isolatedmix 09 - Helios

An afternoon in the sun, a burnt face and one of my most memorable experiences from Big Chill '09.

Since listening to Helios' compositions on a scorching afternoon last year, it’s been my mission to get Keith Kenniff on board for an isolatedmix. A multi-instrumentalist and master of cinematic ambient and soundtrack composition, Keith’s releases have spanned electronic ambient albums including ‘Unomia’, ‘Eingya’ and ‘Caesura’ under his Helios name, as well as piano-focused music under the name of ‘Goldmund’.

For isolatedmix 09, Keith provides us with an insight into the influences behind some of his renowned piano compositions with 45 minutes of perfected soundtracks from, Vangelis, Howard Shore, Ennio Morricone and Michael Nyman.

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1) 0:00-2:03 Vangelis – Bicycle Riders – Blade Runner OST
2) 2:03-3:52 Francois Tetaz – Talimnavi – Wolf Creek OST
3) 3:52-5:00 Cliff Martinez – Something To Do – Narc OST
4) 5:00-8:17 Howard Shore – Happy Birthday, Nicolas – The Game OST
5) 8:17-9:57 Ennio Morricone – Humburt On The Hillside – Lolita OST
6) 9:57-13:10 Michael Nyman – Laura’s Theme/Laura’s Dream – Enemy Zero OST
7) 13:10-14:34 Howard Shore – Carl Rudolph Stargher – The Cell OST
8). 14:34-16:01 Thomas Newman – White Oleander – White Oleander OST
9) 16:01-19:03 John Murphy – Mercury – Sunshine OST
10) 19:03-19:57 Michael Andrews – Whoever You Want Him To Be – Cypher OST
11) 19:57-21:15 Mychael Danna – Gun Culture – Breach OST
12) 21:15-22:02 Mychael Danna – N.Y. Reading – Capote OST
13) 22:50-25:48 James Newton Howard – 25 Dollars Worth – Michael Clayton OST
14) 25:48-30:13 Johnny Greenwood – Prospectors Arrive – There Will Be Blood OST
15) 30:13-32:08 The Free Association – Dreaming On A Train – Code 46 OST
16) 32:08-34:46 Michael Convertino – Facing the Child – We Don’t Live Here Anymore OST
17) 34:46-36:21 James Horner – Playing A Game of Go – A Beautiful Mind OST
18) 36:21-38:03 Michael Nyman – Henry – The End Of The Affair OST
19) 38:03-40:28 Thomas Newman – Week Eight Days – Up Close And Personal OST
20) 40:28-42:21 Cliff Martinez – What Shoe Size? – Wicker Park OST
21) 42:21-43:40 John Murphy – The Last Message – Sunshine OST

isolatedmix 08 - Lunar Testing Lab

Secret Station Records have received plenty of love lately, by you guys and of course me. The label continues to release quality electronica, with several available for free download, and prompting an SS tribute mix by Mach V. So, what better way to celebrate the next isolatedmix than the musical genius behind the lot – label founder Eric Watson aka Lunar Testing Lab.

If you’ve taken advantage of Secret Station’s free downloads, you would have set ear upon the otherworldly music that is Lunar Testing Lab. Featured as the labels first free download, SS01 ‘Seashore Blvd’, laid down the standard for label artists which has now become for me, one of the most impressive netlabel rosters out there. SSO1 was a mixture of classic chill and dowtempo, at times similar to Lemon Jelly (Summer Seas) and closely resembling Boards of Canada quality (Shoreline at Dawn). Ss01 was recently succeeded by SS20 –Unauthorized Frequencies, and if Seashore Blvd reflected a blissed out American summer, Unauthorized Frequencies was crafted for the winter; expanding upon scratchy vocals, space-themed samples and deep thought provoking melodies.

For isolatedmix 08, Eric has dug deep into his beloved record collection, carefully selecting tracks from vinyl only – a unique insight into the influences, sounds and styles which have crafted Lunar Testing Lab’s productions. Space samples, Jazz, IDM, ambient, ‘late 60’s mind expanding experimental’ and tracks that I’m not even sure where to start classifying.

