Neomix Volume Two

Finally after so many people bugging me, I've put together another mixtape in the Neoloop series Neomix (I guess I can call it a series now there is a second volume!). Volume Two is as eclectic as the first and covers all the stuff we love on Neoloop.

Tracklisting is as follows:

• 1. Get Free: Major Laser
• 2. Why: Carly Simon
• 3. On and On (Ruined by Rick Rubin): Justice
• 4. Big Love: Matthew E. White
• 5. Without You: Behling
• 6. I Walk This Earth: King Biscuit Time
• 7. I'm on Fire (Cousin Cole's Bad Desire Remix): Bruce Springsteen
• 8. Hamjam (Tofu Mix): The Soul Session
• 9. Social Studies (Plastic Plates Remix): Body Language
• 10. So Good At Being In Trouble: Unknown Mortal Orchestra
• 11. Big Shot: Dr.John
• 12. Bombay: El Guincho
• 13. Tear Club: Moullinex
• 14. Chip Off The Old Block: Chic
• 15. Destiny: John Talabot
• 16. Le Grand Sommeil: Ginger Ale
• 17. Get Lucky: Daft Punk
• 18. Utopia: Footprintz
• 19. Juicy Onion: Brusco
• 20. Benediction: Hot Natured & Ali Love
• 21. Bourgie Bourgie: John Davis & The Monster Orchestra
• 22. Inspector Norse: Todd Terje
• 23. Lost: Frank Ocean
• 24. Sea: Roosevelt
• 25. Done and Over It: Marie Madelenine
• 26. Goblin City (Holy Ghost Remix): Panthers
• 27. Island: The Whitest Boy Alive
• 28. La La La: Snoop Lion
• 29. Fashion Killa: A$AP Rockey
• 30. Perfidia: Phyllis Dillon
• 31. The Baddest Man Alive: The Black Keys
• 32. Blue Skies: Willie Nelson

Monster Remix

The cool vibes of TEED are spinkled over this new Foals track. Excellent work that brightens up the oringinal by keeping the best bits with minimal fuss. A class rework.

Chic and Classy

Follow their excellent output of recent tunes Benoit & Sergio have produced a very sexy and sultry remix of Matthew Dears Fighting is Futile track from last year's fine Beams. A slow head-nodder that transforms the original into subtle piano led funky groove. Nice work!

Late Night choice

One of the best Late Night Tales compilations for a while, the compilation series that maintains a quality output have chosen the effervescent Friendly Fires, an inspired choice as it turns out. The selection covers many genres as well as uptempo house, obscure indie, disco-funk, art-pop and ambient chill. This tune is a stand-out, fourth track in, anthemic porn-disco Fly Like An Eagle by Dennis Parker. And it's not just the old stuff that makes for an impressive collection, Melody Echo Chamber's Endless Shore is a welcome addition from a great artist. Friendly Fires’ exclusive cover version of the ’78 electronic classic Why Don't You Answer by Eberhard Schoener and Sting sounds like one of their own.

Surprise choice perhaps is Olivia Newton-John's cover of the Elton John classic Love Song from Tumbleweed Connection, an amazing version that I've never heard before. Also includes choice cuts from Cocteau Twins, SBTRKT, Iron Galaxy, Bibio, Stereolab, Slowdive, Joe Simon and Sonna. 

Definitely one of the best comps of the year and certainly one of the best Late Night Tales comps ever, no mean feat considering it's on it's thirtieth edition. Highly Recommend.

Buy it now on iTunes

A world of discovery

Here we have our first big contender for album of the year status. Barcelona's John Talabot releases his first album, ƒIN and it's a stunner! Talabot takes on many different styles on this record and weaves them together seamlessly with confident grace. Bursting with a rainbow of colours, intricate textures and deep atmospherics that delve in and out of deep house, disco, and indie pop with shades of tropical lushness and Balearic beauty.

