shinypixel.co.uk » Music

Swamp Thing

Rik — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:27:03 +0000

The first full-length CD album I bought was The Grid’s Evolver. A lifetime appreciation for the inappropriate juxtaposition of banjos against loud synth stabs was born.

The Grid – Swamp Thing

My Favourite Band

Rik — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:29:49 +0000

“What’s your favourite band?” asked someone the other day. A surprisingly easy question – it’s The Art of Noise. “Who?” or perhaps “Why?” you quiz keenly. Because they made stuff like this. 25 years ago.

The Art of Noise – Back Beat

Let’s All Chant

Rik — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:55:54 +0000

This rather shocking piece of history is mainly notable for Pat Sharp’s quite stellar hair. I bought a cassette tape compilation from a Northants car boot sale around 20 years ago, the highlight of which this charidee cover of the Michael Zager band which rose to Number 5 in the charts. (Well, it was the 80s.) Didn’t realise it was actually a PWL production until I looked it up just now, but even so I still maintain that the synthy ‘Everybody move your body’ refrain is still pretty damn memorable even today.

Pat & Mick – Let’s All Chant

(I) Can, Can (You?)

Rik — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:55:06 +0000

The glorious silliness of having the Can Can played by Vanessa-Mae with a 4/4 beat and a slew of samples lobbed on top is only matched by my desire to find the time to re-edit this into something even sillier. I can’t believe it’s taken me about 15 years to notice this even existed.

Review – Strange Rollers & Lucas : The Plan E.P.

Rik — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:12:35 +0000

Ever heard of 140 Jungle? No, neither had I. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll be glad that you have now. A multi-monickered genre essentially reminiscent of – I imagine – 4am in the quiet backroom at Dreamscape in the early 1990s, it’s a rolling, slo-mo collection of breaks ‘n’ bass that’s as at home in your lounge at 1am on a Thursday as in a grimy tent in a forest. Just as well, because the former is where it sat on heavy repeat just this morning.

The Hardcore Lives crew dropped me a promo of their latest offering just yesterday and it’s quite unlike anything I’ve heard – from them or otherwise – for some time, and all the better for it. As dark and minimal as the cover implies, yet retaining a head-nodding accessibility and memorable bassline that leaves you reaching for Repeat.

A Roni Size-esque rumble underpins There’s Something Out There‘s minimal stylings, gaps between percussive breaks filled with sirens, telephone and ragga shouts evocative of jungle history. Thin, lush pads, looped 30s horror-movie backgrounds and the occasional horn leave the listener’s old-skool desires satisfied.

Does progressive drum ‘n’ bass exist? If so, The Plan is a great example. Building around the rise and fall of a wonky, lethargic but catchy riff alongside choppy amen, an intriguingly quiet 4/4 pushes the tune along at an urgent pace. A sparkling secondary synth line adds an unexpectedly sparkling atmosphere, and it’s easy to expect the whole tune to be verging on a big breakdown or reveal – that this never happens it’s no bad thing. For me, this is the gem of the two; extremely listenable indeed.

The Plan E.P. is out soon on Hardcore Lives Records.

Islands

Rik — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:02:44 +0000

It may not be that warm outside, but this sublime, floaty remix of The XX by Delorean will mean it’s summer in your head, at least:

The XX – Islands [Delorean Remix]

Better Than A Dream

Rik — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:34:38 +0000

Hands up who remembers The Dreamstone? You know, that one with the green bearded lion things, a floating dog/fish hybrid, some Urpneys and the overall air of folksy fantasia? If that’s brought back fond memories, you’ll be as pleased as me to hear that the cracking soundtrack is available to buy, including the closing theme that we all know so well:

Mike Batt – Better Than A Dream

(Bonus fact: It’s quite surprising that Mike Batt sang the theme tune to The Wombles. Not as surprising as the news that they’re playing at Glastonbury this year, though.)

