Tagged “music”

Danish composer and producer Marie Louise Buch’s LP from last year is on heavy rotation chez moi at the moment. It’s a chill but heartfelt mix of sun-drenched guitars, electronics and ML’s pure vocals that has elements of The Durutti Column and maybe even The Cocteau Twins… and it’s really hitting the spot for me.

You can preview in full and buy on Bandcamp.

Thanks to Phillip H for the excellent recommendation. And I’m of course now jealous that I wasn’t a fan of ML in time to go to her Glasgow gig last year.

Clair bought me Jude Rogers’ book for Christmas thinking I would enjoy it – and I did. I love the idea of chronicling the milestones of your life using music – music that touched you, that you were obsessed with, or that bonded you with significant others.

I also enjoyed reading the science behind the feelings. As Jude asked in the first chapter:

How do songs affect our emotions so profoundly? How can they activate memories instantly?

It turns out that babies can recall what they heard while in the womb, and are predisposed to get music in a manner beyond advanced computers. The medial prefontal cortex – an area of the brain linked to our sense of self – is involved in tracking melodies. There are lots of these interesting insights.

Jude’s tunes ranged from Abba to Krafterk to Toots and the Maytals, which I found good fun. And as proof of music’s facility for time-travel, her final chapter on Prefab Sprout’s I trawl the megahertz transported me back instantly to my desk at Bright Signals’ office in 2018 during my contract there, where my friend Andy’s playlists introduced me to that unique tune.

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.

Aside from Tom and Jason it was also nice to see and chat to folks like Lydia (and her friendly crew of edgelord neighbours), Dom C and Hayley.

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.

Some of my favourite Kerso memories include him bounding into the shops where I worked (either Bomba or later Sound Control) on a Saturday afternoon, big broad smile and dressed immaculately, embodying the feeling that the weekend had landed. Or at club nights and parties or when he was on the decks, always a bundle of energy and a blur of hair! There was the time he bought me a signed copy of Neil Lennon’s biography for my birthday, having queued to get Lenny’s signature despite not being a fan himself (to put it lightly) but because he knew I’d love the gift. Then there’s his 40th birthday do at the Sub Club, a legendary party and where Clair and I met. I could go on, and on.

He was an integral part of many scenes – music, clothes, trainers, football and beyond – and had many, many friends. We’ll all miss him dearly.

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.

First stop of the afternoon was a visit to Greater Govanhill’s office to collect their latest edition (more on this later).

On Fridays, Gomo Kimchi is open so I popped in for lunch and out of the rain. I resisted my usual urge to order everything on the menu, going for a kimchi toastie which was delicious.

During my work’s “summer Fridays off“ period I try to fit in one short trip and overnight stay outside the city, and this weekend was my chance. So I made the one hour drive to Kippen, stopping in at the lovely Woodhouse farm shop and café en route for coffee and a slice of apple pie.

Kippen is a gorgeous little village situated between Fintry and Callendar, near the Gargunnock and Fintry hills. Although not far to drive, it’s far enough outside the city that you might find yourself standing beside a pony outside the local coffee shop, as I did! With an hour to kill before check-in at my hotel, I enjoyed a stoat around the main street, some residential parts, the parish church and the local tennis club. I also stopped in at The Inn at Kippen for a half-pint.

I was staying at The Cross Keys, a cosy country pub/restaurant with a handful of rooms. Clair and I stayed there some years ago and enjoyed it, and happily their prices are still reasonable. Before dinner I enjoyed a pint in the pub then took the tiny trip up three stairs to the restaurant floor where I had the hake special. Since I was on my tod I had time to read my copy of Greater Govanhill while eating. This one, the Heritage edition, is full of insights into the history, landmarks, architecture, bars, shops and people of my local area and I loved it!

Saturday was a pretty chilled day. I made the trip home then hung around the house. Sunday started with a nice long dog walk in Pollok Park. Back home, I put on Tinseltown in the Rain again, this time with Clair beside me and Rudy on her lap. Rudy enjoys music (which is handy) and he looked happily tired and blissed out as Clair applied a premium-grade head scratch and the music played. That was my favourite moment of the weekend.

Later that day I played table-tennis with Phillip and Steve, with Pete coaching. Playing was great but hearing about Steve’s improved health was better.

I had a fantastic time in London last weekend.

When my pal Mark visited Glasgow in May for The Queen’s Park Weekender he asked if I’d like to join him on his Soulsaver boat party in July – maybe even to play some records. Since I hadn’t visited him down south for a while I gratefully accepted and put it in the calendar.

Thursday

I left on Thursday morning having bought a cheaper train ticket using Avanti Superfare. That night, after a stroll through a buzzing Chinatown I met Rob, Kirsty, Johnnie and Kate for dinner at Machiya. We had a great little meal. My highlights were the Nasu Dengaku (miso-glazed aubergine), Broccoli Itame, Pork Katsudon Donburi and the lovely low-alc Hitachino Ginger Lager.

After dinner we went to the ICA (Institute for Contemporary Arts) to check 10 Years of Wisdom Teeth which featured live acts from Surgeon’s Girl, Tristan Arp and Facta & K-LONE. Surgeon’s Girl’s infectious on-stage energy and heady analogue sounds were hitting the spot and it was a shame she was on first and we only caught the last five or so minutes of her short set. And in general we reckoned the music might have flowed a little better if the sequence of acts were reversed. Still, nice venue, nice gig and I also enjoyed their Sunshine Kölsch lager. Afterwards, we walked together for a bit, then when Jonnie and Kate caught the tube at Leicester Square I powered on home. I love walking around cities.

Friday

With a free schedule, my plan was a blissful day of walking, soaking up summer vibes and popping into various record and clothes shops. I’d head southeast from my hotel’s location at Russell Square to Spittalfields then make a beeline north to Stoke Newington via Hoxton and Dalston.

