After the release of Cole Medina’s well-received remixes of “Innocent,” Eighth Dimension and Q-Burns Abstract Message believed all versions of this classic tune had been tapped. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Italian DJ duo Presslaboys have taken everyone by surprise with a new pair of stunning “Innocent” versions. It seems that Presslaboys had prodded the remix parts from the hands of Q-Burns Abstract Message in an unguarded moment, stealthily concocting their version over a few months in their secret Presslab Records studio. Fellow Italian DJ Gianluca Peruzzi joined Presslaboys on the main mix which fuses the gorgeous vocals of Lisa Shaw to a wholly original music accompaniment. The music swells and rises above notably solid club rhythms delivering a house music potion suitable for consuming in big rooms and late, late nights. The dub pares down Lisa’s vocal and accentuates the shimmering music-scape as some seriously tough house beats point the way to the dance floor. All of this adds up to a nice surprise from Eighth Dimension, Q-Burns Abstract Message, and Presslaboys to close out the summer while warming up select DJ sets.

Q-Burns Abstract Message ft. Lisa Shaw – Innocent (Presslaboys Remixes) (Eighth Dimension – 8TH037D) by Eighth Dimension

Graeme Park – “This has brightened up my day no end! Wonderful.“
DJ Chus (Chus & Ceballos) – “Presslaboys main mix for me. I love it!“
Scott Hardkiss (God Within) – “Fantastic! Beautiful! Brilliant! These remixes should really tear it up in both big fancy clubs and radical underground parties. Lisa Shaw’s voice is as unique as ever. Q-Burns Abstract Message is officially now on a major roll!“
Kenneth Thomas (Perfecto) – “Nice!“
Redanka (Tarrentella & Redanka) – “Good mixes! Love the dub.“

Available now from Traxsource and Beatport

True story: Q-Burns Abstract Message once DJ’ed underneath a weighty chainsaw covered in disco ball mirror squares, rotating roundly with silver beams flying off its blade. Imagine such a devious device honed for dancefloor devastation, its rumble tuned to bassbin frequencies as its saw cuts through beats and melody. But we’re talking about a chainsaw wielded by beardy types, waving its mirror ball excess over sunrise-stroked beach sand. We blissfully believe this could be the sound of the “Balearic Chainsaw.”

The original “Balearic Chainsaw” is an extended, beefier version of what was previously found on the “Chainsaw” single, released spring 2011 on EIGHT-TRACKS. The piano-fueled, flamenco guitar-kissed version was hidden as the last song in the single. To our surprise, friends and foes alike asked for a longer version to send resonating over the waterfront. The requests have been answered, and this new version features an added groove coda that should send your neighbors dancing into the moon beams.

Who else could be more perfect for such flights of fancy than our long-time chum Scott Hardkiss? Coming off the brilliantTechnicolor Dreamer album on his own God Within label, Scott tackled “Balearic Chainsaw” with a combination of gusto and happenstance. His mix is a rising force, solid rhythms and huggable bass lines anchoring a building swarm of piano, guitar, and cosmic, acid atmosphere. Not content with such mere musical coolness, Scott enlisted the gorgeous vocal contribution of Stevvi Alexander to further the “Balearic Chainsaw” message. Uplifting ain’t the half of it

Then there’s Scott’s remarkable Dub variation. Wild swirls of sound take control of this special version, aided by the unexpected contribution of DJ Afro from Los Amigos Invisibles, supplying his own dueling flamenco guitar strums and riffs. Euphoric motion for the most summery of dancefloors … it’s a classic Hardkiss maneuver.

A party like this needs a proper come-down, and for our back-to-mine moment we’ve enlisted the reputable chops of Gazeebo, mainstay of Denver’s Community Recordings. Working out an Italo/nu-disco throb, Gazeebo’s slinky rendition hits all the tingle buttons, giving us a slow motion refuge that still packs a low-end punch. It’s fitting and superb power-down for this “Balearic Chainsaw.”

