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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 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)

  • From the Mailbox 21

    bioPrism – Neon Mirage

    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)

    Katret – Kat Tracker

    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)

    Aaron Horn – In Your Arms Again

    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 duo 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

    1tbsp – Starchitect

    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)

    SAGE D. – THE WAY U FEEL

    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)

    Aaron Horn – UPWRDS

    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 & Omar+ – “Westside”

    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)

    ♥ GOJII ♥ – All I Wanna Do

    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” (bc)

    Fdluxx – Yavosh

    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)