Scratching the Circle

The Orb should be well known to all. The group was riginally formed by Jimmy Cauty (of The KLF) & Alex Paterson in 1988 as a project to explore their fondness for ambient music, Dub, soundscapes, & science fiction. They became pioneers of the early-90s "ambient house" genre. Over the years Alex has been the only consistent member, whose other notables have included Thrash (Kim Weston) & Thomas Fehlmann. Closely associated with the Orb & at many times a guiding voice isYouth (a.k.a. Martin Glover). He co-owned the label WAU! Mr. Modo Recordings along with Alex. 

 

The Orb's electro-ambient house first meets Lee 'Scratch' Perry's ethereal, cosmic Dub in 2012s Orbserver in the Star House. This coming together of two disparate stylings works so well primarily because of the balance the Orb are able to strike between their own unique minimal house sound & adapting to accommodate Lee's Dub roots.

The Orb were prepared with a few base tracks & a bare-bones idea when they walked into the studio before meeting Lee for the first time back in 2004. But Perry had his own creative ideas.The Orbsters quickly found the limited number of tracks they had previously laid down to be insufficient to record all the ideas Lee inspired.

They proceeded to craft the rest of the record there in the studio in the truest form of collaboration. The Observer sits in the Star House & calls it out like he sees it,

This collaboration between The Orb & Lee 'Scratch' Perry take many twists & turns. The original release really works as Perry's unique voice melds perfectly with the tracks. It is not ambient Orb, but Dub Orb. 

 

The Orb featuring Lee 'Scratch' Perry - The Observer in the Star House,
The End Records TE289-2, 2012.
all decryption codes in comments

Ball of Fire    
H.O.O.    
Man in the Moon    
Soulman    
Golden Clouds    
Hold Me Upsetter    
Go Down Evil    
Thirsty    
Police & Thieves    
Ashes    
Congo

 

 

More Tales offers up six new tracks & five addition instrumental versions.

 

The Orb featuring Lee Scratch Perry - More Tales from the Observatory,
Cooking Vinyl COOKCD587, 2013.

Fussball
Africa
Tight Interlude
Making Love in Dub
No Ice Age
Don't Rush I
Fussball (Instrumental)
Africa (instrumental)
Making Love in Dub (instrumental)
No Ice Age (instrumental)
Don't Rush I (instrumental)

 

 

 

 

This next offering is the instrumental incarnation of the ambient noodlers The Orb & reggae producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Orbserver in the Star House with instrumental versions of the original eleven track with an additional 12 tracks of remixes of "Golden Clouds", "Soulman", & "Ball of Fire".

 

 

The Orb featuring Lee Scratch Perry - Observing the Star House in Dub, The End Records, 2013.

Ball Of Fire (instrumental)    
H. O. O. (instrumental)    
Man in the Moon (instrumental)    
Soulman (instrumental)    
Golden Clouds (instrumental)    
Hold Me Upsetter (instrumental)    
Go Down Evil (instrumental)    
Thirsty (instrumental)    
Police & Thieves (instrumental)    
Ashes (instrumental)    
Congo (instrumental)    
Golden Clouds (Youth Gigantic Dreadnaught Dub mix)
Golden Clouds (Oicho remix)
Golden Clouds (Blue Space White Cloud 81Neutronz remix)
Golden Clouds (Youth Nous Sommes Tous en Situation Irreguliere ambient mix)
Soulman (Villod remix)
Soulman (reshaped by Pole)
Soulman (Gaudi remix)
Ball of Fire (Deadbeat Nyah Version)
Ball of Fire (Deadbeat Nyah Dub)
Ball of Fire (Dabrye remix)
Ball of Fire (Mad Professor 'I Need Balls' Version)
Ball of Fire (Mad Professor Dub mix)

Enjoy,
NØ

Loose Ends 4 - The Last Loose of March

I've mentioned Frenz of NSS Sven from Munich, Germany often before this. He is always giving me great ideas for some off-kilter shares that I truly enjoy. He's like that voice inside my head that sez:
     "Nathan, what about..." & it's always a great suggestion about something I should have shared previously but simply forgot.

He was wondering if I might have a great 6xLP box set I am not Artist (1973-1988) by Smegma. Unfortunately I don't. Mostly sold out around the interweb, original label Vinyl-on-Demand lists it for 74,00 € plus shipping, which is a bit steep for this wee boy. 

