Records

Three helpings of DJ Food for Record Store Day 2014

As readers of this blog will know, I’ve been lucky enough to have records release on Record Store Day for the last two years and 2014 will be no exception. The difference will be that I’ll be involved in three different releases this year with only two of them being on vinyl.

Firstly there will some new music from me in the form of a remix I’ve done for The Amorphous Androgynous called ‘Tunnel Sequence’ from their spy-funk psychesploitation albums, ‘The Cartel’.

The two CDs are getting the remix treatment in vinyl form on April 19th in a nice reciprocal gesture as it was they who remixed me for my first RSD release back in 2012.

Secondly, more music but you might know this one. My version of The The‘s ‘GIANT’ with vocals by Matt Johnson himself is the only track from 2012’s ‘The Search Engine’ not to be released on vinyl (last year’s quadruple LP version only had the instrumental).

Now my version has been paired with the original on what’s being billed as the ‘GIANT2FACED12INCH’ – a double A-sided release via Sony. Not only do I provide music but I’ve also designed one side of the sleeve which is paired up with an original Andy Dog painting for the cover, see a preview above for the origin of the ‘2-faced’ title.

Thirdly, the non-musical release will be the Dust & Grooves book by Eilon Paz which I’m both featured in photographically and in the guise of writer/interviewer for a huge article about Four Tet‘s collecting habits. ‘Adventures In Record Collecting’ has been on-going for some years now and I got involved about 11 months ago when Eilon visited my studio for a mammoth photo session and Q&A which will see the light of day on his site at some stage.

There’s a strong Ninja Tune presence in the book with an interview with The Gaslamp Killer, photos of Ollie Teeba from The Herbaliser/Soundsci and Mr Scruff who actually makes the cover photo, (I also did an extensive interview with Scruff which didn’t make the deadline, maybe next time).

By a weird coincidence one of the photos shows me doing a sleeve face pose with the very same The The sleeve that features on the ‘GIANT’ 12″ cover, and by the same I mean, the very same. When Matt was putting together the sleeve for ‘GIANT’ he wanted to use the US version of the ‘Soul Mining’ LP sleeve but didn’t have a copy himself so I scanned my copy, the same one in the photo in Eilon’s book.

All three of these releases are a very big deal for me, being asked to contribute to releases by FSOL and The The, two of my all time favourite groups, is pretty special. Being involved in just a small part of Eilon’s book plus the on-going work we’ll be doing after it’s published is new and exciting too, I’ve seen the layouts of the book and it’s stunning.

Posted in Books, DJ Food, Openmind designs, Records. | 16 Comments |

Joe Mansfield’s Beat Box Book special edition

I’m featuring this again because I just got the special (Record Store Day 2013) edition and it’s one of the nicest packages I’ve seen in a while. A heavyweight slipcase to house the sumptuous book of drum machine photos which really aren’t done justice on a blog here as they are gorgeous up close in richly printed colour – see more of the inside in my previous post.

But this is all about what’s with the book – namely a cassette and 7″ record housed in the front of the slipcase. The 7″ features a version of the Beasties Boys‘ ‘Paul Revere’ remade on the 808 drum machine on side A and the same beat played the original way (ie not reversed) on the flip. In a nice touch, the B side plays from the label outwards towards the edge, backwards rather than forwards. The cassette has samples on it but I can’t listen to then right now as my tape deck broke about a year back. All are done out in the black and white schematic that adorns some of the book, adding to the fitting design aesthetic of the package.

 

Another nice touch is the inner sleeve for the 45 which opens to reveal a painting of an 808 on one side, and in a nod to the Beasties’ ‘Licensed To Ill’ LP, shows it crunching into a mountainside on the reverse. I’ve placed the two sides together here so you can see how the full image should look as the artist has nicely matched the original style.

You can still pick this version up from Rap & Soul Mail Order in the UK for £50 and it’s worth every penny.

