Wooodenelephant

United Future Organisation - Cosmic Gypsy remix

2012-01-30T15:45:00.000+01:00

A momentous day friends! My first Youtube upload!!!

I'm glad it's this track cos it took years to track down and everyone who hears it seems to dig it. Enjoy!

Boing Poum Tchak!

2012-01-20T15:50:00.000+01:00

A mix by a man called Jean-Baptiste at Boing Poum Tchak!, which is surely the best name ever for a dance music blog.

Scott Ferguson - Any day now – ElectroVox remix (deep vibes)
Norma Jean Bell - Late night show – Theo Parrish remix (funky chocolate)
Ron Trent - Pressure release (future vision)
Delano Smith – Behind closed doors (mix mode)
Tang - Devout (emphasis)
Tommy Bones – Focused energy (real tone)
Antonelli Electr. - Shrinking (level)
Roosevell & Charles - Monastery (mojuba)
The Other People Place – Sorrow & a cup of joe (clone)
6th Borough Project – Hang on (instruments of rapture)
Mike Huckaby - Disco time (deep transportation)

Fats Sadi

2012-01-16T15:52:00.000+01:00

Wow! One of my hard-to-find faves, Belgian vibesman Fats Sadi, is on the download at the delicious-looking blog Boogieman here.

On The Beach

2012-01-06T17:20:00.002+01:00

Antonio Giova

2012-01-06T17:09:00.001+01:00

Really special, mellow, fresh, inspired mix from Antonio Giova of Natural Electronic System at MNML SSGS here.

Donato Dozzy - Moonlight [Mule Electronic]
Andy Stott - Passed me by [Modern Love]
Relapxych.0 - City Nightlights II [Ghost Sounds]
Neel - Snow in the tube [unreleased]
Midnightopera - Untitled [Workshop]
Madteo - Sheepdipping [Meakusma]
Stl - In my dreams (Intrusion dub) [Something]
Jouem - Drifting [Just Another Beat]
Mohlao - Luminescent [Field]
Kangding Ray - Leavaila Scheme [Raster Noton]
Mike Parker - B1 [Geophone]
Anders Ilar - Paragram [Audio.nl]
Dorisburg - Sinai Hypnosis Dub [Aniara]
Ryo Murakami - Lunch of God (Stereociti rmx) [Pan]
Dj Snotburger - Snotann [Fxhe]
Emmanuel Top - Flux [Planete Rouge]
Slop Salon - A.meet mr J [Aspeak]
Nuel - B2 [Aquaplano]

Image from Things I Save.

Space Bitches

2012-01-06T16:55:00.000+01:00

Space Bitches. Love it.

Dave Mothersole Mixes

2012-01-03T14:54:00.000+01:00

I remember when I was dismayed at the lack of Mothersole mixes on the Web. Now you can get tonnes from Proton Radio, which I'm linking to via the unfathomably plentiful Liveset.NL

Here's his latest from the top of the year!

01. Estroe - Duisteritis [Eevo Next]
02. Ever Vivid - Lost Love [Open Mind]
03. Rick Grant and Jack Dixon - Muted [Man Make Music]
04. Motorcitysoul - Hatohay - Moved D Mix [Simple]
05. Kevin Yost - Photo Shoot [I]
06. Maceo Plex - Stay High Baby [Ellum]
07. Freaky Disco - No Debt [Wiggle]
08. Soy Mustafa - Return Of Anunnaki - John Tejada Mix [Cinematic]
09. Pig and Dan - Stronger [Yoshitoshi]
10. My Favorite Robot - Forest Fires [Visionquest]
11. Smallpeople - Black Ice [Smallville]
12. Christian Loeffler - Undefined Season [Ki]
13. Freaky Disco - Ferell [Wiggle]
14. Swayzak - State Of Grace - Van Bellen Mix [Columbia]
15. Flybaby - You Must Admit [World Wide]

American Athelete

2011-12-15T16:53:00.000+01:00

Sadly American Athlete is no more but there are plenty of good tracks still available for download there. A lot of quality disco here and some nice world music nuggets too.

Big Pink tumblr

2011-12-15T15:01:00.002+01:00

Guy from Dalstonite duo The Big Pink has his own tumblr. Check it out here.

Tazz And Giovanni - Welcome To The Dub

2011-11-23T18:25:00.000+01:00

Love this tune I found over at dirtyblackdisco, really nice site streaming wicked tunes.

Chan3l

2011-11-22T16:28:00.000+01:00

Here's a site of cool imagery (from a teenage girl in Sweden, I think) which I found whilst searching my family name (Flaxa) on Google images which seems to mean something like 'armpit' in Swedish. The blog address says Chan3l so that's what I'll call the post.

The polaroid of palm trees that is my new header is also from this site.

Miguel Puente

2011-10-11T15:33:00.000+02:00

Chunky and fresh mix at Get The Curse

Hit Parade 87

2011-10-06T00:29:00.004+02:00

Picked up this lovely compilation about a year ago in Notting Hill for a mere 6 quid. It's now my most played vinyl. Pure quality French pop.

Tracklist...

01 Joe Le Taxi-Vanessa Paradis 02 Helene-Julien Clerc 03 Kole Sere-P.Lavil & Jocelyne Beroard 04 Pile ou Face-Corynne Charby 05 Je te promets-J. Hallyday 06 Le coeur en exil-Images 07 Les petits boudins-Rober Farel 08 Quand la ville dort-Niagara 09 Les divas du dancing-Philippe Cataldo 10 Le pull-over blanc-Graziella De Michele 11 Les Tzars-Indochine 12 Ces idees-là -Bertignac 13 A bailar calypso-Elli Medeiros 14 Une autre histoire- G.Blanc

Dix-sept Fois Cécile Cassard (2002)

2011-09-20T18:43:00.004+02:00

The film boldly works with a considered palette of colours, deliberately artful framing of shots and a soundtrack which is, by turns, emotive and ambient, letting Beatrice Dalle's performance carry the dramatic weight. Well worth a look.

