Track Of The Day: UK Subs - I Live In A Car (City Records)

Probably the shortest ‘Track Of the Day’ there’ll ever be. UK Subs ‘I Live In A Car’ is a brief glimpse of poverty set to a raucous, slightly dissonant soundtrack. Fronted by the redoubtable Charlie Parker, who seemed old back then, and is still performing at 79; the Subs have a list of members, past and present, as long as your arm, with Parker being a constant. ‘I Live In A Car’ is, more than most, a defining punk single even if it first appeared on the ‘C.I.D’ single, hidden away as a subsidiary song. More relevant now than it was back then, mainly because now I reckon more people live in their cars. So there’s that.

Well i live in a car,
Yeah i live in a car
Well i ain't got no television set or stereo
Cos i live in a car
Don't try to call me up on the telephone
Cos i won't be home,
I live in a car
234
Well i live in a car,
Yeah i live in a car
Well i ain't got no yard,
No i.d.card cos
I live in a car
Cops try to get me
But i don't care
I'm never there
Yeah i live in a car
234

The Quadrasphere 003 - Andy Green

Quadrant Soundscape · The Quadrasphere 003 - Andy Green

Voyage de Lux 24.01.2024 - Alex Downey B2B Billy Nasty

 

1BTN · Voyage de Lux 24.01.2024 - Alex Downey B2B Billy Nasty

Track Of The Day: Pino D'Angiò - Okay Okay (Out)

I’m not going to pretend that I’ve heard this track before, as it’s a prime example of the algorithm doing its dirty work, but that can be a good thing sometimes and, with the weather getting noticeably milder I can feel the holistically under lit Rimini dance floors pounding away to this one. I suppose it would qualify as italo, but only because it comes from there and, due to when it was released, embraces the principle production values. It’s too kitsch really though, veering into, and staying in the cheese lane for the duration. Arguably the place where a lot of italo resides, but this lacks a transcendental element, unless your idea of an out of body experience is being chatted up at the bar by a swarthy Mediterranean type. It is undeniably funky though and, although my Italian isn’t really up to scratch, funny.

Hizou Podcast 29 # Dan Piu

Hizou Music · Hizou Podcast 29 # Dan Piu

Terraforma Grand Finale w/ Donato Dozzy b2b Marco Shuttle

 

Terraforma · Terraforma Grand Finale w/ Donato Dozzy b2b Marco Shuttle

Track Of The Day: Uf0 -- You Will Shine (Furthur Electronix)

An uplifting piece to start the week from an album which came out almost a year ago. This is a journey that has echoes of italo, electro and trance, masterfully mixed together, resulting in an emotive, sustained high of a track. This is what happens when those two ‘m’ words, melodic and melancholic, are put in a sonic Hadron Collider together. A dense composition, dripping with feeling and optimism, which is how it should be, right?

RA.923 Rick Wade

 

Resident Advisor · RA.923 Rick Wade

Track Of The Day: Taro Tokugawa - Here My Dear (Public Possession)

A magnificent mid-paced disco weapon that wouldn’t sound out of place at an ALFOS night, ‘Here My Dear’ is built around what sounds like a simple, melodic loop underneath which are some aquatic effects and one or two percussive layers. This evocative track is simplicity itself and is just the ticket when out running in the rain.

Track Of The Day: The Exaltics​ ​- Zwoelf (Arpanet Helium Shell remodel) (Solar One)

A great piece of slightly off-kilter electro in true Arpanet style. Danceable and funky, but eliciting a simultaneous feeling of uncertainty and dissonance, this remix for The Exaltics typifies what is the sometimes kitsch sounding inner monologue that must be constantly running through Gerald Donald’s mind. No one currently does that backwards to go forwards soundtrack to mystery better. ‘Gamma Player’, which is probably the apex of it, is techno. However, this is electro and, while the genre sometimes rattles along at a fair pace, it’s at it’s funky best when it doesn’t. Adding an extra layer of analogue intrigue makes it even better. The soundtrack to mechanical, reanimating laboratories everywhere.

ALFOS EBS45 - Sean Johnston (09-02-2024)

 

Partial track listing because I got high and played off multiple USB's (Sean Johnston)

