Stop me if I've said this before. Or skip ahead a few paragraphs. Whatever.

After spending the last six years or so producing edition after edition of solipsistic NATION I finally figured out one of the important reasons I love electronic music so much and that reason is surprise and delight.

I'm surprised it took me so long to work that out because it's blindingly obvious—one of the first things they teach you in art—in fact, is surprise. It's playing with your expectations and revealing something new. That element of surprise may reveal something sacred or profane and, if done deftly, causes delight.

Pop used to do this. In a way, it's what made pop music pop. But pop music has been so colonized by corporatism that it's rare that something fresh and new escapes into the wild. Hip hop used to do the same but it followed quickly in pop's footsteps at a gallop. Electronic music has relatively remained immune to the constraints of pop music and is free to play fast and loose with our expectations of music, constantly mutating and adding each genre and sub genre of electronic music's sonic distinctiveness to it's own. Yes, that's a Star Trek reference.

Major labels are once again rediscovering that there's some cool shit happening in electronic music and seems content for the moment to deliver it to the masses in the form of EDM. I don't doubt that it will soon turn it's great, lidless eye (Lord of the Rings reference) to other genres of electronic music in it's never ending quest for the next new thing to make a buck off.

Today's label showcase on solipsistic NATION features select tracks from Naboa Music. There's a lot of breakcore in Naboa Music but that's just the framework to explore it's inner weirdness. So entrenched is Naboa Music in exploring these sonic territories that I don't think it's a label that could ever be tempted to embrace the dark side (Star Wars reference, and a rather forced one at that).

But seriously...

I'm always asking for labels to feature on future editions of solipsistic NATION and [tlr] made the case for Naboa Music. [tlr] has been on solipsistic NATION a number of times and his most recent album, Homunculus, was released on Naboa Music. When he suggested I do a feature on the label I listened because I trust [tlr]'s taste in music. And I was right to do so. Just listen to today's show and see! We'll also chat with Laskfar Vortok's Naoboa Music, cofounder. He's got a unique vision for what a music label can be.

Naboa Music is weird and wonderful and will take you in some very interesting places.

Join us again next week when we'll talk with Zite CEO Mark Johnson and recording artists Grouse, The Other Guy and DJ Food.

See you then!

1. Allen, I Hate Myself "Day Break Ground Score"
2. Interview with Laskfar Vortok, cofounder of Naboa Music
3. Autofuture "Mountain Revenge"
4. Naboa "Monopolar Pulse"
5. Beytah "Burning Villages"
6. Oxygenfad "Custom Firmware"
7. Eddie B. Rock "Dungeon Quest"
8. Psychedelic.Osmo "Kenta Cho Achieves Godhood"
9. Victor Vankmen "Walkman Spaced Reverb Dopeness (Feat. GDS)"
10. [tlr] "Magic Powers"
11. Syphilis Sauna "Comfort Zone (On Addiction)"
12. Naboa "Butcher Blossom 5"
13. Interview with Laskfar Vortok, cofounder of Naboa Music
14. Arson[EYE]-K "Thirty Puzzled Five Fidge"
15. Helium Ointment "Rubber Chicken"
16. EDN "2-1 Death Peak"
17. Genus Inkasso "Hurler's Pappy"
18. Laskfar Vortok "Marshal His Being To Culture"
19. Interview with Laskfar Vortok, cofounder of Naboa Music

What makes today's such a special show—aside from the music, which is great, by the way—is that today's show comes to you from Ty, who is both a listener and a friend of solipsistic NATION.

Ty emailed me a few months ago and suggested that I might consider doing shows featuring Calima Shatiday and Elastic Bond. After checking out their music on iTunes I knew Ty was absolutely right, I had to have them on the show. Calima will appear on solipsistic NATION in the next few months, but today we're going to hear Elastic Bond's live DJ Mix!

Andres and Sofy join me from their studio in Miami. We're actually did today's interview by video, which seems to be happening more and more on solipsistic NATION. Too bad you can't see it, Miami looks lovely. Elastic Bond's live DJ mix is fantastic and is chock full of their music and various remixes. Elastic Bond is a band and and electronic music is just one element they weave into their music. They're currently hard at work on their forthcoming album and you can bet I'm going to have them back on the show when their new LP drops.

The other thing that makes today's show so special is Ty himself.

solipsistic NATION has always been a communal effort. I may be at the helm of the show but a lot of people behind the scenes make the show happen. There's the bands and musicians, the music labels and promoters, the people who provide the artwork for the website and the album artwork you're looking at right now, as a matter of fact. And then there's you. None of this would be possible without you, all of you.

I've wanted more listener involvement in the show for a long time and I've decided that 2013 is the year to push and really make that happen. It helps that solipsistic NATION has more listeners then ever before, so if you have an idea like Ty for future shows on solipsistic NATION, email me and let's see if we can make it happen. I'm at solipsisticnation@gmail.com. Or you can reach me on Twitter at solipsistic.

There are a lot of exciting changes in store for solipsistic NATION this year and I'd really like you to be a part of it.

Join us again next week when we'll showcase Naboa Music. We'll listen to select tracks from Naboa Music and talk with the label's founder, Laskfar Vortok.

1. Elastic Bond "You ...Ay! (feat. Locos por Juana)"
2. Elastic Bond "Pierdo el Control"
3. Interview with Andres Ponce and Sofy Encanto of Elastic Bond
4. Elastic Bond "Live DJ Mix"

If James Joyce was a DJ from America living in the 21st century then Ulysses just might have sounded like Mister Wi$E's Narrative Mixing: First Movement, Land.

That explains everything, right?

No?

Brett Wise is Mister Wi$E and Narrative Mixing: First Movement, Land is his epic, sonic, surrealistic, psychedelic tale of our protagonist, making his way in the world using a vocabulary of a staggering amount of samples, songs and found sounds.

Tell you what, why don't I just quote Brett wholesale.

"What is the fundamental task of a DJ?

"The idea for this sound project began with that question. My answer? Creating an experience tailored specifically to the context. Different contexts should equal entirely different listening experiences. More often than not DJs create mixes that are a mirror of what they've been doing in the club. That can be interesting and I've done it myself but I wanted to do something more suited to the solitary listener.

"So in exploring the extremes of what I believed a headphone listening experience demanded I created something entirely different from what I'd done in the past.

"So what is this? A mix? A mixtape? A sound collage? It's not exactly a mix because I don't actually beat match any songs together. It’s not a mixtape because it's more than just a collection of songs played one after the other. And it's not a sound collage because it's more than just a collection of sounds.

"I'm calling it a narrative mix. It's music as we find it most of the time, out in the world and thoroughly situated in a context: a hospital, in a car driving down the road with the windows down, in a bar, through an MP3 player whilst walking down the street, etc. And often it is the context that gives the music it's magical quality. That's what I've tried to do here.

"There's a story to be found in the sounds if you let your imagination go, but each section stands on it's own as a vignette designed to impress wonder, curiosity, surprise and a sense of voyeuristic beauty.

"This is the first movement of three."

Actually, Brett will explain it all in his own words during today's show. Brett will also return to solipsistic NATION once he completes movements one and two.

Quick note: on today's show we were going to celebrate 300 episodes of solipsistic NATION. I had big plans and lots of guests. But as long as I'm being completely honest about how solipsistic NATION works, then I have to tell you that producing multi-segmented shows are time consuming and take a lot out of me.

Problem was my epic show just wasn't coming together the way I wanted. I could either take another week off to get it right, like I did last week, or I could go on with the show. I didn't want to keep you or Brett waiting any longer, so I opted for the latter.

Join us again next week! By special listener request we'll hear a live DJ set from Elastic Bond!

See you then!

Interview with Mister Wi$E

Sound Credits

1. Passing a Guitar Player out.aif by happyband | License: Sampling+
2. Security Door 2 by ultradust | License: Attribution
3. Footsteps on wooden flooring.wav by Rickmk2 | License: Creative Commons 0
4. 110728_CitySoundScape_SusukinoSapporoHokkaido.wav by snotch | License: Attribution
5. Cologne Station.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
6. binaural station.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
7. trainjourney from Wuerzburg.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
8. crowded train.WAV by inchadney | License: Creative Commons 0
9. On board an ICE train in Germany.wav by inchadney | License: Attribution
10. Railway platform Frankfurt station pt1.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
11. Munich station platform 22.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
12. train leaving.WAV by inchadney | License: Attribution
13. lunch_college_street.wav by sagetyrtle | License: Creative Commons 0
14. 20091216.going.wav by dobroide | License: Attribution
15. Kobe-train-announcement-and-arrival.wav by xserra | License: Attribution
16. trein-coupe-stop-wait-start.wav by klankschap | License: Attribution Noncommercial
17. slurping_then_an_ah.mp3 by morgantj | License: Attribution
18. belch_sample.wav by jppi_Stu | License: Attribution
19. cansound.wav by BranRainey | License: Creative Commons 0
20. shaken.not.stirred.wav by dobroide | License: Attribution
21. Swallowing Water.wav by Razzvio | License: Attribution
22. trainride.wav by sagetyrtle | License: Creative Commons 0
23. beepbeep.wav by leviclaassen | License: Attribution
24. from_train_to_street.aif by bulldozia | License: Attribution Noncommercial
25. Footsteps Wooden Stairs Squeaking 1.wav by RutgerMuller | License: Creative Commons 0
26. Steps on a wooden floor by jop9798 | License: Creative Commons 0
27. Door 16.wav by LG | License: Attribution
28. queen_street.flac by Corsica_S | License: Attribution
29. Opening & Closing Regular Sized Umbrella -- Slight Pause In-between.WAV by Ndheger | License: Attribution
30. Footsteps - concrete - OD - A.wav by FreqMan | License: Attribution
31. open and close front door and lock.wav by rockstar_not | License: Sampling+
32. apartment-building outdoors 01.wav by klankbeeld | License: Attribution
33. Bar ambience 2.flac by sdfalk | License: Attribution
34. barNoisyAmbience.wav by oniwe | License: Attribution Noncommercial
35. Guy retching water and gasping for air.wav by Tonsofpaperbrokenpen | License: Creative Commons 0
36. chair_sitting_4.wav by FreqMan | License: Attribution
37. 01659 underwater sinking.wav by Robinhood76 | License: Attribution Noncommercial
38. Bubbles.wav by erkanozan | License: Creative Commons 0
39. scuba_dive_underwater_01.wav by m_O_m | License: Attribution Noncommercial
40. Water1.aif by pushtobreak | License: Attribution Noncommercial
41. South-Florida - suburbs - night.WAV by eric5335 | License: Attribution Noncommercial
42. whippoorwill3.wav by imonacan | License: Attribution Noncommercial
43. Bedroom_Windows Unlock, Open, Close, Lock Sequence.mp3 by CGEffex | License: Attribution
44. Door Opens and Closes by ultradust | License: Attribution
45. Door-Wooden-Squeak-0007.wav by D W | License: Attribution
46. door.wav by sagetyrtle | License: Creative Commons 0
47. Man Sniffling by SteveOShore | License: Creative Commons 0
48. Match lighting 3.wav by Adam_N | License: Creative Commons 0
49. Charles Street Bus Station 10.03.2012(24-bit 44.1kHz).wav by LeicesterSoundmap | License: Creative Commons 0
50. Traffic.wav by inchadney | License: Attribution
51. NYC_street leve02l.wav by gezortenplotz | License: Attribution
52. Footsteps on Wet Pavement_1-2.aif by SteveMannella | License: Sampling+
53. raindrops.umbrella.flac by dobroide | License: Attribution
54. umbrella.wav by Corsica_S | License: Attribution
55. cardoor.wav by jessestephens | License: Sampling+
56. Explosion.mp3 by Omar Alvarado | License: Attribution
57. USAT BOMB.wav by sandyrb | License: Attribution
58. 20061105.gunshot.01.wav by dobroide | License: Attribution
59. Driving in Streamwood IL with the windows down (05-04-2009).mp3 by audible-edge | License: Attribution
60. Bee on flower, some background talking.wav by lolamadeus | License: Creative Commons 0
61. FootSteps in a Concrete Corridor 1 by cris | License: Creative Commons 0
62. ekg.wav by guitarguy1985 | License: Creative Commons 0
63. Hospital sounds 2.wav by ERH | License: Attribution
64. baby_laugh1.wav by reinsamba | License: Attribution
65. Small-Jet-Flyover.wav by rickbuzzin | License: Creative Commons 0
66. hospital_lobby.flac by Corsica_S | License: Attribution
67. MMP-300906-014.wav by martypinso | License: Creative Commons 0
68. CarArriveAndStop.wav by jmdh | License: Creative Commons 0
69. windshieldwipers_no_rain.wav by morgantj | License: Attribution
70. tg_on windshield from inside car.wav by Tristan | License: Creative Commons 0
71. driving_in_rain.03.22.2009.MP3 by vhsvhs | License: Sampling+
72. bm_carongravel.wav by cmusounddesign | License: Attribution
73. click02.wav by fonogeno | License: Attribution Noncommercial
74. small_radio.flac by lorenzosu | License: Attribution Noncommercial
75. hospital_tv_channel_change.wav by gezortenplotz | License: Attribution
76. Hospital sounds 3.wav by ERH | License: Attribution
77. TVonoff.aif by orehek | License: Creative Commons 0
78. citystreet3.wav by sagetyrtle | License: Creative Commons 0
79. Breath_Woman.wav by audione | License: Creative Commons 0
80. Caropeningclosing.wav by mikaelfernstrom | License: Attribution
81. 011 Door opens and shuts.wav by FreqMan | License: Attribution
82. footstep on wood foley.wav by martian | License: Creative Commons 0
83. gravel walking.aif by tigersound | License: Attribution Noncommercial
84. elevator trip .wav by Zbyhek | License: Attribution
85. Security Door 3 by ultradust | License: Attribution
86. Town amb - summer, day.WAV by eric5335 | License: Attribution Noncommercial
87. Town or suburbs amb - spring, day.WAV by eric5335 | License: Attribution Noncommercial
88. Car start and drive.mp3 by han1 | License: Attribution

