Various - Machine Funk Specialists (Parts 1 & 2)

An excellent pair of 12"s on Rotters from 2002.

It's been a while since there was any Weatherall round these parts. Well fear not - this pair should sort you out for a fix, along with a nice wee video - part three of your festive treats (let's brush over yesterday's wine-induced Billy Idol post).

Part 1 is all Weatherall and Tenniswood, under different guises, on SUPERB form. Part 2 also has them on the brilliantly titled A2, and they are working together on B3. It's not all the Swordsmen though, you get two Decal tracks and a tune by Craig Walsh.

An excellent package, Part 1 is all about the breaks and Part 2 is split between breaks and 4/4. Seriously - they are on top form throughout this package. I was annoyed to learn that both records are available on one CD, which features extra tracks. Grrr.

Regular viewers might remember that I went to see Mr Weatherall at Glasgow Stereo a couple of months ago. Well, I managed to find a site which was streaming a 16 minute video clip of that evening, interspersed with great clips of a revealing interview which was recorded at the Jury's Inn(!) in Glasgow. You can see me dancing about like a fanny on more than one occasion in the club, but it's a nice wee souvenir of what has been a vintage year Weatherall-wise. I managed to grab the code and download the clip from the site (I can't remember which site it was), and have been sitting on it for a while. Here you go then, uploaded to Sendspace as it's a biggie. It's m4v format so will play fine in iTunes. **EDIT** you can view the original article and video here, courtesy of the people over at EQ-mag.

This should keep the Weatherall wolf from the door for a wee while...



Various - Machine Funk Specialists (Part 1)
A1 - Rude Solo - M.F.S.
A2 - Klart - Bootybill
B1 - Rude Solo - Slate Resk
B2 - Aramchek - Driver
B3 - Frisch Und Munter - Road Tested

Buy it here



Various - Machine Funk Specialists (Part 2)
A1 - Decal - Giver
A2 - Hold, The - You Can Take My Glowstick...But Don't Touch The White Glove
B1 - Decal - Reaper
B2 - Craig Walsh - Redust
B3 - Radioactive Man - The Mezz (The Chairmans Remix)

Buy it here

Billy Idol - Happy Holidays

If this doesn't get you in the mood then nothing will...

Thanks to my friend DG (official 'Ripped' site designer) posting a picture of the outrageous cover to this, I felt compelled to check it out and a quick search on Filecrop sorted me out.

All yer festive favourites are here, sung in Billy's unique style, complete with backing from a band who change their style for every track. There are a few spoken word moments where he perfects the voice of a sexual predator with an unhealthy interest in children. Something for everyone then.

I downloaded it for a laugh and am listening to it just now, but it's become a bit more-ish and I now feel compelled to give it a run through till the end and offer it to you as a masochistic treat for your festive eardrums.

I've not bothered with the usual tagging and other pish so you can have the same download linky that I found. Merry Xmas, pop pickers...

*kisses credibility goodbye*

Nice day for a white Christmas...



Billy Idol - Happy Holidays
1. Frosty The Snowman
2. Silver Bells
3. Happy Holiday
4. Merry Christmas Baby
5. White Christmas
6. Here Comes Santa Claus
7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
8. Santa Claus Is Back In Town
9. Let It Snow
10. Winter Wonderland
11. Run Rudolph Run
12. Blue Christmas
13. Jingle Bell Rock
14. Christmas Love
15. O Christmas Tree
16. Silent Night
17. Auld Lang Syne

Various - Monstrueux & Magnifiques

2003 compilation on Invasion Planète Recordings.

Regular viewers will know that I'm quite a fan of dark, sinister electronic music and that I was a bit of an old goth back in the day. This compilation covers both these bases! Don't think I'm doing anyone an injustice by firing this up as it was a vinyl-only limited pressing of 624 individually hand-numbered copies (mine's number 267).

Check out the crazy track titles, especially A5. Mental. It comes with a nice wee insert thing that I've scanned in and you can see here.

Track-wise it's very hard to describe - wee bits of electro, some fucked-up noises, weird-as-hell vocals, lo-fi nonsense, sinister sounds - all these boxes get ticked.

This is definitely worth a punt, one of the oddest records I've got...



