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Up for the 27th installment in our mix series is dear friend and colleague Kennedy (@kennedyams) who's a keen member of the MFM crew and recently started his own label Dream Machine. Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hey Nick seemed like a good time to finally get you to introduce yourself and join our mix series since you’ve been helping with MFM a while now. Can you let everyone know a bit more about yourself?

K: Hey hey. Thanks for the opportunity :) So, I live in Amsterdam where my life is (and always has been) centered around music. I've been helping out at MFM for some years now and besides that I have my studio that I religiously visit 3 days a week. In a normal world you'd also find me working at Red Light Records once a week and playing shows on the weekends where they'd have me.

MFM: You’re also working on your own productions, can you tell us a little more about your own music?

K: So it had always been a dream to release my own music on vinyl and after messing around for over 10 years the time felt right and I recently realized my own label Dream Machine. Both musically as aesthetically the idea was for each release to reflect a dream but in tangible form. As I tried to put it into words it is “A series of thoughts, sensations and sounds occurring from a person's mind, translated by machines”, and it really is just that. 

MFM: How has the situation affected your productivity with making dance music?

K: A bit double to be honest. Of course I've had my rough times, which can be frustrating. Quite often I wasn't feeling motivated or inspired at all, the purpose felt a bit misplaced or something like that... On the other hand and above all I felt relatively lucky to be able to go leave the house and get lost in the studio. Having the luxury to escape to a creative environment surely helped keeping calm. Eventually it did result in Dream 1 being released and with Dream 2 coming up.

MFM: What would you say does inspire your music? Is it very process based through jamming and so on or do you start with ideas and try and see where that takes you?

K: For me inspiration goes hand in hand with motivation, it's all very much based on how I feel. I don't work well at night for example, daylight is my natural battery. And anything can be a source of inspiration really. Often an idea comes to mind when walking through the park on my way to the studio, listening to music or just wandering off. A melody, a chord, something rhythmical, a vibe... Depending on what idea it brings I choose an instrument or tool and go from there. Mostly through jamming yes, and then see where the machines take me. 

MFM: What would be some ways you would like to see the world of dance music evolve and grow now we’ve all had a moment to pause and reflect?

K: I actually would rather see it all take a couple steps back first. It would be nice if (dance) music gets acknowledged and valued as an essential form of art more. Music really unites and it needs proper breeding grounds for people, free from any social, economical, racial or whatever context to express, connect, create, collaborate, learn, etc. It's essential, and it should be treated and used as such (not in the last place also by governments), with more care, necessity and sustainability. 

MFM: Tell us more about the mix and what vibe you were trying to bring here?

K: I sort of tried to reflect my perception of this recent change in life. As a big fan of Lonnie Liston Smith (and The Cosmic Echoes) the song 'Visions Of A New World' first came to mind and I just took it from there. If you're in for an atmospheric laid back magic carpet ride with lots of percussion, spiritual jazz, ambient techno and forest sounds, this is for you :)

MFM Mix 027: Kennedy

Continuing the animix series this week is one of the most passionate and talented musicians I know. Max Santilli ( @maxsant ) is a musical chameleon with an incredibly deep and diverse knowledge of music. One half of the Eora/ Sydney duo @angophora , and an avid record collector,  
max has released a beautiful range of releases under the duo and his solo project. 

The warm qualities that shine through in maxes music are reflective of his deeply humble character, and his music never fails to blow me away - beautifully tranquil and always unique. 

Please enjoy this sublime home listening mix.

Thanks again max! ❤️

Downloads enabled

Animix Fifty Six: Santilli

As you all know we’re re-launching the radio with a brand new identity & content objectives. One of our new broadcasting system is called “Tiger Tapes”, this series will focus on international artists from every corner of the world. For our birthday & 1st of the series, we wanted it the be a very special mix. That’s why we went & got in touch with one of our biggest inspirations since our inception as a radio. 
He’s a big but hidden stage player, Amsterdam’s best-kept secret, an important figure in his native scene, you’ve guessed it, his name is Orpheu The Wizard.

