Tag: David Prowse

Yo. Today is Thursday, and it”™s a doozy. Thought I”™d start by sharing this nugget from Mr. Andrew WK: http://vodpod.com/watch/3250082-andrew-w-k-im-a-vagabond

Get today”™s playlist ””””””-> HERE

Blurbles underneath, and such.

David
(Twitter)

1. Machinefabriek – Porselein
2. Sun Kil Moon – Exit Does Not Exist
3. The Big Eyes Family Players – For Gorecki
4. Sun Kil Moon – Carry Me, Ohio
5. Benjamin Finger – Woods of Broccoli
6. Nils Frahm – Ambre
7. Message To Bears – Running Through Woodland
8. Eluvium – Prelude For Time Feelers
9. Adrian Crowley – Theft By Starlight
10. F.S. Blumm – Fehlsprung
11. Alasdair Roberts – Com, My Darling Polly
12. Damian Jurado – Omaha
13. Small Sur – Ohhhhh Part 1
14. Beneva, Clark Nova – Two Men Being Hospitalized When Only One Had To Be
15. Murcof – Lully”™s “Turquerie” As Interpreted By An Advanced Script
16. Vladislav Delay – Melankolia
17. Sunburned Hand Of The Man – Nice Butterfly Mask
18. Proem – Bites Their Tongue
19. Monolake – Tetris
20. Access To Arasaka – Monoscan
21. Venetian Snares – Vida
22. Autechre – Fermium
23. Amon Tobin – The Lighthouse
24. Clint Mansell – “We”™re Not Programs, GERTY, We”™re People”
25. Aphex Twin – Blue Calx

Today is a bit dark, I”™m afraid. Got some stuff going on that I won”™t bore you with (side note: if any of you see a small ginger kitten wondering the streets of Tredworth, pick him up and gimme a call), and it”™s bled into my playlist so I”™m sorry but this one”™s not a workday pick-me-up.

I won”™t write too much about why these songs are personal to me, but I”™ll pick out some of my standouts. I hope that some of the choices resonate with you too. That”™s what I love about this whole Spotisfaction endeavour – it gives such an amazing insight into someone”™s whole being. So thanks for sharing with us, and allowing us to do the same.

I”™m really proud of the transition between Benjamin Finger”™s “Woods of Broccoli” and Nils Frahm”™s “Ambre”. Those two songs are completely complimentary to each other, almost two halves of the same track. I”™m not sure where I heard of Nils Frahm, but I gave Benjamin Finger a shot after a mammoth click-through session on Spotify. Very glad that I did. Going out to buy the “Woods of Broccoli” LP ASAP. Gentle nostalgia and breathtakingly sad piano parts make both of these tracks jump out at me.

Adrian Crowley is someone I”™ve never really given enough credit to. He”™s got such a haunting sound. “Theft By Starlight” is depressing, soul-destroying, and yet so utterly beautiful it hurts. In-fact, this whole section of the playlist I find very tough to listen to, but by equal measures so rewarding too.

The start of the “glitchy” section of the playlist is marked by Beneva vs Clark Nova. I”™m not going to lie, I”™d never heard of them but I randomly found them on a Mixloud experimental/glitch cloudcast. Please make sure you check out Mixcloud – it”™s completely amazing. Moving into this latter half of the playlist, I wanted to try and get over my self-induced slump by playing some tracks I”™d either not heard in a while (in the case of Autechre, Venetian Snares and Amon Tobin) or wanted to explore a bit more. The tracks in this half of the list represent a time in my life just after I finished Uni, but before I found full-time work. These tracks are permiated by a solid theme, but are hectic and unfocussed at times, brutally self-indulgant at others, relentlessly forward-thinking and always challenging. I think the music here reflects my life during that time a lot more than I realised. The whole purpose of including these tracks here was to act as a reminder that I”™m not that same person, nor do I have to be. I know that sounds wanky and pretentious, but hey.

Finished with one of my all-time favourite Aphex Twin tracks, “Blue Calx”. Stunning.