Arab Strap & Khaya

2011-09-20T17:12:00.007+02:00

A couple of 96 / 97 era British indie tunes for you today plus lyrics, both showing a similar vocal and lyrical style...

The first above is from Arab Strap, called The First Big Weekend. The second from Khaya, who aren't even on Youtube right now and their track Summer/Winter Song, which you can check out here.

THE FIRST BIG WEEKEND

So that was the first big weekend of the summer...
Starts Thursday as usual with the canteen quiz and again no-one wins the big cash prize.
Later I do my sound Bloke routine by approaching Gina's new boyfriend to say that he shouldn't feel that there's any animosity between us and then I even go and make peace with her Shouldn't have bothered.

Then on Friday night we went through to the Arches...

There was only one car going so some of us had to get the train. We got through quite late. Then we went to a pub to take the gear.
There was no problems getting in - we saw some others waiting down the front of the queue so we skipped in.
It was a good night - everyone was nutted and I ended up dancing with some blonde girl.
I thought she had been quite pretty until last night when Matthew informed me that she had, in fact, been a pig.

When the club finished we wandered the streets for a while until we got to this 24-hour cafe.
I didn't like the look of it so we left and got a taxi back to Morag's flat.
I couldn't sleep so I sat about drinking someone else's strawberry tonic wine and tried to keep everyone else up.

Then at ten o'clock in the morning we went downstairs to buy some drink. We had intended to watch the football in the afternoon but we'd passed out by then and slept right through it, awaking to find that England had won two-nil.
Then we went to get the train home and had a few in the Station bar.
We had some stuff left from the previous night's supplies so when we got home we decided to go down to John's indie disco.
Same story as Friday - lots of hugging, lots of dancing etc. etc.
I couldn't sleep again so went to the park to look at the toon, taking a detour through the playpark.
To get in we had to climb over a ten foot steel fence, which resulted in severe bruising of our hands, legs and groins, but we had a good laugh on the stuff, especially the tube-slide, which probably doubles up as a urinal for drunk teens.
Then we walked through the woods to have a look at the toon. Big disappointment, but the mist on the lake was cool.

Sunday afternoon we go up to John's with a lot of beer in time to watch the Simpsons - it was a really good episode about love always ending in tragedy except, of course, for Marge and Homer. It was quite moving at the end and to tell you the truth my eyes were a bit damp.

Then we watched these young girls in swimsuits have a water fight in the street.
We went up to the pub about ten.
It was busy for a Sunday night, lots of people we know, including my first ever girlfriend who I still find very attractive, quite frankly, but I didn't really speak to her
She's probably still a bitch, anyway.
Her friend Gillian was there, I had a chat with her, she was still quite pleasant.
At the same time I watched Malcolm make some terrible attempt to try and chat up a girl we know called Jo. He made some remark about her skirt that was barely there the previous night or something.
I couldn't sleep again that night, thanks to some seriously disturbing nightmares...Matthew says I should cut down on the cheese.

"Went out for the weekend, it lasted for ever, high with our friends it's officially summer."

I got some sleep eventually on Monday afternoon.
It was a beautiful day, and later that evening Malcolm introduced me to the power of Merrydown - ■.79 a litre, 8.2% - mmmm.....
Judith and Laura came round later and we sat in my back garden and drank.
Then Matthew came round and we went up the town.
It's officially summer.

SUMMER/WINTER SONG

We went round 2 Dan's to get some beer
John came round and we got drunk.
Dan was singing U could make me die music
So we did some 4-track stuff.
At about 10 Beth appeared.
She wasn't happy about working in a bar
Dealing with drunk people
And coming home to find her friends drunk too,
But that's the way it's been lately.

We went out and if it was a good night
It wasn't the first but it meant more
And I don't think I was acting too clever
But I don't care
And I suppose you could let me off
Because what difference would a few more miles make.
What difference does a few more miles make
When homes so far away.

Dan seamed happy that night
He said he always felt like this
It's only the people that change.
One group. Two group.

Do you remember that Leonard Cohen song 'Suzanne'?
Do you remember that Leonard Cohen song ?
Do you remember that Leonard Cohen song 'Suzanne'?
Do you remember that Leonard Cohen song ?
Do you remember summers?

It happens in the summer.
It happens in the winter.
It happens in the summer.
It happens in the winter.

Play Dusty For Me

2011-09-13T22:39:00.002+02:00

Dalston Mix 2 named 'Play Dusty For Me' in honour of Dustytape, where I think a couple of tracks came from though 3 tracks also come from the superb Ghost Capital. You will see some more familiar names as well as some total obscurity (track 12 is from my mate which I had a hand in creating) and I hope its a pleasurable nugget hunt. Mediafire link here.

01 Kamlat MAURITIAN ORCHESTRA
02 Go Go Go CHBB
03 Cause Is Aid It Right CLARENCE G
04 Unknown (c008-1)
05 Quere Mas ADNY PRESENTS LEIVA
06 It's Alright ESG
07 Shoplifting SLITS
08 Stop The Drums LE LONDON ALL STAR
09 Mistura No2 MESTER GERALDO
10 Santa Cruz VDB JOEL
11 ACC ROBERT RENTAL
12 Complow PALGONE
13 Kpalamule MIKI JAGA
14 Rebel Disco BRENTFORD DISCO SET
15 Requiem Pour Un Con SERGE GAINSBOURG
16 Air War CRYSTAL CASTLES
17 Venus TO ROCOCO ROT
18 Night Moves (Tokyo Mix) BOB SEGER
19 Relections BILL CONTI

Nightdriving Part Deux

2011-09-13T21:47:00.005+02:00

A long-planned sequel to this mix made back in the day. Bit more 'balearic' but gets deeper along the way... Download from Mediafire here

My computer is heaving with old folders of mp3s so I'm going to be merging them and uploading them to probably no comment in the near future. This is also the first in a series called The Dalston Mixes as I'm playing the warm-up set at Happenstance's bi-monthly event at The Junction Room in Dalston. Next one is tomorrow (at the time of writing) Wednesday 14th September!!

