Tune #117: Latitude - Es La Rosa

At the start of the 90's UK club scene was already experiencing the explosion of acid house, which was emerged at the Second Summer of Love in '88. Meanwhile, the first generation of progressive house tracks has begun to surface with the support of legendary labels such as Guerilla & Limbo Records, championed by producers William Orbit & Leftfield and played in clubs by Sasha & John Digweed, prior to their stardom. Tunes of the genre that have been also presented in the blog are the following:

• Leftfield - Space Shanty
• Quivver - Saxy Lady
• Evolution - Jaywalkin'

Early progressive house tracks had the mixture of elements for a chugging dancefloor filler; dubby / groovy basslines accompanied by spacey & atmospheric synths & long chords. Back to 1991, a hidden artifact of that era can be found:

LATITUDE - ES LA ROSA (PIANO MIX)

LATITUDE - ES LA ROSA (GUITAR MIX)

Latitude was a short-lived project of art students David Hill and Ellen McAuslan, based in London. The duo was one of the first signings for Nude Records, mostly known for releasing the first works of English alternative rock band Suede.

Their first release was a white label for the discographic company, possibly influenced by the rising popularity of progressive house. Es La Rosa is a balearic prog tune, presented in two different editions; A-side contains more vocals with a leading piano melody, while the B-side is dubbier combined with a lead guitar! Both versions contain the classic stabs which are easily recognizable in the music style.

A nice trivia for the track is that it was the first vinyl release for Sean Johnston (performing mixing duties), curator of the ALFOS events along with the late Andrew Weatherall. IMO, it shares similarities with the remix of the latter for Sly And Lovechild – The World According To Sly & Lovechild (1990).

Little information can be found on the Internet regarding the group and its members. Only available information at the moment is that Ellen McAuslan continues to work in the art business as an animator and art director. I wonder if the group members are aware of their contribution to the early progressive music; the way it should be!

P.S. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tune #115: A Mountain Of Rimowa - No More

Two weeks ago I witnessed the ALFOS experience at a mini club located in the basement of Crust, a local pizzeria in Athens. The event was hosted by Deaf Ears Disco Cult, a local project by Greek DJs Christos Aggelopoulos and Thanasis Besinis, and featured the acid house veteran Sean Johnston, founder of A Love From Outer Space (ALFOS) collective, alongside the late Andrew Weatherall. Whoa, what a night to remember!

Sean Johnston was born in Bridlington and grew up in a rural area of East Riding. While in his late teens, he moved to Hull for studies. This is the city where he started his DJ career, promoting and hosting local night shows. In the spring of 1988 he travelled to London in order to follow a career in the music business. Working as booking agent, he attended various nights at London clubs and experienced the blow-up of the acid house scene.

One of the defining moments in his journey is undoubtedly the acquaintance with Andrew Weatherall through Jeff Barrett, the label manager of Heavenly Records, in the early 90's. In 1994 he released a single alongside sound engineers Jake Davies, Matt Nelmes & Rich Johnstone for Sabre of Paradise, a label established by Lord Sabre himself.

The origin of the ALFOS parties can be found in 2007, when Johnston gave Weatherall a car lift to Brighton. The latter listened to a CD mix made by the former, focused on slow-paced, nu-disco psychedelic sound. What had been initially created for personal entertainment purposes was materialized to commercially available compilation Watch The Ride (2008), which was well received by the audience. Following the compilation's success, fellow DJ Nathan Gregory Wilkins invited the duo to play music at The Drop, a new club in London, and consequently the first event was realized.

The musical manifesto of the ALFOS experience incorporates dance tracks laid out in many different guises, but never exceeding 122 bpm; a refined distillation of music genres, from progressive house & techno of the 90's to cosmic disco, krautrock and psychedelic electronic music.

Apart from his DJing duties, Sean Johnston has graced electronic dance music with his own productions & remixes, most notably under the Hardway Bros moniker. The project was initially created in co-operation with Jake Davies and Rich Johnstone and is currently run by Johnston solely.