Love and stuff.

“Out of some desire to do something other than sit around and rot, the men known as David Prowse and Thom Lavelle decided to sit around and rot whilst swapping Spotify playlists and blogging about them”¦”

Morning beautifuls. Today”™s playlist is a bit hit or miss, I think. Wanted to showcase some of the, perhaps, lesser known bands I”™ve been listening to over the last couple of months. If you enjoy any of them, check them out – a lot of them have more stuff on Spotify.

Get the playlist here!

1. The Whitest Boy Alive – Golden Cage
2. Local Natives – Shape Shifter
3. Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas – Note I Love You + 100
4. Soap&Skin – Turbine Womb
5. Ohbijou – Cliff Jumps
6. Ramona Falls – Salt Sack
7. Forest Fire – Fortune Teller
8. Volcano Choir – Island, IS
9. Mew, Mathias Friis-Hansen – Hawaii
10. The Big Pink – Velvet
11. YACHT – Psychic City – Edit
12. Mos Def – Quiet Dog
13. The Pastels, Tenniscoats – Vivid Youth
14. King Creosote – No Way She Exists
15. Emmy The Great – We Almost Had A Baby
16. Slaraffenland – The Right Place
17. Stars, The Most Serene Republic – Ageless Beauty
18. Animal Collective – My Girls
19. Nacho Patrol – Africa Space Program
20. The xx – Basic Space (Sampha Remix)
21. Kelpe – Yippee Space Ghost
22. The Phenominal Handclap Band – 15 to 20 – The David E. Sugar 5 10 Replay
23. Invisible – OK
24. Feist – 1234 – Van She Remix
25. The Whitest Boy Alive – Golden Cage – Fred Falke Remix

 

Blurb to follow later”¦

Love, etc.
David
(Twitter)

Day number Thursday. This one”™s going to split people right down the middle – some people will *get it* and some people will wonder why the hell I”™ve added William Shatner. The playlist as a whole aims for a “Hey, it”™s almost the weekend, it”™s payday, let”™s start dancing!” kind of a vibe, and hopefully it”™ll help get you through a dreary day.

04 Spotisfaction Thursday (25 Feb) – DProwse

1. Lars Bartkuhn – Goodby Dancing Hello God
2. Mr. Scruff, Alice Russell – Music Takes Me Up
3. SOIL & “PIMP” SESSIONS – Mars
4. The Quantic Soul Orchestra – Melodius Wayfarer (Soul Montuno)
5. Quantic – Wider Than The Sky
6. Caribou – The Spiritually Immature Mansion
7. Handsome Boy Modeling School – The Truth
8. The Heavy – Coleen
9. Madvillain, Medaphor – Raid
10. The Herbaliser, Roots Manuva – Lord Lord
11. The Roots – What They Do
12. The Cuban Brothers – Miguel For President
13. Jazzanova, Phonte Coleman – So Far From Home
14. Breakestra – Show and Prove
15. Bonobo – Transmission 94 – Parts 1 & 2
16. Four Tet – You Could Ruin My Day
17. William Shatner, Lemon Jelly – Together
18. Digitalism – Taken Away (Instrumental)
19. Miike Snow – Silvia, Robotberget Remix
20. The Whip – Divebomb, Crystal Castles Remix
21. Boys Noize – & Down, Extended Mix
22. Daedelus – Fair Weather Friends
23. Metric – Monster Hospital, MSTRKRFT Remix
24. Felix Da Housecat – Radio, Shinichi Osawa Remix Radio Edit
25. Disasterpeace – Win

Got a bit busy today, so apologies for this being a bit shorter than normal”¦

Mr. Scruff going into SOIL & “PIMP” SESSIONS – foot-tapping ridiculousness. Completely wonderful two tracks. Not really much more to say than that. If you don”™t like them then this probably isn”™t the playlist for you – be warned. After The Quantic Soul Orchestra”™s carnival feel, I wanted to use Quantic as a tempo shift, and I think it works pretty well. It”™s just a nice chillout song. I really love this section of the playlist, to be honest.

