ecstasy in slow motion

If music be the food of love, then it’s time to get loved-up on this audio feast… Back when my old blog, The White Noise Revisited, was going strong, I conceived a series of themed podcasts with my good friend Feedle. Unfortunately, we only got as far as actually knocking out the first one (a collection of songs featuring white noise – still available on iTunes, I think, if you’re interested), but I still have all the playlists I put together and have decided to start posting them as themed mixtapes instead. Who knows, the podcasts may yet make a comeback, but until then, here’s the first – FOOD. Tuck in!

1. Tuff Crew – Soul Food

An African-American style of cooking with its roots in the Deep South. Fried chicken. Ham hocks. Collard Greens. Cole Slaw. Corn Bread. Meat Loaf. Shrimp and Okra Gumbo. Alternatively, an exquisite three-minute blast of old school cut and paste good-time hip-hop from the genius that is DJ Too Tuff (the godfather of turntablism) from Philly’s Tuff Crew.

Find it on Tuff Crew - Back to Wreck Shop LP

2. Mike & Rich – Eggy Toast

Posh people call it French Toast, but it’s really Eggy Toast, innit? From playing an integral role in Kramer vs Kramer, the egg wash/bread/icing sugar combo is beloved of kids the world over, and was obviously a fave of electronic overlords Mike Paradinas and Richard D. James, as they named a track on their 1996 collaborative effort, Extreme Knob Twiddlers, after the breakfast delicacy.

Find it on Mike & Rich - Extreme Knob Twiddlers LP

3. LFO – Mashed Potato

The bleep-pioneers paean to the humble spud in its mashed form was a two-minute blast of melodic techno from the 1992 What is House EP (CD release). It appears to have very little to do with the subject after which it is named, though there is something gloopy about the overall vibe of the track.

Find it on LFO - What is House EP

4. µ-ziq –Organic Tomato Yoghurt

Muller take note – the always ahead-of-his-time Mike P devised a blinding new flavour for the yoghurt-producing behemoth way back in 1994, on this track from his Bluff Limbo album. I didn’t even know the term “organic” existed back then. Chocolate manufacturers probably won’t be beating his door down for the Nettle + Pralines recipe – another track on Bluff Limbo. Likewise, Heinz, for Whale Soup, on 1993’s Tango N’ Vectif. What is it with these electronic chaps and food?

Find it on µ-ziq - Bluff Limbo LP

5. Happy Mondays – Olive Oil

Shaun Ryder’s lyrical genius is well known, but the musical abilities of the members of the Mondays who aren’t Bez (he played a mean maraca, but so does my 2½-year-old daughter) are often downplayed. But on this impressive slither of indie-jangle from Squirrel And G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out), the other four really shine, serving up a tight, crudely funky groove with a vaguely afrobeat flavour – maybe it’s the high-regsiter riffing from Mark Day. No idea what it’s got to do with olive oil, but then again, neither has Shaun.

Find it on Happy Mondays - Squirrel and G-Man… LP

6. Super Furry Animals - Guacamole

This is one of those songs that you imagine got its name because the singer (the mighty Gruff Rhys) enjoyed shouting the word - “GUACAMOOOLLLEEEE” – try it – it’s fun. Especially in the faux-Elvis style Rhys adopts. It’s a bit of a rockabilly belter, and slows down nicely for a Bay City Rollers-style clapalong, before racing to the finish in fine style. Altogether now – “I need medication for my sleep deprivashhee-unnn…” But what’s it all about? Well, avocado contains tyramine, which causes the release of norepinephrine – a brain stimulant linked with insomnia. So now you know.

Find it on Super Furry Animals - Out Spaced LP

7. Silver Apples - Salad

“I wish I had more things to do. I feel so inadequate. Are you insecure? When will all this be over? How long will this last? Nothing works out the way I thought it would. This situation sucks. I wish I had more things to do. This will never work. I wish it was tomorrow. Do you feel tired? Should I leave? Can you make me some SALAD? Do you feel lonely? I don’t eat enough. My feet hurt. Do you feel tired? Where did you go?  Do your eyes hurt?” Utterly bonkers stop-start techno weirdness from Simeon Coxe.

