Metal Monday #8

The past couple of days have really flown by, to the extent that they feel surrealistic in retrospect. That's the only way I can explain it. Once you get involved in mass toking sessions you can expect any concept of time and scheduling to disappear. It is the unfortunate truth and it is the main reason (besides dying for a few days after a houseparty) that this wasn't updated at its correct time. Fear not, however, as here it is in its full glory, albeit a little on the late side. I hope you enjoy the tracks.

First up is a real treat by one of the 'big four' of thrash metal, Megadeth. Fascinatingly, the song to be featured is as equally about the Northern Irish troubles as it is about the popular comic book antihero The Punisher. Of course, the track I'm referring to is Holy Wars... The Punishment Due, a song whose origin is to some extent blurred. Although Megadeth founder, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Dave Mustaine, has stated in an interview with Guitarist magazine that the story behind the song was that during an Ulster Hall show he noticed bootleg Megadeth t-shirts on sale but was persuaded not to remove them as they were helping 'The Cause', there are discrepancies regarding what transpired after this action. In spite of these differing accounts, the most widely accepted report is that for some reason only known to himself, Mustaine shouted something along the lines of "give Ireland back to the Irish." Given the sensitive climate of Northern Ireland at this point in time, it is no surprise that both Mustaine and the rest of his band had to leave in a bulletproof bus. It was after this show that Mustaine decided to write about the Holy Wars of this country. The song itself is one of my favourite Megadeth tracks due in large part to its relentlessness and overall structure. It is one of the few tracks from this era to really captures the essence of thrash metal and although it isn't their most popular track, few songs get a crowd going as much as this one.

Megadeth - Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

The next track to be posted is a heavy one: Feed The Gods by White Zombie. Of all the places and all the things to introduce me to this track, it had to be one of my least favourite films, Airheads. It is difficult to express exactly how much I hate this film. As a kid, I'd heard a lot of good things about it from numerous different reputable sources (or at least sources I considered reputable at the time) but when I watched it I don't think I've ever cringed so badly throughout an entire film in the manner I did with it. There was one good thing to come from it though, this track. Surprisingly, White Zombie actually recorded Feed The Gods for the soundtrack of Airheads and can actually be seen playing it at Whiskey a Go Go during the film, so I suppose technically if I hadn't seen this film, there's a good chance I wouldn't have heard the song in the first place. Don't underestimate me when I say that this one is heavy. It is really heavy, which is exactly what you should expect from a White Zombie track. Herein lies a problem though; it can be quite a burdensome track to write anything constructive about. The only thing that really comes to mind is a significant emphasis placed on conveying an overarching sense of brutality. The drums come crashing down hard from the outset, the distortive effects placed on the guitar provide a necessary blueprint of savageness and Rob Zombie bellows above it all on a borderline incomprehensible scale.

White Zombie - Feed The Gods

The middle track to be posted today is more for nostalgic purposes than anything else. It is The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears by Machine Head. It is at around this point that you're probably wondering where this sense of nostalgia stems from, considering they still release albums on a regular basis and play at an international level pretty frequently. Unfortunately these days I hardly ever get around to listening to Machine Head anymore. They will still get a look in every now and then but it is becoming less and less frequent in recent times. Although some people lumped them into the nu metal bracket, I don't really agree. Whilst there is little doubt that they burst onto the scene when this subgenre was at exploding point, they ticked all the right boxes for a decent thrash metal band and could even be considered part of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. The song to be posted today, The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears serves as a nice little reminder of a bygone era. It was just one of those tracks that absolutely everyone was listening to when it came out. The vocals were intimidating but not in the same way that the vocals in Emperor or Immortal are. There is definitely crossover appeal because while it is undoubtedly a heavy track, the vocals don't intrude too heavily and the riff is simple yet extremely effective.

Machine Head - The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears.

The fourth track to be posted is by a band I quite honestly haven't properly listening to in years: Kreator. Unless you're truly into your metal, its unlikely you know of these guys. Alongside Overkill, I would consider them one of the most underappreciated thrash metal bands out there. Like Destruction and Sodom, they are credited with helping to create the Death Metal genre by containing certain elements that later became a staple of that genre. This aspect alone should pique your interest. The song I have chosen to go with for this post is an old favourite of mine, Slave Machinery. I don't know what I like most about this track but what I do know is that its a toss up between the consistently balanced drum licks and the skullcrushingly vicious guitar riffs. The drums are so stereotypically metal its not even funny, keeping the flow but preserving a rough but diverse parimeter. Though I'll be the first to admit that the vocalist of Kreator, Miland 'Mille' Petrozza can be a little grating at times, he is the type of metal vocalist you get used to after a prolonged period of listening. Slave Machinery combines each of these aspects to create one of their overall better tracks.

Kreator - Slave Machinery

Lastly I've decided to go with something a little bit different, Bulls On Parade by Rage Against The Machine. I know what you're thinking, what a clichéd track. I partially agree. There is no doubt that Bulls On Parade has been played out, but no more so than Guerrilla Radio, Bombtrack or Killing In The Name Of. The reason I've chosen Bulls On Parade is because out of all the Rage Against The Machine albums, I feel Evil Empire gets the least amount of recognition and I have no idea why. For me, each of the albums are up there as some of the best released by a modern rock group, yet for some reason Evil Empire always seems to get neglected when people talk of the band. Admittedly, the album has a very different approach, concentrating primarily on bass riffage and seemingly building the tracks around it. Aside from this, the political messages are the same and it is musically tight throughout. Bulls On Parade is a good example of this factor because while some could dismiss its simplistic approach, its riff is such a hardhitting one that it is a difficult song not to nod along to. While I wouldn't necessarily say its their best (what is?), it is a nice little reminder of the overall competence and songwriting ability of the band.

Rage Against The Machine - Bulls On Parade

Easy Like Sunday Morning #8

Last night was a rarity of sorts. What started out as a simple trip into Belfast city centre to get Soulwax tickets and a few pints descended into multiple pints, countless shots of tequila and a few double vodka and cokes. I have only vague recollections of busting some serious moves on the dancefloor but that's where it ends. We somehow ended up in a houseparty packed to the brink with a lot of strangers and a lot of people we know. We didn't leave till 9am and needless to say I've been feeling it today. You may notice this post is a little on the late side. This is primarily because I have spent most of today sleeping or reeling in agony. At least Ghostbusters was on to cheer me up.

On the concert front, one of my biggest regrets is not going to see Jason Mraz when he played here. Although I was and sort of still am a little unfamiliar with with his main body of work, I'd heard enough of his material and been impressed enough with it to warrant a ticket purchase. For some reason I didn't go ahead with it and to this day it bewilders me. The track I'm going to concentrate on today is a catchy little number by him entitled I'm Yours. Surprisingly, I was first introduced to this track via a Halo 3 montage. This is possibly why it stood out so much. Granted, it was employed as credit music, but even then it was hugely different to what most people use as their choice of background music for these types of things. There is a simple yet innocent quality to it. I don't know about you, but I find something about a man and his guitar to be very endearing. Rather than coming across as contrived or overly elaborate, instead, Jason Mraz adopts a much more D.I.Y approach to his music. When most people think of D.I.Y they envision an assortment of tools making suitably distracting and unnerving sounds in order to achieve production. When I think of D.I.Y with regards to music, and in particular, music from singer-songwriters, I think of hard work and good song structure. Mraz doesn't disappoint on this front, offering a brightness that would no doubt make Jack Johnson stand to attention if he heard it.

Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

For the second song I'm going to break a self-imposed rule. Given the fact that we've all been busy with a variety of different things over the past while, unfortunately we haven't been able to cover all the genres we'd like to cover in this blog. Hip-hop is one such genre. Long-time readers may have heard me referring to this in previous posts of this nature, and though this is a rule I've primarily implemented for myself, in actuality, there have been tracks of a hip-hop or rap nature posted by me on this very blog. The simple truth is that when you feel like a track fits the bill, you gotta go with it regardless of what type of music it is. The main reason we've been saving tracks is so we can do a huge post on the genre itself and our favourite tracks from it in the near future. With this factor in mind, I don't feel quite as guilty about posting this next one: Eye Know by De La Soul. The reason I don't feel guilty about this is because I a song by them which is quite possibly one of my favourites of all time stored for later, and no, it isn't The Magic Number. You'll just have to wait and see. As for the group themselves, De La Soul are one of the most inspirational and original rap groups out there, blending an extensive mix of jazz influences with unconventional sampling and creative and stylistic wordplay to help create one of the most cherished and highly respected genres in the world, alternative hip-hop. You may not know the style by name but it has been heralded and adopted by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers and Jurassic 5 which should give you some degree of indication as to just how critically and commercially acclaimed it was and remains to be. Refusing to conform to existing rap stereotypes, the basis behind alternative hip-hop was to blend styles and draw from differing genres proportionately. This is half the reason I decided to go with Eye Know, the other half is because it has been regular Sunday morning-to-mid-afternoon listening for me for many a year now.

De La Soul - Eye Know

The middle track for today's post is by a band many of you will undoubtedly be familiar with, Explosions In The Sky. While I didn't have a chance to catch them on their most recent tour of Ireland, I did get to see them in Dublin a year or so ago and they were overwhelmingly awe-inspiring. Like Mogwai's Hunted By A Freak, the song I have decided to go with could be considered one of their bigger tracks, a breakthrough release if you wish. Of course this is a matter which is debatable amongst fans, largely due to the fact that neither First Breath After Coma or its containing album The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place ended up breaking the sales charts when they were released, but they have subsequently recieved critical accolade as well as First Breath After Coma being featured in multiple ads and even in the Michael Moore film, Capitalism: A Love Story. Though many could argue that First Breath After Coma isn't the standout track some hail it as, I'm inclined to both disagree and agree. The reason behind this concurrence is because Explosions In The Skys' material is so typically of high standard that it is difficult to place any of their work above the rest. From an alternate perspective, however, First Breath After Coma is above all a manifestation of the spirit of post-rock with its simple yet sufficient rhythmic melodies and sentimentalist ambience.

Explosions In The Sky - First Breath After Coma

Fourthly, we have a song by a band who I can almost guarantee you wouldn't expect us to post: The Korgis. Who are The Korgis I hear you asking? Well, the simple answer is that they were one of the better British pop groups of the late 70s to early 80s. It is unlikely most readers will be familiar with the majority of their material, but I'd be surprised if anyone reading hadn't heard Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime and what a tune it is. It is such a widely covered song that there are some covers and reinterpretations which are actually more well known that the original. Everyone, from Erasure to Vanessa Carlton to Glasvegas have covered this track. I suppose it isn't really that surprising given that it is assuredly one of the best pop songs out there. I don't know about you, but most pop tracks in this day and age get on my nerves. I don't mind other popular hybrids but most of what is considered pop music as a genre is just lazy and uninspired. Unknown singers continually pop out of the woodwork and with the help of a producer and a little bit of audio technology they can release number one singles, providing they have enough backing from music television channels, of course. I don't mean to sound cynical or in any way dismissive but unfortunately we're at a point where it is difficult for anything but the latest new thing to reach the masses. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule but I personally think that the popular music machine is due for a shake-up very soon. For now, we'll just have to settle with The Korgis unparalleled structuring, simplicity and transparent purity.

The Korgis - Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime

Lastly we have a track by possibly one of the most underrated rock bands of them all, Failure. You could say I've saved the best to last in this respect because, like Karma To Burn, they are a critically lauded band who narrowly failed to find a worldwide audience despite being fantastic at their respective instruments and as a cohesive unit. During their career from 1990-1997, they were often compared to the likes of Nirvana and Mudhoney, especially due to the fact that grunge had such a foothold on mainstream society at this point. Contrary to these suggestions, however, they were a breed of their own, distinguished by scrupulous attention to production, engineering and textural sonic detail and by the development of an unconstrained sound that was not typically associated with rock bands of this generation. Being the talented individuals that they are, Failure are one of the few bands out there who manage to retain the basic framework of their style on every album yet also make each production significantly different in a number of ways. The track to be posted today, Failure - Another Space Song, is a good example of this cross between contrast and coordination. While it is very much a Failure track, they expand enough with it for it to be considered not only a new but a worthy addition to their catalogue. This is how their music befits them.

Failure - Another Space Song

The Essential Selection #3

Like I mentioned yesterday, rather than having two posts on the same day I decided to go with TFI Friday on the Friday and The Essential Selection on a Saturday. Despite both posts being based around a Friday, I figured, for this month at least, that it'd be better to have two individual posts on the last weekend of the month so both get enough exposure. Hopefully from here on in The Essential Selection will be taking over the last Friday of the month but nothing is set in stone, so we'll keep you posted as it happens. Enjoy the tracks and also what's left of your weekend.

Bill O'Reilly - DO IT LIIIIVE!!!!!!!!1111 (DiscoTech Mix Version 2)
The Japanese Popstars - Face Melter
Vandal And Blende - Healthy Boy (Re Edit)(Elite Force Sampler Ep)
D.I.M - Is You (JFK Remix)
Groove Bandits - Sing Hallelujah
The Bloody Beetroots - Cornelius
Wolfgang Gartner - Flashback
Deadmau5 - Slip
Moby - Disco Lies (The Dusty Kid's Fears Remix)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E (Stuart Price Remix)

Tiga

Hailing from Montreal, Canada, Tiga is a name that evokes a simultaneous sense of fear and anticipation whenever it is uttered. Having been DJing since the early 90s, Tiga has created a fierce reputation on the live circuit. He is responsible for the promotion of countless rave parties in Montreal and for the formation of the world renowned club SONA. In spite of these accomplishments, he was still uncontent and eventually he opened a record store entitled DNA Records and later created his own record label, Turbo Records.

Even these humble beginnings provided the blueprint for success on a much larger scale, because to some extent they demonstrated exactly what he was capable of. There is little doubt that, like a certain 00 Agent, Tiga is a man whose main priority is to get the job done. While his own solo material didn't exactly set the world on fire, he really shone through on his remixes and covers. The former has led to many faithful reinterpretations from artists ranging from Felix Da Housecat to Scissor Sisters. His cover of Corey Hart's Sunglasses At Night also often sneaks its way onto sets by many world-class DJs. Another notable cover is his body-popping cover of Public Enemy's Louder Than A Bomb, arguably the best of his solo work.

