loophoop

Split the lark!

2011-12-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

Plus some shameless self promotion!

Review 2011

2011-12-31T07:07:00.000-08:00

This year I’ve purchased fewer records, trawled through a lot more music online, and continued to marvel at reissues from Latin America and Africa, (largely)from the 60s and 70s. This mix has been leavened by a good deal of exploring amongst my vinyl collection. A lot of my listening has been to artists who are, for me, tried and trusted. I wonder to what extent this is a reaction to digital overload and a developing ruthlessness towards sounds that don’t ring my bell. And still, there are such a lot of sounds that do. For instance, the bleep.com annual 100 seems astonishingly rich.

Thanks for the music

Gives me solace on the long winter nights

Amadou Ballake -what a voice! and this track is just so tight. Off the excellent Analog Africa compilation, Bambara Mystic Soul - The Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974 - 1979

A track which typifies the raw energy of Columbian music from Cartagena

More from Cartagena, courtesy of Soundway Records. Impossible to resist!

One of the biggest tunes of the year for me. Heartening to hear someone who has been around for some time still producing great music

Take me back, take me back!

Off the Xango ep. More creamy delights from Jan Jelinek

Swoon! From her self-titled album on perlon

Warm housey goodness on an excellent ep- Chicago II

Like Pansonic discovering funk. Off a great album . I just love this

More from Mr Snaith and simply irresistible.

Because I only discovered it this year,because it stirs, and contains a reference to the horses coming.

Autonomous Aethernaut

2011-11-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

In the aeons I’ve been away, this mix has struggled against earthly ties towards the limen of our universe. Disc 1, like all journeys into space, starts with rockety gusto, but all too soon settles, unsettled, into capsular claustrophobia. In space we have to make our own spass. Somehow retro-futuristically we get to the moon. But [spoiler!] it does not satisfy our sehnsucht and we come over all Major Tom and blast off again to the unknown. Disc 2 brings us to the blissed out eternity of home-from-home suspension, our endless exploration of…what? However far we go there is no escape from the earthbound voices. Space is our planet: we live there, we eat there, we bathe there.

Disc 1. Voyage to the Moon

I Remember Sputnik – KonstigKatt

Lift Off – Ribs

Space Oddity – David Bowie

Laika – Phantasystem

Soyuz One – State of Monc

Salute to the Communist Party – Soyuz-1, 18.035 MHz, 23 April 1967

Yuri's Dream – Erdem Helvacioglu, Sarp Keskiner, Ozun Usta & Umut Caglar

Inserting the Galactic Disc – Zonotope

I Lovely Cosmonaut – Monstrance

The East is Red – China-1, 20.009 MHz, 25 April 1970

Future Transport Shuttle Pod – [Sci Fi Sound Effects]

Space Oddity (Un Homme a Disparu dans le Ciel) – Palaprat

I Have the Moon, You Have the Internet (Gold Panda Remix) – The Field

Teenage Spaceman (Booka in Space Mix) – Booka Shade

Welcome to Lunar Industries – Clint Mansell

Fly Me to the Moon – Suzanne Grzanna

Viaje a la Luna – Bruno Pronsato

Luna – Pier Bucci & Jacek Sienkiewicz

The Eagle has Landed – Tranquillity Base, 20 July 1969

One Small Step – Neil Armstrong

Luna – Gultskra Artikler

Take-off from the Moon – Journey into Space cast

Space – Jah Wobble

Major Tom (Völlig Losgelöst) – Peter Schilling

Mothership to Solaris – The Exaltics

Polaris (Hecq Remix) – Frank Bretschneider

Major Tom – The Peptides

Disc 2. Space is my Planet

Major Tom – The Peptides

Space Walk – Lemon Jelly

Satellite – Dorit Chrysler

Space Walker – Aether Generator

Space Station –Walter Schumann Voices & Paul Frees

Odyssee – Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts

Earth People (Earth Planet Mix) – Dr Octagon

The Splendour – Pantha Du Prince

Photons from my Window – Aoki Takamasa

Space Oddity – Emilie Simon

Saturn Radio Emissions – [No Station ID]

Space is the Place – Sun Ra & The Solar Arkestra

Man Must Explore – Dave Scott, Apollo-15, 31 July 1971

Crossing of the Sun Ra Nebula – Shifted Phases

Falling to Weightlessness – Kontext

Wanderers – Carl Sagan

Kometenmelodie 1 – Kraftwerk

Marvels of Scientific Advance – Dwight Eisenhower, SCORE, 19 December 1958

The Internationale – Luna-10, 183.5 MHz, 3 April 1966

Greeting to the Scandinavian People – Vostok-3, 20.006 MHz, 13 August 1962

Getting Hot – Valentina Tereshkova, Vostok-6, 20.006 MHz, 16 June 1963

Magnificent Desolation – Buzz Aldrin

The Comet Song – Björk

Skyshapes – Skyscaper

Supermassive Black Hole – Muse

Galactic Blob – Sleeparchive

Space Oddity – Langley Schools Music Project

Voice from Planet Love – Precious System

Almost There

2011-09-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

Distracting, and at times tedious, this mix nevertheless has a playful side and once it's sure it has your attention...

almost there

James Blake – don’t you think i do

Kowton – basic music knowledge
Ah! The dread

Maayan Nidam – feels like
Have I told you how much I love her music?

Dave Aju – vibra

Acid Pauli – A1
Properly disquieting. Saw him play out early this year. He did his thing and was not easy to love but it was somehow right for the place. And he played stereo mcs-connected.

Tony Lionni – My Shadow

Robag Wruhme – Blech Beule
Ever the rascal, and long may he weasel away.

?

Emmanuel Jal – Kuar ( Olof Dreijer Remix)

Almost there by Crawford ">

Transglobal Express III

2011-08-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

This mix follows the arc of a typical transglobal express night at mano. Starting off with something to set the scene and clear the ears. I then make various forays towards dance floor action depending on who is around.Sometimes the response is really strong and at others it's like no one is listening. What I love is that the mood and energy can change from one moment to the next. The place tends to attract groups of travellers and most evenings are characterised by a group of columbians , say, a french contingent or some serious peruvians.This creates some space for japes, since no one can really tell how i feel about rod stewart.
The tracks here are mostly reissues on labels like Analog Africa, Soundways or African Pearls. I own most of it on vinyl. The first track is from the wonderful blog Awesome Tapes From Africa.

