Here is a new live show for you, I do apologise for the lack of regular live shows recently. Life really does serve up some curveballs sometimes and its been either untimely or just impossible to get some space behind the decks and organise my thoughts into a show. In the meantime, I hope you’ve been enjoying the archive shows.
However, I did carve some space this week, and this show will be broadcast on Totally Wired Radio at 2pm this Saturday, right up against Jamz Supernova and Gilles Peterson, so I guess I’m aiming at the listen again crew. Shout out to you guys listening again, love ya x
I’ve been sat surrounded my music making equipment in my studio, but recently I’ve been mostly working for clients, mixing their tracks, which I love BTW, helping other realise the music in their heads is what drives me forward and is so rewarding, but I do occasionallly like to indulge myself in some of my own self initiated creativity. Its almost impossible at the moment to find the space to do so, so I thought I’d start this show with a piece of my own, to remind me (and maybe you) that I do create music myself. Its a track called Exhale, and I hope it acts as a sort of auditory ‘amuse bouche’ before we head off on musical adventures.
I kick off with some new music, my inbox has been lsowly filling up with new music, so I thought it mught be nice to get into some of that, Alina and Tulsi getting a remix of their latest work, then the Heliocentrics and Marshall Allen bringing some heat with Nuclear War.
I feel confident to get into places that are maybe outside where many dj’s go, and I sometimes wonder what all this music means. I’ve done a bit of DJing out and about, at sea level and above 3000m, and I can’t quite balance all this different music I am into, but I think I’m getting there, knowing when to lean into the fringes and when to go all in on some bangers. The set I did for Chip Wickhams warm up that I put out a few weeks ago felt like a good example of that.
So we go some places, Ganavya, Anoushka (whom I love) Dorothy Ashby and into some DJ Khalab, both new and old sitting together nicely.
I upped the energy with some D’n’B and then a couple of stompers, which I’ll be taking in my bag for any gigs this summer, but then I fancied heading to the fringes again, new music from Sault, Mr Bongos incoming Record Club Vol 8 and Momoko Gill.
I”ve been thinking about doing a Nick Drake and related music show for a while, I’m still not sure if I”m going to do it, but I wanted to play a few bits from vinyl I”ve bought over the last few months, so there is a track by his mother, Molly, some of his own rare home recordings and a version of a Burt Jansch track. Black Eyed Dog is a powerfully sad track that appeared toward the end of his recording career and, in retrospect, could be seen as a sign he was struggling. Then I found a version of that by Self Esteem, whom I just listened to on the Adam Buxton podcast and really rate. Before a version of Pink Moon and then Andy Beys’ seminal version of Riverman, which I might like even more than the orginal.
I’ve been listening to a lot of artists work recently as I’m actively looking for more artists to mix tracks for, and came across this song by Simone Tang which stopped me in my tracks. Its an unusual album which is a little eccentric and sweet and this track does it for me, hoping you dig it too…
Finishing with a little Fairport Convention with their version of Chelsea Morning, which I hadn’t heard before, always going for the Joni or Jennifer versions, so it was a nice suprise to find this in a box set of Nick Drake adjacent (Joe Boyd worked with them too) music I picked up at King Bee in Manchester and couple of months ago.
Making these shows is a lifeline for me at the moment and I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I do sharing this music with you. Feel free to send to friends.
See you soon
Cx
Tracklist:
Chris Cracknell - Exhale
Alina Bzhezhinska and Tulsi - Journey Home (Cosmic Analog Ensemble)
The Heliocenrics and Marshall Allen - Nuclear War
Ganavya and Jahnavi Harrison - The Bee
Anoushka Shankar - In This Mouth
Dorothy Ashby - For Some We Loved
Khalab and Baba - Nana
Khalab and Baba - Denifurula
DJ Khalab - Yaka Muziek
KH - Looking At Your Pager (Clipz Remix)
Suburban Architecture - Focus
Swell Sessions vs Seiji - Prepared To Go feat Ernesto
Dizzy K - I’ll Never Love Again (M.A Dizzy Mix)
Sault - Good Things Will Come After The Pressure
The Sylvers - Wish I Could Talk To You Baby (Kenny Dope Remix)
Momoko Gill - Ineffably (BBC Maida Vale Session)
Jo Mango - The Windowpane
Molly Drake - Poor Mum
Nick Drake - Way To Blue
Nick Drake - Strolling Down The Highway
Molly Drake - Do You Remember?
Nick Drake - Black Eyed Dog
Craig Armstrong and Self Esteem - Black eyed Dog
Aurora - Pink Moon
Andy Bey - Riverman
The Incredible String Band - Little Girl
Simone Tang - Hey Little Love
Fairport Convention - Chelsea Morning
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