Brain Is Burning From Losing

After a week of looking back, Friday's selection brings us back up to date with an 8-track trawl through the last couple of years, heavily weighted towards music from 2023.

Private Agenda is Sean Phillips and Martin Aggrowe. "In their teens," says the bio, "[they] dipped in and out of musical projects with their peers, swapping instruments, records and literature along the way. What united these early efforts was a growing fascination and exploration of a multi-genre, interdisciplinary approach to musical projects. If Private Agenda didn’t exist in name, it existed in spirit from an early stage." Private Agenda released the excellent Submersion EP on Lo Recordings in 2021, closing with a remix by label boss - and one half of Seahawks - Jon Tye under his Ocean Moon moniker.

From Ocean Moon to Moon Ocean, one of a series of top notch EPs released by Justin Robertson this year. Confluence Of Torrents is one of five tracks on this EP, featuring music dusted off from the vaults, which speaks to the quality and volume of Justin's work that sometimes there's just too much good music to release all at once.

I was certain that I'd previously featured at least one version of Iron Warrior by Revival Season here, but apparently not. I've gone for the Dubstrumental, one of three Raf Rundell remixes of this standalone 2021 single. Revival Season is Brandon Evans (B-Eazy) and Jonah Swilley (Mattiel) and their debut album is landing in early 2024.

in 2021, Steady State produced the rather excellent Ofra Haza-sampling Shake Up Your Mind. In turn, those wonderful people at Paisley Dark Records commissioned around two dozen remixes. Most of these were compiled for Shelter Me: Beats For Beds: The Remix Album, proceeds going to the housing and homelessness charity Shelter. No longer available to buy, this extract from the album is by Clandestino and amazingly, the quality of the remixes is that good throughout.

The Machine Soul aka Robert Folkesson released the Engineered State EP in the summer, another solid release on Paisley Dark Records. The bio on Resident Advisor reads, "Robert was part of the early rave and house scene in Stockholm, DJ-ing at various underground warehouse parties and legendary clubs like Deep in Bleep, Monday Bar and Le Garage under the DJ Robo moniker. The Machine Soul is Roberts’s brain child for producing deep and groovy tech and deep house" and Engineered State delivers and then some. I've included the original mix here but the remixes by Högt I Tak, Ian Vale, UFO and Jay-Son are also highly recommended.

JP Buckle is Jason Peter Buckle, perhaps better known as a member of The All Seeing I and collaborating with Jarvis Cocker as Relaxed Muscle in the early 2000s before becoming a core member of JARV IS... at the turn of this decade. Redefining prolific, Self Respecting Unobsessed is a track from the album Radio Silence, the seventh of ten (so far) albums and EPs this year alone. 

bdrmm is Hull-based four piece comprising Ryan Smith, Jordan Smith, Joe Vickers and Conor Murray. bdrmm was born as a solo bedroom project by Ryan and after a demo got interest from Radio 1, Ryan roped in his brother and mates to flesh out the band and the sound. bdrmm's music is typically described as shoegaze though you wouldn't know this from listening to Daniel Avery's superlative remix. How much of bdrmm's original music is left in the mix is debatable, but it's a cracking tune all the same.

After the previous song's brain burning beats, some cool water to quell the flames with A Place To Bury Strangers remixed by Annie Hart of Au Revoir Simone. Sonically, the songs is very reminiscent of the latter; vocally it's all the former, Oliver Ackermann's lyrics left intact. Another gem from this year's See Through You Rerealized remix album.

With the exception of the Steady State song, all of today's selections and their parent releases can be found and purchased on Bandcamp.

