Tuesday 18 December 2012

Ignition (Remix) - R. Kelly (Erol Sabadosh Remix)

Check out this remix of R. Kelly's Ignition (The Remix) which I did, you can stream it on YouTube and download it for FREE on Soundcloud:



"Coming away with a slight Tiga comparison in overall delivery, Erol Sabadosh’s raw and bubbly remix of R. Kelly’s ‘Ignition’ looks set to wag tails and shake toe-tapping feet." - Aerial Noise

"For his remix, Sabadosh gives the R Kelly classic a tropical house makeover with distorted steel drums and a hard dance beat." - Surviving The Golden Age


Friday 30 November 2012

London Rain



It's been a while since I've had a proper holiday and I'm just re-watching Ada Zanditon's SS13 fashion film and thinking about booking a flight to Cyprus right now. I wonder if EasyJet are doing any special offers? I'm so bored of this London weather!

I'd much rather be HERE:


Than here:


Monday 19 November 2012

Rihanna - Unapologetic (Album Review)


Having never been a big fan of Rihanna I approached this album with hesitant curiosity. Talk That Talk felt like a slightly confused and rushed effort, peaking with some epic pop tracks but more often than not falling somewhere in middling territory as a throwaway full-length consisting of some great singles and some truly forgettable tracks that leant little to the overall experience. Unapologetic is a much better full listening experience, the songs here feel more developed and there's a surprising amount of experimentation. It's a perfectly fitting title, Ms Fenty will no doubt get a lot of flack for duetting with her abusive ex Chris Brown on the sticky sweet Nobody's Business as well as mining a variety of influences to construct the tracks here.

What marks this particular album apart from her previous output is the emotional vulnerability that comes across, in stark contrast to the defiantly confidant Rated R. Stay featuring Mikky Ekko is perhaps one of the most unlikely Rihanna tracks I have come across, a subtle introspective and nuanced ballad, yet it's absolutely exquisite with an undeniably strong vocal performance. What Now features a belting vocal with a great melody and suitably epic instrumentation; it's the kind of track you would expect to hear on a BeyoncĂ© album, and while Rihanna doesn't have the vocal chops to match the beloved Bey, she certainly gives it her all and it works.

The latter half of the album delves deep into emotional territory, dealing with the complications of intense love and flawed relationships while the first half is much more experimental and interesting in terms of production. Switching from woozy sonic trips and drug-referencing lyrics recalling The Weeknd to aggressive electro and dubstep courtesy of Chase & Status and David Guetta. Guetta's hyper masculine beats are always most interesting when paired with a strong female vocal and Rihanna does a good job with him on Right Now and it's interesting that instead of attempting to create another We Found Love this is the only four-on-the-floor club-ready song here and yet it's the second shortest track, clocking in at only three minutes and acting as more of a transitional cut rather than any kind of centrepiece.

Unapologetic moves on from the power pop and dance of Talk That Talk in favor of more hip-hop influenced beats and hazy RnB. Get it Over With's paired-down beat and lush string sounds bring Rihanna into more left-field territory, at any moment you'd expect Abel Tesfaye or Frank Ocean to join in, as do the vocal pitch effects and sonic manipulation on Numb. The Brandy-esque vocal turn on Jump wears its influence on its sleeve and the use of Genuwine's Pony lyrics is unexpected but when the dubstep drop hits the audacity of it is grin-inducing thanks to the slick and assured production. It's true that the album pilfers unashamedly from other artists, from The Weeknd to Michael Jackson, and you get the feeling that a lot of drugs were involved in the creation process, more specifically Marijuana and other downers. It's a dream-like experience, most notably on Loveeeeeee Song (just in case you didn't know this was Rihanna's 7th album there are 7 'e's in the spelling of Love here of course), and perhaps the production outshines Rihanna herself at times, but it's impossible to deny Unapologetic's strong points.

With album number 7 Rihanna branches out musically and reveals a more vulnerable side which expands her overtly-sexualised persona and adds more depth to her as an artist. Personally I think this is one of her best efforts, certainly her most dense and varied, and I'd rather see her take more interesting leaps such as this than rely on bubble-gum pop as she served up on Loud. Unapologetic is just that, an uncompromising entanglement of musical styles laid down with equal amounts of fun and raw emotion and it hints at a longevity and crossover appeal that I wouldn't have previously expected Rihanna to have. If she continues to try new things and bring in more interesting influences to her work without watering them down the way she did previously then the future could be even brighter for this troubled star.


