DHS - a Spotify adventure

DHS is all about music - specifically music chosen, on Spotify, by D, H & S.

The three of us choose five songs at a time, add them to a Spotify playlist, and explain why we've chosen them. Once we've done that six times each we close the list and open the next one. Occasionally we review what we've picked and add it to 'the best of' playlist and once in a blue moon we each select an entire album.



Tuesday, 14 September 2010

DHS7 part 10 (S)

Settled in a few hours ago to review your last ten and post up my next five - had already listened through to each of the previous ten at least once - and for the first five of them a couple of times already. And then I got blown completely away by one of them. The other nine are all fine - couple better than the others but there's one that's different gravy. Completely different gravy. One of the absolute all time DHS classics. I'm almost tempted to put it on 'The Best Of' playlist right now. Good grief. What a tune.

What a tune.

Following on to my next five...

Israel Kamakawiwoole - 'Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World' - Very few people that I've ever heard professionally recorded have as pure a voice as this man. The fact he was a Maori and died young from health complication brought on by the fact he made Pavarotti look like Twiggy only add to the appeal. Yes you've heard both the songs before - maybe even combined like this - but never sung by a purer voice.

The Mamas & The Papas - 'California Dreamin''- Short, sweet, standard, classic. Of the five in this selection though it'll be the one you wake up humming tomorrow.

Elbow - 'New Born' - Searched for this on day one of Spotify 21 months ago - only very recently appeared. From the opening eight words it will, I sincerely hope, captivate you - I'm interpreting it as a love song - I'm not sure what else it could really be - there's something captured in the concept of the 'newborn' references that is very powerful. The band have gone on since this to achieve huge acclaim and success - although for my money they've only got close to this quality with one other song...

T-Power - 'Circle' - Almost endless introduction finally melts into classy mid 90's drum and bass - opening track from a quality album. God I love that drum pattern. You can hear what sort of territory the rest of the album heads off into as the track draws to a close and segues into the intro of track two - help yourselves if you're so inclined...

Mr C - 'Full Moon' - Deep, deep, deep house music with a slight techy-edge to it. Awful definition - wonderful record. Totally sums me up in terms of what I'd want to dance to and play for others to dance to. Proper lush.

Thankfully Im now back being disposed again...

My most sincere thanks for the warm wishes from H & S. You two really are a cracking pair of cunts. Good to be back.

Really enjoyed the last set of tunes - I always do really, nothing like the buzz of new records to check and while you wont like all of them - when you're dealing with likeminded people there are always going to be absolute treats in store. Gentlemen as ever I thank you.

From K's selection I really enjoyed Cant fight the feeling the most as I hadnt heard it before - great 80's power ballad. Also a big fan of 'I dont like mondays' - amazed the Boomtown Rats only touched the heights once with that song, but the pop charts are littered with such one-offs over the years. Also love The Way It Is, hadnt heard the original for ages, even though Changes by Tupac has been a regular on my ipod, and of course was on an earlier DHS selection.

I found H's selection nicely esoteric (especially compared to my more populist selections !) The Nosaj Thing sound is a real grower and very unusual - particularly their own track 'Light#1'. Of the remaining tracks I particularly enjoyed 'To Dawn Part II' by Nacho Sotomayor - it has plenty of depth, enough to not really (accurately) be labelled as a chill out record, has a touch of elegance and grandiose about it and as always, i love the build and the crescendo is tremendous (not sure about the answerphone message at the end though !!)

Ok to my selections:
Eric B & Rakim 'I Know You Got Soul'
Its been a long time, I shouldnt have left you without a strong rhyme to step to... kind of appropriate I think !
Soul II Soul 'Back to Life'
An ENORMOUS tune from my teenage years - although it was fairly ubiquitous so im sure im not the only one. Still sounds fresh now - classic record.
Pet Shop Boys 'West End Girls'
I had to double check that this hadnt been previously selected (although actually I had to for the first 4 of my 5) as I thought it must have been - just shows how few records we have actually added out of the possibles. Does anything need to be said ? An utterly seminal record.
Massive Attack 'Teardrop'
I utterly adore this record - for me its pitch perfect in every department - each element is absolutely right, that tune, that bassline that voice ! A match made in heaven... arguably their best track, although for me 'Angel' runs it very close
ATFC Presents Onephatdeeva 'In & Out of My Life'
As an enormous fan of 'right here right now' by the fatster i was initially sceptical of this record when it came out, especially when I heard Danny 'i know best' Tenaglia moved the vocal for his GU at the time as he thought ATFC had it in the wrong place !! But while RHRN is definitely raw and edgier this is a brilliant house record - particularly the big break and resolution, and indeed almost the entire second half of the record which I can personally vouch for causing dancefloor devastation its just enormous.

I hope you like. One love y'all.

Tuesday, 24 August 2010

It's D's turn next but...

... he's temporarily indisposed.

