Even though the Belgian electro-rock, KRACK addicted outfit Soulwax hasn’t released a record in a minute, they’re still running rampant on the decks. Over on Triple-J, the hip Australian radio channel, The Dewaele brothers are sharing new songs, themed mixes, and inviting various guests of the Triple-J festival to grace the M-I-C. After their essential mix, I’m always curious on what may spring up when they’re the conductors of my speakers….
Still, a remix I can’t get enough of…
And you wondered where the Soulwax posts have gone? 2010 brings nice, no fuckin’ great news from the Belgian camp. The Dewaele duo are creating their own site to enliven our weekends with none other than 2 Many DJs’ compilations. NME reports, but since I will only make enemy with the NME, I learned of this greatness via URB. The gist:
“To have 200 tracks in an hour, to clear them, it’s impossible,” he said. “So by doing it with a radio license we bypass that problem and it’s free for everyone.” Dewaele said that although the duo had been working on new band material as Soulwax, they may not release a conventional album. “Something will surface,” he said, “but I’m not sure if that’s going to be a CD.”Appropriately, I give you their tribute to the one and only Billy Ocean:
Not Belgian style, but Italian style. Thanks to Crookers, a dirty DJ/remix duo out of Italy, my title can stand. We Love Animals features Soulwax. On a predominantly instrumental track, the nite vibe is there; as are those prototypical, staccato, druggy beats sprinkled over recent Soulwax lab work. Something to tide us over, I guess. Crookers are gearing up for a massive guest heavy record, and We Love Animals is maybe an idea of what is to come…
The Belgian brothers have not been up to much, that I know of, this year. We can only hope 2010 will see an unleashing of new material; maybe a true follow-up to Any Minute now? Sure, Nite Versions houses some of my favorite tracks of the past few years. But on that ’04 release, I fell hard for songs like, A Ballad to Forget, where the Dewaeles lay their fingers all over the keys. Traditional style. Not run through any effects or concocted for the ecstasy-laden dance floor. I won’t be picky though – if Soulwax sits down in the lab at nite, or during the day, for a rock-infused record, their output is guaranteed to be stuck on repeat….
…The Crabs are in the house/Kyuss is in the house, yeah/The Mud Hang’s in the house/Thin Lizzy/The Breeders/Millionaire….
When you bite, it’s only right to pay homage to those originators. Or, maybe acts who are bringing fresh elements to the table – they deserve props, too. Ours, yours, everyone’s favorite Belgian duo, Soulwax, kindly pay their respects to over 40 forward thinking musicians on “Teachers” – which originally appeared on Daft Punk’s Homework.
One of those many acts, happen to be Millionaire – who are fellow countrymen of Soulwax. On 2001’s Outside of the Simian Flock, this quintet, formed by ex-dEUS guitarist Tim Vanhamel, concocted “Come With You”. This track bustles with a funky Prince meets Matt Mahaffey playing toys vibe, while lyrics convey a sense of freedom and willingness to come alive. Just as Mahaffey, this blog’s ultimate teacher, wears his mentors prominently on his sleeve, Soulwax aren’t hesitant to confess a few people who led them onto greatness…
With this, I’ll bring the fire, and I’ll burn us down….tonight.
Tiga, the electro, techno, sometimes over the top DJ/producer, who hails from Montreal, has concocted the guilty pleasure of maybe the summer: Shoes. Yea, the lyrics are simple, maybe even horrible, to some, but the beat reels you in with its playful tone. It has become embedded in my brain. Not that it matters after the infectious groove seeps through you, but Tiga had the Dewaele brothers – better known as Soulwax – serve as his producers on Ciao! The pinup boy, with his Flight of the Concords playfulness on “Shoes”, is known to drop numbers with infinite exhuberance and over the topness. Shit, it’s Friday; let fuckin’ loose with “Shoes”!
That’s Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem fame – or the vocalist on Soulwax’s ubiquitous club track, “NY Excuse” that still pops up when you step out for the evening. Now she’s guesting all over an album. On Juan Maclean‘s sophomore record, The Future Will Come, you’ll be hard-pressed to hit a track where Nancy’s vocals don’t grace the spacey house tracks. Unbeknownst to me, and maybe you too, the 12 plus minute (Remember Freak Out/Starry Eyes) epic, disco meets house burner “Happy House” closes this record, but it’s not new – no, it’s been circulating for over a year’s time and Nancy is all over it. How did we miss this, MiS? Maybe it was disregarding Juan Maclean after not falling hard for his debut album Less Than Human. I actually walked out of his NYE gig at the Empty Bottle a few years back because I thought better things were happening elsewhere. In my defense, I went to see the opening act: Spank Rock. Still, how the hell did a year go by and this wasn’t spun regularly around these parts?
