Archive for September, 2013

Shameless self-plugging (ew).

Monday, September 30th, 2013

If you’re visiting this site for the first time because of my guest appearance on Retronauts, then you’re probably looking for some choice video game music, so here are some highlights from previous video game themed posts.

Beep! Video Game Discs
This is where you can find the dope remix of the Chase HQ theme I mentioned near the tail end of the podcast.

Dreamcast Vinyl Rips
Tracks taken from the weird white Dreamcast record that was an Australian pre-order exclusive.

Mindscape Flexi-Disc
More flexi-disc madness. This one is really out there.

I also have another site called Mostly-Retro, where I have talked about video game music on occasion.

Check out these pages about the Yars’ Revenge, Asteroids and Missile Command Kids Stuff records.

Then there was that time the dude who wrote Dream Weaver did a song about Dig Dug. For real.

I reviewed the Final Fantasy Vinvlys box set a few months back.

And finally, some goofy clips from discs with Red Book audio.

New post later this week! It may be video game related.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

I Still Have Too Many Records

Wednesday, September 25th, 2013

A little over three months before the big move and I already feel entirely overwhelmed with stuff to do. Fun times ahead for sure.

I did make time to review the massive new In Utero box sets though. They totally blew my mind.

Oysterband
One Green Hill (Chumbawamba Remix)
Nothing like a little Celtic house/punk to unwind.

Björk
Joga (Alec Empire “Empire State Of Emergency” Remix)
Joga (Alec Empire “The Destroyer” Remix)
Joga (Alec Empire “The Planet Of Ice” Remix)
I think I have posted the “Empire State Of Emergency” mix on this site at least three times before this, but I don’t care. It’s an absolutely incredible mix, probably one of my favorite mixes of all time. Remixes that can take a song, transform them entirely, and create something that is just as amazing and wonderful but in an entirely different way are really few and far between. It’s just a great track, and I never get tired of listening to it.

The other two mixes are new though, off of a 12″ single I found while in Portland. “The Destroyer” mix is exactly what I expected, another experiment into digital hardcore insanity, a non-stop barrage of ear-drum shattering noise – I love it, although not as much as the original mix.

The final mix, however, is entirely different. It’s so out there and bizarre that I don’t even really know how to describe it. I guess it’s kind of ambient, maybe drone-like? It’s very different, especially coming from Alec Empire, a man who I imagine just walks around listening to Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music on loop 24/7.

Posted in Bjork, Chumbawamba, Oysterband, remixes | 4 Comments »

Buy My Records, In Person!

Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

Thanks to everyone who sent me a message of congrats and well wishes in regards to my news about moving to Tokyo. It meant a lot to me.

A lot of people have been asking me what I plan on doing with my records. Well, I’m probably going to put them in storage. I have about 2,000 records, and while I have been whittling down my collection as of late, most of them are just too important to me, I can’t part with them. Right now my plan is to stay in Tokyo for a couple of years or so, if I end up staying their longer, then I might think about figuring out how to bring them over. Regardless, don’t worry, I’m not getting rid of my Depeche Mode records. I’m not crazy.

However, I am getting rid of A LOT of records. So if you live in the greater Pittsburgh area and are looking for some weird records, then you should totally swing by my yard sale, which I’ll be holding this Sunday from 9am -2pm. You can find full details at Craigslist.

Since coming back from my west coast trip, I’ve recorded about 40 LPs and singles, and I got about 80 more to go, so while my posts might be a bit spotty for the next few weeks, you won’t have to worry about a lack of quality tunes. Or “quality tunes” depending on your viewpoint of what I post sometimes.

Ini Kamoze
Here Comes The Hotstepper (Let Go Mix)
I know the second line in the chorus of this song is “I’m the lyrical gangster, murderer,” but for the life of me, every time I hear it, I sing “I’m the leprechaun gangster, murderer.” If the Leprechaun ever returns to the hood (again), they should take my lyrical suggestion and use it for a new remix that could serve as the film’s theme.

Prodigy
Poison (Environmental Science Dub Mix)
95% of Prodigy songs are just “Here Comes The Hotstepper” with more aggro beats and more menacing lyrics. Think about it.

Freur
Runaway (Dun Difrunt)
You’re A Hoover (Dun Difrunt Too)
Freur was an early group by Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, aka the sole consistent members of the legendary electronic act Underworld. They formed in the early 80s and released just two albums, Doot-Doot and Get Us Out Of Here. They broke up in 1986, at which point Karl and Rick went on to form the very synthpoppy original incarnation of Underworld (which was great in its own way).

