There are all manner of things we have to overcome as we exist. Whether it be baby steps, learning speech, refraining from urges, balancing work with love, or simply bypassing the tumultuous chaos around us, everything is valid, yet somehow, the mind is not strictly as it seems. With the advent of technology doing more of the work for us, drifting and distracting ourselves can increase.
"Mind Over Matter" is a cornerstone for such behaviour. It sprouted from procrastination and my attention span waning when studying for my Open University course. "Start Listening To Music" it's called. I'm presented units to devour each week, whereby listening exercises on the accompanying CDs demand me to focus in a variety of ranges.
Active and passive listening, timbre, structures and forms, texture, writing about sound: it's theoretically a budding music journalists' paradise, which surprisingly, took my metaphorical biscuit of knowledge, and swallowed it whole.
I like every Muttley mixtape to have a theme. This one, by the title alone, is obvious. You can do it. You can pick yourself up and face the hardships, frustrations and enigmas the world throws at you. Even if you're singularly partaking in discovery, you are never just 'you' - but you're ideally welcome to be yourself. There is likely a fourth dimension in the panoramic distance, one that we all uncover when the mists of grey vanish and we're left with achievement or failure.
Whatever the outcome, sometimes we need an informal push, and I hope this selection will help incentivise and inspire a few people to remember that memories live longer than dreams.
TRACKLISTING
01. Robert Haigh - Tomorrow Never Came (1989) (from the album "Notes And Crossings")
02. Leyland Kirby - Memories Live Longer Than Dreams (from the album "Sadly, The Future Is No Longer What It Was")
03. Goldmund - Light (from the album "Two Point Discrimination")
04. Sylvain Chaveau - Staring (from the album "Nuage")
05. 36 - Inside (from the album "Hypersona")
06. Arlo Bigazzi & Arturo Staleri - Stregatto (from the album "Zaum Vol.1")
07. eDIT - Twenty Minutes (from the album "Crying Over Pros For No Reason")
08. Krzysztof Orluk - Beautiful Mind (from the album "Blurred Reflection")
09. Boards Of Canada - Dawn Chorus (from the album "Geogaddi")
10. Skindred - Who Are You? (from the album "Shark Bites And Dog Fights")
Download
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
MK Stop 36: Muttley - Dreamscape (November 2009)
As a celebration of 20000 views and 350 posts in my "Ambient lovers" thread, I've uploaded "Dreamscape". It's dedicated to my friend dwarde, who once said he listens to my mixes when he goes to bed, but consequently misses most of the music. The theme here is life-affirming sounds. They are, on the counter, partly ghostly in demeanour. "Dreamscape" begins beatless with long blends, then traverses classical, downtempo and drone influences. I'm trying to break the habit of building sets to crescendo levels, and instead making a proper sleep selection where perception is motionless; a strong segment of the caveat. I've started another set for this experiment.
TRACKLISTING
01. Bruno Sanfilippo - Imagined Reality (from the album "Auralspace")
02. Oophoi - Night Psalm (from the album "Hymns To A Silent Sky")
03. Seafar - Dr.Catchlove (from the album "Hegira")
04. Philip Dickau - I Am With You, I Am Happy (from the album "This City, And You")
05. Stars Of The Lid - The Daughters Of Quiet Minds (from the album "and Their Refinement Of The Decline")
06. Eluvium - Reciting The Airships (from the album "Copia")
07. Slow - You Can't Say No To (from the album "Dual Box")
08. Black To Comm - Hotel Freund (from the album "Alphabet 1968")
09. Fur - Friends (from the EP "Black Castles")
10. Repetition / Distract - Ghosts On Our Train (from the album "Not Even In Sleep")
11. Breakage - Unireverse (from the album "This Too Shall Pass")
12. Noah And The Whale - Instrumental II (from the album "The First Days Of Spring")
Download
TRACKLISTING
01. Bruno Sanfilippo - Imagined Reality (from the album "Auralspace")
02. Oophoi - Night Psalm (from the album "Hymns To A Silent Sky")
03. Seafar - Dr.Catchlove (from the album "Hegira")
04. Philip Dickau - I Am With You, I Am Happy (from the album "This City, And You")
05. Stars Of The Lid - The Daughters Of Quiet Minds (from the album "and Their Refinement Of The Decline")
06. Eluvium - Reciting The Airships (from the album "Copia")
07. Slow - You Can't Say No To (from the album "Dual Box")
08. Black To Comm - Hotel Freund (from the album "Alphabet 1968")
09. Fur - Friends (from the EP "Black Castles")
10. Repetition / Distract - Ghosts On Our Train (from the album "Not Even In Sleep")
11. Breakage - Unireverse (from the album "This Too Shall Pass")
12. Noah And The Whale - Instrumental II (from the album "The First Days Of Spring")
Download
MK Stop 35: Muttley - Better Days To Come (November 2009)
Specialised artwork to follow.
