Farewell

It's time for a change of scenery... So I'm moving to a new blog. You won't find any more updates here, but please check out my new shit:

http://www.chewitupandspititout.blogspot.com

ciao for now!

Autumn 2009 techno mix

Here is a new techno mix I just made. Be very aroused.

Cristo - Autumn 2009 Techno Mix

Coma - Crystal [KOMPAKT]
Cbass & Mikobene - Super Pussy (Pablo Bolivar Remix) [ELEVATION]
Future Beat Investigators - All I Want [SONAR KOLLEKTIV]
James Holden - A Break In The Clouds [BORDER COMMUNITY]
Mainline - Innerspace [BEDROCK RECORDS]
Sharam - Texi [DCI]
Future Beat Investigators - Lotus [SONAR KOLLEKTIV]
Extrawelt - Titelheld [COCOON]
Sunchase - Caliber [SHADOW FAX]
Beck - Cell Phone's Dead (Ellen Allien Remix) [BPITCH CONTROL]
Paul Kalkbrenner - Square 1 [BPITCH CONTROL]
Dusty Kid - Constant Rising [PYTHON]

Download HERE

Review: Drag Me To Hell (2009)

'Drag Me To Hell', Sam Raimi's much-hyped return to the horror genre, had a lot to live up to (not least because the screenplay was allegedly penned way back in the early nineties after he finished 'Army Of Darkness'). I can safely say that fans of the Evil Dead films won't be disappointed by Drag Me To Hell, although it takes itself a bit more seriously.

The story is simple enough - Christine Brown is desperate to win the assistant manager's position in the bank where she works. In an out-of-character attempt to impress her boss, she refuses to allow a loan extension to Mrs. Ganush, a hagged, one-eyed gypsy who bares more than a passing resemblance to a Deadite from the Evil Dead films. Shamed and bankrupted, Ganush attacks Christine in her car later that day, and inflicts an evil curse on her - Christine is going to be tormented by horrific visions of the goat-demon Lamia for three days, and then dragged down into hell for all eternity (with me so far?).

The film is a nice, fairly short length and moves quickly from scene to scene. Raimi, possibly in an attempt to shake off his action-blockbuster-Spiderman-trilogy-reputation, has pulled out all the stops to give the viewer some serious scares. The film plays by the classic horror rules (or certainly by Raimi's classic horror rules), but manages to avoid the cliche of 'silence, silence, silence, silence, "phew, there's no one there", silence, VERY LOUD NOISE TO MAKE YOU JUMP!' Instead, Raimi uses sound to create some seriously creepy atmosphere, and the film's soundtrack rises and falls constantly, drawing the viewer towards those inevitable shock moments quite effectively.

Many of the famous nuances from Raimi's past films are present in Drag Me To Hell, most notably his incredible use of camera work. One scene in particular, involving a seance, is extremely reminiscent of scenes from Evil Dead 2 and 3, with lots of fast camera zooms, bizarre rising sounds, rattling crockery and window shutters, and so on. Drag Me To Hell however, manages to be on the whole, quite a lot scarier than the Evil Dead films were, mainly because it takes itself a bit more seriously, and because Raimi seems more experienced as a director. It might also be due in part to the lack of Bruce Campbell (who, it turns out, refused a role in the film because he was too busy working on his American TV series 'Burn Notice'). Raimi's famous car however is present in this film as Mrs. Ganush's car, and Raimi himself, as well as his brother Ted, both have cameos (although I didn't notice them when I watched it).

This film is pure trash, and Raimi is back doing what he does best and truly plays by his own rules with Drag Me To Hell. With some truly hilarious and gruesome moments, some extremely effective scares and an absolutely brilliant twist ending, this is comedy horror at its finest, and I can highly recommend it to any fan of decent cinematography.

2 Mixes for the summer!

Here are 2 recently recorded short mixes for your listening pleasure. The first is a dancey, electroey, tech-housey, fairly simplistic set recorded with a sunny day in mind. The second is a minimal techno mix- softer, brainier, more suited to late-in-the-day listening. Both mixes clock in at around 40 minutes. Have fun!


Summer 2009 Mini Mix

Blue Foundation - Sweep (Jim Rivers Dub) [RENAISSANCE]
Sultan & Ned Shepard - Together We Rise (DJ Remy & Roland Klinkenberg Remix) [SHINICHI]
Alexander Kowalski - Black Moon [DIFFERENT]
Fernanda Diaz & Felipe Valenzuela - Pijiama Party (Pablo Bolivar Remix) [LUXA FLEX]
Booka Shade - Blue Rooms [GET PHYSICAL]
Glenn Morrison - No Sudden Moves [PILOT 6]
Pryda - Armed [PRYDA RECORDINGS]
Teenage Bad Girl - Ghost House [CITIZEN RECORDS]

Download HERE


Miniminimal Mix June 09

Sascha Funke - I Love This Tent [BPITCH CONTROL]
Robbie Pardoel - Orologio (Fairmont Remix) [MANUAL MUSIC]
Holden - 10101 [BORDER COMMUNITY]
Dinky - Acid In My Fridge (Tobi Neumann Remix) [COCOON RECORDINGS]
Alex Smoke - Titti [VAKANT]
Misstress Barbara - Barcelona [BORDER COMMUNITY]
Sunchase - Velvet [LUXA FLEX]
Nathan Fake - The Sky Was Pink (Holden Remix) [BORDER COMMUNITY]
Ellen Allien & Apparat - Way Out [BPITCH CONTROL]

Download HERE

PDP Panic Reviewing!

OKAY... I recently heard of a rumour that my tutors still look at our blogs and still expect us to keep up with our PDP work. This seems doubtful considering their track record, but I've started writing reviews again just to be safe. Here is the first:


The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Century: 1910 (Top Shelf Comics, 2009)

Many people were disappointed by 'The Black Dossier', the long-delayed and largely inaccessible previous entry in 'The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen'. I personally loved that book for its inventive and very fun coverage of fictional characters and places. But how to follow up a series that includes everything from Gormenghast to the Gollywogg? Easy, you have the third volume span an entire century of popular culture!

This, the first of 3 parts, is set in 1910, just over a decade after volume 2. London has changed little (although there seems to be an abundance of cars, steamboats and airships). Murray and Quatermain have been given extended life thanks to their exploits over the previous decade (mentioned in volume 2) and have amassed a new league, albeit one that is alot more... human... than the one we have previously seen. The new league includes the immortal and annoyingly foppish Orlando, the ghost-hunter Carnacki and the gentleman thief Raffles.

Carnacki's psychic powers have given him visions of an occult group attempting to bring about the apocalypse and the league decide to investigate. Meanwhile, Macheath (from Bertol Brecht's Threepenny Opera), who it turns out also happens to be Jack The Ripper, returns to London to resume butchering prostitutes. The role of Jenny Diver from the Threepenny opera is played by the daughter of Nemo who runs away to London to escape her father's dying wishes.

Alan Moore's world of fictional characters is fully realised in Century: 1910 and this may pose a slight problem for casual readers. Many of the characters in this story are somewhat obscure and not as instantly recognisable as, say, Jekyll and Hyde or The Invisible Man. However, this doesn't stagnate the story (in fact, League fans will likely find that it enhances it), and it moves along at lightning pace. On more than one occasion while reading the book, I found myself on Wikipedia looking up some characters that I didn't recognise, and rewarding myself for the ones that I did (Popeye, a Face Hugger from Alien, The 14th Earl Of Gurney from the Peter O' Toole film The Ruling Class, George Edward Challenger and so on). The story is 72 pages long (about the same as 3 normal comics) but contains a very satisfying amount of content. It also features a 6 page illustrated text story at the end (the first of 3 parts that will continue throughout Century), Minions of the Moon, which spans many different periods of time and is equally as satisfying as the main story.

