Miss Kittin and Marc Houle have collaborated for Houle’s Items and Things label on Where is Kittin? a six track EP featuring two original tracks, as well as remixes from Dubfire, John Foxx & The Maths, and two further edits from Miss Kittin, whose double album Calling From the Stars is out 22 April.
Suitably filthy-dirty, you can hear the preview here.
I always think of Erol Alkan at this time of year.
In our early days of attendance at the Miami Winter Music Conference we’d be walking around a little shell-shocked, not really knowing where to look between the oversized Floridian families cramming burgers into their mouths and extending those XXXXL waistlines just a little more, and the golden beach ladies with their very own set of beach balls. Then we’d see Erol, and a sense of relief in comfortable familiarity would wash over us. There he would be in his customary black t-shirt and converse; Erol hadn’t changed for these tropical surroundings. He stayed true to his own brand of bleepy electro too, when all around him were selling their souls to Avicii as if they’d been driven mad by the heat.
Erol celebrates Easter like no-one else can. Defying tiredness with what started in 2008 as a five-hour set on that Maundy Thursday (4 days to recover afterwards), then as if challenging himself each year we’ve now reached 10 hours.
It seems this year he’s been busier than ever before, still finding time to sign new act Future Four to Phantasy, as well as rework Night Works Long Forgotten Boy.
And of course there’s the iconic Erol Alkan 6 Mix humming alongside it all, just right for the day after the 10 hour set when you seem to be unable to move unless you can hear Erol playing a record. The sixth but sadly final show of the 3rd 6 Music residency went out this Friday 12 April and it’s a complete banger from start to finish. Strong, Erol, strong.
Have a listen here:
Erol Alkan 6 Mix 12 April
Tracklist:
#1 Miss Kittin – Come Into My House
#2 Future Four – Gwad Bwash
#3 Syclops – Jump Bugs
#4 Kiwi – The Guanaco Haka
#5 Ben Sun – Your Footprints (Tevo Howard Remix)
#6 Pulp – After You (Soulwax Remix)
#7 Rudimental – Hell Could Freeze (Skream Remix)
#8 Letherette – D&T
#9 U – I
#10 JKriv & The Disco Machine – Make It Acid (Idjut Boys Mix)
#11 OTP Party Breaks – Love Reaction (Jacques Renault Edit)
#12 Diesel Jarvis – Spend The Night
#13 Tom Rowlands – Through Me (Radio Edit)
#14 Innershades – That Girl
#15 Drums Of Death – Bang The Dub
#16 Laurent Garnier – Jacques In The Box (Chicago Bordelo Remix)
#17 Daniele Baldelli & Marco Dionigi – Tunnel
#18 Joy Orbison – Big Room (Tech House DJ Tool)
#19 Rone – Bye Bye Macadam (Juan Atkins Remix)
#20 Red Axes – Queen Spade
#21 Legowelt – Visions In My Mind
#22 Coma – My Orbit (Single Edit)
#23 Night Works – Long Forgotten Boy (Erol Alkan’s Extended Rework)
A huge thanks to The Mahogany Blog for a great live session at St Pancras Old Church last night. So nice to hear some acts absolutely able to belt out big acoustic sound in the usually-quiet surroundings. Here’s a little bit of what we heard.
George Ezra‘s voice is so powerful he turned the amp down at the start of his set. Completely captivating, both from a voice and songwriting perspective. I’m looking forward to hearing more from him.
I will love The Strokes unconditionally and forever; Julian Casablancas has a voice that makes me feel like he and I are clinging to each other on a precupice while the world rushes past us, and the lyrics always make me want to cry like a baby despite the catchy singalong guitar melodies.
So the prospect of a new album has made me feel giddy for a little while now, slightly fearful of one day a record from them (or Julian’s solo work) letting down my ridiculous expectations (it never does). Theirs is a formula that will always work though, and there’s nothing remotely un-Strokes-y about Comedown Machine.
For example, the lyrics on One Way Trigger
You asked me to stay
but there’s a million reasons to leave
Don’t take my word for it, you can listen to the whole thing in full now over at Pitchfork.
There’s also a taster of new single All The Time here
Havens + Hart are new to Stranjjur, and their Sunset Lullaby is one of those tracks that you find at the end of a really great mixtape, and you’re a bit sad when it’s over and it fades out to silence.
They are Minneapolis residents J.D. Havens and Aaron Hart, and they play honest, deep house – melodic and chilled. As such, they are to be found firmly around the 120bpm mark, you’ll see them on labels such as Sleazy Deep and Electronique, and remixers include The Revenge. I like this consistency of style, as well as the ability to not only warm up, but pick up, a crowd with their sets. This one lilts along so nicely I’d listened to it twice before I realised.
