Screamadelica turns 20

Screamadelica has been recognized as a classic album from the 90's, but often overlooked is the role of DJ/producer, Andrew Weatherall.  Weatherall took a British indie band, mixed in samples, brought in gospel singers, and gave them a new sound that had elements of house, dub, and psychedelic rock.  


To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the release of the album, Primal Scream will perform the entire album live at The Olympia in West London on November 27 and 28, 2010. The performance is to include a full gospel choir for "Movin' on Up" and "Come Together" as well as a complete horn section.

A number of samples were used in the production of the album:

• On the UK version of the album, "Come Together" opens with part of a speech given by Jesse Jackson at the Wattstax concert held in Los Angeles in 1972.
• "Loaded" features lines spoken by Peter Fonda's character in the 1966 movie The Wild Angels, as well as a drum loop from an Italian bootleg mix of Edie Brickell's "What I Am".
• "Slip Inside This House" features Sly Stone's laugh from the end of the song "Sex Machine" (from the 1969 album Stand!) and the Amen break.
• "Inner Flight" samples the closing sound on Brian Eno's "The Great Pretender" from the album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy).
• "Higher Than the Sun" uses a sample from "Wah Wah Man" by the Young-Holt Unlimited Trio.
• "Movin' on Up" does not sample but borrows from the lyrics to Can's "Yoo Doo Right".

also see: Screamadelica Commemorated on a postage stamp

Revisiting My Way by Akufen

Going through my dance records recently I came across a vinyl copy of Akufen's full-length from 2002 entitled My Way. I remember how much I loved listening to it when it came out, but since then I haven't given it much of a listen. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it has held up:



"Microsampling – Every morning when I wake up, it's become customary for me to surf the airwaves on both my tuners and shortwave receivers. (...) All that we hear on the air is dead within a few seconds. (...) I attempt to give new life to dead airwaves on the very moment of their short existence. (...) Every form of music has a right to exist – and be microsampled. I try to give a new life to sound and gift it with immortality" - Marc Leclair

Princeton : 'Calypso Gold'

One of my favorite new tracks is this dreamy song, 'Calypso Gold' by Los Angeles-based band, Princeton. It has been available on their debut album on Kanine Records, and now the track will also be out on 7" (for all you 7" lovers) on January 25th.

"The band’s musical influences stretch just as wide, taking in everything from Something Else-era Kinks to Serge Gainsbourg, New Order, Arthur Russell, Scott Walker, Yo La Tengo and Gilberto Gil. While still rooted in the Baroque pop of their past work, Cocoon of Love sees the band explore new moods and styles, from the seductive, synth-driven Martina and Clive Krantz to the straight-up Stax-style soul of Show Some Love, When Your Man Gets Home."