Back for Slon’s Birthday!

More info to follow…

Here are 4 trax I thrashed out after an inspirational trip to Wales last weekend. It’s going to be a release, I’m just not sure quite how yet, but at some point the files will become available in the very near future, but I think just files is not enough to do these tracks justice- So I’m looking into the possibilities of somehow doing a limited run of vinyl, but I need to know how many people would realistically want a copy of this on vinyl. It will most probably be a very limited run if it happens at all.. anyway, we shall see- for the time being enjoy the trax. Here is the original text I wrote to go with the trax:

4 fresh cuts inspired by a weekend driving around the welsh countryside listening to Walker, Jammin’ Unit, Mike Ink and Bizz O.D.’s original acid output from Cologne (Koeln) back in the old days of 1992-1994, on a pilgrimage to an old party location on top of a hill in the middle of a forest called Brechfa. Buzzing from having visited (and taken photographs of) such a special party venue I came home and preceded to lash out track after track in the ORIGINAL acid techno style. Shouts out: D.J.Ungle Fever, 100% Acidiferous, Virus Soundsystem, Roland Corp., Tadao Kikumoto…

We’re back this week with a mix from Berlin based Beni. Originally from Wolfsburg, Beni is one of Berlin’s most unsung talents. Quiet and unassuming, he lets the music speak for itself, a rarity in these days of status updates, promotion and spam. Here’s a mix recorded live at the legendary SO36 in Kreuzburg, where Beni now spins on a regular basis, if you ever get the chance, check him out, he’s one of my personal favourites.

http://mh.fun-in-the-murky.com/audio/SFS/SFS_27_Beni_SO36.mp3

Tracklist:

01.The Other People Place-Let Me Be Me
02.Metro Area-Atmosphrique
03.CB Funk-Subway To Cologne
04.SanDiego-Black Keys
05.Ican-Caminos Del Nino (Martyn RmX)
06.Redshape-2084
07.Moodyman-Dem Young Scounies
08.Robert Hood-Alpha
09.Ignacio-Virton
10.Dj Bone-The Vibe
11.Suburban Knight-Nocturbulous
12.Eddie Fowlkes-Get The Funk
13.Tiefschwarz feat. Seth Troxler-Trust
14.Mike Monday-Stargirl (Mike Monday RmX)
15.Jeff Mills-Condor To Mallorca (Ken Ishii RmX)
16.Robert Hood-Omega_End Times
17.Anthony Rother-When The Sun Goes Down (Underground Resistance RmX)
18.Underground Resistance – Sweat Electric (Instrumental)
19.Metro Area-Nerves
20.Noa Siano-Track For Lyn
21.Mr.G-Makes No Sense
22.Shlomi Aber-Groove Mechanism
23.Black Noise-Nature Of The Beast
24.Patrice Scott-Beyond Depp
25.Delano Smith-Road To Nowhere
26.Slam-Virtuoso (Rolando RmX)
27.Scan 7-Rethinkable Frequencies
28.Redshape-Ultra
29.Suburban Knight-The Warning
30.Stacy Pullen-Alive
31.Martyn-Get Down (Underground Resistance RmX)
32.Robert Hood-The Body Human
33.Gary Martin-Pimping People
34.Mark Taylor-Animatter Premium Unleaded
35.People Mover-Dark Planet
36.Red Planet-Prayer Stick
37.Mad Mike-The Final Frontier
38.Kraftwerk-Numbers

http://mh.fun-in-the-murky.com/audio/SFS/SFS_27_Beni_SO36.mp3

As more and more electronic music labels struggle to stay in business, it seems that the integrity of the sound and honesty of intentions is going more and more out of the window for the sake of enough sales to keep rolling. And so it ends up that more and more of the music that is in the shops these days fits a blueprint, some kind of “guaranteed sales” identikit – anything outside of that is passed up as being too much of a risk.

Now why is that? Is it because the majority of dance music on vinyl sells because it’s easy for a DJ to mix in with other records? Is it because the people pushing their stuff to labels the most happen to be the kind of people who whilst aren’t the most musically talented, have more than enough confidence to really push their stuff to the few labels that still exist? Is it just the fact that the market for dance music on vinyl has shrunk so much that whilst 10 years ago it was still possible for more experimental labels and artists to exist on the periphery, now it’s just simply not possible? And whatever happened to the spirit of experimentalism that was thriving from the start of electronic music in the 60s and 70s, which seemed to explode in the 90s?

Now, I don’t believe for a second that the spirit of experimentation has just gone away. And, as I started going through various musicians’ accounts on Soundcloud this week, I suddenly discovered, that the true spirit of experimentation with electronic was far from dead, but was very much alive and well, albeit often ignored by the mainstream music “industry”.