The songs I'm going to focus on today are Move My Body (Boys Noize Remix), You Gonna Want Me (Tocadisco Remix) and What You Need (The Proxy Remix). Move My Body is a fairly old remix but one of Alex Ridha's better ones. It has been making the rounds for several years now and never fails to get the dancefloor bouncing. Both You Gonna Want Me and What You Need, however, are my tied favourites in this department because they're both infectious and really showcase their respective artists' abilities. Tocadisco really lets it rip on You Gonna Want Me, adding a beat which is arguably on the verge of electro-house which is complimented by those catchy vocals from the original. It is just one of those rare tracks that can bring a smile to your face amidst the chaos of a dance set. On the other hand, The Proxy does what he does best on What You Need providing an absolutely filthy but very Proxy-esque bassline that drops like a ton of bricks on your head. Highly recommended.

Tiga - Move My Body (Boys Noize Remix)
Tiga - You Gonna Want Me (Tocadisco Remix)
Tiga - What You Need (The Proxy Remix)

Bonus:
Tiga - Mind Dimension (Gingy Edit)

Metal Monday #7

My external harddrive passed away a week or two ago after many years of service. Interestingly, another harddrive which I had backed the majority of my stuff up on had stopped working roughly a year ago, which left me in a bit of a predicament. By a miraculous coincidence, the data on the latter HD has been managed to be salvaged which means that though some of my stuff is unaccounted for, the majority of it has been saved. Honestly, I would probably have killed myself if all my music got deleted. Anyway, enough with the chit-chat, lets get to the point:

The first track to be posted is by Chimaira and it is taken from their album The Impossibility Of Reason. The track itself is one of their more underappreciated efforts, Cleansation. Out of all the bands under the banner of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, Chimaira have to be my favourite, because simply put, there is no band like them. They're able to combine some of the heaviest and most brutal riffs with vocals which are not only appropriate to the music being played but that often adapt to fit the style which the band is conveying. The track Cleansation is no different. It has one of the most storming openings I've ever heard, with drum and guitar patterns that refuse to harmonise with eachother, instead approaching the track with their own individual methodology that plays off eachother. Another notable aspect of this song is the almost eastern vibe the guitar gives off at around the 2:30 mark which builds up to the shredding solo, with Mark Hunter's impenetrable and enigmatic vocals providing a much-needed layer over the top. Their name, in particular, is perhaps one of the most fitting parts of the band as they are named after a creature from Greek mythology, the Chimera, a fire-breathing monster. The reason why this is so befitting is because their music to some extent corresponds with this mythological beast due to the sheer power and competency of the band as a whole. Cleansation is a good demonstration of this dynamism and proficiency.

Chimaira - Cleansation

Secondly we have Derek Sherinian's Day Of The Dead. You may or may not know Sherinian depending on whether you're a fan of keyboardists or not. If you are, there is a good chance you're a fan of his already due to the volume of accomplishments he has made throughout his career. If not, allow me to introduce him: Derek Sherinian has to be one of the most dynamic and technically proficient keyboardists in the business, playing with a vast aggregation of artists, ranging from the likes of Kiss to Alice In Chains. On a more progressive front, he has also played with Dream Theater and is the founder of the band Planet X, who to an extent serve as a influence to his own solo work. Day Of The Dead is a good example of this significance because it plays upon the blueprint created by Planet X. This blueprint stems from the relentless nature with which they became attributed. Sherinian doesn't play it down either, citing the reason for the formation of Planet X as a band who "played their instruments so fiercely, that they would strike fear in the hearts of all musicians". His solo work builds upon this manifesto, with some of the most skullcrushing and downright grinding riffs to ever feature on solo material of this type. Listening to the track Day Of The Dead itself, it is hard to believe that it is taken from the solo album of a keyboardist, as there is heavy emphasis on the guitar work from the outset. It is only when you take a closer listen that you realize that a lot of this supposed guitar work is actually achieved through different settings on his equipment. There are many notable collaborations on his albums with guitarists and drummers but much of what you originally perceive as being from a guitar isn't actually so, which demonstrates just how versatile and creative Sherinian is. Day Of The Dead is one of those songs it is difficult not to like because although it is a little on the long side, there is enough material in it to sustain multiple listens.

Derek Sherinian - Day Of The Dead

The middle track of todays post is System Of A Down's P.L.U.C.K, taken from their self-titled album. Unless you've been living in a cave for your entire life, there is no doubt that you've heard of System Of A Down, especially their multiplatinum record Toxicity. In the early 2000s, there were few metal bands who could evoke such critical and commercial acclaim internationally, yet although they are on a hiatus, in more recent times they appear to have lost their touch. In spite of being perhaps the most iconic member of the band, their lead singer Serj Tankian has taken more of a backseat in recent productions. Instead, guitarist/backing vocalist Daron Malakian took more of a hands-on approach with the band, singing in many of their tracks, despite not being the greatest singer in the world, and as a result, they lost some of the impact they originally had. I'm not saying Serj Tankian was excluded but he most definitely played less of a part in the overall structure of the band and as a result they became less and less an original and contemporary band with a valid message to put across. This is the reason I have chosen to go with P.L.U.C.K over their newer material. It embodies the ideals and stylistic traits on which the band was founded and although their self-titled album doesn't quite hit the pinnacles of Toxicity, it is still a great album in its own right because of songs like Soil, War? and of course P.L.U.C.K.

System Of A Down - P.L.U.C.K.

The fourth track to be posted is by a band who I'm surprised haven't been featured in this weekly segment yet; Devin Townsend's sideproject, Strapping Young Lad. The track to be featured is Love? from their Alien album. An interesting bit of trivia regarding this album is that in order to prepare for recording it, Townsend stopped taking medication prescribed to him in order to treat his bipolar disorder. He described the reasons behind this in a statement saying that "I think that as an artist, in order for me to get to the next plateau, I kind of feel the need to explore things and sometimes that exploration leads you to places that are a little crazy," concluding that "Alien was no exception with that." The track Love? is prominent for two reasons. Firstly, its video is heavily inspired by the Evil Dead franchise, and secondly it has an extremely accessible opening riff. It was chosen as the lead single from the album due to a possibility of commercial metal appeal though I think that is more to do with the other tracks on the album rather than Love? itself. I wouldn't say that this is the strongest of all the Strapping Young Lad tracks but it is a good example of what the band are capable of and that's why I chose it.

Strapping Young Lad - Love?

