Vids

I LOVE THESE!!!

I was fortunate to see this guy play dbfest a few years ago.  It is very difficult to find/purchase his works.  I'm still searching.  I saw him do this on a bigscreen projection.  Awesome!

oscillating continuum from RYOICHI KUROKAWA on Vimeo.


I would so love to see this guy/girl/group/whomever do an installation so I could experience this!!!

http://www.zimoun.net/

from this awesome blog:  basic_sounds.blogspot.com

White Rainbow - Prism Of Eternal Now

White Rainbow - Prism Of Eternal Now (Kranky, krank110, 2007) (FLAC)

An amazing disc from a stellar label.  See him live if ever you get the chance.

Review:

Boomkat:  Not one to do anything in half measures, Adam Forkner's previous release was a four-and-a-half-hour boxset, so the comparative brevity of this seventy minute set comes as something of a surprise, and perhaps even a relief. That's not to say that the bewitching hippie soundscapes Forkner produces aren't worth getting lost in, but there must surely come a point at which less really does become more. The durations of the various pieces that comprise "Prism Of Eternal Now" seem pretty spot on, giving you just enough time to luxuriate in White Rainbow's beatific dronescapes without having to worry about any sort of stagnation. To give you an idea of Forkner's background, it's worth pointing out that he co-runs a Portland, Oregan based CD-R label (that's right, he's one of those guys) with fellow Kranky-ite Honey Owens (aka Valet), and has previously hooked up with the likes of Devendra Banhart, Jackie O Motherfucker and Dirty Projectors. Certainly, Forkner has all the right new age credentials, but it's worth pointing out that White Rainbow benefits from a rare skill with sonic manipulation, meaning that at no point do these sonic drifts turn into pointless, slacker dirges. Take for example the wonderfully dense 'Warm Clicked Fruit': its depth of texture is worthy of the Fullerton Whitman oeuvre, and whistles by all too quickly in a brisk nine minutes. Proving there's far more going on here than mere drone, 'For Terry' makes nods toward Terry Riley's transcendental modal minimalism while 'Pulses' sets into an alien percussive stride with acidic lead guitar passages getting well and truly mangled by banks of unearthly effects. Awesome.

Check it in the comments.

Sub Dub - Sub Dub Ep's / Original Masters 1993 - 1995

Sub Dub -  Sub Dub Ep's / Original Masters 1993 - 1995 (theAgriculture, AG005, 2001) (FLAC)

This is a biggie.  When I previewed this at a Seattle record store that specialized in dub, there is a handwritten sticker on the back of the case that says "DEEP DUB" which is saying something coming from this place.  I listened to half the first track and immediately decided to buy it.  This is heavy heavy heavy dub.  It gets a bit dark in there, but worth the trip by far!

Review:

For fans of the experimental reggae-dub-Middle Eastern duo Sub Dub (Raz Mesinai and John Ward), the privately released EPs Babylon Unite and Dawa Zangpo were like minor Holy Grails, always to be sought and rarely to be found; Sub Tools was nothing but a cruel hoax, an EP that was rumored to have been recorded but had never been commercially released. Blessings be upon the heads of those at the Agriculture label who, in 2001, worked with Mesinai and Ward to produce this continuous-mix compilation of all three EPs, making these dark, funky, and exotic tracks available again to Sub Dub's small but adamant cult following. At this point in Sub Dub's career, the duo's sound consisted mainly of variations on a dark trip-hop and dub theme: "Monuments on Earth" leans to the reggae side with its slow, elephantine groove and one-drop rhythmic structure; "Dawa Zamgpo" is more of a rolling hip-hop affair, with jazzy acoustic bass, occasional turntable flourishes, and an ethnic vocal sample taken straight off an old African Head Charge album. "Babylon Unite" is a two-part instrumental steppers anthem that may or may not reference ancient Persia but definitely gets abstract and not especially fun in the second half. Overall, this is a fascinating and occasionally slightly disturbing excursion into the dark underbelly of dub, and is recommended without reservation to all fans of experimental dub and electronica.

videos are strangely hard to find for this album.  i can post a 320mp3 if you'd rather not make the flac commitment.



Check it in the comments.

To Rococo Rot & I-Sound - Hungry Ghost

To Rococo Rot & I-Sound - Hungry Ghost (Mute, mute 9153-2, 2001) (FLAC)

I was first exposed to To Rococo Rot because of the prior album, The Amateur View.  It has a sound that was different than other cds out there (to me).  Warm but clinical, to be brief.  This cd pushed those sounds and bleeps further into a dubbier and louder field.  This is one of those albums to put on and drift.  I was very lucky to have seen them live in London at some crazy brick club under a bridge.  Excellent show, to say the least.  There is an ep that preceded this album, that has some alternate versions... I'll probably post it in the next month or so.

