get deep

May 13, 2009 | Filed Under music | 6 Comments 


image: tuftsmania flickr

First of all let’s get into something that’s been owning my itunes/car/everything for the past couple weeks.  Passion Pit’s latest album has been pretty sugary good to me, but the real gem here is Calvin Harris’ remix of ‘The Reeling’.  He pulls the one synth I wanted to hear more of and turns it into a disco-harris-moment. Can you believe the bass on this one? Money.

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Passion Pit – The Reeling (Calvin Harris Remix)
ps: check the pepsi commercial Calvin Harris did the score for.  Can someone please get me a single of this? (link) (seriously, watch that shit over and over)

Here we go.  Got this bad boy from Linus Loves a short while back after some weird email attachment issues.  It’s a remix of Pixie Lott’s ‘Mama Do’ and………yep….we’re getting DEEEEEP.  So deep in fact we need to adjust the pressure regulators for this.

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Pixie Lott – Mama Do (Linus Loves Radio edit Remix)

Lastly, the Phoenix remixes have been coming through pretty much nonstop but I have to admit I haven’t been impressed.  Is it because they make the vocals sound so ridiculously awkward?  Maybe.

Someone prove me wrong, but this remix of Phoenix by Classixx is getting DEEEEEP like, fully.  Kind of makes it a big deal.  Here’s in my opinion, the best of the bunch.  Somewhat getting Aeroplane vibes from the intro.  agree? (check link to compare)

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Phoenix – Lisztomania (Classixx Version)

pps: sincerest of apologies for the poor writing. I’m sick.  HAMTHRAX GOT ME!! send me tea and kisses.



hmmmmm, hectic, honest, nonsense

March 19, 2009 | Filed Under music | 4 Comments 


image: tuftsmania’s flickr

So the Filthy Dukes full length just arrived over here at the tuftsmania batcave.  It makes me want to do pushups.

It’s called “Nonsense in the Dark” and it’s truly, honestly no-frills, no-nonsense electronic pop music.  Filthy Dukes pulled all the right influences out of their memory banks and put together a collection of really catchy music.  vibrating synths, screaming electric strings, they even emulate a bit of the ’soulwax’ noise.  (you know what I’m talking about… that SSCCCCRReeeeeEEEEEeeee synth that sounds so bad but feels so right)

I’m shallow.

I like accessible music.

Fuck your abstract bullshit.

Filthy Dukes – What Happens Next

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Filthy Dukes – This Rhythm

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BONUS:
My new EFF (Electronic Friends Forever), Dorian and a band he’s in, The Teenagers, just took advantage of those stems Phoenix posted for 1901 and gave it the GarageBand treatment.  God Bless Bigstereo 4 this one!

Phoenix – 1901 (The Garage Band Teenagers Remix)

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leaks, hate, and palmtree families make for a fine sunday

March 15, 2009 | Filed Under music | 12 Comments 


you may or may not spot celebrities in this image. (hint: one’s a millionaire and one’s an art curator/marketing/moog wizard)

Wait, hold on.  Let me finish freaking my shit over the new Phoenix album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (WAP WAP WAP WAP).

Alright. I won’t be putting any leaks up on this site because unlike certain other french acts that had a huge and ongoing ‘debut leak’ (which didn’t affect their status of  short-lived blog-hip icons), Phoenix is actually a credible and established fixture that you will be able to count on for solid listening material for years to come.  You’ve already heard their official and semi-non-official leaks via here and here, so save your pennies to purchase their album when it comes out later this spring.

But let me assure you, google is your friend if you’re wanting more preview material.  Unfortunately, the leaks are of pretty low quality so it won’t be worth much in terms of listening pleasure.

Speaking of leaks, I think Phoenix is running the show spot-on when it comes to creating hype.  Here’s a brief timeline of their highly effective hype-strategy. disclaimer: This is completely from my failing memory, so it’s most likely very wrong

  1. First of all, everyone already knows they’re amazing.
  2. half a year post their previous album release “It’s Never Been Like That”, updated website with ominous next album release forecast
  3. radio silence (almost a year+)
  4. they released a really rough teaser of a demo riff like half a year ago ‘21 minus zero’  –you can hear the riff they used in that demo on track 4 “love like a sunset” of their upcoming release.
  5. silence for a good 4+ months.  speculation ensues
  6. out of nowhere, they send full quality 320kbs files of 1901 to blogs
  7. few days later, official release via wearephoenix.com
  8. music blogosphere freak-out ensues, hypem explodes, elbo.ws says ‘what’s going on, eh
  9. 1901 stems are released for open-remix via wearephoenix.com
  10. low bitrate ‘kind of official leak’ of Lisztomania is released
  11. low bitrate ‘completely unofficial’ album leak that was probably leaked intentionally and hits various limited file sharing channels.

