AWKWARD MOVEMENTS

Marina Stewart - 'Horreur Tape' C10 Cassette [I Had An Accident]

2013-05-16T07:51:00.001-07:00

Great release this, albeit a bit shorter than I expected the run time to be. Out on I Had An Accident in super limited C10 cassette form, Marina Stewart gives two sides of 'Les Horreur's Indescripitable' - cut and paste experimental electronics that leave us wanting more and hunting down the rest of her works.

Evidently started in 1986, the A-side (strangely titled 'Les Horreurs Indescriptable II' against the B-side's 'Les Horreuers Indescriptable I') benefits from it's raw tape transfer feel, an untempoed composition incorporating bouncing synths, random voice recordings and tick-tocking effects working together in an eery space. Fans of the last Broadcast album will find some common ground here no doubt.

The flip side of Horreur Tape is a more recent composition for Marina Stewart, this one done specifically for this release. Throwing up a more industrial beat sound, Stewart deliberately dirties up and crunches out the drums, distorting effects to the Russel Haswell level and using this to dictate the recording's direction. Much more brutal in construciton, the organ sounds are stretched out uncomfortably, reversed and pushed around in to smaller spaces then should fit. The irony of the 2012 recording sounding grimier than the 1986 offering one isn't wasted on us either, but recording times aside neither sounds out of place on a limited tape offering.

Discogs shows us that Thorsten Soltau and The Elecctent were involved in the mixdown and effects, which is somewhat unsurprising given the quality of the release. Limited to 40 copies only, done on purple cassette - not sure how there's still some kicking around. Brilliant addition to the collection, get on it while you still can. And it even shipped with a promotional condom - first I've seen of that, and a nice touch from a label with 'Accident' in their name.

via I Had An Accident Records
Marina Stewart originally crafted the first part of the Horreur Tape back in 1986. Recently revisited and with the addition of side B, a short introduction to Stewart’s music has been formed. The two tracks, spanning just less than 10 minutes, are not to be taken lightly. They are filled with heavily distorted beats, breaking sound blips, audio clips, and a forceful presence of moving forward. Aged like a fine wine, the intricate nature of the recording lends itself to multiple layers of sounds that reveal themselves little by little after each listen. The album is rich in texture, sound that you can physically feel, reach out and touch. It drudges on and provides a whirlwind of backward momentum and damaged sound. A very limited 40 copies of this tape exist on purple cassettes with layout and artwork by Zin. Scissor motif by Marina Stewart herself and accurately portrays the history of this work.
Horreur Tape by Marina Stewart

Aybee - 'Worlds' LP [Deepblak Music]

2013-05-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

Armon Brazile aka Aybee first entered our sphere of consciousness after he flexed the cosmic house muscles on the 11:11 EP a few years back. Released on his own Deepblak label, that plate was uncharted territory for us at the time and opened up new possibilities from the deeper side of the genre. Later that year, under his beats-based alias o1o, he properly stopped us in our tracks with the limited press of Futurespective. Only a handful made it to the UK, but that record's got a special place in the collection due to the sounds pressed on it rather than it's limited nature.

Back on the deeper house vibes tip with the new LP and Worlds is next level. A jazz influenced journey that starts with beatless noise across space, slowly developing constraints and tempos as the track listing evolves across the 2XLP. Analogue sounds mix together, bass and drums developing a punch as the tape-echo and samples float in and out of the compositions as they see fit. This is where the the genius of Aybee lies, not just in his unique sound palettes but the areas he leaves around the songs, the instrumentation akin to Floating Points given it's own room to move.

Not a lot of other house producers evoke this natural spirituality feel from their tracks. Hieroglyphic Being, DJ Krush and Sun-Ra are the easiest comparisons in more way than one for the unadultered cosmic vibes. From those that are on this level of production none are as creative and flexible within their unique sound as Aybee. Undoubtedly one of the best "producer's producer" heads around, fans of everyone form Joe Meek to Dilla to Nochexxx to Fudge Fingas to Medeski, Martin & Wood have the potential to come together on this plate, you don't have to be a house fan to dig what he's doing.

Released once again on his own Deepblak Music label with nine cuts in total, this is definitely going to influence the scene for 2013 - get it while the wax is still around. Press release below, and a two tracks off the album just underneath that.

via Deepblak
Deepblak Chief Alchemist AYBEE returns unveiling “Worlds” his second full length on Deepblak , and follow up to 2009’s ground breaking “East Oakland Space Program”. Once again we embark on cross dimensional travels into rhythm as AYBEE dives head first into sonic landscapes. “Worlds” is a rhythmic cartography of the many moods of the Oakland, CA based producer. Fusing elements of the cosmic, and the deep as he mines through a host of emotional transitions of the last few years. True to AYBEE’s production aesthetics “Worlds” is full of depth, layers, and colors while touching on various tempos. Always seeking to expand the boundaries, AYBEE once again delivers a long play project that transports the listener while evading convention. We are very proud to present this album which is the first one in Deeplak’s new decade. We sincerely hope that you enjoy the trip.

Hand Baked Arcade / Retro Game Base TV

2013-05-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Definitely the top non-musical regular happening in my books is Hand Baked Arcade. Whether a pub, bowling alley, cinem, any other venue for any sort of occasion in addition to their regular night Button Bash, the chaps behind Hand Baked always supplied a quality event. As a pop-up arcade, HBA supply a never-ending supply of vintage gaming consoles, rare platforms and even a MAME arcade machines that would see a collection of vintage gaming regulars, occasional players, retro-files and those who've never picked up a console before descend on to the location. For about £4 you could play games all night.

The events were all-inclusive too, nowhere near excluding the non-gaming crowd. Those who'd never owned a Gameboy were able to make up for lost time, and ten-player Bomberman on Sega Saturn and multi-player Bond on N64 projected on to pull-down movie screens were definite favourites. One memorable night I shared a MAME arcade box with a random chap who also turned out to be a gun at arcade Contra, and we almost smashed the whole game on minimal credits. A sage nod at the end and we went our separate ways never to play together again.

Before we'd found these nights we'd bumped in to the Retro Game Base crew via their stall at Camden markets, which regrettably was one of the ones to go following the fire a few years back. Not to be put off, they've since moved in to a permanent presence in Streatham common, Retro Game Base. Looking on the site and an unknown highlight comes in the form of dual-cartridge systems, not sure why I've not seen these before. Having NES and Super NES running out of the same console is brilliant.

As of last week the RGB have also piloted an online show, hopefully coming more often than not. Check below for the full clip via their youtube channel. As well as covering Shinobi X and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on NES (remembered fondly) there's also tips on getting those thought to be dead cartridges working.

Bomb it around, and definitely stop by the shop. Gaming love aside you've got to big up heads dedicated to the cause and growing their own business bit by bit.

Loefah & Chunky @ GoodGod Small Club - 11.5.13 [SYD]

2013-05-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

As a quarter of DMZ along with Digital Mystikz and Sgt. Pokes, Loefah is one cat who needs no introduction. Big in the scene since early days, the man has contributed more to the musical landscapes pre- and post- dubstep booms then most of his contemporaries will in a lifetime. Looking back it turns out the "Goat Stare" platter was released almost eight years ago and "Disko Rekah" back in 2007. Sure as hell doesn't feel that long ago on either of them.

But as Loefah's said and proven many times it's all about moving forward and pushing new sounds. While his legacy in bass will always be there, he's continually carved out his own reputation as a selector and even more recently label boss of Swamp 81. For those that don't know, Swamp 81 has also had the balls to release as a vinyl only label, quality pressings every time I've got to say. Working themselves as a somewhat experimental imprint for their producers who release on them, there's not a lot of labels doing it better.

Let's talk about the one known as Chunky, who's undoubtedly one of the best MCs in the game. In fact, with the exception of Pokes he's got to be everyone's favourite mic man. As the regular host with Riot Jazz and Hoya:Hoya (once referred to as the most important night in the UK), he clocked up an epic resume through his live mouth work before showing us he could do it on the production tip as well, releasing his first EP through Swamp 81 on the back end of last year.

Not sure if he'll be stepping on decks as well throughout the course of the night, maybe it's a back-to-back record thing, but hopefully he'll be smashing mic duties throughout.

Tickets are around the $35 mark, more on door, check the link below to buy and for more details.

via Resident Advisor
Low Motion and Original Tekkers are proud to present Loefah and Chunky for a very special club night at Goodgod Small Club on May 11.
One of the pioneers of dubstep, Loefah along with his partners, Mala and Coki started the now infamous DMZ brand. As "dubstep" grew further and further from its roots and became increasingly commercial, Loefah turned his attention to an emergent new hive of creativity to create the label, Swamp 81. with a string of releases from the likes of Addison Groove, Ramadanman, Boddika and Falty DL, Swamp81 is dedicated to the promotion of subcultural bass music with releases that display a like minded dedication to weighty electronic music and that is what has made the ripples world wide for this label.
Joining Loefah is MC DJ Producer extraordinaire Chunky. Swamp 81's Resident MC.

