This one is a concept mixtape where we take a one way voyage through space and time: Beginning here on earth we feel the power of the moon, see comets and feel inspired to explore further and further in to distant galaxies until we’re sucked in to a big black hole with everything else. Hit play on the opening track to begin the ride…
More on the songs, the artists, their links and the journey below the mixtape.
Ulrike Mod – éclairé par le clair de lune @puffer / Bandcamp
Ulrike Mod is the moniker used for a series of embellished piano improvisations by musician Christian Puffer and this piece translates in to English as Illuminated by Moonlight. – A place we’ll start the stellar voyage that is this the fourth NHAM mixtape: Here on earth with the closest thing in our night sky shining down on us as peacefully as this lovely opener.
gribbles says Comets is an ‘attempt at real music’. It’s a hugely successful attempt. From sublime to sinister and back again, befitting our impending journey into space. Originally visualised as a pastoral piece with complexities of storms followed by clear skies and birds on the wing, gribbles realised it was becoming overworked so cut back the complexity and was left with this. Much like when we cut back the complexities of our life on earth and are left with the awe-inspiring simplicity of vast open space.
As the light reflects down on us from the moon, and the comets come and go all becomes still and we begin to go deep, hearing the Sound of Stars. I’ve already used Sakti in a previous mixtape (and quite frankly could do so in every one, with so many great compositions to choose from) but with a cosmic themed mix this time I couldn’t leave out Sound of Stars. If this is what they sound like then it’s no wonder we’ve decided to make this one way mission to get closer to them.
And then up and away we go, like a UFO. UFOhs was inspired by Mac DeMarco, which is really apparent in the beat, bassline and distorted single-strum chords. KNova is Keith in Colorado who says Star Trek is frequently playing in his house.
You know we’re hurtling through space now! Just listen to it! We’re doing ‘80s nostalgia-driven space travel on a super scale.
Futzle – Written in the Stars @futzle / Faircamp As we travel between them we’re beginning to realise that everything happening back on Earth was written in these stars. Deborah aka Futzle was just 17 when she wrote this in 1990 but it remained unearthed for 30 years until this 2020 recording was published. “Quetzalcoatl (“Feathered Serpent”) was one of the gods of Mesoamerica. His brother and rival, Tezcatlipoca (“Night Wind”) got him intoxicated and banished for drunken incest. (Yikes!) Quetzalcoatl’s associated year in the Aztec calendar was Ce Acatl (“One Reed”), which correlates to the year 1519, a very bad year for the Aztecs because that’s when Cortés landed and triggered the fall of their empire.”
Doctor Popular has a weekly video series called The Fediverse Files in which he extols the virtues of the Fediverse. With a different guest each week he makes simple and fun explainer videos for those not yet in the know, telling of why The Fediverse is the future. Not content with being a brilliant mouthpiece for our beautiful online home, he also makes some wonderful sounds, including Dazzler, for which there are a few versions floating about. This is the album version. Docpop, you know exactly who you are: A star.
Default Media Transmitter – Solemnity @defaultmediatransmitter / Mirlo Ok, now we’re experiencing some turbulence. Solemnity comes from an EP called Two Space Tunes which you can check out on @mirlo. It feels like we’re going through places we’ve not comprehended before. There’s no turning back now.
We’ve found a Home at a Star. Perhaps we’re a bit nostalgic for our previous life, yet we also feel calm, if slightly lonely and melancholic in our new surroundings. From the album Back to the Void.
Hefxthoth – song for alien tomboy girl @hefxthoth@mastodon.art / Jamendo
Shit! There are other lifeforms out here. And who knew aliens come in varied forms like us. Let’s make friends by playing a song for alien tomboy girl.
Milford Progress Association – Saraswati Supercluster @jimbob / Bandcamp
At the Saraswati Supercluster we’re now 4 billion light years from Earth. Vast, spacious, beautiful, epic, ambient, rough, bright, dark energy.
– Oh! In our never ending pursuit of more we’ve come too far. Like Icarus on a universal scale we’ve reached the Event Horizon. Couldn’t think of a much better way to end it though. This has been quite the voyage. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have.
Just like in last month’s mixtape the closing track is one to leave you hanging there, yearning for more. Experimental producer Bree D aka The Liquid Clear makes sumptuous sounds from Washington. Sociate is just one of many examples that can be found on her Bandcamp profile. It carries a spacey, nostalgic vibe complete with Joy Orbison style break down. Enjoy!