Find it on Various Artists - More GDM

8. Pedro – Red Apples

I absolutely adore James Rutledge’s stuff. It is proper fusion music – just when you think you’ve got it pinned down he does something wild. In this case, a lovely serving of freewheeling electronica is elevated by a sudden fruity blast of trumpet. Brilliant. I like a red apple too. Mmm, crunchy.

Find it on Pedro - You, Me and Everyone LP

9. Laurent Garnier – Crispy Bacon

Or lard croustillant in the composer Laurent Garnier’s native tongue. As MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace might say, “Techno doesn’t get tougher than this.” And he’d be right.

Find it on Laurent Garnier - Crispy Bacon EP

10. Hardfloor – Fish & Chips

An early single from the bonkers 303-obsessed German duo Bondzio and Zenker, there is nothing vaguely English seaside about his brutally propulsive acid techno banger. It starts off hard and gets harder. Relentless.

Find it on Hardfloor - Mr Anderson/Fish & Chips EP

Blimey, this is the longest I’ve ever gone without posting something… Anyway, to try and make EiSM feel more like home below is another ten track old school hip-hop mixtape like I used to post over on The White Noise Revisited back in the day. I‘ve gone off the beaten track a bit for some less well-known tracks, but it’s all killer no filler. Word. Heh heh.

1. Original Concept - Pump That Bass

Yeah, you’ve heard that “PUMP THAT BAA-AASSS!” sample a million times before but this is where it originated – on this bass heavy cut from NYC’s Original Concept who were signed to Def Jam and featured the other Doctor Dre in their ranks (the one from MTV). Released in 1988, when it was in vogue to have electric guitar riffs all over your shizzle, this jam still rocks a party.

2. Rodney O & Joe Cooley - Everlasting Bass

Released on the Egyptian Lover’s label in 1986, this pioneering slice of laidback West Coast hip-hop had a huge influence on Snoop and the Miami Bass scene. The LA duo of MC Rodney Oliver and DJ Joe Cooley would go on to be signed up by Atlantic Records in 1990 but it never got better than this.

3. D. ST - The Home of Hip-Hop

I’m a sucker for these sort of songs in which MCs tell the story of the origins of hip-hop. There’s loads out there, but this one carries some proper clout as Grandmixer D. ST used to DJ with Afrika Bambaataa way, way back in the day and was part of the first ever hip-hop tour of Europe. D. ST was the Jimi Hendrix of DJs – he was one of the first to DJ with body parts other than his hands. He’s in Wild Style too, and he did the scratching on Herbie Hancock’s Rockit. Real Hip Hop my man… I love the wigged out keytar solo too. Gold.

4. Bad Boys feat. K Love - Mission (Vocal)

This is one of those songs I’ve got a real soft spot for because I bought the vinyl when it first came out (I was 13). Was released around the same time as Doug E. Fresh The Show (their self-titled debut follows The Show on Electro 9) so it follows the formula for rap records of the time - TV theme sample (in this case Spy vs Spy), beatbox (from a girl beatboxer, no less) and storytelling lyrics rather than just a load of bragadocious nonsense. The B-side – Veronica – is sexist twaddle but it’s got some funny lines, which as a teenager I thought were hilarious.

5. Tricky Tee - Johnny the Fox

Mantronik produced this. Nuff said. Well, almost – some simple but utterly incredible drum programming, a Thin Lizzy sample and some proper old school cuttin’ and scratchin’. Tricky Tee’s not a bad MC either. Classic.

6. Skinny Boys - Rip the Cut

The fresh-faced (and thin) trio of Superman Jay, Shockin’ Shawn and the Human Jock Box hailed from Conneticut and were generally seen as something of a novelty act, riding off the back of the success of the Fat Boys. But this track is rawer than one of Lady Gaga’s dresses. Brutally simple yet devastatingly effective, with the verses shouted at extreme volume. Weightless, the album from whence it came, is well worth seeking out.