I started by heading along Clerkenwell Rd. I took a turn at Old Street onto Goswell Rd pass by The Barbican Centre. The surrounding residential area really is a concrete jungle to get lost in. It’s kinda otherwordly! I enjoyed that detour and am now keen to go to a gig there.

Next, I headed to The Breakfast Club, Spitalfields. I enjoyed some turkish eggs and a nice americano while reading about an unfolding global IT collapse.. From there it was on to some shops in and around the Spitalfields Market – Goodhood, YMC and the like. It’s cool around there!

Fuelled up and ready to go, I started walking through Shoreditch. Clair had recommended I eat at Smoking Goat and although it was bad timing to pass by as I was full, I peered in the window, saw it looked cool inside and that with dishes like Masaman Smoked Short Rib on the menu, I should come back next time. I kept walking up Kingsland Road, stopping in at Sneakersnstuff then to grab a coffee at Moko Made, a lovely little Japanese café.

By now I had reached one of my planned stops – Love Vinyl in Dalston. I’ve been before and it’s a crate-digger’s dream. This time round I dug out and listened to a whole bunch of different reggae, house and disco. I also really enjoyed the sounds in the shop as they play-tested a new second-hand collection. Jean-Luc Ponty’s Computer Incantations for World Peace sounded particularly nice through their Bozak AR-4 and Void speakers rig as the afternoon sun shone through the windows. In the end I picked up some vintage New Jersey house from Larry Rauson and Cassio, a Janet Davis UK Lover’s Rock 12″ and Unique’s What I got is what you need (which had been on my wants list for aeons – likely since I realised it’s the sample source for 808 State’s Ancodia).

I stopped in for a lovely spot of lunch at Bread and Butter farmhouse cafe before another walk taking me to Next Door records. Tom recently told me about this place, mentioning that the good folks at Signal Sounds will be presenting something there soon, so I thought I’d pay a visit. I enjoyed browsing their second-hand records and cooling down with their home-made lemonade but before long I had to escape the strangely banging-for-4pm in-store DJ set (I’m old).

Since I was near Kate’s Stoke Newington flat, this was an another good opportunity to meet Johnnie and Kate and they recommended The Axe. We had a cool, covered outdoor table to enjoy a great chat and their impressive selection of beers on draft (including Edinburgh’s Vault City).

Saturday

I started the day at the Sandwich Street Kitchen, whose meditteranean breakfast is banging. From there, it was time for a walk to Soho where I visited Maharishi before a spot more record shopping at Phonica, where I picked up a lovely new Terre Thaemlitz 12″. From there I headed to King’s Cross and Coal Drops Yard.

It was a lively Saturday afternoon round there. Folks were watching The Wizard of Oz on a big screen while kids were playing in a nearby fountain. The shops and market stalls were buzzing. There were lots of cool food stalls which I would have loved to try but they were mobbed and I was short of time. So after grabbing some stall merch for Clair I headed into Spiritland for a coffee, sandwich and to hear some stellar music played on a beautiful soundsystem. Phillis Hyman’s Living inside your love really hit the spot.

My final fling was Mark’s Soulsaver boat party, leaving from Blackfriar’s Pier. It was great fun! The boat was pretty ballin’. I playing a short warm-up set, mostly on the boogie tip but sneaking in the just-acquired Janet Davis reggae tune first. The other DJs, Guy and Mark, had loads more heavy artillery than me so after the first hour they took over and I enjoyed the view of the Thames and London landmarks from out on deck.

It was a real shame that our mutual friend Andy, who was also due to travel down from Glasgow and DJ, couldn’t make it due to the sudden death of his sister. We missed Andy and our thoughts were definitely with him.

When we reached dry land around 11pm there was the option of an after-party but I’d been keeping it pretty sensible throughout the trip and enjoying decent sleeps so I continued in the same vein before my trip home in the morning. I was pretty proud of managing to control my natural FOMO!

Lastly…

Here’s a guide map I made during the trip.

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.

His was really a unique life and it was wonderful to hear from Sally and others about his family life, his time at university (we were at Strathclyde Uni at the same time), good times with friends, his love of music, his inspiring career, the way he handled his medical condition and more. I’ve also never heard music I love such as Carl Craig’s A Wonderful Life and Underground Resistance’s Journey of the dragons played in the context of a funeral and I found that aspect (and how Marty had thoughfully chosen those pieces) very moving.

It really was a mixture of sad and happy. I hope Ruth was happy with how everything went – I think she was. A fitting send-off to a great person.

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.

That was a great trip. While Davie wasn’t in the best of health at the time, we still got up to a variety of high jinks, including a memorable drinking session with techno legend Dan Curtin who was releasing music on Tom’s label at the time. (I think that was my introduction to strong Belgian beer, and I remember being mightily impressed when Dan cycled off at the end.) I also remember we stayed in Prenzlauer Berg, at Transit Loft if I recall rightly.

Anyway while reminiscing I embarked on a little bit of internet spelunking. It turns out that there is some interesting video and audio footage from the time we were at Tresor.

I remember that the DJs/acts playing in the Globus upstairs area of the club that night included Blake Baxter and Abe Duque. And guess what, here’s a cool video Abe Duque made that very night. It shows him walking through Berlin, arriving at the club (you see that striking Tresor logo projected on the building) then entering. There’s also some cool footage of the vibe in Globus.

One of my strongest memories of the night was hearing Vainqueur’s Lyot while we were downstairs in the basement. The track is a Basic Channel classic and, while on the harder end of their output, it feels to me like it was tailor-made for environs such as the one we were in. What a moment! So imagine my delight when I found a live recording of that set by DJs Julien & Gonzague with Lyot at 46 minutes. So good to be able to relive the moment!

