30.1.10

All Around The World, Wherever You Are


M - Pop Muzik (Todd Terje Remix) (320 kbps)

The King of Edits reworks '79 new wave/electropop hit 'Pop Muzik' by (essentially one-hit wonder) M, resulting in 10 minutes of a straight up FUN TIME in the form of propulsive, party-starting new-wave-meets-nu-disco. You already know that everything Todd Terje touches turns to shiny ass disco gold. What more can we say? POP MUSIC BABY. It's good for you.

24.1.10

Whatever Makes Me Feel So Chic & Outta Sight


We can't say we know a ton about Xavier. They were a funk/soul/r&b group in the early 80's and as far as we know only released one album, Point of Pleasure in 1982. Good thing that album is super fucking dope– sexy, soulful male/female vocals, squelchy funk bass, and at times ridiculously plodding BPMs which we are not at all mad at. We got turned onto them via last year's amazing 'Do It To The Max' by the 6th Borough Project, which is a cover of Xavier's track by the same name. We literally lol'd upon first hearing how audaciously stupid slow the original is. Check it.

Xavier - Do It To The Max (320 kbps)

Xavier - What Goes Around (320 kbps)

17.1.10

Turn It Up Just A Little Bit. Well, Alright


Last year we definitely listened to more mixtapes than albums (maybe due to our own ADD, but probably just because there were so many killer ones), and we're not sure that's going to change. Allow us to share with you two of the most fun and interesting we've heard in a minute.

We know Sparkle Motion is DJ Yoda and Tobes, but they have no website, myspace, or really any sort of promotional info on the internet, so that's pretty much it. Whatever– they've been pumping out some of the smoothest and most refreshing mixtapes we've heard in a minute. This one is dedicated to the slick sounds of the late 80's/early 90's new jack swing style. If you think you're unfamiliar, check the tracklist- you're probably not. Smooth, breaky, soulful, poppy, funky, and perfect for getting ready to go out. You NEED this.

Sparkle Motion - New Jack City Vol. 1 (320 kbps)
01 It Feels Good – Tony Toni Tone
02 Motownphilly – Boyz II Men
03 Strictly Business – LL Cool J
04 I Get The Job Done – Big Daddy Kane
05 Rub You The Right Way – Johnny Gill
06 Don’t Go Messin’ With My Heart – Mantronix
07 Alright – Janet Jackson
08 Poison – Bell Biv Devoe
09 Iesha – Another Bad Creation
10 Go For It (Heart & Fire) – Joey B Ellis & Tynetta Hare
11 New Jack Swing – Wrecks-N-Effect
12 I Like It – Dino
13 Expression – Salt-N-Pepa
14 Full Term Love – Monie Love
15 One Girl (Club Dub) – Christopher Williams
16 Girls Nite Out – Tyler Collins
17 Somebody For Me – Heavy D & The Boyz
18 Workin’ Overtime – Diana Ross
19 She Ain’t Worth It – Glenn Medeiros & Bobby Brown
20 Around The Way Girl – LL Cool J
21 Hold You Tight – Tara Kemp
22 6 Minutes of Pleasure – LL Cool J


If Sparkle Motion was the soundtrack to the pregame, this recent mix from L.A.-based Nguzunguzu (promoting their EP just released on Shade Business) is the party, but to be honest we wish we went to parties like this shit. It's a mix of fat-bassed tropical house and cumbia which (we are just learning) is known as guarachero. Toy Selectah described it as the 'Mexican ghettotech,' we just call it the ass-clappinest shit we've heard in a long time. Play this and turn your party into an orgy.

