EP: Desktop - Desktop

Desktop are Electric Six's Keith Thompson and The Pop Project's Zach Curd but unlike the output from their day jobs, based on their debut self-titled EP anyhow, Desktop produce slinky eighties influenced wunder-pop. We dig it.

Their three-track EP is available to download for free on their website and is well worth listening too.  As increasingly seems to be the case, this project was developed in remote-collaboration (a la the Postal Service) with both Thompson and Curd revising each other's contributions.  Based on what BlackPlastic has heard it works and we are certainly feeling these lazy summertime tunes, sounding like something created somewhere between New Order's ode to the Balearics, Technique, and Chicago house.

All we're saying though is it's still nice to, you know, see people in the flesh and all.

In addition to the free download Desktop will be releasing a very limited run of 200 12" inches with letterpressed jackets via Suburban Sprawl Music/Quack Media on September 29th, 2009.

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Single Review: White Elephant - Wallenberg

Apparently this song dropped on Bandcamp back in March this year but it has only just hit BlackPlastic's inbox.

BlackPlastic doesn't really know anything about who or what Wallenberg is / are but this tune feels like pure zen. According to the bandcamp site it is based on the expression of a 'white elephant' - that is an expensive object far greater in 'value' than usefulness... Only the white elephant in this song is actually rather grey and therefore has no spiritual or materialistic value. Yet it is able to carry a dude and a banjo, so maybe it is useful after all?

Apparently this has something to do with the effort involved in writing music.

All this is frankly superfluous because what is important is that the song itself manages to capture a fantastic otherworldliness, intelligent, Eastern and spiritual.  It's certainly worth a quick listen in the player above. If you like it support the artist and download it from Bandcamp.

BP x

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.

BP x

Single Review: Minor Riot - 10 Rapid

Having recently got props from Evil Nine and Streetlife DJs you might know what to expect from 10 Rapid, and you'd probably be right...

'Minor Riot' is a dirty little hand grenade of a track.  With horror movie synth strings and a lovely little bass line that builds and builds to the crescendo it's all quite reminiscent of Justice's 'Phantom', if with a little more subtlety.  It's also clearly been built for the dancefloor, with the kind of pacing that will slot right into the build-up of many a DJ's set.  The beauty of this kind of track is that it is pretty much genre-less, happy to slot right into a breaks set but just as happy within the kind of nasty house set that the likes of Adam Freeland now tends to make.

'Minor Riot' is out now over at Beatport.

Also worth checking out is 10 Rapid's mix of Caged Baby's track 'Forced'.  It's a nice, messy little track and there's a fantastic bassline that breaks through every now and then, sidelining the vocals before they gradually filter back in.  It's a catchy track and shows that 10 Rapid can work with vocals and definitely builds on the original.

Download 'Forced (10 Rapid Remix)' by Caged Baby on MP3 (right click, save as).

Check out more 10 Rapid at their MySpace.

BP x

MP3 / Single Review: Sound Reaction - Grum

Put quite simply: This. Shit. Is. Hotttt.

Grum's been knocking around for those in the know for a little bit now but this track seems destined to take him over the top and turn him into a bone fide success, particularly as he's been lapping up airplay from Pete Tong et al.

Grum describes 'Sound Reaction' as "big, fun, noisy, and designed for the dancefloor. A mixture of rave and electro with a hint of disco. I'm very into 80s new wave and italo and came across this sample...it all just grew from there really."

He'd pretty be right but let BlackPlastic distill this for you into one easy soundbite:

'Sound Reaction' is nasty funk with a killer Daft Punk style bassline for summer-time goodtimes.

Download 'Sound Reaction' - Grum on MP3 (right click, save as).

Also well worth checking out is the Phantom's Revenge remix.  It adds a lovely high-hat rhythmic edge and filters the bassline nicely.  The result is a little harder but just as fun.

Download 'Sound Reaction (Phantom's Revenge Remix)' by Grum on MP3 (right click, save as).

Both mixes feature a really nice, summer vibe - it's very reminiscent of Fred Falke and Van She Tech. BlackPlastic looks forward to hearing more.

Check out more from Grum on his MySpace.

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