And so...
DHS moves into double figures. A hair-brained idea was born one lazy lunchtime, has grown and is smoothly passing through all the usual milestones connected with maturation. It has cut teeth and learnt to bite - is now more than capable of standing alone and will continue to drag its increasingly hairy backside toward its 1000th track.
Happy 10th iteration DHS.
*glances backward*
Com Truise - it's like Jean Michel Jarre produced by someone half decent from the last five years - I should love it - not sure why I don't - *can't quite put my finger on it*
Anoraak - as you suggested, potential for a set opener - like it. A lot.
Moby - his eminent frequentness makes his quintillionth appearence - Photek doesn't half get some punch into his kick drums. I have done it 'in headphones' and it is immaculate in it's production - just seems to be missing *something*
Com Truise again - the 'acid-bassline' is tremendous - hmmmmm... Needs more listens.
Booka Shade - reminds me massively of something - the main synth melody line - ohhhhhhhh Godddddd... *fails to put finger on it again* - yeah, tune - Booka Shade churns it out
Ice Cube - prefer the intro to the actual track it prefaces - he was one of the artists I figured back then that I should've been paying more attention to but then sank myself back into the house stuff. Not sure it's dated brilliantly but I totally accept that if you were into it back then it stays strong material.
Public Enemy - the sax sample and break in "Show 'Em..." are outstanding. The 'Arizona' track is from an album I'm much less familiar with - classic Chuck though - not my favourite backing track but another indisputable rhyme
Ice T - standout track of this selection - the break, the sinister keys and mood and T's delivery which, for my money, is only matched by Rakim. Dark, moody and flat out h.a.r.d.
DHS10 then...
Sugar Daddy - back from '93 - one of the best trance records ever - when 'trance' was a mood induced by the record rather than a specific sound
Bike - also from '93 but that's just coincidence - skittish beats and jittery keys - love the mood and feel of this - really want to work it into a mix
Snooze 4 Love - flip side of one of the big club records of last year (check out 'Ragysh' if you're not familiar) - oh to smash this in the sunshine somewhere...
Relax (New York Mix) - very last second inclusion - was going to hold this back but really no reason to - simply THE best mix of one of the most iconic records ever
Save A Prayer - after having spent years keeping this quiet but I've been out and proud for a while now - I love this band - the whole album is fantastic (although probably just a tad dated for your ever-so-slightly-younger ears) and this is one of the most recognisable intros/synth lines in pop music
Respect...
S
x
Friday, 13 April 2012
Thursday, 5 April 2012
DHS - moving into double digits...
...so, that's drawn a line under the first nine lists.
Piece of cake.
Piece of very enjoyable, hugely nourishing, not-too-decorated and certainly not slathered-in-butter-icing cake.
Hoorah.
Hip for D. Hip for H and hooray for S.
Tenth instalment countdown...
Piece of cake.
Piece of very enjoyable, hugely nourishing, not-too-decorated and certainly not slathered-in-butter-icing cake.
Hoorah.
Hip for D. Hip for H and hooray for S.
Tenth instalment countdown...
Sunday, 1 April 2012
DHS 9 - Part 18 (D)
Right then, actuallybefore Sully decided to tell me what should be important in my life, I was actually about to do this anyway, and one late replacement in and Im ready to go. Firstly of course, some words on the previous 10.
Kev you kicked off with The Clash and London Calling, a track that ever American filmmaker seems to think must be played when the action moves to the nations hub. Seems a bit lazy to me but thats not th clash's fault and this is a top record with great lyrics - one of the few punk records I actually like (probably because its more accessible). Then you moved onto the Jam, a band I have heard of but never heard any of their stuff before - Paul Weller was in them wasnt he ? Sounds like him anyway. Decent enough I guess but doesnt do much for me, cant really get the 'lyrical intensity' you talk about Kev im afraid. Then you know its Madness from the very first chord, they definitely had their own sound. The story telling is not bad, but it is all a bit grim isnt it ? Not a big Madness fan im afraid, 'must be love' excepted. Morrisey might well be a genius but hes simply not my bag. At all. And then you fucking nail it you beauty, with what i would certainly say has to be the best pop ballad for a very very long time. The lyrics are wonderful, the voice is immense and the musical change from minor to major keys is pitch perfect. You go girl is what Im thinking, and the change of the lyrics to 'dont come back at all' is simple genius. This has been on massively heavy rotation for me for ages - theres also an 'ocean sessions' version which is even better for my money as it has a slightly rougher edge to her voice and a change to the cadence which works very well. An absolute shoe-in for the best of.
Onto Hodge for your dance selection fella - starting with 'Com Truise' who thankfully is better at music than he is with names. Definitely has 80s stylings I agree, grooves along rather nicely. Then its onto Midnight Sunset which is very nice indeed, chuggy & melodic definitely sums it up, its all rather pleasant. Then you dropped a bomb with the Moby remix, which has also been on heavy rotation with me - thats aonly about 60-70 bpm but it just too intense - dont remember the track on the album being anywhere near as good, and ive just looked it up and it really isnt at all - stunning use of drums, especially with the filtered build up to when a beat comes back. Really tremendous work. Onto my personal list straight away and another 'best of' contender. Then its back to Com again, and I know what you mean by a marmite track Hodge - definitely gives a huge great nod to early hip-hop and electro, but you called it correctly, not really one for me - its ok though. You wrap up with Booka Shade and I can definitely see Digweed playing this, reminds me of 'discopolis' in the tune - but that bassline is huge and definitely needs a big system to do it justice, a great piece of mood music for sure. Love that moody break !
