Archive for the ‘Underworld’ Category

I AM PREDICTING A HEADACHE

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

SPOILER I’M DRUNK

Let’s talk about things that suck.

These are some of the things that I think suck the most

  • Imagine Dragons
  • “Men’s Rights” Advocates
  • Whatever the fuck Amanda Bynes is doing to herself
  • APRIL
  • The random painful red bump on my face that showed up out of nowhere yesterday
  • Mean parents
  • Assholes
  • APRIL
  • Geo-political situations keeping you from people you love
  • People who don’t like kittens
  • The inability to prove yourself as a writer
  • Hardees’
  • APRIL
  • Dropping food in the dark
  • Scott Miller dying
  • No one caring about shit you care about
  • Ohio
  • APRIL
  • The Inevitable Heat Death Of The Universe
  • Throwing your back out
  • The fact that Eve 6 still exists and making music
  • Chris Brown
  • The fact that no one has murdered Chris Brown
  • Seriously, fuck Chris Brown
  • Amanda Palmer
  • The death of “longform” writing

So much shit that sucks! It’s everywhere. The world sucks all around you! How do you combat it?

You combat it by focusing on shit that doesn’t suck! What doesn’t suck?

  • Whiskey
  • People who love you
  • Pizza
  • Whiskey
  • Records
  • Movies about ninjas
  • That Crosby Stills and Nash song with all the doots
  • Playing “This Corrosion” by Sisters Of Mercy alone in your room and rocking out like a monkey on mescaline
  • Pictures of kittens in shoes
  • Movies about breakdancing
  • Adorable nephews
  • Monkeys
  • Hypothetical movies about breakdancing ninjas. Okay, real talk for a second. How come no one has made a movie about a breakdancing ninja I would watch the shit out of that shit.
  • Awesome people who pick fights with misogynists, sexists and racists because its fun to fuck with them
  • Walter Hill movies from 1977 to 1984
  • Months that aren’t April, because fuck April
  • Whiskey

Seriously, you gotta focus on the positive and non-suckage of life (and/or drink lots) or it’s all gonna bring you down. And fuck that shit for bringing you down. You’re better than that bullshit! Be awesome! You’re awesome aren’t you? Well then fuck that shit! Go be awesome! I am so awesome. Holy shit. It’s like, woah, how awesome I am.

Yo! Here’s some awesome music to help you be awesome and crush  the evil powers of suck. Rock this shit like He-Man rocked the power of Greyskull.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Born To Run (Live)
Are you ready for some indisputable facts? Cuz you’re gonna get some.

FACT:  Frankie Goes To Hollywood is awesome.
FACT: Born to Run is awesome
DOUBLEFACT: Frankie Goes To Hollywood covering Born To Run is mega-awesome awesome.

Underworld
Underneath The Radar (12″ Remix)
More bold  facts for you. Underworld was an  awesome synthpop band before they were an awesome electronic band.  I posted this eons ago but that rip was less than awesome. I re-recorded it today. Now it has awesome.

Yukihiro Takahashi
Kid-Nap, The Dreamer
I-Kasu!
Japan is the most awesomest place on Earth and this is a fact. Yukihiro Takahashi (which I spell right despite being HAMMERED so I’m proud of myself) is in Yellow Magic Orchestra, a synthpop band from Japan. Since synthpop is awesome and Japan is mega-awesome then YMO is like, so fucking awesome that there aren’t even words.

Takahashi’s solo work, while not as awesome as YMO, is still pretty damn awesome. This is a crazy track, cuz it’s like synth-ska. Hard to explain, but it sounds like a Specials song put through a moog.

(Kid-Nap and I Kasu! are two tracks, but really one long song, so I call them one song because that’s just easier)

BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE II
RUSH (12″ mix)
THE MOST AWESOME

Posted in Big Audio Dynamite, drunkblogging, Underworld, Yellow Magic Orchestra | 4 Comments »

Everything, Everything, Everything, Everything, Everything, Everything, Everything

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

This site has not turned into an Underworld fan page, it’s just what I had easily available at the moment. I’m sick, tired and it’s been a long week. When I do get the energy to clean/play/record my recent finds I can assure you that I will have some amazing stuff that’s not dance music.

But there will also be a lot of dance music. So you might want to get used to that.

