A cut above

Via Zonders

Thanks to good ole TNUC, I've been reintroduced to that fantastic sound that is Diamond Cut.

Cassette Kids - Lying Around (Diamond Cut Remix)
Datostrom - All I Ever Needed (Diamond Cut Remix)
LexiconDon - Heart Attack (Diamond Cut Remix)
Cinnamon Chasers - I Like Watching You (Diamond Cut Remix)
Evermore - Hey Boys and Girls (Diamond Cut Remix)
M'Black - Heartbreak (Diamond Cut Remix)
Hail Social - No Paradise (Diamond Cut Remix)

Once again, my heartstrings are pulled for the same reasons: that sure-fire distortion synth, the lyrics a la lady, and quality pop structures. It's like they came up with a formula and targeted it for me:

"What would Conrad like? What if we could work on a song with someone like Little Boots singing, but with actual lyrics, and turned it into something hard that Moullinex would be proud of, but just a little smoother so Classixx would approve."
"Yeah, and let's use that sweet bass synth that Futurecop! has in Eyes Like Ocean."
"Dude, this will be so jam."

Futurecop! - Eyes Like Ocean
Moullinex - Breakchops
Yacht - Psychic City (Classixx Remix)

Fingers crossed for a x-atlantic adventure to see them do their thing.

clicky for their soundcloud.

P.S. Repost of this sweet Futurecop! fan vid:

Sandra is my former Lover

Most recently I was referred to this vid by Art. My jeans were tighter for sure after watching that. In the same vein of 80's excellence but not as italo, is Sandra. Similar vocal impressions as Sabrina, but less uber-dancy. Now that spring has sprung in Chicago, these will be the jams for this weekend year.

Sandra - Maria Magdalena



and
Sandra - In the Heat of the Night



While reading an f'book post on TNUC's wall, this guy posted a link about this Finnish goth rock group (To Die For) who did a cover:


And after these tracks, take the Ralph Wiggum quiz...

Worth Jamming

Eleni

Nothing overly underappreciative to say about these tracks other than some quick recent pieces that I've picked up:

A-Ha - The Sun Always Shines on T.V. (extended)

Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension

Vicious Pink - Cccan't You See <--

Actually, the Vicious Pink track I've been searching for a while now after hearing it on a random mix. I feel like it's a worthy addition to the fag jams. The repetitive sample contrasted with the smoothed out backing vocals always works. One of these days I'll put together a song just to show off all the things I've learned about making pop music. Contrasting, combining, and juxtaposing a 'smoothed out' sound rather than one that is more staccato is a fantastic effect that Vicious Pink did very well here. Exhibit 2:

Soulwax - E Talking (album version)

Notice the bongo's and synth chords with the over-emphasized, crescendoing sustain for ~16bars and then go into the jug-jug-jug-jug base line. Just before the transition they reduce all the other parts of the track to ~solo the sustained synth. That's hot.

Hands off! Dance off!

5min wake up bike ride at the company gym and a red bull later, work was still fading me. Luckily there is the Accord and the Bang Gang DJ's (another post). After seeing my downstairs neighbors take the dog out for a spin, that leaves me power on the 200W amp...

Yello - Oh Yeah

(You will recognize that from Ferris Bueller). Still not satisfied as the song that kind of goofy in its entirety (sampling is great of course), I needed to kick it up a notch.

Boxcar - Free Mason

80's ladies and purveyors of classic fag jams will love this one. If someone is interested in opening up a discotheque with me whose digital effects consist of massive 7-segment displays and a programmed, backlit dancefloor sign me up. Neon is a must. Once we get there, the first playlist will consist of:

DVAS - Eternity (Beyond Forever)

Jan Hammer - Payback (DVAS’ Nash Bridges Edit)

Grace Jones - Williams’ Blood (Aeroplane Mix)

Funky Family - Funky Is On

K.I.D. - Don’t Stop

Force of Nature - I-ight

Kris Menace - Metropolis (Serge Santiago Italo Boot Edit)

DVAS - Le Tino (Radio Edit)

Tangerine Dream - Le Parc (DVAS’ Norman Tuttle Edit)

The Korgis - Drawn and Quartered (DVAS Edit)

Zombi - Zapphire (Escort Remix)

Danny Howells - Right Off (Faze Action Remix)

Fallout - The Morning After (Sunrise Mix)

DMX Krew - I Won’t Forget

Hot Cold - I Can Hear Your Voice

To really put yourself there, close your eyes and click...

