Shock World Service

Shock World Service 50

Who’s Gonna Mend My Rainbow? by Cian Ó Cíobháin

28/12/12 Galway, Ireland

1. Chilly Gonzales – Kenaston

A man with an unfair edge on pretty much every other male on the planet – check his track “Take Me To Broadway” where he boasts of having an extra testicle.

2. Rachel Zeffira – To Here Knows When

With talk of a new My Bloody Valentine LP, we’ll try not get our hopes up and wallow instead in this pretty cover of one of the ‘Loveless’ LPs finest moments.

3. Alice Cohen – Cascading Keys

This bears all the hallmarks of a lost 4AD classic but turns out to be the highlight of Alice Cohen’s recent LP ‘Pink Keys.'

4. The Go-Betweens – Bachelor Kisses

Grant McLennan wrote this song during Christmas '83 on his way back to London from New York. He penned it whilst sitting in immigration having been refused entry to the UK.

5. Blood Orange – Instantly Blank (The Goodness)

Dev Hynes, previously of short-lived dance punk troupé Test Icicles and who later went solo playing folk-pop as Lightspeed Champion, won me over briefly with this romantic jam.

6. SlowPlaceLikeHome – Talby’s Tower

2012 was a vintage year for the good folk of Co. Donegal. Not content on sauntering their way to Gaelic football All-Ireland glory, devouring several footballing superpowers on their way.

7. Os Mutantes – Panis Et Circenses

Tropicália legends Os Mutantes from São Paulo, Brazil with this magical mystery tour various music genres from 1966. A

8. Young Dreams – Fog Of War (Korallreven Remix)

Sweden’s Korrallreven remix Norway’s Young Dreams and in the process transport Scandinavia to a 1960’s west coast Brian Wilson-esque wonderland.

9. Animal Collective – Applesauce

I came to their latest LP with pretty low expectations on the back of lukewarm reviews. What a pleasant surprise to find that the haters and naysayers couldn’t have been more off the mark. ‘Centipede HZ’ is a riot of colour and ideas and infinitely more interesting than 90% of what passes for Pitchfork –endorsed indie these days.

10. The Pale Saints – You Tear The World In Two

From Leeds and one of the better of the shoegazing bewildebeast that roamed the pastures of the Melody Maker cultivated indie landscape back in the day.

11. Arthur Russell – Habit Of You

The man with the largest post-humous back catalogue since Johann Sebastian Bach took my breath away when I rediscovered this lost classic from his ‘Love Is Overtaking Me’ LP.

12. Arto Lindsay – Simply Are

From Arto Lindsay’s third solo LP ‘Noon Chill,’ originally released in ’97, the LP masterfully draws on art pop, tropicália & bossa nova traditions.

13. The Durutti Column – My Country

To my shame, I was a latecomer to the music of Vinni Reilly’s The Durutti Column. Finally this year I began to investigate his music – thanks to tips from listeners of my radio show – in spite of being aware of the existence of The Durutti Column since I first heard the immortal words “Factory Records” being uttered by someone at the back of the school bus to Dingle as a young fella.

14. Tortoise – Glass Museum

Keith Wallace AKA Loner Deluxe and éminence grise of the Rusted Rail label was all over post-rock before anyone else during my college days and stuck this one on tape for me during my UCG years.

15. Gene Pitney – 24 Sycamore

Originally a massive hit in Australia for Manchester-born Wayne Fontana in '67, I got to hear the Gene Pitney cover from ’73 before the original.

16. Jim O’ Rourke – Insignificance

‘Insignificance’ is also the title of Chicago musician’s third LP from 2001, from whence this track is lifted from.

17. Laetitia Sadier – Silent Spot

The former Stereolab chanteuse’s second LP ‘Silencio’ was released with a minimum of fanfare in ’12 and boasted several lovely moments.

18. Sonic Youth – Schizophrenia

For me, few singers, or creators of music can better Sonic Youth 1980’s output.

19. Grouper – Alien Observer

One of Liz Harris’ finest ever songs and that’s saying something.

