DOWNLOAD: Kerri Chandler - Rain (Underground Mix)
After over 18 years in the business, seminal NYC house label Nervous Records is looking back upon its catalog with paternal pride. In doing so they've selected some of their favorites from Kerri Chandler, Masters at Work, Josh Wink, Danny Krivit and more to be remixed and stitched together by Marlon D. on Nervous Nitelife: House Classics Remixed. Chandler's 1997 classic "Rain" is one certain highlight, its aqueous pads sloshing up and down the scale as a vocalist sprinkles vocals like droplets upon the dance floor. This compilation assures a new generation of house lovers will get Nervous.
Sounds like: Theo Parrish, Masters at Work, Chez Damier
DOWNLOAD: Francesco Tristano - Strings of Life
Sometimes all you need is a piano to thrill the ears, especially if Francesco Tristano is at the keys. The young, Barcelona-based composer set techno fans' hearts aflutter with his solo piano interpretation of one of the genre's most seminal tunes, "Strings of Life" by Derrick May. True to the spirit of the track, Tristano really leans into the rapid fire melody while coaxing every bit of tunefulness from its dynamic structure. The tune was so well liked it spawned "The Melody," a second version, as well as remixes from Carl Craig, Balil (ex-The Black Dog), Kiki and Apparet. Kiki parks the piano in the middle of the party and gets raucous, while Apparet opts for cut up, almost IDM textures. While it will be difficult to surpass the joy of "Strings of Life," Tristano's debut album, Not For Piano (Infiné), is a strong step in the right direction.
DOWNLOAD: Francesco Tristano - "Strings of Life"
DOWNLOAD: Graveyard - Evil Ways
Dudes. Graveyard is the Swedish Deep Purple. Deep Swedish Purple! Forgive me for being predictable and losing my shit over ANOTHER psyched out stoner metal trip, but I likes what I likes and I likes this. A heady mix of folk, blues and hard gnar, Graveyard does for "Smoke On The Water" what Dungen did for "Immigrant's Song," not to mention what Soundgarden did for Johnny Cash. Total van rock. Graveyard, like most other bands you're obsessed with, are out on Tee Pee Records.
DOWNLOAD: Graveyard - Evil Ways
Classic Video: "Buffalo Gals" - Malcolm McLaren
As you can probably tell, we here at SEEN love hip-hop and its culture. For our next classic video we are going with a video that was essentially England's first exposure to hip-hop culture. Malcolm McLaren is best known for managing and mentoring the Sex Pistols, giving them the punk style and attitude he brought back from New York and his exposure to the New York Dolls and Richard Hell & Tom Verlaine (who later formed Television). However, McLaren was also instrumental in bringing hip-hop culture to a more global audience.
In the 1984 BBC documentary "A Hip Hop History" McLaren tells the story of when he was looking for a backing band for Bow Wow Wow (which he was managing at the time). He was taken to a street party in the South Bronx where he experienced the full force of hip-hop culture first hand. He was blown away by the sounds coming out of the sound system and the impressive acrobatic dancing that would break out in the middle of the crowd. McLaren tried to describe his first hearing of scratching: "the sound coming out was totally inarticulate, it was a load of rough noises, noises that sounded a little like guitars but like a concrete chisel sound..."
He took that experience back and incorporated it into his album 'Duck Rock'. The album also features the track "Double Dutch" which is heavily influenced by African rhythms and singing years before Paul Simon would gain attention with the concept. Not only was the track one of the first to hit the UK charts that featured record scratching (appearing before Herbie Hancock's "Rockit") the video showed all of the elements of hip-hop executed by the masters. Break dancing by the Rock Steady Crew, scratching and rapping by The World Famous Supreme Team and huge graffiti murals by the legendary Dondi White (RIP) when it had not yet gained "art" status in the UK.
You will probably recognize the "Buffalo Gals" tribute lyrics being incorporated into Eminem's "Without Me", which is just another great example of the cyclical nature of hip-hop. Enjoy.
Classic Video: Black Flag "TV Party"
In honor of the on-going writers strike (fingers crossed) we are inaugurating a new on-going series of classic videos with Black Flag's "TV Party". Have you guys tried to watch TV recently? If you thought here was nothing on before, it's really gone to shiite now (except for maybe this). The above vid features a young Henry Rollins, Greg Ginn and band rocking out to a crazy bass line and drinking brews while they catch their favorite shows without having to leave the comfort of their couch. Now that there's not much on TV maybe we'll venture into the outside world and catch the Masta Ace show.
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