Lastly, here are some excellent articles (with photos) I found on my internet travels which are worth a look.

• Tresor by BLDGBLOG
• Tresor: A History of Berlin’s Iconic Music Venues on the Love from Berlin blog

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.

this is a mix without equal, the Techno Bible, unequivocally The One.

Then, as now, Liquid Room stands as a high-water mark of a Black artform built around space travel and the necessity of forward motion: ’90s techno at its most unyielding and free.

Agreed! Fun fact: in 1996, having played the shit out of my cassette copy for a few months, I went to see Jeff DJ at the Arena in Glasgow in 1996 and he signed the inlay! I would normally be embarassed at having done this… but not in this case.

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.

Here’s a little about CBM 8032 AV in the great man’s own words:

CBM 8032 AV is an exploration of the beauty of simple graphics and sound, using computers from the early 1980’s. Everything presented within the project could have been done already in the 1980, but it needed the cultural backdrop of today to come up with the artistic ideas driving it. On stage are five carefully restored Commodore CBM 8032 computers, running custom software developed by the artist and his team. Three computers create sound, one machine is responsible for the graphics and one is controlling all the others, with their green cathode ray tube displays facing the audience, operated by the artist during the show.

I was there with Tom and Simon. Here’s a little phone recording captured by Tom.

We left in agreement that Robert really is a genius. I’ve always loved his music and he is still doing fresh, inventive and wonderful things.

Additional info:

• Tramway event page for CBM 8032 AV

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.

Cheers also to Band on the Wall recordings for the surprise tote bag!

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."

I loved this! It tells the stories behind many of the lesser-reported UK scenes and record labels. And it really helped to join a lot of musical dots for me, covering music I first heard on cassettes as a teenager thirty years ago. (That includes fairly obscure labels such as Chill – that brilliant quote about “setting the record straight” was from their A+R man Tim Raidl).

I also loved Matt’s passion for telling the stories of these people and communities.

Highly recommended.

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.

Listen to the show on Soundcloud.

Here’s the tracklist:

1. Ryuichi Sakamoto & Alva Noto - Aurora
2. Matt Wilde - Who Cares
3. Kaidi Tatham - Funky Fool
4. Mac DeMarco - 20180702 2
5. Robert Ffrench - I am wondering
6. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Plastic Bamboo
7. Kraftwerk - Vitamin
8. Mac DeMarco - 20180924
9. Gal Costa - Relance (Bernhard Pinheiro edit)
10. Imagination - So good, so right (12″ mix then dub)
11. Romaal Kultan - Between Us, Part One
12. Jayme Marques - Berimbao
13. Souldrummers - Space And Time

I really enjoyed this one and I’m pleased with how it turned out. Thanks to Susan and Speedy for having me back.

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.

This month I went for a set of reggae, electronics and other assorted good vibes.

Listen to the show on Soundcloud.

Here’s the tracklist:

1. Mali-I - Next Level Intro
2. Robert Ffrench - You are so special
3. Radio Trip - No Oud
4. Lucas Croon - Japon
5. Babeth - Orchestra Reggae
6. Tyrone Evans - Rise Up (Version)
7. Gateway Shuffle - Snapping
8. Cloud - Moon Rock
9. Azura - Theme from Azura
10. Visage - Pleasure Boys
11. Romaal Kultan - Meditate
12. Language - Tranquility Bass

Thanks to Amy for arranging, and to Matthew, the engineer on the day.

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.

I started off gently with atmospheric music from Detroit’s Ian Finklestein followed by a modern take on Steve Reich from Bitchin Bajas. From there it was into some hazy electronics and a dash of 80s boogie before landing on sounds from house music legends Abacus and Larry Heard.

Listen to the show.

Here’s the tracklist:

1. Ian Finklestein – Ago-ra
2. Bitchin Bajas – Amorpha
3. Isotope 217 – Audio Boxing
4. Coral D & PST – Send it
5. Komiko – Feel Alright
6. Visions of Tomorrow – Galaxy
7. Wheelup – Infinity feat. Abacus
8. Cy Gorman – Dewy Drip
9. Peech Boys – Don’t make me wait (Dub)
10. Purelink – Dozen Sunbeams (Nice Girl version)
11. Abacus – The Lower End Theory
12. Ossie – I hurt you
13. Fingers Inc – Bye Bye

Thanks to Amy for the invite, and Brandon, the engineer on the day.

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

We braved -7° conditions to meet at Tennent’s Bar on Byres Rd where we watched Argentia beat Croatia in the World Cup semi-final. Then onto the QMU, which provided a real nostalgia hit – I think the last time we were there was to see Roni Size and Reprazent in the Brown Paper Bag era.

We wangled a standing position on the balcony which was ideal as we could see the band, the visuals (lovely 16mm and 35mm film projections created specially for the music) and generally hear things much better. Each band member – drummer, bassist, saxophonist and keyboard player – are outstanding musicians, and together they’re incredibly tight. Led by drummer Alex Sowinski’s good vibes on the mic, they finished off their tour hitting all the right notes to send us into Christmas on a high.

Last thing to mention is I have BadBadNotGood to thank for introducing me to the music of Arthur Verocai, via his amazing string arrangements on Talk Memory. And for that I’m very thankful!

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

Among the highlights were Jeff’s thoughts on whether his music could viably still be described as “Detroit” given how long he’s lived away from the motor city, and also his reflections on the impact on his peer group of the 1980 film American Gigolo.

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.

Download my April 2022 mixtape.

