Cassette Culture Old

Hello, so after Cassette Culture's slightly protracted Christmas and New Year break, here is the first tape of 2010. I've had a whole 4 weeks to build up some tunes for this so I hope you'll agree that they're real crackers. As always, you can download this cassette tape as a mix, as individual tracks or everything in a compressed file.

Alex Metric, a DJ whose brought us a series of cracking remixes in the past, has certainly never driven me away with his own originals, Deadly on a Mission being a particular favourite. However, not content on shuffling pre-recorded material around on a mixer, Alex has decided to take his work straight to the crowd with a live setup. His live act at the Old Firestation in Bristol this Friday (22nd) was average, the crowd weren't really moving much, but he has one or two catchy tracks, and with a bit of work this could be something big. This Primary 1 remix of It Starts is something quite different! They've slowed the whole thing right down. Its all rather calming! Lovely.
Alex Metric - It Starts (Primary 1 remix)

After catching the blogging world's attention with a few cheeky remixes, Illinois band Hey Champ have unleashed several great tracks of their own. Download a mixtape they've made here for free. Look out for an album in 2010.
Hey Champ - Cold Dust Girl

Mirror People have seized the catchy guitar riff from this Detachments track and made it its sweet centrepiece. This version is stripped back to its most compelling parts, like a swarm of pacified killer bees with a story to tell.
Detachments - The Flowers that Fell (Mirror People 're-make re-model' version)

Gemini Club's track Mary's Day reminds me a little of The Rapture. They've hit that electro-indie sound right in the face.
Gemini Club - Mary's Day

There was a time when I would dive upon everything with Van She written on it and it saddens me a little that Matt has broken away from the pack. What this means for the band I don't know. I kind of hope its a temporary forage into the bushes of solo because I've not been that impressed so far. Saturday Night had some nice elements but it failed to grab my imagination like anything Van She ever made. A quick click over to Matt's myspace reveals similar 'alright' pop tunes which just seem to lack a little power and grit. Anyhow, now I've built this up so much (!) here's a version of Saturday Night that I can listen to more than once. Would we expect anything less from Gloves?
Matt Van Schie - Saturday Night (Gloves remix)

I'd not heard of Swedish producer Mille before this track hit my table. Recently released on Neon Gold, Crysteena has attracted remixes from Justin Faust, Fear of Tigers and Edwin Van Cleef which says something about the caliber of tune we're listening to here. A quick listen on Mille's myspace tellS us this isn't a one off.
Mille - Crysteena

I've been waiting for a decent remix of Ellie Goulding's track Starry Eyed for ages! I knew I wouldn't be disappointed when I saw Russ Chimes had had a pop.
Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Russ Chimes remix)

Listen to all the above mixed up:

Cassette #7: Not a fan of the Curtains (Mixed by Cassette Culture)
....
As always, please support the artists, go to these places and trade coin for wares:
Amazon/7Digital/Emusic/Beatport

Sounds Like: The best night ever.

Van She, not content with producing one of the best electro-pop albums of last year, are now releasing a remix album appropriately entitled Ze Remixes. The remixes are all by Van She Tech - two Van She members bent on conquering the world with some stunning reworks. See some past remixes here, here, here, here, here, here and er here.

The new album will come in a bundle with the original V. Here's the tracklist:

V
1. Memory Man
2. Cat & The Eye
3. Changes
4. Strangers
5. It Could Be The Same
6. The Sea
7. Virgin Suicide
8. Temps Mort
9. Talkin'
10. Kelly
11. So High (With Play Paul & Nicos Marcos)
12. A Sharp Knife


Ze Vemixes
1. Changes
2. Talkin'
3. Strangers
4. It Could Be The Same
5. Sexual City
6. Cat & The Eye
7. Techno Music
8. Virgin Suicide

Here's a quick preview. It doesnt get much better than this! These are streams only that you can listen to on the Van She Tech Myspace - no downloads folks - buy it!


Vanshe Technologic - Strangers Vemixed


Vanshe Technologic - Changes Vemixed


Vanshe Technologic - Techno Music Vemixed

www.myspace.com/vanshetech
You can pre-order @JB HIFI but I'm pretty sure its Australia only..

Musical Mood: Party! Party! Party!
Rough Genre: Electro

I've not heard the original of this track but this remix is definately something different from the old Groove Armada classics. At 1.41 you'll be rewarded when everything kicks in and the choppy vocals send things flying. Great stuff from Van She once again.


Groove Armada - Drop The Tough (Van She remix)
Alternative link (Savefile)

www.myspace.com/groovearmada
Buy The Best of Groove Armada @Amazon for £3

Van She are re-releasing "Kelly" with various remixes - Breakbot, Cut Copy, Fred Falke and Alan Braxe to name a few. The most distinctive of the lot is Shinichi Osawa's take. Great track:


Van She - Kelly (Shinichi Osawa remix)

www.myspace.com/vanshe
Buy Van She @Amazon

No Amazon, I'm not going to pay you £17.49 for an import copy of Empire of the Sun's album (or! as I've just discovered, £32.99 on CD-WoW). For now I am quite happy to listen to the songs on their myspace and these remixes I bring to you today (if you want a full album review, pop over to Sundtrak where Jon has checked it all out in detail)

I've posted about Empire of the Sun before - a project of Nick Littlemore from Pnau and Luke Steele from the Sleepy Jackson.

