Christmas may be over but Santa Synth still has a shite load of musical treats in his sack. I'm loving how generous everyone gets this time of year so here come some new mixes to get your Hogmanay party well and truly pumping like it was 1999...
First up, we're most definitely LOVING this...you may remember we did a preview of Vitamins third party at a secret location back in November, well if you missed out on getting a ticket you can relive some of the madness with this live recording from Shaun Fae Solar on the night. I have to say, this mix pretty much embodies what we're all about at Synth, free-roaming, genre clashing party music from across the board. From the booty shaking, ghetto bass of the first 10mins into possibly one of the most underrated tunes of 2010 from L-Vis 1990, through the rave breaks of Blame and then rounding off with a lesson in classic Hip Hop. We could listen to this mix all day, and probably will.
Next, our favourite Dub DJ, Jinty returns with Pt2 of his 2010 Grime mix - a look back at some of the hottest tracks to feature on his Gutter Riddim radio show on Subcity and some personal favourites from throughout the year. Expect twisted beats and filthy basslines mixed effortlessly as everyone from D Double E to Terror Danjah contribute some 2010 bangers for what has been a fantastic for British grime...
Lastly, here's a mix so fresh off the Facebook news feed that it doesn't even have a tracklisting yet. There's a new Brazilian bar opening on Trongate in the new year called Boteco Do Brazil and Killer Kitsch homeboy Euan Neilson has a new night starting there. Details are vague to non existent at the moment but rest assured it is happening and he's thrown together a promo mix to reiterate that. Its carnival, it's sunshine, it's maracas...everything Glasgow's not basically which I guess is the point. Time to get funky yo, more details when I get them.
So the madness of the Christmas weekend is over and part of me is admittedly quite glad. As the chaos settles and we melt into that quite strange dimension between Xmas & New Year the real relaxation can begin. I intend on listening to a lot of music, eating a lot of food and watching a lot of shit tv as the days merge into a remarkable blur. Having said that, I'm going to shoehorn my arse off the sofa down to Spectra at Nice N Sleazy's tomorrow night and I think You should to. Anyway, here's my last offering of new tunes in 2010 and in some respects I've saved the best for last...
BLOG BURNER:
A late, but serious contender for remix of the year here. Swedish band Niki & The Dove provide the ethereal elements of an icy but ultimately empowering pop song while Phaeleh re-rubs it with a rather complimenting rave break. Vocals which are strikingly reminiscent of The Knife's Karin Dreijer pierce soft, uplifting synths creating an atmosphere comparable to Skream's essential remix of La Roux. This is big.
Niki & The Dove - Mother Protect (Phaeleh 'Ravebomb' Remix)
Oh how long I've waited for this to get leaked. Some have likened him to the new Joy Orbison, which is of course ridiculous seeing as Orbison isn't long out the gate but in the respect of forward thinking, underground producers showing massive potential the comparison is justified. This is Julio's forthcoming single and it demands your respect. Bubbling basslines and spiralling break downs will definitely wake up your dancefloor.
Julio Bashmore - Battle For The Middle You
IT WON'T GO AWAY. And we're not complaining, well, not yet anyway. Just when you thought 'Comacat' had stolen every conceivable inch of blog space available here comes Mark Knight with another fantastic remix. It's actually more of a re-edit then anything else, inverting the bassline and introducing a new piano section before the breakdown. One last gasp for tune of the year? Definitely.
Tensnake - Comacat (Mark Knight Korma Cat Remix)
And finally, something a bit strange to see in the new year. This new remix of Mustang from leaders of the new school Canblaster & Sam Tiba is exactly what we like to hear on this blog - finely tuned nonsense. Part dubstep, part underground shuffle and part Parisian electro, it's cosmic quality from two producers who have clearly grown bored of normality. Hit the link for a free download!
It seems like everyone has got their download priorities in order at the moment, in true festive spirit there is a wealth of free material up for grabs from some of your favourite digital santa's. Moda upstarts Jaymo & Andy George have already released their bulging sack with a December mixtape which is overflowing with groove-riddled winter warmers.
If you ever listen to Jaymo & Andy's 'In New DJ's We Trust' show on Radio 1 you'll know they enjoy taking it down a notch with the odd Disco flavour and this mix celebrates that love for cosmic funk. From the scintillatingly smooth piano House of Broke One and Scuola Furano, through 2010's hidden gems like Tiger & Woods turbo-groover 'Deflowered' and Mercury's 'Grand Prix De Monaco', the vibe never drops to anything less than 'jazzed'. Check out the mix below and download via the black arrow at the side of the player:
1.Scuola Furano - Pina Colada (Broke One Remix) 2.Staygold - Justify (Lorenz Rhode Remix) 3.Munk - Violent Love (The Twelves Remix) 4.Maximum Balloon - Groove Me (Rory Phillps Remix) 5.Soul Clap - Extravaganza 6.Azari & III - Into The Night (Prince Language Dub) 7.Bryan Ferry - Shameless (Mylo Remix) 8.Tiger & Woods - Deflowered 9.Mercury - Grand Prix De Monaco 10.Penguin Prison - Golden Train (diskJokke Remix) 11.Green Velvet - Flash (Jamie Jones Remix) 12.Severino Horse Meat Disco - Bounce 13.Tim Anderson - Come On 14.Mowgli - Questione Di Feeling 15.Hercules & Love Affair - My House (Leo Zero Remix)
If your one of the lucky ones who has a ticket for the Thunder Disco Club, Itch!, Vitamins, One More Tune, Hogmanay spectacular in little over a week then I highly suggest you get locked in to this two hour special weigh in that went out on Subcity Radio last night. Each club faction involved had roughly half an hour to throw down a mix representative of their own night and the result came as a mega mash up of future Garage-Electro riddims, Dubstep danger-donks, early noughties RnB grinders and super-smooth Disco grooves...
