This month's playlist starts with Nicolas Jaar and ends
with Nicolas Jaar, but otherwise contains no Nicolas Jaar whatsoever.
"What Kind Of Man (Nicolas Jaar
Remix)", by Florence + The Machine. Everything I know about Florence + The
Machine could be written on the head of a pin. I'm not not a fan, it's just one
of my many blind spots. (I accept full responsibility.) So I come to this
12-minute epic entirely from the perspective of what Nicolas Jaar might bring
to it. Dude is clearly some kind of maverick boffin: even in the three minutes
it takes the song to really get going, he introduces and then discards more
ideas than you might have thought possible. And then he just keeps on doing it. Headphones recommended.
"Boys Latin (Andy Stott Remix)",
by Panda Bear. As with the previous track: Panda Bear? Got nothin'.
Andy Stott? Lemme at it. You may even
find some actual music in here if you listen closely enough.
"Falling Free (The Aphex Twin
Remix)", by Curve. And the same thing again. (As an aside: Aphex Twin is clearly insane. I mean that in the nicest possible way.)
"Love Is Stronger Than Pride (Mad
Professor Remix)", by Sade. Whereas Sade I do know something about. 1984
found me listening (with, I have to say, some degree of post-adolescent angst
given its absolute smoothness) on repeat to "Diamond Life". A remix
by Mad Professor makes more sense than you might think: remember "No
Protection"? Don't expect any Black Ark-style shenanigans here, though:
that would be disrespectful. And nobody disrespects Sade.
"Entropy", by Bleachers x Grimes.
Pure pop for now people. I'm not even sure this was ever released. How
thoroughly modern is that?
"Subcoiscient Lamentation (feat
Tigerlight)", by Payfone. Released in 2014, this song either missed the
boat first time around or is the vanguard for the next wave of acts that sound
precisely like Studio and A Mountain Of One. I'm waiting.
"By The Time I Get To Venus", by
The Juan Maclean. I have been, as you know, a huge Juan Maclean fan for many
years, but this one, from the early days of DFA, seems to have passed me by.
Happy to make amends. (The video is super cool, albeit it does get a bit
weird.)
"Time Moves On", by Strutt. We
haven't busted any classy disco moves around here for a while. Time to make
amends.
(Bonus: album cover of the month.)
"Canto De Ossanha", by Dorothy
Ashby. Reinventing the place of the harp in popular music. No, it's not Joanna
Newsom, it's Dorothy Ashby circa 1969, bringing something special to the
Brazilian groove of this song. Warning: contains flute.
"I Am Waiting", by Jennifer.
Known to you (and me) as Jennifer Warnes. She appears to have gained the
surname after she became popular,
contrary to the usual nomenclatural trajectory. Possibly still available for
download here.
"The North Wind Blew South", by
Philamore Lincoln. Trivia note: according to Wikipedia Philamore Lincoln played
drums with The Who for one gig in 1967 while Keith Moon was injured. Now you
know as much as I do.
"Monticello", by Monty Alexander.
In which Monty Alexander gets in touch with his inner (city) Marvin Gaye.
"Baby Batter", by Harvey Mandel.
In some countries that is probably not even legal.
"Canon", by Michel Colombier.
Close your eyes, and imagine a Serge Gainsbourg album (say, "Histoire de Melody
Nelson") orchestrated by George Martin. And relax.
"Carrefour", by Luis Bacalov. What
is Italian for "blacksploitation soundtrack"?
"Encore", by Nicolas Jaar. This
was snuck out, digitally, as a free gift not long after the release of
"Space Is Only Noise". And I'm sorry to say that I missed it. It is
some distance removed from the opening track on this hypothetical mixtape,
which only serves to demonstrate the wide fields in which Jaar is able to work
his particular kind of magic.
