Blackbird
Bangkok Impact, Legowelt, Orgue Electronique, and DJ TLR might not be the most common household names, but they bring it in the most familiar of ways: with the combined sensibilities of Detroit electro and Chicago house, plus a dash of their own scorching Dutch flava. Four electronic acts from Finland and The Netherlands, their combined discography (mostly on the Der Haag, Holland-based Bunker and Crème Organization labels) is the length of Encyclopedia Brittanica; their output has largely consisted of layered, freaky electrofunk and electronic disco. Okay, I've heard this stuff, and yeah, I'll dance to anything, but rarely am I inspired for the getdown as much as I am by Legowelt's nasty-ass synths and Bangkok Impact's layered pulsing disco cuts. It's just the way I like it: tons of buzzing keyb shit going on at once, all of it electronic, rock-hard, complex, melodic, sometimes humorous, and always BANGIN.
After a twelve-year history of deejaying, founding promotion company Global Darkness, and organizing squat parties in Holland, DJ TLR started the Crème Organization label in 2001. The goal was to specialize in this super-hot brand of electro and disco, the kind TLR felt was missing from the "West Coast of Holland" nouveau disco scene. His first release was his own, the "Call Me Mr. Falcon" 12" under the moniker Mr Clavio, but soon he was picking up folks like Bangkok Impact, It & My Computer, Polarius, Monkey Chop--and Bunker stalwart Legowelt, whose latest Crème Organization release is a reissue of his classic electro 12" entitled "Reports from the Backseat Pimp."
Legowelt, aka Danny Wolfers, not only has a great sense of humor, but also reaps a mental catalog of what he calls "slam jack electro discotech" and "obscure ghetto jazz funk," which all translates to "yr butt shaking the mfing jamz." He and Orgue Electronique have released several cuts together, including the "Wir leben in pussywelt" and "Derrick in Nord Korea" singles. OE's minimalist party funk mixes with Legowelt like cream and strawberries--smooth, tasty, and kinda dirty, when you think about it.
Speaking of dirty, Bangkok Impact's ode to He-Man, entitled "Masters of the Universe," is a slamming nouveau-disco cut with a mirror-ball huge slice of hammy, synthy funk. On the B-side, Bangkok Impact (who is known to his parents as Sami Liuski) includes a cover of Madonna's "Like a Virgin," that is somewhat akin to the old Claude Denjean Moog mixes of yore--which means kitsch factor is fairly through the roof. However, the track not only does justice to the Queen of Pop's golden phase, but inserts a squelching, grinding electro-beat track that's more suited to Madonna's Sex era than her bopping foray into the moral dilemma of teen pregnancy.
With the exception of DJ TLR (who will in fact be deejaying), the boys on this tour are performing live sets, and it's gonna be hot.