Wednesday 14 November 2012

Alexis Farshi Project feat. Snoop Dogg (Erol Sabadosh Remix)

Here's a remix I was recently commissioned to create, I'm very happy with it so please check it out and if you like it you can download it from iTunes:

Thursday 25 October 2012

Freeze London

Winter hits London this week – British summer time ends on Sunday; the Relentless Freeze Festival arrives on Friday. The UK’s biggest winter sports event, the festival lures the world’s best snowboarders and skiers to Battersea Power Station for two days of intense competition. Here, competitors will whoosh down the specially installed snow jump as thousands of spectators look on. Friday’s Ski Big Air Comp and Saturday’s Snowboard Big Air Comp are the bouts to watch for the most adventurous aerial displays. Away from the slope, there are musical performances from the likes of Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Mark Ronson & DJ Shadow.

Weekend passes are sold out but individual day passes are still on sale HERE!


I'm looking forward to this! Snowboarding & Public Enemy? AWESOME!

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Diamonds - Rihanna (Erol Sabadosh Remix)

Thanks to everyone who's been sharing my latest remix, it's now got over 200,000 views on YouTube! Here are what some of the blogs have been saying, and in case you missed it here are some links to the YouTube upload and the download on Soundcloud.






"With a dash of synth sparkle and an alluring moombahton gallop underlining, his “nu disco” makeover proves that sometimes a subtle tweak is all that’s needed to bring about the best remixes." - Mixtape Maestro

"We’re quite partial to an Erol Sabadosh remix and this one is Nu Discotastic!! This remix adds a twist of joy to the original that you should be getting your audio fix of." - Your Music Radar

"The track sounds like a deep house take on moombahton with Rihanna’s vocals over the top. Its sexy and cool but still danceable." - Surviving The Golden Age

Friday 31 August 2012

Menomena - Moms (Album Review)

Boulder Canyon, you made a son out of me, I had a mother who swam in your streams, I know the ending yet I'm faking suspense...

Menomena return with their fifth studio album Moms, minus founding member Brent Knopf and with a bigger and bolder sound than before. There's less of the cut 'n' paste approach to crafting songs that's become their trademark, ironically despite one third of the band departing this is the most unified and confidant they have ever sounded. Previous album Mines was perhaps their most serious, ditching the overarching playfulness of Friend and Foe for a tense and moody atmosphere. Don't let the title of Moms fool you though, this album is a powerful beast of chugging riffs, crashing percussion and intricate sound design and this time around the playfulness, experimentation and bizarre tendencies of Menomena's earlier work have crept back in to the foreground, married with a rejuvenated exuberance that makes this their most exciting and perhaps best record yet.

Opening track Plumage is an immediate, upbeat and catchy reintroduction, complete with handclaps, fuzz guitar, arpeggiated synths and quirky lyrics; "I once was tragically hip and beautifully fine, now my beautiful hips are tragically wide." Capsule begins with a sleazy strummed guitar on maximum overdrive before being snatched away and replaced with a stuttering beat and tight bassline. In just over four minutes the track incorporates blues influenced chords, lush piano, booming sub-bass, prog-rock breakdowns complete with woodwind flourishes and more of those quirky lyrics; "no more trophies as the consolation fantasy, like a nervous random stranger at a gloryhole." There isn't a single song here that doesn't showcase something new or reinforce the band's knack for left-field songwriting and composition.

Standout tracks include the emotive lead single Heavy is as Heavy Does, which gradually builds with intensity to an epic climax, the theatrical and twisted Don't Mess With Latexas and the stunning and sublime closer One Horse which features cinematic string arrangements and sombre lyrics; "you always drank alone, you were a one-horse town." Across ten tracks Moms not only reminds us of all the things that previously made Menomena such a special band but armed with a more organically cohesive and confidant approach to recording they have managed to step into new territory and completely own it. It's extremely exciting to see a band maintain such a consistant level of brilliance in their output and judging by this latest LP Menomena are certainly one of the most talented and unique acts around.

Thursday 9 August 2012

Mischa Barton London Store Opening

Last night Mischa Barton threw a little pre-launch party sponsored by Johnny Walker Gold Label at her new boutique in Spitalfields London and I went along to say hi and check it out. The boutique is located in the heart of East London and will be selling Mischa's range of clothing, makeup and handbags (which are already into their ninth season). I know she's a big fan of East London so this is the perfect place for the store, and the garments are all affordably priced and the store sits nicely alongside the surrounding boutiques that Spitalfields has become known for. Check out some pictures below of Mischa & I and Conan Mockasin performing, with some special guest vocals... (click to see full size)



The Mischa Barton boutique opens tomorrow, but will have an official launch day on Saturday 11 August - during which customers will have the chance to meet Mischa, and enjoy 10 per cent off all purchases along with a glass of celebratory champagne.

