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I revived an old music blog from the early 2000s?

Maybe it’s been a foolish endeavor, and maybe I’m the only one who misses the blog ol’ days, but I’ve been giving it a shot. I’ve been working on restoring some of the old content, though much of it was lost. I’ve slowly been rebuilding the old remix sunday archives, and even posting the occasional new edition. And I’ve been writing again.

You can find all the label’s releases here, on bandcamp, or most anywhere you listen to music these days. I’ve still got copies of some of the old vinyl releases, and I recently released the first in a set of charitable cassette compilations to raise awareness about the continued [mis]use of broken windows policing methods.

Plus, I put together a playlists section with a handful of spotify lists that hopefully start to capture a [slightly] updated version of the moods we used to peddle. Give those a listen and a ❤ if you would be so kind. If you want to get in touch, just give me a holler. Oh, and if you prefer to just start playing all the music on this page before reading any further, go ahead and click ▶︎

– Haldan/Boody

  • From the Mailbox 47

    Mikos Da Gawd – Rock the Hot Hot

    Some chic, uptempo, summertime house music to warm up a stubbornly chilly spring evening here. This is from Bay Area-bred and Soulection-associated Mikos Da Gawd (Miles Douglas), who’s better known for his hiphop production for and with the likes of Anderson .Paak and Mr. Carmack. I usually brace myself when hiphop producers decide they want to pivot to house music (see, e.g., my hero Timbaland’s recent misstep in that direction 😬). But in this case, I actually think Mikos Da Gawd’s house records may outshine his bread-and-butter work, which is already good to begin with. You can find this for streaming wherever you do that sort of thing, or grab it on bandcamp.

    Mikos Da Gawd – “Rock the Hot Hot”

    Winter Games – Chills

    High tempos tonight. A step up now–this time from Winter Games, the Finnish duo I covered a couple of months ago. Where that former track was sharp minimalist 2-step, this one they sent over recently is enormous, maximalist, hi-NRG house. The duo explains that like most of their tracks, this was written in a winter cabin lockdown session, but you’d never really guess it. I suppose the measured Scandinavian refinement still manages to slip through a little bit, but this is really just peak-time rave, hands-in-the-air fun. Out now on Winter Games’ own label, Polar Dance. You can find it for streaming or on bandcamp.

    Winter Games – “Chills”

    Klo – Hold Back

    Last up this evening is a bit of sub-heavy, minimalist, double-time 140 from LA-based Klo (Kaitlyn Clinard). I don’t usually go for OTT, DC-offset type basslines much anymore, but in this case, Klo manages to frame the grinding wobbles in an elegantly restrained way, bathing them in just enough reverb to take them back in the mix a touch. She gives an otherwise very earthly bass a sort of ghostly quality. Solid work here. No bandcamp for this unfortunately, so I don’t know where to point DJs, but anyone else can find this for streaming.

    Klo – “Hold Back”

  • From the Mailbox 46

    Venture Silk – Control Your Mind

    Two razor-cut slices of electro from Venture Silk (Ruslan Shyshniak), a Ukrainian ex-pat based in the Netherlands. I will absolutely never tire of well-executed Detroit-style electro. When done well–as is the case here–it’s the ideal vehicle for Roland/vintage synth fetishism. Some may idolize the 909s of 4×4 techno and 303s of acid house (I love those too), but nothing quite does it for me like 808s and 606s doing the syncopated robot step. Shyshniak hits that mark very well here, keeping the essential historical structural elements intact, but still allowing the tracks the benefit of modern production techniques and aesthetic variation. Both of these are available for streaming or on bandcamp — or you can grab them below. The first is from the artist’s recent Venturing Into the Unknown EP, the second is an older one-off release from 2023.

