Scratch n' Spin

Very well done - check this ad for proxfade here

Octex - When everything has been... (mix)

Carrying on the deep, dark "proper techno" & electronica theme going from last time. Check out how Eastern Europe cuts it with this mix from Slovenia's Octex.

Download MP3

Bitstream 3X - Midi Controller

Another day, another ableton live midi-controller!

This ones a bit more reasonable at €459.00 (£315) although it can be a bit tricky to get them in the UK. It looks well laid out, and the build quality looks impressive. The main part is an 8 channel mixer, with 4 banks of rotary controllers which more often than not will be used for EQs and panning. The x-fader looks a bit piddly but theres a couple of nice extras to make up for it. Namely a joystick which aims to manipulate values in roughly the same way as a chaos pad would. Its also got a fairly sizeable digital display (a feature which is often over looked), as well as programmable LFOS & arps.

35 knobs - 8 sliders - 16 buttons
Dual axis analog joystick
Infrared controller
Cross-fader
Endless encoder
Footswitch input
7 curve models per control
(lin, inv lin, log, inv log, random, users 0 & 1)
Sync-24 output
Expansion port
Built-in programmable LFO
Built-in enhanced arpeggiator
Built-in 8 tracks motion sampler
MIDI IN / THRU / OUT 1 / OUT 2
USB compatible
Transport functions
Fully programmable
Large graphic display (with backlight)
Dedicated configuration software
100 snapshot scenes
21 fully programmable groups
Jump-less potentiometer mode
Built-in MIDI merger & filter
4U metalic enclosure
(optional rack ears)

read the full spec and order online at the waveidea site

Aled - Multimode (mix)

Big props to Aled for passing over a nice high quality version of this high quality mix. Aled is pretty well versed in all thats deep glitchy detroity technoey electroey & occassionally even jungly. Learn more about the man and download more of his over at delta-9

download mp3 (megaupload)

Mellow, minimal and micro styles...

bitstream – decomtamination room – modern love
plastikman – consumed – m_nus
luomo – synkro – forcetracks
brothomstates – matalabobo – arcola
ricardo vs jay – archive – contexterior
jeff mills – expanded b1 – axis
quadrant dub II – basic channel
monolake – reminiscence – imbalance computer music
pantytec – elastobabe – soul capsule’s cosmic warrior mix – perlon
villalobos – dexter – playhouse
der zyklus – formenverwandler – gigolo
claro intelecto – tria – a.i.
basic channel – q1.1 (1a)
shifted phases – dance of the celestial druids – tresor
claro intelecto – signifier – a.i.
minimal man – chicken store – perlon
marco passsarani – ihouseu – peacefrog
claro intelecto – mono – a.i.
mad mike – the final frontier – ur
l’usine – flat (l’usine mix) – ghostly international

Xone:3d Ableton Mixing Console

Short if building your own "Sasha-style", this is easily the best ableton midi controller mixing console around. Its due to be released soon from world class mixer manafacturers Allen & Heath & looks absolutely crazy, almost military - Fire beats and sink ships at the same time!

From a quick glance the clued up will be able to recognise 2 jog wheels, 4 stereo channels, 3 band (total kill) EQ, x-fader and a whole host of routing options for effects and filters. Being a midi controller everything is available to be assigned as you want it. Its has plenty of audio ins and outs and a fairly hefty USB soundcard inside to boot. In their words "The unique design is the amalgamation of a high performance DJ mixer, a top spec multi-channel USB soundcard, a comprehensive MIDI control surface, offering a performance workstation that integrates all the tools of the modern DJ." All this isn't going to come cheap. Pre order prices are coming in at around £1695...

Allen & Heath news story

Xone:3D tech spec

SKALPEL - Uptempo Mix

Skalpel are Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudlo DJs/producers from Wroclaw, Poland. If you know and love them, and are rubbing your hand with the expectation of more rolling polish-jazz-sampled rhythms get ready for a bit of a surprise. This slot is an uptempo mix of their's, and its absolutely firing. Over half of it is old school electro style business and the rest is breaky stuff, verging on hardcore.

sorry no tracklist.

download mp3 (megaUpload)

Singing Fish : Audio & Video Search Engine

If you've seen this before then just shout "Old!" and "Boring!" at your screen and then go and do something else. Otherwise read on.