Emily and I got drunk this weekend and pretended we were DJing out (it was in my bedroom). We recorded a set from the beginning of the year that we’ve been meaning to do for ages, so if you need a little bit of ear fodder here you go:
Wildest Moments (T. Williams Remix) Jessie Ware
Take Me Dancin (Original Mix) Jason Bye
Horizon (Original Mix) Ejeca
Ask Yourself (Audiojack`s Chemical Rewind) Homework
Life C.R.S.T
House Lesson (Original Mix) Sidney Charles
Get Up Everybody (Catz ‘n Dogz Body Language Remix) Zack Toms’ Parade
Hot (Original Mix) Flashmob
Get Ready (Original Mix) Jay Lumen
Walk 4 Me (Milk Bar Mix) Tronco Traxx
Tanners (Original Mix) Tom Demac
Eutopia (Original Mix) Youri Donatz, Bjorn Wolf
101 (Original Mix) Midland, Breach
The Verdict Part 2 Shadow Child
You Gonna Want Me (12 Inch Dance Mix) Tiga
Ghost Inside Me (Martin Dawson Remix) Numero2
Critical Distance Pt. 2 Tom Demac
I Refuse (What You Want) Feat. Damon Trueitt (Phil Weeks Robsoul Mix) Somore
Raw Basses (Original Mix) Jay Lumen
Cancel Reality (Jordan Peak remix)
Iz Diz Houz? (Original Mix) Mike Dunn, Youri Donatz, Bjorn Wolf
Sleeping In The Bass Box (Original Mix) Guy Gerber, Patrik K
Smoke Screen (Bicep Remix) Chamboche
I’m at that awkward age where I should technically be thinking about being a bit more domestic, maybe not going out until 7 any more, or perhaps when going out until 7 not carrying on the afterparty until it’s nighttime again.
I’ve tried to broaden my horizons; get up in time to see daylight, read the paper, cook. But I just really do love house music. So I found a compromise: rave-cook. Just whack the stereo up and make sure any movement that needs to be done – chopping, mixing (you catch my drift) is done in a suitable dancing fashion. Call it the Cookery Skank, if you will, and it always puts a bemused smile on the faces of my flatmates to find me giving it some in Club Min (aka The Kitchen).
I wanted to share a few little lovelies that resulted in a very tasty salmon hot pot (Wagamama recipe book) and a lemon and buttercream sponge cake (Rachel Allen) this weekend.
1. Kry Wolf, Together (Makes No Sense Remix). I’ve had this in my draft posts for this blog ever since I got sent the promo from Kry Wolf and Shadow Child‘s Food Music in January, and I wish there had been enough hours in the day for me to finish it. They’re the guys who collaborated with Claude Vonstroke on Turbosteppa, and this track went off last night when T Williams played it at the Electric in Brixton as part of the EXCELLENT Julio Bashmore tour.
You can buy this now, so you should.
2. Kate Simko, Go On Then (The Remixes)
I loved this the first time round, and I was always slightly dubious of remix EPs until I realised that they often come about because there’s one absolutely epic remix of a track that surfaces after the release, so the producers rise to the challenge, give some other people a bit more time to make some cool bits, and round two ends up being damn good. The one for me on this five-track feast is Ian Pooley‘s main mix, but Franck Roger‘s in there, as are Blond:ish. Again, out now and worth your pennies. It’ll make cooking more fun.
3. Gorgon City feat Yasmin, Real
Thanks to T Williams again for this bad boy; Gorgon City are RackNRuin and Foamo, and everything they’re doing is shit hot. The world and his dog are going mental for them right now, and deservedly so. I mean, just listen to that sneaky little bassline, sweet Jesus that’s hot! Out today on Black Butter records; we’re building a nice little playlist.
4. Lana del Rey, Summertime Sadness (Adam Freeland remix) – given as a free download when you like Adam’s Facebook page. This is a slow build and is actually just as good for comedown-cook (aka trying to eat a bit of toast then realising everything tastes like sand) as rave-cook. I felt a bit emotionally attached to this record today as the sun faded outside the window.
5. Miguel Puente – La Santanera podcast
This is slow and soulful and bassy – absolutely perfect for cooking, and because it’s an hour long you won’t overcook the veg while you’re busy faffing around searching for the next track.
So there you have a little recipe of weekend tracks, go forth and rave-cook.
A dirty, metallicky number from Crackboy on I’m a Cliche, already out as part of the Crackwood EP, natch, and filthy nasty.
Mixmag have chosen Cardiff boys Bodhi for their mix of the week, and fuck YES do I agree with them. This mix is so great, it’s so upbeat, it’s so retro, it’s completely what I want to listen to all the time at the moment, and I tend to feel that way whenever I see a little message pop up that Bodhi have a new release or a free download to share.
In the year that they’ve been around (storming into my consciousness with a remix of Angels by The XX), Bodhi have already distilled their sound into this very modern interpretation of everything that was fun about 90s house, and they call it ‘groove bass.’ Soulful vocals and piano melodies run through their tracks, and they segue seamlessly into the likes of retro legends MK and Kerri Chandler.
Their EP Culture/Deliquesce is out now on Grizzly, and you can catch them at Junk in Southampton with the amazing T.Williams this weekend.
Tracklist
TLC – Diggin’ On You (Going Home Dub) (LaFace Records)
Jodeci – You Got It (Coasmack Dub) (MCA Records)
The Md X-Spress – God Made Me Phunky (Unreleased Remix) (Defected)
Wbeeza – Billy Green Is Ded (Third Ear Recordings)
Bicep – Vision Of Love (Feel My Bicep)
MK Featuring Alana – Love Changes (Mk 12″ Mix) (Charisma)
Zak Toms – Bring Me Down (Stanton Warriors Vocal Mix) (Unda-Vybe)
Nu Birth – Anytime (XL Recordings)
Nightcrawlers – Surrender your Love (MK Club Mix) (Bodhi Edit) (Final Vinyl)
Motif & Ramu – Just You (forthcoming Hot N Heavy Recordings)
Detroit Swindle – Guess What (Dirt Crew Recordings)
Kerri Chandler & Jerome Sydenham – Atmospheric Beats (Ibadan)
Medlar – Knocked Pearl (Detroit Swindle Remix) (Wolf Music Recordings)
Bodhi – Culture (Grizzly)
Chesus – Special (Local Talk)
