I'm Listening

Greg Benz - Aurium July 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:56:00 +0000

I'm sitting at work listening to music, and it hit my like a ton of bricks that I need to make a quick post about this incredible mix from Greg Benz.

I frequently grab sets from Hybridized , a fan site dedicated bootleg DJ mixes recorded off of various radio stations.

Greg Benz has proved to be a gold mine of DJ mixes that keep me motivated. I'm enthralled by his selections and mix choices in each and every set. After having heard countless progressive trance, dance, and house songs being spun from his seemingly endless crates of records (or gigs of mp3s)-- he blew us all away with the Aurium July 2008 set: The first mix is very chill (which I reccomend), but the one that REALLY got me was the second set.

Regardless of whether or not you enjoy Drum & Bass, you MUST grab this set.

The link contains the track list and file. I don't think there is a cue sheet available yet.

Robin Williams - Working on New Material - May 15th 2008 - Showbox

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:02:00 +0000

Yes.. I'm posting about going to a comedy show here.

yes... contrary to what you find in a simple Google search on this show, I thought it was fucking hilarious.

Robin Williams isn't much different now than he was 'back in the day'. His high-contrast humor lends itself to poking fun at himself and others in their darkness: making fun of his alcoholism, divorces, and our incredibly screwed up politics in the US.

He was spot on and incredibly sharp with responses to the crowd, delivery of jokes, and his AADD demeanor. I paid good money to see Robin Williams, and Robin Williams is what I saw!

The Showbox was configured for seating. There were a bunch of cocktail tables (bar height) with stool seats for everyone in the bar area, with normal tables and chairs in the pit/main floor. The Showbox cleans up nicely for events like this. Given that the tickets were expensive and that the money went towards charity, I am glad that there was effort into presenting a very club/lounge-like environment for the show.

During the show there was a belligerent drunk chick sitting towards the back that kept yelling in response to some of the off-color remarks Robin Williams made about politics and the Seattle area. It was great when he ripped into her and turned her into an example of 'what not to be' at a comedy show, as well as turned the audience against her. After the third outburst from her (that ended up being pretty vulgar), she was kicked out of the show.

I liked the grey line humor and was not made uncomfortable at all by the personal life introspection. It was refreshing to hear the cynical and dark commentary on our social structure, politics, and general observations of life. It is very much the humor of my growing up and I appreciate it to no end when it is as smartly written and presented-- but let's not forget that Robin Williams also carries a bottom line message of overall positivity in that we all need to get along together.. and that, too, was refreshing to hear.

April 12th, 2008 - RJD2 @ Chop Suey, Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:13:00 +0000

The good: RJD2 was rockin' it on stage. Highlights include a killer remix set (of his own music), live performances of the more rock-based music (he had a wicked sounding telecaster), and video game references:

The theme from Zelda was played, and kicked major ass.

There was a small camera pointed at RJD2's drum pad (projected to the back of the stage on a white screen), which at first glance was blacked-out and painted with red stripes.. but it wasn't until he set up for a skit using a puppet of Mario, barrels, and samples from Donkey Kong, that I realized what the drum pad was decorated as (a Donkey Kong level). It was awesome as he used the drum pad to trigger the game sounds of Mario running, jumping over barrels, getting the hammer, and finally getting smashed by a barrel. Good times!

He played a song I hadn't heard before (I'm not a hardcore fan) that was composed almost entirely of samples played on his drum pad, such that the drum segments were about 2 bars each and could be mixed in a bunch of different patterns-- along with a few of the pads that played some really crunchy synth tones as the melody... it really made me think about how I can utilized my Korg padKontrol a bit more effectively (entertainingly, anyway).

So now that I have the "good" out of the way:

The bad: The humid: The suffocating: Hell, call it what you will, but Chop Suey SUCKS!

The show was clearly over-sold. There were so many people in the tiny venue that the door, which they couldn't keep open due to the noise ordinance, was getting steamy on the glass. It was so incredibly humid that it felt like I was breathing recycled air. It was the worst concert going experience I've ever had.. Don't get me wrong, I loved seeing RJD2, but holy hell Chop Suey is one of the worst venues ever! At a few points two of my friends had to step outside to get some fresh air during RJD2's performance.. and finally I just said 'screw this'.

