IVAN REBROFF is dead!

Sorry, but this is a very sad and private post. It is all about destroying children's dreams. I had one of these situations this morning, while reading, that IVAN REBROFF died. He accompanied my childhood in every shitty musical TV-show by singing traditional russian songs with an opera-like voice, looking like... well... a russian guy on too much vodka (i mean, look at the video-still...). For me, he WAS RUSSIA, and i expected everybody in Russia to look like him, sing songs and dance all day, have a big beard and a statue like a tree and be funny because drinking too much vodka. (remember this was way before Perestoika, so my informations were a bit limited, but still, thinking about it, i was not completely wrong, as i found out deejaying in russian clubs recently...). He was the russian clichè singing on German TV. And of course i thought he was from Russia! Until today (sniff). Truth is: He is actually called Hans Rolf Rippert and he is from...BERLIN SPANDAU (a posh area in Berlin, where also Alec Empire and Die Ärzte come from). This feels like the moment, when i found out, that the Santa Claus was actually my father in a costume... sorry, but today is my sad day of disillusion!

NEONMAN - Nightclubbing (JACK TENNIS Remix)

No, it's not a Grace Jones cover! Neonman from Berlin just finished their new album "Knights and Error" and it sounds really oldschool in a good way: PostPunk, No Wave, Indie Rock and the rough side of Disco. I like! Listen to my NuDisco Remix for "Nightclubbing" and check out how they sound normally in the "Peepshow" video, directed by Frederic Detjens ("Miss Bagdad"). Check out their myspace for more: www.myspace.com/neonmanband

Neonman - Peep Show

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VAMPIRE WEEKEND - A-Punk

Don't really understand the discussion/problem, some people have with them being well educated, rich guys. Does that make the music less AMAZING? C'mon, this is 2008 and - thank god - not "the streets" of L.A.! Although they live in USA, there is definetly no danger of them getting killed in a drive-by-shooting, which makes them very sympathetic to me. Love their album, and especially love this song. The hype surrounding them is - to me- completly deserved. "A-Punk" sounds like nothing else at the moment, and to me a bit like AZTEC CAMERA played by a traditional band from Africa. Brilliant! And the video is great too. It was produced by artists Hammer & Tongs and the band describe it as 'jittery Charlie Chaplin meets The Mighty Boosh'. I'm with them.

MARK RONSON - Just (LOVING HAND rmx)

What a package! More really ace remixes for Mark Ronson. "Just" is a coverversion of a RADIOHEAD song and the vocal comes from American Alternative band PHANTOM PLANET, which - of course - features none other then one of my favorite actors JASON SCHWARTZMAN (Darjeeling Limited, Marie Antoinette). So, hey: typical Mark Ronson celebrity alarm. This remix was produced by DFA's Tim Goldsworthy. He did some amazing stuff under his "LOVING HAND"-alias, which actually is the right expression for what he does. He puts his "loving hands" on the original and out comes a warm club-friendly disco-electro tune. Also check out his remix for "Penguin" by Home Video (it is part of my t.y.t.t.s.-dj-mix here on berlinbattery). This remix comes on a beautiful 10 Inch with more great mixes by DJ PREMIER (legendary HipHop-producer from Gang Starr) and The GO! TEAM. It's worth every penny and actually it is really cheap at the moment... for example here:
http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/

ALB - sweet sensation (BREAKBOT rmx)

tomorrow's the day. Graphic-designer and Electro-Funk-wizzard BREAKBOT is coming to deejay at our berlinbattery-party. To get you into the right mood, here is another fluffy electro-disco-moment, which - soundwise - can only happen in Paris. It has that distorted JUSTICE-like sound, but here it is embedded in a warm, friendly disco-suit. See you tomorrow! (the graphic is obviously by the maestro himself...)

HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR - Athene

Aha, was ist das denn jetzt? Hercules & Love Affair kennt man vielleicht schon von ihrer 12" aus dem letzten Jahr, jetzt kommt das ganze Album auf DFA. Musikalisch irgendwo zwischen Disco, Balearic/Cosmic, No Wave, Jazz(?!) und so, ist der Gesang von Antony Hegarty (der von Antony and the Johnsons) erstmal etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig (Video). Der singt aber nur bei fünf Stücken. Mir gefällt "Athene" mit Kim Ann Foxman am Gesang am Besten. Von "Blind" gibts jetzt auch noch einen relativ oldschooligen House Remix von Opi Frankie Knuckles.

HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR - Blind
 

JAMIE LIDELL

News from Jamie Lidell! After his milestone "Multiply" he's now working with his band on the live versions (Mocky on the piano!) of his new album "Jim" (on Warp Rec.). And it sounds like - whow. If this is just the rehearsal how does it sound when its all finished and perfect...? This man got soul!!!

GONZALES - Slow Down (the singing lesson-video)

Really funny video featuring an amazing new track by Ex-Berliner-Canadien-now-Parisien Gonzales from his upcoming new album "soft power". The story: Gonzales gets forced by his record company to do some singing lessons for his new album. He ends up with an elderly french opera-madame to practice and from then on things turn... diffrent then expected. Great idea and honestly the best song i heard so far by Monsieur Gonzales (and he already did some great stuff). The real song can be heard only the last 30 seconds and it is worth the wait, because the sun strats to shine!. There is also a rmx-verion with Teki Latex on myspace. His new album seems to dig deep into softpopsoul territory. Sort of Ben Folds meets Gilbert O Sullivan meets the Doobie Brothers. Big Music! There is another album-teaser on youtube for the song "working together".

youtube-gonzales-workingtogether

http://www.myspace.com/gonzpiration

MUSCLES - Sweaty (SHAZAM rmx)

Unbeleivable! Shazam is just 17 years old and drops a remix for Muscles that is so funky Prince-meets-nu-fidget-french-house, it will make dancers go mad! Reminds me a lot of the overfunky DatA-remix for "Minuit Jacuzzi" by TEPR on Wall of Sound. You can get the new Muscles 12 Inch via Modular records, a great package as usual with another remix by Juan Maclean.... There is a couple of other tracks you can listen to at SHAZAM's myspace-page and one more track to download called "Pool Party" which is a burner, too (check Discodust for it). Just surprisingly found out, that MUSCLES already have an album out called "Guns Babes Lemonade" , which i have to check out...

http://www.myspace.com/musclesmusic

http://www.myspace.com/shazamperth

COCOON - On my way (video)

new excellent folk-pop-duo from France. Their album is the perfect soundtrack after a really shitty day. Cocoon make you feel much better with their warm, relaxed folk-pop-diamonds. Great song-ideas, big harmonies! They sound like a cross of Elliott Smith, Nick Drake and Belle and Sebastian, produced by Air. Although their album is called "My friends all died in a plane crash" and the video ends tragic in a plane-crash, the overall vibe is positive with the duo skiing on a pandabear... Get their album. It'S worth every franc.

http://www.myspace.com/listentococoon

GAMEBOY/GAMEGIRL - Golden Ghetto Sex EP (video teaser)

Australia's finest Rap-Electro-Weirdo-Fun-Combo finally releases it's first EP (beginning of march). Featuring two of last years most bouncey fun-electro-hits "Sweaty wet" and "Fruit salad" and lots more. The video is like a "stars on 45-thing" and the perfect visual to the sound: people riding on giant bananas, fruit singing on kitchentables, people dressed in very stupid clothes, etc... (you get the point). This is going to be HUGE!

http://www.myspace.com/gameboygamegirl

Roundtable Knights - Freak from Desire

Its the return of the 90ies. Just listen to Surkins new single White Knight Two or to the Simian Mobile Disco Rmx of Inner City - Big Fun. There are so many other examples. I know I could have posted this track already ages ago since I got it directly from the guys when I met them in Zuerich. But when I got this remindermail from Arcademode again I just thought - okay here you go with a classic from our friends - the Roundtableknights. Splicing up Galas Freed from Desire. Send those girls to Baltimore.