This month the "swell chart" should be "daft chart". Not because I'm
suddently into all french flavoured house, but because I was stupid enough
to send some of you parts of my database with the chart last month. My
biggest and most sincere apologies to anyone who had their email displayed
and to anyone who has ever been kind enough to share their database with me!
In paticular Cukipapa Alan Brown who has helped me a lot with this! I really
want you all to know that it was a pure mistake and that I'm not mean. (I am
careless and stupid though). Shame on me!
SWELL CHART NOVEMBER 01
Compiled by Andreas Saag aka Swell Session
ARTIST TITLE LABEL
1. 4Hero - Creating Patterns - (Talkin Loud)
There are more than three tracks from this album who had become classics
allready before the it had been released. Anyone who's heard the version of
Minnie Ripertons Les Fleur, Another Day featuring Jill Scott, or broken beat
masterpiece Hold It Down would know: this album is a must have. There are
some tracks that doesn't really do it for me, though there is more than
enough here: the beautiful Terry Callier balad for example... what kind of
song would be more perfect for his voice?
2. Domu - Up+Down - (Archive)
Finally released! And this, I believe, is the biggest moment of broken beat
since IG started it all... You may ask me then: is it that original? Perhaps
not, but Domu's just got a vibe of it's own and we do have a term in sweden
for it: "Det svänger!". Literally translated it would be "it swings" but I
guess the best translation is "the groove is there!". And it sure is. The
programming of the beats is often quite simple for being broken beat but
every single shaker, snare drum or little twist of the beat structure is
totally necessary. There is also quite a drum n bass feel to Domu's music.
He's added all the deep sounds and atmospheres that used to blow our mind
when that sound was new. To experience the darkest and most agressive track
on the album "Space Monkeys" at the original broken beat venue, co-op, is
one of my greatest club experiences. Someone complained about co-op turning
into a drum n bass club. As long as it sounds like this I really have no
objection....
3. Espen horne - Karma Elastica - (Stereo Deluxe)
It's good someone is finally releaseing this. If you haven't heard it it's
time you find out what all the lables and dj´s have been raving so madly
about recently....
Doesn't get any more beautiful than this, believe me.
4. Tweak - Hybrid Organics - (Straight Ahead)
The best to come out of straight ahead so far? Well, I love the hi quality
sounds that the swiss label provides us with and tweak is at it's peak (!).
This album features many different styles and I must admit that the most
seductive grooves are the ones whith a slight drum n bass vibe. A little
more jazz and a little less electronic deepness, than I'm used to hear from
Tweak, but then that's the only kind of track I'd like to hear that's not
included...
5. Da one Away - Trash Da Junk - (Main Squeeze)
Classic minimal broken beat at it's very best as Dego and Kaidi team up.
Starting out with very few elements and then building and building. It's
very preferable to go just about this deep and repetative when it comes to
broken beats, and this, I think, is the perfect lesson.
6. Briskey - Lovlier Without Makeup/Conchita's Cabin - (Downshall Plastics)
"My maaaan's gooone now"... It's just stuck in my head! Like a rougher
enhancement of Saint Germain's Rose Rouge...
Smooth sparkling latin grooves and a beautiful choice of mellow vocals.
Conchita's Cabin is a really good example of a song you like playing out and
most likeley will listen to again when you get home...
7. Wagon Cookin - Primer Plato con Cuchara - (Appetizers)
Who said cooking is boring? If your dad owns a restaurant in an old train
wagon and you start cooking grooves like this it sounds like you're surely
haveing some great fun! I can really feel the playfulness and joy coming out
of my speakers...
8. Suba - Samba do Gringo Paulista - Zero db remix - (Ziriquiboom)
#1 superlatinoknüller! Doesn't get any better for the dancefloor than this,
I've even heard it in the local cheesy house club in Gothenburg. The acid
bassline prooves that the Zero db guys are in fact nuts... thank God for
that.
9. The Dining Rooms - Sei Tu Cosi ti Amo - (Milano 2000)
Don't know very much about this, though the Fragment Orchestra mix with it's
slapping bass is real funk biz and the Four Tet mix is a really beautiful
little adveture, morphing and twisting in a toy soundscape.
10. V/A - State of the Art - Japan - (Foundation)
DJ Mochizuki has compiled 12 tracks of pure japanese nu school jazz frenzy,
letting us understand that there is a lot more to japanese electronic jazz
culture than the happy latin stuff! Starting out with Bayaka's beautiful
combination of ambient piano patterns and a high energy beat, via the arty
string arrangments of Combo Piano, to a section of five or six songs that
really shows the dark dub atmosphere of japanese nu jazz stuff that you too
seldom get to hear. For example: the Steve Reich minimalism of Juzu,
Saidrum's electroica excursions, and Mick's echoing dub landscapes. And then
suddently returning to something we recognize: A mid tempo spoken word
piece by Yukihiro Fukotomi. A by all means diverse
compilation.... go seek!
11. Soulstice - Falling into You - Remixes - (Om)
The original is deep and beautiful, still catchy enough to be on Top of the
Pops (good or bad? :-)
The remixes keep these features, Tim Landslide really at his peaktime with
his funky 2-step piece which is also included as a dub. Fred Blais remix is
a nice and chilled late night 4/4 deep-house groove and wether you like
2-step soul or chilled 4/4 deepness thes are two very good remixes.