Shock World Service 049

The Coin Operated Winter Podcast by Chequerboard

12/12/12 Dublin, Ireland

1. The National Trust - Music Box

In 2010, the National Trust commissioned Jarvis Cocker to create an album of found sounds taken from heritage sites around the UK.

2. Memory Tapes - Yes I Know

One of my favourite songs of recent years, with 'Yes I know' Dayve Hawk mixes strident military drums with gothic 80s pop stylings.

3. Jonny Greenwood - Toki no Senrei wo Uketeinai mono wo Yomuna

A stand out track from Jonny Greenwoods stunning soundtrack for the film adaptation of Haruki Murakami's book 'Norwegian Wood'.

4. Seti The First - Le Basinette Noir

The opener from the debut album 'Melting Cavalry' by Dublin based Seti The First.

5. Clark - Mother McKnight

A woozy, warm and playful Chris Clark rarity on a release called 'Throttle Clarence'.

6. Katie Kim - Your Mountains

Katie Kim at her brilliant best with this fragile lullaby from her 2012 'Cover to Flood' album.

7. Bogdan Raczynski - Alright (Part 7)

The Canadian prankster is better known for insane drill and bass excursions or tongue in cheek hyperactive mashups but dig a little deeper and you'll unearth exquisite gems like this.

8. Jai Paul - Jasmine

Its always refreshing to have your perception challenged, so I'll never forget hearing the teeth wobbling bass that unhinges everything in this insanely soulful track.

9. Parks - Topaz

This beautiful song takes me back to a more innocent time for ambient music when it was enough to get lost in plateaus of revolving patterns.

10. Ex Confusion - Chapter 5

I discovered Japanese guitarist/laptop minimalist Atsuhito Omori by accident last year but he has subsequently become a mainstay in all my playlists.

11. A Winged Victory For The Sullen - Steep Hills Of Vicodin Tears

Just when I thought US drone masters 'Stars of The Lid' were closing up shop, this stunning side project appears out of nowhere. For me this particular track stands out for its uncharacteristically hopeful and conclusive cello sequence.

12. Sun Kil Moon - Admiral Fell Promises

I actually pulled over the car and parked by the side of the road to listen carefully when I heard this first come on the radio one evening, one of those pinned to the earth moments. It feels like the song that represents everything about Mark Kozelek as an artist.

13. Lilac Time - Love Becomes a Savage

I rediscovered this 1987 gem by The Lilac Time earlier this year. I adored it years ago. It acts as a great reminder of a particular strain of gothic pop recalled and touched on by many artists such as Junior Boys and Memory Tapes now.

14. Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou - Mother's Love

A recent discovery but from an older time, this piece sums up everything wonderful and unique about the music of this Ethiopian nun who still plays for up to eight hours a day in a monastery in Jerusalem where she now resides.

15. The Leisure Society - We were Wasted

This song for me acts as a sister piece to Mark Kozeleks 'Admiral Fell Promises' with its delicate nylon string guitar arrangement and lush vocal harmonies.

16. Message to Bears - Wake Me

A wonderful uplifting piece by Oxford based multi instrumentalist Jerome Alexander.

17. Joe Keawe & His Harmony Hawaiians - Hookipa Paka

After a recent exploration into the cheerful waters of vintage Hawaiian music, I stumbled upon this slow reflective gem.

18. Cleoma Breaux & Joe Falcon - Mon vieux d'autrefois

A similar recent dive into cajun music resulted in discovering the music of Joe Falcon (1900-1965) and his wife Cleoma Breaux (1906–1941).

19. Clark - Frost Investigation

Another music box themed piece seeing as we're wrapping things up.

20. The Doobie Brothers - Busted Down Around O'Connelly Corners

I'll finish off with this brief beautiful guitar passage by Doobie Brothers guitarist James Earl Luft.

Shock World Service 048

Zero Hour by Neil Higgins

02/12/2012 London, United Kingdom

1. Claude Larson & his Computer Controlled Oscillators - Mountains & Meadows

Like a lot of the early synthesizer artists this German producer veers between moments of lush magic & terrible cheesy nonsense, but this is a lovely warm wave of analog atmosphere to kick things off.

