Blackdown's 2008

I forgot that the reason I really wanted to check in for the first time in 8 months was to link up on Martin Clark's year in grime & dubstep column from his excellent monthly gig at Pitchfork. 2008 had a lot of releases to entertain the ears, so in case you missed any of these do take the time to track them down. He delves into a lot of superb dubstep & grime, and also the new scenes emerging behind the the genre terms 'funky' and 'wonky' which don't mean a lot unless you've been following UK dance music this past year. A lot of stuff I missed out on and will be playing catch up with, but some have been favorites throughout the year. I will be posting a year end list of some sort next week, hopefully before before all the usual-year-end-madness and posturing begins...

As Above, So Below

Well, I've spent most of the year in hiding. But not without any results, I suppose. The dreaded Master's thesis is kaput/ done/ completed and I get to move on from the realm of education for the foreseeable time being. This thesis was a short film project that ended up considerably longer than suspected, finishing at 27 minutes. Thematically I have a lot of things to say about it - a written component was required - but for here all you need to know is that As Above, So Below is an audiovisual journey through the mindscape of California featuring the city, the desert, the coast and the pathways that connect them. Sounds courtesy of Burial, Quiet Village, OOIOO, Massive Attack and more. Some clips can be seen on my new video production blog.

http://aaronrietz.blogspot.com

I made a small series of homemade covers to give to a few friends and supporters. I like how they turned out so I scanned and posted them below....
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Our good friend Gavin Burnett (Oro 11 - pronounce as "orrrro own-say") lived in Buenos Aires for the last four years soaking up the sounds of Argentine clubland. Now settled down in Oaktown, he owns a gold-plated AK-47 & his cumbia edits have garnered praise from the Mad Decent blog and in Fader magazine. Tonight is a big night for him and fellow bay area/ Buenos Aires sometimes expat Disco Shawn as they are launching the first 12" from their label Bersa Discos with a big party at the Rickshaw Stop. Expect a bunch of peeps going bonkers to psychedelic cumbia edits, baile funk, dancehall, and various electronic sounds from all over the (un)known world. Paul Devro from Mad Decent guests.



If you haven't heard this sound called cumbia yet, just know that it's what all the thugs bump to in Argentina and other parts of the Latin world. Traditionally it has been very relaxed, riding along at a smooth 90 bpm with big fat accordion lines propelling the mellow groove. But now some bedroom producers from down south are messing with the formula, injecting mash-up culture, hip-hop, b-more, & dancehall samples, and some electronic textures and people are starting to take notice. On of the bigger techno tunes from last year - Samim's "Heater" - had a prominent cumbia sample. Diplo did a cumbia mix for the mad decent podcast a few months ago. But listen for yourself. Below is a track from Bersa Discos #1 and also a bumpin' mix of "Heater" with a Pitbull a capella done by some Swedish dude. Also check out Oro 11's MySpace for a bunch of edits and his original productions, my pick is "bussabussCumbia".

Daleduro - Bombon Asesino [from Bersa Discos #1]

Samim vs Pitbull - Hot Chico (Jonas Arbsjö RDS Bump)

Oro 11 MySpace [various tracks]

There was also an article in SF Weekly a bit ago on Tormenta Tropical that you can peep here.

Monday Movie [Parte 6]

Light Years (1988) / dir. René Laloux

Excellent psychedelic animation from the French team who brought you Fantastic Planet. Originally titled Gandahar, the Weinsteins ported this gem across the pond and grabbed an bunch of American actors (Glenn Close, Jennifer Grey, Christopher Plummer) for a proper re-dubbing, which is actually a little flat, but renders the whole thing more watchable and lets you concentrate on the amazing imagery and bizarre time-bending story.

One young Gandaharian, Sylvain - looking much like David Sylvian from the cover of Quiet Life - is sent to investigate a strange mechanoid force who is running around turning peaceful countryfolk to stone. Aided by a band of genetically deformed outcasts who dwell in deep forests and underground caverns, he eventually discovers the source is a science project gone wrong that has come back to haunt his people. A giant synthetic brain they once devised and now operating from 1000 years in the future, has created the time traveling robot army to replace his decaying neural mass with the petrified people. I would say more but that would be giving away too much of the plot. Rest assured, the French have no problem with their animation being more strange, intellectual and adult-oriented than a dozen Disneys combined.

