Pholk Tape #8

 

Well, it's finally here, the re-dubbed Pholk Tape Late (rhymes with eight you see). Apologies - and congratulations - to anyone who was aware that these even existed or that it was indeed late. It has been a busy few weeks entailing many an interesting development and a lovely setback right at the end to top it all off. I am for the forseeable future borrowing my internet from Plymouth University Library so many thanks to them on that front.

After realising the gritty reality of the situation that was facing me I found solace in the old mantra "better late than never" and so with this in mind have endeavored to complete my 8th installment and submit it two days after the deadline. I'm aware that this means I will drop marks, but I'm not doing this for the grade, I'm doing it because I enjoy it, if you have enjoyed any of them too that's a bonus really.

Anyway number 8 starts and ends on the same artist, a certain Mr Toddla T, Sheffield's Producer/DJ-come-comedian (check out his Youtube Channel). The first a garage-esque tempo & beat with a lovely vocal motif, the latter however a slice of his comedic side to cheer you up at the end.

Another double appearance comes from Mercury Rev, an artist I've just got into courtesy of Golden Bloggen. I tried to choose between these to tracks but it ultimately seemed like it would be both a fruitless and pointless task, so there you have it, Double-win.

The worldly aspect comes in the form of a recent MayaVanya re-work of Bailo Bilango, which I had never heard of either & Awesome Tapes From Africa's latest feature, "Hamdawa" with a track written in Arabic which I have coined "unknown".

Unfortunately named "The Morning Benders" and less unfortunately named "Hawa" cover The Cardigan's 'Lovefool' and Justice's 'D.A.N.C.E.' respectively. Primary 1 team up with vocalist Nina Persson for a lovely little track "The Blues", you can pick up their entire album for free HERE.

Other artists are Empire Of The Sun (yes I'm aware they've been around ages), Lemonade and She & Him with their country sounding song 'Thieves'. Which only leaves Palance by Blaze F J W which I chucked in to cheer you up after Holes & to give everyone a chance to dance of course.

Here's the Tracklisting:

01: Toddla T - Better (Seiji's Troubleadub)
02: Papi Brandao Y Sus Ejectivos - Bailo Bilongo (MayaVanya Re-work)
03: Hamdawa - Unknown (Track 3)
04: Primary 1 - The Blues ft. Nina Persson
05: Mercury Rev - Goddess On A Highway
06: Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
07: Lemonade - Lifted
08: The Morning Benders - Lovefool (Cardigans Cover)
09: Hawa - D.A.N.C.E. (Justice Cover)
10: She & Him - Thieves
11: Mercury Rev - Holes
12: Blaze F J W - Palance
13: Toddla T - It's A Thailand Ting

Listen & Download: Mixcloud (Listen Now) | Mediafire (Download)

So that rounds it all off enjoy and as ever please support the artists by legally downloading any of the tracks you like.
 

Pholk Tape #7

 

So it's that time again, I'm getting more and more used to this fortnightly commitment and it's going well (I hope). While my mixing skills are still at the same level as they were at the tender stage of Pholk Tape #1, they haven't got any worse either. Also despite my initial concerns I have managed to find nearly an hour of new music each fortnight - with a few fillers that I fancy adding - and therefore continue doing these little "tapes".

This fortnight has thankfully been no exception and I have found 14 new tracks to fill up this weeks podcast. There are 15 tracks of course, I felt "Sugar On My Tongue" was too good to pass up as it had recently been re-posted on the Mad Decent site, so I'm still holding to a theme.

This tape sees a return to the gentler vibes of tapes 1-5 after last fortnight's more… well rowdy mix I suppose. That's not to say it's melancholic throughout, indeed it starts off at a very danceable tempo before descending to a more peaceful pace.

