Jherek Carnelian’s Best Of 2008 Earwig Mix

\ Jan 01, 2009

3 min read

The instant-gratification and always-on availability of online music shopping has left me at the end of the year with a decent stack of new albums. I’m even back to patronizing the evil Apple Music Store now that a lot of releases are available as iTunes Plus (DRM-free, higher-quality vs. the original, DRM-crippled iTunes Minus), but I’ve also been shopping for MP3s at Bleep, Amazon, Beatport, Fina and Anthology, among an increasingly diverse crowd of others. And then of course there are torrents. (And screw you if you think that’s wrong. Those who share music buy music, and I’ve got the e-receipts to prove it.)

So here are 12 hand-picked tracks plucked from the 2008 releases that crossed my radar, ranging from pop to electronic loops to guitar drones to minimal house beats. This mix is in no hurry and clocks in at an exploratory hour-and-a-half, so I hope you’re in a pastoral mood. DJ notes follow.

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Track listing details:

"You’re My Mate" • Phantom/Ghost • You’re My Mate EP • Source: Beatport

The lone pop song on an EP full of minimal techno. I had no idea this was a Right Said Fred cover.

"Soprus" • Németh • Film • Source: Bleep

One of many excellent tracks on this collection of film soundtracks by a member of Radian.

"Sweet Love for Planet Earth" • Fuck Buttons • Street Horrrsing • Apple Music Store (iTunes Minus)

I read about these guys in Giant Robot (one dude is Asian). Primitive electronic punk rock. Lots of distortion, no guitars.

"Fucking Milwaukee’s Been Hesher Forever" • The Fun Years • Baby, It’s Cold Inside • Source: Fina

Drone loopage in the classic Fripp & Eno manner.

"Untitled" (track 3) • Ulaan Khol • I • Source: CD ordered from label

Crashing, lo-fi guitar rock. Shades of Popol Vuh.

"Transparent Radiation (Violin Mix)" • Spacemen 3 • DJ Tones EP • Source: Apple Music Store (iTunes Plus)

An alternate mix of S3’s canonical cover of The Red Crayola classic.

"Supreme Balloon" • Matmos • Supreme Balloon • Source: Mecca Music & Books, 1404 Central SW (Vinyl 2xLP w/MP3 download code)

Epic homage to 70s synths and sequencers. Overt references to Terry Riley, Vangelis, T. Dream, you name it.

"Vesna (Lastic & Elliott)" • SCSI-9 • Easy As Down • Source: Beatport

Jazzy minimal house from Russian techno manufacturers. The newest album is perhaps not as great as The Line of Nine , but I like it anyhow.

"Anunciación" • Gui Boratto • Total 9 compilation • Source: Bleep

One track from the Kompakt Total compilation for 2008. Clubby, melodic, minimal house, very much in the spirit of his excellent 2007 album Chromophobia .

"Slap On" • The Emperor Machine • Slap On EP • Source: Bleep

Goblin-esque synth and percussion. Soundtrack to an imaginary 80s action film.

"Side 9 (Unreleased Studio Version, 2004)" • Black Moth Super Rainbow • Bonus Drippers • Source: Demonoid torrent, MP3 (released as giveaway by the band)

I was SO bummed that BMSR had to cancel their Albuquerque tour date in 2007. Cool of them to hand out some free tunes this year, though.

"Untitled" (disc 2, track 1) • Gas • Nah Und Fer • Source: Demonoid torrent, Apple Lossless

House so minimal it almost ceases to exist.