Tuesday 29 December 2009

Dear Community...

I have a request. I've been listening to (and watching) a lot of Pogo music lately. Needless to say, I find him interesting. So...
I want to interview him. Bad.
If you guys can help me get a hold of him, in any way, please do. For the benefit of the site, and my own pleasure, help me out! An email address, referral, website, anything. And if someone has communicated with him before, better yet - drop him a link to the blog and I'm sure he'd love to contribute.
Thanks,
Prez

Let's Give It Up For...

What's good everyone. Now that the holidays are through, and most of you have settled down, allow me to introduce our shiny new writers.

To those who didn't make the cut, don't be so hard on yourselves. At the final count, I received 65 applications - and yes I read every single one. Believe me I saw some serious experience (as well as a lack of it), but my strict criteria was only met by half a dozen or so. After which, I went by personality.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER...

Phil - 24 - South Africa Phil is a BAMF (because he's from South Africa) who has experience not only in the technical field (doing geek stuff like yours truly), but also in the music product field. He's a club night organizer and has set up many of South Africa's most influential parties. Why'd I choose him? He's from South Africa, knows his stuff, and writers well. So I'm totally looking forward to seeing what he's got in store. Drop him a line on twitter (@breakbones) or via email.

Chris (Wulf) - 16 - NJ, USA Wulf is a producer whose tracks we've posted here before. Not only is his own music good, but his French House collection makes mine look like the dance section at Sam Goody. Wulf writes a lot, and has a great taste in house music. If you want to catch him, shoot him an email.

So that's all, they'll be posting their asses off soon enough ;)
Prez

[Edit by Boba at 9:01 PM PST]

Thursday 17 December 2009

Album Review: Junior Boys- So This is Goodbye

You're probably wondering: who the HELL are Junior Boys? To be honest, I dont know much about them myself but I can tell you one thing: They can make pretty good songs. They have that kind of fell to them that is very reminiscent of DJ Hell, with a smooth pop-esque voice that just makes it sound even more amazing. I would label it as smooth electropop. As this is my first album review, I want to just get to the point and describe the songs and rate them.

First off we have Double Shadow:
At first I assumed it was bad due to a bland intro, but then it just releases into a very smooth and sexy track with nice vocals and cool drum beats. I would give it a ten if the intro wasnt so blah, but its nonetheless amazing so it gets a 8.5/10.

Next on the list is The Equalizer:

Its more popish than anything else, but it has some great electro riffs. I rather like the track to be honest. The only downside is that its too poppy sometimes. Regardless, I give it a 8/10.

First Time:
This is the most dissappointing song of the track. The vocals dont work, and the beats are ish at best. Very odd track really. 5/10.

Count Souvenirs:
Very Cool track indeed. The beats are very good with a great vocal piece to work with it. Its sounds very tronish in some parts. (When i mean tron, i mean the 80s movie) I give it a 9.0/10.

In the Morning:
This is probably the heaviest track on here. At the same time, it is also my Favorite Track on here. The beats are very catchy and it gives such a wide atmospheric feel to it. I would give it a 1 million but I cant so 10/10.

So This is Goodbye:
As the main track labeled on the CD, i would've expected something great from it. And i was right: it didn't fail to disappoint me at all. The whole thing sounds stellar. SO much so, i sometimes wonder if i am actually tripping out. This is the most electro (in my opinion) of all the tracks. It has flare. It has Style. Its Out of this world. 10/10

Like a Child:
Sounds very similar to In the morning with a DJ Hell-esque feel to it. There are lots of noticeable differences i dont have time to mention, but it has the same feel. I dont like it as much as In the Morning though.8/10

Caught in a Wave:
Reminds me a lot of the Basic Slack Mix of The Legacy theme, just not as electro or flangy. I think its cool, but the vocals are unnecessary in this track.I give it a 7.5/10

When No One Cares:
Quite possibly the slowest song on here. Not very electro or poppy. Just a lot of piano and instrumental fading. 6/10

FM:
Meh. Thats all i have to say really. It has a decent beat, but its just too slow and the voice makes it too dull. 7/10

Pros: Its very smooth and has sweet beats in it that makes you relax and hypnotized.

Cons: Its NOT a headbanger album, so it is a disappointment for people who are justice and Boys Noize fanatics. Some of the songs are a dull and can lead to boredom.

Overall score: 8/10

Now for my picks:











Happy Holidays Everyone,
Nite

Wednesday 16 December 2009

Twitterview with Lee Dunn (Ghosts of Venice/Youth Attack!)



Today I had the pleasure of having a chat with Leeds-based musician Lee Dunn over Twitter. Over the last couple of years he's been making a name for himself as one half of cut-up electro group Youth Attack!, but more recently he's started a new solo project, Ghosts Of Venice, which focuses on disco and house. He's already reworked Club Cavalry, Feadz and Shakira under his new moniker, and has his debut solo effort "I Learned From The Best" coming out later this month for FREE download! Here's what we nattered on about...

Hello GoV. If you had to describe your sound in three words, what would they be?
Probably "Party Filter House", I think that best describes it.

What do you think was the moment you decided "that's it, I wanna make music"?
There wasn't really a defining moment, I've been in bands/DJing for many years on and off. It kind of just happened. One day Chris [Petty, the other half of Youth Attack!] and I just decided to make a track together, and everything naturally progressed from there. The Ghosts Of Venice stuff came after my holiday in Ibiza with Jaymo and Grum, which made me fall in love with House music all over again.

With your new Ghosts of Venice material, which artist (if any) have you tried to emulate?
I wanted to do something that went back to the Crydamoure and Roulé era. The Ghost of Bangalter haha. It kind of evolved from that really.

