Synecdoche

This week we’ll be listening to a mix of breath taking music from the Boards of Canada, Nalepa, Vector Lovers and much, much more.

This mix was originally released on Praketh’s Blue Orb podcast and, sadly, is no longer available for download. But the music is so beautiful that I asked Praketh, the record labels and artists if I could share the mix with you on this week’s solipsistic NATION. Happily, they all said yes.

As I said, the original mix is no longer available and that’s got me thinking about the shows I release on solipsistic NATION. Each podcast is, ultimately, disposable media.

Let me explain what I’m talking about.

I spend hours putting these shows together and each week you download the latest edition of solipsistic NATION, listen to it, and then delete from your computer or MP3 player. I’m not complaining. I do the same thing.

But when I downloaded Praketh’s podcast I was so enchanted with his mix that I never deleted it. In fact, I’ve set the alarm clock on my computer to wake me up to this mix each morning.

A good DJ will take you on a journey when they put together a mix of music and this show has everything: it’s gentle, sweet, melancholy, joyful and spiritual. Enjoy!

Photo credit: .kaishin.

1. Schulman “Staring at the Abyss”
2. One Second Bridge “Everywhere”
3. Tycho “Past is Prologue”
4. Vector Lovers “Neon Sky Rain”
5. Ganucheau “Stillness”
6. Boards of Canada “Dayvan Cowboy”
7. Felix Laband “Whistling in Tongues”
8. International Peoples Gang “AC Harmonics”
9. Nalepa “Fresh”
10. Studio Pankow “Heidelberger Platz”
11. I’m Not A Gun “Move”
12. International Peoples Gang “This One”
13. The Gentlemen Losers “Laureline”

Back in August I did an all tech house show on solipsistic NATION and most of the music came from Elektrotribe Records. Elektrotribe’s co-founder, Rom1 and I exchanged a few emails and after many months I’m pleased to have him as a guest on solipsistic NATION.

Elektrotribe Records is a label and management company based on an international community of music producers, DJs, designers, VJs and video producers. While a lot of Elektrotribe’s releases focus on tech house they’re not limited to that genre. Soulkut, for example, specializes in a kind of abstract hip hop and Dark Machines tends to be more drum and bass oriented.

Speaking of which, Nikolce Vasilevski of Dark Machines will release his latest album, Motion, on Elektrotribe December 17th. If you loved Prodigy‘s The Fat of the Land then you’re really going to dig Motion!

1. Dark Machines “220”
2. Interview with Rom1 of Elektrotribe Records
3. Soulkut “Berlin Undaground”
4. Lucio & Pep “Afternoon”
5. Interview with Rom1 of Elektrotribe Records
6. Digital Filth “Beta Bug”
7. Interview with Rom1 of Elektrotribe Records
8. Moog Conspiracy “Code Alfa (Lucio & Pep Remix)”
9. The Free Electric Band “Bashy”
10. Interview with Rom1 of Elektrotribe Records
11. Flavio Lodetti & Cletto Arrighi “Refresh”
12. Ilario Naples “Anfetamin”
13. Interview with Rom1 of Elektrotribe Records
14. Mark Marquez “Voodoo Cat”
15. Harnessnoise “Flat Coke Can’t Dance”
16. Interview with Rom1 of Elektrotribe Records

During the first year of the solipsistic NATION I wanted to make live electronic music performances a regular part of the show and I launched that segment with a set by Deru.

Since then I’ve featured tracks from artists who performed for the Dub Beautiful Collective in San Francisco as well as Robert Rich. In the next few month’s we’ll have a live perfromance from Nalepa and Dr. Toast.

On today’s show we’ve got some fantastic music by Ultimae Records recording artist, Olivier Orand, otherwise known as Hol Baumann. from his performance at The Sonic. Joining us is Hol and Sunny, Ultimae Records co-founder.

1. Hol Baumann “Asia”
2. Interview with Hol Baumann
3. Hol Baumann “Final”
4. Hol Baumann “Extended Away”
5. Hol Baumann “Asian Woman”
6. Hol Baumann “Benares”
7. Interview with Hol Baumann
8. Hol Baumann “Send Away”
9. Hol Baumann “Sub 0”
10. Hol Baumann “At Home”
11. Interview with Hol Baumann
12. Hol Baumann “Human”
13. Hol Baumann “Radio Bombay”
14. Interview with Hol Baumann

solipsistic NATION has put me in touch with a lot of interesting and creative people, from recording artists and music labels to video jockeys and bloggers.

