[saltbeef]

i second uncle. the matthew dear aka audion album is the shiz. on the way to and from hozzA today i listened to the dead kennedys. forgot how good they are, forward to death!

[andy_e]

I actually spent some real money on music today (gasp!) for the first time in three weeks.

I bought:

Quantic - One offs, Remixes and B sides

It's pretty good, and you can't argue with 27 tracks for £8!

[SA Chris]

been listening to that on http://www.tunes.co.uk Andy, got some great stuff on it.

[rowena]

Thinking about going to see the Secret Machines on Thursday.  Really like their album - anybody seen them live?

[Bowie]

tried to go on sat night to see secret machines in sheff but couldn't make it. mate from work went and really rated them.
album got 5* review in guardian - can't be bad!

[Fiend]

Updated my dark ambient reviews

Covering a variety of CDs I've got recently:

Bad Sector - Kosmodrom
Hive Mind - Sand Beasts (probably my favourite of this batch)
Kammarheit - The Starwheel
Koda - Movements
Merzbow - Merzbird
Merzbow - Merzbuddha
Raison D'Etre - The Empty Hollow Unfolds

 :twisted:

[SA Chris]

I'm sure they are not to the taste of the Sheffield Hardcore B-Boyz, but check the title of track 8

http://www.embrace.co.uk/thisnewday

Maybe they've been out on the grit around Huddersfield?

[andy_e]

This track has just rocked my socks:

Daft Punk - Aerodynamic

What more can I say other than... wow! The remix of it on Daft Club is better still! The same but for longer!

[webbo]

me and the missus have been having a cocteau twins nostalgia week or two with lullabies to violaine.
but this week i'll mainly be listening to hosannas from the basements of hell-killing joke

[tommytwotone]

My sis hooked me up with the John Legend Live at the Knitting Rooms tracks, well worth getting hold of for Kanye's appearance on "All falls down" unplugged style.

More hiphop:
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Slum Village ft. Kanye West - Selfish (just one track but pretty blinding)

Word.

[Fiend]

Recently I have been delving once again into Swollen Members - Bad Dreams (Battleaxe Records) and I cannot recommend this highly enough for you hip-hop heads, truly some of the illest, darkest beats around and some good rhymes too.

[Yossarian]

Nathan Fake - Drowning In a Sea of Love.  Has anyone heard this yet? Had it on in the car for the first time and thought it was awesome.  

He's playing in London with Mr Hopkinson's Computer, who is also worth a listen - http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=57087745

also just bought the glimmers DJ kicks, and the Rob da Bank fabric mix - going to go and have a listen now..

[BenF]

This week I've mainly been listening to breaks...

Probably not many people's cup of coffee, but here's a sample:
DJ Icey - Y4K  A pleasant and varied mix with the emphasis on funky, housey breaks.

Stanton Warriors - Stanton Session 2  At last they've released this and it seems to be the business.  Includes their cool mix of LCD Soundsystem's "Disco Infiltrator", the Jesse Jackson sampling "hope time" and "Dip and get low" featuring Rodney P.  Comes with a second cd of remixes, just in case you have a set of CDJ's.

A track by Deekline & Wizard featuring Topcat called "Special Dedication".  Very cheesy, bassy as fuck with cool noises.  And Topcat chatting over the top.  Great if you dig loud, cheesy, Australian style breaks (kinda like updated rave from around 1992).  Bit shit if you like credible, quality, acoustic music...

Last week I was mainly listening to hiphop, mostly Rjd2 and the Nextmen.  On a non hiphop tip, there's a cool reggae mix by the Nextmen called "Blunted in the Backroom".  It's good.

At some point in everyday I've been trying to play Back by dope demand by King Bee and the wonderful ...And Dance by General Degree and Jacques lu Cont.  That last track is a fantastic collaboration that can be found on the equally excellent album entitled Two Culture Clash (released on Wall of Sound about 18 months ago if I remember rightly).

[Falling Down]

Referring to my earlier tip.. Boris are playing live in Sheffield on Thursday. Don't know where yet, but if Japanese metal/stoner-rock/garage-punk floats your boat then I'll perhaps see you there after a session at the Tor or Minus Ten.

I saw Will Oldham live last night in Aberdeen, backed by a celtic/folkie outfit called Harem Scarem and drummer/percussionist of the moment Alex Neilson.  It was brill..

[SA Chris]

Arse. That completely slipped my mind B. Had surf session in Aberdeen, could have gone afterwards.

[dontfollowme]

Nathan Fake - Drowning In a Sea of Love.  Has anyone heard this yet? Had it on in the car for the first time and thought it was awesome.  

He's playing in London with Mr Hopkinson's Computer, who is also worth a listen - http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=57087745

also just bought the glimmers DJ kicks, and the Rob da Bank fabric mix - going to go and have a listen now..

Yep I'm enjoying the Nathan Fake stuff too. I'm still waiting for the Gnarls Barkley album to leak

[Pemb]

Got introduced to a Polish band called Skalpel a while back and have been listening them quite a lot during my recent late night essay writing sessions. I would probably describe them as acid/nu-jazz and they often get compared with The Cinematic Orchestra whoever they are. Think they currently have two albums out on the excellent Ninja Tune Records.

