Arctic Sunrise And More

I could go on posting Underworld tracks and remixes but thought I better change course, variety being the spice of life and all that. I may return to Underworld next week maybe- I can feel a series coming on. Today I offer some new tracks for Friday, the third Friday already in January, a month that is still less than three weeks old but feels like it's been around for much longer.  

This came out ten days ago (although Bandcamp has the release date as 3rd February) and is one of 2023's best new tracks to date- Arctic Sunrise by Joe Morris. Given the blast of cold, cold arctic air we've had coming our way this week and the considerable amount of snow dropped and then frozen over between Tuesday night and Thursday, it's very appropriately titled too. Joe is a Leeds based DJ and producer whose 2021 album Exotic Language was a treasure trove with everything from Chicago house to to ambient, dub and Balearic. On Arctic Sunrise Joe's pulled everything that hit the spot on that album into one eight and a half minute place. It drifts in slowly, shimmering synths and washes of cold, dawn light. After a minute chunky drums kick in, throbbing synths, rattling hi- hats, an acid bassline and some lovely synth pow pows. It all freezes over briefly at five minutes and then a jumpy sequencer line runs in and it all builds back up again into some quite intense acid house action. I love it and think you will too. 

Two years ago Joe did a mix for Brighton's Higher Love label, run by Balearic Ultras, an hour long mix taking in tracks by several people who have been featured at Bagging Area before- Dan Wainwright, Duncan Grey, Original Disco Thing- and plenty who haven't. Ideal fayre for Friday- listen here. 

In a similar vein is this, brand new from Blavatsky and Tolley and Rude Audio, the latter outfit remixing the former pair (whose remix of BTCOP's Just A Disco I posted last year and is still rewarding getting lots of air time round here). The contrast between the deep voice intoning 'just a fuckin' disco', Weatherall in interview transformed, and the finger picked acoustic guitar part that pops up in the second half is beautiful. 

Dance Floor Killer is, like Arctic Sunrise, aptly named and Rude Audio's remix adds to the fun, firing bleeps and lasers from left to right while the chuggy dub techno thumps on. It's on Soundcloud and at Bandcamp. 

Just A Disco

More new music, part of the never ending flow of new sounds and songs that come our way via the internet- today's is courtesy of BTCOP, a London based musician and producer. His latest release is a four track EP called Just A Disco, a tribute to Andrew Weatherall whose voice comes is present throughout the track, talking about the similarities between ancient gnostic ceremonies and acid house, a room filled with smoke, coloured lights and music, four thousand years of people looking to achieving transcendence through dancing. There are four versions on the EP, the six minute original mix, the ten minute Lights On The Hill Mix and two remixes. You can listen and buy at Bandcamp with any proceeds going to Andrew's charities of choice (Motor Neurone Disease and Amnesty International).

The ten minute Lights On The Hill Mix is the one to reach for first, a slow chuggy start, long synth chords and twinkles, and gradually the gathering of a head of steam before breaking down as Weatherall appears to dispense his wisdom- 'there are depths in it but also many shallows'- and then piano chords come in to carry us into the second half. Lovely stuff, the sound of sunsets and sunrises, waves on beaches, tranquil and blissed out. 

Also on the EP are a pair of remixes, one from Blavatsky and Tolley and the other from Justin Robertson and his Deadstock 33s. Justin's remix is a dub techno acid mangler, squiggles, distorted bass, rimshots, bleeps and lots of dark delights. 

Blavatsky and Tolley take an in your face approach too, sticking a massive kick drum underneath, stripping things back and bringing the bassline to the fore. The string stabs add drama and a deeper voice intones, 'just a fucking disco', while a piano line dances away on top.