Mix: Broadcasts from… Elsewhere

Someone from elsewhere is trying to tell you something. They’re trying to reach you through any primitive sound-producing devices you may have lying around—dictaphones, radios, megaphones, old broken speakers, the vibrations of the air itself—fiddling with knobs and dials and settings to accomplish varying degrees of successful communication. It could be useful advice, or a desperate cry for help from somewhere on the other side of oblivion. Better listen and find out.

00:00. Cássio Figueiredo – “Lembrando Aspectos Mortos” No. 1 from Lembrando Aspectos Mortos (Banana, 2017)

01:53. Sammartano – excerpt from Walkman Jazz (Canti Magnetici, 2019)

05:20. Posset – “Memory Piece for Shipley Art Gallery” from Totally Corporate! (Kirigirisu, 2018)

08:37. Angélica Castelló – “Lepidóptero II” [excerpt] from Lepidóptero (Thalamos, 2018)

11:52. Modelbau – excerpt from side A of A World of Difference (Regional Bears, 2019)

15:13. Michael Barthel – “Sammlung. Musik Für Sammlung” 1 from Stapel. Efeu-Fährten (Tochnit Aleph, 2013)

22:24. Aki Onda – excerpts from side A of A Method to Its Messiness (Thalamos, 2019)

25:50. Daniel J. Gregory – “Mechanical Medicine Trap” from Heard Under Orphan Eyelid (self-released, 2020)

31:34. Alyssa Festa – “websdr_recording_2017-07-06T22-50-42Z_131725.0kHz” [excerpt] from Alyssa Festa (A R C H I V E, 2018)

37:33. Graham Lambkin – “Ghost Boxes (Dedicated to Friedrich Jürgenson)” from No Better No Worse Vol. 2 (self-released, 2018)

Mix: Psychedelic Slabs

I’ve made plenty of mixes showcasing the best in abrasive, in-your-face harsh noise, but there’s a whole other subsect of the genre that mines a somewhat less immediate, but no less affecting, viscerality from the tried-and-true formula of maxed-out electronics, evoking haze, lethargy, and claustrophobia via sleazy, droning, psychedelic transmissions. You can read my recent review of the new Manure Movers of of America tape for my take on this approach, but in truth this is great music for a variety of situations—a late night smoke session, perhaps, or even a lazy afternoon nap for the adventurous.

00:00. Manure Movers of of America – “Shit Happens” from Cassette Tape #2 (Already Dead, 2019)

04:28. Arv & Miljö – “Gångtunnlar Alltid Utsatta” from Förändringens Frö (Järtecknet, 2011)

09:23. endling – “b” [excerpt] from two sides of a fallen mountain (self-released, 2020)

14:48. Blod – “Shitsoap” from Primordial (Electronic Ejaculation, 1999)

17:01. Ashpa – “Raureif” from 1 (self-released, 2013)

22:38. Laurel Noose – “Indian Summer” from University District (unknown label, 2011)

28:29. Jason Zeh – “A Vacant Lot to Be in” [excerpt] from A Vacant Lot to Be in (CIP, 2013)

35:06. Haare – “Psychedelic Funeral” [excerpt] from Psychedelic Funeral (Abisko, 2007)

37:30. Aube & Maurizio Bianchi – “Metamorphic Humus” [excerpt] from Mectpyo Saisei (PARA Disc, 2005)

Mix: “Exhaust Pipe Soul”

The name and concept of this mix comes from a Bandcamp review of Pulgas’s self-titled LP by Ryan Sarno. This is the grittiest of soul music and its related genres, wafting up through dusty vents from dingy old basements, oozing out of cluttered bedroom studios, reverberating through your body until your bones shake.