Fine, jaunty, indy-pop from Young Americans Challenging High Technology – something all of us within The Fediverse are doing whether we realise it or not! I was big in to YACHT back in 2009 so to have rediscovered them via Mastodon this month was a true delight. To then catch up on everything I’ve missed in recent years and hear that they’ve not lost any of their fun, unique sound means I’m now fully back aboard the vessel!
Tune in, slip back and enjoy the summery-haze vibe of the third NHAM mixtape. Recommended accompaniment: A spare three quarters of an hour, a warm sun, a light breeze, a comfy spot and a cool drink.
(Apologies to folk listening in the Southern Hemisphere. Despite this mix being a ‘hot summer’ soundtrack the tunes are all super enough to be enjoyed in any weather, but it’s in the dripping heat of the hottest summer month that they’ve been put together at my end so it does have a natural summer vibe!)
Ricky a.k.a. Impulso Bioelectrico – Say Yeah Arrrrgh Yeah. Pump it up. When the sun shines and the heat hazes, this classic hip hop groove is the perfect accompaniment. I only wish it were three times as long. Ricky is from Palma in Spain and this track comes from the 2023 album De Buenas a Primeras – a collection of fine, short tunes.
Key 13 – L.U.C.A. Key 13 has such a varied bank of works it was hard to know which song to choose, but I really love L.U.C.A. Some great vocal effects combine with synthetic and natural instruments for a beautifully balanced piece. It’s a pretty telling of the story of the connected nature of us and all life on earth.
Digits – Lost Dream If you told me this was a new Junior Boys track I’d not have any reason to doubt it. -From the soft yet authoritative vocal to the jittery electronic beeps and beats. That by the way is very much a compliment as Junior Boys are one of the favourite artists of my lifetime.
Bandstahl – I’m falling Okay, if you’re not in a hot place right now just close your eyes and imagine being on a sandy beach in the sun with a cool breeze blowing through as you listen to this. Life’s good, isn’t it? That’s how this one makes me feel. Deep beat, luscious vocal, warm bass, I’m falling!
White Town – Timeslip Yes, THE White Town – I told you the coolest kids reside in the Fediverse. I was a touch obsessed with Your Woman back in 1997, so finding Jyoti aka White Town in The Fediverse was a very pleasant surprise. Timeslip is a joyous-sounding, catchy number although the lyrics hint at something darker in the underbelly.
AxWax – Schrödinger’s Bonk What is Bonk? Can you handle Bonk? Take a dive in to the Bonkwave with master-proponent of the illusive movement to find out! I’d tell you more if I knew but I’m still working Bonkwave out myself a month or so after taking my first dive in to its depths. The one thing I do know so far is that I like it!
Xylander – Hectic Life (Busy Busy Busy!) This is truly masterful. A 50 year old tape of Xylander’s uncle and grandmother recording a message to another family member has been expertly set in to a speedy dance track. Xylander lists Squarepusher and Autechre among his influences and you can really hear it in his work.
Fastachee – Lonely Negatives I love the way this track builds as it wakes up from the intro and moves through the gears before unearthing some rare Fastachee vocals in the second half. It’s got industrial vibes, in the electronics department, and has a real get up and go about it.
YACHT – Finger in Your Eye Fine, jaunty, indy-pop from Young Americans Challenging High Technology – something all of us within The Fediverse are doing whether we realise it or not! I was big in to YACHT back in 2009 so to have rediscovered them via Mastodon this month was a true delight. To then catch up on everything I’ve missed in recent years and hear that they’ve not lost any of their fun, unique sound means I’m now fully back aboard the vessel!
Fräulein Verdrieslich & Torsten Torsten – Jackentaschen-Chanson According to the deepl translation tool Jackentaschen-Chanson translates as Jacket Pocket Song. I found this version on Torsten Torsten’s Peertube account and it’s a lovely live performance by the two artists in a park on a summer’s day. Apparently they had about 50 more verses for the song they could have included. Sadly my German isn’t good enough to know what they’re singing about but the joy from the performance needs no translation. I also love that at the start of the recording you can just hear the end of Fräulein singing Caravan of Love – one of my all time fave songs.
Huge Shark – A Prayer for Rain Just like with Kydia in the NHAM 1 mixtape a powerful voice sucks me in so deep here. On this occasion it’s that of Valerie Polichar of Huge Shark. She wrote this song back in 1990 in reference to the droughts experienced in California at the time due to the early onset of climate change. The fact that things have only got worse since make this record continue to stand out. I want future generations to live lives where they can enjoy the best things in life such as Valerie’s voice and music without being impeded by the dystopian effects of climate change we’re hurtling toward. In order for that to happen we need to make radical changes to the way we live at present, and quickly!
