Category: Listen

I’ve picked up a bunch of new listeners the last couple of weeks and if that happens to be you, thanks for listening!

The first Friday of each month I feature a live electronic music performance. Previous shows have included artists such as Amon Tobin, Meat Beat Manifesto and Bass Science. This week’s show features a live set from Vergel Evans recorded Live at Tresor back in November.

A few months ago I put the word out on Twitter that I was looking for more live sets to feature on solipsistic NATION and one of the people who got back to me was Vergel.

Vergel and I had been talking back and forth on Twitter for a while and had sent me a track or two in the past to listen to. Not only is Vergel influence by the Detroit techno sound but hes always had something insightful to say so I was really looking forward to having him on the show.

I wasn’t wrong, either. In fact, my interview with Vergel went longer than I normally allow. While I enjoy having guests on solipsistic NATION the thrust of the show has been, and always will be, the music. But Vergel is so passionate about music and had such interesting and witty things to say about the modern state of music that I let him go on longer then I would normally let a guest talk. I’m sure you’ll agree that it was worth it.

By the way, Vergel produces a podcast of his own called Lx7 that you should check out. As long as you’re clicking link, also visit his Assembler Techno Fanzine.

You can follow Vergel on Twitter at twitter.com/vveerrgg.

On, and I’m at twitter.com/solipsistic.

As long as I’m giving out Twitter addreses, I’m going to giveaway a free t shirt from Under Republic at the end of today’s show and you can follow Under Republic at, you guessed it, twitter.com/UnderRepublic.

1. Vergel Evans “Live at Tresor (11/12/2008)”
2. Interview with Vergel Evans

On today’s show were going to talk with Boreta and edIT of The Glitch Mob, DJ Hardware and Sin Quirin who are audio agitators in both Ministry and Revolting Cocks and are currently on the road for their Revamp Tour, Ninah Pixie and Das from the Big City Orchestra and DJ and soundsmith Margaret Noble who is currently in San Francisco with Lux Boreal and the Little Know Dance Company in San Francisco performing Incidental Fear Numbers.

The Glitch Mob are Ooah, Kraddy, edIT and Boreta and for the last couple of years they’ve been putting out some incredibly funky that are guaranteed to move your ass. Their motto is “We Slay Crowds!” I’ve had both Ooah and Kraddy on the show in the past and do it’s a pleasure to finally have Boreta and Edit on solipsistic NATION.

Sin has co-writing credits for the Ministry’s “The Last Sucker” record and played guitar on Ministry’s “Cover Up” album as well as Co-writing credits on the Revolting Cocks album “Sex-O Olympic-O” due out in February. DJ Hardware has been in the industry for the last two decades and is a definitive DJ and producer, combining brilliant remixed Classic Rock, Hip-Hop, and Top 40 Hits into dance floor destroyers.

Big City Orchestra is a long running art/anti-art group based generally in California. They were formed in 1979 and have released about 130 hour-long releases on over 100 labels.

Margaret was a DJ in the underground club community of Chicago from 2002 to 2005. Since then she has chosen to work in music concrete, taking her sounds from computers and the world.

I’d like to thank Melissa Mac Tavish for putting me in touch with DJ Hardware. You can find Melissa on Twitter at twitter.com/713punky.

I’d also like to thank Chris Gondek from Twitterhood for having me on his show to talk about solipsistic NATION a few weeks ago. You can listen to the interview here. You can find Chris at twitter.com/booktalk.

1. EProm “64 Bytes (Boreta Remix)”
2. Ooah “Bleeding Mirrors (Remix)”
3. Interview with Boreta and edIT of The Glitch Mob
4. edIT “The Game is Not Over (feat. J Dilla, Phat Kat & Dabrye)”
5. Revolting Cocks “Cousins (DJ Hardware Remix)”
6. Revolting Cocks “Wizard Of Sextown (Redlight District Revamp Mix)”
7. Interview with DJ Hardware and Sin Quirin
8. Big City Orchestra “Jumpingbean”
9. Big City Orchestra “Periwinkle”
10. Interview with Ninah Pixie and Das of Big City Orchestra
11. Margaret Noble “Track 01”
12. Margaret Noble “Track 02”
13. Interview with Margaret Noble
14. Margaret Noble “Track 03”
15. Margaret Noble “Track 04”
16. Margaret Noble “Track 06”

If you’ve started listening to solipsistic NATION because of last week’s soundtrack to an imaginary movie by Guy Ritchie or Amon Tobin‘s live set the week before, welcome.

