We’ve Got A New Site Over The Road…
August 16, 2011
So if you are still coming here then redirect your browser in the direction of TestPressing.org. It’s much nicer over there. And don’t forget our Facebook page. Say hello there if you’re in the mood. Cheers!
Video: Covent Garden / London 1985
August 15, 2011
This is a video from the first organised hip hop event in the UK. The graffiti side was represented by the Chrome Angelz. Rock City, London All-Stars, Live To Break, Look Twice, The B-Boys, Breakazoids and others were on the b-boy tip and Imperial Mixers were providing the music.
Thanks to Nick Dart.
[Apiento]
Mix: Main Stem / Drunk Again
August 14, 2011
Main Stem are a small group of music fiends comprising of Rob.J, Ben Shenton, Tim Silver and James Flanagen based out of Stafford and Birmingham. Some of their work can be found here and here for Project Club and Deadstock 33s. They have a new album coming soon which we’ll give more info on when the time is right but until then here is the perfect soundtrack to a Sunday.
[Apiento]
Test Pressing Update / Facebook
August 11, 2011
We’ve been working on a new version of the website (well updating it all) which has meant uploading a ton of posts and sorting bits and bobs out hence it all going a bit slow round here. We have set up a Facebook page which you can find here – which myself and Dr Rob will be overseeing so feel free to go and post anything of a balearic nature and ask about tracks or whatever if you ever need to find stuff out.
V2 of Test Pressing should enable us to do podcasts on iTunes and make stuff easy to find instead of this old school format we are running with right now so that’ll be nice. We are also working on other bits and bobs and hopefully we’ll get some more new stuff together soon (vague). Anyway, glad to see everyone is getting more mellow across the UK and we’ll be back soon with mixes from Main Stem, more pieces from Dr Rob and a clean site. Enjoy now.
[Apiento]
New Release / Invasion Of The Mysteron Killer Sounds
August 4, 2011
I read the other day that Prince went into Sounds Of The Universe to buy a few DVD’s in his lunch break (true that) and there probably isn’t a better record store in London for him to visit. Nicole from the shop, who served him, said ‘I was a bit shocked. I thought he might be a lookalike and when he came towards me I saw it was Prince. He was very low key, just with another guy. He bought four DVDs, including The Gospel according to Al Green, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, and the night James Brown played Boston. They are quite hard to get in London. He didn’t really say much, he just wanted some concert CDs. He was just wearing black, very polite, looked nice, said please and thank you, I was just very pleased to see him.’
See, how sweet is that? Anyway, Soul Jazz, the label of the shop, have a new compilation out called ‘Invasion Of The Mysterons’ which is a collection of version excursions in a modern stylee accompanied by a comic by Paolo Parisi. Its compiled by Stuart from the label and The Bug – both people that know their onions – and you can see the track listing above. All we need now is that Heatwave back again.
Bit of an iFeel round up here. So out now (I think) is the second IFeel Studio 12. You know the coup on this one if you are reading this. Its lovely music from across the water. Apparently an album is in the pipeline so we look forward to hearing more on that front.
IFeel Studio / Watching Stars Over The Rubicon Beltway
/ Soundcloud
IFeel Studio / Morgengruss III / Soundcloud
Also in IFeel news, together with Gatto Fritto and his Fritto Morto label, they are working on a joint release and first up is Gonna with a track called ‘ACDise #2’. All four tracks are belters. The main track is a hypnotic one that builds and builds, then there is another version from Swedish techno crew Skudge, a remix from Gatto Fritto himself and finally a lovely ambient track ‘Turn to Light’. It’s out September the 12th.
Finally there is another one of their super limited runs going by the ace name of Adventure Party. It’s fun time on the dancefloor and we love it. Keep your eyes peeled as I think its going to come and go pretty quickly. It’s out on the 22 August – 120 Hand Stamped Whites and then 30 special White Vinyl with lazer etching through LN-CC.
Test Pressing information service over and out.