Now, I’m sure that there are still some labels around that are willing to push the envelope. But more often than not their roster consists of a small collection of artists, and they are closed to submissions from anyone on the outside, mainly down to the fact that they are swamped with demos as it’s become easier and easier to put together a half decent sounding demo on just a home computer.

So, after feeling like I am repeatedly banging my head against a brick wall sending off demos, and then feeling like there is no point in sending any of my works to labels as there aren’t really any labels that my sound would fit with, I’m thinking a lot more about what my real aims are in making music. And all I really want now, is to have a bit of time to make the music I want, and, if I think it’s good enough, to share it with others in the hope that they might get some of the enjoyment I get out of it.

Accepting that you aren’t going to earn a living out of recorded music is a liberating experience, and gives you the freedom to experiment without being obsessed with what the majority of the public might want to hear. Pandering to trends is always a killer for original creativity.

And it always happens, you get some originator who was just experimenting, and hits upon something awesome. It’s released, the music journos herald it as the birth of a new genre, and then you get a whole bunch of people wanting a piece of the action who knock up second rate copies of the musical breakthrough in the hope of fame, fortune, or both.

It’s been a great experience checking out what other people have been up to via Soundcloud in the past week, there is stuff I have heard that I would release without a doubt if I had a label running and it was viable. And for myself, it’s given me an opportunity to gain feedback to stuff I’ve had sat around for a while on my HD.

Sadly in the present day and age, it seems that it’s not really viable to run a label, releasing recordings on physical media, otherwise someone would be doing it. Or am I mistaken, and the next vinyl backlash is just around the corner? In the meantime, anything that doesn’t get signed I may well give away for free in Wav/Flac/Aiff lossless format.. Watch this space!

With time we shall see

I’ve been uploading a few trax to Soundcloud, just with the thought that it would be nice just to get some stuff “out there”, as it seems to be more and more difficult to get proper releases out if they don’t fall into an easily marketable category… Check them out:

Gaertnerstrasse by Mark Hawkins

Pleated Lemon “Twathammer (DJMH Rmx)” by Mark Hawkins

Groundswell by Mark Hawkins

and of course follow my Soundcloud account! :

http://soundcloud.com/mark-hawkins

New mix from our man in Southern Russia, Vadz: two hours of varied material that certainly stands out from the crowd…
Click here to download Signals From Southwark #26: Vadz Guest Mix

01. tsr – is this ska-cid
02. postapocalyps pop – moon gopher
03. chazz – a mover la colita (armand’s tuff american mix)
04. tantcui tantcui – bath tube surfer
05. luke’s anger – hackney warehouse ‘98
06. paul birken – dry heave
07. cristian vogel – whipaspank (tube jerk remix)
08. dj vadz.ru – lazy data
09. robert goerl – scoops
10. pig & dan – organix
11. io – eternal sun
12. planetary assault systems – gated
13. vadz – nuclear volgodonsk (scott robinson remix)
14. ian pooley – twin gods
15. phuture – we are phuture (joey beltram remix)
16. nymate association – definable function (molez remix)
17. vadz – punky shit
18. rabitza – chronicles of destruction part 3
19. archon – boom #2
20. scan x – blinding waves
21. akio milan paak – gulcia
22. visco space – ghost town
23. jack-tronic – the hustler (planetary assault systems remix)
24. holy ghost – electra spectre
25. t. p. heckmann – acid crushion
26. tahnja – scared
27. tantcui tantcui – torch
28. lv-426 – 4 on the floor
29. vadz – alien talk
30. electro overload scratch-d – destroy the jedi knights
31. neonicle – horror shit
32. e.r.p. – lament subrosa
33. elecktroids – floatation
34. shifted phases – lonely journey of the comet bopp
35. andrea parker – swamp
36. scape one – cosmic waves
37. electronome – morphing
38. dj lhoie – sublimental
39. bitstream – dragon 32
40. arovane – yua:e

New mix from our man in Southern Russia, Vadz: two hours of varied material that certainly stands out from the crowd…
Click here to download Signals From Southwark #26: Vadz Guest Mix

Bit late with this one, gonna be spinning deep, deep techno to the Madrid crowd on Saturday, come on down if you are in the area..

info:
En este verano de descanso, la gente de Audium nos brinda la oportunidad de volver a programar una fiesta de techno.

Para la ocasión contaremos con el británico Mark Hawkins (Djax Up Beats, Relax 2000) con su impredecible dj set que puede abarcar desde minimal techno o acid a wonky techno o hard techno.

Le acompañarán dos de los mejores djs de techno de la capital en calidad de residentes de Audium y de ISBP.
Miguel Mendoza (Audium) y Pervert (Analogical Force).