I had seen the songs I wanted to see live, and felt sufficiently entertained to the point where I called the show off and we all walked back to the car to get the F out of there.

Not only was the venue itself void of oxygen, the opening act (which didn't get under way until 10:45.. 1 hour and 45 minutes after the doors opened) Dälek... didn't impress. Why is it that some groups, especially the 'hardcore' hip-hop style groups and artists feel the need to literally blow the ear drums out of concert goers? Is their music that lack luster and unpolished that they need to hide the short comings by turning up the volume to the point of distorting the output of the club system? I bet his music would've sounded pretty damn good (though repetitive from the first bar of music) had it not been so loud that we left during his last song to avoid injuring our ear drums ;P

The guy was entirely too fake on stage.. doing the mean fat-rapper-guy-stare-snarl-mean-faced-frowning-breathing-heavy-while-he-sweats-cause-chop-suey-sucks-sweaty-balls BS that is typical of that flavor of "hip-hop". The beats were pretty cool and some of it sounded VERY Massive Attack-like (I swear there was a hook lifted from one of their songs.. I wish I could remember how it went).

At one point, I could've sworn the guy was fat-breathing into the microphone.
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So a not-so-great opening act, a terrible venue, yet good music from the main act. It makes for an experience worth talking about at least. Maybe that's the angle that Chop Suey is going for-- a dive experience like none other.

Getting Things In Order

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:19:00 +0000

I'm getting stuff in order on this site. It's going to take awhile since some thins, like the gutter "Artists I've Seen" list requires links that I manually put in. Wee!

Back Once Again with the Ill Behavior.

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:11:00 +0000

It's been forever since I've even posted to this blog, but I'm going on an all out multi-blogger assault here and it's time to bring this one out of retirement.

Here's to the future.

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 18:55:00 +0000

Lately :
.) Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
.) The Streets - Original Pirate Material
.) Beastie Boys - To The Five Boroughs
.) Soulstice - Illusion
.) Jamiroquai - Synkronized

I've been listening to a healthy dosage of Soma FM still, as well as some favourite DJ sets of mine by Way Out West and Digital Witchcraft. Tickets have been purchased to see Interpol at the Paramount Theater on October 22nd, I'm very excited =D

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Thu, 12 Aug 2004 21:47:00 +0000

Now that I live off campus, I'm less likely to stream content from my machine at home. Rather than listen to my vast collection of music, I have been keeping myself exposed to new artists and groups (and some familiar ones) while listening to streaming radio. Via a friend at work and advertisements on Shoutcast, I'm now hooked on Soma FM.

The three stations of theirs that I listen to most are: Groove Salad, Beat Blender, and Secret Agent. I find that Beat Blender tends to have the best of the chillout and deep, relaxing tunes. Secret Agent is, of course, that excellent spy and world flavored music that will get you going. Groove Salad is a hit-or-miss mixed-nuts version of chillout, spy/world, and house.

At any rate, I love listening to Soma FM. If you're looking for some new stations to listen to, definately add these to your list.

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 18:39:00 +0000

Go Home Productions has been a favourite of mine for awhile now. Definately ear candy, Mark (of GHP) has created yet *another* mix that I will be throwing down at parties: A delicious remix of No Doubt's "Hella Good" that adds a disco return flavor. In my opinion, this remix is more listenable than the original.

The email sent by Mark contained the message "I'm already in enough trouble as it is..." and a link to the page to download the file. For awhile the page had quote next to the song reading, "I don't know who is responsible for this, but I hope you can assure me there aren't copies of this floating about on the internet" (or something to that effect). Obviously he was contacted by someone involved with either of the songs who was either 'outraged' or 'concerned' or something about the 'atrocity' (or I'm sure they viewed it as one) that is this beautiful remix/mash Mark has created.
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In terms of techno inspiration, some of my favourite artists will be covered here in my neglected music journal. I will be making an effort to post more here each week.

