"Trans-Europe Express"
501 Queen - Toronto
Kraftwerk... the masters of electronic music!! - Mike
*****
"The 501 Queen is an east-west streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). At 24.8 kilometres (15.4 miles), it is the TTC's longest surface route, the longest streetcar route operating in Canada, and one of the longest in North America. It stretches from Long Branch Loop (just west of Browns Line, adjacent to Long Branch GO Station) in the west to Neville Park Loop (just west of Victoria Park Avenue) in the east, running on Lake Shore Boulevard, in a reserved right-of-way at the median of The Queensway, and on Queen Street. The route was first instituted in the mid- to late-19th century by private operators as a horse-drawn line, was later electrified, and was assumed by the TTC upon its creation in 1921. Service is provided 24 hours a day, though the route number changes to 301 Queen late at night.
...Critics of the TTC's management of this line argue that small delays at one end ripple into 30-40 minute waits at the other. Like route 504, there is much demand at either end of the route, and along the downtown middle stretch. Transit proponents such as Steve Munro have long claimed that Route 501 would be better off if it were split into two or three overlapping segments. A report presented to the Commission for its January 23, 2008 meeting cites steps taken to improve performance on the line, including consideration of splitting the route into multiple routes with overlap in the middle. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501_Queen_(TTC)
*****
"Trans-Europe Express (released in German as Trans-Europa Express) is a 1977 album by German electronic band Kraftwerk.
Kraftwerk's sound developed further on this release. Their music is distilled into a song format more than ever, with strong classical melodies. Much use was made of custom-built sequencing equipment, which helped Kraftwerk achieve the precise, minimalist pop sound distinctive of the album. The equipment in question, the Synthanorma-Sequenzer, had previously been used in its standard form by other synthesizer musicians, such as Klaus Schulze (on his 1975 album Timewind) and Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream. Kraftwerk's, however, was a special version created specifically for them by Matten & Wiechers in conjunction with Florian Schneider.
This enhanced 'Kraftwerk-sequenzer' allowed precise control of voltages over a range of 10 octaves, eliminating the need for the time-consuming tuning of pitches; it also enabled the exact reproduction of complex or lengthy pre-determined patterns – such as the keyboard arpeggios in 'Europe Endless' and 'Franz Schubert' or the driving train-like rhythm of 'Trans-Europe Express' – at precisely measured clock speeds, combined with the ability to easily and quickly modify them. The instrument greatly improved Kraftwerk's recreation of their music in performance, whereas previously everything would have had to be played by hand.
Combined with further developments in their electronic percussion, the soundscape is unique compared to those of their contemporaries. The string sounds of the Vako Orchestron were also used liberally, and some impressive vocal vocoding is on display. The album's opening track, 'Europe Endless', is a long romantic-nostalgic paean on European culture. The idea for the album was apparently born during a lunch meeting with journalist Paul Alessandrini at the restaurant Le Train Bleu, an opulent classically-styled space situated above Paris' Gare de Lyon railway station, the terminus for trains arriving from central Europe. Alessandrini was later acknowledged on the album's inner sleeve. The title track in particular was an impressive fusion of electronic percussion rhythms and very strong melody, tied together with a lyrical concept. The idea behind this track harks back to 1974's Autobahn, which recreated a journey on the German motorway network: 'Trans-Europe Express' was intended to evoke a trip on one of the TEE rail services that were still operating at the time of its writing. The title song reached #96 in Canada." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Europe_Express_(album)
*****
"'Planet Rock' is a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. It is widely regarded as one of the earliest and most influential rap songs. Although it was only a minor hit in the US, Canada, and UK, it helped change the foundations of hip-hop and dance music. It is credited with giving birth to the electro style and helped pave the way for other genres such as techno, house, and trance. In November 2004, the song placed at #237 on Rolling Stone's list of 'The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time' and #10 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs.
