Unknown Artist-Story 6

Some unknown artist mystery artist BS going down here. I heard the person behind Story Records was Cottam, whoever it is should own up and get the praise they deserve.  Story 6 from last year is a belter full of snappy organic beats and delightfully warm chords to compliment over it's three excellent tracks. With hordes of disco tinged house swarming the market, its often ones underneath the surface and hype that deserve the real attention. Wouldn't of sounded out of place on DJ Nature's album. God knows where you can still buy it. If you can find please part with your purse.

Unknown Artist-Story 6

DJ Nature-1970

The 'Nature Boy' got on a bit and all he left us with was 'Return of the Savage'.  Probably the best house/disco album of 2012. Landing a bit late for last years best of lists, many compared it (quite lazily in my opinion) to aspects of Moodymann/Theo Parrish due the fact he's lived stateside for 20 plus years, but for me it's just high quality dance music full of samples harking back to a time when the market wasn't so diluted with tired shit sounding like it was made on a crusty keyboard. As the Ransom Note magazine noted, 'this shit breathes'.

DJ Nature-1970 (buy)

The Bristol boy done good comes back for a home appearance this Saturday 16th March together with Felix Dickinson, Futureboogie DJs, Wolf Music DJs plus residents for a heavy night at Factory Studios. Get tickets here.

Top Ten Tracks September



Another monthly dose of random tracks for September. With this 'indian summer' we are experiencing over the last few days it would have been easy to have put the Doors track in of the same name, but this is a serious blog don't you know...

1. Mark E-Call Me (buy)



This track has been knocking about for a while, most notably on a Beats in Space Podcast from last year, but has only just secured a full release. With a trademark vocal sample (Diana Ross I think) and a steady buildup, it's impeccably Mark E at his finest.

2. DJ Nature-Destiny Reprise (buy)



Golf Channel seems to get more props with each release they have put out in 2011, featuring heavyweight releases recently from Juju & Jordash, Justin Van Der Volgen and DJ Nature. However it's this beauty of a repress by the latter that did it for me and it's a heavy deep disco-house workout from the former Wild Bunch don.

3. Shakarchi & Straneus-Liseberg  (buy)



Glorious uplifting track out of Barnhus Records in Germany. Brings a smile to my face every time I hear it and every time I see the video. 

4. First Touch-It's Yours (2011 Mix)



When I first heard this, I instantly thought of 'First Love', a 1980s boogie act with underground gems such as 'Can I Be With You Tonight' and 'Give Me Your Love'. However, this is actually two German guys in the here and now whilst staying true to the 1980s boogie sound. Excellent. 

5. Ian Wilson-Four in the Morning (GoodKing Edit) (buy)



This was on the Rock Your Soul Compilation that I featured a few months back. With so much quality all cross the release, it was easy to miss a trick and I did with this until I gave it a spin a few weeks back. Glorious blue-eyed soul of the highest order.

6. Master C & J-Face It (buy)



Classic Chicago release which I found recently on a crackly charity shop 'Best of House 87' special deeply hidden in my still far-to-small vinyl collection. Also featured on Mike Huckaby's highly recommended Resident Advisor podcast this week.

7. The Drums-Days (buy)


The Drums "Days" from Mikol Vega on Vimeo.

The new The Drums album has come around quickly since last year's self titled album. Shades darker than the last album, tugging on the heartstrings in more complex ways, none more so than on 'Days'.

8. Blue Boy-So Catch Him (buy)



Whilst discussing influences for their new album, The Drums pointed to Reading's Blueboy and Bristol's Sarah Records, an independent label in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Jonny Pierce's open lyrics are certainly present in Keith Girdler's words, who sadly passed away from cancer several years ago.

9. Glaxo Babies-This is Your Life (buy)



Excellent late 1970s Bristol post-punk from the Glaxo Babies. Quite possibly includes some of the best lyrics ever... "This is your life, crying on the subway, lying to your wife". 

10. Girls-Heartbreaker (buy)



Yeah it ain't from their much lauded new album but it's the perfect guitar track to wave goodbye to another lonely summer to. Bring on the snow.

Top Ten Tracks May 2011

Here's a feature which my lazy, uninspired backside should have introduced in January; the top ten tracks which have been floating my boat over the course of a month, and so I begin in May. I actually began and shared a top ten tracks of the month feature way back people still actually used Myspace (around 2006/2007) by publishing the now very outdated  'bulletin'. These tracks haven't necessarily come out this month, or even floating round others blogs, DJs etc. either, but I like them enough to share with you. Enjoy.

1.Chez N Trent-Morning Factory (buy)



Classic house, recently repressed on Slow to Speak U.S.

2. Steffi-Sadness (buy)



Stunning and somewhat sombre deep house track.

3. DJ Milo-Gyrating Savages (DJ Nature Remix) (buy)



Fantastic disco-jazzy workout from DJ Nature on Japanese label Jazzy Sport.

4. Mood II Swing-All Night Long (buy)



With the 'classic house' revival revitalising much of what is coming out, it's refreshing to pick up on classics that blow most of the new shit out of the water. Like this.

5. They Came From The Stars I Saw Them-Moon Song (Serge Santiago Totally Different Mix) (buy)

Psyhedelic leftfield disco. Courtesy of fellow blogger, The Beat!

6. Gatto Fritto-The Curse (buy)



80s inspired electro-pop on International Feel. Ace.

TIME for a bit of indie/alternative...

7. Damien Jurado-Go First (buy)



More reflective low-key music from Damien Jurado from 2008 album 'Caught in the Trees'. I don't feel like ever getting well. Blimey.

8. Sebadoh-Drama Mine (buy)



The recent re-release of Sebadoh's 4th album Bakesale certainly gave me a jolt to listen to one of my favourite bands of the 90s so i dug my old copy and have been blazing it out, especially 'Drama Mine'. Tour in August too...

9. Porcelain Raft-Tip of Your Tongue (buy)



Posted this up on Sunday Music a couple of weeks back (which I will now retire). Beautiful atmospheric heartfelt pop music.

10. David Bazan-I've Flirted With You All My Life (Vic Chestnutt Cover)



Recorded just over a year ago following the death of Vic Chestnutt and was soon a staple of his solo and living room shows. There's not many who do cover verisons better. New album dropped this week too!

Hope you all had a good bank holiday weekend (besides the obvious let down of the match on Saturday-well played Barca).