Soft's Review of the Year (Pt. 1)

There are few things more difficult, unrewarding and unnecessary than an ‘exhaustive’ narrative trawl through a year gone by, but given that I find myself, for the first time in five months, relaxed, sober and (some would say) sharp enough actually post on this blog at all, I may as well do my best to make it a beast. Those of you who despair of my dense, unformatted, syntactically suspect musings and just want some new minimal mp3s, well, I apologize.

What follows, then, is my ‘review’ of 2006.

I must confess, I began this year as something of a naysayer as regards 2006's potential for blossoming into a vintage for underground house, techno and the like. 2005 had, after all, beamed us such era-defining classics as Ame's 'Rej', Booka Shade's 'Mandarine Girl' and Gui Boratto's 'Arquipelago' – all tunes that arrived with minimum fanfare but delivered maximum impact (with aftershocks and re-licensings still being felt/endured). Even after ‘Body Language’’s offputting receipt of Track of the Season and the wall-to-wall ubiquity of ‘Mandarine Girl’, many folks, myself included, had Get Physical down as THE European label to watch, justified as much by lower-key offerings from M.A.N.D.Y and DJ T as the ‘Shade’s tub-thumping anthems. So back at the beginning of the year I, like many, looked to the Berlin-based stable to set the tone. This, I realize now, was a mistake. Though the Physical chaps finished the year in fine style (I think in particular of the overrated – but still excellent – Fuckpony LP, and the correspondingly underrated 12” offering from Heidi & Riton, 'Vejer'), they kicked off the year rather inauspiciously. The thing is, Booka Shade are such consummate engineers, that there's scarcely a single Get Physical track that sounds weak. What was lacking, then, was that essential sparkle, that sense (or illusion) of…newness. Jona's stylish, melodic 'Learning From Making Mistakes' made all the right noises, but hardly packed the gut-punch of a 'Panoramic' or a 'Jah'. Likewise, the highly-anticipated (and, again, hugely overrated) Booka Shade LP, Movements, impressed with its bottom line production quality, but failed to deliver anything particularly surpising (and am I alone in thinking those extended album versions of ‘Mandarine Girl’ and ‘Body Language’ were dreadful? If it ain’t broke, etc…). Of course, tracks like 'Night Falls' and 'In White Rooms' were a pleasure to listen to and wreaked all manner of havoc across the globe's dancefloors in the ensuing months, but I must stress once again that for me they didn't really…excite.

What of the other tried and trusted labels? Well, Kompakt. Kompakt, Kompakt, Kompakt. Seemingly locked into a sub-dividing pattern that reminds me of GCSE Biology diagram depictions of mitosis (or is it meiosis?), 2007 saw the arrival of Kom3, a digital subsidiary to sit (but, thankfully, not file) alongside Speicher, Kompakt Pop, Immer and K2. Ah yes, K2. After a blistering first innings last year that brought us belters like ‘Arquipelago’ and Hug’s ‘Fluteorgie’, the sub-label’s offerings seemed all grinding anyonymity, nothing to write home about. Carnage, and plenty of others, really dug Gui Boratto’s ‘Sozinho’, but I wasn’t so sure; and his recent ‘Gate 7’ 12” was, I felt, properly wank. No great matter – I continue to get a kick out of hearing ‘Arquipelago’, and I direct you to his remix of (the unpromisingly named) Guy J & Shahar Z’s ‘Hazui’ (Electribe) for proof that the Brazilian has talent to spare. The Rice Twins' Speicher offering didn’t especially float my boat, but their 12” for K2 most definitely did, particularly the track ‘For Dan’ – easily K2’s greatest ’06 offspring. What about Hug, incidentally? 2006 was the year I sorta just stopped buying anything made by John Dahlback, as much out of protest as financial strain. 2005 saw Jesper’s younger brother literally flooding the racks with productions that ranged from the sublime (‘Pop it Bad’, ‘The Happy Monster’) to the total rubbish (most of the rest). This year he seemed to slow down a little, perhaps now wise enough to have learned that being insanely prolific is a quick but ultimately shallow way to win oneself an audience - quality not quantity, etc. I look forward to his forthcoming LP for Kompakt proper, due around February. While we’re on the subject of Kompakt proper, what did Koln Central Command serve up for our platters this year? Well, after initially ignoring it (absurdly high expectations after the double-wonder of ‘Elan’/ ‘Taste’ – a record that really changed the way I think about house msic – last year), I fell in love with Justus Kohncke’s rollicking disco-houser ‘Advance’. Really tough drums, spangly guitar licks, robotic synth stabs, blah, but what launches this record into space is the absolutely euphoric, ocean-deep breakdown and its slight but significant tinkering with standard house structure (the drop arrives well before the breakdown bids adieu) and, I suppose, above all, just the heroic harnessing of terrific synthetic sound that remains the hallmark of all good Kompakt records. It’d be rude not to mention Michael Mayer’s Immer 2 compilation; the conditions hardly exist for this comp to attain the seminal status of its predecessor (or even his three-year agenda-setting Fabric mix), but my, it’s a beauty all the same. Some strict disciples of the quintessential Cologne-trance sound have expressed mild dismay at the disco-heavy middle-section of this lengthy, minimal-to-maximal selection, but I can’t help but feel it’s that section that gives the comp its character. I know a few minimally-disinclined heads who’ve been loving Immer 2 as office and home listening, which should provide all the reassurance you need that the CD carries as many hooks and wooshes as you’d expect from the mighty M.M. (if, incidentally, you missed our interview with Mayer back in October, you’d do well to check the archives). Elsewhere, I’m still really enjoying the Pop Ambient 2007 CD – it hardly breaks the mould, but will stuff your brain with a load of dreamy Kompakt cotton-wool to keep the cold and demons at bay (The Field’s ‘Kappsta’, driven by a soft but sure 4x4 thud, Gas’s resurfaced ‘Nach 1912’ and Klimek’s divine ‘Ruined in a Day (Buenos Aires)’ are my highlights, but really you want to take ‘em all on board as a whole). K2 stole Kompakt Extra’s thunder in 2005 (though I’ve yet to properly discern what’s so different about them), but the latter, time-honoured imprint was heartily revived over the last twelve months. I spent about a day thinking Oxia’s ‘Domino’ was the greatest thing I’d ever heard, until one of you dear readers pointed out that it’s a wholesale (though not necessarily deliberate) rip-off of Patrick Chardronnet’s flawless ‘Eve By Day’ (which still, I feel, doesn’t get the props it deserves. Get a copy if you haven’t already.) And though I’ve since heard ‘Domino’ getting a rapturous response everywhere it’s played out, I for one have no time for it – house music is repetitive enough without producers outright copying each other, fuck’s sake. ‘Transparanza’, which came courtesy of Reinhard Voigt and Michael Mayer, was a short-term club hit thanks to its irresistible ascending riff and rave sirens, but didn’t really have the meat or ingenuity to constitute a classic. My favourite Speicher was probably 41, both sides by Axel Bartsch, with the B1 ‘Shifting’ of particular note – a noirish, undulating cut of tech-house perfect for bedroom, dancefloor and commute (Axel’s militant trancer ‘Redlight’ on the main Kompakt label is also worth a sniff). One Kompakt ‘product’ that I’ve fallen in love with only recently is actually from 2005 - Matias Aguayo’s album, a perfect suite of gritty tech-disco garnished with vocals that are characterful without being overbearing. I love that shit. Kompakt Pop has been quiet in 2006, bringing us only Gui Boratto’s ‘Like You’, with that Supermayer remix that has its fans but was a little too gushing even for me. Speaking of Supermayer, Michael & Axel provided one of my top nights out of their year, with their Stink set at T-Bar last month, a night which will forever be known to Lazerboy and I (if no one else) as Pitch in the ‘Ditch. Stink has been a pretty consistent provider of quality nights in the last year, in London anyway. At the beginning of the year we caught DJ Koze playing all sorts (including that Pepe Bradock mix of Candi Staton – a bona fide TAPE/Puffin Jack classic) alongside Lazarus (dropping ‘Midnight Request Line’ – which now, in a world where Retardo is remixing Shackleton, seems an impossibly quaint instance of ‘cross-pollenation’ (more on the dubstep-techno interface to come)).