Friday 3 August 2012

Angels - The XX (Erol Sabadosh Remix)



"Erol Sabadosh is a master of minimalist remixes that manage to keep the tone of the original while being danceable. In "Angels", the fabulous new single from The XX, the producer not only showcases one of his best works but also one of his most danceable. Keeping the cohesive structure of the original, Erol adds pianos, synthesizers and a lavish production that rivals the original track." - Oh My Rock

"Erol Sabadosh handles The XX like so many have done so before him, and transforms their Original into a radio friendly & club floor drum-honey. It’s good floating in the arms of synthy angels." - Aerial Noise

"Erol mixes a nice live drum sound with some glockenspiel and bouncing synths to create a very atmospheric remix." - Surviving the Golden Age

Ping Launch Party

Last night saw the official launch party of the new concept venue in Earl's Court from Alex Potter, Fraser Shipsides, Johnny Boud and Stevie Thomas. Ping pong, pizza and cocktails come together in a grand space mixing boho chic with underground cool. The pizzas are hand made, delicious and surprisingly competitive in price. £7 will get you a pizza or a cocktail and the choices are varied and unique. We love it and are already looking forward to going back! The license is until 2am so we expect some kicking parties coming up too.

Symbolic Exchange & Death

Symbolic Exchange & Death is the title of the exhibition hosted by Wolf & Badger on Dover Street and presented by YuMiHu, featuring the work of artists Pinky Love, Eleanor Fawcett and Eleanor Barreau. The exhibition may be small in scale but the work is thematically ambitious and varied across sculpture, paintings, collage and print. Paloma Faith dropped in to say hello and even Ralph Fiennes walked in and purchased a piece while we enjoyed a champagne reception and mingled with the ĂĽber cool crowd at this private viewing. The exhibition is free and runs at Wolf & Badger Mayfair until 7th August 2012. All artwork is on sale so collectors better get in there quick before all of the pieces are snapped up, and we're pretty sure they will be!















Friday 27 July 2012

Rankin x Ayami Nishimura

Yesterday Rankin celebrated the release of his second book in his beauty trilogy which sees him collaborating with different makeup artists, previously Alex Box and now Japanese born Ayami Nishimura. The book was a labour of love and precision, taking two and a half years to complete and the images are striking, with bold use of colour and a futurist tone. You can order the book from Amazon for £34.99 and it's available now. A selection of photographs were on display at the Annroy gallery last night for the launch party and will stay on display until the 31st of August, check out some of my pics below (click to view full size):
















Saturday 21 July 2012

The Men Who Fell To Earth





DJ's:
Erol Sabadosh
TheMenWhoFell2Earth DJ's
Reeperbahn DJ's

Hosts:
Bother
Oly

Saturday 4th August 
10:30pm > 6am

East Bloc, 217-219 City Road, London EC1V (Old St Tube)
£9 / £6 (concessions)

www.themenwhofell2earth.co.uk

Friday 29 June 2012

Film Review: Cosmopolis

As a big fan of David Cronenberg and an even bigger fan of Don DeLillo I was certainly looking forward to this adaptation of DeLillo's lesser known 2003 novel. Deciding to adapt a novel that was released to a lukewarm reception amongst critics is a brave move on the part of Cronenberg, especially when the narrative takes place inside a limousine all on the same day and is mostly made up of dialogue between the protagonist and a cast of supporting characters who he encounters on his way to a barber shop across town.

Robert Pattison plays the protagonist in question, Eric Packer, a 28 year old billionaire whose intelligence is matched only by his equally nurtured ego. Pattison plays the character to chilling perfection, conducting all of his business from the back of his cork-lined soundproof high tech vehichle, with its multiple display panels plotting every second of the global financial market's movements. Trailed closely by his head of security, Torval, Packer meets with a plethora of his advisors, employees and concubines as he is driven through Manhatten to have his hair cut at the same barber shop where his father took him as a child. Packer's journey is hindered by traffic due to a presidential visit, anti-capitalist protests and the funeral procession of an influential rapper. In between all of this he meets repeatedly with his wife, a poet who comes from an excessively wealthy family, whom he still hasn't slept with.

Cronenberg provides the perfect directorial match to DeLillo's material, sinking his claws into the dense and darkly comic satire and transferring to the screen with great care much of the details and observations of DeLillo's examination and parody of greed, wealth and modern America. The films operates as a sociological tragic comedy, focusing on the influence of power and money and the divide between the wealthy and working classes. It's certainly pertinent to the current socio-political climate,  DeLillo has been frighteningly prophetic and insightful with a great majority of his material and Cronenberg seems to be completely engrossed with the critique, inserting just the right amount of existential angst to provoke introspective thought without overshadowing the satire. This isn't a film for everyone, the humour is far from broad and the dialogue is very calculated, but for those who like to keep their brains switched on during a film or for any fans of DeLillo or dark American satire this is a must-see.

Saturday 16 June 2012

James Long SS13 LFW

East Asian urban cowboys in monochrome:























Cyril Crentsil: Printmaker



This post is dedicated to my friend Cyril Crentsil whose final project impressed at the Chelsea college graduates showcase yesterday. Having recently worked with the talented A. Sauvage and T. Lipop Cyril's already getting much attention and it's certainly well deserved. Have a look at his presentation below, including the look book shot and styled by Nickque Patterson.














Monday 4 June 2012

Prometheus (A spoiler-free critique)

Riddled with plot holes and sorely lacking in suspense this Alien prequel from the director who started the franchise with writer Dan O'Bannon back in 1979 shamelessly exploits the original mythology for what is ultimately a highly flawed and frustrating to watch sci-fi thriller.

Taking the mystery of the previously unexplained creature discovered by the crew of the Nostromo, piloted by the charismatic and now legendary character Ripley, prior to their exposure to the famous Xenomorph that picks them off one by one, Prometheus creates a back-story for this bizarre entity, once dubbed the Space-Jockey and now referred to as an Engineer. Set 100 years before the original Alien took place, Noomi Rapace steps into the central protagonist role this time around as Dr Shaw, a scientist who believes that the answer to the meaning of human life lies with these advanced beings after discovering ancient cave drawings referring to a distant galaxy where the Engineers seem to have travelled from to visit Earth millions of years ago. Cue a lengthy mission statement from Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers, an employee of the fictional Weyland Yutani corporation that is spearheading and funding the mission, the true reason for which is revealed later, and Weyland himself, oddly played by Guy Pearce in aged prosthetics and make-up. Much time is spent between the crew bickering and debating ethics and morality and the should they/shouldn't they nature of the expedition and once the film picks up interest it's lost yet again due to more banal theologizing and philosophising which comes across as a failed attempt to inject deeper meaning into what is a rather simple plot that doesn't really beg to be dwelled on.

Prometheus suffers from a disjointed and muddled narrative that crams so many different potential threads into 124 minutes but never fully follows through with any of them, apart from perhaps the existential quandary facing multiple characters that arises and is summed up with one line of dialogue that fittingly surmises the film itself; "there is nothing". As if to distract us from the banality of the characters and script Scott goes to town on the visuals with some truly breathtaking imagery, the only trouble is that the initial awe is hardly replenished due to the fact that the whole thing is set in one general location with only the crew's ship, the Engineer's structure and the planet surface as sets, and whereas Alien used the confines of the industrial ship to claustrophobic effect Scott here tries constantly to mine as much grandeur from these locations that it becomes tedious.

To demystify the mystique which leant Alien so much atmosphere and boosted its terrifying impact I would argue that there should be a worthy reason to do so and at no point in Prometheus did I feel that the weight of the story and concept was fully realised. In fact most of the major occurrences in the film come and go so quickly and often inconsequentially that you start to feel as if you are watching a showreel of high tech special effects sequences with no narrative continuity. Alien kept you on the edge of your seat due to what you didn't see, and the power of the imagination was provoked to startling effect, whereas with Prometheus Scott shines the brightest light he can find onto the story and shows us too much of the locations, creatures and dwells heavily on the concepts and ideas raised while eschewing emotion, suspense, horror and feeling.

You could argue that this is a standalone film and that it should be judged on its own merit but even so it still boils down to being a spectacle-driven film conceived as something more intellectual that fails to reach its own ambition. To not compare it to previous Alien films is impossible due to the fact that it borrows so heavily and directly from each one. Human-alien pregnancy, hybrid mutations, chest-bursting, rape subtext, androids and of course the alien itself, I don't criticize them for taking some of the best elements from the past and revisiting and revising them but unfortunately the new creatures in this film aren't scary at all and the characters are so unlikeable that the sense of threat is heavily diminished, the other elements are wasted apart from Michael Fassbender as the android David who is at least one saving grace. One of the most inspired scenes that harkens back to the underrated and brilliantly dark Alien 3 involves an alien pregnancy and the removal of a gestating alien from one of the human characters but unfortunately there is such little build up to this that it lessens the impact of what could have been a much more tense and unnerving situation and then it's forgotten so quickly that you feel slightly cheated, which becomes a pattern throughout.

