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’.

Ulrich Schnauss XFM Shoegaze mix

A trademark Ulrich Schnauss shoegaze mix dug out from a Russian blog which looks like it’s either called ‘Life’s too short to listen to bad music’ or ‘The Worst Taste in Music’ or as the URL suggests ‘ivorylinesleadoowhahooowhaho’… I’m really hoping it’s the last one.

The post doesn’t go in to much detail about when the mix was recorded, and given the lack of information I didn’t want to publish the mix without checking with Ulrich first, despite it reeking of Schnauss class. Turns out it’s a mix he done for XFM a few years back. This one slipped my radar!

Anyway, big thanks to… ‘ivorylinesleadoowhahooowhaho'(?)  for pointing this one out. It looks like there are some other mixes worth checking out on the blog too – ‘I don’t speak Icelandic‘ featuring Jónsi & Alex, Sigur Rós, Gus Gus and a host of other Icelandic musicians looks a tad appealing.

Download Ulrich Schnauss XFM Shoegaze mix.

(I have re-hosted the file to save you going through a Russian roulette of download links)

– Aspidistra Fly – Sea Glass
– Miss Bliss – Release The Kraken
– Paper – Cloudy, Cloudy, Cloudy
– Sway – Fall
– Elika – Defeated
– The Meeting Places – Freeze Our Stares
– Auburn Lull – Broken Heroes
– Airiel – Red Friends
– Ulrich Schnauss – Look At The Sky
– Soundpool – Do What You Love
– Pia Fraus Vs Ulrich Schnauss – Mute The Birds
– Mahogany – Vista Dome
– Lovesliescrushing – Eishglin

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.

isolatedmix 04 - Jesse Somfay

Both unique and genre defining, Jesse Somfay’s productions stretch across melodic techno, delicate ambient and epic heavy drone laden masterpieces. His latest album; A Catch In the Voice captures it all and has remained one of my most played since release. And his early releases on Traum, some of my most treasured vinyl. So let’s just say I was a tad happy when Jesse agreed to put together the 4th installment of the isolatedmix series.

My past experience of Somfay mixes have seen him stick to his production style. A live PA at Cadenza Lucida, ‘Our Lonely Pink Hearts Are Full Of Joy’ mix and a set on ‘Ultramagnetic’ Radio show. However, in a similar vain to his latest Hexahedral mixes, isolatedmix 04 sees Jesse orchestrate a journey into music he loves. Old, new, ambient, acoustic, indie, shoegaze, metal, electronica… and with nearly ten hours to get through, I shouldn’t even really be trying to categorise it.

That’s right, nine hours of music. Titled ‘Aesopica’ its a mammoth 101 tracks, in three parts. The first part available below on Soundcloud, and the other two downloadable should you want to experience the epic trilogy.

Part 1.

Download

Part 1 Tracklisting:
0001 Verse En Coma – Untitled
0002 Death Cab For Cutie – Passenger Seat
0003 Blueneck – Lilitu
0004 Nine Inch Nails – Lights In The Sky
0005 Blueneck – Epiphany
0006 Bosse – VI
0007 Grouper – When We Fall
0008 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts IV – III
0009 Grouper – We’ve All Time To Sleep
0010 Burial – Forgive
0011 Grouper – Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping
0012 Tiny Vipers – Campfire Resemblance
0013 Kevin Devine – It’s Only Your Life
0014 Tiny Vipers – On This Side
0015 Radiohead – Thinking About You
0016 Division Day – Enjoy the Silence
0017 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I – IV
0018 Division Day – Reservoir
0019 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts II – VIII
0020 Sneaker Pimps – Walking Zero
0021 Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile
0022 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts IV – I
0023 Pyramids – Sleds
0024 Nine Inch Nails – A Warm Place
0025 Boris & Sunn O))) – Fried Eagle Mind
0026 Jodis – Ascent
0027 Pyramids With Nadja – Into The Silent Waves
0028 Nadja – I Make From Your Eyes The Sun
0029 The Angelic Process – Million Year Summer
0030 Pyramids With Nadja – An Angel Was Heard To Cry Over The City Of Rome
0031 The Angelic Process – Mouvement – The Rest Of The World Is Noise
0032 Boris – Luna
0033 Envy – A Road Of Winds The Water Builds
0034 Fall Of Efrafa – Republic Of Heaven

Part 2. Download

Tracklisting:
0035 Boris – Akirame Flower
0036 Jesu – Opiate Sun
0037 Jesu – Losing Streak
0038 The Black Heart Rebellion – Leaving The Capitals
0039 Envy – Life Caught In The Rain
0040 Latitudes – Antechamber
0041 Wolves In The Throne Room – A Looming Resonance
0042 Boris – 8
0043 Envy – Isolation Of A Light Source
0044 Boris – Farewell
0045 Her Name Is Calla – Nylon
0046 Laudanum – Invoke
0047 Kylesa – Unknown Awareness
0048 Floor – Scimitar
0049 Torche – Healer
0050 Magoo – Acid Goldbar
0051 Jucifer – Hennin Hardine
0052 Torche – Across The Shields
0053 Jucifer – Surface Tension
0054 True Widow – AKA
0055 Jucifer – Little Fever
0056 Converge – Grim Heart / Black Rose
0057 Deftones – Pink Maggit
0058 Tragedy – Night Falls
0059 Deftones – Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)
0060 Dead Swans – When You Sleep
0061 Deftones – Digital Bath
0062 Converge – Jane Doe
0063 Thursday – Unintended Long Term Effects
0064 Fear Before – Get Your Life Together
0065 Thursday – An Absurd And Unrealistic Dream Of Peace
0066 Verse En Coma – Tiny Speakers
0067 Sights & Sounds – Pedal Against The Wind
0068 Fear Before – Fear Before Doesn’t Listen To People Who Don’t Like Them
0069 Sights & Sounds – Neighbours
0070 Fear Before – My (Fucking) Deer Hunter
0071 The Dillinger Escape Plan – Unretrofied
0072 Nine Inch Nails – The Great Destroyer
0073 Primal Scream – Deep Hit Of Morning Sun
0074 Converge – Disintegration

Part 3. Download.

0075 Sights & Sounds – Night Train
0076 Ruiner – Convenient Gods
0077 Killing The Dream – Fractures
0078 Have Heart – No Roses, No Skies
0079 Tragedy – Recurring Nightmare
0080 Tragedy – Deaf and Disbelieving
0081 Harum Scarum – Systematic Death
0082 Invasion – Evil Forest
0083 A Place To Bury Strangers – It Is Nothing
0084 Health – Eat Flesh
0085 Legion Of Two – Palace (Dub)
0086 Health – In Violet
0087 The Horrors – Sea Within A Sea
0088 The XX – Islands
0089 Silversun Pickups – Growing Old Is Getting Old
0090 A Place To Bury Strangers – Keep Slipping Away
0091 Catherine Wheel – Crank
0092 Division Day – Hurricane
0093 Logh – The Smoke Will Lead You Home
0094 True Widow – Duelist
0095 Silversun Pickups – There’s No Secrets This Year
0096 Dominic – End of Man
0097 Silversun Pickups – Sort Of
0098 Samara Lubelski – Field the Mine
0099 Ulrich Schnauss – Stars
0100 Nine Inch Nails – Hurt
0101 Nine Inch Nails – The Great Below