Alexander Robotnick gets distressed

(Mr Robotnick by Mike Rosley)

Check out Alexander Robotnick up there. He's a pretty old dude. But being old doesn't stop anyone from loving their italo and doing the electronic circle jerk. His past is long, varied and full of madness. He's scored films, he's hailed as the godfather of the whole italo revival by many arbiters of taster and he loves smoking snouts.

Now This is Music, who put out the amazing Township Funk, are deeming it fit to unleash new tune Obsession for the Disco Freaks, complete with remixes from the likes of Rory Phillips. The title and vibe sums up where we're at.

The video is below. When I saw it for the first time I almost pissed my pants due to the sheer amount of strong looks. What a freaking hero. That dancing. Jesus. There's a vid of his mixing double below at a party in what looks like an Austrian dungeon. Eek.

Omar S disses on Ricardo Villalobos

The latest Fabric installment is from a slightly unknown entity, the vaguely mysterious Omar S. No, me neither but according to reports, Mr S has been swaggering round Detroit for a number of years making real men’s techno and shooting his mouth off. He sounds like a top bloke and genuinely mental.

Check out the Resident Advisor interview with the man in preparation for the release. Omar has ‘done a Villalobos’ as it’s now known by filling his Fabrish mix with his own productions. Whether this move is an act of great narcissism, bravado or a bold statement of intent he was obviously unaware that it had been done previously. And he’s not happy.

RA: How has the mix been received?

Omar S: “You read the shit people are saying already about the Fabric Mix? A few assholes are talking about "Oh, Omar-S. He did the same thing as Ricardo Vi-vi--...." whatever the fuck he's called. I don't even know who Ricardo Willalobo is. I ain't start hearing his name till like a year ago. Who the fuck is that? So how would I know what he did for Fabric? I don't even know how to say his last name, why would I bite off of him?”

Check the full interview here. It is worth it.

Important Warp news

Warp and Turbo are up there as my favourite record labels in the world right now.

Amazingly both appear to be springing into activity again in the 09 with great and glorious gusto.

According to the former, it's celebrating its 20th year of activity on the earth with a compilation and number of events. Here's what they're doing and what you can do to help them by visiting Warp20

'Create The Definitive Warp Album. Vote for your favourite ever Warp tracks here. Your top 10 (by different artists) will combine with our top 10 to make a historic album for release this Autumn. Leave personal messages and memories and the best will be printed in the album art. We Are Reasonable People.'

Not only this, but they're throwing a series of parties across the UK during the summer.

Paris, New York, Sheffield, London and Tokyo are the locales. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Sheffield and a party to truly bring home the vibe of the bleep.

Sign up for emither updates here

The final bit of good news is that the bathroom door (see above) is finally getting fixed. As previously reported, we had to bash it in last October after an unsuspecting guest became trapped inside after which I did the same. That crack in the middle is the damage wrought upon it. So hopefully within a hour we'll be able to defecate and simultaneously lock the door.

Heavy.

Important Turbo news

Big news people. Big, heavy, bubonic news.

First of all is that Tiga's record label, Turbo, has just overhauled it's website. Yep that's right. I told you it was BIG. But it is. Not only is Tiga's second album due very soon (Ciao Tiga is it's name, rave pop is probably gonna be it's game. Although I wouldn't want to stick him in a box), happily they're putting together a compilation of the best bits from the label under the title of Omni Dance. Out on May 25th it looks, how you say, sicker than sick.

Check out the new website here...

Turbo Records

For those of who cannot get enough of Tiga's thoughts, there's an amazing interview with him about the new album on there.

This bit is the funniest moment...

Q: Are you happy with what you’ve been able to achieve?

Tiga: Once you realize you have the power to rent a limo anytime you please, you know in your heart that you’re not like other men. To hear 10,000 people chant your name and then have them locked inside the venue until you have had a chance to learn all of theirs. My goal has always been to become the most famous man in the world by the time I am 50. Failing that, I will assume the identity of a respected physician. My album’s success will determine whether the world will ever come to know Dr. Timothy Tiga.

And you can get more of his updates on the twitter he's set up. Dip into this and you'll realise the man is monstrously tapped...

Tiga Twitter

Not that I'm obsessing. I'm just laughing. A lot.

Rex the Dog

During 2005 and 2006 I used to drive an old Volkswagon Polo around Sheffield. Like that one in the picture. It was unfortunate that the car died a premature death while I was working as a stage manager at the Leadmill. During the 12 hour Sunday shift (which was fucking awful by the way) some rotter nabbed the bastard. It was found burnt out on the Parkway about a week later and I had to pay for its disposal.



One positive aspect to the whole ting was I’d manage to remove my cassettes from the vehicle before it was looted. One such tape was an electro - disco remix put together by Rough Disko resident, Gag Reflex. We used to drive around blazing crop on the way to the off license with this tape ramped up to eleven for the best part of 12 months. I used to drive everywhere just so I could listen to this freaky tape.

Anyhoo one of the songs on there was Prototype by Rex the Dog. Out on Kompakt the first time round, it’s a ridiculously over the top piece of rave-musik and sparked off a lorry load of Chinese whispers about who da Dog actually is or was. Like the gaggle of nerds we are, we spent yonks discussing the possibles.

Nearly 4 years later Rex the Dog is eventually about to re-release his debut album. One of the launch parties was at the Star of Bethnall Green a mere ten minutes around the corner from our London gaff. We discovered that far from being Carl Craig or a member of Kraftwerk the Dog is a greasy Euro-trance looking type of dude who would still be stealing your beak during the after-after-after party and waking up on your sofa on Monday covered in piss. Disappointingly the mystery is over. But Prototype is still amazing. Check it.

Rough Disko was last night...

But here's the flyer/poster for it. This kind of lateness is almost a parody of Peter Saville and Factory records. Almost. Now at the Harley by all accounts last night's RD was a great success...

Check out what's happening in Sheffield on the RD front here...

Calvin Harris in 'good' shocker

Well, well I'm surprised. I thought this guy was as much of a cunt as you did. His collab with Dizzee always gets my booty bouncing but the man himself is a massive stain. His lame appearances on T4 and hawking of Acceptable in the 80s at any festival of the 08 appeared to cement that.

However, right now this new single is sounding amazing. Maybe in two weeks when it's literally everywhere it'll sound like a sack of hairy balls. But, despite beginning like an early Snow Patrol b-side, it blasts off into Fred Falke territory via Detroit and some serious finger wiggling... This is his post on the MySpace from end of January...

'Pete Tong had the first play of I'm Not Alone on friday, that's my new single, it's on my music player now.
In an attempt to delay piracy i have given it an "I'm Your Nan" remix, so i hope you enjoy that.
Obviously I hope you like it, it's had some interesting reactions so far - a lot of them good, some of them bad!
For those hating, please be aware that what i'm trying to do is make memorable music, and given that i have already made songs that sound like Acceptable in the 80s and The Girls, and indeed 'Dance Wiv Me' it's time to move on and keep it interesting, which involves taking risks, one of those risks being that perhaps nobody will like it...!
But i would much rather that be the case than i make some cut up distorted blog house tune, i think there is enough of that around at the moment.
So give it a chance won't you?
Thanks
Calvin x'

I'd seriously advise you to check it on da MYSPACE...