 

I do have quite a few other Smegma titles however. I first shared Pigs for Lepers in June 2016 here & then Rumblings a few months later in August here. Decided I'd share one of my favorites. This is the 2007 reissue with eleven extra tracks from the studio side of the Morass cassette. Dedicated to the memory of Tom (Pig Champion) Roberts...

A more in-depth share of Smegma (ha...ha...ha...) next month. 

 

Smegma - Nattering Naybobs of Negativity reissue, Harbinger Sound HARBINGER051, 2007.
decryption code in comments

Pile    
Happy Baby Rhumba    
Spring Flowers    
Freakish High    
Turn Me Loose    
Limp Dynamics    
Thru the Watery Evening    
Innermost Cravings    
Porky Section    
En Vout    
Mouthful of Rubber    
Semi-Incongruous Morass    
Project 22    
Grammer    
Hairlip Diary    
Jungle Ride    
Now It's Dark    
Tiny Everlyn    
Sanctum    
Imp-Namics    
Nail Scarred Hand

Danke Sven,
NØ

Loose Ends 3 - No Pressure

In the comments on the February 6 Cross My Heart Hope to Die post, long-time Frenz of NSS MarkyD sez:
     "have you got anything by Pressure Drop stashed away on a HD?".

Well, I explained to him then that I had Pressure Drop set to, well, drop as the kids say, in April. April is planned for a series of jumbo posts: a 4AD retrospective, a dive into Smegma, Musick that Needs Work - N, & a look at three bands under the heading Three Epics, of which Pressure Drop is part two. But April is a long time to make a friend wait.

So, MarkyD, here are two singles & a remix set to tide you over... 

 

Pressure Drop - Got to Be for Real 12" single, Columbia SAMPMS 4823, 1997.
all decryption codes in comments

Face A - Got to Be for Real (Tipper vocal)
Face B - Got to Be for Real (Tipper Dub)

 

 

 

 

Pressure Drop - Warrior Sound, Columbia COL 6697196, 2001.

Side A -
Warrior Sound (dance edit)
Warrior Sound (Ed Case & Carl H Dub)
Side B -
Warrior Sound (Adam Freeland mix)

 

 

 

 

Pressure Drop - Food of Love remixes CD, One Eye Records, 2003.

Back2Back (Dorfmeister vs. Madrid de los Austrias Dub)
Unify [Ripped] (Maddslinky remix)
Groove Me (Cuica remix)
You're Mine (Adam Freeland remix)
Part 13 (DJ Rocca remix)
Spirits Fall (Ed Solo & Skool of Thought remix)
Everything'll Be Alright Tomorrow (Black Grass remix)
Metamorph (Pressure Drop version)   
Legacy (Manasseh remix)
Legacy (Paul Daley remix)
The Calling (Freeman remix)

Enjoy,
NØ

Loose Ends 2

On Leap Day I got the following comment from Anonymous:
     "Not knowing your policy regarding requests... Any chance you can post Kelli Ali's Tigermouth? This month was fantastic for me going back to trip-hop times. We must be the two only persons in the planet who know (and appreciate) Statik Sound System... lol."

First off, as per my policy (???) regarding requests...if you ask for it & I have it, I'll probably share it.

As for Statik Sound System, you'd probably be surprised how much attention they have garnerd. Trip-hop Feb. was the second time I've shared them. The last time was October 2023 when I was on a slight Tricky/Cup of Tea tangent, here. The interest that post generated helped influence me to share the second time. 

 

As for Kelli, have always loved her vocals. On a Sneeaker Pimps post I shared her pre-Pimps band The Lumieres' Cinder Heart as well as her second, Psychic Cat which I always thought was one of her better solo releases. I even shared the cover to Tigermouth on the Pimps post (that cover is just plain hot) & name-dropped it. Glad to share it here. 

 

Kelli Alli - Tigermouth, One Little Indian TPLP309CD, 2003.
decryption code in comments

Inferno High Love    
Teardrop Hittin' the Ground
Keep on Dreaming
Angel in L.A.    
Here Comes the Summer    
Fellow Man
Sunlight in the Rain    
Beautiful Boy    
Queen of the World    
Wings in Motion    
The Infinite Stars
Kids

hidden track -
Tigermouth

Enjoy,
NØ

Taking Care of the Community

Before I plunge into March with both feet, I have a few loose ends from February to take care of first.

