Five Blogs We Loved in 2009

On a Thursday in December

Starting off a series of “best of” lists today with some love to a few of our favorite pages this year. Christmas cakes to; Pejhy, Keytars and Violins, No Pain In Pop, Feel My Bicep and Nobody Cares About Kitsune. We’re big fans and check you on the reg ♥. Everlasting love to the forever amazing Fluo Kids and Slutty Fringe staples too.

More lists to come before the year expires. Here’s a gem we nicked from the Wolf + Lamb camp’s recent Significant Others too comp. Something about it seams fitting to accompany Christmas eve.

Just One Night - Dawn (HQ)

CC Mixtape 005 - Nacho Lovers

On a Wednesday in December

Seasons greetings to all reading today from everyone at Curb Crawlers! With the help from our Toronto based BFFs the Nacho Lovers, we’re delighted to host the latest in our mixtape series.

Soaked in Americana proto-house / techno influence, the NL boys of Fools Gold fame get straight to the handclap realness. To round things out right, the guys have infused elements of throw back disco, classic warehouse and funk to insure today’s tape comes complete with all the proper elements to kick start your new year. Lovers, take it from here..

Nacho Lovers - CC Mixtape 005

Barely Eagle Intro
Hunee - Took My Love
Azari & III - Hungry For The Power (Runaway Remix)
KZA - On&On&On
Linkwood & House of Traps - Barely Eagle
Eddie C - Never Let Go
Rick WIlhite - Drum Patterns & Memories (Moodymann Remix)
Rondenion - Sun Glare
Shimmy Sham Sham! - Shimmy Sham Sham 001 Side A
Soundstream - All Night (Andrew Ross Edit)
6th Borough Project - Planets (The Revenge Lost Groove)
Audio Soul Project - Back To Joy
Indian Ocean - Treehouse / Schoolbell (Lil’ Tony Rework)
Linkwood - Electricity
DJ Sprinkles - Grand Central Pt. 1 - Deep Into The Bowel Of House (Motor City Drum Ensemble Bassline Dub)
Tama Sumo & Prosumer - Alien Mutts
T&K - Mucho Swash

- B. Sek

Sissy Nobby - Lay Me Down (L-Vis 1990 Remix)

On a Tuesday in December

OUT TODAY ON MIXPAK RECORDS.

- L-Vis 1990

VonStroke

On a Thursday in December

I doubt we’ll get around to putting together a best of the decade list. It’s tough enough to gather together a decent best of 2009 list (yep it’s coming soon..). No doubt we’ve given a bit of thought to what how such a list would look though.

Despite the endless supply of incredible music produced in the past 10 years, little effort would be required to include Claude Vonstroke’s Who’s Afraid of Detroit on the short list of timeless wonders. Nearly five years have passed since it’s initial release and the effect on a listener is still as profound as it was at day one.

Some time has also passed since VonStrokes last visit to Toronto. Luckily, tomorrow night he’ll be at Mod Club on College along with some of the CC family to wrap up the year right. Members of the blog mail list are already on the reduced price door list. Add your name here and we’ll include you too!

Flyer and event details are after the jump.

Read more…

- B. Sek

Kissing Game

On a Thursday in December

The holiday lovin’ starts now with a cop and feel from the Soul Clap team in Boston Mass. As a thank you for the support they’ve received in 2009, the guys have just released the first in a series of Free EPs highlighting their signature edit house approach.

No filler in sight with this RnB infused pack. Only Grade A quality sexy time made the cut here and we’re already eagerly awaiting to the follow up.

We’ve selected their DM centric b side Kissing Game but make sure to visit them at www.soulclap.us for the complete pack. Soul Clap’s recently released Definition EP is available now so if you’re about it, give some of that lovin’ back by picking up here.

