Two Special Treats, Galway

Ulrich Schnauss - De Burgho's, Thursday 1 May. Touring his latest album Goodbye, he sees this album as being the end of a chapter in his sound "I see these three albums as moving closer to something I wanted to do right from the beginning but didn't quite manage," he says. "Merging songwriting and indie elements with electronic music. I've tried to take all the ideas to the maximum."

He goes on to set out his aspirations for the record and how he desired to create a sonic tour de force, an alternative reality, a life-changer.

All in attendance tomorrow evening will be hoping to be transported to Schnauss' alternative reality. There is no doubt that this will be a memorable gig.

Doors at 9.30 and admission is a very reasonable €8.

Fairmont - The Cellar Underground, Sunday 4 May.

Border Community in Galway, nice! Lowerstate and 091 deserve mush praise for getting this one sorted. This is certain to be one of the highlights of the year and this during the current renaissance in Galway underground clubbing. I have not spent enough time in The Cellar Underground yet so looking forward to checking the venue out properly. Fairmont's 'Mobula' has recently featured as a BSITWT here so it will be receiving a rapturous welcome from a certain contingent on Sunday night. As for 'Gazebo', well, I hope the roof doesn't come down on top of us.

Doors 10.30 and admission is €12.

BSITWT #10

I have to admit that my knowledge of all things Elbow was pretty limited until very recently. While passively watching tv the other day a monstrous guitar riff jumped out from a music video and grabbed my attention, by the balls. The sight of Guy Garvey smashing a metal cup off a nearby table in time with the hi-hat is also an entertaining ally to the raw rock soundtrack.

Elbow - 'Grounds For Divorce'

Taken from Elbow's latest album The Seldom Seen Kid released on 17 Mar 2008.
Their appearance in Dublin's Vicar Street this week has already been touted as likely to be one of the gigs of the year.

The Diary - Rap Megamix

A long time in the making and much talked about, "The Diary" (World's Greatest Rap Megamix) is finally here; a chronological mix of the genre's landmark recordings by order of release from 1979-2007. 801 records in the mix!

Direct download: Here
Tracklist download(PDF): Here

BSITWT #9 (2nd Edition)

Every once in a while, by dint of fate or fortune, we are subjected to a piece of music so hypnotic and beautiful that it becomes a fixture in your mind; a permanent resident, rendering everything else a secondary nuisance. Enter Henrik Schwarz, and his staggering interpretation of Bloodstream by Stateless - the rightful occupant of the highly-coveted BSITW #9.

I'll be shocked if anyone comes up with something better this year.

Stateless - Bloodstream (Henrik Schwarz Club Mix)

Holden. Dublin. Booma.

Is there anything left to be said about James Holden? The Border Community chief, a prog-house / techno / electronica / etc pioneer by his early 20s, returns to Dublin to embarrass us all in Spy on May 23rd. D'lighted.

We caught his three-hour set in London a few weeks back - it was, in our entirely undistorted, balanced opinions, "fuckin phenomenal, like".

His amusingly titled MySpace page is here.

Endless hours of listening pleasure

http://www.itstherub.com/radio.htm#history

Here is as comprehensive a list as one could ever dream to find. The Rub, which has been hailed as "the best party in Brooklyn to dance sweatily to smart music", has basically given us access to every important hip-hop track ever released. With a mixed MP3 giving a "best-of" for every year from 1979-1999, there is going to be a serious drop-off in productivity levels around here for the next month or two.

Thom Yorke - Videotape

BSITWT #9

Stateless - Bloodstream





I think I might have inhaled you.
I can feel you behind my eyes.
You've gotten into my bloodstream.
I can feel you floating in me.

www.statelessonline.co.uk

Credit and gratitude to Eóin for alerting us to this one.

