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VIDA DE-sign by Michael Buckingham, aka Mick Muttley

Dear friends (yeah really, one of those) I have become a women's wear designer for VIDA! http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/ ...

Monday 27 February 2012

SubVersion Stop 153: Little Dragon + Holy Other @ 02 Academy, Oxford - 26th February 2012


Questioning your ruse doesn't faze a holy other. Indeed, the Mancunian doesn't outline the exact ruse of his music; all full of half-there shoegaze density meets industrial 'Bass Music' dualism. But it's darn appealing. Through a set pre-ordained at dominantly 80-140 BPM, Holy Other touch textural bases with Animal Collective support Grouper, Hessle Audio stalwart Pangaea and Murcof. Like those artists, it's a fairly lifeless experience visually, here mixed with no 'instrumental' interaction. However when the tracks are this absorbing - especially effervescently flirtatious "We Over" - it makes for an interactive mindgame, and I for one want to question with a desire to see this Holy Other again. He acts as amiable warm-up to this evening's Swedish headliners Little Dragon. A feel of a gig can be traced by its support, but there's also a gradient, present here certainly, that causes enjoyment to increase when acts are combined.

Musically, Little Dragon seem displaced from their 1980s upbringing. Their only throwback to that era tonight is a synth arpeggio intro, elongated to Oneohtrix Point Never size, similar to what adorned the "Ritual Union" standout "Precious", which fittingly commands the encore. Their signature swingbeat, slowed down to pop palpability, recalls a form of dance music tripping its own laces from noughties exhaustion. This translates well live: bodies are moving early, lights are dimmed and everyone's at home, so they must be doing something right with their productions. Pogo beats of varying varieties don't clash with singer Yukimi Nagano's sultry, bandy voice; her range skits prettily between Madonna-ish broken melismas and wisps of a more subdued M.I.A. They're like a nocturnal version of 4Hero in the 02, adapting to the venue's boxed-in-ness in a cuddly yet energetic bond with band and audience.

Ramjam up to the bar before we even started, an adventurous take on tonight might see Little Dragon as an update of 60s Rocksteady, while Holy Other a hint towards the Bass Music underground. The journalistic catch-all for whatever transcends Dubstep, it's excellent to observe so many enjoying themselves from a line that traces back over five decades.

Little Dragon: website
Holy Other: SoundCloud

Thursday 23 February 2012

SubVersion Stop 152: For The Electronica Lovers...review and mixtape archive 001

Hi folks

The premise of my "For The Ambient Lovers...review and mixtape archive 001" counterpart thread, with over 10,500 views in 8 months at last observation, doesn't apply here. As I'm fully aware Subvert Central, underlying everything, is an Electronica-centric forum news wise, with many threads about Electronica-centric music, as well as science, politics and banter. But what I want to do with this topic is, firstly, prolong the work of my Dogs On Acid "Music And Mixes Of Interest Archive" started in 2006, which amassed over 100 descriptive reviews of Jungle, D&B and things in between. I stopped that to form the SC webzine, TDD, in late 2006, began the SC group blog SubVersion in 2009 with Statto as a firm continuation, so if you don't know me: the zine had thousands of readers, the alongside mix series' many thousands of downloaders and readers.

My plan here, then, is that anyone can join in with recommendations of tunes, albums and mixes, lumped into one thread all about Electronica, which to me constitutes House, Techno, Dubstep, Jungle, Drum & Bass and the various segregated sub-styles, and for the messages to reach as wide and varied an audience as possible. So, this thread will be updated periodically personally, but any further natter and picks from readers would be awesome. I'll start as meaning to go on...