There was also some nice interview material with a member from each club, so if you've always wanted to meet the men behind your favourite disco party then here's the next best thing.
Once again Friday rolls round and once again we have more steaming hot cuts of bang-tidy local music to hit you with.
LOCAL HERO:
It's always nice when I open my inbox to find a shiny, new promo package from Mia Dora, the super-talented production duo comprised of Itch Dub fanatic Gnarly Face and Tech House connoisseur Rob Etherson. Here, elements of their respective genre's clash in a rolling Garage hybrid which fuses addictive vocal chops, pulsing techy undercurrents and a seriously smooth breakdown. Sounds like Hot City sparring with Joris Voorn.
Mia Dora - Random Romantics
Next up Mausr returns with a slamming hit of cataclysmic future-tech which comes on like the soundtrack to an underground rave on the Death Star. We're talking pounding kicks, driving basslines and a breakdown which will leave you clinically disturbed. Just to add to the madness, Thumper himself makes an appearance warning you of the out and out insanity to come. Follow the link for a free download:
Ok, providing you made it through Mausr's attempt to aurally kill you then you might appreciate some funkier vibes to ease you back into society. Here, Slow It Down bring the good times with another diamond re-edit of 1980's soul maestros Orlando Johnson & The Trance. This is silky smooth, mirrorball magic for the dancefloor so grab it while it's hot!
Finally, Synth favourite Hahaha has provided a wee stocking filler in the form of a 320 kbps mp3 of his new remix for Aluna George (better than a Toblerone any day). If you like swelling basslines, schizophrenic synths and vocals reminiscent of T2 then get stuck into this. It has all the trademarks of a classic Hahaha production which translates as uncompromising quality.
The hype surrounding Mighty Mouse has been steadily building for some time now, their remixes have become instant trademarks of unwavering quality, taking a song far beyond what the original artist could have envisioned, while their own productions have a mature musicality which elevate them far beyond the 'nu-disco' tag so many people attempt to brand them with.
Ever since I heard their gorgeously Balearic mix of Bent's 'Always' in the summer of 2009 I've been engrossed in their animated, psychedelic and often eccentric soundscapes. Sometimes I've even bought a Mighty Mouse production without listening to it first, purely for the surprise of discovering what sound, vibe, style & atmosphere they've opted to create. Now, with 2011 quickly approaching they've released their first full length artist album, a concept record entitled 'Song With No Word'.
As the title suggests, the album is fully instrumental, each track simply granted it's own 'movement', a place within a hierarchy of flowing grooves and basslines. The whole point of the album is to listen to it as a body of work, it's intended to create an atmosphere, take you away, let your mind run free and over an hour of uninterrupted listening I find the sounds emanating from my speakers to be weird, wonderful and in some cases, inspired. It's a journey from start to finish, the cosmic exploration of 'Movement 2' melting ever so smoothly into the quite tense introduction of 3, the jazz fusion of 'Movement 5' creating visions of smoky late night speak-easies in New York while the sparkling climax of 10 sees you gently returning to earth after floating with the clouds.
Ultimately this would be best listened to in the dark on some chemically enhanced trip, but obviously since we don't condone that sort of behaviour I'd try listening to it while wandering the streets of Paris or thrashing out post-apocalyptic art with your last thread of sanity while making love to the world's most famous super model. The point is, Mighty Mouse have created an experience, it's up to you how you use it.
Mighty Mouse - ‘Song With No Word’ – Limited Edition CD and Vinyl Out now on History / Disco Circus Records
Check out and download (click black arrow to the right of player) 'Movement 5', plus the latest Mighty Mouse mixtape below:
1. apiento & co 'she walks' (original mix) 2. count jackula 'africa' (golden bug remix) 3. jay shepheard & tad wily 'a sopot connection' 4. blamma blamma 'beyond 17' (mighty mouse lost in space instrumental) 5. floorman 'ossum boogie' 6. kindness 'swinging party' 7. morgan geist 'most of all' 8. mighty mouse 'smiling faces' (vocal version) 9. arcade fire 'the sprawl' (mighty mouse dj edit) 10. zola jesus 'poor animal' (mighty mouse's not so official edit type thingy) 11. chilly gonzalez 'you can dance' (cosmonaut grecho remix) 12. florence & the machine 'you've got the love' (the xx remix) 13. dwight trash 'san salvador' 14. alternative car park 'please don't leave me joanna' 15. the aikiu 'just can't sleep' (mighty mouse instrumental) 16. bob holroyd 'african drug' (four tet remix) 17. boy naughty 'miss quenada'
Finally, as part of this Mighty Mouse mega-post we caught up with the intergalactic sound sculptors as they give us further insight into 'Song With No Word':
S: It seems that as a production duo the last two or so years have really seen you establish an ever-growing and admiring fan base, but for people that don’t know, can you start by painting a picture of Mighty Mouse? How the project began, the origins of your sound, the people & things that have inspired you?
