Spannered Radio Podcast (all Items)

Surgeon remains one of electronic music's most consistently thrilling performers. Hugely influential in techno circles since the mid nineties, his productions and DJ mixes point to constant evolution in his sound and a steady absorption of new influences. Last year's Breaking the Frame, his first album in over ten years, struck a curveball at all those anticipating a pummelling set of textured techno tracks, instead distilling some of his listening habits of recent years — the likes of Alice Coltrane, Eliane Radigue and La Monte Young — into a very personal document, one that searched for, as he put it, 'the deep spiritual essence that lay behind the surface structures of their individual music'. This set was recorded in October 2011 in London, when Surgeon performed as the mystery guest at a showcase night for the Blackest Ever Black label. Given Blackest Ever’s brooding trajectory, the event’s line-up struck a suitably shadowy tone, featuring label mainstays Raime, William Bennett'

Oddcast #15 was delivered on Saturday 28 April 2012 at 01:10 hours. Weighing in at just over 70 minutes, both parent and child are doing as well as can be expected. Music for Pregnant Ladies is a version of a mix originally put together by London-based DJ Jerome Hill for a friend of his during her pregnancy. Featuring wildly eclectic gems from the likes of Nino Ferrer, Os Mutantes and Jean-Pierre Massiera, we've been experimenting with this Oddcast in various situations and can assuredly report that it's a very fine listen even if you're not 'with child'. Despite Jerome's legendary standing as a techno DJ, anyone who's caught him at one of his more “irregular” gigs will know of his ceaseless quest to unearth the cheekiest tunes of all genres ever to have been pressed onto vinyl (and that he's a force to reckoned with when it comes to rocking out the catchiest wedding selection). His label, Don’t, recently reached it’s 20th release with a sturdy EP of clunking acid and jacking house

The latest instalment of Spannered's Oddcast series comes from none other than Glasgow's Dave Donnelly, aka Production Unit. Dave's no stranger to these pages, having previously contributed two short works of fiction about talking cows and a rather exquisite review of Autechre's Quaristice album. Formerly a member of Glasgow's now-dispanded electronica trio the Marcia Blaine School For Girls (along with Ruaridh Law, aka The Village Orchestra), Dave's had outings under his Production Unit guise on keen-eared labels such as Highpoint Lowlife and Stuff Records. He currently has releases primed and ready for Broken20 (which helps to run with Law) and Phuturelabs. The Broken20 release, titled ICU Tracks, is a particularly intense body of work —  a stark techno set (suitably supported by remixes from Perc and Emptyset's Paul Purgas) constructed from the sound of hospital machines. A while back, just after we got a whiff of his Mature Cheedar Dadcast for Techno Dads, we asked Dave if he'd pick up the Od

Loosen your tie and get down to half an hour of Bollywood oddities and sitar-fuelled strangeness (with nods to Britney, Herbie Hancock and Nancy Sinatra) from Phill Thomson, aka the Nam Shub of Enki. Nam Shub has released a slew of solo recordings since the '90s, as well as producing for and performing with Brisbane's riotous cabaret supergroup Monster Zoku Onsomb! and new MZO splinter project Hi Freqs. He's currently roaming about Europe, sculling bottles of Belgian beer and playing outrageous live sets of mashed electronics at people in anticipation of the release of his sixth album, due out soon on Australia's Retort Records.

We've been trying to squeeze a mix from Lawrence (aka agent2) of London's Rebel Intelligence collective for some time now. Le Orme (meaning footprints) rocks out the kind of lush electronic tackle you'd expect from this exceptional connoisseur of early Chicago house, Detroit techno and deep dancefloor electro. If you've ever caught one of Lawrence's flawlessly programmed DJ sets, you'll be all over this. The fledgling Rebel Intelligence label has a couple of great electro 12"s out by Matt Whitehead. Snap them up if you haven't already.   Tracklisting: Submersible Machines - Blue Hole Steve Summers - Dreaming in Color DJ Sprinkles (Kink & Neville Watson Remix) - Masturjakor Perseus Traxx - Remake 508 Murphy Jax Featuring Mike Dunn - It’s the Music Steve Summers - Lucid Fingers Kink & Neville Watson - The Long Wait Elec Pt.1 - Sky 13 Risque Rythum Team - 122 House Kink & Neville Watson - City 2 City Virgo Four - In a Vision Snuff Cre

