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Another cracking guest episode from djtc this week. As a remedy to the monotony of 4/4 time, it’s something subtly different…

why 5/4? well, it’s just different. but why? because, essentially, 5/4 has a flexibility that three- or four-time just doesn’t offer - a song can allude to speed or twitchiness, serenity or space in 5/4 just by how each bar is phrased.

5/4 can give a song a sense of propulsion that regular timings just can’t offer: splitting a bar in two and making the second half a beat shorter than the first makes a song feel like its falling over itself to reach the next down beat and, in doing so, quickens the pulse, raises suspense. see the mission impossible theme tune for a perfect demonstration.

then again, treated differently, 5/4 can serve to slow a piece down: a regular 4/4 bar can be cooled by adding an unexpected fifth beat; when a new bar is hinted at, there’s still one more beat to go, offering thinking space between each phrase and a more laid-back feel. the nick drake record in the mix does this pretty well.

but then sometimes, just sometimes, it simply feels right to have five beats in a bar - no matter how awkward it is to dance to or drum to. sometimes there’s a perfect melody that just fits into five, and that’s that.

Podcast - listen now!

Tracklisting

 

Lalo Schriffin and his Orchestra - Mission Impossible (Theme)
Stereolab - Percolator
XTC - English
Sufjan Stevens - They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For the Homeless in Muskegon)
M. Craft - Silver & Fire
Nick Drake - River Man
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Drake
PJ Harvey - Water
Radiohead - 15 Step
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five

 

Running time 42:28
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Podcast - listen now!

Special guest show from djtc this week:

Although stylistically they vary, here are a group of songs with one very specific thing in common - a fascination with London. Whether they’re directly about a district, station, road or public space, or just about a chain of events that take place there, their location in the capital was deemed worthy enough for mention by the songwriter, and so worth enough for this podcast.

Tracklisting

 

1. The Westway, W12 - Blur (For Tomorrow)
2. Clapham Junction, SW11 - Squeeze (Up the Junction)
3. Lee Green, SE12 - Gamages Model Train Club (Lee Green Blues)
4. Morden, SM4 - Good Shoes (Morden)
5. Waterloo, SE1 - The Kinks (Waterloo Sunset)
6. Mile End, E1 - Pulp (Mile End)
7. City Road, EC1 - Traditional (Pop Goes The Weasel)
8. Primrose Hill, NW8 - John & Beverley Martyn (Primrose Hill)
9. Battersea, SW11 - Super Furry Animals (Battersea Odyssey)
10. Brixton, SW2 - The Clash (Guns of Brixton)
11. Wardour Street, W1 - The Jam (A-bomb in Wardour Street)
12. Mill Hill, NW7 - Edward Ball (The Mill Hill Self-hate Club)
13. Mornington Crescent, NW1 - Belle & Sebastian (Mornington Crescent)

 

 

Running time 59:11
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Another one from DJTC, i’ll let him explain:

it really is a random mix, semi-inspired by your one the other week featuring the DPs for your trip along the river. Basically, i thought i’d make the imp a mix, so i put my itunes on shuffle for some inspiration, and the first thirteen tracks that came up were these. In this order.

Obviously that’s a lie, but heck - they could’ve been, and that’s the point. There is no theme or structure. It’s just Some Good Songs.

Tracklisting

the simpsons - police answering machine
blur - chinese bombs (performed live at peel acres)
dj shadow - why hip-hop sucks in ‘96
beastie boys - sure shot
alice gunn - lying low
jess bryant - the crossing
supergrass - st petersburg
elbow - the bones of you
sufjan stevens - a short reprise for mary todd, who went insane for very good reasons
erin mckeown - the little cowboy
pavement - gold soundz
david carradine and uma thurman - truly and utterly bill
yo la tengo - night falls on hoboken

 

Running time 44:06
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Well the weather in London has certainly gone up a few notches. I hope the weekend is good, this is a bit of a selfish mix, basically some songs i want on my portable digital music device for the weekend. I think you’ll like it though. Summer songs!

Tracklisting

Sensual Woman - The Herbaliser
Crockers And Killers (The Easy Access Orchestra Radio Edit) - Chris Bowden
The Start - The Bees
Golden Brown - Stranglers
Don’t Look Back in Anger - Devendra Banhart & Noah Georgeson
Rise Above - Dirty Projectors
Islands On The Coast - Band of Horses
Yves Eaux - Buscemi
unknown - Jazzanova
Moody (Spaced Out) - ESG
Conga (Original Remix) - Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
I Told Her On Alderaan - Neon Neon

 

Running time 48:12
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Another one from DJTC up next

Step up DJTC. The third guest slot in an ongoing series. In his own modest words:

it’s not really a mix, because it’s not mixed. there are a few crossfades just to keep it all moving, and all, but generally it’s just one song, and then another. there’s not much of a theme, either musically or lyrically, until you look at the tracklist - aha! can you see what i’ve done? - but i still think it’s an interesting collection of songs.

Tracklisting

Layla, by Eric
Samson, by Регина
Julia, by John
Edward, by James
Jolene, by Dolly
Shadrach, by Adam
Laura, by Jason
Michael, by Alex
Debra, by Bek
Lenny, by Gareth
Suzanne, by Leonard
Daniel, by William (originally by Reginald)

 

Running time 49:28
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And also please admire the even use of boys and girls, despite the obvious surfeit of songs with girls’ christian names as the title and relative dearth of songs with boys’ christian names as the title. also, in true primary school style, appreciate the boy-girl-boy-girl juxtaposition.

I went for a walk today. I went to Tate Modern and then walked into Central London. Music on shuffle and this is what popped up. The journey became much more interesting with a soundtrack. I must do this again sometime. I hope some of you out there listen to this while walking somewhere.

Tracklisting

Digital Love (Daft Punk) - Alphabeat
I Lust U - Neon Neon
Dance With You (The Twelves Remix) - Black Kids
Fools - The Dodos
Mechomaniac - Keenhouse
I Love You - Esser
Seated by the Riverside - One-Two
Thirty One Today - Aimee Mann
Hyperballad - Dirty Projectors

 

Also next week i’m going to kick the summer off with some reggae.

I did promise a certain someone that this episode would be a sort of audition for a dj gig later in the year, so its a very indie affair. Some 90s stuff, some 00s gear, and even some 80s tunes. In case you’re wondering the rework of Blue Monday is the b-side form the original Blue Monday record. And there’s this Vampire Weekend song, I can’t get enough of this. There’s a live version on the Pitchfork website click here to watch it probably needs a quick connection

Also, welcome back to the Dang! Radio! Looking good.

Playlist

 

You & Me Song - The Wannadies
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Shall We Take A Trip - Northside
I Want I Want - Digitalism
Off The Hook - CSS
North American Scum - LCD Soundsystem
The Golden Path (Original) - Chemical Brothers
Mixed Bizness - Beck
The Beach - New Order
Girls & Boys - Blur
Ghosts - Dirty Vegas
Don’t Falter - Mint Royale
E=MC2 - Big Audio Dynamite
I Am The Resurrection - Stone Roses
All My Friends - LCD Soundsystem

 

 

Running time 58:56
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