ISO Standard Work Music

Rik — Sun, 15 May 2011 11:52:22 +0000

The other evening/early morning I was up late coding – no grand surprise there. While cursing quietly and achieving minor victory in equal measure, some familiar, soft electronica smoothed the path toward success. In one of the few moments I noticed it was even there, I got to thinking about the same small stack of albums that have been doing this for the last ten years. Glossing quickly past the disquieting realisation that I started university over a decade ago, this ISO Standard Work Music (to coin a phrase from those work-hard, play-hard halcyon days) was something I thought I’d share.

So turn back the clock, imagine you have an un-started 5,000-word essay/programming assignment to finish by morning, and enjoy a night out on the keyboard with DJ Rik Ward, circa 2001, at the helm…

10pm – 12:30am : Deep & Chilled Euphoria (mixed by Red Jerry)

A masterpiece of pensive synth, ambient wash and twinkle, this hefty double-CD soundtrack of being in for the long haul was notable for the significant number of unavailable-elsewhere dubbed-out remixes of popular euphoric trance of the era. Deep & Chilled Euphoria took an expertly mixed journey from quiet, rumbling beginnings through the plainitive yearning of (a mis-labelled Irresistible Force mix of) Coldcut’s Autumn Leaves and a memorably sparkling, sparse version of BBE’s seminal Seven Days and One Week.

One Discogs reviewer describes it as an “incredible” release filled with “essential ambient gems” and I’d be inclined to agree. As a double-bonus, one of the tracks has the excellently-named “Tim ‘Love’ Lee’s Semi-Bearded Remix” and the first CD contains something by Rui Da Silva that’s actually any good.

After 2 hours of ear-paddling, Moby brings the album to a close and you’re snapped out of your entranced concentration for a brief moment. The silence lasts for as long as it takes for you to open your browser and go to…

12:30 – 4:30 : Soma FM’s Drone Zone & Beat Blender

Many are aware of soma.fm‘s perenially popular and undeniably funky Groove Salad which, although occasionally verging on the ambient, is just a little too groovesome for that special all-nighter mix of isolation and concentration. Enter Drone Zone, which is still playing its trademark “atmospheric textures” as I write this, 11 years on. Best described as sounding a little like you’re floating in space, the minimal soundscapes gently change as the midnight oil slowly burns away.

As the morning wears on and you inevitably begin to flag, up the tempo with Beat Blender, which lies somewhere in between the aforementioned two – slightly funkier beats lie alongside some deep, ponderous house to keep your brain ticking over as dawn approaches.

4:30 – 6:30 : Progressive Anthems

It’s getting serious now. The sun is behind the horizon, as is the home stretch. If only you could stay awake! Quickly whipping out something to bludgeon your brain into paying attention, you whack Progressive Anthems on the stereo. After briefly marvelling at the no-expense-spent cover art with its ground-breaking use of periods, your psyche latches once more onto vaguely-familiar mixes of then-recent trance floor-fillers.

This time, however, a variety of producers with even sillier names – Fred Numf feat. Five Point O for example – have been drafted in to make them longer and rather less interesting, which is exactly what you need. Storm, Schiller, X-Press 2 and (god forbid) Tomba Vira thud past in an unremarkable yet not unenjoyable way that only early 90s progressive trance can. Before you know it, 2 hours have gone by, and it’s half 6 in the morning. How’s that assignment coming along?

6:30 – 8:00 : Chicane – Behind The Sun

The sky is orange, and the warm pads of Overture wash in your direction as you eye your word processor and realise you’re over the word limit and furthermore, you like what you see. Somewhere nearby, a programmer surrounded by long-forgotten pizza has finally written something that works.

Your spirit lifts, and you hum along to the bittersweet melancholy of No Ordinary Morning. By the time you’ve got to Saltwater the editing stage is two-thirds undereway and it’s looking cogent and coherent. Confidence is rising and your warbling along to Clannad can be heard in the next room. Bryan Adams’ appearance on the ropey Don’t Give Up goes unnoticed – the euphoria is building, you’ve cracked open a Coke and started on reformatting the headings.

