Update

I'm still alive! Unfortunately the last few months have been very involved, between classes and music I've been making a point of treasuring my isolationary time. Posts will be, as they have been (for entirely too long now), sporadic. I'll try to make a point of throwing out the kind of thing that keeps this blog on your rss feed (or at least keeps bringing you back to check on it).

I first heard this when I was 17, which was after I'd gotten my first car. This is one of the two defining songs of the time when I drove a car. I really miss driving when I listen to this one.

DL it, pop it on cdr, tape, whatever you use to play music in your car. Flip it on on the interstate and enjoy the feeling of pressing that pedal down as far as it'll go.

floor it

Rapidshare Issues

I've got a few things I'd like to upload, but Rapidshare has gone and switched from the monthly pass setup to some kind of totally incomprehensible points-based system (while, might I add, deleting my 14000+ already useless 'rapidpoints' (fuck your mousepads)) so until I can grasp what the hell is going on here I'm just going to push a few links for the sake of a new post.

Un-kommunity - In The Shithouse (1984)
http://433rpm.blogspot.com/2010/06/un-kommunity-in-shithouse-tape-black.html

This was a tape I've been looking for for ages, ever since I got the Freedom in a Vacuum comp a few years ago. Top notch tape noise from three english students, featuring McCarthy/Stereolab guru Tim Gane in his first musical(?) outing.


Tantra - Double Album (1980)
http://retrodisco-hi-nrg.blogspot.com/2010/06/tantra-double-album-2lp-album-1980.html

Featuring two side-long proto-italo epics, one of which being the timeless Hills of Katmandu, this one gets dropped regularly by a good friend whenever he does a vinyl set out & about.



also another reminder that i'm posting up videos to the twitter on the regular now: http://twitter.com/spaceodeon

Theo Vaness - Back to Music

Number 2 in the spacer disco series isn't from our friends at the Disco2Go blog, but discovered elsewhere online and posted as a follow up to a post ages ago of my rip of the 7" single from this album.

Theo Vaness - Back to Music (1978)

Back to Music is a 4 track 1978 disco album from Theo Vaness, but frankly tracks 2-4, though solid tunes, are just here to fill out the album. The first track is the draw, and it is epic. 16:31 side-long disco medley, kicking off with a cosmic narrative about time travel and rolling into a medley as follows:

Back To Music 7:35
I Who Have Nothing 1:15
Feelings 1:15
Yesterday :55
Brahms : Third Symphony :45
It's Now Or Never 1:30
What Did I Say :04
Blue Suede Shoes :12
Shake Rattle and Roll :12
Johnny Be Good :12
Tutti Frutti :12

This is the US version, I haven't found the Euro version but apparently it's considerably worse (though given the tracklist I can't really imagine that being true). No, this is indeed the Euro version. My god.

This is one of those projects that results from a massive budget and a very good connection.




Vaness was better known for his gay disco anthem As Long As It's Love, unfortunately not included on this album (if it were, I would have to declare this the Gayest Disco LP Ever. As it stands, Sylvester retains that title).



I've got a few more to go, don't know that I'll get up another one tonight but we'll see how temperamental rapidshare is being. Anyway, enjoy.

Space Project - Disco from Another Galaxy

Good evening spacers & runaways! I've got a few more neat bits of far-out disco for you this week, mostly mp3 encodes of lossless files provided by the wonderful Disco2Go blog (Tonight's post found lossless here). The originals even come with .cues for your burning/ripping pleasure, so hit him up if you'd like the pristine originals or you want them in another encoding format.

First up is this four-track four-on-the-floor effort from Quebec. Supposedly involves an ex-member of seminal French Synthpop/Disco group Droids, although I can't seem to track down any more info on that and discogs is being less than helpful.