Here’s the tracklist:

• Nale Sinephro - Space 1
• Culross Close - To Belong
• Other Lands - Matter (Reshaped)
• Mato – Summer Madness
• Desmond Chambers – Haly Gully
• Tom Churchill – Cast adrift
• Bright & Findlay — Slow Dance
• Quiet Force — Listen To The Music (Apiento & Tepper Mix)
• Fuga Ronto – Columbo De Domingo
• dreamcastmoe — l foot right
• Lord of the isles — Novwo
• Kofi B - Mmobrowa (Hagan Edit)
• State of grace — That’s when we’ll be free

This was a nice opportunity to get back into the rhythm of programming music of varying styles and tempos. Kit-wise, I used two Technics 1210s, a Pioneer XDJ-700, an Isonoe 420 mixer and an Eventide Timefactor delay.

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.

Lovely mix of mellow electro and techno vibes by my friend Tom.

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!

I listened to this one while walking through the Glasgow Necropolis during one of those eerily-quiet Covid-era days, and it provided a welcome shock to the system.

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…

As both a programmer and big fan of Datassette (the creator/curator of this website), how did I not know about this sooner?! Anyway, plenty to dive into now.

(via @datassette)

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.

Tracklist:

1. Versalife – Manifold
2. Carl Finlow – Components
3. Sedgwick – Rhythm & Isolation
4. ESB – Tethys
5. Reedale Rise – Transluscent
6. Anthiliawaters – Barcelona
7. Turner Street Sound – Dunes (Oceanic Mix)

The mix was recorded on two Technics SL1210s and an Isonoe ISO420 mixer.

If you like talking music feel free to give me a shout on Twitter @fuzzylogicx.

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.

Support the artists you listen to by buying their stuff.

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.

A brilliant and powerful film which left its mark on me.

The others in the series – especially Education, Lovers Rock (don’t miss if you love reggae) and Mangrove are also highly recommended. Wonderful soundtracks, too.

via @mrtomchurchill

As the leaves fell and the nights drew in, I chose to fall forward by blowing all my hard-earned on a lovely mixed bag of dub, ambient, soul, house and electro records. Now, if I could just find some puppy-free time to actually listen to them…

One wee thought before we dig in: I’m finding that I’m buying from Bandcamp more and more now that many (most?) of the records I want seem to appear there first. That’s great for the artists (they get most of the profit minus Bandcamp’s cut) so it’s a positive thing, but what about physical record shops? This got me thinking: now that we have Bookshop supporting independent, bricks and mortar book shops by spreading profits among them, could a similar online enterprise maybe exist for record shops?

OK, enough pontificating – here’s the music.

Nat Birchall meets Al Breadwinner - Upright Living

Real nice roots reggae and dub instrumentals from sunny Manchester. Mr Birchall is, by all accounts, an amazing musician, and in Al Breadwinner on drums and Vin Gordon on trumpet he’s assembled a stellar band. When I first heard this I thought it was some vintage Augustus Pablo so it was funny to find out that it was in fact made in 2020 in Stockport.

Favourite track(s): African Village Dance / Village Dub.

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Om Unit meets Seekers International – Secret Location

As a big fan of Om Unit’s ouput around 2011 and Seekers’ 2017 RunComeTest EP I was pretty excited to hear about this collab… and it doesn’t disappoint. 7 dollops of deep, digi-dub bass, grainy atmospheres and dancehall samples, on a lovely pressing which sounds amazing.

Favourite Track: Nu Killa

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Linkwood & Other Lands – Face the Facts

Lovely gatefold double-vinyl LP that sees two of Auld Reekie’s finest join forces on the excellent Athens of the North label. Breezy laid-back jams with smooth keys lead into rougher, Theo Parrish -esque joints then spacey textures, making for a really well-rounded listen.

Favourite Track: Shapes

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Satoshi & Makoto - CZ-5000 Sounds & Sequences Vol. II

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.

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Various - Buena Onda Balearic Beats

Lovely four-tracker of slow and atmospheric late-night grooves from Italy and elsewhere, first heard on Denise’s radio show.

Favourite track: Lucas Croon – Japon.

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

STR4TA - Aspects

A nice surprise from Gilles Peterson’s label, this is a brand new, authentic jazz-funk / disco hybrid with immaculate live playing and production, and drum fills that tip a hat to Atmosfear’s 1979 staple Dancing in Outer Space.

Favourite track: Aspects

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Midnight Tenderness - Digi Modes

Another beauty from Melbourne-based Ryan Hunter whose previous releases – whether under this alias for the Refresco EP, or as Turner Street Sound for 2018’s amazing Bunsens – have been much appreciated ‘round these parts. This one, on lovely transparent golden 7″, offers a speedy, skanking and soulful update to the traditional dub techno blueprint.

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Sansibar - Targeted Individuals

No-messin’, pacey, but cinematic electro which sounds like it’s from Detroit but is actually from the hand of one Sunny Seppa of Helsinki. Nothing ground-breaking on display here but what it does, it does really well. If you dig ERP or classic Dopplereffekt you’ll love this.

Favourite track: Technology

Grab a copy from Rubadub

Art Crime - Distanced

Limited edition moody drone/ambient 7″ from Russia, with accompanying drone movie.

Favourite track: Blocks

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Jon Hassell - Seeing Through Sound (Pentimento Volume Two)

Fairly amazing leftfield ambient sounds, and even moreso given that the producer is 83 (yes, 83) years old. This is a real trip and deserves the kind of attention which I’ve not generally been able to give it just yet, but the first track alone is worth the admission. The vinyl also sounds amazing. Stunning!

Favourite track: Fearless

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Rance Allen Group - Reason To Survive

Shout out to Gav who played this wonderful 1977 Mizell Brothers production (amongst other great music) on his Other Lands radio show, as an ode to Mr Allen who recently passed away. Perhaps embarassingly I didn’t know of his music until hearing this, but after grabbing this lovely 2018 reissue on Expansions with its soaring strings and stirring vocals, I’m definitely a convert.

