Today’s edition of solipsistic NATION is epic but it fought me every step of the way in it’s creation! Arranging and preparing for four interviews, waking up in the wee hours of the night to call Pitch Black‘s Michael Hodgson, endless hours of editing and mixing, two essential applications crashing constantly, etc. It is by sheer will alone that I was able to pipe today’s show into your tender and wanting ears. And what a show it is!
I’ve spent the last couple years off and on trying to showcase Waveform Records and that show finally came together earlier this month. Quite by coincidence, Bluetech, Phutureprimitive and Pitch Black had all recently released new albums, and all of them had releases on Waveform Records. I’m new to Ott but he’s somehow managed the trick of sounding at once utterly familiar and worn in but completely fresh and surprising at the same time.
Bluetech’s album, Rainforest Reverberation is classic Bluetech and 100% of the proceeds from all music sales go to end deforestation, species loss, and cultural upheaval in the Amazon. For more information visit criticalbeats.org and amazonvoice.org to stay tuned for regular updates and future releases. Evan has released over 20 albums, and he’s founded two really fantastic record labels, Native State and Somnia, where he’s released even more great music. You can listen to more music from Evan and his two record labels by downloading shows number 77 and 102.
I’ve been a fan of Phutureprimitive since the release of his first album, Sub Conscious. Phutureprimitive is another artist that took a few years to get on the show but the stars aligned and a window opened up for Rain to talk about his new album, Kinetic, and it was well worth the wait. From the music, to the albums, title, to the album cover, Kinetic is meant to convey one thing: movement. So get your booty moving!
While I was putting today’s show together I asked folks on Twitter and Facebook who they thought I should also include to round out the show and Pitch Black came up time and again and is an obvious choice if you give it a moment’s thought. Another happy coincidence: Pitch Black have also released a new album and it’s called Remixes & Rarities. Mitch was gracious enough to come on the show to talk about their new album and how much Pitch Black owes their sound to dub, so much so that it’s their “lead instrument.”
As I mentioned earlier, I’m new to Ott but I’m now a dedicated fan. I said that Ott’s music also feels very familiar. Earlier in his career Ott worked with such luminaries as Brian Eno, The Orb, Youth, African Head Charge, Steve Hillage, and On-U-Sound and I can’t help but think those experiences rubbed off on the young Ott. No wonder Ott’s music feels instantly beloved.
A bit of news…
This has been a banner month for solipsistic NATION and Junes’s not yet over!
As of today, solipsistic NATION has been downloaded over a whopping 33,000 times this month. That’s a record but it gets better still. This month’s live show featuring alka, merohedra, Alexei Borisov and 80(sun) has been downloaded over 11 thousand times! That’s more than the other show that was the most downloaded edition of solipsistic NATION. That was Amon Tobin‘s live set and that show took over two years to break 10,000 downloads!
Listen, I work hard on the show because I love the music and I want to share it with as many people as I can. If you like what you hear, you can help the artists by spending a buck or two on one of their songs, maybe buy an entire album. You can help me out by telling your friends and your net friends on Twitter and Facebook about solipsistic NATION if you want to share the music with them too.
Finally, and sadly, I don’t know if you’ve heard the news but Cheb I Sabbah has been diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer and that his cancer is spreading to his liver and left lung. Without immediate and proper treatment, the prognosis given is very grim. Cheb does not have health insurance. As you can imagine, the cost to treat his cancer is going to be astronomically expensive. To make matters worse, due to his weakened condition, Cheb has had to cancel many shows, bringing his income stream to a complete halt.
But you can help.
Indiegogo is crowd sourcing to raise money to help pay for Cheb’s medical expenses. Cheb is a sweetheart of a guy (just listen to my interview with him back in 2007) and if you’ve ever met the man or enjoy his music, I implore you to go to generously donate some of your money to help Cheb.
Join us again next week for a recording of a special live performance. I’m not sure who our guest will be but I’m hoping it will be Altus. He’s long over due to be on this show. See you then!
Photo Credit: ©ViaMoi
- Bluetech “Inner Space Funk (feat. Katrina Blackstone)”
- Bluetech & Mr. Bill “Unidentified Flying Octopus (Mr. Bill Remix)”
- Interview with Bluetech
- Phutureprimitive “Unidentified Flying Octopus (Mr. Bill Remix)”
- Phutureprimitive “Rapid Cognition”
- Interview with Phutureprimitive
- Across Digital “Disarray (Pitch Black’s +13db@50Hz Remix)”
- Pitch Black “Bird Soul”
- Interview with Michael Hodgson of Pitch Black
- Ott “Squirrel and Biscuits”
- Ott “The Aubergine of The Sun”
- Interview with Ott