Last but not least, one of his latest aliases can be found in the below YT video; A Mountain Of Rimowa with track No More (in original version and remix by Max Pask)

A MOUNTAIN OF RIMOWA - NO MORE (ORIGINAL MIX)

A MOUNTAIN OF RIMOWA - NO MORE (EACH OTHER REMIX)

Closing his DJ set at Crust, I shook hands with Sean Johnston and thanked him for bringing the ALFOS experience. It reminded me of the same vibes with Andrew Weatherall at SNFCC in 2019...

Tune #104: Gigi Flag - Nymphomaniac

The cosmic disco era of the 80's is worth digging, in order to find hidden gems like the following track:

GIGI FLAG - NYMPHOMANIAC (INSTRUMENTAL VERSION)



Gigi Flag was an one-off alias of Italo-Belgian bassist Gino Malisan. During the first half of the 70's, he was one of the core members (along with his brother Tony) of Esperanto, a Belgo-English band associated with progressive rock music. The band released three studio albums under A&M Records from 1973 until 1975, when the record company decided not to renew their contract. The large maintenance costs (expensive technical equipment, large number of musicians and technical staff) and the reduction of vinyl production due to oil crisis of '73 led to band's demise.

Gino Malisan continued to work as a producer for a limited number of disco/funk compositions from the late 70's to the mid 80's. One of them was Nymphomaniac under his alias Gigi Flag. The space synths and funky bass elements constitute a fine example of cosmic boogie track.

The original vocal version of the track can be characterized X-rated, for obvious reasons...

GIGI FLAG - NYMPHOMANIAC (SEX VERSION)


Many years later, Davide Armour & Philippe Mascerano performed a re-edit of the track, naming it "It's So Exciting (High Jingo Love Love Rework)", through their Boys From Patagonia project.

BOYS FROM PATAGONIA - IT'S SO EXCITING (HIGH JINGO LOVE LOVE REWORK)


The re-edit was released in 2012 by International Feel Recordings, an indie label of Mark Barrott. Additionally, the A-side of the release featured Rimini '80, a re-edit of another old track (Joël Fajerman ‎- Racines Synthétiques). If I am not mistaken, the latter was featured in some ALFOS sets of late Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston.

Since the 2012 re-edit is largely based on the original track, I hope that credits were given to the original composer.

Fun fact: Nymphomaniac was included in Greek LP Disco In, featuring on cover the ultimate Greek femme fatale of the eighties, Vina Asiki!

Farewell Sir Andrew...

Fail we may, sail we must...

Tune #94: Meek - Glowing Trees

"FAIL WE MAY, SAIL WE MUST"

This is one of Andrew Weatherall's many tattoos, a phrase he heard at a young age from an Irish fisherman, when the latter had to steer a boat in a stormy weather. Adopting the meaning of the phrase to push his artistic creativity to new levels, Sir Andrew has been an electronic music royalty for over three decades.

In past February I had the opportunity to attend an open discussion with him, held in Athens. While I was not keen on the questions of the moderator or the audience (including my non-intervention), I was amazed by the attitude and spirit of this man. Andrew Weatherall is a great speaker with his humor-flavored feedback on various topics, from music evolution and DJ point-of-view to youth culture (not surprising considering the fact that he was once a freelance journalist). A huge respect should be given to him for his DJ work ethic, staying loyal to his musical roots and never attaining the superstar DJ identity.

The 2-hour set followed after the discussion was quirky, tailored to Mr. Weatherall's ethos. The other half of the duo (i.e. Sean Johnston) was not present, yet the track selection and the atmosphere was very ALFOS-ish (playing below 122 bpm along with occasional techno bombs). As always, the tracks included in the mix were obscure (I guess that only some of them could be identified by Shazam's groundbreaking technology).

There are very obvious tribute tracks to use for today's post:
- Happy Mondays ‎– Hallelujah (Remix): Andrew partnered with Paul Oakenfold for remix duties on a classic Madchester anthem
- Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Remix): A "cool & deadly" remix on Saint Etienne's first single, a cover of a Neil Young track.
- The Sabres Of Paradise ‎– Smokebelch II: Collaboration with Gary Burns & Jagz Kooner for mellow downtempo productions, featured in many chillout compilations
- Primal Scream - Come Together: The production mind behind Screamadelica, responsible for re-inventing Primal Scream and creating a rave 'n' roll album.

