Recording a lot of my vinyl onto my laptop recently - been DJing with Traktor Scratch since last summer. Have to say I'm enjoying not carrying huge bags of records around (though selecting tracks isn't as intuitive as flicking through a box of 12"s - especially when tired or worse for wear), and I'm finding a whole new world of mixing possibilities opening up via the instant loop and fx facilities- not to mention the beauty of doing an edit and spinning it the same night via turntables. Must be a lot of dubplate pressing plants going out of business, which is a great shame. I heard this week that Nottingham's just lost a great pressing plant: starting to remind me of 10-15 years ago when everyone confidently predicted the death of vinyl, only to see it flourish once more...
Anyway, here's two tracks that'll always have a home on my drive-
Harvey & Diesel's Moton Edit of East by Billy Paul (YSI)
This takes me back to playing at Tim Lee's Tummy Touch nights at 333, many moons ago. A great edit of an even greater tune.
The Doors - Peacefrog (Floorman extended edit) (YSI)
From around the same time - a cheeky extended intro version of one of The Doors' finest moments from Morrison Hotel.
This week I've been mostly taking the digital razor blade to Roots Manuva's Witness - played a rough version of the edit last saturday night and got a great reaction. It's currently running at over seven minutes, and if the crowd like it this week, it'll be up for grabs next week, either here or via one of the blogs listed on Hype Machine who've asked me for tracks.
Sorry if this post's a bit hazy - too many nights with not enough sleep.
Stay tuned...
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Powder Everywhere...
Thanks to everyone who got in touch while I was away - great to come back and find people have been enjoying the music. I'm aware that I've not been posting as regularly as I was, but life, baby, moving house and snowboarding have got in the way recently (Easter in the Alps - BIG dump of powder woohoo...). Must try harder (seem to have been hearing that since schooldays - soo long ago...
Special mention to American Athlete for posting the Caroline Crawford edit (here).
Will try and pick up the pace a bit, though I'm going to have to finish/clean up a fair few edits if I'm going to share them with the world at large...
Some of you have been asking about vinyl pressings - something will happen this year- really good to know which tracks people want to see on disc, so do email me and let me know if there's anything you'd like on a pressing.
Floorman - Ossum Boogie mp3 (YSI)
Ossum Boogie is an early track from the Floorman Presents Stack
album sessions, before things really kicked-off with Holly on vocals, when I planned to do an album of eclectic tracks with different artists. It's a cheeky flute-driven funk/folk/soul instrumental number that goes down really well on the dancefloor (the combination of Jimmy's smoky Hammond organ playing, Ming's fine Fender Bass and random Floorman percussion stylings vaguely reminiscient of early Primal Scream???). There's a great vocal version courtesy of Shrivastava, which never got finished, though I'd like to post it here at some point.
While I'm posting Floorman stuff, here's the closing track from the album. Featuring, as ever- Holly Backler on vocals (her opera training in full evidence here - all live, no autotune), Ming on bass, Jim Baron on keys- and the incredible pedal steel guitar of Dave Langdon (the Midlands' answer to BJ Cole). Dave's a pedal steel genius - he made his instrument from scratch, even casting the pedals himself, and is able to conjure up some amazing textures and soundscapes - a pleasure to work with him on this track. I believe the pedal steel to be a much-underrated instrument: capable of far more than country and western swoops...
Floorman - Travelling mp3 (YSI)
Coming up very soon - more edits!
Special mention to American Athlete for posting the Caroline Crawford edit (here).
Will try and pick up the pace a bit, though I'm going to have to finish/clean up a fair few edits if I'm going to share them with the world at large...
Some of you have been asking about vinyl pressings - something will happen this year- really good to know which tracks people want to see on disc, so do email me and let me know if there's anything you'd like on a pressing.
Floorman - Ossum Boogie mp3 (YSI)
Ossum Boogie is an early track from the Floorman Presents Stack
album sessions, before things really kicked-off with Holly on vocals, when I planned to do an album of eclectic tracks with different artists. It's a cheeky flute-driven funk/folk/soul instrumental number that goes down really well on the dancefloor (the combination of Jimmy's smoky Hammond organ playing, Ming's fine Fender Bass and random Floorman percussion stylings vaguely reminiscient of early Primal Scream???). There's a great vocal version courtesy of Shrivastava, which never got finished, though I'd like to post it here at some point.
