Blue Skied An' Clear

Another quality Morr Music compilation; check that post first for more info.

It's actually a tribute compilation to Slowdive; in CD1 Morr artists do covers of their tracks, in CD2 there are original tracks inspired by them. Purists might not like it, no many wall-of-sound guitar sounds in here; most of the tracks are simplistic and transparent sound-wise and retro-electropop stylistically. But the dreamy/smokey spirit is still there, bittersweet vocals dominate and Slowdive's influence on this scene becomes apparent, more notably in the second 'originals' disk.

VA - 2002 Blue Skied An' Clear
CD1 - CD2
Info here and here.

This was a request, yet I was planning on posting it at some time anyway. Enjoy.

Für Dich

You know my love for the Cologne scene. Well, here's the CD that established Kompakt in my mind as a fixation to love and cherish and Tobias Thomas (*) as a DJ to watch (eventually I had the chance to open for him during a beautiful night in Athens, but that's another story).

I had bought it without knowing anything about it or himself. I recognized only a few of the artists involved, I remember it was really expensive and I had no way of listening to it beforehand, but I took my chance - turned out to be a turning point for me, an epiphany and an example to look up to. From post-pop to hard club techno, from abstract synthetic tool tracks to jazzy vocal house, Tobias builds a rollercoaster of emotions, trippy ideas and bold proposals that stands the test of time, beyond hypes and cliches. For you.

Contains rare Gamat3000 original gem 'Feeling Love', Various Artists' Autechre remix (*), some early Kompakt classics ('Puma', 'Nachschub', etc.), subtle paean 'Check Your Buddah' from Ford/Melchior (*), Lali Puna's heavenly 'Superlotado', an uncredited intro, etc. etc. etc. And of course Vladislav Delay's monumental 'Huone', mixed so subtly that it took me a couple of years to understand how he did it.

It won't stay up for long, for the reasons stated here. Makes a good couple with this Mayer mix, yet this one is far more effective. And I hate cliches, but occasionally I have to use them: I cannot recommend it strong enough.

VA - 1999 Tobias Thomas _ Für Dich
Info here.

P.S. Link removed; you had your time. Go to any shop and buy it, it's worth 100%.

Putting The Morr Back In Morrissey

I realized that the title's wordplay is lost on most ears nowdays. Anyway, I won't go on about that label that redefined contemporary electronic listening music by combining experimental sounds and techniques with indie pop and aesthetics, blah blah blah. I'm talking about Morr Music and similar stuff, of course - a scene mentioned many times before in this blog anyway (*,*,*,*,*,*).

The first CD mostly contains unreleased stuff, the second one remixes between label artists. Simply one of the best listening compilations I own - still sounds good as gold. Enjoy.

VA - 2000 Putting The Morr Back In Morrissey
CD1 - CD2
Info here.

I Don't Like Music

A tribute to Telex, the late '70s futuristic electro disco pop band from Belgium, from the likes of Carl Craig, Matthew Herbert, I:Cube, Ian O'Brien, Glenn Underground, Antony 'Shake' Shakir, etc. More or less a housey affair, contains some interesting covers and a few gems.


Telex - 1998 I Don't Like Music
Info here.

Thanks to Musicus, here's Vol.2 as well:

Telex - 1999 I (Still) Don't Like Music. Remixes Vol.2
Info here.

Thanx man.

P.S. First post 2010-04-21

Are You Really Satisfied Now?

Electro pop with vocals and punk elements from Dakar & Grinser. Unsurprisingly, a Disko B record.

If you only know Dakar from his (beautiful) Get Physical release, you'll recognize the voice but few things besides that. The pop element was there from the start, but this one is not another techhouse album; it's a dirty, drunken praise of depravity and self-abandonment, straight from the dark heart of Munich. First cut 'Take Me Naked' is a timeless heavy, slow-mo electro epic, giving us an idea of what's to follow; most tracks share this twisted edge, using funk and breaks as the basis for acid experimentation spiced with distorted vocals on top. Includes an appearance by Miss Kittin, as well as a cover of Stooges' 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' that sounds ok, until the vocals kick in. And then there's 'Stay With Me' that went rather big for a bit, I think; should have sky-rocketed, in my opinion, as it's a pure pop anthem, full of sweet melodies and optimistic lyrics (and with a decent production...).

