dj mixing: 20 years of Warp
Nov 22nd
This year, the seminal independent record label Warp Records celebrates 20 years of releasing cutting-edge electronic music.
In honor of their 20th anniversary I’ve put together a mix highlighting a few favorite tracks.
When creating a mixtape I usually start with a playlist of anywhere from 40-60 songs and shape it down from there. It ’s always painful to make these edits, but this time was particularly difficult because there are so many important songs that have been released over the years I’m sad to not include.
I wound up with a selection of singles I love – and have meant a lot to me over time – rather than a generalized “best of” list, which can tend to be so subjective.
If you’re also a fan of Warp, don’t forget include your favorites in the comments section!
Enjoy!
Musichifi dj mix #003 – a celebration of warp records by musichifi
//tracklist
Nightmares on Wax “Les Nuits”
Autechre “Nine”
Kenny Larkin “Tedra”
Squarepusher “My Red Hot Car”
Lfo “LFO (Leeds Warehouse mix)”
Aphex Twin “Windowlicker”
Flying Lotus feat. Andreya Triana “Tea Leaf Dancers”
Jamie Lidell – “Multiply”
!!! – “Must Be The Moon”
Grizzly Bear “Two Weeks”
For more:
Warp Records Essentials (eMusic)
Four Must-Have Favorites From Warp Records (Flavorwire)
Part 4: We’re the Best of Friends
Nov 15th
A few weeks ago I had an interesting conversation amongst friends in the dark corner of a Chinatown Bar.
Of all things one could discuss on a Saturday night at 1a.m. we got to chatting about, well, chatting. Specifically, on voicemail, e-mail, IM, SMS, FB and Twitter.
Leave it to the nerds.
As biggest nerd ever, I thought more about this over the course of the next few days.
While the aforementioned mediums make it easier to communicate, while we participate we’re sacrificing the human experience and encouraging alienation from others.
My friends know that I generally dislike voicemail. It’s rare that I leave them and admittedly barely listen to them.
They’re like an awkwardly scripted one-way time capsule from the past. Why not leave the same message in real time – circa now?
In 1995 I signed up for my first email address. In the interest of self-disclosure for the sake of this story I (gulp) became semi-addicted to AOL chat rooms.
This was back in the day when we were all on dial-up – and paid for internet by the hour.
Like most people, I was beyond intrigued with the notion of chatting in real time with anyone from anywhere in the world. For a angst-ridden teenage girl growing up in the midwestern suburbs it was my portal.
Ironically enough, I quickly became friends with someone who happened to live nearby. We immediately bonded over our mutual obsession of music, media, the arts, and local underground parties (ok fine, “raves”).
There were no rules. We’d chat anytime of day or night when both of us happened to be online. There was no limit to the range of topics we’d discuss.
Over time, our lives became closer and he felt like a real friend.
One year we briefly met in person by total accident. We chatted for a few awkward moments until my friend pulled me away. “Who is that guy?” She asked.
She didn’t even have an e-mail address at that point so maybe she wouldn’t understand…or would she? I tried to explain.
“Ok, anyway…”, she replied. “Wanna get some frozen yogurt?”
When I moved away to college our friendship continued.
He’d give me feedback on various art projects and tips for acclimating to a newly vegan diet. I’d give him girl advice and let him know what I thought of his latest remix. We’d crack jokes, share URLs and pontificate the meaning of life years later as I procrastinated writing those 30 page papers in grad school.
He moved to Los Angeles, I moved to Boston.
We became friends on MySpace, then Friendster, then Facebook.
I moved to Los Angeles.
We slowly became friends In Real Life. Bonded by our mutual common interests, I’ve found myself on more than one occasion chatting with him poolside at the Roosevelt Hotel or under the skylights at LA hotspot Bardot.
My male companions give him the hairy eye wondering who the dude is I’m chatting conspiratorially alongside.
15 years later, we still communicate on IM. Now, we also communicate via SMS and e-mail too.