Just Because 028 / Terry Thomas In Ibiza
August 3, 2011
Terry Thomas In Ibiza 1981. Well balearic.
[Apiento]
New Release / Nebraska / Displacement / Rush Hour Recordings
August 2, 2011
I worked for eight years at a house label and still have a lot of love for the genre which is why it is nice to write about two house records on the bounce. Rush Hour are another label after my own heart with their work with Virgo and lets be honest the Dutch got house in a way that not a lot of countries did. Their clubs were always fun to visit and from the late 80s onwards there always a lot of synergy between the Dutch and English scenes. Anyway, we digress. I think this release is a double pack but its basically top notch house with something for everyone. It fits perfectly with the Running Back release below. Again no soundclips am afraid but check it on Phonica or Picadilly. Nice sleeve too.
[Apiento]
New Release / Suzanne Kraft / Green Flash EP / Running Back
August 2, 2011
Just got the new Running Back in and though I haven’t got my logic up so can’t give you any clips I thought I’d just give a quick heads up anyway. First track comes across like Loose Ends doing a house track and the others also have that sheen of quality. Its, as ever with Running Back, across the board goodness with heart and comes recommended. Get them while you can.
[Apiento]
Who Was It? / Gala Drop Mix Information Request
August 1, 2011
Someone wrote in asking for information on the Gala Drop mix we featured not long ago and I have all the information for you but I can’t find your email. Nelson from the band has sent me a lovely email with all the information you need. Shout if it was you and I’ll pass it on. Cheers!
New Release / The Kramford Look / 1970
August 1, 2011
This one is worth checking. An album played live with no midi and no samples heavily influenced by 70s library music from a team that have previously worked with Money Mark and Shaun Lee amongst others. It’ll be available to buy from your local online store, physical shops and of course at wonderfulsound.com from the 29th of August. Right on.
Bit of a nice line up here for what sounds like a lovely party.It’s all been a bit slow around Test Pressing for reasons that’ll become apparent next week but if you’re north then this looks a safe bet to sink a Pernod and kick off your shoes…
Video: All City A.K.A B-Boy Gold
July 20, 2011
This is an experimental documentary produced by Henry Chalfont, the man behind the most stolen book in the history of UK publishing, about the early days of hip-hop in the South Bronx. Word.
Thanks to Dartos.
[Apiento]
Mix: Finger Magazine / Come To Marina Del Rey
July 18, 2011
This is a nice one. New mix from Adrian, head honcho of Finger Magazine, which features some brand new bits you might not have heard. Some new edits and 3 exclusive tracks – the Psychemagik remix of “that” track everyone is crazy about right now, a Lexx remix of Incarnations and a Riccio Remix of Prommer & Barck’s ‘Pictures Of The Sea’. Mix number 150. Wallop.
Finger Magazine are here. Check them out.
[Apiento]
Radio / Tour: Legends Of The Dancefloor: A Piece Of Paradise / A Tribute To Larry Levan European Tour 2011
July 17, 2011
Here’s a quick heads up to check out the various events in honour of Larry Levan happening at the moment. First up are two programs on Radio 1 / Radio 6 dedicated to Larry Levan. The documentary ‘Legends Of The Dancefloor – A Piece Of Paradise’ finds many US & UK’s artists and DJs who were in one way or another connected to Larry Levan, including David Depino, Michael Linder, Vince Aletti, Manny Lehman, Michael De Benedictus of the Peech Boys, Nicky Siano, DJ Harvey & Heidi Lawden, Paul Oakenfold, Judy Weinstein, Justin Berkmann, John Morales, Tom Moulton, Taana Gardner & Victor Rosado. There’s also a four hour recording originally aired on WBLS during the second anniversary of the Paradise Garage with commentary by iconic radio DJ Frankie Crocker, the ‘Chief Rocker’. This 1979 recording with Levan in the mix, plus live shows by Loleatta Holloway, Dan Hartman & Sylvester sounds pretty special. More information here.
