It's now been five years since Canadian Berlin-transplant Colin de la Plante dropped his debut album as The Mole on Wagon Repair. Released in those heady early days of spring, As High As The Sky saw de la Plante refining his kaleidoscopic approach to loopy disco and house. For a producer who'd long made his name on club 12-inches for labels like Kompakt and Musique Risquée, it was a surprisingly coherent statement.

For his second album as The Mole, de la Plante appears on his own label, Maybe Tomorrow, which he launched last year with Kompakt's Jon Berry. Recorded in Berlin at Wagon Repair's studios, Caregiver steams with de la Plante's psychedelic melding of house and disco. Much like As High As The Sky, it's sewn together with gaps and bridges that show the breadth de la Plante's colorful approach to dance music. "Jamais Que Toi" seems almost waterlogged beneath his humid disco breaks. "Our Time Has Come" mines similar dead-of-summer climes, its hand claps and various synth lines merging into a hypnotic aquiline groove. Elsewhere, there's the Dial-esque house of "A Daily Affair," with its wispy night-trail vibes, or the crowd-sampling, headspinner tech house of "(When) Monkey Punches Dog."

As usual, de la Plante massages his work into an album that works either flat on your back or out in a club. But the more you settle in with Caregiver, the more you notice the lack of those muscular stretches and ear-worm moments that gave As High As The Sky such longevity. In fact, Caregiver may be most intriguing when de la Plante delivers some of his most narcotic moments to date. The hip-hop breaks, cartoon samples and quiet synths of "Slow Blame" sound like the cyborg pillow music Aphex Twin was onto circa Selected Ambient Works 85-92. The closer, "Come On Darlene," creates a strangely velveteen headspace too, with its slo-mo stumble just barely propelling those gorgeous space-odyssey synths into a sleepy drift. Overall, these downtempo retreats seem more weighty and resolute than most of Caregiver's party tracks.

01. Another Intro
02. A Daily Affair
03. Hey Miss
04. Jamais Que Toi
05. Slow Blame
06. Our Time Has Come
07. Interlude To Love
08. Carry On (We Must)
09. (when) Monkey Punches Dog
10. Come On Darlene

The Mole - A Daily Affair

My 4th show on Crackers Radio. I was faced with some technical difficulties again which delayed the show start time, but once I was up and running I had some great music to play. 

The main focus of the show was disco, soul and funk this week. There were some nice remixes and edits featured too, alongside some housier tracks and some more current soul and hip hop later on. No show next week but I'll be back in the new year... Peace!

The Natural Element is LIVE every Saturday from 4-7pm via crackers.lgr.co.uk/

DJ Profile: crackers.lgr.co.uk/dj/max-g/

To hear all of my previous shows go here: soundcloud.com/max-gersh/sets/crackers-radio-shows

Track list:

1. Electric Smoke - Freak It Out
2. Convertion - Let's Do It
3. Loose Ends - Hangin' On A String
4. The Pointer Sisters - Automatic
5. Carl Anderson - Buttercup
6. Prince - 1999
7. Slave - Dreamin'
8. Rayko - Broadway
9. Rufus & Chaka Khan - What Am I Missing?
10. Space - Carry On, Turn Me On (AN2 Remix)
11. Lee Webster - Detroit Cheeky Things
12. James Pants - Crystal Life (feat. Deon Davis)
13. Agent K - Feed The Cat
14. Moodymann - Black Mahogani
15. Glenn Underground - Gotta Get High
16. Omar feat. Stevie Wonder - I'm Feelin You (Henrik Schwarz Remix)
17. Peven Everett - Stuck
18. James Brown - If You Don't Give A Doggone About It
19. Dwele - Swank (feat. Monica Blaire)
20. Jill Scott - Crown Royal
21. Peven Everett - I Can Be Your Boyfriend
22. Teeko x Mars Today - Elevation (feat. Rojai)
23. Andrés - Baby
24. Kelis - So Be It
25. Reflection Eternal - Memories Live
26. Hazel - I Can't Wake Up
27. Soia - Kazimba
28. Trammps - Rubber Band
29. Steely Dan - The Fez
30. The Isley Brothers - That Lady
31. Michael Jackson - I Wanna Be Where You Are
32. Pleasure - Future Now
33. Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove
34. Aquarian Dream - Phoenix

The Natural Element #4 on Crackers Radio 13.12.2014

Here is the recording of show #7 of The Natural Element. This one flew by and was definitely the most fun show to date. There was a real range of music played (as usual!) - I started off mellow again, before getting into a heavy hitters selection of uptempo, groove based tracks.

In the 2nd half of the show I had to take it back to the old school by playing some soulful gems from the 70s and 80s. The last half hour then saw me get into a non-stop mix of Hip-Hop, R&B and modern funk tracks.

Enjoy!

