Rrose x Bob Ostertag – Motormouth Variations (2011)

Another gem of an album, akin to the work of Demdike Stare's Miles Whittaker's analogue experiments as Suum Cuique (who has a new album out...vinyl ordered and en route to my mailbox...).

There is a strange appeal to this kind of music, something like immersing yourself into The Matrix and finding that it is quite musical, with the help of humans to extract it out.

Guess it's the perspective that allows me to hear a beat at the gas pump or the washing machine with a lopsided load as it dances across the basement floor.

For the adventuresome...

This is the original release with Bob Ostertag's original source material so you can experience for yourself the manipuluations to create the variations.

Will this change your life?  Probably not.  But it should create a fissure large enough to find beauty in the strangest of places.

Enjoy

Info

The Third Eye Foundation - Oumupo 1 (2004)

The Dark from Third Eye Foundation (aka Matt Elliott) was one of 2010's best.

This is his mix from the Oumupo series on the Ici D'Ailleurs label out of France.  Other well known artists who mixed for the label include DJ Krush, Kid Loco and Rob Swift.

Here are the rules of the mix:

All tracks mixed, added and transformed by The Third Eye Foundation.

Oumupo stands for: "Ouvroir de Musique Potentielle" and refers to the Oulipo movement in French literature. 

Each release in the series contains a mix composed of selected tracks from the Ici D'ailleurs & 0101 catalogues + a 16 pages comic strips. Both the mix and the comics obey rules detailed in a charter included in each release's booklet, and sometimes other constraints requested by the artists themselves.

Constraint requested by Matt Elliott for this release: Ici D'ailleurs had to choose the titles to be mixed.

There is something strangely compelling about this music, kind of like taking some New Orleans jazz and giving it the William Basinski Disintegration Loops treatment.

Highly recommended.

Try

Info

60 Minutes of Mo Wax Shit (1997)

Finally!

FLAC

Part1//Part2

Info

(Thanks)

RIP Adam Yauch (aka MCA)

I saw this this morning at about 2 a.m. after a night of non-sleep. For whatever reason, it almost brought me to tears. Perhaps you've already seen it...

In 1986/1987, as a freshman at university, Licensed To Ill had just dropped and it was on constant rotation in my room for the entire year. 

Went and saw the Beastie Boys on that tour (with Fishbone and Murphy's Law).  All I really remember about the set was the giant phallus in the middle of the stage.  This sheltered suburbanite's worldview was slowly expanding and breaking free from the obligatory classic rock diet.

Hard to believe that 25 years have passed.  The Beastie Boys grew up (just compare the lyrics to "Bodhisattva Vow") and so did we.

Perhaps it was the loss of youth along with the loss - at too early an age - of Adam Yauch, but I was deeply moved.

I know next to nothing about Coldplay but there is just something about this track, especially the audience chiming in with every lyric, that is quite touching. Music is a unifying force.

 

B&N, Coffee and CQE...

I am studying for the Certified Quality Engineer exam.  Yep, geekdom is official.  And I'm cool with that.  At least I am getting paid for it.

Anyhow, studying at a large book retailer (the photo above showed up with a quick B&N search and seemed fitting) with a venti coffee of another famous brand name while utilizing a PDF version of the study material on my tablet manufactured by yet another brand name yielded a pretty nice playlist.

I've noticed that if you throw in The Conet Project to any mix it really adds a nice flavor to it, kind of creating something of a dream universe out of which music flows.

Anyhow, here's the mix (still not sure why info is missing in the snapshot...):

Part1//Part2

deepindub.org - In Dub We Trust (2012)

Finally was able to get off the weekend job but that removes the 24 hour stretch of time over the weekend when I could listen to, explore and share new music.

Stumbled across this one due to a bunch of artists I currently listen to and discovered it was free. Then it went on hiatus.  Now it's back and it's crazy good.

Great website representing some up and coming electronic musicians, many who have seen releases on well known and respected labels (e.g. ZeECc, Silent Season, etc.), that carry the much tagged 'dub' sound.

30 tracks over 3 hours of quality music on this comp.  Plus there are literally hours and hours of free music available as well.

Please, please, please show some support, if able.  Send $1, $5, $10 (you get a bonus if you do).

Do something.  Need to keep sites like this alive.

ENJOY

Mixselekta...

Mixselekta 

 Just passing on another good stumble upon...

I found it via this mix:

C90 Deep Dub Techno Set

Still having a ball on the shuffle.  It's like a whole new world opening up...

It's especially fun when you get the occasional long player (usually the DJ mix which is taking up more and more space on the mp3 player).

Anyhow, browse the site, lots of great sets in almost any genre of music.

As a bonus, HERE is a link to a bunch of sets from Entropy Records head David Ya (aka DJ Maitreya).

Track it down by name on Soundcloud and follow the rabbit down the hole...