Let's push things forward:

Sasha is a source of inspiration and creative muse that has seen me through high times, and low times. Feeding off of the creative genious expressed in the form of DJ mixes and original compositions, Alexander Coe has proved to be a source of inspiration, enabling me to make my own directive in DJing and producing. My first exposure to his DJing was Global Underground #009 - Sasha, Live in San Francisco. His technique is unrivaled, and the style of music he spins is something that parallels my own interests and tastes. Along with his other Global Underground release (Ibiza), and his debut original release: Airdrawndagger, Sasha's arsenal of sound strikes a nerve with me that only a few other artists touch upon. It may not be accessible for everyone, but who cares? It's something I understand and cherish in my music library.
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Singled out:
The Killers - Somebody Told Me
The Eels - Last Stop, This Town
Bad Religion - The Gray Race
Danni Minogue - I Begin to Wonder
Fictivision vs. Phynn - Escape (Phynn mix)

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Thu, 13 May 2004 07:12:00 +0000

I'm absolutely enthralled with down-tempo and chilled trance. I've been listening to two DJ mixes by Digital Witchcraft, which are available for download at Hybridized.org

Digital Witchcraft - Rhythmaculture
Digital Witchcraft - Proton Radio Mix

These two sets are filled to the brim with luscious sounds and songs that will undoubtedly give you a euphoric feeling. They are up there with some of my other favourites.. speaking of, I'll compile a list of some influential records as soon as summer hits ;) Until then, download these and give 'em a spin (or many spins, as you probably will).

They strike a chord in my heart like a few other albums, yet I can't put it into words. Gratifying, to say the least.

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Mon, 03 May 2004 23:46:00 +0000

Archive - Londinium :: I was turned onto Archive after an impulsive search for some Trip-Hop artists to add to my library. This album is a prime example of Trip-Hop, with the obvious hip-hop influence beats along side the chill synths and samples. The vocals are great too, with some female lounge-styles and great rapping (the song "SkyScraper" is a true gem). I often find myself listening to this when I'm studying or working on some projects long into the night.

Singled Out::
Tomcraft - "Lonliness"
Simple Minds - "Space Face"
Sneaker Pimps - "Bloodsport"
Frederico Aubele - "Postales"
Andy Hunter - "Radiate"

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Mon, 19 Apr 2004 17:08:00 +0000

Right now:
Morcheeba - I've been a fan of trip-hop and all of the down-tempo incarnations and variations for quite some time. It might be one of my favourite genres and most listened to style of music in the past year. Anyone into chilled music *must* have Morcheeba albums in thier collection. A perfect blend of lounge styled vocals from the sexy Sky Edwards and the most ingeniously crafted beats and music from Paul and Ross Godfrey, Morcheeba is right up there with my favourite down-tempo artists (Thunderball, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Thievery Corporation). There is nothing like Morcheeba.

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Fri, 09 Apr 2004 08:03:00 +0000

Music of tonight:
Stabbing Westward - Wither Blister Burn + Peel
Filter - Short Bus
Silverchair - Freak Show.

Albums purchased on 02/07/04

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Mon, 09 Feb 2004 22:15:00 +0000

-Arrested Development - 3 years, 5 months and 2 days in the life of... :: For me this album brings back quite a few memories of watching MTV in my mispent youth as so many of us did ;) I was enthused to see it for a ridiculously low price so I had to buy it. This is an excellent CD from the early 90's that I should've owned while growing up, but oh well ;) I can still dig on it now.

-Blind Melon - Blind Melon :: Another album released the same year as the one above, Blind Melon's sound has always stayed true to nautral rock & roll that was free from production gloss. In terms of visuals, who can forget the cover image and video of "No Rain" -> the Bee girl! Other than that though, this is a solid album that I've been wanting an original copy of for quite some time.

-Boyz II Men - Evolution :: This is one that Erin picked up. She enjoys quite a bit of the same music that I do, and how can you go wrong with Boyz II Men? Their sound progressed into an even higher polished display of perfect acapella from their first release in 1993, though some argue that they are becoming a formula group and nothing new is offered. I believe that Evolution is still a solid album that can be enjoyed even by the most critical Boyz II Men fans.

-Brian McKnight - Back At One :: I heard this album many times when I used to hang out with my friend Laura quite a bit. Erin picked this up on our excursion to Wherehouse, and was surprised that I was ripping it. Brian McKnight is a very talented musician and song writer. I like this album because of the quality of smooth music that he produces. It's not something I will listen to all of the time though, since quite a few of the songs are sad in nature, but its a necessary album for the collection.

-George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice :: It's George Michael! No really, George Michael is awesome. His music is well crafted and inspiring. It might be a bit more pop-flavored than what I listen to, but hot damn, you can't honestly say that his music wont get you moving or chill you out at all. It is pop, yet infused with enough emotion to make it worth-while. In all honesty, everyone should own a George Michael album.

-God Lives Underwater - Living In The So-called Space Age :: I remember hearing "From Your Mouth" on the radio awhile ago when I still lived in Reno. The song just kinda stuck with me. I admittedly had never heard most of the songs on this album, though I'm glad to say that I'm impressed with what I heard. The sounds created were very hybrid techno/rock influence, which is *almost* before their time when this CD came out in 1998.

-Gus Gus - Polydistortion :: Erin was seething with jealousy when I picked up the only copy of this album that was in the used Dance section. Gus Gus is a heavy influence on my drive to produce my own electronic tracks. The hints of trip-hop, house, and straight techno helped to pioneer the use of techno elements in modern bands. I love Gus Gus =)

-Prono for Pyros - Porno for Pyros :: The same day we ventured out to Wherehouse, Erin had a CD playing in my truck that had the major single from this album, "Pets". I've always been a fan of Janes Addiction, so I figured I might as well pick up this album since the tracks I've heard sounded similar to the typical Perry Ferrell alternative rock. Needless to say that I was not disappointed with my choice. Right in line with some of the best 90's rock out there, Porno for Pyros holds its own special place.

-Toad the Wet Sprocket - PS (A Toad Retrospective) :: I'm not the biggest fan of Toad the Wet Sprocket. I'm definately a casual listener and know most of the popular singles that they released during the 90's. The album is itself is pretty good and displays their singles and other songs that bigger fans tend to know. A relaxed rock band that is a bit more tame than other bands of their time.

-MTV The First 1000 Years- Hip-Hop :: Unfortunately all versions of the songs that appear on this compilation are clean. With that out of the way, this is an excellent mix CD of old-school hip-hop and rap. Ice-T, Digable Planets, Arrested Development, Snoop Dogg... Plenty of great songs. Aside from the name of the album, and the fact that it's edited, it's a great compilation of songs to have around. Besides, Erin didn't even notice it was edited until Ice Cube's "It was a Good Day" came on, which appears in the lower half of the track list.

A few comments::
This pretty much shows the wide-spread taste of music I have. Eventually I will post a comprehensive list of the albums I own.. perhaps a "record autobiography". I rushed through some of these because I'm posting from work, so I'm sorry if you find any of this shoddy compared to what I usually have to say =)

A quick blurb. GHP and Raygun

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Mon, 15 Dec 2003 04:45:00 +0000

Just a quick blurb about a post I made last month concerning two excellent emerging artists.
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For those of you who might always be on the lookout for new music or any other ear candy, you owe it to yourself to check out Go Home Productions. GHP, or "Mark" as some people know him, does something very special with his mixes. If you've never heard the loosely defined genre term "mash" I'm going to assume you can figure out what it means on your own. GHP is a true gem, and while the music definately has a novelty feel to it, I can't help but spin most of GHP's songs again and again. Everyone, and I mean *everyone* needs to check him out. You might not be able to download his full library of releases anymore, but being on his mailing list will allow you to recieve notices of when tracks are posted for download.
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While I'm at it, I need to plug another artist here. Raygun, also known as Jason Howell, has been producing some really awesome house tracks. His latest album, "Difference Engine", displays some excellent subdued beats that are crafted well enough for casual listening and club use. He also recently did a DJ mix on San Francisco's Beathustler Radio (the website sucks balls, but it's where the mix was done). Check him out if you can! I believe he gives away free copies of his CD by request.
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back to writing my english final! blah ;P

Way Out West DJ Set On Annie Nightingale (Radio 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Fri, 05 Dec 2003 01:02:00 +0000

Way Out West has been one of those influential techno groups for me. I listened to them since I was first introduced to techno by a friend in high school. In the few minutes I have left here at work, I wanted to share with everyone the latest DJ set from Way Out West available via Hybrid's website, Hybridized.org.

