Bad Tango's Analogue Hedgehog, Flithy Peasant and Disco Steve

Helloo - Katty here - finally got around to writing a music blog thanks to Peachi & co.! Looking forward to sharing my favourite artists' music with you - new and old- so be it breaks, filth, full on psytrance, dubby dub dub or mash potato, I'll do my best to give you a tasty selection of the chunkiest funkiest beats out there :D

First up: my favourite psy-breaks artist of the moment, who has literally burst onto the scene within the last few months with his astoundingly astute production skillz and scintillatingly spiky sound. Monsieur Will Railton aka BAD TANGO is only 22, but has already created a most excellent reputation: since smashing up the dancefloor at gigs such as Waveform festival 2010, Mr Tango's crafty creations are sure to be snapped up by record labels and DJs alike as he continues to produce top drawer choons.

Here's his phatty phatty remix of Big Mistake's hit 'Paradigma':

Big Mistake - "Paradigma" (Bad Tango Remix) [Out now on Juno] by Bad Tango

And one of my personal favourites: so aptly named, 'Analogue Hedgehog' truly evokes a plump, squidgy hedgehog covered with sharp metallic spikes, shuffling and bumbling along enjoying the groove! How he makes it sound simultaneously soft and spiky escapes me (think Peachi's alliteration might be catching?!)
Analogue Hedgehog by Bad Tango

 Watch this space for more chunkadelic releases... plus the guy is as nice as his tracks... great to see talent get recognised! 
 

If you take your break(fast?) with an edge of tech funk filthiness, look no further than this obese mix by dirt fiend FILTHY PEASANT (Matt Lawrence). True to his name, this rather sneaky vagabond schmuches up psy and funk influences with technical prowess. The middle phase of Far Too Loud, Olmec and Sam Hell tracks particularly floats my boat! Here's his December mix, the best I reckon:

Filthy Peasant - December Mix by Filthy Peasant

and here he is enjoying an abnormally face-disfiguring drop:

niiiiice.

Last but not least, DISCO STEVE is a psytrance mixologist that has caught my attention recently. If you're into wild psychedelic journeys to planet zogg and beyond, this mix will be right up your street! Hovering on the edge of my threshold for full-on/'dark' tolerance but definitely making me want to stomp like a maniac, Steven Roberts shows his relentless passion for psy - especially from South Africa. Last track is stupendous!

Disco Steve-Twilight Psy-Trance Set (13-01-2011) by Disco Steve

So... hope you're all danced out! Stay tuned for my next post on Neuroplasm, psytrance wizards, plus inevitably more filth. Might drop in a mix of my own at the end! ;)

Laterzzz,

Katty Grooves x

Glade Festival podcast: Fiord

The Glade Festival 2009 website is now up and running. As the best dance music festival in the UK it's always a highlight of my year, with an amazing spread of breaks, trance, techno, interesting house, ambient dub and Overkill wrongness. 2009 will be the first year at a new location, rumoured to be the Matterly Bowl in Hampshire, otherwise known as the Homelands site. I've heard mixed reports but at least the music should stay on till the sun comes up!

You can sign up for a Glade podcast. I recommend that when you do you dig out the track by Fiord, the new minimal project from progressive trance leg-ends Antix. They melted the Origin stage as the last act on Sunday last year.

Nano Records: chunky trance unleashed

Nano Records have added the next instalment to their free online compilation of chunk trance. Compiled by Nano label boss, Regan, he previews "an army of new artists and digital releases for your listening pleasure in 2009".

# EverBlast - Shiva Chillum The new project from Chromatone & Earthling
# Strike Twice - Strike 1 The new project from Atomic Pulse & Echotek
# The Commercial Hippies - Like I Do From their forthcoming 2nd Album due for release very soon!

Chromatone is one of my favourite US trance producer and the 2007 Commercial Hippies album was immense so things are looking good for Nano in 2009. You'll be able to see a lot of the acts on the Origin Stage at this year's Glade Festival. Also checkout their downloads page for more tracks.

Wonky Disco this Friday!

Wicked psytance and psybreaks night coming up from Wonky Disco this Friday. You can find links to tracks and mixes from some of the Nano Records artists and Far Too Loud elsewhere on this blog. The video below should give you a taster of what to expect...

Luke Porter tasting fleshy

Just found this mix by Luke Porter, whose Flesh Taste remix on Tribal Vision made it onto quite a few progressive trance playlists last year. He's coming from the progressive house end of things, so I don't recognise half the names below. Sounds lush though!

