2005, the year in review

So, here we are, closing the doors to 2005. Time to reflect on the music that has come through the RPM channels here at WCNI, New London. This year the RPM was back in full swing with many releases coming into the station. So, what were the big trends that happened in music for 2005? And, which releases rose above the rest and were deemed my personal favorites? Sit back and lets take a look back and listen to what was being enjoyed this last year.

If there were any trends this year, I would say that 2005 was the year of the remix. Granted remixes of songs have been a standard practice for many years – at least 30 years if you look into it. But, this year, it seems like that practically everything that came into the station was remixed. This year saw compilations from the labels Blue Note, Verve, Impulse, and Motown. Also artist compilations of Curtis Mayfield, Everything But The Girl (perhaps the title of their remix compilation ‘Adapt Or Die’ reflects the reasoning behind this trend), and many others were remixed and released for our listening pleasure. What wasn’t remixed? Practically every genre went under the remix treatment this year – even classical music! Heck, even Barbara Streisand came out with a dance 12” (with Barry Gibb no less) this year…

Why remix? Remixes have always been around to serve various purposes. In the earliest days, longer songs were shortened so they could be more ‘radio friendly’. Tracks like the Door’s ‘Light My Fire’ and Iron Butterfly’s ‘In A Gatta Da Vida’ were shortened from their album length indulgences to three minute programability. Sometimes songs were edited for lyrical content. Clean and dirty versions were made available so the song could be played in public or broadcast environments. And, I have seen 45 singles that have stereo and mono versions of the same song so they could be played on various systems. But, the most famous use of remixing a track is to make it friendly for the dance floor. Adding a longer intro and a clean ending (clean meaning usually drums only) allows a DJ to beatmix various songs together to create a seamless blend on the floor. Also these tracks are re-equalized to take advantage of a loud PA system. 12” vinyl was cut ‘hotter’ and the grooves are spread out on the vinyl to make the track sound its best. Over time, this type of remixing has become an art unto its own where certain remixers add their own signature sound to a track. And, in some cases, the dance remix of a song becomes the preferred version of a track.

Also, the art of remixing has been brought to the masses. What used to be available only to a privileged few is now able to be done with modest equipment. No longer does a track have to be remixed from the master session recordings. The days of splicing tape and direct artist cooperation are in the past. People have the tools to create their own remixes on their desktop. With applications like Pro Tools, Sony’s Acid, Abelton’s Live, and Apple’s Garage Band, the tools are in everyone’s reach. Just think, if you own a Mac, you are GIVEN this power (Garage Band comes with the iLife bundle). With this empowerment, artists sometimes give users a chance to remix their tracks. on Sony’s http://www.acidplanet.com there is always a contest to make a remix of a track by various artists throughout the year.

With remixing being the big trend this year, what were the releases that rose above. What sounds did I like over the past 12 months? Was every track that I liked a remix?

If anything, there were a few broad genres that I enjoyed. Electro Pop (usually with a female vocal), World / electronic hybrids, and just things that warped genres.

Come to think of it, 2005 was a good year musically, after all we did see releases by Nine Inch Nails, New Order, and Depeche Mode! Right off the bat, this was very cool indeed.

In the world of Electro Pop, (This is the best word I can use to describe it) Ellee Ven’s Funky Bohemia received strong plays throughout the year. Many of the tracks on this release are dance floor friendly – ‘Under My Skin’ has three versions to accommodate different styles. Lyrics are positive without being too optimistic. I also liked the self titled release by Venomocean. This duo from L.A. had dance floor appeal, and the vocals once again were just right. I also fell in love with ‘Anniemal’ by Annie. This one was cute. Many tracks were derivative of others. Chewing Gum sounded a lot like the Tom Tom Club’s ‘Genius of Love’. Some may find this annoying, but this added to the charm. Oh, we can’t forget former Sneaker Pimp’s vocalist Kelli Ali’s second solo release ‘Psychic Cat’. There were some strong tracks such as ‘Voyeur’ and ‘Graffiti Boy’ that kept this one spinning hot this year.

For the most part, I cringe when world / electronic hybrid releases come into the station. It is hard to sit on this fence, you either succumb to the electronics and the world side becomes an accessory – or the world instruments are in the forefront and the electronics are added spice. This year Suphala’s ‘The Now’ changed my perceptions on this genre. Electronic sounds accompanied her tabla playing along with some well known guest performers including Norah Jones, Vernon Reid, and a ton of others. I also fell in love with the self titled release by the Balkan Beat Box. This release kept jumping between both sides of ‘the fence’ I mentioned earlier. This ensemble maintained a party vibe while keeping their traditional roots. And I couldn’t forget ‘Pyramid In Your Backyard’ by Praful. This release had a more ‘smooth jazz’ flavor so I actually used this in some gigs I had throughout the year!