Reviews:

Boomkat: The return of To Rococo Rot is one that we have anticipated eagerly here at the Neck. Recorded in collaboration with NYC wunderkid I-Sound, 'Music Is A Hungry Ghost' is a simply staggering piece of evocative beauty. Having pretty much invented the seamless fuse of harmonic accoustics and electronics, the brothers Lippok and Bernd Jestram have taken their time in producing what will inevitably be regarded as one of the finest LP's of 2001. Following the hazy radiophonic workshop signals of LP opener 'a Number of Things', 'For A Moment' eases in with Veiculo-era crisp key percussion and an array of spaciously vast background disturbances and a melody line that shifts... escalates until reaching an almost fairytale crescendo with I-sounds' static-scratch that makes use of turntablist techniques in a way that takes repeated listens to decipher. The almost painfully beautiful 'first' utilises a single looped bass sound and interwieves itself with found sounds and frequency modulations before ending abruptly before outstaying its welcome. 'From Dream To Daylight', featuring the tantalising Violin playing of Alexander Balanescu, is almost painfully heartwarming. We truly can't imagine anyone failing to be moved by this sublime piece of music......electrified subtle percussion, semi-accoustic guitars providing the engrossing bassline, midnight violins and all manner of subtle sonic manipulations taking place somewhere in the distance. There are too many highlights to this magical album and, we think, we are only just strating to get a grip on proceedings amongst the 15 tracks on offer. Sublime.

allmusic.com:  Though they quickly traded the warm electronic pop of The Amateur View for a colder vision of primitivist synth pop and atmospheric noise, To Rococo Rot proved with Music Is a Hungry Ghost that they're still at the top of their game artistically. Though they occasionally reference some familiar forms -- swirling ambient noise reminiscent of Oval as well as the angular, downtempo indie rock often found on Tortoise records -- the trio (plus guest I-Sound) clearly has a knack for creating music that's understated yet deeply felt. "First" frames a few beautiful, atmospheric chords around downtempo heart-monitor beats, while "Pantone" transforms a series of compact disc errors into surprisingly lush trance-state ambience. Two of the highlights are "From Dream to Daylight" and "Along the Route," a pair of Tortoise-styled tracks featuring another guest, violinist Alexander Balanescu, merging contemporary classical into experimental techno.

^^ I like the reference to Tortoise meets Oval.

I can't find any vids of songs from this album.  You could go here to the discogs page and play the songs there.  Here's some vids from the previous album, which I can post if you guys are up for it.




Check it!!!

Various - Partisan Volume 1 (Again)

Various - Partisan Volume 1 (Partisan, PARTCD 001, 1998) (FLAC)  upgrade!!!

I'll be honest, I bought this a long time ago.  I'm not even sure I listened to it that much.  And now listening to the cd, I'm not sure why I didn't.  It has all the elements of drum n bass that I was digging 12 years ago.   Yea, sounds great now too.

01 Justice – Mauve Flow (Matrix Mix)

02 Future Engineers – Life Support (Neil Trix Mix)

03 Banaczech – Deceptive Emotion (Total Science Mix)

04 Foul Play – Synthetic Bitch (Omni Trio Mix)

05 Perfect Combination – Remember (Technical Itch Mix)

06 Tertius – Structure (Deep Blue Mix)

07 Total Science – Espionage

08 System 4 – Black Cell

09 DJ Addiction – Live @ The Jazz Club

10 Banaczech – Ipcress File

Check it

(RE-UPPED by request, and upgraded to FLAC)

Efterklang - Tripper

Efterklang - Tripper (Leaf, BAY40CD, 2004) (FLAC)

This one is a little bit different.  Bit more ethereal and orchestral.  Totally gorgeous!  And highly recommended.

Review from Pitchfork:

Tripper is the debut full-length by the 10-piece Danish ensemble Efterklang, a band whose name translates literally to "after-noise" but more loosely to "reverberation" or "remembrance." All of these translations are in one way or another appropriate descriptors for the wondrous music created by the group, which settles beautifully into an open area somewhere between the elegant minimalist orchestrations of Max Richter, the electronically-enhanced chamber music of Rachel's albums like Systems/Layers, and the more contemplative moments of Godspeed! You Black Emperor.

The most obvious characteristic that separates Efterklang from these other artists is their extensive use of vocals to augment their spacious orchestral sound. The band regularly alternates between male and female lead vocals, and on many tracks it also employs a full Greenlandic choir. In addition, the band's roster now includes the trumpeter Kristina Schjelde, as well as Hildur Arsaelsdottir and Edda Run Olafsdottir from Iceland's Amina string quartet, who have also performed with Sigur Ros. The cumulative weight of these collected voices and players is considerable, imbuing even the group's most fragile melodies with an astonishing degree of dramatic authority.

