ireallylovemusic

earl brutus – come taste my mind (live)

mark e — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:54:16 +0000

unearthed part 2.

following the recent posting of this track from a freebie nme cd from many years ago (original post : here), i then found out that the same gig was recorded and broadcast on channel 4.

subsequently, discussions on a forum has lead to the video being dragged out of someone’s cupboard, connected to the relevant machines and is now be available online for all to witness the sher glory that was the mighty earl brutus live.

loving the neon signs on top of the monitors.

this is how you perform live.

more detail : here

bright star – stimming, ben watt & julia biel

mark e — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:59:39 +0000

have to feel for the last couple of releases on buzzin’ fly, as it would appear that they have been holding back for the big 50th label release as being honest, the last couple of 12” didn’t really gel for yours truly (i’m sure the tracks will make more sense when mixed together in a soon to be released label compilation – subtle hint), but this one is rather special.

following on from the classic that was ben watts previous release, guinea pig, this 3 way collaboration between ben watt, stimming (responsible for the classic klein nachtmusik that has featured in various guises on the label mixes/compilations), and jazz chanteuse julia biel, is a slice of minimal but warm throbbing synths, human emotion and will certainly be a surefire floor filler.

pressed on heavy duty vinyl featuring a golden delicious gatefold sleeve designed to eye pleasing perfection as ever by iwantdesign, and including a unique download key so the track is then available to you on your portable play of choice, this special limited edition 12” features 2 mixes : the sunset mix, and the sunrise mix.

for the sunset mix, the improvised vocals by julia provide the tracks focal point, with simplistic but highly effective melodic synths and clickety beats that rise and fall throughout the seven minutes beautifully, making this listener recall the jaw dropping collaborations between the black dog and nicollette, whereas the sunrise mix strips back the vocals to a bare minimum while underpinning the groove with a deeper bass thump.

one word : gorgeous.

two words : really gorgeous.

three words : go buy now.

more detail : here

psychonauts – wild in your eyes (original promo version)

mark e — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:17:35 +0000

many years ago, you know like 2003, i was digging around in the promo bin of a record shop in bristol (r.i.p : all of them), and chanced upon a 2 track cd-r of psychonauts featuring fear is real, and wild in your eyes. i knew of the psychonauts due to their involvement with mowax, and that they had sorted out a megamix of mowax material. naturally, i picked up the promo.

i think i listened to it once or twice and then left it unloved until a year later i fell for the whole electroclash thing as the lead track was very much in line with all that cold synth and disconnected vocals as provided by siobhan fahey.

since then, i have kept an eye out on the various movements of the people involved with the psychonauts project as pablo, aka 'psychopab', ended up doing some excellent mixtapes involving such folks as dj format, the soulsavers, free association, and his time with unkle of course.

fast foward to last year when i chanced upon a mint copy of their album, songs for creatures. i seemed to recall that the album never really got that much attention due to its protracted creation, but i decided to add it to the archive.

however, it must have been case of bad timing as i don't think i ever really got past track 3, empty love. something about the whole nitzer ebb groove of the track just didn't sit well with me (the fact it was released on dj hells label probably meant that the lads felt obliged to add a thumping ebm track to the proceedings), so i would just hit the eject and go back to whatever was the order of the day.

so why is that today i dug out the old promo and relistened to the lost b-side, wild in your eyes ?

no idea, but i'm bloody glad i did, as it's an epic track, and very much in line with the current demands for drawn out synthetic disco grooves.

starting out with random bleeps and ambience, the track morphs over 5 and a half minutes during which time it waves at future sound of london styled digital techno, before a flute solo comes in and goes all smooth jazz on you. basically, if this had been released a few months ago by a certain norwegian producer then the blog wires would have been rattling with serious intensity.
this revelation made me then dig out the album and give it another go.

whoa. did i miss out !

apart from the aforementioned empty love track which sticks out like a sore thumb, it's fantastic.
with a good mix of complimentary guest vocals, brooding electro enhanced bassline throbs and guitars, it means that a lot of the album is very much the missing jigsaw piece between the epic productions of nu-balearic heroes a mountain of one (a band pablo has been involved with), and the electro goth dance of unkle, albeit via hot blood with its bassline ripped straight from the mutant funk of papas got a brand new pigbag.
of course, this lead me to do the discogs/google thing only to discover that the album was re-released recently in a revised form.
as well as the new cover (which is truly awful), remastering etc, wild in your eyes has been slipped into the track listing, apparently to make the album more in line with the bands true wishes. let's just hope that this time the album gets the attention it truly deserves now that the hangover re their mowax association has evaporated.

