A bit of an oddity. More of an indie groove from a mid to late 90s act that didn’t quite make the cut for TFI Friday.   I mean with those organ riffs and guitar licks, it’s no wonder I practically named it after the Charlatan’s ‘Only One I Know’. 
It’s not a brilliant mix and the rebake good be more interesting and dynamic. But it felt like a track without many places to go other than into 100+ versions of wasted time. 
So a quick trim, mix down. And move on. I’m sure Tim Burgess et al have a similar policy judging by how many albums they’ve released (15) and how few essential songs are contained within (maybe 5 or 6 at a push).  Great live. Great band. But may not have realized their potential. 

The Only One I Have

DUSTY RACK: 90s & 00s Drum Tools delivers 18 hard-hitting loop starters packed with the unmistakable bounce of ’90s and early-2000s Hip-Hop and R&B. Spanning tempos from 88 BPM to 145 BPM at pristine 44.1 kHz resolution, each groove has been meticulously processed through vintage outboard gear for that warm, analog grit and punch that defined an era. Plug in, dial up the vibe, and ignite your next track with timeless groove and authentic character.

Product Details:
• Loops Synced To BPM (88 - 145 BPM)
• 195 HQ WAV Files
• 18 HQ Song-Starter Ideas with Stems
• 44.1kHz/24-Bit Quality
• Royalty-Free (No Exceptions)
• Compatible with any DAW (FL Studio, Ableton, Logic, Reason, MPC, Maschine, Studio One, Bitwig, etc.)

DUSTY RACK: 90s & 00s Drum Tools (Sample Pack)

Ok. Sit back, put your headphones on and put do not disturb on for about 10 minutes.  Yep, its 10 mins.  But the original was over 15.  The original being 'Hitched To Me' - which is here on soundcloud.  As is the remake from 2020 - 'Goodbye'.
this was meant to be just a remaster with a few tweaks on the original.  butas is often the case... took on a new life of its own.  It's still very much the original tune and structure (albeit cut back to a modest. ...ha ha... 10 mins.  unlike 'Goodbye' - it's not a new track entirely made from fragments of the old.  Its  genuine remix and elevation to be a senosry delight.
I used to think that Hitched To Me was the best thing I'd written,  and coming back to it - there are some awesome bits.  I hope any listeners give it some time to breathe.

Give Them A Hug

this is the shorter version of the remake of 'Copenhagen' - originally on 2006's 'Ambition' album.
this shorter version goes straigt into the breakdown and builds it back up.  
it starts with some porno like sounds.  which i can't remember whether i recorded them from a DVD (remember those!) - or it was a recording of a previous girlfriend. (Julia).  anyhow, it's only there for a bit.
this is one of those tracks made with 'Northern Exposure' (Sasha& Digweed's seminal mix album) in mind.  
the original chord sequence came from reversing some electric guitar playing that I couldn't get in time (due to being rubbish at playing) - reversed, it worked.  and from there.... nearly 20 years later, we get to this.  
i'll put up the full mix version as well - burt experience tells me that 9min long tracks don't get many listens!! haha.  enjoy!

Closed To You

this is the long version of the remake of Copenhagen.  It's quite trippy and mad.  all sorts of backwards guitars and different synths and samples going on....

Closed To You (Full Trip Mix)

a short little rework of another track from 19 years ago.  added some vocals, some ear candy and not much else.  
i do remember when I originally wrote this - that I was trying to use major keys for a change!!

April Showers II

This is a remake of a track from Monte Cristo Gamble [sic] in 2000 called 'Cornered To It' that i'd practically forgotten.  Mainly because I did a rework of it in 2006 called 'Second Corner' on Ambition.  (We'll hear a remake of that remake sometime this year).  I much preferred Second Corner, so forgot its origins.

anyhow, 25 years later, it gets some long overdue love.  the vocals from loopcloud on this one - sounds just like early Radiohead Thom Yorke to me.  Quite Haunting as the phrase 'I could have stopped you' goes on repeat and refrain.

