Author Archives: Jammo

Jammo’s Music Report No.009

Read Time: 4 mins

Hello and happy new year! I’ve been away for a bit over Christmas, recharging, spending time with the family, scoffing myself silly, playing Spyro and the rest. In short, I’m ready for another round of non-place, non-time, covid realness! Yasss Qween! Here’s a little breakdown of what’s been floating my boat through December!

Kosmischer Läufer – Jenseits des Horizonts

I’ve been revisiting Kosmischer Läufer’s 2015 album, The Secret Cosmic Music of the East German Olympic Programme 1972-83, Vol.3 a lot of late. Supposedly recorded by DDR sound editor Martin Zeichnete, the project is largely attributed to Edinburgh’s Drew MacFadyen. I won’t bore you with the details, instead, you can read the whole thing on Martin Zeichnete’s Discogs entry. During the pandemic, I have become mildly obsessed with the concept of electronic music as a form of time travel. Blurring the lines between space, time and authenticity, and I guess this stück of convincingly Kraftwerkian greatness is a perfect illustration of that idea. Is anything real any more?

Dungeon Acid – Autonomia

Taken from the Swedish producer’s 2015 EP of the same name, Autonomia is a sweet & sour haus music affair. Distorted acid bass and kicks spar with kawaii percussion against a background of metallic drones and delays.

King of Woolworths – Delia Derbyshire

This beauty from King of Woolworths’ 2003 album L’Illustration Musicale has been on heavy rotation over the last month. It’s marriage of Braindance drum programming and misty-eyed analogue melancholia fits the frozen emptiness of Berlin wintertime to a T.

The Walker Brothers – Shutout

The opening song on the Walker Brothers’ 1978 Nite Flites album has become something of an anthem for me this month. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s the apocalyptic guitar shredding, the ecstatic pop of the bass, or Scott Walker’s sexy alien baritone transmitting cryptic messages — “Throw off those gimmicks to the boys, Let them send it all up in the air, There is crouching and wailing on stone down here, We must freeze off this ratmosphere”. It’s a stunner.

The Bug feat Manga Saint Hilare – Bang

It’s hard to pick a favourite from The Bug’s latest album, Fire, which has been on almost permanent repeat over here. If pushed, I suppose I’d have to pick Bang. I’ve been a fan Manga Saint Hilare since coming across 2017’s Baga on a late night Bandcamp binge, and his name has been a stamp of quality for me ever since. Bang however is truly incendiary, as The Bug sets Manga Saint Hilare’s machine gun flow against a backdrop of squelching oscillators, marching death drums and dystopian church organs. I want to hear this loud in a room full of sweaty ravers — If that sort of thing ever happens again.

—/// Bonus Bits ///—

Film // The Matrix: What year is it? I know, but here’s the thing, when the Matrix came out, I was essentially so far up my own arse that I judged it on the spot and swore never to watch it.

I’d accidentally seen bits over the years and there’s obviously memes a plenty but, to my credit, for the most part, I upheld that promise for over two decades! So, after some peer pressure from Ana and a bit of Christmas spirit, I decided it was time to break the self-imposed boycott. And, I’m happy to report that I was half right! Fun as it was, it was mostly shite.

I can’t lie, the first film was very good, filled, as it is, with dark futures, existential dread of all flavours and a respectable portion of kung fu and visual effects — I won’t forgive the soundtrack though. But parts two and three were, as I had suspected: Hyperbolic FX porn, devoid of plot or timing, created with the sole purpose of selling merchandise — much like a lot of the techno around at the moment :/

Please enjoy this cool Morpheus Tattoo, I found online, complete with DVD logo:

For more musings, music and middle-aged leftist rants, subscribe to our monthly updates.


JAMMO’S MUSIC REPORT No.008

Read Time: 5 mins

Well, the dark days have well and truly rolled in now, haven’t they? I don’t know where you are Dear Reader, but Berlin has now fully completed its yearly transition to a monotone, cold war wasteland, complete with festering Straßenmüll, half-frozen dog shit and ice-spiked winds that cut you to the bone. This will be my 13th Winter here and, with the dark spectre of lockdown looming, it looks to be a cracker! With that in mind, let’s have a little look-see at what old Jammo’s been bothering the neighbours with this month.

