Utility Fog

Sunday, 29th of August, 2010

Happy 7th birthday to FBi! And happy 7th birthday to Utility Fog!
LISTEN AGAIN to the wonderful sounds of 2003 and 2010 anytime - find the link at the bottom of the playlist.

NB: Next week I'm away in Melbourne, and the lovely Mr Shannon O'Neill will be filling in for me.

After last week's Sufjan Stevens extravaganza, this week saw the announcement of a full album forthcoming in October! One absolutely lovely track has been released as a free download, and that's what we started tonight with — the drum machine and keyboard start belying a typically beautiful and emotional song, with choral lines growing out of the spare beginnings. It's a bit reminiscent of Zach Condon’s Realpeople stuff, but Sufjan's actually been doing this kind of thing for ages.
Then, in celebration of seven years of bringing you wonderful music, we had Sufjan's beguiling and bewildering song "Seven Swans".

And then it's back to 2003 for some of the many highlights from that era — truly a fantastic time to begin a regular radio show.
Four Tet’s greatest album, Rounds, came out in 2003. Around the same time I wrote to Tomlab, asking if they'd send me a promo of the new Books album for my new radio show, as I'd been a fan of their first album. And thus, the two genre-defining, unparalleled works of the folktronica/laptop folk/thingy genre were there for me, basically from the beginning.

Next up, something pretty idiosyncratic, from an experimental artist of enormous talent, whose first solo album came out in 2003. Carla Kihlstedt was known to me via her wonderful Tin Hat Trio, and while her various other bands (frequently showcased over the years on UFog) were mostly still a mystery to me, this solo album on Tzadik blew me away (as a string player myself) for the amazing musicianship on violin, viola and vocals, and the complex but touching songwriting.

It would have been a year or two earlier that I first saw Melbourne's Curse ov Dialect live. Their first album proper, on a proper international label, came out in 2003, and got heaps of airplay on the 'Fog. Avant-garde, politically-aware hip-hop of the highest order.

Matthew Herbert had been known to me mainly as a house producer, whose 4/4 stuff left me completely cold. I knew he was an amazing producer, and when I was told that his The Matthew Herbert Big Band was something truly special, I took that advice seriously, and thus discovered another of the gems of the last 10 years. Expertly arranged, both in terms of swing band and in terms of live sampling and editing, it's an album that's satisfying in every way - like the aforementioned Four Tet and Books albums: the perfect Utility Fog music.

Electric Company was showcased a couple of months ago on the 'Fog. He has an album out and soon to be heard on this show under his real name, Brad Laner, and first made his name through his shoegaze band Medicine. This 2003 track is just a wonder of intense digital edits and a delightful trumpet(?) melody that crosses who-knows-what genres. Typical stuff from a chameleon like Brad Laner.

I still think of the 2003 album from µ-Ziq, Bilious Paths, as his last. It's not, but it's the last one (for now) with his characteristic insane beats and noise along with the melodies. I decided to play a pretty full-on hardcore track, 'coz I can. Of course Mike Paradinas' semi-eponymous Planet µ label features frequently on the show still, now. It's one of the most adventurous and reliable labels in the world.

Dwayne Sodahberk is a pretty under-the-radar artist, but in the spirit of indietronica, which isn't such a prominent genre now compared to 2003, his crunchy beats and processing accompanied some really lovely songs.

Finally, a few songs that slipped me by in 2003, but I caught up to later on.
Department of Eagles did release their debut album in 2003, but it was another year or two before the rest of the world caught up. In late 2005 I picked the album up when it was re-released by Melodic in the UK, and it was instant obsession. Both Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen (the latter now an integral member of Grizzly Bear) of course are brilliant songwriters, and combining that with the restless experimental production on this album had me in seventh heaven.

Busdriver is my favourite rapper (big call I know), but I hadn't heard of him in 2003. The album with Radioinactive, produced by the incomparable Daedelus, is an essential classic in my opinion.

Burning Star Core is easily my favourite noise/drone/psych artist, but I've only been into that sound for the last 2-3 years. I've managed, in trips to the US and trawling the interwebs, to amass a pretty huge proportion of his back catalogue, and this track from 2003 is pretty amazing...

Noise brings us back to the present, with one of the great breakcore artists, Venetian Snares, releasing his latest album on his own label (albeit still through Planet µ). It's the best stuff I've heard from him in some time, and although “Hajnal2” still can't compare to "Hajnal" from his great work of genius, Rossz Csillag Allat Születtet, it does add some pretty interesting elements of its own. Meanwhile, the title track has some gorgeous sounds along with the raucous beats. I did play a track from 2003 too! — from the rather unusual Moonglow 7”, a jazz-inflected downtempo piece.

