Telephone Thing

The Fall produced by Coldcut!



The Fall - Telephone Thing
The Fall - Telephone Dub

Astronomical Canibus

Editor's note: I'm writing this from my Thanksgiving hide-out and I do not have the record on hand. It's not on Discogs, so I don't have all the info on the record.)

Mel-low raps his ass off and looks kind of like T.I. Don't disregard that. But the most interesting thing about this track is that the Astronomical Canibus remix of "Return of the Player" is produced by Reggie Noble, aka Redman. The whole Def Squad sound tended very westerly, with Erick Sermon cranking out P-Funk beats like EPMD's "Gold Digger" (aka my favorite song from 1991). So the trunk shit here makes sense. It helps that Mel-low was on Def Jam West and Red was on Def Jam proper. Still, in the midst of beef, ALL IS NOT LOST. It's also as a good away as any to remind the world that Redman was and still is secretly a really dope producer.



Mel-low - Return of the Player (Astronomical Canibus mix)

"Virgin Love Has Such Appeal"

The most soulful acid house song I know. Produced by Adonis in 1988, this 12" was Charles B's one and only. Yet another priceless discovery from Beats in Space. The Club Mix is my favorite, and the standout dancefloor devastator, but the Garage Mix is pretty freaking awesome too.



Charles B - Lack of Love (Club Mix)

Dollar Bin Jams Mix Series: Relative Q

Relative Q (aka Martin Van Buren, government name Paul Zyla) is a pretty slept on phenomenon, mostly due to geographical inconvenience. He has a number of excellent releases on One Records including the Mogwai-esque Small Craft Excercise Caution and the instrumental LP Beauty and Her Broken Things. Living in Pittsburgh via West Virginia, Paul's primary pre-occupation is house music, but he also dabbles in rap and disco. He has recently gotten over being broke.

I asked Paul to throw together a mix of some Dollar Bin Jams for us, and less than 12 hours later it was sitting in my Inbox. You can download the mix here:

Relative Q- Dollar Bin Jams Mix (direct link)

And here's what he had to say about each track:

I mixed this live while pretty highly caffeinated on my unbelievably shitty mixer (crossfader doesn't even work), so the mixing isn't the smoothest, but this blog is about the tracks, right?

1.) Barabbas - Woman: This track is a disco classic, and since I was planning to play so much weird shit for the rest of the tape, I thought I'd start off with something a little more normal. Also, if anyone wants to donate a 12" copy of this to me, I'd really appreciate it. Disco 45s suck.

2.) S.S.O. - Won't You Try: I love gender-confused cover tunes. I picked this record up because the a-side was a medley of James Brown joints, which turned out to be awful. Glad I decided to flip it over before I put it back.

3.) Platypus - Street Babies: This track has a really solid groove, and I'm a complete sucker for synth bass with live drums.

4.) George McRae - Can't You Feel My Love: Could we get a bit more reverb on the vocals here? I thought so.

5.) Gary's Gang - Knock Me Out: I think this is a really catchy tune, and it's the only disco record I own with an acapella on it. I should probably remix it.

6.) Chrome - Fly On UFO: When I found this record, I put it on in the shop and was almost speechless at how bizarre it is. It's not really anything I could ever play in a club, but I had to own it. Any record that combines misanthropy and aliens is a keeper, as far as I'm concerned.

7.) Giorgio and Chris - Burning the Midnight Oil: Moroder and vocoders. Sayin'. The cover of this record is heinous, too.

8.) 69 Boyz - Tootsie Roll (Quiet Storm Club Mix): Apt One handed me this record when we were digging one day saying I should probably buy it. It's probably the most played record in my collection.

9.) Opus Ten - Love's Calling: This shit sounds like Weather Channel electro.

10.) Orbit - The Beat Goes On (Lunar Mix): Refer to Skinny's writeup about this record. This is the remix he didn't post.

11.) Eve Electro - Take a Bite: Another cheap electro record. I think the half assed "eastern" melody lick is supposed to have something to do with snakes.

12.) Egyptian Lover - Egypt, Egypt: This is a classic.

13.) Alexander Robotnick - Problemes d'Amour: The 303 bassline in this track is pretty serious. Sometimes it's hard to believe that it came out in 1984.

14.) Coldcut - People Hold On (NYC Club Mix): I don't really have anything to say about this track other than Coldcut is dope.

