Happy New Year everyone! For those of you that downloaded it, I hope you enjoyed 2010 my year in music wrapup mix. It's 2011 now and I'm back on the Seasonal Tunes train, in true fashion, reflecting feelings of the cold and bleak Chicago winter. I'd like to think that despite the intentions of artists and their musical style, somehow the time of year they release an album is extremely relevant. As happy as I am with this mix I can't help but think about how different this is going to sound in July. This is pretty much my intention with these mixes, to highlight musical seasonality.
We start off here with a new Dublin based All-City Records collaboration between Martyn & Mike Slott. "Pointing Fingers" seems to be more stylistically driven by Slott but still moody and dense enough to fit both producers modus operandi. Before I even get into the rest of this mix I'll say that this opener is pretty much the musical incarnation of my life so far in January 2011. I love how restless it gets in the second half of the track. The mix evolves into new stuff from blast-from-the-past Warp band Seefeel. Continuing their venture blending shoegaze and electronica, this album couldn't possibly come at a more appropriate time. Listening to "Dead Guitars" makes all of the reverberated chill-wave nonsense from the past year just melt into the gutters. This song is so freaking powerful and crunchy, yet creeps along steadily layering on top of itself and NEVER letting go right up until "Lemonade" trickles in by Montreal based dreamy-pop group Braids. I should also give mention that Seefeel's new album has some of the best cover-art I've seen in a long time. Somehow I squeeze some dubsteppy business in here, most notably "Fool Me" off the REALLY great Evelyn EP (Black Acre Records) from the one like Fantastic Mr. Fox. Duran Duran song "New Religion" gets a groovy boogie makeover from Italo-King Bottin's new outfit Tinpong. New Toro Y Moi album doesn't have anywhere near the same appeal as last years Causers of This but "Still Sound" definitely a highlight and I love how well this worked with the new Destroyer single "Kaputt." Dan Bejar once again reinvents himself on this record and this time by way of a bunch of airy soft-rock textures and vamped saxophone riffs. It's decidedly still a Destroyer record but the emphasis here seems more on the lush 80s sound rather than lyrical composition. Kaputt is another record that I find very musically relevant to now... it just sounds right. We've been playing it at the winebar a bunch lately and it's still not old or stale (yet). New Cut Copy single is mildly very addicting, hence why it's even on here. I'm not a huge Cut Copy fan but I can't deny their ability to create super catchy dance tunes that seem to border ever so slightly on cheese but never actually make it there. Moving into one of my FAVORITE tunes right now from UK based threesome Metronomy. Up until now I've really enjoyed their remixes, some of which giving them their indie-dance cred. That's not to ignore their clean production and in many cases sounding more like a less quirky, more techno influenced Mount Kimbie (also a fav). Nevertheless, they are going more the indie-dance route here with "She Wants" which, by listening to the rhythm and tempo, sounds like they've turned into a band but brought the warm electronic synths along with them. The video for this song RULES too.
For some reason lately I've been obsessed with music videos involving tracking shots (ahem..sara). Forthcoming Boxcutter album on Planet-Mu has got me twitching impatiently. "Ufonik" featuring vocalist Brian Greene can be found on their latest "14 songs.." compilation. SEPALCURE! aka Machinedrum and some other dude. They are releasing some quality stuff right now, check out the Fleur EP on HOTFLUSH for sure. All of this is leading up to yes, James Blake. Clearly he's been all over my mixes and most people's top-lists the past year and this is all for a good reason. His self titled debut album drops this month on R&S and is really something else. And if you didn't see his brain-melting performance on bbc, you should click here. "To Care (Like You)"... I can't even really talk about it right now, just turn it (way) up. I've always had this thing for listening to quiet and minimal music loud as fuck. Snd anyone?
Ok that's it. Enjoy the mix, it should help you pass the winter.
...that and a blood orange old-fashioned.
tracklist:
Mike Slott/Martyn - Pointing Fingers
oOoOO - Hearts
Seefeel - Dead Guitars
Braids - Lemonade
Vessels - Meatman, Piano Turner, Prostitute (Radio Edit)
Fantastic Mr. Fox - Fool Me
Jimmy Edgar - New Touch (Axiom Crux Remix)
BOTTIN presents TINPONG - New Religion
Toro y Moi - Still Sound
Destroyer - Kaputt
Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx - I'll Take Care of U
Cut Copy - Take Me Over
Metronomy - She Wants
Nite Jewel - It Goes Through Your Head (DaM-FunK Club Dub)
Purity Ring - Ungirthed
Boxcutter - Ufonik
Sepalcure - Fleur
James Blake - To Care (Like You)
How to Dress Well - Ready For The World
cheers, y'all
matty | ish!
