The Future Is Dark - Redlight

I was going to continue on with Steve Gurley's history and more Garridge (that'll have to wait) but I came across this. What a bewdy. Somehow this has passed me by for 18 years. I don't even recall it on any mixtapes/DJ sets or even mentioned anywhere ever. I guess it's a slight anomaly with it almost being a 93 Darkside throwback but that bass (which is soo good) puts it firmly in 1996, the era of Jump Up and Tech-Step. So this was just before Garridge took over and Drum'n'Bass dwindled away into inconsequence. Many of Drum'n'Bass's motifs however would continue to pop up in UK Garridge, Grime, Dubstep etc.

Who are Redlight?

Is there more pre Garrdge gold to be discovered? I really did think I'd excavated everything up to the point of the UK Garridge paradigm shift. But perhaps not.

UK Garridge 101

Another tune I only just discovered from 1998, well identified, as I'm pretty sure I've heard it before and maybe it's in a mix I've got. The vocal version is good too. So Grant Nelson is apparently like the godfather of UK Garridge and was doing it long before everyone else. I read somewhere that Nelson is still doing his thing in House related zones. He was also Bump & Flex so this is him remixing himself.

Turns out Steve Gurley did a remix of Things Are Never by Operator & Baffled. I can't work out if it was his dub version in that previous post or not. Anyway this is a tune from 2000 he did and it's a cracker. One wonders if there is an actual vocal version of Hotboys though, because I've not been able to find one. Bloody hell! Steve Gurley was in 4 Horseman Of The Apocalypse and Foul Play. Then he became a leading producer of UK Garridge and a remix extraordinaire. Legendary enough for ya? I'm expecting him to show up at some point in the Deep-Tech milieu, if he hasn't already that is.

Simon Reynolds adds the Gurley remix of 'things are never' is so much better than the original - which is good - but it's incredibly baleful and rolling. but it's not on YouTube, which is odd, i remember it getting played a lot on the pirates, so obviously well loved. i might try to dig it out and digitize it and put it up myself.

Deep-Tech Is This Where It's At?

Found this excellent article over at Blissblog about the Deep-Tech scene in London by Dominic Morris (at a publication I'm reluctant to publicise after some shameful journalism last year. I'll make this one exclusive exception due to how much I'm diggin the shit he's talking about). Mr Reynolds has some thoughts too and both have an excellent selection of tracks from the scene. I tried not to double up on those. Morris too senses something in the air. I mean I knew nothing of the tensions in the scene until now but I can sense something has to give. I was also thinking how blank a lot of this stuff is and how Eno will probably show up any minute now saying something about the scene. My wife said Dance Muzak that she could ignore at low volume but get into the groove if it was boomin out of the speakers. I love that dichotomy. But for me with the volume lower it's just as mesmerising (if you're listening). It's like these tunes don't need any extraneous bits. The tunes have just enough in them to excite the punter who's invested in the music and is willing to get deep. I don't go to clubs anymore, hey I moved to the desert, but all club music gets road tested on my bike (you know my legs are moving, a bit like dancing) and going to sleep in bed (which usually includes some kind of drug of the drowsy variety, hey they're drugs). Deep-Tech has passed both tests, whereas say Gabber only really passes the bike test (but I'm not taking amphetamines to kill pain or sleep). Deep-Tech can be really trippy and hypnotic music as well as truly bangin. That's the secret to this music, I reckon, that precipice. A bit like Ratchet's 'deceptively simple' trademark, it might seem basic but it's architecturally sound and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. This precipice is probably way harder to achieve than you think.





One of the outstanding tunes from Audio Rehab Volume 1.

Here's another parallel that Deep Tech has with Ratchet and it seems loads of other musical styles - John Carpenter. You can hear it most definitely in the above track. Here's a thought/question/future essay 'John Carpenter: the most influential musician of the 21st century?' That's a whole other story but a tiny piece of the Deep-Tech puzzle.

Speed Garridge to Deep Tech (?)

