Soulsearching

I got an e-mail this morning from Kel McKeown, AKA Kelpe. His latest album Ex-Aquarium (listen here) has been in heavy rotation around here this spring. He creates instrumental music that embraces electronics as well as organic intrumentation. Stylistically he fits in somewhere between the ambience of Boards of Canada, the abstractions of Four Tet and some of the leftfield hip hop of DJ's like Shadow and Cam. It is a fine record. Anyway, he sent me a nice mix he made. It is 32 minutes of mellow vibes and beats, and includes his own Whirlwound, with it's shuffling beats and moody synths. Should be very enjoyable with your Sunday morning paper and coffee...

Kelpe's Soulsearching Mix
(29.4MB)
Squarepusher - My Sound (Warp)
Tape - Beams (Hapna)
Dimlite - Oh Star (Sonar Kollektiv)
Kelpe - Whirlwound (DC Recordings)
Bumps - Bin Johnston (Stones Throw)
Pedro - Hope Is A Happiness (Mush)
Rustie - Cafe De Phresh (Instrumental) (Stuffrecords)
Dr Who Dat? - Ageless Daisy (Lex)
Soft Machine - Drop (CBS)
Samoyed - Making Snow (Flask)
Fennesz - Happy Audio (Mego)
Gonzalez - Gentle Threat (No Format)
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SIART's new muxtape is on a totally '70s kick...

The Pointer Sisters - How Long (Waxy edit)
Ultravox - Dangerous Rhythm
Herbie Hancock - Watermelon Man
Gary Numan - Airlane
David Bowie - John, I'm Only Dancing Again (Single A-Side '74)
Bill Withers - Use Me
Brian Eno - Sky Saw
Little Feat - Time Loves A Hero
Robert Palmer & Lee Perry - River Stone
Boz Scaggs - Lowdown
Sergio Mendes - After Sunrise
B.T. Express - Give It What You Got
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The last 6 posts to my tumblr...

1. Ghostly Swim - a free compilation of leftfield goodness.
2. McCain for Viagra?
3. Weezer's Pork & Beans = youtube inspired lunacy!
4. Cut Copy's Hearts On Fire - great concept.
5. Annie's I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me - she's back and as poptastic as ever.
6. The Specials Eyeing Fall Reunion Shows!

Random Saturday

Rene & Angela - I'll Be Good
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The last 5 posts to my tumblr...

1. Air Hostesses of Yesteryear
2. Neon Neon’s DeLorean
3. Good times, people, good times….
4. Sam Sparro does Estelle’s American Boy
5. Moby's vegetarian revenge fantasy
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Listen to a new muxtape, now with linkage to Hypem and Elbows...

The Polyphonic Spree - Love My Way
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Maladie D'Amour
Boards Of Canada - Korona
Chaka Kahn - Love Of A Lifetime
The Ting Tings - Great DJ (Calvin Harris Remix)
Fleetwood Mac - Never Forget (Cut Copy Lifelike Remix)
Cansei De Ser Sexy - Pretend We're Dead
Roxy Music - The Main Thing (Rub-N-Tug's Proton Saga)
Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good
5th Dimension - Stone Soul Picnic
My Bloody Valentine - Soon (The Andy Weatherall Mix)
Blancmange - Living on The Ceiling (12" Extended)

NME/Rough Trade C81

Gist - Greener Grass
The Specials - Raquel
Orange Juice - Blue Boy
I was digging around the old iTunes '80s playlist this morning and came across something I had forgotten I had - the NME C81 compilation. Originally a cassette only release, it was given away free with two coupons and £1.50. Compiled by the NME and Rough Trade Records, it contained a a great array of acts and styles, both established and up and comers. It was the first of several of these compilations by the NME, the best known being C86. C81 proved wildly popular and sold out quickly. It veers from artsy electronic experiments (Cabaret Voltaire) to blues funk (James Blood Ulmer) to ska (The Beat) and post-punk (Buzzcocks). It also marked some of the earliest appearances by several Postcard Records acts - Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and Josef K. In the post-punk primer Rip It Up & Start Again author Simon Reynolds refers to C81 as "post punk's swan song". It is a fun, occasionally challenging listen. Today I offer 3 diverse tunes - The Special assault you with ska punk fury, Orange Juice bring the Velvets jangle, and Gist (Philip and Stuart Moxham, who went on to form Young Marble Giants) deliver a gorgeous instrumental.

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I'm a big fan of chef/author/TV show host Anthony Bourdain, so I have posted a few links over at siart.tumblr.com for you to peruse. Both are audio interviews - one with another celeb chef, Andrew Zimmern, and the other with Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot from NPR's Sound Opinions.
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I made a new muxtape - go have a listen...
Landscape - Einstein A Go-Go
Scars - All About You
Crystal Castles - Air War
Grateful Dead - Estimated Prophet
Cameo - Back and Forth
David Bowie - Space Oddity (1980)
Sly & Robbie - Don't Stop The Music
AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long
Boz Scaggs - Lowdown
Elvis Presley - Crawfish
Average White Band - If I Ever Lose This Heaven
Panico - Transpiralo (featuring Crazy Girl)

Sunday Stew

A few bits and bobs to share today...

Kraftwerk - Techno Pop (Demo Version)
6 DAYS UNTIL KRAFTWERK. I am excited.
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Mute Records has done us Americans a favor. They are releasing the Hercules And Love Affair album in the US. It has been out on DFA since March in Europe, but we will have to wait until June 24th to get it here. It is well worth the wait. The first single will be Blind and is out May 27th. No word on the remixes, but it will probably have some of the same ones as the Euro versions - Frankie Knuckles, Serge Santiago and the band's own mix among them.
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The latest web/music/playlistism thingie buzzing around the internets is to make a Muxtape ("a simple way to create and share mp3 mixtapes"). It's ultra basic but works very nicely for streaming audio. Create an account, upload some songs and tell your friends to listen to your hot new mix. Listen to SIART's Muxtape, which features Hercules And Love Affair, Herb Alpert, The Skids and ZZ Top, some Italo, some electro and a few more choice morsels.
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Trip-hop? I think not...