Subzero Soundworks

“SOUNDWORKS SPOTLIGHT” ARTIST: PRETTY LIGHTS

Thanks for joining us for Episode #12!  There’s lots to enjoy in this episode–chilled-out abstract hip-hop, downtempo, ambient, trip-hop, lounge, jazzy electronica, and even a little dub for you to enjoy.  I even mixed the tracks a little differently this time. The first half of the show is more upbeat, while the second half is a little darker.  All in all, it’s a very chilled out mix that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.  I’d like to tell you about some new developments here at the home offices of Subzero Soundworks.  First of all, Subzero Soundworks is now accessible via MySpace.  I just started up a MySpace page to keep in touch with the many artists who are featured on the show, and Facebook and Twitter are sure to follow.  You can find us at myspace.com/subzerosoundworks, and the page isn’t anything too spectacular right now, but if you’re on MySpace, drop me a line.  Secondly, I’m beginning a new feature of Subzero Soundworks called the Soundworks Spotlight.  Every so often, I’ll feature a few tracks from an artist I think you’ll enjoy.  I started the trend last week by kicking off the show with some tunes from Merge of Equals.  This week, our Soundworks Spotlight artist is Pretty Lights.

TRACK LISTING:

  **Backing track/theme: Cheju – “Bellflowerroot (Preston Remix)” from the Album “Broken Waves,” available for purchase from the Boltfish Recordings website.

1.  Pretty Lights – “Make You Feel,” from the “Filling Up The City Skies” 2 CD set, available for download (or with donation) from the group’s website at prettylightsmusic.com.    Pretty Lights is the work of  Colorado-based producer Derek Vincent Smith. When performing live, he is accompanied by drummer Cory Eberhard. I actually discovered Pretty Lights through MySpace Music and they’ve got this amazing blend of hip-hop beats, soul samples, and deep electronic grooves.  The result is some of the most versatile and addictive electronic music out there.  Derek’s latest album, “Filling Up The City Skies,” is a 2-disc set of 26 tracks that explore the depths of instrumental hip-hop and fantastic beats.  Whether you enjoy trip-hop, hip-hop, or just downtempo music, there’s something very special waiting for you on “Filling Up The City Skies.” You can always learn more about Pretty Lights by checking out their MySpace page, where you can listen to some of their tracks…or visit their website, where you can download them—either for free or for a donation.

 2.  Pretty Lights – “Stay,” from the album “Taking Up Your Precious Time,” available for download (or with donation) from the group’s website at prettylightsmusic.com. 

 3.  Pretty Lights – “Maybe Tomorrow,” from the “Filling Up The City Skies” 2 CD set, available for download (or with donation) from the group’s website at prettylightsmusic.com. 

 4.  Junior Wong – “Donny And Roberta,” from “The Spaceman Chronicles” release, available from the Just Plain Sounds netlabel. Stop by Junior Wong’s MySpace page to learn more about him or to check out some tracks from this great release.

5.  Kämmerer – “Lazy Beach Breaks,” from the album “Leaving Paradise,” available from Jamendo.com. Kämmerer is a chillout, funk, and electronica artist from Göteborg, Sweden, and he has been very active on Jamendo through numerous projects like Cliffhanger and GroovydracuLINDA.  Visit Kämmerer at Jamendo.com to listen to some of his other works, as well as some other tunes off “Leaving Paradise.”

 6.  100percentelectric – “Snooze,” from the “Electrica” release, available from Jamendo.com. 100percentelectric hails from Adelaide, Australia and their album “Electrica” is full of great downtempo and mid-tempo electronic tunes.  Head over to Jamendo to hear it today.

7.  SineRider – “Harmonics,” from the “Binary Flowers” EP, available from the BFW Recordings netlabel.  SineRider is the work of Devin Powers, who calls Norwood, Massachusetts home.  Devin specializes in IDM and ambient, and if you’ve ever played guitar, you should why “Harmonics” is an appropriate name for this track. Find out more about SineRider and hear more tracks at his MySpace page; you can also check out some additional artwork for the album at SineRider’s NewGrounds page.  A big thanks goes out to the fine folks at BFW Recordings for the nice words about Subzero Soundworks and for the link on their website.

 8. Soundsache – “Here For You,” from the album “Klangwelt,” available from Jamendo.com.  Soundsache is another one-man operation, producing cinematic electronica, electropop, and downtempo from Germany. Stop by his MySpace page to give some of his tracks a listen.

9.  Merge of Equals – “Take You There,” from the album “Intoxicating,” available from the Podsafe Music Network and for purchase through Amazon.com. I featured Merge Of Equals on Episode #11 of Subzero Soundworks and more information can be found about them in the show notes for Episode #11 at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com. You can learn more about Merge Of Equals by visiting their MySpace page or their website.  You can also purchase music from Merge Of Equals through Beatport and iTunes.  Thanks also go out to Flavio Maspoli from Merge Of Equals for featuring a direct portal to Subzero Soundworks from his MySpace page.  

10. LR-60 & Mr. Moods  – “Silently,” from the “Coldest Memories” release, available from Jamendo.com.  LR-60 & Mr. Moods is a project that is self-described as “DJ Krush meets Miles Davis.” LR-60 is Skip Warren, a skilled veteran trumpet player based out of Texas, and Mr. Moods is Christian Denis, a hip-hop and trip-hop producer from Quebec. They initially met through online contact, and a collaboration quickly formed between the two. You can find out more about LR-60 and Mr. Moods at their Sunset Jazz Records page, LR-60’s MySpace page, Mr. Moods’ MySpace page, and their website at LR-60.com.

11.  Guitoud – “Redemption & Blessing,” from the album “I & I,” available from the Fresh Poulp netlabel.  Guitoud hails from France and after playing with a jam band called Burn’in, he has been actively creating electronica and dub as a one-man operation with help, of course, from his computer. Visit Guitoud on MySpace and last.fm and treat yourself to some great dubbed-out electronica.  It does a body good.

12. The Warheads  – “Track 1,” from the “Drawn By Hand” release, available for download from the group’s website at thewarheads.com.  I featured The Warheads on Episode #10 and 11 of Subzero Soundworks and more information can be found about them in the show notes for Episode #10 and 11 at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com.  Thanks once again go out to JRS for giving me a heads up about this new release from The Warheads. Great stuff coming out from The Warheads lately.  Not only are they very prolific, but they have a very unique vision for each of their more recent albums—like concept albums without track names.  Please visit their website, where you can learn more about the group and download some of their newest works…as well as some older tracks.

13.  Uranopolis – “100.3,” from the “Birds and Water Ressurection” compilation, available from the Ruszud netlabel.  If you like dubstep, breakcore, ambient, or IDM, check out more releases from the Ruszud netlabel at their website or their MySpace page.

14.  Sinewave – “exploded nodes,” from the “manoeuvres 3 – a collection of bc electronica” compilation, available from Ioda Promonet and for purchase from eMusic, iTunes, and Rhapsody.  Sinewave is the work of Vancouver-based producer and musician Mark Wiebe, who describes his musical as “celestial musical morphine” and cites M83, Mogwai, and Bonobo as some of his many influences. I actually first became familiar with Sinewave with the track “Wizard of Ahhhs” off of his 2006 release “Unity Gain.”  He started out with his first major release in 2001, and he’s since been playing live shows all over Canada and has been producing music for films as well.  When performing live, he’s joined by Jeremy Unrau on bass and keyboard. Check out more from Sinewave at his website and on his MySpace page as well.

15.  Michael Bross – “Subway Meditation 3,” from the “Subway Meditations” album, available from Ioda Promonet and for purchase from Amazon,  eMusic, iTunes, and the artist’s website.  Michael Bross is an ambient, minimalist, and cinematic electronica artist who has released 3 albums, 2 EPs, and a soundtrack. He’s also composed and produced music for movies and video games and he’s based out of Los Angeles, California.  “Subway Meditations” is actually a concept album that actually consists of samples and audio collected from Michael’s subway commutes throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco. Visit Michael’s website and MySpace site to learn more about him.  

