I know absolutely nothing about this track or artist, other than he was considered pioneering enough to be included on a WIRED Magazine compliation of 20th century musical futurists. This album was another gem I picked up at the EPL book sale. Fantastic!
This tune is amazing, though. It’s something Latin, but different.
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Fantastic Plastic Machine – “Bachelor Pad”
About two weeks ago, the EPL held an event that could only be described as heavenly: a book/cd/dvd SALE! It was definitely a sight that had to be experienced firsthand. There were tables and tables of, well, books, cds, and dvds, but the really crazy thing was that this all happened in the underground parking lot of the Stanley Milner branch! There was just that much stuff!
I ended up finding some amazing albums! Most of them were electronic releases from the late 90s that were partially responsible for broadening my horizons in that genre around my early teen years. It was like going back in time! Needs to say, I was thrilled to find the first release by Japan’s Fantastic Plastic Machine…appropriately titled, Fantastic Plastic Machine.
I was, and still am, a huge FPM fan. This guy definitely knows his music. He crafts very luscious, luxurious, fun dance music that is, at times, completely addictive. It’s almost as if he’s a fantastic hip hop dj, but instead of breakbeats, he mixes vocal harmonies, sound effects, and odd drum loops from godknowswhere. Check out his Luxury album to see what I mean.
“Bachelor Pad” was one of the first FPM tracks I ever heard, dowloaded off of Napster (yay!) right after I came across the video for “Dear Mr. Salesman” on MuchMusic’s “The Wedge” with Sook-Yin Lee (R.I.P.). This track is FUN with a capital F (and U and N!). If this doesn’t pick you up, nothing will! In the spirit of chosing one’s hypethetical theme music (as per an episode of Family Guy), this would be my “shit, it’s 8:30am and I gotta head to work!” track.
And now, my FPM cataloge is complete! I think…
Enjoy!
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The Edmonton Public Library continues to surprise! Just when I was starting to get over the quite stellar reggae collection, I find this! A few years ago I fell in love with dancehall, particularly the really chunky, funky, sample-heavy, syrupy synth sounds that were coming out of the 1985-1995 period. Before that, dancehall is an entirely different vibe (though the vintage stuf is still mindblowing), and after that, well, I kind of lose interest. The beats become a little watered down, and things start getting a wee bit too gun-clappy for my liking.
To me, one of the most interesting things about Jamaica’s record industry is the sheer number of record labels that sprung up from this 85-95 period. I’ve seen dozens of labels in my digging excursions. Throughout the competition, though, Penthouse maintained itself as one of the powerhouses of this sound. Although I’m not a fan of every riddim they put out, there is a definite standard of quality to their music.
Confession: The opening track to this compliation — Buju Banton’s “Batty Rider” is one of my all-time dancehall favourites. I was going to post it, but the copy of this CD is in really bad shape. I’m not able to rip the full song. So, please enjoy this ditty by Mad Cobra instead. A little bit different, but it’s got a great texture to it. Enjoy!
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The Pharcyde – “She Said (Jay Dee Remix)”
It’s been a crazy week, so please forgive the COMPLETE lack of posting. I told myself I’d try really hard to avoid this on BS, but I guess you can’t always forsee the future. On the bright side, our lab FINALLY submitted a manuscript for publication, so I feel like my life is a little less hellish for the first time in six months!
I know I told you that I’d be posting a dancehall track, but I came across this song today and I can’t get it out of my head. I know, The Pharcyde aren’t the most esoteric of hip hop groups (though, definitely one of my favourites), but this track is complely new to me and I’m already in love with it. Once again, Pharcyde prove to be some of the most talented and versatile rappers ever. Truly, I get a bit teary-eyed when I think about how they are no longer together.
In terms of a greatest hits compilation, this is a fantastic album (though the cover art leaves something to be desired). You’ll get some better-known tunes (“Runnin’”, “Pack the Pipe”, “Otha Fish”) and some less-known gems (“Ya Mama” [HILARIOUS], “Return of the B-Boy”). I was never expecting the smooth RnB vibe of “She Said”., but I’m crazy about it. Jay Dee makes yet another fantastic remix (RIP), and the Pharcyde are able to vocalize beautifully on the chorus. Seriously, I can’t stop singing it to myself. This is definitely not a two-bit-rap-album-RnB-throwout! Enjoy!
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Now here is something I’ve been saving for the weekend! This is a fantastic, grooving track from Freez, off of the Soul Jazz British Hustle compilation. I’m definitely no expert on this style, and so according to the liner notes, it was a funky, jazzy, danceable sound that happened in England from the late 70s to early 80s. Luckily, because this is a Soul Jazz compilation we’re talking about, you know that the tracks are both well-selected, and absolutely killer. If you take nothing else away from this post, know that the Soul Jazz label does things properly.
