Credit crunch getting you down? No cash for new tunes? We’re here to help…
Up for grabs this week are two prize packs containing: the excellent new artist album from DJ Hell, Teufelswerk; more goodness from Hell’s Gigolo Recordings in the shape of label showcase compilation Eleven; Evil Nine’s latest album, They Live, plus a T-shirt; the amazing debut album from Blackbelt Andersen on Prins Thomas’s label Full Pupp; vinyl copies of the new Specimen A EP, Hazardous Material Pt 2; vinyl copies of the new Breakfastaz track Acting Wrong; the debut album from hot-to-trot producer Kris Menace, Idiosyncrasies; and the three-disc old skool rave up that is Moondance: The Ultimate Old Skool Anthems…
And we’ve got two pairs of passes to the next big Musika party in Edinburgh on May 2 – which promises to be a belter – with guest slots from none other than Luciano and M.A.N.D.Y. Read on to find out more about the prizes and for entry details…
Hell – Teufelswerk [Gigolo Recordings]
Teufelswerk – the German for Devil’s Work – might well be DJ Hell’s masterpiece. Across two discs and 16 tracks, the album is divided into two themes, Night and Day – the former offers a contemporary interpretation of Chicago house and Detroit techno, the latter finds Hell embracing the cosmic groove of his roots. “The album is very personal,” he says. “All my knowledge is there. I went back really far to the early 70s. I don’t think I can make a better record.” If you’re familiar with Hell’s earlier albums, 1998’s Munich Machine and 2004’s NY Muscle, will recognise the Night half of the album, with comes complete with collaborations with P Diddy and Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music fame. “The Night album is what people expect from a guy like me,” says Hell. “I choose a lot of producers in different studios with different sounds and put my flavour there. It is from a DJ for the other DJs.” The Day CD – produced with Peter Kruder – is Hell’s take on Kosmische Musik music, that style of ‘70s psychedelic experimental boogie played by Can and Neu! This is the music that inspired the beginning of Hell’s career. “I have done Kosmische Musik in a new way,” he says. “This is where I come from, I grew up with the early German electronic pioneers of music, and this is why I went in this direction. Often it is called German electronic avant-garde, or psychedelic music. I went back to the ‘70s and tried to do it in my own way. Teufelswerk represents the music in the best way: it’s the work of the devil – and it’s the work of me, the work of Hell.”
Teufelswerk is out on Gigolo Recordings on April 27. Visit www.djhell.com and www.myspace.com/djhell
DJ Hell – Eleven [Gigolo Recordings]
Here’s more goodness from DJ Hell’s International Deejay Gigolo imprint with the latest showcase compilation – the 11th unmixed double CD compilation – for all those fans and fanatics of the ‘Mega-Church of Gigolo’. Including 16 never-before-heard monster tracks, the album is a celebration of the label’s avant-garde and legendary roster – and we reckon this is one of Gigolo’s strongest comps in a long time. CD one kicks off with DJ Pierre’s I’ve Lost Control. There’s also Peter Kruder’s excellent Visions Ltd, IMB’s Kill Bill, Opiates’ Candy Coated Crime, G.rizo featuring DJ Glow & Donovan with Boys Medley, Hell’s own The Disaster, plus tracks from Joel Alter, The Model, Motor, Richard Bartz, Acid Junkies, Captain Commodore and Seelenluft. CD two features tunes from Actor One, Marascia, Fetische &Me, Snuff Crew, Herman Schwartz, Abe Duque, Lopazz, Bennie A, Heib, Joe Le Bone, Phobia.
Eleven is out now on Gigolo Recordings. Visit www.djhell.com and www.myspace.com/djhell
Evil Nine – They Live [Marine Parade]
It’s been out for a while now, by Evil Nine’s second album – the zombie-inspired They Live – still sounds as good as when it dropped back in the autumn. Here’s what Eddy Temple Morris has to say about them: “Evil Nine have always been one step ahead of the game, what amazes me now is they're still ahead, even when they're being 'retro'. You Can Be Special Too was a tough act to follow, but the Evils have done it, stylishly, unpredictably and with their unique panache.” You can get hold of a copy of the album and a T-shirt to help celebrate the release of Icicles, the third single from the long-player, which comes with remixes by Evil Nine themselves, label boss Adam Freeland, Shir Khan and UNKLE. And like the previous singles, it also comes with its own Zombie video.“We wrote this specifically to be the last track on the album, the epic last song, the emotional goodbye and that’s just what it is,” says Pat Pardy. “Seraphim's sweet, heartfelt vocal just pushes the point even further – goodbye!”