Regardless of my asleep at the wheel slip-up, this track yearns to set the soundsystem a blaze. “Happy House” opens with a bounce similar to a Hot Chip number – with rapid-fire bass, a conga-like beat and enough energy to make you move. The groove throughout is a few note piano strike. With Whang on vocals and Juan spinning the dials, you are in for one hell of a ride from the initial shake until the explosive finale.
Juan Maclean :: Happy House (M4A)
Or take a ride on his Myspace.
The Future Will Come will see a lot of play from me. If LCD’s Sound of Silver was re-worked by Human League, it might sound like this. Recommended.
I’m sitting on something rather catchy here – to be more specific, it’s infectious, really. Das Pop, out of Ghent, Belgium have concocted an assortment of party jams; tracks to spin before you’re about to step out on a Saturday evening. It’s a nice mix of elements we enjoy: guitar driven dance rhythms, driving bass lines, and a sprinkle of Soulwax here and there. If the Das Pop’s name sounds slightly familiar, it might be. Justice has prominently incorporated them in their mixes – especially “Underground”. Upon first listen, “Underground” is the perfect combination of pop tricks to get you thinking you’ve heard this song many times over. But no, it’s not 10 years old; it’s from 2007. This group of Belgium composers understand how to seep contagious tracks into your head.
And the real kicker, this quartet’s debut LP was produced by the Dewaele brothers – A.K.A. Soulwax. (New mix on their MySpace) If you’re familiar with daytime Soulwax , when they’re not remixing themselves, you’ll find lighter elements of Any Minute Now interspersed throughout. Das Pop toy with springier garage rock, too. But they aren’t just another band who write dance songs with guitars and hand claps; Das Pop can compose light-hearted numbers with subtle piano hits, light strings, and delicate plucking, too. With upbeat party tracks, a soulful ballad or two, Das Pop have put together a record earning repeat spins today and most likely throughout all of 2009. Highly recommended…
If there were a word that could combine ‘pioneer’ and ‘godfather’…
If you have yet to get your hands on the the 69 minute documentary showcasing Soulwax, you’re in luck. Pitchfork.tv is offering up the DVD in its entirety for one week’s time. Yea, watching movies on your computer’s screen isn’t for everyone; live footage, interviews with numerous blogged about bands on here, and a peer inside of who the Dewaele brothers really are await your patience though. The boys at Pitchfork were nice enough to break up the mayhem into chapters, so watch it in increments, at your own leisure. Highly recommended….
And that ride consists of the psychedelic wave laid down by MGMT. Oh, they bored you too in a live setting? Then maybe you need the re-works by Soulwax and the soon to be era-defining duo, Justice to help you tie your headband back on.
Burrito!
Hey Girl, Hey Boy, 2 Many DJs, Here We Go!
Just like you hopefully stumbled here to discover some new music, I uncover new finds when I spin the occasional DJ mix; Radio 1’s Essential Mix is usually my go to these days. After encountering Justice’s Essential Mix from early last summer, (still won’t let this one go) I also found the simple, yet essential site: New Mixes.com.
A few days ago, I upped what happens when the Soulwax boys mess with the Chemical Brothers’ beats. At first, I figured this might have been a track from way back when, but then I discovered a 2 Many DJs’ set recorded live at the English dance festival Creamfields. The Dewaele brothers decide to kick off their 58 minute set with none other than “Hey Boy, Hey Girl”. With Creamfields hosting acts like Paul Van Dyk and Tiesto, 2 Many DJs err on the side of hard hitting club music; they do drop MGMT, Gossip, Hot Chip, among others though. And if you prefer to err on the side of pop tendencies, Soulwax rocked an Essential Mix in 2005–this one doesn’t stop.
2 Many DJs live at Creamfields
Soulwax look to be back in the States this fall to show support for their forthcoming DVD.
Should we turn this blog into a site where it’s strictly Soulwax content? Or did that already happen? All I need is exclusive content and a ghost writer.
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