Buon Natale!

Most of this album is complete rubbish - however, this version of Winter Wonderland is quite nice. Have a safe and merry Christmas everyone!

Winter Wonderland / Mirror Image (YSI) - expired.

Christmas with Ralphie.

Did you know that Cleveland is the backdrop to the holiday classic A Christmas Story? Bet not. Reason #317 to visit our fine city -- A Christmas Story House & Museum.

Winter Wonderland / The Funk Brothers (YSI) - expired.

Deck the halls.

A new mix from my good friend, ultra talented DJ, and all around rad dude MisterBradleyP. He has put together a fucking great holiday mix. So many (myself included) flood the web with "themed mixes" that more often than not, fall flat and loose direction. But this baby is tiiiiiight. The Snoop Dogg intro may initially turn off some readers of this blog - please don't let it. Its only the beginning (one that I like btw) of a super fun journey through some brilliantly chosen and tightly mixed Christmas tunes. Such a party starter! Feliz navidad!

Xmas Remixed / MisterBradleyP

It's snowing in Cleveland.

We had our first snow today and I'd be lying if I said it didn't get me in the holiday mood. So I'm gonna celebrate with a cocktail and a spliff and a song. Here's a track from the recently released Moments Of A Crisis compilation out on I'm A Cliche Records. The album is just chuck full of unreleased diamonds; like this aptly titled Holidays from Cosmo Vitelii and Mark Kerr under the guise of Bogus.

Holidays / Bogus (YSI) - expired.

Minimal pop.

Minimal techno gods from Berlin reworked by frozen balearic gay biker house gods from London.

Wand Aus Klang (It's A Fine Line Mix) / Burger & Voigt (YSI) - expired.

In your eyes.

My favorite cut off the Lawrence full length Until Then, Goodbye out on Mule Electronic earlier this year. I've heard Lawrence's style described as minor-key house; a fitting title for this deep & ambient release from Peter Kersten.

In Your Eyes / Lawrence (YSI) - expired.

Just one day.

"Goblins from the permafrost North playing on instruments such as spider webs, rabbit ears and blood mixed dew. An album are being worked as we speak."

Stream Forest's new single Just One Day here.

Stuck on repeat.

I've asked this question countless times...rarely does it yield a good answer. Sigh.

I unearthed this gem for a gig I played this past weekend and it's been on repeat in my studio ever since.

Why Can't I Touch It / The Buzzcocks (YSI) - expired.

Discolated

Just picked up diskJokke's Discolated Remixes compilation. It's no secret that he's been a busy dude the past couple of years; churning out originals and remixes of the highest quality. The comp features the likes of Metronomy, Bloc Party, Lykke Li, Lindstrom and my favorite of the bunch - his reworking of Ost & Kjex's Boston Food Strangler. Enjoy!

Boston Food Strangler (diskJokke Remix) / Ost & Kjex (YSI) - expired.

Tell your friends to cool it.

The Belle & Sebastian EP Books is without a doubt the group's funkiest effort to date. When the release dropped in 2004 it was a pretty big departure from the standard B & S vibe - some people loved it; others hated it. I loved it (shocker!) and unearthed my copy to share with you today.

Belle & Sebastian do disco? Well, not exactly. But damn close.

Your Cover's Blown / Belle & Sebastian (YSI) - expired.

Cover (Version) / Belle & Sebastian (YSI) - expired.

Damn.

This Friday is Welcome to Manchester. I'm pretty excited to have John from Bent Crayon playing with me. His record store is amazing. I'm assuming his personal collection is even better....really looking forward to his selections Friday night. Here's something I'll be sure to play...one of my favorite acid trax ever. It's simple. It's perfect. It's Chicago. It's Adonis.

Shout / Jack Frost & The Circle Jerks (YSI) - expired.

A Bloody Mess.

My Halloween mix.

