4am

Making a rare foray into the literary world with a fantastic new book with a distinctly musical flavour from a first time author.

Set in the early 90's, 4 a.m. from Brighton resident Nina De La Mer, is the story of two best friends who are Army chefs at the Ballingfostel base in Germany by day but by night they leave behind the sweaty camp kitchens to enjoy the highs of Hamburg's rave scene and its attendant ecstasy culture.

This cracking read inspired me to dust off a few rave classics, raid the bathroom cabinets for some Vicks and, erm, 'ave it!

Free music - Papua New Guinea

Mc Lyte - Cha Cha Cha

Dope on plastic.

Dynastie Crisis - Le Corbeau Et Le Renard

Fantastique bit o' French funk rock from '72 - kind of inadvertently invents rap, too (what year was The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, again?)! Thanks again TOTP 1976 for inspiring this (long story!)

Yacht - Utopia (Miracles Club Remix) Free Official Download

Am still spinning (or should that be streaming?), Yacht's bonkers-but-great newish LP Shangri-La so a new (ish!) slew of remixes for single Utopia is more than welcome. Those kind folks at DFA Records have made the remix from Portland, Oregon Psych-Housers Miracle Club available for free download via Soundcloud. There are lots more streamable goodies from the label's Soundcloud page.

Utopia (The Miracles Club Remix) by DFA Records

Champ's Boys Orchestra - Tubular Bells (Murky Boy Edit) + TOTP

Recently, BBC4 in the UK have been showing, week by week, entire episodes of Top Of The Pops from 1976. Now, while there are many fine records from '76, you do tend to sit watching willing for Punk to happen and drop the proverbial bomb on all the light entertainment fare. Was watching this week's installment the other day though and up popped this absolute GEM! A mash-up (probably the first ever) of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells with the bassline from the previous year's dancefloor revelation/salvation Love To Love You Baby, French (?) disco collective Champ's Boys Orchestra mould Oldfield's synthline into the perfect get-down for Britain's long hot summer of 76 (and not-so-hot 2011!).

Here's Murky Water's ace edit and the actual piece of TOTP footage including 'interpretative dance' from the short-lived Pan's People replacing Ruby Flipper troupe during that scorching summer.

Champs Boys Orchestra -Tubular Bells (Murky Edit) by Murky Waters

Sheridan 10 Days Off Mix

Top notch discoist and all-round good chap Sheridan celebrates his appearance at the 10 Days Off festival (alongside DJing luminaries Moodyman, Richie Hawtin, Greg Wilson and Aeroplane) with this well-crafted promo mix of electronic disco.

Held in Ghent, the spiritual home of Belgian dance music, the 10 Days Off festival takes place over (surprise, surprise) 10 days from 15th to 25th July. Sheridan is playing on Monday 25th. Should be a cracker!

Sheridan by 10 Days Off

Tom Moulton Radio Interview

Legend alert! Tom Moulton, the man responsible for the modern art of the remix and to a large degree the 12" single discusses his career and influences in this excellent interview promoting his brand new Philly Groove Remixed 2 album. Cracking listen. Thanks to the excellent Disco Outcasts blog for bringing this to my attention.

Tom Moulton In Conversation with David Dunne by david dunne