WOWO EBS Clip
I Miss Freiser Muudu feat. Gustav Anders
Cachetón (Elijah Minnelli Dub) Rio 18
Bibbles (Bubble and Squeak Mix) Andres y Xavi y Jezebell
Idealistic Manner of Speaking
What Do You Live For? Rollover DJs
Treasure_Island_-_3D_Horses_(Original_Mix) 
HOHO Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul
Astronomous Juan MacLean & Man Power (aka Juan Power)
Treasure_Island_-_What_Are_You_Talking_About-_(Original_Mix) 
Beyond the Black Rainbow (Original Mix) Dad Of The Year
Hell Yeah... Unknown Artist 
Land Wladimir Schall
Midnight Express KlangKollektor
We'll Meet Again (Original Mix) Dad Of The Year
Liberty Alpha Sect
Super Yamba Band -Bad Dog (Tigerbalm Remix) 
Baund KlangKollektor
Melon Steppin Max Essa & Eddie C
Ode To My Youth CheapEdits
Tomorrow Now (Original Mix) Dad Of The Year
Emotionless CheapEdits
ONE (Kalabrese Re-Jam) Noema
INCOGNITO TRAX 005 - B2 - Macchianera - Ulle
SILVERTOOTH - SHUT UM DOWN (Dub Mix) (1) 
To Soma CheapEdits
2012-03-22.6_You Down Part2
Alysha (Original Mix) Mehmet Aslan
Manakinz - Awrite_(Master_v1RE) 
INCOGNITO TRAX 005 - B3 - Macchianera feat. Mattia C - Quack Quack 
Sixth Bridge Max Essa & Eddie C
NORTH SATELLITE _The Stars Are Ours (Conrado's DUBDUB) 
Marshall_Watson_Water From a Vine Leaf Endless Motion Edit 
Hypno Organismo Günce Aci
Music_For_Swinging_Mothers_-_TEARDUCT_(Original_Mix) 
Sonido Ursera (Hologram Teen's Discs of Tron Remix) Bawrut
Walking In The Rain (e_machinery mix) 
LaFunkMob-MotorbassGetsFunkedUp-Inst-LeoZeroRemaster 
POPULAR TYRE - FEEL LIKE A LAZER BEAM Popular Tyre
DAS KOMPLEX 89 
The Bank Robbery - Edit Lory D
Manakinz - Wee Hummer_(Master_v1RE) 
Anzu Hardway Bros Conqueror Knock Dub 4424 
ONE (Lauer Remix) Noema
Acid Mosquito in A Summer Night (DJ Spun It's Rong Remix) My Friend Dario
INCOGNITO TRAX 005 - A1 - Benny Blanco - Zap Revelation (DIGITAL MIX) 
EberhardSchoener-WhyDon'tYouAnswer LeoZeroRemaster 
ChickenLips-HeNotIn LeoZeroRemaster 
Dins El Llit - Superpitcher Remix Talaboman
Allullu Azzo Fango
Loose Cannon (Digital Bonus) Idjut Boys
Bruce Springsteen "State Trooper" Trentemoller unreleased remix 
Heart-Shaped Box Air Tapes
Unravelling (Original Mix) Ada Kaleh
Kabwato ft. Budūchi, Ni! (Ewan Pearson Remix Instrumental) Kito Jempere
Mare A Mare - Sequenza Version (Irene Dresel Remix) Sequenza Extended
Anzu Hardway Bros Remix 
Xone (Edit) REES
Fester Hardway Bros Acid Dub 
Die Nacht Ist Kuhl Mugwump
Home E. Myers
Ryo (Xinobi Remix) Joris Voorn
To Love Again (Sofia Kourtesis Remix) Vandelux

Fred P Private Society@TheLotRadio 02-02-2024

Track Of The Day: Kenny Larkin - Funk In Space (Warp)

There’s no doubt that this track is comfortable in its surroundings. This is important as so many get labelled randomly and without thought. Not that it matters once you start listening. However, it’s always nice to put a name to a face and have some resonance. And this, from Kenny Larkin’s magnificent first album on Warp, ‘Azimuth’, is full of it. It’s a stellar soundclash, evoking the entropic environment within which we live in panoramic form. It’s maybe not the easiest composition to dance to, but it is possible to find symmetry within the break beats as they play out in the void. Kenny Larkin doesn’t always feature in the many conversations in existence about Detroit techno, but he has always been one of its most soulful and sensitive composers whose long player oeuvre particularly is second to none.

Feincast XXXII: Sharlese

 

Feinstoff · Feincast XXXII: Sharlese

Track Of The Day: The Irresistible Force - Sky High (Flying High) (Rising High)

Hungry for a bit of rave nostalgia? Fond memories of the chill out room? Well, this is the tune for you. Not that I particularly remember hearing this track in any specific place, you understand. It just typifies a vibe, a time and a nebulous place. What I like most about this tune is that it occupies a bit of middle ground. You can appreciate it horizontally, but it also has enough energy to encourage some abstract shape throwing. It also has that magical, analogue quality of making you feel you’re out in the British countryside, or hovering above it, on a particularly nice day. It’s pissing down outside right now, not in India though where my mate Pete Hurst is, who engineered this piece of perfection.

