Archive for the Reissues Category
Two key recordings which serve as bookends to Elliott Smith’s catalogue of solo recordings, Roman Candle (his first) and From A Basement on the Hill (ostensibly, his last), are being reissued by Kill Rock Stars on 6 April 2010. Roman Candle, Elliott’s first album, was issued by Portland’s Cavity Search Records in 1994. For the Kill Rock Stars reissue, Roman Candle been remastered by Smith family archivist Larry Crane. Crane, the respected long-time editor of Tape Op Magazine, served in several engineering capacities on Elliott’s work over the course of his career, predominantly as owner and operator of Jackpot! Recordings where Elliott recorded many of his earliest works. MORE »
There was a psychedelic re-awakening of sorts in the late 1980’s, due in part to the pervasive cultural trend towards retrospective of the late-1960’s “Summer of Love”. In the midst of this, there appeared the psych-pop of The Dukes of Stratosphear. The Dukes were a spin-off of the much-loved British pop/punk act XTC, whom many consider the most important British rock act of the 1980’s. Though they worked feverishly to cloak themselves in anonymous monikers and lack of fanfare for the release of their first EP, 25 O’Clock,
The Dukes of Stratosphear went on to release the full-length Psonic Psunspot
Though they’ve been out of print for some time, they’ve returned for a visit. Nearly twenty years later, Andy Partridge’s very own APE Label has reissued these beloved psych-pop albums, proving they’re just as bright and inviting today as they were tongue-in-cheek vogue during the “Summer of Love” renaissance 20 years ago. Enjoy these two tracks from the release.
The Dukes of Stratosphear – Brainiac’s Daughter
The Dukes of Stratosphear – My Love Explodes
* This LIMITED EDITION packaged CD comes in a HARDBACK digibook featuring brand new artwork and the booklet includes new sleeves notes by Andy, Colin and Dave Gregory and exclusive archive photos.
* Includes 9 extra tracks of demos and extra recordings including “Black Jewelled Serpent of Sound{Radio Caroline edit}”, “Open a Can of Human Beans”, “Tin Toy Clockwork Train”, and the VIDEO for “MOLE FROM THE MINISTRY”.
In a week during which retrospectives on 80’s electronic and hip-hop are the trend, it only seems fitting and appropriate to re-examine Manchester-born 808 State’s first (ed. note: it wasn’t their first single oops!) (and most well-known) recording, “Pacific State”. Mixed, remixed, repackaged and reissued innumerable times, the original version (which appeared on 1989’s EP Quadrastate) loses no power or edge with time. The perfection of their execution makes “Pacific State” the supreme benchmark of acid house: lush, synthetic harmonies blended with driving TR-808 rhythms.
I’d say we’re pretty lucky that Rephlex Records has just reissued a fully remastered edition of Quadrastate complete with additional tracks. If you dig what you’re hearing here, you’d do well to head on over to Amazon and pick up the remastered edition to hang on to.
The reissued Quadrastate is available from Amazon by clicking here.
Back before samples had to be wait eons to be cleared, back in a day when uptown hip hop crews and downtown punks were checking out each other’s shows trying to learn a thing or two, there lived Steven Stein and Doug DiFranco — two pioneers whose adventures would transform them into the hip-hop superheroes known as Steinski and Double Dee.
Rabid music fans and hip-hop enthusiasts with day jobs on the edges of the biz, they got their “big break” in 1983 by winning a Tommy Boy Records remix contest for Play That Beat, Mr. D.J. by G.L.O.B.E. and Whiz Kid. The remix has come to be known in the annals of hip-hop as “Lesson 1 – The Payoff Mix” — an incomprehensible sampladelic jam of breaks from funk and disco records that reads (just as the name suggests) like a time capsulized history lesson. It was from works like these that, much like the graffiti kids tagging stray subway trains with spray paint cans, a cult of “illegal art” in music was born. More music and full review after the jump.