Singing Fish is a Multimedia Search Engine which works on the meta data kept in video and audio files. Its gaining in popularity - having been bought recently by AOL & theres also word that the company has signed a deal to power audio-visual searching in Microsoft's Windows Media Player. I realise that both these companies aren't exactly popular but it works and its free so who cares. If they fuck it all up with overbearing advertising or corporate interests then thats another matter.

Bearing in mind that it relies on whatever the owner wants to add as meta data I'm surprised how well it works. At a quick glance it seems particularly useful at nabbing files which aren't always readily available elsewhere. Video offers up strange TV spots, news items and interviews. Audio offers speeches samples, tracks, mixes and even occasionally liveslots. The length & quality of the clip is listed alongside so you'll know what your getting before you start. Bonza.

I reckon your going to see quite few things posted here off the back of this. Only this morning i found a video of a fashion show being hosted by mr T & a mix with BOC & aphex stuff on it.

Ben Watt - Essential Mix 20/02/05

What a treat! Bens been in the business for a long time. Initially a member of EBTG, famous for his lazy dog club nights, which often feature people like Charles Webster, and now label boss of the excellent Buzzin' Fly Records. Basically a purveour of all thats fine in deep house music. This mix is up to his high standard and features Justin Martin's mighty 'Le Boom'; A track with a solid latin house groove and is covered in old rave noises. Ride the hoovers! Brilliant.

Download mp3 (mega upload)
*** new link - received a few complaints so a new megaupload has been made - enjoy! ***

Tweet - 'Boogie 2Nite' [Acapella] (East West)
Blved East - 'Paradise' [East Side Mix] (Deepa Groove)
Scott Grooves - 'The Journey' (White)
Kelvin K & John Gray - 'Heatwave Jackin' (Tango)
Justin Martin - 'Le Boom' (Buzzin' Fly)
Recloose - 'Cardiology' [Isolee Remix] (Playhouse)
Alex S & Djazzy feat Fubu - 'Senti Sabi' (Buzzin' Fly)
Klement - 'Nocturne 2' (White)
Square One - 'Buzzin' (White)
Madoka - 'Inhale' (White)
Tweet - 'Boogie 2Nite' [Acapella] (East West)
Manoo & Francois A - 'Fire Seasons' (Buzzin' Fly)
Ben Watt feat. Baby Blak - 'Attack, Attack, Attack' (Buzzin' Fly)
M.A.N.D.Y. - 'Achaat' (Get Physical)
Ben Watt - 'Lone cat' [Justin Martin Remix] (Buzzin' Fly)
Harrison Crump - 'Boom Da Boom' (Hump)
51 Days - 'Paper Moon' (Touche)
Silicone Soul - 'The Devil Drives' [Darkroom Dub] (Soma)
Electribe 101 - 'Inside Out' (Mercury)
Furry Phreaks - 'Lament For A Dead Computer' (Miso)

Bukem's Blog???

http://ltjbukem.blogspot.com/

Now what the fucks going on here? Seems to be blog reporting resendential construction projects in the states. Must have confused quite a few Good Looking Fans.

Rayka S - Public Handshake (Mix)

A mellow start to the week. Not really a mix, although theres the occasional bit of beat matching - more a kind of radio show with quite a few inspirational tracks. That Chick Corea ones definitely having the double-bass sampled at some point.

download mp3

Ruben Blades: Tu Carino/Carmen's Theme (Atlantic LP) 1984
Stereolab: Margerine Melodie (Elektra 2xLP)
Kit Clayton: Purpakana (scape 12")
Autechre: Nine (Warp 2xLP)
Chick Corea: Sometime Ago (Polydor LP)
Bus: Western (scape 12")
Mouse On Mars: Mood Leck Backlash (Thrill Jockey LP)
Tsuchiya Yasuyuki: Live For (Progressive Form 12")
Bus: Western (scape 12")
Clouddead: ? (Big Dada LP)
Mumbles: In Closing (Sublevel Epidemic 2xLP)
Camerata Punta Del Este: Brasiliana (? LP)
Bogdan Raczynski: MyLoveILove (Rephlex LP)
Atmosfear: Alternative II (Castle Music 2xLP)
Boards of Canada: Nlogax (Skam 12")
Theo Parrish: Dirt Rhodes (Sound Signature 12")

Birds & Netlag Videos by Pleix

Noisewaffle's first graphics related post - still with a musical theme - 2 very impressive videos from the Pleix collective. They've done loads of good promos in the past for Plaid , Basement Jaxx & others. The most famous probably being kid 606's - which later got used to make the Audi commercial with all the shattering black shards in it.

