On The Hi-Fi Part 39

An Ambient EP of loveliness from Loscil. Reminding me of the great Spectral Cassettes series that Pontone posted a few years ago. Those Pontone tapes were my gateway back into electronic music and current music in general. They can probably still be found at his ghost blog. Anyway For Greta is just what I need at the moment. Splendid aural serenity. This is soo good. Hey FACT is this 'power ambient' or just plain old ambient?

Never gone beyond the 70s with Baris Manco before but my GP who's from Turkey played me a track off this because I told him I loved 60s and 70 Turkish music. He asked me what my favorite Manco LP was and I said 2023 which he agreed is very good. He doesn't think the scene has been as good since the 80s and he's not an old guy maybe 40-45. So 'Retromania' goes on in Turkey too. He was also into Mogollar but not familiar with Bunalim, I guess they're obscure, whereas Manco was a big star. Sozum Meclisten Disari is an LP from 1981 and maybe his 6th album. I'm getting music recommendations from doctors now? Strange world indeed. Some good stuff on here. The title track includes lighting cigarettes, talking, pouring drinks, smoking, and what I assume is some sort of whispered words of seduction, a bit like a Turkish Serge Gainsbourg. Of course Baris Manco is a legend and musical innovator in his own right and needs no comparisons. I'd really like to know what the fuck he's saying in that tune. Gulpembe is irresistible Turkish prog synth gold with a hard riff and dark heavy bass. Funky 80s sounds with great keyboards and even a chipmunk choir are all put to good use on this recording. At certain stages during the album it's like Compass Point has been resituauted in Turkey and I mean that in a very good way. This LP contains a classic tune 2025 which is a top shelf cosmic Turkish prog funk jam. Donence the final track is an epic too, great space age synth and over the top guitars but with that unmistakable Anadolu vibe. Still getting deep with this one, however I reckon it's going to be another Manco classic to go along with his other three that I know and love. Thanks Doc, now about fixing these headaches...............actually I wonder if he has any other LPs he can recommend.

Came across this the other day. It's a 70s (1971?) library record on the Italian Leo label from Giuliano Sorgini. He recently came to people's attention due to the reissue of his soundtrack to The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue on Death Waltz in 2012. Previous to that he was a renowned cult figure in the Library music scene. The one record I had back then was Under Pompelmo, from 1973, which actually got the reissue treatment this year on Italian label Cinedelic Records apparently. Percussioni In Crescendo is a drum heavy, dark, funky and an occasionally bombastic record. This LP can be Incredibly atmospheric and minimal at times. Percussioni In Crescendo's incorporates some good twanging guitars, quirky electronic tones and big big symphonic drums. A little library gem right here folks.

Digging this. Club Godzilla is back with Club God 4. You know what you're getting here songs about gettin booty and songs about getting booty, oh and songs about strippers and headjobs. The instant highlights are the Gangsta Boo contributions which are incredible. I can't help thinking there's too many features though and not enough of just Beatking on his own. Not sure what to make of Chedda Da Connect yet. Is he Houston's answer to Young Thug? Or is his flow way to close to that of Thugga's? He's only on one track so who cares? The rest is sounding v good. How To Make Love To A Woman is skit gold that had me laughing out loud as well as quite astonished at Beatking's audacity. Chamillionaire makes an appearance. I'm not really sure who he is is. He was someone in my hip-hop black spot area (98 to 2011*). Like was he good, cool or innovative? Beatking is really pushing taste boundaries on this release, which I guess is nothing new for him. Like he could give a fuck anyway! Particularly What Dat Mouth Do which is creepy but mainly really funny and probably the most pop tune on the album. Only got it on i-tunes yesterday so I'm still processing it all. I'll do a full review down the track.  It's getting a thrashing though. That's a pretty bloody good sign in this day and age, innit though?

WHAT I'M NOT LISTENING TO

Or the extended version of John Cage's 4.33. More like 4 hours & 33 minutes. Due to debilitating migraines I have to go into a dark room at the first sign of head pain and do nothing. No devices, people or books allowed. Just darkness, the sound of the house and its surrounds. Not as boring as one might think and kind of refreshing and definitely relaxing except for the headache part. Try it without a headache. Humanoid unplugged.

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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