I adore everything that Madvillain (aka MF Doom, and a million and one other pseudonyms) does. His wordplay is completely amazing, it”™s like watching a really talented butcher cleaving words instead of steaks. In a lot of ways he reminds me of Roots Manuva, which is why I threw them both together. Intelligent hip-hop is just not given enough credit in these days of autotune, identical beats and hooks, radio edits and crunk cups.

Now, I”™m pretty sure the Jazzanova and Breakestra tracks will go either way. Personally, I love them, but then I love me a bit of funky soul. It”™d be interesting to see what others think of them. For me, they brighten up my day. I find it impossible not to smile to these two bands, really, and coming from a grumpy sod that”™s pretty good going.

William Shatner plus Lemon Jelly. A bit oddball, but I love it. You will too.

I added Miike Snow at the last second when I was reminded by a friend how awesome a track “Silvia” is. The original is haunting and beautiful, but didn”™t really fit – I”™ve added the Robotberget remix, which builds slowly but segues perfectly into the ”˜house”™ section of the playlist. Definitely check out the original edit of “Silvia” if you get a chance. Maybe I”™ll fit it into my next playlist.

I quite like MSTRKRFT, but for me, their remix of Metric”™s “Monster Hospital” is the best thing they”™ve ever done. I”™m a massive fan of Metric, but I”™d go so far as saying that this remix is better than the original. I the powerful buildup into that, frankly, kickass house section. Perfect synths, perfect layering, perfect compliment to Emily”™s perfect voice. Great track.

Disasterpeace. Oh, Disasterpeace. Enjoy.

[David]

“Out of some desire to do something other than sit around and rot, the men known as David Prowse and Thom Lavelle decided to sit around and rot whilst swapping Spotify playlists and blogging about them”¦”

Day number Tuesday of our Spotisfaction series, and next up is my playlist. Honestly, the first draft was about 40 songs too long, and contained a distinct section for pretty much every genre under the sun”¦ Figured I should probably cut it down a little, and ended up with the following. Worried I might have played it a bit too safe with my selections, so feedback is very much appreciated.

02 Spotisfaction Tuesday (23 Feb) – DProwse

1. Forss – Funk For Nerds
2. Sia – Breathe Me (Four Tet Remix)
3. Kira Neris – Scampering
4. The Little People (Feat Rachael Roberts) – Breathe Again
5. The Cinematic Orchestra – Child Song
6. The xx – Crystalised
7. Maps – Valium In The Sunshine
8. Neon Indian – 6669 (I don”™t know if you know)
9. TV on the Radio – Wolf Like Me
10. Death From Above 1979 – Black History Month
11. Japandroids – Young Hearts Spark Fire
12. Titus Andronicus – Fear And Loathing In Mahwah, NJ
13. Spoon – Got Nuffin”™
14. Kevin Drew – Lucky Ones
15. The Hold Steady – Constructive Summer
16. The Acorn – Antenna
17. Bowerbirds – Northern Lights
18. Sonic Youth – Incinerate
19. Caribou – Sundialing
20. Atlas Sound – Quick Canal (w. Laetitia Sadier)
21. Sleeping States – Red King
22. Sufjan Stevens – They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhhh!
23. Interpol – Stella was a diver and she was always down
24. Sunset Rubdown – Idiot Heart
25. The National – Mr. November

My standouts below”¦

I first heard Sia in 2003 or so, and have been a pretty big fan ever since. Her solo stuff is awesome, but didn”™t really fit in with the feel of this playlist. I was tempted to go with some Zero 7 back from when she guested on a lot of their tracks, but in the end I chose the Four Tet remix of “Breathe Me” as A) I love Four Tet and B) It”™s my sodding playlist.

Oh man, The Cinematic Orchestra. I saw them at the Roundhouse doing their “Man With a Movie Camera” short film set”¦ I loved them before, but seriously, they”™ll always be incredible in my eyes after that. This track is from “Ma Fluer” but was played that night too. Hammond organs are awesomesauce and win chips.

