If you missed yesterday’s post here’s where we’re at: end of year lists are dumb. Kamikaze, Monsta Funk and myself are instead using the bandwidth to pull records from previous decades ends. Hence Rollin’ With The 9s was born.
This was originally going to be one mix tied together but given the fact that the mixes are designed to be accompanied with a degree of reading along of the selection notes, we thought it better to split it up as it was originally recorded.
My selections, through no deliberate intention, were mostly born from events and turning points in music that occurred in the 9 end of decade years from 1949 to 2019 (and then a bonus). There’s some shout out to gear and company creations, break-throughs in how music is consumed and more than one year which stands out due to a tragic death. And as this was done pretty on the fly you’ll see that my choice justifications get more and more descriptive the more I got into it.
Jimmy Monsta Funk’s edition coming up next, it’s bound to be heat.
Rollin’ With The 9s – Part 2: Keith P
1949
Eddy Arnold – Texarkana Baby
The recording industry changed forever in 1949 with the release of the first-ever seven-inch 45rpms. ‘Texarkana Baby’ is often credited as the very first one but in reality it was one of a number made for sale by RCA on the 31st of March that year.
1959
Buddy Holly – Everyday
This was the year of “The Day The Music Died” – referring to the tragic plane crash that killed three of the top recording artists of the time: Richie Valens, Big Bopper and Buddy Holly. Buddy Holly was a musical genius. I won’t go in-depth here about the many examples that prove this but I will point out that when he defined the rock-n-roll lineup of two guitars, a bass and drums there was no blueprint for him to work off.
This record here is pretty nuts in that he even used knees and a typewriter for percussion and the lovely glockenspiel sound you hear throughout is a celeste, played by the producer’s wife. Like I said, so far ahead of the curve. Holly recorded so prolifically that the label was able to reissue new records for ten years after his death.
1969
Tim Blake – Metro / Logic
This is the year Peter Zinovieff invented the first digital sampler – the 300,000 EMS Musys. In fact, and equally as important, it was the year EMS was born. Electronic Music Studios was formed between Peter, Tristram Cary and David Cockerell, shaping electronic music as we know it.
When pulling together this list I’d actually thought Wendy Carlos used the VCS3 machine however it turns out she was one of it’s biggest critics. I then was going to play something from the inventor Peter Zinovieff, or possibly Hawkwind or even The Who (not Pink Floyd never liked them) but ended up coming across this 1977 album from Tim Blake called the Crystal Machine. Created by customizing 2 VCS3s tt blew me away musically and had to be shared as an example of these machines.
1979
Stevie Wonder – Venus’ Flytrap And The Bug
Nice flow on from the previous record, 1979 was the year Stevie Wonder released Life Of Plants, arguably the first mainstream album making heavy use of sampling. ARGUABLY.
I’ve always been fascinated with the way this album was made. Stevie, being blind, couldn’t simply watch the movie and work the music to it. Someone described each scene to him as it went along and the music came from that. It’s a pretty bugged out way to do a soundtrack to a nature documentary with no words that relies heavily on stunning visuals.
1989
Tetris Music A
There was a point made somewhere in the RBMA Diggin’ In The Carts series that sat with me: most of the music I exposed myself too until the age of 12 came from video games. In 1989 Nintendo released the Game Boy. And while I didn’t acquire one until 1992 or so from that point on it soundtracked a not-insignificant amount of time I spent on the move. This included every family vacation which made up so many happy memories.
Despite minor upgrades in the following decade, realistically, the Game Boy wasn’t properly super seeded until 2001, and despite so many milestone games along the way you can’t really beat the music from Tetris to own the era.
1999
Goldie – Kemistry
Another track here that dedicated to someone’s passing this year. 1999 was the year DJ Kemistry, one half of Kemistry and Storm, and one of the founders of Metalheadz, was taken from this world. I discovered drum ‘n’ bass very late in the game (shouts to who:ratio and Timmy K for the introduction) but when I did Kemistry and Storm mixes became the bar. The DJ Kicks the duo presented still stands as the best drum ‘n’ bass mix I’ve come across.
‘Kemistry’ was Goldie’s dedication to Kemistry originally released in 1992, but is a fitting tribute to put in here.
2009
Broke DJS – Jaan
The first Awkward Movements record. AWK001. Originally there were two of us in this thing together, and as sometimes happens that relationship fell apart before our second release even came out. There’s a lot of regret involved in that, and unfortunately, that’s what I’m reminded about when I hear this record. It makes me a bit sad if I’m being honest.
Broke DJs were a duo who were friends with Liam, who was the other founder of Awkward Movements, and in fact, the one who first referred to me as “the Awkward Mover” which birthed our name. Important year for us, and an important track. A lot of fun was being had, a lot of hard work to get it off the ground and a lot of opportunity was still to come. Back in 2009 you could stand on a corner with a box of records that said “dubstep” and probably sell the lot of them. Big ups to everyone who supported this first record, and Awkmo crew past and present.
2019
Ras G & The Afrikan Space Program – Sign Me Up
Wow. This is the third on the list related to the year someone passed away. And again a record that sums up my feelings about the event as opposed to being released this year.
Much the same as Paul having Ras his list for 2019, I was truly saddened to hear about Ras’ passing. A true musical force passed through the void this year. Crazy. And though his career was cut short what a legacy he left behind.
Back in the days of Beat Soup I used to regularly be calling the record stores he was working at trying to get him on the phone and get a mix. I never did, but we did cross paths years later when we wanted Ras for a remix. We couldn’t reach an agreement at that time and I regret not locking that down.
Ghetto Sci-Fi was massive for me. To this day my number one Ras album. And I introduced Jazzman Gerald to Ras G with this record. ‘Sign Me Up’ was pumped crazy loud from his offices for weeks after.
RIP Ras.
2029
Deltron 3030 – 3030
Okay so not strictly 2029 but it’s something from the future at least. Sort of. Set in the 31st-century and released in 2000 it’s crazy how fresh the Deltron 3030 LP still sounds. Dan The Automator, Kid Koala and Del The Funky Homosapien – it doesn’t get much better.
Just in – turns out the cover art is a photograph of the Perisphere, a structure constructed for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. That’s right, 1939. Seems it was meant to be.