Synecdoche

Today on solipsistic NATION we’re going to reveal the hidden truths behind the Secret Archives of the Vatican… podcast.

I don’t listen to many electronic music podcasts because:

1. I simply don’t have the time, and;
2. Most electronic music podcasts bore me, even good ones.

For example, I love dubstep, but after listening to three or four episodes of a dubstep podcast, I begin to lose interest. I need variety.

Some of the podcasts I do enjoy are Both Sides of the Surface and Most People Are DJs. Those shows are thoughtful, well planned out and offer a lot of variety. I never feel like I’ve heard the same show twice.

Recently, through Twitter, I’ve discovered the Secret Archives of the Vatican podcast. It’s an excellent show featuring excellent music and I never know what to expect from episode to episode.

The other reason I’m such a fan of the Secret Archives of the Vatican podcast is because the music is reminiscent of the kind of music Bill Laswell was pumping out in the 90s: which is to say that the music featured on the Secret Archives of the Vatican is often mystical and tinged with Philip K. Dickian paranoia. Which is not to say that the music is not fun or playful, because it often is.

Speaking of Bill Laswell, be sure to check out the marvelous Sacred Dub podcast. The shows are infrequent but deliver depth-charge explosions when released.

Vince Millett is the man behind both the Secret Archives of the Vatican podcast and band, and he’s also the founder of Broken Drum Records, a netlabel dedicated to creating and promoting excellent, globally-influenced bass-driven music.

Vince is also our guest on today’s show and he’s lovingly hand-picked tracks that have been featured the Secret Archives of the Vatican podcast. I suspect Vince and I share an ironic romanticized and eroticized fascination with Orientalism in the tradition of William S. Burroughs‘ heroin-fueled hallucinations, Paul Bowles‘ Moroccan savage hedonism and Hakim Bey‘s magical temporary autonomous zones.

Join us again next week when out guests will be Bob Rogers from TaintRadio, Raziel Panic from YouShriek and Brian Botkiller and Mad EP!

1. Secret Archives of the Vatican “Budayeen 3am”
2. Interview with Vince Millett, host of the Secret Archives of the Vatican podcast
3. Intention and Rare Dynamic “Syrian Falcon”
4. Fun-Da-Mental “5 Prayers of Afghan Women”
5. Runge Kutta and D-Theory “God Complex”
6. Orange Blossom “Habibi”
7. Zyon Base “1000 Paper Cranes”
8. Interview with Vince Millett, host of the Secret Archives of the Vatican podcast
9. Turrent Error “Ephixa”
10. Secret Archives of the Vatican “Battleship al Qahira”
11. Eat Static “Dune Rider”
12. Dr Zoidberg “Eastern Whisper”
13. Interview with Vince Millett, host of the Secret Archives of the Vatican podcast
14. Onra “The Third Sword”

Back in the day, if I heard and album I dug and wanted to find out what music label had released it I simply had to look at the CD or cassette or even an album cover. These days, despite the amazing advances in technology, it’s not so easy.

If I’m walking down the streets of San Diego, as I often do, listening to music on my iPhone and hear a track that I like I can quickly check out the name of the track and the artist but not which label released the album. But at least I have the names, right? I can Google that. But what a hassle!

But surely a minor inconvenience. Not so fast. Sadly, not all artists or labels tag their MP3s correctly, often omitting the name of the song or the artist or the name of the album. No what? Wait until I get home and play the track over my speakers so I can play it to my iPhone and see of Shazam knows what song it is.

I’ll grant you that it’s amazing I might be able to solve a mystery with my phone but it’s still ridiculous what I sometimes have to go through just to find out which label released which artists.

This is all a long winded way of explaining that if I hear something that I think is good, and good enough that it’s worth my time to jump through all those hoops to find out the which label is behind the release, then it’s something worth your while to listen to.

The Feedback Loop Label is such a label.

The Feedback Loop Label is a net label from Portugal and founded by Leonardo Rosado and from the label’s inception each release has been amazing. And each release found me thumbing through my phone, trying to find out which label was responsible for the beautiful music flowing into my ears. And it was always the Feedback Loop Label.

