What I've Misplaced (But Never Lost)

A couple of mis-clicks on my Spotify sent me on an unscheduled trip down memory lane, specifically a roundup of my most listened to of 2017. And really, not a lot has changed. There's a big smattering of pop punk in there as I was deep in making my "Non-Electronic Nostalgia" playlist but otherwise it's still identifiably Van Foxbat™. Still, there's some stuff that I picked up around the time and has been buried that these kind of playlists do a really good job of digging up, so I thought I'd rundown some of them today.

Roy Lichtenstein - Interior with Waterlilies (1991)

First on the bill is DMX Krew, I found this one completely by accident, it's an oft-overlooked b-side that wasn't available on early digital versions if I recall correctly. It's at odds with all the other DMX Krew productions I've posted so far too, there's no Funk or ironic retro electronic sensibilities to grin at here, instead December Darkness is out and out no-nonsense Deep House and I absolutely adore it. I remembered doing so and wondered if I would still like it as much, I was on a bit of a deep house kick at the time and was kind of obsessed with some Juno-60 demos by some blokes on youtube that sounded a bit like this but with more pitch bends. I am happy to report that is the case, the intro alone had me falling all over again, and the layering of different elements throughout is just fantastic.



Visiting old flames of mine Kittin & Hacker next, after a long quiet they came out with two EPs in 2015 fittingly called Lost Tracks, salvaged demos and half finished songs from the First Album era is my understanding. If you're a fan of the stripped electronics on parts of that album you will find a lot to love here, my favourite being track 1, Leather Forever. Hacker's production is on point here, not too minimal and complimenting Kittin's vocals incredibly well, the synth surges on the choruses might be some of my favourite things he's ever done. Likewise Kittin is on it as usual, she's very firmly in the electroclash style on this one: Stoic, almost disinterested delivery. Slightly melodic while still bordering on monotone, and of course hints of her French accent now and then. While it is very much a cliché of the genre by now, Kittin does it brilliantly (and not for a lack of singing talent, as we've seen on her other works).

Another thing I really like about this track in particular is the inclusion of Fetish and Kink, I'm honestly surprised that given the standard Electroclash output it's not more prominent, doubly so given that Kittin used to do live shows of this era in Nurse outfits (as seen on the cover of First Album) and leather dresses. It's an aesthetic that suits the music very well, and while there are a few other acts that have dabbled in that imagery I'd still say it's slightly rare which is unfortunate.



Finally, a very early relic of the 'tunes you pick up on a compilation and never hear of again' category, more on that in a minute. Tangent 2002: Disco Nouveau is a solid (if slightly dated) compilation centered around the idea of a bunch of artists of the time taking on that Disco sound in their own way, and there are some big names on there: Susumu Yokota, ADULT. and even DMX Krew as mentioned above. Some of it is very of-the-era, but as you all might know that early 00's techy new wave revival is very much my scene. I've talked about a couple of tracks from this comp before (the ADULT. track in particular is especially strong), but there are more than a few I've forgotten about.

Enter Memory Boy, an alias of John Selway, only ever used for a small handful of remixes and for this track (There Is No) Electricity, which is tucked away at the very end of this compilation. I'd never heard of it outside of this compilation, though Discogs tells me it appeared on a bunch of other compilations including a Dr. Lektroluv one that I'd also forgotten about. This strikes me as odd because in all my electroclash excursions I can't believe I'd never encountered it, it ticks all my boxes for that new-wave revival sound I was talking about a minute ago and is absolutely at home on a compilation based on (then) modern takes on Disco. I'm not a fan of the fade-out to a field recording of a city but otherwise I have no complaints: slightly treated vocals and slick retro electro sounds should have told you that already!



I hope you enjoyed this return to our usual MO of output, it was a lot of fun opening the box of old and having plenty of "Oh man, I remember this!" moments. I might have to 'accidentally' take a few other trips into older playlists and see if there's anything else I've forgotten, missed or otherwise not picked up over the years, I'll be sure to share the results of my digital archaeology here!

As always, stay safe and enjoy the music.