H&S wish the fullest, quickest and sincerest recovery possible to D.

The blog eagerly awaits his return - as he himself has said on many occasions, 'One Love'...

x

DHS7 part 8 (H)

Simone - how many house records has this vocal spawned?! Great track.
Bacharach - not really a fan but appreciate the music.
MARRS - absolute tune. Another childhood fave.
Lupe - not into this half as much as the two big tracks off his first LP... it's not a bad tune.
Vince D - Don't worry Duff, you're in safe hands here! Love it! You've actually stolen my thunder on one of my future tracks I had down as a potential entry....but not quite!

REO - pretty large - pretty cheesy! Think it's a grower..
Hornsby - proper, proper tune - so uplifting. Great record.
Boomtown Rats - think I agree; best thing they released... by a country mile.
Joe Jackson - it's a nice overall vibe but not sure I get it...maybe it's cos it needs to be heard within the rest of the live set.
UB40 - tune. Loved the 808 state remix too (it's on my list of potentials!)... in fact that was one of the first ever records I bought for myself... saved up my pocketmoney for it, green cover with bold white writing - memory like a steel trap!

Here's my next lot:
I've been on back on a bit of a downtempo mode as of late which is hardly surprising...

Nacho Sotomayor - To Dawn Part II
just a lush track - lovely piano and chilled beats.
Clark - Night Knuckles
Have loved WARP stuff since they kicked off really - love the quirky melody, properly intriguing little tune.

THE NOSAJ THING SUITE:
Never done this before, but such is my love for this guy's tunes (a recent discovery for me) and the amount I've been listening to them lately, I had to share....all short but sweet, hope you enjoy half as much as I have:

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Heaven Can Wait (Nosaj Thing remix)
Superb vocal - kooky, melancholic melody.

The xx - Islands (Nosaj Thing remix)
ABSOLUTE TUNE. How good is the ending.... another tune that needs to be longer....Sully watch your email inbox...think you know what's coming next!

Nosaj Thing - Light #1
The tune that introduced me to his work.... it featured on Zabiela's recent essential mix and I had to search for it immediately and buy it. Great record. Love his use of melody :)

H

Sunday, 15 August 2010

DHS gains another H

D&S take huge pleasure in congratulating H & Mrs H on the birth of baby H earlier this weekend.

Best news of the year so far.

The blog eagerly awaits some early hours random postings as H comes to terms with fatherhood.

*charges glass and proposes toast*

To Baby H - long may he appreciate all good things musical...

Friday, 13 August 2010

DHS7 part 7 (S)

Right then - this post officially moves DHS into the Blogosphere. We've had six complete DHS lists already and this blog now contains the entries from the start of DHS7.

It is therefore encumbent on me to pass comment on the previous ten tunes chosen and then to propose my next five. On the whole I enjoyed the last two selections - a good representation of all that DHS is about - specific thoughts would be...

Vandellas - Heatwave - such a classic that it's almost 'a standard' - have to say I prefer the edgy, 'experimental', version that the Jam did in the early 80s.

Bomb The Bass - Beat Dis - arrived shortly after Pump Up The Volume, and arguably wouldn't have existed without it, but in my humble was a much more enjoyable record.

St Etienne - Cool Kids Of Death - proper tune - lovely record - another one that's difficult to belive we haven't already featured - had a couple of high profile remixes but this, original, remains my favourite - really nice.

Mit - Rauch - not heard this before and it's obviously presented here in the context of a compilation mix - would like to hear the full length version - reminiscent of the Jon Hopkins track featured a while back - nice.

M83 - Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun - I could say everything about this and will struggle to say nothing. Not the first track from its album to feature on DHS - almost made it onto my 'Terminal Morraine' Mix but lost out 'cos I felt I could only include one track per artist - the whole album this comes from is wonderful and is one of very few, in my humble experience, that benefits from a start-to-finish, one-off, listen all the way through. This is certainly one of the album's peaks.

Nina Simone - Feeling Good - massively recognisable vocal, endlessly sampled - and with very good reason.

Burt Bacharach - What The World Needs Now - I love most of Bacharach's stuff - have included a couple of his in previous DHS lists - best thing about this is that it's NOT The Carpenters version - not because that's a bad interpretation - just that this is a much underplayed version of a very well known tune

MARRS - Pump Up The Volume - hip-hop was already up and running, house music had been born and was rapidly putting on weight and then this arrived. Landmark record though and no mistake.

Lupe Fiasco - Shining Down - Hmmmm - it's ok - when he's good he's really, really good but this is ok - really, really ok.

Vince DiCola - War/Rocky - hahahahahaha - I'm the wrong person to comment on this - only ever seen the second Rocky film (far as I remember) - if I was a fan of the films mybe this would mean something more to me.

And so the DHS spotlight once more is mine - and to make this selection work I need you to regress 25 years (which I appreciate is more threatening for you two than it is for me) - we're going mid '80s and the whole world has absurdly broad, artificially padded, shoulders.

