Turning Japanese
Excusing that bloody awful (but necessary) post caption, Japanese music appears to be de rigueur at the moment and doing the rounds on a lot of the influential blogs. Gorilla Vs Bear are falling in love with the mysterious and brilliant Jesse Ruins whilst No Modest Bear are ga-ga for Slow Magic - chillwaver and self-portrayed ‘unknown imaginary friend’…a futile attempt at hyper-anonymity in my opinion.
Following from my post about Tokyo based Sapphire Slows from a couple of days ago, I’m continuing the Japanese theme today. This time, we’re coming from Kyoto.
With all the web filtering available to extract the goods, it’s just not possible to catch ‘em all, so I’m still trawling through last year’s best-of lists to see if I’ve missed anything worthwhile. The answer is invariably ‘yes’ each time. I was skipping over the usual suspects (LDR, James Blake, Panda Bear etc) on taste-makers No Fear Of Pop’s ‘Best Songs of 2011′ and in amongst it all, standing curiously at No.4 in their list, was the even more curiously titled ‘Dear Les Friends’.
There’s something still thrilling about a great guitar pop song and this infectious yet slightly smeared hybrid of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti and Lambchop is one of those treats. I listened to it 6 times before deciding I probably could be doing myself damage. This is up there with ‘Round and Round’ – it’s that good.
Responsible for that tune are the wonderful six-piece Hotel Mexico and I congratulate them for being….well, just being really. These lot have already released an LP back in summer of 2010 which I’ll definitely be seeking out, although it’s hard to see where you can actually buy the thing from their blog. Sigh….
Sapphire Slows
I got introduced to Chicago House around 1999, during a period where house music (or by proxy, chart friendly dance music) was possibly having its most successful commercial crossover since the second summer of love. A summer of love that appeared largely to be dominated by gangs exploiting hapless weekend punters with a few credible clubs only known to the savvy few.
Not that 1999 was any better mind. Most were exploited at the counters of retail music stores (remember them?) for overpriced vinyl etched with novelty and sub-par thrills. Records quickly banished to the back of the storage space or cluttering up auction sites.
1999 – not exactly a renaissance period or a time for the purist then, though I’m sure they survive to this day. Those older than me who still hold dear memories of the the ‘real thing’.
Of late, a number of labels have been looking back towards the founding aesthetics of the Chicago House, not least the excellent and critically acclaimed 100% Silk. Founded by Amanda Brown (who also runs the prolific Not Not Fun label), 100% Silk has been rapidly churning out a steady stream of quality releases. These have ranged from the compressed throb of Octa Octa’s delightful ‘I’m Trying’ (complete with strangely timeless Amerie sample), to the stochastic synth-stabs on SFV Acid’s ‘Knights’. The latter also features the absolutely trademark Chicago House bassline, reminiscent of Adonis ‘No Way Back’.
Strangely though, the largest nod to Chicago House has come not via 100% Silk, but by way of Not Not Fun. Tokyo based Sapphire Slows ‘Spin Lights Over You’ is almost the ultimate homage and could be a classic-in-waiting. Spectral yet simple, this transcendental wonder shares the certain jazz sophistication that Larry Heard yearned for (and achieved) just over 25 years ago. See for yourself by comparing the two videos below.
Apollo Brown ‘Never In A Million Years’
Each Monday, you should all be keeping an eye on FACT Magazine’s site for the most recent installment of their excellent guest mix series. They’ve had the great and good contribute and the number of weekly contributions is now running at fad-busting 282! Jamie xx added the most recent notch to their bedpost (after a stunning R1 Essential Mix), but I’m still listening to the equally good mix from Balearic obsessives Air France from a fortnight back.
It’s a 30 minute mix of transitions and beautiful tunes from the likes of Clams Casino, Holy Other, Disclosure, Shlohmo and Air France themselves, but one 2 minute song really stands out for me…
Said song is by Motor-City based Apollo Brown and is emphatically entitled ‘Never In A Million Years’. Taken from his mostly instrumental album ‘Clouds’, I’m surprised that this has completely bypassed me over the last few months. Taking the unusual step of keeping things mostly instrumental, it’s refreshing to listen to an album of quality beat-production without a plague of guest-MC interference taking attention away from some very intricate and varied songs.
I strongly urge you to give this just 2 minutes of your time. You’ll be hooked in less time than that anyway…
Apollo Brown – Never In A Million Years from Mello Music Group on Vimeo.
The Globe ‘Adventure Party’
The folks over at Phonica Records on Poland Street, London are practically my weekday next-door neighbours and I try to keep an eye out for the new releases that they tweet about. Usually, they rave about very limited edition white labels and to be honest, I’m finding it impossible to keep up to date with ‘all that’ nowadays.
Anyway, around half an hour ago, this one popped up on my timeline and I’m very glad I happened to follow the shortlink.
Just landed! If you like your records acid tinged and piano laden not to mention limited to 120 copies and hand… fb.me/11uVSEiDU—
Phonica Records (@phonicarecords) August 23, 2011
The limited release in question, one ‘Adventure Party’ by The Globe (out on the International Feel label), is an intriguing cocktail of acid house and funk that gets under the skin within a few seconds. It seems to sit somewhere equidistant between Ron Hardy’s Music Box and Lerry Levan’s Paradise Garage.
It’s absolutely wonderful and makes you want to listen to Trax classics for hours and hours after…..listen to it below now.
