Until I have a chance to post some tracks for sampling, here is a short list of what’s been playing in my headphones. Also, keep an eye out for a mix that I’m working on for Modyfier. It should be fairly eclectic, and it will be under Hours of Worship.

Applebim – “Mystical Warrior”
The Black Ghosts – “Any Way (Fake Blood mix)”
Burning Star Core – Riot Demos (LP)
Caribou – “Melody Day”
Death in June – All Pigs Must Die (LP)
Djuma Soundsystem – “Les Djinns (Moby Remix)”
Human League – “Marianne”
JPLS – “Green01 (Skoozbot's Twilite Remix)”
Merzbow – “Zophorus (Part 1)”
Midnight Juggernauts – “Road To Recovery (Miami Horror Remix)”
Vincent Oliver – “Outro”
Boyd Rice – “People”
Risque – “Starlight”
Bjørn Torske - “Hatten Passer”
White Rainbow – Prism of Eternal Now (LP)

SPK - High Tension
Australian group Sozialistisches Patientenkollektiv (SPK) was named after a radical German Marxist group, not completely dissimilar from the Baader-Meinhoff Gang. This track is from one of their later releases and doesn't at all reflect the reasons that nerds across the globe revere the group. They were originally associated with the whole Industrial Records crew, and I'm sure that you can guess the rest. However, "High Tension" is a much more light-hearted affair with its electrofunk meets italo beats and head-nodding melodies. Think The Passions meets early Miami freestyle.

Marco Resmann - Gouache
Another track from Mobilee. There's not much I feel like saying about this except that it pleasantly fits within the label's roster. Resmann accounts for exactly one-third of Pan-Pot, and this piece certainly reflects the same sense of making white space work for you. In my estimation, this track should satisfy sound production fetishes and techno cravings alike.

Nadja - Stays Demons
I'll allow the XLR8R website to do the footwork for this one, given that I recently wrote a review about this for the print version and I can't really use that yet. And I'm far too lazy to write up anything else. Here goes: "Brutality has many faces, and Nadja is one of them. The Canadian duo thrives on feedback, strings, guitar distortion, and electronic drumming, which makes for some of the most atmospheric drone this side of Godflesh. Did we mention that this is heavy? Really heavy."

Harmonia 76 - Almost
This collaboration includes a cast of familiar characters: Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Cluster), Michael Rother (Neu!), and Brian Eno. Recorded in 1976, released in 1997. Interesting then that it sounds like late 80s Eno works, water sounds high in the mix and with plenty of piano loops. This would be easy to pinpoint as an influence on groups like Slowdive, were it not a complete anachronism.

Others:
1. Eluvium - "New Animals from the Air"
2. Dominik Eulberg - "Adler"
3. The Passions - "I'm in Love with a German Film Star"
4. Windy & Carl - "The Eternal Struggle"
5. Sunn O))) - "Bp//simple"

The last few months at Mezzanine and XLR8R have been busier than I’d like to think about and in conjunction with the normal happenings, I’ve completely neglected this site. That's all set to change. A new look, some new tracks, and I’ve decided to take more than twenty minutes with posts. Let me know what you think.


Tractile - “Stay Out”
[file was apparently deleted by Easy Share]
Berlin-based Canadian techno duo Tractile (a.k.a. Adam Young and Joel Boychuk) are basically the same age as my little sister, but somehow I'm looking up to them. Their style is perfectly M_nus, although they bring a certain buzz and cut to their tracks in a way that reminds me of the Spaceships & Pings comp that came out last year. While it's true that the Items & Things label - who released the comp - is a complete M_nus affiliate, the tracks on there seem to bring a (Get) Physical bounce to the minimal scene. On "Stay Out," Tractile manage to insert a sort of tech-house feel, bouncing here and there and everywhere, while keeping things clean and focusing on sound production as much as Richie Hawtin ever has.

GummiHz - “Isolate”
- "Holy shit, dude. I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack. Are they still serving alcohol?"
- Friend nods in agreement only to reply, "No. It's like 4 in the morning, dude."
- "Ah, Shit."
- That's when the processed swirls run in and out in stereo. Mid-tempo bass rumbles through the dance floor, and suddenly you realize that you'd never personally play this track out ... but, shit, there's something about it. Go ahead, catch your breath, indulge in the sound, and start gyrating whenever you're ready.

