Category: Listen

On today’s show we’re joined by special guest, Cheb i Sabbah.

Cheb represents, in part, the transition when DJs went from spinning music to producing music. Whereas DJ Shadow dug through crates to find the rare vinyl he would use to create his masterpiece album, Entroducing…, Cheb traveled to places like India and North Africa to record traditional music for his albums such as Shri Durga and La Kahena.

This week on solipsistic NATION we’re going to talk with Cheb and listen to a restrospective mix of his musical career so far. I want to thank Six Degrees Records and Cheb i Sabbah for making this week’s show possible.

Photo credit: James A.K.A. “cookiecrook”

1. Cheb i Sabbah “Govinda”
2. Interview with Cheb i Sabbah
3. Cheb i Sabbah “Raja Vedalu”
4. Cheb i Sabbah “Radhe Krishna (The Babu Chandidasa Mix)”
5. Cheb i Sabbah “Ganga Dev (The Prakriti – Purusha Mix River of Mercury)”
6. Cheb i Sabbah “Rupa Tujhe Deva (The Karsh Kale Gopi Girl Mix)”
7. Cheb i Sabbah “Shri Durga (FunDaMental Organic Chill Mix)”
8. Cheb i Sabbah “Jarat Fil Hub (Love’s Chalice)”
9. Cheb i Sabbah “Im Ninalou (The Groovio Deep End Remix)”
10. Cheb i Sabbah “Esh ‘Dani, Alash Mshit (The Rai of Light Club Remix)”
11. Interview with Cheb i Sabbah

A while back I interviewed The Agriculture‘s James Healy for the small WORLD podcast. Shortly afterwards I got a message from a cat named Macedonia telling me that he dug the interview and was fan of The Agriculture label.

Turns out that Macedonia hosted a podcast of his own called Both Sides of the Surface where he spins music, as he says, “from around the world and around the way.” Macedonia plays everything from Afrobeat to Soul but it was immediately clear that his passion was hip hop.  I started tuning into his show and became a fan. That’s saying a lot because I’ve had a love/hate relationship with hip hop for years and years. I love hip hop for it’s freshness and inventiveness and for it’s honesty, even when it’s outright lying to you with a wink. I hate hip hop for crass commercialism  and the coma it’s been in during the gangsta era and I hate hip hop for it’s intolerance and inflexibility. During the last 10 years I’ve had more of a hate relationship with hip hop than a love relationship. But there was Macedonia, a soft spoken deejay, rekindling everything I originally loved about hip hop.

Earlier this year I put together an Exquisite Corpse mix and when I asked Anji Bee, host of the Chillcast, which deejays I should include in the mix she unequivocally said Macedonia. Now that I’m into the second year of solipsistic NATION I plan to have more guest deejays on the show and the first guest I wanted to have on the show was Macedonia.

As I mentioned, while Macedonia’s first love is hip hop he’s not limited to that genre, as you can tell by today’s show. Everything is grist for Macedonia’s musical grill. More than that, Macedonia waxes eloquent on all forms of music for Impose Magazine. Recently he’s written about Amon Tobin‘s latest release, Foley Room and Copperpot‘s WYLA? (What’re You Looking At?) album.

I’ve only known Macedonia for a little over a year but after listening to his voice on BSOTS podcast after show I feel like I’ve always known him. If you’ve never listened to BSOTS, go subscribe to his podcast after listening to this week’s show. Let’s expand the circle of friends.

1. Kraak & Smaak “Real Pain” (K&S Remix)”
2. Someone Else “Generic Atmo”
3. Christian Walt “Still Sleeping?”
4. Simian Mobile Disco “Wooden”
5. Tokyo507 “Body Electric”
6. Jonny Sonic “Medicine”
7. DJ Z-Trip “Rockstar”
8. Think Tank “A Knife & A Fork”
9. DJ Dope “Jimmy Kills Us”
10. Goldlix “Latinozo”
11. Urban Clearway “African Culture”
12. David Last “Where It Falls”
13. Caribou “Lovely Day (Four Tet Remix)”

solipsistic NATION first aired on Free Radio San Diego back in June of 2004 but I don’t think the show really took off until I started doing it as a podcast last September.

