::Shir Khan Presents Secret Gold 05::
Early support by Andy Butler/Hercules & Love Affair, Soul Clap, Erol Alkan, Tiga, Solomun, Robag Wruhme, Skream, Booka Shade, Claude Von Stroke, Pete Tong, Tensnake, Waifs & Strays, DJ Feadz, Dubfire, Till Von Sein, Adana Twins, Sasha, XLR8R, Wehbba, Cosmo Vitelli, DMC UK Buzz Charts, Drop Out Orchestra, Philip Sherburne (RA), Kasper Bjoerke, Peter Kruder, Danny Howard (BBC Radio 1), Tsugi Mag, Mathieu Schreyer/KCRW Los Angeles…
Exploited’s semi-regular “mini compilation” series continues, with Shir Khan collecting together a quartet of new cuts from the label’s extended roster featuring Psychodelico, Piemont, James Curd, Freeform Five/Tuff City Kids.
Design by Neven Cvijanović from Floor 5:
Shir Khan’s childhood images turned into golden memories
(in this case a Monchichi / Shir Khan’s first soft toy).
About the artists:
1. PSYCHODELICO
Psychodelico are a white duo from NY. Anthony & Martin met at University in the early 90’s. They immediately synched together and decided four years later to open a video rental store on the 5th Avenue.
The love for the 80’s and the rise of digital convinced them to hold tight to the VHS Library and start collecting all sorts of analogue machines knowing that one day for some reason it would have paid back.
For the last 3 years they have been discovering and enjoying their vinyls and watching with friends hundreds of old music video tapes.
After getting inspired and writing some great music in the dusty basement that once used to be their store they finally decided to approach the dream label.
The story continues with Psycodelico’s first single “Sex On The Phone” getting signed to the mighty Exploited! A pure 80ies Cocktail: Human League and Depeche Mode Stylistico.
2. PIEMONT
Made up of long-time friends Frederic and Chris, the pair first decided to hook up and make music together back in 2007 and, since then have released on techno labels like Monika Kruse’s Terminal M, Area Remote, MBF and SKINT.
Piemont’s sound is best described as organic techno. Their music always comes stuffed with a sly robo-funk and is built in many rich layers. Their preference for ambient sounds, melodic lushness and abstract electronica makes every track different from the next – for evidence just listen to their recent ‘Jack my Records’ for Exploited, or earlier classics like Carbonat and Back Smoker.
3. JAMES CURD
After dropping “Red” and “I See Lights” on Exploited as Jimmy & Fred, the unstoppable Adelaide-based producer James Curd has teamed up with JDub (lead singer of the Greenskeepers Project) for a new collaborative track called “To Cool For School”. Anyone remember “Buffalo Girl” from 2008 featuring James Curd, Derrick Carter and JDub from 2008 on Greenskeepers Music? “To Cool For School” sounds like a proper update with illmatic verses and styles for 2014.
4. FREEFORM FIVE/TUFF CITY KIDS
The return of Anu Pillai’s Freeform Five has also coincided with a minor resurgence in electro clash – we’re not quite at 2007 levels yet but Five’s latest single (released earlier this year on Exploited), ‘Brandy Alexander‘ is pointing to something similar.
Pillai doesn’t really do simplicity, and ‘Brandy Alexander‘ sees the producer back to his most daring concocting a mixture of rolling acid lines, clash-y vocals and twisted basslines – and with an unreleased remix by Tuff City Kids ‘Brandy Alexander’ is back in safe hands.
Based just outside of Frankfurt Tuff City Kids is the alias for production duo Gerd Janson, boss of Running Back and long time DJ (Resident DJ in Panoramabar and Robert Johnson) and Arto Mwambe member Philip Lauer. Besides their far-reaching and esteemed solo careers, Tuff City Kids have provided remixes for high-profile artists such as Azari & III, Tensnake and Ali Love and released original EPs on Delsin and Osgut Ton sub-label Unterton. For Freeform Five’s “Brandy Alexander” they delivered a stylish Italo-Disco-Update on Exploited which has been roadtested several times at Panoramabar Berlin and finally sees a release.
Early Feedback:
Andy Butler / Hercules & Love Affair: Chicago Kids doing it right. Too Cool To Dance is it. Dig Brandy too.
Soul Clap: James Curd in full effect!
Robag Wruhme/Whighnomy Brothers: Nice! Too Cool To Dance. RW!
Pete Tong: All of these on point!
Skream: Loving the Tuff CIty Kids Remix and ‘Jack My Records’
Tensnake: Tuff City Kids Remix! Thank You!
Pedro Winter: Radio & Club Plays
Bodhi: Great Comp.
Adana Twins: Nice collection! Tuff City Kids nailed it!
Waifs & Strays: Really feeling this whole release – top notch.
Kasper Bjoerke: Sex On The Phone and Tuff City Kids Remix are great!
Drop Out Orchestra: Too Cool For School! Top Tune!
Sasha: Always love the Piemont Boys.
Doctor Dru: Nice Comp, Shirk! All playable for me. Cheers. Dru.
Smash TV: All about ‘Jack My Records here’. Love it.
Peter Kruder: Too Cool To Dance is fun. Love it. Will play this.
Tsugi Mag France: Cool EP.
Lane 8: Tuff City Kids for me.
Till Von Sein: Dang…dat TCK Remix is hella fresssh! Big up!
Djuma Soundsystem: Piemont and James Curd for me. Great stuff!
Philip Sherburne: That Tuff City Kids Remix is quite nice!
XLR8R: All about Tuff City Kids Mix.
Sidney Charles: Piemont Track is super cool!
Danny Howard / BBC Radio1: Real retro feel to this release. Like it!!! Too Cool To Dance.
Mathieu Schreyer/KCRW Los Angeles: Yes!
Purple Disco Machine: Jack
Feadz: Tuff City Kids Remix is great!
Dubfire: Jack My Records!
Wehbba: Sex On The Phone is hot! Also really digging Jack My Records.
Compuphonic: Jack Jack Jacccck!
Edu Imbernon: Sex On The Phone! Cool package!
Cosmo Vitelli: The TCR for me!
Khan: Sex On The Phone. I Love it!
Mickey: Great Compilation!
Gary Martin: I just like Too Cool To Dance. It’s very oldschoold and cool to me.
