Comintagitcha

It's Them
Jel
Greenball 2001
[Download it][Buy - Give them time to find it]

I like lobster. Do you like lobster? At least once a year I try to make my way to Gloucester, Massachusetts so I can chow down on some of that tail. On my last trip I stumbled into a music store that I had never seen before. The place was massive, it was the type of joint that you would expect to have an entire cavern of records hidden beneath the floor. One side of the store was devoted to old vinyl, another section to old VHS tapes like Miami Vice the Movie Part II. There was another part of the store that played host to random trinkets where my girlfriend found herself something that looked like the bastard cousin of a microscope. There was even a Pac-Man lunchbox - behind glass of course - complete with thermos. And then there were mountains of CDs. It didn't make much sense for such a cool store to be located in downtown Gloucester. Don't get me wrong, I love it there. But, it's a fisherman's town, known for its art scene founded in painting and photography but not that well known for music. The name of the store is Mystery Train, which I find rather fitting, because I really do wonder how in the hell they got there. Unfortunately, I didn't find whatever specific CD that I was looking for at the time. But the guy behind the counter was bouncing to some sweet instrumental hip-hop beats that I couldn't seem to resist. I ran to the counter "Who is this that we are listening to and where can I find the disc?" "It's an out of print CD that had a low run to begin with by some dude who calls himself Jel." the clerk replied as he slid his glasses up his nose and pulled the jewel case from under the counter. So I didn't pick up the CD that day, but I did eventually find it thanks to the seedy seeders of the undernet.

There's a lot of good instrumental hip hop to be found as of late. Aside, from Jel there is a plentiful amount of material from Pete Rock, Jay Dee and one can always shift through RJD2's back catalogue which includes a cornucopia of stuff that Amazon has never heard of (that's to name a few).

The track of the du jour is It's Them a down tempo meets breakbeat instrumental with a dark sound that caters to rainy day listening or subway riding. That is, until the 'I'm-drinking-at-a-bar'-like piano comes out of nowhere and somehow makes me laugh every time I hear it simply because of the contrast that it creates, I feel like if it were to be isolated that Elton John would be singing on top of it or something.

Jel's album, Greenball, is a solid addition to the world of instrumental hip hop. He drops new tricks every few seconds as to keep his work from going anywhere near the tragic downfall of most instrum-hop albums: monotony. You don't want to bore your fans do ya? I never said I was, neither will you. Enjoy'all.

Kind of Peel

Courtesy of Streetsy


OSCILLATE WILDLY
Badly Drawn Boy
Going Solo - The Peel Sessions 2000
[Download It]

UNTITLED #1
Aphex Twin
Peel Sessions I 1992
[Download It]

EFFERVESCING ELEPHANT
Syd Barrett
Peel Sessions 1970
[Download It]

LARGE NUMBER
Add N to X
John Peel Sessions 2003
[Download It]

KANDY KORN
Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band
Recorded for the Peel Sessions - BBC's Top Gear 1968
[Download It]



First, a quick note: Si1ent K and I have figured out the secret to slowing down time, and thus have been able to figure out just how to post almost every single day. It's a necessity in keeping the good music flowing, because, after all, how many DJs can take the day off? Music must flow forth regularly, and heaven knows if it can be listened to, it can be posted. So, what this all boils down to is that beneath this long-winded entry, there is a ton of other tunes fresh off the last week. Each week will appear on one page more or less, so don't think for one small second that the wonderful newness stops here at the end of this post. Scroll down a little ways for further aural rewards. It is our service to you, ourselves, and the music at hand, so digest away and keep on perpetuating the grand music share.

Thanks for reading, and now back to regularly scheduled programming.

---

John Peel's been dead for quite some time now. Sadly so, but the longtime BBC Radio beacon/DJ, whose recommendations and acute musical tastes have fueled a thousand rock careers, was an absolute god of the airwaves. Before I moved to the US, I listened to as many of Peel's shows as I could get my hands on. In the era of radio de-diversification, where DJs were replaced with machinery and human contact between host and listener devolved into a crude morning-talk/gross-out format, Peel kept the fresh music flag flying.

