In addition to personally inspiring a short-lived and bruise-ridden interest in urban rollerblading, the movie Hackers (1995), starring Johnny Lee Miller and a surprisingly child-free Angelina Jolie, is memorable for two reasons: cringeworthy dialogue that seems infinitely more cool during a movie than on paper, and a soundtrack filled with nostalgic techno tracks from the early 90s. The movie was perhaps my first, albeit indirect, exposure to genuine electronic music, and the British electronic group Underworld arguably gained even more of a following with the track “Cowgirl” appearing on the movie’s soundtrack. The song plays when… I don’t know, the l33t characters are performing some amazing montage-worthy hack? I can’t specifically recall.
For those who were permanently affected by that movie’s soundtrack, or for the elder among us who were already knee-deep into the electronic music scene at the time, here’s some newsworthy information that you might appreciate: Underworld are releasing two “career spanning” compilation albums this month. The first, A Collection, is a single disc set featuring “edited highlights” (or radio versions) from the group’s 20-year career, alongside recent collaborations; while the second, 1992 - 2012 Anthology, contains three discs consisting of 16 “full-length Underworld classics” and nine rare or previously unreleased tracks. Both compilations are available for digital download now on the band’s website, with CD versions becoming available January 23. Check out the tracklistings here and here.
Baby lambs. Tiny peeping chicks. KITTEHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All newborn things, all adorable. But really — let’s be honest here — is there anything in life more precious than a newborn record label? In these trying times, it gives one heart to see a fledgling label giving it a go, and that’s precisely what the good people at revered label Soul Jazz’s London record store Sounds of the Universe are doing. That’s right! A record label’s store is giving birth to another record store. Babies having kickass babies. Somebody call Maury!
Appropriately enough, the store’s new label shares the same name: Sounds of the Universe. Its inaugural release comes from Chicago electronica dude Jamal ‘Hieroglyphic Being’ Moss, a fellow equally influenced by his hometown’s storied dance music past and the ethereal space strains of the legendary Sun Ra. The Sounds of the Universe label will release Shikaakwa, Moss’ limited-edition one-sided 12-inch named after the Native American word for Chicago, sometime towards the end of January. With hand-etched artwork from Japanese artist 2yang and a limited run of only 300 copies, this puppy, available through the Sounds of the Universe shop and website, will likely sell out quickly. Better break out those nasty bubblegum cigars while you’re at it.
Pelican is a large bird that resides primarily near the water. Pelican is also an instrumental metal band from Chicago. Ha! Got you with the classic bait-and-switch! You clicked this story thinking that it would be about your favorite bird, but now you have to read a story about your favorite instrumental metal band from Chicago. You’ve got to read this and… that sounds like it’s going to be okay for you. Really, what’s left to say about Pelican, the bird? There’s no blood in that stone, if you follow me.
But Pelican, the band? Plenty left to say about them! We could talk about how they haven’t put out anything since 2009’s What We All Come to Need and we just did. Let’s even talk about how they’re breaking that recorded silence by putting out a four song EP called Ataraxia/Taraxis through Southern Lord on April 10. Heck, while we’re chewing the fat, let’s touch on the fact that this marks a new stage in the band’s history, since all four members of Pelican live in different cities, leading to a greater focus on composition and utilizing different recording techniques.
All this talk about Pelican is making me thirsty and also hungry for fish. Let’s sit down and quench our thirsts. Sate our hunger for the sea’s delicious treats. While we’re sitting, we can talk more about Pelican. Did you know they’re going on a European tour in April? They are.
Time to take your pants off and show everyone that neon pink g-string you’ve been wearing since 2 Live Crew had you feeling so horny all those summers ago. There is no better time for a 2 Live Crew reunion, especially as the emcees are in their 50s at this point. If they were to reunite at 65, you’d probably have to see them play nursing home venues, where many a hips would be sure to pop out of joint.
Luther Campbell is all the wiser, so on his stop through the Sundance Film Festival — where he’s promoting a short called The Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke — he announced his group will begin touring this summer. Get ready to pop that coochie and shake that azz all summer long. We’ll have tourdates as they become available.
If there’s one guy the writers at Tiny Mix Tapes get a huge boner for, it’s Canadian stack-of-bricks bass saxophonist Colin Stetson, whose album New History Warfare Vol 2: Judges on Constellation made #3 on our year-end list. But for me, it’s less about his lumberjack physique and more about his enormous… saxophone.
This spring, Stetson will arrive in the East Coast with his mammoth horn to stir up our hormones. Alongside the beefcake will be the smoldering sexpot Sarah Neufeld, whose powers of seduction have overtaken the likes of Tim Hecker and who Stetson has performed with in Bell Orchestre and Arcade Fire. You might want to clean your pipes before going to any of these gigs.
Tourdates:
03.23.12 - Durham, NC - Motorco Music Hall $
03.30.12 - Kingston, ON - The Grad Club *
03.31.12 - Waterloo, ON - Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics *
04.01.12 - Buffalo, NY - Big Orbit’s Soundlab *
04.03.12 - Brooklyn, NY - Glasslands *
04.04.12 - Amherst, MA - Hampshire College
04.05.12 - Troy, NY - The Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media & Performing Arts Center *
The Roots did it with undun (TMT Review), and now the breath of fresh old-school air that is De La Soul (or at least 2/3 of them) have planned their own concept album under the moniker First Serve: the album is called First Serve. It’s the first De La-related album since 2004’s The Grind Date (TMT Review), but this time they’ll be spitting from the mouths of the fictional characters Deen Whitter and Jacob “Pop Life” Barrow, two brothers in Queens who want to get the hell out of Queens (can you blame them?).
Stream the first track, “Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along” right here:
And be sure to watch the 40-something rappers dressed up as Whitter and Barrow living a cartoon life in the early days with Ma Dukes breaking down the door while they tryna get they smoke on. Catch that over at NME.