A couple of months later, Carnage and I passed a delightful two hours listening to Luciano spin at one of T’s Fabric afterparties, one of my favourite sets of the year and the first (and, come to think of it, last) time I heard ‘Seeing Through Shadows’ out. Blinding. Luciano. If there’s one thing if I haven’t done enough in 2006, it’s hear Luciano DJ (pretty stupid, given the frequency with which he graces London’s turntables). The man is UNBELIEVABLE; the last time he blew my small and pickled mind was my birthday in August, where he near took the roof of Fabric with his usual, impossibly kinetic sounds (I seem to remember some languid female acapella over the top of Microfunk’s well squelchy 'Pecan' (Remote Area) sending me, and everyone, totally potty). Production-wise as well, 2006 has been a good’n for the Swiss-born Chilean. His absolutely epic, border-crashing remix of Malean spiritual wailer (no, that’s not a technical term) Salif Keita’s ‘Yamore’ first turned up a while back on a super-expensive Keita boxset, and had a remained a relatively unknown gem until its welcome proper release on a Cadenza 12” at the start of this year. As is invariably the case with Luciano, it sounded simultaneously timeless and way ahead of its time. Mssr Nicolet also teamed up with Thomas Melchior for the way deep ‘Father’/’Solomon’s Prayer’ 12”, and provided some ultra-satisfying rhythmic abstraction for the latest For Disco Only. His ‘EAT’ track for Diamonds & Pearls is also worth checking, but it’s another golden oldie – ‘Amelie on Ice', which finally got re-pressed this autumn, that you really want. Remix 2, in particular, which makes full use of the film’s lush orchestral theme, does the business; though I’m told by one informant that it pales in comparison to the dub of the same track which has, to his knowledge, appeared only as part of a Luciano live bootleg CD (I think). Seeking that disc out is very much on my new year’s list of things to do. I didn’t actually get round to hearing his Sci:Fi:Hi:Fi mix, I can’t imagine I’m missing that much – as the man himself says in a DJmag interview I re-read t’other day – he’s way, way better when playing to a crowd. Alex Smoke’s contribution to the SciFiHiFi series was notable mainly for some cack mixing and jarring stylistic shifts (‘See Mi Version’ into Gaiser’s roughneck version of ’25 Bitches’, anyone?), but I loved it for bringing to my attention some deep classics that I should’ve known but didn’t (Model 500’s ‘M69 Starlight’ and Brinkmann’s ‘Xenia’) and some wiry Vakant kickers. Elsewhere in the world of Smoke, hmm, that Lusine mix of ‘Make My Day’ was pretty smart, while the plaintive, heartbreaking Ada mix of ‘Never Want To See You Again’ was a glaring omission from my Top 100 of 2006 list.

Okay. What else? This is exhausting. We better deal with Loco Dice. I began the year thinking he was just some minimal opportunist overhyped by the Miami/Ibiza axis of evil (there are respectable axes to Miami/Ibiza, obviously). Then came ‘Seeing Through Shadows’ (M-nus). I can’t really describe this track at all adequately, and every time I do I seem to use the word ‘chicaning’ to describe its absolutely CRACKING melody. And those snap claps, oh, this track just totally nailed it for me – a perfectly formed, paradigm-nudging techno beaut to call our own. I wasn’t desperately impressed by Dice’s set at the Phonica party, but that’s probably ‘cos I was (not by my volition) sober as a judge and because, well, I hate the crowd you seem to get in the Key these days. But anyway, I wasn’t impressed, and so I sort of forgot about him. Then, thanks to a sterling summertime Proton Radio mix by Matthew Styles (one of my favourite mixes of the year, combining the likes of Shackleton, Cassy and Franck Roger before everyone was at it, and - to my mind at least - a fucksight better than the Rebels’ Get Lost double CD), I really fell for le Dice’s ‘Flight LB7475’, despite it being on, ahem, Ovum. This woozy tech-house cruiser has been an understated staple at a lot of parties I’ve attended in the last six months, and probably has a bigger place in my heart than I’d like to admit. The ‘Harissa’ doublepack for Cadenza is, without doubt, remarkable for its unwaveringly fine, slick production quality (hail Buttrich) across four long sides, but there’s nothing on there that I'd call unforgettable. That said, I have been loving the grotty, spidery groove of ‘Raindrops on my Window Pane’ which takes its melodic cue from ‘Seeing Through Shadows’ and froths itself up nicely before unleasing some heavy tech-funk drops. It’s ‘The Porcupine’, however, produced as Latex for Crosstown’s Rebelone imprint, that does the most dancefloor damage – that slinky xylophone melody, that brazen synth motif…Proper house heaven (honestly, Puffin). Speaking of house heaven, I don’t need to tell you how good Martin Buttrich’s ‘Full Clip’ is. So poised and deep and absorbing that you’re liable to forget what day it is when you’re listening, this sounded like a lost Carl Craig track from the 90s, but with an intensity that’s all 2006. Also on Planet E, Vince Watson’s ‘Renaissance’, which I hear good things about but which hasn’t excited me enough to actually reach inside my wallet and buy a copy. Carl Craig. Oh yeah, ‘Relevee’. You definitely don’t need telling about that remix – which I occasionally find myself thinking is a tad overrated until I hear again that echoed snapclap and booming piano line and, oh, it’s marvellous, let’s face it. 2006 was definitely the year when Carl Craig got his due from all us young whippersnappers who spent our childhoods thinking ‘techno’ began and ended with 2Unlimited. As such, we’ve been raiding the man’s back catalogue (that sounds like a euphemism for bumming, doesn’t it?) with considerable relish – off the top of my head, the Japanese version of ‘Angel’ (with its unexpected and totally devastating proto-electro-house drop towards the end) or even his full-fat mix of Terry Brookes’ ‘City Life’ from late last year, are both on heavy rotation right now. More contemporary concerns were his artful reshaping of Rhythm & Sound’s thoroughly depressing ‘Poor People Must Work’, his techy version of X-Press 2’s ‘Kill 100’ (which still sounds a bit dodgy to me) and, on a less po-faced note, the stomping party-funk of Tres Demented’s ‘Shez Satan’. That last track brushed aside my comedown as if it were dust when Prins Thomas dropped it back at June’s Output party in Barcelona. If I remember correctly, he mixed it out of Rub-N-Tug’s re-edit of Sly Mongoose’s ‘Snakes & Ladders’, surely THE party tune of the year – totally, totally joyous, I’m not sure if I’ll ever get tired of hearing that Balearic breakdown, that ridiculous piano solo, well, the whole damn thing…a proper oddball classic, no question. While we’re talking of Output, commiserations once again to Trevor Jackson for the label’s untimely demise, but moreover congratulations for achieving what you did in its lifetime, and for giving us some really rather special records. I was all over the Playgroup mix of Telex’s ‘On The Road Again’, but I can’t even remember if it was released this year or last...Prins and Lindstrom continued their journey up through the disco cosmos…I was talking to a real disco bore the other day, you know, immaculate taste, but purist to the point of putrefaction, who dismissed Lindstrom entirely (“ ‘I Feel Space’? Rubbish’”) and made me question, for all of three seconds, whether I’m overly indulgent of the bearded Norwegian and his productions. Well, no, I don’t think I am. There is a definite, occasional sameyness to the mixes that he and Thomas dish up, but the misses are worth forgiving for the hits.. ‘The Contemporary Fix’- essentially fat electro-disco injected with Spaghetti western rocket fuel – was a total slayer, and indeed when Hans-Peter finished his blistering laptop set at the Fabric b'day party with it, he managed to make the Farringdon hangar feel, for six or seven blissful minutes, like a modern day Studio 54. Then it finished, and you realized how very much NOT the case that was. I really liked his heavy, pitched-up mix of Telex’s ‘Do Worry’, another sure shot for the dancefloor. The ‘wow’ release from this whole sphere was not, as some had justifiably imagined, Harvey’s mix of ‘Music (In My Mind)’, but rather Todd Terje’s technicolour euro-disco melody-steeped re-rub of ‘Another Station’ which, as those unsatisfactory compound adjectives attest, defies description. You know how good it is, yes, REALLY fucking good. I didn’t chase after too many of the Terje edits that emerged this year (a bit of a case of John Dahlbackitis), but obviously that ‘Diamonds Dub’ fattening up of Paul Simon really hit the spot (and, hello, if anyone has an mp3 of his top-notch ‘Aquarius’ re-edit, I’d be most grateful for a YSI or suchlike – don’t know what’s happened to mine…). Prins Thomas did a wonderfully druggy, chugging (drug chug? No? No.) version of Toby Tobias’s ‘Close Shave’ for Rekids, and his remix of Stephen Malkmus, while not being among his best, was enough of a minor pop-cultural artefact to justify purchase. Not forgetting ‘Fehrara’ on militantly Norse Full Pupp, which was, well, very decent indeed, as smooth-running and handsome as its automotive near-namesake. Look out for Thomas’s mix of They Came From The Stars I Saw Them on This is Not an Exit, the label run by fellow blogger and good egg Simon Carr. See also the limited Optimo remix of TCFTSIST’s debut single, ‘It’s Time’, still (I think) available at Phonica.

