Funkysouls Is Dead

 Long live Funkysouls.

KOMP.ART

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Rare, not because of scarcity but because it is relatively obscure and unknown in light of the more well known Ohrwert moniker. Call it the evolution of sound.

Yep, still here kicking and seeking out those rare gems which are getting more and more difficult to unearth. It's a much more rewarding and intoxicating challenge. Stay tuned...

Another HTCIS exclusive.

MOM - Habitat

Finally.

Another HTCIS exclusive.

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Two to go.

i ‎– Wide Road EP (2005)

Been a while, still here, lingering, busy with life, remembering the days of freewheel blogging and currently stuck in 1994 as that pivotal before and after year when everything changed. The death of grunge. Counting Crows. Cranberries. Mazzy Star. Morphine. Moby. Raving. The progression was real.

One of the earliest references to 'Echospace' in a track list, it is here for your pleasure to trace the roots of one of the few artists who can claim to have taken sound in a new direction post-Basic Channel.

Another exclusive to HTCIS.

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This...

There are more of us than there are of them.

i - Small Words EP (2005)

Though lesser known in the ES roster, this release contains some of the earliest, quite possibly the earliest works ascribed to that tag. 

Though the Discogs page says 300 of these were released, I had been tracking, as with many others, for years. Finally landed. No origin story here but let's say this was properly sourced.

Though a few of these tracks can be found on the 12" EP of the same name, this one here is long, long overdue for a proper re-release.

Another HTCIS exclusive.

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Works Vol. 01

There has been a 320 kbps version of this floating around for almost ten years. The Discogs entry was incorrect, since corrected, all these years as well.

Though the two artists on this release (along with Ryoji Ikeda) do in fact make up the group Dumb Type and some of the titles on this anthology are Dumb Type tracks, no reference is made at all to the name of the collective on this release.

So, without further ado, you know what to do.

Another HTCIS exclusive.

Selected Moments I (2008)

Was truthfully hoarding this for some bounty but apollo seems to be rip and, well, the universe deserves this to be freed from the bounds of greed. For the background on this tale, check out the original here.

A low bit rate file has been out there for years; this liberates it. Another HTCIS exclusive, unique on the entire web. For this brief moment, it's a pretty cool feeling.

Personally and tangibly guaranteed to be the real deal.

A true classic dub techno compilation from the 'second wave' of dub techno.

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Cio D'Or And Donato Dozzy ‎– J (2011)

From the 256 post by request. 

Originally found here, truly one of the best music blogs through the heyday of music blogs, the link has since been removed as someone pointed out to me.

So much music has been lost as the 'freedom' of the Web is dwindling, certainly glad to help keep it alive and appreciate folks that have stuck around here who have such impeccable taste in music.

256 GB MicroSD

With the demise of what and another that as of late seems appropriately suffixed, I have found more free time that I never realized I had. It has gotten me focused more on the act of listening to music rather than continually looking for what's new or unearthing long forgotten artifacts of my youth ripped from vinyl (which is an odd thing since without a turntable I'm not convinced vinyl sounds better than digital other than the audio detritus that makes us think it sounds better). 

So for your browsing pleasure, attached is what is currently loaded (2416 files or 21116 tracks) on my Fiio (until the 512 GB comes along!). I've been refining it over weeks and at the moment it is one of the better playlists I've had going as I am making very few edits to it over time. Minus some of the mixes on here meant to be played in full this one shuffles extremely well and will take you through a pretty broad spectrum of music to capture or put you into a variety of moods.

Take a peek, drop me a line if something catches your fancy:

MicroSD Playlist

I leave you with this that a friend sent me when I was whining about it:

Fragile

Hard to believe it's been over three months since my last post. You may or may not be aware of my personal circumstances but it has been emotionally, mentally and financially taxing in ways we never thought we'd experience at this stage of life. 

Days of awe and days of soul crushing sorrow but an intensity of feeling alive that often only comes in these types of situations.

This rolled across my mp3 player today and it hit me in the gut as music has the power to do. Catharsis, even if only temporary, and thought I'd tease a sample your way. 

I'll let the listener track down its origins and context but put this long player on and let it wash over you and still the room and work through some of those things we often seek to bury through various means, including certain styles of music.

Not sure how often I will post but I am here in spirit even if not in print.

And I remain hopeful that there are more of us than there are of them and that this too shall pass.

Will The Real Saint Please Stand up

Francis Bacon? 

Enjoy.

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The New Wave Complex - Volume 1

In honor of the sad news, this was the last file.

There's a story behind this one that is a prime example of the larger scale of the loss of this community behind the focus on its legality (e.g. this headline) which, in this day and age, no longer means what it was assumed to mean.

