As someone who likes to think that he isn’t easily roped in by trends and fads, I’ve been very wary to not get too into the whole new rave thing. As an ex-raver and self-proclaimed proponent of rave music I am trying to avoid getting my hopes up about the true return of the rave. I do allow myself to get a little excited sometimes when I come upon something nu-rave that is so good that, even if nu-rave didn’t exist, every time you heard it, you’d catch a slight scent of Vick’s Vaporub and your fingers go all tingly.

If you haven’t come across TRASH FASHION out of London yet, they are truly the real deal. None of this Klaxons intelligent post-punk with sirens adopting rave style and covering Kicks Like a Mule. Trash Fashion is pure original energy. Integrating hectic elektro with thrash guitar and vocals and simple disco songwriting sensibility, this is what the nu-sound should be like. If you have heard their first big single Rave Dave, you’d know that they are capable of a self-effacing, tongue-in-cheek style but they do it without seeming shameful or negative about it, which is a really hard line to walk. It’s like they’re proud of the raveiness understand that is indeed something to laugh about. It’s certainly not like anything done before. I really hope these guys can escape being pigeon-holed into the fad because I sense that they are capable of becoming the future of high energy rock. Also, the other reason I love them is because they rock the short shorts and have inspired me to do the same (i’ve been looking for a reason to wear soccer shorts to clubs for eons). Be sure to break out the sunglasses when i’m around because these comely gams will be glowing at a party near you.

Trash Fashion are releasing their debut EP - ‘Mom & Daddy’ on 8 October although I believe there was short run of their previous collection of songs including their nu-classic, tongue-in-cheek hit, Rave Dave. Recently played on Kissy Sell Out’s Radio 1 show this track is the Jet Storm Ear Cleaner Mix of the title track off the EP. It has a bassline reminiscent of Tiga’s Louder Than A Bomb but with more a hectic, edgy feel and quickly builds into their trademark disco thrash sound closing with epic crowd cheering in the background a la Charley Lownoise and Mental Theo (haha). BOOOOOM.

Trash Fashion - Mom & Daddy (Jet Storm Ear Cleaner Mix)

Trash Fashion Merch!

I know what you’re thinking. It’s September 11th and there’s a picture of a guy who looks like he’s just emerged from a 48-hour flight from Tazmania just to get home. Don’t be fooled by appearances.

Sam Hell is Jim Holland, an edgy enigmatic northern breaks DJ who’s recently been signed to UK breaks label Sinister Recordings. Jim is scarily talented: his debut single on Sinister, ‘Stay Out All Night’, which was released in July 2007, has already received much accolade from the industry, attracting fans such as Soul of Man, Dreadzone, Crystal Method, Elite Force and Annie Nightingale.

Although it’s early days for Sam Hell, in the past couple of months he’s remixed “Alright DJ” by Idiotbox for emerging US house label Hardplace Records and “The Lords of Eldorand” by Beat Monkeys for Brighton Breaks (released this month).

In real life, Jim is a pretty unassuming, very cute guy with a quiet intensity that is striking. However, he’s hardly the spawn of Satan as the picture or the name suggests. I first met Jim this summer, in the most unlikely of places: in a barn, in the middle of a field, in the middle of nowhere at a secret festival organised by some mutual friends. I was quickly impressed with Jim’s shit-hot set that included a strategic mixture of everything dancy – breaks, techy house, electro. It wasn’t even dark outside and the place was heaving. Hands down, it was one of the best, if not the best, sets of the weekend.

After buying Jim a drink, I learned that he hails from a place called Preston, which I originally thought was Scotland (and kept saying all night –oops) – I stand corrected, it’s actually somewhere far up north of England, parallel to the Yorkshires and just northwest of Manchester. Although he reckons that being from up north doesn’t have much bearing on his music, I disagree. His tracks are moody and raw, and after listening to the mix he made especially for Trash Menagerie, my ears felt raped. Jim’s mix for TM is very different in style and atmosphere to the set I saw him do earlier this summer. He’s a diverse DJ, I like his sensibilities a lot, and from what I can see, I think he’s made a nice little dent in the breaks scene for sure.

As per normal, I had to ask all the dumb questions, just because I can and ‘cuz I wanted to know.

Amy Riley: Enquiring minds want to know: what gives with the photo? That doesn’t even *look* like you. (But who am I to say?) Is there a story there?

