Somebody in Kansas City Loves Me

It seems this slice of great pop has passed me by this summer.
Sneaky Sound System are from and big in Australia and if we were still living in an era where something like a global summer hit would still have a chance to exist, "Kansas City" would have topped the charts everywhere.

Sneaky Sound System "Kansas City" Filmed in SuperMarionation:

Vogue On Vogue

"Here I am, vogueing pretty in some club deep in the city."

One year of international Vogue-covers superimposed into one image.

Watch while listening to Malcom Maclaren and Bootzilla Orchestra´s legendary Deep In Vogue, which rocked the world a long time before that Madonna woman stole the trend and claimed it as her idea.

Vogue France

Vogue UK

Vogue Russia

Vogue Korea

Vogue Japan

Vogue Italy

Vogue Germany

Vogue China

Vogue Brazil

Dreams of Saturday Night: Meat Beat Manifesto

I really think that 1988 was indeed a musical year that tore down many barriers. The explosion (and implosion) of Hip Hop and Acid House brought new and radical sounds and the public was more than ready to listen while dancing their asses off.

Mark Stewart and the Mafia, Public Enemy and Meat Beat Manifesto were working at the edges of music with their brutal methods of decomposing sound and rhythm.


Give Your Body It´s Freedom! is the most radical version of Meat Beat Manifesto´s third single "Strap Down".

Everything in this track is designed to jump in your face: the stupendous bassline, the insane whistles, adventurous drum-programming and a harsh mix make this an adrenaline rushing disco-destroyer that sounds like a work-out program for malfunctioning robots. After listening to this at maximum volume you feel exhausted.

I was eagerly awaiting MBFs first album which was then lost in a studio fire. The re-recorded album was actually a double-12" with four songs in four versions. While "Storm the Studio" was very good, it lacked the energy and boldness of tracks like this one.

As true forefathers of Prodigy and Chemical Brothers, the band released a new album in 2008.

Dreams of Saturday Night: Muzik Xpress

Music! Music! Music! Wohoooo!
Judging by the comments and my own memory on "Muzik Xpress", everybody remembers when and where they had heard this dance classic for the first time. I danced to this awesome track at various clubs in Germany, London and NYC back in ´93 and the reaction of the crowd was the same everywhere: They went batshit crazy!

Rightly so!
"Muzik Xpress" by X-Press 2 is one of the most effective and infectious dance records ever. The slightly bouncing rhythm and the two simple vocal samples are creating an immense positive energy that promises a massive release from the very beginning. And when this release/breakdown finally comes (shamelessly fired on by screaming crowd noise) it tears up the roof of every club and people are screaming their heads off.

It´s one of those timeless dance tracks that completely revolves around itself. It is functional, calculated and actually it is not even music, but it has a soul of its own!

Muzik Express

Countless similar tracks were following the pattern of "Muzik Xpress" and the build-up/big breakdown soon became a tired cliché. Even X-Press 2 tried the formula again with the great "London Xpress" but it misses this mystical quality of its predecessor that made people all around the world smile and scream on the dancefloor.

You hurt me but now your flesh lies rotting in hell.

Berlin based Die Unbekannten (The Unknown) changed their name to Shark Vegas when they had the chance to play a string of gigs supporting New Order in 1984. Between the concerts they got New Order front man Bernard Sumner to produce their first (and only) single "You hurt me" at Conny Planck Studio.


The single was released in Germany on Totenkopf Records in 1984 (label owned by funpunk band Die Toten Hosen) and two years later on legendary Factory Records, with some uncredited remixes by Bernard Sumner. The sleeves and logo was designed by Marc Farrow who began his design career with this minimalistic work.


"You hurt me" is classic underground, electro disco, somewhere between New Order, Section 25 and Cabaret Voltaire. Very much the sound of 1984, it was no surprise that its 1986 re-release almost sounded a bit dated and failed to make any impact in the UK.


Shark Vegas disbanded the same year. The single (either in its blue Totenkopf sleeve or the cut-out Factory-cover) was a well known guest in many bargain bins and is now a much sought-after artefact by Factory-completionists. Its Fac. 111.

Down and Out in Düsseldorf

"Techno" is often funny, but it´s hardly a genre which could be mistaken for having a sense of humor. One would certainly not start looking for it in German Techno!
Yet, the "in-house"-compilation "Cityspace" from infamous, Düsseldorf-based label Ata Tak managed to mix house with tongue-in-cheekiness without being blunt.

From the late 70s, Ata Atk was either cutting edge (or between the chairs) of art-punk, jazz, synth-pop, Schlager and Exotica. Run by members of Der Plan, the spirit of Ata Tak was actually exploring themes that would become hip half a generation later.

