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The first single from their upcoming full lenght, due out this fall on Manimal Vinyl Records. Stream the new track below. Perhaps their finest so far. Really looking forward to the LP.

SOUNDS LIKE
"Bizarre and blistering afro-pop crossbred with preciseand chilly new wave, WEAVE!'s debut breathes new life into the sound of groups like ESG, The Slits, The Mo-Dettes, Kleenex, The Raincoats, and Delta 5." Something like that, yes.

Photophob
Northcape
Luxury Stranger
Ulrich Schnauss
Tim Hecker
M83
Jon Hopkins
Camera Obscura
Minilogue
Midnight Juggernauts 07/05/09
Empire of the Sun 07/05/09
Florence and The Machine 07/05/09
The Hope Blister 09/05/09
As the Poets Affirm 11/05/09
Quadrant/Basic Channel 10/07/09
Fever Ray 03/08/09
Nathan Fake 05/08/09
ESG 08/08/09
THEreminGIRL 09/08/09
The xx 24/08/09
Blue Roses 24/08/09
The Tallest Man on Earth 08/11/09
Serge Gainsbourg 10/11/09
The Big Pink 16/11/09

thisisthenewthing.blogspot.com

Offset Festival: Exp. Circ. Tent

The epicentre of the more interesting side of the weekend was the Experimental Circle Club stage. Erroneously but somewhat appropriately named ‘The Experimental Circus’ by one particular member of Offset staff, the tent provided high-quality sounds throughout the festival: the diversity of the music on offer was clear from a glance at the line-up, which progressed from the crazed electronoise of Cementimental opening the Saturday afternoon to a refined but joyful psychedelic set from Ipso Facto on Sunday evening.

The first song-based act to take the ECC stage was An Experiment on a Bird Pump, who drew a fair crowd thanks to growing media attention (as well as the backing of The Horrors’ Faris Badwan). Despite delays which lasted throughout the weekend putting their set back by an hour, the Birds didn’t disappoint, and their soulful vocals and grunge instrumentation provided a good warmup for what is still to come. They’re by no means a band given to vulgar displays of power and speed, but a taut energy ran through their set and their restrained pace and musical minimalism perfectly suited their afternoon slot.

They were followed almost immediately by I Am the Arm, reduced to a three-piece after the recent departure of bassist Kane Martindale and who give performance of great intensity but one which showed the strain of the reduction. It’s particularly clear when vocalist Cyan Assiter-Clark is forced to switch from bass to guitar, and then to synthesiser, in the space of only three or four songs that, having only recently replaced their drummer, the Arm clearly need a new bassist as well. But they’re still making strides in songwriting and technical competence and the future looks bright, particularly with rumours of a release with DiscError floating about. Only time will tell.

Although ddd were set to follow, Paul Simmons (the guitarist for Ulterior, making a guest appearance in place of the absent John Kontos) had left his guitar pedals in Hackney and, rather than accept the alternatives offered, had gone to fetch them and left a hole in the programme which was filled by futurism vs. passeism. Unfortunately, the phrase ‘plagued by technical problems’ has never been more appropriate: with the drum pads and microphone both playing up and the band becoming visibly frustrated, relief was sought in the New Bands tent as they struggled through their set. The technical failures would have been disappointing to any band at any time, and must be a constant danger for Futurism’s extensive electronics, but for a group playing a return show with new members and material they proved doubly crushing. Hopefully a future demonstration of the band’s developments hasn’t been ruled out.

ddd, arriving on stage a short while later after Simmons’ return, proved a blistering contrast to Fvs.P’s mystical electronic meltdown. A sharp and noisy sound attack is always guaranteed with Darryl Woollaston’s project, but Simmons’ contributions lent it, if possible, even more anger - his frantic slashing at the high end of the guitar strings were a perfect background to Woollaston’s robotically rhythmic guitar and vocals. A triumphant collaboration.

After a weird and not entirely wonderful set from No Bra, whose cult appeal I fail to understand, there was a noticeable crowding of the tent in anticipation of a performance from S.C.U.M, the band of the moment. The group arrived from an earlier performance in Norwich only shortly before taking the stage, and there had been some ill-feeling over their requests for a later slot (which were not entirely unjustified when the rest of the day’s bill was considered). Although slightly robbed of their atmosphere by being performed in full daylight, Thomas Cohen’s echoing vocals and the group’s tribal drums and menacing synth lines fetched a fair response from a crowd whose lack of movement apparently belied their appreciation, based on the positive words that could be heard in the tent after Rauridh Connellan had destroyed his drum kit and lurched over the front barrier before disappearing behind the stage. Cohen is developing into an iconic Nick Cave-style frontman, and their forthcoming single Visions Arise should cement S.C.U.M’s status as the Next Big Thing; whether they can sustain the bubble is a matter for the future, and at the moment they are a band living very much in the present.