Fadimoutou Wallet Inamoud – track 1 (Mali)

Amapondo – Makhelwana (South Africa)

Super Boiro Band – Kha Mu Ian Man (Guinea)

La Grand Kalle, Don Gonzalo, Manu Dibango – Africa Boogaloo (Congo/Cuba/Cameroun)

Galileo Y Su Banda – La Cara Del Payaso ( Columbia)

Orchestre Poly Rythmo De Cotonou – Yeye We Nou Mi (Benin)

Mila Melo – Vamos a Anhara (Angola)

Papi Brandao y Su Conjunto Aires Tablenos – La Murga De Panama (Panama)

Clodomiro Montes y El Super Combo Curro – Puerto Rico Zumbando (Columbia)

Barel Coppet et Mister Lof – Jeunesse Vauclin (French Caribbean)

Puerto Rico Y Su Combo – La Cumbia Del Pescador (Columbia)

Cut Chemist – The Sound of the Police (America/Ethiopia)

Björk – Cristalline (Omer Souleyman remix) (Iceland/Syria)

J.D. Twitch – Sexy Rod edit (Scotland/ Columbia)

Transcultural Express III by Crawford ">

Serially cerulean

2011-06-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight is Sankt Hans night in Scandinavia: a celebration of midsummer with necklaces of bonfires along the beaches. At this time of year time warps and leaks between blue dusks and dawns. It reminds me of the Strøm Festival last year, where, in a twilit rose garden, we had one shimmery set after another, from To Rococo Rot, Mount Kimbie, Four Tet and Pantha du Prince. This mix is in that mood. Happy solstice.

Serially Cerulean

Our Last Day Together - Gentleforce

Drum Machines and Glockenspiel - Fridge

Marimba Night No. 1 - Alex Kjellgren

In The Meadow Under the Stars - Skirt

Skeletons - Julien Aubert

Almost Nothing - Adultnapper

Anaxagoras - Peter Kirn

Balldate (Klute Remix) - Douglas Greed

Life Magazine (First Flash Remix) - Cold Cave

Nymbiotic - Acid Pauli

Atomit - Ø

Flashforward - Alva Noto

Hillbillies

2011-05-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Don’t know whether it is all the fuss around Bob “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” Zimmerframe turning 70 this week, Cubby's rock-out in his last mix, or just something in the brackish Sjælland water, but I have finally shuffled off my porch to saddle up this long and bumpy ride. It all started with the Copenhagener DJ Djuna Barnes’s Hillbilly not Hillbilly mix, to which I responded with Ramblin’ not Mumblin’, hitching onto the locomotive vibe, and then the soon-to-be-infamous Din 1 came right back at us with Crayons not Canyons. Haters of folk, feelings and Matthew Dear’s vocals, you have a point: look away now. Lovers, you can look forward to future instalments when we reach the Klondike.

Hillbilly not Hillbilly by Djuna Barnes

Psychic TV - Just Drifting  

Buffalo Moon - Low Tide Moon  

Angelo Badalamenti - Laura Palmer's Theme  

Giana Factory - Mexican  

The United States of America - Love Song for the Dead Ché  

Vashti Bunyan - Train Song  

Pure Ecstasy - You're In It Now  

Bob Dylan - One More Cup of Coffee  

Holly Golightly - Your Love Is Mine  

Gonjasufi - Duet  

Sparklehorse & Danger Mouse - Everytime I'm With You 

Frivolous - Kisses  

Johnny Cash - I Heard That Lonesome Whistle Blow (Apparat Remix)  

Aaron - Early Morning Rain  

Dead Man's Bones - Lose Your Soul (Turbotito Remix)  

Vakula - Moon Over Moscow  

Soul & Nico - Goin' Bad  

Bibio - Lovers' Carvings  

Foxes in Fiction - Lately

Beach House - Lover of Mine (Roman Ruins Remix)  

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Madeleine Mary  

Cat Power - Moonshiner

Ramblin’ not Mumblin’ by Cut that Mustard

The Melvins ft. Hank Williams III - Ramblin' Man

LA Vampires & Zola Jesus - In the Desert

Zinthetyzer - Green Onions

Timber Timbre - There is a Cure

Jimmy Penguin - Keeping it Gangster

Lee Hazlewood - The Railroad

Lykke Li - Get Some

Nicolas Jaar - Time for Us

David Lynch - Ghost of Love

Apparat - I Heard The Lonesome Whistle Blow

Barn Owl - Visions in Dust

Jim White - King of the Road

Little Fritter - Headspin (Deepchild Remix)

Rose Laughlin - Cold, Rain and Snow

Matthew Dear - Honey

Suicide - Dream Baby Dream

Crayons not Canyons by Din 1

Tracklist awaiting arse-budge by Din 1

Over Winter

2011-04-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

A mix inspired by happy accidents,serious back pain and the Kraken awakening.

Over winter by Crawford

Vor der Flut

Richard Skelton – Threads Across the River

Stereolab – John Cage Bubblegum

D-Shake – Techno Trance

Robert Henke – Layer 02

Wang Fan – Xuanzhan De Tholuonidi

Gas – untitled 1

Judith Juillerat – Bo-Peep

Secondo - AZ201 vs Eulogy of Gengis Khan

Shadows Are Dancing

2011-03-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

A tortured soul of a mix with a heart of pop. I'll post the track list later.

Shadows Are Dancing by Crawford

Transglobal Express II

2011-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

photo from Paul Marten

Here is a collection of tracks that fit the kind of dance sound I'm playing out at my transglobal express nights. The music come from a few different countries and most of it dates from the late 60s into the 70s. What appeals is the sense of a restless energy and an effortless way with rhythm.