Michael Kuhn aka Grinser also was a member of the (rather similar although softer, music-wise) Grom duo.

Dakar & Grinser - 1999 Are You Really Satisfied Now
Info here.


P.S.In the meanwhile I found the promo CD single, with remixes by Patrick Pulsinger (also as an extra in the album), Abe Duque, Tobi Neumann, etc. Here:

Dakar & Grinser - 2001 Stay With Me (The Remixes)
Info here.

Remember Today

Some of the sweetest Cologne techno pop you might ask for. One of Italic's greatest and most understated propositions.

Borneo & Sporenburg are Frank Wössner and Daniel Varga aka Toni Mono in F Comm and Soda in Italic, one third of Playhouse's lovely Rework.

Borneo & Sporenburg - 2002 Remember Today
Info here.

Pro Bono Publico

Another Vertical Form record (*), this one's a showcase compilation sold half-price, if I remember correctly.

Lots of abstract pop and post-rock goodies here, four great groups get three tracks each: Pan American (*), Hausmusik's ISO68, Corker/Conboy aka A.P.E. (I have that first album somewhere...) and Kim Hiorthøy of Smalltown Supersound. Serious, introvert and emotional music, organic and chilled - occasionally depressive, but that never hurt anyone, did it? (... It did, after all?)

Recommended for headphones.

VA - 2002 Pro Bono Publico
Info here.

Intuition. Remixes

The project of Jürgen Kühn and Antye Greie-Fuchs or AGF, here in a compilation of remixes where various respectable members of the electronic community (see Pole, Coldcut, Rechenzentrum, M.Schaffhauser, Phoneheads, Gonzales) contribute their interpretations of the experimental, post-pop sound of Laub and Kitty-Yo.

Not so arty as AGF's later solo attempts, I'd say.

Laub - 1999 Intuition. Remixes
Info here.

Cashier Escape Route

The compilation that got me into Berlin's labels like Morr Music, Lux Nigra (and of course CCO), specializing in early-Autechre-like and post-pop electronics.

Just check the discogs' tracklist. Irresistible artists, classic tracks, excellent artwork... what more can one ask? Totally recommended.

VA - 2000 Cashier Escape Route
A City Centre Offices compilation
of supermarket music
Info here.

Related stuff already posted here: *,*,*,*,*,*

Club Blaou. Die Hits Der Clubs

A Blaou (*) compilation, showcasing their early music tastes and revealing much about the label's later profile and the styles it moved around: pure house anthems, weird post-pop hybrids and acid. Some must tracks in here, the weirdest being Jimi Tenor's 'Take Me Baby' remix and Grungerman's take on Andreas Dorau's 'Girls In Love', plus a Whirlpool vs. Mel Torme track. As for the housey tracks, they're all stars.

Each 'hit' is correlated with a specific club, one for each city. In track order:
1) Sweet Sundays, Hamburg
2) Dockland, Muenster
3) Millenium/Partysanen, Muenchen
4) Red Dog, Stuttgart
5) Rote Liebe, Essen
6) The Box, Frankfurt A.M.
7) Distillery, Leipzig
8) Aufswhung Ost, Kassel
9) WMF, Berlin

VA - 1997 Club Blaou. Die Hits Der Clubs
Info here.

? ? ?

The third WP album, check the already posted last one here for more info.

This one went out through ElektroMotor, and it's the strangest one I've heard of them. A purist's hell; all influences clashing, all styles mixed; you'll never pinpoint what exactly are you listening to at a specific time (and, probably, if you really like it...). The track 'Crazymusic' says it all; and for the reason mentioned above, it's a really interesting album, as long as you don't expect anything from them. Besides originality.

