Music

Japanese ‘Solid Psyche’ mix CD in the Ninjashop

There are limited quantities of the Japanese exclusive mix CD, ‘Solid Psyche’ available in the Ninjashop right now. I did this as a freebie for independent stores alongside the domestic CD version of ‘The Search Engine’ for Japan. The tracks are all taken from Ninja, Big Dada, Counter & Brainfeeder releases and Ninja have a limited amount for sale so don’t hang around.

You might also notice a little digital release called ‘The Good Food Guide’ in the link too. This is a 23 track retrospective compilation spanning the DJ Food canon from 1990-2001, sort of a catch up for people jumping on at the new album.

Posted in DJ Food, Mixes/Solid Steel, Music, Ninja Tune. | 1 Comment |

A couple of reviews

Sometimes with a release, gig or event, there are reviews that stand out, where the person has delved a little deeper than the first impression or copied the press release. Here are two, one from someone who knows me (Inkymole – reviewing the planetarium album launch) and one from someone who doesn’t (Kris Needs via Data Transmission – reviewing the album). Also here are some photos by Emma Gutteridge of the foyer outside the planetarium during the launch, photography inside was difficult because of the darkness but I’ve just picked up film footage which I’ll be editing into a short next week.

With courtesy of the Royal Observatory Greenwich

Posted in DJ Food, Gigs, Music. | 3 Comments |

64 Bar Challenge on Ninja Tune

Out today (with artwork by Remi/Rough) is a tidy compilation of highlights from the Ninja Tune forum instigated 64 Bar Challenge entitled ‘Boundaries’. Started by Kovas a few years ago, the concept was to make a piece of music in any style for 64 bars at a predetermined tempo. Numerous producers, both professional and unreleased, took part across the six different challenges and the quality was remarkably high. I was approached to mix the sixth installment and helped forward the best of the bunch to Ninja for a possible release, and here it is!

Released today digitally, with the option of a vinyl pressing after a certain number is reached coming soon via Ninja’s new Beat Delete arm, it’s 20 tracks of largely instrumental electronica by producers from the US, Canada, Russia, Chile, Australia and all over Europe. Congratulations to all involved and respect to Kovas for pulling the whole thing together, here’s a little preview put together by Tom Central from the Keep Up! crew, followed by a mini DJ Moneyshot megamix of various tracks.

[youtube width=”640″ height=”480″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71HuMfCSVhw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

DJ Moneyshot – 64 Bar Challenge blendable by 64barmusic

Posted in Music, Ninja Tune. | No Comments |

Postcard records have arrived!!!

The 2 minute postcard records I’ve made specially for the Pure Evil Gallery opening on Jan 26th have arrived :) They are a thing of great beauty and I couldn’t be happier with them. 30 copies only and they will retail for £8 each at the show with any left over available from me direct via this site.


The fidelity isn’t going to win any awards but it’s better than some recent postcard records I’ve acquired and the track is an exclusive ‘discovery’ version of ‘In Orbit Every Monday’, only available here. If you want to make your own there’s more info on where to get these beauties made, and other sizes and formats too. Contact Kenneth Winkler: www.vinylpostcards.com/ or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Vinylpostcards

Posted in DJ Food, Music, Openmind designs, Records. | 3 Comments |

DJ Food vs The Amorphous Androgynous & 2CC

Just arrived, fresh from the Amorphous Androgynous (aka Future Sound of London) is a, frankly mind-melting, 17 minute remix of ‘The Illectrik Hoax’, a track from the album, featuring Natural Self on vocals. This has been in the pipeline for a while and they initially started work on a version of ‘GIANT’ but changed direction and so a three part Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble remix of the Hoax has been born. To say that they’ve thrown everything into it is an understatement, after a manic version of the original they proceed to tear it apart and reassemble fragments of it in two new versions.