Laid-back spaced vibes throughout, with one of my absolute favorite 'sounds' when it comes to disco: the TV Soundtrack. Perfect for listening, lots of analog synth twiddles and production fun on two sides featuring a dozen separate snippets that could have been in the OST for Battlestar Galactica 1980. Superb. Once I get around to ripping vinyl again I'll have to start in on my small collection of this sort of thing. The French (and Quebecois, obviously) had a good handle on it, but frankly the Italians and the Japanese were the masters. Refer to my old post of that Digital Trip synth soundtrack for a prime demonstration of Japan's direction, or my very first post of Nights of Babylon for another example of French efforts to a similar end. Anyhow, check out the youtubes below. Beyond Orion is my clear favorite, but none of them fall short of expectations. Enjoy.

Space Project - Disco from Another Galaxy (1978)




Speaking of synthy-stuff and that Digital Trip album, the lucidmedia blog reposted it along with SIX more similar albums. The Macross one is particularly good for this kind of music (Silver Moon, Red Moon on the same is a great example of this kind of this soundtrackish disco sound, as is O-G Love although both are much more 'late-80s' in style). This also has an example or two.

Mandrill - Mandrill Is...

Mandrill - Mandrill Is... (1972)

Wild funk, fucked fusion, acid soul. This record easily places among the most impressive achievements of the era, ranging from Sly-style soul-funk (Ape is High), JBs doling out the hard-edge shit (Git it All), to straight up acid narrative tracks (the eminently samplable Universal Rhythms) and psych ballads (Central Park). Hell, forget Universal Rhythms, the whole album is chock full of great breaks and instrumental compositions worthy of breaking out the old MPC. This record is certainly a production of its' time, but only more amazing for it. Honestly, best suited to headphones and a couple of rips rather than dropping at a party. There's a lot here to enjoy, give it your best attention & enjoy.

I have this LP, but as I recall this particular rip was one I found on a now defunct blog (that one with four different interconnected blogs I can't remember the name of anymore). The quality is roughly equal to my own rips, but starting in the next week or two I'll finally have myself set up once again to rip records. I've got a grip of house singles, a couple of mix records, and a few LPs. Added to that, I've spent the last few days getting my old MP3 collection transferred from my several old hard drives to my new dual 1.5tb external mirror raid setup, so I've got a few hundred tidbits to share. Stay tuned...

Myriam Makeba - Comme Une Symphone D'Amour

Myriam Makeba - Comme Une Symphone D'Amour (1979/89)

Here's a change of pace from the recent spate of synth music. Myriam Makeba was, as it happens, married to the great Hugh Maskela, a few of whose albums I posted over the summer. If you liked those, you'll find this just as agreeable. Otherwise, I doubt anyone can help themselves from falling for the woman known as Mama Afrika. For some background I'll just toss out some Wikipedia.

Makeba then travelled to London where she met Harry Belafonte, who assisted her in gaining entry to and fame in the United States. She released many of her most famous hits there including "Pata Pata", "The Click Song" ("Qongqothwane" in Xhosa), and "Malaika". In 1966, Makeba received the Grammy Award for Best Folk Recording together with Harry Belafonte for An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba. The album dealt with the political plight of black South Africans under apartheid.

She discovered that her South African passport was revoked when she tried to return there in 1960 for her mother's funeral. In 1963, after testifying against apartheid before the United Nations, her South African citizenship and her right to return to the country were revoked. She has had nine passports, [3] and was granted honorary citizenship of ten countries.[4]

Her marriage to Trinidadian civil rights activist and Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee leader Stokely Carmichael in 1968 caused controversy in the United States, and her record deals and tours were cancelled. As a result of this, the couple moved to Guinea, where they became close with President Ahmed Sékou Touré and his wife.[5] Makeba separated from Carmichael in 1973, and continued to perform primarily in Africa, South America and Europe. She was one of the African and Afro-American entertainers at the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman held in Zaïre. Makeba also served as a Guinean delegate to the United Nations, for which she won the Dag Hammarskjöld Peace Prize in 1986.