I also wanted to feature a number of new oval tracks, as his new stuff is pretty incredible. It's true that over 70 tracks on the new double CD, plus more on the accompanying EP(s), it gets a bit full-on, but the tracks with John McEntire on drums are particularly effective [Note: It appears I was wrong about it being McEntire - seems it's Markus Popp himself). I could listen to those ones for hours on end.
So it's rather convenient that McEntire's postrock outfit Tortoise (you may have heard of them) has a new EP out, although it's Japan-only for now. Mark Ernestus turns in a fantastic drum-led remix which is miles away from his work with Moritz von Oswald as Maurizio.

I had to play some more tracks from the wonderful Nils Frahm again tonight, too. His piano playing produces entrancing harmonic forms, combining sometimes with reed organ or electronics. He's an artist to watch, and the wintermusik album is something else, just gorgeous. Equally brilliant is the collaboration with Anne Müller, who's a cellist, although most of the strings on this album sound more like violin... Vocals on tonight's track are from Andreas Bonkowski.

Nils' piano links us to a lovely piece by Greek-English artist Gavouna, whose track comes from a new compilation on new label Lost Tribe Sound, who will soon by releasing the new album from Part Timer.
Also on that compilation are Melbourne's freak(y) folk duo Children of the Wave. New material from them is always welcome, and I think they've got an album coming soon too!

I know very little about Headless Horseman, but they also make a mysterious experimental indiefolk sound that hits the right spot. And like so much stuff these days, they're up on Bandcamp, where you can listen for free and download for not very much.

Canberra artist Reuben Ingall has his latest album up on Bandcamp for $0, if you so desire, and among the minimalist guitar glitchery there are a few excellent pop songs (sharing those production values). It's intriguing, and we should expect great things from him.

Lucia Draft is Morgan Cabot's solo project, and it's pretty amazing ramshackle folk stuff (in the best possible way) which, yes, you can get for free via Bandcamp. All the links are in the playlist btw.
And finally, more ramshackle indie from Hobart/Melbourne's White Woods.

Sufjan Stevens - I Walked [Asthmatic Kitty] {forthcoming - download for free at Bandcamp!}
Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans [Sounds Familyre/Asthmatic Kitty]
Four Tet - And They All Look Broken Hearted [Domino]
the books - there is no there [Tomlab]
Carla Kihlstedt - Trampolina [Tzadik]
Curse ov Dialect - Baby How? [Mush]
The Matthew Herbert Big Band - Misprints feat. Shingai Shoniwa [Accidental Records]
Electric Company - i shall choice my self [Tigerbeat6]
µ-Ziq - Silk Ties [Planet µ]
Dwayne Sodahberk - The Agreeing Song [Tigerbeat 6]
Department of Eagles - The Horse You Ride [Melodic]
Busdriver & Radioinactive with Daedelus - Carl Weathers [Mush]
Burning Star Core - I Wanna Make A Supersonic Woman Of You [Dronedisco]
Venetian Snares - Goodbye9/Hello10 [Timesig]
Venetian Snares - This Bitter Earth [Addict Records]
Venetian Snares - Hajnal2 [Timesig]
Venetian Snares - Hajnal [Planet µ]
Venetian Snares - My So-Called Life [Timesig]
oval - glossy [Thrill Jockey]
Tortoise - Gigantes (Mark Ernestus version) [commmons]
oval - hey [Thrill Jockey]
Oval - Tapasbar [Thrill Jockey] {free download from Thrill Jockey, via FACT Mag!}
oval - i heart musik [Thrill Jockey]
nils frahm - nue [Erased Tapes]
nils frahm - Unter [Erased Tapes]
nils frahm & anne müller - long enough [hush records]
Gavouna - Tricle-Rem [Lost Tribe Sound]
Children of the Wave - Come Play Frolic [Lost Tribe Sound]
Headless Horseman - Growing [direct from Bandcamp]
Reuben Ingall - money [direct from Bandcamp]
Lucia Draft - Red [Lesstalk Records] {free download via Bandcamp}
White Woods - Now is Not a Time [Sensory Projects]

Listen again — ~ 171MB

Sunday, 22nd of August, 2010

Evening! Wow, what a weekend! Political upheaval to a fascinating degree, with probably quite profound effects (hopefully for the better).
Meanwhile, I bring you music, the food of love! Get a bit of that up ya why don't ya!
LISTEN AGAIN via the link at the bottom! Then go back and listen to the older shows.

