og:image" content=""https://s12.postimg.org/akaze8k99/blog.png"" /> Gidman's Treasures And Nuggets: September 2009

Thursday 24 September 2009

20 Best: Acid House (Created By Fact Magazine)


FACT MAGAZINE have just posted an article on the 20 best Acid House Records, which although is not definative does highlight a number of classic artists and releases.....its penned by Ed DMX who is best known as boss of Breakin' Records and for his work as DMX Krew, releasing on labels like Rephlex and Ersatz Audio.

"So how do you define "acid house"? So much has been written already and I'm surprised FACT hasn't already had an acid top twenty from someone with more cred than me. For the sake of this list I'm using an arbitrary definition of "house music with acid in it".

Acid: it's the sound made by a Roland TB303. Zillions of articles and compilation sleevenotes have held forth on the history of the little silver box designed in Japan by Tadao Kikumoto that accidentally spawned a whole genre of music. So I won't go into that too deeply, you probably know what a 303 is and what it sounds like, if not then listen to any of the records below and feel the squelch.

As far as "house music" goes, I mean music characterised by a four-to-the-floor kick-drum beat, made to be played at Chicago's Warehouse club, and music directly descended from that stuff. For me, 99% of acid house is from Chicago. I won't include earlier TB303 tracks like Alexander Robotnick's 'Problems D'Amour' or Ice T's 'Reckless', nor will I include Belgian new beat tracks, which I see as coming from a slightly different lineage. Because of my own feeling of what constitutes "house" I won't include banging techno tracks with distortion such as Richie Hawtin's early classics on Probe or the awesome acid bangers that constituted a good deal of Underground Resistance's early catalogue. But I do include one UK track that was inspired by the Chicago sound, and there would be more UK stuff if this was a top fifty instead of a top twenty.

In an important way, acid house was a UK scene. Again, many words have been written about the summers of 1988 and 1989, and you can Google "second summer of love" if you need a refresher. Even though nearly all the best records were made in Chicago, the music took off in a big way over here, it was massively popular, much imitated, loved by clubbers and ravers and misunderstood by the media. Lots of Chicago tracks were only released over here. Sometimes amazing tracks (like Pierre's 'Box Energy') were only available as album cuts on poorly-pressed UK complations, others like Charles B's 'Lack Of Love' got proper 12" vinyl pressings in the UK but were never released in the USA.

My first acid house record was a UK one, Perfectly Ordinary People's 'Theme From P.O.P.'. I wasn't really aware of the distinction between UK & Chicago tunes or the geographic origins of the sound. I knew some Chicago house hits like Steve Silk Hurley's 'Jack Your Body' but it wasn't until early 1992 that I got educated about original acid house on a trip to Brick Lane Market in Bethnal Green. In those days Brick Lane market was mostly a place to find people selling things like a single shoe, or a dead person's dentures, or possibly a nicked mountain bike, but nestling among all the junk I came across two boxes of brand new dead stock records selling for a couple of quid each. In one box were copies of the Jack Trax compilation album Acid House and in the other, the Westside double LP We Call It Hallucinates. I snapped them up, took them home and got submerged in the sounds of Phuture, Armando, Liddell Townsell and the rest. The music was similar to the UK acid stuff I knew but with all the cheesy "commercial" elements removed. Stripped-down, mind-numbing repetition made tiny changes in the beats into a highlight, and all the 303 tweaks and burbles took centre stage because Chicago guys hadn't seen fit to swamp their productions in piano and strings and so on. Sometimes it's what you leave out that makes a track heavy.

It was hard to narrow this list down to twenty tracks and of course lots of classics had to be left out but these are definitely twenty of the all-time top forty! I gave myself some arbitrary limitations as detailed above, and didn't include anything more recent than 1989, not for any good reason, but just to help me narrow down the selection. The track descriptions get a bit repetitive but that's the nature of the sound.

Nearly all these tracks were released in 1988, and I could easily have listed another fifty. Can you imagine if this many great records came out in 2009? Imagine how much money you'd spend if you found yourself in a record shop in 1988 with a couple of hours until the time machine brought you back to the future...
"


01: DJ PIERRE - 'BOX ENERGY'(from ACID TRAX VOL.2, 1988)

'Acid Trax' by Phuture isn't in this list. It was probably the track that gave the genre its name, but it's nowhere near as good as this, DJ Pierre's finest moment. It was only properly released on 12" a couple of years ago, after languishing for many years on a compilation called Acid Trax Volume 2 that was pressed too quietly to play out in a club. The track features a pumping, constantly shifting 303 line over hectic TR808 drums and a weird sizzling noise that comes in and out, and that's it. It's at a very high tempo for a house track of this time. I can only squeeze in one track by each of the great producers really, so aux. honours go to 'Fantasy Girl' by Pierre's Pfantasy Club, and many other greats that DJ Pierre produced or co-produced, but 'Box Energy' is the greatest. I DJ'd with Pierre in around 2002 and he played awful tunes like 'Lady Hear Me Tonight'. Afterwards I went over and said, "Thanks for Acid House, mate," or words to that effect, and he replied, "That was a long time ago." Not interested. Shame really. Anyway, nuff respect.