-CVF

Retro Reviews: Miss Kittin - I Com

Another idea I've been toying with for some time, what good is a massive back catalogue of music if you don't revisit it from time to time? (That and I've got the itch to do some reviews, and the last new post on the Boogiepop OST was essentially that.) So with that in mind we're kicking off a new series(?) in which I look back at albums that I've loved, lost, fallen out with and everything in between. And what better place to start than with Miss Kittin. Kittin is one of my favourite vocalists since I heard her on Felix Da Housecat's Kittenz & Thee Glitz in the early 00's. Which sets us up nicely for my opening line. After the art of course.

By the early 00's Kittin was a big name, she'd had a successful run with The Hacker and was featuring on tons of records but seemingly not making many herself. In fact it would take until 2004 for a Kittin solo album to eventually appear, and Kittin is very much aware of this even poking fun at her number of featuring credits on the CD itself with the line "... there should not be a 'Miss Kittin' section in record stores, but a 'Featuring Miss Kittin' one". Not that the time taken is indicative of a lack of creativity, in fact Kittin's output has been very consistent since then, but I imagine there's a great deal of pressure when making your debut record, especially when coming from such popularity, and the longer you wait the worse it would get.

The album opens incredibly strongly, with the punchy punky Kittin we've come to know out in full force, delivering both the lyrical content and style we've become accustomed to on full display (although a little more melodic that her delivery on say, Madame Hollywood and with some questionable rhymes), but we already knew that Kittin had that talent, what we're interested in now is the production side of things. That side doesn't disappoint either and it certainly lives up to its title, something I really love about I Com as an album is the breakdowns; Kittin has this amazing sense of timing and sound and effortlessly injects these moments of calm and euphoria throughout.



Likewise it's not long before the Electroclash side of Kittin makes an appearance; not as vulgar as her & The Hacker's Frank Sinatra maybe, but certainly more than a little raunchy. This is one of the singles from the album and I think it was a good choice, if you've checked out this album based on her previous work with the Hacker and friends you certainly will find yourself in good company. Not to repeat myself either but this one has an absolutely stellar breakdown as well, it's much more focused than the one on Distortion and has some absolutely beautiful keys going on. That is before it all gives way and the track kicks back in at full force with no build up or anything. The second half has this lovely contrast between these sparkly backing synths and the kicks and pulsing bass we've had throughout.



But here is where we get critical. Not critical in a negative sense but certainly an analysis. We're coming off one single and onto the next, and this is one of the parts of I Com that I think is a little odd and that is it's structure. We've just had 2 absolutely bombastic tracks back to back, track 3 however is a super sedate number that takes a solid 10 seconds plus to fade in. I have no complaints with the track itself, Kititn's flexibility really shines here and it begins to solidify the album's overall techy sound. Was it a good choice for a single? Yeah actually, Kittin's more downtempo stuff is often gorgeous to listen to and gives her more to her sound identity other than "Her that does all those features and makes Electroclash" but it does demonstrate the album's biggest downside and that is pacing and structure. I have nothing against these more mediative tracks, but it certainly could have been placed better on the album, as it stands right now it's right in between two really fast paced tracks and it just feels slightly out of place with no wind down. More on that in a second.



The next track immediately betrays me saying that the album was defining it's techy sound with a return to more of an punky acoustic instrumentation a la Professional Distortion on the very punnily titled Meet Sue Be She (It's about cars, get it?). But that leads into a track that I think could have nicely set up as an introduction to Happy Violentine. Here Kittin tries a more conventional and perhaps slightly poppy sound, showing potentially the most vocal variety so far on those choruses, definitely far from the monotone musings of tracks like Madame Hollywood where she made her name. Nowhere near as edgy as her electroclash contemporaries here but that's not really a detriment, the track is supposed to be something lighter, which is again why I think it could have been used to structure the album a little better.

