Sound Travels here with your digital recap of today's set at noon. Really, all apologies, it's been awhile since I followed the set with a blog, but will be on the regular from here on out. The honest truth is that I was feeling all themed-out, I love the music that I share, don't get me wrong here, it's just that a theme feels more like a fence at times. And sometimes I just like to explore, without the border of a theme fencing the feeling in false containment. I like themes from time to time, but really, really think the theme of Sound Travels is the trip and not the destination. Some stops are familiar, others exotic. Though the details change in the mix, that we travel stays constant. And the trip today started with a nice piece of afro-jazz from Mombassa.
Into Something from Black Heat's first album, one of the best funk acts to record for Atlantic Records during the 70's. New Music from Blockhead, a New York beatsmith whose resume includes Aesop Rock, Slug, Murs and many more. His productions are multi-layered, deep, hip hop instrumentals that are worth the listen.
A bit of Roni Size to move the mix and get you the neo-psychedelic groove of the Flaming Lips' latest single, from the Embryonic EP, I am a fan. The backside of the mix features an artist whom I've been into for a bit now, Scotland's version of M.I.A.-- Soom T. Though someone is bound to make the comparison, they are quite unalike apart from their freshness. She has been getting steady work with '45's on Maffi Records and a bunch of crucial collabs with the Mungo's HiFi cats. Here is a gem I scored from her album, which as far as I can tell is brand new and likely made its Milwaukee debut right here on ST. El Bib, out of London, with a dubsteppy roots reggae riddim swing the sound of Paris-born, Spain-livin' beat originator Guts, with a song that has one foot in hip hop as the other skanks to his riddim, reggae re-fixes like this rarely sound this nice-- pura vida. Speaking of reggae, a classic from Mr. Buddy Bye himself, Johnny Osbourne here ends the sound inna fine fashion, reminding you how good the roots really is. Tracklisting: Artist-title-release-time played Mombassa "Al Rahman" African Rhythm & Blues 12:02-12:08 Black Heat "Honey Love" The Music 12:08-12:12 Blockhead "Raining Clouds" The Music Scene 12:12-12:14 Roni Size/Reprazent "Boombox" New Forms 12:14-12:16 The Flaming Lips "Silver Trembling Hands" Embryonic Digital EP 12:16-12:20 Soom T "What Is Life?" Consoomer 12:20-12:22 El Bib "King Djoser's Dub" Revolutionary Dub Vibrations Chapter 1 12:22-12:24 Guts "L.U.V." Nightmares On Wax Presents Wax On Records vol. 2 12:24-12:26 Johnny Osbourne "Rock & Come In" Mr.Buddy Bye 12:26-12:30