Produced by Arthur Baker, 'Planet Rock' blends synthesizer and vocoder sounds with breakbeating. It was influenced by artists such as Kraftwerk, Gary Numan and funk pioneer George Clinton. It was the first hip-hop recording to use a drum machine.
The record was recorded in the NYC upper eastside Intergalactic Studios, a popular site for NYC clubscene productions. Toward the end of the scheduled recording session, NYC music clubscene fixtures DJ David Azarc, soundman Jim Toth, and promoter Tom Goodkind—all from the Peppermint Lounge—asked Arthur to please hurry. The three had scheduled the next recording session for a band that would become the Washington Squares. Ever accommodating, Arthur told them that things would move faster if they assisted him with the backup vocals. The voices singing 'rock it don't stop it' on Planet Rock are in fact those of the Washington Squares.
The influence of 'Planet Rock' can still be heard in hip-hop genres like G-funk and in the work of producers such as The Neptunes who use electro-based sounds in their productions.
A music video was also created for the song.
The song was used as the main theme of the 2006 basketball video game NBA 2K7
It was sampled by LL Cool J in the song 'Control Myself'.
In 2008, it was ranked number 21 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
Rapper Common cited this song as a major influence for his latest album Universal Mind Control especially for the first single off of the album, also titled 'Universal Mind Control'.
In the Black Star song 'Children's Story,' Mos Def criticizes a fictitious DJ for the overuse of sampling the classics. He says '...jacked the beat from Planet Rock.' Ironically, the beat from Planet Rock is itself jacked (copied but not sampled) from Kraftwerk's song 'Numbers' (see below). Adding to the irony is the fact that 'Children's Story' is a re-interpretation of a classic song of the same name by Slick Rick.
The main melody of 'Planet Rock' is borrowed from the title track of Kraftwerk's influential album Trans Europe Express, while the drum pattern is based on the song 'Numbers' from the Kraftwerk album Computer World, another popular underground club record. The borrowings eventually resulted in an out-of-court settlement between Kraftwerk and Tommy Boy Records head Tom Silverman." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Rock_(song).
"Trans-Europe Express"
501 Queen - Toronto
Kraftwerk... the masters of electronic music!! - Mike
*****
"The 501 Queen is an east-west streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). At 24.8 kilometres (15.4 miles), it is the TTC's longest surface route, the longest streetcar route operating in Canada, and one of the longest in North America. It stretches from Long Branch Loop (just west of Browns Line, adjacent to Long Branch GO Station) in the west to Neville Park Loop (just west of Victoria Park Avenue) in the east, running on Lake Shore Boulevard, in a reserved right-of-way at the median of The Queensway, and on Queen Street. The route was first instituted in the mid- to late-19th century by private operators as a horse-drawn line, was later electrified, and was assumed by the TTC upon its creation in 1921. Service is provided 24 hours a day, though the route number changes to 301 Queen late at night.
...Critics of the TTC's management of this line argue that small delays at one end ripple into 30-40 minute waits at the other. Like route 504, there is much demand at either end of the route, and along the downtown middle stretch. Transit proponents such as Steve Munro have long claimed that Route 501 would be better off if it were split into two or three overlapping segments. A report presented to the Commission for its January 23, 2008 meeting cites steps taken to improve performance on the line, including consideration of splitting the route into multiple routes with overlap in the middle. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501_Queen_(TTC)
*****
"Trans-Europe Express (released in German as Trans-Europa Express) is a 1977 album by German electronic band Kraftwerk.
Kraftwerk's sound developed further on this release. Their music is distilled into a song format more than ever, with strong classical melodies. Much use was made of custom-built sequencing equipment, which helped Kraftwerk achieve the precise, minimalist pop sound distinctive of the album. The equipment in question, the Synthanorma-Sequenzer, had previously been used in its standard form by other synthesizer musicians, such as Klaus Schulze (on his 1975 album Timewind) and Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream. Kraftwerk's, however, was a special version created specifically for them by Matten & Wiechers in conjunction with Florian Schneider.