Various - Monstrueux & Magnifiques
A1 - I.A.V. - Base 1 (1983)
A2 - Silent Signals - Hate You xxx
A3 - Anti Trust - Chagrin
A4 - Perverse Teens - Teen Lust
A5 - Count Tickula - Creepy Smile Of Self-Satisfaction
B1 - Krom-Y - Garçons Dans Le Brouillard
B2 - Perverse Teens - Numéro Zéro
B3 - I.A.V. - Le Maître Du Monde (1985)
B4 - Le Syndicat Electronique - Entrevue Misanthropique
B5 - Anti Trust - Brennendes Land

Buy it here

Zodiacyouth - Fast Forward The Future

... aka Zodiac Mindwarp and Youth, aka Mark Manning and Martin Glover, from 1991.

Comin-atcha like a big KLF kopycat, this is pure 'stadium house' in its element. I suppose if anyone can get away with ripping off the KLF it's this pair, right enough.

If you ever want to read a totally insane depraved book, go check out Bad Wisdom by Bill Drummond and Mark Manning - check out this Amazon review, the guy's got it pretty much spot-on. It's the accounts of when BD & MM (and the ever-present Gimpo) set out to take a picture of Elvis to the North Pole, "to release the divine Presley-esque vibes" onto a troubled world. Nuff said - get the book on your Xmas list, Amazon will deliver before the big day.

I've had a complete mental block on what the vocal sample on this was used on more recently - it's something really fucking obvious and I can't put my finger on it. Help me out, please...



Zodiacyouth - Fast Forward The Future
A - Fast Forward The Future (Witch-Hunt Mix)
B1 - Fast Forward The Future (Zodiac Rising Mix)
B2 - Fast Forward The Future (Chill Out Mix)

Buy it here

Glenn Underground Featuring Cei-Bei - Take Me Back

12" remixes released on Cajual in 1995.

This time in GU-land we are blessed with the vocal talents of Cei-Bei on a track that's spread over four pretty darn hot remixes. The A1 mix has that trademark GU production - the synth line over the crisp yet jumpy percussion that I love so much. The instrumental track on B2 has the spoken title but nae singing.

I much prefer the mixes on the flip - nice wee guitar on B1 makes me feel all summery, just when it's trying to snow outside. It's got that really nice trebley phased sound that kinda comes in and out of tune. I fuckin love it.

THE BOO WILLIAMS MIX FUCKIN' ROCKS - like a lost relative of Preacher Man-era Green Velvet with it's distorted shouty vocals, with Relief-style percussion and some of those "break down a wee bit then come back in on the off-beat" tricks that I love. Worth the download for this mix alone, cheekily sneaked on at the end.

Aye, glad I dug this one out...



Glenn Underground Featuring Cei-Bei - Take Me Back
A1 - Take Me Back (Underground Root Mix)
A2 - Take Me Back (Moogstrimental Mix)
B1 - Take Me Back (Glenn Underground's Chicago Lives Mix)
B2 - Take Me Back (Boo Williams's Take Me Back Or Else Mix)

Buy it here

Conemelt - Confuse And Destroy

Second Conemelt album, this time on Emissions, also from 1995, part two of your Ripped In Glasgow Xmas treats.

Two double albums in a year? How prolific is THAT??

Before I posted this up, I got in touch with Ashley and Nat from the band just to make sure it was OK to post it, and they were more than accommodating. Here's the conversation highlights, which I think make an interesting read. I'll go blue, Nat can go red and Ashley can go green:

I've just ripped and tagged up the Confuse & Destroy album but thought I'd run it past you before putting it up for the troops. What do you think? If you're cool with it I'll put it up soon, and do you have any comments or anecdotes about any of the tracks?

I hadn't listened to it for a while and had forgotten how good it was, especially the likes of Cuckoo Clock Rock, Espionage and BIG and Clever Track.

Anyway, lemme know what you think.

- moggieboy

Sounds good to me. I haven't listened to it for a while either.

Anecdotally, these tracks were all recorded at the old New Ground Records office that Ashley was renting behind Infectious Records - Tonbridge's dance music shop (from '92-'95) which was run by Spencer Vitnen - he is the man behind the voice that we processed on the Floating Bloke 12" - the 'bonus' track after Mandible Man....talking about mushrooms "tuned in fucking lovely"...a larger than life fellow, and very supportive.

