This past weekend I went to Amoeba records in Berkley and in San Francisco
(California USA)
I spent a total of $325.55 - a bit overboard but very much worth it. Anyone
coming out this way simply MUST check these places out. I have no idea how they
get so much great stuff but we are very fortunate to have them. Their trade-in
values are on the lower end of the scale but then again their used bins are
priced accordingly. As a side note I should mentioned that I picked up about 4
CD's that I already have CDR's of because the music was so great I just HAD to
have the originals. So there you have it - the CDR sold the CD!
Picked up on Vinyl:
New Electronica Compilation Volume 1 - I have this on CD but had to have it on
vinyl. Great Stuff!
RAC - Tangents (single) Love all of RAC's stuff - glad to find this in the used
bin for $3.95
Warp 10+2 - Classics. $26 and worth every penny if you collect classic Warp
Records vinyl. And to add to the vinyl versus CD debate (since I collect both)
I must say that the packaging and design of the Vinyl version are so much more
appealing than the cd version. 4 Purple sleeves, Gatefold Jacket, full color by
the Designers Republic. Beautiful. Definitely a keeper.
Spicelab - Lost in Spice - Never in my wildest dreams could I ever have
imagined finding this on vinyl. I would have paid $50 just for the single
"Spicelab" ! Found it in the used bin for $13.95 - Near Mint condition. I am so
very very lucky. The best in what I call '94 Trance. Spicelab are the greatest
Hooray!
Coldcut - Autmn Leaves (single) Has the gorgeous Irresistable Force Mix on it.
This is another Coldcut classic.
Picked up on CD:
Ben Neill Goldbug - I think it's great. Kinda like IDM meets DNB - bleeps and
blips with kicks and steps. Highly recommended for those interested in an
alternative DnB sound that doesn't go overboard.
Richard H. Kirk - The Number of Magic - sounds like his Electronic Eye album
"Closed Circuit". Lotta samples, highly developed sound.
Spring Heel Jack - Busy Curious Thirsty - pretty good DnB - definitely
different than most stuff out there and different than their 68 Million Shades
album (which I picked up also since I only had it on CDR)
David Holmes - This Films Crap Let's Slash the Seats - Definitely a classic -
if you don't own it go buy it. I have a copy already but I found a copy with a
'Bonus' disc with 8 remixes. I didn't know this one existed so I picked it up.
I'll just trade in the other one I have minus the bonus disc.
Jammin' Unit - Def Dub and Blind - I've had my eye on this for a while and
since I finally found it used I picked it up - good stuff. Dubby electronica.
This is Elektronica - 3 disc compilation of elektronica (I guess). No one I've
ever heard of but it was released on Hypnotic in 1999 so it must be recent and
decent. On first listen it didn't sound bad at all
Sandoz - Digital Lifeforms - I was pretty sure Sandoz was R Kirk so I picked
it up used. First track here - Armed Response sounds decent if not a bit
outdated. Heard a couple more tracks and I would have to categorize it as
Housey Elektronika. Sounds like of the house tracks from his album Electronic
Eye - The Idea of Justice
Global Communication - 76:14 - I had this on CDR but it sounds so good I had to
pick up an Original Version. Thanks to the Ambient List for the original
recommendation
Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children - Also had this on CDR but I
jut HAD to have an original. This is definitely one of my most frequently
played albums. Favorite parts? Vocals saying "Orange" gives me goose bumps.
Also when the vocals reading random numbers saying something like "twenty11".
Oh. So great. yummy.
Montage - Mixology. I picked this up because the cover art is very neat and
professional. Turns out to be DnB from Japan. Real good stuff too. I picked it
up for $5.95 and what a bargain. Check it out if you find it in your local
shop.
Michael Dog - Summer Night Session - Gotta buy anything from Planet Dog and
this being fairly recent I picked it up as well. Wasn't sure what to expect -
not a mix cd - more of a compilation. Good stuff though.
Mike & Rich - Expert Knob Twiddlers - Missed the opportunity to pick this up
when it came out but I found it so Im happy now. Interesting music. Accesible.
The only track that kinda bugged me was the one where they use a sample of a
burp. It's kinda revolting and it's used quite a bit through the song. All in
all though a worthy purchase.
