SOUND CONTOURS

Sounds of rebirth and renewal in a cool register, from artists and labels associated with Chicago, LA and far beyond, made during my first Spring in the windy city after moving from LA. A cumbia mix would have been equally appropriate to Pilsen, but in an ode to the sensations given by Chicago’s seasonality, this offers a chill palette of jazz and rock sounds, and even features a handful Pilsen residents, both past and present.

Tracklist: Chicago Odense Ensemble – Glide Path, Daniel Villareal – Cali Colors, Charles Stepney – Notes From Dad, Makaya McCraven – High Fives, Jeff Parker – Jrifted, Tindersticks – Opening, Sam Gendel – Shippō, Sam Wilkes, Jacob Mann – Next To, Anna Butterss – Doo Wop, Leland Whitty – Awake, Eiko Ishibashi – Ask me how I sleep at night, Maria Chiara Arguiro – Clouds, Tortoise – Ox Duke, John Carroll Kirby – Nucleo, Makaya McCraven – Young Genius, Chip Wickham – Astral Traveling, Jeff Parker – Cliche, Sam Wilkes – Alma, Sam Gendel – Two-Tone, Tom Skinner – Quiet As It’s Kept, Charles Stepney – Denim Groove, Makaya McCraven – The Title, Mike Cooper – Kokoe Nalu, Bitchin Bajas – World B. Free, Sam Prekop – Every Night, John Wizards – Hogsback, Rudy De Anda – Los Canarios, Daniel Villareal – Panama ’77, Sam Gendel & Sam Willkes – I Sing High, John Carroll Kirby – Weep, Tortoise – The Clearing Fills, David Dinnell & Douglas McCombs – Ley Lines, Makaya McCraven – In The Moment, Charles Stepney – Rubie & Charles, John Carroll Kirby – Pan’s Dance, Steve Gunn, David More, Bing & Ruth – Painterly

The post Ep. 33 – Pilsen Spring first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.

And so we return and begin again.

Tracklist: Kraftwerk – Endless Endless, The New Year – The End’s Not Near, It’s Here, Chicago Underground Quartet – Total Recovery, Thom Yorke – Atoms For Peace – Four Tet Remix, James Blake, Bon Iver – I Need A Forest Fire, A Grape Dope – Rats It’s Up – Laetitia Sadier Remix, Björk – Virus, HAIM – Something to Tell You, Mouse on Mars – The End, Dabrye – Game Over, The Books – It Never Changes to Stop, Squarepusher – Iambic 9 Poetry, Blur – Ambulance, Solex – Solex in a Slipshod Style, Makaya McCraven – Standing on Shoulders

The post Ep. 32 – Endless first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.

The lounge chair’s in the right place. Most of the umbrella’s still standing. It’s everything else that’s gone. Bid farewell to civilization with this dramatic mix of post-nuclear lounge tunes — a fantasia of slunk grooves, dramatic orchestral arrangements and exotic percussion. Join me for our last few sips of wine cooler ever, at the last party anyone will attend, here on the last patios anywhere.

Tracklist: Submerse – It’s All Fun And Games Until Someone Loses, Les Baxter – Thinking Of You, Esquivel and His Orchestra – So Rare, Paul Tanner, Andre Montero and His Orchestra – Holiday On Saturn, Martin Denny – Hypnotique, The Surfmen – Aloe Oe, Armando Sciascia – Black Sand, Frank Hunter and His Orchestra – White Goddess, Ron Goodwin – The Moon, George Shearing – Lotus Land, Warren Baker and His Orchestra – Malayan Nightbird, Piero Piccioni – Eros In Hiro, Jerry Byrd – Bird Of Paradise, Frank Comstock and His Orchestra – Out Of Space, Henry Mancini – Lujon (Slow Hot Wind), Decibels A Go-Go – De 9 A 6, Andre Popp Presents Elsa Popping and Her Pixieland Band – La Java Du Diable, Russ Garcia and His Orchestra – Red Sands Of Mars, Stan Applebaum, His Orchestra and Chorus – Undiscovered Island, Tak Shindo – Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Johnny Spencer and The Kona Koasters – Monsoon, Vera Lynn – We’ll Meet Again (1939 Version)

The post Ep. 31 – Last Patios first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.

The only way out is through. Wild Gems III will get you there.

