Asian Dan

Duff Disco is a London producer cranking out some interesting disco edits, first is this edit of Bowie’s “Fame” and then the B-side to it is this unlike sample of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (RIP, damn you Frusciante). He takes the outro of “Funky Monks” off of Blood Sugar Sex Magik and somehow makes it work. Grab the vinyl at Juno & Phonica.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/DUFFDISCO001-FAME.mp3]
Duff Disco – Fame

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/DUFFDISCO001-RED.mp3]
Duff Disco – Red Hot

Cheers, Waves at Night

MERRY SOULWAXMAS! And what better way to celebrate Xmas than with Stephen doin his best George Michael impression. This is a promo the Soulwax gang gave out back in 1998.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/01%20Last%20Christmas.mp3]
Soulwax – Last Christmas (Wham! Cover)

Cheers Too Many Sebastians!

For all of us that don’t have a cassette player still here is that mixtape that Holy Ghost! threw together and was selling limited copies of for our listening pleasure. Time to scour the blogosphere for more Xmas goodies from our fav DJs and producers.

Download: Holy Ghost! The Remixes Vol. 1 Cassette Tape

What better way to celebrate Christmas than with Can, covering “Silent Night” – Christmas goes Krautrock. Merry Christmas and hopefully you all got what you want 🙂

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/01%20Silent%20Night.mp3]
Download: Can – Silent Night

Bibio’s “Ambivalence Avenue” caught me off guard this past fall. I am familiar with his past work but this album is the perfect blend of introspective lo-fi electronica with beautiful guitar work. Exactly what I need in these banger times. “All The Flowers” and “Lover’s Carvings” are perfectly written pop songs that I just can’t stop listening to. “Ambivalence Avenue” is up there for album of the year for me (Check out the blog next week for all my obligatory end of the year/decade lists to see who made it, as well as a few lists from some guests)

Stephen was kind enough to answer a few questions for Asian Dan giving us all a peek into his musical mind, naming some of his favorite guitar compositions by the likes of Steve Reich and Tortoise as well as explaining his musical philosophy.

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/Bibio/Bibio/Ambivalence%20Avenue/03%20All%20The%20Flowers.mp3]
Bibio – All the Flowers

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/Bibio/Bibio/Ambivalence%20Avenue/07%20Lovers’%20Carvings.mp3]
Bibio – Lover’s Carvings

Asian Dan Q&A: BIBIO

1. Who is Bibio?

Bibio is Stephen James Wilkinson from Wolverhampton, England.

2. What are your influences, musical or otherwise?

Imperfections in technology like spherical aberration in lenses, wobble on tape, distortion in valves, crackles on vinyl. Also, beautiful common occurrences in nature like flickering shadows caused by overlapping leaves wagging in a gentle breeze. The smell of damp foliage. The sound of wind through leaves and the chorus of bees, lawnmowers and blackbirds.

What was your first musical memory?

Learning ‘Silent Night’ on my brother’s old bontempi electronic organ.

3. You set the guitar in a very interesting and refreshing context. When did you pick up guitar?

I started to learn guitar chords at the age of about 11 or 12.

Who are some guitar heroes?

Dave Murray (Iron Maiden), Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine),Jeff Parker (Tortoise), Joao Gilberto, Joe Pass.

Who are some non-guitar musicians/composers you love that inspire your playing?

Steve Reich, Boards of Canada.

[Read more]

Joy Orbison strikes again with yet another flawless production. And apparently the vocal sample is a Boys II Men sample? For those of you that have heard “GR Etiquette” by Joy Orbison – that too is a classic R&B vocal sample by Mr. Jamie Foxx 🙂

Can’t wait to see DJ Mehdi spin on NYE in LA with A-Trak and Boys Noize. Dance.

“In the spirit of the season, I prepared this little mix for your Christmas pleasure. It’s nothing too fancy, just some of those 09 tracks, mixed and recorded at home, while dancing with my CDJ’s. Starts quite smoothly and gets harder towards the end, just like I like it.” – DJ Mehdi

TRACKLISTING:
1. SEVEN SEALS James Pants (Stone Throw)
2. SO MANY NIGHTS Burns (Breastfed)
3. EVERYBODY WANTS Kid Sister & Green Velvet (Relief)
4. HUNGRY FOR THE POWER Azari & Ill/Agayo Remix (Cliché)
5. DISCOMONSTER Le Le/Mercury Remix (Magnetron)
6. GET ON DOWN Feadz (Ed Banger)
7. ATTO D’ARMORE Serge Santiago (Arcobaleno)
8. IF YOU CAME HERE Tony Senghore (Anonym)
9. CHAPEL OF GHOULS Boy-8-Bit (Mad Decent)
10. BECAUSE OF YOU Skunk Anansie/Michel Cleis Remix (One Little Indian)
11. BANGKOK Boris Dlugosh (Phantasy)
12. HELLS BELLS Arveene & Misk (Clampdown)
13. WEDOUWEDOU Momma’s Boy/Kid Kaio Remix (Sound Pellegrino)
14. COMPUTER JUICE Riton & Seiji/DIM & TAI Remix (Turbo)
15. KEEP ON MOVING Philip & Lloyd (Off Track)

Mr. LaValle returns with another introspective tune that he mixed once again in Iceland. He channels the innocence and purity that the Iceland emits from its steamy hot springs and comes up with “Falling from the Sun”. With heavier glitched out beats than usual and his vocals that he knows are not perfect, he still wins me over. I’m looking forward to “A Chorus of Storytellers” out 2.2.2010

[audio:http://diestruktur.com/asianmandan/music/Dec%202009/The%20Album%20Leaf%20-%20Falling%20From%20The%20Sun.mp3]
The Album Leaf – Falling From The Sun

EPIC.

My buddy EIKNARF and I had the opportunity to sit and chat with Jeff and Nate (Shuttle) of Passion Pit two weeks ago at their Phoenix/Passion Pit afterparty here in NYC. This is an impromptu/candid conversation as they look back at 2009 and what they have in store in the future.

Just remember that life is just a giant cactus and we are all woodpeckers just trying to get to that precious water inside…