Chemical Dust

Before there were The Chemical Brothers there were The Dust Brothers from Manchester, not to be confused with The Dust Brothers from LA, perhaps most famous for reinventing the Beastie Boys and, arguably, hip-hop/rap production with it.

Before their name change they had a series of EPs already floating around as the 'big beat' sound, like many other electronic based genres during that time, was on its way to mass popularity. With fame and a US tour came a conflict with the LA based crew of the same name and The Chemical Brothers were born.

Have a listen and you'll instantly recognize the roots of EPD.

Song To The Siren (1992)

Fourteenth Century Sky (1994)

Mercury Mouth (1994)

Brain Food Remixed

Teaser for one of my favorite albums of the past few years. With a celebratory DJ Kicks drop this year, this is an artist who is getting his due.

Info

Info

T ch rs S ndtr ck

The movie itself tried a bit too hard but the soundtrack is one of the better s  ndtr cks from the 80s. 

A couple of filler tracks but worth it if only for the only song that I know of that beats "Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2" in its cynical bite toward education.

Hard to find. This post has been removed (twice now) by the powers that be for © violation, even after the links were completely removed from the post.

Long out of print on disc (though I do have an original vinyl copy, still sealed) this is still not available via re-issue or digitally.

Brosound - Sundog Peacehouse (2009)

This one makes no sense and completely caught me off guard. The group name and the artwork led me to believe this should be some psychedelic inspired romp into pseudo mystical weirdness. The album title reminded me of some frat boy thing and so I sat on this for quite some time.

Turns out this is a blissed out ambient/drone wash that feels as if it will stray into post-rock territory but never crosses the line.

A recommended surprise.

LINK

Brock Van Wey - A Chance To Start Over (2009)

Having picked up the new Fiio, the album from which the lead track on this promo came from just had to be played lossless. It reinforced the fact that this little gadget was one of the best investments I've made of late and the switch to Foobar sealed the deal. Spent the last week working through my files and all the duplicates, junk files, low bit rates files and other crap that found its way onto my hard drive.

Oh, my. I swear it was like hearing the album for the first time.

Having discovered Deepchord/Echospace via The Coldest Season circa 2007 with a rekindled passion for music, I snapped up The Seduction Of Silence and this one immediately before they sold out rather quickly and escalated in price. For those who don't know the music of Brock van Wey (aka bvdub) and Intrusion (aka Stephen Hitchell et al), this is the gateway.

What we have here is a promo CDr for the full album release that will give you an idea of Brock's signature sound with the addition of a non-album track remixed by Intrusion that didn't see the light of day until the 4xLP reissue last year.

Essential, required listening.

Info

OHWL#Ten

The once promising Other Heights label, known mostly for its offering of dub techno releases, suddenly veered off course with nary a  sound. You can track its decline here.

It appeared briefly, straying into more techno territory, with a smattering of vinyl releases before disappearing altogether circa 2014. Their BC page went dark circa Dec 2012.

I

Info

II

Info

III

Info

Alternative Selection Volume 1 and 2

Still going through the archives. They are a mess but this has been cathartic and has led to some fun discoveries. These go back to 2009 when I first started dabbling in this blog thing and I'm glad I still have them. Can't recall what blog these were originally found on though the link for the info ("inspired by the Artificial Intelligence series") on Volume 2 may be the source.

Not too sure about Volume 1, will try and get a track list up at some point. High recommendation with or without a track list.

Link

Link

Info

Dreamstates and Soundscapes

Always put together with great care, this is another series from BoxSetGo that I unearthed as the file cleanup continues. This is a series of 'Post Rock' compulations that may just be one of the best primers on the genre available from back when blogging was much more adventurous. 

An earlier comp from the blog was posted here. Unfortunately, it seems the blog has vanished.

The cover here is the only residue I could find but the artwork is embedded in each of the volumes.

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3

Volume 4

Fii0 X3

It has arrived and it is a thing of beauty, exactly what I was looking for to liberate me from the cult of Apple.

As I learn more I'll try and update this post with a review or details but I can tell you already that it's a beast. A little Emmylou Harris to break in the lossless capability. 

If anyone has questions in the meantime let me know.

More music to follow as I retag and improve the bit rates of files on my HD.

'Tis a good day.

