Albums

This is a neat little EP with three tracks on one side and three remixes on the other. All of the Side A tracks are top notch, and it was really very difficult to pick between them. They’re so familiar and beloved by me that it’s picking which kid gets the donut with sprinkles, and Rained the Whole Time was that kid. It fits everything I love about this era of Shlohmo’s work, and of artists in a similar vein who were making woozy music. This EP may also be mostly responsible for Fluid, my first solo channel on SomaFM.

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I’ve been a fan of Lusine’s sound for a long time but this was one of the first chances I had to pick of vinyl, so I took advantage of it. It’s a 45RPM speed, four sides, and I picked Side D, as it’s usually unloved. I wasn’t disapppointed one bit and the track Flyway has almost all of the characteristics I love in his tracks, save for vocals. A really fantastic cut.

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This is an unusual one for a few reasons. The first is that it’s a single, arguably one of the best 80s tracks ever made, but the B-side has a track that also came up in YouTube right after it. It’s a 45RPM single, which isn’t uncommon, but is of note. This is also a promotional copy, probably from a radio station. Someone’s Calling is that B-side track that I really quite like and while it sounded familiar, the name didn’t. Good cut.

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Discogs calls this “synth-pop” and I agree, a little, but it has so many triplets that there should be a trap note in there somewhere. Another of my late friend Carl’s collection, this one always intrigues me for a few reasons. The song titles are mostly compound words. The singer is very well mixed in but her range is in fixed notes. So. Many Triplets. Lots of synths done pretty well. It’s like Sylvan Esso, but a little earlier and not as good.

Side B was my pick because I’d heard it less, but I was surprised after listening to Saltkin and then finding it was produced by Jon Hopkins, who I am familiar with. It really sounded better produced, and more coherent, but without sounding different. It was my pick of the side amongst some other pretty neat tracks.

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This is one of a very few reggae records I’ve picked up over the years, but it’s certainly an interesting one that I really enjoyed listening to. Side A is full of nine tracks and it was a bit tricky to pick from, but the final track on the side, the only instrumental, really felt the best. Soulful Mood capped off a really fun listen. Notable mentions to Trust the Book and Man A Wall also.

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A neat little EP on white vinyl, this is one of a handful of records that I got from KWCR over the years, whether directly or indirectly. I picked it partially because I’m pretty sure I’d never listened to it, but knew a little bit about the band. It’s a nice blend of pop rock and electro, so Side A’s Found Out was what I expected and was pretty nice to listen to. Simple. Easy.

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This was a very impressive album when it came out, as a release on Thievery Corporation’s Eighteenth Street Lounge. A hip-hop record from a German group was a bit out there, but it sure sounded great. I’ve been a fan on and off since, with a few more of their works around that time in the stack including one from member Kabanjak.

I picked Side B at random and enjoyed Worldwide once again, as the sole instrumental track on the side. It typifies their sound, with a great hip-hop beat, samples, and the whole lot. It’s very, very easy to listen to but also rewarding to hear.

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This tidy little EP was a neat find and I’m glad that I stumbled upon it, then found it amongst some other oddities in a side stash. It typifies an era of his career that I look upon fondly and distills some of the essence into a compact EP. Side B looked good, and I really enjoyed the feel of Wherever You Are on this listen.

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This is a very interesting LP because it was produced entirely by El-P, much to his initial resistance, because Mike was very insistent and persistent. At that time El was preparing his own solo album, Cancer 4 Cure, and found himself going between NYC and ATL producing two records. The good thing is that both C4C and R.A.P Music were excellent records and critical hits, but their friendship created Run the Jewels because of it. Neither has done a solo project since.

I chose Side B for the listen tonight and I was immediately struck by Don’t Die, a track about the police, corruption, and people put in terrible situations. It is, unfortunately, evergreen in our modern times and I couldn’t ignore that relevance.

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This is a neat live session recorded in 1958 at a night club in NYC. Pretty good sound, though Dave’s piano could be a bit louder, but with Paul Desmond on the alto sax as bright as you’d want it, that’s okay. Side B’s pick of the night was Indiana, with a wonderful Desmond performance and Brubeck at his coolest. A marvelous, swinging bass and drum line throughout and I felt a bit like I was there…

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