Deep breath. Rekids/Rekid/Radio Slave. I mean, fucking hell, Matt Edwards has been so busy this year, I mean SO busy, that there are innumerable remixes and productions he’s issued that I haven’t heard, and in some cases don’t know exist (that pesky Dahlbackitis, again). Let’s stick to what I do know. ‘My Bleep’, well, I really didn’t feel it to begin with, then my heart was melted a little by Roman Flugel’s sehr slick mix, before I fell in love properly with the original and realized it was a bit of a rave monster and I should’ve adored it all along. Sometimes you have to take the long way round. Obviously there was that stonking, stalking dark-pop reshaping of Chelonis’s ‘Deer in the Headlights’ (I still swear by the Hell remix, but every wise man I say that to tells me to shut up, and I think they’re probably right), but for me it was all about Made in Menorca, the Rekid LP for Soul Jazz. This album proved to be a lightning rod for the rest of the year’s musical happenings, with its dense, dubby soundscapes, ethereal Balearic grooves and menacing nu-italo synth attacks, not to mention a few instances of gritty, slomo hip hop. It’s a terrific record, and while things tail off towards the end, you won’t regret parting with your hard-earned for it.

And so it continues. 2006 was a good year, wasn’t it? And we’ve barely begun. Best deal with that whole dubstep ‘thing’. Well, for a better informed overview, you should check Puffin’s post below, but I’ll mention some notables anyway. 2006 began with most of us just about cottoning onto the work of teenage Croydonite Skream, and his crossover track ‘Midnight Request Line’ continued to cross over long after its author had moved on. I didn’t pick up the brilliantly titled (and sleeved) Skream! LP myself; Skreamizm Vols. 1 and 2 were more than enough to satisfy, sporting as they did the likes of ‘Lightning’ and ‘Morning Blues’. It was ‘Bahl Fwd’, though, recorded for Bristolian Pinch’s Tectonic label, that took the proverbial biscuit - the insane hi-speed tabla line, the inane synth melody and all the bass weight you could reasonably ask for. On the flip of this very Tectonic plate you could find the moody, Eastern-infused ‘Temptation’ by Distance, definitely a producer to watch. Meanwhile, Pinch himself released the instantly classic ‘Qawaali’, a ludicrously deep, reflective piece of music (with the smartest drum programming I’ve ever heard on a dubstep record - those snapclaps, woah) this 12” for Planet Mu posited Pinch as natural inheritor and developer of Bristol’s hefty downbeat legacy. I don’t think that anywhere near enough people have heard this record, and it’s now pretty difficult to bag a copy in the UK; Hardwax in Berlin still have some left though, so dig in. When it came to the deeper, abstract climes of dubstep, it was all about Shackleton – the Skull Disco boy fashioned the utterly seminal ‘Hamas Rule’ – a record, along with, say, ‘Fizheuer Zieheuer’ (yeah, we’ll get to that) which sounds as if it could ONLY have been made in 2006, and is totally menacing to boot. This, along with its predecessor ‘Blood On My Hands’, found its way into a many a forward-thinking techno jock’s set (Ricardo leading the way), the dark minimalism of these sludgy dubstep cuts fitting curiously well, sonically and aesthetically, with the anorexic grooves of contemporary 4x4. There’s the Burial CD, which everyone talks about evoking the claustrophobia of modern urban living blah blah because, well, it does. It can be a bit of an uncomfortable listen, but seriously – have you heard anything like it? As we’ve been saying since way, way back, this album is totally next level, and the way it just dropped, perfectly-formed and as if out of nowhere, is simply incredible. The ‘South London Boroughs’ 12” is worth your dollar to own some Burial on wax, but I stress again, it’s all about that album-length document/statement/whatever you want to call it. Kode9 is obsessed with the mythology of dub, but only on the Burial album have I seen the idea – the ghosts of pirate radio, the ol’ claustrophobia of urban living etc – so perfectly embodied and transfigured into sound. Kode9’s album is a very, very poor relation of ‘Burial’ (despite the over-excited gushings of the chaps at Boomkat) but even with the basso, er, unprofundo of Spaceape all over it, it has its moments - worth a listen, but not really one for dabblers like me.

And, well, yeah. There were other bits by the Mystikz, Hijack et al, but I’ll point you once again to Puffin’s post a little further down the page for a more knowledgeable take on what has become, over the course of 2006, a stupendously diverse but well-defined genre or even mode of music-making. Seriously, just LISTEN to ‘Hamas Rule’ or ‘Southern Comfort’ really fucking loud – I mean how sick are those sounds? Extremely fucking sick.

Right, I’ve got to keep writing otherwise this’ll never get finished, so let’s make a hugely inelegant lurch in subject to, er, Gabriel Ananda. Feted as ‘2006’s Dominik Eulberg’, I hadn’t really gone in for his Treibstoff 12”s, but ‘Ihre Personliche Glucksmelodie’ from last year was a Carnage favourite long before (ha) Eulberg delivered his storming nine minute remix back in Spring. People complained that it got a bit dull half-way through and, to be honest, they were right, but it was worth hanging on for the amazing drop about two minutes before the end. And, you know, no one (with the possible exception of Holden) works the edits and effects quite like ol’ Dominik E. Still, Ananda’s most memorable ’06 moments were yet to come; first came the gushing, widescreen ‘Lauschgoldengel’, a collaboration with Cio D’Or, which remains the most heartburstingly pure bit of proggy, hyper-melodic 4x4 ecstasy I’ve heard this year, a proper, proper summer anthem that sounded just HUGE on a system and made feel young and earnest and not quite dead yet. Then there was ‘Doppelwhipper’, which to me seemed to elicit a level of hype and critical outpouring disproportionate to the magnitude of the track itself – a mean, complex and totally satisfying bit of tech-house, but surely not the out-and-out rave anthem that was proclaimed? Well, in fairness, ‘Doppelwhipper’ is among those big tracks that I’ve not, to my knowledge, heard out, and I dare say I’d think differently if I had. I just think it’s the name – ‘Doppelwhipper’. I mean, you’ve got to love a track called ‘Dopplewhipper’, haven’t you?

Parts 2, 3, and given the snail's pace at which I'm moving, 4,5,6 and 7, will be with you soon, or perhaps never. We still haven't talked about Sonar, Wagon Repair, DFA, Retardo, God knows what else...In the meantime, if any of you non-UK residents have ever wondered why I'm nicknamed Mr Soft, here's the 15-year-old advert for Trebor's Extra Strong Mints. The connection is to a particularly delirious, E-fuelled jaunt up Park St in Bristol after a piss-poor-turn-out at one of our original TAPE nights a couple of years back, when I began singing the song from the ad and, well, doing that ridiculous walk. Seeing the ad for the first time in years, even I'm shocked at how much 'Mr Soft' really does resemble me at my gurnsome, tactile, clumsy worst/best. Also, what were they thinking marketing MINTS as mind-altering drugs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ecBl2HK60Y

Happy New Year.

