Oh gosh, 2011 is nearly over. Who’d a thunk. It’s been a rollercoaster of a year for me – after completely losing my musical mojo in the early part of the year, it picked up by festival time, but has fluctuated wildly since.

Tonight’s show was the review of 2011, though there’s not much reviewing going on – tis mostly just tunes and me saying I love them… You know you want it, download the whole show from here, or check the Spotify playlist over here.

1. Aidan John Moffat – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town from Oh! What A Not So Silent Night Before Christmas (http://aidanjohnmoffat.bandcamp.com/track/oh-what-a-night-before-christmas)
2. ?lhan Barutçu – Sultaniyegah Taksim from A?k-? Neyzen – Sufi Music
3. Half Man Half Biscuit – Fix It So She Dreams Of Me from 90 Bisodol (Crimond) (Probe Plus)
4. Tune-Yards – Es-so from W H O K I L L (4AD)
5. Mogwai – San Pedro from Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (Rock Action)
6. Low – You See Everything from C’mon (Subpop)
7. St. Vincent – Surgeon from Strange Mercy (4AD)
8. Fujiya & Miyagi – Cat Got Your Tongue from Ventriloquizzing (Full Time Hobby)
9. Conquering Animal Sound – Giant from Kammerspiel (Gizeh)
10. Origamibiro – Dismantle Piece from Shakkei (Abandon Building)
11. Plaid – founded from scintilli (Warp)
12. Evangelista – Enter The Prince from In Animal Tongue (Constellation)
13. Deaf Center – Hunted Twice from Owl Splinters (Type)
14. Björk – Sacrifice from Biophilia (One Little Indian)
15. Radiohead – Codex from The King Of Limbs (XL)
16. My Brightest Diamond – Reaching Through to the Other Side from All Things Will Unwind (Asthmatic Kitty)
17. Alice Gun – Metal Spider from Metal Spider (Ambiguous)
18. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Bats In The Attic from Diamond Mine (Domino)
19. The 2 Bears – Bear Hug from Bear Hug E.P. (Southern Fried)
20. Anna Meredith – Nautilus from Black Prince Fury EP (http://soundcloud.com/annameredith/sets/black-prince-fury)
21. Boxcutter – LOADtime from Hotflush Presents… Back And 4th (Hotflush)
22. Roots Manuva – Get the Get from 4everevolution (Big Dada)
23. Ghostpoet – I Just Dont Know from Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam (Brownswood)
24. Walls – Drunken Galleon from Coracle (Kompakt)
25. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat – The Sadness In Your Life Will Slowly Fade from Everything’s Getting Older (Chemikal Underground)
26. Sinking Cruise Ship Rescue Drama I Saw Three Cruise Ships Come Sinking In (http://www.last.fm/music/Sinking+Cruise+Ship+Rescue+Drama/_/I+saw+three+cruise+ships+come+sinking+in)

What a glorious month! Firstly, Had the svelte mum over to visit, went to Ireland, visiting friends and family, went to some good gigs, booked a whole bunch more. AND the radio show didn’t decide to implode technically on me, which was nice. In fact, I’m rather proud of this one.

You can download the show from here or grab from Spotify here.

Enjoy, yeah?

the svelte selection – 27 October 2011

1. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat from Tasogare from Everything’s Getting Older
2. James Yorkston – Woozy With Cider (Jon Hopkins Remix) from Woozy With Cider
3. Samamidon – Little Satchel from All Is Well
4. Rachael Dadd – Moth In The Motor from Bite The Mountain
5. St. Vincent – Cheerleader from Strange Mercy
6. My Brightest Diamond – High Low Middle from All Things Will Unwind
7. Chilly Gonzales – Shut Up and Play The Piano – The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales
8. Digitonal – monday from Piano Music (unreleased)
9. Digitonal – radio from Piano Music (unreleased)
10. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat – Man Of The Cloth from Cruel Summer E.P.
11. The Necks – The Boys II from The Boys
12. Evangelista – Bells Ring Fire from In Animal Tongue
13. Janis Joplin – Ball & Chain – Janis Joplin’s Greatest Hits
14. Cor Godre’R Aran – Ymdaith Gwyr Harlech – The Music Of Wales
15. Valery Gergiev – Bluebeard’s Castle: IV. Third Door – The Treasury – Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle
16. Roots Manuva – Here We Go Again – 4everevolution
17. Talk In Colour – Nightshifts
18. Björk – Virus – Biophilia
19. Pram – Track Of The Cat – Dark Island
20. Pixies – Monkey Gone To Heaven – Doolittle 20th Anniversary Live Sampler
21. The Thing – Mystery Song – Bag It!
22. Daedelus – Penny Loafers – Bespoke
23. Astrid Williamson – Pour (Raffertie Remix) – One Little Indian Sampler
24. Max Cooper – Chaotisch Serie

