Radio, 01/23/2008

I subbed from 1pm to 3pm on WZBC, today and happened upon some great music from three different compilations released by three different labels. Most people are probably familiar with Touch Records; they've released music from the likes of Pan Sonic, Rafael Toral, Fennesz, Ryoji Ikeda, Biosphere and many others. For their 25th birthday, Touch released a compilation of 25 new songs that most of you are probably familiar with... but I am just stumbling upon it and wanted to upload a couple songs from it because it so captured my ears. I've included what may be one of Christian Fennesz's finest recordings to date.

In addition to a couple tunes from that comp, I've uploaded a couple songs from the Gommagang Start comp and the excellent New Deutsch comp. Gomma is a little label from Germany that specializes in slightly off-kilter dance-electronic music and moody stuff more suitable for bedroom listening late at night. Their compilation separates these two approaches onto two discs and I've included a track from both. On the whole this label misses more than it hits, but the two songs included below are heads and shoulders above the rest. Gigolo Records (careful, link not completely work safe), on the other hand, specializes in just about every kind of dance music you can possibly imagine, including the really clunky, clumsy, and primitive German synthesizer music from the late 70's and early 80's. New Deutsch features 24 tracks from 19 different bands. There's a range of styles on the disc, but principle among them is the muddy, sloppy, and over-simple pop tune. I was reminded of Fad Gadget, early Human League, and Harmonia right away, but some of these songs have a little of the post-punk sound to them. The entire disc is worth listening to, but the two songs below were post-show highlights for me. Below is the play-list and downloads.

Enjoy.

01. Grauzone - “Film 2” from New Deutsch (2003) on Gigolo
02. Bjorn Torske - “Hatten Passer” from Feil Knapp (2007) on Smalltown Supersound
03. Mofongo - “Loco” from Tumbao (2007) on Aagoo
04. Kid 606 - “Whereweleftoff - Fortune Cookie Remix by Atom (TM)” from P.S. I Dub Ya (2001) on Tigerbeat 6
05. Damiak - “Fnificun” from Micalavera (2007) on N5md
06. Can - “One More Night” from Ege Bamyasi (1972) on Spoon/Mute
07. Bene Gesserit - “Femmes aux Yeux D'Argile” from Fashion is a Dirty Word (1987) on Dead Man's Curve
08. Popul Vuh - “In der Halle des Lernens” from Die Nacht Der Seele (1979) on Spalax
09. Rosy Parlane - “Atlantis” from VA: Touch 25 (2006) on Touch
10. Black Dice - “Seabird” from Beaches & Canyons (2002) on DFA
11. Blindganger - “Spiel ohne Worte” from New Deutsch (2003) on Gigolo
12. Ike Yard - “N.C.R. (Funkstorung RMX)” from Gommagang Start (2005) on Gomma
13. Oval - “Class” from Dok (1997) on Thrill Jockey
14. Nathan Halverson - “Nurse / Shark Pt. 2” from Nurse / Shark (2007) on Peapod
15. Converter - “Error” from Blast Furnace (2000) on Ant-Zen
16. Sightings - “A Rest” from Through The Panama (2007) on Load
17. Nurse With Wound - “Yagga Blues” from Livin' Fear Of James Last (2005) on Castle
18. Fire on Fire - “Amnesia” from 5 Song EP (2007) on Young God Records
19. LCD Soundsystem - “Tribulations” from s/t (2005) on DFA
20. Feyd - “Wait” from VA: Gommagang Start (2005) on Gomma
21. Six Organs of Admittance - “Shelter from the Ash” from Shelter from the Ash (2007) on Drag City
22. James Blackshaw - “Transient Life in Twilight” from O' True Believers (2006) on Important

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mp3s:

from New Deutsch
Moreno - "Suicide Commando"
Grau Zone - "Esibär"

from Gommagang Start
Ike Yard - "N.C.R. (Funkstörung RMX)
Feyd - "Wait"

from Touch 25
Christian Fennesz - "Tree"
Peter Rehberg - "TT 1205"