Right, a quick one as the weekend is nearly upon us....a week today sees three of Thisisnotanexits finest (Detachments, They Came From The Stars I Saw Them and AHEM me Mr. Simon A. Carr) come out to play at The Barfly in Camden thanks to the wonderous night that is Adventures Close To Home. Should be an absolutely fantastic night! And for those who just can't have enough Thisisnotanexit or Adventures Close To Home in your lives me and Ill Will are DJing from 1800 - 2000 at the brand spanking new Pure Groove Record Shop in Farringdon next Friday too. Make a night of it eh!

The latest release from Thisisnotanexit Records hits the shops on Monday May 19th. They Came From The Stars I Saw Thems biggest POP hit to date coming on like Roxy Music meets Devo called The HOT Inc. on both 7" and 12" and digital download (you know from itunes and other places like that!). Anyways both formats contain new tracks and remixes so buy them both! Make sure you all rush out and buy it next week and it might even get in the charts! Or you can pre-order from HMV here:

http://hmv.com/hmvweb/simpleSearch.do?searchUID=&pGroupID=-1&adultFlag=false&simpleSearchString=hot+inc&primaryID=-1

I fly out to Ibiza tomorrow for a week of relaxation. I'm even turning my email off for a week for the first time in A VERY LONG TIME. Memories of sorting out the Hatchback release last Autumn from a village in Vietnam still haunt me. See you in a week or so....

We Are All In The Gutter But Some Of Us Are Looking At They Came From The Stars I Saw Them is OUT ON JUNE 9th in all good record shops.

You can pre-order it here from Amazon if you like.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0018RCQAG/newnoise-21

A busy week at the Thisisnotanexit offices. They Came From The Stars I Saw Them played a blinder last night at the Hoxton Bar & Kitchen with The Chap. The first time I've heard Rabbit Seal Monkey live as well and it sounded great!!

Detachments are also busy at the moment - and today on the times online there's a nice piece about them - check it out!

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3918071.ece

"Words are like viruses"

- William Burroughs -

Tomorrow night its the Thisisnotanexit launch party @ Public Life here in London town. Only 100 capacity venue so make sure if you're coming along you come down early! Jonnie Wilkes plus Simon A. Carr and Matt Waites - should be WILD!

Record of the week this week is the repress of the Nu Groove classic: "The Prince Of Dance Music, LB Bad presents: The New Age Of Faith Act 1 The Sea: Birth, Act 2 The Land: Life, Act 3 The Stars: Faith In Heaven.

If only for the longest most out there title ever! Anyways its an end of night classic stolen by Sabres Of Paradise for Smokebelch. Beautiful, positive, life affirming music for when the sun comes up.

We've just given our friends at Phonica 15 EXCLUSIVE white label 12" copies of the forthcoming single by Detachments called FEAR NO FEAR and featuring remixes from NAUM GABO and MOSCOW alongside the fearsome original. Go get! Once they're gone they're gone!

http://www.phonicarecords.co.uk/detail.aspx?ID=28787

Not out officially until July 7th.

Catch the band live this Friday at Notting Hill Arts Club - free entry before 9pm and I'll be DJing later on too. Message me for cheap guestlist if you want to come along after 9pm.

This week sees the release of the latest Thisisnotanexit 12" (and digital download / mp3 if you're that way inclined). By Professor Genius after his inital releases on Italians Do It Better and Disques Sinthomme comes A Jean Giraud (Part One) featuring A Jean Giraud 1, 2 and 3 as well as a version by Brennan Green. Pitchfork picked it up to stream so that says something about the quality! Part Two will be released later this year - and if there's enough demand we might press some cds featuring all of the tracks compiled together.

Out on Monday is the new Portishead album after 10 years away. Seriously seriously amazing - and sees Portishead tear up their original sound and embrace various points of industrial and kraut rock. Check Machine Gun for what can only be described as a 105 bpm smacked out version of New Orders Blue Monday pushed through a distortion pedal and topped with Beths smoky vocals. We Carry On is the other highlight with what can only be described as a pounding Silver Apples drum and organ sound and a fast paced techno 127bpm. Then Adrian Utleys guitar kicks in and WOW oh WOW. This sounded absolutely massive at the sub club on Sunday night when I played at Optimo. Both are going to be in my record box all summer.

