Monday 21 May 2012

Recognition for White Mink


The guys at White Mink and Freshly Squeezed must be patting themselves on the back this week after Mixmag  named their London nights at the Bedroom Bar the second best night out in the country. This comes just a fortnight before the sold out Parov Stellar gig that they are hosting at Koko on the 31st May, and their Jubilee Weekend event in Shoreditch on the 2nd and their appearance at Meadowlands Festival - pretty perfect timing . And about right too - interestingly they are as much taken by the immersive aspect of the event as I was. 


I suggested to the label boss/ promoter/ DJ Nick Hollywood that this was rather a coup for him and his team and he replied "Mixmag is without doubt one of the most respected dance music magazines in the world. To be named by them as one of the best 3 parties - not just in the UK - but in the world (because they are very much focussed on Ibiza right now) - really says a lot about the phenomenal growth of electro swing as the most important new music genre on the dance scene... And no, it has nothing to do with the amount of alcohol we plied them with when they came down to the club on several successive nights in a row!".

For me this is further evidence that electro-swing is here to stay and is not a mere flash in the pan. I also saw a something on The Correspondents' Facebook wall about them heading to Radio 1... yet more grist to the electro-swing mill. No doubt this summer will see the electro-swing stages at the festivals becoming among the more popular. I can hardly think of a better genre for festival goers - big beats, cheerful tunes and smiling faces!


I cannot begin to describe how excited I am about the prospect of Parov coming to London, and even more so now that the location and line-up of the afterparty have been announced - Purple Turtle in Camden will play host to DJs Jon Bingly Bongly, the legendary DJ Chris Tofu and DJ Dr Cat on the decks, with the promise of 'friends and special guests' - I wonder who...
The full details can be seen here.

The Austrian and his band will be performing tracks from the new album 'The Princess'. This is one of them.



With just a day in between for recovery (cutting it fine, I can tell you), the Jack the Cad team will be sallying forth once more, to the White Mink event mentioned above. That event will see the excellent Sound Assembly playing a live set: the four piece produce sexy, seductive and slightly scary vintage tunes set to some grubby grubby dance beats.

Sound Assembly presents ....Nu Skool Swing (FREE download at www.soundassembly.co.uk/loveme) by soundassembly

Other acts will include the usual troupe of magicians and dancers, plus mash-up maestro Scott Cairo, DJ Tallulah Goodtimes (the side project of House veteran SophieDJ) and my personal favourite, a GlitchSwing set from DJ Razzamatazz. 

Here is a little sample of what to expect from Tallulah:

Tallulah'sother4minutemix by tallulahgoodtimes


And a little something from Woolfie Razzmatazz, and blunt instrument is quite right!
  Blunt Instrument Vs. The Four Lads - Constantinople Train (Razzmatazz Mix) **DOWNLOAD LINK INSIDE** by Wolfie Razzmatazz

The Jubilee Weekend promises to be a big one, but stand by for information about the events happening between now and then.

Jack

Thursday 17 May 2012

New music update

There has been something of a spate of great free downloadable music landing on the doormat here at Cad Towers over the last couple of days. Being rather busy with the day job I at the moment I am just going to share them here for you all.


First, Kiwistar, that channel-hopping, gig hungry producer/DJ has very kindly offered us all a nice 90-minute mix of some of the finest electro-swing out there. The mix includes the excellent French turntablists C2C's new track 'Down the Road', a rather jolly 'Inspector Gadget' remix, Kormac's 'Wash my Hands' and some really grubby stuff towards the end - Huzzah for swingstep! If you like this, Kiwistar has several gigs over the Jubilee Weekend, including one at the Islington Metalworks on 1st June, and, I believe, at White Mink at Meadowlands on 2nd.


UPDATE - those of you who follow me on Facebook will have seen that Kiwistar is not playing at Meadowlands.  


Kiwistar's Spring Swing 2012 Mixtape Free Download by Kiwistar


Next is a clean version of another Jeeves and Wooster mash-up, this time with a couple of US mainstream rappers I have never heard of. As you may know, I love the original television show and have blogged a different remix of the theme before - this one is, I think, better - the lyric and the beat fit so perfectly - really great mash-up electro-swing.


DJ Jeeves & MC Wooster Quik Get Down (DJ Dodgy-Style Mash-Up Edit) by Barely Legit


Finally, I would never forgive myself if I didn't warn you all that this is the last day (17th May) that you can download the excellent Electro Swing and Gospel Breaks set from Skeewiff. ever since my original post about them they have been played at least once a day. Get it while you still can! Skeewiff - Electro Swing & Gospel Breaks (D/L enabled until 18/5/12) by Skeewiff 


 Lots of love,


Jack