now, i have no idea if the version i'm posting is the same as the final cut on the revised album, but hey, it's a good'un so kick back for a few and just soak it up.

electronic bleeps-n-throbs and a flute solo – what more could you ever want in life ?

mp3 : psychonauts – wild in your eyes

more detail : here

yeasayer – ambling alp (alan wilkis remix)

mark e — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:22:56 +0000

well i never.

remember this from a few months ago : pink and purple ?

well, it seems that since then alan has become a bit of a hot’un with this remix setting the blogowhatsit on fire ie. this track has been a chart buster on hype machine, and even had a mention in the independent.

so, given that alan makes electropop that makes me smile, and this fizzy remix is damn fine, who am i to argue with the masses ?

mp3 : ambling alp (alan wilkis remix)

more detail : here

the crackdown project minimix : billie ray martin

mark e — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:54:09 +0000

who would have ever thought that old cabaret voltaire material would end up as the foundation of a fine 17 min mix of throbbing electronic disco in 2010?

while most people of a certain age prefer the darker more harder edge era of the varied cabaret voltaire output, i didn’t catch up with them until the life changing, commercial crossover toe dipping 12”, sensoria.

subsequently upon hearing the 12” literally hundreds of times following its purchase, i started digging deeper into their history.

and to cut a long story short, i have to say, their some bizarre/virgin records releases, ( from the crackdown single and album through to i want you, and its associated album, the covenant, the sword and the arm of the lord) are still the ones that get the most airplay.

the crackdown album from which these covers have been lifted was a perfect cold slab of disturbing monotonic electro-funk that stands up 20 years on from its release, and never fails to send shivers up my spine when its given a spin

so, to hear two of the albums highlights, just fascination and crackdown, redone in such a fashion is a bit of a head fuck.

but a hugely enjoyable head fuck, with billie ray martin (electribe 101) playing the electro ice queen to perfection over the top of various flavours of bleeps and bumps.

oh, and the more observant of you may pick up on the fact that stephen mallinder himself has added backing vocals to the proceedings.

the crackdown project minimix by billie ray martin

more detail : here

wool recordings

mark e — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:01:58 +0000

well, this hasn't happened in a long long time, but after a day of rediscovery and enjoyment of new (but old) music, out of the blue i get an email from a small but perfectly formed french record label called wool recordings.

nothing exciting there perhaps.

the reason for the pick me up was that for once i clicked on the links and found myself loosing an hour of the day as i streamed and re-streamed the samples on offer.

hit the link, and find out if like me you succumb to the psych pop gorgeousness of franklin, or the jaw dropping brilliance of halb sirp by collage featuring harmonised vocals from a bygone era and a jazzed up sax line. i even loved the pure but simple acoustic vibes of sarabeth tucek.

the latest album to get the labels seal of approval is pineapple dream by double u, and to prove that others are following the flock, the band are joined by laetitia from stereolab on the opening track.

i'll tell you more about that once i get up to speed.

more detail : here

pedro and kathryn williams – demons in cases

mark e — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:33:24 +0000

well, it's been a day of rediscovery that i have to say has been a joy from start to finish.

basically, back in those far off days of the early to mid 00s i fell under the spell of music that mixed traditional instrumentation and laptop fidgeting.

people who like to throw up genre names a lot of it was tagged as folktronica, but i aint getting into what classes as such.

all i'll say, is that one of the gems of this era was this collaboration between laptop maestro, pedro (aka james rutledge), and soon to be folk songstress of excellence, kathryn williams.

the ep was released by the then fledging label, moshi moshi in their pre hot chip, bloc party, and florence and her machine chart busting days, and for me its release was a real turning point in my listening habits.

the ep became an absolute solid fixture for months on end, both of the tracks (and one very cut up reedit), just oozed perfection sending me off on a journey of discovery that mainly revolved around releases on the excellent melodic label (home of pedro solo material, minotaur shock and baikonour amongst others of course)

the music was spacious yet intimate, warm but clinical, traditional but futuristic, and utterly utterly wonderfully matched by kathryns hushed sensuality.

