Author: Galaxians

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  JESSY LANZA (Hyperdub) // XAM DUO (Sonic Cathedral) // GALAXIANS – Leeds College of Music 01.04.17

  Leeds Print Festival / Room 237 / Recon present..

  

  Jessy Lanza (Hyperdub, Can)

  + Galaxians & XAM Duo

  April 1st 2017

  £10 Advance (separate ticket to the Leeds Print Festival talks, joint tickets will be available in early 2017).

  http://www.jumborecords.co.uk/tickets.asp?event_id=22962
  http://www.wegottickets.com/event/385723

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaNZbUENKjk

  “a gorgeous and deadly pop music manifesto” – Pitchfork
  “a formidable contender in contemporary electronic music.” – Spin 8/10
  “upended R&B beamed down from outer space” – NME ****
  “there could be a bona fide pop star in Jessy Lanza yet.” – The Guardian ****
  #4 2016 Album Of The Year – The Quietus
  #11 2016 Album Of The Year – Resident Advisor

  Jessy Lanza is a producer and singer who comes from Hamilton Ontario, but studied music at Concordia in Montreal. Her debut album which she recorded with partner Jeremy Greenspan from Junior Boys ‘Pull My Hair Back’, came out in 2013 to almost universal praise, she was featured in Guardian, Times, Dazed and Confused, Wonderland, Pitchfork, Fader and more, and performed on KCRW, arte.tv in Europe and Channel 4 in the UK.

  She has toured with Cut Copy and toured the world with Caribou, as well as contributing a song to his 2015 album.
  In 2015 she also recorded singles with DJ Spinn and Morgan Geist as well as being short listed for the Polaris prize 2014 and performed on Canadian TV.

  The first single from her album ‘Oh No’ ;’It Means I Love You’ was released in January 2016 to an excited audience and was immediately picked up for ‘Best New Music’ at Pitchfork, and was featured on ‘New Music Friday’ with Apple. Spotify and Tidal.

  GALAXIANS

  GALAXIANS are Jed Skinner (synths // programming) and Matt Woodward (acoustic drums // programming). The pair met in Leeds and played their first show as Galaxians in 2012. Their rise to prominence as an exciting live dance act has been swift.

  In 2016, vocalist Emma Mason joined Galaxians. Emma’s stunning vocal delivery – reminiscent of Gwen Guthrie and other powerful female soul singers – appears on on four new songs, ‘Street Level’, ‘Subway Dancers’, ‘How Do U Feel?’ and ‘Worldwide Experience’.

  Taking their cues from classic labels such as SAM, TRAX, Sleeping Bag, and Street Sounds, and producers such as Leroy Burgess and John Morales, Galaxians fuse 80s drum machine sounds with acoustic drums and analog synthesizers played live. Their live shows have earned them a reputation as an exciting and joyous spectacle, with the soulful energy of both the human hand and heart always at the forefront of their live sets.

  Galaxians have shared stages with acts such as Tom Tom Club, The Juan Maclean, Golden Teacher, Zombie Zombie, Discodeine, Horse Meat Disco, Auntie Flo, Bodybeat, Marklion, You Man, Ultramagnetic MCs and Ital. They have toured the UK and Europe extensively since 2012.

  NME Magazine
  “The spirit of disco is alive and well in Yorkshire. A two-piece consisting of Matt Woodward (drums) and Jed Skinner (synths), the house-influenced duo tear up every show they play, regardless of who they’re billed with. A room full of indie kids, a room full of disco lovers, a room full of punks – they all fall hard for the Galaxians party.”

  http://v5c.ed1.mytemp.website/
  http://galaxians.bandcamp.com/
  http://twitter.com/GLXNS

  XAM DUO

  The new outfit formed by Matthew Benn of Hookworms and Christopher Duffin of Deadwall. Their recent release on Sonic Cathedral brings tracks of improvised ambient beauty are both meditative and peaceful. It is astral jazz with an experimental kosmische undercurrent; modular synths meet saxophones; Cluster meets Terry Riley; Laurie Spiegel meets Pharoah Sanders; Ohr meets Impulse!.

  XAM was originally Matthew’s solo project, the name borrowed from the closing song of latter-day Dusseldorf-via-Detroit cult classic ‘Subway II’. He recorded a number of tracks at home between Hookworms albums in 2014 which were released last year as the ‘Tone Systems’ EP on Deep Distance. Following the EP’s release, there were offers to play live, solo, for the first time.

