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.

– Haldan/Boody

  • From the Mailbox 21

    First up this week is a patient and intricate cut of dubby electronica from Lansing, Michigan-based bioPrism, real name Josh Epperly. Implied perhaps by his pseudonym, Epperly is a biologist—specifically an ecologist—whose research has focused on the study of river insect communities. His fascination with the natural world has informed his music, with the aim of reflecting the complexity of living systems through sound design. You can grab this on bandcamp as part of the Anthropocene EP or via the typical streamers, but Epperly has also generously allowed me to share an mp3 with you all here.

    bioPrism – “Neon Mirage” (mp3)

    Next up is this vibrant, playful, exploration of 9/8 polymeters from Toronto-based producer Katret. This embodies for me the inclination to jump two feet first into a puddle in the middle of a summer rainstorm; irrepressible exuberance in defiance of one’s surroundings. This is unfortunately not on bandcamp, but you can find it on all the typical streaming outlets.

    Katret – “Kat Tracker” (sc)

    Last up today is a track from Aaron Horn, the second offering from his upcoming debut LP All the Love Within. I’ve written about Horn a couple of times before, including posting the first single from the LP, and some of his work as part of the Grammy Nominated due Crate Classics. This one centers around a contemplative looping vocal refrain, and is underpinned by a simple and effective combination of midtempo dembow drums and a gently meandering bass line. No bandcamp, but Horn has kindly offered up the mp3 for you all here. The song is also available on all the streamers.

    Aaron Horn – “In Your Arms Again” (mp3)

  • From the Mailbox 16

    Celestial dembow from 1tbsp (real name Maxwell Byrne aka Golden Vessel). This has that satisfying balance of serenity and energy that would make it great for rolling (or just dancing) on a beach as dusk sets in. This is from 1tbsp’s upcoming Megacity1000 album, and is available now on bandcamp and for streaming; but he’s also kindly allowed me share with you the mp3 below.

    1tbsp – “Starchitect” (mp3)

    Next up is this bouncy hi-NRG UKG number from Danish producer SAGE D. (apparently a new pseudonym, but not sure what the old one was). Love the distortion level on the percussion here—flirting with the edge of over-distortion can really add extra life to a song. No bandcamp here, but available for streaming. Grab the mp3 below (or head to soundcloud if you’d like the WAV). There are a bunch of other strong tracks there for free download.

    SAGE D. – “THE WAY U FEEL” (mp3)

    Last up, but definitely not least, is this sublime track from Aaron Horn, whose Crate Classics project I posted about a couple of weeks ago. From his upcoming album All the Love Within, this is somewhere between footwork and jungle, but in the gentlest of ways, all anchored by a Horn’s delicate vocal refrain. No bandcamp for this, but Horn generously provided the mp3 below, and you can also catch this for streaming.

    Aaron Horn – “UPWRDS” (mp3)

  • From the Mailbox 12

    Crate Classics is Jamie Rodigan and Aaron Horn. Both have an impressive pedigree in the music industry (Horn is the son of producer Trevor Horn, Rodigan the song of radio DJ David Rodigan). Together, they’ve got a UK #1 under their belts, and they won a grammy for their co-production on Doja Cat’s “Woman.” This track, featuring crooning from Omar+, is a slice of tight breakbeats under a sample that I just can’t put my finger on. Like so many pop songs at this tempo in the wake of PinkPantheress, the track is less than 2 minutes long, but I guess that’s all you need to make a point these days (and to be fair, there is an extended mix available, which is just over 3 minutes). Rodigan and Horn have been kind enough to let me provide the mp3 here, but go support Crate Classics on bandcamp or on the streamers.

    Crate Classics – “Westside” ft. Omar+ (mp3)

    Glittery hyper-breakbeat from ♥ GOJII ♥, an artist from the States (not sure where exactly) pushing a warm, welcoming, and inclusive take on technicolor uptempo dance music. I generally gravitate towards the more melancholy or gloomy, but it’s really nice to have a musical burst of optimism every so often. This provides just that. Check for this on bandcamp (and explore the rest of their catalog) or find it on any of the streamers.

    ♥ GOJII ♥ – “All I Wanna Do” (sc)

    Lovely moody bit of broken beat house from Midlands-based producer Fdluxx (real name Fouad Dehghan). Yavosh is roughly translated from Farsi or Turkish as “slow down.” The vocal sample that runs throughout the track repeats the phrase “take it slow,” which is always worth being reminded of, whether in dealing with genral stress and anxiety, completing a difficult task, or on the road. No bandcamp here, but Fdluxx has kindly provided the mp3 here, and it’s available on all the streamers.

    Fdluxx – “Yavosh” (mp3)

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