Exceptional Disco Headpieces

inspired by rose royce (see below)

odd outfits too. boney m forgo their normally bizarre lyrics in favour of snippets of suggestive male vocal (saucy) and a brass led instrumental disco funk workout thing.

Bauhaus, Hairspray, Bats, Edits

Having stumbled across Fernando's recent Bauhaus edit, 'kick in the eye' (on the Redux label) this sometime bloggers goth leanings have been stirring.... it's not quite as bad as it sounds, and doesn't involve any crushed velvet or floor length pvc macs (although bats and belltowers can come into it and there are some interesting Elnett hair edifices involved....)


the original version of 'Kick in the Eye' (in tuxes, throwing shapes, smoke machines, amazing)



and if you're still here, another classic goth punk song thing from sue and the boys

November 14th ÜDIO

We are really looking forward to this now.. Jamie Woon (whose live skills you can see in the post below) will keep things interesting during the early stages of the night and Bill Brewster will undoubtedly live up to his name later on. Support comes from friendly yank Sativo who somehow had the normally chilled upstairs bar jumping back at our April gig. This time around we welcome his charisma and flair to the basement for a block-party beatdown of crunkdiscofunk satisfaction. Sign up here

Jamie Woon - Spirits

Fantastic talent from London. You can read more about him here and also be sure to check out Burial's remix of Wayfaring Stranger. Can't wait to see him live.

Let The Spirit

Today I have that restless feeling that you get in the few hours before you see you're favourite artist perform live. It's all about Roots Manuva tonight who headlines at the Warehouse Project here in my hometown of Manchester. His current tour is, of course, in support of his latest (and possibly greatest?) album; Slime and Reason which has birthed his latest single and video; 'Let The Spirit'.

After the jump I've also included the only copy of Blak Twang's mid '90s tune; 'Queen's Head' that I could find online. It features a skinny Roots, in his pre-Manuva days as 'Baron Smith', outshining a rough-around-the edges Tony Rotton.

P.S.- Look out for Ty at the start of the video too.

Black twang ft roots manuva - the queen's head
Uploaded by dougpark17

Mahavishnu Orchestra

Finally got my hands on the Mahavishnu Orchestra LP The Inner Mounting Flame the other day and thought I would post up a live version of the standout track "You Know You Know". Watch Billy Cobham the drummer go mental around the 7 minute mark.

Üdio updates to follow soon..

Love Lockdown

LOVE LOCKDOWN from kwest on Vimeo.

Just as I was starting to wish unkind things upon T-Pain and the spread of his autotune influence, Mr. West went and released the video for 'Love Lockdown'. Whilst I couldn't get onside with the change in direction at first, the video, I think helps make sense of Kanye's new, refined sound. 'Love Lockdown' is the first single off 808s & Heartbreak out November 25th.

Universal Mind Control

It's a good thing he's no longer with the self-proclaimed Analogue Girl aka Erykah Badu, as she surely would not approve of this video. It's digital as a mofo!

The eagerly anticipated video for Common's 'Universal Mind Control'; the title track of his upcoming album, has finally dropped and it's looking sharp. Look out for Pharrell the robot.

Road To Where - Free Download

The 39 Steps are here to introduce you to what they call 'Dark Soul'. Leeds-based producer Kato has created a place where jazz, hip hop, psychedelia and filmscores collide. Built to a blueprint of bottom-heavy beats and guest singer Laura Fowles' spine-tingling vocals, their debut album Coming Clean showcases his manifesto of thoughtful and emotive music. Despite a low-key arrival onto the electronic music scene with no live output as yet, their studio project has been steadily acquiring interest on digital domains such as MySpace, where enthusiasts from all over the world variously described their music as 'awesome', 'melancholic' and 'beautiful'. Coming Clean is currently being prepared for release. Expect an album of hazy pianos, scratchy horns, confusion and clarity.

Massive congratulations to The 39 Steps on being signed by up and coming Leeds-based label, Bad Sneakers records. Surely a contender for best label name ever?

Before the album is released early next year there will be several goodies made available for you to enjoy such as videos and behind-the-scenes insights. To get the ball rolling, the label have very kindly released an excellent preview of the album in the form of "Road To Where". Download for free here!

Many Moons

If Kanye was to ever to get his wish for the Bible to be modernised, and rappers incorporated into its stories, then P.Diddy has got to be the hip-hop Samson. When Puff's shiny suits disappeared so did his musical relevance.