If you’re the kind of person who is easily bored by the same kind of music then solipsistic NATION is for you. Each week I explore a theme or genres of electronic music so each week is different.

This week out guest is Travis Nobles from the hiddenplace music blog who has prepaared a beautiful mix of music of tracks he considers the best Net Releases of 2008.

I’m grateful for Travis for putting this mix together because I’ve never been very good at putting together the obligatory best of lists at the end of the year. With any luck, I’ll also have a HC from Headphone Commute‘s best 2008 releases as well.

You can follow Travis on Twitter at http://twitter.com/hiddenplace and HC at http://twitter.com/h_c.

1. Trills “Embryo” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
2. Kiorda Daekin “Median” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
3. Michael Hoffmann “The Pilot” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
4. Interview with Travis Nobles of hiddenplace music
5. Solar Fields “Feelings (album mix) radio edit” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
6. iqtu “aiken” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
7. Track53 “We Were Warm (Sun Showers)” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
8. Iambic² “December’s Shadows” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
9. Lokua “Crystal Coupe” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
10. The Dandelion Council “Exploring Woods in Pyjamas Circa 1982” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
11. Interview with Travis Nobles of hiddenplace music
12. Ólafur Arnalds “Fok” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
13. Prologue “Legend” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
14. Planet Boelex & Lisa’s antenna “Angels” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
15. general fuzz “go inward” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
16. Interview with Travis Nobles of hiddenplace music

Earlier this week I set my iPhone to randomly play tracks queued up in my playlist for songs to review for solipsistic NATION, eager to hear what would emerge. As I started adding tracks to my On-The_Go playlist I found myself picking songs that seemed like they would be perfect for a soundtrack for an imaginary movie by Guy Ritchie. Think Snatch. Or Jonathan Glazer‘s Sexy Beast. The mix on this week’s solipsistic NATION feature songs that are gritty and trashy, sexy and fun, maybe even a little dangerous.

As long as I’ve got your eyeballs let me tell you about some upcoming shows on solipsistic NATION.

This weekend I’ll be interviewing Boreta and edIT of the Glitch Mob. I’ve already had Ooah and Kraddy on the show in the past and this will serve as a bookend to the Glitch Mob interviews. If you’d like to be part of the interview, just call my voice mail at 1-619-717-6322 and record your question. I’ll play both your question and their response on the show.

I’ll also interview J. Anthony Allen and Douglas Geers who are running the Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art taking place at the University of Minnesota, February 17 – 22.

Too wrap up the weekend I’ll interview Travis Nobles hiddenplace music blog about the tracks he’s lovingly selected for next week’s show featuring his best of 2008 net releases.

Next month will feature a live set from Vergel E and March will feature a live set by Matt B of the Made In Glitch project and Bass Science.

If you’d like to keep up to date on upcoming shows or participate in future interviews just follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/solipsistic.

Photo Credit: Raul Flores H.

1. Tricky “C’Mon Baby”
2. Boys Noize “Let’s Buy Happiness (Proxy Remix)”
3. Alice In Videoland “Who’s That Boy”
4. Justice “Phantom”
5. Sébastien Tellier “Sexual Sportswear (Sébastien Mix)”
6. Kavin Sky “Testarossa Sébastien Remix”
7. Sex In Dallas & Biladoll “The Freaks”
8. Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip “Thou Shalt Always Kill”
9. Andrew Weatherall “Feathers”
10. S.I.M.O. “Peaches”
11. The Streets “Never Give In”
12. Spank Rock “Sweet Talk”
13. Télépathique “Sex Drugs And Funk ‘n’ Roll”
14. Larytta “The Money”

A lot of people got MP3 players like iPods, iPhones and Zunes as gifts for the holidays and have been downloading podcasts to put on their new toys. If that happens to be you then you’re in for a treat. Today’s show is beat master and sonic soundsmith, Amon Tobin.

