Best Ever Albums

Re: SLP9: Kool Keith Sweat

RoundTheBend — Wed, 7 Sep 2016 00:47:53 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 09/07/2016 04:47

1. It somehow reminded me a bit of the Rolling Stones (like 10%)... actually forget I said that, it took me to another place that the Rolling Stones only have done a couple times. It literally healed my soul.
2. A place where my thoughts can dwell.
3. I think if mixed differently, I would have fallen into its world a bit better.
4. I stared into space and didn't think much, which I say is a good thing... It brought me almost to a zen thing.
5. I stared into space and didn't think much, which I say is a good thing... It brought me almost to a zen thing.
6. I snapped out and then thought, huh... weird tones and and interesting phasing

It's been a while since I've listened to music that connected with my soul this well. I think the last time I felt this way was the first time I heard Tender by Blur (now that song has a bit of cheese to it, but when I first heard it when I was about 17, my heart split opened and melted). Those first two tracks could have been the whole thing and it still would have been interesting.

Re: SLP9: Kool Keith Sweat

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Aug 2016 05:57:45 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 08/21/2016 09:57

Along with Tap's, this has been my favorite of these projects. A lot of thought clearly went into curating the perfect collection and flow, and I especially appreciate everything you yourself had to say about it, as it gave me great insight into your mental and spiritual state going into constricting the playlist, and I think ultimately helped me appreciate the immaculate selection (and ordering thereof) even more than I already did. Basically I really appreciated being able to approach the playlist once with an empty head and again with the knowledge of what went on behind its creation. All these sort of intuitive connections you make between songs, leading to seamless flow of sounds and mood... it's the kind of trait I love in all my favorite curated compilations and DJ mixes. Also if I didn't make it totally clear the songs themselves are also just fucking great. Fantastic work Keith

Re: SLP9: Kool Keith Sweat

Anonymous — Mon, 23 May 2016 13:46:51 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 05/23/2016 17:46

SquishypuffDave wrote:

Please.

Sorry for the delayed response...

I'm pleased that this appears to be well-received, particularly from Romanelli, who I never would've thought to rec music like this to. Was also tickled when I saw that skinny shared this on fb.

I initially intended the playlist to have about four tracks, with Fred Frith's "No Birds" and Roy Montgomery's "For A Small Blue Orb" as the centerpieces, and maybe round it out with Derek Bailey, John Fahey, and/or Dave Pajo, making it a showcase for guitar, but unfortunately the Frith track is not on Spotify, so I just started adding songs that I always enjoy, keeping in mind that "For A Small Blue Orb" would be the centerpiece. As Tap mentioned, there is a cohesion in the open space and relaxed pace of each of these songs. I feel there's also a bond from track to track: the ending of the Fahey track, though horrendous, kind of matches up with the cadence of the For Carnation track; the birdsongs in the For Carnation track prepare for the birdsongs prevalent in the Brokeback track; the birdsongs in the Brokeback track remind me of the woodwinds in the Hollis track; the piano in the Hollis track is similar to the piano in the Spring Heel Jack track; and while the Spring Heel Jack track is a repetitive keyboard with improvisation on top, the Roy Montgomery track is repetitive on top with a seemingly improvising keyboard bubbling under. I'm kind of reaching there, but there is a vague sense of cohesion among these tracks. Also, most are instrumental, and half are jazz played through a rock filter. One thing I've been noticing about my listening is that, though I listen to quite a bit of jazz and improvisation, it always its me harder when it's played through a rock lens, like Talk Talk/Mark Hollis, Tortoise/Brokeback/HiM/etc., Spring Heel Jack, et al. Spring Heel Jack is particularly great because it used legends like Evan Parker, Leo Smith, John Edwards, Ed Noble, Han Bennink, Matthew Shipp and others in a rock context; it's like a more explicit version of what I love. I might again be reaching for something again, but there's also a cohesion in the content of all the songs except perhaps "Track One," which is addressing existence or non-existence/death. Of the two lyrical songs, "A Life" is explicitly about death. "Get and Stay Get March" is less explicitly so, but there is a figure that proceeds on a track, and then moves across the water by casting a shadow across it; I might have structuralism too ingrained in me, but this sounds like a march of life to death. Roy Montgomery's track references the blue pearl of buddhist tradition (?) which I think is a symbol of new beginnings through meditation, multiple planes of existence, and like things. The Fahey track references Bladensburg, which is considered the greatest military defeat in American history, and likely references the evacuated residents and/or the burning of much of the town; I'm honestly not sure. And lastly I'm not sure exactly what the title of the Brokeback track is referencing, it could be building the bridge or its destruction, either of which would deal with existence, and, as mentioned in the For Carnation interpretation, bridges are symbols of links between planes of existence, like a priest (pontifex, latin for priest, is derived from the word for bridge, pons). Again, I'm reaching for things here in this rambling, but there is a vague sense of cohesion. The cover art, which is the scene of death, from Bosch's seven deadly sins and the four last things, was used to compliment these interpretations. As part of the four last things, death was intended to be meditated upon, and I believe the silence among these tracks and the repetition in several when their is sound is highly meditative. The amazing thing is that all these connections in my mind came after the fact, after I had made a playlist that I simply enjoyed.