 16.  Philipp Weigl – “Lifted,” from the “Bezdna Radio Essentials” compilation, available from the Silent Flow netlabel.  Philipp is a minimalist electronica composer, producer, and musician from Munich, Germany.  In his spare time, he loves to play the piano and he works as a piano teacher.  He released his first album in 2005, he now has at least 6 or 7 different releases to his credit, and his latest album, Fragmentary Proof, is available through Magnatune.com.  Learn more about Philipp at his Magnatune page, his MySpace page, his last.fm page, and his website at philippweigl.com.

That about wraps it up for this episode.  Subzero Soundworks is produced out of northeastern Pennsylvania and the music you’ve just heard has been released under a Creative Commons license to support the artists.  Lots of great music awaits you next week, when Episode #13 sets sail. If you have any suggestions or feedback about Subzero Soundworks, or if you’d like to submit your own chillout and downtempo music, please contact me at rob@subzerosoundworks.com or head over to my MySpace page at myspace.com/subzerosoundworks.  Remember, it’s still very “bare bones” because I just started it, but I’d enjoy some company.  Stop by and say hello.

Thank you very much for listening and checking out these great artists.  See you next week!

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Hope you’re having a great summer and enjoying the sunshine.  Let’s take some time now to kick back with some liquid refreshment and chill.  Episode #11 of Subzero Soundworks is jam-packed with downtempo, chillout, lounge, glitch, and jazzy electronic goodness, so I won’t keep you waiting much longer.  You’ll hear some great new tracks from a few artists we heard last week, like The Warheads and Northbound, and well as some brand new chillout tunes from Paco Alvarez, Flow Inc., and Chill Carrier.  Music this week comes from Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, South Africa, Finland, Australia, Germany…we’re all over the map on this episode. So let’s begin the show with two excellent tunes off the brand new release from Merge Of Equals.

TRACK LISTING:

  **Backing track/theme: Cheju – “Bellflowerroot (Preston Remix)” from the Album “Broken Waves,” available for purchase from the Boltfish Recordings website.

1.  Merge of Equals – “As One,” from the album “Intoxicating,” available from the Podsafe Music Network and for purchase through Amazon.com. Merge of Equals is a chillout collective of 9 or 10 musicians and artists led by Zürich -based producer Flavio Maspoli.  The group specializes in groove-based downtempo and chilled-out beats, and there’s plenty of gems on this album…both vocal and instrumental.  To start off Episode #11, I’m featuring both.  “As One” was also featured on “Cosmic Chill Lounge, Volume 3,” which was released earlier this year.  You can learn more about Merge Of Equals by visiting their MySpace page or their website.  You can also purchase music from Merge Of Equals through Beatport and iTunes.

2.  Merge of Equals – “Flavor’s Place,” from the album “Intoxicating,” available from the Podsafe Music Network and for purchase through Amazon.com.

3.  Flow Inc. – “Protect Your Own,” from the “Controlled Variables” EP, available from the Dusted Wax Kingdom netlabel.  Flow Inc. is also known as Micadelik, a hip-hop, trip-hop, and downtempo artist and producer from Perth, Australia.  Some of his influences are DJ Krush and Blockhead, and “Controlled Variables” is his first EP.  Amazing stuff for a debut.  Check out Flow Inc. MySpace page to listen to more of his work.

4.  Damolh33 – “freedom part3,” from the “Clock” EP, available from the Serxxi Records netlabel.   Damolh33 is a minimalist electronica and downtempo duo of Gabriel and Mikulas Bernath from Slovakia, and they have about 6 or 7 EPs out on various netlabels.  Gabriel Bernath actually started the project in 1999, and his brother joined him in 2003.  Learn more and listen to some tracks from them at their MySpace page.

5.  Ez A Divat – “Nofun Nofun (Crookram Remix),” from the “Nofun Nofun” single, available from the Budabeats netlabel.  Ez A Divat is a six-piece live band from Budapest, and they play mostly jazzy drum n’ bass and dub, led by amazing female vocals.  Ez A Divat actually translates to “This is fashion,” and you can learn more about them by visiting their website.  Crookram, who remixed the track, is a downtempo and hip-hop artist from the Netherlands.  Zip by his MySpace page, his website, or his site at last.fm to learn more about him. You can also download and enjoy Crookram’s “19/76” EP from the Budabeats netlabel if you like his work.

7.  Detune – “Dreams,” from the “About Us” release, available from the elpa netlabel out of Latvia.  Detune is a Russian duo who are very skilled in creating ambient electronica and glitchy trip-hop, and this track is from their debut album.  Visit the elpa netlabel for more ambient and glitchy electronica.

8. The Warheads  – “Track 1,” from the album “Telstar 18,” available for download from the group’s website at thewarheads.com.  I featured The Warheads on Episode #10 of Subzero Soundworks and more information can be found about them in the show notes for Episode #10 at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com.  Thanks again to JRS for giving me a heads up about this brand new album from The Warheads. Please visit their website, where you can learn more about the group and download some of their newest works…as well as some older tracks.

9.  Chill Carrier – “The Long Way Home” from the album “Moving Off Ground,” available from Jamendo.com.  Chill Carrier is also known as Sebastian Kretzschmar, who hails from Germany.  Sebastian has been producing music as Chill Carrier since 2003, and “Moving Off Ground” is his third full-length album. You can find out more about him at his last.fm page and his Jamendo blog. 

10. Northbound – “Hibernators,” from the “Nowhere Near” album, available for download (or with donation) from the group’s website at northboundsound.com.  Like The Warheads, Northbound was also featured on Episode #10 of Subzero Soundworks and more information can be found about them in the show notes for Episode #10 at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com. However, you can always learn more about them by checking out their MySpace page, where you can listen to some of their tracks…or visit their website, where you can download them—either for free or for a donation. 

 11.  Poodleplay Arkestra – “Skeleton Breath,” from the compilation “I Heard Something In The Distance Volume One,” available from the BFW Recordings netlabel.  Poodleplay Arkestra is an ambient and experimental musician who lives in South Manchester in the UK.  Check out his MySpace page to learn more about him and to listen to some of his tracks.

12. Paco Alvarez  – “Minimisation,” from the “Domestic Landscapes” release, available from the rec72 netlabel.  Listen to more from this amazing first full-length release from Paco Alvarez at his last.fm page.

13.  Capisconne Electro Unity – “New London,” from the “Activity” EP, available from the Breathe Compilations website. Capisconne Electro Unity is a group from Zagreb, Croatia.  They’re led by Ivan Kapec, a jazz guitarist and founder of the experimental band TrianguliZona, who also released an EP for the Test Tube netlabel.  The group performs with live and improvised instrumentation to create a relaxed, jazzy vibe.  Learn more about Capisconne Electro Unity and listen to more of their music at their MySpace page and their SoundCloud page.

14.  riccicomoto – “Mama (feat. Anita),” from the “Turn Over” EP, available from Ioda Promonet and for purchase from iTunes, Rhapsody, and Zune Marketplace.  Ending our show is this great track from the 3rd EP from riccicomoto, brought to you by the fine folks at Summer Rain Recordings.  Riccicomoto is also known as Enrico Regini, and he’s a well known DJ and producer living in Hamburg, Germany. His influences consist of artists like Massive Attack, David Holmes, Kruder & Dorfmeister, and Thievery Corporation.  Find out more about him at his MySpace page, his last.fm page, and his website.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed the chilled-out grooves in this week’s podcast.  As always, the music you’ve just heard has been released under a Creative Commons license to support the artists.  In the next week or two, Episode #12 will be set to launch, but if you have any suggestions or feedback about Subzero Soundworks, or if you would like to submit your own chillout and downtempo music, please contact me at rob@subzerosoundworks.com.  Of course, if you think someone else might enjoy this music, please spread the word!  After all, these artists deserve it for their hard work.