However, the following obscurity is selected:

MEEK - GLOWING TREES


In 1994 Andrew Weatherall used the pseudonym Emmet Prague, in order to produce track Glowing Trees. The two versions of the track are ambient techno compositions that do not fit to his dub leftfield style, but reveal his dark side in terms of music production. Limited to 500 copies, it is a must have rarity for Sir Andrew fans.

Long live to techno punk Andrew Weatherall!

Tune #87: KiNK - Cloud Generator

Dope Generator!

KINK - CLOUD GENERATOR


One of 2015's strongest releases was delivered by producer Strahil Velchev, hailing from the Bulgaria's capital, Sofia. Currently, he is considered one of the top live acts, a fact which is not strange for a synth and machine aficionado. However, his road to glory was not an easy one...

Mr. Velchev's musical background was shaped by the explosion of house & techno music of the early 90s, supported by pirate cassette tapes that circulated the country after the collapse of communism. His first attempt on music production started in 1999, performed on a simple computer system due to weak financial viability for more sophisticated hardware.

In 2001, he teamed up will fellow Bulgarians KEi, SuB & Ogonek, in order to create pBPM (porno bpm), aiming to push the boundaries of club culture and to promote the different genres of electronic dance music. One year later, a promo CD was released in Bulgaria, consisting of the first works of the group members.

The first production years (until 2005) were not fruitful for Strahil, since no label was interested in signing his tracks. This inactivity caused him to feel isolated from the wider techno culture, but it also fueled him for a more creative output in his future works.

In 2006, KiNK discovered that UK DJ and producer Neville Watson had included his track Same Old Thing in his DJ sets. As a result, the two guys communicated and exchanged tracks via social media, since they shared the same taste in music. Two years later, their first collaborative work Inside Out appeared in Hour House Is Your Rush Records. The funny thing about this story is that they did not actually met each other until 2010, in order to perform as a DJ duo in an electronic music event.

KiNK's greatest success to date is the today's post; Cloud Generator was created in an indeliberate manner during a rehearsal for a live show. The combination of a turntable loop and a bassline forged a strong techno track, which led to an EP release by German label Running Back in 2015. Needless to say that the influence from Laurent Garnier's trademark sound is evident throughout the track. Supported by notable DJs around the world (Laurent Garnier, Dixon, Andrew Weatherall & John Digweed to name a few), KiNK's sound has made its mark to the club scene. Besides Cloud Generator, the homonymous EP is worth listening, especially for the arpeggio of Pocket Piano's two versions, which creates a nostalgic tone.

A side-project of Strahil Velchev is Cyrillic (or Kirilik), which is more techno-oriented and limited in terms of gear; while KiNK live sets involves various digital, analog and DJ equipment, Cyrillic sound is based on a standard DJ setup. Hopefully, the current year will find the first release of his other alias!

Tune #86: Kohib - One Hundred Of Them

Exploring further the Norwegian electronic sound of the 90's, traces can be found in Tromsø, the innovative city regarding the house & techno scene of Norway (also know for its proximity to the Aurora Borealis!). Several important artists lived in that area, such as Geir Jenssen (Biosphere), Bjørn Torske (Ismistik), Per Martinsen (Metal Overdrive), Rune Lindbæk and Ole Mjøs. Even Röyksopp, known for their works here in Greece, started their career in Tromsø!

The connecting point for all these artists originated from a local student radio station and a show called Beatservice, curated by Vidar Hanssen (along with Nick Johannessen in the first years). The radio show introduced the listeners to various styles of electronic music. Year 1994 marked the 10th anniversary of the show, celebrated with the compilation TOS.CD - Tromsø Techno 1994. The comp CD included prominent acts of the city (the ones mentioned above), along with emerging artists like Aedena Cycle, Electrip-C and Information.

