a brief chat with Albion

Staying on track with posts about expert diggers, Albion's superb 'Mixtura vol 1' release on Ambassador's Reception is moments away from landing in stores. Famous for his superior hunting and gathering skills, his mammoth 14 volume 'Mixtura' mix series and his taste for unusual, sexy, Psychedelic Euro & Italo Disco of the hard to find kind, Albion has now also compiled and mixed this serious party disc. It's a disc that will easily please record geeks and freaky dancers alike. Anyway Albion kindly took some time out of his to answer a few questions from yours truly...

Tell us about how u came to work on the Mixtura series?
I was working on the Astronomix series and when I had reached nr 18 I had so many dope records incoming I felt I had to change the name for my next mix. Actually I thought it would be my grande finale, I was sure I would never top the first Mixtura and was thinking of taking a break. But because of some nice response and my lack of self discipline I changed my mind, I just couldn't resist to keep on going. And that was three years ago, I've made totally 14 Mixtura mixes.

How does the Ambassadors Reception album series fit into the series? Is it made up of tracks you've had in the series so far or are these entirely new finds?
It´s mostly stuff that I´ve stumbled over but didn´t find room for in my mixes. Some of them needed editing and a few I like so much I wanted to put them on the album.

What city is your favourite city/town for digging? (Why?)
I was in Rome in October and was on a roll. I even felt sorry for the diggers after me. At the airport I discovered I had excess hand luggage so I even had to dump some records at the airport. So there could well have been another lucky bastard there.

Obviously your Step Dad's collection played a big role in introducing you to some of the sounds you're still interested in. Can you tell us a few of your favourite records, that he introduced to you?
A lot of early 70s swedish, icelandic and uk prog and folk music. I seldom return to these albums nowadays but when I was a kid it provided a golden opportunity into finding my own musical identity. Artists/bands like Pugh Rogefeldt, Traffic and Trubrot.

Which current producers/ record labels interest or excite you?
Actually I stopped listening to contemporary music a while back since I fell in love with disco.

What is it about Disco?
It was a music style that was omnipresent at a time. People in every corner of the world tried to make disco music. And you can trace every musical style in it, backed with disco beat. What I like is that it can go from very deep emotion to shallow and decadent. I guess it's the peak of party music of our modern civilization and we're still collecting pieces of the greatest party on earth. Every good piece we find is unique and beautiful as it is, and helps us understand the giant puzzle that is disco. Apart from the 99% that is trash.

Obviously Disco has been back on the underground for some time, and there are any number of variants. Disco House, Edits, Cosmic, Diggers etc. Where would you position yourself in the scheme of things?
I'm a disco DJ who believes that good music makes a great party.

Are you producing any tracks of your own at the moment? will there be any further Naked Ape records?
I'm just waiting to get inside a good studio and to record some. I would love to set up the instrumentation to create a proper disco sound, but still waiting for the right moment and the right people.

When did you start collecting records? do you have a significant other who moans about the fact that you have too many records?
I started seriously about 13 years ago. Many records together look like a bachelor pad for any significant other. But she's surprisingly cool. I think the trick is to try to make the record collection blend in naturally in the interior.

What are your plans for the year ahead?
Right now I'm working on a mix for Another Night On Earth and the Noncollective guys, then I start working on another album. I've got some gigs scheduled too. Life is just how I like it. 

I'll be doing a full review of this superb album shortly but in the meantime here's a little exclusive listen to but one of the tracks from the all killer no filler album. Cant be heard anywhere else at the minute... tune!!! Thanks for dropping by Albion!

Lindbaek's footprints...

With January nearly over (what already?), it really is time I moved on from chatting about last years releases... Upcoming on Discofil Desperados, and following on from last years top dog Kool DJ Dust 12", is a very tasty slab of edit obscurity from the undisputed Disco wizard, Rune Lindbaek. Out in February, the ep has 5 groovin' Euro nuggets, including a fantastic rework of Adriano Celentano's 'Disc Jockey', the lesser known flip side of his gem of gems single  'Prisencolinensinainciusol'. Also included, 'Fotspor', which translates as 'footprints', is a brilliant island style Norwegian Disco item, it's breezy, beachy vibe dictates that this 12" cruised right into the top of my current playlist. Of course there are 3 other super Disco lovelies on the record, go here to have a listen (essential!). Stockholm's Discofil Desperados is shaping up to be a hot diggers paradise; by asking both Dust & Lindbaek (so far) to dig deep into their collections, both quirk & quality have been ensured. I am personally very keen on hearing what they come up with next. File under 'heard on a yacht in the Mediterranean on Bianca Jaggers boombox' maybe... 