While I was posting up Trip-hop last month, I got a comment from Anonymous here.
 Anon sez:
     "Sooooo...day 25 of Triphopuary and I'm still hoping for a Monk & Canatella post...M&C's Cup of Tea and biscuits were a sweet treat so here's a slightly fattened version of Care in the Community...https://we.tl/t-vBqrW3hnro".

I love it when a visitor takes the time to share things. The link is for We Transfer & they only leave the file up for a week, so I checked with Anon about giving it a more permanent sharing space. I got the green light, so here we go, from the great Cup of Tea Records label. 

Thanks, Frenz.

Monk & Canatella - Care in the Community, Cup of Tea Records COT CD005, 1996
decryption code in comments

Darkus Twisted   
Out of Here   
Flying High   
Apology   
Roughead   
Forthcoming   
Chelsea Smile   
This Time it's Different   
Top Yourself   
Lucy Gray   
I Can Water My Plants   
Trout

bonus tracks -
Doughnut
Pis Pop Pix
Forthcoming Song
Picnics
Grout
Testerone

Enjoy,
NØ

Rebel Roots Reminder

 

This is just a general reminder to all, but especially those of you who follow along on this here dump & have expressed an interest in Dub & reggae music. Last September Reb started a private sharing site called Rebet Roots for those particularly interested in Dub/reggae music. It is members-only. Since its inception there are now more than 800 shares, many with multiple releases, over a thousand unique titles & growing. Everything is 320mp3 or FLAC, with the majority FLAC.

I joined & have downloaded many great Dub albums that, yes, even I didn't have! It has been fantastic. Since that time, several folks who frequent this mess have joined in on the fun. Reb let me know that there are still a few openings for members if anyone is interested.

Here is his original message:

"Hi,  Reb here from reggae sharing site, Rebel Rootsmusic. We share all forms of reggae in FLAC or mp3 320. The site is just starting, it's a private site so limited to 100 people, so first come first served.

Anybody wishing to join, send me an email, with your name & your google email address so I can get back to you." 

email Reb @ rebel-roots-music@proton.me

 

Since it is a sharing, members-only site, there are two rules.
1. You must share at least one (1) item per month, FLAC or 320mp3.
2. If you download someone's contribution, you must say at least "Thank you" in the comments.

Reb @ rebel-roots-music@proton.me

Join up, you can't go wrong,
NØ

Fab, You Weary? Take the Leap, Trip 29

Strange day indeed! Let's take a leap...

 

It turns out that the purveyors of my favorite Trip-hop of the 21st Century are ''acts we've known for all these year''. The Sneaker Pimps 2021 release shared earlier this month is a prime example. Every Morcheeba release since Skye re-appeared on that horizon. Even Portishead's long awaited Third. But in my opinion, the artist at the Trip-hop top is none other than Lonely Guest.

Who???

Lonely Guest!

Who the F??? is that, you might ask. 

The inadvertent progenitor of the genre. The author of a paean to his mother Maxine Quaye who is nearly God . It is but another nom de musique for Adrian Thaws, the Tricky one. 

When I first heard Lonely Guest's self-titled, I was blown away. This is a work of sheer genius. As I have listened to it many many times, I am certain it is one of the best Trip-hop album ever (right up there with Tricky's first) as well as one of the best albums of any genre I have ever heard. The things that M. Tricky does with sounds & words & beats & the human voice-as-musickal-instrument are nothing less than spectacular.

Like many other musicians, Tricky had been expecting to be on the road throughout 2020 (promoting his Fall to Pieces release). But as we all know, the Covid lockdowns put the kybosh to those plans. He then started to collaborate with other artists, realizing they could work together without physically BEING together. Thus Lonely Guests, the "self-titled" album released in 2021 on Tricky's label False Idols featuring collaborations with Marta Zlakowska, Joe Talbot, Oh Land, Murkage Dave, Lee Perry, Rina Mushonga, Kway, Paul Smith, & Breanna Barbara.

Listen to this with a clear & open mind & please let me know what you think. This whole Trip-hop magilla has led to this climactic moment. Play it Loud! Hit atmosphere! 

 

Lonely Guest - Lonely Guest, False Idols, 2021.

