Tag: ambient

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solipsistic NATION No. 310: Mutamassik, Live

Today on solipsistic NATION we’ll hear a live set from Giulia Loli from Mutamassik, which was originally recorded for Fari Bradley‘s Six Pillars radio show on Resonance FM to promote Giulia’s 2012 release, Rekkez, out on Ini.itu Records. In fact, there are quite a few tracks from Rekkez on today’s live set.

We’ll also talk to Giulia about balancing artistry with industry, and her growth as an artist, musician and as a DJ.

Today’s show is eight years in the making.

When I launched solipsistic NATION podcasts were a new thing and most people didn’t know what a podcast actually was, which made it difficult when I would email labels and ask for them to send me promotional CDs for the show. And even if a label knew what a podcast was I didn’t have the audience that I do now, so why mail out music to show that only had a few hundred listeners? I can’t blame them, really.

But one label I did approach was generous enough to send a CD. I had read a review about Mutamassik’s album, Masri Mokkassar: Definitive Works in XLR8R, back when it was still a print magazine. Definitive Works had been released by Sound-Ink Records and they sent me Mutamassik’s LP without questions or hassle.

Like I said, podcasts were an unknown quantity back then, so it meant a lot to me that Sound-Ink took me seriously enough to send me Mutamassik’s album. And it was a great album! I played it on the show and I played it on my iPod constantly. Someday, I told myself, I’m going to have Mutamassik on the show as a guest so I could get to know the person behind all this fantastic music!

That day is today. It took months of planning and aligning our schedules but it finally happened.

Join us again next week. I’m still getting my ducks in a row but I think our guests will be Known Rebel‘s Germán Escandell and Jaime Irles.

See you then!

  1. Mutamassik “Babomb”
  2. Interview with Giulia Loli of Mutamassik
  3. Mutamassik “Live”
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solipsistic NATION No. 57: Accretions

I’m constantly contacting record labels to send me promotional CDs so I can deliver to you the finest in all genres of electronic music. Recently I received a batch of experimental electronic music CDs from Accretions, an artist-based independent music label with an ear towards experimental, improvisational and global sounds. When I checked the mailing address I was surprised to find that they are based in San Diego, California.

I regard San Diego as a patch of paradise in the US. The city is absolutely beautiful. The weather is always clement and the people are warm and friendly. But San Diego is definitely not a metropolitan city. In fact, San Diego is often referred to as a big city that think it’s a small town, so you can appreciate my wonder that San Diego is also the home to a record label that offers some of the most innovative and exciting music out there.

I asked Accretions’ Marcos Fernandes to join us on this week’s solipsistic NATION to talk about the label and play select tracks of music from their roster of artists. Prepare to have your mind blown!

  1. Robert Montoya “…You’re Soaking In It”
  2. Interview with Marcos Fernandes of Accretions
  3. Donkey “La”
  4. Hans Fjellestad “Love Dart”
  5. Nathan Hubbard “17 stone park stutter/breath”
  6. Damon Holzborn “If We’re All Going To Get It”
  7. Gunther’s Grass “Vulcanian”
  8. Panoptica “Camposanto”
  9. Las Cajas Del Ritmo “Com Com”
  10. Point Loma “Ensemble Circuits”
  11. Latinsizer “Falling Peni”
  12. Marcelo Radulovich “Unico Amor”
  13. Interview with Marcos Fernandes of Accretions
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solipsistic NATION No. 22: Quietus

I’ve touched on ambient music on solipsistic NATION in the past but I thought it was time to have an entire episode dedicated to this genre.

Ambient music is ambiguous and open-ended in scope, including everything from Erik Satie‘s Trois Gymnopédies suite to Brian Eno‘s atmospheric On Land album. My own definition of ambient music is a bit narrower in that I don’t think of pieces like Satie’s Gymnopédies as ambient music. While Gymnopédies is certainly a work of quiet genius I consider it more of an instrumental piece.

I think of ambient music as music that is near formless, something that is amorphous and nebulous. It’s more about sounds that evoke a mood than a series of rhythmic patterns.

  1. Mel “Framed Moon”
  2. Insideamind “Right This Way”
  3. Poolbath “Auto-Exit2″
  4. Cinema Volta “2005-09-04″
  5. Janek Schaefer “All Bombing is Terrorism”
  6. Chris Herbert “Chlorophyll”
  7. Dave from Chub Creek “7777777″
  8. Muslimgauze “Fazisi”
  9. Dysphor “Self-Aware Pulsations”
  10. Spainful Films Soundtrack Dept. “Church Outing 20060312″
  11. Ezekiel Honig & Morgan Packard “A Long Time Ago”
  12. Irokez “Dark Blue”
  13. If Thousands “Radio Is Fine”
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solipsistic NATION No. 18: Master of Dead Contortions

Hello to all of you in Berlin who tuned in for today’s show.