God. This is from months ago. I got a bit drunk and the microphone didn’t want to play ball. Or my voice.
the svelte selection – Indian Summer Edition
Still, music works nicely. Download it from here.

1. Murray Gold – Doctor Who XI
2. Murray Gold – I Am The Doctor
3. Sunday Driver – Concubine Waltz
4. Tune-Yards – Gangsta
5. The Divine Comedy – The Model
6. Sugarhill Gang – Hot Hot Summer Day
7. Amon Tobin – Night Swim
8. Ben Folds Five – Philosophy
9. Half Man Half Biscuit – Left Lyrics In The Practice Room (2:07)
10. Anna Meredith – Nautilus
11. Remember Remember – John Candy
12. Fennesz – Seven Stars
13. Emeralds – Science Center
14. Cikada String Quartet – String Quartet in Four Parts: Slowly Rocking
15. Synergy – John Cage: Amores – IV Solo for Prepared Piano
16. Get People – Rain Tears (Graphics Remix)
17. Breton – RDI (Girl Unit Remix)
18. Kraftwerk – The Model
19. Aperture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory – I Made It All Up
20. Death In Vegas – Medication
21. The Field – Is This Power
22. Plaid – thank from Scintilli

I want to start this blog by saying that tonsillitis SUCKS. Tonsillitis really fucking sucks. It REALLY FUCKING SUCKS.

Look, even Charlie Brooker agrees with me. And he’s right about a lot of stuff.

Why is this important? Well, it explains a few things:

a. Why this show is being uploaded over a week after the broadcast

b. Why the show itself is almost 100% devoid of my talking

c. Why I’m at home on a Friday night writing this blog rather than seeing the wonderful Adam Buxton at Kings Place

Some of the above may well be a blessing to y’all, but they’ve all pissed me off to a rather large extent.

To reiterate: tonsillitis SUCKS.

Read the rest of this entry »

And here tis, the returning svelte selection. Get it now!

It’s been a while, but I’m back, Back, BACK.

1. Battles – Ice Cream (Featuring Matias Aguayo) from Gloss Drop (Warp)
2. Tune-Yards – Wooly Wolly Gong from W H O K I L L (4AD)
3. Ghostpoet – Finished I Ain’t from Peanut Blues & Melancholy Jam (Brownswood)
4. Omar Souleyman Band – Atabat from Clubtransmediale.07 (rx:tx)
5. Destiny’s Child – Bug A Boo from the Writing’s on the Wall (Columbia)
6. The Correspondents – Rio de Hackney (Demo)
7. Amon Tobin – Kitty Cat from ISAM (Ninja Tune)
8. Jamie xx – Beat For from Far Nearer / Beat For – EP (Numbers)
9. Robag Wruhme – Bommsen Böff from Thora Vukk (Pampa)
10. Björk – Crystalline (Serban Ghenea Mix) from Crystalline (single) (One Little Indian)
11. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Running On Fumes from Diamond Mine (Domino)
12. Low – Especially Me from C’mon (Sub Pop)
13. Aethenor – Vyomagami Plume from En Form For Blå (VHF)
14. Biosphere – Oi-1 from N-Plants (Touch)
15. Fennesz – Saffron Revolution from Black Sea (Touch)
16. Philip Jeck – Ark Overture (rehearsal) from The Bubbly Blue and Green Sampler (Arctic Circle)
17. Deaf Center – New Beginning (Tidal Darkness) from Owl Splinters (Type)
18. Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) – La damnation de Faust: Scene 7b – “Dors! Heureux Faust” from Berlioz: La damnation de Faust (LSO)
19. Dirty Three – she lifted the Net from She Has No Strings Apollo (Bella Union)
20. Pulp – This Is Hardcore from This is Hardcore (Island)

Hello dearest listeners and listeners-to-be,

Hope you’re coping with February, keeping warm (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere) or cool (for the Antipodes) and managing to have some lovely times whereever you are.