    Venture Silk – “Control Your Mind” (mp3)
    Venture Silk – “Sabotage” (mp3)

    Akage Design Co – Gatekeeper

    Next up this evening are two more lovely tunes from Akage Design Co (Phillip Conley), whom I wrote about last month. Conley is from Pittsburgh, but I keep wanting say he’s from Portland of the early aughts. His style feels like it would have fit perfectly into the scene they had there then, in which artists like Copy and brothers E*Rock and E*Vax (of Audiodregs Recordings) were cultivating seemingly naive and plastic whimsical sounds into blooms of tenderness and depth. Conley is definitely carrying that torch. These two are from Akage Design Co’s recent album, Lightt, which you can grab on bandcamp or find for streaming.

    Akage Design Co – “Gatekeeper” (mp3)
    Akage Design Co – “Ginger Paw” (mp3)

    Jake Back – i looked back and saw nothing

    Finally tonight are four submissions from Jake Back, a Los Angeles-based artist–from his recent EP, i looked back and saw nothing. I’m not sure how best to categorize these. Based on the EP’s and songs’ titles, Back is clearly into conceptual work, and all four of these songs speak to that inclination. They’re all subtly unconventional, but still totally accessible. There’s a clear undercurrent of emotionality here, especially in the album’s closer, “i woke up today” which is my favorite of the bunch. But there’s humor and charm here too; the record also sees Back injecting fragments of sunny-day funk and stoned warm-evening riffing. It all makes for something personal and connected–I don’t really know anything else concrete about Back, but I feel like this record helps you get to know him nonetheless. You can grab the record on bandcamp or find it for streaming all over.

    Jake Back – “i woke up today” (bc)
    Jake Back – “i looked at it but then it started yelling at me” (bc)
    Jake Back – “i just came across this” (bc)
    Jake Back – “i lost it all but i found myself” (bc)

  • New Hots Hots 14

    Proc Fiskal – “Imagemage” (bc)

    Micofcourse – “Hi, Bye” (Tre Mission Remix) (bc)

    Versalife – “Culprit” (bc)

  • From the Mailbox 45

    Crate Classics & Bella-Monae – Do What I Can

    Jesus Christ. With such crisp breaks and a vocal delivery like this, what the fuck else do you really need? A delightful piano riff, some warbly keys, and a low-passed reese don’t hurt, but the track might survive without them when those two core elements are so on-point. Maybe I’m being a little hyperbolic–the piano riff might be essential too. Regardless, this is ace stuff. I’ve covered Londoners Crate Classics at least once before (and some solo work by Aaron Horn, who’s one half of the duo), but had never heard of vocalist Bella Monae before this. Psyched to hear more from her. This is out now for streaming, or on bandcamp.

    Crate Classics & Bella-Monae – “Do What I Can” (mp3)

    Outerboros – The Frequency (Bizarro Version)

    Another cracking one by a production duo, this time New Yorkers Outerboros. I posted the original version of this a few months ago; this version is from Outerboros recent Bizarro EP, on which they remix four of their own songs. The original centers the vocal from Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, which is never a terrible idea–but I’m partial to this take. Instead of the uptempo afternoon sage burning of the full vocal version, this uses the vocal sparingly and reframes the track as something more suitable for nightcaps and cigarettes. Both versions are certainly worth your time. Grab the Bizarro EP on bandcamp, or find it for streaming.

    Outerboros – “The Frequency” (Bizarro Version) (mp3)

    Mataliebre – Cirrus

    Last up are a set of really odd ones from Sinaloa-based Mataliebre, an artist I can’t find any information about online. These both strike somewhere at the intersections of dub, cumbia rebajada, and 90s UK semi-ambient stuff (maybe also some wisps of musique concrète in there too). There’s something almost inhuman about both tracks, sort of like they were conjured out of the ether. But whatever they are, there’s a sort of pleasant nightmarish quality about it all, which isn’t something you come across often, so give it a try. No bandcamp for these, so either grab them below, or find them for streaming wherever you do that sort of thing.

