SHREM'S LIST OBSESSION: Top 10 Favourite Jody Watley tracks

So it is Miss Jody Watley's birthday today. One of my very first huge idols and muses whom I remained a devoted fan to until today. Such a vibrant repertoire, so many classic singles, such an inspirational icon... Here's my little "Happy Birthday" selection of my personal favourite moments in her career which was a very challenging task to complete considering the amount of tunes I adore from her vast catalogue:

10 "Affection" (1995)



09 "Whenever" (2001)

Whenever by JodyWatley

08 "Still A Thrill" (1987)



07 "Love Injection" (1987)



06 "I Want You" (1991)

05 "Don't You Want Me (Dance Remix)" (1989)



04 "When A Man Loves A Woman" (1994)



03 "Bed Of Roses" - with 4Hero (2006)



02 "The Essence" (2004)



01 "Real Love" (1989)

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SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "SUIT & TIE" - Justin Timberlake [Lyric Video]

Still no sign of an official video for Justin Timberlake's come-back single "Suit & Tie" but now at least we get a lyric video. I must admit I'd enjoy this song so much more sans Jay Z's generic and repetitive bridge but it still is an ace number. In pop categories it is anyway... "The 20/20 Experience", Timberlake's 3rd solo album is coming out at a later date this year. Curious to hear what will he come up with next as both "Justified" and "Futuresex/Lovesounds" included some of the brightest moments in pop music of the past decade. More details to follow soon I'm sure.

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SHREM'S LIST OBSESSION: Top 10 Favourite The Knife tracks

Since the video and the single for The Knife's most anticipated come-back single "Full Of Fire" was finally released today I thought it'd b a good opportunity to dedicate the next of my lists to the ultra-talented Swedish siblings and all their recordings so far. Here's my very subjective selection of some of their finest musical moments so far...

10 "I Live In A Tree" (2001) - B-side on "N.Y. Hotel" and "You Take My Breath Away" singles

The Knife 'I Live In A Tree' by Brille Records

09 "Lasagna" (2001) - from "The Knife"

The Knife - Lasagna by modestowl9

08 "We Share Our Mothers' Health" (2006) - from "Silent Shout"



07 "The Captain" (2006) - from "Silent Shout"

The Knife 'The Captain' by Brille Records

06 "Kino" [live version] (2001) - from "Silent Shout: An Audio Visual Experience" + B-side on "We Share Our Mothers' Health" single

05 "Like A Pen" (2006) - from "Silent Shout"



04 "Marble House" (2006) - with Jay-Jay Johanson from "Silent Shout"



03 "You Take My Breath Away" (2003) - with Jenny Wilson from "Deep Cuts"



02 "Silent Shout" (2006) - from "Silent Shout"



01 "Pass This On" (2003) - from "Deep Cuts"

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+ a very special bonus: "Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward (The Knife Remix)" - Jenny Wilson - one of those rather rare occasions when Karin and Olof provided a remix treatment for another artist... Truly magical...

Jenny Wilson - "Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward (Knife remix)" by SHREM

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SHREM'S CLUB BIZARRE INTRODUCING: "FULL OF FIRE" - The Knife

Always ahead of everyone. Always incomparable. Never predictable. "Full of Fire" - The Knife's first single in 7 years is all the above. This 10 minute long feast of oddity might actually be the Dreijer siblings' most uncompromising work to date. The track is taken from their forthcoming album "Shaking The Habitual" and premiered today in a short film by Marit Östberg. Breathtaking, disconcerting and unbelievable. Pre-order your copy of the album HERE!

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SHREM'S INSTITUTE OF LOST CLASSICS: "My Golden Boy" - Computerjockeys

This lost classic was accompanying German MTV's broadcast of "Golden Boy" a Japanese Manga TV series back in 2001. I've always had a soft spot for this track, partially due to the fact I had initially mistaken its vocalist to be my favourite Nicolette... Anyone else remembers this tune by Computerjockeys?

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SHREM'S INSTITUTE OF LOST CLASSICS: "En Vill Hest" - Casiokids + Disk Jokke Remix

It really seems sometimes that I am obsessed with Scandinavian artists, more specifically Norwegian ones... What a vibrant music scene though! Röyksopp, Annie, Todd Terje, Datarock, Frost, Lindstrøm, Ralph Myerz & Jack Herren Band, Bjørn Torske, Beady Belle are just some of the acts I tend to praise on a regular basis. I don't think I've ever shared this particular track with you all before even though it's already 3 years since its release. It reached a cult status in some circles but perhaps just like me you might have missed out on it so far and Casiokids' "En Vill Hest" is a real treasure for all the synth-pop loving kids in the house!



