You Can’t Buy Love?

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Emily

There have been a fair few moments this summer where we’ve found ourselves feeling inquisitive about the unique & intriguing sound waves gracing our ears. Aquarius Heaven has been one of them. After hooking up with the boys of DoP in 2005 in Paris, barely touched by the traditional 4/4 of dance music, Brian Brewster honed his hip hop and dancehall roots into something a little bit more distinctive. Something he recently described as wanting “to break all musical rules on this F*****G planet and make electronic music exciting like back in the Detroit days”.

From this meeting a musical partnership with DoP was born. Sometime later, DoP mixed the Watergate 06 album in June 2010. The mix included a collaboration between the two acts in Before You Go and simultaneously landed Aquarius Heaven on Berlin’s bursting roster of underground electronic talent.

May this year saw the Circus Company label, already aligned with the likes of DoP, release his first EP 7 Days as a 12”. Later this summer So Low, a track from the 7 Days EP, featured on Damian Lazarus‘ devastatingly dark, yet superbly captivating, Get Lost 4 compilation and really set alarm bells ringing in all the right places.

His latest EP, Can’t Buy Love, dropped on Wolf + Lamb in September; a label that, on many different levels over the past couple of years, have never shied away from challenging the existing boundaries of electronic music, in fact they’ve helped push them that little bit more…

As the spoken vocal of Can’t Buy Love hypnotises us to the sound of ‘…you can pay for sex, but you can’t buy love’, you can’t help but wonder whether Aquarius Heaven can achieve the same success as the weird and wonderful ramblings of Seth Troxler‘s curious mind.

After Can’t Buy Love appeared on Radio 1′s Essential Mix courtesy of Crosstown Rebel‘s Art Department recently, it would appear he could. Aquarius Heaven is well on his way to being part of the furniture on the darker side of house.

Conveniently, this mix appeared yesterday serving as a little taster of what we’ve been talking about:
Aquarius Heaven – Electronic Groove Podcast by Aquarius Heaven

Benoit & Sergio- Modern Day Storytellers

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Minnie

Picture the scene: it’s the first warm day of the year, your limbs feel like they’re moving properly for the first time in months, and you’re walking through tree-dappled sunshine early in the morning when there’s no-one around. A suitable soundtrack to that is the icing on the cake, and it happened to me when contentedly listening to Soul Clap‘s Social Experiment 002 compilation and Benoit & Sergio‘s Principles came filtering through.

I recognised the characteristically chilled sounds from another gem that Emily and I had been enjoying earlier in the month, the equally lovely Walk and Talk, with the unforgettable vocal My Baby Takes K All Day…

Anyway, a little bit of background. Benoit Simone and Sergio Giorgini are based in Washington D.C and Berlin (who isn’t dual-homed these days?), having grown up Benoit in Paris and Sergio in Iowa, and then meeting at a party in Washington in 2008. It didn’t take them long to produce something excellent, with their first EP release in 2009: What I’ve Lost, on Bruno Pronsato’s thesongsays label. This was followed on Spectral Sound with Midnight People. They then had the honour of the launch EP (Where The Freaks, including Walk and Talk, in February this year) for the IMMENSE Visionquest label (started by none other than Seth Troxler, Shaun Reeves, Lee Curtiss and Ryan Crosson). They released pretty quickly after that on DFA, with Boy Trouble at the end of February.

Sergio’s also one half of NDF, a member of Birds & Souls, and has been releasing on Wolf + Lamb since 2007, so the pair have most definitely earnt their stripes in the dance production world.

If you want to try-before-you-buy here’s a little podcast from Benoit & Sergio on XLR8R this January. I’ve read often of these two being called ‘storytellers’ in their records, and this mix is a definite genre-journey through their likes and influences. The first two records are Principles and Walk and Talk respectively, so you can see just what I mean as you walk around in this beautiful sunshine.