Quiet and loud, dreamy haze and pulsating beats. There are so many moods on this LP and that's what makes it so interesting, I discover something new with every listen and the more you listen the more it opens up. Destiny a co-production with Madrid's Pional is an outstanding house tune that's sounds as good on headphone as on the dancefloor. Pional turns up again for the album closer So Will Be Now, another house track that leaves you wanting more. Outstanding and Highly Recommended.

Buy it on iTunes, John's place in MySpace

Like this? Try: SBTRKT, Delorean, Caribou, Boards of Canada, Matias Aguayo, Nicolas Jaar

Science-fiction exotica

Currently enjoying the new debut album from Mickey Moonlight right now, a mad title that completes his band name… Mickey Moonlight and the Time Axis Manipulation Corporation. Kind of like a cross between Jimi Tenor, Sun Ra and Sebastian Tellier, the whole album is a cosmic jam, a mellow space warp into interplanetary music! Close to Everything is a deep house ballad that exudes style and class with a strong vocal from George Lewis Jr. A cool collection a songs, perfect for chilled-out late night grooving. Recommended.

The band comprises of an impressive array of artists that include: George Lewis Jr, Marina Gasloina (ex Bonde de Role), Susumu Mukai (Zongamin), Tim Sparke, Suzy Silver, Sandro Perri, Bishi, Lou Hayter (The New Sins & New Young Pony Club), Tahita Bulmer (New Young Pony Club), Anita Blay (TheCocknBullKid), Deborah Howell, Fimber Bravo (20th Century Steel Band), The Fullfat Horns (Jake Painter, Carl Sterling and Robin Harris), Sonny Akpan (The Funkies).

Bands place in MySpace

This is a real nice slow groove from Nicolas Jaar that I found on Stephane Pompougnac's Day & Night mix. It's got an old seventies soundtrack vibe going on with a deep house groove mixed up with cool bongos and a great vocal. It's been around for well over a year but I still love this kind of stuff. It came out as a B-side to Time For Us at the beginning of last year.

A Summer Riot!

Deep house grooves from Behling, enough to brighten up your pool party while basking in the heat. Released as part of the EP A Summer Riot on Future Boogie Recordings. I first heard this in Behling's Slow House 3 mix a couple of months ago. Good to hear the full version here. Just add blue sky and your favourite cocktail.

Such a hurricane trapped in my soul and I can't explain!

London's SBTRKT album drops this week. Full of solid tunes, SBTRKT (real name Aaron Jerome) tries out lots of different styles and succeeds most of the time on his eponymous debut. Your probably already familiar with hit tune Wildfire, a collaboration with Little Dragon. But that's not the strongest song on here, Pharaohs is outstanding featuring the blindingly impermeable vocals of Roses Gabor. There will be the inevitable James Blake comparisons with guest vocalist Sampha almost identical soulful croon on the haunting Trial of the Past and Hold On. And sounding more up beat on Something Goes Right. But overall this is much more of an up-beat record than the somber minimalism of Blake. It's full of energy mixing up dubstep, drum & bass, garage, funk and soul, R'n'B and nuances of Chicago House with a killer pop sensibility. Instrumental Ready Set Loop is fully charged with intricate skipping rhythms, as is the uplifting Never Never and features another highlight vocal performance from Sampha. Right Thing To Do feat. Jessie Ware is another outstanding tune. Do not let this one pass you by, go get it! Highly Recommended.

Buy it on iTunes, sbtrkt.com

Brooklyn Nu-disco/electropop trio Jessica 6 (named after a Logan’s Run reference) are of former members of Hercules & Love Affair and have just released their debut album, See the Light, through Peacefrog Records. It's full of stomping nu-disco groovers and hypnotic funk, including another guest vocal from Anthony Hegarty on Prisoner of Love. To celebrate the band has released a B-side, a party-starter called East West Funk as a free download. If you liked the first Hercules & Love Affair LP then you'll love this.

