Nina Simone - Baltimore (Isaac Varzim EDIT)

02. Ainz - Dream City

Whisper it quietly, but Andrew Meecham’s ninth album as The Emperor Machine, Island Boogie, may well be the long-serving producer’s strongest set to date. Of course, all his albums ripple with vintage synth sounds, colourful lead lines, dub-flecked electronic disco and lashings of cosmic intent, but this one just feels a little more special.

Island Boogie is certainly special. Meecham’s “most personal” full-length to date was inspired by his experiences at the Rotation Garden Party – a beloved micro-festival promoted by a group of friends (including sometime Bizarre Inc and Chicken Lips partner Dean Meredith), renowned for the quality of its custom-built Klipschorn soundsystem. “The album’s title sums up the vibe that you get from Rotation,” he explains. “It may be held in a landlocked venue but it gives a wonderful sense of isolation – it is an audiophile paradise.”

Meecham road-tested rough versions of the album’s eight tracks at Rotation 2023, with the feedback and dancefloor reaction guiding the sound and arrangement of the final mixes. Fittingly, Meecham will return to the event to showcase the album at Rotation 2024 this July. Given the inspiration he’s drawn from previous editions of the festival, that will be a very special occasion.

Musically, Island Boogie offers the most fully functioning and expertly constructed expression of The Emperor Machine sound yet, a style Meecham describes as “electronic cosmic disco-boogie”. It’s a sound that takes cues from early ‘80s NYC punk-funk and dub disco, vintage electro, proto-house and left-of-centre synth-boogie, but one that’s instantly recognisable to those who have followed Meecham’s career over the last three decades.

Island Boogie also sees Meecham continue his blossoming working relationship with Séverine Mouletin, whose stylish and distinctive vocals previously graced his popular ‘Dance Par Amour’ and ‘Your Own Style’ singles. Here Mouletin features on four tracks: the acid-flecked retro-futurist wave-boogie of ‘La Cassette’ (featuring additional percussion by Rupert Brown); the infectious, bleep-sporting headiness of recent single ‘Dévoilez-Vous’; and the squelchy analogue synth-funk of ‘Wanna Pop With You’ and ‘Vas-y-Le Chat’.

Meecham also finds space for a cover of Fox’s 1976 pop-rock classic ‘S-s-s-single Bed’, one of the Stafford-based artist’s all-time favourites. His version, featuring lead vocals by Michelle Bee and guitar from Dave Atherton, re-imagines the track as a subtly Chic-influenced slab of infectious electro-pop rich in kaleidoscopic synth sounds, sing-along choruses and shuffling drums.

The instrumental foundations of the classic Emperor Machine sound come to the fore on the album’s three other cuts. There’s the jazz-funk-flecked warmth of the LP-opening title track; the sparse squelches, bleeps, TB-303 style bass and brightly coloured electronics of ‘Walk The Dog’; and the exotic, slow-motion cosmic electronica of ‘Cha Murrah Etem’, a warm but poignant affair dedicated to his late father. Heady and intoxicating, with hints of Balearica and digital reggae, it offers a fittingly beautiful and tactile conclusion to Meecham’s most expressive and accessible album yet.

Island Boogie

LENG RECORDS

Emperor Machine - Wanna Pop With You feat. Séverine Mouletin

Hard Knock Life

Imagine shopping in one of those incredible record stores that seems to have everything that was ever made hiding, unorganized, in a series of crates barely kept safe in a damp basement that smells exactly as you'd imagined wet cardboard and dusty vinyl would smell like.  The crates are stacked so high, and the space between rows is so narrow, that catastrophe seems inevitable and you're wondering if those towers of music would happen to fall on top of you, how many years would it be before someone found your body?  (And would that improve the smell?)  

And imagine, in a treasure trove that would make the most niche northern soul trainspotter squeal with joy, you find a record that you'd never heard of before.  A female vocal'd mellow soul classic, coming in at a shuffling 105bpm and featuring organs, strings, and a rather psychedelic guitar.  The track is rhythmic, but not in your face.  It definitely feels like a smart European soft soul track from the 1960s--just enough of that mellow pop sheen (and plenty of reverb) all over it.    

The name on the faded label says that the song title is "Goodbye My Love" by a band you've never heard of before.  Interbay.  Not a lot of other information can be found on the label, other than it seems to be the product of PLW Records, which you also have never heard of.  

You take this curious thing to a nearby listening station and you drop the needle on it.  The vinyl has definitely seen some wear, so even a good cleaning to make it a bit less dusty might not make it sound pristine.  Being a production of a certain time, there are interesting choices made when it comes to the stereo spectrum and an almost haphazard attention to the mix overall, at times.  

But, you think it is rather charming...and you decide to add it to your pile of precious vinyl you'll be purchasing today.  You can't wait to bring it home, where you can start to do some research on it--but before you do, the cashier does something interesting.  

