Tagged “music”

Glad I accepted the invite from Jason and Tom to attend their in-store event. After some free beer and pizza, Luke introduced Jordan from Tough Luck, an Instagram account spotlighting up-and-coming youth culture photographers. He interviewed Glasgow photographer Selina Paton (@glesgaonfilm). I ended up sat next to Selina’s Dad for that part!

A book entitled Tough Luck: You out tonight? is out now on Velocity Press. I got a lovely sense of enthusiasm for clubs and club culture from the guests, and enjoyed their analogy about film versus digital photography being a bit like vinyl versus digital audio – it’s just different and you can’t recreate the feel retrospectively.

On Saturday my friend Mick called to give me the shock news that our mutual friend, Kerso (Graham) had passed away. I’ve known Kerso for around 26 years, since I worked in Bomba records. He was a force of nature, a generous soul, a good guy. I and all his friends loved him.

I got home from Friday morning’s dog walk to find some records in the post. I’d recently deleted my Discogs wants-list having realised twenty years too late that it is far too addictive, and as a last hurrah had earmarked a last few key wants. One of those was The Blue Nile’s Tinseltown in the rain – a slice of Scottish pop perfection on Linn records – and I enjoyed a brief listen before heading back out.

I had a fantastic time in London last weekend.

He was a prince.

Alejandro Innaruto’s description of Ryuichi Sakamoto puts it perfectly.

This BBC Sunday feature offers a fascinating insight into an amazing man. I loved it!

It starts with how 1952, the year of Sakamoto’s birth, was an important year in Japan’s post-war transition. It explores his influences including Debussy, his exceptional talent for melody combined with a taste for experimentalism, and how with YMO he satirised anti-Japanese prejudice. It covers his anti-nuclear stance, and how he is a huge icon in Japan where they see him holistically for everything he represented.

Most of all I just marvel at his music – it perfectly captures my taste (and I realise after this documentary that I still have so much of his to explore, which is a happy thought). I loved the parts where the commentators gush at the beauty of his Last Emperor soundtrack (“every note is like paradise”) and when Alejandro Innaruto relates his experience of first hearing the opening two notes of his soundtrack for The Revenant.

Having a good time hanging out with Mr Crolla. We started out at the Blue Note in-store at Loud and Clear. I treated him to a branded cap which he tells me will come in handy for golf, and introduced him to Wayne Shorter via a copy of Speak No Evil. Here’s hoping that’s the beginning of a nice journey for him!

We continued through Finnieston and the Hidden Lane, then on to Great Western Road. We’ve just been to W2 at Ruthven Lane and are gonna head back southside soon for some food at Bell Jar, a couple of local beers then to spin some records – just like old times.

Yesterday was the celebration of the life of Ewan (Ginny). It was a beautiful service held at The Hurlet crematorium then at No 10 Hotel.

A nice (if brief) catch-up with Gav as we take in David Barbarossa in conversation with Richard King about his new book Travels Over Feeling on the life of enigmatic New York musician Arthur Russell.

I love me some Dinosaur L and Loose Joints, but I can’t claim to be as much of an Arthur aficionado as most of tonight’s crowd. However I’ve learned a lot and am now off to listen to World of Echo.

I was recently sorting through some old stuff when I found a tatty old poster I used to love and that brought back good memories. It shows the gated basement vault of the original Tresor nightclub at Potsdamer Platz, Berlin. Smoke is billowing out of the room dramatically and it includes the text The Extremist. I bought or otherwise acquired this poster on a night in 2005 when me and friends Davie and Tom visited the famous club during a trip to Berlin.

Just had a memorable midweek night at the cinema with Craig and Jason.

Opus presents Ryuichi Sakamato at the piano in the final year of his life. It consists of him playing twenty pieces one after the other and is beautifully shot in black and white by his son, Neo Sora.

I found the film’s style and starkness to be quite unusual at first, but once I got into its rhythm it was very immersive. The music and playing were at times just mesmerising and given the circumstances it was quite moving.

It was great to unexpectedly bump into Liam, too. I might have known this film would be up his strasse!

Pitchfork’s review of Jeff Mills’ seminal mixtape is the best-written and most enjoyable music article I’ve read in years. The mixtape in question is also very close to my heart.

