Tuesday 18 September 2012

September 2012 - Burning Man Special!

Evening all.

You might have guessed from the title that I've been to the utterly brilliant mind-fuck that was Burning Man festival. Unbeknownst to many, it's not just acid and dreadlocks; there's a ridiculous amount of great music knocking about too. These are my personal highlights, most of which were play(a)ed by DJs while thousands danced their leopardskin-tutu'd little bee-hinds off in the middle of the Nevada desert. Bloody brilliant.

Right. Away we go.



1. James Blake - Limit To Your Love (Alex Dimiou Remix)

I hate it when remixes fuck up the original. It's probably the ultimate musical sacrilege: the equivalent of those idiots who modify Vauxhall Corsas so they've got an exhaust the size of an elephant's trunk and make a noise like a rampant mosquito. Dickheads, the lot of em. Luckily though, Mr. Dimiou has resisted that temptation, simply adding a mellow groove to this already flawless song, meaning that instead of crying alone in a dark corner, you will now be dancing... whilst crying alone in a dark corner.

2. Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That (Virgin Magnetic Material Amine Edge Dub)

Probably a little biased here, given how much of a sucker I am for the original of this track, but that bassline is so God-damn BOUNCY that I just can't help myself.

3. Lee Foss - You Got Me

One of those ones that doesn't sound quite as good when you're listening to it on headphones, staring at an Excel spreadsheet and wondering when Monday's pain will end. But just for one second, try and imagine yourself, with the sun on your face, in sweltering heat, ice cold cocktail in one hand and whatever you want in the other (go wild), dancing away to this. Yep. You got it.

4. Jessie Ware - Running (Disclosure Remix)

Yes yes, I put this in July's, but is it not brilliant? Is it not? Are you not entertained? Just listen to that drop on 1min 17... Yeeeeees!

5. Amine Edge, Dance - Going to heaven with the Goodie Goodies

THE song of Burning Man for me. Heard it a few times, and people were going bonkers. It seems to turn hordes of apparently vaguely sensible people into stomping, dribbling monsters. Well, I think it was the track...

6. Tomas Barfod - November Skies 

55,000 views. Fifty five fucking thousand! Justin Bieber - Boyfriend has had over 150 MILLION. The world is a horrible, twisted place. I'm going to get this to 150m by myself, right now.

7. SBTRKT - Pharoahs

An oldie, but a very goodie. Coupled with the fact that we listened to this while I traveled across the desert on a giant toilet. You don't believe me?



Mad props to DJ Tobsey.

8. Finnebassen - Touching Me

"I don't want nobody else no, holding me touching me"
That's not what they were saying at the hippie orgie...

9. Julio Bashmore - Au Seve

Trust Don Julio to round off a good party. Au Seve, one of the tunes of the summer, has been killing it all summer. The Burrrn was no different. A perfect little dance track. You get what you think is going to be the staple riff 31 seconds in. It builds to a drop, it drops on 1min 17 but then in comes that cheeky little monkey on 1min 21 and you're off with the fairies. Then the mega-drop comes in from 3min and your head explodes. Bashmore you little beauty.




Well that's it, I'll be back soon to seduce you into the encroaching winter darkness in a bit. You'll get less synth and more strum in the next one. Probably.



Friday 27 July 2012

Chip's Blips - JULY 2012

[Sheepishly shuffles in from side-stage]


I'm back. Sorry it's been so long, but I'm back.

Now let's get on with it shall we?







Pesky VEVO on YouTube means that most of these videos now annoying have ads before them. So you might have to be a bit more attentive with your clickthroughs. 


The other option is to listen to it on Spotify:





There you go. Now you have to listen to it.


1. Rhye - Open 

Sexy, sexy song. Treacle vocals, finger clicks and a swoony sax. What more could you want? (Just don't have the music video open at work)

2. Zulu Winter - Silver Tongue

New indie kids making obscenely catchy tunes. I guarantee you'll be trying to sing "playing obvious" by the 2nd chorus. Get the whole album, it's a belter.

3. Tomas Barfod - November Skies

Softly-spoken techno at its finest here. Reminiscent of a certain Trentemoller in his heyday. Slightly wintry for this time of year, but that's pretty much the only fault I can find here. Incredible vocal, just the right amount of click vs bass, cleaning out at exactly the right times. Brilliance. Again - get the album.

4. Chromatics - I'm On Fire 

I felt a little ill when I saw the upload date on this video. I could've had this song in my life in 2010! Just cruel. I don't normally go for cover songs, but very very occasionally they manage to capture something really special in a different way. Bruce Springsteen would be proud.

5. Ghostpoet - Survive It

This is slightly on the old side now but to be honest I don't care. This is just beautiful music, and still hasn't got old after its 100th listen. The clash between Ghostpoet's down-and-out verses and the swirling, ethereal chorus - "No no no no no no no, ain't got a licence to kill like Double O, I just wanna live life and survive it" - is a wonder.

6. Polica - Lay Your Cards Out

One of my favourite new bands at the moment with their headline track off their new album "Give You The Ghost". Like a darker, dubbier version of the XX. Dig in.

7. Charli XCX - Nuclear Seasons

Catchy little bit of pop here from what looks like Marina & The Diamonds' little sister.

8. Zulu Winter - Never Leave

I'm putting another Zulu track in mainly because it's my playlist and I can do whatever I want. Their album is chock-full of corkers like this.

9. Paradis - La Ballade De Jim

Heard this a while ago on one of the INCREDIBLE podcasts that are coming out of Beats In Space. If you like this kind of music, get involved. Their entire back catalogue is on there too. My favourite one is the Slow Hands guest mix, but let me know if you find a better one. But back to the track, isn't it lovely?

10. Jessie Ware - Running (Disclosure Remix)

If there's a track that makes you want to dance more than this one, I'm yet to find it. The drops are just perfect - LOVE the combination of vocal distortion in the build up with the clean break.

11. Erik Satie - Gymnopedie No.1

A quiet one to finish as usual. One of those you always hear but never know what it actually is. Well now you do. Sad and incredibly beautiful.



Enjoy your weekend Blippers!