While some may see it as disastrous, I think point 11 is ESSENTIAL to creating a successful pre-release hype fest.  When an album is leaked, what hurts most is if it’s released v0 or 320kbs full cd quality. Even though real, uncompressed CDs sound leaps better than 320, it’s ‘good enough’ to prevent people from purchasing the official release. In any case, what set this apart from many other leaks was that this was a low quality rip which was still somewhat listenable on something like budget or laptop speakers, but quite unacceptable for anything else. Torrent snob trackers will shun this release because it’s not up to their mp3 encoding standards and this somewhat controls the dissemination of the leak quite effectively in itself. It’s a great preview and indicator on if an album would be good or not, but definitely not a keeper.

This is my breakdown of the demographics this type of marketing might reach:
-The fans who cared enough to put in the time and effort to seek this leak out, are probably the same fans who care enough to go out and buy the album.

-The savvy fans who love Phoenix but don’t care enough to hear the complete leak will still rabidly gobble up various blogs leaking individual tracks (and will still probably purchase the album).

-Those who are actively reading Pitchfork -trying to be ‘indie’ but don’t know anything about Phoenix will hear about their official album release through a ‘more indie’ friend who raves about it; or via Pitchfork who will probably give it a 6.2.  I’ll go ahead and say 60% of this less-savvy demographic will pirate the full quality CD rip from a public access torrent site.  These same people will probably still go see a show with their ‘more indie’ friends and this is where they’ll realize that pitchfork is run by a bunch of lanky-folk loving-onitsuka tiger-track jacket wearing fags.

Some might say this model is unsuccessful, but you tell me after you go to one of their sold out shows and observe the empty merch tables afterward.

[Was this a pitchfork hate post?  oops]

Now feast your ears on some non-leak material.
DJ Lapse of Capetown taking quick advantage of those recently posted stems to 1901:
Phoenix – 1901 (Lapse Remix)

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And here’s that 21 minus zero demo I mentioned somewhere in the mess up there:
Phoenix – 21 Minus Zero

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Finally onto a small but very necessary tidbit on some old favorites of mine, Tahiti Boy and the Palmtree Family.  Just listen to this Para One remix of their recent e-released 1973 EP single.

PAY ATTENTION AFTER THE WHISTLE INTERMISSION @ 2:15.  magic.
Tahiti Boy and the Palmtree Family – 1973 (Para One Remix)

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cop this EP on itunes. it’s (+) quality, has an excellent selection and it’s only $3.99. WIN4U.

Don’t think my tiny bash on Justice up there was malicious in any way.  They are a talented pair, and have been doing a lot of behind the scenes production for bands like Tahiti Boy and Poney Poney. (with stellar results)
example:
Poney Poney – Cross the Fader (prod. by justice)

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addendum: if you haven’t been following TUMBLRMANIA, you should start. you can see how disgusting my browsing habits are.



I was gonna save this for later

February 23, 2009 | Filed Under day to day | 9 Comments 


image: tuftsmania flickr

But I can’t. The new Phoenix album is finally becoming slowly unwrapped and we’re all here salivating with open ears. Here’s your first taste off their upcoming “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”.

Phoenix – 1901

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PS: who’s down for a repeat when they hit the Mezzanine SF?



more hours in the day than the day itself

September 28, 2007 | Filed Under music | Leave a Comment 

25had.jpg

Just when I’m about to forget about Paris being awesome, 25 Hours a Day (25HAD) womps me in the face. Now I’m fully aware that this track isn’t 0-day cutting edge, just released 23 seconds ago, so don’t get all elitist/new rave on me.

The fact of the matter is, Phoenix is awesome and will murder you with sound in your sleep. The same can and will be said of 25HAD. (awesome, murder, sound). For the uninformed, 25HAD is comprised of member(s) from the absolutely amazing parisian band, Fortune (awesome, murder, sound–play ‘bully’ on myspace)

So, finally onto the track previously mentioned. It’s a remix of Phoenix’ “Long Distance Call” from their most recent album, “It’s Never Been Like That” and 25HAD puts their spin on it. Making sure not to destroy the integrity of the original track, samples and cuts from the original track were repeated, sliced, and extended to make a crisp and lighter, danceable track. All the good riffs are intact from the original track, and you won’t miss a thing.

holy shit, did I just write that? wtf!!!! just listen you shits!!

Phoenix – It’s Never Been Like That (25HAD RMX)(right click, save as)

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summary: Paris is awesome again, 25 Hours a Day, Fortune (listen on myspace), Phoenix, sound, murder, sleep.



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