Clair and I just had a brilliant night at our friend’s 40th. It was held in the upstairs function room (The Old Burnt Barns) at Lynch’s Bar on London Road, Glasgow – just next to the Barras market. I didn’t know the venue before but it’s great – cool interior and loads of space.

It was a tonic to see so many familiar faces. I worked with Andy at Bright Signals a few years back and lots of the crew were in attendance including Pete, Woody, Oli B and Andrew M.

Among my music buddies present were Jamie T, the Radio Magnetic stalwarts Dougal P, Vic and Davie, and lots of the Stirling crew – Robert, Jamie, Julie, Ciaran, Matt. Always great to catch up.

We also got to spend time with Martin E and Izzie. I even made new friends, including Wendy T. While I was complimenting her on not leaving the dancefloor we realised we could count not only Andy but also Gav S from Edinburgh among our mutual friends.

I also really enjoyed the chance to DJ again, especially alongside folks like Craigy Moog and Ragnar. I played two sets. One at the start where I played records like Komiko, Dayton, A Certain Ratio’s Constant Curve and Krush’s House Arrest. There was one pretty comical moment. Asked around 8pm by Andy’s sister to play Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday while they brought out the birthday cake, I had to tell them I couldn’t… because all the DJs had been warned explicitly by Andy not to play it! She gave me a weary look that said “Yep, that sounds like Andy” and we found another way.

In my second set, a back-to-back with Ragnar, I played Mr K’s edit of Thelma Houston, Southern Freeez (much to Robert’s delight), Sylvester and closed with one of my all-time favourite house records, Mike Delgado’s Jazz Works.

At the end we shared a cab with Ragnar and Solveig for a brief nightcap at Andy’s place, but even still managed to get home at a reasonable time (despite Martin and Izzie’s best attempts to steal our taxi). I’d managed to exercise a few senseible tactics, like starting with non-alcoholic drinks, and that served me well on the night and the next day.

Cracking night, and Andy seemed to really enjoy it. Here’s to your health and happiness, chief.

Had a great little post-Xmas catch-up and blether with Simon last night. We had a chance to trade stories of Christmas hosting – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Simon filled me in on how his kids are doing – a joy and a handful in equal measure just about sums it up – and how his work situation is changing and will lead to more travel and responsiblity this year.

He also shared a few funny stories of holiday adventures – he and Nathalie love nothing more than an unplanned night out with absolute strangers!

It’s always entertaining to hear about his golf trips with a motley crue I know all too well.

Brilliant to catch up, and I hope we do it more often.

Over the years I’ve seen Herr Henke (of Monolake fame) doing variously-themed live shows and in a variety of locations. I loved this particular show and it was made even better by catching him at The Tramway Theatre, one of my favourite venues and just 10 minutes walk from home.

Love Matt Wilde’s music and his new LP Hello World is even better than expected. Beautiful laid-back and understated vibe from start to finish. Lovely artwork too.

It’s important to set the record straight. Normally when people talk about the early UK scene the same few things get mentioned. The real underground never gets talked about."

My latest radio show is dedicated to Ryuichi Sakamoto, who sadly died recently. I played a couple of tracks by the great man alongside more of my favourite music.

I’ve been listening to lots of jazz of late and loved seeing Herbie Hancock live in August 22.

So I thought I’d explore further and listen to the audio recording of Herbie’s autobiography Possibilities, narrated by the great man himself.

I really enjoyed it. Herbie’s story is really interesting and entertaining. He’s been at the forefront of so many iconic scenes – from playing in Miles Davis’s band, to writing many classics of his own, to breaking new ground with his Mwandishi sextet and the Headhunters.

I love his carefree and curious spirit and his willingness to experiment with technology (from the fender Rhodes, to other synths, to the internet) and take risks in other aspects of life.

What a talent and what a guy!

I recorded my second radio show of 2023 live at the Clyde Built Radio studio at the weekend. It was great playing records there on a sunny Sunday with the clocks just gone forward and the Barras buzzing as it hosted a Hong Kong street market.

Having pre-recorded previous shows, I recently made a first visit to Clyde Built Radio’s station at the Barras market for a live show and really enjoyed it. It’s such a great location and it was a nice change to spin records on a Sunday morning.