01 Set Adrift On Memory Mix - ENYA / ENIGMA / PM DAWN
02 M.I.A - RECLOOSE
03 The Good, The Bad And The Ugly - SWELL SESSION
04 Wide Vice - KERRIER DISTRICT
05 Shelter (Eligia Mix) - LU & JII HOO
06 Autosoul - CUBTRIBE SOUND SYSTEM
07 The Way - GLOBAL COMMUNICATION
08 Dragon Loop - MARCUS WORGULL
09 Analogue Expressions - FLORENCE
10 Les Antipodes - CHATEAU FLIGHT & BERTRAND BURGALAT / JOAKIM
11 Knight Rider Theme Tune
12 In The Air Tonight (Instrumental) PHIL COLLINS

Chateau Marmont - One Thousand Realities

2011-09-07T16:07:00.005+02:00

Monochrome psychedelia in this wonderful video for Chateau Marmont from Shinya Sato.

Jan Svankmajer

2011-09-07T15:26:00.007+02:00

Been discovering the work of stop motion animator Jan Svankmajer this afternoon. The kind of thing that would've been schedule fillers on Channel 4 back in tha day. Works well as visuals for your faivrit choons...

Voices From The Lake

2011-09-05T18:36:00.005+02:00

'...Wisdom and poetry seek for final answers, but our human world is made of energy that never rests, never stops changing. Our world is an endless rearrangement of the same variables.
Love is the pleasure of the universe.
All feelings are variations of love or the absence of it. Love is any agreement between entities or systems....
Since we humans live in a material/energy reality, the occurence of pain is frequent and common, and enduring it is necessary for our survival.
Therefore, love is not the universal answer to all our problems, since material systems must maintain their differences from other systems.....
Feelings never lie. Emotions always tell us exactly the degree of our agreement or disagreement with others....
Agreements can be felt and known but cannot be perceived, which is why we sometimes doubt our good feelings....
To love consciousness, we must be space. To love energy, we must not only be energy, we must be synchronised energy. To love mass, we must be unconscious.'

From Thaddeus Golas' 'The Lazy Man's Guide To Enlightenment' (Gibbs Smith)

Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down

2011-08-22T18:54:00.006+02:00

Bliss

2011-08-22T18:08:00.006+02:00

Found on Triangle Triangle by Alice Wells.

Locked (TEXT011) by Four Tet

Dominique Breisinger

2011-08-16T07:13:00.003+02:00

Dominique Breisinger

Kelpin Thompson

2011-08-16T07:07:00.002+02:00

Kelpin Thompson

Finn Stone

2011-08-16T07:00:00.004+02:00

Finn Stone

Thomas Houseago

2011-08-16T06:52:00.003+02:00

Thomas Houseago at the Saatchi Gallery.

Science Of Sleep

2011-08-16T06:45:00.002+02:00

This is my choice of clip in response to the ugliness of the riots around London and the rest of the UK as well as to the negativity of much of the media and political response...

Hackney Wicked

2011-08-02T02:16:00.008+02:00

Gotta start taking my camera out more often. Here are some snaps of Hackney Wicked Festival taken by Essien at Happenstance. Did a DJ set for their first birthday party and will be taking part in a new twice monthly night of theirs in Dalston. Watch the space for more details...

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse

2011-07-26T18:57:00.005+02:00

True London icon, dead way beyond her time.

I was hoping she'd 'do a Keith Richards', live a wild lifestyle and survive. What a disappointment.

Retro

2011-07-19T18:56:00.009+02:00

Refreshing retro mix from Gil Tonic at Soundcloud.

Malibu by GilTonic

First image is from the film 'Slaves Of New York'(1989). You can see more images here. Remember seeing this when I was trying to see all the films Steve Buscemi ever made (an impossible task, of course)
The next is a Keith Haringesque still from the excellent video for the excellent Rudeboy by Rihanna.
Last image is a collage representing the output of Death By Zero. I have one of their T shirts which I love like it was my flesh and blood. I kind of wish I was joking but I find age (and lack of money and job prospects) is making me shallower and shallower! ;) Their tumblr is here.

Hanif Kureshi On Thatcherism

2011-07-18T20:49:00.005+02:00

'I never understood the elevation of greed as a political credo. Why would anyone want to base a political programme on bottomless dissatisfaction and the impossibility of happiness? Perhaps that was its appeal - the promise of luxury that in fact promoted endless work'

From P.70 of Kureshi's flawless, amoral novella 'Intimacy' (Faber & Faber)

Image is by Junku Nishimura at Anteportas

Elodie Lauten - Sunrise by FIRE RECORDS

Chris Fortier

2011-07-16T19:26:00.005+02:00

Been aware of Chris Fortier for a while. Deep, minimal, progressive and no nonsense.
Image is from a Georgian photographer called David Mekshi at Lens Culture

Chris Fortier DJ Sets (various gigs) by Chris Fortier

True

2011-07-16T19:07:00.002+02:00

Yimmy Yayo

Recced

2011-07-15T18:14:00.005+02:00

Standard Planets mix at Allez Allez (May 5th 2011)

connan mockasin - forever dolphin love
ersen - garip gonlum
serge gainsbourg - l'homme à tête de chou
broadcast - pendulum
standard planets - electromagnetic
thee more shallows - white mask
zu - obsidean
and you will know us by the trail of dead - a perfect teenhood
harmonia - watussi
deux - game and performance
stars of the lid - another ballad for heavy lids

Chill Turkish style at the slightly inactive Babe(b)logue

One of the best music blogs I've seen for a while is Ghost Capital posting genuinely obscure vinyl. Real world music, no tofu, no wheatgrass. Here is a Soundcloud sample of a great post of L’Orchestre Nationale de Mauritanie.