TRACKLISTING
01. Asher – 1.1 (from the album “Landscape Studies”)
02. Seafar – Yob Data (from the album “Hegira”)
03. Netherworld – Jostedaal (from the album “Zaum Vol.1”)
04. Mindspan – Conversations (Unreleased)
05. Fennesz – The Point Of It All (from the album “Venice”)
06. Svarte Greiner – Ullsokk (from the album “Knive”)
07. Olafur Arnalds – Raein (from the album “Found Songs”)
08. Jasper TX – Better Days To Come (from the album “A Darkness”)
09. Autechre – Outh9x (from the album “Quaristice”)
10. Antony And The Johnsons – Daylight And The Sun (from the album “The Crying Light”)
11. Sawako – A Last Next (Instrumental) (from the album “Bitter Sweet”)
12. Peter Broderick – And It's Alright (from the album “Home”)
Download
"Better Days To Come": dedicated to friends Conor and Louisa. This is a soundtrack to when I visited Ireland on November 7th. It begins with layered drones that border on lachrymose, overlaid with snippets of voice that are not quite quantifiable. My battle against mental compulsions tripping me up, and psychotic symptoms: hearing voices (when pleading I require assistance privately); persistent confusion, resulting in silent screaming (words lodging in my brain, outside influence from people conversing, not remembering correctly, frustrations forthwith) and deluded thinking (believing I've lived previously in that scenario, and foreseeing what responses I'd receive if I was to break my grip on rationale) - are all captured in this doctrine.
This episode in the set finishes at 13:45, where up to then my anxieties were unstable; the mood is hitherto very melancholic. Talking to Conor about "The Point Of It All" - a major link in initial words was what gigs we'd been to - freed and eased my mind when remembering we'd met twice prior. "Better Days To Come" then progresses to positive reminiscence with piano, female singing and strings. Louisa discussed with me people she knew, who would seem pretty unlikely to be noticed as having an illness. We agreed that if I hadn't said anything she wouldn't have noticed. There's a happy ending through the darkness - I was told to re-recognise that things will always pass, as they do. I have Conor to thank also for introducing me to Brian Hartnett, a founder of Hearing Voices Ireland, and ASC (aka Mindspan) for "Headspace", his second foray into ambient and minimal techno, currently unreleased.
TRACKLISTING
01. Asher – 1.1 (from the album “Landscape Studies”)
02. Seafar – Yob Data (from the album “Hegira”)
03. Netherworld – Jostedaal (from the album “Zaum Vol.1”)
04. Mindspan – Conversations (Unreleased)
05. Fennesz – The Point Of It All (from the album “Venice”)
06. Svarte Greiner – Ullsokk (from the album “Knive”)
07. Olafur Arnalds – Raein (from the album “Found Songs”)
08. Jasper TX – Better Days To Come (from the album “A Darkness”)
09. Autechre – Outh9x (from the album “Quaristice”)
10. Antony And The Johnsons – Daylight And The Sun (from the album “The Crying Light”)
11. Sawako – A Last Next (Instrumental) (from the album “Bitter Sweet”)
12. Peter Broderick – And It's Alright (from the album “Home”)
Download
"Better Days To Come": dedicated to friends Conor and Louisa. This is a soundtrack to when I visited Ireland on November 7th. It begins with layered drones that border on lachrymose, overlaid with snippets of voice that are not quite quantifiable. My battle against mental compulsions tripping me up, and psychotic symptoms: hearing voices (when pleading I require assistance privately); persistent confusion, resulting in silent screaming (words lodging in my brain, outside influence from people conversing, not remembering correctly, frustrations forthwith) and deluded thinking (believing I've lived previously in that scenario, and foreseeing what responses I'd receive if I was to break my grip on rationale) - are all captured in this doctrine.