From Sydney, a band of whom I don't know a lot, but they do a great line in post-classical full-on drum'n'bass funk thingy. Thingy is my new favourite genre actually. I heard a few of these tracks from forced perspective last year when they put out a promo disc. The album's pretty excellent, definitely recommended — and the first track I played reminded me in no small amount of the recent These New Puritans album.

OK, the big news of the weekend, other than the Greens' unprecedented success, the huge informal vote and *ahem* anyway... the other big news was the sudden unexpected appearance of a new release from Sufjan Stevens! Out of the blue, we have an 8-track, almost 1-hour long "EP" called All Delighted People, and it's pretty fantastic. Could it have been otherwise? And it's available right now for only USD$5 from Bandcamp (therefore in pretty much whatever digital audio format you like).
There are two versions of the title track, and I played the slightly less epic one - a mere 8 minutes long. It liberally references Simon & Garfunkel’s classic "The Sound of Silence", so what more excuse did I need to play it? Then "The Owl and the Tanager", a beautiful Sufjan track with muted piano.

I shouldn't need any excuse to play the gorgeous tune following either, but Ólöf Arnalds has a track on the new Second Language comp, Vertical Integration, and it's not quite as great as this one, so a little skip back to 2007. I declared this on Twitter earlier this week to be one of the most wonderful folk tunes of the last few years (decade even?) and I think I wasn't exaggerating.

From said compilation, we started with Pete Astor — who's been making music since the '80s and was involved with a few acts on the Creation label. It's a lovely, lovely tune, and I took the opportunity to play a track from one of my favourite compilations, the Leonard Cohen tribute I'm your fan from 1991. Nothing can compare to Leonard, but his works do lend themselves to awesome covers, as heard here.
Back with the Vertical Integration comp, a typically pretty and engaging offering from Robin Saville, one half of Isan among many other things.
From Second Language's previous (highly recommended) 2010 comp, Music and Migration, we heard Hauschka’s prepared piano and electronics.

Earlier this week I saw Chris Morris’s brilliant jihadist black comedy Four Lions. Morris has always had impeccable musical taste, and he's with Warp Films, so it wasn't altogether surprising when Aphex Twin’s solo piano "avril 14th" turned up in the very moving end sequence.

Sometime this week I was alerted to the fact that DJ Food had done a cover of The The’s classic tune "GIANT". It sounded familiar, and when I got home I found the Instrumental on one of his (yes, DJ Food is finally just Strictly Kev) EPs from last year. I'm a The The fan from way back, so it was nice to be able to play the very long original and then the almost-as-long, impeccably-styled cover version.

Next up, the first this week from The Wire’s latest subscriber-only download comp, Below The Radar Volume 4. Renato Rinaldi is a rather below-the-radar artist from Italy, who contributes a fantastic slab of noisy full-spectrum analog synth insanity.
While it's not wonky hip-hop, it's pretty wonky, and led quite nicely into Terror Danjah’s latest Planet µ release, taking grime into pretty dubstep and drum'n'bass-influenced territories here.
From Lebanon, Munma isn't really dubstep either, but once it gets going it's Middle-Eastern dub with a definite low-end wobble to it. Really great.

Mickey Morphingaz’ remix of fellow Sydney-ites Kids at Risk is described in the press release as "dubstep" — a classic example of throwing popular genre terms around. It's got a little bit of dub and a little bit of drum'n'bass to it, but it's basically very dextrous hip-hop. I've asked Micha/Mickey for some more tunes, as he's doing a really interesting klezmer/improv/hip-hop hybrid thing called The Asthmatix which I'd like to hear more of!

From Switzerland, Dimlite is released on Stones Throw off-shoot Now-Again, and although not all tracks on this mini-album are totally to my taste, the wonky aspect and the African influence on the opening track is something special. I'm sure this one will get all the attention it deserves.

Next, back to our two opening artists. forced perspective give us a track which is decidedly drum'n'bass, and then equally funk, and a lot else in between. Crazy, and crazy good.
And then, as promised, the entire 17 minutes of Sufjan Stevens’ "Djohariah", from that new EP. There's no other word to describe this except "epic". It doesn't go to as many places as his wonderful version of "You Are The Blood" from last year's Dark Was The Night comp — but it's definitely a journey, and you have to admire a track that takes almost 12 minutes to get to the verse...

