Hercules & Love Affair Video

Hercules and Love Affair do a pretty righteous version of Daniel Wang's "Like Some Dream", which I posted here a few months ago, before transitioning into their own song "True False / Fake Real". Props to the trombone player, he's pulling off some nice trills even though he's puffing out his cheeks which is like the first thing they teach you not to do in middle school band class.



If you were wondering, that black guy dancing around doesn't play an instrument or sing in any of the other videos, he just dances around.

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Bedroom Mix

I recorded this a few nights ago. The mixing is shaky at points, but the idea was just to record a session despite it's flaws. There are a few really solid and ambitious transitions in my opinion. I'm starting to realize that I try to stay in the mix too long. 45 seconds is really difficult if you're not playing techno, which I generally don't play. So from now on, here's your's truly pledging to start acting more like a hip-hop DJ and keeping the transitions to 8 bars.


Bedroom Mix #1 - January 7
31minutes32seconds

Shriekback - My Spine is the Bassline ("12 edit) - 1982
Tepr - En Direct De La Cote - 2006
Wax Romeo - Hey Kids - 2006
Daniel Wang - Gotta Get Up - 1993
T.J. Johnson Band - Dragonfly - 1983
Rhythm Based Lovers - Snow Drift - 2008
Alb - Sweet Sensation (Breakbot Remix) - 2008(?)
Crazy P - Love On The Line (Unabombers Dub Mix) - 2008
Stone Roses - I am the Resurrection (Sir Billy Remix) - 2008(?)
Lee Douglas - Hide'n Seek - 2008
Altz - Yello - 2007
Marbeya - Sancho - 2008

Stream or download it here.

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Favorite Song Wednesday

Joubert Singers - Stand on the World (Larry Levan Mix)


I'm not sure the true story of the track, there are several different versions. Discogs credits disco remix pioneer Walter Gibbons (and his early 80's religious conversion) with it's discovery. A Youtube clip of the song lists it as released in 1982, as opposed to Discogs 1985 listing for both the original and Tony Humphries remix releases. Also, French electro group Keedz recently released a version of the track that's gotten some play on Annie Mac's BBC show. This is Larry Levan's mix, which I originally found on some blog and then rediscovered on the Unabombers "Electric Chair Rip", an excellent disco edit single.



Okay, I'm done being nerdy. This song is just undeniable. It begins with a rippling piano line and from there it just builds and builds. The drums are typical Levan, punchy and succinct, with some monstrously extended hand claps. A slap bass line is almost joking around it's so wild, with some wicked vibrato and really strange rhythmic accents. The instrumentation is perfect, but the real draw is the choir.

You can hear the vocals begin to build at the around the 30 second mark and they explode into actual lyrics a little after one minute in. The refrain is triumphant, the mixing of male and female voices is particularly poignant, the gender of the vocal timbre weaves in and out gracefully and effectively. My favorite part has got to be when the female voice is isolated and sings, "We don't know how, we don't know when." It has the flair of a show-tune.

Also, be sure to listen to the whole track because the last 30 seconds is when it atually hits the "Stand on the World" part, and although it fades out rather quickly, it is a great culmination of the rest of the song.

BONUS:

Alternative version of Stand On the World, this one listed as released in 1982. More electro-funked out, but lacking the grace of the Levan mix.


Version by Keedz released in 1982. The high synth stabs on this are nearly identical to Justice's D.A.N.C.E, the bass sound is awful, and it sounds like they're exploiting the original vocal recording. Really not very good.
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DOUBLE BONUS:

And lastly another MP3 from that Unabombers single, this a mix of Daniel Wang's "Like Some Dream (I Can't Stop Dreaming), which was featured on the James Murphy/Pat Mahoney Fabric Live mix last year. It's the heat.

Daniel Wang - Like Some Dream (I Can't Stop Dreaming)

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