Lonely Guest featuring Marta
Pre War Tension featuring Joe Talbot, Marta, & Tricky
Under featuring Oh Land
Pay My Taxes featuring Murkage Dave
Atmosphere featuring Lee Scratch Perry,Marta, & Tricky
Move Me featuring Marta
Pipe Dreams featuring Rina Mushonga
On a Move featuring Kway
Christmas Trees featuring Paul Smith
Big Bang Blue featuring Breanna Barbara

Enjoy the best Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 28

All of you familiar with this mess know my love of Dub. So, applying the Theory of Half Dub with the other half made up of portions of hip-hop, soul, breakbeat...whatever gets thrown into the mix sounds like it oughta come out with some sweet Trip-hop to my feeble reckoning. Give it a ear, what do you hear???

 

Half Dub Theory came together as a band in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2006. The band is made up of: Marina Skalozub - vocals; Max Kubbe - guitars, vocals; & Andrey Bolshakov - synthesizers, samplers, turntables. Their music combines Dub, soul, jungle, hip-hop, indie rock, & glitch. They have drawn comparisons with the original Bristol sound. They have toured extensively & shared stages with Massive Attack & Robin Guthrie to name-drop a couple...

Half Dub Theory - Value, 2015
decryption code in comments

Clockwise
Secretly
Cannon
Leave
Move
Cut Loose
Iron
Praise
Name
Shadows
Move (part two)

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 27

Don't get me wrong here, but our next artist gets it Rong all the time, yet she get's it oh so rite, right?.. 

 

FiFi Rong is a Chinese-British vocalist, songwriter, & producer. Her musical vision was forged in the crucible of her journey from China to the UK alone at age 16. Upon arrival in the UK, she set about exploring the potentials she was forced to repress growing up in China. It was only after she met her childhood musical hero Tricky, who saw FiFi's potential & encouraged her to pursue it, that she began to truly gain confidence in her own work. Her music deftly highlights the duality that merges Eastern roots with Western experience.

FiFi uniquely weaves emotional intimacy & vulnerability into her distinctive sonic vision. She manages to effortlessly blend Trip-hop with elements of alt. pop, R&B, electronica, IDM, avant-garde, & UK Bass, enveloping her unmistakable vocals in this mesmerising tapestry.

Her impressive collaborations include renowned artists such as Skepta, with her vocals gracing his hugely successful UK No. 2 & Mercury Prize-winning album, Konnichiwa. She has also worked with Tricky, Yello (on their chart-topping albums Point & Toy), Phaeleh, & the late Lee 'Scratch' Perry.

Here are a couple early ones, Fifi's debut full-length & an EP from the following year.

 

Fifi Rong - Wrong, FiFi Rong self-released, 2013.
all decryption codes in comments

Addicted to Water    
Only if I Knew    
56 Weeks    
Wrong    
I Need the World to End    
That Night
Twisted    
Time    
Cliff    
For You    
Freedom    
Hurt outa Sudden    
Dreamy Eyes    
Ever Rising Sun

 

 

 

 

Fifi Rong - Next Pursuit EP, FiFi Rong self-released, 2014.

Next Pursuit featuring Sadsic
Intimacy    
Breathless featuring OP9
Wishes' Fault     
Cold in You
Equality featuring Sadsic

 

 

 

 

Addendum: 

 

As a favor to a loyal visitor & contributor to this blog, I am adding a coupla tunes to this post. I wanted him to know that Nothin' was Rong (pun intended). Here is a post-CoTR Telstar single & an Telstar Ep from Monk & Canatella so that this Triphopuary has an M/C.

 

Monk & Canatella - Son 4.5.98, Telstar STAS3025, 1998.

Son 4.5.98
The Bearded One
Darkus Unplug Yourself

 

 

 

 

Monk & Canatella - Enter the Monk EP, Telstar CDSTAS3039, 1999.

Enter the Monk (radio mix)
Monday    
My Style    
Duty Free    
Enter the Monk (original mix)

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 26

For those who have stayed the course this month, thanks for bearing with another of my obsessions. Trying to ramp things up to a big climax. Heading forward in time to the newest era of Trip-hop...today's Trip-hop. Give this Belle a wring. 

 

Anomie Belle is the performing name of Toby Campbell of Seattle, Washington, a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, & political artivist who uses her artistic talents to fight against injustice & oppression by any medium necessary. She began writing & recording her own music as a child, developing a uniquely personal eclectic avant-garde musical style.

She has collaborated with many noted musicians, both Bonobo & Tricky in the Trip-hop vein. Her music is a mix of electronic & organic instrumentation, fiercely sensual vocals with thickly layered, ethereal soundscapes.

Her artivism has been described as "beautiful desocialization". Her songs are critical of blind adherence to consumerism. They're smoky & sultry yet champion individuality & critical thinking.