Apropos of nothing much, I wanted to play two breakcore artists sampling Billie Holiday. First up, cdatakill does great injury to "Strange Fruit", while somehow keeping its impact. And Venetian Snares’ "Öngyilkos Vasárnap" (the Hungarian name for the classic suicide torch song "Gloomy Sunday") is well celebrated. (New Snares album will be here in a week or two - further cause for celebration!)

The end of the show was all about the latest REFRACTION gig to happen at UTS' Bon Marche Studio. This coming Friday, the 27th of August, Sydney's brilliant 3ofmillions (piano/organ, bass & drums), Germany-via-Sydney's Hinterlandt and Canberra's Reuben Ingall are joined as usual by a UTS student act for a gig at one of the best spots to see experimental music in Sydney.
On the night, 3ofmillions will see Adrian Klumpes playing electric organ (of some sort) and effects rather than piano, but the track I played was so chopped up in the studio that it's unlikely to resemble anything they do live anyway. Suffice to say they're a live experience not to be missed.
I saw Hinterlandt playing last weekend, and it's an epic, hilarious and wonderful act. The delightful piece I played tonight does feature in the current set.
And Reuben Ingall is quite a discovery, with lo-fi guitar songs jostling with digital cut-ups and drones. And it's available for as little as $0 on Bandcamp!

In between, a couple more perfect pop tunes buried in murk by White Woods. I love this album, so should you.

forced perspective - exit strategy [self-released]
Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People (Classic Rock Version) [direct from Bandcamp!]
Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence [Columbia]
Sufjan Stevens - The Owl and the Tanager [direct from Bandcamp!]
Ólöf Arnalds - Í Nýhu Húsi [12 Tonar]
Pete Astor - Tree of Birds [Second Language]
Pete Astor - Take this longing [Les Inrockuptibles]
Robin Saville - Wesley's Fingers [Second Language]
Hauschka - Lipstick Race [Second Language]
Aphex Twin - avril 14th [Warp]
The The - GIANT [Epic]
DJ Food - GIANT (Instrumental) [Ninja Tune]
Renato Rinaldi - Untitled [courtesy The Wire]
Terror Danjah - Power Grid [Planet µ]
Munma - Bits And Dust [Planet µ]
Kids at Risk - I Am A Fire (Mickey Morphingaz remix) [Rice Is Nice]
Dimlite - Kalimba Deathswamp/Kurt Feelings [Now-Again]
forced perspective - you can't look me in the eye [self-released]
Sufjan Stevens - Djohariah [direct from Bandcamp!]
cdatakill - Strange Fruit [Low Res]
Venetian Snares - Öngyilkos Vasárnap [Planet µ]
Hinterlandt - Lose Lose Situation [self-released]
3ofmillions - the hand of god [space dairy records]
Reuben Ingall - webbed [direct from Bandcamp]
White Woods - Sea Sickened [Sensory Projects]
Reuben Ingall - mountains [direct from Bandcamp]
White Woods - Elbows and Kneebones [Sensory Projects]

Listen again — ~ 175MB

Sunday, 15th of August, 2010

Evening folks! So exitement! Such good choons for you.
You can LISTEN AGAIN - check the link at the bottom!

So, I am again very late with writing these write-ups. I do so love having them here though - hope you do too! I do recommend this show (see podacst link at bottom) for some great coverage of post-classical piano music, futuristic drum'n'bass, and, um, other stuff...

DM Stith’s double CD album of remixes and reworkings made an appearance on last week's show, but I have since gotten to give it a proper listening, and it's very good value indeed. We had a couple of great beat-driven remixes which don't lose the emotiveness and musicianship of the originals.

Baths, an LA artist on anticon, seems to mix it all up together into one package. His production isn't as shiny or bass-heavy as some of his west-coast contemporaries, but he does share a bit of their shuffle and wonkiness in his combo of hip-hop and indie. The piano in ♥ seems to recall a bit of Doug McDiarmid's playing with Why? (never a bad thing), and the guy is in fact a pianist. Very lovely stuff.

Meanwhile Antony, an artist I often can't stand because of his vocal tics, delivers a riveting and ravishing version of Oneohtrix Point Never’s processed-vocals-and-analog-synth track "Returnal" on a new 7". Despite the piano sounding totally "Antony", it is in fact played (very sensitively) by Daniel "Oneohtrix" Lopatin himself. You Must Not Miss This! The Fennesz remix, mashing up the two versions, is pretty great too (although Fennesz is getting a bit stuck on his particular shtick at this point I feel.)

