March 2011 Mix: Slow Burn

Recorded in glorious mono!

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Side A
1. Kreidler - Cube
2. Konono No. 1 - Kule Kule Reprise
3. Bablicon - Snipanet 1
4. Beach Boys - Do It Again
5. Olivia Tremor Control - I'm Not Feeling Human
6. Beatles - The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
7. Sapat - Dark Silver

Side B
8. Can - Mushroom
9. Yo la Tengo - Nuclear War (Version 1)
10. Phantom Band - E.F. 1
11. Al Green - It Ain't No Fun to Me
12. Rolling Stones - Ain't Too Proud to Beg

The key to this mix was pacing...I wanted to keep things steady, pulling from records with no editing (what can I say, sometimes I can't hit the pause button fast enough on the stereo.) Kreidler starts things out with a pulse, almost dance music, but coming from a factory, or microwave. Segueing from such thoughtful, prim & precise into "Kule Kule Reprise", played on homemade giant thumb pianos made of old auto parts, magnets, junk, is an exercise in juxtaposition. Both retain formal elements of repetition, repetition, repetition, layers indecipherably moving in and out of the mix. "Snipanet 1" enters with the first riff, although a bass guitar riff, jazzy but backed by some suitcase percussion.


I once watched a pallet full of Bablicon CDs get sent to be destroyed. I only rescued 3 of each, and now feel guilty for not piling them all in a dusty box. Some of the most overlooked, adventurous sounds of the 90s and early aughts.

Very organic; which doesn't describe the synth-stomp that begins "Do It Again", which is about as heavy as the Beach Boys get. Skronky, filtered guitars sounding like live wires (is there anyone that uses recording like an instrument as well as OTC did?) highlight "I'm Not Feeling Human", which toes the line between the well-combed Boys and their moptop counterparts, who follow with the galloping story of "Bungalow Bill." Sapat ends Side A (it's vinyl, you gotta keep it to around 20, fools) with "Dark Silver", an unhinged bit of murky, funked-rock, guitar and woodwind solos snaking through the tree-tops.

Kreidler - Kremlin rules from Jörg Langkau on Vimeo.

Try not to blink.

Always wanted to begin a side with "Mushroom", one of the most unique sounding compositions of all-time, with the standout being the shuffling drum beat that has the odd reverb of a fetid tunnel, or laundry shaft. "Nuclear War (Version 1)" is a more light-hearted pieces that again possesses one of my favorite beats in this sing-along version of Sun Ra's "classic." Phantom Band takes it further into space with the calm & collected electro-reggae of "E.F. 1", a smooth landing into the stutter-stomp of "It Ain't Fun to Be Me", finishing with the amped-up "Ain't To Proud to Beg."


Understated but classic cover. And I left off the version with little kids singing; but I'm sure you can find it. Surprisingly feel-good!