The title track to Doot-Doot was the band’s only hit, and it was a hit for a good reason. It’s a goddamn beautiful song, easily one of my favorite tracks from the era. You can get “Doot-Doot” on iTunes and Amazon, and I suggest you do. Shit, I suggest you get that entire album, it’s great.

Another highlight from the Doot-Doot album is “Runaway,” which is also a slow-paced, emotional love song, and after listening to it on repeat for the past few days, I like it almost as much as “Doot-Doot.” I think the unneeded (and entirely 80s) sax solo takes a bit away from it though.

“You’re A Hoover” is a weird, wild b-side and reminds me a bit of early Flock Of Seagulls with a slightly more sinister slant. Karl’s vocals are great on it.

Both these mixes are shockingly rare. Doot-Doot has been re-released several times over the years, and while most re-issues include remixes of “Doot-Doot” and “Hold Me Mother,” none have included these mixes. Maybe they were lost to the ages?

I would love to hear Karl and Rick talk about the early Underworld/Freur stuff, but I guess they’ve always been a bit hush-hush on that era of their musical careers. Although they did finally re-visit “Doot-Doot” at a live show this past April. Hopefully they’ll continue to do so for future gigs, and we’ll finally get a live version of “Underneath The Radar.”

That song is fucking dope.

 

Posted in Freur, Ini Kamoze, Prodigy, remixes | 4 Comments »

I Should Probably Learn Some Japanese

Wednesday, September 11th, 2013

Okay, so some news. Big news. Huge news. Life-changing news (for me anyways).

Remember when I went to Tokyo and I was all “OMG this is the greatest place in the history of the universe and I want to go back more than anything?”

Well, I just took a job teaching English in Tokyo, I start in January.

Holy shit!  This is totally a dream come true. I can’t believe it’s actually working out (fingers crossed). I’m so excited to start this new chapter of my life. I’m probably going to write up something that goes into detail about all the reasons why I’m making this move and career change, but I’ll save that for a later date. Right now I’ll address the question that most of you are probably wondering: what does this mean for Lost Turntable/Mostly-Retro?

That’s an excellent question, thanks for asking. To be honest, I don’t expect things to change too terribly much here at Lost Turntable. I don’t know if you know this or not, but Japan has more than its fair share of record stores, and as you can probably imagine, I’m going to continue to buy music once I get situated over there.  Will the focus of my blog change to cover more Japanese music? Well, it already has a bit, in case you haven’t noticed, but don’t worry, I don’t think I’ll be turning Japanese completely. The Lost Turntable’s focus has always been “weird shit that I want to write about” and that will continue to include Japanese synth-pop, German industrial music, British new wave music, and damn near anything else that interests me.

I do suspect, however, that my productivity on this site will take a hit, especially when I’m first getting settled. I’m actually working on creating a backlog of posts though. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep the site updated on a weekly basis even if I get too busy to write for a month or so while I get used to my new surroundings and work schedule (I have to go to an office! I haven’t done that in years!).

As for Mostly-Retro, well, that’s a bit trickier.

Writing on Lost Turntable is easy. Find songs, rant, maybe write about songs, repeat. The stuff I put up at Mostly-Retro takes a bit more work and planning. While I have no plans on shuttering that site, I really don’t know what its future holds. Perhaps just sporadic updates, or a shift in focus. It remains to be seen. If you’re one of the very few people who read that site, I’m sorry if updates to it become even less frequent than they already are.

Anyways, I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF TO DO. I may not be leaving until January, but I have to figure out what to do with my house, sell a ton of my stuff, get my visa in order, find a home for my fish, pack up stuff for storage and probably do a billion other things that I haven’t even thought about yet. So this will be the only update to this site for a least a week until I get all that stuff in motion. Don’t worry though, when I come back I’ll come back in force with some truly awesome shit.

Now for the only tracks in my “Lost Turntable” folder that I can post without feeling compelled to write a 10 paragraph summary/analysis.

Adina Howard
Freak Like Me (Dub Instrumental)
Freak Like Me (Boogieless)
Freak Like Me (Remix)
Freak Like Me (Remix Without Rap)
Freak Like Me (Instrumental)
Freak Like Me (Accapella)
God, I hope I can find stuff as pointless as this when I move to Japan.

 

Posted in remixes | 22 Comments »