Want to get ahead in the music industry? Limited places are now available for the upcoming Mix '08 course in Dublin, the essential how-to guide for anyone seeking a career in music.
Announcing the fourth series of the MIX (Music Industry Xplained) course.
MIX 04 is a 12-week series of lectures (one each week) by top professional exponents from the Irish and International music industry. MIX 04 is aimed at those seeking careers in the music industry. The practical workings of the industry will be explained by key figures who have worked with artists as successful as U2, The Cranberries, Clannad, Christy Moore, Westlife, Jack L, Tricky, Beautiful South, Robbie Williams, Massive Attack and others.
The second Sessions mix from Svek bod Dahlback proves that deep house isn't exclusively made for boring, obsessive spotty blokes in record company t-shirts.
Former hell for leather techno type Toni Rios mellows out to deliver a fine acid-electro-minimal house mix that includes tracks from Steve Bug, Phonique, Jay Tripwire as well as the ubiquitous Matthew Jonson.
The Mix-Up is billed as the Beastie Boys’ “first ever album of all-new instrumental material,” although the NYC trio have been playing around with wordless funk and jazz pieces throughout their career.
Music Industry Xplained, now in its third year at Dun Laoghaire Colege of Further Education, is now open for applications for the course beginning Septemer 23
The taut, stripped-down techno of Berlin's Get Physical is at the bleeding edge of contemporary dance music. Now the label has released its first mix album.
Pete Kushnereit and Rene Lowe, better known as Scion, have released a mix album of Jamaican-inspired electronic tracks by the elusive German technocrat Maurizio
With the first in a series of Tortured mix CDs, Tortured Chambers, highlighting nu-skool European techno producers like Umek, Joel Mull and Adam Beyer, RICHARD BROPHY caught up with one of the hardest working, genuine nice guys in dance music, Billy Nasty
Luke Unabomber explains how Manchester’s electric chair night has progressed from a “shitty little club” into one of the UK’s most successful dance events, with special guests, mix cd on release and worldwide touring dates. It’s about the music, apparently
Music Industry Xplained is aimed at those seeking careers in the music industry and aims to give students a practical overview of the workings of the various components of the industry using lecturers that are currently employed at the top of the music and entertainment industries.
Mendo’s ‘Everybody’ gets taken apart by Mr. G. The ‘That Sound Mix’ gets straight down to business with a firing, drum heavy percussive groove, while on the ‘Dr. Feelgood Mix’ McBean goes for a deeper yet equally driving mix. Superb.
One of the new breed of DJs emerging from the UK, Craig Richards and his DJing partner Lee Burridge have been lauded for their ability to seamlessly join the gaps between breakbeat, tripped out tech-house and deep trance. Resident at London superclub Tyrant, friends with the enigmatic Sasha and on the brink of releasing the definitive Tyrant mix CD, one of the hottest DJs on the planet talks to RICHARD BROPHY.
The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show’s Beat the Original competition on Today FM, ended this morning with Perfect Mix’s version of U2’s ‘One’ taking the title for 2009 following a public vote.
Smooth nu-soul from the Amp, the Jaylib mix takes it down a different route with a rattling old break and lovely keys. Even the Bugzzzz in the Attic mix is good. Winner.
Two brilliant dub versions of recent Soma offerings – Steve Bug’s dark, acidic mix of Funk d’Void benefits from the lack of vocals, while Alex Smoke’s mix of Envoy’s ‘Move On’ is even better.
The typically epic mix de-rocks the original and makes it into something of a monster – the loose, live bassline that snakes through the track sounds great in prog mode.
Carl Cox celebrates Intec’s fifth birthday with a surprisingly restrained mix from the label’s back catalogue with contributions from Trevor Rockliffe, C1, Oxia and DJ Q’s superb mix of Valentino Kanzyani’s ‘House Soul’.
2001 looks like it could be Murray Richardson’s year; the winner of Muzik’s ‘Bedroom Bedlam’ competition, this new mix for Kickin proves that he has what it takes to rise to the premier league.
2001 looks like it could be Murray Richardson’s year; the winner of Muzik’s ‘Bedroom Bedlam’ competition, this new mix for Kickin proves that he has what it takes to rise to the premier league.
There are a few heavy moments here - most notably Dean Cole's heavy rhythmic growls - but even the intense moments are off set by her innate sense of funk and ability to mix the tough with the smooth.
David Kitt [pictured right], The Frank And Walters, The Walls and Royseven are among the artists who have been selected to have their videos made, in a special programme run by New York University, in association with Hot Press. Royseven's recently released debut album, The Art Of Insincerity, entered the Irish album charts at No.17 this week.
Texas native Jonathan Caouette has caused a sensation in underground circles in the US with his brilliant and groundbreaking debut, Tarnation. A dazzling mix of autobiographical scenes, TV clips, movie footage and cutting-edge music, it might just be the best movie you’ll see this year.
It’s all about the bass on the original mix, as Discemi – aka Jori Hulkonen and Toumas Salmela – allow the up-building arpeggiated b-line to dominate this passable electro-house cut before freestyle synths clutter things up after the break. RadioSlave accentuates the main riff on his deep 12-minute mix.
Ho’s taut, linear mix – intricate drums, surprising sax – is good, but Rob Hood’s mix is awesome. It kicks off with soulful keys and playful, jazzy stabs, before dropping into funky 4/4 and busy percussion. Layered FX pick things up, with all the above combining for a wonderful ride. Brilliant.
Freestyle Man’s mix of ‘Soul Sounds’, is lame, sounding like an old rolling tribal house record with some weird acid sounds added in. However, the Dirt Crew mix is a different proposition, and the duo’s recycling of piano house lines and set against a pulsing backing, is edgy and fresh.
A highly impressive return from the two ex-Gong members. The 7’s own mix is full-on slice of dark, dubby progressive house-meets-trance with effective use of drums while the Voyager mix whacks everything up to eleven over eleven minutes but gets there in the end. It’s Goa trance, Jim, but not as we knew it.
This is her fourth album, a hugely ambitious concatenation of every kind of black American music you can think of, from jazz, r 'n' b and soul to funk, go-go and hip-hop
For a start, the tracks – from the deeper gear {Soul Patrol) to the quirky (Derrick Carter’s bumpin’ mix of the amazing Hot Lizard, Unslung Heroes) to the downright dirty and tribal (Eastside Movement, New Alumunists, Hipp-E and most of the others) – are excellent.
Matt Jam Lamont, previously one half of Tuff Jam puts out his first solo mix, and it’s a representative selection of the development of UK garage in recent years. Comprising two CDs, the first disc consists mainly of slick, sanitized R’n’B style 2 step that veers into cheesy chart fodder territory.
While Weatherall is more normally found dropping grungy dancefloor electro these days, he has no problem changing direction and building a smooth and flowing mix built entirely from Force Tracks’ back catalogue.
Everyone’s favourite Italian, (and the world’s most renowned reptile lover) takes the logical step and follows smashes ‘Iguana’, ‘Lizard’ and ‘Komodo’ with his first DJ mix album.
Where has he been all these years? Detroit’s Stacey Pullen delivers a mix for Fabric that’s more deep and tech-house than the techno funk he’s known for.
It’s hard to believe that this is Peace Division’s first mix CD. After all, they’ve recently remixed Moby and turned down the same offer from Kylie. Not bad for two acid house survivors. One listen to ‘Peace Process’, and it’s obvious that Henry and Drake have pioneered their own style.
Avoid the obvious Benni Benassi electro/house mix, take a moment to check the linear Paper Faces and then realise that the glistening pop of the original is best.
It’s the boompty thing innit – two remixes of Dixon’s recent release that match swing with house rather well, while Derrick Carter’s mix on the flip is on autopilot but still useful.
Heidi’s tune-selection – a mix of dark house, minimal and surprises from Craig, Tejada, Houle, Chandler, Under and Ferrer – is flawless, even if some of the programming is a tad random.
One of Germany’s most respected DJ/producers weighs in with a mix that includes tracks from minimal luminaries Trentemoller, Thomas Melchior, Robag Wruhme and Steve Bug.
Cracking double CD mix from the boy wonder – encompassing breaks, prog, glitchy house and techno – all mixed in his deft style. Very open-minded and very impressive.
It sounded great when this appeared on Crosstown boss Damian Lazarus’ recent Get Lost mix CD, and this mixture of abstract percussion and oppressive bass still takes the biscuit.
We could do without the free mix from Rainer Truby, but some of the remixes in this package – especially the ones by Tiefschwarz, Fabrice Lig and Whignomy Brothers – are well worth a listen if noodly nu jazz isn’t your thing.
Ivan Smagghe from Black Strobe follows his excellent ‘Death Disco’ mix with a more contemporary selection here, as Jamie Bissmire and Jesper Dahlback get down and dirty with Random Factor and Tiefschwarz.
Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet, chooses to open his addition to the DJ Kicks series with the twisted electronica of David Behrman, and follows that with the altogether funkier Syclops. Hearing those two tracks segue into each other is a reminder of how glorious mix albums like this can be in the hands of someone as skilled as Hebden.
Henrik Schwarz replicates the mixture of soul and funk with techno/house futurism from his ‘DJ Kicks’ mix CD, as a muffled vocal weaves its way in and out of a laidback, acidic arrangement.
