This Monkey Safari mix has been keeping me going this week, happily combining their usual bouncy, afrobeat selves with a more grown-up instrumental side that makes it perfect for listen-at-home. They’ve kept upbeat vocals and layered them with indie and folk to create an intelligently-crafted hour’s musical journey.
Check the beautiful use of Hot Chip‘s stripped-down collaboration with country singer Bonnie Prince Billy (Will Oldham) I Feel Bonnie into the original I Feel Better at 30 minutes too.
I’m not a fan of retrospectives: it’s not very inclusive to harp on about a brilliant night/festival/set for too long, unless there’s some sort of constructive end to it. Go and see so-and-so here, etc.
BUT festivals like Sonar and Miami WMC are tastemakers and fixers for the rest of the year’s musical delights, and a precursor for the Summer’s selection in Ibiza, so I thought I’d let you know what tracks we heard out and about in Barcelona. Plus, it allows me to re-live it a little bit, so indulge me.
Particular highlights were the RA by Day party on Thursday, poolside on the roof of Hotel Diagonal, which started chilled in the sun, was moved up a level to fun old skool hip-hop and disco by Space Dimenson Controller, then brought to a sundown sweat-fest frenzy by Claude VonStroke. So many new tracks and highlights which we managed to ask him about later, but he warned us we’d have quite a wait, in particular for the release of Justin Martin and Ardalan’s epic follow-up to Mr Spock; LEZGO. I found a very small taster here – only 21 seconds but thank you to ‘Rainingcaps‘ and his dancing-while-filming brother.
A few other greats which you can get hold of now are Claude’s Take a Trip mix of Chilly Gonzales - I Am Europe, and J Phlip‘s new track with Claude under his Grizzl moniker for his vinyl imprint Krush Groov, BkupGrl, and of course my favourite, (another one I’ve been waiting patiently for) J Phlip’s OMG Remix of Russ Yallop‘s Rock Me, which is a bootleg and sadly not due for release (I think)… but you can hear it 12 minutes into this mix from March this year: Claude VonStroke – March 2011 Tour Mix by Rainbow Venues
Fun fun fun was the Jackmode party on Thursday night in a tennis club high in the hills overlooking the city (complete with a slide and see-saw) and it was nice to see Oliver $ drop his own Doin’ Ya Thang to a crowd very happy to try to sing/shout along. Oliver $_Doin´ Ya Thang by oliverdollar
All the beautiful people were at Ghoa Beach Club for the Hot Natured party all day on Friday. Dancing bodies filled the pool while we danced on ledges to the stealthy bass of Thugfucker’sDisco Gnome (Tale of Us Remix). Download here.
A-Trak at Sonar Night on Friday was ridiculous. His hands were moving so fast on the decks he looked like a smartly-dressed robot. He gave us a little taster of his new ‘mystery’ track Big Bad Wolf, which when it comes out on Fool’s Gold is going to be immense.
We rounded the week off in fitting style with the Sunday parties, and a massive thanks to Culprit vs Leftroom for good sunny times on the roof at Hotel Catalonia in the day, then Get Physical for putting on a beach party at Mac Arena Mar through to 3am. Just enough time to pack and get to the airport for a Monday morning flight home (those crazy enough to go to work on Monday). So for now, we put Sonar to bed for another year, and content ourselves with hastily booking some flights to Ibiza, stalking producers until we get our grubby mitts on the tunes we heard, and re-living some of the joy at 5 Years of Leftroom (with Room 2 hosted by Hot Natured) at Fabric on 2 July. See you there.
Parker is the latest signing to the Jackmode agency roster, and I trust Jackmode like I trust a fat kid to like cake. I downloaded this mix without any prior knowledge of Parker and it turns out it’s part 3 of the ‘Did It’ series of mixes, all of which are winging their way on to my pod now on the strength of part III.
Perfect for those times when you just want a little change from the romantic floaty stuff – this is hip hop, disco, and old greats all edited up to put some pep in your step.
