FACT 23 is here

Copies of the latest issue of FACT magazine are now available in Brussels La Quaraintaine (Rue Lesbroussart) and Lost in Music (Plattesteen). In the New Year you can also get hold of a copy at Cafe Central (Place St Gery) or at the next Music Muziek Musique.

Loving the Pistols loud!

Thanks to all of you who braved the cold to come to the Fight Night last night. For the record, here's who we think won each fight:

Rolling Stones
Costello
Arctic Monkeys
Stax
Bowie
Prince
The Smiths
The Clash
Kitsune
Detroit Techno
East Coast Hip-Hop
and
Magical Mystery Tour.

Have a great break and see you when Music Muziek Musique returns in 2008.

Your eclectic residents,
DJ Jammer & The Phantom

A Factory Night review

Check out The Phantom's review of A Factory Night (once again) on the Fact magazine website.

DNA DJ set

I really enjoyed warming up the crowd for Torpid side project, Yikez! and John MacAsskill (both from Luxembourg) at the DNA bar last night. Here's what was on the menu:

Pre-show
Alan Shephard - Freedom 7 lift-off / A Mountain of One - Ride
Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band - Big Eyed Beans from Venus
The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda
Peter, Bjorn and John - Young Folks (Sitar Mix)
Pop Levi - Skip Ghetto
The Orb - Cool Harbour
Talking Heads - Swamp
The Doors - Five to One.

Intermission
Curly Moore - Get low down
Ambrose Reynolds - White America
DJ Blaqstarr - Give it to u
Mission of Burma - (That's when I reach for my) Revolver
A Place to Bury Strangers - To fix the gash in your head
FrankMusik - 3 little words (Partyshank remix)
Scritti Politti - Doubt Beat
Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things
Goblin - Profondo Rosso (album version)
Hot Chip - No Fit State
The Icicle Works - Love is a Wonderful Colour.

Kitsuné 6 is career suicide

The Kitsuné hype curve is reaching its peak. Among electro-punk/indietronica crossover hipsters, the French record label-cum-maison –de-mode is the hottest thing since the microwave went ping,

For a manager looking to sign one of the best of the up-and-coming UK dance acts, the promise of a slot on a Kitsuné Maison compilation is the deal clincher, the golden carrot. But, how soon before the Parisian label becomes King Midas in Reverse?

When the fifth Maison collection is released in February, the label is set to go overground big style. But is the substance already on the wane?

A few months from now, Kitsuné Maison 4 may be considered the high water mark of the Parisian imprint’s influence, if not its success. But even on that compilation, some tracks stand out while others scream “sit down and shut up’”. ‘Divebomb’, ‘I get around’, ‘Hit Pop’ - yes, yes, yes! But Hadouken’s ‘Tuning in’? Really?? Mike Skinner without the wit or roguish charm: a tune and a beat to forget.

Other recent releases provide further evidence that the Kitsuné A&R department isn’t always on top of its game. Take Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya, one of the latest additions to the label roster. Last month I saw BBYYY support Crystal Castles on a boat in Brussels. The Toronto noise duo was great; the Paris/London one (+funky drummer) was not. Now comes their debut single. The annoyingly named ‘Fuck Friend’ (do they mean ‘Fuck Buddy’?) hit the shelves last Monday. And what a disappointment it is: a watered down ‘Lady Marmalade’ with a ‘sound-of-2007’ sheen. Like listening to Northside after the Happy Mondays and wondering where your money went.

Actually, Madchester-era Factory is a fairly apt analogy for Kitsuné right now. Both being labels built on the success of a long-running band capable of bridging the divide between the underground dance world, the indie scene and the pop mainstream (Factory directly through New Order; Kitsuné indirectly through Daft Punk, via long-time DP cohort and label co-founder Gildas Loaëc); both privileging design at least as much as music (see the work of Peter Saville, Johnson Panas, 8vo, and Central Station Design on the one hand and of the Åbäke team - Patrick Lacey, Benjamin Reichen, Kajsa Stahl and Maki Suzuki – on the other); both making a mark in fashion (from Happy Mondays’ ‘loose fit’ style and philosophy [even if it was Inspiral Carpets who had the t-shirts] to Kitsuné Maison’s clothing lines); and both moving from a playful artiness towards something more consumer-centric. If Digitalism start booking studio time in Barbados: everyone beware!

For the moment though, Kitsuné’s distinctive collage sleeves are mostly still filled with great grooves: The Teenagers, Lost Valentinos, Big Face – luv it!

So Kitsuné Maison 5 will be the breakthrough – the cool album that goes mass market. Kitsuné 6, on the other hand, is career suicide – at least if your career depends on a certain frisson of newness and exclusivity. By the time it appears, this house of music, design and fashion could seem as shopworn as a Frankie Says Relax t-shirt in 1985.

Until then vive la difference! And enjoy it while it lasts.