A very nice vocal track from the new Kammerflimmer Kollektief — see last week's playlist for lots of these guys.

Next up, I couldn't resist dropping a couple of tracks again from the wonderul fos, a young Greek lady living in London, making that kind of music I love best - all over the place, ramshackle yet controlled, emotive yet experimental, organic and digital and lovely.

"Discovery" of this week, though, is someone I've known about for a while but only just got a couple of albums by. Nils Frahm does that lovely post-minimalist (in the classical sense) piano thing that's around a bit, recalling collaborator Peter Broderick. The Bells is nice, but wintermusik, from which we had 1½ tracks tonight, is absolutely scintillatingly gorgeous. Meanwhile, his latest release is a collaboration with cellist Anne Müller and is equally extraordinary - Frahm (or both?) on electronics, a small amount of piano, and HEAPS of strings. It's kind of indescribable. Listen in (again) for some of what it sounds like, and tune in next week for more!
Oh, and Frahm's piano playing on wintermusik reminded me a LOT of the delightfully delicate playing of Chilly Gonzales on his Solo Piano album. See what I mean?

Back in Sydney, Sophie Hutchings’s album is also based around the piano, along with some lovely cello on this track.

More Frahm and fos, and we're back with the lovely Mr DM Stith. His Randy Newman cover is rather beautiful, with multi-tracked vocals — and another really great beat-heavy remix.
And another Baths track — much more hip-hoppy track.

We approached our drum'n'bass workout via Salem’s majorly-distorted slow-hop, which they seem to like to term "Drag". Looking forward to this album!

I was listening to my Nine Inch Nails records earlier in the week, and thought it'd be nice to move into drum'n'bass-land via Trent Reznor's twisted vision. The How To Destroy Angels EP from earlier this year was a mixed bag, but there were some good songs there, especially this one. Meanwhile, the NIN album Ghosts is quite a remarkable thing, going from AFX Selected Ambient Works-style tracks to essentially instrumental NIN to something altogether different, like this banjo-led piece.

And then... futuristic drum'n'bass madness, starting with Plug’s extraordinary remix of NIN, and one of my favourite of Luke Vibert's Plug tracks as well.
I did this because of the rather brilliant new album from Macc and dgoHn on Rephlex. If you're interested in mad-chopped beats and atmospherics (with live drumming! — albeit chopped & processed), you need to check this out.
For contemporary drum'n'bass we also heard from some great Critical Music artists, Sabre & Rockwell.
And we heard from of course one of my favourite bands ever, Icarus, with a track from their stellar first album. And also going back in time, Arcon 2 put out one single album of wonderfully fucked-up dark drum'n'bass... nice!

Just discovered: Rival Consoles’ first EP (his album is apparently more techno-oriented). Nice post-classical piano stuff crossed with drill'n'bass/breakcore! And a nice way of edging back into more sedate sounds.
BUT! I've heard quite a bit of Ólafur Arnalds, including seeing him (briefly) playing live in Paris a few years ago (and only being able to speak English to them - *hehe*), and his more ambient piano & strings type stuff didn't really excite me. However, his newest release contains a couple of tracks with quite crunchy beats mixed in with his usual sounds, and it really works! Pretty thrilling stuff in fact.
These last two discovered via a free online compilation that came with the Nils Frahm album on Erased Tapes. Excellent tactic, you guys!

Finally we make it back to Australia and a couple of first-class releases from down south. White Woods are originally from Hobart, and feature my favourite Hobart artist Keith Mason. Wonderful dirty lo-fi indie; I must play more of this!
Psychic Baggage, meanwhile, are psychedelic noise rock/improv, and they make a great noise.

