Chill out today!

Just a quick reminder for people in Tokyo, today we've got our chill out party happening at the lovely bar Orbit in Sangenjaya. Come down, have some drinks, listen to some good music, and relax...

Details and timetable:

Sound Garden - July party
Sunday 31 July

16:00 - 17:45 David Dicembre
17:45 - 19:30 Jelomu
19:30 - 21:15 Dave the silent ssg
21:15 - 23:00 Chris

Bar Orbit, Sangenjaya
FREE

The next party won't be until October, so hope to see you later today at Orbit. Really looking forward to it!

MLAT tracklists

Here are the tracklists for our MLAT mixes:

MLAT50 PART 1: CHRIS VERSION

1. Kevin Drumm - More Blood and Guts [Hospital Productions]
2. Alva Noto - Haliod Xerrox Copy 2 (Airfrance) [Raster-Noton]
3. Robert Henke - Layer 001 [Imbalance Computer Music]
4. Audela - Klangenweld [Plague Recordings]
5. Dadavistic Orchestra - Petrichore [Dust Science Recordings]
6. Quiet Evenings - Fog Hammers [Preservation]
7. CTI - Fire Trance [Conspiracy International]
8. Cleared - When the Ground is Close [Immune]
9. Alva Noto - Xerrox Monophase 3 [Raster-Noton]
10. ANBB - Bernsteinzimmer (long version) [Raster-Noton]
11. Kangding Ray - La Belle [Raster-Noton]
12. Ben Frost - We Love You Michael Gira [Bedroom Community]
13. Implodes - Wendy [Kranky]
14. Tim Hecker - Hatred of Music parts 1 & 2 [Kranky]
15. Western Standards - Untitled 01 [Western Standards Recording Co.]
16. Aphex Twin - Parallel Strips [Warp]
17. Mist - Dead Occasion Ovary Stunts [Spectrum Spools]

MLAT50 PART 2: PETER VERSION

1. Artist Unknown - Unknown [Label Unknown]
2. Prince – Lady Cab Driver [Warner Bros.]
3. Innerzone Orchestra – People Make the World Go Round [Planet E]
4. Actress – Lost [Honest Jon's]
5. Model 500 – Night Drive [Metroplex]
6. Bang the Party – Bang Bang (You’re Mine) [Classic]
7. Eric B and Rakim – Check Out my Melody []
8. Kraftwerk – Neonlicht [Kling Klang]
9. Tropic of Cancer – Victims [Downwards]
10. Rene Hell – Juliard Op. 66 [Type]
11. Agnes Baltsa + the Athens Experimental Orchestra – Varkarolla [Deutsche Grammophon]
12. Shackleton – Asha in the Tabernacle [Perlon]
13. Artist Unknown - Unknown [Label Unknown]
14. David Bowie – Alternative Candidate (A Demo For Proposed 1984 Musical) [Sony]
15. Fugazi – Long Distance Runner [Dischord Records]
16. Kangding Ray – La Belle [Raster-Noton]

Thanks again to MLAT for inviting us to contribute.

TodaysArt - Update

For those of you not following us on Twitter, there have been quite a lot more announcements for the Todays Art festival, which is happening in The Hague, 23-24 September 2011. In assisting with the musical programming across the two nights, we tried to adopt a similar ethos to the one we have for selecting our mixes: gather a cross selection of more established names that we love, as well as other artists that might not have the same level of recognition but we really believe are talented. I think we've managed to find a good balance of sounds and styles... In addition to the names already mentioned in the first post, we have a couple more 'core' MNML SSGS artists playing. Ancient Methods may end up destroying the place with their distinctive and destructive brand of war funk, and Peter van Hoesen will be coming straight from Labyrinth to provide further evidence that he is currently one of the best operators in techno music. Nuel, Dozzy's Aquaplano partner, will be also spinning. He has an LP due on Further around the same time as the festival, and for me this is definitely one of the best albums I have heard in 2011. Another ssg favourite on the decks is the lovely Eli Verveine, who will be bringing her unique brand of warm, personal house. We are also excited that Raime will be playing live. Their EPs on Blackest Ever Black were two of our favourite releases of 2010, and we've been hearing excellent reports about their live show. All in all, we think TodaysArt has managed to assemble a diverse and interesting set of artists.

