I've had a couple albums in the queue but my connection has been awful for some reason for the last few days (three failed uploads on the first up!). It's driving me a bit crazy since I have such amazing tracks to share. In the meantime, here's a taste of that first album. If anyone has the proper mp3 of the second vid please please post it in the comments or get it to me somehow, because it's unreal. The man was brilliant, and the fact that he isn't as known as Moroder is a testament to the miserable state of the American aesthetic taste, then and now.
Wherever you are, Mr. Cowley, we love you.
434:49 minutes remaining in the upload... (See Below)
Finally, the first upload I've had in nearly a week that hasn't failed. Today I present you with a legendary collection of the greatest tracks by America's greatest electronic disco producer. Before his untimely death in 1982 (at age 32! so young.) Patrick Cowley did a world tour with Sylvester and started the superb hi-nrg label, Megatone records. I've re-written this post a dozen times it feels like so just check him on wikipedia if you want to know more.
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.
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.
AGH! Crazy time of year for me. Forgot what it was like to be a student again, then tax season came along. Here's another bit I've nabbed over time, between projects and class I haven't had time to rip anything new. That said, I'll not do you wrong. Lordy.
CD rip of two albums of disco-style funk-punk-rock-whatever. Imagine the Talking Heads around this period, except not afraid either of rocking hard or laying down some proper dance shit. Like Nat Glover (Kid Creole) but freaked like Damião (pick your spelling, I've no idea) doing house. It's not P-Funk, but it could fit in the pantheon. I wouldn't be even remotely surprised if it was produced by Bill Laswell (check this though it's probably on this blog somewhere since I ripped my copy long ago).
I've got a big post uploading now, but since it doesn't look like it'll finish in time for me to post it tonight here's a great edit of this quintessential disco track I've had on rotation lately. Enjoy.
Hey, it's technically the first anniversary! (Though we did have a big break there for a couple of months) In celebration, here's a track I did on a lark in Reason a week or so ago. I'll try to start ripping some of the new records I've put together in the past year this month. Thanks for reading SRO! Stick around, I'm not going anywhere...
This one is courtesy of the once magnificent, now defunct audio.out blog. So much great music lost to the void (that I hadn't gotten hold of yet...) when he went offline. This is probably up someplace else, but since I've been mentioning it to friends so much and it fits SRO's style such as it does I'm tossing it up here just for simplicity's sake. Cover blurb:
balearic beats by farley
"wot shall i file this BALEARIC BEATS under?" so young joe public, y.t.s., go-getter at yo-price megastore hits his first problem in pigeon-holeing the black vinyl. now seeing that the only "MATEY" joe's "EVER GOT RIGHT ON" is the rubbery balloon type his guv'nor sells, i think we should explain this happy, happy, groove a little more.
now while it's true that the balearic beat was born in IBIZAN clubs, such as AMNESIA and PASHA, it's breeding took place in a small, sweaty, strobby, smokey south london club called ..... THE SHOOM. the hardcore original shoomers, along with another london club THE FUTURE, had discovered the JOY'S of balearic beats, during several previous "summers of love" (sic), and had brought the music and the attitude back to london with them. the kinectic style of dancing now associated with balearics ugly brother, ACID HOUSE, is pure ibizan in origin. The loudest screams at SPECTRUM are always reserved for NITZER EBB and the RESIDENTS while hearing ENZO AVITABILE booming through the smoke at JOY is an ecstatic experience one step away, (some say forward) from sex.
THE FINI TRIBE and MANDY SMITH have become anthems all over clubland, whilst my personal faves are the fast euro-rhythms of CODE 61 and the post-punk thrashing of THE WOODENTOPS. every track of this album will fill floors and put smiles on faces, Throughout the balearic underground. look, i wonder if poor joe's getting the gist of all this, for joe and the yet uninitiated, balearic is the following and much, much more.....