Came across this tune last night, fuck it's good. This is a UK Garage tune from 1997 but it's the dub version. After listening to a lot of current 'Deep-Tech' music from labels Audio-Rehab, Definition Audio, House Ent., Mokujin etc., Things Are Never (dub) by Operator & Baffled kinda seems appropriate. I hear a lot of Garridge in the music from the artists on those aforementioned labels. Obviously house is a big influence on 'Deep-Tech' but it's all definitely coming from the UK with the bass and rhythm. Even the house inspiration in this 'Deep-Tech' genre (not lovin that name) seems to be predominately of the late 80s British Acid House variety though, doesn't it? But perhaps it's Bleep with it's lavishly clean production sounds, along with it's bass weight and depth, that informs this music most. Then there's, you know, bits of the the other stuff that Speed Garage stemmed from Jungle, Drum'n'Bass, NY Garage, R&B, Reggae and of course good ole Disco. Deep-Tech's even got a bit of old school Electro and Techstep in there at times, I reckon. It's good stuff. Probably the best thing since UK Garage really. Is it something new? (Is the Hardcore Continuum back on track?) Even if it's not, Deep-Tech has somehow captured my mind and body like Grime and Dubstep never did. This stuff for some reason* seems so much better than that of the acts producing genuine fakes of jungle, drum & bass, grime etc. I love this track Insomnia from Camo Crooks (below). They also had the outstanding tune Maestro on The Various Audio Volume 1 compilation on the Definition Audio label.

Bloody hell make up your minds already! Some are calling it deep house, others tech house, minimal, even jackin electro or just plain old house but it's 'Deep-Tech' that's really stuck. These genre names have been around the block several times already though and sometimes in a derogatory way. I mean I used to want throw up at the mention of deep house. The music of Theo Nasa, Nightshift, Hugo Massien, RS4, Camo Crooks, Ghost House Banton, DJ SKT et al. deserves better than that. Come on all you micro genre geeks here's your chance to give this stuff a new and better name! At the same time making a name for yourself. Will that then signal the genre's demise though? You get the feeling that something is going to happen very soon like a break off genre from Deep-Tech before a rebranding even happens. For more music from this London scene (I believe it's spreading. I mean "hi I'm in Australia") check out these two highly recommended (by me at least) compilations that were in my Best of 2014 list.

The Audio Rehab compilation has tracks from Hugo Massien, Nightshift, RS4, Mark Radford, Shay & Sinista, Carnao Beats, DJ SKT and so on.

*I wanted to post my fave Hugo Massien tune Mitte but it's not on the youtubes. These Deep-Tech guys seem really protective of their music. A lot of it can only be found in annoying snippet form online. I mean I payed for both of those compilations but maybe they want their scene slightly insular and only for the truly dedicated ie. patrons willing to pay for the music (those who care). The dilettantes and dabblers can fuck off which is kinda cool I suppose.

The Chainsaw - Rhythm Section

Was listening to this tune today on me computer and thought 'gee whizz that's a beauty'. This is from 93 and it's gold that rocks da house. It kind of predates Basement Jaxx don't you think? "Are Rhythm Section and The Rhythm Section one and the same?" I thought, and no they're not. The Rhythm Section were Belgian and had a tune I know called Can You Feel which I always thought was the British Rhythm Section who had sold out because it was like happy house. The Belgian group were doing more like nu beat/acid house in a happy stylee, whereas Rhythm Section were more yer UK 'ardcore because they were from the UK and did hardcore. You can check out these geezers below. Loving the guy with the cap, sunnies and mo combo. This tune's a bit darker and dirtier than their other tunes. Anyway The Chainsaw is a choice cut. It might have been their last tune, I dunno. I've seen a comp of theirs and it only goes up to 1992 so maybe they don't rate it.

"What are you lookin at? We're not Belgian you twat!"

