The Rise Of The Electrons

Last May my team, Man Utd, won the European Cup for the third time, the second under Fergie and the first since 1999. It was one of the most exhausting nights of my life but the moment we won was like a bolt of joyous electricity pulsing through my spirit.

This May I would hope that Utd will be there again and win again. However, should that not happen I am glad to know that I will still have access to series of electric tickles.

May 26th (which also happens to be the 10th anniversary of Fergie's first Euro Cup triumph) will see new albums released by Black Moth Super Rainbow (pictured above) and The Field.

I first heard of BMSR through my favourite blog, Covert Curiosity. Pretty much a psychedelic Boards of Canada filtered through a caleidoscope. Immediately ordered their album, Dandelion Gum, which turned out to be a pretty stunning journey through the green, orange and purple districts of Pennsylvania. BMSR have released a taster of the album which I have included below.

The Field is another find through Covert (see links). The sort of ambient technoscapes which put so many people off is something I like, in moderation. It reminds me off simpler time when techno could be warm, cool and danceable without fearing the sight of big fish, little fish, mickey mouse gloves or Guardian reviews. No taster of the new Field album yet but thought I would include one of the more ambient tracks from his previous album, From Here We Go Sublime.

Maydaze.

BMSR - Eating Us Pieces

The Field - The Deal

Grey Matter

Time is a stalker. And sometimes you have to let it rake through your mental carbage and enter your home.

Well it's that time for me. It happened last week and was confirmed yesterday. Just below my chin and little to the right my stubble upon a certain length is going grey. Grey like the silver fox seen above.

And like Roy Keane, the greatest box to box midfielder of his age, I have accepted this fact as step in development from a grumpy young man to a grumpy old man. Grey is Greyt.

I do not plan to dye or hide this new stage but was having a wee wander through the internet's advice for similar men and found some hysterical nonsense. My favourite by some margin is this douche-bag's video on general beard care and maintainance.

Swearing Is Not Cool

I thought I would be smart and swear a lot when I put that Sopranos posting up. Lots F's, M's and a few C's. And what happened the internet rose up like a mighty morale avenger and said, "Do it blue, no hits for you."

I noticed last night that if you googled Pontiac Dream the blog was about 5 pages in and that reference a post from August last year. Having swelled with a little pride as I watched the blog creep to the top of google's list, it was like losing an arm, or atleast a finger.

So I have swiftly removed the language and promise that in future all posts will have one eye on popularity. And this week I will go the extra mile make sure all posts are dead.......nice.

Here is lovely, sweet and cuddley piece of pop from The Beach Boys. It is an amazing little number and is from the Surfs Up album.

The Beach Boys - Disney Girls (1957)

Kreeky Memories

My Saturday mornings have a pattern. I wake in line with my body clock yelling at me that its time for work. After 10 mins of me patiently explaining to the clock that its the weekend, I concede and get up. Since I am up early and the missus is asleep I put a wash on and make breakfast.

After my shower I head to Lidl to get some supplies. And this is where this post originates. Yesterday I was listening to DJ Krush mix form the Ninja Tune release ColdKrushCuts. I had put it on the Cowon the other day and had not listened to it in ages. If anyone has listened to it, at first it seems a little unadventurous, especially when consider that 8 of the 19 tracks are DJ Vadim tracks or remixes.

But I like it. I like it a lot. Typically for Krush its all about slow junkie beats and whispering scratches. So anyway was listening to it and nodding away as I like to do and got to thinking about the aforementioned Dj Vadim.

Back in the day I was a big fan of Vadim and his brand of slow-mo-hop. His early ouput for Ninja Tune and then Jazz Fudge was an easy listening soundtrack for alternative Blade Runneresque 23rd Century society were paranioa has replaced love. Huge stretched beats, souless samples and lots of creeks and breaks. I have added some tracks below. The first two are lidted from the Krush mix while the third is from his most recent project, One Self.

And to top it off here is a lovely wee Vadim story. When he was DJing on the Super Furry Animals tour me and a mate were at the after gig party located in the Renfrew Ferry. Seeing Vadim I wandered about to give some respect and ask about the problems he was having in the USA where his production with Sara Jones, Your Revolution, was banned by a number of radio stations for its language. The proto-feminism of the lyrics were missed by censors who panicked at the sound of 'bush' and 'touche' being mentioned.

