ALL IS NOT LOST

About Group - All Is Not Lost

Hello hello hello again.
There's quite a few Hot Chip side projects that one needs to keep an eye on, Alexis Taylor's About Group being one of them. It's something a little bit more experimental than Hot Chip, and this track in particular has a bit of a jam-session feel to it (in a good way).
The slow-motion images by artist Henrik Håkansson that are used in this accompanying video emphasize the repetitiveness of Taylor's vocals and the slowly pulsating chords that - according to the man - "owe a lot to R. Kelly’s song 'Reality'." I Couldn't think of more appropriate visuals for this track than these ones.
About Group's new album 'Between The Walls' will be out July 1st, pre-order it here. The single 'All Is Not Lost' will be released June 24th.
Back with more soon.

NOT SO COMPLEX IN DESIGN

Photo by Carlos Cancela Pinto

Look At Where We Are is definitely one of the more ballad-like tracks on Hot Chip's latest album 'In Our Heads'. Personally I quite like that the album alternates between their uptempo attitude and tracks like this one, although I am quite sure that some people would find it overly cheesy. If that person is you, then Four Tet's remix should be right up your sleeve.
The introvert mood and stripped-down instrumentation remains intact, and for the first three minutes you think this is a nice alternate version with a more upbeat-yet-subtle rhythm, but after those three minutes Four Tet considers the time to be right and takes it further into something genuinely bump-worthy. Even if you like the original and you happen to find yourself on a dancefloor, you'll probably agree that this version would fit the occasion a lot better at that precise moment.
I've said it before but I'll say it again: buy that Hot Chip album, it's been playing on repeat over here since it came out.

TURN YOUR RADIO UP

Focusing point in this remix is still Grovesnor's Daft Punk-reminiscent vocoder vocal part. What sets the Def Starr remix apart though, is the fact that the original groovy beats, revolving slowly around those vocals, were given that extra push in the back, that pushes you right towards the dancefloor. Meant for dancing slowly obviously.

Grovesnor - Turn Your Radio Up (Def Starr Version) (ALT)

SSSSOUNDTRACK PT.VII - THE SOCKET SCIENCE SUBWAY EDITION

And now for something completely different. No, not really. Many of you will be familiar with the SSSSOUNDTRACK-project on here by now (if not, go to the column on the left side of the page, look for 'projects' and then 'ssssoundtrack' below, click!). But this latest ssssoundtrack does stand out from at least the previous two mixes - musically speaking. I guess that makes it by definition something different, which is good. Mixer for this edition is Swedish artist (& co-runner of the netlabel Astor Bell) Socket Science, who by the way just released his sophomore EP on said label.
Apart from some unreleased Astor Bell goodies (e.g. Bubble Shield's 'Hex'), artists included range from Hot Chip's Joe Goddard, to Four Tet, to Joy Orbison, passing by Simian Mobile Disco, Gui Boratto, Pantha Du Prince, etc. and ending with of course Socket Science's latest, 'Ephedra' and Caribou's 'Sun' - a true gem.
Find it on soundcloud as well, listen to it below, download here and get Socket Science latest EP here while you're at it!

BAD BLOOD

To be honest i was quite doubtfull upon seeing all these featured artists on Simian Mobile Disco's upcoming album and Audicity of Huge's vocals definitely didn't help. However, the boys have won me over: SMD & Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor works a LOT better. The track below is featured along with all sorts of good stuff on the cd you get with this week's Les Inrocks magazine, get one while you still can!

Simian Mobile Disco - Bad Blood (Feat. Alexis Taylor) (ALT)

JUST A PERFECT SUMMER NIGHT

Bertrand Burgalat is/was working with Aeroplane on their new album (i don't know if it's finished yet?)
Plus, his debut album was called "The Sssound of Mmmusic".
We cannot not love him, can we?

Bertrand Burgalat & Robert Wyatt - This Summer Night (Hot Chip Remix) (ALT)