What was the first track you ever made, under any band or alias?
I recorded an album with my first band, it was terrible. I think we sold about 100 copies of the CD, most of them were probably to our Mums.

Haha sounds fun. So, let's talk about your club night Kill The Rhythm. Who's been your favourite guest?
I think my favourite guest was In Flagranti, he's such a nice dude. But loads of our friends played the night, Hostage, Joe And Will Ask?, etc. So they're always good ones. We've stopped doing it now. But we've got a few dates planned in other cities in the new year.

Didn't know you'd stopped doing the night. That pretty much renders my next question useless haha.
Haha. We didnt make a big deal of it, it just had to happen. We had big names every week. I just had to take a step back and concentrate on making music. We're starting the Kill The Rhythm label in the new year too. I couldnt do everything! haha.

What's been on your stereo recently then?
The new Ocelot album, Those dudes are gonna blow up. I'm currently remixing the first single off the album due out new year. I've been listening to Le Principle, Paul Johnson, Strip Steve. The XX album has been on heavy rotation for me as well. My favourite band of 2009.

Time for a good old hypothetical: If you could pick one song to erase from history, what would it be?
Boomtown Rats 'I Dont Like Mondays'. Fair enough Bob Geldof did a lot for charity, but the guy is an idiot. He's been milking that song for about 20 years now!

Geldof's a cunt. So what does the new year hold for Ghosts of Venice, Youth Attack! and the rest of your crew? Any top secret dancefloor weapons in the works?
Well well, got some big things planned. I'm hoping to head over to Chicago in a few months to work with Le Principle on a GoV track, some big remixes coming out soon too. There's an EP in the works, and a Youth Attack! Album I'm starting on. We're launching the Kill The Rhythm record label which I mentioned before, some really good stuff coming out on it too. There's also a few other big collaborations hopefully!

Finally, Coke or Pepsi?
Coke all the way!

True dat. Thanks a lot for talking to us :)
Pleasure's all mine :)

Such a nice lad. We've been loving his remixes of Feadz and Heads We Dance on the blog, and the other day he sent us this nice little Christmas present. Enjoy :)

Janet Jackson - Make Me (Ghosts of Venice Edit)

Keep it funky,
Joe

Friday 11 December 2009

Quick Review: Basement Jaxx "Zephyr"

Oh, come on Basement Jaxx, you're spoiling us now. A mere three months after Scars dropped, Felix and Simon have unleashed ANOTHER new album, Zephyr. But how does it stand against its predecessor? I'll get to that, but first, a bit of background info...

Made during the studio sessions for Scars, the original plan was to release a double album: one disc of the lads' new direction of "soundscape" ambience, and another of the signature quirky house we've come to expect from Basement Jaxx. Felix and Simon later decided to release the latter as a standalone album (Scars) and release the "soundscape" material (Zephyr) at a later date.

So is it any good? Well, in short, yes. While we got a taster of Jaxx's new direction with Scars, it's on Zephyr that it really shines through. While the Jaxx's usual carnival of wonky guitar riffs, mashed up samples and demented synthwork are all present here, they are transformed from sure-fire house megahits into ethereal nuggets of freeform chillout. The term they love to use to describe it so much, "soundscape", is apt. Putting on one of the few vocal cuts "Where R We Now" or the fantastic jazzy ambience of closing tune "Ascension" and closing your eyes immediately conjures mental images of vast desert wastelands or lush forests teaming with life (I personally get visions of elephants in Native American headdresses having picnics with dinosaurs on a giant trampoline made of marshmallows in a reconstruction of the grand canyon, but it probably varies from person to person).

Normally I wouldn't be able to listen to an entire album of this kind of stuff without getting bored, but at only 33 minutes in length the album is finished before I do. With only ten tracks here, however, and taking into account that three of them are under two minutes in length, this could have actually used a few more tracks to flesh it out a little. Short albums are always a double edged sword. The good news is, if you don't like what you're hearing, it's not long until the next brainwave. The bad news is, if you do like what you're hearing, it's not long until it's over.

But enough of that, what do I think of it overall? Well, while it's not quite up to the standard that Scars set for it, Zephyr is still a decent listen and is worth a few listens if you're in the mood.

I give "Zephyr" by Basement Jaxx 3.75/5

Now here are my picks from the record :)









BONUS!




Keep it funky,
Joe

Monday 7 December 2009

Interview with a Phantom

I've loved The Phantom's Revenge forever - to the point where he is now basically a rock star in my eyes. His music is great, he's French, and if you Google him, you'll find a roller-coaster by the same name below his myspace.
COMMENT!!
INTERVIEW COMMENCE.

Tell us about yourself, what was your life like before you started churning out massive tunes?

I was finishing a master degree of Marketing, I looked for jobs for a little while, worked in bank for a few months until my brain exploded, and I said to myself, what the fuck am I doing ?? let's make music !!

First record/CD bought?

I think that was probably a crappy dance single of the 90's, but the first vinyl I actually bought as a music lover was the first Daft Punk album.

What was the first track you ever created, under any alias?

It was a track i made on Music 2000 on Playstation, the game allowed you to take samples from a cd, the first track was about a Kool & the Gang sample, unfortunately the memory card was not big enough to record the track so I just recorded on tape and I lost the tape. I would give a lot to find that tape haha.

If you could describe your music in 3 words or less, what would you say?

Random Disco House.

We love your tracks, but do you have any new stuff on the way? Maybe some collaborations?