In an effort to acquaint his Bad Boy Records label with the term credibility, Diddy signed Janelle Monae in 2007 and made a lot of people nervous for the singer's career.

For those who don't know, Janelle Monae's quirky style brought her to the attention of Outkast's Big Boi which led to her appareances on the Idlewild soundtrack. Her underground following has grown ever since, hence the apprehension that greeted the news of her signing with Diddy.

Her debut video for 'Many Moons' however goes a long way to dispel the fears of her followers whilst announcing Janelle as a futuristic soul star to the rest of the world.

With a new material due out next year, check Monae's EP; Metropolis:The Chase Suite and the plentiful Youtube footage in the meantime.

Talk To Me

Man, you played the Johnny Cashcard.. Weepy old me is ducking out of this one as that video is the epitomy of a solid tearjerker (plus all I had was Chris Isaac..)

On a serious note though, there is a good reason for me to be upset tonight. I've just come to learn that DJ Vadim has unfortunately been diagnosed with cancer. I really hope the hardest working man in Hip-Hop will come out of this OK and my thoughts are with him and his missus, Yarah Bravo. In case you don't know of his work I've posted up one of my favourite beats from his most recent album "The Soundcatcher". Enjoy, and if you subscribe to the power of collective belief, read this and get involved.

Never one to back down...

...from a challenge. Mr Paul, I see your Rose Royce and raise you a Janet Jackson, circa 1997. Taken from Janet's The Velvet Rope album, 'Got 'til It's Gone' probably isn't in the tearjerker class but is gently affecting with a masterpiece of a video directed by Mark Romanek.

P.S.- I'dve posted up Romanek's video for 'Hurt' by Johnny Cash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go) if I'dve thought weepy Ricky could handle it.

Wishing On A Star

Not 100% sure why I'm posting this one up but it's Sunday night and it feels kind of right, so there you go. Make sure you stick around for the brief but excellent drum-break right at the end, and if anyone wants to step up and challenge this video with another tearjerker, give it your best shot!

Damme Chromeo

Grab a pen and take notes.

The Egyptian Lover Returns

This came out in 2006 on an album called Platinum Pyramids (Egyptian Empire Records). No idea what the rest of the album is like but if the artwork is anywhere near as good as the photo below, it might be worth investigating further. Listen to more of The Egyptian Lover on his Egyptian space.

Now On- The Willows

Now On - The Willows from Henry DeMaio on Vimeo.

A nice video for the easy-on-the-ears lead single from LA-based Now On's new album; Tomorrow Already. Check the Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/nowon) for more samples of the group's mellow brand.

New Q-Tip

The song itself has been knocking around for a while but the video for 'Getting Up', the first single off Tip's upcoming album The Renaissance, has surfaced online in the last couple of days. Feeling this song in an unhealthy way so it's nice to see the visuals don't let the audio down any at all.

I Wanna Kiss Myself

Spent the whole day in Phonica on Sunday so I'm feeling inspired enough to write a big post gorged full of all the badstuff I was lucky enough to hear. There's loads to get through so get nice and comfy. First up is Damian Lazarus' effort at the Sci-Fi-Lo-Fi series..


At first glance I wrote this one off, thinking that it was another instalment of the boring Sci-Fi-Hi-Fi series that generally equates to lots of average/semi-decent techno. To my surprise however, volume 2 of the more abstract Sci-Fi-Lo-Fi series showcases a bunch of genres, beginning with a tidy hip-hop number, sculpted by Sir Andrew Weatherall, which soon enough gets segued into Burial's "Etched Headplate". I pretty much handed myself over to old Lazarus from then onwards and was taken on an enjoyable ride through a soundscape which features MAW, Pulp, Jus Ed and Hercules and Love Affair amongst others. I really dislike Pulp, they have never done anything for me.. but the Moloko mix of their track on this compilation is bliss. Check out samples of the mix here and make sure you listen to the Kassem Mosse track.

Here's a couple of down-time albums:


Voice Of The Seven Woods - The Journey

This one floats by like a dream. It's only 16:48 minutes long but it feels much longer, and its length surprisingly doesn't take away from its value. You can hear some samples here - I'd say that "Breaking Moonlight" gives a good idea of the overall tone of the album/EP.