In the early 1980s the label was a hothouse for young and fresh talent. Der Plan, Andreas Dorau, Pyrolator, Holger Hiller were mixing punk with the Residents, Martin Denny and Charles Wilp and dared to sing in German!

The naive retro-futuristic paintings of Moritz Rrr made up the sleeve design and provided Ata Tak with a corporate identity that other labels would later emulate.

The equally young label Mute Records would hire Moritz Rrr to do a sleeve for Depeche Mode ("See You") which resulted in a mutual, lasting relationship with some of the artists.

Andreas Dorau would become a sort of figurehead for the "Neue Deutsche Welle", a movement that young Germans could identify with for a short time. It was modern, clever, witty , futuristic, aloof and would only last for a short time before the old lecherous group of Schlager producers jumped on the bandwagon.


When Ata Tak decided to do a house-music compilation according to their standards, they soon found out that there was not much to compile. So they made up a bunch of hilarious names, and recorded a bunch of tracks that were closer to the british sound of William Orbit´s Guerilla-label and Warp Records, than to the dire Westbam and Sven Väth.

The Music on Cityspace was mostly done by Der Plan, Andreas Dorau and Tommy Eckhart, who would much later become incredibly successful with "2Raumwohnung (2 room apartment), a duo which he formed with his partner, the legendary Inga Humpe.

The mostly made-up bands had names such as "Kitschfinger", "Boogie Mobile", "Ready Made" and "Schreibmaschin" (sic!). The latter (or the whole project?)must have been a nod to Mike Myers and his "Dieter"-character. I remember one of the few sketches I was able to see, where Dieter was presenting a fake "hitparade" with "Schreibmaschin" as a new entry. (Where are those skits on Youtube, btw?)

Musically, most of the tracks are pretty dated now. Stand outs are of course "Der Plan with an abstract robo-dada poem: "Uin Uin Moon Kona Bob Uin", and Andreas Dorau with ragga-rip-off "Das ist das wirkliche Leben".

My favourites however are two tracks which are so off base that they were actually foreshadowing two entire sub-genres by a decade: Kraftwerk cover-songs and Hiphop Mash-ups.

Tiny Sexy People: Rhymes to Kill
"Rhymes to Kill" by Tiny Sexy People uses a fantastic rap by the one and only Sparky D. (who was always a bit overshadowed by Roxanne Shante) and packs it ontop a groovy beat. A cheesy soundtrack sample (I have still not figured it out) makes this a smile inducing, timeless piece of forgotten pop.

Kernkraftwerk: Autobahn
The lol-track on Cityspace is probably the best Kraftwerk cover ever: "Autobahn" by Kernkraftwerk (!!!). I still have to giggle about the brilliant silliness of it all.
Keep in mind that this came out around the time the real Kraftwerk were destroying their legacy with the sad "Mix"-album. Now listen to "Kernkraftwerk" and compare it with the Senor Coconut versions from 2000! It´s not that far off, is it?

Sadly, I don´t have a proper scan of the brilliant sleeve (there´s an ocean inbetween). It shows the public-transport plan of Hamburg, but the stops are exchanged with global cities, placing them in their equivalent position on the globe. And yes, since 2004 I do actually live in Brasilia (green and purple line)! Next stop Buenos Aires!

Dog One

Rex The Dog is out again! According to his Myspace a new single and his first album will be out in late august on his own "Hundehaus"-label.


"The Rex the dog Show" could be the best Pet Shop Boys-album in 18 years, if he continues to produce songs like "I can see you, can you see me" and my favourite "Every Day (Could be the last day)"

Coco Steel & Lovebomb

Set Me Free!

Feel It!

Love is my Religion

I noticed two recurring elements in Austrian pop-music: A great affinity to African music and musicians who like to use their very un-international names with great success on an international market.
After Kruder, Dorfmeister and Waldek there is also Karl Moestl who produces dance music with a heavy afro-soul flavour.

I think that Supermax was the first group of Austro-Afro-Afficionados who shook up the dancefloors in the seventies with earthy rhythms and electric funk which was counter-balanced with rock-vocals and guitars. Their "Lovemachine" is a classic which still sounds great today with its incredible bass-figures and the sharp moog stabs. They were the first mixed-race band who went to tour South-Africa in the early eighties, which earned them much respect but also death threats from apartheid-scum.

Today the afro-flavour is cooked up by the talents of Sascha Weisz, who released two massive albums as Megablast and Karl Moestl

His first album "Touching This" is a fine mixture of relaxed breaks, future jazz and soul. When Dutch producers Kraak & Smaak layed their hands on the seductive "Love is my religion" they turned a subdued, relaxed song into an earthshaking disco-mantra!



The two defining elements in this mix are the trance-inducing "Ooohhs" by singer Betty S. and the stoic, two tone bassline which oozes relentlessly out of the speakers like a subliminal, hypnotic spell. Kraak & Smaak know how to make the dancers scream even before the breakdown comes in by transposing the bassline down by a half note around the 3 minute-mark.
When the breakdown finally comes, its not a relief from the mayhem but a withdrawal that leaves you craving for the bass to come back. More screams!

