blak is better

Back in August of this year, Bear Funk released Blakula!'s very fine debut album 'Permanent Midnight'. Recorded in Rome, the Italian duo's soundtrack to an unmade Vampire film has to be one of a small number of 2010's masterpieces, yes I said masterpiece. I know I do go on a lot about Bear Funk's genius status, but there really are very few labels who come close to their kind of depth of vision. 'Permanent Midnight' is a peak amongst peaks for the supreme Bear Funk.

It turns out Blakula! are in fact Simon Maccari and Andrea Bellentani aka The Diaphanoids. Once you know this, listening to these 10 original and unique tracks can only expand on one's sense of the duo's considerable talent, as well as add further excitement to the experience. I love The Diaphanoids, but here, with the help of more than 25 other musicians and vocalists, they venture forth with the spark of genius, into the heart of darkness... or, as we are told, they soundtrack the journey of a Hawaiian vampire's fall into a bewitching 1970's art world. Blakula! is a hybrid beast, meshing real Jazz, Blues & Rock with synth Disco & Gothic motifs & atmospheres, all done with ease and style, with deft articulacy and proper tunes. There are tracks here which will work very well on the dancefloor, but the intense detail and scene building nature of the entire set makes this a record to be entirely seduced by. I could go on, but let me just say if you haven't gotten your hands on this primo album yet, do so at once... oh and maybe check out the track below...

Blakula! - Miss Morgue

Oslo '97

Back in '97 Rune Lindbaek cut a mix of some of his then favourite tracks for a very good buddy of his, Dj Robin Jackson. Jackson recently found the mix on an old DAT tape and send it back to it's maker, thus Mr Lindbaek then send it on to some of his friends and fans. Finally it has found it's way onto SmalltownSupersound's blog and these here pages for your listening pleasure. Rune says the mixing is a little sketchy in parts, but in fact i think it only adds to the mix' personality. The Disco revival was already in full swing by '97, Faze Action & Harvey ruled the earth, while Bear Funk & The Idjuts resuscitated the art of the edit by setting them on fire with multiple dub chambers, this is the sound of Rune's mix... good good, double good.

Rune Lindbaek DJ Mix From Oslo 1997 

situation's summer love

If you're one of the many who've been following Situation's releases over recent years, you'll be delighted to know they've a new 12" out on their own Situation imprint, this friday. The EP has 4 tracks no less and each one's as cool, clever and catchy as anything they've previously released. I have a feeling this record is going to be fairly ubiquitous over the next months, mainly as a result of the excellent quality & diversity of the release, but also because of the unstoppable groove of at least three of the tracks. 'Love Strings' is the real gem here, well for me anyway; I defy you to name a more uplifting, sweet and lush Disco edit released recently... a real sparkling love dove... 

listen to it here

press play #42 - eddie c

Currently touring Australia, Eddie C could well be described as one of the Slo Mo/ Edits/ Disco scene's heaviest hitters. Eddie came out of nowhere, well to be fair he's from the very beautiful Banff in Alberta, Canada, and in just over two years he's featured on or been the main attraction with 11 singles and EP's (actually its more than that). Having graced labels like Jisco Music, Flashback, Sleazybeats, Wolf Music, 7 Inches of Love & Home Taping, amongst others, with his deep, lush and beautiful grooves, C is constantly name checked by every major playa this end of the underground. The fact is, the guy hardly needs an introduction.

For Press Play 42, Eddie hands in a moody and masterful mix of Disco tinged, heavily layered, abstract, atmospheric, Shuffle House & Electronic fire, actually trying to describe it would be as pointless as introducing the man. I suggest, as i usually do with these things, that this sonic journey is an essential, even unmissable soundtrack to your life, them is the facts... Huge thanks go out to Eddie for this wonderful, future soul trip.. feel the heat...

press play #42 - eddie c - thermal rising

track list:
01. Tiago - Rider (Cos/Mes Remix) (Ene)
02. Jus-Ed - Pain (Love and Distance Mix by Anton Zap) (Underground Quality)
03. Tornado Wallace - Paddlin' (Linkwood Remix) (Delusions of Grandeur)
04. Four Tet - Love Cry (Domino)
05. Coyote - Moving (Still Going Remix) (International Feel)
06. The Backwoods - Sunstream (Ene)
07. ESP Institute - Rocks In Me (ESP Institute)
08. Cos/Mes - Gozmez Land (ESP Institute)
09. Bobby Konders - Massai Women (Nu Groove)
10. Holy Ghost Inc. - Walk On Air (Sun and Moon Mix)
11. Mark E - Nobody Else (Running Back)
12. Eddie C - Tell Me (Tornado Wallace Remix) (Home Taping is Killing Music)
13. Eddie C - Rising (Kolour Limited)

the way i do

It's late on a hot and wet Sunday evening in Johannesburg and this rare beast has been on infinite repeat. Sirarcusa's 'Streap-Tease In The Stars (The Way I Do)' featured on the flip side of their 'Give Me Your Love' 7", a 1977 Spanish only release. It's slinky, it's beardy slo mo Disco and has a killer all girl vocal refrain which sounds more Township than it does Spanish. Diggers will know some of Manuel De Calva's other tracks. It doesnt get much better than this... (can anyone explain the 'Streap-Tease' in the title?)

