Sweet as Sugar.

London's David E. Sugar has been around for awhile now, and in my opinion is one of the UK's bright sparks who continues to excell himself again and again. Whilst he produces his own original material, utilising a Gameboy's default sounds to program his beats, it is his remixes that have really grabbed my attention.

My first encounter with Sugar's work was his remix of Klaxons 'Golden Skans', a smashing mix with the best bit coming in at 2:43 with the song stripped back to the vocals and keyboard before the beat kicks back in. Sweet as.

His reinterpretation of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly's 'War of the Worlds' is not so much a remix but Sugar ripping up the original and sticking it back together in the form of a three minutes of perfectly chunky glitch pop. It's like, wow, how to make a song that was already a tune in to the theme from an early 90s Sega game that you want to listen to on repeat. Thumbs up.

I have never really liked the Rumble Strips, and after seeing them last summer and being put off by their tad mediocre sound, I have never really strayed anywhere near them (well apart from to listen to Sportsday Megaphone's remix of previous single). However, how could I resist when I saw that David E. Sugar had put his hands to work at remixing their latest single 'Girls and Boys in Love'. At what a mix it is! It starts off all tinkling pianos, until roughly the 50 second mark when in drops a crunchy electro riff which is partnered once more about 15 seconds later by that lovely piano. It's big and punchy, and puts the original to shame!

On the subject of his original material, as an added bonus I have thrown in his cover of the Cure's 'Just Like Heaven', which sees a classic slice of Robert Smith put through the 8-bit blender and coming out squeakyfresh the other side.

David E. Sugar's new single 'Chelsea Girls' is out October 15th on Brikabrak.
'Chelsea Girls' video directed by Peepshow Collective.

mp3: Klaxons - Golden Skans (David E. Sugar remix)
mp3: Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - War of the Worlds (David E. Sugar remix)
mp3: The Rumble Strips - Girls And Boys In Love (David E. Sugar's Shameless mix)
mp3: David E. Sugar - Just Like Heaven (Cure cover)

Just Jak It.

Pseudonecrophile are a boy and a girl from Houston, Texas, who I seem to have stumbled across out of nowhere. However, since hearing them only a few days ago on the old myspace I have became somewhat obsessed with their irresistable blend of electronica and attitude, a mix that hits hard but manages not to sacrife its pop edge. Imagine Crystal Castles if all they listened to was Justin Timberlake. Or something like that. The track that has stuck in my head most is 'Jak It', an ode to a Jack Mitchell who, as the song informs, is a sex god. Apparently. Bass-heavy beats and quicksharp vocals is the name of Pseudonecrophile's game - and it's the kind of game I want to play.

The remix by supercool Parisian Gohan is also highly recommended and worth checking out, and if you enjoy that you can download his album from his myspace. 'John Woo' is a bit of a tasty tidbit to get your juices flowing. It got mine going for sure. Bonus, non?

mp3: Pseudonecrophile - Jak It
mp3: Pseudonecrophile - Jack Mitchell (Gohan remix)
mp3: Gohan - John Woo

Coming Back With Power! Power!

BOOM! M.I.A is missing no longer, I have found her in my stereo every single minute since the release of her second major album Kala on the 20th of August.

I feared an album too 'banging' for my tastes with the more raucous tracks; 'XR2', 'Bird Flu' and 'Boyz up on her myspace at the beginning of the year.

"...take a pill good time all the time"

However this contender for album of the decade has come with some more saccharine tracks that are more to my tastes and serves to make the album a richer and more eclectic venture.

While blogging M.I.A. continuines the theme of 2007 being a great year for albums as many artists are following up on their 2005 releases which by and large were best bunch of records ever released in a 12 month period I have to say that this album is extremely good at making it feel little has come before it. It is totally complete, not one song could be swapped with 2005's Arular as it would serve to ruin both albums.

While Arular was an explosion of positively addictive Carioca Funk, Kala is much more of a Hip-Hop affair with Timbaland even producing a track. Its more stripped down and the samples are more recognizable and M.I.A's delivery and content has moved towards gangs and guns; though more AK47s in Africa than 8 Balls and Glocks in South Central LA. Contributions by Timbaland and Afrikan Boy help Kala conform more to the typical Hip Hop formula of collabirations.