15.) Electric Moog Orchestra - The Cantina Band: If you don't understand why I like this record, there's probably no hope for you.

Relative Q will be making some appearances on the East Coast in December- we'll make sure to keep you posted!

Relative Q webspace

I Got Somethin

Logic - I Got Somethin (Deep Mix)

I Got Jokes

After you've been digging for like a year, you stop getting excited when you find wacky things like Italo covers of songs you played in marching band remember from your youth. But fuck it, I'm throwing up this version of the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin".



Uraninium - Gimme Some Lovin

The King is Dead Long Live the King!

Today, November 13th, is the 3rd anniversary of the death of Big Baby Jesus aka Dirt McGirt aka Ol' Dirty Bastard, one of the most singular human beings ever to walk the face of the Earth. November 15th would have been Dirt Dog's 39th birthday.

On the occasion of Dirty's ascent into the realm of Zoroaster, I present my all-time favorite Dirty jam. The one the only Got Your Money (sorry, only one I have on wax is the clean version):



Ol' Dirty Bastard feat. Kelis - Got Your Money (320 kbps)

For authenticity's sake, I left in the accidental backcue that got recorded in the beginning, just like Dirt would have wanted it.

Why I Got Into Dance Music.....

Footage from DC10 in Ibiza; get ready for goosebumps.

Urban Nite Dub

Urban Blight - Urban Nite Dub

B.T. Express Delivers

First off thanks to everyone that came out and supported the multitude of Dollar Bin Jam-related parties that popped off this weekend. On Friday, Robotique was absolutely mental; packed from early-on 'til closing time with people vibing out to disco and breaks in the early hours and dirty electro house when the clock struck 12. Next month will be even crazier so stay tuned. Mike and I also played disco records at The Khyber last night and the only bad thing about it was having to miss Apt One & Skinny repping hard over at Medusa and Shawn playing with the legendary Pylon at World Cafe; I hope those gigs went as well as I assume they did, guys.

Now, to the music. I dug back into the classics today to yank out an often-overlooked gem from Brooklyn's B.T. Express. "Energy Level" is buried in the group's last album, 1981's Keep It Up, and it is well-worth the dig.



Unlike the Express' '70's output, Keep It Up didn't make a dent on the U.S. Pop Charts at all and only hit a meager #49 position on the R&B Chart - an all-time low for these guys. It's unfortunate, because the flawless disco-funk workout that is "Energy Level" remained ignored.

Now, for the DJ's - unless you're gonna drop this into your set quickly, it is in bad need of a little extended intro edit. The introductory break (which is begging for sampling) is funky as hell and lays a tidy groundwork for the bassline and the rest of the regrettably short (not even 4 minutes!) track. You're also dealing with a much higher BPM than one would expect, making it palatable to house-heads like myself. All in all this is a definitive Dollar Bin Jam and is an essential selection in my disco sets.



B.T. Express - Energy Level (224kbps)

Gyrate!

Go see Pylon tonight! And grab a copy of Gyrate, which has been reissued by DFA for the first time in Compact Disc form.

Feast on these:




Pylon - Feast on My Heart



Pylon - Crazy



Pylon - Dub



And here's a band I discovered while obsessively searching for Spinto Band influences. Like Pylon, the dB's are another fine example of a hugely influential Southern band that wasn't able to cross over to the mainstream in the wake of the Athens, GA explosion.

Love those high notes.



The dB's - Black and White

Aural hair of the dog

Due to a week of extreme promotion, I'm a day late with my weekend jam. It's tough to get pumped for Saturday when you buried a billion brain cells the night before. Therefore, I offer a jam that's a personal aural bloody mary of sorts. Drink it in slowly and enjoy the return of hazey euphoria.



I mentioned last week that I'd post this track. I also mentioned that I prefer the other 12 inch on Award Records - Kym's "Give Me The Dance" (scroll down to hear), but they're both pretty damn awesome. "Dancing Digits" is an Electro oddity from 1983. An interesting tempo and chaotic synth lines help drive this DJ Harvey fave. Compare and decide for yourself.



David Astri - Dancing Digits (Dance Mix)

Luther

Luther is a name synonymous with Revolution. Martin Luther did something really important in Christianity that involved nailing something to a door. What it was, I really have no idea on account of being a yid, but it probably meant a lot of vicious persecution for somebody. Luther Campbell revolutionized the way an entire nation lapdanced. He also made the filthiest Christmas album of all time. Martin Luther King was basically the Osiris of Revolution. But there's one Luther whose name often gets lost when such luminaries as Uncle Luke and Martin Luther are discussed in the hallowed halls of higher learning institutions.



