SHREM'S EXCLUSIVE: PERFECT PARTY PLAYLIST VOL. 18 by Josh Caffe

Photo by Matt Hass

It hasn't even been 2 weeks since I was honoured to welcome Amy Douglas here who kindly selected a deliciously eclectic Perfect Party Playlist of hers to inaugurate the 10th year of my adventure as a music blogger and I am thrilled again to share another very special list, curated exclusively for my blog by Josh Caffe. I've been following this London-based DJ, producer and vocalist closely ever since the release of Punks Jump Up's single "Give It to Me" which fittingly featured Robert Owens whom I also deeply admire in the house music department. Whether it's through his recent solo underground releases or his frequent and fruitful collaborations with a whole entourage of fellow dance and electronica enthusiasts, PJU, Lauren Flax, Hannah Holland or Hypnotic Lovers (to name just a few!), Josh Caffe continues to intrigue, surprise and add a darker twist, a mysterious tone to your usual club anthems. His Perfect Party Playlist selection is suitably diverse, unpredictable and off-kilter. Enjoy!

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PERFECT PARTY PLAYLIST by Josh Caffe

1. "Clock Strikes" - Timbaland and Magoo

He was a big part of the underground RnB sound in the ‘90s that was coming out of Virginia, together with Missy Elliot and DeVante Swing. I was blown away by how they fused RnB with hip-hop with Detroit electro and house. When I heard the ‘One In A Million’ album and Ginuwine’s ‘The Bachelor’, I remember thinking not only how well produced they were but also where had this new sound come from? It was such a break away from the rest of the RnB productions that were on the radio and charts then. His ability back then to mix all these genres into a new hybrid inspired me a lot.



2. "Everybody's Soft" - Soft Pink Truth

This is track is so busy with samples but works well. I remember coming across the Do You Party? album for the first time and having it on repeat for ages. Everything from disco, booty bass, funk to electro, all melted into a beautiful chaotic music ball.



3. "Generate Power (Wild Pitch Mix)" - Photon, Inc. feat. Paula Brion

This is a track I play regularly, love it to death. When I first started making music, Wild Pitch tracks were really inspiring. I love how simple yet genius they are, dropping layer onto layer of strings, repetitive vocal samples. Hearing them in a club really gets me dancing.



4. "When a Thought Becomes You" - Blake Baxter

Blake Baxter is a true Detroit pioneer. His productions have stood the test of time and continue to inspire me. This track has all the elements I love in a vocal techno track, sexy, sleazy, seductive. I like playing this sped up at the end of my dj sets.



5. "Futurama" - David Carretta

A very nostalgic track. I discovered this on an old Gigolo International compilation, but its originally from the Le Catalogue Electronique record. This was played regularly at club nights Nag Nag and The Cock at Ghetto which are sadly no longer around.



6. "Lucida Obscura" - Crossover

For me Crossover have continuously managed to create quite interesting and diverse electro albums. Plus they're great live too. This is my fave track from they're first album Fantasmo.



7. "Start a Fire (The Carry Nation remix)" - Black Gold Buffalo

Hannah Holland plays bass in this band with fierceness Keziah on vocals. This dubby, tripped out acid remix from The Carry Nation is a gem. BGB recently put out they're first album on Batty Bass Records and if you love Cocteau Twins, you'll love this.



8. "Callin' On Me" - Matt Martians

The Internet really embody the alternative r'n'b/neo soul sound coming from LA and this track is taken from founding member, Matt's solo EP, The Drum Chord Theory. Its got a really nice 90's hip hop groove.



9. "I Know Now" - Ojerime

She's my girl crush. The video for this track is pretty cool too, very Aaliyah. I listen to her album at home while working. Very Nostalgic. Check out her EP Fang2001, moody r'n'b at its best.



10. "Streetplayer (Mechanik)" - Fashion

Classic, dramatic 80's new wave realness. AND a powerful video to match (soooo many lewks). This track has a post punk/ska feel to it that I love. Their Fabrique album is their best work in my opinion.

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SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "FEATHERLIGHT" - Gus Gus

The 2nd most blogged about act in the 7 year history of Shrem's Carousel Of Über Nerdiness (as proven HERE) - the Icelandic wizards of electronica - Gus Gus, have just announced the release of their 8th studio album "Lies Are More Flexible" which is heralded by the enigmatic and tantalising "Featherlight". The band, who gained cult status across the muso world throughout their 2 decade-long vibrant career, are venturing further into Biggi Veira's signature, one of a kind, slickly produced cocktail of tech & deep house soundscapes, Daníel Ágúst's soulful vocals, and atmospheric layers of synths. "Featherlight" is as hypnotic as every "GusGusologist" could hope for. The spiral of crispy cool beats are reminiscent of Nordic winters. Gus Gus have confirmed they will be opening their festival appearances with "Featherlight". MONUMENTAL!

Buy it now on BANDCAMP

The sensual video was directed and produced by The Icelandic Love Corporation.

Through the light, light as a feather, you come down. Like a snowflake, spiralling down - featherlight.

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "VICTIM" - Dinamo Azari feat. Fritz Helder & Starving Yet Full

Dinamo Azari announces the release of his long-anticipated LP "Estranged" with a track that sounds like a perfect sonic bridge between the Toronto house ensemble Azari & III he was one of the founders of and his more tech-house oriented solo efforts. "Victim" features both of Azari & III's renowned and distinctive vocalists Fritz Helder & Starving Yet Full. The edited version of this fresh slice of pulsating deep house will leave you gasping for more. "Estranged" is released 16 February 2016 via The Vinyl Factory and you can now pre-order your copy of "Victim" on a 180-gram vinyl HERE. The sleekly shot and slightly disconcerting video was directed by Gigi Ben Artzi and Givon Snir.

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SHREMIVERSARIES: Björk's "POST" 20th

BJÖRK "POST"

RELEASE DATE: 13th June, 1995
LABEL: One Little Indian
PRODUCERS: Björk, Nellee Hooper, Graham Massey, Tricky, Howie B, Marius de Vries

SINGLES:

"ARMY OF ME" - released 24 April 1995

"ISOBEL" - released: 14 August 1995

"IT'S OH SO QUIET" - released: 13 November 1995

"HYPERBALLAD" - released: 12 February 1996

"POSSIBLY MAYBE" - released: 28 October 1996

"I MISS YOU" - released: 17 February 1997

FAVOURITE NON-SINGLE TRACKS:

"ENJOY"

"THE MODERN THINGS"

FAVOURITE NON-ALBUM TRACKS:

"I GO HUMBLE"



"KARVEL"



"MY SPINE"

FAVOURITE REMIXES:

"COVER ME (Plaid Mix)"



"ISOBEL (Deodato Mix)"



"POSSIBLY MAYBE (Lucy Mix)"

"HYPERBALLAD (LFO's Stamp Mix)



"COVER ME (Dillinja Mix)"



"HEADPHONES (Mika Vainio Mix)"

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SHREM'S LATE MONDAY NIGHT SESSIONS: "YOU CAN SHINE" - Andy Butler feat. Richard Kennedy

Following the vibrant collaborations with the most flamboyant selection of vocalists, the likes of Antony Hegarty, Shaun J Wright, Kim Ann Foxman, Nomi Ruiz, Aérea Negrot, Krystle Warren, Gustaph, John Grant or Rouge Mary, Hercules & Love Affair's Andrew Butler recruited the velvet voiced Gospel powerhouse Richard Kennedy, to serve his most recent house effort. "You Can Shine", which premiered today on Pitchfork,  is the first of the 2 new tracks which Butler, the "enfant terrible" of the House scene, intends to release under his own name rather than his Hercules alias. "You Can Shine" and "Personality Track" are out February 23 on vinyl, March 16 on Beatport, and March 30 on iTunes and other digital stores via his own label, mr.intl.

As Mr Hercules explains in the official press release, "Whilst Hercules has a collaborative, collective approach, Shine goes for a more direct approach, a stomping, uplifting club 12" but it's me so it will still have something of Hercules about it."

"I wanted to tap into the gospel tradition, for there to be a testifying quality to the record,” he continues. “Richard and I talk in the lyrics about putting ego aside and allowing people around you to shine. You shine when you acknowledge other people's shine, even, if you will, the creator's shine. I hope we've created something new. House is often soulful but you very rarely hear a big gospel-inflected voice paired with booming, doomy techno."