I’ve mostly been going to school, seeing some music but buying very little and waiting for Spring. I feel my musical mojo is slowly returning after a very very slow start to the year (I bought ONE new album in January – scary) – should be in full swing by March. Just in time for Bloc Weekend

This month’s show centres mostly on recent and upcoming gigs, but there’s quite a bit of new music in there as well. I’m improbably excited about the upcoming tUnE-yArDs album, for example, and so pleased that she let us have a sample. The last hour or so is nice and chilled, but I warn you, the first half an hour is rather, erm, fruity…

As usual you have the choice of downloading the full two hour show or grabbing some of the tunes played, avoiding the chat, from Spotify. Or you can do what I usually do when presented with two options, take both.

The tracklisting:

1. DJ Rashad – Who Da Coldest from Itz Not Rite (Planet Mu)
2. Wagon Christ – Manalyze This! from Manalyze This! (Ninja Tune)
3. Venetian Snares – Szerencsétlen from Rossz Csillag Alatt Született (Planet Mu)
4. Throbbing Gristle – Hotheelsunited (Carter Tutti Remix) from Mutant Tg (Mute)
5. Think Twice – Sluts from Unemployed (F Communication)
6. The Correspondents – Rio de Hackney from Demo (http://www.thecorrespondents.co.uk/)
7. tUnE-yArDs – Bizness from w h o k i l l (4ad)
8. Mogwai – You’re Lionel Ritchie from Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (Rock Action)
9. Conquering Animal Sound – Bear from Kammerspiel (Gizeh)
10. Geese – Fog-Sea from EP (www.myspace.com/geesemusic)
11. Oh Ruin! – Estella from Silver Lining (Localism)
12. Jim White – Still Waters (demo) from Acromegaly (demo)
13. Oneohtrix Point Never – Returnal featuring Antony (Antony’s Vocal Version) from Returnal (Editions Mego)
14. Australian Chamber Orchestra, Pieter Wispelwey – Concerto No.1 for Cello and Orchestra In E Flat Op. 107: All from Shostakovich / Kodaly: Concerto No.1 for Cello and Orchestra (Channel Classics)
15. Olafur Arnalds – Gleypa okkur from …and they have escaped the weight of darkness (Erased Tapes)
16. Jack Brymer; Colin Davis: London Symphony Orchestra – “Mozart: Clarinet Concerto In A, K 622 – 1. Allegro” from “Mozart: Clarinet Concerto, Clarinet Quintet” (Philips Classics)
17. Low – Try to Sleep from C’mon (Sub Pop)
18. Jens-uwe Beyer – Volax from Pop Ambient 2011 (Kompakt)

Links to some stuff I talked about:

Ether Festival
Australian Chamber Orchestra at The Southbank Centre
The Local

Blimey, it’s been so long since I’ve posted on d’blog, I’ve almost forgotten how…

Let’s think, I generally start with some sort of intro to the show, non? How’s this: this month saw me rather distracted from music, despite the fact I got to listen to LOADS of good stuff. I went clubbing (!) and saw God (aka Danny Tenaglia) for the first time in about seven years. Oh how I’ve missed him. Oh, how I’ve NOT missed the crowd at Ministry of Sound…

-shudder-

And so to the show. Starts gentle, gets a bit psychedelic, then a bit techno and then… well… just have a bloody listen, yeah?

You can download the whole thing from here or do the Spotify thing here.