 

1) P.S.R (Ocean Moon Mix By Jon Tye): Private Agenda (2021)

2) Confluence Of Torrents: Justin Robertson's Deadstock 33s (2023)

3) Iron Warrior (Raf Rundell Dubstrumental): Revival Season (2021)

4) Shake Up Your Mind (Clandestino Melt Up Your Mind Mix By Joe Morris & Nick Smith): Steady State (2021)

5) Engineered State (Original Mix By Robert Folkesson): The Machine Soul (2023)

6) Self Respecting Unobsessed: JP Buckle (2023)

7) Port (Daniel Avery Remix): bdrmm (2022)

8) Nice Of You To Be There For Me (Annie Hart Remix): A Place To Bury Strangers (2023)

 

2021: Iron Warrior EP: 3

2021: Shelter Me: Beats For Beds: The Remix Album: 4

2021: Submersion EP: 1 

2022: Port EP: 7

2023: Engineered State EP: 5

2023: Moon Ocean EP: 2

2023: Radio Silence: 6

2023: See Through You Rerealized: 8

 

Brain Is Burning From Losing (45:21) (KF) (Mega)

It's Not Over, Not Even When The Day Is Done

Another relatively short mix, 7 songs in 46-and-a-quarter minutes, in slightly more relaxed mood for a sunny Sunday.

The Orb have been on a creative high in the past couple of years and their remixes for other artists have been right up there too. This track also opens up the remix companion of Scottish duo Dohnavùr's second album The Flow Across Borders, which also features Richard Norris, Pulselovers and Kieran Mahon. 

Rude Audio's new EP, Big Heat, was released exactly one month ago and has already been praised by Swiss Adam ("returned to do the summer of 2022 a massive favour") and Walter ("on heavy rotation at my place and [,,,] one of the sounds of this summer". Dr. Rob's description of today's featured track Rudely Fresh as "a cool Compass Point-esque meeting of new wave and Nyabinghi" is spot on. The entire Big Heat EP is a treat, with remixes of the lead track from Rich Lane and Bedford Falls Players and a suitably epic remix of Dust Devil by Al MacKenzie to round things off. If you pop over to Rude Audio's Soundcloud page, you can also find the Al MacKenzie Beatless Remix of Dust Devil, available as a free download.

 

I stumbled across the cover of Stevie Wonder's 1980 classic Master Blaster by accident whilst browsing the Echo Beach website. Dubby Wonder is "soundscapes ecologist" (great job title) Lee Groves and Eugene Tambourine is a "DJ, re-editor and multi-instrumentalist"; both are currently based in New York City. I love the vibe of this slowed-down, dubbed-out version.

 

Another classic getting a contemporary relick is Dub Organizer, from Lee 'Scratch' Perry's 1973 classic Upsetters 14 Dub Black Board Jungle. Perry is joined by Subatomic Sound System aka John Emch, another NYC resident, following their 2017 collaboration Super Ape Returns To Conquer. Dub Organizer (2019 Relick) is still available as a free download via Bandcamp or Soundcloud.

 

Richard Norris seems to be an unending well of creativity, with multiple solo and side-projects on the go and somehow finding time to produce and remix music for other artists too. Bishi aka Bishnupriya Bhattacharya provided guest vocals to Norris' 2021 track Water. The single/remix package was one of last year's highlights and here he repays the favour with a beautiful, minimal remix of Bishi's current single Reflektions.

 

One final cover version here and it's another dub side project of Lee Groves, this time as Rude Boy. Discogs lists one solitary release by Rude Boy, an album in 1998. Over twenty years later, Groves reunited with Kingston, JA vocalist Kardi Tivali to cover a couple of club classics, Pump Up The Volume by M|A|R|R|S and today's selection, Superstylin' by Groove Armada. Rude Boy's original version of the latter appeared on Version Excursion, Don Letts' spectacular contribution to the LateNightTales compilation series. I've opted here for Swiss dub explorer Delaypilot's sweet remix.

 

Rounding things off is another dub rinse, this time by Salty Man aka Raf Rundell, of Lighthouse by Mattiel from her third album Georgia Gothic, out earlier this year. I enthused about the Georgia Gothic Dubs EP - and this track in particular - back in May and it's remained a playlist regular since.