While I'm posting Floorman stuff, here's the closing track from the album. Featuring, as ever- Holly Backler on vocals (her opera training in full evidence here - all live, no autotune), Ming on bass, Jim Baron on keys- and the incredible pedal steel guitar of Dave Langdon (the Midlands' answer to BJ Cole). Dave's a pedal steel genius - he made his instrument from scratch, even casting the pedals himself, and is able to conjure up some amazing textures and soundscapes - a pleasure to work with him on this track. I believe the pedal steel to be a much-underrated instrument: capable of far more than country and western swoops...
Floorman - Travelling mp3 (YSI)
Coming up very soon - more edits!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Where did that month go??
Time seems to be running away from me at present, can't believe it's nearly a month since I last posted...
Today I have a few items from the Floorman vaults.
First up is:
Closer To Me - Floorman(YSI)
from the Floorman Presents Stack album on Bocajito. Shameless self-promotion, I know, but this track features the incredible talents of Holly Backler, on top form both lyrically and vocally; together with some deft keyboard wizardry from the one and only Jim Baron, and some astonishing bass action from the mighty Ming on his beloved 64 Fender Precision, Bootsy. Inspired by a lengthy solo Jim played over the rough instrumental version of the track, which in turn reminded me of Carl Craig's stunning remix of 'Out Of The Storm' by Incognito - can be found on Headphone Sex- which incidentally owes no small debt to Kool And The Gang's Summer Madness (youtube link). Holly was given a title and the rest just followed on from there. Probably my favourite track from the album.
Next we've a slow-burning unreleased disco dub I did a while back. Hamilton Bohannon is one of the all-time great disco producers, and IMHO this work with the glorious Caroline Crawford is his finest hour. The original track runs at around 130 bpm, but I wanted to take it down a notch, dub it out and extend things a tad. This reedit runs at 124 bpm, is tempo-sync'd for the lazier DJs amongst you, and at just over nine minutes long offers plenty of time to head for the bar/toilet/nearest girl before you segue seamlessly into your next dancefloor monster.
Comin On Slow (Floorman Dub) - Caroline Crawford (YSI)
Finally for tonight, another unreleased Floorman edit, which I did for a trip to Oslo to play at the one and only Nomaden last year (hello Tosh, hello Baktus, hello Rune), as covered by the Klaxons-
The Night (Floorman Edit) - Frankie Valli (YSI)
That's it for tonight, and possibly for the next coupla weeks - heading to the alps this weekend: big snow expected, hoping to stay on my plank of wood more than I fall off - back after Easter.
Today I have a few items from the Floorman vaults.
First up is:
Closer To Me - Floorman(YSI)
from the Floorman Presents Stack album on Bocajito. Shameless self-promotion, I know, but this track features the incredible talents of Holly Backler, on top form both lyrically and vocally; together with some deft keyboard wizardry from the one and only Jim Baron, and some astonishing bass action from the mighty Ming on his beloved 64 Fender Precision, Bootsy. Inspired by a lengthy solo Jim played over the rough instrumental version of the track, which in turn reminded me of Carl Craig's stunning remix of 'Out Of The Storm' by Incognito - can be found on Headphone Sex- which incidentally owes no small debt to Kool And The Gang's Summer Madness (youtube link). Holly was given a title and the rest just followed on from there. Probably my favourite track from the album.
Next we've a slow-burning unreleased disco dub I did a while back. Hamilton Bohannon is one of the all-time great disco producers, and IMHO this work with the glorious Caroline Crawford is his finest hour. The original track runs at around 130 bpm, but I wanted to take it down a notch, dub it out and extend things a tad. This reedit runs at 124 bpm, is tempo-sync'd for the lazier DJs amongst you, and at just over nine minutes long offers plenty of time to head for the bar/toilet/nearest girl before you segue seamlessly into your next dancefloor monster.
Comin On Slow (Floorman Dub) - Caroline Crawford (YSI)
Finally for tonight, another unreleased Floorman edit, which I did for a trip to Oslo to play at the one and only Nomaden last year (hello Tosh, hello Baktus, hello Rune), as covered by the Klaxons-
The Night (Floorman Edit) - Frankie Valli (YSI)
That's it for tonight, and possibly for the next coupla weeks - heading to the alps this weekend: big snow expected, hoping to stay on my plank of wood more than I fall off - back after Easter.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Back Once Again
Great to come back to find some very positive comments on the Edits/Productions posted so far - thank you to everyone who got in touch.
Some great music coming from my Bocajito and Nottingham homeboys soon - look out for some Crazy P, Neon Heights and Secret Stealth soon. Crazy P have just finished mixing their new album 'Love On The Line', and it's a real belter: they've recorded all the tracks live in their studio - a big progression from the excellent 'Night On Earth'. I've been honoured with pre-release versions of the album for some time now, and there's dancefloor goodness aplenty...