Toby sez:
     "I grew up in your prototypical American suburb. The manicured lawns, strip mall parking lots, chain stores, and massive expanses of cement and housing developments depressed me. I chose the moniker Anomie Belle to speak to the decadent alienation of the American dream. Growing up, music became my outlet. Bored by video games and dollhouses, I plunked away on my parent's piano for hours at a time, teaching myself to play blues riffs and writing little pop songs."  

 

Anomie Belle - The Crush, Anomie Belle self-released, 2011.
decryption code in comments

Electric Lullaby   
Inky Drips
Machine
It's a Crush   
Mosquito in the Closet   
Bodies Offering   
Picture Perfect
Lost Horizon
Privilege
On TV   
Lavender Days   
Phantom

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 25

 

Last October I shared Statik Sound Systems - Tempesta. Got some good response to that so thought I'd share another of their releases here. This is a little less breakbeat & a bit more Trip-hop. While Tempesta was on Cup of Tea Records, by the time of this release CoTR had ceased operation. Statik Sound System had moved on to Remote Records for this one. 

 

Statik Sound System - My Ooh-Zik, Remote Records REMCD001, 2001.
decryption code in comments

Hazey Funk
Wrap
Set Me Free
Sublime    
Wired
Hazey Dub
Just a Thing    
Deep in the Wired    
My Voice

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 24

Apologies to all. Purple Penguin - De-Tuned has been re-uploaded because of duplicate track 9 & 10. For those who don't want to download the entire album, the track 10 "So High" can be downloaded from link in comments. 

 

 

Just another Cup of Tea...Cup of Tea Records release, that is. 

 

Just a couple of Bristol boys, hip-hop/breaks producers get together & make a Purple Penguin. Scott Hendy & Ben Dubuisson produced some of the finest Cup of Tea sounds out there.

This is a smooth combination of Dub & Trip-hop with some sharp musical & rhythmic production: lots of slowed jazz riffs; well chosen B-movie samples; ethnic chants; & crisp beats. 

 

Purple Penguin - De-Tuned, Cup of Tea Records COTCD 004, 1996.
decryption codes in comments

Tombstone
Only   
Mountain
Tribhuwan
No Action
New Harlem   
Mute Noise
Razor
Passion (Dadomo remix)
So High
Pressue (remix)
Memphis
End Theme

 

 

 

 

Purple Penguin - Question, Cup of Tea Records COTCD019, 1998.

Intro, Opening Question
B-Drum
Melody
Return
Descendent
Non Deadly
Raw Deal
Apollo
Indoctrination
Western Interlude   
Diamond
Dust
Closing Question

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 23

 

Going back to the heyday of mid-90s Trip-hop, we have Baby Fox: Alex Gray, Christine Leach, Dwight Clarke. Christine & Dwight both sing & wrote the lyrics, with Christine doing the lead vocals. Dwight also played keyboards. Alex's forte was sampling/sequencing/mixing.

Baby Fox took elements of Dub & blues to create an off-beat, slightly eerie atmosphere. Not being on one of the genres "respected" labels or from Bristol, the group fought an uphill battle for recognition. They created capable groove-oriented dance music. The beats, the rhythms, the personality, the samples were all great but they proved to not be groundbreaking or breathtaking enough. They released only two full-length offerings before disbanding. This is their swan-song. 

 

Baby Fox - Dum Dum Baby, Roadrunner Records RR 8733-2, 1998.
decryption code in comments

Dum Dum Baby
Heaven's Gate    
The Rookery Part 1
The Rookery Part 2
Nearly Beautiful
Zodiac    
Bad Girl Love    
Bluebird
Fury to Forgiveness    
Rainy London Sunday
Hallow'een    
Still Point    
That's the Way it Is
The Line's Cleared    
Naked Hour

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 22

Maybe it's something in the water??? 

 

Another Trip-hop duo from Toronto. 

Sissy come on strong with a fearless, uncompromising sound that combines the exquisite disquiet of singer Johanne Williams' vocals with the discordantly melodic, electronic landscapes that producer & multi-instrumentalist David Trusz creates. 

The group utilizes old-school Moogs, Oberheims, tape-delay machines, & band-pass filters as anti-digital calling cards, yet Trusz's deployment of ominous booms, echoes, & superlow (20?) beats-per-minute rhythm tracks along with Williams' breathy yet vaguely threatening scatty vocals are what set Sissy apart from the pack. This one is defintely top notch. 