I used The xx as a way to bridge the introduction from the orchestral beauty of The Cinematic Orchestra into the next section of the playlist. I heart this track, it gets me going. The layering of the male vs female vocals is sublime. Off the back of this track, we move straight into Maps – I was fortunate enough to catch them when they played Dot-to-Dot in Bristol last year, and bought their sophomore album on the strength of that gig alone. This is my favourite track from “Turning the Mind”. James Chapman just exudes focus – I swear when I saw them he pretty much forgot that there was a crowd, he was so into the music. That love for what he does is clearly apparent in this track.

Tunde Adebimpe is pretty much amazing; I”™ll admit right now for the sake of full disclosure that I actually want to be him (and would probably settle for stroking his beard gently). TV on the Radio had to feature somewhere in this playlist, and “Wolf Like Me” seemed like the best choice. I love the breakdown in this track, and the “howling forever” section brings out the ol”™ goosebumps. I love how they can use their horn section without it being completely overpowering. It”™s layered so well that you hardly notice it”™s there, but the whole song would sound so flat if it wasn”™t. Such clever mixing.

I really wanted to play the Alan Braxe & Fred Falke remix of Death From Above 1979”™s Black History Month from their “Romance Bloody Romance” LP, but annoyingly I couldn”™t find it on Spotify. I absolutely love the opening refrain from Jesse here: “Can you remember a time when this city was / a great place for architects and dillitentes / a nice place for midwives and crossing guards and on and on”. The prevailing theme is of the world changing around you and it really resonates with me – I listen to this track and am taken back to memories from my childhood, school, university, and am reminded how the rose-tinted glasses of life make those things seem so much better in hindsight than they might have been at the time. I love the subtle pessimism of the lyrics crossed with the sombre melody of the synth. Brilliant, haunting, depressing track.

I only started listening to Japandroids very recently – I think I caught them on a DrownedinSound playlist, and am hugely thankful that I did. Their sound is so raw, and the best way I can describe them is that it”™s like listening to a mediocre pop-punk band whilst lying in an upturned bathtub wrapped in cotton wool. You”™d be forgiven for immediately ruling them out of your music collection, but the garage band noise-scene sound really works for them so bugger it. Plus, I share the same name as the drummer so they had to go into this playlist, no?

Kevin Drew marks the start of the second half of the playlist, and is there to get me back into an upbeat mood after the previous couple of songs. There”™s something about Kevin”™s work (whether solo, with Broken Social Scene, or through his various other projects such as KC Accidental) that just makes me feel good about myself. The whole “BSS Presents: Spirit If”¦” album is the musical equivalent of coming home after a long holiday, I guess. Comforting, warm and familiar. Hugely looking forward to BSS”™s new album in May.

Leading from Kevin straight into The Hold Steady makes me a happy bunny – I could listen to these guys every day of the year and they”™d never get old to me. So much energy – I can be sat at my desk glazed over and waist deep in work, but in my head I”™ve downed 10 cans of Red Bull and am dancing around in my pants with a hairbrush microphone. Whether that says more about my sexuality than my musical tastes, I”™m not sure”¦

I suppose I should like Sonic Youth, but if I”™m perfectly honest I never really afforded them much of a listen – I wrote them off a long time ago, seemingly without much reason. I found this track after trying to rectify that, and am reserving judgment for now I think. I”™d appreciate a recommendation or two if anyone reading this likes them.

Wanted so much to play Sleeping States whilst I was compiling this list, so that”™s why they”™re here – I found them on a Last.fm recommendation from Grizzly Bear and that”™s a pretty fantastic compliment, and well-deserved in my opinion. I”™m very much into their “In The Gardens of the North” LP at the moment, and I can heartily recommend if you”™re into melodic pop. Which you should be. That is all.

Finally, I had to finish with The National, if only because dumbass here managed to miss out on tickets to see them in the Royal Albert Hall. Hmmph.

[David]