TRON: Legacy Special Edition Soundtrack Review

Oh wow guys and girlies it sure has been a hell of a long time since I last posted on here. I say this every time but so sorry about that. I have been rather busy since we last spoke but I will not bore you with that depressing nonsense. Although, I do want to tell you that 2011 will be a fresh start for the blog and for me in general. I will keep up with it and I already have ideas for posts. Expect a lot of "Best Of" posts from now until the end of the year. Phew... finally got that awkward metaphorical family cuddle out of the way. On with the post!

I figured that I would get back into the groove of blogging by talking about something that excites me both culturally and sexually... kinda. Unless you live under a rock you will know that THE film of the year is coming out (well as I'm writing this, the premier has already happened and luckier, well informed bloggers have seen it and posted) and not only is it going to be a landmark event but it also means that we have a treat musically. Again, unless you have been living under a rock Daft Punk have come out of Sleep Mode and produced the soundtrack to what should be the best film of the year (sorry Inception and Toy Story 3... you have had your fun, Flynn is back). Before I delve into this soundtrack review I just want to say I hate 3D. However, a film like this is what 3D should be about! Enough if a pre viewing film review! Let's get on with the soundtrack review!


The version I will be reviewing today is the pre order special edition version which comes with the free glow in the dark poster, which we will talk about in a little while. The special edition 2 dis album itself is just the same special edition 2 disc digipack you can buy in the shops. First things first, let's talk about the packaging of the CD. To sum it up in one word; beautiful! However, that would be cop out of the century so I'm going to go more in depth. It's a nice chunky digipack so you feel like you have bought more than just another CD. The card used for the packaging is a gorgeous mix of glossy and matte card has a really nice feel to it and isn't too hard yet not too soft. I don't know what type of card it is or the grain (if card is measured that way?) but I definitely believe it's the perfect balance and more albums should be brought out this way.

Next we move on to the actual design on and inside. The front cover is nice and simple. You can see the image above so I have no need to go in depth. However, there is one vital thing I must point out. The whole CD has a nice shiny, metallic look to it. When hit by the light, the blue design looks absolutely gorgeous especially the fact it's metallic blue on a black background. The same runs throughout the whole pakaging and the back of the CD is just as lovely. Inside the inner case of the CD does the same and looks awesome. The inner packaging has a Tron Disc which looks lovely. The CD's are also designed in the same style but aren't as shiny.

However, they still look amazing. Finally we get on to the nice booklet that comes w

ith the CD. Nothing to really go on about here, just what you expect. Various stills from the movie and lots of credits. Overall, this is a gorgeous package and I would definitely pay the extra couple of quid for the packaging alone. I haven't seen a digipack this nice since Moderat's debut album.


Before we get on with the actual music (which is what it's really about maaaaaan!) there is one thing I need to mention and that is the special edition glow in the dark Daft Punk poster. This was part of the pre order bonus but I think you may be able to still pick up the package from the official Tron soundtrack site. This poster is HUGE! A brilliant piece of merchandise for the hardcore Daft Punk fans. I am still yet to frame mine because who knows, this might be a really rare piece of kit in a few years (that was my greed talking). It's got a gorgeous look to it and the best thing about it is, it looks amazing glowing in the dark. I don't really need to say anymore about the poster so let's talk about the music.


Before I start I am going to have to have a sit down and talk with you (especially some of you clueless teenagers). Do not buy this album if you are one of the many idiots who can't develop their own taste and like to follow the trends. Some of you may be expecting another Daft Punk album full of future floor fillers... well I'm sorry this album is not for you. This album will be loved by fellow music lovers and people who are fans of Daft Punk's actual production skills. There are a couple of obvious Daft Punk productions here which sound like songs that didn't make it on to Human After All (which is one of my favourite Daft Punk albums) that you could find in a DJ set but the rest of this soundtrack is nothing like a Daft Punk album but more of a showcase of versatility and talent but I'm guessing most of you have a brain and can think for yourself so hopefully what I said won't apply to you. Usually when I review albums I go for a track by track review. However, considering there are so many tracks and some songs are either carrying on from another piece or are just variations, I don't think that would work here.

For the most part of this album, we are treated with the phenomenal sound of the London Orchestra. If you are familiar with the soundtrack to the original Tron film by Wendy Carlos you pretty much know what to expect from the French house maestros. The balance between orchestral and electronic music is perfect in this score. Daft Punk could have gone the more electro way with this but thankfully there are only a couple of songs on here that do that. However, they have picked a way where although there may be an orchestra playing, you can detect subtle hints of French fingertips tinkering with various technological sounds and gorgeous, deep waves of synth. There are tracks that are dark, haunting and sometimes ooze with peril. There are tracks that are uplifting, beautiful and bright in places. There also some genuinely epic and stirring songs which no lie, made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge. Hopefully, going off the musical sequences, the film should be just as atmospheric as the soundtrack. If you liked the original score and if you liked the beautiful soundtrack by Vangelis for Blade Runner, this is going to be an absolute dream for you. This isn't just another generic soundtrack to a big budget movie, this is a genuinely beautiful, dark and moving body of work and a great branching out from Daft Punk who just showcase how talented they are at music production full stop.