Also, the score is fucking sick. '88 still had just enough cheese mentality and soundtrack composers were willing to fool around with electronic gear and synthesizers way more than happens today.

Addendum: Three Boompity Bonkers Techno Tracks With Choir Samples From 2007

Stefan Goldmann - Lunatic Fringe


Italoboyz - Viktor Casanova


Ricardo Villalobos - Primer Encuentro Latino-Americano

If you still care to read some dude's take on the old year end wrap-up over a month late, I finally prepared my Best of 2007: One LOOOONG muthafuckin' list. In between a busted hard drive and some hectic holidays this took way longer than I would have liked, but as the sporadic nature of maintaining this beast has proven, it seems most of my time is spent listening to music rather than writing about it and sharing it. With all the developments in electronic music it is a full time job just tracking down new singles and mixes from one genre or corner of the globe, let alone the good bits from the whole world of stuff out there. I will remember this past year as a time when pop music as a whole seemed weak, but the rest of the music galaxy felt stronger in its diversity & cohesion than in years. Everybody started feelin' everybody else, hip-hop went all electro, techno confessed its love for dubstep, nu-disco for yacht rock, psych-folk for hipster metal, etc etc..... inclusivity reigned. This type of rampant cross fertilization has been a hallmark of the '00s, but never before has it been as fully realized and unforced than in this past year. Our future is bright compadres.

I would have added links to listen to everything here but the list kept growing and growing, making this damn near impossible to do. Please do leave your comments on what you were digging the most in this past year, what looks right-on with my list, what is whack, etc. Here's to a


you luved 'em, i luved 'em, we all luved 'em

Panda Bear, Person Pitch [Paw Tracks]
M.I.A, Kala [XL]
LCD Soundsystem, Sound Of Silver [DFA/EMI]

superbad lps

Matthew Dear, Asa Breed [Ghostly International]
DeepChord Presents Echospace, The Coldest Season [Modern Love]
Skull Disco, Soundboy Punishments [Skull Disco]
Burial, Untrue [Hyperdub]
Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam [Domino]
Holy Fuck, LP [XL]
Kalabrese, Rumpelzirkus [Muve]
Supermayer, Saves The World [Kompakt]
Pole, Steingarten Remixes [~Scape]
Melchior Productions Ltd., No Disco Future [Perlon]
Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedola [Secretly Canadian]
False, 2007 [M_nus]
Cobblestone Jazz, 23 Seconds [Studio !K7]
Chloé, The Waiting Room [Kill The DJ]

(Notably, this was also the only year in the past ten when Radiohead or Björk released an album that hasn't warranted inclusion on such a list.)

mixed and/or compiled

V/A, After Dark, [Italians Do It Better]
Prins Thomas, Cosmo Galactic Prism [Eskimo]
Ricardo Villalobos, Fabric 36 [Fabric]
V/A, Dirty Space Disco [Tigersushi]
Justine D, Rvng Prsnts MX5 [Rvng]
Optimo, Walkabout [Endless Flight]
Dixon, Body Language Volume 4 [Get Physical]
V/A, Ed Rec Vol. 2 [Ed Banger]
A-Trak, Dirty South Dance [Obey]

short stuff

Junior Boys, The Dead Horse Ep [Domino]
Lawrence, Rabbit Tube [Mule Electronic]
Dave Aju & The Invisible Art Trio, Love Always [Circus Company]
Âme, Balandine Ep [Innervisions]
Baby Oliver, Feelings 2 / Shot Caller [Environ]
Lovefingers, Rvng Of The Nrds Vol. 4 [Rvng]
Stimming, Funkworm Ep [Diynamic]
Audion, Noiser / Fred's Bells [Spectral]
Nôze, Remember Love [My Best Friend] & Piano Ep [Milnor Modern]
Jichael Mackson, ...Wasn't Me [Musique Risquée]
DJ Koze, All The Time / Cicely [Philpot]
Alex Under, Gris Anthemo [Cmyk]
Robag Wruhme Als Rolf Oksen, Bart Eins Ep [Freude Am Tanzen]
Hatchback, White Diamond Ep [THISISNOTANEXIT]
Roland Appel, Dark Soldier / Changes [Sonar Kollektiv]
Lee Douglas, New York Story [Rong]
Excepter, 'Burgers / The Punjab [Paw Tracks]
Gang Gang Dance, RAWWAR Ep [Social Registry]
Durrty Goodz, Axiom Ep [Awkward]
Studio, Life's A Beach Remixes [Information]
Hercules & Love Affair, Classique #2 /Roar [DFA]
The Lift Boys, Anarchy Village / Anarchy Way [Smalltown Supersound]