Accidental Mysteries
Quickly posting just to draw your attention to something that came into my Twitter timeline earlier that I’ve really enjoyed.
RT @AJWShaughnessy: If only all album cover art could be this good bit.ly/ojatj9—
Piccadilly Records (@PiccadillyRecs) August 15, 2011
Some really eerie album artwork all curated together by a chap called John Foster on Accidental Mysteries over at The Design Observer Group website.
My personal favourite is this creepy visual treat:
Active Child ‘Hanging On’
It’s been quite a while in the making, but it seems like the much talked-about Active Child (or L.A.-based songwriter Pat Grossi) is now finally ready to release his debut LP to the world’s ears.
So far, I’ve enjoyed the vast bulk of what I’ve heard from this guy. His choral background is clearly influential on this work, but not overbearing, and there is just enough ‘now’ through the lazy, chugging synths and layering of those high-tenor vocals to gain him more than enough column inches from the usual suspects.
On first listen, it would be fairly easy to write this off as just another sugary morsel to feed the current hipster appetite for all things chillwave. However, listen closely and it’s a more diverse and tangible musical ability is what sets this apart from the likes of the disappointing recent LP from darling of the scene Washed Out. Grossi’s musical ear appears to be more aligned with likes of Julian Lynch (whose two recent LPs ‘Mare’ and ‘Terra’ have been much overlooked) whilst vocally, there are similarities to the reflective tone that makes Jonathan Meiburg so compelling to listen to on Shearwater records (particularly ‘Rook’).
Listen to ‘Hanging On’ below from Active Child’s debut album ‘You Are All I See’, available in the UK on Vagrant Records from 29th August.
Be Safe
I really liked The Cribs ‘Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever’ LP back in 2007. It’s a record that still provides a surprisingly good listen this lunchtime and is the band’s best to date.
It seems to me that the band have been given a rather unfair labeling as ‘British indie-pop’ – the sort of categorisation that probably came from across the pond, where the US press deemed many ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ UK bands be irrelevant or indie landfill. The Cribs were always a better band than that though and the ‘Men’s Needs…’ record is good evidence of that. I guess those who blindly follow a particularly well known US site may not be in agreement though.
Now that Johnny Marr has since departed the band to concentrate on his solo work (after the tepid affair that was the ‘Ignore The Ignorant’ LP), perhaps they will go on to better things.
Taken from ‘Men’s Needs…’, here is ‘Be Safe’ featuring a a rant of displeasure from Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth.
Special Moves…
Whilst listening to Mogwai at work this morning, something I’ve been doing a lot of, I decided to investigate the quality of cover versions out there. It’s a predictably mixed bag and generally the standard is fairly high, but this one really stood out as something fairly decent.
Taken from the underrated ‘Happy Songs For Happy People’ LP (click for Spotify link here, here is the rather posh but talented Prince William lookalike ‘wxb499‘ with his cover version of ‘Hunted By A Freak’. He’s got a host of other Mogwai covers on his tube channel, so he’s a bit of a fanboy. Top marks however for that effort and bonus marks for possibly the baggiest pair of trackies I’ve seen since I used to wander around the mean streets of Stirling…
I’m afraid I just can’t resist the temptation to post this one up too. Here’s the masters at work from the ‘Burned’ DVD, which if I remember rightly was also released as the live album ‘Special Moves’. Potent stuff.
Real Estate ‘It’s Real’
OK – I’m back after a short break in proceedings. Unfortunately, or perhaps not so for my general social skills, ‘some real life’ nudged itself in place of this blog for a month. I’m back now though, hiding under the covers of darkness to bring you some so-so chat and rambling musings.
I suppose reality getting a good airing brings me around nicely towards introducing you to the excellent Real Estate, whose sophomore album ‘Days‘ is soon to be released by the keen-eyed Domino Records. After clearly impressing them with what I regard to be their instant-classic, self titled debut, Domino not only went on to sign the band, but also procured the solo talents of Matthew Mondanile, chief protagonist behind the also excellent Ducktails project. Fans then….and quite right too.
Domino have recently seen fit to show-off their new signings by releasing the first new material from Real Estate in the form of the song ‘It’s Real’. The contrast between the lower fidelity recording on the debut and this rather polished, but none the less effective song is striking. I just read that this was produced by Kevin McMahon whose credits include The Walkmen. For anyone who has enjoyed the last couple of those records by The Walkmen, then Real Estate’s ‘Days’ should by now, if not already, be sitting proudly at the top of your shopping list. Also, it’s generally considered a shrewd move to invest in Real Estate, not that anyone can afford it in these present times. By the time you read this, the land of the free could be going to debtor’s jail and here’s me hoping; “100% mortgage, please come back one day…..”. Fat chance.
Anyway. here’s ‘It’s Real’ with a nice still of the three New Jersey gents.
Zomby ’200mph’
I’m currently watching some docu-soap about ‘work clubs’ for youngsters, orchestrated and ring-led by a female Hitler with a Yorkshire accent. It’s destroying my soul…
Anyway, I’m signing out for this evening. Don’t worry peeps, not forever though. If that bitch isn’t dragging them down, I’m right with the little comrades!
You might have noticed that the mysterious Zomby has a new album entitled ‘Dedication’ out soon courtesy of the good folks at 4AD. Yo, they’ve only gone and signed Joker too!
They’re strangely letting you stream the whole thing here on some German record shop, but here’s a cut that never made the album and bloody well should’ve! Genuinely amazing.
Check the comment two-down from the top below the video. I concur sir.