Amon has recorded some incredible albums such as Bricolage, Permutation and Supermodified. Even his earlier releases that he recorded under the name Cujo sound as fresh today as they did in 1996. His most recent release is Foley Room, and once again Amon pushed himself to explore the possibilities of sound and music.

If you’re unfamiliar with Amon I encourage you to download the March 21st, 2008 edition of solipsistic NATION. That show feature an interview with Amon Tobin about his musical career and a retrospective mix of select tracks from his albums.

Once a month on solipsistic NATION I feature a live performance of electronic music and on this week’s live set comes to from Amon Tobin, recorded in Brussels for his Foley Room tour.

If you’d like to hear Amon’s concert without the interview, you can download his Foley Room Recorded Live In Brussels here.

1. Amon Tobin “Into The Dark”
2. Amon Tobin “Horsefish Live Mix”
3. Cardiacs “The Alphabet Business Concern (Home Of Fadeless Splendor)”
4. Two Fingers “Two Fingers (White Label)”
5. Spank Rock “Bump Switch Rmx”
6. Two Fingers “Two Fingers (White Label)”
7. Amon Tobin “Esthers”
8. Amon Tobin “Throwback Intro To SS Live 1”
9. Zilla / King Cannibal “Aragami Style”
10. Kelis “Aww Shit”
11. Two Fingers “Two Fingers (White Label)”
12. Amon Tobin “Kitchen Sink Live Mix”
13. Amon Tobin “Big Furry Head”
14. Tech Itch “Know”
15. Amon Tobin “Verbal ACC”
16. Two Fingers “Two Fingers (White Label)”
17. Boxcutter “Grub”
18. Autechre “Doctrine”
19. Amon Tobin “Foley Room”
20. Amon Tobin “White Label”
21. Dom N Roland “Ritual”
22. Amon Tobin / Noisia “Tobin/Noisia Collab Work In Progress (White Label)”
23. Konflict “Messiah (Noisia Rmx)”
24. Spank Rock “Get On The Floor (Disco D)”
25. Nice Nice “Uh-Oh”
26. Amon Tobin “Straight Psyche”
27. Autechre “Second Bad Vibel”
28. Noisia “B.R.E.E.Z.E.”
29. Noisia “Concussion”
30. Kriptic Minds And Leon Switch “No Remorse”
31. Amon Tobin “Keep Your Distance”

Philosophy and science fiction has always been a part of solipsistic NATION. In fact, the name solipsistic NATION was taken from Greg Egan‘s science fiction novel, Permutation City.

Recently I’ve been reading Neal Stephenson‘s novel, Anathem. Stephenson’s books are great reads full of adventure, heady concepts and passages that have made me laugh out loud. Anathem is a very different book for Stephenson. For one, it’s written in the first person. Secondly, it takes place in the future and in an alternate universe. Stephenson thinks big and Anathem is no exception.

There are many themes in Anathem and one of the most compelling is the idea of causal domain shear. Stephenson first introduces this concept through a dialogue between two characters, one, a student, the other, his mentor. These two characters belong to a monastic-like organization who pursue mathematicians and science rather than religion. They are cut off from the world and even within their order there are orders who are cut off from each other.

In a thought experiment the mentor poses the idea that, if taken to the extreme, an order could be so cut off from the rest of the world that they become a unique culture with their own world, universe and timeline.

Anathem explores this concept and then slowly reintroduces the characters into the larger world that expands and expands until beings from alternate universes are in conflict with each other. Like I said, heady stuff.

What does causal domain shear have to do with solipsistic NATION? Thematically I hope this week’s show will subjectively slow down the clock for you while you listen. With any luck, this week’s show will prompt flights of fancy or insight gained through introspection that you can take back with you when you re-emerge with the real/imaginary materialistic world.

Photo Credit: Simon Crubellier

1. Kodomo “Concept 8”
2. Integral “Je Ne Trouve Pas La Sortie”
3. juxta phona & offthesky “sex, flies, yellow tape”
4. Spyweirdos and John Mourjopoulos with Floros Floridis “At”
5. Displacer “He Could Destroy The Earth”
6. Aughra “Return To The Red Room” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
7. Blackfilm “Interference”
8. Emanuele Errante “Radio Hopes”
9. niteffect “blur emotions” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
10. Lukeing Forward “Soulless”
11. Tapage “Pretend Not To See”
12. Mothboy “Rewind, Erase And Replace”
13. Mad EP “Menuet”
14. BrainSt0rm “Nightviews (Rough Edit)”

I usually release my shows Thursdays at midnight so you can kick off your weekend with the latest solipsistic NATION but the last couple of shows have gone out a day or two late. I know that since this is a podcast you can listen to it whenever you like so being late a day or two isn’t such a big deal. But if you’re like me, there are a couple of shows that I really enjoy and I get annoyed when they release their shows late. If I’ve annoyed you, I offer my sincere apologies.

This week’s show is actually three days late. I’ve been sick for the last week and I just couldn’t find the energy to get out of bed and record the show. Usually I take a few days off from work to recover from a cold but this year I’ve taken way too many sick days as it is and couldn’t afford to take any more time off so I just had to suck it up and get through the week.

Being sick the last week has really sucked but I’ve been having some amazing dreams!

Last night I dreamt I was independent contractor who drove a supply truck for the military. I was checked through security to make a delivery and while I was on the base I saw a bunch of prisoners of war on their knees with their hands clasped behind their head while soldiers had their machine guns trained on the back of their skulls in an abandoned parking garage.

On of the higher ups approached me and was threatening in a very charming way. He asked me if I’d be interested in participating in one of their studies. With dream logic I knew it would be some sort of science fiction experiment that would give me fantastic powers at a terrible price. I begged off and spent the rest of the dream trying to escape from the base without drawing attention to myself.

Meanwhile, military scientists were studying my movements on security cameras and noted how I was unconsciously warping reality to aid in my escape. They were speculating on how dangerous I might become if I ever became aware if my power and debating when to send soldiers out to contain me.

Pretty cool, huh?

Photo Credit: damndirty

1. Shamanic Technology “Rites Of Passage”
2. Dubosmium “7Heavens” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
3. Mystical Sun “Incense”
4. I Awake “Constellation of the Heart (Native Edit)”
5. Ad·ver·sary “International Dark Skies” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
6. Sawako “Deep Under”
7. Al Margolis “Natraj”
8. Koen Park “Laburnum”
9. Bubblegone “Letters from Home” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
10. rngmnn “What Goes Around Comes Around” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
11. Evan Bartholomew “Leaving Behind Ourselves”

It’s a rare rainy day in San Diego and the weather goes along perfectly with today’s dreamy mix.

The second week of each month of solipsistic NATION I feature music from an electronic music label that I really like but this month I’ve been so busy that I couldn’t find the time to do that. But since last month I did two shows featuring music from the Spectraliquid and Alfa Matrix record labels that I could be forgiven for slipping up.

2008 is coming to an end and if all goes well, the next two editions of solipsistic NATION will feature HC from the Headphone Commute music blog favorite albums of the year.

I’m going to kick off 2009 with a live set from Amon Tobin, who we had on solipsistic NATION, last March. I’m going to interview Amon this week and if you have a question you’d like to ask him you can either email me your question at solipsisticnation@gmail.com or record your question on my voicemail at 1-619-717-6322.

If you want to keep up to date on future shows, just follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/solipsistic.

Photo Credit: la renata

1. Alex Tomb “The Gardens of Babylon (Breger Remix)”
2. Remute “Out”
3. Shamanic Technology “Toy Vision”
4. Bola “Waknuts”
5. Tycho “Sunrise Projector”
6. Detalles “Sociber”
7. James Bernard “Segue 3”
8. Stefano Spataro Solquest Projects “Post-Mushroom”
9. Kingbastard “Bipolar”
10. Desert Dwellers “Stellar Dendrites”
11. OP11 “Dome”
12. Mystical Sun “Dark Energy”

D.D.T. was a hardcore aggro-industrial electronic act that was together in Boston from the late 1980’s until the mid 1990’s. Noel McKenna did drum programming and vocals, Lisa Sirois did samples and some vocals, and Elaine Walker (who joined in late 1991) did synth programming. Elaine joined D.D.T. at the same time she was forming ZIA. The first ZIA lineup consisted of Noel McKenna and Lisa Sirois of D.D.T. Where are they now? Noel is now a Buddhist Monk in upstate New York and Lisa is “DJ Goldilox” in San Francisco.

Today’s live performance features industrial band, D.D.T.

Ever since I started I started this segment I’ve been looking forward to this particular show. In fact, I wanted to play D.D.T.’s performance immediatley but I wanted to hold off until October, since that seemed the appropriate time of year to put out this episode.

First, let me give you a little history.

Waaaaaay back in the 80s I was dating a girl by the name of Arni. One of her friends was named Noel McKenna and a few years later he had started an industrial act called D.D.T. Since I featured live bands on my show I invited Noel and his partner in crime, Goldilox, to come to the station and play.

At the time my soundman was an action figure of a man named Harry Wallace. I could fill up several shows with stories about his crazy life but I’ll save that for another time. The best way I can some up Harry is that he should have had the world “Go!” tattooed on his forehad in capital letters.

Anyway… Harry really, really dug the band and when they asked him to do sound for their live shows he went at it like he did every thing in life, with both guns blazing!

About a year later Elaine Walker joined D.D.T. and I think she really fleshed out the band with her microtonal influence. They came back to the station in November of 1991 and played another set, which is the recording you’re going to hear on today’s show.

Noel is currently on retreat as a Buddhist monk, Goldilocks is helping run Sleevin Records and on the road, and Elaine is brewing trouble with her band Zia and I had the pleasure of having them on solipsistic NATION back in May.

1. D.D.T. “Live on WMFO 91.5 FM”

Today’s show came about from an email from HC of Headphone Commute. HC suggested that I have Kostas K come on the show to play music from his label, Spectraliquid. There are only a handful of releases on Spectraliquid, not nearly enough to qualify for my monthly feature on electronic music labels. Still, HC was right. The music on Kostas’ label was mind blowingly great so I decided to split the show with a segment on Spectraliquid and the rest would be a mix of music that would compliment Spectraliquid. By the tile I had selected the least track I realized that the only way to do Spectraliquid justice was by dedicating an entire show to music from the label.

By the way, HC posted his top 10 mixes of 2008 on his blog. It’s pretty eclectic and features everything from the Glitch Mob to Pinch’s mix on Rob’s Electronic Explorations podcast. HC included my interview with Amon Tobin and my retrospective mix of his musical career so far. I’m honored to be included in HC’s list but let’s be honest, if it’s a mix of music from Amon Tobin, how can you go wrong?

I’d also like to thank Denard Henry for participating on today’s interview with Kostas through his post on Twitter. You can follow Denard on Twitter at http://twitter.com/denardhenry. If you want to keep in the loop on upcoming shows on solipsistic NATION follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/solipsistic.

1. Cardopusher “Toothsmasher (Innasekt Remix)”
2. Interview with Kostas K of Spectraliquid
3. Cardopusher “Cockpit”
4. Ebola “Painkillers”
5. Interview with Kostas K of Spectraliquid
6. Ebola “Teledildonics”
7. Cardopusher “Collapsible Shelter”
8. Blackfilm “Come & See”
9. Interview with Kostas K of Spectraliquid
10. Blackfilm “Atlantikend”
11. Subheim “Hollow (Remix by Mobthrow)”
12. Interview with Kostas K of Spectraliquid
13. Subheim “Howl”
14. Blackfilm “Stalingrad”
15. Interview with Kostas K of Spectraliquid