Utility Fog

Sunday, 26th of October, 2003

Very sad to hear of Elliott Smith’s death this week. That someone of his talent was so depressed that he couldn’t see any point going on is quite an arresting thought… Although I wasn’t a fan as such (I’m only starting to discover more of his music now), I thought he wrote beautiful songs, and the song I started with today is an absolute pop gem. I can only quote the man himself:

I’m never gonna know you now
But I’m gonna love you anyhow

Wes Anderson chose Elliott’s “Needle in a Haystack” for the (attempted) suicide scene in The Royal Tennenbaums, but rather than depress us with more thoughts of suicide I decided to play the beautiful Nico song Anderson also included on that soundtrack. It’s a Jackson Browne cover, and I’ve now discovered that Elliott actually played a cover of it live, in his hometown of Portland in 1999. Through the magic of filesharing, I might play it on next week’s show.
Also included tonight was a protest song (inspired by George Bush’s visit) by Jim O’Rourke with Glenn Kotche (a cover of a song by Bill Fay - here’s an “unsung review” by Julian Cope of the album it came off), and the focus later was more on the jungle side of things than “breakcore” as such.
In any case, the usual mix of organic and digital followed.

Elliott Smith - Waltz #2 (XO) [Dreamworks]
Nico - These Days [Verve Records]
L’Altra - Ouletta (Side B version) [Aesthetics]
Jim O’Rourke & Glenn Kotche - Pictures of Adolf [Protest Records - free mp3 download!]
Machine Translations - Parismatic [Spunk]
Savath + Savalas - Transportation Theme [Hefty Records]
Manual - Nova [Morr Music] {The Manual link is to an interview @ Pitchfork. Scroll down to read him discuss what a huge influence Talk Talk’s last two albums (featured in earlier Utility Fogs) were on him.}
Ms. John Soda - If Someone Would Know [Morr Music]
The For Carnation - A Tribute To [Neatly Folded Music/Touch & Go]
Slint - Darlene [Slint/Touch & Go]
Slint - Washer [Slint/Touch & Go]
Papa M - Plastic Energy Man [Drag City/Domino]
Greg Davis - Doras [Grounded Records]
Marxist Real Estate - Waves Breaking [excerpt from self-released one-track 30-minute CDR entitled The Secret Machines of Life]
Themselves - Livetrap (remixed by Hood) [Anticon]
Ms. John Soda - No. One [Morr Music]
Themselves - Out In The Open (remixed by The Notwist) [Anticon]
Chronomad - Sefid [Alien Transistor]
I-Wolf - Inna Meditation [dublab via Hefty Records]
Cul de Sac - Mirror II (Mae and Elena) [Strange Attractors Audio House]
Cul de Sac - Frustrated Seduction (”Wash It Off!”) [Strange Attractors Audio House]
Electro Organic Sound System - Carrot (Hrvatski’s Night Vision) [Varunee Recording Group/Bliss Recordings]
Cujo/Funki Porcini - Z Cars (Superintadude mix) [Ninebar]
Electro Organic Sound System - Magical Condition [Varunee Recording Group/Bliss Recordings]
The Black Dog - Babylon (Hard as Stele, Jamac remix) [Warner ESP] {Note: only appeared on promo release}
The Black Dog & Black Sifichi - Voodoo (The Black Dog’s Baron Samedi mix) [Hydrogen Dukebox]
Plaid - Zeal [Warp Records]
The Black Dog - Chesh [Warp Records]
Venetian Snares - Einstein-Rosen Dub [Planet µ]
Jack Planck - Simi Valley Death Park Phenomenon [One Little Indian]
Amorphous Androgynous - The Mello Hippo Disco Show (Jacknife Lee mix) [Artful Records]

Monday, 20th of October, 2003

The usual anomalous beginning to the show this week. Dedicated the first two songs to the usurper king George Bush, on the eve of his visit to Australia to meet his little buddy Johnny and seal with a kiss the free trade deal that will make Australia the 50+Nth state of the USA… More at Stop Dubya.
Following that, a long special centering on the new album by The Books, with a whole host of folktronica, laptop folk, hip-hop with strings, and even rootsy folksy stuff without electronics! Of course the ragga-jungle-breakcore side of things wasn’t left out either.