Holler

1981 is often referred to (by me) as the Second Sexual Revolution. That year saw the release of Luther Vandross' first LP, Never Too Much which moistened the panties of an entire nation. People think of Luther as a kind of loverman in the mold of Barry White or Isaac Hayes or Teddy Pendergrass. But what people forget is that all the famous loverman singers of years past wrote some really, really amazing up-tempo R&B tracks. I should mention that the Dutch release of the album is described as being in the genre "jazzdance."

Never Too Much is one of my all-time favorites. It's an album which fits into a genre I like to call "Daaaamn"- as in, I put it on and I say "Daaaamn." See for yourself. These are, in my opinion, the two best cuts on the album:



Luther Vandross - Never Too Much (320 kbps)



Luther Vandross - Sugar and Spice (320 kbps)

I shouldn't have to mention this, but now that you have these, you should probably call your jawn up.



Also, if you're in Philly tonight and you've already hit up Mike Tee and Billy's Hip Replacement and you've seen Hurrah at World Cafe Live, I wholeheartedly suggest you join Skinny and Me for the 2nd anniversary throwdown of our Philadelphyinz party. Luther will be there.

Sex In A Hole

I finally got around to recording a new mix. This is a little bit different than the sets I tend to play to dancefloors, but it will get you moving nonetheless. It's a deep and techy selection and I hope the tunes will inspire you to get funky in a horizontal direction; with or without a special chemical or (hopefully) human companion.

The first half is meant for the bedroom. The second for the K-hole. Hence, Sex In A Hole. Enjoy.

Tracklist

robbie rivera - float away (dubfire's casaplex remix)
dennis ferrer feat. melena perez - i can't go under
claude von stroke - who's afraid of detroit? (3 channels remix)
tom pooks - trouble (wink edit)
gusgus - need in me (audiofly remix)
steve lawler - courses for horses
mauro piccoto - contaminato
gregor tresher - running systems
tiefschwarz - ghostrack (radio slave remix)
james mowbray and leiam sullivan - tropical heights (ink and needle cut remix)
adam beyer - china girl
dominik eulberg - gruenschenkel (2000 and one remix)
troy pierce - 25 bitches (gaiser's too many bitches makeover)
kurd maverick - let's work (jimpster remix)
samim - ultraviolet

Sex In A Hole (320 kbps)

If you want to hear me mix for the dancefloor along with fellow Jammer Mike Tee, come out to the Medusa Lounge for Robotique this Friday night. Bass-Heavy sound and Visuals and the usual cheap drinks. See you there.

Adventures in Generic Electro

Hi, my name is Skinny Friedman and I am half of the dj/production tour de force called Philadelphyinz. I have a lot of records, specifically ones that I didn't pay more than more than one crisp US dollar for, and I'd like to share them with you. I also write for Just Sayin, Can I Bring My Gat?, and Contentinople.

Here are a couple of electro jams that I got for a bill each.




This is a classic freestyle jam called "Get Wet" by C-Bank. This record always confused me because I figured C-Bank had to be a rapper from Los Angeles. Instead, it's some above average Latin electro. It has a part at the end where the singer (who may or may not be C-Bank) shouts out a bunch of cities which "get wet". There's an obvious sexual connotation to the name of the song, but it's so damn obvious I really just want to think it's just an italo-esque bastardization of English.



C-Bank - Get Wet





I bought this Orbit/Re-Orbit record for the electro drums in the middle and end of the track, which are likely to show up on the next Philadelphyinz tape. The song itself is kind of boring and it doesn't really go anywhere, but it does feature Carol Hall, who basically composed The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. It was produced by Don "Spy In the House of Love" Was. The song apparently bounced around for awhile, because Discogs says it came out in 1982 on Quality, but I found a rerelease on Dunk Your Funk records, which didn't show up until 1986. The record has an acapella too, and I've blessed you with it.



Orbit - The Beat Goes On



Orbit - The Beat Goes On (Acapella)

Time Marches On...