The sun rises over the halls of residence to the final strains of Andromeda, bathing your room in colour as your enormous HP printer rambunctiously rattles out the finished article, waking up the rest of your corridor in the process. Coat and trainers on, you stride purposefully out towards your department in the dozy morning sunshine.

Now, don’t spend all afternoon in the bar. You remember what your mother told you about alcohol, don’t you?

Twitter Campaign, Twitter Campaign

Rik — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:30:01 +0000

I’ve always been a fan of quirky irono-poppists Spray, and their latest EP, We’re Nihilists, Not Stylists is no exception. This popped up in the b3ta newsletter last week and I think it’s worth spreading the word; made me smile at least.

One for people who like the idea of Drivvle, I’d say.

Spray – Twitter Campaign

The rest of the EP is well worth a listen and purchase too, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Only Sleeping

Rik — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:19:07 +0000

Been a bit quiet around these parts lately. So let’s puncture that silence with a couple of excellent tunes containing mouth-organs.

Sorry, did you need a reason?

Psychemagik – Whoopin’ The Booze

Lemon Interupt – Bigmouth

(You all remember who Lemon Interupt became, don’t you? Hint: It’s Underworld)

Rock Out With Your Mock Out

Rik — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:01:50 +0000

Afternoon. (That was going to be “morning” but my website mysteriously disappeared for a while.)

In need of some big hair, loud guitars, and a good laugh, I found myself on YouTube this morning. There I found this excellent little ditty which is vaguely reminiscent of some things I once knew. Not sure if you’ll remember them. Something to do with royalty…

Rock Sugar – We Will Kickstart Your Rhapsody

Timber

Rik — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:35:41 +0000

Oh, hello there. What’s that? You’d like something interesting to listen to on this breezy Tuesday afternoon? Well, young scamp, you’ve come to the right place.

Has it really been nearly fifteen years since this was produced? Lawks. This old-timer was too busy complaining about tedious house and trying to avoid grunge at the time, thus discovering this sometime in the following millennium. Still, a classic piece of AV that everyone should have in their life:

Coldcut & Hexstatic – Timber

Everybody Have Fun Tonight

Rik — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 12:12:41 +0000

Psychemagik have a habit of tracking down my fave 80s tracks and making face-boggling re-edits of them. This makes me simultaneously pleased, jealous and worried that they’re stalking my questionable taste. Lo! Mere (lengthy) moments before a recent AOR Disco-themed cheese & wine party at Chez Rik, up turned the digital news that they’d released a re-rub of another of my most-played neon classics.

Having ticked off perennial fave Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac last year, the mysterious editors-at-large have now scored number two with Wang Chung’s fret-tastic Dance Hall Days. Taking the 7″ and 12″ versions, plus some reverb and a hammer, with some sound effects that I can only assume come from one of the mixes I don’t have, they produce a jiggly edit that orbits the central riff just far enough away to make you re-hum it uncontrollably every time it thwangs back in with a vengeance.

The only minor downside comes when a rent-a-rap temporarily, yet inadvisedly barges in at about 5 minutes, but that’s nothing that couldn’t be sorted with a re-edited edit, if you were so inclined.

Overall though, top stuff. (The cheese & wine party approved.)

Wang Chung – Dance Hall Days [Psychemagik's Leg Warmer Edit]

Lollipop

Rik — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:09:32 +0000

[14:59] Rik Ward: I’m in a field
[14:59] Rik Ward: There are trees
[14:59] Rik Ward: I am drinking cider
[14:59] Rik Ward: A hamper of triangular sandwiches is close by
[14:59] Rik Ward: Everything is orange

Monsieur Minimal – Lollipop

No Regrets

Rik — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:24:16 +0000

I occasionally go through spates of listening to The Walker Brothers, usually after they pop up on the Radio 2 playlist and are quickly promoted to my stereo on rotation.

