WARMER MIXTAPES #1034 | by Jake Kulkowski [SquidThief/Charm Offensive]

I live in North Wales, UK. There is no Music Scene around here, and not much else to do really. I always used Music as Escapism and I would Love to help people do the same, even if just a moment. I would Love to thank anyone who’s gone out of there way to read this.

1. Lianne La Havas | Forget (Shlohmo Remix)
This is the track that made me realise exactly what sort of Vibes I wanted to create with Music... The Vocal Chops, the weird use of (what I think is) a Snooker Ball as the Percussion. The weird, phasey, simple Square Wave, and the Arrangement. I could get lost in this track for hours, Love what Shlohmo does with his Vocals, his Musicality is quite simple, he doesn’t ever really have Complexity in his Melodies, but I never end up thinking that it’s a boring song. A lot of Layers to this tune. A lot of stuff pushing it forward. Long Live Shlohmo.

2. Spazzkid | Candy Flavored Lips (feat. Skymarines)
Spazzkid's Music Sounds like Falling in Love. He’s the Musical Embodiment of Pillow Talk. I Love how everything he creates Sounds like something you’d hear whilst you and a lover are the only people awake on Planet Earth. That in-between that exists just before Morning and just after Night. He always has cool Percussive Sounds and loads of Basic Waveform Synths that are masterfully put together. This tune features some amazing Vocals, and the Lyrics take me elsewhere. I Love how Reverberated the Vocals are, they float around the track so wonderfully. Had the pleasure of Remixing one of his tunes and it was so cool to be able to show him that. Too much Love for Spazzkid, Desire is my Favourite Electronic Record Ever probably.

3. Two Inch Punch | Moonstruck
This song is a perfect example of how using Correct Sample Placement can make a good tune a great… No, Perfect Tune. I first heard it on the Radio working a shift in a kitchen and it was the only thing that kept me going. Fell in Love with the slow Tom Rolls and Plucks instantly. Rushed home from work just to re-listen. The Vocal Hook in the Chorus makes it Timeless for me. The Music Video also features Jane Fonda in Barbarella, the Most Beautiful Woman Ever. The little Plucks in the Tune are the Absolute Best.

4. Rustie | Death Mountain
This song sounds like Childhood. Legend Of Zelda Samples, the cool Melodies and the Intro almost reminds me of some bad 90s Euro Dance Music Synth. Rustie is probably the Most Inspiring Artist for me. Love how his Percussion effortlessly rolls over the top of the tune like the icing on a cake, made out of Gorons. You can always expect something Energetic and bursting with Video Game Goodness from Rustie and this track is always the one I go to.

5. Pascäal | Drowning In You
The delicate Synths, the White Noise, the Vocal Samples (can I hear Beyoncé?), the use of Space between all the little elements. This is how you put a track together. This really made me think about using Space to create Tension and get people's heads nodding, rather than trying to fill every single little gap up. Remember hearing this one and thinking why didn’t I think of this?... Such a cool idea for a tune. Love the Sounds, it’s one of them tunes that you can’t just hear once.

6. Hudson Mohawke | Thunder Bay
One of the Most Talented Producers Ever I Reckon. Took me a while to think which track by him I was going to include, it was either gonna be Ice Viper, Cbat or this one. I went with this because I have the fondest memory of it. Hearing it for the first time absolutely blew me away. That really bad Brass Preset throughout absolutely kills it. I Love it! And it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve heard this, every single time it kicks in I cannot stay still. Saw Rustie drop this when I went to see him and I think it’s the Happiest I’ve been at a Rave.

7. James Blake | The Wilhelm Scream (James Litherland's 'Where To Turn' Cover)
James Blake is a Genius. No questioning. I Love his Synths, his Side Chaining and most importantly, his Voice! Haunting & Inspiring, it just sticks with you. This song constantly evolves and I’m always listening out for what's about to happen. So many beautiful Sounds, the Drums sound like they’re in the back of your brain. The Beat, the Chords, the Pluck, Lyrics, this is the definitive James Blake. The Idea of using Electronic Music as a Medium for Singer/Songwriter stuff and not just Dance Music, is a very powerful thing, and this is what more and more people should be doing. I would Love to be able to Write my own Lyrics and sing my own Vocals, and maybe one day I will. If any song is gonna inspire me, it’d be this one.

8. Joker | My Trance Girl
A Sample of Sonic The Hedgehog opens this track, can’t go wrong with that. This song is Analogue Synth Heaven. Basic Waveforms, crazy Arp Sounds and Walls of Warm Saw Waves. This song reminds me of being inside a Mega Drive. It reminds me of playing Streets Of Rage at my friends house when I was very young, oh, and Cool Spot. Joker is the King of Synths I Reckon, nothing Insane when it comes to Sound Design, but he just knows exactly where to place Sounds and How to Use them. I keep going back to this song because of the Gliding Bassline.

9. Cashmere Cat | Aurora
This song is absolutely Unreal. The Vocal Sampling, the weird Timing, the Real Sounding Drums, the jittery Clicking Noises in the Background & the Abstract Lead Ideas. I just think I’m in Love with Cashmere Cat, he’s got the coolest ideas for songs and he’s the Absolute Meaning of Original. His songs always sound so Organic and Fresh. Definitely one of the Most Inspirational Artists for me. 2:17 into this song gets me every single time. That suspense then the Vocal Manipulation. Magic.

10. Explosions In The Sky | Your Hand In Mine
A lot of my Arrangement is Basic Melodies that slowly get added to as the track progresses, a big Inspiration of mine is the use of Loops in Post Rock Music. This song is the embodiment of this. The use of Progression, slow building Momentum and the feel of a Climatic Ending is Immaculate in this song. It doesn’t have any Lyrics and it can convey such Emotion. It’s my Favourite Song Ever perhaps. This is one of the songs that made me want to Create, before I even thought of Making Music. I just wanted to make a mark on the World after hearing this song. Oh, and fall in Love.