Stand out tracks are hard to pick seeing as not once did I even feel the urge to skip tracks when I listened to this on the first play through. If I had to pick 5 tracks from this album they would be Tron Legacy (End Titles), Flynn Lives, Disc Wars, Solar Sailor and Adagio For Tron for no specific reason other than each track showcases different aspects of the soundtrack. Some peeople's obvious choices would be songs like Derezzed and End Of The Line but in all honesty I think they would have been better as stand a lone singles. That being said, it all depends how in context tracks like that fit into the film. I urge people to overlook these tracks at first and give the other more atmospheric and orchestral numbers a chance because that for me is the strong point of this soundtrack.

Finally we come to the 2nd disc; the extra tracks. I am guessing these are just tracks that either didn't end up making it into the film itself, are extra tracks that Daft Punk wanted to record or where for some reason just dropped from the main soundtrack release. I would say however, that these 5 extra songs have a more spacey and synthy feel and it really takes me back to hearing the also beautiful Blade Runner soundtrack for the first time. This collection of songs is just as beautiful as the ones on the main disc.

In terms of special features you obviously have the awesome poster, extra music and you also get some added content when you put the discs in the computer. It's just the usual stuff like making of features, trailers and image galleries but they are great companians with the soundtrack (although my only gripe of all comes in to play, on the 1st disc I had to input all the song data into itunes because the extra content for some reason stopped the tracks and all info being placed on the album which was annoying). You get a lot and it's a great example of you getting more for buying the best edition.

Overall, this is a fantastic package altogether. High quality packaging, amazing music, awesome poster and lots of extras to wet your taste buds for the film out later this month. I will admit, I love electronic music but Daft Punk are not in my top 10 so I was more than surprised and overjoyed with the final product. I have untold respect for Daft Punk and knew I would get a high quality body of music but the dread I felt that this would be just another Daft Punk album did make me worry. Needless to say, this is an amazing album and I cannot stress how amazing this is. I urge you all to buy it. It can only become a better listen after watching the film and I am really looking forward to hearing this on a decent cinema's soundsystem. This is one of the best albums of the year and one of my favourite Daft Punk albums, such a welcome change to the norm and like I said, it proves how talented our French robot friends really are. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I did.

CD 1
Tracklisting:
01. Overture
02. The Grid
03. The Son Of Flynn
04. Recognizer
05. Armory
06. Arena
07. Rinzler
08. The Game Has Changed
09. Outlands
10. Adagio For Tron
11. Nocturne
12. End Of Line
13. Derezzed
14. Fall
15. Solar Sailer
16. Rectifier
17. Disc Wars
18. C.L.U.
19. Arrival
20. Flynn Lives
21. Tron Legacy (End Titles)
22. Finale

Bonus Features:
Music Video, Trailers, Photo Gallery

CD 1
Tracklisting:
Encom Part 1
Encom Part 2
Round One
Castor
Reflections

Bonus Features:
Videos including Making Of and The World Of Tron

.acdx

BONUS!!!!

Below is a video I made of myself unpacking the parcel when I received the soundtrack so please feel free to check it out and hear my first impressions lol I will also be recording a mini review of the soundtrack to go with this more in depth review. Enjoy!

10 Terje Re Edits!

(artwork by me included in the zip folder)

Hey gang. It's me again (if you hadn't already guessed).
It's been a while since my last post which is mainly due the fact that I wanted more people to download the compilation (which I hope you all did or else I'm giving you all a smacked bottom... even thought I would do it anyway) and partly because I'm a lazy cretin! So to make up for my laziness this post is a stonker!

The story behind this post is a very humble and very heart warming (OK, maybe not at all but come on I need to pull you in). I was just chilling in my bedroom with my dad listening to music and I thought I would see what he thought of Digit 2 by Mock & Toof (which for all of you who aren't in the know it's basically a re edit of 10cc's amazing "Good Morning Judge" which was released as part of RVNG's RVNG of the NRDS project... which you should all look up by the way.) and to my surprise he loved it. So I promised I would compile all the songs of the RVNG the NRDS and burn them to disc for him. I am still yet to do that but because I am a brilliant son I decided to give him a little gift. So I compiled a CD of 10 of my favourite Todd Terje Re edits. The tracklisting was so awesome I thought I would post it here for you all.

So without further or do let me give you a track by track guide to the compilation:

1. Chaz Jankel- Glad To Know You (Todd Terje Re- Edit)
So we start off with a nice little re edit of one of my favourite artists/ pioneers. I first heard this on the fabulous Tirk 02 compilation (again... all go and buy/ download it). This is more of a "if Todd Terje produced the song" edit and is a great little take on an already great song.

2. The Crusaders- My Lady (Todd Terje Tangoterje Edit)
If you have heard the original you will notice one main thing; this re edit is basically a sped up version of the original. The original is a more moody and deep. This re edit is a lot more sexier and brighter. Let's say the original is Barry White and the re edit is.... hmmmm... I wanna say Smokey Robinson.... if that's a good visual analogy... yeah that's a shit one but you get what I mean. This is one of my favourite of the Terje re edits. Hope you and your lady like this one guys ;).

3. Skip Jackson- Microwave Boogie (Todd Terje Rekutt)
Now this is where things get interesting and jolly. This is an awesome sing a long re edit, you will find yourself singing along and moving with the song. Just a nice little edit for you all.

4. Imagination- Just An Illusion (Lindstrom v.s Todd Terje Dub)
Now I confess, I really don't know what the difference is between this version and the two original edits that Lindstrom did an excellent job on. However, it's got Terje's name in the title... it's a great edit... it's a great song anyway so it goes on the compilation. This has got a really nice groove to it and like the original... it's kinda sexy!