REO Speedwagon - Can't Fight This Feeling - currently being featured in a TV advert campaign and it probably will be in another 10/15 years time - strangely enduring middle-of-the-road American pap/brilliance.

Bruce Hornsby - The Way It Is - another tune I can't believe we've not yet featured - all about the piano.

Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays - the only song I know that exists about that strangely sinister, bleak and remarkable story of the mass murdering American school girl - good job Geldoff did Live Aid though 'cos this was as good as his composing ever got

Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out - The original version of this was released in about '83 and featured both on one of the very earliest 'Now That's What I Call Music' compilations and also an early tape that I recorded from pirate radio (JFM or Horizon?!). It was a Level 42 type, upbeat, 'jazz-funk' number. I really liked it (it's also on Spot). And then I found this version. Recorded live, many many years after it was originally released - this is a much more 'mature' version - slowed down considerably I think it benefits from more time and space to fit his piano playing in and it builds a mood that was only hinted at in the original. I love this - another example of why Spotify is brilliant - search for an original, find the original AND some other options.

UB40 - One In Ten - I first heard UB40 before I really knew what the difference was between 'pop' and 'underground'. As it happens UB40, at that time, were still an underground band - doing their thing and not yet reduced to cover versions and diluted pop/reggae nonsense. I have a live album from around the time that this song was out - http://open.spotify.com/album/7lZfzpGCsYEKZYg48oo786 - and as far as I'm concerned it's still fabulous. This was most their most commercially successful song from that early period though - and with good merit. Tune.

DHS7 part 6 (D)

Afternoon all, sorry for the delay but with one thing and another its been a mental few weeks as you know. Much love as ever for all the previous tracks:

Einsamer Hirte - very evocative tune from a cool film, could have been from a few but its Kill Bill and Im even going so far as to say its the swordfight in the garden full of snow with lucy liu ? Only because I can see that little water feature going back and forward which was a tiny touch in that scene that was absolute genius, like a metronome to the whole fight.

Hip-Hop Saved my Life - Well as I got you all into Lupe I think its safe to say this is a welcome addition to our lists, personally I never know whether to add tracks we all know really well or not but Im certainly glad this is on there.

Losing my Religion - Classic pop record, they did some great tunes those boys, might add one myself in the future.

Deja Vu - Not really my kind of thing to be honest, soulful haunting house records just dont rock my boat.

Do you really want to hurt me - Man the fuck up and stop whining. Always detested the whole premise of this song - George should have cut his knackers off and had a vag transplant the moment he released this. Maybe he did. Actually makes me angry to be honest. Remix is ok, particularly the 2nd half when it livens up but that vocal just gets me annoyed !

Heatwave - Bit of a flatliner this one for me, wouldnt turn it off, wouldnt seek it out.

Beat Dis - Absolute monster tune !! Sure I had this on a list somewhere to add but its not there now - takes me right back more than 20 years to my first hip-hop collections album, loving it, just an absolute classic.

Cool Kids of Death - This has some nice moments in it, not least that horn-like riff, a real grower - the more I listen the more I like it. Nice.

Rauch - I can see why this is in a dj mix, its a real builder isnt it - almost melacholy with the echo'd vocal. That breakdown is quite something though, and it very subtley lifts out of it. Very nice indeed, but since when was James Holden in The Human League ?

Lower your Eyelids to die with the Sun - Oh my word this is epic ! Absolutely nails the title in the music which seemed inconceivable. I adore this track Hodge, excellent work.

So I will try my best to follow those...

Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Loved this song for many years, her immaculate vocal beautifully offset against the brass horns. And what a voice she has !

Burt Bacharach - What the World Needs Now
Surely needs no real introduction, one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century and this is an absolute classic - you gotta love that piano riff

MARRS - Pump up the Volume
Not quite sure whats going on with the artist credits here but a seminal dance record from the era of cut and paste sample tunes (like Beat dis) which emerged at the beginning of house - big tune for me when I was at secondary school and mucking about with pause button mixing

Lupe Fiasco - Shining Down
Couldnt quite believe that this was on spot - shame about the 'clean' version but the first track from his forthcoming 3rd album is huge as Lupe continues to take hip-hop in a brand new direction - and that delivery is simply flawless. Thats my excuse for choosing an artist that was on the previous selection...

Vince DiCola - War / Fanfare from Rocky
I love the Rocky films, I know they are absolute rubbish but theres something about them that just gets me going, guy who wont give up against the odds etc. The music really gets the blood pumping too and this, from Rocky IV is my favourite (especially from 1:09) and it even ends with the signature tune. The soundtrack to Rocky IV used to keep me company on my paper round using my mums borrowed walkman. And I'll always remember going to see the film (the best of the lot for me) and the entire cinema chanting 'ROCKY. ROCKY' as we were all about the same age. Excellent !

Peace out