01 Kamlat by Nickel B

Some 'music brut' from the man called Dubuffet at the incredible Ubu Can't download it but worth a listen if you like random cacophony. I am playing it at the same time as some trendy Hoxtonite lo fi and it works an absolute treat.

Image is of his sculpture 'Group Of Four Trees' which is in New York.

And more commendably obscure randomness at The More You Think About It . This is described as 'an avant-garde drum suite'.

Nomad yeahmad.

Wow And Yes

2011-07-14T21:34:00.007+02:00

Things I Save

Macaroni

2011-07-14T20:56:00.004+02:00

Here's a weird and brilliant 'jazz stand-up' thing I somehow found on Soundcloud. The images are Max Fleischer stuff. Check out some of his masterpieces in my earlier post.

a man walks into a night club w/ a tattoo of a girl eating elbow macaroni by Manfred Steiner

Angeles - Elliott Smith

2011-07-14T20:23:00.001+02:00

Pepper

2011-07-13T02:00:00.000+02:00

Love Art Pepper, here's a bit of Soundcloud magic (with typo) to sample the man's beauty.

Image from Vivian Maier.

Besame Mocho - Art Pepper by chyowon

The Deep

2011-07-12T18:04:00.004+02:00

Went to the Royal Academy Of Arts on the weekend and enjoyed this refreshing collage from David Mach.

Donato Dozzy - In Bed - clip by Absurd

Girls

2011-07-10T00:37:00.005+02:00

This irresistible picture is from Vice

Dum Dum Girls Music by subpop

Black Totems

2011-07-10T00:05:00.004+02:00

Saw a good documentary on BBC4 a while back on Herb Alpert and discovered he was a far more interesting character than I'd first thought. Really like these sexy fluid / solid sculptures of his called 'Black Totems'.

Aladdin - The Sun Is On Fire by gilbr

It's Just Around Twilight...

2011-07-06T22:12:00.002+02:00

Watching the Wim Wenders / Peter Falk clip the other day reminded me of another true artist of the cinema - Bela Tarr and this clip from his masterpiece Kárhozat from 1988. This is music to drink vodka and sway lazily with your lover to in a village dance - it has lament and joy in its sound.

Jourdan Dunn

2011-07-06T19:50:00.003+02:00

The fact that women like Jourdan Dunn exist should be enough for any man to get out of bed in the morning. Cheers God!!!

Peter Falk

2011-07-05T20:11:00.003+02:00

What a wonderful actor! Rest in peace, Peter...

Paranoid Park

2011-06-21T19:52:00.005+02:00

Was blown away by this film this weekend. Visual and aural poetry from the always boundary-pushing Gus Van Sant.

The skater element is fairly incidental. This is a film about being young and floating disengaged through life.

Subtle, masterful, beautiful and powerful.

Mix mix mix

2011-06-21T19:37:00.004+02:00

Maxim Lany by 10 Days Off

Deep mix at Soundcloud from 10 Days Off named after fellow Belgian the wicked Maxim Lany.
Image of NYC from the soopoib Only This Nothing More

Celebrity

2011-06-08T17:10:00.008+02:00

So I watched this Woody Allen film for the second time. Loved it even more the second time. Amazed it only got 6.2 on imdb cos for me it's a full 10. Allow me to be a Londonish Truffaut and give you reasons why.

1. The art not the man.

Nobody with any sense can forgive the real Woody for having sex with his adopted daughter (ok, he married her and stuff but it's still a moral crime for most people). However, Woody is a great film maker being unswervingly honest about his beliefs, his passions and therefore his self.

Is the self a false construct of memories and fantasies? Sure, but we need it if we are to live with ourselves in this post-capitalist capitalist universe.

2. Choosing Ken

Ken Branagh, thin-lipped, tousle-haired Englishman, obsessed with Shakespeare and as English as Hamlet himself. An excellent choice to play the 'Woody' character. He does well, being from the Olivier school, though he may have picked up a few tricks from the Cassavetes / Strasberg / Stanislavsky school.

An aside - real acting is not pretending it is feeling. For example, Tom Cruise is usually crap and Steve Buscemi (in reality he was a fireman in 9/11, in medialand he was Mr Pink and Buddy Holly in Tarantinoland, he was Tony's cousin in that great postmodern gangster epic The Sopranos and his first role a musician dying of AIDS - clearly a bit of a top man) is always great.

Another aside - what rescues Enter The Void from being slightly unsatisfying is the performance of Cyril Roy. Noe, clearly a nutter like Kubrick is an excellent film maker but has no time for morality. So he hired a genuinely hip, cool bloke to be the friend of Oscar. When Cyril / Alex walks down the street (such a great scene - we are there) with Oscar and cries and fucks in the film, he is not acting, just being himself. Just my opinion, don't sue.

Also, regarding Ken's Englishness, I notice Woody tips his hat to the political stand the aesthetes make over here by calling movies films. Everyone in this film says film not movie. Just as Godard pointed out in Elogie d'Amor that in English there is no word for what Spanish speakers call Estadounidense. Thus when we say American we kind of insult Brazilians, Mexicans, Canadians, Jamaicans, Columbians...

3. It's a story about the breakdown of a marriage, but there is (refreshingly) no moral message.

When Ken meets Winona, (Leaving Famke, his new bit) the soaring old-school strings can be read by the Right as ironic and by the Left as post-ironic. Something for everyone.

4. It's a story about how religion can get in the way of sexuality.

Woody is Semitic rather than Jewish (I think). I don't know how much he knows about the 'old religion' but we all know he's been in therapy for ages. Whether it's Freudian, Jungian or Californian we don't need to know.

5. It's a story about a 'mid-life crisis'

Symbolised excellently when Ken gets Charlize in his car and then drives (absurdly) straight into a shop window with a big expensive clock in it.

