So tonight i can finally get round to uploading my set from Eclecticity last month. I blame Chris for taking so long! Although to be fair he has done a really good job of converting the set and keeping the audio quality at a good level (it’s around 260 kbps). Before anyone gets the wrong idea and thinks this is actually the live gig audio, it’s not. It hasn’t been a miked up recording and caught audience noise, buzzing bass and crackly beats and all the other crap that comes along with it. No, what he done was simply record my set through Traktor while i was playing . So it’s a perfect, clear and audible version. Anyone who uses Traktor will know that it only deals in wav files when it comes to the recording function so these files have been converted to MP3 and Chris has very kindly chopped what was a 4 hour set into 1 hour or so sections. This will allow me to burn them onto discs and also make downloads easier.
Tracklisting (Part 1)
1. Queens of the Stone Age – Someone’s In The Wolf
2. Japanese Popstars featuring John Spencer – Destroy
3. HTRK – Disco
4. The Question?
5. Teki Latex – Dinosaurs With Guns
6. G-Tronic – Suckerpunch
7. TKNK – Tank
8. Refused – New Noise
9. Missil – Get Busted
10. Dgtl Monkey – In The Middle
11. Designer Drugs – Drop Down
12. Cyberpunkers – OMG
13. Mix Hell – Highly Explicit
14. The Mastertrons – Gardaland Is Destroyed
15. Audionite – Blank Volume
16. Buy Now – Body Crash
17. Dirty Disco Youth – Minds…Off
18. Night Kids – Gurgle 2.o
19. Polen – Funk You
20. Felix Da Housecat – Kick Drum
1. Felix Da Housecat – Kick Drum
2. The Subs – Mitsubitchi
3. Moderat feat Busdriver – Beatswaysick
4. EdiT feat The Grouch – Artsy
5. Bloody Beetroots feat The Cool Kids – Awesome
6. Kissed With A Noise feat Young Buck – Watuppp
7. Congorock – Babylon
8. Micro Prophets – Steel Your Soul
9. Mighty Fools – Amsterdam
10. Boemklatsch – Bonafied
11. The Party Squad – Pull Up
12. Modeselektor – Dancing Box
13. Boreta – Bubblin’ In The Cut
14. Black Holes – War Drums
15. EdiT – Battling Go-Go Yubari In Downtown LA
16. Mike Posner – Cooler Than Me
17. Dublicker
18. The Qemists – Dem Na Like Me
19. Nixon – 2012
The third version of Are Friends Eclectic? is the flatmate episode.
Meet my very own “personal chef” Gustav…
*WARNING: This interview contains Desperados tequila beer, red wine, two mildy drunken/stoned flatmates and references to Xylophonelove.*
SIT WOLF: Describe music in 5 or less words.
GUS: Well i’m gonna be honest and say that most music i listen to is basically something you’ve put me onto or has came from a suggestion you’ve made to me so i’ll need to go for “Here’s something you’d really like”. SIT WOLF: But that’s technically MY words then, no?
GUS: Yeah, but it’s true. SIT WOLF: Kinda cheating but i’ll let it slide.
SIT WOLF: What was the first album you bought?
GUS: Embarassing subject….The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers first album. SIT WOLF: *Almost chokes on Doritos*
GUS: I know man, i have no excuses. I need more wine just thinking about it. SIT WOLF: That’s a cross you shall wear for the rest of your life. Hang your head.
SIT WOLF: What was the last album you bought?
GUS: BT – These Hopeful Machines.
SIT WOLF: What are your views on illegal downloading/file sharing?
GUS: Music is universal so people should be free to enjoy it and share it however they like. Really, who are we to copyright it or have infringement policies on it. If you’re a smaller band you’d be glad of the exposure and if you’re in a huge band then shut the fuck up and stop moaning cos you know you make more than enough money through gigs and merchandise. SIT WOLF: Come to think of it there are some bands out there who have their own range of bed wear, mug ranges and all sorts of other shit. They shall remain unnamed as i pretty much detest them and their music and don’t want to give them any mention on here but the point is these bands aren’t just musical artists any more they’ve became brands. That’s when it gets worrying. I’m all for the expanding merchandise scene but don’t fucking moan when someone passes a copy of your album to a friend. Fuckwits. Sorry, rant over….. One more thing actually, KISS have a fucking coffin range! You can get buried in a KISS coffin! I mean, what the fuck?
GUS: Hahahahaha! Basically when it comes to downloading/sharing or whatever i agree 100% with Trent Reznor. His views are identical to mine. Oh and i HATE Lars Ulrich. SIT WOLF: You’re in good company. Nobody likes him.
GUS: Well, that little troll did try to sue his audience.
SIT WOLF: What was your very first gig?
GUS: Pitchshifter at The Garage in Glasgow back in 2001. I crowd surfed and danced in the mosh pit. SIT WOLF: Very credible first gig.
GUS: I ripped my shirt as well, not intentionally of course.
SIT WOLF: What was your last gig?
GUS: When i went to Stag and Dagger with you, Luisa and Shinead. Brilliant night. SIT WOLF: Indeed it was. We seen a few really good acts that night. Who stole the show for you?
GUS: Jaguar Love with an all round demented performance of alternative pop.
SIT WOLF: What’s the next gig you’re going to?
GUS: I might try and make it along to Pantha Du Prince with you next month actually. When is it again? SIT WOLF: Friday the 13th….spoooooky…it’s at The Captains Rest. Ten spot to get in.
GUS: Well, i’ll try make that and if i can’t then the next one will be the Crystal Castles/HEALTH gig in October. Unless there are any more gigs that pop up before then. SIT WOLF: I’m going to that too. Wild Nothing is playing Captains Rest this Wednesday actually (28th). You should come along.
SIT WOLF: If you were stuck on a desert island and told that you could only listen to 3 albums over and over again for the rest of your life, what would they be?
GUS: Is a compilation out of the question? Maybe even 3 compilations? SIT WOLF: Yes, out of the question. Has to be 3 actual albums. Enjoyed from start to finish.
GUS: Ok. Right, to chill out with at night i’d go for Aphex Twin and the “Selected Ambient Works” album. When i realise i’m lost on an island on my own i’m gonna breakdown and cry so i’ll need a pick me up. That would be the self titled Moderat album. And if i ever have to lay waste to some tribal village on the island, y’know for like supplies and stuff, then i’d like to have “The Holy Bible” by the Manic Street Preachers playing in the background. One of my all time favourite albums.
SIT WOLF: What 3 songs are currently on constant rotation on your IPod/MP3 Player?
GUS: The new Arcade Fire song “We Used To Wait”, Vitalic “Your Disco Song” and “Intro” by The XX.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite remixes?
GUS: The KC Blitz remix of The Boxer Rebellion track “Evacuate”…. SIT WOLF: Fucking love that!
GUS: Yep, me too. That’s a perfect example of a track you got me into. Eh ok, more remixes? I do love remixes, so many to pick from. I think the James Lavelle remix of Doves “Jetstream” is brilliant, it appears on the newest Lavelle GU compilation. And lastly the PhonesLovers remix of “Banquet” by Bloc Party. Very danceable. SIT WOLF: I love Phones, he done a really good version of “Romantic Rights” by DFA 1979 as well.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite films?
GUS: Children of Men. Such a powerful film. It’s one of those ones were you have to pay attention the whole way through but it’s worth it. Also, Withnail and I because it’s just stupidly awesome. We are “Withnail and I”! Leon is also another favourite. I mean Jean Reno just makes that film. He’s so suave, so cool. SIT WOLF: And there’s Gary Oldman. Legend. Mind when we watched Leon the morning after we moved into the flat? We were both nursing massive hangovers!
GUS: Hahaha yeah! We both had a couch each just lying there engrossed in it and thinking that we wanted a bit of whatever pills Gary Oldman was taking to make us feel better! SIT WOLF: Come to think of it, any time i’ve watched any of those 3 films with you we’ve either been drinking or hungover. We have a problem.
