Simply Bubblicious!

"Bubblicious" was the surprise hit on Rex The Dog´s long awaited debut album from last year. Sampling Alison Moyet/Yazoo is probably not the most original thing anymore, but the way Rex integrates that special part from the mellow "Midnight" into a slamming electro tune is simply infectious!

The video is another one of those clever, no-budget, stop-motion cardboard things that has become a trend (out of necessity) in our viral, youtube-era. It is cute, has a mini-mirrorball and a puking paper-dog (must have been all that glue). What more could you ask for?!

08 From 08

Most new and interesting records which were heard at StellaVista Towers during 2008 have their own blog-post here. So, in no particular order, a recap of the tracks and albums that entertained me this year. The links lead to an earlier blog entry which either contains one or two streams or a Youtube-link.


Club 8: With "The Boy who couldn´t stop dreaming", Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård made one of their most restrained and breezy albums. Sun-drenched, fragile, Swedish summer-pop that is almost disappearing into thin air. I actually preferred the earlier "Strangely Beautiful" which was also re-released this year.


Morgan Geist: "Double Night Time" is Geist´s first album after his debut "The Driving Memoirs" from 1997. The whole album is great, but it´s the opener "Detroit" which really stands out for me.









Cut Copy: The first half of "In Ghost Colours" is a superb succession of hit after hit. Especially the album track "Out there on thin ice" with it´s crowd noise and euphoric lines "If that´s what it takes - don´t let it tear us apart - even if it breaks our hearts" is amazing.
The fact that I can still enjoy listening to "Hearts on fire" - after all the hype and the inevitable re-release of Guru Josh´s "Infinity" (which was definitely spawned by the success of Cut Copy) shows that CC really know how to assemble their citation-pop.


Private In fact "My Secret Lover" was already released in 2007, but this stand-out single "We got some breaking up to do" came out this year along with a remix/dub album. Private are from Denmark and have produced the most shamelessly 80s rip-off album in a genre that has many similar artists. If you are not entertained by Private you should leave this site now!


Rex The Dog "The Rex The Dog Show" is part debut album, part compilation of own and commissioned remixes. It is surprisingly nice, despite featuring a mix of the drab The Knife.
The single "Bubblicious" features the best Yazoo/Alison Moyet sample ever. It is certainly no surprise that this appeared along with the Yazoo re-union concerts.


DJ Cole Medina vs Bee Gees "Love you inside out (Pinches Mix)". This blissed out re-edit of the Bee Gees track (from "Spirits Having Flown) was listened to endlessly on my car-trip to Vancouver. Pure magic!




AxUs "Love your Brother (Abacus Rethink Dub)" marked the return of Austin Bascom. With this deep as shit production he proved that he was and is one of the most prolific deep-house producers around.






Ladytron "Velocifero" did still not bring them the desired mass appeal they so crave for.
Still, on the borderline of electro-rock Ladytron are still the best thing around. I always fall for their airport-announcer-vocals. Someone recently said they sound like Nico fronting the Marc Bolan Band. Spot on!

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)"

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...