Chocolate Grinder Mix 18
"Bass In Yer Goat's Face"
This has been a good year for the beat, and dubstep especially: bass worship is on the rise. Leading the charge is the consistent Muti Music. Label boss Dov kicks things off with a deep Single Cell Orchestra remix of his latest single, one of four Muti tracks featured here. Massive warps from Spoonbill associate Editor and Kid606's latest signing Humanleft add a certain color missing in this post-Analog Worms Attack era, while Sbtrkt and Rude Kid blanket eardrum-blowing lower frequencies over new singles from Echaskech and Juice Aleem (who both have hotly anticipated records coming out now-ish). Closing the mix, I'm very excited to showcase Shambhala institution Bassnestar's usual high standard of political breaks. These artists are the true face of independent electronic music, but whether or not you've heard of any of them before doesn't really matter, just as long as you listen to this mix on the biggest system you have access to. The sound of these 10 windshield-cracking, pop-fizzing, speaker-humping, picture frame-tilting block rockers will speak for themselves louder than any drivel that oozes off my keyboard. Crank it up, fuckers!
01. Dov - "Earth Bleed (Single Cell Orchestra Remix)" (Earth Bleed EP)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Muti Music - Dov
02. Editor - "Space Grub" (Interview Techniques)
- Start time: 5:34; Links: Omelette - Editor
03. Kether - "Graffitti" (Marine Layer EP)
- Start time: 9:30; Links: Muti Music - Kether
04. Juice Aleem - "First Lesson (Rude Kid Remix)" (First Lesson single)
- Start time: 14:32; Links: Big Dada - Juice Aleem
05. Siren - "7th Level" (Spawn)
- Start time: 17:12; Links: Muti Music - Siren
06. Humanleft - "Got Beatz" (Roarr EP)
- Start time: 20:19; Links: Tigerbeat6 - Humanleft
07. King Cannibal - "Dirt feat. Daddy Freddy" (So... Embrace The Minimum single)
- Start time: 23:51; Links: Ninja Tune - King Cannibal
08. Echaskech - "Future Sex (Sbtrkt Remix)" (Future Sex single)
- Start time: 28:49; Links: Just Music - Echaskech
09. T.O.B. - "Thwomp Attack!!" (The Next Level EP)
- Start time: 34:05; Links: Muti Music - T.O.B.
10. Bassnectar - "Art Of Revolution (Original)" (Art Of Revolution single)
- Start time: 38:01; Links: Amorphous Music - Bassnectar
Chocolate Grinder Mix 17
I can't help but feel like an ass for plucking some of these songs from their original contexts. Several tracks -- like Mount Eerie's "(something)," John Wiese's "Mystical Finland," and especially Kreng's "Meisje In Auto" (which you should seek out ASAP) -- hinge heavily on the flow intended by the artist. My concern, though, would put into question a whole host of things -- not only mix tapes, but sampling and radio, musique-concrète and iPods. Besides, the idea of The Album as something sacred, something untouchable is silly. Am I not allowed to bend symbols at my will? Am I supposed to sit passively and consume music only under conditions laid out by the artists? Of course not. But I still feel like an ass sometimes.