Portishead - Third

Portishead's new album Third is due for release on April 28th. After a ten year hiatus I can safely say that I am excited about its imminent arrival. Early reports suggest that the quality of old is not lacking in this, their newest musical export. Who hasn't found something truly special while getting lost listening to Dummy? The Bristol group have recently announced details of a tour to coincide with the release of the album. With no Irish dates currently listed you'd have to seriously consider them as Stradbally material. Anyone for a rumour?



Portishead performing 'Machine Gun' on Later with Jools Holland

Dominik Eulberg, Spy, April 18th

The Spy revolution pulled off another wonderful coup on Friday evening as Traumschallplatten's Dominik Eulberg arrived to give an exhibition in all things dark and minimal. While it seems to be a cliche at this stage, Eulberg is certainly a DJ's DJ, without huge commercial or mainstream clout. Despite, or perhaps due to this fact, Spy was hopping for this one (Dublin really is a bit of a "place to be" at the moment isn't it?). There was a level of comfort which was lacking at the pressure cooker that was the Michael Mayer gig, yet by the time Eulberg was into his set the main room (which BTBW firmly endorses - very very cool) was packed out. He gave the crowd what they wanted - click-a-dee-clickk style minimal techno with a certain touch that makes it more palatable (IMO) than the brand espoused by the M_nus crew. Massive breakdowns invoking the sense of dark clouds above the floor followed by heavy stomping bassy riffs were the order of the day. By the end of his set the crowd were well and truly blown away, and his "one more tune", Beautiful Life by Gui Boratto certainly sent us all away smiling. Once again hats off to Spy for offering another truly world class guest to the Dublin masses.
Here is a youtube of one of his monster tunes, Bjorn Borkenkafer. I have no idea whether or not he played it on Friday

Spoilt For Choice, May 4th 2008

The notable increase in top notch guests visiting Ireland continues this upcoming May Bank Holiday weekend. Villalobos and Loco Dice get my vote.

Loco Dice:

Sven Vath @ Tripod
MSTRKRFT & Gui Boratto @ SPY
Richardo Villalobos & Loco Dice @ Tivoli
Dr Lektroluv @ The Academy
Radio Soulwax @ Dublin Castle
DJ Surgeon @ Traffic

Dj Yoda - Fabriclive 39

Dj Yoda has firmly established himself as a leader in the exciting audio-visual DJing experience. This trend continues to extend the boundaries, and raise the bar, of conventional Djing. Anything and everything can find it's way into his whirlwind sets. Combining clips from movies, cartoons and live concert footage with anything from hip-hop to rock, Yoda seamlessly mixes and scratches to create a unique and technically outstanding live show.



01 The Thunderclaps – Judgement Day (Donkey Work Re-Edit) – Ejectorseat
02 Violent Femmes – Blister In The Sun – Slash Records
03 Skibadee – Tika Toc – Ahead Of The Game
04 Handsome Boy Modeling School – Holy Calamity [Bear Witness II]– Tommy Boy
05 Ice Cube – Jackin’ For Beats – Priority
06 Ghost – It’s All Love – Breakin’ Bread
07 Jurassic 5 – Swing Set – Interscope Geffen
08 The Hot 8 Brass Band – Sexual Healing – Tru Thoughts
09 D Nice – Crumbs On The Table – Zomba
10 Gang Starr – Just To Get A Rep – Virgin
11 Jean Jacques Perry – EVA – Vanguard
** DJ Yoda & Herve – Bonus Beats – DJ Yoda
12 The Chemical Brothers – Salmon Dance – Virgin
13 The Coral – In The Morning – Deltasonic
14 Bell Biv Devoe – Poison – MCA
** Tittsworth – Bonus Beats - Tittsworth
15 Run DMC – It’s Tricky – Arista
16 Salt N Pepa – Push It – Island Def Jam
** Scottie B - Bonus Beats
17 DJ Class – Tear Da Club Up – Unruly
18 Bonde Do Role – Marina Gasolina – Domino
19 Minnie Ripperton – Lovin’ You – Capitol
** Bamabounce Bonus Beats
20 Collie Buddz – Come Around – SonyBMG
21 DJ Yoda Ft. Sway – Chatterbox – Antidote
22 Adam F – Circles – EMI
23 DJ Zinc – Super Sharp Shooter – BMG
24 Wiley – Gangsters – Big Dada
** Skream – Make Me – Tempa
25 Lord Kitchener – London Is The Place For Me – Honest Jons

