Absolutely my last Kraftwerk post for a while (I promise). Because ‘The Catalogue‘ is released today, here’s a couple of YouTuber’s attempting to play one of my favorite tracks – Pocket Calculator – on the original instruments used. Mattel Bee Gees Rhythm Machine? I want one!
Music
Another Kraftwerk post (I’ll have to give them their own category) and time for the sixth installment of my Kraftwerk Kover Kollection to coincide with the final release of the remastered Catalogue box set on Monday.
It’s up for a week, streaming via the Solid Steel site and I’ll be making it available via Soundcloud when the next show replaces it.
For those unfamiliar, I do these hour long mixes every year or so featuring cover versions, sample-heavy tracks or songs that obviously owe a debt to the Dusseldorf quartet. I had the idea to string these sources together several years ago and the more I dug, the more I found, the amount of material out there is mind boggling. Not so strange for such an influential band who rarely release new material, I suppose fans have to fill the gap somehow. For anyone wanting to play catch-up, the first 4 are available here with full artwork and track listings and I’ll be putting 5 up with 6 next week too.
At a festival in Warsaw the other week, DK and I had the pleasure of seeing ex-Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos play. I was surprised at how much of the set was old material mixed with his solo stuff. His stage show pales compared to his former bands’ but he had full visuals and 5.1 sound all mixed live and hearing a new take on classic tracks was well worth the time we took to check him out.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation recently ran a documentary on copyright law in their Background Briefing slot on Sunday nights. They used some clips from my Raiding The 20th Century mix as well as Steinski, Lawrence Lessig, Dangermouse‘s Grey Album, Girl Talk, Good Copy, Bad Copy etc.
You can listen or download it here for a limited time
Here are 3 tracks from my next EP, streamable via Soundcloud – there 5 tracks in all with a further 3 remixes on the download. Sentinel is a collaboration with DK and GIANT is a cover of The The without the vocal which will be added to a remixed version on the album. If you want to buy it and click the link it will take you to iTunes but the EP isn’t out until Dec 14th now so you’ll have a bit of a wait…
DJ Food – ‘The Shape of Things That Hum’ (Promo) by Ninja Tune
Got this last week, hard to take a photo but it’s spot varnish on black again, highlighting Henry Flint‘s line work
I’ve been having a reacquainted love affair this year with all things analogue, seventies and sci-fi. It seems to happen every few years and all I want to look at are curved edges, computer fonts, muted tones and airbrushed images from the days before computers made everything virtual. I’ve been doing a T- shirt design based on the Moog and whilst doing some research I stumbled upon this site.
Someone has scanned several issues of a synth mag from the mid seventies called Synapse. It contains interviews with people like Eno, Zappa, Kraftwerk, Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Bob Moog, Pat Gleeson and a whole lot more. In amongst all this are reviews, how-to’s and loads of ads for what are now vintage synths.
The Kraftwerk interview is great, at one point they talk about a comic they’ve made where small plug-in systems try try to make contact with all these inputs and outputs, coming together to make a group. They talk about doing a book where they present more of their work to people in ways it can’t be shown on record. Shame it didn’t materialise.
What has materialised at long last though is the fabled reissues of their albums from 1974 -2003 – known to fans as ‘the catalogue’ – and originally meant for release in 2004. Some promo copies even slipped out but then nothing, now they are finally available via Mute in the UK. Now that’s one set of remasters I’ve been looking forward to whilst everyone else bangs on about the other Fab Four.
Here’s the front cover for the next DJ Food EP – ‘The Shape Of Things That Hum’ – released Nov 30th. The 12″ sleeve will again be a poster cover featuring work by the ever brilliant Henry Flint (currently drawing Shakara in 2000ad) with colours by yours truly. Here’s a little bit of the back cover too.
Following on from the last post, I never tire of listening to Boards of Canada and Skywave Systems recently posted an excellent mix of their work. It’s very well put together with some rareties, as well as original sample sources, in amongst the tunes that will delight even the most hardcore BOC fans.
Nice artwork on the site too…
Just arrived at the door, what a lovely package, congratulations to all involved and Happy 20th Warp. My only gripe is that I could have been part of the package as they asked me to do the mix last year but I simply didn’t have the time so I passed them on to Osymyso. Looking forward to digesting it all.
This will be the next DJ Food EP in the trilogy, released Dec 7th as a 12″ with poster cover and download with 3 bonus remixes.
Side A
1. Sentinel (Shadow Guard) – DJ Food & DK, mixed by King Cannibal
2. extract from Stolen Moments too – variations on a theme
3. Brother John – featuring the voice of John Rydgren, a tribute of sorts
Side B
1. GIANT (instrumental) This is a cover of the The The classic, there will be a vocal version on the album next year by Matt Johnson himself
2. Sentinel (Lunar Defence) – a reprise / reversion of the main track
8 track Download + pdf booklet
All Covered In Darkness (Mr P remix suite) 3 remixes by PC totalling 13 minutes.
Artwork is again by Henry Flint on the inks and me on the colours, here’s the main cover / poster image.