Transcultural Express II by Crawford

Ceferino Nieto – Ceferino En Salsa (Panama)

Ensemble La Perfecta – Jojo (French Caribbean)

Los Silvertones – Tamborito Swing (Panama)

Mamukueno – Reido Palhetnho (Angola)

Le Ry-co Jazz – Dima Bolane (French Caribbean)

Anibal VelasQuez y Su Conjunto – Carruseles (Columbia)

Os Korimbas – Semba Braguet (Angola)

Abelardo Carbono y su Conjunto – La Negra Kulengue (Columbia)

Fruko y sus Tesos – Salsa Na Ma (Columbia)

Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou – Noude Ma Gnin Tche De Me ( Benin)

Zinja Hlungwani - Nwa Gezani My Love (South Africa)

El rego et Ses Commandos – Vimado Wingnan (Benin)

Santos Junior – N’Gui Bamza Mama (Angola)

My Favourites

2011-01-11T12:31:00.000-08:00

Cloud Chamber Photographs
The New Landscape in Art and Science, 1956, Gyorgy Kepes

Here are my top tunes in 2010. What a good year it was!

Actress – Splazsh (Honest Jon’s)
Unpredictable and richly varied

Brandt Brauer Frick – You Make Me Real (!K7)
the pleasure of hearing new sounds

Culoe De Song – Webaba ep (Innervisions)
the voice,the voice

DJ Sprinkles – Masturjakor ep

dOP- Dein Verlangen rmx ep
Portable/Kalabrese
my dream team

Harmonious Thelonious – On Stages ep (diskant)

Maayan Nidam – A Turnaround ep (Freak n Chic) / Greatest Tits EP/
( Wolf + Lamb) / Nightlong ( Powershuffle Audio)
she could do no wrong..

Nicolas Jaar – Love You Gotta Lose (Double Standards Records)
for all those lonely nights

Plastikman – Slinky (Minus)
did he ever go away?

Tumbele – Various (Soundway)
the sound of the French Caribbean

Konono No 1 vs Burnt Friedman/ Kasai Allstars vs Shackleton Rubaczech / Mukuba Special

Ringleading

2010-12-05T09:36:00.001-08:00

(Photo by Petr Šorfa)

Last night my ancient mechanical doorbell, which is not connected to the button at the door and does not have any power and has not made a sound for eight years, rang out for 30 seconds and then gave creepy whimpers for the next half hour. Like acid eating through the patina of Christmas cosiness and cheer, it led me away from the elegant avenues of my last two mixes towards angst-ridden alleyways. So here is a mix for exploring your claustrophobic corners of self-doubt. Like all good paranoia, it peaks early and has a long, long finish.

Ringleading

The Stalker – Green Velvet

Pruitt Igoe (Fall) – Kangding Ray

Look Who's Stalking – Steve Bug

Coma – Spektre

Can't Feel Anything – Jay Haze

Konrad Gets Lost On The Way To Dc10 (Konrad Black Remix) – Troy Pierce

Dazed – Maya Jane Coles

Nordlicht – Douglas Greed

Vibrant Member – Lee Curtiss

Monochrome – Maya Jane Coles ft. Cardamis

Self Conscience – Piranhahead

Fabrick – Maetrik & Maceo Plex

Even If It's Alone (Black Acid) – Troy Pierce

Even If It's Alone (Black Acid) (Louderbach Remix) – Troy Pierce

Okx – Plastikman

Domestic Tourism

2010-11-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

(Picture by Ray Caesar)

Here we go again… Another week another continent… Forever suspended mid-air… Would rather be taking a journey around my room: around the world in 80 minutes.

Domestic Tourism

Memoria - Murcof

Diferente - Gotan Project

Arianna and I - Bruno Pronsato

O Fantasma - Laolu

El Bandido - Nicolas Jaar

L2 - Martin Buttrich

Farafinya - Rosa Lux ft. Doussou Koulibaly

At Home I'm a Tourist - Bruno Pronsato

Seraglio - Onur Özer

Chopsticks - Mihalis Safras

Soultan - Butch ft. Julie Marghliano

Quicktime (Roska Remix) - Naughty

Te Quiero - Zero dB

Erika Kohut

2010-10-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

I thought I didn’t have much stomach for the piano. Then I remembered a thing or two.

Erika Kohut

What We Wish - Bruno Pronsato

Dr Whisker's Theme - Damian Lazarus

Firn - Hauschka

The Student - Nicolas Jaar

Shousetsu - Radicalfashion

Acid Bells - Efdemin

Deleuze's Will - Nicolas Jaar

Immune - Bodycode

Intensive Spot - Bocca Grande

As We Are - Ezechiel Pailhes

Inchworm on a Star

2010-09-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

So we come to the end of my summer in Copenhagen, a city where the main drag is named after a writer of fairy tales and the main attraction is the world’s oldest funfair. Every bicycle carries a Rapunzel and every bureau a Rumpelstiltsken. Caught up in this world of childlike fancy, I was inspired to make a mix that yearns for long-lost dreamworlds of gilded youth. There is something about a country without topography – everyone is equal and there ain’t a hill in sight – that makes sehnsucht (that untranslatable concept) all the more poignant. We are earthbound worms longing for the stars.

Inchworm on a Star

Desolation Theme – Nordine, Frisell & Horvitz

Amalia – Dinky

The Micro Disneycal World Tour – Cornelius

Blanche Neige (Kinder Cut) – dOP

Swiss Glide – Michna

Moon River – Como Carousel

Luchin – Chica & The Folder

The Snow Queen – Vikki Jackman

The Fine Art of Poisoning – Jill Tracy

Maybes – Mount Kimbie

Twin Lake – Arve Henriksen

Chim Chim Cheree – The Postelfonia

The Tinderbox – Our Sleepless Forest

Foller (Zan Lyons Remix) – Various Production

Die Glückliche Familie – Christian Al-Kadi

Weer Alle Sind Qualle – Felix Kubin

Sugar Plum Fairy Coda (Recoda) – DJ BC

March On Swan Lake – Tomas Barfod & Fredski

White Rabbit – Noveller

Blinkende Stjerne – Kontext

Inchworm – Danny Kaye

Shoals – Taylor Deupree

Wish Upon a Star – Ringo Starr

Building and Jumping

2010-06-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Building and Jumping by strcprstskrzkrk

Mainly done on an iPad with large quantities of bourbon helping the liberal use of loops. Film samples from Whirlpool (Otto Preminger, 1949) - despite The Wire deciding that film samples are passé - fuck you!