[PLEX ARCHIVES #30] - Donato Dozzy - [05.10.12]

 

plexlondon · [PLEX ARCHIVES #30] - Donato Dozzy - [05.10.12]

Track Of The Day: The Advent – Future Cities (Internal)

I’ve only just found this on Youtube, it’s recently added (well, since I last looked), and doesn’t appear on Discogs. And it is, for me at least, a quintessential piece of fast paced electro, normally much faster than I listen to, but I do pitch it down a bit. Anyway, I have this track on Eternal and, although this is billed as an “unreleased mix”, my untrained ear on the sofa with a dog on my lap can’t tell the difference. Whatever; for me it’s all academic at this point. This is a wonderful piece of electro, amongst many similarly wonderful pieces of electro that Cisco Ferreira has produced over the years. Incredibly funky, great, sinisterly intoned one word spoken. A rhythm that fluctuates in keeping with its environment and a cavernous depth of feeling. This is a masterful piece of music that sounds as great in the supermarket as in the club.

Bassiani invites Dj Masda / Podcast #199

 

BASSIANI · Bassiani invites Dj Masda / Podcast #199

Track Of The Day: Counterpoint ‎-- Soul Search (Synewave)

Following hot on the heels of 'Lofthouse’ under the Clark pseudonym, ‘Soul Search’ by Counterpoint was, in my humble opinion anyway, the best of a trio of tracks from ‘Jigsaw’, released on Damon Wild’s Synewave. And, as befits a release on said imprint, this goes a bit harder that the Planet E classic. Mark Bell really engages with Mills and Hood on this record, (more so Mills). However, it’s this track, the funkiest of the three, which stands out for me and feels like it’s all Bell’s own work. It bounces along at a good pace and, strangely, seems to eschew bass while giving the impression that it’s bottom heavy. An original take and one which hasn’t been convincingly imitated, yet.

RAPRAVE with Detroit In Effect @TheLotRadio 02-02-2024

Track Of The Day: Maurizio - M7 (B) (Maurizio)

If it’s Monday, it must be Maurizio. I lost count a long time ago as to which of his releases I’ve already posted in this ongoing for all eternity series, and I may have posted this one already. However, it doesn’t matter. No one listens to the same track in the same way twice, a feat made even more difficult by any of the M Series. And while I’d like to say that ‘M7 (B)’ stands out from the others in a rare, idiosyncratic way, it doesn’t, which is another reason for liking it in such an indescribable fashion. I’m sure that a lot of listeners will say that it won’t win any prizes for originality when placed alongside the rest of its label mates and the Basic Channel series; but you and me know that they’re all wrong, and that a piece such as this contains multitudes. At almost 12 minutes long not a second is wasted in pursuit of the quintessential, holistic funk experience. The granular overlay, underpinned by a pervasive bass, constantly shifts and changes to ensure that not only is the track never listened to twice in the same way, but the millions of moments across it are each subject to permanent change.

Dietroiter Electro Mix DR2313

DIETROITER · Dietroiter Electro Mix DR2313

CCL - A Night in the Skull Discotheque

 

T4T LUV NRG · CCL - A Night in the Skull Discotheque

Track Of The Day: Happy Mondays - Kinky Afro (Factory)

So here’s one of those videos that just screams “hey girls, just wiggle your arses and look pretty”. Having said that, all of the Happy Mondays promos where they appear as a band have a similar disembodied vibe. The band, Sean and Bez particularly, being blissfully unaware of their environment. Of course their capacity for substance abuse is legendary and, at the time, they were more or less permanently off their heads. So, the films are an external depiction of an internal state. Whatever. They also happened to be an incredible band and this track contains one of their most memorable riffs, as well as the lyrics. Best heard in its original form, untouched by the remixer’s hand.

GREYSCALE Special 044 - Quadrant Soundscape

 

Greyscale Music · GREYSCALE Special 044 - Quadrant Soundscape

Track Of The Day: Yagya - Nebulous Egress (Ohm Series)

Today’s offering comes straight out of Iceland from the redoubtable Yagya, someone who knows his way around the dub techno modular presets. This track is everything I like about the mysterious, foggy genre. It’s got momentum and drama, as well as subtlety and depth. I guess we could go on forever about why music like this seems so suited to the land of fire and ice, and not, for example, Philippines; because, although there are plenty of live volcanoes there, it’s generally a bit warmer. I suppose the truth is, like anything, that music like this is always a state of mind and not necessarily a product of its maker’s environment, although there’s no doubt that location plays a huge role in the inspiration behind it. This also ably bridges the gap between house and techno, but send it spinning off into a lunatic, melancholic fringe. Ridiculous title as well. There's an egret that I see in the town where I live and I'll be having a word with it.

Track Of The day: Gigi Galaxy - Interview with an Alien (Teknotica)

Gigi Galaxy, aka Gary Martin is a one off. Releasing almost exclusively on his own Teknotika Records which is, according to the Discogs blurb; “Where most Techno artists are out to create a new and futuristic sound, the state of mind of Teknotika is what occurs after every sound has been sounded. In the world of Teknotika, the past, the present, and the future all come together in a musical conglomeration.” There’s no doubt that the music that came out on this label is unique in the house and techno hinterland, having an almost ghostly, burlesque feel to it, which is consistent with “The original concept of the label was to merge exotica with techno. The exotica period was in the late '50s and early '60s, and consisted of mostly instrumental music with a lot of percussion. This music served to highlight exotic places and beautiful woman.” This particular track is one of the more known from this very underappreciated imprint, and was rereleased on DET 313, with a Delano Smith remix, last year.