Anyhooo, we chatted and I mentioned I had written an article about the problem in America for the Scottish Socialist Voice. On hearing this he called over his beautiful Brazilian wife. A 4ft 10ins version of Erykah Badu she told us about how her dad had been shot a left for dead by the Brazilian police for anti-General Pinochet activities (pls note there is a dispute with my mate over if he was shot in Brazil or Chile - too much beer). I soon left them to enjoy their night.

Lovely people. Lovely tunes.

DJ Vadim - Aural Prostitution (I Wonder Why)[DJ Vadim Remix]

DJ Vadim-Lounge Shiznitz

One Self - Fear The Labour

You Are Speaking Shit To Me

My favourite moment in this is 8 mins and 8 secs in. F.


the sopranos, uncensored. from victor solomon on Vimeo.

Soul Siren: Part 5

I have to be honest. Until about half an hour ago I was going to put some Fontella Bass tracks up but that's all changed.

I was checking out The Huffington Post, the internet's number one home of American liberalism. Amongst the gossip, insight and jokes about Sean Hannity there is some celebrity news. One of the new links was to a mp3 of Christian Bale ranting at a member of the crew for the new Terminator film.

Christian comes across as if he has not moved on from that horribly spoiled brat in Empire of the Sun, with a foul, abusive tirade at some guy who may have made an error but his treatment is totally unjustified.

Bale you are a rich, arrogant fool. He needs to show some respect to his fellow film workers who make it possible for him look and sound good enough to cash those cheques. And who better to show him how to respect than Aretha Franklin.

While she is not my favourite soulsister her output is consistent, emotional and worthy of more than one funky move on the dancefloor. So Aretha say it loud!!! Christian, you better hear it!!

The Bale Rant
Aretha Franklin - Respect

Soul Siren: Part 4

It's a Sunday. And it's a Sunday where Obama is President. But it's a Sunday where the world is still creaking under the weight of hate, intolerance and suffering. So in this time of hope and inequality there is only one lady we can go to. Mavis Staples.

As the lead vocal in The Staple Singers she, surrounded by her family and standing alongside Martin Luther King, represented the defiance and dignity of the civil rights movement. Her voice is simply amazing. I find it a real joy to sit down, wander through town or work, while listening to The Staple Singers and Mavis' ability to fit so much into a single song.

In nearly all of the The Staple Singers output she manages to convey simultaneously anger at the oppressor, disaproval at others' inaction, defiance, compassion and a call for action. Tracks like When Will We Get Paid or Respect Yourself are full of this microcosm of struggle.

I was looking for a good youtube video for this post and was looking for one for Are You Sure but as soon as I stumbled across this live performance of Reach Out, Touch A Hand, Make A Friend where the half way through the song becomes a wonderful gospel sermon, my search was over.



So to the music. I have chosen three songs which I think encapsulate my thoughts above. I See It and Are You Sure both provide hope and action while Oh La De Da is a joyous gospel treat.

No to crude national profiling. Jobs for all workers.

Mavis Staples - I See It
Mavis Staples - Are You Sure
Mavis Staples - Oh La De Da

Soul Siren: Part 3

Without a doubt the Queen Bee of soul. Nina Simone. And while she fits in with description from my previous post, of not being automatic floor filler, the power and drive of her music tends to lift you off your feet and raise you hands, or fists.

My first experience of Nina was when My Baby Just Cares For Me was re-released in the late eighties with an Aardman Studios video. I think I probably liked the song more because of the video than the song as I was still stuck in my north of scotland start trekkin across the universe phase. But time a healer of wounds and importantly, taste in music.

Now Nina is a regular member of my playlists and mobile mp3 experience. What separates her from many of the soul sirens I listen to is that power and class in her performance. Sometimes she may seem a little old fashioned when compared to the hit machines from Motown but its not a real comparison. Just look at the old pictures and performance of her. She got funk, she got soul. She got classssss.

And remember Nina civil rights campaiging was on the militant wing of the struggle. She was comfortable calling for and supporting the violent resistance of black america against white racism and creation of separate black state.