Rap Mixtapes - Influx Inertia

They were counting down the days by the second at Datpiff for the release of Luca Brasi 2 by Kevin Gates and I got caught up in the anticipation too. I think I ended up downloading it in the middle of the night. I mean I didn't set the alarm or anything, it just so happened I couldn't sleep. I was looking forward to it though. I still don't get why such quality releases are free. I guess it's hard to stop the pirates so why not? Some of these free mixtapes are for sale as well. In my list of best LPs/Mixtapes of 2014 sixteen of the thirty six were given away free via Datpiff, Live Mixtapes etc. They have become such quality documents I decided to put them along side the proper album releases. I think it was Lil Wayne who started the trend of making mixtapes of such high standard. He even used to say the accompanying mixtapes released around the same time as his proper LPs were better than the official releases.

I've still got around 20 mixtapes in my 'inbox of new mixtapes' playlist that I haven't had enough time to give proper listens to. They're just the recent 2014 ones I've downloaded. A stack more await downloading but it's starting to get ridiculous. Then there are the recommended classic mixtapes as well from like the past 15 years or so. I only got into this scene in the last few years so I've got a bit of catching up to do. I went off hip-hop post Ironman for some reason. I love Ironman so it was probably Wu Tang Forever that stopped me in my rap tracks.

It's starting to get a bit like DJs who I used to see in the specialist dance record shops in the 90s who'd play 20 seconds of a track and have to decide yay or nay, right then and there. I used to think they must miss heaps of good shit especially in the hardcore/jungle scene where the best bits might not happen until 2 or 3 minutes in. Anyway I've had to say nay to Salva, Blanco Huslah Kokane and Og Maco recently so they've been deleted. They may have grown on me but I feel I have to be ruthless. I've said Yay to Kevin Gates Luca Brasi 2, Travi$ Scott's Days Before Rodeo, Zuse's Illegal Immigrant, King Louie's Soprano and YP Spoelstra's Heat Vol 3. Those five artists have good track records though. So once they get the yay they have to await proper evaluation at a later date. Then we've got "the I dunno?" category which is kind of a purgatory for mixtapes. Starlito's Theories, WhoKid Woody's R.E.A.L, Archive Nation a compilation hosted by Lil Silk, AD's Comptonfornia 2 and Dej Loaf's Sell Sole all sound alright but they have to wait until their time comes after the Yays have had their proper listening time. By the time I get around to "the I dunnos" though a whole new batch of mixtapes will be vying for my attention as well as proper rap releases (like Starlito's Black Sheep Don't Grin which sounds pretty good!) and non rap zone releases (The Moon Wiring Club parcel finally arrived). So they may not get a second chance. Hey they are just the ones I've given a go! Still waiting in the wings we've got Archibald Slim, Cheif Keef, Boogie, Future, Sauce Twinz, The Guys, Goldlink, YG, Lil Herb, A$AP Ferg and the list goes on and on some more.

As good as Bullet?

So I can't even give proper reviews to Kevin Gates (sounds good so far, a bit of a cleaner sound but I dunno if it's up there with his past 3 classics: The Luca Brasi Story, Stranger Than Fiction or By Any Means. I mean that's a pretty hard task right there innit?) or Zuse (I don't know if it's as good as Bullet yet). I have finally given King Louie's Soprano a good listen and can say it's the goods. More like a trad rap companion to the more futuristic Tony. That's as deep as I can go at this point.

More good shit from King Louie.

It all reminds me a bit of that story (Sartre maybe?) of the guy who decided to read an entire library but by the time he died he was only up to the authors beginning with the letter E or something like that. This is just a microcosm of the information overload age. I have other interests too (er..well other types of music obviously, footy, wildlife documentaries, philosophy &....well that's about it really) but....

Swamped, inundated, overwhelmed!

Gabber Christmas

Merry Xmas Humanoids. Here's some lovely Christmas tunes for y'all. I'll paraphrase Jesus here from John 10:10 "Live life in abundance" Check out the theology man! That quote is particularly relevant to Xmas but also for hedonism and existential Nihilism. I better stop there before, you know, I start ruffling a few feathers and my comments box gets filled with nutters. Then again shouldn't it be called the nutter box?

