Mix Mix Mix...By Saul Wilks

Readers might know that we've got a 6 hour slot at the opening night of new Cardiff based party Suburban Boogie this coming Saturday. This is quite a special one for me personally as I'll be playing on native soil - something that I've done scarcely up to this point.

Anyway, as these things usually go I decided to dig out some of the records I'm loving at the moment, a couple of recent buys and a few classics to lay down a promo mix fresh for the weekend.

It was all completely off the cuff and was enjoyable to the extreme, especially in the knowledge that my neighbour, who relishes in playing the most god awful travesties in music at all hours, was banging on the wall in appreciation of some tasty 80s basslines at well gone midnight. But what goes around comes around right?

Anyhow, as usual - here's the mix for those that like that sort of thing, and for those that don't I'll urge you to have a little blast at it anyway.

It's nice and crackly, raw as always but above all it's extemely danceable...

Unless you're square of course.

Enjoy!



Tracklisting -

The Valentine Brothers - Money's too tight (ADN 12" Edit)
Aurra - You and me tonight
The Jones Girls - 2 win you back
Krystal Davis - So smooth (Instrumental)
Johnny Dynell - Rhythm of life
Kwick - You're the kind of girl that I like (Trev's Edit)
Razor N Tape - Handle it (J Krivs Dub Mix)
Al Hudson & Soul Partners - Music (Revenge Rework)
Kraak & Smaak feat Lex Empress - Hold back love (Lovebirds Remix)

Boogie Cartel on the edit again... by Shaun Dangerfield

I was a bit slow putting this one up as I uploaded it 6 day's back to my soundcloud but it's here now.... better late than never eh.

It's one of the latest track's we have made and we have put it up for the first 100 free downloads, then capped it as it will be released this year with some other gear we have been working on and I'll have that up soon with some more info on it all.....

It's a re-working of the 1978 sexy stomper by Sandy Mercer "You are my love" which is also below.

Yes Boppers x


Sandy Mercer ~ You Are My Love ~1978¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫ by StrictlyMuzik

Ally Capellino Frank Bag.... by Shaun Dangerfield

I'm a sucker for a good bag, and on my travels DJ'ing I never seem to have enough room in my trusty Barbour tarras, so out with the old and in with the new.
Yellowy mustard waxed cotton with tan leather detailing and canvas straps.
It can be worn as a rucksack with shoulder straps or carried in briefcase/holdall form which is the likely outcome on my travels.
A lovely little present from my good lady all the way from those devils at Peggs & Son in Brighton.....

Mackintosh Clisham... by Shaun Dangerfield

My passion for outerwear just won't go away.
It's a 17 year disease that has saw me through probably thousand's of jackets.
Being from a football background (and although you never mean to at the time) it's very easy to fall into a trap of buying a certain set of labels that fit your clothing ethos like a glove.
Through the years spending my hard earned on Stone Island, C.P company, Mandarina Duck, 6876, Belstaff, Barbour and the like has saw me in good hand's knowing what expectation's to have when buying decent outerwear, even though I wouldn't look at C.P anymore going through the whole of their urban protection range in the past and appreciating the jackets material's and qualities they had gives you a certain quality count in regards to what you love and what you come to expect.
Over the past 4 year's or so I have gone through certain transformation's in my life after re-evaluating what I was doing, where I was going and action's I was taking. So my outlook changed, my personality has changed and although my taste in clothing has changed slightly the what I expect factor from clothing still remains and is stronger than ever except now I examine the fit and the cut of the cloth.
At the end of the day it is only clothing but when you share a passion for something that's it.... you can't turn it off, it's like music or films or photography or art.
You don't suddenly wake up one day and think "I'm done with this now"...... it just get's deeper.

So back to where I was at in the start. My point being that my expectation's in outerwear has outgrown everything else I fantasize over (apart from denim) and for that part I can thank my past.
Only problem now is my expectation's, something which hasn't been dented for quite a while now as I would rather buy one stand alone jacket than 3 that I might wear on rotation.
Enter the room Mackintosh, they never fail to deliver for me and this Clisham jacket is easily right up there with the best jacket's I've owned.
Coming in forest green Mackintosh bonded rubberised cotton it epitomises everything I want in a jacket.
I do like to keep a certain moodyness or character shall we say in a hooded jacket and this has it.
The cut is amazing and it fit's perfectly, with waist and cuff adjusters
Zip closure with poppers
Cord collar
Adjustable removable hood
Hand sealed and rubber taped seams
Slanted hand pockets
Underarm ventilation
Double vented rear
Hand made in Scotland

Coffee Table Reading Part 2...By Saul Wilks

Back in the merry month of May, my girlfriend took me to the V&A as part of my birthday celebrations to catch the British modern design exhibition, which was pretty decent as these sorts of things interest me greatly.

