Reply With QuoteWith the right crowd anything with a beat works. ;)
Platinum Record [Level 8]
Depends, maybe, but dj Aicha and I decided we would go all the way last Saturday at the Nouveau Casino, meaning no track would be too deep in the underground, no tune too obscure. If it's good, play it. So, she spinned extremely pumping 132 bpm euro stuff I had never heard before, nor what must have been 99,45% of the dancers, and it was brilliant. "What is this Aicha what are you playing!?" I threw in titles like "Monkey Walk" from the Arpadis album, a 1977 cosmic undergound disco classic by Slim Pezin & co. and "The Real Thing" by Daddy Dewdrop that I had heard Jerry Bonham do ( the remix). And did they dance? Did they like it? Yes they did. Too weird? NO! The packed floor rocked. From midnight until dawn, hysteria. Maybe it was too crowded to really dance some of the time, maybe not. Of course us the djs weren't the stars, it was the music, and the dancers who lived it.
So, the lesson of this thread seems to be: underground disco works. Djs, do your thing, boldly go where no woman or man has gone before, or at least in 30 years!
Underground Hit [Level 5]
With the right crowd anything with a beat works. ;)
Chart Hit [Level 6]
So Jussi, this Arpadis is pre-Voyage Pezin? I'd like to hear that.
Was that version of "The Real Thing" the Disconet remix?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]"I can see Prussia from my house!". :icon_mrgreen:
Platinum Record [Level 8]
The guy at Chez Yuris of Paris where I got it from explained the Arpadis album was never realesed to the stores in France as too uncommercial in 1977 - we did not discuss whether it was pre-From East To West or after. It's hypnotic stuff nevertheless, with yowling synths, huge bass and jungle noises, probably inspired by the Lalo Schifrin tune of almost the same name. The whole album comes across like a very strange outing with the Voyage people, which it in fact is. - The Daddy is not a Disconet but the TK 12" with an instrumental on side B, a superior version to the original TK 12" with a different tune on side 2.
Last edited by JussiK; August 9th, 2006 at 09:54 AM. Reason: additional info
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
*****
Well that's one way to create the illusion that today's crowds are experiencing something fresh.
Sort of northern soul disco style ...... all the hits that never were ! :roll:
As for playing remote "dance to anything" type "disco " ..... top this !!!
At the TROC we danced to ................ THE YEAR OF THE CAT !!!! .......... :lol::lol:
*****
Baby, take me
high upon a hillside
high up where the stallion
meets the sun
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Oooh, that sounds great. I think I have that version of the Daddy Dewdrop 12"... I'll have to check when I get home.Originally Written by JussiK
Chart Hit [Level 6]
OK, Jussi, I know the "Real Thing" versions on the vocal/instrumental disc. I had them on the other comp (which died) :evil: . I have the Disconet version on this one.
I
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]"I can see Prussia from my house!". :icon_mrgreen:
Platinum Record [Level 8]
A correction, or two: the French album is called ARPADYS, not Arpadis, and the track is Monkey Star, not Monkey Walk. Blame this for my over-excited state.
http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/1669_0_2_0_C/
The Arpadys is apparently very much in demand, just like the BLACK HOLE album from Brazil. I got a listen to Black Hole and truly, it sounded spectacular. The album was not for sale as such though, you were instructed to leave your details and they would get back to you later with a suggestion for the price - somewhere around 250 euros minimum....I'll pass.
No Longer Charting
Just a word of caution.
Before everyone gets carried away, the appeal of this uber rare Disco music is in effect that of 150/200/250 out of a population of X million in Paris.
Hardly proof positive that the music has any wider appeal other than to an infinitesimally tiny, cult audience, who may, or may not be the hippest cats in town (of course Jussi, in your eyes they'll be the hippest of the hip).:roll:
Glad you enjoyed it and your love affair wit' Aicha continues.
