EP Review: (Who Knows) Where Love Goes - Last Magpie

(Who Knows) Where Love Goes - Last Magpie​

A lose and open-air funk number that rises its head here on Magpie's '(Who Knows) Where Love Goes'.

Heavy sun beats down on the title track's ambient house but it's the warm garage rhythms that capture the soul and ensure this track lodges itself in your brain. The lofty title track has just enough time to soak in, a tight bassline tapping out the all important melodies and a blissfully intimate bass. Things quickly accelerate following this gentle start however...

'Pilau Rice' quickly slips past, tightly grab the listener and pulling them forward into a sweaty, intimate play on words. As innocent as the lead in may have been this is no time for mere pleasantries, a bumping bass creating a crescendo bodies will struggle to ignore.

For every intense up-beat 'Pilau Rice' hits following track, 'Don't Know Why', embraces a corresponding drop. The pacing may be a little disconcerting when consumed in one sitting but it is difficult not to feel and subsequently embrace the amorous hot embrace played out on the closing two tracks of this release.

'Don't Know Why' is drenched is sweaty reverb and old school house atmosphere - particularly evident on the closing refrain. 'Club Whore' on the other hand is slower to build but bass the close and heavy bass is uncompromising in its approach.

If you have a feel for deep, heavy takes on soulful house and dubstep it is hard to resist this forthcoming release from Last Magpie - it's warm, familiar and sexy.  It is released through Hypercolour on 20 August, check it out on Soundcloud below:

Download: You'll Never Surf Again - Raymond Byron & The White Freighter

​It's baking hot outside and I've just been enjoying this Raymond Byron and The White Freighter cover of Dan Reeder's 'You'll Never Surf Again'. It's a laid back but smokey folk record, the atmosphere thick with resignation. It's not too dissimilar from the original (check that out on Spotify here if you are a member) but it has just a little more sparkle in the treble and the sixties-inspired production.

​This is taken from the album Little Death Shaker, out next month on Asthmatic Kitty, and the press release describes the sound pretty well:

Stripped of all noise influences and focusing on straight-up songs, Little Death Shaker is a record evocative of late nights and dusty parking lots, long drives and boozy hookups. This is the work of a dude who’s spent his youth and young manhood on tour and it comes through in both the music and the lyrics.

​Check out 'You'll Never Surf Again' above in the Soundcloud player and if you like it be sure to grab the free download.

Stream: My Head - Mock & Toof

I've been a big fan of Mock & Toof, AKA London-based producers Duncan Stump and Nick Woolfson, for five years or so. Over that time they've managed to put together a number of nice EPs and a slew of great remixes.​

They are now due to release a follow up to their debut album Turning Echoes in October and the track 'My Head', above, is the first material to emerge from it.​

'My Head' features vocals from Swiss artist Ghostape and it's a lovely muted little house track. Analogue synths and a really subtle little bumping bass line make this one of the most effortlessly cool tracks I've heard in some time. Consider me excited for the new album.​

The My Head EP is released through Tiny Sticks on 17 September on vinyl and digital release.​

Competition: Win a copy of Seconds' Tell Them EP

You may recall my review of Seconds' rather nice Tell Them EP from last week. Well now here is your opportunity to find a bit more out about the electronic duo as well as win a copy of the EP. The short video above provides a nice intro to the band, explaining the origin of their name.

If you are yet to listen to the EP you can check it out via Soundcloud below. And whilst you do that you may as well enter a competition to win a copy! I have two copies of the vinyl release to give away - to be in with a chance to win one simply send an email to Competitions@BlackPlastic.co.uk including your name and postal address with the subject line "Please Sir, can I have some more?".

The deadline for entry is midnight on Sunday 8 July 2012 and winners will be selected at random. This competition is only open to UK residents.

Stream / Download: My My Hey Hey (Cousin Cole's Into The Black Mix) - Neil Young

After hearing it on the radio the other day I just couldn't resist sharing this remix by Cousin Cole... Recently I've been making the most of the fact that my radio in the bedroom can stream stations from the internet to do a bit of exploring. The result is that I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that Ibiza Sonica Live and Ibiza Global Radio sound almost just as good even when you aren't on the White Isle. The music played on both stations during the day has lots of big, warm, white space and it is just to my taste.

The remix above of Neil Young's 'My My Hey Hey' is a perfect example. It sounds a little bit like a mashup as admittedly at times the joins creak a little bit between the electronic elements and Young's original but I couldn't help but fall head over heels in love with this record. This remix actually looks to be about a year old but coming off of the back of Chromatics' recent cover on Kill For Love this feels like the perfect soundtrack for the season.

Enjoy.