Onra - Chinoiseries

French Vietnamese MC and DJ Onra did some crate digging on a recent trip to Vietnam. The result is ‘Chinoiseries’, an instrumental hip hop album like no other. Each of the 32 tracks are constructed around vintage vietnamese pop records and clock in between 1 and 2 minutes.

Unlike Moby, who was given a box set of bluegrass and slave song recordings at a dinner party, and went on to pillage his way to advertising heaven with ‘Play’, Onra has managed to maintain the pathos of this source material.

You don’t feel like he’s simply sampling a bit because it sounds cool, instead you are treated to a recontextualised sound of the far east. Incidently, it sounds cool.

THINK: The Moby it’s okay to like
LISTEN: Onra’s myspace and side projects
BUY: Onra’s ‘Chinoiseries’ at Boomkat

Just A Band - We Are E.P.

Continuing with the French theme, Just a Band have released a bangin’ EP, ‘We are.’ It features three Just a Band tracks, and a remix of ‘We Are’ by The Shoes. I’m not sure whats going on at the moment, but French artists are taking over my iPod.

While Just a Band will inevitably draw Daft Punk comparisons, they have a rougher aesthetic aimed at the dancefloor, not your local hit radio station. Just a Band they may be, but their output is far from ordinary.

And while I’m on all things French:
BUY YOUR OWN DAFT PUNK HELMET!

THINK:  French Electro House.
WATCH: Just a band in Action
LISTEN:Just a band’s Meh-space
BUY: ‘We are’ from Beatport

    
The Reddings - In My Pants

I’ve missed a few (TFI) Friday’s, what with one thing and your mother, so I thought I’d make up for it with this ‘Single Entendre’ from the 80’s. So jump on board, and take your place as a “Lieutenant in the Army of the Freaks!”

Soulwax - Most of the remixes

Soulwax ( aka 2ManyDJs) release a compilation of remixes they did for cash, for friends or for giggles. Regular listeners to Borrowed Beats may remember a Bastard Pop section, and 2ManyDJs are widely regarded as poineers of that genre.

A love of all good music is the foundation to sucessful remixers. Currnet remixing flavours of the month like Diplo and Kissy SellOut can take any track and make it sound like one of theirs. Soulwax on the otherhand can take any track and just make it f*ckin’ cool, even Kylie.

It was difficult to pick two tracks as stand outs from “Most of the remixes..’ because they all rock. I picked hi octane high hat, bass-laden opener ‘Standing in the way of control’ and a reworking of DJ Shadow’s ‘Six days’ as an introduction. This must have album comes with a bonus mix cd by 2ManyDJs. They must be good friends. 

THINK: You favourite bands just got better
LISTEN: A wealth of 2ManyDJs bootlegs
WATCH: NY Lips ‘Excuses’ get Soulwax‘ed
BUY: Most of the remixes… at Amazon

So That’s what they meant!

Marky Ramone, drummer with the legendary band, took a look at their already expansive ( ‘a’ and ‘e’ are interchangeabe in the preceding word) merchandising catalogue and decided that there was room for one more poorly conceived ( I kill me) merchandising product.

Dude - Hey Baby, how’s about I give your undercarraige a bit of how’s your father?

Chick - Oh My Gawd, you must be jokin’ me if you think that you’ll be poking me. (Thanks Lily Allen) Hang on a sec, is that a Ramones condom case? Hey! Ho! Lets Go! Safely!

As the once great Maud Flanders (RIP) once uttered: Will someone please think of the children!