The Phantom (Justin Toland)

Kitsuné vs Kompakt at Music Muziek Musique's Fight Night, Friday December 21 at Windows, Brussels 1000 (www.myspace.com/musicmuziekmusique)

DJing for Torpid on December 15th!

I'll be warming up the crowd for the excellent Luxembourgish noise rock trio Torpid a week today at the DNA Bar in downtown Brussels. Check Torpid's Myspace for details: www.myspace.com/torpidland

Ta,
The Phantom

Or...

Fight Night - Friday December 21

Nov 23 playlists: The Phantom

Bob Wills and his Western Playboys - Get with it / Konono No. 1 - Kule Kule reprise / Jakobinarina - His lyrics are disasterous [sic] (Beat Totem remix)
Dub Offenderz vs Justin Timberlake - My Love (4x4 vocal dub)
Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls (Suicidal) (DJ Kucia Speed Garage/4x4 remix)
The Teenagers - Homecoming (Gentlemen Drivers Rave Remix)
Roisin Murphy - Dear Miami
Cocktail Vomit - Everybody
Madonna - Everybody ('81)
Kate Nash - Foundations
GoldieLocks - Waste Man
Elvis Costello and the Attractions - This Year's Girl
Jack Penate - Torn on the Platform
Fixkes - Kvraagetaan (reggae remix)
The Chemical Brothers - Das Spiegel
Royksopp - Remind Me
The Whip - Divebomb
DJ Herve - Cheap Thrills
BT vs The Doors - Break on Through (to the other side)
Tapedeck - Destiny (Lillica Libertine's Knight Club remix)
Dragonette - I get around (Midnight Juggernauts remix)
Ike & Tina Turner - Nutbush City Limits
The Majestics - Funky Chick
Talking Heads - The Great Curve
Suzy Q - Get on up and do it again
Franz Ferdinand - Take me out
Colourbox - Breakdown (Original 12" version).

Nov 23 playlists: DJ Jammer's video mix

From Extra: A Selection of Outstanding Electronic Music Videos:

DJ Shadow - Six Days
RJD2 - The Horror
Stereo MC's - We Belong in this World Together
Leftfield & Roots Manuva - Dusted
Red Snapper - Some Kind of Kink
Funkstörung - Grammy Winners.

Another Side Of...James Holroyd

We said to expect the unexpected and that's what we got. Everything from M. Craft's cover of 'She sells sanctuary' to the League Unlimited Orchestra. A thoroughly entertaining and thoroughly danceable hour and three quarters from Mr. James Holroyd. Many thanks to Boggy, and to Carl for driving him down from Antwerp (not forgetting Tom and Ed for letting him play for us). Respect!

Radiohead vs The Smiths

Seems like our Fight Night bout on December 21st is well-timed. Check out Radiohead covering The Headmaster Ritual here.

DJ Jammer's second set (from second November)

Squarepusher - My red hot car
Spooky - Stereo
Simian Mobile Disco - System
Digitalism - Pogo
Todd Rundgren - Breathless
Harry Thumann - Underwater
Junior Boys - The Equalizer
Hot Chip - Shake a fist
Magazine - Sweetheart contract
The Beatles - Hey Bulldog!
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Going to Hell

The Velvet Underground - Rock and Roll
Neu! - E-Musik.

DJ Jammer plays the 'cocaine cowboys'

Pete Drake - Star Gazing
The Everly Brothers - So sad (to watch good love go bad)

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Hippie Boy
Gram Parsons - Hearts on Fire

The Byrds - Tulsa County

Slim Westerns - Gulch
Bonnie Raitt - You've been in love too long
Mike Nesmith - Highway 99 with Melange
Joni Mitchell - California
The Grateful Dead - Attics of my life

Judee Sill - There's a ragged road

JD Souther - Some people call it music
Jackson Browne - Fountain of sorrow

David Crosby - Song with no words (tree with no leaves)
Gene Clark - No other
Carole King - I feel the Earth move
Little Feat - Juliette

Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl

Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy.

Plus selected images from Two Lane Blacktop and Grand Theft Parsons.

It's all right

The Phantom has just written a piece for the launch of our friend DJ Sensu's new blog. It's in honour of the Chicago House classic, It's All Right. Sterling Void has been asked to comment: let us know what you think.

Gijs on the case

Ladies and gentlemen, for your pleasure, here is the playlist for Gijs Ramboer's excellent set from the last MMM. Plenty of great stuff here:

Justus Köhnke - Albatros (Kompakt)
The Vegetable Orchestra - Ciboulette (luciano rmx) (Karmarouge)
Todd Sines & Natacha Labelle - come closer (planet-e)
Chemical Brothers - Believe (Matthew Johnson rmx)
Honolulu - Digitaline (luciano rmx) (Cadenza records)
Recloose - ain't changing (planet-e)
Right Side Reverse - Invisible (Nathan's hide & seek rmx) (Cyclo Records)
Swayzak - Smile & Receive (Cassy beatmix) (!K7)
Home & Garden feat. Nicolette - Innocent (Swayzak rmx) (Nordictrax)
Tim Wright - the ride (luciano rmx)(novamute)
Swayzak - >s:k:< (Airbag craftswork)
Mitte Karaoke - Suktinis (wmf records)
Matthew Herbert - Mistakes (housey mix) (tresor)
Jeff Samuel - Blap (Poker flat)
Dr rockit - Café del flor (charles webster mix) (lifelike).

