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.
No comments:
Post a Comment