Part 1: http://rapidshare.com/files/97667158/FbrcLv39-DJYd.part1.rar
Part 2: http://rapidshare.com/files/97667218/FbrcLv39-DJYd.part2.rar

Dj Yoda at Electric Picnic 2007:

http://www.djyoda.co.uk/


DJ YODA'S MAGIC CINEMA SHOW TOUR arrives at Bodytonic, Saturday 24th May.

BSITWT #8

Fairmont - Mobula





www.bordercommunity.com

This one is courtesy of Ferg.

Format:B - DeBurgho's, Friday 11 April

Still reeling from this one. What a cracker. Despite missed flights, delays in London(really?) and things generally not going to plan Format:B arrived just in time to satisfy the techno appetite of the west. Franz spoke very kindly about the crowd, well done to everyone for coming along and creating a great party. Spend some time with the lads at: www.myspace.com/formatb

WHAT THE F**K IS GOING ON IN: The Arctic

The main aim of this piece is to avoid using the phrase "cold war" or anything to that end. We'll see how that goes. The Arctic, as we all knew it growing up, was a big useless slab of ice where nothing went on apart from frolics involving elves, reindeer, a big fat guy and his wife. In the last while, however, the Arctic has taken on a new significance in geopolitical and diplomatic circles. In the most beautiful of ironies, global warming has led to a melting of some of the ice in the Arctic, rendering feasible the exploitation of the Arctic by, yes you've guessed it, the Oil industry. The potential rewards are what makes this modern day version of the gold rush so interesting: according to a UN geological survey, a quarter of the world's undiscovered oil may lie beneath the Arctic seabed.
In true cavalier fashion, the Russians have already recently placed a flag (pictured above) on the seabed beneath the Arctic in an area disputed between themselves and Canada. True to fashion, Canada has moaned and sulked a la the "persuasive" cop in the Simpsons ("come onnnn, leave town, pleeeease, be a friend"), but it looks like the Russians won't be backing down any time soon. The Canadian foreign minister at the time, Peter MacKay, claimed that "you can't go around the world these days, dropping a flag somewhere. This isn't the 14th or 15th Century". Sergey Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, responded with this gem: "We're not throwing flags around. We're just doing what other discoverers did"(Read: "no, little man, this is the 14th or 15th century). Case closed it seems. No admission from the Russians that they have moved beyond 500 year-old tactics for territory usurpation. Sure why would they.
A portion of the "Area", as the Arctic is known under international law (the poor definition of which is the main reason for these problems), can only be claimed if it can be proven that it is an extension of a country's continental shelf. There is an acceptance emerging that Russia feels it has more than enough data to prove that this area is indeed theirs to claim, and that moving them may prove more than difficult. Whether or not the UN scientists indeed deem the area to be Russian territory is unlikely to cause our Vlad into moving ("facts schmacts, facts can be used to prove anything. Hey Dmitri, pour me another snow shake".) Stephen Harper, Canadian PM, has spoken of the law of "use it or lose it" as being the unwritten rule in the Area. It is this thinking that has led to his support for a multimillion dollar military port and naval station a few hundred kilometres from the Russian flag.
The phenomenal treasures lying beneath the ice caps make the follow-up to this stand-off essential fodder for anyone with an interest in geopolitics. At a time when Russia is already at loggerheads with the US over any number of issues, with the US, Norway and Denmark also showing interest in the area, combined with growing concerns over energy supplies, mean that a second and more vicious Cold War may well be in the midst. Damn it. Got to the last line.