The track listing is approximate:

Something's Jumpin' In Your Shirt (Featuring Bootsy Collins & Introducing Lisa Marie) - Malcolm Mclaren & The Bootzilla Orchestra

Discipline09-3 - Ras G

Towers Fall (Cassette Mix) - Mi Ami

Wir Bauen Eine Neue Stadt (Alva Noto Remodel) - Greie Gut Fraktion

Break Down - SIS

Mainline Robags Relokk Tokk Mikks - Brendon Moeller

Running Out - Morphosis

Lacan - Claro Intelecto

Opiate of the People

2010-06-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

With the start of the World Cup today, I was inspired to make a mix at the musical melting point where South Africa meets Afrophilic Europe and America. This is not the place for discussion of the ethics and economics of cross-continental filching – good food for thought in that direction is here. But does it seem like the distinctions are blurring? Viva miscegenation!

Melting Pot

Wavin' Flag (The Celebration Mix) - K'Naan

Radio Freedom (DJ Zhao Edit) - Terre Thaemlitz

African Rhythms - Bookworms

Don't Go Lose It Baby (Dub Mix) - Hugh Masakela

The Centre Of Time - Bodycode

Radio Freedom - Terre Thaemlitz

Pitch Black Afro - Pitch Black Afro

Mugwanti / Sgwejegweje (Schlachthofbronx Mix) - Mujava

Grounation (Berghain Drum Jack) - Deadbeat

Drumbeat - Jim Ingram

I Exist Because of You (Live Version) - Henrik Schwarz & Amampondo

Leka-Leka - Kalahari Surfers

Endroduncing Kadebostan - Kadebostan

African Drug (Coldcut Edit) - Bob Holroyd

Radio Freedom (DJ Zhao Edit) - Terre Thaemlitz

Hippocampus

2010-05-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

The hippocampus is a paired structure, with mirror-image halves in the left and right sides of the brain. This mix is a tribute to good speakers.

Hippocampus

Wrong - Abstract Elementz

Désorienté - Galerie Stratique

Isotope - Function

Sarg Wualb - Olene Kadar

Phased Out, Oscillation, Funkalogic,

Monoplex, Multiplex, Panback,

Blue: Prussian - Frank Bretschneider

Loomin - Actress

Suashi - Chris Herbert

Victoria Station - Berg Nixon

Picnic On A Minefield - Warren Suicide

From Within (Marcel Dettmann mix) - Scuba

SphericalType GasHolder - Alfred Brown

Taps - Mount Kimbie

Wunschen Brunnen - 19 26 1 18 5

Beacon - LV & Untold

Throat Singing Slap Beat

2010-05-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

Berlin has taken a sudden slip back in to winter- time to wrap up warm, close to the horses, make more tea and keep singing. Been making up for a lack of vinyl purchases with a trawl through my cd collection digitising stuff I like. The throat singers appear on a compilation called The Musical Silk Road and the track title translates as the Eulogy for Gengis Khan. I started randomly listening to some of the tracks and a couple with voices seemed to suggest Secondo as accompaniment. The track is off his album A Matter of Scale, which I've had for some time but never connected with-it felt too bright. But on re-listening the more slowed-up whacked-out ones sound great. When I looked for pictures to go with this I googled Gengis and the first pics to come up incuded this one above. I have the same postcard in 'my postcards of men' collection. But I'd always assumed he was some Buddhist scholar. The mix was done with Technics, Traktor and Wavelab.

Gengis Khan vs Secondo - AZ201 by Crawford

The Unhemlich Manouver

2010-03-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

As spring pulls in, not least in my heart;by some deft sleight of hand this mix appeared. It burrows down most tenaciously and explores some techno wormhole I've long wished to visit. Then there is the obligatory ethnic track just to tempt you back into the fold plus a dab stab at euphoria.

the unheimlich manouver by Crawford

The Unheimlich Manouver

Flug 8 – Sie schaut

Digitaline – oz

dOP – Dein Verlangen (Kalabrese rmx)

Matthias Tanzman – chano _second mix

Oni Yahun – 003

Cio D’Or – Goldbrokat

Sian – Red Cloud (Minilogue rmx)

Chaton + Hopen – life is wonders (donato dozzy reconstruction)

Baeka – Right at it (Michel Cleis rmx)

Sian – World Within

MRI - Pilgrimage

Catalogue

2010-03-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

'The greatest masterpieces created by man are now bound to a freedom from death as they are contained in records, and a child of three may hold weighty spititual secrets in small hands.'
Maurice Maeterlink
(picture and quote from http://blindpony.blogspot.com/

As promised, a full and frank disclosure of consumption. Records I've bought this year:

Alex Smoke – lux+

ALOG / ASTRAL SOCIAL CLUB -39/40

Baeka – Right At It

Basti Grub – See Seniol

Big Strick – 7 Days

Brandt Brauer Frick – Iron Man

Camp Vidab (day 1-4) – Various

Choice/ Ricardo Villalobos –Acid Eiffel/ H.E.I.K.E.

Digitaline -080808 ep

DJ Sprinkles – Masturjakor ep

dOP- Dein Verlangen rmx ep Portable/Kalabrese remixes

Fanatstic Mr Fox –Sketches ep

Field,The –Yesterday and Today Remixe

Flug 8 –Löscht dein Profil

Hieroglyphic Being - +++ 01

Joker - Untitled_RSN / Flying Lotus

Kadebostan – Vodka Wedding

Leon Segka: Kude - Bodycode mix

Mark Pritchard – Elephant Dub

Matthias Tanzmann –channo

MRI - Pilgrimage

Noze – Minimal Elvis/Maximal Michael

Pangaea – Pangaea ep

Patrick Cowley & Jorge Socarras –Burn Brighter Flame Oni Ayhun rmx

Ravi Shankar –four raga moods

Shellak 2 The Future Gets Involved - Various

Tom Demac/ Kink –draw me in/ bitter sweet

Tony Lionni – figure spc E

Tribal Music From East Africa - Various

XX, The - album

House Captain

2010-02-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

Here is a mix made especially for Sasha - in other words pure shameless champagne-shouldered house. Perhaps one not so much for Cubby as for one or other of the imaginary audience of this blog?

