3xCD BOX - Harri Kakoulli presents Hotel Marrakesh - UK

Arabic Lounge Music. I guess we can call it that. I acidently found this box at Media Markt, and would probably not have looked more closely on it if it hadn't been named Hotel Marrakesh. I have great memories from Marrakesh aswell as from Marrocco and I basicly bought it because of it's name. And the fact that it is really beautiful and lets face it: A box is a box is a box.

So, is is any good then? I would say, it's a quite brilliant box of music. I guess it needs it moment to come to it's right, and even thou arabic music is not something I usually listen to, this is a quite modern and electronic collection of music and i can't waiot until the summer comes and i can drink tea and have my breakfast together with this music. It's relaxing, meditating with parts of deep arabic chillout. The music is separated in three different catagories/cds and that works really well:

• The Arabica Bar & Café
• Drakes Club & Cocktail Lounge
• Elysium Spa Retreat

The person who has put this collection together is Harri Kakoulli, and I have not heard his name before i bought this box. But it seems like he is some kind of famous dj/producer and has spend lots of time arranging clubs in Cyprus. Wikipedia tells me also nothing.

For all hesitating another bonus with this release is that there are snippets of almost all the songs online at the record labels website World Of Crazy Diamond. But here is the direct links:

The Arabic Bar & Café
1:Amira Saqati:Madinti
2:Harry Kakoulli:Z Song(Nomad Spirit Remix)
3:Harry Kakoulli:Burning Sorrow Chant
4:Al-pha X:Sahara
5:Amira Saqati:Felestin
6:MC Skyline:Arabian Knights(DJ Ahmed Special mix)
7:Dream Team feat Momak:One World One Day
8:Amira Saqati:Sabra Dima
9:Radar:Running Away
10:Marrakesh Massive:Ambaric Chill(Kemia 12" mix)
11:Al-pha X:Kinetic Radio

Drakes Club & Cocktail Lounge
1:Maghrebika:Babour
2:Harry Kakoulli:DriftingHorizons(Future Chill mix)
3:Radar:Caravanne
4:Harry Kakoulli:Blue Trees(Chaotic Kasbah mix)
5:Harry Kakoulli:Souk Rush(Hard Electro Remix)
6:Nomads of Dance vs Ali Hassal:Youssef's Poem
7:T.I.A.C:Camel Train(Marrakesh Mix)
8:Amira Saqati:Sans Tes Mots
9:Cheb Rayah feat DJ Momo:The Bedouin's Dream
10:Harry Kakoulli:Zazballah(Smoking club remix)
11:Amira Saqati:PSY Habibi

Disc three is exclusive and can only be listen to after you have bough the set, but is a slow 60 minutes, arabic, chill out track that will make you relax and sleep if you just close your eyes.

It excists two other box-sets in the same spirit released from the same lable. You should check them out aswell. The Hotel St Tropez, and St Tropez La Suite. The links below will help you find them.

worldofcrazydiamond.com
myspace.com/harrikakoulli
worldofcrazydiamond.com/HotelMarrakesh.htm
worldofcrazydiamond.com/HotelStTropez.htm
worldofcrazydiamond.com/LaSuite.htm
alientemple.com/at/html/hotel_marrakesh.html

Where to buy it? Try Amazon.com.

7" - Grinderman - Get It On - UK - One sided etched

When the news came and said that Nick Cave was starting up a new band called Grinderman and they allready have put up a song on myspace called "(i've got the )No pussy blues" and it sounded like hairy industrial blues noise my day was made.

Then the information came that the first single Get It On would be released as a one sided etched 7" and only be pressed in 1000 copies I started to reload the pages from MuteBank to make sure I would not miss out on this one. Well, information on the web still say it's only 1000 copies (in the UK), but it's a fact there are at least around 4000 out there, so it shouldn't be any problem getting hold of a copy
for an ok price. maybe ebay is your friend? or hmv.co.uk, because they seem to have some left.

I'm looking forward for the next single (I've Got The) No Pussy Blues released the 19 february 2007 at Mute records (as limited 7" with poster + cdm). The Album comes in March and until then, enjoy the songs on myspace!

myspace.com/grinderman
grinderman.com
discogs.com
hmv.co.uk
recordstore.co.uk

CD - Marsheaux - Peek A Boo - GRE - Signed and numbered

If you are fed up by new bands please jump a bit down, and maybe that will change your mind.