I've lost count of the number of legendary recording sessions at the hands of Peel and the Maida Vale studios. It's hard to even fathom the number of them - between his days on 'Top Gear' and his own sessions, John Peel managed it all. A voracious, indefatigable consumer of sound and trends, John Peel gave his life to music, something we could all aspire to do.

So here, today, because I'm in one of those English-pride moments (given our early-morning cricket victory over Australia, a victory I witnessed in an Lower East Side bar having pulled an all-night bender, and one from which I'm still recovering), John Peel gets center stage today. This is not a memoriam or a belated obituary; just an honest salute to a personal hero. Posthumous as it is, his work remains, and here's just a small diverse smattering from some Peel sessions that are personal favourites of mine. I'm not going to ramble on about them all, because, for once frankly I'm going to let them speak for themselves.

Enjoy, let me know which you like and which you don't, and we'll be back tomorrow with some other tributes in a week full of memories.

Final Note: some of the sound quality ain't that hot. Captain Beefheart's session, recording in the late 60s and long since wiped by the BBC archives, is crackly as all hell, but that in some ways makes it better, you know? It's more authentic now, right? It's also incomplete, but there's still more than enough to enjoy. Such is a rarity of it that it's all imperfect and beaten-up, just like little old me.

You Are Not Your iPod

Single Serving Jack [Silent K remix]
The Dust Brothers
White Label 2005
[Download It]

I sat down with my newly adopted Nintendogs and when I looked up a full week had gone by! But it didn't keep me from finally recording a proper remix to a solid track.

Fight Club would not be half of the movie that it is without the excellent motion picture soundtrack done by The Dust Brothers. It seems that almost anything that these guys touch turns to at least a semi valuable metal if not gold.

There's a scene in the movie where Jack (as Tyler) heads over to Marla's apartment. As they exit, they hear the police on their way up the stairs. Instead of hiding, they stand in a doorway. Jack dances, the cops run by leaving Jack & Marla a chance for escape.

The tunes of that moment are only a small portion of the song Single Serving Jack from the Fight Club soundtrack. But, it was this substance that I found most valuable. If the song is composed of semi precious and precious metals, this was the silver. I've plucked it out, looped it, tossed in a few low key tricks and stamped it with the official FMGT seal. Enjoy!

A Quick One before I'm Away

BLOW UP (TOMORROW)
The Yardbirds
Blow Up OST 1966
[Download It] [Buy It]

TROUBLE IN THE MESSAGE CENTER
Blur
Parklife 1994
[Download It] [Buy It]

SCORPIO
DJ Shadow Presents...
Schoolhouse Funk 2003
[Download It] [Buy It]

OWED T'ALEX
Captain Beefheart
Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) 1978
[Download It] [Buy It]


A nutty weekend ahead, so a bizarre quartet to tide you over until Monday. If anyone can find any kind of relationship between these 4 bands/songs, I will seriously send you some kind of prize. It might be that impossible, but it's now become a competition, so there. (Note: saying that "they were all used on Friday August 26th to form a post on FMGT" will not count as a valid answer. Although you would be inventive for saying that.)

So, where to begin?

Blow-Up, a big-time stateside movie breakthrough for Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni, was an unsettling film all about an "unflinching" photographer who takes a picture of what appears to be a crime. It's a mystery, and one in which he becomes involved. The Yardbirds, along with Herbie Hancock, provided the soundtrack for the movie, a soundtrack that originally had the Who pencilled in for the music (but who pulled out due to some contractual disputes). This unlikely pairing does a good job overall - most of the music is pretty stock-atmosphere, but each band gets a chance to let loose, and the Yardbirds do on this track. It's brief, but a driving beat and classic British 60s guitar work keep the listener entertained.

From there, to Blur. Parklife's chock-full of memorable tracks, but this synth-soaked, vocal reverb heaven just cropped up on the ol' mp3 player, so here it is. It sounds rather dated when you consider what Albarn's up to nowadays, but it's still just as valid. Creepy, portentious lyrics about the future and 1984-esque themes are kinda funny, but it's still a solid pop song.