Also been enjoying Bonobo and his 'Dial M for Monkey' album. Think this is quite old and has probably been mentioned on here before but is a truly excellent album in my opinion. Flutter would be my pick of the songs off this album and it will definately featuring on my upcoming short bouldering film.

[Houdini]

Nathan Fake - Drowning In a Sea of Love.  Has anyone heard this yet?

Nathan fake - now there's an interesting knob-twiddler.  I met this youth in a gay club in Berlin not that long back (the kind of club where some like to wear rubber ass-free chaps with studs on the inside etc..).  

He never DJ's: live performances only.   And I wish I could say that he rocked.  He didn't.  He suffered from the same lack of spontaneity and sluggishness that many 'live artists' suffer from.  However, the fact that he chooses to be based in Norfolk AND remains creative... Now that's a fucking miracle!

I first heard his work (the track OUTHOUSE) on a mix CD by the Slovenian DJ Valentino Kanzyani called "Intenique: A continuous mix by Valentino Kanzyani" on Carl Coxs' label intec.  This is a blinding mix on 3 decks & FX.  Heartily recommended for those with a tech-house bent and is a fine compliment to his mate UMEKs' mix CD The Torture Chamber 2(and that ladies and gentleman is hands down the best mix I've ever heard).


Oh, his labelmate James Holden is certainly worth checking-out too.

[dave]

On a non hiphop tip, there's a cool reggae mix by the Nextmen called "Blunted in the Backroom".  It's good.

word to that.

i been listening to Ghostface Killah - IRONMAN. if you like wu tang you'll like this shit. "..got a message for smokey...."

[Fiend]

UMEKs' mix CD The Torture Chamber 2(and that ladies and gentleman is hands down the best mix I've ever heard).

Good choice.

Let's have some techno:

Luke Slater - Fear And Loathing Volume 1

Dave Clarke - World Service Volume 1

Marco Bailey - Sindustry

Various/Sabrettes - Pink 'n' Poisonous

Hardcell & Grindvik - Gainlane

If that lot doesn't induce some funkily robotic headnodding, I don't know what will...

[Houdini]

UMEKs' mix CD The Torture Chamber 2(and that ladies and gentleman is hands down the best mix I've ever heard).

Good choice.

Let's have some techno:

Luke Slater - Fear And Loathing Volume 1

Dave Clarke - World Service Volume 1

Marco Bailey - Sindustry

Various/Sabrettes - Pink 'n' Poisonous

Hardcell & Grindvik - Gainlane

If that lot doesn't induce some funkily robotic headnodding, I don't know what will...

I'm liking the cut-of-yer-gib Fiend:  You have good taste:

Fear & Loathing Volume 1 - Not at all bad (especially the 1st CD)  I can't recommend vol. 2, mind.

World Service 1 - again, not a bad choice (the electro disc kicks the shit out of the techno disc).  Again, I can't recommend vol. 2.  IMO, Clarke lost his techno-edge some time ago, and for me, "Devil's Advocate" reitterates the point.

Gainlain - Now yer talkin' hombre, a really cool example of turntables & laptops working in harmony.  I find the last 3rd of this disc really pretty; beautiful even.   Long live Drumcode!


If aggressive, mind-scraping, out-of-control 100% analogue techno lights your fire, I'd like to recommend Henryk B, the Swede.  Talent and originality @ work in abundance.  Watch that space, Sweden that is, it's all go!

[Fiend]

Agree that both Volume 2s were disappointing.

Henryk B got any CDs out?

Any other techno CDs in that style you can recommend? Preferably ones I can check out at www.juno.co.uk 

[Houdini]

Henrik B(erntssen, I think) does indeed have a CD, however, it's about as far removed from cranium-scraping as it's possible to be.

It is called "Kryonics" and does pretty much was it says on the tin, you get the sense that this release was recorded deep within a glacier, or some such place.  It's slow, beatless, and beautifully ambient.  It's almost as if it has a life of it's own.

The label (www.truesoulrecords.com) is Adam Beyers'.  Kryonics is hardly the bowel-shifting racket you'd associate him with;  I eagerly wait for news of Henriks' 2nd (and hopefully proper weapons-grade techno) release.

Henrik B has his own label, Illgorhythm records - you can hear snippets of the tracks plus some video material @ www.henrikb.com   Alas they are short.  I particularly like the video clips of Manwolf, and The Wound .

I rarely buy artist albums these days, I prefer the smörgasbord of a good mix CD; so it's hard for me to recommend an album.  However, should you like your techno slightly dark and atmospheric yet devastating on the dancefloor, I'll happily recommend The Counterbalance Collection by Surgeon.  A mix of his trax by the über-nerd himself. It's an oldie - but very goodie.