GUS: Wait! I forgot about “In The Loop”! SIT WOLF: Ahhhh, it’s only 3. Sorry.
GUS: But, but….Peter Capaldi. SIT WOLF: I know, i know.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite websites?
GUS: http://www.youtube.com/, http://www.wikipedia.org/, http://www.globalunderground.co.uk/ SIT WOLF: Reasons?
GUS: Well, YouTube is self explanatory. You can watch so much good stuff on it. Global Underground is good because you can track all the DJs and find out where they are and what they’re upto. Wikipedia is just amazing for the amount of information it has. SIT WOLF: Is it all true though?
GUS: That’s part the beauty of it though that it might not be true, it all comes from people like us, it’s not a database that provides it. Oh, what about The Arches as well? SIT WOLF: That’s 4 again!
GUS: Spoil me! SIT WOLF: Ok…. http://www.thearches.co.uk/
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite cover versions.
GUS: Klaxons doing Grace’s “It’s Not Over Yet”. Frightened Rabbit covering the N-Trance “classic” of “Set You Free” and the Sneaker Pimps version of “Ashes To Ashes”. BOTH AT SAME TIME: What a hoot!
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite music videos?
GUS: Nine Inch Nails – “We’re In This Together”, amazing song and video to match. Moderat – “Rusty Nails”, visual genius and the song’s not too bad either! MGMT – “Kids”. It’s a bit trippy and scary. I feel sooo sorry for the little kid in the video.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite TV shows?
GUS: Heroes, The Thick Of It and one that you’ll throw your bottle of beer at me for….Skins. SIT WOLF: *makes inaudible sound, yet somehow refrains from throwing said bottle of beer*
GUS: It introduced me to so much new music as well. SIT WOLF: Fair point, the music in Skins is usually really good.
SIT WOLF: Do you play an instrument? If so, which one?
GUS: I’ve played the piano on and off for 8 years. Sadly it’s one of the most impractical instruments if you know what i mean? It’s not like i could ever have dragged the piano down to the studio to jam with you and Simon. SIT WOLF: Simon was actually teaching me the piano before he went away for summer.
GUS: Well, you can play your piano scarf at the moment!
.
SIT WOLF: If you could make a Supergroup (5 members) that you’d love to hear who would be in it and what would their name be?
GUS: Ok, the name would be Altered States for a start. SIT WOLF: Think that’s taken man.
GUS: The Stump then. SIT WOLF: Hahaha. Why?
GUS: Because nobody can shift them! And it’s mildly offensive, that’s always a good thing. The members would be Cedric Bixler Zavala on lead vocal duties, as a programmer i’d have Gerno Bronsert from Modeselektor/Moderat fame. Thurston Moore on guitar, he can make anything sound bizarre yet tuneful. Nicky Wire on bass because he’s a total dick and every band needs a dick. Not too bad on the bass too though! Drummer would need to be Matt Tong of Bloc Party. Keeps brilliant rhythms.
SIT WOLF: Give me and the readers 3 bands that you think we might not know but we should check out?
GUS: BT. He’s this American producer/performer/songwriter. You can listen to him no matter what mood you’re in. He makes really catchy back to basics pop songs that don’t sell themselves short and steer clear of the corny side of that genre. Secondly, is a slowcore kinda band called “Low”. I love chilling out at night time with Low. Nathan Fake would be the last one. No two songs he makes will ever sound the same.
SIT WOLF: What would your ideal gig be (3 bands)? And where would it be?
GUS: The venue would be some tiny little tent at Benicassim festival. Like my own little VIP tent. Asobi Seksu would open the show than after a few drinks you’d need something crazy so Crystal Castles and then to finish off it would need to be something grand. A spectacle. So Arcade Fire get the nod.
SIT WOLF: Who are your 3 favourite writers?
GUS: Mark Danielewski, Irvine Welsh and Chuck Palahniuk.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite books?