Die Goldenen Zitronen – Die Alte Kaufmannsstadt

Without a shadow of a doubt, the most played thing in my house this past month. The final track on the bands excellent 2019 album, More Than a Feeling, tells the tale of Olaf Scholz’s catastrophic Hamburg G20 summit in 2017 and moreover the manufacture of perspectives from the organisers to the media, police and the rest. Its chorus repeating “And it happened, as it was meant to happen, well-orchestrated, everybody knew their role!” –forgive my unpoetic translation, it sounds great in German–. Anyway, it’s a belter!

Lambchop – The Old Gold Shoe

I’ve been revisiting a lot of old CDs of late. Perhaps it’s my age or some corona-driven nostalgia for halcyon days: when I could come back gurning from some free party or whatever and float away, necking Ribena to weird psyche, alt-country and soul music. The opening song on 2000’s Nixon, The Old Gold Shoe is one of the dreamiest southern-soul infused country things you’ll ever hear. Kurt Wagner’s half-sung lyrics hang like second-hand smoke over a lackadaisical suite of pedal steel guitar, strings, and horns. “The guy on the cross is holier than I, But then again he’s made from plastic”.

Golden Bug – Hitodoma

Throughout November I found myself obsessing over much of Gothenburg’s Höga Nord Rekords’ output. So much so that it’s hard to pick a winner. Finally, I chose this buttery Cosmic-Ritmo-Dubber from the marvellous Golden Bug.

Undercover Elephant – Realm of the Cougar

This track has everything for the ageing gurner: Long pads, Amens, naughty incessant bass and that sped up Here Comes that Beat! sample running throughout. Simple, effective, rave brilliance.

Loraine James ft  Eden Samara – Running Like That 

I’m utterly in love with this tune. Eden Samara’s vocals lean toward the sweeter side of 90’s RnB with ethereal flourishes, while Loraine James’ frantic drum patterns and wavey chords offer a system update to Braindance. Soul for the future, loaded with melancholy.

—/// Bonus Bits ///—

Telly: Casa de Papel: Like most of the couch potato community, I’ve been waiting with bated breath for the final part of Netlix’s adopted Spanish language anarcho-heist romp Casa de Papel. How would the gang escape the Bank of Spain? Would they get all the gold out? Would Luis Tamayo finally explode, leaving only a pool of blood and guts? I’m happy to report that all questions have now been fully answered. Ana and I binged it last weekend. No spoilers from me, but it was especially fun to watch Fernando Cayo’s portrayal of Colonel Tamayo, twitching and jerking like a syphilis sufferer from Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions. Sadly, like this review, I found the ending just a little bit rushed.

Podcast: Thinking Allowed / Black Music Cultures in London: As you can probably tell by now, I listen to a lot of Thinking Allowed podcasts. I might have a wee crush on Laurie Taylor, can you have granddad issues? Anyway, this particular episode was a nice one. Featuring Kim-Marie Spence discussing Reggae and Dancehall culture and the lack of governmental support in Jamaica with respect to the former’s status as ‘Revolution Music’ and the latter’s downright naughtiness. The second part features Caspar Melville, talking about his book, It’s a London Thing: How Rare Groove, Acid House and Jungle Remapped the City. I’ve not read it yet, but I liked his descriptions of spaces and the geography of London leading to the inevitable fusing of Dub/Soundsystem culture with raw soul to create Hardcore and Jungle. Other highlights included Laurie Taylor pausing for a moment after a clip of Phuture’s seminal Acid Tracks and then saying “d’you know… I hate that”. It’s ok Laurie it’s not made for you! https://open.spotify.com/episode/55M9BWOloafOHevrTT6vYX?si=kGlPJtMlTFOOFsfLXOu9uA


Book: Mark Fisher – Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures: A collection of Mark Fisher’s writings, taken from his K-Punk Blog and various published articles and essays. I love the way that he talks about pop culture in step with governmental and cultural events. And, I have become obsessed with his ideas of a non-place / non-time scenario within music and wider culture. Though from Mark’s perspective this is often presented as a negative, I think the real future might just be generally about recycling, reusing and fusing, rather than the notion of something brand new.