Each track on Tripper is constructed meticulously from the ground up, with a base carpeting of electronically generated beats and effects providing the connective tissue between Efterklang's frequent slow-burning crescendos. On numbers like "Swarming" or the exquisite "Collecting Shields", every element of sound is patiently introduced in sequence, allowing the listener to become familiar with each layer before subsequent waves of instrumentation arrive to crash and roil. On busier tracks, like album closer "Chapter 6", electronic and acoustic elements are integrated less cautiously, resulting in jarring sonic leaps that occasionally require strenuous listening but can prove enthralling if you're willing to put in the concentrative effort.

Although most lyrics I can catch seem to be sung in English, I've only been able to pick up on every third word or so, and I'm unable to say what exactly these songs are about. Efterklang's extensive and strategic use of silence, partnered with their recurrent instrumental swells and surges will surely prompt many comparisons to Sigur Ros, and at their best the group is able to fleetingly capture something of the same dream-like, nebulous yearning that has made albums like Agaetis Byrjun or ( ) so endlessly compelling.

Though Tripper was a full year in the making-- and the members of Efterklang have obviously given their full attention to even the smallest detail-- the album is not over-composed to the point of sterility. Perhaps it's a credit to the sheer number of cooks in the kitchen, but even with this music's grand scale each song is allowed enough space to be able to breathe on its own. And with their vibrant, continually evolving arrangements, Efterklang here ensures that, as their name implies, this music should continue to reverberate in your memory for a long time to come.

link in comment, per usual.

Speedy J - Ginger

Speedy J - Ginger (Plus 8 Records Ltd., PLUS8025, 1993) (FLAC)

I picked this up randomly in a cd store in the late 90's and I keep coming back to it.  I was lucky enough to see him live a few years ago at Decibel Festival.  Fantastic!  Anyways, check this out.  I'll track down some reviews that has the time to go more in depth on this album.

This is one of the early 90's albums that got it absolutely right. So many artists fell into the Aphex Twins' style of distortion, tried to copy the Orb's ambient sound, or relied upon General Midi (GM) sounds to 'help' them out. There was a 'dull' period between 95-97 in which nothing really 'new' stood out, except for the odd release here and there. But Speedy J's Ginger is silky-smooth and has some very nice tracks for it's time. A must have.

A classic. Beautiful, discreet, warm, crystalline - "Ginger" is all of these and more. The vinyl version of "Pepper" is different, more upbeat, than that on the CD.

What a great piece of electronic music, silky & smooth, clean produced but there is something that no one write about & is the similar between the track Flashback & the William Orbit's Hardcore Mix of Kraftwerk's Radioactivity, only avaiable on the US 12'' edition of the track [Elektra 0-66486,1991] & it is not only the bassline with the same notes & same execution, more elements sounds similar but one track is before than the other so you judge.

Fantastic for its day and age, unquestionably it is. The only thing that strikes me even more is how Speedy J has sucessfully outdone himself with the next one, G-Spot". While "Ginger" displays a musical innocence he never looked backed to, as a producer and craftman, Jochem Paap only evolved and went on to forge even greater things afterwards. It's a great album, though, which showcases a broad array of sounds and ideas that would later on prove to be staples in a fair chunk of IDM albums. With an impressive ease he moves through various stops of electronic music; be it trance, soulful techno, slick electro or straight up ambient, the man rocks it like very few can. Full of deep, emotional tunes which don't move with haste, but deliver thoroughably enjoyable and dense material suitable for couch embracing afternoons.   It may never fully master the trancey IDM territory like his sophomore album does, and it will hardly ever reach or gain the thought provoking, genre bending and challenging status "Public energy #1" and "A shocking hobby" have, but nevertheless, "Ginger" remains a must own to fans of early Warp, Plus 8 and R & S Records. It skilfully embodies the overall feel electronic music can provide you with through a single album. It's lovely. One of those old school gems where the 'dare do' mentality is shamelessly clasped in both arms. 4/5. 

Arovane - Tides

Arovane - Tides (City Centre Offices, TowerblockCD001, 2000) (FLAC)

Many reviews would say this is the better of the Arovane albums, and they might be right.  Splitting hairs.  No question, 'Lilies' is my fave of the two.  But then, I owned 'Lilies' before 'hearing Tides', so there's that.  For some reason, NOBODY stocked it (pre-amazon!), and I had to super-special-order it.

Check it:  pt1  pt2

Arovane - Lilies

Arovane - Lilies (City Centre Offices, TowerblockCD020, 2004) (FLAC)
01 Ten Hours
02 Windy Wish Trees
03 Passage To Nagoya
04 Cry Osaka Cry
05 Pink Lilies (Vocals by Kazumi)
06 Lilies
07 Tokyo Ghost Stories
08 Instant Gods Out Of The Box
09 Good Bye Forever

I don't even know where to begin on this album.  It is so, so gorgeous.  It might make my Top Ten Favorite Albums Ever List.  The numerous times I've played this is very high.  It's up there with Gel-Sol's Iz.     I do think it is a bit short, or maybe that I want it to keep playing.  But, I think it is about 35 minutes long.   The other thing is, he hasn't put out anything since.  And that was killing me, why hasn't this guy done more stuff?!?!?!?  But literally last week, I read that he's got some new sounds, and a new soundcloud site.  I haven't had the time to fully hear that, but am looking forward to finals being over next week, so I can dig in.  Highest Recommendations from me on this cd.

