Notre Jam Summer Playlist 2010

I've been sitting on this mix for a few weeks now, which showcases a few of the tracks that have been getting regular spins at Notre Jam gigs over the last few months. Turn your speaker stack up to 11 and enjoy.

1. Holy Ghost - I Will Come Back (Classixx Acacpulco Nights Version)
2. Aeroplane vs Friendly Fires vs Flight Facilities - I Crave Paris
3. Miike Snow - Black And Blue
4. Theophilus London - Humdrum Town
5. Twin Shadow - Slow
6. Chromeo - Don't Turn The Lights On (Aeroplane Remix)
7. Database And Holger - This Is An Untitled Song
8. Count And Sinden feat. Mystery Jets - After Dark
9. Robyn - Love Kills
10. Jammer - Back To The 90s

Notre Jam - Summer Playlist 2010 (Right-click, save as)

To book our DJs to play at your event, send an email to dj@becauseassociation.com.

Twin Shadow

It has taken me an age to write this post, but the subject is well worth the wait.

A few months ago Pitchfork posted a track, Castles In The Snow by Twin Shadow, on their Forkcast section which I loved instantly. The album which followed, Forget, has since replaced everything else I previously listened to, and is on daily (more likely hourly) rotation. Even while on holiday in Ibiza, I spent most of my time with it playing in my headphones. From the opening of Tyrant Destroyed, to the last moments of the title track it is a revelation.

The most outstanding track on the record for me is Slow (see video above), which blends the drums from Joy Division's She's Lost Control with a bassline nod to The Cure's Forest. Surely a mix of some of the best elements alternative 80s music had to offer. George Lewis Jnr even manages to sound like a cross between David Bowie and Morrissey on a number of tracks.

If this sounds like your kind of sound, catch Twin Shadow on tour over the coming months. I'll be heading to the show at Madame Jo Jo's in London. I can't wait!

Radio Silence

The Because Association team have all been on their summer holidays recently, hence the lack of updates. We hope you have all enjoyed breaks of your own.

Expect some action from us this week as we get back to regular service.

Jack Splash - King Of The Beats

Gilles Peterson played Cee-Lo Green's new track I Want You on his radio show this week, and this slice of sweetness is produced Jack Splash who has form for producing high-quality, soulful music. His Plantlife project was well received by critics, and seen as a pretender to OutKast's polished hip hop sound, and he has worked with Alicia Keys (Teenage Love Affair), Solange Knowles (T.O.N.Y.) and John Legend (P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)). In the run up to the release of his first solo album, Technology and Love Might Save Us All, Jack is releasing mixtapes online to whet our appetites and remind how prolific he can be. Of the two available so far, King Of The Beats Vol. 1 and Heir To The Throne Vol. 1, check out King Of The Beats Vol. 1 which showcases the sunshine soul side of his repertoire and features Cee-Lo on 38 Special.

Staygold - Backseat (Live P3 Guld 2010)

I felt I had to post this after having played it on repeat for the last few days. The Scandinavians just seem to make effortlessly brilliant pop music, as demonstrated here by Sweden's Staygold with Robyn, Damien Adore and Spank Rock playing Backseat live at P3 Guld awards show.

Also appearing were Teddybears, who played their track Rocket Scientist minus collaborator Eve but without losing any of the quality of the original:


I've still got my fingers crossed for a Junior Senior reunion.

Intel x Vice - The Creators Project

The Creators Project, a diverse multimedia exhibition curated by Intel and Vice Magazine, landed in London at Victoria House this weekend for the second of five scheduled stops in major cities around the world. Featuring a vast array of artists who push the boundaries of thought and technology to produce their works, the event was an eye-opening experience. The curators hope to expand the reach of the event to more cities next year after taking in New York, London, São Paulo, Seoul and Beijing in 2010.

Connect With Kinect

We were lucky enough to be invited to the Microsoft Christmas Showcase yesterday to get a preview of the new Kinect motion control system for Xbox360 at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Filling the gap between Nintendo's Wiimote/Sony's PlayStation Move and the futuristic technology of Minority Report, Kinect allows you to play games without traditional controllers by mapping your body to your on-screen avatar. This brings an even greater level of immersion the gaming experience.

Defeated by Apple...

So How did I, Apple-hater #1, end up bending over and letting in the Apple horde?    Read on...

So now I was ready for my next video-playing device, but I didn't want something I had to use to transcode video...

At this point, I was against device convergance, and thought a phone should be a phone and a media player a media player.  Looking around at my options, I decided to go back to my old friends Creative for a device that was again billed as an "Apple Beater"...

Dr Applehater - or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the iPhone.

So here sit I, the eternal iPhone/Apple hater. Listening to a nice Krafty Kuts mix on my new 32gig iPhone 3GS. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?  Read on to see how I lost my soul to the big A!

I used to hate iPhones and Apple. A lot. I respected their design, and their user-friendliness, but hated the closed ecosystem of iTunes, and their inability to play downloaded TV shows (without conversion).  Also, the fact that I couldn't move music around to wherever I wanted it was a big problem for me.

So, my rebellion against Steve Jobs began when all my mates were getting the 1st gen iPods, and I rebelled by...

Summer Mixtape!

I put together this mixtape to soundtrack my lazy Sunday lounging and thought I would share it so you can do the same. Years ago I helped out on music festivals on Morecambe promenade (Summerbreeze 1996-1999), and loved the sound of the bands drifting around the seafront like "aural lens flare" (© Joel Crookes 2010). If this were the soundtrack to a film, Sofia Coppola would most likely be directing it.

Tracklist:
1. Washed Out - #1
2. Summer Camp - Ghost Train
3. Atlas Sound - Walkabout
4. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
5. Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours (Siriusmo Remix)
6. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round And Round
7. The Dum Dum Girls - Blank Girl
8. Tennis - South Carolina
9. Phoenix - Love Like A Sunset Pt 1 & 2

Summer Selection - June 2010 (Right-click, save as)