The Opinionated Diner

it goes ”Sliiiiiiidddeeee”…and then it goes all twisted like

I managed to convince myself I needed the afternoon off today from the GST and stuff and the infernal heat. Actually I was nominally working on the project that Andy Pickering (that link is a completely different person btw) and I are working on..which is top secret, but in case you were wondering it’s a book..so if anyone has any photos of NZ clublife they think are any good…we’re keen. Fire me an email…..simonDOTgriggATgmailDOTcom….

So, yes, I actually did do something on the book, and a bit on the updated, fresh, Suburban Reptiles page I’m gonna post next week, and I messed around with a whole bunch of Screaming Meemees photos Chad Taylor returned after a decade or so..I might do a new page for them ‘n’all…

But mostly what I got around to was drinking coca cola, editing interviews with Peter Urlich and Mark Philips and listening to records..12” slabs (with one exception) of black stuff with a hole in the middle and a warm feel. I’ve found the most audiophonic (is that a word..you know..where it sounds good) spot on the couch for the speakers and all I need is the laptop…

So…..in rough order…..Gil Scott-Heron “Re Ron” which isn’t his finest moment but I just picked up the 12” for a couple of dollars at Real Groovy, and is nicely of it’s time and has a fine Bill Laswell production; Mathew Jonson “Followed by Angels” ep, two sides of epic warm lush techno in his trademark style; Designer Music “Good Girls” (or is it the other way around..never really figured it out) which satisfies my banging Carl Craig urge (no..I do not want to bang Carl Craig..you know what I mean) and leads perfectly into: Carl Craig “Just Another Day”, four brand new tracks of mostly beatless electronic textures that couldn’t be anyone else and really are close to sheer perfection- raw, sexual, and devasting..then I played both sides of that one again..and and once more; Quentin Harris “The Shelter Anthem”, a lovely classic NYC garage groove from the bright young thing of the Shelter scene; both sides of the second Moxie edit 12”, my favourite disco edits series, the killer on this one for me being the edit of Denis Coffey’s “Wing of Fire”, but they all work; so on a redit thing….the NYC2 does things to old Rheji Burrell tracks from the late eighties and is monumentally deep. These two add a little to the originals but not a lot..I loved these in 88 and I love what these unnamed Italians have done to them; Cabaret Voltaire “Sluggin’ For Jesus” came out on a Belgian label in 1981 and is another that, 24 years later sounds as though some NY label could have tossed it out yesterday; Loose Ends “emergency (999)” (Dub) is another longstanding personal favourite, a loosely funked out boogie from the greatest UK soul act of their decade..this one sounds like it came out in 84 and that’s part of the appeal and Nick Martinelli is really a forgotten talent these days which is a bloody crime.. I’m a big fan of his post Philly sway; New Young Pony Club “Ice Cream” is the second release on Tirk (formerly Nuphonic)…kinda like Debbie Harry meets Bangkok Impact and on 7”..only 300 pressed so the story goes; Starship 727 ”It all Depends On You”, Italian retro acid that is just so damn good..actually I used to dislike this record but then it clicked; Chelonis R Jones “One & One”, Tom Ward turned me onto this electro Prince soundalike from a year or two back..love it; Blackjoy “”La Stache” French nuvo disco played live..fucking cool indeed; Jimmy Castor “It’s Just Begun” because I needed some funk by now; LCD “Disco Infiltrator”, the best track on the best album of 2005 (apart from the Abe Duque album..its a tie but I think the title of Abe’s album sucks, plus the fact it’s mostly old tracks, so its LCD and it rocks); Lindstrom’s “There’s a Drink in my Bedroom and I need a Hot Lady”, a big post disco favourite from last year; the new S2 EP on Underground Resistance…..it goes ”Sliiiiiiidddeeee”…and then it goes all twisted like..love it; finally Brigid came home with the dinner (Fettuccine Alfredo from Prego indeed), berated me for drinking most of a big Coca Cola and I threw on Mr Fingers’ sublime “Stars” before I drifted away….