Williams - Love On A Real Train

Williams, "Love On A Real Train (Williams Odyssey mix)" (YSI link)

Williams, "Love On A Real Train (Version By Studio)" (YSI link)

I spent the night working on a cosmic mix. Two points: 1) Happy birthday to JH-B, the recipient of said mix! A Cosmic Birthday, yeah! 2) I'm in a cosmic state of mind. So, here's a phenomenal track from early this year, Williams' "Love On A Real Train," released on Love Triangle Music. While that label specializes in tech-house, this one fits in so nicely with the new disco scene that has developed over the past 5 years or so, that space-y, stretched out music that is the best thing going today imo.

I spent part of last night hearing some great NYC DJs like Mr. James Friedman, Ms. Louisahhh!!!, Mr. Cocco and Ms. Jess Jubilee spin tech-electro-house all night at The Delancey until the speakers couldn't take it. Fun night and great tunes, but it only served to reinforce that my head is just in a different place now. All I wanted was a nice, slow-burning song to come out of the ether, something that slowly fucked with my ears rather than having them bombarded. These two remixes for "Love On A Real Train" fit that bill, unfolding slowly but surely for those who have patience. Williams redid his own song with his Odyssey mix and he's done well again. This one raises the pressure, while keeping the sounds the same. It makes for a more dancefloor ready song and yet somehow it doesn't feel rushed either. Sweden's Studio turn in a sick remix, adding in some rad flamenco-y guitar action that makes me feel like I am on some Spanish beach waiting for the sun to go down. There's also a way funkier bass here that gives things a little more oomph. Awesome.

Sit back, put your headphones on and enjoy. Also, don't forget to add yourself as a fan of Pound for Pound. Click the link in the upper right hand corner and show your love. Thanks! Yeah!

Ashley Beedle - Dance and Shake Your Tambourine

Inner City Express, "Dance and Shake Your Tambourine (Beedle's Heavy Disco edit)" (YSI link)

Disco edits! Yeah! We did a post last week on "Dance and Shake Your Tambourine," the tune covered by the Universal Robot Band. The original by Inner City Express is hard to come by, but thankfully the master Ashley Beedle decided to drop an edit for the world to experience the original.

Beedle is one of those dudes who always has his hand in great music without becoming an ubiquitous figure. He was a part of the rave-y X-Press 2, made amazing house music with Rob Mello and Josh Howard as Black Science Orchestra and jazzy downbeat music in the Ballistic Brothers project. Dudes has even started three labels over the past decade plus - Afroart, Soundboy Entertainment and Ill Sun. Through it all, he has maintained an interest and love of disco, which has become much more clear recently with his amazing Heavy Disco edits.

This 12" is just pure bliss on a slab of vinyl. I want everyone to download these ASAP, put them on your iTunes or iPod, take 20 minutes out of your work day and revel in the beautiful sounds. I can guarantee you that Monday will seem a lot better and you will look forward to the week ahead and to falling in love and Obama being President. Let the horns and strings and guitars take you away from everything, as this is LIFE MUSIC people. Beedle has put his foot to the pedal on "Dance and Shake Your Tambourine," keeping it a burner right through. He's thankfully kept things mostly the same, including that little kazoo sound. There's a sick drum breakdown, those airy vocals and "oohs" and just the right amount of synths. All I can really say is wow. Grab a copy now.

Phreek - Weekend

Phreek, "Weekend (long version)" (YSI link)

Phreek, "Weekend (short version)" (YSI link)

Phreek, "Weekend (extended version)" (YSI link)

I got free guacamole from the Chipotle lady tonight, who I think may have been flirting with me, and now it's Friday afternoon and the weekend is here and it's just the perfect time for some classic disco.

Oh boy, you need this one in your life. I guarantee that Phreek's "Weekend" will be in the main rotation for a long time regardless of the day. It's one of those songs that will immediately lift your spirits as soon as you hear it, from those first rubbery bass notes and beautiful keys. This one was written and produced by the amazing Leroy Burgess and Patrick Adams, you can hear his touch with the all the little details, like the cowbells, gorgeous strings and shakers. It's all so well composed, all of these little pieces fitting into a magnificent big picture. The lyrics and vocals might even be better, as Christie Shire kills it on that front.

For everyone getting ready to head out, this one's for you. "It's party time, it's party time tonight." Enjoy, be safe, dance your asses off, fall in love.

Disco Saves Lives

Disco will save your life. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Cabaret Voltaire - The Original Sound Of Sheffield '78/'82

Cabaret Voltaire, "Do The Mussolini (Headkick!)" (YSI link)

Cabaret Voltaire, "Nag Nag Nag" (YSI link)

Cabaret Voltaire, "Obsession" (YSI link)

Cabaret Voltaire, "Loosen The Clamp" (YSI link)

[Ed. note: Sorry for the m4a files. I uploaded this CD a long time ago and didn't realize I had done so in this format. I don't have access to the CD at the moment, but hopefully once I get back to Philly, I'll be able to give everyone a HQ mp3. In the meantime, this should give you a taste of CV.]

It wasn't all disco and cocaine back in the late 70s. There was also a parallel electronic music scene that took its inspiration from the avant garde and punk than soul and funk. Cabaret Voltaire are one of the best examples of this dark dance music. A trio consisting of Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson that formed in the early 70s, the band was supremely influential in developing the industrial sound. They themselves were influenced by the work of Beats like William S. Burroughs and Bryon Grisin, who experimented with the cut-up technique in which they would cut up their work into pieces and reorder them at random.

