Not The End (01)

Not The End (01)

28 October 2024

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Number one in my 'Year of Music' series. This was my 52nd mix / selection of 2022 having posted one each week for the full year. It felt appropriate that I post an eclectic selection for what should have been the final post of the series. So, with that in mind, here is three hours of music from my record and cd shelves and from my digital library. Not much emphasis on mixing, but I did try and give it some sense of flow, though you can be the judge of that. It's kind of what I have always aimed for with my mixes and selections.

As for the title, well it's changed from '01' to 'Not The End'. The cover image is pretty much the same as I originally used. This new title alludes to the fact that I did actually post one more mix to round the series off and I'll get that up on the blog soon. Whether or not that one is 'the end' or not, I can't say for sure. It's been 22 months since I even plugged my equipment in. Life has been turbulent and really hard going this last few years and the pleasure I got from things I always loved and enjoyed has been missing. Maybe that's a sign to try again but the motivation has not been there. Aside from that, the things I post don't get much attention any more, the communities I was a part of for some years have disappeared and that was also a part of the enjoyment for me - sharing music with people and listening to music they shared too. So, for now I'll leave it at 'Not The End';

If you didn't catch previous posts and want to know what my 'Year of Music' was about, then I've posted a short explanation [HERE]. If you prefer to use Soundcloud's interface, then you can find this selection over [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. Weyes Blood - It's Not Just Me, It's Everybody (Sub Pop Records)
02. Air - Les Professionnels (Source)
03. DJ Shadow - What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1 - Blue Sky Revisit) (Mo Wax)
04. DJ Cam Quartet - Herbie (Attytude Records)
05. Matthew Halsall - I've Been Here Before (Gondwana Records)
06. Kahil El'Zabar - We'll Get Through This (Spiritmuse Records)
07. Nina Simone - Backlash Blues (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival) (BMG)
08. Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five (CBS)
09. Guru ft. Roy Ayers - Take A Look At Yourself (Chrysalis)
10. Fela Kuti - He Miss Road (Wrasse Records)
11. Hugh Masekela - Don't Go Lose It Baby (12" Version) (Jive)
12. Kuniyuki Takahashi - Afric Univers (Mule Musiq)
13. Martin Patino - Hommage A La Sodomie (Suara Records)
14. Joep Mencke - Sabda (Klassified)
15. Vincent Gericke - Mebuki (Amselcom)
16. Lamb - Cotton Wool (Fila Brazillia Remix) (Kudos)
17. St Germain - Montego Bay Spleen (Blue Note)
18. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Waiting In Vain (Island)
19. Andy J Dobbs - Long Waves
20. Everything But The Girl - Walking Wounded (Dave Wallace Remix) (Virgin)
21. Underworld - Skym (JBO)
22. Svaneborg Kardyb - Everything Possible (Gondwana Records)
23. Ane Brun - I Want To Know What Love Is (Balloon Ranger Recordings)
24. Vieux Farka Touré et Khruangbin - Savanne (Dead Oceans)
25. Tyler Newman - La Ramble @ Midnight (Solid.Grey.Sky.Recordings)
26. Arthur Russell - This Is How We Walk On The Moon (Point Music)
27. José González - Crosses (Imperial Recordings)
28. Nick Cave - Cosmic Dancer (BMG)
29. Medicine Head - Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues (See For Miles Records)
30. The Doors - The End (Elektra)

 

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Moving Towards The Light (02)

Moving Towards The Light (02)

23 October 2024

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Originally number 2 in my 'Year of Music' series, this is now called 'Moving Towards The Light'. It's also the final part of a 4 part mix, the previous parts being A Darker Path (Pt 1), Destination Unknown (Pt 2) and A Cerebral Journey (Pt 3). This was a journey through ambient, abstract, spoken word, neo classical and electronica, with some field recordings in the mixes too.

If you want to know what my 'Year of Music' was all about, there's a short post [HERE]. If your prefer to use Soundcloud, then you can find this mix [HERE].

 

Tracklist

01. Good Weather For An Airstrike - Frozen In Thought (Hibernate)
02. Blurstem - Far Too Long, Far Too Lost (Anthem Falls Music)
03. Myosotis - Small Existence (Hidden Vibes)
04. So, I'm An Islander - O Di Haij Ret (... And They Were Right) (Hidden Vibes)
05. Thomas Méreur - A Steady And Sad Process (Preserved Sound)
06. Dag Rosenqvist - To Not Forget (Hidden Vibes)
07. Kieldfel - And The Tide That Takes Us Away (Echoes In The Valley)
08. Hania Rani - Ghosts (Gondwana Records)
09. Olga Wojciechowska - Walk In My Shadow (Time Released Sound)
10. Matthieu Karsenti - Resilience (Slowcraft Records)
11. Trigg & Gusset - Ominous Clouds (Preserved Sound)
12. Andrew Wasylyk - The Life Of Time (Claypipe Music)
13. Kenneth James Gibson - Unblinded (Kompakt)
14. Visionary Hours - No One To Be Seen (Preserved Sound)
15. The Echelon Effect - Nobility In Loneliness (Good Weather For An Airstrike Remix) (Self Released)

 

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A Cerebral Journey (03)

A Cerebral Journey (03)

22 October 2024

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This mix was number 3 in my 'Year of Music' series from 2022. It's also the 3rd part of a four part mix, the previous two being in the two most recent posts I shared - Destination Unknown (Part 2) and A Darker Path (Part1).  These are mixes that take in ambient, abstract sounds, some spoken word and are intended to be a bit of a journey, should you be so inclined as to take it. I'm aware it's not to everyone's taste, but I really love it, not knowing what is coming next, what changes are coming, whether they'll be subtle or noticeable and dramatic and where they take you. You don't need any additional substances to enjoy things that are different, it's all there in your brain already, hence, A Cerebral Journey.

If you don't know what the 'Year of Music' thing I mentioned is about, there's a short post about that [HERE]. If you prefer the Soundcloud interface, then you can find this mix [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. Wil Bolton - Yellow Morning (Home Normal)
02. Tukico - To Be A Respective Thing (Hush Hush Records)
03. Jo Johnson - Forward! The Day Is Breaking! (Self Released)
04. Bun - Fatblwhut 48 (Tigersushi Records)
05. Biosphere - Ballerina (Biophon)
06. Leigh Toro - Start To Finish (eilean rec.)
07. Arovane & Hior Chronik - Stars Collide (A Strangely Isolated Place)
08. IKSRE - You Will Find (Past Inside The Present)
09. Michael Stearns - As The Earth Kissed The Moon (Emotional Rescue)
10. Mareena & JakoJako - Sinnessprung (Muzan Editions)
11. Matthias Puech - Tschäggättä (Hands In The Dark)
12. 36 & zaké - Distance Space Travel (Part 6) (Past Inside The Present)
13. Max Würden - Wirkungsgrad (A Strangely Isolated Place)
14. Logic Moon - I See Planets (Whitelabrecs)

 

 

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Destination Unknown (04)

Destination Unknown (04)

21 October 2024

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Originally this was number 4 in my 'Year of Music' series back in 2022 and it's a continuation from the previous mix / post - 'A Darker Path', so if you're here before hearing that or reading the post, go there first.

Things continue to be hectic and dare I say turbulent. Dealing with house sales, moves, packing etc is stressful enough without health things being thrown in to the mix, and when I opted for this title I wasn't sure where I was going to be moving to with a limited window to figure that out. Thankfully things seem to be coming together but I don't want to be doing this again for a very long time, if at all. Anyway, it is what it is and I'm so very close to getting this blog back in order, I really want to tie it up as soon as I can... only a few more posts to go and I'll be on top of it!

 

If you don't know what the 'Year of Music' I mentioned was about, there is a short post [HERE] explaining it. If you prefer to use Soundcloud, then you can find this mix on there by visiting [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. Brian Case - DCIN (Hands In The Dark)
02. Karima Walker - For Heddi (Keeled Scales / Ordinal Records)
03. More Eaze - Better (Past Inside The Present)
04. Stellardome - I Don't Belong Here (Hidden Vibes)
05. David Cordero - El elogio de la sombra (DRONARIVM)
06. Cold Womb Descent - Colony Of The Remnants (Hidden Vibes)
07. Steve Moore - You're Making A Big Mistake (Relapse Records)
08. Reinis Ramans - Luminosity (Growing Bin Records)
09. Matthias Puech - Badalisic (Hands In The Dark)
10. Takashi Kokubo - Fluctuation #2 (Glossy Mistakes)
11. Lucy Liyou - How To Build An Automaton (Full Spectrum Records)
12. Porya Hatami - Restless (Tomotsugu Nakamura Remix) (DRONARIVM)
13. Max Würden - Exothermic Reaction (A Strangely Isolated Place)
14. Slow Meadow - A Light Without Flame (Self Released)
15. Sachi Kobayashi - Communication (Hush Hush)
16. Jonathan Fitoussi & Clemens Hourriere - Instants Ephemeres (Versatile Records)