I just wish I had more to say about this track and the band who created it. I’m sorry. Although, I will say that I’ve found the chorus to be particularly catchy over the past three weeks I’ve been playing it. What the hell is a Southern Freez? Who knows…maybe it’s something you know when you see it.
Oh, and btw — here’s another Repeat Offender. You’ve been warned 
.
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Sometimes I feel like a bit of an anachronistic outcast when I tell people that I really dig group vocal harmonies (or doo wop, if you’re into that). In my defence, just because your parents grew up listening to it, doesn’t mean it isn’t good music! For one thing, many of these young artists had pipes. One listen to Savannah Smith, and you’ll see what I mean. To be a bit lewd, her vocal work absolutely kicks my ass. She sets you up and knocks you down more times in three minutes than most vocalists can do in an hour.
Needless to say, the lyrical content and quality of songs like this often leave something to be desired when I listen to today’s vocal pop artists. While themes of love and relationships will be sang about until the end of the time, I find that there’s more variety in these vintage group vocal tracks. They have everything: love, lust, romance, heartbreak, regret, and my favourite, personal strength. How often do you hear that in today’s pop songs?
As an example of the above, here’s a stellar track from Savannah Smith. This comes from a compilation of all-female and female-fronted vocal groups from the 50s and 60s, that all somehow involved George Goldner. Goldner was the head honcho behind a huge amount of New York-area vocal groups, through his labels Rama, Gee, End, Gone, and Roulette. Talk about a monopoly! This compilation is absolutely fantastic, so don’t be surprised if you hear some more of it in the future. In fact, it’s my first entry in my Repeat Offenders list!
And with that, here’s my new favourite quote. Applicable in tons of sitautions. Thanks, Savannah!
“Let it be. That’s alright. I’m not crying…it’s the light in my eyes.”
Damn.
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People Under the Stairs – “Tuxedo Rap”
I heard of PUTS a while ago , but I never actually got a chance to hear them until the other day. Boy, am I impressed! Not only do the duo have a really free rhyme flow, but their self-composed beats have a really unique sound to them. Now at this point, I realize how limited my lexicon is when describing hip hop, so I won’t. Instead, I’ll give you this great little track to hopefully illustrate my point. It’s crisp, and swinging. It’s loose, but tight at the same time. It’s fun enough to showcase some old-school throwbacks, and it’s crafted with some nice, subtle suprises. Perfect for bouncing in your seat!
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In an attempt to help myself get organized about my posts, I’m trying a new posting routine. Every Sunday night(ish), I want to post a tentative schedule of what tracks will appear on BS (oh wow..I just realized how horrible an acronym that is to work with) during the week. In light of this, I’ve decided that I want to try and post every other day (~3-4x/week). This way I’ll ensure that the blog remains new and fresh, but I won’t fall into a trap of going days on end without a new post.
This week, expect a great banger from People Under the Stairs; smokin’ British Hustle from Freez (so good, I forgive the spelling); a really rare cut from one of the most powerful voices in early group vocal/rnb (Savannah Smith), and a nugget of bad boy digital dancehall courtesy of Mad Cobra. Enjoy!
PS – Also want to give a shout out to Driftwood, who throws down a mighty weekly podcast over at Sounding Out the City. You’ll hear everything from soul, funk, and library, to hip hop, electronic, and jazz. It’s open format in the best sense of the word! Check him out via the link on the left.
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Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – “Oscalypso”
Fully realizing that a) I’ve already been behind in posting (I blame a certain scientific manuscript that has been ruining my life), and b) I’ve yet to post a jazz track, I’m presenting this little gem. If you have a hankering for heavy, complex polyrhythmic percussion, then this track is for you. “Cubano Chant” may be familiar to some from certain jazz/latin/jazzdance mixes, but in my opinion, “Oscalypso” blows it out of the water. If you’ve been hankering to nod your head for a good six minutes, here’s your chance.
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I would say something like “Oohh child, this track takes me back!“, except then I would be telling a half-truth. This song came out in 1991, just as I reached the wise and majestic age of…six years old. But this track holds a place in my heart as one of the first hip hop tracks I really loved — and still do! It speaks to me of a time when MC’s had skills, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a beat that didn’t feature a well-selected jazz nugget. Case and point the pure funk gold of this Jimmy McGriff sample. And if that wasn’t enough to make you say “daaaamn”, then listen to a pre-teen Chi-Ali! I mean, how often do you hear rappers with squeaky voices…that aren’t being exploited by Jermaine Dupri? Hmm? Enjoy, friends. I hope it grows on you the way it did on me.
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Savannah Smith – “Let It Be”