ATL to MTY

Atlanta to Monterrey, Mexico...

Second leg of the journey.  Some deep tracks on this one, the kind you wouldn't normally seek out to listening to by choice.

Reminds me of a radio station in town here that used to have a half hour show of "deep cuts" where they would dig in to those tracks (when vinyl was still used) that weren't very mainstream.  Was always refreshing to hear something you had never hear before or get excited when they would play one of your favorite tracks you had discovered that never got airplay.

Includes a nice dub techno bonus mix at the end I listed to while at the Atlanta airport.  

Part1//Part2//Part3//Part4 (it's a 3 hour flight...).

First leg of the journey here.

DMCA on the prowl...

Been browsing the blogosphere and have noticed many, many sites with rants about how their MF account has been suspended and/or files have been removed.

I got a takedown notice today (gambled on a 2011 album...).  The notice is not a request for a takedown.  The takedown happens first, the notice follows.

Hate to say it but they are really sapping the joy out of blogging (and music has gone the way of professional sports...), driving folks (and musicians) further and further underground.

I'm still at it and will continue to pass on what I find but obviously the format has changed.

More experimental, more net label links and more "personalized" compilations in which to discover new music and do your own digging.

The underground is alive and well...

Stay tuned.

The Machine - RedHead (2010)

Been loving the shuffle lately, uncovering all kinds of hidden gems that lie buried beneath the usual fare.

This has a sound that is really difficult to pin down.  Definitely a techno feel with the staccato beat pattern but there is some strange stuff going off in the background that makes this one a treat.

Definitely recommended.

"Opening Ceremony (Fuse)" is essential.

Try

Info

Slownoise - Dark Matter EP (2012)

Great album of darker dub techno tracks.  And it's free...

Here's a video to get you in the mood.  Couldn't fit the music any better.

Here's a link to the album and a great site to boot.  Take some time to browse around...don't miss out.

Enjoy

PIT to ATL

So I went back to Mexico (for work, not fun) again...

Perfect opportunity to put the mp3 on shuffle and see what happens.

So, with a pair of noise cancelling headphones (cannot recommend these enough for air travel), I did and decided to log it.

Over the course of the trip, found some gems buried on the mp3 that I'd never heard before.  Some old, some new and some songs ripped out of the context of the mixes in which they are so well known.

Usually, I'll put on a long player and try and get lost in a certain ambience but this was kinda fun having the mood altered so frequently and in so many different styles.  Plus it removes the difficulty of choosing what to listen to with 80 GB to choose from...

Been really, really busy so not so focused on the blog as of late but have still been virtual digging.  Lots and lots of good stuff out there.  Hopefully, you'll find something new here.

Anyhow, here's the first leg of the journey:

Enjoy!

Shoot me some comments if you're interested in the entire trip files (separated by legs of the journey).

Part1//Part2

P.S. "Harmonic Mean" is off Tripswitch's Geometry album.  Not sure why this didn't show up...

Dub Techno netlabels...

For those who don't know there are some amazing labels out there that offer up amazing music, much of it for free.  I recommend donating to these labels to keep them afloat or to purchase artist works when available.

Lots and lots of free tracks, mixes, podcasts and a host of other goodies.

These are great sites to discover new music being spun by other artists.

There are many of these sites out there but here is a brief list where I've spent much time lately:

deepindub.org

Fuselab

Cold Fiction Music label

Sound Source Netlabel

pinkpube

Retrospective Zoology

Electric Deluxe

sublimeport.net

Cold Tear

Highest recommendation.  May your journey continue...

Beat Pharmacy - Wikkid Times (2008)

One of the best protest albums of all times.  We can let the 60s rest now, thank you very much.  A killer dub tech album undergirds the whole thing.

Try

Info

A fantastic array of remixes from a host of some well known and lesser well known names in the dub techno universe, including Intrusion, Quantec, Deadbeat and others.

The "versions" are instrumental reworkings of the underlying tracks. If you aren't convinced this is a dub tech gem, dig in.

Part1//Part2

Info

aKido - Undark (2012)

One of the great things about a music blog is when folks request me to upload a new album from artist.  Always glad to do so...in fact, it's an honor.

Back in 2010 I posted a first album from aKido called Gamecharger.  New releases from unknown artists can be hit and miss but this one was stellar.

He's back with a new one.  It's a name your price offer so be generous and show some support.

HERE

Tony Carey (aka Planet P Project)

Of all the formative albums of my youth (and there were many...), two have always stood out from Tony Carey's alter ego Planet P Project.  Unlike many albums of that time, I still revisit these on occasion.

The first was the self-titled album that originally went by Planet P until he was forced to change the name due to a legal conflict.  Though it certainly has an 80s feel (especially with the space theme), it has held up incredibly well.  "Why Me?" and "Static" still sound amazing.

