Saturday, 7 March 2009

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...

Wednesday, 4 March 2009

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...

Monday, 2 March 2009

Yacht a lot of rubbish

Maybe I’m just slow, but the musical strain of non-deviancy that is yacht rock appears to be making something of a resurgence right about now. So named cos its makers used to hang around on yachts snorting beak and guzzling champagne, it’s yer basic soft rock. But inherently strong.

We even ventured to Sail on Sailor, an evening hosted by Johnno Burgess from Bugged Out and dedicated to the smooth vibes of Toto and the Doobie Brothers. It was at the Queen of Hoxton, a suitably tacky bar which aims to be trendsville Shoreditch personified but falls somewhat short of making it due to a lack of small dogs and big hair.

Highlights from the night included Private Eyes by Hall & Oates, seeing Erol Alkan fiddling with Mr Burgess’ knobs (arf arf), a 12 minute version of Africa by the aforementioned Toto. Then we left, went home to indulge in more yacht-based antics. Balearic.

Here's Toto's Africa in all its glory - and if you can find it seek out a copy of the Resident Advisor podcast by Johnno Burgess.

No beef but come on mate

At the minute I’m being bombarded by remixes from Herve aka The Count aka one half of Dead Soul Brothers aka Speaker Junx. Seemingly everyone wants his bass heavy production fingers stuck inside them, rejiggling their insides and straightening their face.

About two years ago every thing Herve touched was total hype - Roisin Murphy, Princess Superstar and the Chemical Brothers have been some of the big name benefitees. 12 inches of rejigs and original material were popping out all over the place. Herve appeared as a particularly fertile musical mother who couldn’t go for a walk or look at a set of railings without becoming pregnant with tune, opening his legs and spilling out another bastard offspring with a bassline for an umbilical cord.

Flash forward to 2009 - he’s ubiquitous and ended up remixing celebrity brat and perpetual attention seeker Lily Allen in a dubstep stylee - See what you think.



Incidentally we tried to book Herve for a party in Sheffeel about two years ago. He blew us out for a Daft Punk after party.

Zoo Zoo Zoo



Myself and Jeff visited London zoo on Valentine’s Day last month. Here’s what we saw - special props to my sister for sorting the guest list - and extra props to the vultures. Apparently they're the highest flying bird. One caught out by a plane doing the wiggle at 37,000 feet. Hype?



Gary Ablett



Long neck flex



A hog



Strong Meerkat vibes



Murderah!



Squat flex



Yes?



Bearded pig getting a honk on

Sunday, 1 March 2009

Hype delivers

At the start of the year La Roux was among the names being warbled about by every bozo and his fucking dog. I initially cast her in the same box (I.e coffin) as Florence and the Machine and the increasingly irritating Little Boots - the one full of rusty nails, cat shite and no talent.

However her new record is genuinely ace. And even better is the Skream remix. Along with yer boy Toddla T he should have been in the list of hype acts for 09. Check him here at Stealth a couple of weeks dropping his own rerub - witness the sickness…



And considering he’s the poster boy for dustep he’s put together a rather tasty and surprising disco mix up. Check it here...