House Captain

I Wanna Be Everything - Gadi Mizrahi ft. Baby Prince

Who to Call - Soulphiction presents Missing Linkx

This Heart - Delano Smith

Everyday House Music - Tevo Howard

Just a Track – Efdemin

Makes Me Wanna Dance – Prosumer & Murat Tepeli

Gimme Your Love (Belocca & Soneec Mini Dub Mix) - Gary Blade

In the Mood - Damian Schwartz

We Cannot Turn Back - Francois K Minitek Sunday Sessions

Free Your Mind - Tony Lionni

A New Day (Oliver Koletzki Remix) - Chopstick & Johnjon ft. Fritz Kalkbrenner

MDMazing - Lee Jones

Plus extracts from:

President House (Acappella Mix) - Roland Clark ft. Urban Soul

Sermon of Jack (Jacks Old Skool Mix) - Jon Kennedy ft. Tasha

Top of the Class

2010-01-28T12:04:00.000-08:00

My top tunes of 2009

Lowtec - Angstrom EP

Long, hypnotic and of uncertain mood.

dOP - Dein Verlangen; The Genius of the Crowd; Change!A Various ep

Basically, last year they could do no wrong. The unassailable charm of the French.

Starkey - Miracles Jamie Vexd remix

Pure synaesthesia, a head banging, bass worrying earworm

Brackles - LHC

Wayward synth action, more bass and a soul diva laments. This and Miracles are the dubstep fruit I've been waiting to get my teeth into.

Pangaea - Memories

Another wailing RNB lament with skippity bass. And I'm off.

Hieroglyphic Being -So much noise to be heard

Oh, baby I like it raw and Jamal delivers as usual.Machine music handed down by the gods.

Hauntologists - EP2

Loping, hermetic excursions

Bodycode -What did you say

It's the Imitation Lover dub that does it-all his distinctive sounds roughened up and leavened with melancholy

Jimi Tenor - Selfish Gene

An ageing bachelor tells it like it is.

Oni Ayhun 03

Techno steeped in the early 90s which neatly sidesteps nostalgia.Don't ask me how they do that.

Omar S

My introduction to him-like Autechre discovering a big button marked JACK.

Winterpracht

2010-01-22T03:59:00.000-08:00

Listen to this voice...
Like two people whose paths seem to cross and then they don't...
There is some neutrality here. No, I wouldn't call it neutrality ... but a need to concentrate on each sound, so that every blade of grass would be as important as a flower...
It could be like a break on the radio. Such signals sometimes sound as if they lasted an entire life.
Of future, or past, and outside time...
Listen.

~ Arvo Pärt playing and speaking of "Für Alina" in Arvo Pärt: 24 Preludes for a Fugue

(Kirlian photograph of meadow grasses by Tarrl Lightowler)
(photo and quote from the the fascinating woolgathersome.blogspot)

Winterpracht by Crawford

Margaret Dygas – 37 min to 7

Stefan Goldman – Wolverine

Jeff Samuel – Work 4 Sex

Tiger Stripes – Hooked

Solomun + Ost + Kjex – federgewicht hamburg mix

Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts – Ochre

dOP- come with me

After 5 weeks on holiday, returning to Berlin in mid January feels somewhat like being cast out of Eden. Fortunately, unlike those other postlapsarians, I've been exiled with a decent record collection.
This mix was done on Traktor with edits in Wavelab.

Ice record

2010-01-07T05:37:00.000-08:00

A new year, a new decade, the whole of northern Eurasia

locked under ice, and I am moving the to the Nordic lands.

My nervous anticipation of nine-month winters has

prompted me to listen to the songs of experience. Turns

out that winter is indeed eternal, an endless twilit blizzard

punctuated by will-o-the-wisp glimmers of pop-song

comfort. Wrap up warm everyone.

Winter Part I

Waiting for Snow Part I - Peter Benisch

Ice-Pulse - Cocteau Twins

Schnee - Laub

Tokyo Freeze (remix) - Ital Tek

Snowflakes & Frozen Lakes - Pac-Man

Iridescence - Hildur Gudnadottir

Winter Depressie - Estroe

Outside on a Cold Day - Felix

Snow Samba - Shrift

Glacial - Dinky

Winter Thaw - Shigeto

Tears of Happiness - Klimek

L'hiver - Geneviève Toupin

Winter Part II

Peter Venkman Part II - Ben Frost

Ice Record - Katie Paterson

Cutting Ice to Snow - Efterklang

Ice Touch - Masha Era

Winterslow (remix) - Dan Cat

White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes

Winter in Seney - Deepchord presents Echospace

Comme la Neige - Dasha Rush

Icicles & Snowflakes - Inchtime

Snowflakes & Frozen Lakes - Pac-Man

Snowflakes - Max de Wardener

Snow on Snow - Rue Royale

-73°C - Shrubbn!!

Baby it's Cold Outside - A Weather

Eternal Winter - KTL

Best of…

2009-12-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about being at leisure for the whole of December is the chance to indulge in “best of” lists. I made my own – below – then spent an entire day listening to others on the interweb. On the upside, Little White Earbuds bigged up Paul Frick’s dub version of Steal My Heart (the earlier vocal versions featuring Crawford are even better) and it makes me happy to see that other people’s listening habits are as eclectic as mine. On the downside, I’m not quite buying all this bowing scraping adulation of American woozy disco house. Sure, Levon Vincent and co have made some great tunes, but it can all be taken a bit seriously (likewise, Hyph Mngo is fun, I agree, but it’s a rave garage choon, not a cultural revolution). Anyway, cheerfully I do not have to be an arbiter of quality and innovation. And the nice part of having zero experience of making electronic music is that I’m free to judge tunes in all innocence on their effect not their virtuosity. So my thanks to the blogstad cognoscenti out there for maintaining direction, introducing me to new stuff and making me laugh.

