Creativity, Extra Stereos, and the mix for 3-6-20

Several weeks ago I mentioned that my friend Barbara had created an erasure poem out of a letter I’d sent her. She agreed that I could post it. Hope you enjoy it even half as much as I do. I really groove on the creativity of my friends.

Barbara’s erasure poem, “Trouble So Good”.

It’s come to pass that one of my coworkers got a job in Norway. Since he was moving and had little space to spare, I bought parts of his stereo off him on the cheap. I had hoped to buy his turntable in this deal so I could pass it along to someone who might want such a thing but lacked the budget, but it had gone walkabout. Instead, I picked up a receiver and set of bookshelf speakers. That means that I now have two working stereos in storage in my office. By itself, this is a trifle. When considered in the light of how much stereo gear I have at home, this is edging on becoming a problem. I’ve now got two really good rigs built only of cast off gear.

Otherwise, spring is on the way and with it, cycling season. The first event I’ve planned for the year is one I’ve been doing for a decade, the MS Ride. Its scheduled for Sunday, May 17th this year. My fundraising goal is $900. If you have the means and inclination, and as a way of saying “Thanks for all the music!” please click here to donate to my fundraising efforts.

I feel like you’d really be missing out if I didn’t supply a link to the latest album to catch my effervescent fancy, 1963’s MOON GAS by Dick Hyman and Mary Mayo

Listen to and/or download this podcast! The Funkomaticjamatron Presents… originally mixed the week of 3-6-20..

NOTE: New “The Funkomaticjamatron Presents…” podcasts are generally posted on Fridays. The show archives are around ten shows deep. Beyond that, if the link isn’t active, the mix has been deleted to make way for new material.

Song – Artist – Album – Start time
Stay With Me – Clint Mansell – The Fountain – start.
You Are The One I Pick – Felix – You Are The One I Pick – 3:19.
Slide Away – The Verve – A Storm In Heaven – 5:45.
Lounge Fly – Stone Temple Pilots – Core – 9:40.
Nightlight – Silversun Pickups – Better Nature – 12:17.
Knowledge Suspended – Mick Karn – Each Path A Remix – 19:14.
Henrietta – Yeasayer – Fragrant World – 22:58.
Blue Bell Knoll – Cocteau Twins – Blue Bell Knoll – 27:33.
Holding On for Life – Broken Bells – After the Disco – 30:47.
Try to Believe – Ginger – Slowbrew (Music for a Café Culture) – 34:41.
The Narrow Way: Part I – Pink Floyd – Ummagumma [Disc 2] – 38:45.
Galaxy of Emptiness – Beth Orton – Trailer Park (Bonus Track Version) – 42:00.
Fade Into You – Mazzy Star – So Tonight That I Might See – 47:40.

Fridays, Points, and the mixes for 2-28-20

Well. It’s been nearly a month since the last update. In short, I’ve been out of the office on Friday afternoons due to various circumstances and that keeps me from posting.

I’m at my desk after hours right now to even get this posted. As such, just a couple bullet points to think on:

-The love of money is the root of all evil.
-Talk to people face to face if you can. You’ll feel better.
-Tell people you love them.
-Quitting is as important and starting.
-Being outside is good for the mind.

I’m posting two mixes this week because I can.

Thanks for reading and listening. I love you.

Listen to and/or download this podcast! The Funkomaticjamatron Presents… Pt 1 originally mixed the week of 2-27-20..

NOTE: New “The Funkomaticjamatron Presents…” podcasts are generally posted on Fridays. The show archives are around ten shows deep. Beyond that, if the link isn’t active, the mix has been deleted to make way for new material.

