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.

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.

Record Store Club Thursday: LP3

This week’s Record Club entry was taken from Eleven’s Private Stock.

This week, we threw on our copy of Ratatat’s LP3, which is always a good call.

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This entry was written by Eleven Magazine, posted on August 5, 2010 at 1:18 pm, filed under Vinyl and tagged , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Record Club Thursday: The Shadows of Knight

 
This week’s Record Club entry was mailed to us (figuratively) by Phono-Mode

“Finish reading these liner notes, or you’ll be cursed.  You have in your hands a collectors item—the first album of The Shadows of Knight.  One day you may want to bronze it, put it in a time capsule or give it to your heirs.  Right now you’ll begin to lose part of your  mind if you play it.”

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This entry was written by Julia Trabulsi, posted on July 7, 2010 at 6:43 pm, filed under Vinyl and tagged , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Record Store Day: 4/17

Record Store Day is here again!  Get set for a monster afternoon and evening of music of the live, vinyl, and compact disc varieties (among many, many others).  Here’s an up-to-date schedule of events for three of St. Louis’ biggest & baddest record stores:

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This entry was written by Josh Petersel, posted on April 15, 2010 at 6:39 pm, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Photos: Titus Andronicus @ Vintage Vinyl, 3/14/2010

Photo by Louis Kwok. More on Flickr

This entry was written by Eleven Magazine, posted on March 17, 2010 at 5:00 pm, filed under Live and tagged , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.