The President Is Gone (Combo ReEdit) / John Carpenter

Feast Your Eyes / Afrobutt

Hey Boom / John Carpenter & Alan Howarth

Crystalised / The xx

The Wakening Beast / Aphrodite's Child

Venganza Y Seducción / Rebolledo

A Pleasure Doing Business / John Carpenter & Alan Howarth

Lucifer Rising / Darktown Strutters

Fear (Serge Santiágo 1980 Lost Edit) / Easy Going

A Bloody Mess. Halloween Mix. / P. PleasureCruise

See What I've Become.

I love this record. Not too sure what drew me to it back in 2003 - but thank god I bought it. The title track See What I've Become is like this awesome hybrid of ambient / electronic / indie rock. And it still sounds soo fresh - maybe even fresher, now that this whole lo/fi no/fi scene is going bananas.

I've been playing this record out for years (as evident in the 'far from minty fresh' condition) and never really took the time to look into who Ghost Cauldron was until I decided to post it. Apparently Ghost Cauldron is DJ Kaos. Am I the only person who didn't know this?!?

Perfect tune for cold and stormy nights...

See What I've Become feat. Perilaus Bull / Ghost Cauldron (YSI) - expired.

Heist.

Receiving emails from The Courier of Death shouldn't be a good thing - unless of course it's from a polite chap in Glasgow. Taken from the press release:

The Courier of Death releases “Heist”, the third single from DEN HAAN in late November.

Having established themselves as firm favorites of Glasgow’s long-running club Optimo (Espacio), as well as successfully working up a sweat at Fabric and Disco Bloodbath, DEN HAAN (Matthew Aldworth & Andrew Gardiner) are back with the third instalment in their electrifying macho-disco ouvre.

This time the Glasgow duo, who were responsible for unleashing “Release the Beast” (Optimo Music) and “Night Shift” (Dissident) on unsuspecting dance floors earlier this year, return with a cinematic two-track 12”.

Greed! Violence! Double-dealing! Vengeance! These are the themes of this action-packed single.

The 12” features “Heist”, which puts you behind the wheel in an explosive hi-NRG car chase, persued by Moroderesque swooping arpeggiators and ‘punch your fist in the air’ Glam Rock Guitars. “Russian Boat Commander”, on the other hand, is a progressive Cossack disco stomper that takes you on an epic voyage of symphonic eastern melodies and dangerous Gothic undertones.

It is also the debut single from The Courier of Death, the new label run by DEN HAAN themselves. They have already released The Courier of Death – The Original Soundtrack (from the ultimate B-movie, originally released in 1984) and now adopt the same name for their label.

Escape into the unknown with DEN HAAN’s “Heist”.

Matt was kind enough to provide me with both tracks off the release. These are low bit rate and for preview only - support good music and buy the record when it drops in November!

Heist / Den Haan (YSI) - expired.

Rest In Peace.

Happy Birthday Patrick. You would only be 59 today.

Mind Warp was Patrick Cowley's last album. I've chosen to keep the recent creepy vibe going with They Came At Night, and then its onto my absolute favorite Cowley production ever ever ever, the album's title track Mind Warp.

And to think we lost him soon after the release of this absolutely pioneering piece of work...much, much too soon.

They Came At Night / Patrick Cowley (YSI) - expired.

Mind Warp / Patrick Cowley (YSI) - expired.

Silver Shamrock.

Halloween III. I don't think I can put into words just how awesome this movie is. And the soundtrack by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth is fantastic. Chariots of Pumpkins is my favorite on the album. Its got that driving, pulsating feel that I love in so many of Carpenter's film scores. A close second is First Chase. Oh, and Halloween Montage is the track with the classic Silver Shamrock jingle. Enjoy!

Chariots of Pumpkins / John Carpenter & Alan Howarth (YSI) - expired.

First Chase / John Carpenter & Alan Howarth (YSI) - expired.

Halloween Montage / John Carpenter & Alan Howarth (YSI) - expired.

