95bFM: Coldcut Solid Steel

In Hour 1 we welcome Frank Bretschneider who was raised in Karl-Marx-Stadt (now Chemnitz) in the German Democratic Republic. He is the founder of the influential East German underground band AG. Geige and co-founder of the prestigious Raster-Noton label. He lives as a musician, video artist and producer in Berlin. He had this to say about his mix;
"The mix is to promote the SICHTEN 1 album I had the honor to compile, so it contains mainly the music of the artists represented there on. But instead to just repeat the tracks from SICHTEN, I thought to chose new, partly unreleased material as far as available: the title track of Zavoloka’s brand new PROMENI album, new material by Benjamin Brunn, two tracks from Warnecke’s 2016 album COMPUTERMUSIK EINS (FÜR DIE OHREN), and some collaborative work by Retina.It.
The mix includes as well two tracks by raster label mates Island People, resp. AtomTM (in its ’94 incarnation Lassigue Bendthaus), plus some music I enjoyed recently.
Hope you enjoy too."

In Hour 2 it's Graham Van Pelt who recently released 'Time Travel', his first record in the four years since he moved from Montreal to Toronto, and he’s no longer Miracle Fortress, or Inside Touch, or any of the aliases he’s used to record over the years. He’s just Graham Van Pelt. He told us;
"This mix includes some of the tracks I turned to for inspiration while I getting my new record ready, as well as some other vibes I've been feeling more recently.  Larry Heard and Ben Cenac(Dream 2 Science) are the producers I've been most inspired by while working on tracks over the past couple years, while labels like Sounds Of Beaubien West, Rush Hour and ASL Singles Club have been keeping things fresh and fun in my world.  I think this mix spans a lot of my tastes both old and new and gives a good sense of my moody headspace of late."

Hour 1 - Frank Bretschneider:

Framework 12 - Mads Emil Nielsen
Love Control feat. HPRIZM - MimiCof
Pet Peg Step - Benjamin Brunn
Stream 08 (Diebs for Kane Remix) - Dieb
Jove Layup - Lee Gamble
ZeroZero31 - Julia Govor
Logicmix - Retina.It + Komet
Promeni - Zavoloka
Spark - MimiCof
Frank Bretschneider
Stroboscopic Tricks - Pierce Warnecke
Open Circle - Håkan Lidbo
Space Swamp - Badun
Smog (feat. AKN) - YPY
So Much Love - Farben
Avenza - Svreca & Retina.it
Right\Shit - Soul Center
Titel 09 - Bretschneider & Brunn
Waterway - Island People
I'm Slowly Morphing - Lassigue Bendthaus
Resplendent Response - Pierce Warnecke

Hour 2 - Graham Van Pelt:

My Love Turns To Liquid - Dream 2 Science
Mercurian Funk - Larry Heard
Just A Test - Ken Gill
Romantic Comedy - Gadi Mizrahi & Soul Clap
System Defender - Villa Abo
Soul Of A Man - Gene Tellem
How RU Plush feat. Regularfantasy - D. Tiffany 
Analog Love - The Godson
All My love Is "Free" - Jump Source
Finedrawn Overcast - Electric Sound 
Azure Lagoon - Seb W & Phil B
Double Dribble - Chaos In The CBD
Endless Flight - The It
 

In Hour 1 we welcome Parris ahead of his new release 'Puro Rosaceaes' on Idle Hands, which features a remix by Gunnar Wendel under his KMOS alias. His previous releases have been on Tempa, Ancient Monarchy, Hemlock Recordings and The Trilogy Tapes. Over the last few years Parris has secured his position as one of the most forward thinking UK Techno producers. With music from ESG, CVX, Bruce, Mobb Deep, Joy Orbison, Craig Mack, Call Super and Nas, he had this to say about his mix;
"A snapshot of records in my collection which have influenced my own musical output mixed in with some newer bits. Wanted to create more of a mixtape, music in my record collection which comes from loads of different places and spaces but can still make sense with each other in the right context even if the tunes were made 20 years apart."

