Dive into the archives.
- OMA United Nations Mix
I’m getting ready to leave Holland, my home away from home. I’ve been here for the past 6 months working at OMA, the office to which I owe many of my professional skills and most of my gray hairs. One of the many virtues of OMA is its workforce, which is drawn from all corners of the earth. Before I left the office I decided to try a little experiment and see if I could make a mix that reflects the variety of the place. I asked every nationality to send me a song. Almost every one did and the result is below. Nuff love to all my colleagues past, present, and future. The beat goes on…
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right-click + save target as (windows) / save link as (mac)TRACKLIST
Albert Pla - Fantasma (Spain)
Wir sind Helden - Aurélie (Germany)
Clara Nunes - Cantos das tres racas (Brazil via Macau)
Waifs - London still (Australia)
Falco - Junge römer (Austria)
Kino - Zvezda po imeni solnce (Russia)
Haja Hamdaouia - Hazou bina laalam (Morocco)
Sabrina - Boys boys boys (Italy)
Röyksopp - The girl and the robot (Norway)
Agoria - Think different (France)
Kraak & Smaak - Jolie banane (Netherlands)
Anima Sound System - 68 (Hungary)
Bendaly Family - Do you love me? (Lebanon)
Vive la Fête - La vérité (Belgium)
Omar Souleyman - Leh jani (Syria)
Twins - Being in love is bigger than the sky (Hong Kong)
Wan Fang - New endless love (China)
MR Shajariyan - Char mezraab bidaad (Iran)
Punky Donch - Mi kier bo awe (Curacao)
Al Green - Love and happiness (US)
Goldfish - Mbira beat (South Africa)
Bally Sagoo feat. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Ali da malang (India)
Lieve Hugo - Blaka rosoe (Suriname)
Grauzone - Eisbär (Switzerland)
DJ Pied Piper & Masters of Ceremony - Do you really like it? (UK)
D’banj - Entertainer (Nigeria)
Komeda - It’s alright baby (Sweden)
*Italo-Bonus*
Max Gazzè - Una musica può fare (Italy)Popularity: 8% [?]
- The Tielman Bros
I was hanging out with my friend Pete yesterday and while going through my youtube favorites during our customary music and cool things exchange, I rediscovered the mind-blowing clip above. It features the Tielman Brothers, a rock & roll group comprised of Indonesians based in Holland. Their story is an epic tale of cultural contamination, and I strongly urge you to read up on them here. It is impossible to describe how hard these gentlemen rocked, and fortunately I don’t have to. Press play.
Popularity: 4% [?]
- Disco Universal
Man. My friend Rami just exposed me to the following clip, which was recorded in Tajikistan. The cryptic side caption reads: Таджик обкурился и поет индийские песни, which when I ran it through Babelfish came out to: ‘Tadzhik seasoned a pipe and he sings the Indian songs.’ Damn straight.
The songs he sings are from the early ’80s Bollywood blockbuster Disco Dancer
The whole of which can be found on youtube starting here.
Here are the originals in isolation:
Popularity: 4% [?]
- Philly Phil
When I was back home a couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to see my friend Phil Forsyth on his 31st birthday. Phil is an all-around amazing person. A poet, a card shark, a relentless b-baller, a green thumb, and, most important for this post, a full bodied music lover. Phil is the kind of guy that, when you show up at his birthday party, gives YOU a present. That’s how I got “Rank Strangers”, the wonderful countrified mix illustrated above and featured below.
I’m gonna get into the music in a second, but first I want to big up two of Phil’s projects that I hope you’ll check out and support.
First, Philadelphia Orchard Project, a non-profit collective that works with community-based groups and volunteers to plan and plant orchards in the many unused spaces around Philly.
POP provides the plants, trees, and training. Community organizations own, maintain, and harvest the orchards, expanding community-based food production. Orchards are planted in formerly vacant lots, community gardens, schoolyards, and other spaces, almost exclusively in low-wealth neighborhoods where people lack access to fresh fruit.
Second, is Phil’s blog, where he drops incredible amounts of knowledge on urban farms, edible landscapes, permaculture, and sorts of good shit.
As you can imagine, planting orchards in vacant lots and blogging about permaculture doesn’t necessarily make the ends connect, so Phil also has a commercial landscaping business called Forsyth Gardens, and if you’re in the US and want an incredible, edible garden, then you need to holla at them.
So, to the music… Even though Phil is one of the warmest, most loving people I know, he’s got a taste for the darker side of life and it’s represented on every one of his mixes, but this one maybe more than most. Here’s a small selection of bitter pills…
The Everly Brothers - I wonder if I care as much
My pride is made to say forgive,
and take the blame for what you did,
It’s your mistake I’m thinkin’ of,
I wonder if I’m still in love.The Statler Brothers - Half a man
I know you’re looking for someone to bow down to you,
and to lift their head and smile each time you call.
But the more I think about, the less I think about it,
and the more I think it just ain’t worth it all.Tanya Tucker - Blood red and goin’ down
Daddy said: “Now come girl, we’re headin’ down the road to Augusta.”
And faintly through his clenched teeth, he called Mama’s name, then he cussed her.
He said: “Girl, you’re young, but some dude has come along and stole your mother.
Ah, but you can’t steal a willin’ mind ’cause mom is always lookin’ for a lover.”Tom Waits - Tell it to me
I know, you will not see me, but I know you have a daughter
And I hear she has my eyes
They say she calls him “father”, and he’s proud of her
And even believes all of your liesDownload the whole beautiful collection here.
Popularity: 4% [?]