Lastly, we have Pantera's 5 Minutes Alone, a track which seems to constantly grow on me the more I listen to it. Maybe its the utterly compelling bass lick or it could be Phil Anselmo's imperative vocals, I honestly don't know. My only real complaint of Pantera as a band is that there tends to be a hell of a lot of filler on their albums as opposed to stone-cold classics such as Cowboys From Hell, Walk or even the featured track 5 Minutes Alone. Admittedly, the album which 5 Minutes Alone belongs to, Far Beyond Driven, isn't quite as bad for this as some of their previous albums but it makes you wonder exactly what they could have been had they spent more time crafting their material. This isn't a slight against the band, as they are one of the greatest metal bands of all time and obviously there were a lot of issues between the band members on the inside, but unfortunately we will never know exactly what the band were capable of due to the untimely murder of lead guitarist Dimebag Darrell. For now, you'll just have to be happy with one of the best breakdowns in metal history at just under the 4:00 mark.

Pantera - 5 Minutes Alone

Easy Like Sunday Morning #7

As Thunder Child briefly mentioned in his last post, TFI Friday, he will be taking a leave of absence over the next couple of weeks to concentrate on university work. This means that I will be undertaking the majority of the weekly posts until he returns. There is a good chance he will be able to draw something up for the TFI Friday posts but we'll take that as it comes. You may be wondering why I'm forced to do this singlehandedly. Well, the truth is that the rest of the writers either have internet problems or are too lazy to do anything. Admittedly, I'm inclined to lean towards the latter because three months is a long time to have not contributed anything but what can you do. This is also the reason that there are sometimes missing gaps or posts, particularly with regards to the weekly segments. The simple fact is that it is difficult to bestow faith or trust in other people because people are flawed. Don't take it as a reflection of the blog itself but rather those who fail to update it. On a brighter note, there is a good possibility not only that Mr. JazzCigarettes will be returning to help me with a weekly segment in the coming weeks but that he will be posting a new article this week. You should remember him from his And Now For Something Completely Different post, a refreshing yet affectionate look at the singer/songwriter genre. On a similar level, I am hoping to get a new writer in to cover one of the Metal Monday posts in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled for that. It's going to be a busy couple of weeks.

First up is a track by a duo who amazingly haven't been featured in this segment yet, despite perhaps being the most representative aural personification of easy Sunday morning listening. The artist is, of course, Air. The track I have decided to go with is Alpha Beta Gaga, a song you have no doubt been introduced to sometime since its release in 2004 but most likely just didn't know its name or who it was by. This is the beauty of Air, they make some of the catchiest and uplifting electronica songs yet most people wouldn't be overly familiar with their work. Allow me to (re)introduce you. The song Alpha Beta Gaga has a flavour that wouldn't sound out of place in an advertisement. I'm not talking about the McDonalds 'I'm loving it' jingle but rather something more refined and original such as the Orange or Guinness advertisements. Surprisingly, to my knowledge, it has never been featured in an advertisement but it is easy to make this mistake, especially considering it contains somewhat of a transcendent semblance that most recent artists wouldn't even dream of capturing. Like many great songs, whether you've heard this track before or not is irrelevant, it will instantly have an immediate and familiar quality to you in a similar way Royksopp's Eple might. I'd assume this is due to the interlinking nature of the main hook and the correlating whistling which compliment eachother faultlessly. It is this parallel which makes Alpha Beta Gaga not only instantly recognisable but also essential Sunday listening, particularly if you want your spirits lifted.

Air - Alpha Beta Gaga

The second track to be posted today is Samon Kawamura's Right Here, a song which also features the brother of hip-hop pioneer Madlib, Oh No. Like last week's Common Market track, I've been sitting on this one for quite some time. Unlike last week's track, however, there is no grand plan for this one. I simply forgot to post it. Hopefully this post can make up for my forgetfulness though as I figure now is as good a time as ever to get it uploaded. Samon Kawamura is a relative unknown in most circles. This could be for many reasons but is most likely due to the fact that it is incredibly difficult to discuss or analyse exactly what he does. While it should be noted that he is a hip-hop producer first and foremost, many of his beats retain an electronic yet traditional feel to them. The only person I could really compare him to is DJ Krush because whilst he produces hip-hop beats, many of his tracks are instrumental with the odd guest vocalist laying down some lyrics for only a handful of tracks. Speaking on comparisons and influences, he states "basically I more and more like people with an electronic approach, who nevertheless have an analogue feeling in their music." It is a difficult line to tread because while the analogue/electronic argument is a source of contention amongst many DJs and producers, here is a producer not siding with one or the other but rather making it his perogative to draw influence from both. Thankfully it really works because though some listeners may find his material unappealing at first, once you hit that sweet spot there is no going back. I chose Right Here because it is a fresh beat advocated by Oh No's rapping and because it is something a little bit different compared to what we usually see on these pages.

Samon Kawamura - Right Here

Continuing on the 'little bit different' theme, I have chosen a track which at first glance will have most people wondering where my sanity went. The song is Chaos & Julia Set's Atmosphere (Sub Base Field Remix), a nice little cross between old school Hardcore. Drum and Base and the Detroit Techno movement. I know what you're thinking, can dance music really be easy listening? Well, the truth is it can. Just listen to Orbital's Belfast or The Future Sound Of London's Papua New Guinea and you'll see what I'm talking about. It is extremely unlikely you'll have heard of Chaos & Julia Set before this point unless you've been an avid follower of the underground UK dance scene over the past twenty years. Personally I have no idea when or where I was introduced to Atmosphere (Sub Base Field Remix) but I have a feeling my good friend Hostile Product showed it to me, so props where props are due. This song is definitely a pick-me-up type tune. While it builds and builds, the beat never strays too far from the source material, ultimately leading to what could be considered a tribute to a bygone era. It is never too relentless or flamboyant, it is what it is and that's what I like the most about it.

Chaos & Julia Set - Atmosphere (Sub Base Field Remix)

As mentioned several weeks ago, the next track to be featured will be a Moby track. You may remember when I took the reigns a few weeks ago I mentioned that I will be focusing on roughly two or three tracks from the album Play in order to demonstrate just how versatile Moby is. I decided at the last minute last week to mix it up a bit and take some focus away from this artist but I feel that enough time has passed in order to display another track from this album. At this rate, expect the next installment (if there is one) within the next couple of weeks. The track I've decided to go for this week is The Sky Is Broken, predominantly because it is quite a unique track in its own right. While it starts out as a bit of a slow burner, with a relaxed drum pattern and synth work that sounds like it was composed underwater, they are soon joined by a man speaking rather than singing. Interestingly, the dryness of his tone is what makes it so immersive. It just fits. Near the end of the track we are greeted by a brief yet captivating segment where the synth really develops and comes into its own.

Moby - The Sky Is Broken

Lastly we have one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands, the Incubus track Drive. The band themselves have to be one of the most misunderstood bands in history. Whereas those who don't really know them automatically attribute their music to cookie-cutter rock bands such as Alkaline Trio or Three Doors Down, in reality they couldn't be further from the truth. The reason for this is because upon first glance most people will notice that the vocals have a tendency to be a little bit softer. This is just the type of band they are. In terms of musicality they are on their own level. Honestly, there is little to no bands doing what they're doing right now: blending what could be perceived as commerciality with relentless funk and instrumental accomplishment. Though Incubus may appear to be a certain type of band on the surface, if you even give them the slightest window of opportunity you will no doubt come out feeling very differently about them. Few bands can reach the level of popularity they've reached doing what they do without compromising their artistic integrity along the way. With Incubus, each album stands out from the crowd and, rather than losing their touch, they seem to be improving with age. The song I've chosen for this post is a little more radio friendly than many of their other songs but don't let that deter you, it is still a great song that might open you up a bit. Listen to it with a clear head and hopefully you'll feel the same way I do.