5. Dennis Parker- Like An Eagle (Todd Terje Mix)
Now this is a classic. One of my favourite songs ever! This is literally an extended mix of the original. This re edit really turned me on to more of Terje's work. I cannot stress how much you have to listen to this one. Listen to this at 3 in the morning when you can't sleep. Believe me, it's a trip!

6. Curtis Mayfield- Give Me Your Love (Todd Terje Tangoterje Edit)
This one is hot. Basically another extended version of the original (which is from the AMAZING Superfly soundtrack... why are you still reading!? Go download it... I can wait!... You back?... OK let's carry on).

7. Chic- I Want Your Love (Todd Terje Edit)
Another one of my favourites from Terje and one of the best re edits in general. We start off with what aparently is a tribute to Moodyman with the extended intro (I say that because I don't who released what first) but man what a great song for a party. I recently heard this gem being played at Creamfields. Suffice to say, that DJ is now one of my heroes. You need to play this at a party and if you are a DJ... put this in your set!

8. Brothers Johnson- Ain't We Funkin' Now? (Todd Terje Radio Miks)
This is a beast, it's fast, it's funky and you are going to shake your arse to this one. I haven't heard the original but I'm guessing it is just as good (judging by other Brothers Johnson songs). You are gonna love this one guys.

9. Bee Gees- You Should Be Dancin' (Todd Terje Edit)
ESSENTIAL LISTENING! ESSENTIAL LISTENING! ESSENTIAL LISTENING! Guys I cannot stress how amazing this edit is. I first heard this on one of James Murphy's DFA Radio Mixes from 06 (again... essential listening). I had been looking for this ever since and accidently stumbled across it last year when I first became aware of Todd Terje and literally listen to it as much as I can.

10. America- Horse With No Shame (Wade Nichols Edit)
Now to finish this compilation, we aren't gonna have a song to dance or shake your booty to. Let's just sit back, relax and chill out. This is a gorgeous little edit of such an atmospheric and mysterious song. I actually prefer this to the original because again, it's pretty much an extended version with a little bit more percussion and some of the trippiest/ atmospheric fading out at the end of a song I have heard in while. This is of course an edit he did under the guise of Wade Nichols (who is the real name of Dennis Parker from before) for the RVNG of the NRDS project.

There you have it, another little compilation for you all to try. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did compiling it. Pretty much every Terje production (whether it be a re edit, remix, original song or even when he helps out Prins Thomas or Lindstrom on their own work) is worth listening to. Also you guys have to check out the amazing Todd Terje- Remaster Of The Universe compilation that's out on Permanent Vacation now.

Enjoy:

.acdx Presents 10 Todd Terje Edits

.acdx

Oizo Week Day 1

It has finally arrived. It's the Second Coming of Our Lord.... Quentin Dupieux.....

Mr. Oizo! The start of a 5 day celebration of all things French, all things beardy, all things glitch, all things messed up.... why it's the first day of Oizo Week of course! It is long overdue over here in the .acdx camp. So what can we expect this week I hear you say? Well, this post today is an introduction and a review of the brilliant (no don't worry, I am gonna go more in depth) Rubber EP. You can also expect a post with Oizo's story, a post on the brilliant back catalogue of music from his humble beginnings making hip hop electronica all the way through to the fucked up electro we hear today (including the sax samples of course). I will also be talking about the films of Oizo and I will finish off with some of my favourite Oizo tracks and showcase some of my Oizo inspired art. I do hope that this week will run smoother than the DFA Week but I'm gonna try and go all out for this one because Oizo is by far my favourite from the Ed Banger camp (sorry SO ME) and my favourite producers today. So please join me and I hope you enjoy this coming week, wether you are a Oizo fan or you want to try something new.

So what inspired me to have Oizo Week? Well, it's been a long time coming my friends. Mr. Oizo is probably one of my favourite people in the whole world. He is an amazing producer, giving a massive middle finger to conventional dance music and creating his own brand of anti dancefloor yet dancefloor friendly music (work that one out). He is also an amazing film producer and I am looking forward to Rubber (but we will leave the films for another post this week). He is just an amazing person. I just think it is time for me to show my appreciation to someone who has provided me (and still is) with so much entertainment.

Now on to the post! To kick off I am going to review the highly anticipated EP from Mr. Oizo and Gapard Auge (mmmmm what a combo!). We have been waiting for Rubber for a long time. It looks like an amazing film and it looks even more amazing that Dupieux and Auge are on soundtrack duty. The Rubber EP is out soon and I managed to find a copy of it (I am fully intending to buy it so shh!) online and had to listen. The EP contains the tracks Rubber, Polocaust, Tricycle Express and a Flying Lotus remix of the title track. I am guessing Polocaust and Tricycle Express are taken from the full soundtrack, if not, it just shows what we can expect from the full release.