01. Eric Copeland - "Al Anon" (Alien in a Garbage Dump)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Paw Tracks
02. Bird Names - "Taxicabs And Bicycles" (Sings the Browns)
- Start time: 3:57; Links: Upset the Rhythm - Bird Names
03. Julian Lynch - "Two Babes in the Woods" (Lefse Records Compilation)
- Start time: 6:49; Links: Lefse - Julian Lynch
04. Mount Eerie - "(something)" (Wind's Poem)
- Start time: 8:59; Links: P.W. Elverum & Sun
05. Kurt Vile - "Overnite Religion" (Childish Prodigy)
- Start time: 11:13; Links: Matador - Kurt Vile
06. Circulatory System - "I You We" (Signal Morning)
- Start time: 16:25; Links: Cloud - Circulatory System
07. John Wiese - "Mystical Finland (excerpt)" (Circle Snare)
- Start time: 17:54; Links: No Fun
08. Evangelista - "The Slayer (promo)" (Prince of Truth)
- Start time: 19:50; Links: Constellation - Evangelista
09. Ourself Beside Me - "Improvisation I" (Ourself Beside Me)
- Start time: 25:48; Links: Maybe Marsl - Ourself Beside Me
10. Kreng - "Meisje In Auto (naar Prelude No. 20 In C Minor Van F. Chopin)" (L'Autopsie Phénoménale De Dieu)
- Start time: 26:52; Links: Miasmah - Kreng
Chocolate Grinder Mix 16
Every year since I started writing reviews, I have heard at least one fellow critic say words to the effect of "this has been a slow year for [insert genre] or music in general." Well, from where I'm sitting, music looks like it's doing pretty damn good for itself. Independent music is rife with exuberant brilliance waiting to be discovered and appreciated, regardless of its surrounding hype or lack thereof. If you think music's offerings have been feeble lately, you need to branch out and listen to more of it. Take a chance on something you may know little or nothing about. Granted, it's an often underwhelming process, but every so often, you will find one album that will unquestionably make it all worth the effort. These mixes are the result of my journey through sound, and I hope they inspire you to tread different paths of your own. This is the most exciting and dynamic time we could ever hope to be alive.
01. Longwalkshortdock - "Born At Night" (Casual Tea)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Self-Released - Longwalkshortdock
02. The Lava Children - "Particles" (The Lava Children EP)
- Start time: 6:33; Links: Graveface - The Lava Children
03. Battlehooch - "Take The L Train" (Piecechow)
- Start time: 10:17; Links: Terrorbird - Battlehooch
04. The Gaslamp Killer - "Anything Worse" (My Troubled Mind)
- Start time: 13:39; Links: Alpha Pup - The Gaslamp Killer
05. Damian Lazarus - "Come And Play" (Smoke The Monster Out)
- Start time: 17:53; Links: Get Physical - Damian Lazarus
06. DJ Food - "Tricky Little Ears (The Cheech Wizard Pays Respect To All Living Creatures Who Inhabit Dark Places)" (One Man's Weird Is Another Man's World EP)
- Start time: 21:43; Links: Ninja Tune - DJ Food
07. Ochre - "Napolese" (Like Dust Of The Balance)
- Start time: 28:50; Links: Benbecula - Ochre
08. Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra - "Radioactive People" (Takes Off!)
- Start time: 34:17; Links: Alien Transistor - Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra
09. Speech Debelle - "Bad Boy" (Speech Therapy)
- Start time: 41:20; Links: Big Dada - Speech Debelle
10. Throw Me The Statue - "The Outer Folds" (Creaturesque)
- Start time: 45:36; Links: Secretly Canadian - Throw Me The Statue
Chocolate Grinder Mix 15
"I would believe only in a God that knows how to dance," said Friedrich Nietzsche. "We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance," states a Japanese proverb. "Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room," said Kurt Vonnegut. "Dancers are the athletes of God," said Albert Einstein. "Any problem in the world can be solved by dancing," said James Brown. "To shake your rump is to be environmentally aware," said David Byrne. "Never trust spiritual leader who cannot dance," said Mr. Miyagi.