Song – Artist – Album – Start time
In The Waiting Line – Zero 7 – Simple Things – start.
Is It A Crime – Sade – The Best Of Sade – 4:35.
That Girl – Stevie Wonder – Definitive Collection – 10:45.
T Plays It Cool – Marvin Gaye – Trouble Man – 15:50.
Never Called You Crazy – Galactic – Ruckus – 19:56.
Angola, Louisiana – Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Secrets – 23:02.
Bring It On – Seal – Seal – 28:27.
Eye No – Prince – Lovesexy – 32:18.
True Skool – Coldcut – Sound Mirrors – 36:37.
Battle of the Species – Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra – Liberation Afro Bear Vol 1 – 40:05.

Listen to and/or download this podcast! The Funkomaticjamatron Presents… Pt 2 originally mixed the week of 2-27-20..

Song – Artist – Album – Start time
Icecream On Elm Street Sex Synth – 808 State – Gorgeous (Remastered Version) – start.
RIP (Grave Diggers Have More Fun) – DJ Arne L II – R I P – EP – 3:47.
Exorcist (Fire and Brimstone Mix) – The Scientist – Kickin Mental Detergent – 9:45.
Life Is Sweet – The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust – 14:28.
Music Is My Drug – Techno Squirrels – Plastic Makes It Possible – 20:45.
Dream Sequence – Überzone – Space Kadet – 24:24.
Swallow Me – Deep Dish – George Is On – 30:44.
Space Shanty (Voiski Mix) – Leftfield – Leftism 22 (Disc 2 Remixes) – 35:45.
Miracle (Orb Remix) – System 7 – Wasted (The Best Of Volume Part 1) [Disc 1] – 42:37.

Flies, Voices, and the mix for 1-31-20

It’s officially the cloudiest January on record in the Twin Cities. For several days we have had insubstantial flurries and today is the same. Reminds me of the Van Morrison lyrics for the song “Fire In The Belly”: Gotta get through January / Gotta get through February / Spring in my heart, fire in my belly too / I come apart, I don’t know just what to do.

Heard on the radio this morning that the “Jar of Flies” EP by Alice in Chains came out 26 years ago today. I reflexively exclaimed a profanity into the empty car during the dark commute. That is both unreal and utterly believable. I’ve got such a clear picture of listening to that album when it was new.

I read something by Kurt Vonnegut many years ago where it included a diagram of how story arcs go, and how the arc of actual lives go. Been thinking about where I am on that arc and what it means. Is the only way to realize that things will never be so great (pick just about any adjective to replace “great” and it still works) again is after those times have passed?

Yesterday I was reminded, via my friend Renee, of the fact that not everyone has an inner monologue/dialog. Some people hear their own voices in their heads as they write and reason. Some don’t. First came across this idea in a casual way in college. The more I thought about it, the more it fit with my general idea about human communication which is all communication efforts are attempts to convey what happens in the hidden place that is interior of our skull and that what is really happening internally for another person is always abstract to anyone on the outside. I’m not talking about the oft used “how do you know what I see is blue isn’t what you see as red?” gambit. Colors are defined by wavelengths of light so one can objectively test for that. We have to make so many basic assumptions about others to have society happen, that some very basic operational ideas don’t rise to the point of question. My Dad calls this “the School of Any Fool Knows That” yet, often, we are the fools for not actually checking to see if others know what we do.

Embed from Getty Images

Brains are weird.

My friend Barbara took a letter I sent and made an erasure poem out of it. There are few things that demonstrate a depth of attention as this and I am bowled over by it. If I get permission, I’ll post a picture of the poem.

Listen to and/or download this podcast! The Funkomaticjamatron Presents… originally mixed the week of 1-31-20..

NOTE: New “The Funkomaticjamatron Presents…” podcasts are generally posted on Fridays. The show archives are around ten shows deep. Beyond that, if the link isn’t active, the mix has been deleted to make way for new material.

