I-F (VARIOUS ARTISTS) - MIXED UP IN THE HAGUE VOL. 01 (2000)

THE MOST IMPORTANT ITALO-DISCO LESSON TO LEARN
ARTIST`````I-F
ALBUM`````MIXED UP IN THE HAGUE VOL. 01
GENRE`````ELECTRO, ITALO-DISCO, EARLY TECHNO
YEAR````````2000

REVIEW BY JOHN BUSH:
I-f's Mixed Up in the Hague is an excellent dance-history lesson focusing on the electro-disco that's been such an influence on his productions. Wisely avoiding most of the endlessly compiled electro classics ("Planet Rock," "Rockit," "Clear") that tend to bore advanced listeners, I-f instead looks back to the motorized sequencer disco of the late '70s and early '80s with a parade of excellent obscurities. (Featuring track titles but no list of performers is undoubtedly not an oversight but a challenge to potential trainspotters out there.)

REVIEW BY BOOMKAT.COM:
I-F's 'Mixed Up In The Hague Vol. 1' - an uber-limited reissue of a record that is widely credited as being the best Italo/Electro mix of the past decade and accordingly changes hands for the kind of £££ that makes your eyes water despite it only ever being released on measly CDR. A crafty adjunct of the Parallax Corporation, I-F's legendary mix is a masterclass in the art of mixing, taking the blueprint as classic Italio-disco and the golden-age of European electro.

I-F capitalises on his keen ear by constructing a mix so intuitive it'll have you wondering how two decks and a mixer can sound so damn good. Great fun, a big recommendation.

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ASTRO CAN CARAVAN - 21st CENTURY DRIFTING EPISODE (2005)

FINLAND'S BIG BAND SPACE ROCK
ARTIST`````ASTRO CAN CARAVAN
ALBUM`````21st CENTURY DRIFTING EPISODE
GENRE`````BIG BAND, PSY-JAZZ, INSTRUMENTAL, EXPERIMENTAL
YEAR````````2005

ABOUT (FROM AURAL):
Highly experimental, with one foot solidly in the RIO camp and the other in outer space, Astro Can Caravan is an unconventional mix of large ensemble post-Sun Ra cosmic jazz, Magma-influenced Euro-fusion and Herbie Hancock/Miles Davis-styled avant-jazz funk. The 20 members of ACC (most of whom are apparently Finnish) all display a consummate musicianship and a keen awareness of the intricacies of ensemble playing throughout the ten tracks on 21st Century Drifting Episode, and in the process virtually create a new sub-genre one might call "big band space rock."

Imagine if Sun Ra's Arkestra were composed of members of Amon Duul II and Can - 21st Century Drifting Episode is the kind of album he would've done.

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ANDERS ILAR - LUDWIJKA - EXTENDED VISIT (2006)

UNDER OUR RUGS
ARTIST`````ANDERS ILAR
ALBUM`````LUDWIJKA - EXTENDED VISIT
GENRE`````IDM, MICRO, GLITCH, EXPERIMENTAL
YEAR````````2006

WHY? BY ME
The glitch-IDM scene used to be a kind of an experimental, elitist field in which electronic music makers showed their skills in achieving a functional composition with a minimal set of sounds. Nowadays, as usual, it grew into a huge scene of crap, piss and an occasional good record. Sweden based artist Anders Ilar made a really good record and what separates it from the today's rest and from the past are his fine skills in producing details, full sound and especially his gentle but melting bass lines that can heal your speakers. He is most definetly not Murcof, but he has a crouching layer of quality that many IDM "artists" dream of while being stuck inside this basically quite narrow sub-genre.

If you liked this you should like this one.

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EARTHLESS - RHYTHMS FROM A COSMIC SKY (2007)

NEW LEVEL OF PRIME STONER PSY ROCK JAM
ARTIST`````EARTHLESS
ALBUM`````RHYTHMS FROM A COSMIC SKY
GENRE`````STONER , ACID ROCK-METAL,
YEAR````````2007

PRAISES BY THOM JUREK:
They jam as Jimi Hendrix jammed, as Cream and Free and even Humble Pie jammed when they took it outside. But Earthless are always outside. They literally enter the sonic maelstrom of inspiration and free flowing, molten, deeply emotional energy where most felt it was at its peak, and they go up from there, moving into dusted rock realms not even dreamed of by the current jam band crew, the stoners or the droners, or even the heaviest of the doomers. They could hang with the most progressive of the metal bands around if they wanted to, but it's not in their credo. They don't see how long they can extend a chord; instead they see how many notes can fit into one, and how groove-oriented a tripped-out riff can get.