Eric’s words: “I hope people can find something in there that they like”.
My words: When a compiler stays true to their influences and seeks to exceed expectations, the result is always more than a ‘like’…

Download.

Tracklisting with commentary by Lunar Testing Lab:
1- Copper Plated Integrated Circuit – Integrated Circuit
“I heard some samples from this record online, and after not being able to find it for years, I finally resorted to ebay. Lots of great tracks and sounds.”

2- Mort Garson – Hair
“Mort Garson is one of my favorite artists. Not only do I love his music, I also love how he never really did an album as “Mort Garson”- they are all concept albums with different names (like Ataraxia, Plantasia, Black Mass/Lucifer, and the Wozard of Id). I first came across his name when I found an LP called ‘Music For Sensuous Lovers by Z”, and I then figured out that Z was Mort Garson. I’ve been buying his records ever since.”

3- Kraftwerk – It’s More Fun To Compute
“My favorite track from my favorite Kraftwerk LP.”

4- Neal Norman – One Step Beyond
“Besides the cool science fiction theme, I also got this one because it had 2 original tracks by legendary exotica master Les Baxter. They are the best songs on this record.”

5- Mort Garson – Where Do We Go
“Another from Mort Garson, off his LP of cover songs from the musical Hair, done moog style. Much better if you don’t know the originals.”

6- Hugo Montenegro – Too High
“Hugo Montenegro playing Stevie Wonder cover tunes on the moog? Yes please! I got this one at a Salvation Army in Ohio while I was on my way to some record stores. It is way better than anything I found in any those stores. A great, great record.”

7- Emmett Frisbee- Watches The Captioned News
“This is from a local (Pittsburgh PA) artist, and I think this is his only release. I got it for a dollar at a local flea market, and it turned out to be a fantastic record, and one of my favorites. I would love to be able to re-issue it someday.”

8- Tonto’s Expanding Head Band – Timewhys
“I first heard TONTO on the radio back in the late 80’s. I was fortunate enough to have a tape running at the time, but I never knew who it was. It was only when I got this record a few years ago that I figured it out.”

9- Mort Garson – Good Morning Starshine
“One more from Hair. This one has been covered a million times, but never better.”

10- 10 Speed – Tour de France
“A nice cover of the classic Kraftwerk track, I think made for the movie Breakin’. Not sure where it was ever properly released, this is from a K-Tel breakdancing record.”

11- Keith Mansfield – Build Up
“A bit of funky prog KPM library music from one of my favorite producers/arrangers, Keith Mansfield.”

12- Mort Garson – Swingin’ Spathiphyllums 
“The final one from Mort Garson, this time from his Plantasia album. The back cover says “full, warm, beautiful mood music especially composed to aid in the growing of your plants”. I wonder what sort of plants they were growing when they came up with this record?”

13- David Fanshawe – Oceans of Sound
“Another one from the KPM library, this time atmospheric bells.”

14- Electronic Moog Orchestra – Space Symphony
“The Electronic Moog Orchestra’s records look like they will be great, but they’re not. This track is pretty interersting, and one of their few originals.”

15- Black Moth Super Rainbow – Caterpillar House
“I had to throw something more modern in here, and nothing fit better than BMSR. This was the first track of there’s that I heard, and I got the vinyl immediately after hearing it (and just in time, as it went out of print right after that). Still one of my favorite’s of theirs.”

16- Synergy – Terra Incognita
“A pretty mediocre LP overall, with this 1 exception. And it’s on clear vinyl too, which is kinda cool….”

17- Chris and Cosey – Gates Of Ancient Cities
“I had this on cassette way back, and I listened to it ALOT. So when I saw an unopened vinyl copy on ebay for like 5 bucks, I snatched it up. Playing it again reminded me of driving around in my car after high school.”

