Why do I bother with it, eh? There's so many mixes to listen to out there now - just check Dubway's blog for starters. Why bother putting together these amateurish 64kbps sets? Vanity? I guess it's just because I enjoy doing it and, whether it's listened to by 5 people or 500, the end results give me enough pleasure to make it worthwhile. True, it started out as a fantasy idea - if I had my own radio show, what would it sound like? - but there's also the potential to bring together all those interesting yet obscure, unsigned artists who, for whatever reason, feel motivated to send me their work. Incredibly, GFM is actually putting artists in touch with each other in the most unlikely places, as those lonely producers in faraway places discover that there are like-minded individuals in their own backyard. Admittedly, I didn't feature all the people I wanted to this time, on account of having lots of new twelve inchers to get through too. But their time will come very soon. This month I'm particularly pleased to feature a couple of exclusives from Geroyche and Mathhead. Geroyche is a German producer who has, until now, been building a reputation in the local breakcore scene, but his forthcoming "Voxxx Series A.1" EP sees him in a transitional phase, featuring a more grimey influence on a couple of tunes. "Death" in particular is a wonderfully evocative piece of music, with a hard step riddim drenched in melancholic ethereal sweeps and processed tremolo drones that remind me of Fennesz. Quite outstanding, though I'm not sure how widely available the 500 copies will be. Mathhead is from NYC (I think) and his track "Skyjacker" will be released on new Peace Off-offshoot Ruff Records soon. It's a wicked adrenalin rush slice of hard Grim with a fair bit of breakcore dynamics too. Very impressive. The show opens with another weird offering from the mysterious Various Production (make sure to check the site cos they've got some free exclusive MP3s up now). This is the second 7" single they've sent me and, like the first, comes with no press info but does feature an electronic piece on the A-side and a folky-acoustic number on the flip, along with another beautifully rendered, semi-erotic sleeve design. "Faller" is a lovely little ballad with yet more exquisite vocals from the still-uncredited lady singer, yet the song is propelled by ominous wobble-bass pressure and looped waves of digital detritus revealing that this is a group who know how to combine traditional songcraft with forward-thinking production skillz. What a fascinating proposition! Buy it here. I'm also very honoured to get another exclusive tune from Appleblim, who's "Cheat I" takes the stress levels to new extremes of shuddering low-end tension. Abso-fucking-lutely horrible. Big-up, mate!
I should also add that, although my set-up here is still embarrassingly basic, I've recently bought a new dj mixer. New to me, that is. It's a second hand Gemini that I spotted at the local Music Exchange for £90. It's got eq-kill switches and other things I didn't have before. Hopefully it'll help to improve my mixing although this recording is the first test-run with it. But I'm still using the same belt-drive 'beginners' turntables that I bought nearly fifteen years ago!! I did add Stanton cartridges at some point in the mid-'90s, but there's no denying that these decks are bloody dodgy. Still, a good workman never blames his tools, as they say. This month's show features the usual 'train wreck' beat matching, relieved by occasional, fleeting moments of inspiration. Why do I insist on doing all my learning in public? Dunno, but I apply the same basic philosophy that I used when I started this blog. I may not be a writer, producer or dj by profession, but I'm gonna fucking do them all anyway for the hell of it. If a few voyeuristic people want to observe this whole sorry mid-life crisis unfolding, be my guest.At least the tunes are great. Gutter Muzik for Gutter People. Check this shit out....
Various Production - Faller (Various Production)
Geroyche - Death (Ventilator Tontrager)
Appleblim - Cheat I (forthcoming on Skull Disco)
Kode 9 - Kingston Dub (Hyperdub)
D1 - Steam Roller (Soulja)
Skuba - Sleepa (Scuba/Hot Flush)
Search & Destroy - Cave Dweller (Halo Beats)
Moving Ninja - Lost Tribe (Tectonic)
Roi Masters - Bedoin (dub)
Mark One - ????(Southside)
DJ Oddz - Strung Out VIP (Black Majik)
Macabre Unit - Lift Off (Terrorhythm)
Forensics - Hiding Place (dub)
Mathhead - Skyjacker (forthcoming on Ruff/Peace Off)