Went to see BadBadNotGood with Marty, Jenni and Zippy last night, and they were fantastic.

Loved this thoughtful and insightful interview with Jeff Mills by Marcus Barnes.

I’ve been stockpiling good records for a while and it’s time they got an airing. I’ll be playing a few on Radio Buena Vida, Saturday 19/11 at 4–5pm. Tune in or even come hang out in the café, if you’re in the hood.

Had such a good day yesterday @weoutherefest with Tom, Jason and Craig. In the afternoon we checked Enny, Sally Rodgers (A Man Called Adam) and Aletha. We then stopped for a short break to sample the food and drink (Char Sui Vermicelli from the NAM stall and a break from beer for a cracking coffee). Our nighttime choices were Bake, Charlie Dark, Pearson Sound and Alex Nut.

The absolute highlight was Charlie Dark in the forest. Amazing woodland setting and a killer set! Charlie has such great energy both on the decks and on the mic. He played a mix of house, techno, disco and broken biznizz – right up my street! Great mixing too (aided by his old-school lollipop headphone).

Time for Round Two!

Just had a memorable experience with Jason and Tom catching Herbie Hancock at the Edinburgh Festival. At 82 years old he still has amazing energy and capped his performance with a tour of the stage playing his keytar followed by a scissor jump!

Herbie’s piano playing was mesmerising – the solos really took me to another place and if this is how he plays in his eighties I can only imagine how good his gigs were in his prime. I also loved his warm anecdotes, including one about his friend Wayne Shorter just before treating us to a rendition of Footprints.

Other highlights included Cantaloupe Island, the mindbending Actual Proof and hearing guitarist Lionel Louke coax sounds from a guitar that you wouldn’t think possible.

I put together a fairly spacey and mellow selection of laidback electronic sounds with a little nod to summer.

Having a nice moment revisiting this amazing 2006 Ai records double-header from @datassette and @plant43_ and remembering pre-lockdown Glasgow life.

Kicking off with an unreleased interlude by yours truly, it covers various shades of techno and electro from artists including @tapesjamaican, @pearsonsound, @reedalerise, @datashat, @legowelt-official, @cygnus and more.

Great DJ mix by one of my favourite electronic producers, Datassette.

This mix is all about that 160bpm+ energy that first inspired me to make music. Around 1996 — to me at least, with the advantages of teenage naîvety — it seemed like electronic music had burst into a whole new tempo range, where there were no rules and anything was possible - as long as it BELTS (which is still true). If you go beyond 200 BPM, you reach that zone where 16th notes start to dissolve into 32nds and your brain latches onto a whole new outer layer of rhythm, like a fractal or temporal shepard tone. There is still much to be discovered!

Being’s Broxburn Funk arrived in today’s post and it’s a thing of beauty.

Enjoying it now with a ☕️. Amazing work all round—music, sound, artwork, the lot. Big up @WeeDjs for the stellar tunes and if @firecracker_rec’s 50th is their last, then they’ve finished with a bang.

Grab a copy at Rubadub

Feel like I’m probably really late to discover this website, but here’s “Music for Programming” from Datassette. Hopefully this’ll be of use to fellow programmers who like music, although I daresay you can probably enjoy it if you’re a normal person too.

Through years of trial and error - skipping around internet radio stations, playing our entire music collections on shuffle, or just hammering single albums on repeat, we have found that the most effective music to aid prolonged periods of intense concentration tends to have a mixture of the following qualities: Drones, Noise, Fuzz, Field recordings, Vagueness (Hypnagogia), Textures without rhythm…

First in a series of mainly short, off the cuff mixes where I just hit record and see where it goes. This one’s on the Electro tip, having kicked it off with Versalife’s Manifold from last year.

I’ve started reading Andrew Weatherall – A Jockey Slut Tribute.

A neat online tool (with a positive goal) which lets you paste in a link to one of your Spotify playlists then lets you know which of the tracks or albums are available to buy on Bandcamp.

One of several fantastic films from Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) described as “Love letters to black resilience and triumph in London's West Indian community. Vivid stories of hard-won victories in the face of racism.”