Favourite track: Name

Grab a copy on Juno

Deenamic - Out Of My Mind

Another cracker heard on Gav’s show, this is new from Italian label Neroli who’ve always ploughed a nice furrow in soulful electronic sounds. This one features a tasty combination of house, broken beat and downtempo flavours.

Favourite track: Sambu

Grab a copy on Juno

Tasha Larae & Jihad Muhammad - Till You Get There

Proper New Jersey style garage from Baltimore’s DJ Spen (ably assisted on remix duties by Bristol’s Sean McCabe) that I could imagine raising the roof at Shelter in NYC or even closer to home at Glasgow’s Melting Pot. It just has that magic formula of slamming beats, gospel chords and a soaring, life-affirming vocal which will never fail to push my buttons. One that if you hear at the right time will make your night, and which makes me long for clubs to reopen.

Favourite track: Till You Get There (DJ Spen and Sean McCabe remix)

Buy (digital-only) from Bandcamp

Das Ding - Your Content Will Arrive Shortly

My first encounter with Das Ding was his track H.S.T.A. on the excellent 2012 Stones Throw comp The Minimal Wave Tapes Volume Two. That comp was focused on tracks from the eighties so it’s cool to see that Mr Ding is still releasing music today. These four tracks are electro-based and retain that eighties character with New Beat and EBM influences, but updated with 2020 sounds and production.

Favourite track: Category Collapse (Heap Remix)

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Sad City - images-nov-20

Two long, atmospheric ambient tracks, self-released (digital-only) by Gary Caruth who I believe resides in Edinburgh (or Glasow; I’m not quite sure). I remember really enjoying his release You Will Soon Find That Life Is Wonderful in 2013. Anyway – these are very nice, so much so that I listened to them as I feel asleep the other night and I can report that it was quite pleasant!

Favourite track: image1

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Ando Laj - Dog Insight

A quirky long-player from a Toronto-based artist who is new to me but seems to have been around since at least 2014. This veers from the grungy ‘n’ glitchy to the ethereal and beautiful and if I’m honest, quality-wise it’s a bit of a mixed bag. However in its best moments, it calls to mind classic IDM from FUSE, The Aphex Twin and The Black Dog… which is never a bad thing.

Favourite track: Yukon

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Linton Kwesi Johnson - Bass Culture / LKJ In Dub

Killer reggae reissue: beaut packaging, lovely red and green vinyl, and sounds tremendous.

Favourite track: Inglan is a Bitch

Grab a copy at Honest Jon’s

Sedgwick - Rhythm And Isolation

Big up Jamie who brought this one to my attention via a great episode of his Saturday Manatee show. There’s a lot of electro around at the moment, and perhaps also a few opportunistic producers and labels jumping on the bandwagon, but this is a good one.

Favourite track: Exit

Grab a copy at Redeye Records

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.

Clearleft produce an excellent regular technology-based newsletter – dConstruct – to which I heartily recommend subscribing.

A recent issue compared online services in the gig economy – such as Uber, Deliveroo and AirBnB – plus music services Spotify and Bandcamp, and considered the relative ethics of each with respect to the extent they exploit the sellers in their “marketplace”. For example, which services let the seller set the price? AirBnB do, and so do Bandcamp. But not so Uber and Spotify.

The success of services like Bandcamp – which is far more profitable to lesser-known producers than the likes of Spotify – show that we don’t need to follow the crowd and can make better choices about the online services we use.

I’ve used Bandcamp more than usual in 2020 because I like the way they are actively supporting artists during a difficult period. I also like the convention that when you buy a vinyl release, the digital is also bundled free.

I’m currently typing this post in a Firefox tab and have been making an effort to switch (back) to it from Chrome, for a less invasive browsing experience.

I use DuckDuckGo rather than Google search when I remember, and have recently made it the default “address bar search” tool in Firefox which should help break old habits.

As for Facebook, Twitter and other time-draining, sometimes harmful social media platforms, well, I’m weaning myself off those and recently wrote about how I’m using Feedbin to aggregate news and updates.

I don’t know about you, but I find it helpful to do a periodic health check on how I’m using the internet, and see where I can make better choices.

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.

A brilliant documentary featuring great music from Pharoah Sanders, War, Hi-Tension, Ronnie Laws and more.

So sang D-Train on Music and never has the sentiment resonated more than during the current Coronavirus situation.

Cooped up at home and deprived of face-to-face contact with friends and family, I’ve found that music can really lift the spirits.

Fortunately, the supply of great records hasn’t stopped and there are a number of trusty online stores to keep us connected.

Let’s dive into the stack of wax that has been keeping me (mostly) sane during lockdown.

The Stance Brothers - Minor Minor

Here’s a pair of jazzy hip hop instrumentals from Finland, both riffing on the bassline from Bob James’ classic Nautilus. This 7″ was introduced to me by Tom a couple of years back and has just had a welcome repress. Fans of Marc Mac’s Visioneers project, Kenny Dope and BadBadNotGood won’t go wrong here.

Favourite Track: Minor Minor

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Golden Ivy - Kläppen (LP)

Beautiful sounds from Malmo that straddle the organic and the electronic, settling on something vaguely oriental. I was relieved to snap up a copy before it disappeared, given that their previous LP – Monika - is as rare as hen’s teeth and still eludes me. Alas the parcel is currently languishing, unloved, on my desk at work, having arrived there from Gothenburg just a day after the office shut for the lockdown. Damn it! Good things come to those who wait…

Favourite Track: Klappen 11

Grab a copy on Discogs

D.K. - Live at the Edge (LP)

My favourite release to date from Parisian producer D.K. was his stellar collaboration with Suzanne Kraft on Melody as Truth in 2017. This LP ploughs a similar sensous, ambient furrough and would have been a pretty tasty live gig (if you happened to be in Seoul at the time). Yet another great release from Glaswegian label 12th Isle, with beautiful artwork to boot.

