solipsistic NATION No. 79: HiddenPlace Music, Part 1
February 29, 2008 | 7 Comments
When I began solipsistic NATION I didn’t make any attempt to make the show commercially viable. My mission was to play electronic music that I love and if people listening to the show happened to love what I was playing, I considered that a bonus.
I wasn’t being entirely self-serving. I was playing quality music so I knew I was bound to pick up an audience, even if it was a niche audience. And I was right. Over the years, solipsistic NATION has attracted an ever growing audience. And that’s where it gets interesting.
People often find their way to solipsistic NATION because they are just as passionate about electronic music as I am. And that shared passion sparks some wonderful conversations, which often leads to friendships.
Nearly a year ago I met Travis Nobles, who runs the hiddenplace music blog. Travis and I share similar taste in music and he constantly exposes me to new artists I most likely would have never heard about and usually those artists are on netlabels.
Travis is so dead-on about the artists he reviews that I invited him to be a guest DJ on solipsistic NATION because I knew he would select some stellar music for the show. The other reason I had Travis come on the show is because that while our tastes are comparable, he tends to pick out music that is more ethereal than I would normally listen to. But it is exactly that difference that makes listening to his music such a beautiful experience; he turns me on to stuff that I might otherwise miss. That forces me to expand my horizons and ultimately keeps solipsistic NATION fresh and exciting.
- Xurba “You Are a Circle”
- Workbench “De La Terre À La Cime (I & II)”
- Interview with Travis Nobles of hiddenplace music
- Sabi “Dried Flowers, Mirrored World”
- Planet Boelex “Forever and Always (Feat. K)”
- Mikael Fyrek “The Tiny Greens and Whites”
- muxu “Moving at 30″
- Iambic2 “Regulus”
- Nest “Charlotte”
- Le Mépris “susu”
- Deluge “The Crush”
- Audiokonstrukte “Disfiction”
- Interview with Travis Nobles of hiddenplace music
- Promo: Fallen Nation
Download episode.
1:03:41 | 58.38 MB
solipsistic NATION No. 78: Spark
February 22, 2008 | 3 Comments
I’m very excited about today’s show because as of this week, solipsistic NATION is being broadcast on KYOU Open Source Radio on 1550 AM in San Francisco.
I’d like to thank KYOU’s station manager, Stephen Page, from bringing me on board. I’d also like to think all of you who are listening, whether you’re listening to solipsistic NATION over the airwaves in San Francisco or those of you who have downloaded the show from all over the world.
I’ve got a jam packed show for you!
This week on solipsistic NATION we’ll talk with J. Anthony Allen, the Director of Programming for the Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art taking place at the University of Minnesota, February 26 through March 2.
We’ll also talk to to Professor Diana Deutsch from the University of California, San Diego’s psychology department, about musical illusions and paradoxes, phantom words and other curiosities.
We’ll also chat with Robbie Martin, who performs experimental electronic music under the name Fluorescent Grey and runs Record Label Records.
Finally, this week on solipsistic NATION I’ll be giving away two Mix Tape USB Drives, courtesy of SUCK UK. The Mix Tape USB Drives stores up to one hour of high quality digital music - the same amount as you get on a C60 cassette tape. Perfect for creating your own unique compilation or mix ‘tape’.
Send me an email and you could win one of the Mix Tape USB Drives. I’ll randomly pick a winner in two weeks and announce the winners on an upcoming show.
SUCK UK produce furniture, lighting, interior products and accessories. Most of the designs are by Sam and Jude or selected by them from some of the best designers around the world. SUCK PRODUCTS are available in shops in the UK and around the globe.
- Puzzleweasel “Fodhovl”
- Parag Chordia “Vadi”
- Interview with J. Anthony Allen, Director of Programming of the Spark Festival of Electronic Music and Art
- SoNu Ensemble “Sonaurium”
- Professor Diana Deutsch “Introduction”
- Professor Diana Deutsch “Scale Illusion”
- Professor Diana Deutsch “Commentary”
- Professor Diana Deutsch “Nowhere”
- Interview with Professor Diana Deutsch, University of California, San Diego Psychology Department
- Evan Bartholomew “Elusive And Effervescent Is Our Destination”
- Fluorescent Grey “Physically Modelled Theme For Children”
- Fluorescent Grey “Are you aware of the pink light emenating from your naval?”
- Interview with Robbie Martin of Fluorescent Grey and Record Label Records
- Fluorescent Grey “Molten Ghost”
- Promo: Fallen Nation
Download episode.
1:02:22 | 57.18 MB
solipsistic NATION No. 77: Native State Records
February 15, 2008 | 6 Comments
I really appreciate electronic record labels because they tend to focus on specific genres of music such as industrial or hip hop. That focus means they can narrow in on a specific aesthetic and separate the wheat from the chaff.
Once a month I dedicate a show to a record label that is worth hearing and this week on solipsistic NATION we’ll talk with Evan Marc, the man behind Native State Records.
Native State Records is a west coast electronic music label that explores the boundaries between downtempo, idm, dub, and chillout. I’ve featured several artists from Native State Records on solipsistic NATION in the past such as Rena Jones, Shen and Nalepa so it was only a matter of time before I had Evan as a guest on the show.
