Author: Harry Browne

Against The Clock – FACTmagazine

Against the Clock is great little feature run by FACTmagazine. The premise is that they give artists 10 minutes to make a track and film it. What you get is a wicked insight into their creative process – most of the time the artists are able to make a track that has their signature sound. Unpolished, but fresh. Two my faves below – but check out the Youtube playlist for some more festive viewing. There are 193 of them so find an artist you like and go from there.

Agar Agar (another post about them here)

Tom Demac (another post about him here)

Supermodel (You Better Work) – RuPaul

There’s a lot being said about the UK’s drag scene these days and a lot of it seems to be coming back to the opinions of RuPaul. I don’t know if I’m super late to this or what –  I thought that RuPaul was a scenester / TV personality – it seems he is a lot more than that. Exhibit #1 this track from 1993. It’s a camp, glittery, disco anthem.

Wondering which dance move to trot out? Check out this video from Peach’s Boiler Room Manchester set. She’s launched all the levels. Skip to 0:45 for a some tip-top vogue-ing action.

DISCWOMAN 55 x Peach

Today’s post is a direct rip from Resident Advisor’s Top 100 mixes of the year article. Lazy much? Anyway, it’s sick, and the description is good, and I thought, ‘why try beat it?’ You can find it here. I’m new to Peach, and I like.

“”I don’t think I’ve been ever very good at the chill thing,” Peach admitted when her Discwoman mix was published in October. No matter: her sets happily exist in a space well outside the chill zone. DISCWOMAN 55 was as bright as it was tough, with dreamy breakbeats, 135 BPM rave, the odd dollar-bin oldie and loads of great new music. This was Peach doing what she does best.”

If you like what you hear, Peach is playing a few dates around the UK over the next couple of months.

Say My Name – Cyril Hahn

It’s 2012. To make a successful dance track:

  1. Take your favourite R&B banger
  2. Pitch down a vocal sample so that it is just about recognisable
  3. Put it up on Youtube with a photo of a sexy lady (I’m looking at you Majestic Casual) and watch the hits roll in

It might be a formula, but the man from Bern Cyril Hahn kind of nails it with this Destiny’s Child remix. Simple, but deep and effective – I can’t help but love this one.

Midnight in Peckham – Chaos in the CBD

Bradley Zero’s Peckham-based Rhythm Section label has been nailing it over the last decade. No surprise then that they picked up two beaut Jazz/House fusion EPs from Kiwi brother-pairing Chaos in the CBD. Let their smooth brass and beats drift over you.

They are playing one UK night tonight with Percolate at Hangar. Don’t miss.

Bonus track: could they go deeper? Could they go smoother? You betcha.

KiNK

Lucky reader, I have 3 of the highest quality house tracks going for you today – all courtesy of KiNK. Strahil Velchev is the face of the Bulgarian electronic music scene. In my mind he is almost uniquely talented in taking massive, experimental steps in his production and yet still making music that is super listenable. No, I want to go further than that – he makes unfamiliar music that reaches out and grabs you, lifts you onto its shoulders and takes you on a wild beautiful ride. That’s what I hear anyway – let me know what you think.

First up Pocket Piano.

And now Dusky’s remix of Perth, followed by a KiNK remix of Jimpster.