Entrada: libre hasta las 2 o 2 copas x 12€.
Sábado 10 de julio de 2010.
Audium: Pirandello, C/ Martin de los Heros 14
Plaza de España

Links:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134294373256340
http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?175917
http://www.bigbadlondon.com/musica/mark-hawkins-en-madrid

Click here to download Signals From Southwark #25: Rushathon 2010

Dj Rush was always one of the artists that was really inspiring me when I first started trying to write my own music. Off-kilter, wacky, way out, with a big (6′6″) Stage presence, he could even be considered as the Godfather of so-called “wonky techno”. For me, back around 1997, that was the appeal for me, trax that were so swung and out there that it almost sounded like the record was out of time with itself, particularly displayed in this mix with track 33 “You’ll Catch On” taken from his 1999 release on Djax-Up-Beats which was aptly named “Swingin’ the drums”- Yes, it’s not one of my bum mixes, the track is SUPPOSED to sound like that!
Over 2 hours, the wide variety of Rush’s styles are displayed, Chicago house, Jack Tracks, Disco Techno and straight up Banging stuff are all here. Rush is often easily dismissed, with people saying “oh, that’s just Schranz”, and whilst in recent years he has often gravitated towards the harder stuff, it’s easy to overlook the fact that many of his early works were highly influential, and always full of character and showmanship, which is often lacking in electronic music..

So here’s my celebration of Isiah Major’s contribution to my musical life, which has often had me bouncing around a dancefloor to the beat!

Click here to download Signals From Southwark #25: Rushathon 2010

Tracklist:
1. DJ Rush “Get Yours (Ruby’s 6-Pack Mix)” Pro-Jex|2000
2. DJ Rush “But It Really Doesn’t Matter With Me Now” Relief Records|1995
3. DJ Rush “The Reborn” Force Inc. Music works|1996
4. DJ Rush “Little Bitty Boy” Pro-Jex|2000
5. DJ Rush “The Family” Djax-Up-Beats|2001
6. DJ Rush “The Family (Justin Berkovi Remix)” Djax-Up-Beats|2003
7. DJ Rush “Maniac” Djax-Up-Beats|1997
8. DJ Rush “Sex Me All Night Long” Pro-Jex|2000
9. DJ Rush “Puppet Dance” Djax-Up-Beats|1997
10.DJ Rush “Doodlin” Force Inc. Music Works|1997
11.DJ Rush “Prick Ryder” Force Inc. Music Works|1995
12.Craig Alexander “Chilling With Ruby (Feat. Russian Roulette)” High Octane recordings|2002
13.DJ Dexter “Bang Them Fucking Walls (DJ Rush ‘Ruby’ Mix)” Pro-Jex|1999
14.DJ Rush “The Breaks” Pro-Jex|1997
15.DJ Rush “Look And See” Pro-Jex|1999
16.DJ Rush “Enhanced” Pro-Jex|1997
17.DJ Rush “Stomp” Djax-Up-Beats|2000
18.DJ Rush “Poplock” Force Inc. Music works|1997
19.DJ Rush “Let’s Change” Pro-Jex|2003
20.DJ Rush “My Palazzo” Beat Disaster|2003
21.DJ Rush “Feel My Drums” Highball|2002
22.DJ Rush “Djax-Up Beat” Djax-Up-Beats|2000
23.Justin Berkovi “The Closer You Come (Rush Remix)” Music Man|2002
24.DJ Rush “Tresorrr… (Back Up Mix)” Tresor|2005
25.DJ Rush “The Switcher” Djax-Up-Beats|1996
26.Major Rush “Strasse E” Force Inc. Music Works|2000
27.DJ Rush “2300 Uhr” Predicaments|2002
28.Major Rush “Rotkäpchen” Force Inc. Music Works|2000
29.DJ Rush “Pussy Poppin” Djax-Up-Beats|2006
30.DJ Rush “Everybody Get Punished” Djax-Up-Beats|2005
31.DJ Rush “Rubber Daddy” Djax-Up-Beats|2006
32.DJ Rush “Who Did I Eat Last Night” Jackstar|2003
33.DJ Rush “You’ll Catch On” Djax-Up-Beats|1999
34.DJ Rush “Booty Freaks” Jackstar|2003
35.DJ Rush “Raindance” Djax-Up-Beats|1996
36.DJ Rush “Groove Me” Pro-Jex|2000
37.DJ Rush “Funk U Up (Dj Rush Berlin Mix)” Pro-Jex|2004

Click here to download Signals From Southwark #25: Rushathon 2010

Click here to dowload Signals From Southwark #24:Mack_DJ Set

This week’s Signals From Southwark comes from former Tresor Headquarters DJ Mack. A major lynchpin of the underbelly of Berlin techno, he was the booker at the world famous Tresor club for numerous years, but now works for Alan Summerville’s Kinetic AM booking agency. Mack is also heavily involved with the latest incarnation of the true Berlin underground ROBOT ARMY.