Incubus - Drive

TFI Friday #6

Friday at last, its been a long week and this may be the last you from me for a while. Nothing's went wrong, i just have to concentrate on uni work for the next few weeks as its deadlines galore. There may be some guest posters to fill my post, so be on the lookout for something different in my absence. Its been a long week and this may be the last you hear from me for a while, but its still the weekend. Enjoy the tracks.

Tracks:
Boys Noize - Kontact Me
Hey Today! - Necessary Evil
Acid Girls - The Numbers Song 
Michael Jackson - Remember the Time (Don Diablo Remix)
Gigi Barocco - Puah

*Bonus mash-up from the Bast*rds:
The Bast*rds of  Bass - Lose Your Heartbeat (Eminem vs The Knife) 

The bonus is a little goodbye present from myself until i return (and also to make up for the missing track 2), been sitting on this track for about a year or so now, enjoy.

The All-American Rejects

Have I gone out of my mind? Why am I posting about an alternative rock/pop band? The truth is that I'm not really posting about them but rather some pretty nifty remixes that have been done in recent times. As always, there is a strong possibility you may have heard these tracks if you've been visiting any major electro blogs in the past couple of months, but we here at AHC believe that it is often better to re-post older tracks that are actually really good rather than concentrate on newer stuff that we don't find as appealing. Obviously we want to keep you as up to date as possible with regards to the latest releases and what is getting hyped at any given time, but we're not gonna post a track we aren't feeling just because a big name is attached to it. Sometimes it is better to revisit older material rather than focusing on getting newer tracks posted just because they're new.

The two tracks I've chosen for today's post are The All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell (The Bloody Beetroots Remix) and The All-American Rejects - The Wind Blows (Felix Cartal Remix). Admittedly, The Bloody Beetroots have been impressing me less and less in recent times. With the initial surge of remixes that propelled them into electro royalty it seemed like everything they touched turned to gold. Their remixes frequently tore up dancefloors and had listeners eagerly anticipating their next release. So what went wrong? Well, nothing really. They kept the same formula and it kind of got a little repetitive. Their debut LP didn't exactly blow me away but there were a few good tracks on it. While this All-American Rejects remix isn't exactly mindblowing, it has a nice beat and doesn't stray too far into the fidget house genre instead keeping its electro roots by descending into the realm of solid, bassy synths. Secondly, we have The Wind Blows which is remixed by Felix Cartal. In my opinion, Felix Cartal can do no wrong and it keeps me awake at night knowing I've yet to see him. His releases and remixes are constantly dirty, constantly inspiring and constantly upbeat. In other words, he makes filthy music you can dance recklessly to. The Wind Blows is a good example of this because rather than taking time to build it up and unleash hell instead he unleashes it from the get-go chopping up vocal samples to fit the beat. This isn't his best production but it will most certainly make you wanna go out and destroy some dancefloors and that can only be a good thing.

The All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell (The Bloody Beetroots Remix)
The All-American Rejects - The Wind Blows (Felix Cartal Remix)

Metal Monday #6

The first song in discussion this week will be our first live track, usually id try and avoid live material as the recording quality is never really up to scratch and the band never really sounds as perfected as they do on the studio, however this track is a testament to how brilliantly such a well rounded band can perform under live circumstances. The band is Vanden Plas and the song is the opening track on their Spirit of live album. The track opens with a the crowds chanting the group's name and the listener is instantly transported into the crowd, a nice touch by the producers. The track is very much a perfect sample of what you are going to hear from the rest of the album, tracks from the 4 albums preceding the recording. Andy Kuntz delivers a memorable performance during the track especially during when delivering the higher and more harmonized notes which seem to always compliment Stephan Lill's guitar work throughout the track.

Vanden Plas - I Can See (live)


This track is slightly different in that it is not technically metal, but hip-hop. The track, Awaiting the Hour, heavily samples Slayers Rainning Blood and the name has clearly been taken from the lyric within the song "awaiting the hour of reprisal". The song hails from Ill Bills 2007 mixtape Black Metal and is very typical of the artist, featuring heavy hitting lyrics that justify the heavy riffs playing over them. The name of the song and the lyrics they were derived from were later re-used as Ill Bills second studio album "The Hour of Reprisal", also featuring heavy metal orientated tracks such as War is my Destiny, i haven't went into too much detail on ill bill here so i can do a profile of him sometime in the future, for now enjoy the track.

Ill Bill - Awaiting the Hour


The next track I want to talk about is Megadeth's Insomnia. To most people it almost seems to be an accepted realism that a band older work usually seems to be better and their new work is unlistenable, Metallica being a prime example, another being Dragonforce, however a few artists do seem to mature as they get older and have not only listenable albums, but albums that destroy previous endeavors, The Beatles, Jurassic 5, Common and Savatage being just a few examples. I am not going to state that Megadeth's later albums are perceivably better than their earlier work, however I still find their later work pretty damn good and very listenable, especially when you consider Megadeth's long time rivals pitiful attempts at making music. Insomnia come from the groups 1999 album Risk, which was a critical and commercial failure, with fans complaining about the lack of metal, however I feel that Insomnia really stood as a testament to the group and to what the album was trying to do, even if it was slightly experimental. The band would return to form with later albums which provided touring grounds for the band especially after their brief breakup in 2002-2004. Insomnia has a seeming organic flow to it which seems to stem from the violins that are heard backing the track throughout. I really enjoyed this track from this ill fated album, so I urge you to give it a chance.

Megadeth - Insomnia


Next I want to talk about Tool's memorable song Hooker with a Penis. I was first introduced to this song (and the band) through a cousin of mine, being a big tool fan he naturally wanted to spread the word about the group, I listened, I enjoyed and I wanted more. The song is from their critically acclaimed album Ænima and after hearing it I was satisfied. I felt it was a very accessible album and still do, especially compared to a slightly more conceptual Lateralus. The song was one I ended up listening to a lot over the years and was probably one of the key songs that got me interested in the progressive metal genre, even if I didn’t consciously link the two at the time. The song is very typical of the time it was written in and of Tool themselves, containing slightly irregular drum patterns that a few bands seemed to be experimenting with at the time and also containing Keenan's signature vocal style dominating the track and almost sounding like an instrument itself due to the aggressive tone and meticulous timing of his words.

