Author: joseph

This week on solipsistic NATION we’re going to focus seven labels that are putting out some of the finest dubstep you’re likely to hear.

Dubstep is growing in popularity with its dark sound of minimal rhythms and throbbing bass. We’ll learn where dubstep came from, why our guests have chosen to specialize in dubstep when electronic music mutates so quickly and whether dubstep has gone mainstream or is still regarded as an underground phenomenon.

The labels featured on today’s show are Nozl Recordings/Bloodied Blade Recordings, Boka Records, Hot Flush Recordings, Iberian Records, Immerse Records, Lodubs and Studio Rockers.

Today’s show is sponsored by eMusic. eMusic is the number one site for independent music with over three million tracks to choose from. Right now eMusic is offering a 14 day free trial with 35 free song downloads. If you cancel before 14 days, you get to keep all 35 tracks for free! If you sign up at emusic.com/nation you help support solipsistic NATION, and, more importantly, you support the artists.

In keeping with the theme of this week’s show, below are some dubstep artists you can find on eMusic. Enjoy!

Benga Boxcutter Burial Coki Digital Mystikz Drop The Lime

Hatcha Kode9 Kromestar Loefah Mrk1 Pinch

Scuba Shackleton Skream Sub Version Vex’d Zomby

Photo Credit: R_O_B_O

1. Lone Wolf “Slayed By Shadows”
   Nozl Recordings/Bloodied Blade Recordings
2. Lone Wolf “The Plague”
   Nozl Recordings/Bloodied Blade Recordings
3. Afterdark “Infernal”
   Boka Records
4. DZ “Chalice Dub”
   Lodubs
5. 23Hz & Numaestro “Galleon Dub”
   Immerse Records
6. 23Hz & Numaestro “Al Andalus (Full Mix)”
   Iberian Records
7. Emalkay “My Story”
   Boka Records
8. Vaccine “Fever”
   Hot Flush Recordings
9. Bionics “Dubcore”
   Studio Rockers
10. Relocate “Too Moody to Swing”
    Iberian Records
11. Solvent “Think Like Us (Bombaman Remix)”
    Lodubs
12. Boxcutter “Endothermic (D & M Master)”
    Hot Flush Recordings
13. Forsaken “Fighting Spirit”
    Immerse Records

Electronic musicians often choose to be anonymous. That is to say, they present themselves persona free in opposition to rock bands like Fall Out Boy, who are slickly marketed and have a tailor made image to consumers who frequent stores like Hot Topic. And let’s be honest, a lot of electronic music is pretty generic. It sounds like it could have been made by anyone.

And then there are artists like Amon Tobin who creates music that is so distinct and unique that his sound is as identifiable as his finger prints. It’s like listening to ‘Trane; one you hear him blow his sax, it gets etched into your brain and from then on, you will always be able to pick out a Coltrane tune in a crowded and noisy bar.

Amon first hit the scene as Cujo with his 1996 release, Adventures in Foam. Amon was definitely influenced by drum and bass be he stood out, even then. Foam was laced wild horns, jazz drum breaks, Latin rhythms and a touch of exotica. Whatever the hell it was, it was great!

Amon quickly followed Foam with Bricolage, Permutation and Supermodified and took those themes further and further and as he went along his music got weirder and heavier. By Out from Out Where Tobin had become a full fledged soundsmith, tweaking and twisting his samples well beyond their source material. Foley Room found Amon sampling field recordings of lions, motorcycles and wasps rather than vinyl dug from crates and transforming it all into something utterly recognizable as being Amon Tobin.

On solipsistic NATION I play the best of all genres of electronic music. I’m not kidding around. I really mean it. Amon is the very best at what he does and I’m pleased that he has joined me on today’s show for a retrospective of his musical career so far.

I hope you enjoy the ride!