Goslings - “No More Ribbon, No More Kite”
This group consists of two people, a husband and wife. All I really know is that they're from Florida, and that they've managed to succeed where bands like Xinlisupreme fail to bridge psychedelic rambling with a deeper appreciation of noise as something more, for lack of a better word, accessible. Like so many other genres, half of the importance of noise isn't that it's an end in itself, but it's that there are elements to be gleaned and reappropriated in other interesting contexts. Goslings have a firm grasp on that fact and in turn they present an industrial, noise, stoner, pop, whatever masterpiece.

Others:

1. Throbbing Gristle - Part Two: The Endless Not
2. Nadja - Touched
3. Lair of the Minotaur - "The Wolf"
4. Above the Ruins - "Waiting"
5. Antarctica - "Full Crescent Crusade"

2006 in Review is beneath the current post, if you’re interested.

But here’s the new one, the first post of 2007.

The Scars – “Horrorshow”

Due to the fact that they were nestled neatly between Post-Punk and New Romantic status, Edinburgh’s The Scars never really gained the attention they deserved. They recorded a few 7”s, 2 sessions with John Peel, and one full length record, “Author! Author!” Although the LP isn’t bad, the first 7”, containing both “Horrorshow” and “Adult/ery,” is undeniably the best thing they ever did. The track I’ve posted sounds like the Buzzcocks meets Christian Death, and I’m not really sure which recording session it’s from but it may be a Peel Session.

A Number of Names – “Sharevari”

A classic Detroit track that absolutely influenced Detroit’s 1st wave of techno. After seeing a video for this track on the illustrious ILM board recently, posting this was a must. Deceptively fast and funky, it’s too bad that A Number of Names didn’t do much else. The video above is from The Scene, an old Detroit dance show.

Daniel Bell – “Work That Shit”
Cybersonik – “Technarchy”

This Saturday, Daniel Bell is playing here in San Francisco with Audion. Mr. Bell is old school, Audion is part of the new school, and I am one happy techno nerd. Plus, at the last [Kontrol] party, with Kooky Scientist, the residents played some of the best sets I’ve ever seen them play. Check out these two tracks. Classics.

Hanatarashi – “King of Noise”

I’m pretty sure that knowing this is the noise project of Eye from The Boredoms sums this one up. Later changing their name to Hanatarash, check out the video above as well as the song.

2006 in Brief Review

Year end lists that I've seen and care about: TAPE, Chantilly Bass, and 20 Jazz Funk Greats. So, as a blogger, I'm equally obligated to list releases that really grabbed me this year. Of course there are plenty of other really great songs, but as the year comes to a close ... these are the tracks that made my year! Irrespective of any numbered count, here we go.

Also, HERE is a little ZIP file of things that I can't stop listening to during this holiday season. Is there a logical connection between any of these? You be the judge.

Year End List 2006

LP/EPs

- Alex Smoke – Paradolia
- Ellen Allien & Apparat – Orchestra of Bubbles
- Black Devil Disco Club – 28 After
- Boris/Sunn O))) – Altar
- Cat Power - The Greatest
- Nathan Fake – Drowning in a Sea of Love
- Marc Houle – Bay of Figs
- Jan Jelinek – Tierbeobachtungen
- Junior Boys – So This is Goodbye
- The Knife – Silent Shout
- Psychic Ills – Dins
- Sleeparchive – Radio Transmission
- TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain ... guilty :]
- Uusitalo – Tulenkantaja
- Wolf Eyes/Grey Daturas – The Black Plague
- Yellow Swans – Psychic Secession

Tracks

- Gabriel Ananda & Cio D’or – “Lauschgoldengel”
- Marek Bois - "You Got Good Ash (Gabriel Ananda Remix)"
- Martin Buttrich – “Full Clip”
- Cobblestone Jazz – “Dump Truck”
- Lindstrom – “Another Station (Todd Terje Remix)”
- Misc. – “B_Movie 6:00 AM”
- Daze Maxim – “Simply Driving Gold”
- Minilogue - "The Girl from Botany Bay"
- Padded Cell – “Konkorde Lafayette”
- Troy Pierce – “25 Bitches Vol. 2 (Marc Houle Remix)”
- Onur Ozer – “Twilight (Mathias Kaden Remix)”
- Pig & Dan – “On to the Beat”
- Radio Slave - "My Bleep"
- Shit Robot – “Wrong Galaxy”
- Sweet n Candy – “Tacky Wakeup (Dominik Eulberg Remix)”
- The Vulva String Quartet – “Out Of Sight (Farben Remix)”
- Wighnomy Bros. – “Dukktus”

