My Thirty Five mix is featured on the Bleep 43 podcast this week. While there, make sure to check the excellent Orphan live set and Dan Bean’s interview with Juan Atkins, which has generated some lively discussion from Detroit house and techno legends in the comments.
Category Archives: Radio
On the radio tonight
Don’t forget I’m on the radio tonight at 1900 BST. That’s 1300 CDT. Figure it out where you are here. This is a recording of my performance at Süd Electronic last October, broadcast on my friend Patrick’s Eclectic Electric show on Purple Radio. Tune in if you can! If not, I’m sure an archive can be made available in due course.
Upcoming Radio
I’m off on my honeymoon tomorrow but thought I’d give some notice about upcoming radio appearances. I’m not sure when yet, but my latest Thirty Five mix is going to be broadcast on the Bleep43 podcast at some point. If you’re not already a regular subscriber then make sure to rectify that now. Second, a recording of my performance at Süd Electronic last October will be broadcast on my friend Patrick‘s Eclectic Electric show on Purple Radio, Sunday September 13 at 19:00. Enjoy!
Noise on KRUI: 15 February 1997
This is another one coming sort-of-by-request, as a recent thread about, “trip hop”, elsewhere on the internets bumped these mixes to the top of the archive pile. But before I get in to the detail I have to apologise for a few mixes on these tapes where I seem to think I can scratch, and hesitantly (thankfully fairly quietly) try to do so. It’s hideous. Never again, I promise.
The first (in two 30-minute segments) is a recording that was played on Noise on 15 February 1997.
2020 note: all mixes taken down for now to re-post at higher bitrate on Mixcloud in due course. If you’re at all keen for me to do this, please let me know and I will try and get anything specific you want to hear moved over ASAP.
Side A
F.S.O.L – Her Face Forms in Summertime [Virgin]Fila Brazillia – Bulls Dozing [SSR]
Clatterbox – Easy Does It [Clear]
Midnight Funk Association – Code [Mo Wax]
Autechre – 902 Quarter [Warp]
Sun Electric – Stimpak [Apollo]
Side B
Funky Porcini – Long Road [Ninja Tune]DJ Vadim – Headz Still Ain’t ready [Ninja Tune]
DJ Wally – Space People [Samz Jointz]
Pronoia – E ‘Rotisi (Interrogative Mix) [Groove Attack Productions]
Jaziac Sunflowers – Dazed and Confused [Black On Black Records]
Luke Vibert – Sharp A2 [Mo Wax]
I also found a similar mix, for which I have no date, and I can only assume it was from the same time period, as The Herbaliser album came out in March 1997. It’s one 45-minute segment.
The Herbaliser – Another Mother [Ninja Tune]
David Caron – Easy Afternoon [Eevo Lute Muzique]
Tek 9 – Phat Like A… [SSR]
DJ Wally – Ridiculous Sound [Home Entertainment]
Aloof – Wish You Were Here (David Holmes Instrumental) [EastWest]
DJ Cam – Innervisions [Columbia]
Snooze – The Chase (Fila Brazillia Remix) [SSR]
18 Wheeler – Stay (Dr. Rockit Remix) [Creation Records]
Snooze – The Snooze Theme [SSR]
The Wiseguys – Casino “Sans Pareil” [Wall of Sound]
Impulse – One-Six-Four-Seven (Numbers Rammed Down My Ear Mix By Autechre) [Studio !K7]
Background: Noise on KRUI
A few words on my old radio show, so you know what I’m talking about when I refer to this stuff.
KRUI, 89.7 FM, is the University of Iowa’s student radio station where I hosted the weekly dance music show from Autumn 1992 – Spring 1997. For the first year it was called X-Static Radio, then Noise until Vince Woolums and Scott Stone took over as Noise Radio in the Summer of 1997 when I moved to Seattle for a bit.
I was extremely grateful to be able to continue the tradition of quality dance music on KRUI, pioneered by The Acid Club House, The Foundry and Dance Trax, which were all hugely influential on my musical development. Vince and I would schedule our lives around these shows when we were in high school. I’d often drive around in the car for three hours just so I could ensure uninterrupted signal, as my basement bedroom on the outskirts of town didn’t cut it.