This EP is a great little taster of what's to come. The title track is a signature Oizo number, it has all the things we love about Oizo, it has brass loops, rave sounds, poppy (I mean that in an audible way not a 'pop music' way) beats, crazy editing and great samples. You can hear Gaspard in the beat and the great Justice Sirens taken from Stress. This is a great way to start the EP. It's dirty, it's loud and I expect this to get crowds jumping up and down to whoever plays this in a set. The Flying Lotus remix of Rubber is just as good as the original, it takes the track apart and mashes it up with some signature Lotus traits. The perfect person to remix this song; Flying Lotus we love you. The final two songs are just as good as Rubber. You can hear Gapards talent a lot more in these two. Polocaust is a moody throwback to 70's exploitation soundtracks and actually sounds a lot like Giorgio Moroder in the 21st Century. Something tells me Gaspard is the main producer in this track because it references literally almost of Gaspards influences such as Goblin, Moroder and Space, great job from the best half of Justice. Finally we have Tricycle Express which is amazing just for the fact that the name parodies Kraftwerk and the song itself actually starts like Trans-Europe Express and then kicks in with this awesome distored, deep, low key piano. This is a monster of a track and by the sounds of it, Quentin and Gaspard are both in full force for this track. Overall, this is a great EP. It would make a great release on its own but the fact that we can expect a lot more of this for the whole soundtrack excites me greatly and it should excite you too. As a little treat I have provided you with a song from the EP; Polocaust. Enjoy...

Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Augé- Polocaust

So there you have it, day 1 over. Please join me for the rest of the week as the posts will be a lot better (wow I have written a lot today). I just thought I would share my thoughts on the EP and share with you the song that isn't the best from the EP but the most interesting one. I urge you to download the EP for yourself and buy it when it's released.

.acdx

OIZO WEEEEEEEEEK!

STARTS TOMMOROW!

.acdx

We All Love Mr. Oizo!

So about a week a go I get a message on Facebook (link in the blogroll) regarding a status update about the one and only Mr. Oizo (pictured above). A friend of mine by the name of Soraan (what a fucking amazing name!) asked if he could send me an illustration for the blog of the great Quentin Dupreux a.k.a God a.k.a Mr. Oizo. I being the Oizo fanboy I am jumped on the chance of this! So this is just a wee little blog post and a small shoutout if you will to a talented guy called Soraan. If you guys get the chance you should go check him out, he has mad skillz bruv. Soraan, thanks for the awesome illustration and the least I can do is give you a blog post dedicated to you and a mini shout out. Again guys please, please, please check him out. Hope evryone is having a great week so far!

Soraan's facebook

His design portfolio

.acdx

Uffie- Sex Dreams and Denin Jeans Review

A few weeks back I was searching on HMV and thought I would see when Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans is released. To my surprise and joy I was greeted with picture of the Ltd Edition version of the album to pre order for an awesome £7.99 so I pre ordered it and forgot to check the release date! Roll on Thursday just gone and I get a package in the post, to my delight it's my copy of the album about 4 days before general release! The album was not due until the Monday (being the 14th). So I was happy and it made my shit weekend to come that little bit better. I realise that I have rambled on a lot about something so silly and you are probably wanting the review? The way I'm going to do this is review is give my first impression on the artwork and then give you a track by track review of the album, s

o I am basically writing this as I listen. I will also be making comments on the production of each song basically because on this album we see productions from the likes of God (a.k.a Mr. Oizo). SebastiAn and Feadz, amongst others. So let's begin...

Artwork and Presentation:
If like me you purchased the Ltd. Edition of the album you will be a very happy camper indeed. For those who don't let me explain why. The album itself comes in a denim pocket with the Uffie logo printed in a white font. The denim is a gorgeous dark blue and the stitching is a nice touch. The denim feels nice and the production value of the denim pocket is itself very high. When you pop the button we have the proper album artwork. On the cover we have a gorgeous black and white photo of Uffie wearing a lovely sparkly number, there is a red paint smudge running across her face which is nice and simple. The logo and album title are in a really nice hand drawn scribble style. Open up the CD case a

nd we are greeted to more B&W photos of Uffie and some really nice typography in the same style as the "Wasted German Youth" text. The same is throughout the booklet aswell. Overall, this is a great presentation and a great addition visually to your album collection. Now on to the good stuff...

Tracks
1. Pop The Glock (Prod. Feadz)
This is the song that probably got everyone into Uffie in the first place. The music has been updated slightly, mainly just more sound effects and a lot more crisper. The lyrics are again one of the things that got people into Uffie in the first place. This song has a great beat and it's good to see it on the album. I don't really need to say anymore because you have most probably heard this song and you what it's all about!
2. Art Of Uff (Prod. Mr. Oizo)
The first song on the album which has the touch of God... I mean Oizo on it. If you know Oizo, this is Oizo doing what he does best, making anti electronic yet still nightclub friendly music. It starts off with this awesome vocal stab, Uffie comes in addressing her haters. A nice synth loop kicks in and then the song kicks in properly. Oizo using the single, deep piano sounds and a simple drum loop. Vocally, Uffie is at her best here. Talking about the art of Uff. This is a great song mainly for the Oizo music, this would be a great instrumental track but overall, a good song, especially towards the end when we hear this nice little distortion thing going left to right in your ears.

3. ADD SUV (feat. Pharrell Williams) (Prod. Mirwais)This is the second single from the album. We are introduced by a cool little synth styled engine noise. Then the song kicks in and in my honest opinion, it sounds like a chart single. It reaks of mainstream and something you might expect from Fools Gold... this isn't a bad thing, in fact it makes for an interesting task for Uffie. Pharrell Williams doing what he does, adds a quirky rap in between verses. There is a cool effect on Uffies voice, especially in the chorus. This is as mainstream as Uffie has ever has sounded.