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OVAL - 94 DISKONT + MICROSTORIA - INIT DING (1995)

2 STANDOUT GLITCH ELECTRONIC ALBUMS OF 1995
ARTIST`````OVAL
ALBUM`````94 DISKONT
GENRE`````GLITCH, ELECTRONIC, IDM, INDIE
YEAR````````1995

WHY:
2 outstading examples of advanced electronic albums from 1995 from the same artist.

ALLMUSIC ON 94 DISKONT:
94 Diskont is undoubtedly a standout in the field of electronically advanced, glitch-heavy music. In addition to having clear resonance with those primarily interested in process, this record resides in an autonomous and highly aesthetic sonic universe, where bits of production and granulated noise easily melt into warm, repetitive arrangements. 94 Diskont was made with a lot of productive mediation and gadgetry, but the seams don't show.

DOWNLOAD OVAL

ARTIST`````MICROSTORIA
ALBUM`````INIT DING
GENRE`````LEFT-FIELD, ELECTRONIC, IDM, INDIE
YEAR````````1995

DIRECKSHUN ON INIT DING:
Microstoria is a fine experimental electronic outfit composed of Oval's Markus Popp and Mouse On Mars' Jan St. Werner -- but you wouldn't expect the collaboration to be as literal as Microstoria turned out to be. For all their combined creative juices, Microstoria is simply a meeting halfway between the mechanical atmosphere of Oval and the complex melodic quirks of Mouse On Mars. A simplistic formula to draw, perhaps, but it's surprising how very well the two styles of music mesh. Oval's random aloofness is retained, but its mechanical clicks and whirrs is replaced by warm synths and sporatic bits of electronic melody, a clear influence from Mouse On Mars. It's a compliment to both styles of each groups, and a pleasure in and of itself -- there's a reason they continue to release albums eleven years later. Init Ding is a great debut album from two artists who understand different aspects of complexity, and the resulting chemistry is palpable.

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CALEXICO - SONIC WINDS (2008)

SPAGHETTI TRAGEDY
ARTIST`````CALEXICO
ALBUM`````SONIC WINDS
GENRE`````AMERICANA, INDIE, ALTERNATIVE, EXPERIMENTAL
YEAR````````2008
NOT AN OFFICIAL COMPILATION!

WHY:
Many people are annoyed by Calexico on different levels and I can understand why. The singer is acctualy whispering most of the times because he sucks when he tries to sing with a full voice. They mostly sound really, really bad on live performances.Their music is mostly pure atmo-emo esthetics and their lyrics can sometimes be quite crappy.
But somehow I stayed with them for 5 years, mingling inside their spaghetti eclectic discography, always finding several gems on each album they published. I was always amazed by the fact that every time I listened to any of their albums I completely hated some songs while adoring 2, 3 tracks that blasted my mind.

If a band can play a spectacularly sad guitar solo like the one on "El Morro", create an apocalyptic song like "Humano" or make a good song like "Sonic Wind" - all of their other songs can be pure crap as far as I a concerned. I'll always listen to every new album they publish.

Here is my selection (my best of) of the often crappy often brilliant band Calexico.

TRACKLIST:
01 - Ritual Road Map
02 - Frontera
03 - The Ride (pt.II)
04 - All the Pretty Horses
05 - Two Silver Trees
06 - Sonic Wind
07 - Gipsy's Curse
08 - El Morro
09 - Dead Man's Will
10 - The Black Light
11 - Pepito
12 - Close Behind
13 - Clothes of Sand
14 - Humano (instrumental)
15 - Gift X-change
16 - Fade
17 - Woven Birds
18 - Over Your Shoulder
19 - Burn That Broken Bed
20 - Wash
21 - Glowing Heart Of The World

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Reuploaded on rapidshare.

PRINCE - BLEEDING JAZZ (2008)

UNDERNEATH THE MTV AWARDS
ARTIST`````PRINCE
ALBUM`````BLEEDING JAZZ
GENRE`````JAZZ, FUNK, PSY
YEAR````````2008
NOT AN OFFICIAL COMPILATION!

WHY:
Common music listeners very often accuse Prince of being "dance commercial crap pop with a couple of super-cool funky songs guy in tight green pants and a girly voice". They are most likely to link Prince to his occasional MTv top 10 blockbuster hits and dismiss him out of pure ignorance. Even the fact that some respectable music institutions acknowledge him as being the greatest pop male artist since Elvis fucking Presley, doesnt even bother people who just cant get over his looks, his open obsession with sex and his green leather tight pants and his skinny little twirly ass.

There is an entire dimension of Prince's career mostly known to his music aficionados and generaly music-obsessed people like me. So I've decided to make a 10 track long compilation of some of his jazz and psych-funk oriented songs which are less known to the general public. My apologies to hardcore fans - I havent included many of his experiments in an effort to make this compilation sound as coherent as possible.
Enjoy yet another side of Prince's universe.

