"How did I get here?" as David Byrne once said. I know what he means. It's been a pretty crappy year in many respects, but music - and blogging about music - has been my salve, my safe space, my springboard back into the, at times, sheer madness of the wider world.
"What, no mega-mix?" as Ernie Goggins commented yesterday. Well, I'd always planned a Dubhed selection to sum up 2023 and see in 2024. Thankfully, it's not a 24-hour marathon attempting to squeeze everything in. Instead, it's a much more ear-friendly party mix at a smidge over an hour, sampling 17 tracks (and one interview snippet) including one song which didn't even make yesterday's end of year list!
This may be the only place today where you will hear Balearic, post-punk, downtempo, travelogue, dub, house, alternative, r 'n' b, politics, jazz and psychedelia all cut and pasted together. As I said to Ernie, more manic- than mega-mix. I think it turned out surprisingly well.
I have no plans for Dubhed to slow down in 2024, so expect more of the usual make-it-up-as-I go-along nonsense on a daily basis, inspired as ever by the music that soundtracks my life and keeps me going through good and bad times.
On that note, a
massive thank you again to you all for your continued support this year,
it really means a lot. I hope that however you are spending New Year's
Eve, it's a good one and that 2024 brings you much joy and happiness.
Happy New Year!
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
Bliadhna Mhath ùr!
Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise Dhuit!
Bonne Année!
Ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος!
Feliz Año Nuevo!
Щасливого Нового року!
1) Ride A Cloud (Xavi's Campfire Mix - Khayem's Nice 'n' Splicey Edit): The Woodentops ft. Kyoko Sato *
2) Master Of Time: Jah Wobble
3) That Time Of Night (Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown Dub): GLOK ft. Shiarra
4) Lack Of Sleep (Pye Corner Audio Remix): Maps
5) Cleanse Your Guilt Here: Algiers
6) Somehow It Feels Important (Auren Remix): Hairdressa
7) Tender Years: Robert Forster
8) I Laugh Myself To Sleep: David Holmes ft. Raven Violet
9) "do you wanna know what's changed about the music industry?": David Holmes **
10) Many Hands (Retroforward Dubbin' Hands Remix): D:Ream
11) Brigada (Single Version): Bárbara Boeing ft. Phil Mill
12) Baba Louie: Jaimie Branch ft. Akenya Seymour & Kuma Dog
13) Go On Dub (Adrian Sherwood 'Reset In Dub’ Version): Panda Bear & Sonic Boom
14) 3rd Highlands And Islands Tour: Julian Cope
15) wifi: Spare Snare
16) There Will Be No Crying: Cleo Sol
17) $1 One Vote!: The The
18) Sunday's Cool: 10:40
* This is possibly the laziest edit I've ever done. I've simply laid a copy of the mix on the other, with a 20-second delay and (roughly) beat matched. I like the repetition of Kyoko Sato's voice, so this version stayed in.
** A snippet from Edith Bowman's interview with David Holmes earlier this month. Well worth an hour of your time.