And oh boy, how happy we are to have asked him to inaugurate our podcast series, he had carte-blanche for this mix & you can feel he went & dug up as deep in his record collection as he did his personal emotions. At first listen you are taken away by the mixtures of emotions that run throughout the 3 and half hour mix, a highly addictive touch helping you to unlock all spectrum of feelings. 

Filled with textures, glitchy but enticing drum patterns, voices from another dimension, pads that shine higher than the heavens, basses that reach untold frequencies. The mix is abundant with tracks that you will definitely be hearing for the first time, even us, diggers in the team, barely recognized any songs & that’s why he is called Orpheu The Wizard, his wand is the needle & we are his subjects.

Links:
https://soundcloud.com/orpheuthewizard
https://soundcloud.com/wakedream

Tiger Tapes 001 - Orpheu The Wizard

For episode 46, our designer, friend, and emissary in Paris Alan Briand, who produces under the alias Shelter, has put together a mix of original improvisations -- electronic tekhas which explore taal cycles and expansive drone harmonics from Indian classical music using drum machines and synthesizers. Alan says these works ‘explore human-like emotions in a synthesized world’, something which resonates strongly with the current deluge of media. The mix moves between moods, at times reminiscent of the more introspective downtempo side of IDM -- Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia or The Future Sound of London. At others like Hariprasad Chaurasia’s and Charanjit Singh’s Eternity or Craig Leon's Nommos. We hope this mix offers you a reprieve and opportunity for reflection -- enjoy!

All tracks by Shelter

1. Initiatory Ways
> No. 1
> No. 2

2. Song of Dawn

3. Automatic Cycles
> Genesis
> Question Reponse

4. Three Beaten Pieces
> Live Motif
> Slow Motif
> Dense Motif

5. Worldly Reflection

Séance Centre Radio Episode 46 NTS w/ Shelter NO BANTER

Up next are our dear friends The Zenmenn (@user-847972032) with whom we have a new 7" and more coming up soon. For the special occasion they came up with an unexpected mix extraordinaire while being generous in answering our questions. Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: When did the first idea for The Zenmenn project present itself? Did it start with a few existing songs, or is it a conceptual project?

ZM: A couple of years back we got the opportunity to join this cool studio run by a gentleman called Franz. We did some stuff with friends and at the same time we just began jamming and recording what we did, and eventually we had a couple of songs in our hands, that we thought sounded interesting, and it dawned upon us that we should spend our time working on our own stuff. The name The Zenmenn came later, probably most of the album was recorded by then. There are still some old jams on the Zenmenn hard drive filed under Pharaohs Lounge, which is one of the earlier name ideas stolen from an alcohol free coctail bar near the studio.

MFM: Quite some fans refer in their comments on the LP to the '80s and include terms like 'melancholic' and 'nostalgic'. What are your thoughts on comments like these? 

ZM: Oh that’s nice. It’s generally very nice to hear people describe our music. Today a guy told us he thought we sounded like an Ethiopian band played on 45 with John Mayer on top… could be something to it. 
But true - it’s not really a party record and some of the songs like topaz or homage to a friendship certainly have a nostalgic, melancholic tone. Also the 80s vibe is well helped along by the Dx7 that features on every song. The presets we use are mostly the legendary e piano which features in all the 80s power ballads and the amazing fretless bass that still sounds better than any of the other fretless bass presets we’ve come across. Harp and steel drum are also great.

MFM: If all your current equipment would break down and you'd have to work with newer instruments of modern technology instead, how would that affect your music? Do you think you'd still non-mistakenly sound like The Zenmenn?