Posted in Books, Design, Packaging, Records. | No Comments |

Dust & Grooves Book out RSD 2014

I’m pretty thrilled to see this book, by photographer Eilon Paz, make its way out into the world. If you’re not familiar with his Dust & Grooves site and you’re a vinyl collector then it’s a must. Not only am I featured in it as a collector (a full photo feature, interview and mix will be online some day after the book is done) but I also contributed to the text by interviewing Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet for a chapter of it. Here’s the blurb for the book:

“Eilon Paz’s 416-page coffee-table book illuminates over 130 vinyl collectors and their collections in the most intimate of environments—their record rooms. With a foreword by the RZA, compelling photographic essays are paired with in-depth interviews to illustrate what motivates record collectors to keep digging for more records.

Readers get an up close and personal look at a variety of well-known vinyl champions as well as a glimpse into the collections of known and unknown DJs, producers, record dealers, and everyday enthusiasts. The book is divided into two main parts: the first features 250 full-page photos framed by captions and select quotes, while the second consists of 12 full-length interviews that delve deeper into collectors’ personal histories and vinyl troves.”

US Street Date: Record Store Day, April 19, 2014
Worldwide Street Date: Saturday, May 10, 2014

Posted in Books, Photography, Records. | No Comments |

Sculpture ‘Plastic Infinite’ 7″ picture disc

Now available – a new release by Sculpture on a 7″ picture disc with zoetropic tendancies – BUY HERE NOW –  View with strobe 25 flashes per second or video camera 25fps, very high shutter speed, progressive.
Includes immediate download of 2-track album in the high-quality format of your choice (MP3, FLAC, and more), plus unlimited mobile access using the free Bandcamp listening app. It’s their best yet and the video below shows just how detailed and beautiful the disc can be when filmed spinning.

Posted in Design, Music, Records. | 2 Comments |

Frankie Goes To Hollywood ‘Relax’ 30th Anniversary 12″

Out on Feb 14th, 2014 – 30 years after the record was banned by the BBC and still sitting at No.1 in the charts – yet another version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood‘s notorious ‘Relax’.

This time it’s ‘The Sex Mix’ (Edition 3) – formerly known as ‘Sex Mix Edit’, a hitherto undiscovered mix that first surfaced on a Japanese compilation called ‘Return To The Pleasuredome’ a few years ago. The original ‘Sex Mix Edit’ (or Edition 2) is a little known 8 minute odd edit of the  original 16 minute ‘Sex Mix’ that came and went (pun intended) in late ’83 before being replaced by a 7.20 minute ‘US Remix / New York Night mix’ which many consider as the definitive 12″ of ‘Relax’.

This new mix (Edition 3) had been created by Trevor Horn session man and renown percussionist Luis Jardim in December ’84 – who knows what for? It was then filed away, forgotten, later mislabeled and then extracted over 25 years later to end up on a compilation on the other side of the world. Hardcore fans from The Alternate ZTT Board soon spotted the difference and this sent the reissue curator, Ian Peel, back into the ZTT archives to search for more info and tapes that would lead to this previously unheard remix being given a proper vinyl release nearly 30 years after it was created.

Confused? This isn’t even half the ‘Relax’ mix story but I’ll save that for another time. Here, the original XLZTT artwork and Anne Yvonne Gilbert illustration have been tweaked by Element Series designer Philip Marshall to mirror the colour scheme for the 2012 Frankie rarities compilation, ‘Sex Mix’. The tracklist is: A. Relax ‘Sex Mix’ (Edition 3) B1. Ferry Cross the Mersey B2. Relax ‘The Instrumental’. You can pre-order it from Amazon here


Posted in Design, Music, Records. | 1 Comment |

Art of ZTT updates

My other site – Art of ZTT – is finally getting some updates after I’d let it languish all summer. It’s a design blog showcasing the design work of XL and the work they and assorted photographers did for the Zang Tuum Tumb label which was a huge influence on me in my teens. The label is 30 years old this year and putting out several compilations in early 2014 with rarities and wonders from their archive.