Tracks Used (in order of play)

1. Nest "The Twelve"
2. Tchad Blake "Mr. Green Speaks"
3. Nest "Charlotte"
4. Trus'me "Can We Pretend"
5. Nils Frahm "Less"
6. Headphone Commute "For Nils"
7. Erik Satie "Gymnopédies Lent Et Douloureux"
8. Rhye "The Fall"
9. Guitar Crusher "When a Man Loves a Woman"
10. Sing Wei "Latch"
11. Erik Satie "Gymnopédies Lent Et Triste"
12. Todd Terje "Inspector Norse"

A few years ago I showcased Bak$hish Music, a collective of like-minded artists modeled after Hakim Bey‘s Temporary Autonomous Zone. Bak$hish Music was also indebted to the musical stylings of Bill Laswell, although they were a thing unto themselves with a roster of artists that included the likes of Lingua Lustra and Mauxuam.

Some time afterwards I started seeing releases by a label called Spiritech Records. The label's name raised an eyebrow and when I looked further I noticed Spiritech Records predominantly featured music from Lingua Lustra. I really dug Lingua Lustra's music on Bak$hish Music and as much as I wanted to showcase Spiritech I decided to wait until they had filled out their own roster of artists.

A few weeks ago spacesfm did a feature on Spiritech Records, which prompted me to check out how their catalog had grown and I was floored to see that the label had exploded! I wasted no time inviting the label's founder, Albet Borkent, to join us on today's show. Turns out he also records and performs under the name Lingua Lustra. Who knew?!

solipsistic NATION covers all of electronic music in it's many, many forms but there's a special place in my heart for electronic music that explores the mystical and the psychedelic. That's something that Spiritech Records does very well. During my chat with Albert I told him that I believed that music from Spiritech Records can experience a heightened state of consciousness. I wasn't entirely kidding about that. There were several times today's mix that took me to some interesting places when I let go and my imagination go wild while listening to while listening to music from Spiritech Records. It can happen to you if you let it, so kick back and kiss the sky!

Special shout-out to Andrew from Apple's iTunes Store Customer Support.

Last month solipsistic NATION got over a million downloads so I thought I'd check out our page on iTunes. I admit it, I was being vain. I wanted to see if there were any new reviews of the show. But you know what? Apple was no longer displaying my podcast in iTunes. I was upset! Did I lose all my new and regular listeners just like that? And why?

I sent an email to the iTunes Store Customer Support to find out what was going on, not really expecting an answer. But I got a response right away, and that's how I met Andrew. He helped figure out my problem and within a few days solipsistic NATION was back on iTunes. Not with going into what caused the problem, I'm just glad it got resolved so quickly.

Look, I already love Apple, and this was yet another reason to love them even more, and it's just another example why they are such a phenomenon.

So, Andrew, if you're reading this, thanks!

Join us again next week. I'll be celebrating 300 episodes of solipsistic NATION. I'll talk about where we've been, how the show has exploded in the last year, and where I'll take the show in 2013. Big news! And of course, great music!

See you then!

1. Rainbow Vector "Newsflash"
2. Textural Being "+"
3. Interview with Albet Borkent, founder of Spiritech Records
4. Lingua Lustra "Journey With The Flower Mobile To The Central Temple Of Bliss"
5. Data Rebel "Rifflekt"
6. Olexa "Wanderer"
7. Enoruos "Yggdrasil"
8. Lingua Lustra "Caravan To Utopia"
9. Interview with Albet Borkent, founder of Spiritech Records
10. Snufmumriko "Rites Of December"
11. Lingua Lustra "Fluxon (excerpt)"
12. Interview with Albet Borkent, founder of Spiritech Records

Welcome to the 300th edition of solipsistic NATION!

Today on solipsistic NATION we'll hear a special live in-studio performance from CRL Studios recording artists, Psykkle. Evan Collingwood is Psykkle and we'll talk about his upcoming album and what his live shows are like.

Before we talk with Evan, I want to welcome all of you who are new to the show. solipsistic NATION got well over a million downloads last month so I know there are a lot of you who are just tuning in for the first time. Let me give you the lay of the land.

The first weekend of the month I feature a live performance from an electronic musician. Some of the live sets are recordings from concerts or, like today's show, recorded live in-studio.

Recent live shows have included Dope Records recording artist Tokeee performing live from Moscow, an in-studio performance from Michael Maricle and Ad Noiseam recording artist Raoul Sinier, live from Toulouse.

It's not all live music, though. The second week of each month I showcase a label that's putting out such amazing releases that it's my duty as host of this show to turn you on to those labels.

Recently I've showcased the aforementioned CRL Studio and Dope Records and Elephant Records. Next week I'll showcase Spiritech, which I'm excited about.

The rest of the month is up for grabs. Sometimes I'll have several guests on the show. That include festival organizers, writers, bloggers, movie makers, software developers-anyone who is connected to the electronic music community. Sometimes I'll have guest DJs on the show and sometimes I even get to get behind the virtual wheels of steel and play the best of all genres of electronic music.

I'll release a show later this month celebrating the big Three-Oh-Oh. It would make more sense to do that on today's show but like I said, the first weekend of every month is dedicated to a live performance and I'd hate to break that tradition.

If you enjoy today's show then give us a quick review on iTunes. Every review helps turn someone on to solipsistic NATION and hopefully I can turn them, and you, on to more of the best of electronic music.

Join us again next week when we'll showcase Spiritech Records and talk to the label's founder, Albert Borkent.

See you then!

1. Psykkle "Chemtrail Lullaby [feat. Mechanical Garden]"
2. Interview with Evan Collingwood of Psykkle
3. Psykkle "In The City of Nodes [Uprising Mix by Blast Radius]"
4. Psykkle "Live"

In the six years of producing solipsistic NATION I've never done a "best of show." There are a couple of reasons for that.

One reason is because there are already enough record stores, magazines and blogs doing a much better job of curating music from the last year than I am. Hell, the Headphone Commute blog dedicates an entire month looking back at the last year alone.

But honestly, I could never care enough to get my act together to do this kind of show. I normally don't keep track of things like this. Besides, I play the best of electronic music on each show, so I'm doing it do already.

There are times, however, where I did make the effort to stay on top of what I thought was hot for a given year. But those were also the years where my computer would die and I'd lose all the meta data that I used to keep track of music I thought was noteworthy. But this year the stars aligned and I'm here to present to you the best electronic music of 2012.

At least according to iTunes. I created a smart playlist to select music from 2012 with three simple criteria: the music had to have been released in the last year, and I had have given it a high rating and, most importantly, I had to have played the hell out of it. Does that make it the best electronic music of 2012? Maybe not, but it's good enough for me.

By the way, when I give a numerical ranking all it means is that I played that particular song or album a lot last year and also gave it a high ranking. I didn't give it any more thought than that.

Show the artists some love by buying a couple of tracks, or albums, if you're feeling especially extravagant.

Check back again next year and we'll do it again. And check back next week, we've got a special live set from CRL Studios recording artists, Psykkle!

See you then!

1. Shawn Lee "Tiger Style"
2. Emsy Prank "Backside"
3. DJNSM "XYZ"
4. Piotr Kurek "Heat"
5. Leaving Richmond "Tiny Things"
6. Renart "Conte D'Eté"
7. Tomas Barfod "Broken Glass"
8. Dorit Chrysler "Winther Glow"
9. Blockhead "Meet You At Tower Records"
10. Clark "The Pining Pt3"
11. Brambles "Reflected Consciousness"
12. Maps and Diagrams "Oblonga"
13. DJ Food "A Trick of the Ear (Album Edit)"
14. wAgAwAgA "phaseyphase"
15. Deadbeat "Dub Des Erables"

Top 10 Songs of 2012

1. Blockhead "Meet You At Tower Records"
2. Clark "The Pining Pt3"
3. DJNSM "XYZ"
4. Emsy Prank "Backside"
5. Leaving Richmond "Tiny Things"
6. Piotr Kurek "Heat"
7. Renart "Conte D'Eté"
8. Shawn Lee "Tiger Style"
9. Tomas Barfod "Broken Glass"
10. Underhill "Hiding The Light"

Top 10 Albums of 2012

1. Headphone Commute ...And Darkness Came
2. Dorit Chrysler Avalanche
3. Electronic Explorations EE Compilation
4. Clark Iradelphic
5. Futuresequence SEQUENCE3
6. Shawn Lee Synthesizers In Space
7. Digital Graffiti Volume/One
8. Piotr Kurek Heat
9. wAgAwAgA midnight sampler
10. DJ Food The Search Engine

Good grief! I had a four-day weekend and it took all four of them to produce today's show, never mind the hours spent arranging and preparing for the interviews featured on today's show! That's the problem with the star-studded-ultra-mega-cool editions of solipsistic NATION, they're totally worth it but that still doesn't make producing the show any less backbreaking. Okay, I'm working on a computer—it doesn't make producing the show any less carpal tunnel inducing. And, hey, have you heard? Sitting can kill you!

Sorry, A little woozy. I'm still spent from producing today's show. But I crushed it. Let me tell you how.

Like the dark electronic sounds of Tympanik Audio? Guess what? It's their five year anniversary and to celebrate they've released their Accretion compilation album featuring everyone from their roster of artists—from Access to Araska to Zeller! Paul Nielsen is founder of Tympanik Audio and he was my guest on solipsistic NATION when we showcased his label back in 2009. Tympanik Audio continues to deliver the best in IDM, industrial, shoegaze, etc so I asked Paul to join us on today's show to catch up with each other and look into the future.