    Mataliebre – “Cirrus” (mp3)
    Mataliebre – “Luz” (mp3)

  • silent collision – Air Vent Lullabies

    There’s an intimacy to repurposing. The way my 1-year-old son’s most beloved toys aren’t actually toys, but scraps of random garbage and household objects that he has bonded with for some reason. The way my wife and I can quietly connect with each other across the expanse of our young children by each casually and unironically using the words our daughter has invented/reimagined to refer to everyday objects and experiences. Iris says she has a tummy-cake from eating too many scraw-berries. Can you pass me the fah-mote? I packed her ookin-corn dress. The way playing dress-up with my daughter is far more stimulating when we use Mommy’s and Daddy’s old clothes than it is when we use the witches’ hats and princess dresses in the dress-up chest. Using what’s immediately around us as a means to connect with ourselves–and each other–stirs far more sentiment than the alternative. I suppose it’s an example of the value of being present–which is such an overused cliché–but really does have value when pursued sincerely.

    Most of us spend so much time engaged in our work and devices that we neglect to listen carefully to the world: the sounds of our everyday lives and settings, our internal reactions to our environment, the din and resonance underlying what we imagine is silence. By failing to do so, we lose the opportunity for self-reflection, and to be inspired to absorb and repurpose those sounds or reactions for our own enrichment. Oklahoma-based artist silent collision (real name Austyn Moffat) hears the potential in the mundane hum. His latest EP, Air Vent Lullabies is inspired by–and is crafted from–the drone and whir of air vents in his home. In the press blurb accompanying the record, he describes finding that hum deeply comforting; he’s seeking to represent his subjective reaction to those sounds in music that might stir the same in its listeners. Simultaneously, Moffat is using the record as a means for his own musical self-reflection, not just through the use of the sounds that soundtrack his quiet personal moments, but also by sampling his own music and reshaping those earlier compositions in a new context.

    Most of Air Vent Lullabies is fittingly presomnal, ushering the listener into and out of hypnagogia, floating in the space before sleep. Tranquility leads here, with the first half of the record designed to comfort and lull–culminating particularly in the profoundly soothing album highlight “With The Stars.” But the second half finds Moffat acknowledging the potential for quiet (and dreams) to magnify turmoil and loneliness. “Empty Hallway, 4:14am” is largely atonal and spartan and probably the most literal illustration of being alone with the creaks and groans of a home’s machinery. After all, there’s a reason most of us seek to occupy ourselves constantly, and especially at night; it can be scary to be alone with one’s thoughts. Moffat succeeds in offering comfort to those of us afraid of that, without ignoring the vulnerability of those moments.

    Air Vent Lullabies is out now for streaming, or on bandcamp.

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  • From the Mailbox 44

    Alto Aria – Stars Align

    A stunning new record from Danish artist Alto Aria (Aria Leth Schütze). Schütze weaves together something really special here. While the vocals are front and center–and deservedly so, they’re beautiful–the production is equally nimble. Layers of strings and pads do the heavy lifting (to the sky, truly), but I keep coming back to Schütze’s use of shuffling drum breaks buried deep in the mix, essentially as a textural element more than a rhythmic one. It’s a clever device that subtly brings an otherwise dreamlike song back down to the familiarity of earth without shifting the energy of the song into something that would imply any real dancefloor utility. Instead of a comment on what’s happening in the club, it’s the POV of the passersby. This is a follow-up single to Alto Aria’s recent album Ephemeral, described as a “little tail” to that album. It’s out now on bandcamp, but also available below or for streaming. If you like this, definitely check the album too.

    Alto Aria – “Stars Align” (mp3)

    Tiny Little Ghost – Stories You Tell

    Next up is another set of lovely tracks from Milan’s Tiny Little Ghost (Vanni Casagrande), who I’ve now covered three times. Like the stuff I’ve covered from Casagrande previously, these two songs demonstrate again his penchant for finding the space where heavy shuffled rhythms meet theatrical ambient. It’s wonderfully romantic stuff, all covered in teal and rose hues; angsty fairies floating around in heartbreak acid trips. No bandcamp for these, but you can find them for streaming all over.

