Beth Quist - Monsters

Sometimes it pays to look back through our Black Sweater White Cat playlists, when we hosted a two or three hour Creative Commons only show on WBCR-LP in Great Barrington Massachusetts. One of these look-backs brought me to Beth Quist, who is credited as the reason that Magnatune was started.

"It was Beth Quist who inspired me to create Magnatune... 
John Buckman - Magnatune

You can read more on her Magnatune bio page, and you can listen to her music and buy any of her four albums. Beth was Magnatune's best seller for three years. This is not a huge surprise, her voice is pretty damn amazing.

In BSWC history, we played a number of her songs in 2005 and 2006. This song, Monsters, was not on any of those playlists, so it makes its debut today, 12 years after being released. It is the third track on her album Silver.

I hope you enjoy!

Beth Quist - Monsters

Boogie Belgique - Stairway To The USSR

After our belated discovery of the aural excellence of Boogie Belgique earlier this year we have been digesting their back catalog.  This is some really great stuff.

Today's track comes from a July 2012 Dusted Wax Kingdom release called Blueberry Hill.  Amazing from first note to the last.

Boogie Belgique is based in Ghent.  Here is a little more on the release from the liner notes:

From top to bottom "Blueberry Hill" is filled up with electro swing moods, funky hip-hop rhythms and tasty jazzy samples. 

Dive in and lose yourself...

Boogie Belgique - Stairway To The USSR

April - Age of the Moon

The netlabel Evoke Records goes back to 1995 with it's roots as an art label with physical releases distributed mostly at art galleries.  Later it morphed into a digital netlabel.  

They recently re-released their catalog to mark their 10th anniversary.  

Evoke artist, April had a great collection called Age of the Moon.  We are pleased to present the title track. In fact, we are especially pleased because it fits in with the space part of our Space and Sex preoccupation.

April - Age of the Moon

Sp. Ace - Caravan (feat. Faerytale)

When in doubt go with the Dusted Wax Kingdom catalog. Wow. There is some great stuff therein.

Remarkably, I have absolutely nothing on the artist Sp. Ace except they are from Latvia.  It's a great release called Caravan of Lightbulbs.  It is about a year old, released on April 14, 2014.

Enjoy.

Sp. Ace - Caravan (feat. Faerytale)

Nambavan - Devushka Naprotiv (Po Glazam)

Here is an older, perhaps wiser version of Nambavan.  He has appeared on the BSWC radio program here, here, here, here, and here. He also has a track in the One-a-Day feed that was posted February 20, 2007.  Ok, we really like the guy.

This tune is from a WM Recordings release from May 20, 2011 called Modnay Discoteka.

Nambavan is Linar Bilalov.  He is originally from Kazan, the capital of  Tatarstan (also known as the "Third Capital of Russia"). 

We found his origin story on his website:

...a bright young man with a passion for Rodchenko, Bauhaus and '70s gay disco, thrust into a vortex of small-town degradation. He christened himself Nambavan (a corruption of Number One) and recorded a couple of albums' worth of aggressive minimal techno with crass, no-holds-barred lyrics. "Chechnya on the Dancefloor," "So Many Men, So Little Time," "I Passed Your Girlfriend Around," "Babu Po Ebalu!!!" were all shock value and no hidden message. The music, however, was quite remarkable for something recorded on a home computer with a cheap guitar and a karaoke mike. His ear-scarring barrage of raw hate and stories of abuse spread over the Web like fire through a city dump. A gig in Berlin and a dozen good reviews later, Linar decided that simply singing from the dark corners of a thug's skull was not enough. 

We are glad to get reacquainted.

Nambavan - Devushka Naprotiv (Po Glazam)

Loveshadow - This LifeBoat (Let's Change)

We decided to take a loop through ccMixter.org to see what's up.  Smooth dance rhythm with a message anyone?

Loveshadow and Snowflake sound like they have been working together in a studio for years.  No, Snowflake provides the 'pella and Loveshadow lays the tracks down.

If you have been around this blog over the years you will know that we love our ccMixter.  

If you haven't, then get on over and experience the outrageously huge collection of Creative Commons mixing that have happening over there the past 10 or so years.  If you are looking for the definitive search tool for the site there is dig.ccmixter.org.  Take it for a spin.

Loveshadow - This LifeBoat (Let's Change)

Parapunte - You are dreaming

We are going to stay with Japanese netlabel Tanukineiri Records and are pleased to present their latest release, Primitive by Parapunte. This release hit the streets on Friday.

