I always mean to record mixes. It just doesn’t happen that often, things get in the way. Magazines to be printed, radio shows to be broadcast, jobs, etc. Here’s a Sunday afternoon mix. Relaxed grooves, light-hearted and optimistic hip-hop, jazz and beats.

[Apres] (128kbps MP3)

01. J.Dilla feat. Dwele ‘Think Twice’ from The Beat Generation [BBE LP, 2004]
02. Pharaoh Sanders ‘You’ve Got to Have Freedom’ from Journey to Find the One [Theresa LP, 1980]
03. SK Radicals ‘I’m Reachin For the Farside’ [People 12", 1999]
04. Joanna Law ‘First Time Ever (Mellow Groove Mix)’ [Beggars Banquet 12", 1990]
05. De La Soul ‘The Mack Daddy On the Left’ [Tommy Boy 12", 1989]
06. Astronomy Class ‘A Bright Tomorrow’ from Exit Strategy [Elefant Traks LP, 2006]
07. Secondo ‘Watch What You’re Saying’ [Dreck 12", 2003]
08. Prefuse 73 and Tommy Guerrero ‘Storm Returns’ [Warp 12", 2003]
09. Cesaria Evora ‘Angola (Get Down Dub by Pepe Braddock)’ [BMG 12", 2003]
10. Common ‘Come Close to Me (Blackbeard’s Summer Madness Vocal)’ [white label 12", 2003]
11. El Diez ‘El Diezco’ [white label 12", ??]
12. Slum Village ‘Do U Re Edit’ [white label 12", ??]

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

Here’s an old mix of mine for ITM. It’s pretty deep and dancey.

# Abstract Rude & Tribe Unique - Ab live at the Goodlife Cafe ‘93 - Battle Axe
# Gray - Drum Mode (Paul Mogg version) - Gomma
# Circadian Rhythms - Seven Seas - Rhythm Love
# Eddie Flashin’ Fowlkes - Soul Train (Rae & Christian’s Soul Strain Mix) - Paper
# Mad Doctor X - Intergalactic Throwdown - Freskanova
# Coda - Latin Quarter (Berlin Mix) - Exceptional
# Daniel Ibbotson - 7 Future Wonders - Clear
# FBA featuring Jason Bruer - From DEIA - Ferox
# New Order - Your Silent Face - Factory
# L’usine - Haze - Ghostly International
# Alexander Robotnick- Dance Boy Dance (Paul Reynolds re-edit) - Art Of Disco
# Matthew Dear - Dog Days - Spectral
# Cassius featuring Ghostface Killah - Thrilla (A Bass Day Remix) - Virgin
# Farley Jackmaster Funk - The Acid Life (Swag’s WGCI Master Mix) - Square Roots
# Marco Passarini - I House U (Radio Edit) - Peacefrog

There’s an indie DJ in Sydney at the moment calling himself Fire In The Disco, but one of the things that stuck with me from being in Tokyo in 2005 is kids asleep beside the dancefloor because the trains shut down in the early hours.

SLEEPING AT THE DISCO (49M)

• Herbie Hancock - Tell Everybody
• Disco Dub Band - For the Love of Money (Underdog mix)
• Domu - Not in Common
• Double U - Secret Love (Metoboman remix)
• Black Devil Disco Club - No Regrets
• Imagination - Changes (Larry Levan version)
• OTW - He Dance Funny
• Domu - Fun No More
• As One - Away From All of This

So that’s the name. The reason it sounds like it does was Jamie Lloyd’s new album, Trouble Within, on Sydney label Future Classic. I’m not saying this mix hits the same notes as that great record. But after listening to Lloyd’s record three times in a row I got thinking about all these other great records and had to listen to them.

I would have fitted some Arthur Russell in, but it was very much of the moment, and in that moment I couldn’t find any.

It’s your birthday, you gonna party, etc. So here’s a soundtrack. 40 minutes of songs. I recorded it rapid fire between househunting yesterday AM and celebrating a friend’s birthday PM. Hope you enjoy.

Suzanne Vega versus 50 Cent - Tom’s Diner (Dangermouse bootleg)
Larry Gold - Travellin
Panda One - She Knows Not (featuring Dena)
Jaylib - The Red
Red Snapper - Drill (Jake One version)
Daniel Merriweather - She’s Got Me (The Calculators mix)
Soundproof Productions - Beyond the Milkyway (120 BPM refix)
Rei Mitsui - Rekodoten Disuku (Max Brennan remix)
Double U - Secret Love (Metaboman remix)

45 minutes of electro, post punk, ambience, pop and dubstep mixed by yours truly.

The following mix of music may do to fill your 45 minutes. I haven’t DJed much this year, but I’ve been getting loads of records, maybe more than at any other time and they’ve all gotta go somewhere. Although, I have to say, this mix is not so much about new stuff as about reevaluating some brilliant older tracks such as the first one from Japanese trumpeter Toshinori Kondo. In fact, the only new ones are from new CDs by TV On The Radio and Scritti Politti and a demo CD from Sydney producer Milkrun - all three CDs mixed in to the set using my extremely high tech Teac CD player.

A friend told me on the weekend that he didn’t talk to me for ages because I looked so intimidating when I’m DJing. Me? I couldn’t believe it either. Anyway, apparently it’s true. I’m like a latter day horned devil behind the decks, or something. Anyway, I hit record while listening to a bunch of music last night.
It’s no Gold Teeth Thief, but if you feel like listening to music (like Style Council, Hermitude, Geeneus, IG Culture, What What and so on) this might be the tonic:

1. The Style Council - Long Hot Summer (Club mix)
2. Hermitude - Ruffwon
3. Demon Boyz - Recognition
4. Jake Slazenger - Lux
5. Spymusic - Notracktitle
6. Geeneus - Da Journey
7. Lionrock - Wet Roads Glisten (remix)
8. Trickski - Hormony
9. Friends from Rio vs Bembe Segue - Cravo E Canela (IG’s Sun of Scientist mix)
10. Tek 9 - Keep It Hot feat What What (IG mix)