MM: Well to be honest, Mighty Mouse has always been more than a production duo. From the start Natalie (our singer) has always been a part of us, she just hasn’t been as involved until the beginning of this year when we starting writing tracks for the main album coming next year. It all started with a remix, we’d all been friends for years and the first year of Mighty Mouse we spent remixing and working out what our sound would be and how we work together. We’re still working that one out and have allot of fun in the process. Musically we’re inspired by so much, but there is definitely a disco/80’s/psychedelic influence in the music we’re doing.
S: Having followed your productions for a few years it would appear that your style, and approach to remixes in particular can vary wildly, from your rather euphoric mix of Bent to the bouncy fun of Gorillaz. What do you think defines a Mighty Mouse production & do you have a favourite sound in particular?
MM: That’s a tough question, I think we never really wanted to be pigeon holed and we always approach a remix individually and think about the song and how we want to interpret it. What we probably like the most about the music we make is that we don’t have any rules, something we try to put across in our mix compilations ‘Disco Circus’. No rules, and complete musical freedom.
S: Your debut artist album ‘Song With No Word’ is comprised of ten tracks, each a different ‘movement’. Can you tell us about the concept of the album and what you want to achieve with it?
MM: It actually started with ‘Disco Circus (Volume 1). We needed a track to fit in the mix and couldn’t find what we were looking for. That’s when Movement 3 came about and we decided to make an EP, so we made Movements 1, 2 and 4 too. We made them all as a single piece so musically they flow into each other. The EP was received really well and we had allot of fun making them. We always said we'd make more Movements so as we’ve been writing our main album with Natalie we made Movements 5 to 10. We probably wouldn’t get another chance to write this kind of album where it’s not focused on singles though so now is the perfect time to get it out. The concept is that it’s meant to be listened to as a whole.
S: Although your sound is a lot broader than the nu-disco tag some people associate with it, the wider genre is definitely going from strength to strength. Are there any peers who you particularly admire or up and coming producers we should be listening out for?
MM: We’re really into what Janelle Monae is doing right now, Four Tet probably made our favourite album of 2010 too, The XX are amazing too.
S: Finally, you’ve been earmarked as one of the most exciting prospects for 2011, what do you have planned for the new year? Do you have intentions to develop a live show for example?
MM: Wow that’s very flattering thank you! In 2011 we’ll be releasing our main album with Natalie this time and we go on the road with the full live show. We can’t wait.
Few things I want to get down today so I'm just gonna throw it altogether in one big mega post! Firstly, it's our last show of the year on Subcity Radio tonight and we're doing a chronological review of the year! This translates as 60 tunes over two hours, leaving two minutes per song and ten minutes a month. That's right, we're doing January to December in a quick fire cascade of 2010's best tunes...
Here's a tracklisting of the first twenty minutes to give you a taste of what's to come:
January:
Sub Focus - Could This Be Real Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Jakwob Remix) Yeasayer - Ambling Alp Louis La Roche - Supersoaker Deadmau5 - Strobe
You can check out the remaining 50 songs and listen to the show here from 6pm tonight: http://www.subcity.org/shows/synth/36746/. Subcity goes off air during the Xmas period but we'll be back on January 12th for more nonsense!
Next up, another cheeky video from viusal wizard Betawaxx at Naive's massive winter extravaganza last Friday. As a precursor to the definitive visual review, here we have Busy P bigging up the party crew before he hit the decks. I'll bring you the full version as soon as it's available:
Finally, just had to bring you this as soon as we heard about it. MGMT may have failed to follow up the commercial success of 'Oracular Spectacular', but the majority of people quickly realised second album 'Congratulations' was all about creating the album they wanted to make, regardless of the fan reaction. Anyway, album highlight 'Siberian Breaks' - a beautiful, psychedelic soundscape spanning nearly 12 minutes in length has been given an equally impressive re-rub by the Ed Banger all stars aka Breakbot, So-Me & Busy P.
Much like the original, they succeed in melting what sounds like three entirely different songs together over the space of 10 minutes. Starting with deeply soothing piano chords and reflective strings, the song eventually breaks into a disco beat which is more reminiscent of the Ed Banger sound we've come to instantly recognise, before breaking into a digital wig out which mirrors the original version. An essential listen:
MGMT - Siberian Breaks (Ed Banger All Stars Remix)
Ok, it's been a while since we blasted you with some fresh mixtape action so here are three which our annoying our neighbours at the moment. Firstly, Mixed Bizness head honcho, Boom Monk Ben has released this heavy-skanking, sub-strangling, riddim-riding mix which features more booty busting action then I care to mention. Straight from the drop, this is a relentless grime wave of Funky, Ragga & Dubstep which will leave you desperate for more. From the familiar bashment of Redlight & Seiji to unreleased monsters from Duda & Hostage this is straight bass-bending fire. Catch Ben this Saturday at Radio Magnetic's Winter Rave at the SWG3 warehouse with fresh talent like FOUND, The Blessings & S-Type.