1. Peter Broderick – Pulling The Rain from How They Are
2. Oneohtrix Point Never – Stress Waves from Returnal
3. Sufjan Stevens – Enchanting Ghost for All Delighted People EP
4. The Books – A Cold Freezin’ Night from The Way Out
5. kissed her little sister – my dreams are televisions from HIGHandLOW (Get this here)
6. Broadcast And The Focus Group – The Song Before from Study Series 04: Familiar Shapes and Noises
7. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band – Ella Guru from Trout Mask Replica
8. Grinderman – When My Baby Comes from Grinderman 2
9. The Bug – Skeng (Autechre Dub)
10. Matthew Dear – Soil To Seed from Black City
11. Boris Dlugosch – Keep Pushin (Original Club Mix)
12. Danny Tenaglia – Bottom Heavy (Original Mix)
13. Green Velvet – Flash (Danny Tenaglia’s Nitrous Oxide Mix)
14. Tracey Thorn – Late In The Afternoon (Blue Daisy Remix) from Opposites EP
15. Gonzales – I Am Europe from Ivory Tower
16. Fujiya & Miyagi – 16 Shades from VENTRILOQUIZZING
17. Gold Panda – Vanilla Minus from Lucky Shiner
18. Peter Gabriel – A Different Drum from Passion: Music For The Last Temptation Of Christ
19. Fatala – Yoky from Passion Sources
20. Bear in Heaven – Fake Out from Beast Rest Forth Mouth
21. Wynton Marsalis Sep. – Pot Blessed Dinner from In This House, On This Morning

Well blow me down, what a frickin’ brilliant month it’s been. Warm days and nights, minimal rain, excellent concerts, the World Cup and great days out and about. the svelte one is in a good mood.

And I think this radio show reflects that. Despite some horrible technical probs, which meant having to ditch a bunch of tunes AND cut down on the bullshit chat, this was one of the funnest shows ever. I even had a dance around the office despite, for the first time in ages, there being no techno on the show (hmmm, does The Knife’s opera count?)

So if you want to download, head over here, or there’s the obligatory gutted Spotify playlist here.

1. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Party Started from Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (Honest Jon’s)
2. Chilly Gonzales & Boys Noize – Never Stop (Piano-Pella) from Never Stop (single) (Phantasy Sound)
3. Kronos Quartet – The Castle from Dracula (Nonesuch)
4. Kronos Quartet – Dr. Van Helsing and Dracula from Dracula (Nonesuch)
5. Kronos Quartet – The End of Dracula from Dracula (Nonesuch)
6. The Knife – Seeds From Tomorrow, In A Year (Rabid)
7. School Of Seven Bells – The Wait from Disconnect from Desire (Ghostly)
8. Dirty Projectors – Two Doves from Bitte Orca (Domino)
9. Belle and Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister from If You’re Feeling Sinister (Jeepster)
10. Race Horses – Man In My Mind from Goodbye Falkenberg (Fantastic Plastic)
11. Vampire Weekend – California English from Contra (XL)
12. Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Second Guessing from Rush to Relax (Melodic)
13. O Children – Fault Line from O Children (Deadly People)
14. These New Puritans – Attack Music from Hidden (Domino)
15. Gregory Isaacs – Rock On (Observer)
16. Thom Yorke – Harrowdown Hill from The Eraser (XL)
17. Mount Kimbie – Blind Night Errand from Crooks & Lovers (Hotflush)
18. David Kitt – Still Don’t Know from Explorer’s Club: 5. Berlin-Stockholm (Lo Recordings)
19. Samamidon – Saro from All is Well (Bedroom Community)
20. Tindersticks – Keep You Beautiful from Falling Down A Mountain (4AD)

One major omission of the show was playing a track from the new Mount Kimbie album and completely failing to give my review or even backannounce it. I was going to say something like this:

Laid back sample-heavy album, in style of Luke Vibert’s more gentle business, overtones of DJ Shadow \ the Avalanches (ie it sounds a bit old). But it’s quite lovely to listen to, just not sure why it’s getting super-props all over the place. People say it’s dubstep, but there’s not enough bass over the entire record to warrant such an opinion methinks.

Links to some stuff I talked about:

Explorer’s Club: Year long Lo Recordings + Arctic Circle project of lovely music

Field Day: 31st July in Victoria Park, London, starring Chilly Gonzales, These New Puritans, Gold Panda, Andrew Weatherall, Hypntoic Brass Ensemble, Esben and the Witch, Pantha du Prince and much much more

Big Chill Festival: 5 – 8th August, Eastnor Deer Park starring Massive Attack, Thom Yorke, Gregory Isaacs, Redlight, Lily Allen, Belleruche, Little Dragon and much much much much much more.