In Hour 2 we hand over to Virginia the talented DJ, singer, songwriter and producer who has been deeply involved in electronic music for over a decade. Growing up in Munich, the energetic and dedicated artist quickly found her feet in music. Having relocated to Berlin she’s been a Panorama Bar resident since 2012. Her DJ sets fuse warm analog house and electro of the 80s and 90s with off-kilter swinging grooves, layered with spontaneous live vocals that add a unique third dimension. She released her first solo production, the Loch & Hill EP, on Ostgut Ton in 2013, followed by her My Fantasy EP and her debut LP, Fierce For The Night, in May 2016, which was co-produced by Dexter, Martyn and Steffi. She recently did a remix for Steve Bug & Langenberg and said this about her mix;
"I choose some records that I really enjoy at the moment. It is a selection of broken & syncopated tracks who, to me, create an atmospheric and warm soundtrack for cold days ahead.”

Playlist:

PART 1/2 Parris
Come Away -ESG
Protesta Humana - CVX
Soft Focus - Robert Fleck 
Love Dub - Mark System
Brain Freeze - Fracture and Neptune
Sin Skin II - The Binary Collective
Ore - Bruce
Shook Ones Part II - Mobb Deep

Riddim-  Andy Mac and Ossia
Basic Instinct - Quasimoto
81b - Joy Orbison
Get Down (Q-Tip Remix) - Craig Mack
Addictive - Truth Hurts Feat Rakim 
The Amala - Trick Laksa
No Angel - Charli XCX
Arpo Sunk - Call Super
It Ain't Hard To Tell -Nas
Soft Touch - Parris

PART 3/4 Virginia
seahorse outro - aquarian motion
rock steady - andy rantzen
sofia - menti singole vol 2
351 - nation aiwo 004
laura - menti singole vol 2
treebank ep - joakim hellgren
semblance (gnork remix) - mihail p
unknown - silicon scally
harmonic disassembly - la synthesis
fact of the matter - anthony shakir
recovery - reedale rise
warm and sharp - gosub
synthethesizers made of paper - two one four
pocahantus in fur - luke eargoggle
 

 This week we welcome Manchester native Ruf Dug to Solid Steel, owner of the appointment-only record store Hi Tackle and label-boss of Ruf Kutz. His releases have also appeared on labels like Unknown To The Unknown, Music For Dreams, Klasse Wrecks and Tusk Wax. With music from Omar-S, Martini Bros, DJ Duke and John Tejada in his mix, he told us;
"I recorded this mix at my studio on a Tuesday morning - it’s 100% vinyl for no other reason than I couldn’t get into the room with the CDJs in it (must improve biometric hacking techniques). I figured well fuck it then I’ll just play out of my bag like it’s a gig.
My record bag is a continual work in progress; I very rarely empty it out and start over so it’s constantly evolving - some things haven’t left literally for years. I just did a reasonably large refresh after the festivals so it’s a little newer to me than normal.
The mix was gonna be longer but the Glowing Palms tune ended sooner than I expected and it seemed like a good point to stop; sometimes u gotta let fate make the big decisions.
Biggups mashups & minimal, the world is ready to forgive u. All my love to my incredibly understanding wife Louise, my beautiful son Larry and my beautiful home Manchester."

In Hour 2 it's Brame & Hamo from Sligo, Ireland and currently based in Berlin, who have expertly produced some of the most effortless house music of the last few years via their first imprint Splendor & Squalour. In 2017 they launched their eponymous second label with the Trants EP to critical acclaim. Their latest EP “Celebrity Impersonator” came out last month and they had this to say about their mix;
"It has been ages since we have put out a mix, and it’s a pleasure to join the Solid Steel series as it is one of our favorites and has shaped who we are as artists. This is a good account of the tunes and style we play when we are out at a gig. It features a few rare gems, and some unreleased but forthcoming productions of ours. We hope you enjoy!”

Playlist:
San Pellegrino - Kaschiel
One Step Ahead (MAW Mix) - Debbie Gibson
I Was Tired Of Being Alone - Klodya
Less Pain - Omar-S

Nativtonguetwisterhood - MB
Critical Ebb - Intelligent Communication
Butter Up (Inst) - Elektrik Dred
Hot - Martini Bros
Tribal Journey - DJ Duke 
Mind Bend - John Tejada
Core - Nagual
Your Love - Jackmaster Hater 
Murder Weapon - Sugar Minott
Mighty In Battle - TNT Roots

For Real - M-Dubs

My Caesar - Mark Seven
Love - Reggie Dokes
Good Girls - Designer Music
Equitoreal Dubtribe - Sound System
Saturday - Unknown
Getting There - Glowing Palms
 