"I’m illegal I don’t pay tax tax,
EMA yes I’m claiming that that"

She hasn't sidestepped pure dancibility and with Tacks like Boys, XR2 and the sublime Jimmy which sees her adopting a more Bollywood style she will be permanent fixture on all god DJs set lists - certainly in America where she is far out pacing her level of fame over here.

Is there a theme to Kala? Does it all string together? Not really, no. Perhaps there are many threads that unwravel for a track and are reswen back into the fabric of the album later. While she criticises the status quo with regards to the West and the Third world in Hussle and $20 she is at ease with forgetting them completely with Jimmy and Come Around.

"no one on the corner has swagga like us"

Is it all good? You bet your Air Max 95s it is! Its arogant and funny, dancable and edgy, lots of good things and yes more good thing besides. While I did not think this immediately this is one of the greatest albums to come out of the UK (though this album owes everything but M.I.A. herself to the US) in the last 10 years. Its made listening to Arular harder and while I think this had the potential to become slightly dated in the long run right now its perfect and I'm prepared for the time when she claims she's bigger than Jesus and really isn't cool anymore, I'll be there asking the very important question, "Where were you in 92?" I was 7 growing up in Northfields, South Ealing near Hounslow where M.I.A. is from so I kinda feel like we're kindred spirits. I am seriously considering changing my name to Jimmy Aaja!

This was very close to a sensible album review and this worries me. To counter balence this I shall turn to M.I.A. herself and how she described her album to the Gaurdian in March: "Shapes, colours, Africa, street, power, bitch, nu world, brave." I couldn't agree more.

M.I.A. - Boyz
M.I.A. - Jimmy
M.I.A. - Paper Planes
M.I.A. - Come Around Feat. Timbaland

2005 Version 2.0

If I have not said it before I shall say it here and now: 2005 was the greatest year for music ever. Well, for me it certainly was as it produced the most amazing albums in my living memory and it has always been albums that really make my pussy moist.

And now all those amazing artists are now coming out with their follow up albums and all helping to bring 2007 closer to the bench mark 2005 has set. We've already had Arcades Fire's follow up to Funeral, the excellent Neon Bible, LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver, Bloc Party's A Weekend In the City and quite a few other notable artists. Over a series of blogs I would like to draw attention to a few more acts that are following up their 2005 albums with produce of a similar high grade.

First up is New York based The National. Their 2005 album Alligator was the reason why I have bought their entire back catalouge, why I am willing to pay silly money to see them play in November, why I bum them hard and why I bought their new album, Boxer, without hearing a note.

The Album does not dissapoint and while I do love the format of albums I find it very hard to review them. But Huzzah! I live in blogland where the mp3s roll like mighty semi-legal rivers of music down the to estuary of your ears and trickling into your mind tanks the knowledge of how amazingly good albums can be sans the need for me describe the indescribable.

Here are two tracks from Boxer, Fake Empire and Mistaken For Strangers and since I know you're curious here's one of my favourite tracks from their Alligator album, Mr. November.

PS For me the National are a warm blanket that I like to wrap myself up in even when its hot, if you are cosying up to them too then I suggest starting with Alligator and moving on to Boxer from there. Also if you have a nosy round the blogs you may be able to lay your hands on their Black Session that did in Paris a while back - a truly magical recording. x

I could have been one of the most notorious..

I went out last night, and as I burned it up in the back streets of Soho (on the lovely little hotbox hidden gem that is White Heat's dance floor) there was one song on my mind, Santogold's 'Creator'. Now, I know this has been around for a while, but it's not as well known as it should be, it's just such a good tune to dance too -wicked rhythm (-IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BEAT IN MY BOOKS). I was even lucky enough to see them play this out live in Fabric no less - with it's renowned sound system it sounded so damn fine.