Sam Hell: It’s me without glasses and a bit more hair…

Amy Riley: How long have you been making music?

Sam Hell: Been making music for about 8 years, breaks (properly) for about 2.

Amy Riley: What got you into breaks?

Sam Hell: I guess people like Adam Freeland, the Prodigy and BT’s “Movement in Still Life” got me into breaks.

Amy Riley: What music were you making or into before that?

Sam Hell: Was in a rock band playing bass. (very cool)

Sam Hell’s follow up to “Stay Out All Night” is “Bone Snow”, which is released on Sinister Recordings in November and features a remix from Dopamine (on the TM mix). Although Jim keeps it on the down low, I reckon he’s got a lot more up his sleeve. You know what to do.

Buy:
http://www.juno.co.uk
http://www.streetwisedigital.co.uk/

Listen:
http://www.myspace.com/samhell2006
http://www.sinister-recordings.com

Sam Hell’s mix for Trash Menagerie — 11th September 2007

[display_podcast]
Tracklisting:
Sam Hell - Bone Snow (Dopamine Remix)
Uberzone - 4 Bit
Hi-Fi Bugs - Don’t Die, Don’t Kill Anyone
the Beat Monkeys - Steelz Loves the Cock (Nectarios Remix)
Chris Lake - To The Point (BSOD Remix)
Matt Rock - What U Feel (Deadmau5 remix)
D. Ramirez - La Discotek (Darren Emerson Remix)
Stanton Warriors - Shake It Up (Hook n Sling Remix)
Digitalism - Idealistic
the Gossip - Listen Up (Punks Jump Up Remix)
Freeform Five - No More Conversations (Switch Remix)

A special thanks to Marek Richter, owner of Brighton Fusion, who hosted the mix at the last minute when I was too busy being an idiot savant.

By day Venla Kivilahti, 32-year-old Finnish native, is a BAFTA-nominated senior designer who lives and works in the heart of London, based at a company called Reading Room Ltd, where she creates some of the hottest games, websites, designs and cool stuff that I wouldn’t even know how to spell without a dictionary.

However, by night, Venla turns her well-honed skills to the world of cartoons, and with her pen poised, she directs the flashlight at the turbulent, haphazard world of dating — from a female perspective of course. I’m not a comic geek so I won’t tell you which cartoons her work is similar to or pays homage to or anything like that. What I will say is that they’re cheeky, very cute, honest and funny. Like Venla herself, I hasten to add.

I first met Venla in 2000, when we became part of the same after-works drinks crowd that flocked around Brighton Media Centre on Middle Street, was immediately impressed with her bobbed bright red hair, cool yellow bike and penchant for heavy metal. Venla’s hugely talented, so when she moved to London, it came as no surprise. Neither has the recognition her work has been receiving as of late. Her recent professional awards include a BAFTA nomination for Best Interactive website, New Statesman Awards for Best Accessible Design, Best Arts, Culture and Heritage Project in Charity awards, Highly Commended in Best Educational Initiative in Museum and Heritage Awards, BBC site of the day and Yahooligans site of the week.

Venla’s latest venture involves moving to Sydney, surfing with sharks, and deriving some inspiration from the more chilled out Aussie way of life. She promises to throw a few more comics our way once on board ship, which I will duly not drop in the sea — more to come later.

One can still enjoy a song without understanding a lick of the lyrics, and when sung by a young French songstress like electropop starlette Catherine Ferroyer-Blanchard, it really doesn’t matter if you understand or not. Earlier this summer she released a cassette single, “Chanson d’Amour” (i.e. “Love Song”), and Yelle’s super cool producer GrandMarnier has made a less dainty, slightly harder, dancey remix of it!

Catherine Ferroyer-Blanchard - Chanson d’Amour - GrandMarnier remix

I’ve added in their video (created by Yoann Lemoine), because I find the look of the nerdy French guys with their chunky glasses, sparkly suspenders and calf high white socks with red stars to be humorous. I also like that one of the dudes is sitting underneath the young starlette’s dress. La La La La La La La La La La La.

Cassette singles are available with paypal on Catherine Ferroyer-Blanchard shop!

