Grum’s ‘Heartbeats’ = Hardcore Nerd Porn
August 25, 2009 Posted by Nick at 2:22 pm
We are thrilled to bring you 3 minutes and 10 seconds of hardcore nerd porn courtesy of Scotland’s man-of-the-moment, Grum. With Sound Reaction and Runaway still superglued to the turntables of DJs across the land, Heartbeats is to Summer as computers are to smut.
Brilliant:
Animal
August 18, 2009 Posted by Nick at 1:52 pm
autoKratz have released their highly anticipated debut album Animal, a record which will see them stake their undeniable claim to joining the royalty of electronic music.
This extremely significant LP follows the success of Autumn 2008’s acclaimed mini-album Down & Out In Paris & London and looks set to solidify the bands position as one of Europe’s most exciting new prospects.
Animal features the massive Always More (with dancefloor smashing remixes from Yuksek & Shadow Dancer). The album includes the infectious summer anthem Stay The Same, the driving and relentless Can’t Get Enough and the epic Speak In Silence, all combining to create a remarkable collection of tracks with variety and depth, justifying the bands standing as the flag bearers of the new wave of British electronic music.
Since first storming onto the scene last year, autoKratz have swiftly established a reputation for their distinctly different releases which harbour infectious bass hooks, addictive vocals and compulsive beats & bleeps. Animal however does much more, as the duo explore their songwriting craft further to create an extremely innovative record.
The band have so far received immense support across the board, with spots on the playlists of Pete Tong, Annie Mac and Steve Lamacq, and club support from the likes of Tiga, Erol Alkan and Brodinski. Locally, Always More has remained one of Triple J’s most played songs since release, and the band are touring Australia in September – October to play the 2009 Parklife Festival.
autoKratz’ formidable live shows across the globe have seen them become one of the most sought after breakthrough prospects in electronic music, with the band enjoying ecstatic responses at festivals across Europe including Glastonbury, Lowlands & Pukkelpop. The autoKratz set combines their trademark rock and roll energy with their remarkably distinctive electro sound; a recipe which has seen them touted as the most significant live electronic act to have emerged in recent years.
Of the album, David says “Its unique and its personal. It’s captured an energy which I think is genuinely exciting and
reflective of who we are as people.” Russell has a similar sense of accomplishment, “We were so keen to create something out of the ordinary; something people might not expect. The result is songs about us that we hope to have a real impact on people’.
The London based duo, inspired by Daft Punk, Kraftwerk and Underworld, have enjoyed success through remixes for Underworld, Fischerspooner and La Roux and live tours alongside the likes of Digitalism and Underworld. With Animal, autoKratz have undoubtedly embarked on an ascension to prominence that, according to the NME, “will nudge them into the big league”.
Animal is out now on etcetc.
Track Listing:
1 Always More
2 Stay The Same
3 The Idiots Are Winning
4 Speak In Silence
5 Can’t Stand Without
6 What You Want, What You Got?
7 Can’t Get Enough
8 Gone Gone Gone
9 Past Your Heart
10 Human Highway
11 Last Show
Protected: Jump Jump Dance Dance
August 5, 2009 Posted by admin at 3:19 pm
Cities of Gold
August 5, 2009 Posted by Nick at 12:50 pm
Surging forth from the urban sprawl of Sydney, Australia, comes Lost Valentinos, a collective of five young men armed with indie-rock dreams and an album’s worth of what they’ve termed “conquistadisco”. While it sounds obscure, Lost Valentinos’ signature style is something they’ve been working on and refining since their debut in 2005.
Over time, countless others have succumbed to the appeal of this ambitious sound. 2007 saw Lost Valentinos impress tastemaker and super producer Ewan Pearson (the string-puller behind recent albums from The Rapture, M83, Junior Boys and Delphic) who was so compelled by the band’s zeal that he climbed aboard to produce their debut record, Cities Of Gold.
Pearson’s faith in the band was soon echoed by other influential figures. Leo Silverman, the man responsible for the UK success of The White Stripes, The Vines and The Avalanches, chose Midnights as the second single to be released from his new label, Dummy Records. Fan Death and Emperor Machine were enlisted for remix duties, adding to a list that includes the likes of Shinichi Osawa, Bumblebeez and DFA up-and-comer Jacques Renault. UK tour dates and a 2009 Splendour in the Grass announcement soon followed.
But this level of expectation is not something new, considering that Lost Valentinos’ unrestrained ambition had previously impressed superstar Australian producers Kim Moyes (one half of The Presets), Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes (of PNAU and Empire Of The Sun) enough to record the band’s first EPs (The Valentinos and Damn And Damn Again respectively), whilst boutique tastemaker labels like Kitsuné, Japan’s Rallye/Klee, and Bang Gang 12 Inches lined up to release their records before home-grown talent stable etcetc were won over, too.
And whilst Cities Of Gold charts the ongoing search for undiscovered riches, it is also the realisation of Lost Valentinos’ true sound, one that this early material only scratched the surface of. Epic walls of relentless percussion fused with cosmic production touches and fractured guitar soundscapes. It’s conquistadisco, naturally.
But this seamless union of styles wasn’t achieved easily by the band, who along with Pearson, poured their guts into the recording process. Cities Of Gold saw the band take an almost year-long break from regular performances to twist knobs and tweak arrangements, ensuring that the final incarnation of the album met with their perfectionist standards. It would seem as though that day has come, and Lost Valentinos have left the studio, focussing now on showcasing the limitless passion that went into Cities Of Gold, and the treasures it holds.
Lost Valentinos are touring nationally.
Cities Of Gold is out 09.09.09 on etcetc.
For more info visit www.lostvalentinos.com.
Tracklisting:
1. Midnights
2. In The City Of Gold
3. Serio
4. Francisco (Y Los Trece De La Fama)
5. Between The Squalls
6. Nightmoves
7. The Bismarck
8. Rain
9. Thief
10. Dark That I Love
11. Great Leap Forward
12. Happiness Made Easy
Grum Minimix for Annie Mac
August 5, 2009 Posted by Nick at 12:03 pm
Grum is the last person to need any more online hysteria, but that hasn’t stopped him from knocking together this incredible 5 minute minimix for BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac. So many tracks…so little time…listen here…
HRTBRKR…
August 5, 2009 Posted by Nick at 11:57 am
Star crossed lovers? Check!
$2 store? Check!
Pinatas? Check!
MSTRKRFT’s latest single Heartbreaker is a quintessential tale of lost love. It also just happens to be one of the best songs you’ll hear all year. And it features the vocals of US R&B powerhouse John Legend. Watch the video now:
MSTRKRFT “Heartbreaker” from Dim Mak on Vimeo.
More than meets the eye…
August 5, 2009 Posted by Nick at 11:27 am
Datarock could not be any more effortlessly 80s if they tried.
They’ve just lent their formidable rock skills to a brilliant cover of the Transformers theme. Listen to it below: