Kompakt 100
Kompakt is to release a compilation album of remixes, ‘Kompakt 100’, to celebrate its 100th release. The album, released on June 28, comprises reworkings of the Cologne-based label’s back catalogue by its current roster. You can read it on Jockey Slut, but not (much) on their own website. Strange (or underground, don't know).

Martians and Catastrophes
DJ Martian chooses Kenny Larkin's comeback after 6 years, "The Narcissist" album of the week and writes a raving review.
The Day After Tomorrow is ... rubbish (oh no, another review! Just couldn't help it)

Check out the DKD debut album
DKD are (a broken beat supergroup?) Dego (from 4hero), Kaidi Tatham and Daz-I-Kue (from Bugz in the Attic). The album is called Future Rage and is released (after an early 2004 Japanese edition) by Bitasweetblack and distributed by Goya Music.

Soft Pink Joke

Picked up a second hand copy of the Soft Pink Truth album and ... is it good? Well, yes it is. BUT it is also a joke and call me boring but I do not like joke albums. There has been many joke albums in the past, and I tried very hard to remeber one that I liked and ... I liked none. The legend tells that this album was made after a bet between the author, Drew Daniel, one half of Matmos, and Herbert who challenged Daniel to make a house album. What he did was a joke, a "funny" crossover between Herbert's sound and some disco pastiches. Still, the album is fine. Is only that I do not get the joke, or if I get it just don't make me laugh. Having said that, I still enjoy the track Soft Pink Missy included also in the Famous When Dead II compilation.

Editor's Note: Since making reviews is against the principles of this blog, the Editor holds the right to delete or edit this post. For a more authorised (and favourable) review read Andy Kellman's at All Music: "Glitched-up, busted, bootylicious house (...) rife with incredibly pleasurable rhythms and ensnaring hooks galore, the Soft Pink Truth's Do You Party? is a stunner"

Domu-Umod
Dominic Stanton (aka Domu, and one half of Yotoko) will be releasing his first CD under the alias of Umod ("Enter the Umod") on the 7th of June. You can hear the tracks in the Sonar Kollektiv website, the German label that will issue the CD.

NewOrder NewAlbum News
My all time favourite band, New Order, are currently "holed up in a studio in Bath working on their 8th studio album". Is it good news? Not sure, since they are not making anything decent since ... hum ... the "Regret" single back in 1993?

Two big big festivals with amazing line ups coming very soon

Movement in Detroit, 29, 30, 31 of May
Movement will be releasing a Movement CD: the official soundtrack of Detroit 's Electronic Music Festival. This 3 CD box-set, compiled and edited by Derrick May and Kevin Reynolds (Transmat Records) will be made available exclusively in America (???) at the start of the 2004 Movement Festival. Check the tracklisting here.

Sonar in Barcelona, the 17, 18 and 19 of June. No details about the usual luxurious Sonar CD provided yet.

Matthew Dear (live on stage) at Paradiso

Voltt is back on June 12 this time with Matthew Dear aka Jabberjaw). The guys from Voltt brought Villalobos on February (and I missed it).
The Line Up:
Main room: Matthew Dear (live) DJs: Toni Rios, Bart Skills
Bovenzaal: Amdam K (live) DJs: Break 3000 and Kostas Hom

Inspirit at Mazzo tonight

FRI.21: "Inspirit Music presents" DJ’s Jimpster(UK), Trentemoller(DK),b-ART, vocals by Amma(UK) 23.00-05.00

Is this the deep house week or what? Trentemoller was cited by DHN as one of the artists of the year in his best of the year feature for his releases "In Progress" and "Trentemoller EP" both on Naked Music. I copy below the press release from the Inspirit website.

Jamie Odell aka Jimpster is co-founder of the London-based Freerange label but most of all a very talented DJ and producer. His productions and remixes under the Audiomontage and Jimpster monikers have found their way to (compilation) albums on labels such as Compost Records (Future Sound of Jazz), Naked Music (Lost on Arrival), Peacefrog (Charles Webster) and Hooj Choons (Tom Middleton’s Sound of the Cosmos). His sound is best described as a fusion of nu-jazz, broken beats, and upfront deephouse.

Trentemøller is a multi-talented producer from Denmark who has given the deephouse scene a fresh twist with his electro-tinged productions and remixes for Naked Music amongst others.

Another hot deep house release!

Belgian band Swirl People released his new album, Special Combo on Aroma records the 17th of May. Check out his new website and listen to the radio edit of the opener "Lideloo dow dow".

New Kaskade CD out now!