  Christopher says he approaches each song as a “mini-soundtrack to an imaginary film that doesn’t exist yet” and reveals that, while he was practising at home, he played along to clips of ‘There Will Be Blood’, ‘Mulholland Drive’ and ‘Synecdoche, New York’ to get the requisite atmosphere. Live sets are also completely improvised, meaning no two shows are ever the same.

  https://xammusik.bandcamp.com/
  http://www.soniccathedral.co.uk/xam-duo/
  http://drownedinsound.com/releases/19717/reviews/4150583

  26 January 2017

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  GALAXIANS @ Manchester’s Space Cassette Party Preview

  

  Manchester’s “night of live electronic music and ritual dancing” Space Cassette welcomes Galaxians to their first party of 2017.

  The event takes place at Manchester’s Mantra Warehouse on 10 February and features Toulouse resident Julien Chastagnol aka Ruby My Dear, and SC residents Age of Glass.

  

  Along with Manchester’s Hidden – also something of a cult amongst it’s attendees – the organisers of Space Cassette are reshaping Manchester’s long established club and party culture by fashioning a genuine alternative and reforming the template for rave culture in the city.

  “Space Cassette combines live electronic music, theatrical happenings, conceptual elements and warehouse raving to bring a new hybrid party to Manchester”

  

  Tickets available at:

  https://tickets.partyforthepeople.org/events/2696-space-cassette

  Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/events/1825068357761459/

  26 January 2017

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  OUT NOW // ‘Out They Minds’ 12 on Dither Down

  We’re excited to announce the first of two Galaxians releases for 2017…..

  ‘Out They Minds’ 12 (Dither Down Records // Brooklyn)

  Release date: 23.01.17

  

  A) Out They Minds – Original Mix

  B) Out They Minds – SIREN Remix

  [bandcamp width=350 height=470 album=1017166676 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false]

  Dither Down Records, founded by Brooklyn resident Tim Wagner (Sunrise Highway // 33hz) and Chad Chicus Snyder (Redbud Records) presents DD024, our second release on the New York label after Personal Disco Component in 2015.

  Recorded and mixed at the former Ghost Town studio in Leeds by Ross Halden, and mastered in New York by legendary masterer Herb Powers Jr.

  Available now online and in selected stores.

  26 January 2017

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  Mixcloud 14: Obscure Modern Soul

  The theme this month is: obscure modern soul.

  Jed takes us through December’s mix.  We give thanks to the uploaders of YouTube, without which this wouldn’t have been possible (due to the fact that some of these records are long out of print/are prohibitively expensive).  Enjoy!

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  1. Keni C. – Find Someone (To Love You)

  

  Insanely rare 45 which will set you back about $300 if you ever come across it.  There’s hardly any information on this release online, so I’ve pieced together what I can and made a few educated guesses.

  It was released on Space City Records at some point in the 1980s. Space City is a nickname for Houston, so it’s possible that this record was released there.

  The label states that it was produced by Tom Burton III – who also appears, according to Discogs, as a horn player on another record in 1982 (released by The Sound Of Brooklyn).  So, about 1982 would be my best guess as to the year of release for this.

  The label also states that it was produced by Robert ‘Baba’ Lyles, who could be Bobby Lyles, the keyboard player with Young-Holt Unlimited.  He currently resides in Houston so it wouldn’t be out of the question to assume he was involved with this record’s production.

   

  2. Marc Reed – One Body

  

  Released on London-based 20/20 Records in 1986.  Apparently this is Marc Reed’s only release – a 12” single (surely there’s an album out there?)

  Produced by Lenny Fearon, who had some success with the Brit-Funk group Galaxy in 1982 with ‘Head Over Heels’ and in 1983 with ‘Dancing Tight’.

  The bassline is reminiscent of Steve Harvey’s classic ‘Tonight’, which you should totally check out.

   

  3. UDM – To Please You

  

  Not, in fact, the Union of Democratic Mineworkers, but a track written by three members of the disco/boogie group Rhyze (check out their classic ‘Just How Sweet Is Your Love’).  Those guys were Leon Stuckey, Roscoe Taylor and Ellsworth Anderson.  I have no idea why they’re called UDM…anyone else?

  Released on Kadabra Records in 1983, this is apparently the only release on that label.  Not sure why, because Rhyze were pretty well-known on the scene by this point and were signed to SAM Records and then 20th Century Fox Records.

  Maybe they couldn’t handle the funk.

   

  4. Tchukon – Too Late

  

  According to Discogs:

  “Canadian modern soul group … one of the finalists for the televised Star Search talent contest in 1986. Tchukon is Warren ‘Slim’ Williams, Kathleen Dyson-Oliver, Harold Fischer, Ingrid Stitt and Eric Roberts”.

  So there you go.

  ‘Too Late’ is a track from their album ‘Here and Now’, released in 1987 on Aquarius Records.

   

  5. Vickie McKisic – Burnin’ Hot

  

  Released in 1986 on Atlanta-based HoMark Records.

  Discogs has a good inventory of their releases, going back to the early 70s, so it seems that this is a soul label that moved with the times and went electro in the mid-80s.