Whilst there is quite a lot crammed into the book's 80 colourful pages, Century: 1910 definitely feels like chapter one of a larger tale. And although Moore and O' Neill have succeeded in meeting my high expectations and leaving me begging for more, part two (set in 1969) isn't scheduled for release until 2010, and part three (set in 2009) not till 2011, so there is a fair amount of speculation in the mean time! This is the best thing I've read all year and I can't see any graphic novel surpassing it until its followup next year. Highly recommended.

Short Hand-Drawn Animation May 2009

Here is a very short little animation I just made. The music is an extract from 'The Birds' by Telefon Tel Aviv.

Cristo Tekmix (April 09)

I promised a techno / minimal mix a long time ago and never delivered it. So it gives me great pleasure to announce this very splendid and worthwhile set just for you!

Pig & Dan - Sweet September [COCOON RECORDINGS]
Moonbeam - Your Wind Is In My Hands (Dub Mix) [NOIR MUSIC]
Oxia - Domino [KOMPAKT EXTRA]
Solee - Jule (Pig & Dan Remix) [PARQUET RECORDINGS]
Sunchase - AHZ (Pig & Dan Remix) [PLAYMOBIL SERIES]
Jokke Ilsøe - Feeling Good (Trentemøller Remix - Chronicles Edit) [AUDIOMATIQUE]
Cristian Paduraru - Renewal Chance (Sunchase Remix) [SEMANTICA RECORDINGS]
Dakar - Milking The Cash Cow [GET PHYSICAL MUSIC]
Booka Shade - In White Rooms [GET PHYSICAL MUSIC]
Dusty Kid - Luna [BPITCH CONTROL]
Sascha Funke - Mango [BPITCH CONTROL]
Marascia & Dusty Kid - Attre [BOXER RECORDINGS]
Chardronnet vs. Afrilounge - Just For A Little Peek [SPORTCLUB]
Kiko - Sunburn [DIFFERENT]
The Knife - Silent Shout (Williams Acidic Circuits Remix) [MUTE CORPORATION]


Download HERE

2 Mixes

Here is a classic drum & bass mix I did in 2007, exploring the deeper, tech/trance end of the dnb spectrum. As an added bonus, I've also included a 25-minute mini drum & bass mix from summer 2008. Enjoy!

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Cristo - March 2007 Mix

Pyro - Ghost Whisper [CABAL]
Noisia - The Distance [SUBTITLES]
State Of Mind - Rise & Fall [C.I.A.]
Chris.Su - Solaris Theme [SUBTITLES]
Sunchase - As We Look [MOVING SHADOW]
Corrupt Souls - Machines [CIRCLE]
Bulletproof & Concord Dawn - Scorched Earth (Kemal Remix) [CYANIDE]
N.Phect, Dizplay & Phace - Deep Throat [BASSWERK]
Catacomb & Dementia - The Lost Boys [CITRUS]
State Of Mind - Back To The Jungle [SHOGUN AUDIO]
Teebee - Black Mind [SUBTITLES]
Black Sun Empire - Porcelain [OBSESSIONS]
Sunchase - Aquarius [SINUOUS]
Jade & Matt.U - Nightmare [MOVING SHADOW]
Corrupt Souls - Samsara [CIRCLE]

Download HERE

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Cristo - Mini Mix August 2008

Masheen - Essence Of Life [DSCI4]
John B feat. Star Eyes - Take Me Home [BETA]
Masheen - Earth Shock [SINUOUS]
Jade & Matt U - Nightmare [MOVING SHADOW]
Nine Inch Nails - Closer (John B Remix) [BETA]

Download HERE

Suicide Is Tangy

I'm back after a seriously lengthly absence, and have a lot to report, and a lot of excuses to make. But there will be time for that later. For now, enjoy my Doritos advert, which I finally found the time to upload. Call it a spiritual sequel to my 'Day That Shook The World' title sequence.