Photo Credit: Bruno Bollaert

1. Amon Tobin “Creatures”
2. Interview with Amon Tobin
3. Cujo “The Sequel”
4. Interview with Amon Tobin
5. Amon Tobin “One Day In My Garden”
6. Interview with Amon Tobin
7. Amon Tobin “Bridge”
8. Interview with Amon Tobin
9. Amon Tobin “Nightlife”
10. Interview with Amon Tobin
11. Amon Tobin “Four Ton Mantis”
12. Interview with Amon Tobin
13. Amon Tobin “Chocolate Lovely”
14. Interview with Amon Tobin
15. Amon Tobin “Hey Blondie”
16. Interview with Amon Tobin
17. Amon Tobin “Back From Space”
18. Interview with Amon Tobin
19. Amon Tobin “Ruthless”
20. Interview with Amon Tobin
21. Amon Tobin “Esther’s”
22. Interview with Amon Tobin
23. Amon Tobin “Keep Your Distance”
24. Interview with Amon Tobin

I seem to have gained a reputation for playing only chillout music on solipsistic NATION. So untrue! I can, however, understand why some people might think that. The last couple months I’ve featured live performances from Dr. Toast and Nalepa, a guest mix from Travis Nobles from the hiddenplace music blog and featured music from Native State Records. So, yeah, I can see why people might think that all I play is chillout. Hopefully this week’s show featuring an interview with Nicolas Chevreux from Ad Noiseam and music from his roster of artists will put that notion to rest.

There is some pretty and delicate music on Ad Noiseam but on the whole, Ad Noiseam specializes in music that is experimental, gritty and very, very loud. Ad Noiseam doesn’t limit itself to a specific genre. From the metal/drum and bass stylings of Bong Ra to the insane breakcore of Enduser to the subsonic bludgeoning of Scorn, there’s something for everyone. As long as you don’t mind your ears bleeding, that is.

Sit tight. Crank the volume to eleven and prepare to have your mind completely blown. Just don’t send your medical bill my way.

1. Bong Ra “Slaytronic”
2. Enduser “Pushing Back”
3. Interview with Nicolas Chevreux of Ad Noiseam
4. Glowstyx “U R Mine”
5. Interview with Nicolas Chevreux of Ad Noiseam
6. Chevron “Burn Down The Jungle!”
7. Exillon “Darkassid”
8. Interview with Nicolas Chevreux of Ad Noiseam
9. Jvox “Murder”
10. Interview with Nicolas Chevreux of Ad Noiseam
11. Raoul Sinier “Huge Samurai Radish (Lynx And Ram Remix)”
12. Cdatakill “Yesterdays”
13. Lapsed & Nonnon “Hapless Plastic (Ra Remix)”
14. Mad E.P. “Scab Removal Technique”
15. Mothboy “A303”
16. Interview with Nicolas Chevreux of Ad Noiseam
17. Scorn “Stripped Black Hinge”
18. Aaron Spectre “Half Silver”
19. Interview with Nicolas Chevreux of Ad Noiseam
20. Lapsed “Lapsed + Urusai: Where Were You?”

If you’re new to solipsistic NATION, I kick off each month with a live performance by an electronic musician.

When I first introduced the live segment on the show I thought that it would be something I would only occasionally do on solipsistic NATION. I just assumed that recordings of live performance that artists would share with me would be scant. Happily, I was wrong.

As more and more live recordings came my way I decided that I would feature those shows on solipsistic NATION at the beginning of each month until the well ran dry. At this point I have enough recordings to take us until June and it at this point it looks like I can continue this segment on solipsistic NATION indefinitely.

This month’s comes to us from Dr. Toast by way of the Dub Beautiful Collective. Dr. Toast’s music is, well, beautiful.

I’d like to thank Dr. Toast and Maer from the Collective for their generosity. I had Maer on solipsistic NATION a few months back to feature some of the artists who have performed for the Collective in the past. I could probably continue the live segment on solipsistic NATION for the next year drawing from their archive alone.

This month I’m going to give away one tee shirt, courtesy of Threadless. Threadless is a community based tee shirt company with an ongoing, open-call for tee design submissions.

Send me an email and you could win a Threadless tee!

