Jetpilot Music Reviews

The always fantastic Kidz by Colette have just announced that the Teutonic duo Digitalism are running a competition for fans to produce music videos for their killer single Idealistic.

Our love for all things Digitalism is well known on here and I can’t think why you wouldn’t love us, so follow the link here to find out more about the competition, peruse through the support material Digitalism have provided and find out how to set about winning yourself 2000 euros in prize money. That’s almost $3,500 in New Zealand dollars. Imagine the gin you could buy with all that.

Idealistic is one of the sleeper hits on Digitalism’s debut effort Idealism and a truly stonking track just begging to be spun for the dancefloor.

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Digitalism – Idealistic from Idealism [ buy ]

If I could just ask that we please avoid videos like this pretentious twaddle…

Think of the children. They are our future.

Digitalism @ myspace

Mashed up craziness from the La Grève Générale duo John and Gav. This one has electro, hip hop, Dolly Parton and other stuff they like. Previously here we’ve enjoyed much La Grève Générale

Also, check out their Virb page.

La Grève Générale – People are numbers

Tracklisting
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Kitsuné Music have delivered on an English-language interview with Teutonic titans Digitalism and it makes for some entertaining viewing. When Isi (the big guy) isn’t making a dick of himself, Jence (the skinny one) comes across as if he’s never seen sunlight or been close to touching a woman’s tit. The German accents also mark a welcome shift from all interviews floating around the net chock full of those heavily-Gallic accents of the Ed Banger crew.

The interview was filmed during an appearance in the States with LA-based Acid Girls doing a good job as interviewer.

Hat-tip to the always excellent Kidz by Colette for originally posting the interview.

Kitsuné Music @ myspace

Digitalism @ myspace

Acid Girls @ myspace

Ed Banger Records @ myspace

So – although the last Nu Trend ended on a sour note for me, they’ve convinced me to come back this month. The plan is to do a b2b set with Tobiaz. Also I’ll be starting early in the evening for a change:

Well, hello.

This is my first contribution for my friend in music, so I thought I’d start with something we both well and truly enjoy. Well, sort of. This is fairly circuitous so please bear with me. Ok, here goes…

Joel and me are lovers of all things Digitalism. If we aren’t zealously searching for the numerous remixes they do for the likes of Depeche Mode or Munk & Midnight Mike, we’re losing it to their own tracks. Digitalism have just recently-released their debut album Idealism on French-Japanese label Kitsuné Music and there are some truly standout tracks on the album including Anything New, I Want I Want and the very-excellent Pogo.

My love for Digitalism started with Kitsuné Music’s none-too-subtly-titled mix CD Kitsuné Maison Compilation 1. At that stage I was quite new to the whole French Touch / electro / blog house scene so didn’t really know anything about anyone, but I happened upon the hypnotic Zdarlight thanks to the varied musical tastes of Gildas and Masaya at Kitsuné. Gildas said “we play some stuff people know, and sometimes we play something new but still fun” in an interview with Blair from Music For Robots only last month.

That approach to music saw Kitsuné Music’s Kitsuné Maison Compilation 3 introduce me to Trash by Manchester indie electro act The Whip and I was hooked. Trash is not only impetuous and petulant but it brilliantly marries a relentless synth rhythm with a rumbling guitar riff. The Bloody Beetroots came out with a remix chock full of grit but I prefer the unadulterated original. Don’t get me wrong. I love gritty electro. I just don’t think Trash needed any. Much like in Goldilocks, Trash was “just right”.

Continuing in their fine tradition, Kitsuné Music have recently-released their latest mix CD not-surprisingly titled Kitsuné Maison Compilation 4 and among the tasty treats is another track by The Whip, namely the enthralling instrumental Divebomb. Initially slow-burning, Divebomb soon builds into a hurricane of synth and filters you can’t help but enjoy. Crystal Castles came out with a faster more immediate remix but like with Trash, I prefer the unadulterated original.

And that ladies and gentlemen is more than enough reading for you. Clear some space around you, put your dancing shoes on and enjoy these tracks from Digitalism and The Whip.

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Digitalism – Pogo from Idealism [ buy ]

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Digitalism – Zdarlight from Idealism [ buy ]

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The Whip – Trash from Kitsuné Maison Compilation 3 [ buy ]

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The Whip – Divebomb from Kitsuné Maison Compilation 4 [ buy ]

Digitalism @ myspace

Kitsuné Music @ myspace

The Whip @ myspace

Calvin Harris is an electroclash producer from Scotland who all of a sudden got really popular with the single “Acceptable in the 80s”:

I want those green headphones! And possibly the stuffed marmot weasel thing too.

The song is off the album I Created Disco was released on the 18th of June 2007, which sports a bunch of “uptempo electroclash”. As promo, Calvin went on tour in the UK supporting Faithless and Groove Armada. What I wouldn’t give to have been at one of those shows! I’m a big Faithless fan… although I haven’t mentioned them here. I shall have to rectify that soon.

I’m not going to post “Acceptable in the 80s”, since that’s everywhere. Instead you can check out these two tracks:

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Calvin Harris – Electro Man

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Calvin Harris – Merrymaking At My Place (Mr. Oizo Remix)

And then if you love the Harris you can go and buy I created disco from Amazon or your music provider of choice.

Check out Calvin Harris MySpace or his web site.

Back once more, La Grève Générale bring us a tasty ice cream treat.

There is an incredibly awesome bit at 25:30 which made me HAVE to post this mix. The guys forgot to include me (either intentionally or not I don’t know) in their notification about their new mix, so I was going to just shrug my shoulders and go ‘oh well’. But I’m a big fan of the Mighty Boosh rhymes, and I was grinning like a madman when I heard one start up… “Ice! Flow! No where to go! Lost in the blinding whiteness of the tundra!”

La Grève Générale – Ice Cream Sunday (zShare)

Tracklisting

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I’ve been unable to really pull my motivation into line for doing the regular dancey kind of mix I usually do, so instead I’m doing a mix more fitting of my mood right now. Just slightly brooding, with some regret, but looking forward to what the future will hold.

JetPilot – Times like these.. [ 55:26 51Mb ]

Tracklist:
Tori Amos – Over It (B’s Over the Pool mix)
Bang Gang – Something Wrong
Jordan Reyne – Perfidity
Brian Eno – Meditation #1
Coil – Broccoli
Tweaker – Ruby (featuring Will Oldham)
Recoil – Want
Radiohead – Myxomatosis
Module – I Neva Dared
Morcheeba – Bullet Proof
Sneaker Pimps – Think Harder
Tricky – Dear God
Portishead – It’s a fire
Massive Attack – Angel
Faithless – Drifting Away
Goldfrapp – Deep Honey
UNKLE – Glow (Hybrid remix)
Charlotte Gainsbourg – The Operation (Cousin Cole Remix)
Morphine – You Look Like Rain

from testone22

I’m planning a brooding trip-hop mix soon, including Sneaker Pimps, Tricky and various other artists.

Another gig being run by the Wellington Dance Collective in September. This time they’ve gotten COSM to come up from Christchurch with me to do one of his awesome live psy sets. I raved a bit about him a while back, so if you like you can check out some of his live sets there or on his website.