Monday 28 November 2011

BOOMBOXY


I came across this via the forum Urban75 which I dip my toes into every so often. Just today I stumbled on an absolutley wicked product which I HAD to share with you.



Everyone likes a kicking soundsystem, about the only drawback to having one, is getting it places. I've spent many a sunny afternoon hanging out in Regent's Park boozing it up. The only bad thing about it, is that the only music we've got is either off a phone or off some tiny speakers somebody has brought along.

Obviously this will not do.

I am a man with, if not taste, at least needs - and trust me I need LOUD music played LOUDLY everywhere I go. I get scared when theres silence as my brain starts talking to me, and if my brain was in your head, you would get scared by silence too. Trust me.

I really hate the look of modern portable stereos. I've been considering getting one of those classic 80s style ghettoblasters - which have a hefty punch to them. Plus of course, you look really cool carrying it on your shoulder.

Problem is though, they guzzle battery power at an exorbitant rate. Eight of those fat batteries cost a lot. Plus those retro ghettoblasters cost a bomb. .

So what to do?

Luckily I found this: http://boomboxy.com/

A trusted audiophile has psychically felt my pain and produced a solution without me even asking him to!



Awesome! Each of these babies come with a rechargable battery which will last at least 12 hours on a single charge - the bigger batteries will go on for a whopping 30 hours or more! And look at them - even if they didn't make a sound, they still look sexy (if you like speaker porn - which I do). And you can carry stuff inside..!


But that is not all. The lovely man at Boomboxy.com does requests. So you can even get your special pokemon lunchbox made into one. This is of course AMAZING. 

I've witnessed a few marches and seen people pushing along little mini speakers on wheels, and thought that was pretty sweet.

Imagine rocking up with this:


  

Everyone would think you were were the bees nees. People would be lining up to wheel it along simply so the coolness factor would rub off by proxy. So there you go - you're own tunes, out of a massive speaker, being pulled along by someone else. Everyone wins.

And check out this one for the ladies.



 For the gentleman raver...



These really don't go for too much considering what you get. They go for about £90 - £300, but unlike modern stereos are sleek, stylish, custom-made, and unforgettable. And you can carry stuff inside as well.


For more information go here:  http://boomboxy.com/

DSL1


Bloody hellfire, I've heard some dancefloor smashers in my time, but this one really stands out. Its proper hardcore.
Found this one while randomly browsing youtube and it blew my head off.

This has the rather cheerful title Be Lucky which is nice, especially when the track itself is absoultely vicious. It twists and writhes likes some sort of vengeful snake-demon with acid for blood. And its not only PISSED OFF, its pissed off at YOU, and now its coming..... straight at you.... I love it!

It has quite a weird intro - it just launches into it.... not that I'm complaining. A lot of oldskool hangs around at the start too much. Get straight in there and get the job done I reckon. Its all gonna be mixed in anyway, so starting the beats 30 seconds into the track is just annoying. Who needs intros anyway? Intros are for LOSERS!

So - this is one tune you can slam quickly into the mix, which will always gets the thumbs up from me.


Be Lucky





Anyway, I've just managed to bag myself a Near Mint copy for £10 - theres a VG+ one still on there for £10.... snap it up quick!
http://www.discogs.com/DSL-Dexmashin-Volume-1/release/408449

Friday 25 November 2011

THE AMEN BREAK


Fascinating 20 min audio documentary about the most important 6 seconds of music.

Narrated by Nate Harrison






Maladroit's samples the documentary itself to make his own points..

Maladroit -  Amen Motherfucker





The Winstons - Amen Brother     the full original track.



Thursday 24 November 2011

CRIMINAL MINDS


The Criminal Minds will be popping up a lot in this blog, being both champions of the old skool rave, pioneers of UK hip hop and now returned to full effect in the modern era.

As well as releasing some massive hits in the hardcore and jungle scenes, the Criminal Minds were at the forefront of the Britcore scene. It stands as an accolade that they are mentioned in the same breath as Gunshot, Hijack, Caveman, Killah Instinct and Silver Bullet.

But the Criminal Minds had their own distinctive sound. Based in Milton Keynes rather than London, isolated them somewhat, giving them room to breathe and devolop their own take on hard hitting UK hip-hop.

And now they're back in 2011 with this monster...