6. There's a Felliniesque element to it

There are moments when the simple beauty of the images and hum of the conversation remind me of 8 1/2. For example, at the house of Joe the family man who seduces Ken's ex.

7. There's a theory that all art is a projection of the self.

Ken faints when a critic critises his work. I would analyse this as Woody saying his work is his life, his gift to the world. Also, more significantly it's the 'in therapy Woody' saying 'don't worry what other people think, do your thing'

8. Woody still does comedy but the US is divided into Right and Left.

A good right-wing joke (laughing at sexual prowess) is the pro choking on the banana.

A good left-wing joke (controversial, absurd) is in the Springeresque green room the Rabbi saying 'did the skinheads eat all the bagels?'

9. Nice circular format.

HELP. Great.

10. Leo.

Leo di Caprio, a girlboy who Scorsese has unconvincingly casted has a hard man here parodies himself, smashing up hotel rooms, having orgies. It's the only way he can show Gretchen he loves her whilst also enjoying his bromances and other lady love.

Yeah, a masterpiece it is. Fuck the movies.

Image And Word Stuff

2011-06-08T16:40:00.005+02:00

Jahsonic's always worth a look. It informs us the work of Nathanael West is now in the public domain. I remember reading his books when I was digging alternative American literature a lot. It's ok stuff.

My lady’s eyes appear to be

Like brimming pools of ecstasy,

Deep wells, from which the twinkles flow

Unceasingly as on they go

To charm me with their witchery;

Mayhap an easy prey they see,

Enmeshed by their dexterity;

I can’t protest; they thrill me so—

My lady’s eyes.

Although they gaze alluringly,

Appealing with such potentcy,

Oft times in them I see a glow

Which warns me that I should go slow,

For then, you know, I really see

My lady lies!

—Rondeau by Nathanael West

I have subversively coupled this with another image which I found at I Love Graffiti. Sleep tight.

Joan Miro

2011-05-26T01:52:00.002+02:00

Great exhibition at the Tate Modern right now.

Bongwater - Jimmy / Lesbians of Russia

2011-05-24T19:04:00.001+02:00

Heaviness

2011-05-15T01:05:00.004+02:00

Mogwai - New Paths To Helicon Part 1

2011-05-11T06:47:00.003+02:00

First heard this on John Peel when I was about 15. Was amazed by its beauty and otherworldniness but wasn't quite ready for it. Now one of my very favourite tracks.

T Recs

2011-05-11T06:19:00.007+02:00

Just a couple of things I think you might like...

This album, complete with titillating cover and lost in translation title is never going to get a waffly deconstruction show but it is a well lovely bit of trio jazz. Act quick cos Quimsy likes to take his links down (link is in comments). Here.

And cool French geezer gilb-r uploaded some excellent obscure nuggets here.

Detriot - Moonstarr

2011-05-11T06:01:00.001+02:00

Detriot by Moonstarr

These days I like my techno and house a bit deeper but this is a classic from my Gilles P days - Moonstarr's Detriot (intentionally mispelt apparently!)

Image by Amy Grappell at Contemporary Art Daily

What Does Boogie Mean?

2011-05-10T01:22:00.005+02:00

Enjoy this fantastic clip from Billy Wilder's 1941 film Ball Of Fire where Gary Cooper is cast against type as a bumbling academic who falls for Barbara Stanwyck's utterly smokin' gangster's moll / nightclub singer. Gene Krupa has a great cameo as himself here. I hope you enjoy the 'hip' slang as much as I do. Wait for the end where the 'wild man' GK does a match trick. Killer!

Sounds

2011-05-09T18:47:00.005+02:00

So many fine mixes at Allez Allez tho the one by Men & Machines (April 06 2011) is one of the most outstanding (partiularly love the Maxim Lany track)- tracklist...

brain machine – alchemia
superpitcher – moon fever
this heat – 24 track loop
chris & cosey – useless info
emperor machine – aimée tallulah is hypnotized
robert rental and the normal - live at west runton pavilion, 6-3-79
gatekeeper - giza
naum gabo – wet job
ricardo villalobos - dexter
tres demented – demented drums version
egyptian lover – dance (long drum version)
carlos ‘gogo’ gomez – brazilica
arto mwambe – one lonely knight (extended live mix)
justin vandervolgen – clapping song
joachim spieth – up
maxim lany – cuncambias
the hours – ali in the jungle (beg to differ dub)
pete heller – nu acid
brian eno – the big ship

Image is from R.H.Quaytman at Contemporary Art Daily

Tom Greenwood Mix

2011-05-09T18:36:00.007+02:00

Getting well into Soundcloud. Just popped in to see JOMF head Tom Greenwood recently uploaded a mix. It is as satisfyingly weird and underground as you would have good reason to expect.

Tom Greenwood - Jackie O Motherfucker Mix by FIRE RECORDS

Image is from Christopher Green at Tiny Vices

Mix

2011-05-09T00:41:00.010+02:00

Kind of an experimental mix - where my head is right now...

01. Fix To Fall LOOP
02. Death Drums ECHOBOY
03. On The Subway REITZELL & MANNING JR
04. We Dream Free (Edit) KIERAN HEBDEN & STEVE REID
05. I’m Falling (Paris Bordeaux Mix) CHARLES WEBSTER
06. Titoro BOBBY MONTEZ
07. Track? AIRTO FOGO
08. Pyar Do Pyar Lo JANBAAZ
09. Message From Kenya ART BLAKEY & SABU MARTINEZ
10. Comin’ Home Baby MEL TORME
11. Cause Is Alright CLARENCE G
12. I Feel Joy MOODYMANN & TAJ BELL
13. Science Mystery V.D.B JOEL
14. Nincompop – LALIPUNA / TLS
15. You Made Me Do It AGO
16. Wide Vice KERRIER DISTRICT
17. Never Known Love THIEVES LIKE US
18. Let’s Go Downtown NEIL YOUNG
19. Take It Easy My Brother Charlie SOM TRES

Get it here at Mediafire.