Henrik Schwarz replicates the mixture of soul and funk with techno/house futurism from his ‘DJ Kicks’ mix CD, as a muffled vocal weaves its way in and out of a laidback, acidic arrangement.
Sian finds form on the a-side, marrying a bassline that sounds like Radiohead’s ‘Everything In It’s Right Place’ with hissing percussion and likeable liquid keys that stab in and out of the mix. Good work.
Progressive DJ James Holden shatters all expectations on this double mix CD by alternating between deep dub techno from Baby Ford and Umek and the underground electro of Scape One.
The first lady of underground electro weighs in with a mix that draws on her label’s impressive catalogue, as Eggfooyoung’s skeletal funk rubs shoulders with her own ‘Freaky Bitches’ collaboration with DJs Godfather and Assault.
Like the Alphabet album that provides its home, ‘Everything Is Everything’ has a lovely timbre to it, a just right mix of the electronic and the organic that just seems to slide out of the speakers.
The follow up to Mills’ pioneering ‘Live At The Liquid Room’ explores a deeper vein of tech-funk while the accompanying DVD release offers footage of the quick mix don in action.
Wink’s mix combines loads of 303 (no way!) with added menace, garnered from the unsettling original. And it kicks hard – the thundering drums-and-hats and numerous drops and builds combine for an effective assault.
Can you dance to minimal? Adam Beyer seems to think so and, on his first Fabric mix, ditches his usual panel beating techno madness in favour of a more considered selection from 2 Dollar Egg, Dominik Eulberg and Reinhard Voigt.
Hasard’ is a gentle grower with Funk d’Void synths that build perfectly over slightly cheesy keys and drums, while ‘Return 1’ is cool if unexceptional slice of driving techno for the mix.
I guess that a Johnny Cash dance mix was somehow inevitable, yet nothing can prepare you for how utterly depressing this piece of crap is. As heard at football matches, European holiday resorts and dodgy nightclubs up and down the land and, in a word, hateful.
The title’s claim might be somewhat misleading: apart from a collaboration between Kurtis Blow and Krafty Kuts on ‘Gimme The Breaks’, this mix features a succession of run of the mill, hip-hop influenced breaks from the label’s back catalogue.
Timely release from this NYC collective – sounds like a mix between !!! and LCD, with the right amount of Detroit, Berlin, glitch and lo-fi white boy funk in it to keep in interesting. Better still, this has songs you can sing. And plenty to dance to. Natch.
The original’s a dark, brooding electro-pop tale of lost teeth, complete with squealing synths. Williams' mix is mighty and meaty. Then everything gets arpeggiated and it ends up being a monster. Troy Pierce has ze minimal swing…
Digitalism take it down the de-rigueur punk funk/disko rock route, with pervy and unsettling undertones thanks to the vocals. Midnight Mike’s mix is a more innocent, a fresh-faced, tongue-in-cheek block party disco.
If you thought German dance music alternated between tops off Teutonic trance and willfully obscure experimental electronic music, then think again as DJ Hell takes to the controls for the second mix CD from legendary techno club FUSE.
Camp electro-crooner Louis reprises Christopher Just’s ‘I’m A Disco Dancer’ on this enjoyably daft Johnny Cash-esque tale of a life in music. Just crops up with souped-up glam techno mix. Fun.
Jacek Sienkiewicz’s intricate mix is intriguing, but Daschund supplies a belter: a phased acid line and sparse beats are beefed up by a Donnacha Costello-esque bassline and percussion, topped off by reverbed, FX-heavy breakdowns.
The original is a tight slice of Joy Division-aping electronica. George Issakidis injects some menace with his schaffel-ish mix – spitting hi-hats, brooding bassline and morse code FX result in an intriguing roller.
Compiled and mixed by Joe Ransom – no, we’ve never heard of him either – this mix features some breaks, some hip-hop a dash of house and electro and, as a grand finale, Dynamite’s tale of woe about working in the music business, ‘Industry’.
One of the most popular techno DJs in the world - if DJ Mag’s recent poll is anything to go on – delivers a mix with big tunes from Beyer & Dahlback and Mr Sliff, as well as his own pumping sound and a few nods to broken beat with contributions from Mulero and Wunsch.
Charles Webster turns in two tight mixes for the deep heads: the ‘Club’ mix opens with and uses the excellent male vocal sparingly over a clicky groove that’s warmed by backward chords and a deep bassline.
It’s another year, so that means another compilation from the ever-reliable NRK. Musically, it’s the same deep, flowing techy house as ever, with contributions from Miguel Migs, David Alvarado and Nick Holder and a mix CD from Hipp-E.
The slightly tedious ‘Fire’ – centred around a spiky synth riff – lacks Samuel’s usual class. Claude Von Stroke’s mix is similarly dull, but St Sebastian redeems this release with some tight modern deep house.
Mobilee’s new sub-label gets off to a shaky start with a two-tracker from one half of SmashTV. ‘EnduroDisco’ is an uncomfortable mix of minimal frequencies and droning basslines and FX while ‘Aura’ – a gloopy tribute to ‘Erotic Discourse’ – explores similar territory with marginally more success.
With some bands you sense the difference between cult obscurity and the mainstream could come down to just one record. Mr Hudson and The Library would seem to be just too off kilter for mass consumption but ‘Too Late, Too Late’ distils their scattergun approach into a radio friendly mix of reggae, ska and hip-hop.
Smoke’s darkly paranoid original is a rare thing: a techno track you’ll find yourself humming on the bus. Slam’s tougher, leaner mix meanders nicely, while Ada’s dense take adds strings and a digital sheen.
‘Something…’ is a hypnotic mid-tempo 303 chugger that builds into a wall of groovy, grainy noise. The odd ‘Understand…’ pairs mix-and-match timing with layered voices and unpredictable drums. Phreaked-out drug music from this unlikely pairing.
Sniper Mode delivers a spacious electro mix with plenty of bass and engaging off-beat, reverbed stabs, while Phil Kieran offers a tough techno take with crunchy drums, odd FX and a harsh, head-spinning breakdown.
Forgettable glam-ish ‘electro’ with 80s tinges that screams ‘bandwagon’. Radioslave’s mix is like one long glitch track dragged into the main room – hissing FX, wild, spitting stabs and a crazy break… it’s a trip
One of electronic music’s most idiosyncratic DJs lends his talents to the Fabric series with a mix that includes killer tracks from DJ T, Jesper Dahlback’s insane ‘Robot Dance’, his own brilliant remix of Villalobos and The Emperor Machine’s ‘Bloody Hell’.
Le Youngsters combine their Motor City obsession with Euro sensibilities on this one The elastic bassline and punky, spoken vocals work well with the R-Tyme-ish FX and keys – very well balanced. Agoria’s barnstoming mix is end-of-night material.
The second single from Dublin four piece The Adventures starts with a few seconds of feedback. It's a chance to steady yourself, because for the next two and a half minutes 'Don't Tell Your Friends' doesn't let up, showcasing a band who are learning fast how to mix lethal pop hooks with driving melodies. Tell your friends!
Stripped-down minimal house with a raw, rolling bassline that suck you in on the a-side, while Robag’s stop/start mix ups the percussion and adds the most lovely melancholic keys. The deep Detroit house of ‘Still Like It Like That’ is a welcome surprise.
Irish duo Addnoise continue to impress on this limited edition one-sided remix on an earlier track – a deep and dubby bassline underpins this groover while snaking, curling FX and the merest hint of haunting keys drift in and out of the mix. Mesmerising.
If you manage to sit through this mix – which features MF Doom, Jaylib and Jehst sandwiched oddly beside far too many puerile Rappin’ Ronnie Reagan-esque cut-ups featuring various voices you’ll recognise – more than once, we will buy you a pint. Title of the year though.
While it’s not as daring as their other current mix CD, ‘How To Kill The DJ’, this new selection does nonetheless manage to fuse classic acid and techno tracks from Fast Eddie, Vapourspace and Mr Fingers with Hawkwind, The Stranglers, early Simple Minds and The Temptations!
The menacing bass and ominous riffs of Dave Robertson and PJ Davy’s ‘3 Weeks’ sails a little too close to prog for these ears, but check Nathan Coles’ mix...
‘Spot The Difference’ is dank, purist electro with dirty acid undercurrents. Transparent Sound’s mix steals the thunder, with Martin and Orson turning ‘Insert’ into a jacking acid track that morphs midway through into a synthy breaker.
Seminal German dub techno label Poker Flat’s latest compilation features great club tunes from Jeff Bennett, Steve Bug and Jeff Samuel as well as a bonus mix CD from Jon Tejada.
Seminal German dub techno label Poker Flat’s latest compilation features great club tunes from Jeff Bennett, Steve Bug and Jeff Samuel as well as a bonus mix CD from Jon Tejada.
Ulrich Schnauss turns in some typically tasty leftfield action on the flip, but it’s Kiki’s ice cool mix of ‘Crawling…’ – all warm, surging synths, clean FX and a bassline to die for – that will be keeping us warm this winter.
'Whip My Blue Chip' has all the right ingredients for a band who claim to be influenced by Bowie and the Super Furry Animals - intriguingly strange lyrics, detached vocals, and a nice mix of electronica and guitars. But it never really blasts off in the way you keep hoping it will, and as it fades out, you can't help but feel nothing terribly important has happened.