18- Brian Eno – Through Hollow Lands
“I found a bunch of Eno’s early records at the local library. Obviously his later, more ambient releases would have been better, but there were some tracks on them that I thought were good- this one, and one that became one of my favorite songs, Here Come The Warm Jets”.

19- Terrence – The Emperor
“I found this record at Goodwill one day, and after a few more minutes of searching, I found a few more that were all owned by the same person (their name is written on them all), and they were all really good, including this one by Terence. This track is a nice example of late 60’s mind expanding experimental music.”

You can follow Lunar Testing Lab on his latest exploration – the LNT Facebook Page. And keep an en eye on the Secret Secret station sitefor more releases by Eric and a host of other talented electronica artists.

isolatedmix 07 - Mach V (Echaskech)

Their productions on ‘Shatterproof’ and ‘Skechbook’ span delicate ambient, dub and dark rolling breaks,  and with such diverse electronic sounds, I’ve always wondered what keeps Dom, Andy and Mach V from Echaskech ticking along…

For isolatedmix 07, Mach V has stepped up to select a few choice current cuts from the Echa-mp3 player for your delectation and delight.  Moving from nu-psyche, through folk, ambient, downtempo, electronica – even dipping it’s toes in to shoegaze – this audio array will hopefully offer you some insight into the diverse musical interests that this group has. There’s even an exclusive Echaskech remix of The Beaufort Scale’s ‘Dreaming in Binary’ – a perfect climax to a stunning mix.

At the moment, things continue apace at Echaskech HQ; as well as busily remixing and writing new material for the summer, they’re working with Roots Manuva on his up coming tour, sorting out the live show for Digital City, 27th March and have just heard that their highly successful residency at Concrete at the Hayward Gallery will resume in July, this year.

Echaskech are currently planning their festival season for 2010 and already have several festival bookings that they’d love to tell you about, but can’t at present… you’ll just have to keep your eyes on their website.

Download

00:00 Animal Collective – Graze
03:20 Snowblink – Ambergris
08:10 Klimek – Exploding Unbearable Desires
11:30 Jonsi & Alex – Indian Summer
20:04 Halogen – Baked
22:06 Sounds From The Ground – Crystal Beam
25:43 Echaskech – Redeploy
29:04 Dub Tractor – This Is Order
31:50 Zero 7 – Ghost sYMbOL
36:19 Yimino – Miagranov
40:07 Landau – Good Morning Gravity
44:24 The Village Orchestra – Lo Pencil (The Village Orchestra remix)
52:14 Beaufort Scale – Dreaming in Binary (Echaskech mix) *Exclusive to ASIP*

Want more Echaskech? Check out the ASIP interview from December 2008, and a review of their latest album ‘Shatterproof’.

isolatedmix 06 - Klimt

Back in November i discovered Klimt’s amazing guitar driven ambient/shoegaze productions. What stood out was how clearly some of Antoni Budzinski’s influences shone through within his productions, whilst still sounding fresh and original. Tracks such as ‘Dom Bez Scian’ and ‘Ennui‘, the blissfully chilled ‘Heaven‘ and my favourite, Pozegnanie. It was these amazing reflections which led me to approach Antoni, in a hope he would put together a mix celebrating the artists, bands and sounds which influenced his work. Luckily for me, he did just that…

Isolatedmix 06, sees Klimt celebrate his mentors, orchestrating them into one stunning mix, crossing ambient, rock, shoegaze and electronica.

Man of the moment Four Tet and school chum Burial line-up with 1990’s alternative rockstar’s Smashing Pumpkins and Scotland’s post-rockers Mogwai. France’s innovative M83 give an abrupt ending to make way for soundtrack originator Angelo Badalamenti. While beauty and ambience is provided by Germany’s finest, Max Richter and Ulrich Schnauss.

Download.