Image is by the great Wim Wenders, named 'Dusk in Coober Pedy, South Australia, 1978'
which I found at Junk For Code.

Trees

2011-05-03T20:35:00.006+02:00

Was struck by the simple beauty of these images by Daniel Farber at Beverley Kaye Outsider Art

Fuck Buttons - Surf Solar by Robogeisha

Dub Biznizz

2011-05-02T00:08:00.002+02:00

Be

2011-04-30T17:53:00.003+02:00

'The Way is like an empty vessel
That yet may be drawn from
Without ever needing to be filled.
It is bottomless: the very progenitor of all things in the world...
It is like a deep pool that never dries
I do not know whose child it could be.
It looks as it were prior to God'

Text is from Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist by D.T. Suzuki (Routledge) - a translation of Lao-Tzu's Tao Te Ching.
Image is from Aleana Egan at Mary Mary, Glasgow, featured on Contemporary Art Daily

Beautiful Neil

2011-04-28T19:47:00.002+02:00

Like Bobby D, Mr Young has taken his tracks of Youtube (or the Blue Meanie record companies have - calm down, dear)
Anywayz, what a fuckin awesome tune. Sometimes Neil's a bit of an old misery guts innit? But here he's rockin out like a full-on mutha.
Lyrics are sad, beautiful, inspiring, the music rolls and soars. Man has fire in his belly. Respect.

I'm The Ocean by Neil Young

I'm an accident
I was driving way too fast
Couldn't stop though
So I let the moment last
I'm for rollin'
I'm for tossin' in my sleep
It's not guilt though
It's not the company I keep

People my age
They don't do the things I do
They go somehwere
While I run away with you
I got my friends
And I got my children too
I got her love
She's got my love too

I can't hear you
But I feel the things you say
I can't see you
But I see what's in my way
Now I'm floatin'
Cause I'm not tied
to the ground
Words I've spoken
Seem to leave a hollow sound

On the long plain
See the rider in the night
See the chieftain
See the braves
in cool moonlight
Who will love them
When they take another life
Who will hold them
When they tremble
for the knife

Voicemail numbers
On an old computer screen
Rows of lovers
Parked forever in a dream
Screaming sirens
Echoing across the bay
To the old boats
From the city far away

Homeless heroes
Walk the streets
of their hometown
Rows of zeros
On a field
that's turning brown
They play baseball
They play football
under lights
They play card games
And we watch them every night

Need distraction
Need romance and candlelight
Need random violence
Need entertainment tonight
Need the evidence
Want the testimony of
Expert witnesses
On the brutal crimes of love

I was too tired
To see the news
when I got home
Pulled the curtain
Fell into bed alone
Started dreaming
Saw the rider once again
In the doorway
Where she stood
and watched for him
Watched for him

I'm not present
I'm a drug
that makes you dream
I'm an aerostar
I'm a cutlass supreme
In the wrong lane
Trying to turn
against the flow
I'm the ocean
I'm the giant undertow

I'm the ocean
I'm the ocean
I'm the giant undertow
I'm the ocean
I'm the giant undertow
I'm the ocean
I'm the ocean
I'm the ocean
I'm the ocean
I'm the ocean
I'm the ocean

Cheese Please

2011-04-28T19:21:00.000+02:00

Sexy Sushi

2011-04-26T18:56:00.003+02:00

Ended up in fashionable Koko in Camden last Sat and discovered Sexy Sushi... Wow. This band are incredible!! True true spirit of punk here. Incredible energy. Lead singer is so charismatic. If she's straight (unlikely) or bi I hope she locks me in her cupboard for a year!! This performance captures them pretty well. 11 out of 10, easy!

Beau cats

2011-04-22T03:33:00.002+02:00

200th post! Loving this work by Harmony Korine.

Suit And Thai

2011-04-22T03:18:00.006+02:00

Thai Comic Scans from bootlegflyers at Flickr.

Heatwave Music

2011-04-21T15:57:00.004+02:00

Lickle heatwave in Londres. Need some hot vibes...

Cat And Girl

2011-04-18T01:17:00.007+02:00

Cat And Girl

Renart - Voyage Chromatique

2011-04-15T17:47:00.001+02:00

Renart ~ Voyage Chromatique from DAWN RECORDS on Vimeo.

Chinny Rec On

2011-04-15T17:32:00.001+02:00

Zero G Sound
FM Shades
Vinyl4Giants
Ghost Capital
France Music

Genius

2011-04-15T16:35:00.003+02:00

Desiderata

2011-04-12T19:50:00.003+02:00

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Poem by Max Ehrmann. Image is by Lydia Roberts, an impressive photographer with an erotic / surreal style. Some of her work is here at the Atom Rooms and, presuming it's the same Lydia, here is her gallery on Flickr.

18+ / FORGIVEN / EP

2011-04-12T18:22:00.003+02:00

Wow. Found this at the superb Sang Bleu. Strong strong strong.

You Get Me?

2011-04-12T17:43:00.004+02:00

The Dandy Warhols trying to (imho) respectfully celebrate the spirituality of the Islamic faith in their way, plus a lovely vid of a cat and dolphins playing.

Gold Brut

2011-04-11T17:30:00.008+02:00

Gold Code (dj set) As You Like It, 6-26-2010 by goldcode

A mix of mostly new music fresh from Frisco over on the wondrous Gold Code.

Here's the track list...

