I first watched the outstanding 'Lucky People Center International' film in a VHS copy, at about the same time I watched 'Modulations' (*) and 'Synthetic Pleasures'; at about 1999, I think.
I knew nothing of LPC, save that they were a Swedish collective. Took me 5 or 6 years to find out bits about them, and only thanks to sites like imdb, discogs, etc. The film was actually made by Erik Pauser and Johan Söderberg (definitely check his adorable site for more); some info here. Bringing in mind Coldcut's audio/video sampledelic cut-ups and musically focusing on fast acidic beats, the film is a trip around the globe, people-focused and compassionate. Using fast-paced editing followed by gentle breaks of stillness and heart-aching beauty, the film touches on trivia such as alternate states of consciousness, the importance of dancing and singing, the clash between free will and society's restrictions; and of course death. Human stuff, you know. I was actually planning on posting the film itself, when I found out that it's reprinted on DVD and it's available for sale through one of the the directors' shop. It's so good it'd be a shame of you to pass it by.
So, I choose to post their breaks influenced debut CD instead. But I still think that the 'just music' CD version lacks a bit when compared to the original video cut-ups; just check this one, then go to soderberg.tv, press 'Musicvideo', then 'LPC' and click on 'Rodney King' or 'Live In The World' and you'll know what I mean.
LPC - 1993 Welcome to Lucky People Center
Info here.
Welcome to Lucky People Center
Für Dich
You know my love for the Cologne scene. Well, here's the CD that established Kompakt in my mind as a fixation to love and cherish and Tobias Thomas (*) as a DJ to watch (eventually I had the chance to open for him during a beautiful night in Athens, but that's another story).
I had bought it without knowing anything about it or himself. I recognized only a few of the artists involved, I remember it was really expensive and I had no way of listening to it beforehand, but I took my chance - turned out to be a turning point for me, an epiphany and an example to look up to. From post-pop to hard club techno, from abstract synthetic tool tracks to jazzy vocal house, Tobias builds a rollercoaster of emotions, trippy ideas and bold proposals that stands the test of time, beyond hypes and cliches. For you.
Contains rare Gamat3000 original gem 'Feeling Love', Various Artists' Autechre remix (*), some early Kompakt classics ('Puma', 'Nachschub', etc.), subtle paean 'Check Your Buddah' from Ford/Melchior (*), Lali Puna's heavenly 'Superlotado', an uncredited intro, etc. etc. etc. And of course Vladislav Delay's monumental 'Huone', mixed so subtly that it took me a couple of years to understand how he did it.
It won't stay up for long, for the reasons stated here. Makes a good couple with this Mayer mix, yet this one is far more effective. And I hate cliches, but occasionally I have to use them: I cannot recommend it strong enough.
VA - 1999 Tobias Thomas _ Für Dich
Info here.
P.S. Link removed; you had your time. Go to any shop and buy it, it's worth 100%.
Dead Man
For the cherub with his flaming sword is hereby commanded to leave his guard at tree of life; and when he does, the whole creation will be consumed and appear infinite and holy, whereas it now appears finite and corrupt.
This will come to pass by an improvement of sensual enjoyment.
But first the notion that man has a body distinct from his soul is to be expunged. This I shall do, by printing in the infernal method, by corrosives, which in Hell are salutary and medicinal, melting apparent surfaces away, and displaying the infinite which was hid.
If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.
For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern.
Info here.
Find and see the movie. Some links here.
If you don't skip this one in the first ten minutes (or seconds), you're gonna love it.
10% File Under Burroughs
A tribute to William S. Burroughs, the most famous junkie ever. Or one of the most influencing contemporary artists, who incidentally left his mark on almost every aspect of expression concerning art in the second half of the 20th century; take you pick.
Unsurprisingly, a Sub Rosa release (also see the 'Hashisheen' post). CD1, named 'Beats', focuses on electronic works influenced by his work; heavy and dubby experimentations, mostly illbient-like stuff. CD2 ('Beat') captures the sound he and his buddies enjoyed, created and/or promoted; expect a lot of archival material, ancient chants, poetry reading and similar stuff.
VA - 1996 10% File Under Burroughs
CD1 - CD2
Info here.
I found out that a WSB documentary is on its way...
Ajustes Estructurales
Another Mille Plateaux record (and one of the weirdest ones), this was my first contact with the L.A. based Ultra-Red, also mentioned here. I consider them unique, both for their urban soundscapes (mostly processed location recordings) and for their subtly aggressive polemics; honestly, I feel I miss a lot in this one since I don't get all the (mostly distorted) words. Sounds great though; highly experimental collages of found sounds, disembodied voices and DSP effects.
Anyway, there's more than enough sound and text to satisfy you on their various sites, so go there and check them out. As music lovers, you might start with 'Writing Ambient Music', for example.
Ultra-Red - 2000 Structural Adjustments
Info here.
Totes Rennen
From Supposé, the same label that brought us this recording by Albert Hofmann, also comes the first Ester Brinkmann CD.
Similar only to other Brinkmann works of the era and to certain W.Voigt projects, it consists of groovy clicks and thumbs produced and looped by Brinkmann's decks while philosophers (and Blixa) hypnotically state rather serious sounding phrases - alas, unintelligible to us non-speakers of the german language. Still the concept is powerful and the music is minimal techno in the purest germanic sense - a very good Brinkmann record not to be missed by fans (it must be a bit rare).
I've also included a Scanner/Brinkmann collaboration in the .rar, I think I found it as a freebie in one of Scanner's sites.
Ester Brinkmann - 1998 Totes Rennen
Info here.
Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out
How can you go wrong with unkle Tim?