So take some time to listen to the Swamp 81 back catologue. check their Rinse FM podcasts and get hyped for what is sure to be one of the club shows of the year! Loefah and Chunky at Goodgod Small Club May 11! Smiley faces :)

NTS Awkward Movements Show - 29.4.13

2013-05-08T00:41:00.001-07:00

Seriously heavy session from Paul Ackroyd aka Kamikaze last week for the fortnightly Awkward Movements show on NTS. Despite some studio issues with no monitoring, it came out sounding a bit peaky but dope notnhteless, some proper vibes selections getting a rawer edge due to the fact. Highlights from Ramesh on Pharaway sounds, Incite Hu, Steve Summers on L.I.E.S. and blind violinist Professor Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu rescued from early 20th century 78s. Show favourites return in the form of tracks from Torn Hawk, new Demdike Stare, Conlon Nancarrow and Kink Gong; and of course it wouldn't be complete without Muslimgauze making an appearance. Quality all round.

Full track list and archive below, to stream or download at your leisure. Skip about three minutes to bypass some awful soul track from the show before.

Next session for Awkward Movements is going out Monday, 13th of April, 2-4pm. We've started puling some wax for it - get locked.

Chasing Voices - Awoken By Tears [Preserved Instincts]
Steve Summers - The Outermaze [LIES]
Moonraker - Moonbased (feat Ebony Ampere) [Great Circles]
Demdike Stare - Primitive Equations [Modern Love]
Incite Hu - Quid Quid Agis [Hafenschlamm]
Torn Hawk - Untitled 10 [Valcrond Video]
Muslimgauze - Marijana Jar [Soleilmoon]
The Conet Project - Data Bursts, 5.201khz (USB And AM) [Irdial]
Conlon Nancarrow - Study For Player Piano 40b [Wergo]
Omar S - The Shit Baby [FXHE]
Tee Two Mariani - Le Jardinier [Macadam Mambo]
Ramesh - Delakam [Pharaway Sounds]
Professor Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu - Thanam-Kalyani [HMV]
Quanah Parker - Despejado Mundo Enteritoini [Quanah Parker]
Fulani Musicians - Flutes Et Tambours [SFP]
Kink Gong - 3 Hani Pipa [Discrepant]
Kuupuu - Pensas On Elain [EM]

'This Ain't California' - Skateboarding In The German Democratic Republic

2013-05-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

Caught this documentary / feature - and subsequent Q&A with director, Martin Persiel - across the weekend as part the Audi Festival Of German Films, and proper glad I did. Persiel has created what's set to be a cult film in years to come, based on an isolated crew of East German teens and their unique experience in the skateboarding sub-culture in the German Democratic Republic.

This Ain't California in it's most basic form could be classified as a European skate film, though doubtful anyone will take the lazy comparison of its American counterparts.

Persiel tells a less celebrated but far more intriguing story of oppressed teenagers seeking an outlet for their own evolution, and frustrated existence within the sheltered GDR. There's no glorified ending with sponsorship dollars or international recognition, with the collapse of the Berlin wall and gradual dissolution of their group offering an even more memorable ending.

The main figure here is Denis 'Panik' Paraceck - ringleader of the skate crew, and who's death was the catalyst for the film to be made. None had had contact with him for well over a decade, losing track with Panik during his first spell in prison, where he remained as the rest of Germany embraced reunificaton.

The narration from his oldest friends are balanced out with interviews and stories from East and West Germans who grew up skating alongside him at the time, recounting stories that are illustrated through reenactments, personal photos and some rare amateur footage shot within the GDR.

This archive discovery is worth a special mention, especially as it was a deciding factor in the film being made. GDR archive is a rare commodity as it is, due to the scarceness of resources at the time. In the development stages of This Ain't California, suitcases of 8mm were turned up from a contact that had shot skaters at the time, and despite hesitations of allowing a West German such as Martin Persiel access to them, due to a fear of GDR being misrepresented once again, this archive footage goldmine had an incredible impact on the film.

There's been a bit written about the legitimacy of the main character Panik, suggested he's the culmination of a few stories and people and that the use of actors for re-enactments has gone too far, negating the film as a cultural documentary. Having sat through a Q&A with Persiel in which, among other things, he went deeper into Panik's later years, I believe that Denis Paraceck was the person portrayed and re-enacted through the film. As to the second question, enough of the footage is a necessity in recounting events, and an era, for it to be considered a quality documentary.

Documentaries will always tell one side of the story, and Persiel has coined the term 'poetic documentary' with his offering. Purists of the genre write this off, but as an archive digger I definitely respect what's going on. To find the cars, the boards, the locations and the way in which to piece it together as archive footage alongside still imagery and animation is a feat in itself.

Before we drop in the trailers and a write-up from the production house themselves, we need to recommend getting down to see this when it's in your town. It's not just for skaters, but a worthy watch for anyone. Head here for additional screenings around the country and for more info, check out the Facebook page here or the official website at http://www.thisaintcalifornia.de/en

via Audi Festival Of German Films
This sure ain’t California in terms of geography but the emotional landscape of this documentary about teenage rebellion and skateboard riding in East Germany of the 1970s and 1980s most certainly is California. Combining priceless propaganda footage and amazing black-and-white home video footage from the era, documentary maker Martin Persiel creates a vivid portrait of Dennis, Dirk and Nico, childhood friends living in dreary New Olvenstedt who were drawn together by a shared love of that most American of leisure pursuits. Following his subjects to 2011, Persiel deftly weaves skateboard nostalgia into the story of their experiences as teen rebels in a totalitarian state and the profound change that came over their lives following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. You don’t need to be a fully-fledged skaterpunk or even a fan of ‘sidewalk surfing’ to enjoy this high spirited and poignant tribute to the pursuit of happiness on four small wheels and a short wooden plank.

Hieroglyphic Being - 'Reel Torque: Volume 1' Cassette [Reel Torque]

2013-05-01T07:21:00.002-07:00

Second time in as many days that we're talking about almost gone releases - blink and you missed it styles - so apologies in advance if you're chasing this one down. Needed to share this though, as I was fortunate to get my hands on one of these live mixes from Hieroglyphic Being, a limited cassette released as the first in a new imprint / series titled Reel Torque.

Here also seems as good a time as any to step in to the cassette debate realm. It's always going to be wax love for us; vinyl first and foremost for format, collection and quality. That said, the increasing number of damaged plates coming in at over 10 pounds as standard is starting to get embarrassing. Remember when records were limited to 1000? Then 750? 500? 300? And now 150 even. Lesser quantity pushes up prices and quality down, and the result has been great releases coming out in smaller quantities on the more cost-effective cassette solution. And while Jamal Moss aka Hieroglyphic Being could release on any format and it would be gone by daybreak and sound dope, the circumstances surrounding the industry have re-ignited my love of tape, and this format definitely suits the raw sound of Hieroglyphic Being live.

Reel Torque: Volume 1 was recorded at the Endless Race at Newcastle upon Tyne, the closing night of 2012's Tusk Festival. Although not specified on on this mix, as standard Hieroglyphic Being blends his decks with analogue gear instead of a standard turntable and mixer set up, creating his own edits live and on the go. Here he mixes in his soul, disco and Chicago house flavours with varying hardness from the acid side of things. There's 45 minutes on each side of the cassette in which he swings backwards and forwards across the 4/4 genres, but always comes back to an acid house and techno core. A bit different to the afrobeat, house and jazz base that some of his top mixes are known for, but nonetheless mind-blowingly good. There's a reason he's one of our favourite all time DJs and producers, don't sleep on the man's output.

Complimenting his mixes is rather difficult in words, as Hieroglyphic Being is the master of live selection and going off vibes, as opposed to sticking to the same bpm and style for consistent blocks. A lot of veteran DJs criticise the style - but never the selections - until they see him go live, and watch how he seems to be flowing the mix on a totally separate level. Maybe it's the nostalgia but theis mix in this format, all rough and ready like the man's mixing style, but this tape really captures the primitive raw-dance spirituality of a Hieroglyphic Being live set.

The full package is great. The sleeve by Savwo
is wicked, and with the hand-stamped cardboard on the pink cassette it's a quality aesthetic they got happening.

No previews for this one, you'll have to trust in us and Hieroglyphic Being and track yourself down a copy.

via Boomkat
**Limited Edition Pink C90 cassette with J-card design & illustration by Savwo, housed in a hand-stamped outer sleeve** Reel Torque is a new mixtape label administered by our staunch pals behind Manchester's Faktion events and clubnights. This first issue is an extract of a warts-'n-all recording of Chicago's dancefloor mystic, Hieroglyphic Being, captured in full flight on 06/10/2012 at Endless Race, the closing party for Newcastle's Tusk festival, on a now-legendary European tour which saw him turn a practically sober monday night crowd in Manchester into mind-blown, sweat-drenched devotees for life (a recording of said night was attempted, and failed due to cosmic intervention). Recorded at the start of his fateful voyage, this tape starts with a true baptism of acid fire, overdriven tae f**k and intended to separate casual listeners from the freaks. Soon enough the fader's cut to classic disco and continues to swerve between Jamal's own, precious edits of new wave, boogie, earliest house and warehouse acids without a pause for breath. You'll never come close to fully capturing the vibe of Hieroglyphic Being in situ, towering over the decks, eyes in the back-of-his-head and swaying like a cult leader preaching jakk gospel, but we reckon this performance comes close. Warning: if you're a DJ pedant, or can't handle a bit of grit on yer biscuit, you need not apply. This one is for the reeel freeeks only!

Psyche / BFC – 'Elements 1989-1990' 3xLP (2013 Remaster & Reissue) [Planet E]

2013-04-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Stoked that this reissue gives us another chance to discuss the early work of Carl Craig. And while I've been looking for somewhere to properly explore his Modular Pursuits projects, it's all about exploring the stylings of his original Psyche and BFC aliases at present. Last month the Planet E label dropped a 3xLP remastered and reissued of Elements 1989-1990, the original of which was a collection of earlier tracks itself.

Only just got around to listening to it in full, trying to bend my mind around what must've been going on for him to be pushing things next level, creating his own blueprint for a genre of sound as he went along.

As well as being remastered, the 2013 the gatefold version comes with a letter from Carl himself, talking about recording in '89 on borrowed equipment, sessions at Derrick's and some techniques broken down track by track. Detroit roots run deep as he talks about early influences and gives some quality insight in to the length of time in recording and the restrictions of the equipment being used. Worth the record price alone before you even get the needle on.

Nine tracks in total, expanded from the original six on the original 1996 collection, and all are cuts that still sound dope today. Sample heavy loops push up against each other with the analogue roughness associated with the era, but Carl Craig's always had that skill of keeping sounds precise and clinical whilst twisting the track around itself, making it stand-out from the imitators in the pack. Essential listening, especially for the analogue heads and electronic historians.

Summing it up for me, Jimmy Monstafunk weighed in beautifully when he talked about Elements and the what it represents in the C2 and Planet E catalogs.

"The album shows that even the 20 year old Carl Craig could not be confined to the standard tropes of Techno and that his music would also feature elements gleaned from a long love of Jazz, Soul and the electronic experimenters that preceded him. The influence that Carl Craig's early trips to London with Derrick May should not be underestimated and that influence would later be reciprocated with Shut Up and Dance sampling the BFC track 'Galaxy'. Although all the classic elements of Techno feature in the form of synthesized arpeggios, emotive strings and samples from earlier electronica (Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4 features heavily in D-Funk, as it would feature again in Carl Craig's later Paperclip People track 'Remake') Carl stays away from the standard 4/4 bedrock and let's loose with beatless ambience, slower jams and stop start breakbeats. This gives an early insight into his peerless production skills, eclectic ear and ability to tease warm feelings out of cold machines".

While I've only just gotten around this, properly stoked to have it in the collection. Limited to 750 copies, they're only going to get pricier, we'd recommend getting a hold of one asap.

Mad props to Planet E and the don Carl Craig; brilliant reissue project this. Just realised the other day I've never gotten a bad pressing from Planet E - not a lot of labels can boast the quality and care that they've put in to releases for over twenty years.

Check some samples below. 2013 versions don't seem to have gone up, but the tracks stand up incredibly, and there's even a nice fan video for 'Chicken Noodle Soup.'

Steffi / Andrés / Fold - Panorama Bar Launch at Secret London Location - [LDN 5.5.13]

2013-04-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

One for the London heads, falling across next weekend's Bank Holiday celebrations comes the launch party for Steffi's Panorama Bar 05 mix CD, officially dropping middle of May on Ostgut Ton. Our friends over at Broken n Uneven and Electric Minds are stepping up to give the cause a proper christening in London with their usual quality party stakes at the just-announced E1 location of Studio Spaces. It's a well-earned reputation these guys boast for wicked events, no promoters we trust more.

Steffi needs no introduction. Not only one of Berlin's top house and techno residents night in, night out, but as a label owner (everything on Dolly as a rule is good) and producer of her own accord she's earned her place as a taste-maker and a definite queen of the scene. Third Side remains one of our favorite projects from a producer super-group, and if you've seen Steffi with them live or smashing a solo show you know you're in for a good night when she's selecting. The cut below is one of a very few to make repeat appearances in Awkward Movements Sessions.

That said, it's the 'special guest' here that pushes things up a notch for us. Sharing headlining duties on the night is the one named Andrès, who we had the pleasure of working with across Chairman Kato's Science & Romance release (AWK004) a few years back. The thing about Andrès on decks is that he can play anything. The man's got an ear for near perfection in sets, going off vibes between soul, hip-hop, house, disco or anything else that the floor needs. A proper veteran of the scene - who else could have been released via Slum Village as well as Moodymann? - Andres is worthy of all praise, not only a don on decks but a nice guy and ambassador for his city and scene. His own imprint, La Vida dropped two plates last year that became collector's items straight out the press.

Don't miss the masterclass of Andrès spinning. Our man Timmy K will be shooting on the night, so check back for photos soon after.

Full details on the night and lineup below, link to the venue here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Studio-Spaces-Events/452165531489676
RA event link for tickets and more details as they get released going up here: http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?440559

via Resident Advisor
Before embarking on a Spring/Summer tour that makes stops at Parklife, Sonar, Lovebox, SMS and Dimensions Festival, electric minds will once again take over a bespoke space on Bank Holiday Sunday 5th May for Steffi’s Panorama Bar 05 mix CD launch party.

Being one of the Berlin nightclub’s most celebrated residents she will now follow in the footsteps of her peers Tama Sumo, Prosumer and Nick Hoppner to curate a much-anticipated studio mix for the infamous clubbing institution's label Ostgut Ton. The Dutch-born DJ and producer has steadily built her reputation in House and Techno circles for silky and authentic Chicago House-tinged tracks whether it be the ubiquitous Yours from her debut album Yours & Mine in 2011 or more recent efforts on the Unified Fields LP with The Analogue Cops under their Third Side alias.

The mix CD is a snapshot of Steffi's DJ sets as well as a testament to the sound she champions through her own productions and on releases via her label, Dolly. Led by warm, raw and jacking analogue House and Techno the compilation boasts exclusive material from luminaries such as Fred P, Juju & Jordash, Big Strick and long-time affiliate and fellow Dutch countryman, Dexter. On Panorama Bar 05 Steffi seamlessly changes the pace between stripped back efforts like Doze by electric minds favourite Endian to melodic Detroit-leaning Techno on Juan Two Five from one of 2012's shining stars, Trevino, in a fashion that fans of her work have become accustomed to and newcomers can appreciate almost instantaneously.

Supporting her on the night will be the man who topped Resident Advisor, FACT and Little White Earbuds’ 2012 lists with his sumptuous Disco-inspired hit New For U, Andrés aka DJ Dez of Slum Village. The Detroit native has been dabbling with House and Disco offerings for some years, mainly on Moodymann’s KDJ and Mahogani Music imprints, but he recently took a giant leap with the launch of his La Vida label on which the aforementioned track was released so buckle up for a balanced blend of Disco, Funk and off-kilter House from the Motor City veteran.

Newcomer Fold appears for his debut set at electric minds after pricking up a few ears on his recent Slime EP for George FitzGerald's ManMakeMusic imprint. Avoiding pastiche with unpretentious nods to the likes of Shed with its submersive dub-Techno basslines and crystal clear synths, it's no surprise that he's been snapped up by the electric minds label arm for an EP later this year and looks set to be a valuable addition to the UK's growing Techno talent pool.

electric minds resident and founder Dolan Bergin will be on hand for one of his much-lauded sets and after recent outings at Panorama Bar, BLOC and Horizon Festival he will be pulling out some firm favourites and future classics to tide the electric minds faithful over until the night returns for its 8th Birthday in October.

Kemistry & Storm and Goldie - Remastered Set From Brighton 1996

2013-04-26T06:22:00.002-07:00

Something special from Metalheadz, in remembrance of Valerie Olusanya aka Kemistry, who passed away fourteen years ago yesterday. As a founding member of Metalheadz and one-half of drum 'n' bass duo Kemistry & Storm, Kemistry is owed a great debt from the many producers she dropped, punters who's heads she blew and the electronic music scene who's boundaries she pushed.

There's a great part in Brian Belle-Fortune's All Crews which recounts Kemistry & Storm driving for hours to reach gigs in a hired van packed with crates, playing for minimal cash, making a loss on their efforts for the night but loving every moment. Kemistry did it all for the right reasons, and left the world a better place for us.