Green Man Festival: 19 – 22nd August, Brecon Beacons starring Fuck Buttons, Sleepy Sun, Sam Amidon, Tindersticks, O Children etc ec etc

Festinho: 27 – 30th August, Hinwick House, Bedfordshire – BEST FESTIVAL EVER!

Sleepy Sun @ Bush Hall, 17th August

lcd soundsystem + Hot Chip @ Alexandra Palace, 10th November (other dates around the country as well)

Release The Bats (Battles, BEAK>, Walls, The Field), 30th October @ Kentish Town Forum

Enjoy.

Music-packed joy from start to finish this month – new albums from Sleepy Sun, Holy Fuck, Flying Lotus, The Divine Comedy, Tracey Thorn, Ellen Allien, Benga, Trash Kit and Silver Columns plus very quick gig reviews of Jonsi, Stornoway, Johann Johannsson, Pavement, The above-mentioned Divine Comedy, the Steve Reid Memorial at Cafe Oto and last night’s wonderful gig in celebration of Tom Robinson’s 60th birthday starring Little Comets, Chew Lips, members of Franz Ferdinand and The Cribs and Toumani Diabaté amongst others.

You can download the full show from here or hear a few tracks through Spotify.

1. Steve Reid – Rhythm Is Law /Jazz – Tribute To Great Black from A Drum Story (Altrisuoni)
2. Rocketnumbernine – Doodlebug from You Reflect Me (Trace)
3. Tracey Thorn – Late In The Afternoon from Love and its Opposite (Strange Feeling)
4. Sleepy Sun – Desert God from Fever (ATP)
5. The Divine Comedy – At The Indie Disco from Bang Goes the Knighthood (Divine Comedy)
6. Beck – Loser from Mellow Gold (DGC)
7. Trash Kit – 50ft Woman from Trash Kit (Upset the Rhythm)
8. Holy Fuck – Stilettos from Latin (XL)
9. Gold Panda – You – Minotaur Shock Remix from You (single)
10. Tunng – Bullets (Max Tundra remix) from Remixes (Full Time Hobby)
11. Hot Chip – I Feel Better – Max Cooper Remix (unreleased)
12. LCD Soundsystem – I Can Change from This is Happening (DFA)
13. Silver Columns – To Wake You from Yes, and Dance (Moshi Moshi)
14. Ellen Allien – Schlumi from Dust (Bpitch Control)
15. Aardvarck – Heal from Choice (Eat Concrete)
16. Benga – Transform from Phaze One (Tempa)
17. Flying Lotus – Satelllliiiiiiiteee from Cosmogramma (Warp)
18. Oy – The Kitten from From Box then Walk (Creaked)
19. Oy – Aeh from From Box then Walk (Creaked)
20. Oy – Positivili Two from From Box then Walk (Creaked)
21. Oy – Cloudy Gallery from From Box then Walk (Creaked)
22. Toumani Diabaté – Kaounding Cissoko from The Mandé Variations (World Circuit)
23. Little Comets – Dancing Song (unreleased)
24. Chew Lips – Toro from Unicorn (Family)
25. Tom Robinson Band – Glad To Be Gay from Power in the Darkness (EMI)

Here’s my contribution to Purple Radio’s regular Saturday Soul session. To be honest, I’m not sure I know what Soul Music really is, (the music that I’ve thought most satisfies my soul is Fuck Buttons), but I was told that if I think it’s sung with soul, then it counts.

You can download the whole show from here, or check out the Spotify Playlist here.

1. Janis Joplin – Get It While You Can
2. Rodriguez – This Is Not A Song, It’s An Outburst: Or, The Establishment
3. John Martyn – Don’t Want To Know
4. Andre 3000 – Liberation (Ft Erykah Badu, Cee-Lo And Big Boi)
5. Marvin Gaye – Right On
6. Terry Callier – Color Me Free
7. The Style Council – Move On Up (Live Recording)
8. Joe Jackson – You Can’t Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)
9. Belleruche – The Duck
10. Mos Def – Love
11. Jocelyn Brown – Somebody Else’s Guy [Original Version]
12. Little Dragon – Constant Surprises
13. Stevie Wonder – All I Do