Mixtape #99

A man of many talents, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Matt Calvert has been dazzling us for more than a decade with his trio Three Trapped Tigers and other projects and collaborations. Typewritten is his first solo outing, an all acoustic, electronic-inspired album out on October 12th. And we’re ecstatic to unveil this treat of a mixtape he put together for us this month.  

"I’ve made a mix of different acoustic music, keeping with the theme of my own album Typewritten.  There’s obviously too much amazing acoustic stuff to choose from - especially when I think of all the classical and jazz stuff I love - so I’ve included tracks that influenced that record (not tons, since most of the influences were electronic!), some cuts from the album itself, and other things I’ve either just discovered or always loved that maybe others are yet to stumble across.” - Matt Calvert

  1. Square Peg Round Hole – No.8 from Postludes for Bowed Vibraphone (by Elliot Cole)
  2. Lucia Cadotsch – Slow Hot Wind [Yellowbird]
  3. Claudia Quintet – Just Like Him [Cuneiform Records]
  4. Matt Calvert – 12051 [Truant]
  5. Julian Sartorius – Basel – Kleinlützel [Everest Records]
  6. Boris Berman – Sonata V (by John Cage) [Naxos]
  7. Dawn of Midi – Ymir [Erased Tapes]
  8. Matt Calvert – Ren [Truant]
  9. Final Fantasy – Song Song Song [Tomlab]
  10. Matt Calvert – Nothing to Envy [Truant]
  11. Alarm Will Sound – Gwely Mernans (Aphex Twin cover) [Cantaloupe Music]
  12. Kit Downes – Rings of Saturn [ECM Records]
  13. The Silk Road Ensemble – Playlist For An Extreme Occasion: Part One [Masterworks]
  14. Lewis Wright – Fire & Flow [Signum Records]
  15. Loney Dear – Durmoll [Polyvinyl / Something In Construction]
  16. Punch Brothers – All Ashore [Nonesuch]
  17. Ana Silvera – Pearls and Thieves [Gearbox]
  18. John McLaughlin – Follow Your Heart [Douglas]
  19. Aldo Ciccolini – Avant-dernières pensées: No 1. Idylle [EMI]
  20. Beck – Ramshackle [Geffen]

Mixtape #64

This month's mixtape is curated by the one and only Waterstrider. Earlier this year, the Oakland based quintet released Nowhere Now, one of those rare albums in which pretty much every single song is an instant hit. Their distinctive sound, with unforgettable gliding vocals, intricate guitars and infectious grooves merges many genres in such a tight unit that we thought a mixtape would help unravel the wide array of their influences. Turns out, you can also boogie to it.


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Mixtape #63

June couldn’t have started any better way: on the first of the month came the worldwide release of the entrancing album Dysnomia, where Dawn of Midi effortlessly bridge the chasm between electronic and acoustic. The tremendously talented trio, made up of pianist Amino Belyamani, double bassist Aakaash Israni and drummer Qasim Naqvi, with roots in Morocco, Pakistan and India respectively, also found the time to compile a mixtape for CTD. With their compositions being so heavily informed on wordly sounds, their mix delves deep into their influences and inspirations, racing through a multitude of genres and cultures. Enjoy!


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Dawn of Midi sign to Erased Tapes and re-release debut album

Dawn of Midi - Dysnomia

We’ve had our ears tuned to Brooklyn’s tremendous trio Dawn of Midi for a while. Their magnificent and addictive debut album, Dysnomia, originally released in 2013 via Thirsty Ear, had only seen a US release. So we’re very pleased to know that Dysnomia got the attention of Erased Tapes who are re-releasing the album worldwide. Slated for a June 1st release, Dysnomia will be available in vinyl, CD and digital formats, including a limited edition clear double 12″ vinyl.

Speaking about the upcoming reissue, double bassist Aakaash Israni said that “since the album never saw a proper international release, it is very exciting to see what might happen when more people are exposed to it. And to be aligned with Erased Tapes, whose enthusiasm for the music they release has done a lot for exposing unique instrumental and electronic music, makes it that much more interesting.”.  About the album, Israni said they “wanted to make a record that sounded both musically futuristic and sonically vintage”.  Pianist Amino Belyamani added that they “didn’t want to create anything cerebral, we wanted something visceral, something that would awaken our instinctive dance impulses.”.

Dawn of Midi are also heading to Europe in April and May for a month-long tour supporting label mate Nils Frahm.
To get you further enticed, wrap your ears around ‘Nix’, a beautiful and hypnotic cut lifted from Dysnomia.