,

On Allergic you can really feel Kittin's heart behind the production, it may be a little minimal at times for my taste but there's no doubt this is the kind of record she wanted to be making at the time and still holds up as one of the stronger pieces of the album. The breakdowns aren't quite as dreamy as the other tracks mentioned so far which means that while minimal, it keeps a fairly consistent structure. It's one of the more familiar sounding pieces too if you're here from her previous collaborations and featuring credits, it's the kind of thing you can imagine a solo project to sound like based on them, especially compared to the opening tracks.(Ed Note: This version on Spotify seems to be from a mix for some reason? No real effect other than it plays slightly faster than the album one and has a bit of Happy Violentine at the beginning)



Dub About Me rings in the last few tracks of the album, and it's another one of my favourites. It's an extended downbeat number that I think really shows off that side of the album very well, the way it builds to that peak at around 3 minutes in is pretty spectacular, and I adore the contrasting combination of the wobbly synths and Kittin's vocals. The other set of vocals always sounded a little out of place to me; they're from the original track that this is essentially a cover/remix of: Smash TV's What About Me. It's perhaps a little long at 7 minutes but I can't say I've ever felt like it was overstaying it's welcome, I can definitely see that 3 minute buildup turning some people away though.



It pains me to do so, but I am skipping over some tracks here, including the brilliant Soundtrack Of Now (again featuring an amazing euphoric breakdown!) but also some of the more... experimental I suppose is the right word, these end tracks feature stripped back electronics and in the case of I Com.com is a spoken word piece where Kittin whispers sweet nothings to you about technology. Again these tracks are good, I do actually really like the way I Com.com builds up to its crescendo for example but they are once again oddly placed. The album can't seem to make up it's mind whether it wants to be on the Dancefloor or be more for home listening, the two different contexts are equally important to her, as she mentions on the Miss Kittin & The Hacker track You And Us, as well as in spoken word form on her Radio Caroline compilation and I admire her for including them both regardless and for what it's worth Kittin's later albums do manage to structure this better.

As a first venture I Com is a fine album, and you can definitely feel Miss Kittin's personality bleed through in both the tracks themselves and her playfully illustrated and annotated liner notes. I suppose it all loops back around to her message on the CD itself; this isn't a 'Featuring Miss Kittin' record, it's a Miss Kittin record, and you can't go in with any preconceived ideas about what it's going to sound like based on her past collaborations alone. Her sound only got more refined from here as is to be expected, but even on this debut you can see the kind of vibe that she's carving for herself, and continues to do so to this day.

-CVF

Reunions (2020)

NOTE: Hi there! I'm going through the backcatalogue and re-publishing all the posts I can find. I'm re-posting them as new articles too just so there is visible content going up. This post is originally from July 2017.

Enjoy,
-CVF

Meeting an old friend tomorrow who's seen me through some tough times in the past. It's been a while because well we both have lives now and all that (see also: me and keeping up with posts), things are a little tough right now too so I'm gonna get a lil sappy with some nostalgic tunes from my library..

Max Ernst - A Friends' Reunion (1922)

Starting with something from many late nights and early mornings cutting videos for uni. We're in that boat once again but I have Omni Trio's signature piano keys to keep me company, with Tracey Thorn doing her thing too. Much more sedate than the original for sure, those added basslines that are distinctly Omni Trio are a delight to listen to.



Kittin's been one of my favourite voices in music since I picked up Kittenz & Thee Glitz sometime in the early 00's. Got a special place for a lot of stuff she's been involved with, Hometown especially so. Out of nowhere Miss Kittin & The Hacker drop an EP after a few years of quiet, and it's a much more of a love letter to their new wave roots than the deliberate explicitness of their electroclash stuff. Kittin really shows of her talent for more downtempo stuff here, which is why I dig this and Rippin Kittin so much.



The Knife are also an incredibly important band to me, but I've already said enough about that in previous posts. I picked up their entire backcatalogue a long time ago and put it all in rotation. I don't think there's a single track on any of them that I don't associate with something or someone. And here's a primo example of that.



Apologies if this was a little self indulgent and that, I know it's pretty shit to read about blogger's memories when you have no connection to them but I just needed to drop something. We'll be back to regular stuff next time.

-Claude Van Foxbat

Ilictronix Podcast: Sample Stories & Adam's Mini Mix

Claude and Adam talk about their favorite tracks of the week. Claude takes listeners on a story of sampling and shares how different tracks can use a sample. Adam shares a mini mix.

