Black Rascals-Keeping My Mind

Some people may (or may not) think us bloggers have an over-whelming extensive and 'sound' musical knowledge, knowing about all kinds of tunes/genres/movements/periods/fads that they never would have heard of (unless they managed to come across this blog or any other musical blog for that matter). The fact is that is (for the most part) it's own kind of bullshit. I find out about tunes via the internet just like many do nowadays. More so than ever since I moved away to a place where record shops no longer exist, leaving me unable to go crate digging like I did in the past. This lovely house tune from 1993 is a tune I found out about, just like you on the internet via the good Mancunian boys at Boheiman Grove. Was a limited pressing at the time so deep pockets required if you want a physical copy. Enjoy.



Black Rascals-Keeping My Mind (buy)

DJ Jus Ed-Unbelievably Beautiful

Sunday night beatdown doesn't come much better than this. Quality deepness from the happiest man in the deep house world; Jus Ed.



DJ Jus-Ed-Unbelievably Beautiful (buy)

Donnie & Joe Emerson-Baby

Big up to Walkmusic/JWalk for turning me on to this one. As noted elsewhere the record cover doesn't do these boys any favours. Looking like a family photo album nightmare that someone put on the front of the record to take the piss, it would make you bypass if you came across it in a store thinking it was some celebratory Christian Californian bullshit; and at the very least bargain bin fodder. Fortunately it contained this gem; 'Baby' is beautiful blue-eyed soul at it's finest. It has been described like 'Shuggle Otis & Roy Orbison if they had a baby together'; it holds a timeless quality of the former whilst holding the desperate croon of the latter. Impossible to buy, but to be honest those who came across it probably gave it one look and chucked it away. Oh well.



Donnie & Joe Emerson-Baby

Good Guy Mikesh & Filburt-Gold Snake (Iron Curtis Remix)

I close the working week with a record I've been very fond of recently. New label The Exquisite Pain have already delivered plently in their short existence, with notable cuts from Alain Ho & Alex Arnout, Move D on a disco tip and this from Good Guy Mikesh & Filburt. Whilst the original hits all the right notes for a quality nu disco joint, Iron Curtis' remix takes it alot deeper. I played this at the last Soundwaves event, and it even turned up on Move D's Boiler Room visit (though it was omitted from the general tracklist that was banded about).  Great minds etc...



Good Guy Mikesh & Filburt-Gold Snake (Iron Curtis Remix) (buy)

Damien Jurado-Maraqopa

After a plethora of house music, it's refreshing to share something different. I've featured Damien Jurado here on a fair few occasions and with a new album just released, it felt right to feature him again. Recorded by sometime-collaborator and self-confessed 'hero' Richard Swift; Jurado's 14th (14th!!) album follows his last record 'Saint Bartlett' as full of an expansive, open sound for the most part, away from some of his records of the early noughties, whch seemed he'd recorded everything under a blanket (which was no bad thing). After a few brief listens, this record will be in my headphones for the forseeable future; opening new windows and creating some startling imagery with each listen. Click on the album name for a teaser below...



Damien Jurado-Maraqopa (buy)

Parallel Dance Ensemble-Occupied (Maxmillion Dunbar Remix)

After his great EP from last year 'Max Trax For World Peace', Maxmillion Dunbar is at it again, with a lovely remix of New Zealand/Denmark disco duo Parallel Dance Ensemble's 'Occupied', out on well trusted 'kicks for disco' label Permanent Vacation. Also check out Salax Peep Show's remix too for good measure.

Parallel Dance Ensemble-Occupied (Maxmillion Dunbar Remix) (buy)

Parallel Dance Ensemble-Occupied (Salax Peep Show Remix)  (buy)

Chris Simmonds-I Changed My Mind

Another house track that was given a new lease of life last year was Chris Simmonds' 2000 release 'I Changed My Mind'. Repressed on French label Robsoul, it didn't hang around quickly, especially when it found itself a cornerstone of Move D's sets over 2011.Speaking of his sets, Mr Moufang is the latest DJ to provide online bedwetters FACT with a mix. Give it a listen here.




