Mixtapes.

Couldn't get into her new LP but I love her new mixtape on FACT.



dodgy 80s r&b

  One of the the best things about the interweb has to be people doin' mixtapes. There's heaps but I've found some beauties. Ariel Pink FACT 152 & Oneothrix Point Never FACT 162 were the shit, dunno if you can get 'em anymore. There is some kind of mixtape archive somewhere on the net. Oneothrix also did a good one called Needle Exchange Mix which included  Cleaners from Venus & Rush.

The best mixtapes of all for me though are from Pontone. Specifically the Spectral Cassettes Volumes 1-6. This is one of my ffavourite music discoveries on the internet. The first time I heard Dolphins Into the Future, Oneothrix, Infinity Window, Brother Raven, Spare Death Icon, Panabrite, Dylan Ettinger etc. Spectral Cassettes got me excited about electronic/ambient/soundscape music again, Volume 2 is seminal!. All Six are rippers.

 My other favourite mixtapes are from the brilliant Hauntological group (one person really) Moon Wiring Club. They have set the bar high with their Tapes. Incredibly thought out mixes which could have only come from the brain of Ian Hodgson. Which include great dialogue from dodgy old British films and spooky  music from any era as long as it's creepy.



Spectral II Glorious!



 I can't remember which came first, so there was The ASDA mix which was available at The Wire website( sexadelic eurogrooves). Then the summer vibes of Elementary Ice Cream Sunstroke Headache Mix (bringin' the bad vibes to summer). The Jayston Mix is another beauty(I cant remember where it came from). Lastly FACT had a mix at the end of last year to celebrate Clutch It Like A Gonk's release. Out of the four I can't decide which one is best. I like them just as  much as his records.

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The Axemen

Speaking of The Axemen I found this last night. It's 2 of the main 3 Axemen doing a fantastic sort of concept album from 1987 and it's more Axemen magic. I didn't even know this existed. How excitement! Ariel Pink must be a fan and Royal Trux too. The Axemen's (dis)organised chaos is truly fabulous. Many lo-fi/non musicians have tried to do this in the past and totally failed. The genius of The Axemen is that it sounds awesome and effortless at the same time. They are truly talented pioneers and funny too. Legends!

Axemen side projects, solo records, Sleek Bott Gang stuff available here

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

I missed him last week in Melbourne but now there is a bonus show on Friday in Brunswick. 

It's a bewdy!

Another Bewdy!



Animal Collective and Ariel Pink

just another poker night round at Ariel's

Isn't it funny how fickle we are? For example one of my favourite groups of the 00s was Animal Collective, now I don't think I could bring myself to listen to them even if you paid me.  Is it because of all the turds that followed in their wake.  I couldn't even name them but there was a time I'd put on the radio and every second band seemed to be an acolyte.  Did I just get sick of 'em? Did my tastes change? Dance Manatee, Here Comes The Indian, Person Pitch and some of the others would have featured in my 00s top 100 if I'd done one. Is it because they went overground with their last LP as a collective and all of a sudden your cult band of the last 7 or 8 years was adopted by others outside the cult because a magazine told them to.  Am I that teenage and/or snobby?  My favourite artist of the 00s was Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and I still listen to him.  Six of his records would have been in my make believe top 100.  His last LP from 2011 went overground and I loved it, so some of those snob theories may have to be dropped.  Lots of people are influenced by him and I like a lot of those artists.  I'm still trying to work it out.  Maybe Animal Collective were the conclusion of something and Ariel Pink began something.

These first two from this classic.

For Kate I Wait from possibly the best
album realeased this Century.

Menopause Man from the best album
of the 2010s!

These last 3 from probably the
 greatest album of this Century.

**Haven't seen any of these videos.  I didn't realise he made so many or any for that matter. The only thing I ever saw was him doin' a crackin' version of Round and Round live on Jimmy Fallon but that's been taken off the youtubes.