Benoit & Sergio – XLR8R Podcast January 2011

Tracklist:

01 Benoit & Sergio “Principles” (Unreleased)
02 Benoit & Sergio “Walk and Talk” (Visionquest)
03 Lee Foss “U Got Me” (Hot Creations)
04 Bobby Caldwell “You Belong To Me” (Polygram)
05 Talking Heads “Sugar On My Tongue” (Sire)
06 Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti “Round and Round” (4AD)
07 LCD Soundsystem “I Can Change” (DFA)
08 Midnight Magic “Beam Me Up (Jacques Renault Remix)” (Permanent Vacation)
09 Deee-Lite “What Is Love?” (Elektra)
10 Adonis “No Way Back” (Trax)
11 Benoit & Sergio “Midnight People” (Spectral)
12 Daft Punk “Make Love” (Virgin)
13 Atlas Sound “Farmland Fantasy” (4AD)
14 Banjo or Freakout “Archangel (Burial Cover)” (Hyperdub)
15 Belong “October Language” (Carpark)

Woody’s Roundup

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Emily

Friday hangover part four; stemming from over-excitement at Minnie’s excellent disco-fuelled summer warm up set at Bungalow 8 last night; well worth the headache and hopefully the first of many this year.

The party season is well and truly upon us and unbeatable line-ups continue to pose a threat to our sleep patterns. This weekend marks the start of the build-up to the debauched long bank holidays ahead of us…

Tonight we highly recommend getting out and about in this weather to see our friends at You Again! presenting Saved wonder Jordon Peak, alongside residents Scott Cooper, Joe Roberts and Nick Trumble at The Horse & Groom. These boys throw a mean party, and one not to be missed. You can also catch Russ Yallop taking the reigns at Cargo, and over on the other side of the river, Julio Bashmore & Justin Martin keep Trouble Vision‘s flag flying high at Corsica Studios.

We’ll be heading out to Wolf + Lamb and Soul Clap at Netil House on Saturday to check out the London leg of their DJ Kicks tour. Cocoon take over Ewer Street, Louche are at The CAMP with Soulphiction and Arto Mwambe, and Phonica take on Aus Music with Pearson Sound and Midland at Corsica Studios.

There are some brilliant tracks doing the rounds this week – here’s our pick:
Crystal Fighters – At Home (Hidden Cat Remix)
Munk – Rue De Rome (Original Edit) – out on Gomma on 25^th April
Cosmic Kids- Reginald’s Groove (Juan Maclean Remix)
Gesaffelstein – Modern Walk
AC Slater and Riton – The Only 909 In The World
Cassian – I Like What You’re Doing (Isaac Tichauer Remix)
Gucci Vump – Shashtilism

Worth a mention is the new Propeller Falls EP from Magnets, out on Kill Em All on 10 April. Some pure and honest electro if ever I heard it.
Propeller Falls EP by Magnets

Hot Natured

Posted on March 23, 2011 by Minnie

I like my house music to creep up on me a little bit. A muffled instrument, a sample floating on a breeze, all somehow nostalgic whilst being completely original. That is Lee Foss.

Like a metaphorical milk tray man, Lee Foss beguiles you with melody until he drops a bassline that stabs you in the heart. He’s never let me down, first with The Edge EP on Culprit in November 2009, U Got Me on Hot Creations in 2010, and Your Turn Girl in February this year back with Culprit (which he helped launch alongside friends Droog).

Foss’s rise through the ranks to production king started with promotion and Djing local Chicago parties, through residencies at Avalon and the Culprit Rooftop parties at The Standard to playing the infamous Wolf + Lamb Marcy Hotel parties in New York, and Miami WMC 2009, which has the tendency to throw people to stardom, especially after a legendary performance at the Crosstown Rebels party (God I wish we were going this year). Alongside this, he contributed regular podcasts to Ibiza Voice, which became known globally.

