muscle and heat

I've only recently caught onto all things Yan Tregger, probably due in part to the Space Oddities compilations (essential buys from Permanent Vacation) and the recent genius of the Purple Brain mixed cd from RVNG Intl, for good reason he also gets a fair bit of mention on a variety of diggers blogs. Producer of quality psychedelic drenched Folk 'n Funk, Rock 'n Soul, Disco and even Pop for various obscure tv and film library records and labels. Do some research, you'll find a whole batch of incredible tunes. In the meantime check this deadly, beardy, Disco monster from his very hard to find album 'Catchy', it's jam jammed with hot breaks!!

Yan Tregger - Muscle and Heat

Press Play #26 - Steve Yanko

Well first off I should mention that this delicious Press Play should have gone up some time back, Steve worried it might be getting stale and so understandably leaked it on a well known forum a few weeks ago. That said, many of you wont have got it yet and I'm confident, given that many of the tracks herein are timeless gems, that the mix hasn't aged in the slightest (it was only recorded a few months back after all). Sorry for the delay Steve and thanks again for this superb Disco party mixup!!

Steve Yanko, as you may know, is the guy behind the excellent Canadian label Truffle Music, home to a bunch of great tunes from Andrew Allsgood, Don Cash and Dubious amongst others. Steve and Dubious' new project Strange Brew released the hot double-sider 'Wierdo/Hot Shit' through Truffle a few months back, which, if by some small chance you haven't heard, you should check. Mr Yanko has also had tracks on the primo Permanent Vacation, PSR, Prize Records and Plant Music, he's also responsible for a great many legendary warehouse party hours in his home town of Toronto.

Steve tells me he started collecting Disco in the mid 90's and scored many of his tunes in Montreal when they were cheap and plentiful, a place with a long, vibrant and important Disco history. It fascinates me that Canada's experimental Disco producers (both now and then) have always pushed the scene forward, Yanko explains that their geographic location has a lot to do with it; providing a remote unhyped environment which encourages individualism, but also a convenient and strategic mid point between European and American markets. a.n.o.e. loves Canadian Disco!

So as always, it's a real pleasure, even an honor to be able to hand over this fantastic mix... get it on the sidebar or here... just get it!!

Press Play 26 - Steve Yanko - Dancefloor Disorder

Tracklist:
1) Jacques Renault - Just A CoMotion (CDR)
2) Patrick Cowley - Primitive World (Edit)
3) Permanent Vacation - Zucker Hut - (Permanent Vacation)
4) TBD - I Dont Know (CDR)
5) Junji Masayama - Sponge Feet (Bear Funk)
6) Tomas Andersson - Skon Klammer (Andrew Allsgood Remix) (PSR)
7) Tullio De Piscopo - Stop Bajon (Bagaria)
9) NYC Peech Boys - Life Is Something Special (Larry Levan Mix) (Island)
10) Michael Wilson - Groove It To The Sound (Steve Yanko Edit)
11) Glen Adams Affair - Just A Groove (SDC Edit) (OCSID Music)
12) NY Jump (BC Edit) (Disco Deviance)
13) Slave - Just A Touch Of Love (Cotillion)
14) Carol Williams - Can't Get Away (From Your Love)(Special Club "Dub" Mix) (Vanguard)
15) Eddie Kendricks - Date With The Rain (Special Remix Disco Version)
16) Dexter Wansel - Life On Mars (Philadelphia International)

transformation

As I've been waylaid under yawn inducing work loads, hiding from the dark forces of deadlines, I have not yet managed to tend to the increasing pile of goodies I have for you. So without further delay...

Guitarist Jeff Liberman released his album' Synergy' on his own DIY label Librah in 1978 and as a result, there are not that many copies to be found these days. There is a completist type collection of his work available on CD which does help one get closer to this absolute gem of a record, and of course you could fork out the 100 Euro or so to own one of those rare original vinyl copies that come up for sale on the ol' internet occasionally (I'm definitely thinking about it). I also read somewhere that there may be a bootleg of it floating around too if you're inclined to go that way. There are several great tracks on the album, infact after googling the man I discovered someone on Dream Chimney had already posted a few of them earlier this year. Jeff mixes up Psyche, Prog, Folk, Jazz and Soul on the record, to great effect; the undoubted standout track on the album is 'Tranformation'... check it!!!

Jeff Liberman - Transformation

moving up

I'm sure some of you have been wondering when I'm gonna put some propa Disco up in 'ere, so... Toba's 'Moving Up' on Connection Records from 1982 is part Balearic, part NYC Disco fire, part Earth Wind & Fire on a smaller budget. The original blue or red vinyl 12"s are just unaffordable at this point, raising that redundant old question 'why do the best records cost the most?' This quality breezy, summer, Disco Jam sounds nearly perfect tonight...

Toba - Moving Up

it looks like divshare have lost all my download stats, sheesh! I've been using them to keep track of how many times each of the press play's have been downloaded... argh!

warning: dabbling in disco will lead to harder drugs

You're playing a killer disco set, dropping some slo mo wobblyness, ever inching toward the weird wall, or something along those lines. The question on your mind is how far do you push it? I'm thinking a mental beauty such as this Japanese, Psychedelic, freak out could only work in the best of places (which is likely to be an absolute dive), a place in nirvana perhaps. I'm digging this massively; it's from Apryl Fool's, 1969 epynomous lp on Columbia and is mad, bad and pure gold. Be warned, this ain't no Disco...

Apryl Fool - The Lost Mother Land Part 1

island of dreams

Another gem from recent digging turned up on the debut album by Hummingbird, actually there are a number of excellent tracks on this 1975 album. Hummingbird was Bobby Tench's band, you might know him from work with Jeff Beck, the aforementioned Linda Lewis also features on backing vocals, plus drummer Conrad Isidore (who worked on a Stephen Stills album or two, and on Linda Lewis 'Fathoms Deep' amongst others), keyboards by Max Middleton (Bee Gees, Frampton, Chris Rea, Jeff Beck) and Bernie Holland on guitar. The particular track under the spotlight is a Salty Disco, meandering, smoked beauty, which has some excellent Classic Rock vocals over an exquisite arrangement of some damn fine instrumentation. Salty Sunday sounds for bearded minds...

Hummingbird - Island of Dreams