Prologue: A Review

 

Prologue, the seminal release by St. Louis’ newest imprint, FarFetched Records, brings new sensibilities to old material as the collective makes its bid to usher in the future sound of St. Louis. Bringing together 18 tracks, the release spans considerable ground, ranging from neo-soul to ambient hip-hop and everything in between while avoiding the feel of a hodgepodge. Dedication to pushing familiar sonic boundaries animates nearly every song on the album and ultimately ties the disparate productions together into a cohesive offering. That is not to say, however, that the album breaks cleanly or completely with the past; in a city where musical traditions run deep and are practiced fiercely, Prologue delivers exactly that – the glimpse of a new beginning.

Looking now at some standout tracks, Loose Screwz and Helen Marie go full robot on their respective cuts “Bloom of the Android” and “He Say She Say.” Where the former effortlessly blends trip-hop rhythms, French house filters and a thick, early 80’s low end, the latter delivers a smooth, almost grime-y futuristic R&B burner. On the hip-hop/rap tip, Air Haze and Whiteout twist and wind verses around minimal, eclectic beats with “Artsy Fartsy” and “Stay At Home Daddy” while Midwest veterans Scrub disregard such subtleties on their throwback banger “Double Trouble.”

With one foot in the past and one in the future, Prologue establishes FarFetched as a formidable brain trust of forward thinking artists, who this writer sincerely hopes push past this release and thrust St. Louis into a brave, new sonic future.

 

Hear the album here, and catch the Prologue‘s free release party tonight at 2720 Cherokee.

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on January 20, 2012 at 4:42 pm, filed under New Music, Review and tagged , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

ReWrite #7/8/9: The Lost Tracks

Sorry for the hiatus there, noble Eleven readers, but have no fear, I’m back to hit you with a triple pack of hot wax from The Record Exchange and Vintage Vinyl.

First up, a timeless dance floor groove from Gary’s Gang, “Keep On Dancin’.”  While the first half this 1978 track may have moments that boarder on cheese, the whistles, raw toms and top to bottom synths keep it stylish after the breakdown (cocaine may or may not authenticate experience).

 

This next track, “Dancin at the Disco,” by Lax from 1979 on legendary disco label Prelude turns up the energy.  Switching back and forth from smooth and dreamy to punchy and bright, Lax hooks you in with a huge, driving sound full of brass, synths, percussion and feverish vocals.

 

Jumping ahead about 10 years to a release from iconic Chicago house label Trax, artists Marshall Jefferson, Curtis McClaine and Rudyard Forbes deliver a pounding, deep track in “Let’s Get Busy,” and we’ll be taking a look at the dub mix.  Featuring a dark four on the floor filled in with machine gun claps and snares, as well as a rubber band bass line that pushes and pulls your body along, the trio bring soul and house into one raw, heart-stopping groove.

 

 

 

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on November 3, 2011 at 6:18 pm, filed under The ReWrite and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Preview: Navigator

After charming Eleven staffers with their EP Anatomy of a Sleeping Man, STL City newbies, Navigator, are opening a show at The Firebird.
Who: Navigator
What: ….are opening for Drowning Men and American Heavy Metal.
Where: The Firebird
When: Tuesday, November 8th. Doors 8PM/ Show 8:30PM.
Why: Because they’re local, they’re lovely, it’s a Tuesday and it’s FREE.  Unless you’re a damn dirty minor.  Then it’s $3.

What you’ll hear: Bad Case of the Visions by Navigator

 

If you can dig it, check out their new LP, Bad Case of the Visions.

This entry was written by Blair Stiles, posted on at 4:08 pm, filed under Live, News, Upcoming and tagged , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The ReWrite #6: Booty Banger

It’s “Mary had a Little Lamb” meets The Soulsonic Force meeets 2Live Crew on the cold 1988 miami bass/electro track, “Do the Alph (dub)” from Florida duo Bass Patrol.  Who knows what the alph looks like? Who cares, because icy cowbells, frantic claps and crunchy zaps will keep your booty bouncing in a seemingly bottomless sea of rolling thunder bass.  This track begs for an over-sized low end system, preferably in the trunk of your ride (installed with or without the aid of Mad Mike.)

While not obviously related to either disco or house, this track provides an excellent example of how Electro-funk from the early 1980′s, much like the Indeep track I posted last time, would influence the development of dance-oriented hip-hop styles later in the decade. Check out the 12″ singles section of the Record Exchange on South Hampton for a bunch of early hip-hip and electro discs. You might be there digging for a while, but at $2 a pop, you’ll be sure to leave with a nice stack of wax.

Now crank this motherf***.

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on September 22, 2011 at 3:47 pm, filed under The ReWrite, Vinyl and tagged , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The ReWrite #5: Indeep Shit

After getting knee deep and quite dirty in the rather daunting 12″ section at The Record Exchange, I came up with this power-poppy, post-disco cut from Indeep called “The Record Keeps Spinning.”  Mixing early hip-hop lyrical structures with disco and electro sounds and rhythms, this track plays like a mash-up of early 1980′s dance music, while thankfully avoiding the associated cliches (except for that unfortunate sax break, cut that shit out and it’s nearly perfect.)  The real money section of this track comes about a minute in, when the sparse instrumental fills out with a rolling, robot dance-worthy synth that brings up the intensity by paralleling the double time tempo in the already electric vocals.  Thanks to the magic of pitch adjust, I’ve satisfied the speed demon inside me and brought this track’s speed up a good deal (10%), so be sure to check out the original version and see which one you like better.