Om records has released the new Kaskade CD, the follow up to his fantastic "It's you, it's me". It is called "In the Moment" and the tracklist is: 1. Steppin' Out 2. Maybe 3. I Like The Way 4. Honesty 5. Sweet Love 6. Strum 7. One You 8. Interlude 9. Soundtrack To The Soul 10. Everything 11. Yeah Right 12. Move 13. Let You Go
A review by Rick Anderson is already availabe on allmusic.com.

The first ever House Music Awards?

I read in Deephousenetwork that "this is very first ever Global House Music Award Ceremony". Nominations can be submitted till the 30th of June. On July the 15th the nominees are announced and the voting commences. The 6th of August the voting closes. You have to register and vote. Please do NOT vote no cure as you favourite web resource.

The House Music Awards categories:
Best Single - Best Album - Best Label - Artist of the Year - Best Vocal - Best Live Performance - Best Remix - Most Innovative Producer - DJ of the Year - Breakthrough DJ - Best Venue - Best Club Night - Best Event WMC - Standout Track of WMC - Best Magazine - Best Web Resource - Best Radio Station (Frequency or Internet) - Best Radio Show - Best Store - Most Innovative Technology - Contribution to House Music

As DJ of the year, people has voted so far the following: Smokin Jo, Carl Cox, Junior Jack, Derrick Carter, Joey Negro, Danny Tenaglia, Roger Sanchez, Kenny Dope, Seamus Haji, Ben Watt, Steve Lawler, Nic Fanciulli, Louie Vega, Brian Tappert, Mark Knight, Copyright, Neil Pierce, Danny Howells, Aaron Ross, Lee-Cabrera, Danny Rampling, DJ Gregory, Erick Morillo, Grant Nelson, Deep Dish, Tim Deluxe, Lottie, Kaskade, Nick Bridges.

Quite a nice lot

Detroit Fives

One hundred and nine people entered their top five favourite detroit techno tunes on Forcefield.org. This is the result.

Top 15 tunes

18 - carl craig - at les (buzz/planet e)
15 - rhythim is rhythim - icon (buzz/transmat)
13 - 69 - desire (infonet/planet e)
12 - rhythim is rhythim - it is what it is (transmat)
12 - underground resistance - journey of the dragon (ur)
11 - model 500 - night drive (metroplex)
11 - model 500 - no ufo's (metroplex)
10 - underground resistance - hi tech jazz (ur)
09 - underground resistance - jupiter jazz (ur)
08 - r tyme - r theme (transmat)
07 - underground resistance - final frontier (ur)
07 - rhythim is rhythim - strings of life (transmat)
06 - infiniti - game one (metroplex)
06 - underground resistance - illuminator (ur)
06 - kenny larkin - tedra (warp)

And these are the top 15 producers

80 - carl craig
79 - juan atkins
65 - underground resistance
64 - derrick may
21 - kevin saunderson
20 - drexciya
18 - kenny larkin
15 - jeff mills
14 - robert hood
14 - 'red planet'
11 - burden brothers
10 - james pennington
09 - blake baxter
09 - anthony shakir
07 - rolando

Got two good promo CDs

One is Quant's new CD, released by the Vienna label Eccochamber.
Read a review here, here, or here.

The other one is Peven Everett's Kissing Game. Originally released in 2002, has been re packaged and re edited by Kindred Spirits, now includes the 12" version of "Puerto Rico". I loved "Gabriel", his collaboration with Roy Davies Jr., and I like this one too.

Theo Parrish's "Parallel Dimensions" CD re issued

Next week, Ubiquity is releasing a new pressing of Theo Parrish's "Parallel Dimensions" CD. This album was originally released on Parrish's Sound Signature label in 2000. Check the beyondjazz.net review here.

Share the fall ...
hyper energetic though disappointing concert of Roni Size yesterday in Melkweg.

Amsterdam's 05 Days Off Line Up

WEDNESDAY 14 JULY MELKWEG:
Ellen Allien, Tiefschwarz (Basti), Felix Da Housecat, The Hacker, Manhead, Dj Frigidaire (Vive La Fete), 2πR modeshow, Freestylers(live), Lauruz Lauhaus

THURSDAY 15 JULY MELKWEG:
Hakan Libdo (live), das Bierbeben (live), Apparat (live), T.Ramschmiere (DJ), Peter Grummich, D. Meteo, Team Shadetek (live), WARP dj's en visuals, Chris Clark (live), Matthew Herbert, Jamie Lidell (live)

FRIDAY 16 JULY MELKWEG:
Joost van Bellen, 2 Many Dj's, Erol Alkan, Tiga (live), Ivan Smagghe (Blackstrobe Dj), Josz Lebon, Sandrien

