matthew levinson

I’ve been rambling on about this Sydney Festival gig supporting Caribou, Mountains in the Sky and Jamie Lloyd at the Hyde Park Barracks for ages. It finally happened on Thursday night. Despite the rain, and the sheets of red dust flying everywhere and especially all over the records (as they played), it was a blast. Loads of great people in attendance, great bands, great people running things. My mum even came. What more could you want?

I fell off my scooter on the way home from work beforehand, so I loaded up with ibuprofen and played records for a couple of hours (before and between bands), and then took yesterday off to recuperate, giving me a chance to record some of the songs from Thursday’s set. A few didn’t make it in: Crayon Fields, Os Mutantes, Architecture in Helsinki, Incorporated Thang Band, Ballistic Brothers, John Cale, Gregory Isaacs, Dizzy Gillespie, Sheila Hylton, Caetano Veloso, but the rest did… I’ve split it in two.

I hope it soundtracks something great.

[Part 1 - With Caribou] (128kbps MP3)

01. Butthole Surfers ‘Barking Dog’ from Hurdy Gurdy Man [Rough Trade 7", 1990]
02. The Dream Syndicate ‘When You Smile’ from The Days of Wine and Roses [Slash LP, 1982]
03. Tooth ‘Shift’ [Soft Records 12", 2002]
04. Primal Scream ‘Loaded’ from Screamadelica [Creation LP, 1991]
05. Fat Jon ‘Wood Grained Love Stain’ from A Side of Counterflow [Counterflow LP, 2004]
06. Terry Callier ‘Love Theme from Spartacus (4 Hero Main Mix)’ [Talkin' Loud 12", 1998]
07. Del Dongo ‘Samiscience’ [F Communications 12", 2002]
08. The Y2Ks ‘Sydney Harbour Bridge’ from Nicht Sushi EP [LADO 12", 2000]
09. Scattered Order ‘Sheer Remix’ [Volition white label 12", 1992]
10. Ryuichi Sakamoto ‘Riot in Lagos (Creative Use re-edit)’ [white label 12", 2004]

[Part 2 - With Caribou] (128kbps MP3)

11. Captain Comatose ‘Pricegun Baby’ from Acapulco 2001 [Playhouse 12", 2001]
12. Uter ‘Ohm Sweet Ohm’ from Tomorrow’s Clown’s [OSCARR 12", 2003]
13. The B-52s ‘Loveland’ from Mesopotamia [Warner Bros LP, 1982]
14. Joakim ‘Teenage Kiss (vocal)’ [Kitsune 12", 2005]
15. Air ‘Don’t Be Light (Neptunes Remix)’ from Everybody Hertz [Source LP, 2002]
16. Can ‘Soul Desert’ from Can Soundtracks [Liberty LP, 1971]
17. Soul Kid Allstars ‘Take 1’ from Turntables on the Hudson Vol 1 sampler [Rhythm Love 12", 1999]
18. Eddie Henderson ‘Inside You’ from Heritage [Blue Note, 1976]

One of my friends got permanent residency on Friday. It shouldn’t be something to celebrate. He was recognised as a refugee from Afganistan three years ago. It’s six years since he saw his family last. It took masses of red tape. But he got it. So it’s a major celebration. Major! Everything else this weekend dropped, replaced by an after dusk feast Auburn-style.

Linked is a soundtrack I made for the occasion. It’s celebratory and optimistic, even if the tone’s dark and gritty at times.

Kinski – Silent Biker Type (Sub Pop)
Horsepower Productions – Marseilles Connection (Tempa)
Chiapet – Tick Tock (Two Lone Swordsmen R.G.C. Remix) (Phonography)
Ides – Limer (Acid Fuckers Unite)
Second Protocol – Bass Lick (East West)
Jammin – Kinda Funky (Wookie Remix) (Bingo)
Pressure feat. Warrior Queen – Money Honey (Remix) (Hyperdub)
Rhythm & Sound – Let We Go (feat. Ras Donovan & Ras Perez – Villalobos Remix) (Burial Mix)
Kim Hiorthøy – Hej, Vart Blev Det Av Dat En, Kim? (Alog’s Album Remix) (Smalltown Supersound)
Boxcutter – Rikta (Planet Mu)
Sun – Reach For The Sky (Pluramon Remix) (Staubgold)

DOWNLOAD: Overland From Kabul

The Cosmonauts of Inner Space featuring Ari Up – Allergy
Arrow – Groove Master (Acid Soca House Dub)
Donovan Bennett – Jonkanoo
Explainer – Rasta Chick
Mighty Duke – Rock Meh
Morgan Geist – Probs
Dimitri From Paris – Dirty Larry (Idjut Boys Roast Beef Remix)
The Tiki Two – The Best is Yet to Come