01. Bachelorette - "Mindwarp" (My Electric Family)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Drag City - Bachelorette
02. Anti-Pop Consortium - "Apparently" (Fluorescent Black)
- Start time: 3:28; Links: Big Dada - Anti-Pop Consortium
03. The Herbaliser Band - "Geddim!" (Session 2)
- Start time: 5:56; Links: !K7 - The Herbaliser Band
04. Giant Cookie Monster - "Orange Bat theme" (Orange Bat)
- Start time: 10:54; Links: Giant Cookie Monster
05. Neon Indian - "Terminally Chill" (Psychic Chasms)
- Start time: 15:05; Links: Lefse - Neon Indian
06. Mos Def - "Auditorium [ft. Slick Rick]" (The Ecstatic)
- Start time: 18:33; Links: Downtown - Mos Def
07. Black Lips - "The Drop I Hold [ft. GZA]" (The Drop I Hold EP)
- Start time: 23:00; Links: Vice - Black Lips
08. Miss Kittin & The Hacker - "Electronic City" (TWO)
- Start time: 26:24; Links: Nobody's Bizzness - Miss Kitten & The Hacker
09. Jónsi & Alex - "Boy 1904" (Riceboy Sleeps)
- Start time: 31:09; Links: XL - Jónsi & Alex
10. YACHT - "Psychic City" (See Mystery Lights)
- Start time: 36:14; Links: DFA - YACHT
Chocolate Grinder Mix 14
How many of you feel disillusioned with the Obama administration thus far? I know, in hindsight it seems foolish to think idealism might have railroaded policy through Congress, even with the fuckin' deck stacked. Either America was built to run on slow, incremental progress, or the two parties are becoming absurdly centrist. It must be the former, 'cause I could have sworn Obama was a raging atheist; he seemed smart with big ideas, but even a guy like him remains a whore to our political process? I guess I've known for a while that a new President couldn't veer that far from their predecessor's path, but, oh god... Bush vs. Obama? It's in your face this time. This mix is full of songs that I thought had a vaguely 1970s feeling. They're all filled with life and, except for Bat For Lashes, some form of joy. It's too easy to make sad songs; I like songs that fill more vague emotional places -- if you're feeling bittersweet, then a happy song can be sad as hell, but rarely the other way around.
01. Yuksek - "I Could Never Be A Dancer" (Away From The Sea)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Yuksek
02. Shogun Kunitoki - "Riddarholmen" (Vinonaamakasio)
- Start time: 3:14; Links: [Fonal->www.fonal.com/] - [Shogun Kunitoki->www.shogunkunitoki.com/]
03. What's Up? - "Seasoning's Greeting" (Content Imagination)
- Start time: 6:32; Links: [Obey Your Brain->www.obeyyourbrain.com/] - [What's Up?->www.myspace.com/whatsupwhatsupwhatsup]
04. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - "Can't Hear My Eyes" (Can't Hear My Eyes 7")
- Start time: 11:43; Links: Mexican Summer - Ariel Pink
05. Bat For Lashes - "The Big Sleep" (Two Suns)
- Start time: 14:54; Links: [Bat For Lashes->www.batforlashes.com/]
06. Zu - "Erinys" (Carboniferous)
- Start time: 17:45; Links: Ipecac - [Zu->www.myspace.com/zuband]
07. Aavikko - "Specto Supernus" (Novo Atlantis)
- Start time: 21:28; Links: 9pm - [Aavikko->www.aavikko.net/]
08. Cheer-Accident - "And Then You Realize You Haven't Left Yet" (Fear Draws Misfortune)
- Start time: 26:03; Links: [Cuneiform->www.cuneiformrecords.com/] - [Cheer-Accident->www.cheer-accident.com/]
09. Blank Dogs - "No Compass" (Under And Under)
- Start time: 27:34; Links: [In The Red->www.intheredrecords.com/] - [Blank Dogs->www.myspace.com/blankdogtime]
10. Javelin - "Vibrationz" (Jamz n Jemz)
- Start time: 30:13; Links: [Javelin->www.myspace.com/hotjamzofjavelin]
Chocolate Grinder Mix 13
I love variety, and for this mix I've selected the spaciest hip-hop, the creepiest electronica, and the freakiest folk, making it the perfect concoction to soundtrack the depths of your next ether binge. Through the latest bloopy gifts from Alpha Pup, an epic progressive selection from prodigy Nathan Fake, and bizarre indie electronic hybrids from Niobe and Joan Of Arc, Chocolate Grinder is proud to bring you some of the most spectacular mutants of the year, too weird to live, too rare to die. Unusual for the series, recent re-releases have placed tracks from Young MC's 1989 debut (no, I didn't pick "Bust A Move") and the 70s recordings of the gloriously absurd Kath Bloom in the CG range. As a TMT reader, you get used to things like seeing your dead grandmother crawling up your leg with a knife in her teeth, but nobody should be asked to handle this trip.