TRACKLIST:
01 Prince - North
02 Prince - Osaka
03 Prince - Xhalation
04 Prince - Rainbow Children
05 Prince - When the Lights Go Down
06 Prince - Hallucination Rain
07 Prince - Xogenous
08 Prince - Xcogitate
09 Prince - Tokyo
10 Prince - West

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Reuploaded on 12/May/2010

DR. JOHN - GRIS-GRIS (1968)

HIPPIE, VOODOO, PSYCH, MARDI GRAS, TRIBAL, HIGH NIGHT TRIPPIN' OF THE LATE 60's
ARTIST`````DR. JOHN
ALBUM`````GRIS-GRIS
GENRE`````PSYCHEDELIC, FUNK, ROCK N' ROLL, DRUGS?
YEAR````````1968

WHY:
This guy was something special in the late sixties. His debut album (Gris-gris) is quite an exploration of R&B blended in primitive voodoo aesthetics and coloured by some strange mystic/psych elements that I can't recognise. A very unique artist indeed. Lots of drugs involved too. Lots.

AN UNSUALY SHORT REVIEW FROM ALLMUSIC:
The most exploratory and psychedelic outing of Dr. John's career, a one-of-a-kind fusion of New Orleans Mardi Gras R&B and voodoo mysticism. Great rasping, bluesy vocals, soulful backup singers, and eerie melodies on flute, sax, and clarinet, as well as odd Middle Eastern-like chanting and mandolin runs. It's got the setting of a strange religious ritual, but the mood is far more joyous than solemn.

DOWNLOAD JOHN

SONG COMPACTOR 02 (2008)

What is this?
From now on, I will occasionaly upload some nice finds, interesting cover songs, great hits that I'd like you to listen again and some general obscurities with some small info.

They are all separate uploads because this is not a compilation. Enjoy 'em.

1. Samim - Heater (Vandalism Re-Rub)

2. Alberto Pacheco - Cumbia Cienaguera

Ha! This annoying Ibiza house hit (Heater) made me sick for months and months because of repeated radio and club play. People just couldnt let go. Anyway, some days ago, I accidentaly found the ORIGINAL song from which Samim exctracted that mega catchy stupid harmonica loop from a guy called Alberto Pacheco. I love it when I discover a theft. If you are a decent DJ, you should play the original song in the middle of a mix, just to get the stupid brainwashed crowd some confused smiles.

******

3. Ed Rush & Optical - The Creeps (2000)

One of the first dark and gloomy drum'n'bass Ed Rush tracks I adored for years. A cult classic from a cult classic album from a cult classic producer (also check out "Pacman" which many of you probably heard from the same album "The Creeps").

******

4. Nitzer Ebb - Murderous (1987)

One of the toughest and coolest (real) militant-industrial electronic bands of the late 1980's. A dancefloor blast from the classic " That Total Age" album, "Murderous" still has an edgy (yet retro) killer-sound and tough "Fuck the system because it's already fucking you" lyrics. I bet that militant-angry-teenagers of those days banged their heads to death listening to this track. There is also a furious remix by Phil Kieran on my "Music For Crashing Your Car Vol. 02" compilation which i definetly recommend:)

******

5. The Flying Lizards - Move On Up (Cover)

A great underground trashy cover version of Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up" by the great Flying Lizards. You can also get their album on my blog here.

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6. Sebastien Tellier - Wonderafrica
7. Sebastien Tellier - Fantino
8. Sebastien Tellier - League Chicanos
9. Sebastien Tellier - Zombi
10. Sebastien Tellier - Kilometer

Since everybody thinks that Sebastian Tellier sucks because he performed at the disgusting "Eurovision" contest with a catchy gay-ish hit song "Divine" (which I find to be the most refreshing one on that smelly contest) here are some songs to prove them wrong. He is one of France's most interesting producers whose previous stranger-that-life albums I definetly recommend. He was never affraid of fooling around with music genres (which I respect the most in a musician) and with the help of producers from the great electronica band Air, created marvelous and humorous works (included in many, many cult movies). So for anyone who listened to his earlier albums, this Eurovision adventure of his is well, just another Tellier stunt, and for those who didnt listen - here are some songs to get their minds in the mood. I've included several tracks just to hear how diverse Tellier can be.

V.A. BLEEDING AFRICA (2008)

40 TRACKS FROM THE WORLD'S MOST DIVERSE CONTINENT
ARTIST`````VARIOUS
ALBUM`````BLEEDING AFRICA
GENRE`````WORLD, FUSION, FUNK, POP, TRADITIONAL, FIELD RECORDING
YEAR````````2008

WHAT?
I made this compilation for the cocktail after-party of the opening of the African museum in my hometown. My first ever 40 tracks long compilation of various popular and forgotten African performers, spanning the entire continent, from popular 70's kitch tunes over some hot funk and senegalese pop to more traditional and tribal standards. I am hardly an expert in african music but I just had to use my huge library of albums I collected in recent years and try to make a solid compilation so criticism is welcome.

The most important song here is definetly "Mbube" by Solomon Linda (South Africa, Zulu tribe) who wrote this gorgeous accapela in 1939 and later had to sell the rights to Gallo Record Company for 10 shillings (less than $US 2). Over the decades this song was ripped, abused and destroyed beyond any reason but Solomon Linda never recieved any credit and died a poor man's death during the apartheid in South Africa. Its most famous "version" is "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" which we all know. The song had earned US $15 million for its use in The Lion King alone and who knows how much more when decades of rights abuse are combined. It took 18 years to erect a decent toombstone on Solomon Linda's grave.

You can read more on Solomon Linda here.

TRACKLIST:
01 Mahotella Queens - Thina Siyakhanyisa
02 T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou - Hwe Towe Hun
03 Hewale Sounds - Kalabule (Hewale Sounds-Ghana)
04 Dark City Sisters - Langa More
05 Orchestra Makassy - Mambo Bado (Orchestra Makassy)
06 Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestroes - Dododo
07 Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds - Mbube
08 Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck - Loodo
09 Boubacar Traoré - Bebe Bo Nadero
10 Boubacar Traoré - Mali Twist
11 Habib Koite & Bamada - Barra
12 Abagqomi - Bakhuzeni
13 Burundi Traditional Musicians - Chant de femmes
14 Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Nomathemba
15 Hewale Sounds - Kpanlogo (Hewale Sounds-Ghana)
16 Mapumba - Mwafwako
17 Ebo Taylor - Heaven (Ghana)
18 Marijata - Mother Africa (Ghana)
19 Ray Lema & Tyour Gnaoua - Mimouna
20 Youssou N'dour - Letter
21 Armand Frydman & Dennis Hekimian - Ewondo
22 Franco - Finga Mama Munu
23 Camille Feruz - Cha Cha Cha Bay
24 Kokanko Sata - Be Ni DJigui
25 Kokanko Sata - Tie Farin Shiw
26 Yoruba Tribe - Drums From Benin
27 Kenya & Tanzania Ritual Music - Coconut Picklers Song
28 Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba
29 Ifeanyi Eddie Okwedy - Happy Survival
30 Oumou Sangare - Kun Fè Ko
31 Oumou Sangare - N'Guatu
32 Morikeba Kouyate - Landing Majang (Instrumental)
33 Samburu Warriors' initiation (Kenya) - Ceremonial Music
34 Seleshe Damassae - Hoya Hoya
35 Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars - Smile
36 Tata Dinding Jobarteh - Bitillo
37 Assane Ndiaye & Le Raam Daan - Nguisstal
38 Kosinus - Tambacounda
39 Vieux Diop - Sutu Kun
40 Wagogo Marriage Ritual (Tanzania) - Ceremonial Music


DOWNLOAD BLEEDING AFRICA

BLACK DEVIL - DISCO CLUB (1978)

GET IN THE GLOOMY BEGINNINGS OF ELECTRO-ITALO-DISCO CRAZE!
ARTIST`````BLACK DEVIL
ALBUM`````DISCO CLUB
GENRE`````EARLY ELECTRO, EURO-DISCO, ELECTRONIC
YEAR````````1978

WHY:
The most exiciting moments in my music-obssesed part of life come when I re-discover early recordings that were so progressive and obscure for their time that their influence created entire sub-genres that last even today. This LP is a definitive example of a brilliant underground recording that over the years reached a super-cult status. Listening to this 1978 French vinyl you can clearly hear the future sounds of Felix Da Housecat and the rest of the electro-revival gang of the late 90's and early 00's. A truly remarkable piece of ambient, dark, beat-driven club minimalism that spawned hundreds of thousands of devoted acid-chewing clubbers around the globe.

ALBUM REVIEW FROM DISCOGS:
This is a very obscure release by one of the earliest of the euro disco artists who would later personify an entire genre. Originating from France, this release developed a major cult following all over Europe during the last 25 years and it is now considered to have been a major influence on many of the early 80's italo disco and euro disco artists who emerged on the scene shortly after this release. As for this LP - it's a 2-sided vinyl release with 6 songs all having a copycat sound effect that makes each song sound similar to the others. The only difference is a few tweeks to the synthesizer, the speed of the drum machine's BPM and some different vocals which ultimately allowed the amateur artists behind the Black Devil act to create their one and only LP. The songs were all recorded in real-time and all begin with that dark and wicked drum beat that sounds less like a disco song but more like the procession of a tribal ceremony in the jungles of Africa. Very bizarre, very rare, and very good music. Get it if you can!

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V.A. ETHIOPIQUES VOL.4 - ETHIO JAZZ AND MUSIQUE INSTRUMENTALE 1969-1974

MASTERFUL MUSIC HIDDEN FROM THE JAZZ WORLD
ARTIST`````VARIOUS (MOSTLY MULATU ASTATKE)
ALBUM`````ETHIOPIQUES VOL.4 - ETHIO JAZZ & MUSIQUE INSTRUMENTALE 1969-1974
GENRE`````JAZZ, AFRO-FUSION-PROGRESSIVE
YEAR````````1998

WHY:
One of my dearest discoveries are the Ethiopiques compilations - a brilliant series dedicated to the strange and bizzare world of vibrant Ethiopan popular and underground culture.

Soon I'll upload my selection of songs from the entire 25 disc set called "Ethiopiques: Ethiopia Bleeding".

ALBUM REVIEW:
To some, the term "Ethiopian jazz" might seem impossible; after all, it's a very American form. But what's truly surprising isn't the fact that these musicians play jazz so well, but the range of jazz they manage, from the George Benson-ish guitar workout of "Munaye" to the twisting sax of "Tezeta." Really, though, it's more Jimmy Smith than Duke Ellington in its aim (although Ellington is on the cover, on stage with Mulatu Astatke, the bandleader behind all these selections). The grooves often smoke rather than swing, with some fiery drumming, most notably on "Yekermo Sew," and throughout the guitar is very much to the fore as a rhythm instrument. Perhaps the most interesting cut, however, is "Yekatit," from 1974, which is Astatke's tribute to the burgeoning revolution which would oust Emperor Haile Sellassie.

Some of these pieces, certainly "Dewel," has seen U.S. release before; the track appeared in 1972 on Mulatu of Ethiopia, which was Astatke's third American LP, showing that jazz aficionados, at least, had an appreciation for what he was achieving in the horn of Africa. Given that many of his musicians had graduated from police and military bands, they knew their instruments well, and had plenty of practice time, which shows in the often inventive solos that dot the tracks. Varied, occasionally lyrical, but interesting throughout, this shines a fabulous spotlight on a hidden corner of jazz.

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REUPLOAD: SHIT! WE GOT PARADISE!

FEEL THE UKULELE AGAIN!

By popular demand I've reuploaded one of my first and for me the most interesting compilation "SHIT! WE GOT PARADISE" of Hawaiian forgotten songs.

Read some more info and download it here!

V.A. MUSIC FOR CRASHING YOUR CAR VOL. 2 (2008)

SECOND VOLUME FROM MY "CRASHING SERIES"
ARTIST`````VARIOUS
ALBUM`````MUSIC FOR CRASHING YOUR CAR VOL. 2
GENRE`````ELECTRONIC, ELECTRO, TECHNO, INDIE, DESTRUCTIVE
YEAR````````2008

WHY:
Since I got some good reviews and comments here and on some music forums I decided to compile another volume of destructive electronics for your driving pleasure. This one has a bit more shine and less blackness that the first volume was based around and some songs might surprise you but just give them time and space.

Comments and reviews are always very welcome.

CRASHING TRACKLIST:
01 SebastiAn - Arrival
02 The Prodigy - Diesel Power
03 Mr. Flash - Over the Top
04 Cybotron - Cosmic Cars (1982)
05 Electronicat - Driving Song (Crash Remix) (2003)
06 Sebastien Tellier - La Tuerie (2004)
07 SebastiAn - Motor
08 Does It Offend You Yeah - Attack Of The 60 Ft Lesbian Octopus
09 Shout Out Out Out Out - Chicken Soup For The Fuck You
10 Consolidated - More Music
11 My Robot Friend - I Am the Robot
12 Pzychobitch - Strom aus Fantasie
13 Laurent Garnier - Sound Of The Big Babou
14 Nitzer Ebb - Murderous (Phil Kieran Remix)
15 Xploding Plastix - Treat Me Mean, I Need the Reputation (2001)

DOWNLOAD AND START CRASHING

HEY!!! - You can download the first volume here. If you like this one - click here.

***
ALSO CHECK OUT THIS BEAUTY:
MUSIC FOR CRASHING YOUR CAR VOL.2 MIXED BY GRAVITY'S RAINBOW TEAM

People from gravity's rainbow blog mixed, remixed and blasted my original compilation into a furious molten metal mix which you can download from their blog so CLICK HERE AND KILL SOME PEDESTRIANS.

SONG COMPACTOR 01 (2008)

What is this?
From now on, I will occasionaly upload some nice finds, interesting cover songs, great hits that I'd like you to listen again and some general obscurities with some small info.

They are all separate uploads because this is not a compilation. Enjoy 'em.

1. Eläkeläiset - Humppanirvana (Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit Cover)

This is a very special band indeed. They come from Finland and are generaly drunk. They mostly do cover songs but with a twist - they transform them into strange Finnish humppa music style.

******

2. Estelle - Wait A Minute (Just A Touch) (2008)

A huge new club r'n'b hit with MTv videos, interviews and all that shitty default glitter. Her album pretty much sucked as r'n'b albums ussualy go these days but this hit song is really a quality one. Great beats and superb production.

******

3. Kajagoogoo - Too Shy (1982)

Hehe, I love this. Probably everybody heard this turbo-hit song but it needs to be listened again. It has one of the greatest (my favourite) stupid-pop choruses EVER written "Too shy shy, Hush hush, eye to eye". Brilliant stupidity that worked.

******

4. The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Fire (1968)

Alice Cooper can lick this guy's dirty boots and dumb kids saying that Arthur Brown copied Alice Cooper can go and kill themselves because it is goes the other way around. Anyways, Arthur Brown was a rock failure (but an influental one) and he only managed to release this hit song in 1968. But what interests me the most is that The Prodigy sampled his famous scream "I am the God of Hellfire..." for their hit single "Fire".

******

5. Zeena Parkins - Firebrat (1987)

A solid avant-garde band that started in the 80's. I found it very strange that Amon Tobin's work really resembles their early works so I selected this song to point that out. Strange.

******

KAREN FINLEY - THE TRUTH IS HARD TO SWALLOW (1988)

SHE WANTS TO SIT ON YOUR FACE AND GIVE YOU A SUSHI MEAL YOU STUPID LAZY MOTHERFUCKER.
ARTIST`````KAREN FINLEY
ALBUM`````THE TRUTH IS HARD TO SWALLOW
GENRE`````VOCAL, EXPERIMENTAL, VIOLENT, ART DIRECT
YEAR````````1988

WHY:
I can understand when critics say 'Damn, this is musical crap." But hey, its not music - its just Karen Finley fiddling her nipples with milk pouring everywhere and cursing everything from men and animals to plants.

If you like this screamy arty-weirdo album you will definetly like this one - OMAR RODRIGUEZ LOPEZ AND LYDIA LUNCH


"Here's a woman who gets naked, covers herself completely in chocolate and sings. Does that appeal to you?"

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:
New York-based Karen Finley is best known for her controversial performance art career, but she has exercised her talents in virtually every creative medium, publishing several books of prose and poetry, displaying collections of visual art, acting in several films, and recording albums of poetic musings with dance-based backing tracks.

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Here's a nice article on Karen.

PANDA BEAR - PERSON PITCH (2007)

BEACH BOYS ON A HEALTHY REVERB WAVE OF NOISE
ARTIST`````PANDA BEAR
ALBUM`````PERSON PITCH
GENRE`````EXPERIMENTAL, INDIE, POST-ROCK
YEAR````````2007

WHY:
Since everybody is talking about it... This is not as good as everybody is annoyingly screaming. It's original and quite good but not "revolutionary" as many in the blogosphere are saying. A really good album but that's it. The more experimental Beach Boys records still rule.

ALBUM REVIEW:
Starting an album with a clattering of industrial rhythms sliding into a huge clap-and-stompalong with angelic vocals and what sounds like the Brotherhood of Man on a vocal loop tip not far removed from Suicide or Laurie Anderson is one way to make a mark. The fact that Panda Bear, aka Noah Lennox himself, sings like Brian Wilson and produces his voice to sound like it is another, though it has to be said that it just makes his Animal Collective membership all the more clear at this point. Person Pitch is very much an end product of a variety of musical trends in whatever can be called indie rock in the early 21st century -- big-sounding, absolutely dedicated to texture and sonic playfulness, and somehow aiming to make a lot of interesting ideas seem kinda flat.

Still, the sweetness is almost too gooey, and what should be providing a healthy contrast ends up dragging the best instrumental moments down more than once, almost literally getting in the way of the striking sonic collages. It may be heresy to some, but conceivably Person Pitch would be at its best if it were strictly instrumental.

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THE FLYING LIZARDS - THE FLYING LIZARDS (1979)

FEMINIST ANTHEMS AND BOHEMIAN CLICHES + ROCK RIDICULE
ARTIST`````THE FLYING LIZARDS
ALBUM`````THE FLYING LIZARDS
GENRE`````NEW WAVE, PROGRESSIVE
YEAR````````1979

WHY:
Read the great review below.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:
Led by pianist David Cunningham, the Flying Lizards started as a novelty group that took classic rock songs and reduced them to parody with neo-Kraftwerk synthesizer minimalism and robotic deadpan vocal readings (as epitomized on the eponymous debut album by "Summertime Blues" and "Money"). The serious work shows Cunningham leaning towards the arty high-tech drone of Tangerine Dream, though, and that suffers from comparison with the inspired lunacy of the comedy turns.

David Cunningham and Deborah Lizard photographed in 1980 by Richard Rayner-Canham.

ALBUM REVIEW:
Thanks to the break-away success of the "Money (That's What I Want)" single, this Dada/Fluxus inspired debut album by The Flying Lizards became an instant sleeper (even being released on 8 track!), and ultimately made it onto a certain generation's list of "favorite albums of all time" because of it's catchy humor and accessibly abstract qualities. Arty and erratic, but somehow symmetrical, this album has everything from irreverent Zappa/Residents humor and catchy Kraftwerk robotics, to Eno sound-scapes and chilly, Joni Mitchell-esque ballads framed in Cage found-sound hi-jinks. The postmodern subjects of the album are often presented in a quirky and robotic sound that was appropriate for (and slightly ahead of) it's time.

Read the rest of the review here.

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TRACY CHAPMAN - LET IT RAIN (2002)

FOR ME - HER FINEST. FOR THE CRITICS - ONE OF HER WORST. FUCK 'EM.
ARTIST`````TRACY CHAPMAN
ALBUM`````LET IT RAIN
GENRE`````POP-ROCK, ADULT ALTERNATIVE
YEAR````````2002

WHY:
Fuck the critics - this album is magnificent. I acctualy like the fact that songs blend with each other making this album sound coherent. There are no Tracy's "save the children" moments, just intricate, emotional and beautiful observations about human relationships.

ALBUM REVIEW:
On Let It Rain, Chapman turns in another introspective album that flows quietly from track to track and will remind listeners of New Beginning (1995) and Telling Stories (2000).

The only grievance one might find with Let It Rain is that many of the songs have a similar feel and lack distinctive melodies to keep them from blending together. Fans who have enjoyed Chapman's recent albums, however, will enjoy Let It Rain's evocative lyrics and lovely vocals.

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REUPLOAD No 2: SUFJAN STEVENS - A SMALL REPRISE (2007)

Also by popular demand, I've reuploaded this Sufjan Stevens compilation which you can download from the original post here.

REUPLOAD: THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR - CHIPS FROM THE CHOCOLATE FIREBALL (1987)

By popular demand I've reuploaded this magnificent XTC side project. You can download it from the original post by clicking here.

V.A. WE ALL DREAM OF RUBBER WINGS AND JELLY FEET (2008)

Cover design by me:-)

AS DREAMS TWIST AND BLUR
ARTIST````VARIOUS
ALBUM````WE ALL DREAM OF RUBBER WINGS AND JELLY FEET
GENRE````ELECTRONIC, IDM, EXPERIMENTAL, ELECTRO, MOOG, AMBIENT, GLITCH
YEAR```````2008
COMPILED BY PANDA STUFFER

ABOUT:
A compilation I made dedicated to those positive, inspiring and complex dreams we all like to talk about but cannot explain.

As many of my compilations go, this one is also an eclectic mix of different artists. Selection spans from early vintage moog sounds and IDM ambient music over glitch electro to experimetal minimal intros by some more known and mainstream artists. Feel free to express your opinion about this compilation in the comments.

ALBUM REVIEW?
If somebody wants to review this selection of mine, feel free to do it.

THE BLURRY, DREAMY TRACKLIST:
01 Elliott Smith - Ostriches & Chirping
02 Aphex Twin - 4
03 Mike And Rich - Eggy Toast
04 Chris Moss Acid - Up Periscope
05 Fuzakenna Forest Journey
06 Cornelius - Wataridori
07 Paul Bonneau - Extase
08 Fennesz - Uds
09 Telephone Jim Jesus - Birdstatic
10 Robert Lippok & Barbara Morgenstern - Please Wake Me For Meals
11 Daedelus - Dreamt of Drowning
12 Cornelius - Like a Rolling Stone
13 Four Tet-Prefuse 73 - Creating Cyclical Headaches
14 Black Moth Super Rainbow - Seeds
15 Datach'i - What It Is
16 Cubismo Grafico - Vaseline For 11 Basslines
17 Flying Lotus - 1983 (daedelus odd dance party remix)
18 Casino Versus Japan - Over Island
19 Daniela Casa - Vizio
20 T.O.N.T.O's Expanding Head Band - Ferryboat
21 Xploding Plastix - The Cave In Proper
22 Drexciya - Draining of the Tanks
23 Kid Spatula - Nordy
24 Sufjan Stevens - The Undivided Self (for Eppie and Popo)
25 Steve Jansen - December Train
26 Miaou - On A Sunday (Qua Remix)
27 De Phazz - Twang
28 Martin Rev - Ten Two
29 Philippe Cam - Caddie's Day
30 Kelley Polar - A Feeling of the All-Thing

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MODESELECTOR - BOOGY BYTES VOL. 3 (2007)

ROCK DAT SHIT
ARTIST`````MODESELECTOR
ALBUM`````BOGGY BYTES VOL. 3
GENRE`````ELECTRO, TECH-HOUSE, DUB, MINIMAL, EXPERIMENTAL, FUSION
YEAR````````2007

WHY:
One fearless mix. Top-notch production. New club music. Yeah!

GREAT AND DETAILED ALBUM REVIEW FROM IGLOO MAGAZINE:
Every generation gets the electric guitar it deserves -- the device that a million kids run out and buy and use to make music that drives their elders to ranting about "old school" this and "back in the day" that. So now we have new rave and mashups and DJ mixes that don't require the ability to beatmatch, and we have Ableton Live to thank.

Take Modeselektor's new mix CD Boogy Bytes Vol. 03 for Bpitch Control. I can't say for certain the German producer-duo used Live to sequence all the mixes, but it sounds like they did. Really, it doesn't matter how they made this; they made it to sound like right now. This mix is a touchstone for today's left-of-center dance culture. Why? It's all about the math. Math Problem #1. The album features 27 tracks in just over 65 minutes. Divide. That's one track every 2.407 minutes. But many tracks come in at under a minute, serving as bookends for the standout songs. Digital tools make such breathless mixing possible. But a new problem arises because some tracks even feature multiple songs. Math Problem #2. Track 11 contains 4 songs (Errorsmith's "Free For All," Robag Wruhme's "Papp-Tonikk," Female's "Cally 2," and Krause Duo's "Tigerbett"). Another division problem? No, this is a mashup, using German magic to turn 4 into 1. I know everybody says mashups are no longer cool, but this isn't Britney Spears mixed with Cannibal Corpse. It's a creative layering of some lesser-known electronic music to create something wholly original, and something that blends seamlessly with the rest of the mix. Thus digital mixing allows DJs to transform their material, making new music that is uniquely theirs. Math Problem #3. This is the complex interplay of algorithms that Modeselektor use to create beautiful ripples of reverb and waves of delay and tsunamis of other effects, sometimes as transitions between tracks and sometimes within the tracks themselves. Although I wish Modeselektor did not rely so much on massive filter sweeps in their mixes, how else are you going to go from IDM to hip-hop to techno? It's a problem.

In the end, I worry that with the rise of digital tools like Ableton Live, producers will start to forget how to take chances that are not pre-programmed. After all, there is a plugin for Live that has a knob called Chance. But these tools also give DJs an enormous amount of freedom. As they always have, most DJs will continue to make terrible choices, and we will be constantly reminded that indeed freedom isn't free. But then something like Boogy Bytes Vol. 03 will come along and remind us why we liked dance music in the first place.

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KAADA - THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME YOUR VALUABLE TIME (2003)

A BEAUTIFUL COLLAGE
ARTIST`````KAADA
ALBUM`````THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME YOUR VALUABLE TIME
GENRE`````SOUNDTRACK, ALTERNATIVE, EXPERIMETAL, POST-ROCK, TRIP-HOP
YEAR````````2003

WHY:
Excellent, subtle album by one of Europe most interesting and mystified producers.

ALBUM REVIEW:
This album has the same kind of warm, reverb-y production that Ipecac head honcho Mike Patton often favors (see Fantomas' Director's Cut), and has a collage-type avant-garde pop/rock feel that's not a million miles away from something like Director's Cut or Mr. Bungle's California. Then again, it's certainly not beholden to those influences either: the main inspirations here seem to be hip-hop (especially in terms of the production) and old American R&B and soul music, combined with an unusually user-friendly experimental streak. Basically, Kaada takes isolated samples and loops from old recordings, mixes them together with live instruments and (sometimes) vocals, and creates new songs that are essentially virtual collaborations between musicians from these different times and places. The striking thing about this album, although it's only striking once you try to analyze it, is that it's almost impossible to tell what sound is coming from what record. Whether it's sampled or live or not, or if you know all the recordings he's dealing with, knowing such things won't prevent you from enjoying the music here.

Thank You For Giving Me Your Valuable Time is full of such subtleties, which, rather than merely sounding coy and clever, add some real heart to the album and elevate from just a technically impressive collection of sampling and production trickery into something more.

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