Underworld
Dirty Epic (Dirty Guitar Mix)
Dirty Epic (Dirty Mix)
Cowgirl (Irish Pub In Kyoto Mix)
Cowgirl (Winjer Mix)
If I was a world famous remixing person, I would make a remix of “Cowgirl” called “The Everything (Everything) Mix.” It would just sample the beginning vocal of the track (where he says “everything, everything”) and build up everything else around that, with the vocal loop never ending. A remix should take the best bit of a song and push it to the front. Fuck the rest.

That being said, these remixes of both “Dirty Epic” and “Cowgirl” are still great even though they don’t do that. Maybe there’s a flaw in my idea. Nah, fuck that. I’m flawless.

Nobukazu Takemura
Mimic Robot (12″ Single Mix)
Cons (Plant Mix)
Resign Part 2
Lost Treasures (2nd Single Mix)
 If and when I ever finish The Lost Turntable Guide to Recording Vinyl, I will have a chapter on vinyl restoration software. Some of that stuff is great, and can really go a long way to restoring even the most battered of recordings. That being said, if an artist incorporates clicks, pops and hisses into their recording, then don’t even bother using it. It will obviously remove those as well.

Which is a really long-winded way for me to explain why these tracks by Nobukazu Takemura haven’t been restored and have a few (unintended) clicks and pops in them.

They don’t have any skips though. If you think they do then you obviously haven’t heard enough experimental electronic music. It’s supposed to sound like that.

If you have never heard of Nobukazu Takemura before, you’re in for a treat. I like to describe his electronic stuff as music a seven-year-old would make if they new how to work a synthesizer, vocoder and sampler. It’s wonderfully kooky and cute.

Posted in B-sides, Nobukazu Takemura, remixes, Underworld | 2 Comments »

A Crapton of Electronic Music (Too Tired to be Witty, Sorry)

Friday, February 17th, 2012

I know I promised my guide to ripping vinyl this week, but I’m sorry to say that I lied. That’s going to have to wait at least a week, if not two. Life is getting in the way, mostly in a good way, but definitely in a way that makes writing a 2,000+ how-to guide for fun kind of a low priority assignment.

Speaking of things I’ve written that are approximately 2,000 words. If you are in a bookstore and see the latest copy of Goldmine (the one with Dennis DeYoung on the cover) and you want to read something I wrote, pick it up! I did a feature on Super Deluxe Box Sets. I’m pretty proud of it. You should read it. Seriously. If you do I’ll, like, be your best friend and stuff.

Oh, and I have a new post at my other blog, Random Record Reviews, read that too. I mean, if you want.

Underworld
Dinosaur Adventure 3D (Darren Price Remix)
Dinosaur Adventure 3D (R.C.M. Version)
Dinosaur Adventure 3D (Sharpside Remix)
Dinosaur Adventure 3D (Funk D Void Vocal Remix)
Two Months Off (King Unique Sunspots – Vocal Mix)
Two Months Off (John Ciafone Vocal Remix)
“Dinosaur Adventure 3D” is a great title for a not-so-great tune, while “Two Months Off” is a bland title to one hell of a great dance track. The “Two Months Off” remixes are especially good because they still leave in the vocals, which were the best part of the song, while reworking the music that was a little bit weak on the original version.

Ladytron
Evil (Ewin Pearson Remix)
There’s a version of this remix on Amazon and iTunes, but it’s mysteriously a minute shorter than this one, which I snagged from a 12″ single. Great tune, one of Ladytron’s best. I love the line “Use you evil when you want.”

If I had any evil in me I’d probably screw it up somehow and use it to rescue puppies or something.

Sasha
Lupus (Jimmy Van M/Cass & Slide Remix)
Scorchio (Sander Kleinenberg’s Scotland Mix)
Sorry Dr. House, this time is it Lupus. And an awesome remix of the Sasha/Emerson tune “Scorchio.” These are from a weird 12″ I found called Unreleased DJ Mixes. Which if you think about it is a total bullshit title, since I’m holding it in my hand and it was obviously released. I guess Previously Unreleased DJ Mixes didn’t sound as catchy.

The Chemical Brothers
Out Of Control (Sasha Instrumental Mix)
I really wanted to put up the regular club mix of this excellent track, but you can find that one on Amazon. So I only have the Instrumental version to offer, sorry! Even without the vocals, this tune still nails it though.