Favourite Track: Untitled 11 (not yet on YouTube)

Grab a copy at Rubadub

Datassette – Existenzmaximum

I’ve loved Datassette since his first outing on Ai records back in 2005. He’s got such a great sound – simultanesouly futuristic, funky, musical and heartfelt in a way that few electronic producers can match. This EP (from November last year but just repressed) is typically brilliant.

Favourite Track: Shooz Who

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Various - Gazillions

These days I try not to buy records for just one track, but this is something special. Top cut Lotus Turbo by Russian duo Formally Unknown is a hard-hitting blend of electro and bass that sounds pretty fresh to these ears. This one is screaming to be played loud.

Favourite Track: Formally Unknown – Lotus Turbo

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Various - Bubble Chamber (LP)

I’d urge any fans of serious electro to get on this tout suite – you won’t be disappointed. It boasts a formidable line-up, featuring tracks by Gerald Donald, The Exaltics and Plant43 to name but three. The music comes from a variety of locations and eras; we get Montreal-based Iko’s 1983 track Approach on Tokyo nestling alongside new music from Detroit. Kuldaboli from Reykjavík is a new name on me but offers up the pick of the bunch. Oh, and the vinyl also comes with a 56-page booklet containing previously unseen Drexciyan art by Abdul Haqq… which is nice.

Favourite Track: Kuldaboli – Draumur inní heilann þinn

Grab a copy at Vinyl Underground

Max D - Many Any (LP)

Solid LP from one half of Beautiful Swimmers, taking in house/techno cuts that evoke vintage Morgan Geist and Ferox, interspersed with hip hop influences. Big up my man Gav aka Other Lands at Underground Solu’shn for the hot tip!

Favourite Track: Shoutout Seefeel

Grab a copy at Rubadub

February ‘20 proved to be a challenging month on a number of fronts. As if storms Ciara and Dennis weren’t enough to contend with, life chucked in some additional turbulence just for good measure.

So with nothing else for it than to batten down the hatches, I reached for some immersive ambience, restorative reggae and mood-enhancing electronics to help weather the storm.

As it turns out, records really are good for the soul and the forecast now looks much brighter.

So without further ado, let’s dig into last month’s haul.

Shida Shahabi – Shifts (LP)

Amidst the rocky parts, February also provided a couple of nice moments. On a visit to Edinburgh’s Timberyard (Clair’s birthday present – thanks pals!) we were treated not only to amazing food but also this memorable musical accompaniment; the perfect antidote to the arctic conditions outside. Swedish-Iranian pianist Shida’s melodies are hauntingly beautiful in their own right but interestingly she also overlays sounds from the inner mechanics of the piano. Modern classical isn’t normally my bag, but I love this (and the cover art, too).

Current Favourite Track: Futo

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Bibio – Ribbons (LP)

Okay, I’m late with this one – it was released in April ‘19 – but who cares. Ribbons has been a Spotify staple of my morning commute for some time; its pastoral vibes setting the perfect laid-back mood before a day writing code. Eventually I had to own a physical copy. The vibe is pretty folky and in places you can imagine being at a live jam session in your favourite traditional pub. Stephen Wilkinson is a fantastic musician with a lovely voice but if all this is sounding too nice then rest assured that, being on Warp Records, it’s served with a generous side-helping of analogue synths and quirky electronics to steer things left of centre.

Current Favourite Track: Curls

Grab a copy on Bleep

Al Charles – Outstanding

Who knew there was a reggae version of The Gap Band’s early eighties classic, Outstanding? Not me, anyway. This has been lovingly reissued by Edinburgh’s Athens of the North and features a great squelchy bassline, shimmering synths, dub FX and that killer, hooky vocal. And now I’ll hand over to Discogs legend midnightrunner whose review puts it much better than I ever could:

Quite simply, "outstanding" reggae funk fusion! My mam's toyboy, Gavin, likes to play this one after I have gone to bed, when he smokes his special pipe full of jazzy cabbage.

Current Favourite Track: Outstanding

Grab a copy at Rubadub

Logic1000 – Logic1000

Sydney–born, Melbourne–based producer Samantha Poulter aka Logic1000 is a new name on me. Her sound is a spacey, percussive blend of hip-hop, Bass, Dancehall and House, with all sorts of other interesting samples and influences thrown into the pot. Lots of great stuff on here.

Current Favourite Track: Na feat. DJ Plead

Grab a copy at Juno

Perko – The City Rings

I loved Glaswegian Perko’s first release, NV Auto; its blend of dubbed out synth chords, deep sub-bass and tough broken-electro beats really hitting the spot. His latest release, also on Numbers, ploughs a similar furrow. It spans 8 tracks including moments when he ratchets up the BPMs into Drum ‘n’ Bass territory and others offering respite in the form of delicate ambient interludes.

Current Favourite Track: Stutter

Grab a copy at Rubadub

Khruangbin ‎– Hasta El Cielo (LP)

This is the dub remix version of the Texas band’s second LP, Con Todo El Mondo. Released in 2019, I don’t know why I didn’t pick it up sooner given that I love Khruangbin and I love dub, except perhaps that records ain’t cheap and I wasn’t sure a remix LP constituted an essential purchase. However, after a few months of blissful headphone listening I realised the error of my ways. The band’s sound lends itself perfectly to this treatment and the addition of two mixes by legendary engineer Scientist seals the deal. Also – check this band live if you ever get the chance. I did a couple of years back and they were amazing.