4. Give It Away (Prod. Feadz)The next Feadz song on the album and one of the newer songs (to me anyway). This is again another pop sounding song. Not the greatest song so far, sounds more like a generic pop/ r&b song. Uffies voice does sound nice though, we seem to have lost some attitude in this song whixh is a nice refreshing change. Feadz doesn't sound like.... Feadz which again is good but not what you expect for an Uffie production. The ending of the song is my favourite part not because it's ending but because the music is picking up a bit. Overall, this is a nice song but it just doesn't feel like Uffie, more like some girl who loves Uffie.
5. MC's Can Kiss (Prod. Mr. Oizo)
You don't need me to even talk about this one. This is an anthem and one of Uffie's greatest, partly because of the genius of Oizo but also because it's the Uffie we know and she has a great flow in this one. Plus who doesn't love the Oizo sax solo at the end!?
6. Difficult (Prod. SebastiAn)
The first (and only) song off the album produced by probably the second most talented producer on the Ed Banger Crew; SebastiAn. Starting off and we are thrown straight into Uffie and a strong piano stab. A few seconds in and the magic of SebastiAn kicks in, we have an awesome drum beat. This seems to be the only high point of this song musically. This is a very tame SebastiAn production but it goes well with Uffies vocals which are top drawer. Nothing much to add on this song, SebastiAn.... good job but was expecting some signature cut and paste.

7. First Love (Prod. Oizo)Another Uffie song that you have heard before. I just love the Oizo signature weird but it works drum sounds and mad skills. The "record sounds like its scratched" loops, the awesome harsh drum sounds, the sampled 80's loops and the parts where he fucks with Uffies vocals. This is awesome, I want to hear the instrumental.... Uffie is being nice and pleasant in this one, which is a nice change. Again no no need to say more because you've heard this already. The editing at the end is fucking amazing, I love you Oizo!
8. Sex Dreams And Denim Jeans (Prod. Miwais)
Mirwais has the job of producing the title track which again is another "American mainstream club" sounding song. The vocals are played with a lot here which makes it sound fake but the music backing is very indie and guitar based. This sounds like a really good Soulwax/ 2manydjs mashup from 2006. Mirwais does a great job and this song makes me want to investigate more.

9. Our Song (Prod. Oizo)God produces again and like always makes an awesome track for Uffie to rap/ sing/ talk over. If you have heard Oizo play around with a guitar based tracks, you will already have a great audio picture in your head. Got a nice steady beat and Uffie is doing what she does best, addressing her haters (which she has a lot of). Words can't describe the epicness of Oizo in this tune. One of the high points.
10. Illusion Of Love (feat. Mattie Safer) (Prod. Mirwais)
Probably the weirdest song off this album, which is saying a hell of a lot. It's a quite spacey, zoned out romance song from a 70's exploitation film. You could not get an Uffie-esque sounding Uffie song ever. It's strangely beautiful but I don't know who Mattie Safer is (I probably do but can't remember) but he does a good job here helping Uffie out while she is working her magic over lovely deep synths and violins.
11. Neuneu (Prod. Mr. Oizo)
The best song off the album for sure! You want to know why? Here is a clue; he is French and he has a beard... which narrows it down to literally every relevant producer in France today.... it's Mr. Oizo of course. Before I ramble let's get Uff out the way first, she is bragging. Now the music... amazing. Oizo you do it again. I don't know what song you sampled but I want to hear it! The production value is out of this world, I can't tell you how amazing it is, Youtube this motherfucker!
12. Brand New Car (Prod. Feadz)
Yet another song that's bee around for a while, I can't be arsed telling you what you already know lol. Awesome track though!

13. Hong Kong Garden (Prod. Mirwais)
The last Mirwais song on here. Really like the guitar edit at the start. Uffie is again on top form. This sounds like she would enjoy doing this song live because of the lalalaing and stuff. The music is really good. The best out of all the Mirwais productions. Would be great at a party.
14. Ricky (Prod. Feadz)
The best Feadz production on the album and probably one of the best Uffie performances. It's hard to describe the sound Feadz is making but it's epic. There's a great beat and the little breaks with the cheesy little synth parts are awesome plus this song has the best Uffie lyric ever; "Oh you're H&M? I'm Paul Smith bitch". Overall, a great song to finish the album off.
So there you have it, a rather lackluster review of the album. Overall, I'm not the biggest Uffie fan, I prefer the music but Uffie is great on this album, my appreciation has risen a lot. If you are an Uffie fan you are going to love this, if you are an Uffie hater you will hate it. If like me you love Oizo, you are going to love it also. The music is definitely the high point of this album. As a whole package, it is great. The denim sleeve is just amazing, the artwork is amazing, Uffie looks and sounds amazing, the production is amazing but what did you expect from Feadz, SebastiAn, Mirwais and of course; Mr. Oizo. Songs that you should listen to our; Pop The Glock, MC's Can Kiss, Difficult, Our Song, Neuneu, Hong Kong Garden and Ricky. Definitely worth a listen overall but some people aren't as nice as me:


