Music Moment: Hacker Farm, “UHF”

You may not know it, but even though I’m a man’s man, and that I’ve only met him in the flesh once,I love that guy known as Jonny Mugwump.

I love him for many reasons. I love him for his taste in music. I love him for his lovely bald, round head (That looks a bit like a fuzzy gooseberry). I love the fact that he runs Exotic Pylon, his many headed hydra of a cultural entity that seems to have the right kind of prescience on picking and championing the right kind of music. I love the fact that he had the foresight to give Blackest Ever Black their first run out into the public through his radio show. I love that he also gave me a chance to showcase some of those 2nd rate mixing skills for his radio show on Resonance FM (A mix that i spent a fair bit of time on only for Resonance FM to fuck it up by overloading the bass on the mixing desk).

But it’s the record label of the same name that i love most of all. As a small independent label, Jonny definitely has an uncanny ear for the weird and wonderful stuff that’s happening out on the fringes of the music scene, and the last couple of months has seen one hell of a flurry of activity going on over there. There has been the organic post step of Shape Worship, the lyrical and bleak ’80s cabaret post-punk of Band Of Holy Joy, and the joyous charming Danish  psychedelic pop of Friskt Frugt.

But it’s the mental rural power electronics of HACKER FARM that has got my udders throbbing. I received my copy of their latest album, “UHF” just after the New Year and it’s certainly a noisy little belter that’s accompanied my dreary work days. I also slipped a copy to my friend Aðalsteinn, who commented that this was an album that certainly pushed all his power electronic pleasure buttons. No wonder – there’s something just so decidedly British about “UHF,” with its mix of  DIY industrial electronics (They have a nice little home-made instrument called the Atari Synth Bucket!), old school acid rave noises, rural self-reliance, and agitprop awkwardness that ensures that while “UHF” is not always an easy listen, it’s definitely a rewarding one. This is a picture of pastoral Britain that more piles of burning tires, diseased livestock, and early deaths from overwork, than summer fetes, cream teas, and upper class Chumney-Warner fuckwits playing twee-folk.

For your listening, i more than recommend the following tracks from the album. then I recommend you go to their site and buy the thing. Trust me on this one, all right?

Goodnight…

 

Nordic Interstitial thresholds Vs The Exotic Pylon: The Atemporal Deathline pt 2 – The return!!

Some very important news you all need to know. Several weeks ago i was asked by my Good friend and Exotic Pylon records impresario, Jonny Mugwump, to create a mix for his record show on Resonance FM. I duly created said mix and got so excited that i told a lot of people, even my Brother who thinks that Resonance FM are “all over the shop”.

How prophetic my brother’s words turned out to be for on the night when it was supposed to be aired the slack arsed amateurs who were managing the station that night DID EVEN PLAY THE RIGHT PROGRAMME! Jonny was apologetic and stuff, but it was definitely emos all round.

But now it’s back and tonight on Resonance 104.4 at 8pm GMT (9pm British time), Nordic Interstitial Thresholds will take over the Exotic Pylon Radio Show and play sill buggers with your mindz!

You can listen online RIGHT HERE. I think you should do it. My ferrets of death know where you live….

 

Mix SPECIAL!: Nordic Interstitial Thresholds Vs Exotic Pylon: THE ATEMPORAL DEATHLINE!

So people may (or probably may not) have noticed that there hasn’t been a recent NITcast polluting the airwaves. Well there is a good reason that, which i can now share with you.

So there i was a few weeks ago, lying at home, covered in my own filth and watching YouTube videos “Robin Of Sherwood” (The ones with Jason Connery), when I received an e-mail from none other than Mr Jonny Mugwump, impressario extraordinaire and runner of EXOTIC PYLON - Record label, club night, and chaotic radio show.

His e-mail said “i like you mixes a lot. Do a mix for me so i can put it on my radio show. And i better like it or I’ll break your legs. Grrrr!” Now it’s a well known fact that Mr Mugwump is a ruthless, ruthless man, so who was i to argue with him?

So after i picked up my dropped bollocks, i began sourcing, splicing, mixing and mashing, and the end result I came up with THE ATEMPORAL DEATHLINE. A heady mix of transient songs and sounds designed to take you to places yo may not really want to go to.

And the best bit? You can hear it LIVE tonight on London’s Resonance FM at 8pm GMT (9pm BST). the mix and the show will get uploaded in the coming days, but i think you should actually listen to it cos it be a WELL wicked mix and stuff. Plus my ego could do with the boost.