Hardcore Dutch Sylee!

I love the eastern motifs on The Tower it makes it unlike any tune from the era that I can think of. That movie/tv sample has got to be Ice-T but I don't know what it's from nor do I particularly care.

*All three of these tunes were on the compilation Ruffneck Collection Part V from 1995 which I've been listening to today for some reason.

Best Of 2014 - Albums & Mixtapes

Pom Pom - Ariel Pink
Heavenly West Coast pop hits, delirious goth, over wrought glam, funk, glitter scuzz rock and demented bubblegum psych (sometimes all within the same song). I can't possibly write another word on the subject.

Black Portland - Young Thug & Bloody Jay
Atlanta's stellar nutcase duo make mental rap classic. Demented euphoria.

You Might Also Like - eMMplekz
More funny shit and mental absurdity ranted by Baron Mordant over some of Nick's most accomplished trax to date.

Unfidelity/Four Track Mind - Ekoplekz

Two classic double LPs in one year! Maybe Four Track Mind just pips Unfidelity at the post but these albums are inseparable as they came from the same recording sessions, I think. Nick Edwards reigns in his wayward machines like never before to achieve stunning results.

Oxymoron - Schoolboy Q
The title says it all. Killah state of the art sex, drugs and rap 2014 stylee. Oxymoron not only refers to Oxycontin addiction but to the dichotomy of Schoolboy Q's being ie. trying to be a good dad but being a bad ass gangsta.

Reconsider Lounge/Session Man - Rangers
I thought they'd vanished but praise the lord here they are again twice! This time in snippet and snapshot mode on Reconsider Lounge, a bit like they were on 2010's classic Suburban Tours. Session Man is almost like stoner jamz but in a Rangers universe. OMG these are guitar albums! Remember them? It's all about past pasts, past presents, past futures and the present present and future past, present and future. Memoredelia! The talented Joe Knight is a star. Why aren't Rangers as big as Coldplay?

By Any Means - Kevin Gates
King Kev's got the best voice in the game and his flow's incredible. An intimate insight into Kev's life. From being dirt poor with no electrical, being incarcerated, having children and being signed to major record label Atlantic. His life's a movie. Louisiana trap at it's finest.

Gangsta Stripper Music 2 - Beatking
He is the Beat King and he's had a sterling year. This was the Club God doing his Houston ratchet thang which is the best mix of 10s rap and 90s rave these ears have ever heard. Crank this sucker up to 11!

$hmopcity - Kool John
The most underrated mixtape of the year. Bay Area ratchet from the HBK Gang that was all killah no filler. Kool John makes the best HBK Gang recording to date. It's party time, are you putting on 10 Summers or $hmopcity? It's a no brainer.

Underground Tape Cassette Music - Gangsta Boo & Beatking
Fucking great collaboration from 666 Mafia's legendary Gangsta Boo and Club Godzilla Beatking. 80s electro & fucked up 90s rave flavas clash with 2014 Texan Ratchet and 90s creepin Memphis shyt. Rewind!

Life After Death Row - Boosie Bad Azz
Lil Boosie gets out of prison and makes a hell of a poignant mixtape about the experience. True Detective had nothing on this Louisiana rapper's gritty reality.

Tony - King Louie
Gangsta tales from Chicago set to mini cinematic synth symphonies. Louie's a King, a God, a Don and they call him Tony after Tony Soprano. Futuristic sex, drugs, violence and megalomania!

Under The Skin OST - Mica Levi
Best soundtrack since _________. Intensely sinister, harrowing and still. A bit like Bernard Hermann if he'd had a stroke and was wasted on painkillaz. Who'd have ever thought I'd enjoy something by Mica Levi? The world is a strange place.

Beautiful Pimp II - Rome Fortune
Atlanta's one of a kind suave space age rapper makes a sequel better than the original. Cito is on the beat throughout the entire mixtape which was a great move.

