Sylvester - Over and Over (1977)

Long time no see, eh? Well, I'm back and full of new goodies to love and share.

To start off the new year with a bang, I got a tune that will definitely fit in with the festive NYE vibes that are still probably echoing somewhere in your heads. I'm talking about Sylvester's 'Over and Over'.

This fantastic upbeat disco joint comes from his/hers 1977 Fantasy Records debut album entitled: - surprise, surprise - 'Sylvester'. The song was originally composed by Ashford & Simpson, who gave it a more subtle touch with a lower tempo and a sweeter, ballad-ish feeling. Don't get me wrong, theirs is still a hell of a tune. But Sylvester's version...well, it just has that juice, that mojo!

Right, you might be wondering why the hell did I refer to Sylvester in both male and female terms. Well, did you ever see the guy...erm, woman? To keep things short, he was a gay singer and drag performer. His looks might seem confusing today, but back in the day Sylvester James blended seamlessly with the black and gay community that ran the disco scene. Nuff said.

'Over and Over', which was his first single, is a really joyful, upbeat, hands-in-the-air type of tune.  It's got a killer bassline, that's really the driving force of the song. Apart from that you get you're usual funky rhythm guitar, bunch of horns here and there and some strings to fortify the melody.

But there's really something special about this tune, something that makes it rather laid-back and so...sophisticatedly cool. It could be the instrumentation that leaves quite a lot of 'air' in the song making it different to your average in-your-face disco joints. It could be Sylvesters hazy, loose, nearly reluctant style of singing (try to distinguish the lyrics - you'll know what I mean). Or it could be the screams and shouts of the background singers (btw. 'Two Tons O'Fun' is the name of the duo of these rather hefty African-American singers that do the backing vocals on Sylvesters albums. Never heard of them? Well, it's the same girls that gave us the hit 'It's Raining Men')...all in all, put all these elements together, add a nice guitar solo in the middle (Tip Wirrick, who later wrote most of Sylvesters songs) and you got yourself a hit!

Also, if you're up for a more up-to-date rendition of the song, try John Julius Knight's 'Find a Friend' on Soulfuric Trax. It's a top, top house tune with a bunch of 'Over and Over' samples.

Last but not least, here's a little trivia for you. Sylvester was discovered by Harvey Fuqua who just departed from Motown and became a scout for Fantasy Records. Fuqua later became the producer of Sylvesters albums. Remember the guy? That's the same Fuqua who sang duets with Etta James and then broke her heart...or the other way round. (Here's Etta on Platinum Grooves)

(There might be better quality versions of the song on YouTube but this is one is really awesome in that it shows clips of the legendary Paradise Garage. See for yourself!)

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The Prodigy - Experience (1992)

Prodigy's debut album is the soundtrack to my early childhood. I remember the exact day when my mum, coming back from one of her business trips to London, brought me their CD. She clearly had no idea what she was buying, and neither did I...until I whacked the disc into my CD player...Fast forward a couple of weeks, and you'll see me and my friends play fighting to the sounds of 'Out of Space' (however embarrassing it may sound now, we thought we were the dogs bollocks!). Since then, The Prodigy have always held a special place in my personal sonic landscape; and rightly so - the 'Experience', as well as their two next albums ('Music for the Jilted Generation' and 'The Fat of The Land'), are really top class material.

Released in 1992 on XL Recordings in the UK and Elektra in the US, the Experience paints a very colourful picture of early 90s Britain, which (at least in the underground) was this hot'n'heavy collage of sweaty rave, fast-paced jungle and jaw-gurning hardcore. From this lethal combination, fueled with the digital power of synthesisers, beat machines and samplers, came Prodigy's debut album, which is basically a snapshot of urban life in post-Thatcherite England, with all its goodies (or should i say: good E's) ;)

The mastermind behind the group is none other than Mr. Liam Howlett, who produced all of the tracks and is the man responsible for this madness. The more widely recognized Keith Flint and Maxim Reality were merely dancers and MCs - check out the live recording of: 'Death of the Prodigy Dancers' (last track on the album) for a lil' demo of their drunken shouting.

The music, however, was solely Howlett's department and the guy is really a great producer. Nevermind the awesome, original and surprising sampling (vide the 'Charley Says' public information films for kids samples in 'Charly' or the iconic Max Romeo's 'Chase the Devil' sample in 'Out of Space'); nevermind the crazy, multi-layered breakbeats he created; nevermind the great sounds he managed to bring out of them synth-pads; he simply knew how to build fantastic tracks. Whenever I listen to his songs I have a feeling they are really well-thought out and that every 4-bar loop has its specific purpose. If you were to say that making electronic music is simply like playing with Lego bricks, then this guy would be one of them crazy motherfuckers that build 1:1 replica's of Darth Vader's 'Death Star' space ship from Lego.