Yeah a lot on new stuffs, recently i took time to improve the quality of my work and soon you will listen to new stuffs. There will be an EP on January including my track When Mr Hyde Killed Dr Jekyll + remixes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6bJ8g2KqvU) and the disco will be back really soon on another EP ;)

What is your main goal when making music?

Having fun.

What do you use to make music?


So I use Fruity Loops, and here's a thing I wanted to do but never took the time, it's a kind of free EP with some of my tracks that were almost never published anywhere, it's all 320.

what an ass, i almost forgot the link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ES7UGS5X

Do you have a favorite VST plugin on FL Studio?

My favourite is the classic filter, and i think it's obvious that I alsolove to use the dblue glitch VST.

Who is/are your inspiration/s?

A LOT of people inspire me, if i had to choose 3 of them, I'd say: Paul Johnson, Breakbot and Quentin Tarentino.

What songs have you been listening to a lot lately?

Lately i've been listening a lot to the last Phoenix album.

Favorite album? track?

My favorite album is definitely and by far the Justice album, and my favourite track, well let's say "Reckoner" by Radiohead.


From banker to music mastermind? Who cares, The Phantom's Revenge remains at the top of the myspace DJ pile with his glitchy random-ness and oh-so-funky sampling. We salute you, TPR.


Prez

Sunday 6 December 2009

This is so amazing

Thanks to The Silver Disco, I just obtained to french tracks from the 70's (YES. 70s) that sound 20 years ahead of its time. The band name is Space and these guys just blow my mind. Hopefully they will do the same to you too :)

Wait till the bass kicks in and it gets so much better (especially deliverance)





Enjoy these Epic French Choons from the 70s

Nite

Saturday 5 December 2009

Prez Reviews DJ HERO: I

PART I / PART II
Theme of this article: Appearances.

Running slow? Click here to replace images with a text link.

I'd greatly appreciate comments, especially if you have experience with this game.

I was super excited to try out DJ Hero for myself. I had seen videos of it, but I was curious as to how the game "felt" in my hands. Would the scratching feel legit? Were the mechanics well-planned? Could I expect another great music game from Activision?

Before I begin the review, let's plot out my expectations. Harsh, but I need to be legit here. Please note that this is before I even SAW the game in person.

1- This game will be too easy.
2- This game will be a popped out version of turntablism, and will make it look easy
3- The controller is going to feel cheap.
4- The music is going to be great. (daft punk <3)

And boy do I mean big, the package (which by the way was addressed to Jordan Scales of ilictronix.com - so professional) weighed a good 20 lbs and was almost as tall as I. Needless to say, I was stunned.

Alright, so now let's take a closer look at this box. I was excited, because I had no idea I was getting the Renegade Edition. It was shiny, clean, and had a good color scheme. Bravo Activision. Don't hate on me for complimenting this, readers, I am all about looks.

Here's a view of the front


...And the back


Okay, let's move on and unbox this badboy. DJ Hero: Renegade Edition, also comes with a gorgeous case that holds the turntable controller (with some padding, DJ Hero game, as well as some legs to screw into the case - I'll explain more later.



This case is NICE. It's sturdy, well built, and can totally withstand some bumps. It has a retractable handle, and some buckles on the side to keep the top down. The "bottom" also contains rubber feet, which is nice if you don't want to scratch this bad boy when you put it on the ground. It has a metal-finished side, and acts as a gorgeous carrying case for the whole set.

Also to note, this thing is pretty damn portable as a whole. I recently brought the whole pack on my long car ride and it comfortably sat on my lap without disturbing my brother next to me.

Opening it, I was a bit shocked at the layout. The padding is very nice and keeps the turntable controller nice and shiny as it is. With the top off like this, I can throw this whole bundle right on my lap comfortably and play the game. The controller itself is also nicely finished.

The Renegade Edition controller has a metal finished crossfader and effects knob


The buttons are smooth, easy to press, yet tactile and sturdy


A spot for the Wiimote to sit (which closes)


And here are the other contents of the case


Beneath the case sits 4 aluminum rods which telescope out (and these things can be LONG) and attach to the case.

A view of the screwholes
The finished stand, in less than 2 minutes
With the controller
It is also noteworthy how the Renegade Edition includes an exclusive Eminem and Jay-Z CD - the music's great if you like those two artists, and the CD design is also just wonderful.


So where are we at now? To clearly list some things...

- The packaging is just incredible.
- The turntable is beyond gorgeous, especially for the Renegade Edition. While the normal edition turntable is similar, to me, the RE controller felt stabler, and had more responsive buttons. Also, a nice metal finish.
- Fingerprints can get annoying, but I think that about anything shiny.
- The case is very well designed, and setting up the entire kit is a breeze.
- All in all, the whole thing looks legit.


Final words?
- It's pretty
- This peripheral seems MUCH nicer than those of other music games
- The setup is very pleasing to the eyes
- I recommend going with the Renegade Edition so far


What still needs to be discussed.
- Gameplay
- Music
- Price
- Overall experience


So far...
This game has greatly exceeded my semi-low expectations (sorry!). For the looks, among other things, this game gets a solid A, for now. Looks aren't everything, but they play a huge role in games such as this.

Phew, that was pretty long, and I haven't even played the game for you guys yet! Next installment I will discuss the gameplay, including DJ Hero's acclaimed music selection. Stay tuned, it's about to get good.