En Vill Hest (Disk Jokke Remix) by Diskjokke

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SHREM'S TOP 20 BEST ALBUMS OF 2012

20 "Majenta" - Jimmy Edgar
TOP TUNE: "Too Shy"
LABEL: Hotflush

19 "Juicy Lucy" - Jupiter
TOP TUNE: "One O Six"
LABEL: Grand Blanc

Jupiter : One o Six (A.N.D.Y. Remix) by A.N.D.Y. (Official)

18 "awE naturalE" - THEESatisfaction
TOP TUNE: "QueenS"
LABEL: Sub Pop Records

17 "One Second of Love" - Nite Jewel
TOP TUNE: "One Second of Love"
LABEL: Secretly Canadian

16 "Anastasis" - Dead Can Dance
TOP TUNE: "Agape"
LABEL: [Pias] Recordings

15 "Kill for Love" - Chromatics
TOP TUNE: "Kill for Love"
LABEL: Italians Do It Better

CHROMATICS / KILL FOR LOVE (Single) by JOHNNY JEWEL

14 "My God Is Blue" - Sébastien Tellier
TOP TUNE: "Cochon Ville"
LABEL: Record Makers

13 "Pretty Ugly" - DVA
TOP TUNE: "Eye Know" (feat. Natalie Maddix)
LABEL: Hyperdub

Eye Know - DVA Featuring Natalie Maddix by singmaddixsing

12 "Galaxy Garden" - Lone
TOP TUNE: "Crystal Caverns 1991"
LABEL: R&S Records

Lone - Crystal Caverns 1991 by R & S Records

11 "Look Around the Corner" - Quantic & Alice Russell with the Combo Bárbaro
TOP TUNE: "I'll Keep My Light In My Window"
LABEL: Tru Thoughts

10 "Radiomagnetic" - Frost
TOP TUNE: "Running Out of Time"
LABEL: FrostWorld Recordings

Running Out Of Time by frostnorway


09 "Shrines" - Purity Ring
TOP TUNE: "Belispeak"
LABEL: 4AD

08 "MDNA (Deluxe Edition)" - Madonna
TOP TUNE: "Love Spent"
LABEL: Interscope Records

Madonna - Love Spent by Interscope Records

07 "Dark York" - Le1f
TOP TUNE: "Wut"
LABEL: Greedhead x Camp&Street

06 "Jezus Maria Peszek" - Maria Peszek
TOP TUNE: "Sorry Polsko"
LABEL: Mystic Production

05 "Visions" - Grimes
3 TOP TUNES: "Circumambient"/"Genesis"/"Nightmusic (feat. Majical Clouds)"
LABEL: 4AD

04 "Walking the Midnight Streets" - Midnight Magic
3 TOP TUNES: "Midnight Creepers"/"Walking the Midnight Streets"/"Drop Me a Line"
LABEL: Midnight Sun Sound

Midnight Magic - Walking The Midnight Streets by ellenwoodEP

03 "III" - Crystal Castles
3 TOP TUNES: "Wrath Of God"/"Sad Eyes"/"Affection"
LABEL: Polydor

Crystal Castles - AFFECTION by Crystal Castles

02 "Devotion" - Jessie Ware
3 TOP TUNES: "Sweet Talk"/"Wildest Moments"/"110%"
LABEL: Universal

01 "The Prophecy pt. 1" - Steed Lord
3 TOP TUNES: "Hear Me Now"/"Emotional Machinery"/"Precognition"
LABEL: New Crack City Records

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GET IN2 THE RARE GROOVES: "THE GLOW OF LOVE" - Change feat. Luther Vandross

The year was 1980. The Italian answer to Chic, Bologna founded Change invited Luther Vandross who had yet to come to prominence at that time, to record the title track for the band's debut album "The Glow Of Love". The classic single and its main sample was then used in 2001 as the base for Janet Jackson's enormously successful "All For You".

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SHREM'S FUTURE ANTHEMS: "WHITE NOISE" - Disclosure feat. AlunaGeorge

What happens when two of the most promising new dance & electronica acts get together to share their talents and collaborate on a track? I'll tell you what happens. An explosion of sonic fabulousness and an instant dancefloor classic. AlunaGeorge and Disclosure combined their extraordinary forces and produced a monster of a song which will soon become a party essential and one of the very first anthems to emerge in 2013. One can just feel the timelessness of this phenomenal collaboration! Enjoy:

White Noise ft. AlunaGeorge by Disclosure

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SHREM'S LATE MONDAY NIGHT SESSIONS: "MELT" - Kamp!

Another magnificent piece of synth-pop from Kamp!, Polish electronic trio formed in Łódź in 2008. You may treat this as an Eastern-European answer to Cut Copy if you wish, but "Melt" - their second single available internationally, is a genius song to be filed under "Pure Pop Perfection". As compelling as their 2011 debut single for Discotexas "Cairo". The single is out 15th February with mixes by Midnight Magic, Xinobi and Zimmer.

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SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "SAD EYES" - Crystal Castles

Fittingly to its cacophonic and fearless wall of sound, the video for Crystal Castles' "Sad Eyes" is a visual orgy of distorted images, chopped sequences and live clips, all edited in the fashionable VHS quality. Loving Alice Glass' lilac 'do'.

