Archive | September, 2017

The Genius Of David

David Cunningham is an underrated producer. He manages to combine peculiar kitchen sink percussion and a love of dub with an ‘art-school’ experimental cut and paste sensibility. I’m certainly not an expert on his many productions but if I see his name on something it’s always worth a listen. Below are five that have caught my attention from his extensive back catalogue.

This to me sounds like a David Cunningham tune that he has had The Electric Chairs play on. I wish I could find more music like this. The drums are amazing.

Covers and humour played a big part in his Flying Lizards project. Here he turns Sex Machine into something very different. Always makes me smile and dance.

David’s Wall of Sound.

Something to ease the pain. This beauty was recently put on a comp by the ever enlightening and reliable Optimo label.

Do you fancy hearing a strange dub version of Sun Ra? Well you’re in luck.

69, BFC, C2, C2C4, Carls Davis, Designer Music, Eich, Me, Son, Sche, FRS, Im.mortal Music, No Boundaries, Paperclip People, Parametric, Piece, Psyche, Shop, Tres Demented, Urban Culture, Incogdo, Innerzone Orchestra, The Detroit Experiment, Urban Tribe…

For me one of the most prolific artists of modern times has to be Carl Craig, a man with a ridiculous amount of  pseudonyms and one of the best back catalogues in electronic music.

Here are ten from his vast repertoire that I adore, some well known, some not so much but all great.

Anyone who professes machine music has no soul, needs to get their listeners around this beauty.

He can even make Duran Duran sound good.

Twenty seven years ago he came from the future.

The art of the remix Pt 1.

Pt 2.

House music doesn’t really come much better than this weapon under his Paperclip People moniker.

Arp action executed with perfection.

Brass can sound absolutely shite in electronic music, then there’s this.

Here he teams up with Derrick May as Incogdo for a lesson in how to make raw piano house that’s remained timeless.

Hard to know what to say about this one, except it’s incredible.

Catfish

I got into  DJ Joakim’s Tigersushi label in 2002. I can’t believe that was 15 years ago. For me they were really influential in helping shape my early tastes and point me in the direction of interesting electronic music that also had a sense of fun and adventure. I still play these releases out today and to my ears they sound as fresh as ever. Their back catalogue is full of great original music as well as lovingly putting together some classic comps.

Here’s 5 from their back (cheap) catalogue. Go treat yourself…

In Flagranti getting a groove and rinsing it. Sounds simple to do but it ain’t.  First heard on How To Kill the DJ (Part One) mix.

This is a good example of the type of records I absolutely love and that Tigersushi introduced me to. When I heard this at first it blew my mind that tunes like this existed. Primitive raw dance music at it’s best.

Interesting artist Nakion. I would have liked to have heard more from her. There’s a real looseness to the way she samples and programs the drums. Its like she is just throwing down ideas and not worrying too much about everything being perfect.

Introduced to this classic off another one of their comps. Nowadays these records are well known and beautifully re-issued. However in 2004 when I first heard this these sounds were very exotic and exciting. A whole new underground opened up for me.

Joakim under his Jimi Bazzouka edit alias. Not strictly a Tigersushi release but so good I’m sure I will be forgiven.