This was my first experience as a DJ. I mostly bought CDs (quality dance music vinyl in Iowa City at the time was rather hard to come by) and pitch adjustable CD players didn’t hit the market until 1994, so most of the material is not beat-matched. I bought Denon CD players and a 3-channel, global 3-band EQ DJ mixer in 1994. I believe my first 1200 came in early 1995, so even the mixes in 1997 were towards the infancy of my beat mixing.
Towards the end of my time at KRUI I would often pre-record mixes to tape and play them on the air, as I was tired of not being able to mix properly in the studio (the decks were pre-1200, with the +/-6 dials that were nearly impossible to hold a mix on and radio mixers do some funny things with compressing low signals). I only explain this last bit so you understand why you won’t hear me talking on those mixes.
Archives
For quite a few years I’ve been promising to unearth my mix archives. Basically, the mixes on this site have never really stretched back before 1999 (unless some of you recall the Summer in Seattle mix from ’97, which once lived here in hideously low quality Real Audio). For the most part this has never materialised because I’ve not transferred anything over from tape, but I’ve also missed a few things along the way, so they aren’t all ancient. For a while I thought I’d hold out for a good price on a PlusDeck2c on eBay but they seem to be going up in price if anything, so I decided to crack on and get this thing rolling.
The first herculean hurdle was to align tapes with cases. Far too many of the tapes had no identifiable markings, and quite a few cases with tracklists needed to be filled. This hurdle is now clear, save about ten cases that seem to have no contents, and about twenty radio archives from ’96-’97 that have no markings or tracklists – but this is miles better than where I started.
I’m now at the point where I’ve got a lot of tapes to encode, then I need to vet them before inflicting them on the public again. I imagine there will be quite a few worth resurrecting, many with painful late-teens/early-twenties geeky radio monologues. On the other hand, I read a mean Public Service Announcement.
Along the way I’ve also been reminded of some later mixes that were kicking around on minidisc and CD. These are fresher in my memory, so I’ll be shipping these out internetwards in the next few days if all goes to plan.
Assuming this plan doesn’t fizzle, this is a taste of what’s to come thereafter.
Chilled Out Passion 29-7-06 archive
Apologies for the funky dynamics imposed by the fancy radio station mixer, but an archive it is. My part’s not mixed. It’s sort of a review of the non-house/non-techno stuff I used to play on my radio show by virtue of the fact that I only brought CDs (lots of ambience, trance-before-it-was-a-bad-word and industrial things, with a couple of hip hop bits for good measure). As you can see below, Dan kicks things off with a load of older drum n’ bass, and my set starts in the 51st minute. It felt like a bit of trip down memory lane for me to be live on the terrestrial radio again, playing the same material I used to. It was fun!
Part I
Mix by host Dan Bean (01:00:00-01:51:17)
War – Slippin Into Darkness [United Artists]
More Rockers – You’re Gonna (Make Me) Roni Size & DJ Krust Remix) [More Rockers]
Solo feat. J. T. – Pressure [Mo Wax]
Lemon D – I Can’t Stop [V]
Soul Searchers – Ashley’s Roachclip [Sussex]
Eugene McDaniels – Headless Heroes [Atlantic]
Madvillain – America’s Most Blunted [Stones Throw]
Bobby Demo – More Bounce (Rap) [Amherst]
Arne Weinberg – Oblivion (Duplex Remix) [Arne Weinberg]
The Nova Dream Sequence – Dream 7 [Compost]
Mix by Tristan Watkins (01:51:18-03:59:59)
Big Black – Kerosene [Touch N’ Go]
Doubting Thomas – The Run [Netwerk]
Part II
De La Soul – I.C. Y’all [Tommy Boy]
A Tribe Called Quest – Baby Phife’s Return [Jive]
Nine Inch Nails – March of the Fuckheads [Island]
Front 242 – Don’t Crash [Wax Trax]
David Byrne – Ava (Nu Wage) [Island]
Wagon Christ – Aerhaart; Ahead [Rising High]
Move D – Xing Jordan / Seven [Source]
Mappa Mundi – Trance Fusion [USA Import Music]
The Ambush – Terra [Harthouse]
Sun Electric – Sarotti [R&S]
Part III
Tylervision – The Last Human [Silent]
Full Moon Scientists – Fatwah Boogi (Acid Raintrancer Mix) [Hard Hands]
A Small, Good Thing – Ostrichism [em:t]
Depeche Mode – It Doesn’t Matter Two [Mute]
Pelican Daughters – Auarascape [Silent]
Skinny Puppy – Love [Netwerk]
Autechre – Arch Carrier [Warp]
P-Eye-Eye – Lost at Sea [em:t]
Schizophrenia – Schizophrenia [Tresor]
The Sabres of Paradise – Edge 6 [Warp]
Daft Punk – Veridis Quo [Virgin]
Tracklist for my set on Dan’s radio show last month
Apologies about the lack of label listings. Think I omitted those when writing them down initially. Doh. Hope to have an archive of the tunes soon.