Prez

Sunday 29 November 2009

WE NEED YOU, KID. [Closed]

That's right, the time has come to appoint some new stuff. HUT HUT. You think you can handle it, chump? I THINK NOT. (actually I do)



We have lost two writers due to sheer busy-ness, and I'm now looking for two talented writers that can pick up where the old ones left off. We need more activity so our fans don't get pissed at us for having more slumps.
So what does this mean?
Simply put, I'm looking for the best of the best. If you feel you have a substantially large knowledge of dance music, and you can write well, apply. There is no downside to applying except filling out applications.
What's in it for me?
Ilictronix has a fanbase well in the thousands, and these are not your average stumbleupon readers, but instead a vast community of music geeks like you. Your music WILL be listened to, and your words will be read. To be honest, it's quite thrilling know people appreciate what you do.
Who can apply?
Anyone. Your age, location, race, and even gender will not affect your chances to become a writer. The only thing that matters is how savage your music library is, and how well you can engage our readers to come back for more.
What will my duties be?
You will be required to post once a week, but I want you to take the initiative to post more if things become slow. If you're busy from time to time, I understand. I want the staff to have fun, so I'm not gonna play bad cop. Writing for ilictronix is a great experience, and I want you to get something out of it.
What will you be looking at?
I want to know what kind of music you listen to, where you live, your age, and other basic info. Ilictronix has a vast variety of cultures, so it would be nice if you can contribute something. If you're a middle-class white male living in the states - like me, don't fret. My decisions will not be affected by affirmative action - I'm just looking to be entertained.
Alright Prez, so how can I apply?
Applying is easy, you simply email me with the follow info...
- Name
- Primary Email
- Age
- Location
- A few sentences on your background info
- Do I know you? (explain who you are on the internet)
- Your favorite songs, artists, etc. - Previous experience (it's cool if you don't have any)
- How often you will be available (aka "how much do you spend on the computer?")
- How much music you have (give me an amount of songs, total size "GB", or just a rough estimate)
- A few sentences on why you are qualified to write for ilictronix (include anything you find impressive about yourself)
- Your skill with computers, including experience
Feel free to include anything you think I'll find impressive. This includes a myspace, maybe some songs, other places on the internet you've contributed to, even your job. Don't hold back, your task is to impress me and convince me you are well qualified.
Do not lie.
So get applying! I expect to get a bunch of applications - so competition is likely to be stiff. I'll let you know whether or not you've made the team in a matter of weeks, probably only like 1 or 2 depending on how busy I am.
I will most likely reply to your application with some questions, I'm pretty personal - we'll chat.
Phew, that was a lot. I should've proofread :)
Prez

Sunday 15 November 2009

The Ilictronix guide to Dubstep, part 1: Skream

I've been listening to quite a lot of dubstep recently, so I thought I'd share some of my collection with you all. Over the next few weeks, I'll be featuring some of my favourite dubstep artists in a mini series.

It seemed logical to kick off with perhaps the best known name in dubstep, genre pioneer Skream. His track "Midnight Request Line" was an underground smash back in 2006, and now he's back with two new singles, old skool jungle cut "Burnin' Up" and reverb-drenched stomper "Memories of Third Base". That's not to say he's not been busy during that big three-year gap though, delivering 5 installments of his "Skreamizm" EP series and powerful remixes for the likes of Klaxons, Distance, Bat For Lashes and, of course, La Roux. Here are a selection of my favourite Skream cuts.













Keep it funky, Joe

Sunday 27 September 2009

Album Review: Flashmob by Vitalic

After the minimix posted earlier this week, the newest album by Vitalic finally hits the stores today. So why don't we give you an 'in the racks now review' for a change :p

Vitalic (Pascal Arbez) was born in Dijon, France. He mostly plays live DJ-sets and is renowned for them. His first alter ego's names: Dima, Hustler Pornstar and Vital Ferox and the fact that he made up being born in Ukraine prove his sense of humor. But the story began when in 2001 The Hacker gave Pascal the advice to send his material to DJ Hell's Gigolo records and the Poney EP was born. One of the best selling records on the label thanks to La Rock 01. The techno world got a new star to look out for and Vitalic started his own label: 'Citizen Records'.



After a 4 year long silence, and gaining some fame by 2 Many DJ's showing some love to La Rock 01, he finally released his first album: OK Cowboy. For every fan off the techno genre this album could be called one of a kind, an outright 'Classic' from the start. Something LEGENDARY...



This album will be getting some love, but I want you to listen to just one of the songs first:

Vitalic - The Past


It sounds very Kraftwerky, with the slow beatrate and the robovocals, but halway through the tempo suddenly climbs and it starts sounding like a Homeworkesque Daft Punk song. I know, some daring statements, but for me this song shows what Vitalic had in store for us... It's his inspiration to Flashmob, his teaser. I hope you'll understand me after this review.

When I started listening to the songs, they all had me saying: "damn, these need to be in my post", but then I realised it would make computers lag like crazy and you kids wouldn't buy one of the best albums of 2009. So I'm going to do my first track by track review, because he earned it.

Note: Album art rocks.

See The Sea (Red):
The opening song starts of trancy, with the oh so signature bass of Vitalic, then some distorted guitars kick in, and the melody keeps going on and on and on when he adds synths, another drum kick... It keeps a nice balance between the loud and more relaxed bits and it almost seems like the guitars are some kind of vocal to the song. Quota: 9/10

Vitalic - See The Sea (Red)


Poison Lips:
Second song reminds me of My Friend Dario from OK Cowboy, but the vocals got improved: No rockchick mumbling about a car, but a sensual diva seducing you with her sugary sweet poison lips... The only problem is: it is pure awesomeness, but I feel there's not enough variation. Quota: 10/10

Vitalic - Poison Lips


Flashmob: As the titlesong, this baby packs some punch. Building up to an explosion from the start, the vocals warning you for the upcoming danger. It just keeps growing up and building off over and over, but leaves me with no explosion at all. I'm a little disappointed by this one. Quota: 8/10