Birds
Visually lavish yet simple, its amazing what you can do with some hi-speed film and some dogs. Make sure you watch until the dogs are wet and shaking all about. (— Never thought i'd post that)
watch the video

Netlag
This is on more of a technical tip - a video composition made from 1609 different webcams positioned around the world. specially developed software called 'picksucker' saved an image of each camera every ten minutes (from 29-01-2004 until 30-01-2004 18:40 GTM), which are placed on a geographical world map & become animated according to time. — Really digging the way you can see light spread across the face of the 'earth' each day as if you were in space.
watch the video

Visit pleix.com to see more

Turn your Printer into a Synth

You've probably heard of circuit bending, when people shortcircuit audio novalties like speak n spells to get glitch fx. Well this guys on the next level.

listen to this if youre a non-believer

The first iteration of the printer synth included two ways to generate sound: It could play simple sequenced patterns by firing the print head, and also had the tape/walkman mellotron.

The printer mellotron runs off cassette tape. I recorded different notes from a synthesizer onto cassette tape on all four tracks (by recording the tones on both sides of the tape.) Afterwards, I pulled the tape out of the cassette and glued it to the paper roller on the printer, then wrote code for the printer to turn the paper roller at a constant speed.

To "read" the tape on the roller, I use a modified walkman. I removed the play head from the walkman and remounted it on the outside, so pressing the head against the tape on the roller allows you to hear the tones. Placing the head against different pieces of tape allows you to selectively play different notes. This setup introduces a lot of random variance that affects the pitch, tone, and stereo image of the playback, making the sound very complex and interesting.

If you can brave his choice of background read the full article here

Simple Dj'ing Video Tutorial for Ableton

Just found these two movies which show you, quickly and clearly, how to warp a couple of tracks into shape for DJing in Live.

Certainly saves reading the manual - this'll get you banging out a mix in no time

DJing/Warping Tutorial Movie 1
DJing/Warping Tutorial Movie 2

Drumatizers Mix - Volume 5

Really smooth funky hip hop mix - not too much angry shouting, plenty of music in the music & deftly mixed.

sorry no track names - just artists for now - weird.

download mp3

Intro
Blackalicious vs Brassgain
Treacherous Three vs Koushik
Major Force
Herbaliser ft Jean Grea
Time Machine
Soulive
Grand Puba vs Flevans
RjD2
Antonio Pinto & Ed Cortes
Brian Bennet
DM & Jemini
Peanut Butterwolf & Charisma
Quantic
Blockhead
Dynomite D ft. Kid Koala
The Drumatizers scratch a bit
Harvey & The Phenomenals
Limp Twins
Idris Muhammad
KMD
Foreign Legion
Ty
Fingathing
Biaz funks it up
Johnny Pearson
Kashmere Stage Band
Babbletron
Gift Of Gab
Life
Prefuse 73
Madvillain
Diverse
Tuff Crew
Don't smoke dope skit
Quantic vs Drumatizers
Nostalgia 77
Kool G Rap instrumental
Indigenous
Olympic Runners
Roy Ayers
Glue's Jazzman Treatment
Eugene Blacknell
Ugly Duckling instrumental
Baby Gravy
Bamboo Soul
The Go! Team

KISS Coffee Shop

Whatever next, "Bon Jovi King?" :

The band KISS is adding one more ingredient to sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll: coffee.

But Don't expect the same old laid-back coffee place. This is KISS, a band known for its legendary partying, stage theatrics and white-and-black makeup.

Envision servers donning the trademark KISS face paint for special occasions and KISS classics blaring as a machine whips up the trademark KISS Frozen Rockuccino or a French KISS Vanilla.

read full article

Bryan Jones Mix - Jack Squad 2005

A quick skip stateside for this slice of deviant, Sneaking, Winking Jack-House-Smut. Imagine a garage night getting it on with a pile of ketamine & a 303 in an alley, and your half way there. Its wrong but you can't leave it alone!