7. Pimp Pretty, Royal Ron & D.J. M.A.$* - Rock the B-Boy Stance

In which Schoolly D gives his weed dealers a record dealer and they turn out a shout rap classic. Royal Ron’s gimmick was that he rapped in his own special brand of Pig Latin. Check Opsta Now (Stop Now) for further evidence.

8. Sir Fresh & DJ Critical - Sir Vere

The Brooklyn duo never made an album, but they did turn out this blinding cut of proper hip-hop in 1988 - classic Funky Drummer sample, wicked scratching from DJ Critical and Sir Fresh’s killer delivery.

9. Seville - Make It Funky

I don’t know much about Seville other than that he was signed to the legendary Cutting Records (Imperial Brothers, Hashim, Nitro Deluxe) and it features scratching from Jazzy Jay (another of Bambaataa’s protégées) and Shameek (who would go on to be Twin “Do It to the Crowd” Hype’s DJ) and it was made on a four-track. Seville’s got a Slick Rick-esque languid style of rapping and the party-style beats and recognisable samples make it one to drop into your set and have people going, “What is this?”

10. D.E.F. featuring DJ Three D - D.E.F. Momentum (Hip-Hop Mix)

D.E.F. stood for the Digital Electronic Funk Band, so I guess the music must be pretty live. DJ 3D used to work with Unknown to produce some classic West Coast hip-hop back in the day. It’s brilliantly melodic, was released on Russ Parr’s (aka Bobby Jimmy, credited as one of the original members of NWA) Hollywood-based label Rapsur Records in 1985 and featured on Electro 9 – one of the best in the series.

Minotaur Shock - Rockpoolin’

Super Furry Animals - Smokin’

Pavement - Summer Baby (7” Version)

Ultra Vivid Scene - Staring At The Sun

Ducktails - Beach Point Pleasant

Future Loop Foundation - The Sea and the Sky (Ashley Beedle’s Earth Mix)

National Trust - Brownsea Island Waves Lapping

Nathan Fake - Sky Was Pink

Delorean - Endless Sunset

Campag Velocet - Sunset Strip Eclipse

Verve - Man Called Sun

Plone - Summer Plays Out

Sorry I’ve not been around for ages. The heat seems to have sapped me of all of my creative juices. There are the remnants of at least seven abandoned blog posts on my hard drive - perhaps I’ll resurrect them one day when it cools down a bit and I can think of something interesting to say… Anyway, until then I thought a summer this consistently hot (if you live dans le capital like I do) deserved a themed mixtape in its honour so here y’go. Pretty self-explanatory, really. But I’ll indulge you with a few words. It’s the least you deserve. All three of you.   

Rather prosaically there are songs with “summer” or “sun” or “sunset” in the title - a pair of indie rock classics from Pavement and Ultra Vivid Scene, plus a newie from Balearic synth-poppers Delorean; but also songs that sound perfect on a sunny day, like Smokin’ by the Super Furries - light up a big ol’ blooty and kick back to that one (it also contains one of my favourite Gruffisms: “Gonna manage my time, just like Johann Cruyff” - yeah, Gruff, whatever you say mate). There’s a song about a quintessential summery English childhood pursuit - Minotaur Shock’s sublime Rockpoolin’, which immediately transports me to Kennack Sands in Cornwall, standing on barnacle-covered rocks looking for anemones. Awesome bassline too. And a flute! If you want to make a song sound summery, slap a flute on it (see also the aforementioned Smokin’). There’s Ashley Beedle’s euphoric reworking of The Sea and the Sky by Future Loop Foundation, Jarvis Cocker’s field recording of the waves on Brownsea Island, where I used to go as a Cub Scout (all I remember is the giant ants and peacocks), Campag Velocet on the Cafe Del Mar chill-out tip, Verve before they were shit with a slice of blissed-out prog-wonder (it’s about a drug dealer not the sun, but it fits the bill) and the incredible Plone with the soundtrack to those final, bittersweet days of the summer holidays. And not forgetting Ducktails (the man’s a freakin’ genius, one of my half-written posts is on him) with the shimmery underwater surf guitar plucking of Beach Point Pleasant. Oh and, slightly tenuously (but I love it), is Nathan Fake’s Sky Was Pink. There have been quite a few, lush pinky sunsets round my way recently so that’s why it’s on here.

