Zen Tapes

New Domain/Other Stuff (Please read :))

2010-08-06T16:09:00.003-04:00

For those of you who haven't heard the news, we've packed up and moved over to zentapes.com! New features, and tapes, will only be posted there, so if you'd like to keep following you can update your RSS feed or just wait until I add a redirect.

Thanks for reading,
Tom

FR: Blackbird Blackbird - Summer Heart

2010-08-04T13:41:00.005-04:00

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When I first heard Blackbird Blackbird's "Pure", on Zentape #10 ;) , I put my bottom dollar on the fact that I'd love anything he'd put out, and having just gotten his first LP, I can say that I won that bet. BB is likely my new favorite of the 'chillwavers', if you want to be that guy and call them that. Give em a listen, you won't regret it.

FR: Emily Reo - Honeybee

2010-08-02T19:44:00.005-04:00

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So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

approved by Ms. Reo herself!

FR: Fjordne - Ceylon

2010-08-01T15:44:00.009-04:00

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Is it pretentious of me to have already abbreviated this article type as FR? Will my prior use of the word pretentious be met with internet-message-board-style flames worse than California forest fires?? Answer to these questions and more on the next edition of: the frrrrrrr

Frequent Rewinds: Emartransformo - Ignition

2010-07-30T15:59:00.009-04:00

Arpeggios and pulse waves are the pedals on the Car of Fun that Emartransformo drives.

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ZenTapes #12: Dismal Forecast

2010-07-24T13:20:00.004-04:00

1. Why? - By Torpedo or Chrohn's (0:00)
2. Built to Spill - The Wait (3:55)
3. Cokiyu - Hedgehog's Wedding (8:41)
4. Yu(c)k - Daughter (13:24)
5. SLEEP ∞ OVER - La Rose (18:01)
6. Sail a Whale - Find Me a Boy (21:24)
7. Paavoharju - Italialaisella laivalla (25:59)
8. Nils Frahm - Over there, it's raining (29:10)
9. Bowerbirds - Silver Clouds (30:48)

Click to download

In light of the shit weather we've had in SE Michigan lately, here's a mix for those of you down in the dumpsters lately. Also, look out for a new Zen Tapes feature, Frequent Rewinds, coming this week!

P.S. Sorry for missing last week, I was at Pitchfork Festival in Chi-town. There may be an article about it if I get around to it. If not, oh well!

ZenTapes #11: Body Shakers

2010-07-09T16:53:00.002-04:00

1. Beach Fossils - Daydream (0:00)
2. Coyote Clean Up - this house boat is making me sea sick (4:31)
3. Nightmares on Wax - 70s 80s (7:35)
4. RRaaiillss - SPF85 (13:00)
5. EDH - Subway (16:36)
6. Kisses - Kisses (19:07)
7. The Landau Orchestra - Wheel of Fortune (23:17)
9. Marumari - indigo florist (27:10)
10. Woven Tales - Dried Blueberries (32:44)

Click to download

Yep, this one's a collection of random stuff that will make you dance. Should've called it Disco Miscellany. In other news, look out for the upcoming ZenTape next friday entitled Disco Miscellany! (Just kidding) If you'd like, leave a comment about what sort of stuff you'd like to hear next week, I'd love to know.

Tom

ZenTapes #10: Hypnagogic Continent + Changes

2010-07-02T17:31:00.002-04:00

1. Blackbird Blackbird - Pure (0:00)

2. Holy Other - We Over (2:17)
3. Mathemagic - Breaststroke (5:55)
4. Games - That We Can Play (10:26)
5. Star Slinger - Star Slinger (13:13)
6. Tanlines - S.A.W. (15:30)
7. Tortoise - The Lithium Stiffs (18:51)
8. College - Fantasy Park (22:49)
9. Coyote Clean Up - disco sleeping ppl plz (26:33)
10. FM Attack - Invisible (33:08)
11. SLEEP ∞ OVER - Outer Limits (39:05)

Click to download

You may have noticed a few stylistic changes here and there on Zen Tapes. Well, I'm kicking it into high gear with this blog business. There will now be one ZenTape EVERY FRIDAY, so mark yr calendars. I'm also looking into doing a bit of blogging along with the tapes, if you're cool with that. I'll start now:

I originally finished this mix with only ten tracks, until I listened to Outer Limits today. I have extremely high hopes for SLEEP ∞ OVER, who I mentioned in my...oh...third post? The song is simply beautiful and fits perfectly with this chilled out, disco influenced mix. I probably worked the longest, and hardest, on this one, so enjoy!

