Electric Sea Spider - Horse Bazaar Live Mix

Live Mix @ Horse Bazaar by ELECTRIC SEA SPIDER

Here's a recording of my second performance, played in Melbourne at the 'This Thing' event at Horse Bazaar (with Galapagoose and Mikekay) on Jan 21st. A lot of my own tracks (including some new ones) and some favourite beats crammed into a 40 minute set (click on soundcloud link for tracklisting/video). Great night, lots of support, amazing crowd. Hopefully this mix will please the tastes of beatmakers.

Frimmys Mix

Fill up a glass n toast to the weekend!

Featuring: Tipper
                 Teebs
                 Lunice
                 Devonwho
                 TOKiMONSTA, Lunice & Swede:art

                 Mux Mool (Shigeto)

                 Slugabed

                 Lazer Sword

                 Say Uhns

Frimmys mix by Smak Kerouac ">Frimmys Mix

Monday Morning Mix

Mop away that monday mope with a fresh new mix for download

Featuring: Electric Sea Spider
                 Koreless
                 James Blake
                 Actress
                 Harmonious Bec
                 High Wolf

Monday mix by Smak Kerouac

Filthy Ingredients - Sea Water (2010)

kneesandust by filthy ingredients

Filthy Ingredients is an experimental electronic producer from Melbourne that i know practically nothing about. But is identity important when it comes to music? A lot of artists nowadays seem to keep their identity hidden or quiet, which i suppose allows us to focus more on the music rather than the personalities and lives of those creating it. And boy, is this music something to focus on.

'Sea Water' (released late last year) is full of rich lo-fi ambient tones, interesting (and often unsettling) samples and unconventional percussion. It easily fits into the whole glitchy/future beats scene, but is full of originality and fresh sounds. There are tracks like 'Tarpan' that combine heavily-reverbed guitar recordings with soft percussion, while tracks like 'Guatemala' have a spookier feel, utilizing quirky samples and swirling synth lines. There are plenty of beats that get your head moving, but the album seems more focused on creating a very strange and earthy atmosphere. Most of the 14 tracks are short, but full of surprises; its one of those albums that makes you stop, listen and appreciate every delicious detail. It is a truly amazing listen, and Filthy Ingredients has left a great mark in an ocean of beatmakers.

You can download 'Sea Water' for free here: http://filthyingredients.bandcamp.com/album/sea-water

Introducing Electric Sea Spider & Onetalk

Blanket is happy to announce two new contributors to the blog, Melbourne's Electric Sea Spider & Canberra/Sydney duo Onetalk

Jim Sellars has been dabbling with electronic music and sampling since his early high school days, only 20 now, he has emerged into Electric Sea Spider and has produced under this name for the past two years.  Already showing incredible depth and capability with his releases which span a number of genres, he says he "wants to make music that has interesting ideas, and doesn't take itself to seriously...to be able to switch between moody tracks, cheerful beats and even ambient landscapes, while still being recognised as the same artist." adding "I like my tasty snares. the snares always have to be tasty."

After listening to his Mohican Beats EP it's quite obvious to say he is well and truly on his way to crafting that Sea Spider mark sounding like baths with a heavier inclination on spontaneity.  He says his very favourite artists are Regurgitator, Flying Lotus, Mr Oizo, Ramones, The Smiths, Durlin Lurt, Knxwledge, Samiyam, Bad Brains, Hudson Mohawke, Dem Hunger, Ride and Shadow Dancer.  Already having the privilege of supporting one of them in Flying Lotus, Electric Sea Spider is fast realising a dream. Be sure to check the download and soundlcoud link for some truly great beats

Download Electric Sea Spider - Mohican Beats EP

Electric Sea Spider SoundCloud

Josh and Joe have been quietly doing their own thing with electronic music for a few years now, after realising more joy in producing than in their band they have slowly been increasing their capacity for beat making ever since.  Joining forces a little over a month ago forming Onetalk, these boys are taking a clean approach to a blank canvas looking for "something that makes you move your head, something that grooves, and things that go boom." Having recently supported Flying Lotus, their incredibly delicious set showcased a whole lotta groove and set a perfect tone for the night.  

When asked who their favourite artist were Josh told me  "J DIlla, Flying Lotus & the whole Brainfeeder crew, Prefuse, AFX, Shlohmo, Electric Sea Spider, Tribe called Quest, Wu Tang, Volta, RHCP, Waits, Bonobo, Marley, King Tubby, Mount Kimbie, Organized Konfusion and some fat ass Timbaland Joints".  Listening to Onetalk's tracks there is a a definite reflection in the Dilla inspired Lotus carried hip hop style with a nice side of electronica to accompany the beats.  At only 20 years of age the future is bright for Onetalk and fans alike.

Onetalk - Flying Lotus live set @ The Clubhouse

Flying Lotus & The Gaslamp Killer @ THE CLUBHoUSE

An early rise on Wednesday morning the 5th of January in anticipation for what was ahead that night. Breakfast, some chat and a quick self-reminder of where exactly this trip had all come from… A bunch of university students decided to open up a venue in the semi arid nightclub scene of Canberra, within a couple of months they had managed to secure arguably the greatest electronic artist of our time. It took me a while to believe that Flying Lotus would be coming to Canberra let alone the newly opened shambolic, underground oasis that is ‘The Clubhouse’, a venue which is a saving grace in a city begging to be lead into deeper musical waters.

Off the ferry and over the rails, we hopped in a car at Kogorah station leaving a banjo player and some colorful folk behind as we rolled our way to Canberra with a carful of drums, bass and eager ways, stopping at a few nice joints along the way.

Fence Tompkins

Once the car pulled up and the 3 something hours on the road were behind us, enough time was left to enjoy the late afternoon air over some beers and bootlegged 90’s hip hop, peering out onto a concrete wall that faced our rooms. Before too much was said and certainly done we were packed in a taxi towards The Clubhouse where the crowd had not yet emerged save a handful of drum and bass heads who scuffled around keying for some tunes, the time was only 4.45 in the afternoon. Fence Tompkins jumped behind the decks and let rip to what was a delightfully energetic drum and bass/hip hop/glitch set. Playing into the darkest most twisted desert, and reeling back to a light show heard through speakers. I Had a quick phone word to Carlos (known to his friends as mr. Shaba) the driver and caretaker of the artists who said he had to hang up because he was feeling really dizzy, or at least that’s what I heard. 
Time was drunk for the next few hours while we waited for what we had come all this way to see and hear…

Fly Lo does sound check

We walked up the club stairs and swung the door open to quite literally a drum roll. There was Flying Lotus, a living legend seated at the drum kit set up on stage having a hit. We sat over a beer and chatted amongst ourselves as bass player Stephen 'Thundercat' Bruner and brother and drummer Ronald Bruner Jr wondered around while Fly Lo checked this and that. Soon he took his place behind his computer and mixer, Ronald planted himself on the stool and twirled his sticks. Fly Lo kicked off his sound check. Without doubt a champion of his trade one could tell at a glance even with no recollection of the name, Flying Lotus. 

?

Time passed and the doors to the main stage opened with a flood of extraordinarily happy faces. You could really feel that something special was about to happen. The setting was intimate and begging to be filled with incredible music. The organisers, humble as they were, had poured every ounce of creative energy into making this a night that the people of Canberra would relish, and the place did look and sound a treat: with two stages, one located in Canberra’s new chalk ridden home of underground dance music The Clubhouse, where the walls are literally a mark of the patrons, the other stage, lent from the club next door due to spacial issues. Both floors were looking grand with installation art about the place, a screen flashing images of street art and an unreal light setup.

Onetalk

Stepping outside to look at the stars I came back in with a growing glow, entering the room to see Onetalk mixing up a lush electronica/hip hop set that the crowd had sunk right into (Onetalk live set @ Flying Lotus), I was stunned to find out later this was their first ever live performance. Sitting back down Mr. Shaba approached me and asked if I could help bring some food up for the artists, I obliged and before I knew it was holding a delicious platter of prosciutto vol au vents, panting and dripping from a scurry through the rain swept streets of Civic.


I can only remember a shadow of the events that followed, which includes both Flying Lotus and The Gaslamp Killer's sets. The music was an extraordinary blur and the people I spoke to were out of their mind happy to be present at this moment. Jumz, a friend of mine who is slowly beginning to be enveloped in the electronic music scene stopped me and assured me this was the finest musical encounter he had ever experienced by some margin.

Flying Lotus

The Gaslamp Killer

After The Gaslamp Killer I regained some balance and listened in to Electric Sea Spider who was performing his first live set, in front of a crowd come off whatever just happened. He played nothing like a first timer with talent and ear, the now small but pleased remaining crowd responded accordingly to some great beats.

Electric Sea Spider 

Leaving the Clubhouse and off into the morning with another gaze at the stars and an untouched hot chocolate in hand, friend Jamie lost in circles behind, arms feebly at his chest like a crippled praying mantis, muttering something I wish I could’ve understood (also wish I got a picture). We’d gotten ourselves into a place only reserved for a night like this.


Was it the greatest set I've ever heard? Did Flying Lotus live up to expectation? The answer is probably... I really can’t remember. The one thing I can say, is that Canberra has a bright future ahead. With a responsive, open, like-minded public who are lending tremendous support to a group of guys who are creating something special. 



Big thanks to Ric, Dave & Mr. Shaba


Photographs by Dorothy Chan




Apparently I took around 20 minutes of very poor quality footage that night...this is the best of it