Track Of The Day: APB - Shoot You Down (Oily Records)

Coming out at around the same time that the Postcard bands were starting to make their mark, this piece of post punk sounds more like it was influenced by what was coming out of Manchester at the time, not the sound of young Scotland. And, like New Order and A Certain Ratio, APB explored the nether regions of New York clubland, garnering a cult following in the process. This track is a great, timeless example of a crystallisation of cross-pollination all wrapped up in three and a half minutes.

BARAC at KULT // (Belgrade) 07.04.2023.

Jane Fitz live at Transcendence April 2023

 

Jane Fitz · Jane Fitz live at Transcendence April 2023

Track Of The Day: Donato Dozzy - Gol (Dozzy Records)

Whenever I think of Donato Dozzy, it’s this kind of track that pops into my head. Minimal trance, elastic bass line, haunting synths and a completely invasive melody. Tracks like this really stood out when they were made, quite a while ago now. They could also be credited with kick starting the whole “headfuck techno” niche; populated by Dozzy himself, and other Italians, Claudio PRC, Dino Sabatini & Giorgio Gigli for example; which was crystallised by the Prologue label. This sound has always been hovering on the periphery, occasionally making its presence felt, but not having to try too hard as it’s primitive pull on the tribal dancing funny muscle is a timeless one.

Set 46.4 Yaron Sobel

Yaron Sobel · Set 46.4

Barac @ Nook Club, Bucharest 23.01.2024

 

Barac · Barac @ Nook Club, Bucharest 23.01.2024

Track Of The Day: Lindstrom - Syreen (Smalltown Supersound)

We do like a bit of Lindstrom over here at Cacophonous Towers, and this recent effort from him really does the trick. It’s a piece of disco euphoria which sustains its energy throughout its seven minutes, going up a notch just when needed. Of course it’s repetitive, but that’s exactly what you want tracks like this to be. You want to know what’s coming around the corner, there’s comfort in familiarity. This is proper hands in the air business and although has that eternal sun vibe, perhaps it’s only possible for someone from Scandinavia to realise it. Really, really good.

Panama Racing Club Mad Wednesday Feat. Legowelt (2023.12.06 S09E13.1)

Voyage de Lux with Alex Downey - 27.12.2023

 

1BTN · Voyage de Lux with Alex Downey - 27.12.2023

We Are aka Medicine 8 - Bone Of Her Hand (Next Century Records)

Nothing much to say about this, except that in the mix it’s an absolute banger/beast/bomb (choose your weapon). Stands out quite well on its own as well. A great track to iron out any set creases and start throwing dancers down a worm hole.

New Brvtalism No. 124: Helena Hauff + Silent Servant (*Live in Amsterdam)

 

THE BRVTALIST · New Brvtalism No. 124: Helena Hauff + Silent Servant (*Live in Amsterdam)

Track Of The Day: Richie Rich - Salsa House (FFRR)

Definitely one of those tracks. This brings back so many memories. Pre-university, the spring and summer of 1989. The first rave I went to, at Biggin Hill Airfield, walking up to the hangar with a pocket full of weed, seeing the token police presence on the door, putting y hands up in surrender, getting laughed at asnd ushered in before they changed their minds. (I was already battered. First e’s on the way down in the Volkswagen Camper from The Elephant & Castle). Talking to other loved up football fans about the respective merits of our teams (no hate here). A fairground outside, platforms full of ravers going nuts, another influx at around 4am shortly after some clubs in the capital had shut. Dancing with supermodels. And this playing in the background.

Track Of The Day: Chiapet - Tick Tock (War Of The Worlds Mix) (Yoshi Toshi)

One of the bangers, for want of a better word, from the end of the 20^th century. Chiapet, aka John Ciafone of Mood ll Swing, took the famed house music duo’s Basic Channel influenced sound off in a dubbier, darker direction. This is one of two mixes on the release, the other being the more stripped down ‘Apocalypse Now’ mix. This version gets the nod over that one, however, by virtue of its fuller sound and undulating, wobble board riddims. It has to be heard out (like everything) to reach its full potential. Preferably on drugs, on a crowded dance floor with a nice crowd, as there is the possibility that one could have feelings of paranoia in the wrong company. Oh, and did I mention that it was a big Wiggle fave? Of course I didn’t, but I just did, so that’s nice.