However, it was "Pink World" that blew me away.  Conceptually similar (double LP, saviour/Messiah theme, concept album, backwards messages, etc.) and inevitably compared to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" the album stands on its own and remains a hidden gem from the 80s.

Carey all but disappeared from the scene for a while and suffered some serious health complications.

For the longest time I've wanted to purchase the physical copies of the final Planet P Project trilogy called "Go Out Dancing" but they were never really distributed stateside, except perhaps the first part. 

His work has been tough to get on CD stateside.  My first copy of "Pink World" was an unofficial CD from Russia which was just a high quality copy of the vinyl burned on to CD.  If you listen closely as the album ends you can hear a faint hiss as the needle heads toward the run out groove...

It probably goes without saying that I still have vinyl copies of the self-titled release (one as Planet P and the other after the name change to Planet P Project) and two copies of "Pink World" on vinyl (one pink promo and one regular issue). 

Anyhow, in order to get the physical copies, I'd have to cough up roughly $100 for all of them.  Ouch.  Someday maybe but I still wish to promote his work.  He's been in the game a long, long time and has released some amazing music over the years.

I confess I've heard the trilogy and they are amazing, especially the final one (which is after his health scare).  The "Hallelujah" track will catch you by surprise (as will his album of Christmas Hymns).

So aside from listening to "Pink World" as I type I stumbled across a free download on his site I thought some folks might be interested in.

You can get the download HERE.

Enjoy.

Ya Ji (2008)

Some experimental music from Anders Peterson under various guises along with some other lesser known artists to introduce you to the Kwan Yin label.

Not exactly rare but certainly not mainstream.

Try

Info

The fallout continues...

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Megaupload...

So Megaupload has been shut down and the tentacles of the media conglomerates show themselves to be more treacherous than anyone realized.

On the flip side, the man behind Megaupload was a bit too ostentatious and drew the ire of many.  Subtlety was certainly not a trademark M.O.

HFS has shut itself down, whether in protest or fear.  The landscape is certainly changing.

I realized today that the intent of SOPA and PIPA is so that media moguls don't need to bother with such silly things as due process. 

Rather than months of "investigation" and millions of dollars spent, a simple flick of the switch is all that will be needed.  Justice?  Waste of time and money.

So many files here are now suddenly gone and with the RS account expiring (and daily reminders of the same), more will also be disappearing.

I'm still here but have moved on to other landscapes and things on a personal level have radically changed over the past few months and a big change is coming this week so I'm not quite sure where this will all lead. 

Sometimes, drastic change leads to an evolutionary leap in the way things happen. 

Stay tuned...

P.S. Support your independent artists and labels and the giants will see that we don't need them and their over processed and manufactured cultural substitutes.

If you can't support the indies, at least don't throw your money into the belly of the beast.

Echospace...

For those who have followed this blog for a while you'll know of my indulgence, if you will, of Echospace/Deepchord and all variations these guys put out.  I haven't really followed any one particular artists for a long, long time but with these guys I am enjoying music in a way I haven't for quite some time.

My first true purchase from their label was an original issue of Brock van Wey's White Clouds Drift On And On which, if you don't have a copy of it yet, is one of the more essential releases of the past few years. 

Better known as bvdub, this is so far his only release under his real name.  A second batch of these discs has made its way into the marketplace so if you're interested, snap up a copy at a reasonable price.

Since then I've picked up every CD release (as well as some vinyl) and will probably continue to do so. 

There are no direct d/l links to the new releases here but, as is the way today, these aren't too hard to find if you want to hear them.

Currently on heavy rotation:

Seconds To Forever [Extended Live Excursion] (2011)

I've always been a fan of the long players, as Rod Modell called them, those tracks that you wish would go on and on forever, thus my early love of the remix, the DJ mix and, nowadays, releases such as this one.

This one kind of worked in reverse.  Over at discogs there is a pretty solid group of fans who have been noticed by the artist and over the course of some time and the prompting of an intern who had been working for the label, this saw the light of day. There have been a series of releases driven primarily by this fan interaction. 

Anyhow, for those who enjoy the regular issue releases, this is a dream of an album, a behind the scenes treat of sorts as it contains the live record from which the 12" of the same name was released and gives a hint at the process of an artist at work.

Highest recommendation.  Though it's out of print on CD, if you are intereseted in the physical release it is not too inflated in price compared to what some other limited edition releases fetch.

Release Info

Also on heavy rotation:

Variant - Falling Stars  (2011)

Variant, for those who don't know, is the alter ego of Steven Hitchell (aka Echospace, aka Intrusion) with his "ambient" side.

There are multiple versions of this album.  The original release was digital and contained a 52 minute epic of analogue ambience that soon disappeared once released on CD.  I posted the original release a while back for those who are interested.