Finally Mark E's new 12" hit the stores on Gerd Jansons great label Prosumer. Check out Slave 1 on the A Side for a beautiful chopped up piece of slo-mo disco action. I loved this since I heard it on Beatsinspace a while ago and am loving it now I've got it on 12" - go buy and support Prosumer!! They're a small label you should support rather than the behemoths of capitalism that the majors are.

In regards to Thisisnotanexit events there is alot going on at the moment - They Came From The Stars I Saw Them play the Proud Galleries tomorrow night (Saturday 26th April). After that Detachments & Simon A. Carr play Notting Hill Arts Club on Friday 2nd May (Free entry before 9pm!!).

On May 9th we are launching the monthly THISISNOTANEXIT night after searching for a venue for a while. We've got Jonnie Wilkes from Optimo headlining the first one - and then after that some marvellous special guests lined up. The second Friday of every month at Public Life with residents Simon A. Carr and Matt Waites.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=11556179206&ref=share

On Tuesday May 13th we are having a JOINT launch party to celebrate the launch of They Came From The Stars I Saw Thems new single The HOT Inc. and Album plus The Chaps Mega Breakfast album. Anyway the event will take place at the Hoxton Bar & Kitchen and will also feature DJ sets from Lo Recordings and Simon A. Carr. £6 entry. Should be a blinder.

Enjoy the sunshine.

Deatchments have got lots of gigs lined up so make sure you catch them live soon....

2 May 2008
Don’t Make Plans For Saturday@ Notting Hill Arts Club

24 May 2008
Dot to Dot Festival @ Bristol, Southwest

25 May 2008
Dot To Dot Festival @ Nottingham, Midlands

6 June 2008
Adventures Close To Home @ The Barfly, Camden

12 July 2008
Washing Line @The Constitution, Camden

17 July 2008
Plopp @ The Macbeth, Hoxton

26 July 2008
Meat Raffle @ Catch, Shoreditch

They have also been picked as a Top 10 NEW BAND on the site SUPERSWEET. Nice.

http://www.supersweet.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=607&Itemid=41

Fear No Fear - the debut release from them will be in stores on July 7th with remixes from Naum Gabo and Moscow alongside the HUGE original mix.

Thisisnotachart - Simon A. Carr DJ Chart (April 2008)

1. Detachments - Fear No Fear (MoscoW Remix) (Thisisnotanexit cd-r)
2. 8otto - Creation (Morgan Geist Instrumental Remix) (Jetset)
3. Joy Division - Komakino (Club Silencio Edit) (cd-r)
4. Invincible Scum - House Of The Rising Scum (Dissident)
5. Hercules & Love Affair - You Belong (Simon A. Carr Thisisnotanextendededit) (cd-r)
6. R-Tyme - Use Me (MK Mix) (Transmat)
7. Putsch 79 - Gibson (White Label)
8. Gatto Fritto - Bursting The Bubble (Electric Minds)
9. Marcello Giardano - Respect Yourself (Naughty Remix) (Mule)
10. Club Silencio - Felix (Thisisnotanexit cd-r)
11. The Main Stem - Bass Johnson (Demo) (cd-r)
12. Juan Maclean - Happy House (Lee Douglas Remix) (DFA)
13. Motorcity Soul - Mango (Freerange)
14. They Came From The Stars I Saw Them - The HOT Inc (Thisisnotanexit cd-r)
15. Four Tet - Ringer (Domino)
16. They Came From The Stars I Saw Them - Moon Song (Holy Ghost Remix) (Thisisnotanexit cd-r)
17. The Dark Esquire - Situation (demo) (Thisisnotanexit cd-r)
18. Spectral Empire - Lift Shaft (cd-r)
19. Sally Shapiro - Time To Let Go (Lindstrom Remix) (cd-r)
20. Nine Inch Nails - Me Im Not (Olof Dreijer Remix) (cd-r)

If you're in the Midlands I'm DJing at the Plopp Launch Party on Friday 18th April. It's taking place at The Bodega Social Club in Nottingham along with RIOTOUS ROCKERS (wedding disco set), LOUIS ENCHANTE (Real Gold), RICKY HALEY plus the Exalt Exalt residents. Its also my birthday so buy me a sambuca if you see me...

www.myspace.com/plopppclub

I'm then heading back to London in to see The Chromatics on Saturday night. They're debut UK gig which is exciting.