I’ve played a lot of music from the Feedback Loop Label and recently label artist Daniel Hopkins of Landcrash appeared on solipsistic NATION with a recording of his performance at the White Star. By that point it seemed ridiculous that I hadn’t showcased Feedback Loop on solipsistic NATION, so I emailed Leonardo to rectify the situation. He’s our guest on today’s show and he’s lovingly handpicked select tracks from his label for your enjoyment.

As I mentioned, Feedback Loop is a net label and as such, all their music on their catalogue is available as a free download. In fact you, can download nearly all the tracks heard on today’s show by clicking the links below. However, if you like what you hear, and I don’t see how you could possibly not, then support the artists and support the label. Feedback Loop does have physical releases that you can purchase and you can buy other releases from the artists as well. You can be a modern day Renaissance patron!

Join us again next week when we’ll talk with Bob Rogers from TaintRadio, we’ll also talk with Brian Botkiller and You Shriek and the folks from 6Wunderkinder, developers of Wunderkit.

See you then!

1. Elisa Luu “Nuovi Giorni”
2. I’ve Lost “The Big Empty” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
3. Interview with Leonardo Rosado, founder of the Feedback Loop Label
4. Savaran “Delphic” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
5. Monolyth and Cobalt “Ground Z-ero” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
6. Luca Nasciuti “Ivory” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
7. Interview with Leonardo Rosado, founder of the Feedback Loop Label
8. SIGHUP “City Distance” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
9. Le Berger “Under the Bridge (Not Downtown)” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
10. Marcus Fischer “Long Thin Arms” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
11. BGUDNA “Broken Goblin Trumpet” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
12. Landrecorder “Morning” [FREE DOWNLOAD]

It’s the first weekend of the month, and that means a live set! It’s one of the things I got the most excited about every month. Recent shows have featured performances from everyone from Atari Teenage Riot to Zion Train.

Today on solipsistic NATION were going to hear a live in-studio performance from MSSNGDGTS (88:88). But first we’re going to hear select tracks from 88:88’s The Grey album, which you can download absolutely for free!

EJ Peter is 88:88 and it’s kind of cool how he came to be on today’s show.

I’ve been hard at work preparing future live sets for solipsistic NATION but I didn’t see the forest for the trees. The weekend was fast approaching and I had zip. So I did what I always do when I’m in a jam like that: I went on Twitter and asked if anyone had a live set they’d like to share on solipsistic NATION. And out of the blue, 88:88 came through. In fact, he’s recording his live set for us as I type these very words. That’s how fresh this show is! And it’s also a perfect example of how social media makes this show happen.

I actually played a track from EJ a few months ago when I was doing a segment on the Future Sounds of San Diego compilation album. There were a lot of great tracks on the album but 88:88’s “Dub-Hop” immediately caught my attention so it’s a nice bit of synchronicity that he’s on today’s show.

Join us again next week. I’ve got a big announcement about solipsistic NATION. We’ll also talk with You Shriek‘s Raziel Panic and Brian Botkiller about their music boxed sets and maybe review a killer app for your iPhone or iPad.

Until then, say hi to me on Twitter @solipsistic.

1. 88:88 “Buried in America” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
2. 88:88 “All Day” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
3. 88:88 “Flycker” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
4. 88:88 “To Be A DJ” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
5. 88:88 “King Speech” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
6. 88:88 “Battling the Sun” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
7. 88:88 “Nostalgia” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
8. 88:88 “Good & Evil” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
9. Interview with 88:88
10. 88:88 “Live, In-Studio”

Artoffact Records is a Canadian label based in Toronto that has released over 100 industrial, synthpop, rock, and metal albums since the label was founded in 1999. I listen to a lot of music but when it’s a release from Artoffact, I take notice because it’s bound to be great. Some of my personal faves have been Alice in Videoland, Massiv in Mensch, and, more recently, Saltillo. Artoffact consistently releases such great music that it’s a crime I have showcased their label by now.

Jacek Kozlowski is the founder of Artoffact Records and he’s been kind enough to put together a mix of tracks from his label featuring some crucial releases from 2011 and 2012. He was also cool enough to talk shop about Artoffact and the music industry in general.