Anyway, if I blether on too much this one will be in danger of expiring on my hard drive too. So, yep. Hope posting this doesn’t lead to a sudden bout of shitty weather… Enjoy!

Buy Minotaur Shock

Buy Super Furry Animals

Buy Pavement

Buy Ultra Vivid Scene

Buy Ducktails

Buy Future Loop Foundation

Download Jarvis Cocker’s National Trust album

Buy Nathan Fake

Buy Delorean

Buy Campag Velocet

Buy The Verve

Buy Plone

Tusken Raiders - Sexy Sandpeople

If ever a record label was created with me in mind, it was Clear Records. Formed in London in 1995, Clear - named after the seminal proto-techno tune from Cybotron - peddled a quality line in funk-fuelled nu-school electro (but with nods to the old school), graffiti-influenced typography, a Star Wars obsession (initially) and vinyl pressed on gorgeous, clear wax. I played the two slabs of vinyl by Jedi Knights and Tusken Raiders to death - I even made a tape that was just those two twelves repeated until they filled an entire C90. There was nothing else out there that came close (with the honourable exception of the Antacid EP by Link on Warp, but that was the Jedi Knights in disguise).

The tracks on the Jedi Knights 12” ended up on their debut album, New School Science, an absolute stone cold space funk/nu-electro classic, but the Bantha Trax EP by Tusken Raiders (yet another alias for Mike “µ-ziq” Paradinas) is far less well-known and worthy of a re-appraisal. The prolific Paradinas was churning it out in the Nineties, but the EP on Clear represented a change in style for him, away from the complex breakbeats and melodic electronica of his early albums for Rephlex. The songs on Bantha Trax were a real mixture, centred on two funky eight-minute opuses - Tatooine Sunset and Sexy Sandpeople (posted above). Both tracks are percussive monsters - Tatooine Sunset is a relentless tribal bongo freak-out, while Sexy Sandpeople (posted above) is the bump’n’grind number from the Cantina on Mos Eisley, with a pummelling, ass-shakin’ groove and some jazzy Jake Slazenger-esque keys lobbed in towards the end. It’s only recently I’ve found out the specific track names - on the original 12 ” , one side was called Scream, the other Yowl - in honour of the noises uttered by the Tusken Raiders in the original Star Wars film perhaps.  

Bantha Trax EP currently on eBay for a very reasonable £11.99.

Clear Records discography

Ninja Tune’s DJ Food pitched some ideas for the cover that didn’t end up getting used. You can see them here

Brilliant Clear Records mix on The Reconnect Show

Depeche Mode - Ice Machine

Anyone wanting to dismiss Vince Clarke solely as a purveyor of synth-pop cheese during his brief reign as the chief songwriter for Depeche Mode should listen to Ice Machine first. The B-side to the band’s debut single Dreaming of Me (released in 1981), Ice Machine is a brooding slither of melodic, electronic minimalism a la Kraftwerk that manages to be hugely emotive despite Dave Gahan’s deadpan, almost monotone delivery. Clarke left after the release of Mode’s debut album, Speak and Spell, to form Yazoo with Alison Moyet and it was the sombre, glacial Ice Machine rather than the bouncy, upbeat Just Can’t Get Enough that would provide the blueprint for the musical direction of his new venture. In fact, it’s easy to imagine Moyet singing Ice Machine. Another quirk of the song is that, along with the A-side, it is available in two versions - a fading and a non-fading version. This is an odd phenomenon that I’ve never really come across before. I’m posting the non-fade version, where a single note is held for close to minute at the end. Ladytron, La Roux and the rest of the new school of synthpoppers can only dream of writing something as good as this.

