Slow Music Meltdown - A repository for mixes and other music miscellanea

Friday, December 31, 2010

R.I.P. Bobby Farrell


Bobby Farrell of Boney M. passed away 30 December, 2010. 

Boney M. was a 70's disco-funk group created by German record producer & singer-songwriter Frank Farian, also behind the infamous Milli Vanilli scandal. He recorded the dance track "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" in December 1974, and when the record was released as a single, it was credited to "Boney M.", a pseudonym Farian had created for himself after watching the Australian detective show Boney. After a slow start, the song became a hit in the Netherlands and Belgium. It was then that Farian decided to hire performers to 'front' the group for TV performances, which eventually led to Bobby Farrell being hired to sing and dance for the group's shows. Coincidentally, Farrell died in St. Petersburg on the anniversary of Grigori Rasputin's death.*

I don't know Boney M.'s catalog too well, but was given Nightflight to Venus and was pleasantly surprised by the title track's awesome drums, robotic vocals, and overall intergalactic funk attack. The deeply percussive segue into the Russian-themed "Rasputin" is a winner too, as the video above shows. They also had pretty sweet style.

R.I.P. Bobby.


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*Source: Wikipedia



Thursday, December 23, 2010

Sotho Sounds & Flowers of Lesotho


Sotho Sounds: "Mobopong… By The Rivers Of Babylon"

While in Africa this past summer, I came across a CD by a group call Sotho Sounds from Lesotho. They play a groovy kind of indigenous junk-punk, given that most of their instruments are made from found objects (similar to Congolese group Konono No. 1 in that respect, but with a much chiller output). There's not much out there on Sotho Sounds, and I attempted to contact them while in Lesotho, but heard nothing back. At any rate, they sound great.


--

As we had the time of our lives during the 3 weeks we spent in Mohale's Hoek, Lesotho working with the people of St. Camillus Centre for Orphans & Vulnerable Children, my wife Aylie & I recently started a non-profit in support of the people we met there.




We helped the children we worked with make cut paper flowers, and we've used images of the flowers to make note cards to sell in the hopes of raising funds to send back to St. Camillus. Please visit our website, Flowers of Lesotho, to learn more, order cards, or donate to the people of St. Camillus.


Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Seaquence

I present the amazing robo-krill music synthesiser Seaquence.org

Check out the How-To Video:


Have a listen to my "Second Dive".

Couldn't help but be reminded of my Planequarium mix, given the underwater adventure theme.

Props to Wrath 66 of Baby Grrl! Labs for tipping me off to the wonders of Seaquence.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Smithsonian Institute Blues: Re-up of a classic dinosaur track


Big Joan*, and




*I also found this bizarre image courtesy of Google Image Search.

Booglarize


This video rules.

Don Van Vliet, the painter

When I said "artist", this applied to his painting in addition to his music:


See more at Michael Werner Gallery.*


*While it's fantastic they show his paintings, I would think they could respond to his passing with more than a terse 1-sentence statement at the end of his biography(!).

Beefheart Documentary











Beefheart Interview



I love that this video is shitty.

Friday, December 17, 2010

So long to the Captain

Almost too sad to write about this, but have to honor one of the greatest in some small way.

Don Van Vliet, better know as Captain Beefheart, passed away today at the age of 69.

He was a musical innovator, a hollerer, a trouble-maker, and an artist. Beefheart made some of the most rocking, original, challenging, influential and tender sounds ever heard, not too mention his bizarre but incredible lyrics.

The Captain will be sorely missed and forever remembered.

Article in Washington Post

The Dust Blows Forward 'n the Dust Blows Back


Moonlight on Vermont


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Beefheart
http://www.beefheart.com/

The Sea & Cake - So Long to the Captain

Sunday, December 5, 2010

French Lessons

An exploration of modern French psych/rock/folk/pop music and its precedents.

Croissance (Demo) - Service
Le Papier Tue-enfant - Jean-Claude Vannier
Flying Over The Black Hills With Crazy Horses - Koudlam
Breakdown Suite - Serge Gainsbourg
Watcher - Syd Matters
Route - Trinité
Psychotic Sunday - One Switch to Collision
32 Mars - Catharsis
Bangkok - Turzi
Harley Davidson - Brigitte Bardot
Radio Drugs / What Should I Lie About? - Chicros
Black Douleur - Sebastien Tellier


Special thanks to Mathieu, Romain, Arthur, Marc, and the record stores and flea markets of Paris and Bordeaux.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

LPCOVERLOVER

Was just tipped off by the folks at BabyGrrlLabs about a great site with a vast collection of record cover oddities. 