When I first started showcasing labels on solipsistic NATION I think I was caught up in the romance of what it would be like to run a label. But as the years have gone by I’ve come to realize how much sweat equity it takes to run a music label. No sane person would spend that much time and energy in such an endeavour. No, point of fact, it takes passion. So I guess the romance is still there, after all.

Anyway, to get back to my point, as I’ve come to appreciate the hard work that goes into running a label I’ve begun what, I hope, are very pragmatic questions. How do you sign an artist and who do you develop that artist once you do. Practicalities aside, there’s also the art of being managing artists. I’m generalizing here but most musicians I’ve met will gladly go on and on why they lovingly and painstaking purchased the gear they have or give a spur of the moment dissertation on their art and their music but it’s another thing entirely when it comes to the quotidian business of being, well… business.

Hey, cut me some slack here. I said I was generalizing.

Jacek gave some very insightful and considered answers to my questions on today’s show. He also delivered some kick ass tunes so enjoy! Bonus, there are some free tracks below you can download for your continued pleasure but by all means, purchase a track or two. Artists need to eat and after all, it is a business.

1. Saltillo “A Hair on the Head of John the Baptist”
2. Interview with Jacek Kozlowski, founder of Artoffact Records
3. Necro Facility “Cuts”
4. Encephalon “Scar on Scar on Scar”
5. Dead When I Found Her “New Age of Reason” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
6. Blank “TimeSpace” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
7. Saltillo “If Wishes Were Catholics”
8. Interview with Jacek Kozlowski, founder of Artoffact Records
9. Alice in Videoland “Something New”
10. Mona Mur / En Esch “Eiskalt”
11. Vigilante “Army of Time (feat. Victor Love of Dopestars Inc.)”
12. Omega Lithium “Dance With Me”
13. Jesus on Extasy “Lost in Time”
14. Ascii.Disko “Butterflies”
15. Interview with Jacek Kozlowski, founder of Artoffact Records

Welcome to 2012! According to a pop interpretation of the Mayan calendar we’re going to go face-to-face with the apocalypse that we’ve all secretly hoping would finally happen. If you believe that sort of thing.

Here at solipsistic NATION we’re going to kick off the new year the same way we kick off each month: a live performance from an electronic music. But instead of one performance, we’re going to hear two! One from Pimmon and one from Landcrash.

Both Pimmon and Landcrash appeared on the Soft edition solipsistic NATION back in December. That was a great show and Landcrash and Pimmon’s music really moved me. I asked if they’d be interested in coming on the show with some recorded live material. They both said yes and sent me their live sets, tout suite!

Paul Gough is Pimmon and he’s prepared a special in-studio live performance for us. Daniel Hopkins is Landcrash and we’ll hear his live set recorded at the White Star. Their music is both beautiful and utterly haunted.

Since they both explore the same sonic territory and are both on labels I really enjoy (12K and the Feedbackloop Label), I decided to feature their live sets on one show. It’s also the reason why I asked them similar questions and it was pretty interesting to hear how their sensibilities differed and converged.

Join us again next week when we’ll showcase music from Artoffact Records. Until then, bask in the music of Pimmon and Landcrash. That seems to be the best way to experience it.

1. Pimmon “Yicco”
2. Pimmon “Düülbludgers”
3. Interview with Paul Gough of Pimmon
4. Pimmon “Buttered on Both Sides, Live”
5. Pimmon “Belmont Crackle, Live”
6. Pimmon “Pockaloi, Live”
7. Pimmon “Do the Torben Tilly, Live”
8. Landcrash “Fencing panels that survive” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
9. Landcrash “Digital Wolves” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
10. Interview with Daniel Hopkins of Landcrash
11. Hurra caine Landcrash “Do the Torben Tilly, Live at the White Star”

Today on solipsistic NATION we’re going to select tracks from Immigrant Breast Nest, a wonderful netlabel that was founded to present NYC’s best in weird, mostly electronic, underground music.

Bit of background on today’s show.

Dan Abatemarco and fellow musician and partner in crime, David B. Applegate, are the agent provocateurs of Immigrant Brest Nest and they join us today to tell us more about their label.