First, a brief history of this unit: Once upon a time there was a brand of corn snack called 'Doritos'. One day, the cats in charge realised that their marketing department was retarded. So they launched a competition on the back of Doritos packets, for members of the public to design the new TV campaign. Naturally there were thousands of volunteers, but for the students on my course it was mandatory. You can imagine the uproar this caused. Many were thinking "I pay thousands of pounds to study for a degree which finds its briefs on the back of crisp packets?!?" Insulting as that may have been, I decided that my dignity was more important to me than the £20,000 prize money. So what I have produced reflects my feelings on this unit, and Doritos in general.

With that in mind, enjoy!

North West Drum & Bass Radio Show

Here is a 2 hour Drum & Bass set by myself (Cristo) and my counterpart VKO. This set was mixed and broadcast live way back in June 2007, on our fortnightly radio show for North West Drum & Bass and it's now available for download. The mix represents the finest Neurofunk, Techno DnB and Darkstep beats of the time. Also, I had to reduce the quality of the sound in order for the file to fit on Rapidsh*t, but it's still fine to listen to on an iPod or something...

Tracklist:

D.Fazed Radio Show - 07/06/2007 - VKO & Cristo

N.Phect & Phace - Cavity [SYNDROME] - Cristo
Psidream - Quasar [RED LIGHT]
Sunchase - Save Us [RECON]
Rawtekk - Hunter [CITRUS]
Chris Su - Consciousness [RENEGADE HARDWARE]
Noisia & Teebee - Time Stops [SUBTITLES]
Chook - Trainspot [FULL FORCE]
State Of Mind - Rise & Fall [C.I.A.]
Chris Su - To Heal [CRITICAL]
N.Phect & Dizplay - Velvet Morning [BASSWERK]
Break - Authentic [QUARANTINE] - VKO
Phace - Vitamin P [SUBTITLES]
Noisia & Phace - Outsource (Misanthrop Remix) [SYNDROME]
Psidream - Crossed Off [MELTING POT]
Phace - Crocker [SYNDROME]
Kenai - Jack The Ripper [MELTING POT]
N Phonix - Ephyra [FULL FORCE]
Phace - Brainwave [SUBTITLES]
Teebee - Snake Funk [SUBTITLES] - Cristo
Stu C4C - Losing My Mind [SUDDEN DEF]
Mindscape, Jade & Hydro - Black Lotus [CITRUS]
Break - No Company [SHADOW LAW]
Psidream - Magrathea [RED LIGHT]
Jade - Unexist [BLACK SUN EMPIRE]
Cerebral Productions - Exposure [FULL FORCE]
N.Phect & Dizplay - White Russian (State Of Mind Remix) [BASSWERK]
Subsonik - Communicate [CYMBALISM]
N-Phonix - Ill Sequence [FOKUZ] - VKO
Dose - Fear Feeder [SYNDROME]
Masheen, Cannon Boys & NC-17 - The Menace [SINUOUS]
Axiom - Cyberia [SYNDROME AUDIO]
Mindscape - Force Back [CITRUS]

Download HERE

Oscar Nominated

Well here it is... My title sequence all nice and finished. Soundtrack produced with help from my brother (and my mum helped with obtaining the costumes).

The Warehouse Project Allnighter 30/11/2007 Review - Miss Kittin & The Hacker

Miss Kittin & The Hacker are a pioneering electroclash/techno duo whose 2001 debut 'First Album' is regarded as one of the most influential electronic albums ever. I have listened to Miss Kittin and The Hacker's music for many years and finally (after 6 years) they have decided to reform and do a European tour. Luckily for me, one of the dates was in Manchester at the new Warehouse Project venue under Piccadilly station.