And sometimes, we’ll even drop the other a Voicemail.
Are our lives intertwined? Somewhat.
Will we ever connect on a deep and meaningful level? Probably not.
As part of different spheres, our interests overlap on a social level only.
Yet for someone I’ve hung out with for maybe an hour total in person, he probably knows more about me than anyone.
Communicating on IM can build a form of friendship. We’re missing the part that hanging in person brings – the adventures, atmosphere, lingering conversations, observations, body language. These things bring meaning to a surface-level friendship and make it come alive.
Can a real friendship be fostered online then, when all we have is type?
Leave your comments by clicking on “comments” at the top of this post.
Lady GaGa “Bad Romance”
Nov 13th
“Bad Romance” is Lady GaGa’s first single from The Fame Monster.
On collaborating with director Francis Lawrence on the music video, she explains to MTV that
“I could give him all my weirdest, most psychotic ideas, but it would come across to and be relevant to the public.”
Indeed.
The Cremaster 3 meets bats-in-the-belfry Russian vodka advert gives most “artsy” music videos as of late a run for their money.
I’ve been on the fence about Lady G as cultural device.
I used to believe that she was everything wrong with the music industry.
Now I’m finally starting to realize that the stranger she gets, oddly enough the more relevance she has – and the more I like her.
Perhaps devoid of serious musical talent with lyrics certainly distanced from being poetic, this is artistry folks – however served up.
What do you think? Leave your comments at the top.
dj mixing
Oct 27th
I’ve been a fan of electronic music as far back as I can remember. When I moved to Boston and especially LA, I started going to more shows and listening to all kinds of music. It really opened my mind to different styles and genres.
I had already been DJ’ing electronic music (mostly tech-house and electro) and began incorporating sounds from the rock, soul, funk, disco, hip-hop, and indie arenas into my sets.
Now that I program online radio stations, that knowledge has come in handy as I work on everything under the sun from country to folk to indie to Christian rock.
This set is back to the electronic scene. I’ve always loved this genre as I have a fondness for clean, minimal production aesthetics paired with uptempo and forward-thinking sounds.
I like this mix and find it a great one to listen to when going on a run or when you generally just like something upbeat to listen to.
It took me awhile to find my grounding after making the shift from vinyl to cd’s to mp3’s. Now I’m 100% digital and have found a good rhythm so to speak in which to create. So expect more mixes from me in the near future!
Check it, share it with your friends – lemmie know what you think!
// tracklisting
Mstrkrft “Heartbreaker”
Morgan Page “Fight for You”
Metric “Sick Muse (Adam Freeland Remix)”
Florence and the Machine “You’ve Got The Love (The xx Remix)”
Beni “Fringe Element”
Duck Sauce (A-Trak & Armand Van Helden) “Anyway”
Roxy Music “Angel Eyes (Serge Santiago Dub Remix)”
Lindstrøm and Christabelle “Baby Can’t Stop (Aeroplane Remix)”
Dan Black “U + Me”
The Gossip “Love Long Distance”
Disclaimer: As this was recorded live (aka on the fly) there were no edits or re-takes – so pls pardon any gaffes! 
Mining Moof
Oct 25th
Moof.com is one service of many that’s a step closer to granting us an all-access portal to our iTunes music collections from off-site.
A simple .xml export/import from iTunes allows Moof to quickly assess your library, referencing all tracks and playlists located there.
Moof currently pulls content from YouTube. Often, it pulls live versions of songs rather than the original, making it fun to watch video playback while adding a new dimension to the casual listening experience.
The site brings closer the idea of having access to our music collection anywhere, from any device of choice (almost – when am I gonna get access from my car stereo receiver, anyway?). A huge bonus is the ability to share songs and playlists with others.
Some sites like Drowned in Sound and We Are Hunted already do this on cloud-based music streaming service Spotify.
It will be interesting to see if Moof – or a related site – will eventually partner with content providers to enable full-on access to everything in my iTunes library whether it be live versions, remixes, rarities, or originals.