2. Tonto’s Expanding Head Band - Cybernaut

When these synth pioneers started making this music around 1969 there were virtually no reference points for what they were doing. This was just the music that the machines seemed to want to make/

3. Mike Vickers - Surf Rider

This slightly re-edited piece of proto-techno was recorded by a former member of Manfred Mann, and featured on a library music LP on the British KPM label.

4. Sid Bass - Moog Espana

The first commercially successful synthesizer record was ‘Switched-On Bach’ by Walter (later to become Wendy) Carlos in 1968. It was an attempt to show that the Moog synthesizer could replicate the full palette of sounds of an orchestra. Although it now feels like a full-on novelty record, it pretty much kick started the popularity of the Moog and launched the idea of using synthesizers in popular music.

5. Adrian Wagner - Where Are We Going

A hypnotic but slightly bonkers epic from the UK Charisma label – home of Genesis and the Monty Python albums.

6. Cabaret Voltaire - Seconds Too Late

Punk might have shattered much of the cosmic pretensions of 70s synthesizer music, but electronic music emerged darker and more experimental after the late 70s.

7. Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company - Ceres Motion

This is just a small section of a 15-minute long minimalist journey. It’s well worth soaking up the incredibly euphoric full-length version.

8. Kraftwerk - Antenna

The Men Machine certainly weren’t the first electronic group, but they were the first to sound like they were in complete control of the machines and to create their own unique sound – mysterious and unearthly but totally catchy.

9. Avida - Il Grillo e la Formica

Some abrasive but romantic electro madness from early 80s Florence, Italy. This features the great Maurizio Dami.

10. David Bowie - Weeping Wall

From the majestic B-side of ‘Low’, Bowie’s Eno-influenced homage to 1970s German electronic music.

11. Makers - Don't Challenge Me

A wonderful, obscure synth-soul classic from a recent compilation ‘Personal Space: Electronic soul from 1974 to 1984’. That’s all I know …

12. Suicide - Touch Me

These New York electro-punk pioneers took electronic music down a completely different back alley – one littered with junkies, muggers and seedy glamour.

13. Cluster – Caramel

Cluster was Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, two of the most legendary figures of 70s German experimental music (OK then, Krautrock – I was trying to avoid using that ridiculous label, but it’s inescapable). This warped minimal groove brings to mind a bunch of ecstatic robots dancing in a forest clearing. Anyway, Dies ist verdammt gut…

14. E.M.A.K. - Filmmuzik

The E.M.A.K. collective were part of an early 80s second wave of German electronic music. Futuristic techno, minimal, deep house – you can hear the germs of all these movements in this track. Although it is 1982 in Germany and these things don’t exist yet, do they?

15. Laurie Anderson - Big Science

Famous for taking ‘O Superman’, an abstract 8-minute minimal experiment, to the top of the charts ­– that could happen in 1982.

16. Rhythim is Rhythim - Kaotic Harmony

The next chapter is well known … when black kids in the urban decay of Detroit, USA, started to absorb some of these sci-fi sounds from Europe and fused them with the ghosts of soul and disco to create Techno. This is a glimpse of how powerful that fusion could be.

17. Cluster - Rosa

Closing with another track from the ‘Zuckerzeit’ LP. Deep, sad and otherworldly. Magic stuff.

Shock World Service 047

Dance of the Dead by Gareth Averill (Great Lakes Mystery)

31/10/2012 Dublin, Ireland

1. Suspiria - Intro (Suspiria OST)

Kicking things off in style are the Italian devil-prog stalwarts, Goblin. This track, given much less attention than the much celebrated, 'Main Theme', features on the soundtrack to seminal Giallo classic, Suspiria, directed by Dario Argento, 1977.

