Jammo’s Music Report No.009

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:

Achtung!!! All clips are cut to 1 minute, mega low bitrate. I do not own the rights to these recordings. If you see my shitty blog as a big risk to your gold medallions, jacuzzis and Ibiza beach houses, then contact me and I'll take it down!