    Tiny Little Ghost – “Stories You Tell” (sc)
    Tiny Little Ghost – “Tiny Little Ghosts” (sc)

    Eric Angelo Bessel – Double Helix

    Finally tonight is a striking ambient piece from Portland-based artist Eric Angelo Bessel. This is from his recent 7,” featuring a set of b-sides from his album Mirror at Night, which came out late last year. Direct written descriptions of ambient music like this so often fail–straying into overt cliche and sap. But at risk of doing it a disservice, I really like this piece, so I’m going to give it a whirl. It’s stirring and fragile, and aptly named. The subtle tremolo Bessel employs to modulate the washes of synth atmosphere gives the otherwise oceanic piece a faint sense of structure–an almost biological quality that really does remind me of a slowly spinning strand of DNA, gently suspended somewhere deep within cell walls. This isn’t available for streaming, so listen below and grab the 7″ on bandcamp.

    Eric Angelo Bessel – “Double Helix” (mp3)

  • Visual Velcro 48

    Blawan – “BouQ” (bc)

    Alto Aria – “Stars Align” (bc)

    Flying Lotus – “Big Mama EP Continuous Mix” (bc)

  • From the Mailbox 43

    Stimming – Sugar and Lemon

    Hamburg’s Stimming ought not to need much introduction. From his breakthrough 2009 hit “Una Peña;” through his serial consistency, superb remix work, and classic records like Kleine Nachtmusik, Reflections, Stimming, and Alpe Lusia (among countless others); and his wonderfully charming (especially for a German) gear reviews on Electronic Beats TV–the guy has never ceased high-value contribution to electronic music culture. No surprise then that his latest self-released album, Friedrich, is gorgeous. As emotionally available as anything he’s ever done, the record feels to me like a soft tribute to loving oneself. It’s relaxed in its vulnerability, not melodramatic, and mostly precise, but rough around the edges where it counts. It’s human. You can grab it on bandcamp or for streaming, but Stimming was also kind enough to let me share with you my favorite track on the album here.

    Stimming – “Sugar and Lemon” (mp3)

    Ross Koopmans – Awake

    Following in much the same stylistic vein is this sublime piece of electronica from London-based Canadian artist Ross Koopmans. Minimalist in the best way, this is the kind of shimmering, semi-ambient music that is hard not to enjoy. Even for those who don’t seek out the gentler side of electronic music, a song like this is so quietly calming. Maybe I’m just an overstimulated father of two kids under 3, but it seems to me like something this tranquil would have utility in anyone’s life. This is from Koopmans’s recent REBIRTH EP, which you can grab on bandcamp or find for streaming all one.

    Ross Koopmans – “Awake” (sc)

    Brecon & Verity Standen – Settled Restlessness

    Finally tonight is another fine bit of contemplative electronica, this time from Welsh producer Brecon (Will Brown). Framed around a touching vocal from composer and choir leader Verity Standen, this is roughly as sparse as the two previous tunes, but with greater heft, both sonically and emotionally. Despite its relative minimalism, there’s an excellent sense for movement at work here. The track never stays still; it carefully weaves its way out of a quiet start; through a dynamic, multi-arpeggiating central body; and into fragile felted piano chords–but does all this wholly in service of Standen’s remarkable vocal. This is the second single from Brecon’s Mum’s Life EP, out later this year on Sheffield imprint With Bells; you can grab it on bandcamp, or for streaming all over.