Exclusively for SFS,Mack dishes up 1hr15 of quality techno, enjoy!
Click here to dowload Signals From Southwark #24:Mack_DJ Set

Tracklist:
01 recording from my balcony
02 Intro
03 Heiko Laux -Matter Anthem
04 Brian Aneurysm – Qu2Do2
05 Peter van Hoesen – Strip It! Boost It!
06 Gideon – Need No Permission
07 Ed Rush & Nico – Defect – Perc Rmx
08 Je Dàvu – Platzhirsch LTD #9
09 Julia Decay – Crop Boom Bang
10 Alloy Mental – God Is Green – Tom Burglar Rmx
11 Kung Fu Pimp vs. Devastation Dave – Where Is The Acid?
12 Harry Axt – Starlights
13 Steve Pointdexter – Work That Mutha Fucker – Re-Work
14 Dj Drosan -Pump Me Up 2
15 Jammin Gerald – Deep Vibe
16 Paradroid – Dimensia Scorched Eggs
17 L-Vis 1990 – Compass
18 Geoffrey Mack – Grind
19 Analogue Acid Poject – TNT 01
20 Modeselektor – The Black Block – Hiddensee 2008 Edit
21 Polaris – Clicked
22 Norman – Suppe Richtig Schön Kuchen Rein
23 Jerome Hill – Don`t U Later
24 Gruffians -The Fear
25 Cristian Vogel – Matchless
26 Der Zyklus – Biometric ID
27 recording from my balcony

Click here to dowload Signals From Southwark #24:Mack_DJ Set

And we’re back- Did this mix yesterday as a warm up for Sub – Bit of a meander through a variety of styles, and is a bit rough and ready as obviously I’m out of shape from the break – No sweat though, I’ll be ready to rock when the weekend comes as I’m planning on having a bit of a catch up & get a load of mixes done this week.. anyway, enjoy! And if you’re in London at the weekend, come and check me & Manasyt out, info here: http://signalsfromsouthwark.com/2010/06/08/mark-hawkins-manasyt-live-sub-the-hobby-horse/

Click Here to download Signals From Southwark #23: Mark Hawkins Pre Sub Genre Bender mix

Tracklist:

1. Rhythm is Rhythm “It is what it is” (10)
2. Sugar Experiment Station “Violent Nurse” (Penalty)
3. Navauro Sauro “Lancia Delta Integrale 16v” (Scandinavia)
4 Bodycode “What Did You Say” (Spectral)
5. Inner City “Big Fun” (10)
6. Cristian Vogel “Mungo” (Snork)
7.Lawrence “Cab Driver” (Dial)
8. Jabberjaw “Safety Flirt” (Spectral)
9. Spandex “Death On Hold” (Sleep Debt)
10. Omar S “Blown Valvetrain” (Sound Signature)
11. Maurizio “C 4.5″ (Maurizio)
12. Super_Collider “Darn (Cold Way Of Loving)” (Loaded)
13. Jay Haze “I Can’t Forget” (Tuning Spork)
14. Thomas Bangalter “Shuffle!” (Roule)
15. DJ Sneak & Arman Van Helden “Psychic Bounty Killers” (Relief)
16. Thomas Bangalter “Ventura” (Roule)
17. Trakhead Steve “Trackhead Groove” (Relief)
18. Paul Johnson “TA” (Volume)
19. Audion “Just Fucking” (Spectral)
20. Fannon Flowers “Rockbox” (Sonic Mind)
21. Ibrahim Alfa “You Ain’t Changed Nothing” (Automatic)
22. Outline Meets Surgeon “Blueprint 7″ (Blueprint)
23. Blackman “Trick’ (Black Nation)
24. UR “Codebreaker” (Underground Resistance)
25. Surgeon “Floorshow Pt. 1. (B1)” (Counterbalance)
26. Darkside “The Swarm” (Volume)
27. Alter Ego “Lycra (The Dinosaur Mix – Luke Slater)” (Harthouse)
28. James T. Cotton “The Dancing Box” (Spectral)
29. Daze Maxim “We Had Lunch” (Harthouse)
30. Vice “Black Nation For Life” (Black Nation)
31. DJ Rush “Poplock” (Force Inc.)
32. Matthew Dear “Dog Days” (Spectral)
33. Spandex “Marauding” (Hand On The Plow)
34. Jamie Lidell “Habits Live Short” (Sativae)
35. Cristian Vogel “The Visit” (Solid)
36. Ricardo Villalobos “La Raja” (Playhouse)

Click Here to download Signals From Southwark #23: Mark Hawkins Pre Sub Genre Bender mix