Lindstrom - Where You Go I Go Too

Not really one to bum Lindstrom, me. I can't say that I've ever bought any of his records (although I did pick up an album he did with Prins Thomas ages ago). Some of his work reeks of quality and norwegian dope but.. as is often the case, the hype around him unnerves me a bit. Perhaps I'm just a sucker for his buddy Prins Thomas who is still to this day one of the best dj's I've heard and he's also a savvy producer. Anyway, Where You Go I Go Too is an excellent listen, with 3 pieces ranging from 10 - 30 minutes in length and a relentless supply of great moments encompassing beat-less balearic rollers and ethereal disco chuggers. Have a mooch over here.


Dramatic Funk Themes Vol.1

Funk doesn't seem to be getting much of a look-in these days, it's all discotechnodiscoelectro on the blogs. This compilation is a deserving exception to the unwritten rule though, with bags of quality shining through on every single one of the 20 tracks it holds. Have a listen to the first track (reminds me of "jungle boogie") on the player here where you'll also find some informative blurb on how the release came to be.

I'm spent. Thanks for reading if you've made it this far!

(Just realised how dull all of those record covers were! I'll attempt to pick out some more colourful bits next time I post.. promise.)

Boom Bap of the Month

Whilst the 'Everyman' persona isn't the most identifiable image in hip-hop music, A tribe Called Quest made it look and sound like a natural element. What other group could make a video like 'Electric Relaxation' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERQzl4xDpXk), which consists of a cab ride to a diner, look like one of the illest days out ever? This month though, it's all about '1nce Again', the lead single off 1996's Beats, Rhymes and Life. The song was produced by Jay Dee/Dilla, who was a part of the production collective 'The Ummah' alongside Tribe's Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

Dorian Concept (Live)

Dorian Concept rocked the Gramaphone Club last night at Deviation's monthly forée into the soulful underground, as Benji B likes to call it. I find that some of his stuff can be too hectic but he's an indisputable talent who is more often than not capable of musically 'hitting the nail on the head'. Besides, anyone who can slam their head down on the keys of a microKorg and still create something melodic deserves some recognition, right? His last track of the night was perhaps a glimpse of a more up-tempo future direction and is only available to listen to here at the moment. It's called "Vertical Output" and has got me all excited about his imminent releases.

Jussa-Jus

Forgot to mention another new recruit on the blog - this time round its the lovely Justine, an aspiring journalist who works at Phonica and doesn't eat sugar. Welcome, Justine!

Just a quick post from me so I can bring 3 things to your attention:

1) The Deviation Soundscape Mixtape - Just had a quick listen through this relentless beat journey and it sounds tough and educational all at once.
2) Dwele - "Too Fly" - Anyone remember this one from a few years back? Quality rejig of Stevie Wonder's too high with Stevie's original bassline left untainted. Ouch.
3) I can't stop laughing at this video. Am I weird? Give it a go, and don't read the comments until after its finished.

Visitors from the Cosmos

Two small tasters of the phenomenon that is Sun Ra and his Arkestra.

Whilst declaring himself, quite seriously, a visitor from outer space (who by the look of his threads spent some time in ancient Egypt also), he and his band the Arkestra are without a doubt the purveyors of the most cosmic, wigged-out, trippy, psychedelic and inspired and joyous jazz music mankind has ever known.

Animated GOODness

Afternoon people.

The aforementioned Mr Palmer aka Henny Lenry here. Thought I'd ease into my first post with a couple of nice animated videos from Kanye's GOOD Music camp.

First up there's the man himself with a full length version of 'Good Morning', the opening track off Graduation. It's nice to see it in a higher quality than the camera phone versions that appeared on the net a few months ago.



Then there's Common's video for 'Announcement' ; a track produced by and featuring Pharell. The new album, Invincible Summer apparently drops on September 22nd.

On-Point

Great blog by Alex Deforce from Belgium. Hours of perusal pleasure and plenty of interviews with people like Fly-Lo, Trus'me and Âme.

ICC gig next Friday..

..has unfortunately been postponed for reasons beyond the promoter's control.

On the plus side, the next Üdio is set to take place on November 14th and we have a great booking lined up. Stay tuned.

Savath Y Savalas

Forthcoming album on B-Music/Twisted Nerve records. Listen to samples here. Lush, Latin-Psych sounds from Guillermo Herron (the man behind Prefuse 73) and friends. Have a read of the blog on there called 'GSH talks about bad news and school..' which features the exceptional line: "All he did is smoke cigs and beat the shit out of Dennis."