The real highlights on ‘Sugar’ are the remixes: Trevor Jackson’s Playgroup mix unites tough bass licks with visceral Chicago rhythms and Metronomy bring Ladytron’s bittersweet pop into a domain where acid trax and '80s industrial are the main components.
Tiefschwarz’s mix rocks a harsh acidic bassline, rilly cool off-kilter FX and a spazzed-out, stab heavy break. Evil Nine’s rolling breakbeats don’t sit well with the keys, but is less furious than their usual gear, and that’s a good thing.
One of the leading lights in European minimalism delivers a mix that spans a wide range of dance floor styles: sure, there a number of stripped down tracks, but there’s also new school acid house from Tigerskin and ADJD and Claro Intelecto’s deep techno classic, ‘Chicago’.
The industrious Dahlbacks mix soulful vocals and tracky acid on ‘Barbariba’ and, while ‘Pellefantastic’ and ‘Snabeln’ impress with their brute force techno grunge, ‘Dumbolina’ is the standout track, an emotive techno swagger characterised by its recycled trance chords.
The original's a great punk-funk/go-go ditty about picking up a rather filthy lady. Phwoar. Mustapha3000 (aka Erol Alkan) supplies a smart remix tat sounds like Justice reworking Prodigy's 'Poison'. If you're confused by the above, Headman drops a usable club mix too.
'Magnet's is decent if unexeptional Hacker-esque techno with a Detroit whiff: the elastic, spiraling bassline and busy, linear FX work in the mix. 'Beside' takes the high definition, hi-tech funk approach before a belching bassline ups a gear.
Eleven tracks of dark, dense and sometimes intense techno rhythms from this pair. It’s quite brutal in places, but never feels hard for the sake of it. Indeed, the tempo of some tracks will surprise. An engaging mix of abstract and dancefloor, this is a welcome change in a world where the prefix ‘electro’ is becoming too common.
One half of Black Strobe delivers his latest mix – how many more can he release? – this time for London club Fabric. As ever, there’s an emphasis on dark bass-led techno and house, featuring tracks from DJ Koze, Michael Mayer and Konrad Black.
Dolphin Wave Effect open the Groovetech vinyl account with a deep and spacey spoken word style electro number. Meanwhile, former Spooky man Duncan Forbes drops a deep and funky tech-house mix as Animated on the other side.
Influx ex-pats Glen Brady and Dominique Keegan continue to ride the punk funk wave perfectly – ‘Listen…’ is a loose, lo-fi 140bpm thing with subtle guitars, louche vocals and a winning chorus. The Mylo mix drops the pressure for the floor.
Hot Press has some brilliant opportunities for Irish bands and solo acts. Read on to see how you can get a music video, CD release, studio time and a top gig...
It’s easy to dismiss Richie Hawtin as a poster-boy for minimalism. But on ‘The Tunnel’ and ‘Twin Cities’, he works in reverse to his peers, piecing together elements from a number of other tracks. Like his ‘Transitions’ mix, these tracks evolve into intricate, ever-morphing grooves that have Hawtin’s identity stamped all over them.
Following Tiefschwarz, it’s the turn of Anu Pillai to mix it up for Fine, which he does in a wide ranging style that takes in nu Italo, electronic hip-hop, Seymour Bits’ electro funk and even Aphex Twin’s off the wall ‘Windowlicker’. It’s a real mish mash.
The Nottingham DJ duo stick to their rolling tech-house formula on this double CD. Disc one is a mix featuring techy tracks from like minded producers like Da Sunlounge and Hot Toddy, while the second CD boasts their well known productions and remixes.
He sounds like a dodgy porn star, but Ritzi Lee usually makes banging techno. For this release though, he has trawled the vaults of Detroit techno for an uplifting, end-of-night epic, the type that Secret Cinema used to make. There’s also a fine Orlando Voorn mix on the flip.
Speaker-shredding electro by numbers from this Liverpool lad. I know it might be a ‘big tune’, but why can’t producers like this put some effort into things? Oh wait, he has on the ‘Rave’ mix – an excellent arpeggiated bassline, squealing synths and smarter programming making it easier to digest. Predictably better is Joakim’s more refined remix.
Is Michel De Hey techno’s very own Oscar Wilde? Indeed, if you had him down as just a standard party techno DJ, then you’re in for a surprise as this double mix includes electro/minimal house from Lopazz, Nathan Fake and Alex Smoke as well as the usual bangers from Leandro Gamez and Hardcell from the Dutch dandy.
Hell stays away from techno with his effective ‘white boy does funk’ take – loose bass, analogue riff, cool disko FX – while Technasia lash out a jackin’, busy mix of ‘Way Of Life’ on the flip.
She might hate dancing but Chloe sure knows a thing or two about making other people get up on the dance floor. Apart from using an obvious big tune - Tiga’s ‘Pleasure From The Bass’ - this mix focuses on house music’s acidic, minimal side, with great cuts from Steve Bug, Kiki, Robag Wruhme and International Pony.
Old dub reggae bands don’t retire, they just transform themselves into DJs and mix compilations like ‘Beatz & Bobz’. Dreadzone deliver exactly what you’d expect from a typical breaks set, although the ravey ‘High Noon’ by Tom Real and Renegade Sound Wave’s bass rumble are the undoubted highlights.
Fabric’s clubby mix series takes a sideways step with this deep, dubby and beautiful selection of off the wall dance tracks from Hull’s finest, Baby Mammoth and Beige. Think Carl Craig and Basic Channel meets Maurice Fulton and Jimi Tenor and you’re halfway there.
Unmissable comp and mix of classic Chicago moments – with added funk, punk-funk and disco moments. A comprehensive round-up of what they wuz wiggin’ out to in Chicago 15-odd years ago.
It’s refreshing to hear that party techno boy Valentino is moving with the times and this new mix includes slamming acid from the Dahlbacks and Nathan Fake’s tranced out dub techno alongside the ubiquitous rolling techno from Hardcell, Patrik Skoog and Marko Nastic.
‘Birth…’ is a peak-time barnstormer that feels cluttered at first, but there’s a certain charm to the zany hi-tech chords, burping bassline, rollicking, dense breakbeat and contrasting jazzy keys. The ‘Butchered’ mix does what it says on the tin: accentuating the chords and exposing the breaks, it’s a leaner cut.
Indie star Erlend Oye sings his way over a cool selection of house/electro from Villalobos, Morgan Geist and Justus Kohncke. Combining his version of The Smiths’ ‘There Is A Light…’ with the dark bassy house of Silicone Soul’s mix of Royksopp’s ‘Poor Leno’ is a stroke of genius.
Chris Fortier makes a decent attempt at staying in touch with trends in the world of minimal/dub techno and includes some fine tracks from Alex Smoke, 2 Dollar Egg, Mathew Jonson and the Wighnomy Brothers on this double mix, but unfortunately, the rest of his selection consists of bland prog house.
The kind of British band who have benefited wholeheartedly from the resurgence of the country’s rock scene, Breed 77 take a bit of Alice In Chains, some Pearl Jam and mix it up with the heavier end of the spectrum.
Dave The Hustler’s version of ‘Crash Kiss‘ by Crowdpleaser sounds like a mix between androgynous electroclash and teeth rattling pumping techno, while Evil C opts for a more understated approach for his remix of Water Lilly & St Plomb’s ‘Soup Soup’, delivering a cut up, glitch funk bass bomb.
Music Review | Dance Single
47% | 22 Feb 2005
Barry O Donoghue
Peter Kruder’s Phraze mix is the one here - Bogle (or is it Soca?) lo-fi house that builds from the bottom up; a dark smoking rhythm with dancehall vocals and a cool, freaked FX break. Radioslave strip it back to a bouncing riddim with tight percussion and not much else. Cool.
The razor sharp claps and grimy bass pulses that power this track sound like a mixture of classic Chicago and contemporary Sender/Grummich noise pollution. John Tejada’s mix sets a melancholic tone with a weeping bassline and mournful Detroit chords at the beginning that finishes in an acid climax.
Eight re-mixes of this track taken from the debut album of Ireland’s answer to Hot Chip might be seven too many for most people. But there’s no denying the skill and studio wizardry going on here especially if you like your tunes to come in different flavours. The ‘Corrugated Tunnel’ mix which is a kind New Order-meets-the Human League stands out among the bunch but with this much choice on offer there’s a version for everyone in the audience.
Like most RS releases, this groaning electro-houser – with wild video game noises and oscillating, growling bass – makes most sense on the floor. Rob Mello’s mix phreaks the original and blends it with spitting, ‘Science Fiction’-era Carl Craig percussion, thus making a floor-shaker.
Damian Lazarus is another convert to the stripped down groove and this new mix features the scene’s big tunes – Trentemoller’s ‘Physical Fraction’ and Superpitcher’s epic version of M83’s ‘Don’t Save Us’ – as well as big names like Villalobos, Pier Bucci, James Holden as well as, erm, The Stranglers’ ‘Love 303’.
More oddball house from MFF nowt new there – but this fares better than most. The Freaks’ original mix kicks off with some Philly-style breaks, before descending into the darkside with chopped key stabs and some scat vocals. 20:20 pay an unexpected homage to Thomas Bangalter with the excellent, funked-up flip.