Comps/Mixes

- Robot Hustle – “Disco Crush 1”
- Jena Paradies - "Latest Bits" (unreleased)
- V/A - min2MAX (M_nus)
- V/A - Spaceships and Pings (Items & Things)
- V/A – Superlongevity 4 (Perlon)

The Times They Are A Changin'

San Francisco people, if you're interested in funky disco, italo, etc ... please come show us some love and support this night. Last week was our first, and the turnout was amazing. Slobbering drunk people were falling all over the dance floor whilst listening to all sorts of disco rarities. Next Wednesday, the 22nd, we have the privilege of throwing an event with the now ubiquitous Bus Station John, hero of the Tubesteak Connection at Aunt Charlie's Lounge and Double Dutch Disco at the Transfer. Click on the flyer above for our myspace page, more info, and a better quality image.

Click Here to download the tracks.

Thomas Leer – “Private Plane”
Telex – “Pakmovast”
Fad Gadget – “Lady Shave”
Thomas Leer & Robert Rental – “Day Breaks, Night Heals”
Kraftwelt – “Deranged (Zero Gravity Mix)”
Dark Side of the Moog – “The Final DAT Part IV”

After rediscovering my 12” of Robert Rental & The Normal “Live at the West Runton Pavilion,” I started a thread on the illustrious ILM board. On that thread, someone reminded me of the collaboration between Robert Rental and Thomas Leer, the third part of their weird little pre-post-punk electronic trinity. Anyway, “Day Breaks, Night Heals” is included in this selection, as is the excellent Leer track “Private Plane,” which was brought to my attention by ILM regular Dan Selzer. Last week I found a perfect copy of Telex’s 3rd record “Sex” on Ariola Benelux for $20. So, a Telex classic from their 1st record is also here. Fad Gadget because I was in the mood, and also … Frank Tovey RIP. The last two tracks are a bit more leftfield. Kraftwelt is a synthy space trip a la Delia and Gavin, albeit released on a sublabel of goth monolith Cleopatra. And finally, in the spirit of collaboration, My favorite track from the Dark Side of the Moog project, which includes Klaus Schultz, Bill Laswell, and Peter Kuhlmann. Schultz is positively one of my favorite artists, an original member of Kraut superstars Tangerine Dream. And if you’ve followed this blog at all you know that I have a ridiculous obsession with Conrad Schnitlzer … who was also in Tangerine Dream. Prog on. More techno next time.

x. kAzooo – “Ohm” - Let’s see … somewhere near Items & Things, Dirk Leyers, Onur Ozer, and the like. Despite the amazingly terrible cover, and the awful title (Trick it Out), this is a great release for fans of the darker rave that has been coming out lately. But seriously, this cover is, like, uh ... really bad. Just download it, and let the song talk. Oh, by the way ... most of this guy's releases appear to be on mp3? Blah.







x. Pig & Dan – “On to the Beat” - When this record came out a few months ago, I was in New York. Usually, I don’t buy records when I am out of town, unless they are something a bit harder to come by. Still, as soon as I heard this track, those rules went out the window. Etherea Records, thank you for having turntables. This track is equal parts techno and EBM. Wolfsheim, eat your hearts out. The bassline fucking kiiiiiills me.







x. John Dahlback – “Wet Summer” - This is nothing less than big, dirty, ravey electrohouse that I would expect to be played next to both Simian Mobile Disco and Bastien Grine. DJs of the world should thank Kompakt, or specifically K2, for yet another fantastic crossover track. Peak hours, big room, you get the idea …







x. Zoviet France – “Something Spooked the Horses” - File under: ambient/industrial. Collaborative group from the English countryside. Although they’ve been around since the early 80’s, they’ve recently released some of their most important work. If you don’t have this already, check it out.


other tracks:
Ash Ra Tempel – “Traummaschine”
Black Devil Disco – “Constantly No Respect”
Boris – “Bear Song”
Dark Side of the Moog – “The Final DAT. Part IV”
Mathew Jonson – “Put Your Booty Shorts On”
Modern English – “16 Days”
Moose – “Je Rêve”
Simian Mobile Disco – “Animal House”
Sun La Shan – Catch (Dub)”
Vromb – “Titanic”