You know who else is celebrating their five year anniversary? The Centrifuge! Same deal. Wassim is the cofounder of The Centrifuge and we showcased his label back in 2011. They've just released Turbulent Topographies, the second volume of a three-part compilation celebrating five years of The Centrifuge. Extended an invitation. He accepted. Hear us talk. Better yet, listen to some beautiful music. And then go download the album because it's free!

King Deluxe is also celebrating their two year anniversary with the release of their King Deluxe Presents: Year Two compilation album. They celebrate their anniversary by giving you free music. Nice! I celebrated King Deluxe's first year on solipsistic NATION so I thought we'd do it again by chatting with PK, the label's founder, and see what he's been up to. Not a fan of phones, apparently.

Now we shift from labels to musicians.

I got a hold of Johan Ess's Vltrahex album a few weeks ago. While I've always been a fan there was something about Vltrahex. It was more then just Johan's mind blowing music, it was something else. Vltrahex sound familiar? That's because it's a nod to Generation Hex and Ultraculture, and book and a movement—both of which are about magic and community in the 21st century. How many more reasons did I need to get Johan on the show?

[tlr] is one of my net friends. He also records and performs under the name NVR-NDR and blogs at Magicore along with his partners in crime: Johan Ess, tooth_eye, A Beautiful Lotus and Joshua Decker. He's also released his latest album, Homunculus. [tlr]'s music is usually pretty exuberant but Homunculus took a darker turn. I still dug it but I wanted to check in with him and find out how this album came to be. Were there hidden, darker depth's to [tlr]?

About a month ago Lukasz Polowczyk emailed out of the blue to turn me on to Julian Sartorius's Beat Diary album. Julian recorded one beat, every day, for a year. No loops, no effects. Just Julian, his surroundings, his drum kit and a fieldrecorder allowing overdubs. The concept was cool but that didn't matter of the music wasn't worth listening to. Julian's our final guest on today's show so the answer is obviously yes, his music is definitely worth listening to. Playful, inventive and thoughtful.

That's the show. Come back again next week and we'll do it all over again. But completely different. Next week I do do something I thought I would never do: I'll be playing the best songs and best albums of 2012.

How am I doing? Tell me what you think at solipsisticnation@gmail.com or Tweet me @solipsistic.

See you next week!

Photo Credit: ©schillaci70

1. ESA "The Shape Of Hate To Come"
2. Opposite Exhale "Stare Into The Sun"
3. Interview with Paul Nielsen, founder of Tympanik Audio
4. Access To Arasaka "Fragments Of A Hologram Rose"
5. Integral "Empty"
6. Lodsb "Cyan"
7. Zan Lyons "Devil's Advocate"
8. Interview with Wassim, cofounder of The Centrifuge
9. Vaetxh "Resonant Bridge"
10. Alphabets Heaven "Darma (Kwala's Headshotboyz Reremix)"
11. Muta "Movie Hour"
12. Interview with PK, founder of King Deluxe
13. Johan Ess "Spastick Witchcraft (featuring Gianna Love)"
14. Johan Ess "Gematria"
15. Interview with Johan Ess
16. [tlr] "Crystalline Space Entity"
17. [tlr] "Gzngztrzm"
18. Interview with [tlr]
19. [tlr] "Jungular"
20. Julian Sartorius "October 2011"
21. Julian Sartorius "May 2011"
22. Interview with Julian Sartorius
23. Julian Sartorius "September 2011"
24. Julian Sartorius "December 2011"
25. Julian Sartorius "January 2011"
26. Julian Sartorius "May 2011"
27. Julian Sartorius "November 2011"
28. Julian Sartorius "March 2011"

Today on solipsistic NATION we're going to listen to select tracks from CRL Studios and talk with the label's founder, James Church. You may be more familiar with him as Lucid Static.

If you're new to solipsistic NATION you might be under the impression from last week's and today's show that all I play is IDM and industrial, and you'd be wrong. I play the best from all genres of electronic music.

It just so happens that a few months ago I had Fariz Suliman from Dope Records on the show. He raved about CRL Studios. Up to that point I had know about Lucidstatic but I had never made the connection that he also ran a label, and once I started listening to tracks from CRL Studios I knew I had to have him on solipsistic NATION to showcase his label. The music is just that great!

It's just coincidence I scheduled Dope Records recording artist, Tokee, and today's show featuring CRL Studios, back to back.

Today's mix was lovingly crafted by Chris Lacroix, AKA, DJ Siborg.

Funny thing about the mix. Behind the scenes I listen to a lot of music in order to present to you the very best in electronic music. I do a lot of this on the go so I'm constantly pulling out my iPhone and rating and noting songs that I might play in future editions of solipsistic NATION. Whenever I played DJ Siborg's mix I'd get lost in the music and get so excited about what I was listening to that I'd pull out my phone to rate the track I'm listening to and realize "Oh, right, right, this is a mix, not an individual track." That's how I knew this was a great mix and I'm thrilled to share it with you!

Before I get out of Dodge, I want to apologize if I sounded kind of like a douche bag on last week's show for talking about how quickly solipsistic NATION is growing. I'm just just excited. I always thought there was a larger audience for the show and it's gratifying to see how many people are downloading solipsistic NATION.

Oh, and, uh, we're at 342,116 downloads for January so far. Just in case you were wondering.

Look, I realize that Pete Tong or Tiësto probably get over 342,000 downloads a week for their podcasts. But I'm not them and I do a very different kind of show and 342,000 downloads is a big number for me. Bigger than I ever expected. So let's keep this thing going, tell a friend, tell a stranger about the show.

I'll make it worth your while. Join us again next for next week's mega-ultra-awesome show featuring Mark Johnson from Zite, a beautiful news aggregator that's become essential in producing this show! We'll also talk with Julian Sartorius about his Beat Diary project! We'll chat with _TLR_ and Johann Ess about their new albums they just released! We'll also celebrate King Deluxe's two year anniversary and The Centrifuge and Tympanik Audio's five year anniversaries!

Whew. I think I just burned through my exclamation point quota for 2013.

See you next week!

1. Cloud Roots "Nome (4 am)"
2. Interview with James Church, founder of CRL Studios
3. Glue On Smile "G_os"
4. Sleepless "The End"
5. Mono Penguin "Reaching Heaven"
6. Adonikam "Perpetual Symmetry"
7. Cryogenic Echelon "You're Still Lonely (ft Sabine Snaps, Studio-X, and Martin Veress)"
8. Human Error "Puppetshow"
9. Interview with James Church, founder of CRL Studios
10. Lithia "Tarnish (Interface Remix)"
11. Angel Of Violence "Mr. Sleep"
12. Viscera Drip "Suspiria"
13. Scrap/Grinder "To Make A Ring"
14. Virtual Terrorist "Gridwalkers (ft Psykkle)"
15. Tokee "Black Joy"
16. Interview with James Church, founder of CRL Studios

On today's show we're going to hear a recording of Tokee performing live in Moscow. It's bracing stuff and I just know you're gonna love it!

I'm actually new to Tokee's music. I found out about him when I read a blog post about Dope Records. I thought the label's name sounded cool and downloaded a few tracks from their website expecting to hear some hip hop jams. Instead what I got was everything from IDM to dubstep to metal. Tokee is actually one of the founders of Dope Records and his music encompasses all those styles of music and more. I was so impressed and invited Fariz Suleiman, the other founder of Dope Records, to showcase his label on solipsistic NATION back in November.

I kept in touch with Fariz and extended an invitation to the roster of artists on his label to feature their live sets on future shows. I was delighted when Fariz sent me a recording of Tokee performing in Moscow to me earlier this week. I quickly got a hold of Tokee and arranged an interview. Quick note: Tokee used his iPad to speak to me over Skype during the interview and it doesn't sound half bad. Most of the time I'm talking with my guests over their phones or desktops or laptops. This may be a first. Affordable tech continues to create opportunities.

Anyway, you're in good hands with Tokee. He's going to rock your free world, straight from Moscow!

Join us again next week when we'll talk with James Church, and play select tracks from his label, CRL Studios. Speaking of CRL Studios, Tokee released his Feeling Alive album on CRL.

Dope Records, Tokee, CRL Studios... see how it all comes together?

See you then!

1. Tokee "The Edge"
2. Interview with Tokee
3. Tokee "Intro, Live"
4. Tokee "PA, Live"
5. Paindonor "Loneliness of ... (Tokee 2012 Version), Live"
6. Human Error "Satcom (Tokee Remix), Live"
7. Tokee "AM, Live"
8. Tokee "Exodus, Live"
9. Tokee "Coma (Tokee Versus Human Error Remix), Live"
10. Tokee "Conquistador, Live"
11. Tokee "Genesis, Live"
12. Tokee "Ode to Winter, Live"
13. Tokee "BK, Live"
14. Tokee "Pink Bliss, Live"
15. Paindonor "Shell shock (Tokee 2012 Version), Live"
16. Tokee "Leviticus, Live"
17. Tokee "Black Joy, Live"
18. Tokee "CM, Live"
19. Bouquiniste "Stormtrooper Waltz, Live"

2012 has been a fantastic year for solipsistic NATION!

In 2012 began streaming on taintradio. At first glance it seems like an off fit—taintradio is primarily a jazz station, but that also include jazz on the fringes like Naked City and Last Exit. If you kind of squint your eyes you can see how solipsistic NATION might fit into taintradio's overall format. Whatever, I don't care. I'm just thrilled and honored to be included on taintradio's roster. Check out my interview with Bob Rogers, the founder of taintradio, here.

Rob Birch from the legendary Stereo MCs was a guest on solipsistic NATION in 2012 and rocked the show with select tracks from some of the Stereo MCs best shows! I'm such a huge fan of Stereo MCs that it was a relief that I didn't turn into an absolute drooling fanboy and say things like "You know that song you did? 'Connected?' Yeah, that was cool!" Fortunately for me, Rob was a gracious guest. So now I can check having the Stereo MCs on my list of solipsistic NATION milestones. You can listen to that show here.

While I'm in fan boy node, I also got to chat with notorious noisesmith Boyd Rice of Non. Boyd was one of those guys that really changed my perceptions of what noise and music could be. Through his music he also taught and encouraged me to embrace harsh frequencies and use them to ocasionaly fuck with my listeners. Hey, I was your typical angry punk at the time, so sue me. I've mellowed out since then and it seems like Boyd has too because he was absolutely charming. Check that show out here.

Look, a lot of cool stuff happened in 2012. I got to help support Headphone Commute's ...And Darkness Came compilation album, which is HC's effort to help those affected worst by Hurricane Sandy. The lads from the Magicore blog came on the show with another awesome mix! I got to showcase labels like Metal Postcard Records and Robot Elephant Records, taking solipsistic NATION further out into charted territories!

But what truly blew my mind in 2012 is how much solipsistic NATION has blown up. As I write this solipsistic NATION has gotten 302,597 downloads from the month of December alone. That's an all-time best for solipsistic NATION in a string of months of already fantastic downloads. Who knows how big solipsistic NATION will get in 2012? I'm not kidding myself, those are pretty modest numbers but they are far more than I ever expected the show to get. And it also confirms what I knew would happen with I first relaunched solipsistic NATION as a podcast—solipsistic NATION is not for everyone. It's for people who don't get caught up on genres, who simply want to hear the best that electronic music offers. Given the number of us who live online then if only a fraction of a percent of that population tuned in, that number would be huge. I knew that then, I just didn't expect to look it in the face in 2012.

There are a lot of new listeners to solipsistic NATION this month and if that's you, welcome aboard. You're probably wondering what this show is all about so let me get you up to speed.

The first weekend of each month I feature a live performance by an electronic musician. This month our guest was Michael Maricle, and that show got over one 144,624 downloads, so that may be how you found out about solipsistic NATION. The second weekend of each month, as I mentioned earlier, I showcase a record label that's putting out such amazing releases that it's my duty as host of this show to turn you on those labels.The rest of the month on solipsistic NATION is chock full of interviews and music and from time to tine, a guest DJ comes to town.

