Tag: france

[Mix for NTS Radio] Getting Warmer Episode 20: Early Choral Music Special

Here’s my most recent episode of Getting Warmer for NTS Radio. This one is comprised of entirely early Western vocal music (technically some of this is toeing the line into the Baroque period), completely a capella, and mostly sacred, though at least one of these songs is a non-devotional love song. I’ve listed the composer as the artist, and then the performers in parentheses after the song title. In full transparency, I’m neither an expert on this stuff nor am I at all religious–I just really love this music, and I think it makes an ideal winter hibernation soundtrack. I hope you like it too. You can download an mp3 version here. Stay warm!

Tracklist: 1. Hildegard von Bingen – O Lucidissima (Rosa Lamoreaux & Hesperus Ensemble) 2. Claudio Monteverdi – Ah Dolente Partita (Emma Kirkby & The Consort of Musicke) 3. Pérotin – Plainchaint: Viderunt omnes fines terrae (Tonus Peregrinus) 4. Tomás Luis De Victoria – Kyrie (The Tallis Scholars) 5. Léonin – Viderunt Omnes, 2 Part Organum (Tonus Peregrinus) 6. Claudio Monteverdi – Donna, Nel Mo Ritorno (La Venexiana) 7. Unknown composer, 12th century Aquitanian monasteries – Lux refulget (Sequentia) 8. Carlo Gesualdo – Sabbato Sancto, Responsorium 5 (The Hilliard Ensemble) 9. Walter Frye – O florens rosa (The Hilliard Ensemble) 10. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina – Motet Nigra Sum (The Tallis Scholars) 11. Pérotin – Beata viscera (The Hilliard Ensemble) 12. Unknown composer, 13th century England – Conductus: O Maria stella maris (Anonymous 4) 13. Léonin – Pentecost: Repleti sunt omnes (Red Byrd) 14.Thomas Tallis – Spem in alium (Motet for 40 Voices) (The Tallis Scholars)

Guest Mix – Où est allé le temps, 2ème Partie

Guest mix by DBGO (Soundcloud / YouTube / Playmoss)

Editor’s note: I’m thrilled to share a follow-up mix from Barcelona-based DBGO, whose YouTube channel is a treasure trove of rarities, and who makes an equally transportive series of mixes, many of which focus on a time-and-location specific musical subgenres and can send you down months-long rabbit holes. You can listen to Part One here. This is another selection of French folk avant-garde between 1976 and 1989. Hope you enjoy it.

Tracklist: 1. Dominique Guiot – Wind Surf Ballad (1978)
2. Serge Bulot – Euryale (1981)
3. Teddy Lasry – Seven Steps (1983)
4. Serge Korjanevski – Petales de Voix Instrumentale (1988)
5. Frédérick Rousseau – The Opening (1988)
6. Fred Manda – Incantation (1988)
7. Serge Korjanevski – Saisons Du Coeur Instrumentale 2ème Partie (1988)
8. André Ceccarelli et Bernard Arcadio – Forest (1986)
9. Jean-Pierre Boistel et Tony Kenneybrew – A Capucine (1989)
10. Bruno De La Salle – Melodie Orientale (1978)
11. Hector Zazou – By The Sea (1985)
12. Tamia & Pierre Favre – Maroua (1988)
13. Théâtre du Chêne Noir d’Avignon – La 7 (1976)
14. Madhya – Meditations (1987)
15. Lightwave – Modular experiment 4 (1987)
16. Luc Marianni – Synthetic Suite N°3 Pour Synthétiseur (1986)

Guest Mix – Où est allé le temps, 1ère Partie

Guest mix by DBGO (Soundcloud / YouTube / Playmoss)

Editor’s note: I’m thrilled to share this gorgeous mix from Barcelona-based DBGO, whose YouTube channel is a treasure trove of rarities, and who makes an equally transportive series of mixes, many of which focus on a time-and-location specific musical subgenres and can send you down months-long rabbit holes. This is a selection of French folk avant-garde with a little spice from 1980 to 1991.