He’s an island-hopping international, having grown up in Chicago, then moving to L.A., and via a three year extended visit to Ibiza, now spends half his time in London, working with good friend Jamie Jones. This collaboration as Hot Natured has given birth to the h.e.a.d.s. EP on Culprit in June 2009, the fantastic re-rub Hot Natured Edits (their takes on MGMT‘s Electric Feel: Jones’s contribution Electric Jones and Foss’s Leectric Feel) on Wolf + Lamb Black and the Equilibrium EP in June 2010. They’ve also made themselves a record label: Hot Creations, releasing Lee and Jamie’s productions, alongside signings Robert James and Clockwork, whose It’s You Again EP was described by Resident Advisor as ‘sex music.’ Another hugely fantastic collaboration is the teaming up of Jamie Jones, Lee Foss, Robert James and FB Julian as Pteradactil Disco, releasing the Big Ass Biscuit/Clive’s Alright EP on Hot Creations in January 2011, and there’s yet another moniker: Modern Amusement, a name he’s used this month to release the Cold As Ice EP on Jonny White from Art Department‘s No.19 music. April will see the release of the next Hot Natured EP Forward Motion Feat Ali Love, and there’s also another label in the pipeline, Hot Waves, which will launch quarterly compilations.

If any of you lucky bods are in Miami this year catch Lee playing at our favourite the Electric Pickle (chilled vibes in the garden, sweaty disco upstairs) on 26th and 27th March, and he’s playing his first London gig of 2011 on Sunday (!) 3 April for Creche at Queen of Hoxton.

He’s working on a solo album for release later this year, and there are a number of podcasts to keep you going until then, including the most recent from Hot Natured:

Lee Foss – Hot Natured Podcast 01 by Hot Natured Music

Or try a classic: Lee Foss live at The Marcy, September 2009, Wolf + Lamb Radio

Worth a note: the beautiful Warriors from the Your Turn Girl EP has a familiar sample, which I’m ashamed to say I remember from Jean Jacques Smoothie‘s 2001 Two People, but which originally comes from the 1975 Minnie Ripperton’s Inside My Love. See how pretty?

Woody’s Roundup

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Minnie

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.

Tonight Stopmakingme, Pete Herbert and Prince Pac play at The Book Club for the Big In Japan Christmas party, Retro/Grade join Villa and Acid Girls for Scandalism at Stokey’s The Nest, Motor City Drum Ensemble play at Plastic People, and Tim Sheridan plays one of my all-time favouritely-titled nights VeryVeryWrongIndeed at Lightbox in Vauxhall. Dollop host XOYO with LuckyPDF and Dollop DJs, and Eskimo Twins are joining David E Sugar free at 93 Feet East.

Tomorrow promises no sleep for the wicked as Jackmode present round two of their Pelski nights at Counter Culture, with the big boys Jesse Rose, Zombie Disco Squad, Oliver $ and Jet Project. Mr Rose was spotted grooving in the crowd to Round Table Knights last time we attended so it’ll be interesting to see how he enjoys making us move. There’s another legendary 2020 Vision party with Tensnake, Lindstrom and Crazy P, and Soul Clap are rocking Hearn Street Car Park with their Yoyoyo 90s Jam Rave E-Dition. If you’re up North (even if you’re not it’s only 2 hours on the pendolino from Euston) Wolf + Lamb have their Christmas party at Sankeys, with Gadi Mizrahi and the lovely Nicolas Jaar. Way down South My Heroes Killed Cowboys in Cornwall hosts Filthy Dukes and Stopmakingme.

Enough to dance those icicles away I’d say.

Here are some tracks to help with that:
Heartik – Wax Works (Mowgli Remix)
Prince Club – La Charma pt. 2 (Prince Club Sub-Marine Mix)
OMD – Sister Marie Says (Stopmakingme Remix)
Lykke Li – Get Some (Beck Remix) [Lykke Li remixed by Beck? Yes please]
Davide Squillace – The Other Side of the Bed
Yeasayer – Madder Red (Munk Remix)
Feed Me – Jolie [Feed Me are the latest signing to Deadmau5's Mau5trap label. Expect the Feed Me's Big Adventure EP in January]

Woody’s Roundup

Posted on September 24, 2010 by Minnie

A huge thank you to everyone who came down to Public Life last night for our evening with our friends at Brilliantine, and to The C90s, who had us up on the ledges where we belong. Much fun!