This episode in the set finishes at 13:45, where up to then my anxieties were unstable; the mood is hitherto very melancholic. Talking to Conor about "The Point Of It All" - a major link in initial words was what gigs we'd been to - freed and eased my mind when remembering we'd met twice prior. "Better Days To Come" then progresses to positive reminiscence with piano, female singing and strings. Louisa discussed with me people she knew, who would seem pretty unlikely to be noticed as having an illness. We agreed that if I hadn't said anything she wouldn't have noticed. There's a happy ending through the darkness - I was told to re-recognise that things will always pass, as they do. I have Conor to thank also for introducing me to Brian Hartnett, a founder of Hearing Voices Ireland, and ASC (aka Mindspan) for "Headspace", his second foray into ambient and minimal techno, currently unreleased.
MK Stop 34: Muttley - White Horizon (November 2009)
Originally posted by Dave Trax on djtrax.wordpress.com
"This blog was set up to host News, Mixes and Videos from DJ Trax. However, Muttley has given so much support to the underground scene and therefore I'm proud to host his latest mix."
TRACKLISTING
01 - ICR - Misspent (Misspent Music)
02 - Probe-One - Protocol (Covert Operations)
03 - Silent Witness - Amazon (DNAudio)
04 - Hipnotic - White Horizon (D:Art Recordings Unreleased)
05 - ASC & Subwave - Storm System (Covert Operations)
06 - DJ Trax - This One (Subvert Central)
07 - Cloak & Dagger - Soul Sauce (Subtle Audio)
Download exclusively at djtrax.wordpress.com
"White Horizon": a set ordinated on the principle that this kind of music can be played in clubs at peak or primetime, if handled in an alternative way, and with enough discern. The well-being of dancefloors worldwide survives on variation, though counterintuitively you won't encounter a selection like this at the majority of deeper drum and bass nights. I view the problem as comparable to the medium of film transgression. If we call punter satisfaction the pivotal scene, then most events are a Hollywood blockbuster, where trailers and sub-scenes are fabrications of longevity, and idiosyncratic gestures go to waste. With "White Horizon" I chose a broad cross-section of tracks, from digital and vinyl labels, that are either today defunct, or running on small subscription-favouring protocols.
You get a package that's a labour of love, and not a disposable pseudo-commodity - as is your average big-buck flick. The Hipnotic track smooths over the syncopation as the sole tune with a two-step beat. Contextually, it highlights and transposes that, as a DJ, you don't have to revert to heavy-hitters to get the floor moving. I hope by submitting this online, that the notion, and associated branches high and low are perceiveable to you, the listener, or reinforced, furthermore.
Friday, 13 November 2009
MK Stop 33: Muttley - All Shall Be Well (November 2009)
Artwork credits: lonekink @ lonekink.netTRACKLISTING
01. Lamenter – Redeemer (from the album “Sleeping Me“)
02. Slow – Loma (from the album “Dual Box“)
03. Rameses III – We Shall Never Sing Of Sorrow (from the album “I Could Not Love You More“)
04. Eluvium – Amreik (from the album “Copia“)
05. Harmonic 33 – Space Interval 2 (from the album “Music For Film, Television And Radio Vol.1“)
06. Harmonic 33 – Space Interval 3 (from the album “Music For Film, Television And Radio Vol.1“)
07. Intex Systems – Glaciers (from the album “Research And Development“)
08. The Alpha Rhythm – The Seventh Storm (from the album “Proof Of Concept“)
“All Shall Be Well”: dedicated to my good friend Lata. The tracks are on a happier, hopeful trajectory than my “Back To Mine” mixtapes. I aspired to convey what the receiving of goodwill on her part does to me – contributing science articles to this blog, and helping me deal with my troubles in 2008. I could praise her until I’m blue in the face, but I’d prefer to let the music symbolise the pacific qualities, and nobility, my knowing this lovely lady has brought to me. Ambience with the majesty of thousands: determinant, meaningful and rewarding, just like the kindness chanelled from our friendship, and reading her writing.
Mk Stop 32: Muttley - Back To Mine Pt.2 - "Reflections"
Download exclusively at Low Light Mixes"Reflections": music for healing bereavements, remedying mental disorders brought to light, enacting occupational therapy, and cherishing the good memories that can sometimes be hard to reach.
