36

36

23 April 2022

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This week brings me to #36 in the 'Numbers' series, the year of mixes and selections I'm aiming to post whilst trying to raise some funds in aid of the UK charity Sue Ryder. 

 

At the very outset of this project I had it in my mind that when I reached number 36 I would use it to showcase one of my favourite ambient artists who goes by the name '36'. It would seem like a bit of a missed opportunity if I didn't.

 

I first came across 36's music on the compilation 'Europe' which is from one of my favourite ambient labels 'A Strangely Isolated Place'. Unfortunately, I've never been able to grab an affordable copy of this compilation on vinyl, though I do have the digital release, it's not quite the same. 

 

36 has appeared on ASIP a few times now and one of the things that makes this an excellent combination is that both the artist and the label clearly pay attention to detail and go to great efforts to provide great quality in terms of production, mastering and the physical product. Such is the level of quality in my eyes,  that I judge other ambient releases I buy, particularly on vinyl, based on what I've received when I buy from 36/ASIP. The form of ambient music has to be treated with care because imperfections are so easily noticed and really harm the listening experience.

 

Aside from ASIP, 36 has appeared a number of other labels, most regularly his own label 3six Recordings, but also another consistently good and another favourite label of mine 'Past Inside The Present'. You may also know his work under the guise of SYNE which is geared more towards the dancefloor with a deep techno edge to it.

 

The artwork this week features the artwork from the releases I've featured in this mix. As ever, if you enjoy the sounds on this mix, I'd encourage you to support the artist(s) and labels via the links on the tracklist below which will take you to the Bandcamp pages where you can buy the music directly. 

 

Also, if you do happen to enjoy the mix, or any of the other selections I have posted, please consider a small donation to my Just Giving page, where you'll find out a little more about why I am doing this and trying to raise a little money for the great work done by Sue Ryder. If you aren't in a position to do so, perhaps you could consider sharing this on your social media channels.... I've really struggled to get much traction with this so any help in that regard is very welcome and appreciated.

 

For more on 36, here are some links you might find useful - 

 

Twitter //  Bandcamp  //  Discogs  //  Spotify  //  Apple Music  //  Instagram 

 

 

Tracklist

36 - Goodbye Yesterdays World / Music For Isolation (Part 1) (3six Recordings)

36 - Lahaina Noon (Past Inside The Present)

36 - Shadow Play (After Dark Reprise) (A Strangely Isolated Place)

36 - Diamond Rain (3six Recordings)

36 - Room 2 (A Strangely Isolated Place)

36 - Apartment 451 (Reinterpreted) (A Strangely Isolated Place)

36 - Moravian Fields (Special Species Records) also on this <<compilation>>

36 & Duenn - Built On Lies (Past Inside The Present)

36 - Pulse Drive (3six Recordings)

36 & Zaké - (Stage 2) (Past Inside The Present)

36 - Time Without Motion (Version) (3six Recordings)

36 & Awakened Souls - Past Self (Past Inside The Present)

36 - London (A Strangely Isolated Place)

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37

37

17 April 2022

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Week 16, selection #37, and it is another selection rather than a mix. This week it sounds like Soul, Funk and Northern Soul.... all the good stuff!

 

It's been a bit of an overwhelming week with what felt like more crammed into the last 7 days than during the previous 4 months. After lots of hesitating and research before taking the leap I have a new bike waiting to be picked up from Norfolk, team McLeod started planning a bike trip to Europe later in the year with Ferries and some hotels booked and dates locked in. I've still not been feeling great but still pushing on through and have been chipping away at some jobs that have been on my 'to do' list for a while, and I'm very nearly at the end of the process to get my vinyl all recorded and backed up to my hard drive... a process I started around 2.5 years ago, recording on average 3 to 5 LP's every day!

 

For the most part, it's been positive, although I'm still not feeling positive about the fundraising effort, which this is a part of. The numbers are still not good. I have that scene from 'I'm Alan Partridge' where Lyn, his personal assistant, is role playing as the commissioner for the BBC and in giving a reason as to why Alan Partridge won't be securing a second series she says "well Alan, the numbers started off badly and got worse from there". I've honestly been considered refunding the donations received so far out of my own pocket, adding to the total to hit the goal and then just calling it a day. I'm going to keep going, but it really is a struggle to motivate yourself when 60% of the terrible play counts come from within your own household (of 2). I've put it out there (without reply), several times and on several platforms, that if anyone could give me some ideas or pointers on how to gain some traction with this, it would be very welcome and much appreciated. 

 

That's the news of the week out of the way, so now onto the music. As ever, if you enjoy the selection, please buy the music and support the artists and labels. The links in the tracklist this week will directing you to Discogs as I doubt most will be available digitally unless you go to Amazon. As ever, any donations to my Just Giving page (in aid of Sue Ryder) or any shares to your social media are appreciated.