Check it:  pt1 pt2

Spacetime Continuum & Terence McKenna - Alien Dreamtime

Spacetime Continuum & Terence McKenna - Alien Dreamtime (Astralwerks, ASW 6107-2, 1993) (FLAC)

What can I say?  Not my favorite release by Jonah.  Deserves inclusion here.

r a p i d s h a r e

i'm gonna ditch them and use only zippy.  if anyone has a problemo with that, then let me know.  it'll be easier for me anyways.  so, those rs links are gonna start dying around here.

LINKS UPDATED 3/14/13
NOTE: You still might occasionally get the message:  "File owner's public traffic exhausted."
But I can't do anything about that.  The traffic resets itself each day (or so I'm told), so just try tomorrow.  Yet another reason to ditch RS.

grab it while you can, i'm betting they will all be gone within a month.   i've got a ton of stuff uploaded, so i'll get to posting before rs kills them.

UPDATE #2:
I've decided to DUMP  this RS nonsense.  they are too much of a pain.  BUT, if you've go a rs account (or time) then here's all my links that I have up there 16.2 gigs, apparently.  (Which will also give you a clue about what i'm going to post soon here on zippyshare!!)

Update 3:
The links are all gone.  Let me know if there was something you wanted.

Spacetime Continuum - Double Fine Zone

Spacetime Continuum - Double Fine Zone (Astralwerks, ASW 6238-2, 1999) (320)
01 The Ring
02 Microjam
03 Freezone
04 Biscuit Face
05 Beveled Edge
06 Compound
07 Spin Out
08 One At A Day
09 Manaka
10 Different Band
11 Further Down The Road

I'll admit to not really getting this album for the first few years.  I just didn't get jazz at that time.  But I warmed up to it slowly.  Eventually taking a class about it, which was phenomenal.  And my tastes have evolved to really liking this cd.  It's different, but not.  I wasn't alone, not everybody "got" it, as you can find this in the used cd bins.  Which is really too bad.  Just typing this is making me want to listen to it again, which I'm going to do right now.

Here's a great discogs review:

A truly talented artist with some great solo and collaboration albums: Alien Dreamtime (with Terrance McKenna), Sea Biscuit, Emit Ecaps , Alien Community I & II (Pete Namlook) Quiet Logic (Mixmaster Morris), Electro Harmonix (Tetsu Inoue), Instant Replay(Tetsu Inoue), Reagenz (Move D), Visitation (Bill Laswill)... Many great and varied albums across ambient and music. A artist that can truly dabble with abstract, electro, ambient, techno, tech-house, deep house, jazz and more; but always delights with his styles and fusions.
A excellent and very underrated album, esp as this is music that may take a few listens to really appreciate the beauty within. Took me a couple listens to really absorb the pure quality of music this album really holds. Has all the classic sounds that makes Spacetime Continuum music such a enlightening joy: Sparkling bubbling ambient, tingling Detroit techno(tech-house), mellow bass and breezy rhythms - which is now all crafted and fused together with plenty of real live jazz. Though more jazzed influenced then previous excellent STC releases, it still has all the hi-tech sounds what makes SPC music such a delight and joy to listen and keep coming back too...J.Sharp's uses his ability and skill fusing modern ambient-techno with his excellent jazz & saxphone abilities - giving the music a nice twist to its futuristic technology music thanks to its real jazz edge. Throughout the album the music remains bubbly, mellow, joyful, that also somehow create a summer like feel thanks to its lush flowing rhythms and bouncy beats, with the occasional oceanic ambient, while the jazz adds a nice breezy freestyle flow adding a live feeling to the electronics. This is the sort of music you can put on, play, and then be washed away with good feelings thanks to its tranquil and uplifting sound, and a great album that will continue to grow and delight with each new listen.

Spacetime Continuum - Remit Recaps

Spacetime Continuum - Remit Recaps (Astralwerks, ASW 6190, 1996) (FLAC)
01 Simm City (O.S.T. Mix)
02 Kairo (Carl Craig Mix)
03 Iform (Velocette Mix)
04 Twister (Move D Mix)
05 Vertigo (The Ghanima Edit by Kobat)
06 Movement #2 (Herbert Mix #1)
07 Swing Fantasy (Spacetime Continuum Mix)
08 Funkyar (Higher Intelligence Agency Mix)
09 Kairo (Absolute Black Mix by Subtropic)
10 Pod (Feat. Jamie Hodge) (The 4 Quarters Mix)
11 String Of Pearls (Autechre Mix)

This release is a Compilation of remixes based on the Tracks from the Album "Emit Ecaps", therefore the Title used for the release is "rEMIT rECAPS".