FACT about Belgium

The Phantom is now the official Belgian distributor of the UK's always excellent FACT magazine - home of some of the best writing about the best new music and the most relevant old stuff. To pick up your (free) copy head down to Cafe Central (Place St Gery), Lost in Music (Plattesteen) or La Quarantaine (Rue Lesbroussart, Ixelles), or come to the next Music Muziek Musique. If you would like to reserve a copy email Justin at mmmbrussels@gmail.com.

It's like a mini-festival!

Here's the complete line-up for our show on November 23rd at Smouss Cafe. Hope to see you there!

That was Niche

The Collins article also jumps on the Niche bandwagon (rather boringly rebranded as Bassline). Here, in case you missed it, is The Phantom's piece on the genre, originally posted at Different Day in July. Apologies if any of the links are now broken.

This is Niche

Disclaimer: I know nothing about Niche other than what I can surmise from watching a few videos and reading the comments on You Tube.

Niche (aka bassline) is a new genre of music sweeping the North of England and the Midlands.
Niche is a combination of UK Garage, Grime, 'Ardkore, and R&B.
Niche is named after a nightclub - Niche in Sheffield - continuing a fine tradition that includes House music (named after the Warehouse in Chicago) and Garage (named after New York's Paradise Garage).
Niche is not just in Niche - see also: Maximes in Wigan; Sheridans in Dewsbury; Malia, Greece.
Niche follows the classic North/South divide in UK clubland (think jungle vs. happy hardcore): a little less cool, a little more proletarian, certainly more utilitarian, a lot more fun.
Niche sometimes reminds me of Steve Walsh (Hello MC Bonez)!
Niche will be massive (like Manchester City). The Broomstick Song by Suspex will lead the way.
Niche will annoy the fuck out of a lot of people.
Niche is sik! (so I'm told).
Niche is dead (if an old man like me is writing about it).
Niche will never die!
Niche does not exist (says Billy CCS).

So not Whoreditch

Well, our friends Tapedeck are safely back in London. While they were over in Brussels they discovered they have been identified as figureheads of a spurious new genre, 'Whoreditch', as made up here by The Guardian's Hattie Collins. What next? 'Nashment'? The sound of Outer London singer-songwriters strumming in the kitchen at a Blaise Bellville bashment? (;-)

90 minutes (plus added time)

Here's The Phantom's playlist from Friday night:

Kate Bush - Army Dreamers
Jean-Jacques Smoothie - Two People (Niche Gun Shot)
Afro Rizn - Mokete
Femi Kuti - Beng Beng Beng
Dynasty - I don't want to be a freak (but I can't help myself)
Clara Mondshine - Die Drachentrommier (Pilooski edit)
David Byrne & Brian Eno - Regiment
Ginuwine - Pony
JDS & Benja Styles mix - Headbangers
Chromeo - Bonafied Lovin (Riot in Belgium and Ooh-ee remix)
Feist - My moon, my man (Boyz Noise Classic Mix)
The Beat Club - Security (Bernard Sumner remix)
Kylie Minogue - Can't Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head / Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Soulwax Rock Version)
Interpol - Mammoth (Erol Alkan Rework)
The Cult - Wild Flower
Rolling Stones - Undercover of the Night
Crown Heights Affair - You gave me love
Tronik Youth - We Are
The Passions - Emergency (radio edit)
Bring out the Gimp/Biologia
Lost Valentinos - CCTV (Bang Gang vs Van She Tech Remix)
S'Express - Theme from S'Express

Windows, come alive!!!

A big thanks to Tapedeck, Gijs and everyone who came Friday night!! Lots of great memories. Look out for some video footage shortly.

See you on Friday the 23rd for Another Side Of... James Holroyd, plus a set from Belgium's finest rockabilly DJ (and in a country where rockabilly is a serious business, that's no mean feat). Slick, guitarist with Eddie Tornado et les Scandaleux, will be the man with the vinyl. All this and the usual high-quality fare from Jammer & The Phantom. Don't miss out!

Reminder - Tapedeck tonight!!!!

Tapedeck is coming to Brussels...

Music Muziek Musique is very pleased to present London's Tapedeck DJs, organisers of the infamous BOSH! parties and remixers par excellence (Klaxons, Kate Nash, Good Books, Jack Penate, etc, etc).

Plus, hear Another Side Of...Gijs Ramboer. The Radio Limburg man proves there's more to him than a Kim Clijsters novelty record (Kimburg).