Ralph Cumbers describes his latest release as "an open love letter to underground dance music culture". Out earlier this month on Magic and Dreams, Inner Space Break Free harks back to ye olde days of hardcore and rave, with influences not so much worn on its sleeve as emblazoned across the back of a friggin' great fluoro jacket. The album is available on cassette only ("I’m releasing it on tape because I adore them, and all my music is made on a cassette 4-track, so it feels kind of right"), and is dedicated to "the tunes, DJs, soundsystems, noisy neighbours and pirate stations that have inspired me and repeatedly turned my head inside out over the last two decades", says Cumbers. Rave on, we say.   'Inner Space Influences' mixes up many of the classic dance tracks that influenced Inner Space. If you've not checked out Mr Clef's other mixes on Spannered, we recommend you seek out his excellent dub mixes here and here, and last year's tremendous African mix here. You

Originally recorded onto cassette. Go here for Spannered's interview with Mike Dred.

Meticulously assembled then recorded down onto cassette, London producer Matt Whitehead reworks and splices together his two 30-minute sets from this year's Bloc Weekend (one performance being at Brackout, the tribute to the much-missed Ben Bracket that kickstarted the festval).   Along with material released collaboratively as Cyantific and Signal Type, Matt has two essential electro 12"s out under his own name for London's Rebel Intelligence collective.   Like his set from 2010's Bloc Weekend, this is the real deal.   Play it loud.    Tracklisting: Hollywood And The Heat - I Need You / (1988) Westside Records - 00:17 "Fast Eddie" Smith - Jack The House / (1987) Underground - 01:24 Reese - Just Want Another Chance / (1988) Incognito Records - 00:39 Julian Jonah - Jealousy And Lies / (1988) Cooltempo - 02:11 Nami Shimada - Sunshower (Original Version) / (1991) Colombia - 03:36 Fallout - Morning After (Sunrise Mix) / (1987) Fourth Floor Records -

Put together by Bomb Diggy's mix monkey for a lousy two crates of bananas, some pineapple juice, and a bottle of Dominican rum, this roaring selection of dancefloor scorchers originally aired last month on Holland's DJBroadcast site.   The Bomb Diggy crew are purveyors of the most tropical party nights in Holland, with resident DJs Mataklap, Makks, Ru-D and Tommy Tequila plus guests spinning global bass music spanning kuduro, booty, soca, dancehall, ragga, cumbia and baile funk — with plenty of jungle bounce thrown in. Head over to their site for info on upcoming Bomb Diggy gigs and radio shows, and to check out their splendid Bombcast mix series.   Tracklisting: Bomb Diggy Intro Mexican Dubwiser ft. Candice Cannabis - Cumbia of the Great DJ Dus - Por Vida Aniceto Molina - El Campanero (Krunk Kumbias Remix) Sabo - Soundboy Cumbia Super Guachin - Cumbiandero Alvaro -Make it Funky (Dj Punish Remix) (Max le Daron RaveCumbiaTon Refix) Zonora Point - Huachita Rica

Listen up! That's right, here's a brand new mix from arch beatfreak and master of mischievous melody, Bogdan Raczynski.   Many of you will know Bogdan from his slew of releases on Rephlex over the past decade (if not, head straight to 1999's seminal Samurai Math Beats). Aside from writing music that makes you feel completely out of your gourd, he's also an accomplished preparer of delicious foodstuffs — something we at Spannered admire greatly in a person.   Following on from 1999's compendious Mix #1, Mix #2 unfurls a tracklisting that's nearly as meaty as Bogdan's Fat Polish Man Bigos.   At least this shouldn't fug out your bathroom as much... ;)   Tracklisting: Dimitri - The Stud Harmonic 313 - Flaash DS-10 Dominator - Kink In the Cable DJ Nehpets - Mario (16 Bit) DJ Milton - House Clap The Royal City Saxophone Quarter - Ragtime For Rent Fake Tuss - RIP Acid Benga - Baltimore Clap DJ Milton - 1999 Skream - Clap Your Hands S

El Kano of London's Adverse Camber collective was one of the first artists to record a mix for Spannered when the site launched back in 2006. Flex (his fourth mix to be hosted on Spannered — check also 2007's Medication Time and this wonderful contribution to Spannered's Oddcast series) finds him on unstoppable form, spooning out all manner of mutoid ragga beats and weird bruck-stepping bassbin shit over the course of an hour and three quarters.   Download artwork here.   Tracklisting: Filastine - Blung David Last feat Zulu - Ghettoblaster Major Lazer feat Turbulence - Anything Goes Pole - Sylenstein (Deadbeat Remix) Tego Calderón - Ni Fu Ni Fa Monkeysteak - Tigris Riddim Filastine vs Maga Bo feat Mario z - Se Liga Flying Lotus - Melt! Fulgeance - Lonely Nights Harmonic 313 - Flaash Si begg - I Thunk Therefore Timeblind - What the ...? Ghosts On Tape - Equator Jam King Cannibal feat Face-A-Face - Virgo Wasteland - Shadow Line