And lastly, the genre warping releases. These do not fit in one category. Probably one of the most unique releases that came out this year was ‘King Britt Present’s Sister Gertrude Morgan’. Sister Gertrude Morgan, a self proclaimed bride of Jesus, spread the gospel on New Orleans’ street corners and through her folk art. She recorded a gospel album in the late 60’s using her vocals accompanied only by her tambourine. This year, King Britt along with Tom Motzer created new music to go with the original vocals. I wouldn’t consider this a remix album at all. These tracks were ‘reinterpreted’. Keeping the New Orleans flavor, many tracks feature slide guitar and audio collages between the tracks. Also, this album happened to be released right in the wake of hurricane Katrina (I don’t believe this was intentional). To me, the sister offered us her own message of hope. Thanks Britt! Another way to morph genres is to use cut and paste techniques. Twink and Boomish pulled this off rather well this year. Twink assembled various vintage children’s records into these fun collages that harkened many memories. Listening, to these tracks I was remembered some of the original records. Boomish! is the word. When people put down electronic music and think that many of its artists are talentless button pushers; I turn them on to Boomish! The members that make up this collective are quite accomplished. When not playing with the Saturday Night Live house band, backing up jazz greats, or even touring the world with Rod Stewart; the guys come together to create some fun sounding music. On their latest release, they incorporate elements of classic game shows (which is a theme they use in their live show) into the mix. Fun stuff indeed. So, which elements are live? What is programmed? Upon casual listening, it is hard to tell but upon repeated listening, you may draw your own conclusions. For me, the ultimate release that came out in 2005 came from the Thirsty Ear label. In keeping with the spirit of genre warping, DJ Spooky and Dave Lombardo presented their ‘Drums of Death’ release this last summer. And what a release is is! DJ Spooky is well, DJ Spooky – ‘nuff said. Dave Lombardo is the drummer for Slayer. Additional musicians on this album included guitarist (and so much more) Vernon Reid and Meat Beat Manifesto’s Jack Dangers on bass / electronics. Oh, and we can’t forget the MC stylings of Chuck D. on a few tracks. So, on this album we have a scratch battle between Spooky and Lombardo; a couple of Public Enemy classics performed by the one of the coolest backup bands assembled this year ; and some electronic soundscapes by Dangers using his arsenal of vintage and bizarre equipment. This release had everyone interested. Hip Hop heads raised an eyebrow to the P.E. covers and metal fans were drawn in to hear what Lombardo was doing. This is a unique album from a unique label. Heck, Thirsty Ear is based out of Connecticut. That is high on the cool factor for me.

These are the the sounds that kept my interest for 2005. This is only a small portion of everything I enjoyed. The remix of ‘My World is Empty Without You’ on Motown Remixed really stood out. the remake of Nu Nu by Fannypack received some heavy spins as well. Oh, and locally, I fell in love with Eight To The Bar’s cover of (The Police’s ) Synchronicity II (sorry Fatal Film, this track blew away Rocks). Lets look forward to 2006 and see what new sounds come into the station (if you haven’t heard, Morgan Paige’s remixes are starting to generate some heat).

If you would like some more information about these releases, please check out these links.
Buy their music! This is independent music, music produced and marketed by the artists themselves. Instead of supporting large corporate crap, this is truly grassroots.

Ellie Ven “Funky Bohemia” Hot Sauce Records
http://www.elleeven.com/
http://dancemusic.about.com/od/reviews/fr/ElleeVenFunky.htm

Kelli Ali “Psychic Cat” One Little Indian
http://www.kelliali.com/

Venomocean “Venomocean” self
http://www.venomocean.com/

Annie ‘Anniemal’ Big Beat
http://www.anniemusic.co.uk/
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/a/annie/anniemal.shtml
(Also check out her DJ mix on K7 records)

Suphala ‘The Now’ Rasa
http://www.suphala.com/

Balkan Beatbox ‘Balkan Beatbox’ Jdub
http://www.balkanbeatbox.com/

お葬式のしきたりと風習【東京編】

(while here check out Matisyahu)

Praful “Pyramid In Your Backyard” Rendezvous records
http://www.praful.nl/

Dj Spooky & Dave Lombardo present: “Drums Of Death” Thirsty Ear

Home

(also, check out Meat Beat Manifesto’s ‘At the center’ while you are here)

KIng Britt presents “Sister Gertrude Morgan” Ropeadope
http://www.ropeadope.com/

Boomish!
http://www.boomish.com

Twink ‘ The Broken Record’ Seeland
http://www.angelfire.com/stars/twink/index.html
http://www.negativland.com/nmol/seeland.html

http://www.ververemixed.com
http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/product.aspx?ob=n&src=lb&pid=11347
http://dancemusic.about.com/od/reviews/fr/ImpulsiveRvJazz.htm

http://www.motownremixed.com