.....loads of hugs and kisses ... smiley t-shirts and happy faces.... feeling saucey instead of sauced......eating fruits on the dance floor....bashed up converse trainers.....lovely girls with blinding accents.....ice pops.....hedionism....sparklers at the future....indian belly dancers at the shoom....almost everyone finally realising that "only love can conquer hate"....watching the sun set at the café del mar....watching the sun rise on primrose hill....the karma collective....poncho's pony tails and body paint....dj alfredo....new friendships....loads more hugs and kisses....just let this piece of warm anglo-ibizan club culture rush over you, enjoy it mateys!!!
loves & respects to OAKEY, THE RAMPLINGS, GARY HAISMAN, JOHNNY WALKER, STEVE PROCTOR, NANCY NOISE, and to all those out there who truly "shoooom!!!"
xxx hugs and kisses xxx - farley. BOYS OWN FANZINE
God, don't you just love that knackered proto-raver writing style. This one's even better than the Technorave thing from last month. Anyway, this comp was released by the Boy's Own crew and stands as the defining first-generation balearic collection. Toss it on the monitors and play like you're Rampling at Shoom. Check this out too, I keep forgetting to buy this damn thing and I'm sure by the time I have the spare cash around it'll be sold out and worth a few hundo on ebay or something. Grab the 44-page pdf preview, only a tenth of the full book. Epic shit.
This is my personal rip from my copy, one of those 'this looks neat let me check it on the old demo turntable' thrift store buys. Mutant Sounds posted this about three years ago but took it down because some label said they were going to re-release it. Since they never did (so far as I can tell), here it is again. I'll knock it down when someone links me to a press on forced exposure or wherever.
V-Effect straddle the no-wave and downtown scenes, though I imagine they didn't see it that way. The downtown people probably didn't see it that way either, since Mori is still with that downtown set and none of the people involved with this record seem to have kept an explicit presence within the "downtown scene" (or anywhere else I can find). Background established, this is... well... likely an album unlike anything you've heard before. Somewhere between no-wave and post-punk, free jazz and actual revolutionary sentiment. Call and response, self-taught sax squeal, analog clap pads on mic stands to add to the drummers' repertoire, thoroughly DIY and anti-capitalist.
This is what w-burg hipster bullshit should be right now. Enjoy.
first your feet... then your back... then your mind... then heart attack...
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...
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'.
Well, guess who just discovered a dvd backup of mp3 rips from 3 years back? This is a (now complete) repost of the terrifically hard-to-find french minimal synth/coldwave comp put out by tigersushi back in '04 featuring some of the best tracks of the era. Don't forget to hit up Artefact's site if you like the M.A.E. track on this comp, you can download the full album from there. (recommended above all for their version of the internationale!)
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.
This is a CD rip of this absolute classic of electro & hip-hop. The DJ lp that has at least one song that everyone recognizes, either because it's based on some older track or because it was later sampled off this. You won't get this in better quality anywhere else. Perfect for the laptop DJ or the producer looking for some new samples too.
Another mix that's been a mainstay for me. Doing an old-skool mix with twenty (or so) years perspective makes it so much easier to know the listening crowd. In this bit you'll find everything from pop disco cheeze to ace legowelt trax and a lot of acid and chicago shit providing substance. It's a mix so good you won't care that the old lady next to you on the train gives you the eye 'cause the 4/4 beat is spilling from your ears. Go listen to some choir music, ma'am, my church preaches a different gospel. Enjoy.
Second post of the evening. Three electronic disco singles for your perusal, first up is Cheri Lewis' cover of "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself". Competent cover, not much to it though. However, the second single is an absolutely stellar cover of "Je T'aime (Moi Non Plus) by Vicious Pink Phenomena (Youtube preview here). The b-side on that one is a very neat bit of proto-techno that could have come out of detroit five years later, almost like what I'd imagine the detroit guys were inspired by. It's also 8 and a half minutes long and almost like two separate songs. Highlight of the post, honestly.
Last is "Living in Video" by Trans-X, an up-tempo synth-pop tune with a lot of vocoder. According to the album discog page, it was made using some combination of Roland Jupiter 4 and 6, CSQ 600, TR-808, Korg Vocoder and Polysix, Oberheim OB8, DMX, DSX Elka Synthex, Electric guitar, Simmons and Mattel drums.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"24 hour trial periods" are nonsense... Same for music as they were for video games and movies. Everything I post is out of print and unavailable aside from the used market; if you can show me to be wrong I will remove the download. otherwise, cash in or get over it.
If I post links which I did not upload or rips I didn't do please feel free to comment the post or email me and I'll attribute them properly. I would prefer to do this but unfortunately most of them are things I've found without proper attribution.
Please leave a comment if you download. Not a requirement of course, but it makes doing this that much more fun.