The Knife are becoming something of a cult favourite – with this steel drum-heavy slice of electro/pop, it’s hard not to see why. Dahlback and Dahlback up the acidic electro/tech pressure as you’d expect, while MANDY’s mix is brilliant – it’s simply the original x 10.
Matthew Jonson’s 6/8 technoid shuffle is quite underwhelming to begin with, but when the jagged bassline and typical sweeping strings combine, it makes sense. But it’s Jennifer Cardini and Shonky’s simple mix that shines – the trancey bassline, the alien whistle FX, those glorious, R-Tyme-ish chords… rather elegant techno.
Like our friends in the North, DJ Hell and Gigolos haven’t gone away, you know. On the latest annual Gigolos compilation, the German label keeps up with the changing times and features Tiefschwarz’s body-house rocker ‘Blow’, Play Paul’s electro-pop ‘Love Song’ and the psy-disco of Emperor Machine’s mix of Psychonauts.
Avoid Sander Kleinenberg’s sloppy guitar-laden mix, shrug your shoulders at Tiga’s ‘funky’ re-fix, smile politely at the original and settle on DJ T’s decent re-fix. Tough drums and a tight, Chicago-boogie plus the original catchy melody will have you humming it all the way home
Two of Germany’s most in-vogue DJs weigh in with a definitive double CD mix of the acid/electro/minimal house and techno sound. Apart from US and Irish contributions – from John Tejada and Donnacha Costello - this is two and a half hours’ worth of the finest electronic music Europe from Guido Schneider, Trentemoller, Losoul, Booka Shade and DJ T.
For a few years now, Regan has been accumulating gradual credit with the music business, climbing to a point where he can enlist former Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde to mix his album. Such input is largely absent here, ‘Put A Penny In The Slot’ being a very simple acoustic track that doesn’t bother itself with such things as choruses, hooks or a hugely memorable melody. Nice enough but not really good enough.
These one letter DJ surnames are beginning to sound tiresome, as is the notion that a sound as monotone and conformist as breaks can be really so popular globally. Having said that, Oz DJ Phil K’s new mix isn’t as dull as most breaks mixes and he drops some quality electro and techno from Agoria and Product 01.
Andrew Weatherall’s mix uses live drums and a creeping bassline and there are two frenetic yet intricately funky mixes of ‘Ave That’ and ‘Itisanditisnt’ from Bass Junkie and Tipper.
Paul Woolford is a frustrating producer – capable of good and bad in equal measure. This four-tracker falls somewhere in between. The title track is a well-worked if predictable 303 jacker, the saw-tooth percussion, deep acid line and bright, full drums combining well. ‘Surrender’’s mix of abrasive electronic house and faux-deep keys will appeal to some. Just not me.
Eh? A Kirk DeGiorgio tune on Fuju? Seems so. And, it ain’t bad – it’s a slow-ish, gradual tech/prog/detroit builder that hits the spot thanks to some well-chosen strings. Futureshock go to town on the remix: delivering a storming acid-techno-cum-progressive mix that’ll be only bloody massive.
Featuring Green Velvet on vocals (just about), the original is a sleek slice of tech-house, livened up by Bushwacka’s shimmering synth washes. GV offers a harsh, Relief-style remix with phreaked hooks, walking bassline and squally guitars. Best is Jesse Roses’s tracky, deep mix – all chunky beats, intricate stabs and clipped keys.
Ben Larsen’s fusion of sparse, minimal shapes and niggling 303 sounds is similar to current Poker Flat releases, but David Duriez’ ferocious, jacking Chicago mix of Moody Preachers’ ‘SP 12 Resurrection doesn’t rely on such niceties and takes Phuture’s dark, acid-soaked Windy City legacy to new extremities.
Bloody hell. Matthew Jonson’s mix is a blinder – the swirling, Model 500 ‘Starlight’-era washes are beautifully all-encompassing, while the live-feeling bass and bassline pack quite a punch.
Long before The Glimmers were releasing mix CDs, The Idjut Boys were joining the dots between classic disco, funk, electro and house. ‘Press Play’ puts the new wave of eclectic DJs to shame, with long forgotten gems like Harry Thuman’s ‘Underwater’ and Willis’ incredible, slinky version of ‘Word Up’, made famous by Cameo.
It’s hard to believe that ‘Mr No’ was made back in 1980, before UR were even in high school. A deep space electro track, its tight, metallic breaks, rich, haunting chords and grinding bassline wouldn’t sound out of place on a modern production. Joakim’s mix is respectful to the original, retaining its key components, just adding a shuffling, clubby beat.
Bug continues to in his agreeable electronic house vein – on ‘Wet’, flanged Josh Wink-a-like stabs dominate the mix initially, with a delicate, static synth line and a morphing bassline coming to the fore as things turns slightly techy. ‘Dry’ is dark and moodier, with a fluid bassline, dark keys and warping hook.
‘Far Away’ sees the Dutch producer go for a fully-fledged electronic easy listening sound. The title track features tasteful but not noodly strings and saxophone parts, while ‘The Rally’ is a funkier concoction with some truly catchy keys. There’s also a house mix of ‘A Drift’ included.
Heil's own remix of ‘Warrior Of Light’ tames the original: focusing on the central riff, he twists and turns it with some ‘Erotic Discourse’-style FX, beefed up by upfront drums and a bubbling bassline. The melancholic organ in the drop is unexpected and a little incongruous. Tobi Neuman’s ‘Swinging’ mix of ‘All For One’ is exactly that, with added arpeggiated synths, marching drums and a delayed breakdown.
For a new band, Melophobics show admirable sense and restraint. The lead track ‘Babe (I Ain’t Leavin)’ takes its own sweet time in building to a climax, demonstrating a Republic Of Loose style mix of rock and funk. It’s great, although they do blow it slightly by letting the thing go on for too long, eventually clocking in at nearly seven minutes. If Melophobics can strike the right balance they could be well worth looking into.
We’re big fans of Chymera round here, so let’s admire his elegant mid-pace remix (of his own original) and focus instead on the other Irish offerings. Corrugated Tunnel retains the melody, ups the tempo and adds a crisp kick and wandering bottom-end, while Asciinoid’s hyperactive mix flips the script impressively with major chords, choppy broken beats and a kitchen sink. Cool.
Dublin-based electronica/roots outfit throw everything but the kitchen sink into the mix on this highly experimental exercise. In the main it’s blips and bleats, blended with more conventional instruments and textures including banjos!
The most popular techno DJ in this part of the world unleashes the second ‘World Service’ to keep the rave monkeys happy. Boasting an electro mix that alternates between Hacker & Caretta’s Gothic ‘Moskow Reise’ and the hyper-breaks of The Advent’s ‘Light Years Away’ and a techno selection that explores the overlapping of the Rush school of techno and booty, ‘World Service 2’ will be this year’s biggest techno CD.
Stamping their mark on what arguably should have been the lead track from A Weekend In The City are LA industrial duo Fury666 and Canadian duo Crystal Castles, who recently toured these parts with Cap Pas Cap. The former turns it into a bangin’ tune that Super Hans from Peep Show would be proud of, while the latter is more of a comedown that introduces some intelligent ideas to the mix. If, however, you think remixes are pointless and bands should go back to recording proper songs when releasing singles, there’s nothing here that would change your mind.
A mix of South American rhythms, sea shanties and faintly sinister guitars, this is the kind of weird and absolutely wonderful record that could only come out of a thriving independent music scene
Having impressed with their early demos, Dubliner's The Star Department managed to rope in legendary Low, Daniel Johnston and Lou Reed producer Kramer to mix and master this debut EP. Kramer adds eerie soundscapes throughout, though what's most interesting is the imaginative structure. The trio play with tempo shifts and sonic hooks at will. 'Embers' shines with a masterful melody, while 'Flickering Lights', with its sozzled vocal, just about works. Top it off with the fact they've been together less than a year and we have something very interesting to look forward to on future releases.
Sounding unlike their name might suggest (or indeed their tranquil sleeve artwork), Still Life’s sound is seeped deep in the classic rock sound of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Their sound is Lizzy-esque hard rock done softly. Not rocket science then, but ‘Silver Lining’ manages to be engaging enough in its simplicity. Doubtlessly louder than bombs when played life, its ubiquitous guitar lines lie low enough in the mix to draw out the subtlety in singer Jack Walsh’s clever yet very ordinary melody. Sometimes it just works. This is one of those times.
The mix of folk, country & western, orchestral sweeps and the inherent sense of melancholia make Manzanita as emotive as any of Derrick May’s greatest moments.
A newer name on the domestic scene, this three-tracker is the northside Dubliners’ first attempt to stamp their sound on plastic. It suffers noticeably from poor production, but looking past that, they’re chock-full of ideas and they’re not afraid to use ‘em. Employing electronics liberally but still keeping plenty of organic sounds (‘The A Tune’s guitar in particular sounds good enough to eat), the four-piece come across like a cheery mix between Joy Division, The Futureheads and Boxer Rebellion. Like nothing you’ve ever heard before, basically, which is a good thing. A very good thing.
It’s taken quite a while, but man, is it worth it. Rajko Muller’s second album is simply awesome. But those expecting more glacial deepness will find the goalposts have moved on this one. ‘We Are Monster’ takes techno and house and throws disco, Krautrock, funk and more into the mix, with the result being so much more than the sum of its magical parts.