Not much to say outside of bigging ups Metalheadz for getting this up. Once you get passed certain age circles or schooled heads, Kemistry's offerings to club culture, underground London and extended bass scenes that have come and gone since sometimes go unnoticed. And while it's a shame that you can't go a month without an overpriced reissue or tribute party to others recently passed, especially in hip-hop circles, there's something special about the way Kemistry's legacy is lovingly preserved without dollar sign influences or any cheapening of it.

In a proper tribute Metalheadz have remastered an archived set of their founding three-man crew going live from Brighton in 1996. A 60-minute set from Kemistry & Storm and Goldie sharing decks, complete with Cleveland Watkiss on MC duties. Brilliant listen, embedded below for stream or download.

RIP Kemistry.

via Metalheadz
Remastered and uploaded in memory of Kemistry (R.I.P.) who was sadly taken from us 14 years ago today (25.04.99)

Legowelt / Actress - 'Elementz Of Houz Music' 12" [Clone Jack For Daze]

2013-04-25T05:26:00.000-07:00

While we've never doubted the ability of Legowelt or Actress on the production tip, or the curation duties of Serge for that matter, we've got to say that both artists and Clone have really smacked this one out of the park. Two remixes from Actress of the Legowelt cut "Elementz Of Houz Music", the original of which dropped on Legowelt's The Paranormal Soul full length last year. The reworkings first got previewed back in February but then we all seem to have forgotten about the tracks until their official release date last week, sort of like discovering the same amazing record twice.

Talking of much-loved full-lengths of 2012, while we may not have gushed over social media when Actress dropped R.I.P. last year (don't mind saying that it got a bit embarrassing for a few top name critics and producers), we were still all over it as a stand-out LP. And if you've ever seen him go live, you know that he deserves the reign as one the scene's finest.

In fact as producer's and live performers both acts are on that rare top shelf material tip. Legowelt's known for his soft synth sounds, Actress for his unique and scattered structures, though both can do the other equally well. And although the remix was no doubt given as stems after the initial track release, what we've got here sounds like a collaboration of their best techniques. Legowelt's lush arrangements are given an extra attack and a left-field twist with such an organic evolution from the original that they could have been sitting in the studio together all along.

"Mix 1" on the A-side is your floor plate, a slightly darker movement in the house music realm of Clone, but the one most likely to fit in to a mix with the other Jack For Daze series plates. Actress managed to increase the playability of an already heavy track, taking it next level by beating it about some, having the underground club thoughts present at all times. This is the label that brought in Kyle Hall to remix Space Dimension Controller, and the series that launched the Geeeman alias, and "Mix 1" on this record is proper stylish against the previous catalogue.

Flip it over and you've got a similar framing of ideas flowed in to a 110bpm structure. It probably shouldn't work but it does. The analogue sounds could be manually adjusted live, slightly off beat and stretched out, but feeling very real. Actress would've been well within his rights to push for this haunting version just to showcase what goes on behind the floor side, how complex and busy his ideas are when taken away from face value.

Unlikely as it seems, it'd be great to see a longer term collaboration between Actress and Legowelt, ala Ekoclef of the guys sending ideas back and forth, or like the Peverelist and Shackleton collaboration that saw them focus on one sound. This plate's been on the deck for the last few days and left me wanting more.

Big ups all involved, stunning plate. In proper Clone style, no press release required, but just underneath you can check the tracks in full against some pretty decent (fan?) videos, compliments of the29nov.

NTS Awkward Movements Show - 15.4.13

2013-04-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you got to work for it, other times it's too easy. Last Monday's Awkward Movements show on NTS left us spoiled for choice, the culmination of a stunning few months of new music to our ears (some just pressed and others we were plenty late on) that needed sharing. New Demdike Stare series definitely a cause for celebration, the 'Test Pressing' series on Modern Love set to blow some minds, as is new Container who, in many ways was the crossroads for the show's beginnings. A continual exploration of where live instrumentation blends with electronics via Groupshow, Berliner Ring, and Mike Cooper just to name a few, and definitely enjoyed being able to play two John Fahey joints recorded 40 odd years apart.

Stream or download the show below, full track list included. Paul Ackroyd aka Kamikaze is up next in a fortnight's time, going live from the NTS studios in Dalston, 2-4pm London time, 29th of April. Bound to be good, make sure you're locked.

Demdike Stare - Misappropriation [Modern Love]
Mick Finesse - Forage (Soramimi Remix)
Groupshow - Pet Hair Magnet [Staubgold]
Nochexxx - Sit Tilt Hover [ Feral Tapes]
The Sign of Four - Jumping Beans [Jazzman]
Tapes - Pipe Cleaner (12'' Mix) [Jahtari]
Berliner Ring - Good Evening [meakusma]
Van Vi - ?????? [?????]
The Conet Project - (V18) NNN (Hungarian) [Irdial Discs]
John Fahey - Delta Flight 53 [Important Records]
John Fahey - Dance of the Inhabitants of the Palace of King Philip of Spain [Takoma Records]
Mary Lattimorev - Poor Daniel [Desire Path Recordings]
Julia Kent - Kingdom [The Leaf Label]
Container – Treatment [Morphine Records]
Keith Fullerton Whitman - Para La Familia [Protracted View]
Shapednoise - Transcendental Experiences [Hospital Records]
Mike Cooper - The Ordeal [Room40]
Clge Dpeee - Widow [Flp]
Basic House - I Don't Remember Acid [Digitalis]
TVO - Naufana (Covered In Sand Interpretation) [Broken20]
Miles - Archaic Thought Pattern 1 [Modern Love]
Motion Sickness Of Time Travel In Our Dreams [Old Frontiers]
Jerusalem In My Heart - Ko7l El-3ein, 3emian El-3ein [Constellation]
Alberich - Ideologically Weak [Hospital Productions]
Locust - Oh Yeah [Editions Mego]
Streetwalker - Untitled [Cititrax]

Mike Cooper - 'White Shadows In The South Sea' [Room40]

2013-04-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Don't really know where to start with Mike Cooper. The nature of being an experimental and underground musician means that you push your own boundaries, keep your own interests away from what's easy-access. Sure a few make it to the top and crossover in to popular culture, but the majority chip away at it, with little or no fame being the preference in exchange for continuing their own sonic explorations.

Mike Cooper is a living legend of music. With over 45 years of recorded discography Cooper has at times slowly and continually reinvented himself and techniques as part of his own evolution. Developing skills as a visual artist as well, the core of Cooper's work is as an improviser and "instant composer".

As a Berkshire based teenager with a guitar, Mike Cooper started off from the influences of jazz and blues, joining various skiffle groups in his hometown, later founding a rhythm and blues group with other locals. Coming up from Reading to London throughout the '60s broadened Cooper's ears and experience, taking him to from a folk-blues sound at the end of the decade to a more alternative sound throughout the '70s. While he continued on the electro-blues scene, he also developed a parallel career in London as an avant-garde and free-jazz musician, an element of Mike as a composer which would always be present on all his work from that time on.

Decades later, armed with his now trademark 1930s steel guitar, Cooper would journey through the South Pacific, discovering a love of their themed music around the same time he started to push himself more towards film work and sound tracking. With these influences on his music, it was his then movements in to loop based layering and electronic music where it got next level. There's some similarities there with the recorded life of one John Fahey, who we wrote about very recently off the back of his new documentary In Search Of Blind Joe Death: The Saga Of John Fahey. We're not going to go in to full detail of the labels and who he worked with, but there's a proper biography and discography on the man up on his site: http://www.cooparia.com/welcome/biography

At 70 years of age Mike Cooper is still doing it better than most. His most recent project is an absolute masterpiece, and undoubtedly headed for my "Top Of 2013" list. Titled 'White Shadows In The South Seas' the record is released by Room40 as the soundtrack to a silent film by the same name. With a four player cast, and a 1928 release date, the film was the first MGM picture released with a pre-recorded soundtrack, and as such the love story adaptation has found it's own place in history. I'm not sure why Cooper started the project in the first or the reason he elected for this film as the focus, but it definitely suits.

Mike Cooper's compositions here are astounding. Akin to a Florian Hecker and Andrew Pekler jam session, the entire 14 track CD is a constant surprise in the sounds and structures that Cooper turns up. I've not heard a great deal like it before, and definitely not this good.

There's a bit of a trailer to the album below, from Mike Cooper himself, and just underneath that you can see the full press release.

via Room40
It’s difficult to know how to summurise the meandering journey that has been the life and times of Mike Cooper. Having just celebrated his 70th year of mischief making here’s what we can tell you...

