The Comet Is Coming

Absolutely loving this new signing on the Leaf label (second mention of them this week? must be doing something right). I played ‘Neon Baby’ out in Pisa last night and it tore the place up. Definite shades of other Leaf signing Melt Yourself Down and that’s only a good thing in my book, bet they’re all over festivals next summer.

TCICcoverTheir debut EP , ‘Prophecy’, is up for pre-order now – out next week – and they support Squarepusher alongside 808 State and Metalheadz at the Troxy in a couple of weeks as well as a solo gig at The Shacklewell Arms the day after. Who wouldn’t want to hear a trio named Danalogue The Conqueror, Betamax Killer and King Shabaka?

TCICband

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Flexibition #41: MAD magazine flexi’s and soundcards

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Mad magazine should need no introduction, its mascot, Alfred E. Newman (above: What – Me Worry?), has grinned greasily from its covers for decades now as the mag debuted in the early 1950s. They issued Specials which reprinted the best bits of the monthly mags and would contain posters, cards and sometimes sound sheets too, first on card and later on more traditional flexible plastic. Here are my collection, comprising over half the discs I’ve been able to find info on. My favourite has always been the one above with the strategically placed spindle hole where Alfred’s missing tooth is. The gags are of their time and some have dated better than others with the ‘It’s A Gas’ song probably best known among stoner or garage rock circles.

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Some VERY of-its-time language on this one

‘Meet The Staff of MAD’ was the first sound sheet to be issued by the magazine, way back in 1959!

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‘It’s a Gas’ was an early sound sheet, free with the magazine in the mid 1960s and also available on a regular 45 with a picture sleeves.

The Foo Fighters issued a flexi pressed onto card in 2014 that aped the layout of the MAD flexis above…FooFightersFlexi
And here are some that I don’t have: The MAD Disco flexi had six songs on it – including a Disco version of ‘It’s A Gas’ – professionally played to perfectly ape the genre’s sound, unfortunately it was released in 1980, years after Disco’s peak.

‘Makin’Out’ is also late 70s, listen for the Star Wars and The Muppets references and pulsing Disco groove.

“It’s a Super-Spectacular Day” aka ‘The Mad Mystery Sound’ was included in a Summer 1980 issue of MAD magazine. The song has eight different unpleasant endings depending on where you drop the needle. You didn’t know which of the eight endings you’d hear when you played the song. MAD indeed.

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45 Live Radio Show on Dublab.com starts Nov 2015

45 Live Radio ShowWe’re excited to announce a brand new radio show broadcasting live out of Los Angeles CA, on Friday 6th November, 8pm US PST (4am UK GMT) on the legendary Dublab.com featuring the entire 45 Live Crew!

‘The 45 Live Radio Show’ will be on air bi-monthly which will fall on the first and third Friday of each month. Your host will be soul, funk & gospel connoisseur DJ Greg Belson, and it’ll feature a guest on a rotational basis from the 45 Live elite (full roster here if you want to know who will be featured).

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20 Years today since the 1st Ninja Tune party at the Blue Note

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Yes, that’s what it says on the flyer above. 20 years ago today Ninja Tune held a launch party for the DJ Food album ‘A Recipe For Disaster’ at a small club called The Blue Note in a little known part of London called Shoreditch. Metalheadz hosted a club there every Sunday and a few others had done nights there at the time but such was the success of this one-off it was decided that the label should make it regular. Two months later ‘Stealth’ was born and Ninja became the second label to host a regularly monthly night at the club which, it’s no exaggeration to say, brought people to Shoreditch and spearheaded the interest and popularity of the area as we know it today.

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The Space Merchants

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The Space Merchants (London) run a monthly film night in East London showing classic Sci-Fi (the more out there and dystopian the better) whilst also operating an online book store and posting related items on their Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter.

The next date is October 19th where they’ll be showing the early 80s Christopher Walken-starring Brainstorm. They design a new poster for each event and sell prints at the showing or online, below are some of my favourites and give you a flavour for what they’re about.

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303OClock twitter takeover

This weekend just gone I guested on @303OClock‘s twitter feed with a selection of my favourite Acid tracks. The twitter account posts two Acid tracks a day, at 3.03 am and pm, with weekends given over to guest curators. Couldn’t be simpler – give them a follow if you fancy some Acid, twice-daily. Here are my three picks:

DJ Food – Guest Pick 1. Paul Rutherford – ‘Get Real’ (Hardcore). A recent discovery, a 9.5 min unlabelled 3rd 12″ promo remix. Check the run out groove matrix no’s. (NB: this was produced by ABC back in 1988!)

DJ Food – Guest Pick 2. Sulphuric – The Acid Chamber. Kris Needs & Pete Smith – the B side of their only 12″ on Bandulu‘s Infonet label. Absolute killer of a tune

DJ Food – Guest Pick 3. Aphex Twin – Green Calx. Beautiful, classic Richard D James with a 303 sound that I can only describe as ‘dripping’ at the start.