Thanks again for listening and allowing these tunes to enter into your brain and cool down your headspace.  Until next time…

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Welcome, chillout fans! July is upon us and the weather has been on the milder side here in Pennsylvania, but we’re keeping things nice and cool here at Subzero Soundworks.  Episode #10 features some artists in the last episode like Fonogeri, some artists who have recently contacted me such The Warheads, and other artists you’ll hear from in future episodes, like Dynamoe and Northbound.  All in all, it’s another 70 minute mix of chillout, trip-hop, lounge, ambient, and downtempo gems for your listening pleasure.  The first half of the show is dominated by a number of tracks from Jamendo.com, but then we’ll show some love for the netlabels and some great artists who release their music independently through their own websites. Let’s get things started where we last left off…with another Jamie Myerson side project named Fine Day For Flying. 

TRACK LISTING:

  **Backing track/theme: Cheju – “Bellflowerroot (Preston Remix)” from the Album “Broken Waves,” available for purchase from the Boltfish Recordings website.

1.  Fine Day For Flying – “Pinwheel,” from their self titled EP, available for purchase from Amazon, Zune Marketplace, and iTunes.   Fine Day for Flying is a collaboration that combines the electronic stylings of Philadelphia/South Jersey based producer and artist Jamie Myerson and the acoustic guitarwork and angelic voice of singer-songwriter Amy Cook, who now lives in Austin, Texas. They describe Fine Day For Flying as “she’s a little bit country, he’s a little Depeche Mode.” I’ve featured Jamie’s work on two previous episodes of Subzero Soundworks, and please check out Amy Cook’s website at amycook.com to learn more about her and to hear more of her music.  Of course, you can also find out more about Fine Day For Flying at their MySpace page.

2.  Antony Raijekov – “Ambient-M,” from the “Jazz U” release, available from Jamendo.com.   Antony Raijekov is a chillout and lounge musician and producer originally from Sofia, Bulgaria.  He’s been making music since 1991 and has even composed music for several theatre perfomances.  Antony is currently based out of Vienna, Austria, and you can learn more about him at his website and his MySpace page.

3.  Fonogeri – “Tél-Tündér,” from the album “Marbles,” available from Jamendo.com.  Fonogeri was featured on Episode #9 of Subzero Soundworks and more information can be found about him in the show notes for Episode #9 at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com. Visit Fonogeri’s website or his MySpace page to learn more about this fantastic downtempo artist and hear some tracks that you won’t find on “Marbles.” Fonogeri contacted me last week and sent me some samples that he’s been working on for his new album. Very cool stuff.  I can’t wait to hear what’s next!

4.  Logan – “Joyeux Drilles,” from the album “La Logan Box,” available from Jamendo.com.  Logan is otherwise known as Julian Savès, an electronica artist who hails from Paris, France.  He has three other albums available on Jamendo.com, and he cites Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, and Boards Of Canada as some of his major influences.  Check out his MySpace page for more information.

5.  Tracing Arcs – “Hibernation,” from the “Fin” release, available from Jamendo.com.   Tracing Arcs is a UK-based trip-hop and jazz duo of vocalist and lyricist Fran Kapelle and keyboardist and programmer Paul H. Addie.  They’re joined on this album by double bass player Terry Pack.  They’ve been creating chilled-out, jazzy grooves since the mid-90’s, and you can find out more about them and listen or download much more of their music on their Jamendo blog, their own website, their MySpace page, and on last.fm.

6.  AAGSF – “Yi,” from the “Birds and Water Ressurection” compilation, available from the Ruszud netlabel.  If you like dubstep, breakcore, ambient, or IDM, check out more releases from the Ruszud netlabel at their website or their MySpace page. 

7.  Bing Satellites – “Forever,” from the compilation “I Heard Something In The Distance Volume One,” available from the BFW Recordings netlabel.  Bing Satellites, aka Brin, is an ambient shoegaze musician, remixer, producer, and DJ from Manchester, UK. His third release, “Slow Motion,” is due out later next month.  Bing Satellites also hosts a radio show on RebelRadio.FM, playing an eclectic selection of the best ambient, shoegaze, punk and electronica from around the world. Please find out more about Bing Satellites at his MySpace page and listen to some great Bing Satellites remixes on MySpace as well.

8.  Melatonin – “Glory” from the “Planset” album, available from Jamendo.com. Melatonin is the trip-hop, downtempo, and IDM duo of Alexandr and Anton, both of whom hail from the Russian Federation.  Listen to some of the tracks off of their newest album on Jamendo or on their MySpace page.

9.  DJ Drez – “The Road, Pt. 2,” from the “Jahta Beat – The Progression” release, available from Ioda Promonet and iTunes.  DJ Drez got his first set of turntables at age, 17 cut his teeth in the L.A. underground hip-hop scene in the early-90’s, and never looked back.  He has toured throughout China, Thailand, and the U.S., yet he still finds the time to DJ for small yoga classes. Visit his website at djdrez.com or his MySpace to listen to more from DJ Drez.

10. The Warheads  – “Scene 6,” from the album “Nihon/Noir,” available for download from the group’s website at thewarheads.com.  The Warheads are a group of musicians and producers from the San Francisco Bay area, and their sound is largely a combination of downtempo, lounge, and world beats. Thanks go out to JRS from The Warheads for contacting me last week and cueing me in to some great chillout and Eastern-influenced grooves.  There’s plenty more to listen to at the group’s website, and you’ll be hearing more from them on future episodes here as well.  Swing by their website, where you can learn more about the group and download some of their latest projects.

11. Northbound – “Dawn Stroll,” from “Landscapes of Late” EP, available for download (or with donation) from the group’s website at northboundsound.com.  Northbound is a jazzy downtempo and electro-folk collective from Finland.  It’s largely the work of multi-instrumentalists Mikko Roisko and Olli Jäderholm and vocalist Venla Saartamo.  Head over to their MySpace page, where you can listen to some of their tracks…or visit their website, where you can download their EP and latest album—either for free or for a donation.  We’ll hear something else very soon from Northbound on upcoming episodes.

12. Lost Soul Refuge  – “Black Orchid,” from the “Black Orchid” album, available from the Dusted Wax Kingdom netlabel.  Lost Soul Refuge is a UK trip-hop, hip-hop and electronica artist and more can found out about Lost Soul Refuge at his MySpace page.

13.  Response – “Endless Warmth” from the album “Reflect,” available from the Imaginary Nonexistent Records netlabel.  Response is an ambient and electronica artist who has been involved in numerous projects, from the electronica band Stylus Dust to the electro-pop group Hammond & Bell.  Visit his MySpace page to find out more about him and to hear some more of his tracks.

14.  Dynamoe – “Said And Undone,” from the album “Coming Home,” available from the band’s website at dynamoe.com, through iTunes, and at Amazon.com.  Dynamoe is a group from Copenhagen, Denmark that combines electronic and live instruments to create warm, smooth grooves.  In addition to their own website, you can find more information about Dynamoe on their MySpace page, last.fm, and on Facebook.

Episode #11 is practically completed already and will be out next weekend, on Sunday, July 19.   If you’re a fan of this podcast and you like what you hear, send an e-mail my way at rob@subzerosoundworks.com. Of course, please let me know if you’re a downtempo or chillout electronica artist and would like your music played on Subzero Soundworks.  I’m more than happy to hear from you.

Thanks for listening….hope you enjoyed the show.  Stay cool, everybody!

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In Episode #9, we’ve got a mix of all sorts of chillout and downtempo tunes for you…even some lounge, deep house, glitch, and ambient.  Variety is the spice of life, as they say, and this episode is no different.  But it’s all good, because it’s all chilled.  Some tracks are leftovers from previous episodes and some are from artists that I played on my last episode.  I’m also going to play tracks from two artists that you will definitely hear more from in future episodes—Fonogeri and Jamie Myserson.  I’ve been in contact with Jamie throughout the past two weeks and I’d like to thank him for some of the great music he’s sent my way.  He’s done some amazing remixes of different artists, as well as some great solo work. You’ll have a chance to hear much more from him in upcoming episodes of Subzero Soundworks and one of his tracks closes out this episode.  Our first track, however, comes from Screenatorium.

TRACK LISTING:

  **Backing track/theme: Cheju – “Bellflowerroot (Preston Remix)” from the Album “Broken Waves,” available for purchase from the Boltfish Recordings website.

1.  Screenatorium – “Pearls” from the “Audimat” release, available from Jamendo.com.    Screenatorium is a trip-hop quartet out of Lyon, France whose influences consist of Zero 7, Tricky, and Massive Attack. They’ve been around since 2006 and have released two full-length albums and an EP. If you like what you hear, swing by their MySpace page or visit them at their Electrobel netlabel page.

2.  Fonogeri – “The Reverie (feat. Lii)” from the album “Marbles,” available from Jamendo.com.    Fonogeri is Gergo Gyula, an electronica and downtempo musician who lives in Debrecen, Hungary and has been seriously creating music for the past ten years.  He is also joined by Lea Barcsai on vocals, and Fonogeri cites fellow Hungarian Yonderboi as a major influence on his music. Visit Fonogeri’s website or his MySpace page to learn more about this fantastic downtempo artist.  We’ll definitely hear more from Fonogeri in weeks to come.

3.  blackdaylight – “something else” from the album “attack of the extravagant minimalist,” available from the Stigae netlabel.  Blackdaylight is a trip hop and soul producer and visual artist from Chicago, and his style can best be characterized as gritty, soul-infused, trip-hop grooves. Stop by his MySpace page to learn more about him.

4.  POulbO – “the sleep transporting,” from the “Landscape under bed” release, available from Jamendo.com.  POulbO hails from Nice, France and he specializes in glitchy electronica, trip-hop, and experimental, piano-based electronica.  His artwork and numerous releases are readily available online; you can experience them and find out more about him on his website, poulbo.com, or on MySpace.

5.  Anderson – “Lewis * In A Bulletproof Vest” from the “It Runs In The Family” album, available from Ioda Promonet.   I featured Anderson on last week’s episode, but I just had to play them again for you. This track reminds me of combination of The Postal Service and Zero 7.  Check out the Subzero Soundworks show notes on Episode #8 at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com for more info on Anderson or visit their MySpace page to listen to their new release and hear more from them.

6.  brokenkites – “silent sun I,” from the “Seven Circles” album, available from Jamendo.com.  Brokenkites hails from Antarctica and they specialize in ambient, electronics, and downtempo.  They actually refer to themselves as “anti-genre,” which I suppose is quite appropriate.  Find out more about them at their website at brokenkites.com, as well as their MySpace page, where you can download all seven of their albums for free.

7.  Tatsu – “Music Forest” from the album “Internet Dependence Syndrome,”  available from the Bump Foot netlabel. Tatsu is actually the founder of the Bump Foot netlabel out of Japan, from which you’ve heard numerous releases on this podcast.  Tatsu focuses primarily on minimal techno, but has dabbled in many other styles since beginning music production in 2001. You can access all of his music for free through his page at the Bump Foot netlabel.

8.  Aquadelfin – “Se dibuja en al aire” from the “Marzo Es Marte” compilation, available from the at-at records netlabel out of Mexico.  Aquadelfin is the creation of DJ Max de Tijuana, a deep house and ambient musician and producer from Baja California, Mexico. He’s been making music for the past 12 or 13 years, and you can check out some more of his tracks at his MySpace page.

9.  Reveranger & Piter – “Forgotten,” from the album “Piter and Friends,” available from Jamendo.com.  Piter is Piotr Skrzypczyk, an electronica artist and musician from Torun, Poland.  At his website, you can download some of his music if you’ve enjoyed what you heard from him in this episode. Reveranger is otherwise known as Filip Piechowski and collaborates with Piter on this particular track.

10. Coax  – “The Journey,” from the “Artifacts and Discovery” release, available from the Soft Phase netlabel.  Coax is a ambient and cinematic experimental artist who has also had releases on the Monotonik and Kahvi netlabels.  He hails from Oslo, Norway and is set to release another full-length album titled “The Third Mobius.” However, he has just released an EP titled “Wasteland,” which you can download from his website. You’ll also be able to check out some really beautiful artwork and nature photographs at his website.  Kinda makes me wish I lived in Norway.

 11. Fenderchet – “An Honest Reflexion,” from “The Sleep EP,” available from the Astor Bell netlabel.  Fenderchet is Jose Juan Silva, an experimental and IDM electronica artist from Falcón, Venezuela.  Listen to more of his tracks at his MySpace page or visit the Astor Bell netlabel website for more.

12. MSK  – “Boire tes baiser,” from the “AM I Scared?” album, available from the artist’s website at msk.fm.  I also featured MSK on last week’s episode.  Check out the Subzero Soundworks show notes on Episode #8 at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com for more info on MSK or head over to MSK’s website at msk.fm.

13.  bubblegone – “small multiple” from the “unless you once feel” EP, available from the Cyclene Records netlabel.  Bubblegone is a minimal and ambient electronica artist from in and around Detroit, Michigan.  You can find out more about Bubblegone on last.fm, his Cyclene Records website, and MySpace.

14.  Solomon’s Seal – “I Built A Fire (Jamie Myerson remix)” single.  Great track…definite Peter Gabriel vibe there. As far as I’m aware, this particular remix is not available on any Solomon’s Seal release.  I included a write-up on musician, producer, and remixer Jamie Myerson in Episode #7, when I featured his tune “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” in that episode. However, you can always visit his website at jamiemyerson.com and on MySpace or purchase some of his tracks on eMusic, iTunes, or on CDBaby. Solomon’s Seal primarily consists of Simon Petty, who for 10 years led the L.A.-based English quartet Minibar.  The unremixed track appears on his debut album titled “The Sea, The Sea,” which was released on June 2 and can be purchased on CDBaby.  Check out more on Solomon’s Seal at their MySpace page.

Once again, a huge thank you to Jamie Myerson for sending me some great tracks. You’ll hear more from him and from Fonogeri in the next episode, which is set to air late next week—tentatively Sunday, July 5.   If you’re a chillout, downtempo, ambient, or electronica artist and you’d like to hear your music on my podcast, please drop me a line at rob@subzerosoundworks.com.  I also love getting feedback, whether it’s positive or negative…anything that I can do to make Subzero Soundworks a better podcast to support these artists and, of course, to have their music heard.

See you next time!

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Episode #8 of Subzero Soundworks is going to be a little different, since I was in the mood for some late-spring cleaning.  I’ve decided to treat you to some of the tracks that either didn’t fit on previous episodes or were overlooked for some reason.  In fact, I had so many great chillout and downtempo tunes left over that it looks like I’ve got a whole set already lined up for Episode #9.  Coming up on Episode #8, there’s a wide variety of music for you.  We’ve got some trip-hop, ambient, lounge, deep and minimal house, downtempo, and electronic alternative.  Our show starts off with Dyman.

TRACK LISTING:

  **Backing track/theme: Cheju – “Bellflowerroot (Preston Remix)” from the Album “Broken Waves,” available for purchase from the Boltfish Recordings website.

1.  Dyman – “GORila” from the “planner” album, available from the Abutre netlabel.  Dyman is an electronica, trip-hop, dubstep, and mixed media artist from Portugal. He’s been around since 2007 and has released at least four albums so far.  Find out about him on MySpace, as well as his page at the Abutre website.

2.  Huxley Met Soda – “Stalkers” from the “Urbaani Erämaa” EP, available from Jamendo.com.  Huxley Met Soda is a Parisian electroacoustic group formed by Hadrian Astorri and François de Montremy. They’ve already released one EP and you can listen to more of their current album at their MySpace page. 