shorter stuff

Marc Romboy vs. Chelonis R. Jones, "Helen Cornell (Stefan Goldmann Macro Version)
Rihanna, "Umbrella (Vandalism Mix)"
D1, "Mind & Soul"
Benga & Coki, "Night"
Chromatics, "Running Up That Hill"
Rufus Wainwright, "Tiergarten (Supermayer Remix)"
Hot Chip, "My Piano"
Black Dice, "Roll Up"
Efdemin, "Just A Track"
Radiohead, "All I Need"
T2 feat. Jodie Aysha, "Heartbroken"
Peverelist, "Roll With The Punches"
Klaxons, "Golden Skans"
The Tough Alliance, "Miami"
Mari Boine, "Vuoi Vuoi Me (Henrik Schwarz Remix)"
Lindstrøm, "Breakfast In Heaven"
Battles, "Atlas"
Prinzhorn Dance School, "You Are The Space Invader"
DJ Blaqstarr, "Shake It To The Ground (Claude VonStroke Remix)"
Radio Slave, "Bell Clap Dance"
Pharoahe Monch, "Body Baby (An Optimo (Espacio) Mix)"
Jamie Woon, "Wayfaring Stranger (Burial Remix)"
Cortney Tidwell "Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (Ewan's Objects in Space Remix)"
Mark E., "R&B Drunkie"
Maps, "To The Sky (The Loving Hand Remix)"
Hurricane Chris, "Ay Bay Bay"
Kanye West ft. Daft Punk, "Stronger"
50 Cent, "I Get Money"
50 Cent ft. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland, "Ayo Technology"
Snoop Dogg, "Sensual Seduction"
UGK ft. Outkast, "International Players Anthem"
Lil Mama, "Lip Gloss"
R. Kelly ft. T-Pain & T.I., "I'm A Flirt (Remix)"
Kia Shine, "Krispy"
Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson & D.O.E., "Way I Are"
Grinderman, "No Pussy Blues"
Kid Sister, "Control"
Samim, "Heater"
Burial, "Archangel"
Justice, "D.A.N.C.E."
Animal Collective, "Fireworks"
Vampire Weekend, "Mansard Roof"

in person

Benga & Hatcha @ Temple, SF
Italoboyz @ Decibel Festival, Seattle
Grizzly Bear @ Great American Music Hall, SF
Soulwax @ Mezzanine, SF
Daft Punk @ Greek Theatre, Berkeley
JD Twitch & Tim Sweeney @ Gun Club, SF
seeing Lemonade about 5 or 6 time around town

flicks

There Will Be Blood, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Zodiac, dir. David Fincher
Silent Light, dir. Carlos Reygadas
I'm Not There, dir. Todd Haynes
No Country For Old Men, dir. Joel & Ethan Coen
Death Proof, dir. Quentin Tarantino
Inland Empire, dir. David Lynch

other takes

FACT Magazine's Top 100 Tracks
Idolator Pop 07
TAPE's Top 100 12"s of 2007
Resident Advisor Poll: Top 10 Albums
Dusted Magazine - End of the Year: 2007
Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2007

Really spot-on feature with the creator of my favorite album of the year in this month's Wire. Ever-reclusive Burial opens up deep, talking about his working methods and how he's never been to a rave. He's got a lot of love for M. R. James ghost stories, jungle, garage, 2-step, secret doorways, and the motion tracker sound from Alien. Also those bizarre snares and clickety-clackety percussive sounds he uses? Straight up sampled off the telly from Playstation games.