One listener of the show is Travis who runs the Hiddenplace Music blog. A few week’s back Travis wrote about the Discos Konfort‘s No Copy Protection netlabel and it occurred to me that the only netlabel that I focused on was Jahtari, and that was back in February.

Netlabels play a big part in promoting and distributing electronic music and so for today’s show I wanted to turn you onto just a few netlabels putting out some incredible stuff!

Our first guest will be Axel Barcelo, who manages Discos Konfort and the No Copy Protection netlabel. Discos Konfort is one of the more recent netlabels on the scene and release some fantastic electronic music from Mexico and beyond.

We’ll also talk with Sebastian Redenz who co-manages the German based Thinner netlabel. Thinner has had over two million mp3 downloads and is one of the older netlabels and they will be celebrating their 10th anniversary next year.

Our final guest will be Simon Carless, who runs Monotonik, which is one of the oldest netlabels. Monotonik is an outlet for talented artists who weren’t getting the attention they deserved and have released over 300 tracks from a variety of electronic musicians from all over the world.

During this week’s show we’ll also talk with Todd Kiyoshi Tanaka, owner of KleenHouse Clothing Inc., based in San Diego, California.

KleenHouse Clothing brings you the absolute latest in urban wear and hip-hop gear. Featuring custom-made graffiti belt buckles, the freshest threads for all ages and a look into the world of underground hip-hop and breakdancing. Puma watches, belt buckles, belts, spraypaint and spray cans.

I’ve been walking by KleenHouse for months and it was always closed. The windows were always blocked off so it was a mystery exactly what KleenHouse was. Finally, KleenHouse opened and I walked in and introduced myself to Todd. I told Todd about the show and that I promote art and design culture and asked if her he would be interested in running a t-shirt giveaway contest on the show. Todd was up for it and surprised me by throwing in a pendant into the deal.

We’re only giving away one KleenHouse t-shirt on this week’s show. Email me at solipsisticnation@gmail.com or leave a message on the solipsistic NATION voice mail at 1-619-377-0538 and you could be the lucky winner. I’ll announce the winner in two weeks.

1. Interview with Axel Barcelo of Discos Konfort
2. Cri Kong “Hash Oil”
3. Polifonia Visual “Hash Oil”
4. Rubinskee “Rambling”
5. Hermetic Sound “Rincon”
6. Interview with Sebastian Redenz of Thinner
7. krill.minima “Strandpalast”
8. Laura Palmer “Evolve”
9. Christian Dittmann “Rechazamos El Ahora”
10. Marko Fürstenberg “Porn Infection (Remix)”
11. Interview with Todd Kiyoshi Tanaka of KleenHouse Clothing Inc.
12. Protov “Be Rich and Famous Like the Famous Amos”
13. Interview with Simon Carless of Monotonik
14. Bird Lantern “Phasers”
15. Beak “Context Clues”
16. transient “cloudwalk”
17. Chromatic Flights “Trip to Wipilon”
18. Sonmi451 “Inner Structure”

Electronic music has become so common place that no one bats an eye when you hear
it. Nearly all of Madonna‘s music, for example, is electronic, but she’s about as mainstream
as you can get. But electronic music wasn’t always that way. Long before the early days
of hip hop and long before the day’s of Kraftwerk, electronic music was the
domain of avant-garde composers such as Edgard
Varèse.

With Poème Électronique”, Varèse experimented with
electronic sounds, natural instrumentation and recorded sounds. But even Varèse
owes a debt to the Dadaism, Surrealism and Futurism, all of which were trying to go beyond the constraints of what
music was supposed to be. And in time, these experimental approaches were incorporated
and adopted into the mainstream.

On today’s show, we’re going to pay homage to the trailblazers in sound. I hope you
enjoy the journey.

