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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Lost (11)

Lost (11)

8 September 2024

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This mix was originally #11 in my 'Year of Music' series. I've used the same photograph for the cover as was originally used, with a slightly different edit, and although it might look like it's had a heavy edit applied, it's a very faint filter that darkens the edges. It's a photo I took from a ferry leaving the Netherlands in 2022.

The new title 'Lost' reflects how I feel about a lot of things, not just at the moment, but in recent years; since I lost my Mum really. Life heavily revolved around her and finding my own path, or new purpose, well it's just not happened. Events since she departed have really added to it and some of these more melancholic mixes I think reflect where I find my mood. Having said that, I do think they always carry moments of light and hopefulness, and although the light feels diminished, there's always hope to be found somewhere, it's just harder to find at times.

Even with what I am doing here, in my own small space on the internet, I just don't know the right thing to do. I'm carrying on with this process, but I'm forever questioning the point, even which platform to be committed to.... none of them are perfect, they all have different plusses and minuses. Mixcloud. Soundcloud. Hearthis. Is it worth doing any of it??

We'll see how it pans out, but if anyone has thoughts or opinions, drop me a line, it might help me find a little clarity of though. For now, I'm posting the Hearthis player and linking in to Soundcloud, you'll find that [HERE]. If you haven't been here before, then you will find a little info on that 'Year of Music' thing I spoke about by clicking [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. Roger Eno & Brian Eno - Cerulean Blue (Deutsche Grammophon)
02. Abstract Aprils - Playing Records On Sunday (Unknown Label)
03. Good Weather For An Airstrike - Two Miles Of Uncertainty (Rural Colours)
04. Julianna Barwick - Safe (Ninja Tune)
05. Alex Bober - Friendly Raindrops (Hidden Vibes)
06. Brambles - In The Androgynous Dark (Nest Version) (Serein)
07. Lauge - Pine Trees Covered In Fog (Echoes In The Valley)
08. MLO - Shadows Of Life & Thought (Music From Memory)
09. WW Audio - Deep Woodland Ambience (Self Released)
10. Mondkopf - The Call (Tigersushi Records)
11. Aisha Burns & Jake Woodruff - The Reservoir (Headphone Commute)
12. Daniel Pemberton & FSOL - Behind The Eyes (Ahead Of Our Time)
13. Sun Electric - Love To Love (Music From Memory)
14. Pawel Pruski - The Sound Of Oars (Krysalisound)

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I See What I See (12)

I See What I See (12)

16 August 2024

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This is one of my personal favourite mixes that I posted for my 'Year of Music' series in 2022, mainly because I think that the flow and atmospherics just came together really well and it felt like I'd really nailed an ambient mix. As these things go, it didn't get much attention, I didn't push it well and it didn't get any reposts by larger accounts. It is what it is, and it doesn't stop me from enjoying it and I still feel pleased with it when I listen to it regardless of the low play counts and interest. I pulled together a mix I felt (dare I say it) proud of.

 

The image is the same photo I used originally, just with a slight edit to take care of the new title. This was originally #12 in my 'Year of Music' series and I named it 'I see what I see' which is a line from the Jeff Bridges spoken word track that I used in the mix, where he speaks about what he does when he has trouble sleeping. This photo was taken during a bike trip through Europe in 2022 and it's a car park next to the train station in the stunningly beautiful town of Grindelwald. The way it was lit, the industrial nature of it, settled the valley of the most stunning landscape, it just seemed like a juxtaposition I needed to make use of somehow.

 

If you want to know more about the 'Year of Music' series that I keep mentioning, then you'll find a short explanation [HERE]. For the moment, you can find a Soundcloud player [HERE] if that's your preferred platform. 

 

Tracklist 

01. Cat Tyson Hughes - Almonta (Past Inside The Present)
02. Rime Trails - Reality's Dark Dream (Not On Label)
03. Madloch & Subnode - Abyssal (Reprise) (Crossfade Sounds)
04. Jeff Bridges - Seeing With My Eyes Closed (Squarespace)
05. Tess Said So - One Eye Open (Preserved Sound)
06. Carbon Based Lifeforms - Somewhere In Russia (Leftfield Records)
07. Julia Kent - Spring Snow (Headphone Commute)
08. Biosphere - Biosphere II (Biophon)
09. James A. McDermid - Sepastia (Mailbox)
10. Thomas Newman - Horse (Late Night Tales)
11. Jonathan Fitoussi & Clemens Hourriere - Vague (Obliques/Traversales Disques)
12. Abul Mogard - Half Light Of Dawn (Ecstatic)
13. IKSRE - Seeds (Headphone Commute)
14. Agnes Obel - Stretch Your Eyes (Ambient Acapella) (Late Night Tales)
15. David Cordero - Isolation (Archives)
16. Hoshiko Yamane & Mikael Lind - Beyond The Hidden (Time Released Sound)

 

 

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Adrift In Isolation (13)

Adrift In Isolation (13)

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Number 13 in my 'Year of Music' series is now 'Adrift In Isolation'. The cover is almost the same, it is the same photo, just with a light edit to accommodate the new title.