Whirlpool Productions - 1998 ???
Info here.

Assume Nothing

A mixed CD out through Musik, one of the few UK 'dance' mags I did read back then.

Assembled in ProTools, it was one of the mixes in the style made famous by Richie Hawtin and one year later by Scion (with Ableton Live); tracks are made of loops and edits of other tracks, in this case by Mute Records material. Lots of seminal tracks in there and more beat oriented than you'd expect from the tracklist - the mix jumps from UK house to progressive trance, from techno to acid, from synth pop to cut-up electro.
I consider it to be a solid showcase, even if I don't like all of the tracks myself. It's a pity it's under-rated, when other cut-ups (like the 2ManyDJs/Soulwax ones, for example) are worth gold.

VA - 2001 Mute: Assume Nothing
Info here.

Vibon

tbtmo is a Philadephia,PA.-based label, active for a decade or so, providing us a wide range of melodic electronics with pop references and an experimental edge (and a few sweet beat deviations). Not far from the sound of certain SF labels, actually; without the ear-bleeding elements though.

Once again, I know very little of them; their connections with Darla / Fuzzy Box might have been the only factor that made it possible for me to get to know them through a couple of CDs that slipped this way at about 8-9 years ago, when there was still a hype around here in the 'weird pop' department. Anyway, we're talking about artists like Sean O'Neal (that made an impact recently through his 'minimal'-tinted releases as Someone Else) and his Flowchart project; the brothers Mall, and Transient. Also, guest appearing in this one is Dntel as James Figurine.

I think I have a Flowchart and a Mall CD somewhere, if someone's interested let me know.

VA - 2001 Vibon CD comp
Info here.

Console Yourself

Weird and wonderful electronics from Payola. Martin Gretschmann aka Console, also known as Acid Pauli for his selected 12"s of schaeffel acid and as one of The Notwist, gathers his remixes (and a bonus track) for artists like the Tied & Tickled Trio, Barbara Morgenstern, ISAN and Hip Young Things aka Schneider TM. Tricky but beautiful, a combination of DSP pop, subtle beats and experimentalism. Recommended.

Console vs VA - 1999 Console Yourself
Info here.

Secondhand Sounds

Compilation of remixes by Herbert - a simple guide to some of his legendary experimentations in pop, swing, house, jazz and clicks 'n' cuts.

I cannot recommend it strong enough.

Herbert - 2002 Secondhand Sounds. The Remixes.
CD1 - CD2
Info here.

Another Peacefrog record, by the way.

P.S. New rip.
Anyway, you'll find all his albums as streams at his site...

Music Is Okay

Koze's first compilation of collaborations, remixes, etc. If you liked his recent 'Reincarnations' in Get Physical (and who didn't...), definitely check this one - it might even be better than the new one.

Didn't even know it existed for a long time, then spent as much more trying to track it down. In mp3 form only, so far.

DJ Koze - 2000 Music Is Okay
Info here.

'Koze' means 'vomit', if I'm not mistaken. Reminds me of Hell (who apparently got his name out of a faded Shell t-shirt), or Highfish. I like this kind of ridiculous nicknames, they show that the persons involved retain their punk sense of adolescent humor. That they grew out of a certain scene where a lot of close friends were involved. And that they never went for the big money and fame in the first place, they would have picked much better sounding aliases - see either true or fake names or scientific terminology (Drexciya & Co. escaped that trap only through their humorous, at times satiric approach of their own material and concepts).

So, more Vomit music here and here.

Populär Serie. Teil 1 Und 2

Weird and sweet electronics from this rather obscure Munich- based label, of which I know nothing - I've actually encountered a CD only once, while recently I dug up a post (here) in the sickness-abounds blog.