ZenTapes #9: Sleep Soundly Lovely

2010-06-28T23:00:00.002-04:00

1.aus - Tewa Tori Aeru (0:00)
2. Helios - Glimpse (4:03)
3. Gas - Untitled (9:47)
4. Tokyo Bloodworm - Still Passage (16:13)
5. Chihei Hatakeyama - Towards A Tranquil Marsh (21:13)
6. Colleen - The Golden Morning Breaks (25:52)
7. Loscil - Bellows (31:10)
8. d_rradio - By the Way (37:25)
9. Erik Satie - Gymnopedie No.3 (40:40)
10. Emeralds - Up In the Air (43:16)
11. Eluvium - The Unfinished (47:20)
12. Grouper - Where it Goes (51:40)

Click to download

Dedicated to those of you who appreciate sleep, or neglect it.

Cupcake City's Out!

2010-06-25T01:48:00.001-04:00

Click to download

Yep, it's about time. Some of you may have heard a few of these songs already; as always, it's a work in progress, but here's my first release ever. Tear it apart, love it, hate it, just let me know please.

Zen Tapes #8: Painted Circuits pt. 2

2010-06-09T13:59:00.002-04:00

1. Paniyolo - Rain (0:00)

2. Pawn - Bird Cage (3:27)

3. The Boats - Names On A Map (7:38)

4. Paavoharju - Ursulan uni (11:00)

5. Koen Holtkamp - Walker (13:20)

6. Midori Hirano - Caracola (15:58)

7. Miroque - Joywind (18:32)

8. Pass Into Silence - Blue (20:56)

9. yarn:moor - it's blooming (26:34)

Click to download

Just can't get enough glitchy/ambient goodness! Love, Tom

Zen Tapes #7: Ancient Meadows

2010-06-08T21:57:00.002-04:00

1. Six Organs of Admittance - Wolves' Pup (0:00)
2. Nalepa - Sunflowers (1:29)
3. Robin Pecknold - Guitar Duet (5:53)
4. Erasmus Widmann - Regina (no.12) (7:12)
5. The Redneck Manifesto - Cut Your Heart Off... (8:18)
6. Philip Pickett and the New London Orchestra - Bransles De Villages (13:06)
7. Daisuke Miyatani - Hidamari (14:58)
8. Leonard Cohen - Old Revolution (17:58)
9. The Folger Consort - My Lord of Oxenford's maske (22:38)
10. Clorinde - Leaf (25:10)
11. Chequerboard - Architecture (28:20)
12. The Incredible String Band - The Mountain of God (30:57)

Click to download

Enjoy some rainy day medieval/instrumental/outdoorsy tunes, love Tom.

Zen Tapes #6: In Bloom/Bliss

2010-06-03T15:39:00.008-04:00

1. Plone - Plock (0:00)
2. Boneless - Young Thug (3:50)
3. Vashti Bunyan - Lily Pond (5:44)
4. Ilkae - Untitled (Setzer Remix) (7:03)
5. .tape. - First Date (10:16)
6. The Bilinda Butchers - This Love Is Fucking Right (tpobpah cover) (14:14)
7. Tape - Reperto (18:37)
8. ISAN - Channel Ten (21:48)
9. Brothertiger - You're Afraid (26:22)
10. De La Soul - Eye Know (30:00)
11. Delorean - Stay Close (34:00)
12. Dum Dum Girls - Baby Don't Go (38:26)
13. Emily Reo - Car (Built to Spill cover) (42:11)
14. Eternal Summers - Safe at Home (46:38)
15. Grass Widow - Green Screen (48:38)
16. Proswell - At the Dock (50:43)
17. Gutevolk - seed of sky (51:54)
18. Kaleidoscope - I'll Kiss You Once (54:06)
19. Marissa Nadler - Virginia (55:00)
20. Millionyoung - Hammock (57:33)
21. muxu - morning breeze & talking beans (1:00:35)

Click to download
Since the spring mix is so big, you can pick from the electronic (bliss faeries) and the folksy (in bloom) or get both!