2. Armando Sciascia - Circuito Chiuso (Impressions in Rhythm & Sound)

Italians do it better. This is a psychedelic horror-funk lost treasure from Armando Sciascia, better known for his violin-driven orchestral scores. This track broods along, with dark tones and if you were to remove all but the evil electric piano, you would end up with something straight from a horror movie. This comes all the way from 1970.

3. Espers - Widow's Weed (Espers II)

A cold, autumnal lament, with nods to dark English psych-folk from Philly band, Espers. Widow's weed takes you on a walk through a golden forest at dusk, searching for the seed that has grown the widow's weed. Things aren't quite all they seem to be.

4. Ennio Morricone - Magic & Ecstasy (The Exorcist II OST)

Ennio Morricone is a man who just will not stop. When wading through his vast catalogue, you occasionally take an unexpected turn, and this track is no exception. This track makes you feel like the dark forces that want your soul, are first going to take you out and show you the night of your life. Morricone and horror films make the perfect match.

5. Popol Vuh - Mantra 1 (Nosferatu OST)

A haunting track from Werner Herzog's take on the tale of Nosferatu. Klaus Kinksi is not the only terrifying aspect of this film, as the slow sitar-like instrument becomes the musical manifestation of the phantom der nacht.

6. Zombie Zombie - Driving This Road Until Death Sets You Free (A Land For Renegades)

This French duo are clearly alumni from the college of Carpenter. Whilst I feel that their efforts have been off-the-mark, this hits the nail on the head. Furthermore, the video, (a G.I Joe-style take on Carpenter's, 'The Thing') is a joy to behold. The shrieking modular wails become the howling dogs from the movie. Brilliant.

7. Goblin - Patrick (Patrick OST)

Goblin make a brief return here, with a short and sweet piece of music from Australian horror film, Patrick. Slowly oscillating cold synth stabs followed by a signature dark arpeggio makes this a classic Goblin number.

8. Mount Eerie - Over Dark Water (Clear Moon)

Making the first of two appearances on this mix, this is a track from the man who just keeps on giving. Releasing two albums back to back this year, Mount Eerie creates a fascinating blend of brutally dark intricate folk songs, whilst drawing on black metal influences to create something equally beautiful and disturbing. My favorite release of the year. There is also a strong notion of the element of water in these albums. The end of this track ends with a simple line, 'To the ocean', followed by a cascading black metal almost blast beat explosion. Chills up the spine, every time. That water is very, very dark indeed.

9. Lubos Fiser - The Sermon (Valerie and Her Week of Wonders)

A track from a recent gem by the good folks at Finders Keepers who dig so deep into those record crates, that you expect them to meet with the devil himself. Some of their resurrected discoveries sound like that could be the case. This track is a haunting minimal choral piece from Eastern European vampire flick, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. Chilling stuff. Be sure to check out the many great releases on Finders Keepers for more musical gore and extravagance.

SOUNDCLOUD WONT ALLOW ANY MORE CHARACTERS SO CAN'T FINISH DESCRIPTION.

Shock World Service 046

Dreiklangsdimensionen by Thomas Whitehead

31/07/2012 London, United Kingdom

1. Aphrodite's Child - Loud Loud Loud

"666" just re-issued (legitimately) on lovely, expensive vinyl.

2. Ultimate Spinach - Ballad of the Hip Death Goddess

Because sometimes, great music comes from bands with terrible names

3. Bruce Haack - Incantation

From "Electric Lucifer". Feel the "powerlove"

4. The Residents - The Booker Tease

Just like TG, the Residents do actually have one or two tracks that don't make your skin crawl that you're not really supposed to favour over their more experimental output. This is one of them

5. Kourosh Yaghmaei - Leila

Gorgeous Persian psych

6. The Congos / Sun Araw / M. Geddes Gengras - Sunshine

These guys were collectively brilliant at Village Underground a month or so ago. The Congos made no attempt not to be bemused by their new collaborators "strange, strange music" and appeared to be having a great time.

7. Electric Prunes - Kyrie Eleison

Another great band named after a very sensible foodstuff. From the David Axelrod period.