It's been just over a year now since the delightful DJ Bus Replacement Service — ably assisted on mic duties by MC Toilet — made her site debut. The eighth installment of Spannered's Oddcast series pointed towards an almost virtuosic understanding of that much-maligned genre: outsider music.   We've been sitting on this follow-up mix for some months now, allowing the dense flavours to fustily mature, much like a corked bottle of cheap wine or a furry hunk of airing cupboard-ripened camembert.   Special credit to Tony Surgeon for 'Turd Polisher' duties.   "DJ Bus Replacement Service is... the human centipede... of music." — David Cameron (probably quoted out of context).    Tracklisting: Master Gunnery Sergeant Bill Dower - Warm-Up: Daily Seven - Gonna Fly Now (Rocky's Theme) Kromestar vs. Cotti - Mozart 3000 Heino - Karamba, Karacho, Ein Whisky (In Rio De Janeiro) The Alexandrov Red Army Ensemble of Leningrad - California Girls Charlie

Those who have listened to the latest album by Ralph Cumbers will know something of his huge love for the rhythms of Africa. Earlier this year Ralph ripped and re-edited a number of his favourite vinyls from the motherland. The resulting mix — released as part of Fact Magazine's consistently excellent podcast series — is the most colourful and crazed selection of music we've heard so far this year. If you missed it (Fact's podcasts are available for three weeks only), don't fear as Ralph recently asked Spannered to give the mix a permanent home.   Mr Clef talks about the mix, his current African obsessions and the recent album in an interview over at the Fact site. Those new to his work may also want to check Spannered's interview with him back in 2006.   Tracklisting: Segun Adewale - Yo Pop Music Susan Mapfumo - Dzvoko Zani Diabete - Super Djata Fede Lawu - Cherie Coco Edikanfo - Da Da Edikanfo Nyboma - Double Double Bibi Den’s Tshibayi - The Best Amb

Back in 2007, Kid Kameleon dropped an excellent pair of mixes for Spannered and Mashit exploring, as he put it, 'the weirder end of the dubstep spectrum'.   Well, Matt's racked up another double-drop of current picks from the bass music panoramic, with the first installment landing here on Spannered and part two surfacing over at the Mashit camp. As with Aim High/Aim Low, the Kid eschews clubland's big hitters in favour of the fringe elements, packing out both new mixes with some super-deep dubstep/techno hybrids and plenty of mutant 2-step stylings.   Tracklisting: Invasion Vs Shackleton - Wizards In Dub Part 1 Martyn - Is This Insanity ft Spaceape (Ben Klock mix) Teleseen - Black Monday feat. Jah Sight Hizatron - Telescope Dope Deadboy - Brock Lee Riddim xxxy - Blue Flashing Lights Instra:mental - Forbidden Al Tourettes - Dodgem Planetary Assualt Systems - X Speaks To X (Al Tourettes & Appleblim remix) Millie & Andrea - Black Hammer Kontext - C

1980. A good year for Ronald Reagan and Sissy Spacek but a bad year for John Lennon, Ian Curtis, and anyone involved in the production of Caligula. Chances are, even if you were alive and aware back then, you haven't experienced anything like this big bowl of 1980 soup, featuring fragments of music, news, film and trivia gathered up and broken down by the Timestump project. 1980: it's a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there. Or would you? "People like using decades to categorise music. The 1970s: disco. The 1980s: Duran Duran. The 1990s: Take That. And the 2000s: Crazy Frog. But what if you zoom in a level and use a year instead? The Timestump project tests this out by taking a single year and turning it into a bewildering audio experience, staggering between musical genres, news stories, films, trivia and TV adverts. By showing how vast and confusing even a single year can be, it proves how daft it is to treat an entire decade as a single musical genre."   The Timestump Pro

Another year, another Bloc. Another week-long hangover endured by thousands, as they attempt to piece together the muddled events of four days awake in a holiday camp-cum-ravezone patrolled by terrifyingly beady seagulls. In the early hours of Saturday morning, all the energy in Minehead Butlins seemed centred in the Jak Bloc venue, where Matt Whitehead played an hour-long live set of razor-tight electro, acid and techno. One half of drum'n'bass duo Cyantific, Matt's been getting lots of props for his solo material following the release of his Beat the Heat 12", put out last year by long-running electro collective Rebel Intelligence. He's also released a series of excellent machinefunk tracks with Sync 24 as Signal Type. For anyone who was miles from Minehead, or cowering in their chalet — or for those ready for a flashback — here's the recording.

