Flashback #2: Another new beat mix

This is another mix on a new beat/new wave tip. It starts of with Snowy Red's Euroshima, another classic new wave/new beat crossover, and a number of electro classics like The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight & Man Parrish's Hip Hop Don't Stop, takes in some later new beat classics like Space 3000 (an early R&S release) and 808 State's mindblowing Cubik, some modern electro sounds like Soulwax's Lovelight remix and the Subs, to end with Maurice Fulton's The Fly. Enjoy...



Tracklist

Euroshima - Snowy Red (ESSENTIAL!)
The Dominatrix sleeps tonight - The Dominatrix (edit) (New York no wave CLASSIC!)
Coitus Interruptus - Fad Gadget (CLASSIC!)
Enjoy the Silence (12" mix - edit) - Depeche Mode (CLASSIC!)
Fade to grey - Visage (CLASSIC!)
Hip Hop Don't Stop - Man Parrish (CLASSIC!)
Pump up the volume - MARRS (one of the first house hits across the globe)
Space 3000 - The Project (an early R&S release by label boss Renaat Vandepaepeliere and CJ Bolland)
Join in the Chant (edit) - Nitzer Ebb (recently remixed by Blackstrobe, but the original still rocks the hardest)
Your only friend - Phortune (haunting chicago house by DJ Pierre)
Love can't turn around (Boys Noize acapella)
TV Treated - Neon Judgement (a couple of years ago Eskimo released two of the Judgement's seminal hits, backed by remixes)
Cubik (original) - 808 State (together with Frank Dewulf's Acid Rock it introduced a harder rock sound in dance music; later on they rereleased a disappointing remix, so everyone was searching for the gold sleeved Extended Pleasure of Dance EP)
Zdarlight (Paranoid Asteroid mix) - Digitalism
Kiss my trance - The Subs (one of my favourite electro groups at the moment; it's kitschy but it works)
Lovelight (Soulwax remix) - Robbie Williams (another classic Soulwax remix)
Cactus Rhythm (edit) - Plexus (a killer tune; I've probably listened to this one a zillion times when I was a teenager)
Flat Beat - Mr Oizo (simple but still effective after all these years)
The Fly - Syclops (originally released on Tirk, but now rereleased on the DFA label - amazing)

Flashback #1: A New Beat Mix

Over the years many past eras have been rediscovered. At the beginning of the nineties, it were the fifties and the sixties which were rediscovered (does anyone remember the Tour of Duty series - "5 dollars fuckie fuckie - me love you long time" - and CD compilations?), then disco and the eighties came back and now it's the nineties. I could live with bringing disco back from the dead, and the re-release of eighties classics like Prince's Sign of the Times album or the first Pixies albums, but there's no bloody excuse for bringing back Eurotrash like 2 Fabiola or Dr Alban, is there.
Anyway... One of the musical styles which didn't get its second moment in the spotlight, is New Beat. One of the reasons why New Beat wasn't taken seriously, was the fact that it was a movement which was quickly polluted with commercial bullshit. It was a hype for a year or two and so everyone tried to make a buck. While the original form was being exploited, the real underground producer were already experimenting with new sounds (acid, house & techno) and new beat would give birth to hardbeat (Complete KAOS label), acid new beat (KAOS label) and Belgian techno (R&S label).
It is said that first experiences determine the rest of your life. My first experience of going to a club was in 1988, the beginning of the New Beat era. It blew my mind and it would last till my first I love techno parties (at Vooruit in Ghent) before I would experience something like it.
Going out in the eighties didn't mean you would only hear new beat records. It originated from new wave and so many new wave records were still played out alongside the records which were hot of the press. To get a trancelike effect, many new wave tracks were slowed down to -8 or played at 33 rpm +8. The best example of this is Boytronic's Bryllyant, which was re-released in this slower version.
This first New Beat mix is what I remember was played at those clubs. It was fun looking for these records and blowing the dust off their surface. I hope you enjoy this mix too.



Tracklist

1. Introduction - Erotic Dissidents (taken from their LP; it features soundbites from a BBC documentary on new beat)
2. Death Disco - Arbeid Adelt (a Belgian new wave classic, recently re-released with mixes by the Glimmers and Todd Terje)
3. Move your ass - Erotic Dissidents (the first new beat hit which is largely inspired by Yello's Bostich)
4. Witness the change - Pete Shelley (a new wave classic picked up by the Glimmers for one of their compilations)
5. Where are you? - 16 Bit (German track which perfectly fits the new beat profile)
6. LS Beat - La Strada (many new beat tracks were recorded by DJ's for their clubs and so they got the name of the club)
7. [sample] Voices inside my head - The Police (revamped to devastating effect by KC Flight)
8. Fatal Error - Fatal Error (this track really blew me away! I used to wait and wait untill the dj played it; a 2 Many DJ's favourite)
9. The Drop Deal - Bazz (another early new beat classic; they had a flying dj booth in the club and they would wait for this record to activate it)
10. Give yourself to me - Farley Keith (American house record which was covered by L&O (Even now remix))
11. Rock to the Beat - 101 (a Kevin Saunderson classic revamped for Belgian dancefloors; there's also an alternative version by Hi-Hat which is less well-known but equally good)
12. Fantasy - Pleasure Zone (another early house classic which tore up dancefloors)
13. Acid Story - Dr Phibes (one of the best new beat tracks according to me, amazing!)
14. The Future (Mark Moore remix) - Prince (this remix was regularly mixed up with the Dr Phibes track)
15. I sit on acid - Lords of Acid (this classic illustrates new beat(s decadent side; check out Acid Queen if you're into that)
16. I do anything you want - Executive Board (Boccacio classic!)
17. Cheebala - Ghentlon (a transitional track between new beat and techno)
18. Aciieed - D-Mob (an English acid track which is still deeply funky)
19. Even now - L&O (another classic which stood the test of time)
20. My heart the Beat - D-Shake (Dutch track sampling Love Song by the Simple Minds)
21. Love Song - Simple Minds (big new wave tune, and better than Don't you according to me)
22. Flesh - A Split Second (new wave track that was a real new beat anthem!)
23. Alright (Prisencolinensinainciusol) - B-Art (another classic which was actually a remake of an amazing track by Adriano Celentano; check the clip on youtube)
24. Stop Bajon (Primavera) - Tulio De Piscopo (another Italian classic which was often played at the end of parties)
25. Rainbows (instrumental) - Jade 4 U (a beautiful track by the beautiful Jade 4 U)