Far better than 'Fuckers' in my opinion and maybe our best. Influences filtering through were more widespread from getting into electric Miles and digging on more contemporary artists like Basic Channel. Flashermac is a reference to Eddie Flashin Fowlkes for example. There's improvisation within the structure - Grant was employing random elements. Very much a case of getting the right take. A highly satisfying voyage of discovery, busy all the time with music... wonderful times...

Interesting - I can definitely hear the EFF on Flashermac.

It's true what Ash says about electric Miles and the Detroit stuff being major listening. Also at that time we were big into the first Shellac 7"s (referenced on the Floating Bloke 12") and the ongoing influence of industrial, T.G. etc. - you can hear that in 'Pushbutton Twist' which is from an older industrial tape that Grant made pre-Conemelt, when all was industrial in Southborough. But I remember Bitches Brew and Jack Johnson and other electric Miles being played a lot in the New Ground office as well as Eddie Fowlkes, Infiniti - Game One, UR, Parliament and lots of other Detroit stuff that Ashley was gobbling up and we were dead into. We tried to combine all those elements into our own thing...

Sounds like a winning combination.

I've just (last night) finished reading the Wreckers Of Civilisation TG/COUM book - insane stuff, TG are my gig of the year for 2009 though, a magnificent show at Glasgow Tramway.

Miles Davis though, wouldn't have guessed that one...

All of Confuse and Destroy was recorded live to 2-track tape. We used TDK SA-90 and then mastered directly from that.

A TDK SA-90?? Wow - that's lo-fi right enough, mind you at least you took the 'chrome' option.

Yeah, big TG fans. I've got my Sordide Sentimental 'We Hate You Little Guys' 7" close to hand as I type!

Aye? That should fund the reunion tour then...

What a nice bunch of guys. Compliments of the season to ya...



Conemelt - Confuse And Destroy
A1 - Misty Traincrash
A2 - Flashermac
B1 - Cuckoo Clock Rock
B2 - Joys Of Surface Noise
C1 - Big Up The Conemelt / Overbite Nightmare
C2 - Espionage
D1 - BIG And Clever Track
D2 - Motorskating
D3 - Pushbutton Twist

Buy it here

Love And Rockets - Resurrection Hex (Remixes By Deep Dish)

Remix 12" released 1998 on 'Red Ant Entertainment' records.

Love And Rockets? That would be Daniel Ash and David J from Bauhaus, along with David J's wee bruv Kevin. All remixed by Deep Dish (who I was going through a wee phase of at this point).

I was always amazed at the success Love And Rockets had in the USA, as they had fuck all here. I remember they even attempted a scary/comedy/novelty record in the UK called The Bubblemen Are Coming which I duly bought - it was pish though, as you'll realise if you clicked the link there.

What are the mixes like? Well, the A side's an epic dubby, smoky, hissy 12 minute journey with lots of sampled vocal whispers and a big ole bass hook that goes right through you. Despite the name of the mix, there's no samples of "Kick In The Eye" on B1, but instead another fab dub-house mix that goes easy on the vocals this time. B2 is one of those bonus beats/breaks things that I've just stuck on for completion - not much worth bothering about there.

This one goes out to Nolan Micron from the mighty Castles In Space blog, now with added Spinsters Rock. Welcome back to the planet, old son...



Love And Rockets - Resurrection Hex (Remixes By Deep Dish)
A - Resurrection Hex (Deep Dish Luv 'N' Dub Mix)
B1 - Resurrection Hex (Deep Dish Kick In The Eye Dub)
B2 - Resurrection Hex (Deep Dish Hex Beats)

Buy it here

Karin Dreijer Andersson - 6 Mix 12 December 2009

... aka "that bird out The Knife and Fever Ray".

This one's a two-parter: a 2006 Knife Archive Mix from 2006 by her brother Olof Dreijer, then a bang-up-to date Winter Solstice Mix by Karin.

There's a bit of the Mac computer voice explaining what's what, I guess to keep the mystique of the pair of them. Perish the thought that we'd actually get to hear either of them talking. The setlist is looking suitably diverse and should keep my iPod going for a couple of days work travelling.

I've put separate links up for each mix so you can take one, the other or both - whatever floats yer boat. Just the thing to stick on when you've got the post-weekend blues...



