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The Mixtapes

If we still lived in the age of the cassette I’d lovingly put this together for you on a TDK and pop it through your letter box (if, that is, letter boxes are still a thing). Anyway, instead, mixtapes from my ears to yours are available on mixcloud, where there is no need to craft hand-written labels that demonstrate my love and affection. Mostly, these mixtapes are what I’ve been listening to during the week; new releases, tunes I’ve encountered for the first time, old favourites and stuff I’ve dredged up – you know the score, you’ve got your own music collection. Hope you enjoy. x

Blown leaves make bat-shapes…

“Wind warns November’s done with. The blown leaves make bat-shapes, Web-winged and furious.” – Sylvia Plath

Here are some tunes to tame the web-winged and furious and get you through November, along with some studio disharmony courtesy of The Troggs. Including The Beta Band, The Budos Band, Fela Kuti, Duval Timothy, Massive Attack, Bill Frisell, Neu!, Melt Yourself Down and more.

Track List

  1. Christine and the Queens — My birdman
  2. Bill Frisell – Waltz for Hal Willner
  3. Duval Timothy – Wood (feat. Yu Su)
  4. Max Tundra – Ink Me
  5. Massive Attack – Pray For Rain
  6. Neu! – Hallo Excentrico!
  7. The Beta Band – Life
  8. The Moldy Peaches – What Went Wrong
  9. Weekend – Past Meets Present
  10. Hollis Crew – It’s The Beat
  11. Fela Kuti & Afrika 70 – Mr. Follow, Follow
  12. The Budos Band – Mark of the Unnamed
  13. The Lovely Eggs – Fuck It
  14. Melt Yourself Down – Caribbean Fire Dance (Lewisham Drop)

Chilly weather recipe…

Reluctant to turn the heating on due to rising fuel prices? Here’s a selection of tunes to warm you up. With tunes from The Bad Plus, Bjork, Shygirl, Prosper, Alter Ego, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Shit Robot and more.

Track List

  1. The Bad Plus – Not Even Close To Far Off
  2. Up, Bustle & Out – Hip Hop Barrio
  3. Hot Chocolate – Everything Should Be Funky
  4. Jamie Branch – Theme 001
  5. Shit Robot – Feels Real (Extended Dance Version)
  6. Us3 – Lie, Cheat & Steal (feat. Akala & Oveous Maximus)
  7. Loyle Carner – NO CD
  8. Sinead O’Brien – Like Culture
  9. Fontaines DC – A Hero’s Death (Soulwax Remix)
  10. Prosper – Slutty Snoop
  11. Myniemo – Discoplex (Original Mix)
  12. Alter Ego – Fuckingham Palace
  13. The Noisy Freaks – Get Down
  14. jazz.K.lipa – Follow The Bouncing Bass (DJ Wood Remix)
  15. Gee T. Key – Funk It up That Black Juicy Bottom (Radio Edit)
  16. Akabu – I’m Not Afraid of the Future (Joey Negro Medusa Mix Edit)
  17. She Wants Revenge – Tear You Apart
  18. Beans & Fatback – Bombshell
  19. Shygirl – Woe
  20. Bjork – Mycelia
  21. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Red Right Hand
  22. Wolf Alice – Don’t Delete The Kisses (Jelani Blackman Remix)
  23. Galt MacDermot – Coffee Cold

A very British queue…

A giant queue is currently snaking through central London along the River Thames. This mix is for anyone waiting in line, anywhere. With tracks from HolyU, Zero 7, Re-Tide, Romare, ESG, Massive Attack, Max Richter, Elastica, Depeche Mode and more.

Track List

  1. Massive Attack – Blue Lines
  2. HolyU – Hidden Lines
  3. Zero 7 – In The Waiting Line (feat. Sophie Barker)
  4. ESG – Standing In Line
  5. Elastica – Line Up
  6. Harry Belafonte – Jump In The Line
  7. Raphael Saadiq – Movin’ Down The Line
  8. Re-Tide – Funky Line (Original Mix)
  9. Tom Tom Club – On The Line Again (Album Version)
  10. Romare – Down The Line (It Takes a Number)
  11. Caro – Form A Line
  12. Depeche Mode – Waiting For The Night
  13. The Avener feat. Jake Isaac – Waiting Here
  14. Llorca – Waiting (Rim Laurens Remix)
  15. Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs – Get In Line Brother
  16. Max Richter; Louisa Fuller; Natalia Bonner; John Metcalfe; Caroline Dale; Will Schofield; Andy Massey – On Reflection

Mafting and sweating cobs…

Here’s 47 minutes of tunes to listen to in the sunshine, to assist your chillin’. With tracks from Fela Kuti, Danger Mouse, Snail Mail, Peggy Gou, Jonathan Richman and more.