.acdx

Sketchbook Diary

Hey Children Of The Blog!
(A very poor Children Of The Corn satire title I know!)
For the past couple of days I have done something that I have never dared do before. I decided to start a diary. Yeah that doesn't sound all that exciting I know but hear me out. I was almost afraid of starting a diary, the idea of being in a dark place.... getting yourself into a good place.... coming across your diary... reminders of the dark place.... later at some unknown time, feelings and reminders of that time running through your head... yeah you get the picture.
That does sound very melodramatic I know but thanks to the comedy of Larry David, I think about stupid social occasions and reading into the slightest thing.... that little too much. You see, I am not a normal person. No, I'm not the sort that ends up shooting up a school or turning to child pornography. I mean, my brain thinks in silly ways. I would explain it to you but I would get paranoid and probably bore or annoy you to death.
(Ed: Peter seems to have gone off track here, we do apologise. His pills have been administered.)
ANYWAY! Where was I? Oh yes that's right! Diary!. Now I didn't want to be boring have one of those old fashioned text based diaries (DUH! That is so 20th Century!). No, I thought I would have a visual kind of diary. A place where I can draw what I see and feel and such. It might not be an original idea but already it is helping me. It's nice to have somewhere private where you can let even the smallest thing on your mind out. Below I are a couple of pictures of my Little Black Book as it where. I do suggest anyone with a complex brain or an artistic brain do this. It is pretty damn good and it does help.



I would show you some other pages but you are going to have to wait until I am famous and don't care about anything before you get to see what's inside. It's private buddy! OK!?

But seriously, if you don't already do this, I mightily suggest you give it a try, it's like most things to be honest; it's a bit tedious at the start and you feel nervous but just roll with it, it gets better as you go along.

So there you have it!
A little post about something creative for once! On the design front I haven't really done anything apart from little things in my diary, some Youtube videos and some crappy uni work. As a little treat for the people who have made it this far, I have a little song for you!

Hall & Oates- Private Eyes

.acdx

Oh before I go!
Look out over the next few days for a post about the sketchbooks of Art Spiegelman. Some really interesting stuff.

Viva La ZEVOLUTION!

Hello once again Bloggers and Blogettes.
Uncle .acdx is back for another post with some added disco goodness. Today I went to one of my favourite shops ever; Piccadilly Records. I love this shop. It's seriously on par with American Apparel (yeah I don't know if that's spelt right). If you shop in Manchester often, you probably know this shop, you probably know of this shop anyway but if you don't..... go check it out. They have EVERYTHING. I have bought so many good albums, 12's, singles and such from there, most of the stuff you can't find in a mainstream shop.



I digress, please forgive me. So while I was in this fine establishment (wait! I thought you already digressed!?) I picked up a couple of beasts! I want to share one of these fine purchases with you. Today, if you haven't guessed by the picture at the top, I am sharing ZEVOLUTION- ZE Records Re-edited. Now, ikeepforgettin' (check my blog roll for their page) have already posted this amazing album but hey, I want to aswell because I'm all about the good music and design right (psssst... awesome new design related post up soon)! Every song on this album is awesome but my choices are the Greg Wilson, Rub 'n' Tug and Social Disco Club edits. You will love this album and hopefully, like me; go look for the originals and start your quest to find the ZE back catalogue (do I detect a potential post there too?).

VA: ZEVOLUTION: ZE Records Re-Edited

<3>

lcd soundsystem NEWS!

A couple of weeks ago I posted some really interesting lcd soundsystem news. Well, a lot has happened in that time; Murphy has announced a tour, cancelled a DJ set and released a couple of new teaser videos:





Exciting stuff yeah?.... Well I have some even better news for you lcd fans (if you don't already know this shit).... THE ALBUM IS FINISHED!

So there you have it folks, just a little bit of filler while I try and post something nice and original. Just throwing ideas around at the moment but I have the idea of doing the old film critic thing and reviewing some of my favourite 70'- 80's cult exploitation films. I want to get in front of the camera and talk about them instead of just typing about them so watch this space.

I have new videos on the youtube for you all:
www.youtube.com/anotherclicheddesign

Have a great weekend!

.acdx

My Late Thoughts On Stickman Sculpture

Yes I know it is rather late to be posting about this but I thought, seeing as I am a graphic designer; an artist, I need to give my opinion about stuff like this. Now, if you don't already know this already the picture above is of Alberto Giacometti's piece called L'Homme qui marche. Now if you have eyes like me, it's just a statue right? Wrong! That piece cost a whopping £65m! Now that, as you might have guessed (Why am I still talking to you as if you don't know anything about this story?) is a world record and of course it was a centre of a massive debate. Which is rightly so because we live in hard times financially and people are still willing to shell out these vast sums of money for something so trivial. As you have probably guessed, I am annoyed by this. Let me tell you why.



First off. Let's not beat around the bush. It's just a piece of sculpture. Yeah it's nice but it isn't really anything that special. ANYONE could have made this. I just do not see the appeal. Sure, it's a nice looking piece but maybe £50 would even be a stretch! I mean i too. I would be a bit annoyed if I had to pay £50 for this. This leads me onto another point. People seem to pay these stupid amounts for pieces because of the critics and the museums saying "This is a must have piece" and stuff like that. Why not pay £10 for something that looks nice instead of paying silly amounts for something that is priced based on a "professionals" opinion? There are a lot of pretentious people out there (just go to the Tate Modern) who have more money than sense. At the end of the day I personally feel 2 people with big wallets got into a debate war and it went a bit over the top. I think it is a stupid example of the human condition. If art is about expression and visual impact, why are we swarmed with this pretentious attitude? Where have the days gone where you would buy a piece that looks nice? Why are we living in a world where it always about status? That's just my opinion anyway. Nice piece but overpriced. Nonsense!