-:- A young Mike Cooper can be spotted playing a beatnik guitarist on an anti-nuclear march in London beat cult film “That Kind Of Girl”.
-:- His first band The Blues Committee played with and supported blues legends such John Lee Hooker, Howlin Wolf and Jimmy Reed.
-:- Cooper was central in launching several of the first folk and blues venues outside London, especially in and around Reading. 
-:- He was a regular on John Peel’s program from 1969-1975, recording numerous sessions.
-:- His free music group The Recedents was formed in 1982, threading directly into London vibrant improvisation community. 
-:- He moved to Italy in 1988 after a slew of musical projects during the 80s in the UK and EU. 
-:- Since 1994 he has spent increasing amounts of time touring and exploring Oceania.
-:- One of the outcomes of his exploration is Beach Crossings-Pacific Footprints - a radiophone work commissioned by Italian and Australian radio - that traces the history of colonisation in the Pacific by Europeans from Tahiti up to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
-:- His recordings have been re-issued numerous times by labels across the globe. Original pressings are found for obscene prices via various outlets.   

White Shadows In The South Seas is his latest offering and follows up directly from his lauded Rayon Hula album. It’s a pacific sunset-like dream spanning the horizon in pulsing waves of richly coloured rhythms, tropical sound fields and pacific-inspired slide guitar.

KiNK - Live Analog Session for Dub Laborant Radio Show 2013.02.25

2013-04-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

Came across this video the other day and needed to share it; KiNK live in session for Bulgarian online station Radio Binar. KiNK aka Strahil Velchev brought a collection of his synths, effects units, sequencing tools and beat machines - mostly MFB in fact, full gear list below - in to the studio, setting up a temporary performance space for an 80 minute live jam. Proper dubbed out vibes, it's great to watch him in full creation mode, seemingly having a load of fun in the process.

As a rule, KiNK is a top-notch producer, brilliant DJ, and a really nice guy. He's never been shy about recording and sharing his production process. If you look around you'll find a few "in-studio" videos as well, but this one takes the cake for me. Nothing else to add on the man, just find some time to watch this through.

From what I can work out via online translator and limited information in english, Radio Binar (http://www.binar.bg/) is somewhat an underground institution in KiNK's home country. It's worth having a click around their site, a bit hard to navigate due to language barrier, but they've got a host of other guests on their and some quality recordings to boot.

Session below, along with some info and gear list lifted from the youtube posting. Big ups KiNK, Radio Binar crew and all involved in getting this organised and to us.

KiNK - Live analog session @RadioBinar
This is just an extract of the live set for all the international audience. The full radioshow can be seen on http://is.gd/dcpTEX ↜
Dub Laborant radioshow - hosted by dubstard
http://kuslink.com/DubLaborant
Links to audio only (extract from the video), also added as playable / downloadable podcast on the Binar web page; URLs to direct download
Main http://is.gd/AzZHud
Mirror http://www.dubstard.com/laborant/KiNK...

Equipment used:-
MFB Synth II
MFB Microzwerg
MFB Urzwerg Pro
MFB 522
Mackie 802 VLZ3
Roland SPACE ECHO RE-201
FMR RNLA2739
+Live vocals from Rachel Row + claps & random sounds, captured live via a microphone

Club Integral presents "The Geometry of Fear" feat. Nad Spiro Live [LDN 19.4.13]

2013-04-15T03:11:00.000-07:00

For the London based among you make sure you get down to this next week, headlined by the incredible Nad Spiro, stage name of experimental composer and performer Rosa Arruti out of Barcelona. Rosa's joined by some proper talent in the form of two-piece Static Memories, Cloudier Skies and raga-drone-psyche specialists Raagnagrok.

We've been big fans of the Nad Spiro output since we first got turned on to it last year, and have been constantly excited as we dig through her 12 year catalogue with Geometrik Records. We gave a small run down on the label, artist and most importantly the latest album when it dropped, alongside a stream of Atomic Spy which you can check out here: http://www.awkwardmovements.com/2012/10/nad-spiro-atomic-spy-geometrik-records.html

Using the guitar as the primary instrument in creating her sound, the Nad Spiro live show is something we've been waiting to see. With the recorded music able to create atmosphere and communicate experience equally through the industrial textures as the space she leaves between them, seeing Nad Spiro go live in a physical environment is going to be something really special. This is a rare London live show from a unique musician, pushing the boundaries of what you can do with looped electronics and a six-string guitar.

On the back end of last year we got some self-remixed workings from Nad Spiro, with a cool video to boot.

The chaps behind the night, aptly titled 'The Geometry Of Fear', are Club Integral, a collective with proper pedigree ranging from Resonance FM to Wire. Pushing experimental music from the more interesting but less celebrated side of the scene, they're doing an amazing job spreading a message of sonic exploration and creativity by curating top events of music they believe in. We love it.

Back to 'The Geometry Of Fear', it's quality event start to finish with support as well. Static Memories is the ever-impressive two-piece of Dan Powell and Gus Garsidem guaranteed to deliver. Cloudier Skies are bound to make things infinitely prettier, and for something truly mind-altering get their in time for Raagnagrok - proper tripped-out journey music, and another amazing live act.

It's all happening next Friday night, 19th at The Grosvenor, one of two locations that holds residencies for Club Integral. The crew's DJs will be selecting and Rucksack Cinema are supplying visuals. Full details below, don't sleep, especially for a top of £5 entry fee.

Club Integral presents “The Geometry Of Fear” Friday 19th April

@ The Grosvenor

17 Sidney Road

Stockwell

London SW 0TP

Friday 19th April

Featuring : Nad Spiro - Static Memories - Cloudier Skies - Ragnaagrok

plus DJ Jules Webbcore and video projections from Rucksack Cinema.

£5/£3

NTS Awkward Movements Show - 1.4.13

2013-04-11T00:27:00.001-07:00

Bit of a take-2 here from Paul Ackroyd aka Kamikaze on the last Awkward Movements show for NTS. The mic had inexplicably left the studio, and as a result last week's live show was a purely musical affair. With an edit earlier this week he's since re-uploaded as it was meant to be heard, full vocals and all. Properly dope show, just in time for weekend listening, which you can stream or download below, just above the track list.

The next show goes out from it's home on NTS 15/4 - 2-4pm London time. Looking forward to it, make sure you get locked.

NTS Awkward Movements show from 1st April 2013 - brand new albums from Giuseppe Ielasi, Nick Brooke, Jerusalem In My Heart, Cakes Da Killa, Cankun, and Miles; singles and EPs from Anika, Headless Horseman, Skirt, Bookworms & Steve Summers, and Shifted; new reissue bits from Ivo Malec, In Aeternam Vale, and National Youth Choir of Namibia; and from the vaults, Fairuz, Paulino Elias de Oliveira, Winston Edwards & Blackbeard, Rootsman/Muslimgauze, Robin Julian Hiefetz, and some Easter street music from Haiti. Crackin' tunes throughout.

Miles - Status Narcissism [Modern Love]
Giuseppe Ielasi - 06 [Not On Label]
Shifted - Coldlight (Sektor C) [Avian]
Skirt - Tumulto [Semantica]
In Aeternam Vale - La Piscine [Minimal Wave]
Haitian Street Performers - Vapeur [Folkways]
Paulino Elias de Oliveira - Farol de Pontade Pedra [Unknown]
National Youth Choir Of Namibia - Ti Hanuba Oa [Namibian Images & Sound]
Nick Brooke - Tombstone [Innova]
Ivo Malec - Bizarra [Recollection GRM]
Alan Bishop - Electrocairo [Sublime Frequencies]
Fairuz - Ghaba Naharun [Voix de L'Orient]
Jerusalem In My Heart - Amanem [Constellation]
Robin Julian Heifetz - A Clear And Present Danger [Folkways]
Rootsman/Muslimgauze - Fuck Israel Part 2 [TMPS]
Headless Horseman - Sleepy Hollow [Headless Horsemen]
Cakes Da Killa feat. Big Momma - Break 'Em Off [Mishka]
Skimatix - Scwm [Footwork Frenzy]
Cankun - Why Do You Laugh [Hands In The Dark]
Anika - Love Buzz [Stones Throw]
Winston Edwards & Blackbeard - Hyde Park Corner Investigation [Unknown]
Bookworms & Steve Summers - Possible Worlds [Confused House]

The Sign Of Four - 'Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup' LP [Jazzman Records]

2013-04-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

Great album here from The Sign Of Four, a new recording project from underrated composer and multi-instrumentalist and more importantly sound engineer Miles Newman. Miles is best known as one-half of The Natural Yogurt Band (NYB), who came to the forefront with Away With Melancholy in 2008, and Tuck In With... in 2011, both on Jazzman Records and both released as 2x10" pack LPs. Oddly enough, both Miles and NYB band mate Wayne Fullwood had both been in Little Barrie (though at different points), but when a series of events brought them to be jamming together in Miles' analogue studios, things went next level.

I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Miles on the back-end of NYB's first release. He happened to be floating around Jazzman Gerald's purchasing rarities and discussing follow-ups, and was well up for a chat for Shook! magazine. At the time, around 2009 I believe, he didn't have the internet and couldn't locate a mobile phone number. As a result, he'd had no idea how popular the NYB recordings had been until he went to pick up a cheque, and learned that the release had sold out numerous occasions in a short space of time. Critics and consumer couldn't get enough, and their lack of online presence, and mixture of psych, jazz, funk and library influences all weighed in to their respective crowds.

