DiscoCompatto

The captain is drunk (Taken with Instagram at London Bridge)

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:52:38 -0400

The captain is drunk (Taken with Instagram at London Bridge)

Lovely day (Taken with Instagram at Towpath Cafe)

Sun, 13 May 2012 09:19:01 -0400

Lovely day (Taken with Instagram at Towpath Cafe)

Caro Emerald, a charming Dutch voice in London.

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 05:15:48 -0400

London, March 16th.

I went to Roundhouse last night without much of expectations. I lost track, shame on me, on new jazz popular names and besides few article quickly read before the concert, I had no idea who this woman was.

Caro Emeral comes from Amsterdam, notwithstanding her Spanish look and the Latin delightful smile.

I love the Roundhouse, the columns, the sound system and I’m used to hear in this venue loud rock bands. In my tiny brains, jazz and swing are confined to basement dark clubs and candle lights. And, I’m wrong.

The show was a lot of fun, pleasant, happy – even though the lyrics of Caro’s songs aren’t all that joyful.

There were jazz big bands elements (all in perfect smart suits) standing behind retro decorated stands with perfectly kitsch C and E initials engraved.

There was a rockabilly lead guitar that from a perfectly worn black tie ended the show with loose open shirt for the happiness of the ladies.

Caro’s voice is brilliant, vibrant, powerful. It reminded me in some moments Amy Winehouse. Her presence on stage is perfectly designed, she changed her dress three times I suppose.

The screening of images projected on the background was also very creative and interesting. Every song had its on projection with different colours and art style.

A sold out show. The crowd on their 40s constantly clapped and cheered their heroine with passion and happiness. It reminded me when I was nearly 20 and went to see R.E.M. for the first time in Bologna.

At the show, I’ve seen all the reasons of her successful record Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor. A list of seducing songs, from jazz to swing, from rumba to lounge. Among the guitar the piano and the horns there was also a DJ. Yes, a DJ. Scratching discs here and there, playing sounds and effects, giving a new twist to timeless music.

As she confessed during the show, her success is due to one song, Back It Up the kind of radio-friendly tune that once in your head you can’t stop singing – and so did the audience following Caro’s performance. Other major hits were Stuck and Just One Dance, when my favourite for orchestration and structure was The Other Woman.

The encore dedicated to her first teacher, who came to London to see her show, and encouraged her to start studying jazz, was a sweet evergreen Dream A Little Dream Of Me, a perfect emotional ending.

A fun show, a very talented showgirl redesigning vintage music in the form of pop. A pop record that went number one in Holland for 27 weeks breaking the record held by Thriller, from that famous King,A Night Like This selected for a Martini commercial… It’s business, baby.

awwnuh: Bathtubs - Royal Canoe the bathtubs in the hallway are...

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:22:12 -0400

awwnuh:

Bathtubs - Royal Canoe

the bathtubs in the hallway are in the way

DiscoCompatto: Mark Lanegan @ Shepherds Bush Empire

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:19:43 -0400

DiscoCompatto: Mark Lanegan @ Shepherds Bush Empire:

discocompatto:

Mark Lanegan, the obscure enlightenment of rock music lands at Shepherds Bush Empire.
The voice, over the concert, like a shadow, stretched, shortened and then disappeared from the stage.
Without significant words to the excited crowd of fans, but his splendid lyrics, just a few timid,…

Mark Lanegan @ Shepherds Bush Empire

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:05:00 -0400

Mark Lanegan, the obscure enlightenment of rock music lands at Shepherds Bush Empire.
The voice, over the concert, like a shadow, stretched, shortened and then disappeared from the stage.
Without significant words to the excited crowd of fans, but his splendid lyrics, just a few timid, distant – Thank you, the tall man is dark, hidden, almost frightened.

There aren’t light changes on stage, just pink and blue circles on the band. And it’s enough to feel drowned in the sequence of beautiful sounds and the deep smokey voice. All comes and dissolves.
Mark Lanegan is the black and white photograph of modern song writing. Intense beauty made of contrast and nuances of grey. A grey that at last goes black.