01.Gerd, “Friendly Fire” Royal Oak 2010
02. Findling, “Gotta Feeling” (Lihab edit), Hi Freaks 2010
03. Skudge, “Contamination” Skudge Rec. 2010
04. Parris MItchell, “Follow Me” Dance Mania, 1994
05. Gold Code, “Clown Session” unreleased
06. Caltrop, “Fleeting Moments” Nude Photo Music, 2010
07. Frozen Border, “Track 2″, Frozen Border 2009
08. Dinamoe vs. Rico Puestel, “D99″ (Tobi McWeird Remix), Cometomusic 2010
09. San Soda, “Jek Zonder Pad”, We Play House Recordings, 2009
10. Metropolis, “Metropolis” (Original Mix), Union City Recordings 1992
11. Tevo Howard, “Laboratory” Hour House is Your Rush Records, 2010
12. Goldwill, “Blush” wandering 2010
13. Kelvin K., “Simple Message”Greenhouse 2005
14. Scott Ferguson, “Keep On Lovin Me (Detroit vs Chicago mix), Ferrispark 2010
15. Virgo, “R U Hot Enough”, Traxx 1986

Art from Ben Moussa, Elaine Larus, Milka and Nikifor Krynica at the excellent 'art brut' website Artpulsion.

Bob

2011-04-05T20:57:00.007+02:00

An excerpt from Bob Brown's '1450-1950' at the marvellous Ubu

Eva 2

2011-04-01T16:21:00.002+02:00

Short from Gaspar Noe. I dig, therefore I dig.

Image

2011-04-01T15:59:00.007+02:00

Cio D'or - Goldbrokat (Donato Dozzy Techno Remix) by 777cpt
A tune from Donato Dozzy and image from Tim Barber. I found this at Feaverish.

Doggin' Around

2011-03-30T02:12:00.003+02:00

The BFI is one of the best things about living in London, an opportunity to see classics and curios of various types on the big (or biggish) screen.

The other week, I noticed they were showing a screening of 'Doggin' Around' a one-off BBC drama from 1994 starring one of my very favourite actors, that king of shambling laconia, Elliott Gould.

It was shown as part of an Alan Plater season to commemorate his passing. I'd never heard of Plater before but on this evidence I'll be dipping into more of his work.

Aside from some (forgiveable) broad comedy, this was a lovely piece of work. It's a paean to the dream of the travelling jazz musician, the hip cat. Great to see Gould given a script worthy of his comic talent. Many terrific lines for Gould here.

Then, the shots of roadsigns and the headlights of lonely cars on Yorkshire motorways in the dead of the night accompanied by melancholy jazz go beyond ironic juxtaposition of themes and just come off as plainly beautiful.

Black & WTF

2011-03-25T01:51:00.004+01:00

Found it on Buzzfeed. The blog, Black & WTF is over here.

'Front Pages'

2011-03-16T23:45:00.010+01:00

For posterity or whatever here are all the pics I can remember having as my header or front page. Only 5 I can remember. Let me know out there if you can remember any more.

First one I can remember (back in 06) was a bit of the old art brut from Jean-Joseph Sanfourche called 'Pierre'. Looking for images of his art today, I was sad to read he died on 13 March 2010 at the age of 87. R.I.P. Jean! Here's a vid about his work I posted earlier.

Anyway. then we had the classic image of Fellini's La Dolce Vita for a while.

Edit: Then this shot of the delectable Mathilda May, looking hot in Chabrol's last (?) film A Girl Cut In Two

Then this huge impromptu-looking snap of my dream woman Charlotte Gainsbourg. Love this woman's style and charm. She is totally scrummy!!!

I recently saw Luca Guadagnino's incredible feast for the senses I Am Love starring the great Tilda Swinton and I picked up on Tilda's co-star, the still pristine Marisa Berenson (model and Barry Lyndon leading lady), and sought out this rather artistic snap of her back in her heyday. I found this again on a lovely blog of imagery called Only This Nothing More.

Currently I have this snap by up and coming photographer Venetia Dearden. This snap is simply called England. I find it an endlessly fascinating and poetic image. Hope you agree x

Vids From Hipster Land

2011-03-10T00:07:00.006+01:00

I'm living near Brick Lane at the mo so maybe it's something in the water supply round here but I'm getting more into 'fashionable' music again, even tho it makes me feel both 'past it' and 'never was'. All this shit is deep in the way Mogwai and Three EPs-era Beta Band were. Strong.

U R A Fever by The Kills - tasteful, sexy, innovative, beyond hip with a Velvets and Patti Smith NY lineage - love love love the lo fi video, dude even looks like Lou Reed.

This is beautiful, bit like early Verve. Damaged, sensitive, amazing. Pic is a spot on snapshot of the hipster lifestyle.

Gang Gang Dance are IT. All their stuff is totally amazing, full of innovation and wonderfulness. Feel like I did when I first heard The Three EPs (before I played it 1000 times a day and - ahem - 'rinsed' it).

The xx are beyond lo fi. Incredibly come down but with an edge of something celebratory too. The video is jaw-droppingly good and very moving too.

Enter The Void

2011-03-09T23:56:00.006+01:00

Wasn't blogging at the time I first saw this. Haven't seen it again, by the way - then again, no need to. It's an amazing trip. You can never see it for the first time twice. Resist resist resist finding out ANYTHING about this film. Go into it blind. You will get so much more out of it. I promise!!

Gaspar Noe, one of the strongest, most original voices in cinema today, made this film. I was impressed with his previous film Irreversible though it's an extremely challenging work, but Enter The Void is his masterpiece. Freeform, sprawling, emotional, messy, spiritual, beautiful, hideous, beatific, anguished, hip, it's uncannily brilliant.

Deep

2011-03-08T04:18:00.005+01:00

Wonderfully atmospheric mix of progressive deepness mixed by Scott at Trackwerk - link. No les than 3 tracks from Donato Dozzy - big fave of mine.

Here's the tracklist...

Mike Huckaby – My Live with the Wave
Deep Space Orchestra – Trust Skynet
Morphosis – Dirty Matter
Tin Man – Nonneo (Donato Dozzy Remix)
Donato Dozzy & DJ Say – Transparent
Morphosis – Yaam
Svereca – Obscur (Claro Intelecto Mix)
Daso – Why Try (Fred P Reshape)
DJ Spider – Antikythera Mechanism
Donato Dozzy – Untitled D2 from K
Anton Zap – Road Trip Song

The image is from Junku Nishimura which I spotted on Flickr but snatched it off Shotspot.