Could Have Stopped You

Another remake!  This time of a track from c1998/99 called Juniper.  I wrote it with my good friend Liam in Ealing, London.  The original track was a sprawling ambient piece picking up fragments from other tunes i'd writen or was writing at the time. There was very little bass for some reason.  Probably because at the time, I had no idea what i was doing.  so if there was a kick drum, there was little bass. Compression was mystery, sideways compression seemed like something on the professionals could have.  

so now we've a bass, a shiny polish to the synths and an upgrade into a dance pop track with a classic 4 chord progression from G Minor.

Juniper (Do You Trust Me?)

This one is kind of a companion piece to Juniper.  They were both originally written around the same time, and share some beats, bass and a G minor key signature.

This 25 years later remake, pushes th 100 bpm jazz organ track into some pretty hectic dnb -yet still retaining melody.  and as such, reminding me of Chase and Status.  There's some lovely digital evolving pads going on from the Roland powerhouse keys of the 90s (thanks to Roland Cloud for those).

I've never been to Harare (in Zimbabwe).  though I studied it's socio-geographic history at University.  so know a bit more about it than just some random city.  hopefully the cover art feels like it represents in some way.

With Love From Hurare

TEXTURES: NOIR JAZZ & NIGHT SOUL delivers 10 original compositions, blending moody chords with the atmosphere of intimate slow-burners and high-tension, crime-noir drama. This pack captures the pulse of midnight — smoky jazz clubs, rain-slicked sidewalks, and neon-soaked soul grooves.

TEXTURES: NOIR JAZZ & SOUL

The final track to be reworked from 2000's Monte Cristo Gamble.  Fittingly, the first track, which was called 'Confused'.  Build around a dub organ with samples about the green party, leaving the world to future generations and 'Die Now'.  it's bleak and anxiety-inducing.
the remake in 2025 isn't any warmer or cuddly.  I retained a lot of the same bits, but added in some variation on the chords and extra vocal spice.
Even though the samples don't say anything explicitly, the panic in the track made me feel of 80s height of cold war paranoia.  With my both my parents working in the defence industry, thatcher and reagen were icons to them.  in 1986 before things took a turn for the better, the 9 / 10 year old me wasn't so sure about these people.  or the ones who came after.   the cover art imagines them all having a picnic in front of an icon of power.

It's Very Confusing

uptempo dance ballad with a brilliant male vocal.

Bluue skies

The original track was called SF100, and was written for my then girlfriend, Claire.  She was massively into Techno, and I was trying to show i could do that too.  
for some reason, i set the tempo at 127 bpm and rercreated the bassline from Salt N' Pepa's Push It.  So it wasn't really anything like techno - apart from the quite abrasive beats and cowbell.

rush forward into 2025, this is one of those reworks that just fell into place in a couple of hours.  going a bit more post-rave / post dub-step techno.  you'll still here some classic rave pianos in there nouncing around on the delay....

Called SF100 because Claire and I were either off to San Francisco or had just come back (can't remember now specifically).  that was a wild holiday thanks to some people who were part of the Grateful Dead, who we met at a Cut Chemist gig.  

Claire - should you ever read this.  thank you for those times.  i hope the last 20 years have been good to you.  

(All the photos for the cover art are from San Francisco - albeit a later trip in 2015)



SF'76 Breaking All The Rules

Another remake - this time of a track called 'Short Story' from Ambition (2006).  Now with some vocals and dialling up the bladerunner style synth sounds.  one of those tracks that feels faster than it's 102 BPM.  Renamed from the lyrics.  This was a pretty quick rework and the only issue was getting the bass to punch without distortion.  fingers crossed its ok on most systems.