  This seems to be Vickie McKisic’s only release, although she is still performing around the Atlanta area today.

   

  6. Smoke City & Starr – Lots of Love

  

  Chicago-based soul band Smoke City released this in 1986 on Empie Records.  Previously they’d had a couple of releases on Epic Records, and they released an album on Epic in 1985.

  This was meant to be from a second album, but was never released.  The marvels of Facebook mean that we can now find out why, from former bass player Mike Sterling:

  “The Epic contract was only for the one LP.  Before I left the band in 1986 (the LP was released in 1985), [manager] Emmet Gardner told me that the next Smoke City project would be focused on the female lead vocalist, Starr.

  “He said that it is much easier to promote one person instead of a band and at that time many well-known groups were pushing their lead vocalists to solo projects”.

  Sadly that second album never came out, and the band appear to have split shortly after this track was released.

   

  7. The Connection – Keep Your Front Door Open

  

  Three-piece vocal group The Connection hooked up with songwriter John Glover (The Four Tops, The Dells, The Supremes) to produce this soulful slow jam.

  Released on Detroit-based R&R Records in 1986.

   

  8. Monica Mason – No More Weekend Girl

  

  Produced by singer/songwriter Harvey Scales, this track has all the hallmarks of a smash hit.

  Released on Georgia-based Gunsmoke Records in 1986, its small-label distribution might help explain why this didn’t get the exposure that it clearly deserved.

  Monica Mason is still performing in the Atlanta area today, though, and this track is testament to her vocal skills.

   

  9. William Bostic – What You Do To Me

  

  Released on SOR Records (Sound of Richmond Records) in 1983, this is a lo-fi boogie banger.  And that’s Richmond, California.  Not Yorkshire.

   

  10. The Futures – Let’s Get To It

  

  Another super-expensive record.  Currently, there’s one for sale on Discogs going for just under £500.  Which is daft.  So here it is on this mix, instead.

  Released in 1982 on Warped Records (not Warp!), this features a lot of session musucians who were active in the Philly Soul scene in the mid-70s through to the mid-80s, including some of Dexter Wansel’s backing band.

  The ridiculous price is because this has never been repressed, and released on a minor label despite it featuring some big names.  It’s also dope.  Supply and demand!

   

  11. Clarence Jackson – Wrap It Up

  

  Like The Connection (track 7), this was produced with Detroit-based songwriter John Glover.

  Released on R&R Record’s sister label RR Records in 1984, it’s all about THAT BASS.  So deep!

   

  12. Pause – It’s Just Amazing

  

  It’s just amazing that this was never released on anything beyond a white label.  A white label!  Can you believe it?

  Anyway, this is great soulful jam from the London-based Pause.  There’s no information about them anywhere, so here’s a picture of what they looked like in 1987.

  13. Ken Chaney – Ready For Your Love

  

  Rapid drum machines, lo-fi production.  Released in 1985 on Philly-based Tempre Records.  Co-written by Eugene Curry, synth player in Redd Holt Unlimited (before they changed their name to Young-Holt Unlimited).

  It should be noted that Eugene Curry, as well as playing on this record, also appears on the classic ‘Love Sensation’ by Loleatta Holloway.

  22 December 2016

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  Galaxians Mix 12: Autumnal Funk

  Jed talks us through some of the tracks from this month’s Galaxians mix.

  1. Connie – Experience (Dub) (Sunnyview, 1986)

  

  Connie, aka Consuelo Piriz, was mainly active in the mid-80s, releasing material on the New York-based Sunnyview label.  Although it had a NY address, Sunnyview focused its releases on artists from Florida, and this included Connie, a native of the state.

  “Experience” was Connie’s second single, released in 1986.  It was produced by Amos Larkins in Miami, and features elements typical of the ‘Miami bass’ sound from the period.  Connie still performs around the US today.

  2. Craig Paradise Cooper – Boogie Paradise (Trax I) 06:29 (Boogie Paradise Records, 2014)

  

  Craig Paradise Cooper is actually Italy’s Simone Vescovo.  Harking back to the classic drum machine/Juno synth production methods of Trax Records, this track was released on Japan’s brilliant Boogie Paradise Records in 2014.

  3. Circuitry – The Firm Funk 11:18 (Unknown; maybe – but probably not – 1985-86)

  

  Who are Circuitry?  As far as I can tell, someone uploaded this to the internet, claiming that was an “a demo instrumental from studio sessions in 1985-1986”. Discogs isn’t much more help, either.  Maybe it’s always going to be a mystery.  My money’s on it being a modern production.  Either way, it’s great – 808s, synths and reminiscent of Dam Funk.