Big Black-Kerosene-Touch N’ Go
Doubting Thomas-The Run-Netwerk
De La Soul-I.C. Y’all-Tommy Boy
ATCQ-Baby Phife’s Return-
Nine Inch Nails-March of the Fuckheads-
Front 242-Don’t Crash-
David Byrne-Ava (Nu Wage)-
Wagon Christ-Aerhaart; Ahead-
Move D-Xing Jordan / Seven-
Mappa Mundi-Trance Fusion-
The Ambush-Terra-
Sun Electric-Sarotti-
Tylervision-The Last Human-
Full Moon Scientists-Fatwah Boogi (Acid Raintrancer Mix)-
A Small, Good Thing-Ostrichism-
Depeche Mode-It Doesn’t Matter Two-
Pelican Daughters-Auarascape-
Skinny Puppy-Love-
Autechre-Arch Carrier-
P-Eye-Eye-Lost at Sea-
Schizophrenia-Schizophrenia-
The Sabres of Paradise-Edge 6-
Daft Punk-Veridis Quo-
And when I say ‘again’ I mean…
I was on the radio a week and a half ago, but I was in Dublin so I didn’t get a chance to notify anyone. It’s a mix I did a few months ago, but Toby was off-the-air for a while. Anyway… here’s the archive and scoop from Toby of Bleep Radio:
Last night’s tracklisting available to download at Bleep Recordings
a couple of sloppy mixes due to drunkenness, apologies…
TRISTAN WATKINS GUESTMIX
Patchworks – I Guess You Always Knew [Q-Tape]
Anton Mitchell – Simple Life [Chicago Underground]
Theo Parrish – Reaction to Plastic [Sounds Signature]
Stewart Walker – Missing Winter [Tektite/Force Inc]
Kenny Larkin – Life Goes On [R&S]
Mike Ink – Paroles (Mike Ink Remix 96) [Warp]
Infiniti – Walking on Water [Tresor]
Gemini – Day Dreaming [Peacefrog]
Jacek Sienkiewicz – Secret Life [Recognition]
Innervisions Presents Henrik Schwarz/Âme/Dixon Feat. Derrick L. Carter – Where We At (Version 1) [Sonar Kollektiv]
Basement Jaxx – Moradi [Atlantic Jaxx]
DJ Yoav B – Organ Satta [Delsin]
Dan Curtin – Undergroundz [Tuning Spork]
Yo La Tengo – Danelectro 2 (Remixed by Nobukazu Takemura) [Matador]
———————————————-
Fun Fun – Happy Station (Polydor)
Todd Terje – Italian Stallion (Full Pup)
Quince – Americana (Delsin)
Capracara – Flashback 86 (Souljazz)
Marcus Mixx – Shake that Thing (Legowelt remix) (Clone)
Legowelt – Fitzcarraldo (Bunker)
E-Dancer – Feel the Food (Shield)
Jeff Mills & The Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra – Gamma Player (Tresor)
Nathan Fake – Superpositions (Border Community)
Susumu Yokota – Distant Sounds of Summer (Lo Recordings)
Thom Yorke – Black Swan (XL Recordings)
On the radio again
I’m DJing on Dan Bean’s Chilled Out Passion show on Oxford’s Passion 107.9 FM this Friday night/Saturday morning from 1am-4am BST (that’s 8pm-11pm EDT). Prolly gonna do all CDs and pull out some mid-90s ambient and ambient dub/house stuff. Trip down memory lane and all that. 🙂 Should have a good chunk of time too. Tune in if you fancy it!