Labradford - Accelerating on a Smoother Road [1993-2001]

 

Bio:
Founded in 1991, Labradford consists of bassist Robert Donne, guitarist/vocalist Mark Nelson, and keyboardist Carter Brown. Their music style is experimental ambient and post-rock, although their first releases were much more related to dark drone rock.

An early press release compared them to: Neu, F/i, Spacemen3, Gate, Dead C. & Jim O'Rourke. Their first full-length album, "Prazision LP", was released by Kranky in 1993. By their third full-length album, the eponymous release of 1996, Labradford began to infuse their music with sampled and real time percussion traces, at times faintly delving into actual syncopation. By 1997, the group broadened and varied their sound with their fourth release. On "Mi Media Naranja", the group maintained their distinctive identity, adding a string section, Fender Rhodes electric piano and slide guitar to the trio's sound bank.

1999's release, "E Luxo So" features contributions from a string quartet as well as a guest on dulcimer. Subtle blips of percussion and samples interweave through blurry guitars, bubbly electric piano and plangent organ and some gorgeous piano. In 2001, the band released their sixth album, "Fixed::Context", recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago and engineered by Steve Albini. This album found the trio stripping off the string trios of the last two albums and working with interlocking sound sources and modifiers; Carter Brown's vintage synthesizers, organs and electric piano; the distinctive Duane Eddy plays Satie guitar of Mark Nelson and Bobby Donne's four and six string basses. Though the group has not officially disbanded, they have not released another album since.


Won't say too much here, don't want to bore you with my witterings! I've never been a big fan of drone/ambient music but I've enjoyed listening to Labradford since I bought their first album back in 1993. I subsequently bought all their following albums on release, even managed to see them play live back in 2000, and still listen to them quite frequently even though it's been several years since their last album. Favourite album? That would be their self-titled from 1996, which also includes my favourite song by them, "Pico". "E Luxo So" comes a close 2nd though.
For this collection I've featured my 2 favourite tracks from all 6 studio albums, plus a compilation track and a b-side single. As usual, origin of each track & year of release is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you enjoy!


  1. Accelerating on a Smoother Road (4:12)
  2. V (6:24)
  3. Comfort (6:12)
  4. With John Morand and Assisted by Brian Hoffa. (5:34)
  5. Pico (5:46)
  6. Up to Pizmo (6:15)
  7. Balanced on It's Own Flame (4:01)
  8. S (6:14)
  9. The Window (4:31)
10. Leta O'Steen. Design Assistance by John Piper. (7:41)
11. C. of People (4:52)
12. Columna de la Independencia (4:28)
13. Scenic Recovery (4:50)
14. David (6:35)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

Best of 2022 mix - Volume 2

 

 

Happy New Year! I decided, like with Manerg's excellent "2022 = 6" comp, to make this into one long compilation split into 2 parts. As usual info containing origin of each track is tagged in the music files and in the download file. Hope you enjoy!


Disc 1:
  1. Sherpa the Tiger - Bokeh (7:58)
  2. Robyn Hitchcock - The Sir Tommy Shovell (3:16)
  3. Terrapin Gun - Postcards from L.A. (2:45)
  4. Cosmic Analog Ensemble - Le Droit à L'Oubli (2:27)
  5. Melody's Echo Chamber - The Hypnotist (3:48)
  6. Abronia - Plant the Flag (3:45)
  7. Nathan Hall and the Sinister Locals - A Long Long Time to Wait (3:00)
  8. Charif Megarbane - Commencer La-Bas (4:13)
  9. Elaine Howley - To the Test (3:15)
10. Vinyl Williams - Beaming (3:33)
11. Sprints - How Does the Story Go? (2:26)
12. Party Dozen - Balance (3:25)
13. The Soundcarriers - Happens Too Soon (4:28)
14. David Lance Callahan - Beautiful Laundrette (3:40)
15. The Lazy Eyes - The Seaside (6:38)
16. La Luz - San Fernando Shadow Blues (3:13)
17. Night Palace - Fig Dream (2:58)
18. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - No Body (3:42)
19. Holy Magick - The Death of Me (2:56)
20. Rural Tapes - Arkestra Piece for Hard-Working Ants (7:57)