Evan recently launched Somnia, a sublabel of Native State Records. Somnia releases ambient, electronic, minimalist, modern classical, electro acoustic, and “other” recordings. If Somnia’s first release, Caverns of Time, is an indication of the direction the label is heading in, then Somnia is destined for greatness.
Evan has also entered the world of podcasting with his Somnia podcast, which features artists that put out incredibly moving and beautiful music. You owe it to yourself subscribe to the Somnia podcast. And if you’re so inclined, why not support the artists on his podcast and Native State Records by purchasing some of their songs or albums.
- Aerostatic “Drone”
- Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
- KiloWatts “Dub Serious”
- Vibesquad “Dome Piece”
- Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
- Bluetech “Enter The Lovely”
- Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
- Sympath “Pond Life”
- krill.minima “Nautica”
- Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
- Shen “Embrace”
- Saqi “Offering / Reminder”
- Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
- Welder “Sumeria”
- Interview with Evan Marc of Native State Records
- String Theories “White Dragon”
- Rena Jones “Undercurrent”
- Promo: Fallen Nation
Download episode.
1:03:28 | 58.18 MB
solipsistic NATION No. 76: Lovespirals
February 8, 2008 | 3 Comments
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and some of you might be thinking to yourself that the whole thing is just an excuse to sell cards, chocolate, roses and jewelry, or that it’s a way to get couples to spend a lot of money in expensive restaurants. You might also think that we don’t need holidays like Valentine’s Day, that each day we should cherish the people we love and tell them how we feel about them.
All of that is true. But if you’re one of those cynical people I ask you to consider this: life goes by pretty fast and it’s easy to get caught up in our day to day existence. It’s all too easy to let the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months and forget to take the time to express our love to that certain special someone.
I think holidays like Valentine’s Day serve as a touch stone to remind us to appreciate the one’s we love and declare how much we love and cherish them. Things like chocolate and roses can be a sweet way to symbolize our affections. But they aren’t absolutely necessary. Sometimes music can be the expression of our feelings.
Which brings us to today’s show.
Our guests for this week’s solipsistic NATION are Ryan Lum and Anji Bee from Lovespirals and together I hope we’ll put you in a romantic state of mind for Valentine’s Day.
Granted, not all the music of Lovespirals is about the joys of love. There are songs about heart break and more but on the whole, their music is often romantic and sensual, even when the music is at it’s darkest.
By the way, if you’re a musician then you’ll want to enter the Lovespirals Remix Contest. The contest will allow you the opportunity to remix Lovespirals’ new single “This Truth.” The best remix wins some great prizes and the opportunity to be included on an upcoming Lovespirals remix digital EP and remix collection CD.
- Lovespirals “Beatitude”
- Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
- Lovespirals “Motherless Child (Chris Caulder Remix)”
- Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
- Bitstream Dream “Love Me Leave Me”
- Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
- Lovespirals “Deep in My Soul”
- Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
- Plastic Chair “Requiem”
- Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
- Lovespirals “Trouble”
- Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
- Lovespirals “Walk Away (Bitstream Dream Remix)”
- Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum of Lovespirals
- Promo: Fallen Nation
Download episode.
1:05:52 | 60.38 MB
solipsistic NATION No. 75: DJ Olive, Live
February 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Photo Credit: Kay-Christian Heine
I have to say I’m really really impressed with how well the live electronic music performance segments on solipsistic NATION have turned out. In the last couple of months we’ve had some stellar sets from Nalepa, Hol Baumann and the Dub Beautiful Collective. We’re going to kick off February with DJ Olive’s performance recorded in Australia from on his album, Heaps As, Live in Tasmania, released by The Agriculture.
Rather than opening with a bombastic intro, DJ Olive’s music slyly creeps in, establishing some nice head nodding beats. Almost without you knowing it, Olive takes you on a journey that, to me, sonically captures what it’s like walk through the streets of New York City. DJ Olive’s music seamlessly blends hip hop, funk, jazz, dub, dancehall and Latin rhythms, often within a single song! A lesser artist might have chosen to draw attention to all those genres by rubbing your face in it but here Olive creates an organic mosaic of where those styles and traditions flow together. He does it so well that it’s almost impossible to imagine his music sounding any other way.
If you enjoy this week’s show then you might want to check out an earlier edition of solipsistic NATION featuring an interview with James Healy from The Agriculture and a mix of music from the label, including DJ Olive.
- DJ Olive “Bin Raider”
- Interview with DJ Olive
- DJ Olive “Lila Dog”
- DJ Olive “The Furry Whale”
- DJ Olive “Heaps As”
- DJ Olive “Laughing Eyes”
- DJ Olive “All’a'ya’alls”
- DJ Olive “Budgie Smuggler’s Cove”
- Interview with DJ Olive
- DJ Olive “Dancing With Poxy Stingers”
- DJ Olive “Follow Me I’ll Be Right Behind You”
- DJ Olive “They’ll Make Us All Want to Hate Each Other Don’t Do It”
- DJ Olive “At Least Some Knots Get Untangled”
- DJ Olive “Snail Trails In My Arms”
- DJ Olive “Agriculture Under the Tractor”
- Interview with DJ Olive
- DJ Olive “Sub Bass Commandante” [FREE DOWNLOAD]
- DJ Olive “Bitchiman & Tenderfoot”
- DJ Olive “Time for You…”
- Interview with DJ Olive
Download episode.
1:01:54 | 56.57 MB