02: SLEEZY D - 'I'VE LOST CONTROL'(TRAX, 1986)

If Pierre's 'Acid Trax' was the first track to use the word "acid" and christen the style, the "Space Mix" of Sleezy D and Marshall Jefferson's 'I've Lost Control' was the first proper acid house track on vinyl as far as I know. In a similar vein to "Box Energy" we hear a 303 in square-wave mode over TR808 beats, this time with a scary pitched-down vocalist losing control over the top. Marshall Jefferson did loads of excellent stuff but this is the most acid one and it's really intense.


03: ARMANDO - 'CONFUSION'S REVENGE'(from ACID HOUSE, JACK TRAX 1988)

In 1987, Armando Gallop released an early acid stormer on Westbrook Records entitled 'Land Of Confusion'. Once again the formula was the same but this time the drum machine was a TR707 giving a more angular. jerky feel to the beat in contrast to the more rounded analogue vibe of the 808. On the 1988 Acid House compilation is this remake 'Confusion's Revenge' which ramps up the trippiness a few degrees by putting everything through a massive warping flanger and adding a great smurf-rap all about the story of acid. He created several other absolute classics too, such as 'Downfall' and 'Overload'.


04: BAM BAM - 'WHERE'S YOUR CHILD'(DESIRE, 1988)

The label that released 'Land Of Confusion' belonged to a guy named Chris Westbrook, better known as Bam Bam. This track is his finest hour, a rather slow-paced dark acid tune, with pitched down vocals, satanic laughter and smashing glass sounds leading into a driving 303 line over a steady 808 beat. Bam Bam released this and other amazing tracks on Westbrook but my copy's on the UK label Desire.


05: CHARLES B -'LACK OF LOVE' (DESIRE, 1988)

Another track released in the UK by Desire, and never pressed in the USA, this is the only proper song in this list. It's got a real vocal sung in a normal un-effected voice by a human, and the beat changes in different sections, there are even some piano chords. I suppose it's quite close to the UK acid sound of acts like Perfectly Ordinary People and SLF who had a far less minimal approach to production than the Chicago originators. But it also has a great big squelchy 303 bassline all the way through and it always fills the floor when you DJ it. It's my favourite production by Adonis, who did loads of great stuff, most famously 'No Way Back' all the way back in 1986, but also some great simple acid tunes as Jack Frost & The Circle Jerks - just check 'Clap Me', 'Two The Max' or 'Shout' for example.

06: MR FINGERS - 'ACID ATTACK' (DESIRE, 1988)

Here's another artist who released on Desire, specifically his band Fingers Inc's monster hit 'Can You Feel It', which was issued with an acappella over the top taken from an obscure 1987 release by Rhythm Controll. Jack Trax also released the same track with a Martin Luther King speech over the top. I wonder why they couldn't leave it alone? The original instrumental was pretty amazing. Anyway I'm supposed to be talking about 'Acid Attack' which is not Larry Heard's most emotional track but it's his most acid moment, comprising an unhinged 303 pattern that is not a whole number of bars in length, so it gradually drifts around in timing relative to the drums. The rest of the track is just some beats from a TR707 and some conga samples in the background, that's it. Simple and head-spinningly good.

08: 808 STATE - 'FLOW COMA' (from NEWBUILD, CREED, 1988)

Before Gerald Simpson left 808 State and became 'A Guy Called...' he helped them create the first and possibly the only UK acid house tracks worthy of comparison with those from Chicago. Given how badly 808 fell off after his departure - especially in comparison to the strength of his early solo classics such as 'Voodoo Ray' and 'Blow Your House Down' - it's easy to imagine that he probably made this track more or less solo. This is a bit more layered than Chicago tunes of the era but still minimal and trippy as you like. 808 State also did some good acid tracks under the name Lounge Jays, and all their best stuff has been re-issued by Rephlex. There are other great UK acid tunes like Ecstasy Club's 'Jesus Loves The Acid' but there's no 303 in that one so it's consigned to the margins of this list.

08: COMING DOWN BAND 'SLOW MO ACID' (from ACID TRAX VOL.3, NEEDLE, 1988)

So I planned to not have more than one track per artist in this list, but I put this one in without ever checking who actually made it. It's a fairly obscure track from Acid Trax Volume 3, once again just nice TB303, this time two contrasting patterns in different parts of the song, with some slightly distorted TR707 drums underneath. Just now I googled the names of the writers of the track, N. Jones and E. Smith. It turns out that N. Jones is DJ Pierre and E. Smith is Fast Eddie so that explains the awesomeness of this track.