What initially started as an one-off project resulted to the launch of label Beatservice Records, which continues to exist till this very day (mostly in digital format). Today's track is part of Beatservice's legacy:

KOHIB - ONE HUNDRED OF THEM


Kohib is an alias of Øivind Sjøvoll, a Norwegian artist from Sortland. His first step in music was DJing in 1997, moving on with organizing club events in Tromsø. In 2001 he performed his first compositions as Parliavox (teaming up with his friend Torbjørn Ingvaldsen), fusing funk and jazz with house elements. Since 2003, he started to produce solo works, resulting to the debut of the Kohib alias with track Truger in the Prima Norsk 3 compilation in 2005.

The majority of Kohib's output has been released by Beatservice Records, oriented on leftfield dub house tracks. In 2012, a collaboration of Sjøvoll with Sami singer Mari Boine surfaced via the EP Tirakan. Mari Boine is a famous world music singer of Sami heritage (her parents lived in Sápmi region, located in the northern parts of Scandinavia and inhabited by indigenous people of the Sami tribe, also known as Lapps). She enjoyed international success with the Gula Gula album, released in 1989. It seems that Kohib was a great admirer of Mari's work, since he provided a remix of her song The Shadow in 2007. Regarding the Tirakan EP, Øivind and Mari had a studio session, leading to the creation of two tracks: the homonymous track and One Hundred Of Them.

My first encounter with One Hundred Of Them was during the listening experience of "A Love From Outer Space" set by Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston, notorious for their obscure track selections, blending slow motion grooves with cosmic disco and leftfield techno. The track is a great choice to include in an experimental dance set, since Mari's tremulous and ethereal vocals generate an outlandish feeling!

Tune #78: Leftfield - Space Shanty

Leftism is a landmark album by Leftfield that defined the electronic scene of the 90's. Released (for the first time) in 1995, it was the apotheosis of old school progressive house, which was already blooming in UK. Leftfield was originally a project created by Neil Barnes in 1990 with the production of Not Forgotten, which is claimed to be the first progressive house track ever*. One year later, Neil teamed up with percussionist Paul Daley, who remixed Not Forgotten in its most popular form: the Hard Hands version! Both versions of the track were released by short-lived Outer Rhythm records, which ceased to exist in 1992.

The closing of Outer Rhythm led the duo to form their own label, which shared the same name with the Hard Hands remix. The label acted as a beacon to promote the dubby-house sound with deep basslines and tribal rhythms. Leftfield was still the central point of Hard Hands, followed by new artists.

In 1999, the second album Rhythm And Stealth was released by Hard Hands: dub elements & fat basslines were still dominant here, but in a dirtier and darker manner. Although it is also a great album, it never reached the status of Leftism for most listeners.

It was certain that the presence of Leftfield would be everywhere in the 90's. The seminal Renaissance: The Mix Collection featured 3 different versions of track Song Of Life, one after the other. Their music was also included in the original music scores of Gen-X films (Hackers, Trainspotting, The Beach). Neil Barnes and Paul Daley are also responsible for one of the most influential Essential Mixes (1994), as featured in Pete Tong's weekly radio show.

Leftfield stopped as a duo in 2002, when the two guys decided to pursue different paths. The project was revived in 2010 by Barnes for a live tour, in order to relive the great times of the past. In 2015, the third album Alternative Light Source saw the light of day, having an extremely different style in comparison with the classic "Leftfield sound" (Mr. Barnes should have chosen a different alias for ALS).

Twenty-two years after its initial release, Leftism is back again in a new remastered version and with new remixes! It is time to remember some of the finest moments of the original album:
- the acid prog monsters Song Of Life & Space Shanty
- the African tribal feeling of Afro-Left
- the collaboration with John Lydon of Sex Pistols in Open Up
- the dub breakbeat of Inspection (Check One)

LEFTFIELD - SPACE SHANTY


For some funny reason, this track reminds me of Dhalsim's theme in the innovative Street Fighter II (also a landmark in video gaming history!!!).


* The same claim exists for Andrew Weatherall's remix on Sly And Lovechild - The World According To Sly & Lovechild. According to Neil Barnes, Andrew Weatherall's early sets had a large influence on him and helped shaping the basic elements of progressive house.