Rogues’ Gallery – traditional sea songs, pirate ballads and chanteys, interpreted and performed by an eclectic mix of artists – is part high art, part punk aesthetic.
With its tales of skateboarding, girls and bunking off biology class, ‘Heaven Is A Half Pipe’ shouldn’t really appeal to anyone who isn’t blond, a teenager and called Brad but, in an issue stuffed full of feel good records, even a thirty year old English bloke can’t help shaking a leg to OPM’s infectious mix of hip-hop, rock and pop.
Kristin Hersh’s seventh solo album sees the singer mix the indie rock of her cult bands Throwing Muses and 50-Foot Wave with the sparse acoustica so familiar from her previous solo albums.
A five-track EP that showcases this Dublin quintet’s ability to mix post-Coldplay sop-rock with more sonic, shoegaze/post-rockin’ leanings – and it’s at its best when the latter come to the fore. Three songs hit home in a big way: lead track ‘Sophia’ evokes Low at their narcotic finest, while ‘Carpark’ is a powerful instrumental; awash with noise and brimming with melancholy. On ‘Chemistry’ the group develop more of a swagger, incorporating some of Spiritualized’s drone-rocking tendencies, without losing their undercurrent of bulging sadness. The formula (sugar-sweet melodies peeking through a blizzard of guitar noise) may be familiar, but it’s still irresistible when executed this well.
Listening to the echoing sound, the unbalanced mix and the sounds of tapping feet bleeding in through the microphones, you'd swear you were down in your local dance hall
Rather than simply reproduce the band’s live sound, tracks like “First Wave Intact,” “Nowhere Again” and “Lights ON!” mix live drums with multi-hued layers of treated guitars and keyboards, while still retaining the elastic, adventurous spirit of a Secret Machines performance.
Allthough Guidance have a habit of churning out meandering deep house compilations, this 14-track label mix stands out for one particular reason – noodle house it ain’t.
An enjoyable mix of drum and bass, broken, loungey beats and straight-up deep house, it succeeds where so many other compilations fail - it gets the balance right
The continuing trend for celebrity compilations continues. Turin Brakes’ foray into the field is billed as a DJ set but is really merely a beautifully packaged mix tape.
To be the honest, the history of Madonna remixes has been a chequered one. Even during her last golden period, every ‘Like A Prayer’ or William Orbit overhaul of ‘Justify My Love’ was followed by another dull as dishwater 4/4 dance mix of some other tune. Such trepidation, however, can be dismissed when approaching this impressive seven-track collection.
She possesses a strong, sometimes fiery voice that can suit a variety of material as evidenced by this collection’s mix of rootsy, country rock , soul and r’n’b.
Collections should sometimes carry a health warning.
Temple Records are responsible for this release, a gabháilful of fine musicians, most with Scottish roots, purveying a snakecharmer's mix of slow airs, songs and dance tunes, played on Scotland's stalwart instruments. And that's where the Surgeon General needs to step, centrestage, scalpel in hand.
Rua are Liz Madden and Gloria Mulhall, classically trained musicians who write and perform a mix of their own original material and versions of Irish folk tunes.
Bristol house label Nrk deliver the third chapter of their Nite:Life mix project, with San Fran man Miguel Migs at the helm. Mr Migs has had a pretty good year so far: a plethora of releases on Large, Yoshi Toshi and Nrk and the like.
Hummingbird purvey a kind of guitar-based, proto-grunge that was all the rage a decade ago. To put it another way they sound pretty much like Pearl Jam circa 1991, albeit with more acoustic guitar thrown into the mix.
In which Amy and Emily try to do what they do best, crafting poetic, witty and observant vignettes about love-life as we know it, with all its worrisome twists and turns, set to an eclectic mix of folk-rock and country
With her raspy voice and big shouty delivery, Etheridge has always sounded like a female Rod Stewart or John Cougar Mellencamp. Since releasing her self-titled debut in 1988 she has more or less followed the same stylistic path – a mix of mid-western bar-band rockers and ballsy ballads.
FRONTED BY Eric Brace, Last Train Home play a mix of folk-rock and roots country, at times recalling early Fairport Convention as much as hard-core country.
"Featuring a mix of classics and originals recorded to capture the band’s live strengths the performances are faultless and Mary’s voice is better than ever."
Despite a mix that virtually eliminated keyboards and favoured bass and drums over vocals that needed all the help they could get, the hits came thick and fast.
10,000 Things' songs have a brutalised air, as though they were bullied into existence. Fitful guitars prowl the mix in search of a melody or, failing that, a purpose, while front-man Sam Riley yelps in a manner that suggests he’s about to have his throat slashed.
For such reasons, their self-titled debut feels less like a statement of intent than an obstacle course through the muck. Opener 'Self Destruct' is as tired and tattered as an old denim jacket; a putatively anthemic 'Titanium Boxer Shorts' suffers delusions of tunefulness.
This 18-track compilation is an exhilarating mix of songs and tunes by travellers and their friends. It ranges over the decades, with a track from the fifties by fiddle players Paddy and Stephen ‘Spare Parts’ Rainey, to a comparatively recent version of ‘The Travelling People’ by Christy Moore and Declan Sinnott which is worth the album price alone.
ON THEIR last album, 1998's Blue, Simply Red's patent dearth of strong original material was rescued somewhat by the inclusion of an eclectic mix of covers.
The Used furious mix of nu-metal and skate punk may not be the most original of cocktails but it’s the way they blend the ingredients (with just enough contradiction) that keeps them from sliding into mediocrity.
To give this release some context, it’s worth noting that When It’s Ajar is not quite a re- mix album. It’s a compilation of re-compositions of Daniel Figgis’ work by prominent producers and musicians from the experimental and electronic music scene.
Like most of Smith’s music, the album sounds on occasion like the work of a man carrying out a war in his own mind, yet is also tinged with calm and life-affirming joy.
Many songs reflect his usual mix of hope, frustration and weary resignation to life’s injustices.
Throwing her extraordinary talents for singing, stand-up and strip-tease into a deliciously surreal mix called Absolute Cabaret, the virtuoso ex-Nualas entertainer Karen Egan has created her own unique art form.
Performances are note-perfect, as is the mix, but as we are reminded nine out of ten times a Next Big Thing is touted by labels or press, that is not enough
Since most trad acts are essentially covers bands regurgitating note-for-note copies of tunes they’ve been spoonfed by somebody else, we must be thankful for outfits like Kila, Danu, Altan and Solas who invest new zest into an often clichéd genre. Thus, Waiting For An Echo is a challenging mix of old tunes and new, instrumentals and songs, fast and slow, happy and sad, tight and easeful, with a pot-pourri of influences.
Singer-songwriter Emm Gryner hails from Canada, but she looks to the Emerald Isle for inspiration on Songs Of Love And Death, interpreting material from an eclectic mix of Irish acts.
There are times when listening to traditional albums, you sense a melting of one into another, with players' identities being lost, or at the very least, diluted in the mix. Kevin O'Connor is in no danger of falling prey to that particular malady, having an ear for arrangements that sparkle and shine in their originality.
"A million miles from thrash and punk, the twelve tracks here are an unusual mix of indie rock and country, with top class musicianship adding lots of depth and colour..."
You know, it would be easy to consider Planxty a little naff. They play a mix of folk and trad, sing songs about the ‘West Coast Of Clare’ with lyrics that mention shillelaighs and were entertaining your parents before many of you were even born.
But Planxty are much more than just a sentimental relic of the past...
Dara is a noisy bastard. Think ELO with Baby Bird Jones vocals, a solid if conventional rocking band, a Bangle or two to leaven the mix of sumptuous strings and a blustering stadium rock ethos, and you’ve got half an idea as to what your ears can expect from The Eye Of The Clock .
Frankie Gavin and Alec Finn have been around the block more than a couple of times now, and they've seduced a rake of unlikely apostles with their high octane mix of the old and the new. The release of last year's best of, How The West Was Won, was a magnificent resume of their antics from then to now.
The Man From God Knows Where is a folk opera. American country legend Tom Russell and friends each play a role, as Russell attempts to chronicle his Irish/Norwegian family's history in America, from the 1820s to the present day, through a mix of country, blues and traditional Irish and Norwegian folk music.
There’s a buzz going around the Village tonight. New York’s latest great white hopes The Rapture are in town to play their first Irish show, and the sell-out crowd is a mix of those already well acquainted with the house of echoes that is their debut and those curious to see if there’s more to them than the ‘disco-Strokes’ tag they’ve been lumped with in some quarters.
The Twang are essentially a derivative mix of early Stone Roses, ecstatic Happy Mondays, and the laddish posturing of Mike Skinner. That’s not to say it’s not entertaining.
It’s an unappetising mix of Mills & Boon sentiment and yuppie vacuosity, with the unimaginative plot pitching obnoxious workaholic ad-exec Nelson Moss (Reeves) and bland nonentity Sara (Theron) together
Th’ Legendary Shack * Shakers' blend of blues, R‘n’B, hillbilly, rockabilly and countless other strands is an intoxicating mix that makes the heart beat faster and the blood pump quicker.
