Hello You. First off this week, a very special edition of Near Mint indeed, devoted entirely to the work of Belgrade-based imprint Discom Records and put together by husband and wife team Luka and Vanja in celebration of the imminent release of their latest LP Yugoslavian Space Programme. They’re prepared an exclusive guest mix for the show, featuring a sneak preview of tracks from this ‘first ever electronic space music themed record from the former Yugoslavia’, some highlights from their small-but-impressive back-catalogue – and even a quick voyage into the future!
Luka has also kindly provided us with a tracklisting and some notes:
1. Marshall Tito’s speech about necessity of space exploring, recorded in a secret underground Zeljeva airbase.
2. Beograd – Mozak Primopredajnik ( in English “Brain Sender Receiver”), taken from Yugoslavian Space Program LP, Discom, forthcoming in November 2016
3. Digitron – Digital Minds, taken from Yugoslavian Space Program LP, Discom, forthcoming in November 2016
4. Ethno Techno (DATA) – I Love Her, taken from Sizike- U Zemlji Cuda With Lost DATA Tracks LP, April 2016
5. DATA feat. Delca– Nebo Zove (in English “The Sky Is Calling”), taken from Sizike- U Zemlji Cuda With Lost DATA Tracks LP, April 2016
6. Max Vincent – Dopo Di La Torre, forthcoming on Discom, June 2017
7. Max Vincent – Torino and You, taken from Max Vincent-The Future Has Designed Us, Discom, June 2015
8. Max Vincent – Odlazim (in English “I Am Leaving”), taken from Max Vincent-The Future Has Designed Us, Discom, June 2015
A truly fabulous mix, I’m sure you’ll agree, and a label born out of frustration with how few people were aware of this music they loved is now turning on whole new generations to a long-forgotten and most intriguing corner of electronic music history. The Yugoslavian Space Programme LP will be released in November and you can find out more and check out some of their other fine releases by visiting the Discom website. Near Mint salutes you, Luka and Vanja – now don’t forget to reserve a copy for me!
Hearing Hidden Worlds – Hook Research from Hook Research on Vimeo.
Howlround news now, and the good folk of Hook Research have produced a rather super short film about the project as part of their ‘Talking Human’ series. Designed to be a loose introduction to our work for an audience unfamiliar with the wonders of composing with tape loops and analogue sound, it features me attempting to explain the craft in under two minutes, plus lots of far more interesting footage of messing around with the machines in the studio – which in hindsight would probably have benefitted from a spot of dusting. Thank heavens I leave it to the machines to do the talking most of the time – and thanks also to Nick Fisher and Sam Harris for nonetheless making me look halfway professional. You can find lots more intriguing material on a multitude of subjects by visiting the Hook Research website.
In other Howlround news, The Blow Vol. 2, our split with Time Attendant on Front And Follow is selling out fast. At the time of writing there are only TWO copies still available at the label’s Bandcamp page here. Once they’re gone you’ll have to take a chance on either Norman Records or Boomkat having copies. Be swift or miss out!
Speaking of swiftness, I was planning to invite you all to join Howlround and DJ Food for a collaborative performance and installation at the Museum Of London on Friday November 4th, where Jonny Trunk is hosting a Workshop of Radiophonics. It promises to be ‘an interactive playroom of tape reel manipulation, electronic toys and cosmic vibes, with a chance to engage with tape editing, sound generation and possibly even a bit of knob twiddling’, and is part of an intriguing larger event known as ‘The Museum Of Last Parties’. Unfortunately this morning I had a disgruntled well-wisher point out that it’s completely sold out already. Very sorry if you’re among those who weren’t able to get a ticket – and the odds would appear to suggest you are.
The following week I’ll be packing the tape machines off to play two collaborative sets with the Danish-based musician Jim Slade – firstly at The Smålands kulturfestival at Funkisfabriken in Sweden on November 6th and then at Mandagsklubben in Jim’s adoptive home town of Copenhagen on 7th. I’m well aware that neither of these performances are likely to provide much succour for those UK friends disgruntled at missing out on Museum Of London event (after all, those tickets were free and flights to Sweden certainly aren’t), but I must say I am looking forward to stretching the loops into Europe again.
Our next UK gig is in Brighton on November 25th and there’s further London dates planned for December. Which is just as well, because of a very special TOP SECRET project we’ve been working on for a long time and will shortly be unveiling. That’s all I’m saying for now. But it’s going to be amazing! Watch this space, my loop-loving friends….
Robin The Fog 