The Passage - Degenerates

Second LP of the night, highly literate english synth-pop from The Passage. First track is one of my favorites of the genre, 'XOYO' is a paean to gender & sexual equality and features some of the lushest synth work I've ever heard. That synth work carries on through the rest of the album, and should strike a chord with both minimal synth fans and fans of more grandiose works (Schulze, for example, or the various albums I've posted in the past). 'Fleck', for example, is a mean little song with a couple of aggro little monosynth basslines, while '(Ourselves)' is a bit like Vangelis-gone-synthpop. Punky up-tempo synth lines and intelligent lyrics found here in spades. Enjoy.

The Passage - Degenerates (1982)

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)

Series 2: Left-field House Singles

I'm not dead! Just busy and waiting on a preamp that never came (so I bought another one). I'll try to start doing regular updates from now on.

This one's got three singles I've been dying to rip for ages, and I'm sure you'll understand why. Up first is MAW's deep house remake of Fela Kuti's "Expensive Shit" (feat. a remix of "Zombie" and an accapella of the A side!). 'Nuff said. Second is a brilliant mid-90s strictly rhythm tune called I Want to Get To You. Vince Ailey's first (and only, on SR) release. Lastly is something I'm not even sure can be called house, it's a promo remix by Bill Laswell from the 90's "Panthalassa" album of big name remixes of Miles Davis' seminal "On The Corner" album. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to dance to it. This time we've even got zshare previews!

Series 2 #5: Left Field

MAW - Expensive Shit
Crazy Canuk - I Want To Get You (Alley Comet Mix)
Miles Davis - Rated X (Reconstruction)

Got a stack I've been itching to post, keep an eye open.

Unit Moebius - Status

Unit Moebius - Status

Damn, been a busy few weeks! Too many parties, not enough time to kick back. My new preamp is in the mail, just waiting on it to start digging into the stack of records I've had sitting here. (Got a right good dancehall mix lp I can't wait to post) For today, a classic from one of my favorite 90s techno groups: Unit Moebius. Hard fucking lofi acid. The Zipper is one of my all time favorite tracks, along with Biosoft with that UR vibe. Not a bad tune on the album. Acid like a kick in the head.


listen to that 303 scream!

Oswald Starr Dollar - Freestyle Demo

Oswald Starr Dollar - Freestyle Demo (2007?)

This one's a demo my friend Ozzie passed along to me a year or two ago. We talked about getting together a live band (check the last track for his collab with Hypnotic Brass Ens.) but he was in a car accident and decided to take a little while before getting back into it last I heard from him. Soul guitar isn't exactly my forte though, so I don't know how much would have ever come of it anyway. Tight production and the man can fucking sing, that's all I have to say. Enjoy.

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

ALTERN-8 IS BACK

And they've dropped a new mix via the absolutely incredible The Acid House blog. >>>>>>>>Check it here<<<<<<<<<<, not even gonna try to quote his article about it, read it there. Click this link. Give him props. This probably the best all around hardcore techno mix I've ever heard, just anthem after anthem and it works so well. I don't know if downloading it there benefits him somehow, but get it there before you get it here. The only reason I'm even posting this is because I tossed it up on zshare to show some friends. Two hours of the best tracks of the era. Top one, Get sorted.

Altern8 LIVE @ The Clarence Sligo 18-4-2009 - ZSHARE LINK DELETED get it off the above links or request a reup if unavailable

(even if you don't hit the link to that post, check out The Acid House on my BIA list to the right! ->)