In Hour 1 it's singer, songwriter and producer Nick Hakim, who grew up in a household overflowing with musical diversity and cites influences ranging from Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, to Madlib and MF Doom, to South American folk and DC punk. He independently built a following through the release of his critically acclaimed self-released EPs Where Will We Go, Pt. 1 and Where Will We Go, Pt 2. May 2017 marked the release of his debut full-length album, 'Green Twins', which featured contributions from Jesse & Forever and the Onyx Collective and was an experimental step forward with emotional heft gleaned from experiences in the years since the first EPs. He had this to say about his mix;
"These are songs that I love right now.. I appreciate you taking the time to listen. With all this madness happening around us, listening to music is where I always find solitude and peace. Have a nice day and enjoy. Be safe out here"

In Hour 2 we hand over to Astronautica, a singer/songwriter and electronic producer whose music captures the eclectic nature of Los Angeles’ experimental beat scene and its connections to different cultures around the globe. She was drawn into the L.A.’s underground musical community swirling around Low End Theory, and quickly became addicted to the burgeoning beat sounds of the West Coast. She has been signed to Alpha Pup Records for the last five years, and has launched a slew of widely acclaimed releases with the label. Her latest album is Death Valley, which she wrote and recorded over the last three years at her home studio in Los Angeles. She told us;
"This is a collection of songs that I'm currently listening to, songs that have been an inspiration in some of my past works, and my latest tracks off of my most recent LP, 'Death Valley.' Living in LA, I spend a lot of time in my car driving through many streets and neighborhoods, my favorite is when I'm driving late at night after all the traffics subsided listening to music with the windows down, I made this mix to evoke that feeling."

Part 1 Nick Hakim

Doug Carn featuring Jean Carn Naima
Pink Siifu  Skin Made of Gold
Barry White Cant get enough of your love, babe
Dur Dur Band Is Yeelyel
Jack Dejohnette Ntoro
Dr Buzzards Original Savanah Band Sunshower
Marlena Shaw  Loving You Was Like a Party
Melvin Van Peebles Hoppin John
Interlude 1 (sp404)
Shuggie Otis Island Letter
Pink Siifu  Pops Tired
Norvis Junior (Nelson Bandela) Kissin on Your Back
Eugene McDaniels  The Parasite
Pink Siifu Pray Everyday
Doug Carn Jean Carn Naima
The Moments When The Morning Comes
Dirty Beaches Lord Knows Best
Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson Peace go With You,Brother
Eugene McDaniels Feel Like Making Love
Ashni Puthli Space Talk
Outro (sp404)

PART 2 Astronautica
Rosalía Malamente
Blake Skowron No Fight (feat. Skyler Bennett
RAYE Confidence (Preditah Remix)
Nosaj Thing U G (Les Sins Remix)
idntrmmbr Judgement Night
Dauwd What’s There (Fort Romeau Remix)
Daphni Carry On
Astronautica Racetracks
Kllo By Your Side
Route 8 3 Days
Renraku Presents: RKU-V01 A2
Astronautica Can’t Remember
CRi Keep It Real (feat. Jesse Mac Cormack)
Ross From Friends Project Cybsersyn
Blawan Getting Me Down
Martyn Manchester
Jitwam Stronger
Lando Kal Further
Astronautica Palms

In Hour 1 we welcome back Taraval celebrating the release of his new EP 'Aardvark', which is out on Four Tet's Text Records today. The title track has been whipping festivals and dance floors into a frenzy all summer long when played by the likes of Four Tet, Daphni, Floating Points amongst others, getting many Track ID requests and features in this mix. The San Francisco based producer also has a background as a band member in Caribou. He told us;
"Always exciting to get to mix for Solid Steel. This one features a lot of music I’ve discovered and loved in 2018, plus a couple of tracks from my Aardvark EP on Text Records out on Oct 19. I recorded this live at Crowbar Corner studios, a new and very inspiring place in San Francisco I share with a bunch of artists. It starts off in an aquatic groove then shifts into some psych-y techno then dissolves into some American drones and tones old and new."

