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.