Posts in Music

I went to a Minimal Wave show once here in New York, probably one of the more memorable shows i’ve been too because of the dark atmosphere and hidden venue. The girl that djed played some stuff that sounded like Oppenheimer Analysis at times and I recently just found out that they originally came out on Minimal Waves label, well that was a nice coincidence, definitely a great synth pop song.

Policy of Truth.

Anyone ever see Air France LIVE? i’d like to know how they would do a show of their music live? maybe they just DJ? either way if you’re sick of MGMT and need to pull it back a couple notches than try this song No Way Down.

Simple yet to the point, Onra has a nice hold on abstract hip hop world right now with Nosaj Thing, Mux Mool, Hudson Mohawke and Samiyam.

Oppenheimer Analysis – The Devil’s Dancer

Depeche Mode – Policy of Truth

Air France – No Way Down

Onra – Haterproof

ISO50 Playlist #4 – Compiled by Tom Croose

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Track Listing:
Flying Lotus – Massage Situation
Wax Stag – Folk Rock (Bibio Remix)
Jorge Ben – Cinco Minutos (5 Minutos)
St. Vincent – The Strangers
Todd Rundgren – I Saw the Light
Maria Helena Toledo & Luiz Bonfá – Whistle Samba
The Long Lost – Woebegone (Flying Lotus’ Luckiest Charm)
Isan – No. 1. (Lent Et Douloureux)
Peace Orchestra – Shining
Mount Kimbie – William
Metronomy – A Thing For Me (Breakbot Remix)
Superpitcher – Sad Boys
Bullion – That’s Not Dee
Césaria Évora – Angola (Get Down Dub By Pepe Bradock)
Ecstatic Sunshine – Duck
Born Ruffians – Litle Garçon
Cass McCombs – I Went To The Hospital
George Harrison – The Light That Has Lighted the World
Johnny Cash – Country Trash
Santo & Johnny – Sleepwalk

Ricardo Villalobos is known for his lengthy 14+ minute mind melting tracks in the techno world but he has this worldly draw I think when it comes down to rhythm & choice of sounds. Get to the 2:30 min mark and let it ride out, you’ll definitely hear why he goes for soo long. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

It’s Shari Vari by A Number of Names, hopefully this song doesn’t need an introduction.

I follow Ras G on twitter, the dubstep artist that is one of the more hardcore dubstep supporters out there that has the pure passion for the music.

If you know me or if you’ve ever walked into my room you’ll know i’m a huge Police/Sting fan. Lately i’ve been working on edits but mostly of songs by The Police. The more I listen to their whole catalog the more I find small glimpses in songs that have perfect loops in them especially in this song Invisible Sun.

Sun Electric – Toninas – (Ricardo Villalobos Remix)

A Number Of Names – Shari Vari

Ras G – Stealth Mode

The Police – Invisible Sun

Here’s something to keep you busy over the weekend: The Ghostly Discovery App for iPhone. The free app allows you to create streaming playlists from the Ghostly catalogue by choosing a “mood” via a spectrum color wheel and a “style” via fader-like sliders. It’s sort of like Pandora but instead of picking a specific artist, you use the mood and style of the music you’re looking for as a starting point. And of course, you can find some Tycho stuff in there too. Check it out here

Update: Sorry, but as many of you pointed out in the comments, the app is not yet available internationally. Ghostly is working out the international licensing issues and it should be out soon. You can sign up to be notified when it is available by entering your email at the bottom of this page.

I couldn’t wait for the morning so here it is new Kings Of Convenience, if you haven’t noticed i’m kind of a big fan of Erlend Oye. You know there isn’t ever a disappointing note in a KoC song if you find the right moment to take it in.

Not only is there new Kings of Convenience but there is a new Atlas Sound coming out on 4AD featuring Noah(Panda Bear) from Animal Collective. The melody from the flute in the background is completely flooring, I want it to go on forever, this just song just made my year.