Anyways, this album is a must-have. And, if you decide to go for the 2001 'Experience: Expanded' double-disc version, you're up for some b-side treats!

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Etta James - At Last! (1961)

Etta James' debut album - 'At Last!' - is really a hell of a record. Released in 1961 on Chess' jazz sub-label: Argo (later renamed Cadet Records), with the visionary brother duo of Phil and Leonard responsible for the production and orchestral arrangements, the album gives us a neat overview of Etta's musical sensitivity.

James, simply put, is really a great, all-round singer. 'At Last!' proves she feels just as comfortable doing jazz standards (like 'Stormy Weather' or 'A Sunday Kind of Love') as ripping the hell out of blues tunes ('Tough Mary' and Willie Dixon's 'I Just Want to Make Love to You'). And that's really the power of this album. Etta seamlessly moves from smooth, romantic phrasing to powerful, energetic blues 'shouting' with plenty of r&b and gospel infused singing in between.

Want an example? Well then check out: 'All I Could Was Cry', which was written for Etta by the 'head songwriter' at Chess - Billy Davis with the Gordy siblings - Berry and Gwen. History has it that the song was inspired by Etta's ordeal with her ex-boyfriend Harvey Fuqua (more on that gentleman, later), who, at the time of the recording of the song, was dating Billy Davis' ex-girlfriend - Gwen Gordy - and was just about to marry her. How's that for a love story, eh? The script writers from 'The Bold and The Beautiful' couldn't have come up with a more confusing arrangement. Nevertheless, Etta simply sounds true and authentic in this song, going from a dreamy, delicate singing voice in the beginning to a powerful, wall-trembling holler in the chorus.

The title track, on the other hand, shows a rather well-tempered Etta as she gives a fantastic rendition of this classic song, first recorded by Glenn Miller and his orchestra. James did a great job here, managing to retain the same vibe as the original tune but still giving it her own twist - an accomplishment that's really hard when it comes to cover songs.

Fair play, the tune is good. However, I find just as predictable as it is good. What really got my attention is the four bonus tracks you get if you decide to go for the 1999 CD reissue on Chess/MCA. These tracks feature Etta singing in a duet with her ex-boyfriend: Harvey Fuqua. That's where the magic starts. Try their version of Willie Dixon's classic: 'Spoonful'. A cheeky bassline, roaring horns and Etta's sexy blues cry. Bang!

With a completely different vibe comes: 'My Heart Cries', which is probably my favourite song from the album. Here, both Harvey and Etta keep on singing this beautiful melody over a constant 6-note guitar lick and some horns and a piano in the background. By joining their two voices, they manage to create a very vivid and colourful harmony which really got me hooked and perfectly suits this little love song. Spot on!

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Beastie Boys - The In Sound from Way Out! (1996)

The Beastie Boys have frequently proven that they feel comfortable in a variety of genres. The New York-based trio started off as a punk band in 1979 but some time around the mid-1980s they turned towards hip-hop and since then have sold over 40 million albums worldwide to much critical acclaim. However, their records have never been solely hip-hop flavoured. The group incorporated a variety of sounds in their albums, mixing fast-paced rock tunes with laid-back, funky grooves in between sample-heavy hip-hop joints. What glued it all together were the razor-sharp lyrics of Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock and their trademark rap style. At times, however, the guys would abandon their mic's and jam out funk-filled instrumental tunes that would later work as interludes in their albums.

By 1996, the Boys, inspired by their French fan club which came up with the idea, decided to make a compilation album with the instrumentals from their previous records. And so, 'The In Sound from Way Out!' (which btw borrows the title and the cover art concept from the 1966 Perrey and Kingsley album) was released. The disc features 13 tracks, all of which have already previously appeared on: 'Check Your Head', 'Ill Communication' and the 'Jimmy James' and 'Sure Shot' singles.

Fair do's - there's no new material on the record, but it still is a pleasant listen. The album features a bunch of loose funk grooves with rhythmical wah-wah guitars, warm Hammond licks and laid-back, conga-heavy percussions, all neatly wrapped up in a jazzy vibe. But that's not all. With tunes like 'Eugene's Lament' and it's distinctive violin solo or 'Shambala' with the Tibetan monk chants in the background, the Beastie Boys give us a little taste of the Orient thereby keeping the album material fresh and interesting.