The Natural Element is LIVE every Saturday from 4-7pm via crackers.lgr.co.uk/

DJ Profile: crackers.lgr.co.uk/dj/max-g/

To hear all of my previous shows go here: soundcloud.com/max-gersh/sets/crackers-radio-shows


Track list:

1. Robert Glasper Experiment - Move Love (Kaytranada Edition)
2. Kelis - So Be It
3. Oddisee - Skipping Rocks
4. Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
5. Donald Byrd - Wind Parade
6. D'Angelo and the Vanguard - Betray My Heart
7. Laura Mvula - Green Garden (Applejac's Letting Go Remix)
8. J Dilla - My People (DJ A1 House Breaks)
9. Stephen Howe - Fila Brazilia Edit
10. Peven Everett - Love Story
11. Deyampert - It's You
12. Erykah Badu - I Want Moombah (J Boogie 12" Edit)
13. Logg - Lay It On The Line
14. Glenn Underground feat. Swaylo - I Am Not In Love (CVO's Slum Illa Mix)
15. Gil Scott-Heron - The Bottle (J Boogie | Bloodfire | Kenny Dope Edit)
16. Glenn Underground - Gotta Get High
17. Dego & Kaidi - Acting Up on Shit That Don't Count
18. Andrés - Salvador De Bahia 1
19. James Mason - Sweet Power Your Embrace (Onur Engin Edit)
20. Grooveman Spot - Urbanizer
21. The Internet - Dontcha
22. Onra - Long Distance (feat. Olivier Daysoul)
23. Keni Burke - Risin' To The Top
24. Earth, Wind & Fire - Serpentine Fire
25. Exit 9 - Fly
26. The Jackson 5 - Moving Violation
27. Sade - Maureen
28. Patrice Rushen - Feels So Real
29. Intimate Strangers - Love Sounds
30. Cloud One - Dust To Dust
31. Patrice Rushen - Where There Is Love
32. The Sylvers - I Know Myself
33. Shuggie Otis - Sparkle City
34. Om'mas Keith - All 4 You
35. Stray - Hey You!
36. Slum Village - Hold Tight (feat. Q-Tip)
37. Erykah Badu - Love of My Life (Shelltoes Remix)
38. Adriana Evans - Swimming
39. Peven Everett - Baby Mama With Sense
40. Onra - The One (feat. T3 from Slum Village)
41. The Roots - Act Too (The Love of My Life)(feat. Common)
42. DaM-FunK - Mirrors
43. Slakah The Beatchild - Bare Naked (Freddie Joachim Remix)
44. Toro Y Moi - So Many Details

The Natural Element #7 on Crackers Radio 17.01.2015

With delay, here's the recording of my last show on Crackers Radio, broadcast on Saturday 24th January. I had to take the week off this week due to illness, but hopefully I'll be back on 7th Feb.

This show was probably my favourite so far. There is a real contrast between the old and the new, highlighted in particular by some classic 70s funk material played alongside some classic and some more contemporary hip hop. I shone some light on some new music I've been feeling recently, went into a nice section of mellow neo-soul about half way through, and finished the show with some high energy house, disco and jazz funk.

The Natural Element is LIVE every Saturday from 4-7pm via crackers.lgr.co.uk/

DJ Profile: crackers.lgr.co.uk/dj/max-g/

To hear all of my previous shows go here: soundcloud.com/max-gersh/sets/crackers-radio-shows

Track list:

1. James Mason - I Want Your Love
2. D'Angelo, Femi Kuti & Macy Gray - Water No Get Enemy
3. Bahamadia - True Honey Buns
4. Om'mas Keith - All 4 You
5. Max Graef - Ohne Erdung
6. Big K.R.I.T. - Down and out (Instrumental)
7. A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
8. The Soul Searchers - Ashley's Roachclip
9. Eddy Senay - Cameo
10. A Tribe Called Quest - Check The Rhyme
11. Stimulus & Chris Dave - Bad Habitz
12. Oddisee - That Real (feat. Olivier Daysoul)
13. Illa J - DFTF (feat. Affion Crocket)
14. A Tribe Called Quest - Go Ahead In The Rain
15. Slave - Son of Slide
16. Patti Jo - Ain't No Love Lost
17. Peven Everett - Baby Mama With Sense
18. Lakim - Mountain High
19. Hazel - Twilight
20. Justin Beiber - Recovery
21. Jessie Ware - What You Wont Do For Love
22. Dwele - Too Fly
23. Ebrahim - iHeartBobby
24. Modlee & Vlooper - All Matter (Bilal's)
25. The Clonious - Valediction
26. Bird - The Whole World Knows
27. Jody Watley - Saturday Night Experience
28. Nathan Adams & Zepherin Saint - Circles (Peven Everett Remix)
29. Ebbo - The Way (feat. Osunlade)
30. Agent K - Ladies
31. Focus - Having Your Fun (4hero Remix)
32. Domu - Worldwide (Solid Groove's Wednesday at Midnight mix)
33. Osunlade - Dionne
34. Pirahnahead - Inner Turmoil
35. Glenn Underground - Shake It 
36. Trackheadz - Our Music
37. Moodymann - Freeki Muthafucka
38. Larry Heard - Missing You
39. Emerson - Sending All My Love Out
40. Husky - Work
41. Universal Robot Band - Barely Breaking Even (Club Version)
42. Chilly Gonzales - You Can Dance (Original Version)
43. Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face (Female Vocal)
44. Alfredo De La Fe - Hot To Trot (Vocal Edit)
45. Alfredo De La Fe - Hot To Trot
46. Azymuth - Jazz Carnival
47. Azymuth - Avenida Das Mangueiras (SS Translation by Theo Parrish)

The Natural Element #8 on Crackers Radio 24.01.2015

Having missed last weeks show due to illness, I was back in the Crackers studio on saturday with a bunch of great music to play.

