Music

Skeewiff – Pinball Number Count (Combo Breaker remix)

I only just heard this, a great remix of Walt Kramer‘s ‘Pinball Number Count’ by Skeewiff. With all the 12/12/12 malarky yesterday someone posted it on my Facebook page and it’s excellent. Hop over to Skeewiff’s YouTube Channel and check it out along with many of their other releases. They do a great line in cover versions as well as their own tracks, I’ve ended many a night with their version of ‘Soul Bossanova’.

Several others have also done 3D animated versions and put them on YouTube



This one has ADD with the pitch control


and of course, there’s the Family Guy version. If you still need more after this there are some hilarious versions from foreign Sesame Street episodes with dubbed counting in different languages on YouTube.

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Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Did you know that almost the entire Folkways label is available online to order and nearly every one of over 2,000 releases isn’t ever supposed to be out of print?

When the label was acquired by the Smithsonian Institute one of the wishes of founder, Moses Asch, was that virtually all of the catalogue was to be kept in print.

You can currently order any release on their site as a custom CD, a download or even a cassette! No vinyl as that just wouldn’t be practical but there’s eBay, Discogs and used stores for that. This is just a handful of my favourite sleeves from nearly 100 pages of releases.

There’s also a nice little feature on Ronald Clyne who designed over 500 of the sleeves and is widely recognised as the originator of the Folkways house style. Unit Editions did a beautiful newspaper-style release about his work a few years back which is now sadly sold out.

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Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree comics

This is so well done, the unfolding history of Hip Hop, drawn by Ed Piskor in the style of old 70’s underground comics by Crumb or Pekar. Starting in 1975 and continuing on into the 80’s Ed has been putting chapters on Boing Boing and they will be collected next year in print form. Love the yellowed paper, faded ink and retro vibe of it all, I wonder if he’ll change style as he moves along to mirror the historical changes in art?

Posted in Comics, Music. | 2 Comments |

A graphic tribute to Pete Namlook and Fax records

I can’t begin to pretend I’ve heard even a couple of dozen releases on Pete Namlook‘s Fax +49-69/450464 label (to give it its full title). But those that I did hear, and own, have stuck with me. Releases like Air (not the french duo who came later), Alien Community, Silence, Dark Side of the Moog, Sequential, Sea Biscuit and Dreamfish are all part of the ambient resurgence of the early to mid 90’s. Dreamfish was the moniker of Pete Namlook’s collaboration with Mixmaster Morris, who was a huge champion of the label and got some of it licensed to the Rising High label in the UK.

Namlook (Kuhlmann backwards, see what he did there?) was releasing an album a week at one point, starting off at around 500 copies on CD and progressing to 1-2000 at one point. He had a bewildering array of colour coded releases on various sub-labels, at least half of which he either recorded solo or collaborated on. The poster above is only a select number of titles, probably ranging somewhere from the early to late 90’s and doesn’t include any vinyl from the same time. Constant collaborators like Bill Laswell, Klaus Schulze, Ritchie Hawtin, Dr Atmo, Atom Heart, David Moufang and Charles Uzzel-Edwards (aka Pure Evil) are just some of the names you can find in the credits on the many releases from Fax.

I’d been thinking of doing a poster like this for some time, just to see what it would look like to put a ton of the earlier Fax releases together. Unfortunately it took the early demise of the label’s founder and driving force to make it happen. At one time you could spot a Fax record a mile off by the circular design, the Bauhaus font and an image that usually had early Photoshop filter experiments :) When out-sourcing design work to other people (in the case of Daniel Pemberton‘s ‘Bedroom’ album that I laid out) there were strict instructions and templates that had to be adhered to, everything had to fit into the label look. These instructions arrived by fax of course…

R.I.P. Peter Kuhlmann / Pete Namlook.

Download a high-res version of the poster HERE

Posted in Design, Music. | 20 Comments |

Jim Mahfood ‘Ask For Janice’ Paul’s Boutique mag

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A new remix edition of Jim Mahfood’s classic, out of print 2007 mini-comic all about the ‘Paul’s Boutique’ album has just been released (see cover of the original version, left). For serious music heads and comic book fans alike, the man who did the illustration for our ‘Caught In The Middle Of A 3 Way Mix’ has updated his ode to the Beastie’s classic LP.