Paul Blackford, one of the UK's foremost electro artists, established his Militant Science imprint in 2009 in a bid "to bridge the gap between electro and drum'n'bass". Operating solely in the digital realm, the label has already notched up a healthy discography, with new releases soon out from Robokid, Sound Synthesis, Oort Cloud, Vadz, Melogik and Blackford himself.   This bruising 38-minute mix by recent Militant Science signing Mossman collates new and forthcoming material from the catalogue. Enjoy!   Tracklisting: Mossman - Beeboss Philops - Elektr@n Chordata - Geis IIt Robokid - Eggy Bread Alien Sex Toy - Robotic Depression Synapse - Blast Radius Alien Sex Toy - Anytime Sound Synthesis - Secrets of Society Synth Alien - Spectral Attack Chordata - Seamus Robokid - Beef Stew and Dumplings Sound Synthesis - Easily Brainwashed Synth Alien - Casimir Effect Philops - Cell-@ Paul Blackford - Enhanced Transmat Mossman - Vast G

Anyone following the trajectory of London's open-eared Uncharted Audio label will know of Stephen Fiske's work as LJ Kruzer and his propensity for dispensing wonderfully emotive tracks loaded with intricate melodies and lush sonic textures.   Son of a Wiltshire vicar, Fiske's formative years were spent listening to his father accompanying hymn singing in church with a Yamaha keyboard — which goes far in explaining his penchant for perky re-rubs of Christmas carols.   Since first appearing on vinyl in 2002 (a split EP with The Council Flats of Kingsbury), the London-based producer has released a steady stream of tracks and remixes on Uncharted Audio, AI, Seed and a raft of netlabels. Last year saw the release of his widely lauded second album, Manhood & Electronics, an Eno-inspired masterpiece filled with gorgeous piano treatments, haunting synths and delicate percussive pulses.   Uncharted Audio's next release sees four tracks from Manhood & Electronics getting remix treatment fro

Over more than a decade, in his production and DJ work, as well as his emergent photography, West London dweller Duley has continually delighted in bringing us the oblique and unexpected.   In Let's Get This Party Slanted, a spare and haunting frame wears in turn several digital and analogue guises. Look for lights flashing out from the murky maisma, bits of Autechre, Chris Carter, Sun Electric and others leading towards catharsis in James Plotkin and Mick Harris's well-named Collapse.   Photograph by Max Duley.   Tracklisting: Lustmord - Primordial Atom (Soleilmoon) Simon Fisher Turner - Hymn For Thatcher (Mute) Brunnen - Tippoo's Tiger (Beta-lactam Ring) Chris Carter - Chakutut (Conspiracy International) Autechre - Paralel Suns (Warp) Column One - Re-Worked Transmission (Stateart) Black Sun Productions - The Skunk (Old Europa Café) Max Waters - Stars And Scribble (Blasé) Andrew Liles - Auto Manipulator - 4th Degree (A Lesson To Be Learnt) (

New York-based multidisciplinary artist Daniel Perlin, aka DJ N-RON, first appeared on Spannered back in 2008 with his excellent Collaborator Mixtape.   The M-C-M1 Mixtape, like its predecessor, comes loaded with Daniel's own productions and mash-ups. This time around a sizzling Latin flavour prevails, with cumbia, reggaeton and baile funk jams bumping up against dark electronica, skewed pop and even the classic cover of Money (That's What I Want) by the Flying Lizards.    DJ N-RON photo courtesy of DJ Empirical.   Tracklisting: Joseph Beuys - Ja Ja Ja Nee Nee Nee/Larry Miller-Accord (Selections From The 2nd and 4th Movement) N-RON - Darksteps/Grimelock - Justice N-RON - Rap da Felicidade (Cidinho e Doca) Stepmix Flying Lizards - Money (That's What I Want) (N-RON intermix) Cota GV - Biling/Vandergraff - NDE/Jon Hopkins - Vessel Celso Pina - Cumbia Sobre El Rio Interludio/Sonido Desconocido - VW Cumbia Regadda - Instrumental/William Burroughs - Cut Up 19 El