All this and your eclectic residents: DJ Jammer & The Phantom

Friday November 2nd@Windows
Rue Philippe de Champagne 50 Champagnestraat, Brussels 1000 (near Anneessens/Rue du Midi)
21:30 till late
Entry: 6 euros (free before 22:30)

www.myspace.com/musicmuziekmusique

The sound of split-knee brushed denim

Tomorrow night at Music Muziek Musique I'll be playing a selection of tracks by the so-called 'cocaine cowboys' - Southern Californian singer-songwriters and country-rock acts from the early 70s, including Gene Clark, Joni Mitchell, Judee Sill, Bonnie Raitt and Little Feat.
Pre-Punk, anything from the US singer-songwriters, in particular stuff on the Asylum label and out of Laurel Canyon was the hippest thing around. I remember going into Virgin Records on Newton Street in Manchester, which was about the size of a telephone box compared with today's Megastores and rushing to the last rack in the corner where they had all the latest US imports. You had to pay more for the privilege, but you got a thicker card sleeve and 180 gram vinyl.
If the album was released at all in the UK you would usually have to wait at least three months, and there weren't many import copies, so you had to be quick to get there first.
Having that import sticker was a badge of hipness - some people would buy anything on Asylum.
Another shop in Manchester where you could get imports was Black Sedan, near the poly on Oxford Road. When I first moved to Manchester at the end of '74, for 3 months I stayed at a guy called Phil's place who had spent 400 quid of his student grant on American imports from Black Sedan. We spent most of our time sitting around smoking joints and listening to the stuff.
The US material was completely different to the excesses of prog and metal, the main sounds coming out of the UK at the time. It was song-based and prog had disappeared up its own arse. The 'cocaine cowboys' were a big influence on pub rock - groups like Brinsley Schwarz, Chilli Willi and Man, they were big West Coast fans. In fact, a lot of those groups were active from the early 70s, so it was really proto-pub rock.
I was in a pub rock group that was originally called Loose Salute, after one of Michael Nesmith & The First National Band's albums (Loose Salute, 1970). Later, we changed the name to Bicycle Thieves, in homage to Vittorio De Sica. I sang and played rhythm guitar, and a guy called Richard Wright played lead (not the one from Pink Floyd - this Richard Wright would later achieve some success with Latin Quarter). For a time we were joined by a Fender Rhodes electric pianist and songwriter called Howard Jones (yes, the same one).
But by the time we had come out of the rehearsal room perfecting our West Coast harmonies and winsome guitar interplay, the winds of change were upon us and punk had arrived. Although we did manage to record a few radio sessions, sell out several nights at the Band on the Wall and get a nice review from Paul Morley.
When punk came along it wiped away everything before it, good and bad. And it's taken a while for stuff like this to get reassessed. Barney Hoskyns' book [Hotel California: Singer-Songwriters and Cocaine Cowboys in the LA Canyons, 1967-1976] has certainly helped spur interest and bands like Midlake have something of a a Laurel Canyon/country-rock feel about them, while Norah Jones has covered Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark.

Stuart James, aka DJ Jammer (with thanks to Justin Toland and Nick Tomlin)

Good ideas are like buses

You don't see one for ages, and then everyone tries to get on the same one at once. Still, it's nice to see an article about a modern day 'beef' in the music biz. Maybe my old friend Jim would be the ideal referee for our Fight Night on December 21st? But as I said to him earlier, "Keane are just China Crisis with guitars - when attacked they curl up into a ball kicking their legs and crying 'mummy'. Setting (the frankly risible) Kasabian on them is the klind of mismatch Frank Warren can only dream about."

Another Side Of...James Holroyd

Friday November 23: Music Muziek Musique presents

Another Side Of...James Holroyd
(Chemical Brothers tour DJ, Bugged Out [not Bugged Out], Back to Basics)
...Expect the unexpected. But expect to dance.

Plus your eclectic residents: DJ Jammer & The Phantom

Doors: 21:30
Entry: 6 euros (free before 22:30 - open late)
Smouss Cafe, Rue du Marche au Charbon 112 Kolenmarkt, Brussels 1000

Important - change of dates

Hi, the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed a couple of changes to our upcoming shows section:

Fight Night, previously scheduled for Friday November 30, will now take place on Friday December 21 at Windows.

On Friday November 23 we have added an extra show at another venue, the Smouss Cafe on Rue du Marche au Charbon. And we are very pleased to announce an extra special guest...Mr James Holroyd (see next post for details!).

Entry both nights is 6 euros (free before 10.30 pm). Doors:9.30 pm - open late.

A quick note on the visuals

Visuals last Friday came courtesy of Brian Eno and his 77 million paintings, and from a DVD entitled The 70s Dimension (a collection of US TV ads from the decade that taste forgot, as well modern reinterpretations by the likes of People Like Us).

A big thank you also to Jodie at JDC Design in Durban for her fantastic logo and flyers. In case you were wondering, here's the brief we gave her: "We'd like you to try and design something that is a bit like a Victorian Circus poster, a bit like a 1960s West Coast Psychedelic poster, but slightly futuristic and very now." I think she's done all that admirably!