Tool - Hooker with a Penis


The last track is another entry from Dream Theater, a band who seem to, unsurprisingly, keep making appearances in our list of featured artists. This track I want to talk about is The Mirror from their 1994 album Awake. The song is a lot heavier than the majority of the band's songs and heavily leans towards the thrash metal genre that they would explore further in later albums which I personally felt came full circle within Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, most attempts at the heavier Prog Metal just didn’t seem to work out for the band which Train of Thought seemed to prove, this doesn’t however mean that all albums after Six Degrees were bad, with Octavarium providing some great tracks. The mirror opens with a very distinctive riff that carries though as a theme of sorts to the song, running and appearing throughout it. LaBrie's vocal work seems to work here better than it does in the groups later attempts at the heavier genre, mainly because he's signing more naturally and seemingly passionately. This brings me onto some of the bands later work, specifically Systematic Chaos, were LaBrie seems to drown out the instrumentals on the albums (which just don’t seem loud enough), and he sounds like he's just reading the lyrics off the page, putting no passion into the words he's singing, therefore creating no story or musical flow for the music to follow with Petrucci just masturbating on the guitar in the background for the sole reason that he can. The Mirror is a prime example of when Dream Theater were an American muscle car speeding down the highway in what can only be described as progressive beauty. LaBrie balances his "metal" vocals well in this track and doesn’t go overboard on trying to tackle a genre he clearly can't, which as described above, he later goes on to do. The track also features exquisite work from Kevin Moore, from what would be his last album with Dream Theater. I personally think that Moore was one of the best things to happen to the band, Sherinian would prove to be an admirable follow up in the albums he was featured in, as for Rudess, I feel he was Dream Theater's Night of the Long Knives. Enjoy the track.

Bonus Track: Ok, so I've had this song in my library for a long time, a good few years ago it was put onto a compilation cd that I'd listen to in school and I thought it sounded very familiar, then I listened to The Mirror again and I thought they sounded similar, after some time I actually sat down and compared the two tracks and I founded that they sounded almost exactly the same. The song in question is Darkane's "Chaos vs Order". I am almost certain that Darkane just flat out stole this song from Dream Theater, they open the same way and have pretty much the exact same song structures with all the same instruments appearing at the same times and so on, I'm not sure if anyone has actually looked into this but I feel it they are way too familiar to be a coincidence, have a listen and see what you think.

Dream Theater - The Mirror
Darkane - Chaos Vs Order

Easy Like Sunday Morning #6

This week I have decided to list some of my all-time favourite more relaxed or laidback tracks. Originally this wasn't an intentional thing but as I was compiling the tracks that's just the way it went. Practically all of these tracks I would consider essential listening providing this type of music is what you're into. If not, you may find some of them a little difficult to get on board with but you may even surprise yourself if you give them a chance.

Firstly is Oceansize's Music For A Nurse. After getting featured in an Orange advertisement, a television drama and a recent film, The Invisible, this track was consequently considered almost platitudinous or overplayed if you listened to the critics. Thankfully I didn't and still don't. Regardless of where or how heavily this track was featured, it never becomes convoluted or feels misplaced. It is rare for a song to be able to convey such a large range of emotions from so many different people. Whereas some people may hear this song as a melancholic or desolate piece, I see it more as a graceful yet ultimately triumphant song. There is no wrong interpretation, it is roughly down to how the song is approached and the listeners general outlook and overall levels of perception but even then let's not get ahead of ourselves. Music For A Nurse comes from the innovative yet frequently misunderstood album Everyone Into Position. Originally, although I enjoyed it, I didn't quite see what the big fuss was about. I was very much still in love with their first album Effloresce and with the follow-up there was a slight departure in style and a significant departure in focus. At first glance, Everyone Into Position seemed to be a softer, more brooding rendition of their music as opposed to the heavier yet multifaceted first album. It took me a long time to come to terms with this new approach because while I often acknowledged its artistic merit in my own mind, it never quite hit the pinnacle of Effloresce for me. To an extent, my stance hasn't changed but after managing to see them live (still my favourite gig) I learnt a new level of appreciation for the album, particularly Ornament/The Last Wrongs. It was only after this concert that I came to realise just how elegant and imaginative it was aesthetically. Music For A Nurse was chosen because it is an untarnished extension of these aesthetic qualities.

Oceansize - Music For A Nurse

The second track to be posted is The Postal Service's Such Great Heights. You may remember that the last time I did this I chose Death Cab For Cutie's Soul Meets Body. It isn't a coincidence that this weeks post features The Postal Service, a collaborative effort between Ben Gibbard, the vocalist for DCFC and Jimmy Tamborello (also known by the pseudonym Dntel) of Figurine and Headset. It was a deliberate choice to continue with this alignment as I feel it best summarises Ben Gibbard's songwriting prowess yet also offers something fresh and to an extent unconventional. The name The Postal Service originates with the way in which they chose to produce the bands songs. It was only after Tamborello had written and recorded the instrumental parts that they were sent to Gibbard who would then edit or refine them and come up with the vocals which he believed best fitted the music. Given that this was a sideproject for both artists, in order to undertake these songwriting duties without compromising their main projects, they chose to send eachother demo tapes via the United States Postal Service. The song Such Great Heights is arguably the standout track from the album because whilst there are other tracks which are notable, it best represents both the band itself and the ideals on which it was formed. The vocals are irrestibly catchy yet the music is so off-the-wall that it just works. Listening to this song and concentrating solely on the instrumental parts gives a huge inclination as to just how made for eachother these two are. Despite being very much an electronica song, it still manages to maintain a certain degree of indie pop sensibility which never ceases to bring a smile to my face.

The Postal Service - Such Great Heights

The middle track for today's post is by the man himself, Gerry Rafferty. Of course it could only be his seminal not-quite-a-number-one Baker Street. Unless you're a robot from outer space (and even then you probably still would have heard it), it is practically guaranteed that you have heard this track somewhere along your travels. It is inescapable and is one of those rare tracks that means something to each individual listener. If you haven't heard it or the name sounds unfamiliar to you, why not take some time to get acquainted? Its unlikely you'll regret it. One of the main reasons this song is so well-known is because of that saxophone solo. Not only did Raphael Ravenscroft's solo rejuvenate the instrument within the mainstream media but it also did so within the public domain resulting in a surge in saxophone sales. Baker Street, to me, is essential Sunday listening. I don't know what it is about this song but it just perfectly manifests a lazy Sunday morning or afternoon to me in a way that very few songs can. It manages to convey a lackadaisical vibe without stretching too far into that category while all the while remaining effortlessly cool. It is a shame that Rafferty failed to emulate the success of Baker Street in later years because if this is what he could do with a song about busking in London, who knows what he could have done with more commodious subject matter. Then again, maybe this unpretentious background is where the song's engagingness stems from. Personally I think its the killer sax solo.

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street

Fourth on the chopping block is La Ritournelle by Sebastien Tellier. You may remember Mr. Tellier from his Eurovision entry that was deemed controversial due to his emphasis on singing in English rather than his native tongue of French, leading Tellier to increase the amount of French within the song itself. Regardless, he still only scored 47 points resulting in a position of 18th, demonstrating exactly how tasteless and bureaucratic this 'competition' is. I don't know what would be worse, Tellier losing to a bunch of manufactured pop artists or winning and obtaining a sense of unflourished credibility in all the wrong circles. I once put a slightly remixed version of La Ritornelle onto a mix CD and sent it around a multitude of people around the United Kingdom and Ireland. The reason behind this distribution was because of a project involving an exchange of music that crops up every couple of years on various different forum boards I use. Needless to say the results were unabashededly negative. I hope this second lease of life fares a little better because I honestly believe this song to be one of the greatest of all time. It just works on so many different levels and offers something which has become more and more difficult to acquire within the music industry in recent years: purity. Admittedly, the remix which I originally sent around I feel is a slight improvement over the source track due to a very, very minimal increase in speed, but I think it would be wrong of me to post anything but the original within this post. It is still utterly fantastic in every respect.