Let Me Show You Something

this track has some history.  it was originally second corner from 2006's Ambition album.  it was a rework of 'Cornered To It' from Monte Cristo Gamble (which has now become 'Could Have Stopped You').  the original was pretty mad.  let's just say it was written with some 'inspiration' that left me with no memory of writing it, just a interesting tune at some point in the morning.
no such antics on the remake 20 years later.  but in the spirit of the original, it's pretty mad still.  I kept the original samples about monkeys in bali (who knew then that I would see them up close and personal).  I've added some more movie dialogue samples, reworked the arrangement and given it a bit more musicality vs. the repetitive nature of the original!!!

Good Times



Techno Drums 2 is here to infuse energy and drive to your drum groove.

Designed to speed up your workflow, included are 100 loops recorded at 128bpm and arranged into five categories: hat, low-end, percussion, ride and top loops. Just drag and drop them into a DAW of your choice and infuse analog timbre and impurity into your modern techno and deep techno beat.

If you wish to sculpt your own grooves, provided are 100 individually processed drum hits; everything from saturated toms to vibrant hats and solid kicks is covered.

Techno Drums 2 unlocks the sheer power and diversity of analog drum machines.

Gear Used:

Drum Machines > Elektron Analog Rytm MKII & Machinedrum, Roland 808 & 909

Processing > API 5500, Black Box Analog Design HG-2, Manley Elop+, Massive Passive & Variable MU, Neve 1057, Overstayer M-A-S, Rupert Neve Designs Master Bus Transformer & Tegeler Magnetismus 2

https://www.loopmasters.com/genres/40-Techno/products/19507-Konturi-Techno-Drums-2

https://sounds.loopcloud.com/product/19507-Konturi-Techno-Drums-2


Buy @ Loopmasters

Konturi - Techno Drums 2

The final track from 2006's 'Ambition' to be remade for 2025's 'Realism'.  And what nice little pop tune this has turned out to be.  

kept the original samples - but with choice placement rather than repetition tending towards boredom.  

this is song about saying f**k the world.  it might be mad out there, but let's at least go and have some fun.

cover art is from a fire engine rushing off on duty in New York City, c2006.

Fire At Leisure II

It's c1999.  I've saved up some cash and i'm up to london and in Soho Soundhouse Turnkey.  Buying something called 'Freebass' - a rackmount supposed TB-303 Clone.  So I get home and write an acid-ravey tune 'Forgiven' with burbling 303 bass.

here it is again in 2025, stripped back and then rebuilt around some wonderful vocals from Loopcloud. + additonal synth and bass notes and samples - tryinfg to keep it subtle.

you know what?  the freebass sound was pretty good.  (still is - i have it on a rack).  but i don't think I ever used it again....

I Showed Everyone The Letter But You (Forgiven)

Looking for a much older track, I found this one - which was written in Singapore around 2014.   Three hours later I had a rework pretty much completed.
This the Devon of the South West UK, famous for its creamy custard and rice pudding.  By way of the Basque Country for the feel of the track.  
Also by way of a lady called Devon who worked at the agency and had found something out that she had to tell the board and felt bad about it.

Devon Knows II

🔊 GET YOUR UNIQUE SOUND: https://ctrsounds.com

🎹 Premium & Royalty Free Samples, Creative Tools For Producers, Musicians and Creative People

I create sample libraries and presets for Arturia, Audiotent, Loopmasters, Roland, Samplephonics and Sample Magic.
Owner of Konturi.
https://www.loopmasters.com/labels/165-Konturi
https://sounds.loopcloud.com/label/165-Konturi

nesmeured@gmail.com
konturi.audio@gmail.com

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Support from:
John Digweed, Laurent Garnier, Nick Warren, King Unique, Ryan Davis.

