Mixtape #170

Belgium-born, Berlin-based composer, singer-songwriter, and producer Manu Louis is a multifaceted musician, with a unique ability to mix diverse musical elements and genres, from jazz, art pop and electronic music to punk and chanson française. Louis is as comfortable performing everything from completely acoustic solo shows to large-scale performances, often incorporating video projections and even dancing. With several albums and singles under his name, and more than 500 live performances across Europe and Asia, he has built a reputation for his energetic and unpredictable shows. We’re excited to have Louis curate this month’s mixtape, and here’s a few words from him about it:

“In 2008, after the subprime crisis, when Germany asked Greece to pay its debts and refused to help, Jean-Luc Godard said that the cultural debt we owe to Greece is incalculable. If you consider the value of life outside the market, it is hard to disagree with Godard, and the German claim should logically have failed.

When I was asked to make a mix based on the music that influenced me, I turned the question directly to myself: what music should I save more than any other? In Godard's terms, to whom do I owe the greatest musical debt?

The cultural debt we owe to Black music is incalculable. Where would music be today without hip-hop, blues, Detroit techno, Chicago house, funk, soul, jazz, dub, reggae, to name but a few? To me, no music of the 20th century ran deeper than jazz. As much as I admire certain 20th-century European composers, songwriters, or eclectic outsiders, nothing comes close.
There are several reasons for this. One that has always fascinated me is how, unlike the avant-garde in classical music, the avant-garde in jazz evolved with the community and not only with decisions made by an individual genius in his room. This is exactly where, to me, classical music lost track, and jazz or many different Black music genres have been constantly rebirthing.

So this mix will be about jazz. The adventurous and the historical (mostly from bebop to free). But it's not a compilation of my top 12 favorite tracks. I’ve chosen 100 tracks and crafted this mix live, in the moment, as a performance. If I create another mix tomorrow, it will be completely different. So, there’s no Coltrane, no Monk, no Duke—not because they aren’t central but simply because they didn’t emerge during this particular moment.”

  1. Ornette Coleman – Unknown Artist [Portrait]
  2. Dizzy Gillespie – Bebop [Telarc]
  3. Eric Dolphy – Hat and Beard [Blue Note]
  4. Charlie Christian with Benny Goodman – Till Tom Special [Universe]
  5. Charles Mingus – Music for “Todo Modo” [Rhino Atlantic]
  6. Cannonball Adderley – Autumn Leaves [Universe]
  7. Charlie Parker – Kim [BDMUSIC]
  8. Sun Ra – Saturn [Strut]
  9. Robert Wyatt – Strange Fruit [Domino Records]
  10. Miles Davis – Concierto de Aranjuez [Columbia / Legacy]
  11. Nala Sinephro – Continuum 6 [Warp]
  12. Archie Shepp – Blasé [Charly Records]
  13. Cecil Taylor – Abyss [Black Sun Music]
  14. Steve Lacy – Troubles [Black Saint]
  15. Anthony Braxton Creative Orchestra – 22-M (Opus 58) [Arista / Legacy]
  16. Ornette Coleman – Happy Hour [Legacy]
  17. Eric Dolphy – Better Git Hit In Your Soul // On Green Dolphin Street [Not Now Music]

Mixtape #158


A powerhouse in contemporary jazz, Dutch-Belgian acoustic-electronic piano trio De Beren Gieren, consisting of pianist Fulco Ottervanger, Lieven Van Pée on bass, and Simon Segers on drums, have garnered numerous accolades, collaborated with several renowned artists and appeared at major festivals in Europe and elsewhere since their inception in 2009. With a phenomenal seventh album, What Eludes Us, released just a few days ago, De Beren Gieren continue to showcase their boundless creativity. Their music, always full of surprises, is adventurous and exciting, weaving intricate melodies and polyrhythmic soundscapes with improvisation, minimalism and their unique vibrant energy. We’re ecstatic to unveil the mixtape they put together for us this month, offering a glimpse into the influences and inspirations shaping their music. Brace yourself for the unexpected!

