The era of Prolific James (that’s me) continues. Over on that other site I have for some reason, I wrote about an awesome Mario Paint instructional video that I finally managed to get uploaded to YouTube. I also put together a rambling piece about my musical tastes and how they’ve changed over the years (save for my hatred of Steve Winwood). Check them out if you’d like.

And since I’ll probably have a few more readers than normal reading this post in the coming days thanks to my upcoming appearance on Retronauts, I’d like to share this post I wrote about a sexual I.Q. test on vinyl. Apropos of nothing, I just really like one and want more people to read it!

Anyway, bicoastal keyboards ahoy!

Electro Keyboard Orchestra
The Heated Point
The Iron Side
You probably don’t know this (because why the hell would you) but Japan has its own series of exclusive releases for Record Store Day. Almost all of them are of Japanese acts, which makes sense – because it’s Japan. This year did feature on Todd Rundgren seven inch single though, which is way more Japanese than any Japanese release (Japan loves the Runt).

Of the Japan-exclusive titles, I only bought two. One was an electro covers album of Sly Stone tracks.

It’s weird.

The other was this, a seven-inch single featuring a pair of tracks from a 1975 space-rock/funk/jazz instrumental keyboard outfit  that featured Yuji Ohno, who’s best known for his work on the Lupin series.

Why they just didn’t repress the original LP in full is beyond me, but I’ll take what I can get. These tracks are uberdope. Dope as a mother. Dopest shit. They’re dope.

There was some primo-synthsized funk coming out of Japan in the mid-70s that really embraced the electronic sound of early synthesizers and combined it with vintage funk grooves of acts like Sly Stone. Any random 70s Japanese funk track I’ve heard could have easily served as the soundtrack to a high speed car chase featuring Steve McQueen and/or a Dodge Charger.  One day I will compile a Nuggets-style compilation of pre-synthpop Japanese electronic music. Until that day, enjoy this taste. These tracks are my everything right now.

Pet Shop Boys
Yesterday, When I Was Mad (Jam & Spoon Mix)
Yesterday, When I Was Mad (Junior Vasquez Fabulous Dub)
Yesterday, When I Was Mad (Raf Zone Mix)
I have now posted every single Pet Shop Boys remix in my collection. As Pet Shop Boys singles are a bit harder to come by here (and I already have most of the ones I do stumble upon), don’t expect another post filled with remixes of PSB classics anytime soon. Longtime readers of this site (shout out to both of you) probably remember when this site was almost nothing but Pet Shop Boys (and New Order/Depeche Mode) remixes. Seems so long ago, because it was. I still can’t believe I’ve been doing this thing for over ten freaking years.

I hope to continue this prolific streak of mine for at least a few more weeks. Hopefully expect more posts than usual. Sorry if they’re all covering strange Moog records from the mid-70s. Actually, I’m not that sorry about that. But I thought I’d give a heads up.

Stay sane out there.

I’m writing this at work. Blogging in a suit is weird. I feel like I should be writing about the stock market or something.

Pet Shop Boys
One More Chance (New Remix ’86)
Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money) (Reprise)
Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money) (Original Dance Mix)
Rent (The Francois Kervorkian Remix)
Was It Worth It (12″)
Was It Worth It (Dub)
West End Girls (Extended Dance Version)
West End Girls (Dub)
What Have I Done To Deserve This (Dub Mix)
Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You) (Extended Mix)
You Know Where You Went Wrong (Rough Mix)
I may have organized these Pet Shop Boys posts in alphabetical order, but it’s pretty obvious that the best is the last. I guess the Pet Shop Boys’ best tunes just coincidentally all start with letters in the tail end of the alphabet. Go figure.

Amazing remixes of “Rent” (probably my second-favorite remix of all-time FYI), “West End Girls,” “Opportunities,” and “Where The Streets Have No Name?” No way I can pick a favorite. Sure, the “Rent” remix is one of my favorite remixes of all-time, but I think that “West End Girls” and “Opportunities” are both better (and certainly more fun) tunes.

I plan on getting at least two more posts up this week, and they’ll probably be the Madonna reposts, as they’re already organized and ready to go. So strike a pose.

My unexpected productivity streak continues! Although don’t expect the final installment of Pet Shop Boys mania until next week. Although now that I’ve said that watch me get it up and on the site by tomorrow evening.

In the meantime please check out my review of the new re-release of Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual. It’s a real shitshow of bullshit.

Pet Shop Boys
I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing (Club Mix)
I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing (Extended Nude Mix)
I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing (Grand Ballroom Dub)
It’s A Sin (Disco Mix)
It’s A Sin (Remix)
Left To My Own Devices (The Disco Mix)
Love Comes Quickly (Shep Pettibone Mastermix)
Love Comes Quickly (Dub Mix)
Love Comes Quickly (Dance Mix)
A Man Could Get Arrested (12″ Version)
Miserabilism (Electro Mix)
Want a vinyl ripping pro-tip? Pick up a copy of the “It’s A Sin (Disco Remix)” 12″ single. It is the end-all be-all of test tracks. If you can hear the high-hats, the bass, and the subtle nuances of the thunder crash at the beginning of the tune, then congrats, your turntable is setup correctly. If not, don’t fret, it took me three years and probably a $1,000 in trial and error to get my shit sounding decent.

If you can’t already tell, my personal favorite of tonight’s tracks is the disco mix of “It’s A Sin,” a monster seven minute and forty-one second take on the already epic dance tune that really opens it up and exposes it for the dramatic, bombastic, ode to self-loathing (and disco dancing) that it is. I’m a fan.

One more post of Pet Shop Boys soon, so check back!

When I embarked on my re-recording marathon before I left the country, the goal was twofold. One was to have high-quality rips of many of my favorite tracks. That mission was accomplished. The second was that, in having high-quality rips of many of my favorite tracks, I would have something to write about and post during my first few months in Tokyo, before I got my turntable and computer set up.

Well, some mental health/physical health/overall busyness of moving to an entirely different country and starting a new job sure put a cramp in that plan. Here it is, four months into my transcontinential move, and I’m only averaging about two posts a month! That’s some bullshit right there.

This changes now! And I mean it this time! I have all these songs that I re-recorded, all these rare and amazing cuts that sound better then ever, so I’m going to get off my ass and start posting them!

Up first, three days of Pet Shop Boys! Now, these posts won’t cover all the Pet Shop Boys I ever posted, I wasn’t able to re-record them all. But it’s still a hefty chunk, I hope you all enjoy.

And in case you’re wondering, up next will be Madonna, followed by Depeche Mode. After that, I plan on a smorgasbord of everything I wanted to repost over the past few months that I didn’t get a chance to. Then finally…new music! As my computer is en route and I should have everything hooked up and ready to go by the end of the month!

Woot!

Pet Shop Boys
Always On My Mind (12″ Version Phil Harding Mix)
Always On my Mind (Julian Mendelsohn 12″ Dance Version)
Domino Dancing (Alternative Mix)
Domino Dancing (Base Mix)
Domino Dancing (Demo)
Domino Dancing (Disco Mix)
Don Juan (Demo)
Don Juan (Disco Mix)
Heart (Disco Mix)
Heart (Dance Mix)
How Can You Expect To Be Taken Seriously (Extended Mix)
A through H tonight. Highlights include an amazing remix (and a shockingly good demo version) of “Don Juan” and 16 minutes of “Always On My Mind” spread across two fabulous takes on the track. Of course, the rest is all good too, ‘Domino Dancing” is a hella dope tune after all.