11. Nemo - Darkest Day - (Compost)
The original is such a beautiful classic: a smooth bossa soundtrack for the
darkest day of the summer, a very acoustic soundscape with those careful yet
stunning trumpet skills on top of it... Restless Soul's Peaktime remix is
defenatley Phil Asher at his... peaktime. Keeping the best parts of the
vocals and not forgetting to include that beautiful trumpet. It´s filtered
in and out answering the singers phrases. Perfect to mix with Future
Homosapiens' Talk Box (Out Patients 2) which has a similar hook...
13. Koop - Summer Sun - (Compost)
Using the best and certainly most beautiful half japanese singer to come out
of sweden ever (Yukimi), Koop couldn't really fail could they?
The happy days of coctail jazz is not over, that's for sure, and this track
will really keep you smiling; Markus Enochsson's beautiful remix spreading
that smile on the dancefloor as well.
14. Goran Kajfes - Life Insurance Revisited - (Kaza)
Swedish trumpet player Goran Kajfes has played with a lot of famous swedish
bands. His first solo stuff is defenatley flirting with the electronic scene
and the result is fantastic. The 2-step excursions on the a-side, Life
Insurance Revisited, is really taking it to the maximum energy level, and
the trumpet and rhodes skills are just swell... Anyone who saw the Goran
Kajfes live act this summer should know this is the real tabasco!
15. V/A Freezone 7 is 7 is (Crammed)
Our favourite chilled out comp is back and as always bringing us the upfront
stuff from artists like Fauna Flash, Nubian Mindz, Quant, Burnt Friedman
Landslide and Kid Koala! It's worth buying only for having the
Audiomontage/Shur-i-kan co-op (named The Freezone). A sparse broken latin
beat with perfect rhodes harmonies and an analog synth melody floating on
top. Did weather report ever go latin?
16. Beatless - Life Mirrors - (Ubiquity)
I Love the album, the title track my favourite... though it's the Opaque
remix on the 12" that really makes my jump up and down.
17. Sasso - Black Soldier - (Sing Sing)
The A-side is best described as any James Bond film score in 2-step light
version. The flip side takes you back to the the good old acid jazz era, an
up-tempo funk groove with LOTS of congas and a long solo parts, dubbed with
vocals...
The result? So swell I just h a d to play it at again and again for one
whole day at home... (18 times?)
19. Jimpster - Deep Down - (Kudos)
Lovely! Still listening to this one all the time. It just gets better and
better...
Very deep and very soulful. Make sure you'll have it too.
Big shouts to the Jimpster!
20. Metro Area - #4 - Environ
#4 is here and though it's not as brilliant as the third one, I believe
there is a lot of more 80's flavoured tech/house soul
to find on this one. The A-side is as usual the most dancable track
(surprise) and the one that I prefer. Really nice and sparse though.
So the chart is late this month... because I'm a lazy kid? No, I've been
finishing a track for the upcoming Companionship compilation on April
Records so I guess I'm excused: after all making songs is what I feel I
should prioritate. And It feels very good to be including the album of the
year. I guess it's safe to include the 4hero long player in the chart since
it should have been released by now. As you may see in the chart, I found a
lot nice music to bring home to Sweden while I was playing in London at the
end of last month at Hospitallity. Chris and Tony have found the perfect
venue for their club, I believe, and I really enjoyed playing in the bar
upstairs: Quiet at first and then suddently a lot of people continuosly
filling the room, leaving the DJ (me) no option but to turn down the lights
and get busy... just the kind of gig i love! Big shouts to Chris, Tony, Tim
Land and the rest of the Hospital crew.
Greetings also to Alan Brown for being the swellest mate you could ever
spend your time with in London, to Anna and Reka who let us stay at their
lovely flat. I really miss you! Seems like Cukipapa has become very
comfortable with his new Vienna situation... swell! I'll come visit soon.
Big thanks as well to all the lovley Londoneers like Gabor, Vesa, Felix,
Gerry, Nik, Patrick, Mike, Spence, James, Seiji, Abbie, Emely, Rob and a
lot of other wonderful people (you know who you are) for making my stay so
pleasant!
I was also at the Freerange mansion to meet the good looking fellows Jamie
and Tom. Jamie played some really wicked tunes for me... expect an amazing
Jimpster album! We also had a really good Hackney pan pizza and signed
contracts. My first 12 on Freerange will be out some time early next year
and one of the tracks, Rejected For Life is included on the lovley Freerange
anniversary comp All Our Eggs In One Basket. It features a lot of tasty bits
from Jimpster (the #1 Swell chart hit Deep Down :-), Square One, Yennah, Tea
Dancers and more. Included is also my Swell Session remix of Shu-ri-kan's
lovley Cookie track. Bo and Respect to the Freerange posse!
If you've been to HMV latley and have seen a young fierce swedish techno
brat stare at you from the cover of a vinyl, you were probably looking at my
techno release for the swedish label SLS. I was very surprised to find that
the staff at HMV decided to put it on display... but I guess they thought
their customers need a good laugh :-) If you give it a listen you will find
some funky and organic techno-grooves.
Also released at the end of last month was the second Swell Session 12,
Gone/I See Through You. I've been very glad to recieve positive feedback and
to find that it's been played and charted here and there... Thanks a lot!
If you would like to contact me or unsubscribe from this chart, please write
to saag@home.se
Feel free to mail stuff to:
Andreas Saag
Valenv 1.
S-430 91 Hönö
SWEDEN
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Nov 23 2001 - 07:40:16 CET