Enough background, let's get to the music. These songs come from the 2001 compilation, The Original Sound Of Sheffield '78/'82, on Mute Records that collected some of the band's best songs from the period of 1978-1982, the period when things first got rolling for the group. This early period features some of the bleakest, darkest music ever, a whole disc of feedback, distortion, manipulated sounds, tribal drum machine noises. There's definitely a pulse and rhythm here, somtimes buried under the static, this ain't bleeps and noises; check out the final song, "Loosen The Clamp," you will clearly hear that these guys were responding to the dance music coming out at the time. This isn't oontz-oontz dance music, but it's there, stripped to the bone. The funky bass, the mechanical, almost tribal drums and space-y keys create a hypnotic track that would influence lots of our favorite music still to come.

The earlier songs like the awesomely titled "Do The Mussolini (Headkick!)" come more out of the punk ether, with the main comparison that comes to my mind is the electro-punk sounds of Suicide. "Nag Nag Nag" is similar, starting off in feedback and never giving your eardrums much of break from there on out. There's some distorted vocals, a massive rhythm section that would make a rock band proud and that layer of feedback that drifts over the whole thing. Awesome stuff.

Obviously, I highly recommend picking up this CD from the excellent Forced Exposure, a great introduction to the group. We'll take a look at part of the look back which covers 1983-1987 and hopefully a lot more down the road, as we're gonna focus a lot more on this darker side of the dance music world. Oh, and I am going to be a little more active with my myspace page, so add me if you'd like some extra goodies. Yes? Yes!

Bionic Boogie - Hot Butterfly

Bionic Butterfly, "Chains" (YSI link)

Bionic Butterfly, "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)" (YSI link)

Bionic Butterfly, "Fess Up To The Boogie" (YSI link)

Let's kick the week off with some great disco tunes and some of Larry Levan's favorites from the year 1979. Bionic Butterfly either have the worst name ever or the greatest, I have not made up my mind. I do know that in their short career, they dropped three LPs including this amazing one, Hot Butterfly. This is just joyous disco music that you need in your life. Yes? Yes!

Check out "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)" and experience the magnificence of this music. That bass is so big and so deep, it will make you funky and cool by osmosis. This one's got some great vocals, including a goody sounding guy talking about private parts at one point. "Chains" is my favorite, an uplifting rager that goes from 0-60 in one second. This one's ready to go right from the starter's gun. It's got another massive bassline, some horn bursts, great lyrics about going for love, drums right up front and lots of soaring vocals. Awesome stuff. "Fess Up To The Boogie" gets the award for best song title, another great track, similar vibe and structure as the other two. When you do it so well, why fuck around with experiments? They do add in a really deep horn, perhaps a tuba or bass saxophone? Whatever it is, it's nice and gives a great low end to the tune.

Okay, much more to come. Disco! Yeah!

P4P Video - Maestro

This one's a special one. Maestro is a film by Josell Ramos that chronicles the early days of disco and dance music in New York City. It takes a look back at the underground scene that gave birth to disco and house music, chronicling legends like Larry Levan, David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Frankie Knuckles and Tom Moulton and legendary places like Paradise Garage, The Gallery and The Loft. It's an amazing document, a chance to go back to the beginning of dance music and hear the stories from the people who were there. Ramos talks with Siano, Mancuso, Knuckles, dancers from back in the day, club staff, lighting men, sound engineers and others. Add in some great archival footage from the various clubs and you've got yourself a history lesson kids should be learning in school. It will show you just how important this music and scene was in the lives of so many people, who were able to find themselves and be themselves in an environment that strived to bring people together.

Here's the video for part 1 (there are 9 total parts) and anyone who reads the blog should consider this essential viewing:



It got me to thinking about the dance culture that existed back then, in the late 70s and 80s in New York City, and what things are like in the NYC of today. I try to avoid nostalgia, as it's such a corrosive and pointless emotion, usually based on rose-tinted glasses that never quite tell the whole story. But, it's hard not to feel like NYC today is missing something, something big. I'm not sure if it's the cabaret laws that have shut down so many clubs, if it's the yuppification of Manhattan, if it's the fact that gay culture doesn't have to be underground anymore, if it's the fault of bloggers like me who talk about everything and prevent any underground from really developing, if it's the insane cost of living or a combination of all of those factors. Whatever it is, I feel like club life in NYC is at a nadir, more about being seen or making money than telling a story or celebrating music. Am I being too pessimistic? Am I missing something? Leave some comments and let me know your thoughts, as I want to be so wrong.

Pound for Pound - Over 1 Million Served

Time for a little self-congratulations here at Pound for Pound. Sometime in the last month or so, we blew past the 1,000,000 visitor mark! Like whoa! Kinda amazing, right? I want to thank everyone who has ever stopped by here and read my ramblings and downloaded my personal take on dance music over the past three decades. I love all of you and look forward to doing this for another million people, as we continue to spread the word about the joys of disco, 808s and big boobs. You are the wind beneath my wings. [P.S. We also got a link on the weekly GBH newsletter for the Mock and Toof Hot Chip remix! Yeah!]

Can I ask a favor? Can you take a second and become a follower of this blog? In the upper right hand corner, you should see a link that says Follow This Blog. Click and add Pound for Pound and you will make me happy and you will join a pretty elite group of the raddest people on Earth. I would love to show what kind of audience we have here, show just how deep this shit goes.

Pound for Pound is an army! Strength in numbers! Yeah!