The Whitest Boy Alive kicks things off and moves so tastefully onto Noodleman's edit of "Get Down It's Saturday Night" you may be fooled into thinking I went and bought myself a set of mp3 decks and ableton last week, although I can assure you it was merely witchcraft, or perhaps coincidence. You may quickly recognise "Get Down It's Saturday Night" as Room 5's "Make Luv" although the common ground lies in their sampling use of Oliver Cheatham's "Get Down Saturday Night", the original from which both take their sound.

Jahcoozi's "Namedropper (Solo Remix)" is more of a return to last week's style with a high tempo and more of a hip-hop feel, but worry not if it's not your particular shade as it quickly gives way to another 'Awesome Tape from Africa'. This time it's the turn of Ghanaian A. B. Crentsil who's song "Nawa To Be Husband" is a little slower but equally danceable.

Next up is New York based "The Magnetic Fields" who's song "You Must Be Out Of Your Mind" has a much more rural sound than the setting in which they live. London based Dance types Monarchy follow on with a less upbeat "Black  The Colour of My Heart", although I'm not a huge Monarchy fan on the whole, this track was too good to miss.

Broken Bells' "The High Road" kicks off the less danceable second half to the mix and is followed by Talking Heads' still excellent "Sugar On My Tongue". Indie Shoegaze types ARMS are up next with the wonderfully stripped down "Tiger Tamer" which moves into a far more operatic sounding version of Marina & The Diamonds' "Hollywood". I'm not entirely sure what Mr Gonzales was thinking when deciding to take such an aggresive song and add in tubular bells strings and piano but it's worked so wonderfully. Marina herself carrying the orchestra along with her stunningly powerful voice.

This is followed by Owen Pallett's "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" which sounds like the innards of the factory in which meaningful Valentine's gifts are made. Chugging along with Owen himself overseeing the whole process, it's absolutely gorgeous and quickly becoming one of my favourite songs for it's sheer stirring quality, if you don't end up singing the refrain by the end you need to ask questions of your humanity.

Then it's the turn of The Radio Dept., a band who can do no wrong by me after producing a lovely song named after me, well not me specifically, but it's called "Ewan", and I'm yet to find another that can boast that quality. "Heaven's on Fire" has the same uplifting quality as "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" so you should be humming along by this point. The intrumentation in both these pieces is so rich and yet perfectly measured, creating a beautiful mesh of intertwining melodies and harmonies.

Exciting news of the fortnight - in fact today for me - Josh Ritter is back! Yes, a new album is set to hit the shelves in May and as that's such a long way away Josh is giving away the single "Change Of Time" free off his website, and if it's anything to go by the album should be a corker as has come to be expected from such a gifted songwriter.

This gives room for a final cover, Hot Chip showing how well they can do 'minimalist' covering Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U" (originally written by Prince) and bringing everything to gentle close.

With the official ending passed there's still a little time for South-African, possibly hoax/possibly not, Nu-wave cult sensation Die Antwoord. The comedy present within their music comes from their blazé rebellious attitude and near enough parodying of the modern music scene. "$copie" cuts so close to the flow of Nu-wave rap in recent years it's hards to tell if it's meant as a joke or whether it's a genuine interpretation of the genre itself. Either way it's highly catchy and that's why it's on there.

Here's the Tracklisting then:

01: The Whitest Boy Alive - High On The Heels
02: Oliver Cheatham - Get Down Its Saturday Night (The Noodleman Edit)
03: Jahcoozi - Namedropper (Solo Remix)
04: A. B. Crentsil - Nawa To Be Husband
05: The Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind
06: Monarchy - Black The Colour of My Heart (Demo)
07: Broken Bells - The High Road
08: Talking Heads - Sugar On My Tongue
09: ARMS - Tiger Tamer
10: Marina & The Diamonds - Hollywood (Gonzales Version)
11: Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt
12: The Radio Dept. - Heaven's On Fire
13: Josh Ritter - Change Of Time
14: Hot Chip - Nothing Compares 2 U (Sinead O'Connor Cover)
15: Die Antwoord - $copie

Listen & Download: Mixcloud (Listen Now) | Mediafire (Download)

Please support the artists featured and the entire music community wherever possible by buying music from a reputable dealer such as iTunes.