Boo.

Fall is in full swing and we're less than a month away from Halloween - seriously one of my favorite times of the year. Fall in the Midwest is soo amazing.

So I finally got my hands on copies of John Carpenter's Halloween II and Halloween III soundtracks - pure synth insanity. Here's some of my favorites from part II. Come back tomorrow for a couple of tracks from the bizarre epic that is Halloween III:Season of the Witch.

Laurie's Theme / John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - expired.

He Knows Where She Is! / John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - expired.

The Shape Stalks Again / John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - expired.

p.s If you get into Halloween as much as I do - head over to AsRestlessAsWeAre for the most insane collection of aural and visual spooktacular mayhem to ever grace the world wide web. Top notch.

Party time.

Smile your face.

I was going to post a melancholy, downer of a track today to coincide with the rainy weather we've been having all week here in Cleveland. But why contribute to the gloom and doom? Why not post an uplifting track to help us forget about the nastiness outside? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. So here ya go - the quintessential hippie disco jam from Jerry & Co. circa 1978.

Makes me smile every time I hear it.

Shakedown Street / The Grateful Dead - expired.

Slow Blow

Received some really good and really fun edits from Madrid based Nelue. He describes the selection of tracks as a "tribute to people I admire"; most of which I could i.d. but some others I was clueless on. Regardless, I really enjoy all of them, which lends insight as to how groovin' each and every track is. I thought I'd share my favorite of the bunch, that coincidentally really got the floor moving this past weekend - an edit of Hot R.S.

Most disco edits I enjoy listening to and playing out often retain the original sound and feel of the track, but have subtle updates to work on today's floors. This edit of Slow Blow exemplifies that.

Oh! And check out Nelue's latest work on Eskimo's fantastic release Cosmic Balearic Beats Vol.2.

Slow Blow / Hot R.S. - expired.

Slow Blow (Nelue Edit) / Hot R.S. - expired.

Italo bomb!

The list of dancefloor gems produced throughout Kano's existence is a long one indeed. Soo many classics that continue to stand the test of time as originals and remixes. Thought I'd share one of the lesser blogged about tracks from early on in the group's career. Enjoy!

Holly Dolly / Kano - expired.

Keeping it casual.

I meant to post this on Friday, but the day was soo casual that I forgot. Essential DFA release from Gavin and Co.

Casual Friday / Black Leotard Front - expired.

The Closer.

Enjoy this extremely radical track from Lime. The perfect finish to a perfect night.

The Party's Over / Lime - expired.

MoCA Mix

Enjoy a portion of my set from the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art Fall Gallery Opening this past weekend. I decided to start recording about thirty minutes into it, so please excuse the abrupt intro. The mix is just under an hour and contains some familiar and not so familiar tracks. The Crown Heights Affair tune at the end of the mix marks the beginning of headliner DJ Sabbo's set; which was an absolute killer. Super solid dude too.

MoCA Opening Night Fall 2009 / Peter PleasureCruise (YSI)

A dirty diamond.

Received a fresh new piece of music from Small Pyramids today. I've been told it's an edit....still trying to determine what tracks are involved. Any guesses?

Fans of In Flagranti and Wurst Edits will no doubt be loving this jam. A dirty disco rock vibe ... I'm totally feeling it!

Diamonds and Dirt / Small Pyramids (YSI) - expired.

Eskimos? Igloos?

I ripped a bunch of vinyl to mp3 this past weekend. Some records I've been meaning to digitize, while others I had all but forgotten about until the digging for records to rip process began. Case in point is this 2004 release on Eskimo Recordings from Jean Winner. The release is everything you'd expect from the Eskimo crew; classy grooving house with touches of electro and disco to keep things interesting. I've taken the liberty of pitching down the track -4.

Man oh man! The four minute mark is tight...

Kick Me To Tasmania / Jean Winner (YSI) - expired.

Funky Spaniards.

