Artist: Ray Mang Title: Bullet Proof Label: DFA Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco Format: 12″, Digital Buy From:Juno Records, Juno Download
This is a great if slightly unexpected collision between two legends (well, strictly speaking, three legends). Edit and disco king Ray Mang has been a constant source of delight for DJs for 10 years now, working with The Idjut Boys and The Glimmers, as part of Block 16 or for his superb disco edits on his own Mangled imprint. He’s joined on this DFA release by Lady Miss Kier, the unforgettable vocalist with Dee-Lite, whose classic “Groove Is In The Heart” still rules after all these years.
And the third legend is George Clinton, who had a hit with “Bullet Proof” in the early 80s. This version really pushes the boat out though, coming in faster and way more frenetic than Clinton’s already fairly bouncy number. With wild keyboard stabs and fierce snare hits running rampant, it’s a hell of a lot of fun and sounds like a party kicking off right between the ears as LMK repeats the chorus “I ain’t bullet proof and I won’t wear a ball and chain”. Mang’s production excels as ever, and this should easily set a crowd off with no delay.
The flipside, “Look Into My Eyes”, is calmer and more cosmic than the title track, but it’s still a true beauty with a luscious breakdown in the middle. Yet another superb job all round by the reliable Mr. Mang.
New York imprint DFA have teamed up with Scion AV to release a pair of music videos, featuring Michoacan’s upcoming release on the label and Pixeltan’s recent single “Yamerarena-i“.
Artist: Juan Maclean Title: A/V Remix Project Label: Scion/DFA Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco Format: Digital Buy From:Juno Download
Opening with a surprising take on the desolate, down-trodden piano ballad, “Human Disaster”, House of House show exactly what a remix can do for a track – spin it around and turn it on its head so it becomes a completely different animal. And in this case a hungry one, gradually fattening itself up with every layered effect over the track’s eight minute sprawl. Blending together deep house tones with combination percussion and cut-up, looped together vocal distortions, the NYC pair maintain the momentum throughout beautifully.
Irishman Marcus Lambkin a.k.a. Shit Robot, stiffens up the more limber original of “No Time” with a deeper, more robust bassline which gives the track an oddly sinister feel. Combined with the pint-sized Nancy Whang’s aloof, icy vocals, the track becomes sassy, and starkly sexy. Meanwhile, having peeled away the surface polish of “Accusations” by re-recording the bassline with his own analogue synths, Gavin Russom replaces the rippling piano notes of the original with hollow maraca-esque percussion under lingering cosmic waves. The cruisy disco-funk vibe of the original is still there, but it’s less quirky, more otherworldly.
And speaking of otherworldly, Sydney duo Canyons, take “The Future Will Come” even further out to space, starting it off with a deep bass loop coupled with peculiar metallic echoes and sheepish robot wails before it kicks into gear with a retro drum roll and ghostly whisper.
Playing off skittering computer bleeps and a startling “woosh!” or two, the gentle quivering wails are alternated with eighties-inspired synths to give the forward-looking title track a slick-but-offbeat treatment.
Jacques Renault has released on more disco and house labels than you care to mention –from New York’s DFA to French imprint I’m A Cliché; via Matt Edwards’s Rekids and Toshiya Kawasaki’sMule Musiq. Apart from being a talented musician (he’s mastered everything from the violin to the trumpet and drums), he’s also in demand as a DJ, producer and remixer. Add to that his Runaway project and new label On The Prowl, and you have a real, erm, Jacques of all trades (did we mention he was once a carpenter too?). Aaron Coultate caught up with the man himself to find out more.Read the rest of this entry »
Sidwho? – aka Surahn Singh Sidhu – hails from Adelaide, South Australia. He’s already been championed by disco tastemaker Tim Sweeney, and has seen his work remixed by DFA’s Jamie Paton (of Cage & Aviary) and the Juan Maclean. He is also part of the Swiss, a 3-piece live disco act signed to Modular, and recently became part of the Empire of the Sun’s live show. With so much on the go, people won’t be asking “Sidwho?” for much longer.
Ryan Grieve and Leo Thomson – aka Canyons – have their fingers in many musical pies. The Aussie duo have a debut album due out on Modular in 2010, following on from recent hit singles with James Murphy’s DFA and French imprint I’m A Cliché. They also run their own independent label Hole In The Sky, and are working on a live show that is due to hit the road in the new year. They took some time out from a hectic schedule to speak to Juno Plus about New York boat parties, DJing in dive bars and collaborating with Nicholas Cage.
DFA duo Holy Ghost! first came onto the disco radar with the superb “Hold On” single in 2007, which was quickly followed by a slew of remixes for the likes of Panthers, Cut Copy and In Flagranti. With a debut album due out in 2010, Juno Plus caught up with Nick and Alex to talk about vintage production techniques, James Murphy’s coffee making skills and the New York Knicks…
