The Magic

I would like to present to you a piece of music.

It is from the soundtrack to the PS1 game 'Rayman.'

It sounds like not caring about the world, and being genuinly, truly happy.

It is called 'The Betilla Magic'

http://www.sendspace.com/file/307ze2

Trance remixes exist, for those who want to take their Rayman soundtrack appreciation to the next level. Let me know.

Almost a month later, and Weird Science is showing no signs of quitting being the most euphoric composition created by mankind so far. I heard it in a club a few weeks back and I saw God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohCBqpI6-tc

Overheard at High Contrast gig on Wednesday:

"Amazing night this, isn't it man?"
"I know, I had some water spilt on me before - I don't even give a shit."

I dislike the phrase 'tuck shop.'

It implies people buy 'tuck.'

Eurovision 2008, and the Bosnian entry sounds like feeling every emotion you've ever felt at once:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJekvU3lLhI
I feel a Sigur Rós cover is in order.

THIS:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/i875vo

James

Ok so I'm totally in love with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohCBqpI6-tc

It may well be on the way to being my favourite dnb track, a title currently held by 'All Blue' by Sigma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggga-yXGnRQ

Danny Byrd has squeezed more hooks and catchy samples into 'weird science' than most artists fit into an album. It's so euphoric, but at the same time totally weird and futuristic sounding. I almost hesitate to suggest it, but I think I may have found my Something Good '08...

Another breakbeat track I can't stop listening to is 'TV On' by Calibre. It's very chilled out, with warm mellow male vocals over a repetitive beat, and a strangely desolate synth whine which is far more interesting than it should be.

I ripped this from the hospital records podcast so there's a DJ speaking over it at parts. still worth it though:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vuvnc1

I'll finish with a breakbeat track I made today, after listening to Untrust Us by Crystal Castles alot. It's basically a drum and bass re-imagining of it which i think gives the track alot of energy it didn't previously have:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/7fvi2vWe

James x

‘Luna’ by Dusty Kid is becoming a minor anthem to me and my friends and no-one can work out why. There is almost nothing to the tune, it is repetitive cold and emotionless but beautiful in a casual way and it really gets stuck in your head:

http://www.myspace.com/dustylittlekid

I’m really getting into Foals as a party band but to everybody else they’re so last year so I’m not going to go into it.

I realise few people probably know that satanstompingcaterpillars who are now Black Moth Super Rainbow are my favourite band. There’s no real way of introducing them to people. It’s just really organic lo-fi home-made psychedelic electronica with gorgeous lyrics:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/u8nlwk

For the drum and bass track of the post I’ll actually upload a megamix I did of my favourite dnb tracks. If you want any track names just ask me:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/vhwvlr

I’m excited by Crystal Castles again but that can wait till another post. Ditto Pendulum.

Attended Satan’s last week, to make a change from the dance clubs, and before the mix devolved into the usually soul-destroying screamo, some great playful pop was played such as these catchy tunes which are probably old news to everyone besides me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myJnsqGgxxM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaa4eGOtrTg

This remix is probably the highlight though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt5dxRaGo6A

I hate any comedian whose entire joke is that they are black.

Playing tunes with Oli the morning after Alex’s party made me realize I enjoy DJing comedowns and hangovers a lot more than the actual peaks of parties. It seems to me that at the peak of a party or whatever people are so off their face that they rarely actually listen to the music, whereas in the mornings after, where people’s defences have been worn away by the drugs and breaks, you can speak more directly to the real person, or to their ‘soul’ with some The Album Leaf, Sigur Ros, Burial or Zero 7 and it will actually affect them a whole lot more.

I’d never actually heard The Album Leaf before that morning, and though I have Sigur Ros’ Takk, I’d not heard some of the stuff that was played, such as the awe-inspiring ‘Samskeyti.’

Sigur Ros - Samskeyti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3OJTZVKZx8
http://www.sendspace.com/file/mn7oca

The Album Leaf – Over The Pond
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEa4fBHI6o8
http://www.sendspace.com/file/dcni0n

Now, to dnb. Everyone’s heard Benga & Coki’s seminal dubstep track, ‘Night’, and every MC in Manchester seems to think it’s a good idea to sing it over a breakbeat. However tiresome the original may be becoming, the Zinc remix injects a lot more life into that tired beeping sample.

Benga&Coki – Night (Zinc Remix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeGCy0KlBGw
http://www.sendspace.com/file/q31qxw

I’ve been trying to track down this High Contrast track for ages, mistaking it for a pendulum track. It’s light-hearted and catchy, as High Contrast tends to be:

High Contrast –Pink Flamingos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U87E73zxI1c
http://www.sendspace.com/file/l1h4lr

James