Night had fallen by the time Factory Floor took the stage, and an audience which grew steadily throughout their set showed that their artistic draw is a great deal more powerful than their media presence. Latest single Bipolar has been absent from their live performances almost since its release, and most of their set consisted of new material, although [track artist=Francis Francis[/track] (their next release) got an enthusiastic reception with its screaming guitar line. Factory Floor are moving away from their obvious influences into territory which is entirely their own, and although they aren’t a band that court the spotlight, they must sooner or later be thrust inevitably into it.

Of all the lineup changes in evidence on Saturday, perhaps the most drastic was from Micron 63, who have doubled in size in the past few months to a live four-piece. Their place on the bill was a little unusual for a group who have received little media attention and who are yet to release their first single. A more obvious move would have been to give a popular group with more stage presence such as Ulterior this peak slot, and to move Micron 63 to later in the night when their pounding bass synth and flickering vocals could have made for an excellent dance set. They were a little lost on an early crowd who are still gearing up for the night, but still put in a decent show which pointed to a great deal of potential.

When Ulterior did take the stage it was towards midnight and most of those who weren’t camping had left. Their performance closed the night acrimoniously with heckling from the back of the tent, and a tense set showed the growing influence of stadium rock on the group: they seem to be taking their love of Manic Street Preachers to new extremes with a more tuneful sound.

Two thirds of An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump returned to the stage early on Sunday afternoon to open the day again, this time in their guise of Eve Black/Eve White. As with their other group, the duo can’t be described as an exciting live act in the traditional sense, but their deep vocal stylings and haunting electronics sent a shiver down the spine and once again spread an instant atmosphere around the tent, not least with a superb cover of Otis Blackwell’s [track artist=Otis Blackwell]Fever[/track].

The next act, Maria and the Mirrors, had more in common than An Experiment... than the Eves, with their drums and bass guitar set-up, but also shared a distinctive hypnotising tribal wail with Effi Briest. As far as the two ladies literally mirroring each other on the drums and pumping out these soulful evocations went, they were a fascinating live act, with elements of New York punk-funk groups ESG and Liquid Liquid; but the fly in the ointment was their bassist, who lurked at the back of the stage between the two. The framing effect and the drums and costumes made the whole performance look a bit like a pagan sacrifice, and the imposing central figure exerted an extreme influence, jabbering horribly into the microphone and actually halting the drummers with his hand several times. The distorted bass gave the sound a thrilling edge in contrast to the drums and chanting, but the overall impression was simply one of ego. If that’s reined in, though, Maria and the Mirrors will prove a promising addition to the shriekbeat canon.

Occupying the next slot were O Children. The stage was an intriguing sight before they came on with its central microphone at least a foot higher than its partners on either side, but when the four-piece arrived they got straight down to a riveting set of no-nonsense post-punk. The immense stage presence of vocalist Tobias O'Kandi seemed to lend the whole band a sense of unity, and they tore through a brief set of songs ranging from creepily downbeat ([track artist=O Children]Ace Breasts[/track] and [track artist=O Children]Dead Disco Dancer[/track]) to creepily triumphant ([track artist=O Children]Radio Waves[/track]). Their obsessive lyrics tie the disparate sounds together, and a set of melodies which are both substantial and instantly memorable make O Children an excellent package, and one which is sure to garner more attention. Listen now.

the ruling class swagger onto the stage and launch into their psychedelic Madchester sound as though they’re playing Brixton Academy. While the music they play is by no means original, it’s both unusual in modern indie rock, and possessed of an enticing vibrancy. Jonathan Sutcliffe on vocals bears a slight and highly appropriate resemblance to Ian Brown, and the riffs and harmonies on [track artist=The Ruling Class]Flowers[/track] and [track artist=The Ruling Class]Umbrella Folds[/track] scream '[track artist=The Stone Roses]Waterfall[/track]!', but it’s difficult to criticise the energy the five-piece show, and far easier just to sit back and enjoy Tomas Kubowicz’s intricate guitar lines and Alfie Tammaro’s baggy backbeat. A couple of high-profile support slots in the near future should establish this band as firm ‘ones to watch’, and it seems likely that they’ll get the popular status that they so clearly crave. Whether their current material will hold up to radio scrutiny is a separate matter, although with more tunes up their sleeves it shouldn't prove a serious obstacle.