Like this? Try: Hercules & Love Affair, Lindstrøm & Christabelle, Prins Thomas, Diskjokke, Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Chic

The beating of a million drums!

The French electro-house duo Justice comeback! New single entitled Civilization. Been hearing this everywhere, not only because it features in the Adidas advert, but also getting plenty of airplay. Who cares if it sounds like Daft Punk, it's still good! Taken from their forthcoming sophomore LP.

Cracking bass thumping house from Jay Haze, I Wait for You, featuring the kooky but sultry vocals of Laila Tov singing in spanish it's an interesting mix (there are elements of electro, dubstep and tech house here). Taken from Haze's new LP Love = Evolution.

Classic Underworld track from their latest LP Barking. I love this, builds with intensity until the synth's kick in with the chorus 'There is one bird in my house'. it's magic. Up there with Cowgirl, Two Months Off and Push Upstairs.

Big big tune from Friendly Fires, collab with Azari & iii.

I love this shit! Last we heard from Friendly Fires was their cover of the Holy Ghost's Hold On. This one goes in a heavier house direction than the indie/dance crossovers we are use to. Still has the all the hallmarks of Friendly Fires - cow bells and Ed Macfarlane’s soaring harmonies with added contribution from Toronto based house heads Azari & III. Taken from their ‘Suck My Deck‘ compilation for Bugged Out - Out tomorrow! - Bloody excellent! 

Looking forward to a new Friendly Fires album too, the bands website state… our album is continuing apace and sounding heavy. Salsoul Orchestra meets Tom Tom Club vibes m8.

Official site

A feelgood club hit for you here, this is is such a happy tune from Tensnake, the Hamburg disco-housers. The hypnotic beat pulls you into a vortex of hedonistic snappy synths, "Can I get? Can I get-get?" on a loop, it all sounds so fresh but with a definite foot in the 80's disco camp. An anthem is born, your be hearing more from this lot, guaranteed! [From Coma Cat EP; out now on Permanent Vacation]

Bands place in MySpace

Loving the vibe of this, very chilled summer groove to soundtrack the current heatwave. A little sunshine soaked disco-reggae beat and a choir of soul divas sounds just perfect, just add your own sunshine. Belgium duo Aeroplane's brand new single is out this week on Wall of Sound.

Buy it on iTunes, Bands place in MySpace

This week I've been enjoying the new LP from Delorean, another high-quality chillwave pop album to put next to your Animal Collectives and Grizzly Bears. However Spanish four-piece Delorean have been kicking around the scene for awhile now and give the genre a slightly euro-pop edge and dance-pop groove widening their appeal to a broader audience. Following up from hype-building Ayrton Senna EP in 2009 the band releases Subiza, its third full-length album. 90's house groove form the backbone of much of the album with charming harmonies and soaring organs. This track has a slight tribal house vibe and is a mesmerising blistering pop tune for a perfect summer soundtrack. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Like this? Try: The Morning Benders, Sun Airway, Real Estate, Animal Collective

Buy it on iTunes, 

House with a twist of lemon from Stefano Miele, aka Riva Starr. Following his very successful remixes comes If Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade, his new album (released in January 2010) - full of eclectic dancefloor fillers. I Was Drunk takes inspiration from the Balkan music scene with the distinctive gypsy brass and skanking beats.

The album Stefano described as Mezcla, a universal Spanish word that’s used to describe a mixture of different things that seems to aptly apply to Stef’s music with his World influences and eclectic beats. Check out his album for the full ‘Mezcla’ experience. 

Like This? Try: Jesse Rose, Balkan Beat Box, Mahala Raï Banda, Shantel

Buy the album on iTunes, Riva Starr's place in MySpace

We've had a lot of interest in Matias Aguayo after posting up his excellent track Rollerskate. He has a new album out now Ay Ay Ay which is a cracker.

Heard this at a wedding of all places, last Friday, a great classic house tune from 1988. Still sounds good when you play it loud! Very hard to find.