Posted in Ladytron, remixes, Sasha, The Chemical Brothers, Underworld | 1 Comment »

Aren’t we all Born Slippy?

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

More on Nirvana later today! Until then, let’s dance.

Underworld
Born Slippy.NUXX (Paul Oakenfold Mix)
Born Slippy.NUXX (Atomic Hooligan Mix)
Born Slippy.NUXX (2003 12″ Version)
Born Slippy.NUXX (London Elektricity Mix)
You know what the problem is with remixing “Born Slippy.NUXX?”

You’re remixing “Born Slippy.NUXX!”

That song is a classic. Easily one of the top 10 electronic songs of the decade. The original version of the song is sonic perfection. I don’t think I would be exaggerating much by saying that when I heard Underworld perform it live at Ultra last year that the song literally got me high. It’s aural ecstasy. I didn’t suck on a pacifier or get all touchy-feely with anyone though.

By remixing it you’re trying to basically make “perfect” better. And why that’s impossible, I will say that some of these mixes from 2003 do manage to be good enough if you let them stand on their own weight and don’t compare them to the incomparable original.

The best of the bunch is the London Elektricity mix, mostly because he pretty much discards the original to do his own thing about halfway in, with the vocals the only original element that remains.  Conversely, the mix by Atomic Hooligan is good for exactly the opposite reason. About halfway through he strips the song bare, leaving nothing more than the vocals and that classic synth melody. It’s pure, uncut “Born Slippy.NUXX,” and when the beat kicks back in, it almost hits the levels of epic euphoria found in the original, but not quite.

The Oakenfold mix sounds like, well, Paul Oakenfold remixing an Underworld tune, turning it into the boring style of trance that Oakenfold produces when he’s not trying. Whatever, it’s not bad, just utterly unnecessary in every way you can think of.

As for the 2003 12″ mix. It’s just weird. The synth melody is replaced with a piano melody. And while I give them credit for trying something different, it really doesn’t work that well. It just makes you want to hear the original again.

All of these are worth at least one listen though, because if nothing else they are curious interpretations of a classic. So enjoy and I’ll see you all later today when I’ll either be exclaiming the joys of the Deluxe vinyl edition of Nevermind, or cursing it existence with every fiber of my being.

I’m really preparing myself for the latter.

Posted in remixes, Underworld | 1 Comment »

Happy .NUXX Year

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

This will most likely be my only post of the week. By extension this makes it my last post of the year! So lets send off 2010 with a bang and hope that 2011 is better!

Underworld
King Of Snake (Barking Mix)
King Of Snake (Fatboy Slim Remix)
King Of Snake (Slam Remix)
King Of Snake (Straight [Mate] Mix)

Jumbo (Future Shock Worlds Apart Mix)
Jumbo (Jedis Electro Dub Mix)
Jumbo (Jedis Sugar Hit Mix)
Jumbo (Rob Rives & Francois K. Main Dish)
Cups (Salt City Orchestra Vertical Bacon Vocal)

Push Upstairs (Adam Beyer Remix)
Push Upstairs (Darren Price Remix)
Push Upstairs (Roger S. Blue Plastic People Mix)
Please Help Me
Bruce Lee (Dobropet)
Bruce Lee (Short Version)
Bruce Lee (The Micronauts Remix)

Born Slippy .NUXX (Darren Price Remix 2)
Born Slippy .NUXX (Deep Pan)
Born Slippy .NUXX (Nuxx & Darren Price Remix)

Underneath The Radar (12” Remix)

In my research of Underworld while reviewing their excellent new album Barking, I came across this. Now, as Beaucoup Fish is one of my favorite albums of the 1990s, the fact that this existed and I did not know of it came as quite the shock to me. I was obsessed with Beaucoup Fish when it came out, listening to “King Of Snake” at a frequency that no doubt drove my then college roommate absolutely bonkers. My other favorite tracks on the album were “Bruce Lee”, “Jumbo” and “Push Upstairs.” And there was a box set that included remixes of these songs and I didn’t know about it! Man, I’m slipping.

Well, luckily for all of you, my discovery of this set was was so delayed (11 years or so) that by the time I picked it up it was out of print. Since you can’t get it new legally anymore, I feel as if it is my civic duty to share the amazing remixes on that set!

