For the first instalment, some of the staff at MESS each put forward 10 tracks they are currently listening to…

Robin Fox

Director

Daphne Oram reworked by Andrea Parker and Daz Quayle – Frightened of Myself
Florian Hecker – Jxean-z Character Generator
Iannis Xenakis – Concrete PH
Caterina Barbieri – Pinnacles of You
Factory Floor – How You Say
Kap Bambino – Dead Lazers
Nina Buchanan – Skiddiks
Jessica Ekomane – Manifolds
MC Yallah & Debmaster – Kubali
FolmR – Degree?

I have never been, or ever will be, a DJ. This selection of tracks has no musical flow, no underlying sensibility. The selection is not just about the tracks themselves but the artists who have created them. Tracks are just tracks – but humans are humans – and vastly deeper and more complex than any 3-10 minute grab. I love these artists for various reasons – some aesthetic and some personal. For example, aesthetically, everything I hear from Jessica Ekomane (and I have been lucky enough to catch her live a couple of times) knocks me out whereas the choice of Kap Bambino (while I love the music they make) is more about a wild time touring Estonia with them over a decade ago and just how hilariously fun and punk they were to share a stage and van with. Each artist here is worthy, in my opinion, of deeper consideration.

Sam Galyer

Instrument Technician

Herbie Hancock – Rain Dance
Flying Lotus – Camel
Rival Consoles – Memory Arc
Dark Sky – Angels
Olivier Messiaen – Oraison
Giulia Tess – 200417 – Edit
Radiohead, Lone – Feral – Lone RMX
Ana Roxanne – I’m Every Sparkly Woman
Bana Haffar – Save This Manual for the Future
BADBADNOTGOOD – Cs60

These tracks represent a good mix of stuff that comes in and out of my regular rotation.
Some calming, some a bit heavier, some older, some new.

Sooji Kim

Studio Supervisor

Doris Norton – Norton computer for peace
Bernard Parmigiani – L’espace temps
Pauline Anna Strom – Quiet Joy
Jon Hassell – Miracle steps
David Behrman – On the other ocean
Tomita – The snow is dancing
Pauline Oliveros – Bye bye butterfly
Olivier Messiaen – Oraison
Alice Shields – Study for voice and tape
Daphne Oram – Amphitryon 38
Sooji – Gisele, she walks, she floats

Experimenters from all time, place and space.

Tess Monaghan

Program Administrator

Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Old (New) Melody (Ana Roxanne Remix)
The Reels – Return
KiTA – Ceramic
Gi Gi – Delft
Other Joe – One Billion Kisses
Paul St. Hilaire – In Door
Pinch – Qawwali
Underworld & Iggy Pop – I’ll See Big
OK EG – Flow Regime
Laraaji & log(m) – Deeping Beatless
Declan – Eye of The Feline

A small snapshot of some of the music I’ve been discovering, rediscovering or just thoroughly enjoying as of late. Honestly surprised I managed to fit as much into these 11 tracks!

Alex Mraz

Studio Supervisor

Pauline Anna Strom – Marking Time
Call Super & Julia Holter – Illumina
Susumu Yokota – Kodomotachi
Willis Anne – Comfort Zone
Jessica Ekomane & Zoë Mc Pherson – Iteration
Blawan – Close The Cycle
Second Woman – 100407jd7
The Comet Is Coming Summon – The Fire
Asa-Chang & Junray – Hana

A collection of tracks I keep going back to because I find them to be very ear candy ~I find these all great headphone listens, though a couple I was introduced to for the first time on a large outdoor PA and they really left an impression as a live experience. There are a handful of chaotic rhythm texture pieces in there, lots of creative sampling, some (presumably) live takes, some old school new age and ambient, some epic cheese, lots of general cool weirdness. Hope you enjoy 🙂

Jonnine Nokes

Studio Supervisor & Sonorous VII Commissioned Artist

Emerald Web – Flight Of The Raven
The Body / Dis Fig – To Walk a Higher Path
Horse Pills – My Left Hand
James K / Yves Tumor – Open
LI YILEI – CHU / 處
Maria W Horn – Ave
Hiro Kone – Silvercoat the thring (ft. Muqata’a)
YL Hooi – Title
Wu Zhuoling – Que Sera Sera
Puce Mary / CTM – Release (For Ezra)

Dark and soft selections for the end of world.

Prudence Rees-Lee

Membership & Engagement Coordinator

Arushi Jain – Imagine An Orchestra
Mort Garson – Cathedral of Pleasure
Suzanne Ciani – The Third Wave
Edward Grieg, Isao Tomita – Solveig’s Song
Roedelius – Glaubersalz
Deuter – Spirales
Ariel Kalma, Jeremiah Chiu, Marta Sofia Honer – Ten Hour Wave
Lisel – Wingspan
Jeremiah Chiu – Seawater Swells
Jonathan Fitoussi, Clemens Hourriere – Valse
Colleen – Subterranean – Movement III

A diverse compilation of tracks spanning eras, uniting electronic sounds with orchestral or classical elements in their arrangements, all imbued with a romantic undertone.

Jake Richards-Curry

Studio Supervisor

Michel Banabila – Where Old Meets New
1991 – No More Dreams I
Barker – Posmean
Rob Clouth – Silica
Puscha – Eschatolalic
Earthen Sea – Existing Closer or Deeper in Space
Purelink – Not That Deep
Caterina Barbieri – Sufyosowirl
Hans-Joachim Roedelius – Geradewohl
Slow Attack Ensemble – Form and F a d e

I’m very interested in electronic music that explores rhythm and pulse in atypical ways, eschewing typical beat driven idioms, with perhaps more in common with 20th century minimalism than the dance floor (though I definitely love that too!). This collection of tunes is some old favourites amongst some new. They are all polyrhythmic, pulsing, atmospheric tunes that want to coax you into some type of hypnotic homeostatic mind state. I was audacious enough to slip in a tune that I produced too.

Vijay Thilaimuthu

Studio Supervisor & Resident (2022)

Drexciya – Wavejumper
Autechre – Clipper
Roberto Cacciapaglia – My Time
Raymond Scott – Manhattan Research, Inc
Raymond Scott – Cindy Electronium
Yellow Magic Orchestra – Rydeen
Byetone – Black Peace
Container – Peppered
RTR – Acidnbknight
Alozade, Hollow Point, Mr. Vegas – Under Mi Sensi (feat. Mr. Vegas)
Autechre – Dropp
Nosaj Thing – Nightcrawler

This fairly eclectic playlist showcases some of the electronic music that has pervaded my existence. Mostly it is grounded with a dance music influence, from pioneering nautical afrofuturists Drexciya to the enigmatic abstractions of Autechre, to the brutal offerings of Byetone & Container (and so much more). A pivot point is provided through Roberto Cacciapaglia’s quasi-pop collaboration with Ann Steel (1979) from which I saw an opportunity to include Raymond Scott’s work created on the Electronium, one of the first synthesisers ever created (1949!) Of course I had to include the bombastic, subversive and joyous stylings of YMO. I also had to include a fun & playful Dancehall track that leans heavily on a retro electronic aesthetic. Enjoy!