I honestly haven't listened to this in years.  But i'm checking it out tonight.  Got my headphones bumping!  Herbert's mix is house-solid at the moment.

Track breakdown, for me, right now, after three glasses of wine, with no caps:
01: kinda fsol-ish (big compliment), but short.
02: good intro, beats come in which sound good, then the beats get a bit repetitive, would work in a club though.  this track in my headphones tonight, not as much.  carl craig is still a master dj.
03: a solid remix, housey, but some cool sounds, bit of a menacing bass line.
04: interesting interpretation, not sure it entirely works for me compared to the original... but it still had some good sounds.
05: very solid remix.  keeps with the playful keyboard stabs, and skittering beats.  nice.
06: herbert does house very well.  same with this remix.  it does take you away. as does most of his stuff.  i like it a lot.
07: speeds up the vibe a bit (per memory).  more "space-y", but it works.
08: i adore hia.  this remix is very very very good.  i forgot how wonderful this is, for me.
09: wow, i forgot about this one, as well.  nice and to the point. maintains the original's vibe, but more dnb esthetic.
10: i don't remember this from previous listens, pretty minimal, jazzy, i dig it, nice contrasts with beats and strings.  short.  would have preferred 3 minutes more of this (taken away from c.craig's mix)
11: the.autechre.remix... how do you judge the autechre? they are in their own realm. can we really undertand it?  i remember when i bought this, that this last song was a major draw, however i know i didn't listen to this that much, cuz it is a remix album.  remix albums aren't necessarily a cohesive listen from front to back.   you glean the gold.  i think this track works, although i've read elsewhere it doesn't.  i don't particularly care.  it sounds good.

here's a few other diverse reviews, and i'm ready to publish:

When it comes to remix albums Remit Recaps rates as one of the finest examples of what happens when the master tapes are handed over to the Higher Intelligence Agency, Carl Craig, and Subtropic. Released in its original form Emit Ecaps, by Spacetime Continuum (Jonah Sharp), he handed it over to his contemporaries for remixing. Listen as Autechre reangles "String of Pearls," taking it even further than the original. Just one more reason why this is a must-have CD for anyone looking to fill up on the good stuff. --Paul Clark
--------------------------------------------
This remix album blows most other remix albums out of the water. Jonah Sharp's music, phenomenal on it's own, is finessed beyond imagining. The Subtropic remix of Kairo remains one of my all time favorite tracks years after first hearing it. I highly recommend this album to fans of Spacetime, or any of the remix artists. It will not disappoint!
--------------------------------------------
Most of these remixes have been completely reworked, most of them don't even sound like the same songs, either way they remain great tracks. Autechre's String Of Pearls mix took a turn for the worse, but Velocette's Iform mix sounds really cool. If you liked Emit Ecaps, you will like this too.
--------------------------------------------
In which some of the biggest names in dance-based electronic music -- both experimental and straightahead -- are given the midi files to Spacetime's Emit Ecaps and entreated to go nuts. Remixers include Carl Craig, Autechre, Higher Intelligence Agency, Subtropic, Matthew Herbert, David Moufang (as Move D), and Spacetime's own Jonah Sharp. The stealers are up for grabs, but the spicier cuts include Subtropic's jungled-up take on "Kairo," and Herbert's deep house fry of "Movement #2," and HIA's dense electro mix of "Funkyar." Also released on Reflective as two separate 12-inches.  

Lamb - Górecki 2

Lamb - Górecki (CD Single 2) (Fontana, LAMDD4, 1997) (FLAC)
01 Górecki
02 Górecki (Edit)
03 Trans Fatty Acid (Kruder & Dorfmeister Session Mix)
04 Merge (Jimster's Jam Mix)

I love this band so much and the title track is so gorgeous.  If you've never heard it, you are in for a treat! Check out the video below ASAP, which is a live version that I hadn't seen before today.  Dave Seaman's Back To Mine mix closes with this killer track.

The third track is the mighty Kruder & Dorfmeister remix.  Enough said, right?  This song was a highlight (among many many highlights) on the insanely good The K&D Sessions™.   It is presented in all of its 9+ minute glory.

The last track takes the groovy instrumental from the album and adds a swirly-er jump beat with a jazz bent.  It's a quality track, for sure!

I've never had the first Górecki single, so if anyone has a decent rip of that that you want to throw my way, I'd appreciate it.

I'll post the Lamb debut in the next week or two.  And more Spacetime Continuum is in the upload bin as I type.

