Lil' Tony - Cosmic Afro Pan

Finland's Lil' Tony is probably best known for being a member of Nuspirit Helsinki who had a fair amount of success with releases on seminal deep house label Guidance Recordings and with Germany's Sonar Kollektiv. In recent years Lil' Tony has been forging a name for himself with his DJ sets and production work - especially those released with Kimmo Oksanen, Roberto Rodriguez and Toni Rantanen as the Future Beat Investigators - but it is with this solo release on France's Versatile Recordings that he takes that minimal yet soulful sound and takes it kicking and screaming down to the club where it can only result in one thing and that is pandemonium on the dancefloor. I really like techno records that are well made and this is most certainly a great addition to the cannon, check the bit where the piano comes in for proof.

Lil' Tony - Cosmic Afro Pan (REMOVED)

* Because this is a new release I'm only going to leave the .mp3 up until Monday morning at which point I'll take it down.

One Hundred Project : Jif

What is on your stereo at the moment?

I'm listening to quite a lot of Brazilian stuff at the moment so things like Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben and Caetano Veloso, also the Fleet Foxes album which is rather good.

3 records that changed your life. Why?

ELO - Last Train To London

This was the first record I bought when I was about 9 so I guess it must have had an influence on my tastes, the original 7" still sounds better than the edit that came out last year.

Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)

Growing up in the 80s Talking Heads were a very influential band and this is without doubt my favourite of their tracks.

Fingers Inc. - Mystery of Love

I was into Electro and used to listen to Stu Allan on Piccadilly, he then started playing a few early House records from Chicago. Of all the early tracks Mystery Of Love is the most timeless in my opinion, still sounding great today.

What are you looking forward to?

I'm off to Electric Elephant in Croatia soon which should be a good.

What couldn’t you live without? Why?

Music, good friends and going out and having a laugh, although I don't seem to get enough time for that at the moment

Most memorable gig?

Probably the Def Jam tour at the Manchester Apollo in '87, it was LL Cool J, Run DMC, Eric B & Rakim and Public Enemy and it must have been good as we went back the next night.

Who/what are your influences?

My influences have tended to change on a regular basis so wouldn't like to name anyone in particular, I've always been more influenced by people who aren't scare to play something different though. Marc and Paul do deserve a special mention though, without them press-ganging me into coming on their radio show just over a year ago I would have never have started playing records outside my front room.

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

I'm probably going to say the same as most of the other Mancunians, but it's size is one of the best points; big enough that there's plenty to do but small enough that it's friendly and easy to get around. The worst thing would have to be the weather.

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

Farahs and back perms.

Hero? Why?

I don't really do heroes, everybody is good at different things so the whole hero thing doesn't really work for me

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

I hate answering questions about myself.

Jif Kumo Mix

No Tracklisting Available.

Download the mix here.

Spiritualized - Think I'm In Love (Chemical Brothers vocal remix)

When this came out in the late-90's I used to end each and every set of mine with this serotonin tingler. In those days I was playing mostly instrumental records, so this was my idea of a big vocal reach for the sky record and to be honest I still do think it is. I don't think I've bought anything by Spiritualized or the Chems since then although I think the wife has and I remember Deep Dish - back when they were any good - starting off one of their Yoshiesque compilations with this beauty. I particularly like the way how it winds down at the end, a proper 'moment' record.

Spiritualized - Think I'm In Love (Chemical Brothers vocal remix)

Steely Dan - Green Earrings - Fat Camp Scratch Re-edit

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know a thing about Steely Dan as they've never really been on the radar. I know they're favourites with just about every bearded wonder out there but I've just never had the desire to pick up and album for some reason. I've seen Aja in bargain bins and always thumbed past it as I seem to have some ingrained irrational anti-Steely Dan tendencies from where I couldn't tell you. Maybe it is time that I put the effort in and ponied up for an album or two but I wouldn't really know where to start, so any tips would be greatly appreciated but bear in mind that if this is the cream of the crop then I'll probably just leave it here, I'm kind of silly that way sometimes. Anyway this re-edit is absolutely ace and I have no idea if it is true to the original or not but it does seem like the type of thing that would make people go absolutely radio rental on a dancefloor near you. I quite like it actually.

Steely Dan - Green Earrings - Fat Camp Scratch Re-edit

Low Motion Disco - Frantic Low Moment

This is the last one for today as it'll probably take you a while to work through the others that I have posted during this frenzy. This record absolutely compliments everything else that I have put up tonight and is from an album that you can file right next to your Quiet Village album quite easily, the impeccable Keep It Slow. This is a record that didn't grab me immediately but since then after numerous repeat listens I have been all over this like jam on toast. I have no idea who they are, and I'm assuming that they're Belgian but that's just a guess, but if they continue to put out music as incredible as this then I'm pretty much guaranteed to buy their albums for years to come. There is something incredibly psychedelic (which seems to be the theme for the evening) about this cut and the drums in particular are programmed expertly - not too much, just enough - to drive the track through its initial stages into the part where the other big elements come in. It is a masterclass in arrangement and a record that I truly do love and one that if played at the right time on the right dancefloor could lead to a real moment. BUY THE ALBUM, IT IS ACE!! There I said it.

Low Motion Disco - Frantic Low Moment

Beyond The Wizards Sleeve - Words

Beyond The Wizards Sleeve consist of Richard Norris who was in The Grid and Psychic TV and Erol Alkan who is absolutely massive on the Trash-inspired scene and who I must admit I went to go and listen to one night at Bugged Out! more out of curiosity than anything else and he played loads of techno, house and absolutely ace psychedelic stuff mixed to absolute perfection and he made me go a bit mental on the dancefloor with a few angular-haired students who made me their pet project for the night introducing me to all and sundry. My only regret that night is that I could've got a free haircut out of my new mates...oh well.