Also, let’s see what kinda vinyl nuggets (of any genre) you guys have been digging up around town recently.  Post links, locations, or your best tips on crate spelunking in the Lou.

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on September 1, 2011 at 6:26 pm, filed under The ReWrite and tagged , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The ReWrite #4: Shine On

Working my way through the “Soul” section once again at hometown staple, Vintage Vinyl, I unexpectedly stumbled across this cosmic/tribal (I know, it sounds like these descriptors should be antagonistic, but trust me, it works oh so well) disco track by Instant Funk, “Bodyshine” mixed by Tee Scott. The first few bars lay down a crisp, dark groove, accented with sizzling a 4×4 hi-hat laid over a syrupy, popping bassline. Seeing as this single comes from the album Witch Doctor, one could imagine an entranced tribe moving in synch as the rhythm pounds and percolates through the night air. Then, as if taking a quantum leap towards the stars, the earthbound sounds are set ablaze with an incendiary synth that reaches higher and deeper than humanly possible. Now, enter the chant chorus, and the tribal/comsic marriage is complete. Rich in textures, flowing seamlessly from full arrangements to sparse breakdowns makes this track a compelling one that will surely keep your bodies shining through even the darkest hours of night.

In the case of this track, the mixer, Tee (Toraino) Scott, stands as almost more historically important than the artist. As the resident DJ at the legendary NYC club Better Days, he was responsible for not only popularizing the sounds and aesthetics of modern dance music, but also developing and crafting the role and techniques of the modern DJ. Without icons like Tee Scott, Larry Levan, Frankie Knucles, etc., there would be no 2720, no Upstairs Lounge, no Urban Lounge, no nightlife as we understand it. This piece of vinyl and its creator represent the birth of a culture, whose influence can be seen and felt on any given night of the week, yet garners little respect in most music circles today. Ok, that feels like enough history lecturing for now. Time to shine.

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on August 20, 2011 at 3:59 pm, filed under The ReWrite and tagged , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The ReWrite #3: Orchestral Nastiness

In this week’s ReWrite, we’re hitting up a St. Louis institution for some classic 1970s American disco-funk. After a fruitful day of digging through the vast crates at Vintage Vinyl, I came up with “Nice n Nasty,” a swagged out and laid back 1976 cut from the Salsoul Orchestra. Opening up with a minimal, but nonetheless driving drum rhythm, then quickly layering up with bass and horn lines fit for the swankiest of pimp struts, this track wastes no time getting you on your feet. After establishing control over your body, dreamy and seductive strings and vocals let your mind drift into unspoken realms of nastiness, dripping with sexual overtones that bar nothing and encourage everything. Good for a party starter or a late night jam, this track offers something for everybody. Be sure to stick around through the sax solo for a breakdown that will stop hearts and make the floor shake. With production by Vincent Montana Jr., who worked with sensational acts such as the O’Jays, First Choice, The Delphonics and the Jackson 5, “Nice n Nasty” delivers a raw, yet full sound guaranteed to get your party patrons nasty on the floor.

The Salsoul Orchestra was the backing group for the iconic 1970′s disco/funk/latin label Salsoul Records and included many players from MFSB, who comprised the house band for the Philadelphia International Records label and were instrumental in creating the “Philly sound” that dominated the early part of the decade and the hi-hat driven sound of the latter part. Also associated with Salsoul Records was visionary (read: fucking insanely talented) producer Tom Moulton, credited with developing not only the 12″ single format, but also the “breakdown section” of a song and…….and the remix. Think to yourself, where would dance music, let alone the music industry as a whole, be without remixes?

 

 

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on August 4, 2011 at 11:42 pm, filed under The ReWrite, Vinyl and tagged , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The ReWrite #2: Get Down

For this next installment, we’ll stick with another artist on the opposite side of the Atlantic, this time featuring Dutch euro-disco/electro trio Digital Emotion’s 1983 hit “Get Up Action.”  While flipping through the “electronic/dance/singles” section a few weeks ago at Apop Records, I happened upon this great single that I’d only been able to track down in mp3 form for quite some time.  It’s the perfect combination of playful, glittery synths and mindless, vocoded cosmic disco fantasies laid over an equally serious bass line and monster snare.  Employing almost exclusively synthesized sounds (and even those that are not – the vocals and guitar – have been digitized quite heavily) and prominent space themes, this tune falls under the header “italo disco,” which derives it name from Italy, where revolutionary producer Georgio Moroder first began producing futuristic, synthesizer-based songs, but also draws influence from electro-pop groups, like Kraftwerk, and some American producers of the early 1980′s.  This shift away from organic, human based sounds towards programmed drum machines and synthesizers marks an incredibly important tuning point in the history of music, because groups like Digital Emotion paved the way for essentially anything not guitar based.  Once the chipset became as powerful as the set of strings, the seemingly endless proliferation of electronic music became inevitable.  From the seminal branches of house and techno to the newest indie, synth-pop group-of-the-week, all find their roots, one way or another, in these uncannily dancable, non-sensical journeys through the electronic circuits of a continental’s keyboard.  So, without further ado, let’s get down.

