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)

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