3.  Papita – “En El Mar” from the album “Impulso 0.1”, available from the Nativo Records netlabel.  Papita is a Colombian trio that fuses traditional acoustic guitar work with dreamy ambient and soft trip-hop, as some of their influences are Massive Attack, Air, and Pink Floyd. Check them out on MySpace.  Even if you don’t understand Spanish, you can always enjoy their music.

4.  Konntinent – “shutting down” from the “If I Could Buy A Map Of Hope—Volume 2” release, available through the Phantom Channel netlabel. Konntinent is Antony J. Harrison, an electronica artist from London who creates amazing soundscapes out of found sounds, layers of guitars, and glitchy textures.  Learn more about him on his MySpace page and on last.fm.

5.  Kristian Vuljar Docster – “Spacesick feat. C. Layne” from the album “all eyes on me,”available from Jamendo.com.   Kristian is an artist from Offenbach am Main, Germany, and he has at least 10 releases all available for free download from Jamendo.com.  It was just a matter of time before I featured him on Subzero Soundworks!  Check out his blog on Jamendo to read the lyrics to his songs or to download his music.

6.  Phreakon – “The R7 At 4:30 a.m.” from “The Complete Collection 2002-2006,” album, available from Ioda Promonet.  Phreakon is the work of Philadelphia native Michael Spinka, who specializes in smooth downtempo, lounge, and instrumental hip-hop.  This one’s an older track, but it should tide you over until Phreakon releases his newest album hopefully later this year.  You can actually download his latest track, “Hip Hop Culture,” by subscribing to e-mail alerts from the Electronic Eel Records website. Until then, stop by his MySpace page and give his music a listen.

7.  doyeq – “soft signal” from the album “visitor,” available from the elpa netlabel.  Head on over to elpa netlabel website and click on the “releases” button on the right to download this great minimal techno gem.

8.  EugeneKha – “Morning Star” from the “Nomen” album, available from the Bump Foot netlabel.  EugeneKha is a project created in 2007 by Evgenij V. Kharitonov, a Russian musician, poet, and sound artist. Between his spoken word and diverse electronica projects, he has amassed over 100 releases on many international netlabels throughout his lifetime. In fact, he’s also an editor, author, and literary critic as well. You can find him on MySpace here and here, as well as his own website.

9.  Shannon Hurley – “Sunrise (emorej mix)”single, available from Jamendo.com. Indiana-born Shannon Hurley is an accomplished singer who has had a very successful career as a session musician, an opener for major headlining artists like Gwen Stefani and Gavin DeGraw, and now, as a solo artist.  In the summer of 2008, Shannon posted the individual portions of her songs from her album “Ready to Wake Up” on CCMixter.org and acidplanet.com and over 400 remixes of her songs were produced.  She currently lives in Nashville and you can find out more about her on her website, shannonhurley.com, on Twitter, and on MySpace.

Emorej is Jerome Llama, a self-taught musician from Quezon City in the Philippines.  He often makes music on his computer and he combines various styles, from rock to drum ‘n’ bass to reggae, but with an underlying electronic influence. He’s released much of his music through Jamendo, and you can read more about him on his Jamendo blog and on his MySpace page.

10. MSK  – “Blues for Lidka,” from the “AM I Scared?” album, available from the artist’s website at msk.fm. MSK is also known as Antonino Musco, a Sicilian multi-instrumentalist who specializes in electro-jazz and currently lives in Rome. He has spearheaded a number of interesting projects, soundtracks, D.J. sets and is involved in numerous bands, such as the Sicilian AV project.

11.  Komys – “Rain” from the “Ibiza Lounge Parade Vol. 2” compilation, available from Ioda Promonet.  Head over to Ioda Promonet, where you can find more great music from Komys.

12.  Anduin – “Lovers In Transit” from “The Silent Ballet: Volume 12” compilation, available from The Silent Ballet compilation site, through The Lost Children netlabel.  Anduin is Jonathan Lee from Richmond, Virginia, and ambient artist with a flair for combining layers of sound with bits of texture.  Visit Anduin’s website and on MySpace as well to find out more about his other releases.

13.  Anderson – “Rachel * For Heaven’s Sake” from the “It Runs In The Family” album, available from Ioda Promonet.  Anderson is the Dutch electro-indie-pop duo of Bas van Nienes and Jeroen Van der Werken.  Their newest release “It Runs In The Family” is a really spunky concept album that follows the Benson family, ten estranged relatives living separate lives across the globe. Each song is like a quick snapshot of one of the relatives. Check out their MySpace page to listen to their new release and hear more from Anderson.

14.  aris_h – “Svah” from the “Mairmaid” EP, available from the Weisskalt/Blauwarm netlabel. aris_h was born in Athens, Greece and he now lives in Sydney, Australia.  He has been producing experimental, glitch, and electronica since 2006.  He can be found on MySpace, and from there you can click on links to visit him on Facebook, last.fm, and SonicCloud.

15.  Pix – “Simplement vivre” from the album “Désillusions,” available from the Fresh Poulp netlabel.  Pix, who is also known as Maxime Robin, hails from Morlaix, France and he has been making music since 16 years old. He specializes in electroacoustic music and has released several albums.  Visit his MySpace page to download all of his albums for free.

That brings us to a close, but don’t worry.  I’ll have another episode out to you in about a week…June 28th to be exact.  You’ll hear some more tracks from a few of the artists you’ve heard in this episode, as well as some fresh music for good measure.

Please drop me a line at rob@subzerosoundworks.com with any comments and questions.  Right now, I’m working on the launch of subzerosoundworks.com, as well as the Subzero Soundworks Facebook page, so there will be some exciting developments in a few months for those of you who enjoy this podcast. Thank you so very much for listening!   

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Welcome to Episode #7!  Thanks for listening.  Remember, all of the artists that you’ll hear today have released their music under a Creative Commons license.  In addition, all links to websites are included on my webpage. Episode #7 is chock-full of downtempo and chillout gems for you, so let’s get things started right away with a new release from the Dusted Wax Kingdom netlabel.

TRACK LISTING:

  **Backing track/theme: Cheju – “Bellflowerroot (Preston Remix)” from the Album “Broken Waves,” available for purchase from the Boltfish Recordings website.

  1.  Transient – “Bright Expressing Time (2008 Edit)” from the “Bright Expressing Time” EP, available from the Dusted Wax Kingdom netlabel.  Transient is Carl Martin, who lives in upstate New York and is as skilled with visual arts as he is with producing and recording.  He has releases on numerous netlabels, and you can find out more about Transient at his website, noisyvagabond.com.

2.  Serakina – “Evening at the Beachclub” from the “Green Side of Summer Blue” EP, available from Jamendo.com.  I first heard of Serakina through my favorite podcast, Cary Norsworthy’s “Expand Your Musical Horizons.”  It’s an honor to play his music on my own podcast.  Serakina, who hails from Switzerland, is also known as M. R. Wittmer, and he has numerous releases on Jamendo.  Learn more about this talented chillout artist at serakina.com and read his blog at Jamendo.com as well.

3.  Double6Project – “Moon embrace” from the “Doublesix” album, available from Jamendo.com.  The Italian duo Double6Project consists of Andrea Soru and Luca Ascari.  Find them on MySpace or head over to their last.fm page to learn more about them. 

4.  Jamie Myerson – “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” from his self-titled album, available through Ioda Promonet.  Jamie Myerson is a remixer, producer, and musician from South Jersey who recently started his own record label, 42 North.  He cites a wide array of bands as his influences, from New Order and Depeche Mode to Crowded House and Alison Krauss.  Learn more about Jamie at his website at jamiemyerson.com.

5.  Tri.ni.ty – “Baptism” from the album “Reflections of Light,”available from the Igloo Recordings netlabel.   Tri.ni.ty is Shadi Megallaa, a DJ from Abu Dhabi who specializes in dub and minimal techno.  Swing over to his MySpace page to find out more about him.  From there, follow the link to his blog, where you can download some of his DJ sets.