One Above One:
The vocal on this one is some more of the Poison Lipps sweetness, the song itself complements the vocals so well (I feel like this song was made solely to accentuate these killervocals, not vice versa, It's strange...). Quota: 10/10

Vitalic - One Above One


Still:
An ethnic sounding mix between african drums and oriental snares, this song brings some tranquility in between the songs. Quota: 7/10

Terminateur Benelux:
One of the better songs, reminding me of Proxy's Raven with the bassline and Lipps Inc's Funkytown with the drumming. But Vitalic added some flair to it... Quota: 9/10

Vitalic - Terminateur Benelux


Second Lives: Sounds too poppy for my taste... don't like it. Quota: 7/10

Allan Dellon:
Damn this song is hawt!!! Starting all 80's synth love, then flowing into a funky medley going to a mellow choo-choo-train of subtlety. This is one of those songs that sound like Daft Punk and Kraftwerk made a baby :p. The fact that the title of the song refers to the person that gave me my french name seriously did not influense me handing out points... Quota: over 9000/10

Vitalic - Allen Dellon


See The Sea (Blue):
Sounds pretty much like the red version, only more blueish. Think of it ass if you're listening to it through a bowl filled with water. Both versions have their charm. Quota:9/10

Chicken Lady:
This song is what should be played at parties from this album. One of the songs that pack some serious punch... Quota: 9/10

Your Disco Song:
This song is the 8-bit/game inspired song of the bunch. A game about disco would have this playing as a soundtrack while you bust your moves on screen. Quota: 9/10

Station Mir 2009:
A spacy, trancy song that never seems to lift off... Quota: 6/10

Chez Septime:
outro noise, no further comments. Quota: NA

Hope you got what I was saying in the beginning... Summary: Not an instant classic like OK Cowboy, but none the less an album filled with subtle music that'll grow on you: 8,5/10

ps: It's my birthday, cough cough

Enjoy, Mr. Brown.

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Vitalic Preview

Hi there,

found some nifty minimix from Vitalic's new album Flashmob (will appear in about a week), featuring some of the new songs:



Enjoy, Mr. Brown

Thursday 17 September 2009

So... a Tron soundtrack leak?

An anonymous shoutbox user posted a link to a supposed Tron Legacy track called 'Fragile'. Evidently, track 7.

Now keep in mind boys and girls THIS COULD BE A FAKE. It sounds rather generic, but it also has very similar sound to the earlier Legacy theme mp3 that's been floating around. If that was also a fake, well then, these are fakes. If not, Daft Punk is producing some pretty generic sounding, but cool, soft 80's style electro.

Update: It did turn out to be a fake. Player in this post has been replaced with the original artist:



Ciao.

Thursday 3 September 2009

Flying Lotus

I'm trying to get a relatively early night tonight, so just one quick post before I go to bed.

Think about what it would sound like if Burial, Aphex Twin and Dr Dre all sat down and had a jam session around a campfire. If you can imagine that, well then welcome to the peculiar world of Flying Lotus. This Californian dips toes in hip-hop, dubstep and IDM to create short but sweet experimental electronic rhythms. His debut album "Los Angeles" came out back in June 2008, and I plan to grab a copy as soon as my local record store stocks it. But until then, enjoy these three tunes :)







Keep it funky, Joe

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Slowwwwwwwwwwww...

I'm sorry guys.

I never through I'd say this, but I actually have TOO MANY viewers. We've been using Hostmonster on a partition given to us from an old friend Brian. Unfortunately, Brian is being a pest, and the server is near crawling because of our bandwidth. In the next few days, I will be switching to a new host, using the money out of my own pocket.

So be kind, and be patient,
Prez Jordan

Sunday 16 August 2009

Back from Bristol

Yesterday I got back from my semi-weekend in Bristol. In between eating steak and cheese sandwiches from Subway and checking out the Banksy exhibition at Bristol Museum, I hit the record shops and actually managed to score myself some great tunes on vinyl for a bargain.









Keep it magnetic,
Joe

Sunday 26 July 2009

poppiholla!

Hai guize! In this post am doing something a little different (but a good different xD), it's a guest post by one of my good friends from twitter who goes by the name P0150N0U5 F15)-( who introduced me to the very epic song poppiholla. Over to you pfish :)

Hey ilictronix users! This is P0150N0U5 F15)-( here, with a guest review ;-)

The song which I’m reviewing for you guys today is Poppiholla, a recent remix by Chicane, of the 2005 Icelandic song Hoppípolla, by Sigur Rós. One of the things that made the original song so brilliant was the hugely uplifting piano tune. It was on par with other songs like U2’s City of blinding lights for pure euphoria. Now, whist the song may have been excellent, its ‘scene’ wasn’t, meaning that it only reached the mid-20s at its chart peak in the UK - a re-release in 2006 following popularity in the BBC Planet Earth series. This remix changes all this though, providing the excellent piano tune, into a more exciting, ‘bassy’ package.

There are 2 main versions, the radio edit, and the club mix. The radio edit is great, as it just goes strait into the music – whereas you have to listen to 2 minutes of nothing to get past the intro in the club mix. Whist Hoppípolla had a good tune, it was devoid of a good beat, and this remix provides this, along with bass to back it up. It is the kind of song that makes you want more however, and that makes me turn back towards the club mix when I do want to listen to it for a while. And when I say a while, I mean a while - 8:50 of pure musical sex!

It seems iTunes is full of reviews that push this down for ruining the beauty of the original. I can’t disagree more! I still love the original, with its quirky, ironic music video, but I love how this one presents itself to a wider (and probably more cool) audience.