FTEL 001 - February 2012

Colo - Midday Sun EP
Take Records 005 vinyl



Seriously good eight track EP; Take Records' first of 2012, ululating synth on "Never Again" twirls lightly like a feather duster stuffed with confetti, perfectly accenting the broken beats that sensibly step. Last original "Church" follows that tack; sax clusters chisel a lacksaidasical groove, sanding the pieces together and possessing a gummy bassline in progress. George Fitzgerald's remix: proof where "bass music" foreseeably ends, Dubstep tempo is modern comma, punctuates Techno stylism. Ken Kojima aka Nick Anthony Simoncino's ambituous re-rub of "Church" adapts the wandering backing melody of The Cars' "Who's Gonna Drive You Home" and scatterguns a truckload of percussive licks over it; pick of the remixes, but only just - Epoque's "Rick" version half-speeds Hospital Records' golden days.

http://www.takerecords.co.uk/ (out March 12th)

Greenleaf - Cold Soul EP
Lightless Digital download


Booming beats, syncopation - not two things that always work really well together. But on "Cold Soul", New Orleans subvert Greenleaf bears testament to persistence in confluence. "Who", for example, stews Droppin' Science junglism to choppy waters, not unlike the path laid by Paradox in his 2004 breakbeat mission - more drums, more funk, less cheese, no junk heard. Except when every drum workout starts to sound the same. That's a fair criticism of the musical area, but assuredly on "Cold Soul" there's more to Greenleaf's title subversion than bass warmth. The atmospheres straddle 90s tablature to fork out old sensibilities, and the difference is the edits are readily alternated. Consequently boredom thresholds many heads tired from even after finding "the good shit" vanishes. "Mercy Funk VIP?" Merci.

http://subvertcentral.com/forum/showthread.php?57697-Greenleaf-Cold-Soul-EP-%28Lightless-Recordings-Digital%29&highlight=greenleaf


June Miller - Give Up The Ghost EP

Horizons Music CD / vinyl / download



June Miller, the duo of Mark Mcann and Bert Van Djik, could be spited for associations with now nails-on-blackboard Drum & Bass labels including Renegade Hardware. Whereas "Give Up The Ghost" benefits from collaborations with established deeper soundsmiths like Instra:Mental, IChiOne guest Mindmapper and female Tracey Chapman-alike Gonnie Case, for now multi-genre imprint Horizons Music. "Neurosis (140 mix)" is the obvious choice for Burial fans, but excess soul turns saccharine with more knowledge and maturity, so I'm inclined to vote for "Tundra" as the lasting spirit exciter. Gorgeous 'verbed guitar granules mix up with tunnel-richocheted Latin percussion overlays, firm offbeat rhythms, and a vibe recalling a more restrained Arcon 2. Six very good tunes, one generic tech tune from Amoss.

http://www.horizonsmusic.co.uk/shop/index.php?cPath=111

2 Mixes To Begin

Tim - Reaper - Mix For Rhythm Incursions


Originally Posted by Rhythm Incursions


"Tim Reaper is a young Jungle/D&B producer I was introduced to by the always on it Joe Muggs. Since then his SoundCloud page has been a regular stopping point, especially when I need an amen fix (check his "Amen Warfare" mini mix for some chopped up bliss).

As always one thing leading to another we got chatting on Twitter and we invited Tim to deliver a mix for the show, which he did in the shape of this short but intensely sweet mini mix. With only two years’ producing experience under his belt, Tim’s already showing the kind of flair that bodes well for the future, especially in his ability to reconcile the sounds and vibes of Jungle’s golden era with its various modern incarnations and evolutions. He’s had releases on Trace’s DSCI4 label and forthcoming ones on Inperspective among others – there’s plenty forthcoming he tells us, so be sure to keep an eye out."