09: K ALEXI - 'VERTIGO' (from 'ALL FOR LEE SAH', TRANSMAT, 1989)

Acid house was a Chicago thing and not much acid came out of Detroit unless it was something on KMS or Express remixed by Mike "Hitman" Wilson (who was from Chicago) or else the banging acid techno of UR et al a few years later. This record was released by a Detroit company - Derrick May's seminal Transmat label - but it was made by a Chicago native, Keith Alexi Shelby. Distorted, simple and dark, with an extremely minimal 303 line and K Alexi's trademark thing of stopping the drum machine and starting it again out of time so you can't easily mix the record with another one. This is the only record on this list from 1989 apart from...

10: CODE 3 - 'CODE-OF-ACID' (CODE-OF ACID MIX) (INTERNATIONAL LATIN HOUSE, 1989)

An obscure and sought-after uptempo tune with a nice female rap over the top of a stuttering 808 beat, one-note 303 pulse and a bouncy square bassline. Quite simple but actually with a lot more going on than most acid tracks - at least two more synths and a vocal besides the usual drum machine and 303 combination! This track is on the B-side of a freestyle track with terrible vocals and the record is sought-after by freestyle collectors as well as acid house ones. Regardless of the trainspotter appeal, 'Code-Of-Acid' is plain and simply a great tune. Just don't play the A-side if you ever get your hands on a copy.

11: DA POSSE - 'IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT' (ACID MIX) (FUTURE, 1988)

Here's another nice acid tune with a female vocal, this time the vocalist is singing (in a totally different key to the 303) about... you guessed it, acid house. Da Posse was a group of four people including Maurice (see below) and Hula, both of whom released some serious solo jams. I couldn't fit Hula in this list so please check out his classic "Hot Hands". "In The Heat Of The Night" features a few different contrasting acid lines, and the drums are enhanced with some nice TR727 latin percussion sounds, and it's their best acid track, although "Searchin' Hard" comes a reasonably close second. They also did a few non-acid house tracks that are great as well as some terribly misguided attempts at RnB pop vocals.

12: MAURICE - 'THIS IS ACID' (TRAX, 1988)

This is kind of the theme song of acid house, Maurice from Da Posse rapping through a nice pitch-shift effect over a slowly growing acid line and a funky and crisp 808 beat with nice congas and tasteful use of the 808 cowbell as heard all over Whitney Houston records of the era. On the same EP on Trax Records is another great downbeat spoken-word acid tune called "Feel The Mood" and the immature and smutty 'I Got A Big Dick'. Overall a superb EP!

13: LIDELL TOWNSELL - 'JACK THE HOUSE' (TRAX, 1988)

Also on Trax, this time from a five track EP. My copy's got the wrong labels but I'm pretty sure "Jack The House" is the title. Most Chicago tunes feature the TR707 or TR808 drum machines, but this one uses a TR909 which is much more commonly heard in Detroit Techno of the era and gives the record a different, harder sound. I'm guessing Lidell & Tyree shared the same 909 because they seem to be the only Chicago guys who used one. Lidell made several excellent deep acid jams and some great acid hip house tunes with rapper Kool Rock Steady, of which the best is 'I'll Make You Dance'.

14: MARK IMPERIAL & CO. - 'SHE AIN'T NUTHIN' BUT A HO' (HOUSE NATION, 1988)

Some TB303s just sound better than others. They contain analogue circuits and components with varying tolerances. My 303 is quite out of tune - high notes are rather sharp and the low octave is noticeably flat. I could fix it but I quite like the sick feel it gives. Luke Vibert's 303 always sounds lush. Mark Imperial had a magic 303. Maybe he had some amazing production technique but as far as I can tell his 303 is just a good'un. He started releasing way back in 1985 but this is a great 1988 acid track with a nice echoey 303 line and a vocal about Mr. Imperial's troubles with the ladies.

15: MD III - 'PERSONAL PROBLEM' (from 'FACE THE NATION', UNDERGROUND, 1988)

Another rap about female problems, this time over a quick 808 beat and a beautifully burbling acid line. Mike Dunn did loads of good stuff, including the contentious "Magic Feet" which is very similar to Lil' Louis' "The Original Video Clash" and there seems to have been some dispute over who came up with the idea first. Marshall Jefferson claims that Lil' Louis stole it from him. This controversy was rendered irrelevant when Tyree or possibly Rodney Bakerr stole the idea and made a track superior to both...