It is rather unusual in its lack of lyrics, but it goes with my firm belief that great music can be enjoyed in any language, whether you are able to interpret it or not. Although that may have done me more harm than good, seeing as I now love Rändajad, the 2009 Estonian entry to Eurovision. >_<

One thing I would say though… at times the tune seems to be a bit off, although whether that is just my headphones, me or the recording I don’t know.

And on a final note, I never listen to this kind of music! I can only guess that it is the excellent piano notes that makes me love it :D

Thanks for your time, P0150N0U5 F15)-( (twitter) ;-)

The original Hoppíhola, by Sigur Rós:


And the quirky yet wonderful music vid for Poppiholla:




And a little something from gymtonic:


Quoting a yt vid comment, 'thanks for making our summer chicane' and bidding you farewell:
P0150N0U5 F15)-( & gymtonic :)

Saturday 18 July 2009

Vertigo 006 - Born In Heaven / The Prophet

Good golly gosh do I have some good french house for you today!

You've heard some Vertigo here only a few days ago, but already I am back with a legit BANG! VRT 006 is quite possibly the best French House album I own (don't shoot me) from quite possibly the best French House album I know (don't shoot me).



I've been waiting a while to post this, because I feel you will all fall in love with it, assuming you haven't heard these tracks yet. Unlike VRT 004, which I need to post soon, the sixth release by Vertigo is hard from start to finish. Once I post Volume 4, you'll understand why I am saying this. Moving on...

The Prophet uses some hard drums that make it seem like eery single hihat hit is backed by a bass drum. I mean these drums literally explode in your ears, but isn't that what we all love? Now I have to admit, when I want to mellow out, this is not a song I choose to listen to. When I'm craving some electro, however, this suits just fine. It's heavy, it's quick, and its legit.



Born In heaven literally speaks for itself. This song is so catchy it just hurts that I will never be able to make music like this. From start to finish, you will be hooked to this song. Not once do I ever get annoyed or bored while listening to this - it's as if I were born in heaven (oh snap!). The lead is squeaky, the drums are quick and to-the-point, and the song constantly changes as to not put you to sleep. Good golly gosh is this track good.



With Love,
Prez Jordan

Saturday 27 June 2009

New MSTRKRFT video

MSTRKRFT have revealed the music video for the next single from the "Fist Of God" album. Featuring John Legend on vox, "Heartbreaker" is a bit of a sound experiment for MSTRKRFT, with a one finger piano riff and Justice-y bass. The video appears to show a young hooligan fall in love with a 99 cent store clerk while his friends run amok in the store. I don't really get it, but it's brilliantly driected, and a fuckload better than the "Bounce" video that's for sure.





Break beats not hearts,
Joe

Thursday 25 June 2009

A Sad Day

Today we mourn the loss of the man who, among other, less important things, created the song sampled by The Prodigy in "The Way It Is" and epitomized everything horrible about the power of celebrity.







Sounds Like Johnny Depp - Michael Jackson Rest In Peace, Michael. Champi :(

Saturday 20 June 2009

HOLY FREAKING CRAP! NEW JUSTICE LEAK?

So we all heard the news about Justice signing on with Elektra, right? Well today I received an anonymous email with a leaked track from their NEW LATE-2009 ALBUM! Frikken awesome yeah? MUCH.

This track is extremely catchy, and I dare you to keep from whistling it all day after hearing it. It returns to their original biblical style track naming, Tribe Of Benjamin. The track deviates from their heavily distorted sounds, and pursues the funkier sax sound that we heard in their Let Love Rule remix.

Justice - TribeOfBenjamin

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Happy Bday, Barry.

Our favorite flamboyant oldtimer pop singer is 63 today. Happy birthday Mr. Manilow!

Monday 15 June 2009

Not much to post

But I do have this.

Battle Track Nummer Einz: This Means War

Hmm.
Interesting.

Hello Again

Starting probably tomorrow, I am going to commence committing to this blog. You guys all probably forgot who I am.

Prez Jordan (Busy P)

Hello

About to hire a new writer, don't hesitate to apply before I choose!

Prez Jordan

PS - Thinking about starting a new blog.

Saturday 13 June 2009

Thursday 11 June 2009

Allo!

So, handed in my thesis, video project, and a few other papers. Your Prez is officially not busy! Today we had a Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament of 32 kids (which I coordinated ;)) and it was some goood stufff...so now I'm all chillaxed.

Expect some prolific posting by me soon :)

Back again,
Prez Jordan

Tuesday 26 May 2009

Slow...

I'm just speaking for myself here...

I wrote two posts, and for some reason when I hit publish they would not show up on the home screen, and their drafts did not appear. So sorry for the lack of posts today, I'll try again tomorrow.

After an email to Blogger, then said they were doing some routine maintenance? Anyway it's 8:44 PM EST so they should be done by now, hopefully this one goes through.

See ya tomorrow,
Prez Jordan

Thursday 7 May 2009

Be An Angel





Gerald Smith (an Indiana State University student) has been missing for the past 5 days, please help spread the word. You could potentially save a life. Tweet it, facebook, do whatever it takes. Please spread the word.

http://www.indstate.edu/geraldsmith/

Even if you do not live anywhere near the area, like your prez. Please spread the link around. Make sure this boy gets home.

Prez Jordan

I Challenge You

I FINALLY figured out where this song was from. If you can do the same you win 10 Prez Jordan bucks.



Hop to it bitches,
Prez Jordan

Sunday 3 May 2009

X Gon' Give It To Ya



Got milk?

