I Dream Of Wires – The Modular Synthesizer Documentary

Noticed the trailer for this documentary last year. Pulled in by that super title I Dream Of Wires and got hooked in straight away by all the stupid amount of amazing dials, wires, sounds and machines.
Looking like a fantastic labour of love coming out of Toronto, Canada. Which had a little help from indiegogo, a Kickstarter type project website. Always promising to see such projects receiving interest and generating a buzz. Some of the machines in the trailer are beyond fookin crazy. Massive behemoths of unimaginable size lovingly restored, customised and tailored. Read that there could be a four hour DVD. The perfect addition to any music documentary collector. Loads of interviews from people I’ve never heard which is great plus there’s some classics too. Trent Reznor, Carl Craig and John Foxx show off their beloved systems. Really itching to get to see it as soon as possible. Reading that the screenings were meant to be about round spring time. Maybe it was in the States, Canada? Anyone know, anyone seen it yet?

“I Dream of Wires” (IDOW) is an upcoming, independent documentary film about the phenomenal resurgence of the modular synthesizer — exploring the passions, obsessions and dreams of people who have dedicated part of their lives to this esoteric electronic music machine. IDOW is written and directed by Robert Fantinatto with Jason Amm (Ghostly International recording artist Solvent) serving as producer and co-writer.

From the website HERE it sounds things are moving on well with screenings set and DVD’s going off to be pressed.

Vimeo trailer HERE meant to be the hardcore edition what ever that might mean, probably the four hour cut, looks totaly awesome….

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Keep up with updates if you like at my FACEBOOK page or TWITTER

Big love………. Mike

Ennio Styles Presents Stylin 600

Australian DJ and good bloke Ennio Styles reaches the big 600 episode on his sublime Stylin radio show on Triple R Melbourne Independent Radio network.
Thats 600 x 2 hours of hi-quality music. Music of the highest calibre too. Always cracking shows. Ranging from Rare Grooves, quality deep hip hop beats, hi-tech jazz and nu grooves to other wordly fusions. On a similar tip to Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide show but with a very different approach. Ennio always shines through with his interviews and selections, always dropping the newest musical treats which make you wanna seek out that tracklist and find out what he’s just played as soon as humanly possible. Must add on a different note too he’s also recommended me some brilliant Aussie telly show’s on a number of occasions. “A Moody Christmas” was a superb comedy series. Right good belly laughs. Anyhow back on topic!!

With a celebration of this big number he has compiled Stylin’ 600 a collection of 30 tunes including many unreleased, unavailable and undiscovered tracks, lovingly selected.
Plus it’s FREE too from HEARD AND FELT MUSIC.

I had a little listen and big hits straight out was the firing jam like a mad version of Charles Earland’s Key Club Cookout session from Bryan Beninghove with all guns a blazing.
Two super laid back chilled smoke tunes which I fell in love instantly in love with from ChromadaData and Closer with it’s Zap style vocoder and the synth grooving mad Durayne & The Tooch.
The funky synth lead tune from DA-10 – Respirator has a great name and I’m sure thats going to be a big grower on me.
Possible my fav from my first listen, it’s a difficult choice but I think I might go for the surreal and totally twisted up Kirkis & Willywonkka. Nuts tune but anything with the ditty “a world of pure imagination” has me sold.

The great selection that goes right across the board, with something in there for everybody. Check it out, you’re sure to love it. And tune into his show whenever you can at STYLIN
Grab the amazing package of goodies on the 2nd of August. Plus also check the bottom of this page for links to the massive Stylin 500 3 x pack.