Lacrimal

Dissident has become a bit of a buzzword here in the capital. They've been causing waves for a while now with their relentless supply of limited edition black-crack 12"s, and subsequently my music-savant friends have been cursing me for not being "italo" enough. Might get my eyes poked for saying this.. but I haven't been going loopy for every release on the label. This one however really got my attention: have a listen to 'Lacrimal' on Ali Renault's myspaz. Can't wait to hear it out somewhere and get my slow-mo chicken-wing groove on.

Also, who said Kompakt were allowed to release such an ace compilation in Total 9. I thought Techno was supposed to be going out the window?


Best track on there is fellow umlaut rocker Justus Köhncke's "No Thanks For The Add" - can't believe I'm sharing that one with you..

Calypsoul 70

Calypsoul 70: Caribbean Soul & Calypso Crossover 1969 - 1979

Absolute pleasure to listen to. Loads of uptempo funkyness as well as a few really nice emotive numbers. One of those albums that doesn't invite you to skip any of the tracks at all. If you could see me now I would be smiling with two thumbs up - genuine. Click the above link to hear some samples.

Welcome, Mr Palmer

Today we're lucky enough to welcome a good friend and talented writer to the blog: Elliot Palmer. He'll be bringing his own unique brand of optimistic cynicism and bags of knowledge on the realms of moving image, music and theatre amongst other things.

A few posts ago I made a reference to a friend of mine reminding me of Lenny Henry.. this had nothing to do with Elliot. Honest.

Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)

.. by Talking Heads. This is one of those records I can't wait to play at the ICC gig. Heard it on an excellent compilation called Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story which came out a while back but I've only just managed to pick it up. I defy you to listen to this and not feel the urge to strip down to your discopants a do a little discostrut around your bedroom or office.. there's something wrong with you if you don't act on this urge.

I Can Count

Heard only good things about these parties so really looking forward to September 5th now. Got so many ace records lined up even if I do say so myself. Come down and say hello - its free!

Check out I Can Count music and clothing here.

A Guy Called Who?

The voodoo shaman returns with a new EP on Perlon Records by the name of In Ya Head. Someone give me a warehouse so I can play Moon Jelly to a bunch of acid boogaloo fiends. Ta.

We Got Them Hot In This Bitch..

Busta Buss does it again. Watch out for the eyebrow.

Curzon

Don't know much about this beatmaker from Notts except that he/she has made a killer track called Curzon - listen here. Reminds me a bit of Forss but still fresh regardless.

Low, we salute you.

Tell No One

Amazing French movie that had me paralysed all over right up until the end. Tell everyone.

Hot Buttered Soul RIP

Isaac Hayes died yesterday from unknown causes at the age of 65. Read more about his life's work here.

I only really cottoned on to his work around a year ago but no matter what record I pick up by him, it's full of heart and soul. The Chocolate Chip LP remains my favourite so far but Isaac's legacy goes beyond his music in many ways.

Slinkachu

Slinkachu's exhibition Ground Zero kicks off on the 28th August at Cosh Gallery on Berwick Street (just off oxford street). It's invite only, but all you have to do is e-mail Cosh. Details here

Vibrant Thing

The photo above was taken from Nicky Peart's portfolio which is evolving nicely at the moment and has plenty of warm pieces to offer. You'll be able to see more of her work on the üdio walls later this year.

If there are any aspiring artists out there we would really like to see your work and potentially offer you similar opportunities. Word.

CLASSIC BOOM BAP

Every month I'm gonna post up some classic ish that will get your head bumping, nar mean? This month it was a tough call. Elevators by Outkast came at the top of my list although I can't post up the video for some reason (you can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tptPj6K_jJQ&feature=related). Second place goes to the epic opus that is The Blast, produced by Hi-Tek and words from Talib Kweli. Speakers up now..

The Pirate's Dilemma

Matt Mason is a smartypants. His blog is constantly questioning and exploring contemporary conundrums and technological advancements. Who would have thought that the new Batman movie questions a fundamental economic principle? Who knew that media pirates have rescued dying industries time and time again? It's all on his blog and in his book which he's made available for free from here.. kind soul. If you want to know about how David Mancuso got his party ideas from his pre-school and how Madonna committed a faux pas and got cyber-slapped by hackers all over the world, you should definitely give this book a go. Happy reading.