Download Here

Les Rhythmes Digitals - Jaques Your Body (Switch Remix) - Wall of Sound/Pias
Terry Mullan & The Funk Monkeys - Press (Bryan Jones Remix) - CDR
Joey Youngman - Keep Rockin' - Jamayka
Bryan Jones - Bump This - Detour CDR
Shawn Ward - Twilight (Joey Youngman Remix) - Blockhead CDR
Miles Maeda - Bleep Me (Phil Weeks Remix) - Dotbleep
Jay Tripwire - Master Beater - Utensil CDR
The Sound Republic - Smack Em Yak Em - CDR
Johnny Fiasco - Jack Tha Bass - Nine Records CDR
A Jackin Phreak - Acid Sex - RZ
M1 - Acid The Phenomenon - Reinvent Music
Josh Wink - Ah Git Up - System Recordings
Bryan Jones - That Dro - Olive CDR
TJR - Acid Funkin' - CDR
Maxx Renn - Acid Jack Flashback Mix - Jamayka
Josh Wink - 516 Acid (Steve Bug Remix) - Ovum Recordings
Eastbound - Madou (The Sound Republic Remix) - Tango
Hal 9000 & Sylvie Marks - My Computer Eats An Acid Trip - Bpitch
Wink - Superfreak - Ovum
The Freaky Afronaut - The Get Up - CDR
Bobby Peru - Venom - 2020 Vision

Tipper - Radio 1 Mix

Filthy Break Core! Newish mix off radio 1 by (Dave) Tipper, the Breaks DJ/producer, who set up Fuel Records & owns the loudest car in the world : A Dodge Challenger with a 10k sound system.

Dave Tipper Mix - Annie Nightingale - 151205 - download mp3

Tipper - 'Blat' - (Unknown)
Tipper - 'As Thick As You Can Quink' - (Unknown)
Tipper - 'Fleas And Itches' - (Unknown)
Tipper - 'Ton Of Bricks'
Squarepusher - 'Unknown (Wagon Christ Remix)' - (Warp)
Kraddy - 'Fun Sound' - (Unknown)
Crunch - 'Crunky' - (Colony)
Crunch - 'Cassette' - (Colony)
Andy Page - 'Mr. Rush' - (Unknown)
Radioactiveman - 'Itisanditisnt (Tipper Remix)' - (Rotters Golf Club)
Hellfish And Producer - 'Untitled' - (Unknown)
Tipper - 'Unititled' - (Unknown)

Crystal 2.4 vst for mac & pc

Heres one which keeps drawing me back. Not really for leads or basslines, more for just mad synthesis - wierd radio noise and delay, & fx to spice up existing pads. In truth the scope of this vst is endless :

Crystal is a semi-modular software synthesizer featuring both subtractive synthesis and frequency modulation (FM) synthesis. It offers abundant modulation control with over 90 parameters which may be modulated, multi-stage envelopes with graphical editors, extensive tempo sync of envelopes/lforates/delay times, built-in effects for chorus/flanging/comb filtering/echoes, and a band splitter for effects processing by frequency band. Not only that, Crystal has wave sequencing, granular synthesis, program morphing, MIDI learn, and imports soundfonts. The musical applications for Crystal are literally boundless.

Crystal is a plugin, which means it runs within a host, such as Cubase, Orion, Logic, Fruity Loops, etc.

for more information and download visit the greenoak site

NeoOuija is No More

Sad news I'm afraid. Neo Ouija has decided to close its doors. One of the best British Electronica Labels with a strong roster of artists including Metamatics, Praveen & Xela. I'm sure they will all find new homes but, ach, its not going to be the same. They're still selling from their shop so go and grab some while you still can. If youre not sure about what to get the Cottage Industries compilations are a great starting place.

Dubweiser mix - German Jungle!

Like your Jungle Reggae-tinged, dubby and flowing?
Like your jungle emaculately mixed by a German?
Then this is the mix for you.

Myom - Dubwiser Sutdio Mix 12/2005 (VBR, 85mins)

Tracklist:
01 Shy FX feat. David Boomah - On the Run [Digital Soundboy]
02 Visionary - You Cant Surrender [Lion Dub]
03 Digital - Brotherman [Function]
04 Motive - Saviour Dub [Sound-Trax]
05 Shy FX & T-Power - Lover´s Rock [Digital Soundboy]
06 Visionary - Youth Man [Hustlin Beats]
07 Visionary - I Know a Girl [Lion Dub]
08 Skoobz - Soundclash [Rockers]
09 Unknown Artist - Sax Dub [Shout]
10 Unknown Artist - Jah Promise [Chronic]
11 Cool Hand Flex - Melody Madness (Fierce & Break Rmx) [MACII]
12 London Electricity - Main Ingredient (SKC Remix) [Hospital]
13 Cyantific - Dont Follow [Hospital]
14 Craggz & Parallel Forces - Love Insane [Valve]
15 Shy FX & T-Power - Feelings [Digital Soundboy]
16 David Carbone & Kubiks - After Dark [BS1]
17 Mutt - Dublites (D-Bridge-Remix) [Horizons]
18 A.I. vs D-Bridge - Better Days [Liquid V]
19 Marcus Intalex - Out Of Touch [Revolve:R]
20 Visionary - Fallen Angels [Play Music]
21 Digital & Irie J - No More Violence (Tactile Remix) [Function]
22 St.Cal - Losing Ground [Soul:R]
23 Calibre feat. Crow - Kiya [Signature]
24 Calibre - All the While [Signature]

