Midweek Mixes (26/05/21)
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.
Cleymoore - Is Burning #79
Cleymoore kicks off his mix for Amsterdam’s queer party …Is Burning with the first track from Orbital’s first album, which opens with a cosmic quote from Star Trek about ‘The Moebius’. From the word go you already know you’re in for a ride. After a string of podcasts focussing more on the ambient, experimental and downtempo side of things, it’s a thrill to hear Bruno flexing his party music muscles, presumably gearing up for a return to the club.
Here he applies his fluid mixing style to a selection of Detroit- and rave-inflected techno and house, with each record that’s not from the 90s at least heavily influenced by that era. He’s clearly having fun with it too: check the drama-filled transition just before 20 mins, where he makes the most out of those super satisfying percussive elements in ‘Mood’ by Symbols & Instruments, layering them over the growling bassline and breaks on the next record.
It’d be remiss of me not to shout out ‘893’ by Lerosa from WLTD002, which is classily slotted in near the end. The record may be trapped in pressing plant purgatory but thanks to Bruno we can already hear how good it sounds in context.
Ethan McNamara - Third Wave @ NARR radio (22/05/21)
Ethan’s second show for NARR Radio is a worthy successor to his first, ploughing a parallel furrow through 80s post punk, weirdo synth pop in French and German (and bad English, obvs), EBM, electroclash (yes really), and a triumphant appearance by perennial favourite ‘Lost Angeles’. Everyone together now:
LOST IN THE STARS!
LOST ANGELES!
Aside from the fabulous selection, the best thing about this show is the attention paid to sequencing and mixing: bang-on phrasing, key matches and lateral thinking aplenty help to convince us all that this strange music is altogether logical. By the time we get to ‘In Every Dream Home A Heartache’, Bryan Ferry’s nonsense narrative almost comes off as a piece of trenchant political criticism. Almost.
Islas & Alex Sourbis - The Morning Show @ Kiosk Radio (01/05/21)
“We’re not awake yet. The coffee isn’t working. Please bring us croissants.”
This is the energy I expect from early morning radio and it cheers me up even when I’m listening back at a more amenable hour, usually while cooking lunch or supper. I included The Morning Show in one of these posts last month and (full disclosure) I’ll be including it again and again, because this is radio tailor made for me.
‘Xtal’? Check! ‘Slave To The Rhythm’? Check! An entirely unexpected but enthralling appearance by PJ Harvey with ‘We Float’? CHECK! Also bringing a smile to my face was ‘Toast’ by Koffee, whose Tiny Desk Concert I recently watched after Gwenan tipped me off. If anyone has any other Tiny Desks they recommend in particular, please shout!