Detroit 9000

Watched this great film from 1973 last night.  It features an amazing soundtrack, which I have since discovered was due to be released on Motown in 1973 but for some reason was cancelled.  The only song I could find online is "Keep My Baby Warm", by Charles May and Annette May Thomas from an album called Songs Our Father Used to Sing (1973).

The album seems to have only been released on vinyl and isn't all too common, though I managed to find the single on Amazon and it's now in the post!  This song is also featured on Soul-Sides Vol. 1, released on Zealous Records.

Keep My Baby Warm was also recently sampled by Ski Beats on Talib Kweli's "Gutter Rainbows" album in 2011.  It's a pretty cool tune and good album too:

Soundway's Musical Map of Columbia

Run the mouse over the map to play songs and videos from different regions.

Siriusmo - Mosaik (Monkeytown, 2011)

I don't think I've looked forward to a gig this much in years, but this Sunday, 1st May, sees Siriusmo play the Twisted Pepper.  Label mates (and owners) Modeselektor will also be playing a dj set that night, which is a draw in itself, but I reckon Siriusmo's live set will be a tough act to follow.  So here's a little bit about his new album.

Mozaik is Siriusmo's first full album, yet it features tracks from a number of previous releases such as The Uninvited Guest and The Plasterer of Love EPs, released in 2009 and 2010 respectively.  With that in mind, the album would appear to have been in the works for quite a while and the result is a collection of 17 astounding dance based tracks that literally come together like an aural mozaik of diverse and unexpected sounds.

The album's first track "High Together" is a dancefloor friendly IDM tune, featuring a broad range of samples and synths, from the childlike voice that chimes the words of the track's title, to slapped bass and a sampled ride cymbal that taps out the steady rhythm.  A few tracks in and "Sirimande" begins with a collection of sampled percussive instruments and some seriously dirty bass synths making the track sound like something Aphex Twin might have conceived of 15 years ago.  Half way through the track these elements fade to reveal a layer of smooth fender rhodes piano, before the track builds back up as a banging acid-techno tune.  "Bad Idea" has some even dirtier bass and dub-step rhythms that become more complex and dense as the song builds to its climax.

The second half of the CD version of Mozaik is a more melodic affair, yet retaining the dark and gritty basslines.  "Idiologie", "Einmal in der Woche schreien", "Good Idea" and "Nights Off" have some of the catchiest and bounciest melodies I've heard in many a year, especially in the context of Berlin dance music.  "Good Idea" is the highlight of the album with its interweaving basslines and melodies constructed of notes played by various synthetic instruments, the notes of each only becoming a cohesive whole when heard in sequence with the others.  In this sense it epitomises the fragmentary nature of an album made up of a seemingly random collection of sounds.

Here the album briefly descends into darker territory once again with "Peeved" and "Feed my Meatmachine", the latter of which breaks after two minutes, giving way to some beautiful 80s inspired synth-pop.  Make sure and keep listening to the last track, "Red Knob" for its hidden second half that only emerges after 3 minutes of silence.  A beautiful ending to a truly eclectic album.

Check out both the CD and the vinyl versions for a different arrangement of tracks, and see him live this Sunday at the Twisted Pepper.

Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pines (Carpark Records, 2011)

Chazwick Bundick, recording under the name Toro Y Moi, released his second solo album in February of this year.  His first album Causers of This (Carpark Records, 2010) showed off Bundick’s skill as both a multi-instrumentalist and as a producer, giving us a collection of beautiful pop-funk songs.  The production on Causers of This offers a wealth of lush textures and airy vocal harmonies with instrumentation ranging from piano, bass and guitar to warm analogue synths and drum machines.  His second album Underneath the Pines continues in the same vein, yet offers sounds sourced from an even wider palette.

The first song, “Intro Chi Chi”, sets out a psychadelic wash of distorted guitars, cowbells, shakers, and vocal layers, before the arrival of “New Beat” which picks up the tempo with some straight up synthy funk.  The vocal melodies of “Go With You” echo those of chillwave contemporary Ariel Pink and seems to hark back to the 60s with its harpsichord, rhodes and live drums.  In fact the rhodes compliments most of the album, as it does on the beautiful instrumental “Divina”, with a smooth bass line that recalls the sound of Air’s Moon Safari.  The vocal harmonies and melody of “Before I’m Done” are reminiscent of a post-Beatles John Lennon, while other songs harmonically hint at The Beach Boys or even The Shins.  There are further upbeat moments on the album such as “Got Blinded” and “How I Know”, although the album as a whole retains a laid back vibe due to the layers of reverb and delayed sounds.

With the exception of "New Beat", the album has a far more 60s feel to it than Toro Y Moi’s earlier album which found its footing more in the sounds of the late 70s and early 80s.  If Causers of This showed off Bundick’s ability as a producer with its chopped up samples and retro drum machines, then Underneath the Pines is more an album that highlights his ability as a songwriter and musician.  The album is full of melodic pop gems and is probably more accessible than its predecessor, although personally I prefer Causers of This with its warm synths and programmed beats.  It will be interesting to hear further releases from Toro Y Moi to see how his sound develops as he is clearly a highly talented musician and producer with a lot of scope.  Until then, both albums offer plenty of lasting enjoyment and are available to buy on record and cd.

Get Causers of This on vinyl
Get Underneath the Pines on vinyl