So here is the full programme as of 17 July:

Performance
Gob Squad [UK/DE] - Saving the World | Martin Messier [CA/QC] - Sewing Machine Orchestra | Martin Messier + Nicolas Bernier [CA/QC] - La Chambre Des Machines | Transforma [DE] + YRO [FR] - Asynthome
 
Exhibition
Arion de Munck [NL] - Vierkant en Rond | Keg de Souza [AU] - Gigloo | Lucas Abela [AU] - Vinyl Arcade | Maurice Bogaert [NL] - The Morphed Set (WORKSPACE 11)
 
Music
Ancient Methods [DE - RSB / Sonic Groove] | Awesome Tapes From Africa [US] | Baris K [TR] | Bo Marley [DK - Jahtari] | Chloé [FR - Kill The DJ / BPitch Control] | Daedelus [US - Ninja Tune / Brainfeeder / Plug Research] | Danton Eeprom [FR/UK - Infiné / Fondation] | dÉbruit [FR/UK - Musique Large / Civil Music] | Delta Funktionen [NL - Delsin / Ann Aimee] | diskJokke [NO - Smalltown Supersound / Full Pupp] | Disrupt + Soom T [DE/UK - Jahtari / Werk Discs] | Dompteur Mooner [DE - Erkrankung Durch Musique] | Elektro Guzzi [AT - Macro] | Eli Verveine [CH] | Jacek Sienkiewicz [PL - Recognition / Cocoon] | Jazzsteppa [UK/DE - Hotflush / Studio Rockers] | Kangding Ray [FR/DE - Raster-Noton] | Kevin Drumm [US] + Thomas Ankersmit [NL/DE] | Luomo [FI - Force Tracks / Huume] | Nuel [IT - Regular / Aquaplano] | Oni Ayhun | Peter Van Hoesen [BE - Time To Express] | Plapla Pinky [FR - Sonore] | Raime [UK - Blackest Ever Black] | Sculpture [UK - Dekorder] | Senking [DE - Raster-Noton / Karaoke Talk] | Todd Terje [NO - Soul Jazz / Full Pupp / Permanent Vacation] | Ulf Eriksson [SE - Kontra-Musik] | Vladislav Delay Quartet [FI/AR/DE - Honest Jon's]
 
TICKETS

Weekend and day passes are now available through regular presale here:

Day - € 25
Weekend - € 35
Weekend Support - € 55 (Support tickets include an extra contribution towards TodaysArt) 

Considering that everything above is included in that price tag, € 35 is a very reasonable price for the weekend. We will keep you updated here, but for full info make sure to check: 
TodaysArt homepage / facebook / twitter

Unfortunately PC can't make it, but I've booked my flight and will be coming from Japan for this. Hope to see some ssgs there. Very excited.

June in July

Following on from an excellent ssg mix last year, and a lovely new album, June recently put together a guest mix for the Fill Yer Boots crew. And I have to say, this new mix is an absolute killer. Potentially one of my favourites of 2011. So do yourself a favour and get on it:

FYB Guest Mix 6: June

1. Myriadd - Beyond This Life
2. Sterling Void - Serve It Up (Extended Original Instrumental Version)
3. Underground Resistance - 303 Sunset
4. Jomanda - I'll Give It To You (Come Get It) (Seduction Mix)
5. Hieroglyphic Being - Inconsistent Measure
6. Steve Poindexter - State Of Shock
7. Hot Hands Hula - 70th And King Drive
8. Virgo - Go Wild Rythm Trax (B4)
9. DAF - Brothers (Gabi Mix)
10. Pierre Pfantasy Club - Dream Girl (Wet Dream)
11. Terrance McDonald - Mind Over Matter (New Mix)
12. Jeff Mills - Zakir

MNML SSGS for MLAT

The good people at Made Like A Tree kindly invited us to put together the 50th edition of their podcast series, an offer we very happily accepted. MLAT have had a wide selection of worthwhile and interesting mixes, and it was a pleasure having the opportunity to contribute. PC continued in a similar vein to the recent mixtapes that have been featured here, compiling a diverse and thoroughly enjoyable selection. For my mix, I constructed a 2 hour headphone mix, which for a lack of a better word could be described as 'ambient', even though I don't think this accurately conveys the mood of most of the music. Anyway, listen and you'll find out. MLAT also did an interview with both of us, something they probably ended up regretting, given the long answers PC and myself gave... If you are interested, you can check the interview and the mixes here. Next week they'll post the tracklists, and potentially a second part to the interview. Big thanks to MLAT!