  1. Louis Sclavis, Aldo Romano & Henri Texier – Bororo Dance [Label Bleu]
  2. Jozef Dumoulin Trio – Fuga X [BeeJazz] 0:06:48
  3. Fumio Hayasaka – Extraordinary Man [Doxy] 0:11:20
  4. Stein Urheim & Jørgen Træen – Konglekjertelen [Hubro] 0:12:28
  5. Vectrex – Hs C [Marcel Records] 0:15:20
  6. Baka Pygmies – Hut Song 0:21:49
  7. YHWH Nailgun – Castrato Raw (fullback) 0:25:13
  8. MGMT – Forest Elf [MGMT Records] 0:27:16
  9. The John Lurie National Orchestra – Flutter [Amulet Records] 0:29:49
  10. Dijf Sanders – Seven Fridays A Day [Unday Records] 0:31:40
  11. Keith Jarrett – 3 0:35:54
  12. SCHNTZL – Dante [cortizona] 0:39:53
  13. Szun Waves – Fall into Water [LEAF] 0:42:50
  14. Beraadgeslagen – Doelloze Doelman [W.E.R.F.] 0:49:20
  15. Craig Taborn Trio – Beat The Ground [ECM Records] 0:52:26
  16. Robert Wyatt – Alliance [Rough Trade / Virgin] 0:56:26
  17. The Necks – Daylights [ReR Megacorp] 1:00:44

Mixtape #136


A talented, versatile and visionary multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, JP Coimbra has an impressive body of work spanning over two decades. Vibra, his first solo album under his own name, re-released worldwide last year, is a beguiling, delicate and adventurous instrumental album, fusing together his different musical influences, including neoclassical, jazz and electronic music. Needless to say we're stoked that JP compiled this month's wonderful mix, with songs from artists that have inspired him. Enjoy!

  1. Tones on Tail – Lions [Beggars Banquet]
  2. Ryuichi Sakamoto – B-2 Unit [Alf]
  3. Isao Tomita – Arabesque nº1 [RCA]
  4. Kraftwerk – Pocket Calculator [Deep Records]
  5. 808 State – Bird [ZTT]
  6. Steve Reich – City Life III, IV, V. [RCA]
  7. Philip Glass – Einstein on the Beach: Knee Play [Sony / CBC]
  8. Laurie Spiegel – Hall of Mirrors [Scarlet Records]
  9. Tortoise – Glass Museum [Thrill Jockey/ City Slang]
  10. Robert Wyatt – Ship Building [Rough Trade]
  11. Brian Eno – Brutal Ardour [Island Records]
  12. Mal Waldron – All Alone [Philips / GTA Records]

Mixtape #82

Experimental pop band Aquaserge, who just released their new album Laisse Ça Être, is what you would call a supergroup. Founded in Toulouse over a decade ago by Julien Barbagallo, Julien Gasc and Benjamin Glibert and now also comprising Audrey Ginestet and Manon Glibert, each member is an accomplished and astounding musician in their own right, lending their talents to many other stellar bands. We instantly fell head over heels into Aquaserge's musical world which effortlessly transcends genres to create thrilling and bold compositions. And we're over the moon to present this month's mixtape lovingly assembled by the band!


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Mixtape #78

Captained by the incredibly talented pianist and composer Neil Cowley, with long time band mates drummer Evan Jenkins and bass player Rex Horan, Neil Cowley Trio have only just put out their outstanding, thrilling and cinematic sixth album, Spacebound Apes. A long time favourite here at CTD, we couldn't hope for a better way to end the year than having Neil pick this month's mixtape. You're in for a treat! Press play to unwrap.


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Mixtape #53

The Berlin based duo Oy, made up of Swiss-Ghanian multi-instrumentalist Joy Frempong and drummer / producer Lleluja-Ha, are a treat of a band and we've been hooked on their sounds ever since we first heard them. Oy offer a rich and intoxicating blend of music genres, from electronic and soul to jazz and African music, laced with Joy's engaging and quirky storytelling. So we've asked them to take us on an tour of the sounds that have inspired them and the resulting mixtape below is further evidence of just how versatile they are with genres.


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