Name: Penny Metal
Occupation: Mad Tunes DJ and vinyl collector
Last Known Location: Peckham, London
Last known URL: www.pennymetal.com : www.myspace.com/pennymetal
Romanian Tune - Unknown Artist (1981)
My signature tune and the one that coined the phrase ‘Mad Tunes’. The tune that got me into Eastern European music. I found a cassette of Romanian folk music at a jumble sale (minus the cover) and this tune was on it .... 2 mins of reed pipe with the craziest rhythm ... superb! It took my breath away. After years in a musical wilderness of punk, techno and dub, I finally found my style of music! I always play it, and in 15 years it has never lost it appeal - I still get goose bumps when I hear it and it really makes me happy when I see people go mad dancing to it. Respect!! Unfortunately the tape broke (just after getting it onto digital format), and after years of record collecting I have never found it on either a record or a CD. I keep searching....
Available on Mad Tunes Vol. 1
Macedo nian Hora - The Blu Tones (1965)
Wah!
I love this tune! I had one of those late night perusals on ebay with a bottle of wine and a credit card and spotted a rather interesting record with a one-colour cover and bid on it. $2 and it was mine! And I couldn’t believe what I had bought when it arrived! A Romanian band from Michigan. No other information on the cover... just the names of the tunes. And Macedonian Hora, Side 1, track 4, just jumped out at me when I was doing the washing up. 6 mins 34 secs of pure big band bliss - it starts lazily, mooches along, steps up a gear and builds up to an amazing crescendo of drums and then goes for it proper hora style. This is my ultimate crowd pleaser - I just love to play this tune loud and watch everyone link arms, smile ... and dance like crazy.
Available on mad Tunes Vol. 9
Au Village d’Olkhovka - Ensemble de Krasnoiarsk (1974)
The Soviet Ballet of Siberia. I bought this album in Paris. DJ Click took me to his special vinyl shop and I found this gem of a record. Å A really unassuming cover with graphics to dismiss but as an experienced collector of Eastern European records, I can spot a gem just by picking it up and having faith it won’t disappoint! Side 2, track 3. ClicK laughed at it but I knew I was on to a winner! I unleashed it for the first time at BalkanXpress in Cologne. I was very nervous - it is a full on orchestral tune with classic high pitched Russian female vocals. But it didn’t disappoint! It starts, stops, starts again, stops, starts ... and then we are treated to the best musicianship only a russian Orchestra can supply ... it’s BIG! Admittedly my audience looked slightly bewildered when it started but they soon got into the spirit. And my Russian friends asked - where the fuck did you get that?? I love it!! It stirs something in me. I think I was Russian in a past life....
Available on Mad Tunes Vol. 11
A Campagnola - Ignaz fiio Privitera a il Suo Complesso (1978)
I had to include a tarantella in my Top 5. I have been an absolute love of them. Such a joyful rhythm. As a DJ I always like to inject an element of humour into my sets and this tune does just that. A 1 Euro purchase from a Berlin market. Its adorable - full of glorious vocals, accordions and rather strange snorts! I fell in love with it in the first 2o seconds. I played it at Ariano Folk Festival in South Italy. I have hundreds of tarantellas so what possessed me to play this one I really don’t know! It was daunting enough to play a tarantella to 1,000 Italians so I gambled on the cheesy element! The place erupted! And for me...? I experienced the best 3 minutes of my life just watching a sea of dancing smiles.....
From the album “Sicilia Mia Sicilia’. Available soon on Mad Tunes Vol. 16
For more Mad Tunes listen weekly to: The Mad Tunes Show, Thursday Nighhts on www.wirelessfm.net. Available for download from www.pennymetal.com
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