This one tells the story of Leroy Logan, a young black man who joins the police in an attempt to effect change “from the inside” as a consequence of seeing his father assaulted by police officers. He is faced with both his father’s disapproval and institutional racism within the police ranks.

Lovely double-vinyl LP that sees three of Auld Reekie’s finest producers and labels join forces. Breezy laid-back jams with smooth keys rub up next to darker, Theo Parrish-eque moments to give it a fine balance. Favourite track: Shapes. Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Was excited to hear about this collab, and it doesn’t disappoint. 7 tracks of deep, digi-dub bass, hazy textures and dancehall samples and it sounds amazing. Favourite track: Krnch. https://bit.ly/33g6xOE

Looking forward to Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone show on 6Music tonight, talking about Plaid’s Not for Threes LP plus other experimental electronics. https://bbc.in/3nMeOS5. Headspin is still killer!

Lovely four-tracker of slow and atmospheric late-night grooves from Italy and elsewhere, as heard on Denise’s radio show. Favourite track: Lucas Croon – Japon. Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Real nice roots reggae and dub from sunny Manchester. Favourite track: African Village Dance / Village Dub. https://bit.ly/3feSzRP

A recent issue of the dConstruct newsletter about choosing more ethical online services really chimed with me at a time when I’ve been reflecting on my online habits.

Beautiful ambient textures and downtempo electronics with that typically quirky Japanese flavour. if you like Ryuichi Sakamoto or Apogee & Perigee, you’ll love this. Favourite track: Correndor. https://bit.ly/2Hpu8ol

Lovely radio show including an interview with @firecracker_rec and mix from @WeeDjs.

UK rap legend Rodney P reveals how the first generation of British-born black kids was inspired by the avant-garde musical fusions of black America in the 70s to lay the foundations of modern-day multiculturalism by creating the first black British music culture with the jazz-funk movement.

I think of him as a true bohemian; he made etchings, he wrote, he read a lot. Andrew always had a book on the go, maybe two. I remember he gave me his copy of Hunger by Knut Hamsun when I told him I hadn’t read it. There was this other side to him that was deep, curious, well-read. I guess he was a classic autodidact, hungry for knowledge.

The sessions recorded by the band in Memphis with the legendary record producer Tom Dowd, along with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section musicians Roger Hawkins, drums, and David Hood, bass, did not make the light of day, because some of the mixes were not suitable in the musical climate at the time.

The story behind Blue Note Records, founded in New York in 1939 by two German Jewish refugees who allowed their musicians complete artistic freedom, revolutionising jazz in the process.

A mix of electronic, house and techno records I recorded at home in November 2019.

From The Guardian in 2011, shortly after Gil Scott-Heron’s sad death, here’s a beautiful and moving account of how the musical legend offered hope and mentorship to a young man from Liverpool and in so doing turned his life around.

Original 1979 copies of Garden of Eden’s Everybody’s on a Trip regularly sell for £200+ so I was pretty happy to hear that it had just been reissued on Backatcha records… and even happier when I managed to snag a copy.

I first heard this stellar slice of deep funk a few years back on Kon and Amir’s compilation Off Track Volume One: The Bronx, and have been hankering after a proper copy ever since.

Check it out!

In second year a nice school pal introduced me to The Cure when I was on an otherwise strict diet of rave tapes. Mixed Up with its dubby extended mixes sealed the deal. Shamefully haven’t yet seen them live so I’m at fever pitch for tomorrow’s gig at Bellahouston Park. Hopefully see some of you there!

Must have missed this track (from the LP The Sorrow of Derdriu) on previous listens. A Bladerunner-esque beauty!

Enjoyed this acid house history lesson from Jeremy Deller – especially some of the footage from the early Manchester scene which I hadn’t seen before.

I really enjoyed this book, recommended to me by Gillian and Tom.

I’ll tell you wot – that woz a propa’ poolside page-turner and no mistake. Nice work Russ Forman.

A couple of weeks ago I was kindly asked to provide a guest DJ mix for the Vic’s Sunday Soundclash show on Radio Magnetic.

You can listen to the show on demand.

Fair play, Jeff – once this interview gets going it’s pretty damn good.

Magical sounds in the mix, from Auld Reekie’s finest.

When in Chicago, buy #house