Jungle City

More edit sources today. I first heard 'Jungle City' by Lexx in Stockholm back in January and was instantly hooked on the shuffling rhythms and sweet melodies. Some time between then and the 12" release for Bear Funk, I found the original track on the Joey Negro & Sean P compilation 'The Soul of Disco'. Laura Green's vocal suits the mood of the music perfectly and it's a nice alternative to the largely instrumental edit from Lexx (which you can hear on his Myspace page). Not a lot of info on the original I'm afraid, only that it was a b-side to the 1979 single 'Let Me Blow Your Whistle'. I also highly recommend the mix Lexx did for Beats in Space earlier this year, an excellent selection of deep funk, house and techno. Get the mix and tracklisting here.

Laura Greene - Manhatten.mp3

Classic Balearic

I managed to do a little record shopping whilst in Barcelona for Sonar last week (more info on that coming soon). I picked up a variety of italo, electro-pop and balearic bits at my favourite store 'Discos Edisons' after the festival, here is the full list:

Central Line - Walking Into Sunshine (Larry Levan Mix)
Kano - I'm Ready
Ivan - Baila
William Pitt - City Lights
Cashmere - Do It Anyway You Wanna
Siedah Garrett - Do You Want It Right Now (Jellybean Mix)
Gary Low - Forever, Tonight And All My Life
Digital Emotion - Steppin' Out
Spargo - Go

Never mind the so called 'Nu-Balearic' scene, you can't go wrong with classics like this!

William Pitt - City Lights.mp3

Staying with the summery theme, there is a lovely cut on the Spargo album called 'One Night Affair'. It leans towards the poppy/cheesy side of disco but I love the melody and chord progression, plus I'm a sucker for anything with a piano solo in.

Spargo - One Night Affair.mp3

Spargo - Go.mp3

The title track from the LP was annoyingly familiar sounding when I previewed the record in the shop but it wasn't until I got back home and browsed through my edits folder that I realised what it was. Lovefingers reworked it for his 'Bermuda' track, featured on the excellent RVNG of the NRDS Vol.4 EP from last year - check it out if you haven't already, 'Zoysia' on there is killer stuff.

Buy the EP from igetrvng.com

Aube records deliver again.

Just a little extra post to let you know this is now available from all good record stores. As ever from Aube, it's top quality stuff - get in there quick for the limited edition with handmade artwork from Kraftwerk's Emil Schmult!

aube005: Roland Sebastian Faber - Wettkampf der Moleküle

a - side: Molecular
aa- side: Eisengard

Molecular — a battle of particles... racing melodies fighting for dominance. An electronic pop tune with baroque influences somewhere between Johan Sebastian Bach and Jean Michel Jarre. Catchy, haunting, energetic and competitive. Let the games start! Eisengard is a story about a mellow ashra temple affair, a soundscape mixed with David Gillmore 'esque guitars and 808 beats.

Support from Aeroplane (Eskimo), Matt Edwards (Rekids/Quiet Village/Radio Slave) and I-F (CBS, Viewlexx). Stream both tracks in full at the new Aube website:

http://www.aube-prod.com

Afro-Cosmic roots

DJ History have a really interesting interview with Gianni Zuffa, owner of the Disco Piu record store in that supplied Baldelli, Mozart and the other local Italian DJ´s of the 70s and 80s the obscure music that they craved. That particular scene always seems so shrouded in mystery, so it´s nice to read such an honest and in depth article from somebody who was actually there. Highly recommended reading.

Gianni Zuffa interview

The Brand New Disco Sound

I'll take the chance to post something brand new today. Gomma were kind enough to send me the promo for the new Munk single 'Live Fast Die Old' featuring Asia Argento. There is a clubbed up mix from The Juan Maclean but it's the slow piano stomp of the original that's really doing it for me. Sounds like the perfect soundtrack to a warm summers day. Keep an eye out for the 12" which is out soon.

Munk - Live Fast Die Old.mp3

Party Hearty, Get Funky, Get Down, Let's Jam!

http://www.discogs.com/release/16904

One of my favourite disco finds was actually on a compilation cd by Ian O'Brien and Kirk Degiorgio. "The Soul of Science" album is an excellent collection of Jazz and Downtempo moods, Soul and Funk grooves and a couple of Disco tracks thrown in for good measure. The rare Dunn Pearson Jr track included is a real belter. Lovely big sounding drums, a funky bassline and the tight guitar licks combine with a great string and horn section with the piano rounding off the classic disco sound. The vocal hook of the chorus is joyous and the synth solo to fade is the icing on the cake.

Dun Pearson Jr. - Groove On Down.mp3

Seattle & Vancouver

This will be the last dull list of music I've bought, seeing as I am back home in the UK now. It's certainly nice to finally play all the records and not just carry them around!