Sebastien Tellier - La Ritournelle

Lastly we have a track I've been sitting on for the best part of a year, Common Market's Tobacco Road. I'm sure you want to know exactly why I've been sitting on a track for so long, especially considering this blog has only existed for just under three months now. The answer is that sometime in the future I am hoping to be featured in a Halo 3 montage showcasing my skills and whatnot. Whilst this track was never intended to be used in conjunction with the gameplay footage, after initially listening to it whenever that was I figured that it would make excellent credit music. I am reasonably sure that I was introduced to this track after downloading it from a blog which is puzzling because it is not the sort of music that is typically featured on blogs. Either way, it has everything that one could possibly want from credit music; an unashamed melody and flow that hints at a sentimentality that most rappers wouldn't touch with a six foot pole. The use of piano is simple yet effective and communicates a mixture of despondency and longing remembrance that expertly fits the message I will almost undoubtedly be trying to divulge at the end of the video. The very fact that it is making it into this video whenever it will be (it may even never come around) should give a broad implication as to just how highly I think of it. Give it a few listens and hopefully you'll feel the same way.

Common Market - Tobacco Road

TFI Friday #5

I don't know what it is about today but I have a really good feeling about it. I was woken up reasonably early this morning with the sun completely blasting me through my windows. Considering it is November, to say it was a much needed climate surprise would be the understatement of the century, especially considering that the United Kingdom is supposed to be getting hit with one of the worst storms of the year.

To make matters infinitely better, I am around 80% sure we're doing a RoboCop marathon tonight which may not sound like much but for some reason I'm looking forward to it perhaps more than I should be. After watching the frankly disappointing and unrealistic love drama/comedy Adventureland last night, I need some vigilante justice enforced with extreme prejudice to balance myself out. Enjoy the tracks.

Felix Cartal - Montreal Dreams
Crookers - Big Money Comin'
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)
Les Petits Pilous - Wake Up
The Proxy - Dance In The Dark

Easy Like Sunday Morning #5

Regular visitors to the blog will have noticed that I didn't post last Sunday's blog, this was due to the storm that occurred on Saturday evening that fried my router. Nonetheless things are back on track this week.

The first song I'm going to post is one from a band that had a great influence on me about 5 years ago, and whom I still hold a great deal of respect for, even if I'm not a fan of their more recent material. The band in question is the highly successful American progressive metal/rock group Dream Theater. I first came into contact with this band through an instrumental piece from their 1994 album Awake, called Erotomania, also being the song that consciously introduced me to the prog scene in general. The song I'm going to post comes from the bands 2002 concept alum Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, an album which tackles the struggles of life, with the first disc dealing with morality, death, alcoholism, loss of faith and such issues, while the second disc deals with struggles of the mind in the form of mental disorders. The 6th and final track of the album fills entirety of the 2nd disc and is split up into 8 movements, the track I am wanting to profile is the 6th movement of this track, known as Solitary Shell.
The track deals with a person living with autism (degree 5) with the story explaining his life and progression of the illness, starting off as appearing normal then slowly showing signs of the illness, with James LaBrie singing about different aspects of the disease such as extreme concentration and withdrawal from social contact. The song is a typical prog rock piece that seems to appear at least once in every one of Theaters album's to contrast the prog metal that dominates each of them. The song, from the opening chords is very reminiscent of Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill and seems to be an homage to the track (even in name), when LaBrie enters it is clear that his vocals aren’t up to the standard that they had been in previous years, obviously due to the infamous food poisoning incident(however it should be noted that after the tour that accompanied this album, la brie claimed his vocals skills returned after time and trained, which although sounds suspicious, I think was proven with his best work on Ayreon Human Equation album). The song continues to reference the Gabriel song by incorporating a very similar sounding chorus which continues to build up to roughly the 4 minute mark were we have the second instrumental break of the song were we hear a some heavier instrumental work before Petrucci treats us with some flamenco style guitar work. The song continues to build as nears the end of the track which has been written as the lead-in to the next track. This song may be a bit "out there" for some of the people who may visit this blog, but our goal is to ultimately expand peoples horizons and giving the structure of the song I think this makes it a perfect way to open the Sunday post, enjoy.

Dream Theater - Solitary Shell


The second artist I want to talk about is an artist who most for you will be all too familiar with, The Chemical Brothers. Being slightly more upbeat that is usually for the Sunday post I wanted to put this in as I feel it incorporates the feel of a Sunday pretty well, or it at least holds some sort of nostalgic Sunday feeling to it. Star Guitar comes from the Brothers fourth album and was released as a single in 2002 were it gained a lot of prominence in the club scene, the song also re-gained a lot of this prominence in 2007 when Shinichi Osawa did a cover version that took the clubs by storm which also produced many remixes. The song is very typical of the chemical brothers electronica, big beat and very psychedelic sound that the band has become associated with combing and establishing over the years. The song contains a sample of Bowies Starman which is looped and repeated throughout the song, with other instruments mimicking this and then going off into their own musical journey, with vocals coming into it at the halfway point that give the song a depth that only the chemical brothers seem to know how to deliver.

The Chemical Brothers - Star Guitar

The next band and song I'm going to discuss is almost a guilty pleasure and a band I haven't actually properly listened to in a long time. Down were formed in 1991 by vocalist Phil Anselmo of Pantera, guitarist Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity, second guitarist Kirk Windstein of Crowbar, bassist Todd Strange of Crowbar, and drummer Jimmy Bower of Eyehategod. The band seemed have a more southern approach the bands previous endeavors and really concentrated more so on their lives and their where they lived. It was also took a step back from the heavier stuff that each member and their respective bands are known for, even taking an acoustic and more rock orientated approach in many of their songs. The song I'm going to profile is from their first album and is titled "Jail". My greatest memory of this song is when I went to see the band play in June of 2006 in Belfast's Mandela hall, the band dimmed the lights, filled the stage with smoke and Bower came of the drums and went center stage with the rest of the group, brining a bongo with him, Anselmo go the audience to clap in time and the band performed what I thought was probably the best song of the night. They played again a few months back (with Static x), however I felt the group was charging an extortionate amount to see them and I refused to pay it. Jail truly stands out among downs songs as it isn't really like anything they have done since and really does hold a certain atmosphere to it. The song is very reminiscent of music you'd expect to hear in a dream sequence during a movie and I can't quite describe how it sounds so I suggest you listen to it yourself and form your own opinions.

