Rico - Warrika Dub: Ghetto Rockers

U.S. bootleg reissue of this rare 1978 dub version of Rico Rodriguez' "Man From Wareika"

This rare album was originally produced for Island records, but was subsequently shelved before its release. Rico provided one of the most famous horn solos of the 80's on The Special's seminal 'Ghost Town', a connection that came about when Jerry Dammers required horns for a remake of "Rudi A Message To You".

This album was intended as a laidback, easy listening affair for the Island label to display Rico's celebrated talent. The rhythms are generally slow and heavy, with a couple of more mid-tempo steppers grooves, but it all serves as a vehicle for his sun-shot sound.

Rico had a past playing on the beach for food, and with the finest musicians of Count Ossie's Rasta community in Wareika Hills, just outside Kingston.

The LP is presented in the original pre-release sleeve with no artwork and is obviously mastered from an acetate or demo vinyl pressing. There is a bit of surface noise, but the beauty of this makes it all worthwhile.

Vinyl rip at 320 Kbps.

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M-M-M-More MEMORABILIA!

Mem-em-mem-mem-em-mem-MEMORABILIA!

And still it comes. How about that autographed Magazine poster?

The supporting act for The Housemartins gig was The Proclaimers. I'd never heard of them before, and expectations were not high when we saw these two bespectacled aliens strumming a single acoustic and harmonising. Predictably, they blew the fucking roof off. They were fucking great. The Housemartins were equally fab. For the encore, they played "Garageland". I nearly shit my pants with excitement.

As for the Julian press advert... Isn't it time "Fried" appeared up on here? One of the best albums ever released ever? I love the fact that the advert states that the album is available on "chrome tape"!

Studio - Life's A Beach 12"

Studio from Sweden is making beautiful organic electronic music that falls midway between dance, indie and electronica. A list of modern day comparisons would be with DFA, Fujiya & Miyagi,Lindstrom, Mogwai. Featured here are 2 remixes by Todd Terje and Prins Thomas with their signature trademarks to get some extra dancefloor orientated mixes. Excellent release - highly recommended.

Vinyl Rip at 320 Kbps

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DiskJokke - Rosenrød Promo CD

I'm sorry about the scarcity of blog updates for the last few months. The truth is, I have been listening to little else other than this Scandinavian disco stuff. Ad infinitum, ad nauseam. I'm still not sick of it by ANY stretch of the imagination, however. And there is much still to discover.

My undoubted favourites are Lindstrøm and this sterling fellow, DiskJokke. This is a promo that was released last year, which I think may also have appeared on a 7".

Young Joachim Dyrdahl, "the latest in a string of exciting and innovative artists hailing from the respected Oslo electronica scene", is at it it again. I believe there is a new album due imminently, and I'm hoping that this is a taster for what is to come, because once again this is truly wonderful stuff. There's a double whammy of euphoric "upness" and real emotional depth to this music that I'm finding utterly irresistible.

Get on board.

320 Kbps.


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Orgue Electronique - Rare and Unreleased 1998-2004

A timely collection of retro-futurist dark disco from deep within the Dutch scene. Some of this is sounding like the current vogue for Minimal Wave/Dark Wave/Whatever. There are a few dodgy tracks, but generally, this is excellent stuff. Released in two limited CDR pressings of 100 copies each, my copy is the second edition.

Other releases can be sourced from this Dutch portal, Global Darkness. This is also available as a digital download, so I'm only keeping this up for a few days.

Download.

Pet Shop Boys - So Hard. USA CD EP.

I've posted the UK edition of this before, but this USA version is a much tastier affair.

Featuring not only the edit, extended and dub mixes of the title track, but also the 12" mix of "Paninaro", which still has the power to amuse and amaze even at this remove.

There's also one of their finest ever B side tracks, "It Must Be Obvious".

What a wonderful group they are. "So Hard" has one of the finest lyrics of any pop tune ever. Ever.


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Trawlerman..

And the trawl continues...

This was Mrs Micron's introduction to the world of The Durutti Column. Vini and his cohorts flied like beautiful birds and while she remained appreciative of the skills on display, she was ultimately unmoved.

Do you know what? Some music just isn't for women. There. I said it.

Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt

Opening with 'Komplikation', The Orb serve up a dubby fingered techno which is characterised by their hypnotic stance. Despite being a bit more nervy than usual this is still a sound which is best heard while horizontal. A sound which includes the strangely Depheche Mode-influenced 'Lunik TM", the weird glambience of 'Captain Korma', some rubbery-bass on 'Cool Harbour' before at last ushering in the more hushed environs of the album's latter half through 'Traumvogel'.

Using cascading melodies and chiming digital bobbins, The Orb reassert their place in the annals of downtempo music.

The prominent presence of long-time (and current) collaborator Thomas Fehlmann makes this one of the less ambient Orb albums, but this out of print gem is proof positive that despite the new seriousness, Paterson still can't help being, well, a bit daft.

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