Scorpio! DJ Shadow's odd compilation of 70s-era High School funk bands is a little meandering and difficult at times, but it's not without the kind of highlights that make such an obscure project worthwhile. Funk and soul from High School marching bands? Can that be so listenable? For the most part, honestly not, but tracks like "Scorpio" and "Toast in the Boogie" are fucken superb. Snap this up, peoples!

For the grand finale, something completely different. Some Captain Beefheart, who is still one of my favourite artists of all time. (I'll get into that later) I've been considering putting together a Captain Beefheart Week, although I can't for the life of me decide where I should begin. So, in my haste, I'll begin somewhere toward the end. After a couple of difficult, schlocky albums that seemed to have shed all of his signature delirium, Don Van Vliet stormed back in the late-70s with this classic. "Owed T'Alex" is a nervy, freak-sound track: with several heavy overlapping guitar riffs, the weird fusion of trumpets, fuzzed-out guitars, cornets, harmonica and vocal squeals are the ideal supplement to his demented, non-sequitur lyrics. His voice is like sandpaper to the ears, and it gargles across the music. Maybe I'm describing it well or perhaps I'm doing a terrible job, but there really is only one way to find out: give it a listen and see what you think.



Get Well Soon, Aramis Ramirez. Back on Monday with something more coherent.

Short and Sweet in the Street

ACROSS 110TH STREET
Bobby Womack
Across 110th Street OST 1972
[Download It] [Buy It]


It's a quick post today due to work constraints, but, having seen Jackie Brown for about the thousandth time last night, I couldn't get damn Bobby Womack out of my head. And so, I aim to put it in yr heads too.

I love De Niro in this movie. Some friends hate this flick, but I'm a big fan - Tarantino got to play around with his filmmaking style using much less blood and much more sarcasm, and seeing De Niro as the fat ex-con smoking weed and having 3-minute sex with Bridget Fonda just puts me over the edge.

So does this song - enjoy, and probably a trio tomorrow, maybe even 4 from one artist.

Tuesday is Random

OOPS. I POSTED IT ORIGINALLY WITH SOME DEAD LINKS. THEY'RE ALL FIXED NOW, SO DOWNLOAD AND CLICK CLICK CLICK AWAY.



WHEN AM I GOING TO GET THERE?
Metche Dershe
Ethiopiques Vol. IV - compiled by Mulatu Astatqe 1969
[Download It] [Buy This]

VETERAN'S LEG
Dynamic Syncopation
Dynamis 1999
[Download It] [Buy It]

CROSSHAIRS
DangerDoom
The Mouse & The Mask 2005
[Download It] [Buy It]

I GOT THE BLUES
Labi Siffre
Remember My Song 1975
[Download It] [Buy It]


Yes, it's another odd combination of stuff. All of it just popped up on the ol' Creative Zen Nomad this morning en route to another 5.30 am work shift at the Co-op. Good work, good company, and 4 good songs in my ears.

Briefly:

Mulatu Astatqe = king of Ethiopian music. The Ethiopique collection = top resource for their unique regional sound. Far flung from the trance-like rhythms of the West or the beat-heavy sounds of the East (think E.T. Mensah, as posted before), Ethiopia throws down a more introspective ambience altogether. Astatqe himself is heavy on mood and feel, and the best song by him that comes to mind ("Netsanet," a track that garnered a little more light when covered by MMW on their 2004 summer/fall touring schedule) is no slouch in the power department. Hits me 'twixt the ribs upon every rotation.

I don't know that much about Metche Dershe, although believe me, I'm using my King of Google status to dig up anything I can find. Regardless, he's a fine purveyor of the genre -- this track is slick with the reverb and the electric guitars. Shuffling beat, guitar flourishes and flute flashes leap around the mind as it plays.

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Dynamic Syncopation = stylish jazz-funk mixing from the Herbaliser's producer Jonny Cuba and British DJ the Loop Professor. Soaked in film-noir soundbites and flexing their record collection muscles, this is a tightly-arranged and polished album. It's smart, it's moody, it's a pleasure to listen to.