 

 

Tracklist

Darondo - Do You Really Love Me (Kent Dance)

Marvin Gaye - Woman Of The World (Blue Note)

The Deirdre Wilson Tabac - I Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometimes (Be With Records)

Willie Hutch - You Can't Miss Something You Never (Be With Records)

Esther Williams - Last Night Changed It All (Jazzman)

Lyn Collins - Wheels Of Life (Get On Down People / Universal)

Inell Young - What Do You See In Her (Soul Jazz)

Mike James Kirkland - What Have We Done (Luv N Haight)

Curtis Mayfield - Beautiful Brother Of Mine (Curtom)

Gloria Ann Taylor - Jolene (Luv N Haight)

Pearl Dowdell - Good Things (Mukatsuku)

Little Gregory & The Concepts - Get Away (Tramp Records)

Marlena Shaw - I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free) (Cadet)

Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators - Feeling Free (Timmion Records)

Edwin Starr - Time (Motown)

Carrie Cleveland - Love Will Set You Free (Funky Planet)

Billy Butler - Right On Track (Okeh / Epic)

Don Thomas - Come On Train (NUVJ)

Betty Davis - My Soul Is Tired (Light In The Attic)

Alice Clark - You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt Me) (BGP)

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Night (Motown)

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38

38

9 April 2022

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Selection #38 and week 15 is a "selection" as opposed to a "dj mix". In terms of genre, let's say it has guitars but you can dance to it. Some might call it AOR, Yacht Rock, or Soft Rock with a Disco and Funk influence. I find putting music into a pigeon hole quite difficult because there is always grey areas and fine lines where genres cross or subtly merge. So, have a listen and decide for yourself. 

As ever, if you happen to enjoy the selection, please consider a donation to my Just Giving page which is raising funds for the excellent work done by the Sue Ryder charity here in the UK. Any donation however large or small is greatly appreciated and put to good use. I know things are tough for lots of people right now, if you aren't in a position to donate, perhaps you would consider sharing the music / Just Giving links on your social media, that would also be a great help, especially as I'm struggling to get traction with this.

 

The tracklist is below and this week it will be with some linked to Bandcamp and others linked to Discogs pages where you can pick up the tracks featured this week.

 

 

Tracklist

Young Gun Silver Fox - Long Way Back (Légère Recordings)

Rick Cuevas - The Birds (Self Released)    >>> Available on V/A - Fingertracks (ESP Institute)

Hudson-Ford - 90° In The Shade / Daylight (CBS)

Tender Leaf - Coast To Coast (Cool Sound)

Maria Muldaur - Midnight At The Oasis (Reprise Records)

Jaye P. Morgan - Can't Hide Love (Candor Records)   >>> Recent reissue on WeWantSounds

Life Force - Slow Dancer (Favorite Recordings)

Daryl Hall & John Oates - Alone Too Long (RCA)

Alessi Brothers - Do You Feel It? (A&M Records)

Morrison Kincannon - To See One Eagle Fly (Spacetalk Records)

AM & Shawn Lee - Persuasion (AM Sounds)

Rosebud - Money (Star Gazer)

Jaki Whitren & John Cartwright - Stay Cool (Emotional Rescue)

Franne Golde - Isn't It Something (Portrait)   >>> Available on V/A - Ladies Of Too Slow To Disco (HDYA)

Mark Capanni - I Believe In Miracles (Jazzman)

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39

39

2 April 2022

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Yet another week has gone by where it's been a 'not feeling great' kind of week. 4 in a row. To be honest, it's been the case for a lot longer but perhaps just not as impacting in the earlier stages of this challenge as it has been of late. With that in mind, I'm going to try and bank some mixes/selections so that I have one or two in reserve, just in case I'm really not up to the recording / cover designing / shit-posting on the blog at any point.

This week I had a couple of positive comments on my mix from last week. A positive comment is always a nice thing to receive and my friend Matt Foord is very supportive in that regard - otherwise it's something that's generally in short supply, but not something I look for or expect. I don't think what I'm doing is worthy of praise, it's the artists that have the talent and I just try and bring sounds to peoples ears that they may otherwise have missed, and I try to do it in a way that flows nicely from track to track. That's it, and I'm not sure I even get that right, but I try. 

Of course, it's always been important for me that I encourage people to support artists and labels and the vast majority of times I provide links so people can do that and buy the music. I wish there was a way to gauge how much traffic goes from here to the links I post but I don't think there is a way, or not for my tech-limited brain in any case. Perhaps one day I'll find a way.

What is most important for me this year though is trying to raise some much needed funds for Sue Ryder and I seem to have hit a bit of a wall with it. I honestly don't have much in the way of contact with people in the real world (damn you mental health and rural living). Aside from a couple of 5 minute chats with a couple of neighbours, I've only spoken to a handful of shop clerks and the Covid vaccinator. That's since October last year. So I always knew it was going to be hard going and limited to really trying to find ways to drum up some interest and hope for the odd small donation here and there - hence setting quite a modest target (or at least I thought so). I'll keep going, but I don't know what else to do - whether online or in the real world. Any suggestions most welcome.

You can find out more about these numbers mixes I've been posting by digging back through recent posts, or of course you can check out the Just Giving page I set up.

Onto the music...

 

 

Tracklist

Jon Hopkins with Ram Dass & East Forest - Sit Around The Fire (Domino Recordings)

Amara - Psychedelic Potato (Sola Terra)

part timer - The Runner (Orla Wren Remix) (Lost Tribe Sound)  << Proceeds go to UNICEF

Time Rival - East Wind (Binaural Space)  << Proceeds go to 'People In Need - Ukraine'

Bark Psychosis - Pendulum Man (Fire Records)

Biosphere - Birds Fly By Flapping (Biophon)

Hinako Omori - Snow (Houndstooth)

Early Fern - Seratonin Cascade (Metron)

Harry Towell & Guy Gelem - Montague's Creek (Polar Seas)

Louisahhh - Here Is Hoping (Tiger Sushi)

Patricia Wolf - The Culmination Of (Past Inside The Present)

Keeley Forsyth - I Stand Alone (Leaf)

Polaroid Notes - Sleepless Nights (Büro für Erdrotation)

Shards & Isolation Choir ft. Douglas Dare, Luke Howard & Jófríður Ákadóttir - Inside I'll Sing (Erased Tapes)

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