shinypixel.co.uk » Whimsy

Happy Birthday, Sonic

Rik — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:08:49 +0000

For those who missed it, Sonic The Hedgehog was 20 yesterday. To celebrate, here’s 10 facts (plus a bonus) which I randomly squeezed out onto Twitter last night and you may have missed. All of these are true.

No. 1: Sonic 2 was released on “Sonic 2-sday”, which was a Tuesday, which was a great play on words but also quite odd.

No. 2: The cheat codes for Sonic 2 in the UK were exclusively revealed in the VHS databurst on ITV’s Bad Influence!

No. 3: Rik once knew 10 cheat codes/glitches for Sonic 2. Play 19, 65, 09, 17 in Sound Test & A+Start in menu for level select.

No. 4: Sonic & Knuckles gives a series of “special stages” if plugged into any other MD cart, A+B+C+Start on title screen.

No. 5: Sonic CD had a cheat code that allowed you to play with the orientation of the 3D cloud texture on the title screen.

No. 6: The Sonic CD Wacky Workbench zones – the Past variant – had a secret statue in a room that threw you rings.

No. 7: Sonic 2 & Knuckles contains a bunch of new extra lives in hard-to-reach places that require climbing. Have a hunt.

No. 8: The Spring Yard Zone (Act 1, I think) is the only level in Sonic 1 to have 2 separate exit signs. (They both spin.)

No. 9: Extra lives in Master System Sonic 1 disappeared forever after collection, except one which gave 2 lives & didn’t.

No. 10: Tails’ full name is Miles “Tails” Prower, the quality of which as a pun is left as an exercise for the reader.

Bonus Mario Fact: Super Mario Bros. 2 was a completely unrelated Japanese game, with some sprites & title screens changed.

An Evening At Westfield

Rik — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:58:12 +0000

Just stopping by the country’s largest shopping centre for a drink and some bunting. Y’know, as you do.

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?

Just A Little…

Rik — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:34:58 +0000

…Hammersmith in the evening. I’ve got some long-form posts on the boil but as a wanton social butterfly my time to complete them is scant. In the meantime, have this pic from yesterday’s 5-mile (count ‘em!) walk home.

The Long Way Home

Rik — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:04:25 +0000

Hyde Park, Monday, during my walk home from Piccadilly Circus to Hammersmith. Hopefully a fair few more where this came from in future.

How Random

Rik — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:03:12 +0000

You can take a man out of university, but…

Lunch

Rik — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:44:06 +0000

…was today complemented by this adorable little fellow:

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.

Tea and Empathy

Rik — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:43:44 +0000

What better way to spend a hot, balmy spring day than at a quaint tearoom with friends, with warm sausage rolls, English Breakfast and scones? Indeed.

Snapshot

Rik — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 10:38:57 +0000

It’s 11:31 in the morning, and the sun is streaming in through the windows. Remnants of crackers and cheese sit next to a languid cup of tea, made from a nondescript drawstring teabag reminiscent of a Nottingham hotel. Later it’s tea and cake with friends near Kew Gardens. Karma Chameleon shuffles onto the lounge stereo; one of the first tunes I remember hearing when I was little. It looks like we have run out of bread.

Not a cloud in the sky.

Hardcore Energy : Phase 3

Rik — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:29:11 +0000

The lovely bods at Hardcore Lives Records have released a new compilation called Phase III.

I mention it, as usual, because I do their cover art, but if you’re in any way into the chunky oldskool rave vibe from the early half of the 90s, the quite astounding value of £8.99 for 37 tracks must surely appeal. How they do it all is beyond me – I just sit down with a pint and make the sleeves and then magically a release pops out one day. Wizards, I tell you. Of the sonic, perhaps.

Oh No, Not Again…

Rik — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 06:54:21 +0000

Stood on a platform in the idle cold, awaiting the trundle of a Tube to curl up on and doze away the beginining a weekend in the country.

Normal, occasional, service resumes on Monday!

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]

Yup…

Rik — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:41:13 +0000

…that pretty much sums it up, really.

Christmas Day at Dusk

Rik — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:37:33 +0000

Not the greatest photo in the world (it’s from my mobile) but nevertheless it gives at least an impression of the frozen Northamptonshire countryside during last year’s festive snow.

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!

Welcome to 2011

Rik — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:27:42 +0000

Perhaps my biggest regret of last year is that Rik’s Xmas Countdown was cruelly curtailed by something both unreasonable, unavoidable and unfun. No thanks to Vodafone’s entirely pointless and wrongheaded network-level permanent Youtube mobile redirect which prevented me uploading the rest via the smartphone connection I did have out among the frozen forests. The one saving grace is that it ended at No. 10, which is a nice round number and so next year can be that top ten. (Apologies to those boogie-ing along to the tunes during December.)

Still, let’s look at the good side of things; the Christmas period was an excellent opportunity to catch up with an enormous range of old friends and that is a very good reason indeed to be happy. (It was also an opportunity to cough a great deal, but let’s ignore that here.)

The start of any year is the traditional time to wistfully reflect upon 12 months of comings and goings, laughter and tears, but that’s not necessary really.

This year I have only one ambition: to make things even better.

Bonnnnggggg

Rik — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 23:00:05 +0000

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.

It’s Snowing!

Rik — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:49:26 +0000

The view from my office window…

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.