It felt like a somewhat restrained bout of record purchasing in the UK this time, for a few reasons. Primarily with having Traktor and digital DJing as a decent option there is now the opportunity for some kind of perspective, something that has only been witnessed out of necessity (either fiscal or practical), in the past. Of course that situation has only come about due to the impossibility of finding so much gear on wax (and securing it from limited runs), and the need to have some decent way to play dibbi-dibbi-digital gear. So the record purchases become the utterly essential/will want to play for years variety, and/or things that can’t be sourced any other way. Thus far it’s a fine state of affairs that has allowed me to spend more at a variety of legal DL vendors (though dancehall is still poorly served when it comes to decent quality files) while scooping up essential wax of suitably long term resounding resonance.
Here’s a couple from Poland St/Berwick Street and surrounds, the best record buying experience was down in Camberwell but that’s a post in itself and I’m still not sure if I want to fully expose that early morning quality haul before I chop and recycle.
Kicking off, is the latest from the Antwerp alchemists Ronny & Renzo getting their parts in a twist courtesy of Joel Martin and Matt ‘Radioslave’ Edwards, better known as Quiet Village. Like their remix of R&R’s ‘Uniqorns’ from a couple of years ago, this is a proper marvelously monged out, head trip . Much as I dug Quiet Village’s ‘Silent Movie’ album from last year, it’s always been their remixes that have really sent me, and this is no exception. Typically elongated, percussive, dubbed out and full of nature foley this is a worthy addition to their crucial remix canon and the original from their Belgian beat buddies is no slouch either (all of the material on King Kung Foo comes with my hearty recommendation). ‘Me, Myself, Good’ is inspired by, and dedicated to Michael the Silverback Gorilla who communicated by sign language and painted (his work adorns the cover) before passing away in 2000. Only 1000 copies, no repress and a chunk of change from each goes to the Gorilla Foundation…. How could you refuse? peruse…. and then use the stinking and linking.
Good R&R interview and mystery mix at Cosmic Disco
Some things you just know have to be owned on vinyl before they’ve even been heard (like Quiet Village remixes, because I have them all..so sad), others just make too strong a case to possibly deny. I had listened to the Moderat remixes from their genius self titled album on mp3 and they didn’t really move me, however putting the needle on the wax in Phonica I was completely sold within a fairly modest amount of Shackleton’s typically lengthy and doomy rerub. All three tracks are excellent and head off far away from the unique atmospheres that Modeselektor and Apparat have combined to form on the original BPitch Control release, that may have thrown me on an initial listen. However I wouldn’t bother putting Shackleton or T++’s mixes down as 192 mp3’s, the kind of bass they possess simply won’t come across. While it’s none too anorexic in the subs department I reckon this lick on the album standout ‘A New Error’ from Bristolian stepper should do the trick just admirably. You know the scenario show the love with your shekels.
Buy from Phonica
A NEW ERROR (HEADHUNTER REMIX) – MODERAT
more soon……. and the post title is somewhat appropriate after the shuffling of hefty vinyl into hand luggage and the like at Heathrow when we fell in 1kg under the total combined weight of hand and checked baggage. Props going out to the better half for trans hemispherical haulage, and perhaps I need to adjust my idea of restrained a little bit.