On stage he’s steady motionless. On his right hand side a Jonny Cash-styled lead guitarist dance on his chords in bizarre and adorable rock-and-roll fashion.
Mr. Lanegan doesn’t even look at his band (eventually he turned once at his drummer). He’s a sole soul breathing out the voice of his songs.

Since Bubblegum, following several cooperation and side projects, we had to wait 8 long years for his new album, Blue Funeral. The title speaks for itself.
Twelve tracks of rock, of blues and the new injections of synths and electronic beats. You will find gravediggers, blood, hospitals and a sad disco too.

Live, all these images grow, melt and evolve in our ears.
I particularly loved the performance in Grey Goes Black where the drums syncopated counter rhythms is a hypnotic tribal ritual wrapping tightly the soothing voice and, love it or hate it, the electronic shock of Ode to Sad Disco, when – undeniable – all the heads around me were grooving to the beats.
Unforgettable sadness during the amazing encore Harborview Hospital.

A concert that awoke us, opening our eyes on the forgotten grace of the perishing reality of life.
At the end of the show, Mr. Lanegan appeared at the merch stand to sign records and posters. He smiled gently, shyly, wearing backwards a baseball cap that somehow gave him something of human and even frivolity.

We know he’s in a new period of his life and for sure, seen this concert, that’s a wonderful thing.

Art Brut @ The Lexington

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:03:22 -0400

London, 1st June 2011

A week of Art Brut at the Lexington – 1 June 2011, with The Winter Olympics, Ezra Furman and The Harpoons

Oh well, we all know Art Brut and their quirky powerful funny performances. I decided to see them Wednesday night, being curious about support band Ezra Furnam and the Harpoons.

It was a lucky night. You know, one of those nights when you just know it’s going to be pure, simple fun.

I always go early at Lexington to enjoy a drink about 1h earlier than every gig. It’s quiet then and I easily find a seat downstairs while having a laugh reading The Stool Pigeon (http://www.thestoolpigeon.co.uk/).

This time however, there were no seats available.

- Hmm, I thought, this is damn unusual.

I had to stand by the bar. Indeed, a small crowd of people was already there and some formed a line to buy or collect the tickets.

The gig started with The Winter Olympics. I didn’t know them at all, a pleasant surprise. Lead singer Andrew Wagstaff, a true smiling Viking character on stage, and his mates – all in James Murphy’ white shirt and black tie style – set things on fire. A dance punk (not only fashion connects them to LCD Soundsystem) with intervals of jokes, interaction with the audience and a bunch of songs that you want to play at your summer backyard party.

I Miss The Nineties and Attention All Departments made all of us jump around, while signing the birthday card for Simon (drums).

Ah, yes we all sang the happy birthday song for Simon.

Applause.

At the end of the gig a guy from the band’s crew walked around the venue asking: – Did you like the Winter Olympics? And he sold me two EP’s for 5£.

Next act. Ezra Furman, this young scruffy American with his sunglasses – constantly sliding down his nose – and a mischievous face started his frolicking performance. He couldn’t keep his red guitar strap on his shoulder and I thought he was going to fall at any moment as the strap was dangerously hanging back at his legs while he was playing animatedly.

He didn’t fall. They played a great list of alternative folk and rock and roll songs from their three albums. Energetic “Antisocial” lines and love tunes, poetic and passionate narrative… You can see Bob Dylan (the one of Blonde on Blonde) right there: his nasal voice, his fascinating stage presence, the harmonica. The Chicago band just released their last album called Mysterious Power, good stuff. After singing along Take Off Your Sunglasses, I tried to speak to him shortly after the gig, but he seemed the shyest person on earth, oh he sings I Wanna Be Ignored, right.

Art Brut is Top of the Pops. Eddie Argos dominated on stage with his stature, his sexy belly (Yes, he opened his shirt and showed us his secret beauties), his peculiar voice and thick British accent. As always he interrupted his songs. Talked to the audience, told us stories, air-kicked when music exploded. It was all loud and amusing. I’m not sure he followed the track list. He asked for requests, people shouted song titles and obviously turned to be a mix of old great tunes. My Little Brother who just discovered rock and roll, the first love Emily Kane, 18000 Lira, St. Pauli together with some tracks from the new album Brilliant! Tragic!