Current Favourite Track: Four of Five

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Lo Kindre – Chlorophytum

This has been on my wants list for an age but every time I tried to get a copy last year, I couldn’t find one. I’m not sure if the original release was maybe delayed? Fortunately on a recent visit to Rubadub (all too infrequent these days which I mean to rectify) the guys hooked me up. This is on the slow, low and out-there electronic tip with little Kraftwerkian influences in amongst the haze of dub. Apparently it’s also from the south side of Glasgow so if I ever see this dude in the Allison Arms I should jolly well like to buy him a pint. Lovely sleeve art too.

Current Favourite Track: I Don’t Really

Grab a copy at Rubadub

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.

Over the last week, the UK music scene has been remembering Andrew Weatherall who sadly died aged only 56.

Bobby Gillespie’s tribute recalls how Weatherall was a fan of some of Primal Scream’s unfashionable songs before he transformed their fortunes with his production on Loaded and Screamadelica, and provides an insight into an outsider with a big heart. (via @SoundClashVic)

Last month’s vinyl haul included brand new music, a couple of great releases I’d missed in 2019, and some killer reissues.

Let’s dive in.

Sleep D – Rebel Force

I’ve noticed that a lot of my recent favourites are from Australia: artists like Ewan Jansen, Rings Around Saturn and Turner Street Sound; labels like Ken Oath Records. This LP from Sleep D – who contributed Connexion Dub on the excellent Sweet Echoes Vol 1 – was produced in Melbourne but released on Anthony Naples’ NY-based Incensio label toward the end of 2019. It’s on the deep, heady techno and electro tip (but also features a lush house remix from Kuniyuki) and has been getting some plays from Hessle Audio luminaries Ben UFO and Joe.

Current Favourite Track: Twin Turbo

Grab a copy on Discogs

Bella Vista – Mister Wong

Originally released in 1982, this electronic pop oddity has been reissued by Adelaide-based label Isle of Jura. The original with its quirky vocals, synths and guitars is a bit like a French Genius of Love, while there’s also a lovely stripped-back and effects-laden dub version.

Current Favourite Track: Disco Dub (Jura Soundsystem Extended Edit)

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Roy Ayers – Searching / One Sweet Love To Remember

Vibes legend Roy Ayers’ 1976 rare groove classic Searching gets a welcome 7″ reissue from UK label Dynamite Cuts. One Sweet Love on the flip – also from the Vibrations LP – sees Roy in more upbeat mode with great swinging, syncopated drums.

Current Favourite Track: Searching

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Oscar Weathers – We're Running Out Of Time / Countdown

A stellar slice of reissued eighties electrofunk which I heard while tuned in to 6Music. The original is a much-sought after rarity but fortunately it’s now available once again thanks to Fantasy Love Records. It features a cool vocal accompanied by Funkadelic-style synths, live bass and horns, resulting in something pretty unique.

Current Favourite Track: We're Running Out Of Time

Grab a copy on Bandcamp

Skinshape ‎– I Didn't Know

A lovely 7″ slab of dubbed out, psychedelic soul from Will Dorey aka Skinshape, whose work I first encountered on the Riddim Box Dub / Soul Groove release on Horus back in 2013. The version of I Didn’t Know I heard first (on Gilles Peterson’s radio show) is the dub, however I’m warming to the vocal too. I’ve also noticed that he’s released a few albums which I plan to check out.

Current Favourite Track: IDK Dub

Grab a copy on Discogs

Benoit B – Caution 9′6″ High

Another excellent release from Edinburgh’s Unthank (sister label of Firecracker) featuring four tracks ranging in style from oddball electronics to more dancefloor-oriented electro.

Current Favourite Track: Coconut Groove

Grab a copy at Boomkat

Various ‎– DB12 002

Obscure and limited various artists release from Rimini-based label Duca Bianco, featuring a variety of electronic sounds; some poppier than others. The track Sequence Fiction I bought it for is a 100 BPM chugging John Carpenter-esque instrumental that came to my attention via Joe’s excellent mix for Crack Magazine (appearing at 7:05).

Current Favourite Track: Guillaume De Bois – Sequence Fiction

Grab a copy on Juno

Joy O – Slipping

I’m really enjoying Joy Orbison’s journey as a producer and loved the 2018 7″ Diamonds under his Sin Falta pseudonym. This occupies a similar glitchy and heady space and showcases some really interesting sounds and ideas while still having enough oomph for DJs and dancefloors of taste.

Grab a copy on Discogs

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.

A great watch telling an unlikely, touching and at times hilarious story of how the Glasgow band temporarily escaped the madness of the early 90’s scene for Memphis to record an album which was out of step with the time and only revealed its true quality with the benefit of hindsight and maturity.

The production on The Memphis Sessions sounded absolutely amazing and there are some great vinyl mastering scenes for those – like myself – who are into that kind of thing!

On the strength of this, I think Clair and I will grab a copy of the record.

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 great watch with a fantastic back story, great interviews and amazing music including this from Art Blakey:

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

2019 has been a fairly quiet year for my and Tom’s record label The Nuclear Family. However with a couple of winter events coming up I wanted to share a little teaser mix to whet the collective appetite.

Inspiration

Earlier in the year I joined a fine bunch of pals on a night out at 69 at The Club, Paisley to hear resident DJs Martin and Euan plus a live performance from guest John Heckle. It was a fantastic night and particularly memorable for a couple of stellar tracks played by Euan. I tried to describe them to him afterwards but wasn’t sure if I was making much sense. Cut to a few months later and a mysterious parcel containing records I’ve never heard of arrives at my door. I was convinced that someone must have sent them to me in error until dropping the needle on the grooves and realising they were the tracks from that night at 69! Channeling Sherlock Holmes, I deduced that Euan – being the all-round good guy that he is – had bought and posted them to me as a souvenir of the night. What a guy!

