News: A couple of cool remix competitions

Okay - two remix contests for the price. Admittedly that's, erm, free... but you get the point. BlackPlastic thought it made sense to double up.

First up is Ernesto's forthcoming single, 'Bassline', due for release on 29 June on Exceptional Records. Hailing from Sweden Ernesto makes soulful electro - imagine the clean considered music of Junior Boys but with added funk or just check it out in the player below:

Ernesto - Bassline (out June 29th) by exceptionalrecords

You can download the zip file containing the tracks components here and the winner, chosen by Ernesto, will receive an Exceptional Records goody bag including a signed copy of the single plus their track will be streamable from the Exceptional website with a link back to your own site. To enter the competition email your entry to [competition closed] as a low res MP3 by 6 July with the subject line ‘Ernesto Remix comp’. Include your name, contact number and website address if you have one.

The next competition is in celebration of Tim Sheridan and his notorious veryverywrongindeed night coming to Fabric's sister club Matter on Saturday 27 June.  It's set to be an interesting night and Tim will be joined by Spektre and Jesper Dahlback on the decks.  Most of the tracks Tim plays are from his VVWI record label, picked up from wherever he finds them on his travels and his determination to avoid the majors is evident in this competition, where he is inviting budding bedroom producers to remix the forthcoming single 'Villain'.

The winners will get invited along as VIPs to the night at Matter and Tim will play the track out on the night.  Head over to the VVWI website for details.  The closing date is 25 June.

News: Diesel launching online music radio station

Over the summer Diesel's online online radio station, first launched last year, has returned, broadcasting 24/7 for two six weeks over the summer.  It's online now and will be broadcasting until 24 June, returning for another six weeks on 18 September.  Have a listen in the player above - the schedule has included turns from DJ Hell, Zombie Nation, Matt Walsh, the Mystery Jets and Erol Alkan and Richard Norris' Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve project.

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Album Review: Cope - Freeland

Freeland, Adam Freeland's "band" project, originally launched off the back of the rather awesome 'We Want Your Soul' back in 2003. The harder, rock influenced sound was a departure for Freeland (the man rather than the 'band') from his nu-skool breaks origins but the ideas just seemed to run out over the length of the album, ending up like a breakbeat version of the abysmal Kosheen.

When 'Under Control' dropped a couple of months ago it got BlackPlastic a bit excited. The vocals clearly wished they were LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy but the overall package had enough attitude to make it work, particularly on Alex Metric's mix. Incorporating 'Under Control' as a starting point and recruiting a number of successful musicians an producers (Tommy Lee, the Pixies' Joey Santiago and Jerry Casale of Devo amongst others) things looked good for Cope...

...And on the whole, it delivers. Whether it is on the dread-soaked, paranoia drenched 'Strange Things' or the melancholic M83-esque downer 'Mancry' Cope is likely to have moments that appeal whatever your taste. The variety of styles and techniques that Freeland has obviously picked up through DJing and remixing really pays dividends here - BlackPlastic has long sung the praises of Freeland's mix of B-Movie's eighties track 'Nowhere Girl'. The distortion and shoe-gazing sounds on that remix and his Global Underground disc it featured on are all over this.

So it's not perfect. It's a little long and there is a little bit of padding plus BlackPlastic can't help but long for the faster, harder remixes. But the best things often aren't perfect: in a similar way to Evil Nine's They Live! from last year, Cope is likely to keep you coming back regardless.

As a faster check out the free mix Adam put together for Discobelle. It encompasses a number of Cope's tracks in a more dance floor focused mix.

Cope is available to order now across a variety of formats from Freeland.fm.

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Album Review: II - Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas

When Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas collaborated on their eponymous album for Eskimo two years ago it became the kind of cult hit most producers only dream of. Not only was it released to huge praise but it also helped kick start a Renaissance in italo and cosmic disco that has sent ripples of influence across much electronic music since.

Back with a follow-up, once again on & Eskimo Recordings, II is unsurprisingly more of the same.  Yet if more of the same was ever more welcome, BlackPlastic can't put his finger on when that would be.

And once again, this is a beautiful record. It's slow and slightly ponderous but at the same time does so much across its length that to complain would be churlish. The mood is literally perfect. This is a record to consume with an espresso whilst watching the sun rise and with a beer whilst watching the sun set. With the current bought of good weather we have recently seen in the UK BlackPlastic can't imagine a better soundtrack for being lazy in the sunshine.

Words can't really convey what it is like to listen to - instead of reading just go and check it out.

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Single Review: Navigate the Menus - Das Shadow

Das Shadow are Andrew Phillpott and Christian Eigner.  After writing with Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode on a selection of songs across the last two Depeche Mode albums (including the fantastic 'Nothing's Impossible') and across the whole of Gahan's 2007 solo album Hourglass, Phillpott and Eigner produced several well received remixes and decided to turn their hand back to their own work.

The result was Das Shadow and their debut single, 'Navigate the Menus' marks them out as ones to watch. Taking the dark introspection of Depeche Mode but applying layers of electronics and filters the result sounds like dark IDM.  It's understated and  the haunting melody stays with you long after the song has finished.

Check it out over at Das Shadow's MySpace.  'Navigate the Menus' is available now on iTunes from Zycos / Sony.

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