Pholk Tape #6

This fortnight's tape has been a mixed blessing, on the one hand there has been a lot of amazing music that I've managed to find, or as is more often the case, has found me. On the other hand it's arrived at my iTunes in, well, let's say diverse states. The bit-rates have been all over the place, some were recorded ages ago, others poorly, whilst some seem to have experienced some kind of modern audio wizadry that makes them pop from the speakers like nothing else. All of them are exceptional, in my eyes anyway, and have given me many hours of pleasure over the last few weeks.

This mix is a lot less acoustic/alternative based to the last few so you have been warned expect some dodgy baselines, beats and tempos. This I have found is a lot harder to mix, but given the choice between 'losing some of the music to keep the mix sounding clean' and 'keeping the best music and acknowledging that me and garageband aren't the be best team to hit music production since Michael Jackson's "Thriller"', I'm going to opt for admitting my failings and giving you all the lovely bits of music.

2010 looks like it's going to be a year for the album, which I'm really looking forward to - not that I didn't love the remix-based year that was 2009, or indeed the albums that were released throughout the year - what I mean is that this year already has a lot of promise. With Bonobo, Four-Tet, Caribou & Ellie Goulding already announcing albums for the first half of this year. This tape features tracks from Bonobo & Caribou respectively, and they're both absolutely exceptional. Also with the return of artists like Santigold (you may remember her as Santogold) and M.I.A. back on the scene with albums in mind, it's gonna be a good one. A really good one.

The first album I was looking forward to has already arrived, Kidkanevil's "Basho Basho" from which I've used the track "Yokai", one amongst the many favourites I have off the album. I think this album has kicked me into a bit of a hip-hop stage so I've put on another old hip-hop favourite that I've been listening to again, Common's "Go!", a lot more chilled but still a classic in my eyes.

The Remixes are still ever present of course, yet another of Phoenix's "Fences", this time Delphic take up the mantle and demonstrate just how much this song has lent itself to remix. More, More, MORE Ellie Goulding, Russ Chimes dance anthem - that absolutely didn't fit the mix but I refused to take off - unfortunately looks set to thrust Ellie even further into the bright spotlight she doesn't seem all too keen on being in, if her Guardian music interview is anything to go by. Memory Tapes are back on top form again with swooping synth, steel drums and a bucket full of echo to pour over Tanlines' "Real Life". Sparkling, sparse and with more rythmic devices than you can shake an incredibly long stick at, it's all I could hoped for as a start to 2010. An old Diplo remix of Marlena Shaw's "California Soul" beautifully completes the quartet of remixes featured, stunningly understated and beautiful.

I've also put on two garage-esque tracks in the form of Zed Bias' "Neighbourhood" & a one off remix of Craid David's (or Artful Dodger's, I can't remember) "Gotta Get Through This" from one half of the sister double act Maya & Vanya, whose soundcloud page is one of my favourite places on the web. Maya seems to think it's customary to give us gifts on her birthday and not the other way round, which I'm completely for.

Schlachthofbronx teams up with equally difficult to pronounce music types Spoek & Gnucci Banana to shout my new favourite word "AYOOOOBAAA" which I'm told means just about anything good in South-African slang, which is brilliant (check my tumblr for the colourful accompanying video). Continuing the African theme is Aby Ngana Diop... no I hadn't heard of her either, but the good folk at Awesome Tapes from Africa had, and worked their magic with a cassette deck, computer & internet connection to bring "Dieuleul Dieuleul" to the internet's attention.

Other track's featured are Laura Veirs' "Carol Kaye", more beauty from the album July Fame that I've probably featured about half of already. Also in preparation for the return of Santigold, a record she worked on in 2001 as a producer, Res' "They Say Vision", some comfortable R&B pop with Hip-Hop overtones that just sounded to good to miss off.