6.  Softspace – “Cause” from the “Starry Nights” release, available from the Musictrade netlabel.  This tune comes from Softspace’s sixth album, which is chock full of layered ambient harmonies. This prolific musician from the UK has released numerous other EPs and albums through Jamendo.com as well.

7.  Sanya Starr – “The Beast Out Of The Sea” single, available from Jamendo.com.  Sanya Starr is a male electronica vocalist from Russia and you can find out more about Sanya at his website.

8.  Geigermeister – “blue” from the “Flabbergasted Smoothies” album, available from available from Jamendo.com.  Geigermeister hails from the Netherlands and consists of Dolo von Strouscom and FM Heinz. Both are musicians and have played in several live bands. Geigermeister also involves guest appearances from other musicians and singers.

9.  Sonic Ahmed – “hasentritt” from the album “Fahrstuhl”, available from Jamendo.com.  From Berlin, Germany, Sonic Ahmed is the work of Achim Rinderle, who plays tenor, alto, and baritone sax, as well as bass clarinet. He’s been around since 1996 and describes his style as “electro-folk fusion.” Find him on MySpace to learn more about him.

10. Blue Monk  – “Smokescope,” from “The Good, The Bad, and The Blunted” BP, available from the Dusted Wax Kingdom netlabel. Blue Monk is the alter ego of Bulgarian artist Hristo Rachev, and you can learn more about his music at his MySpace page.

11.  Bitbasic – “Treeboy” from the “netBloc Vol. 22:Life on Ceres” compilation, available from the Blocsonic.com website.  Bitbasic, also known as Simon Haycock, calls London home and notes that he specializes in breakbeats, IDM, and electronica.  He also has his own blog, where you can keep up-to-date on his latest releases.

12.  Briareus – “Lucy Jane” from the album “Rewire,”available from Jamendo.com. Briareus is Clay Corello, who lives in Michigan and has an extensive back catalog of downtempo releases on Jamendo. Check out his music site and his MySpace page to learn more.  Vocals on this track were by Leza2unes through CCMixter.org.  Leza is a UK vocalist and you can watch one of her works on Youtube.

13.  Orquestra Popular De Paio Pires – “City Turtles” from the “Orquestra Popular De Paio Pires” album, available from Clinical Archives.  Orquestra Popular De Paio Pires is a Portugese group that explores many different sounds in their first album thus far…from lounge to downtempo to ambient.   Find them on MySpace to learn more.

14.  Rhian Sheehan – “Standing in Silence, Part 3” from  “The Silent Ballet: Volume 11” compilation, available from The Silent Ballet compilation site, through The Lost Children netlabel.  I remember first hearing Rhian on the seminal Café Del Mar series.  Rhian Sheehan is a producer of cinematic music who hails from Wellington New Zealand.   He has released at least 5 different albums, all of which are available for purchase at his website and his MySpace page.

That’s about all for this episode…I hope you’ve enjoyed the chilled-out grooves.  Of course, if you’ve liked what you’ve heard, please drop by the artists’ websites and let them know.  Also, please drop me a line at rob@subzerosoundworks.com with any comments and questions.

I’ll try my best to launch Episode #8 next weekend, but I’m not making any promises. Next podcast is otherwise scheduled for Sunday, June 21.  Thanks for listening and stay in the shade!

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As promised, here’s Episode #6 for you to enjoy on a nice, long Memorial Day weekend.  I’ve got a really interesting show for you this time around with artists from all over the globe.  We’ll start off with some upbeat vibes, slow it down a little before the first break, and then start the process all over again.  Some funky downtempo, some lounge, some acoustic electronica, some ambient…even a little bit of dub.  All in all, I think you’re going to enjoy this mix…lots of variety for you.  Rico Püstel kicks things off. 

TRACK LISTING:

1.  Rico Püstel – “As I crossed the doorstep” from the album “Amatory”, available from the Test Tube Recordings netlabel.  Rico Püstel is a German musician with a clear knack for the funky and upbeat side of downtempo. Rico is also known as Dinamoe and Central Scrutinizer. He also has a unique electronica netlabel called Fabulesque! and you can also find out more about it at Fabulesque’s MySpace page.  If you want to learn more about Rico, however, he’s got his own website.

2.  B-Ju – “Philly Run” from the “Bag Of Nothingness” compilation, available from the Error Broadcast netlabel.  B-Ju hails from Frankfurt, Germany and produces some great abstract hip-hop that straddles that fine line between chilled and funky.  Sample some of his tracks at his MySpace and last.fm pages.

3.  L’eau du Robinet – “Hitchiker” from the “Still dreaming” album, available from Jamendo.com.  L’eau du Robinet is a nu-jazz and electronica project formed by Poland-based producer Cristopher Pokora in 2006. Swing by his MySpace page to listen to some of his great chilled-out, jazz-based grooves.  And, for those of you who aren’t up on your French (present company included), L’eau du Robinet is French for “tap water.”

4.  Camila López + Flamante — “Move & Remove (the view of Lucrecia)” from the “Move & Remove Remixes” release, available from the Series Media netlabel. Even though Camila López + Flamante is the original artist, I’m going to focus on Lucrecia, who remixed the track.  Lucrecia Pérez started making music in Colombia in 2003.  She produces her songs all by herself by combining synths and drum machines with the acoustic sounds of guitar, xylophones, and her voice.  She has released one full-length album, which was later remastered, and an EP.  She currently lives and works in Barcelona, Spain.  Visit her website or find her on MySpace to learn more about her.

5.  DJ Cuqui – “Sorrow” from the album “Around the World,”available from Jamendo.com.   DJ Cuqui is from the Dominican Republic and he has at least two albums available for download from Jamendo.  Check out more from DJ Cuqui at Jamendo.com if you enjoy his mix of jazz and hip-hop.

6.  Mad EP – “A Minor” from the “Twenty-Four Breakbeats” release, available from the Acroplane Recordings netlabel.  Mad EP is Matthew Peters, whose main goal with the album “Twenty-Four Breakbeats” was to compose a breakbeat in every major and minor key. In addition to doing so, Mad EP has really gone above and beyond with this release by embracing so many different styles of music.  Mad EP is originally from Iowa, and he was originally a cellist and later a producer of the Chicago Symphony radio broadcasts. He has also been a member of many different projects, such as the Manhattan Gimp Project, Mad/EQ, and the Psychasthenia Society…just to name a few. Learn more about Mad EP at his MySpace page and his Discogs page as well.

7.  Mark.Nine – “Bodonseesender” from the album “Terminal C,” available from Jamendo.com.  Mark.Nine, also known as Marcus Gutierrez, is an independent electronic music composer who hails from Houston Texas. He’s been quite prolific in the 3 years that he’s been active in the electronica scene, as he’s released five albums of high-quality downtempo music since early 2006.  He also runs I/O netlabel and is co-founder of Unnamed Label netlabel. Check out Mark.Nine’s website to read his blog or to download nearly all of his releases through the I/O netlabel.

8.  Offsets – “Arise” from the “Circular Drift” album, available from the Distance Recordings netlabel.  Offsets is an ambient project that is actually a long-distance collaboration between Benjamin Dauer from the U.S. and Dominic Dixon from Scotland.  Benjamin lives in Raleigh, North Carolina and his resume and experience in producing scores and experimental and ambient music is very impressive.  You can find information of Benjamin here, here, and here.  Dominic Dixon’s other electronica side project is known as talkingmakesnosense, and he has at least four different releases under this name on Benbecula Records. Information on Dominic can be found here and here.  And, of course, information on Offsets can be found on their website at offsetsmusic.com. 

9.  Above Smoke – “Images” from the “Superssonica.net — music for a .net generation” compilation, available from the Superssonica netlabel and clothing company out of Spain.   Above Smoke is also known as Javier Álvarez, a downtempo and electronica producer from Madrid who has been making and producing music for the past nine years.  He also works very closely with the day-to-day operations of the Deep Explorer Music netlabel.  Check him out on MySpace to learn more.