So what am I going to do with the prestigious last slot of single digits DHS, before we embark into double figures. Well im going back into my hip-hop roots with three artists who heavily influenced me some 20 years ago (and earlier) and some of their lesser well known tracks...
Ice Cube 'The First Day of School' & 'When will they shoot?'
"Aint nobody talkin when im talkin fellas so shut the fuck up !" sets the tone for Ice Cubes best album perfectly and the launch into the tremendous opening track means you cant have one without the other. Recorded just after the '91 riots its Cube angry and aggresive and at his very best. The antithesis of the (rightly so) most popular 'It was a good day' track. Check out the lyrics - "they killed JFK in 63, so what the fuck you think they'll do to me ?" fantastic.
Public Enemy 'By the time I get to Arizona'
This record is genius. Great tune, and even better lyrics, from 'sista soldier' at the beginning, through to the dissing of De La Soul when they were hugely popular to the 'whats a smiling face when the whole state's racist ?" Great political commentary and bang on the money i reckon. Brilliant.
Ice T 'The Tower'
A great prison story, not too dissimlar to PE's 'Black steel' and very well put together, with his trademark smooth rap and the lyrics from what was easily his best album, a great tune for the subject and the 'interview' technique as a chorus of such. Love the line 'go toe to toe with a sucker no matter what size' so evocative.
Public Enemy 'Show 'em whatcha got'
Well now at least I know where they got the tune from (cheers K). But theyve done good things with it I'd say. Freedom is a road seldom travelled by the multitude...
And on that note I bid farewell to 9 hugely impressive DHS list, spanning almost 3 years and over 800 tracks. Well played gentlemen, well played indeed.
One Love
Kev you kicked off with The Clash and London Calling, a track that ever American filmmaker seems to think must be played when the action moves to the nations hub. Seems a bit lazy to me but thats not th clash's fault and this is a top record with great lyrics - one of the few punk records I actually like (probably because its more accessible). Then you moved onto the Jam, a band I have heard of but never heard any of their stuff before - Paul Weller was in them wasnt he ? Sounds like him anyway. Decent enough I guess but doesnt do much for me, cant really get the 'lyrical intensity' you talk about Kev im afraid. Then you know its Madness from the very first chord, they definitely had their own sound. The story telling is not bad, but it is all a bit grim isnt it ? Not a big Madness fan im afraid, 'must be love' excepted. Morrisey might well be a genius but hes simply not my bag. At all. And then you fucking nail it you beauty, with what i would certainly say has to be the best pop ballad for a very very long time. The lyrics are wonderful, the voice is immense and the musical change from minor to major keys is pitch perfect. You go girl is what Im thinking, and the change of the lyrics to 'dont come back at all' is simple genius. This has been on massively heavy rotation for me for ages - theres also an 'ocean sessions' version which is even better for my money as it has a slightly rougher edge to her voice and a change to the cadence which works very well. An absolute shoe-in for the best of.
Onto Hodge for your dance selection fella - starting with 'Com Truise' who thankfully is better at music than he is with names. Definitely has 80s stylings I agree, grooves along rather nicely. Then its onto Midnight Sunset which is very nice indeed, chuggy & melodic definitely sums it up, its all rather pleasant. Then you dropped a bomb with the Moby remix, which has also been on heavy rotation with me - thats aonly about 60-70 bpm but it just too intense - dont remember the track on the album being anywhere near as good, and ive just looked it up and it really isnt at all - stunning use of drums, especially with the filtered build up to when a beat comes back. Really tremendous work. Onto my personal list straight away and another 'best of' contender. Then its back to Com again, and I know what you mean by a marmite track Hodge - definitely gives a huge great nod to early hip-hop and electro, but you called it correctly, not really one for me - its ok though. You wrap up with Booka Shade and I can definitely see Digweed playing this, reminds me of 'discopolis' in the tune - but that bassline is huge and definitely needs a big system to do it justice, a great piece of mood music for sure. Love that moody break !
So what am I going to do with the prestigious last slot of single digits DHS, before we embark into double figures. Well im going back into my hip-hop roots with three artists who heavily influenced me some 20 years ago (and earlier) and some of their lesser well known tracks...
Ice Cube 'The First Day of School' & 'When will they shoot?'
"Aint nobody talkin when im talkin fellas so shut the fuck up !" sets the tone for Ice Cubes best album perfectly and the launch into the tremendous opening track means you cant have one without the other. Recorded just after the '91 riots its Cube angry and aggresive and at his very best. The antithesis of the (rightly so) most popular 'It was a good day' track. Check out the lyrics - "they killed JFK in 63, so what the fuck you think they'll do to me ?" fantastic.
Public Enemy 'By the time I get to Arizona'
This record is genius. Great tune, and even better lyrics, from 'sista soldier' at the beginning, through to the dissing of De La Soul when they were hugely popular to the 'whats a smiling face when the whole state's racist ?" Great political commentary and bang on the money i reckon. Brilliant.
Ice T 'The Tower'
A great prison story, not too dissimlar to PE's 'Black steel' and very well put together, with his trademark smooth rap and the lyrics from what was easily his best album, a great tune for the subject and the 'interview' technique as a chorus of such. Love the line 'go toe to toe with a sucker no matter what size' so evocative.
Public Enemy 'Show 'em whatcha got'
Well now at least I know where they got the tune from (cheers K). But theyve done good things with it I'd say. Freedom is a road seldom travelled by the multitude...
And on that note I bid farewell to 9 hugely impressive DHS list, spanning almost 3 years and over 800 tracks. Well played gentlemen, well played indeed.
One Love
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