Soul Clap - Kissing Game (320)

- B. Sek

CC Mixtape 004 - Julio Bashmore

On a Saturday in December

It’s time for yet another instalment in our CC Mixtape series. Today we’re delighted to distribute a fine selection from our friend Julio Bashmore. Two Thousand and Nine has been quite a year for Julio as we saw him rise from near obscurity to being one of the most exciting artists around. His recent rework of BSS’s Restless is available now courtesy of Fabric and his much anticipated 12” on San Fran based imprint Dirtybird is set to ship any day now. Take it away Bashmore…

Julio Bashmore - CC Mixtape 004

KSD - Khattabi
Roska & Untold - Myth
Julio Bashmore - Batak Groove
Buraka Som Sistema - Restless (Julio Bashmore Remix)
Boris Dlugosch - Bangkok (Roska Remix)
Mosca - Square One (Julio Bashmore Remix)
Sekta - Peterpan (Julio Bashmore Remix)
Foamo - Jookie
Al Ripken Jr & Diamond K - Hands in the Air (Bok Bok Remix)
Sekta - Jabba Jaws (Dub)
Jesse Rose - Heavy Still (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)
Mike Monday - Grace (Justin Martin Remix)
MJ Cole - Gotta Have it (Dub)
Untold - Don’t Know Don’t Care

Far far away…

On a Monday in November

The other day I was once again listening to what might be one of the finest dj mixes of the year, Joy Orbison’s BSRkR01. I could praise the immaculate taste that was required to produce this fine piece of aural entertainment (it did). However, instead, I’d like to bring to notice that Nite Jewel’s Weak For Me sounds to me like a long lost female counterpart to Mr. Fingers’ Distant Planet, one of my favourite Larry Heard productions “like, ever”. Here, have a listen:

Ok I can’t manage to make Youtube embedding work, but be brave and click here:

Nite Jewel: Weak For Me (Youtube)

Mr. Fingers: Distant Planet (Inter Galactic Dub)

*Martti

- Renaissance Man

CC Mixtape 003 - Kenton Slash Demon

On a Tuesday in November

The third installment in our CC Mixtape comes today courtesy of Kenton Slash Demon. Best known in Scandinavia as members of the critically acclaimed Danish indie band When Saints Go Machine, their high-tech alter ego Kenton Slash Demon have spent the better part of 2009 shaking speakers and topping charts with their latest Tartlet Records EP Khattabi.

Championed by the likes of Claude VonStroke, Luciano, The Martin Brothers and Brodinski, Khattabi’s chunky low end and syncopated rhythmic section stood out as one of this year’s most creative dancefloor cuts. Their forthcoming EP Sun can be expected in the beginning of 2010 and which features an appearance by Danish band Oh No Ono.

Kenton Slash Demon - CC Mixtape 003

Solomun - Forever
No Regular Play - Own Me
Eim Ick - Ghostly
Nathan Fake - Basic Mountain / Siriusmo - High Together
Giuseppe Cennamo - Bolivian (DJ Wild El Camino Remix)
Bodymovin - Everybody (Turntablerocker Remix)
B.d.i - City & Industry
Jark Prongo - Helios
Thomas Brinkmann - Aleks In Love
Extrawelt - Im Garten Von Eben (Max Cooper Tensor Mix)

*photo credit: Elisabeth Molin

Verwey

On a Tuesday in November

One class act of a Stardust remix this week from Melbourne’s Nick Verwey. Showing great restraint, Verwey opts for stripped-down repetitive tribal drums, short vocal snippets and a rolling bassline instead of the full vocal and disco filter. The poker face is played well giving this classic a tasteful nip and tuck.

Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (Nick Verwey Remix) (320)

Didn’t think we’d leave you without a some low rider riddim did you? Nick’s Dance Of The Sock Monkeys dives 20,000 leagues below the surface with rib shaking 808s and timpani drums. Similar to the sounds of J Phlip, CVS, ZDS and Bashmore, Sock Monkeys is a taste of bionafied new school jeep music.

Nick Verwey - Dance Of The Sock Monkeys (320)

Jack

On a Sunday in October

The outbreak began in July 1518, when a woman, Frau Troffea, began to dance fervently in a street in Strasbourg. This lasted somewhere between four to six days. Within a week, 34 others had joined, and within a month, there were around 400 dancers. Most of these people eventually died from heart attack, stroke, or exhaustion.

Historical documents, including “physician notes, cathedral sermons, local and regional chronicles, and even notes issued by the Strasbourg city council” are clear that the victims danced. It is not known why these people danced to their deaths, nor is it clear that they were dancing willfully.