Fuse w/ Sansibar @ Kiosk Radio 20.01.2024

Track Of The Day: Malcolm X - No Sell Out (Tommy Boy)

A track that goes under the nom de plume “Malcolm X”, but is the largely the work of Keith LeBlanc, the in house drummer at Sugerhill Records and also a member of Tackhead, along with Doug Wimbish, Skip McDonald and Adrien Sherwood. The premise is simple: spoken word samples from the man himself, with an incredibly funky foundation highlighting the drum machine, which canters on, loudly, sparsely and assertively. This is electro stripped down to its bare bones, it’s influence apparent in releases that came three or four years later; Schooly D’s first album for example, and predating Spike Lee’s movie by nine years. I don’t remember whether or not this track was revived then to add to the general hoo ha, but that film took the states by storm for a few months, and it would probably have started an electro avalanche if it had.

Track Of The Day: Deep Contest - Sunday Morning (FNAC)

In anticipation of tomorrow, here are ten minutes of pure bliss. An absolute lush, deep masterclass that bathes you in analogue warmth. One of the best tracks that FNAC released, and one of the best deep house/techno tracks to come out of France ever. Deep Contest was a short-lived collaboration between DJ Deep & Ludovic Navarre with this being their only release. It came out in 1993 and I moved to Paris in 1994, so this type of faithful rendering of Detroit was very much the aural backdrop to a lot of the landscape I was inhabiting, predating the filter sound which muddied the water somewhat. I rediscovered this track a few years back courtesy of a Rubsilent mix, which inspired me to get in touch with the Turkish master and persuade him to contribute to my stop/start podcast series, as he clearly has great taste. 

Dietroiter Electro Mix DR2312

DIETROITER · Dietroiter Electro Mix DR2312

Outra Cena 12-01-2024

 

Nick Craddock · Outra Cena 12-01-2024

Track Of The Day: Silent Servant - Discipline (Sandwell District)

In memory of John Juan Mendez, one of his best, if not his best. ‘Discipline’ resists the temptation to attack head on, preferring instead to plant itself insidiously in the mind and mentality of the listener. There are echoes of Mills, Hood, New Beat, EBM, whatever your heart desires. The pace of this track allows you to wallow in its profundity. Above all else, it’s an immersive, meditative experience. The type of beats that should be pumping out of Buddha machines everywhere. All underlaid with an affinity for remaining in the shadows.

Track Of The Day: Octave One - Siege (430 West Records)

One of my favourite Octave One tracks, there are many. I saw them live at Cream more than 20 years ago, and they’re still touring, being great global ambassadors for techno and Detroit. I’ve always been struck by how infectiously funky their tracks are. Maybe it’s because the elements that constitute them are so simple which allows each one to be highlighted throughout, even if it’s just a handclap. The production is razor sharp, and the foundation is almost always a linear groove that just defies you not to dance or nod your head. The titles are often coming from a place of deep consciousness and reflection, and are well - chosen inasmuch as they easily evoke complementary imagery within the music. I would play most of their stuff pitched down, but it’s very adabtable.

Atmospheric Existence with Miles Atmospheric & Special Guest Domenic Cappello

MilesAtmospheric · Atmospheric Existence with Miles Atmospheric & Special Guest Domenic Cappello

Among Trees @Soundscapes III Birds Of Paradise Zanzibar | 30.6.23

 

Soundscapes · Among Trees @Soundscapes III Birds Of Paradise Zanzibar | 30.6.23

Track Of The Day: Charlie - Spacer Woman (Mr Disc Organisation)

One of the quintessential italo tracks. ‘Spacer Woman’ has it all: a synth line that burrows deep into the subconscious; cymbals that sound like they’ve been lifted from The Flying Lizards’ ‘Money’; a melodic refrain that sounds eerily like that used on ‘No UFOs’, an overarching industrial feel that is sporadically softened by some strategically arranged sound design and, last but not least, the amazing vocals which feel strangely tuneless and occasionally tone deaf, but fit the track like a glove. One of the most iconic looking back to look forward tunes ever made. Ahead of its time, but completely of it.

Colin Dale - Abstrakt Dance Live - 11.01.2024 (Video FX Special)

NI62 | Shawn Rudiman

Neptunian Influence · NI62 | Shawn Rudiman

Crazy P Curate 05: Daniele Baldelli

 

OpenLab Radio · Crazy P Curate 05: Daniele Baldelli

Track Of The Day: Wambonix - Deep Affection (Earth Recordings)

Sandwiched between ‘When You’re Alone’, Pts. 1 & 2, this piece of tribal deep house by Chris Brann really starts as it means to go on. What distinguishes it is, I suppose, the trumpet, which punctuates when necessary, and isn’t overused, which is good because I’ve never been a big fan of brass in house music. Brann also uses said horn in the other tracks on this release, on which he also resists going nuts. There’s a depth and refinement to this release, similar to that of Dana Kelley and the Guidance sound as well. This release came out in 1997, a pivotal year for me as it was when I moved back to The UK from France, so this could have been bought in Paris, most likely Rough Trade, or over in London (most likely one of many very influential Soho spots.)There’s a lot of love for the Deep Dish Essential Mix on Youtube, which was the introduction to this track for many people, and it does sound dreamy enough to be a part of their repertoire. It’s also one of many great productions that Brann came up with around this time, under a number of guises.