Got sent these the other day by Sean Vinylement who also works for Finder’s Keepers Records. On the left is a rather fine mix of Jean-Claude Vannier compositions by Andy Votel – limited to 69 copies apparently. Alongside it is Sean’s new album ‘Symbiosis’ by his alter ego Demdike Stare, a very deep electronic record that reminds me of Basic Channel and Murcof simultaneously but with something far darker lurking under the surface.
Been a bit quiet recently mostly on account of being on holiday with the family and knuckling down on the music.
The next EP is nearly in the bag, featuring a collaboration with DK – mixed by King Cannibal no less, a remix of ‘All Covered In Darkness’ by PC, a cover version and more artwork by the excellent Henry Flint. Mixdowns take place next week, mastering the week after, release should be Oct / Nov.
Kid Koala just sent me the new record he did with Dynomite D – ‘The Slew’ and it is stunning, a mix of rock, blues and scratching, you won’t have heard much like this before. Download it for free here – don’t worry, I’m not into music piracy, this link comes direct from Kid Koala himself with the message “Feel free to pass it on to anyone you think would enjoy this noise. ;)”
DJ Moneyshot’s September Solid Steel mix is floating around on the web already, it’s a collection of all the tracks the Beastie Boys sampled on their ‘Check Your Head’ album and has been on constant rotation here since I got it.
I’ve raved about him before but I just finished ‘Totally Wired’ by Simon Reynolds, the companion to one of my books of the year in 2007 – ‘Rip It Up And Start Again’. Essentially a series of interviews made during research for the first book, it is fascinating reading for anyone interested in music circa ’78-84.
Ashley Wood has some great new robots out, just a shame I’m broke after the taxman reared his annual head.
This is the funniest thing I’ve seen in ages, Finnish guitarist StStanders strips the track’s audio and inserts his own, complete with off key music and silly lyrics.
PC just dropped round his remix of ‘All Covered In Darkness’ – a real treat! Don’t know what release it’s going to be on yet but it’s awesome and changes the tone of the original a lot whilst still keeping some of the key elements. Well pleased 
Currently speeding towards Manchester to play at Moho Live tonight…
“As we leave you now…”
This arrived in the mail today completely unannounced and the packaging immediately made an impression. I recognised the designer as being the same Nina Vrhovec who designed this flyer for my last gig in Ljubljana. The cover image is actually a 3D construction if you look closely which is pretty impressive as it could easily have been made by computer. The CD is a compilation of unsigned Solvenian artists in conjunction with the Dept. of Culture with music ranging for IDM to breaks, even industrial rock on one track and has a high hit rate for music makers without a deal. More info here www.klubk4.org and listen and buy here
Last Friday we made No.2 and No.8 with the Ninja Tune and Solid Steel podcast respectively on the iTunes Music chart – whoohoo! Well done to DK and guests who put together the show with so much effort
A Weird World Reader by strictly
A trip through the new DJ Food EP ‘One Man’s Weird Is Another Man’s World’ featuring tracks, samples and influences that make it what it is.
A trip through the new DJ Food EP ‘One Man’s Weird Is Another Man’s World’ featuring tracks, samples and influences that make it what it is.
- Tracklist:
DJ Food feat Natural Self – The Illectrik Hoax (Ninja Tune)
Rare Bird – Hammerhead (ABC / Dunhill)
The Black Keys – Have Love Will Travel (Alive)
The Broken Keys – Razorblade (Tru Thoughts)
Mr Chop – The Infinity Machine (Now Again)
Oasis – Falling Down (Amorphous Androgynous Exploding Bubble remix) (Big Brother)
DJ Food – extract from Stolen Moments (Ninja Tune)
The Dragons – Soul Teacher (Rural Records)
Ken Nordine – Manned Satellite (Dot)
DJ Food – All Covered In Darkness (Ninja Tune)
The The – Giant (Some Bizarre)
Keno-1 and the Hermit – Heavy Heavy (Breakin Bread)
Grace Jones – Corporate Cannibal (Wall of Sound)
DJ Food – Tricky Little Ears (The Cheech Wizard Pays Respect To All Living Creatures Who Inhabit Dark Places remix by Bundy K Brown) (Ninja Tune)
DJ Food – A Trick of The Ear (Ninja Tune)
Grace Jones – Hurricane (Wall of Sound)
Bundy K Brown – Soldier of Fortune (Thrill Jockey)
Dr Rubberfunk – Sunset Breakdown (GPR)
Paul Weller – Sunflower (Lynch Mob dub) (Go Discs)
DJ Food – All Covered In Darkness Pt 2 (Ninja Tune)
DJ Food – Colours Beyond Colours (Ninja Tune)
DJ Food – ‘One Man’s Weird Is Another Man’s World’ (Promo) by Ninja Tune
It’s spam week Here are 3 of the 6 tracks on the EP. The Ninja night at the ICA yesterday was really fun, saw loads of people I’d not seen in ages. Canterbury Lounge on the Farm festival tonight.
Check the Ninja Tune Soundcloud page for previews of all the lastest releases.
A little gif animation from the German Zero-inch site – thanks guys!