This enhanced 'Kraftwerk-sequenzer' allowed precise control of voltages over a range of 10 octaves, eliminating the need for the time-consuming tuning of pitches; it also enabled the exact reproduction of complex or lengthy pre-determined patterns – such as the keyboard arpeggios in 'Europe Endless' and 'Franz Schubert' or the driving train-like rhythm of 'Trans-Europe Express' – at precisely measured clock speeds, combined with the ability to easily and quickly modify them. The instrument greatly improved Kraftwerk's recreation of their music in performance, whereas previously everything would have had to be played by hand.
Combined with further developments in their electronic percussion, the soundscape is unique compared to those of their contemporaries. The string sounds of the Vako Orchestron were also used liberally, and some impressive vocal vocoding is on display. The album's opening track, 'Europe Endless', is a long romantic-nostalgic paean on European culture. The idea for the album was apparently born during a lunch meeting with journalist Paul Alessandrini at the restaurant Le Train Bleu, an opulent classically-styled space situated above Paris' Gare de Lyon railway station, the terminus for trains arriving from central Europe. Alessandrini was later acknowledged on the album's inner sleeve. The title track in particular was an impressive fusion of electronic percussion rhythms and very strong melody, tied together with a lyrical concept. The idea behind this track harks back to 1974's Autobahn, which recreated a journey on the German motorway network: 'Trans-Europe Express' was intended to evoke a trip on one of the TEE rail services that were still operating at the time of its writing. The title song reached #96 in Canada." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Europe_Express_(album)
*****
"'Planet Rock' is a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. It is widely regarded as one of the earliest and most influential rap songs. Although it was only a minor hit in the US, Canada, and UK, it helped change the foundations of hip-hop and dance music. It is credited with giving birth to the electro style and helped pave the way for other genres such as techno, house, and trance. In November 2004, the song placed at #237 on Rolling Stone's list of 'The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time' and #10 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs.
Produced by Arthur Baker, 'Planet Rock' blends synthesizer and vocoder sounds with breakbeating. It was influenced by artists such as Kraftwerk, Gary Numan and funk pioneer George Clinton. It was the first hip-hop recording to use a drum machine.
The record was recorded in the NYC upper eastside Intergalactic Studios, a popular site for NYC clubscene productions. Toward the end of the scheduled recording session, NYC music clubscene fixtures DJ David Azarc, soundman Jim Toth, and promoter Tom Goodkind—all from the Peppermint Lounge—asked Arthur to please hurry. The three had scheduled the next recording session for a band that would become the Washington Squares. Ever accommodating, Arthur told them that things would move faster if they assisted him with the backup vocals. The voices singing 'rock it don't stop it' on Planet Rock are in fact those of the Washington Squares.
The influence of 'Planet Rock' can still be heard in hip-hop genres like G-funk and in the work of producers such as The Neptunes who use electro-based sounds in their productions.
A music video was also created for the song.
The song was used as the main theme of the 2006 basketball video game NBA 2K7
It was sampled by LL Cool J in the song 'Control Myself'.
In 2008, it was ranked number 21 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
Rapper Common cited this song as a major influence for his latest album Universal Mind Control especially for the first single off of the album, also titled 'Universal Mind Control'.
In the Black Star song 'Children's Story,' Mos Def criticizes a fictitious DJ for the overuse of sampling the classics. He says '...jacked the beat from Planet Rock.' Ironically, the beat from Planet Rock is itself jacked (copied but not sampled) from Kraftwerk's song 'Numbers' (see below). Adding to the irony is the fact that 'Children's Story' is a re-interpretation of a classic song of the same name by Slick Rick.
The main melody of 'Planet Rock' is borrowed from the title track of Kraftwerk's influential album Trans Europe Express, while the drum pattern is based on the song 'Numbers' from the Kraftwerk album Computer World, another popular underground club record. The borrowings eventually resulted in an out-of-court settlement between Kraftwerk and Tommy Boy Records head Tom Silverman." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Rock_(song).