As the dancing plague worsened, concerned nobles sought the advice of local physicians, who ruled out astrological and supernatural causes, instead announcing that the plague was a “natural disease” caused by “hot blood”. However, instead of prescribing bleeding, authorities encouraged more dancing, in part by opening two guildhalls and a grain market, and even constructing a wooden stage. The authorities did this because they believed that the dancers would only recover if they danced continually night and day. To increase the effectiveness of the cure, authorities even paid for musicians to keep the afflicted moving.

Farm Boy - Jackin’ Me Around (Dub Mix) Trax Records (1986)

The Shep

On a Friday in October

I made the unfortunate mistake of “remembering” the Macarena the other day and visuals of overweight mothers in fanny packs shaking their hips on the jumbo-tron at a Buffalo Bills game have been haunting me since. Not sure why I decided to kick off this post is such a manner. Maybe I’m beginning to draw some weird parallels between hype hysteria, sequenced dancing, my mom and errrr… funky?

I’ve picked up a few cuts in recent weeks that depart from the rnbvox/conga/123step hyperbole formula and opt for stripped down drum machines, chicago house nods and spacey pads. Check our recent posts on D-Malice for some great examples.

Roska - The Sheppard (HQ)

- B. Sek

Cloud Dancer

On a Friday in October

- B. Sek

Closer

On a Thursday in October

2562’s alt style dubstep have been a highlight around CCHQ for some time now. His somber soundscapes, spacey dub delays and ultra-minimalism have provided the sound track many laid back sunday afternoons so it’s with much excitement to his recent works under his original guise A Made Up Sound come with more of an upbeat flex.

Similar to the sounds of Joy Orbision, 2562 bridges a gap between emo-but-not-stfu-emo, dub techno, detroit and 2-step throw back. Closer is out now on the self titled Clone sublabel and comes backed with the equally impressive cut entitled Rework.

A Made Up Sound - Closer (HQ)

The Love You Got

On a Thursday in October

Biiiiiiig riddim here. It’s been doing the rounds with all the right ears these past few weeks and for good reason. The xx get their 2-Step on with their recent remix for Florence and The Machine and I’m seriously prone to goosebumps and shivers when those dubby xylophones creep in during the breakdown.

A classy look on the super repetitive 2-Step break and warm like a camp fire bubbly subs too. Wish i could write more about how I love this record but my arm feels like about to fall off. Get to the file… you’ll see what I on about soon enough.

Florence and The Machine - You’ve Got the Love (The xx Remix) (320)

DM Funk

On a Wednesday in October

Noticed this gem tucked into Ivan Smagghe live at Robert Johnson mix while driving around the city with A.Ross. Thought it was fitting to post it given our obsession with drum machine centric boogie tech (please don’t quote us on that tag.. yikes!).

Originally out in 05, this instrumental was re-released and backed with some errrrrr ‘questionable’ reworks in 2007. The cut of choice is a little over three minutes long and is cursed with an overly exaggerated fade out yet still packs some speaker bruising low end and Dolomite inspired slop. Fans of CVS take note, you’ll undoubtedly see a few parallels here.

Seymour Bits - Watskeburt?! (Original Instrumental Version) (HQ)

Houses of Music

On a Wednesday in October

An added bonus of dj’ing is every once in a while you get to visit rather striking venues; personally the most impressive being the Rem Koolhaas / OMA designed Casa da Musica in Porto, pictured above, followed closely by Stalin’s present to the city of Warsaw, the Palace of Culture and Science.

From a less architectural point of view the winner of the joint category club / restaurant / gypsy camp / circus / theme park is (or was?) Bar 25 in Berlin. In addition to all the things mentioned Bar 25 is a record label releasing “minimal” house perfectly fitting the soundtrack of those Monday morning after hours. ‘Nur Mal Kurz’ by Nicone and Sascha Braemer was the bar’s anthem this past summer. Personally I never was that sure about the original or it’s potential to be played anywhere else than it’s home base (see the hallucinogenic video of it here). However Philip Bader’s remix did the trick. Below is a gentle re-edit of the remix with most of the direct vocal references to losing one’s mind at Bar 25 removed and the best parts extended. Enjoy. It’s like the summer never went away.

Nicone and Sascha Braemer: Nur Mal Kurz (Philip Bader Remix) - Renaissance Man International Edit

-M

- Renaissance Man