Festival au Desert 2006

Up to much this weekend? Fancy something different to getting off your face in front of a dj? Theres still just enough time to get yourself on a plane to Timbuktu for the sixth "Festival au Desert".

Started "officially" in January 2001, the "festival au désert" held every year in Essakane, two hours from Timbuctu in Mali.

During the three-day event, everyone sleeps in tents, including the musicians and visiting dignitaries. The festival is not without glitches. At the first one gun-toting bandits stole the public address system that had been flown in. They returned it - reluctantly - only after a former rebel leader who now plays guitar with a celebrated local group named Tinariwen negotiated the equipment's release.

The majority of music played is traditional, Tuareq, desert blues. Mali is pretty famous for its music, with Amadou & Mariam rocking in big this year, and Salif Keita constantly impressing. Mali's most famous Tuareg export is Ali Farka Touré, who isnt appearing this year but is well worth checking out. Especially his colaboration with Ry Cooder Talking Timbuktu or last years Red & Green.

official site

more images from 2004

more images from 2003 (- with a few of robert plant)

Mega Wagon!

Best Camper I've ever seen, as their blurb says :

"Clearly one of the finest mobile recording studios available today, it was built around a Solid State Logic 4000G+ (used to record 74.5% of U.S. No. 1 singles). Our state-of-the-art control room, designed by Peter Mauer of studio bau:ton , featues walls made from porous aluminum (alamute) and diffusers manufactured by RPG Diffuser Systems. Our 5.1 surround monitoring system, comprised of Dynaudio and Genelec monitors, is frequently tuned by Bob Hodas, a world-renowned acoustic analyst. Our console is regularly maintained by Phil Nicolay of Los Angeles-based THE DESK DOCTOR."


Start your bidding now $159,000.00 (US) & 6 days to go from when this article was posted.

Fire up the Dub Siren!

Weeoooohhhh weeeeooohhhh brrrrrrp! Cru-cify da soun'!



For those of you not handy with a soldering iron heres a little free vst to help you dub up the place. I reckon its more useful as an additional djing/liveset toy to send the crowd crazy, than a softsynth for using in tracks. Whatever you think its good for its a lot of fun.

download rel 1.2 (857 KB) zip

heres the tech stuff :

DUB SIREN
Emulates the sounds of those selfmade siren units used by Dub and Reggae Sound Systems like Jah Shaka, Aba Shanti and countless others.

* simple synthesizer architecture with 1 Oscillator and 2 independent LFOs (LFO1: rectified sine LFO2: pulse) additional chopper circuit to mute the sound during the low phase of LFO2
* tape delay emulation with highpass and lowpass filter in the feedback path. adjustable simulation of tape hiss (useful for endless delays at high tape saturation levels).
* all parameters controllable by midi (controllers #20 - #32)

peace, love, unity
Daniel aka The Interruptor

The return of the One Man Band

Theres a fine line between genius and madness. Take Bob Dylan for example: He plays guitar and harmonica similtaneously and is widely regarded as a genuis. Stick a pair of symbols between his legs and what do you get? - a madman! Now do you see what im on about.

Recently theres been a little renaissance in the "One-man Band" but in a Glitchcore style. Many electronica artists are now assembling their own fantastic hybrid gigging machines made from laptops, midi-controllers, mixers, mics and anything else they need to mash it. Duct-taping the whole lot together and hitting the road.

