Amoeba has entered into a partnership with L.A.’s Moheak Radio to provide the Amoeba Song of the Week every week for a recorded segment to air on Moheak’s online radio station.
This week it’s Bonobo’s "Pieces," in which the U.K. producer teams with Swedish singer Cornelia on an effervescent track from Bonobo's recently released album, The North Borders. Stream the song below; pick it up for download from Amoeba.com, and check out the rest of the chilled-out album on CD, LP or download.
A bit about Amoeba’s Song of the Week: Every week we’ll provide a song hand-selected by our own staff to Moheak Radio for a recorded segment that will run four times a day (at around 8 a.m., 1 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and once overnight). Besides hearing what our expert staff is into, you’ll get the chance to win prizes from Amoeba Music. The giveaways will happen once a week with announcements at least once every four hours leading up to the giveaway, which will take place on Moheak’s Facebook page. Check it out, support local/online radio and win some prizes along the way.
British electronic musician Bonobo (aka Simon Green) released The North Borders this week, his highly anticipated follow-up to 2010's Black Sands. Bonobo stopped by Amoeba Hollywood recently to do some record shopping. He picks up a few world music albums, the Jim O'Rourke project Loose Fur, two LPs for potential sampling featuring harps and folk instrumentation, the new Toro y Moi LP, Anything in Return (which I'm also loving right now), and a few more things.
My favorite moment from this video happens right at the end. He selects the new Johnny Marr album, The Messenger, in part because he saw Mr. Marr's episode in which he bought Bonobo's album. (Johnny Marr actually came into Amoeba that day looking to buy Black Sands and we coincidentally had it playing in the store.) Fast forward a few years, now we have Bonobo, having seen Johnny Marr buy his album in the same store, on the same series, and Bonobo is returning the favor. The WIMB circle of life, or as one person on YouTube called it, "the What's In My Bag Karma game." Pretty cool!
Bonobo - What's In My Bag?
Watch and comment on YouTube
Johnny Marr - What's In My Bag?
Watch and comment on YouTube
One of the things I like about remixes is that they can bring new life into a track, make you hear it in an entirely different way. Remixes, like anything else, run the gamut and with the omnipresence of the remix these days there is a good chance of running into some crap ones too. But when they're good, they can be delicious. In fact, over the last few years I've come across a few remixes that I now prefer over their original tracks.
I'm in love with a new remix from LA/NYC band
Another example of a new remix I prefer over the original is a White Arrows remix of Active Child's "Johnny Belinda." The original track, from You Are All I See (Vagrant, 2011), has a completely different tempo and incorporates the faint stirrings of a choir of monks throughout. The remix maintains Pat Grossi's vocals, but alters the other elements completely. Download "Johnny Belinda (White Arrows Remix)."
