日本 Series #1

Podcasts are dangerously accumulating in my iTunes, and it's only a few days ago that I gave a distracted ear to an October episode of my favorite radio show Beats in Space. The show had on that day two guest DJs from Japan, Shintaro Sakamoto of Yura Yura Teikoku and Hikaru of Blasthead. While 99% of the mixes available today on the net are usually limited to ultra specific genres, these guys struck me with their eclecticism, mixing psychedelic rock, italo disco, electrofunk, minimal techno, deep house, percussions and... hum... animal screams altogether in
a rather playful and enthousiastic manner.

Living in a city, Taipei, where the biggest excitement comes from the occasional nu-rave party interrupts the usual flow of transe and HK techno, I felt kind of envious of such an incredibly bushy and eclectic underground dance scene. So I started a little exploration of this vast musical galaxy. I'll try to post regularly about what I find in my exploration of the Japanese web (a real maze for me since I'm not a Japanese speaker). For now I'd like to share this:

Shirane Kenichi Exclusive 3：Live2




I have no clue about who this guy, Shirane Kenichi, is, since his website is all in Japanese. So please tell me if you know more. Actually I can't even say if it's the most ridiculous music I've ever heard or if it is total genius. Probably both...

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

When my favourite DJ, Ewan Pearson, plays on my favourite radio show Beats in Space, it feels like I'm getting an early Christmas present. Which is always appreciable in Taiwan where I'm away from family and all these end of the year celebrations.
The mix is absolutely wonderful, in the very tradition of Ewan, which means: trippy, atmospheric, melodic, and above all, the tracks melt into each other as if they were meant to be played together (which is pretty much what mixing should be about, right?).

Here is the download link, and also the playlist if you are too lazy to get it from the website:

1. Moon Unit - connections (Ewan Pearson Remix Inst) - Supersoul
2. Mountains - Blown Glass Typewriter - Apestaartje
3. Arthur Russell - Janine - Audika
4. Rhinegold - Orei Klangs Dimensionen - Weltrekord
5. Quixote - Before - Versatile
6. Matthias Aguayo - Walter Neff - Kompakt
7. X-District - Color Correction - Playhouse
8. Mario Basanov & Vidis - Test - Mantis
9. It's A Fine Line - Hen's Bells - Marketing
10. Jamie Jones & Lee Foss - Scarry Perry -
11. Ruede Hagelstein - Semikolon - Souvenir
12. DJ Koze - Abudinga - Areal
13. Jon Hopkins - Light Through The Veins (Ewan Pearson Remix) - Domino
14. Junior Boys - Hazel (Ewan Pearson Dub) - Domino


About Christmas gifts, there is a handful of special edits by Allez-Allez waiting for you on their blog. So if you feel alone on Christmas Eve, which is quite a boring day in Taiwan actually, why don't you invite some friends at your home and have a little bedroom clubbing session on these reworked versions of the Human Benz, the Rolling Stones, Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Nina Hagen or The Pixies? And don't forget to drop me a word to invite me, I'll bring the foie gras and the champagne!