For more musings, music and middle-aged leftist rants, subscribe to our monthly updates.


JAMMO’S MUSIC REPORT No.007

Read Time: 4 mins

Another month down, and with winter at the door, it’s time for yet another rip-roaring Music Report. At this point, I’m slowly collating music and samples for a new series of Deejay shows I’m doing, so here’s five tunes that have been floating my boat throughout October!

Brian Eno – Shadow 

I’ve been listening to a lot of ambient stuff this last month and an awful lot of Eno specifically. Taken from Ambient 4: On Land (My favourite of the Ambient series), Shadow is an eerie little piece, which relies heavily on long delay noises and spectral breathy vocals which make me jump out of my skin when I’m running around Templehof.

Soccer 96 (feat Alabaster dePlume) – I was Gonna Fight Fascism

An acerbic spaced-out Krautrock banger from Soccer 96, lamenting the ‘real-life’ struggles of well-intentioned modern anti-fascist wannabe, “I was gonna fight fascism, but honestly, I just had so much on”. 

Mrs Jynx – Dinner Dance

Sumptuous velvety electro from Mrs Jynx on CPU records. Nerdy IDM married to sexxed-up hold music with an awkward pop sensibility. The perfect antidote to these long grey German winters.

Şenay – Honki Ponki

Turk-pop-disco of the highest order. I’ve no idea what Honki Ponki means. In my ignorance, I’d hoped it was similar to Hanki Panki but it isn’t. Wikipedia claims it was released as “a protest song” against what? I haven’t found out yet. If you know, mail me!

Toma Kami – BOH–ee

The opening track to Toma Kami’s latest release Speed Oddity is a solid drum workout for the mad heads out there. If your bum don’t move to this, you might be dead.

—/// Bonus Bits ///—

From lowbrow to highbrow, here’s what else I’ve been consuming this past month

Telly: The Voice of Germany: I’ll be honest, no matter how many abstract jazz albums I listen to, clubs or art galleries I visit, I can’t get enough of the kind of pop slurry offered by this show. I wait with bated breath twice a week to watch Mark Forster take the piss out of his fellow judges or for Nico Santos do yet another Michael Jackson song –He’s sweet and I love him. The music is obviously trash, as it should be, but, every so often I can’t help but get emotionally invested. So far, this series saw me openly weeping at Zeynep Avci’s rendition of Tan Taşçı’s – Yalan.

Podcast: Bass Culture UK (Red Saunders): I’ve just started this great series of interviews about the roots of UK bass culture and the impact of Jamaican culture on the British music scene and wider culture. There’s a few to get through, with guests like Dubplate Pearl, Dennis Bovell and Rodney P all making an appearance. On this particular one, Red Saunders talks to Mykaell Riley about his experience of starting out as a mod and later, as a reaction to Eric Clapton’s suggestion that Enoch Powell should be prime-minister, co-founding ‘Rock Against Racism’. 

https://open.spotify.com/show/7tvsceJtuSh43UuWYGGkFT?si=1203ff28e7f94a4c

Book: George Orwell – Homage to Catalonia: George Orwell’s compelling insight into his life in and around Barcelona during the Spanish civil war. From his time in the trenches, fighting with the Marxist POUM miltia, to his leaving an increasingly borgeois state under threat of arrest. Homage to Catalonia is a portal to a time when a largely Anarcho-syndicalist led Barcelona was at it’s peak and how within months that dream was destroyed.

For more musings, music and middle-aged leftist rants, subscribe to our monthly updates.


Review: Vanishing Twin – Ookii Gekkou

Read Time: 1 min

Just as the year begins to go down the toilet, with the onset of autumn and the inevitable slow plod towards yet another ‘Corona winter’, Vanishing Twin return with a blissed-out interstellar excursion to see us through. 

Ookii Gekkou — The group’s third album — sees the quintet channelling ever-distant worlds and transmitting a spectrum of far-out sounds. Melding the Moog-funk of Roger Roger, the mechanical soul of Can and the spiritual grooves of Leon Thomas and Sun Ra to incredible effect. 