Q-Burns Abstract Message – Balearic Chainsaw (Eighth Dimension Records – 8TH036D) by Eighth Dimension

Kaskade – “This is really nice, beautiful vocal and perfect summer vibe. Dig it.”
Nick Warren – “Great mixes by Scott and the Gazeebo reprise is ace.”
Anthony Pappa – “My favourite is “Gazeebo’s Reprise” and l will play this out.”
diskJokke – “Lovely tracks, full support.”
Ric McClelland (Scope) – “A very nice package.. I’m digging the original, Hardkiss dub, and the Gazeboo Reprise.”
Gavin Hardkiss (Hawke) – “F**king stellar … these mixes will be played all summer.”
Justin Harris (Freaks) – “I love Scott’s dub, and the original works, too, in the right place.”
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) – “The Gazeebo Reprise is my favorite, but the extended original is nice, too. Spacey!”
Greg Fenton (DMC Update) – “Great set of mixes, hard to choose a favorite.”
Ray Mang – “Gazeebo’s got some depth! Quite like the Hardkiss Dub, too.”
Will SumSuch (UrbanTorque) – “Nice package with a real sense of fun. I like it a lot. The Hardkiss dub is the one for me.”
Marco Fullone (Radio Monte Carlo) – “A Balearic sound masterpiece!”
Kosmas Epsilon (Proton Radio) – “Original and Gazeebo mixes are pure bliss! Amazing songs.”
Dj Nova (Rodon FM Greece) – “This is the absolute Balearic release of 2011! Es Vedra found its soundtrack this year.”
Harry Avers (NOICE!) – “F**king amazing Dub by Scott…. love the guitars.”
DJ Naz (Buddha Bar) – “Ah, balearic classic! Absolutely superb. I see this working super well at the beach parties this year in Ibiza.”

Available now from Beatport / Juno Download / Stompy / Traxsource / iTunes

As a gift from Eighth Dimension Records here’s something cool and seasonal as a free download. It’s not ‘house’ or even really ‘dance music,’ but instead a jazzy, trip-hop tinged Christmas tune from a member of Eighth Dimension’s original band of merry-men, Pimp Daddy Nash. Enjoy and happy holidays!



1. It Doesn’t Have To Snow (To Be Christmas)
2. It Doesn’t Have To Snow (To Be Christmas) – Nica’s Jazzy Standard Mix
3. It Doesn’t Have To Snow (To Be Christmas) – Asinine Demix
4. It Doesn’t Have To Snow (To Be Christmas) – Instrumental


Pimp Daddy Nash, the brainchild of eclectic Orlando producer Jon Curtis, has been spreading beats across a jazzy backdrop since his 1996 debut on Mephisto Records. Pimp Daddy Nash’s story developed with two artist albums (The New Jazz Science and Private Leftfield Downtempo Fuzz), a major label offer from Germany, and numerous remixes and alter-ego experiments. The Pimp Daddy Nash alias had been put aside in favor of other disparate projects until the idea of a Christmas song suddenly materialized. Its familiar jazz sensibility mixed with smooth electronic rhythms made one thing clear to Curtis: Pimp Daddy Nash had returned.

The result is “It Doesn’t Have To Snow (To Be Christmas),” a sly take on holiday musical fare that, while utilizing sounds and technology of modern electronica, has a decidedly classic flavor. Adding to this was the inspired choice of featured vocalist for the track. Label-mate Q-Burns Abstract Message suggested that Curtis contact Nica Brooke, a California-based singer known both for her sublime jazz-based originals as well as her contribution to house music records from the likes of Atnarko and Da Sunlounge. The pairing created instant magic. The song’s stand-up bass and emotive piano blended perfectly with Brooke’s sultry delivery. It’s a wonderful late night Christmas tune, suitable for retro lounges, fire-lit cabanas, and space age bachelor pads alike.

Nica Brooke was inspired by the song to create a rework using her own arrangement, the Jazzy Standard Version. This stripped-down treatment focuses on her impeccable vocal as accompanied by a more traditional jazz trio. On the other hand, mysterious electro-pop group Asinine provides a remix accentuating the electronic elements, adding synthesized chimes and sleigh bells for Nica’s voice to float over.

Whether your holiday is in traditional climes or found somewhere on the moon, there is a version of “It Doesn’t Have To Snow (To Be Christmas)” for you.

Credits:

Nica Brooke – Vocals
David Gibbs – Piano
Pimp Daddy Nash – Programming, Bass, Music Box

Music and Lyrics by Jon Curtis
© 2010 Eighth Dimension Publishing (BMI)

Additional Arrangements by David Gibbs and Nica Brooke

Recorded at Futura Sound Labs and Nicabroo Music.
Mastered by Charlie Webb Mastering and Austin Storms (Nica’s Jazzy Standard Mix).

Also available from iTunes and Amazon

Since its original release on the Astralwerks album Invisible Airline in 2001, the Q-Burns Abstract Message song “Innocent,” featuring the vocals of Lisa Shaw, has seen many reappearances and remixes. The first mixes by King Britt and Lovesky released as part of the Re-Routed collection on Eighth Dimension were soon followed by stunning reworks from Joey Negro and Magik Johnson for Britain’s NRK label.

Years later, Eighth Dimension was contacted by House Arrest label impresario Cole Medina requesting to revisit this track, one of his favorites, for an even newer remix. Being a big fan of Medina’s excellent work, which includes his top notch remix of Sleazy McQueen’s “Anna Due” and his many sought after re-edits, the label promptly handed over the “Innocent” parts anxious to hear the result. Cole Medina did not disappoint at all: he promptly delivered three completely different, fantastic remixes of “Innocent.”

The first of Medina’s mixes is the Nue Boogie Mix with its soulful, low-slung disco funk. Dramatic percussion and an unrelenting keyboard riff play against Lisa Shaw’s expressive vocal providing a dose of ear-pleasing musical tension. Cole’s Bottom Heavy Tunnel Mix increases the tempo with a late night club-ready house mix. Over the insistent four-on-the-floor rhythm a healthy wash of reverb is applied to Lisa’s vocals giving this one a decidedly big room feel. The delicately sparse arrangement is tailor made for booming in an after-hours warehouse. Finally, Cole turns a total 180 with his Why Love Sucks Mix, a downtempo treatment comfortably placing the song in Portishead territory. Lisa Shaw suddenly takes the role of chanteuse as cabaret piano and emotive strings hover over the plodding, trip hop beats.

Cole Medina‘s return to “Innocent” precedes future singles and projects from Q-Burns Abstract Message including the upcoming “Dark Roots” and the mysterious “Balearic Chainsaw.” Keeps ears locked on Eighth Dimension for more exciting sounds to come.

Innocent (Cole Medina Remixes) :: Eighth Dimension Records – 8TH30D by Q-Burns Abstract Message

Available now from Beatport / Stompy / Juno Download / Traxsource / iTunes / Wasabeat Japan

Hawke, the song-crafting nome-de-plume of producer/DJ Gavin Hardkiss, presents this steadfastly exuberant single filled with re-works of “Monday Comes And Goes,” the signature track from his fourth artist album +++. The upbeat “Monday Comes And Goes” is a defiant stand against the Monday morning condition and a theme for those facing the workday when they’ve just been deliriously dancing all weekend. The remix team, handpicked by Gavin and consisting of Anthony Mansfield, Jota Wagner, Craig Williams, and The Sexicanz, all confidently fly the flag of the song’s playfulness and message.

Anthony Mansfield is having a banner year with sought after releases on his own Hector Works label, DJ-acclaimed collaborations with crime partner Nick Chacona, and recent top notch remixes for The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Sleazy McQueen, and Hot Toddy. Here Mansfield musically stays close to the original “Monday Comes And Goes” and adds a bit of effective dancefloor pump and magic. The feeling of the track shines through in spades, sure to plant a grin on anyone within range of its broadcast.

Brazil’s Jota Wagner, founder of Lunatic Jazz and rising house music producer on the world stage, was an early supporter of the +++ album and “Monday Comes And Goes.” Inspired, Wagner set out to create his own club remixes of the track surprising Gavin with them only after the fact. Gavin was so enamored with this dubby, percussive house music treatment that he in turn added his own elements and bits. The result is a beautiful, collaborative remix with serious late night appeal.