That covers it all bar one, as you may well be aware by now I like to reserve the last track for something a little different. This is usually a track that has made me laugh, and this is certainly no exception. Following a recent Mad Decent blog post I discovered Wack Demos (www.myspace.com/wackdemos). This is a little gem of a site featuring some of the worst Demos a Boston Hip-Hop Record Company intern has come across, and Mulano's "Real Women" has to be the cream of the crop. So try and enjoy it.

That just about wraps things up so here's the tracklist:

01: Phoenix - Fences (Delphic Remix)
02: Tanlines - Real Life (Memory Tapes Remix)
03: Caribou - Odessa
04: Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Russ Chimes Remix)
05: Zed Bias - Neighbourhood
06: Schlachthofbronx ft. Spoek & Gnucci Banana - Ayoba
07: Aby Ngana Diop - Dieuleul Dieuleul
08: Res - They Say Vision
09: Marlena Shaw - California Soul (Diplo/Mad Decent Remix)
10: Common ft. John Mayer - Go!
11: Maya - Gadda Get Thru This Baby
12: Kidkanevil - Yokai
13: Bonobo - Eyesdown (Preview Edit)
14: Laura Veirs - Carol Kaye
15: Mulano - Real Women

Listen & Download: Mixcloud (Listen Now) | Mediafire (Download)

Please support the artists featured and the entire music community wherever possible by buying music from a reputable dealer such as iTunes.

Pholk Tape #5

Good News, I'm back and enthused again. I must apologise for the lack of devotion put in to the last two podcasts, it appears that doing mixes at home was a lot more effort than it is her, but on the plus side I'm back now and loving music more than ever again.


It didn't start off so promisingly for music though, my iPod did not get used once on my 6 hour journey back to the south-west thanks to a lovely old lady who got on the train at reading and talked to me for the last three hours of the train journey. That wasn't sarcasm she really was absolutely brilliant and no trouble to talk to at all, how I love trains sometimes.


Anyway, this didn't last, back in my house I've spent more time to listen to music than through the busy Christmas period, I've had plenty to be doing but I've been able to listen through writing e-mails, bits of essays and, embarrassingly, tweeting to a similar level. Me and the hype machine are close friends again and we meet up every day now over a coffee and light snack or sometimes breakfast. It's a good job to because he/she/it has always got something more to tell me about. This I think in turn has been what's made this latest mixtape such a joy to make (although I have had to trim not only the fat off but a lot of good quality bits too in order to fit it into the hour mark).


The mix itself features as ever both Feist and Ellie Goulding, which might I add is not a deliberate decision I make. I just can't seem to stop finding top top tracks from them both every fortnight, far too good to miss off. In fact a mars bar (or a lion bar Sim) for the first person to notice a mix that doesn't feature one of these two ladies somewhere. Other previously featured artists are the ever impressive "The Whitest Boy Alive" who opened these mixes up with "1517" 8 weeks ago and oxford (now allegedly in Scotland) based "Stornaway" who's track "Zorbing" also featured.


There are some new faces (to me at least), "Golden Silvers" who I was aware of but never posted until they worked with a brass band on a version of their track "Arrows Of Eros" which has improved it no end (in my opinion of course... which I hasten to add is both impeccable and unquestionable). Possibly more familiar names come in the form of "Basement Jaxx", one of the most on/off bands I've known, capable of real genius when they get it right & "Lykke Li", Who seems to be continuing to produce high quality at a more than steady, and consistently high quality rate.


Other tracks include "Obadiah Parker's" cover of "Hey Ya!" which is known for it's use in the classic sit-com hospital type drama Scrubs. "Hi Tiger's" Lo-Fi small disco track, aptly named "Dance Around" serves as the perfect set-up to "Sade's" 1980s hit "The Sweetest Taboo" (Please feel free to start dancing at this point).