01. Ras G - "Earthly Matters" (Brotha From Anotha Planet)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Alpha Pup - Ras G
02. Nosaj Thing - "Us" (Drift)
- Start time: 4:51; Links: Alpha Pup - Nosaj Thing
03. Serengeti & Polyphonic - "My Patriotism" (Terradactyl)
- Start time: 7:55; Links: Anticon - Serengeti & Polyphonic
04. Young MC - "Non Stop" (Stone Cold Rhymin')
- Start time: 10:53; Links: Delicious Vinyl
05. Voodeux - "3rd Floor" (The Paranormal)
- Start time: 14:16; Links: Mothership - Voodeux
06. Nathan Fake - "Castle Rising" (Hard Islands)
- Start time: 18:49; Links: Border Community - Nathan Fake
07. Kath Bloom - "The Breeze/My Baby Cries" (Love Takes This Course)
- Start time: 27:46; Links: Chapter - Kath Bloom
08. Fink - "Six Weeks" (Sort Of Revolution)
- Start time: 31:57; Links: Ninja Tune - Fink
09. Joan Of Arc - "Flowers" (Flowers)
- Start time: 34:59; Links: Polyvinyl - Joan Of Arc
10. Niobe - "Lovely Day" (Blackbird's Echo)
- Start time: 41:36; Links: Tomlab - Niobe
Chocolate Grinder Mix 12
I titled this mix after Marcel Duchamp's The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (a.k.a. The Large Glass), an artwork from which the title Chocolate Grinder derives its name. For an artist who (in)famously submitted a toilet to an art show, I thought it appropriate to cobble together a mix of tunes that hinge more heavily on context for "understanding." (Not that you can't go in blind, if that's your thing.) My last mix was about as rock as I get, so this time I primarily emphasized songs that were either more overtly fluid (Mountains, Andrew Broder) or so grippingly visceral (Talibam!, John Wiese) that you can't help but reexamine our heftiest mythologies. I also included an older track, "His Mister's Pet Whistles," from the forthcoming reissue of the criminally overlooked Major Organ release. Sit tight and you'll get some consonance toward the end.
01. Nice at Home - "Never Use a Condom More Than Once" (Visitor)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Nice at Home
02. Pink Mountain - "Thee Red Lion" (Pink Mountain)
- Start time: 1:17; Links: Sickroom - Pink Mountain
03. Sore Eros - "Below It Begins" (Second Chants)
- Start time: 6:18; Links: SHDWPLY - Sore Eros
04. Major Organ and the Adding Machine - "His Mister's Pet Whistles" (Major Organ and the Adding Machine)
- Start time: 8:28; Links: Orange Twin - Major Organ Wikipedia
05. Andrew Broder - "Where The Guy Gets Killed" (Spiraling)
- Start time: 10:48; Links: Andrew Broder
06. Talibam! - "Entertaining The After Beast" (Boogie In The Breeze Blocks)
- Start time: 15:45; Links: ESP-Disk - Talibam!
07. Oneida - "What's Up, Jackal" (Rated O)
- Start time: 21:04; Links: Jagjaguwar - Oneida
08. John Wiese - "Circle Snare (Second Part)" (Circle Snare)
- Start time: 24:08; Links: No Fun - John Wiese
09. Mountains - "Choral" (Choral)
- Start time: 29:11; Links: Thrill Jockey - Mountains
10. James Blackshaw - "Cross" (The Glass Bead Game)
- Start time: 41:57; Links: Young God - James Blackshaw
Chocolate Grinder Mix 11
In case you were wondering, we try to get permission for all the songs on these Chocolate Grinder mixes. We'll ask record labels, management, and publicists to use an artist's material, but we rarely contact the artists themselves. For Chocolate Grinder Mix 11, I decided to take the whole process over to MySpace, where the only thing coming between my pleas for tracks and the brilliant, visionary musicians making them was MySpace's shittily designed webpage and a glitchy music player. Some of the artists here are more known than others, but they were all super, super nice and quick to respond! For all the bands that I've left off, this is only volume one of who knows how many. Keep up the good work! NUFF SAID.