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SHREM'S CLUB BIZARRE INTRODUCING: "APOCALIPSI" - Jansky feat. Defled

Jansky is an electronic duo from Palma, Mallorca whom I discovered in 2013 with their mysterious debut EP "Un Big Bang A La Gibrella". Jaume Reus and Laia MaLo are serving another intriguing slice of bizarre techno POP with "Apocalipsi", half whispered and half sung in Catalan just like their previous recordings. The track is announcing the arrival of their new LP "éSSER ElèCTRIC". It's throbbing, it's hypnotic, it's unsettling in an eerily seducing way. Electronic poetry made in Spain. It was bound to end up in my Club Bizarre.

The video was directed by Joan Guasch.

JANSKY 'APOCALIPSI' from Joan Guasch on Vimeo.

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MARK BELL (LFO) R.I.P.

A true wizard of beats, a magician of techno, a pioneer, a legend, a producer like no other... Rest in Peace Mark Bell.

"If I were to say who has influenced me most it would be Stockhausen, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno and Mark Bell" - Björk

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SHREM'S LATE MONDAY NIGHT SESSIONS: "MA SHIVA" + "OPEN YOUR EYES" - Clarian

It's 3 weeks since the enigmatic Clarian North dropped his grippingly eclectic "Ma Shiva" EP. Montréal based Multi Culti label is responsible for releasing this fascinating fusion of dub, techno and global beats. The title track is a hypnotic journey through exotic soundscapes echoing Hindu mantras and what it feels like a whole bunch of songs I just couldn't quite pin down the titles of... Then I read this in the official press release: "It’s a total one-off that has a certain familiarity to it without actually sounding quite like anything specific… except, oddly enough, maybe a dash of 80s-era Leonard Cohen in the phrasing of the verses."... "Open Your Eyes" reminisces some early 80's synth-pop moments (also without borrowing from them in a too literal way), my boyfriend suggested Yazoo which sounds about right. Enthralling.

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix]" - Aphex Twin

Brand new Aphex Twin. That is all. Warp Records release "Syro" on 19th September. Aphex Twin's first full album in 13 years! Pure electronic excellence.

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "LEMONADE" - Sophie

Great week for oddball releases. We Are Shining's "Hot Love", Eyedress' "Egyptian Night Club EP" and now Sophie's extraordinary "Lemonade". The follow-up single to "Blipp" is an even more twisted fusion of all sounds bizarre, it sounds like a cross between some obscure early 90's rave anthems, soundtracks for atari games, j-pop, minimal techno and grime. All mixed in one musical melting pot with the final result sounding quite like nothing else out there. Check out the anonymous artist's fittingly unusual website HERE.

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "OBNOXIOUSLY SEXUAL" - Gus Gus [Video]

What a week it's been! While Róisín Murphy and Robyn with Röyksopp released their saucy remix bundles for their latest EP's, "Mi Senti" and "Do It Again" respectively, Jessie Ware premiered her refined new video "Tough Love". With Moko releasing this year's #1 summer anthem "Your Love" , Yelle making a desirable come-back with "Bouquet Final" and just days before Sébastien Tellier and Jungle drop their most anticipated new albums, the excitement is high up in the musical air. On top of all that the Icelandic heroes Gus Gus, my all time favourite band, just delivered the video for "Obnoxiously Sexual" the 2nd single coming from "Mexico". That trumpet & string orgy at the end... Delicious! The newly released EP includes techno and house remixes of the track by Gluteus Maximus, T-World and Patrice Bäumel among others.

I just can't keep up with it all. What a year my friends, WHAT A YEAR!

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SHREM'S CLUB BIZARRE INTRODUCING: "BUGATTI" - Tiga

Tiga's in exceptionally top form artistically it seems. His latest belter "Bugatti" immediately joins the exlusive horde of his most swashbuckling electro singles to date, the likes of "You Gonna Want Me", "Shoes" and "Hot In Herre". Out now on Turbo Recordings!

GIRL COMES UP TO ME AND SAYS "WHAT YOU DRIVING?"
I SAY "BUGATTI"

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SHREM'S BIGGIES BUT GOODIES BASKET: "SAYIT" + "DO IT AGAIN (Moullinex)" - Robyn & Röyksopp

"Sayit" the first video from Robyn & Röyksopp's collaborative EP "Do It Again" is out today. This is "We Dance To The Beat" all over again pumped up by the Norwegian wizards of electronica with a pinch of Kraftwerk's rawness. There's also a luscious remix of the title track on the horizon, committed by one of Portugal's mightiest dance producers Moullinex. This EP is going to be simply sensational!

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