ZM: Most of our keyboards are from the 90s or even early 2000s, like the Triton Le and the Casio Ctk900 with which we recorded this whole mix. The 90s stuff is way more affordable. In some way we would probably sound the same cause we don’t loop, quantize or produce music in a contemporary fashion, and we’re into certain chord progressions and grooves. If we wanna play one pattern for 5 minutes, that’s what we mostly do, and then you always end up with some embellishments and quirks. But making music comes a lot down to workflow and if we had some fancy new synth in your hands with a thousand effects, sequences and menu diving we would probably do something different. That could be cool too,  but at the moment we prefer the old school approach. 

MFM: Thanks so much for this very special "mix". Tell us about it please?!

ZM: We made a mix of tracks we liked but it didn’t really come across too original so we decided to take another approach. Magnus plays around on keyboards whenever he can, and the way we make music is mostly just jamming something and then giving it structure as we go along. Magnus made 2 jams and we put them together and chopped out things that didn’t seem to fit, but mostly everything is recorded in one go. Our friend Helen Wells came by and played some harmonica, guitar and tweaked some pedals. We overdubbed some Casio, cool voices etc. Ben had a couple of curatorial suggestions in the end and did some great spoken words. Since our first little tour this summer Magnus has been carrying around some small drawing books and has been noodling away. This has been a great influence on this mix where all the decisions have been quick, with a loose hand and not too many layers. We’re happy to have the opportunity to make a mix and we’re very inspired to do more just like this.

MFM Mix 037: The Zenmenn

For the first show of the new year, The EDWIN Music channel welcomes Tokyo-based producer, DJ, and "Organic Music" Record Store owner Chee Shimizu (@organicchee).

For the full interview and tracklisting, please visit https://edwin-europe.com

№ 114 - Chee Shimizu

Chee Shimizu - Guest Mix

music for... travelling - Matt Ticehurst

Conjuring memories of daydreaming in the midsts of suburbia. A new mix from @priori-ties

Some words from Priori: “I grew up in a working class neighbourhood of Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. Being an only child in the suburbs meant I spent a lot of time daydreaming and contemplating my environment. I was a bit of a melancholic kid so post-punk and ambient music made a lot of sense to me when I discovered them. I stumbled upon an album called Strike by 154 by accident, probably wanting to download something else off of Kazaa. It really changed things for me as a teenager and I still hold it dear. There's a song from it in the mix, along with a bunch of other things that bring up similar feelings for me.”

“As for news:
Alex (Dust-e-1) and I are putting out a new record as ANF on NAFF, should be out April 26th.
Some more collabs and solo things coming out in the summer.”

music for... growing up in the suburbs - Priori

“Influenced by Melbourne and musical experiences with a group of friends. The image of being above the clouds from flight or mountains always came back to me. I’ve been working on some new music that has a bit more energy than my most recent music but still has the laidback pads and melodies I'm drawn too. These tracks should be out in the coming months.”

@djarloski is a Melbourne based producer and DJ and definitely, one to watch - can check his recent ‘hypnosis’ release over at https://djarloski.bandcamp.com/

music for... high altitudes - Dj Arloski

E2E:The mix is different from the high energy you’re known for, is there a particular environment or context you had in mind when putting it together?

KM: I wanted to make something different for you as I feel like the mixes on your site tell a story, and this is something I aim to do with my mixes (unless it's a full on club mix where I just want to make people dance). 
A theme, image or idea helps me direct the development of the mix. Sometimes when I am at home and want to relax, I watch train rides from the driver's perspective (my favourite is the Oslo to Bergen video), this has inspired a few of my previous mixes. 

Lately, I've started watching diving and submarine videos. I put on music while I watch the bubbles rise and fish come into focus and try to find something that accompanies these images. So this mix is inspired by that. Plunging underwater, diving deeper and exploring the ocean floor. I'm definitely inspired by artists like Valentino Mora, Dorisburg and basically, anyone who has played at Organik Festival in Taiwan - they have such great bookings. Also, Johanna Knutsson who plays and makes the most beautiful, understated dub techno. 

