Moby - I Love To Move In Here (Holy Ghost! remix)

I just got sent this and I'm not even sure if it is out yet, but it probably is as I'm not that far ahead of the game, and it is one of the few nu-disco records that has caught my ears in recent weeks. The genre isn't really stale as much as it is dying on its arse. Too many producers making the same record over and over again with very little thought, ingenuity and dancefloor savvy. Dance music for people not far off their first hip replacement. The problem with the scene is that all the newer records get absolutely pissed on by the older records and you can't really progress when you're not even trying to look forward but anyway this remix is by one of the few bands that seem to be pushing on, New York's Holy Ghost! who are made up of two members who are/used to be in Automato fact fans.

Ever since Moby bastardized spiritual music and made it palatable for housewives the world over he has been going in a direction that can be described as, well, Moroder-esque with his new linear disco leanings. He's even taken to DJing in a club in New York that 'only holds' 400 people - to pop stars that is basically slumming it with the peons - and is obviously affected by what makes the über-trendy shake their rude things. I haven't heard anything off the new album so I won't pass judgement on it but this track is certainly worth your hard-earned and if this takes Moby back to the mental space he had when he was making records like Go then bring it on oh short vegan one. This one will sound great on a dancefloor - I'm looking at you here, Paul.

Moby - I Love To Move In Here (Holy Ghost! remix)

Right, I'm off to see Seun Kuti and Egypt 80.

The Cure - Hot Hot Hot!!!

Emerging from Crawley in the UK in the late 70s, The Cure have always been lumped into the Gothic Rock sphere mostly due to lead singer Robert Smith's get up that endeared himself to the millions of terminally depressed coffin kids the world over but I see the band in a whole new light. To me they're an integral part of the post-punk/new wave scene with a lot of their records being right up dance alley. Mr Scruff famously ended his sets with Love Cats for quite some time and I saw a video of a guy scratching over the track at a hip hop/sneaker event to a load of backpacks the other night, so they definitely do have a wider appeal than the rest of the Gothic Rock bands of whom I couldn't really name any in all truth.

Here's a random anecdote. My sister dated a guy who was a bit of a coffin kid and they took me off to a goth club when I was 16 and being the adventurous type I went in a pair of blue jeans, a white t-shirt and a jean jacket (it was the early-90s, so not a word), which in a sea of black made me stick out just a bit and when I walked in the place was swarming with all manners of oddballs but that didn't seem to bother me in the slightest and I started talking to all and sundry about what they did, what shade of lipstick was a no-no and all manners of rubbish really and what I found was that most of them came from upper middle-class families and worked in the medical field scarily enough. I ended the night by drinking shots of God knows what with a girl who was so pale she was practically translucent and drawing smiley faces with my trusty marker all over the place before being caught and thrown out head first into the street. The place did shut a short time after and became The Boiler Room where a lot of my friends first experienced dance music, so it wasn't a loss really. Now I'm not saying that my doodles had anything to do with it but karma is a bitch, remember that my friends. My friend Steven McNulty is known to wear a t-shirt that says 'Cheer Up Goth' and that always makes me chuckle.

Anyway I've massively digressed here, this track Hot Hot Hot!!! to me is a dance record and one that were it not for Robert's dulcet tones would have been appropriated by the beard scene a long time ago. I think its great and I've been known to sneak it into my sets from time to time. It's quite a happy tune made by a guy who has a face like a slapped arse. Brilliant.

The Cure - Hot Hot Hot!!!

Ju-Par Universal Orchestra - Is Anyone Listening?

I was listening to Stu Burnell's mix on Cosmic Disco, which you can download here, and he included this track by the mighty Ju-Par Universal Orchestra and I just had to stick it up here for all of you to enjoy. Unlike the superb Funky Music this is more of a string-laden balearic endeavor that sounds amazing on psychedelics (or so I'm told) when sitting on a beach watching the sun rise or set depending on preference really. Definitely one of those languid records that sounds best after a heavy night with a cocktail to calm the nerves. The album from which this is gleamed, Moods & Grooves, is easily one of the best purchases I've ever made and you truly should do yourselves a favour and try to find a copy for your collections.