Foobar Fiio

This is what I've been up to so I've been quite consumed and I'm torn as to whether or not it's good for my OCD tendencies.

It took a while but I finally made good on my promise to ditch iTunes. Also ditched the iPod. Slowly gravitating away from the iPad, though it's so light and portable in comparison to the Surface option but that Apple proprietary thing just grates on my nerves. Have an iPhone but it's company paid.

So I'm in the process of 'fixing' all of my files. I'm amazed at the age of some of the files and I've found just how far along my understanding of tagging and bit rate has come. Many, many of my olders files are low bit rate CBRs or v2 rips. I knew next to nothing about them and back then had no clue about CUE files and the like.

For the geekophiles out there, this is an awesome program. It's not open source but it is customizable to a degree the the iTunes behemoth is not and the file management ability is far superior than the forced hand of iTunes. I'm discovering so much old music that has been lying in the digital dust bin I'm hoping to get some of them up here.

It takes a little getting used to since it's personal choice as to how we set it up but once you get it, it is quite liberating. It took me an hour or so to set it up and get a grasp of the flow but that was it. The hard part is going to be cleaning up the files. Foobar does make it easy but I envision hours upon hours getting it right.

If you want an excellent tutorial on how to set it up, check it out:

The Fiio X3 comes tomorrrow so I'll provide some input into that for those who are curious.

In the meantime...

смерть в летнюю полночь (death in the summer midnight)

Russian artist Roman Zorin (aka lost-radio and illwitch) also makes music under the moniker смерть в летнюю полночь (aka death in the summer midnight). This is not only a great introduction to his work but it is a great introduction to three Bandcamp links across whose pages two of his releases can be found.

I have lately begun to gravitate not so much out of the world of 'techno' but toward more experimental sounds from ambient to drone to dark to industrial trying to dust off some cobwebs and get some distance to appreciate my roots more deeply to see what remains.

I stumbled across his sounds through the Sense/Net netlabel but after some digging an entire new universe opened up. I highly recommend navigating all three of these netlabels to see what you unearth and show support where you can. 

spontaneous modulations (2015)

Sense/Net 

OR

dism1414

death in the summer midnight (2014)

GV Sound (346 releases listed on discogs)

OR

dism1414

Deep Earth, Brian Grainger - Subscription (Malfokusita)

For those who haven't yet discovered him, Brian Grainger (aka Milieu Music, Coppice Halifax) is one of the most prolific and forward thinking musicians working today and he continues to explore more deeply the sounds that can be made with machines.

He has just offered up a monthly subscription service with one annual payment which enables you to experience whatever it is that he uncovers.

Giriu Dvasios tried this, with mild success. Cut Records still offers a similar service, though have adapted their terms lately. I also subscribe to the Dub Techno Blog helping them to keep the weekly Dub Techno Blog Live show rolling.

From the subscription page:

DEEP EARTH is a new monthly series by COPPICE HALIFAX, serving as a record of my explorations with live electronic music produced on retrograde hardware and special analog equipment. No computers, no boundaries - freedom with and without. For the very first time, I'm offering the option of a subscription service for the entirety of DEEP EARTH, however long and tangential it may become. 

Subscribers will receive: 

1. Digital downloads of every DEEP EARTH release from May 2014-May 2015. No matter when you subscribe, the entire catalog up to the present moment will be available to you. 

2. A 15% discount on all physical items from the DEEP EARTH catalog. Unlike prior series at Milieu Music, DEEP EARTH will not necessarily be confined to a single format. Standard 5" CD-R, 3" CD-R, "business card" CD-R and cassette are all possible terrain for DEEP EARTH music to exist on. Like a scouting report from an expedition of explorers, the DEEP EARTH releases may vary in length from month to month on their physical counterparts, although the digital releases will all remain uniform in length (plus or minus 20 minutes). 

3. Immediate download of a selection of COPPICE HALIFAX releases that serve as a precursor to the DEEP EARTH concept and sound palette. (1983 / Bedroom Carpet / Cedar Mast Reduced / Inland By Night) 

4. Exclusive access to downloadable outtakes from the recording sessions, as well as bonus remixes/versions made by myself or by other like-minded musicians (surprises are always fun!). 

5. A special CD-R release called ANTAŬPAROLO, which canonically appears prior to the DEEP EARTH catalog and sets the atmosphere for what is to follow. ANTAŬPAROLO will not be available outside of the subscription for it's duration, digitally or otherwise, and your CD-R will be mailed to you within 2 weeks of joining the subscription (US customers pay no shipping, UK/ROW pay a small shipping fee that is bundled with your subscription fee at the time of purchase).

It's an exciting proposition. Give it some consideration and check it out 

HERE

It's a beautiful sight when, after subscribing, your BC page looks like this:

Thanks, Brian, for keeping the genuine spirit of music alive.

weareallghosts

If you like your ambient/drone long and drawn out, look no further.

Similar in spirit to Terminal Windows, this is a fan based creation, all 'Name Your Price' offerings.

I listed one of their donation based releases that was to assist someone in trouble (a really cool thing about the netlabel universe) but this is another prompt as their releases continue to be top notch and worth supporting.

From the label:

Founded by music fan Thomas Mathie aka Headphonaught as a means of giving back to the independent music community...... weareallghosts.co.uk is a small netlabel and private press based in Motherwell, Scotland that specialises in ambient electronic soundscapes but is open to other styles of music.

Check it out 

HERE 

Kreislauf Netlabel - Thanks For N0theen

Been a bit busy as of late so haven't been able to post like I want. 

Aside from that I'm finally getting around to committing to leaving the cult of Apple. Leaning toward Foobar2000 and the Fiio option. Foobar2000 looks awesome but, like all things open source, it's going to take some time (that I don't have) to learn the ins and outs of it. Hoping the payoff is worth it.

Like the idea of a non-hard drive mp3 player with lossless capability. Hard drives and mp3 players are not equipped to handle the volume of traffic my experimenting causes and it seems as if I tear these hard drives up. I have way too much music for the other portable options (phones and the like).

Anyhow, this is definitely one of the better stumble upon finds in the netlabel universe. It's a wormhole so go deep. Solid.

Along with the Mogwai hört compilations, these will keep you entranced for days:

Daystream (2009)

Link

Nightstream (2009)

Link

Check out the rest of the site

HERE

Trim Silence - 10 Years

One of my favorite discoveries of recent years was a release by this artist called Walking On Thin Air. As is often the case, I dug into the back catalogue. I was a little late getting to this compilation on his BC page as it has since vanished but was able to track it down through some virtual digging.

For your ease, I post it here.

Info

He also has a new release out on his BC page called Memory Imprints which you can get at a 'Name Your Price' offering. Strange thing, I tried paying for it but the PayPal behemoth appears to refuse payment for some reason. Let me know if you figure out a trick as his music is worth a purchase.

HERE

Electric Calm

Going back a few years on this one, didn't realize there was a Volume 5.

When 'chillout' - and GU - was still refreshing.

Info

A Reach Beyond the Beyond™

Saturday 23 May 2015 21:00 - 06:00

Detroit.

Info

Meltdown

Info

Info

Love Lost

Great story behind this oh so brief label.

In its brief existence it left its mark on the world.

Don't sleep.

Info

Info

RA Podcasts

All of 'em..

The Labyrinth (2011)

From the festival I will (jealously) no doubt never attend.

Refined techno into pure essence.

Essential.

Info

GradUally

He's been at this for a while.

Info

Just The Facts

Info

Ambient Meditations

Some of the best ambient compilations ever sounding as good, perhaps even better, today than when they were originally released. They sound good, even without chemical assistance (or perhaps these take me back to a different time and place).

Each mix has a definite "spiritual" element to them in that late 90s retro-psy, eastern-ish kind of way which adds to their overall vibe.

All are essential but check out the who's who of the mixers of the last three volumes. The final volume took some work tracking down and prices still tend to be high for the CD but there is no need any longer.

Ambient Meditations (1998)

Info

Ambient Meditations 2 (1999)

Mixed by Dr Alex Paterson

Info

Ambient Meditations 3 (2000)

Mixed by Youth

Info

Ambient Meditations 4 - God Bless The Chilled (2002)

Mixed by Mixmaster Morris

Info

Those parts of Hawaii you don't see...

Somewhere between leftfield, dnb, dub tech and electronic drones.

Perfect alchemy.

Info