Track List

  1. Kool & The Gang – Summer Madness
  2. Roy Ayers – Everybody Loves The Sunshine
  3. Danger Mouse – Aquamarine (feat. Michael Kiwanuka)
  4. War – Spill The Wine
  5. Fela Kuti – Water No Get Enemy
  6. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Sun Is Shining
  7. Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers – That Summer Feeling
  8. Snail Mail – Heat Wave
  9. Sly & The Family Stone – Hot Fun in the Summertime
  10. Peggy Gou – Nabi

Our future is golden…

An assortment of relevant tracks following Boris Johnson’s statement in Downing Street on 7 July, 2022. “Even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden.” Includes Steve Lacy, Lil Silva, The Charlatans, The O’Jays, Lo Fidelity Allstars, Public Enemy, Kurtis Blow, James Brown, DJ Food, Badboe and Lizzo.

Track List

  1. Lizzo – About Damn Time
  2. Steve Lacy – Gemini
  3. Lil Silva – To The Floor
  4. The Charlatans – Opportunity Three
  5. The O’Jays – For The Love of Money
  6. Lo Fidelity Allstars – Lazer Sheep Dip Funk
  7. Public Enemy – Can’t Truss This
  8. Kurtis Blow – The Breaks
  9. James Brown – The Payback
  10. DJ Food – The Breaks Of Wrath
  11. Badboe – Walk Out Laughing (Break The Box Remix)

Are we to plead, are we to beg?…

Some tunes to make you move and to accompany your industrial action, accompanied by the RMT’s Mick Lynch.

Track List

  1. Daft Punk – Revolution 909
  2. Joe Smooth – Promised Land (Original Mix)
  3. Heaven 17 – (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (Duckbeats_So_Yo_Dub)
  4. Adam Freedland – We Want Your Soul
  5. William Onyeabor – Why Go to War
  6. Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip – Thou Shalt Always Kill
  7. The Knife – A Tooth For An Eye
  8. Autechre – Flutter
  9. The Wailers – Get Up, Stand Up
  10. Gil Scott-Heron – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
  11. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
  12. The Beatles – Revolution 1

Life is better in flip-flops…

It is June and the world smells of roses, including tracks from J Rocc, Yaya Bey, Perfume Genius, Raw Poetic, Laptop Funkers, Omegaman, Jayl Funk, Nick Mulvey. Apparently, this show was “13th in the global instrumental hip hop chart.”

Track List

  1. Omegaman – Hip Drop
  2. Laptop Funkers – Soul Feel Free
  3. Jayl Funk – Keep On Singing
  4. J Rocc – Keep on (Yeah)
  5. Yaya Bey – alright
  6. Perfume Genius – Pop Song
  7. Raw Poetic – Reflected Pearls
  8. Matthew E. White – Cool Out
  9. Nick Mulvey – The Gift
  10. The Joubert Singers – Stand on the World

Something for the weekend…

Just a little something for the weekend. Including tracks from Steve Cobby, Sandrino, Everything’s Everything, Working Men’s Club, Omar S, Ray Okpara, Bozzwell, Voom:Voom, Yard Act, Aquasky, Moodeena.

Track List

  1. Steve Cobby – Green Limbs (Original Mix)
  2. Everything’s Everything – Schoolin’
  3. Sandrino – Da Booda (Deep Mix)
  4. Bozzwell – In My Cocoon (Original Mix)
  5. Moodena – Deep Fried Funk
  6. Working Men’s Club – Teeth
  7. Ray Okpara – Bounce to This (feat. Obi Jazz)
  8. Omar S – The Shit Baby
  9. Voom:Voom – Ginger & Fred
  10. Yard Act – Pour Another
  11. Aquasky – Superbad
  12. Peter Doherty – Far From The Madding Crowd

Nearly summer, eh?…

It’s time to start knotting the hanky for your balding head and dust off your speedos, so here are a few tunes to gather thoughts as we move into summer. With tracks from English Teacher, Deadmau5, Rufus Du Sol, Bicep and more.

Track List

  1. English Teacher – Yorkshire Tapas
  2. The Rolling Stones – Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
  3. Boards of Canada – Reach For The Dead
  4. FOOOL – MiniCity
  5. Cosmic Sandwich – Vantage Point
  6. Rufus Du Sol – Until The Sun Needs To Rise
  7. Jon Hopkins – Open Eye Signal
  8. Dom Kane – Low Pass Friends
  9. A Sagittariun – The Mind Blanks At The Glare (Extended)
  10. Deadmau5 – Polaris
  11. DJ T – Blaze
  12. Oxia – Domino
  13. Bicep – Glue
  14. BD1982 – Calibration Alive