WHAT THE F**K IS GOING ON IN.

We loved Mongrel. Plain and simple. There was no greater excitement than walking into a shop/cafe/bar (99% of the time on George's Street) and seeing a fresh batch of a new edition nestling in the corner. While the music reviews were simultaneously insightful and hilarious (with the James Blunt one taking pride of place - you know what I'm talking about) and the stories usually excellently written and informative, our favourite feature was "What the f**k is going on in..". Without fail we would spend the DMC (Day of Mongrel Collection) reading quotes from this feature out to each other. Gems included: Ahmedinejad's strengths: He's so hot right now. Kim Jung-Il's weakness: So ronery. The list is endless.
In light of the recent disappearance of Mongrel, we have decided, in tribute to our heroes, to continue to give you, the people, the info you require to stay up to date on what is going in the big bad world out there.

Channel One.

It's been over a year since we first came by Ireland's finest electronica/shoegaze (electronigaze?!) collective, and it's with idyllic hope that we predict their ascent this year. Their latest EP is at once ethereal yet dense; accessable but powerful. They combine rich soundscapes with occassional techno arrangements and deep, dark vocals (which bare more than a passing resemblance to a 1980s-era David Byrne) to produce a collection more subltley varied than that of their Kildare counterparts, Super Extra Bonus Party. Whether they can produce as engaging an LP remains to be seen but, going by their material to date, it seems almost certain that we'll see them hopping about in various end-of-year polls.

Their live show is an absolute belter too, as anyone lucky enough to catch their Lunch O'Clock performance at Electric Picnic will attest.

They play Olympia with Hard Fi tonight, Whelans with Holy Fuck tomorrow, and Tripod with Trentemoller on Sunday.

http://www.myspace.com/channelonesound
channelonesound.com

BSITWT #7

Theo Parrish - Falling Up(Carl Craig Remix)
(Link fixed)




Theo Parrish Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/soundsignature

Beyond The Big (Study) Rave

As the anniversary of the inaugural study rave draws near I would like to mark that momentous day spent lazying outside the reading room. What is a study rave I hear you ask? I now share with you the secret recipe...

Ingredients: One bench, one sunny April day, evidence notes, economics stuff, a hint of exam pressure, music, suitable amplification device, numerous passers-by, sun visor/jacket and one Dj .

Method: Place the study materials, exam pressure and disgruntled student in an overheated and crowded room. Bring to the boil and wait until they can't take anymore. Add the sunny day and the temptation to just sack it off for the day. Gently work in the outdoor bench. Leave to set for half an hour. By now, what earlier looked like a complete mess has started to take shape. Now mix in some fine background music selected by Eóin. Note the resurgence of productivity in the once written off day. Finally, throw in some banter with some passers-by and there you have it.

I know this was played:

Junior Boys - In The Morning(Hot Chip Remix)

Maths can be fun

These are just a tiny sample of the hilarious "rap graphs", courtesy of the geniuses at
http://www.jamphat.com/rap/

Quantic Soul Orchestra - Sugar Club, Sat Mar 29

When you are looking back at a gig, a conga line that goes the whole way around the Sugar Club back down to the dance floor is something that will likely stick with you. And that is exactly what arose at the end of this funk-filled love-up in the Leeson Street venue on Saturday night. Will Holland and his band of 7 lit up the stage for a crowd that was more than willing to cooperate and get into the swing of it. From the opening tune, the title song of their newest album, "Tropidelico", QSO had the Sugar Club moving non-stop with their soulful Latin-tinged brand of funk. The Colombian chap on bongo, cowbell and an array of other percussion instruments was a delight, and the 50-odd year old Latino pianist really added an air of authenticity to a night that had us dreaming of sunnier climbs and better Mojitos. The diva-esque singer's (who I think was Noelle Scaggs, but am not sure) voice and crowd interaction further marked this as a special night for all who attended. Hats off to all concerned. Here is a video of some Chinese people dancing to QSO