About me: We make records, release them and sometimes play them to people (when we get the chance)...
Here's some nice things that people have said about us:
Soft Rocks: Disco Powerplay III (Disco Powerplay) SRDP003
It's nice to know that some people take their time, especially when it comes to edits, there are so many of late that it is very difficult to pick the wheat from the chaff, and just as difficult to remember which tracks you own in your collection already as a lot of people end up doing the same tracks. Fortunately Soft Rocks take the time to unearth truly oddball, and properly rare records for their re-edits. And so onto Disco Power Play III, which kicks off with "Black Magic" which is a slow down weirdo boogie, with some crazy chanting on top. Next is "This Is Our Big Noise" a totally brilliant military march with bells on top. Over on side-B is "Jingo Huh" which isn't thank god another edit of Jingo, but some strange droned out languid downbeat number with whispered vocals. Last up is "Is This The Best Step For Father Africa" which is a top notch tribal groove, with nice drum fills and strange spacey noises aplenty. Brilliant cover as well guys, who are those guys ?
and another disco powerplay III review from over the pond reads...
These days it seems that the stranger the better in the world of re-edits, and Soft Rocks ranks up there in bringing the smelly stuff since 2003. This 4 track selection starts off with the hypnotic "Black Magic(1)", with awesome mulleted female vocals and 80s power ballad synth lines. It sounds like something that could have been on the Rad movie soundtrack. After the calming effects of "Magic," "This Is Our Big Noise(2)" heightens our senses again with an awesome afro-percussion track with Dr. Who-type sound effects. If this was on DFA, it would sell out Williamsburg music venues. "Jingo Huh?(3)" continues the power play with a head-nodding electro track that will make you do the stinky face. I don't know about the weird vocals tho. The EP ends with "Is This The Best Step For Father Africa(4)" highlighted by some ferocious drum line percussion. Masterful selection, recommended.
Low Motion Disco: Love,Love,Love-Soft Rocks Remix (Eskimo)
The second 12" from Low Motion Disco features more remixes from the nu school disco gang. Over on side-B Soft Rocks enlist the vocal duties of a certain Kathy Diamond for a groovy mid tempo disco bomb, stealing a bit of piano from the original and a few congas chucked in too. As on the previous 12" you get the Rene & Angela referencing original mix too.
Soft Rocks: Look East Midnight Drive (Soft Rocks Recordings) SRR004
Treat 'em mean and keep 'em keen. That's the advice which Soft Rocks adhere too, releasing their rarefied balletic cosmic edits at a very slow rate (and in inordinately minute quantities) so as to keep demand at an optimum. This is officially Soft Rocks #4, but I make it their seventh release since they began 2002. "Look East" is a rather cool mid-tempo piece with definite European 80s samples and some indefinable mystical aura, while "Midnight Drive" channels a pre-electro synth-rock theme into a groove that's dangerous to know.
Downbeat / balearic record of the week.
Soft Rocks: Disco Powerplay 2 (Disco Powerplay) SRDP002
The Soft Rocks lads return with a second volume of "Disco Power Play" re-edits to knock your socks off. Miles better than your common or garden disco edits, the Soft Rocks seal of approval vouches for a certain level of obscurity. "She's A Machine" gets things off on the right foot with a slow, off-centre loping groove while "The Devil Made Us Do It" combines some real energetic disco with a bit of Rinder & Lewis style electronic jiggery pokery. Lastly, "Double Gepardeu" makes up for Greg Kihn's previous crimes against music with a superb track based on his 80s hit "Jeopardy".
Disco / italo record of the week.
Soft Rocks: Chocolate Love EP 1 (Chocolate Love) SRCL001
New Soft Rocks offshoot release features three whacked out edits, including a vamped-up, (apparently alternate 7") version of DC LaRue's "Cathedrals". The first track on side two is a monster funky as hell disco funk crossover (possibly Greg Diamonds Bionic Boogie - "Bionic Boogie"), which will heat up any late night basement. And last but by no means least an edit of "I Like What I Like" by Everyday People last seen on Danny Krivit's Grass Roots LP.
Disco / italo record of the week.
Soft Rocks : Disco Power Play (Disco Powerplay) SRDP001
We cherish those Soft Rocks 12"s round our way, so nothing could have made us happier than to receive a fresh batch of records from the anonymous group of disco fiends. The sleeve is good enough reason to purchase one on its own, but just wait until you get the record on the platter! Yeah, they're re-edits alright, but God knows what of and the originals have been sufficiently twisted and reconfigured enough to disguise them. "Welcome To Our World" is a wonderfully wonky, tripped out blast of interstellar Italo, laser-guided arch-synths and disturbing bleeps taking your brain into another dimension. Over on the B-side "The Crazy Frog" is a jive talkin' French disco of the lunatic variety and "Futura" takes Supermax's "Future Time" to a drum festival. As with previous releases, there are only limited quantities manufactured, so don't sleep in...
Disco / italo record of the week.