Luke Porter - February 2009 Promo Mix (direct link - save as)

1. Wahi - More Soul Please (Robert Babicz mix) [Curbed Recordings]
2. Bradler - Solo [Presslab Records]
3. Thomas Langner - System 103 (Jacek Janicki mix) [Unikat Records] **unr
4. Egostereo - Oxyde [Aenaria Music]
5. Komytea - 7 [Anjunadeep]
6. Vibrasphere - 102 Miles From here (Solead mix) [Tribal Vision]
7. Hatfield & Beckers - Youre Not Me (Fiord mix) [Sprout]
8. Alaa - Rhea [Nellie Recordings] **unr
9. Jaytech - Nemesis [Anjunadeep]
10. Rino Cabrera - All Of A Sudden (Daniel Portman mix) [Enormous Tunes]
11. Joshy Rotten - Slumber Party (Human8 mix) [Morphosis Records]
12. Kosmas Epsilon & Evans T - 8 Hours (Cid Inc & Luke Porter mix) [Dyami] **unr
13. RPO & David Weed - Industry Part 2 [Tribal Vision]

Later this month Luke's headlining a night at Inspiral Cafe in Camden, hosted by Liquid Records' new progressive offshoot OmLiquid. I'm told their launch night at Scala was incredible, which is entirely in keeping with the rest of Liquid's output so far!

Lurking around on Psyforum

So, way back on Psyforum in 2005 I discovered Chickens of the Infinite by DJ Lurk - a two part mixtape with a silly name that grooved from lush progressive trance into funky upbeat psytrance via a blend of smooth bass and floaty melodies.

Chickens of the Infinite Pt1
Chickens of the Infinite Pt.2

The mix was conceived as a compilation of tunes that Tom liked grooving to on his ipod over the summer and Pt 1 especially had a top spot on my ipod for some time after. Anyway, I recently found Lurk's 2008 update which showcases the more techy, minimal side of progressive trance at the moment, sounding more pulsating and floaty than minimal techno or tech house but with all the subtle builds, drops, noises and harmonies. Enjoy...

Revenge of the Infinite Chicken (direct link - save as)

1. massive attack - tear drop (minilogue rmx)
2. kasey taylor - trapped (dousk rmx)
3. d-nox & beckers - changes
4. antix - red robin (kasey taylor rmx)
5. ace venturer - serenity now (fiord rmx)
6. perfect stranger - stardust
7. elegant universe - grizzly
8. liquid ace - psychic experience (perfect stranger rmx)
9. minilogue - little sister (d-nox & beckers rmx)
10. out of loop - the strangest night & still
11. ticon - in stereo (even 11 rmx)
12. john deere - flesh eater (luke porter rmx)
13. dousk - hammer
14. perfect stranger & ace venturer - perfect ace (atmos rmx)
15. freq - strange attractor (liquid soul rmx)
16. liquid ace - psychic experience

An if you like all that, I strongly recommend checking out Lurk's chunkier wonky side with his awesome compilation CD on Sonic Dragon. Check out the samples, buy it and get your wonk on!

Why I love: Tribal Vision Records & Vibrasphere

Tribal Vision have just released the digital version of Sweedish prog-trance legends Vibrasphere's 5th album Lung's of Life.
Vibrasphere have consistently produced lush albums of emotive and hypnotic Scandinavian soundscapes that veer between icy cool chill out and pounding smooth grooves. They've long been one of my favourite acts. With their recent Tribal Vision releases they've been introducing a very welcome dose of minimal electro into their immaculately produced sound, so it's well worth checking out the samples here.

Tribal Vision are a Czech trance label who have been shaking up the world of progressive trance since they started release records about 4 years ago. While the idea of 'progressive trance' may sound like some late 90's mash-up of ELO and Sasha, it actually emerged as a stripped down techno-esque approach to goa trance led by Scandinavian labels such as Digital Structures (Vibrasphere's previous home).

Alongside Danish label Iboga, and artists such as Ticon on Digital Structures, Tribal Vision have recently been exploding the genre with a more open approach encompassing more 'mainstream' styles like electro house and minimal techno. As such their tunes have been finding their way into the record bags of superDJ's on the club circuit.

They also produce some lush graphics (see video below).




...which is from...



So, the slinky subtlety of minimal techno + all the bounce of electro house = absorbing music with lots of nice noises that creeps up on you out of nowhere with phat electro bass lines! For a proper taste check out this awesome mix by DJ Shankar to promote the excellent Vanguard compilation which came out Dec '07. Its was by far the most played mix on my ipod last year!