  4. Kylie Auldist feat. King Merc – Good Time Girl (Original Mix) 14:25 (Freestyle Records, 2016)

  

  Australian vocalist Kylie Auldist released her album “Family Tree” on London’s Freestyle Records this year, featuring this track with King Merc.  Her previous album ‘Still Life’ came out on Tru Thoughts in 2012, which is also home to superb Australian funk band The Bamboos.  And as chance would have it, both Audlist and Merc have previously worked with The Bamboos.  So it’s good, is what I’m saying…

  5. Gina – Hooked On Your Love 18:38 (NIA Records, 1984)

  

  Cover of the classic Fantastic Aleems track of the same name.  And also on the same label, NIA, as the original release.  Not as raw as the original 1979 recording, but a great take nonetheless on a boogie classic.

  NIA Records were based in New York and basically existed to showcase the many talents of the legendary Leroy Burgess, a central figure in the history of the development of funk, disco and dance music from the 70s through to the 90s.

  Although Leroy was in the Fantastic Aleems, and despite being a multi-instrumentalist and immensely talented songwriter, he didn’t write “Hooked On Your Love”.  That honour falls to brothers Albert and and Arthur Allen (Arthur sadly died in 2014).  Although their names are actually recorded as Taharqa Aleem and Tunde Ra Aleem on the credits for this record, which I think everyone can agree is way cooler.

  Who was Gina though?

  6. Gus Pirelli feat. Andre Espeut – Meet In The Middle 24:44 (Gutterfunk, 2015)

  

  Bristol-based DJ Die’s label Gutterfunk released this in 2015.  Long sold out, it’s a modern funk masterpiece.  Fellow Bristolian producer Gus Pirelli and superb vocalist Andre Espeut pull out all the stops with this shuffling, synth-driven groove – apparently all recorded with original equipment and no samples in sight.  If it was 1982, this would be on Top of the Pops…mark my words.

  7. Sho-Nuff – Hold On For Love 29:48 (Jamila Records, 1984)

  

  This 7”, released on Jamila Records in 1984, would set you back about £200 if you looked for it on Ebay.  And there’s plenty of reasons why: that synth bass, the super-tight horn section, that vocal hook – it’s all great.  And really obscure, which is what we like, obviously.

  Sho-Nuff were actually a fairly big band in the 70s – they had albums out on Stax – but by the mid-80s they’d faded from their former glory.  Jamila Records was a really minor label, so it must have been a bit of a change to go from the dizzy heights of Stax to issuing the odd limited-press 7” once a year – with it all wrapping up by 1985.  And it’s undoubtedly for those reasons that this production sounds so raw, which only adds to its appeal.  A great and very underrated track, with exemplary musicianship.

  8. Joan Bibiloni – Migas 34:02 (Blau, 1987)

  

  Joan is a Spanish jazz guitarist, and this track is part of a soundtrack album for an 80s Spanish TV series called ‘Silencio Roto’ (‘Broken Silence’).  Released in 1987, this track features tasty DX7s, drum machines and an acceptable amount of synth-jazz-fusion.  I’ve no idea what ‘Silencio Roto’ was about, but this track gives my imagination plenty to go on…

  9. Zenit – Waitin’ 38:10 (Spray Records, 1986)

  

  Zenit were an Austrian jazz-funk band, who – of course – were particularly popular in the mid-80s.  “Waitin’” is the final track from the 1986 album “Straight Ahead”, written by Zenit’s keyboardist, Hannes Treiber.  Treiber actually worked with Donna Summer in the late 80s, with writing credits on her album “All Systems Go”.

  10. Pink Rhythm – Melodies Of Love 43:46 (Beggars Banquet, 1985)

  

  Some of the members of London funk band Freeez formed Pink Rhythm in the mid-80s.  “Melodies Of Love” came out in 1985 – it sounds quite Italo in places, but keeps hold of that minimal bassline/drum motif for long enough to drag it firmly back into boogie territory.

  11. T-Kut & Parkway Rhythm – FM Feeling 48:58 (Parkway Records, 2015)

  

  Produced by Mark Seven and released on his Stockholm-based label Parkway Records in 2015.  A seamless blend of old and new, with nods to classic ‘FM’ sounds produced by keyboards such as the DX7, old drum machines and strings, but with a modern production aesthetic.  Actually a B-side to ‘The Feeling’, this one gets my vote over the A-side.

  12. Tabu Ley – Haffi Deo 55:12 (Genidia, 1985)

  

  Tabu Ley was a singer-songwriter, dancer and later politician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  He was an extremely prolific songwriter, known as the African Elvis because he was so famous at the height of his popularity in the 70s.

  This ‘soukous’ style track is just so infectious and danceable – Elvis himself should have released something like this and then maybe he’d be on here.  The call-and-response vocals, drum machine, synths, horns and guitars are all just spot on.  It seems like it could never end, and you could dance forever.

  28 September 2016

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