Soft Rocks: Kahuna Dream / Are You Out There Cyclops? (Soft Rocks) SRR003
Much delayed due to heinous pressing problems, Brighton's Soft Rocks fellas finally present their third EP of left-of-centre grooves (and I think the tracks might still be ID-ed incorrectly on the label). Anyway, side A houses a jazz-touched 4/4 odyssey with flashes of Innerzone Orchestra and Art Ensemble trumpets. The B-side is a glorious Balearic stroll with sunburnt guitar vibes, nudging antique synths and a convenience store doorbell!
House record of the week.
David Astri : Dancing Digits (Soft Rocks) SRR002
This track has been on the lists of Harvey disciples for yonks and now its finally available on 12" courtesy of Soft Rocks. This obscure 80s Balearic disco soundtrack features an lengthy electric guitar solo that recalls Tangerine Dream and Wang Chung soundtracks with its dreamy ethereal beauty. The Soft Rocks remake effortlessly manages to combine jazzy keys, prog and P-funk into the already brilliant tune and comes away with an Idjut friendly vibe. You need this...
Soft Rocks : Purple Rinse / Inside The Wave (Soft Rocks) SRR002
Warehouse find or limited repress, this brilliant disco booty 12" first appeared briefly in 2002. Re-editing "Just As Long As We're Together" from Prince's first album "For You" (1978) into an extended Minneapolis funk odyssey with special FX overload, it's the latest in a long line of unofficial 'tributes' to TAFKAP. The B-side entitled "Inside The Wave" is a bonkers jazzy disco instrumental, with cowbells and mad electric funk that just keeps on getting even more insane by the minute. A special piece to add to your collection of anonymous dancefloor tunes. The second release on this label was David Astri's "Dancin Digits".
From http://www.djhistory.com
Soft Rocks, born of well-girded loins in fair Brighton town are enigmas on top of mysteries, on top of scandals, on the top deck of a double decker bus. They are a collective, they are calm and collected, they are collectible, and possibly even contemptible. Who knows? We don't. Anyhow, we asked them to do a mix, through a masked intemediary, Sussex's own Zorro. He said yes (or was that the man from Del Monte?). Here it is.
You can listen to one of our (frankly obscene )mixes here
From http://www.bigchill.net/story/1478/bigchillradiolistings.html
Somewhere far beyond obscure and eclectic lies Soft Rocks. The heavy-duty Brighton-based record collectors who have recently moved into production, dropped into the studio on a blazing hot Saturday afternoon to record a mix that took in everything from Dutch prog-rock, Italo-disco to French filth by way of a BBC B-side. If you enjoy the music you hear on the mix, dont bother looking for it, because youll never find it. And if you do find it, it'll cost you a fortune.
Discograph in France take care of our record distribution and they can be contacted here - melik@discograph.com
You can check out more Soft Rocks mixes at http://www.purepleasuremusic.com , http://www.h-track.com , http://www.deepsoul3.com and http://bambamclub.com
We've got a guest radio show on the Red Bull Music Academy Website:
http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/OVERVIEW.135.0.html
We also do a bi-weekly show for Brighton radio station Fear of Music Radio, focusing predominantly (but not exclusively) on new releases and re-issues. Check it out here:
http://fearofmusicradio.com
Start of your May Bank Holiday with us as we return to Plastic People with our good friend DJ/Producer Ben Williams a.k.a Gatto Fritto. Fresh from remixing Franz Ferdinand, Ben's music has been getting good play from us and such luminaries as DJ Harvey, Gerry Rooney, Prins Thomas, Tim Sweeney and many more. It's a first for us and Ben at Plastic People... Raise Your Voices!
BlankTON Radio Show 13.4. 2009 @ http://play.fm mixed by MIKEBURNS
Meanderthals - Kunst Or Ars - Smalltown Supersound Mudd & Ahmed Fakroun - Drago (Mudd's Teriwala Mix) - Claremont56 6th Borough Project - Do It To The Max - Instruments Of Rapture Sonic Assasins - Show Up And Be Counted - Flashback Soft Rocks - Chocolate Love Vol. 2 A2 - Soft Rocks Toto - Georgie Porgie (OOFT Rework) - L.E.S.S. Capracara - King Of The Witches (Rub N Tug Remix) - DFA Godz Kidz - The Pop 2009 - Rong Music Social Disco Club - Give Me The Sunshine - CDR Nick Chacona & Anthony Mansfield - Slow N Low - Redux Unknown - Waiting For Da Man (Galactic Haulage Edit) - Space Truckin Meanderthals - Lasaron Highway - Smalltown Supersound Prins Thomas - Remiksosaurus - Full Pupp Motor City Drum Ensemble - Sun Sequence - Four Roses Taho - Shamballa (Wink Interpretation) - Ovum Arthur Russel - Wax The Van (Yam Who Rework) - Electric Minds mikeBurns - Need A Little Usin' - CDR Peter Visti - Late Night Balearic Monster - Eskimo Situation - Get On Up - Disco Deviance Macho - Not Tonight (Jackpot Re-Edit) - CDR The Barking Dogs - Untitled - CDR