Sorry for the lag in posting ... I've been record shopping! Does that count as a legitimate excuse?

Here's a gem I found for two bucks - a killer price for an album that often goes for much, much more.

Enjoy some psychedelic latin jazz disco funk from Barrabas.

An extremely interesting blurb about the band can be found here.

The more I read about these guys the more albums I want! (I now own two by the way,hehe.)

Hi-Jack / Barrabas (YSI) - expired.

Come fly with me.

I heard this on the radio today...one of my favorite classic rock songs! Sure to brighten up anything and anyone.

A Life Of Illusion / Joe Walsh (YSI) - expired.

To the beach.

We are finally getting some hot weather here ... and I'm loving it. Grab your beach towel and meet me on the sand!

Beach Towel (I:Cube Cosmix Marathon Remix / Karma (YSI) - expired.

To the moon.

I've been eagerly awaiting the first release from Crimea X ever since my friends over at plaidmusic introduced me to them in April. Described as " the coming together of two offbeat, disparate characters", Crimea X is DJ Rocca and Juka Reveberi. Fans of cosmic, kraut and italo rejoice ... the Phoros EP has landed. I've got the 12" release which contains 10PM, December and October. An amazing Florian Meindl remix of 10PM rounds out the b side. The digital release has an additional remix and dub of 10PM. Another killer release from the always smoking HellYeah Recordings camp.

10PM / Crimea X (YSI) - expired.

First Fridays are usually the freshest.

Ride your poney.

This is probably in the top ten music videos for me. And that tune was/is insanely huge.

New Vitalic full length dropping in 61 days, 8 hours, 43 minutes, 51 seconds and counting!

Wooo / Vitalic (YSI) - expired.

Just Say No?

Aaah cocaine. We've had the best of times. We've had the worst of times. This post is for you lady in white – two killer versions of an anthem we've all sung. Enjoy the original (way better than Clapton's) from J.J. Cale, and an amazing italo disco version courtesy of Eric's Friends.

Cocaine / J.J. Cale (YSI) - expired.

Discocaine / Eric's Friends (YSI) - expired.

Freakout!

I've neglected posting upcoming gigs on this blog (all that stuff can be found on Facebook anyways), but today I'd like to do a little self promo. Tonite I will be playing at Luxe Kitchen & Lounge. Expect oddball groovers like this one from the excellent Dirty French Psychedelics compilation courtesy of the Dirty Sound System crew...

La frite equatoriale / Francois de Roubaix (YSI) - expired.

Summer love.

I'm loving this 1974 track from Ozark Mountain Devils. Such a perfect fit for lazy summer days like today...

Jackie Blue / Ozark Mountain Devils (YSI) - expired.

Bear Funk.

We're compilation crazy around here! A house flavored burner from the Hibernation Vol 1 release on Bear Funk. Talk about irony with regards to the release's name – these guys are doing anything but resting right now.

Fluffy Amadeus / Filipsson & Ulysses (YSI) - expired.

Stuck it in and turned it around.

Making bold, ridiculous statements is one of the best parts about having a blog. So here's one; Soul Stripper is the best AC/DC song, like, ever.

And I hate AC/DC.

But when the alcohol and testosterone are flowing, this song will ignite the dancefloor...

Seen it.

Heard it.

Lived it.

Soul Stripper / AC/DC (YSI) - expired.

Easy Breezy.

I've got like three brain cells left from the holiday weekend, and I'm using one of those brain cells to write this post. So it's gonna be nice and simple. Just like this amazingly catchy tune from Pollyester. I missed the limited edition 12" last year...thank god for compilations!

You Are Amen / Pollyester (YSI) - expired.

Night Dubbin'

An exploding hard drive and five days of hedonism in NYC has led to serious blog neglect. I'll try to make up for it by sharing (only a lil' bit tho!) some of the amazing music I've amassed over the past two weeks. Today's track is a beast of a remix from a beast of a compilation. Dimitri From Paris Presents Night Dubbin' is a must have. Three discs of dubbed out 80's dance tunes; two of which are unmixed and a mix cd by The Idjut Boys. I think a dream just came true.