Midnight Oil - US Forces [Sony Music (although my copy says CBS *smile*)]
Pixies - Where Is My Mind? [4AD]
The Books - The Lemon of Pink (2 run-on tracks) [Tomlab]
Tin Hat Trio - A Life In East Poultney [Ropeadope]
Erik Friedlander - Aberdeen [tu M’p3 (click on link - track is downloadable from the Flash site!)]
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Perpetuum Mobile [originally on Editions EG, marketed by Virgin, now available direct from the band’s website (if it’s still up-to-date)]
Saul Williams - Twice The First Time [Big Dada]
Savath + Savalas - Folk Song For Cello [Hefty Records]
The Notwist - Lichter (Console-Rmx) [Alien Transistor]
Chronomad - Sard [Alien Transistor]
Hood - As Evening Changed The Day (Hood Remix) [555 Recordings of Leeds, UK (now of Flagstaff, AZ)]
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Oscar Tango [originally on Editions EG, marketed by Virgin, now available direct from the band’s website (if it’s still up-to-date)]
The Books - There Is No There [Tomlab]
Gastr del Sol - The Seasons Reverse [Drag City]
David Grubbs - Don’t Say It [tu M’p3 (click on link - track is downloadable from the Flash site!)]
Tin Hat Trio - Manmoth [Ropeadope]
Matmos - The Banjo’s Categorical Gut [original Vague Terrain release; later re-released by Matador Europe]
The Books - Take Time [Tomlab]
Beach Boys - Do You Like Worms? [from the unreleased SMiLE sessions]
Xiu Xiu - Don Diasco [Kill Rock Stars via Tomlab]
King Seven - Not Knowing What To Say [mp3 download originally from Soundclick but not there any more…]
Clue To Kalo - Do You Know That Love Can End? [Leaf Records]
Styrofoam - Blow It Away From Your Eyes [Morr Music]
Machine Translations - Simple Shores (Qua Remix) [Spunk]
Marxist Real Estate - Do You Harbour Any Fears? [from personal CDR, but available on the Two Minute Warning compilation released by A Perfect Gentleman, an indie label from Adelaide. Go check!]
Subtle - Flying Horse Plans [Dose]
Nettle vs Hrvatski - Uncivilibertarian [theAgriculture]
Remarc - R.I.P. (Remarc Remix) [Planet µ]
Soundmurderer & SK-1 - Bad Sound [Rewind-Records]
0=0 - Soda411 [Tigerbeat 6] {I promise I’ll stop playing this track now, for a few weeks at least *grin*}
Toecutter - Sodomecstasy [No Frills]
RandomNumber - Still Treading The Same Lanes As Last Year [Catmobile]
Dntel - Don’t Get Your Hopes Up [Rocket Racer]
Steward - Bit Part Actor Come Good (Figurine Remix) [Blackbean and Placenta]
The Books - PS [Tomlab]

Monday, 13th of October, 2003

Couple of 45 second tracks from the 45 Seconds Of… comp on Simball Records this week, plus just about all varieties of Hood’s music, a bunch of excellent Aussie stuff, and even some Dixie swing klezmer. Uh-huh. Tune in next week for a whole lot of new stuff, if the international mail behaves.