So in recent weeks, I've been REALLY into Xinobi (as well as his Portugese partner in crime Moulinex), so you can imagine my excitement when he uploaded a new version of my favourite Xinobi track "Diamonds And Rings" to his MySpace yesterday. This version is a vast improvement on the original, with a proper intro and clearer sound. If you don't find yourself jumping around the room and screaming "You should DIAL MY NUMBER!" then something is wrong with you.






And, because I like to have an even number of tracks in a post.




Keep it funky,

Joe

Saturday 2 May 2009

YAY!

Post #400 just happened. (This is 401)

It's surprising we have yet to kill ourselves. Plenty more music to come!

Prez Jordan

From the father of HBFS (Boba's Blast From The Past)


Edwin Birdsong, some very interesting stuff this guy does. Not only did he create the wonderful loop in the background of Harder Better Faster Stronger, Cola Bottle Baby, he also put out many other releases which truly didn't get enough attention. The poor guy was overshadowed by The Brothers Johnson and Zapp and Roger, and left in the indie funk scene.

Edwin Birdsong was born in 1950 in the city of LA, son of a minister. Birdsong fought in Vietnam, where upon returning, he left for Germany to play in clubs. He later moved to New York to pursue a more serious music career where he fronted a blues trio and attended Julliard as a composition major. He put out five records, the first in 1971, the last in 1981. Although his personal recording career ended there, he did not stop his profession, and went on to produce for other artists and even played sessions for Stevie Wonder.

Over the last several months, I've been gathering funk and disco compilation bootlegs from across the web, and in doing so, I've found a rather nice collection of Birdsong's work.









Now... now I must vent. Thursday night was my school's formal. Before the dance started, I noticed the DJ setting up and went over to talk to him. In fact i talked to him so long that I entirely missed the dinner. But the guy was really nice, and he'd been DJing since the 1980's, when he had "red hair and long, black fingernails". Since I was there, he gave me permission to flood the request form with songs I wanted. Normally they limit the number of submissions at these things, but I think this guy was genuinely pleased to find a kid who's definition of 'dance music' isn't Katy Perry, Kanye West, or Lady Gaga.

Fifteen minutes into the dance, the first of my requests comes on! Digital Love! Right now, it happens to be my favorite song. I get up from the table, and walk over to the dance floor, some of my friends getting up and coming too... and what I found mortified me. No one was dancing. They were all silent, and either staring at the DJ in disapproval, or at me, because I was singing along, which was the only sound in the room.

"..and it looked like everyone... was... not having fun. *sigh*" I looked at the DJ and he shrugged back and fiddled with his laptop, walked over to his mixer and faded in What Is Love, and the party promptly started again.

This tells me something... I will not be able to DJ one of these dances. The music that I love to dance to is not the music they like to dance to, and I swear to God there will be NO LADY GAGA ON MY FRICKING PLAYLIST.

Annoyed-ly yours,
Boba

P.S. How about a hostile takeover of the event planning committee and put forth a Disco Ball next year? Heh? PUN!

Friday 1 May 2009

Shiny Things Amuse Me



I'm going to level with you here. The Golden Silvers aren't really all that electronic. Sure, there's no guitars here, but that's meaningless in a world where picking up a synth instantly makes you better than The Beatles. However, what they are is the funkiest thing since Daft Punk first got their hands on a Scott Grooves remix kit, and theyre getting a lot of well deserved buzz at the moment.





Just as an FYI, that weird bit at the end of the remix is intentional, as far as I know.

Keep it shiny,

Joe

Where ya at?

Sorry for the lack of posting, everyone's away...school is busy for us high school students.

Also, I'm currently tweaking with Windows 7...which I "acquired."

Expect some music soon! Stay tuned!
Prez Jordan

Thursday 30 April 2009

SebastiAn - Motor EP Review

My parents usually tolerate my music. I use the word usually because of this album.

Motor EP is one of the most hardcore, THE most in my opinion, series of tracks ever released by the great Sebastian Akchoté. It screams, it shreiks, and above all....it hurts.

If you listen to your iPod loudly, you'll know how cymbals seem to make their way out of your ear drum and piss off everyone in a 25ft radius. Unfortunately for you, this song has many "crisp-frequency" (such as cymbals) sounds that will annoy the fuck out of everyone. I love every second of it.

Let's start with the title track. At first glance, you may want to kill yourself. One of my biggest annoyances in electronic music is the sound of a revving engine (I HATE PTOYL SO MUCH). Anyway, after about 20 seconds or so, the beat erupts with some kickass SebastiAn bass drums, an instrument the great Oizo has commented on being "pure sex." I could not agree more. Although this track has it's ear-piercing-not-in-a-good-way moments, it's fairly solid.



The next track, Momy, is by far my favorite on the EP. It has a fantastic mini-sample, and does not fail to impress me with the exploding beats. To be honest, this song greatly sounds like Nouveau-French-Electro-House, the kind of stuff Louis La Roche and The Phantom's Revenge have been hard at work making. I love the overall sound of this, and I love the main spooky synth. My favorite part has to be the super-tiny "star" vocal sample that I recognize but can't figure out why :(



The final track, Army, does not fail to impress me either. Although it's a little drier that I wish, it's still pretty amazing. This track sounds EXACTLY like SebastiAn, and I'm glad he has not lost his touch. Unfortunately, many listeners might find this song a little generic.



Overall, this EP was a great treat from our pal Tyler, who has given so much to this blog. I loved the EP, and it has significant replay value. It has some great samples, and some great bass drum that SebastiAn is known for. Unfortunately, the tracks can get a little repetitive, and may sound a bit too crunchy for 100% volume. This limited the album to a...