Track Of The Day: Monotix - Wicked Plastic (Sound On Sound)

Are Monotix and RV800 the same organism? I don’t know, but I’m sure somebody reading this does. In any case, I ask this because there are so many similarities between their respective productions. Characterised by a minimal, acidic tranced out vibe, with vocal washes and a nice percussive underlay, these tracks are dance floor opium and hit that spaced out sweet spot so well that it should be on prescription. All of Monotix’s releases are available on Bandcamp, and I’ve noticed that the vinyl has crept up in price since the last time I looked on Discogs. About time I guess, but the digital is more than sufficient. Buy them all!

Track Of The Day: Rob Dougan - Clubbed To Death (Spoon Mix by Carl Craig) (Mo' Wax)

“Carl Craig The Early Years” so much good stuff. Sounding like nothing on Earth, let alone in Detroit. This remix of possibly Mo’ Wax’s biggest hit, puts it through the musical mangle and turns a track which I always thought to be a bit up its own arse into some sort of deconstructed symphonic beat clash. There are still vestiges of the original’s over solemn tone, but this, embellished with the Geiger counter percussion, the slapping claps and a funky little line in noodling really feels like it has been beamed up from another dimension. The release comes correct with Peshay and Wax Doctor remixes which, when I played them earlier, transported me back to a small window in the mid nineties when James Lavelle thought he could mix anything into anything and it would work. It didn’t always, but full marks for trying.

Track Of The Day: Exozz - Orangeblue (Mosaic)

Released on a pale red vinyl double pack in 1999, there is a danger that this sublime piece of low frequency dub techno from Exos could slip under the radar forever. Well, here’s a reminder that it exists and that it’s ace. If it is possible to guess the geographical origin of a piece of music from its tone, and the textures it deploys, then the arctic circle is a pretty good location to start with this piece. From there, it’s a short leap to the misty, volcanic grandeur of Iceland. This is a sublime track that takes the listener on the proverbial voyage, mining the subconscious for continual variance in the aural experience based on the response to a subtle shift in configuration of perspective. I have this somewhere, so it’s time to dig it out. This is the type of understated excellence that uplifts in the coldest of climates, just as it was meant to do.

PODCAST 03 - INTERGALACTIC GARY. TERROR CLASH.

 

TERROR CLASH. · PODCAST 03 - INTERGALACTIC GARY.

Track Of The Day: Sandoz - White Darkness (Intone)

The closing track to ‘Digital Lifeforms’, and produced around the same time as ‘The Conversation’, it seems appropriate to ask if Richard H. Kirk got much sleep in the late eighties, early nineties. ‘White Darkness’ is a mid-paced piece of synth washed future disco straight from a parallel universe; somewhere beyond the stars where the languid pace of life is reflected in the gravity defying beats therein. Sounding like all of your hallucinogenic experiences put to music, and occupying that strange space between ecstasy and uncertainty, this will never sound anything other than the future going through the process of regeneration. 

Daisychain 311 - Louisahhh

 

Daisychain · Daisychain 311 - Louisahhh

Track Of The Day: Cajmere feat. Terence FM - Feelin' Kinda High (Cajual)

Who is Terence FM, and why is he so named? This is a question I ask myself every time I see a reference to this great track. Does the FM refer to radio, and does it reflect a predilection for it, in the same way that Synthesiser Patel eponymously reflects an obsession with analogue keyboards. I remember this track being played at Wiggle, often the last of a particular set, or the whole night. The vocal is what makes this track into the monster it is, but the music upon which it rests is well worth a mention. Although released on Cajual, if an instrumental were ever released then Relief would be a more natural home. Having said that, the trackiness and, with it, the aggression, is toned down to make it more tonally palatable to blend with whatever vocal banger might follow. Not that any of this matters of course. The genres are not self-conscious and, in the hands of anyone capable and inflected by the feeling, can be aligned any which way, holding up a mirror to the mood of the dance floor. This is one of my favourite vocal house tracks, and it’s lost none of its lustre in the thirty years it’s been around. Partly, I guess, to its original approach to highlighting said vocal something which, in turn, draws attention to and elicits interest in, the music.

Track Of The Day: RV800 - Equanimity (Formula)

So I’m going to bed with a smile on my face this evening, the football all having a lot to do with this. Mere music does not do this feeling justice. Having said that, there’s always room for a mellifluous melody. With that in mind I’m about to post RV800’s other great contribution to humanity after ‘Subsync’. ‘Equanimity’ isn’t regarded quite as highly, but what do they know? It’s every bit as trance inducing, in spite of being cheaper than its label mate on Discogs, and having a Higher Intelligence Agency remix instead of a Haventepe one. The track itself is a chunk of linear goodness that stays the course, composed of all manner of fluctuating, flange - like synth work, a robust low end that and percussion that, no matter how you care to describe it, sounds like handclaps done many ways. A great piece of work which, with the aforementioned ‘Subsync’ wetted the appetite for much more, which never really materialised (although I have my suspicions.)