Heat Vol. 1 & 2 - YP Spoelstra
Two volumes of choice 2014 ratchet from California's HBK Gang. YP's giving Mustard a run for his money and he's just put out a 3rd Volume, bloody hell!

Leporine Pleasure Gardens - Moon Wiring Club LP 
Hallucinatory, phantasmal and lysergical. This is Moon Wiring Club severed from their beats and it's probably the closest sonic equivalent to dropping acid I've ever heard. Flashbacks man!

Torridon Gate - Howlround
Who'd have thunk a 24 minute recording of a garden gate would be this enjoyable?

R.O.C. - IX Tab
A trip into creepy electronic zones where funny things happen.

A Que Fresco - Que & Mike Fresh
Like Speedy Gonzales, the subject in one of their songs, these guys don't mess about. This is 2014 rap at it's most buoyant and audacious. A pop triumph.

Butterfly Effect - Shinishi Ataobe 
Some of the most enjoyably serene ambient dub tech I've ever heard. There's also some slightly noisier dub tech trax in a Basic Channel stylee (Ataobe once released an EP on the Chain Reaction label). Hypnotic and beautiful.

From Out Here - The Advisory Circle
Perhaps their most fully realised LP to date. A musical interzone somewhere between idyllic and peculiar. An album that plays tricks with your memory.

ALSO REALLY LIKED
My Krazy Life - YG
Monster - Future
Fearful Wiggings - Dave Graney
The Power And The Glory - Perc
Bullet - Zuse
The Mobb Tape - Zmoney
Wet 2 - Skipper
Tha Tour Part 1 - Rich Gang
Leporine Pleasure Gardens cd - Moon Wiring Club
Audio Rehab Vol.1 - Various
Definition Audio Presents Vol.1 - Various
Oculus OST - The Newton Brothers
Pavilion - Panabrite
Influkz - Ekoplekz
We Invented The Bop 2 - Various
8 of The Moon Ballades Series - Motion Sickness Of Time Travel

CATEGORY OF IT'S OWN
Benji - Sun Kil Moon
20 years since I've listened to anything by Mark Kozelek but I couldn't ignore this album's cult groundswell on the interweb. Holy shit things have changed since Red House Painters Ocean Beach (well mostly, he is still singing about his mum) ie. Mark's way more hokey now, getting back to his Ohio roots. There are no Johnny Marr-esque guitar licks or 4AD flourishes of sound here. This is bare bones recording wise. Less is more, keep it simple and let the words paint the pictures. Who would have thought he could get more morose? Well he has! This is a stunning work of a master songwriter. The words just pour out of him unfiltered and somehow it works. Benji is an insight into a tragedy strewn life and a morbid mind like no other. Although he finally makes a joke on the last track. One does also wonder how much of this is possibly black humour like when he's asking you to think of mass murderers when you're feeling happy. I've always thought he was pretty funny I must admit.

WHAT HAPPENED???
Rustie - Green Language
Peaking Lights - Cosmic Logic
Young Thug - 1017 Thug 2
Skrillex - Recess
DJ Mustard - 10 Summers 

ON THE FENCE
Mr Mitch - Parallel Memories
Apparently this is connected to grime. I have no emotional investment in grime so it doesn't bother me. Like last year's album from Logos I didn't even know it was somehow comin from grime. I just liked the tunes. When I first heard Parallel Memories I thought it was like an electronica LP from 1994. Hey 94 was a great year for electronica and it's pretty good....
Vessel - Punish, Honey
Daft Industrial throwback of the worst kind or kinda cool weird noise? I dunno.