DJ Jammer number 1

Getting ambient early doors...

Cluster - Grosses Wasser
Sun Electric - Northern Lights
The Irresisible Force - Waveform
Massive Attack - Protection (Eno Mix)
Megans Present - Khonnor.

The return of DJ Jammer

Game, second set and match...

Talking Heads - Life during wartime
The Normal - Warm Leatherette
Bjork - Declare Independence
LFO - What is House?
M.I.A. - Bidflu
Neneh Cherry - Inner City Mama
The Smiths - There is a light that never goes out
The Doors - Strange Days
The Who - Baba O'Reilly
New Order - Confusion
Rockers Revenge - Walking on sunshine
Melle Mel & Duke Bootee - Message II (Survival)
Tom Brown - Funkin' for Jamaica
Howard Johnson - So fine
J Walter Negro and the Loose Joints - Shoot the pump
Joe Smooth - Promised land
The Orb - A huge ever-growing pulsating brain that rules from the centre of the Ultraworld.

Phantom playlists (part two)

And here's the uptempo stuff:

Intro (Ludus - Mistresspiece / Joe Meek & The Blue Men - Glob Waterfall)
New Young Pony Club - Get Lucky
The Chemical Brothers - All rights reversed
Telex - Moscow Diskow
Number # - Hit Pop (radio edit)
Daft Punk - Harder, better, faster, stronger
Dragonette - I get around (Midnight Juggernauts remix)
Ready for the World - Oh Sheila
Northend - Happy Days
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
Junior Boys - The Equalizer
Fujiya & Miyagi - Collarbone
DJ Lapell ft QD - Drinking Chardonnay
The Shamen - Make it mine
The Whip - Divebomb (short edit)
808 State - In yer face
Disco Inferno - When the story breaks
Yppah - Again with the subtitles.

Phantom playlists (part one)

Here's the running order of The Phantom's first set on Friday night (music from and influenced by Jamaica):

Massive Attack - Safe from Harm
Colourbox - Baby, I love you so (12")
Augustus Pablo - King Tubbys meets Rockers Uptown
Jackie Mittoo - Totally Together
Grace Jones - My Jamaican Guy (12")
Justin Timberlake/The Bombist - My Love (My Love riddim)
Saint Etienne - Only love can break your heart
Sean Paul - Shout (stret respect)
Jiva ft. Sguqa - Dub Masters
Mad Professor, Ruts DC and Zion Train - Weak Heart (12" vocal mix)
Jamie T - If you got the money (radio edit)
Toots & The Maytals - Pressure Drop
Mattafix - Big City Life
Dr. Alimantado - Born for a purpose.

Ta very much!

Thanks to everyone who helped make the second Music Muziek Musique such an enjoyable evening! Here's a little video - not sure what was going on!!

Hope to see you all on Friday November 2nd, when our guests include the very cool Gijs Ramboer, who'll be showing there's more to him than listeners to Radio Limburg or fans of Kimburg realize (yes, it's time for another Another Side Of... slot).

Gijs will be followed by the very excellent Tapedeck DJs from London, organizers of the legendary BOSH and remixers par excellence (Klaxons, Kate Nash, Good Books, Jack Penate).

It all promises to be another great night!

Your eclectic residents,
DJ Jammer & The Phantom

A night in Beijing

Check out The Phantom's new piece for Fact magazine on nightlife in the Chinese capital.

From Brussels with Love (again)

In case you missed it, here's an interview the Phantom did earlier this year for Up Front magazine with James Nice of LTM recordings. James kindly answered some questions about the reissued From Brussels with Love compilation, originally released on Annik Honore and Michel Duval's les Disques du Crepuscule label. The photo is of the former Crepuscule HQ in Ixelles.

From Brussels with Love (again)
Flashback to 1980: Brussels venues such as the Ancienne Belgique, Plan K in Molenbeek and Klacik in Place St. Job regularly play host to some of Europe's coolest bands, from Echo & the Bunnymen and the Cure to U2 and Germany's Der Plan. Ties between the concert organizers at Plan K and Manchester's Joy Division and Factory Records become particularly strong, as Control, the forthcoming biopic of the band's troubled singer, Ian Curtis, will show. These links lead to the founding of two record labels (Factory Benelux and les disques du Crepuscule - both run from the same flat in Uccle). The first release by les disques du Crepuscule, which continued putting out great music till 2004, is From Brussels with Love in November 1980. Released as a limited edition cassette in innovative packaging designed by Benoit Hennebert and Jean-Francois Octave, the album features a diverse, international cast of performers, including future pop star Thomas Dolby, and the first recorded works of New Order and of award-winning film composer, Michael Nyman (The Piano, The Hours). Throw in interviews with Brian Eno and Jeanne Moreau and poetry by ex-Skid and future TV presenter, Richard Jobson, and you have a podcast ahead of its time. Writing for the UK's NME, critic Paul Morley is moved to describe the album thus: "This is a reminder – without really trying, without being obvious – that pop is modern poetry, is the sharpest, shiniest collection of experiences, is always something new." Returning to the present: From Brussels with Love has just been reissued on CD by LTM Recordings. Justin Toland catches up with LTM founder and former Crepuscule employee, James Nice, to find out what made the compilation and the label so special.