Dreamy Indie J-pop (yep, biotic tried to describe something).

Tanukineiri Records is based in Nagoya, Japan and as well as being a respectable netlabel also has a business in Japanese tableware.

Google doesn't do a particularly good job translating Japanese, but here is some text:

Osaka resident, by singer-songwriter Terry SusumuAkira and Akutsu Masumi
1st mini album of indie pop duo "Parupunte" "primitive".　 Artwork, cartoonist, PV director, VJ et al., "Nagao Kenichiro" has been active in multi Parupunte was incorporating elements such as shoegazer, of 80s idle culture, psychedelic rock sound is characterized by unit.Worked warm sense of sound image of reverb, incorporating the technique of hip-hop dance music, to realize the infatuation likely to repeat phrases. Interprets the sweet pop song drifting Nosutariji of the contemporary, it is up to create a unique sound. Cults, but catchy pop song drifting nostalgia of such Best Coasts has emerged as a form of one of indie rock, rather than one that is simply imitation its music, unique to Japan Nosutariji "Techno Kayo", "folk rock" and " 80's subculture "incorporating I have evolved as a" new music ".

Enjoy some new music.

Parapunte - You are dreaming

Super Magic Hats - This Last Week

We were very happy to discover today's artist. Super Magic Hats is a Melbourne-based musician, beatmaker and producer. This Last Week appears on a collection called Slowly that was released February 28 by the Japanese netlabel Tanukineiri.  

They have a wonderful catalog with some intriguing compilations. You can get full release downloads from their website and they also post to both Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

How to describe Super Magic Hats' music?  I'll rely on the artist:

Half-heard/half-imagined vocals sit alongside vintage drum machines, soaring analogue synth lines mix with surf guitar, crisp production punches through recordings of rainy walks through the park.

Enjoy This Last Week.

Super Magic Hats - This Last Week

Puyo Puyo - Grave Groove

Getting wild...the weekend is nigh...

Thanks to our friends at Netwaves for posting their tribute to Da ! Heard It Records, a netlabel that has catalog going back to 2006.

This track comes from a 2009 release called Disco.  Puyo Puyo began his musical career as a New Wave drummer and from there began producing his own sounds and touring the continent and Mexico performing a reportedly wild stage show.

The liner notes describe the sound:

This album is a delicious witches brew of German new-wave, Psychopolka, Turbopop and that little Puyesque je-ne-sais-quoi, iodiosyncratic dissonant melodies, glitch and kitsch licks.

It is not Saturday, yet...

Puyo Puyo - Grave Groove
 

Ancient Lasers - Building Peace Through Better Weapons

Here is an awesome track from a 2013 release from the Russian netlabel, Clinical Archives.  The release is called You in the Future.

Ancient Lasers hail from lovely Whatcom County in the northwest corner of Washington State.  

[Full Disclosure: A radio program by the name of Black Sweater, White Cat first aired on radio station KUGS-FM in the county seat of Bellingham, WA during the 80's...mostly soul, R&B, Afropop and early hip hop.]

Ancient Lasers is a project of Daniel Finfer.  Inspired by the writings of Ray Kurzweil, he describes his approach:

...While his lyrics may sound like they are a stereo­typ­i­cal explo­ration of love, romance, and youth­ful bravado, they are actu­ally “a con­ver­sa­tion between my future and present selves, I’m sort of talk­ing back and forth through time.”

We're guessing you will want to listen in to the conversation.

Ancient Lasers - Building Peace Through Better Weapons

Möbius - Daft Funk

This track comes from a Various Artists compilation released on the Foot side of the wonderful netlabel, Bumpfoot. The release is called Footprints 2 and hit the streets on April 21, 2012.

Möbius is from Germany and first began to develop musical chops during his gaming sessions using an Amiga 500 in his childhood. 

He describes his music on his Facebook page:

My music can be described as a mixture of Amiga MOD-music, pop, chillout, some breaks, hard basses and a lot of atmosphere.

The netlabel Bumpfoot has been on the scene for many years now and features both "bump" releases and "foot" releases.  Both categories have many excellent releases.  Footprints 2 is a good starting point to explore the Bumpfoot universe. 

Möbius - Daft Funk

Andrew Cosentino - I May Never Sell Blood Again

To continue from yesterday's post:  Blood donation is a good thing...