OK so to continue to add to the end-of-year blah blah blah, my favourite album of the year must be Vertical Ascent by the Moritz von Oswald Trio – highly rated all over the place, so no further praise for me to add. And my top twenty tunes of the year, in alphabetical in lieu of random order:

Ratts Leaving the Sinking Ship in Nortt - Artificial Latvamaki

Soundtrack to your voyage to the afterworld on the burning deck.

I Am the Car - Audion

Surely the most prolific producer in techno? This for me is the stand-out from his series of give-away MP3s this year.

Checkpoint Charlie (Max Cooper Remix) - Bigger Than Jesus

Please can 2010 be all about techno that sounds like this. Never mind the fuzz, let’s go back to basics.

Seaweed - Clark

FX – simple, effective teenage kicks.

The DJ - DJ Hell ft. P. Diddy

Seems to have met with approbation and ridicule from everyone, including the people who made it, missing the fact that it’s a perfect straight-up big-production Romboy-style dancefloor magnet.

Grand Central, Part I (Deep Into The Bowel Of House) (MCDE Bassline Dub) - DJ Sprinkles

Dr Motor City expertly extracts Ms Sprinkles’ head from her arse.

A Nightingale - Isolee

I was really pleased to see this pop up on a couple of other “best of” lists as it was hardly talked about over the year but is beautiful and complex and special. The other side October is great too.

37 min to 7 - Margaret Dygas

Thanks to Cubby for introducing me to this Margaret among others. I eagerly await her every diversion…

Rollerskate (Radio Edit) - Matias Aguayo

Favourite pop ditty of the year. Strictly small doses – he was dead boring when I saw him live this year.

Die a Little (Bruno Pronsato Remix) - Mikael Stavostrand

Not sure why this has such a hold on me – dusty, bouncy-melancholy and strangely addictive.

Hundraelva - Minilogue

Another reason, along with Isolee, Dygas and Pronsato’s Make Up Break Up, to keep the faith in minimal.

Get Your Whistle Wet (DJ Sep & Jason Short Dub Mix Featuring Juakali) - Mochipet

There is nothing original about this, but if I ever manage to sit on a chair all the way through I know it is time for the euthanasia clinic.

Maybes - Mount Kimbie

Everyone likes them and I like them too.

Variance (Function Edit) - N/A

Choon!!! Worth every millimetre of its fetishistic one-sided blue vinyl.

Pokerbrett - Norman

A net label mystery. Church organ meets big techno – what’s not to like?

WAD - Pearson Sound

Ethnic percussion in its rightful carnavalesque element. Irresistible.

Alles Gute - Pole

Please make some more tunes for us Stefan – we miss you.

Klinik - Scuba

That washboard scratch gets me every time. Apparently he is a brilliant DJ as well as producer.

Marche Funebre (DJ Koze Marxa Mix) - Soap & Skin

Yes, I also loved Fever Ray, and here is another modern gothic madame deserving of attention.

Space Bass (Jamie xx's Remix of The xx) - The xx

Ditto Mount Kimbie.

Feliz navidad

2009-12-15T15:39:00.000-08:00

Yay, it's crimbo! Big love from the Red Room to all my husbands and homies. Here's a loved up yet wistful mix to match your reflexive spangly outlooks. Don't know what has become of Cubby - perhaps he's headed off to the beach for dos mojitos...

Twenty Minute Versions

My My - Bonus Jack

Alexis Cabrera & Guti - Dos Mojitos Bitte (Piano Edit)

Benoit & Sergio - What I've Lost (Bruno Pronsato Remix)

Audiofly X - Sweeter Than

Salif Keita & Cesaria Evora - Yamore (Luciano Remix)

Marcin Czubala - At The Beach In San Foca

Alex Under - Gris (extract)

Douglas Greed - New Innerstate Strategies (Tofu On Ice Edit)

Matias Aguayo - Rollerskate (Radio Edit)

Usually Bubble

2009-11-28T10:02:00.000-08:00

At 6:02 pm last night I pressed send on the final document - and with that act became free, well and truly free, for the whole of December at least, if not longer. I immediately made a mix for Bernard, seeing as it was his party a couple of hours later. So here it is - 46 minutes of fullfat cheezie wotsits, y'know, enough familiarity and kitsch to keep the folks on the floor. Nobody needs to listen to this - instead you can go and check out Max Cooper's really great mix on We Play Music. Any which way, have a good chuckle and bubble like this lad Liam.

Usually Bubble

Prince - The Future (Mark Moore Remix)

Claude Vonstroke ft. Bootsy Collins - Greasy Beats (Tech Funk Mix)

Onionz ft. Snow - Nothin But Love (Funkerman Remix)

Freeez - A.E.I.O.U. (Latin Rascals Club Mix)

Chromeo - Bonafied Lovin' (Sweetlight Remix)

Snap! - Rhythm Is A Dancer (Tom Novy Remix)

Lee Van Dowski - Go Bowling

K.I.G. - Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Alp vs Outwork - Fiesta Elektronika (Paolo Aliberti Reprise)

Bingo Players vs Rozalla - I Will be Free (DJ Mercer Bootleg)

Beenie Man & Wiley - Rolex It Up (The Heatwave Refix)

Where did that come from?

2009-11-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

More mucking out before settling down for a good winter. Today it snowed-that's something worth shaking your hips for.

Musclebound by Crawford

Margaret Dygas – 37 min to 7

Stefan Goldman – Wolverine

Jeff Samuel – Work 4 Sex

Tiger Stripes – Hooked

Solomun + Ost + Kjex – federgewicht hamburg mix

Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts – Ochre

dOP- come with me

Alien Agar

2009-10-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Some Robot Dub with a bit of shouting. Less of a mix and more of a succession of tunes.