TOO LATE
Kevin Gates - Luca Brasi 2 (Only got it yesterday)
Starlito - Black Sheep Don't Grin (As above)
YP Spoelstra - Heat Vol. 3 (As above above)

TOTALLY MISSED IT
Ian Crause - The Vertical Axis. I noticed this in Simon's list. I assume it is he of the great Disco Inferno. I totally did not realise he'd released an album this year as I don't read music magazines anymore and only skim the online one (you can probably guess what that may be). I think I bought one issue of The Wire this year. I've gone from being a chap in the 90s who wouldn't miss an issue of The Wire to someone now who can barely give a toss. Sure things change in 20 + years but who'd have thought so many bad writers would be employed there. Sure the music scene's not the same either but there is still great music being made. The evidence is right here in my list but I wonder how many of the above recordings even got coverage in The Wire? The thing is I probably wouldn't want to read it anyway unless it was written by Mark Fisher. Anyway back to The Vertical Axis, fuck I'm looking forward to hearing that. Mark Fisher probably reviewed it. This is actually from 2013.

TELEVISION
True Detective
Girls
Happy Valley
Orange Is The New Black

BOOKS
Ghosts Of My Life - Mark Fisher
Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story Of Modern Pop - Bob Stanley (sure I got this for xmas 2013 but fuck it took me 4 months of 2014 to read it ie. many pages)

STUPID
Ripping off Young Thug is dumb. It's like ripping off Mark E Smith ie. he's so idiosyncratic if you're copying him it's so obviously not you. It makes you an instant joke.

LIFE'S TOO SHORT
To bang on about artists that are dull, overrated or just plain shite like blanco husalah kokane, salva, fka twigs, beyonce, ben frost, 1001 Young Thug wannabes, popcaan and whoever else innit?

There's only one Young Thug (he's on the left).

*OTHER YEARS
2011
2012
2013

Best Tunes Of 2014

Forever Bloody - Young Thug & Bloody Jay
Low - Juicy J feat. Young Thug, N Minaj...
Lifestyle - Young Thug, Rich Homie & Birdman
2 On - Tinashe feat. Schoolboy Q
Studio - Schoolboy Q feat. BJ The Chicago Kid
I'm Comin Home - Lil Boosie
Hunter - Total Control
Florida Water - Young Thug & Bloody Jay
Turn Down For What - DJ Snake & Lil Jon
Club Goin Up On A Tuesday (+DJ Snake remix & Drake version) - I Love Makonnen
Area 51 - Theo Nasa 
One Spliff - Hodgson
Gladiator - RS4
Kuang EP - Lee Gamble
Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
Flesh War - Total Control
Everything Was Legendary With Robert - Dave Graney
Amnesia - Kevin Gates
No Tears - Jeezy feat. Future
'til we pass out - Raven Felix
Danny Glover Remix - Young Thug feat. N Minaj
No Type - Rae Sremmurd
No Love - August Alsina feat. N Minaj
CoCo - O.T. Genasis
Don't Know - Kevin Gates
Pole Sex EP - Beatking
Fuckin Wit Me - Tinashe (Mustard On The Beat)

* I tried to make sure these were singles, songs with videos, virtual singles or promo singles in some form or another otherwise I would have had like 17 Ariel Pink tunes and like 40 from Beatking & HBK Gang. Those songs are on the albums in the upcoming best of 2014 albums and mixtapes list. Then again I guess anything on i-tunes or Beatport is technically a single, whatever!

*No Type by Rae Sremmurd gets a nod for the incredible vibe created by producer Mike Will Made It (of Pour It Up fame and the above No Tears) and the singing from one of the duo but the other guy is such a Young Thug wannabe he ruins it just a tiny bit for me, but it's soo good.....I can let it slide.

Power Ambient LOL

I couldn't help but have a little chuckle to myself when I read an article at FACT on "Power Ambient". This is some kind of re-branding so the writers don't seem recalcitrant. Terms like New Kosmische, Nu New Age, Hypnagogia,Vapour Wave and even good ole Ambient have obviously become embarrassing and passe for these writers. So Motion Sickness Of Time Travel get a second bite of the cherry under a new genre pseudonym "Power Ambient". Hey I've always liked em no matter what category they've been put in. What about one of my other ambient favourites Panabrite, do they get to be rehabilitated? They released another excellent LP this year Pavilion, or do they remain in the backwaters of passe pigeon holes?

This is taken from Panabrite's 2014 album Pavilion.