MIE Mixtape II

Here is the next installment of whatever I’ve been listening too recently. Its very focused towards the ambient droney and occaionsally noisy side with a good bit of field recordings thrown into the mix. Everything on here I can’t recommend highly enough. Put on some earplugs or play it loud through you speakers, lie back and dream to these soundscapes.

Again like last time to get in the track chapters I have to make it .m4a so if anyone can’t work that format and wants to listen just drop me an email and I’ll send a hard copy.

Download the mixtape here

1. Arve Henriksen – Opening Image on Chiaroscuro. Rune Grammofon

Arve is one third of Supersilent and a trumpeter. He literally has a falsetto of an angel and makes the most ethereal and beautiful music ever. I recently bought three CDs from Rune Grammofon and each have been utterly excellent, such a label.

2. Svarte Greiner – Last Light on Kappe. Type

Every single record Type release is one of pure ambient droney beauty and this is no exception. Eric Skodvin has a masterful command at making Nordic doomscapes. This is the last track from the album and is a beautifully organic and artfully gloomy ending.

3. Supersilent – 9.1 on 9. Rune Grammofon.

The flagship band of the label. Supersilent have been the ever progressing front of Dark Avant Jazz, this album, their latest, sees them loose a drummer and the three remaining members all playing Hammond Organs. Mesmerising.

4. Robert Curgenven – Gran Coda Andante on Oltre. Line/12K

From his site “OLTRE documents the degradation and transformation over two months of live performances of the Transparence and its use within an integrated system of subsonic feedback from ventilators, acoustically gated binaural microphones, modal micro-variations in guitar feedback, field-recordings from across remote areas of Australia and the live, physical interplay of the turntable, dubplate and stylus – combining to create a field which moves beyond the original recordings and their individual spaces.”  i.e its amazing.

5. Tara Jane O’Neil. Beast, Go Along on A Ways Away. K Records

The first track with vocals, and yes the only track this time. But boy is it gorgeous, a cross between Nina Nastasia and the best bits of Grouper. But better than both of them. Tara is actually from the same area/scene as Slint and all that lot, she actually starting playing as bassist for Rodan.

6. Tim Hecker. 7000 Miles on Radio Amor. Kranky

He has been one of my long time favourites, just droning electronic goodness, perfect stuff and I’m quite excited that I finally get to see him, I think he played one gig in Newcaste in ‘07, and its on my birthday. Radio Amor might be my favourite album of his, its ahrd to tell.

7. Richard Skelton. Noon Hill Wood on Landings. Type

This is the first track from his latest incredible album. Hugely expressive mournful strings, field recordings, drones. I always find it hard to describe, but at the forefront of the modern classical world. Plain old gorgeous.

8. Kevin Drumm. Impotent Hummer on Sheer Hellish Miasma. Editions Mego

I was going to give you the last track from this album, its a soft droning piece which seems to have been a precursor to the route Kevin Drumm has since taken after this album. But instead I thought the first track would fit in here. Droning Noise at its best, the album title really explains it all.

9. Deathprod. Tron on Morals & Dogmas. Rune Grammofon.

To complete my RC collection this time. Boomkat like to call this dark ambient, and well they are pretty much correct. Its intense and absorbing, its dark and its ambient, and its made by one of Supersilent. Like all the tracks on this mixtape I think its gorgeous.

10. BJ Nilsen. The Invisible City on The Invisible City. Touch

The closing track to his latest album and the closing track to my latest mixtape.  I’ve used up my word count for the day so this is what brainwashed.com say about the album “The Invisible City is a subtly mind-bending album of crystalline clarity and cold beauty.” I agree.

Hope you enjoy!