Yesterday I went to see photographer John Stoddart who shot Frankie Goes To Hollywood before and after they were famous and an interview with him will be online soon. Recently put up is an interview with Yvonne Gilbert, the artist responsible for the iconic two bodies image on the sleeve of ‘Relax’. I’m working my way through their releases, semi-chronologically so next year will be a big one.

Posted in Art, Design, Records. | 1 Comment |

Dark Seed ‘Nocturnes’ 12″ + poster

If you didn’t know better you’d swear this was on original old sci-fi B Movie soundtrack that had been long forgotten, a Logan’s Run or Space 1999 cash-in from the late 70’s or early 80’s. But it’s not, although I’m sure that was the intent, and the design by Luke Insect for his new Dark Seed collaborative project with Richard Norris, is spot on in nailing the tone.

I’ve already featured this cover a few months back but the whole package is great from the reverse side to the Ohmega logo to the nice detail of the centre hole for the head on the label. Dark Seed was the name of an old sci-fi / horror computer game which used elements by HR Giger in its design by the way and this sleeve reflects that perfectly with a touch of Beyond The Black Rainbow thrown in for good measure.

To top it all off it comes with an A2 foldout poster (complete with crease lines already printed on) and the minimal electronic ‘score’ ain’t bad either. One of my sleeves of the year for sure. You can get a copy here as well as all good digital distributors (NOT to be confused with Metal band Darkseed)

Posted in Design, Poster / flyer, Records. | No Comments |

Machine Drum ‘Vapor City’ artwork

The whole design and packaging of Machine Drum‘s ‘Vapor City’ LP and satellite singles is really building into a nice collection. Designed by Dominic Flannigan & Eclair Fifi for LuckyMe Arts it’s nice to see such meticulous detail in a time of thumbnail images that need to be easily identifiable. I hope this makes end of year lists on the artwork alone as the combination of minimal colours, copper and splatter vinyl really give it a unique feel.

Posted in Design, Ninja Tune, Records. | No Comments |

45 adaptor Xmas cards from Factory Road

OK, I’m unequivocally biased because they are friends of mine but – damn – if these Factory Road 45 adaptor designs aren’t the best Xmas cards you’ll see all year then I don’t know what are. They’ve upped the ante in 2013 with new recruit Graham Robson‘s ‘Wizard’ design with a crown of dinks.

For those of you who don’t know what these little plastic wonders are, they’re adaptors for 7″ records with large cut out centers that would have gone into jukeboxes and are a part of vinyl history. Order them HERE – QUICK!

Posted in Design, Records. | No Comments |

DJ Format & Phill Most Chill LP test pressings by Mr Krum

Check out these DJ Format & Phill Most Chill ‘The Foremost’ Test Pressing versions by Mr Krum. Sold blind in an edition of just 25 to members of the DWG board a few months ago – no one knew what they were going to look like and those who took a chance are reaping the reward now.

25 hand-crafted sleeves were made with recycled, organically-aged jackets, paste-on info sheets and unique hand written comments/markings. All copies were individually number stamped and placed inside vintage ‘rope-seamed’ PVC sleeves.

Sadly these are all sold out now but the good news is that the regular LP isn’t and has an even doper sleeve, again by Mr Krum whose Facebook page these photos come from (check his other work too!). The LP is a classic in every sense, the sound, the look and the very spirit of it stake their claim as soon as the needle hits the groove. Buy it here.

Posted in Design, Records. | No Comments |

Ghost Box Study Series no.10

The final Ghost Box Study Series 7″ arrived this week and it’s a great one to close the 10 part set with, one of my favourites in fact. The sound definitely harks back to earlier GB releases with the nostalgic sound of summer, spoken female vocals and found sounds. Belbury Poly is joined by Spacedog (new to me) for two tracks wrapped in the usual, minimalist sleeve from Julian House. Nice to have the whole series at last.

As one ends, another begins, over at Finder’s Keepers they’ve launched a 10 disc Finder’s Kreepers subscription series –  which I’ve just seen is sold out already! They’ve also reactivated their Disposable Music series for a second run of 5 LPs which is still available as well as a whole raft of new releases and an overhauled website.

 

Posted in Records. | No Comments |