Tracklist and comments from Heard and Felt

1. Daniel Crawford – The Awakening Intruth
(Jazz/Funk/Hip Hop) LA beat maestro and multi-instrumentalist known for his Dilla, Fela and MJ tributes gives us a majestic taste of his forthcoming jazz album. Also look out for his collaborations with Amp Fiddler and Vikter Duplaix.
2. Ghost Mutt – Sweat Mode
(Bass/Juke) Repitched R&B vocals ride a futuristic juke-tempo groove. From the on-point UK label Donky Pitch.
3. Slavic Soul Party! – Taketron
(Brass/Balkan/Gypsy/Funk) Rapid fire Balkan horn and accordion madness from NYC with a blazing trumpet solo.
4. Heavy – Can’t Be the Way
(Funk/Rock) Nicky Guiland and Casey Benjamin (Robert Glasper Experiment) would be pop superstars in a perfect world. This funk rock track from their rare self-released EP takes the Betty Davis sound into the 21st century.
5. Blum – I’ll Always Be in Your Heart
(House/Jazz) ‘Give me a song with a beautiful melody’. Producer/violist Alex Blum does just that, enlisting vocal contributions from Anna Wise (Sonnymoon) and Kelton Nicholas Blackshear (Monroe).
6. Dessy Di Lauro – Mysterious
(Soul/Neo-Ragtime) Dubbing her new sound ‘neo-ragtime’, the LA diva drops a swinging finger-snapper that should appeal to fans of Lina, Andre 3000 and anyone who wished ‘electro swing’ had more soul.
7. Isaac Maya – You Make Me Cry
(Drum & Bass/Reggae) D&B with added Jamaican sunshine via a Mexican producer and Russian label (Liquid Brilliants).
8. Trian Kayhatu – Kumiko (Spend the Night)
(Beats/R&B/Synth Funk) R&B vocals with a cosmic future funk groove from a Dutch producer with plenty more heat to come in 2013.
9. Danny Byrd feat Xavier – New Day
(UK Garage) Known for his drum & bass productions, Danny here updates the early 00s Wookie garage sound (remember ‘Battle’?), mixing soul vibes with rough beats and rave basslines.
10. Cydara – Starship
(Future Soul/R&B) A soul classic blasts into hyperspace with a hi-tech R&B treatment for fans of Prince and Janelle Monae.
11. Sampha – Rainstars (instrumental)
(Beats/Synth Funk) Known for his collaborations with SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, Drake and Koreless, Sampha came into Stylin’ last year and played two heartbreakers with only his keys and voice. Here he goes uptempo, flexing pure production and keyboard chops.
12. Kira Neris & Vax1 – Weeping Willow
(House) French producer Kira Neris, a long time Stylin’ favourite, teams up with Vax1 on this previously unreleased track. If Motor City Drum Ensemble made music for summer festivals it might sound like this.
13. Chip White – Afternoon in Mombasa
(Jazz/Afro) The veteran NYC drummer (and poet) has been leading some heavy sessions in recent years, including this jazz dance bomb featuring the likes of Randy Brecker, Steve Wilson and Patience Higgins.
14. Bryan Beninghove – Hear Me Now
(Jazz) The New Jersey saxophonist’s organ trio takes it back to the gritty 60s sound of Jimmy Smith and Larry Young on this firing uptempo number.
15. DuFrayne – The Tooch
(Synth Funk/Boogie) Sometimes he’s Dufrane. Sometimes he’s Jimmy Dufresne. Sometimes he remixes Hiatus Kaiyote. Here he hypnotises the crowd with a slo-mo boogie funk headnodder.
16. Xavier León – Croak
(Bass/Juke) Finding melody in mutilated vocals and pizzicato strings, the Montreal producer (half of Sibian and Faun) then pulls it all apart with a heavy bass drop.
17. Peder – Monoglukose
(Soundtrack/Downtempo) This Danish producer’s credits include work for Ubiquity, Mo’Wax and Grand Royal. Hearing this tune it won’t surprise you to know that he also does soundtracks.
Imagine Arthur Lyman remixed by DJ Cam.
18. Brandee Younger – Breakfast with Adrianna
(Jazz) When she’s not not working with Common and Drake, the New York harpist is invoking the spirit of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby on tunes like this previously unreleased piece with her trio.
19. Dakota Suite – Cataluña
(Jazz) The Leeds purveyors of cinematic moodscapes give us a strolling jazz-tinged piece propelled by brush drums, a hooky double bass line and gentle piano ripples.
20. Kekko Fornarelli – Room of Mirrors
(Jazz) Smoky Italian trio jazz reflecting a place somewhere between Esbjörn Svensson, Bugge Wesseltoft and Cinematic Orchestra. This might be what the MPS label would sound like today.
21. ChromadaData – Closer
(Beats/Soul) US beatmaker ChromadaData gets intimate with the talkbox. Like Roger Troutman teaming up with Dilla for a slow jam.
22. Kevin Hayden Trio – Dilla Esq
(Jazz/Hip Hop) Milwaukee drummer Kevin Hayden, who recently shared a stage with Robert Glasper, pays jazz tribute to a hip hop legend.
23. DA-10 – Respirator
(Electronic/Synth Funk) Making electronic music the old way, strictly hardware, is one thing. You’ve still got to be able to write a good bassline! Fortunately this UK duo can do both.
24. Juxtpose – Marshall
(Techno) Starting off in dubbed-out ‘deep space’, but don’t get too relaxed, this track hits an asteroid field later on! Melbourne producer Juxtpose will shortly front one of the first artist releases on Heard and Felt.
25. Luke Eargoggle & Johan Inkinen – The Tribute Electroniq
(Electro/Techno) Like Komarken Electronics (Stylin’ 500), it seems much of the best electro right now is coming out of Scandinavia. If only Kraftwerk made a new record like this.
26. Daniel Savio – False & Slimey
(Skweee/Electronic) Staying with Scandinavia and its native ‘skweee’ sound here, represented by one of the genre’s standout artists. Daniel continues to put the bleeps in all the right places on this track. As Carl Craig said on Stylin’, ‘it’s all techno to me’!
27. Kirkis – Willywonkka
(Beats/Jazz) Recently supporting Thundercat with his full band, Melbourne bassist/producer Kirkis makes ‘surrealist future jazz’ from a world of pure imagination … and Wonder.
28. Baby Jaymes – Soulfinger
(Soul/R&B/Funk) Hailing from Oakland like his mentor and sometime collaborator Raphael Saadiq, Baby Jaymes here gives us a funky R&B party jam that sounds just as good now as it did in 2004.
29. Emanuel Johnson II feat GIWU – GIWU
(Gospel/Soul) Detroit gospel with spine-tingling harmonies, especially when the group find ‘freedom’ halfway through.
30. Jamie Davis – If You Want Me to Stay
(Jazz/Big Band) The big band swings, but it’s Jamie’s rich baritone that steals the show on this version of Sly’s classic.