Part 3: A Snapshot in Time (the past is inescapable)
Sep 30th
The city’s asleep and I’m aimlessly noodling around the bungalow. I’m tired. I need sleep but my mind is reeling. I’m feeling placeless, lost in space and time.
I notice a few dusty photo albums on the shelf that haven’t been opened since before they were unpacked nearly a year and a half ago. I pull them down and begin perusing the contents of mostly old photos from senior year of college.
Real celluloid photos – remember those?
Hmm, most were taken at social events and all prominently acknowledge the subject matter. It’s almost as if we were hyperaware of presenting ourselves within a certain context for those who would see that photo in the future.
Me with my little outfit and makeup on. Posing just “so”.
Say “cheeese”!
Who was I then? There are so many memories buried deep in the back of my brain of the best laughs and the biggest heartbreaks. It’s like those memories don’t even exist now. Where does all that stuff live? Where is that reality? Did it all go away?
Certainly not within the context of these photos.
Maybe a picture isn’t worth a thousand words.
Online, we document more. We can create a daily stream of data detailing where we are, what we’re into, how we’re feeling – and this stuff lives on over time. Contextually, it can be considered to be deeper documentation, like a diary of sorts.
The big question is, Is this the Truth?
A different so-called snapshot of ourselves that is real and for the world to acknowledge.
Or is it a forgery too?
Sometimes one of the most difficult things about growing into who one is meant to be as a person is not letting go or forgetting the past but remembering it and embracing it for what it was.
When old friends, classmates, and even neighbors first surfaced on Facebook I was somewhat remiss in acknowledging the possibility that these relationships might be rekindled, or shared experiences relived.
Sometimes I think about that when I’m leaving a status update. Who’s going to see this? How will they think of me?
We can vet our online presence to our little heart’s content, but at the end of the day, it is a snapshot of you.
Now.
However you choose to take it.
Choons I’m digging…
Aug 30th
Each month I put together a mix of songs for a small grouping of close friends and family. I’ve decided to post snippets of the mix online for you to enjoy here, too!
Please feel free to leave your thoughts and feedback – especially about any new music that may be crossing your path at the moment. I’d love to hear what you’re into!
I’d also love to hear about any technologies you use for music discovery or playlist sharing.
xo
A few highlights of what I’ve been enjoying this month:
All is Love: music from the forthcoming Where the Wild Things Are film soundtrack featuring Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs…
Here we Go: a very rough cut from Zuper Blahq, Will.i.am’s super-secret side project. Amazing banger? Totally weak? U decide…
What Have I Done: Anna Ternheim, Winner of Best Female Artist and Album Of The Year at the Swedish Grammy Awards. Her album dropped a few days ago stateside..
Lions: and while Kings of Leon have graduated to full-on stadium rock, check out The Features – the first band signed to the King’s new label & partnership with Bug Music…
Exit Music for a Film: with Radiohead in the news lately here’s a cover from one of my new faves, incredible LA band Divisible doing their version of Exit Music (For a Film)…
The Highest: a super groovy re-worked edit from Maxwell’s latest.
Speaking of Maxwell, make sure to check out my first feature for Yahoo! Music on the R&B singer (toot toot!).
Cool New Music: Anna Ternheim
Aug 23rd
Winner of Best Female Artist and Album Of The Year at the Swedish Grammy Awards, Swedish singer Anna Ternheim’s heartbreakingly beautiful songs reflect on lost love and heartache.
“Leaving on a Mayday” was released August 11th stateside.
What Facebook taught me about learning to say NO
Aug 16th
I could be a better decision maker. There, I’ve said it. Not that I’m totally indecisive or stubborn, but sometimes I just have a hard time prioritizing. I’m the type who used to say yes to almost anything – I blame the Second City improv training that taught us the concept of “yes…and”.