Having dropped vocalist Thomas Warmerdam only three weeks before their Offset performance, Electricity In Our Homes have become a jerky power trio with all three remaining members contributing vocals. These weren’t perhaps as strong as they could have been, and Warmerdam’s distinctive voice is still missed, but promising touches on a set of all-new material including an excellent cover of The Beach Boys’ [track artist=The Beach Boys]Little Honda[/track] show a development already underway. This was after all their first gig as a three-piece, and in time the new format should offer more freedom to experiment for one of London’s most innovative bands.

As ever, The Violets gave a performance which was technically flawless and delivered with extreme competence: Alexis Mary is a perfect frontwoman, slinking across the stage to deliver everything from a croon to a shriek and even improvising to fill in for a missing melodica, and Joe Daniel’s guitar work gathers unsettling flickering and storms of noise in one masterful stroke, almost making the band’s rhythm section obsolete of his own accord (though they too are highly professional). There is something about them, though, which is slightly unsatisfying; I would say they lacked soul were it not for the emotional depths of their songs, but it' probably just that they’re too polished and competent, especially when following the DIY charms of Electricity In Our Homes. Their set is highly enjoyable and very energetic, but slips past quickly without leaving much lasting impact. That’s hardly a complaint however, and I would hate to give the impression that they aren’t a great live band. See and enjoy them; they play rarely enough.

They’re followed by a much-anticipated set by Neils Children, who have been working in seclusion on their LP X.Enc. for the past few months. Some album tracks surface, including the revived [track artist=Neils Children]Communiqué[/track] and [track artist=Neils Children]Sometimes It’s Hard To Let Go[/track], and recent single [track artist=Neils Children]Reflective/Surface[/track] gets an enthusiastic reception, but more surprising is the presence in the set of older songs such as [track artist=Neils Children]Stand Up[/track] and the closing attack of ancient-but-great single [track artist=Neils Children]Come Down[/track]. Could it be that John Linger, ever the progressive, is finally embracing his band’s past? An interesting diversion is provided by the SKIPTheatre company, who perform a piece of Public Image Ltd.-soundtracked physical theatre before Neils Children take the stage, as well as skipping with hoops and scattering black feathers during [track artist=Neils Children]An Exchange[/track] in an echo of the collaboration on the band’s latest video for [track artist=Neils Children]I’m Ill[/track].

The final performance of the evening, aside from a slightly dubiously-placed late set from Prinzhorn Dance School, were Ipso Facto, who proved the persistence of their current rise by filling the tent for the first time. The band have taken leaps and bounds since their early concerts, and their skill as musicians is now beyond question; Victoria Smith in particular has turned into a sharp and skilful drummer. Theirs isn’t exactly music to fight to, but they certainly created an eerily beautiful atmosphere in the packed tent with their sombre and serene psychedelia, before finishing with a triumphant new song in - controversially - a major key, which spread the smile from their faces throughout the audience. As happy, bob-haired aficionadoes spilled grinning out of the tent, it was obvious that Ipso Facto had taken another step on their ascendant road, and provided the perfect way to close the Experimental Circle Club tent for the weekend.

Matmos "Supreme Balloon" (LP)

Ratatat "LP3" (Beggars Group) LP

Cut Copy "Future" Chromeo Remix

The Heliocentrics "Distant Star" Percee P & MF Doom Remix (Stones Throw)

Hardkandy "Second To None" (LP)

BROWNOUT "Homenaje" (LP)

Flow Dynamics "Flow Dynamics" (LP)

Jaymz Nylon "To Be In Love" Daz-I-kue Remix (EP)

Ladybug Mecca "Dogg Starr" (EP)

Young MC "Bust A Move" Diplo Remix

Born Ruffians "Red, Yellow, And Blue" (LP)

These New Puritans "Beat Pyramid" (LP)

Edan "Torcher Chamber" Cut Chemist Remix

Restless Soul "Turn Me Out" (Raw Fusion)

Spoon "Don't You Evah" Ted Leo Remix (EP)

ESG "Insane" (Tambourine Mix) (Soul Jazz Records)

The Kills "Midnight Boom" (LP)

Portishead "Third" (LP)

