7/27/2011

THE DANCE OF THE DEAD LAPTOPS







So what is occurring?

I've given up dairy. I've also gone back to having long walks for exercise and to listen to mixes without staring at screens. Also started getting up at dawn again.

I've added a mix of a brand new Mekano Set song to the Hahaharem page: http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/hahaharem

We dug out the fretless (b)ass and the syn-drums for this one. The song is called The Problem is, There's Always Someone in Charge.

You can also stream the song for free via Grooveshark.




I've also been collaborating with a new live electronics / soundscape / witch house / drone act called ActivPassiv and really enjoying their beautiful noises: http://soundcloud.com/activpassiv

In other news, Stray Dog City (me and live electronic / drone artist Ade B / Mutate) appear on a compilation of witch house, drag, dubstep, industrial, darkwave artists on WitchStep Records. The song is the other-side / outside mix of Routser: http://sites.google.com/site/witchsteprecords/releases

http://soundcloud.com/straydogcity

http://soundcloud.com/activpassiv

http://soundcloud.com/mekanoset

Be seeing you,

Milk
xxx

7/14/2011

3 MONTHS OFF



IT SERIOUS: HE GOT HIS SCHOOL SHOES ON


This is about where I've been and what I've been doing there. Also, this is a way of reminding myself that I haven't exactly been lazy lately: a list of the things I've been up to since leaving Brighton:


Glass Keys EP (February 2011) We had such a positive reaction to the first ep (Maastricht Circle) I got all excited and finished off another batch of tunes: http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/glass-keys (I'm sticking to bandcamp and youtube links because Spotify, iTunes, amazon etc. are annoyingly slow to update).

Hahaharem (April 2011) Inspired by someone I had thought was a friend suggesting I'm some kind of man-whore with a collection of groupies. They haven't got a name for what we are yet: http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/hahaharem

Hand in Hand (July 2011) Because I realized hands is an ongoing theme of ours (more songs will be added, when we feel like it): http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/hand-in-hand


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3 EP's by Stray Dog City (a free-form mix of bass, beats, drones and jams by me and my childhood fiend Ade B)

Spitemask (July 2011) http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/spitemask

Ziff (May 2011) http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/ziff

Dabeno (April 2011) http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/dabeno

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Finally getting around to Finishing off a few of my favourite songs

Steel Comb (one of the very first Mekano Set songs) http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/track/steel-comb-2

Another favourite; A song we usually warm-up with but we've never released or played live: http://themekanoset.tumblr.com/post/6936060445/cant-work-you-out-something-good-by-the-mekano

Simm (finally getting a guitar to sound how we want it to sound: like it's been liquidized and added to a fruit smoothie)http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/track/simm

Trying out fresh collaborations http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/track/offender


A brief return to the land of Imercia with Sahara Ezzi in the form of I'mFine. Possibly the first song I ever sat down and wrote with someone else, words and everything: http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/imfine + accompanying video filmed by Sahara and Russ in Brighton on a very cold and windy morning in Brighton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHXWkGjFmiE

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I've also been working on a trailer for the DVD. And dashing off some fun over at youtube:

A Ladytron / Run Lola Run mashup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VULyGBjjnI

Colourbleed / Stray Dog City http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xYddkUFIf0

WotNow / Psychedlic 60's Bond Spoof http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JvjII_ogNI

Allitis by Stray Dog City http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvndd-8uDEc

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And watching videos for the Maastricht Circle and Glass Keys EPs:

Even Stevens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFz6xPHA_iA

Speak in Riddles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tQFRBUF6cI

Throwing Shapes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak526RMO0Qg


Hypnotized East London with performances of Revolutions with Abstinence and Sensibility http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVnMr6mdgpA + you can view a clip from the Hackney gig here:



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Remixes

Even Stevens is one of my favourite songs. Me and Lee always get a thrill out of doing it live. It's a challenge for me cause it's got fiddly bits, and actual lyrics. It's a challenge for Lee because he has to stand there and strangle the same two strings for 4 minutes. So we offered up a free download of how we do it live: http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/glass-keys

Little Specks of Blood Lust Blood are a band we love. They're from Brighton, but they are really nice people. They're kindred spirits in that they don't make things easy for themselves (why dress up in shite outfits and mime to a CD when you can invent frightening methods of doing it live, and smolder, whilst making it all look like you don't give a fuck). We jumped at the chance to do a remix of Come Closer: http://soundcloud.com/mekanoset/come-closer-by-little-specks-of-blood-the-mekano-set-mix

Andy from Medium Death Kick gigged with us when first started out. Another top person who happens to make lovely filthy noise. So it was pleasure to get my paws on Mermaids: http://soundcloud.com/medium-death-kick/mermaids-themekanoset

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And not forgetting:

Crystal Castles / Mekano Set / broken iPhone mashup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4WU1mo73jY

Ongoing remasters of the album: http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/and-now-and-then

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I've gone with bandcamp and youtube links because they are live. We still have material available in the form of CD's and via Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, eMusic etc. but the delay between mastering and availability is a pain!

I do recommend Grooveshark though. There's an interesting mix of our stuff on there. It's basically like Spotify, but without the annoying ads. And you don't have to download anything, it all runs in your browser: http://listen.grooveshark.com/artist/name/1899837

I know I've left a few things out, but I think this is more than enough yes?

Right. Now what?

Milk / mekanoset@gmail.com

7/05/2011

IMERCIA: IT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MAP


When I was a kid I always wanted to know what countries were on the other side of the map. As a grown-up, I want to know what the other side of a song would sound / look like.



Ever wondered what a song looks like? This is what the other side of Routser by Stray Dog City looks like.

Today I finished mixing Spitemask, the 3rd EP by Stray Dog City. It's got some really nourishing noises on it. The full EP contains an additional track: a recording of 'the outside' or 'the other side' of the song Routser. You can listen to the track via tumblr: http://themekanoset.tumblr.com/post/7265552106/when-i-was-a-kid-i-always-wanted-to-know-what

The link is to an actual recording of the outside or ‘the other side’ of Routser by Stray Dog City. Thanks to Steve Armitage for photographic analysis.

http://themekanoset.bandcamp.com/album/spitemask

http://straydogcity.tumblr.com/

You can also stream the EP for free via Grooveshark: http://grooveshark.com/album/Spitemask/6530147

All our bandcamp songs are £1 each. You can get them cheaper elsewhere (and you know we always give mp3's away if you follow our facebook groupings) but we always encourage listening to high quality files because the devil and the joys are in the details.

Anyway, hope you're having fun,

Milk
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