Sunday I'm flying up to fill the shoes of JD Twitch & Wilkes at Optimo in Glasgow. Its a huge honour to be asked to look after the club whilst they're away in Japan but it should be a blast.

www.optimo.co.uk

Professor Genius - A Jean Giraud (Part One) (TINAE 005) is OUT NOW digitally and available to buy on nice black plastic on MONDAY 21st April. Go get one. It's a beautiful release.

A real nice piece on the new Professor Genius A Jean Giraud 12" ran in The Independent on Friday.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/music-magazine/dance/such-rarified-experiments-stand-apart-from-the-sonic-meltdown-807332.html

Its out Monday 21st April so make sure you go buy a copy!

Pitchfork in America love the new Professor Genius release on Thisisnotanexit so much they wanted to stream A Jean Giraud 1 - so here it is:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/49790-professor-genius-jean-giraud-1-stream

Enjoy - always a good day when Pitchfork is on your side!

Had a wicked time in Oslo at the weekend - big shout out to Pál from Mungolian Jetset and the guys from Club Bláá who looked after myself and They Came From The Stars I Saw Them.

Club Bláá was a wild night - I ended up Djing the majority of the night so threw down a whole load of new Thisisnotanexit jams mixed up with some disco and house of the highest order. Lots of fun. Lots of dancing and whooping to the Faze Action Remix of Hatchback!

Mungolian Jetset were great live (featuring Lindstrom on guitar, Ost on vocals and Mental Overdrive as AHEM a giant alien - you had to see it to believe it!). The track they finished with
"Space is the place" is a FUTURE classic too. Watch out for that on Luna Flicks soon!

They Came From The Stars I Saw Them also played a blinding set - The HOT Inc. being a particularly large highlight. And G-Ha who Djed at the end was great fun - hearing the Brennan Green Remix of Professor Genius at 2.30am led to me jumping around and being a bit too excited in the backstage area!

Big shout outs to Mental Overdrive, Kango and Todd Terje who all said hi!

If you're in London this week Detachments are playing Bar Rhumba on Wednesday April 2nd - go see them - a great lineup and the band are really on fire at the moment!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10809961844

Over and out.

If you're on Facebook you can now join the Thisisnotanexit group that has been created:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9720299513&ref=share

No poking. Just a nice place to hang out with other Thisisnotanexit fans and friends.

Thanks to everyone who came along to The Macbeth and / or Cargo this weekend - had alot of fun. Had a technology nightmare when my soundcard failed me at Cargo so it was back to the old school with a 100% vinyl set. Here's what I played:

Juan Maclean - Dance With Me (DFA)
Shackleton - Death Is Not Final (Skull Disco)
Woolfy - The Growler (Mindless Boogie)
Unknown - Blow Me Slow (Noid)
Vastkustska Ryggdunkarsallskapet - Mozarella Morning (No. 1)
Justin Robertson - Love Movement (Bugged Out)
The Emperor Machine - Gang Bang (DC)
Blackbelt Andersen - Sirup (Prins Thomas Discomiks) (Full Pupp)
Richard Gateux - Dune (Fat Fuk)
Unknown - 1984 (Summer of Lovefingers Mix) (Blackdisco)
The Nick Straker Band - Straight Ahead (Firebird)
Wuf Ticket - The Key (Prelude)
Skinny Joey - Area 45 (Mindless Boogie)
ME - RNB Junkie (Golf Channel)
Skatt Brothers - Walk The Night (White Label)
RAF - Self Control (Carrerre)
Unknown - Zimbra (Main Mix) (Di Sisco)
Chicks On Speed - Wordyrappinggood (Playgroup Remix) (White Label)
Flash - You Really Got Me (MRC)
Motorcity Drum Ensemble - Raw Cuts 1 (Unknown)
Faceball 2000 - La Patinoire (Live At The Cafeteria Mix) (Versatile)
They Came From The Stars I Saw Them - Signals (Emperor Machine Dub Remix) (Thisisnotanexit)
Front Page Insurance - You Got My Love (Combi Edit)

There was a whole load of negative energy in the DJ booth at Cargo as not only did my laptop fail me, but one of my headphones stopped working, a needle on one of the decks started jumping, and the monitor went as well.....the energy sorted itself after a bit though and the last 45 minutes of my set was a blast - thanks to Go!Zilla for asking myself and Detachments to play!