If you asked me to see a band play, I’d say yes even if I secretly thought the band was crap. If you asked me to meet you for an after work drink, I’d say yes then later realize it’s logistically impossible to do so. Triple booking on a Thursday night left it impossible to attend all events in question.
I had earned a bit of a reputation of what my mom likes to call a “flibbergibbit”. Maybe it’s a fear of commitment – I’m not sure, but I’ve gotten much better.
Facebook makes me face these issues head-on to a degree. Are you actually attending this event? Are you friends with this person? Simply put: Yes, or NO?
And of course there’s a loophole for events: the option of saying …”maybe”. What do all of those maybes mean anyway? Do we really mean “I’ll think about it and actually consider attending your event?” or are we just being polite?
My friend Jeff sees it all on my FB feed. “Are you really going to all of these events?” He asks. I told him the truth – mostly, I will. Mostly.
Friend requests are easier. Either I know you, or I don’t. Velvet rope. Easy. Done. Decision made.
At first it was hard to kibosh friend requests – aw this person wants to be my FRIEND! How sweet. I learned fast as the friendship almost immediately turns irritating when my news feed becomes cluttered with random musings from a total stranger.
Groups are an easy one because most of the time you’ll never hear from them again. Pages are trickier because they’ll also show up in your feed and do I really want everyone to know that I’m secretly a fan of Weinerschnitzel? (speaking hypothetically here. The truism for me would be more like, hypo-allergenic vegan non-soy based vegetable protein).
MySpace was a mad race to connect to everything and everyone. With that lesson learned, FB has taught us to be more selective. This forces us to make decisions about who and what we want to include in our (online) life – or more importantly, let everyone know we care about.I’m the type who used to say yes to almost anything – I blame the Second City improv training that taught us the concept of “yes…and”.
I used to be the type who was agreeable to attending almost anything – I blame the Second City improv training that brought us the concept of “yes…and”.
If you asked me to see a band play, I’d say yes even if I secretly thought the band was crap. If you asked me to meet you for an after work drink, I’d say yes then later realize it’s logistically impossible to do so.
Triple booking on a Thursday night left it impossible to attend all events in question.
I had earned a bit of a reputation of what my mom likes to call a “flibbergibbit”. Maybe it’s a fear of commitment – I’m not sure, but I’ve gotten much better.
Facebook makes me face these issues head-on to a degree. Are you actually attending this event? Are you friends with this person?
Simply put: Yes, or NO?
And of course there’s a loophole for events: the option of saying …”maybe”. What do all of those maybes mean anyway?
Do we really mean “I’ll think about it and actually consider attending your event?” or are we just being polite?
My friend Jeff sees it all on my FB feed. “Are you really going to all of these events?” He asks. I told him the truth – mostly, I will.
Mostly.
Friend requests are easier. Either I know you, or I don’t.
Velvet rope. Easy. Decision made.
At first it was hard to kibosh friend requests – aw, this person wants to be my FRIEND! How sweet.
I learned fast when the new friendship almost immediately turns sour, when my news feed quickly becomes cluttered with random musings from a total stranger.
Groups are an easy one to moderate because once you join, you can control how often you’d like to hear from the group.
Pages are trickier because they’ll also show up in your feed and do I really want everyone to know that I’m secretly a fan of Wienerschnitzel? (speaking hypothetically here. The truism for me would be more like, hypo-allergenic vegan non-soy based vegetable protein).
MySpace was a mad race to connect to everything and everyone. With that lesson learned, FB has taught us to be more selective. This forces us to make decisions about who and what we want to include in our (online) life – and how that can apply to decisions we make every day.
Media for Everyone
Aug 3rd
Some say the decentralized nature of online communities creates an environment conducive to so-called socialist behavior. I wouldn’t say these tenets are examples of a new socialism* by any means. I think the medium contains too many overarching constituents to take into consideration before assigning it any sociological value.
Given my own experience with online communities I’d lean towards more of a populist approach* – and I also wonder:
Are there any underlying marxist elements at play when we think about how content is consumed?