TAPE Awards 2006 - Voting Closes Soon!

So it's reached that point in the year again - time for the end of year lists to come out. Seeing as it's the end of TAPE's first year in the blogosphere, I thought that we'd do our own little awards type thing to honour the great DJs, acts, and releases of 2006. The categories are listed below, and you can vote in the comments section of this very post. Also, to make things a bit more interesting, I thought I'd tie in a little competition. Everyone who gets the correct answer will get their name put into a hat, and the winner will get a fresh new double 12" copy of a TAPE favourite, Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani's self-titled Metro Area LP. By the way, due to the nature of the question, people who know us personally aren't allowed to enter. So there.

The categories for the awards are:

12" Single Of The Year

LP Of The Year

Compilation Of The Year

DJ Of The Year

MixTAPE Of The Year

Nominations:
Richard Carnage - After Hours
Richard Carnage - Don't Techno For An Answer
Richard Carnage - Mutant Disco
Richard Carnage - This Is Mutant Pop
Richard Carnage - Tape Me Out (Part 1)
Richard Carnage - Tape Me Out (Part 2)
Puffin Jack - May '06 Mix
Puffin Jack - Doodledub
Gareth Watkins - This Is Mutant Pop
Mike Bull - Champagne Tastes On A Beer Budget
Mike Bull & Gareth Watkins - Triple Drop and Lose Your Shoes
Mike Bull & Gareth Watkins - Death to Warped Vinyl
October - May 2006 Mix
Nightmoves - Guest TAPErs Mix
Matt Waites - September '05 Mix
Arveene - Guest TAPErs Mix
Sean Johnston - Autumn Machine Music
DJ Heartbeat - September Mixtape
Eddy Current & KSPR.SPKR - Miraculeusement: Un Mixage Collant

Competition question: If you add up all the ages of the TAPE members (that's Mr Soft, Puffin Jack, and me - Richard Carnage), what number do you get?

As I said earlier, get your votes and competition answer in the comments box. If you do know us, don't worry, you can still make your votes count in the poll. If you're leaving an anonymous comment, then leave your name to prevent multiple votes and to make sure that we know who's won the competition. So what are you waiting for - get voting!

I feel the Earth move...

Well after the usual prolonged abscence from the blogging world i'm back and ready to rant, rave and ramble about my musical experiences of 2006. The charts supplied below from Softy and Carnage pretty much sum up my year in 4/4, so I thought rather than repeat what they have already stated i'd pay homage to the speaker stack shaking genre that is closest to my heart, dubstep. This year has seen the sound grow into new sounds and new audiences. The confused faces that once greetd any DJ attempting to drop these tunes has been replaced by multiple screams for rewinds! That might be over egging it slightly but it certainly seems that people are really starting to appreciate the sound, with lots of peeps now exclaiming how they've just 'got it'. Fair play to them I say, I love this sound and hope that it can continue to evolve and pick up more fans. The trendy press has been waxing lyrical about the sound and the column inches have been justly desrved, there have been some great raves and a lot of bloody great records released this year, with no sign of the quality letting up 2007. For me personally each new release from the Tectonic and DMZ labels have seemed like an event, which sees me rushing down to Rooted records on my bike to pick up a fresh slice of some truly inspiring bass heavy business! I guess it could be said that 2006 has been the year dubstep 'broke', or at the very least firmly established itself as a distinct genre (pigeonhole?).

So, what have I been listening to then? As you might expect it's hard to know where to start, so lets begin close to home and talk about the goings on of Bristol's DJ Pinch. First things first, it has to be said that 'Qawwali' is most defintley record of the year, and by that I mean it's the record that has recived the most plays full stop. Certainly round these parts at least anyway, I know my TAPE compadres will agree with me on that. Apparently it had been waiting in the wings for a couple of years, in Pinch's personal dubplate vault, but when it finally saw the light of day back at the start of the year it sounded soooo fresh it was ridiculous! I've only recently got round to playing the VIP mix on the flip as the A side is so damn fine. The follow up Punisher, is also rather good and well served by an excellent Skream remix. Both of these records came out on the eclectic electronic label, Planet Mu. Pinch's own label Tectonic has maintained a very high level of quality with a series of killer 10"s, which have been compiled into the Tectonic compilation, which I think is called something like Tectonic plates. Pick of the bunch has to be 'Bahl Fwd' by Skream. If you haven't heard the track, its got a really catchy little hook that is very hard to dislodge from your brain! Not forgetting Pinch's other venture, the promising Earwax imprint. With only two releases under its belt i've been left wanting more and certainly look forward to what is to come. The sound is different to that of Tectonic, the two releases from SNO and Clue Kid have suggested a more bouncy, sublow sound with a strong dubwise influence. In other words records that really get people moving on the dancefloor. Hats of then to you Mr Pinch.

Right who else is there to talk about? mmm.... Skull Disco methinks, the masters of gothic dubstep. The depictions of skeletons furiously beating drums on the sleeves pretty much sums up their sound. Its key players Shackleton and Appleblim have pushed a distinctly abstract sound, with a heavy emphasis on intense drums and cavernous bass sounds. Fair play to them for attracting the attention of certain techno jocks like Ricardo Villalobos, Damien Lazarus and the Hardwax axis of DJs. Next year will hopefully see Ricardo's remix of Shackleton see the light of day. I haven't heard it but apparently its suitably wonky! I can recommend any of the Skull Disco releases, in particular the track 'Hamas Rule' by Shackleton and 'Tomb' by Appleblim if my memeory serves me right. Also worth checking is Shackleton's recent release on the Hot Flush sub (aquatic) label, Scuba.

Any talk of dubstep in 2006 would be incomplete with out mentioning the mighty DMZ crew. Based around the Digital Mystikz themselves, that is Coki and Mala, and a man called Loefah, possibly the heaviest of all dubstep producers. They have been gaining praise for their now legendary parties and some sick 12"s. Every single release on the label has been brilliant, I cannot recomend this label enough. I would have thought that their output should be compiled into a CD comp soon, but really you want the 12"s, that are cut really nicely and hold some extra bassy magic within their grooves. After 'Qawwali' Mala's 'Left Leg Out' is another tune that I can't seem to get enough off, and one that sounds like a true stylistic developement. It has to be said that shaking your left leg like a maniac is about the best way to dance to the tune. When dropped at Subloaded a few months ago I got fully locked into a trancey groove, with legs flying everywhere! Tunes also worth checking are 'Anti War Dub' by the Mystikz and 'Rufage' by Loefah.

Kode 9's Hyperdub label has continued to impress, most notably with the Burial album which gained praise across the board. I think the general critical line was something about representing the dark claustraphobia of modern urban living, through the medium of glitchy beats. Basically if you haven't heard it do yourself a favour and get over to Boomkat or whatever and secure yourself a copy. Kode 9's own productions have all been noteworthy too, he even managed to coax a good vocal out of the previously rather annoying Spaceape in the form of the excellent 'Portal/Curious' 10".

2006 has also been the year that Bristol hero and friend of TAPE, the RLF finally dropped his debut album unded his Bass Cleff moniker. 'A Smile Is A Curve That Straightens Most Things' is a magnificent album that is succinctly the sum of all RLF's influences whilst still managing to sound super, super fresh. The physical sound of it is completely unique in dubstep, very crunchy and the beats are disorientatingly hyper at times. In one word, amazing! If your reading this Ralph we love you! Again you'll find this over at Boomkat if you are curious, which you hopefully are by now...

Right nearly finished, just pause for a quick breath, phew.... OK, what can we expect in the new year? A couple of new labels have sprung up this year that have caught my attention and look set to really kill it in 2007. Dub Police and Deep Midi have pushed a super heavy dubwise sound that has reconnected the genre back with its rootsical Jamaican history and also the old UK steppers sound of the early 1990s. Think trumpets, uptempo beats and of course lots of bass. One to watch in 2007 is Kromestar, i'm not to up on this producer but believe he/she has some link to the Mystikz, anyone care to inform me? Also Peverelist straight out of Bristol is set to release some amazing techno-esque beats on his own Punch Drunk label. I've heard the tunes, can't wait for the vinyl...