1. Dr. Toast “Live (November, 2004), recorded by the Dub Beautiful Collective“
2. Interview with Dr. Toast
3. Dr. Toast “Skronked”
4. Dr. Toast “Zero-Marking”
5. Dr. Toast “Somnambulist”
6. Dr. Toast “Deeper (Dr. Toast Remix Ft. Rena Jones)”

When I began solipsistic NATION I didn’t make any attempt to make the show commercially viable. My mission was to play electronic music that I love and if people listening to the show happened to love what I was playing, I considered that a bonus.

I wasn’t being entirely self-serving. I was playing quality music so I knew I was bound to pick up an audience, even if it was a niche audience. And I was right. Over the years, solipsistic NATION has attracted an ever growing audience. And that’s where it gets interesting.

People often find their way to solipsistic NATION because they are just as passionate about electronic music as I am. And that shared passion sparks some wonderful conversations, which often leads to friendships.

Nearly a year ago I met Travis Nobles, who runs the hiddenplace music blog. Travis and I share similar taste in music and he constantly exposes me to new artists I most likely would have never heard about and usually those artists are on netlabels.

Travis is so dead-on about the artists he reviews that I invited him to be a guest DJ on solipsistic NATION because I knew he would select some stellar music for the show. The other reason I had Travis come on the show is because that while our tastes are comparable, he tends to pick out music that is more ethereal than I would normally listen to. But it is exactly that difference that makes listening to his music such a beautiful experience; he turns me on to stuff that I might otherwise miss. That forces me to expand my horizons and ultimately keeps solipsistic NATION fresh and exciting.

1. Xurba “You Are a Circle”
2. Workbench “De La Terre Á La Cime (I & II)”
3. Interview with Travis Nobles of hiddenplace music
4. Sabi “Dried Flowers, Mirrored World”
5. Planet Boelex “Forever and Always (Feat. K)”
6. Mikael Fyrek “The Tiny Greens and Whites”
7. muxu “Moving at 30”
8. Iambic² “Regulus”
9. Nest “Charlotte”
10. Le Mépris “susu”
11. Deluge “The Crush”
12. Audiokonstrukte “Disfiction”
13. Interview with Travis Nobles of hiddenplace music
14. Promo: Fallen Nation

I’m very excited about today’s show because as of this week, solipsistic NATION is being broadcast on KYOU Open Source Radio on 1550 AM in San Francisco.

I’d like to thank KYOU’s station manager, Stephen Page, from bringing me on board. I’d also like to think all of you who are listening, whether you’re listening to solipsistic NATION over the airwaves in San Francisco or those of you who have downloaded the show from all over the world.

I’ve got a jam packed show for you!

This week on solipsistic NATION we’ll talk with J. Anthony Allen, the Director of Programming for the Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art taking place at the University of Minnesota, February 26 through March 2.

We’ll also talk to to Professor Diana Deutsch from the University of California, San Diego‘s psychology department, about musical illusions and paradoxes, phantom words and other curiosities.

We’ll also chat with Robbie Martin, who performs experimental electronic music under the name Fluorescent Grey and runs Record Label Records.

Finally, this week on solipsistic NATION I’ll be giving away two Mix Tape USB Drives, courtesy of SUCK UK. The Mix Tape USB Drives stores up to one hour of high quality digital music – the same amount as you get on a C60 cassette tape. Perfect for creating your own unique compilation or mix ‘tape’.

Send me an email and you could win one of the Mix Tape USB Drives. I’ll randomly pick a winner in two weeks and announce the winners on an upcoming show.

SUCK UK produce furniture, lighting, interior products and accessories. Most of the designs are by Sam and Jude or selected by them from some of the best designers around the world. SUCK PRODUCTS are available in shops in the UK and around the globe.

1. Puzzleweasel “Fodhovl”
2. Parag Chordia “Vadi”
3. Interview with J. Anthony Allen, Director of Programming of the Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art
4. SoNu Ensemble “Sonaurium”
5. Professor Diana Deutsch “Introduction”
6. Professor Diana Deutsch “Scale Illusion”
7. Professor Diana Deutsch “Commentary”
8. Professor Diana Deutsch “Nowhere”
9. Interview with Professor Diana Deutsch, University of California, San Diego Psychology Department
10. Evan Bartholomew “Elusive And Effervescent Is Our Destination”
11. Fluorescent Grey “Physically Modelled Theme For Children”
12. Fluorescent Grey “Are you aware of the pink light emenating from your naval?”
13. Interview with Robbie Martin of Fluorescent Grey and Record Label Records
14. Fluorescent Grey “Molten Ghost”
15. Promo: Fallen Nation

I really appreciate electronic record labels because they tend to focus on specific genres of music such as industrial or hip hop. That focus means they can narrow in on a specific aesthetic and separate the wheat from the chaff.