Chris Simmonds-I Changed My Mind (buy)

Timmy Thomas-Why Can't We Live Together

7 posts in 7 days, don't normally post that many in a month. Guess you can tell I've got a bit of spare time on my hands at the moment. Listened to Gilles Peterson's show for the first time in ages the other day and after hearing this track was puzzled why I had been away so long. People online been chatting a lot about the new Burial release 'Kindred' (which was also played) but I found it quite dull, saying that comparing it to this beautifully sparse soulful arrangement, doesn't really give it a chance.

Timmy Thomas-Why Can't We Live Together (buy)

MK-The MKappella

Lovely re-issue we have on our hands here of MK's 'The MKappella', a much loved B-side on the mammoth 'Burning' EP from 1991. I had not heard the EP in a good while but after listening to a radio show DJ set from Lil Louis from 1992 last week where he closed with 'Burning (Vibe Mix)', I dug it out for a long overdue listen, coincidentally the same week this re-issue was released.



MK-The MKappella (buy)

Hunee-Tour De Force

This release feels like it came out yesterday. It's just one of those EP's that never really leaves my side. While the instant release may come from the sharp snap (both vocal and kick) of 'Rare Silk', it's the B side and the title track that fares the better after repeated listens. The track leads you down a interesting path away from standard deep house fare, leaning more towards the spaced out disco sounds of the Nordic region. Since this release way back in summer '09, he's turned up on a variety of labels including some of my faves such as Rush Hour, Drumpoet Community and Future Times.

Hunee-Tour De Force (buy)

Chromatics-Into the Black

I've featured Chromatics here before and after five long years a new album entitled Kill For Love is finally upon us. To whet the appetite, we are presented with 'Into the Black', a Neil Young track that once again shows the Italians Do It Better crew know how to handle a cover and actually make it worthwhile.  Beautifully shot video too by regular cohort Alberto Rossini. Nothing's changed much in 5 years it seems. These people don't age.

Chromatics-Into the Black (download)

Mood II Swing-Move Me

Firmly back to house music today with some classic Mood II Swing. A track I'd forgotten all about until it was featured in Move D's set at Panorama Bar last month. Way deep and darker than much of their work, more comparable to Basic Channel than some of their 90s US Vocal House output. 



Mood II Swing-Move Me (buy)

Jago-I'm Going to Go

Tip-top Italo-Disco here from 1983. Deep pockets needed as ever to get a physical copy of this. However balearic label titled simply Balearica have included a instrumental version for their latest release which also includes tweaked cuts from none other than Wolfgang Maus, Lucio Battisti and The Rolling Stones. Pick it up here.

Check the original below.



Jago-I'm Going to Go (buy)

Fingers Inc-Another Side

The demand today for the best of 'original' house records really shows no sign of letting up. Represses in much of the big online stockists seem more of an event than new releases; and with often only limited runs being made, the demand and online chatter only increases, and many are left frustrated and often resort to youtube and it's more or less limitless content for some kind of solace. 'Another Side' by house pioneers Fingers Inc remains a record hard to get hold of and therefore very expensive. A unlimited repress ten years ago is now harder to get hold of the original even that is almost a quarter of a century old. Easy to see why when you consider the tracklisting. Any album containing tracks such as 'Never No More Lonely', 'Distant Planet', and 'So Glad' should expect to be in high demand, given the quality of the productions. Throw in tracks that everyone and his dog knows like 'Bring Down The Walls' and 'Can You Feel It' and maybe, just maybe, you feel it's justifable to spend your weekly food budget on a few slabs of wax.





Fingers Inc-Distant Planet (buy)

(The copy shared here is a bit crackly, a vinyl rip of a well loved copy)

Another Late Night-Groove Armada

Way before people began discussing online mixes, soundcloud, the death of the mix CD format (insert boring tale here) and people actually buying burned mixes off ebay; existed mix CD's that helped define a certain part of your life. Who you were hanging around with, who you were seeing, what threads you were wearing, all come to me vividly when I listen to this mix. Whilst my memory of it may be linked to a particular time, the music featured is timeless. With the internet helping to make it easier to be a music nut with fountains of knowledge, many tracks here will be instantly recogniseable. However for me, they were a breath of fresh air back then. Ten years on I'm still wearing converse.

Another Late Night-Groove Armada  (buy)