solipsistic NATION guest mix

for part 1 of my own 'best of 2008' series, i did another guest mix for one of my favorite podcasts, solipsistic NATION. the mix features tracks from some of my favorite chilled ambient/idm netaudio releases which came out in 2008. full track listing plus links to download all the tracks are available on solipsisticnation.com

as a special bonus for my blog readers, check out michael hoffmann's band comfort zone's myspace site for a video of their live performance in mannheim, germany which i mentioned in the show. for on-the-go listening, you can also check out another live performance which they put up for free download here.

hiddenplace music mp3 mix #1

Download mp3 (160kbps, 54MB)

things have been a little quiet around here lately because the wizards at hiddenplace music have been preparing something really special: the first official hiddenplace music mix.

sometimes simply listening to the music is the best way to discover and share it. i find a lot of my favorite music through podcasts and dj mixes, plus i really enjoy putting together playlists and 'mixtapes.' i hesitate to call this a 'podcast' because that implies that i plan on doing this at a semi-regular basis. unfortunately time and my obsessive-compulsive tendencies dont permit that, but i have several mixes in the works and i plan on putting them out here as often as possible (ie whenever i feel like it).

at hiddenplace music we like free music, so nearly all of the tracks featured on this mix can be downloaded cost- and guilt-free at the links provided. each release represented is full of excellent music and is most definitely worth your time. enjoy the music!

tracklist:

(00:00) hiddenplace intro
(00:19) Makunouchi Bento - Two Mechanical Snowghosts [pj001]
(02:01) My First Trumpet - Takt Short Takt [aer009]
(03:56) Endlos - Ich bin Dur [1bit028] +welcome
(09:31) The Lymbyc Systym - Astrology Days [live 18 Apr 2007]
(14:01) Re'sequence - Interview [es28]
(17:55) Implosion Quintet - For Sesselja [diginet011]
(21:40) Mr Moods - Variations [DBR005]
(25:24) The Incognito Traveller - Chaleur [konfort016]
(29:42) Owltree - Head Swirlin' [lokw-010]
(32:57) Jah Free - beatcontest (amuses-bouches complete album download)
(37:58) Sel/Reechad - Masterplan [iD.037]
(42:01) Saine - Absent Minds [Imagine This] +tracklist

extra: hiddenplace music on solipsistic NATION

petite&jolie - Pantoufle Tagada

a new netlabel has appeared, with a very interesting array of artists contributing to their debut 'various artists' compilation. charmingly named petite&jolie: a place for cute people, and presenting a fascinating collection of electro-acoustic glitch pop and avant-garde sound art, id say the netlabel is off to a very promising start.
the netlabel curator has labeled the style 'cutetronica' which is certainlly fitting, however i found it to be cute in the way the film 'city of lost children' is cute-- there is quite possibly something dark and sinister lurking behind all the major chords, happy chimes and high-pitched voices...

shoutout to INQ for the news on this one

The Incognito Traveller EP

here at hiddenplace music, i normally like to keep a nice variety of music between posts. however, in searching through the aforementioned No Copy Protection netlabel, i came across a release which was so fantastic i had to feature it.
anyone else who has played with ACID or other loop-based recording software knows how easy it is to make bad loop-based music. but every so often, there comes an artist who knows how to spin the loops with just the right mix of flavours. jazz drums, latin percussion, muted trumpet, antique piano, and even an charming french language song make up The Incognito Traveller EP, providing some of the most listenable sample-based music i have heard in a while. prepare to be whisked away into the world of smoky cafés and lazy cobblestone streets, tinged with the mystery and intrigue of a classic spy movie.

Flux and Vega - Believe EP

downtempo/triphop with female vocals is one of my favourite types of music, however it can be difficult to find quality vocals in the netaudio world. some netlables, such as kahvi collective, have even adopted an unofficial rule of not releasing anything with vocals. other fans of electronica with vocals will be delighted by 'Believe EP' from the No Copy Protection netlabel. the short selection of tracks provides a pleasant and sunny selection of [mostly] spanish-language female vocal-fronted triphop, along with a few electro-house flavoured remixes. for me, these tracks really work because they avoid the temptation of overly processing everything with excessive electronics and fx. here the vocals and arrangements are quite charming and effective in their relaxed, unassuming style.

this netlabel, previously unknown to me, provides an intriguing (and attractively designed) catalogue of releases. i will definitely have to investigate further..

shout out to the new english-language Phlow Magazine blog for pointing me in the direction of this release.

Intelligent Toys 4 (Sutemos019)

hiddenplace music newsflash: for those of you not on the Sutemos email list, the 4th part of their frequently brilliant all-star idm compilation series was just released. clocking in at 2,5 hours play time, and featuring such favourite artists as Sabi, Esem, Sense, IJO, Machine Drum, and Sleepy Town Manufacture, this compilation is a must-listen. "It's listening time now."

Moosefrog - Come EP

on a recently tram ride home, i re-discovered a chillout netaudio gem: the first release from the great little netlabel lo-kiwi. if you enjoyed the downtempo/instrumental hiphop of Mr. Moods which i featured a couple months ago, 'come' from chillmasters Moosefrog will tickle your ears most pleasantly. looped jazzy guitars, soft rhodes and synth chords, groovy brushed drums, a few gritty turntable samples and creepy filtered spoken word samples make for a super-chilled evening listening session.


as with most good eps, this release is a bit of a short listen, so make sure to check out lo-kiwis' back catalogue, such as Moosefrog's Adrift, which includes two songs featuring vocals by Chillcast hostess Anji Bee.

Muhr - Poussière

a new release has arrived from one of my top netlabels, serein. this label consistently provides top-quality acoustic/electronic fusions, always adhering to the 'quality over quantity' philosophy. the latest release provides the perfect soundtrack for the decent into the colder autumn days-- dark glitchy electronics, post-rocking guitar drones and accents of orchestral strings, noise and processed field recordings blend into a journey that is at once densely chaotic and bleakly serene; all the while remaining coherent and emotive. netaudio electro-acoustic postrock at its best!

Netaudio-Mixtape IV / t.slubs (thinners slow Dubs)

in case you dont obsessively check the thinner netlabel website for updates, the previously mentioned german music collective Das Kraftfuttermischwerk has released an excellent mix of deep spacey dubby trax pulled from the thinner archive. it made for a most pleasant and nostalgic morning's listen, taking me right back to the original thinner classics like Falter, Selffish, & Digitalverein
viel spaß!

Mikael Fyrek - In riots of color they spin

as i slowly emerge from the world of boxes, suitcases, airports and multi-lingual signs, allow me to recommend an excellent new release from perennial favourite kahvi. for 'In riots of color they spin' Mikael Fyrek creates 4 miniature worlds of idm beauty full of all the best building blocks of intelligent chill- warm atmospheres of breathy pads, delay-soaked mountainous landscapes and soaring leads accented by subtle paintstrokes of filtered beats. another beautiful (if short) glimpse into digitally-created dreamworlds. i think you will find, these landscapes are certainly worthy of many return journeys.

backlog: dont miss Mr Fyrek's previous two releases, St Mare Abelle and i can finally see what darkness looks like, both excellent as well

weigl & hoffmann + krill.minima

two new & notable releases by the legendary netaudio portal thinner today -

for all fans of the most listenable electro-acoustic experimentations, dont miss the brand-new release by a true innovator of netaudio, Philipp Weigl. warm ambient atmospheres, hushed vocals, touches of melodic acoustic instruments, backed by a barely noticeable subtle smooth techno pulse. essential moody listening for all seasons!

also newly released is a dubby ambient LP 'Urlaub Auf Balkonien' by krill.minima (aka Marsen Jules), a worthy follow-up to the minimal ambient masterpiece 'Zwischen zwei und einer Sekunde' slow, quiet and subtle, this lp took me a couple listens to get into, but its beginning to grow on me...

Text Adventure - Fantastic Disaster

i wanted to take a few minutes to spotlight one of my all-time favourite netaudio releases - this little gem by the Glascow duo Text Adventure, released on Observatory Online, a now-silent netlable with a short but sweet selection of releases. glitchy 8-bit electronics, acoustic guitars and timid falsetto vocals make up this a magical little trippy acoustic/electropop gem. although this release is a couple years old now, these songs are still constantly stuck in my head.

it has been rumoured that a new full-length album, charmingly titled 'I Believe in Lassies' will be released soon. let us hope that it doesnt get lost in the infinite 'coming soon' category...

chillout/idm double feature

short feature today - two recent releases by two of my favourite chilled idm artists - Motionfield and Das Kraftfuttermischwerk.

backlog: dont miss motionfield's excellent release from '06, Northern Lights

in other news, Comfort Fit's poor hamster died a few days ago. the world is sad to lose such a being who was witness to the creation of one of the all-time best netaudio releases, Forget and Remember. dont miss the massiv beat Boris created as a eulogy for Bounce the hamster.

Mr Moods - In Love We Trust...

Nothing is better for driving through the city on a hot day than gritty, downtempo beats. this release fits the bill very nicely. mr moods (not to be confused with a certain other very special artist) keeps the beatz rollin and mixes it up with an eclectic array of samples and sound-mashups, along with vocal samples seemlingly centred around illicit relationships. all in all, an excellently produced ep of downtempo and instrumental hip-hop.
if you enjoy this album, also dont miss his side project, Prototype 68, a slightly more ambient and abstract take on the genre. a must for fans of dj shadow and the turntablist pioneers of asphodel records...

Bergen - Spring Interval EP

i was in the mood for some chilled house music today, and this release from a previously-unknown netlabel (to me) fit the bill nicely. i heard the track 'higher than high' in Micha's Ruhnsong Ruhnsong014 from hybridized.org and it immediately caught my ear. i was quite pleased to see it was available for free download. view and download the release here. this is techno music just how i like it - relaxed and chilled but having enough energy to keep you from falling asleep at work! floating pads, moving subtle beats, and cool mysterious vocoder vocals keep this ep interesting throughout...