STUDIOS PLAYLIST 008

A weekly playlist guided by the contents of the week's digital programme and the associated artists and music in its surrounding orbit. We’ll be compiling each shorter weekly selection into a rolling playlist for your longer listening needs.

This week’s playlist is shaped by Sunday’s Deep Listen, a new podcast marking the start of Mutant Promise’s second online programme of workshops and talks for Somerset House Studios, which sees electronic musician and sound artist Jessica Ekomane in conversation with artist, researcher and co-founder of Sonic Cyberfeminisms Annie Goh.

Drawing from the musical interests, influences and networks of the two artists, we look to Jessica Ekomane’s monthly Cashmere Radio show, Open Sources - a journey through the archives of Alan Lomax alongside recordings of traditional and folk music and contemporary experimentations - and include a selection of tracks from a variety of her musical guests, including DJ Diaki, Nadah El Shazli, Nkisi and Drew McDowell, alongside material from electronic music pioneers Else Marie Pade, Delia Derbyshire and Daphne Oram - figures referenced by Goh in relation to her research and listening.

Solid of Revolution – Jessica Ekomane

The first of two side-long compositions that form Jessica Ekomane’s recently released debut full length Multivocal, out on Important Records.

II – Nkisi

Taken from Nkisi’s 2019 album 7 Directions - seven tracks rooted in the African Cosmology of the Bantu-Kongo and in particular the writings of Kongo scholar Dr Kimbwandende Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau.

Last month Nkisi released BLK SPLLS, ‘a collection of sonic spells’ via Bandcamp; the revenue from which is being donated in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Support by purchasing here.

MIX Introu 2 – DJ Diaki

An originator of Mali’s Balani Show sound, DJ Diaki mixes high energy balafon samples, crashing drums, and live remixes that he calls Balani Fou (‘Crazy Balani’): the title of his debut LP released earlier this year through Nyege Nyege Tapes.

Rhythmic Variation #2 – Daphne Oram

From 1962’s Electronic Sound Patterns - a record split between composer, musician and musique concrète pioneer Daphne Oram and electronic composer Tom Dissevelt. Side One is Daphne Oram’s first complete commercial recording and was released as part of Vera Gray’s Listen, Move and Dance series - music made for school children to move and improvise along to during drama and creative lessons. Gray hoped that the new and exciting sounds would lead children into some “imaginative situations”.

Immanent – Drew McDowall

Final track on The Third Helix - a record focussing on "concept, ritual and immersion, in an exercise of unraveling the DNA of hallucination" - by Drew McDowall (Coil, Psychic TV).

Ana 'Ishiqt – Nadah El Shazly

Taken from Cairo based producer, composer and performer Nadah El Shazly’s first solo release Ahwar - a culmination of two years of writing and studio work split between Egypt and Canada and composed and arranged in collaboration with members of The Dwarfs of East Agouza trio.

Glasperlespil II – Else Marie Pade

From a collection of her works spanning 1958 - 1995 by Else Marie Pade - Denmark’s first composer of electronic and concrete music.

Celestial Cantabile – Delia Derbyshire

Consisting of material from composer, musician and Radiophonic Workshop pioneer Delia Derbyshire with Brian Hodgson and Don Harper, Electrosonic is an instalment of KPM’s library music archive originally issued in 1972, spanning 70 years of music made for television, film and radio.