Trentemøller - Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider Go! [Video]

Widely regarded for his live performances - a quality sorely lacking in some of today's youngsters - Trentemøller should really be a lot bigger than he is. With a stage show that makes Lady GaGa look like a drag act in a working men's club in Dagenham.

Above all, however, is his inclusion of a theremin player - every nerdy electronica fan's wet dream as well as a live drummer. But apart from anything else his music is just ruddy good stuff.

Below you can watch the official video for 'Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider Go!' (from his latest LP 'Into the Great Wide Yonder'), a live performance at the Roskilde Festival in front of 50,000+ fans who I'm supposedly "appear to be floating".

New Mikix The Cat EP on Trouble & Bass

Parisian mean machine Mikix The Cat has a new EP out on Trouble & Bass. The new EP 'Girls Keep On Wondering' promises the same tech-house brilliance we've seen in the past.

To coincide with its release he's put together a mix of Chicago House-inspired favourites of his, as well as a selection of MTC tracks from his new EP. With such a high quality back catalogue, it's no surprise the internets have been ablaze with blog-based love for Señor The Cat.

Grab the Smashcast here and then fork out your pennies for the privilege of owning a copy here.

DJ Aaron-Carl loses battle with cancer

It seems the current onslaught of rain and the recent departure of Mary Anne Hobbs from Radio 1 are not the only grim elements in our collective conscious. Yes, three certainly is the magic number as far as misery is concerned as news reaches us of the death of the genuinely legendary Aaron-Carl (nee Aaron-Carl Ragland).

After a well-publicised struggle with cancer Ragland passed away, despite posts on his Facebook and Twitter remaining positive to the last regarding his diagnosis and treatment. A quick scan of the internet reveals a mass of producers, journalists, DJs and fans alike mourning this loss on a personal level.

In a career spanning two decades, Aaron honed and advanced the Detroit house sound in a way that no other DJ could. While the Belleville Three (Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May) developed the sound in its infancy, it was Aaron-Carl who nurtured the scene and essentially bank-rolled labels such as Mahogani, Ovum, Underground Resistance/Soul City and his own Wallshaker Music imprint.

"Aaron knew how to move a crowd with an unprecedented warmth and love."

The Chemical Brothers - Further

Sounding very much like 'Baba O'Riley' during an aneurysm, 'Escape Velocity' sees The Chemical Brothers attempting grandeur but in the end it turns out to be just a really long song. As did the rest of the album, it bored the arse off me and was so bland and repetitive I found it almost impossible to pay attention to.

'Swoon' also sounds like it's borrowed from somewhere I can't quite place and that made for a really irritating listen. And for some reason all the vocals sound like Snow Patrol, which is awful. Just awful.

The tracks themselves are OK but nothing really stands out and you've forgotten it as soon as you've heard it. 'Snow' is alright, sort of a grower but takes far too long to get going and isn't really that great once you get there.

If you could somehow pass it through a filter that would remove the vocals and then on some of the tracks every single sound (I couldn't even finish the last track), you might end up with a decent electro or house record. Since The Chems decided not to do this it is not a decent electro or house record in the slightest and they are off my Christmas card list.

Stand out tracks: Horsepower

Title: Further (6325302)
Artist: The Chemical Brothers
Out now on EMI

Running High - New Album on Ninja Tune for Ghislain Poirier

Our good chums at Valeo Productions are shouting their lungs about the new Poirier release. I've only heard a couple of tracks (you can tuck into those little beauties below) but it's really promising and could well be my favourite release of the year.

He's always been a favourite of mine, riding the different styles without committing to any particular one, excelling in each. His new album promises to make Funky look embarrassing and I really can't wait, which makes a change - it's been a long time since I've been excited about music. And by the looks of things the Ninja Tune and Valeo chaps are pretty giddy about it too:

After 3 EPs showcasing the different sides of his new musical project, Poirier is releasing his concept album with an additional bonus disc on Ninja Tune for a total of 28 tracks with vocals by Burro Banton, YT, Face-T, MC Zulu, Warrior Queen and remixes by Sticky, Douster, Wildlife!, Uproot Andy and more. Running High is already available in Japan and Poirier's home country Canada, but it's about to come out in Europe and in the US (release & tour dates below). This album is a unique blend of electronic and Caribbean music that will satisfy the heads and the dancers (think soca-dancehall meets 90's techno and bass). A brand new video translates the leftfield party vibe of the Montreal-based DJ/producer.

Running High Release Dates
In Stores in Japan & Canada
April 24th : Europe
May 2nd: USA
Poiriersound.com