This is the 1989 CD re-release of this album (best of?) featuring 5 bonus tracks including "The Click Song" as mentioned above. It dips between pop, jazz, and traditional numbers in french, english, and xhosa. Wonderful album, here's some youtube vids as a preview for those unacquainted with the 'Mistress of African Song'.



African Convention (on this record)

(Fun tidbit: The Lion Cries seems to have been 'covered'/ripped-off by Paul Simon on Graceland. Guess it wasn't just Ladysmith Black Mambazo then.)

CBS Top 100

Nothing new from me tonight, but I wanted to point this out to anyone who follows SRO (especially anyone interested enough to be reading me now after that months-long break). The CBS Top 100 is pretty much the definitive italo/electro/house/etc recc list. If you've noticed the new IFM widget on the side, IFM is what CBS evolved into last year. Four channels of amazing music and shows from some of the best talents in the West Coast of Holland scene (perhaps the best thing going at the moment), 24 hours a day 365 days a year. They didn't do the Top 100 show the last two years due to the switchover to IFM, which is kind of a shame, but there's still three years out there to download. Obviously these aren't my original posts, just strong endorsements.

2005
2006
2007

it's been a long night

one of many. here's something everyone should have/hear. please comment if you download or listen.

Lamont Dozier - Going Back to My Roots (1979)

Sometimes you just can't sleep.

Kenyatta HiFi - Meditation Dub

A set of ten roots dub tracks produced by Winston Riley sometime in the 70s. Horrifically low quality bootleg, just as it should be. Sounds like the record was mastered from another record, in fact. Odd problems with channels, there's at least one very large pop in the groove (I bought it brand new a few years ago and have only played it twice before now) and one track literally restarts in the middle of it. It's so bad this might even be a lathe bootleg, although the effort involved in that seems unlikely.

That said, there's some nice tracks here. At some point I need to sample Glambling Dub. The B-side is better than the A, in my opinion.

Kenyatta HiFi - Meditation Dub (197?)

The Equators - Hot

Got two good LPs tonight. First up is a selection from the Stiff Records catalog (Feelies labelmates, you know you can't go wrong). The Equators were a 7 member pop-reggae group, up tempo almost to the point where I want to group them with the second-wave ska movement, except they're american rather than english so probably didn't have much in common with those groups. Not a bad track on the album here, standouts include 'Mr. Copper' and 'There Is Someone' but all around a well written, well produced album of highly-dancible reggae tunes.

The Equators - Hot (1981)

A.R. & Machines - AR IV

A.R. & Machines - AR IV

I just realized that I mentioned AR & Machines in the GAM post without giving any context. I think this is out of print, not sure, not adhering to my own rules too well I suppose. This is, truly, one of the greatest krautrock albums ever pressed to wax. My copy is a rip from a cd rerelease/boot from a few years ago. It's a level beyond Neu!, something like Can gone truly 60s-style psychedelic. Achim Reichel was a german pop artist, a singer and guitarist who was sucked up into the hippie movement. He built a system of tape echo effects which allowed him to compose songs which have never been duplicated, surround sound in 1970. Compositions which are frankly unlike anything else I've ever heard, and provide a tremendous inspiration to my own efforts as a guitarist and producer. This album is like nothing else produced before or since. Listen to it on headphones.

When the acid wore off and the money ran out in the late 70s, Reichel went back to disappointingly bland pop productions. Shame if you ask me, and I've no doubt you'll agree once you've heard this.

Hugh Masekela - Colonial Man & I Am Not Afraid

Hugh Masekela - Colonial Man (1976)
Hugh Masekela - I Am Not Afraid (1974)

rip from a friend, thanks utefan69

as per-

Two classic albums from south african bandleader/trumpeter Hugh Masekela, both from his 'funk' period in the early to mid seventies. 'I am not afraid' is great all around but is especially notable for being the first time he recorded 'Stimela,' a song he'd re-record at least a dozen times afterward. This is the shortest version I've been able to find, and one of the best. Some of his later live renditions of this one would push the twenty minute mark. Also notable on this lp is his interpretation of 'night in tunisia' and basically the entire second side. Probably my favorite album of his.