Tracklist: Roger Roger and Nino Nardini – Strange Motion (Nature Nocturne), Los Amaya – Bailen Mi Rumbita, Indian Rope – Purple Mania, Ike Mathews – African Feeling, Erkin Koray – Karli Daglar, Goat – Try My Robe, Wadih Essafi – Aandak Baharia Ya Rayess, The African Brothers International Band – Wompe Masem, Aby Ngana Diop – Sapaly, Roj – Bongo Workout, Aldo Tamborrelli – Indian Feeling, Hervé Roy and Pierre Bachelet – Pachydermes and Cie, Alessandro Alessandroni – Collata, Omar Khorshid – Rakset El Fadaa, Okay Temiz – Dokuz Sekiz, Un Dos Tres Y Fuera – San Juan, Tambor Y Fuera, Can – Smoke (E.F.S. No. 59), Mac Talla Nan Creag – Grugaigian Chant, Aisha Kandisha’s Jarring Effects – Roof Fish Suck, The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band – Sao Sakit Mae, Beaver and Krause – People’s Park, Flamingods – Gojira, Albert Marcoeur – Controle-Vitesse-Pusssance, Agitation Free – Ala Tul Canal Din, Georgia – (Open Voice)

The post Ep. 30 – Passage first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.

Mind Train aka Wild Gems II picks up where the first Wild Gems left off, taking us further down the stoney path through a vibrant and concerted wilderness of psych, exotica and eclectic international rock records.

Tracklist: Budapest Radio Orchestra – The Lights of Hong Kong, Yoko Ono – Mindtrain, Erkin Koray – Sir, Bharat Karki and Party – Calcutta Calcutta, Fred Weinberg – Aum Mau Mau, Dick Hyman – Topless Dancers of Corfu, Bo Dollis and The Wild Mangolias – Handa Wanda, Bernard Gérard – Crocodile Porte-Clé, Stereolab – Iron Man, Ersen – Gafil Gezme Saskin, Cem Karaca and Apaslar – Gilgamis, Pierre Henry – Jericho Jerk, John Hill – Io, Morgan Delt – Barbarian Kings, Selda – Yaylalar, Kalyanji-Anandji – Bansarai Babu Beats, The Piranha Sounds – La Turbie Pirhanienne, Raymond Guiot – Primitive Spirit, Ananda Shankar – Dancing Drums, Zafer Dilek – Tokat Sarması, Los Diablos Rojos – El Guapo, Banda Eletrica – Soy Loco por ti America, Yma Sumac – Gallito Ciego (One-Eyed Rooster), Los Henry’s – Cumbia del Amor, Abelardo Carbono – Guana Tangula

The post Ep. 29 – Mind Train first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.

Enjoy a mix of vintage Luk Thang 45s, ripped from a stack of singles brought over from Thailand by our cousin and good friend Matthew Baker. Here’s the best hour of material — I try to provide an authentic rendering of each disc, while avoiding the harsher surface noise, clicks, and scratches from the vinyl. Information about some of these Luk Thang picks is available online, but many remain mysterious. My partially reconstructed tracklist has tunes by Sangsuree Rungroj, Sayan Sanya, Winai Bundarak, and Chaloemphon Hit Donchai, but we know up to ten other unknown artists are featured. Who, for instance, is behind the cover of Serge Gainsbourg’s “J’taime Moi Non Plus?” Whatever the answer, dip into the retro vibe of Thai Town, the first of four new episodes to be released over upcoming weeks tracing the varying strains of sound among international musics.

Tracklist: Sangsuree Rungroj – Mixed, Sayan Sanya – Unknown, Sayan Sanya – Some Old Love, Sayan Sanya – Do Not Fall For The Rumor, Sayan Sanya – Borderman, Unknown Artist – J’taime Moi Non Plus, Chaloemphon Hit Donchai – Past Love Buddhist Lent Day, or Past Love Rainy Season, Chaloemphon Hit Donchai – Won Mae Engagement Girl, Winai Bandurak – Mexican Sunflower, or Tree Marigold

The post Ep. 28 – Thai Town first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.

House music for the nest: These selections of micro, minimal, lo-fi, glitch, ambient and deep house hang together like insulating drapes — subtle head music heaving and pulsing in the stillness of a calm room, with steady, four-on-the-floor background beats and tightly knit bass lines that like to lead the groove. Synth pads and vocal samples line the space like wallpaper. Zone out and enjoy.