Once a month I dedicate a show to a record label that is worth hearing and this week on solipsistic NATION we’ll talk with Evan Marc, the man behind Native State Records.

Native State Records is a west coast electronic music label that explores the boundaries between downtempo, idm, dub, and chillout. I’ve featured several artists from Native State Records on solipsistic NATION in the past such as Rena Jones, Shen and Nalepa so it was only a matter of time before I had Evan as a guest on the show.

Evan recently launched Somnia, a sublabel of Native State Records. Somnia releases ambient, electronic, minimalist, modern classical, electro acoustic, and “other” recordings. If Somnia’s first release, Caverns of Time, is an indication of the direction the label is heading in, then Somnia is destined for greatness.

Evan has also entered the world of podcasting with his Somnia podcast, which features artists that put out incredibly moving and beautiful music. You owe it to yourself subscribe to the Somnia podcast. And if you’re so inclined, why not support the artists on his podcast and Native State Records by purchasing some of their songs or albums.

1. Aerostatic “Drone”
2. Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
3. KiloWatts “Dub Serious”
4. Vibesquad “Dome Piece”
5. Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
6. Bluetech “Enter The Lovely”
7. Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
8. Sympath “Pond Life”
9. krill.minima “Nautica”
10. Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
11. Shen “Embrace”
12. Saqi “Offering / Reminder”
13. Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
14. Welder “Sumeria”
15. Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
16. String Theories “White Dragon”
17. Rena Jones “Undercurrent”
18. Promo: Fallen Nation

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and some of you might be thinking to yourself that the whole thing is just an excuse to sell cards, chocolate, roses and jewelry, or that it’s a way to get couples to spend a lot of money in expensive restaurants. You might also think that we don’t need holidays like Valentine’s Day, that each day we should cherish the people we love and tell them how we feel about them.

All of that is true. But if you’re one of those cynical people I ask you to consider this: life goes by pretty fast and it’s easy to get caught up in our day to day existence. It’s all too easy to let the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months and forget to take the time to express our love to that certain special someone.

I think holidays like Valentine’s Day serve as a touch stone to remind us to appreciate the one’s we love and declare how much we love and cherish them. Things like chocolate and roses can be a sweet way to symbolize our affections. But they aren’t absolutely necessary. Sometimes music can be the expression of our feelings.

Which brings us to today’s show.

Our guests for this week’s solipsistic NATION are Ryan Lum and Anji Bee from Lovespirals and together I hope we’ll put you in a romantic state of mind for Valentine’s Day.

Granted, not all the music of Lovespirals is about the joys of love. There are songs about heart break and more but on the whole, their music is often romantic and sensual, even when the music is at it’s darkest.

By the way, if you’re a musician then you’ll want to enter the Lovespirals Remix Contest. The contest will allow you the opportunity to remix Lovespirals’ new single “This Truth.” The best remix wins some great prizes and the opportunity to be included on an upcoming Lovespirals remix digital EP and remix collection CD.

1. Lovespirals “Beatitude”
2. Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
3. Lovespirals “Motherless Child (Chris Caulder Remix)”
4. Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
5. Bitstream Dream “Love Me Leave Me”
6. Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
7. Lovespirals “Deep in My Soul”
8. Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
9. Plastic Chair “Requiem”
10. Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
11. Lovespirals “Trouble”
12. Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
13. Lovespirals “Walk Away (Bitstream Dream Remix)”
14. Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
15. Promo: Fallen Nation

I have to say I’m really really impressed with how well the live electronic music performance segments on solipsistic NATION have turned out. In the last couple of months we’ve had some stellar sets from Nalepa, Hol Baumann and the Dub Beautiful Collective. We’re going to kick off February with DJ Olive‘s performance recorded in Australia from on his album, Heaps As, Live in Tasmania, released by The Agriculture.