On today's show we'll bring in the new year with our guest DJs Juan Diego Borda and Andres “Popa” Erazo. Together they are Palenke Soultribe!

Palenke Soultribe is a loose-knit collective of musicians based out of Los Angeles. I've been a fan of their music since the release of their Tropic N Heaven album back in 2007. Such a fan that I was kicking myself earlier this year for not having them on the show yet. I sent them an invitation to cone on the show to play live. They declined because they are hard at work on their forthcoming album but they were generous to put together an awesome mix to close out 2012 and bring in 2013! Toss this mix onto the stereo at the next party you go to tonight!

On that high note, I want to thank all the bands and musicians, labels and festival organizers, filmmakers and documentarians, photographers and artists who make solipsistic NATION. And of course I want to thank you for listening. I'm stunned at how many there are of you. Tell a friend about the show, let's see how big solipsistic NATION can get in 2013.

See you next year!

1. Palenke Soultribe "The Sierra Brothers (Wilcox Remix)"
2. Interview with Juan Diego Borda and Andres “Popa” Erazo of Palenke Soultribe
3. La Makina del Caribe "Levemente Obsceno"
4. Munchi "Sandungueo"
5. ETC!ETC! "Temblando"
6. Palenke Soultribe Remix "Bonkers"
7. Frikstailers "Cumbia Kamisama"
8. ETC!ETC! "Fresh"
9. Palenke Soultribe "Oh Mama! (Kaddyn Palmed Remix)"
10. Palenke Soultribe "Oh Mama! (DJHD Remix)"
11. Shanti Roots "Cumbia Nightlife"
12. Gregor Salto/The Flexican "Maldita Cumbia"
13. Andy Von Paramus "La Cumbia (Dutchworx Rmx)"
14. Sidney Samson "Riverside (Palenke Soultribe Remix)"
15. Palenke Soultribe "La Tierra No es Mia"
16. Palenke Soultribe "El Cocuyo"
17. Hatiras, Nom De Strip "Roman Bromanski"
18. Palenke Soultribe "Africa is the Mother of the Beat (feat.Scrip)"

Each edition of solipsistic NATION is evergreen because they rarely make any mention of current events. There's no talk about the latest tragedy, the latest scandal or the latest war because solipsistic NATION is place for at least an hour every week where you can get away from all of that, where it just about the music. When you listen to solipsistic NATION you join a temporary nation of solipsists. Don't worry, all those worldly matters will still be waiting for you when the show ends.

But on today's show were going to listen to select tracks from Headphone Commute's ...And Darkness Came compilation album, an album that would not exist if not for Hurricane Sandy. I can't simply not talk about it.

...And Darkness Came features 87 tracks of beautiful music. But ...And Darkness Came is more than just beautiful music. It also benefits all of those affected by Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, which has devastated portions of the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States in late October 2012. 100% of all the proceeds generated from the sale of this album will be donated towards two charitable organizations: Doctors Without Borders and The Humane Society. The artists on the release have been hand-picked to showcase the world's top talent in ambient, modern classical, and experimental music and features many unreleased pieces composed exclusively for the cause.

HC from the Headphone Commute music blog invited me to put together a mix of my own featuring tracks from ...And Darkness Came. Unfortunately, I was waylaid by a cold last weekend and couldn't get that show out. In fact, I'm still under the weather but fortunately HC put together a mix of his own, which we'll listen to today. You can also listen to the mix without my blathering here.

If you're a long time listener of the show then you already know I'm a big fan of HC. If you're new to the show, then today's edition of solipsistic NATION serves as a great example of the kind of music HC blogs about: it's beautiful, yes, but it's also luxurious, breath taking, intimate but at the same time, larger than life.

You can purchase ...And Darkness Came at headphonecommute.bandcamp.com or go to headphonecommute.com for more information. If I know HC, he's hard at work putting together his list for the best music of 2012 so you'll want to subscribe to his blog just for that. It usually takes him the entire month of January to get through it all.

Join us again next week when we'll wind down 2012 with a special mix from the Palanke Soultribe.

See you then!

1. Gen Ken Montgomery "Sandy Drain"
2. The Frozen Vaults "A Year Without Summer"
3. Clem Leek "A Modern Hymn For NYC"
4. Good Weather For An Airstrike "Fred's Song"
5. riverrun "Maallinen Kuu"
6. Roel Funcken "Trideo Vaperz"
7. Pinkcourtesyphone "pixels came and broke your heart"
8. Julien Neto "Los Cien Enamorados"
9. Jóhann Jóhannsson "Melodia (iv) (Live at Ancienne Belgique)"
10. Nils Frahm "Sol"
11. Ólafur Arnalds "Tomorrow's Song"
12. Dustin O'Halloran "Fragile N.2"
13. Clint Mansell "Merry Christmas (It’s The End Of The World)"
14. Somatic Responses "Fear Chasing Hope (Zombie Subway HC Edit)"
15. SaffronKeira "Endless Agony of Being Sick (Edit)"
16. Valgeir Sigurðsson "Big Reveal"
17. Dakota Suite & Quentin Sirjacq "Now I Am Lost"
18. Ben Lukas Boysen "16°"

Today on solipsistic NATION we're going to listen to live in-studio performance recorded by Michael Maricle!

Michael has been recording and performing his music for a while now but I only just discovered him when a promotional copy of his recently released The Heart Found You album was sent my way for review. Michael's music was instantly familiar and seems to come from the same tradition that The Orb and Tripswitch others do. I don't quite know what that tradition is but I know it has it's roots in Pink Floyd and beyond.

Michael's music may be rooted in that tradition but it's also distinctly his own. In fact, during today's chat I asked Michael how his music lends itself to dub and new age music. I mentioned it because if you drew a Venn diagram Michael's music would touch upon those genres and more. While those elements are there or suggest those styles they're entirely Michael's and therefore unique.

If you like Michael's live set, and I know you will, then I know you'll also will want to know about Headphone Commute's compilation album, ...And Darkness Came, which drops tomorrow. It's 10 bucks for over 75 tracks!

...And Darkness Came features the world’s top talent in ambient, modern classical and experimental music. Like I said, there are over 75 tracks on this album and features everyone from Ben Lukas Boysen to Ezekiel Honig. You'll really get your money's worth buying this album but the best part is not only do you get to listen to beautiful music, you also help support Doctors Without Borders and The Humane Society to help all those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

HC wants to do good in the world while turning people on to good music.

On next week's show I'll be playing select tracks from HC's compilation album, so stay tuned for that.

See you then!

1. Michael Maricle "Earthbound Misfit"
2. Michael Maricle "Around the Corner"
3. Interview with Michael Maricle
4. Michael Maricle "Live, 2012"

Today's show we'll been listening to noise and sound. Some of it, like Boyd Rice's Sick Tour, is blistering and could reduce a cinder block to dust in mere seconds. Some of it, like Kingbastard's "Danlan Speaks" could lull you to a deep, luxurious sleep. Some sounds like the sound of a 56K modem are fast disappearing.

Boyd's experimentation with sound opened my head up to what music could be. In fact, you can hear his influence in the introduction to each episode of solipsistic NATION. Those harsh frequencies trace their lineage back to Boyd and they kind of serve as a fuck you to the listener. It says: Hey, this is a different kind of show. If it's not for you, shove off. We don't need you. Go listen to something safe.

I discovered Boyd right about the time I discovered Survival Research Laboratories and their robot gladiator arenas and V. Vale's Re/Search magazines and the Murder Can Be Fun calendars and a whole bunch of other twisted shit that informed who I would become as a young man.

Getting back to noise that fades into oblivion...

The Museum of Endangered Sounds is an online archive of the archaic noises
of technology and is here to save the day. The hard static of 56k modems, the sounds of VCRs, and operators of payphones are just some of the sounds that you'll find at the Museum.

The Museum of Endagered Endangered lists Brendan Chilcutt as the curator of the museum but when I asked him to join us on today's show I discovered that Brendan is actually a cutout for Phil Hadad, who is just one of the people behind Brendan and the Museum.

Join us again next week for a special live set from Michael Maricle.

See you then!

Photo Credit: ©S2OK

1. NON/Boyd Rice "Warm Leatherette"
2. NON/Boyd Rice "Sick Tour"
3. Interview with Boyd Rice
4. Laibach "Get Back"
5. Ambassador21 "Power Rage Riot Death (Legion Mix)"
6. David Morneau "Exiles (David Morneau Doomsday Mix)"
7. Dalglish "3.2008"
8. Kingbastard "Danlan Speaks"
9. Korallreven "Pago Pago"
10. Khalija "Khalija Part VII (Flood's Dream)"
11. Interview with Phil Hadad, co-curator of the Museum of Endangered Sounds
12. Toshinori Kondo "Clear Water"
13. Pale Sketcher "Plans That Fade (Faded Dub)"

Once a month on solipsistic NATION I showcase a label that's putting out such amazing releases that I feel it's my duty as host of this show to turn you on to that label. On today's show we're going to listen to select tracks from Dope Records and talk to the label's founder, Farees Suleiman.

I wish I could tell you how I came across Dope Records. I mean, I know I came across them through Zite on my iPad. I've created a section that focuses on electronic music, so even though I came across Dope Records through Zite, Zite pulled the website from any hundred or so blogs dedicated to electronic music. So who knows?

What I do know was that once I was at their web site and started listening to some of the tracks they made available online I became a fan. I expected that a label called Dope Records would feature hip hop releases but I was confounded when I heard everything from ambient to metal to dubstep to noise. I loved it! So I reached out to Farees to join us on today's show. I've included links in the playlist below to purchase nearly all the tracks heard on today's show. Show Dope Records and the artists some love by buying a track or two that you dug, an album or two if you're feeling particularly generous.

Quick note: today's interview was actually recorded back in August but as I mentioned last week, I went on a sabbatical for a couple of months so it had to wait. I apologize to you and Farees for the delay. But trust me on this, it is worth the wait.

Join us again next week. We'll do it all over again. But completely different.

1. Tokee "Pa (2012 Remix)"
2. Interview with Farees Suleiman, founder of Dope Records
3. Tokee "Th (2012 Remix)"
4. [makina] "Kabul"
5. Tokee "Agony"
6. Paindonor "Shell Shock"
7. Tokee "Conquistador"
8. Meteo Xavier "Amenemhetopelzai"
9. Interview with Farees Suleiman, founder of Dope Records
10. Paindonor "Loneliness of the Shot Down Bomber"
11. [makina] "Fly With Me"
12. Bouquiniste "Unknown Track"
13. [makina] "Eat tha' Bass"
14. Meteo Xavier "Navi Whisperwilde"

You and I need to talk. I've been gone for two months and I owe you an explanation about where I've been.

The last week of August I took my first vacation in something like seven or eight years. It's been the first time in ages that I've been able to unwind and completely relax. But something unexpected happened: I found I couldn't get back on the saddle.

Let me explain it this way. I've been producing an episode of solipsistic NATION nearly every single weekend for the last five years. That's 290 shows and sure, here and there I took a week off but otherwise I've been working on this show constantly.

Every day I spend a few hours sending out emails, making the rounds on Twitter and Facebook and reading electronic music blogs for ideas for future shows or just to take the pulse of the scene. And if I'm not doing that I'm either interviewing people for future shows or doing research for upcoming interviews.

And for the first time in five years I had a week where I didn't have to hustle. And after that week I realized how big solipsistic NATION had become and how much work goes into making each episode. It was paralyzing. Each week that went by without producing an episode of solipsistic NATION made the following weekend that much more difficult to face.

It's not that I don't enjoy doing solipsistic NATION, because I do. In fact, I've got some big plans in store for the show. But I can't go on like this. Something needs to change and I've got some exciting ideas I want to tell you about on a metacast I'll put out later this month.

In the meantime, I'm back, and I'm back with a bang! On today's show we'll talk with Raoul Sinier and hear a recording of him performing in Toulouse in 2009.

