oystered 18: sunrise at four below (dec. ’06 addendum #3)
Total running time: 2:33:11.
a1. destroyer rubies (destroyer’s rubies/merge) (9:25)
a2. tv-resistori serkut rakastaa paremmin (summer and smiles of finland/fonal records) (2:41)
a3. lilys black carpet magic (everything wrong is imaginary/manifesto) (4:34)
a4. the fiery furnaces police sweater blood vow (bitter tea/fat possum) (2:54)
a5. the red krayola when she went swimming (introducing/drag city) (3:55)
a6. broadcast still feels like tears (the future crayon/warp) (3:41)
a7. stereolab plastic mile (fab four suture/too pure) (5:12)
b1. wooden wand and the sky high band rolling one sun blues (second attention/kill rock stars) (3:39)
b2. white magic the light (dat rosa mel apibus/drag city) (3:29)
b3. bonnie ‘prince’ billy untitled (the letting go/drag city) (5:12)
b4. vetiver no one word (to find me gone/dicristina) (6:13)
b5. mark kozelek tiny cities (little drummer boy live/caldo verde) (3:45)
b6. joanna newsom sawdust & diamonds (ys/drag city) (9:56)
c1. califone the orchids (roots & crowns/thrill jockey) (2:58)
c2. the howling hex this planet sweet (nightclub version of the eternal/drag city) (7:51)
c3. comets on fire lucifer’s memory (avatar/sub pop) (7:04)
c4. the flaming lips pompeii am götterdämmerung (at war with the mystics/warner bros.) (4:22)
c5. psychic ills another day another night (dins/the social registry) (8:09)
c6. liars the other side of mt. heart attack (drum’s not dead/mute) (4:46)
d1. six organs of admittance torn by wolves (the sun awakens/drag city) (1:42)
d2. espers mansfield and cyclops (ii/drag city) (5:57)
d3. charalambides two birds (a vintage burden/kranky) (12:40)
d4. bardo pond cry baby cry (ticket crystals/atp recordings) (4:56)
d5. brightblack morning light amber canyon magik (brightblack morning light/matador) (4:54)
d6. zelienople mary celeste (ghost ship/pseudo arcana) (12:43)
d7. mv & ee with the bummer road big deal (green blues/ecstatic peace) (7:49)
d8. f.s. blumm koffer dill (summer kling/morr music) (2:57)
Massive ending to 2006. There’s surely no reason for me to do a track by track analysis for this post, especially since you can just hear it for your self with the click of a button. Needless to say, this is the year-end “rock ‘n’ roll” oriented post. I must say, I did wrestle with finding a Flaming Lips track worthy of addition, and although I think they've pretty much lost the plot at this point (too much time for Coyne and co. to live on papa Warners' dime perhaps?), "Pompeii am Götterdämmerung" seems pretty good, however un-original sounding it is. Lots of stuff from Drag City. Fell in love with MV & EE back in '05 and they just keep getting better. Great Beatles cover of "Cry Baby Cry" by Bardo Pond. Brightblack Morning Light is sure to please just about everybody. And found the F.S. Blumm CD at the eleventh hour (like, just a few days ago) so I had to add "Koffer Dill" for the perfect ending.
Back in the ’06, when neptune records had just closed, I sent some of you a couple of CDs that looked similar to the playlist above. Although all the artists are represented from those two CDs, I did change some of the tracks themselves. The tracks from Bardo Pond, Six Organs of Admittance, The Howling Hex, Wooden Wand and The Fiery Furnaces are all different – with a bunch more here that never made it onto those two CDs. So, to those of you that got copies of those CDs there’s still plenty here that’s “new,” and to everyone else, well, I hope you just enjoy the jams during these cold summer months. The next post is going to be a big surprise before delving back into the monthly madness, starting with January 2007.
oystered 17: space blues (dec. ’06 addendum #2)
Total running time: 2:20:10.