16: TYREE & RODNEY BAKERR - 'VIDEO CRASH' (ROCKIN' HOUSE, 1988)


Better known for his hip house classics including 'Turn Up The Bass' and the very acidic 'Acid Over', Tyree's take on the Video Clash / Magic Feet idea of stabbing synths and crashing thunder effects slays the earlier versions with its massive 909 beat, although the Mike Dunn & Lil' Louis versions are excellent as well. I've just realised there's no TB303 in this track; the only version with 303 is Mike Dunn's 'Magic Feet' but Tyree and Rodney's is better so it stays.


17: JAQUARIUS - 'LOVE IS HAPPINESS' (ACID RAIN) (ROCKIN' HOUSE, 1988)

On the same label as 'Video Crash', Rodney Bakerr's Rockin' House, this track from the label boss is about as experimental as Chicago acid ever got. The rainy theme is carried over from Acid Crash with deep thunder crash sounds throughout; the 303 is mangled through some intense echo and phaser effects and the acid line keeps changing and moving back and forth between the front and back of the mix. Truly psychedelic.

18: FAST EDDIE - 'ACID THUNDER' (AA AACCID) (DJ INTERNATIONAL, 1988)
Like Tyree, Fast Eddie is best known for his hip house hits like 'Yo Yo Get Funky' and the one that named the style, "Hip House," which has some nice 303 in it. His Jack To The Sound LP includes some excellent acid jams like 'Clap Your Hands' and 'Keep On Dancing', the latter of which once again refers back to Video Clash / Magic Feet / Video Crash with some Lil' Louis samples. The version of 'Acid Thunder' on the LP is rather cheesy with strings and vocals but this version from the 12" is good and simple repetitive 303 and 808 action of the best kind, with some nice drum fills and a great change up halfway through into a piercing sixteenth-note acid onslaught. The strings come in at the end in a very tasteful manner.

19: FARLEY JACKMASTER FUNK - 'I NEED A FRIEND' (from NO VOCALS NECESSARY, HOUSE RECORDS, 1988)

Farley had a massive UK chart hit in 1986 with 'Love Can't Turn Around' but his greatest acid moment came in 1988 with the LP No Vocals Necessary. The two sides of the record were devoted respectively to "Acid House" and "Deep House". The deep house side contains strange Casio-ish remakes of various disco classics including Sylvester's 'I Need You' but the acid side is nicely simplistic stuff with some of the lowest 303 ever heard throbbing away on top of a very distorted TR808. I guess they just overloaded something when they were recording this, the production is kind of terrible but it gives a nice dirty vibe. 'The Acid Life' is the hit but 'I Need A Friend' has a bit more structure, quirky cellos, a pitched-down vocal sample and a nice unexpeted change in the 303 pattern at one point.

20: JAMES JACK RABBIT - 'ONLY WANTED TO BE' (WESTSIDE, 1988)

This is rather rare record that has recently been bootlegged. I'm pretty sure my (bootleg) copy has the labels on the wrong sides. The title of the release is 'There Are Dreams And There Is Acid" and both tracks features a very high level of sound quality and production compared to other acid house records of the time, with individually effected drums - heavily flanged hihats, and reverbed claps. 'Only Wanted To Be' has a dark evolving acid line, ethereal howling voices and a pitched-down melancholy spoken vocal. Whereas a lot of acid tracks are just quick jams knocked out in an afternoon (and it's true that if you gave 100 monkeys 100 TR808s and 100 TB303s, you'd probably get more than 70 decent acid tracks) this track stands out as a seriously thought-out song with fantastic sounds and structure. "Rabbit Trax" on the other side is a very early prototype for the hard acid techno sound that later became popular through UR, Richie Hawtin, Mike Dred and many European labels.

For more Top 20's and articles...check FACT MAGAZINE Click here.

Thursday 17 September 2009

Massive Record ALERT !!

Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro - Yellow Soul Force/Don't Touch, Just Watch Me! 10 Inch (Jazzman JM072)



"White 10" in Japanese flag design! We’ve all heard the Dap-Kings from the USA, the Poets of Rhythm from Germany, and the New Mastersounds from the UK. Well now it’s time to make way for a neat dose of super duper hard ‘n heavy funk from JAPAN – it’s the debut UK release from MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO on Jazzman!!!!

Although these funk sides were recorded over a year ago, the reserved nature of the Japanese music scene has kept MMK recordings hidden from the ravenous ears of funk fans around the world. That’s until Jazzman Gerald & Fryer went on a DJ trip to Tokyo recently where they stumbled across an MMK album – a secret privy only to the ears of Japan’s bourgeoning funk collectors. Expect the album out on Jazzman soon, but in the meantime for the first time outside of Japan and presented in resplendent fashion with respect to the Japanese flag, two of the hardest, meanest cuts that MMK can muster either side of a super dope 10” 45rpm, on white vinyl & with large dinked centre hole!!!
" (Fat City Records)


Tracklisting

Side 1 - Yellow Soul Force
Side 2 - Don't Touch, Just Watch Me



Click here for Artists Page.