Each track is dissected with lyrics, samples and making-of facts alongside illustrations referencing the subject matter. It’s a beautiful tribute to the album, which Jim has said he listens to at least once every week, and made him the first choice for an image when we were compiling our mix.

The new version features a brand new wrap-around cover, new inside front and inside back cover art, 32 pages, black ink printed on light yellow paper. Signed and numbered by Jim. Also available, the new ‘Paul’s Boutique’ Limited Edition Giclee Print and the ASK FOR JANICE Funk Pack. Dig it! Available here…

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Pepe Deluxé – Queen of the Wave Deluxe version

When Pepe Deluxé do anything they don’t do it by halves, in fact they go the whole nine yards and then add a load more into the mix for good measure. What emerges is music and imagery so multi-layered it requires repeat listens to pierce the surface and process the motherlode of information contained within.

One of the reasons I love Pepe is because there is genuinely no one like them, they are a one-off and a band seemingly working in and across separate time zones whose records sound so out of place you wonder if they’ll ever even find reappraisal 20 years down the line. This isn’t a criticism, it’s to be admired that a band can strike out so single-mindedly whilst ignoring any current forms of music that are deemed ‘hip’ and ‘cool’. In fact it’s testament to Pepe and Catskills for leaving off the many remixes they’ve had over the last releases as, with the exception of Husky Rescue‘s cover of ‘Supersonic’, none of them came close to Pepe’s vision and sounded like they were trying to force the band into a modern day setting (sorry guys, just my opinion).

The new Deluxe version of their ‘Queen of the Wave’ album is no different, in fact it ups the ante considerably and throws everything AND the kitchen sink at you over 2 CDs, a DVD and a 64 page booklet inside a hard backed book. The original album is present but the ‘Esoteric Pop Opera In Three Parts’ has suddenly expanded to three discs, the second with versions, new and unused tracks and an easy-listening style EP of selected songs. The DVD includes videos for singles both new and old as well as stems for budding remixers. Everything about it says EPIC, the original album is one in itself but bolstered by the 2nd disc, DVD and a book that has crammed enough material for 100 pages into 64 then the deal is sealed.

No space is left un-filled and we learn everything from recording history to how they shot the video for ‘Night & Day’ with real magic tricks and all. The book shouldn’t work, it breaks so many rules of what good design is with up to 10 different fonts competing for space on any one page and a layout that’s more scrapbook than grid. Yet it does work and adds to the music is so many ways, placing the album visually between steampunk and psychedelia with nods to Tiki and Analogue electronics from the golden age. One minute you think you’re looking at an issue of Practical Electronics then it’s a poster in the style of a traveling circus or a Richard Hamilton-esque collage.


Anyway, enough of me blathering on, check the video below as it’s another brilliant Pepe production with the classic ‘Virtual Chicken Little Funk Operator’ set to become legendary. You can BUY the deluxe package from Catskills HERE.

Posted in Books, Design, Music, Packaging. | 1 Comment |

Love, love, love!

It’s been a bit quiet on the blog these last two weeks because I’ve been busy finishing the fulldome show for this weekend’s FulldomeUK2012 (tickets still available) and gigging in Tel Aviv, Berlin and Bucharest. There’s loads of stuff to come when I can find time to photograph and upload it all though. The studio is a mess, I can’t find anything without moving piles of crap, I need a day to sort stuff out but today won’t be it unfortunately.

Also this Sunday sees an appearance at The Regeneration Festival at the Tabernacle in London that runs for Saturday and Sunday and features Time & Space Machine, Wolf People, Bardo Light Show, talks and films on the psychedelic experience.
Besides that there’s all sorts of things going on behind the scenes as we prepare for 2013 and Solid Steel being 25 years old, starting with a new residency in Brighton at the Blind Tiger, starting this Friday with DK with support from 2econd Class Citizen and Banks.

Coming up: The 4xLP repress of ‘The Search Engine’ – yep, still not done, we went back and changed the cover from a heavy card gatefold to a quad foldout gatefold (remember the limited edition Paul’s Boutique LP? yes, like that), so I have to reconfigure the artwork this week.

Currently finishing a mix for Solid Steel that has a high proportion of music I was given in Israel, both old and new that is up there with the best of anything currently released on labels like Finders Keepers or Now Again (see the post of Markey Funk‘s ‘The Mystery of Mordy Laye & The Group Modular‘).
On Saturday I was lucky enough to get a ticket to the ‘Man Machine’ performance by Kraftwerk in Dusseldorf next January (thanks Tony Morley!) so I will be doing Kraftwerk Kover Kollection vol.8 to coincide with that early next year (the group are doing their 8 albums over 8 nights thing in their home town in case you didn’t hear, tickets sold out in less than 2 hours).