He doesn't charge you anything for this particular track.  You don't want to alert him to his mistake, but he volunteers that "that one isn't what you think it is...so, you can just have it."

As long as it is a groovy retro soul pop tune, you're quite happy to take it off their hands.  

(And, if you haven't found one of these Interbay "Goodbye My Love" 7" singles out there in the wild--and, I have to say that it would be extremely unlikely that you would--at least now, you can listen to it.  Find out if you like it, and if you do, you should give it a like--repost it, share it, add it to a playlist, leave a comment, etc.  And follow this page for more Interbay.  This is the 499th day that a never-before-heard Interbay track has been posted here on Soundcloud, so it does make a difference for you if you follow along and can keep up with it all--AND it helps me, as you can imagine.  (Though, not monetarily...just in vibes, at least for now.))  

I really do hope you like this one!  (I mean, I hope you like EVERY Interbay track--but this one in particular, especially considering the positive response that "Kick Off Your Shoes"--the most recent soul-style Interbay track--has received over the past couple of months--it is, after all, the most listened to Interbay track of all time.)

"Goodbye My Love" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

lead me on.wav

"Kojak Giant Sounds return to the fold for 2018!! You know the drill..."

- Phonica Records

"Dope psychedelic, tropical, disco banger from Mikeburns on the interesting and excellent Kojak Giant Sounds label."

- Mr Bongo

It seems like aaaaages since there's been a Kojak Giant Sounds - I would use the Google and find out just how long if I wasn't too busy shaking all my shit to the shoulder rolling Afro-cosmic of "Kamassa Trip". That's right folks, Mike Burns' A-side smasher here is a fully fledged floor filler in pure Baldelli/Loda fashion. Drums clatter and batter, the bassline rolls on and on and funky pianos add a touch of disco flair, keeping us thrusting away to the MASSIVE vocal chant. Expertly arranged, extended into chest beating intensity and decorated with all sorts of tripped out fx, this one's coming home with me! Over on the flip, Stockholm's Beatconductor dishes out the Red Stripe and Panama Red with the squelchy, stretched and spangled "Sunshine Life", a seriously summery cod-reggae cut for all the disco drunkards.

- Piccadilly Records

"名ディスコ・エディターが放つ必携のフロア・ウェポン!!

Al Kent、Kool DJ Dust、NicholasらもリリースするDJ Ionik主宰のディスコエディット・レーベル"Kojak Giant"から!

"Disco Devil"からリリースしているMike Burnsと、Les Moonlights、Carré D'As、Nigro Frèresの一員として、70～80'sにリリースしていたAntonio NigroによるUtopiaが残した"Shineshine Life"を、"G.A.M.M."、"Spicy"、"Kat"などからリリースするスウェーデンのエディターBeatconductorがリミックスしたBサイドを収録!"

- Jet Set

"AL KENTやEBONY CUTS、KOOL DJ DUSTやPAT LES STACHEらリエディットの名士たちがリリースしてきた、フィンランド〈TRAVELLER〉傘下のエディット・スペシャリティ〈KOJAK GIANT SOUNDS〉からの久々となる新作、前作も１度きりの入荷だったのであきらめていましたが、インフォメーションから１カ月ほどおくれてストックできました。
〈DISCO DEVIL〉や〈PHÖNIX PROJECT〉からリリースしていた、ウィーンで名を馳せる屈指ののアフロ・ディガー・MIKE BURNSによる必殺リエディット”Kamassa Trip”(sample1)と、〈G.A.M.M.〉や〈KAT〉、〈SPICY〉などから多くの名義で活動してきたストックホルムのベテラン・BEATCONDUCTORによる、スペースドアウトなダブ・エディット"Sunshine Life (Beatconductor Dub)"(sample2)の、強力カップリングです!"

- Newtone Records

Mike Burns - "Kamassa Trip"

Had the chance to play some Brazilian and Peruvian singles for Amsterdam's mighty Red Light Radio a couple of weeks ago.

Hope you enjoy this spontaneous mix of a bunch of my favourie latin singles.



KALAKUTA SOUL RECORDINGS #3 @ RED LIGHT RADIO, AMSTERDAM

DL / 7''

Hey-O-Hansen: Die Sonn Und Der Mond

DC Promo Tracks #559: "Golden Bamboo Salon" by Gustaaf and S&W is part of the release "It's More Fun To Commute" on Prongof108 @prongof108  

Gustaaf (@gustaaf_108) and S&W (@s-and-w)

Mixdown & Tape: @edlongo Calgari at Soundrays Studio  | Photography: Carolin Heinecke aka @octavethecat  | Grafik Design: Bareis+Nicolaus

12" OUT in MAY https://prongof108.bandcamp.com/releases 

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Nina Simone - Baltimore (Isaac Varzim EDIT)

isaacvarzim