1. Psyche - Haunted
2. Egyptian Lover - Freak-a-holic (12" Dub Mix)
3. Joakim - Teenage Kiss
4. Matmos - Polychords
5. Diana Ross - Upside Down (Original CHIC Mix)
6. Afrika Bambaataa - Planet Rock
7. Santogold - L.E.S Artistes
8. ESG - My Street
9. Professor Genius - Orange Coco
10. Rex the Dog - Circulate - JBAG Edit
11. Freestyle - The Party's Just Begun
12. Pluramon - Turn In
13. Fuck Buttons - Bright Tomorrow
14. Crystal Castles - Good Time
15. Crystal Castles - Black Panther
16. AUX 88 - Tom Tom Beats
17. Sally Shapiro - Time To Let Go (Lindstrom Remix)

Originally posted on 'T Nieuwe Werck. Here's what they said about it
"It's been a while since the last mix of Deksel. But what a mix he put together this time! 'Les Filles Electriques'! Only the best electronic party music made by woman! Warm vocals & cold synthesizers! Set if off, chicks! Booyaa!"

Tracklist:
Celeste - Bienvenue
Kissey Asplund - Atomic Light And Sound
M.I.A. - Paper Planes
Peaches - Tent In Your Pants
Air - All I Need
Chicks on Speed - Warm Leatherette
2raumwohnung - Du Bewegts Dich Richtig
New Young Pony Club - Hiding On The Staircases
Blue Foundation - As I Moved On (Trentemøller Remix)
Uffie - Pop The Glock (SebastiAn Remix)
Kylie Minoque - Slow
Regina - Minua Ollaan Vastasaa (TigerBaby Remix)
Yelle - Jogging
Vive la Fête - Assez
Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes (XXXchange Remix)
Phonique Feat. Liora - Teenage Love
Ladytron - Playgirl
Uffie - Hot Chick
Feist - My Man My Moon (Boys Noize Classic Remix)
Róisín Murphy - You Know Me Better
2raumwohnung - Eins Zwei Drei Tschiu
ESG - Moody (Spaced Out)
M.I.A. - Boyz (The Twelves Remix)
Out Hud - One Live To Leave
The Knife - Like A Pen
Moloko - Forever More
Sugababes - Round Round (Soulwax Remix)
M.I.A. - Bamboo Banger
Charlie - Spacer Woman
Jahcoozi - Bln
Peaches - Set It Off
Groove Armada - Song 4 Mutya (Kissy Sellout Mix)
Shinedoe As Innersphere - Phunk
Juliet - Avalon (Jacques Lu Cont Mix)
Lisa Lisa - I Wonder (Iggybaby Edit)
Asobi Seksu - Thursday (The Twelves Remix)
Sally Shapiro - Find My Soul (Norwegian Electro Jazz Mix)

When I first moved to NY I had the pleasure of making fast friends with Gerald who works at Other Music in Manhattan. Upon moving here I was at a point with a lot of music I was into that I really needed to give my ears some new sounds. I would walk into Other Music regularly and just ask Gerald to suggest things he thought I'd like based on moods I'd give him and other things I was getting into. Aside from really amazing and beautiful things such as Os Mutantes and Arthur Russell he told me that I needed to get a compilation called New York Noise, a compilation of "Dance Music from the New York Underground 1978-1982". It's filled with great, really fucking great, music by bands like Liquid Liquid and ESG but it also had tracks by James Chance & The Contortions , DNA , Theoretical Girls and Mars.

I absolutely hated this compilation when I first got it. I kept giving it a chance the first few months I lived here and would turn it off after skipping most of the tracks on it. It made no sense to me....I was an idiot (sort of still am, but not in this respect as much). After living here for the better part of a year I put the compilation back on, and it completely clicked. I realized that the music was very....very New York. I understood ,in part, where these bands were coming from and doing. I had been into Sonic Youth for several years at this point and was aware of the No Wave movement, but I'd always dismissed it as "shitty early sonic youth type stuff" ....like I stated I was an idiot. I hunted for the compilation "No New York" for a few days after getting into the more No Wave aspect of New York Noise. I gave up too easily and settled for a few DNA songs from a friends computer and would often return to it.

I found myself drawn to it again after a show we played on saturday with Old Time Relijun at Market Hotel where a ton of bands were kind of doing the no wave thing...but no where near as good. I finally got my hands on No New York and am just in love with it. I had heard a lot of the Contortions stuff from friends and I already had the DNA songs, but I was fortunate enough to get ahold of some Teenage Jesus & The Jerks songs finally! There's this beauty to it's ugliness, this grace to it's lack of grace that is just stunning to me. The idea is not very uncommon and the "no wave scene" was not the first to make "in your face, get the fuck out of the room!" music, but it's very special. To me, it's sort of what punk should have been. Short, sweet and fucking gone. Hardly documented but really potent.