To those dubstep heads reading this I realise I haven't covered all bases. Most notably I probably should have talked about Road records, or Toasty boy or Southside (always a bit badly pressed, grrrr!) or even the mighty Tempa (Skream 'Dutch Flowers' ace!), but time constraints and running out of steam means that is all from me for 2006. Hopefully next year will see me take a giant leap and start blogging a bit more. In the meantime have a lovely winter holiday and if you have time check out my doodlebug mix (check the link to the right, if you haven't already) which contains some of the tracks i've been blathering on about. Just one final thing, big up Tom and Chris from Rooted Records for supplying me with all this lovely dubstep, Check their website at www.rootedrecords.co.uk for all your bass line needs. Seasons greetings and peace to all mankind!

Mr Soft's Top 100 Tracks of 2006

Yes, 'Dump Truck' is only at 34. And yes, I have no idea what my two favourite dancefloor tracks of the year are, 'cos every time I hear 'em I'm in a club and am too trolleyed to ask anyone what they are. Order is, one you get outside the Top 10, pretty meaningless. But here you go. My Top 100 Tracks of 2006.

1. SHIT ROBOT – WRONG GALAXY // DFA
2. MARTIN BUTTRICH – FULL CLIP // PLANET E
3. DELIA & GAVIN – RELEVEE (CARL CRAIG & DFA REMIXES) // DFA
4. MINILOGUE – GIRL FROM BOTANY BAY // W.I.R.
5. LINDSTROM – ANOTHER STATION (TODD TERJE REMIX) // FEEDELITY
6. LOCO DICE – SEEING THROUGH SHADOWS // M-NUS
7. RHYTHM & SOUND – DEM NEVER KNOW (SLEEPARCHIVE INTERPRETATION) // BURIAL MIX
8. SLY MONGOOSE – SNAKES & LADDERS (RUB N TUG RE-EDIT) // MULE MUSIQ
9. HOT CHIP – BOY FROM SCHOOL (EROL ALKAN’S EXTENDED REWORK) // EMI
10. DEPECHE MODE – THE SINNER IN ME (RICARDO VILLALOBOS CONCLAVE MIX) // MUTE/CD-R

11. KLAXONS – GRAVITY’S RAINBOW (NIGHTMOVES REMIX) // KITSUNE
12. SALIF KEITA – YAMORE (LUCIANO REMIX) // CADENZA
13. KATE BUSH – KING OF THE MOUNTAIN (RADIO SLAVE REMIX) // WHITE
14. SIDESHOW – PHILLY SOUNDWORKS (LEE JONES REMIX) // AUS
15. GABRIEL ANANDA & CIO D’OR – LAUSCHGOLDENGEL // KARMAROUGE
16. JOHN TEJADA – THE END OF IT ALL // PALETTE
17. ARTHUR RUSSELL – SPRINGFIELD (DFA REMIX) // AUDIKA
18. ELLEN ALLIEN & APPARAT – JET // BPITCH CONTROL
19. SHACKLETON – HAMAS RULE // SKULL DISCO
20. PETER, BJORN & JOHN – YOUNG FOLKS (WIZARD’S SLEEVE EXTENDED EDIT) // WICHITA

21. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – 45:33 // ITUNES
22. JUSTUS KOHNCKE – ADVANCE // KOMPAKT
23. PINCH – QAWAALI // PLANET MU
24. RICARDO VILLALOBOS – QUE BELLE EPOQUE 2006 // FRISBEE TRACKS
25. ANTENA – CAMINO DEL SOL (JOAKIM & TODD TERJE REMIXES) // ?
26. REKID – RETRO ACTIVE // SOUL JAZZ
27. VOOM:VOOM – OGGI // !K7
28. HENRIK SCHWARZ/AME/DIXON – WHERE WE AT (VERSION 3) // INNERVISIONS
29. LATEX – THE PORCUPINE // REBELONE
30. OST & KJEX – HOW NOT TO BE A BISCUIT // CROSSTOWN REBELS

31. JESSE ROSE – YOU’RE ALL OVER MY HEAD // DUBSIDED
32. MELCHIOR PRODUCTIONS – DIFFERENT PLACES // PERLON
33. ALEXANDER ROBOTNICK – THE DARK SIDE OF THE SPOON // CRÈME ORGANIZATION
34. COBBLESTONE JAZZ – DUMP TRUCK // WAGON REPAIR
35. CHELONIS R. JONES – DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS (DJ HELL & RADIO SLAVE REMIXES) // GET PHYSICAL
36. THE RICE TWINS – FOR DAN // K2
37. DIBAYA – THE TRUTH-BLENDING CONSORTIUM // PLONG!
38. PIER BUCCI – HAY CONSUELA (SAMIM REMIX) // CROSSTOWN REBELS
39. FRANCK ROGER – BACK & FORTH // INNERVISIONS
40. TIGA – FAR FROM HOME (DFA REMIX) // PIAS

41. RICARDO VILLALOBOS – FIZHEUER ZIEHEUER // PLAYHOUSE
42. HERBERT – MOVING LIKE A TRAIN (SMITH N HACK REMIX) // K7
43. ALEX UNDER – MULTIPLICANCIONES 2 // APNEA
44. THE KNIFE – SILENT SHOUT (ORIGINAL & WILLIAMS REMIX) // RABID
45. COBBLESTONE JAZZ – INDIA IN ME // WAGON REPAIR
46. BRENNAN GREEN – LITTLE EASE (LINDSTROM & PRINS THOMAS REMIX) // CHINATOWN
47. MLLE CARO & FRANCK GARCIA – FAR AWAY // CROSSTOWN REBELS
48. CLAUDE VON STROKE – SEVEN DEADLY STROKES (PATRICK CHARDRONNET REMIX) // DIRTY BIRD
49. SOLENOID – NIGHT BEACH // COMMUNITY LIBRARY
50. AUDION – MOUTH 2 MOUTH // SPECTRAL SOUND

51. MARC HOULE – BAY OF FIGS // M-NUS
52. RICARDO VILLALOBOS – ACHSO // CADENZA
53. SKREAM/DISTANCE – BAHL FWD/TEMPTATION // TECTONIC
54. HEIDI VS RITON – VEJER // GET PHYSICAL
55. JOAKIM – I WISH YOU WERE GONE (DUB) // KITSUNE
56. ALEXI DELANO & XPANSUL – ECHOLOCATION // PLUS 8
57. PETTER – SOME POLYPHONY // BORDER COMMUNITY
58. THE FLYING SQUAD – NIGHT FLIGHT TO VENUS // RVNG
59. LB DUB CORPS – RHYTHM DIVISION // MOTE EVOLVER
60. DONDOLO – DRAGON (SHIT ROBOT REMIX) // TINY STICKS

61. METOPE – SECOND SKIN ([T]EKEL REMIX) // SENDER
62. NOZE – LOVE AFFAIR // CIRCUS COMPANY
63. LINDSTROM – THE CONTEMPORARY FIX // FEEDELITY
64. M-NUS ALLSTARS – SPACESHIPS & PINGS // ITEMS & THINGS
65. TOBIAS – STREET KNOWLEDGE // LOGISTIC
66. GABRIEL ANANDA – DOPPELWHIPPER (LIVE) // PLATZHIRSCH
67. JESSE SOMFAY – FABERGE // TRAUM SCHALLPLATTEN
68. CAN – MOTHER SKY (PSKI EDIT) // DIRTY
69. MINILOGUE – HITCHHIKER’S CHOICE EP // CROSSTOWN REBELS
70. AXEL BARTSCH – RAUBERTOCHTER // SPORTCLUB