DM Stith - Thanksgiving Moon (Rafter remix) [Asthmatic Kitty]
Baths - ♥ [anticon.]
Oneohtrix Point Never - Returnal (Antony version) [Editions Mego]
Oneohtrix Point Never - Returnal [Editions Mego]
Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Move Right In [Staubgold]
fos - in harmony [near the exit music]
nils frahm & anne müller - 7fingers [hush records]
nils frahm - ambre [Erased Tapes]
Gonzales - Manifesto [No Format]
Sophie Hutchings - After Most [Preservation]
nils frahm & anne müller - journey for a traveler [hush records]
nils frahm - tristana [Erased Tapes]
fos - un courant [near the exit music]
DM Stith - Suzanne (Randy Newman cover) [Asthmatic Kitty]
DM Stith - Thanksgiving Moon (Michna remix) [Asthmatic Kitty]
Baths - Apologetic Shoulder Blades [anticon.]
Salem - Asia [Merok Records] {via Stereogum}
How To Destroy Angels - Parasite [self-released] {and still free!}
Nine Inch Nails - 28 Ghosts IV [self-released]
Nine Inch Nails - The Perfect Drug (Plug remix) [Nothing/Interscope]
Macc and dgoHn - Long Tall Sally [Rephlex]
sabre - peril (club mix) [Critical Music]
Rockwell - Bone Structure (ft. Zero Tolerance) [Critical Music]
Macc and dgoHn - Mustard Greens [Rephlex]
Plug - Snapping Fuss [Law & Auder] {also released (perhaps accidentally) as "Natural Suction" on his Musipal album on Ninja Tune (under the Wagon Christ moniker)}
Icarus - Moon Palace [Hydrogen Dukebox]
Arcon 2 - The Beckoning [Reinforced]
Rival Consoles - Helvetica [Erased Tapes]
Icarus - Husky Offset [self-released, through Not Applicable]
Ólafur Arnalds - Til Enda [Erased Tapes]
White Woods - Ballet Tea [Sensory Projects]
Psychic Baggage - Sick in Memphis [Endless Melt]

Listen again — ~ 173MB

Sunday, 8th of August, 2010

OHAI. Are you looking for how to LISTEN AGAIN to this astounding and glorious slab of radio? Find your way to the bottom of the playlist, and there your needs shall be sated.

OK, I shall now attempt to write this thing. So much great music after all!
We start with On, a collaboration between the very ambient Sylvain Chauveau and percussionist and experimentalist Sebastian Hess. Chauveau is known for minimalist compositions for piano and other instruments, but here plays guitar, while Hess's ride cymbals and drums float into the mix now and then. This whole album was mixed by Christian Fennesz, and has his usual lovely haze over it. It's tended to wash over me on most listens so far, though.

And then BAM!, straight into it with Kammerflimmer Kollektief. I played a couple of tracks from their new album, the second(?) to feature the vocals (and various instruments) of Heike Aumüller, especially impressive in the last Kammerflimmer track I played. In between, a bunch of older tracks, going back more than 10 years, starting off quite noisy and percussive, through that particular German strain of dubby post-rock, and nice glitchy instrumental stuff.

Then a little bit of the wonderful pop of Menomena. Their new album is perhaps their most straightlaced, but was still constructed by the band sampling themselves and pieceing songs together in unusual ways. In between two songs from their new album Mines, we heard something very UFog - I had to excerpt it, so we had the last 2/3 of one of the tracks from their Under An Hour album, a fully-instrumental album of 3 long tracks, a soundtrack to a dance work. The familiar Menomena style, great drums, piano lines sidling alongside the barlines, massed saxophones etc (not all at once!) make it constantly re-listenable.

We have a one-track preview of DM Stith remix/cover action tonight - I just didn't have a chance to listen to this double CD in time, but Son Lux is always reliable. Turns out I should've played the Roberto C Lange directly before it, and there's heaps of good value on the album, so, more next week!

Also from the "just arrived" pile is Take’s album finally on CD. I've had a digital version for some time, so just the one track tonight, with lugubrious slowed-down vocals and typical LA-style production — synths and wonky beats and all.

Then dubstep heavy Mala (who was brought out for an era-defining gig at the Abercrombie in Chippendale a few years back, just as dubstep was starting to hit Oz bigtime) brings us a track from a split 12” with Four Tet, who is in his 4/4 mode still and um, fairly boring as a consequence. His remix of Jon Hopkins is actually quite pretty, but irons out the true charm of the track, as we hear directly afterwards (actually, that tune is one of a few absolutely magical pieces on Insides).

As we heard a few weeks ago, grime maestro Wiley recently released a ridiculous amount of music for free via Twitter. This week, another brilliant grime producer, Terror Danjah, put out an entire instrumental album for free (he also has something on Planet µ), and it was about as badly-tagged as the Wiley stuff, so it took me until after I played the track to realise it was a remix :)

The redoutable Chris Cook, a somewhat under-the-radar English artist, has a new EP out as Hot Roddy, on the Bit-Phalanx label. If you can get past the yucky all-Flash site, it's a free download too. A mix of electronica, from the excellent almost-dubstep-influenced track I played tonight to nostalgic drill'n'bass...

Sydney all-girl band Ah! Pandita have just released a split 7” with folktronic/electronic artist Karoshi, so it's great to hear one remix the other (from the digital version of the EP).

