A few months ago Dronny Darko came on the show with a killer mix. As usually, I asked Dronny who he knew personally who would be interested in sharing a mix of their own for SOUNDWAVE and Dronny recommended protoU. It’s a dark and mysterious that’s both ethereal and earthy. Sasha’s mix resonates with me because it is reminiscent of the first two albums that introduced me to ambient music, Brian Eno’s Ambient 4: On Land and Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. Sasha’s mix also include’s Hivetribe’s “Uthernno”, which features one of my favorite recording of a 1950s housewife trying to describe a LSD experience.
You will not be disappointed with Sasha’s mix. I’ve had her mix on repeat for weeks and I still find something new in it.
In other news, this tiny show dedicated to niche genres of music that I launched to help cope with the stress of COVID-19 is growing ever so slightly, which is gratifying.
I don’t do much to promote SOUNDWAVE because it’s not that kind of show. It really is a form of therapy and I’m touched by every guest deejay’s generosity. I’m also moved that you, dear listener, take time out of your no doubt busy week to experience the mixes offered on this show. Maybe it’s time to share this show with more people. If you know of someone that you think would enjoy SOUNDWAVE, grab their phone and subscribe them to the podcast.
Join us again next week when our guest deejay will be… let me check my schedule… me!
This is a rare instance where I don’t know out guest deejay at all. My good friend, Steven Howard, introduced us when I first launched SOUNDWAVE. Steven’s taste in music is impeccable and when he suggested Shad as a guest deejay I said yes without a moment’s hesitation. And I was right it trust Steven because Shad’s mix is singular. On his radio show Shad explores the genres of experimental, freeform, jazz and psychedelic music and while all of that informs today’s show the mix also like a foley’s wet dream. Shad’s mix feels extremely personal and takes you on an unexpected journey.
I’m going to wrap things up because I blew out my knee last week and as a result I’m way behind on chores. Enjoy Shad’s mix and he encourages you to experience it with headphones.
On today’s show we’re going to listen to a mix I put together with my friends two years ago. That’s a long time, I know, but there’s a reason for that and to explain myself I have to tell you a little bit about myself.
First off, I’ve been deejaying and producing shows for more than half my life. I’ve been on the air for hundreds of hours and I’ve spent hundreds of more hours producing shows. People often ask me where I find the time to work on so many shows. The answer was simple: I wasn’t married and I didn’t have kids.
When I began working on today’s show that was still true. But two years ago I met the love of my life. And the love of my life also has three kids. I was having too much fun and was too busy to spend time on anything that didn’t revolve around them. But the itch to deejay never goes away and now that things have settled down a bit in my life it’s time to get back into it. Kicking off 2017 seems the best way to do it.
So let me tell you about today’s show.
I got my start at WMFO, a college/community radio station in Boston. WMFO broadcasts under a freeform format so it wouldn’t sound incongrous to hear disco, jazz, opera and hip hop on one of my shows.
From time to time I would throw a deejay party at the station. They were a lot of fun and very intense because it was a test of our abilities as a deejay. While one deejay was spinning a song you had the length of that track to choose the next song and cue it up on the turntable or CD player. And not just any song, it had to be a song that would segue nicely out the track that was being played at the moment. The results were unpredictable but those shows always sounded fantastic, and that’s what I’m hoping to capture on today’s show.
I’ve invited my friends to particpate on today’s mix by having them select a song to play based solely on the track that preceeded their song. They had no idea of what was played any further than that. They could stay within the same genre or veer off into an entirely different direction as long as their selection made sense, if only just to them. I also asked each of my friends to record an introduction for the songs they chose.
On today’s show you’ll hear “Acid” by Stu Mitchell, which was chosen by Steve Howard, who I’ve know almost as long as I’ve been deejaying. We met at WMFO and Steve currently spins at Asheville FM.
We’ll also hear “Kolyskova” by DakhaBrakha. “Kolyskova” was selected by Darek Mazzone, who is also a WMFO alumn and currently hosts the wildly popular Wo’ Pop show on KEXP in Seattle.
From Kidkanevil we’ll hear the track “Butterfly / Satellite,” which was selected by Macedonia, who hosts the Both Sides of the Surface podcast. You can also find him spinning on Bondfire Radio out of New York City. In fact, as I write this I’m listening to his 50th broadcast on Bondfire!
Alan Ranta chose Tipper’s “Homage Sliders” for today’s show. Alan writes for the likes of Exclaim!, CBC Music and PopMatters so it was a no-brainer to include him on today’s show.
Ned Raggett selected Grouper’s “Living Room.” I connected with Ned through Steve Howard. Ned writes for Pitchfork, The Quietus, and many other fine publications. Go Google him!
Blank Realm’s “Cleaning Up My Mess” was chosen by Sean Hocking, who runs Metal Postcard Records. I met Sean when I featured his label on my show, solipsistic NATION, and I’ve been meaning to get him involved in one of my hairbrained schemes ever since, so I’m happy he joins us on today’s mix.
Anji Bee picked the Stwo Remix of JMSN’s “The One.” Anji Bee has been producing podcasts for just as long as I have and I urge you to listen to her show, The Chillcast.
Mikel OD is another podcaster who I’ve known for ages and he selected “Pressure” by My Brightest Diamond. I was a big fan of Mikel’s Most People are DJs podcast but these days he’s up to no good with his latest project, Digital Racket.
Another guest I had on solipsistic NATION was Strictly Kev (AKA DJ Food). I’ve been a fan of his music for a long time and I was thrilled when he added Heliocentrics & Melvin Van Peebles’ “The Cavern” to today’s mix.
Deejay Om picked “And I Love You” by The Darling Dears for his contribution to the Friends mix. I met Deejay Om through solipsistic NATION and had the pleasure of meeting him in person a few years agon in San Francisco. He’s a classy guy with exquisite taste in music.
My buddy Craig Ruiz chose Dr. John’s “Getaway.” Craig and I bonded over our love for Amon Tobin’s music and we’ve been friends ever since.
Mahiane d’Ultimate is yet another person I met through solipsistic NATION when I featured her label, Ultimae Records, on my show. Mahiane is one of the sweetest people I know so I was honored when she graced today’s mix with Apparat’s “Arcadia.”
Sativa Mariposa is the love of my life so she had to be on today’s show. Her taste in music is fantastic and it’s one of the very many things I love about her. And I also love that she selected James Browns’ “Please, Please, Please” for the mix your about to hear.
We’re going to wrap up today’s show with Jhené Aiko’s “Eternal Sunshine.”
See you next week when I launch my Weekly Mix series.