Changes (DFP is Nightdubbin' Remix) / Imagination (YSI) - expired.

Sexy eyes.

The best Dr. Hook song ever = the worst disco song ever?

Who cares?

I love it...

Sexy Eyes / Dr. Hook (YSI) - expired.

Milk is good for your image.

Man, oh man the new Milky Disco 2: Let's Go Freak Out compilation is soo so good. Head and shoulders above the first (and the 1.5 digi-whatever).

This release is so good, that it turns into one of those lazy DJ tools for me. Each and every track on this double disc is pure gold; so now I can just show up to the club, pop in the discs, press play and sit back while people freak out for three hours!

Thank you for making me look good Lo Recordings.

The Chameleon (Johan Agebjorn remix) / Glass Candy (YSI) - expired

Rainy daze.

Friends in Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago ... this post is for you.

When is this damn rain gonna stop? Hopefully this song can tide you over until things dry up. Gretchen Denaro photo.

I Love A Rainy Night / Eddie Rabbit (YSI) - expired

Fly Vision

I'm loving the latest release from Arcadion on DC Recordings. A funkier affair than his debut release Ghost Feeder last year – Fly Vision leans more towards the disco side of things; making brilliant use of vocoders, a heavy bass line and pots and pans.

Yes, I said pots and pans.

Fly Vision / Arcadion (YSI) - expired

Optimo (Espacio)

Enjoy some vocoder fun from 2003. Part of limited edition remix sampler that also included a Chicken Lips and Zongamin remix. My girlfriend at the time brought this record home from a trip she took to London. By no means was this souvenir part of a 'wish list' I sent with her across the pond. Knowing I love music, she decided to buy me a record and this is what she picked out.

How and why I screwed up that relationship is beyond my comprehension.

Overflow (Optimo remix) / Playgroup (YSI) - expired.

Detroit

A quick post before I hop on the road to DEMF, or Movement, or whatever the hell else people are calling it this year. If you are in the D this weekend – get at me. Parties and afterparties and after afterparties galore...

Today's track will definitely be played on the road trip this afternoon...and maybe even tonite.

The Boy's Doin' It (Carl Craig remix) / Hugh Masekela (YSI) - expired.

Change your heart. Look around you.

I am a huge fan of the original. So I'm sure you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that Axel Willner aka The Field had covered The Korgis 80's masterpiece Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime.

The Field's new album, Yesterday and Today, is out this week and is completely amazing. The title track Yesterday and Today...whoa. And I've only listened to it once. Already blown away. Real talk.

Oh, and Kompakt has brilliantly packaged a cd copy of the album within the vinyl release...how great is that?!?

Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime / The Field (YSI) - expired.

Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime / The Korgis (YSI) - expired.

Crossing the line?

A brilliantly balls out jam to get people ready for the floor.

Right Down The Line / Gerry Rafferty (YSI) - expired.

I like it sleazy.

Best Village People song ... ever.

It also accurately describes the majority of last night's activities.

Sleazy / Village People (YSI) - expired.

Midweek Mix

PleasureCruise'n reader Nicolai V.K. sent over a mix earlier this week. Upon listening, I thought it would be fitting to share his mix with all. 

Why? Because it's fun. And isn't that what it's all about anyways?

Nicolai V.K. April/May Mixtape

                  • tracklist • 

Parvati Khan / Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja

Plastic Mode / Baja Imperial

New Order / Bizarre Love Triangle (Shep Pettibone mix, retouched by Nicolai V.K.)

Charlie / Spacer Woman

Woolfy vs Projections / Neeve (Permanent Vacation Tropical Heat mix)

Minilogue / My Teenager Gang

Wareika / Ascending Descending

Jackmate / Male Kicks