Like so many artists I really like, Ad Noiseam's Nicolas Chevreux introduced me to Raoul when I showcased his label way back in 2008. I was immediately smitten with his deft weaving of staccato glitches, chopped vocals and shattered vocals. After going offline for so long I figured I'd better deliver the good when I came back. Speak Onion let me know on Twitter that he's looking forward to today's show and that he digs Raoul's music.

I'm particularly sentimental about today's show because I interviewed Raoul on my birthday. Granted, I had to wake up at 4:30 am in the morning to accommodate the time difference between me in San Diego and Raoul in Paris. Nonetheless, I was pretty alert and had a good time talking with Raoul. It was a good start to one of the best birthdays I've had the pleasure of experiencing.

Enjoy Raoul's live set in Toulouse! Join us again next week when we'll showcase Dope Records.

See you then!

1. Raoul Sinier "Listen Close"
2. Raoul Sinier "The Incredible Spitting Machine"
3. Raoul Sinier "Huge Samurai Radish (Video Edit)"
4. Raoul Sinier "Green Lights"
5. Raoul Sinier "We Fly Part 2"
6. Raoul Sinier "Listen Close"
7. Raoul Sinier "Ants Mayhem"
8. Raoul Sinier "Live (Toulouse, April 24, 2009)"

Today on solipsistic NATION we're going to listen to an absolutely gorgeous mix from Jason Thomson, AKA, Herd. It's beautiful and it's haunting and I know you're going to love it!

I was really looking forward to having Jason on the show but he felt it best to let the music do the talking for him.

This has always been one of the more frustrating aspects of producing solipsistic NATION because there are some people I'd very much love to have on the show like Frank Riggio and HC from the Headphone Commute blog, but for whatever reasons, they prefer not to be interviewed. But interviewing people from the electronic music community is a big part of what makes solipsistic NATION, well, solipsistic NATION.

Too be perfectly honest, I have reservations about interviews myself. I think we live in a culture that often is more fascinated with the artist then the art they create. But we're human so were prone to this sort of thing and hopefully I ask a good question once in a while that reveals or re-frames or reaffirms our understanding of what it means to be human.

I know that sounds pretentious but isn't that what it's all about? Culture is forever asking and answering the questions: who are we, why are we here, what does it all mean? The Internet has merely accelerated culture and we're all along for the ride. Blogs, YouTube videos, podcasts—you get the idea.

So we're fascinated with the artist. When our favorite movies stars and rock stars talk and, in rare moments, reveal their humanity, we recognize ourselves in them. And if we're lucky, they might share something that makes us look at ourselves and our world differently.

All the same, I can respect and appreciate that Jason didn't want to be interviewed. And to be fair, he did suggest a compromise where he would respond to my questions with answers made up from a myriad of samples. In the end, I didn't have time to reformulate my questions and as fun as the idea sounds, I don't think I would have had the conversation I hoping to have.

That said, I'm still thrilled to feature Jason's mix on today's show. Even though he declined to be interviewed he wanted me to mention the release of Tangents 41 - 47 on FSOLdigital. Jason's currently hard at work on a new addition to the Tangents series and hopes to release it sometime next year on a new label called DarkFloor. You can learn more and hear more by visiting Jason at soundcloud.com/herdtangents.

Today's show goes out to Guillermo and Space Kat Gal.

Guillermo sent me an email a few weeks back letting me know how much he's enjoyed the show and that he's particularly fond of the live sets featuring Mobthrow, ZionTrain and Dubmatix. I'm sensing a reggae/dub thing from you, Guillermo, so I'll see what I can do on that front.

Space Kat Gal is someone I met on App.Net. App.Net, as you may have heard, is the paid social media service that came about through crowdsource fundraising in reaction to the advertising route that Twitter is exploring. Anyway, Kat likes EDM, and thought my show is interesting but on the ambient side. I promise you Kat, this show is more than just ambient music, although today's show is not my best example for that argument.

Kat lives in Boston, which is where I hail from, and I'll be visiting Boston August 25 through September second. While I'm there I plan to interview some local electronic musicians and record labels while I'm visiting friends and family. Email me at solipsisticnation@gmail.com or Tweet me @solipsistic if you'd like to meet up.

Join us again next week. We'll talk with the good folks from the Museum of Endangered Sounds and talk to Malcolm Levy about this years New Forms Festival taking place September 13 through September 16th in Vancouver. I'm working on nailing down a third interview but it's too early to talk about that. So sit tight until next week's show.

See you next week!

1. Ross Baker "Fields & Valleys" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
2. Humanoid "Fractured ( Legiac Mix)"
3. Scanner "Passage de Recherche"
4. Demdike Stare "Suspicious drone"
5. Future Sound of London "Elation"
6. Fanu "Strange Days"
7. Intex Systems "Absorb"
8. Oberman Knocks "Walkers Ret Ret Hive"
9. Somatic Responses "Lunar Disturbance"
10. Future Sound of London "A Corner"
11. Demdike Stare "Ghostly Hardware"
12. Second Thought "Nsepan"
13. Secede "The Realms of Sanda"
14. Legiac "Hallux Abb"
15. Jochem Paap "Trpp Bll"
16. Monolith Cycle "Transmission" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
17. Fanu "Trippy"
18. Small Fish With Spine "High Fibre"
19. Intex Systems "Transcend The Mind"
20. Herd "Untitled"
21. Intex Systems "The Infinite Void"
22. Herd "Untitled"
23. Herd "Untitled"
24. Excerpts from the film The Cell
25. Future Sound of London "Plough"
26. Herd "Untitled"
27. King Crimson "Masque 8"
28. Blackfilm "Midnight to 4"
29. Future Sound of London "Cascade Part 4"
30. Intex Systems "Vapour Fragments"
31. Burial "Untitled"
32. Herd "Untitled"
33. Access To Arasaka "Kyokko"
34. Andrea Parker and Dan Quayle "Under the Sand"
35. Freeform "Under the Sand"
36. Legiac "Opaque"
37. Robert Normandeau "Memoires vives"
38. Squarepusher "40.96a"
39. Access To Arasaka "Brilliant Pebbles"
40. Future Sound of London "First Death In The Family"
41. Future Sound of London "Vit Drowning / Through Your Gills I Breathe"

Take Robot Elephant Records.

A few months back I was perusing electronic music blogs on Flipboard or Zite or some app like them and came across a post about a label called Robot Elephant Records. Cool name, I thought. And what would a robot elephant look like? I imagined a Mechagodizilla like beast. I had to know more.

The blog post praised their Robot Elephant Records so I moseyed over to their website and listened to the tracks they were streaming online and I really, really dug what I heard. So much so that I invited Sebastian Weikart and Anthony Chalmers, the founders of Robot Elephant Records, to come on the show and play some of their releases and chat about their label.

You're going to love the mix they've prepared for us and I think you'll agree, Robot Elephant Records unequivocally live up to their cool name!

This interview was actually supposed to go out last month but as I mentioned last week, I've been working a lot of hours to meet a deadline for a very big project at my job. I love producing solipsistic NATION and having guests on the show and I love that you tune in, but it's unavoidable that I'm going to miss a show from time to time.

Join us again next week. I'm still catching up from being off a couple of weeks so while I've got some things in the hopper I'm not quite sure what I'll use first. Rest easy, you're in good hands. It'll be good.

Okay, I'm out of here. Enjoy today's show!

1. Dead Fader "Industrial Funk Stains"
2. Interview with Sebastian Weikart and Anthony Chalmers, founders of Robot Elephant Records
3. Os Ovni "A Lil' In The Moon"
4. Os Ovni "Holographic Dreams"
5. Blue on Blue "Night Terrors"
6. Funerals "Water over Night"
7. Ourobonic Plague "The Outer Alphabet"
8. Dead Fader feat. Sensational "fishsh"
9. Fostercare "City of Gods"
10. Martin Galway "Arkanoid"
11. Ben Daglish "Trap"
12. Ritualz "III"
13. Party Trash "Sky Clad"
14. Husband "Love Song"
15. Fostercare "Future Tribes"
16. Dead Fader "Das Hamster"
17. The Church of Synth "Der Fall von Leviathan"

Like Lazarus, I return!

Too be fair, Lazarus returned from the dead whereas I have merely returned from three months of working hard to meet a deadline at my job in addition to my daily responsibilities. I'm happy to say that I met that deadline but the last month has been particularly demanding and so I had to miss a few shows.

But I'm back and we've got a great mix from Duncan Bain, A.K.A., Orangewarrior.

Duncan first came into my life when I heard his spectacular mixes for the Headphone Commute blog. What I like about his mixes is that not only is his taste in music excellent, he's not limited to a specific genre. He'll spin some chillout, then some dubstep and, as in the case of today's show, he'll spin some house. The kind of house you might listen to after a long night of clubbing. Wonderful stuff!

I have to keep this short because I'll be heading out shortly to a farewell party for my friends who will be sailing around the world in two weeks. Maybe I'll bring this week's show with me.

They'll be gone for two years. I miss them already but on the other hand, I know I'll be reading about their adventures on their blogs, chatting with them on Facebook, and corresponding with them via email. If we're lucky, we'll video chat with each other. What a world.

Join us again next week. Not sure what I'll have in store for you because I'm still catching my breath. If I can pull it off I'll have a live set from The Teknoist. If not, I'm sure I can put together something that'll entertain you.

One more thing before I go. As of today I'll be encoding each edition of solipsistic NATION at 192 kbps. I've given this a lot thought and while 128 kbps ensures an easier download it sacrifices some audio fidelity in a format that sacrifices audio fidelity to begin with. Ideally I'd like to release each show at 320 kbps but I feel 192 kbps strikes a nice balance of a not too onerous download and superior listening experience. Duncan's mix deserves it, right?

Let me know what you think.

Bon voyage!

Photo Credit: ©Cris Rose

Listen
1:23:15 | 114.44 MB

1. Ricardo Rae "Hold On (Chuck Love's 666 Mix)"
2. Sierra Sam "Phoney Man"
3. Interview with Duncan Bain, AKA, Orangewarrior
4. John Talabot "So Will Be Now feat. Pional"
5. Ursa's Reef "Pacific State (808 State Cover)" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
6. Jack Dixon "Lose Myself (Dauwd Remix)"
7. Pixelord "Quartz Boy (i11even remix)" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
8. Jacques Greene "Prism"
9. Koreless "Lost in Tokyo (Jacques Greene Remix)"
10. Four Tet "128 Harps"
11. Phon.o "Mosquitoes"
12. Julio Bashmore "Au Seve"
13. Mosca "Eva Mendes"
14. Lopez "Balham Tandoori (LV Remix)"
15. Drums Of Death "Transistor Rhythm"
16. Dauwd "Ikopol"
17. Om'Mas Keith "Girl Is a Player (Om Unit Remix)"

Listen
1:23:15 | 114.44 MB

Okay, folks, plug in your earbuds and grab your seats because here we go: on today's show were going to talk to both DJ Jenny LaFemme, who with Maggie Derthick produced Girls Gone Vinyl: The Untold Story of Female DJs, a documentary funded through Kick Starter and Geeta Dayal about her charming and illuminating book, Brian Eno's Another Green World.

Jenny and Maggie achieved their goal of raising $15,000 through Kick Starter to produce Girls Gone Vinyl this time last year. Girls Gone Vinyl asks a very simple and important question: why aren't there more DJs who are women? The answers, of course, are many, and Girls Gone Vinyl covers more ground than just that question.

Do I really need to give an introduction to Brian Eno?

Brian Eno has created and produced more music and trends in his 40 year career then anyone could possibly hope for. He's played with such legends as Roxy Music and Talking Heads and produced smash hits for U2 and Cold Play. His own albums have experimented with everything from ambient to pop to rock to noise. Hell, he practically invented ambient and Eno pushes the boundaries of what music and albums can be with each release.