It s a bit of a mouthful but it s actually the multi-talented Parisian musician, photographer, sometime pop producer and film maker Jay Alanski in an ongoing process of aural and spiritual development.
Swayzak continue to be refreshingly out of step with dancefloor norms. Richard Brophy hears about the duo’s latest offering – club grooves for your sitting room
Colin Dale has had a long and impressive career. His love for music and his talent have cut through the dance scene s rampant egos and petty policking. He spoke to Richard Brophy
PROFESSOR POE lay in his bed recovering from the worst flu he had ever experienced. He was sure that the germs that had invaded his body had been working out full-time in some biological gym for the last six months before they decided to hitch a lift to Ireland.
You want to eat well, you want to eat cheap? Have no fear, it can be done. Check out these recipes from Hotpress’ very own team of Nigella Lawsons and U.S. noiseniks Grandaddy
A musician from an early age, and the son of a jazz musician, Dave Angel’s association with the UK’s dance scene goes back to the beginning. Richard Brophy fires the questions at the Sarf Lahndan techno prince turned disco don.
One of the highlights of this year's Witnness festival Basement Jaxx drop hints about their forthcoming third album, explain why Brixton is so important to their sound and preview the live show
Minimalist practitioner, aficionado of asceticism and producer of note – Germanic groove technician Steve Bug is shaking up the continental dance scene in idiosyncratic and dynamic fashion.
It’s Sunday night, sometime past midnight. In the snooty setting of the DEAF VIP Bar, deep within the bowels of the Guinness Storehouse, hotpress meets with a jovial Paul St. Hilaire - all smiles and white, moussy moustache, busy lining up his complementary pints before closing time.
Pierce Turner is back in Ireland for a summer tour, but he’s also pre-occupied by his bad experiences in Ireland as a keen music radio listener and has some radical ideas for shaking up Radio 1 and Lyric FM.
They’re a bunch of old fashioned guitarslingers whose only wish is to rock your world. Now Dublin’s finest metal troupe Large Mound are back with a killer new record.
It’s Sunday night, sometime past midnight. In the snooty setting of the DEAF VIP Bar, deep within the bowels of the Guinness Storehouse, hotpress.com meets with a jovial Paul St. Hilaire - all smiles and white, moussy moustache, busy lining up his complementary pints before closing time.
Derrick May is often referred to as The Godfather , The Legend and The Innovator , the creator of dance music s most magical moments. But does he really prefer trainers and jeans to Versace and Patrick Cox? Richard Brophy goes beyond the exterior.
George are enjoying considerable success in their native Australia and are shortly to bring their angelic pop rock to Ireland. For co-vocalist/guitarist Tyrone Noonan however, it won’t be his first visit to the land of his ancestors
Get ready for a whole new kind of weird as avant-gardists THE SUMMER EXPERIMENT prepare to hit the live circuit, touting a unique mix of folk, indie and classical.
Anti-folk graduate and New Jersey native Nicole Atkins' debut album Neptune City is a beguiling mix of Roy Orbison, Loretta Lynn and Jenny Lewis's bangs. Just don't mention The Boss.
The Police's reformation is the reunion they said would never happen, and according to guitarist Andy Summers the band is still the same mix of egos and visionaries.
After two decades of electro-pop hits, the PET SHOP BOYS have gone back to basics with their new album Fundamental – and thrown some timely political digs into the mix while they’re at it. But the real battle is getting people to take them seriously.
Their groove-laden mix of sleaze and glamour captures the spirit of Britain’s scuzziest ‘burbs. But this morning, all Hard Fi want to talk about is colonic irrigation.
Softly spoken off stage and complete lunatics on it, Kila have torn up the rulebook with their wantonly eclectic mix of styles. music, inner anger, revolutions and, er, women who cure warts are all discussed, as the band’s Colm O Snodaigh talks to Peter Murphy.
The rise and rise of the female singer/songwriter is fast achieving phenomenon status in Ireland - here,
Peter Murphy profiles an eclectic mix of new and distinctive talent
The most hyped show on earth may not have lived up to expectations but the year 2000 did provide the usual mix of giddy highs, horrible lows and the odd blast of flat out weirdness. THE WHOLE HOG reflects on 12 months in the history of our world, while our regular columnists have their last word on the first year of the new century
You know you re doing something right if your book disturbs both Cat Stevens and Snoop Doggy Dogg. But Sligo-born eamonn sweeney s debut novel, Waiting For The Healer, with its explosive mix of booze, blood, manic comedy and rock n roll, is also winning rave reviews for its uncompromisingly forthright author. Interview: liam fay.
Pop superstar du jour Daniel Bedingfield talks to Shilpa Ganatra about the enthusiasm of Irish audiences, escaping death in New Zealand and why he intends to push the stylistic envelope on his future albums.
Aoife Moriarty has captivated anyone who’s encountered her debut album Dolls & Jigsaws. She talks to Jackie Hayden about her musical past, present and future.
Freed from corporate and commercial concerns, student media can provide a valuable conduit for independent voices, as well as serve as a breeding ground for young journalists and broadcasters.
At the tender age of 20, he s already the most successful Irish DJ ever. Mark Kavanagh chats to Fergie, the first Irish DJ tipped for Premier League superstardom.
Operating in the interstice where Sonic Youth meet the Jackson 5, Brighton dance-rock outfit The Go! Team are deservedly brewing up a storm with their debut album, Thunder, Lightning, Strike.
When Tommy McManus of mama s boys died of leukaemia, his brothers Pat and John hadn t the heart to keep the band going. Now, however, they re back, having found a new spiritual and musical home in celtuS.
Interview:
john walshe.
In just two years the 2fm 2moro 2our has grown into a high-profile showcase for Ireland's best new talent. Ahead of the latest jaunt, the featured acts tell Colm Russell what it means to them.
Steve Cummins meets Philip King, the man behind Other Voices: Songs From A Room, the acclaimed music show which has provided an invaluable platform for Irish musicians – and which has now expanded its remit to include international artists as well.
Steve Cummins meets Philip King, the man behind Other Voices: Songs From A Room, the acclaimed music show which has provided an invaluable platform for Irish musicians – and which has now expanded its remit to include international artists as well.
Video interview: Tim Burgess and Mark Collins of THE CHARLATANS tell us about their latest album, Wonderland, and about how having a singer that lives 5000 miles away in L.A. helps to focus the band's energies. Well, it would, wouldn't it
Credible clothing at an affordable price, dressing up Pulp and remodelling Tony Blair as a transvestite it s all in a day s work for wayne hemingway of hip fashion label red or dead.
Interview: Olaf Tyaransen
The biggest ever music exhibition in Ireland will cover all aspects of the entertainment business – with something for every music fan. What’s more, it is happening at the perfect time for Christmas browsing.
Well, skip a light fandango if it isn’t The Pale, back with a new EP after the long absence that followed their massive contribution to the Irish rock scene of the early nineties. The Final Garden sees them re-emerge as a sturdier yet looser musical unit than of yore.
It s taken ten years, but AGNELLI & NELSON have finally made it to the top of the DJ pile with their Hudson St. album. COLIN CARBERRY meets the Ulster dance merchants whose superstar fans include U2
Ahead of their Electric Picnic shows, The Beastie Boys talk about Politics, the influence of punk on their sound and explain why Ireland is one of their favourite places to play
There’s more to Electric Picnic than rock and roll. One of the non-musical highlights this year will be a political gabfest, hosted by none other than RTÉ presenter of the moment Ryan Tubridy...
Award-winning singer-songwriter Julie Feeney puts pen to paper for Hot Press as she arrives in the Dutch city of Groningen for the annual Eurosonic pop festival.
With over twenty-one years experience in pro audio, Richard Dowling is the man responsible for making Interpol, Foo Fighters, The Undertones and countless others sound good!
If the Irish authorities cannot acknowledge or understand the difference between cannabis, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy, they stand little chance of getting to grips with the bewildering variety of SMART PRODUCTS currently available in Amsterdam. PAUL O MAHONY reports.
Never mind the Champions League, if it’s fierce competition you’re after look no further than the National Student Music Awards. Doing his third level best to pick the winner: Neil Brennan.
Ang Lee mightn’t have been the most likely candidate to put the jolly green giant on the big screen, but he has rendered Stan Lee’s Incredible Hulk as a greek tragedy.
For the weekend of November 25 and 26, all musical roads will lead to the RDS in Dublin for the Music Ireland ’06 event. Jackie Hayden talks to the show director Ollie Upton about what’s in store for us at this major annual attraction for musician and music fans alike.
Peter Murphy meets Sweden's Soundtrack Of Our Lives frontman Ebbot Lundberg and discovers that Scandinavia has more to offer music than Roxette and their ilk
Leeside took the honours at the recent PPI radio awards with Red FM's Red Rooster winning Best Breakfast Show. Co-host "KC" talks about the challenge of entertaining listeners.
"I compressed the vox, EQ'd the drums and turned down the reverb on the guitar channel but it still sounds like it was recorded through an analogue four track"
Confused?
They have the tunes to back up their enigmatic image, and it looks like ¡Forward, Russia! will be storming the Winter Palace of indie rock before you can say “Lenin”.
Until recently, Scottish jazz/folk legend john martyn was almost as renowned for his hard-living consumption of booze as he was for his marvellous records. But, he tells colm o hare, these days he s on the wagon, and operating on full horsepower for the first time in years.