 

Sissy - March of the Humans, Four O’Clock Sun Recordings FOSR0001, 2012.

Home
Long Distance
Acid Cake
Fool Around
On My Own
All a Waste
Imminent Rampage
Other Ways
All of Me
Expiry Date
Stay

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 21

I am so glad to welcome back this band. It's been nearly twenty years since their last release. Back in August 2018 I shared an in-depth post of the Sneaker Pimps. 

 

Their SP4 demos from 2004 was originally given to a record label, only to be refused, thus making it unreleased. It's initial name was Recall, but was later retitled simply SP(Sneaker Pimps)4. This rejected fourth album was released on the Sneaker Pimps website, back when it was functioning. There was a surreptitiously leaked seven track that popped up on a music player in a bar in Russia sometime around 2005-2006 that was after years verified as a legit Sneaker Pimps recording, which keyboardist Liam Howe confirmed as The Magnificent Seven.

Then low & behold, in 2021 an all new Sneaker Pimps - Squaring the Circle was released. Here it is in all its glory, confirming once more that the great Trip-hop acts can still get it done the right way.

I can't really say enough about this fantastic disc. With incredibly precise instrumentation & inspired lyrics from Liam Howe & Chris Corner, this release is on par with Becoming X, Splinter, or Bloodsport. The Pimps have not missed a beat. Corner's vocals are sounding stronger than even "Loretta Young Silks" & teamed with new vocalist Simonne Jones, they are nothing less than perfection. I feel that "Stripes" may be the best song the band has ever done, but listen for yourself & decide. I'll stop blathering now. 

 

Sneaker Pimps - Squaring the Circle, Unfail Productions, 2021.
decryption code in comments

Fighter    
Child in the Dark    
Alibis    
So Far Gone    
Immaculate Hearts    
No Show    
The Tranquillity Trap    
SOS    
Stripes    
The Paper Room    
Black Rain    
Love Me Stupid
Lifeline    
Pink Noise    
Come Like the Cure    
Squaring the Circle

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Album Hot Flash

While I've been doing this Trip-hop thing, I've been listening to that band from Liverpool on heavy rotation lately. 

You know them, right...The Beatowls. 

 

Violette Records sez:
     "Beatowls’ hall of mirrors reflects the DIY approach of Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland, warps The XX’s millenial longing onto Portishead’s sense of the sinister & distorts Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood’s trippy idealism with the skewed romanticism & foreboding of Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch, Broadcast & Warp Records.

     The band push boundaries with their creative exploration, reflecting the hustle & bustle of Liverpool’s urban-industrial mood & the introspective serenity of life."

Their 2023 Marma album is the best thing I've heard in a while. Here's a tune from that release. All I can recommend is check it out, buy it, support this great new band. 

 

Enjoy,
NØ

Fab, Trip 20

Bet you didn't know Doris Day did Trip-hop. Well, now you know... 

 

This Doris Day is a band from Linköping, Sweden, formed in 1989. It is the brainchild of Markus Gylling along with friends Lisa Carlioth, Brigid Raine, & Mike Barrett. Around this same time they had been making alternative soundtracks or, as they called them, "romantic interpretations" of some of their favorite 50s American movies. Lisa, already a promising singer, was used on some tracks, while the boys sang or toasted on others. The project went through numerous stops & starts until the autumn of 1996 when they released their debut full-length album Live in Poland. 

 

Doris Day - Live in Poland, Some Pearls PEACD01, 1996.
decryption code in comments

I Wait in Warsaw (intro)    
To Ulrike M.    
Stranger    
Postcard from Rome    
This Girl I Had    
To Janusz    
The Cryer    
Scubadivers    
Quiet Withdrawal    
Mama's Motel (outro)

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 19

 

Sola Rosa is the on-going, ever-evolving project of Andrew Spraggon, Aotearoa New Zealand's foremost, critically acclaimed & successful beat-maker, songwriter / producer.

After six years in the band Cicada, Andrew wanted to explore other avenues in his own music journey. He decided to embarked on a new musical project. In 1998, Spraggon took a trip to Mexico, a country that had always held great fascination for him. The trip not only influenced his music, but also his decision about what to call his new project. He put together the Spanish words for rose-colored sun Sol & Rosa, then added the 'a' to make Sola as it flowed better off the tongue.

His version of Trip-hop is a quiet blend of New Zealand & Mexican influences that make it ideally unique.