Again due to fan interest, the long deleted track was re-issued as a CD.  Originally slated to contain remastered versions of two tracks from original digital release, the final version has only the original track remastered but with an additional 10 mintues added on. 

For those who have the original digital version there is something magical about having it on CD (as has been the trend over the last several releases, I purchased a copy) and the fact that 52 mintues of analogue bliss is now 62 minutes makes this one to own.

So there are five variations of this release that exist:

1) Original digital version (no longer available online)

2) CD release ("Falling Stars" replaced with 4 new tracks)

3) Second digital version (same track listing as the original digital release except the "Falling Stars" track has been cut down to 44 minutes)

4) Falling Stars promo (limited pressing, contains remastered versions of 2 long players from the original digital release; changed for final release)

5) Falling Stars (released version)

How often is it that an artist listens at that level? As has been my mantra for some time now: support the artists and support the independent labels.

Entropy Records

Happy New Year to everyone.  Hope that everyone has peace of mind as the year gets under way!

If you are into electronic music, especially the "dub techno" variety, producer and DJ David Ya's Entropy Records out of France is one of the best labels out there right now, hosting artists such as Mr. Cloudy, Zzzzra, Axs and more.

To introduce you to the label, here are a couple of free downloads (scroll down on the link and enter your email address for the code):

Download

Download

Killer compilations.  

Browse around the site and check out the artists.

Their catalogue is impressive.  

Shades of Love (1989)

Haven't posted any 'classic rock' type stuff here in quite some time (probably because I don't listen to it any more...).

Been cleaning out the archives in my basement, getting ready to unload a bunch of CDs (Goodwill, ebay, haven't decided yet...) and wanted to place them in the public archives. 

Old compilation from Silver Eagle Records, now defunct, purveyor of, in hindsight, all things schmaltz.

For the longest time I was into "mellow" tunes, creating illusions of what love should be based on sappy love songs such as these (though 'Black Water' and some others on here are odd choices for love songs).  I'd drive around at night for hours on end creating a false sentimentality that could never be.

However, if you dig tunes from the 70s and early 80s, this is a great compilation.

This isn't the usual download (hint: see post below) 'cause I'm too lazy to rip it to an mp3 and upload but with this file (hint: just under 1 GB) you'll never need to buy the CDs and you can choose your kbps.

Here

Info

The RIAA and Congress have pirates in their midst...

For those not up on the news, new legislation has been proposed call SOPA for short to stop what is commonly referred to as online piracy (funny how words are created as weapons devoid of any real substance).

But there are no saints among us, not even among those very organizations that seem to be the purveyors of purity when it comes to how music and movies make the rounds.

"Representatives and/or their staffs have been engaging in online piracy themselves, using computers located in the House office building, the website TorrentFreak.com, which tracks BitTorrent usage, reported on Monday.

“We found more than 800 IP addresses assigned to the U.S. House of Representatives from where content has been shared on BitTorrent,” the website said. Among the illegal downloads, it noted, were a number of self-help books, including, “Crucial Conversations — Tools for Talking when Stakes Are High;” TV shows like FX’s Sons of Anarchy; software including Windows 7; and even porn movies like Gangland Cream Pie (“just the tip of the iceberg,” said TorrentFreak)." (Source)

And from the report that not even the almighty RIAA is free from such a tarnish to their illustrious name:

"A few days ago [Torrent Freak] reported that no less than 6 IP-addresses registered to the RIAA had been busted for downloading copyrighted material. Quite a shocker to everyone – including the music industry group apparently – as they are now using a defense previously attempted by many alleged file-sharers. It wasn’t members of RIAA staff who downloaded these files, the RIAA insists, it was a mysterious third party vendor who unknowingly smeared the group’s good name." (Source)

And the battle rages on...stay tuned.

In the meantime, don't believe the hype that they care about the artists being paid. By and large they only care about protecting their own, uh, assets in a declining business model that is evolving into something they fail to understand.

Power resides with the people.

Don't be afraid of the thought police. You know what's right.

Mixmaster Morris & Jonah Sharp - Quiet Logic (1998)

This collaboration between Mixmaster Morris (aka Irresistible Force) and Jonah Sharp (aka Spacetime Continuum) is everything you'd expect and then some.

Why is this so very out of print?

Enjoy

Info

Chill Out Or Die

Re-up with VBR V0 rip rates as well as a bonus surprise in each file (links on bottom).

For chill fans, some of these names will be quite familiar, others not so much, but these are great compilations.

The first volume was compiled and edited by Mixmaster Morris.

Chill Out Or Die! (1993)

Info

Chill Out Or Die II (1994)

Info

(look closely at the cover...)

Chill Out Or Die III (1994)

Info

Chill Out Or Die 4 (1995)

Info

Chill Out Or Die America (1995)

Info

LINKS