I kicked off the show with some classic sounds from Africa and Brazil, despite the grey skies looming over London. There is a strong focus on percussion throughout the first 45 mins or so. I then delved into an array of disco, funk, nu jazz and house, constantly mixing the sounds of the old with the sounds of the new as I do on this show. 

The last hour is dedicated to new and forgotten R&B, Hip hop and Electronic sounds.

The Natural Element is LIVE every Saturday from 4-7pm via crackers.lgr.co.uk/

DJ Profile: crackers.lgr.co.uk/dj/max-g/

To hear all of my previous shows go here: soundcloud.com/max-gersh/sets/crackers-radio-shows

Track list:

1. Vlooper - Bag Lady (Erykah's) (feat. Modlee)
2. Fela Kuti - Water No Get Enemy
3. Cheikh Lo, Les Nubians & Manu Dibango feat. Chateau Flight - Shakara/Lady, Pt. 2
4. Mark De Clive-Lowe - Cosmic Echoes
5. Marcos Valle - Estrelar
6. Sergio Mendes - Mas Que Nada (feat. Black Eyed Peas)
7. Pharrell & The Yessirs - Frontin' (feat. Jay-Z)
8. Dwele - Swank (feat. Monica Blaire)
9. Jamiroquai - Use The Force
10. Motor City Drum Ensemble - Raw Cuts #2
11. Positive Force - People Get On Up
12. James Mason - Sweet Power Your Embrace (Onur Engin Edit)
13. Deyampert - It's You
14. Lee Webster - It Feels
15. Roy Ayers - Liquid Love
16. Toro Y Moi - New Beat
17. Perfect Circle - The Hands of Time
18. Roland Brival - Sakitayo (Yoruba Soul Mix)
19. Domu - Worldwide (Solid Groove's Wednesday at Midnight mix)
20. Delakeyz - Think Twice
21. Chez-N Trent - The Choice (Windy City Club)
22. Karizma feat. Monique Bingham - Good Morning (DJ Spen & 
Gary Hudgins' Beautiful Morning Mix)
23. Andrés - Body and Soul
24. Ace of Clubs - Classid Four
25. Jane Cutler - It's Yours
26. Trus'me - Bail Me Out (feat. Dam-Funk)
27. Robin Thicke - Wanna Love You Girl (feat. Pharrell)
28. Toro Y Moi - Go With You
29. Chris McClenney - All I Want Is You
30. Shaggy - It Wasn't Me (Instrumental)
31. Frank Ocean - Monks
32. Ebrahim - ThisIsDope
33. Slum Village - Ez Up (fLako Remix)
34. Alina Baraz - Art of Persuasion (Esta Remix)
35. FunkinEven & Fatima - 90's
36. Ms. Dynamite - Gotta Let It Go
37. Oddisee - The Need Superficial (feat. Olivier Daysoul)
38. Kendrick Lamar - i
39. Pharrell & The Yessirs - That Girl (feat. Snoop Dogg & Charlie Wilson)
40. Dionne Warwick - You're Gonna Need Me
41. Twista - Slow Jamz (feat. Jamie Foxx & Kanye West)
42. Common - A Dream (feat. will.i.am)
43. Osmojam - Miss You Much (Janet Jackson cover)

The Natural Element #9 on Crackers Radio 7.02.2015

Parts of my dj set at Concrete 20-06-2015. 
Enjoy!

GERD DJ SET @ CONCRETE - PARIS - 20-06-2015

@max-graef
@glenn-astro
http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?733372
http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/glennastro
http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/maxgraef

AYLI on Bandcamp

Max Graef B2B Glenn Astro - AYLI Open Air 09/20/15

Funkineven NTS Apron Show - 11th Nov 2015

Digital Download available here: http://bit.ly/1RbyJpq

JUNGLE GYM Records presents "Willrijk Remixed," a collection of works inspired by Willrijk's self-titled debut. Available on vinyl CD-R as part of the Willrijk cassette package, "Willrijk Remixed" features tracks from @d-tiffany, @bessiekat, @tlimshug, @lac-seul-district and @trp111, and is exclusively from JUNGLE GYM. 

@will_rijk

5. Untitled // Willrijk (TRP Remix)

Next up on Danish label Deso Records and first release in 2016 is   Pete Cunningham aka Ishmael (Wolf Recordings) with the "Street Scenes Ep" . The vinyl comes with a superb remix my Mannequins but here premiered is the stunning "Out late track" a perfect deep-house wonder to cheer you up ! Vinyl will be out around 22th of february but you can expect more nice things by the man with a first album on Church landing on march so keep your eyes open

The Mole - A Daily Affair

SodaB

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