But enough of that. Music is why I am here. I have included three tracks below which I expect you all to enjoy and answer questions on at a later test. Have included the track from the video above, Revolution. Lordy lord those gospel grooves infect the soul don't they and the spirit of change is something that is fresh today for all the pain and suffering we must rid the world off. Next up is Gin House Blues, which makes you feel like you are in a small dank bar and suddenly the woman by the piano in the corner hits the keys and lights up the room to reveal a bustling crowd of no good soul-lovers sipping for drinks and nodding away to the tune.

Finally its Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter. I wanted this track for years as it was mentioned in review for a compilation funk CD in the now defunct Muzik magazine. Unfortunately the CD was £15 for about...2 million years or close to that. Finally picked it up in FOPP about 6 years ago and it was worth the wait. A stripped down funk track with bongo beats and Simone's voice battling throughout.

I just care for you.

Nina Simone - Revolution
Nina Simone - Gin House Blues
Nina Simone - Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter

Soul Siren: Part 2

When I was thinking of my top five soul sirens it was funny that at the end of it I had not really come up with a bunch of floor fillers but instead women whose music and vocals gave me the most joy at a 'lying on the sofa getting emotional level. Not going to give the other names up but you will that while you can dance it's not the automatic reaction you would expect to give up to these ladies.

Well, she is well known for telling people who have the love and more famous for letting young hearts freely run, but my first experience of Candi Staton was a compilation of her Southern Fried soul. And like so much of the literature and cinema that originates in the polar point of the US, it was filled with steamy, broken hearted tales of love lost, love forbidden and love rejected.

I think that these tracks of Candi are the most memorable and have a really unusual quality. At times its the fluctuating voice of young woman wishing to break free from her troubles and wanting the safety of age and experience while it can also be the memory of that wise woman looking back at the adventures and lessons of her youth.

The three tracks I have chosen below are all like that. I would like to make a special mention for track one, He Called Me Baby. I love this not only for its little story but all that bassline tumbling through the whole track and the brass that creeps in and steals the show with it regular toot-toot fashion. Maybe its the gas me but it really stands out for me. The other two tracks are love tales also. One on the merits of young studs vs older formats and the other of two secret lovers meeting for bittershort liasons. You've got the love.

Candi Staton - He Called Me Baby
Candi Staton - I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart (Than A Young Man's Fool)
Candi Staton - Mr And Mrs Untrue

Soul Siren: Part 1

Work was bringing me down today. Just pretty bored with many of the people who I work with. In those moments like probably a millions people stuck in offices around the world I tend to wander and while I can't whistle or hum and ultimately sing, I like to think about songs I like.

And what I like often is soul. So I thought I would share some of this passion and this week I will be giving a rundown of my five favourite funking soul sirens. And after that occasionally I will drop in some other random favourite fives. Nobody likes list all the time but as a treat they go down well.

First up is the ultra octave heroine, Minnie Riperton. I wont waste time with a big bio. As usual wikipedia provides a concise introduction and if you have time have a short read.

The thing about Minnie is her her voice. I think that's going to be theme in this little series. Obviously a singer's voice is important but there are voices, especially in soul music, which really carry the whole range of messages and emotions in the music. Combining anger with pride or loss with love. You get it.

Minnie Riperton's voice is a instrument in itself. Flying to extreme highs while coming back to earth gently, unlike so many R'n'B warbling superstars. My experience of her songs is that they were far removed from much the likes of Motown, Stax or Philly Soul. For me the sound is early soul-funk infused was california rock and a smidgeon of female euro pop. The arrangements of her work with Rotary Connection are really all over the place in a interesting stylee, and this continued in her solo work. Check her out on the Soul Train for a beautiful example:



Wasn't that nice.

I have included three tracks below. Seeing You This Way captures her voice gymnastics perfectly, Inside My Love is incredibly sensual (honey dripping off a teet sensual) and Rainy Day In Centerville shows that Rotary Connection arrangements I mentioned.

I don't listen to Minnie Riperton all the time. I need to be in the mood. But when you are she wraps you up and looks after after you while you dance and smile along.

Minnie Riperton - Seeing You This Way
Minnie Riperton - Inside My Love
Minnie Riperton - A Rainy Day In Centerville