Chart Hit [Level 6]
Jussi, I'm very intrigued by this Arpadys album...gonna keep an eye out for it here in NYC.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]"I can see Prussia from my house!". :icon_mrgreen:
*** Forum Leader / Moderator ***
Jussi, never mind the boring remarks from the Southamptonian ayatollah. I would go to your party everyday. I wouldn't spend a dime on Quinny's Goombay Dance Soundsystem:o
BTW, after a relatively calm period he's starting his stirring up again. Probably the constructors of his dreampalace in Playa Pathetica are on strike :-)
Last edited by Videoskooter; August 10th, 2006 at 02:48 PM.
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I have to agree with Quinny's comments. He is 100% on point in my opinion.
No Longer Charting
Video: My dear chap, you sound a mite peeved and your words are tres barbed. Did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?
Hey, I said I'M GLAD he enjoyed it.
BTW: The Arpadys track is on a couple of compilations and has been put out recently on 12" vinyl.....so not soooo rare after all.
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
I'm inclined to agree with Quinny on this one (been doing that a lot lately :D ).
There are a few obscure disco songs I like too. I know just handful of people would even play them much less like.
Anyway, good to see the a little passion on these boards again :-D
Find them and destroy them!
Chart Hit [Level 6]
The two versions of the Arpadys album are a bit different - slightly different mixes on a few of the cuts. I have both and I was going to give one away (thinking they were the same) but then I noticed the songs were ordered differently. When I checked, I found out a few of the tracks, like Monkey Star, were changed mostly around the intros!
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
*****
Maybe I've misunderstood this Jussik ..... because it sounds too odd....
Are you saying this was a full night of nothing being played but the most obsure ......:o
or it was a night that included amongst the more regular stuff .... much that was obscure ? .... :icon_question:
Two totally different things... of course .......
*****
Baby, take me
high upon a hillside
high up where the stallion
meets the sun
Platinum Record [Level 8]
A Full night of nothing but the osbure..obscure..obSURE?! :-)
Nah, Dj Aicha did spin Voyage and I spinned "That's Where The Happy People Go" so regular stuff got played as well, no point of being anally elitist is there? But yes indeed, the place was packed wall to wall, and yes, the punters jumped to the not too well known sounds just as madly as they did to Donna's "Last Dance" or La Bionda's "One For You One For Me". And the more obscurish stuff did dominate - well, at least I'd call Arpadys obscure as no doubt would the audience, it never really was a common title to hear on daytime radio was it, and one rather rarely gets to finger the album in vinyl stores, at least the original edit. And it was interesting to listen to Aicha spin stuff I for one had never heard, after decades of obsessive vinyl hunting. So yes, it was a very good night even if I say it myself. And judging by the reviews on French party websites, the local opinion leaders agree (though I could not control the volume and got carried away, several complaints for being excruciatingly loud). According to one nightlife professional they wanted to hear stuff Dimitri does not spin, new sounds, disco they are not familiar with, and they got it.
Chart Hit [Level 6]
"they wanted to hear Dmitri does not spin".
Well, that's music to my ears. DMeathead is pretty bad, IMHO.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]"I can see Prussia from my house!". :icon_mrgreen:
No Longer Charting
Playlists would be educational/enlightening.
Would I be right in assuming that this was a very French interpretation of a Disco night, more or less solely for French people? Very insular people the French, especially when it comes to culture. They're on a totally different planet to the rest of us.:lol: :lol: :lol:
Chart Hit [Level 6]
So Jussi, m'love, when are ya gonna bring some of this therpsichorean goodness to the US of A? Goddess knows we could certainly use it here ;-) !
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]"I can see Prussia from my house!". :icon_mrgreen:
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
Well, given what you just wrote Jussi, I would love to hear that playlist. :)
Find them and destroy them!
Double Platinum Record [Level 9]
*****
Playlist ! Playlist ! Playlist ! :-)
I thought you'd done an entire session of unheard of's ..... and I just couldn't imagine that going over .....unless it was just a bunch of drunken "who cares " types.....and who'd feel accomplished wasting such specialness on them ...:-P
Absolutely I would think the crowd would appreciate this .... crowds can sense when a DJ really knows their stuff ...... the unpredictable tastefully mixed in with the expected/ accepted . ...
That, after all , always was the "dance " between the DJ and the floor wasn't it ?? ... give them what they want you to give them .... mixed in with what you want to give them .....