Q: How would you define the ethos of les disques du Crepuscule?
A: Back in 1980, founders Michel Duval and Annik Honore wanted to set-up a boutique label for modern music, with an international outlook. That was a necessity, because the Belgian market alone was very small. In this ambition they were supported by Factory Records of Manchester, who joined them in founding Factory Benelux. The first Factory Benelux release was Shack Up by A Certain Ratio in August 1980, and the first Crepuscule release the compilation From Brussels With Love in November of that year. Multi-media was also an aspiration, as with the early Plan K concerts in 1979-81, which Honore and Duval helped arrange.

Q: How did a tiny independent label in Brussels come to have such an eclectic, international roster of artists for its first official release?
A: For the same reasons as above, plus Crepuscule had fantastic designers in Benoit Hennebert, Jean-Francois Octave and others. Also, the world and the media was much smaller then, so working with a continental label seemed far more exotic and flattering [to British bands] than it might today.

Q: The album is called From Brussels with Love and it really was a labour of love: With such elaborate packaging and retailing at "the price of a 12-inch single", how much money did the label lose releasing the original cassette?
A: I should think it broke even, though later editions lost the booklet and plastic wallet. Tracks were donated, rather than Crepuscule paying advances or recording costs. Crepuscule registered as an asbl in August 1980, so initially profit wasn't the main concern.

Q: As well as music, the cassette included interviews, poetry and jingles. Was les disques du Crepuscule the first or only record label to be pushing the limits of what constitutes a 'rock album' in this way?
A: Crepuscule certainly was not the first label to mix genres, but they had far more style than most, and far more of a popular touch than more arid, avant-garde imprints. Most 'art' labels tend to be abstract, but Crepuscule was always representative. That said, it was still an elitist label by any standard.

Q: In your sleevenotes you describe les disques du Crepuscule as the most "culturally significant" modern independent record label in Belgium. Why?
A: Other early Belgian indie labels such as Sandwich were more serious, less international, and paid less attention to packaging and mystique. Crammed is also a great cosmopolitan label, but it came a little later, in 1981.

Q: Which of the many releases in the label's 24-year history do you consider most significant?
A: I can't answer that question: it's too subjective. The main reason I moved to Brussels in 1987 was Tuxedomoon [Nice lived in Brussels from 1987-1991], so I guess they had the biggest impact on me personally at that time.

Q: Which current bands or record labels have been influenced by les disques du Crepuscule?
A: I think it is more the case that Factory generally, and Peter Savile in particular, revolutionised the way records are packaged and designed. But in Japan, Benoit Hennebert is recognised, I think.

Q: The growing popularity of digital downloading and software such as iTunes seems to be turning the entire history of recorded music into one giant eclectic compilation album. Yet, it is also transforming (killing?) the traditional notion of the compilation and severing the link between music and its packaging (cover art, record sleeve, CD case, etc). What are your thoughts on this, particularly given the importance of graphic design in the whole les disques du Crepuscule experience?
A: You are entirely correct, but I think most Crepuscule admirers will still want to obtain a/the physical artefact. Did photography kill painting? No.

From Brussels with Love is out now on LTM Recordings.

Friday October 5th

Zaireeka, Balkan Hot Step, Jammer, Phantom... who could ask for anything more?

Where's the good writing?

Reading a recent John Harris Guardian blog posting bemoaning the fact that alternative bands sometimes become popular (perish the thought), my attention was caught by the following comments:
"jasonaparkes: What is it with all the conservative music writing these days - Q, Uncut, parts of Mojo & the Word, NME etc? I blame THE MAN."
"Commander Keen: Nah, it's an internet thing. All the cool people hang out on music blogs rather than write for magazines."
There is a kernel of truth in both remarks. Certainly most of the well-established newsstand music publications are running on fumes, recycling the same tired ideas or shining a spotlight on the same names from the past (props at least to Record Collector for the upcoming history of New Hormones - a challenging and occasionally brilliant record label that hasn't been hyped to death).
Equally, bloggers such as k-punk leave the likes of John Harris (-Tweed) in the dust when it comes to cogent and cutting edge music criticism. But, as some of the best fanzine writers of the punk era graduated to the mainstream music media, so scribes so such as k-punk are graduating to a new (paying, I hope) publishing nexus: the record shops. I want to read about the latest releases, where do I go? To the web pages of Manchester's Piccadilly Records, Cardiff's Spillers Records, or London's Rough Trade or Phonica. Independent and knowledgable resources that describe the music then allow you to hear it and make up your own mind. Phonica is also linked (through Vinyl Factory) to the excellent paper-based magazine, Fact, (k-punk is one of the contributors). Like Fact, The Stool Pigeon (a music paper distributed through independent record stores) attempts to push design boundaries as well as provide a home for intelligent and original writing about music. As yet it doesn't always live up to its promise, but it's a damn sight more interesting than the NME or Mojo.