So here we are about to start the first proper Autumnal-feeling weekend, and this can only mean one thing: THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT!!!!! Yes, it’s that time of year, and we’re off to Manchester, and tonight in charge of the decks we have Joris Voorn, Steve Lawler and Adam Beyer, Jamie Jones, Wolf + Lamb, Joy Orbison and Krysko.

Back within the M25 there are car parks and lofts to choose from. Tomorrow Adam Beyer invites Chris Leibing and other guests from his DRUMCODE label to Ewer Street car park, and the Electric Minds crew are throwing another secret venue loft party featuring Marcus Worgull and Christopher Rau. I hear good rumblings about these parties and they’ve got a few coming up, including the next on 30 October, so try to get yourselves down to one or two. Tonight Big in Japan take over The Book Club with Leftside Wobble and Jac The Disco‘s Prince Pac. Always a nice vibe and a fun venue for after work dancing.

In anticipation of our journey into the underbelly of Manchester’s arches for another weekend spent in a car park, I’m going a little dark with our tracks this week.
Dem Slackers – Swagger (Clouds Remix)
Djedjotronic – Bit This Thin (Jesse Rose Remix)
Flying Lotus – ….and The World Laughs With You (Feat. Thom Yorke)
Azari & III – Indigo
Azari & III – Reckless With Your Love (Tensnake Remix)
40 Thieves feat Qzen – Don’t Turn It Off (Brennan Green Remix)
Hervé – Together (Edit)
Download them all in a zip file: Woody XXV

Nico’s Feelin Good

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Minnie

Wolf + Lamb have released a 6-track free EP from the boy with the midas touch Nicolas Jaar. Nico’s work just couldn’t get any smoother – every track on this made me go ooooooh yesterday, including edits of Blue Monday and Love Potion No. 9.

Get it from RA here: Nicolas Jaar – 6 Edits
Tracklist
Come n Get It
Mini Calcutta
Nico’s Feelin Good
Shakedown
Stay In Love
The Beach

Art Department

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Emily

Art Department have been a very welcome addition to my world over the last month. Having been almost accidentally formed by Damian Lazarus when he asked Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White to get in the studio together to remix Riz MC’s Don’t Sleep for Crosstown Rebels, they set upon creating a live DJ/vocal show which debuted in a very big way at this year’s Winter Music Conference. Lazarus, aware of the extraordinarily weird and wonderful sound machine he had created, immediately snapped them up for a couple of singles and a 2011 album release. The Canadian pairing are not short of experience on the scene, with Kenny Glasgow’s discography dating back well over a decade and Jonny White heading up his very own No. 19 Music.

In the same week that I was looking a little bit closer at who Art Department actually were, I was also satisfying my insatiable summer appetite for low BPM house with Zev Eisenberg’s latest release Don’t Break It [Wolf + Lamb]. As is often the case these days, things all seemed to link together as I realised it was Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White who had provided Zev with the stunning remix of his already impressive new single.

Don’t Break It (Kenny Glasgow & Jonny White Remix) – Zev by EmilyG

You may notice Google-ing Art Department gives you an endless list of American scholarships and design businesses, but once you’ve waded through the rubbish you’ll probably find out the good news too. They’re due to front Room 2 of the LED Festival After Party at The Egg in London on Friday 27 August.

So, here’s your homework:
CRM064 Art Department – Without You (Extended 12 Mix) by Crosstown Rebels

Art Department_Promo Mix by JazzMostWanted

Without You is due to be released on Crosstown Rebels pretty soon & Don’t Break It (Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White mix) hit Beatport on 30th July [Wolf + Lamb].

