Under The Influence

This one is pretty close to my heart. It happens to be full of tracks that I love - that's not surprising really... given that I was involved in making it. It's basically the perfect mix for me; country, electro, pop, house, dnb, metal, everything really. A friend and I spent almost a year twiddling with knobs and dials in our respective countries sculpting a mix that we could really enjoy. There's something in there for everyone and something in there to offend most everyone (63 tracks 38 minutes).

I was reminded of it the other day after I meet someone who had been enjoying it of late. It was nice to listen to it again. It's great having a taylor made mix. Head over to the axis of cool to check it out - go on, find that moment in there that you really hate...

This is a copout really. I haven't written anything today and I'm about to head out to Shoreditch (London town) to play some tunes with a mate down at Medicine Bar. Pop down and I'll buy you a drink to make up for it, how does that sound?

Feel in love with one of her songs, When I See Love, on the boat; it was the only one I had with me at the time. As I recall it was a random download from a site much like this one. Illegal, I guess but hell, I would never have purchased her album otherwise, no?

Anyway, I was blown away. RnB is a style of music that gets little attention from me. I get so sick of the thousands of songs/artists singing about love, pretending they've got soul when I can clearly hear that the music has none. This couldn't be more different. And this album wasn't even even meant to be released!

This album was meant to be a demo for music folks that blossomed into a full work. She's just completed her next effort, PleasureVille, which I can't wait to hear (it's not on sale yet but the samples on her myspace profile are sounding great). In the meantime I can make do with the current album. Some of the tracks, like Silent Symphony, are very jazzy while others have a great hip-hop twist to them - check out All My Mistakes.

If your clicking finger is reaching to purchase the new Jill Scott anytime soon, stop and think first - By Day, By Night is actually the album you want to hear. Trust me this girl's going to be huge.

This certainly became one of my electro favourites of the (sailing) trip. I don't know the first thing about Apparat but of heard little bits and pieces of Allien before. I believe she's from Berlin. Turns out Apparat is a Berliner too. Oh, look at that, he owns Shitkatapult (the label T.Raumschmiere is on).

I'm glad this isn't like so much of the stuff you hear in the Berlin clubs (though I have come to appreciate that Berlin club sound a lot more in recent months). Really it has far to mellow of a vibe to make good club music. Bubbles is more about the shapes of the sounds than the beats. It really does sound like an Orchestra of Bubbles.

Mmmmmmm, Way Out is a silky little gem.

This sound is a hard one to throw a label on. I guess you can kind of think Whitest Boy Alive on shedloads of valium or maybe Sparklehorse on uppers. It's beautiful and oh so gentle. As are their videos.

I saw them play at the Goldmund Festival though I'm struggling to remember what they were playing... machines, guitars and drums I think. It would be stupid to point out that there are two of them in the group (it's late at night and my brain is going).

Listening to it again I simply can't pick a favorite but I Could is the most accessible track; hopefully that should serve to get everyone hooked.

For some reason I randomly downloaded three tracks off this album - I have no idea why (maybe I was low in emusic credits at the time). The three I picked all seem to be girl, or at least girl fronted, electro groups. And that's three more super cool sounding electro girl groups to investigate.

Dragonette sound like an electrofied Cardigans vs Waitresses. Robots in Disguise's Turn It Up is an expression of their love for their influences, from Teaches Of Peaches to The Smiths and Ping Pong Bitches' Rock Ya Body sounds like one of the better Britney productions.

After listening again I'm not sure which track I like most. They're all quite different and all very strong. Strong enough that I'm heading back to emusic to buy the rest of the album.

You get a wonderful cover of George McCrae's I Get Lifted. Jesus, that's enough really, isn't it? Well, it's even better than that. Sweet funk licks, great breaks and real horns. Real horns!

Do Your Thing must be a hidden tribute to 90% Of Me Is You (Gwen McCrae). Oh my, look at that - Gwen and George McCrae used to be married. Who'd have thought (I'm not being sarcastic, this connection only just occurred to me).

Anyways, I know some folks that are going to be very very excited when I show this to them.

What a simple loop based bit of loveliness. I love the way the same beat is carried throughout but the work has numerous different movements that all feel distinct. 4:10 sees the introduction of a shaky synth that sounds so frail you think it'll pass away on each note. Somehow the whole thing builds into a big dark cloud of sound. Something very NINish about the final soundscape.

It's the subtlety of this work that interests me - feel like I understand that whole German glitch obsession much better now (through this one piece). Then again, Matthew Dear really did help too.

The piece is far older than I'd originally thought. Not only that but it's also a cover of a Neu! track. Proving once again that I seriously need to go crate digging for kraut-rock.

Not writing about classical much I'm not sure how to credit it. Really, the Tapiola Sinfonietta conducted by Jean-Jacques Kantorow are covering Arvo Pärt here. Performed by a different artist this work could sound quite different. Anywho, it's a lovely addition to my collection.

Rather mathematical - there's actually a full rundown of the formula for Fratres. It's a fantastic piece. Close to a lot of this electronica stuff in it's construction - subtly changing looped patterns. Kind of dark and menacing but not exactly, not exactly dissonant either but somehow teetering on the edge of something. Maybe it uses those twisted ninth intervals that Trent Reznor is so keen on. Sure is a nice thing to sit down and close your eyes to.

Now, I can't remember if my well electro-educated (glitchy stuff in particular) friends told me if this guy was good or not but if they didn't, well, they were wrong. This stuff straddles the glitch/pop divide nicely.

Before I downloaded this album I actually grabbed a copy of a tune called Dog Days that everyone seems to be banging on about (those in the know cringe at my ignorance right now). It deserves the attention actually. Smart, upbeat, poppy, catchy and interesting. All the classic glitch noises are there but it's music your girlfriend would dance to. The same story goes for Asa Bread too.