Very nice indeed. DJ Parker – The Monkey Butler Did It Mix
Tracklist:
The Monkey Butler- A Reminder
Parker- The Self Indulgent Intro
The Monkey Butler- Lays It Down
Parker- Hear Ya Say- Bombstrikes
Aretha Franklin- Rock Steady (Parker Remix)- Ghetto Funk
Vibes Squad- Aristocratic Static- Vibe Squad
Parker v P Zilla- Golden Sounds ft Conrad Watts (Acapella)- Goodgroove
Ashanti- Only You (Parker Re-fix)
George Benson- Give Me The Night (Parker Re-jig)
BBC Radio 4- Carolyn Quinn on PM
Kidda- Doo Whot ft Blak Twang (Acapella)- Skint
Ludacris- Stand Up (Parker Re-flip)
Opuio- Tender Wrinkle- Addictech
The Reckless Moment- Columbia
Cymande- Dove- Janus
B.I.G.- Can I Get Witcha- Bad Boy
Mr Scruff- Zen- Ninja
Eddie Bo & The Soul Finders- We’re Doing It (The Thang Part 2)- Bo-Sound
Porn Theatre Ushers- Me & Him (Parker Re-hash)
Foreign Beggars- Shake It- Dented
The Monkey Butler- What A Treat
The Mohawks- Studio 69- KPM
The Doors- Soul Kitchen- Elektra
Missy Elliot- Pass That Dutch- Elektra
Parker v Fake Blood- Mars Needs Parker
Eric B & Rakim- Juice (Know The Ledge) (Parker Re-fiddle)
The Beekeepers- Queen Bee ft Mystro- Jalapeno
DJ Hero- Sub Sonic- Velcro City
Max Sedgley- Sound Boy ft Tor (Parker Remix)- Jalapeno
Max Sedgley- Sound Boy ft Tor (Acapella)- Jalapeno
Mumford & Sons- Lion Man (Parker- Re-do)
Muse- Knights of Cydonia (Parker’s Fight The Bankers! Remix)
Joker & Ginz- Re-Up- Kapsize
BBC Radio 1- Mary Anne Hobs on Bristol Rise Up!
Parker- Say Goodnight ft Conrad Watts (Acapella)- Rocstar
Art Of Noise- Moments In Love (Parker Re-dub)
Parker v Black Sabbath- Iron Mandem
BBC Radio 1- Mary Anne Hobs on Bristol Rise Up!
Gramatik- Liquified- Cold Busted
Criminal Minds- Baptized By Dub- White House
Musical Youth- Pass The Dutchie- MCA
MC Duke- I’m Riffin (Acapella)- Music Of Life
Turntable Dubbers- I Say Yeah- Nice Up
The Cure- Love Cats- Sire
The Who- Baby Don’t You Do It- Track
Sigma- Baltimore- Breakbeat Kaos
Rasco- Hip Hop Essentials (Acapella)- Pockets Linted Entertainment
Total Science- Redlines- Critical
Bcee & S.P.Y.- Is Anybody Out There- Spearhead
DJ C- Let It Billie- Scandal Bag
Stew Pot’s- Pop Party- Warwick
DJ Shadow- Trench Battle Beat- Universal
Glenn Miller- Little Brown Jug- His Master’s Voice
Missy Elliot- Get Your Freak On (Acapella)- Elektra
Dr Meaker- Double Bass- Flightcase
Dr Meaker- Double Bass (Acapella)- Flightcase
Neil Diamond- Cherry Cherry- Metronome
DJ Marky & XRS- LK- V Recordings
Chris Morris & Armando Innucci- On The Hour Series One Episode 3- Warp Records
Parker- Bogus Hocus Pocus
Eddie Hinton Interview
Led Zeppelin- Whole Lotta Love- Atlantic
Klute- Glue Sniffer (Keaton Remix)- Commercial Suicide
Charlie Whitehead- Let’s Do It Again Parts 3 & 4- Ace
The Monkey Butler- One More
S.P.Y.- By Your Side- Spearhead
The Princess Bride- 20th Century Fox
There’s nothing like the fear of never being able to leave your house again as it’s piled high with drifts of snow to make you rush out and have a dance while you still can. As ever, London has superbly risen to the occasion and offered a few goodies to stagger to after the office Christmas party.
This Monkey Safari mix has been keeping me going this week, happily combining their usual bouncy, afrobeat selves with a more grown-up instrumental side that makes it perfect for listen-at-home. They’ve kept upbeat vocals and layered them with indie and folk to create an intelligently-crafted hour’s musical journey.