Though references to fellow retro-futurists Stereolab — Laetitia Sadier plays guitar on Wider than Itself — and Broadcast are obvious, Ookii Gekkou is a tribute to the group’s particular ability to paint their sound canvas with a broad brush. Whether it’s the motorik funk of Phase One Million, the Afrocentric-spirit-jazz of In Cucina or the utterly brilliant space pop of Light Vessel, which sounds like Can re-imagined through the lens of ELO, the sound is unmistakably Vanishing Twin.

For more musings, music and middle-aged leftist rants, subscribe to our monthly updates.


Review: Berlin Atonal / Metabolic Rift

Read Time: 4 mins

Last week, ADC and I visited the Atonal / Metabolic rift exhibition at Kraftwerk Berlin. Billed as “Not a festival, not an exhibition, not a tour, not a performance”, it was all of these things and excellent at that. Taking the form of an expedition through the gloom of the former power station, using lights as cues to guide the viewers through its various installations.

Now, with my brain, wired the way it is, it’s a risk going to contemporary art exhibitions. Flashbacks and anxiety attacks tend to rear up — the last one ended with me paper bagging it through an audio installation of ping-pong balls falling down an uncomfortably tight and bright staircase. So, obviously, while being led into the belly of Kraftwerk through a pitch-black corridor to a sound-bed of spectral “oohs” and “ahhs”, I had my reservations. “This is how cows feel before they’re slaughtered” was a recurring thought. But, to my surprise, the fear lifted quickly as the yellow bulbs guided us through a series of beautiful albeit dark experiences.

The first installation was partially obscured by our fellow travellers photographing the tiny video screens which made up this part of the experience. I have no idea what was on those screens but ADC says she saw a naked man through one of the smartphone displays*. We followed the yellow glow. The sound grew louder and clearer as a series of repeated half-sung mantras filled the air, leading us on to a larger, smoke-filled room. I haven’t been able to find out more about this specific piece, but a slowly melting block of ice sticks in my mind. Juxtaposed against the dark and dirty environment, it took on a life of its own: sweating, reducing, animated but not alive.

Into another larger area, where the fittings rattled along with a growling industrial drone. A soundtrack befitting the monstrous sculpture that lay at the end of the room. Bicycle parts, welded and clamped together to form a behemoth enlarged by the shadows it created. Throughout the exhibition, the building was used to accentuate the connection to the music, giving it a raw ‘rave-like’ feel. Large metal doors left partially open rattled against their hinges while lighting fixtures and metal panels vibrated in turn.

A video installation of Lillian F. Schwartz’s pencil and conté crayon drawings was one of my favourite pieces. Drawn between the ages of 93 and 94, and completed with only 20% vision, these vibrant faces, angular and mask-like are compiled and spliced at speed alongside an incredible soundtrack of bass and glitches by Hyph11E.

At the top of the building, after many flights of stairs, our guide leading us upward with hand movements and machine-like vocalisations, we entered the cavernous room which housed Cyprien Gaillard’s kinetic sculpture. Brought to life by Hieroglyphic Being’s fuzzed-out sound piece and amplified by the Killasan sound system, this was probably the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in an exhibition to date. I won’t lie, I shed a tear watching the colossal air dancer twist and turn way above my head. A homage to the fluidity of movement and those moments which the ongoing pandemic has taken away from us.

At this point, the ‘tour-not-tour’ portion of the exhibition ended and we were led to a larger part of the building in order to take in the rest of the pieces at our own pace.

James Richards and Leslie Thorntons ‘Sheep Machine II’ was a highlight for me: Small housed screens, in sets of two, displayed circular images of sheep alongside kaleidoscopic images, bringing the outside in and offsetting the industrial surroundings. Congolese sculptor Rigobert Nimi’s retro-futuristic cities were a real joy to look at: Employing a retro-futurism aesthetic and brimming with all the light and movement of a city in flux. Finally, MFO’s piece was centred around four car wrecks, in cross formation, their open boots facing each other with large speakers protruding from each of them. Strobes, smoke and detailed flourishes were deployed to create an audiovisual experience evocative of a misspent youth in and around the illegal rave scene.