DVAS - Panoptic Animations

Neglection and Distraction

cred: Robin McKendrick Pesceone via Neo 30th anniversary pics on F'book

I got a Valerie Compilation mixtape some moons ago and never really did a proper post on it primarily because I didn't think it was all that great. I have to say, the human element amongst the boop-boop-beep-beeps of the track sends me into guaranteed gyrational korper-movements. The Valerie folk on the tape have the electronic part on lock, but it's the lack of vocals that really distressed me. Enter the Maethelvin Mix.

Maethelvin - MTLV Time Travel Mix

-Tracklist-
Casco - Cybernetic Love
Kasso - Dig It
Angie St. Philip - Light Up My Heart
Exposé - Come Go With Me <----
Nuance - Take a chance
Future World Orchestra - Captain Coke
Combo - Just Change (Loose Shus Remix)
DVAS - Society
Maethelvin - Delight

Big big holy shit. This is pure mental extraction of my personal delights robbed from me while I was unsuspecting to create a concoction consisting completely of my desire to be born again but in 1963 with infinite supplies of Dep. The last track is def in the Intro Body vein. Speaking of which, a quasi-reunion tour is forthcoming.

For your portable YouTube DJ playlist:


And the real thing (update 25Jun11)

Expose - Come Go With Me by jpdc11

GAH!!

Ok, so I knew about Flosstradamus playing at the Burlington way back when and I either didn't go there because:

a) I was doing something I thought was better
b) The last Flosstradamus set I saw at Sonotheque I wasn't impressed with
c) I said 'Eh, fuck it'

Well hearing from this guy about the sexy results that ensued sent me in a rage of disappointment for about 5sec... apparently DIPLO showed up and started to PLAY A SET that night. FML.

Ok, enough dwelling on the past, let's reminisce instead. How about a choose your own adventure? Would you rather:

a) Take Charge at 16Hz


b) Conquer the Wind


or

c) Shoot and Drive Away via Giorgio Moroder

P.S. Remember, a Stamos boner, is not an awkward boner.

P.P.S Thanks TNUC.

The one I've been meaning to do for a while

While living in Denver, or in Chicago or going anywhere, I have a natural draw to spend a couple of hours in a local record store. It is not news to anyone of the interesting things that you'll find. Seeing as I have a poor memory and even poorer associative memory of text to sound, it is difficult for me to find things I'm actually looking for that I've heard. Most of my purchases are based on how interesting I find the cover art, or band name, or whether I've heard them before and can recall their name at that specific time. One band that I gave a chance to were The Buggles.


(reverse cover)

Yes, they have the obvious song, but the whole album is really good.

Buggles - Astroboy

Buggles - Elstree

Buggles - Kid Dynamo (streaming track on youtube)

I highly recommend picking this one up.

Videopop Mirror

So I basically just bamboozled a bunch of Italo off of Videopop. It's fantastic. I'm not feeling very inventive, but I am feeling dancy (how is that different from any other time?) One of these days I'm going to DJ an Italo party and Beth is going to have the biggest, baddest hair of them all. Damn! MMM mmm! Money. MMM mmm!

Angie Gold - Don't Talk to Strangers

Katy Gray - Hold Me Tight


Al Corley - Cold Dresses

Al Corley - Square Rooms

This guy's voice sounds like the typical 80's Depeche Mode style that I love. I think this stuff is turning more into pop than the Italo stuff that I know. Obviously I'm ok with that.

And how about that, more fag jams. Did I tell you that a guy kissed me (on the cheek) at Smartbar? Why! Unlike Greg, I don't think that I'm 80% board 30% boardwalk crosser. Just because I wear 80's Calvin Klein attire shouldn't make me a target for the boys in the hood.

Ok, so while listening to Futurecop right now I can't help but be reminded of this prior video. It's excellent.

Futurecop! - Eyes Like The Ocean

Eddie

So after playing Apples to Apples last night, this only seems appropriate.

Harold Faltermeyer - Axel Foley
When I actually DJ'd more often than not, it worked really well with Billie Jean in a mix. By the way, I lost a lot of MP3's a while so I actually didn't have this song, however I found if off of this post which has a lot of old 80's soundtrack songs, which are super neat.