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Tracks of 2006 : Steve

Music // Steve // 4th January 2007

I was actually going to make a CD-R of all these, and mix them all together with Ableton in a tragic fashion, but somehow I don't think I'll get round to that. And this is the edited down list. "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado and Clipse/Pharrell's "Mr Me Too" get honourable mentions too...

Delia and Gavin - Relevee (Carl Craig remix)
Not for everyone this : superficially some incredibly minimal acid nonsense that lasts longer than the Third Reich was 'sposed to, it's best experienced at violently loud listening levels so that when the bass drum finally kicks in after three minutes and forty-two seconds (longer than CSS's "let's make love..." in itself) your fillings fall out, your bowels evacuate themselves, and you start having visions of the Virgin Mary in the vinyl grooves. Buying the 12" was a bit of surprise; having never quite heard the full ten minutes fifty-five seconds, it was a bit of a surprise when that jazz piano came in out of nowhere about eight minutes in. You're probably going to fucking hate it. It's brilliant.

Roxanne Shante - Roxanne Running (die meister xterminator krew mix)
Boot of "Roxanne running" (the acappella of which was also sampled by for "Dirt" by Death in Vegas) alongside a classic electro-freestyle track, whose name escapes me. Presumably by that naughty Ed DMX (of DMX Krew), it needs a decent release - my MP3 copy is shockingly bad. Bung a white label out Ed, I won't tell no-one honest.

Pet Shop Boys - Fugitive (Richard X extended mix)
Unfairly left off "Fundamental" proper, presumably because it sounds like a planet-crushingly bigger version of their 80s heyday. Richard X runs riot with the handclaps and opulent synths and just about holds an entire string orchestra on the verge of tears while Neil Tennant mutters something superficially bland about his brother and "being together in heaven", but on closer inspection, is it about suicide bombers? I'm crap at working out lyrics, but either way it's even better than that cheeky boot remix of "Minimal" done by that mystery Ringroad chap, whoever he is.

LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 (part 2)
James Murphy's disco-focussed DJ set for Tim Sweeney's Beats In Space (http://www.beatsinspace.net) earlier on in 2006 pointed the way to this 45 minute set, released on iTunes in November. It's intended as one long track, but in reality it's five sections glued together. Either way, it's a big warm disco hug throughout.

The first section is fantastic, a bit of a beardy-disco affair, introduced with an insistent house piano, then Murphy's distorted impassioned soul-man vocals appear chopped and looped in the style of one of Theo Parrish's Ugly Edits, as the choir oohs and declaims softly "shame on you".

But on my imaginary mix C90 we'll include the second section here, my favourite: imagine John Carpenter dubbing out "Speak and Spell"-era Depeche, and you're there. The heavy submarinal bassline recalls "Any Second Now" and the percussion is straight-up "Assault on Precinct 13". Fans of the usual LCD disco-rock may/will be disappointed. But then boo-fucking-hoo: I loved it.

The Knife - We share our mothers health

From the much feted but really odd "Silent Shout" album, this is about the most fun discopop thing on there, with the pitch-shifted vocals overlapping to great effect. The video is blummin' lovely but also as freaky as piss.

Justin Timberlake - Sexyback
Overplayed, omnipresent - and other words beginning with o, and still brilliant. Loved the sheer brass neck of it - that's part of what pop is about, having a really big head, fuck you, I'm a star. I'd slow it down, give it more grind at the beginning, and then slowly up the tempo. Mr Oizo could do a nice fuck 'n paste job on this with the MS20 and the Space Echo. Oh there's a video alright, but you've seen it a million times.

The Gossip - Standing in the way of control (Soulwax nite version)
When I was a kid I'd watch something on Saturday morning like Battle of the Planets, and directly afterwards I'd run outside, all excited, and be half convinced that I could do those things as seen on telly. And it's the same with this, it makes me want to run outside grinning, and to dance about like a fool in the pissing rain. Soulwax do what you expect of Soulwax, they push all the buttons labelled "fucking great" with their remix, unlike the other chancers that had a go. Really, if there's one thing off this godforsaken list you should check out, it's this.

Goldfrapp - Slide in (DFA remix)
James Murphy, yep, him again, together with Tim Goldsworthy raid the school percussion locker for this really really fucking long mix, 13 minutes or something, and it was finally released on vinyl, unedited, as part of the otherwise dull "Fly me away" 12". Bollocks to the edited CD version. A sleazy disco train, possibly en route back in time through a spangly vagina shaped wormhole to the Weimar Republic. Deca-dance. Ahaha, thankyouverymuch.

Frankie Valli - Beggin' (pilooski edit)
A re-edit of a track first put out in 1967, released as part of the Dark and Lovely series of edits, all happy/sad Northern soul heartbreak with a dirgey drone mystery guitar providing some steel. Sounds suspiciously modern for a plain edit, but it's hard to tell how much new "production" is on the track having never heard the original. Anything I play ten times in a row after hearing it for the first time has to be a winner.

Depeche Mode - Shake the disease (Tiga remix)
Tiga puts a stompy minimal electro fire to the rather tepid 1985 original in this version from the otherwise rub "Future Retro" compilation, released in January. Chewy bassline and lots of space for a decent vocal from the nearly dead messianic Dave Gahan.

CSS - Let's make love and listen death from above

Pissed-up Brazillians make cute pop discofunk with plenty of abandon, reminds me of Tom Tom Club slightly, and makes me dance. Oooh look, a video.

Clark - Ted
I've been having trouble describing this one: the closest I can get is imagining if Broadcast (circa went hiphop, it might sound vaguely nothing like this. The rare bits I've heard of the album "Body Riddle" wanders more into Aphex versus Morricone territory. Oh have a listen through Bleep's handy player thing:

The Champ Boy's Orchestra - Tubular Bells (Cosmic Mix)
Originally released in 1976, but out again in 2006 on the Disco Supreme Volume One comp, this is the appropriately named "Cosmic mix" for all the disco beardies. And yes it is that "Tubular Bells", done in a French disco style, with an orchestra, and rather fabulous too. Has a massive stompy bit in the middle that makes me want to take all my clothes off.

Uffie - Pop the glock
Uffie made us all feel a little bit dirty earlier on this year with her slightly rubbish but strangely appealing rapping. "Badass bitch"? Oh there there, I'm not sure you really are dear. Possibly very shit indeed live; having seen all the duff Youtube videos, we're glad we didn't go to see her in Nottingham. "Pop the glock" is lovely in it's hazy vocoder way.

Depeche Mode - Darkest Star (Holden remix)
Yep, another Depeche Mode remix. I'd bung one of the Bitstream remixes of "A pain that I'm used to" in here, but that was last year, and on listening to it again this is better anyway. On second listening, it's the best track on this list. Squalling, spooky, fidgety nighttime techno built around Dave Gahan calling into the infinite. Like looking up at the night sky on a clear night, into forever, and it feels like it might swallow you up. Seven minutes long and it feels way too short. The other thing on this list you should adore.

Don Armando's 2nd Ave Rhumba Band vs Tussle - I'm an Indian Four (JD Twitch Re Edit)
Hard to tell when this one actually came out, being a boot an all, but in the year of the edit (not a remix, dyou mind?) this version of freaky quasi-showtune off Ze Records in 1979 was squashed up against Tussle's krautfunk by one half of Optimo to irresistable hipshaking effect.