01. Aquwa Boys - "Come On Baby"
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Aquwa Boys
02. Silk Flowers - "Chance of Showersl"
- Start time: 1:34; Links: Silk Flowers
03. Tiny Fights- "Whats Mine"
- Start time: 5:50; Links: Tiny Fights
04. WETDOG - "8 Days"
- Start time: 9:43; Links: WETDOG
05. Rainbow Arabia - "The Basta"
- Start time: 11:43; Links: Rainbow Arabia
06. The Craters - "Kissables"
- Start time: 15:24; Links: The Craters
07. The Yataris - "Matty Hand is On Fire pt. 1"
- Start time: 16:53; Links: The Yataris
08. Zola Jesus - "Odessa"
- Start time: 19:56; Links: Zola Jesus
09. MEGA WAND - "Faux Reign"
- Start time: 24:00; Links: MEGA WAND
10. Max Elliott - "Go Down Moses"
- Start time: 26:40; Links: Max Elliott
Chocolate Grinder Mix 10
Some people don't like computer music. I know. I was once one of them. I was a classic rock guy who thought (and often said aloud) electronic music had no soul. Then something mystical, or probably chemical, happened. It was like I felt my own heart beating for the first time. All these wonderful build-ups, breakdowns, arpeggios, basslines, pads, bloops, and bleeps started swirling in my head like a tornado. Ever since, I've been addicted to pure electric sound and all of its various forms. If approached with an open mind, and preferably a touch of social lubrication, this mix should do the same for you. This journey gathers the finest producers from Canada, Venezuela, America, Germany, Australia, and the UK to guide you through vintage throwback, moody orchestral, nu-breaks, hip-hop, indie funk, progressive acid, and other wild variations of the electronic form. Jon Hopkins, fresh from co-producing Coldplay with Eno, delivers a sweeping mood piece as intricate in its bass tweaks as in its melodic piano progression. Edmonton's Shout Out Out Out Out finds hope in dark places with their two drummers, four bassists, and an army of synths. Both of those songs come from albums that will be making some year-end lists this year. Many selections here are rarer, but no less pivotal. Since the majority of these tracks were designed to be played at festivals and nightclubs with massive sound systems, this mix should be played at a high volume and in dim yet colorful lighting to get the maximum effect.
01. DJ Hell - "Germania" (Teufelswerk)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: International Deejay Gigolo - DJ Hell
02. Jon Hopkins - "Vessel" (Insides)
- Start time: 8:45; Links: Domino - Jon Hopkins
03. Seventh Swami - "Forever You Forever Me" (Here For Now)
- Start time: 13:00; Links: Muti Music - Seventh Swami
04. Spoonbill - "Wonkball" (Zoomorphic)
- Start time: 18:37; Links: Omelette - Spoonbill
05. Sole & The Skyrider Band - "Nothing Is Free (Subtitle Remix)" (Remix LP)
- Start time: 23:13; Links: Black Canyon - Sole & The Skyrider Band
06. EPROM - "64 Bytes (ill.gates Rmx feat. Meesha & Mat The Alien)" (64 Bytes Remixes)
- Start time: 25:58; Links: Addictech - EPROM
07. Yppah - "Gumball Machine Weekend" (Gumball Machine Weekend EP)
- Start time: 29:50; Links: Ninja Tune - Yppah
08. Jogger - "Nice Tights" (Friends of Friends Volume 1)
- Start time: 33:47; Links: FoF Music - Jogger
09. Shout Out Out Out Out - "Remind Me In Dark Times" (Reintegration Time)
- Start time: 38:34; Links: Normals Welcome - Shout Out Out Out Out
10. Kid606 - "Good Times" (Shout At The Döner)
- Start time: 47:20; Links: Tigerbeat6 - Kid606
Chocolate Grinder Mix 09
This mix is intended to take us somewhere, if not spiritually, then at least geographically. We start out in Philadelphia with Hermit Thrushes (new LP Slight due in June) and travel to various U.S. cities like Brooklyn with Dirty Projectors ("Stillness Is the Move" 12-inch single on Domino), New York with Headless Heroes, Oakland with Cryptacize, Atlanta with Deerhunter (Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP due in June on Kranky), and Williamsport with Akron/Family (new LP Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free due 5/5). After making a short but sweet stop with Yonlu in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, we head to Ethiopia to catch Mulatu Astake with UK-based The Heliocentrics. The mix ends in West Africa, first in Burkina Faso with Hermas Zopoula (whose Espoir will be released May 19 via Asthmatic Kitty) and then in Senegal with Mor Thiam, the latter of which takes us all the way back to 1972 (a reissue of Thiam's Spiritual Jazz will be released soon on Now-Again Records). In this age of globalization, it's refreshing to know that music can still overtly reflect a geographical bias.