After an initial botched attempt at cracking the London indie scene, Ciaran McFeely, aka Simple Kid, re-emerged as a dynamic singer/songwriter with an inventive musical approach and a flair for darkly humourous lyrics.
Contrary to popular belief we’re not familiar with every venue in the country, but below – with the aid of our Hotpress student reps – we provide a guide to some of our favourite student hang-outs
The Bird And The Bee’s sweet retro-rock has proved a surprise underground sensation. And nobody is more taken aback than the California duo themselves.
With The Coral’s third album, The Invisible Invasion, set to seal their reputation as one of Britain’s foremost indie bands, guitarist Billy Ryder-Jones here discusses their desire to make a classic album, collaborating with Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, and why their reputation as Liverpool chavs is entirely ill-deserved. “We’ve never nicked anyone’s stereo,” he explains.
Writer-director Christopher Smith has already curried a great deal of favour with such clever Brit horrors as Severance and Creep. Triangle, a smart and nifty psychological chiller, suggests that Mr. Smith has only been clearing his throat.
Andrew Maxwell who has followed up a year of successful television appearances with a sell-out stand-up show and a nomination for a prestigious comedy award.
Hard rocking Cork heroes Rulers Of The Planet recently toured the Czech Republic and Slovakia, along with Dublin electro-poppers Autamata. The Rulers’ Mick Hayes gives us the backstage lowdown, with these exclusive extracts from his tour diary.
James Zabiela was spinning tunes in his bedroom when he won a Djing competition. Before he knew it, he was opening for Sasha and helping to save dance music.
Their contribution to Robbie Williams' 'Rock DJ' may have gone unacknowledged, but Soul Mekanik, aka brothers and acid house veterans Kelvin Andrews and Danny Spencer, are now earning kudos in their own right for their dynamic and eclectic '80s-influenced debut album, Eighty One.
hey’re the biggest thing to hit indie-pop in years, with a slew of day-glo hits and a reputation for partying until they drop. Ahead of their Electric Picnic headline slot, MGMT discuss falling out with Nicolas Sarkozy, their new base in sun-dappled Malibu and their work-in-progress new album. words
When he first arrived in the Northwest to attend college last year, Josh Clarke had no aspirations of becoming a radio DJ. Pretty soon, though, he had caught the bug in a serious way.
Gareth Murphy’s Atlantean project takes Irish music on a journey of depth and discovery that sees it flirt with Arabic, Spanish and Indian stylings, Jah Wobble and Eno, all under the influence of maverick filmmaker Bob Quinn.
Electro-rock godfather Gary Numan talks about his friendship with Nine Inch Nails, his appearance on The Mighty Boosh and the challenges of staying relevant after 30 years in the business.
Being sued for rape didn’t stop Snoop Dogg giving Phil Udell the benefit of his views on NWA, record labels, going solo and how the Bible encourages him to party. Photos by Liam Sweeney.
Bet you thought we’d gone all literary for a minute there. Not a chance! Europe is about to get a dose of The Cramps – so we decided to get the low-down on what to expect from the band’s prime-mover and trash philosopher extraordinaire Mr Lux Interior. Ear to the phone: Colm O’Hare.
“We’re not Beethoven”, clarifies Young Heart Attack screamer Jennifer Stephens, who surprisingly is a bit more at home with Mötorhead, The Darkness and even The White Stripes.
Fire In A Dream Cage, the second album from Dublin chanteuse l, is a melting pot of vocals, loops and fx from a woman obviously at home in the studio. Interview: john walshe.
Top 20 singles, festival gigs – Boy Kill Boy have come a long way from the East End. But they know where they really want to end up – lovely Mullingar.
Now that minimal techno has become a trendy cliché, it’s time for the cutting edge of dance music to find a new direction. Trentemoller has pointed the way with a compelling new album.
Folk institution Kila met a dream collaborator in the shape of traditional Japanese musician Oki. Working together they’ve produced one of the most remarkable roots records of recent years.
You don’t associate Cavan with a cutting edge music scene – but Michael O'Brien aims to change that with his Origins club night. Who knows? One day Neil Young might even decide to pay a visit.
Their name is full of Oriental promise but, far from growing up in the land of rice-bowls and speaking toilets, retro techno-heads THE JAPANESE POPSTARS hail from the mysterious land of, er, Derry.
He’s remixed Franz Ferdinand, Mylo and Radio 4, and released one of the most innovative titles of recent years in 2001’s It Rough. Now Robi Insinna, aka Manhead, is set to take his music to a larger audience with his eponymously titled new album.
Radio has studiously ignored it but that doesn’t mean that Republic Of Loose’s ‘Girl i’m gonna fuck you up’ isn’t the best Irish single of the year. Tanya Sweeney meets the Dublin boys who just want to have fun.
Radio has studiously ignored it but that doesn’t mean that Republic Of Loose’s ‘girl i’m gonna fuck you up’ isn’t the best Irish single of the year. Tanya Sweeney meets the Dublin boys who just want to have fun.
Radio has studiously ignored it but that doesn’t mean that Republic Of Loose’s ‘Girl i’m gonna fuck you up’ isn’t the best Irish single of the year. Tanya Sweeney meets the Dublin boys who just want to have fun.
Headgear’s debut album proves that the ‘have portastudio, will travel’ theory can yield ace results, especially when mainman Daragh Dukes gets a little help from his friends.
Limerick thrashmeisters Giveamanakick's third album Welcome To The Cusp is the product of ten days of cabin fever in Donegal. No wonder it sounds wet 'n' wild.
Pete Tong has long been one of the most influential figures in contemporary dance. His latest project sees him joining Heineken in their search for new djs, via the Heineken Thirst Extravaganza.
Surviving the exit of Darren Emerson, as well as various personal traumas and professional challenges, Underworld have re-emerged with their most positive album yet in 100 Days Off
Are they Madchester tribute band charlatans, an even more half-baked Kula Shaker, or swaggering rock monsters from Leicester? The jury is still out in the case of The People vs Kasabian.
Berlin’s Get Physical label is the hottest thing in techno. Now founder DJ T has released a solo record. The album is, he says, a distillation of a 17-year career at the forefront of electronic music.
Despite parting ways with their long-serving guitarist Evil Harrisons are going from strength to strength. In fact, they're positively gagging to go back into the studio.
Or not without crediting your sources at any rate! Their first three Top Ten singles sampled Annie Lennox, Kate Bush and Phil Oakey. Here modernist electric dance crossover ???? Utah Saints argue the morality - as well as the aesthetics - of sample-theft, explain its problems, name the guilty men, and then glimpse a vision of the future playing support to U2 in Portugal. Interview: Andy Darlington.
KARAN CASEY may be a folk singer, but don t classify her as easy listening . Her music is infused with radicalism and eclectism. She spoke to SIOBHAN LONG.
Ireland has gone mad for sex toys. Blokes, women, married, single, gay, straight and any and every combination of the above – they’re all indulging as though there were no tomorrow. But what are the hottest tickets in the country’s most successful sex emporia? We sent Tanya Sweeney to find out.
STUART CLARK collars Divine Comedy mainman Neil Hannon for a brief but highly intimate chinwag as they both take a break from drinking the bar dry at the Heineken/Hot Press Rock Awards in Belfast.
No, they’re not Jack White’s extra-curricular band. Rather, The Racketeers are long time veterans of the Irish scene with shades of Nick Cave and Johnny Cash in their darkly fascinating sound.
Now taking the solo route, Hugh Cornwell talks about his latest album, reminsces about kicking back with David Bowie, squaring off back-stage with U2 and cooling his heels in Pentonville.
You can tell how highly regarded she is by the number of top stars who want her to sing with them. But for Emmylou Harris such collaborations are a two-way street.
The latest group to benefit from the tutelage of legendary producer Stephen Street, attitudinal Mancunian rockers The Courteeners are one of hottest newcomers on the UK indie scene.
Speaking recently to bands involved in the IMRO Showcases it became quite apparent that there was one major question on most minds, whether to look for a record deal or go the independent route and release their own records on their own label.
Calling all up-and-coming music stars! The path to success can sometimes seem dauntingly steep. But, in an ongoing series, JACKIE HAYDEN looks at the various challenges which face new bands, and how to overcome them. This issue: RECORDING. Photo: KAREN CAULFIELD
Despite the continued absence of Phil 'The Power' Taylor, the Embassy World Darts Championship at Frimley Green made for essential viewing. BARRY GLENDENNING reports.
“There’s still nothing like the sound of a fat four/four kick drum on a great sound system,” say UK house merchants Futureshock, and Barry O’Donoghue isn’t about to disagree with them.
As girl band the saturdays prepare to play this year’s Oxegen, Edwin McFee gets a frosty reception when he talks to Irish member Una Healy. Undeterred, he manages to find out about their bust up with Basshunter, their admiration for Girls Aloud and more.
They may, for the moment, be garnering more press attention for their singer s love life than for their music, but THE warm jets are one hell of a fine band in their own right. Tape: NIALL STANAGE.
16 years after recording one of the definitive hard rock albums, MEAT LOAF takes a return trip to hell and brings STUART CLARK along with him for the ride.
Going on the road with Chris Rea was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Derry blues virtuoso Paul Casey. Here he opens his tour diary to Hot Press readers.