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DangerDoom = the collab... oh heck, I know you all know exactly what DangerDoom's M.O. is. I just couldn't resist breaking my silence on letting this go unposted before the album release. Why the sudden turn? Because this track is so damn good, and is an excellent example of both the album's style goals and their relative success. An infectious sample and hook + Doom's scratchy/silky rhymes = sheer gold. I also know that you'll all buy this anyway, no matter if it's available on S**l***k or somewhere else. I will invest whatever I can to make sure this genius pair have the scratch to keep on keeping on.

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Labi Siffre = originator of perhaps the most infamous sample in the modern day. Prize for the first to recognize, although it won't take much. A quality song, one that gets you flair points with the neighbours or the barfly totty without doubt.


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More tomorrow. Enjoy the remains of the day. Not the film, but the actual remains themselves. The film isn't that good.

Over/Under - The Monday 5-Spot

EARTHQUAKE
Madlib & Epitome
Studio Kinda Cloudy - Vol. I 2002
[Download It]

THE LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON
The Mobius Band
Two EP 2002
[Download It] [Bow to the Amazon.com]

I WALK THE EARTH
King Biscuit Time
No Style EP 2000
[Download It] [Buy It]

HENRY VIII
The Tyde
Twice 2003
[Download It] [Obtain It]

MIGHTY MIGHTY (Part II)
Baby Huey and the Babysitters
The Baby Huey Story 1970
[Download It] [Buy Buy Buy]


I have no reason to slam so much music into the front end of another week, except that I'm feeling generous. I'm in a good mood, things are ticking along nicely, work is good, and I'm happy.

However, there ain't much time for the normal detailed run-down of what's being put on the turntable buffet today, but I'll try, for once in my life, to behave in a manner bordering on succinct. See? I'm already failing...

---

Madlib. A quality beatman. There's been enough column inches worldwide (and on FMGT) written about his alchemy, so Google him if yr feeling educational. I will say, however, that having bagged this disc over the weekend, I'm thoroughly impressed. I've yet to find much of a chink in his musical armour, although there have been some concept albums that verge on "meandering" and "diluted." (As much as I loved it, the ganja-stuffed "Blunted in the Bomb Shelter" is a little on the long side.)

"Studio Kinda Cloudy - Vol. I" is another interesting mix. He switches it up a lot here, fusing the same kind of cartoon samples in with some steadfast MCs. Nothing new there, right? Some of this material has cropped up elsewhere on other Madlib compilations, like "Conducted Rhythms" showing up on Beat Conductor and some Stones Throw samplers, but nevertheless, the collection ticks along nicely.

"Earthquake" slaps a catchy funk-rock bass riff with the casual, fluid MC styles of Epitome, and it washes together well to keep that head boppin'.

---
The Mobius Band are yet another group to toe that rock/electronica line, and they do it better than most. This track, from an early EP, definitely gave their rise through the dirge a little nudge, and their first LP, The Loving Sounds of Static, should not disappoint either.

If you liked the Postal Service and/or Broadcast, give them a listen. I dig this song for a number of reasons: good dynamic, as the track really builds a sense of momentum and power; vocals - when their harmonies expand and contract atop the synthy, boom-bip approach, it gets the old armhairs peaked; oh, and last but not least, trumpets!

---
King Biscuit Time is the new-ish endeavour/side-project from ex-Beta Band genius frontman Stephen Mason. It's superb. The EP itself has a clear ebb and flow, and you'd be hard-pushed to find a better opening track than "I Walk the Earth." This has the Beta Band written all over it, but Mason makes it his own - pulsing heavily with an infectious techno/folk beat (if there is such a thing), his distinctive voice dances across snap-bass and ambient texture. It's a perfect sing-along, and Mason loops his voice and lyrics into oblivion, flooding every layer with his irrepressible ear for a solid song. This track rivals anything Mason accomplished with the Beta Band on board, and while the rest of the EP in its entirety might not inspire the same goosebumps as its beginning, you'll still be enthused.

---
The Tyde don't do it for me on the whole, but Henry VIII really wakes me up.

It's pleasant and uplifting despite the pessimistic drug-addled innuendo, and lead singer Brent Rademaker's voice blends with the jingle-jangle feel and Dinosaur Jr.-style guitar-picking washes that punctuate each chorus.