Four-Tet has been one of my favourite artists for many years and one thing I have never been able to properly decide on is whether it is his solo work or remixes which show off more of his genius. One argument for the latter is "The Weight Of The World" remix, which again uses his talent of effortlessly building beautiful percussive rythms out of near enough every instrument in the track. The whole thing bubbles along nicely and he makes lovely use of a simple vocal to keep the whole thing feeling almost fragile. Reflective electronica at it's best.


The Final track is another beautiful acoustic track, "Hayden" with "More Than Alive", a delicate piano and male vocal picks up strength and instruments throughout the piece, highly uplifting stuff which I hope will draw things to a close on a reflective, but positive note.


Anyway enough of my incessant babbling, time to let the music describe itself far better than I ever can, here's the tracklisting...


Pholk Tape #5 - Tracklisting


01: Golden Silvers - Arrows Of Eros (with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
02: Basement Jaxx - My Turn (feat. Lightspeed Champion)
03: Lykke Li - Breaking It Up (Pocketknife's Loosefoot Remix)
04: Beach Fossils - Daydream
05: The Whitest Boy Alive - Burning
06: Hi Tiger - Dance Around
07: Sade - The Sweetest Taboo
08: Kings Of Convenience - The Weight Of My Words (Four Tet Remix)
09: Obidiah Parker - Hey Ya! (Outkast Cover)
10: Feist & Ben Gibbard - Train Song (Vashti Bunyan cover)
11: Ellie Goulding - Guns & Horses
12: Stornoway - We Are The Battery Human
13: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
14: Hayden - More Than Alive


The Keen-eyed among you may have noticed I have moved over from soundcloud to mixcloud, this is principally a space issue, although it does pose a few other advantages. So all previous mixes can be played online from here. That is all, apart from to say, please keep spreading the word to anyone else who may enjoy this, I intend to keep it up and if others like it that's always a bonus. Cheers.


Download: Mixcloud | Mediafire (Basic) | Mediafire (Podcast)


Please support the artists featured and the entire music community wherever possible by buying music from a reputable dealer such as iTunes.

Pholk Tape #4

I'm  not going to lie, this tape has been the hardest one to make so far, I was torn between doing a best of '09 style post or sticking with the format of the last 3 I've done and just make it music I've been playing incessantly for the last two weeks. What I've eventually settled for is the middle ground with almost a 50/50 ratio of best of my '09 and the last two weeks.


As usual, it's a blend of downbeat/upbeat music, which I always like to do, music is lovely in all it's forms and every body needs a little bit of variety in their ears. I'd like to say that keeps them healthy, but that would potentially be a complete lie, might be healthy for the mind though. In all honesty I'm probably clutching at straws, I'm still struggling to write this, the real reason I did it is because I wanted to, and ultimately (and very possibly also unfortunately) I have artistic control over it. So there, enjoy it, or don't, it's no bother to me!


Here's the Tracklisting:

01: The Antlers – Kettering

02: Animal Collective – Loch Raven

03: Ellie Goulding – Wolves (Bon Iver cover)

04: Feist – One, Two, Three, Four

05: Sleigh Bells – Ring Ring

06: Mick Boogie & Peter, Bjorn & John – Stay This Way

07: Major Lazer & Jah Dan – Cash Flow

08: Animal Collective – Daily Routine (Phaseone Remix)

09: Metronomy – Not Made For Love (ALALAL Remix)

10: Florence & The Machine – You've Got The Love (The XX Remix)

11: Ali Love – Diminishing Returns

12: Röyksopp – What Else Is There? (Thin White Duke Remix)

13: Memory Tapes – Plain Material

14: Beirut – My Wife, Lost In The World

15: Feist – Lo, How A Rose E're Blooming

16: Eric Cartman – Pokerface (Lady Gaga Cover)

P.S. It does bother me really, kepp downloading and tell your friends if you fancy, it's nice to share, or so I've been told.

Download: Soundcloud|Mediafire (Basic)|Mediafire (Podcast)