Tracklist:

01. Smashing Pumpkins – To Sheila
02. The Free Association – Shanghai
03. Burial – In Mcdonalds
04. Mogwai – Ex-cowboy
05. Four Tet – My angel rocks back and forth
06. M83 – Asterick
07. Angelo Badalamenti – Fred’s World
08. Pacific UV – Need
09. Oceansize – Music For A Nurse
10. Max Richter – Autumn Music 2
11. Nine Inch Nails – A Warm Place
12. The Veils – Vicious Traditions
13. Smashing Pumpkins – Take Me Down
14. Ulrich Schnauss – Monday-Paracetamol
15. Stars Of The Lid – Meaningful Moment Through
16. Glasvegas – Ice Cream Van

isolatedmix 05 - Best of 2009

No guest compiler for isolatedmix 05. Instead, a selection of my favourite tunes from the past year. Thank you to all the artists who feature and here’s to even more great music in 2010.

Download.

Tracklist

1. Bibio – Fire Ant
Ambivalence Avenue – one of the albums of the year. Daft-punk’esque Fire Ant is the stand-out track.

2. Mux Mool – Ballad of Gloria Featherbottom
Released as part of the 30th SOS Mix, this track reminds me of Aphex Twin’s Polynomial C.

3. port-royal – Balding Generation (Losing Hair As We Lose Hope)
Possibly my favourite album of the year, I could have picked all the tracks from ‘Dying In Time’. 2009 has seen my hair rapidly recede. Fitting.

4. Fever Ray – Keep The Streets Empty For Me
Fever Ray will appear in a lot of people’s top albums/records of 2009, but few will pick this track. My favourite vocal off the album.

5. Jonsi & Alex – Boy 1904
Hard to single out a track from the Riceboy Sleeps album, but seeing as it’s Christmas, this choir sounding tracks fits perfectly.

6. Lightsway – Risen
Taken from Fugues Unreleased tracks 2009, Lightsway lead the way, and the rest of the album isn’t far behind.

7. Klimt – Pozegnanie
Featured a couple of weeks ago, Klimt is my find of the year. Look out for an exclusive isolatedmix from him coming soon.

8. Yagya – Fimm
‘Fimm’s’ beauty is best suited when accompanied by the full album – ‘Rigning’. But, it would have been wrong not to include it.

9. Echaskech – Shatterproof
The one album i was looking to most in 2009 didn’t disappoint. Echaskech‘s ‘Shatterproof’ arrived full of dark beat-heavy electronica. This track, the darkest of the lot.

10. Alla Farmer – Elektrik Sunrize
Featured as part of the latest Kilchurn Sessions, as soon as I heard the piano mid way through this Alla Farmer track, i was hooked.

11. The Field – The More I Do (Thomas Fehlmann mix)
The Field’s latest album ‘Yesterday and Today’ didn’t blow me away as much as the first, but ambient maestro Thomas Fehlmann sprinkles his magic on ‘The More I Do’ to great effect.

12. The Toy Library – Once The Dust Settles
The second track taken from the Fugues Unreleased Tracks 2009 compilation. Told you it was good.

13. Alva Noto – Xerrox Monophaser 2
No mix would be complete without some beautiful beatless ambient.

14. Aphex Twin – Rhubarb (Addled’s edit)
Yes, Rhubarb is featured a lot. But, it’s an amazing track And the Addled edit released by the ISO50 Blog, means i mention it yet again. Vote for your favourite Rhubarb remix here.

15. Tycho – Coastal Brake
From one ISO50 to another. Tycho’s much anticipated release for 2009.

16. Jon Hopkins – The Low Places
Another eagerly anticipated release for 2009. Jon Hopkins mixes infamous delicate pianos and distorted breaks.

17. Jesse Somfay – Algonquin
Taken from ‘A Catch In The Voice’, Somfay takes us on one of his epic journey’s.

18. port-royal – I Used To Be Sad.
Should i feel sad for featuring port-royal twice? I used to, then i listened back to the mix and thought this would be a perfect ending.

Album artwork courtesy of Yes Studio.