Sommartid

I'll be busy with festival business for the next week and doubt I'll be able to post much of anything. Before I go I'll leave you with one of this summer's definitive records over here in Helsinki, as promised last week...
Sommartid (1981)
Uggla's Swedish-sung disco pop jam was revived by Stockholm legend Mika Snickars a few summers back and finally arrived upon these shores this year... and now you can't escape it. It's pretty damn good still, definitely worth grabbing even for the non-Swedish speakers. Enjoy.

Now this is pretty cool

Back in 1979 Kraftwerk's record label commissioned Roger Mainwood to do an animated film based on Autobahn, which was subsequently released on one of the first ever laser discs. The film went to win various prizes at animation festivals and was shown at the 1979 London Film Festival.

Watch part 2 here.

Classic Time #39

Klein & M.B.O.: Dirty Talk (USA Connection Instrumental)(1982)
Their first hit, played by everybody that matters. The recent Flexx reissue comes highly recommended too, the previously unreleased Greg Wilson edit is solid.

Royalle Delite

How you gonna be sleazy and classy at the same time? Like this, I suppose.

Royalle Delite: (I'll Be A) Freak For You (1984)

I have this on a US 12", but I kinda wish i had the UK one as well because the cover (above) is so dope. From what I've gathered the song was huge there. Originally it hails from New York (kind of obvious isn't it?) and was produced by Lonnie Johnson of Shades Of Love and Marta Acuna fame.

Shout outs to my partner DJ Fiskars who put this on a mix way back and had me rewind it for days.

MBO Theme

Klein & MBO: MBO Theme (1983)

Feels Good

Electra: Feels Good Instrumental (1982)


From legendary Chicago clubs to UK's then striving electro-funk scene, this was a hit back in the day and 25 years on still sounds fresh.

Problèmes D'Amour

This time-tested electronic masterpiece goes out to my man Teemu somewhere in the middle of nowhere...
Problèmes D'Amour (Ah Ou Ah Version) (1984)

There was a legit reissue 12" with all the relevant versions of Problèmes sometime last year, it's still out there so go get it. Also, dude is still putting out quality electronic music so check him out. Visit Discogs for more info.

Classic Time #36

Trans-Europe Express (13:38 Long Version)(1977)
BONUS:
Trouble Funk Express (Instrumental)(1984)

War In Love

I'm not a big italo head by any means, but I know a cool synthesizer groove when I hear one. Recently I stumbled on a stack of italo 12"s and for my money this was the best of the bunch.
Panorama: War In Love (Instrumental)(1985)

Classic Time #32

There's not much I can say about this track that hasn't been said before so I'll just say it sounds as fresh today as the day I first heard it. The link below is the 12" version, which as far as I can tell is identical to the album version but with better sound quality.
Was Dog A Doughnut (Disco Version) (1977)

Japan

Me and DJ Fiskars are flying out there tomorrow & of course I'm hyped. Therefore here's one of my favorite Japanese records, the main guy behind this is Hideki Matsutake who's better known for his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra.
Locic System: Automatic Collect, Automatic Correct (1981)

Visage: Fade To Gray

On the other hand, this is just as timeless and just as absurd.

Subway Theme

Almost everybody knows Chris Stein's Subway Theme. If not from Wildstyle, then from the background of Illmatic's The Genesis intro. Some five years ago local electronic trio And The Lefthanded covered the song and created what is for my money one of the finest Helsinki records ever.
And The Lefthanded: Subway Theme
Shout outs to T.A. and Vilunki for being some of the coolest dudes in town too.