Detachments were quite simply brilliant at Cargo - 4 gigs in and they are tight as you like. Watch out for their debut single landing in June with remixes from MoscoW and Naum Gabo. Killer.

There's a nice interview with Horton and Naomi from They Came From The Stars I Saw Them on the Big City redneck site:

http://www.bigcityredneck.co.uk/articles/They_Came_From_The_Stars_(I_Saw_Them)/85/10/1

Check it.

Have a good Easter - hopefully you'll all be going to something Thisisnotanexit related this weekend...

This week sees the Thisisnotanexit flag being flown across various music venues - with They Came From The Stars I Saw Them playing at Buffalo Bar on Thursday evening, Detachments playing at The Good Ship in Kilburn, They Came From The Stars I Saw Them playing in Brighton and Simon A. Carr DJing at the Delete Yourself Disco Special at The Macbeth in Hoxton on Friday, and then Detachments and Simon A. Carr playing at the Go!Zilla Easter special at Cargo on Saturday night. That's your weekend sorted if you live in London!

The record you need to purchase this week is this:

http://www.phonicarecords.co.uk/detail.aspx?ID=27855

Only 25 pressed so more limited than a very limited thing. Not out OFFICIALLY until April 28th so impress your friends and purchase early.....or just sell on ebay in 12 months when it'll be worth hundreds of pounds.

Here's my chart for March - enjoy, hunt out, purchase, get excited about them....or simply come and see me play and you'll hear some, maybe even all, of them.

1. Detachments - Fear No Fear (MoscoW Remix) (Thisisnotanexit cd-r)
2. 8otto - Creation (Morgan Geist Instrumental Remix) (Jetset)
3. LCD Soundsystem - Big Ideas (DFA)
4. Invincible Scum - House Of The Rising Scum (Dissident)
5. Hercules & Love Affair - You Belong (Simon A. Carr Thisisnotanextendededit) (cd-r)
6. R-Tyme - Use Me (MK Mix) (Transmat)
7. Richard Gateux - Dune (Fat Fuk)
8. Carl Craig - Future Love Theme (Sessions Mix) (K7)
9. Marcello Giardano - Respect Yourself (Naughty Remix) (Mule)
10. Club Silencio - Felix (Thisisnotanexit cd-r)
11. The Main Stem - Lets Slow Down (cd-r)
12. Juan Maclean - Happy House (Lee Douglas Remix) (DFA)
13. Shahrokh Sound of K feat Jamie Lloyd - Break It Down (Compost)
14. They Came From The Stars I Saw Them - The HOT Inc (Thisisnotanexit cd-r)
15. Four Tet - Ringer (Domino)
16. Casionova - Shoreham Harbour Blues (Ali Renault Remix) (Dissident)
17. The Dark Esquire - Situation (demo) (Thisisnotanexit cd-r)
18. Spectral Empire - Lift Shaft (cd-r)
19. Barabas - Woman (Phantom Slasher Edit) (Noid)
20. RAF - Self Control (Carrerre)

Simon A. Carr DJ Dates in March:

Friday 7th March @ Don't Make Plans For Saturday @ Notting Hill Arts Club
Saturday 15th March @ Thisisnotanexit vs. Allez Allez @ The Amersham Arms
Friday 21st March @ Delete Yourself @ The Macbeth
Saturday 22nd March @ GoZilla! @ Cargo
Friday 28th March @ Club Blaa in Oslo (TBC)

After the rather successful last Don't Make Plans For Saturday (ending in a rioutous double whammy of Hot Chips Ready Fot The Floor and Richie Havens Going Back To My Roots) the night returns next Friday March 7th. A similarly exciting line up - with most interest being in myself (Simon A. Carr) DJing and Thisisnotanexit signings Detachments entering the live fray. Exciting stuff. Free before 8pm so you can't complain really.