We return! This time we both tactically deploy little somethin' somethin's we've been holding in the wings. I lead the episode by using The Nightmares On Wax track to set up my three-in-a-row set of songs revolving around one sample (and the original too), with some more funky stuff courtesy of Chromeo and Thundercat rounding out my choices for this week. Adam treats us to something he's mentioned a few times in the past, in lieu of our usual tnes 'n talk combo, Adam instead gives us a mix he did the night we recorded! It's an idea I've mulled in my mind when there's been a few scheduling conflicts that might have made me unable to appear, so I'm more than happy to see it work out so well. Also I apologise in advance for the slightly rambling tangent I go on towards the end of the sample stories section, I make some good points and all but we were having connectivity issues, in the interest of keeping our audio synced I went a little off the cuff! Of course, the full tracklist and show notes follow as always:

Tracklist:
Intro:
Nightmares On Wax - You Wish

Claude’s picks:
Chromeo - Don't Turn The Lights On
Gary Low - I Want You
Miss Kittin & The Hacker - The Beach
Washed Out - Feel It All Around
Thundercat - Heartbreaks + Setbacks


Adam’s Mix
Geography Of Heaven - Pinky Promise
R.M - Chikyu-u 002
Cosmjn - Sunset Soul
Viceversa - Flat Earth
Rimbaudian - Let Me Beat U
Rythm Plate - String Thing
Lousie Chen - Reach (Raw Mix)

Outro:
Ian Pooley - Feel It



Show Notes:
Oh boy here we go. Starting off with the sample I mentioned at the beginning, You Wish HEAVILY takes elements from Judy Clay & William Bell's Private Number, like from the word go. Which is funny 'cos I was holding onto this to make another instalment of sample stories, because it's also heavily sampled in Pretty Light's Finally Moving too in pretty much the same fashion.



A little light on the show notes this week, and I can **guarantee** that I will have forgotten a couple, it's late here in the UK so I'll have a proper listen over the next couple days and fill in any I find. To repeat what I said at the end of my section of this episode, I ask you all to be safe out there and of course to enjoy the music naturally. See you all next week for more from Myself and Adam, we'll leave the light on for ya.

-Claude Van Foxbat

Fest Reminisce

Friedensreich Hundertwasser - 626 The Way To You (1966)

Was talking to a friend about his recent fest trip; and in doing so revisited some homegrown bands that I think I often overlook. Starting with Basement Jaxx, this tune in particular falls into that category of so many forgotten dance songs in that I knew it pretty much from the opening but I'd long since forgotten about it. And I love how fantastically unapologetically bombastic it stats out, that bassy synth and Lisa Kekaula cutting thorough the soft strings of the intro in spectacular fashion. Her delivery is on point too, giving the bitter lyrics a rally cathartic edge. Definitely getting an honorable mention in future for sublime album openers.



Second is one of the actual reasons for this post; I've said a million times before I feel like I don't like The Chem Bros. as much as I should, they're always popping up in my recommends over on discogs and the like but I'd say I'm only passingly familiar with them at best. That is apart from Push The Button, which I know pretty much back-to-front thanks to a friend lending me a copy way back when. I've mentioned a bunch how good Surface To Air is as an album closer (and I almost did again) but I think it's time to give another shout out to another of my favourites from the LP. Hold Tight London is one of my go-to long haul travel tunes, (Ironically enough with all my train travel it should've been Star Guitar) it's seen me many places over the years and every time it feels just as sweet as the first.



Another tune I think falls into that same category is Miss Kittin & The Hacker's Hometown. Released a few years before their big comeback with the album Two, it sheds the techno/electro/clash sensibilities of their work prior and embraces this more House-y sound. The outright vulgarity of Kittin's lyrics is gone too for this single, the debauchery of Frank Sinatra replaced instead by more poetic musings. It's up there as one of my favourites from the duo, and much like Hold Tight London it's progression lends itself well to long-haul listening. I will always adore those synths that back the chorus, as much it feels like The Hacker is teasing you with them until they come round again. Get a load of the nostalgia-laden video:



-Claude Van Foxbat

Reunions

Meeting an old friend tomorrow who's seen me through some tough times in the past. It's been a while because well we both have lives now and all that (see also: me and keeping up with posts), things are a little tough right now too so I'm gonna get a lil sappy with some nostalgic tunes from my library..

Max Ernst - A Friends' Reunion (1922)

Starting with something from many late nights and early mornings cutting videos for uni. We're in that boat once again but I have Omni Trio's signature piano keys to keep me company, with Tracey Thorn doing her thing too. Much more sedate than the original for sure, those added basslines that are distinctly Omni Trio are a delight to listen to.