Planet Mu has been signing some consistent and interesting artists as of late, this new cut from FaltyDL has a unique way of doing an almost stripped down Garage track, heading over to check the record on iTunes to see how the rest of the LP sounds.

Gui Boratto might have the ugliest cover of 2009 but that didn’t stop me from checking out his album. When the vocal comes in i’m not too fond of the song but until then it reminds me of the good old days of Kompakt where you’d go to your local vinyl shop and check what this weeks Kompakt 12″ sounded like.

Alright, off to bed to watch Deadwood, I wish I could watch more than 73 mins on Megavideo before it says I have to wait an hour to use Megavideo again, ugh.

Kings Of Convenience – Mrs. Cold

Atlas Sound – Walkabout

FaltyDL – And I Really Know…

Gui Boratto – No Turning Back

Long time ISO50 blog reader, ex. Judah Johnson frontman, and adding some soul and romance to electronic music is Daniel Johnson with his debut LP Lazrus. When i’ve played the record to friends some people said the album sounded like TV on the Radio, Jamie Lidell, Thom Yorke, Deastro and even Hot Chip at times but to be honest I think of it as its own animal. The record came to me during a time that I wasn’t listening to anything like it, I don’t have much soul/R+B in my collection of music and probably never will but this LP has hints of those elements and then some that help me effortlessly engage by Daniel’s additions of detail to an almost actual true pop electronic album.

If there was a most improved band award it would go to The Horrors, I remember being drawn into their myspace by seeing that Chris Cunningham did a video for them but the music didn’t grab me like it does now. Sean Lynch (from 800beloved) and I drove around a few weeks ago when I was in Michigan and it was around 4 am and this song came on I was really enjoying it and then Sean whispered something about how insane it is to put out a 8 minute single for an album today and I remember just chuckling and asking myself if this song is really going to go on for 8 mins but soon enough I didn’t want it to end. Also, do yourself a favor if its your first listen and just watch the video.

Went to the Warp offices the other day and met with Zach who helps hold it down here in the States, he recommended this Tyondai Braxton LP who impresses me on another level when I see him live playing guitar for Battles. I can this song hitting Top 40 local rock radio at times with a radio edit, reminds me if you stripped down a good Deftones song.

I keep hearing about XL’s new signing Discovery since its 2 guys from Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend, after the first listen I would of never guessed that or even came close to that it was members from either. I listened to 2 free songs which you can find if you search for them in the blog world but after going on iTunes I found that I think this Osaka Loop Line song might be a favorite.

Daniel – Heart Of A Dog

The Horrors – Sea Within A Sea

Tyondai Braxton – J. City

Discovery – Osaka Loop Line

The Horrors – Sea Within A Sea Video

Experimental rocker Jesu remixes School of Seven Bells, the remix is very similar to something that maybe Apparat or The Reflecting Skin would of done I think which includes heavy dry kicks and swells, definitely one of my favorite remixes in 2009.

Recently listened to a mix by Philip Sherburne and it started off with this His Name Is Alive track which I thought was a group that has some ok records but this instrumental should be followed up by a whole series of songs like this, i’m sure i’d not be the only one buying that record up.

More electronic music producers need to be making music videos that they’ve done if they have some decent taste like this Rebolledo one that just features Matias Aguayo walking around on the beach eating ice cream and singing the song. The drummer is the the best part, I have no idea what he’s playing with but he’s looking great doing it hah. I hope to see younger musicians like Seth Troxler take on a project like this because he’s almost at this level and has the imagination for it. The video is also refreshing for Techno/House and it also made me revisit Matias Aguayo’s first record “Are You Really Lost” which blew me away again. On a side note: That Theremin sound will kinda get to you, might actually turn you away but I guess its more about the bassline at times for me and vox.

School Of Seven Bells – Face To Face On High Places (Jesu Remix)

His Name Is Alive – Sitting Still Moving Still Staring Out

Matias Aguayo – So In Love

Rebolledo – Pitaya Frenesí (Vocal Version) [feat. Matias Aguayo]

Rebolledo – Pitaya Frenesí (Vocal Version) [feat. Matias Aguayo]

Stereogum premiered info on the 21 artists compilation: Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy to help the former Miracle Legion front man continue making music while he raises his three-year old twin daughters. These kind of projects I love to see always and its nice to see someone like Thom Yorke down for the cause.