Brian Eno's Another Green World is just one masterpiece among many, but it's a very important one that is a snapshot of the music Eno was creating in 1975 and hinted at what lay ahead.

Geeta Dayal writes about music for the likes of Wired and The Wire, The Village Voice and The New York Times and many other respected publications. Brian Eno's Another Green World was written for 33 1/3, a brilliant series focusing on select albums like the Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique LP or Throbbing Gristles' 20 Jazz Funk Greats album.

My interview with Geeta kicks off a new segment I'm calling Electronic Lit. Upcoming shows will feature interviews with Lyle Owerko about his book, The Boombox Project: The Machines, the Music, and the Urban Underground, and How to Wreck a Nice Beach: The Vocoder from World War II to Hip-Hop, The Machine Speaks by Dave Tompkins.

I hope you'll pick up a copy of Geeta's book. In fact, I have a copy that I'm going to give away to a lucky winner. Email me at solipsisticnation@gmail.com or Tweet me on Twitter @solipsistic for your chance to win. I'll pick an entry at random and announce the winner on next week's show.

Speaking of next week's show, we're going to showcase Robot Elephant Records and talk to the label's founders Sebastian Weikart and Anthony Chalmers.

See you then!

1. Amana Melomé "Nao Falo (Belladonna Deep House Remix)"
2. Girls Gone Vinyl: The Untold Story of Female DJs "Street Interviews: Who is your favorite female DJ? Do you know any?"
3. Amana Melomé "Caterpillar (Atjazz Remix Instrumental)"
4. Interview with DJ Jenny LaFemme, co-producer of Girls Gone Vinyl: The Untold Story of Female DJs
5. Brian Eno And The Words Of Rick Holland "The Airman"
6. Brian Eno "2 Forms Of Anger"
7. Brian Eno "Horse"
8. Interview with Geeta Dayal, author of Brian Eno's Another Green World
9. Brian Eno "Slow Ice, Old Moon"
10. Brian Eno "Calcium Needles"
11. Brian Eno "Late Anthropocene"

There's an old saying that 99% percent of everything is crap. Theater, movies, literature, etc. And in our case, electronic music. 99% of it is crap. Mediocre. Uninspired. Trite. Cliche. Gutless. Excrement.

But here's the good part—there are so many human beings that statistically there's an astounding amount of great electronic music in the 1%! So much of, in fact, that I can't possibly play all of it even on a weekly one hour program. There's just too much of it! Seemed a shame to keep it to myself so I started Tweeting whatever tracks I was listening to at the moment that I thought were worth hearing.

Problem solved, right?

Not quite.

I listen to a lot of music when I'm on the go and it was frustrating to not always be able to link to the song or album I was listening to.

What to do?

After giving it some thought I created a new section on my blog where I featured the song of the day. That gave me the freedom to not only link to the artist but also include the song or a video of the song of the day, and whenever it's possible, a free MP3 download of that song.

I've posting a song a day for the last month or so and now that I have enough of them under my belt I thought it was time to share some of those songs with you on today's show. And like the tracks I feature on my blog, the music on today's show will skip from genre to genre and every track is top notch.

On today's I prove it to you.

Below are links to purchase music from on today's show. If you like anything you heard, why not spend a buck or two to support the artists?

See you next week!

Photo Credit: ©mr_cactus

1. Morgan Page "Loves Mistaken feat. Shelley Harland"
2. Underhill "Hiding The Light"
3. Squarepusher "Dark Steering"
4. Take "Before You Think"
5. Leaving Richmond "Tiny Things"
6. Renart "Conte D'Eté"
7. Tomas Barfod "Broken Glass"
8. Emsy Prank "Backside"
9. Pepe Deluxe "Go Supersonic (Radio Edit)"
10. Wordburglar "Rhyme O' Clock feat. More Or Les (Clean)"
11. Bonde Do Role "Kilo"
12. Busdriver "Bon Bon Fire"
13. Blockhead "Meet You At Tower Records"
14. Sidestepper "La Paloma"

Last weekend I headed up to LA with my friend. No particular reason, we both just needed to get out of San Diego. Don't get me wrong, San Diego is a slice of paradise but it is lacking in some of the cultural amenities.

I wanted to see Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman perform their Hollywood Babble-On podcast at the Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Universal City Walk. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see Kevin Smith because he was on the road promoting his new book, Tough Shit: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good. It was still a good show and I had the unique experience of strolling through Universal City Walk, which was a weird combination of a theme park and a shopping mall. Thing is, once you've been there, there's absolutely no reason to ever go back, because there's nothing there you'd really want to spend cash on beside touristy shit (although I must admit that I kind of liked it). I suppose if you lived in the area you'd want to go there to check out the latest Hollywood blockbuster film.

The next day we drove to the fashion district in LA, which was a vast disappointment to my friend. I suppose she was expecting haute couture and models strolling up and down the streets.

Anyway, it was good to take the weekend off and now I'm back and I'm really excited about today's show, because on today on solipsistic NATION we're showcasing Metal Postcard Records.

I'm quite fond of Metal Postcard because they've been around roughly the same time I first started broadcasting solipsistic NATION on Free Radio San Diego. I didn't have any juice but Sean Hocking, the label's founder, was kind enough to send promotional CDs and vinyl my way to play on the show. Metal Postcard is an eclectic label and we'll find out just how eclectic when we chat with Sean, who joins us from his home in Hong Kong.

Before I go, I want to wish my dad a happy Father's Day. He's listened to every single edition of solipsistic NATION. It means a lot to me that I can share something that means so much to me and that I work so hard on with my dad, and that he wants to listen. That he enjoys that show is just icing on the cake.

He's a father and a friend and his influence on me in appreciating great music from all genres is only one of the many things I'm thankful for him as a father.

Happy father's day, dad. I love you.

1. Wax Audio "Imagine This"
2. Rake Wickman "Suur Toll"
3. Interview with Sean Hocking, founder of Metal Postcard Records
4. Swoop Swoop "Drive Into the Night"
5. Ollo "Full Stop Blue"
6. Cambodian Space Project "I'm Unsatisfied"
7. DJ Foundation "Sitting in Gitmo"
8. The Emergency "Holland Tunnel Dive"
9. Interview with Sean Hocking, founder of Metal Postcard Records
10. Wow "When You're Dead"
11. Pairs "I Wanna Die in the Ocean" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
12. Never Heard of Zeppelin "Book of Love"
13. London School of Economics "Cock Sucker"
14. ?redo from Start "Wires"
15. Louis Inglis "Dark Days Ahead"
16. Crystal Sun Remixed by DSICO "For Those Who Wander"
17. Interview with Sean Hocking, founder of Metal Postcard Records

Tapage is Tijs Ham and he's our guest on today's show.

While I've always enjoyed his music, I think he's really matured as an artist and as a musician with the release of Overgrown, his latest album on Tympanik Audio. All the elements that Tijs has worked with the last couple of years—the soundscapes, breakcore and IDM—are all there, but his use of all those styles of music is more precise. They're there more to support what he wants to express through his music than overwhelming the music, if that makes any sense. You'll see what I mean, because we'll also hear a live in studio performance from Tijs on today's show.

Speaking of shows, [tlr], who has been a frequent guest on solipsistic NATION, will be performing tonight with Ming and Ping and Mike Diva as NVD-NDR at Til Two here in San Diego. If you live in the area, go see them! I plan to be there so send me a tweet @solipsistic and maybe we can meet up. That's if I get today's show out early enough.

If you can't make the show, fear not. You can download [tlr]'s's performance as NVR-NDR on the October 15th, 2011 edition of solipsistic NATION. TLR was also on the show with tooth_eye, A Beautiful Lotus, Johan Ess and Joshua Decker with a mix of select tracks from their Magicore blog back in March.

One more thing...

I get sent a lot of music, and even though I feature the best of it each week on solipsistic NATION, there's so much that I can't pack it all into an hourly program. Even though I can't play everything that I think is great, I can still tell you about it, so I've started a new feature on the solipsistic NATION website: the song of the day. Recent posts have featured Bonde Do Role, Laid Back and the Drop Out Orchestra. All the music is exceptional and each post features a video or track from the artist. I also include links to download free MP3s if they offer them. If you like the show then I think you'll like the song of the day, so check it out!

Join us again next week when we'll showcase music from Metal Postcard Records.

See you then!

1. Tapage "Leptoid"
2. Tapage & Meander "Delicate Hydroid"
3. Interview with Tijs Ham of Tapage
4. Tapage "Laboratory Panic Advice"
5. Tapage "Sine"
6. Tapage "Notbremse"
7. Tapage "Head Cage"
8. Tapage "Mortuary Beef"
9. Tapage "Live"

On today's show I'm handing the virtual wheels of steel over to Praketh, who has lovingly selected tracks from Audio Aashram, one of the only labels operating out of New Delhi that sell, promote and manage various artists and different styles of alternative electronic music. They also stream three different kinds of chillout music at Radio79.com.

Praketh has been a guest DJ on solipsistic NATION several times now, and also produces his own show, the always excellent blueOrb podcast. In fact, it's because of his podcast that we know each other in the first place.

I came across his show five years ago when he released a mix featuring everyone from Nalepa to Boards of Canada. To this very day that remains one of my favorite mixes. Anyway, I asked Praketh if I could feature that mix on solipsistic NATION. He graciously agreed and has been a welcome guest on the show ever since.

Whenever Praketh is kind enough to send a mix my way I invite him to come on the show to talk. But Praketh always declines, preferring to let the music do the talking. If you've listened to this show for any amount of time, you know that interviews are integral to solipsistic NATION. I like to get to know people in the electronic music community, what makes them tick, why do they do what they do? But Praketh's mixes are always so brilliant that I'm willing to not scratch that particular itch.

I was considering releasing this show as a label showcase but when I talked it over with Praketh he pointed out that his mix, awesome as it is, doesn't convey the breadth and scope of Audio Aashram. The mix is more representative of Praketh's tastes in music. And that's true, because this mix has Praketh's fingerprints all over it.

You can hear more mixes from Praketh. Check out the December 21st, 2007 Gunning for the Buddha show and the May 21st, 2011 Blue Orb edition of solipsistic NATION.

If you know someone you think would enjoy today's show, tell them about solipsistic NATION. Or give us a review on our iTunes page. Spread the word!

Join us again next week for a special in-studio performance by Tapage.

See you then!

1. Open System "Inner sense (INTRO)"
2. Dualist Inquiry "Orbital"
3. Shantam "Reflexed"
4. Lucid Picnic "Saturn Effect"
5. Sattyananda "Realize"
6. Akasha "The Chain"
7. Sattyananda "Sonic Dreams"
8. Sygnals "Abyss Escape"
9. Sattyananda "Celebrate"
10. Shantam "Selfitude"
11. Sygnals "Recollection"
12. Asura "Volte Face"
13. Akasha "More Babak"
14. Saatvik Sequencers "Raga Durga"
15. Grains of Sound "Way In, Way Out (OUTRO)"

I have spent over 12 hours producing today's show. This last surge of nervous energy is only going to last so long so let me give you the low down on today's show before I collapse into a quivering heap of exhaustion.

First off, I want to say goodbye to Adam Yauch, or as we know him, MCA of the Beastie Boys.

I wasn't a fan of their Licensed to Ill album because I could never get past their douchebag posturing. But there was no ignoring their Paul's Boutique album and Check Your Head was virtually my soundtrack for 1992. As I was growing and maturing, the Beastie Boys were always a couple steps ahead of me, blazing the trail.

Adam passed away last week. I'll miss his wit, his compassion and his humanity. The world is a little colder place with one less Beastie. Namaste, Adam.

Life is for the living, so let's get on with it.

This year's Glade Festival is less than a month away and we're going to bring it in with Benji Vaughan, who will be performing along with Raja Ram and Simon Posford on the Origin Stage Twisted Sound System. Between them, they are responsible for such ground-breaking music including, but not only, Shpongle, Hallucinogen, Younger Brother and Prometheus.