Kittin's been one of my favourite voices in music since I picked up Kittenz & Thee Glitz sometime in the early 00's. Got a special place for a lot of stuff she's been involved with, Hometown especially so. Out of nowhere Miss Kittin & The Hacker drop an EP after a few years of quiet, and it's a much more of a love letter to their new wave roots than the deliberate explicitness of their electroclash stuff. Kittin really shows of her talent for more downtempo stuff here, which is why I dig this and Rippin Kittin so much.



The Knife are also an incredibly important band to me, but I've already said enough about that in previous posts. I picked up their entire backcatalogue a long time ago and put it all in rotation. I don't think there's a single track on any of them that I don't associate with something or someone. And here's a primo example of that.



Apologies if this was a little self indulgent and that, I know it's pretty shit to read about blogger's memories when you have no connection to them but I just needed to drop something. We'll be back to regular stuff next time.

-Claude Van Foxbat

With A Bang 3: Revelations

That time again, where CVF lays down some ammo for your prospective new year's get togethers or whatever you lot are planning. The one time of year (one day late this time) where I ration the words for this one and instead just hand out some ammo to blast on NYE to make sure yours is the best sounding night on the block. So without further ado here we go!

Takashi Murakami - Tan Tan Bo (2001)

You go on out and have yourselves a awesome night with this lot and as always stay safe, enjoy the music and have yourselves a very nice New Year from all of us here at ilictronix! We'll see you on the other side in 2015!

Philestine · GENIUS IN A BOTTLE

Coming Down

Work's slightly more on track but we're not out of the woods yet, been going out of my way to get some downtime in before I get back at it, here's the transition back to more downbeat stuff I employed this weekend.

Michael Alan - Strange And Productive

More old school jungle to start, with a remix of the seemingly timeless Renegade Snares from Omni Trio. The original is more in line with the stuff Omni would go onto make, but this remix kicks it up like Thru The Vibe from the last post.



Moving more into the chill but keeping that hard edge with a bit from a bootleg mashup EP I found a while back. I'm usually skeptical about mash ups, but I gave it a chance seeing as I'm a fan of both Aes and Portishead and I was pleasantly surprised. Its well produced throughout and definitely worth your time.



Sliding on home with the finale from 2009's Two, an instrumental downtempo rearranging of the second track. It's really interesting how just slowing it down a little and stripping some elements away can completely change the vibe of the tune from a dancy electroclash love letter to an introspective post dancefloor lullaby.



- Claude Van Foxbat

The Kittin Connection

Unichi Hiratsuka - Girl (1930)

Looking over my previous posts I realised I'd neglected one of my favourite tracks of all time! The Salt City Orchestra remix of Marshall Jefferson's Mushrooms is brilliant start to end and is arguably better than the original. Turns out I only posted the cut down version from Miss Kittin's Radio Caroline compilation. Well in that case here's the full length for you to enjoy!



And while I was there I realised I haven't dished up much of Kittin's solo work. She's only got three albums to her name but they're all consistently quality; like she said herself on the CD of her debut "I was sick of there being more 'Featuring Miss Kittin' records than Miss Kittin records".



That's not to discount her efforts with The Hacker mind, their first album remains a cult classic, featuring electroclash anthem Frank Sinatra. While the follow up Two might not have had the same impact or the rough feel of the first, it's still got killer examples of what happens when Kittin and Hacker collide. Look 'em up sometime.



And finally, the track that put Kittin on my radar in the first place when it hit the UK Dance charts sometime in 2002. After all these years I still love it, her lyrical delivery and the instrumentation just merge in the most perfect way. If you can track it down, the Or album is a real gem of the era.



-Claude Van Foxbat

AT / AA 29

James Rosenquist - Myth And Technology B - "Above" (1982)

This tune was a surprise for me going into First Album, I couldn't find a preview of it anywhere on the internet. I was reluctant at first, but not too long after my first listen I knew it would be a long standing favourite; its a brilliant example of how well The Hacker's production merges with Kittins lyrical contribuions.