8. Lilacs and Champagne - Sensations

Named after a track by Polish musician Czeslaw Niemen, also sampled on the album and whose work around that period is well worth checking out.

9. Phil Collins - I'm Not Moving

Just a lovely track, from his good album

10. Flash and the Pan - Waiting for the Train

Also made the similarly named record called "Walking in the Rain", as covered by Grace Jones

11. Nazareth - Waiting for the Man

Like Guns and Roses attempting a disco track

12. Dreiklangsdimensionen - Rheingold

German new wave that wouldn't scare a Dire Straits fan.

13. Ween - Tender Situation

"Taste the Waste." Pod / Guava era Ween is the best

14. Robert Palmer - Woke up Laughing

Very pretty song from "Clues"

15. Tonstartssbandht - Hymn Eola

I'm intrigued by this band. This is by no means typical of their output.

16. Eric Copeland - UFOs over Vampire City

Black Dice man's solo work. Would fit a bar scene in Twin Peaks

Shock World Service 045

We Are The Moment, Built To Last by Cian Ó Cíobháin

18/01/12 Galway, Ireland

1. Arthur Russell – A Little Lost

Another paeon to absent love from the cherub-voiced cellist.

2. Destroyer – Chinatown

Sounds like Paddy McAloon from Prefab Sprout duetting with Belle & Sebastian-era Isobel Campbell.

3. Ultra Vivid Scene feat Kim Deal – Special One

A huge favourite from my teenage years, this one had all but disappeared from my life, only re-discovering it on YouTube last summer.

4. Burt Bacharach – Something Big

One of the most joyous songs I had the fortune of hearing last year, it’s from a 1973 LP called ‘Living Together’ which is not too shabby at all. I only wish the song would to on for longer.

5. Family Of Eve – Please Be Truthful

1979 debut single from Pittsburg outifit that first came to prominence VIA Keb Darge’s first ‘Legendary Deep Funk’ compilation on BBE.

6. Laura Lee – Don’t Leave Me Starving For Your Love

A rarely heard, but utterly beguiling, Holland-Dozier-Holland composition from Chicago-born Laura Lee.

7. Mystery Jets – The Tale

From an American-only release, the ‘Flotsam & Jetsam’ EP from 2007, this sounds like three songs rolled into one.

8. Da Luniz – I Got Five On It

Bit of a worldwide hit this one in 1995, a quick Google reveals this nugget of information: “ ‘I got 5 on it’ is a phrase meaning to pay half for a dime bag (a 10 dollar bag of weed) with another person.”

9. Aaliyah – More Than A Woman

I occasionally go through stages of suddenly loving genres that I may not have cared for too much in the recent past. It happened with country last summer with R'n'b.

10. Oneohtrix Point Never – Child Soldier

Daniel Lopatin’s new LP ‘Replica’ as O.P.N. reveals an artist totally letting loose in his new studio.

11. Virginia Astley – A Father

Kind of reminds me of Julee Cruise (especially her ‘Twin Peaks’ songs) . . from Virgina’s 1986 LP ‘Hope In A Darkened Heart’.

12. Scritti Politti – Absolute

From 1985’s ‘Cupid & Psyche 85’ LP, Gart Greenside sounds utterly at one with dreamy post new wave synth-pop.

13. Belbury Poly – The Willows

Jim Jupp, who runs the Ghost Box label, has released many records under the Belbury Poly moniker.

14. Disco Inferno – Love Stepping Out

Disco Inferno were formed in Essex in the late 80s and though they released a few LPs & EPs in the early to mid-90s, they remained completely off my radar until One Little Indian compiled ‘The Five EPs’ (which features this beauty) last year.

15. Kitchens Of Distinction - Drive That Fast

Every podcast needs an anthem that makes you want to roll down the car windows & crank up the volume.

16. Sascha Funke – Now You Know

From the ‘Funkt EP,’ released on Bpitch Control in 2002, this manages to sound like Ricardo Villalobos reworking The Postal Service, while still finding a cameo for Fritz Kalbrenner on vox.

17. Joy O – Sicko Cell

Slowly crept up to become an unlikely anthem in the clubs last year, with strong support from Pearson Sound, Jackman, Loefah & Bok Bok.

18. Westbam & Nena – Oldschool, Baby (Piano Mix)

“We are the moment, built to last”. Breathless sun-kissed, Italo-influenced classic from 2002, featuring none other than the voice of yer wan who sang ’99 Luftballons’.

Shock World Service 044

Electronic Snowflakes by Jon Averill

25/12/11 Dublin, Ireland

1. Bjork - Overture

It became clear to me early on that a lot of the music I had earmarked for this podcast had only the most tenuous connection to the theme.

2. New David - Radioland

One thing I’ve learned about covers of Kraftwerk tracks over the years is they’re mostly crap. Not this.

3. Kenneth Patchen - So Be It

A wonderfully forbidding work by Kenneth Patchen. His own reading only serves to enhance its sense of authority.

4. Keith Fullerton Whitman - Generator 3;

Keith follows his obsession with "the tenets of Process music & Systems music"

5. Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmastime Is Here (Alternative Version)

The first track which could be called an outright ‘Christmas song’ is from Vince Guaraldi. Vince composed & preformed the music to the Peanuts/Charlie Brown cartoons from which this is taken. It provides a suitable nod to the season without Slade or Sir Cliff in sight.

6. µ-Ziq - Hasty Boom Alert

Swiftly back to the ‘tracks that remind of Christmas but have no connection whatsoever’ box. ‘Hasty Boom Alert’ is first rate melodic clatter and bash from µ-Ziq. Taken from his album ‘Lunatic Harness’ which I may or may not own.

7. Speedy J - Hayfever

Speedy J was behind some stunning techno releases in the mid 90’s before stepping back somewhat to make quieter music.

8. Moscow New Choir - Pushkin’s Garland

Nothing evokes the holiday spirit more than a choir from a cold country, nothing.

9. The Hacker - Electronic Snowflakes

I’ve never been a big fan of The Hacker. This is ok.

10. Max de Wardener - Snowflakes

An accompaniment piece to the previous track. Complementing The Hacker’s electronic gurglings with more traditional instrumentation.

11. The Cure - Primary

Before things get too peaceful and you drift off here are The Cure in their visceral prime.

12. Visage - Whispers

From a distance Visage always seemed like something of a novelty act. ‘Fade To Grey’ has had all its power and mystic drained away from inclusion on multiple drive-time 80’s collections but if you dig deeper they have a handful of really innovative pioneering tracks.

13. Creative Control - Me & My Drums

Creative Control rework ‘Little Drummer Boy’

14. Lord Buckley - People

Another whimsical rant from the one true lord, Lord Buckley, an indomitable exponent of the importance of people over deities.

15. Tom Waits - Clap Hands

I won’t lie, I don’t know why Tom Waits whiskey & sandpaper voice reminds of Christmas but it does. Cian Ó Cíobháin used a Tom Waits track on his Christmas podcast also so there must be something in this?

16. The Andrew Oldham Orchestra - Play With Fire

The Andrew Oldham Orchestra are most famous these days as the act whom The Verve sampled for the string refrain on ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony.

17. Wendy Rané - After Laughter

Some may recognise this as the backbone to Wu Tang Clan’s ‘Tearz’.

18. The Kingston Trio - Last Month Of The Year

Are we the only ones or does the intro remind you of Jape’s ‘Floating’? This is 60’s folk vintage from the ever so clean-cut Kingston Trio.

19. Soft Cell - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (12” Mix)

Increasingly this time of year is about people returning, myself included from their various outposts around the world before departing just as rapidly.

20. John Baker - Christmas Commercial

This short concluding motif comes from John Baker, a key member of The BBC Radiophonic Workshop who produced some stunning and still highly sought after electronic music in the 60’s & 70’s.