Tracklist: Afterhours – Defragment #2, Body-San – One Million Brazillion Dollars, Stimming – No. 17, Ishmael – No Chaser, Letherette – Without You, Farben and James Din A4 – Please Excuse My Face, Jan Jelinek – They, Them, Jetone – Octan, Rod Modell – Syria, Martin Schulte – City Night, Thomas Fehlmann – Atlas 2, Elka – BBX1999, You’re Me – Oot Re Mi, Perfume Advert – Auspice, Anders Ilar – Gramineous Glow, Martin Buttrich – Stop Motion, Ricardo Villalobos – Hireklon, Farben – Silikon, Nosaj Thing – NR2, Moodymann – Why Do U Feel, Gold Panda – Mediaevil, Francesco Tristano – Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

The post Ep. 27 – Home Furnishing first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.

Euphoric vibes, sculpted tones and melodic (at times challenging) beats converge for a brisk tour through the industrial cyberpark of tomorrow. The hoverboard has its soundtrack.

Tracklist: Yasuaki Shimizu – Tachikawa, Radiohead – I Am Citizen Insane, Rival Consoles – Morning Vox, Ada – You and Me, Rabit – Glass Harp Interlude, Aphex Twin – Milk Man, Iller – Bending Oddity, Kwes. – Hives, Arca – Dignity, Kahn, Commodo and Gantz – Kibosh, Knxwledge – Dntleave, Bullion – Don’t Talk (Close Your Eyes), Gold Panda – Autumn Falls, Gobby – Hyuna, Bjork – Innocence (Alva Noto Unitxt Remodel), Jlin – Nandi, Kutmah – Darkening Of The Light, Henry Wu – Expensive Ghetto (Feat. Mo Kolors), Cakedog – 24 HRS, Moiré – Gel, Beat Spacek – Alone In Da Sun, Dabrye – In Water, James Place – High Rise (Rainier), Bibio – Saint Christopher, Baths – Seaside Town

The post Ep. 26 – Athleisure first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.

It’s the sound of momentum: Hand drums, mallet instruments and mesmeric beats cut an exotic path through the worlds of global electronica and avant-garde techno.

Tracklist: You’re Me – Walled Garden, Mestre Geraldo E Su Bateria – Mistura #2, Don’t DJ – Evolve, Black Merlin – Reef Play, Tyondai Braxton – Greencrop, Clap! Clap! – Sahkii’s Elevation, Cut Hands – Inchantment, Tony Allen – Asiko (In A Silen Mix), YPY – Gazing Beat, African Head Charge – Timbuktu Express, Banabila and Machinefabriek – Awake, Andew Pekler – A Savage Topography, Michael Turtle – Zoote Pointe, Don’t DJ – Disparata 69, Francis Bebey – Binta Madiallo, NV – Bells Burp, DJ Eye – (iii), BD1982 – Coney Island High, Elysia Crampton – Dummy Track (Feat. Why Be and Chino Amobi), Bateria Fantastico De Potela – Demonstracao de Som e Andiamento, Lucy – A Millenia Old Adversary, DJ Paradise – Mbizi

The post Ep. 25 – Herd Instinct first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.

The second of two mixes compiling excellent 2016 instrumental music, fashioned for wet weather and a cool state of mind. This one’s got (somewhat) more of a rock bent. Enjoy.

Tracklist: So Percussion – Drumkit Quartet No. 51 (Chicago Realization), Thor Harris – 12 Ate, Anna Meredith – Blackfriars, Christopher Tignor – The Will And The Waiting, F.S. Blumm and Nils Frahm – Day One Three, Suzanne Kraft – Bank, Raime – Dialling In, Falling Out, Szun Waves – Orb Light, nonkeen – Glow, Daedelus – Hold Sway, BADBADNOTGOOD – Here and Now, Kikagaku Moyo – Melted Crystal, The Eye of Time – I could sleep for thousand years, Billington-Tramposh – Live January 13 2016, Mica Levi and Oliver Coates – Xhill Stepping, Mark Pritchard – Cycles Of 9, Plaid – Wen, Guy Blakeslee – Maja (Queen of The Storm) Movement 3, Oren Ambarchi – Hubris Part 1, Odd Nosdam – Endless 432 (Feat. Teebs)

The post Ep. 24 – Damp II first appeared on SOUND CONTOURS.