Your dedicated blogger on his suicide mission to entertain his audience
So this is it. A year ago I wrote my first post and this will be the last. What started out as a way of writing about and promoting my own music evolved into an electro/hip hop historiography of sorts, with stories and genealogies about the pivotal year of 1982. And even more surprising, I found myself writing about new releases and artists at least half the time. So what is electro's state of health? Despite the continued popularity of retro-minded 80s electronica (La Roux, Annie, Sally Shapiro, Little Boots, Zoot Woman, Cold Cave, ...), real electro music has still failed to be noticed by the general public this year. And though this is pretty much the only blog covering this kind of music, I'm still just getting a handful of views.
But I don't want to end this on a purely negative note. Despite the lack of mainstream recognition, 2009 has been an excellent year for electro. Here's a very subjective (and incomplete) recap: - Freestyle made a comeback (the group, that is ... the genre has always been around ... kind of). - The Egyptian Lover has been active doing some collaborations and releasing his strongest material in years (Freestyle, Debonaire, Jamie Jones). - Some other pioneering artists that have reared their heads again: Newcleus, Donald D, MC Chill, Debonaire, Scratch D, John Robie, Mele Mel, Mic Murphy ... - The legendary Street Sounds label is back and has already released 2 volumes of the "Nu Electro" series. - Randy Barracuda and a bunch of other Scandinavians made a lot of noise (lit. and fig.) and put the sound of Skweee on the map. - Dâm-Funk took everybody by surprise with his massive Toeachizown release. - Dominance Electricity's "Global Surveyor III" compilation just came out before christmas.
I'll just leave you with my favorite tune of 2009 - may the funk be with you!
Kraftwerk have announced the release of an 8 cd box set comprising their works from 1974 - 2003. The release was already planned for 2004, however it was postponed at the last minute. The new date is set for October 5th. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Included will be (digitally remastered, expanded artwork and whatnot):
Autobahn (1974) Radio-Activity (1975) Trans-Europe Express (1977) The Man-Machine (1978) Computer World (1981) Electric Café (1986) The Mix (1991) Tour de France Soundtracks (2003)
Apparently there is also going to be a vinyl release of this.
And speaking of Kraftwerk, here's a completely unrelated video by Chicago rapper GLC. It's easily forgettable if it weren't for the first 35 seconds where Bun B of UGK makes a short introduction - check out the shirt he is wearing. Not too bad ...
Scratch D of Dynamix II vs. John Robie - They're coming
Electro bass pioneers Dynamix II (or rather, one half of Dynamix II) have teamed up with electro funk legend John Robie to create 3 mixes of a new tune "They're coming". Dynamix II are probably most known for their seminal "Just give the DJ a break" and can be credited as being one of the first groups to transform the traditional rap-based Miami bass sound into the new school: creating a dark and sparse version of electro bass, with extra low end, copious amounts of vocoderized vocals and even a hint of breaks influence.
I've always thought it's ironic that this tune which so perfectly embodies their heavy and sinister style is based on an early 80s New Wave song: The main break was sampled from Visage's "Pleasure Boys":
Keyboard wizard John Robie was the mastermind behind the earliest electro records. Together with producer Arthur Baker he created Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock", "Looking for the Perfect Beat", Planet Patrol's "Play at your own risk" and was also responsible for some of the earliest Freestyle records. It's no overstatement to say that he was the main force that defined the music and the sound of electro, and by that created a blueprint that artists are still copying today.
What really set him and those early electro tracks apart was the fact that he was a musician. That was a rare occasion in early 80s hip hop where the focus was usually on the beat, and the compositions were crude and raw (not that there was anything wrong with that). A similar constellation can be found in contemporary electro. My biggest qualm with a lot of new school electro is its lack of musicianship. Most artists are beatmakers - and it shows: Sometimes you're left wondering if they are going for that reduced and minimal sound on purpose or if it's due to their limited abilites. So it's a welcome surprise to hear some artistry in electro music again.
UPDATE 08/24: I just got the news that this is not even supposed to be released yet. Please check back - I will write a more detailed review as soon as the final versions hit the stores.
I have to be honest: When I started this blog a few months ago, I thought I'd write about Electro music from the safe distance of the historicist who confidently disposes of his material, mapping out a clearly defined terrain. Somehow things didn't pan out that way, and more and more I am finding myself surprised by current events. It seems like the material itself is resisting the historian's totalizing grasp, insisting that it does not want to simply pass away (and that it actually never has). I like that.
Today saw the release of Freestyle's new EP "Invade the Party". Freestyle and their producer Pretty Tony were responsible for putting Miami on the map of electro music in the 80s, releasing genre-defining masterworks like "Don't stop the Rock" or "The Party's just begun". In addition to introducing the latin tinge of their native Miami into electro, they were most famous for their extensive and virtuoso use of the vocoder.