Seattle

Romanelli - Connecting Flight LP
Passport – Infinity Machine LP
Weather Report – Heavy Weather LP
Passport – Sky Blue LP
Spyra Gyra – Carnival LP
Tomita – Snowflakes Are Dancing LP
Dc La Rue – Cathedrals 12
Ian O’brien – A History Of Things To Come LP
Starguard – Wear It Out 12
The Parallax Corporation Ep (Viewlexx)
Nu Colours – Desire 12
Gwen Guthrie – Peanut Butter (Larry Levan Mixes)
The JB’s – Groove Machine LP
ALPhonso Johnson – Moonshadows LP
Lonnie Liston Smith – Live! LP
Jerry Knight – Overnight Sensation 12
Neneh Cherry – Buffalo Stance 12
Electronic – Get The Message 12
Donna Summer – Love To Love You Baby 12
Ozone – Jump On It LP
Sylvester – Dance (Disco Heat) 1988 Ultimix 12
Vincent Capretta – Starlove 12
Shirley Lites – Slip Away 12
Evelyn Thomas – Heartless 12
Chilly – For Your Love LP
Space Art – S/T LP
Space Art – Trip In The Centre Head LP
Wally Badarou – Echoes LP
Deodato – Knights Of Fantasy LP
Tropea – Short Trip Into Space LP
Stardrive – Intergalactic Trot LP
Paul Speer – Collection 983: Spectral Voyages LP
Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes – Movie Themes LP

Chateau Flight – Body Language 5 cd
Zombie – Surface To Air cd



Vancouver

Trouble Funk – Good To Go 12
Black Sun – S/T LP
Jambo & Co – Close Encounters 12
Dan Hartman – Countdown/This Is It 12
Paul Horn – Jupiter 8 LP
Depeche Mode – Enjoy The Silence 12
George Duke – The Aura Will Prevail LP
Space Art – Play Back LP
Love Committee – Law & Order 12
Dexter Wansell – I’ll Never Forget (My Favourite Disco) 12
Loveride – Iko Iko / San Francisco Serenade 12
Jeanne Shy – Night Dancer / That Old Black Magic 12
Gino Soccio – Turn It Around 12
K.I.D. – Don’t Stop 12
Space – Deliverance LP
Dobie Gray – You Can Do It 12
The Tee Cee’s – Disco Love Bite LP
Convertion – Let’s Do It 12
Tropique – The Runner 12
Sphinx – Judas Iscariot, Simon Peter LP
Real Thing – Can You Feel The Force 12
Arthur Prysock – When Love Is New 12
Poussez – You’re All I Have / Boogie With Me 12
George Duke – Brazilian Love Affair LP
The Doors – L.A. Woman LP
New Musik – Warp LP

Jeff Mills – Blue Potential cd/dvd

Boston & San Francisco purchases

BOSTON:
Dexter Wansell - Time is Slipping Away LP
Klaus Schulze - Body Love LP
Lonnie Liston Smith - Exotic Mysteries LP
Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotto - Munich Machine LP
CocoDaSilva - Coisa Noisa 12
The Mike Theodore Orchestra - Cosmic Winds LP
Players Association - Turn the Music up 12
Sumeria - Golden Tears LP
Pointer Sisters - I Need You 12
52nd Street - Children of the Night LP
Mighty Fire - No Time For Masquerading LP
Toney Lee - Teaser 12
Passport - Lookin' Thru LP
Orange Lemon - Dreams of Santa Anna 12
Gaz - Sing Sing / Good, Bad & Ugly 12
Tony Deshawn - Real Lover LP
Unlimited Touch - s/t LP
Slave - Stone Jam LP

SAN FRANCISCO:
Midnight Rhythm - s/t LP
Bionic Boogie - s/t LP
Walter Murphy - Phantom of the Opera LP
Chocolate Milk - Milky Way LP
Clifford Nyren - Keep Running Away 12
Tasha Thomas - Shoot Me (With Your Love) 12
Casiopea - Make Up City LP
BB&Q Band - On The Shelf/Dreamer 12
Loose Ends - Hanging on a String (boot mix/orig) 12
Margarat Reynolds & KC - Take Me To The Moon 12
Jeanie Tracey - Time Bomb 12
Mystery - Hold On To The Moment 12
Dimitri From Paris - Cocktail Disco part 2 LP
Breakwater - Splashdown LP
King Street remixes of music from Sega's Burning Rangers 12!!
The Walter Murphy Band - Fifth of Beethoven LP
Eleanor Grant - Don't Stop (til you get enough) 12
Meco - Music from Star Trek / The Black Hole LP
Tomita - Grand Canyon LP
Tomita - Bolero LP
Klaus Schulze - Timewind LP
The Zodiac - Cosmic Sounds LP
King Britt & Ursula Rucker - Circe 12
COW2 & COW4 disco re-edits 12's
808 State - Pacific 12
Community Service #1 12
Syncom Data - Beyond the Stars (remixes) 12

Also picked up some CD's inthe ridiculously huge Amoeba Records:
FSOL - Cascade & Lifeforms EP's
As One - Out of the Darkness
Data 80 - s/t
VA - Dirty Space Disco compiled by Dirty Sound System
Robert Rodriguez - Planet Terror OST
Daniele Baldelli - Cosmic-The Original & Baia Degli Angeli

It cost me a small fortune to send a box of vinyl home as neither USPS, FedEx or UPS do shipping anymore, only airmail. Oh well, there is a little room left in my bag so I can manage a few more shops once I get to Seattle and Vancouver I think :)