---
Rounding it out quickly today, I present to you the funk behemoth, Baby Huey. Man, could this guy put out the jams.

I'll write more about this cat over time, but his presence is as big in my musical tastes as he exerted over any stage that could contain him. Baby Huey took the R&B sound to new heights, inspiring crowds and leading a talented group through a whole host of originals and Curtis Mayfield covers right up to his death in 1970 at the age of 26: years of struggling with a glandular disorder that kept his weight anywhere from 350-400 lbs became too much, and he died in a Chicago hotel room from a drug-related heart attack.

Nevertheless, his band made a huge imprint on the musical world, and this track is one of many highlights in a short, sharp catalogue.

---

Enjoy, more mayhem tomorrow.

Find the Common Thread

TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN
Cat Stevens
Tea for the Tillerman 1970
[Download It] [Purchase Power]

YOUR MAMA
Kennedy
[Watch Video Here]

ZIN ES GOURMEDEN
Tinariwen
The Radio Tisdas Sessions 2001
[Download It] [Spend Spend Spend]


While Cat Stevens has made the news over the last year for entirely different reasons, let us not forget that he did put out some quality music. All laughing and joking about the irony of "Peace Train" aside, this track serves a double-purpose on FMGT today. Not only is it about the sweetest minute of music you'll hear for a while -- his staccato approach to the piano, slow and stuttering, his vocals full of passion and soul -- but it's also the title music for Ricky Gervais' new show in England, a sitcom soaked in dark humour and missed connections. While it's not as overtly funny as "The Office," "Extras" shows more layers of Gervais' range and writing. I won't go into too many details right now (although I'm sure I will wax lyrical on it later), but back to the song.

From the clarity in his voice to the closing roar of the gospel choir, it's just a damn good track. Perhaps it's not carrying the happy mood of a Friday in summer, but it's up here nonetheless.

And now for something a little bit lighter.

---
Do we have a Weird Al for the new generation? Coming across as a bizarre hybrid between Yankovic, Jon Heder and Har Mar Superstar, Kennedy is full of himself. This should not come as any surprise - the MTV VJ of history, the also-named Kennedy, had a sense of the absurd
about her, and this man carries the moniker's lineage into wholly new and bizarre territory.

Swamped and nose-deep in stunner after stunner, the dorky crooner sends us through his disco-flooring, teacher/parent-fantasizing world. We see upset children, happy mothers, and Kennedy on his golden jetplane.

A room full of non-plussed toddlers. A skinny runt in 70s garb, dancing and swinging his thread-like arms through a montage of teletubbies, redheads, psychedelic flowers and improbably catchy hooks.

Maybe that's what has me so disgruntled; the music is catchy as fuck. Heck, the visuals are hilarious (those children deserve an Oscar, or a more suitable stepfather), the sitar break is ridiculous, and the perfect send-up of overblown, overthought rap videos full of Benjamins, Benzes and beauties as far as the eye can see.

His nasal voice is soothing to the ear after a while, and it's hard not to enjoy it for what it is. From what his website intones (http://www.kisforkennedy.com/), this shaggy, wiry bassist is reinventing himself a little, as his other material maintains a harder edge. The verbal sarcasm is still there, but the music tends towards more punk sensibilities.

This is just a bit of fun in my eyes, but it's still addictive as can be. I can't stop watching this damn video. His overexpressive, elastic face, the blank faces of every poor child, the disco swell and the whole package works nicely for him. Whether there is more to come from him or less remains to be seen; I have no idea how old or new this is, and his website is still wearing its 2003-2004 copyright, but either way, enjoy a couple of minutes of glitter balls, hip-huggers, synths and hedonism.

---
And our final stanza today comes from the Mali sub-Saharan desert. Tinariwen is comprised of Tuareg tribesmen, born in Libyan refugee camps and making a living on the world's harshest terrain. This is the the desert blues from the most genuine source, and yet this collective, six guitarists, female vocals and percussive flourishes, still find time for musical joy. "Zin Es Gourmeden" is a flash of celebration -- intensely echoing guitars washed in clear, sharp voices. Hendrix would be proud of their psychedelic sound, driving and cutting, powerful and real.

