Around 2002/3 (at the peak of
my vinyl habit) I used to be a regular contributor of reviews to Discogs (http://www.discogs.com/), which was then the “the online
electronic music database” but have found that in my absence (about five years
off seriously collecting) that the remit for the site has shifted to include
rock/country and other genres.
Whilst I’m not totally
convinced that the site hasn’t lost some of its electronic niche appeal in
doing so, it has now also (like Amazon) got a buoyant online marketplace.
I’ve been getting regular email
offers since setting up a ‘wantlist’ so decided to take the plunge and test
the service out by ordering some items that I’ve wanted for ages from a seller
in the US.
As such, I’ve acquired a copy of The
Unabombers first 'Electric Chair' compilation LP (http://www.discogs.com/Various-Basement-Soul-Music/release/22279),
which I have to say is in pretty disappointing nick (considering it was advertised
as “good condition”).
I first saw the Unabombers DJ
at a club in Bristol that I used to work at, what must be six or seven years
ago (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thekla). The room was about half full
(I’m possibly being kind in saying that), but they absolutely rocked it – their
style is (or was as I’ve latterly learned) a new interpretation and
presentation of soul music in all its colours and flavours. (The LP set here is
subtitled as “Basement Soul”).
Anyone out there who was a fan
of turn of the nineties indie may be interested to learn that, weirdly, one of
the Unabombers used to be the bassist in New Fast Atomic Daffodils, (aka New
FADs). I have to say, I wouldn’t go out of my way to see many DJ’s, having
really grown out of the “six hours of one type of music” thing but really would for Unabombers based on the strength of
their set in Bristol and mixes I've heard online.
Alas, looking at their website
(which hasn’t been updated since 2009), I fear that they are no longer a going
concern.
It’s a 3 x 12” set with a variety of soul flavoured tunes from “Chic Cheer” by Chic, through to modern hip-hop oriented nu-soul. The absolute ‘must have’ tune on here is the 15 minute plus (legendary 70’s synth pioneer) Patrick Cowley remix of “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer. (Complete with a warning not to attempt to listen to it on LSD).
Next up, is a collection from
the consistently awesome reissue label Strut. I remember seeing that 'The Wild Bunch
- Story of a Soundsystem' (http://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Wild-Bunch/release/100639) had
come out and thinking, “I really should buy that” at the time.
Front Cover & Insert Bio |
The Wild Bunch were a
soundsystem in Bristol in the 1980’s, whom went on to spawn Massive Attack and
heavily influence the wide Bristol sound of the mid-late 1990’s (particularly
the Full Cycle crew http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_Cycle_Recordings). I
first visited Bristol in 1998 for a month at the beginning of a passionate,
decade-long exclusive relationship with drum & bass (largely due to Full
Cycle) and ended up living there for seven (not always happy, but always
interesting) years.
The LP is a collection of the
early eighties electro, hip-hop and soul that the Wild Bunch Soundsystem played
at St Pauls Carnival and their early Bristol gigs (such as the Dugout). It’s an
amazing release, but (as compiled by DJ Milo and not Daddy G) doesn’t feature
any reference to the reggae (and heavily bass led sound) of Massive attack and
the wider Bristol sound.
If you’re ever in Bristol, one
of the Wild Bunch’s original neon pink sprayed Technics 1200’s is in the old
Bristol Industrial Museum (http://mshed.org/) with
an exhibit about the on-going musical scene of that city.
The last in my latest Discogs
purge was FreQ Nasty’s Y4K “Next Level Breaks” comp on Distinct'ive Breaks (http://www.discogs.com/Various-Y4K-rarr-FreQ-Nasty-Next-Level-Breaks/release/81308).
The Y4K compilations were very hip at the time, but Distinct’ive closed their ‘breaks’ sublabel around 2007. Poignantly, there's actually still a card in here to go on the labels mailing list. I met the former Label Manager (whom was by then working outside the industry) in a pub in Shoreditch a short while later and he seemed rather shell shocked about how wrong things had gone.
Nu Skool breaks is a much maligned genre these days. Like Dubstep, it became a victim of its own success - the pioneers ground breaking releases becoming much copied by a huge of inferior international producers.
It's largely a fairly sedate selection considering some of the tear-out sets I've heard Freq Nasty do and I’ve already got a few of the tunes on here on original 12” releases, but really wanted the Aquasky vs. Master Blaster Remix of the perennial hardcore/jungle classic "Lord Of The Null Lines" by Hyper-On-Experience.
Freq Nasty now releases
similarly bass led but more hip-hop tempo material aimed at the Californian booty bass
scene. I keep listening to his new releases but am really not sure. He’s
recently done a bootleg mix of Avenged Sevenfold. Rock/dance crossovers are
very rarely done well. It’s no exception.
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