D’Angelo and The Vanguard live (photo credit: ShootingGigs)

00:00. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “American Guilt” from Sex & Food (Jagjaguwar, 2018)

04:21. AcidSlop – “Lament for the Sky” from Freedom to Talk (Mandarin Dreams, 2019)

08:14. Flanafi – “Gonna Spend the Rest of My Days in Here” from Flanafi (Boiled, 2020)

12:58. Clever Austin – “Blue Tongue (feat. Jon Bap)” from Pareidolia (Touching Bass, 2019)

16:07. Harco Pront – “Mercedes” from Jibberish (Music for Speakers, 2003)

16:59. Nick Hakim – “Crumpy” from Will This Make Me Good (ATO, 2020)

20:05. D’Angelo and The Vanguard – “Ain’t That Easy” from Black Messiah (RCA, 2014)

24:54. jitwam – “Alone” from ज़ितम सिहँ (Cosmic Compositions, 2017)

27:38. Mo Kolours – “Curly Girly” from Mo Kolours (OHM, 2014)

28:51. Gonjasufi – “Change” from A Sufi and a Killer (Warp, 2010)

30:54. Pulgas – “Golden ShawT” from Pulgas (Boiled, 2017)

34:51. JD & The Evil’s Dynamite Band – “Heavy, Heavy…Heavy” from Explodes Across the Nation (Soul Fire, 2001)

38:57. Wool & The Pants – 10th untitled track from Wool & The Pants (self-released, 2017)

41:06. Raw Humps – “The Awakening” from Sugar Slave Babies (Mandarin Dreams, 2019)

Mix: The Forgotten Country

Ever since the American cultural juggernaut that is country music first began to emerge, musicians have been flocking to the fringes of the typically simple, straightforward genre in attempts to discover innovative ways to subvert tradition while retaining its heart and soul. This mix documents my best attempt to chronicle these artists through the years, but even through extensive research this sort of thing is very difficult to find (thus, it’s a bit shorter than usual, but it’s also about the average length of a classic country LP so we’ll roll with it). Needless to say, this post is also a request for more examples!

Zoe Burke of Buck Young (photo by Ben Trogdon)

00:00. Mohawk & The Rednecks – “Enchanted Forest” from God Less America compilation (Crypt, 1995)

02:16. The Holy Modal Rounders – “Soldier’s Joy” from Indian War Whoop (ESP, 1967)

04:43. Astroturf Noise – “Morning Zephyr Waltz” from Astroturf Noise (577, 2020)

08:45. Charlie Tweddle – second untitled track from Fantastic Greatest Hits (Companion reissue, 2004)

11:01. Eugene Chadbourne – “Devilish Mary” from The History of the Chadbournes: Honky-Tonk Im Nachtlokal (Leo, 2004)

14:28. Buck Young – “Hang Em Hiiiiiiii!!!” from Proud Trash Sound (No Rent, 2017)

18:36. Henry Flynt & Nova’Billy – “Sky Turned Red” from Henry Flynt & Nova’Billy (Locust, 2007)

21:57. Davenport – “Thou Shall Be Waking” from Free Country (Last Visible Dog, 2005)

28:00. Caroliner Rainbow Susans and Bruisins – “The Ballad of Hamdrags” from The Cooking Stove Beast (Nuf Sed, 1992)

Mix: Well Good, Because I Probably Couldn’t Afford It If It Wasn’t

The title of this mix is my preferred alternative to the classic punchline response to being informed of the genre commonly called free jazz: “I sure as hell wouldn’t pay for it” (which I think originally came from a Steve Lacy quote). I’ve gathered my favorite examples of the adventurous new traditions in contemporary freeform jazz music, from potent poetics and progressive arrangements to all-out cacophonous carnage.

Irreversible Entanglements, Berlin Jazz Festival 2018

00:00. Irreversible Entanglements – “Who Sent You – Ritual” [excerpt] from Who Sent You? (International Anthem, 2020)

04:06. Dave Rempis, Tomeka Reid & Joshua Abrams – “Wattle and Daub” from Ithra (Aerophonic, 2018)

09:13. Galaxxu – “Care Bears Countdown” [excerpt] from Every Meanest Particular (Orb Tapes, 2019)

14:41. Dave Liebman, Adam Rudolph & Tatsuya Nakatani – “Premonition” from The Unknowable (RareNoise, 2018)