While exploring the caverns holding the cream of British ingenuity, which held everything from furniture to a life size recreation of Manc's iconic Hacienda dance floor, including all original artworks and posters from the original Factory club, I couldn't help but muse how very particular we are when it comes to attention to detail.

The V&A is a top place to visit and the gift shop is pretty special to, having all manor if independent British films, posters, books and prints available to buy. For a culture vulture like me it was a little piece of symmetrically perfect heaven, seeing Tom Ford's 'A single man' next to 'A Clockwork Orange'

While browsing around I noticed the coffee table book that showcased everything that was in the actual exhibition but seeing as we were on our way to dinner afterwards, I didn't fancy carrying it around with me for obvious reasons - i.e -  looking like a tit while swooning it in Sketch.

Anyway, as it happens two of her flatmates gave it to me as a birthday present a few days later, which ranks up there as one of the coolest presents I've ever had... Remember the days when you thought getting a book for a present was a grave miss justice?

Well this isn't just any book... It's basically packed with image after image of all weird and wonderful things, all British of course, which is a always nice to know and is exceptionally pleasing on the eye.

Sample Delights...By Saul Wilks

We'd all be lying if we said we didn't like the thought of a little bit of exclusivity, although achieving that in this day and age, especially when it comes to the cloth you're wearing, is no mean feat.

I've mentioned it a few times now and a few pick ups have made their way onto here, but the Goodley PR sample sale a few weeks back heralded some great new buys, both in terms of uniqueness and for downright bargains.

I always spend a fair few quid in sample sales because it's like having an 80% off sale where the majority of the gear is worth buying, rather than a load of complete tat that will end up on a bloke in the local walkabouts. The Goodley PR sale was no different and my girl greeted me with a somewhat confused look as I struggled up the road to meet her trying to carry about 4 bags of new clobber.

Still, she understands that sample sales are a different kettle of fish and that it IS imperative that you add another jacket to an already bulging rotation and money spent is money well spent. However, trying to convince her that I needed another Orange jacket a day after she received a parcel at her desk containing the Batten parka required all of my boyish charm to pull off.

I clocked this salesman cagoule as soon as I entered the YMC section, probably because it looks like the tango man has paid it a visit but also because I love these kind of jackets. Over the head, loads of pockets, waxed and a nice big hood. Perfect stuff. Plus the rope pull system is pretty damn cool as well - because this is an unreleased sample as well, it means that the likelihood of bumping into some Essex ted bowling around in it is slim to zero.

That evening when I was trying it on in the mirror, letting the faded protests of 'You've only just bought an Orange jacket, why do you need another one'? gently fall away, I imagined myself stuck on a trawler in the North Atlantic, desperately clinging on for dear life as the perfect storm was ebbing my imaginary craft closer to a watery grave - although what fishing company would ever kit their men out in YMC is beyond me but there you go...

Still, with no boat to call my own and with an agitated missus buzzing about I decided to pack the jacket away and call it a day - until this afternoon. It just so happens that it's pissing it down in Wales (would you believe it) so I donned the salesman, chucked on my finest nautical chic and headed down to the abandoned docks to take some snaps.

Just for the record I got soaked, narrowly avoided stepping in dog shit and got eyed with some serious suspicion by a couple of workmen... The lengths I go to to get a good picture, still the YMC looks delectable, here's to it pissing it down all summer. NOT.

Coffee Table Reading Part 1...By Saul Wilks

When I'm not obsessing about clothing and music I like to take some time out and get stuck into a decent book... Coffee table book that is.

I've amassed a half decent selection and collection of all weird and wonderful titles, ranging from style to design right through to the worlds 'hipest' hotels, which probably sounds really wanky but is actually pretty ace.

The latest two to take their place in a monthly rotation of which book gets to grace the flat-pack coffee table that adorns my apartment is a retrospective look at the changing faces of Dublin street style and culture.

I'm a sucker for publications such as these as I've always been fascinated with what people were wearing back in the day and the styles that were prominent - especially from a cultural perspective.

Dublin probably isn't the first city that springs to mind when we're talking about style but that's what makes this book so interesting because it's packed full of snaps of teds, mods, skins, punks, rockers, acid casualties, ravers, moshers, skaters, thugs and just about every other kind of working class persona and style you can think of.

I might be on my own here but I can happily sit and gaze at pictures of people whom I shall never meet and wonder what their lives were like and where they are now. Pardon the deepness of my changing tone but it acts as a reminder that life is way too short and it makes me realise that the youngsters in these photos who are having the times of their lifes have lived, loved and in some cases passed away... which scares the hell out of me.