Though I am not a huge Brian Eno person, and I have already read a lot of things saying he was a tool about it, I am very glad that he was somewhat responsible for the first Contortions recordings, and I think the first Teenage Jesus (maybe the only, since I can only find posthumously released "complete recordings" stuff. I am definitely inspired by what I hear when i listen to this stuff, and I have absolutely no intention of taking from it sonically. I like writing about things I love, and I fucking love The Contortions, DNA, Mars and Teenage Jesus & The Jerks ...I'm aware that there were more bands, but I can only find one Theoretical Girls song and it's amazing but I can't say I love the band...so basically..all the stuff I have several songs of...i really dig....ok done. -Ruben Sindo Acosta

i may be a little late on a few of these (i.e. Tubeway Army), but nonetheless, they were recent acquisitions in my arsenal of music. no, i didn't download them either, i bought these babies.

DJ Spooky - Creation Rebel

i always was a fan of DJ Spooky's album he did with Twilight Circus Dub Sound System ('Riddim Clash'). the merging of Spooky's atmospherics and spaced out beats seemed like the perfect match for the Twilight Circus's classic dub sound. lately, Spooky had lost me with some of his mixes. this however, made me a believer again. Spooky takes tracks from the Trojan Records catalog and remixes them into one long DJ mix. essential!!


ESG - South Bronx Story Vol. 2

really, before you listen to this, you should pick up part 1 as well. the Scroggins sisters, to me, were way ahead of their time, and had the punk/funk/groove down way before others (i.e. Liquid Liquid, Tussle, Holy Fuck, LCD Soundsystem, etc...). of course, most hip hop heads will know them for their track 'UFO' (on part 1), but the rest of their catalog deserves a listen as well.


Dizzee Rascal - Maths & English

a buddy of mine sent me a track off this album when it first came out. i played it repeatedly - 'Hardback (Industry)', but never bothered to get the whole album. i managed to run across it the other day while at the record store looking for new stuff to buy. i snatched it up, and it's pretty damn good. Dizzee splits the production on here with some other artists (Shy FX anyone?), and manages to revive that old school hip hop sound and update it.


MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

i bought this album completely blind. i had never heard of the artist, nor had i heard any trax. the cover alone sold me. i always get amped when i buy a record off the cover alone and the music grabs me as well. this is one of those times. i really can't describe their sound. it borders on Bowie, Beach Boys, Animal Collective, psychedelia, indie and funk...if that's possible.


South Rakkas Crew - Mix Up

i had several remixes by this group in my collection (M.I.A., Beck and The Bug), but had never heard their stuff. someone sent me a link a few months back informing me about Mad Decent signing them. i kept reading all these reviews online about their album Mix Up being nuts and one of the greatest ragga/dancehall albums in a while. i totally bought into the hype and tracked it down. i had to mail order it through their website (now it's available in stores, if i'm not mistaken). this has been stuck in my head for months. South Rakkas Crew manages to sample Josh Wink and Chaka Khan on the opening track and create a juiced up dancehall track. the mix itself is all over the place (sampling a Sesame Street song, indirectly covering the Jackson 5's 'Can You Feel It' and Yvonne Elliman's 'If I Can't Have You'...interesting tidbit - i always sang that song as "if i can't have DREW"). i don't understand why this guy isn't bigger.


Steve Aoki - Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles

this style of music was beginning to wear thin on me. Steve Aoki managed to inject some new life into it. he throws in some new and exclusive tracks (for the trainspotters) and mixes them into some older tracks for one of the better dj mixes i've heard in a while. he also brings in some mcs to rap over the tracks and make them sound new (i.e. Spankrock, Santogold, Har Mar Superstar, etc...). a little bit electro, a little bit rock, a little bit dirty.


Venetian Snares - Hospitality

hmmm...what can i say? it's damn good! get it!


Tubeway Army - Replicas

no, i'm not just discovering this album. i've owned it two other times in my lifetime and managed to sell it (probably for weed when i was younger). i found it used at a record store the other day and bought it. the cover, i guess, is one of those iconic images that stays with you. back when i was a little rivethead running around wearing too much black, leather and army gear, this album soundtracked my late night drives around the city. there's this coldness to it, but there's also this warmth in the sounds. glad i found it again.