Next up, one of our favourite grime spinners, Jinty has come correct with this 'best of...' mix for 2010. If your yet to catch Jinty's 'Gutter Riddim' show on Subcity Radio, then we suggest you get on it immediately. This Friday he'll be bringing a review of the year, with some of the hottest dubplate drama from the street to the embarrassing converts who have gone mainstream weak. That's right. As for the mix, expect only the finest UK grime straight from the 1's & 2's. 'Street Fighter Riddim' still kills it....
Finally, on a completely different tip, our favourite disco diamonds Slow It Down have brought together all their finest re-edits of the year into one rather neat, super-grooving package. Opening with our personal favourite 'Change Of Heart', the mix takes in all types of irresistible basslines, contagious vocal cuts & head-nodding rhythms. We can imagine this being the perfect soundtrack to a hot day in 1980's Miami, cruising South Beach in your Delorean while girls in hotpants give you the eye. Oh yes, I can see it now....
Another Monday rolls round then, but what a weekend. People are still talking about CO-OP's impromptu rave on Midland St on Friday night and it really is testament to just how exciting Glasgow's club scene is at the moment. If you want to get noticed these days it would seem you really have to be doing something rather interesting. There's absolutely no room for monotony, with Glasgow bursting at the seams with club nights you have to push the boat out! Anyway, here's some tunes I'll be listening to this week as we go hurtling towards another weekend.
BLOG BURNER:
Like Dr Dre last week this is another tune that I've been relentlessly searching for the past few weeks, only to find it's already out. There's no point in beating around the bush here, this is easily one of the hottest Drum & Bass songs of the year. Standout cut from Break's massive 'Resistance' album, the combination of heart wrenching vocals that literally reach out at you from the speakers, plus devastating drops make this utterly sensational.
Break ft/ Die - Slow Down
Next up, the weird & wonderful David Lynch diverts his twisted genius from film to music with this emotionally detached slice of robotic future-pop. Cold, calculated synths create a metallic atmosphere, while heavily vocodered vocals split by explosions and gunfire create the impression that this could be the pleading voice of a military android fighting some far flung war of the future. A very involved, but satisfying listen.
David Lynch - Good Day Today
After ruling the 2010 Miami Winter Music Conference with his highly addictive Boys Noize endorsed 'Tellyfoam', Jan Driver returns with another slice of bass bin scraping bashment in the form of 'Gain Reaction'. Drawing on the same formula as the likes of Seiji & other genre-bending visionaries I can imagine the reaction when this finally drops on a dancefloor and it's far from civilised.
Jan Driver - Gain Reaction
Finally, New York hipsters Hercules & Love Affair return with a tribute to early 90's house in this seriously slick slice of four to the floor dancefloor action. Featuring on their forthcoming second album 'Blue Songs', Shaun Wright provides some truly class vocals over a bouncy, warm bassline. You can imagine the Fast Show's Louis Balfour giving this a resounding 'NICE' at the Jazz Club. It even features a boombox inspired wig out close to the end.
Sure, anyone could have thought of it, but not everyone has the balls to pull it off. Last night saw witness to what quite possibly could have been the best PR stunt a club has ever pulled off in Glasgow. After Naive packed in hundreds of punters to The Arches for a night of super charged electro with Busy P, Cassius & A Trak the inevitable 3am spill out was met with the sound of pumping beats from CO-OP's now legendary mobile disco.
While I tried to direct an impossibly nutted Australian to The Unit for an afterparty he was so desperately seeking it seems Glasgow's newest weekly had already got it started in what has to be the most convenient after-hours rave ever conceived. Literally 300 yards down the road the CO-OP boys had set up a PA system, along with decks from the boot of a VW Golf. Within moments hundreds of clubbers gathered for a frenetic street party and Midland St was thick with punters, all jumping about to hard hitting bass & crowd pleasing anthems (Run DMC Vs Jason Nevins went down particularly well). There were even people dancing on dumpsters, while others got carted about on wheelie bins.
And the best part about it? The police didn't show up once. This was an illegal street party in Glasgow city centre, blocking cars and no doubt causing endless health & safety hazards, yet after an hour & a half it was the party starters who shut it down. If you were there I'm sure you'll agree that was something special. There are already numerous video & photo accounts floating about, here are some of the best so far:
So if you were feeling the impromptu street party vibes provided by CO-OP last night we suggest you go check out their residency at the Sub Club every Thursday. It may be slightly more conventional but with Dirty Noise, Mount Heart Attack & Orderly Disorder behind the decks you know it's going to get messy. Catch special guest Derrick Carter on Dec 23rd.