GUS: The House of Leaves, i love the way it’s written. The Rum Diaries, it’s simply anarchy in a book and The Devil In The Kitchen, it’s the autobiography of my idol Marco-Pierre White.
SIT WOLF: What songs best encapsulate your moods?
A) Happy
B) Sad
C) Angry
D) Lonely
GUS:
A) BT – Always
B) Deadmau5 – Strobe
C) Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – Are You Living?
D) Low – Breaker
SIT WOLF: Who, in your opinion, are the 3 most attractive males in music?
GUS: eh…. SIT WOLF: If you want to skip this it’s cool?
GUS: No i will answer. Just let me think how to without coming across the wrong way. In sense of style i’ll go for Win Butler and Robbie Furze. Butlers choice of clothes really suit him, he does that look quite well. Furze just looks like a rockstar with the shaggy hair and denims. He kinda oozes that coolness that’s needed. And then Deadmau5 cos of his mask! SIT WOLF: You’re attracted to giant mice? And hey, what about my mask!?
GUS: Yours is way scarier. It’s that infected green eye that does it. It was even scarier when you turned it inside out at the Connect Festival back in 2007.
SIT WOLF: Who, in your opinion, are the 3 most attractive females in music?
GUS: This is more like it. I really like Florence Welch from Florence and The Machine. Her style and dress sense does it for me. Brody Dalle is another…. SIT WOLF: Careful now that’s my teenage crush/future wife you’re on about there!
GUS: Hahaha, you do love Brody. The third one is Zooey Deschanel. SIT WOLF: That’s my other future wife. That’s right, i’m a future bigamist.
GUS: *Looks in other direction* Arrest this man. SIT WOLF: *Puzzled* Who are you talking to?
GUS: The future police.
SIT WOLF: What are your 3 favourite album covers?
GUS: The new Foals one “Total Life Forever” is captivating. I like that. I’ve always loved UNKLE’s “War Stories” as well. And the last one would be the Tool one that had the whole hologram effect, i loved that. Intriguing. SIT WOLF: Aenima?
GUS: That’s the one.
SIT WOLF: What word best sums your musical tastes up?
GUS: Spiky
WORD ASSOCIATION: SIT WOLF words in bold. If anybody doesn’t know how to play word association (which i’m sure everybody does but i’ll explain anyway) it basically involves someone saying a word and you instantly reply with the first word that comes to mind.
AMERICA – Plastic BLOOD – Ties CHRISTMAS – Family DANGER – Mouse ECSTASY – Comedown FAILURE – Communication GOD – Partical HATE – Pointless INNOCENT – Me JOHN – Knowledgeable KISS – Hopeful LOVE – Universal MUSIC – Everyones NEW YORK – New York OLD – Classic PEOPLE – Intimidating QUIZZES – Fun REGRET – Irrelevant SING – Star TOAST – Speeches UP – High VENUE – Promising WEATHER – Permitting XYLOPHONE – Awesome SIT WOLF: I concur, i used one on the last Fragile X track, sounds so unique. Giving the Xylo some love! Some Xylove!
GUS: I liked that track. YOU – Incomplete ZULU – Warrior
Ok so a week into 2010 is a bit late for a “best of 2009” post but any regular readers (are there any?) will know i’ve had problems with hard-drives, my internet connection, my laptop in general and more recently some other stuff has came up that has prevented regular posting recently.
But back to the post..
Deciding on the songs and the order of them for this Top 30 was a hard decision (the Top 30 albums was even harder, post that at the weekend) to make. Basically there were only one rule when picking the list. The rule was that a band can not feature more than once in the list. If that rule wasn’t made then i’d have had the full APTBS album in there, shit, i’ve just gave away the identity of my album of the year haven’t i?
Apart from that it was pretty simple. 30 slots and hundreds of songs. Pick the best.