Track Of The Day: Audion - Mouth To Mouth (Spectral Sound)

At some point in the first decade of this century, Matthew Dear was everywhere. This is probably because he spread himself so thin and, in doing so, became the minimal movement’s polymath. In spite of his categorisation within said genre, he didn’t really make much minimal. He released on Minus as False, and Perlon as Jabberjaw. However, the tunes he’s really remembered for are those under his own name or as Audion. The latter, in particular, being an outlet for choice, rave brain melters, of which ‘Mouth To Mouth’ is a prime example. It’s a lengthy track, but all then more effective and hedonistic for it, allowing other compositions to be layered above and below it while it gathers a tireless, inexorable momentum. It’s also definitely a track that divides people, if the comments on Discogs are anything to go by. Thankfully, for the most part, they’re not, as they’re probably written by bad nerds who need to go outside once n a while. ‘Mouth To Mouth’ is elegant in its simplicity. And there is a (new?) edit of it floating around, as played on Sean Johnston’s latest ALFOS EBS. It’s paced very well for ALFOS actually. A little faster than the chug normally allows, so all you superannuated ravers had better watch your sacroiliacs.

Parallax 011 | 214

 

ParallaX · Parallax 011 | 214

Track Of The Day: Last Tango In Paris (Ballad) / Gato Barbieri (United Artists)

This composition is my favourite from this soundtrack. The film itself isn’t that good, typically French in that it’s about a dirty old man gagging after a woman less than half his age and getting some. However, the shots of Paris in the early seventies are incredibly atmospheric and the ambience generated is contagious. Gato Barbieri plays like a more aggressive version of Kenny G at times, but what makes this track is the wooping, yelping and percussive depth. 

Track Of The Day: Roland Kirk - We Free Kings (Mercury)

Plucked right out of left field,. Very big in the Wallasey boondocks where a celebrated few had access. This piece of music by Rahsaan Roland Kirk was only 20 years old when I first came across it in the Liscard branch of Oxfam. Fast forward forty years and even though it was maybe showing its age a bit back then, being listened to in parallel with the likes of ‘My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts’, it feels no more dated now, like the notes are preserved in amber. Roland Kirk was a random gateway into jazz for my young self, something that came about through an obsession with the writers of the beat generation and narcotics. We weren’t sitting around rooms like Ned Flanders’ parents eschewing discipline, control and muttering “daddy o” endlessly. We were getting very baked though. This was one facet of our autodidactic education in the arts, something that prepared us for later life much better than what was to come later at university. Friends, acquaintances and knowledge were gained for life, and we were shaped us into the people we are today.

Electronic Convergence - Verdant Session 04 - Dec 23

 

verdant-recordings · Electronic Convergence - Verdant Session 04 - Dec 23

Track Of The Day: Costin RP - Astro (Memoria Recordings)

Music is becoming more and more abstract to me, no matter what its genre or function. The market has never been more saturated, and remuneration never more difficult to come by, which is one of many reasons why the percentage of quality tuneage, although still considerable, either comes willingly, or remains hidden. One such piece of music that has recently revealed itself is ‘Astro’ from the prolific Costin RP, which came out on an eponymously-titled EP, all of which is excellent. Anyway, to the untrained ear it may not sound particularly ground breaking. However, those who make music like this, with one of many motives being to induce euphoria and simultaneously evoke different worlds, know just what it takes to tap into the cerebral subconscious. And, even though this piece of textured body mapping is mostly designed to be one relatively small part of a larger whole, its spark catalyses way beyond its length.

Track Of The Day: James Blood Ulmer - Are You Glad To Be In America? (Rough Trade)

The random nature of music, and particular compositions, is one of the reasons I write. And here’s something that has floated in from god knows where. James Blood Ulmer found his way into my head in the early 1980s, along with the post punk I was listening to at the time. That music was influenced by artists I’d had no previous exposure to and wanted to find out more about. He was very much a free funk advocate and there is a feeling of constant improvisation in this track, in spite of which never truly gets out of control. Label mates The Pop Group were probably listening and learning when this was released, as the implicit political message runs hand in hand with the music, to which nothing has sounded similar, before or since.