Recorded in Kidal, the studio was only open from 7pm until midnight because they only used electricity during that 5-hour span. Captured back in 2001 by World Cafe, Tinariwen are forceful and worth listening to; you can hear their experiences in their voices, transcending language or translation.

---
I promise I'm back with FMGT again full-time. It feels like I've said that so many times, but the workload has been rough for myself and Si1ent K of late, but fingers crossed that I can still bring the food to the dinnertable in the form of more obscure or simply good music. Enjoy the weekend, whatever yr doing, and we'll meet back here on Monday with a start-of-the-week sonic quartet.

Expanded Listenability

Xpander
Sasha
Xpander [EP] 1999
[Listen] [Purchase]

I've been putting this off for far too long. I like Sasha a lot, he is the tits, etc. Sasha is one of the few DJs/producers that has made it out of the Trance boom of 99'-01' without sounding dated. Unlike for example, Tiesto or Paul van Dyk, who are equally skilled in their own rights - but seem to cling to that Trance notion without ever moving it to the next level. But, Sasha has been able to stay true to his native sound and style while being (pardon the term) progressive. He has managed to avoid the curse of sounding stale and stagnant in an industry that weighs far too much in 'the new thing' for its own good.

Sasha, also known as Alexander Coe, is best known for his worldwide DJ gigs, his work with staple House DJ/producer John Digweed and his solid releases on the Global Underground record label. His releases on the GU label are varied. Global Underground: San Francisco, which is mostly non-progressive house with a plentiful offering of tribal beats, would have been great to experience live, but does not translate to the living room very well unless you want it for pure ambient background filler. Global Underground: Ibiza is a more enjoyable - featuring more of a progressive lineup, solidified in Trance, without sounding like novelty at all. The name of the release might be Ibiza, but it doesn't base itself on taking ecstasy and running around with glow sticks in your nostrils like the covers of Mixmag magazine might lead you to believe with Ibiza on the cover of every other issue. Although, I'm sure that you'd enjoy the CD just as much in that kind of environment as you would on a 'night in'.

Sasha had been promising a full studio album for over 8 years and for quite some time the fans received nothing. In the mean time he released various sets with co-beat matcher John Digweed such as Northern Exposure and Communicate, both solid mixes, but nothing groundbreaking. Sasha was also rumored to be working on an album of 'World Music' with BT (a.k.a. Brian Transeau) which has probably become vapor-music by now. But, then almost out of no where, came the Xpander EP.

Up until the late 90's it was tough to find a plentiful selection of electronic music at standard record shops. Sure you had your standard run of the mill Techno bands, but Techno has an extremely dated sound reminiscent of 1991. While I love to return to those roots from time to time, by the mid 90's it was time to evolve on to something with more substance than what my friends have affectionately called "beep beep music." The mid 90's gave rise to the trend that DJs really began to concentrate on producing albums and mixes in the studio - meant for retail consumption. Up until this point you could find decent beats and mixes in NYC record shops, or maybe copy the occasional DJ mix-tape from your best friend's house sitter [who loved to go to see Lords of Acid at raves and drop acid until he chewed up the inside of his cheek so hard that he couldn't eat for a week.] But other than that it was hard to find a consistent and solid selection of new electronic tunes. It was not only the DJs who recognized the importance of getting their music to mainstream retail, but the retail outlets too realized the importance via the growing demographic of electronic music fans which spiked in the US around 1997. All of a sudden in the same month you could find The Prodigy on the cover of both RollingStone and Billboard magazine. Sure it was a fad at the time that would subside a bit, but the point that it subsided to can be seen as a massive upgrade when compared to where the exposure of electronic music was before the boom had taken place.

I say all of this because although I was one of the few/many people in the US rabidly anticipating Sasha's studio album - I was in Best Buy of all places when I learned of the existence of the Xpander EP. BEST BUY OF ALL PLACES. The Xpander EP was not exactly what I was waiting for - it is a single after all. But, it featured new progressive house tunes from Sasha, not a mix compilation, but a supply of new beats so that all the fiends could get their fix. I remember hearing the pre-recorded Best Buy announcer saying "Your listening to Best Buy Radio and that was Xpander from Sasha's latest release by the same name." I felt almost insulted that I had to learn about this release in such a way, I felt behind the times and then I felt psyched because there was a new Sasha release to wrap my ears around.

