de-minimis: August 2012

30 August 2012

29 August 2012

portishead - 'all mine'

And it's goodnight from me with this gem.

macklemore (feat wanz) - 'thrift shop'

Forget all that bitches and bling bollocks, if you want fresh as you like American hip-hop then Macklemore is your one-stop shop. I love this track.

mungo's hifi - 'soundboy police feat soom t'

Now this hits the sweet spot. From their 'Forward Ever' album from late last year here is the very excellent Mungo's Hi'Fi. I dare you, I double dare you, not to get funky to this track.

citizen - 'room service'

I think you're going to like this track.

bon iver - 'perth (young wonder remix)'

There's a competition running at the moment to remix some Bon Iver tracks. I've been following this, on and off, since the beginning and there's some lovely entries that have been submitted. This is a beautiful example from Young Wonder.

Incidentally, more details of the competition can be found here.

yeasayer - 'longevity'

This new track proves that the band are maturing into a very accomplished unit with some excellent tunes and lyrics that leave you pondering them long after the end of the song. I think that's as good a definition of a decent record as any. If you then add to the mix a rather clever video that's a play on the song title then I think this can be described as 'job done'.

28 August 2012

indigo feat. didda - 'sometimes (demo)'

Reykjavik never sleeps. The music factories work 24/7 to produce unique, idiosyncratic, hauntingly beautiful music. Just check this demo for instance from Synthadelia Records. I think at times that Iceland must be my spiritual home, the way that the music speaks to me.

saint saviour - 'death of samantha'

One of my favourite female singer/songwriters returns with a very deep trip-hop cover of the Yoko Ono track.

breakfast in fur - 'die pfalz ep'

I've not listened to any proper shoegazer/dream pop in a little while so it's a lovely surprise to stumble across this gem of a band. It doesn't, however, come as any surprise to learn they are from New York State as they have a certain style that I can't really define but I kind of sense. The guitars hark back to New Order in places and then bang up to date with a sound that would please any fans of Asobi Seksu. It's a little infuriating that the vocals are a little too indistinct to appreciate the lyrics but I guess it adds to the charm and let's face it, the same accusation could be levelled at most shoegazer bands.

I think I'm making a mess of this blog entry so I'll just end it here with my inconsequential seal of approval and let's cut to the music.

27 August 2012

the man with the iron fists

Continuing the hip-hop theme I am very excited to read that Wu Tang's RZA is shortly to release his directing debut with an ultra-violent kung-fu film with production from Quentin Tarantino, no less. The soundtrack was released last week and the film follows at the end of October. Track 7 has this powerful tune, 'Built For This', from Method Man.

jazzy jeff mixtape - 'life colors'

I can't go to bed without sharing this gem with you. I'm sure you are all aware of how good Jazzy Jeff is. I think it is fair to describe him as the DJ's DJ. I've certainly heard his name being lauded by many DJs that I respect. Hot off the press too, this is less than a week old and is a very intelligent mix of old and new, black and white.

a-trak - 'ghosts n' stuff'

I do try to be eclectic here at De Minimis Towers and this next video is about as far removed from 50s Jazz as you can get. This time it's a mind-blowing example of Trizzy at his best and absolutely shredding the Deadmau5 track to pieces. Note just how easy he makes it. I can assure you, it's taken years to get that good and some people could practice a lifetime and never get near such nonchalant mixing.

the dave brubeck quartet - 'stompin' for mili'

My self-education into the world of jazz continues. I've bought a 3 album Brubeck set and am currently being entertained by 'Brubeck Time'; an early album recorded back in 1954. This particular song from the album is an improvisation on the jazz standard "Oh, Lady Be Good'. It's origin and title were an 'expression of rage and frustration' at photographer Gjon Mili who had been enlisted to film the quartet recording. I love how, when you spend any time listening to Brubeck's band you realise how incredibly deep these 'simple' tunes are.

antony and the johnsons - 'cut the world'

This is the very recent live album that Antony Hegarty recorded in Denmark with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra. Hearing him sing his studio classics live for the first time throws up some interesting results. I was expecting a full-blown orchestral masterclass to rival Jim Steinman. Instead, it is hardly operatic at all and sounds almost stripped back with Hegarty's vocals cruising in 4th gear. Don't get me wrong; his voice purrs along beautifully and is perfect for this more intimate arrangement and ever so occasionally he blasts into his 5th gear later on in the album. I applaud his restraint and I think it makes for a more seductive experience.

Of course it's his singing voice that really grabs the attention but he also has a very melodic speaking voice (well, he's a Sussex lad so that's a given!) when he delivers a few monologues on his views on the world, religion and his sexuality. This sounds pretentious but I think they are useful signposts for his music. This album is a must-have for all fans of Antony and the Johnsons.

Here is "You Are My Sister'.

robag wruhme - 'dopamin'

This was a suggestion from my eldest son, just turned 13, and it's got a very cheeky deep bassline reminiscent of Mr Oizo or the Timo Maas remix of 'Doom's Night'

26 August 2012

new order - 'dubvulture'

Taken from the Substance album of 1987. The album must rank as one of the greatest 'Best Of' albums ever created with some mind-blowing remixes. This is a real stand out track for me.

jarvis cocker - 'my baby's coming back to me'

Delivered with a Scott Walker-esque flourish, here's Jarvis doing this classic some true justice.

neil armstrong, astronaut, he had balls as big as king kong

First big suit on the moon and he's off to play golf. Hole in one.

25 August 2012

dj hype - 'ready or not'

When I raise my trigger finger....

calexico - 'along again or'

I'm having a bit of a dance around the living room this morning. This one has me pulling lots of shapes.

21 August 2012

the xx - 'chained'

They've done it again, the new XX single is quite superb with understatement and the ideals of romance at the forefront. This is perfect music for my current mood. The new album, 'Coexist', is out next month and I think from what I've heard that it will make many top 100 lists this year.

nicole moudaber and victor calderone - 'the journey begins'

This is an epic track that even the likes of Villalobos would be proud of. It grows exponentially into a monstrously good tune. It's 13 minutes long but never does it seem repetitive for repetition's sake and when, finally the song really gets going, all the separate parts come together beautifully.

nick cave - 'burnin' hell'

Taken from the soundtrack to the film 'Lawless' here are Cave, Ellis et al under the moniker 'The Bootleggers'. It's classic Cave/Ellis and sounds like it was lifted from Abbatoir Blues or the first Grinderman album.

taken by trees - 'dreams (dub remix)'

It's been a while since I last updated this blog. I'm afraid that work and personal circumstances have meant that I wasn't able to devote time to this. I'm now back and raring to get this project back up and running. Here's Swedish band Taken By Trees with a delightful song. If you recognise the voice it's because it belongs to ex-Concretes singer Victoria Bergsman. It really is quite dreamy.