Disk Union CDR promo - Cio D'Or and Donato Dozzy present "J"

 先日、Disk UnionでCio D'or & Donato Dozzyのミックス、Jのロスレス音質CD-Rの配布がスタートしました！
Disk Unionのブログからの転写ですが、以下が詳細になります。
尚、対象CD-Rは3種類あり、その中からお好きな物を選んでいただく形になります。

====================================


キャンペーン期間中に一度のお買い上げで税込5,000円以上お買い上げでいずれか1枚を差し上げます！

ディスクユニオンでしか手に入らない夏のプレミアムなプレゼント！
7/15(金)～のキャンペーン期間中、税込5,000円以上お買い上げで1点を差し上げます。

● 対象商品 : 新品または中古品のTECHNO, HOUSEのCD・レコード、雑誌等音楽ソフト。
(イベントチケットは対象外)

● 交換方法 : 期間中に対象商品を一度の会計で税込5,000円分以上お買い上げいただくと、
いずれか1枚を差し上げます。（レシートの合算は出来ません）

開催店舗
渋谷クラブミュージックショップ
新宿クラブミュージックショップ
下北沢クラブミュージックショップ
池袋店 吉祥寺店 町田店 横浜西口店 淵野辺店 津田沼店
千葉店 柏店 北浦和店 立川店 お茶の水駅前店

diskunion Club Music Online(通販)　
↑ リニューアルしました!より見易くお求め易くなりました!

特典は無くなり次第、キャンペーン終了とさせていただきます。予めご了承くださいませ。

Cio D'or & Donato Dozzy 『J』: LABYRINTHへの来日も決まり、アルバム『K』、そしてチャリティコンピレーション『Composure』Donato Dozzy！本作はやから作品をリリース中の注目の女性アーチスト Cio D'OrのアンビエントミックスにDonato Dozzyがアナログリズムマシンでリズムを入れるという内容のミックスCD。

--

We are happy to announce that we are collaborating with our Disk Union friends again, this time to make available the special Cio D'Or and Donato Dozzy mix "J" as a CDR promo. This really is something  that belongs on CD, and hearing it in lossless format, mastered by Neel, well it sounds gorgeous... As part of the Disk Union summer promotional campaign, if you spend 5000 yen or more on techno, house etc., you get 1 of 3 CDRs on offer. The other two CDRs are not at all ssg friendly, so of course choose Cio and Donato's mix for Japan. You can pick it up at the Disk Union club stores in Shibuya, Shinjuku and Shimokitazawa, as well as a range of their other stores (see the links above).

And unlike previous CDRs, for this one we've pressed some extra copies, which we will be sending outside of Japan. There definitely will be some going to Berlin, so keep an eye out when you are record shopping there in the future. We will hopefully be sending some to other cities, depending on how many spare we have, and if we can find suitable outlets. Once it is all confirmed, we'll let you know.

ssg_edits

TVO went to the effort of making some special edits for his recent ssg mix, and he has now made them available for purchase through the broken20 bandcamp. And for only ₤2 in any format we think this is an excellent deal. You can check out the samples and purchase it here. TVO is making much of his back catalogue available through their bandcamp, so I'd suggest keeping an eye on it, he has some really nice productions.

Sunday Sounds

We haven't had a Sunday Sounds in a while, but this is one mix I really wanted to share with everyone. I featured Gesloten Cirkel in my recent charts because of their seriously jacking techno EP, but this mix shows that they also know their way around more downbeat sounds. I tried - and failed - to get a ssg mix from Gesloten Cirkel, but at least we have this two hour journey into space:

Gesloten Cirkel - Low Orbit mix

Have a good Sunday ssgs.

Next chill out party - Sunday 31 July

Our last chill out party in May was a great night. We were very lucky to have ASC play a special guest set made up of his own ambient productions. Thanks to ASC and everyone who came along! For our next party, we have invited the hidden member of MNML SSGS - Dave the silent ssg - to join us. If you want to get an idea of what you might hear on the night, I'd recommend checking this lovely mix Dave did a few months ago, as well Jelomu's set from our last party:

Dave the silent ssg - Rolling Blackouts mix

Jelomu at Sound Garden 29.5.11 [tracklist here]

Sound Garden - July party

Guest: Dave the silent ssg
Residents: David Dicembre (Combine) / Jelomu (Drone) / Chris (MNML SSGS)
Sunday 31 July
16:00 - 23:00
Bar Orbit, Sangenjaya
FREE

If you are not doing anything, please come down to Orbit. It really is a great way to spend a Sunday night. The bar is so relaxing, there are lots of nice people, and we make sure there is plenty of good music. Hope to see you there!