Take a look at these two videos and make your own mind up. Geniuses or madmen?

quite a large video of Jamie Lidell live at the Royal Festival Hall







Tim Exile demonstrating his stuff on the Native Instruments site (you'll have to click through to get to his demo video)





The jury is out, & wouldn't want to state either way as I love their music too much. Madman or otherwise im still keeping a keen eye on this little gem, could be the start of my own one man band.





read a more detailed spec and bid for it on ebay

Best Mixes & Liveslots of 2005

Just re-iterating whats below because everything is goes backwards in time on blogs -

below you'll find 5 of the best free liveslots & mixes found on the net in 2005

Bendyman - Cut Session 2
Kawl 1 - 31 flavours
EG-689 - Recovery
Lusine - Live
Greg Wilson - Live pt 1

Lusine Live in Chicago

Enough praise and wonderment cannot be heaped on this guys production skills. If your remotely into electronica, or even house & techno you must check out Lusine's Serial Hodgepodge. I daresay there will be a few of you doing just that after hearing this storming live session :

Download MP3

Greg Wilson - Live @ Apt

This is lovely - If you dont know who Greg Wilson is then i suggest getting "Credit to the Edit" out now on Tirk Records. In a sentence : Hes a top rankin northern 80s dance 12" producer-legend and his live slots are storming.

check out this great article to find out all about the man...

Not quite sure what hes got going on here technology wise.... but i do know that he makes a really funky-disco/electro sludge out of instrumental loops as a base. On top of which he peppers that with cuts of tracks and keyboards, acapellas & stuff. And then goes mental with some lovely analogue effects, and lays the whole lot down on to reel to reel for us to enjoy!

Greg Wilson - Live @ APT - pt1
Greg Wilson - Live @ APT - pt2

EG-689 - Recovery Position.

Get ready for some space funk- this ones intergalactic baby!

carl craig - science fiction
mr velcro fastener - dig'it
dopplereffekt - speak and spell
raiders of the lost arp - workflow
quant - soft ice sunshade
jedi knights - solina
the black dog - aural wallpaper
ur - base camp alpha 808
raiders of the lost arp - miles
lfo - tan ta ra
håkan lidbo - stereotypewriters
cristian vogel - going the distance
adam johnson - changer demain

download MP3

Bendyman - Cut Session 2.

Just realised that this mix is actually from 2004, but i only got it at the beginning of 2005 so wtf. Its been creating converts in its wake every time its been played. Its wicked. now go ahead and lap it up!

-Dig this motherfucker - Bendyman (Intro bits'n'pieces)
-Mobbin - Peanut Butter Wolf (Plus Benz live beat'n'bass)
-Wired Up - Jeep Beat Collective
-No (accapella) - Chuck D
-No No No - Dawn Penn
-Warning - Fire Fox & 4-Tree
-Mr Logic - Cloud 9
-Sound Control - Randall & Andy C
-Valley of the Shadows - Origin Unknown
-Roll it - Funky T
-calling the people - A-Zone
-Wheel'n'Deal - DJ Gunshot
-Roads must Roll - Boom Bip
-Friendly Pressure (acappella) - Jhelisa
-Humour - Prefuse73
-Busy signal - Prefuse73
-Z trips Bonus Beats2 - Z Trip
-Whisper in my ear to tell me that you hate me - Prefuse73
-Barettas Theme - Ray Conniff
-Govinda (Monkey Mafia mix) - Kula Shaker
-DWYCK (acappella) - Gangstarr
-Just to get a rep - Gangstarr
-Holy Calamity feat. DJ Shadow & DJ Quest - Handsome Boy Modeling School
-Bocata de bonita - Dj food
-Junglist (No sell out Remix) - Tribe of Issachar
-MC's act like they don't know - KRS One
-Ms. fat Booty (Instrumental) - Mos Def
-Ghostwriter - RJD2
-Maximum Style - Tom & Jerry
-GDMFSOB (feat. Roots Manuva) - DJ Shadow
-Alley oop - J-Zone
-Oh you want more? - TY

download MP3

KAWL 1 - 31 Flavours Mix

31 Flavours in only 26.5 mins..

01. amerie - one thing
02. tipper - no dice
03. brand nubian - step to the rear
04. machine drum - hollis
05. lil jon - get low(instr)
06. de la soul - schwingalowkate
07. tosca - annanas
08. swollen members - zenith
09. tosca - ocean boat
10. el da sensei - frontline
11. herbaliser - turnaround
12. gangstarr - dwyck
13. wagonchrist - ez listener
14. styles of beyond - survival tactics
15. beneath autumn sky - spyheadings
16. machine drum - berim
17. grank funk - nothing is the same
18. steppenwolf - jupiter child
19. brandy - i wanna be down with you (acapella)
20. edit - situps pullups
21. savath and savalas - yesterdays throwaway
22. gm grimm - chicken little
23. jim jones - krunk musik
24. clifford gilberto - brasilian freestylee
25. dj signify - 5 leaves for lauren
26. mgm - rotor
27. musiq - meinheld
28. missy elliot - the rain (instr)
29. herbie hancock - deathwish
30. vodul mega - believe
31. cabbageboy - planet