01. Ricky Force – All Kinda Style [Space Amazon Dub]
02. Discography & Tim Reaper – He Feels Like A Carpet [Dub]
03. Jazzsteppa & Foreign Beggars – Raising The Bar (Stray Remix) [Studio Rockers]
04. Jedi – Robber Baron (Gremlinz & Rene LaVice Remix) [Bad Concept]
05. LXC – I Know U [Bustle Beats Dub]
06. Future & Stranjah – The List [Dub]
07. Tim Reaper – Congo Bad [Dub]
08. Optimystic – Roots (Relapse’s Bleeding Roots Remix) [Dub]
09. Double O – Africa Sweetness [Hidden Hawaii]
10. Flatliners – Dub Tune (Jaybee Remix) [Dub]
11. Phuture-T – Waterhouse Dub [Dub]
12. DJ Trace – Final Chapta VIP [Dub]
13. Tim Reaper – Call My Name [Free Download]
14. Theory – Dirty Tricks [Translation]
15. Parallel & Tim Reaper – The Sound [Inperspective Dub]
16. Champa B – Bodies [Scientific Wax Dub]
17. Tim Reaper – From The Top [Free Download]
18. Nolige – The Drift [Free Download]

Download on SC

The Night Kitchen Podcast: Feb 2012

Originally Posted by InfiniteSloth

This mix has been long in the works and I'm glad to finally be able to post about it. Wanted to give an upbeat and quirky intro to the PCMS/Drum Funk sound.

http://nastysonix.com/tagged/Night_Kitchen

"Well worth the wait, this incredible Jungle ‘n’ drumfunk mix is crafted by Nic TVG from Los Angeles. It’s been so long since I’ve enjoyed new/current Drum & Bass that these sounds were like an 8am wake-up call - caffeine to my ears. Warning - this mix may be addictive, and go into heavy rotation 'pon your iTunes. Enjoy!"

01. Baked Beans vs Toshi Ichiyanagi - Appearance
02. Nic TVG - A Mouse Among Monsters (Takeshi Nakamura’s Rhythm and Noise Mix) [Pinecone Moonshine]
03. Sub - So Finster die Nacht (Fracture’s Astrophonica Mix) [Pinecone Moonshine]
04. Fanu - Brotz [Pinecone Moonshine]
05. Takeshi Nakamura - 4 [Pinecone Moonshine]
06. Pieter K - Set the Record Straight [Inperspective]
07. Macc & dgoHn - July 39th [Subtle Audio]
08. Nic TVG - No Truth in Tuning (Mixed Media Version) [Pinecone Moonshine]
09. Icarus - Uke ‘Em [Not Applicable]
10. Sub - Tensions [Subtle Audio]
11. Macc & dgoHn & Nic TVG - TTT [Pinecone Moonshine]
12. Nic TVG - A Mouse Among Monsters [Subtle Audio]
13. dgoHn - Summit [Pinecone Moonshine]
14. Intense - Time Space Continuem [Rugged Vinyl]

Download on SC

Ta all, and looking forward to getting this stone rolling.

For The Electronica Lovers...review and mixtape archive 001

M

Monday 20 February 2012

SubVersion Stop 151: SubVersion Recommends Muttley - Responsibilities (February 2012)


59:10 - 320kbps - 135MB

01. 00:00 Gordon Giltrap, Carol Lee Sampson & Martin Green - Echoes Of Heaven (Echoes Of Heaven LP, K-Tel, 2012)
02. 03:02 Matt Bartram - Healing (The Dreaming Invisible....... LP, Drifting/Falling, 2011)
03. 09:09 Nest - The Dying Roar (Body Pilot EP, Serein, 2011)
04. 14:12 Robin Guthrie, Eraldo Bernocchi & Harold Budd - Stay With Me (Winter Garden LP, Rarenoise, 2011)
05. 19:35 Marc Atmost - Heliotropic Islands (Above EP, Stasis, 2011)
06. 26:12 Sylvain Chaveau - A Cloud Of Dust (Singular Forms: Sometimes Repeated LP, Type, 2010)
07. 33:44 Barn Owl - Temple Of The Winds (Lost In The Glare LP, Thrill Jockey, 2011)
08. 36:55 Wolves In The Throne Room - Woodland Cathedral (Celestial Lineage LP, Southern Lord, 2011)
09. 42:21 Twinsistermoon - You Can Tell Me No Lies (When Stars Glide Through Solid LP, Blackest Rainbow, 2011)
10. 44:27 June Miller & Mindmapper - Tundra (Give Up The Ghost EP, Horizons, 2012)
11. 49:23 Suzanne Ciani - The Velocity Of Love (Meditations For Dreams, Relaxation And Sleep LP, 2011)
12. 53:49 Gordon Giltrap, Carol Lee Sampson & Martin Green - Walk Beside Me (Echoes Of Heaven LP, K-Tel, 2012)