And so of course, we have the usual round of Australians remixing Australians. Sam La More features again, as does Van She Tech and uh...Ted and Francis - whoever they are.


Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream (Van She remix)



Empire of the Sun - We Are The People (Sam La More remix)


Empire of the Sun - We Are The People (Ted & Francis remix)

www.myspace.com/empireofthesunsound
www.myspace.com/tedandfrancis
www.myspace.com/samlamore

A month or two ago, back in the day when I was still finding my feet as a music blogger (I still am), I did a guest post for Jon over at Sundtrak. Sundtrak is a far more cutting-edge blog than my own, I often find great stuff there before it appears anywhere else and the taste is very similar to that of Cassette Culture - I suggest you check it out! Anyway, Jon's returned the favour with a guest post about some of his favourite tracks from 2008. Pay attention now.

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Tom was good enough to guest post on my blog so I thought it proper to return the favor. In the theme of introducing our own blogs on each other's blogs, I decided to make a post that I won't even be posting on my own blog until New Years Eve. Some tracks that might be part of my "Hello 2009, Goodbye 2008 Top 10 List!" It might actually be top 20 this time, and well, hopefully these tracks stick for the next few months. What better way to represent Sundtrak?

To the music! I couldn't get this song out of my head the first time I heard it, I also couldn't stop laughing. None other than Moulinex and his remix of Ben Mono's Jesus Was A B-Boy. This should rightfully get you to listen to more Moulinex stuff.

Second, the Soulwax remix of MGMT which needs no introduction.

And lastly, the Van She Tech remix of Walter Meego. Tom has posted a bunch of Van She remixes already, thought I'd add to the list. Very bubbly track, what electro should be all about.


Ben Mono - Jesus Was A B-Boy (Moulinex Remix)



MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Remix)



Walter Meego - Forever (Van She Tech Remix)

Klaxon's Gravity's Rainbow was probably one of the first tracks I heard when I was first getting into electronic music. So to find this old gem of a Van She Tech remix was extra-special. Enjoy responsibly.


Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow (Van She Tech remix)(Mediafire)

www.myspace.com/vanshetech
www.myspace.com/klaxons

Buy Van She @Amazon

So here's your first monthly themed mixtape: Psychedelic Australian Electro-Pop.

Scary title. Amazing sounds.

I've posted in the last week about a few of these artists; namely Cut Copy, Van She and Ladyhawke. Turns out most of these guys are signed to the same record label (Modular) and they've all been messing round with each others tunes.

So! To the very first Cassette Culture mixtape. It's pure Australia. All the tracks are remixes of Australian artists by Australian artists.

And here's mixtape #1's tracklist (click to download individual tracks):

Cut Copy - So Haunted (Knightlife end edit) (MediaFire)
Van She - Strangers (Van She Tech rework)(MediaFire)
The Presets - Are You The One (Van She Tech remix) (MediaFire)
Ladyhawke - Back of the Van (Van She Tech remix) (MediaFire)
Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia (Cut Copy remix) (MediaFire)
Ladyhawke - Paris is Burning (Cut Copy remix) (MediaFire)
Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire (Midnight Juggernauts remix) (MediaFire)
The Presets - Talk Like That (Miami Horror remix) (MediaFire)

Here's a few links so you can find out more:

Cut Copy. See previous post. Go to their myspace. Buy@Amazon
Ladyhawke. See previous post. Go to her myspace. Buy@Amazon
Midnight Juggernauts. Go to their myspace. Buy@Amazon
Van She. See previous post. Go to their myspace. Buy@Amazon
The Presets. Go to their myspace. Buy@Amazon
Miami Horror. Go to their myspace.
Knightlife. Go to thier myspace.

Cassette image thanks to Tapedeck.org

I can't resist. There's just too much good stuff coming out of Australia at the moment.

Ok these chaps are called Van She and like Aussie neighbours Cut Copy they have roots in '80s electro-pop and psychedelia.

A couple of Van She members, under the name Van She Tech are also dabbling in a bit of remixing which is always good to see.

So here's your tracks. Strangers by Van She and a couple of Strangers remixes; one from TSK TSK and one from Van She Tech themselves.

Preview "Strangers" below:


Download free:
Van She - Strangers (MediaFire)
Van She - Strangers (Van She Tech rework) (MediaFire)
Van She - Strangers (TSK TSK remix) (MediaFire)

www.myspace.com/vanshe
www.myspace.com/vanshetech
Buy@Amazon