Some good bits:

"I don’t really go on the internet, it’s like a ouija board, it’s like letting someone into your head, behind your eyes. It lets randoms in."

"I’ve never been to a festival. Never been to a rave in a field. Never been to a big warehouse, never been to an illegal party, just clubs and playing tunes indoors or whatever. I heard about it, dreamed about it.... It was like when you first saw Terminator or Alien when you're only little. I’d get a rush from it, I was hearing this other world..."

For more read the complete unedited transcript of the interview.

Also the new Burial remix of Bloc Party is floating around. It sounds like you could drop it right in the middle of Untrue without feeling out of place.

Bloc Party - Where Is Home? (Burial Remix)

I've been invited to join in on the festivities going off over at ridemypwny, a new mp-free minded group blog dedicating to keeping it brief & irreverent, started by some friends in the East Bay. I'm kicking things off with a curio I found on vinyl fairly recently...




Brooklyn Boyz Choir - Say Rayo! Brooklyn (Barbarino's House Mix)

As a Halloween treat here is a 2005 mix from Quiet Village entitled "Fragments Of Fear". A splendidly spooked-out collection of old horror movie soundtracks weaved together with gothy rock and atmospheric disco. Better than your old spooky sounds mixes to scare the trick-or-treaters....


















Tracklisting is as follows:

01. Intro
02. Goblin - Zombie
03. SSQ - Trash's Theme
04. Aphrodite's Child - Capture Of The Beast
05. Charles Manson - It's Coming Down Fast
06. John Carpenter - Reel 9
07. Susan Jacks - There's No Blood In Bone
08. Roger Webb Orchestra - Hammer House Of Horror
09. Pino Donaggio - Dead End
10. Fred Myrow - Mineshaft Chase
11. Ralph Lundstein - Horrorscope
12. Donald Rubenstein - Train Attack
13. Hot Blood - Soul Dracula
14. Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper
15. Les Baxter - Necronomicon
16. Christopher Komeda - What Have You Done To Its Eye
17. Paul Ferris - Witchfinder General
18. Chico Hamilton - Repulsion
19. Jack Nitzsche - Iraq
20. Paul Giovanni And Magnet - Corn Riggs
21. John Cacavas - Satanic Rites Of Dracula
22. Anne Clark - Our Darkness
23. Goblin - Tenebre
24. Ennio Morricone - Humanity Pt. 3
25. John Carpenter - Main Theme From Halloween

Fragments Of Fear - Mixed With Blood By Quiet Village

According to their myspace blog volume 2 is on the way!

You should also check out Pilooski's recent "the scary mix" from alain finkielkrautrock. Chock full of psycho-sexual samples, narcotics references and the usual twisted boogie you'd expect from the D*I*R*T*Y blog.

Deep Shizzle

The Mole - Border Times

Monday Movie [Parte 5]

Dudes (1987)/ dir. Penelope Spheeris

"Real life is NOT California. Real life is a shit sandwich... and everyday you gotta take another bite."

Penelope Spheeris (best known for her rockumentary series The Decline Of Western Civilization, and Wayne's World) directs this teen revenge flick where a trio of rockers (John Cryer, Daniel Roebuck, & Flea) decide to ditch their city gutter punk life and head out to California. After encountering some killer biker trash their plans get diverted. Cryer has an American Indian spiritual awakening and Roebuck learns to shoot guns from a wild west babe. Aimless teens become empowered and revenge ensues.

Flea gets offed in the first fifteen minutes which is lamentable and the plot gets so crazy garbled at the end, but this just makes it all the better to drink PBR tall boys to.

Although they've probably got enough online hype working for them without pulling mine own head out of mine own arse to rave about them again, it would be difficult to overstate the new Chromatics album. Among the standout tracks on Night Drive is a cover of one the best songs ever, Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill". While it would impossible to outdo the vocal histrionics of the original, Chromatics make good by doing what they do to everything, smoothing things down to a somnambulist tempo and add the loving touch of italo disco. This signature style owes much to the hand of Johnny Jewel (in-house producer for Mike Simonetti's Italians Do It Better label and white deep v wearer). This aesthetic seems to be winning many converts recently: making inroads to the traditional indie community with the recent label comp After Dark, while also getting charted by many notable house & disco DJs. Chromatics' "In The City" even found it's way onto Dixon's outstanding Body Language Vol.4 mix from earlier this year.