Playlist for Hour 1 - Taraval

Shimshon Miel - Amsterdam Experience
Herbert - The Swamp
Evigt Morker - Total Makt 
Wata Igarashi - Question and Answer 
Alex Falk - BETA
Koehler - Thief
Taraval - Aardvark
Arttu - Wiggly Eyez
DJ Shufflemaster - Voltage Controlled Sequence
Soulphiction - Blues Theory (Churchapella)
Ambivalent - Doxa
Nihad Tule and Nima Khak - Plateaux 2002
Daniel Bortz - Dry Mouth
Michael Claus - Ice Pick
Gemini - Klonopinless
Taraval - Pumpkin
Jesper Dahlback and Nihad - Tule Expansion of Timelessness
Orbe - Upper Stage
Aiken - Dominance (James Ruskin Remix)
Henry Flynt - You Are My Everlobvin' 
Organic Dial - Subelan

In Hour 2 we hand over to Cromby, an Irish DJ and producer residing in Berlin, having previously cut his trade between Belfast & London. He's held a residency for the past 6 years at Belfast’s legendary Shine and shows in the past year at the likes of Panorama Bar, Robert Johnson, The Warehouse Project & Boiler room.  His latest EP Futurola is the first release on Denis Sulta’s new Sulta Selects sub label Silver Service, which has been gaining a lot of International support and his next release 'Retribution' is coming out on Feel My Bicep in November. He had this to say; 
"Big big honour to be able to contribute to this series! I found out about this quite last minute with not much time to prepare, so I decided to pull out some of my favourites i've been playing over the last year, I hope you enjoy it!"

Our guest in Hour 1 is Vester Koza ahead of his debut album 'Loader Mither' coming out on Houndstooth in November. In 2013 he released a string of self-released EP's which gained widespread critical acclaim and in 2016 Koza signed to fabric's Houndstooth Label, beginning with the OTR EP. Unlike his previous EPs where he first found his voice, 'Loader Mither' was conceived of and completed as a single project, and its coherence adds to its emotional kick. His mix includes tracks from Autechre, Chynna, Luna-C, Drexciya, The Human League and Bochum Welt.

In Hour 2 it's Imrie Kiss who has been spearheading the renaissance of electronic music in Hungary since his acclaimed debut album Midnight Wave back in 2013. The last few years have been particularly fruitful for the Lobster Theremin affiliate: opening the country’s first Boiler Room; launching Crisis Sound System with Aiwa and S. Olbricht; holding a residency at Budapest’s infamous LÄRM; releasing a string of remixes and releases for various imprints; and taking his unique sound to world-renowned clubs such as Panorama Bar, Culture Box and Corsica Studios. He told us;
“Recorded on a rainy day in my apartment in Budapest, this is a slow-burning mix, a journey through trippy breakbeat and electro with hints of italo. Best enjoyed on a hazy night with a few glasses of wine.”
 

 In Hour 1 it's Etch celebrating the release of his debut LP Ups & Downs' on Sneaker Social Club. He began producing in his bedroom at the age of 12 after the infectious curiosity of early 00’s drum & bass, hip hop and experimental electronic music. As time developed and he carved a taste in music through garage, grime, dubstep and hip hop, he began to amalgamate his past into his productions releasing on Keysound, Lapsus, Sony Space + Time, Sunday Best & Soundman Chronicles to name a few. He told us;
"As with most studio recorded mixes I try to capture whatever frame of mind I’m in production-wise at that moment. I’ve tried to combine what I play in clubs with some further reaching headphone music. I like the idea of being blasted into space through your headphones, I love sinking into the background listening to music when im walking around or travelling, let the music dictate where I go. The mix contains classics, new founds favs, unreleased cuts and some blends I’ve been having fun with. I feel a lot of mixes suffer from being a whole hour of waiting for something to happen these days as people monotonously and elegantly transverse 120bpm to 130bpm, the mixes that used to jump out at me when I was younger were the ones where things would just jump out and kick you in the face, not necessarily been done with much technical prowess, and leave you with a smile. So yeah expect a lot of kicks in the face etc…"