1. deaf center levende (levende/type) (44:41)
2. biosphere from a solid to a liquid (dropsonde/touch) (5:19)
3. greg haines arups gate (slumber tides/miasmah) (10:41)
4. christopher willits love wind (surf boundaries/ghostly international) (2:23)
5. kawabata makoto son (inui/vhf) (21:45)
6. dag rosenqvist & rutger zuydervelt gräs som bryts ock går av / gras dat knakt en breekt (vinterkmusik/machinefabriek) (5:17)
7. tom recchion underwater girls (sweetly doing nothing/schoolmap) (10:05)
8. stephan mathieu & janek schaefer the planets (hidden name/cronica) (19:37)
9. tim hecker norberg, sweden (norberg, sweden/room40) (20:25)
Stunning ‘drone’ based set featuring some real hard to find cuts from the likes of Jasper tx and Machinefabriek (credited above to their real names, Dag Rosenqvist & Rutger Zuydervelt, respectively), Los Angeles underground purveyor Tom Recchion, perennial favorite Stephan Mathieu with Janek Schaefer and Tim Hecker (kranky, mille plateaux, alien8).
The Deaf Center track is an MP3 only release from the Type label – one track, nearly 45 minutes long. Classic in that dark, ambient, Dead Can Dance, mid-‘80s 4AD sort of way. Just let it play, you’ll see what I mean. Next, Biosphere released a really beautiful looking, but somewhat disappointing full-length for the Touch label. Unfortunately many tracks were marred by jazzy drum sampling. “From A Solid To A Liquid” however, is not one of those tracks, and overall Dropsonde is a worthwhile endeavor, especially for the extra-long last track, “People Are Friends.” Greg Haines was one of those no-name surprises of 2006 - appearing on Erik Skodvin’s (one-half of Deaf Center, otherwise known as Svarte Greiner) Miasmah imprint – and “Arups Gate” is one of those cloud-parting / heavens opening wide tracks – really overwhelming. “Love Wind” is a short, blissed-out excursion from Surf Boundaries, a surprisingly poppy record (with vocals even!) from folding guitar specialist Christopher Willits (12k) and featuring Medicine guitarist Brad Laner. Acid Mothers Temple main-man Kawabata Makoto has his first (of four I think?) Inui records reissued in 2006, and “Son” is a gorgeous, eastern, sunrise meditation. Overall, one of my favorite posts thus far.
oystered 16: unwashed and somewhat slightly dazed (dec. ’06 addendum #1)
Total running time: 1:30:54.
1. herve ak my favorite smile (part time/k2) (5:38)
2. pepe bombilla harmonics crashes (yamore (remix)/harmonics crashes / cadenza) (11:58)
3. robert babicz my blue car (martinez remix) (my blue car/barbarella) (7:59)
4. superpitcher enzian (speicher 35/kompakt extra) (9:32)
5. giorgos gatzigristos skip tutorial (skip tutorial/k2) (6:44)
6. lee van dowski & tsack nanospec (unicare/defrag sound processing) (7:02)
7. pantytec maybe (maybe moriomelo/perlon) (9:17)
8. bang goes hicksknips (stola/bruchstuecke) (5:21)
9. peter grummich jack d’amour (rave d’amour/shitkatapult) (8:05)
10. joris vermeiren en senjan jansen mijn bernina (versii) (mijn bernina/discodesafinado) (6:01)
11. kangding ray dadaist (stabil/raster noton) (5:58)
12. philippe cam un salon dans le ciel (deadbeat remix) (somewhere between here and there/musique risquee) (7:25)
First post of the new year and it’s an old one. This is the first of three posts to round out the year 2006, compiling tracks left off the monthly post mixes. This first one, titled “Dancing in Your Head,” yes, a nod to jazz great Ornette Coleman, focuses on leftover techno tracks for the most part, and rightfully so. Big ups to EB for ripping all this vinyl, and to CFRIII for the Kangding Ray – top notch warm, dubby, glitchy minimalism with a strong sense of melody throughout – highly recommended from the Raster Noton label. Most of all, gratitude goes to RG for without whom this whole endeavour would not be possible. Thanks for keeping me sane.