Shock World Service #043

Genius is a Weapon by Neil Higgins

25/11/2011 London, United Kingdom

Almost all the tracks in this mix were released between 1980-82. The outside world seemed to be full of confusion & danger: huger strikes, riots, hostages, assassinations, glue-sniffing & imminent nuclear wipeout. That paranoia & anger fed into the music, giving it this edge of urgency & anger.

1. Cabaret Voltaire - The Voice of America’ (Intro) / The Cure - Three

Almost all the tracks in this mix were released between 1980-82, with maybe a couple from 1979. The artists I love from this period were fusing punk, funk, reggae, disco and electronics, all in an un-self-conscious way, because the rules hadn’t been written yet. Also, in the early 80s the outside world seemed to be full of confusion and danger: huger strikes, riots, hostages, assassinations, glue-sniffing and imminent nuclear wipeout. All that paranoia and anger fed into the music, giving it this edge of urgency and anger. If things continue to fall aaprt maybe we will get some of that back into music? Just a thought.

2. Virgin Prunes - Ulakanakulot

Probably Ireland’s leading art-goth-pagan-death-cult band of the early 80s. Actually, the only one. In conservative, catholic Ireland of the time the Prunes were an unbelievably confusing and unsettling presence. Gotta admire them for that. This track is from their debut LP ‘If I Die, I Die’ and is a suitably sinister groove.

3. David Byrne & Brian Eno - Regiment

In 1980 Brian Eno took a couple of months out from basically inventing ambient music to make the ‘My Life in a Bush of Ghosts’ album with David Byrne. Cutting and pasting tape loops of African and Arabic vocals and percussion with found-sounds from US TV news and radio evangelists over edgy punk-funk grooves. In the process they pretty much invented a whole new approach to music production, one that paved the way for an era of leftfield sample-based music. The fusion of world music, electronics and dislocated voices sounds like an obvious formula now, but this was 1981 – there were no samplers, MIDI, or laptops.

The sampled words ‘… his insane desire to use his genius as a weapon...’ are referring to the silent movie director Erich von Stroheim, but they kind of capture the spirit of the music here.

4. James White & the Blacks - Irresistible Impulse

If anyone deserves the ‘punk-funk’ label, it’s got to be James Chance. Another slice of danceable but menacing New York no-wave funk. From the 1982 Album Sax Maniac. I saw him live in London a couple of years ago and he was still on fire…

5. The Slits - Heard it Through the Grapevine

‘Heard it Through the Grapevine’ was the b-side of The Slits first single in 1979 and follows a grand tradition of sarcastic punk versions of soul and funk classics. This slice of cynical joy mixes soul, reggae, pop and punk and delivers proper girl power. In fact there were loads of fantastic, strong and edgy female-led bands around at the time. What happened?

6. Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi’s Dead

Goth-Dub-Horror-Disco starts and ends with ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ This classic was released in 1979 as a 6-and-a-half minute 12” with a disco-style arrangement, dub effects and unashamed Hammer House lyrics. It should be ridiculous but somehow it’s majestic. Undead! Undead! Undead!

7. Yoko Ono - Walking on Thin Ice

Yoko Ono ‘Walking on Thin Ice’. Legend has it that it was while returning from the final studio session for this track that John Lennon was shot and killed, and he died clutching the master tapes. The discordant lead guitar on this song was Lennon’s last performance – a long journey from ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’. It gives Yoko’s great song a whole extra level of mystery and significance. ‘When our hearts return to ashes – It’ll be just a story…’

Shock World Service 042

The Shoelace That Snapped by Jon Averill

04/10/11 London, United Kingdom

1. John Leyton - Johnny Remember Me

The more eagle-eared among you will recognise the reverb-doused production techniques of Joe Meek all over this track.

2. Os Ritmistas Brasileiros - Samba 2° Andamento

From the 1972 album ‘Batucada Fantástica'.

3. Aidan John Moffat - Nothing In Common

I’ve never seen Grease. One day, one day.

4. Spiritualized - The Ballad Of Ricky Lee

This track is taken from Spiritualized’s ‘Amazing Grace’, which is their most disjointed (worst) album.