FREEDOMMUNE 0 ZERO

Since 11 March, Dommune has been very active in responding to Japan's triple disaster, raising over 7,800,000 yen (almost US$100,000), as well as hosting regular talk shows dealing with issues related to the ongoing challenges this country faces in responding and rebuilding. Never shy with their ideas, in August Dommune will take their internet streaming talk & music show to the next level, putting on a free festival in Kawasaki (just outside of Tokyo). The primary aim of FREEDOMMUNE 0 ZERO is to aid the Great East Japan Earthquake recovery effort by raising donations through people attending and watching the festival online, as well as show support and boost the spirits of those who have been affected.

The plan for the festival is to basically make a gigantic Dommune: there will be 3 stages, with over 40 DJs, plus 1 stage that will be a dedicated talk show (people overseas probably haven't seen it, but before the music each night at Dommune they have a talk show discussing everything from music to politics). And building on the very strong track record of guests, FREEDOMMUNE has put together a impressive lineup. So far the artists announced include:

Jeff Mills, Stewart Walker (live), DVS1, DJ Nobu, Ken Ishii, Gabriel Ananda, Whitehouse (live), Merzbow (live), Keiji Haino (live) and more.

A very diverse and quality lineup, and it will be great seeing them all outside. As with regular Dommune, you need to register in advance. There are a limited amount of regular free registration places, and it appears these are already full. I think there might be some more free invitations, we will let you know if we get some. The second way to register is to buy the FREEDOMMUNE guide book for ¥1,575 (revenue from the book will be used to cover the operational costs of the festival). The book goes on sale 3 August, and is available for preorder through Dommune, and will also be available in certain shops.

So the details for FREEDOMMUNE 0 ZERO are:

Friday 19 August 2011 [all night]
Higahi Ohgishima East Park, Kawasaki City [access]
Reservations
More information / homepage

We'll keep you updated here and on twitter as we receive more information about the festival. For more info, check the FREEDOMMUNE 0 ZERO site. Dommune is run by some really good people and I am impressed with what they are trying to do with this event. Full support from the ssgs!

And while talking about Dommune, there will be a Prologue night this Wednesday 13 July with Claudio PRC and Dino Sabatini, ahead of their appearance at the Rural 2011 festival next weekend.

July charts

A new chart from me has been long overdue, and the amount of good music I have come across recently compelled me to put this together. I could have easily come up with 15 or 20.

1. Kangding Ray "OR" [Raster-Noton]: We already talked about this when we featured a ssg mix from Kangding. Pretty easily one of the best albums of 2011. I cannot wait to hear this live at Labyrinth!

2. Nuel "Aquaplano Ltd 03" [Aquaplano]: Nuel's latest productions are definitely exploring some new territory for him, going beyond the prototypical Aquaplano sound. The clearest element that remains is the incredibly high quality. His forthcoming album on Further is even more special. Hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of Nuel in the future.

3. Various "Composure - Ambient Techno for Japan" [Music 4 your Legs]: I am very biased about this one, as it was put together by two friends and collaborators of the ssgs: Mindgames and Disk Union. Regardless, I think it is a very strong compilation in its own right. For me the standout tracks are from Donnacha Costello and Dozzy. This should be available soon internationally, with a digital release to follow. And all proceeds go to charity, so that is another reason to get it.

4. Regis "In A Syrian Tongue" [Blackest Ever Black]: It is only fitting for Regis to have an EP on Blackest, as his ouevre has clearly had a strong influence on the aesthetic this label has been cultivating. Unsurprisingly the music here is arresting and powerful, with "Blinding Horses" being my favourite track. Also keep an eye out for Regis' remix of Percy X forthcoming on Soma Records. The King.

5. Unknown Artist "Solaris Series 1-3" [Hidden Hawaii]: Following on from their excellent QNS series in 2010, Hidden Hawaii is back with another limited edition project from unknown artists. Not every track across these 10"s is amazing, but there are enough strong cuts to justify purchasing all three records.

6. Dadavistic Orchestra "Dokument .02" [Dust Science Recordings]: This is an album length exploration of the sounds they began developing on their 1st EP. Given the history of the producers, it is not surprising that the album is reminiscent of '90s ambient techno, but certainly not in a backward-looking way. Careful, thoughtful sounds. Perfect for headphones and late nights.