Spacetime Continuum - Emit Ecaps

Spacetime Continuum - Emit Ecaps (Astralwerks, ASW 6147-2, 1996) (FLAC)

01 Iform
02 Kairo
03 Simm City
04 Funkyar
05 Swing Fantasy
06 Out Here
07 Vertigo
08 Twister
09 Pod
10 String Of Pearls

A couple great reviews of this mighty fine album:

Another excellent album by Jonah Sharp. However it is not an ambient album so those expecting another 'Sea Biscuit', well, don't.
What is brilliant about Sharp's music is that it evolves. This is a logical progression form the superb ambient nature of 'Sea Biscuit'. On this album beats are employed with beautiful, stirring melodies and synth motifs. It's a great companion to 'Sea Biscuit' as you will find the album has much the same relaxing effect on you, despite the use of beats on this album.
However some tracks like 'Vertigo' do lend themselves more to the dancefloor but they also contain softer moments aswell, so another home listening delight. Check out 'Swing Fantasy', a great track with a stunning jazzy bassline!
One of the best electronic albums out there.

Venturing boldly beyond undefined boundaries of ambient techno, Spacetime Continuum presents Emit Ecaps, a lively, beat-oriented, groove-intensive collection of experimental dancefloor techno. Sensitive to its surroundings, Emit Ecaps embraces the vibrant feel of Jonah Sharp's liberal San Francisco homeland. Comprised of exceptionally deft bass lines, refined synthetic percussion, and inspired synth riffs, this follow-up album to 1994's ambient classic Sea Biscuit is a strong addition to Sharp's already respectable discography.
Making his mark in the early 1990's primarily as an ambient musician, Jonah Sharp validates himself with this album as a qualified electronic musician who can pick and choose from any styles or influences. Hints of many styles are present, including Sharp's ambient and jazz backgrounds, as well as Detroit techno, house, funk, drum and bass, electro, and intelligent dance.
Synths drift carefully, bounce freely, and bubble over with life throughout these ten tracks. The album includes the energetic and upbeat "Iform" and "Kairo," the exotic and daring "Swing Fantasy," and the more passive "Twister" and "String of Pearls." The mixing of "Simm City" could have been improved; its sharp high-pitched intro can startle the unsuspecting listener. With Emit Ecaps, Jonah Sharp diversifies his style and refines his already masterful groove. 

Spacetime Continuum - Sea Biscuit

Spacetime Continuum - Sea Biscuit (Astralwerks, Caroline Records, ASW 6129-2, 1994) (FLAC)

01 Pressure
02 Subway
03 Ping Pong
04 Voice Of The Earth
05 Floatilla
06 Q 11
07 A Low Frequency Inversion Field

This album is SO LUSH!!  I love this whole cd.  Gorgeous ambience.  Average track length is 11 minutes.   If you've like anything I've posted, then you will love this one.  Great one to just immerse yourself into.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

God Within - The Phoenix

God Within - The Phoenix (Maxi-Single) (Hardkiss, kh006, 1995) (FLAC)
01 Someday My Plane Will Crash (Additional Digital Input by Charles Webster & Jeff Gray) (God Within Mix)
02 Rape Me Radio Reduction (Digitally Edited with Jeff Gray, Drastic Edit by Starfucker)
03 Throw Your Guns (Vocals by Terra Deva) (Remix by Dramaboy)
04 Steal From The Rich (Remix by Robbie Hardkiss)
05 Riverandrain (Remix by Rabbit In The Moon)

These are all various remixes of the track The Phoenix.  Tis a great track, but I'm not sure it works to listen to the entire disc in one sitting.  Love that guitar!!

F.C. Kahuna ‎– Bright Morning White / Killing Time On The 15th Floor

F.C. Kahuna ‎– Bright Morning White / Killing Time On The 15th Floor (CD Promo Single) (Kahuna Cuts, KCUTS 004 CD, 1998) (FLAC)

01 Bright Morning White (Edit)
02 Killing Time On The 15th Floor
03 Bright Morning White (Full Version)

I think I picked this up in London while on vacation.  Good track, maybe in the Hybrid vein.  Percussive breaks, with strings.  Their album that came out later had some great tracks too.

Schneider TM - 6 Peace EP

Schneider TM - 6 Peace EP (Mute, 9205-2, 2003) (FLAC)

01 Reality Check
02 Frogstears (Remake By Schneider TM)
03 Fruktos (Remix By Kptmichigan)
04 Chotto Matte
05 The Light 3000 (Remake By Schneider TM & Kptmichigan) (Originally by The Smiths)
06 Reality Check (Remix by Mogwai & David Jack)

This is a interesting little EP that has some great songs and sounds.   The immediate draw is the Smiths cover, which is very, very good.  

Überzone ‎– The Freaks Believe In Beats

Überzone ‎– The Freaks Believe In Beats (Maxi-Single) (City Of Angels, COA 77132-2, 1998) (FLAC)


01 The Freaks
02 Believe
03 In Beats
04 The Freaks (Gettin' Tribal Mix)
05 On Beats
06 Moondust (Moonbass Mix)
07 Believe (Short Version)

Man, did I play the crap out of this when I was starting the dj thing.  It is a fun one with the breakbeats and blippity-bopps.  Some solid bass, for sure.  Recommended!  I haven't really heard a lot of other Uberzone stuff that sounds this good, have you?