The awesome landmark Stylin 500 from 2011 is still available, in all three part glory.

Stylin’ 500 – Part 1: The Soul

Stylin’ 500 – Part 2: The Science

Stylin’ 500 – Part 3: The Spirit

Thanks for the tunes and big love and best wishes with the project Ennio and Heard and Felt Music.

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Keep up with updates if you like at my FACEBOOK page or TWITTER

Big love………. Mike

Afronauts – Space Is The Place

I have a passion for all things spacey and the more adventurous and quirky the better. Apart from loony genius Sun-Ra and his Space Is The Place brilliance and other jazz inspired space odysseys, I had never heard of the Zambian project by Edward Makuka Nkoloso to send 12 astronauts and a bunch of cats to Mars. Why bother with the Moon when you can beat the United States and the Soviet Union in the space race and bypass the Moon all together. The year was 1964 and the ambitious project came to a halt after one of the astronauts a young 17 year old became pregnant and is said to have been taken away by her parents. Plus funding and other problems I would imagine. Maybe it was all dreams and over ambitious but what an incredible story it is. I had first heard about it when watching an Adam Curtis documentary a few years back. This little section appeared with incredible images of these black astronauts walking along in their amazing looking space suits. I was hooked and need to know more.

“We’re going to Mars! With a Spacegirl, Two Cats and a Missionary!

There’s been a lot of love for this project and I was lucky to see an exhibition this year by Cristina De Middel called The Afronauts held at the Photographers Gallery in London. Wonderful images. How chuffed I was to have the opportunity to see the photos up close because there was no chance of me getting hold of her self published book how ever much I would love to have it! It went from $40 into the thousands very quickly. Boo. So was a real pleasure to see them hung in an exhibition. I don’t have an ipad but you can get an app which I hear is very good HERE

A Vimeo short film on Cristina De Middel project. HERE

Now another project I’m very excited about is a film by director Frances Bodomo. I had first thought it was a documentary but after joining the facebook page and see a few images I’m lead to believe it’s a film based around the space program. With a very elegant and stunning leading lady Diandra Forrest playing the young “afronaut” Matha Mwambwa. This project has been helped with a great push from Kickstarter which I missed I’m ashamed to say but I will try and support it in other ways where I can.

I wish them all the best with their exciting project and can’t wait to see it.