Back when I was doing pirate radio I did a freeform show but I found that I was playing so much electronic music that I thought it would be best for everyone if I a separate show that just focused on the electronic music and solipsistic NATION was born.

In a sense, solipsistic NATION is still a freeform show and that was a deliberate move on my part. I love breakbeat, for example, but I would get bored very quickly if I had to play an hour of breakbeat week after week.

One of the things I love about electronic music is that it will cannibalize anything that comes across it’s way and then recontextualize it into something new and exciting. So I decided not to not limit myself to just one genre of electronic music. Instead, I wanted to play only the very best from all genres of electronic music.

The only problem is that the software that we were using to spin music on Free Radio San Diego was so crude that it was incredibly difficult to do the kind of show that I had in mind. Once I started doing solipsistic NATION as a podcast the kid gloves came off and I got very ambitious about the scope of the show.

In the last year I’ve done documentaries on Nerdcore and Chiptunes. I’ve featured live performances from Deru and Robert Rich. I’ve had guest DJs on the show such as Wayz and Eve Falcon, I’ve also interviewed people from record labels such as Nacional Records and Extreme Records and more recently I interviewed Vivian Host, the editor of XLR8R magazine.

Here’s what’s coming down the feed in the next few months…

I’m working on a documentary on Digital Hardcore that I’m very excited about. The documentary will feature interviews with Alec Empire, members of Lolita Storm and Shizou and many more as well as some music that’s going to destroy your speakers or melt your headphones. I’m also working on a documentary about the Illbient movement that come about in the mid 90s and that show will feature music and interviews from folks like Ben Neill and DJ Wally and many others. Another documentary I’m putting together will focus on electroclash. You can expect to hear interviews and music from Spray, Electrosexual, Noblesse Oblige and much, much more!

I’m also going to continue to have guest DJs on the show. In October, Mikel OD from the Most People Are DJs podcast will be spinning a mix of synthpop. I also plan to have Anji Bee from the Chillcast come on the show with a mix of her own.

I’ve got a very special show coming up in a few months that will feature an Exquisite Corpse mix put together by a dozen DJs.

I’m also going to do more shows that feature electronic music from records labels such as Accretions, Elektrotribe and Ultimae Records.

I’m also going to continue to feature recordings of live performances and the next one coming up is a set by Hol Baumann that I can promise will absolutely rock your world.

In two weeks I’m going to have Cheb I Sabbah on the show for a chat as well as a retrospective mix of his musical career.

That’s quite a list and I’ve got much, much, much more in store for you but that’s just the stuff I can tell you about!

1. Ministry “Yellow Cake (Heaflouride)”
2. Alec Empire “Gotta Get Out”
3. Interview with Lolita Storm
4. Lolita Storm “Hot Lips, Wet Pants”
5. Null Object “South South West”
6. Peanut Butter Disco “Technopluck!”
7. DJ Mutiny “Soulrunner (Superstyle Deluxe Remix) (Botchit Breaks)”
8. Interview with Kraddy
9. Kraddy “I Gotcha – Lupe Fiasco [Kraddy Remix]”
10. Tyson “Freedom Roc”
11. Richie Hawtin “The Tunnel – Consists Of:”
12. Xc-N “Syllabus”
13. Ignatius “Trappings”
14. Interview with Mick Harris of Scorn
15. Scorn “Soon Come”
16. Interview with Kush Arora
17. Kush Arora “Surf’s Up”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, house is one of my least favorite kinds of electronic music. But you know what? When I was gathering songs to play on today’s show I ended up with over 10 hours of house music. All of it good!

I could of done a mix of traditional house music or a mix of tech house or even a mix of Latin flavored house. I’ll play those mixes on future editions of solipsistic NATION but I decided to go with a more eclectic mix for today’s show.