On a side note, to understand the vast differential between the popularity of these songs in Europe and the USSR compared to the United States, we can take a look at the former’s version of Tom and Jerry, Nu Pogodi, specifically episode 14, where three Digital Emotion track feature on the soundtrack.  I wish the cartoons of my youth had prepared me half as well to live in the future.

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on July 30, 2011 at 1:00 pm, filed under The ReWrite, Vinyl and tagged , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The ReWrite #1: Let’s Get Real

Let’s congratulate ourselves for a moment people, one thing St. Louis does really really well is rock; this city oozes rock n’ roll swag.  Kids from the sprawling outer counties all the way in to the burgeoning South City scene can get their fill of local and touring guitar heroes almost any night of the week in the numerous hallowed halls that constitute St. Louis’ musical ecosystem.  Surely the pride in our six stringed swooners should not bring us any shame, but in order to cultivate well rounded musical scenes and tastes, there needs to be a counter-balance.  Yes, what I’m suggesting is that perhaps because of our fiercely entrenched affinity for rock, we may fail to consider the important contributions and fun of *gasp* dance music.

A trip to any of St. Louis’ many record stores – a keystone in any local music ecosystem – should make this imbalance fairly obvious, where dance and electronic music face either relegation to miniscule bins or wholesale neglect (save, perhaps, Apop, whose albeit small section is excused by a killer selection -  be prepared to pay though).  The bitter irony of this reality lies in the fact that the history of dance music is literally embedded in the 12” single, which, I should mention, would not even exist without the demands of club DJ’s from the 1970s.

So, what I’m going to do with this space is provide a weekly foray into the murky realms of dance music to clear the names of disco and house, and show that dance music need not only refer to the overly energetic, neon pacifier munching crowd that more often than not becomes the stereotypical face of the club scene.  By digging deep in the crates of our local record purveyors i’ll excavate and post tracks that will keep the bodies at your weekend blowouts moving, while also shedding light on how these tracks fit into a larger musical narrative.

For the first installation of this series I’m calling “The Rewrite,” I present you with a stone cold dance floor classic: the instrumental version of John Rocca’s 1984 cut “I Want it to be Real” on Streetwise Records.

This song represents an important transition period in dance music.  In the late 1970’s the proportion of quality of disco music quickly declined as the market was flooded with cheap and chintzy imitation tracks made in a feverish attempt to capitalize on the mainstream acceptance of disco following the success of “Saturday Night Fever.”  Subsequently, this engendered a deep and steadfast disgust for the genre in the mind and hearts of white, middle-class rock fans, who felt disco privileged an inauthentic sense of masculinity (read: homosexual).  The combination of an over-saturated market with a dedicated anti-disco movement (see the 1979 Disco Demolition at Cominsky Park) led to the fall of disco after 1979.  With a lack of new material, many DJs turned to instrumental and dub cuts to push a new, more minimal sound that stayed true to the rhythmic roots of disco but with a significantly pared down sound.  Dubs and instrumentals like Rocca’s “I Want it to be Real” provided the templates and sounds that would soon give birth to House music, disco’s dark revenge.

Positioned at an integral crossroads in the history of dance music, this track simultaneously looks to the past and the future, giving it an undeniable sound and dancabilty that combines the synths that would come to dominate dance music with the raw, tribalistic roots that motivated a decade of disco dancers.

I dug up this classic at The Record Exchange on South Hampton.

Enjoy.

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on July 22, 2011 at 12:53 pm, filed under The ReWrite, Vinyl and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

New Video: ‘Magic Love’ by Née

Here’s a brand spankin’ new video from St. Louis’ own Née. Frontwoman Kristin Dennis shares:

We shot it without a crew or any budget (although I guess I did spend $20 on sequins at Hobby Lobby). David hit the lights, Lex hit the boombox and the stage light, and Mic pressed record on my camera. We practiced for several days for several hours at a time choreographing and learning the moves. We even watched some Junior High dance competitions on the youtubes. Those were probably our main source of inspiration. That and Robyn’s song “Call Your Girlfriend” which we listened to multiple times at every practice to get amped up.

The 3-day weekend’s over, so get amped up for work yourself with this video, and other tunes from Née’s ‘The Hands of Thieves’ EP at http://neemusic.bandcamp.com/releases.

Magic Love by Née (Official Video) from Kristin Dennis on Vimeo.

Directed by Kristin Dennis
Shot at Off Broadway 6/27/11
Choreography by Kristin Dennis, Kimber Hall and Lauren Keefer
Cast: David Beeman, Michael Boshans, Kristin Dennis Kimber Hall, Lex Herbert, Lauren Keefer
Budget: $20
Crew Members: See Cast Members

This entry was written by Tara, posted on July 5, 2011 at 10:02 am, filed under Video and tagged , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.