Пятхъдесят Шест's very cool 2nd round mixtape:
SIDE A
Sunburned Hand of the Man - Every Direction/The 1st Degree
Sun Ra - Theme of the Stargazers
Einstürzende Neubauten - Selbstportrait mit Kater
Hüsker Dü - Books About UFO's
Tortoise - Six Pack
His Name is Alive - Peace in Detroit
Trans Am - White Rhino
Sun Ra - Outer Spaceways Inc.
Charalambides - Dormant Love
People Like Us - Adridged Too Far
Current 93 - Black Ships Ate the Sky
Kasai Allstars - Kayile/Nyeka Nyeka
SIDE B
Throbbing Gristle - Distant Dreams
Gogol Bordello - When the Trickster Starts A Pokin'
Roxy Music - Virginia Plain
Liars - It's All Blooming Now Mt. Heart Attack
Sun Ra - Next Stop Mars
This Heat - Health and Efficiency
The Capricorns - Steve and Tiffanie
Arto Lindsay - Erotic City
Tape Beatles - Joy and Power
Sun Ra - Second Stop is Jupiter
Jackie-O Motherfucker - Something on Your Mind
Smegma - Walkie Talkie
Pere Ubu - Blow Daddy-O
Sunburned Hand of the Man - Every Direction/The 1st Degree: unsettling dialogue, with a really good groove thrown in for good measure. The only SHOTM song I've ever heard, and it nicely does the job of making me want to hear more.
Sun Ra - Theme of the Stargazers: free jazz type thingy. I'm OK with Sun Ra. although he's not someone whose stuff I'm likely to purchase.
Einstürzende Neubauten - Selbstportrait mit Kater: Good old Einstürzende Neubauten. Every time I hear them I wish I had a huge collection of release and bootlegs. And one day, dear reader, I
will!
Hüsker Dü - Books About UFO's: I'm never sure if I should be a big Hüsker Dü or not; they're one of those bands that one comes across with frequency, and appreciates, but doesn't necessarily get into. This tune is very boppy and friendly.
Tortoise - Six Pack: THis grabs my attention immediately - another cheerful track that just bounces along nicely.
His Name is Alive - Peace in Detroit: Ah now, a slight change. Quiet, considered, nice female vocals. Pleasant. Bit of jazzpop, which is fine. The saxophone is very reminiscent of some Sting songs (a good thing, in case you were wondering).
Trans Am - White Rhino: a weather report and electronic music. I've always loved the use of dialogue in music and this track is very very cool indeed. The best so far! Hurrah!
Sun Ra - Outer Spaceways Inc.: see above Sun Ra comments.
Charalambides - Dormant Love: a nice strummy track, which makes a nice contrast with its surroundings.
People Like Us - Adridged Too Far: my favourite track on the tape. Noise and beat, a lovely tune going on, dialogue and yodelling. Splendid.
Current 93 - Black Ships Ate the Sky: punky stuff, with vocals reminiscent (
very reminiscent) of Mr John Lydon. It's OK, not one of my preferred tracks on the tape, but OK nonetheless.
Kasai Allstars - Kayile/Nyeka Nyeka: this is the sort of thing that makes the mixtape worthwhile. Kasai Allstars are a groupo whom I'd never heard, but they're another one whom I'm desperately impresed with. Excellent tunes, excellent chanting, excellent all round in fact. Finishes off side one in style.
Throbbing Gristle - Distant Dreams: nice enough. Pleasant. Has a recurring noise that sounds not unlike the sound my mobile phone makes when the battery is dying, which confused me at first.
Gogol Bordello - When the Trickster Starts A Pokin': I've heard their stuff, and this is their best song by a long way (not that the rest of it is bad of course). Fun.
Roxy Music - Virginia Plain: everyone knows it, whether they realise it or not, and they jolly well
should know it, too, because it's a classic slice of poserpop.
Liars - It's All Blooming Now Mt. Heart Attack: you see, I'd never heard The Liars either (I was listening to Sting or something, yeah?), and I didn't expect them to sound quite like this. It's just occured to me that I haven't put the Sugababes on a mixtape yet, which must be rectified at some point. Maybe in round four.
Sun Ra - Next Stop Mars: may I venture to opine that this is the best of the Sun Ra tracks on this cassette? Also, see other Sun Ra comments.
This Heat - Health and Efficiency: a bit of guitar fare to perk up proceedings. Never even
heard of this lot mind, they seem OK though. Nice noises going on, and I like the vocals. Hits good groove after a while and kind of ligers there.
The Capricorns - Steve and Tiffanie: OK.
Arto Lindsay - Erotic City: I remember this track - I think it's on the b-side of my 12" of 'Let's Go Crazy'. The essential thing about cover versions - the
only thing about cover versions - is that they should be songs that are considered to be outside of an artists usual 'scene'. This fulfils that nicely. Never heard of Arto Lindsay, either.
Tape Beatles - Joy and Power:Oh yes, this another one I really like. I like the calm, I like the noise, I like the percussion, I like the repetition - 'there's power in repetition', as Chuck D once said. I'd really like to have more of the Tape Beatle's stuff, too. Never heard of them before this.
Sun Ra - Second Stop is Jupiter: see previous Sun Ra comments. The Sun Ra stuff isn't amongst my favourite bits, but it does a good job of keeping an intermittent vein running through the whole thing.
Jackie-O Motherfucker - Something on Your Mind: Of the standard 'song' tracks on this tape, if you get my meaning, this is perhaps my favourite. Slow and meandering.
Smegma - Walkie Talkie: what a strange name for a band. Really, you know, what is going on i people's minds eh? Not like in my day etc etc. Good noise.
Pere Ubu - Blow Daddy-O: Пятхъдесят Шест has drafted in a big cult name to finish of the show, I see. Pere Ubu can't be objected to by anyone, surely? Real stars, and deservedly so.
As I've said before, a very cool tape. Thank you again, Пятхъдесят Шест.