Also with the remix action, one-time indietronic hero Dntel hasn't released much really great stuff for a while (sorry, the James Figurine stuff is a bit too techno-meets-cheesy-electronic-pop on the whole, and Dntel album #2 was mostly lame), but he remixes LA wonky-meets-indie artist Baths in fine style. I should have the Baths album for you next week.
Meanwhile Dntel continues to prove me wrong with a really brilliant instrumental track which, yet again, you can download for free! (see playlist below)

Not to be outdone with remixlandia, Melbourne's riffy postrock outfit The Black Hundred are glitched up by Marcus Newman, who was last seen on these shores remixing another Melbourne postrock band, Radiant City. A seriously great surprise that you can get by purchasing the whole EP at their Bandcamp.

And now for some noise. I sortof wanted to play this stuff earlier, but I'm glad I fitted it in. The North Sea is Brad Rose, who runs Digitalis Industries - an online music magazine, a publisher, a producer of limited-edition cassettes and CDRs... and as well as all that, he makes incredible drone-noise stuff like we heard tonight. This is uncompromising sound, and yet tremendously listenable. So listen!

Another album I needed to listen to more after I first played it was the collaboration between So Percussion & Matmos. There are a number of great tracks there, and it seems like a true collaboration - creativity from both groups, melding together into a complete entity. Contemporary improv/composition/electronic squiggliness.

Oh, and those other Sydney electronic whizz-kids Seekae remix the aforementioned Karoshi, also from that digital EP.

Finally, Montreal lo-fi indie experimentalist Benoît Pioulard is back with another album on kranky, and this very poppy tune is the first we get to hear from it. Here's hoping the album is as varied and fascinating as his previous efforts.

On - Something That Has Form And Something That Does Not (mixed etc by Fennesz) [Type]
Kammerflimmer Kollektief - In Transition (Version) [Staubgold]
Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Nachtwach [payola]
Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Hysteria [Quecksilber]
Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Neumond inselhin [Temporary Residence]
Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Aum A Go-Go [Staubgold]
Menomena - Lunchmeat [Barsuk]
Menomena - Light (excerpt) [Barsuk]
Menomena - Intil [Barsuk]
DM Stith - BMB (Son Lux remix featuring Carlosaur) [Asthmatic Kitty]
Take - Creosote (featuring As Is) [Alpha Pup]
Mala - Let Me Go [Soul Jazz]
Jon Hopkins - Vessel (Four Tet remix) [Domino]
Jon Hopkins - Vessel [Domino]
Wiley - Taplin (Terror Danjah Refix) [Butterz] {self-released, free album thingy!}
Hot Roddy - The Quant Noise Super Hightway [Bit-Phalanx] {free download from label site}
Ah! Pandita - Gone Missing (Karoshi remix) [split 7" self-released by these two artists?]
Baths - Rain Smell (Dntel remix) [anticon.] {free download via Dntel's SoundCloud}
Dntel - Super Antihistamine [Peppermill Records] {free download here!}
The Black Hundred - Not Tired of You (Marcus Newman's Freaking Wet Remix) [self-released through Bandcamp]
The North Sea - Bloodlines [Type]
The North Sea - Missed [Type]
So Percussion & Matmos - Cross [Cantaloupe]
Karoshi - Sleepwalker (Seekae remix) [split 7"]
Benoît Pioulard - RTO [kranky]

Listen again — ~ 174MB

Sunday, 1st of August, 2010

Wow, mad rush of a weekend, but I made it! And many many lovelinesses to play you tonight.
LISTEN AGAIN via the link at the bottom - you know the drill.

Er, I have a good excuse for not getting this spiel done properly today - I got a new iPhone 4 on Friday, and the jailbreak was released today, so I've been having fun fiddling with things all day :P
And the weekend was mad busy rehearsing in Canberra with FourPlay for this thing with Neil Gaiman at the Sydney Opera House, see...

So... The Book of Knots, Charming Hostess, Tin Hat Trio and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum are all projects featuring the wonderful violinist, violist and vocalist Carla Kihlstedt, a big hero of mine dare I say. Everything from klezmer & gypsy-influenced folk to death-prog-metal (well... sortof), Americana and improv.

Sophie Hutchings is the sister of Jamie Hutchings from the much celebrated indie band Bluebottle Kiss, although she'd probably like to be renowned for her own music, and so she should be. Her album is perfect for Preservation, with per piano playing either solo or nestling in lovely string and band arrangements, which sometimes don't come in till halfway through a track. Recommended.