Icicles, featuring Seraphim, is out on Marine Parade on April 27. Visit www.evilnine.net and www.myspace.com/evilnine
Blackbelt Andersen – Blackbelt Andersen [Full Pupp]
Prins Thomas’ Full Pupp follows up its extremely well received Greatest Tits Vol. 1 compilation with the eponymously titled debut artist album from the uber-talented Blackbelt Andersen. Norway-based Full Pupp has built an incredible reputation in four short years, and thanks to singles from the likes of Todd Terje, and Thomas they’ve helped bring the Oslo nu-disco sound to the masses. Andersen has become a key part of the Norway scene both as DJ and producer. He is co-resident at the Full Pupp night and has guested across the globe from Berlin to Beijing. Musically his roots are sunk in the sounds of Detroit techno and Scandinavian disco, with his productions in recent years taking on a unique quality mixing a whole host of styles. This debut album is an infectious mix of motor city strings, Brazilian rhythms and arpeggiated disco basslines. This results in a 70+ minute smorgasbord of instrumental, cosmic disco blended together that is set to be a future classic.
Blackbelt Andersen is out now on Full Pupp. Visit www.myspace.com/blackbeltandersen and www.myspace.com/fullpupp
Specimen A – Hazardous Material [Funkatech]
Following up where part one of Hazardous Material left off, Specimen A return with a vengeance this year to dose us with another infectious load of beats and toxic bass. The first track on this new EP pays homage to the credit crunch – titled Hard Times, it’s a 130bpm breakbeat behemoth with thundering basslines, electronic wobbles and raw beats. Flip for Exodus RIP, a reworking of their 2007 track Exodus into a much more ferocious beast.
Hazardous Material Pt.2 is out on Funkatech on April 27. Visit www.myspace.com/specimenauk and www.funkatech.com
Breakfastaz – Acting Wrong [The Breakfast Club]
After smashing their way back into the record boxes of all and sundry last year with a swathe of releases on their own label The Breakfast Club, The Breakfastaz continue their barnstorming return to form with new single Acting Wrong. For their latest offering, they’ve teamed up with UK soul sensation Meshach Broderick to combine silky vocals with the kind of drums, bass and synth lines that have made every Breakfastaz release an absolute essential for any self-respecting breaks DJ. The flip sees Ctrl Z on remix duties, providing their vision of the 2008 Breakfastaz smash Girls, Money, Drink And Drugs featuring MC Ivory. “It’s another fat and devastating Breakfastasz production,” says Krafty Kuts. “Cool and slick vocals, smooth edits and the quirky licks, one of my favourite tracks they have written so far. More please.”
Acting Wrong/Girls, Money, Drink And Drugs is out now on The Breakfast Club. Visit www.myspace.com/thebreakfastaz and www.thebreakfastaz.com
Kris Menace – Idiosyncrasies [Compuphonic]
Pete Tong, Erol Alkan and Laurent Garnier are all massive fans. Primal Scream cohort and ex Sabre Jagz Kooner wants to work with him. His remixography includes LCD Soundsystem, Moby, Underworld, Air, Metronomy and Robbie Williams. Welcome to the world of Kris Menace, a man who is fast becoming known as one of the most respected producers and remixer’s on the planet. Famed for his Italo disco-inspired tracks, Menace’s debut single Discopolis became one of the biggest dance tunes of 2005. But 2009 looks set to be his biggest year to date, starting with the release of his debut album, Idiosyncrasies. A triple disc collection of classic tracks interspersed with fresh new productions, collaborations and remixes.
Idiosyncrasies is out on May 11 on Compuphonic. Visit www.myspace.com/krismenace and www.kris-menace.com
Moondance: The Ultimate Old Skool Anthems [New State Music]
At the height of raves across the countryside, M25 and warehouses, Moondance was the shout out to the ravers. Now Moondance is back with a massive collection of rave anthems, taking in old skool rave, hardcore and junglist drum ‘n’ bass across three CDs. Mixed by the Moondance team in pure tear it up style and rammed full of exclusive remixes of classic tunes, this will have you digging out the glow sticks and facemasks to show those nu rave brats how it’s done.
Moondance is out now on New State Music. Visit www.newstatemusic.com
To be in with a chance of winning all the albums, T-shirts and vinyl, just email us at win@eq-mag.co.uk telling us what the title of DJ Hell’s new artist album means in English. Mark you emails COMPETITION 3, and get your entries in by noon on Wednesday April 29. We’ll pick two winners at random and get in touch via email. Good luck.
We’ve also got two pairs of tickets to Musika’s new big bash in Edinburgh on May 2. The 1,500-capacity event at Ocean Terminal in Leith plays host to The DJ MAG World Tour and features a pair of sets that are not to be missed. Behind the decks for the night are Luciano and M.A.N.D.Y. so this night promises to be huge – especially as the Homecoming festival (where both were meant to play on the same weekend) is now cancelled. Support comes from Kate Lawler, Derek Martin, Jamie McKenzie, Gary Mac, Neil Bartley and Kirk Douglas.
Visit www.musikanights.com to find out more…
To be in with a chance of winning one pair of passes, just email us at win@eq-mag.co.uk telling us which country Luciano hails from. Mark you emails Musika, and get your entries in by noon on Wednesday April 29. We’ll pick two winners at random and get in touch via email. Good luck.