Photo credit: TrailofTerror

1. Christopher Willits “Plane”
2. Virgox “Green Ping Orange Pong”
3. Carson Day “While You’re Away”
4. Nathan Hubbard “i/nside (no exit)”
5. Gescom
   “C2”
6. Lapsed
   “where were you?”
7. Raven Chacon “Naakits’ Áadah”
8. Esther Lamneck “Trio for Clarinet and Two Computers (Part
   1)”
9. Mad E.P.
   “HZ”
10. Dielectric Minimalist All-Stars “Cocaine Lovin’ Orange County Kids”
11. For Barry Ray
    “Aurora Dancing”
12. Son of Gunnar, Ton of Shell “The Populous”
13. Mel “Lies All Lies”
14. Jvox “Cold Squeeze”
15. Daniel Blinkhorn “Resource14”
16. Akira Kosemura “Pause”
17. Damon Holzborn “E. Digest”
18. Hans Fjellestad “Phone Damage”
19. David Toop
    “Chair Creaks, Though No One Sits There”
20. Dielectric Drone All-Stars
    “Ghosts in the Shitter”

Live electronic music. It almost seems like an oxymoron. How can electronic music be “live” when it consists of a series of sequenced drum programs and synthesizers. You could literally press play on your laptop and walk away from the stage.

Musicians do play electronic music live and until fairly recently it’s been a dull affair. The usual live experience is to see a one or two dudes on stage leaning over their laptops looking as if they we’re earnestly answering an email. But that’s been changing. More and more artists are incorporating analogue gear into their repertoire. The hardware and software is increasing adapting itself to improvisation and it’s not uncommon to see tradition instruments playing alongside their digital brethren.

I’m particularly enamored with live electronic music because I’ve been around long enough to see its development. From synthpop to hip hop to industrial to glitch, each year the experience becomes more and more organic and exciting.

From time to time on solipsistic NATION I’ve featured live electronic music from such artists as Deru and Robert Rich. In the near future solipsistic NATION will feature live performances from Hol Baumann and Nalepa.

On today’s show we’re going to talk with Maer of the Dub Beautiful Collective and play select tracks from bands and musicians who have performed for the Dub Beautiful Collective. Dub Beautiful Collective is a production organization in San Francisco that presents live electronic music events. Over the years Dub Beautiful Collective has put on shows with some amazing talent such as Welder, Adham Shaikh and Ishq from such diverse genres as IDM, ambient, downtempo.

If you enjoy today’s show, head over to Dub Beautiful Collective’s Net Label or Dub Beautiful Radio to download or listen to more live electronic music. And always remember to support you local artists by going to shows in your city!

1. Nalepa “Live (December 3, 2005)”
2. gasp “Live (March 30, 2003)”
3. Dr. Toast “Live (November 5, 2004)”
4. Ebbnflo “Live (June 3, 2001)”
5. Solar Fields “Live (July 17, 2004)”
6. Zygote “Live (July 17, 2001)”
7. Phutureprimitive “Live (June 18, 2005)”
8. Alchemy “Live (November 16, 2002)”
9. Aes Dana “Live (April 10, 2004)”

King Dub was a character I created back at WMFO whenever I had a chance to grab some extra air time. I’d pitch shift my voice, add some delay, speak in a patois and sound like an interdimensional god from the realms of dub.

Atmosphere was important when I assumed the identity of King Dub. All the lights in the studio were turned off except for maybe a few lights muted with red and orange gel filters or a few candles. It was mandatory to have some incense burning, maybe some sage or sandalwood. Add some dub by the likes of The Orb, Meat Beat Manifesto, Yabby You or Ras Michael throbbing through the sub woofer and I was taken to far off lands.

The memory of those shows have been so strongly imprinted on me that whenever I hear some beautiful dub I’m instantly transported back to that studio. I hope that when you listen to this week’s dub edition of solipsistic NATION that I’ll find you in that studio with me.

Photo credit: xjyxjy

1. Zion Train “Dubzilla”
2. Ed Solo & Skool Of Thought “Raspberry Dub”
3. Ashtech “DNA”
4. Dubnine “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Dub”
5. Chimp Beams “Jet Lag Dub”
6. Tosca “Annanas (Cosmic Rocker Dub)”
7. Version Xcursion “Rock Da Dub Pt. 1”
8. Tassilli Players “Mesozoic Dub”
9. Nucleus Roots “Lie Dem A Dub”
10. Dub Theory featuring See-I “No Stop Tha Dub”
11. Ryukyu Underground “Tinsagu nu Hana Dub”
12. Kaya Project “One God Dub (Dubsahara Remix)”
13. Suns of Arqa “All You Need is Dub”

The set for this week’s solipsistic NATION clustered around songs that had a kind of fractured funkiness to them. And as the playlist started to form there was something familiar to the songs. It took me a while to grok exactly what that familiarity was but then it hit me: all the songs in the playlist reminded me of the stuttering grooves the Talking Heads captured on their classic album, Remain in Light.