These two CDs compile two vinyl LPs, parts 1 and 2 of (what was to be) the six parts Populär Serie. Names like N.U.F. (*), Hecker , Move D, Solvent and Hans Platzgumer (of H.P.Zinker and Queen Of Japan) should be enough to draw attention and help the label to sell. Still, it looks like this was their swan song - and a pity it is, as the game here seems to be originality, a lost concept to most. In the process, wonderful (and mostly accessible) weirdness has infiltrated most of the tracks while forms and styles dissolve and merge freely. Rather under-produced and away from the norms and hypes of the time, it went largely unnoticed - at least here (I checked it just because I was deep into Friedmann at the time). Part experimental electronics, part weird breaks, part US electro pop a la Ghostly Int. (a few years before them), it provides a slightly incoherent yet uncompromisingly attractive proposition. You might listen to it and ignore most of it at a time, only to re-discover certain tracks a couple of years later, pitying yourself for the time you lost.

'Tell Me The Truth' by the Electric Sheep is one of the electro-pop anthems in my brain, and 'Archer' by Move D is a favorite for reasons best left unexplained. All Source fans should pay attention to this one, by the way.

A good trick is to start with the second CD, turning the volume up.

VA - Heimelektro Ulm Populär Serie
Teil 1 Und 2 . 2000-2001
CD1 - CD2
Info here.

We love Ennio

And now for something completely different.

Summer is closing in rapidly (at least for the northern part of the globe...) and I felt I needed a change. I went through my 'freestyle' section and found these. They're a tribute to the work of Ennio Morricone in two parts, released through Compost Records. Practically all Compost artists and some very special guests (check label's info on the project here) are remixing mostly well known Morricone themes. A serious approach by all artists involved certifies that the outcome doesn't degenerate in a mere chill-out compilation - after all, Compost is a serious label whatever anyone might feel about 'lounge'. Remix styles range from breakbeats and deep house to ambient and ethnic stuff, with the occasional deviation into acidic electronic areas, while International Pony (*) compose a tribute in one of their typical excursions into pop.

If you're looking for pounding techno or glitchy cuts, this is not the right post. Here, it's all about the music: the familiar melodies, the retro sounds, the memory of watching Leone movies in open air venues during summertime when I was six. For most of the younger ones this might not mean much; but then neither Kraftwerk might, in that sense. I consider Morricone's soundtracks to be orchestral pop music, instrumentals for the masses with films as the carrier medium, so it's got to have some effect on many people. The modern packaging (=remixing) could just make it more approachable - unless you're already familiar with the composer's work and you're a purist.

People who liked the Combination Traffic compilations (*) should definitively give these a try.


VA - Ennio Morricone Remixes Vol.1 2003
Here.
Info here.


VA - Ennio Morricone Remixes Vol.1 2003
CD1 - CD2
Info here.

Burgerisms

Some more EPs from Burgerland.


Trinkwasser - 1997 Cobra EP
Info here.


Trinkwasser - 1999 Extraleben EP
Info here.

plus:

The Modernist - 1998 Orange Coloured Sky EP
Info here.

Trinkwasser is a project with Lothar Hempel (aka Blitz, Magnet and Phong on Auftrieb and Kompakt) on vocal duties. Exploring this weird pop territory that Mr. Burger seems to like so much, they're combining techno, schaeffel, Air Liquide influenced electronics, even disco, with 'electro-pop' vocals. 'Extraleben' includes two Juergen Paape remixes.
'Orange Coloured Sky EP' contains two unreleased tracks plus another two from the 'Explosion' albums (in versions).
The EPs came out in Harvest and Popular Tools.

Salz Attack

These two goodies are a gift from our friend PJ, who was kind enough to share them with us in the shoutbox; a proper post seemed appropriate, though. An extended rambling on the few things I know on Salz you'll find here.

In short, the first CD is a mix of some of their original tracks while the second one compiles remixes they did for other artists' compositions, mostly transforming them into their characteristic blend of archetypal Cologne techno dub with a touch of pop. Needless to say, you've got to have them, even in MP3.

When I manage to collect some more 12"s, I promise I'll get back to them.


Salz - 2000 In The Mix
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.


Salz - 2001 The Remixes
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.