In other news at Thisisnotanexit towers we are heading into a rather busy period.

First up is Professor Genius' new release entitled A Jean Giraud. There is an accent on the A but I'll be dammed if I can work out how to add it with my keyboard. Anyway the first 12" will see parts 1 -3 of the series he's produced - whilst on the flip is a spiralling hypnotic Brennan Green Remix. Not one for the clubs but one for the heart and soul - deeply moving almost spiritual music. Who says machines don't have emotions? Anyways its in the shops from 14th April. There will be a few exclusive VERY limited white labels in Phonica next week though - keep your ear to the ground...

After that we have the new single from They Came From The Stars I Saw Them entitled The HOT Inc. - a call to arms against the celebrity obsession that rules our land. Its going to be across both a 7" and a 12" and will feature new track The New Wave Of The New Brilliant alongside remixes from Geek Chic Soundsystem, Eugene Machine and a man we can't reveal the true name of but is known only as MoscoW. MoscoW is currently working on remixes for Lesser Panda and The Foals so he's one to watch. Deep tripped out smacked out disco f8ckedness.

And then we have the new album from They Came From The Stars I Saw Them - their finest most pop most hook laden work to date. Already gaining fans across the music press this could be an outside bet for the Mercury nominations this year. YES! THAT GOOD! The second single MOON SONG could be the tune of the summer!

In other news there has been some great music emerging recently - Midnight Steppers on Dissident, the latest Pepe Braddock, Truffle Clubs 'Gone Blue' finally coming out on vinyl, the latest Toby Tobias on Rekids is ace (and watch out for the Kathy Diamond collaboration called The Feeling out in May - killer!), Hercules & Love Affair are more hyped than a very hyped thing and justifiably so as the album is ACE, they've also turned in glorious remixes of Goldfrapp and Aeroplance recently too, the Glass Candy Remix of Ssion is nice (pic disc too!), Richard Gateuax DUNE is worth a look, Juan Macleans Happy House is absolutely MASSIVE, Villalobos DJ tool Enfants is suitably insane but is a genius tool for layering into your sets, The Lovefingers Blackdisco 12 is aceness (head for the B2 track 1984 - seriously smoking), the new Omar S one sider is deep beautiful house, and the Compost 12 featuring Jamie Llloyd is simply stunning. On a retro tip my secret weapon recently has been Mory Kantes Yeke Yeke Hardfloor Remix which slayed Nottingham the other week. Tip to DJ McFarda for reminding me of its quality.

That'll keep you busy pop pickers.

Oh and put Saturday 15th March in your diary - THISISNOTANEXIT VS. ALLEZ ALLEZ at The Amersham Arms and a stunning line up: Trevor Jackson, Detachments (LIVE), Allez Allez DJs and Simon A. Carr on the decks and laptop. Top top top night.

Over and out.

I've been booked to play at Nottinghams Stealth club on Saturday night as part of the Stealth vs. Rescued night. I'll be playing with Jonnie Wilkes (aka Naum Gabo) (Optimo) as well so should be a great night - Simon A. Carr and Jonnie on from 11pm - 5am - a recipe for a good time!

If you like the man that is Hatchbacks music he's also done a really nice interview and mix for the Cosmic Disco site. Go check it out.

http://www.cosmicdisco.co.uk/2008/02/12/hatchback-exclusive-mix-interview/

We'll have his next single JETLAG featuring a TASTY Faze Action remix out real soon on the label.

Finally thanks to everyone who downloaded and enjoyed Thisisnotanexit Volume 9. Somehow its had over 17,000 downloads. All I can say is WOW. I've got a weekend off in a couple of weeks so will spend a Sunday morning cellotaping a new mix together then. I have loads of new stuff lined up for the label thats hugely exciting which should get a preview - The Dark Esquire and Club Silencio. Watch out people Thisisnotanexit is just gonna get better and better this year.