FRIDAY 16 JULY PARADISO:
Louie Vega And His Elements Of Life, Osunlade's live band, Cassie 6, Leroy, Antal, Gary, Kc The Funkaholic

SATURDAY 17 JULY MELKWEG:
Life Savas, Lyrics Born, Roni Size live, Tali live, Adi-J, Flannagan, MC Dapper, L-Dopa

SATURDAY 17 JULY PARADISO:
San Proper, Comtron (live), Eric De Man, Jack Undercover Goes Underground, Roger Sanchez presents "Release Yourself", Tom De Neef, Melon

SUNDAY 18 JULY MELKWEG:
Jori Hullkonen, Avril, Laurent Garnier, Fabrice Lig, Scan X, The Youngsters, Richard, Aron Friedman

SUNDAY 18 JULY PARADISO:
Ata, Ricardo Villalobos live, Richie Hawtin, Magda, Rework (live), Losoul (live), Spektrum (live), Bart Skils, Kostas Hom

Music Overdose
New acquisitions: "Day by Day" Delsin Comp., Matthew Dear "Leave Luck to Heaven", Moodymann "Black Mahogani", Deepart "Snapshots", "Compilation 2" Music for Speakers Comp., Andres "Andres".
With thanks to Rush Hour (also for the great present: Peven Everett's "Kissing Game" promo CD!) and Fame Music record shops in Amsterdam.

Roni Size at the Melkweg
Roni Size is playing (live in the mix feat. Dynamite & Tali) this Sunday in Melkweg.

... and Mr. C at Mazzo
Mr. C, the former singer of The Shamen and now boss of End Recordings is DJing this Saturday at Mazzo.

Ishkur's Guide to Electronic music

I find this very funny. Do not miss the tunes they choose to illustrate the genres.

A top ten and a review

Andy Kellman's (raving) review of Moodymann's new album is now available at All Music. Surfing the web I found Andy's top ten list of 2003 at the Village Voice website.

This is the top ten list.

1 Matthew Dear - Leave Luck to Heaven (Ghostly International)
2 David Sylvian - Blemish (Samadhi Sound)
3 Jay-Z - The Black Album (Roc-A-Fella)
4 Monolake - Momentum (Monolake)
5 Ricardo Villalobos - Alcachofa (Playhouse)
6 Dizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner (XL)
7 Broadcast - Haha Sound (Warp)
8 Lawrence - The Absence of Blight (Dial/Kompakt)
9 Kelis - Tasty Star (Trak/Arista)
10 Andres - Andres (Mahogani)

New Moodymann CD available now

Yesterday, Peacefrog released the new Moodymann CD, the follow up to last year Silence in the Secret Garden. It is called Black Mahogani and the tracklisting is 1. Holiday 2. Roberta Jean Machine 3. I Need You So Much 4. Runaway 5. I’m Doing Fine 6. Shades Of Jae 7. Riley’s Song 8. Back At Bakers (On Livernois) 9. Mahogani 9000 10. Black Mahogani
According to Boomkat it should be "one of the slinkiest late-night vibed albums you’ll hear all year".

Two lost classics

Two new songs in my iPod. "Cost of Living" by Nu Era and "Tarenah" by Psychedelic Research Lab. I got them in a Mixmag compilation CD called Lost Classics, and I learned that both songs are also included in the Deepest Shade of Techno double CD compiled by 4Hero and released by SSR in 1996. This compliation is out of press at the moment but ... I just ordered a second-hand copy from Amazon Germany. The line up includes John Beltran, Ti To Ton, Morgan Geist, Octave One, Underground Resistance .... Can't wait!

A bit of nostalgia

That moment ... It was back in 1989. After a night out, I went to some British friends' apartment in El Carmen district in Valencia. They had a Sony Megabass stereo or something like that. They started playing on it (very loud) something that was new to me. It was dance music, but not cheesy. It was techno, but not dark. It was great! They told me it was Adamski's Liveandirect album. Stunning. Months later Adamski would become a star with the hit (uk number one?) classic single Killer, which featured another soon-to-be-a-star Seal. Something changed in my musical view at that moment. I knew dance music could be exciting again. Innovative, risky, moving, hard. Could MCA, now Universal, re issue the album, please? I know it is not a classic, but it was so special a that time. So much the sound of its time ...

My iPod is full

Damm it! So everytime I want to upload music I have to think what to delete ... I am now uploading (second-hand already, yup!) the 4hero's remix album so the drama is served. I already had the Jazzanova remix of "We who are not as others" so I can save a song ;-(