download MP3

Best Mixes and Liveslots of 2005

Just done a run down of some of the best albums, but 2005 was a turning point when a lot of people realised there are some truly astounding bits of music available on the net. And its not all about file-sharing albums illegally either. The majority of the best bits of 2005 were either meticulously sequenced mixes by DJ's and fans, or artist's live slots given away to promote themselves.

There are many reasons for this upsurge : the general public embracing cheaper broadband, allowing for up & downloading of larger files. The wide availablity of music production software - especially simpler bits like Ableton allowing newcomers to really run with it. The mp3 player becoming affordable & taking hold of the market & the mp3 mix losing its stigma of not being a proper (vinyl) mix. The list goes on...

Here they are - each will get its own post with link and tracklist where applicable

Bendyman - Cut Session 2
Kawl 1 - 31 flavours
EG-689 - Recovery
Lusine - Live
Greg Wilson - Live pt 1

Round Up! — The Best Albums of 2005

Well its a new year and a new blog - loads of publications have gone crazy for lists - and what better way to give you a taste of whats going to be posted in future than a rundown of some commercially available albums that have really rocked it for me over the past year.

Edan- Beauty & the Beat (Lewis)

Lusine - Serial Hodgepodge (Ghostly International)
Cyne - Evolution Fight (CCO)
Sufjan Stevens - Come on feel the Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty)
Buzzin ' Fly Volume 2 - mixed by Ben Watt (Buzzin' Fly)
Gorillaz - Demon Days (Parlophone)
Jose Gonzales - Veneer (Peace Frog)
Leningrad - Mat (???)
Mulatu Astaqé - Ethiopiques 04 (buda musique)

There you have the Top 9, in no particular order. A fair spread. Some glitch, some folk , some hiphop, house, russian gypsy ska, african jazz & some pop.

Edan - Beauty and the Beat
Great Great British hip-hop album - done by a white boy! I heard some of his earlier stuff and liked it, but wasnt blown away, certainly not like when I heard this the first time! He has come of age. I haven't quite heard a hip hop album like this. Heavily psychedelic, and borrowing from all aspects of that genre. Expect to hear beats and loops made from British Heavy Rock riffs topped with Californian psych-religious vocals. Mental feedback effects and delays give his tracks the same kind of edge as the hendrix experience, and also binds every track until the albums a unified piece of work.

want to know who he his and where he came from read this


Lusine - Serial Hodgepodge
This album was actually released in 2004, but i got it early in 05 and am still finding freshness in it now. The guy is almost a saviour for some people who are getting dismayed by the glitch scene. A lot of it these days, although sounding fantastic and deftly produced, is disappearing up its own arse into a non-rhythmic mulch.

Every bit of hiss, pop, stutter and glitch on this album has its place, all it combines to enhance the groove he set up, not destroy it. Its the best produced album of its genre for a while. You can't even work out what kit he uses , how many channels hes using or what samples he started out with — and its sounds spacious lush and heavenly. Should be bumping a Lusine - Live Slot up on this blog soon - keep your ears open!


Cyne - Evolution Fight
Not much seems to be known about Cyne, they seem to flit around the edges of the hip-hop community, & seem more in tune with the electronica-heads. The first 12" off this album was a wicked 8 track EP with remixes by four tet, released on City Centre Offices - a german label more famous for electronica artist such as arovane. Having links with these sort of people may well explain their thoughtful lyrics and the high level of production they put into their tracks. Its a great flowing album which seems to hark back to a more golden, less materialistic era of rap. All the instrumental backing is super-warm and just comes humming out of your speakers. Roll on summer.


Sufjan Stevens - Come on feel the Illinoise
Now heres one. Not many people make albums like this anymore. Not many outwardly arty people have the budgets to make such a lavish, epic & slightly religious folk record either. This has appeared in a lot of peoples 2005 lists, many who arent normally inclined to his sort of thing, and quite rightly so.