This release, Country Western Star, dropped at the blocSonic netlabel on April 3.  It features an extensive collection of the music of Andrew Cosentino.  Our selection today was recorded in 2014 and is among the newer of the tracks included on a two disc release (21 tracks in all).

Mike Gregoire describes Andrew's sound:

Either way, Andrew’s sound is something unique and the way he merges live instrumentation with samples is intricate and makes for adventurous listening. I’m quite sure that this young man has much more to say, musically and I look forward to what comes next.

If you haven't hipped to the doings at blocSonic, consistency and craftsmanship are the byword for this excellent netlabel.

Andrew Cosentino - I May Never Sell Blood Again

Astrocowboys - We Give Blood (Playmewhile Rework)

Blood Donation camp conducted by NSS wing of Graphic Era University

This track appears on a recent (March 25) Playmewhile release from the St. Petersburg-based Subwise netlabel.  The release is called (Right Or)Wrong.

Astrocowboys are also from St. Petersburg. According to their VK page they seem to have disbanded.  It's nice that we have We Give Blood to savor.

Blood donation is a good thing.

Here is a translation from the Russian of the liner notes for the release:

Life gives many wonderful moments, but they disappear, to be replaced by others, which once again we call reality, while the true reality does not exist, as well as the largest number, more precisely, it always is - "that moment plus one, and so on "although so want to see this become a plus at least minus zero as if a miracle is impossible.

Subwise is a prolific netlabel with 197 releases to their credit:

SUBWISE - it's a experimental music netlabel from Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Label unites beginners and experienced musicians writing experimental electronic and not electronic music. 

Did we mention that blood donation is a good thing? 

Astrocowboys - We Give Blood (Playmewhile Rework)

Opa! - Russian State Museum's Lottery

Sometimes a post just simply falls into your lap. Happened this morning.

This track is from a 2011 release from the netlabel, Clinical Archives called Nakurlah. What fun!

There are five tracks on this wonderful release. The musicians are from all over the former Soviet Union:

Their music expresses freedom and euphoria of post-soviet spirit and ancient enigma of Russian Soul. Openhearted shows, multilingual lyrics of "Opa!" and their willingness to give it all to the audience make this wild positive folk remarkable and understandable for everybody.

Enjoy this whirling soup of spicy deliciousness.

Opa! - Russian State Museum's Lottery

Dumbo Gets Mad - You Make You Feel (VEIT B Remix)

Here is the dreamy VEIT B remix of a Dumbo Gets Mad tune released by Berlin-based netlabel, Bad Panda Records.

You can find it in a collection of remixes of the same tune which was released on a album called Elephants at the Door.

Bad Panda stopped posting to the Internet Archive in 2011.  Since then they have been active on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. 

'Dumbo Gets Mad' is a psych-rock duo project from Italy. The project started out when the duo moved to Los Angeles in 2010.

VEIT B is another duo of sorts.  They are brothers from České Budějovice, Czech Republic.  Lot's of good stuff at their Soundcloud page.

Dumbo Gets Mad - You Make You Feel (VEIT B Remix)

Dieter Werner - Lodowa Komnata

Fittingly this haunted electronic track that was recorded in 1995 is from a release published in the future. Electronic Music from Year 1995 is the name of a release published by Dieter Werner Archive Records on Jamendo.com. The release is dated November 3, 2015.

I'm losing myself in this ethereal collection of old school electronics.

He has been producing and recording music for years, beginning in Lodz, Poland in 1989. He has recorded for television and stage. He has been inspired by Klaus Schultze and Yello. There is quite a range of musical styles on display at Jamendo.

Here is a translated snip of his artist statement from Jamendo:

My idea is to combine elements of different musical styles sometimes very distant. In my compositions in addition to the mainstream, which is EL-Music, rub with m.in: trance, goa, electro, house, dark ambient, darkwave, but also unite symphonic music, old, ethnic, elements of hard rock, and other genres.

We loved Yello. And, oh...this is the 100th BSWC post of 2015.

Dieter Werner - Lodowa Komnata

Martinibomb - Dizzy Ke Peeche

This track has appeared on two BSWC radio shows, but never made it into the feed.

This is a remix from a couple of years ago that Martinibomb posted on Soundcloud with a tag #bollywood.

Martinibomb has some new work at Bandcamp along with some stuff at Soundcloud.  Martinibomb is from Portland, Oregon.