Towards the end of last week got a little hectic so I'm currently re-posting all the stuff that should have gone up (I'm actually writing this on Sunday, mental eh?) including our inaugural Local Hero award which this week goes to Spectra mega-pal B.Tone. Yet again the new Heartbeats compilation comes up trumps with this dubbed out, thunderous mix on Dirty Basement's ridiculously titled 'Funky Ass Boom Bap'. B.Tone's highly addictive minimal take aims it straight at the dancefloor with an 808 which will knock you off your feet. Nasty.
Almost every week we get a new cut from Quahaze and they never fail to impress. Master of all things deep & funky, Jan Rybacki has got his sound nailed. Dreamy synths, grooving basslines & floating arpeggios roll without hinderence in this seven minute cosmic journey. Word has it that there is an album in the pipeline as well so keep your ears eh, pricked, I suspect there are great things to come.
Quahaze - So Real
Next up Pasty Thirtytwo gets grimey on 22 year old Baltimore rapper Rye Rye. With a bassline that sounds like a tricked out snail rocking a subwoofer on it's back, this filthy re-rub compliments Rye Rye's nasty lyrical style perfectly. I reckon this would probably make Baltimore's hardest hood rats shit themsleves on the kerb if you rolled up with this blasting out the lowrider. You know, if that's what people do in Baltimore.
Rye Rye - Bang (Pasty Thirtytwo Remix)
Finally, Slow It Down have been up to their re-editing hijinx again with this quality re-rub of early 80's funk sisters Krystol. After deconstructing the original and injecting it with some additional spunk, this is the type of slow-grinding, groove rider which will see you rocking a pair of parachute pants like you've just graduated from Bayside High. Smooth grooves yo.
It's just not fair, as if Naive's Xmas blow out with A Trak, Cassius & Busy P wasn't enough this Friday we also have Mixmag's annual tour to contend with the following night. I guess sometimes you just have to accept mild bankruptcy during the festive season, after all, what else are you going to spend your money on?
This year Death Disco have teamed up with Mixmag & Moda to bring you a downright dangerous line up consisting of some of the hottest name's in house, electro & certified bashment. For the Glasgow leg of the tour you can expect earthquake inducing wobble from Jack Beats, super-sexy French house from Parisian trendsetter Surkin as well as the trademark electro bounce from rising stars Jaymo & Andy George.
The party starts in Lincoln
Jaymo & Andy have of course enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame over the past few years with their In New DJ's We Trust show on Radio 1 cramming the finest disco, house & techno into a super-charged hour of highly entertaining, nonsensical chat & quick fire mixing. Their own label Moda has also been responsible for the output of such dancefloor rendering artists as Tom Staar, His Majesty Andre & Foamo - unwavering quality in other words. Here's what they had to say about the tour:
Jaymo: "New music is the driving force behind everything we do, whether it's our radio show, our DJ sets or the parties we put on. We try and champion new music from as many platforms as possible, this tour is now one of them! But as with anything, it's not just about the here and now - a true music fan wants to know about the history, the classics, the heritage. So we also wanted to get some big established names on the tour too"
Andy George: "The tour kicked off at Moda HQ (the Engine Shed in Lincoln) with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Jakwob, Jaymo & Andy George, Tom Staar and the headliner to end all headliners - Fatboy Slim!"
Fatboy Slim at The Engine Shed
"It's a milestone for any club night when you've got Fatboy Slim playing for you. He's usually DJing to thousands of people at a festival, not 1500 people in a warehouse, so this is really exciting for everyone involved. He played alongside some of the coolest nu skool heads - Jakwob and TEED, so the contrast of musical styles over the night was amazing!"
"It was important for us to get a real mix of acts that represented the music we believe in from live bands like Shake Aletti and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, to boundary pushing DJ's like Surkin and Jack Beats"
Sounds like we're in for a big weekend then....
WHAT: Death Disco presents...The Mixmag Tour 2011 in association with Moda & Don't Stay In WHO: JACK BEATS, Surkin, Jaymo & Andy George, Union, Hushpuppy & Wavy Graves WHERE: The Arches, Midland St WHEN: Saturday 11th December TAX: £12 Advance FACEBOOK EVENT: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=106891519377468
If your a regular reader of this blog then you'll be more than aware of our love for Glasgow's Heartbeat collective. Over the past few months the group of 13 local producers have been responsible for some of the hottest music to fill our columns & abuse our airwaves. Created by Chris Stevens aka Megamegaman earlier this year, he managed to enlist some of Glasgow's best up and coming talent to contribute some devastating dancefloor material for the first edition 'Heartbeats: First Pulse'.
With the second compilation encouraging the same artists, plus some new ones to remix each other's stuff, the result was nothing short of incredible. Whether it's the slamming techno of Rob Etherson's driving mix on Barrientos, the progressive grandeur of Peace's strictly Balearic 'Sleeper' or Mia Dora's liquid dub mix on Megamegaman's 'Tywyllfyd', this is nothing but uncompromising quality. This album alone has provided half of our own weekly Blog Burner title's this year, and the best part? It's completely and utterly free. You can download the Zip file of all these incredible tracks below and check out some of the artists while your at it.