 

 

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a darker path (05)

a darker path (05)

8 October 2024

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Number 5 in my 'Year of Music' series was the first of four mixes that were intended to form one longer mix, but I never got around to posting it in full. They are in the realms of ambient and electronica for the most part and I really like the flow of them myself. Not to everyone's tastes and most won't give this kind of thing the time of day which is a shame, because for me, this kind of music and style of mixes take you on a journey, or at least that's the aim I have had. Whether I achieve that or not is up to the individual listener, but for me, I like it.

To let people know what that 'Year of Music' thing was all about, I've created a short post about it [HERE]. If you prefer to use Soundlcoud, then you can find this mix over [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. A Winged Victory For The Sullen - X (Erased Tapes)
02. Bartosz Kruczyński & Poly Chain - Solacious (Into The Light)
03. Biosphere - Daphnis 26 (Biophon)
04. Myosotis - A Moment Illuminating Eternity (Hidden Vibes)
05. Jonathan Fitoussi & Clemens Hourriere - Aquedec (Obliques / Traversales Disques)
06. Carbon Based Lifeforms - Vakna (A Strangely Isolated Place)
07. Hoshiko Yamane & Mikael Lind - Reprocessed Phrases (Time Released Sound & Time Sensitive Materials)
08. Banabila & Machinefabriek - Sasquatch (eilean rec.)
09. Black Swan - Evolving Robots (Past Inside The Present)
10. Karamika - Ton 1 (ESP Institute)
11. Quiet Places - Track 6 (A Strangely Isolated Place)
12. Katya Yonder - Spinning Olimpia (Métron Records)
13. Wanderwelle - Presumed Lost (A Strangely Isolated Place)
14. Vhr-17 - Nuke (Eilean rec.)

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Organic (06)

Organic (06)

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Things have been hard going of late, mainly health things but also house things and needing to find somewhere to move to and not much time to do it. It is what it is, but with these things in mind, I'm going to try and get the last few mixes posted so that everything is back on the blog before I have to pack up.

This mix was #06 in my 'Year of Music' series and it's had a new cover to go with the new title. It's a mix of what Beatport apparently calls 'organic house'. I am so lost with all these new sub-genres, I'll go with what Beatport says, but to me, it's house / deep house. You go with whatever you feel. I should say, there's a slight glitch or two in the mix, just down to my computer having a moment during recording but I didn't think it was bad enough to warrant the recycle bin at the time, or maybe I was just running out of steam having already done 46 mixes during the year.

If you want to know what this 'Year of Music' I speak of was about, then there's a short explanation over [HERE]. If you prefer to use Soundcloud, then you can find this mix over [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. Tim Green - Lune (All Day I Dream)
02. Amonita - Stay (Peace Symphonies)
03. Wassu & djimboh - Green Eye Cat (The Sound Garden)
04. Nomi Ruiz - Be Your Girl (Arabic Piano & Dr Feel Remix) (KID Recordings)
05. Sebjak & Fehlberg - Somebody (Abracadabra Music)
06. The Cobb - Vesna (-102 °c)
07. Mauro Masi & Julian Liander - Djambore (AMITABHA)
08. Alley SA - Sleeping Under The Stars (Bekool Records)
09. George X - Ourania (Amulanga)
10. Erdi Irmak - I Can Find ft Amego (Maty Owl Extended Remix) (When We Dip XYZ)
11. loan - Carosel (Nite Grooves)
12. Perry Farrell & The Kind Heaven Orchestra - Mend (Tim Green Remix) (Heaven After Dark)

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- Tributes - Gondwana Records (07)

- Tributes - Gondwana Records (07)

28 September 2024

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#07 in my 'Year of Music' series was something that I'd long considered doing, and I already dipped into it with #36. I have a lot of favourite artists and labels, I can never narrow down my favourites to tracks or albums, it's too narrow a selection. Labels and artists gives me something more to work with and talk about if the question ever comes up, and I often thought about doing mixes / selections based entirely around an artist or label but I was just never sure how best to approach it. So, during this series that I put together in 2022, I opted to dip my toes in the water.