71. TRES DEMENTED – SHEZ SATAN // PLANET E
72. LOCO DICE – HARISSA // CADENZA
73. MORGAN GEIST FEAT. JEREMY GREENSPAN – MOST OF ALL // ENVIRON
74. THE FIELD – KAPPSTA // KOMPAKT
75. JONA – LEARNING FROM MAKING MISTAKES // GET PHYSICAL
76. CLAUDE VON STROKE – THE WHISTLER // DIRTY BIRD
77. CROWDPLEASER & ST PLOMB – 18 YEARS // MENTAL GROOVE
78. QUIET VILLAGE – FREE RIDER // WHATEVER WE WANT
79. COSMO VITELLI – DELAYER (QUIET VILLAGE REMIX) // I'M A CLICHE
80. LSB – ORIGINAL HIGHWAY DELIGHT (MUNGOLIAN JETSET REMIX)

81. RADIO SLAVE – MY BLEEP // REKIDS
82. THE EMPEROR MACHINE – BODILIZER BODILSIZER // DC RECORDINGS
83. GUY GERBER – SEA OF SAND // COCOON
84. ROYKSOPP – BEAUTIFUL DAY WITHOUT YOU (WIGHNOMY BROTHERS REMIX) // WALL OF SOUND
85. BOOKA SHADE – IN WHITE ROOMS // GET PHYSICAL
86. GOLDFRAPP – FLY ME AWAY (C2 REMIX 1) // MUTE
87. CAPTAIN – FRONTLINE (DFA REMIX) // EMI
88. JUNIOR BOYS – IN THE MORNING (ALEX SMOKE REMIX) // DOMINO
89. AUDIOMONTAGE – BOUNCE 2 THE OUNCE // FREERANGE
90. THE GOSSIP – STANDING IN THE WAY OF CONTROL (SOULWAX NITE VERSION) // KITSUNE

91. LOST TRAXX – THE SATURIAN SYSTEM //
92. LOCO DICE – FLIGHT LB 7475 // OVUM
93. METRIKA – TIME (DIRT CREW REMIX) // CROSSTOWN REBELS
94. DJ T – STALKER // GET PHYSICAL
95. COLDCUT – WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES (HENRIK SCHWARZ REMIX)
96. BEASTIE BOYS – NEW YORK CITY (RUB'N'TUG EDIT)
97. ZOMBI – SAPPHIRE // STATIC CARAVAN
98. GOLDFRAPP – RIDE A WHITE HORSE (SERGE SANTIAGO REMIX) // MUTE
99. HIGH FEELINGS – LEAVE NORWAY // HIGH FEELINGS
100. STEFAN GOLDMANN – SLEEPY HOLLOW // INNERVISIONS

Also, don't forget to get voting in our 2006 poll which can be found below Carnage's picks of the year. We'll be counting the votes up next week, so support your favourite artists!

Discotech

Sorry about the blog silence over the last week or so. It's coming up to Christmas and I'm slowly getting busier by the minute. Our trip to Dublin last weekend was excellent - many thanks to Alex for putting up with us and sorting us out good and proper. Also, cheers to Gerry from Big Brother Records (any disco aficionados should go and check out his little downstairs shop or the site here - a top selection of gems in there!) for letting us camp out in his record shop for absolutely ages. We thought we'd been in there for about half an hour, but two hours later....

The actual gig was great as well. Alex (pictured left - he's known as Matagouri on the circuit and played the most recent Mutant Pop alongside Arveene) set us up with a great selection of disco fromage, and then I stepped up to the plate first to deal out some cosmic carnage which was really well recieved. Some Transvolta, Shannon, and Gary's Gang later, Puffin was up. By the time he'd reached the end of his little slot, his secret weapon party bangers were out; the first being a bootleg of Lady Sovereign and Fred Westy that's featured in my chart on here beforehand. This got a rapturous response, but I got the feeling the crowd were ready to be housed up. I called the Puffin over, asking him to give me some 4x4 to mix out of, so what does he go and do? He puts on 'Holiday'! And yes, that's Madonna's 'Holiday'. Great tune, but talk about a stitch up! I was reluctant to take it anywhere apart from booming beats and squiggly acid, so I cued up Kerri Chandler's fantastic 'Return 2 Acid' from last year and away I went... Sounded absolutely amazing though - who'd have thunk it?

My favourite part was definitely the last half hour where I whipped out '...Botany Bay', 'The End Of It All', and Booka Shade vs Annie (Carnage edit, oh yeah) before Chris rounded things off with a rowdy 'What Is The Problem?' from Grafiti (a vintage TAPE anthem if there ever was one), and the rousing Ashley Beedle mix of 'Weak Become Heroes'. Come on Mr Skinner - get off the chang and back on the beans! You know a house album makes sense! Top night though - cheers to everyone who came down and busted some moves on the Wax floor. Maybe you'll see us back there one day... Only time will tell!

Anyway, it's time for your latest Viva instalment! Apologies for last week - our regular listeners will probably have noticed that I requested a repeat of the first show due to being across the pond, but we're back with a vengeance this week with disco old and 'nu' rubbing shoulders with wonky deep techno business. There's loads of top drawer stuff on this week's show (of course!), but keep your ears poised and ready for the new Tracey Thorn track (produced by Ewan Pearson and Darshan Jesrani no less), mongo self-hating, drug fuelled orchestral genius from Spiritualized, driving tech-wonk from the Trickski boys, and a superb louche groover from Mudd. All you live listeners can tune in at 1am GMT tonight.

TAPE Radio - Show #12: Discotech
1) The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Trogolodyte // RCA Victor
2) The Osmonds - I, I, I (Quiet Village No-Edit) // Eskimo
3) Woolfy - The Warehouse // Rong
4) Trilogy - Not Love // Il Discotto
5) D-Train - You're The One For Me (Shep Pettibone Remix) // Mastercuts
6) L.S.B. - Original Highway Delight // Eskimo
7) Minimal Compact - Deadly Weapons (Optimo Remix) // Crammed Discs
8) Nino Astronauta - San Fernando Rd (John Tejada Remix) // Family Tree
9) 12th Floor - Salsa 313 (Trickski Remix) // Raw Fusion
10) Burdy - Hold It Back // Sunshine Enterprises
11) Loose Lips - Earsex (Sian Warm Real Mix) // Tsuba
12) Ost & Kjex - How Not To Be A Biscuit // Crosstown Rebels
13) Mudd - 54b // Rong
14) Tracey Thorn - It's All True (The DSE Dub) // CD-R
15) The Rakes - Binary Love (The Loving Hand Remix) // V2
16) The Rice Twins - For Penny And Alexis // Kompakt Extra
17) Spiritualized - Won't Get To Heaven (The State I'm In) // Spaceman
18) Zero 7 - Futures (Rub'n'Tug Remix) // Atlantic

Listen:
TAPE Radio - Show #12: Discotech

This weekend was a bit of a busy one what with playing our cosmic showdown at Byte on Friday and then the TAPE 2nd birthday, Zoo vs TAPE, and the under_score 'Technival' on Saturday. I'll save launching into my extensive rantings concerning that weekend of madness for later... Enjoy the radio show though!

Carnage's Top 100 12" Singles Of 2006: #1-50

Ugh. Feeling slightly worse for wear after last night's cosmic showdown at Byte's 'All-Star Xmas Mash Up' with Balearic overlord Sell By Dave, but it was a highly enjoyable night all round, give or take a few blasts of questionable hardcore! Cheers to Andy Basic for having us down and supplying the free booze - it's always a pleasure playing for that man. Also, you should be seeing a Doodlebug set at one of next year's Byte nights. If you'd forgotten, Doodlebug is Puffin's new dubstep moniker and you can check out his mix here. Before I forget, thanks also go out to Matagouri for making us feel very welcome during our trip to the Irish capital. Who'd have thought that whisky and hot chocolate go together? Lovely stuff. On the night we totally rocked it (did you expect anything less?), and I might talk a little about it sometime next week. In the meantime, here's the rest of my singles chart for the year. It's far from definitive (I can already think of loads of stuff that I've missed out), but it's a pretty good representation of what's been floating our boats down at TAPE towers in '06. Stay tuned for Softy's end of year roundup - if he ever gets round to it, that is...