On the Run (part 2) -   Boom! This is one of the best music videos I've seen for a while - not much happens in it, but it is shot beautifully and suits the track perfectly. It is wicked INTENSE.




On the Run is a track on the Regroup the Loops EP released on Fat Hop - a label pushing old skool sounds with a new skool mentality. In my opinion, you can't make good music without knowing about the past, and this label ticks all my boxes! More about Fat Hop later.



On the Run (part 2) is actually a refix of an earlier version which you can find below.

On the Run - The original was was released on the Widowmaker LP in 2001. This version is a lot more stripped back and bare than the newer vesion, but I think it really works. Kind of like a hypnotic mantra.




The early Ciminal Minds vinyl goes for silly money - im talking about £100 plus. Luckily, lots of their old hip hop stuff were compiled on a release by Rephlex Records this year. Weirdly enough my friend Philippe (DJ Prophane) mentioned he had orded a copy off Amazon around the same time as me. Turned out we had both ordered the last copy at almost exactly the same time!! Crazy. Eventually Philippe managed to secure himself another copy and I bought his one off him.

Philippe is an Assistant Manager of a wicked independent record shop called Rat Records in Camberwell in South London.

To those who say vinyl is a dead format I say go down to Rat Records on a saturday morning If you can fight your way through the mob of glassy-eyed vinyl junkies to the racks, bag yourself some rare wax.
They sell all sorts there and I highly recommend them.


Check out Criminal Mind's back catalogue here - ruff tuff and wicked stuff:
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Criminal+Minds%2C+The?anv=Criminal+Minds



HEAD FACTOR


Picked up this one fairly recently.

This is a top notch feel good slice of hardcore, perfect for a sunny day like today or as an end of night tune. I CANNOT wait to drop this at a daytime party in the summer! Pianos and breakbeats were always a staple in old skool hardcore, but this one really shines through in my opinion.

What I particulalry like about this mix over the others on the record (you get  three mixes of the same tune on this one)  is that, although it uses snippets of Aretha Franklin's  R.E.S.P.E.C.T.  it doesnt actually use the main vocal. It more implies it, and makes you struggle to remember the next line - which is subtle and I like subtle.
Hit them over the head with your subtlety maybe, but still subtle all the same.

This one is quite slow so you'll have to put it with other '92 tracks.

Nuff Respect -







Tuesday 22 November 2011

Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation


Narrated and executive produced by Ice-T, this is the first documentary to focus specifically on the connections between crack and hip-hop.

With candid interviews from RZA, Snoop Dogg and others, this is a must-see documentary.






NEW ATLANTIC


Big ups to the Hughsee for giving me an ID on this! The man is incredible - you just give him a snippet of a tune and he tells you what it is. Oldskool to the bone!

Anyways, this is one track I found on some old mix, which is proper dope. A fat grainy bassline, brutal '91 style breaks and ghostly chants. This is right up my alley. Plus you've got Darth Vader moaning about the Darkside again. I tell you, if my dad kept going on about it like he does, I would cut his hand off with a lightsabre too.





Yes to Satan - Best name ever? There are other versions of this tune but this is the Bonus Techno version, which is what I've got.



Pick it up here: http://www.discogs.com/New-Atlantic-I-Know/release/579368

KEMICAL KIDS


Lovely little white label here, and this is one of my FAVOURITE tracks. I will almost always try and sneak it into a set somehow.

The whole e.p. is great, but this is the most DJ and dancefloor friendly track on the record. Its got a wicked memorable hook, with a looping scratch sample over an 'OH NO!' vocal. The synths are simple, not too hectic but go so so well with the percussion. And when those pianos kick in - pure euphoria. LOVE THIS ONE!

Oh No! - If you've been playing hard and fast, this is a great tune to soften the dancefloor and make everyone feel all warm and gooey inside, without playing anything cheesy. Tasty.



Another example of the excellent Kickin' Records!

Do yourself a favour and buy it here: http://www.discogs.com/Kemical-Kids-Grim-EP/release/170257

ALEC EMPIRE


Interesting little gem here.

This one was mainly forgotten about until Tiesto sampled it for one of his tracks which generated lot of  interest. What brought it to my attention is that Alec Empire is releasing it as a free download on his soundcloud along with some other absolute corkers (if you like your music hard, fast and unashamedly German). Get them here.