Anyway, the book is from Garry O'Neill and Niall McCormack and is well worth investing in if this is your sort of ticket. I've included a couple of pages to give an idea of what the content is like but it's mainly image after image of nostalgic vibes and that's pretty good with me.

Folk Polka Dot Linen...By Saul Wilks

You might have read previously that I got myself down to the Goodley PR sample sale a few weeks back while in London. I've posted one or two pick ups since but haven't had the time to do any real detail shots so with a spare few hours on my hands I thought I'd stick some up.

I've gone a bit Polka Dot mad this summer, now being the owner of enough dots to open my own cheetah sanctuary... but then we can never have too much of a good thing.

That's why I decided to lay a couple of quid down on this ace washed out large polka dot linen from Folk. I'm not sure when it was released, but I know that I obviously missed the boat on it first time round. It's similar to the button down version they did at the start of the season, although this has a more laid back summer vibe going on, which was perfect for Love Box on Sunday just gone.

The shirt itself has got some lovely details such as the single slit chest pocket, the contrast buttons and of course the contrast elbow patches - which seem to be bit of a running trend with a lot of Folk garments from the past few seasons.

I guess I like it because it basically ticks all the boxes for summer wear and with the weather we've been having the past week that's a really good asset.

Crate Diggin'...By Saul Wilks

I've been spending a little bit of time fighting off dust monsters while clawing through crates of old records lately - I wouldn't be surprised if I've done my lungs some serious damage, but the fruits of my labour have been worth it.

In preparation for a much welcomed and anticipated set on home soil next weekend at Aura Cardiff, I've picked up some great records and had the chance to spin a few last night on Cardiff FM, the second time I've had the pleasure of playing down there - which is always a fun experience.

Here's a little selection of my latest finds, all gnarly basslines and 80s vocals - just the way I like it.

This is one of my best pick ups on the record front for some time - the boogie bassline monster 'So Smooth' from Kristal Davis. You can just image the amount of cruising that was getting done to this - and I don't mean cruising as in the sleazy homosexual way. It's on Urban Rock records, straight out of 1985 New York. How come music doesn't sound like this anymore? Where has the ingenuity gone? The raw soul? The funk? It beggars belief that the youth of today are growing up on complete and utter dross when gems like this are rotting away in Notting Hill, waiting for the likes of yours truly to come and rescue them. The ironic thing is, play this to a crowd of young club goers and they'll all love it and who wouldn't? You'd have to be seriously beige not to want to move to it.

I'm not a serious record collector in any shape of the imagination, I buy records that I'll play at some point either out or in my house, however much or rare. Things like the latter don't motivate me and I'll buy something on listening value alone.

Check this classic Gap Band cut, snared from the same little gold mine as the above. I love how playful it is and it definitely lives up to the track title - big fun. The Mega Mix version is probably my favourite so I've included that here...

Something a little more on the wedding tip here with some duet action from Mike and Brenda Sutton. SAM is one of my favourite labels, probably because the art work is so pleasing to the eye - the Orange and Aqua are a beacon to look out for when crate digging and the back catalogue is full of classic boogie and disco flavas.

As said, this has got more of a lovey dovey feel to it and the vocals are a little bit cheese, but the backing track and the bassline as classic sounding early 80's business. I can't find the more preferable instrumental version on youtube that I can embed on here so It's the original version that I've included.

Last but not least here's another bass heavy gem from Urban Rock in the shape of Jocelyn Brown's 'Hands off'. Everyone remembers Joce for her timeless classic - somebody else's guy. This is as far removed from that smooth soul sound as possible with some pretty savage bassline action going down, complimented perfectly by her velvet tones of course. And guess what - she's gone and snared herself her own man now, which is basically the subject of the record... Kettle, pot, black springs to mind. Still, it's a pretty fly record!

These are just a couple of buys from the past few weeks I thought I'd share, I could post twenty or so more but then I don't think Blogger enjoys the burden of umpteen youtube videos to content with so that's your lot for now, I hope you enjoy them!

Wear & Tear.... by Shaun Dangerfield

You've got two type's on Sinister. Saul's posing style and my detail style.
I love the photo's he bring's to the table but I love doing my own thing too especially showing off the detail.... I'm a sucker for it.
I love focused close up shot's getting into the grain and fibres of the item's, getting as deep into it like a girl of the night on a European tour, as deep as in pouring out your heart regarding relationship's on that first date kind of deep and deep as in the solar system..... the more you stare at it the more you see.
Deep Deep..... like really deep.
I've tried to not turn this update into sexually charged patter but with the word's I've chosen to use it's really hard.... really hard.
So I'll quit while I'm ahead and focus on the wear and treads.....