… guests are also invited to choose one of their own tracks:

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Dan Lish & The Universal Zulu Nation Anniversary

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Above: 4 Hero & Goldie (Top) / Eric B & Rakim
It’s been a while since I’ve featured Dan’s work but there’s reason to look at it again to play a bit of catch up and to point out that you will be able to see some of these in the flesh at The Universal Zulu Nation Anniversary – OPENING NIGHT in London on November 6th.
Below: Public Enemy & the S1Ws (colour & B&W) / Robert Glasper & Dilla (colour) / Biggie / Gil Scott Heron / Jay Z / Grandmixer D St. & Herbie Hancock / Ultramagnetic MCs.

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Kim Jung Gi

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UPDATE: The three images above seem to be the finished item, when I first posted these they were a work in progress (see below).
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These incredible Star Wars re-imaginings have been doing the rounds on the web this weekend after a live drawing event with Kim Jung Gi. His eastern versions of the Star Wars galaxy are just mind-blowing as are his astronauts which I’ve joined together from details posted on Instagram. Check out his work, it’s all incredible.

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Radioland: Radio-Activity Revisited by Matthew Bourne

Radioland Earlier this year I headed to Village Underground to experience Radioland‘s Radio-Activity Revisited gig, accompanied by Matt Johnson. The trio of Matthew Bourne, Franck Vigroux and visual artist Antoine Schmitt were reinterpreting Kraftwerk‘s classic album in a mix of stark analogue electronics and monochrome graphics. From the previews I’d seen online I was really looking forward to it and, drinks in hand, we congregated near the front of the crowd awaiting the performance.

The sound that greeted us was so loud that after one number I suggested to an equally uncomfortable Matt that maybe we should move further back. By the end of the second number we were right at the back of the room and bumped in Leaf label boss Tony Morley who had seen them perform the night before and cleverly invested in some ear plugs for the occasion. As the volume seemed to increase with each track we decided to make an early exit which is why I’m relieved to see that Leaf are now releasing an album of the rework so that I can finally hear the full thing in the comfort of my own home with the volume level set to ‘wuss’.

Available on LP, CD in 20pg hardback book or DL, with sleeve notes by David Stubbs, no earplugs needed.

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Flexibition #40: The Psychedelic Furs’ playable record sleeve

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I’ve been after one of these for a while and a copy turned up earlier this month in a South London market. The sleeve to the Psychedelic Furs’ Dumb Waiters single had what’s known as a ‘Polish Postcard’ cover. I’ll be covering these in a forthcoming post but It’s a slight cheat as the grooves aren’t stamped in the cardboard, it’s more a clear disc stuck on top of the card sleeve with the all-important spindle hole through the centre. The cover contains a sampler of their then current album, Talk Talk Talk and the back of the sleeve states: “Watch for the new album TALK TALK TALK (CBS 84892) and hear it on this sleeve at 33 r.p.m.”. Flex40_PsychFurs7discFlex40_PsychFurs7back

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Weekend Finds: Sci-Fi Paperbacks 3

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I was lucky enough to find time for a bookstore binge last weekend in Plymouth at the excellent Book Cupboard shop which yielded some Richard Powers and vintage Josh Kirby covers (ie: pre-Pratchett) and more.RPowrsx3.3 RPowrsx3.2 RPowrsx3.1 RPowrsx2.5 unknown+RPowersJosh Kirbyx3
Above: Richard M. Powers / Josh Kirby (bottom row only). Some of these were part of another batch of books that Stuart McLean aka Frenchbloke sourced for me from his local bookstore in Scotland. He very kindly went through multiple boxes and photographed a ton for me to pick through and reserve at The Book Shop, Wigtown. Massive thanks to Stuart who’s just completed his annual 48 hr radio marathon, The Dark Outside. Check out similar treats in his Stolen Library project too for free books and records.

I’m not exactly sure who the artists are on the books below except for The Cosmic Eye cover which is by Mike Hinge, but thought they looked interesting. If anyone has similar book stores in their town then please let me know so I can hit them up if and when I visit please.
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Black Channels – Two Knocks For Yes release and live event

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Simon James (Black Channels/The Simonsound) will be performing Two Knocks For Yes at Saint Andrews Church, Waterloo St. Brighton (UK) on the 23rd of October. Shrouded in secrecy, Two Knocks For Yes will incorporate talks, music, theatre and photography. Get tickets here.

You may remember me posting the Two Knocks For Yes mix last Halloween, now the “Radiophonic investigation into the poltergeist phenomenon gets a limited cassette release on Castles in Space, just in time for Halloween. The Buchla 200e Electric Music Box is used to haunting effect providing otherworldly tones, presences and vibrations. The B side features instrumental incidentals for ghost stories. Available mid October. Pre-order here.”

