Ambient Spirit

Ambient Spirit - Earth

1. Catalonia - Pentatonik
2. Little Fluffy Clouds - The Orb
3. Calapagos - Sunkings
4. Hashidity - Optica
5. Eleven Bars
6. Dirt - Key Processor
7. Butterfly Holocaust - Nuetron 9000
8. King Canary Galatic Jump Ride - Timeshard
9. What Might Have Been - As One
10. Olwana - Loop Guru
11. Elevator [13th Floor Mix] - U.V.X.

This compilation is a fantastic selection of 90's electronic ambient. This was released in 1999 by a label called Dressed to Kill which seems to have evaporated. They also released a four disc compilation called Amberdelic Space and this is exactly the same as the first disc. But no matter where this arrived from, it's an excellently relaxing and uplifting experience.

MASTA POPA - Ekouleme

I found this video on Awesome Tapes From Africa which is a fantastic Blog. This is Tongolese Hip Hop. I haven't been able to find anything else by Masta Popa, the artist.

Sounds from Momo's Kemia Bar

This album seems to have bizzarre origins being a free CD with a magazine with music that is published by a London restaurant. The selection of music is actually really good and is sort of thing you would expect to be played in the background of a fancy bar. It's a selection of laid back downtempo dance music with a slight hint of world music. Imagine Morcheeba crossed with Massive Attack relaxing in a jazz club wearing a Fez after returning from Morocco. This has been getting played a lot at Faceplant Mansions. I don't like the first track but the rest of the CD is excellent if played in the background while you're washing the dishes.

1. Woody Braun Feat. Allonymous - Finding Words Ain't Easy
2. Stephane Malca & Omar Faruk Tekbilek - In The Shade
3. El Payo Feat. Marga Nero - Andar No Ar Dub
4. Stephane Malca - Freedom
5. John M. Steed - Herb
6. Smadj Feat. Rokia Traore - Fatwords (Al West Remix)
7. El Payo Feat. Dele Sosimi - Gbegedegi
8. John M. Steed Feat. Gary Mudbone Cooper - Everything (Nicola Bulostin Funky Mix)
9. Stephane Malca - Jazz Beat
10. Woody Braun Feat. Allonymous - Finding Words Ain't Easy (Captain Comatose Mix)
11. Dele Sosimi Feat. Keziah Jones - Invisible Hands

Track 10 sounds like Mr Oizo's Flat Beat but in a low key Jazz-Funk Lounge sort of way.

Celebrate Christmas!

Clebrate Christmas

1) Gloria In Excelsis
2) In Dulce Jubilo
3) Down In Yon Forest
4) God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
5) For Unto Us A Child Is Born
6) Coventry Carol
7) Hark The Herald Angels Sing
8) The First Nowell
9) 'Hallelujah!' Chorus

This album was given away free with Good Housekeeping Magazine in 1999.

The tracks are all beautifully sung Christmas Carols by a variety of different choirs. It would be perfect in the background to a festive gathering sometime over the next month.

The Cartoon Rave Ep

In 1991 the UK was traumatised by Rave exploding into the mainstream. Here are four examples of Rave tunes that sampled nostaglic TV samples and implied illegality.

1) A Trip To Trumpton - Shaft
2) Charley - The Prodigy
3) Sesame's Treat - Smart E's
4) Roobarb & Custard - Shaft

I would love to be able to include Summer's Magic by Mark Summers which sampled the Magic Roundabout but I don't think it was ever released on CD and so hasn't made it into the digital world. If I ever find it, I'll post it. Here it is in Youtube form:

Mas Que Nada - Brazilian Dance Party

Apparently, there are more species of monkeys in Brazil than any other country in the world.

Vamos dançar!

Lost in the Rainforest

The Enchanted Rainforest

This is an ambient synthesiser symphony. There are lots of nice bird noises and watery sounds in the background. The music is very laid back and relaxing. The last track sounds a bit like aliens landing in the rainforest but they seem to find the surroundings relaxing and decide to stay.

The Sound of Trinidadian Sunsets

Best of Steeldrums

This album was released in 1994 and features the work of the Red Stripe Ebony Steelband. They are apparently the oldest and most popular steelband in the United Kingdom. They were founded in 1968 in London by five young men from Trinidad. They won awards throughout the period 1985 to 1989. According to the inner sleeve of the album, Billy Ocean is a long standing member of the Band who takes an active interest in the affairs and running of the group.

