Ugly Thing-The Creatures

I always thought it was cool that I knew a guy from Macclesfield who lived in the same street as Ian Curtis and inherited his turntable (the turntable bit may need a pinch of salt). All along I was living in a region of garage-rock royalty. The Creatures were from Mildura and they had brilliant Aussie garage-rock compilations named after them and as well as a popular American garage-rock magazine. My dad saw the Easybeats at The Murray Moon before they were famous but can't recall the support band. It was probably this lot right here.

friday

Moon Wiring Club

Srtange music for your Friday Nite

Nostalgia and INXS

Putting up that INXS track the other day I had no qualms about. For me they are in a position where I have no perspective on them. Having liked them from a preteen to my late teens. If I was introduced to them today what would I think? I have no idea. On paper it looks like I'd probably not like them but who knows? When I listen back to them now which is not very often, a little look on the youtubes now and again, I'm not even sure if I like them. I think I do though. I know the songs off by heart, there's memories, period charm, history, nostalgia, perverse pleasure and just plain pleasure all tied up in those songs. It's a bit hard separating it all.

I guess the biggest thing though with these songs is the you. The younger you. The less cynical you(er..I was always pretty cynical). The less tired you. The future you. The you you were going to be. The you that you never were. The possibilities of you. So these songs are pregnant with all of your hopes, dreams and excitement for the future and when you hear them that all rushes back usually in a good way. So whether you are getting off on that vibe or just a top tune it's hard to say. In the end does it really matter? It is interesting though

More Not Drowning, Waving

Well that last track was such a hit here's some more from the same LP.

 

2012 - A Look Back Part III

Best Internet Mixtapes/DJ Mixes 2012

Panabrite - Lunar Atrium Mix
Synthesiser vistas from his extensive Library music collection.
Mark Van Hoen - Pontone Mix #87
Electronic pop 101.
Ix Tab - Pontone Mix #95
The roots and traces of The Bregnut Tree.
K-Punk - Pontone Mix #91
4th world musical travels.
Evol - Fact Mix #330
Mentastic!
Dara - Blog To The Old Scool Mix
The ultimate 'ardcore 91 mix.

*A lot of time in 2012 I was putting together my own ultimate mixtapes of 'ardcore, Breakbeat, Darkside, Jungle and Ambient Jungle. So maybe I wasn't into other peoples mixes as much. I must admit my Acieeed! mix and Miami Bass mix haven't really got off the ground yet.

Re/Discovered, Not Reissued In 2012

• Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby
• Dave Graney - Knock Yourself Out/Hashish/We Wuz Curious
• Stereolab - 91-97 Catalogue
• Pulp - Intro/His n Hers/Different Class/We Love Life
• Cybotron - Clear
• The Black Dog - Book Of Dogma
• Primitive Calculators - Primitive Calculators/Primitive Calculators & Friends 1979-82
• Laughing Clowns - Cruel But Fair (3CD)
• Omni Trio - Vols 1-5
• Jacob's Optical Stairway - S/T
• A Guy Called Gerald - Black Secret Technology
• 4 Hero - Parallel Universe/The Early Plates
• Various - Reinforced Presents: Callin For Reinforcements & The Definition of Hardcore
• 2 Bad Mice/Kaotic Chemistry - Everything
• Various - Hardcore Leaders Of The New School
• Various - Torque - No U Turn Comp
• Wagon Christ - Throbbing Pouch
• The Wu-Tang Clan  - Group & Solo LPs 93-96
• Snoop Dog - Doggystyle
• Michael Hoenig & Manuel Gottching  - Early Water
• Ilitch - 10 Suicides
• Patrick Vian - Bruits Et Temps Analogues
• And every second track released on The Hardcore Continuum from like 90- 95. There I finally said it!

*I did end up listening to that Kendrick Lamar LP. Bit of a downer I thought, not bad and sonically pretty cool though.

Jon Farriss - Black & White

This was some of my favourite drummage as a preteen. Particularly this 12" version. 8os Rota Toms I think they were. Dancing in the lounge room so our feet stay dry.

              

This shows Jon could cut it live too. Jon is a great drummer and shows us his stuff especially after the 2 min 30 sec mark! Hutch was a bit pitchy live wasn't he? Anyway it's all about the drums and they're pretty pretty good.

2012 - A Look Back Part II

Reissued/Archival/Compiled etc..