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "EVERYTHING IS EMBARRASSING (Twin Shadow Remix) - Sky Ferreira /// "SLEEP IN THE PARK (Twin Shadow Remodel)" - Solange

Last year I blogged about these two ladies together as well. Solange's "Losing You" and Sky Ferreira's "Everything is Embarrassing", two exquisite moments in pop music last year, both written and produced by the ultra-talented Blood Orange, came out around the same time and swept me off my feet immediately. This time around both ladies were the inspiration for two supreme remix treatments courtesy of a chillwave hero and a synth-pop enfant terrible Twin Shadow. This musical threesome is rather saucy.

Everything Is Embarrassing (Twin Shadow Remix) by Sky Ferreira Official

Solange - Sleep In The Park (Twin Shadow Remodel feat. D'Angelo Lacy) by Terrible Records

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SHREM'S ACADEMY OF ALL TIME BEST SINGLES: "KEEP ON MOVIN'" - Soul II Soul feat. Caron Wheeler

RELEASE DATE: 1989
CHART PEAK: US Dance #1, US R&B #1, UK #5, NED #6

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "LUVVBAZAAR" - SSION

Exactly one year ago I have picked this song as one of 10 best track in 2011. I have been quite fond of Cody Critcheloe and his flamboyant crew for a good few years at this stage. SSION's decadent mélange of electro, punk and dance, combined with extravagant live shows and videos, proved on so many occasions to be superior to pretty much anything that's happening on the pop scene these days. "Luvvbazaar" stands out solidly as the most spectacular moment on their zealously eclectic record "Bent". I've been waiting impatiently for this video for so long and let me tell you it was worth all the wait. Directed by Mitch Moore and Mr Critcheloe himself, the video is a luscious camp feast which could be set in Club Silencio from "Mulholland Drive", it features some dazzling cameos (I spotted my favourite Alexis Blair Penney and Colin Self among others) and has some wonderfully twisted ideas like using that annoying Alicia Keys' New York song I normally loathe. It all strangely make perfect sense together. And once again WHAT A SONG!

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "SHE SLEEPS" - FaltyDL feat. Ed Macfarlane + Gang Gang Dance Remix

So the video for this FaltyDL's track featuring Friendly Fires' Ed Macfarlane was apparently out last month already... Needless to say I have missed it in the middle of the whole December madness filled with countless rankings, lists, summaries and reviews of 2012. There's a brand new remix though by the enigmatic Gang Gang Dance, just posted on Ninja Tune's soundcloud, which is a perfect excuse to make up for this delay of mine. The single's out on 11th February.



FaltyDL - 'She Sleeps' (Gang Gang Dance Remix) by Ninja Tune

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SHREM'S TRIP-HOP RETROSPECTIVE: "FINAL HOME" - Dj Krush (石井 英明) feat. Esthero

ARTIST: Dj Krush feat. Esthero
TITLE: "Final Home"
RELEASE DATE: 1999
LABEL: Columbia
LOCATION: Tokyo, Japan
ALBUM: "覚醒 -Kakusei"

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "LANZAROTE" - Lindstrøm & Todd Terje /// "Ęg-gęd-ōsis (Todd Terje Edit)" - Lindstrøm

How about a lush portion of Balearic vibes in the middle of this wintertime? Lindstrøm and Todd Terje the Scandinavian dream team are at it again. Following Terje's fantastic re-edits of Lindstrøm's singles last year we finally have a full blast collaboration of these two ultra-talented artists. "Lanzarote" oozes sunshine, happiness and "cakes and ale" from every of its precious second of jolly sounds and will most probably become one of this year's essential tunes during the festival season. The already confirmed gigs for the pair include Nuits Sonores, Sónar, Melt! and A Day At The Park with more dates to be announced in the coming weeks. It's all about Norwegian nu-disco these days!

LINDSTRØM & TODD TERJE - Lanzarote by toddterje

LINDSTRØM - Eg-Ged-Osis (Todd Terje edit) by toddterje

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THE 2012 VIDEO OF THE YEAR - THE POLL RESULTS

Thank you all so much for voting, the results are in. With 36% of votes the winner of THE VIDEO OF THE YEAR title for 2012 are the Icelandic heroes of electro Pop, the incomparable Steed Lord and their astonishing self-directed, self-stylised and self-produced piece "Hear Me Now". With 1980's reminiscences, Kali's flamboyant collection of outfits and a mind-boggling selection of sumptuous shots it truly is a visual feast. The fact, it also happens to accompany one of 5 best songs of 2012, in my humble opinion, is just a delectable cherry on top. Both M.I.A.'s epic "Bad Girls" and Solange's pastel "Losing You" came joint second with 18% of votes each. So here it is once again, the Video of the Year:

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "WORTHY OF YOUR LOVE" - Kiddy Smile

I am very fond of this latest trend of revisiting the 1990's club classics, bringing back the visual and sonic aesthetics of oldskool clubbing, marrying the camp, the irresistible and the wonderfully hedonistic aspects of early house anthems. Following Tensnake's ubiquitous "Mainline" we can continue all the dancefloor fun with this cheerful house track by Kiddy Smile. The 90's Revival is indeed on its way...

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