Love Dont Live Here Anymore.

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Texas Love 4 Vice

When Vice UK asked for a submission, I knew I had to share the sound that can only be found right here in my home state of Texas. I am fortunate to live in a place where so many of my peers are creating the kind of music I love. When most kids are worrying about how the grass is greener elsewhere, these bands are working hard to make where they are where they want to be. This mix is different: it is not vintage or obscure records emanating from some small corner of the globe, but rather all current Texas synth based projects covering multiple genres. Included is everything from Industrial EBM to Techno, Leftfield Disco to Electro, Deep House to Minimal Wave and even a little Screwgaze for good measure.

I am grateful to all groups who were so kind to contribute to this compilation; special thanks to Klearlight Studios for helping master the final mix as well as producing several of the bands in it. I’d also like to thank Answering Machine Records for their submissions as well as their continued output of quality Texas synth music. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for all my creative friends across this big state.

There is something sacred in the geometry connecting Houston, Austin, and Dallas - this love triangle that we’re all a part of. This mix is a testament to what friends and neighbors are capable of and it’s a fitting time capsule for this time and place. If there’s only one thing I can say about this mix, it’d be simply, “Don’t Mess with Texas”

The Texas Love Triangle mix by Tommyboy

Playlist:

1. George Quartz - “Coconut”
2. Phantastes - “Flight of Stares”
3. Darktown Strutters - “Silver Bullet”
4. Indian Jewelry - “Same Mistake Man”
5. Corporate Park - “Intimate Precision”
6. //TENSE// - “Versus Man (TX Love Remix 2010)”
7. Seth Nemec - “Count Zero”
8. Jake Schrock - “Trigon”
9. E.R.P. (aka Convextion) - “Frozen Volatiles”
10. DYX - “Lips in the Darkness (feat. Press-On)”
11. Submersible Machines - “Riding Theta Waves”
12. Missions - “Phantasy”
13. Medio Mutante - “Transit (Demo)”
14. MVSCLZ - “Fascination (Across The Nation)”
15. R9 - “Dreamdance”
16. edrupt - “M-U-S-I-K”
17. betdat - “Nex (Radio Edit)”
18. MKF KÜNST - “Venga (TX Love Remix 2010)”
19. Berliner Eins - “Nite Life”
20. Twisted Wires - “Hell”
21. Low Red Center - “Historic Edition”
22. S U R V I V E - “White Clouds”
23. Future Blondes - “NIGHT ANALYSIS (Oppenheimer Analysis “Behind the Shades” RMX)”
24. Psychic Violence - “U is Moon”
25. How I Quit Crack - “Gone Away”
26. xix - “1111(v7)”

Strafe

After reading about Walter Gibbons for a good hour I found out this track was his last hit mix. It tweaks in dark patterns, has all the repetitive big drum hits Gibbons is known for and simply glows in bad ass grooves. I found the instrumental version way ahead of its time. I think the track, period, is a beautiful mixture of early hip hop and dark wave.


Strafe - Set It Off (Instrumental)

Charlie McAlister is exactly what I've needed. An injection of raw old timey country jams with a hint of schizophrenia. He's well loved, has a prolific last.fm profile, and today we are going to celebrate his disregard for high-budget productions. Long live the DIY.

Charlie McAlister - Mississippi Luau

Charlie McAlister - Neddie DuBois

Keith Mansfield's "Night Bird"

I am so incredibly stoked to be sharing this track on ARAWA... I found out about it little over four or five months ago and was saddened by its lack of availability in mp3 form. But, LUCKILY I found it this morning. It's a library production by Syd Dale and Keith Mansfield from 1979. It truly oozes with seventies-campy-swagger. Lately I've been incredibly into "library" music... so I'll be sharing some more of my finds at later dates. I want to pay huge homage though to Cosmobells whom I got this rip from. The blogs out there ripping library records are truly amazing.

MP3: Keith Mansfield - Night Bird

Childlike warmth from Nilsson

Who can forget those memorable ethics from the seventies that promoted uniqueness, brotherly love and community. The remnants of such sentiments quickly eroded a decade later with the onset of the Reagan era, but gratefully youtube has time capsuled many artifacts from the hippie bubble.