Carnage's Top 100 12" Singles Of 2006: #1-50
1) Minilogue - The Girl From Botany Bay // Wir Im Rhythmus
2) Pinch - Qawwali // Planet Mu
3) Gabriel Ananda - Miracel Whop EP // Platzhirsch
4) Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom - Relevee (Remixes) // DFA
5) Sideshow - Scary Biscuits EP // Aus
6) Lindstrøm - Another Station (Todd Terje Remix) // Feedelity
7) Martin Buttrich - Full Clip/Programmer // Planet E
8) Shackleton - Soundboy's Nuts Get Ground Up Proper EP // Skull Disco
9) John Tejada - The End Of It All // Palette
10) Sly Mongoose - Snakes & Ladder (Rub'n'Tug Remix) // Mule Musiq
11) Thomas Melchior & Luciano - Solomon's Prayer / Father // Cadenza
12) Alexander Robotnick - The Dark Side Of The Spoon // Creme Organisation
13) The Knife - Silent Shout // Brille
14) Disco Supreme - Supreme Edits Vol 1 // Supreme
15) Mala - Left Leg Out // DMZ
16) Claude Von Stroke - The Whistler/Who's Afraid Of Detroit? // Dirty Bird
17) Rhythm & Sound - See Mi Yah Remixes #2 (Soundstream) // Burial Mix
18) Audion - Mouth To Mouth // Spectral
19) Pier Bucci - Familia Remix EP 1 // Crosstown Rebels
20) Cobblestone Jazz - India In Me // Wagon Repair
21) Akabu - Phuture Bound (Âme remix) // Z
22) Sleeper Thief - Chasing You // Mobilee
23) Hot Chip - A Boy From School (Erol Alkan's Extended Rework) // EMI
24) Sebo K - Horizons/Moved // Mobilee
25) Popnoname - You Are Popnoname // Italic
26) Shit Robot - Wrong Galaxy / Triumph // DFA
27) My My - Butterflies & Zebras // Aus
28) Salif Keita - Yamoré (Luciano Remix) // Cadenza
29) Crowdpleaser & St. Plomb - 1er Mai/18 Years // Mental Groove
30) Cobblestone Jazz - Dump Truck // Wagon Repair
31) Rhythm & Sound - See Mi Yah Remixes #4 (Carl Craig/Basic Channel)
32) Ellen Allien & Apparat - Jet (Remixes) // Bpitch Control
33) Ricardo Villalobos - Fizheuer Zieheuer // Playhouse
34) Tangoterje - Diamonds Dub // Supreme
35) Chelonis R. Jones - Deer In The Headlights (Remixes) // Get Physical
36) Toastyboy - Skinny // Destructive
37) Kate Bush - King Of The Mountain (Radio Slave Remix) // White
38) Padded Cell - Are You Anywhere?/Konkorde Lafayette // DC
39) Ost & Kjex - How Not To Be A Biscuit // Crosstown Rebels
40) The Flying Squad Edits // RVNG
41) Gabriel Ananda & Cio D'or - Lauschgoldengel // Treibstoff
42) Tres Demented - Shez Satan/Brainfreeze // Planet E
43) Herbert - Moving Like A Train (Smith'n'Hack Remix) // !K7
44) Rhythm & Sound - See Mi Yah Remixes #3 (Sleeparchive) // Burial Mix
45) Kelley Polar - Love Songs Of The Hanging Gardens (LP Sampler Volume Two) // Environ
46) Henrik Schwarz/Âme/Dixon ft. Derrick Carter - Where We At // Innervisions
47) Marcus Mixx - Without Makeup (Ron Hardy Edit) // Let's Pet Puppies
48) Jesse Rose - You're All Over My Head // Dubsided
49) Heidi vs. Riton - Vejer // Get Physical
50) Greg Wilson - Young Dog Alien Vol. 1
Have a good weekend, and we'll see all you Bristol TAPErs at the birthday party later!

Carnage's Top 100 Singles Of 2006 - #51-100

Sorry about the blog silence over the last week or so. It's coming up to Christmas and I'm slowly getting busier by the minute. By the way, don't forget that it's our 2nd birthday bash this Saturday night down at the Bank pub. Of course, being this big birthday bash, we've got a killer lineup of people who are close to our musical hearts. Alfonso (Lakota) will be joining us for a set of classic Italian house, Clarkson (Payback Hi-Fi) will be bringing the vintage disco sounds, and Luke Malcher (under_score/Normalise) and Al Dare (Crash!) will be let loose to do whatever floats their boat - it's a good job that we trust their impeccable tastes! Of course the lovely residents (myself - Richard Carnage, Puffin Jack, and Mr Soft) will be spinning a few tunes for your delectation as well. If you fancy coming down, just send me an e-mail or myspace message and I'll make sure that you get in.

To make up for my absence, here's the bottom end of my top 100 12" singles of the year. The rest'll be coming later this week...

Carnage's Top 100 12" Singles Of 2006 - #51-100
51) Paul Simon - Late In The Evening (DJ Spun Edit) // Disco Editions
52) Nick Holder - Erotic Illusions // Poker Flat
53) The Mole - In My Song // Wagon Repair
54) Billy Nasty & Tresher - Black Sorcer // Electrix
55) Henrik Schwarz - Jimis 2006 (Mix 3) // Diamonds and Pearls
56) Metope - Second Skin (Tekel Remix) // Sender
57) Kaos - Cerebral Tremolo // Rong
58) The Rice Twins - Reach For The Flute // K2
59) Dinky - Home On A Sunday // Horizontal
60) Escort - Starlight // Escort
61) Latex - The Porcupine // Rebelone
62) Junior Boys - In The Morning (Alex Smoke Remix) // Domino
63) Marc Romboy & Stephen Bodzin - The Alchemist // 20:20 Vision
64) Mudd - 54b // Rong
65) Digital Mystikz - Misty Winter // Soul Jazz
66) Michoacan - She's Sent (Heaven) (+ Mixes) // Tiny Sticks
67) Ada - Call The Tune/Living It Up // Areal
68) Prins Thomas - Fehrara // Full Pupp
69) Burial - South London Boroughs // Hyperdub
70) Depeche Mode - The Sinner in Me (Ricardo Villalobos Conclave Remix) // Mute
71) Alexi Delano & Xpansul - Intelligence Reframed EP // Plus 8
72) Lindstrøm - The Contemporary Fix // Feedelity
73) Pan-Pot/Sebo K - Back To Back Vol. 03 // Mobilee
74) Turner - My Aeroplane Mania (Lawrence Remix) // Tiny Sticks
75) Jimi Bazzouka - Edits Vol 1 // White
76) Innocent Sorcerers - One Dollar Race // Raw Fusion
77) Alex Under - Multiplicanciones 2 // Apnea
78) Booka Shade - In White Rooms // Get Physical
79) Loco Dice - Seeing Through Shadows // M_nus
80) Skream/Distance - Bawl Fwd/Temptation // Tectonic
81) The Emperor Machine - Vertical Tones & Horizontal Noise (Part 4)
82) Frost - Sleepwalker // Frostworld
83) Dondolo - Dragon (Shit Robot Remix) // Tiny Sticks
84) Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. - Timbuktu (Remixes) // Ibadan
85) Morgan Geist - Most Of All/Skyblue Pink // Environ
86) Gui Boratto - Sozinho // K2
87) Tekel - Smet // Initial Cuts
88) Mr G - ECG'd (Rekid Remix) // Rekids
89) Skream - Tapped/Dutch Flowers // Tempa
90) Daniele Baldelli - Phobos 2006 // Gomma
91) M_nus Allstars - Spaceships & Pings // Items & Things
92) Tobias - Street Knowledge // Logistic
93) Rob Mello presents No Ears Dub - Give Me // Disco 45
94) 12th Floor - Salsa 313 (Trickski remix) // Raw Fusion
95) Solenoid - Night Beach/Sam Clam's Disco // Community Library
96) Alex Under - Collage // Plus 8
97) Induceve - Warehouse Shit // Dubsided
98) Pantytec - Maybe/Moriomelo // Perlon
99) Eleanor - Adventure // Compost
100) Shane Berry - Fillertet 2 // Trapez