However, one thing I didn’t know until moments ago was that Midge Ure covered No Regrets. It sounds exactly how you’d expect it to:

Midge Ure – No Regrets

The Walker Brothers – No Regrets

We Play The Pipe

Rik — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:21:32 +0000

Disco Rapido – We Play The Pipe

“Will Pipe For Food” claim this silly duo who seem to be confusing the populace of a Northern town centre with an irritatingly catchy Eurocheese slice aimed squarely at the contintental dancefloor. A suspected Ricardo Autobahn production.

File under “so bad it’s good” and “why am I listening to this for the 17th time?”

Rik’s Most Played, January 2011

Rik — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:18:10 +0000

Thought it may be of mild interest to see what the last month’s most played tunes were my mp3 player, and provide some listening links. As it turns out, they’re an odder bunch than I expected:

1. Everything Everything – MY KZ, UR BF (Grum Remix)

2. Pacific! – Narcissus (Jagz Kooner Remix)

3. Greg Lake – I Believe In Father Christmas (Yes, really)

4. Adam Freeland – Mancry

5. Probspot – God Shaped Hole

6. Von Haze – Outsyd Tha Nite (White Car Edit) [Salem Remix]

7. Binary Finary – 1998/99 (Eufeion Remix)

8. DJ Fade, X-Cess & G’Netic – Dreamworld

9. Rock Sugar – Don’t Stop The Sandman

10. DJ Deluxe – Venga Conmigo (Spanish Mix)

Make whatever you like out of that lot!

Rumbly and Exciting

Rik — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:42:44 +0000

…is exactly how I describe this epic piece of haunting dubstep-lite thwobbing that Treblekicker punted my way the other day. It’s hovered around the top of my Most Played list ever since.

It sounds a bit like being in an abandoned cathedral with a broken torch would feel at 2:35am after 11 cans of Red Bull. If that interests you, you should press Play below.

Von Haze – Outsyde Tha Nite (White Car Edit) [Salem Remix]

Friday Tune: Narcissus

Rik — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:28:47 +0000

Ran across this yesterday and it’s well worth sharing. I loved the original but it was a tad short, so this stretched-out dancefloor-friendly remix is just the ticket.

No high concepts here, just some Ronseal hands-in-the-air clubbery. Last one to the podium is a Coldplay fan.

PACIFIC! – Narcissus (Jagz Kooner remix) MP3 by sigimarra

Update: I removed the widget as it was causing browser crashes – cheers Soundcloud!

Hardcore Energy 2 Storms the Charts

Rik — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:23:13 +0000

Just a quick one for fans of the old-skool vibe. The latest Hardcore Lives mega-compilation (featuring a smattering of the best bits from their last few releases) has stormed into the Trackitdown Breaks chart; its highest position so far has been 2, pipped to the post by the Plump DJs (well, fair enough then.)

Congratulations to the HCL guys for their hard work! (And yours truly for the lovely cover, natch.)

Hardcore Energy 2 – The Second Coming

You’re No Fun Any More

Rik — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 14:19:54 +0000

I wonder sometimes, I really do. Now, I know that the sample-driven, electronic music world is a self-feeding monster and all that, but I didn’t expect to see this crop up:

Dani L. Mebius – Synth ‘n’ Strings

Sadly, this update of the Yomanda classic left me wanting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad – if it turned up in a club I’d no doubt be jumping. However, I remember the original slice of dubious late-90s trance with intense fondness as a bona-fide Northamptonshire Anthem, so it’s inextricably connected with the heady days of my yoof that I’ll never recapture. I suppose I just wish that this re-rub had kept a little more of the unabashed silliness of those halcyon days the original.

But that’s because I’m old, and you get like that, unfortunately. It’s nice to see this having an outing again on plastic. (Damn kids.)