A teaser trailer for the short film by Frances Bodomo is HERE

Remember SPACE IS THE PLACE

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Keep up with updates if you like at my FACEBOOK page or TWITTER

Big love………. Mike

A Band Called Death! Documentary

Go out of your way to see this super little documentary about a Detroit punk band in the 70’s consisting of three brother trying to get a record deal and playing music they loved. Slight draw back! they were called Death. Death with a positive spin though but it didn’t make things easy.
A truly heartwarming, inspiring tale told by two of the remaining members. These guys and their family are just the most wonderful people with their love for each other and passion for music shining very brightly through. A great companion piece to last years Searching For Sugar man.
Maybe be punk or rock and roll isn’t your thing, I don’t own many, but like any great doc it’s all about the feeling, spirit of the story and this one is undeniably brilliant.
I love the buzz you get from great documentaries. Definitely good for your soul.

Trailer

Quote from the website A Band Called Death

Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was a band called Death. Punk before punk existed, three teenage brothers in the early ’70s formed a band in their spare bedroom, began playing a few local gigs and even pressed a single in the hopes of getting signed. But this was the era of Motown and emerging disco. Record companies found Death’s music— and band name—too intimidating, and the group were never given a fair shot, disbanding before they even completed one album. Equal parts electrifying rockumentary and epic family love story, A Band Called Death chronicles the incredible fairy-tale journey of what happened almost three decades later, when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of the attic and found an audience several generations younger. Playing music impossibly ahead of its time, Death is now being credited as the first black punk band (hell…the first punk band!), and are finally receiving their long overdue recognition as true rock pioneers.

Another link for the record label
Drag City

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Keep up with updates if you like at my FACEBOOK page or TWITTER

Big love………. Mike

FYE FM – Mad Mongos Soul Hour – Demo 2007?

Dug this one out from sometime back when the Brownswood Forum was thinking of doing a radio station called FYE FM (Fun Your Ear). Was it the end of 2006 or 2007? I can’t recall. There was fair interest, with a number of demos and ideas coming in. My idea was The Mad Mongos Soul Hour. This was my demo which I discovered on my old hard drive. Worth uploading? Well maybe as a curiosity. The music is fine but the chat is pretty bad. To be fair it was the very first time I had attempted anything like this before. I do keep popping into cheesy wedding dj mode and one minute I’m talking slowly, then I’m speeded up. If I’m totally honest I haven’t got any better hence just doing a little hello at the beginning of my podcasts haha. Chatting and listening to my own voice isn’t for me, very much different to when I had a few and you can stop me. Not sure a drunk podcast would work even if it might be good car crash entertainment. Well maybe!!!

Shame it all fell through as it would’ve been a superb project and the ideas and demos were excellent with a wide choice of music and very different styles. The board has gone through so many hard times but at that time there really was a lot of enthusiasm. Shame the old archive got trashed when the old board bit the dust due to shitty server company changing the servers over and deleting years of music information, reviews, mixes, chat, memories and a whole heap of nonsense. Would be great to resurrect the thread to see what the other demo’s were? Let me know if you were on it, did you do a demo?

Well here it is if you can be arsed and only 43 minutes. Must of made room for the AD breaks 🙂

Anyway pour some wine to have with your cheese hehe. Apart from the music that is.
I still really like the beginning opening jingle. That is Tappa Zukie and a track called Freak. Bizarre disco tune on his Earth Running LP.

Intro – Zukie
Andy Bey – I Know This Love Can’t Be Wrong – Atlantic [Experience And Judgment]
Major Harris – Loving You Is Mellow – Atlantic [My Way]
Linda Lewis – Fathoms Deep – Reprise [Fathoms Deep]
Michael Wycoff – Looking Up To You – RCA [Love Conquers All]
Manchild – Walk With Me (Ande Conmigo) – Chi Sound Records [Feel The Phuff]
Michal Urbaniak – Satin Lady – Arista [Body English]
Billy Cobham – Bolinas – Columbia [Simplicity Of Expression – Depth Of Thought]
Michael White – So Good To Me (Your Love) – Elektra [White Night]
Paulinho Da Costa – Love Till The End Of Time – Pablo Today [Happy People]
The Intruders – Who Do You Love (Instrumental) – Streetwave 7″

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FYE FM – Mad Mongos Soul Hour – Demo 2007? by Mad Mongos Radio Soul on Mixcloud

Mad Mongos Radio Soul Show – 21 – Soul Mystery 5

Hello. Here’s my new podcast if you’re up for some soulful tunes.
Been awhile since my last one as I hit a brick wall and lost my mojo somewhat but it seems to be back now and it was fun getting behind the dials and compiling the tunes.