Of course I like all the tracks in the mix but sure highlights include opener “My Favorite Smile,” from Herve Ak, one of the many Kompakt sub-label K2 artists that continue to surprise. Robert Babicz’s “My Blue Car” was also a keeper, from the relatively unknown Barbarella label. Babicz used to be known as Rob Acid, but has reinvented himself much in the same way as Baby Ford perhaps, updating his style, with recent recordings for K2 as well. The last four tracks are really fun, starting with the always on-point technician Peter Grummich, even if it is on the sketchy T. Raumschmiere (Marco Haas) curated label, Shitkatapult, followed up by completely unknown (Spanish?) artists Joris Vermeiren en Senjan Jansen with a dubby minimal cut not unlike classic Thomas Brinkmann. How could I have forgotten this last track? Philippe Cam (Traum, Kompakt) released a beauty of a 12” featuring two new cuts and remixes respectfully – one from Akufen and the other, the one that appears here, from Deadbeat – a great way to finish out the year in techno.
oystered 15: gone to earth (dec. '06)
Total running time: 1:32:39.
1. m. rosner morning tones (morning tones/apestaartje)
2. echo club señor pasajero (welcome to echo club/kompakt)
3. marsen jules où la nostalgie habite (pop ambient 2007/kompakt)
4. david swain media monkey (istvan zsolt’s plane ticket/gore infidel)
5. nicola ratti nuev (prontuario per giovani fogile/megaplomb)
6. deadbeat one.two.three.infinity (version immersion/~scape)
7. thomas fehlmann dusted (emo pak/kompakt)
8. to rococo rot gelb (taken from vinyl/staubgold)
9. andrew thomas i am here where are you (pop ambient 2007/kompakt)
10. ricardo villalobos gugga sempa (what’s wrong my friends?/perlon)
11. thomas brinkmann die schiefe ebene_inclined plane (klick revolution/max.ernst)
12. klimek ruined in a day (buenos aires) (pop ambient 2007/kompakt)
13. kilo …to the edge of the adriatic sea (kilo/onitor)
14. markus guentner altocomulus opacus (pop ambient 2007/kompakt)
Whew, finally! That only took two extra years to complete. Well, that’s not entirely accurate either – three more 2006 addendums to follow: one experimental or ambient-electronic in nature, one more straight up techno/deep-house mix, and lastly, an indie/avant-rock post.
Vinyl only cuts this time include Echo Club’s (that’s Jörg “The Modernist/Triola” Burger and Reinhard Voigt) “Señor Pasajero,” Deadbeat’s “One.Two.Three.Infinity,” Thomas Fehlmann’s “Dusted” (a version appeared later on his Honigpumpe full length), and Villalobos’ “Gugga Sempa,” available only on a Perlon double 12” release.
M. Rosner, a fairly unknown artist who has recorded for Australia’s Room40 label, opens proceedings with the aptly titled, “Morning Tones.” We quickly shift gears to the tourist-techno of Echo Club while Marsen Jules follows with his gorgeous and singular ambient-electronic style; one of four tracks culled from Kompakt’s Pop Ambient 2007 compilation. I know nothing about David Swain – this was one of the few redeeming cuts from The Wire magazine’s “Tapper 16” - while up-and-coming on the experimental Italian scene, Nicola Ratti’s “Nuev” calls to mind Papa M or other notable Chicago, post-rock artists. Again, shifting gears completely is Deadbeat, with “One.Two.Three.Infinity,” a floor-filler for sure followed by Thomas Fehlmann’s more dubbed-out, tight and funky “Dusted.” Appearing both on Pop Ambient 2007 and the only full-length release on Kompakt’s MP3 sub-label is New Zealand based Andrew Thomas with the patient, slow-motion “I Am Here Where Are You.” Ricardo Villalobos finishes the year in relentless fashion, following his epic “Fizheuer Zieheuer” with four more long tracks for Perlon, available only as a double 12” vinyl release. Thomas Brinkmann, who flirts from minimal techno to more abstract avant-garde electronics, combines the two styles here with the strange yet compelling “Die Scheife Ebene_Inclined Plane,” a cut from his Klick Revolution concept full-length about pinball machines. The overlooked, obscure, German based duo, Kilo present a real blissed out cut from their self-titled second Onitor full-length, landing somewhere between Jan Jelinek’s more recent textural output as well as including elements of his disco-techno alter ego, Farben. Markus Guentner, famous for his very Gas-like inspired full-lengths for Kompakt, finishes the set with yet another jewel in the Pop Ambient canon.