The pair arrived on stage shortly after 1am, to rapturous applause from an over-packed dancefloor. There was definitely a great sense of nostalgia as the ultra-violet and neon lights descended over the crowd, and a warped techno
synthesiser pad warmed up the already-hyped crowd for an hour-long set encapsulating an excellent mixture of old and new.



Opening with new single 'Hometown', an eighties-tinged, uplifting Techno-pop song, the duo quickly got the whole (very large) venue very excited indeed. Miss Kittin, with her effortlessly sexy, deadpan Germanic vocals was perfectly complementing the Hacker's live synthesiser work. His pulsing, Detroit/909-inspired Techno sounded incredible in spite of the venue which was acoustically terrible (due largely to the walls of archways which dissected the warehouse). We opted for a spot directly in between the sound/lighting booth and the DJ booth, and this seemed to pay off as the high frequencies sounded crystal clear and the bass sounded warm and organic.



Performing incredible live versions of some legendary tunes including 'Stock Exchange', '1982', 'Life On MTV', 'Stripper' and the iconic 'Frank Sinatra', by the end of their set the audience were literally screaming for more (myself included!). As an encore of sorts, they finished the show with a fantastic rendition of one of The Hacker's solo hits, 'Flesh and Bone'. This came as a wonderful surprise, as the vocal on the song is performed by male vocalist Perspects. Hearing Miss Kittin perform this track was a rare treat and brought the song into a whole new light.



Overall, Miss Kittin & The Hacker's performance was one of the most polished, exciting and satisfying electronic sets I have ever heard. Their ability to surpass my already high expectations is testament to the strength of their music and stage presence.

A music video I've been working on

One of the (many) things that I have to do for my course is a PDP. This consists of a studio diary, miscellaneous work, written reviews and more. In the past this has had to have been on paper but as of this year they have deemed it acceptable to make it in blog form.

So today one of the tutors gave us a workshop on blogging, and I realised that almost all of my blog so far is research-based and there is currently little of my own work. So without further ado I give to you the (very rough) first version of a music video I have been working on in my spare time. The footage was all shot by me around the south and centre of Manchester. The music is 'Yellow Calx' by Aphex Twin.

Shitkatapult & Bpitch Control

Recently I have been listening to alot of techno music. I have found myself following two German labels in particular: Shitkatapult (owned by Apparat) and its sister label Bpitch Control (my favourite record label, started by Ellen Allien)





I recommend both these labels, but Bpitch is probably a better introduction to techno, as it strikes a balance between dancefloor electro and minimal techno that is quite accessible. Ellen Allien is not only the label's host; Often DJing across Europe and releasing mix CDs of the tunes that are released, but also a talented producer in her own right, having released several successful albums including 2005's 'Thrills'.





Shitkatapult is home to more experimental and organic sounds, and thus seems to release material less often, but its ethos is definitely quality over quantity, and this shows. I can heartily recommend Apparat's newest album 'Walls' which is a fantastic journey through the musical taste of a truly eclectic individual.



On Bpitch, Allien and Apparat teamed up in 2006 to produce the stunning LP 'Orchestra Of Bubbles' which has secured the duo's place along side many of techno's most experimental and offbeat artists.





It should also be noted that Ellen Allien runs a highly commended and successful fashion label in Berlin, 'Ellen Allien Fashion', as well as the clothing line for Bpitch Control which is fantastic.

http://www.bpitchcontrol.de
http://www.ellenallien.de
http://www.shitkatapult.com

Apple Tree

Here is another piece I made for my course, this is a photomontage on the subject of 'apple'. See how many apple-related things you can spot!

Rough animation made for college course

This is the rough (hurried) version of a short animation I made for my course. I'm not happy with the framerate (8fps) so if I ever have some time I will add more frames and possibly more soundtrack.

Guten Morgen

hi hi hi there, welcome to warmhotself's design blog. I will be posting any of my own work here as well as anything that has inspired me in any way. enjoy
warmhotself