Check it.

Spacetime Continuum - REALtime EP

Spacetime Continuum - REALtime EP (Astralwerks, ASW 6208-2, 1997) (FLAC)
01 Neoteric
02 Neoteric (Strange Attractor Mix)
03 Microjam
04 Pressure (Live)
05 Freelon

A good intro to Jonah Sharp's world.  My fave album of his is Sea Biscuit, which I'll post at some point.  This ep has the live version of Pressure, which is a killer track.

Check it.

Just a precaution

in case this one crashes.  you never know.  

also, working on a few posts today.

God Within (Scott Hardkiss) - Crucial Introspection Parts One And Two

God Within (Scott Hardkiss) - Crucial Introspection Parts One And Two (EP) (Sunburn Records, SPF 19006, Lightyear Entertainment, 54296-2, 1999) (FLAC)

1 Infinitely Gentle Blows (Infinite Aural Hallucination Remix)
2 Why, Why, Why? (Olympic Terrorist Original Mix)
3 Indian Summer
4 Why, Why, Why? (Technosoul Remix)


I really dug this single.  Had a lot of songs that worked well together when I was starting my DJ ways.  Each track holds up on their own, easily.  I acknowledge, it's not as good as Raincry.  That track is goldenrod. And will command a bajillion dollars.  I have the mp3's.  I'm good.  This is more fulfilling, to me.  The cover definitely sums the more summery vibe.  These are very good tracks.  And the first ones I think of when I think of God Within.  And, if Scott comes to your town, go see him.  Fucking cool dude and knows what he's doing behind the decks.  Check it!

General Statement

So, I got those three groupings (Excursions, Feed Your Head, and Freaky Chakra) posted in the past month.  In the next week or two I'm going to post a group of singles/eps from the 90's that I always dug.  And then, I was thinking about putting some old Spacetime Continuum stuff.  Some more comps.  I have a bunch of the Hardkiss brothers albums/singles/mixes including some rare stuff that will go over well here I think.

People seem to be digging the flacs.  That's cool.  Let me know if the rip was shitty or something.  I'm new at ripping to the flac.  And you guys are pretty good at letting me know if links go bad, so thanks.

Freaky Chakra - Moonroof Operator

Freaky Chakra - Moonroof Operator (Run Records, RUN 33785, 2003) (FLAC)

01 Come Back Here

02 Automat

03 Sean Q6 – Out in the Shed (Freaky Chakra Mix)

04 Glimmer of Dope Theme 3

05 Distance

06 Get Up, Get It

07 Desire

08 Sincere

09 Off On One

10 Western

11 Just Because You Can (Vocals by Deepher Love)

Didn't realize this was still in Draft mode.  Here is his latest.  It has a great remix of a Sean Cusick track.

Freaky Chakra blows my mind with his deep orchestration of samples and beats. For an electronic album it is deeply organic. Definitely a master of technique who rises above his tools. True musicianship that packs an emotional punch. Must-hear!

Freaky Chakra - Blacklight Fantasy

Freaky Chakra - Blacklight Fantasy (Astralwerks, ASW 6232-2, 1998) (FLAC)

01 Downspace

02 Automatic

03 What?

04 Thing

05 Fascist Funk

06 Vector Head

07 Living In The Future

08 Dreams

09 Year 2000

10 Hyperspace

11 Platform

12 Blacklight Fantasy

i'll post review later

Freaky Chakra Vs. Single Cell Orchestra

Freaky Chakra Vs. Single Cell Orchestra - Freaky Chakra Vs. Single Cell Orchestra (Astralwerks, ASW 6166-2, 1996) (FLAC)

01 Freaky Chakra Vs. Single Cell Orchestra – Intro 

02 Freaky Chakra – Lurking 

03 Single Cell Orchestra – Piledriver 

04 Freaky Chakra – Trepidations In Love 

05 Single Cell Orchestra – I Want To Fall 

06 Freaky Chakra – Wishfullness 

07 Single Cell Orchestra – Trying To Find You 

08 Freaky Chakra – Anthem Of The Forgotten 

09 Single Cell Orchestra – The Way

A storming breakbeat battle, with SCO's Miguel Fierro going head-to-head with friend and colleague Daum Bentley of Freaky Chakra. Old-school up-tempo electro-funk is the call of the day for much of this disc, which was inspired by a series of live improvisations the two performed in 1995 and '96.