I've seen Alec Empire DJ a few times (he uses CDs) and always been rather impressed, both with his tune selection and skills.  By all accounts Alec used to be a hotshot techno DJ in his youth before he started devastating stages with his riot noise-fuckkery so its nice to catch a few of his older tracks from '92.
SuEcide - Quite a departure from what Alec Empire is known for these days (Atari Teenage Riot, Eat Your Heart Out), this is a very nice slice of breakbeat techno.






Let the Sun Shine - Wicked hook on this one with some heavy heavy amens.




If  like me, digital versions are not enough, you can buy the vinyl here:

Friday 18 November 2011

PSYCHIC TV


Inbetween being exiled from the UK on charges of Satanism, sueing Rick Rubin, founding a Magickal Order (Thee Temple of Psychik Youth) and becoming a woman, Genesis P-Orridge released a lot of audio madness over his career. In fact his name is in the Guniness Book of Records for having released the most albums in one year.

But for me Genesis P-Orridge's standout stuff was the Acid House he produced as part of Psychic TV. Gen P-Orridge actually claimed to have invented the term acid house, although that is a matter of debate.


What is undeniably true is that Psychic TV made some killer tracks which were fantastically progressive for the time.

Unsettling, sexy, menacing, funky, ultra-psycahdelic are just a few of the words that could be used to describe the tracks, and yet still won't come close to doing them justice. Fucking freaky are another two.


Psychic TV released the majority of these tracks on 'fake' compilations. In fact all the tracks on these comps were by them under various pseudonyms, which is both clever and sneaky at the same time. The names of some of the fake artists are great and they must have had a right laugh putting these compilations out.





Not sure if these would work on a modern dancefloor. They are pretty weird/dated, so you might need to pick your moment carefully! (when they're all fucked I would guess)

Here's a selection to pique your interest.


Misteress Mix - Wicked





DJ Doktor Megatrip with Luv Bass - Joy  the video to this reminds me of my mis-spent youth going to  industrial clubs dressed as a freak. Platform boots wahey!!






Love is Life - Groove On
Sadly this one is not available on vinyl as far as I am aware - you can only get it on CD (or cassette!) which is such a shame. Its good though, so I might get one cut on vinyl especially.





Jack the Tab - Meet Every Situation Head On    Probably the most famous of them. This has moments of genius alternating with sections so cringe-worthy it makes me shudder..... Re-edit anyone?





Virginia - Blue Pyramid This one has a Middle Eastern melody over one of the deepest gurgling acid  b- lines I've ever heard.





At a time when dance music is dominated by formulaic 'by-the-numbers' tracks, the need for artists like Psychic TV who are not afraid to forge their own path is greater than ever.

Enter the psychadelic underground here: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Psychic+TV

Wednesday 16 November 2011




ORIGINATION


It is a GLOOMY November Wednesday today. Proper grim.

So here's a nice feel-good tune jam-packed with familiar hooks. Shine on!


Breakdown -




I suppose some might call it cheesy.......but it depends how close you sniff!




Not exactly cheap, but a guaranteed to put a smile on your face! http://www.discogs.com/Origination-Breakdown-Remix/master/84592

LHASA


Thanks to Jerome Hill for putting me onto this one!

This a lush techno techno track with an intro hook that worms its way into your head. Once heard, never forgotten. This one has the kind of crisp production you could only find in Belgium, although it has a certain coldness unique to it. It reminds me of when I went to Belgium last year (it was freezing - I had to wear two pairs of trousers at the same time).

Very sparse, very minimalistic. Beautiful sounds. Beautifully arranged.


The Attic -



Lhasa did quite a few tunes that stood the test of the time - well worth checking out.


Tuesday 15 November 2011



GREY HOUSE


Tucked away on the b-side of this record, is this Acid House party starter.

This one needs to be played LOUD!






But it here: http://www.discogs.com/Grey-House-Move-Youre-Assit/master/135339

THE HOUSE CREW


Whenever I think of old skool hardcore, the memory of this track is never far behind. Its got everything you can think of associated with oldskool. Mad rave synths. Heavy breakbeats. Crowd samples. Lashings of rave pianos. Pitched up vocal snippets just this side of cheesy (sometimes even crossing the line).

But this track also stands out massively - which is why you'll hear it played out a lot.


