March Podcast

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.

Errors, Soft Pack and Xiu Xiu Reviews + Going Bi-Monthly

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.

January Podcast

A slightly longer mix this month as I didn't get round to doing one in December. Doctor Who's birthday or something, wasn't it?


This is Kieran Hebden. He's excellent, he really is.

Listen to the podcast here:

Mediafire download (31MB MP3)
Look right to subscribe.

1. Burial & Four Tet - Moth
Four Tet provides the beats, schoolboy friend Burial provides the ambience. At once melancholy and infectious.

2. Four Tet - Love Cry
The lead single from his new album 'There Is Love In You' which came out on Tuesday and sees Hebden further develop his increasingly techno-oriented sound. Give it a listen, and then buy tickets for his show at the Plug in March.

3. Clark - Growls Garden
Sinister vocals will lure you in, giving no indication of the punishing bassline to come. One of the ever-exceptional Warp Records more recent signings. Speaking of which...

4. Aphex Twin - Windowlicker
Without exaggeration, surely one of the greatest pieces of electronic music of all time. I never thought it would work well on the dancefloor, but the good people at Threads showed me otherwise.

5. Matthias Meyer - Infinity
I couldn't resist pinching this gem from my good friend Jamie Walker's 'Stuck In The House' mix, which you should go and listen to here. Just wait for that sample to kick in.

6. Matias Aguayo - Rollerskate
Rollerskates and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye, but this track is enough to make me want to dig out my old Fisher-Price quads, all in primary colours, and force my stupid grown-up feet into those adjustable straps.

THAT'S ALL.

Grizzly Bear & Frightened Rabbit Gig Reviews

I've written a few nice words about Frightened Rabbit and many more unpleasant words about Gomez for the Forge Press.
Pick up a copy of the paper around the union or read the review online here (page eleven).

also:

Grizzly Bear
Manchester Cathedral
4/11/09


Photo courtesy of amchu

After a critically acclaimed show with the London Symphony Orchestra on Halloween, the Brooklyn band appear in their usual four-piece form at Manchester Cathedral but retain a remarkable sense of grandeur.

Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) sets the tone for the evening, the acapella introduction to her set grabbing the crowd's attention in an instant. Tender vocals coupled with a skeletal combination of acoustic guitar and sampled drum loops leave the audience silent, captivated. No mean feat for a support act.

Grizzly Bear transcend the traditional boundaries of indie rock; their sound, even without the backing of the LSO, is orchestral. Each song could be described as a series of movements, each building in momentum to a climax, before a period of calm, and so on. This is especially true of latest single 'While You Wait For The Others', where the effect is utterly compelling. Songs from this year's superb Veckatimest LP form the majority of the set but are interspersed with older material; 'Knife' from 2006's Yellow House proves to be a particular crowd-favourite.

The spectacular setting of Manchester Cathedral only adds to the sense that the audience is witnessing something special. The building's vast ceiling provides surprisingly good acoustics and leaves Droste and Rossen's vocals hanging in the air to intensely powerful effect. The band are surrounded on stage by hanging glass jars, each glowing intermittently as though a single firefly is trapped within [pictured]. At times the choice of venue seems particularly fitting as all four band members contribute to beautiful, almost choral, vocal harmonies throughout the set.

Grizzly Bear's vocal strength is striking - a YouTube video by La Blogotheque [see below] shows the band performing an acapella version of 'Knife' on the streets of Paris. It is perhaps best demonstrated, however, in their encore: a semi-acoustic version of 'All We Ask'. Rossen's guitar and microphone remain plugged in but Droste and Taylor turn away from theirs, opting instead to project their backing vocals into every pocket and corner of the cathedral and leaving the audience with a truly unforgettable experience.

November Podcast

Apologies for the minimal write-up this month but I really should be writing essays and whatnot...


Listen to the podcast here:

Podcast link is in the sidebar, the Mediafire download (21MB MP3) is here and some writing you probably won't read is below.

1. Jesper Dahlback - Gubbis
A tech house gem from Sweden's Jesper Dahlback, cousin of John Dahlback who you may remember from the DFA1979 remix album amongst other things. If you like what you hear then head down to the Plug on 5th December where he'll be DJing alongside Sebastian Leger. Unless you know me, that is, in which case come to DQ for my 21st...

2. Renaissance Man - Spraycan
More Swedish tech house here from production duo Renaissance Man (pictured) - the title track from their excellent Spraycan EP released earlier this year. They've also remixed the following track:

3. Noob & Brodinski - Peanuts Club
Brodinski (as featured on last month's podcast) teams up with fellow Frenchman Noob for some bleepy techy goodness on 'Peanuts Club'.

4. Digitalism - ZDRLT (Rewind)
Emerging from the depths of their Second World War bunker in Hamburg, Digitalism succeed where most fail in blending indie rock with electronica on 'ZDRLT' - their own rework of 'Zdarlight' from debut album Idealism.

5. Erol Alkan & Boys Noize - Waves
A huge collaboration from Germany's foremost electro producer Boys Noize and London DJ Erol Alkan. Pianist Chilly Gonzales has produced a unique rework of 'Waves' which, in Alkan's words, aims to 'translate a club ‘banger’ into something your grandfather could get with'. Highly recommended: