Hi, I’m new here, and I thought that, before I start posting in earnest, I should introduce myself to the PopTunes Massive. Innit.

I forget how I found Poptunes. I believe that it had something to do with MySpace but I may be mistaken. After saying hi to The Milkman and getting approved, I made my first post demonstrating my dismay at the behaviour of certain DJ’s that I have met along the way (The Politics of Dancing). After a short delay while both The Milkman and I got on with life outside of Nottingham music culture and enjoyed the summer (not strictly true, I (as I expect the Milkman has also done) have remained embroiled in Nottingham’s music/club scene, and have not always enjoyed the summer, but I digress), I am back complete with login to Poptunes.org and a bunch of vaguely music related crap that no-one is interested in.

A bit about me. My name is David, I’m 36 and live on the edge of Nottingham City centre (where I share a house with my record collection) and a pair of Technics turntables. Occasionally my girlfriend is there too. I’ve been in this part of the world for nearly seven years now, and have yet to fully explore the entire Nottingham music scene. But I will (maybe).

Music is my first love. It always has been, from that first 7″ single, in the shape of David Souls ‘Silver Lady’, through a secret love of my Mums Stylistics albums, through the heady days of Electro in the early eighties, Acid House in the late eighties, Grunge in the nineties followed closely by more house, techno, breaks, beats, scratches and then rock again. I’d love to have a career in music in some way, shape or form, but have little musical ability. I can beatmix, but not scratch and cannot bear DJ politics or towing the line (see aforementioned article for details). Music journalism could be the way forward, but unfortunately, I am too lazy and set in my ways to do anything about that, so blogging and Poptunes will have to be my outlet until my raw, underground talent is discovered by someone who actually posesses motivation.

Enough about me (sort of) and on to the music. As I write this, at work, killing off what’s left of the afternoon while the rain lashes it down outside, I am listening to ‘The Audience’s Listening‘, the new album by Cut Chemist. The Chemist’s new album reminds me a lot of the earlier works of DJ Shadow, but with more of a sense of humour. Full of scratches and the classic style of samples that always make me think of black and white infomercials of the fifties and sixties. ‘Listening…’ is also remeniscent of The Avalanches album, ‘Since I Left You‘ in the way it flows together, has elements of The Propellorheads ‘DecksandDrumsandRockandRoll‘ in ‘(My 1st) Big Break’, and comparisons could also be made with The Freestylers on the opening track, ‘Motivational Speaker’ and Groove Armada in the shape of the chilled out, latinesque ‘The Garden’.

It’s far from dull or generic, but isn’t exactly groundbreaking or startlingly original. The album flows and takes the listener on a trip through a variety of downbeat hip-hop/breakbeat styles and, with each track smoothly mixed into the next for that block party feel, is funky and summery and ideal for playing at a barbeque at some point during the remains of the summer. If you like that sort of thing.

While writing this, I also found a link to the Cut Chemists MySpace page where you can listen to ‘The Garden, ‘Storm’, ‘(My 1st) Big Break’ and ‘What’s The Altitude’ from the album. Go visit, listen to his tracks, become his friend. Seeya soon.

CPH.