Marsheaux is a greek duo inspired by YAZOO, DEPECHE MODE, BLANCMANGE, SOFT CELL, JAPAN, HUMAN LEAGUE, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS, ERASURE, RATIONAL YOUTH, EURYTHMICS, OMD etc. For all I care, this is where most people stop reading. I don't know how many bands there are out there influenced by bands like this, but I usually never bather listening to them, because bands inspired by those band 1. has a really bad singer, 2. should never been released because they suck bigtime. Well, Marianthi and Sophie from Marsheaux will prove everyone wrong, because what they have done with their second album will make new band inspired by YAZOO, DEPECHE MODE, BLANCMANGE, SOFT CELL, JAPAN, HUMAN LEAGUE, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS, ERASURE, RATIONAL YOUTH, EURYTHMICS, OMD etc put MARSHEAUX among that list aswell.

Still not convinced? Well, They also have the excelent tast of sending along a bunch of freebees when you order the album through their myspace page.

So for 14 Euros (and that includes p&p boys and girls) you get
1. A signed album.
2. hey - it's also numbered limited edition.
3. A purple bag with holes for your eyes you can put over your head and send a picture to the band (yes they want you to do this)
4. a small letter of thank you
5+6. a couple of flyers.
7. A DJ Mix the band made for Rodon Club (electronic night 100 copies made) and
8. A 71 track Depeche Mode Megamix made for the members of The Greek DM fanclub Hysterika (300 copies made).























and yes, The dj-sets is quite good! So what are you waiting for? take a listen of the four songs on their myspace page, and make an order. They so deserve it. And hurry, because it's a limited time offer.

marsheaux.com
myspace.com/marsheaux

7" - Client - Xerox Machine - UK - Testpress

Some weeks ago I was just surfing the net and I happend to visit Clients official site which i don't do so regulary. But I was really lucky that day to be one of the 5 people who got the chance to buy one of the testpressings from 7" Xerox Machine from their webstore.

The single will be released commecially 22 january 2007 in the UK/EU as both 7" (white vinyl, limited to 1000 copies) and a 12" (stamped paper sleeve, limited to 1000 copies), in th US it will be released as a 6 track CD.

7"
A 01. Zerox Machine
B 01. Zerox Machine - Jonny Slut/Atomizermix

12"
A 01. Zerox Machine - N-Joi Remix
B 01. Zerox Machine - IDC Remix

USA CD
01. Zerox Machine
02. Loose Talking
03. Zerox Machine - IDC Remix04. Zerox Machine - Jonny Slut/Atomizermix
05. Zerox Machine - Robert Goerl Strange Pistol Mix
06. Zerox Machine - Club Mix By Covenant

Among digital releases for xerox machine, there is also a club promo out there with a Terrence Fixmer Mix on it. For all Xerox Machine releases please see Jens Schwemmers great collectorsite of all Client releases: client-collection.com

client-online.net
myspace.com/client
recordstore.co.uk

CD - Depeche Mode - The Best Of - Russian pressing

This is actually my forth item of The best Of. In the bookshelf there is the japanese pressing, the philipine pressing and the french "carte collector digital" which is one of a kind and not a cd even thou it looks like it's a 3" disc in the cd-case. It's actually just a flyer for a digital release sold in the record store.

Anyway, The russian edition. My first Russian cd. Kindly arranged and send from Vladimir who lives in Moscow. The colour of the cd is a bit paler then the other editions and there is also a red square printed on the fron of the booklet, which i haven't seen on any other release yet. The barcode on the back is yellow, which is something i haven't understood yet, the choice of color. It's to be found on the philiphines edition aswell, and the Israelic edition of Playing The Angel. If someone knows why the color yellow is chosen for barcodes around the world feel free to post your comments!

This is a really nice release from Gala Records, and for what it is worth, they actually managed to spell "Enjoy The Silence" correctly in the booklet! Only because of that, this is a great release to have in your collection.

Hello Cleveland!

Hello Cleveland! Hello Cleveland!!!
Let's go!
Fuck.