17:32. Joshua Abrams, Tyler Damon, Forbes Graham & Ava Mendoza – “I Closed My Eyes” [excerpt] from Sometimes There Were Four (self-released, 2020)

23:12. Fuck Lungs – “The Indian Name for ‘White Woman with Tattoo of Bird’ ” from Fuck Lungs (Already Dead, 2016)

26:05. James Brandon Lewis & Chad Taylor – “Radiance” from Live in Willisau (Intakt, 2020)

28:52. Jon Irabagon, John Hegre & Nils Are Drønen – “Fukuoka” [excerpt] from Axis (Rune Grammofon, 2017)

33:16. Reid Karris Group – part III of May 12th 2018 (self-released, 2019)

35:47. Simone & Bucko – “Live at the Chapel” [excerpt] from Simone & Bucko (Dismal Niche, 2020)

Mix: The Outcast on the Ivories

Here are several fascinating instances of one of the oldest and most iconic instruments in conventional music making purposeful appearances in abstract soundscapes. Whether the piano is sighing gorgeous melodic resolutions, atonal chords, or simply being softly plinked every once in a while, these tracks all communicate a sense of loneliness and withdrawal.

00:00. Marc Baron – “Un lac” from Un Salon Au Fond d’Un Lac (Potlatch, 2016)

07:32. Pedestrian Deposit – “You Can’t Help Me” from Fatale (Hospital, 2006)

09:44. Graham Lambkin & Áine O’Dwyer – “One and One Is Three” from Green Ways (Erstwhile, 2018)

13:25. Paco Rossique – “Snow at Niigata” from The Visit of the Stranger (2017-2018) (Linear Obsessional, 2019)

18:07. Matthew Atkins – part 5 of Porous Inner Montage (Minimal Resource Manipulation, 2018)

22:24. barn sour – side B of horses fucked over the head with bricks (Careful Catalog, 2019)

26:08. Graham Lambkin & Jason Lescalleet – “Lucy Song” from The Breadwinner (Erstwhile, 2008)

32:09. Ljudvägg – “Tids nog” from Varande (Purlieu, 2018)

34:24. clipping. – “Piano Burning” (comp. Annea Lockwood, 1968) from There Existed an Addiction to Blood (Sub Pop, 2019)

Mix: In the Kitchen

Pieces of “music” that were recorded in a kitchen, sound like they were recorded in a kitchen, make use of the sounds or emissions of kitchen-like implements, have “kitchen” in their titles, etc.

00:00. Hair Clinic – “In the Kitchen” from Mirror in a Bag (self-released, 2020)

01:17. Graham Lambkin & Jason Lescalleet – “There and Back” from The Breadwinner (Erstwhile, 2008)

04:48. Havadine Stone – “Kitchen” from Fever Demorian Aphasia International (Anathema Archive, 2020)

11:05. Cahn Ingold Prelog – “Dishwasher” from Non-Music 2 (self-released, 2018)

12:04. Maciej Wirmański – excerpt from Sounds of a Boiler Room and a Laundry Room (Szara Reneta, 2019)

20:48. Encoder – “Dinosaurs on the Go” from Noise from the Deep (nausea., 2020)

25:57. John Collins McCormick – “My, my” from No Most Fatigue (Impulsive Habitat, 2018)

28:44. Queue – “Water Bucket Pt 2” from Water Bucket (7FORM, 2019)

36:02. Joe McPhee, Graham Lambkin, Charlie McPhee & Oliver Lambkin – “I Don’t Want to Be Right” from Live in the Batcave (Black Truffle, 2019)

Mix: A Love Letter to The Raincoats

The unfathomably fruitful post-punk era (circa 1977-1985) is a universal favorite period among music fans, and though we all have our different preferences, there’s one band upon whose importance and excellence everyone can agree: The Raincoats. At once accessibly simple and endlessly complex, The Raincoats drew from a wide range of inspirations to create a singular and iconic style. Even after just three amazing albums (and one slightly less lauded post-reunion LP), their legacy is enormous. Whether it’s their quirky charm, artful amateurishness, hypnotic percussion rhythms, ambiguous atmospheres, or anything in between, this is a collection of tracks by contemporary (post-2000) artists in whom I see a significant presence of The Raincoats’ influence. The eclecticism of this mix is a testament to how unusual and special the band to whom it pays tribute truly is.