Alien Agar by strcprstskrzkrk

Calabi Yau Manifold - Dopplereffekt

Haxan - Demdike Stare

Empyrean - Deepchord Presents: Echospace

Fall Into Oblivion - Quantec

Robot L.O.V.E. - Alec Empire

Hypercommunication (Alter Ego Remix) - Poni Hoax

Aidys Girl's a Computer - Darkstar

Minsk - I/Dex vs Pole

Three Views Of A Secret - Kryptic Minds

Buzz In (Nosaj Thing Remix) - Boris

The Confidence Man

2009-10-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

This has been sitting around for a while now, so few surprises for you perhaps, but it still manages to lure me in. The title is a reference to Hermann Melville's book of the same name. Both richly allusive and difficult to corner, it pulls a narrative stunt midway through which left me reeeling.Something like a good mix.

The Confidence-Man by Crawford

Paul Frick – Do Something

Akufen – Psychometry 3

Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts – A Third Nut

Noze – Piano (DOP remix)

Ido Oshkopun - Teacher

Plastikman –Panikattack 2nd Attack

Petre – Galantar

Melchior – Out There

Stefan Goldman -Sleepy Hollow Version

For Leda

2009-09-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

The thing about presence is that it needs constant upkeep.

Absent lover by DJ Crawford

Mihalis – Interamerika

Stimming – Una Pena

Fidan – all pleasure (Vakant)

Trentemoeller – Always something better dub remix (Pokerflat)

Mr G – Makes No Sense Radio Slave Shaking the Tree rmx (Rekids)

Portable – OK Then

Pepe Bradock – Deep Burnt

Wbeeza – He So Crazy ( 3^rd Ear)

Oscar G - Chunky Buddha (Innervisions)

Pete Namlook – Subharmonic Atoms Pepe Bradock Bonus Bug

Counting Every Drop

2009-09-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

You’re at home. It’s raining outside. You’re way wasted. It’s late. You put on the radio and out crackles a mysterious station speaking straight to your mood…

Counting Every Drop

Hua Yang - Radio Broadcasting

Kim Cascone - Three Parasites for Deleuze (excerpt)

The Others - Bushido

Pinch ft. Indi Khur - Angels in the Rain

Ben Klock - Gold Rush

Irma Thomas - It's Raining (excerpt)

Deadbeat - Melbourne Round Midnight

AGF / Delay - Most Beautiful

Bajofondo - Borges y Paraguay (excerpt)

Zomby - Test Me for a Reason

TRG - Time Is Now

Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo

Eskmo - Agnus Dei

Black Unity Trio - Opening Prayer

Thom Yorke - And It Rained All Night (Burial remix)

Untold - Kingdom

Bic Runga - Ne Me Quitte Pas (excerpt)

Leila ft. Seaming To - The Exotics

Plastikman - Rekall

Björk - In the Musicals (excerpt)

Pinch ft. Juakali - Brighter Day

Chip in the Old Block

2009-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

August has not been a great month for making mixes - too busy doing as little as possible. So here's one I made earlier, for my new friend Andy, who dwells somewhere out there in the extended mind. Or in there in the embodied technology. Here’s to your ‘ggggrrrrrrrrrr’.

Chip in the Old Block

Alva Noto – Autoshape

Alex Smoke – Dimbulb

Ilyah & Ltd. Candy – Machines And Ghosts

Plimsoul – Bird

Kate Simko – Machine War

Mark Henning – I Lost My Brain At Wrinchout

Pole – Alles Gute

Bogger – Honz

Sleeparchive – Galactic Blob

Clark – Seaweed

Sub Dub – Dancehall Malfunction

Burial – Ghost Hardware

Plastikman – Okx

Suits you,sir!

2009-07-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Went to this event at the weekend in a relatively new venue just around the corner and was delighted to have my faith in dubstep restored. Two rooms-with a good, forward range of sounds (except for the deadly strains of intelligent dubstep-my pet hate). Ikonika especially was impressive with a sound that was very fluid and techno influenced. And a real sense of excitement about the evening, being forced into new ways of moving just to follow the shape of the music.

Really enjoying your trip to africa-some of the stuff I have (eg living near africa) but that's comforting, coming across your tracks in da jungle. I like how stripped back a lot of the tunes are. Loving the solo track and it's very sly of you to use the faithless vocal-instant durban flashbacks. Where did you come across the dj mbuso track?

Tableau Noir

2009-07-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

Uncle Rebus got me bad. I’ve finally come round to your way of hearing La Mezcla. Plus the high operatic camp of Ame, strings sandwiched between cowbells. And Love Spray so roks in that k-kinda-way. So here is my AfriKKKan reply. Check out the hot South African producers Culoe de Song and DJ Mabuso. And check out my hot combination (… if maybe I should have toned down the bass …) of the three tunes Congoloid, Work that Body and Insomnia. (Cheeky cheese squeeze). Plus two of my favourite tunes, The Dragon and Living Near Africa.

Tableau Noir

Ian Simmonds ft. The Ekonda Women Of Kinshasa – The Dragon

Culoe de Song – African Subway

Zombie Disco Squad & Solo – The Dance

Wighnomy Brothers – Moppal Kiff

DJ Mbuso ft. Shembe – Ukukholwa Kuwe

Solo – Congoloid (Minimow mix)

Min – Work that Body

Faithless – Insomnia (Ricardo Villalobos mix)

Jet Project – Monkey Skulls

Ilario Alicante – Living Near Africa

Stella Chiweshe – Zvinonhamo

Fusion

2009-06-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Benny Nero

It's an appealing concept:a non-cheesy, ethnomix. I started wondering how to classify-what are the limits-where do you cringe or what features lull one into a sense of authenticity?

I am a huge fan of portable and somehow his tracks always sound authentic with little sense of a template followed. But the second track is by an artist I know nothing about except that he has the cadenza seal of approval. For me, this track comes dangerously close to some sense of being too much, signifiers overloaded with latin emotion. But something about the woman's voice carries it. Somehow I believe her.

Then I start to think about the kicks from pushing these taste boundaries. This mix features ame- and also flirts with my prejudices-an overblown trance workout with echoes of the 80s. I should run screaming but there is a dark attraction to it all. I find this kind of drama fun-something to play with when I dance.