Not only that but 2econd Class Citizen has also created what can only be described as an ambient acoustic version of the same track, completely different but brilliant in its simplicity. As soon as I heard it I realised it was perfect for the planetarium shows next week and it will get its premiere there. As to when these will be available and on what formats, I’ll get back to you on that but we’re looking at sometime in April.

Posted in DJ Food, Music, Ninja Tune. | 8 Comments |

365breaks with free Steinski download

Marcin Cichy from Skalpel and plug audio mastering had been running a project posting a break a day for the whole of 2011, to give loops for free to let producers sample and create with. As we’re on the last day of the year he has a very special treat for everyone – a downloadable track by Steinski, made from some of the breaks on the site.

All loops will be available to download in 2012 so go and check them out and grab your free Steinski track in the process.

Posted in Mixes/Solid Steel, Music. | No Comments |

Pepe Deluxé – Night & Day video

[youtube width=”640″ height=”380″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfYw9nxQdB8&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

I’ve been sitting on this for a few weeks now, completely nuts video to ‘Night & Day’, the first release from Pepe Deluxé‘s new album ‘Queen of the Wave’. The album comes out on Jan 30th via Catskills Records and they will be having a release party at the London aquarium on Jan 23rd with films, an album playback and your truly spinning some sea-themed tunes. The band’s website has a nice 8 page download about the making and history behind the record too.

Posted in Film, Music. | 2 Comments |

Where to buy ‘The Search Engine’ in Japan with extra CD

Just got word from Japan: The new album, complete with two bonus tracks and Solid Psyche Mix CD, is available at Tower Records branches and Qetic Store.

Tower branches that should have it are: Shibuya / Shinjuku / Akihabara / Ikebukuro / Sapporo Pivot / Yokohama More’s / Nagoya Parco / Nagoya Kintetsu Passe / Umeda Osaka Maru building / Namba / Umeda NU Chaya / Kobe / Kyoto / Hiroshima / Fukushima and also online at Tower on a first come first served basis.

Posted in DJ Food, Music, Ninja Tune. | No Comments |

‘The Search Engine’ is out! … in Japan


The album is out in Japan, as of Dec 3rd actually, the reason for an early release is to do with trying to encourage people to buy domestic products rather than imports (which aren’t as expensive in comparison to over here). It’s formatted for a jewel case and some of the artwork is different as well as the inclusion of two bonus tracks – ‘Beast of Prey’ (an instrumental of ‘Prey’) and ‘All Covered in Darkness pt.2′. The latter track is a new version and this will be the only place to get either of these on a physical release, with ‘Beast of Prey’ unavailable anywhere else.

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The great tradition of ‘bonus tracks for Japan’ is another incentive for people to buy western product in the east and copies usually make their way back west at hugely inflated prices. I checked Tower and HMV in Japan and both had the CD for sale, also someone tipped me off that Google Chrome will translate the pages into any language of your choice if you use that browser. Selected independent stores should have a free ‘Solid Psyche’ mix CD bundled with the album as another incentive to buy which I’ve tinkered with and added to from the mix I did late last year for Solid Steel.

Posted in DJ Food, Music, Ninja Tune. | 7 Comments |

Loka – ‘Passing Place’ album out now

I saw this shower the other night at the 100 Club (just joking – they’re a lovely bunch of people), amazing performance and this is an amazing album, just released on Ninja Tune. I never thought I’d hear a brass band mix so well with jazz, rock, female vocals and radiophonic-esque electronics, but it does.

Also the whole album was mixed by Thighspaulsandra, known for his work with Julian Cope and Coil among others and it sounds gorgeous. Having remixed the track ‘As The Tower Falls’ for Loka’s digital Temporary External single, I can tell he had his work cut out for him and this is one band that likes to use a lot of parts in an arrangement. Check out the beauty of the 12 tracks over at the Ninja shop. Even though I was lucky enough to hear most of this last year the album easily makes my top 10 albums of 2011.

Posted in Music, Ninja Tune. | 4 Comments |