 

This was actually the most played mix of mine on Mixcloud, thanks to my friend Matt Foord, who tagged a few influential ambient artists, which in turn led to it being shared by the excellent 'Low Light Mixes'. I'm not great at the tagging, marketing and pushing myself out there, I tend to feel I'm not good enough and not worthy of doing that. In the back of my mind is the fact that it might attract the trolls which I've had to deal with before, and although I like to think I can let it all blow over me, it definitely planted seeds of doubt and led to me doing less mixes and posts. 

 

Anyway, as you might have gathered, this mix and the next few I post are various shades of ambient. My original intention on the 'Year of Music' series was that there would be a flow or connection from mix to mix and month to month. By this stage that thought had evaporated into thin air... it was pretty challenging doing weekly mixes for a year and trying to keep it interesting and try and drum up interest. On that point, you can find out more about the 'Year of Music' series [HERE]. Also, if you prefer a Soundcloud stream, then you can find that [HERE] for the moment.

 

 

Tracklist 

01. Christopher Franke - Electric Becomes Eclectic (Virgin)
02. Danny Scott Lane - One (Shimmering Mood)
03. Andy J Dobbs - Birds & Waves (Self Released)
04. Yui Onodera & Vadim Bondarenko - Cloudscape 1 (Serein)
05. Willits & Sakamoto - Completion (Ghostly International)
06. Rime Trails - Soothe By Silence What Words Cannot Heal (Not On Label)
07. Turtle - Heathland Haze (Warm)
08. Malibu - Held (PAN)
09. Soundstory - Rainstorm (Self Released)
10. Ashan - Blue Pulse (Inner Islands)
11. Toshi Tsuchitori - Ishiura (Abridged) (Light In The Attic)
12. Nest - Tides (Serein)
13. part-timer - A Guest (Self Released)
14. Mikael Lind - Piano Says Goodbye (Whitelabrecs.)
15. Robert Cole Rizzi - Garden Dawnchorus (Luftrum)

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The Battle of the Sexes - Parts 1 - 4

The Battle of the Sexes - Parts 1 - 4

7 August 2024

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Originally #14 through to #17 in my 'Year of Music' series, now Parts 1-4 of 'The Battle of the Sexes'. It had long been in my thoughts to do a few mixes which were for the most part based around being by or about men and women and to give it the tongue-in-cheek title that I've gone with.

Given the way that gender / sex has been turned into a toxic political football in recent years, aided and inflamed by the likes of Musk and an army of internet trolls, I was a bit unsure about going with it, but I'm casting my concerns to the side, it's music, it's edits, it's either by or about women or men, and it's about music that'll make you want to dance.

 

As always, I try to link up my tracklists as best I can so that you can support and follow the artists / editors / labels etc. The nature of lots of these edits mean that a lot have long since disappeared from the internet, but I will provide links as best I can and I'll ad a Discogs link for the original artist (on the track numbers) so that you can explore and dig around their discographies. Oh, and one more point, these are all unplanned, one take recorded mixes, there may be a glitch or two, the recording software occasionally got bogged down with my aging computer, but I don't think there's much to seriously disrupt the listening experience for the handful of people that will lend their ears.

If you want to know a little more about the 'Year of Music' series, there's a very short write up over [HERE]. If you prefer to listen to your streams via Soundcloud, then for the moment, you can find them here - [PART 1]  //  [PART 2]  //  [PART 3]  //  [PART 4]

 

Right, onto the music... 

 

Tracklist 

01.  Sade - Love Is Stronger Than Pride (Vin Sol & Matrixxman Remix) (Stamp)
02.  Cole Medina - Cosmic Annie (Anthony Mansfield Edit) (Whiskey Disco)
03.  Yse Saint Laur'ant - Psychedelic Woman (Whiskey Disco)
04.  Marti Caine - Love The Way You Love Me (DJ Steef Edit)
05.  Martine Girault - Revival (Northern Rascal Rewind)
06.  Nina Simone - Nobody's Fault But Mine (Rocknrolla Soundsystem Edit)
07.  Esther Phillips - And I Love Him (Matthew Kyle Acid Jazz Mix)
08.  Marlena Shaw - Women Of The Ghetto (The Owl Edit)
09.  Diana Ross - Brown Baby (DJ Reverend P Edit) (G.A.M.M)
10.  Donna Summer - Love To Love You (Late Nite Tuff Guy Edit) (Tuff Cut)
11.  B.G. Baarregaard - Tokyo Nights (Whiskey Disco)
12.  Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long (Unknown Edit)
13.  Plush - We Got The Love (JM Rework)
14.  Unknown Artist - Man's Best Friend (Love Fever Records)

 

 

 

   