The Phantom

Friday October 5

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of the Flaming Lips album Zaireeka, Music Muziek Musique offers a rare chance to hear this experimental classic by the US alternative greats. Four CDs together = one memorable listening experience (bring a battery-powered CD player before 10:30pm and get in free!)
PLUS, a special guest DJ set by the Balkan Hot Step Soundsystem. Balkan beats meet hip-hop, grime and electro - a heady and highly danceable mix from the boys from Ghent.
All this and the usual eclectic mix of cool music from residents DJ Jammer & The Phantom.

Music Muziek Musique

@ Windows, Rue Philippe de Champagne 50 Champagnestraat, Brussels 1000 (near Anneessens)
Friday October 5, 2007 (till late)
Entry: 6 euros
Doors: 21:30
Zaireeka: 22:30
Balkan Hot Step Soundsystem: +/- midnight

www.myspace.com/musicmuziekmusique
http://musicmuziekmusique.blogspot.com

"Rewind to the future"

Friday October 5: Zaireeka and Balkan Hot Step

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of the Flaming Lips album Zaireeka, Music Muziek Musique offers a rare chance to hear this experimental classic by the US alternative greats. Four CDs together = one memorable listening experience.
PLUS, a special guest set by the Balkan Hot Step Soundsystem - Balkan beats meet hip-hop, grime and electro - a heady and highly danceable mix from the boys from Ghent.
All this and the usual eclectic mix of cool music from residents DJ Jammer & The Phantom. Arrive early to avoid disappointment!

We've got a Tapedeck and...

Congrats to The Klaxons for their Mercury Music Prize victory. Hope the curse of Roni Size doesn't strike again!
Music Muziek Musique is very pleased to announce that London's Tapedeck DJs, who have remixed Klaxons, Kate Nash and the Mystery Jets among others, will be guest DJing for us on Friday November 2. Should be a great night!

New features

We've added a couple of neat new visual elements down the side of the page and a new feature: book of the month.
If you've read nico: songs they never play on the radio I'm sure you'll agree it's a wonderful journey through the scuzzier end of the rock biz. If you haven't, well, why not?

Factory mix (Tony Wilson RIP)

DJ Jammer's very personal tribute to Factory and Anthony H. Tracks included:
A Certain Ratio - Bootsy (Factory Australia)
Electronic - Getting away with it (original mix)
New Order - Best and Marsh
New Order - Vanishing Point
Joy Division - Atmosphere
Durutti Column - Otis (live at WOMAD)
Happy Mondays - Hallelujah - Club Mix (Paul Oakenfold and Andy Weatherall).

The Phantom's Energy Hour

Chick Webb & his Orchestra - Stomping at the Savoy
Arctic Monkeys - Dancing shoes
The Gossip - Standing in the way of control
AsHa - JJ TriBuTe
Deee-Lite - Good beat
Electric Six - Danger! High voltage
The Flys - Love and a Molotov cocktail
Fujiya & Miyagi - Photocopier
Hard-Fi - Living for the weekend
MC Bonez - Get mad, get mad
Todd Rundgren - Reconstructed: Bang the drum all day (Rosetta Stone Mix)
Russian Futurists - Let's get ready to crumble
Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank
Serge Gainsbourg - Chez les Ye-Ye
The Velvet Underground - What goes on
The Chemical Brothers - Burst generator.

DJ Jammer's Spotlight Sound

Classic Sixties psychedelic rock and pop, with original 1960s visuals. Tracks included...

Pink Floyd - Interstellar overdrive
The Rolling Stones - 2,000 light years from home
The Small Faces - Itchycoo Park
The Grateful Dead - Dark Star.

A far out time was had by all...

The Phantom's Poets and Talkers playlist

A selection of songs with spoken bits and 'rock'n'roll poetry'...

Ludus - I stabbed at the sheep
Billy Bragg - Walk away Renee (version)
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Reminiscence, part two
Arab Strap - The first big weekend
Associates - The girl that took me
Joolz - Legend
Richard Jobson - Armoury show
Gorillaz - Fire coming out of the monkey's head
Arbeid Adelt - Décoiffée
Roxy Music - Mother of Pearl
Gil Scott-Heron - Whitey on the Moon
Pulp - Weeds II (Origin of the Species)
John Cooper Clarke - Bronze Adonis ('Maison de fromage' version)
The Pipettes - Magician man
Peeni Wali & Linton Kwesi Johnson - Beacon of Hope
The Streets - Blinded by the lights
Attila the Stockbroker - A Bang and a Wimpey
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Thou shalt always kill
Quentin Crisp - Stop the music for a minute.