This DJ set, exclusively done for England's Radio 1, is amazing! It has dance elements to it, but is very relaxed. Words fail me at this moment to properly describe it. That's why I *demand* that you, who hopefully enjoys similar taste in music, download the mix set here.

I'll expand upon this at a later date =)
Go listen, enjoy, and let me know what you think using the comments below!

noreply@blogger.com (Sliptide (Sean Armstrong)) — Thu, 20 Nov 2003 22:17:00 +0000

Welcome to the newly revamped section, formerly called "What I'm listening to", now dubbed "I'm Listening".
In the coming months this journal style page will fill up with reviews, opinions, suggestions, questions... basically whatever comes out of my head concerning the music I listen to.

I'll explain more later since I'm at work setting this up (I should be doing other things on company time, hehe). For now, here's the backlog of the previous "What I'm Listening To" page:

Albums

-Jane's Addiction - Strays :: While growing up in the 90's, of course I was into grunge and alternative music and of course I've been a fan of Jane's Addiction for a long time. I'm also very partial to Dave Navarro.. he's the man! Loved him in RHCP, and his solo album as well as Jane's Addiction. The new album is awesome! It's got some great rock on it and some more traditional sounding music from the band. Well balanced and easy to listen to I often find this in my truck's cd player.

-Cafe Del Mar - Chillhouse Mix Vol.1 :: I love the Cafe del Mar series (sorry, I'm a little lazy in putting my accents on foriegn words). The perfect blend of laid back techno, house, and lounge music is always good to listen to as background music or turned up for social gatherings and late night adventuring. This entry into the series is a completely awesome collection of house tracks that contain hints of down-tempo, slight-disco return, and funk grooves. Everything is subdued in the traditional Cafe Del Mar style, but presented so well that you can chill to it and also feel in a relaxed dance mood.. if that makes *any* sense. Check it out.

-Sneaker Pimps - Bloodsport :: I've been a long time fan of the Sneaker Pimps as soon as I got ahold of a copy of "Becoming X". I havn't looked into it much, but this release has male vocals with female back-ups. However, the music and overall feel of the music is unchanged while still maintaining fresh sounds and arrangements. You won't find as much trip-hop on this album, but it's not a bad thing at all.

-Placebo - Sleeping with Ghosts :: When I first heard Placebo, which was quite awhile ago, I really didn't think much of them. However, many years later I've come to really enjoy the music of Placebo. I like this album in particular because it shows off the originality of their sound. I will admit that the vocals aren't for everyone, but the unusual sound of the lead singers voice along side some great music and effects makes for some really haunting and memorable songs.

-Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights // Interpol is very relaxing trip-out style rock. They remind me very much of a cross between Superdrag and Doves, if that means anything to anyone. I really dig their latest CD. I honestly thought they were from the UK or somewhere other than the US, they do what they do well ;) (They're from New York).

-LTJ Bukem - Journey Inwards // If you're into techno, then you've probably heard this name or seen this name in so many places. LTJ Bukem is one of the revolutionary artists to bring Drum & Bass into the dance scene and popular music. Deviant from the standard hardcore drum & bass in-your-face style songs, LTJ Bukem is one of the many artists that incorperate the Drum & Bass ethic of fast drum lines and deep bass yet also mix in elements of jazz, blues, trance, and other musical styles. This CD is definately one get ahold of.

-Thunderball - Scorpio Rising // so I wish I had found Thunderball earlier.. but what's the fun in that? Discovering new artists that you really really like is always a joy with music. I stumbled upon Thunderball's first release, "The Ambassadors of Style", and I loved it. Last weekend (of the 24th of November), I was in Best Buy with Erin and I picked up Scorpio Rising. Frickin excellent CD.. Very chill, smooth, with the spy-influenced setups (afterall, "Thunderball" is a James Bond movie.. isn't it?). Anyone liking trip-hop/down tempo/chillout, check out Thunderball.

Singled out songs

FC Kahuna - Hayling
Tomas Schumacher - Good Life
Placebo - English Summer Rain
Bush - Letting the Cables Sleep (N.O.W. remix)
Marschmellows - Soulpower (Jazzanova mix)
Ski - Fifths (Jazzanova mix)
Jazzy M - Jazzin' the way you Know (Ministry Mix)