At any rate, this album will definitely not provide any big surprises if you know your Beastie's. But if you enjoyed bopping your head to their lazy funk joints on their previous records, then I really do believe it's an album worth having.

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Dang Thai Son & Frans Brüggen - Chopin's Piano Concertos 1 & 2 (2006)

Last year marked Chopin's 200th birthday anniversary. Among the thousands of celebrations all over the world dedicated to this most famous Polish composer, the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw released a very unique CD box-set. On 21 discs, it contains all of Chopin's works - from the early polonaises and songs of young Frycek (as he was affectionately called by his relatives), through to the many mazurkas, nocturnes and preludes he wrote throughout his life. The box-set showcases some of the most renowned pianists in the world - e.g. Nelson Goerner, Janusz Olejniczak, Kevin Kenner, Fou Ts' ong, Dina Yoffe, etc...

What's so special about it, you might ask? Well, what makes these CDs unique, in my opinion, is the fact that all of the recordings have been made using historical instruments - an 1849 Erard and an 1848 Pleyel; both made in Paris around the time of Chopin's early death. There's also an extra bonus: the CD marked NIFCCD OOO is a recording from a 1948 concert held at the Belvedere to mark the 138th anniversary of Chopin's birthday. The performer - Raul Koczalski - was a student of Karol Mikuli, who in turn was Chopin's pupil. Koczalski devoted his life to Chopin's music and considered himself a true heir of Fryderyk's style. Well, after all, Koczalski received lessons from a guy who took direct notes from Chopin himself! I really think that's the closest we can get to hearing what Chopin wanted his music to sound like.

Do the pianos make such a difference, you might ask? Well, quite frankly, they do. The pianoforte instrument, as we know it today, underwent many changes which shaped its current look. If you recall Miloš Forman's 1984 Oscar-packed film "Amadeus", then you might remember the weird-looking instrument played by Mozart. The white keys were black and vice versa...Well, that's the harpsichord, the predecessor of the modern-day pianoforte. The idea of the harpsichord was then 'upgraded' many times up until Chopin's era - the range was raised from 4 to 7 octaves, the frame was made of wood rather than iron and the hammers came to be made out of felt instead of leather. With these changes, a new instrument was created - the pianoforte - which, although stems from the idea of the harpsichord, is not directly related to it in its mechanical construction.

The differences between modern-day pianofortes and the ones contemporary to Chopin - like the use of single-escapement key mechanisms or the varying strike-points in the higher registers - meant that Chopin's music sounded completely different in the 19th century than it does nowadays. It is virtually impossible to achieve the same sostenuto sound that Chopin had in mind, with the pedal mechanisms we have in pianos these days.

And if that wasn't enough for authenticity, the piano concerto CDs were recorded with Frans Brüggen's 'Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century', which consists of nearly 60 musicians, all of them playing on historical instruments or on contemporary copies. The only two piano concertos Chopin has ever wrote - the E-minor op.11 and the F-minor op.22 - are far from being my favourite pieces by the composer. However, I really like the idea of 'historically-informed' performances and so I found this CD really interesting.

You can check out the recordings at: 

http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/institute/publications/musics/id/352

BTW - the http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/ portal (the National Fryderyk Chopin Institute website) is a fantastic resource for all your Chopin inquiries - whether it be biography, events, compositions, filmography, letters, etc. And apart from that, you can listen to all of the CDs from the box-set and buy them on-line. Check it out!

  

It's a real shame that Chopin died only a couple of dozen years before people figured out a way to record sound. We will therefore never be able to hear the great composer play his own work. However, these CDs, I believe, are really close to hearing the 'real deal'.

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Madlib - Shades of Blue (2003)

Otis Jackson Jr.'s moniker is actually a wordplay on the Latin phrase: 'ad libitum' (or 'ad lib' for short) meaning 'at one's pleasure'. In a musical context, it usually is an invitation for a performer to improvise a certain passage, play it at his own discretion. And it seems that Madlib does just that - he digs up samples, fiddles with them and pairs them up with neat breakbeats thereby 'improvising' a new sound.

The 'Shades of Blue' album is even more so interesting, because the samples used throughout the entire production come from the legendary Blue Note labels' archives. Madlib surely had a lot to choose from. Actually, saying that he merely samples old recordings would be a gross understatement. Rather than that, he uses the various bits and bobs he finds as instruments and, much like the head of an orchestra, creates a musical collage with a fresh and unique sound. No wonder then, that one of Madlib's alter egos is called 'The Beat Konducta'.