About his music, Andrew sez:
     "In the 80s I grew up with synth pop, then a lot of post-punk. Things took a turn in the 90s when my influences changed and I started to dig artists like Funkadelic, James Brown and Public Enemy. Shortly after this I discovered labels such as Ninja Tune, Mo' Wax, Guidance and a series of compilations called Dope On Plastic. I was also heavily influenced by producers like David Holmes, DJ Shadow and Howie B." 

 

Sola Rosa - Haunted Out-takes, Festival Mushroom Records, 2003.
decryption code in comments

Awish    
Ready Now    
Easy / Uneasy    
Scratch Apprentice    
No More Rain    
Terrorgosa    
Go Underground    
Sleepwalker    
Sugarlines
Deep Water
unlisted track -
Haunted Out-take

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 18

 

Steve Cobby is The Solid Doctor. Like DJ Shadow who started off this journey, the Solid Doctor is one of the progenitors of Trip-hop. He formed the seminal Hull-based Trip-hop label Pork Recordings with his friend & fellow Hullster Dave Pork in 1991. 

 

Cobby now mainly releases under the names Fila Brazillia & Heights of Abraham, but early on he released numerous singles as The Solid Doctor. His blending of Dub, funk, hip-hop, & house drew critical attention & paved the way for such labels as Mo'Wax & Cup of Tea. The Solid Doctor's material finds a comfortable spot between the dancefloor & the Hi-Fi.

In 1995 Cobby released a two CD collection of his many singles. The Doctor sure knows his meds. He puts the Trip into the hip. 

 

Solid Doctor - How about Some Ether (Collected Works 93-95) 2xCD,
Pork Recordings, PORK 25, 1995.
decryption codes in comments

Cracked Emerald CD1 -   
U-Turn   
Short Wave   
Holy Roller
Spicey Pipe   
Anomie
Lights on the Vibe   
O Say Krevlon   
Pickyparkdickbods   
The Room is Breathing
Dusk   
When I'm Dead
Bye Bye   
I Love Life 

 

 

Sapphire CD2 -
Armed to the Teeth   
Jet Smooth   
Ether   
Invisible Sunlit Snow   
Cerulean Reverie   
Mixamatosis
Land of Dope & Tory
Ninety One Campion   
Tomato   
Slipping into Another Dimension   
A Moving Family of Suns

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ

Fab, Trip 17

By the mid 00s numerous UK bands had rekindled an interest in Trip-hop. One of the purest was Second Person.  Like the band Mudville who recorded in the same time period, many of these second wave of Trip-hop bands were clumped under the label post-Trip hop.

 

Julia Johnson (keyboards & vocals) met Mark Maclaine (bass & programming) in 2002. They worked together on music & soon hooked up with Alvaro Lopez (drums & programming) to fill out the group. Their debut album Chromatography was released in 2004. It sold out of its initial white-label run in United Kingdom, USA, & Australia primarily through word of mouth. 

 

Second Person - Chromatography, Second Person 001, 2004.
all decryption codes in comments

Too Cold to Snow   
Demons in the Scenery   
No Window   
I Spy   
Wreckage   
Demons Die   
Word for Word   
Nerve   
My Baby Only Cares for Me   
Senseless Sentences   
Divine   
Lucky Breaks   
Grace   
Harry: Walkies

 

 

 

 

The band released their second, The Elements EP in 2007 with the help of veteran producer/engineer Tony Platt (Bob Marley, Iron Maiden, & the second largest selling album of all time: AC/DC's Back in Black). Second Person were the first British band to have raised the $50,000 target on Sellaband which allowed fans to invest directly in bands online.

 

Second Person - The Elements EP, Sellaband, 2007.

Wood   
Fire   
Earth   
Metal   
Water

 

 

 

 

The band announced their split in April 2011 as they released of their third & final offering, Come to Dust. By this point they had perfected the true Trip-hop sound. Their best album by far & away. Songs like "The Alphabet Song" are sublime. Gone fishing, I guess, come to dust.

 

Second Person - Come to Dust, Second Person, 2011.

Gone Fishing
The Alphabet Song
Another Girlfriend
Paper Umbrella
Unretractable Facts
Play Fair
The Wishbone
Story with Only Two Characters
Spilt Milk
Moth to a Candle Flame
Four Leaf Clover
Shadow of a Doubt
Giant Steps (bonus track)

Enjoy the Trip,
NØ