Chillwave, glo-fi (via Now Wave), GorillaVsBearcore (via Hipster Runoff) - call it what you like, hazy electronica provides an ideal soundtrack to these lazy sunny days. Washed Out (pictured), Toro Y Moi and Neon Indian are probably the biggest names in the scene, if indeed it is a scene, but I'll leave these questions to HRO and Pitchfork. Memory Tapes and Caribou don't really fit in here; 'Bicycle' and 'Odessa' are both just great melancholy pop songs. You might consider throwing out your Caribou records in a pre-emptive strike, though.
Toro Y Moi, Caribou and Memory Tapes are all playing Field Day next month, along with Atlas Sound and No Age amongst others. I would encourage anyone and everyone to buy a ticket.
The podcast is a little on the short side this month as I've spent the last couple of weeks revising for my final exams and then celebrating finishing university / numbing the growing sense of dread that comes with soon having to enter the real world.
1. Animal Collective - Peacebone (Pantha Du Prince remix) / Bros
'Peacebone' has got to be one of my favourite Animal Collective songs, but I only just heard this remix from the Peacebone EP. The original track is barely recognisable - Pantha Du Prince uses just a few samples to craft a minimal masterpiece. In March, this podcast featured his recent collaboration with Panda Bear, who drops by here for a while too.
2. The Field - A Paw In My Face
Sticking with the animal theme, this track is from The Field's seminal 2007 album From Here We Go Sublime. The soundtrack to a drive home along the coast at the end of a long summer day.
3. Caribou - Sun
This is from Caribou's new album Swim, which sees him 'do a Four Tet' and combine his wistful electronica with a strong techno influence. A must-listen album.
PS. Best new M.I.A. track so far? Don't want to hate but XXXO sounded like GaGa or something...
This week saw the end of a lengthy live music drought with Japandroids playing the Harley and the brilliant Holy Fuck gracing the Deaf Institute. Having to churn out 14000 words for my degree in the last few weeks seems to have dented my ability to write anything vaguely creative, but you can read my review of the Japandroids gig over at Forge Today.
Japandroids by Paula Goodale
As a little birthday present for a fellow Diplo fan I put together a quick mix which is on mixcloud...
I'll leave you with the video for Holy Fuck's 'Lovely Allen' and an invitation to join a tribute band that definitely isn't just a drunken idea, and will be called something stereotypically British like Bloody Hell or Oh Cripes.
The 1951 US civil defence film 'Duck and Cover' offers invaluable advice in the case of a nuclear attack, like covering yourself with a picnic blanket or crouching against the nearest wall. It also features a cartoon turtle named Bert, who hides in his shell whilst a Soviet chimp blows itself to bits. Footage like this was just asking to be edited into a quick promo for this month's podcast:
Listen to the podcast here:
Mediafire download: (22MB MP3)
And the link for the podcast feed is in the sidebar.
1. Nathan Fake - You Are Here (Four Tet remix)
2. Four Tet - Plastic People
'Really shouldn't play another Four Tet track this month' - such thoughts dissipated after his masterful set at Plug last week. Support was provided by Nathan Fake, whose sublime 'You Are Here' was given the slow-burning remix treatment by Four Tet. Hebden's own 'Plastic People' is named after the London club where he honed his current techno-influenced style, and similarly his 'Much Love To The Plastic People' mix is also well worth a listen.
Writing this blog, I never thought I'd have the chance to mention Charlie Brooker, but seeing as 'You Are Here' offers just that, there's no way I'm not taking it: FortDax's remix of the tune provides the theme to the indescribably good Newswipe.
3. Pantha Du Prince - Stick To My Side (ft. Panda Bear)
I caught Animal Collective's Panda Bear in London a couple of weeks ago. He played a lot of new material which seems to depart from the sample-based sound that makes Person Pitch so timeless, but nonetheless Tomboy is one of the albums I'm looking forward to most this summer. He brings an otherworldly feel to this track from Pantha Du Prince's Black Noise LP, which came out in February and is definitely deserving of your time. Oh yeah, I think some guy called Four Tet has remixed this track too, and if I remember correctly, it's fucking amazing.
4. The Field - Morning
2008's The Sound Of Light is a concept EP where twenty-four hours are condensed into one. 'Morning', with its rolling drumbeats and vocal samples, is an uplifting tune, preceding the relentless intensity of 'Day', the hedonism of 'Evening', and the crushing comedown of 'Night'. It's releases like this that make The Field one of the most consistently progressive producers out there.
As a result of my chronic laziness and the pressures of dissertation work, it looks like the podcast is going to have to be bi-monthly, so look out for a new mix later this month.
The last few weeks haven't been entirely unproductive though, as the good people at Fuse have, quite foolishly, put three of my gig reviews in their latest issue. Have a look at page eleven here or if you're in Sheffield pick up a copy around uni. The Soft Pack review was, probably with good reason, quite heavily edited, but click here if you want to read about the Jungle Book and possibly pilled up owners of leather jackets.
Whilst you're over at the Forge website, check out Off The Beaten Track which should return to the virtual airwaves this Thursday at 9.30pm and is then available to listen again for a week.
Finally, a plug for a new podcast co-hosted by my old friend Callum. It's called If There Is Hell Below and features an eclectic mix of 60s garage and psychedelic rock together with some (excellent) contemporary selections.