I have a favor to ask. Next week is the one year anniversary of solipsistic NATION. I’d like you to call my voice mail at 1-619-377-0538 and tell me what your favorite edition of solipsistic NATION has been and if there’s any direction you’d like the show to go in. I’ll play your message on next week’s podcast.

Now go bust a groove!

Photo credit: Renato

1. Zeroleen “All Good (Kraak & Smaak Remix)”
2. Chuck Love “Giveitupsista”
3. White Lotus Society “Got It (Chuck Love Remix)”
4. Think Tank “Primordial Cocktail”
5. Kolo “Patterns Of Sound”
6. Bitter:Sweet “Moving Forward (Atjazz Remix)”
7. THEE-O “Girls Like Robots (Richard Earnshaw Main Mix)”
8. Phunindustries “Sumatra”
9. Absynthesis “Trekkin (Live)”
10. Menphis “In Da Jungle (Instrumental Mix)”
11. Keister “Sexy Thing”

One of the wonderful things about solipsistic NATION is all the people the show has put me in touch with. I’ve met listeners online from Antarctica to the UK. I’ve got to talk to people who run labels such as Nacional Records and Woodson Lateral Records. I’ve also become friends with some of the artists who have been featured on solipsistic NATION.

Back in March I played Royal Sapien‘s “Triple Nine (Royal Sapien Body Shot Remix)” on the show and since I’ve been in touch with Royal Sapien’s Ben Mautner. Ben is one of those guy’s who always busy with a creative project of some kind. If he isn’t creating songs under the name of Royal Sapien he’s remixing songs from other artists or bands or running his label, Olaris Records, with Ryan Crane or mixing sets for John Digweed‘s radio show, Transitions.

Last month I asked Ben to put together a mix for solipsistic NATION and Ben did not disappoint. For your listening pleasure, I present to you a mix of wonderful music that Ben has produced that he considers his personal favorites!

1. Royal Sapien “Where’s The Bar? (Royal Sapien More Mix)”
2. Interview with Ben Mautner, AKA, Royal Sapien
3. Royal Sapien “Akimbo”
4. Royal Sapien “Do It Now (Main Mix)”
5. Royal Sapien “Everyone (Loved By You)”
6. Royal Sapien “San Francisco Love”
7. Royal Sapien “Broad Styles”
8. Royal Sapien “Tits”
9. No Context “Anti-Skate”
10. Royal Sapien “Love”

On today’s show we’re going to focus on tech house. We’ll also talk with Vivian Host, the editor of XLR8R Magazine.

Every week I get hit with a tidal wave of new releases that I listen to in order to deliver to you a mix of the very best of all genres of electronic music. One way I keep from drowning in all this music is reading XLR8R Magazine. XLR8R covers the latest in electronic music, culture, style and technology. XLR8R also releases a weekly podcast and videocast which you should definitely subscribe to.

As a DJ and as a someone who loves electronic music in all its myriad forms and as a graphic designer, XLR8R Magazine seems like it’s published just for me!

Photo credit: Graham ‘the-G-man’

1. Evan Marc “Silver”
2. Interview with Vivian Host, editor of XLR8R Magazine
3. Digital Filth “Issues”
4. Alexis Tyrel “No Way Back”
5. Voodoo J “Electric Shock”
6. Interview with Vivian Host, editor of XLR8R Magazine
7. Lucio & Pep “Na Bir E Nu Spniel”
8. Brasswork Agency “Crushed and Shaken”
9. Interview with Vivian Host, editor of XLR8R Magazine
10. Coderock “Poke”
11. Christoph Schindling “Alert”
12. Ilario Naples “Psychotropic Drugs”
13. Interview with Vivian Host, editor of XLR8R Magazine
14. Dejan Galic “Coup De Coeur”

On solipsistic NATION I play for you the absolute best of all genres of electronic music. From time to time I do shows that feature documentaries on a specific genre of electronic music such as Nerdcore or Chiptunes. I’ve also interviewed bands and musicians and record labels and played music from live performances.