Seefeel - Polyfusia - Since hearing a couple tracks from various compilations
I've been trying to pick up any of their older stuff. I have a single of theirs
on vinyl but the name eludes me and it sounds nothing like what I hoped. The
cover is red though - possibly it's Succor? Anyhow, this album is more like it.
Two AFX mixes of the track Time to Find me as well. Classic IDM.
Sven Vath - Fusion - Haven't played it yet but I was told one of the tracks was
slammin' and since it's been a while since anything he put out anything new I
thought I'd give it a shot.
Bill Laswell - Ambient Compendium - Double Disc - Disc 1 entitled "Ambient"
disc 2 entitled "Ambient Bass and Drums". Sounds interesting... Haven't
listened to it yet but it has collaborations with Pete Namlook, Jonah Sharp,
Tetsuu Inoue, Terre Thaemlitz and Automaton. Unfortunately (DOH!) I opened it
up to find that someone had mistakenly swapped Disc 1 with David Bowie -
Aladdin Sane. If any of you out there would be willing to make a copy or trade
for Disc1 please let me know!
Jammin' Unit - Are you prepared - It reminds me of some of the house I used to
hear in San Francisco back in 1995. Disco, funky, happy, light, dubby. Like
Hardkiss. Good stuff for a outdoor barbeque or a party in the park.
Emmanuel Top - Asteroid. Im afraid now that I didn't pick this up on vinyl back
when it came out. Great acid house. Emmanuel Top at his finest. Minimal,
acidic, trippy and on NovaMute. Definitely sounds just like Plastikman.
DJ Kicks - Kemistry & Storm. Picked this up in memory of Kemistry and for the
track "Closing In" by Bill Riley. When I first heard this track a year or so
ago I loved it so much and I finally tracked down a copy on vinyl - too bad it
was a remixed version. I haven't given this mix a listen yet but most of the DJ
Kicks series is pretty reliable so I picked it up.
Goldie - Incredible Sound of Drum n bass - Double disc selling at Virgin
records for $23. Completely overpriced for a mix cd of really old jungle. Found
it for $13.95 in the used bin and belive it or not Ive never heard Goldie mix
so I said what the hell. Im not sure what the point of mixing a bunch of random
Jungle tracks from 97-99 is though.... especially if it's gonna end up costing
so much and Ive heard ALL the tracks on so many different mix cd's over the
years.
Transformer 2 - Transformations. For $4 I figured I'd give it a chance. Harder
housey very misleading title. Euro House. Not *too* cheezy but im not really
digging it.
KLF - Chill Out. I've heard so much about this album and Im so glad they
re-released it. There isn't much of this type of ambient out there. Sounds like
older Orb stuff. Highly recommended. Sounds NOTHING like the White Album
Quadraphonia - Cozmic Jam - Old-School Techno at $1.95 I just *had* to pick it
up....
Best of Techno Volume 1 - Same as above
Best of Techno Volume 2 - Same as above
FSOL - Dead Cities - Have it on vinyl must have it on CD for the collection.
Great stuff. Powerful dark ambient. FSOL outdo themselves again....
Excursions in Ambience - A collection of Ambient House Music. Picked this up
because it was used and I have volume 2-4 of the series and those are great.
The title pretty much sums it up - Ambient house music. Chilled out sounds from
the likes of HIA, FSOL, 777 and Banco de Gaia
Sun Electric - Present. I have mixed feelings on this. It sounds nothing like
their other albums and the track EYA sounds terrible. What a lame use of vox.
Im much happier with Via Nostra and the classic Kitchen. Track 4 - Parallax is
good though. Poundin'
Vidna Obmana - The Trilogy '90-'92. Fell asleep to disc 1 of 3 (Passage in
Beauty) last night and enjoyed it. Reminds me of Silence I minus the vocals.
Vidna Obmana was another recommendation from the Ambient List
If you've made it this far then thanks for reading and sorry if you felt this
was a waste of bandwidth. The reason Im subbed to this list is partly so I can
learn more about artists I have never heard of. This helps me when I got out
into the used bins and search for some gold!
Shimone
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