It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

I thought since this week Orbital released there first album in eight years it was as good a time as any and look back at where it all started for probably the finest live techno act ever. I have always been amazed at the atmosphere being created by 2 guys and a wall of technology.

The groundbreaking Chime was first released on Oh'Zone Records in 1989 but was quickly picked up by FFRR,  reached number 17 in the UK charts which earned them an appearance on Top Of The Pops and the rest as they say is history.

This still sounds as good now as it did twenty two, yes twenty, fucking two years ago.

Have a good Easter weekend people.


Orbital - Chime

Today's track is another one of those "what the fuck is that?" moments that happened quite often in the early 90s. Unfortunately I can't remember the last time I had one of those, either I'm getting old or nothing is that good anymore. I tell a lie the other week there when I downloaded the new Burial ep I got  goosebumps and shivers down the spine but it didn't really count as a wtfit moment as I knew what it was beforehand as I had just paid for it, but I digress.

Richard D James was responsible for quite a few wtfit?s, whether it be the tune posted, Quoth, or the disturbing video for Come To Daddy to name but three. Digeridoo was released on R&S in 1992 and for me it still sounded as mad and brilliant yesterday as it did back in the day.

Have a good weekend people.

Aphex Twin - Digeridoo

For a more soothing example of Aphex Twin's work go over to Acid Ted, where Ctel has posted a couple of classic ambient tracks by the Cornish tank driver.

New(ish) Music

I purchased this remix of a couple of Photek tracks a few weeks back and have been meaning to post one of the tracks from it.

A while ago I featured Rupert Parkes' absolutely brilliant 1995 single UFO. Here we have Addison Groove's bang up to date take on the track where he turns it into a banging piece of real techno which retains the feel of the original but is a different beast entirely.

Nice!

Photeck - UFO (Addison Groove's Almost Headhunter remix)

It's Friday . . Let's Dance

I have to admit that in the early to late nineties I wasn't too fond of Jeff Mills take on Techno things like the Waveform Transmission eps I found rather harsh and abrasive and completely lacking in soul. So I therefore didn't spend a lot of time listening to his stuff. My views on Mills were further strengthened when a mate of mine gave me his Live At The Liquid Rooms, Tokyo cd mix to listen to. I had read all the reviews in MixMag etc that Mills one of the greatest DJs and how this was the epitome of what the techno mix cd should be. On listening I found it to be sloppily mixed set with someone with attention deficit syndrome, the tunes did not seem to flow and I found it painful to listen to all the way through.

However, over the years I have grown to appreciate some if not all of Mills body of work and I especially like the Something In The Sky series of 12" singles which started in 2009 and is now up to volume 7. I only own a couple of these on vinyl and it would be nice if they were to be released all together on a double cd.

Here is side 1 track 2 from the latest installment for your enjoyment or I fear otherwise in DVD's case.

Jeff Mills - Something In The Sky Volume 7 track 2

It's Friday . . . Let's Dance

Anybody up for a bit of Gallic Techno?

Laurent Garnier started djing in the Hacienda in 1987 under the alias of DJ Pedro, while over here working as a chef. In 1988 he returned to France to perform National Service, after which he returned to djing.

As is normal with all of the top dj's he turned his attention to remixing, for the likes of Felix Da Housecat, System 7 and a whole load of others and recording in his own right. In 1994 he started up his own label F Communications.

Garnier's style is rather diverse spanning most genres from deep house to Detroit Techno and has been found to go off in a jazzy direction from time to time. The track posted was released on F Communications in 1997 and is a splendid example of how good Techno can be when created by a master.

Laurent Garnier - Crispy Bacon

Ellen Allien

A little bit of teutonic techno to start the week of to a bang.

Ellen Allien is one of the leading lights in the Berlin and European electro/trance scenes. She started djing in 1992 and landed a residency at Tresor, one of the most influential clubs for techno over the last couple of decades. Subsequently she has had her own radio show, organised parties, started 2 labels, the shortlived Brain Candy and BPitch Control on which she has released her six albums and numerous others including Modeselektor and Apparat and one of my favorite albums this year by Moderat.

The track posted was the lead single from the 2005 album Thrills. I first heard this one day when lurking round Fopp looking for something different about 4 years ago. Asked the guy behind the counter what it was, bought the album which turned out to be just the sort of thing I was looking for.

Ellen Allien - Magma