HO HO HO

We're off the grid.

Merry Christmas folks and see ya in the New Year!

FLORIAN MEINDL // THE INSOLVABLE RIDDLE // FLASH RECORDINGS

Today is officially the last working day of the year. The penultimate climax to the weeks of toil, binge drinking and good old fashioned hard work. Time to congratulate yourself on a job well done, kick back and chill. Might just head over to T Bar tonight and get down to Panorama Bar's Tama Sumo's mammoth set and pretend that it's Christmas in Kreuzberg.

Maybe stick on Florian Meindl's new EP, 'The Insolvable Riddle' and space out to his  signature take on the deep, minimal groove. At once melodic and subtly hypnotic, this is the kind of shit that Santa would bob to while making the rounds at 6AM, chilling to the sunrise and thinking about a job well done.

Check out 'Addiction to Perfection' here.

OCELOT // OUR TIME (KAP10KURT REMIX) // WALL OF SOUND

Snow flakes outside, Christmas carols on the radio & subzero  temperatures make typing a near impossible task. Need those fingerless gloves and thermal underwear to keep our neu wave asses from freezing. Feeling more hungover than festive and Run DMC's 'Christmas In Hollis' is on repeat in the office. Would love to be like Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels and get a ton of laceless Adidas Superstars and gold chains for Christmas. Wonder what we'll get this year?

Getting all festive on us are London's Wall Of Sound new signing, Ocelot, who have roped in NYC hipster, Kap10kurt, to give their new single, 'Our Time' an electro-fying disco-fied twist. Download the track here and get it going on the Xmas party playlist.

BUSH DOCTORS VS BOOTSY COLLINS // DISCIPLES OF FUNK

Went Ten-pin bowling for our office's Christmas lunch and scored a 126 points out of a possible 300. Was pretty pleased considering the last time was way back during the halcyon days of '93, getting excited about Mortal Kombat 2 and listening to 'Siamese Dream'. Guess it's kinda like riding a bike, once you get in the zone, the machine takes over.

Taking over the party soundtrack are funk zen masters, Bush Doctors, with a special Xmas bass-laden freebie. Download Bush Doctors vs. Bootsy Collins, 'Disciples of Funk' right here.

NOUVEAU YORICAN // BORIQUA // SOUND PELLEGRINO

The festive party season kicks off in earnest this week with invitations galore to various magazine, record label and PR agency mid week soirees. Can't seem to decide on which ones to go to and which ones to avoid. Just want to be seen at the 'right' parties and not end up looking like a chump at the shit ones. Want to end 2K9 in style. Might just end up getting wasted and falling asleep outside Tescos.

Anyways, you can kick start the evening with clued up, art house types, Nouveau Yorican, proving to the hipster wannabes at the Vice party that there is more to life than Kitsune. 'Boriqua' is the new single from DJ Gina Turner and Dutch scenester, Laidback Luke out on Sound Pellegrino. Havard Bass tweaks the remix for a full on electro house-tastic effect. Check it out here.

CRYSTAL FIGHTERS // I LOVE LONDON // KITSUNE

Might be considering a week long Fruitarian diet to flush out all the undesirables that have been lingering on the insides since God knows when. Need to get the machine well oiled in time for the festive season. Hopefully we'll last the duration as the first three days are the hardest, when your junk food body tries to readjust to the new fruit diet. The effects are pretty severe to say the least. Intense pain, junkie like cravings and full on diarrhea. Sounds bad but the pay off is sweet. Apparently. Think we'll give it a shot.

Just in time for the festive party rounds are Basque/Anglo fusion ensemble, Crystal Fighters, spreading the Christmas cheer with their new single, 'I Love London' out on Kitsune. So cool it hurts, these guys feature a mix of traditional folk music with upfront electro funk beats. It shouldn't work but it does. Think hipster raving in the forests of San Sebastian. Check out Brooklyn's In Flagranti's remix here.

I Love London (In Flagranti Dub) by luciusdigital

MUSTARD PIMP AND BLATTA & INESHA // PIGEON FLU

Oh yes, it's that Friday feeling again and what better way to roll on the weekend by having a little afternoon mash up right here in the office. Throw your macbooks out the window, rip the phone sockets from the walls and crank up the stereo like it's 7AM @ Cookies in Berlin. You're a free spirit, no one can tell you what to do. Quit your job and move to a squat in Kreuzberg. Live in  a commune and party like it's the end of the world.

LA's Mustard Pimp and Dim Mak favourite has teamed up with Italian electro crunk duo, Blatta & Inesha for a wonky, mad as hell electro banger, 'Pigeon Flu'. Download it here and forever be damned.

 

Mustard Pimp and Blatta & Inesha - Pigeon Flu by BLATTA-INESHA

WHOMADEWHO // I LOST MY VOICE // GOMMA RECORDS

Picked up a copy of Stephen King's little seen flick 'Maximum Overdrive' last night. Came highly recommended by a horror nut buddy of ours. It is definitely one of those films you would not call timeless. Made in 1986, it certainly looks and feels like it was done in the 80s. Camp costumes, new wave make up & shoulder pads galore. More 'Little Shop Of Horrors' than 'The Exorcist'. Derided by the media during it's initial run, the same critics now laud it as a cult masterpiece. Guess time does makes things cool after awhile. And AC/DC's album, 'Who Made Who' released as the soundtrack fucking rocks.

Very much like Danish nu wave, art school types, WhoMadeWho, with their new single,  'I Lost My Voice' out on Gomma this month. Often camp, pretty retro but most definitely timeless. Might just stick it on the iPod for the ride home. Check out Golden Bug's remix here.