Buy Speak and Spell on Amazon

Depeche Mode website

Depeche Mode MySpace

Flying Saucer Attack - Wish

Flying Saucer Attack - Popol Vuh 1

Flying Saucer Attack inspire the sort of devotion from their fans that makes them more of a cult than a band. It’s rare that I meet anybody who’s heard of them but whenever I do, we speak about them with reverence. They are a truly special band. I first encountered them while nursing a broken heart and living in a flat in Camden, Bath in 1995. It was love at first listen. I’m a sucker for feedback and FSA main man David Pearce had that rare talent of being able to transform sheets of squalling white noise into something beautiful. With Movietone’s Rachel Brook (Pearce’s girlfriend at the time) on bass, FSA’s self-titled debut album was released in 1993. It was sub-titled Rural Psychedelia and there is definitely something agricultural about the unrefined distortion of the compositions. Unlike Kevin Shields, Pearce didn’t attempt to hone or control the feedback, he just let it rip. Maybe this was born of necessity (most of the early FSA material was recorded on a four-track) but it is still brave to choose to deliver your musical vision in such an abrasive way. If you strip away all the feedback on Wish there is a fragile, spectral folk song at the core. It’s like Nick Drake collaborating with Spacemen 3. But Pearce was no one trick pony. Matt Elliot of Third Eye Foundation played percussion on early FSA material and his tribal bongos underpin Pearce’s haunting ambience on Popol Vuh 1 - a hypnotic tribute to the cult krautrockers. The album had a profound affect on me. I found the billowing gusts of extreme noise strangely soothing as I wallowed in my misery, chain-smoking and staring out of my bedroom window to the hills on the outskirts of the city. I’d lost one love but found another.

Find Rural Psychedelia on eBay

Flying Saucer Attack discography

FSA fan page on MySpace

Every thing you need to know about Flying Saucer Attack is here on this amazing faq

Buy Flying Saucer Attack records from Domino

January - Eyes All Mine

January - All Time

Alan McGee’s A&R radar had gone properly on the blink by the time he started Poptones - his post-Creation venture - in the first throes of the Noughties. His ears were more shot than those of a First World War veteran, and his signing policy as erratic as a cat on crack (El Vez? Ping Pong Bitches?). Luckily, he surrounded himself with people with fully functioning lugholes and when a tape of January was passed his way, McGee was all over it - immediately recognising a chance to reclaim past glories. January were a diamond that sparkled in the dirt. Tellingly, they sounded like the ultimate Creation band - an amalgamation of all that was great about McGee’s peerless (at points) label.

They made one album for Poptones - the wonderful I Heard Myself In You. As a body of work it was stunning, marking out the group’s leader Simon McLean as a real songwriting talent. Highlights included the gorgeously hypnotic Eyes All Mine with its melancholy organs, repetitive bassline and delicate, country-flecked plucking from Sarah Peacock, formerly of ambient electronic icons Seefeel. In typically hyperbolic fashion, McGee dubbed Peacock ”the best guitarist in the world” ahead of the album’s release. My other favourite is All Time. It’s as good as anything on Mark Gardener’s side of Ride’s Carnival of Light - lush acoustic strumming building to an incandescent denouement. Joining all the dots was Mads Bjerke, who had previously mixed Spiritalized’s Pure Phase so knew a thing or two about constructing exquisite sonic cathedrals. January never received the acclaim they deserved. They were a few years too late for the original shoegazing scene and a few years too early for its unexpected but glorious revival. Timing is everything in music…  

Search eBay for January

January discography

Great interview with Simon McLean from 2005 here

Spacemen 3 - Ecstasy In Slow Motion

In the near on four years I was posting at The White Noise Revisited I never properly wrote about Spacemen 3, which is utterly ridiculous as they are my favourite band in the whole wide world. Actually, maybe I didn’t want to spoil it by trying to write about them… Words cannot express how much they mean to me so instead I’m naming my new blog after these 9-minutes of blissed out brilliance from Rugby’s finest.

***Download link now working!***

More to follow, as and when.

Spacemen 3 fansite

Spacemen 3 MySpace

Search eBay for Spacemen 3

RIP The White Noise Revisited.

Long live Ecstasy in Slow Motion!

The same again but slightly different.

Hello you.