I'm always impressed by techno DJs who don't feel pressure to play anything too obvious but rather confidently lull the audience into a trance state with layers of lush textures. I'm not really a techno DJ, I usually play anything with breaks, and this mix actually isn't actually so straight-forward either, but it's definitely inspired by that idea and I love staying open to all genres and finding openings to understanding and exploring them.

E2E: Any news or projects you’re working on at the moment?

KM: My partner and I who do the Oscillate events at about blank in Berlin started a label, Oscillate Tracks, last year and our third release with Johanna Knutsson and Karen Gwyer is coming out in August! I'm absolutely in love with all the tracks and can't wait to share them with everyone.

I also just got a studio and have been focussing on production but I'm not in any rush to get anything out, just learning and experimenting at this stage which is really fun.

music for... subaquatic travel - Kate Miller

@earlgreyradio

E2E: Did your move to Melbourne influence the mix? 

A little bit, yes. I have been feeling particularly nostalgic lately and that probably came through in the selections. Last week, I drove from Glebe to Brunswick in a 12 seater bus with my cat Romeo. We listened to this mix together to see how it sounded on the road. Unfortunately, Romeo did not like it and he did not like much that day. 

E2E: Were there any environments or contexts that you had in mind when putting this mix together? 

As the title of your mix series suggests, music can be a wonderful accompaniment to activities. When I have watched a film that has really affected me I’ll often listen to the soundtrack for weeks after and sometimes make my own imaginary soundtrack of songs that fit with the world of the film. While I was reading Cormac McCarthy’s ‘Border Trilogy’, I wanted to find ways to stay in the novel when I wasn’t reading it. The novels are set at the southwest border of the United States and the characters spend a majority of the novels riding on horseback, often alone and usually on a quest to avenge a loss. I found myself preoccupied imagining the sort of music the characters and their horses could be listening to, riding under lonesome skies, contemplating their place in the world. 

I don’t expect that much of your audience owns or has access to a horse. Still, I hope some of them can enjoy these songs on journeys of their own. 

E2E: Any news or projects coming up with Best Effort, Ken Oath Records or Rimbombo?

Nothing is planned on the release front and my bank account implies that maybe it’s time for a bit of a break. Best Effort Dance Parties will continue every few months at Freda’s and I’m looking forward to some summer parties in Sydney with my Rimbombo buds Adi and James at the end of the year.

music for... horse and rider - DJ Earl Grey

E2E: Any particular environment or context you had in mind when recording this mix?

Myles Mac: Elaborating on the theme, I've been living down on the Mornington Peninsula for the last year or so which is home to some of Australia's coolest birdlife, recently prompting me and my girlfriend to go buy some binoculars and join the fray as amateur birdwatchers. Just from my place here, you can often see some pretty funky birds like the brightly coloured Eastern Rosellas and Rainbow Lorikeets, and we also get the odd visit from a cheeky Laughing Kookaburra looking for a quick bath. There's even a family of Wedge-tailed Eagles that circle around above. I'm sure one day they'll discover some pretty cool birds in outer space too, and I think this could be a nice soundtrack for all the interplanetary birdwatchers out there.

E2E: Any new projects you're working on or milestones with MDC? 

Myles Mac: MDC is into its 10th year now which is a bit of a trip! Just hope to continue sharing memorable listening journeys from all over the place but would like to focus a bit more on emerging locals as there are some incredible DJs down here that don't always get the recognition they should.

Will also be collaborating on a few tasty club shows with the Slow Burn crew next year which I'm quite excited about.

music for... birdwatching in outer space - Myles Mac

Curva Imposible is a gathering in Barcelona that explores the most enigmatic margins of music in unique spaces.

The latest event featured local and international acts like Bejota Nova, Lato A, Pedro D. Sáiz, ML, Tomaga, Ron V/D, Don The Tiger, Estades, Andre Pahl & Alicia Carrera, Heap and Rabih Beaini.

