sound, some grandiose Beatles inspired moments and amazing musicianship. Check them out!
Favourite Irish song of 2012: Villagers – ‘The Waves’
What can I say about this band that hasn’t already been said? Conor’s beautiful words and melodies are always a treat for the old ear holes. I’ve seen them play a lot of new material at a gig in Kilkenny a few months back and I’m eagerly awaiting their new album next year which I’m sure will be a guaranteed thing of beauty. Also check out MMOTHS remix of this song, it’s jaw-droppingly good!
The 26-year-old Glasgow based producer (real name Julian Corrie) impressed ever so much this year, releasing his first album proper, Light of the North. Prior to this Miaoux Miaoux had already proven quite the card, having been knocking out tunes as a remixer and producer for a few years now. As if to remind us of his capability as a remixer, Miaoux Miaoux dropped his reworking of Lindstrøm’s ‘Råkost’ just last week. No surprises, it’s a luscious seven and a half minutes spacey and uplifting electronica.
You can give both Miaoux Miaoux’s remix and Lindstrøm’s original below. No excuses now.
Berlin based producer Hannes Fischer, for whom I know very little about, has recently released an unofficial promo for the German flick ‘Cold Blood‘.
‘Cold Blood EP – Cold Blood (Hannes Fischer Edit)’ sees Fischer editing the movie’s title track, taking a sample from a “country song” to create a relaxing downbeat deep house track, with a captivating, head-nodding quality. The track requires very little explanation, just give it a listen below and you’ll get the picture.
I’ve been banging on about the brilliance of Django Djangofor ages now. Their self-titled debut being my favourite album of 2012, I’ll never shirk an excuse to big them up. Part of Django Django’s appeal is their seamless ability to blend genres and sounds from a melting pot of influences into a splendid blend of indie, rockabilly riffs, with an electro groove at its heart.
Their latest single ‘Life’s a Beach’, taken from the aforementioned album, ticks all those boxes; propulsive garage-rock/rockabilly riffs meets an insatiable danceable fever. Django Django have undeniable similarities to The Beta Band, so it is a pleasant surprise to find they enlisted Steve Mason on remix duties. Mason’s rework retains the undeniable groove of the original, adding a slightly dubby feel and drenches it in a hazy fog.
‘Life’s A Beach’ is out November 12th on 10″ vinyl and download.
The Emperor Machine‘s (aka Andy Meecham) wizardry hasn’t gone unnoticed on this blog, especially the supreme remixing talent. Meecham is also a member of Chicken Lips, of which he’s produced an extended mix of their latest release, ‘D.R.O.M.P’.
‘D.R.O.M.P’ is a funk fueled disco track with a hint of DFA styling coursing through its veins. It is a great track it’s own right but the pulsating relentlessness to The Emperor Machine’s extension is something quite spectacular. A slow-burning, shape-shifting sound with a serious amount of funked-up bass.
Both versions of ‘D.R.O.M.P’ are below an it’s out now on Southern Fried Records.
I can’t say I’m too taken by Toddla T’s new single ‘Alive‘, it’s just a bit, well, mmeh. This is of little consequence thankfully as Toddla T has kicked off the Clarks Originals remix series with a superb rework of The Pioneers ‘Let Your Yeah Be Yeah’.
It is fair to say for the most part classic tracks should be left well alone but this Trojan classic is in safe hands from a producer who’s love affair with Jamaica, it’s culture and music, runs deep. Introducing his own unique style, it is upbeat and bright with a flurry of sharp beats and bass drops, the track is totally re-imagined while paying tribute to the original track in the best way possible.
The Pioneers ‘Let Your Yeah Be Yeah’ (Toddla T Remix) is available for FREE download from here.
French label Astro Lab Recordings are releasing their very first compilation CD, Treasure Hunting, which showcases an ethos for embracing a broad spectrum of styles and genres.
While the compilation sounds pretty good in it’s entirety, Treasure Hunting, introduces one of the most tantalizing remixes of the year from legendary DJ & producer Andrew Weatherall. Weatherall has reworked his colleague and studio engineer, Timothy J Fairplay‘s ‘Sleighride/Blizzard’. It is an awesome track, chugging along a murky mix of Krautrock and dub sounds, aided by delayed scratchy guitar, forming into a hypnotic druggy electronic beast.
Check it and Populette’s remix of another Timothy J Fairplay track, ‘Xylophone’, below. Treasure Hunting will be released on June 25th, 2012.
Mash-ups have become increasingly popular over the past decade or so, however, sifting through the volumes of mediocrity and downright awful mash-ups can be an arduous task to say the least.
One man you can consistently bank on to deliver something of real class and quality is Max Tannone. The NYC producer is the man behind Ghostfunk, Mos Dub, Dub Kweli and Jaydiohead, and his brand new remix project Mic Check 1234! is yet another supremely brilliant piece of work. This time he’s decided to pit some of his favorite emcees’ most socio-political material with some of the best punk bands ever. And why not? Afterall, great hip-hop and punk have a lot in common; both want to affect change, to rebel against the status quo, or to simply just get up and move.
Yet another stunning album from Max Tannone and like the old adage says, some times the best things in life are free. You can spin some choice cuts below or check here for more info or download the whole thing for free.
Scottish alt-folker The Pictish Trail (aka Johnny Lynch) will be releasing his second album, ‘Secret Soundz Vol.2′, later in the year.
However, before all that, we have the Of Course You Exist EP, providing a glimpse into what we can expect from the forthcoming album. The oddball alt-folk sounds that make ’Of Course You Exist’ are wonderful, warm and fuzzed up, with his scuzzed-up vocals straining to be heard against a backdrop of murky distorted electro beats and guitars.
The EP is available in that most unusual of formats; an item of clothing. It is sewn into the seams of a t-shirt and a sweatshirt, as two different download bundles.
You can stream ‘Of Course You Exist’ and the equally great remix from Edinburgh-based FOUND below.
A few weeks back I attempted to do Django Django‘s marvelous debut LP the justice it so desperately deserves.
One thing which I neglected to mention was how remixable so many of the songs sound. On that note, here is Adrian Sherwood’s dub rerub of ‘Skies Over Cairo’. Retaining the undeniable groove, he has fleshed out the middle eastern allusions, introduced a splash of dub beats and effects to produce a marvelous piece of music in it’s own right!
‘Skies Over Cairo (Adrian Sherwood On U Sound Dub)’ is taken from the Storm 7″ vinyl, out now. Listen to it below.