Rune Lindbæk - Fotspor (bootleg) by Discofil Desperados

jaz #1

Another of last year's must have 'compilations' has to be 'A Mix By JAZ' on the very classy Claremont 56; there were only 200 pressed up in October of 2010, and if you didn't manage to get your hands on one then, you may still find a copy or two loitering about on the internet somewhere... go digging!! The double cd takes the listener/dancer on an epic ride and includes some of John Zahl's favourite dusty Disco Rock, Italo and Leftfield gems. Both cd's are packed with tracks you may have heard before in his brilliant online mixes, in fact if JAZ had a 'Greatest Hits' cd, this would be it. John really does have an uncanny knack for finding unpolished, strange, beautiful and seriously funky music from the 70's and very early 80's, much of which is unknown to most of us. That said, we're learning; I personally have picked up a number of records I first heard in sets of his.

If, like me, you're a dedicated fan, you've probably already downloaded JAZ' recent installment for his 'Show Me On The Doll' series on Noncollective; it's another epic dig through eclectic sexy wondrousness... (well give it a listen and you tell me how to describe it). Anyway lastly and most importantly John has very kindly handed over two unreleased edits of his, for your own collection. Here's the first, a high flyin' AOR Disco bomb!

Track removed due to it's upcoming release on the fantastic Messalina (congrats John), a replacement download is on it's way..

Naruto

Toward the end of the month (29th to be exact) Cos/Mes drop a new track on King Kung Foo Records called 'Naruto', the package comes with an excellent Ronny and Renzo remix, but oh Lord, the original is slo mo, head music from heaven. Cos/Mes are masters of the journey, their individual soundscapes (not to be read as 'music to nod off by') truly offer something new and compelling and 'Naruto', a piece which evolved around the concept of water, is certainly one of the best things they've done so far. It's an epic ride which starts off with superb tribal rhythms and a sparse atmosphere, it quickly develops into a dark island excursion, rich with jungle sounds and exquisite licks of an aching sitar (more like a Japanese string instrument of some sort) hook. Two thirds of the way in, the track morphs into a blissful paradise of sounds and bobbing beats. The fact that Cos/Mes are multi talented individuals who also work as visual artists in other creative fields, helps explain why their music is so visually evocative, so filmic and so richly layered. As usual with King Kung Foo, the artwork on the 12" is also very tasty! Guaranteed long term relationship material!

Cos/Mes - Naruto

arp oddysey

A sort of general theme to every other post here on anoe over the last weeks has been 'looking back at tracks I should have written about when they came out, only I didnt', Mode's brilliant 'Lo Fi Odyssey', however, just slipped right by me altogether, I only heard it about a week ago. Released in October of 2010 on In Flagranti's Codek Records, 'Lo Fi Odyssey' comes with remixes from The Stallions, Pete Herbert, as well as In Flagranti, which makes it a very desirable record. Of course once you hear it, there's little doubt remaining about bagging it with your next order, that is if, unlike me, you haven't already. The Stallions hand in another of their truly amazing travelogue remix's; Andrew Lovefingers and Lee Douglas are formidable producers on their own, but together they make up one of the most exciting duos of recent times, I reckon anyway. Pete's version is a lush n' deep Disco groover which could well be one of his best and In Flagranti pick up the tempo, add complex airy beats, fresh summer keys and generally sound smoother than they ever have. It really is all down to Mode's original though, a slo mo, Deep House & Boogie hybrid with delicious warm keyboard drops; it's languid and drifting, jammed with sparkling Boogie hooks n' flourishes (that's a genuine Arp keyboard btw) and it's the sort of track that makes you feel like the sun shines 20 fathoms deep. Schmooov!!

MODE - Lo Fi Odyssey by MODEUK

lagos roadblock

At one point I posted a fair bit of Afro heat here on the ol' blog, but it's been awhile and there have been some pretty incredible compilations put out over the last year or so. Strut's 'Next Stop... Soweto' compilations (there are 3 of them) feature loads of goodies, but nothing beats Frank Gossner's 'Lagos Disco Inferno' for pure genius Afrobeat, Funk & Disco from the 70's. Frank's blog Voodoo Funk is easily one of the best sources of info for this end of the spectrum, plus he probably has more quality Afro records than any other individual on the planet, check Dust & Grooves for a marvelous interview and photo story on their recent visit with the man, it's truly inspiring! Anyway if you've not picked up a copy of this beautifully mastered, double vinyl pack, it's time you did. All killer no filler. Interestingly a review of the album on RA explained at great lengths that this collection really is all about the Disco and that it's not one of those mainly Funk oriented Afro compilations which claim links to real Disco. Most good stores have copies, check out Juno for example and check out one of the compilations top tracks below...gold!!!

Nana Love - Hang On

sunforest

Almost impossible to find, the original 1969 release of Sunforest's 'Sound Of Sunforest', is one of those pastoral, Folk Rock beauties which hide in unreachable dusty corners. The most well known track from the album 'Magician In The Mountain', has featured on a couple of diggers compilations, most notably Mark Pritchard's 'Feel The Spirit', oh and that second Amorphous Androgynous 'Psychedelic Bubble' CD. So it's not exactly obscure, just damn fine and wonderful on this late friday night.