Summaries of his life's story can be found in various sites (start here; then see Wiki); I won't try an account of his deeds. It's just that I've began reading 'Death Plan' and I wonder a lot about him. Though a lot of (very powerful) people discredited, slandered, humiliated, judged, even imprisoned him and forced him to exile, he stayed as optimistic and open minded as very few of the (seemingly luckier) rest of us have ever been. He lost everything, yet managed to find happiness in life, to stay true to his principles and, by the way, to help many many people around the world through his books, his lectures, his professional work; most of all his example.
This is a recording of him speaking over an early '70s psych background of weird echo effects, tablas and sitar and all. Some may find it anachronistic, others just plain hippy shit. In the right set of mind though it's beyond interesting. It's intense.
"Where are you? Did you get lost on the trip?
Did you get trapped in memory? Did you forget?"
Dr.Timothy Leary -
1967 Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out OST
Info here.
Picked it up somewhere around, I've included the accompanying text. Credits to the unknown original poster(s).
This is from where PWOG took the 'Return To The Source' sample for 'Exit 23'.
Birthday
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- Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law. -
If he was still alive it would be his birthday today (and he would be 133 years old), so I kind of owe this to him. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... (menacing bongos and snare drum roll) The Great Beast himself.
This is a compilation of various recordings he did on wax cylinder (the recorders of the era) about a century ago, repressed many times in more modern formats since the '80s (check here), though the first one must have been this. Contains extracts from rituals, readings of his poems, a praise to the american people, even some singing. Found in various rips from the different pressings around the net (it's rather common as 'The Great Beast Speaks'). I don't exactly remember which is the one I have (I just kept the best rip I found), though they're all almost identical.
Aleister Crowley - 1910-1914 The Wax Cylinders recordings
Here.
To always be remembered as teacher, user, philosopher, scoundrel, evangelist, free man.
- Love Is The Law, Love Under Will. -
Erinnerungen eines Psychonauten
Something strictly for the german-speaking, a document by the Man himself, prof. Albert Hofmann, recently deceased (age 102).
Read some stuff for him here and here.
This autobiographical book can be found in English here.
This CD was released in Cologne's Supposé in 2003, a label specialized in spoken word CDs by highly influential personalities and experimental music (a lot of Brinkmann). Here is the label site. Not my rip, but once more I don't remember from where I've got it.
Albert Hofmann - Erinnerungen eines Psychonauten
Von der Entdeckung entheogener Drogen
Here.
Info (in german) here.
Albert Hofmann has been the equivalent of a cultural grandfather for entire generations of people in the west world, whether they know it or not. Rest in peace and thank you for all, Herr Professor, you did a great job.
The Fire This Time
Not often do we see such confrontational political work in the electronic music industry networks.
This a documentary in audio format, a tribute to the people of Iraq and a reminder of the destruction (continuing to be) caused by the direct aggressive intervention of certain western countries. If you feel the war on Iraq is a fair one, avoid this record at all costs. It may make you feel bad. Or sad, but that's normal.
For information on this project start from the surviving homepage, the Discogs link or this release reference, sadly most other links are deactivated (it's been six years...). Some current info on the Iraq situation overall here.
On the first disc you'll find the original creation of Grant Wakefield (text, narration & mix), on the second the underlying soundtrack. Mostly unreleased tracks or remixes by artists like AFX, Higher Intelligence Agency, Pan sonic, Bola, even the great AshRa, construct an dark ambient background with industrial and breakcore explosions, spiced by moments of extreme beauty (especially the work of Nareem Shamma, of whom I know nothing more than his name, or the field recordings treated by Wakefield himself). The project went out on Hidden Art, a label associated with side projects of Steve Wilson, head of neo-prog rock icons Porcupine Tree.
I had forgotten this one for years, found it very recently. Sadly, tracks #3 & #4 of CD2 are not included (scratched disc). On the other hand, I included the original booklet that was not included the CD release, found in the project's homepage above. I don't know if it's a rare piece, I know it's surely not talked about a lot and very few people have it, so listen to it here and then go buy it. For british electronica fans it's essential.
Grant Wakefield & VA - 2002, The Fire This Time
CD1: Part 1 - Part 2
CD2: Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.
P.S. The past-homepage of this project now shelters this project.
Irdial Radio
The first Irdial stuff I got stuck to was Stephen McGreevy's recordings. I was preparing a thesis on field recording, I came upon it by luck and it sounded interesting. I only knew Neuropolitique and InSync by then, but McGreevy's recordings just hit on spot, he had me. And then I came upon the Conet Project.
If you don't know at all what I'm talking about, please visit this label site. Read a little about them, check their attitude and their music. They have upped all of their releases in the Internet Archive and in Hyperreal. Listen to some of them, good experimental techno and electronics, they're there waiting.
And don't forget to check these two projects.
a) The VLF recordings project.
Stephen McGreevy records with radio receivers sounds from up the magnetosphere, produced by the interaction of the Sun's electric currents and cosmic particles with Earth's magnetic field (more or less, OK?). His really informative site which also works as a portal is here, with audio samples and zillion assorted links. Just dig a little through.
The Irdial release (2CDs, sounding better than the average sample) can be found here or here. Don't forget the booklet.
b) The Conet Project. 
I won' t try to describe or comment on this at all, the info is there. You may get angry, scared, political, or just stick to the weirdness of it and listen to those voices at night with the lights low. It may be the most unsettling thing I've ever heard on record and I can stand a lot of shit. And I'm not the only one to say this, as I gather. It's addictive and weird and interesting and spooky and big. Please check it out.
Irdial info is here. The 4 CDs are here or here. Once again, read the booklet.
Check also this reportage.