8)
*****
Baby, take me
high upon a hillside
high up where the stallion
meets the sun
Chart Hit [Level 6]
As an American (angeleno) currently living in Paris, I can't totally agree with you. The mainstream crowd listens to a mix of international (US & UK) stuff, as well as some french artists, particularly since the french government forced a law making mandatory for radios and TV stations to air AT LEAST 50% french music (around the end of the '80s, I believe), reacting to the disappearance of french tracks from the playlists of youth-oriented radio stations (radios libres: NRJ, Radio 7, Nova...). So as a whole, the french population has access to a mix of international & french music. The international share has been, of course, boosted by the generalization of (cheap) internet access throughout the country in recent years. As far as disco-friendly audiences go (regular club-goers, not dedicated disco enthusiasts like yours truly), I'd say their knowledge is pretty much limited to VERY commercial US and italo-disco, as well as some usually tacky local disco stars from the disco era (Claude François, Sheila & B Devotion(remember "Spacer"?)), as well as Cerrone, Patrick Hernandez, and some others frogs who made it internationally. So as far as the mainstream population goes, apart from some french references, I'd say the known tracks in common with American and English people are many.
Unfortunately, I wasn't at the party (I was at Regine's Jimmyz nightclub in Monte Carlo that night), so I can't judge by the music, but if they DIDN'T play "It's Raining Men", "Get Down Saturday Night", or "Act like You Know", it must have been at least OK. Usually Disco parties here include those 3, and countless other uninteresting tracks you've been forced to hear zillions of times before. Also, many people here consider Disco to have started in the '80s, when we all know it did in the '70s, so many tracks played are often actually handclap funk, sometimes electro.
As far as any good track being appreciated as long as it's good, I can't totally agree with that. I've done that mistake before, thinking I'd get away playing stuff I really liked as long as it was mixed with common tracks, and guess what: it worked for awhile (I assume the open bar helped), but when I gained (over)confidence and played 3 obscure, longer tracks in a row, people started walking away. At the end of the night, about 5 different people came over to congratulate me for the great music (2 were even overwhelmed), but we all agreed that people came primarily to listen and dance to music they already knew.
You feel more comfortable dancing on a track you already know. And often, to actually like a track, you must listen to it several times, which you don't have time for during a punctual party.
If I were to do that again, I would certainly only do it when I know people are getting tipsy (it really helps), and make sure not to overcrowd the mix with obscure stuff, however it may move me...
Anyway, I'll keep my eyes open for an upcoming party, and hopefully deliver an unbiased opinion on it...
Last edited by KoolChris; August 11th, 2006 at 02:01 PM. Reason: 'cuz I feel like it
Chart Hit [Level 6]
It's a pretty interesting LP, the second track "Funky Bass" being more popular. By the way, Marc Chantereau played on this album, as well as Georges Rodi, who was kinda famous for his compositions on his own "music library" electronica records
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Jussi wrote that 99.45% of tracks were unknown to him or the crowd.
To a young audience, surely all Disco, both ultra popular and ultra rare BITD would be relatively unknown? It's not as if there are thousands of clubs or radio stations pumping out Disco music 24/7. So, why the fixation with modern day DJs to play the most rare/obscure SHITE (and ya know I MEAN SHITE) they can find. That's a complete turnaround to what every DJ was trying to do BITD. We were all trying to find the next big hit and you just didn't know how records were going to fare until they either happened, or they flopped. Only a very small percentage happened on the dance floor big time and didn't translate that action into sales, so in the larger scheme of things, most rare/obscure discs are the ones that didn't really happen, for more than maybe a few weeks. They're the also rans. Now, either we (the DJs and audiences) had crap taste BITD, or the modern DJs are trying to pull a fast one, by just playing these ultra rare obscurities. There can be no other interpretation.
BTW: Act Like You Know is a GREAT record. I'm glad it's over played.
BTW2: Thanks KoolChris for confirming that the French are insular (50% of radio playlists have to be of French origin). Normally, only countries ruled by some kinda despot would have such a ludicrous law.
Otherwise I agree with your sentiments (and Remicks') with regard to what DJs have to play.
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