Meanwhile Secret Stealth are hard at it in the studio recording their third album with Stealth /Stack vocalist, Holly Backler- from what I've heard so far it's going to be their finest to date.
I've been busy keeping up with our 15 week old son, so music and blogging have taken a back seat, though there's some new edits on the way soon.
Thought I'd post a trio of Hip Hop covers by way of a change-
Al Ben Azza - Concrete Schoolyard (YSI)
A great acoustic guitar 7" version of one of Jurassic 5's finest moments.
Ba Barracus Band - Mama Said Knock You Out (YSI)
Crazy Percussion-driven monster of a 7" that re-energises LL Cool J's classic.
The Gourds - Gin & Juice (YSI)
Imagine if Snoop Dogg was a Good Old Boy from Alabammy, chewing baccy with his white trash brothers while picking a mean banjo... Probably the most genre-bending cover version of all time???
And for those of you looking for another lengthy Floorman edit to spin while you take a much-needed break from the turntables, here's my segue mix of student favourites Jurassic 5's rumpshaking mid-tempo number 'In The House' with the original sample source, The Graingers' classic 'Shine Your Light'.
Shine Your Light In The House (Floorman's Disco Edit 2) - J5 vs The Graingers (YSI)
Some great music coming from my Bocajito and Nottingham homeboys soon - look out for some Crazy P, Neon Heights and Secret Stealth soon. Crazy P have just finished mixing their new album 'Love On The Line', and it's a real belter: they've recorded all the tracks live in their studio - a big progression from the excellent 'Night On Earth'. I've been honoured with pre-release versions of the album for some time now, and there's dancefloor goodness aplenty...
Meanwhile Secret Stealth are hard at it in the studio recording their third album with Stealth /Stack vocalist, Holly Backler- from what I've heard so far it's going to be their finest to date.
I've been busy keeping up with our 15 week old son, so music and blogging have taken a back seat, though there's some new edits on the way soon.
Thought I'd post a trio of Hip Hop covers by way of a change-
Al Ben Azza - Concrete Schoolyard (YSI)
A great acoustic guitar 7" version of one of Jurassic 5's finest moments.
Ba Barracus Band - Mama Said Knock You Out (YSI)
Crazy Percussion-driven monster of a 7" that re-energises LL Cool J's classic.
The Gourds - Gin & Juice (YSI)
Imagine if Snoop Dogg was a Good Old Boy from Alabammy, chewing baccy with his white trash brothers while picking a mean banjo... Probably the most genre-bending cover version of all time???
And for those of you looking for another lengthy Floorman edit to spin while you take a much-needed break from the turntables, here's my segue mix of student favourites Jurassic 5's rumpshaking mid-tempo number 'In The House' with the original sample source, The Graingers' classic 'Shine Your Light'.
Shine Your Light In The House (Floorman's Disco Edit 2) - J5 vs The Graingers (YSI)
Friday, February 1, 2008
Fantastic Four Edit
I've been returning again and again to American Athlete's blog over the past six months. Always enlightening and always rewarding, pure quality disco, mixes and re-edits. His selections have inspired me on several occasions, and this is the result of the post in September 2007 of a Fantastic Four rarity entitled Got To Have Your Love.
A Tom Moulton classic that I wanted to play to my Saturday night crowd, but without getting too disco...
Prince On The One
There's something seriously wrong afoot when an artist decides to sue his fan sites for using his image, which is allegedly what was occurring with Prince at the tail end of last year.
Whatever the truth of the matter, the track that The Purple One produced in response is by far his funkiest outing for many a moon. This is a very simple re-edit to make the track more playable to my Saturday night crowd. The man still has it: just wish we could hear more like this.
As usual, this is up for one week only. Please support the artists (even if they sue you)...
Hot Chip Edit 2 - Something for the weekend, sir?
Hot off the presses (ok, off my drive) and ready for the weekend is Hold On (Floorman's Disco Freakshow Edit) from the new Hot Chip album, Made In The Dark. This is an extended DJ-friendly edit weighing in at 8 minutes 22 seconds, giving you plenty of time to go to the bar/nip out for a smoke/get a funky asymetric haircut etc, while leaving your dancefloor safe in the hands of Alex, Joe & Co. This is my personal favourite from the new album, from what I've heard so far.
Please support the artists by buying the new single, Ready For The Floor which is out now in the UK, and/or the album Made In The Dark which is released on February 4th.
I'm planning on doing a dub mix of Ready For The Floor soon so keep checking back (Hype Machine won't link/list me until I've been posting for three months...)
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