Nguzunguzu - EP Promo Mix (256 kbps)
01 Sticky – Jumeirah Riddim
02 Sticky – Jumeirah Riddim Sequel"
03 Footsteps – Baby Kinta
04 Rishi Romero – African Forest (Original Mix)
05 Makency DJ – Wao
06 DJ Eridson – Hino Batucada
07 Nguzunguzu – El Bebe Ambiente
08 Debo – Helter Skelter
09 DJ Pesado and DJ Fofuxo – Sirene
10 Puto X feat. Maskarado – Quen E Que Mana Ai MP
11 Nguzunguzu – What Dance?
12 Baobina and I.D. – Mandown
13 DJ Boda – Tááá BááTÖÖÖrr R
14 Bok Bok – Whole World Changing 4X4
15 DJ Pesado and DJ Marfox – Gerentologia
16 DJ Corlando – Passa Passa (Kingdom Remix)
17 DJ Du Marcel – Tribal Sound
18 DJ MA1 – I'm Right Here feat. Sophia
19 Nguzunguzu – Got You
20 Mike V – Feelings
21 Basement Jaxx – Flylife

15.1.10

I'll Hit The Ceiling On A Beam Of Light



Arabesque - Friday Night (242 kbps)
Arabesque - In The Heat Of A Disco Night (255 kbps)


Holy shit. Is Arabesque the hottest girl group ever? Look at that fucking choreography. Look at those satin jumpsuits and perfect disco bangs. Granted, the two pieces of bread to the German disco princess sandwich are totally disposable, but oh my god we want to be the one in the middle (Sandra Lauer). Anyway, Arabesque was a late 70's/early 80's German disco trio and was apparently kind of big in Japan for a while. They made campy, sexy Eurodisco in the golden age of campy, sexy Eurodisco, with song titles like 'Make Love Whenever You Can' and 'Parties In A Penthouse,' and looked good all the time.


EDIT: WAIT. We knew these bitches sounded familiar! One of the fist-pumpingest tracks of '09, Fake Blood's 'I Think I Like It,' samples 'In The Heat Of A Disco Night!' Check it.

Your Love Is So Important


Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Don't Leave Me This Way (256 kbps)

One of the most beautiful voices in soul music. Scratch that, music.


- Teddy Pendergrass 1950-2010 -

13.1.10

Well, I'm Driving In A Black On Black In Black Porsche 924



When I first heard the wizard drop this track ['Future'], I thought the electrifying mofo just landed his mothership on my roof. My porch lights burned out. The very next day I headed for Buy-rite music on 7mi, I had to hook up on this track. I gave a big shout out to juan, who just happened to be chillin' in Buy-rite that day. Now, when I take this track for a ride on the 1200's, it still gives me chills. Those phased out synths and trade mark snares compliment the futuristic baseline, not to mention the piloting vocals.


The above is a comment from Model 500 discogs [left by author 'zorlac'] referencing their first hit, 'No UFO's/Future' 12" from '85. We are not exactly sure who zorlac is, but he sounds like a cool guy if he was on a first-name basis with Juan as in Atkins, co-creator of Detroit techno and just a straight up important figure in electronic music, who recorded under many names but most prominently as Model 500. 'Techno' has taken on somewhat lame connotations at present (well, it's just not our thing), but the Motor City OGs' electro funk style was totally another story– more Afrikaa Bambaataa/Kraftwerk meets soul meets hard Ford-factory robotism than much within the modern sphere of techno, or maybe we just don't know enough which is probable. 'No UFOs' is a dope song, but 'Night Drive (Thru Babylon),' also from '85, is their best– a track burning with late-night energy that paints a landscape of a gritty, but hyper-stylish, retrofuture dystopia that seems especially surreal in the context of Detroit 2010.

We came across the amazing clip above, featuring 'No UFO's' (among a bunch of others that are definitely worth watching if you're bored), from the The New Dance Show, a Detroit tv show from the late 80's/mid 90's that was basically Soul Train but in Detroit with dope music like Egyptian Lover and shit, and the most stylish people ever.