Secondly there is a tour with Victor Rosado (who was schooled by Levan) & Lenny Fontana with warm up from DJ Alex & Johnny Chingas. Rosado was one of the few DJs that played at the Garage so expect the Garage aesthetic.
Tour dates at present…
23rd July in Dublin @ Crawdaddy
28th July in Oslo @ Jaeger
30th July in London @ Fabric
4th Aug in Berlin @ Cookies
6th Aug in Manchester @ Soup Kitchen
Check here on Facebook for further information.
[Apiento]
Mix: Jamie Paton (Cage & Aviary) / Contort Yourself
July 15, 2011
Here’s a banger for the weekend. Over to Jamie to tell you what this one is all about. “The mix takes in all sorts over a C90’s worth of running time, including Weatherall putting the Beat between Meat and Manifesto, one of Arthur Russell’s more abstract Funk Popping moments and a quite frankly awesome stratospheric excursion from Gigi Galaxy and his Disco 2000. It sums up a lot of what I’ve been playing this year, quite prototypical and stripped down, tough in places but with the odd musical flourish here and there. There are also a couple of Cage & Aviary productions on there, one from our forthcoming Migration LP which will finally drop in October.” Looking forward to the album. More news on that as it comes.
[Apiento]
Design: Tony Wilson & Peter Saville In Conversation
July 10, 2011
If I could listen to anyone discuss the classic Factory sleeves it would be Peter Saville and Tony Wilson so lucky for us someone got the two of them together with a tape recorder between them. Here we have two old friends fondly looking back over their work and discussing the myths and truths associated with it, running through their beginnings together with an early poster for one of the Factory nights through Joy Division and New Order sleeves and on.
This conversation originally appears as an extra on the 24 Hour Party People DVD. Thanks to Nick Dart.
[Apiento]
What it says… The label is coming soon and here’s the guys having fun at their monthly World Unknown night.
[Apiento]
Video: Prestatyn Soul Weekender 1989 (Spectrum, Gilles Peterson, Paul Oakenfold, Froggy)
July 6, 2011
Found these via DJ History and the Go Bang Brighton website (thanks!). As it says under the videos on YouTube, “This is a copy of a dusty old video from 1989. It was filmed in the UK, the film is from a Soul Weekender in Prestatyn (Wales). This is a unique video that shows how the format of the Soul weekender changed forever … in the UK.
Although this was billed as a Soul Weekender, in truth it ended up featuring some of the biggest names in acid house music. Pete Tong went onto become the dance music master at R1, Oakey became a global DJ superstar, Gilles Peterson went onto R1 and Nicky Holloway went onto create the massive London house music clubs Sin/Trip etc … and the rest of us “got on one matey” …”
It’s great the soul crew liked a video camera so much as some of this is pretty priceless.
[Apiento]
Radio Documentary: Radio 4 / Ibiza Documentary
July 5, 2011
Life is funny sometimes. I have had the book, ‘The White Island (Two Thousand Years Of Pleasure In Ibiza)’ by Stephen Armstrong on the bookshelf for about five years and kept thinking, I’ll read that one day. Last week I picked it up and have been really enjoying it. The best bit for me was the chapter I read last night on the arty contingent of authors, actors and artists, that moved to the island from the 60s onwards.
Today our friend Jolyon sent us this documentary from BBC Radio 4 that focuses on those very people. The hippies, the arty contingent and the original community from the 60s. True fact, Joni Mitchell used to live in Ibiza. As did Nico. As did Terry Thomas who apparently had a car with little flowers painted all over to match a shirt he had. Terry Thomas also says in an interview about why he likes the island so much that ‘I don’t speak Spanish so I can’t get bored of anyone.’ Anyway, the interviews are brilliant ranging from one of the original hippies to Sandy Pratt the legendary barman from Sandy’s Bar. Good music too.
Thanks to Jolyon Green.
[Apiento]
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