Rapid technological advancement leads to costly hardware from iPhones, to gaming consoles, to media storage. On top of that, monthly bandwidth and data plans are required to make those things work.
Comcast employs a tier-based system of pricing models for various downstream and upstream bitrates. It’s recommended to have at least have a 1.5MB pull to watch video, a step or two above the most basic monthly package.
This ultimately leads to a pyramid of who can afford what. Are we leaving out those who have limited to no accessibility?
If so, how large will the rift be between the informed and uninformed?
In the print editon of July’s Wired, President Obama’s newly appointed CIO Vivek Kundra references online communities as the new public square where people will discuss government info soon to be released online.
He says that “...by democratizing data, the American people will be able to hold their government accountable, based on evidence rather than talk.”
This is great and the internet does act as a public forum – but only for those who know how to use it. Will this create an elitist class of those who have means to access this information?
We live and work more efficiently than we did 5 years ago. We have the ability to get more done while constantly staying connected to each other and the rest of the world. In this seemingly decentralized and transparent public sphere we can stream documentaries for free under public domain, read about issues that affect us at the local and global level and then participate. We can even download a free weekly video update from our President.
Information we choose to receive is free and widely distributed. However hi-bandwidth is required to download podcasts, stream video, and move quickly from window to window. We need speedy hard drives and vast amounts of storage space with software that frequently needs to be updated. Not to mention the occasional tech support.
Will those who don’t have these things be left in the dark?
In an emergency, would people with the pricey smart phone have an advantage in avoiding a crisis situation?
If I were part of a Union and there’s activity happening online whereby I can participate in issues that matter to me, firstly I would want to know where to find about it. Secondly, I’d be inclined to participate.
Who are the technological evangelists empowering people of all classes to leverage the internet to their benefit?
The Media Access Project (MAP), Public Knowledge groups are just two of the public interest groups fighting for issues like the expansion of broadband, open access and net neutrality. The Center for Social Media encourages the promotion of a dynamic and engaged public through social media. There are many similar organizations out there (see links to a few below).
Maybe before taking on the herculean task of making government documents public, we should take additional steps to set up programs for public access and consumption.
Content-holders should be encouraged to offer lower bitrated streams of their media. Cities should create a rock-solid plan for municipal wi-fi. Community colleges can offer free classes showing people how to navigate RSS feeds and publish online. We need to leverage new media to somehow to become a voice for all, rather than a privileged novelty for some.
More:
http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org
http://www.publicknowledge.org
http://www.media-democracy.net
http://www.democraticmedia.org
http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/nep_newsocialism
http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/magazine/17-07/mf_cio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivek_Kundra
*-
http://www.nicolecifani.com/2008/10/hacking-the-debate/
Trackback for Facebook readers: http://www.nicolecifani.com/2009/08/media-for-everyone
The Media Access Project (MAP) and Public Knowledge group are just two of the public interest groups fighting for issues like the expansion of broadband, open access and net neutrality. The Center for Social Media encourages the promotion of a dynamic and engaged public through social media. There are many similar organizations out there (see links below).
Maybe before taking on the herculean task of making government documents public, we should take additional steps to set up programs for public access.
Content-holders should be encouraged to offer lower bitrated streams of their media. Cities should create a rock-solid plan for municipal wi-fi. Community colleges can offer free classes showing people how to navigate RSS feeds and publish online. We need to leverage new media to somehow to become a voice for all, rather than a privileged novelty for some.
More:
http://www.mediaaccess.org/
http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org
http://www.publicknowledge.org/
http://freeculture.org/
http://www.media-democracy.net/
http://www.democraticmedia.org/
http://www.freepress.net/
http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/nep_newsocialism
http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/magazine/17-07/mf_cio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivek_Kundra
*-
http://www.nicolecifani.com/2008/11/twitter-facebook-and-fox-news-oh-my-or-how-i-was-seduced-by-the-internet-on-election-night/
http://www.nicolecifani.com/2008/10/hacking-the-debate/