In Hour 2 we welcome Maarja Nuut and Hendrik Kaljujärv aka Ruum who release their collaborative album 'Muunduja’, today on  130701 an imprint of FatCat Records.The stunning album was recorded in July 2017 at Peeter Salmela's studio in Kalamaja, Tallinn. The duo was joined there by producer Howie B, who inspired the artists to use more than their standard repertoire of instruments. Maarja Nuut sings, plays violin and different keyboards. Ruum plays different analogue and digital synthesizers; various field recordings and “found sounds” were employed where appropriate. They had this to say;
"As the weather changes, perception seems to follow. Surroundings become a little muffled and focus moves inwards, it’s like a sneaking preparation for coming ‘kaamos’ - translated literally, it means (winter) darkness. The way from my home to studio runs along the coast line of Tallinn, it’s about a 40-minute stroll that I often pass with - I call it - walking music. So it’s a selection of hypnotising rhythms that I like to move along with, embellished with picks from archives, outer environments, some cosy sounding synth loops and one ballad."
 

In Hour 1 we welcome Voyage label boss Andy Hart following the release of his Voyager 1 EP. He told us; "This is the first record I’ve put out in a quite some time as I’ve mainly been focusing on djing and developing the label. We’ve just finished a tour of Europe with Wax’o Paradiso, a party and group I’m involved in from Melbourne. I’m also heading on a solo tour to Asia and Australia in November, although there is a gig in Osaka at the end of this month as well as the usual Wax’o Paradiso gigs in Australia over summer. The mix is somewhat reflective of the upcoming Voyage EP we’re doing with Rings Around Saturn. He’s an incredible talent and one of the most interesting artists that has come out of Melbourne; check his aliases and collaborations sd Dan White, 2200, Bleekman and Turner Street Sound. Although he makes music across a broad spectrum, this EP is quite reserved and delicate, which are qualities I’ve tried to focus on whilst putting together records for this mix. There are some more recent bits in from Skee Mask, Lord Of The Isles and S.O.N.S as well as a track from Move D and Benjamin Brunn’s 2006 LP for BineMusic. Thanks for listening and thank you Solid Steel for having me, respect!"
In Hour 2 we hand over to Rafael Anton Irisarri for his Solid Steel Ambient mix to celebrate the release of his new cassette on Umour Rex called El Ferrocarril Desvaneciente. While composed as an ode to an overnight train journey through Spain he took many years ago, the music picks up sonically where his
previous album Sirimiri left off. Irisarri focuses on deploying sonic cycles throughout these four shorter pieces, basing much of this sweeping ambience around looped sounds and distant pulses. The sound is however kept in a state of forward motion and constant evolution, invoking the slowly rumbling night train that inspired it —not to mention its cargo of misfits and travelers. Inspired by musical storytellers such as Lee Hazelwood, Lou Reed, or Leonard Cohen, his music is transforming into something closer to narrative ––“storytelling without words,” He said this about his mix "Ambient mix featuring dear friends. Enjoy!"
 

Nick Höppner - Part 1
Sentinel - Dig Deeper
DJ Peshay - Latin Jungle
T. Power - Police State
Andy C. & Shimon - Recharge
Sappo - Die Hard RMX
Twin Dragon ft. Sevi G - Dangerous
Mask - Square Off 
Maximum Style - Admit To Love

Nick Höppner - Part 2
Wriggler - Nu Lick 
Dr. Octagon - Blue Flowers (Photek’s Secondary Diagnostic Mix) 
Nuyorican Soul - It’s Alright, I Feel It! (Roni Size Remix)
Lemon D - I Can’t Stop 
Capone - Massive 
J Majik - Your Sound 
Borderline - Screwface 
Boogie Times Tribe - The Dark Stranger (Origin Unknown Remix) 
The Two G’$ - The Reno 

Elena Colombi - Part 3
Mr. Incognito - Wheel Of Fortune
Peverelist - Aztec Chant
Second Storey - Manhattan To Moscow (214 Remix) 
Giant Swan - Pax Britannica
Lorenzo Senni - XAllegroX (DJ Stingray’s Molto Allegro Mix) 
Ossia - Devil's Dance
Memotone - Pantomine Demon 
Lolina - Style and Punishment

Elena Colombi - Part 4
M-M - Bus Ride Ambient 
Gavin Guthrie - Sound Mind In a Sound Body 
Universal Indicator (AFX) - 15 c7 
Adapta - MKS-50_04 
R Gamble - Dislocate 
The Mover - Astral Demons 
TYVYT-IYTYI - Never Here Before 
Clan Of Xymox - Stranger 
Model 500 - Vessels In Distress (Prelude)