This was my first house record. I remember one of the early mixes I recorded was a bunch of punk funk and electro with this thrown in - definitely the most soulful and warm track. Time Marches On actually did a lot to cultivate my appreciation for soulful music. I ripped the 1987 Club version on Trax, but then I asked Mike Tee if he had a cleaner copy. He produced a version Vendetta Records from 1988 with different mixes. I ripped a good mix from that too - thanks Mike! I think that the Trax version has more soul, but maybe I'm mistaking soul for a low quality pressing...



Jungle Wonz - Time Marches On (Club)

Jungle Wonz - Time Marches On (Straight Up Dub)

Mike Tee's Weekend Jam!

So I've decided that every Friday I'll post one of my personal favorite weekend jams. Those sonic delights that are guaranteed to get me (and perhaps you) going at the end of the week.



My first choice for this weekly feature is my all time favorite Philly Disco jawn, "Everybody Here Must Party" by Direct Current. I just discovered that this single has been reissued which seems odd to me considering you can find oodles of the original all over the East Coast. Not a rarity by any means but certainly a track that dudes seem to sleep on. This record has never failed me. From the intro hand claps, the song immediately draws people to the floor. I just love how raw the track feels. Even with the use of strings, it's still a very spacious song with extended stretches of just drums and vocals. Anyway, check it out... or better yet, download the mp3 and test it out at your party this weekend. I won't say I told you so.



Direct Current - Everybody Here Must Party

Disco Undead, part 3: "I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and the blackest eyes...the devil's eyes."

Happy Halloween! Here's some ear-candy to celebrate, an update on John Carpenter's classic theme from the film that gave new meaning to "The Boogeyman."



Tobe Hooker - Haddonfield Fear Factory



The third installment in the Halloween series has absolutely no relation to the rest of the films, which means no Michael Myers. I've never even seen it, but I have to believe it's god-awful. Redeeming factor: John Carpenter stayed on to do the music (and produce, of course), and turned out a theme on par with his original, though composed entirely with synthesizers to give it a feel of its own.



Legowelt - Season of Samhain


Here's some bonus John Carpenter. Actually, The Thing was scored by the legendary Ennio Morricone, marking one of the few instances where Carpenter outsourced the musical duties on one of his films.



Fictional Character - From Another World

Have fun tonight! Be sure to check your candy for razor blades!

If you don't like it, get the fuck out

This is the other Mary Jane Girls song for rap fans. The Mary Jane Girls song being, of course All Nite Long, which was sampled by Mary J. Blige, Big Daddy Kane, Redman, LL and Jay-Z among others. But In My House was a Billboard R&B #1 in '85 and is def the fucking jam. Doesn't get played out nearly enough if you ask me- and that's why I'm posting the shit.

The best part of the Mary Jane Girls is easily the fact that they are Rick James' girl group (a counter to Vanity 6?), and each member of the band adopted a Rick-esque girlie persona. JoJo was the "female Rick James," Maxi was a dominatrix, et cetera. I think there was a Valley Girl too. I dunno.

Needless to say, pretty much everything Rick every wrote and produced, all the way on down to Eddie Murphy's Party All the Time was monsterous, even if the act singing the song, as in Eddie's case, was subpar. I don't care who you are or what you do, you need more Rick in your life.



Mary Jane Girls - In My House (45 edit- Motown/Gordy) (320 kbps)

-Apt

Italo Disco direct from Baltimore and... erm, Italy!

For my inaugural contribution to DBJ I figured I'd stay true to form and offer up two interesting tracks that were discovered on the cheap. One was found for a dollar and the other for one Euro, respectively. The first is an odd Electronic Disco single (with some Italo flourishes) out of Baltimore, MD circa 1983. Not much is known of Kym, as "Give Me The Dance" was her only release, however more is known of the label on which her track appeared - Award Records. Home to early Electronic artist David Astri, Award released "Dancing Digits" which has become a highly sought after 12" due to years of support from the likes of DJ Harvey and Daniel Wang. I personally prefer the mysterious K-Y-M's single over Mr. Astri's, but I'll be posting "Dancing Digits" next week for you to decide for yourself. In the meantime check out the insanity of analog synths that is "Give Me The Dance" (Dance Mix).