We Are Hardcore - Firstly this tune is POLISHED. Like everything that came out of the Production House studio, the quality of production is head and shoulders above most other stuff at the time. Everything sounds nice and juicy.
Secondly the arrangement is GREAT. Lots of rave tunes of whatever genre are quite simply formulaic. Many still hold rigidly to the traditional template laid out by rock bands. Intro, verse, bridge, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, outro. Dubstep and Psy-Trance especially.
The House Crew realised early on, that rave tunes dont need to be like that. Especially since they are gonna be cut up by a DJ anyway.

So this track twists and turns and if you havent heard it before, is completely unpredictable.
It starts off with what for most tracks would be the climax! Straight after, a nostalgic piano is thrown in for no reason. Then, when you think you have a handle on it, it abruptly switches to some really nasty rave stabs. And just when you've got used to that it brings back the sentimental pianos. The whole effect is confusing and disorienting.
Hardcore was always a whirpool of different emotions, and this is a fine example.
I don't know what im feeling - but im definitely feeling something!


This is for the hardcore.







Buy this here: http://www.discogs.com/House-Crew-We-Are-Hardcore-Maniac-Remixes/master/7895

Monday 14 November 2011

DJ DEREK



Derek is 75 years old. He is a keen bus-spotter and has visited every Wetherspoons pub in the country.

He is also a Reggae, Ska and Dancehall DJ.



DJ Derek pt. 1 from Grand Finale on Vimeo.





DJ Derek pt. 2 from Grand Finale on Vimeo.







Rave or Die! was the name of a very short lived club concept by myself.

It combined Breakcore acts with Old Skool Djs and weird cabaret live elements. It did fairly well and got Critics Choice by Timeout, and recommended by Metro and a few other papers before it imploded.

Now it lives on in the form of a soundcloud group. If you are after a huge ever-growing archive of Jungle, Acid House, Hardcore, Techno mixes then check it out. Hell - theres even some dancehall mixes in there!







Sunday 13 November 2011

PUMP UP THE VOLUME - THE HISTORY OF HOUSE MUSIC


A fantastic documentary about the history of house music - if you can't decide on what to watch today - WATCH THIS!!

Essential viewing!!

I've linked all three parts together for your viewing pleasure.

ENJOY.



Friday 11 November 2011

MC DUKE


 MC Duke's career sounds like the plot to a bad hip hop film - but this actually happened!

Duke was more known for being a breakdancer than an MC, but his life took an unexpected turn.
He began his rapping career at a DMC World Championships after show party, where the winner of the MC battle competition got on stage and boasted that he would beat any rapper who challenged him. MC Duke took the bait and climbed on stage to take the challenge, and ripped the smug git apart.

The battle was witnessed by an A&R man for Music of Life records. He quickly arranged a meeting between Duke and Simon Harris, the head of the  record label, where instead of bringing a demo tape, Duke rapped live in Harris' office.
Harris agreed to sign him!

I'm'Riffin - (remix) - Theres a couple of versions knocking about, but the one with the Kraftwerk backing track, is the one you want.



When MC Duke released I'm Riffin, with an accapella on the flipside, little did he know what he was unleashing!

His vocals got cut up, sped up and sampled over and over and over and you will hear snippets of this accapella across every genre in the dance music spectrum.
 Its been used in Hardcore, Gabba, Jungle, Techno, House - I've even heard some MC Duke over trance! (It was shit.)

This is a real fun record to own as this is a little moment in UK hip hop history - plus you can play around with the accapella too, which is great for scratching.



Buy the record here: http://www.discogs.com/MC-Duke-Im-Riffin-English-Rasta/master/65023

SILVER BULLET


BLAM! BLAM!

Two wicked shots by the Silver Bullet.

Silver Bullet dropped two ruff tracks which still sound brutal now. Unlike most britcore, he managed to gain some commercial success, while at the same time losing none of his credibiilty. Which is a good thing too, cos these tunes are dope and don't let anyone convince you otherwise!


Bring Forth the Guillotine - this was Silver Bullet's first single as a solo artist and probably the most remembered. 'Peel back your shirt and inject the beat' - what a line! This spawned loads of releases and got remixed by Ben Chapman and Norman Cook.






20 Seconds to Comply - Wicked tune! I've played this out a few times and always had people comment on it. One guy couldn't stop thanking me - said he hadn't heard it since he was 16!! Ed Flis (aka Duran Duran Duran) is a big fan of Silver Bullet and we had a good chat about Hijack and Gunshot because of this tune.