I first met Dan back in 2010 when I was putting together a semgent about people who were making music with iPods, Iphones and iPads. Performing as Speak Onion he was creating some gnarly noise that shredded my eardrums. Anyone can make noise. Dan was making noise to make music. I was so impressed with Dans music that I later invited him to return to solipsistic NATION with a recording of his live set recorded at the Charleston in Brooklyn for Immigrant Breast Nest‘s record release party, and that’s when I first learned of his label. I was blown away with the diversity and the quality of the artists on their label that I knew it was just a matter of time before I would showcase Immigrant Breast Nest on solipsistic NATION.

Most of the tracks on today’s show can be downloaded absolutely for free by clicking on the links on today’s show notes below, but if you really like what you hear, why don’t you throw the artists a few scheckles. Show ’em you appreciate what they do.

Join us again next week when we’ll hear music from King Deluxe and The Future Sounds of San Diego, and more!

1. Thermometerometer “Angle of Ramps”
2. Blind Moany Wat “Rotary Dozer” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
3. Interview with Dan Abatemarco and David B. Applegate of Immigrant Breast Nest“
4. seismologist “Chimp Necropsy (seismologist remix)” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
5. FluiD “Steve Sangre (FluiD remix)”
6. David B. Applegate “Bone dice” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
7. Joy Through Noise “Krypton” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
8. Interview with Dan Abatemarco and David B. Applegate of Immigrant Breast Nest“
9. Speak Onion “Salt in the Symbols”
10. Digit216 “Destroyed in the Tormented Lexicon of the Ancients (The Beast Shall Rise Malicimix)”
11. Mysterious House “some stone and a museum of steam2” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
12. Xrin Arms “Kitty Kats” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
13. Speak Onion with Mercy Choir “Hunched Over Man” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
14. David Morneau “Exiles (Doomsday Mix)”
15. Inconclusive Whale Autopsy “Doppler 5k” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
16. David B. Applegate “Bird mushroom meadow” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
17. Interview with Dan Abatemarco and David B. Applegate of Immigrant Breast Nest“
18. Thermometerometer “Arcane Arabic Soccer Magick”

I live in San Diego but I hail from Boston. San Diego has been my home for the last 11 years but at heart, I’m a New Englander. As much as San Diego is a paradise to live in, it will never quite feel like home to me like Massachusetts does. After all this time I’m still amazed to see big, cowboy skies and palm trees every day.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it because I’ll forever be comparing it and contrasting it to New England. It’s just something that’s been imprinted on me.

With winter fast approaching I feel even more bewildered. I’m used to gloomy, biting cold and endless days of snow, not going about in t-shirts, shorts and sandals. And while I don’t miss any of that I do miss other things about winter, like how snowfall seems to mute sound, while sub zero temperatures seems to crystallize it. And I miss the way winter can bring on a kind of bittersweet frame of mind.

Living in sunny San Diego I have to really go out of my way to tap into that state of mind and today’s show is a sonic touchstone to that place, in only that magical way that music can reach.

When I was gathering the songs for today’s show over the last couple of months I didn’t have any of that in mind. Quite honestly, I was just setting aside songs in a folder in iTunes that just seemed to fit together well. It wasn’t until I began working on the mix for today’s show that it became apparent what the show actually wanted to be.

I remember one winter night when I was a boy. I was an angry and unhappy kid because my parent’s marriage was falling apart. I had all these intense emotions and conflicts that I didn’t know what to do with. But I remember one night where I left the house after a terrible argument with my mom. I walked around for a while and then found myself at a local pond that was frozen over and covered with snow. It calmed me. So I walked to the center of the pond, lay down and watched the snow fall from sky.

It was late, and I was far away from any roads. It was quiet and I was completely alone and all the confusion and anger just melted away.

And that’s what today’s show wants to be: a touchstone to that moment.

At least, that’s what it is for me. It will be something entirely different for you. And that’s part of the magic of today’s show.

Join us again next week when we’ll showcase music from Immigrant Breast Nest. Dan Abatemarco is one of the founder’s of Immigrant Breast Nest and he also performs under the name of Speak Onion. Speak Onion is an experiment in noise and you can experience Speak Onion’s live set here.