The Rebus Principle by Crawford

Portable - 30 Hz Michel Cleis - La Mezcla Vocal mix

Michel Cleis - La Mezcla

dOP - walk the line original mix

Silvetas - Caleza

Ame - Setsa

Philip Sherburne - Salt & Vinegar

Seth Troxler & Patrick Russell - Love Spray

Check out the weird and wonderful world of Benny Nero

http://www.konvulsator.de/bennynero/

All Back to K’s

2009-06-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

This is from a couple of months back, for Keryn’s birthday. It’s emotive – partly because I know that’s what she likes and partly because she has been my babe du jour on more than one needy occasion. Shout out too to Greg, who on K’s birthday said to about 20 of us, many strangers: all-back-to-G’s instead of all-back-to-K’s. His place turned out to be the most beautiful flat of the most beautiful block in Brighton, and we danced and danced and watched the full moon move across the sea and the ghostly pier, and played this mix just before sunrise. And apologies to Cubby for more Cassy torture...

All Back to K's

Crowdpleaser & Ly Sander – Walking Home

Damian Lazarus – Moment

Loco Dice – How Do I Know?!

Alland Byallo – True (Lee Curtiss Remix)

Cassy – Poem

Butch – Last Tango

Function – Variance

Seth Troxler – Aphrika

Guillaume and the Coutu Dumonts – Sous l’Arbre

Reshuffle – Hedonism

Rune – Bora Vocal

Federleicht – On the Streets (Kollektiv Turmstrasse Core Mix)

local collapse

2009-05-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

100 Abandoned Houses Kevin Bauman

My, doesn't time fly in the blogosphere! Finally got the chance to have a 'serious ' listen to the ladies. From one feedback junkie to another, here goes.

The transition from ellen into Simko is great- i love that kind of dark reduced techno that you play plus the feel of almost live percussion. I'm surprised by the ellen allien-I've never payed much attention-any other recommendations?And the kate simko track is clinical and classy-I hadn't heard of her. Love the margaret dygas-it positively bristles as soundtraps go off.

The change of sound with agf in the middle feels like a good move to me-dancefloor damage. Only the cassy kind of throws me because I know it so well. You keep it pretty dark and trippy but playful too. And Leila's polite mayhem to close

I'm afraid you're going to have to come up with a more convincing metaphor for this blog though-if this is the sound of indigestion well then I'll have another slice.

And with this next mix there's equal parts stamping to pirouetting. From the archive:

local collapse

Local Collapse by Crawford

Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts – Can’t Argue with Silence

Onur Özer – traumbone

Henrik Schwarz & Aampondo – I exist because of you (Dixon’s Stripped Down Version)

Mihalis Safras – Interafrica

Schneider & Galluzzi – Albertino

Knowing Looks – 1= moon

Argy – Love Dose (Luciano rmx)

Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts – Yone

D.H.S. - House of God (Martin Landsky rmx)

Carl Craig – Movement 8 ( c2 version)

Henrik Schwarz / Ame/Dixon- D.P.O.M.B (version 2)

Letter to the Laingoustine

2009-05-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

Well, already you’re clear about this blog’s nature. It is like a meringue. Cubby pirouettes at the curvy-wurvy tippy-top, spinning out vinyl with all taste and skill. I squat rather lower down, in the denser crumbly bit, gurgitating semi-digested laptop mixes. This one being an example. It’s for Marg, in answer to her question “Where are all the women producers in techno?” So here are some of their great tunes, bludgeoned by me. If not skill, let’s hope at least there is taste. The only thing that keeps me from the gooey chewy sugary morass below.

Letter to the Laingoustine

Quio - Me Mucker

Ellen Allien - Elphine

Kate Simko - She Said

Margaret Dygas - See You Around

Dinky ft. Jorge Gonzales - No Sleep

Sarah Goldfarb - Crashed by Society

Miss Fitz - Dementia

Cassy - For You

AGF ft. Delay - Generic

Anja Schneider - Beyond the Valley

Ada - Live it Up

Magda - Panna Cotta Eyes

Monika Kruse ft. Tim Price - Spank Me Later

Leila - In the Garden

Dreamtime Again

2009-05-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

Setting the pace:thick and fast. It's been the warmest April since forever here in Berlin and this May Day we've had to call off the revolution once again. Time to slip, slip away...

dreamtime again

Ricardo Villalobos - Ananas

Matthias Meyer - tout va bien( liebe detail)

Culoe Du Song - The Bright Forest (Innervisions)

Stimming - The Anger (liebe detail)

Oleg Poliakov - Rainy Dayz -Portable rmx

Michel Cleis - La Mezcla (Cadenza)

Anthony Collins - upright bass -foog rmx (mule electronics)

Robots, you just can't trust them

2009-04-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

My top five for April look like this:

tommaso cappellato - the knight ep (elefanto! rosso)

radio slave - neverending

Change! - A Various ep ( Children of Tomorrow)

Anthony Collins - upright bass ep (mule electronic)

Michel Cleis - La Mezcla ( Cadenza)

And check this for a nightmare insight into the future from the past of German sci-fi.

The Time Machine

2009-04-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Frail and sensual as the Eloi, troubled by the dreadful presence of the Morlocks, this is a mix which appears to slow down, and at times stop time. I invite you to take part in a small experiment to help me confirm my impressions.

Auswahl update by Crawford

Yma Sumac - Chuncho
Kurceli Hicazkar - Selim Sesler
Felix Laband - Radio Right Now
Mum - I'm 9 today
Autechre - Yulquen
Random_Inc - In Pisgat Zeev
Chronomad -Sama'i

Pachyderms on Parade

2009-04-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Kicking off the next chapter of our Berlin-London hopping, hooping and looping conversation with a visit to the zoo. As our thick-skinned friends say, “Roh!”

Pachyderms on Parade

Dinky – Burdelia
Ellen Allien – Elphine (Zander VT Remix)
The Martin Brothers – Dum (Casanova & Jay-You Animales Mix)
Christian Martin – Elephant Fight
Style Of Eye – Hide
Gabriel Ananda –Mahatma Regatta
Style Of Eye – L.D.R. (Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts Remix)
Deepgroove – Elephant Charge
Ray Barretto – O Elefante (SHH Remix)
(+ a bit of Prompt – Elephant for mixing)