Freaky Chakra - Budded On Earth To Bloom In Heaven

Freaky Chakra - Budded On Earth To Bloom In Heaven (Maxi-Single) (Astralwerks, ASW 6151-2, 1995) (FLAC)

01 Budded on Earth to Bloom in Heaven (Vocals by Toni Halliday) (Not Underground/Alternative Radio Edit)

02 First, Last, Always

03 It's All Good

04 Post-Neo Ambient Jungle Potpourri

05 Budded on Earth to Bloom in Heaven (Vocals by Toni Halliday) (Remix by Single Cell Orchestra)

06 Instrumentally Yours

Freaky Chakra - Lowdown Motivator

Freaky Chakra - Lowdown Motivator (Astralwerks, ASW 6133-2, 1995) (FLAC)

01 Multiphasic Invoculator

02 Big Aura

03 Budded On Earth To Bloom In Heaven (Vocals by Toni Halliday)

04 Goodbye

05 Peace Fixation (Trance Mix)

06 Tra Vigne

07 Halucifuge (Blind Dive)

08 Lightdarklight

In about 1992 I discovered the band Curve.  I loved them.  The raw emotion of Toni Halliday and the crazy heavy sounds from Dean Garcia.   Their Doppelgänger  album was truly amazing.  I saw them live on that tour.  I had read that Toni had guest vocal'd on a bunch of stuff, so I started tracking the releases down (such as Leftfield's influential debut).  Freaky Chakra was on the list, so I picked up this cd.  It was in line with some of the other music I was buying at the time (still is, really).  I was discovering early trance.  Toni did a great track with Paul Van Dyk called Words (For Love).  So, this release ranges from ambient to techno.  I'll track down a proper review.  But I'm gonna post all the Freaky Chakra I have, because the world isn't posting flac versions of him for some reason.

Oh, I forgot to tell this story...  probably 10 years ago I made a roadtrip from Seattle to Portland to see Sean Cusick play one night, and I met with a great online buddy of mine there.  He asked me if I knew who Freaky Chakra was, and I said of course.  He asked me, "Do you want to meet him?"  And I was like, "Umm, yeah, okay!"  So we walk up to this guy, and my buddy says "This is Daum Fucking Bentley!!"  I was slightly starstruck, cuz what do you say after that introduction.  But he was a cool dude and l saw him play a few times after that date.  Genuinely nice dude.  But as a result, I will always think of Freaky Chakra as Daum Fucking Bentley.  

Lowdown Motivator album by Freaky Chakra was released Mar 28, 1995 on the Astralwerks (Record Label) label. Lowdown Motivator occasionally moves closer to the rich, diverse eco-tapestry of Future Sound of London's Lifeforms than the work of Bentley's compatriots around San Francisco. Despite the ambient leanings, earthy beats are never far behind on the album, and Bentley has good instincts when it comes to constructing and mixing rhythms around his effects. ~ John Bush 

Alternative Press (8/95, p. 110) - "San Francisco's Freaky Chakra (Daum Bentley to his family) has woven a near-seamless skein of dance-trance razzmatazz.... The greatness of LOWDOWN MOTIVATOR never lets up." 

Option (7-8/95, p. 107) - "... Bentley is taking electronic music to new places, and is an artist all technophiles should keep an eye on... "

Various - Feed Your Head 3

Various - Feed Your Head 3- Accelerating The Alpha Rhythms (Planet Dog, BARK CD 022, 1996) (FLAC)

01 Evolver - The Journey
02 Prism - Rain
03 Solar Budd - Blue Digital
04 Fathers Of Watt - Funky Stew
05 Starseeds, The - Parallel Life
06 Phreaky - Blob
07 Waterland - Waterland
08 Bolo - No Faith
09 Freed - Machine Man Part 2
10 Feel - Askari
11 Starseeds, The - Heavensairportcoffeeshoprestaurant

Various - Feed Your Head 2

Various - Feed Your Head 2 (Planet Dog, BARK CD 007, 1994) (FLAC)


01 Makyo - Dakini (Sky Dancer Mix)
02 Code - Parsifal
03 Optic Eye - Anacoluthon
04 Inner Space - Warrior
05 Children Of The Bong - Symbol I
06 Drum Club, The - Boom Mantra (Sea Full Of Stars Mix)
07 Spooky - Schmoo Dub (Remix by Underworld)
08 Alien Progeny - Sadhana
09 Opik - Traveling Without Moving
10 Path - Pleasant (Journey)
11 Astralasia - Ignarus (Loonar Poona)

Various - Feed Your Head

Various - Feed Your Head (Planet Dog, BARK CD 002, 1993) (FLAC)

01 Astralasia – Twilight Whirl
02 Drum Club, The – Furry Meadows (Dogstar Mix)
03 Eat Static – Kothluwalawa
04 Banco De Gaia – Qurna (Haj Ali's Birthday Mix)
05 Pressure Of Speech – Surveillance
06 Optic Eye – Blue Dreamers
07 Knights Of The Occasional Table, The – Rain
08 Tuu – One Thousand Years
09 System 7 – Habibi (The Camel Mix by Miquette Giraudy)
10 Nodens Ictus – Plurlngrium
11 Ullulators, The – "...And Hardly Any Ears!"