ALFOS EBS44 - Sean Johnston (31-12-2023)

 

Fallen - One Dove

Come Together - Primal Scream (Weatherall Mix)

Shake It Up (Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown Version) by Jack Butters
O Signe Des Temps - Original Version Bernardino Femminielli
CAGEDBABY OCT ACUJAM 5
I am an Animal (WH Edit) Stats
Right Down Here (Psychemagik Remix) - Asha Puthli
Ottagono Corse - Caramel 3000
The Back Door - Alek Lee
Godless Ceremony (Hardway Bros Remix) - islandman
Trance Deux* - Tushen Raï & Warum
Carmico - My Friend Dario
? Track at 1h17m.
The Ghost (W. H. Lung Fluxed Version) - Anna B Savage
Just a Daydream Away (Hardway Bros Live At the SSL) - Marshall Watson & Cole Odin (Bandcamp)
So Sprach Psychedelia (Rambal Cochet Trance Mix) - Pyrame
Amnesia (feat. Cagedbaby) - Radio Slave
Nikita Boogie - Shurmin Nikita
Fima Is Back - Alek Lee
Talking Heads - Burning Down The House (Andy Buchan Choir Edit)
Mustat Varjot - Roberto Rodriguez
Mandrake - Georges Chatelain & Getaroom
Boutade - Mugwump
Hey Gringo - Brioski
Slow (Chemical Brothers Remix) Kylie Minogue
Golden Years (Mano Le Tough Edit) David Bowie
Scott Fraser - Together More (original mix)
If You Want Me (Jay Shepheard Remix) - Cisco Cisco
None - Laars
St Anthony: An Ode to Anthony H Wilson (Andrew Weatherall Remix) - Mike Garry & Joe Duddell
Jungle Dogs (Tiago Remix) - Secret Circuit
Primal Scream don't fight it
(ALT cut)
El Zahir (Acid Pauli's Acid Dub) - Raz Ohara
Jasper Van't Hof's Pili Pili - Hoomba Hoomba (Jepe Edit)
Rock the Spectre - Mystic Thug
Super Rapido (SIRS Cut) - Caramel 3000
CAN - I WANT MORE PK bootleg V5 1
? Track at 3h34m.
Velenoso - Futuro Tropicale & Le Macchine
Welcome To The Pleasuredome (Fuitless mix) FRANKIE GOES TO
HOLLYWOOD
Disco In The Sky - Super pitcher
I Heard It - Daco
Looking in (Clive from Accounts Remix) - Underground System
We Still Believe (Original Mix) The Blessed Madonna & Jamie Principle
Caught! - by Sean Dimitrie & Tim Fuller
Strobe Queen - Radio Slave
So Better - Molsy
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Cities in Dust (Hunterbräu Rework)
I've Lost Control (Glenn Underground's Old School Re-Rub) - DJ Pierre
FLUKE - PHILLY (RED AXES DISCO BOWL EDIT )
? Track at 4h36m.
Anzu - C.A.R.
Stay On Top (feat. Woolfy & Hardway Bros) [Hardway Bros Alfos dub] by Living In Ghosts
As I Ran - Yame
? Track at 4h56m
Mouth to Mouth - Radio Slave & Audion
Trapped (Solee Remix) Colonel Abrams, Solee
C.O.D.E.S. - Code 6
Look Like a Man - Decius & Lias Saoudi
Beat the Clock - Sparks
Oh, Lover (feat. Susanne Sundfør) [NTO Remix - Club Version] - Röyksopp
Memorabilia (Luke Solomon’s Body Edit) - Soft Cell
And The Colour Red (Original Mix)
Underworld
Dancer - Robert Hood
Relax Your Soul (Club Mix 2) - Fun 4 Fun
Two Months Off (Tim Green Remix) Underworld
Where I Am - SIMPLE SYMMETRY
? Track at 5h53m.
? Track at 6h01m.
Let it Happen (Soulwax Remix) - Tame Impala
Throbbing Girstle - Hot On The Heels Of Love (Eskimo Twins Rework - Edit)
We Are Phuture (Acid Face Remix) by DJ Pierre
What Time Is Love (Live at SSL Mix) by Lifelike & Kris Menace
The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows (Lefside Wobble Edit) Remaster16 (add Original track)
Beat Organ (Original Mix) 16 Bit Lolitas
Nana by Acid Pauli
To find - This Is Not America (Smackos Emax Discoremix) by Legowelt (SoundCloud?)
? Track at 6h49m.
Goodbye Horses (Prins Thomas Diskomiks & Dub) by Tone Of Arc
Bakerman (Soul Clap Remix) by Laid Back
Lost Again by Yello (Extended Dance Version) (Curses Mix)
Enjoy the Silence (Timo Maas Extended Remix) by Depeche Mode
Smoove Smokebelch/Leader Of A
New Age Faith eLBee BaD
? Track at 7h32m.
Unmask Me (Ashley Beedle Vocal Mix) by Mama
The Outsider (End Sequence) Coyote

Track Of The Day: Model 500 - Starlight (Moritz Mix aka Maurizio remix) (Metroplex)

Inspired by Mr Anthony Teasdale, the first post of this year will be a classic remix of an already classic track. One that, depending on your point of view, typifies an implicit techno vibe and, in doing so, is possibly the most representative composition of the genre when it goes down the dub direction. Like the living evocation of the “attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion...”  and listening to “ C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate.” Being surrounded by this track is a kinesthetic experience. It’s a piece of living, breathing electronic genius. An enduring piece of work, the likes of which should be soundtracking the dreams and imagination of everyone who is lucky enough to hear it.