01. Hermit Thrushes - "Snowflake Heart" (Slight Fountain)
- Start time: 0:00; Links: Joyful Noise - Hermit Thrushes
02. Dirty Projectors - "Stillness Is the Move" (Bitte Orca)
- Start time: 2:04; Links: Domino - Dirty Projectors
03. Cryptacize - "Tail & Mane" (Mythomania)
- Start time: 7:18; Links: Asthmatic Kitty - Cryptacize
04. Deerhunter - "Rainwater Cassette Exchange" (Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP)
- Start time: 10:33; Links: Kranky - Deerhunter
05. Akron/Family - "Everyone Is Guilty" (Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free)
- Start time: 12:50; Links: Dead Oceans - Akron/Family
06. Headless Heroes - "True Love Will Find You in the End" (The Silence of Love)
- Start time: 18:43; Links: Names - Headless Heroes
07. Yonlu - "Little Kids" (A Society in Which No Tear Is Shed Is Inconceivably Mediocre)
- Start time: 22:00; Links: Luaka Bop>http://www.luakabop.com] - [Yonlu
08. Mulatu Astake & The Heliocentrics - "Addis Black Widow" (Inspiration Information)
- Start time: 23:16; Links: Strut - The Heliocentrics - Mulatu Astatke
09. Hermas Zopoula - "Alpha Et Omega" (Espoir)
- Start time: 26:53; Links: Asthmatic Kitty - Hermas Zopoula
10. Mor Thiam - "Ayo Ayo Nene" (Spiritual Jazz)
- Start time: 29:20; Links: Now-Again Records - Mor Thiam
Chocolate Grinder Mix 08
I've been watching Ken Burns' Jazz documentary miniseries lately. Through all the talking head hyperbole, the earliest incarnations of the music -- "minstrel music" and ragtime -- expose steady rhythm and heavy syncopation as the broader genre's first massive innovation. A lot of people have trouble believing that jazz and swing were once America's form of popular music, but as the youth's first real exposure to driving rhythm, it's no wonder. Since then, harmony has become increasingly homogenized --losing its regional associations -- while rhythm has continued to be boiled down to basic elements. Popular music is still very much about the "beat." I put together this mix with that simple truth in mind.
01. The Cool Kids - "Pennies" (When Fish Ride Bicycles)
- Start time: 0:00; links: The Cool Kids -
Chocolate Ind.
02. Mr. Oizo - "Cut Dick" (Lambs Anger)
- Start Time: 3:00; links: [Mr. Oizo->www.myspace.com/oizo3000] - [Ed Banger->www.edbangerrecords.com]
03. CLP - "Superconfidential" (Supercontinental)
- Start Time: 5:48; links: CLP - Shitkatapult
04. DOOM feat. Ghostface Killah - "Chinatown Wars"
- Start time: 9:59; links: DOOM
05. DJ Signify feat. Aesop Rock - "Low Tide" (Of Cities)
- Start time: 13:28; links: DJ Signify - Bully Records
06. Cry Baby Genius - "Welcome to the Horror" (Patty Marcell's Big Shot Yard Sale)
- Start time: 17:43; links: Cry Baby Genius - [Squids Eye->www.squidseyerecords.com]
07. Myka 9 - "To the Sky" (1969)
- Start time: 20:57; links: Myka 9 - Fake Four
08. Kraddy - "Android Porn" (single)
- Start time: 23:37; links: Kraddy - Glitch Mob Unlimited
09. Busdriver feat. Flying Lotus - "Will He (inaugural tribute)"
- Start time: 30:30; links: Busdriver
10. Bizzart - "Android Hearts" (Future Stars and Small Wonders)
- Start time: 33:31; links: Bizzart - Joyful Noise