10. TVset under repair  – “Rescuers in yellow jackets” from the album “Concretica,” available from Jamendo.com.  TVset under repair is an ambient and downtempo outfit from the Ukraine that consists of Dmitri Kosischev, Taras Melnichuk and Oleg Bogatko. They have released three full-length albums and one best-of compilation, all of which are available free for download at their last.fm site.  The album this song came from, “Concretica,” was actually released in 2003, but deserves more time in the spotlight for this little gem of a tune.  You’ll be humming it for weeks to come.  You’re welcome.

11.  Julien Mier – “The snow used to be here” from the album “Soon, close, maybe too far,” available from the Bump Foot netlabel. Julien Mier is a producer and musician from the Netherlands who specializes in ambient, but also dabbles in drum n’ bass and IDM for good measure.  He’s only 20 years old and he’s been producing music since he was 16.  He’s just released his third EP and he can be found on last.fm, SoundCloud, and MySpace.

12.  entertainment for the braindead – “maybe” from the “Cologne Commons Compilation 02” compilation, available from the Cologne Commons website.  German singer/songwriter Julia Kotowski is the one-woman powerhouse behind entertainment for the braindead.  What makes her music unique is that she writes lyrics, sings melodies, accompanies them with guitar or ukulele and then, for percussion, mixes in samples of things found around her kitchen, like peppermills grinding and drawers closing. If that isn’t what makes laptronica cool, I don’t know what is. Visit her on MySpace or at her website at entertainmentforthebraindead.com.

13.  SADACORE – “Karmaholik” from the “Human Comusika” album, available from Jamendo.com.  Sadacore is from Greece and began producing music in 2002.  He specializes in trip-hop, downtempo, and electronica.  Check out more music from Sadacore on his MySpace page.

14.  Mrbasslo – “Robot in Love” from the “Robot in Love” EP, available from Ioda Promonet.  Mrbasslo is Johnathan Miller, an electronica musician from Hertford, UK. His projects also include Dawg Records, a digital netlabel.  Find him at his last.fm site and on MySpace.

15.  UV – “Lights” from “The UV EP,” available from the Plain Audio netlabel out of Berlin.  UV is also known as Matthew Stenning, a UK based producer who has been making electronic music since his early teens.   A lot of his music defies categories and genres and is more focused on forming a mood or a vibe. Check out the Plain Audio netlabel website to listen to more of this great release.

Remember, all of the artists that you’ve enjoyed today have released their music under a Creative Commons license.  Well, this is the part of the program where I say goodbye, but not before I beg for some human contact.  Please drop me a line at rob@subzerosoundworks.com with any comments and questions. 

Episode #7 is scheduled for Sunday, June 7.  Thanks, as always, for listening.

Now please call your mother.  She misses you, y’know.

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Finally, Episode #5 is hot off the press!  Consider it “fashionably late.” I got a little sidetracked last weekend with my podcast, but I knew that I had to spend a little quality time with my Mama on Mother’s Day.  Episode #5 was just going to have to wait for another week.  Anyway, I’ve had this episode completed for over a week but just couldn’t find the time to put all the pieces together.  Remember, this music is all released under a creative commons license to support the artists.  14 delicious chilled-out tracks are all lined up for your listening pleasure.  Let’s begin. 

TRACK LISTING:

1.  Hallucination Layer – “The Longer The Fingernail (The Bigger The Bump)” from the album “Swayed”, available from Jamendo.com.  Hallucination Layer is the work of David Buco, who hails from Newnan, Georgia.  In case you were wondering, that’s 30 miles southwest of Atlanta.  Yeah, I Googled it.  Anyway, some of Hallucination Layer’s influences consist of Wire and Cabaret Voltaire.  Find out more at his MySpace page. And, by the way, any artist who can repeatedly use a sample from the movie “Full Metal Jacket” scores some serious bonus points with me.  This tune actually starts out with a sample from an avant-garde rant by David Letterman staple Brother Theodore.  And, in case you’re curious, the clip from which the samples are taken can be found here.  (Check out :51 – 1:08 for the first sample, 2:25-2:38 for the second, which appears near the end of the song.)

2.  Suhov – “Tinilányok álma” from the “Lakótép” LP, available for  download from Suhov’s MySpace page.  You can also check out a track listing of the album at the goodnetlabels blog.  Suhov hails from Hungary, but his album is a totally chilled-out mix-up of instrumental and vocal hip-hop.  Find Suhov on MySpace to learn more.

3.  Volfoniq meets Azzurro featuring Stéphanie Grisel – “A love riddim” from the “Cosmiq Ryoku 2” EP, available from the Les Cristaux Liquident netlabel.  Volfoniq is an electro-dub band out of France, and they’ve been fusing electronica, world beats, and reggae together since 2004.  Give them a listen at their MySpace page or their website at volfoniq.com.

4.  Karen Young and Éric Auclair  — “Circle of Seasons” from the “Electro-Beatniks” LP, also available from Ioda Promonet.  Currently on Effendi Records, Karen Young and Éric Auclair hail from Montréal, Canada and specialize in jazz-infused electronica.  Some of their influences are Radiohead, Laura Nyro, and Miles Davis.  Visit their MySpace page to learn more.

5.  Phillip Wilkerson – “Midland Part 5” from the “Midland” 5-track EP, available from the Resting Bell netlabel out of Berlin.  Phillip is an ambient American artist who has a knack for creating peaceful, yet experimental tracks. If you enjoy Phillip’s ambient works, visit his MySpace page, his blog, or his website at phillipwilkerson.net.

6.  General Fuzz – “starry” from the “soulful filling” LP, available from General Fuzz’s website at generalfuzz.net.  General Fuzz contacted me about two weeks ago.  I had heard of him through some other podcasts, but wasn’t aware that his whole catalog was available for download through his website.  General Fuzz is also known as James Kirsch, a classically trained pianist from the U.S. who grew up on the East Coast and now lives on the West Coast.  Check out more of his tracks at his website to discover some really infectious downtempo.

7.  Ulrich Schnauss – “Shine (Mint Remix)” from the “Cardboard Rocketships” album, available through Ioda Promonet.  By now, if you’re a big fan of downtempo or chillout music, you should be familiar with the works and music of Ulrich Schnauss.  Let’s focus a little on Mint, who remixed the track. Mint is also known Murray Fisher, co-owner of independent UK record label Boltfish Recordings.  According to the Boltfish Recordings website, he also runs graphic design company, Trickster, and an offshoot urban clothing label.  You can find Mint on MySpace, Facebook, and at his website.

8.  D-Noise – “Susi” from the “Before Connection LP”, available from the Deep-X Recordings netlabel out of Russia.  D-Noise hails from Moscow and is a talented deep house and minimalist artist.  You can find D-Noise on MySpace, where you can listen to more of his tracks.

9.  Eivissa Salinas featuring DJ Hseres – “Woman From South” from the “You Are My Life” album, available from Jamendo.com.   Eivissa Salinas and DJ Hseres are from Almere in the Netherlands.  Check out more of their Jamendo releases at their Jamendo artist page.

10. Scanner – “Broken Faultine” from the album “Rockets, Unto the Edges of Edges,” available from Ioda Promonet.  Scanner is the work of Robin Rimbaud, an experimental electronica artist from London.  He actually uses the name Scanner because of the use of police scanners and cell phones in his live performances.  You can download some more of his mp3s, read his blog, and check out more about Scanner at his website and at MySpace as well. 

11.  Pea Sized – “Stop Thinking” from the “In My Mind” album, available from Jamendo.com.   Pea Sized is from Weisbaden, Germany and consists of Pia Kayser and Karsten Kayser, who have been a couple for the past 10 years but have only begun making music together since last year. Their music is a dark mixture of  downtempo and trip-hop, as their influences include such artists as PJ Harvey, Björk, and Feist.  Check out their website at peasized.net, or visit them on MySpace, Facebook, flickr, and Twitter.