The Knife Archive Mix (First broadcast on BBC 6 Music in February 2006)
1 - Intro
2 - Pier Bucci — Jess
3 - The Knife — Silent Shout
4 - The Sun God — Ancient Echoes
5 - Hieroglyphic Being — Linux
6 - DJ Koze — Estrella
7 - Âme — Rej
8 - John Tejada & Arian Leviste — From Empty Words
9 - Jean Michel Jarre Featuring Laurie Andersson — Diva
10 - Jean Michel Jarre — Zoolook
11 - The Sabres of Paradise — Wilmot
12 - Theme From the Film 'Cherbourg'
13 - The Horrorist — The Real Word
14 - Plastikman — Ping-Pong
15 - James T. Cotton — A Long Way Down
16 - James T. Cotton — Distant Trip

Fever Ray Winter Solstice Mix
1 - Intro
2 - Laurie Anderson — White Lilly
3 - Electrelane — The Valleys
4 - Sonic Youth — Shadow Of A Doubt
5 - Plastikman — Disconnect
6 - Silverbullit — Winter Coat
7 - Fennesz — Transit
8 - Charlotte Gainsbourg — Irm
9 - Stina Nordenstam — Parliment Square (The Knife Remix)
10 - Lydia Lunch — Some Boys
11 - Afrirampo — Natsu Ga Kita
12 - Martin Rev — Mari
13 - Skriet — Fåglarna
14 - Tomahawk — Omaha Dance
15 - Laurie Anderson — Radar
16 - Goblin — Suspiria
17 - Converge — Worms Will Feed, Rats Will Feast

Buy Fever Ray stuff here

The Velvet Underground - Singles 1966-69

An early Xmas present to myself, and now to you too...

Must admit, got a bit of a hard-on when I saw this 7x7" box set in the shop the other day. Especially when the sales guy said that the pressings were amazing and that they were designed to be played LOUD. The attention to detail in the label design and the sleeves is outstanding - I've just sat and scanned the whole lot in and included it in the download.

I know it's only just out but it's not the kind of thing that's won't sell just because some prick's put it up on the internet. I've justified this to myself in my head. If anyone from Sundazed music's reading this and wants me to pull it then fair do's.

Get the lowdown on all the recordings here on the Discogs page - this is something else! My all-time favourite band and I've finally got the All Tomorrows Parties single, which is one of only two records that I've got on my Discogs wantlist and it's never come up the whole time I've been on it (this is the other one - offered a guy £120 for it and he said no, he was after £199 and it didn't even have the insert - cunt).

These are the original mono recordings, and all are different to their album equivalents. Being the sad cunt that I am, I ripped both White Light/White Heats and both sides of Single 7, despite each side being the same. Didn't want you to feel that you were missing out on anything.

Stay tuned for some more festive treats over the coming weeks...




The Velvet Underground - Singles 1966-69
Single One
A - All Tomorrow's Parties
B - I'll Be Your Mirror

Single Two
A - Sunday Morning
B - Femme Fatale

Single Three
A - White Light/White Heat
B - Here She Comes Now

Single Four
A - White Light/White Heat
B - I Heard Her Call My Name (Alternate Mono Mix)

Single Five
A - Temptation Inside Your Heart
B - Stephanie Says

Single Six
A - What Goes On
B - Jesus

Single Seven
A - VU Radio Spot
B - VU Radio Spot

Buy it here

Depeche Mode - See You

1982 12" from Basildon's finest.

Synth-pop era DM, back when 12"s were a pure rip off, as per the track times on this 12" - two tracks each coming in at under 5mins? Get tae fuck. Just as well I bought it way after the event and paid under the odds, then.

It's not so much about the A-side which I'm sure you'll be familiar with (albeit with its 'regular' timing), this one's all about the flip where the backing track sounds like it's being played too fast until the vocal comes in. It's a lost gem of a DM track - just the ticket to get you in the mood if you're off to see them on the current tour.

When I saw them earlier in the year it was in a stadium with a great sound system in a beautiful city in the summer. How it'll fair at the aircraft hangar that is the SECC in pissing wet misty Glasgow in darkest December's anyone's guess. I'll still be there tomorrow night though, might even venture down the front...



Depeche Mode - See You
A - See You (Extended Version)
B - Now, This Is Fun (Extended Version)

Buy it here