Also - there is are British Murder Boys (a techno act consisting of Surgeon, and fellow techwad Regis/Karl O' Connor).  You can find snippets of their work @ www.dj-surgeon.com (hint:  click the shopping trolley top right to access the shop section where these mp3 snips can be found.  Again, just snippets but worth a listen).   Alas, they've yet to make the jump to a CD or 2LP: all their work is currently vinyl only.  But give 'em time.  And yeah, they murder you, over and over.  Stuck in The Reich, it's not so easy for me to see them, but I was lucky enough to catch them in Berlin a month or so ago - they were mind blowing.  They slayed my face etc..  The poor poofs that were the audience (the club is tres homme) didn't know what fucking hit 'em.  Handbag haus it ain't.  Catch them if you can - it's normally Surgeon on 3 decks with Regis givin' it some on his black box.  Or the pair of them behind macs.  Either way - utterly recommended.

I'll trawl my brain for more. 

[Fiend]

Agree about the smorgasbord working well for techno CDs, I'm not a large fan of "un-themed" compilations in general but I find they work well with techno for sure...


Had a listen to the samples of The Counterbalance Collection, some of it was good, but the more abstract stuff is not really my style, I'm a sucker for the straight kickdrums in techno 


While I was looking around for more stuff though, I did find this: http://www.juno.co.uk/ppps/products/197376-01.htm a pretty banging live mix from Chris Liebig, I think that will have to be ordered


What do you think of the UK acid techno stuff in the Liberator DJs / Laurie Immersion / Dave The Drummer stylee?? I'm quite a fan of the sound but don't find their CDs flow as well as the other techno CDs that have been listed...

[Houdini]

Chris Liebing:  One of the Frankfurt dudes (maybe the best city for techno in Germany).  I remember reading a quote from Luke Slater on the subject of mix CD's:  "Well, I haven't heard any that I like, oh, Chris Liebing's done a great one."  This is the Live @ Beograd (sp?) disc you linked.

Perhaps you might like a CD that's been out about a year on Liebings' Stigmata label.   It's called "The Stigmata Collection".  It has one of the spookiest covers you'll see.  It's a Final Scratch mixed disc consisting entirely of Stigmata material.  I think they are mixed in order of release.  The music is made by Liebing and another german whose name escapes me (www.cl-rec.com will fill you in).  It's really dark, tough and linear.  Fast, too.  Kinda voodoo/black majik with images of indescribable terror/torture techno.

This is new: Check out "Metalism" by Chris Liebing and Speedy J.




Many feel the same about Surgeon.  I think he's a bit like marmite:  Love/hate him etc..   But the British Murder Boys are another thing and definitely more than the sum of their parts, which is why I want to recommend the two 45min mixes of their stuff that you can find in the Audio section of Surgeons' site.  One tough, one gentle; both free.

(Liberator/DtheD etc..  Hmmm...  Well, it's definitely very British sounding techno, to me.  But kinda part of from the "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out" - school.  Hard and fast is no better or worse than soft and slow...but all the time?  I lose interest after a while.  A bit like The Arches, or clubbing in Rhyl, once every few months/seasons was OK.  Every month?  Nein danke. 

Saw DtheD once in Llandudno @ an atrocious (18 quid) night.  Loads of rooms full of white peaked caps, diabolical excrement, total dross, with the exception of DtheD who saved the night somewhat.  I thought he looked a bit scary.  I've noticed that Crusties are really into Chris Liberator & DtheD.)

Recommendations (not all necessarily the sounds you are after - but good shit nevertheless):

Check out the mixes on the german Fine Audio label (www.fine-audio.com) in particular the DJ Murphy 4 deck mix.   

And on the same label, the 2CD mixes called Audio Community 1 by the Swedes Patrick Skoog and MP NUTS.  Patrick Skoog is Top Notch and MP NUTS, nuts. 

There is a 2CD Chris Liebing mix here, too.  The best thing IMO is the Jay Denham mix, really cool Detroit/Teutonic techno.  I'd take this guy over Jeff Mills any day.




For those out there that like their tech a bit more tribal, check out the 2CD called Perspective by Hertz.  One mixed and one unmixed CD.  Both are really worthwhile, totally groovey and percussive.  The mix CD can be listened to in it's entirety @ www.elpmedien.com     This is a distributors site with plenty to intest anyone with an interest in techno (it's down @ this time, but worth a look when it's up again).





I really rate a Benelux guy called Stanny Frannsen (AKA G-Force) whose LP Playing with the Blox is cool as.  And his 2 deck mix CD on Marco Carolas' Zenit label has never let me down and never left my CD pouch in the last 4 or 5 years travels; I've almost worn this one out.  I've yet to get hold of his I Love Techno 2003 mix, but I doubt it will be anything less than 1st class.  Stanny Frannsen kicks ass.

There is a free Stanny Frannsen mix available @ www.ump3.de  This site is a goldmine.  There are too many bonefide-for-the-internet-mixes and live-sets available to list, but, Holden and Fake, Speedy J, Jesper Dahlback, Liebing, Lekebusch... too many.  Gorge yourself in their Audio section. (I'm listening to the Frannsen mix now - it's cool.)




If you don't already know it, www.littledetroit.net is a cool all things electronica spot incl. many mixes to download.