The Liquid Clear – Sociate Just like in last month’s mixtape the closing track is one to leave you hanging there, yearning for more. Experimental producer Bree D aka The Liquid Clear makes sumptuous sounds from Washington. Sociate is just one of many examples that can be found on her Bandcamp profile. It carries a spacey, nostalgic vibe complete with Joy Orbison style break down. Enjoy!
Cobalt – Home I came across Cobalt from the fantastically Euro-pop track, ‘Versio’, written for Fedivision 2024. Cobalt is a Finnish musician and linguist, and ‘Home’ is the perfect opener to the very first NHAM mix tape.
sknob – Driven By Desire (Extended Mix) sknob is another artist who had a strong Fedivision entry with ‘Living the Dream’. Having had a nice rummage through the wonderful back catalogue I was taken by ‘Driven by Desire’ both musically and in its deeper meaning. Shades of Clor, Roxy Music and David Byrne might be something an ‘AI’ generator could output, but the innovation it could not.
Meljoann – EXIT ’EXIT’ has Let’s Eat Grandma vibes. Meljoann’s awesome creativity extends beyond her music and in to her videos too. Well worth a dive via her Peertube channel … you might be lucky enough to get swept in to the Mustics® craze whilst there too. I’m not really sure how to describe Meljoann as a female Prince without calling her Princess, but it’s what I want to do!
bgm – You Can’t See It Get funky, lo-fi, baseline, harmonise. Can you see it? Now wiggle!
Kydia – Holy Grail This is just an incredible piece of craftsmanship which gets better and better the deeper you delve and the more you listen. The composition, the lyrics, the production: It’s a masterpiece, made even more remarkable when Kydia’s story is told. -She is lady with ADHD and a Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) having been born with Microtia grade 3 and Atresia (a deformed outer ear and ear canal, and single-sided deafness). Cosmetic surgery a few years back to get a prosthetic outer ear, followed by the fitting of a titanium post in to her skull means she can now hear in stereo where the majority of her life she only heard in mono. Kydia is a special talent and Holy Grail could easily be a platinum-selling number one the world over either if Kydia were signed and thrust in to the pop world or if the song was given to one of the superstars of today.
MyLoFy feat. Aaron – The Funniest Thing This mixtape project came about thanks to Fedivision 2024 and I could easily have chosen 12 songs from Fedivision for this first mixtape, but wanting to get discovering new songs straight away this is the only inclusion from this year’s contest. The Funniest Thing was one of my three votes and if I only had one vote this is the song I would have given it to. A Retro-Pop track tinged with Alphaville about the detachment of conscience people might experience using social media. Whatsmore it was produced exclusively using (lots of) free and open source software. Although perhaps ironically it’s the only song on the list which isn’t linked because I can’t find any MyLoFy music on any of the Fair Music Platforms. I’m reliably informed that a Mirlo profile is on the roadmap though so look out for that!
VCS2600 – Databahn Lowrider With a funky swagger a la Chromeo or Har Mar Superstar I dare you not to bounce along with your arm bopping aloft as you cruise in your imaginary ride to VCS2600.
lost in the loop – tell_me_what_you_see Another really catchy little number with a funky groove to keep you on the regular twitch. lost in the loop does shy vulnerability well, laying the cards on the table with tell_me_what_you_see and delivering a right royal winner.
Mishathings – Start Anew Teaching Political Ecology and Earth Science at Amsterdam University College by day and busting uplifting tunes by night, Misha can momentarily take you to a space and time where it’s all alright with Start Anew, even though it’s really not, is it? We’re in this together.
Sakti – Somerset Having previously lived in the county I was drawn to this track when checking out some of Sakti’s back catalogue and it’s an epic monster of an audio-trip right up my street. Extremely proficient master crafting here.
Shannon Curtis – Extraordinary People I’m an 80s kid and Shannon habits 1980s spirit with aplomb, taking me in with the first bang of the synth-wave drum. Extraordinary People is a nostalgia-driven, synth-pop ballad that calls, ‘Look at us, we are extraordinary people’. A nod to all of the artists featured on this page and so many more pouring out their creativity in to the Fediverse and beyond.
Under Shaded Trees – please don’t worry AKA Chris Lowis said that this track sounded, ‘Like an end of EP kind of track’, so put it at the end of his beautiful 1858 EP … a trick I’ve repeated here to close out the very first NHAM mixtape. Under Shaded Trees is blissful serenity, wistful but optimistic and I love it.
I hope you’ve enjoyed listening as much as I’ve loved curating (and dancing along 👇). See you next month!