1 Peace - Sleeper (Barrientos Progressive Remix) 2 Dirty Basement - Funkyass Boom Bap (B.Tone Simplified Mix) 3 Barrientos - Breathe (Rob Etherson's Suffocating Remix) 4 Megamegaman ft EL Mondo - Tywyllfyd (Mia Dora Remix) 5 Rob Etherson - Frenchy MaMal (Esq Remix) 6 Kabur - Actualise (Kid Robotik Heart Attack Remix) 7 MAUSR - Arcane Markings (Megamegaman Remix) 8 Esq - Little Shark (MAUSR Remix) 9 Mia Dora - Snatch You From The Woods (Kabur Dark Woods Remix) 10 Barrientos - Santiago (Esq Remix) 11 Kabur - Caustic (Megamegaman Redux) 12 Kid Robotik - Buckets (Dirty Basement Remix) 13 Sly & Stallone - Fame and Fortune (Ohmegasir Remix)
For a more indepth idea of Heartbeats and what Chris is trying to achieve with it we recently cornered him for a very interesting interview:
S: Ok, with the release of ‘Change Your Tune’ this week, can you firstly tell us a little about the concept behind Heartbeats as a collective? What initially inspired you to create the group and how did you go about choosing the artists involved?
MMM: There are a lot of good nights fronted by local producers and djs in glasgow, each with their own style and crowd, all fostering creativity. I thought that it would be great to gather producers from as many different scenes as possible and put something together to show what's really going on in Glasgow. I asked the producers behind regular nights like Spectra, Itch and Subfriction to get involved, as well as artists I'd played with and a few guys that I spoke to after seeing their sets and managed to get them on board.
S: The first edition of Heartbeats was released during the summer, what was the reaction to the first edition from Glasgow’s producing talent and how has ‘Change Your Tune’ built on the original formula?
MMM: The first thing that came out of it was that it opened people's ears to artists that they wouldn't normally have heard, and that meant bookings and potential new fans for all involved, but I noticed afterwards that the producers were talking more amongst themselves too and this gave me the idea to cross pollinate further and make the second volume a remix edition. I took on a couple of new artists and drew names from a hat to decide who would remix whom to keep it as fresh as possible.
S: Obviously you believe in Glasgow’s producers and their music, can you give us an overview of the scene, who you are finding particularly impressive and how close you think some of the local talent is to breaking out on a wider scale?
MMM: I believe very strongly in the talents of the artists I've already got on board and they seem to be getting bigger and bigger all the time, in the last month I've seen some great performances from Esq, Peace and Kid Robotik and guys like B.Tone and Dirty Basement have had some big releases. There's been an amazingly diverse scene this year particularly, with new nights launched almost every week, and the one off nights from the Vitamins crew have left a trail of destruction behind them, there's some great work being done there.... and then there's that guy Vianassa that can't stop winning competitions. (Thanks, cheque's in the post - Synth)
S: You had an official launch party for ‘Change Your Tune’ at IAM on last night, how did that go and how has the response to the new compilation been in general?
MMM: The launch was really good, I did a set that included tracks from the new CD and we gave out stickers, sold the first lot of physical copies and IAM residents Beta and Kappa both played great sets. Sub Club became a warm and noisy refuge from the icy, empty streets and we had a lot of fun. Change Your Tune has been very well received so far and general consensus is that it's better than the first and that takes some doing. I'm really pleased to be able to continue giving it away online and sell physical copies at the same time, I want as many people to hear it as possible and if they like it they can pick it up at an event for just a couple of pounds to help us pay for the next one.
S: Finally, can you hint at what you might have planned for the future with Heartbeats? Are there any new artists you want to introduce to the project and how do you see the collective and brand developing in 2011?
MMM: We've recently welcomed AC from Abraxas into the fold, as well as Binary Zero from Tronic, who is putting on Tronic vs Heartbeats on the 28th of January next year at the 13th note, I'm keen on continuing the vs Heartbeats theme to take some artists to nights they haven't played at before. I'm also going to launch a blog, hopefully before the new year to give the artists another outlet and develop our online identity. We're already thinking about volume three, some of the guys are keen on collaborations which could be a logical progression but I'm tempted to go for something completely different.
You can pick up physical copies on request from the Heartbeats Facebook & at selected events.
With only 24 days left in 2010 (where did the time go eh?) it's about that time when we start looking forward & predicting who we'll all be namedropping in the year to come. The BBC have released the official longlist for the Sound of 2011 and although in some years it's been slightly off the mark, it's usually pretty solid. I'm glad to see some of our favourite electronic artists such as Nero & James Blake are floating about in the top 15 and I'm certainly interested to see who delivers. Incase you've not seen it yet, here is the list in it's entirety with links to our favourites:
Personally I believe 2011 is going to be a seriously interesting year for popular music. With dubstep reaching new heights in 2010 with the likes of Magnetic Man & Katy B surely it's only a matter of time before we see the first official dubstep number 1 and who's to say Nero won't deliver it? Further to that, with artists like Jamie Woon & James Blake in particular fusing sub-bass into electronic soul this is truly an exciting progression for mainstream music. Check out the latest cuts from our favourite longlist artists below:
Ok, so a new week, the situation with the snow still hasn't changed but I'm not going to keep bangin' on about it, because let's face facts, everyone's pretty much bored of it now. Infact it added extra pressure to Killer Kitsch, Muck & Dirty Noise's Xmas bonanza on Friday. Poor PMcQ had to undertake a massive 140 mile round trip to pick up Ado from Dundee because the trains were cancelled and Reset! very nearly didn't make it when Edinburgh airport got closed, AGAIN.