    Brecon – “Settled Restlessness” ft. Verity Standen (mp3)

  • From the Mailbox 42

    Starkey – Cannons

    I’m delighted to be writing about Philly’s Starkey (Paul Geissinger) again after all these years. He was one of the early members of the legendary Trouble & Bass crew–with whom Palms Out collaborated on parties several times and who co-released our second record, by my dear late friend Ben (Math Head, Passions, Goitia Deitz, Vivian Alive). That connection is where I first learned Starkey’s name, and though he didn’t remain connected to that crew for very long, I continued to follow him closely. He was prolific in those days: as a key participant in the fledgling US heavy bass scene; one of grime’s foremost representatives stateside; and as label head for Seclusiasis together with former Palms Out contributor Dev79. I’m sure he’s been similarly active in the years since, but I’ll admit I lost track of him at some point, so it felt great to hear the first notes of this brilliant opener from his recent Vacuum State EP, which came out last year on the outstanding androids dungeon radio label out of Denver. That this song is right up my alley is no surprise, given it’s a meticulously crafted, bassy breakbeat workout, but the whole record is exceptionally varied and should not be missed. The man has always had range. Grab the EP on bandcamp, or find it for streaming wherever you do that sort of thing.

    Starkey – “Cannons” (mp3)

    Frythm – Chuco Bounce

    Keeping things pretty stylistically consistent tonight, next up is a great Bmore cut from LA’s Frythm (Matthew Pena). This is distinctly dancefloor fodder, pairing rave stabs with Bmore’s classic staggered kick drum pattern and liberal reliance on the Think break (no Sing Sing though, which I always felt was the more quintessential Bmore break choice). It all goes to show that Bmore club never had to be a passing fad (we certainly pushed the sound as hard as we could back in the day); it’s a fundamentally infectious formula. I’m glad there are talents like Pena who continue to push it via faithful reference and recontextualization alike. This is out now for streaming and on bandcamp, though Pena was generous enough to let me share with you the mp3 here as well.

    Frythm – “Chuco Bounce” (mp3)

    Jigwave – Wish (YTTAB)

    Last up tonight is this refreshingly optimistic bit of juke from Phoenix duo Jigwave (Rob The Heart & Young Dad–both excellent pseudonyms). Effortlessly bouncy and crisp, the song is over almost as soon as it gets started (people love their 2min songs these days), but it gets a lot done in that short time, with one effective changeup after another. Most of what these guys have put out thus far is much more straightforward house music. It’s all solid stuff, but I hope they consider doing more stuff in this vein. We need more modern juke in the world that cuts through like this. No bandcamp for this, I’m afraid–only streaming–but Jigwave kindly let me post the mp3 here too.

    Jigwave – “Wish (YTTAB)” (mp3)

  • From the Mailbox 41

    Fermi Lëkundë – 2 Steps

    Blippy percussive bird-watching expeditions from Toronto’s Fermi Lëkundë, whom I covered a couple of years ago. Lëkundë has a real knack for crafting tracks with displaced percussive accents that take traditional 2-step club rhythms into unexpected places–and he does so without being too heady. Against serene pads, this makes for a nice balance of body and mind. Lëkundë was generous enough to let me share with you the mp3 here, but grab this and his past work on bandcamp, or catch it for streaming wherever you do that sort of thing.

    Fermi Lëkundë – “2 Steps” (mp3)

    Patchin’ – on the bay we used to play

    Some delightfully unconventional bassy stuff from Taipei’s Patchin’ (Wenchi Liu). Centered around found sounds recorded at the edge of a bay far from the city, Patchin’ frames it all with a sentimental little melody about pining for childhood freedom. Add to that some hyper-clean percussion and teardrops of ear candy, and you’ve got some delicious nostalgia. Check the rest of Patchin’s work too, it’s all really great. Grab this on bandcamp or find it for streaming.

    Patchin’ – “on the bay we used to play” (bc)

    Akanimo – Room Service

    Finally today, a change of pace from the stuff I’ve been covering lately. I still listen to a good deal of hiphop, especially laid-back contemporary stuff that I usually categorize for myself internally as sweet hop, but I don’t tend to post much of it. Some of that is just a question of exposure–I don’t necessarily get a lot of stuff in that vein sent to me that I particularly connect with, so a lot of what I’m listening to in that realm is pretty well known and likely wouldn’t be fitting for an outlet primarily geared towards discovery. But occasionally, something sweet pops in. That was the case here; Akanimo, an artist from Charlotte, NC, sent this over a few weeks ago. Consistent with the song’s subject matter, Akanimo’s flow, timbre, and subject matter on this are sleepy and hypnotic; that and the beat make this all about achievable leisure–phone off, clean sheets, scrambled eggs, and mimosas in bed. Streaming only on this, but Akanimo was kind enough to let me share the mp3 with you here.