Merci & dank u wel

A big thank you to Lore for this Flemish (Dutch) translation of our mmmission statement:

Music Muziek Musique is een maandelijkse club voor muziekliefhebbers. We willen zowel onderwijzen als entertainen (oftewel 'edutainment'), en daarom vermengen onschuldig plezier, bekend en onbekend. Uitdagend, eclectisch, maar altijd toegangkelijk, plant MMM een rondleiding doorheen muziekopnames uit de voorbije halve eeuw (en alles daarrond). Voor wie van slogans houdt: "From the Everlybrothers to the Chemical Brothers". Naast de gewone mix van onze dj's in residence, Jammer & The Phantom, zet MMM elke maand een bijzondere groep, platenlabel of muzikaal fenomeen in de kijker. Daarbij komen nog gast dj's en live acts, video's en verrassingen... Omdat we buiten de lijnen willen kleuren, vragen we de bezoekende dj's hun vertrouwde platen thuis te laten en muziek te spelen waarvan ze houden, maar die ze gewoonlijk niet draaien voor het grote publiek. Om te beginnen (laten we het 'Another side of' noemen), zal dj Sensu enkele van zijn favoriete seventies soul en disco tracks op de platendraaier leggen. En na het feest? Meer info over onze muzikale smaak op het MMM-blog.

And 'un grand merci' to Severine for the French version:

Music Muziek Musique est une soirée mensuelle pour les amoureux de la musique. Ayant pour but d'éduquer autant que divertir ( "edutain", comme dirait KRS-One - un jeu de mots entre "educate", éduquer et "entertain", divertir), nous brassons des plaisirs innocents (ou "non-coupables"), inconnus et connus. Provocateur, éclectique mais toujours accessible, MMM complote un itinéraire à travers le dernier demi-siècle de musique enregistrée (et au-delà). "Des Everly Brothers aux Chemical Brothers", si vous aimez les slogans. En plus du mix habituel de sons hyper-cool des DJs résidents DJ Jammer et The Phantom, MMM met chaque mois sous les projecteurs durant une heure un groupe, un label ou un phénomène musical particulier. Ajoutez à cela des DJs invités et des performances live, des séquences vidéo et plein de surprises, secouez le tout... et voilà! Dans la ligne de notre mission de "penser hors de la boîte", les DJs invités peuvent être priés de laisser leurs morceaux habituels à la maison et de passer des disques qu'ils adorent mais ne font pas tourner en public d'habitude. Pour donner le coup d'envoi de ce thème (appelons-le "De l'autre côté de..."), le merveilleux DJ Sensu apportera quelques-uns de morceaux favoris de disco et de soul des 70's à la soirée.

After party

A big thank you to everyone who came to our opening night. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Music Muziek Musique will be back, bigger and better, on Friday October 5th.
Your eclectic resident DJs, Jammer & Phantom.

Tonight's the night

Here's the line-up for our opening night. If you're coming along, enjoy!

RUNNING ORDER (all times are approximate)…

20:00: The Phantom's pick of Poets and Talkers (have a drink and listen)

21:00: Spotlight Sound:
DJ Jammer spins Sixties Psychedelic rock and pop

21:45: Energy Hour (The Phantom he say move your body)

22:45: DJ Jammer:
A selection from Factory Records (Tony Wilson RIP)

23:30: Yikez! (Live – experimental pop punk)

00:00: Another side of…DJ Sensu (Brussels’ top techno/dubstep DJ plays his favourite 70s soul and disco. Yowsa, yowsa, yowsa!)

02:00: Jammer & Phantom tag team till the party’s over.

Music Muziek Musique returns on Friday October 5 /jusqu’au vendredi 5 octobre/ Tot Vrijdag 5 oktober!

To sign up to our mailing list email: mmmbrussels@gmail.com or leave your details at the door

Manna

Congrats to Raf and all involved with Manna...A very enjoyable way to spend a Sunday.

Opening night - August 23

Poster for the opening night...Music Muziek Musique returns on September 13, October 5 and November 2. Later dates to be confirmed.Your eclectic resident DJs, Jammer & Phantom.

Rewind to the future

Music Muziek Musique is a monthly club for music lovers. Aiming to educate as well as entertain (to ‘edutain’ as KRS-One would put it), we mash-up pleasures innocent (or 'not guilty'), unknown and known. Challenging, eclectic, but always accessible, MMM plots a course around the last half-century of recorded music (and beyond). "From the Everly Brothers to the Chemical Brothers" if slogans are your thing. As well as its regular mix of hellacool sounds from resident DJs Jammer & The Phantom, every month MMM shines the spotlight for an hour on a particular band, record label or musical phenomenon. Add guest DJs and live acts, video footage and plenty of surprises, give it a shake...et voila!
As part of our mission to 'think outside la boite', guest DJs may be asked to leave their regular tracks at home and play records they love but don't usually spin in public. Kicking off this theme (let's call it 'Another side of...'), the wonderful DJ Sensu brings some of his favourite 70s soul and disco tracks to the party.