Tracklist 

01.  Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle (V Slips Into The Future Edit) (Vehicle)
02.  Steely Dan - The Fez (Laura Ingalls WTF Is A Fez Edit)
03.  Rodriguez - Sugarman (Rocknrolla Soundsystem Edit)
04.  Old Nick - Mad Summer
05.  Jamiroquai - Too Young To Die (LNTG Capricorn Edit)
06.  Marvin Gaye - Make Me Wanna Holler (Magic Hat Edit)
07.  Al Green - Simply Beautiful (DJ Steef Edit) (Superbreak)
08.  Donny Hathaway - Valdez In The Country (Jkriv Deekays Edit) (Razor n Tape)
09.  Average White Band ft Ben E. King - A Star In The Ghetto (Disco Tech Edit)
10.  BB King - The Thrill Is Gone (The Reflex Stems Revision)
11.  Leon Huff - Tight Money (Disco Tech Edit) (Editorial)
12.  Duff Disco - Gimmee Some Bucks (Duff Disco)
13.  James Brown - Papa Don't Take No Mess (Pied Piper Instrumental Regroove)
14.  The Impressions - We're A Winner (Jski's Movin' On Up Edit)

 

 

 

 

Tracklist 

01.  Petula Clark - I'm Not In Love (Luxxury Edit)
02.  Chaka Khan - Some Love (Scrimshire Edit)
03.  Aretha Franklin - Rocksteady (The Owl Edit)
04.  Thelma Jones - How Long? (DJ Prime Boogiefied Edit)
05.  Esther Phillips - Home Is Where The Hatred Is (V's Junkies Twilight Edit) (Vehicle)
06.  Paula Cole - Feelin' Love (Psychemagik Edit) (Psychemagik)
07.  Chantal Curtis - Get Another Love (Phunktastike Edit)
08.  Sade - Hang On To Your Love (AC Re-edit)
09.  Alison Limerick - Come Back (Real Love) (The Reflex Dub Edit)
10.  Donna Allen - Serious (Fingerman's 80's Beatdown Edit)
11.  Mona Raye - Do Me (Munga Done Did It Edit)
12.  Sharon Redd - Can U (Late Nite Tuff Guy Rework)
13.  France Joli - Gonna Get Over (Pontchartrain Get Over You Edit) (Whiskey Disco)
14.  Diana Ross - Love Hangover (Armstrong Edit) (Armstrong)

 

Tracklist 

01.  Ed Wizard & Disco Double Dee - Rollin' On (& On) (Editorial)
02.  James Brown - Rapp Payback (Unknown Edit)
03.  It's A Small World Disco - Heartbeat
04.  Al Green - That's The Way It Is (Dave Allison Edit)
05.  George Benson - The Ghetto (Rocknrolla Soundsystem Edit) (Alpaca Edits)
06.  Donald Byrd - Love Has Come Around (Deep & Disco Version)
07.  Sweet Pea Atkinson - Girls Fall For Me (The Reflex Dub Edit)
08.  Charles Earland - Live & Let Live (Otherlover Edit) (Disco Deviance)
09.  Columbus Circle - If You Read My Mind (The Reflex Edit)
10.  Chaz Jankel - Glad To Know You (Todd Terje Edit) (Tirk)
11.  Barry White - I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More (Man Power Edit) (Stamp)
12.  Prince - Wanna Be Your Lover (Tim Zawada Edit) (Tugboat Edits)
13.  War - Youngblood (Cosmic Boogie's You Don't Know Me Edit) (Cosmic Boogie)
14.  Who's Who - Hypnodance (Love Creation Edit) (Love Creation)
 

 

 

 

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Colours (18)

Colours (18)

4 August 2024

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This mix was #18 in my 'Year of Music' series and it barely had any plays, which is a shame because there's some great tracks in the mix. I say barely, it was literally single digits on Soundcloud though marginally better when it was on Mixcloud, but it is what it is.

I've given this a new title of 'colours'. The first reason for that being that in the original Radiohead track, remixed on here on track 1, there is a line 'there are two colours in my head'. Secondly, given the current state of division that's going on as I type, it seemed particularly apt to design a cover that tapped into the fact that division by skin tone is unfortunately very much still around and it's distressing to see when the world is in such a mess on such a huge scale. When people are fighting over their skin tone and religion, then it doesn't bode well for the state of our species and the planet more generally. Anyway....

If you want to know more about the 'Year of Music', you can read a short post on that [HERE], if you prefer to use Soundcloud, then you can find that over [HERE].

 

Tracklist 

01. Radiohead - Everything In Its Right Place (Hubert Kirchner Remix) (Self Released)
02. Adriatique ft. Delhia De France - Home (Mind Against Remix) (Siamese)
03. Andrea Olivia - Rio (All I Need)
04. Yotto - Moving On (Extended) (Odd One Out)
05. Rüfüs Du Sol - On My Knees (Cassian Remix) (Rose Avenue / Reprise)
06. Ben Böhmer - Fade To Blue (Matador Extended Mix) (Anjunadeep)
07. Monkey Safari - Safe (Joris Voorn Remix) (Spectrum)
08. DJ Pone - Heart Swing (Ponar)
09. Konstantin Sibold - Madeleine (Innervisions)
10. Acid Pauli - Nana (Pampa Records)
11. Tal Fussman - It Was Misunderstood (Innervisions)

 

 

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