In the early eighties there was a punk band called MDC and they frequently changed their name to a different acronym with every new record released. Some of the names included Millions of Dead Cops, More Dead Cops, Millions of Dead Children, Multi Death Corporations, Millions of Damn Christians and Missile Destroyed Civilization. The woman I was dating at the time and her friend would come up with their own acronyms for MDC and one them that struck me was Master of Dead Contortions. If there was ever a more appropriate name for today’s mix then Master of Dead Contortions is it.

I’ve noticed that a lot of electronic music podcasts are usually 30 minutes in length while my shows usually clock in an hour. Even without the interviews that sometimes occur on Solipsistic Nation I feel that I need an hour to really take you on a journey.

So here’s the question: would you prefer 30 minute installments of solipsistic NATION or do you think the show should continue to run for an hour? You can post your answer at solipsisticnation.com or email me at solipsisticnation@gmail.com.

Photo Credit: Sarah Glidden

  1. solipsistic NATION “Bad Acid”
  2. Riothead vs. Andrako “Under the Skin (Viral Remix by Bleedr)”
  3. compUterus “Exhaust Head”
  4. Mind Disruption “Sick Minds”
  5. Punch Drunk “Robotopia”
  6. Neikka Rpm “Sacrifice (Sever The Delusion)”
  7. Cristian Paduraru “Pentateuch”
  8. Reverend Rye “The Boom Boom Room”
  9. BioUtopia “A New Origin of Species”
  10. Mel “Waiting”
  11. Insideamind “Twinkle Twinkle”
  12. Junkyard Connection & Montana “Conestoga Bounce”
  13. Raven Chacon “Overheard Song”
  14. Electric Skychurch “Full Moon Generator”
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solipsistic NATION No. 17: Saturnalia

Happy holidays, citizens!

However you celebrate the holidays, I hope you have a good one.

I’m calling this episode of solipsistic NATION Saturnalia for no particular reason. It just sounds cool is all.

From Wikipedia…

The Saturnalia was a large and important public festival in Rome. It involved the conventional sacrifices, a couch (lectisternium) set out in front of the temple of Saturn and the untying of the ropes that bound the statue of Saturn during the rest of the year. Besides the public rites there were a series of holidays and customs celebrated privately. The celebrations included a school holiday, the making and giving of small presents (saturnalia et sigillaricia) and a special market (sigillaria). Gambling was allowed for all, even slaves; however, although it was officially condoned only during this period, one should not assume that it was rare or much remarked upon during the rest of the year. It was a time to eat, drink, and be merry. The toga was not worn, but rather the synthesis, i.e. colorful, informal “dinner clothes”; and the pileus (freedman’s hat) was worn by everyone. Slaves were exempt from punishment, and treated their masters with disrespect. The slaves celebrated a banquet: before, with, or served by the masters. A Saturnalicius princeps was elected master of ceremonies for the proceedings. Saturnalia became one of the most popular Roman festivals which led to more tomfoolery, marked chiefly by having masters and slaves ostensibly switch places. The banquet, for example, would often be prepared by the slaves, and they would prepare their masters’ dinner as well. It was license within careful boundaries; it reversed the social order without subverting it.

Photo Credit: Ray-of-Sun

  1. Dean Martin “Jingle Bells (Dan The Automator Remix)”
  2. Sismo “Pueblo”
  3. Dolce Stil Nuovo “Hawaiin Song”
  4. D.J. Waht “Shopping Cart Ride Reprise”
  5. Skink “The Ages of Carbon Dating MkIII”
  6. Kaká Werá Jecupé “Ibi-Cy”
  7. Neikka Rpm “Kill All Machines (Ft. Kenji Siratori)”
  8. Mel “Sheltered Life”
  9. Tanya Pea “Handcut Ice Cubes (Thieves Mix)”
  10. Cars & Trains “Broken Streetlamp Serenade”
  11. Infantjoy “Without”
  12. Ultre “Scissors and Intervals”
  13. BEe “Our Blood”
  14. Michael Bross “Oscuro”
  15. Beckett & Taylor “Where There You Been Gone Find It”
  16. Spandex “What’s Wrong With You”
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solipsistic NATION No. 15: Fake Science

Each week on solipsistic NATION I play the best of all genres of electronic music. On today’s show we talk to James Polanco of Fake Science, the digital online music store. We’ll also hear select tracks from artists who are featured Fake Science.

Fake Science is an internet based distributor of downloadable music. Fake Science provides a unique service catering to fans of indie labels and artists frustrated by a world ruled by large corporate download services, where the true independents are afforded little chance to stand out from the crowd.