Mulholland

2011-03-07T02:41:00.008+01:00

'Driving through Paris in a taxi at breakneck speed, expecting a crash at any moment. A remote district of warehouses and empty streets.'

Quote is from William S. Burroughs' 'My Education' - which is mostly transcripts of his dreams

Sonnet XVII: I do not love you as if you were brine-rose, topaz

2011-03-06T15:29:00.008+01:00

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

poem by Pablo Neruda, image by Rory Doona.

Vivien Maier

2011-01-21T15:18:00.002+01:00

Check it out here

Tickle - Good Love, Bad Love

2010-11-26T22:53:00.000+01:00

Wicked Italo track

Recs Avery

2010-11-10T16:31:00.014+01:00

I'm about to start downloading again so here are some of my first stops...

Orgy In Rhythm

El Reza

Private Press

Music Ruined My Life

Longo

MNML SSGS

Big O

Babe(b)logue

Dusty Shelf

My Generation

Burnt Brown Sounds / Los Blops

2010-11-10T15:42:00.009+01:00

Back when I started blogging I regularly stopped off at the lovely mp3 blog Burnt Brown Sounds run by Karl from the equally lovely Speck Mountain. Burnt Brown Sounds is now the name of a independent record label with Karl's band on the roster but the blog, alas, is no more.

I haven't downloaded music for a while but most of what I have is stashed on blank DVDs. However I somehow managed to delete the folder of handpicked gems from BBS though I do remember one especially fine track (Valle De Los Espejos) from 70s Argentinian psych-folk group Los Blops which I lately found on Youtube to my surprise and offer here for your mellow enjoyment.

Whistler - You And Me

2010-11-06T00:52:00.006+01:00

You know those obscure songs which go around your head for years? They stick - especially if you note the name down and record them (on cassette as I did back then).

Well, chills are coming over me and I'm moping in an nostalgic way so I remembered a tune by a group called Whistler (link to their underwhelming Wikipedia entry) called You And Me.

Anyway found this thing through LastFM called WE7 and here I hope, you will be able to listen to this song (though it's a bit different to the Peel Session I originally heard / recorded)

Shame this band didn't make it - they had this mournful / youthful folk thing down, musically proficient too.

Joint on a bridge over the Thames in Winter aged 21 vibe.

Car

2010-10-26T22:31:00.004+02:00

From Tim Barber who apparently runs Tiny Vices (which is great) though I found this image at Triangle Triangle (also great) which I linked to through wonderful music blog Longo.

Insight

2010-10-23T22:01:00.002+02:00

Got this from Discipline In Disorder which I came across trying to clean up my link list. It's by Jerry Berndt who has a collection out called Insight.

Glory be

2010-10-12T18:38:00.002+02:00

From the glorious Sartorialist - so many great shots of great style here.

2010-10-10T01:41:00.006+02:00

From Petra Lindholm at Contempoary Art Daily again

And enjoy this from Speck Mountain...

Chunks

2010-10-10T01:22:00.002+02:00

Image from Marius Engh at Contemporary Art Daily hits the spot.

Yeah

2010-08-13T00:53:00.001+02:00

Pic from Land magazine

We Went There - Valet

2010-05-24T01:15:00.003+02:00

Someone's put this track on You Tube so I thought I'd share it with you. It's from Honey Owens' Valet who are part of the Portland, Oregon scene along with Jackie O Motherfucker.

Someone asked me the other day what kind of music I was into and I mentioned Valet and JOMF as I always do. I said they were psychedelic but that's not the whole story, of course. They are not the 'neon psychedelia' of the late 60s or angry, reactionary psychedelia. There is the spirit of meditation, exploration and celebration here - the unmistakeable vibe of being on a trip but not going into the zone of danger, but stopping just short and vibrating there in warm, peaceful, high, animal caution.

Delightful Musical Confections

2010-03-24T01:55:00.011+01:00

A Collection Of Delightful Musical Confections Handpicked For Your Diversion By That Fine And Esteemed Gentleman Howard Gardenia...

Something of a labour of love this mix and featuring several tracks ripped from my cd collection as well as the usual gems redistributed from blogland. Available at Mediafire or Rapidshare. Hope you enjoy.

1. I Couldn't Get HIgh FUGS
2. Lucky 28 QUARTETTE TRES BIEN
3. Vivre PIERRE BAROUH
4. Why Am I So Romantic LILIAN ROTH
5. Well OLYMPICS
6. Shrinking Up Fast CAMILLE HOWARD
7. Boog It GENE KRUPA
8. Come My Little Baby CHANTELS
9. The Ostrich PRIMITIVES
10. The Trip KIM FOWLEY
11. Nago TRIO MOCOTO
12. Lock Groove (Out) LIQUID LIQUID
13. Equivalence BLUE PHANTOM
14. Melancholy Serenade JACKIE GLEASON
15. I'll Be Your Mirror (Live) VELVET UNDERGROUND
16. Sandy Land FIDDLIN' SAM LONG
17. So Tired JEAN GOLDKETTE
18. Star Eyes ANITA O DAY
19. Zoom Zoom Zoom ENCHORDS
20. Jeanette GUS VISEUR
21. Night Lady FATS SADI
22. Spiderman FREDDIE MCCOY
23. Love Is Oh So Easy (Kaluga) MGM STUDIO ORCHESTRA
24. No Jive LITTLE AL
25. Denise HOWARD MCGHEE SEXTET
26. I'm In Love With A German Film Star PASSIONS

Image is 'Sans titre' by Gaston Chaissac (1961)

Ken Park

2010-03-14T05:13:00.005+01:00

Great film.
Economy of action and dialogue, intense performances.
Brutal yet celebratory, real, to the point.