See you next week!

1. Stateless “Red Ocean”
2. Taylor Deupree “Live: Brisbane” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
3. Landcrash “Verbena reaches for the sky” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
4. Chihei Hatakeyama “Renitency”
5. Piiptsjilling “Utsakke Bui”
6. Pimmon “Passing, Never To Be Held”
7. Steinbruchel “n-variations-05”
8. Anonymeye “Minarchism”
9. Zvuku “Woodpile” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
10. Minamo “Paperweight”
11. Rafael Anton Irisarri “Moments Descend On My Windowpane”

On today’s show we’re listening to select tracks from Electroton. We’ll also talk with the label’s founder, Martin Weiss.

I’ve only recently discovered Electroton and I’ve loved everything I’ve heard from Martin’s label. Electroton is one of those labels that tends to favor music that seamlessly blends noise with minimalistic beats. On the surface that’s no reason to get excited about the label but the trick that Electroton has managed to pull off is make noise and minimalistic beats warm and human. Something that you’d go out of your way to listen to.

I featured some tracks from Electroton back in June. Since that show I’ve been meaning to have Martin on the show to talk with us and share more music from his label. It took a couple of months so I’m happy to that our schedules finally worked out so that we could arrange some time to talk.

If you’re a regular listener to solipsistic NATION I also want to apologize for getting some of the shows out late the last two months. I appreciate your patience and I should be back on track in the next few weeks.

Some of the things you can expect from solipsistic NATION in the next few months is an interview with Geeta Dayal, the author of Brian Eno’s Another Green World; Martin Vera, who has assembled the Future Sounds of San Diego compilation album, and Lyle Owerko from The Boombox Project.

See you next week!

1. kabutogani “CXEMA”
2. bbcb “scrtyis_300or”
3. Interview with Martin Weiss, founder of Electroton
4. weiss “rephlex”
5. ketem “A85400”
6. poratz “at wu pu”
7. v4w.enko “dsn”
8. thorsten soltau “rezykla3”
9. Interview with Martin Weiss, founder of Electroton
10. weiss “01.rezykla”
11. cernlab “02delay”
12. incite “the other half”
13. kabutogani “SIGINT”
14. Interview with Martin Weiss, founder of Electroton
15. v4w.enko “dsn”
16. dagshenma “zaumi”

On today’s show we’re going to hear Mobthrow rocking it live at the Riddim Collision Festival in Lyon to celebrate Ad Noiseam‘s 10 year anniversary!

I’ve been a fan of Ad Noiseam for quite a while and for good reason. Ad Noiseam consistently releases great music. It’s that simple. And while Ad Noiseam obvioulsy has a love for breakbeat and dubstep with releases from the likes of Enduser and Bong-Ra it also embraces ambient and experimental music as well, with releases from folks like Wilt and The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation.

Nicolas Chevreux is the founder of Ad Noiseam and you can hear my interview with him and more music from his label here.

I’ve been a fan of Mobthrow almost as long as I’ve been a fan of Ad Noiseam.

A few years back I had Kostas from Subheim to talk about his now defunct label, Spectraliquid, and while he was on the show he played some great music from Blackfilm, Cardopusher and Ebola. One of the artists that was also featured on the show was Mobthrow and even in a mix of great music his tracks stood out.

Mobthrow had some great beats and rhythms but it was tinged with a lot of moody atmospherics and some of his tracks were downright noirish. With the release of his first full length album, Mobthrow’s music has not only become grander in scale but somehow, at the same time, even more intimate.

Angelos Liaros is Mobthrow and he joins us today by phone from Berlin to talk about his latest album and his live set at the Riddim Collision Festival for Ad Noiseam’s 10 year anniversary.

Join us again next week when we’ll showcase music from Electroton and talk to Martin Weiss, the label’s founder.

See you then!

1. Mobthrow “Iron Tribal”
2. Mobthrow “Birds Fly Hig”
3. Interview with Angelos Liaros of Mobthrow
4. Mobthrow “Live at 10 Years Ad Noiseam, Riddim Collision Festival, Lyon, France”