Tuesday 8 December 2009

Jam the Box...Goes Live! 11/12/09


Edinburgh Indie Rock five-piece The High Lines return for their second Jam the Box after playing a well received set back in ...April. It's been another sucessful year for the band, playing a number of energetic shows around the city. The lads are currently promoting their latest offering,The Walls EP,so expect another fast-paced,no-nonsence liveperformance.

Lewis Gibson of Dr Ruby's fame performs with the infamous Midas Touch to create a unique fusion of Folk, Blues, Pop and Rock; all with a distinctive Scottish twist. Watch out for the classic crowd-pleaser 'Lil Precious' (aka Movin' On) and much more. This is also their second outing to Jam the Box and if the last times anything to go by, expect the roof to be raised!

Making their first appearence at Jam the Box this month areEdinburgh based four piece Inspired.With a mix of classic Indie and atmospheric chilled out rock, the ladshave been busy taking the live scene by storm throughout 2009. Expect upliftinganthems from the start.

Kicking things off are new arrivals on the Edinburgh live scene Messiah. Only recently formed, the lads play up-tempo Indie Rock, it's sure to be a lively start to the night.

As ever the Jam the Box DJ's will be on hand providing the best in Funk, Soul,psych, Rock & Roll, Garage, Folk, Blues, Disco and everything in between.

Some favourite 12"s of '09

Greetings jam lovers,

Some vinyl out this year I have enjoyed, in no order of preference, there will be some I've forgotten and also some I've yet to get. May edit in later, so watch this space!

I have a dislike for this kind of thing as I don't like to categorise music by year, as we all know, good music should be timeless. The most visible lists of this nature are usually very biased whether influenced by journalistic favourings, or a blindness to where the real creativity lies.

This is solely for the purpose of sharing some appreciation and love for some decent underground music on vinyl in these changing times and since I have no mixes currently posted up, it gives you an idea of what lurks in my box. Laptop/CD DJs, leave the hall!



Snuff Crew - Feel Inside (Hour House Is Your Rush Records)

For the KiNK & Neville Watson Remix of Feel Inside, lovely deep 90's Detroit flavour, drum machine builds very nicely, very rich sounding synths especially the bass line in the middle.

Mantra - Third Mind (Bunker Records)
Dirty raw acid harnessed in a very pleasing master and pressing, one for rough 808 and 303 lovers.

Tactic - Tactic EP (Dress 2 Sweat)
Limited white label B-more and dubstep remixes, MIA's 'Boyz' , 'Can't Juke Without Me' - an old Miami Bass track?, and a fully jacked up version of Ding Dong's dancehall banger, 'Badman Forward...'.

Bubblez - Move Down Low / Loser (Devotional Dubz)
For the version of Lady Saw - Loser on here, takes the original (which is an excellent slice of cheeky dancehall), sticks a massive jackin' drum machine behind it and adds some rough house synth samples, highlighting Lady Saw's irresistible agressive attitude.


Frozen Border - Frozen Border (Frozen Border)
The first release on another faceless imprint of techno possibly from Berlin (where it was mastered at D&M, where else!) has a nice 'classic' sound to it, Basic Channel repetitive sensibilities focusing on an upfront rhythmic dynamic, rather than endless reverb and delay.

Jared Wilson - Ghettoblaster (7777)
Dark, moody, minimal (no not that trendy shit!), stripped down, no nonsense classic Chicago sounding, acid, jackin, jackin, acid, vintage, classic did I say acid, moody, dark, minimal, acid (no not that trendy shit!)? Pick up the excellent 'Drug Related Stories' by the same guy on the same label from 2007, same style, excellent stuff!


Fuzzy Logik Feat. Egypt - In The Morning (Virgin)
Magically blends a basic Caribbean rhythm with dancefloor R&B, UK Garage and deep vocal house, it's the synth that binds it all together which is the icing on the cake, now has a generic 'we're all dancing in the club and looking beautiful' video, just listen to the music, that's my advice...


DJ Mystery Feat. Natalie K - Speechless
Similar style to Fuzzy Logik but with more movement in the bass department and a more softer vocal. Another feel good love song, UK Funky anyone?



Hot City - Hot City Bass (Ramp Recordings)
Massive Detroit style shuffle on the drums 4/4 and a one chord synth sample rhythm with some vocal snippets on the A side, huge bass, need I say more?

Levon Vincent - Solemn Days EP (Deconstruct Music)
Massive big looong tracks to get your teeth into here, plenty of nice reverb, delay, crisp hi hats, rim shots, handclaps, loads of spacey synths, works very well as early doors Saturday night tunes. Deep but not sleepy deep, track title of the year as well: 'Polar Bear Make Nice With That Sea Lion' which is full of highly pleasing Chain Reactionesque synth and bass action with the clear driving drums keeping any notion of valium techno firmly at bay.

Mike Dehnert - Umlaut2 (Clone Basement Series)
Levon Vincents NY Basement mix really steals the show here. Some very fresh sounding tom action and an old fashioned ravey stab, what more do you need??

Rye Rye - Bang (The Remixes)
The original mix is great on its own and the WTF I Asked For A Kuduro Remix By Buraka Som Sistema makes it even bigger, ravey breakbeat samples and an outrageous massive b-more style breakdown.


That's all for now, I may come back and add more. Hope you enjoyed some music in '09!

Marmalade Maslin.x

(also posted at www.myspace.com/paulmaslin )

Thursday 3 December 2009

JAM THE BOX DECEMBER PARTY! 5/12/09





Jam the Box & Friends
5/12/09
The GRV, Guthrie Street, Edinburgh
1100-0300

£4/5 entry

Main Room : Jam the Box residents
Bar area : Malange FM

For our final event of the year Jam the Box shall be inviting some friends along for a main room Christmas special where we shall be playing the finest selection of Disco, House, Detroit Techno, Dubstep and everything in between.

Malange FM take over the bar area where Danny and friends shall provide a healthy mixture of Dub, Funk, Soul and Nu wave.

Jam the Box would like to thank all who have turned out for the Jam the Box club and live band events the past year. We have some very exciting nights planned for next year so stay close.