As mentioned Fassbender is one of the film's best aspects, but Theron and Idris Elba also do a great job considering the shoddy material they're given and the bizarre and incongruous character motivation, which you will no doubt be questioning at every narrative turn. Noomi Rapace seems oddly cast as Prometheus' Ripley-esque protagonist, lacking the humanity that would have perhaps made her more likeable. The minor characters are appallingly written and really detract from the otherwise serious tone and atmosphere.

Those hoping to find direct links to Alien will be disappointed and most likely angry. The planet which is visited in Prometheus is LV-233, not LV-426 which is the planet that the crew's nightmare begins on in Alien. Instead of tying things up nicely the film raises more questions than it answers and ends in such a way that demands a sequel to actually finish the story, but if it's going to be as confused and ineffective as this than it's one sequel I can definitely do without.


SPOILER ALERT
(Scroll down to read my spoiler filled grievances and questions)




Why does Ridley Scott set this on LV-233 and not LV-426? I found this very misleading and annoying.
The tentacle creatures look silly and are not scary at all, neither are the Engineers.
The characters actions aren't clever, the scientist playing with the tentacle, the character smoking marijuana from his space suit, Idris Elba switching from not caring at all about what happens to suddenly deciding he must sacrifice his own life to destroy the Engineer's ship, Dr Shaw being able to run around after having her stomach cut open, Vickers letting herself get crushed by the ship while Shaw merely rolls a few feet out of the way, the Engineer suddenly deciding to get angry...
The alien which bursts from the Engineer at the end looks like a poor copy of Geiger's iconic design.
The Engineer's are supremely advanced beings that have mastered space travel, interactive hologram technology and bioengineering and yet the activation of their ship is accomplished with a magical flute.

Saturday 26 May 2012

2 Days in New York

I should have posted about this sooner but I've been incredibly busy, anyway, I went to the London premiere of Two Days in New York, Julie Delpy's latest film and the sequel to her previous feature Two Days in Paris and wanted to share my thoughts. Delpy and co-star Chris Rock were both in attendance for the press and Delpy also introduced the film and participated in an informative and witty Q&A afterward.

The film itself was very enjoyable, a brilliant blend of neurotic comedy and classic farce. The story sees Delpy's character Marion from Two Days in Paris now divorced and living with new boyfriend Mingus (Chris Rock). When her French father and sister visit the situation causes a strain on the couple's relationship and brings out Marion's neuroses in full force. While the characters are quite caricatured and the plot very basic you can't help but enjoy its simple charm and assured execution. There are some unapologetically cringe-worthy culture clash moments that are truly hilarious and Delpy really knows how to keep the material fresh and provocative without being too crass or off putting. It's also very refreshing to see an interracial couple at the centre of a domestic family comedy, as this is certainly rare. When probed about this during the Q&A Delpy downplayed the intention of this, explaining that it wasn't a key element of the storyline and that her choice to cast Chris Rock was simply due to her admiration of his work but nonetheless I think it's a positive and praise-worthy aspect. Rock lends his character a more grounded humanity which pits him as the voice of reason amidst a sea of neurosis and madness, he is the rational force that highlights the absurdity of the scenarios that escalate beyond his control and playing off of this Delpy shines.

If you're a fan of Delpy's previous directorial efforts, especially Two Days in Paris, then you will no doubt enjoy this and if you're just looking for a smart adult comedy then you could do a lot worse than Two Days in New York. It's worth the price of admission alone for the surprise cameo in the third act which had me in stitches! Check out the trailer below and a brief interview with the stars as well as some Chris Rock stand-up:





Friday 11 May 2012

FACE @ W Hotel London

Last Wednesday we moved our new party FACE from the now defunct Kitts Club to the Wyld Bar at the W Hotel London for a one-off evening of creativity and fun featuring a live PA with the hotly tipped Kase Prince who blew us away with five new tracks of upbeat club-ready hip hop/electro, a nail salon by the fabulously talented girls at Nail Porn, tunes from myself, DJ Lukey, DJ BB (Lewis Griffith) and Sean Alto, plus support from Stooki Society. Here are some of the lovely people who came down to mingle snapped by Shama Anwar: