Dusted Features Every Friday, Dusted Magazine publishes a series of music-related lists determined by our favorite artists. This week: NYC taste'n'beat makers DFA and Hefty electronicists Telefon Tel Aviv. Tweet

Listed: DFA + Telefon Tel Aviv

DFA

DFA is a New York City based record label and recording studio. The label has released music from the Rapture, Black Dice, The Juan Maclean and lcd soundsystem. The production team of James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy have produced the forthcoming LP Echoes by The Rapture (LP released October 14 on DFA, CD released October 21 on DFA/Strummer/Universal). They also recently released a compilation (DFA Records Compilation #1) of some of their most sought-after singles. Label manager Jonathan Galkin shared with us some of his favorite relevant releases.

Top 10 LP's that Tim Goldsworthy turned me onto, by Jonathan Galkin:

1. Manfred Mann - Chapter Three Volume 1 (Polydor, 1969) - This is a record where Mr. Mann (organ) and his drummer Mike Hugg (drums, vocals) have a bit of a detour in a jazz-rock kind of way. The album is slower and darker than previous LP?s and is the moment before Mann went on to form the Earth Band, cover "Blinded By The Light" by Bruce Springsteen and forever let kids say the word "douche" instead of "deuce." I wish they had called this LP MannHugg, because that might be the best unused band name of all time.

2. Stomu Yamashta - One by One - I really like all of his LPs I have heard. He is such a great crossover of avant garde, classical and rock.  We have a few LPs here that are treated piano and crazy percussion, and then others that are way more produced and full on rock. He also worked on the soundtrack for The Man Who Fell To Earth and a weird racing film from the 1970s called One by One, which is great. He then went on to play in band with Stevie Winwood called Go and retire to Kyoto. His first album was released on Vanguard, which forever seals him as perfect.

3. Aphrodite's Child - 666 (Vertigo, 1972) - Vangelis. What an amazing man. This was his first band, who kind of started out like a Greek Bee Gees (early Bee Gees) and then ended their career with this stunner, a double LP called 666, in a bright red gatefold.  I like their early stuff a lot, too, but this takes the cake. The song "The 4 Horsemen" is divine. I like a lot of Vangelis' solo career work as well, and he continued some of these ideas on his first solo LP, Earth.  We were psyched because the Rapture signed to Vertigo UK and we now have our DFA logo next to the cool swirly Vertigo logo. It looks nice.

4. Position Normal - Goodly Time (Mind Horizon, 2000) - I like this better than a lot of the Beta Band stuff, which I think came out around the same time. I think it is all one guy and it only comes out on vinyl. It may be out of print right now. It is a good and very distinct psychedelic pop record, with lots of strange interludes and elements. It flows really naturally and I wish there was more of it available.

5. Terry Riley - Persian Surgery Dervishes (Shandar, 1972) - He used to have like 8 hour jams at State University of New York called "All Night Flite" with synthesizers, time-lag accumulators and saxophone. Hell yeah. This is a live double LP from Paris and just changes so gradually and beautifully track by track. Put this on and forget about things like thinking, eating etc. Totally cleanses you.

6. Santana - Welcome (Columbia, 1973) - There are better Santana albums for sure and I am fan of most of the early ones (I, III, Abraxas, etc.) but this has this air of nice studios and cocaine that makes it special. He was hanging out with John McLaughlin and Alice Coltrane and wearing a lot off white. This whole album is white.   Am pretty sure they were all wide awake for most of 1973.

7. Sandy Bull - E Pluribus Unum (Vanguard, 1967) - Vanguard Records was so cool in the late sixties/early seventies. They released the first Stomu record and then this in 1973, which is a 2 track raga jam with guitarist Sandy Bull and Denis Charles on percussion. It is very repetitive and sloppy sounding but a truly weird psychedelic LP. He also looks a lot like Tim Goldsworthy on the cover of his 1964 LP Inventions for Electric Guitar. He went from a spectacled dork to a mustachioed wild man by this LP.

8. Lee Michaels - Lee Michaels (A&M, 1969) - Lee Michaels went from California wanna-be pop star who looked like Davy Jones to this strange period, where he grew out his hair and paired up with drummer Frosty, who looked to be about 300 pounds. That's it.  Pretty radical for a major label LP and they recorded a cool mix of heavy drums and bluesy screaming. Tim loved these records because of the drum breaks, some of which go on for like 3 minutes. It is pretty live sounding and raw, with Lee Michaels playing piano guitar and bass.

9. Groundhogs - Who will Save The World? (United Artists, 1972) - The Groundhogs were a really unique band, definitely blues-based but they have some proggy elements, a bit of Cream a bit of King Crimson sometimes. I like the vocals on this record a lot and the band sound a lot looser and janglier than others, his voice is deep and scratchy. Their track "Cherry Red" is also a classic hard rock song, from the LP Split.

10. 14 Iced Bears - In The Beginning (Slumberland, 2001) - This doesn't fit too well with the above but who gives a fuck. They were sort of shoegazer underdogs, never even close to as famous as Ride and all that lot, though they had more unique pop sensibilities. Never on a major label either, so they could remain in our indie hearts forever, recently compiled again on Slumberland, which is fitting as they are home to brit-like bands The Aislers Set, Henry's Dress etc.

Telefon Tel Aviv

Telefon Tel Aviv are the next generation of ambient electronic music, melting glitchy textures with R&B beats to reate a wholly unique approach to the laptop sound. Their debut album, Farenheit Fair Enough (Hefty, 2001) found the duo making their first attempts at blending acoustic tones with synthetic rhythms and melodies. Their new album, Map of What is Effortless (Hefty), finds Telefon Tel Aviv furthering their dancey experiments in electro-organic techno, incorporating more vocals and lush instrumentation. Map of What is Effortless will be out in January, 2004.

1. Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below - What more can be said about this record other than "Thank God!" It's pretty much making the world a better place to live in.

2. The nation of Italy - Italy is flawless. The people are the shit. The art and architecture is amazing. I dont even want to start talking about the food.

3. Bark Psychosis - Codename/Dustsucker - This band released one brilliant LP in the early nineties titled Hex. Then they disappeared. We heard they were gonna do a new album and were a bit skeptical. We're glad to say we were wrong. The new ep is great. Dark, lush, beautiful!

4. The Broken Wrist Project - This is a really unique style of book that pairs contemporary visual artists and writers together. Get one for your coffee table today. Hours of visual and reading enjoyment guaranteed. www.brokenwristproject.com.

5. Jambalaya's Po-Boys - Two brothers come from our town to bring great New Orleans delicacies to the spice-challenged Chicago. Try the shrimp/oyster combo po-boy!

6. The Black Dahlia Murder - Striking a blow for the liberty of metal! These guys are unbelievable. Keeping it classic, mixing elements of death and thrash metal. Check out the record Unhallowed.

7. Cybergun fully automatic electrically operated air soft gun - Okay, what the hell is this you're asking. Josh got it from a friend of ours for his birthday. On the front of the box it states "Mission: Defender of World Peace". This thing takes 4 AA batteries, and brings the ruckus. You can also go to the website and get them in the Desert Eagle, and Taurus models. www.softairusa.com.

8. Cafe Bustello - Cuban style espresso ground coffee. This stuff is rocket fuel. It propels us through our days.

9. R.C. Pro-Am - Classic nintendo game we rediscovered. Been wasting massive amounts of time on it ever since.

10. Deuce Mcallister - The only thing the New Orleans Saints have going. Sorry boys.

By Dusted Magazine

Read More View all articles by Dusted Magazine