Remember, those who are accused of being criminals are often the ones who ensure that freedom reigns as it wrests control from those in power.

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what's gone

Thanks For The Fish

Back to the drawing board:

Not Your Father's Metal

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Seemed Fitting

A bit on edge, change is in the air...

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Versions

Remixes

65 Days

The consequences of this election are more pronounced for my family than it is for many others although this makes us kindred spirits for others in the same row.

This places the hearing two days - 65days from today - before the inauguration. What this means remains to be seen.

However, the significance of this is both a tribute and a reminder.

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Roman Zorin (aka Flexion B, illwitch, Lost-Radio, White Absence, смерть в летнюю полночь)

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Easily one of my favorite discoveries as an artist and his various monikers but also the various labels on which his music has appeared.

Both of these were released as смерть в летнюю полночь (aka death in the summer midnight) on the fine label Southern City's Lab out of Russia and I've just digested them in full - finally - on a rare day off. The first one is drum 'n' bass oriented but it's much more than that and is a stellar listen.

The second one was released some time ago and I have a digital copy but was pleasantly surprised to find they had released a physical copy on their first ever cassette release. Not sure if it's a fetish or a longing for days of old but I dig these cassettes. Picked up a couple from Sense/Net (currently my favorite netlabel out there) and have been pleasantly surprised by the tactile joy of receiving these (and, truth be told, a few bonuses as well).

Great artist in all his guises and great label(s) that deserve an attentive ear and, when possible, real support.

Releases can be found 

HERE

For an interview under the lost radio name go

HERE

(get your translate app out as it's in the Cyrillic script, aka Russian)

Salt Tank ‎– Li-Lo (Collected Salt Tank Ambient Trax) (1999)

By request. Kind of...

Forget paying stupid money for an old copy of this on CDr which will do nothing but rot over time.

In the only format you need for archiving.

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Nightmares On Wax - The EXP Tapes 86–97

In case you haven't stumbled across this...

Warp veteran Nightmares On Wax has unleashed a new collection of unreleased tapes stretching from producer George Evelyn’s earliest days before the project into its late 90s heyday. 

Collectively named The NOW Experience, the releases captures a unique time in the life of Evelyn and the Leeds crew he worked with including Code Name Tee, Tozz 180, FST, Ten Ton and Thunder. 

“We all used to practice making demos in my mum’s living room from around 87. We used a 4 track cassette and a sampler and these are some of these demo tapes,” he says in a statement, explaining that many elements from the releases went on to form his early albums A Word Of Science and Smoker’s Delight.

Get them all, free, here:

Enjoy

The Chemical Brothers ‎– In Glint (2002)

Another hidden gem. Play loud.

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Salt Tank ‎– Head Straight For The Salt Tank Mix (2000)

Still plugging away here at HTCIS. Getting harder and harder to find that balance between harder to find or sleeper gems that are not overly nostalgic and not drowning in the overwhelming amount of music being released daily.

This one took a while to track down but these guys put out some incredible tracks during the heyday of the 'trance' sound before it devolved into mere formula and raves became tourist attractions. This release features remixes they did for other artists during this fertile period of time. Dig in to the roster and follow the leads and discover the beauty.

For those who were there this will take you right back to what made those times special. For those who may not have been there this will take you back to a time when this sound was unique and new.

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Teargas & Plateglass

Couple of hard to find 'samplers' from the mysterious and elusive Teargas & Plateglass. Though covering the bulk of their tracks from their two album releases these also contain some non-album tracks as well to round out the discography.

With inspiration from Koyaanisqatsi and sampling from Baraka, what's not to love?

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Cir(que)le Of Life

This one is a little more personal than most posts here. Aside from the occasional story here, I realize many of the posts here are just shy of anonymous, directed toward the insiders.

You'll have to follow the remnants of another blog to get the connection of this album, follow the link below.

I just learned, having known this album all these years, that it was dedicated to Christopher McCandless who achieved fame for all the wrong reasons and whose legacy has veered toward myth.

Check out the remnants from another blog of mine lying dormant for the rather detailed, though strangely interesting and relevant, story on the significance of the person to whom this album here is dedicated.

Spiritual Mutt - Christopher McCandless and the Cir(que)le of Life

Shoreless

The parent of this label, though I'm not sure exactly how, I only know they share the same logo. Made a brief appearance for two years and introducing some of us to artists such as bvdub, Quantec and Atheus.

Still need to track down originals of this one and this one for those who may be feeling generous as a lossless source is the missing link and we need to rid the world of price gouging sellers (trust me when I tell you that it is working).

Discography.

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