• Time To Go-The Southern Psychedelic Moment: 1981-1986 - Various.  One of the coolest rock scenes ever.  Post-Punk psychedelic mayhem from the Antipodes. It doesn't get much better than underground music from NZ in the 80s.
• Down Under Nuggets: Original Artyfacts 1965-1967 - Various.  It doesn't get much better than this for a rock era. Troglodyte and wild. Get out your winkle pickers folks!
•  EPs 88-91 - My Bloody Valentine
• Complete Singles Collection - AR Kane
• 5 EPs - Disco Inferno
• Separations - Pulp
• Smell My Finger - The Hard Ons
• Livixiation - Suzanne Ciani
• Dancing Time - The Funkees
• Cold Nose - Franco Falsini
• Orion 2000 - Peter Thomas
• The World Won't Listen - The Smiths
• Short Stories For Pauline - Durutti Column
• Voix - Egisto Macchi
• The Aberrant Years - feedtime
• The Oram Tapes Vol. 1 - Daphne Oram
• Electronics Without Tears - FC Judd

The Short Ones ie. EPs

Skrillex - Bangarang EP
It's party time folks!
Knife Party - Rage Valley EP
The party continues!
LA Vampires - Freedom 2K EP
Amanda Brown gets all sexy. If only all house was this cool.
Kemper Norton - Collision/Detection v6 EP
Spooky farmer's sonic documents of wintry West England!

Bin Worthy/Indifferent/Perplexed
Laurel Halo - Quarantine
Didn't see the fuss.
Holy Balm - It's You
?
Maria Minerva - Will Happiness Find Me ?
Not with this self help drivel!
Black Dice - Mr Impossible
??
Bodyguard  - Silica Gel
er... a bit Shite, no?
Nite Jewel - One Second of Love
???

*With the reissues I just put in the ones I didn't already have. I never had a copy a copy of The World Won't listen, I had Louder Than Bombs which was a mess of a comp really. So there's no Cleaners From Venus, Pyrolator, John Carpenter, Eraserhead OST or Porter Ricks or whichever records/tapes/cds I already have. No Laurie Spiegel as I think that may be coming my way at Xmas time.

Mick Fleetwood

Well I was trying not to be obv with my drums pick. Before I remembered that great Not Drowning Waving track It was The Chain all the way!

Well really it was gonna be Tusk but we thought that way too obv as well.

More Drums

It must be admitted here and now the Mrs a lovely Welsh lady was seen once air drumming to this track with a little help from her friends Death Proof stylee but it was only at home, not in a car so she didn't die.

2012-A Look Back Part 1

2012

Possibly my worst year as a human being. I did become an Uncle again twice! Yin & Yang. Anyway on with the lists. Well you probably know how much lists get on my nerves by now, so c'mon here's your chance to whinge about mine. Leave a comment. Be nice. Be offensive. Be whatever you want to be. These are not ranked you know, it's not sport. This is just 20 of my favourite Albums of the year.

The Top 20+

The Fog Signals - The Ghosts of Bush House
Resonant reverberations. Who would have thought you could make a compelling record from a building? You can really picture this boffin with mini tape recorder and mike in hand saying "Quick lets get the sound of that floorboard on tape.' Creaks, horns, voices, rusty lifts, wind, squeaks all chime for Mr Fog's tape recorder. Excellent gear.

Ix Tab - Spindle & Bregnut Tree
erie, dank, majickly psychedelic and enchanting. It's getting dark in the forrest, you've become disorientated. Are you gonna make it out?

Swans - The Seer

Does it get any better than Swans in full epic flight?

No.

At their peak again.

Who would have tipped they'd be making the best record of 2012?

No one.

Scott Walker - Bish Bosch

Incomprehensible drunk, incomprehensible madness or incomprehensible genius?

Or all of the above. He has developed his own musical language and is honing it to almost accessible listenability.

Pye Corner Audio - Sleep Games

Just when people were ready to write off GhostBox (the record label) along comes a record to say that isn't going to happen. This one creeps up on you like a stalker (the one it's soundtracking). Then it's in your albums of the year. Perhaps more horrological than Hauntological.

Fabulous Diamonds - Commercial Music

Awesome drones, the coolest drumming and words I don't think I really wanna know. This has a cult like vibe. There is something deliciously wrong (so right) about Commercial Music.

Dave Graney & The MistLY - You've Been On My Mind

Just when you thought rock was dead and gone, unexpectedly Dave makes a rock album. Not only that, it's fuckin great. The soundtrack to wandering empty country town streets alone at 1.30 am and driving in the Australian summer at dusk with the windows down.

Outer Space - Akashic Record (Events: 1986-1990)

For those of you not diggin the new Emeralds record. No need to fear John Elliot's other group went out onto Saturn's rings and bought this back for your pleasure.