Thankfully all came together in the end, with Reset! & Ado bringing a serious mix of head-nodding tech and bouncy electro-fuelled fun to Stereo. By 4am the state of the dancefloor was a messy amalgamation of spilt drinks & sweat, there was even some nutter parading about with a massive lampshade on his head. All in a good night's work I guess.
Right, tuuuuuuunes
BLOG BURNER:
So it seems Dr Dre has finally got tired of teasing us. After literally five years of speculation the first official cut from 'Detox' has dropped under a storm of hype. The track has seemingly been about for a month or so (apologies if your already on it) but it was only this weekend that it finally DROPPED if you know what I mean. It's standard Dre material, big West Coast piano's, bouncing 808's & more expletives then I care to mention. Was it worth the wait? The jury's definitely still out at the moment.
Dr Dre ft/ Snoop Dogg, Akon & Timbaland
At the completely opposite end of the spectrum I heard a lot of quality disco air this weekend and needless to say Tensnake was at the forefront. It literally seems whatever this man touches will turn to gold as yet again he comes good with a hot new mix on American soul singer Aloe Blacc. It's a blissful 7 minutes of deep grooves, lush vocals & sax induced breakdowns which scream quality. Look out for Tensnake at Subculture this Saturday!
Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar (Tensnake Remix)
Yet more disco next with Azari & III's latest offering, 'Into The Night'. With a galloping bassline which sits neatly beneath a swirling constellation of cosmic synths, this is the perfect remedy for the current cold snap. It almost comes on like a digital Barry White, tempting you to get downright sensual as they encourage us to 'get it on' while 'giving it to the night'. Get your girl by the fire, dim the lights and throw this on - guaranteed results.
Azari & III - Into The Night
Finally, here's something new from Tom Staar's 'Pandemonium EP' which is turning a few heads. It seems Moda's flagship signing has a penchant for dancefloor devastation with every track on this EP translating as utter filth on the floor. Perhaps the techiest number is the rather disturbing 'It Excites Me' which has a breakdown which will either induce a sex explosion in your pants or encourage you to be voluntarily sectioned.
Well, I've got my fingers crossed that I'm going to be able to make it down to Reset! & Ado tonight but the snow is falling rather rapidly now. Mind you, it's Friday night, I've been stuck inside all week and I'm desperate for a booze, I'll get there by dog pulled sled if I have to.
LOCAL HERO:
So it's time to dish out this week's Local Hero award, and with Heartbeats 2: Change Your Tune getting a release next week it seems appropriate that we should have yet another cut from the album steal the spotlight. This time Itch! resident and super-talented dub technician Mia Dora goes in on Megamegaman's quite unpronounceable 'Tywyllfyd'. With dark, menacing undercurrents complimented by trance inspired stabs it's a song of beautiful contrast. Look out for a full feature on the new Heartbeats compilation next week....
Megamegaman - Tywyllfyd (Mia Dora Remix)
We blogged our next tune way back in July, but with an official release this week on Beatport it felt right to give it some extra exposure. Here Dirty Basement slap MC Freeflow with a pulsating bassline and an addictive piano loop, ultimately delivering the dancefloor satisfaction Freeflow promises throughout. No nonsense, peak time devastation. Trust. Also, look out for Dirty Basement's new track 'So Cruel' with Baby Taylor...it's MASSIVE
MC Freeflow - Dancing Shoes (Dirty Basement Remix)
If you were lucky enough to be at S-Type's EP launch at the Art School last night for Mixed Bizness then you might have heard this at some point. Recently signed to Phuturelabs, this Glasgow based hip hop, grime, anything-goes producer is definitely a name to watch in 2011. Here he provides the beats for Emilio Rojas with a track that lies somewhere between Dilated Peoples & Just Blaze. Download the track for free by following the link & check out S Type's EP (also free) below. Straight heat.
Finally, Kid Robotik returns with more fire from his twisted dub machine. Taking a more relaxed approach then some of his recent productions 'Exit' announces itself like the calm before a terrible storm, eery, peaceful, but ultimately menacing. As the bassline drops, you find yourself gripped by the unveiling soundscape, a contrast of distant thunder and fading rainbows. Wow, what the hell am I talking about?
Yes, the country may be incapacitated by snow, and yes it is probably warmer in your favourite onesie, but you still need to get loose right? Personally, if I don't get one good night out a week I tend to become somewhat of a turbo-grump. Thankfully then a tripod of hard-partying club factions have come together to bring you an out and out orgy of bass this Friday with Italian renegade's Reset! and Dundonian heat-rocker Ado.