Check out more advetures in images for sounds at lpcoverlover.com.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Trinité - 3 is a Magic Number

Trinité - "Kora"

Browsing the esteemed music blog Whistle Taste a few days ago I came across a link to a Parisian band called Trinité. Having heard of the band while in Paris this fall checking in on the thriving psychedelic music scene*, I was eager to listen to them as well. I caught up with one third of the trio via e-mail to get the lowdown on the formula for their synthetic sound.

"So the short story of Trinité is we each use a different gear:

I {Mathieu of Chicros, Turzi} am all analog: organ fed in a gated Roland.

Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik, Iceland

Clemens (Turzi, One Switch to Collision) is all modular, a Yamaha Tenori-On driving home-made modules.

(Sol LeWittCube Structures Based on Five Modules • 1971-4 • painted wood)

Pete (Service) is all digital: he uses sounds he synthesises himself with FM synthesis.

There you have it, the Holy Trinity of Synth."

Go to their site to see videos and download some tracks from a live show while you wait to see if rumors of a 3-LP set to come are true - I sure hope they are.

--

*Pan European Recording, Record Makers, and Chicrodelic, are a few of the labels in Paris putting out great records.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Congratulations, Michelle and Eivind!

In honor of my good friends Eivind and Michelle's wedding today, here's a rad romantic remix of my all-time favorite Disney movie Robin Hood by Jeesh, via Pogo.



I'm lucky to be Toastmaster and DJ this evening, so I'll warm up here by congratulating the lovely bride and handsome groom, and wishing them eternal love and happiness together!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Miss Minor - "Forgiveness" Video

Check out the new video from Miss Minor for her haunting track "Forgiveness" shot at Chateau Carignan, France in September/October 2010.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Record Makers' 10th Anniversary

10 years on and this French label - one-time home to Air and with current residents such as Turzi and Sebastien Tellier  - is still turning heads. The Tellier video posted on their home page does just that, and there's a rad interactive app for iPhone/Pod available as well, both by Mrzyk + Moriceau



If in Paris this 10/10/10 or 14/10/10, be sure to catch the 10th anniversary shows at Point Ephemere.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Kohinoor Treasures: AfroSynth

Per recommendation of Lonely Planet, visited Kohinoor record store in Johannesburg yesterday, where vinyl is only sold 10 for R100 (approx $13.70). After finding a Michael Henderson record, The soundtrack to Risky Business, and 2nu's Ponderous, all that was left was to blindly (deaf-ly?) pick the best-looking late-80's/early 90's African records there, plus one Hues Corporation album. Most records were sealed, so at these prices, why not?

Upon returning to our guest house and researching the new unknown gems, I found them all on the Afro-Synth blog, the premier site for South African bubblegum/disco vibes from the 80s & early 90s(!).

Here's a list of my African finds, as yet unheard....

ABAKHOKHELI - Ubhuti ka-Thumbu

FOREVER MASS CHOIR - Yehla Moya!  

INYOKA ELUHLAZANA

JOSEPH DEE - Lover's Wedding 

MADLALA BROTHERS - Usebuyil' Ududuzile

RONALD CHAUKE and the TSONGA KIDS - Jaha Bomba No.2


And if these gems were't shiny enough, Afro-Synth blesses us with WA'DE!

 

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Africa, here we come!




Taffy B. and DJ Slow are bound for South Africa, Lesotho, and Burundi. Stay tuned for sounds and images from the motherland....

In the meantime, I'll direct you to a few incredible blogs on African Music, in no particular order:

voodoofunk.blogspot.com

analogafrica.blogspot.com

likembe.blogspot.com

awesometapesfromafrica.blogspot.com

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Revolution's a Lie

Download

her story - flying lizards
rain dance - herbie hancock
barnowl - caribou
cut men - mi ami
turn to red - killing joke
everybody dubbing - treasure isle dub
hormone - growing
impossible guitar - phil manzanera
fantasies - silver apples
revolution's a lie - ariel pink's haunted graffiti

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Soothing Sounds for Sabine - Little Miss Echo

A belated welcome to my now month-old niece Sabine:


In honor of her birth, here is a favorite track by Raymond Scott, a pioneer in ambient and electronic music, from his 1962 3-disc masterpiece Soothing Sounds for Baby:

Little Miss Echo

 

Despite the title, these songs are not just soothing for babies, but also their tired parents, or any other adults, for that matter. This is among my favorite records of all time, and props goes out to M.C. of Chicros for turning me on to the mellow sounds. More Raymond Scott can be heard on the Planequarium Mix.

And more of Sabine can be seen at Wrath66.com.

Another big Happy Birthday shout-out goes to Sasha, who is 1 year old today!