Monday 14 September 2009

September Purchases.......

The New Mastersounds - San Frantico/Chocolate Chip 7" (One Note 7006)

"Title cut is two-and-a-half minutes of breakneck soul jazz, feat. EDDIE ROBERTS' familiar chicken-scratch guitar and a purring Hammond organ. The b-side, "CHOCOLATE CHIP," has a driving swirling piano, crispy drums, and flute from CHIP WICKHAM. A SONNY LESTER kind of sound". (ONE NOTE)

Side 1 "San Frantico"
Side 2 "Chocolate Chip"





Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement LP + 4" which contains 2 non-album tracks....with "alligator skin" cover (Stones Throw Records)

"Mayer Hawthorne’s debut album A Strange Arrangement grew out of a childhood steeped in Detroit soul. Raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, he vividly remembers driving with his father and tuning the car radio in to the rich soul, deep funk and swinging jazz the region provided. As he grew up, and his obsession with soul records grew into a passion, Hawthorne discovered that sweet soul existed on both sides of the commercial divide. He discovered the same beauty in the polished sound of Issac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield as he did in the deeper, darker grit of the obscure Symphonic Four and Detroit-cult soul slingers The New Holidays.

His album draws from the inspiration of Leroy Hutson, Smokey Robinson, and the legendary songwriting and production trio of Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Eddie Holland Jr. At the same time that it revels in the raw sounds of those independent musicians who aspired to achieve a level of success akin to their famous peers. A Strange Arrangement is an album full of original compositions and one cover (he had to give The New Holidays “Maybe So, Maybe No” a whirl) that underlies a heartfelt nostalgia to the sweet soul of yesteryear with a clear desire to show that his Strange Arrangement is no passing fancy. “It’s old soul,” Hawthorne explains, without an ounce of irony. “But it’s new.”"
(Stones Throw Records)

Side 1
1. "Prelude"
2. "A Strange Arrangement"
3. "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out"
Side 2
1. "Maybe So, Maybe No"
2. "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'"
3. "I Wish It Would Rain"
Side 3
1. "Make Her Mine"
2. "One Track Mind"
3. "The Ills"
Side 4
1. "Shiny & New"
2. "Let Me Know"
3. "Green Eyed Love"

Limited Additional 4" Disc

Side 1 - "Love Is All Right"
Side 2 - "When I Said Goodbye" (demo version)


Cheyenne's Comin/Hanson - Come Back To Me / Take Me To Your Home 7" (BCAT 0996)

"Two extremely heavyweight cuts! Cheyenne's 'Come back to me' was originally re-issued on Wah Wah 45s a decade ago is now rare in itself. Don't miss the chance to grab this, the ultimate end-of-nighter on 45 again! The b-side is Hanson 'Take Me To Your Home' is a rhodes-driven funk-rock cut from their obscure LP on Emerson, Lake & Palmers' Manticore label. Tip" (Fat City Records)

Side 1 - Cheyenne''s Comin - "Come Back To Me"
Side 2 - Hanson - "Take Me To Your Home"


Kenny Rankin / Don Fardon - Name Of Love / Dreamin'' Room 7" (Jazz Peace JZ 0942)

"Big Fat City favourite Kenny Rankin's 'In The Name Love' lands on a 7"! A rare opportunity to get this absolute classic folk jazz piece on a 45!

Featured on the 'Still Dreamin' compilation, the original came be some what troublesome to find. However, here you're treated to another killer on the flip! Don Fardon's 'Dreamin Room', an organ driven 3/4 jazz freakout! Two insanely good sides, and an absolute snip at this price! Essential!!"


Side 1 - "Name Of Love"
Side 2 - "Dreamin'' Room"


Jon Lucien - Would You Believe / Searching For The Inner Self 7" (RCA 042)

"Double Jon Lucien A-Side available finally on a 45!!

First time on 45! Two huge Jon Lucien cuts, 'Searching For The Inner Self' (released previously on 'Gilles Peterson Digs America' comp and 'Would You Believe In Me' from the LP 'Rashida'. Completely essential on 7" so snap this up quick...."
(Fat City Records)

Side 1 - "Would You Believe"
Side 2 - "Searching For The Inner Self"



Breakestra - Joyful Noise 12" (STRUT 048EP)

"Party-time heavy funk from SoCal ensemble Breakestra featuring Chali 2na of Jurassic 5. 'Joyful Noise' and 'Dark Clouds Rain Soul' are loaded with primed breakbeats and super-tight arrangements from the group, made to fire up any funk loving crowd. 'Posed To Be' on the flip features DJ Dusk and Chali 2na on a mid-tempo, drum heavy groove, making us feel like it's 1999 again and DJ Shadow is running for president." (Boomkat Records)