The Raincoats at London’s Acklam Hall in 1979. Photo by Shirley O’Loughlin.

00:00. Explode Into Colors – “Eyes Hands Mouth” from Quilts (Kill Rock Stars, 2011)

03:33. T.I.T.S. – “Rachel Rachel” from The Girls (self-released, 2011)

05:30. Palberta – “In My Fame – Jug!” from Roach Goin’ Down (Wharf Cat, 2018)

08:04. Old Time Relijun – “Mystery Language” from Witchcraft Rebellion (K, 2001)

11:49. Micachu & The Shapes – “Waste” from Never (Rough Trade, 2012)

13:37. The New Sound of Numbers – “You’ll Soon Be Singing” from Liberty Seeds (Cloud Recordings, 2006)

17:39. Grass Widow – “Rattled Call” from Grass Widow (Make a Mess, 2009)

19:54. Nüshu – “La vie est une fleur” from Sexe Étranger (self-released, 2019)

24:23. Still House Plants – “Long Pass” from Long Play (bison, 2018)

26:56. Children’s Hospital – “Words of the Prophet” from Alone Together (Sacred Bones, 2009)

30:00. Lithics – “Labor” from Borrowed Floors (Water Wing, 2016)

32:10. Fire Roast – “Folly or Fate” from Fire Roast (Single Girl Married Girl, 2020)

Mix: Abstract Psychedelia

Ditch the sunshine pop, nerds. It’s time to get swampy.

00:00. Sunroof! – “Pink Stream 1” from Found Star Sound (VHF, 2000)

02:15. Kemialliset Ystävät – “Lentävät Sudet” from Kemialliset Ystävät (Fonal, 2007)

06:07. Black Dice – “Treetops” from Creature Comforts (DFA, 2004)

12:10. Deerhunter – “Cicadas” from Weird Era Cont. (Kranky, 2008)

14:09. Open Marriage – “San Francisco” from Discover America (Permanent Green Light, 2016)

20:09. Ikue Mori – “Expresso Bongo” from Myrninerest (Tzadik, 2005)

23:36. Rambutan – “Returning to the Entrance” from Broken Infinity (Stunned, 2016)

29:22. Bart de Paepe – “Bedmar” from Pagus Wasiae (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond, 2018)

34:21. Headboggle – “Wassermusic” from Headboggle (Spectrum Spools, 2012)

Mix: Cooped Up

The sound of domestic self-isolation gone horribly wrong. Junk and trash thrashed out of sheer desperation, degradation of language, slow but deliberate descent into panic and madness. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen to any of you. Thots and preyers.

00:00. Usurper – 2nd untitled track from Fishing for Tripe (Chocolate Monk, 2013)

04:28. Derek Bailey & Han Bennink – “Who Is That” from Derek Bailey & Han Bennink (Incus, 1972)

08:28. Laurie Tompkins – “War” from Heat, War, Sweat Law (Slip, 2016)

12:14. Territorial Gobbing – “Went” from Stud Mechanism (Cadmus Tape, 2019)

18:00. Textile Orchestra – “The Beginning of the End” [excerpt] from For the Boss (Beta-lactam Ring, 2009)

21:09. The New Blockaders & Putrefier – “Tiras Abrasivas” from Schleifmittelbögen (Birthbiter, 2007)

24:46. Micro_Penis – “Lorsque la lune est pleine je le sens vraiment” from Tolvek (Doubtful Sounds, 2011)

28:53. Animal Collective – “Panic” from Here Comes the Indian (Paw Tracks, 2003)

33:28. Taku Unami – 2nd part of “Whistler Vanished in Wind” from The Whistler (Erstwhile, 2017)

35:02. Boredoms – “Used CD” from Super Roots (WEA, 1993)