Rik’s Christmas Countdown: No. 10

Rik — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 15:45:03 +0000

Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You

I owe the fact that I am continually reminded of this tune’s existence to Trixie‘s insatiable desire to play it during our DJing days back at Uni. It’s a fantastic tune and one that for some (probably licensing-related) reason never seems to turn up on compilation albums or anywhere apart from music video channels.

That means, that to raise awareness of this absolute anthem, you are required to grab the nearest three people and dance with them as soon as you hear this. Whether you’re in the pub, at the shops, or in the dentist, it doesn’t matter. Get them to do the same thing too, and soon we’ll be doing justice all over the country to one of the most danceable classic Christmas hits around.

(If you want to see the original video, you’ll have to watch it on YouTube as embedding is disabled. Cheers, Sony!)

Rik’s Christmas Countdown: No. 11

Rik — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 10:24:55 +0000

Mel & Kim – Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree

What can I say? This slice of cheerful, cheesy, charity schmaltz should melt the heart of any Christmas curmudgeon. I tried to find the best quality video as it’s worth watching the sheer, extreme, unadulterated 80s-ness of the thing. Ironic faux-60s attire, brown wallpaper, decor only a grandmother could love, Spitting Image puppets and “alternative comedy” humour splashed throughout. Shame some TV berk has slapped some whacking great graphics over everyone at the beginning, though.

Mel Smith (with the odd smattering of Jones) and Kim Wilde fronted this Comic Relief-supporting number as Mel & Kim, parodying Pete Waterman’s Hit Factory-produced duo of the same name. (I hear they were more “Respectable”…) As far as these things go, the consistent interjected asides are well-done and appropriate, and the faux-impromptu refrain is for me at least, a tiny but memorable moment.

The last 10 tunes are coming up soon… Who will be at No. 1?

Rik’s Christmas Countdown: No. 12

Rik — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:30:15 +0000

A Spaceman Came Travelling – Chris De Burgh

He’s a bit Marmite, Chris De Burgh. Lady In Red will either make you swoon or run a mile. I have in fact managed to make it do both – for your information, the difference between the two seems to be about 50 plays. Apart from that song and this Xmas one I know absolutely nothing of Mr. De B’s career.

Thankfully, I know people who do, and I’m reliably informed that this comes from an experimental album which is (and I quote) “very good”.

Quite a satisfying piece of melancholy rumination on the Christmas story, which does a great job of tempering the holly-jolly exuberance when placed in the midst of a set of Xmas pop, which is exactly what it’s doing in this Xmas chart.

Finally, I couldn’t possibly mention anything about Chris De Burgh without a Christmas toast to the friend who will forever be linked with the sound of his voice. You know who you are.

Rik’s Christmas Countdown: No. 13

Rik — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:30:25 +0000

Mud – Lonely This Christmas

“Is this Elvis?” My dad once asked. No, it’s not, but you wouldn’t be alone in wondering.

It’s in fact 70s pop boogie-meisters Mud – most famous for “Tiger Feet” – having a bit of a gentle laugh at the 50s Xmas-song style. They did it rather too well, and it actually caught on, becoming the popularly-misattributed hit we know today.

A few years ago I was drinking in Soho with a good friend whom I hadn’t seen for a long time, and it was nearly Christmas. We’d been discussing seasonal songs, and as the night wore on our club-style karaoke renditions were doing wonders for chucking-out time. Somehow in the haze, the carols had gradually merged with a previous anecdote regarding some fishing-trip away-day.

Dear reader, I’d love you to imagine – just for a moment – two twenty-something men, lurching down Charing Cross Road toward Leicester Square, singing loudly and proudly…

“It’ll be lonely in Hampshire, without you to hold / It’ll be lonely in Hampshire, lonely and cold…”

To all the alarmed tourists and reasonable passers-by, we’re sorry. We really are.