The Mystic Room is the place thought for mental relaxation where any sonic oddities could happen - for this occasion, secret guest André Pahl and I played the last slot, acompanied by the nicest crowd.

Big thanks to André Pahl, all the listeners that accompanied us along the journey, to Meri Bonastre, Vir and all the artists and friends involved.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Curva Imposible II

Curva Imposible II ~ Alicia Carrera & André Pahl live at Mystic Room 01.02.2020

Good Morning Tapes - Let Spirit Guide Us

It's with great pleasure to welcome long time dear friend Jonny Nash (@jonnynash) who in 2019 released 'Make A Wilderness' with us (MFM037). Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hey Jonny, welcome to the series. So, it's already been over a year ago since Make A Wilderness came out. How do you look back on that now? 

JN: In many ways Make A Wilderness marked the start of a new chapter for me, the first steps into new territory - a wilderness you could say! That record was really about exploring a simple question - what kind of sounds resonate with me, and why. I think the record was primarily an exercise in sound, and not necessarily in arrangements or songwriting. I felt it was necessary to open the doors to new sounds in this record, and I feel like I got pretty close to creating the album that I wanted to make. 

MFM: You went to different places to record specific instruments and in certain environments. Why? 

JN: It took me a long time to make the record, not in terms of actually writing the music, but determining what the instrumentation should be. I wanted a finely balanced mix of alien, unfamiliar sounds and organic human sounds, to somehow express a feeling of “ancient future”, the sense of floating in some timeless space that could be millions of years in the past or in the future. I found that the Cristal Baschet, was perfect for expressing this feeling of “deep time”. Capable of beautiful harmonics and also wonderful atonal textures, it was a central part of the album. I contrasted these sounds with familiar instruments such as piano, vibraphone and voice. It was very important to have some sparse elements of voice in the record to somehow keep it grounded on earth. 

MFM: Have you always been that interested in sound and sound sculpturing?

JN: Well, I’m a naturally curious person and I think my brain and also my ears are always developing and learning new things. I think that I am able to hear sound in a different way than I did a few years ago. A big switch from focussing on melody as the dominant element that catches my attention. Of course, melody is still a central element for me but I now spend alot of time thinking about timbre, the colour of the sound and how the distinctive character of a sound sits in context with other sounds in a given composition. New ways of hearing influenced the record and took me to a place where “sound sculpting” was of equal importance as deciding what chords and melodies to choose. 

MFM: You mentioned earlier that the past couple of months your label Melody As Truth got a lot support through digital sales. Does that have effect on your label vision and strategy?

JN: The switch towards digital and especially streaming does undoubtedly have an effect on how I think as a label owner. It is pretty clear that this is an important area of growth and although there are lots of issues with certain platforms and revenue models, I find it important to keep on top of what is going on and try to adapt. In the future I can see the label experimenting more with digital only releases, I think there are interesting areas to explore here. Quiet dynamic music cut on vinyl in 2020 often sounds worse than a WAV file to my ears. I also buy hardly any vinyl myself these days, it is expensive, taxing on the environment and often a form of object fetishism. The other side is that a physical object looks amazing, can sound great, gives full importance to the artwork and design, can be treasured and won’t be lost. So a physical object is almost like an insurance policy for not losing the music too. I guess I’m sitting somewhere in the middle.

MFM: Thanks for contributing your mix. Can you tell us a bit about it?
 
JN: The mix is pretty much a selection of music I have been enjoying or discovered this year. A few older favourites too. I had no idea except to make something that I would enjoy listening to whilst having a walk or reading in the morning.

MFM Mix 020: Jonny Nash

musical storytelling with context and environment in mind

by @oli-is-wright & @tobiasdelamerevogel

contact: eartoear.eartoear@gmail.com

music for... travelling - Matt Ticehurst

ear to ear

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