Give Me Tea & THC

You lucky people - first you've got our new mix to contend with this Tuesday, and now you've got the next instalment of our Viva Radio show. After the exclusively 4x4 vibes of last week, I thought we'd go genre hopping again. This time disco, reggae and italo classics rub shoulders with deep house and deeper indie picks. Boil the kettle, roll yourselves a reefer, and sink into the groove. It's broadcast live tonight at 1am GMT, and can be found in the archives thereafter. Here's the tracklisting and listening link:

TAPE Radio - Show #11: 'Give Me Tea & THC'
1) Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Going Places // Sire
2) Lee Douglas - Same Changes // Rong
3) Lee Perry & The Upsetters - Jungle Lion // Trojan
4) Sideshow - You've Changed (Dub) // Aus
5) Metro Area - Rainy Street Feeling // Environ
6) Konrad Black - Coma Couch Surfing // Items & Things
7) Max Berlin - Elle Et Moi (Joakim Remix) // Eighttrack
8) Alice Smith - Love Endavour (Maurice Fulton Remix) // BBE
9) Popnoname - The Pages // Firm
10) Spirit Catcher - Code Breaker // Moodmusic
11) Kerri Chandler & Monique Bingham - In The Morning // Bigga Sounds
12) Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. - Timbuktu (The Sydenham & Faber Vibe Out Mix) // Ibadan
13) Daniel Wang - Pistol Oderso // Ghostly International
14) Lambchop - Up With People // City Slang
15) Elbow - Scattered Black And Whites // V2
16) Jim O'Rourke - Through The Night Softly // Domino
17) The Electric Prunes - Holy Are You // Stateside
18) James Figurine - Apologies (John Tejada Mix) // Monika
19) Sebo K feat. Prosumer - Moved // Mobilee
20) CocoRosie - Tekno Love Song // Touch & Go

Listen:
TAPE Radio - Show #11: 'Give Me Tea & THC'

Remember, the voting's still open for TAPE's end of year poll, so get your votes in while you can. Coming soon is our end of year review, with our top 100 singles, an album roundup and much much more. Also, me and Puffin Jack are playing the Family night at Wax in the fair city of Dublin this Saturday, so if you're in town pop down and get your dancing feet ready for some serious TAPE action.

MixTAPE: 'Double Trouble'

Last Friday saw the Irish invade Bristol's fair city with weapons of mass dancefloor destruction. I'm talking, of course, about Arveene and Matagouri - who descended on the Arc Bar and totally teared shit up. I started things off upstairs, imagining that I was some sexy Italian from Rimini circa 1982 (unfortunately none of this is true), rocking gems like 'Sea Hunt', Bamboo's 'Space Ship Crashing', and 'Robot Is Systematic' to a surprisingly receptive female contingent of the audience. Puffin had decided to take things easy and enjoy the night, so Softy was up next with Noze's 'Love Affair', and the surefire hits of Justus' 'Advance' and Dennis Ferrer's 'Son Of Raw' amongst other bits and bobs. The floor was ready for some freak mode action, and Matagouri was the man to set it off.

Known to his mother as Alex McKee, he's a damn fine chap and an even finer DJ. His selections were impeccable and he really worked the crowd into a sweaty mass of dancing bodies.By this time I was already well on the way to becoming a drunken fool so apologies for my hazy memories about what was played (there were some top house tunes outed, but they escape me at this very moment - any help Mr McKee?). I do remember, however, the long overdue resurrection of LCD's 'Beat Connection', which had all of the TAPE crew dancing around like the buffons that we pretend not to be most of the time. Some top quality disco shizzle was dropped before that (the original mix of Rinder & Lewis' 'Willie & The Hand Jive' being a particular favourite), before he whacked in the surefire disco monster that is Patrick Cowley's 'I Feel Love' remix. We did indeed feel the love, and when he finished up on the bombshell that is the Soulwax remix of The Gossip, everyone was waiting with baited breath to see what Arveene had in store for us.

He definitely had some work to do to show up his compadre, and I remember myself shaking my head in disgust when he started off with that 'Around The World' cover by Dangerous Dan and Nicky Van She, which I hate with a passion. If you're going to play a version of it, why not the perfect original rather than some crap knock off job of a cover? It did however provide much hungover amusement to myself and Soft as we cracked each other up over various comedy aspects of the track... As with many of our comedy in-jokes, I guess you had to be there.

Anyway, let's not dwell on this, as it was the only bad track that the Arvmeister played all night. His was a captivating and engaging performance, and in the environment of the upstairs of Mutant Pop you can see why he's one of Ireland's most lauded DJs. By this time I was posivitely wasted, but I can remember the unveiling of the knarly tech-house bleep fest that is the Nightmoves remix of Robbie Williams - roll over Soulwax. Top stuff by Mr Waites that should cement his position as someone who makes dance music for dance music lovers rather than fashionista nu-ravers. Other standouts were Marc Houle's 'Bay Of Figs', T2's 'Ortzroka', Claude Von Stroke's remix of Jamie McHugh, and DJ Hell's mix of the Presets that Shit Robot was rocking Timbuk2's dancefloor with last week. Arveene also unveiled a couple of his own original productions (quality booming electro-house that had us all in agreement at their sheer quality), along with his remix of Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing In The Name' which is going to do some serious dancefloor carnage in '07. Seeing the assembled crowd erupt to it really was a Mutant Pop moment that raised a smile to my face and got everyone's hands up (not, however, for Detroit).

Speaking of Mutant Pop moments, you'll never guess what he played a quarter of an hour from the end though... only fucking 'Strawberry Fields Forever'! What may sound like the most ridiculous idea on paper actually sounded like a life defining event, and strangely enough this is without any form of illegal narcotics having their effect on me. How he managed to mix it in I'll never know (or remember), but that man is capable of some serious crowd pumping trickery on those CD-Js that doesn't really come across in his recorded mixes. To summarise, it was probably one of most enjoyable Mutant Pops for me since Matt Waites' last visit (no disrespect to Mock or Simon Rigg who both played barnstorming sets), due to it being generally stress free and having such a good atmosphere. Big thanks go out to Alex and Arveene for blessing our fair city with their superb selections and skills, and I'm sure they'll be paying us a return visit sometime in the future.

This weekend it's TAPE's turn to show some international dance party loving, as we return the favour and head over to headline the Family night in Dublin, where both Matagouri and Arveene are residents. Saturday the 9th is the date, and Wax is the venue, so all you Dublin TAPErs should drag your friends and pets down for some decadent electronic madness. We've been really looking forward to this, so expect some no holds barred peak time freak zone action (and a bit of disco of course!).

We were asked by Arveene to do an hour long mix to preview our show this Saturday, and after many arguments over its content and structure, here's the finished article. It'll be played on Arvo and Jonny Moy's radio show on Saturday, so tune into Transmit on Spin FM (103.8 FM for all you analogue radio fans) to hear it being aired to the unsuspecting public. Or you could just download it of course! Here's the tracklisting and download link:

Puffin Jack & Richard Carnage - 'Double Trouble'
1) Intro
2) Young Dog Alien - Amp Trouble // Young Dog Alien
3) Soundstream - Soul Train // Soundstream
4) Chica & The Folder - Tibetteppich (Pink Elln Balkon Remix) // Moniker
5) Heidi vs Riton - Vejer // Get Physical
6) Losoul - Matchbox // Playhouse
7) Palermo Disko Club - Pump // Kitsune
8) Alexi Delano & Xpansul - Echolocation // Plus 8
9) Nasty & Thresher - Black Sorcery // Elektrix
10) Smash TV - Yellow Asteroids // Bpitch Control
11) Audion - Hot Air // Spectral
12) Sideshow - Scary Biscuits (John Tejada Remix) // Aus
13) Interlude
14) Toastyboy - Skinny // Destructive
15) Mala - Left Leg Out // DMZ
16) Stereotyp - Flingstyle // G-Stone

Download:
Puffin Jack & Richard Carnage - Double Trouble

So to summarise....

FAMILY @ Wax, Dublin

This Saturday!

Richard Carnage & Puffin Jack invade the Irish capital, with the fantastic Matagouri in support!

Be there, or be a right angled, four sided object!