Hot Wire My Knartz

After our brutal rinsings of Headman, Chicken Lips and Lindstrom's recent output, I thought that it might be best to focus on releases that actually brought a smile (or would that be gurn?) to our ugly mugs at Tape HQ. First up comes a track from an overlooked LP of last year. The chances are that if you've been out to a few clubs last year, you'll have heard Egoexpress' 'Knartz IV'. Originally released on Ladomat 2000, it's popularity outgrew the label and Virgin ended up swooping in to suck the profits dry from it. I found it very strange when the LP, entitled 'Hot Wire My Heart', slipped out without any press attention at all. I'm sure they're thanking Virgin for giving them that push... yeah, right! As far as the LP goes, it's not as consistently excellent as say, 'We Are Monster' or 'Los Siete Castigos', but some of the individual tracks really do stand out.

'I'm In The Army Now' starts with a pretty typical throb'n'pulse sound combo, but just what is that ultra-distorted sound that enters about 58 seconds in? I have no idea, but what I do know is that it sounds FAT! It just keeps building and building until an acoustic guitar bursts onto the scene. Affected staccato strums join the party and what do you know? A good vocal as well! A highly depressed young man sings about how he's in the army now, and it's all his own bloody fault. Ah... if only all moaning sounded this good!

Download:
Egoexpress - I'm In The Army Now // Ladomat 2000

Now let us take a journey further into the past. Not too far mind! Back in 2004, DB (Bertrand Lacombe to his mother) released the 'Future Now' on the eponymous Futurenow label. I've got no idea why he named the track after the label. Answers on a postcard to the usual address please... Anyway, Silver City boss Tim Paris was asked to remix it, and what a job he did! He turns the original into a jacking electro-houser with a down and dirty bassline and a breakdown to end all breakdowns! It was re-remixed (if that makes any sense) by Tim and 20/20 Vision boss Ralph Lawson for a 20/20 rerelease, but here's Tim's original version that caused such a stir at the time. I remember playing this as my last tune at our last Elbow Room gig, and just watching people's reaction as they wait and wait and wait for the accelerating arpeggio to break back into the beat... Believe me, when it does finally drop, their hands'll be in the air and they'll be dancing round like maniacs. Or was that just me?

Download:
DB - Future Now (Tim Paris Yoggin Mix) // Futurenow France

Thanks again to Philip Sherburne for giving us props on his site. His writing for Wire's 'Critical Beats' puts pretty much every dance music journalist to shame, and you should also check out some of his writings for Pitchfork (click here to see his top 10 techno LPs of 2005) and Earplug.

Another quick reminder for you all: the 'Tape Me Out' mixes are still available for download, so go here to check out the tracklistings and the links (I promise I'll get round to writing properly about the rest very soon). Check back later today for more audio gubbins, including my favourite track of last year.