Sunforest - Magician In The Mountain

press play #43 - Marcel Vogel

Amsterdam resident, DJ & Producer Marcel Vogel aka Em Vee drops in on the Press Play series with a short but truly excellent mix of Disco, Soul, early House and some new bits, it's called 'Soul Chop Suey'. Marcel cuts it up on the fly, focusing in on some very hot n' sexy grooves, plus he deftly cruises through at least 16 delicious tracks in around 35 minutes. The mix has been on heavy rotation since i got it a few days back.

Having recently moved to Amsterdam from Berlin, where he held down a residency at Legacy, Marcel is now studying Audio Engineering. He also just released a great set of edits under his Em Vee moniker, on his own Lumberjacks In Hell imprint. Included on the EP are top class re-shuffles of Rolling Stones' 'Miss You', Archie Bell & The Drells' 'Strategy' & James Brown's 'If You Don't Give A Dogone About It'. Clearly the man has eclectic tastes and an excellent ear for deep party movers of all kinds. Check out his Soundcloud page for more tasty mixes and edits and get on 'Soul Chop Suey' at once. Thanks very much Marcel for this, honoured to have you join the series... unstoppable groove machine!!

Press Play #43 - Marcel Vogel - Soul Chop Suey

Track Listing:
1. Emotions - You've got the right to know (Kalimba 1976)
2. His masters fish - I got my eye on you ( RCA 1979)
3. Truth is Light - Pick me up (TiL 2010)
   /David Morris - Somebody you'd love to love (dancing room only)
4. Truth is Light - Praise (Truth is Light 7" 2010)
5. Bambu - Stairway to the sky (1979 Zebra records)
6. Cool Million - Loose (Denson Music 2010)
7. Ron Hardy Gelb
8. Romanthony - Get It Together (Brooklyn Traxx/ Bassline Records)
9. Bang The Party - Rock me gently (Warriors Dance)
10. Bobby DJ Guttardo - After Midnight (Disconet 1978)
11. Alice Cohen & Fun City - Save the best for last (WMMR 93.3 / Chrysalis)
12. Ice Band - Live People ( Walking Tall Records )
13. Smoke - What goes around comes around ( Casablanca 1976 )
14. Crown Heights Affair - Sexy Ways (De-Lite 1976)
15. Ricky Womack - Pour it down ( His Way )
16. Theadora Ifudu - Four in a tangle (Theagart)

rejoice

It's been awhile since I put up one of those 'lost' edits, and because I've been playing this one loads recently, I thought it was time. Boston head Kountry3astern aka Scott Bliss & Supreme One put their mark on the beautiful 'Rejoice' from Emotions over a year ago. Thing is, like the edit, Scott himself kinda disappeared not long after (no facebook, soundcloud or blog action at all); he's one talented mofo and I for one would like to know where he done gone. Actually I'm still sitting on a track of his which is easily one of the finest unreleased 'edits' I have. Anyway grab the feel good Disco beauty below and someone put out an APB on the man...

Emotions - Rejoice (Scott_Supreme Edit)

jungle kitten

I believe there is a longer 12" version of Manfredo Fest's Latin Jazz classic 'Jungle Kitten', which I have never heard. I guess it's just a little bit more of the super lush n' creamy beauty, a very good thing in my book. This breezy monster can be found on the man's classy 'Manifestations' album on Tabu from 1979, or of course on the 12" and 7" (both of which are a bit pricey on Discogs). What an amazing piece of music!!

Manfredo Fest - Jungle Kitten

willing and able

Cane and Able's 1972, eponymous album on Epic is an amazing Psyche Funk experience. The first two tracks, in particular, are outstanding, though the rest of the album is pretty good too. Somehow both 'Girl You Move Me' and 'Starchild' get the blend between far out, wobbly Psychedelia and tight, ass shaking Funk just right. I've yet to hear all of the follow up album 'Relating A Message To You', but the few tracks up on youtube from it, suggest it's an even better record. Check out 'Girl You Move Me' below. Sunday night gold for the girl!!!

Cane and Able - Girl You Move Me

draggin' my heels

2011 is upon us, you survived the tumultuous 2010, so we have much to be grateful for. Last year was jammed to the hilt with great music, some of which got filtered through to these pages and of course loads of excellent tracks, albums and compilations didn't, due mainly to time constraints. One of those that didn't would be the seriously cool Balearic Mike & Kelvin Andrews compilation 'Down To The Sea & Back' on Wonk Music. With sleeve notes from Bill Brewster, Mike & Kelvin, artwork from Andy Votel and a collection of very fine dusty grooves (though two of the tracks are from more recent years), this first volume in the series is simply one of the finest compilations around, it's the sort of CD that serves to remind one of the trans-formative nature of true and uncommon sounds. From Nacht Und Nebel to Fern Kinney to the Osmond's 'I,I,I' and of course The Willow Band's seminal 'Willowman', you get a Balearic un-mix of real music which flows like a wizard's cape in a summer breeze. Essential listening from 2010 which will live long after it's release date....

The Hollies - Draggin' My Heels (Special Disco Version)