DJ Shankar - Vanguard promo mix (Dec 07) (right click and save as)

Tracklist:

Paolo Driver-Mayo (Maurizio Ruggiero & Danielino DJ Rmx) [Presslab Ltd]
Motion & Tapwatr-Kp'n'tch (Original Mix) [ColdGroove]
Nick Muir - G Platz (Pig & Dan Rmx) [Audio Therapy]
Tegma, Duca, DJ Slater - East Block (Original Mix) [Tribal Vision]
Bass Kleph - Bump Uglies (Dopamine Rmx) [Vacation Records]
Greed vs Sonic Cube - Wilde (Elegant Universe Rmx) [Tribal Vision]
Antix - Seven Seas (Logiztik Sounds & Mauricio Duarte Meets Bill Tsipidis Remix) [Iboga/cdr]
FM Radio Gods - Sleeper [cdr]
Even 11 - Like This (Komytea Rmx) [Tribal Vision]
Drone - Hanging Out At Night (Original Mix) [Dezign Music]
Peter Juergens - You And Me [Tribal Vision]
Talisman & Hudson - Leaving Planet Earth (Dousk Rmx) [Too Much Information]
Duca - Green Lines [Tribal Vision]
Xavi Beat - Techu (Original Club Mix) [Fresco Records]
Kohra VS Ady - Clear Grounds [Shivlink Records/cdr]

Nano Records: Free Compilation

Another seasonal treat - Saffy/UK psytrance label Nano have started releasing an entire compilation of free MP3's on their website! Home to the Commercial Hippies, Protoculture, Hydrophonic, AMD, Headroom and Allaby, Nano are by far one of my favourite psy labels. As the peeps behind the Origin stage at Glade, their clean, chunky, funky sound should be familiar from days of outdoor stomping in the summer. Click here for the download store on their lushly designed website, which also has a treasure trove of older Nano gems to get your paws on! New tracks are:

* Fearsome Engine - Beyond Imagination (from the new project of Tristan and Laughing Buddha)
* Avalon - Out There (the Nano debut of new Nano act AVALON, from the UK)
* Tristan and Regan - PFA (The legendary Tristan and Nano boss-man Regan, collaborating on a deep snarling monster!)

On the purchase front, Headroom and AMD's albums will have your feet stomping in seconds and the Commercial Hippies 'If you can't stand the heat' and 'Origin 3' were two of my favourite releases of '06...

Excitingly they've also recently signed Fearsome Engine (Laughing Buddha and Tristan), Avalon(Brighton, previous releases on Wild Things), Chromatone (US) and Hopi (UK) so should be even chunkier funk coming this way soon!


My mate Lexie and I met the Commercial Hippies (Chesh and Regan) in the chill out village at Boom 2006 after they'd played a stonking set earlier in the day. Lexie tried to convert them to Strongbow and we all got properly trashed...

Atomic drop at WONKAY in Brighton - Monday 29 December 2008

Stuck for what to do in that no man's land between Xmas and the New Year? Then look no further... On Monday 29 December Brighton's WONKAY Records, dedicated distributors of the wobbliest free music, are holding the phatest night of off kilter breaks with special guests Mood Deluxe/NSE, Atomic Drop, and Slackbaba from Liquid Records. Atomic Drop delivered that phatest breaks set I've seen all year at Luminopolis back in October with an album in the pipeline. Check out their Myspaz for a sneak preview. Mood Deluxe should have some new shit ready soon too... can't wait!

Wonkay have some COMPLETELY FREE dark and chunky trance compilations and artist EP's for download on their site now. As a special Xmas prezzie I'm told there's a downtempo release on the way tomorrow! Get in!

Wonkay Records website



MONDAY 29 DECEMBER 2009

MOOD DELUXE
(FULL POWER PSYCHEDELIC DANCE MUSIC)
LIQUID RECORDS

SLACK BABA
(PSYCHEDELIC DRUM N BASS AND DUB N BREAKS)
LIQUID RECORDS

ATOMIC DROP
(PIMPIN NU SKOOL ELECTRO BREAKS)
LIQUID RECORDS

NSE
(INDUSTRIAL ELECTRONICA/ADM/DUBSTEP)
LIQUID RECORDS/ BLOODTRIBE RECS/ SHOOK RECORDINGS

Devi@nTT
(DIRTY FULL TECH-PSY )
WONK#AY RECS

***********************

Venue: New Heroes, 11 Dyke Road, Brighton

£3 B4 10PM/£4 AFTER

9pm till 2 am (Later if were rocking)

Lights, Lazers, decor n more

***********************

A chance for all Brightonian locals to gather in the warm and dance their arses off to some of the best local Liquid talent and celebrate the release of Wonk#ay Recs new free release
FOR UNDER A FECKIN FIVER!!!!!

Celebrating the free release of the WONK#OUT album on www.wonkay.co.uk

After the closing of the Pressure Point WONK#AY have been unable to secure a free venue.
Come along and help make this one a stonker to bring back future pre-nye Free parties!

Looking forward to kicking off the New Years celebrations with you!

Big Love

Liquid Records & Wonk#AY Records