No doubt you will have heard of the three club nights in question here, Killer Kitsch is of course responsible for bringing you the finest Tuesday night party action at the Buff Club with a mix of jump up electro, cosmic disco & classic funk while Muck has been getting messy for the last two years with the likes of Malente, Mighty Fools, Clouds & Strip Steve purely for an excuse to get taps-aff wild and overdose on bass. Meanwhile Dirty Noise descend on Sleazy's basement on the last Wednesday of every month to provide you with somewhat of a harder midweek alternative. Think pounding techno and ear-bleeding electro mixed as smooth as a baby's arse.
So it was only right they got together for a filthy gang-bang then, but what of Reset! & Ado? Hailing from Milan, Reset! are a troupe of bassline molesting stallions who have remixed the likes of Cassius, Fatboy Slim & The Count & Sinden. Residing on Herve's Cheap Thrills label, they like it hard & sweaty but also fun & frivolous. Check out their latest EP 'Your Army' below:
Reset! - Prepare To Fight
Reset! - Sabarage
Scottish native Ado will only be trundling down the road from Dundee but he still means business. Freaky naughty, face-blasting electro for the likes of Wax:On & Blood Music has caught the attention of Annie Mac, Felix Da Housecat, Erol Alkan & more. Check his flex below:
Ado - Multiply Me
As an extra treat here is Muck's PMcQ's latest mix he did for the DUR launch party. Crammed full of certified tunes from The Clash to Clouds. 17 tracks, 10 minutes. SAFE
We recently caught up with Killer Kitsch big cheese & all-round nice guy Euan Neilson about the forthcoming messiness (they also have Drop The Lime & Wafa playing Buff Club on Tuesday)
S: So this Friday heralds the start of rather hectic week for you as Reset! and Ado bring the heat to Stereo, while your weekly night Killer Kitsch presents Drop The Lime & Wafa at the Buff Club. What should we be expecting from both these nights and what is it about these particular artists that have compelled you to book & promote them?
E: Expectation wise, if I'm being honest I just hope people turn up and have a great night and everything goes smoothly. We book these people cause we like their music, and I'm proud to bring acts to my city....
S: For the event on Friday you’ve teamed up with Muck & Dirty Noise, do you think there is a good sense of community in Glasgow’s club scene or is there an element of competition involved when there are so many great nights running at once?
E: There is some sense of community, but not as much as i would like to be honest. I wish clubs would work more closer together. I do think there is too many nights in Glasgow, and at the moment that is a real problem as no one has any money, so all your are getting is loads of nights but only a quarter full.
S: Your weekly night Killer Kitsch has been running successfully on a Tuesday night for nearly 6 years now. How do you feel Glasgow’s club scene has changed over this time and what would you attribute to your own longevity?
E: I would hope by playing good/more interesting music and offering something different from all the other places in Glasgow. That's what we set out to do, and i think we have achieved that. I think there is a lot of luck involved as well, being at the Buff Club was a stroke of luck, i don't think many people knew of it, especially students, before we started there.
S: Over the last few month’s we’ve seen the likes of Tom Staar, Yolanda Be Cool, Grum & Simian Mobile Disco appear at Killer Kitsch. As a weekly party do you feel it’s important to still make these bookings even when you have a consistent and arguably loyal following?
E: You could argue there is no point at all, but while we are in the position to do so we will keep on booking guests. Its nice to give people something different, it's good press for the club and we build up lots of contact through them.
S: Finally, with Reset! on Friday, followed by your popular Saturday spin off Konichiwa at ABC, plus Killer Kitsch on Sunday in Edinburgh and then of course Tuesday at The Buff Club with Drop The Lime, how difficult do you find it to stay on top of it all? Have you any tips to fend off debilitating man flu for other DJ’s or indeed punters who like a solid bit of partying?
E: Its total murder to be honest. I couldn't do it without the help of everyone involved in Killer Kitsch, the other dj's, Buff managers, our pr staff etc etc. I've been close to cracking up at times, but its a great job so you keep going.....I just had the man flu so I'm maybe not the best person to ask.
Based in Glasgow, Synth is a hub for one of Britain’s most thriving clubbing communities. We pride ourselves on getting in on the ground level, whether it’s reporting on an incredible party in an abandoned warehouse, putting the spotlight on an up and coming local producer or bringing you interviews with some of the key players on the scene, Synth is your guide to one of the best party city's in Europe.
Glasgow producers, promoters and DJ's: We want to hear from you! If you've got a hot new track that needs to be heard, a brand new mix which you think should be featured or a big club night coming up that you want listed or reviewed hit us up on info@synthglasgow.com and we will get back to you. We're also currently looking for writers to contribute to the Synth blog. We have a lot of guest list opportunities for exciting new clubs and established nights. We need people to go and review them, so if your interested please get in touch on the above email address. All audio featured on this blog is for promotional purposes only, if you want a song removed please contact us on the above email address and we will remove it immediatly.