'Colonial Man' is a groovy anti-imperialist concept album released during the bicentennial year with some kickass cover art and some even better tunes. All of the songs on the lp- except for the Isley Brothers cover- deal with exploration or colonialism in one way or another, but the ideology never gets in the way of the groove. My favorite is probably 'whitch doctor,' which re-tells the story of Stanley's search for Livingstone over some spooky chants and slick guitar and horn arrangements.

you'll want to unrar these to individual folders

Asakawa Maki - Asakawa Maki No Sekai

Asakawa Maki - Asakawa Maki No Sekai (1970)

Light up a cigarette and pour yourself a scotch, neat. Beautiful vocals from this Japanese jazz songstress (described someplace or another as having a "heroin and cigarettes voice"), with production from a legendary producer whose name escapes me.

from a live performance in '84:

GAM - GAM 1976

GAM - GAM 1976 (1976)

This was posted previously by a number of people, but I believe it was a single rip sourced from a poor quality bootleg. This is also a boot, but from a higher quality Seidr release (who have put out a number of kraut classics in reasonbly high quality cd-r bootlegs). Will have to scan the cover since I can't seem to track it down online.

Absolute classic of echo-guitar krautrock, think AR & Machines by way of Detroit. Less psychedelic and more driving. Was such a tremendous influence on me when I found it that I tried to start a similar band. You've no idea how hard it is to find someone interested in krautrock these days. Fav track is Für Elise und Alice but all of it is good.

The Fall - Live 1977

one more from a cd rip i did today



The Fall - Live 1977

wiki:
Live 1977 is a live album by The Fall, first released in March 2000. Although the sound quality is poor and live documents of The Fall are plentiful, this one is of particular note as it is the earliest available recording of the group in action, apart from two tracks on the Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Circus compilation. It dates from December 1977, about six weeks after the group recorded their debut single "Bingo-Master's Break-Out!" (which wasn’t released until August 1978). It is the only release where early song "Hey! Fascist" can be heard, although it was reworked as "Hey! Student" and released on Middle Class Revolt some seventeen years later. There are also very early versions of "Oh! Brother" and "Cop It", both later found on The Wonderful And Frightening World Of The Fall, the latter retitled "Copped It". In addition, it is only here that the group’s reworking of "Louie Louie" can be accessed, an opportunity for cult figure John the Postman to join the group on stage. The original line-up was caught on tape just in time; this was to be Tony Friel’s last performance with the band. After a couple of short-stay replacements, the job would eventually be taken by Marc Riley.

Series 2: Disco Singles

I've decided to just make this a singles series, so it won't just be things classified as house. Tonight it's Italodisco, next time it will probably be minimal synth and euro post-punk. Two singles on tonight's roster are not technically italodisco, one is american funk (check it on the zshare links before you download the whole thing. or in addition to something if r-s gives you trouble.) and one is polish electronic stuff which is kinda disco, kinda not-quite.

first, you can get/preview the funk tracks without dealing with rapidshare:
Wisdom - Nefertiti
Wisdom - What-cha-gonna-du-about-you


Now for the full set: Wisdom - Nefertiti (4:09)
Wisdom - What-cha-gonna-du-about-you (3:21)



Universal Energy - Universal Energy (5:50)
Universal Energy - Disco Energy (6:51)


Osibisa - Dance the Body Music (3:24)
Osibisa - Right Now (3:08)


Theo Vaness - It's Now or Never (3:24)
Theo Vaness - I, Who Have Nothing (3:32)


C. Niemen - Mleczna Droga (3:14)
C. Niemen - Dorozka na Kisezyc (5:17)

you can still see the academy recs price tag on the last one/first one, but the rest of them were thing finds. one great trip there, haven't been so lucky since.

i can put it up in one file upon request.

Omar Khorshid - Tribute to Oum Koulsoum

a leftover on the acct while i upload the first post

v0 tape rip