Thunder Picks #038

After last week’s Frankie Knuckles special and the happiness listening to so much of his music from over the years brought us, this week it’s back to the record buying grindstone and another big list of stuff you or may not like. Also worth keeping an eye out for a few records that we’ve previously mentioned that have now hit the shops, including the Legowelt release on PPU, Seven Davis Jr’s EP on Apron , the Tinman remix Palms Trax, those Kassem Mosse re-presses on Workshop and that Theo Parrish Palace Skate Boards x The Trilogy Tapes 12”. So many records, so little time (not to mention money, but more on that later).

DJ Nature presents Groovotica (Golf Channel)

As regular readers will know, I love a bit of DJ Nature. He’s made some of the my favourite music from recent years (‘Everyone’ is played at almost every Thunder), he’s a wonderfully unique DJ in terms of his style and sound, a creative mixer and what’s more, he’s about as lovely a chap as you could ever wish to meet. Oh and he’s a former Thunder guest too, now that was a party!  Anyway, he’s released a new box set that contains two discs, one with four tracks of new material and one with four ‘edits’, plus a t-shirt (size large). It’s limited to only 300 copies and most of these are destined of Japan (which might explain the £65 price tag), but there are a few knocking around in the UK if you’re quick. The original material is all very DJ Nature and feature original players Willie Williams (winds), Fred McFarlane (keys) and Ron Pacaud (guitar), so it has a little more musical authenticity than your standard German tech house release. The edits, well most of them don’t sound like edits, they sound DJ Nature tracks too and you may recognise a couple of them if you ever checked out his 3 hour end of year mix from last December, including ‘A Call To Nature’ and the stand out ‘Little Girl’. Damn. I was going to try to swerve this but I think I’ve just talked myself into buying. Anyone need a kidney? For just £65?

Anomaly – Red Clouds EP(Sole People)

This is Fred with his techno hat on and very good it is too, as there are two absolutely fantatsic tracks stand out on this EP. Firstly, ‘Tunnel Vision’ with its relentless percussion and swirly synths, it is the sort of heads-down record that would make us turn the smoke machine up to the point we get told off at Thunder. And ‘Above Below’ is what Underground Resistance would sound like if they were still any good , although apparently it was made in 2011, which I think makes it timeless! You’ll find clips of the EP below and the whole of ‘Tunnel Vision’.

Dave DK – Woolloomooloo (Pampa)

I’m slowly developing a low level obsession with Koze’s Pampa label and recently found out he actually lives in Cadeques in Catalonia, somewhere I visit most summers. So, I can see us becoming bessies one day soon, hanging out on the beach outside the Casino in the fading evening sun, a couple of cold cervezas in hand, chatting about our favourite snare drums sounds…  erm sorry, where was I? Right, this one actually came out a month or so ago. By former Tresor resident Dave DK, it’s got a warm, dreamy laid back style that has led me to coin a new genre and one I can see sticking this time – Nu Balearic  Sunset Trance. Yep, I know, pretty damned catchy. You can play this at 33rpm too and it sounds just as good. Especially at sunset. In the Balearics.

2Deep Soul – Mood Sync EP (Yore)

Brad Peterson and Rai Scott are regulars in this column now and for very good reason, they make deep house, and I really do mean deep-sub-aquatic-bottom-of-the-ocean-deep-house, as well as anybody on the face of the planet. After a couple of solo releases the pair are back together again on the excellent Cologne based Yore Records. 3 tracks of what the guys do best – should be in the shops in the couple of weeks.

Funkineven – Ym2 (Apron)

I like to imagine Funking Stephen in his bedroom, wearing a baseball jacket, slicked back hair and Ray Bans, sitting at one of those big organs like you used to get on piers and in music halls and stuff, lost in the moment, whist enthusiastically playing the keys to this track. He probably did it on his laptop though. This track is boss though! Only available on a limited edition yellow vinyl record store day 10” though, so best fire up them skates.

P.O.L. Style, Vin Sol and MatriXXman – Angry Frogs EP

THIS RECORD IS FRIKKIN’ BONKERS! Vin Sol and MatriXXman are from San Francisco and the guys behind that recent Sade bootleg that everyone inexplicably loves. Vin Sol was also behind that Dance Mania tribute mix that was knocking about last summer. No idea who P.O.L. Style is but he’s got a great name. This record very much surfs the house music zeitgeist, with clear Dance Mania and ghetto influences, the beats pound away while all sorts of weird shit flies around the place. It’s the sort of music DJ Funk would make if he hadn’t completely lost the plot. And the sort of record Daft Punk would play if someone bundled them into a time machine and took them back to the Arches in Glasgow in 1997. Listening to it, it feels kind of obvious but I haven’t heard anyone else pull off that sound with such aplomb until now. Especially ‘Power Top’. Wow!

Repress of the Week (part 1): New Muzik – Warp (Ilo Edit)

First heard this edit of late 70s/early 80s British synth band, New Musik’s, obscure album track ‘Warp’ on a Trushmix and went crazy trying to figure out what it was. When I did the joy of my discovery was tempered by the also finding out only about 100 copies were pressed and they sold out in 2011. Fortunately, someone somewhere has seen sense it will be back in the shops soon. Available on pre-order all over the place now though. 

Repress of the Week (part 2): Entire Clone Store Only Series

Clone’s Store Only Series has featured in Thunder Picks before and the concept’s pretty simple – records that are only available to buy in actual, physical record shops. The shop even has to stamp their name on the centre pressing. Clone have always been clear that these records are not limited but as supplies have dried up in retail racks around Europe, the Discogs hawks have sharpened their talons and the prices have soared. Clone has nipped this trend in the bud by repressing the entire series! Not on coloured vinyl this time, so if you bought them first time round you still have something unique, but otherwise identical, same artwork, same red sleeves and everything. My pick of the series is probably Vernon Felicity (or Conforce to his Mum) ‘Autumn Leaves’. Absolutely beautiful and possibly an early example of Nu Balearic  Sunset Trance…

From the Vaults: Jean Luc Ponty – Fast Lane

Who’s heard the new Karim Sahraoui ‘Eternal Life’ EP that’s re-launching legendary Detroit techno label Transmat? It comes with Derrick May mixes but it sounds WELL like a modern Jean Luc Ponty. Karim’s French, Ponty’s French and May’s a Ponty fan. Have a listen (I could have picked any Ponty track really – oh and the snippet below cuts before the electric violin really gets going).

And finally…

A little tribute to Frankie our mate Dom Moir knocked up. Alison Limerick never sounded so good. Have a great weekend folks – and be careful out there x