Download


"Responsibilities" is a gift to the first woman I officially went on a "date" with. Her birthday today, this is a mark of friendship wished, since we both had a nice time. And we concluded that being 'just' friends was the desired outcome. So I gathered 12 tracks, ordering them conceptually to represent my journey on the "date".

Like "Hurt", they map moods and tempos to feelings. E.g: Budd, Guthrie & Bernocchi's "Stay With Me" is my sentimentality of leaving family at Oxford station. While religious tunes from Gordon Giltrap, Carol Lee Sampson & Martin Green taper edges as faith in/out.

"Dating", principally: that's not really me; the idea of assessing something or someone straightforwardly. Because I always grasp essence in physical meeting that there are black and white polarities working. I refuse to be judgemental until the lowest ebb. And I think with any relationship, you've got to keep that level-headedness when you cross a line.

For those tracing history back in my 15 Minutes Of Fame instalments since 2006, see this as a longer counterpart to "Cut Your Losses". Then, in January 2010, I had a very productive month mixing-wise, wholly from freeing myself of hanging onto the past. Productivity has decreased since 2010. That's due to a key sub-theme of "Responsibilities": muse selectivity.

All our motivations differ to some degree or another, whether it's to try out an idea full-on, or deliberately leave room for expansion. But to quote Klute in regard to making music: "As long as you are doing it for the right reasons" - and that's the crux of an ethical viewpoint that leads to creation universally. In other words, if it's undercooked, you shouldn't dish out.

So, part one of this info was to foreground a "date" mapped concept. Then part two is background on "dating" from my perspective. Part three is middling, so I'm now, from the forthcoming part 55 of shorter series 15 Minutes Of Fame, taking the responsibility of backdating each archived mixtape in a triplet: foreground, background, and transcendental introspection - see SV Stop 149. This way an overview is possible via a list format of notes.

As a final thought: "Responsibilities" is the only mix of mine that's fully unmixed. Enjoy!

Friday 3 February 2012

SubVersion Stop 150: A Personally Meaningful 2012 Project Open For Contribution



My Uncle John Buckingham who passed away at 45 years of age from MND.

Hi all,

My folks are trekking up Machu Picchu, Peru on 12th May 2012, raising money for Motor Neurone Disease Association, in memory of my Uncle's death from the condition.

I'm dropping word here with the idea if there's anyone who's enjoyed the projects I've done in the past, and wanted to say thanks - here's something I really believe in helping out.

Our target is £1000, with 37% achieved for this already, but any - and I mean anything, as much as a penny - would go a great deal to aiding a charity that has too little pioneers researching MND.

The info and link to my Mum and Dad's page:

Originally Posted by Mick & Lynn Buckingham

"It is ten years since John was diagnosed with MND, and within four months he passed away on 9th August 2002. Funding for researching this devastating disease is crucial as very little is known about its causes. Equally important is the support a sufferer and his family receives through dwindling NHS resources and the MNDA.This support makes an immense difference to their comfort and quality of life during this difficult time and we are so grateful to everyone who was involved in this. Please donate as much as you can so that their valuable service can continue."

http://www.justgiving.com/Mick-Lynn-Buckingham/eurl.axd/c05bb9d7ea20934b956b3b04d9c3f0b2

Thanks for reading everyone, hope this finds you well.

SC support thread

M