Here's an interesting fact about their first album that came from those talks but didn't get published - all of the tracks were misnamed. When the artwork came back they realised that the tracks were all out of order compared to what was recorded on the masters. Seeing as there were no lyrics, they found it easier to just change the names of the song as opposed to redoing the artwork and track list order.

An absolute gent, and someone who struck me as untainted genius, Miles was a pleasure to talk to then and completely open about recording techniques he'd borrowed from the old-school. His analogue studios - The Chicken Shack in Nottingham - have fast developed a reputation of their own as one of the top locations for artists who want proper sound. Naturally, The Chicken Shack again was home to the recording process this time around, decked out with Miles' various companion players who pass through it's doors regularly, and his own instrument collection.

Under the guise The Sign Of Four Miles has just dropped the album Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup (named after parts of the ear, not blacksmith and cowboy tools) on 2x10" and CD, and it's a brilliant listen. Released on Jazzman once again, the hard-panning, hammond-battering and oscillating sounds come up like a dusty classic that Votel or Gaslamp Killer might turn up in a set as an unknown library cut. Perfect psyche in the vein of 'The American Metaphysical Circus' in some areas, others are a throwback to '70s Gainsberg jazz, and even still we get funk comparable to modern day Stereoscope Jerk Explosion. It does all this with keeping the original composer in mind at all time, sounding like a complete album instead of a random compilation of ideas.

Big ups all involved, Jazzman Gerald and Miles Newman as well as the recording musicians who guested. Scroll down for the press release and album preview, and just above that check the lead single (also available as a 45) 'Jumping Beans' with a very cool video to boot.

via Jazzman Records
Oscillating and reverberating chaotically through sonic orbs and polyphonic sound textures, The Sign of Four is a new creative concept from the Natural Yogurt Band's Miles Newbold.

Hammer, Anvil, Stirrup is the debut album from The Sign of Four on Jazzman Records and is spread exquisitely across 2x10" LPs in hand-printed sleeves, digipack CD and digital download formats.

Recorded live at Chicken Shack studios in Nottingham, real musical instruments are used to create a swirling jungle of throbbing palpitations evoking the spaced-out vibes of an unsound mind. It's an infectious fermentation of debauched instrumental chaos, sometimes calming, but often unnerving, that will leave the listener bewildered, wide-eyed and gasping for more.

The 9-track vinyl version also contains a track from Sun Suite, an alternative incarnation of The Sign of Four, that sees out the release in a less chaotic fashion, a sonic antidote to the preceding pandemonium.

Welcome to the hylomorphic world of The Sign of Four.

In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey

2013-04-05T04:05:00.002-07:00

Stoked to finally track down this documentary, first clocked on Kickstarter a few years back; the brilliant story about a unique and oft-forgotten hero John Fahey. The crew behind In Search Of Blind Joe Death: The Saga Of John Fahey have done an amazing job in telling a full story, keeping the larger impact of his work as an element balanced out with one character's individual journey through music creation.

With a finger-picking style of his own that was labelled as "American-Primitive" by others, John Fahey is probably best remembered as a blues composer on the various guitar shapes. Fahey never cared about brands or makes, but approached the six-strings as a complete performance piece in it's own accord. Shrouded in mystery and with a punk-rock attitude towards DIY, he cut his own records from the beginning, with a belief that no label let alone collector would want them. Putting them out through his newly created Takoma Recordings label in the 50s, Fahey was one of the original and most influential indie label owners setting up during the era.

This blues & folk focused part of In Search Of Blind Joe Death... was a really enjoyable watch in it's own accord. Great music and storytelling appreciated added to by the fact that it was interspersed by readings from the Fahey penned book How Bluegrass Destroyed My Life.

Using a number of lesser music biopics as reference, this is the stage where some of them would end; a natural composer, guitar pioneer and player who shuns the spotlight gets a bit of background info. But Tamarack Productions had an interesting character as their subject for this documentary. John Fahey was also a lifelong record digger and collector, rinsing thrift shops even after his career was seen to be over and he was living in a one room motel. King of the record collectors Joe Bussard of Desperate Man Blues (among other fame) even pops up in the documentary to weigh in on the man from a collector's point of view. Taking it past the point of musical influence and collecting led Fahey to tracking down a 'forgotten' Skip James in hospital after his recording days were presumed over, releasing the blues legend once more on Takoma.

John Fahey never stopped his exploration through music either, and the back part of In Search Of Blind Joe Death... looks at his increasing apathy towards the industry and specifically his own work, even as his older recordings gained more popularity than ever. As a musician Fahey slowly moved in to the electronic avant-garde world, almost becoming a musique concrete figure, now working with the likes of Thurston Moore in place of old blues legends like Bukka White. Without even realising it, John Fahey was an early adopter of the American noise scene, keeping little relevance to his early work and sliding in to a new skin made up of industrial and gothic undertones.

Journalists, embedded music fans and historians look at this as John Fahey expressing his darker side of alcoholism and an abusive childhood, but in his typical manner Fahey just explains that screaming in to a microphone and creating unstructured chaos is just "a lot of fun." A nice throwback to a previous quote in the film from Chris Funk of The Decemberists, who referred to an earlier stage in his career as "original punk rock" and "art for art's sake."

There's a full live performance below from 1997, if you've got the time it's worth checking out.

Big ups everyone involved in this project. We try not to give too much away on docos that are must-see, but there's just too many highlights in this one. Tamarack have done an amazing job off of one of the cheaper Kickstarter projects we've seen too.

Check below for the press release, link to the production company and the trailer for the documentary.

via Tamarack Productions
Tamarack Productions is proud to release a feature documentary about the tremendously influential composer, guitarist, author and provocateur John Fahey (1939-2001).

Fahey is known as "the father of American Primitive Guitar." Some think of him as a foundational figure in American folk music. Fahey himself, however, insisted "I am not a volk, how can I be a volk? I'm from the suburbs." All jesting aside, Fahey, as both musician and musicologist, made a fundamental contribution to the global understanding of classical American musics such as Delta blues, Appalachian bluegrass and New Orleans jazz.

Fahey's own music stretches the boundaries of past musical traditions, creating a complex musical dialogue primarily with his steel stringed solo guitar. Fahey transcended his essential Delta influences combining bluegrass, Brazilian, classical, Indian, New Orleans, musique concrète, and gothic industrial ambience.

Participants in the film include Pete Townshend, Joey Burns of Calexico, Chris Funk of The Decemberists and many of Fahey's closest collaborators and friends, including renowned radio personality Barry Hansen aka Dr. Demento.

Trailer: In Search of Blind Joe Death - The Saga of John Fahey from JohnFaheyFilm on Vimeo.

Ostgut Ton x 50 Weapons Photos via Timmy K

2013-04-04T05:16:00.003-07:00

As expected, Electric Minds / Broken & Uneven smashed it again, going large by all accounts for the Ostgut Ton x 50 Weapons party that happened across the weekend.

Big ups everyone involved putting it on. Got to agree with the following email from the man in the pits on the night:

...not much to say apart from these guys put together consistently good line ups, the music is always on point and includes live performance at all of the events I have been to, it's an education....they are using interesting places and I think bringing a massive amount of talent to each night for the price.

To add a bit of drama in to the mix, evidently some police paperwork got messed up in preparation phases, and the promoters found out 11am that morning that the expected venue wasn't going ahead. The team hustled to get a replacement sorted, and delivered above and beyond expectation.

Timmy K aka Phomandark was in fine form shooting for us on the night. As always we're hosting a few favourites below, more up on RA over here: http://www.residentadvisor.net/photo-gallery.aspx?set=27845

NTS Awkward Movements Show - 4.3.13 - 18.3.13

2013-04-01T04:44:00.001-07:00

Playing a bit of catch-up here, finally getting the March archive together just as the first of the April offering is about to go out live. Two shows here both from March, with Paul Ackroyd holding down 4/3 (scroll straight to the bottom for that) and Keith P in session for two hours 18/3.

Paul's going live from NTS studios in Dalston in a couple of hours, two hours of quality new tunes selected and sewn together, 2-4pm on http://ntslive.co.uk. For those that can't lock the show will be up for download and replay with track listing and all later in the week (ie we promise to never leave it this late again).

The Awkward Movements show on NTS, where we somehow managed to squeeze almost 30 tracks in to the two hour session. Morphine Records have been killing it lately especially on the last drop from Metasplice that opens up the show, and the same can be said for the track that follows it from Red Math on the ever-good Further Records label. Other bits from Andrew Pekler, Prostitutes on Digitalis, stunning new stuff Pete Swanson, Unit Moebius Anonymous, Maxmillion Dunbar and loads more. A slight obsession with cassette releases continues with Basic House on Opal Tapes and Bear Bones, Lay Low, and we need to give special shouts to the incredible Cooper-Moore who's retrospective box set of 7" wax I've only just discovered and have practically worn down.