Whether you want to call this a mix or a selection is up to you. I go with selection, there's not much in the way of traditional mixing, there's plenty of that on my pages though if that's your thing. I've opted to go with  ' - Tributes  -  ' as a title because I may choose to use that for other labels or artists in the future, we'll see, but Gondwana is one of, if not the favourite label of mine at the moment, and it has been for a few years now.

The name Gondwana stems from a mountainous and hilly region in India and it was also the name given to a massive landmass (or super-continent) around 500,000,000 years ago. The label was set up in Manchester in 2008 by one of my favourite artists, Matthew Halsall. I could extol the qualities of this label and many of the artists that feature on it but that's kind of what the mix / selection is about. I've pulled together a small sample of some of their  wonderful music but really it could have been hours longer with more artists, but trying to keep these selections around an hour or so, it's just a sampling of what is on offer. I would encourage you to dig deeper yourself, visit Bandcamp and Spotify (Matthew Halsall has an excellent spiritual jazz playlist he curates himself), start with Matthew Halsall's work and also look out for Hania Rani (and check this video and this one). Anyway, I hope this gives a nice taste and perhaps pulls one or two listeners to the label. As always, I will link to where you can buy the music featured below the player and will add some additional links for the label too.


This weeks cover picture is an edited photo I took in Grindelwald, Switzerland which is nestled in the heart of the alps and surrounded by the mountains of Faulhorn, Schwarzhorn, Wellhorn, Wetterhorn, Mettenberg, Schreckhorn, Lauteraarhorn, Agassizhorn, Fiescherhorn, Mönch, Eiger, Lauberhorn and Männlichen. Nearby Lauterbrunnen is said to have been inspiration for Tolkein's Rivendell in The Hobbit / Lord Of The Rings.  

If you want to know what that 'Year of Music' series I mentioned earlier is about, then there's a short description about that [HERE]. If you prefer to use a Soundcloud player, then you can find this mix over [HERE].

 

Links to Gondwana - Website // Bandcamp  //  Spotify  //  Instagram  //  Facebook  //  Youtube  //  Twitter  (F.U Musk) 

 

Tracklist

01. Forgiveness - Ocean Floor
02. Dwight Trible ft. Matthew Halsall - Black Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair
03. Matthew Halsall - Reflections
04. Phi-Psonics - Like Glass
05. Vega Trails - Train To Kyoto
06. Caoilfhionn Rose - Truly
07. Hania Rani - Come Back Home
08. GoGo Penguin - One Percent
09. Portico Quartet - With, Beside, Against
10. Matthew Halsall - The Temple Within
11. Paradise Cinema - Possible Futures
12. Jasmine Myra - Words Left Unspoken
13. Chip Wickham - Sais (Egypt)

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Blurred Lines (08)

Blurred Lines (08)

16 September 2024

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Number 8 in the 'Year of Music' series, I've given this a fresh cover to go with the new title of 'Blurred Lines'.

The thinking behind the new title (and cover) is linked into the music. I've mentioned quite often that I find it hard to pigeon hole music. There's a seemingly endless growth in genres and sub-genres, and even music that I considered to be from a certain genre at one point, is now recategorised into a different genre some time down the line. To me, the lines between genres are so blurred and I'm pretty lost by much of it. This mix leans into a few different genres, there's obviously jazz elements, but there's strong electronic aspects too, from ambient to breakbeat. Or, there is to my ears. 

If you want to know what the 'Year of Music' thing I mentioned is about, then there's a short post about that [HERE]. If you prefer to use Soundcloud, the mix is posted [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. Kryshe - Queen's Court (Serein)
02. GokU - Moop (Sola Terra)
03. The Stratus Ensemble - My Broken Key (Pt 2) (Touched Music)
04. Colorlist - Two Times (Serein)
05. 23 Skidoo - AYU (Virgin)
06. Seahawks - Didn't Know I Was Lost (Land Of Shadows Dancing Mix) (Ocean Moon)
07. Chip Wickham - La Sombra (Lovemonk)
08. WW Audio - Cathedral Cafe Ambience (Self Released)
09. Azimuth - The Tunnel (Late Night Tales)
10. Leifur James - Red Sea (Night Time Stories)
11. Emma-Jean Thackray - Rain Dance / Wisdom (Movementt)
12. Soundstory - Rainstorm (Self Released)
13. Jasmine Myra - Horizons (Gondwana)
14. Sparkle Division - Oh Henry! (Temporary Residence Limited)

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Otherworldly (09)

Otherworldly (09)

12 September 2024

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Number 09 in the 'Year of Music' series is now 'Otherworldly'. The cover photo I have used is the same photo that I used originally, just with a different edit applied. The photo is one I took in Tenerife while going up the volcano Mount Teide. To me, the image is very 'Otherworldly', and when you are there in person it feels that way too, at least for me, coming from a country with lots of rolling green hills and heather covered mountains.