Shame & Fame

I'm back! after a complete re-casing of my trusty PC (and a little upgrade why not?) we are officially back in action. Just in time for the end of spring break which is a bit of a bummer. But enough of that, I'm on a seedy electoclash kick again like it's 2003 and I'm a moody tech head in Berlin. Tracks and more after this delightfully crass artwork from the re-issue of Mount Sims' Ultrasex

Right, into the meat (no pun intended) of this release. Mount Sims is Matt Sims, and this is his debut LP before re-forming with a band as Mt. Sims in 2005. It's a sleazy electro-tech record that is very much a product of its time. But it is another fine example to the collection, far removed from the self lamenting bubblegum pop stylings of Golden Boy & Miss Kittin's Or, this record pulls no punches much like Frank Sinatra before it. But first, an instrumental.



It's not long before we're treated to another fame bashing number that's expected of the scene by this point. Ultrasex is a nice meeting point of all the styles I've outlined so far, we have the Los Angeles longing much like Felix Da Housecat, the wistful musings in the vein of Golden Boy, the monotone culture critique of Miss Kittin & The Hacker and of course the all out filth like Peaches (which this album has in spades, especially on Hate Fuck).

I also found this gem on my travels from our favourite distributor of electronic smut International DeeJay Gigolo Records. This is actually an alias of detroit man Gerald Donald of Arpanet and Dopplereffekt fame. The name is really befitting of the tunes, a lot of them do sound like kitschy Japanese advertising jingles, however much like in his Arpanet work, he really has a way with sounds that I really dig. Check it out if you're looking for a obscue-ish detroit electro style record.



This starts very nicely, then about halfway through it turns from this laid back electro stlye jaunt to some rumbly techno goodness. The transition is smooth all things considered, and I dig both sides of the track though I have to say I do like the first half a little bit more than the second, cheesy as it may be.



And finally, bringing us back around to familiar tech territory, Miss Kittin & The Hacker's cover of Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams from their early Intimités EP. Hacker's production breathes a new vibe into the tune, and Kittin's delivery is spot on, they cover tunes like this a lot when they play live and its a shame most don't see a proper release. Enjoy regardless.



Good Service,
-Claude Van Foxbat

From The Vault II

Another old school electroclash record from way back when this time, a bit darker than Golden Boy's effort and widley regarded as the album that coined the term "electroclash" and home of the cult hit Frank Sinatra long time music buddies Miss Kittin & The Hacker's collabrative effort and the aptly titled First Album It's a simple collaboration; Hacker on the tech and Kittin taking care of the vocals. you can't argue with results though, take the culture critique of the opening track Life On MTV for example.



Originally from the Champagne EP along with Frank Sinatra, this track takes a fairly minimal approach and is pretty much the duo's version of Daft Punk's Teachers: making references to Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough, Soft Cell's Tainted Love and New Order's Blue Monday among others.



Stock Exchange is First Album in a nutshell: it's catchy and all that but the lyrics are... different to say the least if you're not used to the 'scene' of electroclash and their particular brand of it - telling the tale of a woman attracted to fancy Wall Street types delivered in emotionless monotone fashion by Kittin - both a style and content that would become staples of electroclash.



This track sums up the turn of the millenium electronic scene in a slightly sarcastic way. As a track it doesn't work for me for too long, but thanks to Kittin chiming in occasionally with lyrics like "This is what our music is about: You and Us" it remains fresh and is actually one of my favourites from the album!



Another one of my favourites; Slow Track is (predictably) a slow track. Hacker's production is solid. It's the shortest track on the album, which isn't nessecarily a bad thing; it's the perfect length for it.



I know I've missed out the electroclash anthem that is Frank Sinatra, and that's because I prefer this alternate mix of it from later on in the album, it's much more refined than the original mix while retaining the elements that made it popular in the first place, including the Peaches-esque obscene edge to the lyrics.



And finally, a single released after the album that got included on the 2009 re-issue, The Beach doesn't fit the techno stylings of earlier tracks and is instead straight up house. Sampling 80's Italo Disco (I Want You by Gary Low) and featuring a Moroder style groove, it's one of my favourite House tracks ever (along with all of Roulé and Crydamoure of course :D).



He's Dead. DEAD!,
-Claude Van Foxbat