Sirarcusa - Streap-Tease In The Stars (The Way I Do)

press play #41 - nocturnal

Nocturnal's recent double sider for the esteemed Disco Deviance is a marvellous thing, it's been hammered by Greg Wilson for awhile now and has been championed by everyone from Horse Meat Disco to Pete Herbert to Social Disco Club and many more besides. I'm sure by now you'll have their 'Love Explosion'/'Southern Nights' 12" on your 'needs/wants' or 'recently bought' lists. Starting in 2004, Nocturnal aka Lloyd Evans & Daniel Farry's parties have played host to some truly great electronic music heads including Andrew Weatherall, Maurice Fulton, Mark E, and the Unabombers. They've also played at any number of top festivals & clubs, you know Bestival, The Big Chill etc. Keep up to date with them at their own tasty lookin' website.

So for Press Play #41, you get an hour long slice of Nocturnal's magic at work; a heady brew of bang up to date, leftfield House, Disco & a few edits for good measure. 'Saturday Night, Sunday Morning' is all about big tunes, the sort of tracks that work well in a warehouse or in a field, but with a tight reign on quality. It's not a typical Press Play, but you'll find the mix will quickly settle in as your regular going out soundtrack or one for those parties at home. No track list for now, get it on the sidebar or here... next up a killer set from Eddie C. Thanks so much Nocturnal and Disco Deviance for the hookup...

press play #41 - nocturnal - saturday night, sunday morning

montauk magic

Keeping things Swedish for a minute, you need to check out Stockholm label Sweet Surprise and their first release from Aeroplane favourite's Montauk. This duo claim they've made these edits because this is the only music they really want to hear when going out, and who wouldn't want to dance the night away to these two slo mo prize beauties. 'Energy' on the A side is a very pretty spacey and languid Moroder'esque drifter, did I mention how pretty it is? On the flip you'll find 'Magic', a more obviously Disco track with lovely handclaps, pulsing Cosmic keyboards and a striking bass line; I know this track, but I just cant remember who the original is by (my memory is just too full up... or something). I can say they've stretched it out very nicely and have created a superbly hypnotic and epic mid tempo dancer from the original. Oh I really should know who it's by.... Montauk have already impressed with their previous single 'Holiday', they're clearly focused on quality, ' Nordic', leftfield and floaty sounds and I hear they have more new work in the pipeline... check it!

MONTAUK - MAGIC by SWEET SURPRISE

Dust Desperados

a.n.o.e. regularly checks in on Kool Dj Dust, because he's the man with the knowledge, the skills and a very deep record collection, plus his releases are amazing. His latest 12", 'Discofil Desperados presents Kool DJ Dust', for Swedish label Discofil is a Cosmic collectors wet dream; Dust was asked to dig through his records and to pick 3 obscure cuts for our listening and grooving pleasure. The A side track 'Going Up, Going Down' will be getting the most dancefloor action for sure; Disco/Funk & even Blues guitar, blaxploitation styled vocals, hypnotic Cosmic keyboards and a superb bumping groove, set this house on fire. On the flip you'll find a heady Cosmic Prog Rocker and the very spacey 'Arpanet', filled as you'd imagine with happy Arp noodling and a mesh of rhythmical patterns and mathematics. 'Going Up Going Down' is going to give me sleepless nights trying to find out who it's by... Diamond Dust! (In stores early December).

A01 - Going up, going down by Discofil Desperados

domes doors edit

I recently came across Croatian producer Domes' clever and wonderful edit of The Doors' 'American Prayer/Ghost Song' on Soundcloud. Like Domes I used to be a big Doors fan when I was much younger, but of course outgrew the Jim Morrison interest/obsession not long after. Later, on re-listening to their catalogue, Domes' focus shifted onto the amazing instrumentation and song writing behind JM's posturing. There are a few lesser known Doors tracks which I've discovered over the years which are very fine, but Domes has managed to extract pure Disco magic from Manzarek's beautiful keyboard licks on 'American Prayer' &  'Ghost Song' which feature on the 'American Prayer' album (actually billed as Jim Morrison's record with music by The Doors). He's also added in new beats, removed all traces of Jim and any guitar solos, and sprinkled a little Moog magic over the top. Check out the edit below and grab a copy  using the down arrow on the player...very pretty!

The Doors - An American Prayer / Ghost Song (Domes' instrumental edit) by domes

electro pyramid

Boogie records, especially the rarer ones, are just like harder to find Disco records; very expensive in the hands of street wise dealers, often over hyped and inevitably under played. Pyramid Plus' 1983 7" only, single 'Comin' At Ya' is a bit of a holy grail for Boogie/ Electro collectors, it's also an amazing record. I know I bang on a lot about the price of records, but i do find it interesting... maybe you do too. This 7" has been seen and sold for upward of $350 on some sites. The track itself is pretty wild with it's heavily vocoded, tuneful vocals and lots of deep Electro keyboard magic, in fact it's a real diamond. Let's hope one of us gets lucky and finds a cheap as chips copy in a box of dusty 7"s...

Pyramid Plus - Comin' At Ya