Midweek Mixes (16/03/22)
A run-down of some of the mixes and radio shows that have been soundtracking my existence – from the box-fresh to the tried-and-tested – all guaranteed to brighten up your week.
This is the second installation of my EOS Residency - the first is here.
Keeping with the time-of-year theme, I decided to do a tribute to the lunar new year and, more specifically, the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. This lunar year is my year, the Year of the Tiger. Recently on a trip home to Birmingham I witnessed a lion dance bestowing good fortune on a restaurant in the Chinese Quarter, and it reminded me of the times in my childhood when my family would go to the Arcadian to see the lion dance. (Here’s a more recent performance from the Arcadian in 2016.)
The drumming that accompanies the dance is pulsating and matches the intensity of the exuberant dancers - one front legs, one back legs - as they act out the lion’s approach to the food (usually a green vegetable like cabbage). The dancers are so expressive in their movements and how they manipulate the lion’s head and body. First it’s cautious, then it’s ravenous as it eats the food and spits it out. Finally, in the performance we saw, the lion took on a ceremonial aspect as it unfurled a banner wishing the business owners good luck for the new year.
This mix has the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac in it (in some form or another), plus two bonuses: one for the Zodiac as a whole, and one asking an auspicious question: “Is this the year?” It’s the most techno mix I’ve done in a while, intended to reproduce the intensity and majesty of the lion dance. I hope you enjoy the ride!
New Air Pigments - Pigments In The Air [Ritual Acquaintance, 2021]
Mrs Jynx - Monkey Locked Out [Planet Mu, 2010]
The Jaffa Kid - 122 Xtension Beat Ii IN 2 [Nottetempo, 2021]
ReKab - Is This The Year (Mihail P Remix) [Intellitronic Bubble, 2020]
In Sync + Pluto - Ratcatcher [Irdial Discs, 1993]
Dextra - Mutant Horse [Rehab, 1995]
Cristian Vogel - Snake [Tresor, 1996]
Local Dub - Moon Dog [Nuances De Nuit, 2020]
Perbec - Cow Gum [Ifach, 1995]
Zodiac Trax - Jupiter [Zodiac, 1992]
James “Jack Rabbit” - Let Us Have Love (Step By Acid) [Trax, 2006]
BFC - Chicken Noodle Soup [ART, 1993]
Mu - Tigerbastard [Output, 2005]
Electrick Dragon - Italian Inspiration [Moustache, 2010]
This time round I invited Rizmi for a guest mix and she delivered a stunning selection of uplifting Sufi vibes - a much-needed balm right now. The epic centrepiece of Abi Sampa singing ‘Man Kunto Maula’ is accompanied on both sides by pieces of music that bring together traditional and future elements from different countries and communities. This transmits to us, the listener, without using words, something about the connectedness of cultures and peoples, which is then laid out explicitly in speech and song in the final two tracks of the mix: ‘African Sounds’ by Roy Ayers and ‘People Hold On’ by Coldcut.
Thanks Rizmi for giving yourself to this contribution!