    Akanimo – “Room Service” (mp3)

  • Visual Velcro 47

    Fcukers – “L.U.C.K.Y” (bc)

    Puma Blue – “Mister Lost” (bc)

    Demetria – “ΣΤΡΙΒΕ (STRIVE)” (bc)

  • Remix Sunday 172

    A woman protested, saying, “Of course it was a righteous war. My son fell in it.”
    – Khalil Gibran

    Remix Sunday 172 Zipped Up. (113mb zip) pw: palmsout

    Kinetic – “Girl If Ever” (The ’94 Lick [by Johnny L])
    Liquid – “Sweet Harmony” (Dubbel Dutch Bootleg)
    MK – “Dior” ft. Chrystal (Ronnie Loko & Sensei Lo Remix)
    Popcaan – “Show Me” (Nora Zion Edit)
    Caribou – “Broke My Heart” (Particles Remix)

    Lowly Light & Liset Alea – “Find A Way” (Pat Lok Remix)
    SBTRKT – “Wildfire” (Disaffected Bootleg)
    Fred Again.. – “Victory Lap” ft. Skepta & Plaqueboymax (Mowgli & Sanjay Edit)
    TENEBRE – “Nightshift” (Caldera Remix)
    Daniel Avery – “Think About What You Love” (Jas Shaw Remix)
    Typical Girls – “Our Real is Real” (Magic Mountain Remix)

    image/ isabelle eshraghi

  • From the Mailbox 40

    Monoko & Inkkø – Making U

    Some precious and inviting modern house music from Brussels-based artists Monoko (Tim de Fontaine) and Inkkø (Téo Hargain). The other day here in upstate New York, the weather broke above freezing for a couple of days–after having stayed close to 20 below for weeks. People immediately started calling it sweater weather, which at first blush felt outrageous to me, but after living up here for a few years now, I’m starting to agree. After such a brutal winter, as soon as a glimmer of sunshine makes its way through the clouds, I’m dying to get outside and shed my layers. A song like this gets me dreaming of those late spring afternoon parties outside, where the mild weather keeps everyone relaxed–and tracks with sort of easygoing spirit work a treat. This is out now for streaming and on bandcamp.

    Monoko & Inkkø – “Making U” (mp3)

    Nastiest Below – All and More

    Next up is a set of tracks meant as a contemporary take on early-2000s big beat and breaks, submitted by Nastiest Below (Lewis Batstone, from somewhere in the UK, unsurprisingly). The A-side here does certainly carry notes of some of the earlier Basement Jaxx or Chemical Brothers records, whereas the B-side feels more referential of early trip-hop records that were essentially just melancholy UK hardcore records a few bpm slower. Both tracks do certainly evince a reverence on Batstone’s part for the music that came before him, and the production is sharp, so I expect he has other good stuff up his sleeve. No bandcamp for this, unfortunately, but thankfully I was sent the mp3s to post, so you’re not purely stuck with streaming options.

    Nastiest Below – “All and More” (mp3)
    Nastiest Below – “I Might Be” (mp3)

    DJ DOT WAV – BOYS BE LYING

    Last up tonight, a cut of hazy house from DJ DOT WAV (Jordan Alexander, who reps Nashville, Atlanta, and Kansas City, so take your pick). Based around a recognizable PinkPantheress refrain and some effective woodwind samples, this is nice sultry stuff that doesn’t make too much of a fuss and just does what it does. That’s really what a lofi house edit should do. No bandcamp for this one either, I’m afraid, but the artist was generous enough to let me share with you the mp3 here so streaming isn’t your only option.

    DJ DOT WAV – “BOYS BE LYING” (mp3)