Side 1
1. "Joyful Noise" (12" edit)
2. "Dark Clouds Rain Soul" (dub version)
Side 2
1. "Posed To Be" (feat Mixmaster Wolf, Chali 2na & DJ Dusk - 12" version)
2. "Posed To Be" (instrumental)



Nik Weston PRESENTS Jazztronik - Disco: Boogie 12" (MUKAT 016)

"The strictly vinyl only Mukatsuku Records label unearth an exclusive unreleased disco instrumental ''Real Clothes'' from prolific Japanese artist Ryota Nozaki under his Jazztronik guise. On the flipside GUYNAMUKAT -the production duo of Guynamite & Nik Weston, dig deep in their boogie box to unleash a feel good 1982 vibe utilizing those enormous strings to maximum effect. Already being supported by Gilles Peterson on National Radio 1 plus the likes of Domu (who said it was the ''Aint No Body'' for 2009)Jazzanova,Dom Servini,Recloose,Mr Scruff, Kevin Beadle & more !" (Juno Records)

Side 1 - "Real Clothes" (unreleased instrumental mix)
Side 2 - "Real Clothes" (GUYNAMUKAT We Love Ryota! Boogie remix)


Angelina Goalie & The Football Funkateers/Louis Perez & The Peruvian Persuaions - Rock Steady! 7" (KILLERFUNK 007)

"Killer Funk presents 'Rock Steady' from Angelina Goalie & The Football Funkateers. It's a little known fact that before the original Lara Croft started wearing tight PVC and going to town on upper & lower lip Botox treatment she was a goal keeper for a Filipino Sunday League soccer team just outside her home town of Manila. In the wet season when the monsoon downpour kept the team off a water logged pitch, the amateur musicians of the squad used a local community hall for band practice mostly doing cover versions of stax and Motown hits. 'Rock Steady' is one of the better tracks that Angelina Goalie & The Football Funkateers eventually went on to record. Back in the mid 1970s it was hard enough to get food on the table let alone get a band together who had proper musical instruments. On the flipside we've Louis Perez & The Peruvian Persuasions; band's like them were often found improvising guitars, percussion and drums with hand made instruments found at the local rubbish tip. Louis Perez was a local character who spent weekdays mining for gold and weekends fronting his band The Peruvian Persuasions whose repertoire was generally Latin-tinged covers of songs originally made by US pop acts of the time. Occasionally they would slip in an original composition that would sit nicely next to material you might have heard, by the likes of Fania Allstars & Ray Baretto. 'Que Se Sepa' was one of those tracks."

Side 1 - Angelina Goalie & The Football Funkateers - "Rock Steady!" (Beef Jerky edit)
Side 2 - Louis Perez & The Peruvian Persuaions - "Que Se Sepa" (Latin Funka edit)

Showcase - Floating Points


Floating Points aka Sam Shepherd has been gaining massive props recently on numerous website and print magazines, so I thought i'd do my own showcase for anyone passing by my blog:-

I've included an interview he did for FACT Magazine : -


Hey Floating Points. Introduce yourself to FACT…


"Hello, I'm Floating Points. I'm from Manchester, living in London."


How did Floating Points start making music?

"This is long: I forcibly had piano lessons since I was eight - hated it. I joined Manchester Cathedral Choir as a choirboy, and as a result got into Cheethams School of Music across the road, where I studied jazz piano and composition. The composition teacher let me use the old analogue studio as much as I liked, 'cause they just got a fancy digital studio, which they're probably still trying to figure out!

"This meant I'd spend endless time trying to get an MS20 to stay in tune, making tape loops with the reel to reel, getting arthritic on the S-90 and electrocuting myself on the patch bay. This plus jazz plus choral music and Manc record shops moulded me into a mess of love for so many sounds…"


How did you get from there to where you are now?

"When I finished school, I was gonna go to Royal College of Music to continue studying classical composition, but by this point I was so jaded and bored with classical education that I went to UCL and studied pharmacology instead, and just did my own thing musically…"


Where are you coming from when you make music - is there anything you're particularly trying to get across, any particular aims or intentions?

"With the dancier stuff the intention is pretty simple - I make that stuff pretty quick, I fear that if I spend too long on it it steals away from its visceral impact. That's why a lot of the house stuff sounds a bit messy… 'Cause it's unquantized, one take recordings. The other instrumental stuff is a bit more considered, but that ain't been heard yet."


Your tunes are all over the place, in a good way. Do you consider what you make House? Hip Hop? Some new mutation of bass music?

"It's a right mess. Everything man..."


The name - is it the maths thing? Those spots that floating across your eyes when you're tired? Or something else?

"It was actually the name of a tune I did when I was well young. I think some peeps thought that was my name and it just stuck."


There's a real space vibe going on your record sleeves, and your myspace pic - is that something you're interested in?