Santogold - Creator

Now the real reason I was in Fabric was to see Justice/ Busy P/ Goose (yes, yes the chem bro's were headlining, but I just couldn't resist seeing the lovely French duo and the rest of the Ed Banger crew that were floating around) and thus spent most of the night getting a bit grimey in room 3. So as I left White Heat in the early hours of the morn this song managed to find it's way into my head, and it's still going strong now..

Sebastien Tellier (Mr Oizo, SebastiAn) - Chivers As A Female

However, just like two dj's fighting over the decks, the above mentioned song has been hustling for head time play, it's rival being this classic tune which I stumbled upon when looking through my brother's music collection (he's got a better taste in music than I give him credit for) - enjoy

Turbulence - Notorious

(Short post yeah? I just had to get these tracks off my chest, or should that be out of my head?)

One last thing before I go, got sent this link earlier... daft hands - now I just have to wait and see if anyone's going to try and top it, say with firestarter (I don't know how it would work, but that's for someone else to deal with ;)

ellie love

x y z

VHS Or Beta version 2.0.

Somewhere along the line since the amazing 2004 debut Night On Fire, Kentucky's VHS Or Beta lost their guitarist of 10 years Zeke Buck, who parted ways to join Matthew Johnson in a new outfit called People Noise, exchancing the experimental dance funk for massive riffs and walls of feedback. Fair enough.

This however hasn't stopped the progress of the band, now a 3-piece, as they have just finished their third studio album Bring On The Comets, set for an August release in the US. Whilst new tracks such as forthcoming single 'Can't Believe a Single Word', and album teaser 'Burn It All Down' (both of which have been posted on the bands myspace page) have elements which herald back to the sound which they are most well known for, they also signal a departure towards a more minimal vibe, most obviously caused by the lack of Buck's trademark layered guitar noise. Yet despite this major change in the band's dynamic, they move on positively, as vocalist and guitarist Craig Pfunder discusses on their blog:

"We wanted to achieve a sort of minimalism we hadn't considered before. Not to say the record is minimal, but rather we focused on the songs first and labored to make big songs that have memorable melodies. That was a key focus."

'Burn It All Down' is my pick of the first two tracks to emerge, all flangered guitars, a riff not to disimilar to Boy Kill Boy's 'Suzie', with hints of syth and piano flourishing the verses, before a memorable chorus which calls back to 'Night on Fire', a highlight of the first record. VHS Or Beta are back, and it would appear they are far from an outdated format.

VHS Or Beta will release Bring On The Comets on August 28th via Astralwerks, there debut is available now.

mp3: VHS Or Beta - Burn It All Down
mp3: VHS Or Beta - Night On Fire

Messages from down under.

Sometimes I forget to check my e-mails. It's one of those things I'm not great at. Most of the time it's only messages from myspace or paypal, or the odd bit of spam, so you can imagine my surprise and joy when I log in to Hotmail and find I've had some exciting messages from fun people telling me about fun music.

Even more fun is that a couple of these had come from Australia. That's 10583 miles!

Firstly was Sydney's Lions At Your Door, who sound like they mean business. Imagine The Gossip, but Beth has ditched Kate Moss and has spent a bit of time in NY with Karen O... and listened to a healthy amount of The Rapture together. It sounds too good to be true, I know, but it's all real. Their signature tune, 'LAYD', is the dance-punk calling card that you must hear.

mp3: Lions At Your Door - LAYD

And as if that wasn't enough, then there was 7 Day Weekend, who I just love for existing. Or something along those lines. According to the spokesperson for their label, Love is My Velocity, the 4-piece take their inspiration from and sing about "boys, pizza, parties and leisure wear". It's very fun and cutesy. The four girls all met at art school (where else?) and take pride in giving their gigs themes, allowing them the chance to dress up in a whole host of outfits including pirates, clowns and mimes. Latest track, 'Hot Property', sees the girls sing about wanting to get down low in your bungalow, all tongue- in-cheek of course, whilst 'Party Monster' is perfect fluoro-electro-pop... and it has hand claps. Hand claps = a selling point.

mp3: 7 Day Weekend - Hot Property
mp3: 7 Day Weekend - Party Monster

Perks of the job? Yeah, I guess so.