This has to be an edit of something but just what I don't know. This was included on their Spring EP that cost the better side of $20 to acquire and it is probably the best thing that they have ever done. I don't know about you but I find it absolutely euphoric and they've worked the chorus/refrain absolutely expertly and I can guarantee that you'll be singing it for the rest of the day. This is just the sort of record that I love to hear in and amongst an abrasive techno set that would make the entire place have a much needed collective wobble. I could definitely see someone like Weatherall incorporating it to devastating effect. What a record.

Beyond The Wizards Sleeve - Words

p.s. According to the Profanisaurus a 'Wizard's Sleeve' is 'a well-swept skin chimney'. Take that one down to the pub.

Bruce Norman Quintet - Keeper of The Sea

This is absolutely brilliant. I've been getting into the Martin Denny Exotica sound for a while now and apparently in record stores they call it Surfrock, well they did in San Francisco at least, but I find most of the records need severe editing as there are usually some bits that are absolute rubbish nestled in and amongst the gorgeous arrangements. This record however is perfect and clocks in at a brisk two minutes and three seconds and from the first sounds of the shore and the inclement weather augmented by the absolutely brilliant horn section driving it along I'm sure that you'll agree that this record is absolutely killer. Not sure where you'd play it but it would definitely stand out during a day time balearic set with the sun lapping down and a decent sized cocktail in hand. It's not every day that I say that a record is too short but this one could definitely do with some lengthening. Now I know absolutely nothing about the artist but I definitely want to hear more. If anyone has any idea where I can find more tracks by a group that quite clearly ticks all the right boxes then please let me know. Just incredible stuff.

Bruce Norman Quintet - Keeper of The Sea

The Laughing Light of Plenty - The Rose

The Laughing Light of Plenty is a new project fronted by the incredibly talented Thom Bullock of Map of Africa, Rub 'n Tug, Otterman Empire and A.R.E. Weapons infamy, and he's partnered by LA-based artist Edward Ruscha who produces music that is from the very left of leftfield. He's a man who uses stacks of analogue equipment and performs productions through live experimentation for a truly unique sound to go with his approach. He has released work through Tom Chasteen's Exist Dance label under his Dada Munchamonkey moniker. Our hero is also a member of Future Pigeon who take their influences from everything from dub to psychedelic rock, basically they're ace and I'll stick a track or two by them up in the following week. This track, which to me is a perfect accompaniment to the Dogs of War track a few posts down, is the very best of both the psychedelic rock, punk and dance worlds and is probably my favourite record of the year thus far. As this record will be out on the notoriously limited Whatever We Want Records very soon I'll only have this .mp3 available for the rest of the week at which point I'll take it down. This tune is absolutely ace and I've listened to it at least 30 times today and each time I play it louder. I'm not very far from having a bit of a pogo around my front room...ace!

The Laughing Light of Plenty - The Rose (Removed as it is now available at Piccadilly Records)

Q. Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses - Krikor edit

Q. Lazzarus is a mysterious singer who is best known for this song, which was famously featured in the tuck your little fella away scene in Silence of The Lambs back at the beginning of the 90s. Apparently not much is known about her or her band so I'll diverge a bit and tell you a bit about one of my favourite producers, Krikor. Our hero is a French recording artist who doesn't release a lot of records but pretty much everything that he has released is an absolute winner in my book. If leftfield wonky yet funk as fuck records are your game then he's the man for you especially with tracks like Burt Reynolds, Whisky Boy and Rock Hard In A Funky Place, which are all absolute essentials in my book. There is something very special about artists who don't stick to the blueprint but take chances in their programming and ultimately make records that leap out on the dancefloor and make people go absolutely barmy. Great producer. When you play this one for the love of God please don't try and recreate the scene from the flick...you'll just feel silly.

Q. Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses - Krikor edit

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

The Fleet Foxes are a five piece Seattle-based band who have been making waves with everyone from folkies to bearded balearica aficionados. This track White Winter Hymnal is off their self-titled debut album that all of you should really own and Aeroplane those bastions of nu-disco trance-lite grooves recently included this track on their mix for Resident Advisor which gives you some idea of the appeal of the track. It is just the sort of thing that I like to listen to early in the morning before things go a bit mental. Dive in.

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

Tensnake - Look To The Sky

I've been losing sight of solid dancefloor records here on the blog recently and with this superb italo-influenced slice of techno from Tensnake I am rectifying all of that. This came out last year and is one of those records that wasn't as instantaneous as some others released around the same time but like most great records they may not hit you immediately but they're definitely records that you'll pull out of your bag in years to come when the other bigger records will be collecting dust on your shelves. He's just recently released a record on the Kompakt-funded Endless Flight label that has been garnering support from the likes of Tony Tobias and James Kumo. Tensnake is definitely on the ball. Play this one loud.

Tensnake - Look To The Sky

Dogs of War - Future Jungle

This is a super-rare album that fetches upwards of $300 and apparently is an album that greatly influenced bands like Map of Africa et al. This cut is from their self-titled album and the only one by them that I've been able to find and I gather that it has recently been re-issued which should save most of you some serious wedge. The album is full of camp electronic disco with funk, rock and disco touches with loads of ace percussive breakdowns that are ripe for sampling. If anyone knows anything else about Dogs of War then please let me know but until then enjoy this superb grooving slice of aceness.

Dogs of War - Future Jungle