The Chilldown Period - Episode 3

It's that time of month for the Chilldown Period to grace your speakers once again! This episode begins my highlighting of artists from the Electronic Eel label, so head over to their website and show'em some love. 

Who says this twitter thing won't amount to anything?

Plus, we'll hear from great acts such as Mechanical Me (now Lumenessence), Chimp Beams, DJ Mayonnaise, and many more.

I also need to give production credits to my lovely wife who helps me with my music selection process. She's always willing to give her two cents whenever I ask for it. 

Thanks, honey!

Enough with the yappin', it's time for music!

Mechanical Me (Bonobo Remix)
"Beachy Head" (mp3) from "I Like Mixes"
(Lumenessence Recordings)  More On This Album
Chimp Beams
"11217" (mp3) from "Menina"
(Concent Productions, Inc.)  More On This Album
Soulphonic Soundsystem
"The One" (mp3) from "Volume One"
(Convincing Woodgrain Records)  More On This Album
Ultre
"Peace Corpse" (mp3) from "The Nest And The Skull"
(Audiobulb Records)  More On This Album
artificial life preserver
"gamma loader" (mp3) from "automata"
(Psymbolic sounds)  More On This Album
LAL
"Shallow Water" (mp3) from "LAL Lost Remixes" 
(Public Transit Recordings)   More On This Album
Goldfish
"Love And Hate" (mp3) from "Caught In The Loop"
(Black Mango Music - Afrolution)  More On This Album
DJ Mayonnaise
"Easily Distracted" (mp3) from "Still Alive"
(anticon)  More On This Album 
Jol
"Life In The Sun" (mp3) from "Life In The Sun"
(DNM - Dealers of Nordic Music)
More On This Album
Govinda
"Breathe You In" (mp3) from "Sound Sutras"
(Intentcity)  More On This Album 
Burial
"Ghost Hardware" (mp3) from "Untrue"
(Hyperdub)  More On This Album
Kava
"You (Light My Cigarette)" (mp3) from "The Empty Hall Sessions"
(Fabrique Records)  More On This Album
Seventh Swami
"Serpiente Cosmica" (mp3) from "Here for Now"

(Muti Music)  More On This Album

• alka "tesla" from "Principles of Suffocation" (Electronic Eel)
  

Update (10 May 2009): I reworked the first paragraph... it was embarrassing! 

Note to self: slow down and do stuff over

Greetings, all!

Just a warning about the upcoming podcast... I know of at least one boo-boo: I called Govinda's album "Sound Sutras" "Sound Sultras." (excuse warning) I've been sick (again) and didn't catch this error until I was putting the podcast together today. I would go back, but my voice is pushing its limits. The excuse machine is finished and I hope you'll forgive me and download it anyway. 

Update (8 May 2009): I misquoted alka's myspace page. Instead of saying "math science melody", I said "math music science." My apologies!

Artist of the.... Week - 19 April 2009

I've got to come up with a better term for that now. 

With me RARELY doing this feature on a weekly* basis, I think calling it the "Artist of the Week" is somehow dishonest.

How about: "Artist of the Current Time Period."

Or: "Wrap Your Ears Around This!"

I think I like that one...

Here we go!

Wrap Your Ears Around This Artist: JC Lemay

JC hails from Paris, France and, from the looks of his website, is a busy remix artist! I've dived into a few of his interpretations and without being... uhh... sycophantic, enjoy what I hear. 

I came in contact with JC Lemay a few weeks back on one of my twitter accounts (not my music one, but my personal one). Before I clicked on the "Follow" button I did some research and on his profile he lists a website that I decided to check out. I, of course, did and like what I found.

He seems to be a friendly chap (we've only messaged each other a few times) and I hope I can help him spread the word around about his music.

Blogger's Note: I'm basing a lot of my experience with JC's music from his Deepsound Sessions Vol #1 album which you can listen to in its entirety on his website linked above. Here are my thoughts on what I've heard:

JC starts off the album with the floor-banging trip-hop song "Spirit of the Eclipse" making the samples snake seamlessly with synchronized soundscapes seering soothing sinewaves into your brain. (Was the alliteration too much?)