The Sexicanz is led by the enigmatic Dmitri from San Francisco and have a history of singles on Robsoul, Deepfunk, and their own C.O.A. label. With their Analog In The Fog Remix, The Sexicanz twist and turn “Monday Comes And Goes” into an extended battle of music machinery, blending house, dub, and techno in a Basic Channel inspired fashion. As an elongated mixing tool or a strobe-lit centerpiece of a DJ set this moody version will find its home.

In an effort to reach into different pockets and extend the collaborative spirit of +++ Gavin worked with remixin.com to hold a remix contest for “Monday Comes And Goes.” Out of an impressive number of quality entries Los Angeles via Australia DJ/Producer and Bombeatz artist Craig Williams hit the mark on what Gavin was looking for. Williams’ Last Minute Jump Around Remix ruthlessly drags the tune into the clubs with its syncopated synth stabs and rhythmic sampling of the vocal hook. Gavin’s tune goes big room in a big way with this winning interpretation doing the trick.

Continuing the collaborative spirit the fantastic artwork for this single was also delivered by contest, this time with the assistance of Creative Allies (creativeallies.com). Chicago graphic artist and house music producer Bai-ee created the winning entry beautifully illustrating the whimsical nature of this project and Gavin’s artistic point of view.

Hawke – Monday Comes And Goes Remixes (Eighth Dimension Records) by Eighth Dimension

Available now from Juno Download / Beatport / Traxsource / Stompy / iTunes

The remix contest is in collaboration with Remixin.com and ends April 7. In addition to the winning remix being used in an upcoming Eighth Dimension single, the winner also receives prizes such as a Novation Launch Pad and a bit of musical goodies. Eclectic mixes are the key here … Gavin himself will be selecting the winner and as you might guess he has quite an eccentric taste.

We’re also running a parallel contest to determine the artwork for the single in collaboration with Creative Allies. Prizes include Sony Creative’s Vegas Pro software suite and some cold hard cash. Again, Gavin Hardkiss is judging the contest and is open to surprises.

For information on the remix contest go here: www.remixin.com/contest/hawke
For information on the artwork contest go here: www.creativeallies.com/jobs/show/25/

We hope you can take part! Some bits about “Monday Comes And Goes” and Gavin Hardkiss/Hawke below:

The new album by San Francisco’s Hawke, enigmatically titled +++, strives to defy categorization on many levels. Conceived by legendary psychedelic dance producer Gavin Hardkiss +++ blurs musical boundaries as well as the lines separating audio and visual work.

In the spirit of collaboration and genre-bending, Gavin Hardkiss invites you to be a part of the first remix single from +++. The album’s lead track, “Monday Comes And Goes,” will be openly remixed by the Remixin.com community while the cover art will be created by users of CreativeAllies.com. Gavin will be involved in the process personally selecting the remix and artwork that will accompany the single to be released in May 2010 by Eighth Dimension Records. The participants will be promoted worldwide with the single, which will also contain remixes by established electronic artists Q-Burns Abstract Message and Tal M. Klein of Aniligital Music.

“The Hawke material that I have produced for two decades has always been a collaborative effort between myself and the super talented people that surround me. The most recent Hawke album +++ was always intended as a creative effort to try make music that was naive and open eyed in its subject matter and sound pallette. I did not intend to make trendy sounding tracks for DJs. I actually tried to skew away from current sounds and techniques. In the spirit of this competition and the spirit of collaboration, I am looking for collaborators/remixers to take the song ‘Monday Comes and Goes’ into uncharted territory. I want you to make the song sound like the Summer of 2010. Give ‘em what they want and make ‘em dance dance dance!!”
- Gavin Hardkiss (Hawke)

Monday Comes And Goes by Eighth Dimension

It may not quite be another dimension, but Cape Town, South Africa seems pretty far away to most of us. You might be thinking of safaris and zebras, but not often noted is South Africa’s strong and growing deep house scene. It’s no surprise that steady, danceable rhythms would be enthusiastically embraced in the African continent. Many exciting labels, DJs, and club nights have sprung up, forming a burgeoning movement.

An exciting part of this scene is Bang Bang, a self-described “live electronic outfit.” Four members make up Bang Bang: Reuben John on vocals; Matt Prehn on decks, keys, and effects; Matthew Loots on the guitars; and Sterra Lucas on percussion. Their forte is writing and performing deep, disco house as well as forays into their own newly created genre “saloon funktronica“. Says Prehn, “We did just make that up, but we’re fans of a stripped but incessant groove and a dancefloor that sways naughtily more than it jacks.”

Thus we’re given “Bikini Days“, the latest single from Bang Bang and their first effort for Eighth Dimension. The tune is a swinging, beach-side sea shanty defined by John’s somewhat aloof vocal and Loots’ ringing guitar. It ebbs and flows like Table Bay, telling a story through musical dynamics anchored by a bouncy four-on-the-floor. Club DJs are sure to be enticed by this version as well as the band’s own Deep Dub, which eschews much of the vocal in favor of a more understated, yet rhythmic, interpretation.

Faced with the quality of the instrumental and vocal parts given, the remixers of “Bikini Days” each take the track into a unique and unexpected direction. Andrew Phelan & George Cochrane, San Francisco’s successful purveyors of Prismatic Tracks, aim straight for the dancefloor with a frenzied yet melodic remix showcasing their upfront, synthesized sound. Studio stalwart Q-Burns Abstract Message flips the song’s verse to the chorus and underpins it with rolling bass and rhythm swells. Finally, Gavin Hardkiss, coming off of his acclaimed +++ album recorded as Hawke, offers a deep and innovative remix, bridging house and breakbeats inside a strongly musical version.

Bang Bang is indeed one to watch with future tours, an upcoming album project to be released in South Africa, and many planned singles. Eighth Dimension is excited to be a part of their trajectory. We hope you heartily enjoy “Bikini Days” and its remixes.

Bang Bang – Bikini Days (Eighth Dimension Records – 8TH028D) by Eighth Dimension

Eighth Dimension Records is pleased to announce the release of +++, the fourth artist album by Hawke, the song-crafting nome-de-plume of producer/DJ Gavin Hardkiss. Recorded in San Diego and San Francisco between 2004 and 2009, the album was conceived as a creative statement of naive beauty and possibility. “At times I tried to imagine what it would sound like if I was a teenager again making this music alone in my bedroom,” Gavin says. “Romantic and futurist, confident and vulnerable, sexually charged and childlike, anticipating something big to happen.”

Drawing inspiration from the electronic/”alternative music” hybrids prevalent during the late 80′s “Second Summer Of Love” +++ is awash in stylistic curiosities, spirited lyrics, evocative instrumentation, and solid melodies. Its genre-blurring disposition is evident in such gems as “Inside Job” (a dub-influenced ode to theft and temptation penned with original Steve Miller Band guitarist David Denny), the exuberant “Monday Comes And Goes” (a defiant stand against the Monday morning condition), the playful “Everything Is Happening At The Same Time“, and “Bob’s My Uncle” (Gavin’s take on the classic Happy Mondays’ song).

For Hawke’s +++, Gavin Hardkiss draws deep into his influences, referencing songs and memories from his youth, but still reveals his place in “electronic music royalty” (according to Wired Magazine) with psychedelic dance flourishes. The gorgeous and cascading “My Mom Is Your Dad” would not have been out of place on the seminal Hardkiss album Delusions of Grandeur. And “These Combinations Have Not Been Before” (featuring, as Gavin says, the voice of “a being from another dimension”) is filled with a thorough introspection which almost disguises its hypnotic, steady dance rhythm.

In another blow to easy categorization, Gavin Hardkiss has traded the traditional idea of musical remixes to +++‘s songs for visual artistic interpretations. A slew of artists, sculptors, and others working in visual mediums have been enlisted to create works based on the songs from +++. The eventual collection will create a traveling art show which will accompany Hawke’s performances at various art gallery spaces, eschewing with the idea of a traditional “DJ tour”. Renowned artists already on board include Fernando Apodaca, Felipe Merida, and Justin Young.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Gavin Hardkiss now makes his home across the Golden Gate Bridge near the city by the Bay. During the 1990’s Gavin was one of the originators of San Francisco dance culture with his music labels Hardkiss and Sunburn. Over the past decade, he has remixed the likes of Led Zepellin, Elton John, Michael Franti and Youssou N’Dour, performed alongside Snoop Dogg and The Buena Vista Social Club and released original recordings in Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Gavin has also developed a successful international DJ career, jetting out weekends to entertain funky hedonists with his provocative beats and gamma rays. He has traveled the world presenting a hybrid sound of house, techno funk and electronic precipitation.