--

*Editor's Note: Photo of sweet lil' Sabine is courtesy of her dad / my bro, Wrath66, a distinguished artist, designer, blogger, and now, father. Of the many wonderful photos of his daughter I've been lucky to see, this one still blows my mind the most!


Thursday, May 27, 2010

Miss Minor Debut / Moggs Split 7"

Miss Minor's solo outing is nothing short of powerful and haunting.


While at Ausgang Audio earlier this year, dj slow was made privy to both the chilling live rehearsals and the impeccably produced master tapes of the record to be, and let me tell you it's unlike anything these ears have heard.

Stay tuned for the album's release, and in the meantime check out the debut song now available for free download.

Miss Minor is 1/2 of Bay Area duo MOGGS, who also have a fresh track available on 7" only from Pandacide Records. They don't disappoint.


A track from MOGGS's first album is featured on the Trouble Maker mix.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Liars live in Seattle 5/1/10

Liars' new record Sisterworld is as dark, inventive, and compelling as prior releases. The deluxe package features a remix of each track by an impressive list of music luminaries, includes both vinyl and cd copies of the album and remixes, as well as two 12" color photo booklets, not to mention a functioning speakeasy.

Check out a track from the latest record on the Trouble Maker mix, as well as their contributions from Liars to the We Carry On & Beginnings mixes.

Shots below are from their show at Neumos in Seattle. The members of Fol Chen playing on this tour held their own, yet it was quite a let down for both band and audience that the guitarist was out with a hand injury. The Meltdown wishes him a speedy recovery.






Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Growing live at Northern

 "Challenger" from the new record Pumps!
A track from All The Way is featured in the Silver mix.



Friday, April 23, 2010

Growing w/ Eric Copeland and Gun Outfit in Olympia tonite!

Playing at The Northern

New record Pumps!


www.growingsound.com

A Growing track is featured in the Silver mix.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Imaad Wasif: Scorpio Rising Tour

Catch the electrifying live show of Imaad Wasif and his Dancing Princes of Light while on tour with Dead Meadow and others through May.

"Priestess" from The Voidist on Tee Pee Records
 

Photos taken at the show in Seattle.





Wednesday, April 14, 2010

'Baby's on Fire' as experimental dance/video art!

Caribou - "Barnowl"



Thanks to Fergus for turning me on to Caribou.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Involuntary Post by Tarwater Series - Installment 5b: "self-copulation, record collection" & "Nakeds"

A follow up to Involuntary Post 5, swiped by AC here.

An apt song is selected by Victoria's Secret in this ad for the "Nakeds" line in the context of "natural penis-enlargement", etc, with regards to the aforementioned Involuntary Post discussing Hidden by These New Puritans:




Sunday, March 7, 2010

Trouble Maker

 
radio transmission - (LOS) CHICROS
proud evolution - LIARS
choppers - HOLY FUCK
buenos aires - TURZI
firepoker - TRANS AM
echonoecho version MI AMI
flower lady and her assistant - THE SEEDS
50 seconds - KILL FOR TOTAL PEACE
interglacial marriages  - MOGGS
carbohydrates hydrocarbons - MICHAEL YONKERS with THE BLIND SHAKE
doppelgänger - THESE NEW PURITANS

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Involuntary Post by Tarwater Series - 3rd Installment: "The Rest of Your Day"

Tarwater comes correct yet again with another Involuntary Post-worthy e-missive. Images added for further insights.

Enjoy:

"Sorry to drop so much music on you at once but, with one exception, all of it was new to me before today and sometimes that's how it goes.

First up: Lucas Santtana is this Brazilian guy from Bahia discovered/mentored (I guess) by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil (he played on Tropicalia 2 in 1994) who thus far has 3 solo albums to his name. The first begins with a short sample of the beginning of the song "Tropicalia" and then swathes it in noise - which is a good shorthand for where he's at: taking the samba and bossa nova beloved by the Tropicalistas and introducing it to trippy modern production techniques/styles/inflections, without insulting either. He does it very, very well.
First record: Eletro Ben Dodo.
Here is the heavy dub follow-up: 3 Sessions in a Greenhouse
Here is the one that came out this year: Sem Nostalgia
All are great.


Next is Next is (sic) Staff Benda Bilili from Kinshasa, who have a backstory that reads like a satire of back-stories: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staff_Benda_Bilili.The album is good and interesting enough though - the homemade one-string lute player is a marvel - to overcome the icky novelty/poverty-fetishizing etc. possibilites of the above.


Third is the new record by this Austrian group Radian - I think some of you might already be familiar with them. They kinda remind me of This Heat.

The last is that opera about Darwin by The Knife."