This is just one installment of 52. Sufjan plans to make one based on every state in the US, and I wish him luck. This is the Illinoise offering, which goes some way to explain the religious elements. Theres something lovely in the overtones of defiance and innoncence in the music and lyrics, which display Illinois' outlook to the rest of the States. At points it feels a little like a school Music production with quiet bits & whopping great crescendos, but in a good way. Its reinforces how right and in love with life you could feel at that age with a tambourine and a wooden block. It also is a reminder that you can bash out big silly noises like that today even if it isnt hip, because it feels fucking great when you do it. Just like an Illinoise quaker doesnt care what the outside think, becasue it feels great to them.


Buzzin ' Fly Volume 2 - Ben Watt
Its not often that a silky smooth house slot really cuts it. In fact i'd say that this is the best ive heard since Tom middletons "A Jedis Night out" - and that was about 8 years ago! (feel free to correct me with suggestions in the comments below).

Every track on this mix has its own twist on the house genre (some hardcore, some electro, some deep, some trance, some jazz, some world), yet every track sounds like they know all the others. Every track is superbly produced, and there isnt a bad link on the whole mix. 10/10


Gorillaz - Demon Days
Not much comment as you've already heard it elsewhere. Albarns Think Tank in 2004 was an amazing stew of rock, dub, dance and world styles and this is its cheeky cartoon brother - superb.


Jose Gonzales - Veneer
There are alot of folk imitators out there today, who, when they lay it down to tape, lose something. 90% of this album is just him his guitar and his husky whispers. The riffs he plays are just hypnotic simple loops, which go someway to explain why hes so in with the ageing club crowd (& signed to Peacefrog). The songs seem like short exercises but are also complete. His lyrics are poignant yet meaningless (the best sort). He even meanders into bossa and flamenco without trying or sounding like a pastiche. The whole album just oozes a certain time and emotion. — Made me cry more than anything else all year! Lovely.


Leningrad - Mat
I need to know more about this band but can't read Russian! I havent visited the Eastern Bloc yet so could build a trip around seeing them pay live.

A girl on the ninjaboard put me onto this (sorry forgotten who it was!). Who had a tape she bought from a market, and through some strange threads someone else (sorry forgotten who it was!) found this which is the whole album for you to enjoy!

She originally called it SomeRussian Criminal Shit, which pretty much nails it on the head. Its like a 4 or 5 piece drunken-Russian-Gypsy-Ska band, who dont bother tuning their instruments too tightly & know how to get rowdy. Its perfect pissed & hangover music. Theres even a song called "Algoholik" which at one point goes "i-lubba-lub beera, I lubba-lub WODKA!" & theres another where the chorus is "something, something, something, MOTHERFUCKER!!" - brilliant.


Mulatu Astaqé - Ethiopiques 04
This was a chance find. I was hugely impressed with a Mulatu 10" which came out on Soundway earlier this year. Soundway are a Brighton based label whose mission is to "release underground tropical dance music with a funky flavour". And although this is out on "buda musique" thats completely what this is!

Theres a few different styles on here. Most is pretty raw dirty loose funky jazz. With some seriously wonky rhodes sounds and honking saxes. In fact theres all standard jazz instruments appearing at one point or another, but occassionally theres a wicked twist like an arabic sounding solo on the sax. Some of the most beautiful moments are actually traditional ethiopian compostions which have been given a little Mulatu treatment and turned into lilting wandering jazz tunes for you to daydream to at work. Ahh.

Welcome - New Year - New Blog!

I'd noticed over the past few months that a lot of music-related goodness was passing through me. Sometimes I felt like some kind of web-oyster filtering all the crap that floats about into pearls.

Everyday I seem to be stumbling across absolutely incredible mixes, articles, news of events, free bits of software (vsts), and production techniques. I tell you - the nets gone nuts for free stuff lately! And this blog has been set upto try and make sense of it all.

Hopefully what will evolve over some time will be a serious resource for some of todays hottest mixes ( - the kind that cost too much to produce comercially). News on the more interesting releases and acts who are cutting it out there. Tutorials on just how they get that sound. A whole host of vsts & other bits of free software. Images, videos, links, — yeah, you name it.

I wont be posting everything i find up here - only the stuff I roadtest and vouch for myself. Whats the point if theres no quality control? Saying that though, there will be plenty of non-music based stuff from time to time - Its a big world with a lot of things going on and its good to take your inspiration from anything that delights you....

Enjoy!