He’s one of the best known photographers in the world, yet blogger turned street style phenomenon SCOTT SCHUMAN is not widely recognised outside the fickle fashion bubble. On the evening of his first visit to Ireland, Celina Murphy talks to The Sartorialist about how style in the Big Smoke compares to fashion in the Big Apple.
Michelle Phelan and Pete McGrane of folk-pop duo Carosel have cracked the secret to balancing love with the art of making music. And it’s not as complicated as you’d think.
photos Emily Quinn
Few things faze gary louris and marc perlman, the original members of the jayhawks. In fact, their only regret is that they don t have breasts. Interview: Peter Murphy.
Presenter of Channel 6's Night Shift, an air hostess and a model, Michelle Doherty is rarely found at home... but that doesn't stop her from showing us around her Drumcondra abode.
Italian-born multi-instrumentalist antoni o'breskey considers Ireland to be his spiritual home, so much so that he changed the spelling of his name just for us. siobhán long finds out more.
You know that your pop star interviewee is confident about the quality of his splendid new album, when he's happy to talk about everyone else under the sun. So it is with Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant as he gives the thumbs up or down to Eminem, Liza Minelli, Kylie Minogue, So Solid Crew, Boy George and Westlife. Keeping score: Stuart Clark
They’re German, they’ve been making music for years, have been unfairly compared to Daft Punk, and are about to blow up with their debut album, Selected Funks. Richard Brophy meets the strike boys and says ‘gut, gut super gut!’
Grappling with weighty political themes is grist to the mill for Colin Meloy of Oregon art-rockers The Decemberists. He’s even written a song about the Shankill Butchers.
Will Leahy is a busy man. He works full-time as a solicitor. In his spare time, meanwhile, he moves to RTE’s Limerick studios to broadcast his daily programme to the nation.
A drunken lapse of reason the night before can lead to a horrible moment of clarity the morning after. Shagging under the influence is a perilous pursuit.
catherine doherty clambers aboard the Heineken RollErcoaster and joins Revelino, The Nude, Mesner, and Abbaesque for a crazy white-knuckle ride into deepest Munster.
The bright lights of Toronto beckoned for Leeside electro-poppers Fred as they kicked off their North American tour with a turn at the prestigious North by Northeast festival.
Though a renowned singer-songwriter in her own right, SHAWN COLVIN’S current album is a collection of cover versions. MELISSA KNIGHT hears why the songs on Cover Girl are so special to her.
Danielle Brigham catches up with new Britrock darlings The Futureheads to discuss their recent gigs in, respectively, a ski resort and the biggest shopping mall in the world, touring with Franz Ferdinand, appearing on The OC soundtrack and their collaboration with Bloc Party.
Cinematic weirditude! arbus-like photography! theoretical physics! as Paul Nolan discovers, it’s definitely not only rock’n’roll for Hope Of The States, the Chichester band with a certain Westmeath connection.
Cinematic weirditude! arbus-like photography! theoretical physics! as Paul Nolan discovers, it’s definitely not only rock’n’roll for Hope Of The States, the Chichester band with a certain Westmeath connection.
Graduates of the Manhattan avant-garde scene The Virgins join us from somewhere to the left of the middle of nowhere – that would be Madison, Wisconsin – to talk hype, art and modelling shoots.
Based in Glasnevin and founded by producer Mark Hadfield, businessman Chris Hehir and Brian McFadden, Chilli Studios proves that home digital recording hasn't yet usurped state of the art commercial studios.
Ireland's The Answer have pulled off a major coup by bagging the support slot on the American leg of AC/DC's Black Ice tour. Cormac Neeson talks us through their first fortnight on the road.
One of the most hotly anticipated events at the Galway Comedy Festival is the show featuring stand-up comedian from the characters of Father Ted. Jackie Hayden talks to the evening's host Frank Kelly, a.k.a Father Jack.
Sigur Rss are the latest highly-rated Icelandic export. They talk to PETER MURPHY about ambition, inventing their own language and the showband circuit
There's been too much bullshit about the state of the economy. But pissing on the shoes of our friends or moving closer to the anglosphere isn't the best way out of recession.
New York house DJ/producer Junior Sanchez has joined forces with Dutch techno prodigy Laidback Luke to create Riot Society’s impressive ‘Understand Me’.
Public Enemies is an extraordinary and controversial book of photographs of British neo-Nazis, taken by Hot Press’ London photographer Leo Regan. “You’re never going to combat racism unless you know where it’s coming from”, he says. Report: Stuart Clark.
TV celebrity chef Richard Corrigan's latest project is his new Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill in Dublin. He talks to Jackie Hayden about his passion for food, tricky customers and more.
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER talks to JOE JACKSON about Party Doll And Other Favourites, a Greatest Hits collection which she hopes will breathe new life into a tired format.
The Lovebox festival returns to Dublin with a stellar line-up including Maximo Park, N*E*R*D, Paolo Nutini and Gorillaz Soundsystem. We talk to organisers Groove Armada.
They’re the hottest thing to have come out of Belfast in years. Ahead of the release of their hugely anticipated long-play debut, guitar-abusing noiseniks and so I watched you from afar, give us a track-by-track lowdown on the album.
Having made the headlines recently with their attention-grabbing impromptu gig at the You’re A Star auditions in Portlaoise, Longford rockers The Rubens are now out to put the life and soul back into Irish pop.
Together for only a year, MR NORTH are causing more polarisation on the Dublin rock circuit of than any band since the legendary Muff Divers.
Within the past six months they've been tipped for world domination by some and written off by others as nothing but ground up Chili Peppers. Which side will you be on when lines are drawn? Interview: TARA MC CARTHY
One of Belfast’s best-loved indie clubs has undergone a radical reinvention – but is still going strong after more than ten years at the front line of alternative culture in the city.
"This is very much my love-letter to wine," says trained sommelier and film director Jonathon Nossiter. So why then is his new documentary Mondovino coming under fire from the global wine industry? Because, as he tells Tara Brady, it exposes how the globalisation of the wine industry is destroying thousands of years of heritage.
They’ve performed in front of Will Ferrell and created a huge stir with their RTE debut. Just back from Edinburgh, Dead Cat Bounce are now setting their sights on the live arena.
Apologies if it seems like a bit of an obsession, but – for women in particular – foreplay is such an important part of good, satisfying sex. Here, then are some top tips on how best to ignite the passions of the woman you lust.
They may claim that they’re not interested in world domination, but US underground infatuated Dublin rockers Angels Of Mons are nonetheless brewing up a storm on the Irish indie scene.
All over Ireland, at any time of the day or night, hundreds of musicians are at work in recording studios, getting their sounds down for your delectation. So which are the trailblazing facilities? COLM O HARE reports.
Karl MacDermott used to be the next-big thing in comedy until his stand-up career didn’t pan out as expected. Now he’s back in the public eye with a semi-autobiographical first novel.
Many Irish radio fans reckon that the 2fm evening schedule is at its most exciting for years – from 6 pm, when a revitalised Dave Fanning comes on, right through to Hotpress columnist Cormac Battle signing off at 2am. One of the linchpins of that stretch is Dubliner Rick O’Shea. To celebrate his tenth year in radio we sent Jackie Hayden to ask O’Shea a few leading questions and to check out the great man’s credentials with his colleagues.
Award-winning shorts director Robert Quinn and actor Andrew Scott on their new movie, Dead Bodies, a highly touted comedy-thriller set in contemporary Dublin
The hostage crisis in Beslan, which ended last week in terrible carnage, has brought the conflict in the former soviet union into sharper focus than ever before. the emerging picture is a chastening one, as the prospect of a descent into chaos looms ever larger.
In one his first ever interviews, James Ruskin, the man behind the Blueprint label, incendiary three-deck DJ sets and the landmark Further Design album, comes out of the shadows. Richard Brophy looks on in awe.
0ver the past twelve months, Daniel Kitson has risen to prominence following his Perrier award winning show at the Edinburgh fringe, and his celebrated appearance on Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights but all the bespectacled comic really wants is to be recognised as a stand-up guy.
One minute you're directing the UK National Lottery, the next you're fending off rabid dogs in the Himalayas. Asif Kapadia talks about his remarkable cinematic journey
They’ve been underground stars for years now. Now ANIMAL COLLECTIVE are heading for the big time – provided pesky file-sharers don’t ruin their chances.
They've ditched the tweed and taken their music in a darker direction. The Young Knives talk about Gilbert and George, the Mercurys and Thom Yorke's seaside hideaway.
End of the millennium psychosis techno? Political partying house? Dance music with a social conscience and a sense of humour ? If you re looking for all of the above, then look no further than Green Velvet s new LP, Constant Chaos . On the soapbox: Richard Brophy.
Invisible Armies have just released their killer debut EP, A Neutral Space. Richard Brophy talks to Leo Pearson, one-third of the band s core assault squad.
FAST tells Fiona Reid about the Fun Lovin Criminals' plans to posthumously record with Reggie Kray and takes her track by track through their new album Loco
It's one of the most heartwarming and deserved success stories in music - how Beth Orton learned to cope with illness, rebuilt her career and found herself sharing studios and stages with artists as diverse as Emmylou Harris, Ryan Adams, The Chemical Brothers and David Kitt