Canadian Digs

So from New York I headed up to Toronto and then on to Montreal. I picked up some good stuff in both cities, here is a round up:

Marvin Gaye - A Funky Space Reincarnation 12
Jellybean - The Mexican 12
Mass Production - Cosmic Lust 12
McLane Explosion - Pulstar LP
George Benson - Breezin' LP
Passport - Ocean Liner LP
Gato Barbieri - Caliente LP
Vangelis - Heaven & Hell LP
Herb Alpert - Rise LP
Sylvester - Trouble in Paradise 12
Lee Tong - Poor Brother of Pete LP
Terje Rypdal - Descendre LP
Quazar - s/t LP
FM - Black Noise LP

E.B.E. - Square 2 EP
Ken Ishii - Misprogrammed Day Remixes 12
Next Evidence - The Body Theme 12
El Coco - Let's Get It Together 12
Wood, Brass & Steel - s/t LP
Macho - I'm a Man LP
The Ritchie Family - Brazil LP
Bohannon - Too Hot To Hold LP
Clubhouse - Do It Again / Billie Jean medley 12
Kumano - s/t LP
Musique - Keep On Jumpin' LP
Michael Zager Band - Let's All Chant 12
The Mixmaster - Grand Piano 12
Constellation Orchestra - Perfect Love Affair LP
Apollo - Astro Disco 12
Babe Ruth - First Base LP
Kinkina - Jungle Fever 12
Kamaal the Abstract LP sampler 12
Gladys Knight & The Pips - About Time LP
Chappell Recorded Music Libray (AV Series) - Four Suites LP

There have since been further purchases in Boston and San Francisco but I shall save them for another post. Tomorrow will see if they are still bargains after I post a box full back to England, as the record bag I bought in NYC has long been full! Hopefully it won't cost me a fortune.

Also, I saw Woolfy play live at Elbo Room here in San Francisco on Friday night. It was pretty decent so if he is playing anywhere near you then check him out. It's a 5 piece set up with the man himself on guitar and vocals, plus a drummer, percussion, bass and keys. They were pretty tight and funky. Nice place too.



http://www.myspace.com/woolfys
http://www.myspace.com/theelboroom

New York Digging

Here is the complete list of what I bought in New York, now I've left. I really enjoyed my time there and there was a nice mix of places selling records to visit, from well kept stores like 'Good Records' to bargain basement places like 'Normans' and even just stalls on the streets and in the flea markets. I think I spent about $260 on this lot:


NORMANS:
Cerrone - Cerrone IV LP
Quicny Jones - The Dude LP
Foxy - Get Off LP
DeBarge - You Wear It Well 12
El Coco - Dancing In Paradise LP
The System - Now I Am Electric 12
Tony Orlando & Dawn - To Be With You LP
Groover Washington - Baddest EP
Rosko - Rosko Recites Desiderata 12
Nina Hagen - Smack Jack / Cosma Shiva 12
Salsoul Orchestra - Magic Journey LP
Tolga - Loving Fool 12
Xposed - Dub of No Return 12
Rhythm Heritage - Last Night on Earth LP
Billy Paul - War of the Gods LP
The Jets - Crush on You 12
Blue Pearl - Naked in the Rain 12
El Coco - Cocomotion LP

GENERATION RECORDS:
Donna Summer - s/t
Todd Rundgren - Initiation

KIMS MUSIC & VIDEO:
Jimmy Spicer - The Bubble Bunch 12
Mystic Moods Orchestra - Misty Morning LP
Lighthouse - s/t LP
Battlestar Galactica OST
Wonderland Disco Band - Wonder Woman Disco 12
Voyage - s/t LP
Be Bop Deluxe - Live! In the Air Age LP
Bombers - s/t LP

GOOD RECORDS:
Class Action - Weekend 12
BB&Q Band - All Night Long LP
Let's Disco (a disco dancing lesson on record!)
Nick Straker Band - Straight Ahead 12
Montana - I Love Music LP
The Buggles - Age of Plastic 12
Goldie Alexander - Show You My Love 12
T.S.Monk - Too Much Too Soon 12
Dee Dee Bridgewater - Bad For Me 12

BLEEKER ST. RECORDS:
Wish & Fonda Rae - Touch Me 12
Tata Vega - Give It Up For Love 12
Meco - Encounter of Every Kind LP
Sandee - Notice Me 12
Tongue N Cheek - Tomorrow 12
Ray Martinez - Lady of the Night 12

VIRGIN:
LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 LP
Chromatics - In the City 12
Hercules & Love Affair - Classique #2 / Roar 12

OTHERS:
Deodato - Deodato 2 LP
Dr. Buzzards Original Savannah Band LP
Tomita - The PLanets LP
South Shore Comittee - Freeman 12
Flash & The Pan - Midnight Man 12
Ferrara - Wuthering Heights 12
Indeep - Last Night a DJ... 12
Aquarian Dream - Fantasy LP
Yusef Lateef - Autophysiopsychic LP

I also had to buy a record bag to bring them all home with! If anybody knows anywhere in Toronto, Montreal or Boston to shop, drop me a comment. Cheers