The MUTEK Festival is also around the corner, taking place in Montreal May 30th to June 3rd. Last year we spoke with MUTEK founder, Alain Mongeau. This year we have the pleasure of talking with Patti Schmidt, the curator, programmer and web editor for MUTEK. Patti also has the distinction of being the voice for the CBC's Brave New Waves, a music program that features music and culture from the "fringes and the future."

We'll also talk with Vibin.fm's founder, Brian O'Toole. Vibin.fm is the Pandora of electronic music and Brian will explain how it all works, us how Vibin.fm works. Want to have a little fun? Enter any of the other artists featured on today's show at Vibin.fm and see what comes up. I heard some lovely music from Kuedo, Teebs and Byetone.

Last but not least, we'll chat with Craig Colorusso about his Sun Boxes. What are Sun Boxes? Sun Boxes are twenty speakers powered by solar panels. Each speaker has a different guitar note that loops. Once the piece begins they continually overlap and the piece slowly evolves over time. Oh, and be sure to check out Craig's mobile Sun Boxes apps!

Today's show is free. But if you enjoyed yourself, learned something new or heard something you liked, tell a friend about the show. Want to go the extra mile? Write up a quick review on our iTunes page. The more people who know about solipsistic NATION the more shows like today's I can produce.

Join us again next week for a special mix featuring select tracks from the Audio Aashram Music catalog lovingly curated by Praketh, from the blueOrb podcast.

See you then!

Photo Credit: ©Fiddybobiddyfiddy

1. D-Sisive "Adam" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
2. Younger Brother "Train"
3. Solar Fields "Perception"
4. Interview with Benji Vaughan
5. Apparat "Black Water"
6. Apparat "A Bang In The Void"
7. Interview with Patti Schmidt, curator, programmer and web editor for MUTEK
8. Shlohmo "Tomato Squeeze"
9. Salva "Weeeird Science"
10. Clark "The Pining pt1"
11. Interview with Brian O'Toole, founder of Vibin.fm
12. Clark "The Pining pt2"
13. Craig Colorusso "Grassy Field"
14. Interview with Craig Colorusso, Sun Box creator
15. Craig Colorusso "Frozen Pond"

Today on solipsistic NATION we'll listen to select tracks from Experimedia, a record label, shop, and distributor based out of Ohio and established in 2000.

I've known about Experimedia for quite some time and it's kind of surprising that our paths haven't crossed already. Experimedia consistently puts out quality releases, so much so that when I hear about an album that's released on Experimedia, I just assume that it's going to be fantastic. It's that kind of dedication to excellence that I showcase labels on solipsistic NATION in the first place. This is music you need to hear.

Jeremy Bible is the man behind Experimedia and he'll also be performing tonight at the RCN CAVE in Akron, Ohio. If you came to solipsistic NATION from that show, then welcome aboard!

If you liked today's show why not tell a friend about solipsistic NATION. I'd also welcome a quick review on our iTunes page. The more people who know about solipsistic NATION the more shows like today's I can produce.

Speaking of which, join us next week when our guests will be Benji Vaughan who'll be performing at this years Glade Festival. We'll also chat with Patti Schmidt from MUTEK and we'll learn about Vibin.fm, the Pandora for electronic music.

See you then!

1. RxRy "Cygnus"
2. Damian Valles "Movement III"
3. Interview with Jeremy Bible, founder of Experimedia
4. From The Mouth of The Sun "Like Shadows in an Empty Cathedral"
5. Superstorms "Part 3"
6. Lawrence English "The Roar Ceasing"
7. Jannick Schou "Then Filling Your Pockets With Stones"
8. Keith Freund "The Ortzi"
9. Interview with Jeremy Bible, founder of Experimedia
10. Black Swan "The Quiet Divide (Reprise)"
11. Ben Bennett "yet to be titled"
12. Celer "Repertoire of Dinless Shifts (Excerpt)"

On today's show we have a very special live set from Nick Brennan of Tripswitch performing at the O.Z.O.R.A. Festival.

Nick Brennan is Tripswitch and as Tripswitch he's released music that is just fantastic stuff! Nick has this knack for making music that feels well-worn and new at the same time. There's something about his music that's instantly familiar and feels like he's always been part of your record collection. There's something very English about it, too, because his music is very dreamy and idyllic with a undercurrent of darkness that surfaces from time to time.

It's something I also recognized in Ott, who was our guest last June, and I think this strand can be traced back to The Orb, which can be further traced back to Pink Floyd. But that begs the question, how much further does this tradition go back in the history of English music?

We'll find out when we talk with Nick. We'll also talk about his alter ego, Codemonkey, and his label, Section Records.

Before we go any further, if you're listening to today's solipsistic NATION on Taint Radio then I'm afraid you're not going to here the entire show. We're going long because Nick has a very special recording of him performing at the O.Z.O.R.A. Festival.

Don't worry, I've got you covered. Just download today's show and you won't miss a thing. While you're here, why not visit out iTunes page and give the show a quick review. The more reviews solipsistic NATION gets, the higher ranking it gets on iTunes, which means more people might find out about the show. Which means more people might get turned on to Nick's music, which would be awesome, right?

Join us again next week when we'll talk with Experimedia's Jeremy Bible. See you then!

Photo Credit: ©Kant Rathod

1. Kaya Project & Tripswitch "When Only Sand Remains (Tripswich Remix)"
2. Tripswitch "Circularity"
3. Interview with Nick Brennan of Tripswitch
4. Tripswitch "Strange Parallels"
5. Tripswitch "Floating Point"
6. Tripswitch "Live (O.Z.O.R.A. Festival, 2011)"

Welcome to #twittermix4!

And here's the part where I explain what that means. Explaining what it means is actually one of the #twittermix traditions.

So here we go...

When I first joined Twitter there wasn't a lot of labels or musicians on Twitter, which made it almost useless as far solipsistic NATION was concerned. But I stuck around and gradually more and more labels and musicians came online on Twitter, which is also right about the time when Twitter became my social media platform of choice. Twitter had two things going for it that I came to cherish: it was ubiquitous and concise. Twitter's 140 character limit forced you to say what you wanted to say with laser-like intensity.

I thought it would be fun to put together a mix for solipsistic NATION featuring tracks from musicians on Twitter. I approached the artists I had met through Twitter for their participation and asked them to extend the invitation to musicians they new. I believe this was when retweeting came onto the scene. Heady times! Retweeting put me in touch with a lot of musicians I talk to to this day. Come to think of it, I guess that whole process is one of the traditions of the #twittermix.

Anyway, I got a lot of great tracks and the show was a success, but I have to tell you, today's #twittermix is the best. Not to diminish the previous #twittermixs but this one's pretty special. Not only is the music as diverse as Twitter itself but the music is topnotch! As an added bonus, we'll also talk with Clay Nutting, who is one of the people organizing this year's Sacramento Electronic Music Festival. I really hope to make it to the festival because the've got some incredible talent from folks like James & Evander, Shlohmo, Mux Mool and more. If you plan on going, Tweet me on Twitter at @solipsistic and maybe we can meet up.

Getting back to my point...

I think Twitter is important to me because it also represents the spirit of solipsistic NATION. Through Twitter I am able to informally approach musicians and labels I would otherwise never get the chance to talk to, and that's led to a lot of incredible shows and struck up a lot of friendships. In turns, musicians and labels have contacted me through Twitter as well as listeners of the show and people who just show up because they got word of the show or are just curious or the other myriad reasons.

Twitter has helped me build up solipsistic NATION, reach out and collaborate and have a hell of a lot of fun. The more I think about it the more I'm convinced that solipsistic NATION could not exist without Twitter. Or be something very, very different without it.

Join us again next week when our guest will be Tripswitch's Nick Brennan. He's got a very special live set for us.

See you then!

1. Lorn "Soft Room"
   Follow S Lorn on Twitter @LORNNN
2. Salva "Obsession (feat. B. Bravo)"
   Follow Salva on Twitter @salvamusic
3. Mux Mool "Wolf Tone Symphony"
   Follow Mux Mool on Twitter @muxmool
4. Shlohmo "Hot Boxing The Cockpit"
   Follow Shlohmo on Twitter @shlohmo
5. Interview with Clay Nutting, Sacramento Electronic Music Festival organizer
   Follow the Sacramento Electronic Music Festival on Twitter @semfpresents
6. Dragonfly Lingo "All Right" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
   Follow Dragonfly Lingo on Twitter @dflingo
7. YouShriek "Ever And Anon (Strobelight Mix)"
   Follow Dragonfly Lingo on Twitter @youshriek
8. Wet Dentist "The Running Man" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
   Follow Wet Dentist on Twitter @wetdentist
9. EshOne "Golden Ratios"
   Follow EshOne on Twitter @eshone
10. David Morneau "Jubilation" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Follow David Morneau on Twitter @5of4music
11. Leaving Richmond "What Were We Waiting For?"
    Follow Leaving Richmond on Twitter @leavingrichmond
12. Myrrh Ka Ba "Grimes Visiting Statue Remix"
    Follow Myrrh Ka Ba on Twitter @myrrhkaba
13. Uschi-No-Michi "SparK"
    Follow Uschi-No-Michi on Twitter @Uschi_No_Michi
14. Big Mister Doom "Wilderness"
    Follow Big Mister Doom on Twitter @bigmisterdoom
15. bubbles "Pilot Wormholio"
    Follow bubbles on Twitter @bubblesmusic
16. KTD "Dreams"
    Follow KTD on Twitter @ktd-uk
17. Exillon "Abysmal Dismal" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Follow Exillon on Twitter @exillon
18. dustmotes "Saudade"
    Follow dustmotes on Twitter @dustmotes
19. Somatic Responses "Old Photos"
    Follow Somatic Responses on Twitter @psomatix

On today's show our guest is Nathan Phelan, host of The Electro Show.

As the producer of solipsistic NATION I rarely have time to listen to other music podcasts. There simply isn't enough hours in the day so there are only a handful of them. Macedonia's Both Sides of the Surface is one. There's also Mikel OD's Most People Are DJs podcast and the Spartacus Roosevelt podcast and definitely the Headphone Commute podcast. But I barely have enough time to listen to even those clutch of shows, so a podcast better be very special if I am going to make time for it.

I expect it's the same with you, too.

So, why The Electro Show?

Mainly it's because Nathan has also embraced a freeform approach to producing a show about electronic music. Every genre is grist for his mill. And like myself, Nathan eagerly wants to turn people on to great music even as he himself explores the vast terrain of electronic music in all it's myriad forms.

Join us again next week for the fourth annual #twittermix featuring electronic music from artists on Twitter. Best one yet!

Photo Credit: ©kingkong21

1. Boards of Canada "Left Side Drive"
2. Interview with Nathan Phelan, host of The Electro Show
3. Breeze Squad "Almost Beating"
4. Goldfrapp "Ohh La La"
5. John Wills "Emancipation"
6. Response "Backbone"
7. KMFDM "Krank"
8. Zed Bias "Fairplay"
9. Vandal "Bats!"
10. Interview with Nathan Phelan, host of The Electro Show
11. John Craig "Breaking Up (Crazibiza Remix)"
12. The Chemical Brother "Do It Again"
13. Danny Tenaglia "Dibiza (Jaimy Tribal Mix)"
14. Interview with Nathan Phelan, host of The Electro Show
15. Mogan Page & Lissie "The Longest Road (Kesha van Ford Remix)"
16. ATB "9P.M. (Till I Come)"
17. Bro Safari "Da Worm (Bro Safari: Self-Indulgent Remix)"
18. Caspa "Fulham 2 Waterloo"
19. John B "Numbers (Camo & Krooked Remix)"
20. DJ Korsakoff "Unrivalled (Re-Style Remix)"
21. Interview with Nathan Phelan, host of The Electro Show
22. Tommy Trash "Cascade"

Today's label showcase features, by popular demand, ABAGA Records!