Hope you dig.

Metasplice – Decant [Morphine Records]
Red Math - Deflector 2 [Further Records]
Qluster – Thalia [Bureau B]
Ekoplekz - Brief Encounter [Sex Lies Magnetic Tape]
Basic House - Etymology Of [Opal Tapes]
Andrew Pekler - Seascape / Ship [Senufo Editions]
Bee Mask - Fried Niteshades [Spectrum Spools]
Brute Heart - Irrenanstalt [Moon Glyph]
Untitled - Track 01 (Taken Off Of Untitled 10) [Untitled]
Prostitutes - Jungle Wine [Digitalis]
Cooper-Moore - Emancipation [50 Miles Of Elbow Room]
Ray Cathode - Waltz in Orbit (Remastered) [Trunk Records]
Andrew Deutsch - Untitled 2 (taken off of Rains Raga)
Pete Swanson - Grounds for Arrest [Software]
T.E.A.M.S. - Animal Town (Burnout) [http://teeeams.bandcamp.com]
kuxxan SUUM - BK Klang [Styles Along Styles]
Unit Moebius Annonymus – B3 (taken off Perambulator Two - CHANS003) [Chan Records]
Cherrystones - Moon Stone [Brutal Music]
Bourbon Family -The Ghetto [Light Sounds Dark]
Three Legged Race - Budgeting Air [Spectrum Spools]
Hassle Hound - Rising Superbikes [Pickled Egg Records]
J D Emmanuel - Deep Trance States [Aguirre]
Maxmillion Dunbar – Kangaroo [RVNG Intnl.]
Leven Signs - This Inner Space [Digitalis]
Bear Bones, Lay Low - Roswell Romance II [Full Of Nothing]
Kink Gong - Xinjiang Remix (excerpt) [PPT / Stembogen]
Call Super - Leosengor [Houndstooth]
Photodementia – Drux [Photodementia]

Awkward Movements show from NTS, 4th March 2013, featuring brand spanking new house and techno from L'estasi Dell'Oro, Terekke, Function, Watkins & Almadovar, and Blawan remixing Barker & Baumecker; some tasty 80s reissues from Leven Signs and In Trance 95; noise and orchestral drone from Mohammad and Howard Stelzer; disco edits from Muslim Disco Club and Cristobal El Molito; some Mexican field recordings from Aki Onda; some Chilean space rock from Follakzoid; new albums from Dva Damas, Original Low Fi, Muslimgauze and an audio excursion to Senegal.

Stream or download the show here: https://soundcloud.com/n_u_t_s/2012-03-04-awkward-movements

Watkins & Almadovar - Untitled [Copicat Tracs]
Function - Modifier [Ost Gut Ton]
Muslim Disco Club - Osjecam [MME]
In Trance 95 - In God's Heaven [Minimal Wave]
Dva Damas - Half Mask [Downwards America]
Terekke - Bank 3 [LIES]
Blawan - Crows (Remix of Barker & Baumecker) [Ost Gut Ton]
L'estasi Dell'Oro - Dichotomous Life [Flaneur Audio]
Leven Signs - This Inner Space [Digitalis]
Original Low Fi - Strange Blue [Totaldubproduction]
Mohammad - Lapli [Pan]
Howard Stelzer - Two Faces Toward The Sun [NNA]
Chorale Saint Joseph De Medina De Dakar - Djisal Yahve [Enregistrement Public]
Keno Diatta and Sone Mane - Dance Party [Lyrichord]
Douta Seck - Dagagne [Dust To Digital]
Muslimgauze - Arvinda Jewel Box [Staalplaat]
Cristobal El Molito - Can't You See I'm Having A Rough Time [Red Motorbike]
Follakzoid - Rio [Sacred Bones]
Aki Onda - A Day Of Pilgrimage [Important]

Nochexxx aka CHXFX - 'Spacecide' [Feral Tapes]

2013-03-31T03:29:00.001-07:00

You got to love the way Nochexxx works. By the time everyone picked up on his beats releases he'd moved left of house and funky. When the heads caught up with him there (as a mexican skeleton bandit it should be noted) he'd already moved on to torturing his production gear in to unheard sounds and coming up with the most interesting work to date. The guy's an absolute don on the scene, and I have a vision of him hanging out in the west country strapping lit dynamite to a Studer and an MPC60 just to see if it makes the sounds he wants. It'd be great to rock up to the Nochexxx mansions unannounced one day and find out it's true.

His CHXFX (always in capitals?) alias first appeared on a split tape release last year, sharing billing duties wih PLKZFX alias of Ekoplekz, and was followed up recently with another limited cassette titled The Unhaptic Synthesiser, also via the chaps as Further Records. Dropping last week, we got something new from CHXFX on Feral Tapes, 18 tracks of on-edge and blissed out electronic exploration appropriately titled Spacecide.

With this release Nochexxx taps in to that weird and wonderful area of BBC Radipophonics previously owned by Daphne Oram and Brian Hodgson, increasingly leaning towards the other worldy sci-fi of Wendy Carlos. VHS ripped b-roll sci-fi quotes accentuate this, as does the beatless nature of the tracks, most of which come under two minutes.

It might not be the easiest listen but it's a memorable one. Definitely something you want to own on physical, though limited to 75 yellow cassettes they might be gone by the time you read this. Check the stream of the tracks below, available from the Feral Tapes bandcamp page. Big ups Nochexxx / CHXFX each and every way, can't wait to see what he's got on next.

Spacecide by CHXFX

If you're up for a laugh I suggest wandering over to the Nochexxx online home and checking the takedown letter issued by some evil finance company that blatantly has been using his name for a much darker purpose: http://www.nochexxx.com/#/takedown/4572396939

And as one final item on the Nochexxx agenda take a look at this clip for 'Orange Orbit' from 2009. One of the most insane music videos I've ever seen.

Tuba Skinny - 'Rag Band' [Independent]

2013-03-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

We were incredibly fortunate to catch the double-set Tuba Skinny live show across the weekend, the final night of a few months touring the country before they head back home to New Orleans. Undoubtedly one of the best shows I've ever seen, The Standard played host to an event more reminiscent of a giant open air street party, nothing but vibes and dancing all night.

Tuba Skinny is an eight-piece that evolved from busking on the streets, and now comprising of clarinetist, washboard player, two banjos, a trombone, a tuba player a cornet/violinist and a female vocalist / drum beater. Proper dixieland, swingtime jazz mixed in with some blues, these guys are steeped in their hometown's history. Check the video below of them playing acoustic in the French Quarter, one of a few streets where you'll regularly find them busking in New Orleans. A beautiful version of Skip James' Crow Jane that really shows off her incredible voice.

This was the third consecutive year of Tuba Skinny touring Australia and selling out every show. The roster seems to change a bit here and there, but as a group they also played Sydney Festival and Umbria Jazz Festival last year and are picking up fans every time they play.

The swing, shag and charleston dancers of Sydney were out in full force for Saturday's show, damn it made me want to learn how to dance. The tallest man in the room by far happened to be one of the gents on banjo, who wasn't shy about jumping in to the crowd as a partner for some of the ladies who could properly move. It's all part of the music, infectious as it was the players took turns doing their thing and seemed to be enjoying it as much as the audience. When was the last time you get to enjoy a washboard solo I ask?

For longtime fans and recent converts there's even more good news. The band's Australian tour was done off the back of them recording their new album, done somewhere in Tasmania across six days. In the meantime you should definitely check their last one, which was a live recording titled Rag Band which you can stream below. If there in town I recommend doing whatever it takes to see them play, and definitely head over to their site as well where they've linked up a lot of live videos and some more info on their doings: http://tubaskinny.tk/
Rag Band by Tuba Skinny

Awkward Movements Sessions #51 - who:ratio

2013-03-22T06:37:00.000-07:00

As always, a lot of respect from the chinstroke massive on who:ratio styles. Since his move back to Timisoara, who:ratio aka Claude Caprar has been constantly in touch, evolving to continue exploring new music sources that were previously foreign to a vinyl junkie, and as a result new musical appreciation. After decades of collecting wax and playing many styles across countless parties - including as a founding member of Sydney's Foreign Dub - he seems to have found a balance of peace with his residencies, but more importantly focusing on doing things for himself and close friends now.

We asked him for some words on Awkward Movements Sessions #51, and while he refused to give a blurb of any sort, I think the email reply sums it up.