Buried treasure #6 - McCartney II (LP) - Paul McCartney

A couple of years ago, Gilles Peterson started one of his Worldwide shows (the one with Bugz in the Attic) with a strange and quirky electronic tune called Check my machines, which he took from the b-side of the Paul McCartney's Waterfalls single. Flashforward to a couple of weeks ago, when I listened to a recording of the show. I immediately started searching for a single and by accident I found out that the song is also featured on the remastered full cd.

I received the cd a couple of days ago, and I just can't stop listening to the best tracks on it. Half of the tracks are typical McCartney songs, but the tracks in which he goes all experimental are bloody amazing. The bizarre Temporary Secretary you might already know from the remix the mighty RadioSlave did some years ago. But even better are the new wavish Darkroom, the quirky funk of Check my machines and the trippy Secret Friend.

I couldn't help but mess around with the tracks and these are the results.

Buried treasure #4+5: ADTDC - DJ Q/Glasgow Jazz (Derrick Carter remix)

In 1997-1998, I started to get a new interest in house music. A couple of years before, I had discovered the Music Man shop in Ghent, and had lost my heart to Detroit techno. I still remember the excitement when buying those first Carl Craig & Derrick May 12 inches. Even though they had been released years before, they still sounded like the future. And gradually I lost interest in house. Until Filter Records released DJ Q's We are one EP, which featured a Carl Craig remix. This C2 remix was the reason why I picked it up without even listening to it. And when I came home I was blown away by it and the original version. I picked up all other DJ Q releases on Filter and Glasgow Underground during the next years.
The amazing thing about these tracks is that they still sound as fresh as ever. We are one is still an anthem, obviously, but lately I've been playing out Derrick Carter's remix of Glasgow Jazz (Delirious EP, Filter 031) a lot. It has this typical minimalistic Carter groove that is just so enormously funky and very atmospheric keys.
And today, I stumbled across DJ Q's excellent Twentyfour7even LP (Filter, 2000). For some reason it had ended up in the wrong spot in my collection. I put it on the turntables and ADTDC (A dedication to Derrick Carter) really stood out: a simple yet funky groove and those typical Carter horns on top of them (remember Theme from Blue Cucaracha?). Excellent stuff.

Chill it! mix

Tracklist

Gee - Beach Boys
I put a spell on you - Nina Simone
Give me your love - Curtis Mayfield
Walk on by - Isaac Hayes
2 Wicky - Hooverphonic
Les professionels / All I need - Air
Tsunami / Back to live (acapella) - Sven Van Hees/Soul II Soul
Think Twice - Detroit Experiment
Rose Rouge - St Germain
Ugh - Mr Scruff
Bird's Lament - Moondog
Breaking away (Koop remix) - Shaun Escoffery
Sycamore Trees - Jimmy Scott & Angelo Badalamenti
In Dreams - Roy Orbison

Keep it slow - Low Motion Disco

Some time ago, I was raving about the first split double 12" of Low Motion Disco on Belgian imprint Eskimo. A couple of weeks ago, the dreamy Things are gonna get easier was released and now their debut album Keep it slow is finally up for grabs. Whenever a group has released two amazing singles, chances are big that you're gonna be disappointed when the full album finally drops. But even after just 1 listen, I can guarantee you: disappoint you or bore you, this album will not. Okay, you could call it balearic but this album proves that's not necessarily a negative thing. Whereas most eerie and slow paced music tends to lose you as a listener after a couple of minutes (remember those ambient doodlings of the nineties?), this album keeps you interested at all times. What's even more, the slower the songs, the more they grab you with the (proverbial) balls. Listen to The low murderer is out at night and you'll know what I'm talking about: hard yet slow drums, a spooky atmosphere and something that sounds like a Neil Young sample (my guess is Down by the river). Totally amazing song!

The fact that those good people at Eskimo have included a cd (with extra tracks!) together with the vinyl version, makes this a must buy.

PS Check their Myspace on www.myspace.com/lowmotiondisco and their own blog on http://lowmotiondisco.wordpress.com/ (featuring some mixes and other stuff). Essential!

Buried treasure #3 - Over & Over (12" version) - Sylvester

Now and then you come across a song that you wished would go on forever. For me, this song by Sylvester is one of them, even though it's almost ten minutes long. Normally these songs are heavily edited on artist compilations, but thank god the one responsible for the Star compilation put it on there in all it's 9 minute and 23 second-glory.

I first heard it on François K's Choice compilation (well-worth every penny if you can still find it) for Azuli. It immediately blew my mind with it's sweeping violins and this incredible break that builds and builds untill it explodes.

Only recently, I made the effort to have a look at the credits and found out it were Ashord & Simpson who penned this marvellous tune, which probably explains why it has such a moving melody.

I think I own at least three copies by now. For some reason I always have to buy a copy whenever I see it.