The results of his invasion of the Blue Note catalog are quite impressive. Madlib remixes many classics, such as: Gene Harris' "The Book of Slim", Donald Byrd's "Distand Land" and "Stepping into Tomorrow", Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" or Bobby Hutcherson's 'Montara', giving them a new appeal. There's also a bunch of skits and interludes thrown in for good measure, which tell the story of the Blue Note label and give us an insight into Madlib's answering machine (!).

Much like the title of the album suggests, the various tracks spread across the whole emotional spectrum. You can find tunes with a real hip-hop edge ('Please Set Me At Ease' with guest MC Medaphoar); some break-heavy jams ('Stormy' or 'Funky Blue Note'); slower, moody grooves ('Andrew Hill Break'); and tracks which might as well have had a 'nu-jazz' label stuck on them ('Song For My Father' or 'Peace / Dolphin Dance'). What all these tracks have in common, however, is the delicious, ear-pleasing production quality served by Madlib. Even the most raw and simple songs are filled with carefully picked sounds - there's an almost silent horn over here, a distant cowbell on the off-beat there, some barely noticeable vocals harmonising with the strings, a swinging piano in the background, etc. That's what really makes this album sound so good and I also believe that part of the fun with it is exploring these hidden gems.

'Shades of Blue' is also special for one more reason. Madlib is so far the only hip-hop producer ever to release an album on the legendary Blue Note label, which has in its roster such prominent artists as: Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins or Cannonball Adderley. Do you think he can match his label mates? Well, just see for yourself!

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Dimitri From Paris - live @ Djoon, Paris (8/04/2011)

Ok...Let's start off by saying that Dimitri from Paris is actually not from Paris. Dimitri Yerasimos, as is his actual name, was born in Istanbul to Greek parents. However, he grew up in France and from an early age was heavily involved in the French house scene. Taking inspiration from 70s disco and funk, he created a unique sound that quickly got him the recognition he deserved - in 1986 he was hosting the first house music radio show in France on Radio NRJ. Apart from that he was involved in producing runway soundtracks for such fashion labels as: Chanel, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Hermès and Yves Saint-Laurent. In 1996 he released his first album, entitled 'Sacrebleu', on Bob Sinclar's Yellow Productions label, which was a massive success - UK's Mixmag proclaimed it 'Album of the Year'. Dimitri is also responsible for tons of remixes, for such renowned artists as: Björk, The Cardigans, James Brown, New Order and Quincy Jones.

I'm writing about Dimitri cause just a couple of weeks ago I had the immense pleasure of hearing the man live at Djoon - the soulful mekka of all the househeadz in Paris and by far my favourite club in the French capital. And, I gotta admit, it was utterly mind blowing! Trust me, I've been to many clubs in my life, heard many djs play, but what Dimitri showcased cannot be expressed in human terms - it was a night of pure magic and a truly spiritual experience!

If I were to choose one word to describe it, it would definitely be: energy !...Dimitri is simply the god of the 12" realm. Throughout the night he was serving the groove-hungry crowd an eclectic mix of the finest cuts of beats out there. The ease with which he jumps between genres, mixing music from the whole spectrum of 'dance music' results in a hot and heavy mixture of pure joy. Simply dynamite!

I think that's what really separates the men from the boys. DJ-ing is seriously not only about getting the perfect, seamless blends. It's sooo much more! And if there's anybody who understands, it's gotta be Dimitri. The man was like a snake-charmer, hypnotising the crowd with the slightest move of the faders.Utilising tricks that in some societies could easily be classified as black magic, Dimitri took control of our bodies and souls for the whole night, creating a truly mystical musical journey. I mean, at several points during the night I found myself getting to the point where I thought I was gonna rip the hair off my head - if that's not Voodoo, I don't know what is!...Tune after tune, Dimitri manages to make your heart beat faster and faster, and just when you start thinking to yourself: 'My god, can he take it even further?'....straight away, he comes in with another banger of a tune, making you submit to his beat-infused mysticism!

Like I said before, the true magic in this mix stems from Dimitri's excellent intuition and his unmistakable eclectic style. There's soulful, disco-diva-styled vocals, hypnotic hard-hitting beats, fantastic percussion arrangements with plenty of mayfield-like congas and cowbells...all this is covered with fat, funky basslines and a steamy, red-hot groove! Tune, after tune, after tune!

So, if you wanna see for yourself what dance music is really about it, buckle up and let Dimitri hijack your soul!

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