Ju-Par Universal Orchestra - Is Anyone Listening?

One Hundred Project : Mr B

What is on your stereo at the moment?

Tru Thoughts remix compilation

3 records that changed your life. Why?

"Venceremous" Working Week 12"version because it showed me that jazz could be played and danced to in a club environment.

"Plastic Dreams" Jay Dee. Its just the perfect rave record.

"Live At The Counter Eurovision 1979" Misty In Roots John Peel used to play this album all the time at the end of the 70s when I was doing my O Levels. The album introduced me to Roots music.

What are you looking forward to?

Going to festivals over the summer with Sarah and our daughter and a really great bunch of varied friends. Festivals are the best way to spend the summer and I love the togetherness and sharing it teaches children. Our daughter is eight and has been to six festivals. The small festival environment (under 10k, preferably under 2k) is a fantastic experience on all levels.

What couldn’t you live without? Why?

My other half and my daughter, for obvious reasons.

Most memorable gig?

The most memorable gig I have played at was the other month when me and Sarah djd at a small festival called Bearded Theory. We headlined the main stage on the Friday night and played to about 400 people. It was amazing to be on the stage, watching people rave in a field to our music.

Concert wise, I think seeing Ravi Shankar was pretty amazing, oh, and seeing Aerosmith rock out Wembly stadium was special too !

Who/what are your influences?

No single dj or movement or genre has directly influenced me more than listening to and collecting records on the Blue Note label.

What is the best and worst thing about the city that you live in?

I live in Chorley in Lancashire, the best thing is its close enough to Machester, yet just far enough away. Its a great town to bring up a child, but it suffers from small town mentality, you could never have a night out here!

Given the accelerated pace of modern culture, what are we due a revival in?

I think we are due another summer of love. Its been a while now...

Is there anything else that you feel that we should know?

Watch out for me and Sarah playing out under the Mr&Mrs moniker.


TRACKLISTING

The Dramatics - The Devil Is Dope
Spank - Oh Baby
Skipworth and Turner - Thinking About Your Love
Wish - Mr Dj
Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers - We Need Some Money
Uncle Louie - I Like Funky Music
Kleer - Keep Your Body Working
Farah - Law Of Life
Karou Inoue - The Secret Field
40 Thieves - Don't Turn It Off
Telex - Raised By Snakes
Ytre Rymdon Dansskola - Kjappfot
Gatto Fritti - Bursting The Bubble

Download the mix here.

The Glimmers - Esta Si, Esta No (Asi Me Gusta A Mi)

Belgium's The Glimmers have been pushing their wonky brand of leftfield house, disco and balearica for some time now and recently they gave away their snappily titled album The Glimmers Are Gee Gee Fazzi from which this superb piece of work is plucked with an edition of long-running British dance music rag DJ Mag, which is proof if ever that most producers make records as promotion tools to get more gigs. Esta Si, Esta No (Asi Me Gusta A Mi) is a remake of a classic Spanish-rave-acid-house stormer (or so I'm told, I have no idea what the original is) and is a record that isn't for the faint of heart. I am a huge fan of balls-to-the-floor dance records that make you want to turn the volume up and jump about like there is no tomorrow and this cut most certainly falls into that category. (Although to be fair quite a lot of records from quite a lot of genres make me want to jump about, I do love a good dance) Brash, abrasive and full of energy - don't be a puss! Wake up the neighbours with this....go on!

The Glimmers - Esta Si, Esta No (Asi Me Gusta A Mi)

Osborne - Outta Sight

Originally found as a hidden track on Ghostly International's Idol Tryouts Vol. 2 Outta Sight was finally given a proper release on Ghostly's subsidiary label Spectral Sound last July. It has become one of those records that I continually go back to during my listening sessions at home and the piano-line pulls together all the elements of the record together rather nicely with its sparse accentuated by the vocal sample that makes this the sort of record that you could play late on at Aficionado or deep in the night at Fabric. It is a truly special record from a producer who seems to always deliver the goods. Proper heads down dance music.

Osborne - Outta Sight