Midweek Mixes (27/04/21)
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.
The Morning Show w/ Islas & Alex Sourbis
The Morning Show, a new Friday morning segment on Brussels’ Kiosk Radio, is something I will never be awake early enough to listen to, but which I am going to do my best to catch up on whenever possible. This weekend I listened to it around Sunday lunchtime and within a few minutes was rewarded with the glorious barbershop harmonies of ‘Our Prayer’ by The Beach Boys. A blast from the past for me, since I listened to Brian Wilson’s Smile a huge amount in my late teens.
The tone is set in place further by ‘I Believe In You’ by Talk Talk, followed later by appearances from Neneh Cherry, Saint Etienne, Missy Elliott, Erika de Casier and Cocteau Twins (“I think there is no morning show without Cocteau Twins”). There are also a couple of spoken interventions, including an omelette recipe from the Kiosk’s resident chef.
Morning nourishment in all senses, then.
Butter Side Up 059: Pep
Mixes by Pep aka Ricky, a member of the crew that runs Spaced, are a rare sighting, the last one being a livestream from last year. Elusive though he is, his DJ chops are unmistakeable. Having moved to Valencia a few years ago, he has easy access to the rich pickings of shops in the city like the wonderful Ultrasound, plus the many private collections to be found in the surrounding areas.
The result? A totally distinctive selection that draws heavily on the interface between 80s ostentation and 90s leanness. Opening with a couple of selected ambient works and some reduced breaks, the tension is released by the kind of flamboyant 80s electro I fall for every time. A few of the mid-mix techier things are less my bag but then, on the hour, my favourite record of the set unexpectedly spreads its glorious wings.
Arriving in a squall of synths, this tune contrasts rough, overdriven production values with yearning, emotional harmonies in a way I find completely compelling. The standout of an already excellent mix, it’s machine funk of the highest order.
Rasel H - Rasel’s Quest For Creative Congruence
A few months ago, I received an unassuming message through Soundcloud from someone called Rasel H, who said he’d done a mix (this one) and maybe I had time to listen. I did and I loved it. Varied records, put together with an ear for complementary and contrasting soundworlds, and a few risks taken along the way.
Now he’s done another one, with another charming title, and again it really appeals to me. I feel a strong affinity with the selection, the sequencing and the general point of view (as Nina Garcia would say). For example, the mid-break lightspeed transition around 33 minutes is exactly the kind of thing I often attempt but rarely pull off like Rasel H does here, and it makes me smile.