Catch the Silver Bullet here: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Silver+Bullet

Thursday 10 November 2011

RUFF SECTOR

A nice slab of oldskool here. A bit of a mystery this one, its a white label - all thats written on it is 'Ruff Sector'. I don't know if that is the title of the track or the artist or what.
Don't know why its a white label either as there isn't any well-known samples on it that I recognise, so its not like it was necessary for the artist to keep his/her identity secret.

Aw well - doesn't matter. The music is all that counts and this one is a corker. This is really nicely put together - not much craziness going on, just a solid stomper with lovely rave stabs and diva screams. This is a very 'tasteful' piece of hardcore. Its got all the right bits in all the right places. One of my favourites.


Ruff Sector - Untitled




I had this on my wants list on Discogs for flipping ages, but there were ZERO copies to be had - it was driving me mad. By pure chance I did a search on ebay - and found it! It was listed as UK Garage.... and so had escaped other old skool bidders.

Weird thing was though, the guy was charging £18 for the minimum bid - so he must have known that it was rare. So why list it as UK Garage?

It might have been a cheeky bootleg - it certainly looks like mint condition and mine seems a bit tinny compared to the youtube video. If anyone else has a copy I  would be interested to compare them.


THERE ARE TOO MANY MYSTERIES SURROUNDING THIS RECORD.





Wednesday 9 November 2011






ROXANNE SHANTE


Strictly speaking this should be filed under Brandon Cooke rather than Roxanne Shante, but since she is more likely to be cropping up in this blog than he is, I'm filing it under her.

Sorry Brandon!

Anyway.

This track is a a fairly simple stomper, easy to mix, with a simple acid line on repeat. It starts off straight away with Roxanne's rap.

Roxanne Shante has an astounding voice and has done some great work, but in this case is let down a bit by the dodgy lyrics (I think this was a quick freestyle). Still - wouldn't have taken too much effort to come up with something a little less inane. If you hate it that much, there is an instrumental on the flipside. You might be able to get away with that if your dancefloor isn't paying attention (sometimes they arent).

Which is just as well cos the rest of the track is pretty sweet. Nothing spectacular, just more acid gurglings and some 'Acieeeed!' vocals. But its nice.




Although I haven't tried yet, I strongly suspect that this is one of those tracks which would REALLY work well with using two copies to beat juggle, repeat parts and generally mess around with. The rhythm is so simple you would have to be stone deaf and crippled to not be able to have a lot of fun with it.

When I get another copy I will report back and TELL YOU.


This goes for less than a packet of crisps so get one and stop moaning:
http://www.discogs.com/Brandon-Cooke-Sharp-As-A-Knife/master/34887

Tuesday 8 November 2011

CORPORATION OF ONE

One of those tunes that brings a tear to my eye.

This is perfect for bringing a moment of stillness to an otherwise hectic dancefloor. A sublime track which somehow makes a Queen sample sound good.... a lot of people have really found that sample to be a turn-off. But give it time - this track is a real grower and I don't know anyone who doesnt love this one.

This tune is so soothing.. it has a real wistful note to it.


The Real Life -




This track is a fusion of all sorts of samples, Scarface, Simple Minds, Man Parish... and of course Queen.

Blatant sample ripping... to create something so fresh and spectacular that you can't help but admire their style.


But this six minutes of sublime perfection here: http://www.discogs.com/Corporation-Of-One-The-Real-Life/master/141891

Monday 7 November 2011

INNER CITY


Everyone knows the absolute classics by Inner City - Big Fun and Good Life.

Kevin Saunderson of (Detroit Techno fame) put out some simply fantastic tracks with Paris Grey. Fusing the Detroit Techno sound with Chicago House Soul these tunes broke new ground and still sound fresh today.  They are timeless and will still be played 50 years from now - an acclaim difficult to level at most electronic music.

The originals of these tunes are classics, plain and simple, and did a lot to break the 'acid house' sound in the UK, even though they have a much more Detroit techno feel. You can drop the originals anywhere and you just know they will go down well.

Anyway rather than post up the originals, heres a great record for you which features some Chicago House style remixes. These are a lot more banging and 'club-like' than the originals and both have acid elements which sound immense when played loud on a big system. Its a shame because these you-tube rips really don't do the tracks justice. On vinyl they really come alive.


