Perfect Day

Lp of the day is Perfect Day, by Lou Reed.

"Perfect Day" is a song written by Lou Reed in 1972, originally featured on Transformer, Reed's second post-Velvet Underground solo album. Its fame was given a boost in the 1990s when it was featured in the 1996 film Trainspotting, and after its release as a star-studded BBC charity single in 1997, which became the UK's number one single for three weeks. Reed re-recorded the song for his 2003 album The Raven.
A cover recorded by Duran Duran reached #28 on the UK Singles Chart in 1995.
The original recording, like the rest of the Transformer album, was produced by David Bowie, with guitarist Mick Ronson providing the arrangement.
The song has a sombre vocal delivery and slow, piano-based instrumental backing balancing tones of sweet nostalgia ("it's such a perfect day, I'm glad I spent it with you") with an undercurrent of menace ("you're gonna reap just what you sow").The  line alludes to Galatians 6:7: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

From a music theory point of view, the song is complex. Where the chorus is in a straight forward major key, the verse cannot be captured in a single key. It starts with the tonic chord of the parallel minor to the chorus key - deceivingly hinting that it is written in that key - but then continues with a number of descending fifths progressions. It eventually ends in the dominant chord of the chorus key, making the song explode into the chorus.
The song's lyrics are often considered to suggest simple, conventional romantic devotion, possibly alluding to Reed's relationship with Bettye Kronstadt (soon to become his first wife) and Reed’s own conflicts with his sexuality, drug use, and ego.
Some commentators have further seen the lyrical subtext as displaying Reed's romanticized attitude towards a period of his own addiction to heroin; this popular understanding of the song as an ode to addiction led to its inclusion in the soundtrack for Trainspotting, a film about the lives of heroin users.
Reed's original recording was featured on an AT&T commercial featuring snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler that ran during the 2010 Olympics.

This is a Perfect Day!

Skrillex: Bangarang EP, Voltage LP

How the fuck does he make those SKREEWERPPZZZZBLAAW noises? GarageBand? America's dubstep don steps away from the Dark Side on this fizzy, party-ready single. (It will still probably scare your parents, though.)
Don't believe the hype: Skrillex didn't set out to wrestle dubstep from its brainy dub-reggae roots and warp it into an aggro dance-metal hybrid that online haters call "brostep." "I thought I'd play the Echo in L.A. once a month for 150 people," says Sonny Moore, 23, who quit fronting screamo band From First to Last to focus on beatmaking. Instead, Moore has played to thousands almost daily since dropping his first LP, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, last year on Big Beat and his buddy Deadmau5's label.

But he's not surprised by the rapid ascent of dubstep in the United States. "It's so fun," he says. "It just lets so many people in and there's nothing about it that seems shoved down anybody's throats. You can connect with it culturally because it brings so many different types of people together, from ravers to hip-hop people to whatever people like to dance." He's bracing himself for what will happen when the music fully crosses over in the mainstream, though. "There will come a time when it will be watered down and sensationalized like everything else. That's not a bad thing, every type of music goes through that. But right now, for how big it is, if you turn on Kiss FM, there's no real dustup on the radio right now."

Keeping up with the dubstep world has become overwhelming these days with millions of Djs trying to make a name for themselves and of course the massive amount of  electronic adaptation attempts by traditional artists and established stars. However, if there is only one DJ that you keep up with in 2012 than it might as well be Skrillex.

Bangarang EP

The album takes a sharp turn into experimentation starting on "Bangarang" and really takes off into the unknown after that. "Bangarang" is exactly what the dubstep world asked for. A mainstream radio hit that is accessible to the masses and still unique and intriguing enough to appeal to the die-hard, more technical fans of Skrillex and electronic music in general. This track also introduces us to some samples of Sirah, an up and coming female rap/pop talent from Los Angeles. Sirah truly shines on "Kyoto" where she is able to lay down some full bars and present her ambitious delivery style. 

My favorite song from the EP, and by far the most experimental, is "Breakn' a Sweat" featuring the surviving members of The Doors, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore. The track is part of a project knows as Re: Generation.

I also wanted to allude to the upcoming LP Voltage. It was talked about heavily a few months ago but it appears to have lost some steam recently. I wonder if Voltage sort of morphed and dwarfed its way in being Bangarang. Perhaps the rumors of A-list collaborations like Pretty Lights and Nero are holding up the creative process. Maybe he is just taking his time in order to make sure his first full length cut is a fuckin banger! Or the more likely chance that Hollywood politics are slowing down the release of the records just to figure out more ways to make money off the deal. 

Either way I'll be on the look out!

J Dilla's Vinyl

If the news is confirmed by official sources would be as sensational as outrageous: According to The Detroit News website, the record store of the American metropolis would UHF for sale as used about 8000 LPs belonged to J Dilla, the great producer and rapper who has revolutionized the hip-hop before he died prematurely six years ago. According to the store owner Jeff Bubeck, vinyls coming from an abandoned warehouse in the suburb of Clinton Township, where they were, according to Bubeck, including cassette tapes labeled "Jaydee Beats", a nickname used by Dilla, as well as correspondence addressed James Yancey, anagrafe name of the musician struck down by lupus.


Let's go back to say it would be sensational news if confirmed, because the collectors of Dilla is documented, but also scandalous because it is not clear how did the transition between this abandoned warehouse and a shop that sells used records, and given the uniqueness of the character which they belonged would have been more commendable them available to the public without take money. To be sure, Bubeck said he had sought contact with the mother of Dilla, but every attempt went in vain. After this news, should have no problems.

David Bowie?

RollingStone Magazine, n°103, Maggio 2012

rollingstonemagazine.it

Assolutamente da leggere!

David Bowie (o meglio la sua assenza), nel nuovo numero di questo mese!

Dynamite X

James Brown once again!
LP of the day is Dynamite X.


Released in 2007
Double LP
Label: Universal

Traklist:


1. Sex Machine (Jazz Defector readymade)
2. Give It Up Or A Loose Turnit (dzihan & Kamien Remix)
3. Call Me Super Bad (Cay Taylan Remix)
4. Give It Up Or A Loose Turnit (fanasistas Re-formation)
5. Funky Drummer (Listen To The Muro Mix)
6. Cold Sweat (Captain Funky Dry Mix)
7. Sunny (Funk Master JB Vs Funkmaster JS Hardboiled Remix)
8. Soul Power (Jungle Funk Mix)
9. Get On The Good Foot (Mr. Drunk Mix)
10. Soul Power (Co-Fusion Mix)
11. Call Me Super Bad (cornelius rework)