But that got me thinking, what is it about songs that are off kilter and offbeat songs that are so funky? I love James Brown and Fela Kuti but even though they laid down some monster grooves there weren’t too many surprises. You knew where the song was going to take you. I think that’s exactly why quirky bands like the Talking heads are so appealing. The funk is still funky but it’s just off enough to keep you on your toes. And the funk never cut loose entirely, which creates tension in the music.

When you listen to today’s show, bust a groove. Kind of.

Photo credit: Prof. Jas. Mundie

1. Ed Solo & Skool Of Thought “Disclaimer”
2. CX Kidtronik “Girl Of My Dreams”
3. Mothboy “Gutter Song”
4. The Politik “Money (Don’t Let It Catch Ya)”
5. The Cheese Detective Agency “5 Lines”
6. Little Dragon “Turn Left”
7. LEYODE “Sophie”
8. Team Shadetek “Kalamata”
9. Baron Zen “Turned Around – PBW”
10. Laszlo Beckett “Guitar Beat Track Parts 1 + 2 (Live Mix)”
11. Matthew Dear “Neighborhoods”
12. Michael Fakesch “Dot”
13. Nôze “Love Affair”
14. Audion “Just Fucking (Roman Flügel’s 23 Positions In A One Night Stand Remix)”
15. David Last “Secret Society”
16. Sibot “Famon Nigiri”
17. Promo: The DJ Class

On this week’s solipsistic NATION we’re joined by Sunbeam of Ultimae Records and we’ll hear songs she has selected from the roster of artists on her label.

I first found out about Ultimae Records while listening to Fake Science‘s Lab Report Podcast and I was immediately enchanted with the label. Ultimae Records releases music that is sometimes ambient, sometimes downtempo, sometimes uptempo but always haunting and beautiful. That’s quite an accomplishment because there are many labels with the same aspirations as Ultimae Records but they fall short because they lack either the caliber of artists on Ultimae Records or the consistency of quality releases. Where other labels fail Ultimae Records succeeds because all their releases are deep and luxurious.

Sadly, Fake Science are closing their online store but I’m grateful that they turned me on to Ultimae Records.

1. Carbon Based Lifeforms “Transmission / Intermission”
2. Interview with Sunbeam of Ultimae Records
3. SYNC24 “Memloop”
4. Interview with Sunbeam of Ultimae Records
5. Hol Baumann “Final”
6. Omnimotion “Magic Tree”
7. Interview with Sunbeam of Ultimae Records
8. Aes Dana “Chernozem (Closing)”
9. Solar Fields “Winter Sun”
10. Hybrid Leisureland “Strawberry Planetarium”
11. Interview with Sunbeam of Ultimae Records
12. H.U.V.A. Network “Morning Call”
13. SGNL_FLTR “Waters”
14. Interview with Sunbeam of Ultimae Records
15. Solar Fields “Leaving Home”
16. Promo: Dave’s Lounge

I was waiting for a rainy day to record today’s show because all the music is so delicate and beautiful. But I live in San Diego and rainy days in Southern California are rare. It’s difficult to listen to music that’s fragile or moody when the sun is always shining. Sometimes you need overcast skies or fog to accompany that kind of music but as luck would have it, it rained.

Today’s show is dedicated to Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge, wife of industrial music pioneer Genesis P-Orridge and member of Psychic TV. She died of heart failure last Tuesday. My condolences to go out to Genesis P-Orridge and his family.

Photo credit: James G. Caddell

1. Ulrich Schnauss “Never Be The Same”
2. Amiina “Seoul”
3. Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson “All For Love”
4. Dogmixer “Soulbrain”
5. Daniel Ceballos “Recuerdos”
6. Aaron Spectre “Dulcimer”
7. Mothboy “Beinambo”
8. krill.minima “Sommerdellen”
9. Mr. Projectile “Stuff”
10. Mark Snyder “America 1958”
11. Rena Jones “Cypress And Evergreen”
12. The Cinematic Orchestra “As The Stars Fall”
13. Mad E.P. “Ride_072902”
14. Little Dragon “Twice”