Big Fun (L.A. Fun remix)  a very melodic take on Big Fun, with a real nice summery vibe to it. Towards the end the acid vibe comes in and it sounds very nice indeed - dreamy, floaty, slightly hypnotic, slightly menacing. 



Nerd Alert! - Kevin Saunderson supposedly sampled the timbres of Nitro Deluxe's 'Let's Get Brutal' to make Big Fun.



Good Life (Mike 'Hitman' Wilson remix)    this one starts off fairly so-so but as the track progresses it starts to add slight acid lines and cut up vocals which keep the track ticking along nicely. Its after the break that this tune really hots up, building up acid lines which just get more and more intense! Add in stuttering broken up almost-glitchy vocals and you have a real banger.







Saturday 5 November 2011

MAXX HEADRUSH


Just knocked out a new oldskool hardcore mix.... 100% vinyl as always.
  
Enjoy!



Maxx Headrush by Moronik

High Tech Soul




Detroit Techno Documentary


Friday 4 November 2011

WARDANCE


In case you hadn't noticed, modern electronic music is mostly pretty dull.

It is very serious. Everyone takes themselves very seriously indeed. Serious people. Serious music.

I think they should make more stuff like this:


Wardance AA1 - this is what I like about hardcore. In what other genre could you find such crass sampling? Got an idea? Throw it in. Its not mixed down properly. Who cares!? Lets put it out on record!





Wardance A1 - what a great intro! Ridiculous track. Its in that strange grey area between really good and really annoying.... best listened to on massive amounts of psychedelic drugs so you don't have to make a decision.
I have to admit the end gets a little repetitive even for me...and I like techno!  Its not skipping - its supposed to be like that!





An F Project white label, you can buy it here: http://www.discogs.com/Wardance-Wardance/release/181441

EGYPTIAN EMPIRE


I've been hearing quite a few remixes of this recently, techno, electro, dubstep all horrible.

There is only one Horn Track and it is this one.



One word - DEVASTATING.

The Horn Track - That intro with those horns. They go right through you. Some rather daft samples from Egyptian Lover lull you into a false sense of security. And then these big heavy amens come bludgeoning out of the speakers and punch you in the face BAM!! And thats just the start.
Weird synths and some more daft samples from Egyptian Lover keep the track rolling until those horns come back again! Even more devastating then last time...! This track is like a sonic weapon!

Use responsibly and aim away from the face.

 



I really like the Public Enemy 'kettle boiling' sounds toward the end. I've always liked that sound haha.
This was sampled by loads of people (including the Prodigy) and there are many different 'versions'.

But this is the one.


You can buy this on a genuinely round record here:


BBC Radio Doc



A very nice radio documentary about Bleep, Techno, Warp Records, House, Hardcore and Jungle.




Narrated by Zoe Ball.







KROME & TIME

Absolute MASSIVE record. On one side you have the incredible Manic Stampede, and on the other, the anthem This Sound is for The Underground!! These are two BIG BIG tunes!!


Manic Stampede - never cliched, this tune is pretty simple if you break it down into its constituent parts, but is been put together so well that you can't help but move to it. Because of the flipside, it doesnt get played out as often as it should, which is a shame because Manic Stampede is a BANGER. I started the Maxx Headrush mix

Drop this and the crowd will move.






Ths Sound is for the Underground - This is one of my top favourites, and I would rinse it on every occasion if it wasn't already played so much as it is. There is literally TOO much to go into, about how original this track is, how organic it sounds, how clear the production is, how much of an anthem, how - just when you think you have it figured out, it twists in a different direction effortlessly without breaking the flow. Massively euphoric, a huge dancefloor smasher, as credible as they come - this track has it all.






This record does not come cheap and rightly so - mine cost me £18 and for the use I've got out of it, I haven't regretted it for a second.
http://www.discogs.com/Krome-Time-This-Sound-Is-For-The-Underground-Manic-Stampede/master/1519

HACKNEY HARDCORE

On the simply amazing Strictly Underground label, Marc 'Ruff' Ryder produced some wicked tunes under the alias Hackney Hardcore. All the tracks had a down-tuned sound to them giving them a much less euphoric vibe, but still no less 'ravey' for it.
The result was a far more 'serious' sounding rave track with a lot more grit and street cred. I always think that they sound like what rave tunes sound like in the rain. Bit hard to explain.... its probably easier if you just take a listen!