5. Charles Dodge - The Days Are Ahead

This is taking from a 1976 album entitled ‘Synthesized Voices’, a work that used analysis and re-synthesis of human voices.

6. Bryan Ferry - Which Way To Turn

Summer ‘81. A middle aged man from Washington, County Durham is driving aimlessly. The final embers of night begin to fade. He feverishly flips between radio stations, eventually settling half way between two, the dialogue from both overlaps amid white noise which bubbles & pops like water boiling in a pot.

7. Joe Goddard - Gabrielle

Seems like a short while ago when Hot Chip seemed to rule the world. Joe Goddard’s current output is the most accomplished so far.

8. Chrome Sparks - <3 & Soul

I heard this on Tom Ravenscroft’s show. There’s a beautiful & almost naive simplicity to this record that reminds me little bit of Warp Records act Plone.

9. Tim Key - Waterloo

Tim Key may be more familiar to people as ‘Sidekick Simon’ on ‘Mid Morning Matters’. This track is taken from the album ‘With A String Quartet. On A Boat’

10. Lee Hazlewood - My Autumn's Done Come

Like the track from Nat King Cole which appears later in the podcast this Autumnally titled & themed track was originally intended for a summer podcast.

11. John Maus - Believer

Like being at a Simple Minds concert whilst locked in the toilet.

12. Dennis Wilson - Time

My favourite track from Dennis Wilson’s album ‘Pacific Ocean Blue’, which in recent years has gone from being largely ignored to being considered the best solo album released by a Beach Boy.

13. Max Richter - Journey 3

Taken from his his album 'Infra' which was part of a Royal Ballet-commissioned collaboration

14. John Cooper Clarke - Beasely Boulevard (Live)

Never heard before recording of JCC from one of our Shock parties back in '08. As he doesn’t release any new material these days this track will probably be new to many of you.

15. Harry Partch - Life Is Too Precious To Spend It With Important People;

Another snatch of sagacity from Harry Partch whom I would advocate more research being done, by you.

16. The Antlers - Kettering

A histrionic piece from Brooklyn’s The Antlers guides us neatly out of our spoken word section & onto...

17. Glenn Branca - Lesson No. 1

Glenn Branca’s ‘Lesson No. 1’ segues relatively smoothly out of the Antlers track, which actually may seem odd to anyone familiar with his music, known for using unorthodox tunings on his avant-garde recordings.

18. Nat King Cole - Autumn Leaves

At the time of writing its 28 degrees in London. Podcast track listings - another victim of global warming.

19. Susumo Yakotta - Imagine

Thankfully not a cover of John Lennon but a track taken from Susumo Yakotta’s album ‘The Grinning Cat’ which I vividly remember being soundtrack for a trip to London in 2001.

20. Spiritualized - 100 Bars

This 2nd Spiritualized outing on this episode, though more of a spoken word curiosity than a fully fledged track.

21. The Aphex Twin - Lichen

Richard James describes the album ‘Selected Ambient Works - Volume 2’, from which this track is taken as being "like standing in a power station on acid".

22. Charles Bukowski - The Shoelace

Time Magazine described Bukowski as the "laureate of the American lowlife".

Shock World Service 041

Spaceships & Sand Dunes by Andy Blake

25/09/2011 London, United Kingdom

This month's instalment of the World Service comes from a DJ & producer you may not yet be aware of if you live outside London.

We initially encountered him playing live at a party deep in the bowels of a seemingly abandoned office block back in 2009.

Soon after we made the connection between Andy and several releases on (the now concluded) Dissident label.

Andy now focuses his attentions on other ventures including his label Cave Paintings, which like Dissident distribute almost exclusively on limited run vinyl. Analogue sounds delivered in analogue formats for full frequency response. The label has featured two releases so far, both from Andy himself.

Although we usually give a full tracklist & breakdown on each episode Andy would prefer the contents of this episode remained relatively unknown, all we can say is it's a more dancefloor oriented affair than our last few episodes. If you really want to know a particular track email Andy at [email protected]

http://www.shockworldservice.com/