2 knocks cassette

 

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DJ Food featured in the PHONO+GRAPHIC exhibition, Kendal

Food_Flintx4My last album cover (The Search Engine, 4-panel vinyl edition) that I collaborated on with Henry Flint is the first cover you see in an exhibition of record sleeves by comic artists entitled PHONO+GRAPHIC, curated by artist Sean Phillips.

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This is a bit of a dream come true for me, to be one of 60 sleeves displayed alongside artists like Brian Bolland, Dave Gibbons, Brett Ewins, Hunt Emerson and Moebius!

IMG_2004 It opens next week at the Kendal Museum and will be on until the 20th October, including the weekend of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Many thanks to Sean for selecting the cover completely unbeknownst to me until he’d announced the exhibit and framing it so nicely.

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Photos taken from Sean’s blog and here’s more info

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Divine Styler ‘Def Mask remixed’ and more…

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As if I’ve not been banging on about Divine Styler and Gamma Proforma enough this year, here’s another reason but this time I’m involved in the release. I was asked to remix a track from his last album, Def Mask and chose ‘Pandorum’ which will sit alongside other guests like EVAC (Touchin Bass), Mophono (Liquid Amber), GFQ, Audiosyncracy, Monkphat, Co-Pilot, Auxilary Phoenix, Third Shock & Methodblack. It’s due out Jan 2016 but you can pre-order it here and comes with a Will Barras cover and print. Here’s a preview


Another upcoming Gamma event sounds very promising, this was tweeted today…
“10th Dec 2015, London. Rammellzee – Cosmic Flush Exhibition Ft. Futura, Doze Green, Delta, Ian Kuali’i and more.” Make a note in the diary.
Also don’t forget the 4th part of the 7-release Rammellzee Cosmic Flush album is available to order here featuring a Doze Green cover and a remix from Edan.
Doze Green Ramm 12"

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One week Kid Acne exhibition in Shoreditch Boxpark

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Kid Acne delves into his archives for a week-long exhibition at Unit 26 of the Boxpark in Shoreditch this week. For opening times please check the BOXPARK website + join them on October 1st from 6 – 9pm for #FirstThursdays + beer, music, animation and art.
Also out now is a Ltd. Edition 10″ six track EP from Mongrels (Kid Acne & Benjamin). The sleeve is screen-printed by Edna and all 300 copies have been signed, stamped and numbered on the back plus each record comes with a vinyl sticker and lithograph insert. BUY IT here and see the sleeve being made below:

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Star Wars Secret Cinema

Secret Cinema X-WingThe veil of secrecy has been lifted and The Empire defeated. Lots of great photos are appearing on the Secret Cinema Facebook page from their Star Wars event now that its run is over. Above is Mike Massaro‘s amazing photo of a life-size X-Wing Fighter, complete with pilot, zooming down the trench to obliterate the Death Star. This recreation of the end of the original Star Wars takes place before the film screening, perfectly setting everyone up for viewing The Empire Strikes Back.

DeathStar plansI played around 15 shows for them this summer, from party sets in the main Death Star room (pictured above) to electro funk mixes in the Mess Hall clad in full, film-accurate Stormtrooper gear to African-flavoured selections in the Cantina bar dressed as a Rebel pilot.

secretcinema_3-1024x684After ‘leaving Earth’ and landing on Tatooine guests are guided through Mos Eisley‘s spaceport, complete with houses, market traders, rogue Jawas, Stormtroopers and a Cantina bar. Boba Fett roams around as do many of the characters from the film, all playing out scenes from Episode IV (an excellent recreation of ‘these are not the droids you’re looking for’ was re-enacted complete with full scale Landspeeder).

Landspeeder11026297_10153016065281053_5590223954546011755_n11880375_10153017546341053_4899257124730386281_nRebels are then smuggled ‘off world’ in a shuttle which is captured, sucked into the Death Star by tractor beam and boarded by Stormtroopers. Those who manage to escape can visit the Mess Hall bar area, explore various rooms and corridors and experience recreations of keys scenes from A New Hope before the big climax mentioned above.

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After the film people congregate back at the Cantina, drinking Jawa Juice or trying a Termal Detonator cocktail, dance with aliens or wander the spaceport and explore. Photos above are mostly taken from the official Secret Cinema archive, taken by Hanson Leatherby (Luke in X-Wing), Will Cooper (blue Stormtrooper), Paul Cochrane (Cantina), Mike Massaro (X-Wing, Imperial Commander on shuttle).

It was one of the most exciting and memorable events I’ve ever been invited to be a part of. Everyone involved should be congratulated as the attention to detail was second to none, it was like being in the film at times. I attended with friends and family twice as a punter and each time was different, we experienced so many things at each one that they could have been alternate universes. Equally I heard tales from friends that went who interacted with characters I never knew were even part of it despite exploring the site many times.

DJ Moneyshot has posted one of his mixes from the Mess Hall area here, a superb blend of electro & digital funk.

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