autumn 2010 mixtape

i've put together a new mixtape. this is a bit different from previous ones i've done, which have been much more personal. this new one was inspired by the good responses to PC's radio appearances. basically i thought i'd copy him. so what i did was put together a bunch of new tracks i've been liking into a vaguely coherent structure. almost everything is from 2010, and most has come out in the last few months. i couldn't include plenty of stuff i wanted to (such as the new jason fine on kontra, the next semantica from instra:mental, PvH's recent outing on xone etc.), simply because i couldn't work out how to make these tracks fit. and it is a digital mix, which means i couldn't include any vinyl - a shame because there are some great records about right now. as this mix is about showcasing new music, i've included an annotated tracklist below. hopefully this will encourage a few extra purchases, or suggest a few more artists/labels to start following. the mix itself is nothing special, but there are plenty of great tracks.

chris - autumn 2010 mixtape

shackleton - el din 2 [mordant music, 2009]
ummm... i basically included this because i've been freaking out about shackleton since labyrinth. ideally i would have liked to use his new 'mukuba special' on congotronics, which is one of my favourite tracks right now, but i think it is vinyl only. i've had one listen to his forthcoming fabric live CD and i can assure you it sounds just as good as you'd expect.

raime - retread [blackest ever black, 2010]
this is from what i'd say is one of the most important releases of 2010. both the label and the EP are really tapping into a part of the history of electronic music (post punk, synth, new wave, and other related genres from the late 70s and 80s) that has not been explored enough by contemporary techno, except for regis, some other british artists, notably the optimo DJs. if you want to get a better idea, make sure to check the mixtape blackest ever black did for us, and the raime mixtape that is also floating about.

forest swords - hoylake misst [olde english spelling bee, 2010]
i did a post about forest swords recently, so i don't have much to add. after discovering this, i have started digging around for similar artists and sounds in some of these sub-genres, many don't quite work with me, but i really love this stuff by forest swords. powerful and evocative music.

raime - this foundry (regis version) [blackest ever black, 2010]
this is from the second blackest ever black, which is coming out in mid november i believe. it is just as good as the first record. getting regis to do a remix makes a lot of sense, as he has probably been the biggest proponent/influence of bringing these sounds into techno music. unsurprisingly he does a great job reworking raime. just quietly, regis is doing some really amazing stuff in 2010, both individually and collaboratively. the king.

ben frost - theory of machines [bedroom community, 2006]
taken from frost's first album, which largely slipped under the radar when it first came out, but many are now rediscovering (and i think there might be a re-release this year). PC put me onto it about 1.5-2 years ago, from memory. i really liked the 1st half, 2nd half not so much. my feelings are still the same. this is the first track from the CD and it's a killer. a very important figure for electronic music, and definitely worth following closely.

ANBB: ret marut handshake [raster-noton, 2010]
this is from the collaboration between alva noto and blixa bargeld. i've got mixed feelings about the album, 'mimikry'. after hearing the EP i was super excited for the LP. and while it is very good, basically all the best tracks were already on the EP... still worth checking. big fan of this collab and 'handshake' is perhaps my favourite of their tracks.

scorn - LT 94 [ohm resistance, 2010]
scorn is ridiculously under-rated. i have no idea why mick harris does not get more attention. this is from his new album, 'refuse; start fires', which most people have slept on, despite it having some great moments. what i love about scorn is how distinctive his sound is: slowed down, death metal dubstep. when you listen to his stuff it kind of feels like the world is collapsing. powerful stuff. you can get the album direct from the label for $13 on CD or $19 on vinyl. considering how crap the USD is right now, there is no good reason not to get it!

shed - mayday [ostgut, 2010]
taken from shed's much talked about second album. this is one of my favourite cuts. nothing too complex going on here, feels more like a sketch than anything too concrete or finished, but i like that. anyway, everything i needed to say, i've said already, no point repeating it here.

senking - V8 [raster-noton, 2010]
most people have looked over senking's new album, 'pong'. that's a mistake, because it's brilliant. PC is writing a post about 'pong', and we've got something special with senking in the works, so i won't say much here. but 'V8' is probably one of my tracks of 2010. absolute stunner. once again, raster-noton miles ahead of the rest.

TVO / the village orchestra - lost memory [broken20]
this is from the first release on TVO's new label, broken20. TVO is perhaps better known for his powerful DJ sets, fusing together techno/idm/dubstep and other related sounds. but i think TVO's productions are equally compelling, which hopefully more people will realise after checking this. the release consists of an hour long live recording, and a number of extra tracks more geared towards DJ sets. i've had the live recording on my mp3 for quite a while now, and of the additional tracks, this is definitely my favourite.

giorgio gigli & obtane - psychological scene of the imagination (psychoacoustic edit) [zooloft, 2010]
to be honest, i think obtane has been getting more praise than he deserves. he has been making some good techno, but most of it still feels a bit underdone. if he focused more, produced less, i think we'd be hearing some great records from him, instead of their good ones he has been doing. this track, collaborating with gigli, shows what the two are capable of. it's a brooding, atmospheric and very powerful number. definitely the best thing i have heard out of either of them. i hope they pursue this direction further. on a similar tip, i'd recommend 'the end of all existence' EP by milton bradley (who also does a remix on this release),

eleven pond - watching trees [angular recording corporation, 1986/2010]
not sure if i can justify ending with this, but i've had this track on repeat since picking up the excellent 'cold waves + minimal electronics' compilation on angular. this is one of my favourites on the release, and sums up much of what i love about the 80s. not much to say about the track, it is just totally awesome. listening to this makes me wish i had a time machine.

ok, that's it. hope you enjoy some of the tracks, and if you do like them, go out and buy the releases!