.acdx

DFA Records Day 1: DFA Appreciation!

DFA Records was started in September 2001 by Tim Goldsworthy, James Murphy and Jonathan Garkin. James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy first met in New York when they where both working on David Holmes's album Let's Get Killed. After recording the album Tim decided to stay in New York and with James started throwing parties in the Lower East Side. The pair wanted to start and run their own label but that only happened when they met with Jonathan who when told about the idea, left his event production job and the three started Death From Above.



DFA started out by releasing a serious of 12" kicking off with The Rapture's House Of Jealous Of Lovers and The Juan Maclean's By The Time I Get To Venus. Many releases where released in Europe through Trevor Jackson's Output Recordings. After releasing the full length album Echoes by The Rapture, the band left DFA and went on to sign with Universal Music Group. DFA then signed a distribution deal with EMI to distribute outside of America and signed various distribution deals for distribution in America.



Since it's birth, DFA has been going from strength to strength and it keeps on growing. Constantly relasing quality LP's, EP's, 12"'s and various compilations. DFA has releasedfor several artists and has even brought out releases through sub labels such as Death From Abroad (for artists outside of North America) and Supersoul Recordings. They have also re released cult albums by the band Pylon. Not only that but they have a strong army of acts on the label. It is also said that there was a day spent with Britney Spears writing songs.



Originally, the label was called Death From Above Records dating back to James' nickname that he received way back when he built a soundsystem for Juan Macleans' band; Six Finger Satellite but due to events of 9/11... it was deemed unsuitable for a New York based label to be named such a thing. People might not know that name disputes don't just stop at terrorism. There was also a dispute between the band Death From Above 1979 who after some kind negotitians from Murphy and the gang, they added the 1979 to end of their name.



DFA is also seen as the centre of the modern Dance- Punk scene. The Dance- Punk genre is almost like a resurgence of NY's underground scene between 1978 and 1982. Influence of bands like Talking Heads, Blondie and Liquid Liquid can be heard through DFA's back catalogue as well as bands like New Order. However, instead of just retreading old ground, the acts on DFA have taken live dance of the time but have combined it with modern recording/ music making techniques. Making the sound faster, heavier, dubbier, noisier and a lot mor intense than their influences.



Here is a list of DFA acts that you might know and SHOULD check out if you don't:

DFA
altair nouveau
black dice
black leotard front
black meteoric star
canyons
capracara
delia gonzalez & gavin russom
free energy
hercules & love affair
holy ghost!
hot chip
james curd
J.O.Y
the juan maclean
lcd soundsystem
panthers
pixeltan
prinzhorn dance school
pylon
runaway
shit robot
shocking pinks
still going
syclops
YACHT
walter jones

DEATH FROM ABROAD
altz
bot’ox
cage & aviary
gucci soundsystem
mock & toof
plastique de rêve
supersoul recordings
yura yura teikoku

RONGDFA
dj kaos
free blood
scotty coats & wes the mes
woolfy

So to conclude this post I thought I would tell you why I feel that DFA are probably one of the most important labels since the likes of Motown, ZE, Factory... etc... etc...
I have never come across a bad release from the label. Every song, video or remix is amazing quality. The people involved with DFA are very lucky and what else can I say!? Yeah sure, nowadays Ed Rec, BNR, Dim Mak (yeah you knwo the labels!) seem to rule the roost but DFA and their experimental, dancey, disco punk acts always are nice to come back to. Here are just a few songs that you should listen to:

lcd soundsystem- Losing My Edge
Black Meteoric Star- World Eater
Black Dice- Earnings Plus Interest

So there you go, the first post of my DFA Week. I was intending on posting once each day but I am so passionate about DFA so maybe I will post a couple times a day but I don't know. My next post will be looking at my personal favourite DFA act; lcd soundsystem.

.acd

DFA Weeeeeeek!

Yes that's right I thought to celebrate the news (although fans knew this long ago) of Lcd Soundsystem's new record being recorded, I thought I would celebrate by blogging all that's wonderful about probably the best label (yep... I am a massive Ed Banger but DFA fanboy since 04' baby!) of modern times. So to kick off I thought I would slowly ease you into the celebrations (which officialy start tommorow by the way) with what inspired me to celebrate DFA; the video posted on the Lcd Soundsystem website a few days ago:

clip 1 from lcd soundsystem on Vimeo.

If you have ears and a good selection of musical taste buds, you, like me, will be so excited by this! I have no idea how this week will turn out but it's going to happen so keep checking back and we can enjoy this journey together.



As a little treat here is a fine piece of DFA's finest ever offering (and co founder/ nearly Seinfeld writer) Lcd Soundsystem:

lcd soundsystem- Tribulations

.acdx

Sucer DANSER!!!

Hello blog!
Not really posted anything of great interest the past couple of days so I thought I would post about me. More to the point, my music. I go by the name of SucerDanser (yes, named after the Oizo song). I have recorded music before under the name of Audio Smut but I hate that name. The music I make may not be music to some, if not a lot of people. My influences range from the analogue sounds of the late 70's, the heavy synth based music of the 80's (especially round the year 1984), the strangeness of Oizo and the rawness of artists such as Venetian Snares and Errorsmith.