The “King Of Snake” mixes are the best, although the first two do end rather abruptly. The Fatboy Slim mix, like everything that bald bastard was putting out at the time, is freaking brilliant. The Dave Clark mix of the track is also on that disc, but my vinyl rip of it sounds better than the CD one, and you can find that here.

The “Push Upstairs” mixes are all very good, but the highlights from that disc are really the remixes of “Bruce Lee” which take that nonsensical ode to Kung Fu and make it even more epic with throbbing beats and pulsing rhythms ripped straight from an all night rave circa 1997. The B-side “Please Help Me” is also excellent. Take everything I just said and repeat it for all the remixes of “Jumbo,” many of which are better than the original version.

But wait! There’s more! All this Underworld reminiscing got me thinking about their seminal classic “Born Slippy .NUXX.” So I dug some remixes of that banger out of my virtual vault. And just to show how much Underworld has changed over the years, I’m also throwing up a remix of their synthpop-era track “Underneath The Radar,” a superb example of 80s pop and dance that I bet most people don’t know about.

Enjoy the beats and have a safe New Years everyone! Don’t get as drunk as I’m planning to!

Posted in B-sides, remixes, Underworld | 8 Comments »

Erasing Logic

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Not much to say tonight, why don’t you go listen to all that music!

Erasure
In My Arms (Dekkard Dub)
Sometimes (John ’00’ Fleming Full Vocal Club Mix)
Sometimes (John ’00’ Fleming Give It Some Welly Dub Mix)
Rain (Jon Pleased Wimmin Dub)
Rain (Jon Pleased Wimmin Vocal Mix)
First Contact (Instrumental Mix)
In My Arms (BBE Mix)
Okay this is the end of the Erasure insanity, for the most part. I still have one more track from this record (the vinyl version of the Rain: Plus EP) that I have to re-record because it was all scratched to hell. So if I can fix that track, I’ll post it. Until then, enjoy the fabulousness. Even without the first track this EP is a real winner. The highlight of course being the remixes of “Somtimes” a song I love so much that I think it could be remixed and remade in an all xylophone arrangement and I’d still dig it.  Althought I worship this track, it has always confused me a bit. I was talking about this track with a friend today, and when pressed I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what the song was actually about. The verses are all about love and getting it on, but the choruses are horribly depressing. Now sure, I just summed up nearly all Erasure songs with that little description, but the contrast is even greater here. Anyone care to help?

Underworld
 King Of Snake (Rick’s Bungalow Remix)
King Of Snake (Dave Clarke Remix)
Speaking of confusing lyrics. Shit, if anyone can offer any explanation to any lyrics of any Darren Emerson-led Underworld track I will give them a cookie. I’m going to venture that this song is about snake charmers, or maybe snakes. Nah, it’s probably about GHB. These remixes are from a 12” single.

Posted in Erasure, remixes, Underworld | 4 Comments »

Ain’t No Buddy Of Mine

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

I hope all my American readers had a pleasant Fourth of July. Mine was as enjoyable as pounding hot needles into my forehead.

Speaking of things that suck, I got another DMCA notice! That’s my third! Yay me I must be making friends in the right places to get that much attention. Progress on the new Lost Turntable site is ongoing. When the inevitable happens and Blogger shuts my ass down be sure to go to LostTurntable.com, as that is where I will be.

De La Soul
Buddy (Native Tongue Decision)
Buddy (Native Tongue Instrumental)
Ghetto Thang (Ghetto Ximer)
Ghetto Thang (Ghetto Ximer Instrumental)
That remix of “buddy” is on my top ten list of best hip hop remixes of all time. Dunno why, I just dig it. I especially dig the random interlacing of The Jungle Brothers’ “Got It Like That.” That song is on Fatboy Slim’s On The Floor At The Boutique, which I’ve probably mentioned a dozen times or so as my favorite mix album of the 90s. You should own that. These remixes are from a 12”.

Underworld
Promised Land
Little known fact: (well, not that little known, I’ve talked about it before) Underworld used to be a mediocre synthpop band before recruiting Darren Emerson and re-inventing themselves as the best fucking house band of the mid-90s. Listening to their pre-Emerson stuff it’s hard to imagine that they were the same group, especially after hearing this piece of 80s cheese off of the Wild Orchid soundtrack. Goofy but fun.

Posted in De La Soul, remixes, soundtrack, Underworld | 4 Comments »