Disc 2:
  1. Sister Wives - Baron Hill (3:56)
  2. King Buffalo - Hours (4:57)
  3. Bill Baird - XOXOXO (3:11)
  4. Wombo - Backflip (2:20)
  5. The Black Angels - Firefly (3:00)
  6. io audio recordings - Awaiting the Elliptical Drift (4:55)
  7. Midlake - Exile (3:31)
  8. Sharron Kraus - Do It Yourself (2:54)
  9. Seine - Automatsko Pisanje 2 (2:59)
10. Gilla Band - Post Ryan (4:24)
11. Derrero - High Side (2:38)
12. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - You Think I'm Joking? (3:56)
13. Half Man Half Biscuit - Big Man Up Front (2:50)
14. The Fernweh - Everybody Says They Love You (3:51)
15. Baby Cool - Magic (5:09)
16. Kikagaku Moyo - Dancing Blue (6:13)
17. Sarathy Korwar - Back in the Day, Things Were Not Always Simpler (5:07)
18. Tenchpress - Mallenders and Sallenders (3:14)
19. Boris Maurussane - Riverbank (3:13)
20. Mythic Sunship - Equinox (7:16)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3

2022 = 6 (Yet another Monumental Manerg Mix)

 

Most probably my final post for the year, as promised here's a few of Manerg's favourites from 2022. Instead of having 2 volumes, this time around it's one big compilation. I really enjoyed compiling Manerg's selections, a few bands/albums featured which I need to investigate in the near future. As usual, info containing origin of each track is tagged in the music files and in the download file. I hope you all enjoy this excellent collection, and have a happy new year!

Disc 1:
  1. Oneida - Beat Me to the Punch (5:02)
  2. Ambassador Hazy - Gone to My Head (3:10)
  3. Gwenno - Anima (3:16)
  4. Sault - The Plan (2:17)
  5. Boris Maurussane - As the Crow Flies (4:47)
  6. Brian Eno - Who Gives a Thought (3:54)
  7. Panda Bear & Sonic Boom - Go On (4:44)
  8. Upupayama - Come Here, Noriko (5:49)
  9. Abronia - What We Can See (4:47)
10. Black Lips - Whips of Holly (3:08)
11. Sun's Signature - Apples (7:23)
12. Bill Baird - Slump City (4:13)
13. Project Gemini - June (3:29)
14. Citron Citron - La Nuit Galope (2:51)
15. Daniel Rossen - Shadow in the Frame (5:12)
16. The Black Angels - A Walk on the Outside (3:05)
17. Badge Époque Ensemble - All Same 2 Each, Each Same 2 All (5:20)

Disc 2:
  1. Hooveriii - Water Lily (2:45)
  2. Sproatly Smith - River Song #2 (2:45)
  3. Peel Dream Magazine - Pictionary (3:15)
  4. The Soundcarriers - Driver (4:55)
  5. Anna Mieke - For a Time (4:24)
  6. Beautify Junkyards - Verde Pino (4:39)
  7. Papercuts - Lodger (4:06)
  8. Elf Power - Floods (3:05)
  9. Richard Dawson - The Tip of an Arrow (10:02)
10. Large Plants - The Witch (3:51)
11. Heather Trost - The Devil Never Sleeps (4:22)
12. Sister Wives - Y Merch Werdd (4:53)
13. Wax Machine - Guardians of Eden (4:21)
14. Vinyl Williams - Saturnalia (3:35)
15. Pedro Salvador - O Algoritmo de Notícias Não Mostrará a Revolução (3:42)
16. Astrel K - Clicktivism (4:56)
17. The Orielles - Beam/s (7:53)

 Download FLAC
 Download mp3