Re: SLP9: Kool Keith Sweat

Tap — Sat, 21 May 2016 15:33:32 GMT

Author: Tap

Posted: 05/21/2016 19:33

I'm behind on a few of these community projects, but today is sorta rainy and this fit perfectly. This is a really great mix, I think I might just follow it with that Brokeback album because that sounded fantastic. I should probably do a better job of finding Tortoise affiliated bands. Also really need to get around to that Mark Hollis, this is doing more for me than I remember Talk Talk doing for me. Tho it's been a long while, I should really give them another go. But yeah, this mix rules, like there's a cohesion to the open feeling space of all these tracks and sort of relaxed pace, but still each track brings it's own thing to the table, good stuff man.

Re: SLP9: Kool Keith Sweat

Romanelli — Fri, 20 May 2016 19:28:50 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 05/20/2016 23:28

Went for a long walk at the river and took this with me. Beautiful stuff. Great job, Keith!

Re: SLP9: Kool Keith Sweat

SquishypuffDave — Fri, 20 May 2016 08:16:32 GMT

Author: SquishypuffDave

Posted: 05/20/2016 12:16

Kool Keith Sweat wrote:

I might drop back in later in the week to provide my own thoughts.

Please.

Re: SLP9: Kool Keith Sweat

CellarDoor — Sun, 15 May 2016 06:43:08 GMT

Author: CellarDoor

Posted: 05/15/2016 10:43

Magnifique.

I have to hunt down that Brokeback album now.

Re: SLP9: Kool Keith Sweat

SquishypuffDave — Sun, 15 May 2016 06:01:17 GMT

Author: SquishypuffDave

Posted: 05/15/2016 10:01

I'm actually at a loss to describe how beautiful this was. I'd had a pretty shitty day so I went out for a walk in the dark and put this on. Completely turned everything around. Thank you.

SLP9: Kool Keith Sweat

Anonymous — Sat, 14 May 2016 20:50:05 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 05/15/2016 00:50

Apologies for posting a bit early; I'll be out all day tomorrow.

This playlist is simply songs that I listen to frequently (especially recently) that I think flow together exceptionally well. It's a particularly spiritual playlist for me. I might drop back in later in the week to provide my own thoughts. Enjoy.

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

1. John Fahey - "Dance of the Inhabitants of the Invisible City of Bladensburg"
2. The For Carnation - "Get and Stay Get March"
3. Brokeback - "The Wilson Ave. Bridge at the Chicago River, 1953"
4. Mark Hollis - "A Life (1895 - 1915)"
5. Spring Heel Jack - "Track One"
6. Roy Montgomery - "For A Small Blue Orb"