Tracklist: 1. Bernard Xolotl  – Venusian Aurora, 1981
2. Noco Music – Eclipse, 1989
3. Compagnie chez Bousca  – Song For Nyama: Pluie, Départ Arreté – Song For Nyama, 1991
4. La Fondation – Dérive, 1983
5. Costin Miereanu – Piano – Miroir, 1984
6. Philippe Cauvin – Chanson Facile D’Amour, 1984
7. Brigitte Jardin & Claude Marbehant – Poids-Plume, 1980
8. Ginni Gallan – L’Amour Ça Rend Fou, 1982
9. Steve Waring  – Cailloux Bambou, 1989
10. Cyrille Verdeaux & Bernard Xolotl – Star Gulls, 1981
11. Didier Bonin – Ecumes, 1982
12. Philippe Cauvin – Lolita, 1981
13. Jean-Pierre Boistel / Tony Kenneybrew – Vas Y Peter, 1989
14. Jacques Roman – Melodie Boreale, 1986
15. Daniel Goyone – Danse Des Lamantins, 1986
16. Henry Torgue / Serge Houppin – New Barocco, 1990

Kudsi Erguner & Xavier Bellenger ‎– Conférence Des Roseaux (Ney & Kena), 1984


Another one in a collection of recordings made in locations with amazing natural reverb. This one was recorded over the course of two days in September of 1982 at the Abbaye de Senanque, a Cistercian abbey in Provence. Kudsi Erguner is a Paris-based Turkish ney-flutist, composer, and musicologist, and has contributed to a handful of Ocora records. Xavier Bellenger (here on the kena, or quena, flute) is a French ethnologist and musician who went on to collaborate with Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis. As far as I know, Conférence Des Roseaux was completely improvised.

With the details out of the way, this is music that speaks for itself. Crystalline, deeply expressive, bird-like flute duets that, despite having been recorded indoors, evoke huge space. To me, the audible joy of two very skilled musicians having fun making sounds together is what makes this such a special record.


[Mix for NTS Radio] Getting Warmer Episode 14

Listen to my newest mix for NTS Radio below. Moody slow-burners, futuristic textures, and a few anachronisms. If you like it, you can download an mp3 version here. Enjoy!
Tracklist:
1. Владимир Леви & Ким Брейтбург – Не Уходи, Дарящий (thanks David!)
2. Susumu Yokota – King Dragonfly
3. Roberto Musci & Giovanni Venosta – Water Music
4. Ichiko Hashimoto – La, La Maladie Du Sommeil
5. Penguin Café Orchestra – Numbers 1-4
6. John Martyn – Please Fall In Love With Me
7. Yumi Murata – Face To Face
8. Unknown Artists (Burundi) – Akazehe Par Deux Jeunes Filles
9. Ryuichi Sakamoto – Put Your Hands Up (Opening) (TBS News 23 1997)
10. Wilson Tanner – Pilot
11. Françoise Hardy – Ce N’est Pas Un Rêve
12. Sean McCann – Video Singing Score No.3
13. Alice Coltrane – Yamuna Tira Vihari
14. Nuno Canavarro – Antica/Burun
15. Dolly Parton – Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can)

[Mix for NTS Radio] Getting Warmer Episode 12


My newest mix for NTS Radio is meant for springtime walking around. (Mom, I think you might like this one.) I’ll be posting an mp3 download version in a week from now. I know it’s been a little quiet around here–I’ve been tied up with another project, but am looking forward to sharing more music next week. If you like this, you can download an mp3 version here. Thanks for listening!

Tracklist:
1. Bill Nelson – Wildest Dreams
2. I-Level – In The Sand
3. Isabelle Antena – How Can They Tell
4. Phill & Friends Band – This Man
5. Ayumi Ishida – Bye Bye Jet
6. Gal Costa – Sebastiana
7. Ntombi & Survival – Think More About Me (Edit)
8. Wham! – Blue (Armed With Love)
9. UB40 – Don’t Break My Heart (Edit)
10. Herb Alpert – Rise
11. George McCrae – I Get Lifted
12. Boz Scaggs – Lowdown
13. Yasuko Agawa – L.A. Night
14. Stereolab – Dear Marge

[Mix for Blowing Up The Workshop] #73


Honored to contribute a mix to Blowing Up The Workshop, which is a very useful archive of mixtapes including many from my own musical and curatorial heroes. I was thinking about escapism, cinematic déjà vu, anime soundtracks, hyper-optimistic fantasy about the experience of tourism, courtyards, commercials, and ruins as I put this together. If you like it, you can download it here. Thanks for listening!