Song – Artist – Album – Start time
The Circle – Babble – Ether – start.
Radioharp – William Orbit – My Oracle Lives Uptown – 5:50.
Wrong – Everything But the Girl – Walking Wounded – 10:24.
Low Down Weather – Thunderball – 12 Mile High – 14:58.
Funny Break (One Is Enough) – Orbital – The Altogether – 19:35.
Only You – B.U.G. – Loop: The Cut and Paste Groove Collection – 24:24.
Bad Radio (ft Tunde Adebimpe) – Leftfield – Alternative Light Source – 29:19.
Lopez (Metaphorically) – 808 State – Lopez (Metaphorically) – 34:30.
Laidback (Laidback Lounge Mix) – Mr Humphrey – Lounge Mix – 40:30.
Sirens – Carmen Rizzo – Ornament of an Imposter – 44:47.
Epoch – Tycho – Epoch – 48:05.

Working, Gloomy, and the mix for 1-24-20

Today has been busier than I expected with both materials for Spring and next Fall terms going across my desk and so the day has vanished.

Usually I try to put down a couple ideas in this document on Wednesday or Thursday to wax on when time comes due at the end of Friday but I’ve been in enough work mode where I didn’t get that done and now time is upon me and I’m drawing a blank.

It’s been a dreary weather week with gray skies, nuisance snow, and some ice. We are in the doldrums of winter for sure.

Terry Jones, of Monty Python fame, died this week at the age of 77. That’s a real bummer.

Well, before this gets more gloomy, let’s get to the music, shall we?

A morning chat that isn’t gloomy.

Listen to and/or download this podcast! The Funkomaticjamatron Presents… originally mixed the week of 1-24-20..

NOTE: New “The Funkomaticjamatron Presents…” podcasts are generally posted on Fridays. The show archives are around ten shows deep. Beyond that, if the link isn’t active, the mix has been deleted to make way for new material.

Song – Artist – Album – Start time
Is There Anyone On The Air? – Mindphaseone – A Wavelength Away –start.
The Name Of The Wave – William Orbit – Hinterland – 4:08.
Stargirl – Mike Monday – Om 15 – 9:45.
Some Answer to It – Twilight Archive – Ritual Fiction – 13:40.
Fantasie – Andy Spark – Minimal & Techno – 18:45.
Phantasy – Motorcitysoul – Afterhours 5 – 25:20.
See (Beacon Remix) – Tycho & Beacon – See Remix Single – 31:12.
Sommeil – Outputmessage – Nebulae – 34:57.
These Waves – Young American Primitive – Young American Primitive – 38:33.
Absurd (Whitewash Mix) – Fluke – Progressive History XXX. – 45:00.

Storm, League, and the mix for 1-17-20

Hey folks! There is a real winter storm barreling toward town as I write this. As this is a very, very quiet day before a long holiday weekend, I am ditching out after I get this posted. Sure I had things to muse on but I always do and they will hold until next time.

The only time sensitive thing worth mentioning is that the fourth iteration of Music League will be starting soon. I love it and would like folks to join. Sign up for Music League IV here

Rime on barbed wire near Woodstock, MN.

Listen to and/or download this podcast! The Funkomaticjamatron Presents… originally mixed the week of 1-17-20..

NOTE: New “The Funkomaticjamatron Presents…” podcasts are generally posted on Fridays. The show archives are around ten shows deep. Beyond that, if the link isn’t active, the mix has been deleted to make way for new material.

Song – Artist – Album – Start time
New World – Prince – Emancipation [Disc 3] – Start.
Fingers Never Bleed – Yeasayer – Fragrant World – 3:58.
Real Cool World – David Bowie – Songs From The Cool World – 8:26.
Ruined In A Day (Reunited In A Day Remix) – New Order – World (The Price Of Love) single- 13:48.
This World (Carmen Rizzo Mix) – Supreme Beings of Leisure – unknown – 19:58.
All The Love In The World – Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth – 24:11.
Of All Possible Worlds… Pt. II – Grassy Knoll – III – 29:03.
Miniature World – Robert Miles – Thirteen – 34:02.
Mad World (The Crystal Method Remix) – Zen Cowboys – unknown – 37:55.
Change – Underworld – Wasted (The Best Of Volume Part 1) [Disc 1] -43:40.