Unfortunately, during the last year of solipsistic NATION the live performances have been left behind. I had forgotten about that aspect of the show until a month ago I went back and listened to the live Glitch set from Deru that appeared on the show back in October. Listening to Deru’s performance brought back all the magic and excitement a live show can evoke.

I wanted to bring back recordings from concerts as a feature on the show. I also wanted to do something special for the 50th edition of solipsistic NATION.

Recently ambient/electronic musician Robert Rich released recordings of his performances of his shows at Fort Mason and the Morrison Planetarium in San Francisco on Fake Science. I’ve been a fan of Robert’s music since I first heard his song “Liquid Air” on the From Here To Tranquility Ambient Compilation back in 1993. I knew that the playing select tracks from live performances from Robert Rich is exactly what I wanted to feature on the 50th edition of solipsistic NATION.

Today’s show features select live tracks from the following releases by Robert Rich:

1. Live at Fort Mason [Set 1]
2. Live at Fort Mason [Set 2]
3. Live at Morrison Planetarium

One day while pulling records and CDs for my upcoming show on WMFO I came across a compilation CD entitled X-X Section from Extreme Records. Intrigued by the CD’s cover, I added it to my stack of music and previewed it in Studio C.

After skimming through the disc I found myself even more intrigued by the haunting music on CD which featured such artists as C-Schulz, Jim O’Rourke and Merzbow. As time went by all the artists on X-X Section were added to the soundtrack of my life and I always kept an eye open for any releases put by Extreme Records.

Earlier this years I was thrilled to find that Extreme Records had made some songs from its roster of artist available to podcasters through IODA PROMONET!

In June I put out a show that featured many artists on Extreme Records that I found on IODA PROMONET and emailed Extreme the playlist. I got a quick reply from Roger Richards, who runs Extreme Records, thanking me for playing music from his label on my show. Since then we’ve been in contact with each other and I invited him to come on solipsistic NATION to showcase music from Extreme Records.

I would have never imagined all those years ago that I would go from being a DJ to a podcaster and having the pleasure of having Roger on solipsistic NATION. For your edification and enjoyment, I present to you music from the eclectic label of Extreme Records!

1. Muslimgauze “Afghan Black”
2. Interview with Roger Richards of Extreme Records
3. Robert Vincs “Devic Kingdom”
4. Soma “Sleepwalker (Reformatted I)”
5. Terminal Sound System “Ghost Summer”
6. Merzbow “Electric Peekaboo”
7. Otomo Yoshihide “V.G.”
8. Maju “Acausal Links”
9. Luca Formentini “Tacet”
10. Pablo’s Eye “Absolute”
11. Claudio Parodi “Part 3 (Excerpt)”
12. Promo: The Chillcast with Anji Bee Podcast Awards Nomination

This week on solipsistic NATION we’re going to dig into the genre of Glitch.

It’s generally accepted that Oval‘s Wohnton, produced back in 1993, was the first proper Glitch album. Since then, Glitch quickly spread around the world as artists such as Autechre, Aphex Twin, and Yasunao Tone who used damaged CDs in his Techno Eden performance in 1985 followed suit.

While Glitch adheres to logic, patterning, and order it can be at the same time either raw or delicate or, sometimes, both. We’re going to explore both the raw and delicate aspects of Glitch on today’s show.

Photo credit: Yasemin Sabuncu

1. Ooah “Stomp the Yard”
2. Detalles “Loose Losse”
3. Blipvert “Last Teeth Before Smiling”
4. Nick Didkovsky “Hell Beat 01, 110 bpm”
5. Dam O “Klokia”
6. Raffaele Martino “Joint”
7. Crystal Fake “Frostbite Freenite”
8. Rechenzentrum “IBM”
9. James Bernard “Segue 1”
10. Distraub “Cepstrum”
11. Badun “Fyrtårn”
12. Nalepa “Monday”
13. Dominik Eulberg “Stelldichein des Westerwälder Vogelchores”