Down - Jail


In 1998 a show was conceived from the mind of Shinichirō Watanabe, an aspiring anime director, created the show "Cowboy Bebop", an anime about bounty hunters (or "cowboys") in space. Without going into too much detail the show basically pursued a bunch of vagabond bounty hunters on their ill-fated and unsuccessful missions within space and on colonized planets within the solar system. One reason I was attracted to the show was because of the washed out and very used look everything seemed to have in the show, everything look like it had been lived in/on and used many times, this wasn't a future presented to us as fresh and out of the box. Another reason I was attracted to the show, was because of the music used within it. Bebop's episodes are self-referred to has sessions, rather than episodes, this being an obvious homage to music in general. Every episode name had a musical theme, wither it be the name of a famous song (Bohemian Rhapsody) or a slight reference to a genre (mushroom samba). The primary attraction of the music within Bebop, is that it's all performed by The Seatbelts, led by Yoko Kanno. The Seatbelts could probably be best described as a handpicked bunch of session musicians, created specifically for the series, the majority of the songs they create are within the blues/jazz genre's, however their songs cover pretty much every genre there is and cross between them creating their own unique sound. I don't want to go into too much detail on the band or their origins as they will definitely be getting a profile piece in the future on the blog. One of my favorite songs of theirs falls perfectly into the Sunday category and has been riffling through my playlists for years. Ask D.N.A is one of my favorite treacks by the seatbelts and has a very upbeat tempo, with a similer sound to the some of the beatles later work. Ask D.N.A is a song that is not actually in the series, however it is the opening theme for the movie and is a easygoing track to define your Sunday.

The Seatbelts - Ask D.N.A

The last song I want to talk about could possibly be considered one of my favorite songs of all time and it is on an album that is being considered for the Excellence of Execution (in close contention with one other by the same artist), but due to the nature of the Sunday post I thought I'd post this particular song now. Also, once again due to the nature of the Sunday post, you'll probably find that this particular artist will be featured many times and probably more than any other, not only because of how ell suit the bill but because of their overall progression as artists and how they moved music on in more ways than one. If you haven't already guessed by now, I'm talking about The Beatles. In JUNKER's first Sunday post he wrote about blackbird from the highly influential self titled album, which many saw as the Beatles truly progressing as an artist by differing from what they had done before with Sgt. Pepper and Mystery Tour, with the former mirroring this very same progression on their earlier work. For me Abbey Road really stands out and I'm still not entirely sure why (im not saying its my favorite, as i don't even think i could choose) , but I believe it is because the Beatles seemed to mature more as a band, appearing and sounding more accomplished and rounded. The Beatles work is unique in that you can look at the albums and see the changes between them, they almost seem like a road trip with it being very evident from the white album that they were beginning to come to the end of their trip.
The song I'm wanting to post about here is the unforgettable Here Comes the Sun, a masterpiece penned by George Harrison with a back story that suitable acts as a prologue to the song . According to Harrison, the song was written during somewhat of a depression for the man, it had been a tough year with him getting his tonsils out, being "busted" for marijuana possession and when their record label was becoming too much of a chore, this on top of a typically long British winter set the stage for Harrison writing the song in spring of '69 while taking a break from work with Apple at a close friends house, with the song obviously talking of the good times ahead. The track, along with the album in general (in particularly the end), contains some of Ringo Starr's best drum work, even though many criticize him on his skills in general, personally I feel Starr's drum work was perfect for the Beatles work, if it had have been any more prominent it probably would have taken away from the content of most of the band's songs. The song , keeping in line with Harrisons style of writing, opens with a single acoustic guitar singing out the main riff of the song with Harrison soon coming into the song vocally singing the title of the song, with McCartney soon joining in backing. The song is one i've listened to a lot and will continue to listen to as I grow older, I hope it rounds of your Sunday is it did mine.

The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun

(Links fixed)

Dirty Basement

Despite being relative newcomers to the scene, Dirty Basement have been ripping it up in all the right circles. Describing their music as "face melting bendy basslines with cut up vocals, claps & monstrous beasts," you can see they don't fuck around. Thankfully their music lives up the momentuous expectations they set with such a statement, delivering some seriously heavy beats that grind, shake and destroy any potential preconceptions. Although they are monthly residents at the Soundhaus club in Glasgow, their productions have only had limited releases in the blog sphere, preferring instead to be released on the commercially and slightly invulnerable Beatport. Even with this in mind, that isn't to say that they haven't embraced the blogging community because there are at least four releases out there in the great unknown. I just don't think the majority of blogs have caught on just yet, which is understandable given that they haven't quite hit the point of exploding.

Whether or not the community encompasses them into their playlists is irrelevant, however, because they have already proven what they're capable of within a handful of releases/remixes. As far as I'm concerned, they have already accomplished what it takes most established DJs/producers years to build up and establish. Their medley of remixed renditions of their single Get Messy serves as a exemplification of this because while it starts off with slow breaks that progress into some sort of twisted dubstep, when it kicks off it does it with an insane amount of flair and energy that you almost don't know how to react to what you're being subjected to. It is only up from here, with excess amounts of dirty synths and a frenzied dubstep climax, which determines Dirty Basement's ability to build up at the right times, a focus which has become misaligned by many DJs in recent times in favour of dropping bombs at any given opportunity. The fact that they present the often contrasting segments in this order shows that they know how to construct a set and demonstrates their ability to mix. It is rare that you see medleys of this type of music and it is definitely a breath of fresh air.

Another song I intend to post is their remix of AC Slater's Hello. I was going to save this one for the inevitable AC Slater profiling post but I decided to focus on it now as there are plenty of Mr. Slater's tracks to go around. What I like most about this track is that it doesn't descend into the wobblefest which the likes of the previously mentioned artist, Jack Beats and to a lesser extent Hostage have succumbed to. While I personally have nothing against dropping wobbly basslines, a heavy reliance on them can kill a song. Appreciatively, this remix doesn't quite go that way, instead dropping hints on a small scale at the conclusion of the song, and sounding like what I imagine a three way between MSTRKRFT, Mr. Miyagi and Groove Armada would sound like, hitting all the right tempos and placing the focus on characterizing and supplementing that MSTRKRFT-esque grinding synth. The last track I'm gonna throw up is Dirty Basement's take on Jape's Floating. Out of the three, I'd say this is the weakest track of the bunch, not because it is any way bad but because it doesn't offer quite as much as the rest. The track itself, Floating, is difficult to remix because it constantly has those recognisable vocals, irregardless of whether they're being cut up or sampled, meaning it is more difficult for producers to distinguish themselves on this front. Even D.I.M's remix was fairly lacklustre and while Dirty Basement prove there is life left in this track, it doesn't quite hit the pinnacles of Get Messy Medley or Hello. Either way, with Jape being from Ireland, we gotta represent.

Dirty Basement Ft. Mc Freeflow - Get Messy Medley
AC Slater - Hello (Dirty Basement Remix)
Jape - Floating (Dirty Basement's Less D.I.M Edit)

TFI Friday #4

This Friday is going to be slightly different from previous incarnations. I'm going to be posting 5 songs which I feel should definitely be listened to in an arena, large club or festival with hundreds if not thousands of people around you. Some of these tracks are old and some are new. Enjoy the weekend.

T99 - Dogwalk
Dustin Zahn - Stranger To Stability (Len Faki Podium mix)
Federico Franchi - Pears (instrumental mix)
Eye of the Tiger - Sirkka
Outlander - The Vamp

(kudos to anyone who understands the picture reference)