Xpander is a solid track. It's the embodiment of the sound of Sasha. It's easy to recognize his keen production ability. It's undeniably progressive house. But it avoids the stereotypes carried by Trance because of it's depth and dark sound. It's a tune that can easily be enjoyed while chilling or racing.

Speaking of racing, Xpander also appeared on the soundtrack to one of my favorite videogames of all time: Wipeout 3. Wipeout stands as an icon above all racing videgames. The entire series of the Wipeout games (except the bastard child that is Wipeout Fusion) holds it's own among mascats like Mario, Sonic, Master Chief or CJ. While the Wipeout series itself does not have a mascot (aside from the DR Angry Man), it is the motif for a generation of game players and fans of electronic music who desire stimulation of the senses. Sasha arranged the soundtrack to Wipeout 3 and created a few tracks specifically for the game as well. Though Xpander existed before the game, it was included on the in-game soundtrack because it's just that good. He's just that good.

Later, Sasha finally did release his studio album entitled Airdrawndagger. It was all that I wanted it to be: dark, moody, progressive and fun all at once. I could listen to it at any time of day, during any type of weather - just as I can with Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. If I can compare listenability between Sasha and Miles Davis, then there has to be something to this Sasha guy, right? ^_^.

Sasha's more recent available productions feature his excellent mix compilation album entitled Involver and the recently released mix compilation Fundacion from his monthly residence at NYC-club-that-thinks-it's-much-cooler-than-it-actually-is: CroBar.

I'm by no means the authority on Sasha. But I am a huge fan of his catalogue. I hope that you dig the tunes just as much as I do.

Brand new to me, Brand New to FMGT -- Day 1

GOOD STUFF
Clor
Clor 2005
[Download It] [Consume!]


MUSHABOOM
Feist
Let it Die 2005
[Download It] [Consume!]


Two songs to make up for yesterday's ineptitude. But, in good FMGT fashion, I'll kick it off with two albums so fresh off the presses that they might burn yr eager little hands. Clor's album, released last week (!) to little Stateside murmur (the English band are finally hitting stride), are kicking out the electro-jams while Feist provides the Canadian Chamomile tea punctuation after an aural Clor killing spree.


Clor are a loose amalgam of Roots Manuva's live band and that, funnily enough, has little to do with their overall sound. Fusing a pleasant, jangly mix of Kraftwerk, Devo and some Malkmus-ish wordplay, Clor is tuneful, charming, and damn listenable. Opening track "Good Stuff" sets the unfairly-melodic tone.

Canadian mope-flower Feist has sung for a number of established acts: Kings of Convenience, Peaches, and everybody's favourite aloofsters Broken Social Scene. This, her major label debut on Interscope (*vomit*), hits the right note for her solo work. She's gentle, quirky, and almost European: "Mushaboom" has a Parisian tilt to it, in my mind, reminding me of all those bizarre and seductive Citroen commercials. (I wish I knew why...) Regardless, this track is enigmatic in its own way, showing off her crisp vocal range and testing the limit of her eccentric backing group - flooded from either side by pantomime pianos, barrels of handclaps and a whole manner of other French Revolution-style reverie. Which makes sense, considering she's Canadian?


Wednesday will bring another piping hot track or three to the table, but in the meantime, saunter about and swagger in the Summer swelter to Clor and Feist, today's brand-new FMGT double-play.

In a past life I was a Senator of Swing

Coming all this week (except today, obviously):

NEW DOWNLOADS WEEK


The ol' ethernet cable has been melting into the floorboards lately, with positively obscene amounts of music and media flooding my hard-drive. Now, late on a Monday night, staring Tuesday in the face, I'll slowly swimming through it, and this week will be chock-full of blinding newness. Some of it might be well-known to everyone but me, some of it will surely be well-known to no-one but I, but rest assured, it's all worth a download and a serious listen.

Cheers,

JT