Mothlite again come to me courtesy of These New Puritans’ FACT mix. Very nice piano-led postrock/indie.

Portuguese electronic pop group :papercutz have a remix album out on Audiobulb with a whole lot of great remixers there. I'll probably play a couple more last week. He Can Jog I need to check out more! Simon Scott’s a legend of the shoegaze movement now doing lovely lovely drone stuff.

fos is the most exciting find of the last month or more... A young Greek lady living in London, studying dance and making extraordinary experimental songs, made from a large array of instruments and electronics. Really highly recommended - listen to the show or listen to her online.

Sweden's Andreas Söderström has been maing music as Ass since 2006, and it was around then that I heard his beautiful first album - guitar finger-picking, organ, field recordings... It's no surprise that members of compatriots Tape appear on his newie.

Sydney's own boy genius Marcus Whale aka Scissor Lock has an album out through our Canberran friends hellosQuare Recordings, and it's some of his best work yet. Centring around his layered vocals, with deep electronic processing, it makes for beautiful listening.

Since I've been obsessed with the latest album and previous mini-album of Janelle Monáe’s the last couple of weeks, I thought I should give her a spin on the show. She's very pop, very soul/funk/r'n'b even, but hugely inventive, genre-hopping, and just plain talented. As well as great songs and great musicianship, there's plenty of interesting sounds on both albums, and it was great to see one of my favourite rappers, Saul Williams, appearing there too.

Jean Jacques Perrey has been around for yonks, and pioneered the use of the Moog synthesiser, inspiring decades of cheesy music. He's now teamed up with Cosmic Pocket for some new tunes, and the album Froots Juice sees this work remixed by many experimental electronic artists from the '90s to the present. Tonight we have Himuro, who I played some brilliant drill'n'bass from last week, Jega (who inaugurated the Planet µ label years back), and sometime-breakcore artist Ebola, bringing the heavy dubstep.

Our Melburnian friend Faux Pas has a new free EP out, and we took a couple of cuts — one featuring a very chewed-up sample of Carole King, and one remixed by the wonderful Pasobionic.

As we heard last week, Markus Popp has revived Oval to make some rather different sounds now - wonderful little vignettes using acoustic sounds and simple computer splicing, along with brilliant drumming and his ear for aural construction. I really can't wait for the album, but meanwhile the Oh EP is pretty fab.

The Book of Knots - Pray (feat. Tom Waits) [arclight/Anti-]
Sophie Hutchings - Portrait of Haller [Preservation]
Mothlite - The One in the Water [Southern]
:papercutz - The gift of self (Simon Scott remix) [Audiobulb]
Simon Scott - She Came From The Sea [Immune Recordings]
:papercutz - A way to emerge (He Can Jog remix) [Audiobulb]
fos - sunset [near the exit music]
Ass - Astrid, where have you been so long? [Headspin Recordings]
fos - un courant [near the exit music]
Ass - Guidelines for bespoke [Headspin Recordings]
Ass - Back To The Old Ways [Headspin Recordings]
Ass - Hit considered [Headspin Recordings]
Charming Hostess - I'm Not Hungry [Vaccination Records]
Tin Hat Trio - Beverly's March [Angel Records]
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Formicary [The End Records]
The Book of Knots - Traineater [arclight/Anti-]
Carla Kihlstedt, Matthias Bossi & Shahzad Ismaily - Listen With My Feet / Bicycle Brigade [Victo]
Scissor Lock - Broken English 3 [hellosQuare Recordings]
Mothlite - Hypnagogue [Southern]
Janelle Monáe - Cybertronic Purgatory [Bad Boy Records]
Janelle Monáe - Dance or Die (feat. Saul Williams) / Faster [Bad Boy Records]
Jean Jacques Perrey & Cosmic Pocket - Frothy (Himuro remix) [In Vitro Records]
Himuro - B To A [In Vitro Records]
Jean Jacques Perrey & Cosmic Pocket - Cheng Guy (Jega remix) [In Vitro Records]
Jean Jacques Perrey & Cosmic Pocket - No Frogman No Cry (Ebola remix) [In Vitro Records]
Faux Pas - I Will Follow [self-released] {free EP - grab here!}
Faux Pas - Pretend Tough (Pasobionic remix) [self-released] {free EP - grab here!}
Oval - hey [Thrill Jockey]
Oval - grrr [Thrill Jockey]
Sophie Hutchings - Toby Lee [Preservation]

Listen again — ~ 165MB