TRACKLISTING
01 - Brian Mcbride - The Guilt Of Uncomplicated Thoughts (from the album "When The Detail Lost Its Freedom" - Kranky)
02 - Philip Jeck - Wholesome (from the album "7" - Touch)
03 - Rameses III - The Kindness Of Letting Go (from the album "I Could Not Love You More" - Type)
04 - Mogwai - Aidan's Waltz (from the album "Come On Die Young" - Chemikal Underground)
05 - Hilmar O Hilmarrson & Sigur Ros - Degradation (from the album "Angels Of The Universe" - Import)
06 - Olafur Arnalds - Lost Song (from the album "Found Songs" - Erased Tapes)
07 - ASC - Highbrow (from the Warm008 12' - Warm Communications)
08 - Autechre - Nil (from the album "Amber" - Warp)
09 - The Drift - Noumena (from the album "Ceiling Sky" - Temporary Residence)
10 - The Alpha Rhythm - The Return (from the album "Proof Of Concept" - Seedknowledge)
11 - The Cinematic Orchestra - Diabolus (from the album "Motion" - Ninja Tune)
12 - Badmammal - Sending And Taking (goodluck/badluck unreleased)
13 - Glint - Double Vision (from the album "Sound In Silence" - www.glintonline.com)
14 - A Silver Mount Zion - The Triumph Of Our Tired Eyes (from the album "Born Into Trouble As The Sparks Fly Upward" - Constellation)
MK Stop 31: Muttley - Back To Mine Pt.1 - "Overshadowed"
Artwork credits: cordani @ est00.com
Download exclusively at The Hydrogen Cafe
TRACKLISTING
01 - Lull - Illusion Of Unbroken Surface
02 - Hildur Gudanottir, BJ Nilsen & Stillupsteypa - The Direction Was Foggy Or Cloudy
03 - Klute - Untitled
04 - Grouper - Close Cloak
05 - Stars Of The Lid - Hibener Toujours
06 - Massimo Liverani - Primavera
07 - Lamenter - Bleeding Riverbed
08 - El Heath - Epick
09 - Xela - Her Eyes Sparkled And She Walked Away
10 - Ulrich Schnauss - Molfsee
11 - Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Providence
12 - Hakobune - The July Skies Followed Us Here
13 - Kettel - Halt Him
14 - Mogwai - Punk Rock
15 - Bark Psychosis - Burning The City (Alt mix)
16 - Jodi Cave - For Myria (2)
17 - Lezrod - Digi4
18 - The Alpha Rhythm - Long Road Ohm
19 - Klute - Torrential Pain
20 - Pilote - The Dialogue
"Overshadowed": the "Back To Mine" model taken literally, in a mixed-construction collage of music very personal to my existence; upheld as a return to being myself. Catalysed by an explosion of hateful bile, and inaccurate surmising, from two allies, towards me - defending the woman I've scripted in the "15 Minutes Of Fame" writeups from part 5 onwards - who this is anonymously dedicated to, each track signifies through titles a soundtrack to meetings, and departures which have never taken place.
Cataloguing what can overshadow failed friendships by symbolism - from the rebuttal of society with "Untitled" by Klute, to the depth-charge fathomages - over fabrication - of Grouper's "Close Cloak", prior the stones of universal change, gathering moss, and returning with surplus details - from each rise and fade - on Ulrich Scnauss' "Molfsee"; rain samples bespeaking the "Where are you going?" questioning in GYBE's "Providence, then a handful of sentimental recordings from 2006, where I believed I could trust this lady - as a true friend; no infatuation, just investment by what I brought to the table in conversation; then finally the juxtaposing of rational and irrational lust, leaving the participant with a subconscious dialectic principle for advancement on "The Dialogue", by Pilote.
The end of a relationship or marriage can be a difficult and painful experience. It can leave you feeling confused, lonely and lacking confidence in yourself and the future. Feelings of betrayal, guilt or rejection are common. Anger, sadness and confusion are often intense. Moving forward can be hard when trust, self-confidence and self-esteem have been shaken. All I hope for is that "Overshadowed" can be an aural springboard to assist and heal those swathed in darkness, that which I'm slowly exiting, one step at a time.
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