"Er... being a scientist by day I'm fascinated by the unknown. Our label Eglo has a very talented art director at its helm with Kay Shin and A&R/label honcho man Alex Nut. We share a mutual interest in the unknown... [laughs]"


Your tunes are all over the place, in a good way. Do you consider what you make House? Hip Hop? Some new mutation of bass music?

"It's a right mess. Everything man..."


The name - is it the maths thing? Those spots that floating across your eyes when you're tired? Or something else?

"It was actually the name of a tune I did when I was well young. I think some peeps thought that was my name and it just stuck."


There's a real space vibe going on your record sleeves, and your myspace pic - is that something you're interested in?

"Er... being a scientist by day I'm fascinated by the unknown. Our label Eglo has a very talented art director at its helm with Kay Shin and A&R/label honcho man Alex Nut. We share a mutual interest in the unknown... [laughs]"

Interview originally posted by FACT Magazine.


You can check out his profile further on his artist site here.

He is a mix for Fabric he did -

Tracklisting:

Various Production - Lost (Actress Remix)
Falty DL - To London
Marcellus Pittman - There's Somebody Out There
Omar S - Psychotic Photosynthesis
Brothers' Vibe - Step Into It
Pangaea - Bear Witness
Martyn - Vancouver (2562's Puur Natuur Dub)

DOWNLOAD HERE.

Discography:

For You (7") Eglo Records 2009

"The producer of the deepest phat B-Lines around is gonna big. Championed by Patrick, Jean-Claude,Gilles,Benji and even Mary Anne is getting in on the act.Watch out Flying lotus this bwoy iz comin' at ya haaard!! YOU NEED THIS 7" (If Music Website)

Side 1 - For You
Side 2 - Radiality


J&W Beat (12") Planet Mu 2009

"Since the start of the year Floating Points has been on the lips of every beat head from Alexander Nut to Mary-Anne Hobbs. The classically trained producer has brought a lush wave of releases with him on his own Eglo imprint and the established House outlet R2, sweetly covering everything from Thriller style 80's soul edits to Flylo style digital psyche-beats with ease. Planet Mu have obviously spotted the potential in this fella and signed his 'J&W' and 'K&G' beats, providing a lighter counterpoint to the heavyweight rinsers from Brackles also out this week. 'J&W Beat' has the UK Broken Beat flexibility of Bugz In The Attic mixed with a tangy relish of IDM-indebted electronics, but unfortuantely that track is destined to be ingnored by everyone once they reach 'K&G Beat' on the flip. Possibly the most lush concoction of psyched-soul and Burial-set 2-step we've heard this year, it's a guaranteed spine chillah and comes very highly recommended - ESSENTIAL TWELVE!!!" (Boomkat Website)

Side A - J&W Beat
Side B - K&G Beat



Love Me Like This (12", Single) R2 Records 2009

"Unless you've been living in a shed with no internet for the last 6 months, you'll have probably caught a whiff of the hype around Floating Points. With a background as a classically trained musician and a fervent love for the deepest strains of jazz, soul and funk, Floating Points has rightly picked up a full wagon of support for his productions which have drawn favourable comparisons to Flying Lotus and Dilla. Appearing on the well-cool London house imprint R2, he's catered to their style with a sumptuous electro-soul edit on 'Love me Like This (Nonsense Dub), a longtime fave on his myspace now edited into an eight minute trip of the deepest red light vibes with a subtly modulated synthline squirming through the whole thing. If you've been loving the Thriller edits, this is highly recommended! The shorter cut 'Shangrila' is the reason so many beat heads have been tweaking their nipples in glee of late, with a cut reminiscent of his awesome debut 7", almost beating Flylo at his own game with psychedelically screwed analog synthlines curling around a reverant organ sunken in the mix over slip-swung beats. Like we said before, if you're into Flylo, Mike Slott, Hud Mo or the Thriller cats, you'll be all over this. Sick!" (Boomkat Records)

Side A - Love Me Like This (Nonsense Dub) (8:05)
Side B1 - Shangrila (3:39)
Side B2 - Love Me Like This (Radio) (6:39)



Vacuum EP (12", EP) Eglo Records 2009

"It's hard not to be bowled over by the joyful productions of Floating Points over the last six months or so. He's quickly become one of the most talked-about producers operating within the parameters of boogie house and electronic soul in the UK and quite rightly caught the ears of everyone from Gilles Peterson to Mary Anne Hobbs. 'Vacuum Boogie' is the second release on his delightful Eglo imprint and by far the best thing from the producer yet, kicking off with the ecstatic soul of the title track, sucking dub house styles in a boogie disco vortex with enough room for dancefloor slickness but leaving the room breathless after the intense peaks and ass grappling bass are done with you. 'Truly' contrasts with a gradually phasing groove, shifting between electronic minimalism and heavy smudged disco soul like few others out there, leaving 'Argonaut' to emerge from the dubjazz echo chamber with a Drexciyan melody to die for. The production levels are just exceptional, making for one of the most enjoyable twelves of the year so far, ESSENTIAL PURCHASE." (Boomkat Records)

Side A - Vacuum Boogie
Side B1 - Truly
Side B2 - Argonaute II



Tracks Also Appear On:

Brownswood Bubblers Four: Peroration V (Brownswood Recordings 2009)
Mary-Anne Hobbs: Wild Angels: - Esthian III (Planet Mu 2009)
Rinse: 08 - Peroration V (Rinse Recordings 2009)
The Mu School: - K Beat (Planet Mu 2009 )


Floating Points has also just completed an outstanding Remix as well:


Bei Bei - Beauty And The Beats 10" (Ubiquity records 2009)

"Bei Bei and Ubiquity producer Shawn Lee marrying a unique blend of ancient tradition with studio tickery and spiritual jazz. This uplifting, genre-bending, soundclash recalls the afrocentric harping of Dorothy Ashby, the hypnotic style of Alice Coltrane, and the organic electronics of Fourtet and Quantic. Bei Bei and Ubiquity producer Shawn Lee marrying a unique blend of ancient tradition with studio tickery and spiritual jazz. This uplifting, genre-bending, soundclash recalls the afrocentric harping of Dorothy Ashby, the hypnotic style of Alice Coltrane, and the organic electronics of Fourtet and Quantic."

A1. Make Me Stronger ft. Georgia Anne Muldrow (Floating Points Remix)
A2. Make Me Stronger
B1. East
B2. Make Me Stronger (Instrumental)


More Recently....Floating Points performed live at the Roundhouse:

Floating Points Live At The Roundhouse Turning Point Festival 8th May 2009



AND ALSO......

"Last week, Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide broadcasted the the Maida Vale Session by the Floating Points Ensemble. Since earlier today, you can listen to an excerpt from that session on FPS’s SoundCloud page....." (Nutriot Website)

Floating Points Ensemble BBC Maida Vale Session CLIPS by floatingpoints

Floating Points Ensemble:

Voice - Fatima
Trumpet/Flugel - Freddie Gavita
Alto Sax - James Bateman
Violin - Tsze Yenn Yong
Violin - Mariko McTier
Viola - Matt Kettle
Cello - Magda Pietraszewska
Cello - Michelle So
Guitar - Billy Adamson
Bass - Olly Buxton
Keys/Composition - Floating Points
Drums - Josh Blackmore
Percussion/Vibraphone - Chris Marshall

There is also a rip from the show available HERE

FALTY DL - Fact Podcast (Recommended)



Quoted From Fact Magazine Site - "Last week, we profiled hip-hop loving New York garage wonder FaltyDL, a producer whose foggy blend of lusty female vocals and twilight, Burial-esque melancholy is doing it for us like few others - for evidence, check either of his albums for Planet Mu, and his stunning 'To London' single for Ramp.

This week, we can bring you an exclusive mix from your boy. Featuring no less than ten of his recent productions (including unreleased jams and tracks from forthcoming new mini-album, Bravery), plus your first chance to hear Sbrtkt's forthcoming single for Ramp, Luke Vibert's remix of Falty's 'Human Meadow', and recent tracks from Gemmy and Boxcutter, it's a great mix, and provides more insight into one of the brightest stars of the muddled post-garage spectrum that is dance music in 2009. And while you're downloading it, you can read our full interview with Falty DL
" (Fact Magazine)


Tracklisting:

1. FaltyDL 'Discant' Planet-Mu
2. FaltyDL 'Our Love' Planet-Mu
3. sbtrkt '2020' RAMP Recordings
4. FaltyDL 'Party' RAMP Recordings
5. FaltyDL 'Human Meadow' Planet-Mu
6. FaltyDL 'Human Meadow Luke Vibert Micks' Planet-Mu
7. FaltyDL 'Must Sustain' Planet-Mu
8. Wax Stag 'The Wash' People In The Sky
9. FaltyDL 'Hip Love' RAMP Recordings
10. MJ Cole 'Sincere' Talkin' Loud
11. FaltyDL 'Wallow' unreleased
12. FaltyDL 'Anxiety' Planet-Mu
13. FaltyDL 'Tronman' Planet-Mu
14. Luke Vibert 'Belief File' Planet-Mu
15. Gemmy 'Rainbow Road' Planet-Mu
16. Boxcutter 'Sidetrak' Planet-Mu

Came accross this mix by Falty DL......Its been on rotation on my ipod for a week now, so i though i'd share with you all.....

Download: FACT Mix 80 - FaltyDL HERE.

For further info and mixes go to Fact Magazine Site HERE.