This is a mix that skirts around the edges of ambient and electronica, or that's the pigeon hole I would use, you might say different, I still get lost with all the different labels that are constantly changing and being added to when it comes to genres.

If you want to know what that 'Year of Music' thing I mentioned is about, then there's a short description [HERE]. If Soundcloud is your thing, then you can find this mix over [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. Brian Eno - A Clearing (Editions EG) (We Are On The Fucking Moon Version) (via The Onion)
02. Ben Woods - Space & Time (Not On Label)
03. Okada + duenn - Hana To Midori To Hikari (UP-04) (Newhere Music)
04. Michael Stearns - In The Beginning... (Emotional Rescue)
05. Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres - Relent (Headphone Commute)
06. Lord Of The Isles - Zub (Emotional Response)
07. Cicely Irvine - Organ & Buchla Duet (eilean recs)
08. Seabuckthorn - The Observatory (eilean recs)
09. Karamika - Ton 2 (ESP Institute)
10. Billow Observatory - In A Stream (Felte)
11. Jo Johnson - Ancestral Footsteps (Further Records)
12. High Skies - Au Debut Du Voyage (Microscopics)
13. Anzano - Movements II (Throne Of Blood)
14. duenn - Hal (Past Inside The Present)
15. Joel Mull - Alden Plateau (Parabel)
16. Jonathan Fitoussi - Andromede (Further Records)
17. Carbon Based Lifeforms - Metrosat 4 (Leffield Records)
18. Findthings - Curio (Self Released)
19. A Positive Life - The Calling (Loved 'Ub Mix) (Music From Memory)

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The Beauty In The Broken (10)

The Beauty In The Broken (10)

10 September 2024

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Number 10 in my 'Year of Music' series is now ' The Beauty In The Broken', and it has a fresh cover to tie into that title.

The cover is a combination of Ai and my own tinkering about with graphic design apps and it is a representation of Kintsugi. It's a process that uses gold, silver or platinum to repair objects, like pottery, in a way that shows and even celebrates the repairs as a part of the objects history. I always knew of it as a Japanese tradition, but when I've read up on it I learn that it is a feature throughout Asia in one form or another.

I liked the metaphor of applying the philosophy of this approach to us, whether it be a broken heart, mind or body. Is metaphor the right term, I don't know, but I'm sure you'll know what I mean. Perhaps it'd be better if we didn't always try and hide the things that scar us, but accept they are a part of us. That's the thinking behind this title and cover, I think it fits in well with the music.

There's a short description on the 'Year of Music' thing over [HERE] and you should find a Soundcloud player for this mix over [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. Andy Rowe - Vienna, Aug 2015 (Self Released)
02. Karen Vogt - I Know It Is Hard (Past Inside The Present)
03. Creation VI & Endless Melancholy - Winter Without Snow (Hidden Vibes)
04. Field Recording - Thunderstorm (Unknown)
05. Ben McElroy - Wolves Dance (Slow Music Movement)
06. Harry Towell & Guy Gelem - Sefad (Polar Seas Recodings)
07. Stefano Guzzetti - Aurora (Home Normal)
08. Olivia Belli - From Your Garden (Headphone Commute)
09. Rachel Grimes - Patsy (Instrumental) (Headphone Commute)
10. Ôlafur Arnalds ft Arnôr Dan - Say My Name (Late Night Tales)
11. Penguin Cafe - Coriolis (Erased Tapes)
12. Gläsbird - Greenhousing (Whitelabrecs)
13. Caught In The Wake Of Forever - Carousels (Archives)
14. Luke Howard Trio - Shame/Shame (Reprise) (Hobbledehoy)
15. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Aqua (from Playing Piano For The Isolated) (Ahead Of Our Time)
16. WW Audio - Hammersmith Morning Ambience (Self Released)

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