WARMER MIXTAPES #164 | by Tyler Tadlock [Spirituals]

1. Four Tet | Sing (Floating Points Remix)
I first heard the Four Tet version of Sing in a playlist he put together for BBC radio. The mix he did had a lot of great music on it, as to be expected, but Sing stood out to me more than anything on the whole mix. An incredibly inspiring sound on his new record, and if I was wasn't a stubborn fan of Rounds, I would say this one is by far his best work. And better yet, there have been some bang-up remix jobs of his recent singles, including the Joy Orbison take on Love Cry, which hasn't left my iTunes playlist for a while. More recently this Floating Points remix has been taking the spotlight in my playlist. So much great stuff going on in the UK right now, kinda makes me want to move there.

2. Caribou | Jamelia
Equally as exciting has been Caribou's new release. I'd been really missing the old Manitoba stuff which was a bit more sample-heavy and dance oriented. What I admire about Dan Snaith, like Kieran Hebden, is that he is not afraid to change sounds from record to record. He is constantly pushing the limits and experimenting with new sounds and genres. I really dug the direction of the psychedelic driven albums in his recent releases, but have always had a sentiment for the older, more dance oriented stuff. Needless to say, when I found out his new record, Swim, was a bit more of that flavor, I jumped all over it. It's a very comfortable union of the older dance driven stuff and the more recent records. This track is particularly one I can't keep off rotation, because it features vocals by Luke Lalonde from Born Ruffians, which seems to fit extraordinarily well. Makes me wish they would do some sort of side-project together with how well this tune turned out.

3. Tony Allen | Afro Disco Beat
Tony Allen is a legend to say the least. He is almost single-handedly responsible for Afrobeat. What struck about this track was how tasteful it is. Modern music has a bad habit of pulling out all the stops to impress folks. Compositionally it is spot on. That's why he is a great drummer/band leader, not because he can play fast and complicated, but because he allows the song to build and develop without playing too much. This song develops itself by adding and taking away layers, not by taking you on some unnecessary emotional roller-coaster like a lot of music these days.

4. The Young Lovers | You Make Me Dizzy
When I first heard this one I thought to myself I wish I could make music like that. The sample work in this track is unreal. I believe they sample a Coltrane tune and what they do with it is out of this world. Very tasteful and powerful use of sampling on this track. They way the keep in tact the small things like the feathered notes on the snare. That rim click and steady upbeat hat drops out to give the sample room to work, then joins back in to just nail in the groove. I wish The Young Lovers had more records. This stuff simply kills.

5. Meredith Monk | View 1
I am always blown away at just how much music there is out there that I don't know about yet. I found out about Meredith Monk while researching minimalist music and 20th century composers. Meredith Monk makes some gorgeous music. This track is breath-taking. I've been listening to it a few times a day for little while now. It's refreshing to hear stuff that allows room for your ears to digest simplicity as something beautiful. I think that's what I like about minimalist music. It's a nice breath of fresh air from all the intensity and business of most popular music.

6. The Claudia Quintet | Just Like Him
I saw John Hollenbeck at the Whitney in New York and it was one of the most influential nights of my life. His control and creativity as a drummer and composer is really inspiring to me. He is probably my favorite composer alive today. It was hard to pick any one of his pieces, so I put this one from the I, Claudia record, which I have on heavy rotation right now. The beat that introduces the song is such a solid way to begin the song and the record. His playing is so precise it can sometimes be mistaken for electronic drums. That combined with the way he shapes the song tonally through adding and subtracting instruments as needed is what makes him a phenomenal composer and musician.

7. Steve Reid Ensemble | Lugano
If someone grew up listening to rock music, like I did, and wanted to get into jazz, I would let them hear this song. Having been raised on suburban rock like Peter Frampton and Led Zeppelin, it took a special jolt to get me really into listening to jazz. There are a lot of misconceptions about jazz, like it's soft or smooth. Sometimes it can be harsh and energetic. I remember the first time I made a connection with jazz, listening to Coltrane's Afro Blue. I almost wrecked my car I was so into it at the moment. For the first time I heard jazz as something that could have as much energy as a live Zeppelin show. Elvin Jones wailing on the drums was like listening to a John Bonham drum solo. I'm just now getting into Steve Reid and this track does the same thing for me that Afro Blue does.

8. J Dilla | So Far To Go
As soon as I found out I was doing this list the first artist that came to mind that had to be on it was Dilla. Master-producer/beat maker. One of the most creative and influential producers to ever live. Dilla was the first hip hop I really got into. He could flip just about anything and make it as soulful and as groovin as anything you've ever heard. So Far To Go is a good example. This song is beautiful.

9. Above Smoke | Elevation (feat. Sterociti)
The world of house music has been taking me over lately. I found out about the Deep Explorer label in Spain through a Resident Advisor article. This particular cut of Above Smoke's puts me in that place at the moment. This track is simple, subtle, yet warmer than slowly sinking into a hot tub filled with green tea. Can't wait to hear more from this label.

10. Pépé Bradock | Deep Burnt
House music was hard for me to get into until hearing this track. Again, another track I would give someone if they were wanting to get into this type of music. A lot of people's ears are trained by pop to expect some sort of instantaneous reward. If they don't hear something they like within 30 seconds, they turn it off. Getting into playing free improvisational music had more of an impact on my listening than anything else in my life. It showed me that there is some music out there that you have to become involved with as a listener in order to truly appreciate it. Although house music is loads more accessible than free improv music, it takes a similar attention span. If you train your ears to listen to something develop and evolve over time and reject the notion that things have to be popping out at every corner to keep you entertained, there will be so much more fascinating music you'll find yourself getting into. I made that connection with Deep Burnt last summer while walking my dog around my neighborhood. I had time to listen and it was ever so rewarding. This one is a classic.