And they are brilliant.

The first is Ricochet by Bambooman (a new name on me) on Matthew Herbert’s label, Accidental Jnr. It features a stuttering, percussive riff complimented by searing synth stabs – proper machine funk but with a heart. The second is a double-pack by the more familiar name of i:cube, with my favourite track Fractal P a dark, winding, bass-heavy trip reminiscent of ’91 classic Pressure Dub by Ability 11 but with its own distinct flavour.

I knew I definitely wanted those tracks in the mix.

Around those touchstones I added recent favourites from Joy O (under his Sin Falta alias), Phillip McGarva (the artist formerly known as Microworld) and Dego, plus a few oldies including Isolée’s Hermelin and Modern Tribe by Jellybean (AKA Glenn Underground).

In terms of kit, I recorded the mix on a pair of Technics 1210s and an Isonoe 420 mixer.

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.

Thanks to Nick Peacock for sharing.

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.

It’s set primarily in New York and tells the stories of a cast of interconnected characters (and their children) linked by the music industry, taking in themes of youth and ageing, loss and regret, insecurity, celebrity and image.

There are some great moments including Rob’s story which called to mind The Talented Mr Ripley; Jules’s unpublished and unhinged newspaper article on the celebrity interview which sent him to jail; and the dystopian final chapter which suggests where the internet and the world of influencers might be headed if we don’t watch out.

I loved author Jennifer Egan’s storytelling, dark humour and also the way she switched her writing style dependent on the era or character.

Recommended!

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.

Here’s the tracklist for my mix:

• Black Uhuru - Chill Out
• Jackie Mittoo - Oboe
• Joe Higgs - There’s A Reward For Me
• UBrown - Me Chat You Rock
• Riddim Tuffa ft OBF - Food Dub Ninja
• Mosca - Prento
• The Royals - My Sweat Turns To Blood
• Tatham/Ranks/Lord/Mensah - Private Life
• Freddie McGregor w/ Sound Dimension - Africa Here I Come
• Carlton Patterson w/King Tubby - King At The Controls
• King Tubby - Herbal Dub
• Carlton Coffie - Chant Away
• Fabian - Prophecy
• Prophecy Dub

I really enjoyed the chance to pull together reggae, dub and dancefloor favourites (old and new) for the mix. Cheers for the invite, Vicky!

You can catch Vic’s Sunday Soundclash on the first Sunday of each month at 2pm on Radio Magnetic.

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

Amongst other ground, it covers:

• The technique of “Subtraction”;
• the last quarter of records being the best;
• the bar for electronic music being set too low;
• the complexity of the art form of DJing; and
• thinking about other things while DJing in front of 2000 people…

Plenty of good bits to chew over!

It’s taken a few years, but me and Tom are excited to be releasing a new record on our label, The Nuclear Family.

Check out the audio previews.

Titled Surface Noise, our third release will be available on both 12″ vinyl and digital, hitting all good record stores in early November ‘18.

You can pre-order it now from our Bandcamp page.

Here's what our press release says:

Artist: The Nuclear Family vs Other Lands Title: Surface Noise Label: The Nuclear Family A: The Nuclear Family - Surface Noise B: Other Lands - See Thru Time

Did you miss us? The Nuclear Family - Tom Churchill and Laurence Hughes - are back after a three-year hiatus, and this time we’ve roped in one of our good buddies, Other Lands, to help us deliver a double-header of deep delights for discerning DJs and dancers, cut nice and loud over a full side each.

Surface Noise, on side A, is the first of the Family’s recent studio jams to see the light of day, with its classic 808 drums and analogue bass underpinning warm pads, twinkling melodies and some subtle vocoder flourishes.

On the flipside, we’re honoured to present a killer track from Other Lands - aka Edinburgh’s veteran DJ/producer Gavin Sutherland, fresh from the success of his recent Pattern Transform 12” for Firecracker and all manner of other exciting studio and live projects. See Thru Time is a masterclass for the heads, with mellifluous chord progressions and a timeless groove.

TNF 003 will be available on vinyl via Rubadub in November, along with a digital version via Bandcamp.

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

Other Lands consistently plays amazing records.

He’s also been cultivating a quirky but cuddly radio voice which, combined with the heartfelt electronic sounds, makes for a warm and fuzzy listen.

This two hour show is notable for featuring lots of amazing music from Glasgow and Edinburgh, including tracks by Being, Lord of the Isles, a cut from the Off-World Transmissions LP on Invisible Inc, and a preview of the forthcoming Mac-Talla Nan Creag sequel on Firecracker.

Gav also plays both sides of the new Nuclear Family EP and I'm chuffed for our record to feature in this company.

When in Chicago, buy #house

Jamie (aka Bud Burroughs of Stirling’s Jelly Roll Soul crew) kindly invited me to DJ with him at Max’s Bar last Saturday night (21st July ‘18).

We played from 9pm–3am. Max’s was rammed to the rafters as usual and it was fun to have six hours to play with, going through the gears and playing different styles and tempos. We also had some friendly faces for company – not only was it Jason Brunton’s birthday but we also had Chris Reid over from Italia and on the birras!

Music-wise, it was cool to mix on the DJR-400 and I particularly enjoyed playing EXU, the new one from Patrick Pulsinger & Irl:

Jamie played lots of tracks I liked, including an upbeat version of Space Jungle Luv by Oneness-Of-Juju that I would post but can’t find anywhere!

Thanks to Jamie for the invite, and if you don’t already know his productions, check out:

• The Mail Art EP by Bud Burroughs on Seventh Sign Recordings
• Jelly Roll Soul record label
• Too Many Voices by Dam-Ru on Temporize Recordings