Deep in the heart of the West Midlands - Birmingham in fact, there is a mini revolution going on….. it goes by the name of Bigger Than Barry. These Boys have been putting on parties for a short while now, often frequenting haunts like The Bulls Head in Moseley, Warehouses in the Custard Factory and random hipster parties in which they flex their Djing skills like ‘Imperfect’ and ‘Push Soundsystem’.

Their Djing style is sporadic & hyperactive to say the least, but hey they definitely get pulses racing. A past Barry mash-up raised the roof so much that the police were called and it got shut down! They not only manage to get shy individuals dancing like deranged psychos serving up tunes in the form of micro mixes of M.I.A, Sinden, Chromeo and RadioClit just to name drop a few tune, but they provide an outlet for you to give your nastiest, most outrageous outfits an airing.

So grab your mum’s old wedding dress, a fluro mac, some glittery wellies or even a bucket to wear as a hat and shake what your momma gave you at one of Barry’s next jaunts!

Whatever you do….wear comfy shoes, because your feet may end up bleeding beyond belief.

If that’s not enough you can now don one of their fantastico t-shirts which can be purchased straight from Bigger Than Barry

This is the most magnificent video I have ever seen! It brought a tear to my eye. Apparently Yuki Kajiura has composed music for dozens of films, commercials, and video games as well as a number of hits with groups and as a solo act. I’ve watched this video like 50 times and it is no less amazing!

Yuki Kajiura - Fugainaiya

I have had the deep pleasure of going through the complete (or near complete) collection of EPs, 12″ and singles from the early 90’s electronica band, Conemelt.

Conemelt (1993-2000) was Grant Newman, Ashley Marlowe and Nathaniel Mellors. The three met while living in Tunbridge Wells. It was the proverbial band love story — everyone working shitty day jobs (chocolate factory, record shop), making music in all the spaces in between, and playing in a hundred different bands when they came together to form Conemelt. “We met because we were knocking about together in a small town,” said Newman. “I guess we were the ones with funny hair.”

The trio produced their tracks with a variety of drum machines and analog synthesizers, drawing on predominantly punk and industrial influences of the decades before to produce experimental dance music. Newman laughs when he remembers the “technology” of the time: “The only computer we had was an Atari 1040, with a total of four megabytes of memory!”

Conemelt experienced much success in their time, touring through Europe and coming out on labels such as Full Frequency Range Recordings (US), ILL, and Andrew Weatherall’s various labels including Emissions Audio Output, Emissions Lo-Fi, and Sabres of Paradise. They were featured on the late John Peel’s Radio 1 show.

All great things must come to an end and the boys went their separate ways. Grant Newman is based in Brighton and continues to perform in experimental music ensemble NoizreverzioN, solo project Static Crash, and as an artist with the performance art collective protoPLAY. Ashley Marlowe and Nathaniel Mellors have moved to London.

Releases:
Conemelt (12″) – New Ground Dance Division, 1993
Confuse And Destroy (2xLP) — Emissions Audio Output, 1995
Crash, Bang And Wallop (12″) — Sabres Of Paradise, 1995
Flashermac (12″) — Emissions Lo-Fi, 1995
You Fuckers Fuck (CD) — New Ground Dance Division, 1995
You Fuckers Fuck (2×12″) — New Ground Dance Division, 1995
Confuse And Destroy (CD) — Emissions Audio Output, 1996
24 Carat Conemelt (2xLP, Album) — ILL, 1997
24 Carat Conemelt (CD) — ILL, 1997
Rocker’s Ruin E.P (12″)– ILL, 1997
Rocker’s Ruin EP (12″) — ILL, 1997
Artificial Timestretch Lady (CD, Maxi) — ILL, 1998
Artificial Timestretch Lady (12″) — ILL, 1998
The Last De-icer (CD, Maxi) — ILL, 1998
The Last De-icer (12″) – ILL, 1998
Sticklebrick city (2×12″) — ILL, 1999
Sticklebrick City (CD) — ILL, 1999

Complete Discography: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Conemelt

Conemelt - Hairy Knuckle Know-How

Conemelt - Don’t Fear the Funk

Conemelt - Pear Shaped Funk

Conemelt - The Joys of Surface Noise

Conemelt - Track 09 from “Confuse & Destroy”

Conemelt - Agnostic Stomp (Punx Not Dead)

Conemelt - Wallops Girlfriend

Conemelt - Floating Bloke Mandible Man (Animals on Wheels remix)

Conemelt - Hunky Monk