He's also not afraid to bring in the guest vocalist ("Talk to Yourself") or drop some dub in your face ("Artificial Intelligence," "Powered"). Intricate guitar/strings/pianos make appearances in some of his chillers ("Analog Dream," "Can You Feel," "Compassion") to lay a framework for great listening. Throw in some tempered throbbing beats and you have a nice (to steal a word from Brandon at Properly Chilled) release waiting for you when you get home (that's one way to give an object some personification).

For me, Deepsound Sessions has become an after-work-chilldown staple.

He does have the album for sale on his website, alongside his previous releases Trip of Hope  and Urban Dream. Each album costs only 5 euros (which is about $6.52 American today (23 April 2009)). You can also follow him on twitter here.

*changed from daily to weekly

The Chilldown Period - Episode Two line-up

Since Episode Two is finally up and running, I need to give y'all the breakdown and a place to get your hands on copies of the music.

Also, I need to make a few corrections to my commentary on the podcast.

1) Monk Fly is a dealer of abstract/future beats (see his "About" section). His Downtempo Smokers 12" runs the gamut of Hip Hop, Dub and Dubstep. Since Dubstep can trace its origins to Drum-n-Bass (just one of the ancestors), and there is a subgenre of DNB called Atmospheric Drum-n-Bass (or Intelligent DNB: "Intelligent drum and bass (IDB) is the widespread term for the subgenre of drum and bass emphasising influences from lounge jazz and ambient music. The music typically has a very atmospheric or ambient quality, with washes of synthesised pads, and deep sub-bass."), I made a connection and went with it. This is more of a show note than that of a correction.

2) In describing "A Secret Search" by :papercutz, I used the term "three-part line." I meant "three-part chorus" and fumbled the phrasing. According to www.webref.org, a "three-part line" is "[a] single strand of rope or cable doubled back around two sheaves so that three parts of it pull a load together." I guess I could say that the three voices, in the spirit of it all, do help "pull the [song] together." Yes, I know, it's a stretch. With my mood right now, I'm going with it!

3) I called the Alpha Rhythm's song "Two Handed Thing" "Two Handed Thingy." On a side note, I stand by what I said of them bringing a jam band sound to downtempo/trip-hop! (That's a compliment. See: phish, Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit, Grateful Dead, most music that comes out of UNC-Chapel Hill)

Lemme see, I can't think of anything else right now... so let's move forward!

The Line-up:

Monk Fly
"Life's Little Dramas" (mp3)
from "Downtempo Smokers"
(The Frequency Lab)
More On This Album


Shrift
"As Far As I Can See" (mp3)
from "Lost In A Moment"
(Six Degrees Records)
More On This Album


Seed
"Psycho Sol" (mp3)
from "Groove Closet: Downtempo Bedroom Beats from Ball of Waxx"
(Ball of Waxx)
More On This Album


Nils Krogh
"Things We Do" (mp3)
from "Things We Do"
(DNM - Dealers of Nordic Music)
More On This Album


Langoth
"Scatwalk (Radio Edit)" (mp3)
from "Scatwalk"
(Sunshine Enterprises)
More On This Album


Lal Meri
"Dreams Of 18" (mp3)
from "Lal Meri"
(Six Degrees Records)
More On This Album


Odd Nosdam
"Fly Mode" (mp3)
from "T.I.M.E. Soundtrack"
(anticon)
More On This Album


:papercutz
"A secret search" (mp3)
from "Lylac"
(Apegenine recordings)
More On This Album


Analogik
"Farligt Monster" (mp3)
from "Farligt Monster"
(Auditorydesigns)
More On This Album


Aurah
"Wise Me Up" (mp3)
from "Etherea Borealis"
(Very Music)
More On This Album


DJ Kechup
"9 Inch Snailz" (mp3)
from "Instra-Mental Patients"
(Kid Without Radio)
More On This Album


The Alpha Rhythm
"Two Handed Thing" (mp3)
from "Proof of Concept"
(Earthbird Music)
More On This Album