News from the new record. Eddie decided it was time to sing. Honestly I didn’t notice the evolution during the gig, his unique style, his pub ranting style that smells of alcohol was there also in the new songs, honest and oddly brutal as used to be. He’s not a Bad Comedian, Eddie keeps the innocence of the teenager rock lover and shares it all with the audience. Imagination.

L.A. and earthquakes, abandoned islands, dreaming flights and the graceful microphone wire skipping.

It’s not just music, it’s a play, and it’s art.

We don’t know how psychic Eddie Argos is. Is passion for rock psychic?

Crystal Stilts @ Cargo

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 10:02:05 -0400

London, 30th March 2011

Fresh new psychedelic Crystal Stilts at Cargo.

Disorientation. Is this 2011?

New Yorkers – already cult indie band – Crystal Stils in a sold out, stinky and sticky Cargo presents their new record In Love With Oblivion.

Ah, I love it.

Disorientation, I said. Yes. Put the following words in a row: post-punk, shoegaze, garage, indie pop, psychedelic, there you go.

A dusting revival of sixties and seventies sound with floydian hints that creates a mythological garage-pop of unpolished guitars and keyboards.

I was very curious of seeing them live, as I read when on tour for their first work Alight of Night, the performance wasn’t as exciting as expected.

I must admit, there was some energy missing somewhere.

It’s true, it was terribly hot; there were too many people around the stage going in and out the backstage. Something weird was going on around them before and during the gig. Still, the singer looked like he wasn’t there completely. Maybe he was just tired.

Flashback.

Before the gig started as I was by the bar, two adorable super-drunk girls bumped into me. – Wow, even before the gig starts they are already wasted? That’s London, I answered myself.

After a couple of minutes, when I returned to my position next to the stage, they were there again asking (I guess) the band’s keyboard player if they could go on stage and dance (maybe a dance seen in their video – which one???). His smile wasn’t approving though.

Well, after London band, The Tamborines , (shoegaze isn’t dead at all) they’re on stage. The two girls are already furiously dancing leaving their drinks, bags and jackets next to the singer’s feet.

The music started, a drive through neopsychedelia (I have seen Barret somewhere there) and noise pop (Biff Bang Pow!).The catchy melodic pop underneath a coat of obscure and melancholic beats and synth is definitely charming (there were moments I thought the Doors and the Velvet Underground would have probably sounded like that).

The girls. The show. One of them, as when every drink she had was gone, actually drank all of the band’s beers on stage she could reach. Tried to climb on the stage failed, taking down one of the speakers with her.

Annoyed singer.

Mad keyboard player.

Next tune begins and you see her jumping, successfully now, on stage and improvise a senseless dance. The singer kept his apparent calm and slow pace.

In the end the security had to take her away from the front row after she had spilt a beer on the singer – that’s why he played most of the gig with his eyes closed, I suppose.

Beside all, the new record is very good. Even though Brad Hargett (singer) seemed fed up (maybe is part of an old American underground-hippie style?) and Kyle Forester vehemently played the keys, the rest of the band did the job and the new tracks along with the old ones sounded solid and moody as we like it.

Right, it seemed like the band wasn’t there. Question: this nonexistence, this nothingness isn’t maybe just their love for oblivion?

Be ready to get In Love With Oblivion on the 11 of April, it is going to be a must have for 2011.

Carl Craig @ Twenty Planet E

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 09:53:31 -0400

London, March 5th 2011

“As long as I’m alive, Planet E is alive”, Carl Craig.

Twenty Planet E, the London Party

I am not a connoisseur of techno/house/drum&bass/dance music. I enjoy electronic, minimalist, glitch and experimental electro.

I’m not a regular clubbing dancer either.

However, in my music library I keep a gem with care and love.

In 2008 I heard of Deutsche Grammophon’s project to release a special record, the remix of classical music by legendary techno producers.