12.  West Point – “Rub” from the “Leaf EP”, available from the Imaginary Nonexistent Records netlabel.   West Point is Yuichi Ozaki, an ambient and IDM artist from Japan, who has been making music since 2006.  You can listen to more of his tracks at his MySpace page.

13.  Pl@netarium – “Freedom” from the album “Living Space World,” available from the elpa netlabel.  If you enjoy this tune, check more of this Russian artist’s other releases here.

14.  Hungry Lucy – “Stay” performed live from “the teatime sessions” album, available from Jamendo.com.  I featured a great song from Hungry Lucy on Episode #4, and you can find more information about them in the Episode #4 show notes.  You can also find them on MySpace and purchase their music at hungrylucy.com, too.

I’ll do my best to have another episode to you in the next week or two at the latest.  As usual, please don’t forget to e-mail me at rob@subzerosoundworks.com.  I absolutely love to get mail and love hearing from both electronica artists and electronica listeners. 

Remember, please support these artists by visiting their websites, checking out their music, buying some of their latest releases, or just e-mailing them to tell them how much you enjoy their music… 

Tentative date for next podcast is Sunday, May 24.  Thanks for listening!

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Thanks for joining me for Episode #4!  It’s an unseasonably warm Sunday here on the banks of the mighty Susquehanna, so I’m planning to get out and enjoy a little sunshine…but not until I treat you to over an hour of the finest podsafe chillout and downtempo.  Remember, this music is all released under a creative commons license to support the artists.  14 tracks of downtempo, trip-hop, lounge, and chilled-out grooves from the U.S., Australia, and across Europe are all set for you to enjoy, so let’s get things rolling. 

TRACK LISTING:

1.  Gone (x3) – “You And Me” from the “Gone” EP, available from the Dusted Wax Kingdom netlabel.  Gone (x3) is the work of Michael G. Daddie, who hails from Athens, Greece and is also called 3timesGone.  Another one of his projects is the drum n’ bass outfit known as badratio, but 3timesGone specializes more in jazz, trip-hop, and downtempo in general.  Check 3timesGone out on MySpace for more samples and info.

2.  Merlune & Daakoon – “Do You Really” from the “No Place Like Home” LP, available from the Dusted Wax Kingdom netlabel.  As promised, here’s another track from this great release.  More information is available about Merlune and Daakoon from the show notes for Episode #3 of my podcast at subzerosoundworks.podbean.com.

3.  Hungry Lucy – “Into Pieces” from the album “Glo”, available from Jamendo.com.   The duo Hungry Lucy is no stranger to the electronica scene.  Hungry Lucy is based out of the Cincinnati, Ohio area and consists of producer War-N Harrison and vocalist Christa Belle.  Based on their professional website at hungrylucy.com, the two appear to have a great and quirky sense of humor and have even included a cat named Chloe and Trevor, a garden gnome, as honorary members of the band.  More importantly, though, their music and darkwave, “trip-pop” stylings are amazing.  They’ve been around since 1998, have released 3 full-length albums, and have toured the U.S. twice.  The album “Glo” was actually released in 2003, but has been re-pressed and released this past week on Jamendo.com for your listening pleasure. You can also find them on MySpace and purchase their music at hungrylucy.com, too. Good stuff!

4.  a-q-rat  — “Caught” from the “blueprint” EP, also available from Jamendo.com. a-q-rat is also known as Rainer Bliemeister and he calls Süsel, Germany home.  He produces trip-hop, elektro, and lounge and cites his influences as Kid Koala, Roots Manuva, and DJ Krush. You can learn more about a-q-rat from his blog on Jamendo, on last.fm, and on his MySpace page.

5.  Monodeluxe feat. Paola – “On the Bridge” from “The Lounge Suite Vol. 1” EP, available from Ioda Promonet. Monodeluxe is the work of Alessandro Oliviero, an Italian currently living in Basel, Switzerland. He produces primarily lounge, nu-jazz, and house music. Monodeluxe recently formed his own label, Vibe Boutique Records, together with his partner and A & R manager Brigetta Dusnon, who in turn forms one-half of the duo The Briâ Project. You following me so far?  Good.  Check him out on MySpace and last.fm, or purchase his music through CDUniverse.

6.  Nocow – “f a i l i n g  f l a m e” from the “a l e y” EP, available from the Dedpop netlabel out of the UK.  Nocow, also known as Alexey Nikitin, produces electronica, nu-jazz, and downtempo from St. Petersburg in the Russian Federation. Find out more about him at MySpace and last.fm. You can also listen to his music at the Parallax Sounds Music Label website.

7.  Cycle Hiccups – “Rainy Day Renegade” from the second disc of the 2-CD “Footprints” compilation, released through the Bump Foot netlabel.  Cycle Hiccups is the work of Alexandr Velikoselsky, a musician, singer and performer from Petrozavodsk, Russia. According to his entry on the Bump Foot netlabel site and his MySpace page, Cycle Hiccups explores different ways of composing and performing electronic music almost without using premade material.  You can also check out some really cool videos of him producing his music at his MySpace page as well.

8.  Phopha – “Macabre City” from the “Cities” album, available from Jamendo.com.  Phopha produces downtempo and electronica from Kunovice in the Czech Republic.  Check him out on MySpace and last.fm.

9.  Zenix – “Mystical Path” from the “Breathe 03” compilation, available from the Breathe Compilations website.   Breathe is actually a great netaudio resource website out of Mexico specializing in ambient and electronica. You can download the first and second Breathe Compilations there as well.  Zenix is a nu-jazz and trip-hop artist from Athens, Greece.  Find him on MySpace to find out more.

10. Or D’oeuvre – “Il rentre quand,” from the album “First Death,” available from Jamendo.com.  Or D’oeuvre in a DJ and trip-hop artist who lives in Prague in the Czech Republic. He’s also part of the French electro and dub group Dring Toy.  Find out more about him and check out one of his interviews at his MySpace page.

11.  Pixieguts (with Corrientes) – “Tripping Up The Mountain” from the “Pixieguts!” album, available from Jamendo.com.   Pixieguts is an Australian vocalist who has performed in conjunction with numerous electronica and downtempo artists.  She has her own website where you can download all of her albums, as well as a website through Jamendo where she also has her own podcast.  Corrientes, her backing band on this track from her 2008 album, is a 4-piece Latin/Alternative group from East Rockaway, New York. Find out more about them at their website and on MySpace as well.

12.  PinoCchio SP – “retrospect two” from the “In Retrospect (2001-2006)” album, available from the Konsum Productions netlabel out of Thuringia, Germany.  Visit PinoCchio SP’s blog on MySpace as well as his site at last.fm.

13.  Anois – “Sew New World” from the album “Tree House Whispers,” available from the Aerotone netlabel, also out of Germany.  The lo-fi/glitch outfit Anois consists of Lars Kranholdt and Anne Baier.  They hail from northern Germany and you can find them on MySpace and last.fm if you want to find out more about them.

14.  D-Fried – “Waterfence” from the “Clouds Leave No Trace” LP, available from the Phonocake netlabel.   D-Fried is the work of Jordi Saludes, a producer, musician and DJ from Barcelona, Spain.  He cites Aphex Twin, Cabaret Voltaire, and Kraftwerk as some of his major influences. Find D-Fried on MySpace to learn more.

For some strange reason, this was a rather difficult episode to produce…probably because I found too many good tracks that I wanted to include, especially through Jamendo.com.  The final product was over 90 minutes, and just too darn big.  I guess I’ll have to save them for the next episode.  Again, please don’t forget to e-mail me at rob@subzerosoundworks.com.  I’ve heard from Merlune and also from Jason Haye from Project 5am, both of whom I featured on Episode #3…and I’d love to hear from you, too…whether you’re just a casual listener or an electronica artist. 

Most of all, remember to support these artists by visiting their websites, listening to their music, and, of course, buying some of their latest releases.  Epsiode #5 is all set to launch on Sunday, May 10.  Until then, thanks for listening! 

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