In 1971 Harry Nilsson apparently wrote a story about a little boy who did not belong. In a town full of points he was the lonely sphere. The story is both delicate and touching for even those past the age of twelve. I found a lot of comfort in watching it in the first month of my moving to Portland. The meaning of the story is quite obvious, but nevertheless emotionally educational. The fable's promotion of acceptance and open community pretty much melts my heart.

Besides a touching story the soundtrack is wonderfully poignant. Nilsson's voice is both charming and solemn. The soundtrack features narration in between each track that makes you feel like you're on a trip, a small form of escapism. I recommend getting the whole soundtrack if possible!

Also, possibly the most rad acid quote ever:

"I was on acid and I looked at the trees and I realized that they all came to points, and the little branches came to points, and the houses came to point. I thought, 'Oh! Everything has a point, and if it doesn't, then there's a point to it.'" – Harry Nilsson

Harry Nilsson - Me and My Arrow
Harry Nilsson - Poli High

//TENSE// VIDEO PREMIERE

I'm pleased to present my new video for //TENSE// featuring the single "Turn It Off'" available on MishkaNYC records later this year. Inspired by classic EBM videos of the past, //TENSE// was shot over an extended weekend in Dallas, Texas with friend and videographer Thomas from Blackmagic Rollercoaster

SXSW 2010 MEMS

I had a blast this year in Austin! Saw everything I cared to see and then some. It was a total shock and surprise to finally meet OWLEYES and PEGASUS in person. Really warms my heart to meet these internet friends in the flesh. Ben Aqua's mega event Awthumfetht V was a total success and probably the best showcase I saw all week. Besides S U R V I V E superb performance in the early evening, //TENSE// , Psychic Violence and Bodytronix tore the roof off the mother by the end of the night. I wish I had more footage on my iphone, but I was busy working visuals on an awesome 50'x50' wall w/ an HD projector. Like a kid in a candy store I was ;)

I ended my week at the instore performance showcase at SWITCHED ON, Austin's new vintage electronics and keyboard repair shop. If you haven't seen or heard about this place, do yourself a favor and follow the link. Most likely the premiere vintage synth store in all of North America. This place is going to be a true mecca for keyboard nerds for years to come... AMAZING!!!

I've always wanted to see MEDIO MUTANTE perform and this was probably the best setting I could have hoped for. Perfect clear blue skies, 75 degrees, in front of the nexus of current electronic music appreciation, MM didn't disappoint. There were a few new tracks in the mix I wish I recorded but was running out of juice. Can't wait to hear the new EP which is soon to be released.

Lastly, my dear friends Eric Archer and Erich Ragsdale(TJ Laserphone) of Bodytronix absolutely blew minds with their all original circut bent techno/electro/acid set complete with modified drum machines and all. That customized 606 Drumatix with the added 808 kick was a complete monster. I feel our Dutch friends would be really stoked about these guys. I can't even act like I know what all is going on in all those boxes and wires, but it's still mighty impressive!!! Here's a clip from Eric's camera at Awthumfetht.



Phheew, it was alot of fun and exhausting being in ATX for SXSW. Glad I left when I did! After my last day with the 70 degree weather, the temperature dropped 40 degrees and I actually came home to snow in Dallas in mid-March. Anyone familiar with Texas weather knows that snow, any snow, especially this late in the year is just really wrong and totally bizarre. Long story short, I had a blast!!! I hope the video above does justice to the bands and the memories I made this year!!! I really can't wait to see everyone again!

Noc Komety

Where would we be without Bumrocks? Without its mysterious branding and pushing of sounds long forgotten and misunderstood? Seems that the site, a gateway to places I'd never dared dream of before, is dead now, its creator taking their aesthetic away from the digital landscape of the interwebs and back to where it belongs. On vinyl.

Their first release brings Zambon, a polish DJ/producer to the editing decks, digging through obscure Polish disco, synth pop and rock and coming out with some absolute gems. Here's his amazing uptempo re-work of the slow burner above...

Budka Suflera- Noc Komety (Zambon Master Of Orion Edit)

and the original...

Budka Suflera- Noc Komety

Check out more samples and pre-order some vinyl here.

クリネックスティッシュ-赤鬼編-