Remember though, having a song in the Top 30 songs doesn’t automatically mean that the artists will be in the Top 30 album countdown as well. Take for example Yes Giantess, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and Stuck In The Sound. In the case of YG and OELSP they won’t make the Top albums cos they don’t have one out yet and in the case of Stuck In The Sound its because their album just wasn’t good enough (imo) to be in the Top 30. The song i included here however “Zapruder” is pure shoegaze genius. There’s also the other side of the coin. Bands like The Prodigy, MSTRKRFT and many more brought up absolute brilliant albums in 2009 but even though their albums as a collective were amazing, none of the individual tracks managed to make it into the Top 30 songs.
Sorry i’m not very good at trying to get my point across. I think i might just be trying to justify the fact that i had to leave some amazing songs out of the Top 30. I would have made a Top 500 if i had the time!
So away from the mumbled jibberish that i just wrote, here is the list in countdown style 30 to Number 1
SOMEONE’S IN THE WOLF TOP 30 SONGS OF 2009
30. Erol Alkan & Boys Noize – Death Suite (Bobermann Remix)
29. Paper Planes – Permanent Marker
28. Ou Est Le Swimming Pool – Dance The Way I Feel
27. Freeland – Borderline
26. Nathan Fake – Basic Mountain
25. Stuck In The Sound – Zapruder
24. Mew – Introducing Palace Players
23. Tigers That Talked – Artificial Clouds
22. The XX – Night Time
21. Yes Giantess – Tuff N Stuff
20. Bat For Lashes – Daniel
19. Miike Snow – Animal
18. Russian Circles – Malko
17. IAMX – I Am Terrified
16. Maybeshewill – Co-Conspirators
15. Them Crooked Vultures – New Fang
14. The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition (re-release)
13. Japandroids – Wet Hair
12. Tape Deck Mountain – Ghost Colony
11. Crocodiles – I Wanna Kill
10. A Place To Bury Strangers – In Your Heart
9. The Tupolev Ghost – Diagrams
8. Moderat – A New Error
7. Ex Lovers – You Forget So Easily
6. The Big Pink – Velvet
5. Cougar – Florida Logic
4. Zaza – Sooner Or Later
3. Lymbyc Systym – Ghost Clock
2. Passion Pit – Moths Wings
And the winner of Track of 2009 goes to
1. Ex Libras – Radar
Instead of making all these tracks available individually i’ve put them all in a ZipFile for anybody who wishes to download the list. The songs have been numbered so they should play in the correct order.
25 Years after MTV first aired “Video Killed The Radio Star” by The Buggles the art of the music video is still alive. Thanfully. Music and film together has always been the perfect combination and when it’s done right it’s art in its most inspiring form.
The Top 10 Music Videos of 2009
1. MODERAT – RUSTY NAILS
2. EX LIBRAS – RADAR
3. MAJOR LAZER – HOLD THE LINE
4. THE SUBS – MUSIC IS THE NEW RELIGION
5. TIGERS THAT TALKED – ARTIFICIAL CLOUDS
6. METRIC – GOLD GUNS GIRLS
7. BLODDY BEETROOTS FEAT STEVE AOKI – WARP
8. THE ROSIE TAYLOR PROJECT – LOVERS OR SOMETHING LIKE IT
9. OU EST LE SWIMMING POOL – DANCE THE WAY I FEEL
10. WILD BEASTS – HOOTING AND HOWLING
Honourable mentions for videos go to The Temper Trap for “Sweet Dispostition”, Ex Lovers and “You Forget So Easily”, “In Your Heart” by A Place To Bury Strangers, Florence and The Machine and “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up” and The Big Pink with “Velvet”.
I had planned to go get a new tattoo this morning, thanks to a huge hangover i’m not, it’ll have to wait till next week now.
In the fallout of the Bloody Beetroots gig a fortnight ago and with my ears still ringing from that night, i wandered into the ABC at 9pm last night…….what was i thinking? Could Moderat match the Bloody Beetroots?
Well, in a word, yes, they matched them, Moderat were brilliant and were every bit as loud and as enthralling but still…… nothing can beat jumping around to Warp while to masked men scream at you. Remember, it’s two different types of music we’re talking about here but on a scale of 1 to 10 Moderat was a 9.8 out of 10 and The Bloody Beetroots were a 9.9 (for Warp and FFA1985 alone).