Hood - It’s Not That Much To Lose [Simball Records]
Cul de Sac - I Remember Nothing More [Strange Attractors Audio House]
Frost - tk 3 fm 1st EP [self-released demo CDR]
Amon Tobin - Tabukula Beach Resort [Ninja Tune]
Suncoil Sect - Counterculture (Third Eye Foundation remix) [Secret Agent Records]
Plug - Cheesy (Gigolo mix) [Blue Angel Records via Nothing]
Mochipet - Polka Electronic Death Country [Btrendy Records via Couchblip! Distribution]
Jerusalem Jazz Band - Masha [Ffortissimo, long out of print. Try contact details via band link]
The Matthew Herbert Big Band - Misprints [Accidental Records]
Tied & Tickled Trio - The Long Tomorrow [Morr Music]
Hood - The Year Of Occasional Lull [Misplaced Music]
Themselves - Good People Check [Anticon]
King Seven - Hidden [Camshot]
me - the world [self-released EP]
Montano - Plunger [self-released promo CDR]
Saddleback - untitled tk 4 from Everything’s a Love Letter pre-release [Heavy]
Seaworthy - Western Song (remix 2) [from unreleased promo CD, maybe to be on Steady Cam, or maybe some cool international label!]
désormais - no mysteries can be tolerated [intr_version]
Fennesz - Instrument 3 [Mego via Touch]
Farmers Manual - 368 mix (tk 6 from fsck CD) [Tray Records, sublabel of Touch]
Salvo Beta vs Twine - Alteration [someoddpilot records]
Knifehandchop vs 0=0 - Down With The Technics, Don’t Sweat The Scene Remix [Tigerbeat 6]
0=0 - Plastic Zero [dross:tik]
Father - now I’ve changed my minder (Hood remix) [555 Records]
The Bug ft. Daddy Freddy - Politicians & Paedophiles [Rephlex]
Ove Naxx - F1 Crazy Race [Death$ucker Records]
Rom=Pari - As Sick As Possible
Comatone - Fat My Suck One [Feral Media]
Captain Ahab - You Never Ever Ever Ever [Irritant Records]
Maladroit - Junglistic EMF Contours [unreleased CDR makes me special]
Professor G. Langdon {no link available, please let me know} - Nintendo’s Last Stand [Simball Records]
Liife - untitled tk 1 fm self-titled CD [self-released on Geometry, review here]
Autechre - V-Proc [Warp]
Autechre - eutow [Warp]
Gescom - Sciew Spoc [Skam]

Monday, 6th of October, 2003

This week’s playlist once again encompassed pop and experimental, quiet and noisy, and featured all 23 minutes of the first side of Talk Talk’s legendary second-last album Spirit of Eden.

Tall Dwarfs - The Slide [Flying Nun]
Heligoland - Bluebird [Calcium Chloride] {Note: this is Tim Friese-Greene’s solo project, not the Melbourne band!}
Talk Talk - The Rainbow/Eden/Desire [Polydor]
Dntel - Suddenly Is Sooner Than You Think [Plug Research]
Empress - Tutto Solo [Misplaced Music]
The Remote Viewer - Snow It Falls On [City Centre Offices]
Hood - //- (tk 3 fm The Cycle Of Days And Seasons) [Domino Records]
Browning - Amiel [Heavy]
Saddleback - untitled tk 3 fm Everything’s a Love Letter pre-release [Heavy]
Soplerfo - Another Day [Grounded Records]
Soplerfo - pale over (Hrvatski’s pale.over.ture) [Zod]
Themselves - Good People Check (Hrvatski Remix) [Anticon via Wire Magazine]
Jaga Jazzist - Going Down (Spillejob Remix by Kim Hiorthøy) [Smalltown Supersound]
B(if)tek - Projects for a Rainy Day (The Rainy Day Pink Mouth Mix by Qua) [Subvocal/Inertia]
Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining (Minotaur Shock remix) [Twisted Nerve]
Badly Drawn Boy - Something To Talk About (Four Tet Convention mix) [Twisted Nerve]
Prop vs Someone - Can’t be Sirius (Sirius remix) [Silent Recordings] {info on “Someone” welcome - just comment/email. I know it’s a local Sydney muso}
Joseph Nothing - March of the DIO (Pale remix) [Sonicterror Recordings]
OVe-NaXx - The Opera In Clouds of Smoke [Soot/Accelmuzhik]
Mochipet - Dessert Search For Techno Baklava [Btrendy Records via Couchblip! Distribution]
0=0 - Soda411 [Tigerbeat 6]
Donna Summer - 10 Amazing Years [Cock Rock Disco - unreleased album, out on Sonig in 2004]
Comatone - Toy [Feral Media]
uBin - Loci [Elefant Traks]
eight frozen modules - “[scientology]” changed my life [Phthalo]
Microstudio - Cubensis [Carpet Bomb via Lo Recordings]
Com.A - Hidden Command (massacremates mix by World’s End Girlfriend) [Zod]
Hinterlandt - scene 3 from t[raumdeutung] - our protagonist strolls the markets [C.U.E.]
Montano - Sun 6 [self-released promo CDR]