My setup is actually rather simple. All I have is a Korg Micro X and Garage Band. Although, the sounds on Garage Band are always heavily manipulated and edited so that it loses the stock sound. I have come up with some interesting sequences and effects through my experimentation. All the music recorded is improvised so it's almost a really rough sounding piece when it's finished but I'm not looking to be a big ass producer. I am really interested in different sounds and how far you can push the limits of electronic music.

Below is a video of one of my improv pieces. I have received good feedback about this. Benni also pointed out that it similar to Oizo and Errorsmith's Erreur Jean which actually made me smile a lot!



I am also presenting to you a recorded version of another improv which features similar sounds and a few really exciting sounds that I hope you enjoy:

SucerDanser- ssssss

So like I said, it's nothing amazing and I'm not gonna change the face of music but I like it, this stuff is just another path that I'm cautiously walking along in my life. So feel free to give me your opinion and check out my Youtube account, I have to say there is some good stuff!

.acdx

.acdx now on Youtube!

Yes..... the time has come. I finally have started producing content on the good old Youtube! Let me just tell you that the videos on there are quite low quality but I think they go with the car crash style of my content. Keep looking on there because I will probably post everyday.

So in true Youtube form:

COMMENT.RATE.SUBSCRIBE

.acdx

The Rapture- Sister Saviour (2004)

Just a quick post. I was trying to get to sleep (yeah, I figured an early night was in order) so I was listening to my i pod as I do every night before sleepies. I was just chilling listening to some good old Bibio (that's surely a post to be) and then all of a sudden the amazing DFA dub (NOW THAT IS A POST I'M ACTUALLY PREPARING PROPERLY) of this already amazing song kicked in. For those who haven't guessed, I am talking about my personal favourite Rapture song; Sister Saviour. So I remembered that I came across the CDM of this song on another blog. I thought I would share with you this amazing single. We have the radio edit (which as far as radio edits of songs go... this is a good one), we have the Black Strobe Remix (that shit is hot!), the Tiefschwarz Secret Sister Remix (Not had to chance to listen to this the whole way through but a definite listen!) and the DFA Dub and DFA Vocal Remixes (which just fucking blow my mind, if there was a God, I'm sure James Murphy would be him.... and Tim of course!). Altogether this is an amazing single for when The Rapture where not singing about Ben's sex life (oooo that's a good reference!). So please enjoy this amazing piece of music history.

The Rapture- Sister Saviour CDM

.acdx

.acdx loves Benni!

(Note: that kinda sounds gay from the title but bare with me)

Ladies and gentleman I present to you a close friend of mine; Benni. Benni is no stranger to my blog. For those of you who are aware, Benni is part of the PartyOrDie team. Aside from having a great taste in music and style, Benni also has creative talents! Not only is Benni an up and coming DJ on the (local house) party scene but he is also a nice little designer. OK, he might not be a big DJ but he definitely has the talent (judging from various stickam DJ sets and mixtapes) and I bet you he will doing some small clubs, if not more, by the end of this year.


That stuff is for another post. This post is dedicated to his other talent; design. Benni has only been designing for a small amount of time really but already he has designed some awesome pieces.


As you can see from the pieces I am showing in this post, Benni has already shown a wide range of styles. His work takes a lot of inspiration from jeremyville, to SO ME via Gapirator and lots of other great talents in between. I'm really excited by Benni's work because I know from experience when you first start out on your path to design stardom you try experimenting with different styles and if from what i have seen so far, when he eventually finds his style, you know it's going to be super!


I get excited whenever I get to see Benni's designs in progress because I know whatever he is producing, it is going to be a fun and interesting design. I hope you like some of the work I have put on show here and I would appreciate (and I'm sure he will be thankful) it if you would check out more of his work on his myspace page. For all of you who like good music, Benni has recently announced that PartyOrDie will be producing podcasts soon of all the best music from each week, so look out for more information on the PartyOrDie blog (in my blogroll).

Benni

.acdx

Putsch '79- Putsch

Now have I got a treat for you! Uncle Pete (sorry TNUC) has treated you again... yep that's right, not only do you sit on my lap and have some of my Werther's Originals (OK that's more of a grandad thing I know), I am also presenting you with an awesome album! Before we go on, let me first tell you a little bit about these guys:



Putsch '79 is Sami Liuski and Pauli Jylhänkangas. They were born in eastern Finland at a town called Sotkamo in year... Yeah you guessed it, 1979. Nowadays Sami lives down at Helsinki and Pauli lives up in Sotkamo. Sami and Pauli have known each other since high school where they both got interested in electronic music. They started their musical careers by playing guitar and toying around with computer music software.

(Thank you Myspace)

So yeah, I thought I would share with you their 2004 debut album from the Rotterdam based Clone label. This album was so hard for me to find. I had been looking for this album for absoloutley ages, so I thought I would save anyone else who is a fan the hassle by posting this brilliant collection of songs! People who do not know Putsch '79 you should download this album too (but I'm not a happy bunny because you should have at least heard one of their remixes by now!). There is not really a lot for me to say about this album apart from that it's just a pleasurable listen! It's groovy, it's mellow.... if you are fans of old Juan Maclean and good house and even the likes of lindstrom (yeah I know I didn't do the fancy cross through the o like it should be!), this will be a great treat for you (oh I forgot to mention Metro Area, silly me!).

Putsch '79- Putsch

Putsch '79 Myspace

.acdx