...should it be necessary to write in nowadays which way a mix is recorded ?

like what IS actually a dj mix ?
a real time session in music mixing ? linear or non linear ?
linear being your standard art of tune after tune press record or
the loop based auto sync ableton traktor infinity deck on deck style mixing ?
or a sequence that is mixed/built/put together over a longer period of time ...
something more programmed to carry and go more on the lines of a mixed CD or compilation ?

there is a concept solidifying more n more in my head about what I am doing with this thing,
which I will let in on as I grasp it more ... its prob a bit of a wank tbh but it prob has some merit there too....
at least for me it does....

spiritually and logistically,
because it ties into my recent years in the "wilderness" of non vinyl buying yet accumulating music via other sources

This is a masterclass in selection from who:ratio, and if you didn't know he's also the cat behind the aesthetic of what we do. Soulful mixing on the deep tip that skims from ambient to a proper floor vibe seamlessly.

who:ratio's love of all things broken can be heard throughout. There's a message in there, and for those built in bass, probably a lot of tracks you've not heard before.

Solee - Jule (Tim Engelhardt Chillout Mix) [Parquet Recordings]
C9ine - Chasing (Atjazz Instrumental) [Atjazz Records]
Scan Mode - Emotional Landscape [Cadenza]
Aeromaschine - Ascultam Vorbe (Marcus Worgull Exit Ghost Remix) [Mirau Musik]
Regen - Black Puff [Ilian Tape]
Steffi feat Virginia - Yours [Ostugt Ton]
Slam - Stepback (Mark Henning Remix) [Soma Records]
Ian Pooley - Nightwalker (Ed Davenport Fixation) [Pooledmusic]
Back Pack Poets - Objective T [Electric Deluxe]
Darkcell - Inertia (Mattias Fridell Remix) [Gynoid Audio]
Truncate - Concentrate [Audio Injection]
Redshape - Goom (Bonus Beatz) [Running Back]
Re Tide - Luther [Bavaria Recordings]
Tom de Neef feat Robert Owens - I Care [Velcro]
Mateo & Matos - Deep Afro Roots (Eddie Matos Beatz) [Nite Grooves]
Niko Schwind - Put Your Hands (Afrilounge Edit) [Bootleg Beats]
Aaron Und Pascal - Floating [Secouer Records]
Andre Lodemann - Vehemence Of Silence [Room With A View]
Aquarius Heaven feat dOP - Interview [Wolf + Lamb]
Dario Zenker - Give 6 [Ilian Tape]
Kings Of Tomorrow feat Elzi Hall - Show Me (Tobi Danton Edit)
Wiretappeur - Everybody Loves Ice Cream (Vincenzo Remix) [Bedrock Records]
SCB - Mace [Hotflush]
Sei A - Frozen Flower (Midland Remix) [Turbo Recordings]
Red Snapper - Hot Flush (Sabres of Paradise Remix) [Flaw Recordings]
Magnetic Man - Getting Nowhere feat John Legend (Yoruba Soul Mix) [Sony]

Samurai.fm: http://samurai.fm/awkward-movements/awkward-movements-sessions-51-who-ratio
Limited Download: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2275094/awkmo51_whoratio.mp3

JTC - 'Park Days' EP [Hoya:Hoya]

2013-03-19T04:37:00.000-07:00

Really digging this new plate from JTC. As the "acid-house" alias of one Tadd Mullinix aka Dabrye, the James T Cotton name has been even more consistent than his beats driven counterpart in producing quality records. Proof enough comes in the fact that this is the third JTC release of the year already, following on from a plate on the ever good Killekill label. The new EP titled Park Days is a more soulful continuation on this, building firmly in to left-field disco and house territory with four session weapon cuts less on the deep-house tip but definitely more for the play-out party.

Best of all, JTC represents the evolution of club music. Styles-upon-styles of future looking bass music, the construction of which he makes seem so easy. Raw drums and floating synths steeped in Chicago history with plenty of swing to boot, as a few critics have noted this is "machine music" at it's finest. Look for these being rinsed across European festivals, midday and sunny, as well as lifting up basement parties over the coming months.

Although something that could equally have been released on a Rawax sub-label, it's a really nice pairing here with the Hoya:Hoya label, the longstanding night being regular hosts of the Dabrye / JTC sound from early on. On that tip, if you've seen Dabrye go live you know it's something special, and the James T Cotton DJ sets are up there with the finest in floor movers too. The opening track 'South Brooks' is something really special, with a touch of that Amp Fiddler movement and Motor City bump that pushes it in to perfection on a loud system.

Check out snippets from the tracks below, the wax and digital is out now at all good stores. Don't sleep.

The Conet Project: Recordings Of Shortwave Numbers Stations (Expanded 5CD Edition) [Irdial Records]

2013-03-18T03:44:00.000-07:00

A lot of people weighing in on this release, and after a quick listen I can see why. What on the outset looks like a specialist fan-boy project with a minimal audience, is actually a relatively accessible and interesting listen. The Conet Project (or The Conet Project: Recordings Of Shortwave Numbers Stations) has just been repackaged as a 5CD boxset, over 150 tracks of shortwave radio sounds that have been transmitting for decades but never properly documented.

These recordings come from 'numbers stations' - dedicated shortwave stations that repeat transmissions at regular intervals - often numbers, letters or morse code - on a seemingly endless loop. As the strongest theories go, these shortwave stations were set up during World War II as ways to communicate to spies. Many of those set up pre-1950 and beyond still exist today, regularly sending out their transmissions on rigid schedules. It gets really interesting next when you consider that although we can listen to the numbers and the shortwave recordings on the internet or through CDs, technology that didn't even exist when they were set up, it's claimed that no 'numbers station' code has ever been broken by a person without some form of super-computer.

So comfortable are they with the practice, several government service branches, including M16, even openly admit to these stations' existence and ongoing use. That said, numbers stations are enough of a threat for people to still be prosecuted via their involvement in espionage through them. They date back to the 50s, but there have even been a number of people sentenced in the last ten years, most recently in 2009 when the United States "charged Walter Kendall Myers with conspiracy to spy for Cuba and receiving and decoding messages broadcast from a numbers station operated by the Cuban Intelligence Directorate to further that conspiracy."

Check out the uber-conspiracy video below.

Historical importance aside, these shortwave recordings withing The Conet Project are akin to listening to an audio book, and somewhat soothing in their repetition, much like snooker commentary on the radio. Lost fans will no doubt relate it to the repeating number message on the island, and producers will no doubt find some sample-fodder in here. It can be argued that 5cds might is a little excessive, but the reality is that each track does leave you wanting more, especially once you start reading through the accompanying booklet.

Great project, brilliant release and big ups Irdial the label behind it. Check their press release below.

via The Conet Project
For more than 45 years the Shortwave radio spectrum has been used by the worlds intelligence agencies to transmit secret messages. These messages are transmitted by hundreds of “Numbers Stations”.

Shortwave Numbers Stations are a perfect method of anonymous, one way communication. Spies located anywhere in the world can be communicated to by their masters via small, locally available, and unmodified Shortwave receivers. The encryption system used by Numbers Stations, known as a “one time pad” is unbreakable. Combine this with the fact that it is almost impossible to track down the message recipients once they are inserted into the enemy country, it becomes clear just how powerful the Numbers Station system is.

These stations use very rigid schedules, and transmit in many different languages, employing male and female voices repeating strings of numbers or phonetic letters day and night, all year round. The voices are of varying pitches and intonation; there is even a German station 'The Swedish Rhapsody' that transmitted a female child's voice!
One might think that these espionage activities should have wound down considerably since the official “end of the Cold War”, but nothing could be further from the truth. Numbers Stations, and by inference, spies, are as busy as ever, with many new and bizarre stations appearing since the fall of the Berlin wall.

Why is it that in over 45 years, the phenomenon of Numbers Stations has gone almost totally unreported? What are the agencies behind the Numbers Stations, and why are the eastern European stations still on the air? Why did the Czech republic operate a Numbers Station 24 hours a day?

How is it that Numbers Stations are allowed to interfere with essential radio services like air traffic control and shipping without having to answer to anybody? Why did the “Swedish Rhapsody” Numbers Station use a small girls voice?

These are just some of the questions that remain unanswered.

Now Irdial-Discs is releasing The Conet Project: Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations / 1111, a special edition of the legendary and first ever comprehensive collection of Numbers Stations recordings to be made public, now augmented and updated with a new 5th CD of previously unreleased recordings.

This Quintuple CD is an important historical reference work for research into this hitherto unreported and unknown field of espionage. Many of the stations on the CD have ceased operations, and can no longer be heard. The new package consists of the 4 original Conet Project CDs containing 150 recordings of Numbers Stations spanning the twenty years up to the release of the original set in 1997, an 80 page, perfect bound booklet, 4 post cards, plus a new 5th CD of 26 previously unreleased recordings of bizarre 'Noise Stations', and a new 8 page booklet accompanying the 5th CD.

A few years back, following a court-case ruling with Wilco having illegally sampled the 1997 original collection on Irdial, The Conet Project became open content. What this means, is that the original four discs are available to stream or download free of charge, provided they're cited correctly, a very generous move. Head over to the wonderful archive.org to check it out: http://archive.org/details/ird059