Tonight, if I had a car, I would be taking my own dreamy disco night drive along to this...


Chromatics - Running Up That Hill

all neon like

New Kanye album's been leaked for a bit, feelin' major this exchange from "Everything I Am":

"Ok fair enough, the streets is flaring up
'cause they want gun talk
or I don't wear enough...
baggy clothes, reeboks, or adi-dos,
can I add that he do spazz out at his shows?

Say goodbye to the N-double-A-C-P award
goodbye to the In-dia-Ar-ie award,
they'd rather give me the ni-nigger please award
but I just take the "I got a lot of cheese" award."

Oh and the Weezy appearance is typically breathless, belligerent and greatly appreciated. He spits "Suck my bat bitch" at the end of a track called "Barry Bonds".

But the best moment from the album is this ravey synths and soulful strings number, that along with the Daft Punk -infused "Stronger", sounds something like mainstreams hip-hop's response to nu-rave, the reemergence of 80's style in street fashion, and those damn ubiquitous neon sunglasses...

Kanye West - Flashing Lights (ft. Dwele)

crank dat supermayer

... in which two globetrotting, taste maker deejay extraordinaires play sad, lonely boys disguised as superheros.

SuperMayer - The Lonesome King

The debut album from Kompakt label boss Michael Mayer & Superpitcher is really great fun & poppy (don't call it emo-) techno for the most part, but also flirts with quirky dance-rock and the ultrastylized type of Kompakt-trademarked trendy trance. As with most releases from these two, it's the attention to detail and nuance in texture that sets them apart. Every sound is highly coiffured and deliciously catchy.

In related news, Superpitcher is set to spin again in San Francisco on October 19th at Fat City. (Tix from Blasthaus available here.) You'll want to check it out 'cause his last appearance in town was a corker for sure. While Miss Kittin jumped around downstairs at Mezzanine to a packed house, Superpitcher did his thing for a dedicated 50 or so patrons in the damn-near-hidden upstairs lounge. While I never remember specific transitions or songs from DJ sets, the end of this one was just mind blowing enough to recall. "Return of the Zombie Bikers" (which was still new enough to really freak people out) gave way to that huge rockin' bassline from the DFA remix of "Dare", transitioning into the Mayer remix of "Happiness" during the vibed-out soundwash part. He then ended the set with some lovely AOR-type cheese that I don't recall, probably Todd Rundgren considering his stated affection for the pop maverick. Fucking hell is right.

Monday Movie [Parte 4]

Derby (1971) / dir. Robert Kaylor

A cinema verité journey inside the once-professional, now-underground pseudo-sport that refuse to die: roller derby. The filmmakers follow young factory worker Mike Snell who dreams of making it big on the circuit. We get a few extra-long shots of his predictably dull home life (in Dayton, Ohio, natch) that, when juxtaposed with the derby, make its violent spectacle just about the most exciting thing ever. Boredom at home culminates in carousing and womanizing, forcing his wife into a catty exchange with some neighborhood mistresses. Taking a small break from Snell's tedium, Kaylor intercuts to aging warhorse Charlie O' Connell, captain of the San Francisco Bay City Bombers.

While Derby never stops to explain to intricacies of the game, we are instead offered a barrage of up close & grainy on-the-track action footage which more than compensates. The simple pleasures of watching grown men in tights & leather calf-highs flailing all over the circle track, the notorious double take-downs (which is the roller derby equivalent of a home run & a touchdown making sweet love), and a few dropkicks to the head will suffice. When brawls ensue small children and grandmas in knitted sweaters applaud and women with beehives hug their husbands in admiration. The America on display here is mundane and brutal in equal measures. The film ends in uncertainty, with Snell hopping on his motorcycle, bound for Oakland and the training he hopes will propel him to the Bay City Bombers someday. Well worth tracking this down on VHS.