Sigur Rós frontman Jón (Jónsi) Þór Birgisson and partner Alex Somers, from Reykjavík band Parachutes collaborate on a LP which features this song Boy 1904, this might be the gentlest song ever posted on the blog which includes a boys choir i’m guessing and some beautiful drone. The art above isn’t the actual cover, I think its the photo that the cover was made from.

Tom Croose and Slow Hands turned me onto this Al Usher track, they literally did flips in the air while talking about it. I think it came out this week on INTERNASJONAL which is Prins Thomas’ label out of Norway. I think I hear harps, slow disco / balaeric being pushed to its edges when it comes to mellow cuts, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Remember Mazzy Star? well sometimes when I hear this song I wonder how it would be to be a musician that writes lyrics because I personally hardly listen to anything but instrumentals but if I wrote down “…fade into you, I think its strange you never knew…” i’d give myself goosebumps.

Thom Yorke – All For The Best

Jónsi & Alex – Boy 1904

Al Usher – Lullaby For Robert (Bulgari remix)

Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

An good intro can really make the song. It can set the mood, erasing whatever else is around you and make you feel safe from the world.  These songs work because they are incredibly funky and use the impossible elasticity of the synth to great measure.

Another reason these songs still feel fresh is because they represent an era where music and technology had reached a new apex. Stevie Wonder’s synth work in the 70’s is considered by many to be the most influential of it’s era, thanks in part to his work with Tonto’s Expanding Headband and their TONTO synth (watch this little documentary), which allowed the funk to show through the machines.

These songs honor that legacy in different ways.

Carly Simon-Why

Produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the all-time best disco band Chic, this was a UK chart hit but never on a US album save for a low-key soundtrack. Not as synthy as the rest, but about as good a pop-disco track as you’re likely to hear, skanking along at an easy clip.

The Brothers Johnson – Strawberry Letter 23

A funky version of Shuggie Otis’ deathless original, this cut is synth and bass heaven and helped them reach platinum status. Produced by Quincy Jones no less.

Dexter Wansel – Life On Mars

Dexter Wansel was on Gamble And Huff’s famous Philly International label. Ann Arbor/Detroit legend DJ Carlos Souffront sold me this re-issue at Osborne’s record store in Ann Arbor years ago and it never sees the shelf. The cut breaks into some super funky disco heat, but that cosmic intro makes this one truly staggering.

Yarbrough and Peoples – Don’t Stop The Music

Greatest bassline awards #1 and sits between genres pretty niftily. 1980 was a MONSTER YEAR for synthy funk, the R+B charts were producing some great tracks, fast and slow. Boogie music is getting some love thanks to revivalists like Dam Funk, and with good reason. Feel this video.

Australian’s like The Canyons have been putting out some great disco as of late, really good rhythm and guitar additions, really gives the songs this authentic non digital feel.

One of my favorite Lusine songs has to be Rushhour, its one of those songs that pays off if you listen to it from start to finish, no patience with the beginning will get you nowhere. Once you get to the 4 min mark you’ll know i’m talking about but the only way to truly enjoy it is listening to the detail in the build up to it, it literally sounds like the a thousand knifes being sharped by your ears while you try to run away from the highest quality low end that monsoons over your precious town.

Eliot Lipp and Leo123 collab again since their original material debut on Ghostly Swim and leak a cutup west coast indie club bomb for their North American tour, real solid work by the two.

Mountains sway the Thrill Jockey catalog up another step on the quality end by unleashing an absolutely phenomenal droned out LP, the real pleasure hear is having the whole LP and playing it start to finish, highly recommend atleast having the song Telescope.

The Canyons – Apples and Pears

Lusine lcl – Rushhour

Dark Party – Status

Mountains – Telescope