Tracklist:
1. Jun Miyake – Good Morning Yamanashi
2. Giovanni Venosta – Woman In Late
3. Lena D’Água – Tao
4. Nuno Canavarro – Untitled 8
5. Forrest Fang – The Luminous Crowd
6. Einojuhani Rautavaara – Cantus Arcticus I: Melancholy
7. Kurban – Masto A Iran
8. Maria Marquez & Frank Harris – Canto Del Pilon
9. Iury Lech – Barreras
10. Marcel Pérès & Ensemble Organum – Offertoire “Diffusa Est Gratia In Labiis Tuis” (comp. Machaut)
11. Masami Tsuchiya – Never Mind
12. Pale Cocoon – Sora
13. Connie Francis – Siboney
14. Kenji Kawai – Nightstalker
15. Jansen / Barbieri – Breaking The Silence
16. Hiroko Yakushimaru – Tomeina Churippu

Wally Badarou – Colors Of Silence, 2001


I shared Badarou’s Echoes a while ago, and will probably share Words of a Mountain at some point, but I think his most recent solo release tends to get overlooked. Though the title pegs it as yoga music, there’s very little conventional new age to be found here–it feels more like the hotel lobby music of my dreams. I’ve never used it as a yoga accompaniment, but I have done a lot of deep cleaning with it, and I would imagine this would be great driving music. Alternately playful, tropical, nostalgic, reggae-tinged, meditative, cinematic, and as one would expect, endlessly smooth. Badarou himself seems to be conflicted about the work, citing poor promotion and “intimate” distribution. He disavowed it as an instrumental record, instead calling it a compilation of high-quality demos that were put together quickly for a friend’s project. Nobody needs me to say that Badarou is a genius; this is just a reminder that his wizardry holds fast even under unideal circumstance. (If you also listened to CFCF’s Colours of Life a gazillion times, you’ll love this–the sonic palettes and titles are so akin that I suspect it’s a direct nod.)


20 Favorite Releases of 2016

In the spirit of the season, I wanted to share some of my favorite releases of the year. Obviously not exhaustive; just some personal highlights. Let me know if links are broken. Happy holidays!

Previously: 2015

Arthur Russell – World Of Echo, 1986 buy
Bill Nelson – Getting The Holy Ghost Across, 1986 buy / download
Cocteau Twins – Victorialand, 1986 buy
Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd – The Moon And The Melodies, 1986 buy
Coil – Horse Rotorvator, 1986 download
David Hykes – Harmonic Meetings, 1986 buy / download
Double Fantasy – Universal Ave, 1986 buy / download
The Feelies – The Good Earth, 1986 buy / download
Felt – Forever Breathes The Lonely Word, 1986 buy / download
Geinoh Yamashirogumi – Ecophony Rinne, 1986 buy / download
Hiroshi Yoshimura – Soundscape 1: Surround, 1986 download
Isabelle Antena – En Cavale, 1986 buy / download
Janet Jackson – Control, 1986 buy
Just-Ice – Back To The Old School, 1986 buy / download
Linda di Franco – Rise Of The Heart, 1986 download
Nu Shooz – Poolside, 1986 buy
Riccardo Sinigaglia – Riflessi, 1986 download
Toshifumi Hinata – Reality In Love, 1986 download
Virginia Astley – Hope In A Darkened Heart, 1986 download
Zavijava Orchestra – Rivers Of Light, 1986 buy / download

[Mix for NTS Radio] Getting Warmer Episode 6


Listen to my sixth episode of Getting Warmer for NTS Radio below. I thought a lot about musical migration as I was making this: cross-pollination as a result of colonialism; exotic fantasy, escapism, and essentialism; and Brazil, both as a place of origin and as a source of inspiration. If you like it, you can download an mp3 version of it here. Enjoy!

Tracklist:
1. Carpenters – Invocation
2. Fé De Sábio – Crepúsculo
3. Isabelle Antena – Otra Bebera
4. Yellow Magic Orchestra – Shadows On The Ground
5. The Beach Boys – Til I Die (Alternate Mix)
6. Caetano Veloso – Gua
7. Mudd – Summer In The Wood
8. Orchestre Raymond Droz Avec Pierre Cavalli Et Son Orchestre – Passarinhos
9. Light House – 南太平洋
10. The Coconuts – If I Only Had A Brain
11. Googoosh – Sahel Va Darya
12. Brenda Ray – Another Dream
13. Miharu Koshi – 逃亡者
14. Nightingales Recorded by Jean C. Roché – In A Waste Ground Beside A Stream In Provence, June
15. Mariko Fuji – 雪
16. Aaliyah – At Your Best
17. Mike Oldfield – Into Wonderland