Fake Science is dedicated to making independent music available digitally and affordably. Fake Science wants to enable musicians to sell their music and to make more by offering direct payment and an opportunity to reach a larger audience without being limited by the number of CDs they could afford to print.

What if people buying music were treated with respect rather than suspicion? Charged a reasonable amount of money for the music they were getting? What if they were allowed to share their favorite music with their friends without being considered a criminal?

As listeners, Fake Science is sick of being considered as consumers of art, rather than patrons. Fake Science decided to do something about it.

If you enjoy today’s edition of solipsitic NATION then you’ll sure to dig the Fake Science Lab Report podcast.

  1. Fake Science Interview
  2. Nano “Mosaic II”
  3. Qpe “Devil May Care”
  4. Eddie Mis “Acrobat Bilder”
  5. Hol Baumann “Radio Bombay”
  6. Cell Culture “Revelation”
  7. Dr. Toast “Introspective Transmission”
  8. Alchemy “Alchemy”
  9. Carbon Based Lifeforms “MOS 6581 (Album Version)”
  10. Adham Shaikh “Shiraz (Evolution Mix)”
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solipsistic NATION No. 2: End of Summer

End of Summer

Ah, summer comes to an end.

I’ve been living in San Diego for the last five years and to be honest, it’s always been summer to me. Natives and long time residents of San Diego can tell the differences between seasons but I’m only vaguely aware of them. As a consequence, all the months and years I’ve live in San Diego have blurred together. There’s only an endless “now.”

While today’s show is a celebration of the passing of the summer it’s more of a salute to my summers in Boston, where the days are hot, humid and lazy and the nights are sultry. I wouldn’t trade the weather in San Diego for anything but I do on occasion miss those New England days where the heat would bake into your bones.

Another thing I do miss about living in Boston are my seasonal libations. In the fall and winter my drinks were whiskey and scotch and in the spring and summer my drinks were gin & tonic and rum & coke. As I said, it always feels like it is summer in San Diego so I have to go out of my way to drink my whiskey or scotch.

That said, I raise a gin & tonic in honor of the summer of ’06!

Photo credit: sk8master

  1. Steelzawheelz “Discotron”
  2. Effecctive “Tulsa Riots Pt. 3”
  3. Vinroc “Wine Country”
  4. Sure Shot “Sleepy Strings”
  5. Shad “Last Cigarette”
  6. Madrid De Los Austrias “Buscando (Karuan vs. Circus Remix)”
  7. Mark de Clive-Lowe “State of the Mental”
  8. Wintermute “Chillstorm”
  9. Autolect & His Meltdown Movement “Open Road”
  10. Urbs “So Weit”
  11. Cj_Harder “Mothra”
  12. Cling “Slipping Away (Of The Darkness Remix)”
  13. Chimp Beams “Menina”
  14. Bombay Dub Orchestra “Mumtaz”
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solipsistic NATION No. 1: Relaunch!

I had always intended to bring solipsistic NATION out of retirement but there was always some sort of technical problem that prevented me from relaunching the podcast.

Originally I was going to use Macromedia‘s SoundEdit which came bundled with Director. Unfortunately, when I mixed down a set the track would be in mono and distorted. I tried doing the show using DJ-1800 and recording the set with WireTap Pro or Audio Hijack Pro but there was a touch of distortion in the recording I could never eliminate.

Last month the connection to the hard drive in my ancient G4 tower died. I didn’t have the cash to buy a new tower so I purchased a Mac Mini. The Mac Mini was much more powerful than my G4 and as an added bonus, it came pre-installed with GarageBand. Suddenly all my problems were resolved in one fell swoop.

There are some deejays who like to do everything live without a net and on the fly. I was never one of those deejays. Oh, I’m fine at improvising live sets but my preference has always been to map out my shows in advance, meticulously plotting the segues and overall flow of a mix. Given my anal retentiveness for planning shows GarageBand is perfect with how I like to work.

I hope you enjoy today’s first show in the relaunching of solipsistic NATION!

Photo credit: dro!d

  1. Thomas Feijk “Leak”
  2. Butcherd Beats “Butcherd Beats”
  3. DP-6 “Vital Force”
  4. Wade Robson “Battlewalk”
  5. OPGave “Hiroshima”
  6. Jerry Mane “Magnificent Growlla”
  7. African Express “Overtime & In The Zone”
  8. Oculus “Lo Ki”
  9. Chloe Day “Kingpin”
  10. Autolect & His Meltdown Movement “Calm”
  11. Acoustic Ladyland “Something Beautiful”
  12. Jel “WMD”
  13. Circuit Breaker “Left Hook”