Martinibomb - Dizzy Ke Peeche

Mounika - Soul Blue Tango

Thanks go out to our friends at Starfrosch for pulling our heads around to this wonderful release from Dusted Wax Kingdom.  

The release is called Born To Be Beats by Mounika.  Mounika is from Poitiers, France.

The release page at archive.org doesn't have much information, but Kus at Starfrosch fills in the blanks for us:

Largely inspired by calm music, he picks his samples in some jazz, funk and abstract songs. He spends most of the time looking for that famous perfect sample, digging in internet and vinyl.

It's worth your while to dig into this release, no doubt about it.

Mounika - Soul Blue Tango

Sister Soleil - Eyes (Feat. Dolphin)

We are enjoying a lovely day in Beautiful Seattle.

Today's feature is a release from the French netlabel, Sirona.  This is from a release called  Haunted EP  It was posted in August of 2012.

Sister Soleil is an eclectic alternative rock outfit founded by Stella Katsoudas and first began working in 1996.  They have an impressive resume.  The talent and craftsmanship really show through on this release.

Sirona has a wide and varied catalog that pretty much is at the Internet Archives through 2012 with the seemingly inevitable migration to Bandcamp with later projects.

Sister Soleil - Eyes (Feat. Dolphin)

Space Adept - Would You Like To Bounce, Señorita

A nice hat tip to Starfrosch for today's post.  I love this tune from Space Adept.  In fact, I like it more and more as I listen to it.

You can find it at their soundcloud page.  I'm loving the sound.

Here is their brief description from their Spacebook page...er, I mean Facebook page:

Unique sounds, big melodies and driving beats: Space Adept travels with you through the depths of electronic dance music

It is epic dance.

Space Adept - Would You Like To Bounce, Señorita

DJ Vincent Vinyl - Il Cuore D'Eli

Nice groove with cool found vocals. DJ Vincent is from Bucharest, Romania and comes to us via a three song release from the Bulgarian netlabel, Ouim.net.

This selection has sat in the BSWC draft posts for over 7 years and is also the title of the release that appeared on July 11, 2007.

Vincent Vinyl has worked the club scene in Bucharest for several years. Spend some time with this nice contribution.

DJ Vincent Vinyl - Il Cuore D'Eli

Dr. Freebs - Funkbuster

Get the move on.  A visit to the iD.EOLOGY netlabel provides this gem of a groove.  They've been busy during the last ten years.  Great stuff up and down. We highly suggest taking some time and taking a look at what is going on with these guys.

Dr. Freebs are really bringing it in this track off their net release, The Freebie Treat.  Here is a taste of the liner notes:

When musicality and band-attitude meet slick production-skills, then electronic beats, smart sequencer-lines, soulful vocals and timeless piano-, guitar- and brass-riffs flow into one another almost naturally, without any pretentious, eclecticistic sampling-hullabaloo being required.

Digging it.

Dr. Freebs - Funkbuster

Vintage Beats - Roll It Up

A quick post this morning from a dark and dreamy Seattle cityscape.  The release is called Nuclear Hip Hop from Dusted Wax Kingdom artists, Vintage Beats.  Now that, my friends, is a sentence. This tasty collection was released on Monday.

Dark and dreamy describes this release very well, indeed.

There are no notes associated with the release so I don't have much to go on, except the music.  Sometimes, it's the music that should carry the day. This is one of those days. 

Dusted Wax Kingdom is a prolific netlabel out of Varna, Bulgaria and in this phoenix-like resurgence of Black Sweater, White Cat they have quickly become a favorite...

blunted downtempo beats, abstract hip-hop and all kind of intelligent chilled grooves spiced with jazzy and soulful tasty ingredients.

Enjoy the day

Vintage Beats - Roll It Up

Machette – Hit De Deck

Found this gem while listening to the latest Netwaves playlist on archive.org.  If you are looking for an enduring source of netaudio, the Netwaves radio program out of Brussels as been good for going on 8 years now (weekly).

Machette is a French artist who started producing in 2000.  This track is from a 2014 release called Flavors EP.  It was released by Yarn Audio, a Berlin-based netlabel specializing in bass driven electronic music. 

Here is a bit of Machette's description on Bandcamp:

The diverse french producer renders a lot of energy and happiness with his sample-heavy and fast-paced tracks. Influenced by Hip-Hop, Dubstep, Footwork and Jungle, Machette’s broken beats and easygoing melodies are just perfect for a dance in the sunshine or the ghetto.

Welcome to April. 

Machette – Hit De Deck