Gentlemen,
My apologies for a rather protracted period of time between the last addition, S's commencement of the X List, and my susbequent posting.
A lot has changed - I remember chomping at the bit because I had the perfect line up ready to go, almost directly after the list opened - then Spot removed one of my top 10 tracks of all time and it totally threw me off course! Then some pretty horrific events occurred and to be honest, I've barely opened my music laptop at all for a month. Time to press on now. Being good pals and understanding folk, I trust you won't begrudge me the use of this forum as a cathartic exercise, kind of an 'open letter' almost.... If anything below doesn't make sense to you, apologies...to be honest you can just ignore/disregard it and press on with the last two selections!.... Writing all this down is as helpful to me as anything else thus far - and there is no need to pass comment on the tunes at all, unless they particualrly grab you and you feel compelled to. I did originally have all 5 linked in for this but I've brought myself out of the darkness and realised that you can't get caught in the mire for too long, nor would anyone want you to. Life moves fast and you gotta keep up and enjoy the ride whilst remembering the good things.
I'm ahead of myself. A swift look back:-
End of no.9
Well, Ice Cube, P.E and Ice T played a pretty big part in my life as a kid so I'm very familiar with all three. Ice Cube "Death Cert" was always a big LP for me - then Predator came out and for a while that and Dre's "The Chronic" were all that got played on (banned) walkmans in the basketball courts at school. BIG fan of both the PE tracks - Chuck's flow remains original to this day... quite hard to grasp as a young'un (let alone the political themes!) but just immensely original hip hop performed with class. Ice T - classic...Another use of horror movie music in one of his tracks - and fittingly so... seem to remember a track which uses music from Exorcist(not sampled but replayed)... anyway this is great storytelling rap with realistic spoken word as well as lyrics . Had a huge impact this tune - made you realise how dark 'the pen' must be in the US.
Start of X
Got back into Sugar Daddy through listening to the PVD remix when trance was big in the late 90's. Great tune - original is proper epic.
Bike sounds as relevant today as it did when it got released. Had totally forgotten this LP - lovely to hear again.
Snooze4Love - have taken off my potentials list! 'Nuff said. Lush opening - hooked after first listen on Sasha's mixmag freebie cd.
FGTH - surely one of the most internationally known records ever made?! Class
DD - never EVER tire of hearing that opening. A cracking record in every sense. The chorus is just immense... brings back some absolutely comedy memories from uni for me :)
Okay - deep breath here goes.
RIP Carter 20.09.1979 - 07.04.2012:-
Boyce - I don't think anyone at the club will ever forget you and Titch singning this at the end of season drink-up. Pure class.
9's - I know we shouldn't have regrets, but not seeing you lot play this album out in Camden for the first time is one of mine... This is probably my fave track. Feel a bit melancholic about it now considering the title...Gone but not forgotten; your voice is always there when we need you.
FF - Paddy played the most beautiful and heartbreaking acoustic version of this for you as you left the service mate. Never a more fitting send off song. Kills me hearing it now, but I know its good for me.
Keep a Magners on ice for me, brother....See you on the other side, Angry.
Onwards and upwards:-
Gotye - an exorcism of sorts!! Heard it back end of last year, loved the quirky track and vocals... didn't get chance to scribble it down and then recently heard it on radio and now...... ITS EVERYWHERE!! I stand by it being a beautiful record and I think a lot of people can relate to the lyrics/choice of phrasing.
*HEADPHONES ON PLEASE*
Claro Intelecto - get out the foil, lighter and belt ready. I can't leave this alone. I first heard it on Mothersole's latest Proton mix... second track... gripped me by the short ones and didn't let go - it got mixed out, I skipped back and listened again, and again - then went to Spot and bugger me if it wasn't already on there.... cue loop listens for periods approaching an hour at a time whilst nodding off to sleep. Utterly beautiful. Simple lead melody - yet so well crafted.... the percussion arrangment alone is absolutely knock out (the first 'snap' literally almost did knock me out - spine tingling), the drum that turns out to form part of that stupidly hypnotic bassline.... To be frank; I would have been quite happy if the entire 7 minutes 18 seconds were like the first 2 minutes 20 seconds - but oh no, the elongated synth/string lines get brought forward and just make you melt.... lest I forget the pen tap sound in the latter part which morphs into a cymbal then everything dropped back in for the finish. I love this record so much that I actually hate it....I couldn't work out why at first.... then I realised it was simply this: If I could ever make music, if I could ever articulate musically any of my ideas or thoughts or feelings; this is EXACTLY how I would want it to sound. It's the central section/meeting point of a vendiagram of three/four of my favourite producers of all time and is essentially inch perfect in every way. It is a bold prediction because its such early days, but I will be bold and say that this tune has every right to be in my top 20 electronic pieces of music of all time. If anyone challenged me on its entry I know that I could bore them for a lot longer than you've been reading this waffle....20 times over. Easily.
As always....
Keep on Keeping on,
H
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