As a producer and performer, he recently worked with the Zhukov Dance Theatre at the Yerba Buena Center on a modern dance production. Under his Hawke guise, Gavin Hardkiss has released multiple singles and three albums, including the critically acclaimed Love Won Another, also released on Eighth Dimension Records. +++ is Hawke’s fourth artist album.

Hawke – +++ (Eighth Dimension Records – 8TH026D) by Eighth Dimension

Album available now from Amazon and iTunes

We’re almost at a loss for words to explain the situation responsible for the creation of the duo Beaters & Bowls. On one hand, there’s Rick Preston, famed California “panning for gold” enthusiast also responsible for past housey missives on labels such as Glasgow Underground, Freeze, and Viva!. On the other side we find Roos, the experienced Hydropologist based in a land called Dallas, creating his own bouncy tracks for Grab and Paved Groovement. The story says that the two met at a Sunbeam Convention and, somewhat impressed by a shared talent for beat-boxing and prowess with the pan flute, decided to collaborate on some choice tunes. While neither had a penchant for cooking, they both possessed an uncompromised fondness for the beaters and the bowls. The name sticks. And now we have Beaters & Bowls and their first track with Eighth Dimension, “The Stranger“.

It is a bit of a mystery as to the identity of “The Stranger” but clues persist in the lyrics to this sleek house groover and shaker. Covertly sung by Roos, a story unfolds of a suspicious encounter, imagined or otherwise. The original mix of “The Stranger” is a filled with rhythmic snare hits and key jabs accentuating its catchy melody. When the wah-wah trumpet (f’real) enters the fray it’s anything goes in the boogie zone. Beaters & Bowls have also provided a sparser Less Vocal Mix as well as the more driving Beaters Mix. The latter adds a bit of Chicago to the drums and a touch of Detroit to the bass for what’s sure to become a DJ’s darling.

Minneapolis’ don of Onethirty Recordings, the incomparable Jevne, has graced us with a lush, bottom heavy re-interpretation of “The Stranger”. Intricate percussive elements and warm pads converge to heat up the latest of late night parties. Sleazy McQueen, who has found recent success with fine labels like Bear Funk and Bananza, contributes his own skewed view to the track with a mix powered down to ‘the sexy tempo’. A clackity racket envelopes a pounding bassline and ominous tones, eventually making way for an acidic meltdown of disco lasers.

Eighth Dimension Records is pleased to present to you Beaters & Bowls and this diverse set of inventive, quality deep house. After one listen, we’re sure “The Stranger” will not be a stranger to your mixes and playlists. Bon Appétit!

Hernan Cattaneo (Argentina) – “Jevne’s Onethirty Mix: Good stuff … thanks!”
Deep City Soul (UK) – “There’s some great depth and bump to this one. The eclectic 80’s style vocal rides well and Sleazy McQueen hits it in a re-edit class of its own.”
Raymundo Rodriguez (Wrong Mixed Sessions, UK) – “I’m loving the vocal on this. The original, Jevne’s, and the Beaters mixes are all very nice indeed.”
Larry Fives (Inland Knights, UK) – “The Beaters Mix is nice and dirty.”
Amit Shoham (Tarantic, San Francisco) – “Great release. It reminds me why I’ve been a Rick Preston fan for over 15 years. It’s tough to pick a favorite mix … the original and Beaters mix will work best for me.”
DJ Rocca (Ajello, Italy) – “Sleazy McQueen is a genius! Really crazy remix … love it!”

Additional DJ support from Mark Farina, JD Twitch (Optimo), Nick Holder, Chris Duckenfield (Swag), Da Sunlounge, Murray Richardson, and Sebastian Davidson.

Beaters & Bowls – The Stranger (Eighth Dimension Records) by Eighth Dimension

The Stranger by Beaters & Bowls is available now from these digital outlets:
Traxsource / Beatport / Stompy / Juno Digital