Woody’s Roundup

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Minnie

One of my favourite parts of the weekend is the getting ready ritual: mainly the part where you pour yourself a LARGE vodka, crank up the stereo and dance around your bedroom. The perfect soundtrack for this is Zombie Disco Squad, and this week we have just the mix:

Zombie Disco Squad live in Mexico City – July 2010

Jacques Renault and Wolf + Lamb in one place, especially when that place is a secret one in Dalston; now that sounds like a Love Fever party to me…Get your dirty selves down there tomorrow for some debauched disco. Then drop by Fabric as they go On and On until 2pm Sunday with Ricardo Villalobos. And as for tonight, do you know what? We’re going to have a little rest.

Woody turns 21 today, so in celebration, here’s your twenty-first zip file: Woody XXI.
Brought to you by:
Reporter – Claw Shaw (Runaway remix)
Marina and the Diamonds – Oh No! (Jaymo Andy George’s Moda mix)
Duck Sauce – Barbra Streisand (O-God remix)
Jazzbit – Sing Sing Sing (Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP Remix)
Florence and the Machine – Swimming
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Spottie YES!!!
Green Velvet – Shake and Pop (Chaos in the CBD and Tom Lawson remix). Now I’ve already posted the original of this, but Chaos in the CBD are so great and this little diamond keeps twinkling at me.

Monday is album day, so buy Jamaica‘s No Problem and The Count and Sinden‘s Mega Mega Mega, because they’re going to be ace! The Count and Sinden offer a little taster for the price of an email address mix here.

Promise

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Emily

I was busy minding my own business last weekend, pottering around listening to a promo mix by Gadi Mizrahi for the Fabric blog, when a track caught my attention. A track so smooth, so fresh and so ridiculously funkaaay that I had to email Mr. Mizrahi and find out what on earth this was.

The track was Promise by a producer who calls himself Lump. Promise came from Lump’s Rain EP released as a 12” White Label on Amplified this year.
Lump – A Promise by One From The Vaults

Now, I don’t think Lump is new to this scene by any stretch of the imagination (in fact his back catalogue of releases appear to go back to 2002), but he is new to me. Information on Lump’s respective websites is limited, but browsing through previous reviews of his work you can grasp some of the facts. His name is Arttu Snellman and he is Finnish, though he lists his hometown as Lisbon. His MySpace bio explains he is, “The freezing man from Finland who makes strangely funky tracks to make this world a better place” and one of his tracks, Lord Only Knows, is described on SoundCloud as “Semi-detached House”.

Jokes aside, I don’t think that’s too far from the truth. It seems to be House but there’s something extra; perhaps the traces of Funk, Jazz and Soul gluing it all together. Perhaps, as is suggested by some reviews, track names and his MySpace name, ‘Lump Dub’ is actually an accurate classification. “Dub”, commonly misinterpreted, does not always require its Jamaican origins. Wikipedia (source of all facts) characterizes Dub music by “a ‘version’ or ‘double’ of an existing song, often instrumental, using B-sides of 45 RPM records… and typically with instruments and vocals dropping in and out of the mix”. For many of these tracks, that seems to fit. For instance, Promise must be a take on Lee Dorsey’s Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (Gonh Be Funky LP, 1980).

Whatever it is, dig deeper than Promise and immerse yourself in the retro feel of these beautifully made records. My suggestion would be log onto his SoundCloud page, get comfortable and start at the top with It Must Be My Baby then, just let it play…

Wave Machines – Keep The Lights On (Lump Remix)

Gadi Mizrahi – Double Standard Crew Love Mix – Fabric Promo Mix – July 2010

Tracklist
Stevie Nicks – Stand Back
Soul Clap – Isley Experiment
Lump – Rain
The Mole – Oh My Stomach
Nick Holder – Black Jazz 8
Alex Smith – Here With Me feat. Diviniti
Girls on Top – I Wanna Dance With Numbers
Lump – A Promise
Rick Wade – Vanguard Cinema
FCL – Let’s Go
San Soda – Het Zwarte Kanon