BEBETUNE$ - inhale C-4 $$$$$

I don't know if this is a mixtape, plunderphonics or all new material made by James Ferraro. 5th world soundz from a futuristic metropolis. This maze of plastic, neon, digital and HD is all put through the Ferraro warp machine for one bad trip that keeps you coming back for more.

Panabrite - Soft Terminal/Blue Grotto/The Baroque Atrium

This trio of albums was in my life to soothe, calm and rejuvenate me with its Utopian vistas and wombedelia. Then put these records at a loud volume and they can be quite the opposite ie. dark, strange and slightly dread inducing. Then through headphones they reveal that this ain't no ambient/new age dross. The compositions are put together with great thought and care. This isn't synth music on autopilot. Subtly sublime.

Bataille Solaire - Baal Shamash Et Son Char Celeste

They remained a mystery to me. I didn't come across one article on them or seek one out. I liked the mystique. Church organs and synths drifting through labyrinths and wormholes. Soundz from the cosmos that drift into black holes, through the asteroid belt and back again. This was a voyage to strap yourself in for. Hynagogia lives.

Lazerhawk - Visitors

This album had similar sort of influences as Daft Punk's Discovery. You know like AOR, funk, disco, metal, 80s soundtracks etc. Add a little horror and you are almost there. But unlike Daft Punk they didn't put it through the now/house/trance ringer, they just left it as is. Fun, good times and neat tunes. Retrolicious.

Gary War - Jared's Lot

This was like the world had blown up in 1982. Then in 2012 aliens landed. In an old bunker they found a bunch of records including Kraftwerk, Chrome, Ilitch, ELO & Durutti Column. They also salvaged a malfunctioning turntable and ELO's robot. When these aliens got back to their planet they started a groop. Their repertoire was retro electro human rock. The little aliens loved it. The robot sang on a couple of tracks but his batteries were running low. They thought it was great anyway.

Human Teenager - Animal Husbandry

See above.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

More deliriously addictive pop from the pint size pop master. He's made the pop album of the year again.

Lee Gamble - Diversions 1994-1996
Deep spacious electronics leaving an emptiness that is evocative of the aforementioned era without actually sounding like the jungle pirate tapes that are apparently the source material. Memoredelia.

Dolphins Into The Future - A Star Maker, Strange Dreams & Clairvoyance
Dolphins come back strong in 2012 with some of their most out there music to date. I can see/hear scuttling sea creatures, palm tree jungles, underwater song, neon squids and mysterious deep sea disco fish. Put on The Blue Planet: episode 2, The Deep, turn the sound down and crank up the Dolphins. With a little help from your friends, the good times will roll.

Ekoplekz - Intrusive Incidentalz Vol 2/Mildew Riddims/Skalectrikz
Mutant machine music. How can all of this be so good? Three and a half hours of deliciously deranged dubby electronic noise for the end of dayz. Clank, clatter and squelchy splatter. 

Motion Sickness of Time Travel - Motion Sickness of Time Travel
MOTT make immersive echoing electronic drift from the heavens. Sometimes this aquatic pulsating music has a womb like vibe and at other times it's a little ominous. Ethereal vocals send this into almost holy territory. In 2012 it didn't get more beautiful than this.

Sand Circles - Motor City
It's 2am....you fill in the rest. Choose from these words - driving, cruising, cityscape, lonely, bewildered, lost, lights, tunnels, urban, roads etc. There is something allusive about Sand Circles soundtrack for night city cruising that sets them ahead of the pack. Totally irresistible.

The other bewdies

• Umberto - Night Has a Thousand Screams
• Miami Nights 1984 - Turbulance
• LX Sweat - Sweat, Sweat, Sweat
• Mark Van Hoen - The Revenant Diary
• Actress - RIP
• Dolphins Into The Future - Canto Arquepeligo
• Belbury Poly - The Belbury Tales
• Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury - Drokk
• Inner Tube - S/T
• Bassnectar - Vava Voom
• Moon Wiring Club - Today Bread, Tomorrow Secrets
• Future - Pluto

Ultimate Drums

Sing Sing - Not Drowning, Waving



To me this is the ultimate drum tune. Not Drowning Waving were kind of an experimental ambient art rock pop band from the 80s in Melbourne. In 1988 they went to Rabaul in Papua New Guinea and recorded an LP with a bunch of locals. They had recorded this song before but nothing like this version. Beautiful, uplifting, scary and intense all at the same time! It still amazes me to this day!