Enough comparing though. On to last night. Moderat literally had the crowd in their hands BEFORE they were anywhere near the stage. The finely selected playlist they had on as a warm up (there was no support DJ/band you see, at least i don’t think so anyway :S) was just making everyone in the club more and more eager to finally catch a glimpse of the 3 main eventers behind Moderat. You see Moderat are a like a Supergroup in a way, they’re not just some random DJs who happen to use the moniker Moderat….no, this is the coming together of Modeselektor, Apparat and the visual expert Pfadfinderei. When they finally did appear on stage they opened with the first track from their album, the unbelievable dreamscapes of “A New Error” and before you know it they’re showering us with “Rusty Nails”, “Porc 1 and 2″ and”Seamonkey” amongst many others. Combine the tracks with the amazing visuals on the screen behind the trio and the audience was not only in Moderats hands but pretty much in their face, people were pushing closer and closer to them by the second. They brought events to a close by playing “BeatsWaySick” followed by a few more numbers which had the crowd chanting (as usual) “one more tune!”. Unfortunately they didn’t play us one more tune BUT they did go onto the after party at the sweatbox that is known as the Sub Club and i’m assuming they played a few more tracks in there before heading off into the night. The ticket stub from the Moderat gig allowed all gig goers free entry into that afterparty/aftermath but me and Gustav decided to give it a swerve. Afterall, the gig was packed and as soon as Moderat announced the Sub Club appearance everybody shot out the ABC like cannonballs, shot out into taxis and straight to the Subby. So we staggered out into the streets of Glasgow, found our few drinking companions who were also out in Glasgow and headed to another club, the CG which ironically is bang on next door to the Sub Club. We could have entered the Sub Club at anytime we wanted last night but we stuck with the CG and dancing to Tool, Deftones and Jimmy Eat World which was, in a guilty pleasure kinda way, fucking amazing. All in all, it was another brilliant night. We seen/heard Moderat play an eclectic, fantastic (fantasteclectic anyone?) and pretty much epic set then had a good night in the club afterwards. The Moderat guys have said they won’t be touring and making music again anytime soon, all 3 are heading back to work on their respective projects, so that makes last night all the more special. The tattoo can always wait………
Moderat live @ the ABC, Glasgow. Friday 4th September 2009
The Found Fun, Lost Weekend mitxtape was something i decided to put together early yesterday morning. All the songs were chosen on the spot, i had no certain tracks or anything that i was gonna work off of they way that i usually do. I just wanted to make a soundtrack that we could stick on back home after The Bloody Beetroots gig last night (one of the top 3 gigs i’ve been to, easily, but more about that soon). So i started off the mix with a bit of humour then straight into one of my own remixes and then from there onwards just some wonky, glitchy, digital dance music followed by some fast rapping infused songs and then onto a kinda chillout section at the end.
Found Fun, Lost Weekend Tracklist
————————————–
1. Midfield General feat. Fielding – Midfielding
2. Dolby Anol – Puppies (Someones In The Wolf Remix)
3. UNKLE – Restless (DJ Edjotronic and Busy P Remix)
4. Trash Yourself – Die
5. TMVR – Bowie In The Bronx
6. Dirty Disco Youth – The Kids Want Maximal
7. Pance Party – Fun Factory
8. Bloody Beetroots feat Steve Aoki – Warp 1.9
9. Black Holes – War Drums
10. Modeselektor feat TTC – Dancing Box
11. MSTRKRFT feat E40 – Click Click (Someones In The Wolf Edit)
12. Pendulum – Tarantula
13. The Qemists feat Mike Patton – Lost Weekend
14. The Subs – Music Is The New Religion
15. Shadow Dancer – Landlines
16. Freeland feat Brody Dalle – Borderline
17. Trentemoller feat Anne Trolle – Moan
18. Bat For Lashes vs Delerium – Pearls Silence
19. Moderat – A New Error
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Someones In The Wolf 