Keep checking this page for some special “primer”-style mixes before the 2007 monthly compilations start back up. There should be some hard-to-find, vinyl only, and/or all but forgotten tracks included. Tip!
oystered 14: trance ending (nov. ’06: part 2)
Total running time: 1:38:56.
1. komet untitled (audio.nl 030/audio.nl)
2. rechord untitled (audio.nl 030/audio.nl)
3. bulgur brothers igloo mania (smoothie man/sunset diskos)
4. anders ilar sand (in your eyes) (nightwidth/narita)
5. geoff white opposing platforms (nevertheless/background)
6. lithops harpoon point (mound magnet/thrill jockey)
7. jeff samuel i think they are trying to say something (step/trapez)
8. ricardo villalobos fizheuer zieheuer (fizheuer zieheuer/playhouse)
9. robag wruhme hamburg 03.07.06 (papp-tonikk/musik krause)
10. geiger good evening (supermayer remix) (immer 2/kompakt)
11. ada maps (mayer/thomas rmx) (immer 2: bonus compilation/kompakt)
The tech-no side of this two part post featuring tracks released in November 2006. The first two cuts are from a very limited, 12" only compilation from Netherlands’ based, Audio.nl. Bulgur Brothers is a Swedish techno supergroup featuring Andreas Tilliander (Rechord, Mokira, Lowfour), Johan Skugge and Mikael Stavostrand (Mitek, Vita). Anders Ilar continues his reign in the ’06 with this alternate version of "Sand," which originally appeared on a Narita 12" earlier in the year. Geoff White (Aeroc, Ghostly International, Force Inc.) completely surprises with an impeccable full-length from the always underrated (and now defunct?) Background-Records. Lithops is none other than Mouse On Mars’ Jan St. Werner, here with a typically abstract cut. Jeff Samuel also released a stellar, surprising full-length, like Geoff White, for the Trapez label, and "I Think They Are Trying To Say Something" is about as uplifting as anything I can remember. Possibly the best minimal techno producer of these times (2000 - ?), Ricardo Villalobos’ "Fizheuer Zieheuer" is here in all its 37 minute glory. Robag Wruhme’s ambient "Hamburg 03.07.06" is also a vinyl only cut, and the perfect comedown for Villalobos’ lengthy workout. The last two tracks come from Michael Mayer’s "Immer 2" mix CD on Kompakt. The first of which, from Geiger, combines a twisted vocal with more sedate and comforting melodies, while Ada’s remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s "Maps" gets remixed by Mayer himself and sometimes collaborator, Tobias Thomas. A truly uplifting song as well. Rock it!
oystered 13: happy hunting ground (nov '06: part 1)
Total running time: 1:39:04.
a1. jodi cave untitled (blueprints/12k)
a2. minit winged life (jukebox buddha/staubgold)
a3. å something a long time ago. and there are no buttons, either, because (å/die schachtel zeit)
a4. a taste of ra radhe-shyam in bliss land (a taste of ra ii/häpna)
b1. rosy parlane part one (jessamine/touch)
b2. geir jenssen jobo rabzang: a 6666 metre peak in the cho oyu himal (cho oyu 8201m: field recordings from tibet/ash international)
b3. sunnO))) bp//simple (jukebox buddha/staubgold)
b4. svarte greiner the dining table (knive/type)
c1. christmas decorations tottering throne (blueprints/12k)
c2. xela briefly seen (dead sea/type)
c3. in the country torch – fishing (losing stones, collecting bones/rune grammofon)
c4. leo abrahams water’s edge (blueprints/12k)
d1. astral social club untitled #1 (astral social club/vhf)
d2. axolotl astral light (telesma/spooky action)
d3. huntsville melon (for the middle class/rune grammofon)
d4. seaworthy map in hand pt. 4 (epilogue) (blueprints/12k)
Part one of this two-part mix representing November 2006 focuses on ambient, drone-pop, acoustic doom, post-rock and more ecstatic, extended ‘bliss-out’ tracks, most with a hint of melancholy in them. Personal favorites include the opener from Jodi Cave, an artist whose music has been released on the always top-notch 12k label out of upstate New York. Unknown Italian post-rock outfit, Å, surprise with a lengthy track that starts off somewhat aggressively before switching gears – and moods – halfway through metamorphosing into something quite delicate and beautiful. New Zealand musician Rosy Parlane continues to stun with his effervescently ecstatic, extended forms with a track from his second full length for Touch, Jessamine. And perennial favorite, Neil Campbell, most famous for his Vibracathedral Orchestra band of misfits, now solo as Astral Social Club, compiles and remixes a bunch of limited edition, CD-R only cuts for official release on VHF. His track here shimmers bright, and at eight or so minutes, finishes all too briefly.