Freestyle are no longer working with Pretty Tony; instead they have teamed up with producer Debonaire who himself has left a mark on the world as a pioneer of Miami Bass music and who has also been in the business for a good twenty years now. The results of the cooperation are sounding very familiar – which is a great relief (if you have heard Pretty Tony's latest works, you'll know what I mean). "Invade the party" could have been Freestyle ca. 1986 ... well, only it is not as good as their classic material and the hooks are not on par with Freestyle's early hits.
But this would be an unfair comparison, and "Invade the party" is a good song after all. Debonaire is a true master of his craft, channeling enough Pretty Tony moments to satisfy old timers and invoke lots of early 80s flashbacks. There are the wonderful 808 tom-tom rolls from "Don't stop the Rock" (I'm a sucker for those), the congas, the floating bass sound and of course the sweet sweet vocoder. He injects just enough of his own trademark style to make it sound modern, resulting in a very balanced and rich production featuring lush – but never distracting – amounts of bass, some edits and the crystal clear sound of modern Miami. Again, he is channelling enough Debonaire moments to satisfy old timers – just listen to the carefully tuned 808 cowbells reminiscent of his classic Tricky D joint "Take it to the Max".
"Invade the party" is successfully fusing the melodic, funky and warm retro side of Freestyle with Debonaire's own, more technoid, dark and reduced sound. And it is an ironic twist that it might just be this modern aspect of the sound that is negating the tune's pop / crossover potential. In that respect, the virtual B-side comes as a great surprise.
"All these girls" featuring a guest appearance by the Egyptian Lover is a reinterpretation of Newcleus' "Computer Age" into a very modern and very catchy pop rap / r&b tune. You could argue that if "Invade the Party" mimicks a style, "All these girls" must be even more derivative cause it emulates a particular song – but you would be so wrong. The genius of Newcleus works as a catalyst that brings out the best potential in any of the elements, and suddenly everything falls into place. Is this the harbinger of a new style that can hold its own against the minimal electro productions that have dominated the r&b and pop world for the past years? Well, at the very least it is catchy as hell. And I'd argue it's the Egyptian Lover's best tune to date.
Oh yeah, catch the Manu-Dibango-via-Michael-Jackson reference? They must have said to themselves, "If Rihanna can do it, we can too (and better)". Indeed: Mamase Mamasa Mamamakossa!
I just finished the sequel of my last post about Trans Europe Express - it can be found on the T.R.O.Y. blog. I will repost it over here in a few days, but for the time being: click here.
Soul Jazz just put out an amazing compilation titled "Fly Girls! B-Boys Beware: The Revenge of the Super Female Rappers". There's a lot of classic material on it, plus some newer (read: 90s) stuff that I haven't heard yet:
JJ Fad — Ya Goin' Down* Princess MC — Pump Up The Funk Tanya Winley — Vicious Rap Sweet Tee — I Got Da Feelin'* Nikki Giovanni — Ego Tripping MC Lyte — Cha Cha Cha Two Sisters — B-Boys Beware Cookie Crew — Secrets of Success Sequence — Simon Says* Bahamadia — Paper Thin Sparky D — I Can't Stop Queen Latifah Featuring Monie Love — Ladies First Lady B — To The Beat Y'All Camille Yarbrough — Take Yo' Praise Missy Elliot — The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)* Dimples D — Sucker DJ She Rockers — Give It A Rest Sarah Webster Fabio — Glimpses The Kryptic Krew featuring Tina B — Jazzy Sensation* Roxanne Shanté — Bite This
While you're waiting for the LPs or CDs to arrive you can pass the time with a little compilation I put together for you. This is by no means a competing effort ... I just threw in a few of my favorite female fronted hip hop tunes that I felt were missing on the Soul Jazz album. Enjoy!
01. L'Trimm - Cars with the Boom 02. JJ Fad - Supersonic 03. Anquette - Shake it, do the 61st 04. Bonnie & Clyde feat. Terminator X - Homey don't play dat * 05. Roxanne Shanté - Roxanne's Revenge 06. The Real Roxanne feat. Hitman Howie Tee - Bang Zoom 07. MC Lyte - Lyte as a Rock 08. Leonie J & Sweet Tee feat. Davy DMX - The DMX will rock * 09. Sexy Lady feat. MC Chief - Beef Box * 10. Chilltown - Rock the Beat 11. Sha Rock, Lisa Lee & Debbie Dee - Us Girls * 12. Menusha & the Girls - You Boys (Can Boogie Too)
(* Some names might appear in an unorthodox order ... nevermind, it's the same song)
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