*I have posted photos here, but only from the larger, lighter rooms

Credit (top to bottom): James Richards, Cyprien Gaillard & Hieroglyphic Being, MFO, Rigobert Nimi

For more musings, music and middle-aged leftist rants, subscribe to our monthly updates.


Jammo’s Music Report No.006

Read Time: 2 mins

Hiya! it’s been a while. Have you missed me? I’m sorry for the radio silence but I’ve been tired as fuck and genuinely not really feeling a lot of music. Over the summer I found myself existing solely on a diet of ’70s and ’80s punk and Hardcore. Was this a cry for help, a desperate grab at my lost youth? Who knows, but nothing else seemed to spark my interest. New music and especially electronic music began to feel like a never-ending slew of watered-down copies of styles and scenes that I’m unfortunately old enough to claim first-hand knowledge of. But, there’s always more music to find, so let’s not wallow in the mire, the slump seems to be over and I’ve been finding loads of weird lovely bits here and there. I’m even planning a new Radio show! So, with that in mind, here’s 5 tasty nuggets I’ve been enjoying greatly this month…

Répéter – We Became Snakes

Cracking dystopian surf-inspired dub mutations on the mighty Bokeh Versions. What more could you want?

Blackwater – Siem Reap

Heads down shoegaze meets ghost dub for those autumn nights. Taken from the ‘Navigation’ album on Ethbo records. I’m waiting with bated breath for my record to arrive. Shout out to Tom Dubwise for putting me on to this!

Kali Uchis Feat Sza – Fue Mejor

Admittedly I’m a proper Kali Uchis fanboy but this particular version of ‘Fue Mejor’ is stunning! Sultry Latin R&B over a soundscape that filters the iciness of Timbaland productions through spiralling harmonies and operatic flourishes. Future sex music of the highest order!

AKA AFK and Toncali – Brasa No Mapa

Wicked Brazillian Grime on Club Yeke. Fusing Funk Brasileiro rhythms with golden age UK grime to devastating effect. My jaw’s well sore!

Vanishing Twin – Cryonic Suspension May Save Your Life

Gorgeous spaced out krauty funk from the ever amazing Vanishing Twin

For more musings, music and middle-aged leftist rants, subscribe to our monthly updates.


Jammo’s Music Report No.005

Read Time: 4 mins

Eye eye chicken pie! It’s been a few months since I’ve written one of these posts. Usually, this would be down to laziness on my part but, to be honest, I’ve had to take a wee break from music listening in general of late. I’m not sure why: A pandemic depression-related slump? Insta-deejay-wankstains vexing me daily? Or, perhaps just the fact that I’m turning 40 this year! Who knows?

Long story short, I’ve fucked off my social media accounts and will only be updating this blog from now on. I may write a longer post about the reasons for this at some point, but needless to say, it’s bad for my mental health, creativity and the rest — yadda-yadda-yadda. If you want updates, I’ll be doing a little newsletter every so often. It’s very Y2k. I hear that’s in now.

Anyways, here’s a little run down of what I’ve been listening to over the last few…

Brooklyn Funk Essentials – I Got Cash

“Fuck your fencing and screw your squash, Piss on your Paulo and your Pavarotti, Fuck all that shit you call music and pretend to enjoy! I got cash, Mega cash, I’m happy with that!”

Ana recently reminded me of this gentrification-bashing belter from Brooklyn Funk Essentials’ 2000 ‘Make ’em Like it’ album and I’ve had it on loop for days. Put it in your ears immediately!

Suicidal Tendencies – Institutionalized

Recently, my 12-year-old has been getting into 90’s Hip Hop and Punk. So, being the sad, desperate-to-be-relevant dad that I am, I’ve taken to crafting expansive Spotify playlists for him to explore and enjoy. I know, I know, we’ve got that on vinyl haven’t we? But, like it or not, this is how the young folk consume music. Anyway, devoted father that I am, I made him a cracking Punk and 80’s Hardcore playlist. Featuring all the usual stop-offs: Buzzcocks, Dead Kennedys, Ramones, Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers and of course this ranty, guitar-shredding, bandana sporting tale of shit parents, mental health and Pepsi.