Posted in DJ Food, Gigs, Music. | 1 Comment |

Beta Hector – Trust Me (The Simonsound Remix)


Wow, this is right up my street. A video collage for The Simonsound remix of Beta Hector‘s ‘Trust Me‘, featuring clips from Psychomania, Mala Morska Vila mixed with oil projections performed on overhead projector. The original song, featuring Rosi Lalor on vocals, is re-imagined by The Simonsound as mythical adventure story, told using analogue synthesisers, Optigan orchestra, home made percussion, pre recorded flute replayed and performed on reel to reel tape machine, and a scattering of voices plucked from the ether.

Available as a free download from Tru Thoughts Records

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The Mystery of Mordy Laye & the Group Modular

I’ve just come back from Tel Aviv and while I was there I met Markey Funk, whose ‘Go Ask Alice’ image and mix I posted by complete coincidence earlier this week. He gave me a load of records including his latest album ‘The Mystery of Mordy Laye’ as well as a DVD with 3D glasses.

If you love radiophonic / moog / library / space beats then this is the album for you. The nearest I can pitch it is The Simonsound LP by DJ Format & Simon James on First Word last year. I definitely recommend this record, check out the album and the intriguing back story on their bandcamp page. On the same label, Audio Montage – also the home to The Apples – are a number of 45’s of old and new psyche, funk, surf, sitar material and the same goes for the Fortuna label which is only 2 releases old.

Posted in Music, Records. | 1 Comment |

Raj Pannu – The Old Grey Whistle Twist

I’d love to embed this video but The Space site doesn’t let you unfortunately. Instead, if you click the image you can watch Raj Pannu‘s excellent 18 minute cut up of vintage Old Grey Whistle Test footage. You may know of Raj as the AV tour DJ with Coldcut or maybe witnessed one of his amazing solo DJ sets over the years in clubs all over the world. Either way, this is worth 20 minutes of your time.

Posted in Film, Music. | 1 Comment |

Reso – ‘Check 1,2’ single

Love Reso‘s stuff, always interesting to see where he’s going with things. Great cover on this one, slightly reminiscent of the Tame Impala one I posted below with the pink/red sticker and abstract image.

The track, ‘Check 1,2’, is a killer slice of 100bpm break beat thunder which reminds be of some of those old Prodigy B-sides that were better than the A-sides. Remixes come from Starkey, DJ Kentaro, Emperor and Danny Scrilla and it’s out on Civil Music on 12″ and DL with an album forthcoming.

Posted in Design, Music. | No Comments |

Playgroup back catalogue available digitally

Trevor Jackson‘s Playgroup recording project now has its entire back catalogue available digitally via Juno with an extensive list of remixes and versions of several tracks. Exclusive unreleased mixes and acappellas are up for sale including a track with Madlib that didn’t make the album and the ‘Hooked On U / Mad Love’ ‘release’ above. Trevor has also just designed the DJ Shadow compilation ‘Reconstructed’ with its lavish box set, seen here on the Creative Review blog.

 

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The Herbaliser ‘There Were Seven’ LP pre-order

Be very quick if you want one of these, The Herbaliser have their new LP (designed by yours truly) up for pre-order. If you want CD or download, you’ll be fine, but…

If you want vinyl you have two options: regular double LP with full printed inner sleeves in a screen printed sleeve – only 450 copies though.

Or there’s the super limited (50 copies) deluxe version which comes with hand stenciled covers by Snub23, a signed A2 poster, a T-shirt and a download card. More photos when I actually have a physical copy! Order here (red ‘shop’ tab on the top right) – actually I think you can only order the regular vinyl right now…

Posted in Music, Openmind designs, Packaging, Records. | No Comments |

One On Twoism vol.5

My god this is beautiful. Whilst we all wait for Boards of Canada to release another record there’s plenty to keep you going on this compilation. Made by members of the Twoism.org forum it’s vol.5 in an ongoing series of tracks inspired by the Scottish duo and the standard is very high. How I’ve missed these I don’t know but all 5 are available to hear and you can buy physical CD copies too. Look and Listen here.

Posted in Music. | 1 Comment |