Dancehall Dangerous - '91 breakbeat number here. Queasy-sounding synths over a sizzling bass. Very much a  grimy squat sound on this one.






Caught With a Spliff (remix) - this is such a well-produced track, especially for 1992. Theres quite a few mixes knocking about, but this is my favourite one and the one that seems to get played the most. The synths go so well with the whip-snap-crack percussion - you could definitely see the direction hardcore was going, heading towards a more jungle broken up beat. Absolutely love this one. Its a shame the youtube video doesn't continue to the end as there is a little dialogue between the police and a ragamuffin. It has some bleeped out swearing at the end on a locked groove - so it will go on forever...  'bleeping hell mate! bleeping hell! bleeping hell mate! bleeping hell' ... ad infititum







Rave Scene '93 - You can see from this how the scene is progressing - the music is getting faster and taking on a much more jungley vibe. This is a really lush, darkly euphoric track. The cheeky prodigy sample is a great touch.





These tracks also feature on some of the Illegal Rave and Strictly Underground compilations and if you are lucky to come across a copy, buy on sight! http://www.discogs.com/artist/Hackney+Hardcore#t=Appearances_Compilations&q=&p=1

Thursday 3 November 2011

FREESTYLE


wow - I only managed to pick these up this year and I'm so glad I did.

I had wanted them for a long time, but they can be a bit hard to get hold of in the UK (without paying extortionate prices). Unashamedly electro, Freestlye had the winning formula down perfect - robo-rapping, funky beats, perfect electro stabs, and such great simple melodies.


Don't Stop the Rock - probably the most well known, this is pure pop genius. I cannot imagine any party where this would not go down well  - it is just sooo well put together - the intro is fantastic and when the vocal has that key change I start sobbing like a little girl.  But a super-dope-jammin robot funk-a-tron of a  little girl!








The Party has Begun - a fun track, but not as good as the one above. More of a slow-burner.








Its Automatic - Not sure how well this would work on most dancefloors as it is maybe a bit too kitsch, but this would totally ROCK a robot party! Drop it at the right time and it could be devastating. Really great lyrics - have a listen.







Freestyle records on sale here: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Freestyle





Wednesday 2 November 2011

NWA


'What the fuck? Who is this? NWA!! What the fuck?'

Thats right - NWA.

Before they broke out with Straight Outta Compton, NWA dropped this on the flipside to Dopeman, and what a fantastic track it is.

Arabian Prince was already a big player in the electro scene and Dr. Dre was fresh out of his time with the World Class Wrecking Crew. Obviously NWA didn't wanna continue this direction, and fair enough - the rest is history.

But this is a really fun electro jam, one that makes you think about what could have been...

Arabian Prince's vocals on this just sound so BIG and all the sounds are so chunky I love it, even if the lyrics have a kind of dated charm to them.  A wicked fun party track.

N.W.A. - Panic Zone




This was originally going to be titled Hispanic Zone... but they changed it after Dr Dre sagely suggested that it might damage record sales.





TWILIGHT 22


Not much to say about this one except: THIS IS DOPE!

One of the tracks that converted me to electro, this is a straight up party jam. Drop this at a party and just watch the body-popping!


Twilight 22 - Electric Kingdom














Tuesday 1 November 2011

CYBOTRON


A work of genius - for such a robotic song, this tune drips with human emotion.

Created by Richard Davies and Juan Atkins this was a seminal moment in Electro history.

 Juan Atkins was obsessed with the idea of humanity entering a new enlightened era of technology. With Detroit a crumbling post-industrial city, he was convinced that this would happen in his city first and his music would be the catalyst for this new age. And in a way he was right.

Clear is the finest track by Cybotron and easily the most famous. Cold and electronic, and yet full of nostalgia and a kind of robotic soul, this track calls to mind a shimmering image of a futuristic metropolis. This was the sound of the future, at least for a while. Cybotron were really pushing forward the Electro sound.

However, Afrika Bambaata beat the Cybotron crew in releasing their track Planet Rock first. Planet Rock met with massive acclaim which was apparently a very bittersweet thing for Juan Atkins, hearing the sound he loved so much credited to someone else.
 
Clear was created in 1983 and was absolutely massive in hip hop clubs and still is. Modern producers should take note.

Juan Atkins went on to be on of the instigators of Detroit Techno.




Cybotron - Clear goes for very cheap - buy a piece of historic futurism today: