Fudge Fingas’ Now About How is an engaging curiosity that rewards close listening and a worthy entry in my imaginary canon of British whimsy.
peder
LCD Soundsystem, Throw
January 12, 2011 – 11:01 AM
LCD Soundsystem’s cover of Paperclip People’s “Throw” may be perfectly adequate and suitable for the former’s live sets, but does it warrant being pressed up by Planet E?
Ideal, Schöne Frau Mit Geld (Losoul Versions)
October 15, 2010 – 9:01 AM
Weird, but not that weird, LoSoul’s remixes of Ideal’s “Schöne Frau Mit Geld” again demonstrates his way with a groove, be it reduced house or full-fat disco.
Walt J, Reborn
September 17, 2010 – 9:01 AM
Curle Recordings’ Petite sub-label puts Walt J’s sought after Reborn within reach for fans who cringe at Discog prices for the original.
Efdemin, Chicago
August 25, 2010 – 10:01 AM
When questioned about the mildly provocative title of his sophomore album as Efdemin in a recent interview, Philip Sollman deadpanned that he had merely chosen it as bait for journalists.
LWE 2Q Reports: Top 5 Reissues
July 8, 2010 – 12:01 AM
I could have filled this entire list with selections from RH, but with apologies to them, Mojuba G.O.D., the afore-mentioned Running Back, Styrax Leaves, Clone Classic Cuts, Delsin, Prescription Classics, Downwards, Alleviated and all the other labels that have been schooling me, you and anyone else too young, too ignorant or too poor to check these on the OG pressing, here’s an essential five.
LWE Podcast 53: Nebraska
June 28, 2010 – 12:01 AM
Now that the world has caught up with the music of Nebraska, we felt it was time to invite the man behind the moniker, Ali Gibbs, to answer a few questions and contribute a mix for our 53rd exclusive podcast.
Various Artists, 2010
May 13, 2010 – 10:01 AM
Dial’s core aesthetic of chic but understated deep house remains present on 2010, with contributions from label founders Lawrence, Pantha du Prince and Efdemin that stay true, occasionally too much so, to the label’s sound when it was first birthed in Hamburg 10 years ago.
Talking Shop with Running Back
April 9, 2010 – 10:01 AM
Running Back is one of the most consistent labels about. Only in terms of quality, mind. Consistency doesn’t equal homogeneity, and frankly Running Back can be all over the shop stylistically. Ravey, wildpitch house from Radio Slave one release, Robert Dietz’s desiccated Mannheim funk the next, Running Back is unafraid to thumb its nose at genre purists. For a busy man, the label’s owner Gerd Janson is exceptionally generous with his time, and it was a pleasure to shoot the shit with him for a couple hours about the eternal vinyl versus mp3 debate, Walter Benjamin, British dub soundsystems, and what we can expect next from the least predictable of labels.
Fudge Fingas, About Time
April 8, 2010 – 10:01 AM
“A lot of people have to work. You gotta go home, you take a bath. A lot of people, you go home and fuck your wife. A lot of people go home, you cut your grass. I go home, and I fuck that motherfuckin’ MPC all fuckin’ night.” I was thinking about Kenny Dixon Jr’s recent eruditions on domesticity and art while listening to Fudge Fingas’ “It’s About Time.” It deals with the quotidian problems of part-time music making; what if when you get home from a hard day at the office, you’re are just too worn out, or lack the inspiration, to “fuck your MPC,” or for that matter, your significant other?
Tevo Howard, Crystal Republic
March 26, 2010 – 10:01 AM
When I think of adjectives to describe acid (the music), words spring to mind that could just as easily describe acid (the solution): “Harsh,” “coruscating” or “abrasive,” all words I associate with the fierce 303s of Phuture, Sleezy D’s “I’ve Lost Control,” Mike Ink, Dr Walker, Unit Mobeius or more recently, Legowelt and Bunker Records. Rare is the track written with a 303 drum-machine that merits the descriptive tag “beautiful” or “graceful.” Marshall Jefferson and Larry Heard are among the talented few who have achieved this (the latter with the peerless mega-hit “Sun Can’’t Compare” a couple years ago), and now Tevo Howard joins their illustrious company with his latest doublepack Crystal Republic on the Rush Hour sub-label Hour House Is Your Rush.
Little White Earbuds Interviews Virgo
March 19, 2010 – 10:01 AM
One of the positive aspects of living in a reissue culture is that people who didn’t get their props first time round do so on the rebound. Merwyn Sanders and Eric Lewis are two such guys. They released only three records in their short-lived career, but those first two (under the names M.E. and Virgo Four, released on Chicago’s legendary Trax label), were compiled into their eponymous album Virgo. They were kind enough to give us their thoughts on the reissue, how a dog was responsible for their record deal, and why their school discos were considerably cooler than yours.
Pawel, Pawel
February 25, 2010 – 11:01 AM
Among the trio of friends — Lawrence, Carsten Jost, Pawel — who founded the Dial label in Hamburg 10 years ago, the latter, Paul Kominek has probably kept the lowest profile, despite being the more senior in terms of release history. Recording as Turner for the defunct Ladomat 2000 since 1998, he received remixes from the likes of Robert Hood, Isolée and Freaks, as well as recording four albums worth of curate’s eggs: Lukin Orgel, Disappearing Brother, A Pack Of Lies and 2005’s Slow Abuse. While Turner albums are characterised by often effete vocals and a home-listening aesthetic, Pawel is the first long-player recorded by Kominek for his dance floor alias.
Wbeeza, City Shuffle EP
February 10, 2010 – 11:01 PM
City Shuffle is the second EP by Warren Brown, better known as Wbeeza, to proudly declare “THIS IS THE HOUSE SOUND OF LONDON” on its sleeve. Oh, that it were true. London’s clubs are currently soundtracked by Phonica-approved, nutrient-deprived, pseudo-deep house, but anyhow, let’s leave the negativity (or truthspeak) to Dope Jams, and accentuate the positive. This is the third EP for Third Ear by the young, Bermondsey, South London resident, and shows his sound maturing from the rough style of the New Skank or Heavy Stuff EPs. “Maturing” in music critic language usually translates to some variant on “dull,” “bland” or “smoother,” but while Wbeeza’s new stuff is certainly more polished, there’s enough bite here to avoid it being lumped in with the aforementioned dross.
Anthony “Shake” Shakir, Frictionalism 1994-2009
January 22, 2010 – 11:01 AM
When reviewing Anthony “Shake” Shakir’s first release in four years last April, I quoted an interview in which Shakir described himself as “the forgotten man of techno.” I wonder how he feels about that statement now. The record reviewed, “Levitate Venice” ended up in any year-end list worth reading (including LWE’s), and was widely played and supported by artists and DJs from across the electronic music world, from Ben UFO to Ben Klock. Following up this renewal of interest in Shake’s work, and perhaps conscious of the inflated prices his music was beginning to fetch on the second-hard market, comes this full-fat retrospective from the good folk at Rush Hour. In the past, the Dutch label have given the anthology treatment to Rick Wade, Daniel Wang and Kenny Larkin amongst others, but never before in such exhaustive fashion.
I.F.M., Back In The Days
January 7, 2010 – 11:01 AM
House and politics, and indeed music in general, are a funny mix. For every Bob Dylan you have a Bono, and for every Big Strick you have a Sascha Dive. We’ll leave Dive’s ill-advised Black Panther references for now, but the cousin of Omar-S’s “A Walk Down Linwood” powerfully proved politics in house doesn’t end with Moodymann or MLK speeches laid over “Can You Feel It?”. All this is by way of introduction to the A2 on I.F.M.’s “Back In The Days” EP.
LWE’s Top 5 Reissues of 2009
December 8, 2009 – 12:01 AM
When contributors to LWE were discussing end of year lists amongst ourselves, a colleague commented that “this past year has seemed so exciting to me, it’s amazing how much of what’s got me revved up has been compilations and reissues.” I found myself agreeing with him — It might have been a pointed comment about the perceived weakness of much of this year’s output, but it might just as easily be read as praise for the huge quantity of impressive reissues, represses and other re-presentations that have been released this year. For that reason, this list is far from exhaustive and merely offers a personal perspective on what has been a fantastic year for house and techno historians.
BBH: Major Problems, The Effects Can Last Forever
November 25, 2009 – 11:01 AM
There’s been a lot of talk on LWE recently about people stealing or, uh, creatively sampling other artists’ work. Melodic themes (Rodriguez Jr.) and even whole tracks (Joe Louis) being appropriated without due credit to the originators seems to equal pissed off producers and fans alike. So how would you feel if one of your favorite records of all time (and a worldwide hit and bona fide classic to boot) had its bass line jacked wholesale without so much as a “by your leave”? This is the situation I was faced with a few weeks back. Having popped into one of London’s Music and Video Exchanges, done my usual trawl of the racks, and come out delighted with a Nu Groove record for a mere £2, I put the needle to the wax of Major Problem’s “The Effects Can Last Forever.” After thirty seconds of fuzzy beats and John Lennon intoning, “take this, brother, may it serve you well”, the familiar dungh-dungh-dungh-durr-dungh of “No Way Back” comes crashing through. Did I feel ripped off at Adonis being ripped off?
Delano Smith, Midnite EP
November 23, 2009 – 11:01 PM
Last time LWE checked in with Delano Smith, he was making probably the only decent record of 2008 that namechecked “Detroit.” Smith’s “Something For Myself,” off the “Sunrise EP,” vocalized what many people might have forgotten about the Motor City: “There’s so many sounds, it’s limitless.” The likes of Reggie Dokes, Theo Parrish, Andrés or “Shake” Shakir have all backed up that claim this year with a bewildering variety of music that has been anything but predictable, and defied any preconceived notions about what the term “Detroit techno” might define. Smith’s own uniformly excellent releases this year, however, have been markedly less avant-garde than say, Theo’s wilder 2009 moments. Smith, having labored under the tutelage of the legendary Ken Collier in his formative years, has a far more classicist bent than some of his peers; nonetheless, “Midnite” may surprise a few people who have more conservative expectations of the D.
Various Artists, And Suddenly It’s Morning
November 10, 2009 – 10:01 PM
“Smallville ist nicht Dial.” A De:Bug review of an early Smallville release (DJ Swap’s superb “The Walk”) made this clear, but until last year, many people still persisted in treating it as a mere sub-label of the more established Hamburg imprint. Of course, this is understandable, given Peter Kersten (Lawrence/Sten)’s involvement in both, not to mention the similar influences and palettes. Both have grown out of the Hamburg scene, share a reverence for Afro-American music, and have a sophisticated yet melancholy European air, but this past year has seen Smallville come gloriously out of Dial’s shadow. Where Dial releases music as much for the couch or even concert hall as the club, Smallville is more firmly dance floor-orientated. Still, as this CD compilation And Suddenly It’s Morning proves, their music is equally at home, well, at home.