Model 500 - No UFO's (Vocal) (251 kbps)
Model 500 - Night Drive (Thru Babylon) (254 kbps)

12.1.10

And There You Will Always Long To Return


Oto Gelb - Air on a G-String (J.S. Bach) (320 kbps)

We literally just heard this song, played it four times, did the best we could to collect ourselves and ran to post it. Oto Gelb is one of the many aliases of brilliant, passionate disco/house purist Daniel Wang, who we consider one of the most underrated yet biggest innovators in modern dance music. 'Air on a G-String,' released in '07 on Wang's Balihu label, turns a motherfucking BACH piece ('Air on the G String,' from his Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major) into a whimsically funky string-filled disco number that we just can't stop smiling about.

6.1.10

HOUSE CROSSWORD WEDNESDAY, VOL. IV


In case you didn't know, we live in Chicago. We fall in and out of love with it– the cold, the wind, the sometimes disappointing nightlife– but when it comes down to it, we love this city and its incredibly rich history (particularly music-wise). Thus this edition of the crossword is close to our hearts– the evolution of 'Your Love,' the track that started as a tape passed from dj to dj in Chicago's mid-80s underground clubs and became one of the most important tracks (and maybe the first important track) in house music history.

Electra ft. Tara Butler - Feels Good (Carrots & Beets) (320 kbps)
Jamie Principle - Your Love (192 kbps)
Frankie Knuckles & Jamie Principle - Your Love (243 kbps)
The Source ft. Candi Staton - You Got The Love (228 kbps)


To clear up any confusion about the birth of 'Your Love,' it was originally by Chicago producer and vocalist Jamie Principle. It started to blow up when Frankie Knuckles began to play it at his club, the Power Plant (which opened in '82, after Knuckles gained fame from djing at Chicago club the Warehouse– in which the music Knuckles played came to be known as 'house'). Then Knuckles produced a second version of the track (although not released on vinyl until '87), with Principle still doing the vocals. This version took off outside of the Chicago clubs, becoming the classic it is today.

Both versions of the track use the bassline of an AWESOME Italo track from '82 by Electra featuring Tara Butler, 'Feels Good (Carrots & Beets),' which talks about eating vegetables and working out. And in '91, Candi Staton's vocals were layered over the instrumental of Knuckles' version for The Source's dance hit 'You Got The Love' (the vocals, with their uber-Christian message, were from one of Staton's earlier songs, supposedly recorded for the soundtrack to a mid-80s documentary about an obese guy... yeah). And most recently, Animal Collective sampled it in their super fucking mind-blowing #1 song of '09 (as if– we don't even like it, to be honest, though it seems we're in the overwhelming minority) 'My Girls.' Whatever man... we'll just take 'My Girls'' success as a tribute to the greatness that is Frankie, Jamie, and CHICAGOOOO!

5.1.10

Don't You Feel It Getting Hot?


Jo Bisso - Play Me (Parts 1-4) (192 kbps)

16 minutes of super-erotic '78 disco from late 70s French producer Jo Bisso, divided into four continuous parts: 1. Desire, 2. I Wanna Love, 3. You Are Loving Me, and 4. Burning. These subtitles are pretty indicative of what to expect from the track– lots and lots of sex sounds over a funky, bass-and-string-heavy disco rollercoaster ride that remains constantly interesting despite its length. Besides, a 16 minute relationship that starts with desire and ends with burning– it's like Bisso read our high school diary! Wait, what...?

1.1.10

FISTPUMP FRIDAY: FILTHY HOUSE BEATS

OUTERGLOW RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THE HOTTEST, FILTHIEST HOUSE BEATS* IN THE FIRST EDITION OF FISTPUMP FRIDAYS! Y'ALL KNOW WHAT TO DO: BEAT UP THE BEAT, THEN FIST PUMP THAT SHIT! HOUSE BATTLE MUTHA FUCKAZ!!!

*Well, okay. Our definition of filthy house beats possibly diverges from that of Snooki and company. Hey, we had our Deadmau5 phase but that's probably best left where it lays. Basically we're just gonna post various house jams that incline us to fist pump. We invite you to do the same (responsibly, please).

Puzique - Nice N Tight (320 kbps)
Chip E - Like This (248 kbps)