Asian Dan

A super fun (as in Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” fun/Passion Pit bubblegum pop/Toto “Africa”) remix of the Aussie duo by way of London, Gypsy & the Cat by Belgium’s now solo Aeroplane.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/Gypsy%20&%20The%20Cat%20-%20The%20Piper’s%20Song%20(Aeroplane%20Remix).mp3]
Gypsy & the Cat – The Piper’s Song (Aeroplane Remix)

I am quite excited to announce this news. I, Asian Dan shall be joining Jamaica on their North American tour. I will be filling in on bass as Flo takes care of some business back home. Get ready for a serious IRL blog on band collab which shall be hitting 9 North American cities. What better way to experience America but with Jamaica and Asian Dan. Game on.

Oct 13 2010 SOUNDWAVE SAN DIEGO
Oct 15 2010 ECHOPLEX LOS ANGELES w/ French Horn Rebellion, Parallels
Oct 16 2010 TREASURE ISLAND FESTIVAL SAN FRAN w/ LCD Soundsystem, Miike Snow, Four Tet, Die Antwoord
Oct 17 2010 REPUBLIC LIVE AUSTIN
Oct 18 2010 LINCOLN HALL CHICAGO w/ The Bloody Beetroots
Oct 19 2010 WRONG BAR TORONTO, CANADA
Oct 21 2010 MAKING TIME PHILADELPHIA
Oct 22 2010 WINDISH CMJ SHOWCASE @ WEBSTER HALL NEW YORK w/ Grum, Matthew Dear RSVP Here
Oct 23 2010 MAKING TIME CMJ @ PUBLIC ASSEMBLY BROOKLYN w/ Kisses, Gold Panda Buy Tix

Follow the antics via twitter:
@JAMAICATWIT
@ASIANDAN
@JAMAICAN_DAN

Sponsored by Scion

This week Todd brings us a track by Martha Wash, a track produced by Masters at Work. FYI Martha Wash had her starts as a backup singer for the disco legend Sylvester. Check out this alternative mix by Masters at Work.

MAW produced Martha Wash’s “Carry On.” To a young producer, hearing a track like this, words don’t do it justice. I was just learning, and I’m hearing all these musical elements that are overwhelming, and the thought that drove me was, “How did they do that?” I don’t know where Kenny Dope got his drum sounds but they were the strongest sounds I ever heard. Tony Humphries played on Kiss FM Saturday nights. All of a sudden I here this wah filter keyboard riff being mixed in. Then this amazing drum pattern that seemed to be using some vocals laced in as snares. Then small snipets of a vocal…it sounded like Martha Wash. An unreleased dub of “Carry On?”. It had to be. The drums sounds showed up in the MAW remix of “Erotica”. That unreleased dub inspired the keyboard work in my vocal remix of Veda Simpson’s “Ooh Baby” On Nervous Records

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/Carry%20On%20(Louie%20Vega%20&%20Kenny%20Dope%20Alternative%20Mix).mp3]
Martha Wash – Carry On (Louie Vega & Kenny Dope Alternative Mix)

Chicago Trio Hey Champ were recently invited to take part in remixing their friends Gemini Club’s new single “Ghost” as part of the run up to that group’s new album release. Hey Champ infused the single with their signature futuristic sound, taking a stellar original to a parallel dimension.

Gemini Club returned the favor with a frosty back room remix version of Hey Champs hit single “Cold Dust Girl”, from their recently released debut album Star. The record has been praised by the likes of Venus, Time Out Chicago, Pop Matters, and the Wall Street Journal for their “infectious synth pop”. They’re currently on tour showcasing material from the album with energetic performances that had even the most bashful crowds moving. “They brought the house down,” wrote the LA Weekly about a performance in Los Angeles last month. “Armed with only a synthesizer, drum kit, and guitar these guys have put together a debut album of well-crafted, ’80s tinged dance pop.”

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/Ghost%20(Hey%20Champ%20Remix)%201.mp3]
Gemini Club – Ghost (Hey Champ remix)

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/Cold%20Dust%20Girl%20(Gemini%20Club%20Remix).mp3]
Hey Champ – Cold Dust Girl (Gemini Club remix)

The elusive Alvin Risk just released his debut EP, “The Making Of” for free on the interwebs last week. A a collection of 4 songs that highlights his ability to balance great concepts, songwriting, production and musicianship – a task that very few artists are able to achieve these days. A favorite track of mine off the EP is “Someone”, a song that reminds me of a Balearic Banger. Imagine Washed Out adding some slap bass and some serious compressed drums and cleaning up his “lo-fi” sound. I love the whispery vocals that float over the heavy track. Overall a song that can work in your bedroom or on the dancefloor.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/Alvin%20Risk%20-%20Someone.mp3]
Alvin Risk – Someone

DOWNLOAD: The Making Of EP

Van She Tech returns with a mysterious remix of Vandroid, a recently discovered 80s Japanese animated film that is finally being released with a soundtrack that Fred Falke helped out with. If this is any indicator of what their upcoming album may sound like then I am down for that. Sequenced basslines galore!

Watch the trailer for Vandroid.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/Master%20&%20Slave%20(Van%20She%20Tech%20Remix).mp3]
Vandroid – Master & Slave (Van She Tech Remix)

What a pop culture clusterfuck. I love it.

Name all the references. Go!

I have been trying not to post radio rips of songs since they do not give the tunes sonic justice but this new Penguin Prison single is just too good not to share even in this poor audio quality. Somehow he is able to top himself every time with each song he releases. “Golden Train” is in the middle of “Something I’m Not” and “The Worse it Gets” – a hybrid tune with drum machine, funky guitar, a solid bassline, falsetto vocals and an amazing hook. “Golden Train” is out 11.22.2010 and will be on his unnamed finished album which should be out in a few months. Let’s all have a round of applause for good Pop music.

Penguin Prison – Golden Train (Radio Rip)

Bonus:
A minimal remix of Aussie’s Kimbra.
[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Oct%202010/01%20Settle%20Down%20(Penguin%20Prison%20Remix).mp3]
Kimbra – Settle Down (Penguin Prison)