The album is mighty fine.

1. Island In The Sun

2. Somebody

3. Stay Up Zembabwe

4. Nani Wine

5. Wild Goose Chase

6. Free Up

7. Hadeed's Tune

8. Yellow Bird

9. Samba De Ophelia

Icecaps and Deserts

More ambient sounds coming at you like a wet flannel.

1) The Journey North
2) Sahara Dawn
3) Climing the Glacier
4) Dunk and Water
5) Polar Sun
6) Oasis
7) Ice Dance
8) Sandstorm
9) On the White Plain

Imagine Brian Eno trapped in a block of ice that is slowly melting in a desert.

Monk Rock!

Gouranga Hey! - The Gouranga Powered Band.

This is possibly the worst song ever recorded. It was not what I expected. I really like the Gouranga word-as-virus concept to spread happiness around the world and I'm always pleased whenever I see Gouranga stuck up somewhere. This band however have spoilt it all. Here are some snippets of reviews I've found for the whole album:

"It's just...weird"

"i was all like... yeah this is pretty sick... then the dude starts singin and then im all like.. dude, wtf is all this shizzle about? this definately aint the rizzle dizzle... "

"this nearly killed me"

"These monks should be ashamed of themselves"

I found the CD in a charity shop still wrapped in plastic. I was drawn to the back cover:

I haven't posted the entire album because I don't think it would be wise.

Whale Music

Whales of the Pacific

Today I found charity shop gold in the form of Whales of the Pacific. I've been looking for whale music for ages and was over the moon to find it in a local Samaritans shop. The CD only has one track and is whale song with ambient synthesiser noodling in the background. It's very relaxing and conforms to the Brian Eno concept of ambiance that you only notice now and again. I think it's fantastic.

Punch the Monkey

Punch The Monkey - Lupin The Third Remixes

Lupin the Third is a Japanese manga character that has appeared in films, tv programs and computer games. A friend of mine brought this back from Japan years ago and I've recently rediscovered it. The music manages to be super cool, odd and bosa nova all at the same time. It's is mostly written by Japanese Jazz guru Yuji Ohno and remixed by a variety of different people on this compilation. It's called Punch the Monkey because the author of the original manga's nom de plume is Monkey Punch. No monkeys were hurt in the making of this post (well not that many anyway).

If you want to hear more of this there is an amazingly comprehensive Italian blog dedicated to Lupin the Third soundtracks here.

Japanese Indie Pop

Swinging Popsicle - Sunny Silent Park e.p.

This was one of the first releases from Japanese group Swining Popsicle released in 1997. The first two tracks sound a bit like a cross between The Cardigans and Belle and Sebastian which is brilliant.

Enter the dragon

Lee Perry - Kung Fu Meets The Dragon

This was originally released in 1975 but reissued in 1995 by Justice League records in Birmingham. It's made up of dub versions of other Lee Perry tracks with extra Kung Fu diaglogue, echos and Augustus Pablo noises. The cover is outstanding.


1 Enter The Dragon (2:18)
2 Theme From Hong Kong (2:22)
3 Heart Of The Dragon (3:08)
4 Hold Them Kung Fu (3:36)
5 Flames Of The The Dragon (2:47)
6 Scorching Iron (2:38)
7 Black Belt Jones (3:14)
8 Skango (3:04)
9 Fungaa (3:05)
10 Black Belt (2:55)
11 Iron Fist (2:26)
12 Kung Fu Man (2:45)
13 Exit The Dragon (2:27)
14 Rockstone Dub (2:38)
15 The Dragon Enters (3:21)
16 23rd Dub (2:59)
17 Rebel Dub (3:00)

Romanian Folk Rock

Pasărea Colibri - 10 ani vol.2

In 2007 I was trapped on a bus travelling into Transylvania. The bus driver played one tape over and over again and I learned to love the strange and interesting music that he tortured us with.

I ended up getting hold of a copy of an album which had a song called Vara La Tara on it because that was the catchiest tune. It turnsout the album is the second half of a concert that was recorded in The Children's Place in Bucharest in December 2002. The band were huge in Romania for 11 years but disbanded in 2003.

The name of the band Pasarea Colibri is a type of bird similar to a hummingbird.