 

1) New Objectivity (The Orb's Rest & Be Thankful Remix): Dohnavùr (2022)

2) Rudely Fresh: Rude Audio (2022)

3) Master Blaster (Vocal Version) (Cover of Stevie Wonder): Dubby Wonder ft. Eugene Tambourine (2022)

4) A Me (The Dub Organizer) (2019 Relick): Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Subatomic Sound System (2019)

5) Reflektions (Reworking I) (Remix By Richard Norris): Bishi (2022)

6) Superstylin' (Delaypilot - Roots Dub Remix) (Cover of Groove Armada): Rude Boy ft. Kardi Tivali (2021)

7) Lighthouse Dub (Raf Rundell's Salty Man Dub): Mattiel (2022)

 

2019: A Me (The Dub Organizer) EP: 4 

2021: Pump Up The Volume / Superstylin' EP: 6

2022: Big Heat EP: 2 

2022: Georgia Gothic Dubs EP: 7

2022: Master Blaster EP: 3

2022: Reflektions EP: 5

2022: The Flow Across Borders: The Remixes: 1

It's Not Over, Not Even When The Day Is Done (46:15)

Every Day It Feels So, Feels So, Feels So Real

A slight change of plan today, as my intended post has now been shifted to Sunday - all will become clear. Instead, I'm having another dip into my 2022 music purchases to bring you a selection of ten tunes, spanning the globe and all with a nod and a wink towards the dancefloor. The BPMs are relatively low on many, but they're damned persistent and infectiously groovy.

Starting off with the wonderfully titled Chuggernaut from Nottingham producers and DJs Disco Rogues aka Nick Kipsy and Dave Holland, followed by Pan In The Flash from Leeds-based Cosmikuro aka Jamie Minto, a highlight from the excellent Paisley Dark Records compilation Shelter Me. All for a good cause, as is the Support Ukraine Compilation on the Toy Tonics label, which I featured recently and represented here by I Think I See by South London duo Athlete Whippet aka Aviram Barath and Robin Braum.

 

Confidence Man's album Tilt continues to be the gift that keeps on giving since it came out in April, whilst John Tejada puts a new spin on an old rave classic to great effect. Humanoid was a solo vehicle for Brian Dougans, one half of The Future Sound Of London, Amorphous Androgynous and a million other aliases.

 

Another legend, Hubert Blanc-Francard of Cassius and La Funk Mob and more recently film composer fame, appears here as Boom Bass with a wonderful remix of Glatson by Nathalie Duchene. 

 

Things close out in a dub-inflected style with one of Raf Rundell's four reworkings of songs from Mattiel's Georgia Gothic album, imbuing the music and vocals with a spaciousness and depth that provides a perfect way to wrap up the hour.

 

Happy weekend, everyone. More - but very different - fun tomorrow!

 

1) Chuggernaut: Disco Rogues

2) Pan In The Flash: Cosmikuro

3) 'The Mayor Of Malt Rave St' (Pete's Give Them Shelter Remix): Pete Bones

4) Luvin U Is Easy: Confidence Man

5) Didgital (Original): Omri Smadar

6) sT8818r (John Tejada Remix): Humanoid

7) I Think I See: Athlete Whippet

8) Glatson (Boom Bass Remix By Hubert Blanc-Francard): Nathalie Duchene

9) Island Avenue: Zillas On Acid

10) Cultural Criminal (Raf Rundell's Salty Man Dub): Mattiel

 

Every Day It Feels So, Feels So, Feels So Real (59:36)

Let Me Know When You Can Breathe Again

Another of my Bandcamp purchases this weekend was the Georgia Gothic Dubs EP by Mattiel. As the title suggests, 4 dub remixes from the Georgia Gothic album by Raf Rundell, appropriately enough on the Heavenly label.

 

All four are highly recommended, though the original album is such a rich source to begin with. My disappointment that there isn't (yet?) a dub of album opener Jeff Goldblum is more than compensated by the tracks on offer.

 

As an example, here's the excellent video for second single Lighthouse, released in January, together with the Salty Man Dub version.

Lighthouse (Album Version): Mattiel (2022)

Lighthouse Dub (Raf Rundell's Salty Man Dub): Mattiel (2022)