Kym - Give Me The Dance (Dance Mix)



The above photo is of the infamous Bobby Orlando. Love him or hate him, dude (seemingly unintentionally) wrote and produced some great Italo/Euro Disco records for artists like the Flirts ("Passion"), the NY Models ("Love On Video"), Roni Griffith ("Spys") Divine ("Native Love") and the Pet Shop Boys (original version of "West End Girls") to name a few. The track I've posted here is by the group Dosio circa 1983 and is a cover of the song "Dancin." Originally released in 1979, "Dancin" is Bobby Orlando's first credited production and was sung by one Ted Foster. The original version is a drab slice of cookie cutter Disco and doesn't even hint at Bobby O's promising future. Dosio, however, rescue this song with some prime era Italo arpeggiated bass lines, analog synths and whispered vocals. I found this single in Berlin last Spring for one Euro at a flea market. The same vendor sold me original copies of "End Title (Blade Runner)" by Hypnosis, "Ultimate Warlord" by the Immortals, and "Fear" by Easy Going for a grand total of 15 Euro... I miss Berlin.



Dosio - Dancin' (Instrumental)

Disco Undead, part 2: "flesh ripped clean to the bone... and the blood runs red..."

Some more slamming zombie disco, inspired by the master of giallo, Dario Argento.



Bangkok Impact - The Pianist and the Reporter

Another Gem Courtesy of Stuart Price

Hello earth people. The subject of today's Dollar Bin Jam is none other than Stuart Price, AKA Jacques Lu Cont, Les Rythmes Digitales, Man With Guitar, Pour Homme, Thin White Duke, Paper Faces and bassist of pop group Zoot Woman. Stuart is also the man behind massively huge releases like Madonna's (actually really, really awesome) album Confessions On A Dancefloor; the man is making moves rather than faking moves, dig?

Today we are going to talk about Stuart's remix of "It's Automatic", a track by Zoot Woman. On the single, the remix is credited to Stuart's Paper Faces alias. This track seriously kills floors any time I play it; it really doesn't matter if it's an "indie" crowd or a house crowd - the tune works for both and probably even an elderly Bingo Hall crowd. It's that funky, that catchy and that good. I even caught your man Apt One trainspotting this one at the last Robotique.



Of course the "It's Automatic" single is scarce these days and Wall Of Sound has yet to make a digi-version available, so here you go.



Zoot Woman - It's Automatic (Paper Faces Remix)

Disco Undead, part 1: "When the earth spits out the dead, they will come back to suck the blood of the living!"

Halloween is my favorite holiday, and every year I'm disappointed by how few horror movies are on TV in the month of October. And the ones they do show - I mean, Jesus, Piñata: Survival Island? So here's me coping with two more of my favorite things: electronic music and zombies.

Disco Undead was a UK-only release on Device Recordings out of Manchester (the label appears to have since gone under, as its website is no longer active). The concept: reinterpretations of classic horror movie themes by modern producers. It came out in 2004, but it's basically an Italo disco compilation for the most part (with authentic-sounding production), and the songs themselves are bonafied classics.

Zombi 2 is not in fact the sequel to Zombi - the title Dawn of the Dead was released with in Italy - but was so named by director Lucio Fulci to establish a connection between the two films. It worked; Fulci became an overnight sensation in Europe, and Zombi 2 became the first movie to feature a zombie fighting a shark underwater.



Gique - Fulci's Rotting Children

I'm on a kick now, so keep checking back up through Halloween because I'm going to continue posting my favorite tracks from this record.

-Dave T

Reverse polarity

A go-go band covering a robo band! Although the A side is vocoded, I selected the instrumental because I think flows better. I know my copy is pretty rocked, but this needs to be heard by the masses (yes, the masses all religiously check Dollar Bin Jams!).



Trouble Funk - Trouble Funk Express (Instrumental)

An Important Note From Space

Despite being six years away from landing on the moon, this 1963 song not only presupposes the possibility of interplanetary travel, but also that Martian culture was nearly identical to that of pre-Beatles America (i.e. bobby socks, poodle skirts, and high school hops). Talk about visionary! Well, the story doesn't end there. The band that concocted this extraterrestrial jam was also a pioneer of electronic music.

Ten years before Bob Moog invented the voltage controlled synthesizer, The Ran-Dells were manipulating sine waves and splicing tape by hand. Note the sci-fi B-movie blast-off effect at the beginning. Then take in the Doo-wop chorus. If not for the so-called "novelty" content of this song (Don't count me among the naysayers. I watched the X-Files. I want to believe! ) this song might be remembered alongside other vocal group classics. After all, Martian Hop did earn a gold record.

-Bryan



The Ran-Dells - Martian Hop

For an in-depth history of the song, check out this interview with the man who wrote it.