A few months back I asked friends of the show on Twitter which labels you thought I should feature on solipsistic NATION and ABAGA Records came up again and again. You demanded it, I listened!

When I launched solipsistic NATION I was uncompromising in my vision for the show. I wanted to feature the best of all genres of electronic music. Not everyone likes jumping from genre to genre of electronic music but the net is big. I knew that there were listeners out there. We just had to find each other. Six years and 276 shows later solipsistic NATION has found a global audience. And damn, the audience has amazing taste. Whenever I ask for suggestions for guest or labels to feature on the show I'm never disappointed and I'm constantly being introduced to new and exciting things. Today's show is proof of that.

Today's show is also a bit different because I haven't heard the mix yet. Andrew, the label's director, sent it to me and I literally just downloaded it. I have no more idea what to expect that you do, dear listener. Despite the time shifting with podcasts I am, for all intents and purposes, listening to today's the same time as you. But you've never steered me wrong. I'm going to trust in your good taste.

ABAGA Records releases bass music, dubstep, jungle, d&b and other sub-heavy styles of music. Based in Edinburgh, the label provides a platform for artists to get their music heard, with both free and paid releases.

Join us again next week when our guest will be Nathan Phelan, host of The Electro Show.

See you then!

1. Tactus "Red Tide (Unreleased)"
2. DanieL Bazz "Ace"
3. Interview with Andrew Rankine, director of ABAGA Records
4. Tactus "Refueled"
5. The Mighty Cornelius "The Black Meat (DanieL Bazz Remix)"
6. The Setup "Grindstone"
7. G.Davies "Crab Riddim"
8. CIVIC "So Rough (Tactus Remix)"
9. Tactus "Broken (Unreleased)"
10. Tactus "Skittles (Unreleased)"
11. Tactus "Litmus (Unreleased)"
12. Tactus "Steam Cloud"
13. Tactus "Rub-A-Dub Remix"
14. Tactus "Home Guider"
15. Tactus "Dancing Bruise (Unreleased)"
16. Tactus & Spiral Soundsystem "Dancing Bruise (Unreleased)"
17. Radikal Guru "Inilusion (Quektis Remix)"
18. Interview with Andrew Rankine, director of ABAGA Records
19. Tactus "Captain Cabinets Remix (Unreleased)"
20. Tactus "Amputation Party"
21. G.Davies "Young Hegelians"
22. Project Midnight "Slam"
23. TeKlo "Overdose"
24. ODEA "Circuit"
25. Jammin J "Perfect Score (Tactus Remix)"
26. Tactus "Approach"
27. Tactus "Flamjonkles"
28. Tactus "Death Note (Unreleased)"
29. Tactus "Radikhal (Unreleased)"
30. Interview with Andrew Rankine, director of ABAGA Records
31. Tactus "Detriment (Unreleased)"
32. Profisee "Hold Up (Tactus Remix)"
33. Denney "Make It Funk"
34. Tactus & MAKO "Come Again"
35. Denney "Spiritual Contact"
36. Jammin J "Something Special"

I think it's safe to say that if you've heard the Stereo MCs' music then you're probably already fan. And if you haven't heard the Stereo MCs' music, which is almost impossible, then you will be a fan by the end of today's show.

Well, actually, I have to admit the possibility that you may not be a fan.

I know I wasn't.

When the Stereo MCs released their track "Connected" it was a monster hit. You couldn't get away from it. At the time I was working a bar and a nightclub and if the DJs weren't playing it in the nightclub, people were playing it on the jukebox in the bar. Even a good song, a great song, can turn sour if you hear it too much. And so I grew to loathe the Stereo MCs.

But nearly 10 years later a friend from work played "Connected" and I heard it with fresh ears and instantly became a fan. That very night I ran out and purchased their Connected album and, to my joy, they had recently released a new album called Deep Down & Dirty. Those albums were on constant rotation that summer.

I played those albums at parties the summer of 2001. I drove to the Getty Museum for the first time on a date while listening to those albums. I've made love while those albums played in the background.

As you can see, I have a very intimate connection with the Stereo MCs' music. When I saw Rob on Twitter a few week's ago I knew what I had to do: invite him on the show. And to my delight, he said yes!

I don't think neither Rob or his partner, Nick Hallam, self-identify as electronic musicians. I think they just see themselves as musicians and electronic instruments are just one of the tools, among many, they use to create music. That's cool, but they do use electronic gear and that's good enough for me to call them one of our own. And if it isn't? Who cares, it's the Stereo MCs, for crying out loud!

If you liked today's show, and honestly, how can you not like today's show, then tell a friend. The more people who listen, the more people like Rob I can get on the show.

Joins us again next week when we'll showcase music from Abaga Records.

See you then!

Photo Credit: ©highlandcow.com

1. Stereo MCs "Wooden Heart"
2. Interview with Rob Birch of Stereo MCs
3. Stereo MCs "Breeze"
4. Stereo MCs "Chicken Shake"
5. Stereo MCs "Rhino Part I"
6. Stereo MCs "Rhino Part II"
7. Stereo MCs "Rhino Part III"
8. Stereo MCs "Lost in Music, 92 (Live)"
9. Stereo MCs "Set It Up, BBC 92 (Live)"
10. Stereo MCs "Set It Up, BBC 92 (Live)"
11. Stereo MCs "Pressure, T&C 93 (Live)"
12. Stereo MCs "Playing with Fire, T&C 93 (Live)"
13. Stereo MCs "Fade Away, Glaston 93 (Live)"
14. Stereo MCs "Elevate My Mind (Live)"
15. Stereo MCs "Connected, T&C 93 (Live)"
16. Stereo MCs "Breeze, London 01 (Live)"
17. Stereo MCs "Graffiti Pt 2, London 01 (Live)"
18. Stereo MCs "We Belong In This World Together, Cactus 03 (Live)"
19. Stereo MCs "Sofisticated, Cactus 03 (Live)"
20. Stereo MCs "Show Your Light, Brixton 08 (Live)"
21. Stereo MCs "Black Gold, Brixton 08 (Live)"
22. Stereo MCs "City Lights, Brixton 08 (Live)"
23. Stereo MCs "Deep Down & Dirty, Brixton 08 (Live)"
24. Stereo MCs "Ground Level, Brixton 08 (Live)"
25. Stereo MCs "Here And Now, Brixton 08 (Live)"
26. Stereo MCs "Desert Song, Frequency Fest 11 (Live)"
27. Stereo MCs "Far Out Feeling, Frequency Fest 11 (Live)"
28. Stereo MCs "Running, Frequency Fest 11 (Live)"

On today's show we're going to experience the Voltron Mega Mix lovingly put together by [tlr], tooth_eye, A Beautiful Lotus, Johan Ess and Joshua Decker to celebrate Magicore's two year anniversary. You remember Magicore, don't you? They only put together one of my favorite editions of solipsistic NATION evah! Only this time they're mix is darker, sinister, heavier and far more dangerous. But don't worry, it's still just as fun!

"And just what is Magicore?" I hear some of you asking yourselves. It's basically a newly minted genre and blog coined by [tlr] a few years back that combined everything from J-Pop to chiptunes to anime to metal and more. It's since grown and mutated since it was first incepted. [tlr] can explain it better than I can... and he will, along with the rest of team Magicore.

On today's show we'll hear music that represents months, if not years, of hard work. And they're giving it away absolutely for free. If you like anything you heard on today's show, nearly all the tracks are available as free MP3 downloads, check the playlist below. But if you have an extra buck or two, why not show your support by buying one or two of their tracks or albums or other merch from the artists featured on today's show if they're selling them. As long as you're here, why not show you support for solipsistic NATION by clicking the link to our iTunes page leave a quick rating or review. Spread the word!

To celebrate Magicore's two year anniversary we're going to give away some Magicore stickers. Maybe even a bandana or two. Tweet me with #magicorecontest for your chance to win. Maybe even a bandanna. You never know.

Join us again next week for a very special live set from the Stereo MCs. I'm so excited!

See you then!

1. Witxes "Winter Light Burns" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
2. Interview with [tlr], tooth_eye, A Beautiful Lotus, Johan Ess and Joshua Decker from the Magicore blog.
3. Buried At Birth "Reigndeer In Blood" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
   Selected by tooth_eye
4. Porion "Boxhead (Foetus Remix)" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
   Selected by tooth_eye
5. Dino Felipe "Fantison"
   Selected by tooth_eye
6. Earth Dies Screaming "Diseased" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
   Selected by tooth_eye
7. Sir Vixx "Sickness Anus Monus Rec"
   Selected by tooth_eye
8. Mechonat Hereg "Pushin Heroin"
   Selected by tooth_eye
9. Eustachian "Martinique II"
   Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
10. Louis Minus Seize "666 blues" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
11. Hara-kari Kitty "Vampires Like to Neck (Crystal Cuts)" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
12. Bayi "Coulrophobia an Acidus" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
13. Mechonat Hereg "Activate Damage" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
14. Zathura "Do Not Resuscitate" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
15. Yamumi "Lizards with Lazers" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
16. Earth Dies Screaming "Black Wizardry" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
17. Blazar "Hexapod" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
18. Scistitch "Event Horizon"
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
19. A Beautiful Lotus "Super Thrash Aquatica [Dubstep Aerobic Workout Remix by J Randall]" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
20. Lisa Frank Death Machine "Impaled by Unicorns [Demo]"
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
21. Black Magic Rituals feat. A Beautiful Lotus "Prayer of the Gnomes"
    Selected by A Beautiful Lotus
22. Defecks "Untitled Amen"
    Selected by Joshua Decker
23. XNation "Foolproof" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by Joshua Decker
24. Ripclaw "Welcome TO Jamrock Remix"
    Selected by Joshua Decker
25. Bludclot Recordings Various
    Selected by Joshua Decker
26. Jaymie Valentine "Attic Stares"
    Selected by Johan Ess
27. Cindergarden "Things that Never Die ([tlr] 'Bad Version' Remix)" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by Johan Ess
28. Baconhanger "Witchcraft in America" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by Johan Ess
29. Protman "130goborgs"
    Selected by Johan Ess
30. Black + Ceiling "Harp"
    Selected by Johan Ess
31. Myrrh Ka Ba "Black and Blue"
    Selected by Johan Ess
32. Johan Ess "National Security Smoothie"
    Selected by [tlr]
33. Shisa "Paranoid"
    Selected by [tlr]
34. tooth_eye "Methadone Siesta"
    Selected by [tlr]
35. She "Day 6"
    Selected by [tlr]
36. Dr. Massive and the Headwound Extravaganza "Piggy (NIN Cover)" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by [tlr]
37. Death Cries Make Lullabies "Untitled 004"
    Selected by [tlr]
38. Mother of Gosh "Mouth of Baked Margarine, Part Two" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by [tlr]
39. A Beautiful Lotus "Panning Check 101"
    Selected by [tlr]
40. Red Ruler "Fast Beats"
    Selected by [tlr]
41. Bizzart "marthur"
    Selected by [tlr]
42. [tlr] "White Noise Drum Experiment #2" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by [tlr]
43. :( "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly (Weezer Cover)"
    Selected by [tlr]
44. Giant Claw "Erasers Fantasy Pt. IV"
    Selected by [tlr]
45. Bobbi Dal "Black Magic 9000" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by [tlr]
46. DJCrabhat "I'm Saying 'Pirate Raps'"
    Selected by [tlr]
47. [P-R-Z] "Heavy Metalloids"
    Selected by [tlr]
48. Rekombinacje "Nevi Easily Fusible"
    Selected by [tlr]
49. Baby Giraffes "Choking Hazard"
    Selected by [tlr]
50. Bubblegum Octopus "Kitten Happy" [FREE DOWNLOAD]
    Selected by [tlr]