Releases on:
• Paradigma Musik
• Strange Town
• Wide Angle
• Parquet
• Cinematique
• Manual Music
• Traumschallplatten

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Sample Libraries

Loopmasters - Deep Analog Tech
http://www.loopmasters.com/genres/66-Tech-House/products/4603-Deep-Analog-Tech

Sample Magic - Ambient House
https://www.samplemagic.com/details/788/ambient-house

Samplephonics - Bleepy Analogue Tech
https://app.noiiz.com/sounds/packs/645

Sample Magic - Ambient House 2
https://www.samplemagic.com/details/2218/ambient-house-2

Sample Diggers - Inner Techno
https://www.loopmasters.com/genres/40-Techno/products/7041-Inner-Techno

Sample Magic - Analogue & Modular Sequences
https://www.samplemagic.com/details/2626/analogue-and-modular-sequences

Sample Diggers - Brooding Techno
https://www.loopmasters.com/products/8382-Brooding-Techno

Loopmasters - Analogue Dreamscapes
https://www.loopmasters.com/genres/139-Synthwave/products/8464-Analogue-Dreamscapes

Audiotent - Gradient // Drum Library
https://www.audiotent.com/samples/gradient/

Four4 - Analogue Ambient House
https://splice.com/sounds/four4/four4-analogue-ambient-house

Audiotent - ARCH // Matriarch Synth Loops & MIDI
https://www.audiotent.com/samples/arch/

Arturia - Techno Emotive
https://www.arturia.com/sounds#techno_emotive

Roland - Analog Magic
https://www.roland.com/us/products/rc_analog_magic/

30+ years of writing music.  now back to lots of hardware to complement the soft synths.  And of course, the compulsion to add the kitchen sink, fridge and oven is still there!

Kit:
Logic 
Cubase
Ableton Live
Reason
Expose
Loopcloud
Arturia V collection, Pigments
Arturia microfreak, minifreak, matrixbrute, minibrute, Spark 
Roland boutique Juno, Jupiter, JP3, 808 and 909
Arturia Audiofuse
Focusrite Scarlett
Roland Jupiter Xm, JD-Xi, Gaia SH-01 MDC-1 Dance Module
Korg Modwave, microKorg, MicroKorg XL, korg ER-1, korg 05RW, kaoss pad
Novation ultranova, mininova, a-station, Circuit Tracks
Access Virus-b
Beringher Deep Mind 12, UB-Xa, TD-3, Crave, MS-1
Nord Stage EX
Sequential Prophet 2000
Waldorf Pulse
M-audio Venom
Native instruments kontakt, massive, reaktor, FM8, battery, guitar rig, traktor, maschine, absynth, and the rest of the ultimate collection 
Spectrasonics Omnisphere
Spitfire Albion 
Aria orchestra 
Softube Parallels
Waves Gold and a lot of their plug ins. Abbey Road TG, brauer motion, butch vig vocals, ovox, flow motion
Isotope ozone
Sugar Bytes effectrix, looperator, turnado, factory, cyclop, obscurium 
Audio damage dubstation, panstation
AAS lounge lizard, strum, chromophone
UVI relay 
Fender Stratocaster 
Schecfer Diamond Electric 
Line6 Pod Guitar Mukti Effects 
Boss guitar multi effects and various other pedals 
Peavey Bass 
Yamaha DTX electronic drum kit 
Alesia drum pads 
Stanton turntables

Mario Alaimo - Music Composer, Vocalist, Musician, Pianist & Guitarist. Played in numerous Bands in the Manchester scene in the 1980s. Released first E.P. in with Luce tu Cruze in 1983 “Across the Air”. Pilot for the TUBE T.V. show Channel 4. From the 1990s to date just composing, from 2008 accompanied with Genavieve Dupoix Videographer /Video Editor & Vocals fusing Music with Film to add a New dimension.
Genavieve videographer & film editor. Credits The Prodigy “Run with Wolves”, also videos for Local Bands The Project, Cero Cero, Johnny Tristam, & Dirty Little Secrets to promote them. Mijas Blues Festival and various others.
Now with 4 tracks in iTunes we are hoping to have our Album “Synesthesia” available in the New Year 2015!

New tracks tagged #loopcloud