Make sure to listen to this on a proper stereo and not on laptop speakers because the bass is so deep at times, you wont be able to hear it at all.

Karl Moestl recently released his second album "De-Fusion". This is the great selfmade video to the clonky "Bassdrumrocker", which follows two very artistic kids running and jumping through Vienna like they know no gravity.

No Work Today!

Nuages was a side project of french producers Ludovic Navarre (St. Germain) and Didier Delasalle.
Their only output, the "Blanc Ep" is a smooth flowing string of five deep house sketches with slight Garage and Detroit influences.
"No work today" has a great, bouncing beat and this irresistible vocal sample which I love to play on Saturday mornings. It relaxes your day and anticipates the exitement of the night.

Nuages: No work today

Have a nice weekend!

Man Dog Machine

My imagined fantasy video for this Rex The Dog single would be populated by exotic carny-girls who would expertly repair some smashed Dodgem-cars on a sleazy fairground.
Don´t ask!

Rex The Dog: Every Day (Could Be Our Last)


Anyway, "Every Day (Could be our last day)" was released in 2006 and it fitted nicely into the Kitsune/Kompakt sound. Even if it boasts another, relatively simple octave-sawtooth bass - something I really don´t need anymore, but that must be only me -, it is Rex´s most poppy and catchy track. Hidden away as the last on the 3-track EP "Maximize", I always thought it should have received more attention.

I really dig the cut-up vocals which bear more than one resemblance to Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) and the pseudo-ethereal "Ahhhhs" which actually make up the whole chorus are super-fine.
The sound has the right amount of sleazy, glittery aparkle thrown all over it and I can listen to it on endless repeat.

Play this to a Pet Shop Boys fan and tell them it was one of their lost, unreleased songs. See what happens...

Bass-O-Matic: The Orbit has landed

Do you remember when Sould II Soul ruled the airwaves with the fat open hi-hat at the end of each pattern?
Suddenly that beat was everywhere and lots of similar songs featured the lavish, slow club-groove.


One of my favourites from this era is William Orbit´s studio project Bass-O-Matic.

"Fascinating Rhythm" shares more than a few characteristics of the Soul II Soul sound. But thanks to Orbit´s unmatched production skills this halftempo groover suddenly morphs from sample heavy electro soul to a ragga flavoured 2-Step, complete with toast before it ends in a jazzy, blissed out crescendo.
All this is flawlessly packaged within a four minute, radio friendly pop-single with gorgeous vocals by Sharon Musgrave.

"History is written everytime we move. Fascinating Rhythm locked me on the groove."

"Now listen here, Baby!"

Bass-O-Matic: Fascinating Rhythm (The Loud Edit)

Of course Orbit was no copycat! As a savvy musician and a genious manipulator of recording technology I still consider him as one of the best producers of the last three decades.
I can´t always cope with his taste (e.g. the horrible "Pieces in a modern style) but especially his work as Bass-O-Matic on the "Set the control for the heart of the bass"-album and some of his remixes for S´Express (Hey Music Lover), Prince (Batdance) and Kraftwerk (Radioactivity) still stand the test of time as technical superior productions.

on the 12" Orbit took the Fascinating Rhythm-jam further with two more mixes. Both versions are imaginative excursions on the basic song. But he keeps the form tight, with a firm ear for structure and an eye to the floor and the bar.

Bass-O-Matic: Fascinating Rhythm (Soul Odyssey Mix)


With the "Blue Mix" the beat is very subdued and seductive voices are slowing us down. The direction is now horizonatal.

Bass-O-Matic: Fascinating Rhythm (The Blue Mix)


I love it when even remixes tell a consistant story! This nearly beatless version of the album opener "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Bass" is a spaced out, dreamy tranquilizer. "Trance" was not yet what it was about to become, but Orbit would later produce some very bland stuff.

Bass-O-Matic: Set the Controls for the Heart of the Bass (Va Va Voom Mix)


Sadly the album "Set the controls..." and the follow up "Science and Melody" failed to make the impact they deserved. When Orbit produced Madonna´s "Ray of Light" album seven years later, he could finally cash in on his creative studio trickery he had developed since he played with Torch Song in the mid-eighties. Once again Madonna could claim to be hip and up-to-date and the lazy media would once more bore us with the obligatory "she has re-invented herself again!"
But if you listen to both Bass-O-Matic albums, you´ll hear that the template was already tried and tested.

Until 1993 Orbit would run his Guerilla Label which produced some great and obscure "progressive house". I will post more on this later.

Until then make sure to visit William Orbit.com and play around with his Orbit Mixer.