This is like part five of a series of mixes I did some years back called the Soul Mystery’s there where 4 mixes which are now up on my blog at http://www.madmongos.com/music-blog-radio-show. Oh big shout out goes to gary Baker who had and uploaded the lost episode 3 for me. Superstar, thanks mate.
The shows have a slight theme which has nothing really to do with the music but it’s for fun and there are a quite few connections which are in there which you might notice. Some on purpose some very random but work I believe.

This time I’m helped by Colonel Glenn Ross who takes the Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun to visit a planet which has taken up the same orbit as earth. I help him on his travels with a transmission of soul music beamed through to his spacesuit. Poor bloke gets a little lost but it kept his spirits up.

From the brilliant science fiction film called Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun AKA Doppelgänger from 1969. Colonel Glenn Ross was played by Roy Thinnes from The Invaders fame. It was a British film written by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and had the soundtrack recorded by classic composer Barry Gray (UFO, Space 1999, Thunderbirds)

What’s to look out on the mix?

Well the Michael Henderson tune is hard to beat to be honest. Amazing space love vibes for the summer. Titled Stay With Me This Summer.

The Hummingbird tune “Anna’s song” is a great piece of chilled music wit a nice happy vibe. Check out another one from the lp called Spirit which I had a past mix. Looks like the video has been uploaded by Brownswood’s very own Snoopy 🙂

Big smiley faced man Ronnie Foster always delivers. Love the photo on the cover.

And the love of my life the sexy and beautiful Linda Lewis. Oh how I love you!!

Super up and fun tune from Alzo and Udine, some hippy vibes from Paul Parrish and a great remix of the Free Design from Mellow.
Lots of goodies in there for you.
Hope you enjoy.

Here’s the tracklist.

Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun – Doppelgänger
Charles Earland – Changes – Mercury [Perceptions]
Eddie Russ – Interlude – Monument [Take A Look At Yourself]
Alzo & Udine – I Can’t Believe It – Mercury [C’mon And Join Us]
Soul Sensation Orchestra – Won’t You Try – Shadybrook Records [Shine Your Light]
Joachim Kuhn – Sunshine – Atlantic [Springfever]
Natural Four – Baby Come On – Curtom [Heaven Right Here On Earth]
The Free Design Remix By Mellow – Kites Are Fun – Light In The Attic – [Redesigned The Remix E.P]
Paradox – Mellow Earth – Rota [Rhythms Of The Ancients]
Paul Parrish – Dialogue Of Wind And Lover – Music Factory – [The Forest Of My Mind]
Casbah 73 – Strollin – Hitop Records [Cabo Verde Strut 12″]
Ronnie Foster – Love Satellite – Columbia [Love Satellite]
Gene Dunlap – Should I Take Her Back, Should I Let Her Go – [It’s Just The Way I Feel]
Caroline Crawford – I’ll Be Here For You – Mercury [Nice And Soulful]
Joe Bataan – I Do Love You – BGP Records [The Lost Sessions New York 1976]
Michael Henderson – Stay With Me This Summer – Buddah Records [Solid]
Linda Lewis – Light Years Away – Arista [Woman Overboard]
Nick Drake – Introduction – [Bryter Layter]
Hummingbird – Anna’s Song – A&M Records [Diamond Nights]
Triste Janero – You Didn’t Need To Be So Nice – White Whale [Meet Triste Janero]
Three Ounces Of Love – Today Will Soon Be Yesterday – Motown [Three Ounces Of Love]
Ben Sidran – Lust – Blue Thumb Records [I Lead A Life]
Kenny Rankin – Groovin – Little David Records [The Kenny Rankin Album]
Karma – Ladies – Horizon Records & Tapes [For Everybody]
The Trees Community – Psalm 46 – Radioactive [The Christ Tree CD]
The Chi-Lites – The Coldest Days Of My Life Part 1 & Part 2 – Brunswick [Greatest Hits]

Two download links below or stream on Mixcloud

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Mad Mongos Radio Soul – 21 – The Soul Mystery 5 by Mad Mongos Radio Soul on Mixcloud

http://www.sendspace.com/file/gni5fn

All the best

Mike Mongos

PS The next podcast will be an electric one, filled to the brim with beats and techno, electronic soul plus some super “demos” from some great guys from the Brownswood forum.
Check back next time for some incredible music.