Rather than opening with a bombastic intro, DJ Olive’s music slyly creeps in, establishing some nice head nodding beats. Almost without you knowing it, Olive takes you on a journey that, to me, sonically captures what it’s like walk through the streets of New York City. DJ Olive’s music seamlessly blends hip hop, funk, jazz, dub, dancehall and Latin rhythms, often within a single song! A lesser artist might have chosen to draw attention to all those genres by rubbing your face in it but here Olive creates an organic mosaic of where those styles and traditions flow together. He does it so well that it’s almost impossible to imagine his music sounding any other way.

If you enjoy this week’s show then you might want to check out an earlier edition of solipsistic NATION featuring an interview with James Healy from The Agriculture and a mix of music from the label, including DJ Olive.

Photo Credit: Kay-Christian Heine

1. DJ Olive “Bin Raider”
2. Interview with DJ Olive
3. DJ Olive “Lila Dog”
4. DJ Olive “The Furry Whale”
5. DJ Olive “Heaps As”
6. DJ Olive “Laughing Eyes”
7. DJ Olive “All’a’ya’alls”
8. DJ Olive “Budgie Smuggler’s Cove”
9. Interview with DJ Olive
10. DJ Olive “Dancing With Poxy Stingers”
11. DJ Olive “Follow Me I’ll Be Right Behind You”
12. DJ Olive “They’ll Make Us All Want to Hate Each Other Don’t Do It”
13. DJ Olive “At Least Some Knots Get Untangled”
14. DJ Olive “Snail Trails In My Arms”
15. DJ Olive “Agriculture Under the Tractor”
16. Interview with DJ Olive
17. DJ Olive “Sub Bass Commandante” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
18. DJ Olive “Bitchiman & Tenderfoot”
19. DJ Olive “Time for You…”
20. Interview with DJ Olive

Hey, I admit it, as the host of solipsistic NATION I think the show is the coolest podcast around. You can’t expect me to be very objective about that. But on the other hand, I’ve listened to a lot of other electronic music podcasts and I’ve found the bulk of them to be terrible and, at best, mediocre. Even the electronic music podcasts that I enjoy I’ve also found wanting.

A lot of shows may play some spectacular music but the tend to play such a narrow spectrum of music over and over again on each show that there’s almost no point in downloading another show. Once I’ve heard one podcast I’ve pretty much heard all their shows. Where’s the fun in that? And other shows that play great electronic music might not have a host so I have no idea who you’re listening to unless I check the playlist. As a consequence, the show feels empty.

Then there are those few shows that play exceptionally good music and have a friendly host to guide me on my audio journey. Those are the shows that I think are worth listening to and that brings us to the Electronicast, hosted by DJ Snowy.

Snowy is passionate about the music he carefully selects for each edition of Electronicast, whether it’s breakbeat, IDM or ambient. No matter what genre of electronic music Snowy plays it’s the highest quality stuff out there. Just as important, Snowy mostly showcases independent and unsigned artists that deserve to be heard.

Snowy has only released a few episodes of Electronicast but it’s such a great show that it’s well worth the wait and I’m always excited when I find a new edition of Electronicast on my iPod.

As the host of solipsistic NATION I feel it’s not only my duty to play for you the very best electronic music but to also turn you on to electronic music podcasts that will rock your world. If after listening to this week’s show you feel you absolutely have to listen to more of Electronicast then why not subscribe to Snowy’s podcast? Life’s too short to listen to bad music.

1. Snowy “Asia”
2. Dementio13 “Polymath”
3. Part 12 “Anon”
4. SK123 “Massive Ambient Face”
5. Subway “Persuasion”
6. Mrs Jynx “Monkey Locked Out”
7. Joycircuit “Absent Friends”
8. Kouncilhouse “Rock Beat”
9. Everlight “Can’t Get Enough”
10. Dementio13 “Deprived of My Senses”
11. Lights Out Asia “Roy”
12. Dave Dark and the Sharks “Closedown”