as you can tell, even now, just thinking about the track and i become a gushing fan.

so, today, in my need to find a musical fix, as i said in the previous post, i chanced upon a calming beauty that put me in mind to excavate the melodic part of the archive, and when this track hit the playlist, i melted like it was 2003 all over again.

of course, pedro has gone onto all manner of deserved acclaim, and kathryn recently released a beautiful, but more traditional album, leave to remain, and according to her website there is a new one to come soon.

so, given that this track has once again spurred me into action, made my blood flow, i have decided to dust it down, and post it.

this, along with the flip, and re-edit were collated on the pedro compilation, early pedro, that you should be able to track down quite easily.

so to tease and tempt you to discover more of james work under his pedro alias, please hit the link and enjoy.

mp3 : pedro and kathryn williams – demons in cases

more detail : here – - here

phelan sheppard – harps old master

mark e — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:52:51 +0000

i can't deny it, the ongoing coldness is getting to me.

so todays soundtrack was all about music that felt and sounded warm.

technology beats and noise started the day off, but soon became hard on the delicate ears.

so, a quick browse around various dusty corners of the ireallylovemusic archive meant i chanced upon this long forgotten nugget.

released back in 2006 on the leaf label, and left unloved until today, phelan sheppard, comprises of two blokes, kieron phelan and david sheppard, who across these 11 instrumentals try their hands at just about anything they can find in the studio : guitars, doublebass, keyboards, woodwind, percussion, oh and according to the sleeve details, mallets.

of course, its all about the mallets.

the result is a serene album of widescreen acoustic beauty, natural ambience, as opposed to gloopy synthetic machine noises.

strings are added to the odd track here and there, as are drama inducing spoken vocals by ines naranjo, who by her very name alone, adds an extra degree of exotic attraction to the proceedings.

i can't imagine many people have heard this album, but, that's their loss, as for 45 minutes, listening to this is like stepping into a new world free of stress and wired distractions, and should be prescribed to all those looking for a way to wash away the hassles of modern life as opposed to the usual route of pills-n-thrills.

highly recommended.

more detail : here

listeners choice for today

mark e — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:41:52 +0000

released on melodic records last year.

reviewed : here

still on the playlist @ ireallylovemusic hq this year.

summary : excellent.

the meaning of ..

mark e — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:46:40 +0000

.. life, the universe, and everything.

and, yes, that is, as of today, the number of years i have lived on this planet.

feels weird given that when i read/watched/listened to the nerdfest that was the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, the very idea of 42 years of age felt so very far away.

hey ho, that’s life.

one minute you’re sat in your bedroom waiting for the hero that is john peel to lead you into the late hours while spinning records that you’ll never find in woolworths (r.i.p : that online version isn’t going to cut it is it) in your back of beyond yorkshire market town, the next you are looking at your mortgage statement wondering what the fuck is going on, and making sure you have filled in your life insurance form properly.

so, i hear you cry out into the ether – just how did you celebrate such an audacious event ?

well, most of the day was spent with a hand sanding machine in a small but perfectly formed bathroom in the west wing of ireallylovemusic hq trying to reduce the layers of gloss paint on the skirting boards down to bearable level so that we can do it all over again.

hey ho, that’s (my) life.

now normally, such chores would be sound tracked with all manner of excellence dug out of the various corners of the archive, however, the sander makes such a ear shredding din, that it actually induced a major bout of tinnitus thereby negating any desire whatsoever to listen to any music thereafter for several hours post chore.

hey ho, well, you get my point.

as for the wired silence that has descended upon the blog, well that’s easily explained.

stress related + lack of inspirational records (though i am falling hard for the serenity that portico quartet created for the recent isla album).

simple as that.

despite the lull, i remain hopeful that 2010 is going to be a good’un, as the list of records (please add dadahack, idc, akira the don, to the list i posted earlier) that are supposed to appear before we descend into december chaos.

but as yet – it’s a definite case of diggin’ deep into my limited miles davis collection, while coming to terms that i am actually enjoying blue note era bebop.

now, if you’ll excuse me, i’ve just noticed a spot of gloss that still shines, and needs to be sorted out.

mark e

ireallylovemusic