4/5 (I'm super-generous)



Enjoy your new music,
Prez Jordan

Tuesday 28 April 2009

People with Discogs accounts: I need your help!

Yeah, this is kinda taking advantage of my posting abilities, but oh well! It's for a good cause! As many of you know, we have some pretty close ties to The Daft Club Records. Well, today, I started putting together a Discogs for the label.

http://www.discogs.com/label/The+Daft+Club+Records

If you would be so kind as to vote the submissions as correct so that I can add bios on the artists and stuff, that would be great. Thanks!
-boba

Monday 13 April 2009

Help Out

Help out a little. What do you say?

http://tinyurl.com/dj6zve

Thanks,
Prez Jordan

Talk To Me

You absent-minded viewers... I must address something to you all.

Some of you have been commenting in the ShoutBox, and the comment section of the articles, which is great. However, I want to hear more from you.

So from now on, please email me more. If there's a track you've been listening to and you love it, go on and send it to me. If you've found a sick group, send it over. Anything good, just send it to me. My email is on the right hand side. I hope to hear more from you, it will make me happy.

Here's a track I've been obsessed with lately. It makes me very happy.



Cheers,
Prez Jordan

Wednesday 1 April 2009

RIP Ilictronix

Sorry guys. The time has finally come...



It has been about 8 months since I first started ilictronix, and what first seemed to be a good idea soon turned out badly. So starting tonight, ilictronix will now be known as Jonas Brothersonix.



Look guys, I need the hits. I've made some dumb mistakes and I need the money quick. Running an electronic music blog just isn't worth it anymore, I'm slowly dying. So from now on, this blog is dedicated to Jonas Brothers.

The Jonas Brothers are an American pop-rock boy band. The band gained their popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. Hailing from Wyckoff, New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. In the summer of 2008, they starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock.

They have released three albums: It's About Time (2006), Jonas Brothers (2007), and A Little Bit Longer (2008). The band's fourth studio album will be released June 15, 2009; tentatively titled Lines, Vines and Trying Times In 2008, the group was nominated for the Best New Artist award at the 51st Grammy Awards and won the award for Breakthrough Artist at the American Music Awards.

Today I will be posting Jonas Brothersonix's first track, Burnin' Up.Which is highly regarded as the best song ever made in the world ever.



Burnin' Up starts like any classic rock song, with some flawless synth and a great tea kettle sample. Some weezy kid then comes in to talk about his pre-pubescent love for another 9-year-old. The guitar riffs are savage, and the lyrics are wholesome. In my opinion, this song is a classic. I look forward to seeing JoBro around for at least another 20 years. Overall, I give this song a more-than-perfect 13 out of 10. Well deserved, considering it's synth lines that rival the great Stevie Wonder and guitar shredding that Eddie Vedder only dreams he could do.



Happy April Fools Day,
Prez Jordan

Monday 30 March 2009

Looks like synthpop's making a comeback...

Remember the 80s? No? Good, because now you won't need to. Today I'll be blogging about two british artists who are bringing the 80s back with their slick brand of electro synthpop.



First up is Leeds based trio Heads We Dance. Signed to This Is Fake DIY Records, HWD always find a way to sneak some kind of technological love triangle into their tracks. "You Are Never Alone With Model 21" is essentially a commercial jingle for a robotic wife, and when asked to do a cover song for Buffetlibre's Rewind project, it's only natural they would choose "Computer Love" by Kraftwerk.

They've had their work remixed by some of the hottest new names in music right now, such as Louis La Roche, Tepr, Frankmusik, Charlie Fanclub and Sidechains. They also make fine mixtapes as Heads We Dance DJs. Their Sci-Fi Mixtape has a tracklist full of galactic delights, each one given just long enough to shine and no longer. Wonderful.







Next is Elly Jackson AKA La Roux, NME Radar Tour headliner and daughter of Trudie Goodwin, actress in The Bill. Her synthpop melodies are just as fun and quirky as the story of how she found her name (apparently, she found a book of baby names in a bin and La Roux was the first one she found, which, after a bit of research, turned out to come from the French meaning "red-haired one"). Strictly speaking though, La Roux is actually two people. In the studio, Elly sings and plays synth, while the second half of La Roux, Ben Langmaid, co-writes and co-produces. Live, Elly sings while Ben plays the instrumentals underneath.

Having recently been confirmed as the support act for Lily Allen's UK tour, Elly and Ben have just released their new single "In For The Kill" on Polydor, which features a brilliant remix from dubstep pioneer Skream, which starts out as a sinister downtempo murmur, and finishes with an all-out breakbeat assault. The new single has been a big move for La Roux, as it's not often a band gets to switch from indie label to major label after just one single (the previous single "Quicksand" was released on Kitsune).





Keep it funky,

- Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo

Sunday 8 February 2009

Band...width..

Hey everyone, if you haven't noticed, we've run out of bandwidth for our music. This problem will be fixed as soon as possible, but until then, you can go outside or something. :) - Kevin

Tuesday 27 January 2009

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly...

Hi there, I think it's a perfect day to post 3 tracks, just for your entertainment. Hmmm, but then these tracks need to have some kind of story behind it, otherwise it would be meanigless posting 3, right?

Thank god someone already filmed the story back in 1966, so I won't have to make it up. I'm talking about The Good, The Bad and The Ugly by Sergio Leone (one of the greatest westerns of all times).

The Crookers (you know, the Italian DJ duo that's famous for their remixes) made an album inspired by this movie and its legendary music by Ennio Morricone. They're just filled with rhythm, it makes you wanna dance. I'll let the music do the talking now...













Enjoy,
Mr. Brown