The record is called “Recomposed” by Carl Craig and Moritz Von Osvald, music by Ravel and Mussorgsky. A sublime work of art.

There was no way of not attending Carl Craig’s event in London last Saturday at Ewer Street Warehouse. Carl Craig celebrating 20 years of his own label Planet E together with world famous techno DJs such as Francois K and Radio Slave. – A must-see, I thought.

I arrived at the Warehouse at about midnight. I was expecting colourful sunglasses and cyberpunk silver and gold shining jackets. I was so wrong.

Simply people like you and me with a good music taste?

At midnight the expanse space of the warehouse was still bare. The rooms were half empty and I didn’t have to queue for a drink.

The venue, a car park. The tall arches of the musty rooms transmitted the idea of the volume of the music played. It wasn’t loud, it was voluminous instead. The venue made me remember a walk through an archeological site with few spots lightening the walls, puddles on the ground. I imagined ancient amphora and dusty tools displayed. It’s a warehouse, isn’t it?

Entrance, First bar area – Room 1 – Second bar area – Room 2.

Laser beams in green, projections, blue and white flashing lights framing the stage. “No Smoking” projected on the walls, not actually being read by the audience.

The Room 1 was the one to watch, since, as human being, I don’t have the gift of ubiquity, yet.

Here is the show line up:

ROOM 1

10-11 – Rufus

11-12 – Chris Stanford

12-2 – Francois K

2-4.30 – Carl Craig

4.30 – 6.00 Radio Slave

ROOM 2

10 – 1:30 Finale

1:30 – 2:30 Psycatron Live

2:30 – 4 Paul Woolford

4-6 – Sound As

Got my vodka and energy drink and headed to Room 1.

Mac standing in the middle of the console, Francois K was already exploring the space with house/techno/dance music. Beats, I couldn’t avoid moving to the rhythm. I could feel the fine touch of dub here and there. The selection was eclectic, futuristic I would say. An adventure of styles, smooth mixing in a climax of energy, preparing the increasing crowd for the “moment”.

Carl Craig arrived. Magic in the room, till then still comfortable, half-empty, quickly packed. Within minutes, I couldn’t move my arms in my goofy way anymore.

Honestly, it became just insane. In the best way insanity can be.

Music became visionary, almost untouchable. The electronic ambassador of Detroit led me into a travel throughout Planet E’s history. Edits and remixes of twenty years of pioneering venture, experimental sounds always a step ahead in the music industry. Alternating moments of pure “techno soul”, as he liked to call it, imaginary, melancholic and emphatic music with upbeats rhythms and syncopations, injecting crisp drum pattern in the right moment.

Carl Craig’s machine moves people emotionally. Abrasive percussion lines, mixing past and future… he was epic. Memorable. I was moving without dancing, I was listening to a part of music history.

The non-stop DJ schedule went into the next round. Radio Slave arrived changing the forms of the party, leaving the state of techno romance into deep, nerve-wracking beats. I started “dancing” again. Tribal and hypnotic. Long repetitive tracks, meditative, perfect mixing. Five hours I was there dancing my ass off and didn’t even feel it. Radio Slave was clapping between tunes as always, moving back and forth at the console, the machines under control, accompanying us till the end of the night.

Good times. I realised how tired I was. 6.30am. The sun was up outside. It has been a travel to the past and to the future. Please Carl Craig, never stop abusing of machines.

London in the sky

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:20:10 -0500

London in the sky

Bury The Hatchet

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:19:17 -0500

Bury The Hatchet

In Berlin

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:16:53 -0500

In Berlin

Rosenthaler Platz, in Berlin

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:16:24 -0500

Rosenthaler Platz, in Berlin

Suicide Circus, in Berlin

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:15:31 -0500

Suicide Circus, in Berlin

In Berlin

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:14:03 -0500

In Berlin

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 05:13:26 -0500

In Berlin

2011 - a mixtape with my favorite tunes from 2011.

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:27:27 -0500

2011 - a mixtape with my favorite tunes from 2011.

Audio

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:41:00 -0400

Model: Kate Moss

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:35:20 -0400

Model: Kate Moss

New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:02:38 -0400

New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle