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.
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!
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.