“I go: There’s nothing wrong mom, And she goes: Don’t tell me that, you’re on drugs!, And I go: No mom I’m not on drugs I’m okay, I was just thinking you know, Why don’t you get me a Pepsi?”

He loved it obviously!

I:Cube – Cubo Live Sessions Volume 2

The first of two ‘Versatile’ records I’ve been ragging of late. Featuring four tracks of masterful live acid from the legend that is I:Cube. Funky, weird, spacious and dubbed out. Just how I likes it! Stick it on and tell your mates.

Gilb’r – On Danse Comme Des Fous

Beautiful all-embracing electronic excursions from Gilb’r on ‘Versatile’. From the monophonic Moogy noodling of ‘Plantlife’ to the sputtering percussive dreamscape of ‘Mr Knockbottom’, ‘On Danse Comme Des Fous’ is a reet ‘new agey’ journey of a record. Highly Recommended.

—/// Bonus Bits ///—

It’s not all music, is it? I’m well cultured me, so here’s a little list of other bits I’ve been enjoying of late…

Podcast: Thinking Allowed: ‘Lad Culture’ in Higher Education – Fugitives from the Law in Philadelphia (2014): Laurie Taylor talks to Alison Phillips about ‘Lad Culture’ and gender performance among men in British higher education and Alice Goffman about her study ‘On the Run’, which focuses on the Criminalisation of entire African American communities in Philadelphia.

Telly: This is Pop! (Netflix, 2021): A nice little series of documentaries about various subjects surrounding pop music and culture (you know I loves me some pop). The first few were great and really well researched, for example, drawing parallels between T-Pain’s use of autotune and Suzanne Ciani’s early adoption of the modular synth, but it seemed to change the format around the fourth episode, opting instead for a very basic historical narrative. Covid related break in the chain? who knows, still, it’s worth a peek.

For more musings, music and middle-aged leftist rants, subscribe to our monthly updates.


Jammo’s Music Report No.004

Read Time: 3 mins

It’s been a heavy week of Peng Valley work so here’s what I’ve been ragging through the ear holes whilst noodling away on the wacom.

Metro Area – Metro Area

Good things come to those who wait, and oh, how I’ve waited. Around the time this album was released — in 2002 — being skint and that, I’d made a solemn oath to only buy old sample records and never new music. Especially not electronic music! Loads of drunken rants full of lines like “If it’s made on a computer, why can’t it stay on one?” ensued. Of course, I was wrong. Long story short, I didn’t buy this then and spent the best part of the last 15 years kicking myself for it. The MP3s have worn the fuck out! Thankfully they’ve only gone and re-released it for a ’15 year anniversary triple vinyl package’ simultaneously making me rush out to buy it and feel old in the process. I won’t bang on, It’s pure disco wonderment and I’m a happier old man for it!

Super Rhythm Trax – Super Rhythm Trax Compilation

A stellar collection of wall to wall bangers housed in a tidy package designed by street artist Run. Hard to pick a favourite to be honest, it’s reet good!

Missy Elliot – Miss ‘E’ So Addictive

An absolute classic from Missy including one of my all time favourite horizontal R&B wobblers ‘X-tacy’ I can’t tell you how many times I left an early noughties rave, off my pickle, to sit in the bath listening to this.

FFSYTHO Ask About me (Jabru Mix)

Absolutely bananas glockenspiel led, bass-heavy UK Hip Hop. Serious flow, excellent lyrics and heavy drum rolls. What more could you want?

Cyberdine Systems Corp – Program State

Glitched out, heavy static electro brilliance of the highest order. Pure machine music!

—/// Bonus Bits ///—

It’s not all music is it? I’m well cultured me, so heres a little list of other bits I’ve been enjoying of late…

Podcast: How to Burn a Million Quid / BBC 4 Extra Podcast

Wicked little six piece podcast based on the life and times of the KLF

Film: Quincy / Netflix

Co-directed by Rashida Jones, this lush little portrait of Quincy Jones, paints a tidy picture of the Jazz legend as a loving, caring person, who could possibly do with easing up on the workload. It’s funny, charming, and tragic in equal measure and packed to the gills with wicked footage.

For more musings, music and middle-aged leftist rants, subscribe to our monthly updates.