7. Mount Kimbie "Carbonated (Peter van Hoesen remix)" [Hot Flush Recordings]: PvH is really at the top of his game right now - this remix, his contribution to the Marcel Fengler "Berghain 05" mix, and his next track on T2X, are all brilliant. And put together they represent somewhat of a departure from the sound he has become identified with, all feel lighter and more open. This remix reminds me a lot of dancing outdoors at Labyrinth. I've had it on repeat since getting it.

8. ASC & Bvdub "Symbol #2" [Auxiliary: Symbol]: This collab might have seemed like a strange combination, but when you listen to the tracks you can hear that these two guys really gel. What I like about this EP is that both bring their distinctive sounds and manage to combine them in such a way that you are end up with music that neither could have done on their own. Simply put, a proper collaboration.

9. Le Petit Garçon "Traena (Biosphere Remix)" [Breaking Olympic Records]: I haven't had a chance to listen to Biosphere's new album yet, but I have been hearing good reports. What I do know is that this remix is a beauty. Releases like this and the Dadavistic Orchestra are indicative of a slow, but noticeable, resurgence of ambient techno. This makes me happy.

10. Gesloten Cirkel – Moustache Techno Series 001 [Moustache Techno]: The whole EP is pretty strong, but basically it is all about "Yamagic". Nothing too complicated here, it is just raw, wild and jacking. Heard Dettmann rip apart the Berghain dancefloor with it the other week. Proper techno bomb.

I'll try to get back into the habit of doing charts on a monthly basis... And please let us know in the comments what your current favourites are.

TVO tracklist

Here is the tracklist for TVO's expansive ssg mix. What the tracklist shows is the wide range of artists and sounds he incorporated. I really like the way TVO managed to put it altogether in a way that made sense, without ever being too predictable. Anyway, if you haven't checked the mix yet, I strongly suggest you do. And if you have listened to it and liked what you heard, my advice would be to start exploring his Broken20 label. There is some lovely stuff there and it is a pretty good representative of what TVO is about (at least from what I can see).

ssg special - TVO

Jesus Jones - Zeroes and Ones (Aphex Twin Reconstruction # 2 Mix)
Tropic Of Cancer - A Color
Production Unit - Broken 20.4
Radiohead - The Butcher
TVO - PPS edit
Steve Reich - Music For Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ
Sandwell District - Speed and Sound (Regis Z-ARTS Lab version)
Kangding Ray - Idle
Cyclo - Id#01
Spatial - 70810
Stamp Release - Russia
Objekt - The Goose That Got Away
Isodyne - Sentinel (TVO ChopCaressa extended edit)
T. Williams - Heartbeat (Instrumental)
Zomby - Tarantula
Kode 9 - Black Sun (feat Cha Cha)
2562 - Greyscale
Marc Leclair - 205e Jour
Szare - Volya
0 - Ensimmainen Valo
TVO - BC7/Abney Park Scrying
Sandwell Distroct - Grey Cut Out (version)
Perc - You Saw Me
Konx-Om-Pax - Total Protonic Reversal
Coil - Is Suicide A Solution?
Accrual - Travail
Popol Vuh - Nachts Schnee (Mika Vanio remix)
Oren Ambarchi - Fever, A Warm Poison
Labradford - The Cipher
The Caretaker - Past Life Regression
Surgeon - Returning To The Purity Of Current part 2
Arovane - Nonlin.R
Arovane - Tascel 7
Contakt - Not Forgotten (Rolando's VNO remix)
Isodyne - Answer To No One
Isodyne - Hard Rain (dub)
2562 - Aquatic Family Affair
Matthew Herbert - Oliver Bauer
Mike Dehnert - Moment
Cosmin TRG - Izolat
Shifted - Structure
Rose and Sandy - Play Cat's Cradle
Lucy - Lav
Emptyset - Altogether Lost (Ben Klock's Glowing Pad remix)
Paul Mac - Soundslike A2
Jeff Derringer - Exit Sound (Milton Bradley remix)
Shifted - Drifting Over
Tim Hecker - No Drums
Robert Hood - Who Taught You Math Alive
Mike Parker - Ringing Bass
LJ Kruzer - Ter4

Not quite sure when the next ssg mix will be arriving, so in the meantime keep on listening to this one, there is plenty to chew on!