Overall, two tracks come courtesy the Norwegian label, Rune Grammofon and two more from the UK imprint, Type, while four tracks are featured from the aformentioned 12k – three of which originate from the stellar Blueprints compilation. Two cuts feature from Staubgold’s Buddha Machine remix CD, Jukebox Buddha, which overall was kind of disappointing – or not – depending on how heavy expectations factor into the equation, with Minit, one of my favorite duos, included here along with ‘doom metal’ progenitors, SunnO))), a group I would never expect to show up on a blog of mine. Bon appetito!
oystered 12: love stepping out (oct ’06)
Total running time: 2:51:21.
Side 1
1. arnold dreyblatt brushtones (atlantic waves 2006/the wire #273)
2. melchior productions ltd. different places (different places/perlon)
3. paul wirkus valore energetico (déformation professionnelle/staubgold)
Side 2
4. hervé ak taps of the claps (the closer/k2)
5. tape nötväcka (ström - pausfågeln remixad/container recordings)
6. sandy bull memphis, tn (still valentine's day 1969/water)
Side 3
7. stephan mathieu die sonne toent nach alter wiese (excerpt from a shortwave radio landscape) (eco e narciso/the wire #270)
8. grouper agate beach (wide/free porcupine society)
9. mokira storspov / fjäderreverb (ström - pausfågeln remixad/container recordings)
Side 4
10. stefano pilia the suncrows fall and tree (part 1) (the suncrows fall and tree/sedimental)
11. andrea belfi footprints (between neck & stomach/häpna)
Side 5
12. rhythm & sound see mi version (basic reshape) (see mi yah (remixes)/burial mix)
13. mouse on mars skik (varcharz/ipecac)
14. robert lippok unexpected behavior no. 7 (robot/western vinyl)
Side 6
15. roman flügel presents soylent green after all (la forza del destino/playhouse)
16. herbert down (scale/studio !k7)
17. the rice twins for dan (reach for the flute/k2)
Side 7
18. oren ambarchi happy ending (atlantic waves 2006/the wire #273)
19. dj koze snauzi peitsch (stompin at the clubfoot/kompakt)
20. jan jelinek happening tone (tierbeobachtungen/~scape)
Side 8
21. minamo a herdsman’s life (a herdsman’s life/esquilo records)
Vinyl only exclusives this time around include Melchior Productions Ltd.’s dark and minimal "Different Places," courtesy the always reliable Perlon label, Hervé Ak’s "Taps of the Claps" along with the serene "For Dan" from The Rice Twins, both from Kompakt’s vinyl only (thus far) K2 offshoot label, and DJ Koze’s dancefloor/housefloor friendly "Snauzi Peitsch" from the Kompakt label proper.
But of even greater note, perhaps, on this playlist, is the abundance of rare or limited or hard to get tracks (although more and more, probably not so much the case): Tape and Mokira contribute tracks to a Swedish only compilation CD, Ström - Pausfågeln Remixad, based on different bird songs, Arnold Dreyblatt and Oren Ambarchi contribute to a Wire Magazine subscriber only special CD focusing on 2006’s Atlantic Waves festival, Stephan Mathieu contributes to a different Wire Magazine subscriber only special CD from earlier in the year (previously overlooked by moi’), and lastly, Japanese acoustic-electronic supergroup, Minamo, release a super-limited CD-r entitled, "A Herdsman’s Life," which you can stream here in it’s entirety.
Which isn’t to say that all the aforementioned tracks wouldn’t be just as great had they not had this exclusivity tag to them. As well as all the cuts I haven’t mentioned. These playlists, to me, include the best tracks from the best records released in said month, or whatever. It feels good to be back after a nearly five month hiatus. Just let it flow…