Bliss Faeries

1. Plone - Plock (0:00)
2. Boneless - Young Thug (3:50)
3. .tape. - First Date (5:43)
4. Ilkae - Untitled (Setzer Remix) (9:40)
5. Proswell - At the Dock (12:54)
6. Tape - Reperto (14:08)
7. ISAN - Channel Ten (17:14)
8. Brothertiger - You're Afraid (21:47)
9. Gutevolk - seed of sky (25:33)
10. muxu - morning breeze & talking beans (27:50)

Click to download

In Bloom

1. Vashti Bunyan - Lily Pond (0:00)
2. Emily Reo - Car (Built to Spill cover) (1:19)
3. The Bilinda Butchers - This Love is Fucking Right! (5:42)
4. De La Soul - Eye Know (10:07)
5. Dum Dum Girls - Baby Don't go (14:05)
6. Delorean - Stay Close (17:48)
7. Kaleidoscope - I'll Kiss You Once (22:12)
8. Eternal Summers - Safe at Home (23:06)
9. Millionyoung - Hammock (24:58)
10. Marissa Nadler - Virginia (27:57)
11. Grass Widow - Green Screen (30:35)

Click to download

TTFNTom

Zen Tapes #5: Space Cakes

2010-05-18T21:11:00.002-04:00

1. Raymond Scott - Hostess: Twinkies (0:00)

2. Avey Tare & Kría Brekken - Sasong (0:28)

3. The Incredible String Band - The Half-Remarkable Question (2:21)

4. Geskia - Sun (7:18)

5. Kuhn - We're Gonna Make It (8:48)

6. Chequerboard - Skating Couple (12:38)

7. Grimes - Sardaukar Levenbrech (15:22)

8. Sun Araw - The Stakeout (fear. W. Giacchi) (17:20)

9. Taken By Trees - Wapas Karna (22:26)

10. The Parasails - skylife 5 (24:52)

11. Neon Indian - Mind, Drips (28:29)

12. Big Spider's Back - Don't Make Me Laugh (31:31)

Click to download

Pretty dense stuff in here. Hold onto your hats and your lighters, folks. Let yr brain implode.

Zen Tapes #4: Voodoo DMT

2010-05-10T20:58:00.003-04:00

1. Salem - Frost (0:00)
2. Blissed Out - +tie dye flowers+
3. SLEEP ∞ OVER - fog juice
4. Mater Suspiria Vision - eXorcism of the hippies
5. \\\▲▲▲...... (_v_o_i_d_) - track 2
6. †‡† - >>>>▲<<<<
7. Silent Diane - Juliet the Painting
8. White Ring - chain my crib
9. Modern Witch - Rever Fay
10. GR†LL GR†LL - 2200 LuLLaby
11. Salem - sip it cut
12. Pink Priest - Field of Orgasms (Twins Mix)

Click to Download

Young me would be appalled at the hefty volume of "witch house" I've been listening to lately (within the past 2 months) but, then again, young me would also h8 most of the things I do now. Grow up, young me! As always, buy what you love, and expect a link to individual tracks coming soon (assuming I don't get sued!) SLEEP ∞ OVER is putting out a split 7" with Pure Ecstasy (featured on Medium Fidelity) on the 25th, and preorders come with a HANDMADE CASSETTE, so preorder, ya doofs!

Zen Tapes #3: Medium Fidelity

2010-05-05T03:56:00.001-04:00

1. Ducktails - Roses
2. Fluffy Lumbers - Shore Patrol
3. Paul Baribeau - Like Bells
4. Woodsman - Bow and Arrow
5. Chromatic Flights - Passagrille
6. V▲GINA WOLF - Calm Down
7. Pearl Harbor - M.L.O.
8. Moss of Aura - Climb
9. FUR - Haunted
10. Rangers - Golden Triangles
11. PURE ECSTASY - Dream Over
12. Weed Diamond - Stevie Wonder is TOOOO HIGH
13. Indian Jewelry - Pompeii
14. Julian Lynch - Winterer Two

Click to download

i wanted to see my dreams so i
kept my eyes open
but i knew that wasn't really
how you see dreams

Zen Tapes #2: Club Lub

2010-05-04T22:06:00.002-04:00

1. Axiotronic - Retro Rockets
2. I, Cactus - CHINA SHIPPING CO
3. Nite Jewel - Another Horizon
4. Washed Out - #2
5. Active Child - When Your Love Is Safe
6. Grimes - Feyd Rautha Dark Heart
7. Zomby - Mesculine Cola
8. AOKI takamasa - Private Part_Variation_JD_ (edit)
9. aus - UR (The Boats remix)
10. +++WEED - White Heart
11. Memoryhouse - The Waves

Click to download

Tree picture taken by me

Zen Tapes #1: Painted Circuits

2010-05-04T18:18:00.001-04:00

1. Kira Kira - HappahróLfur Salísú
2. Max Tundra - Fuerte
3. Muxu - Journey to the City
4. .tape. - Pal Talk 2 (Morning)
5. Junichi Masuda - Poké Flute
6. Ilkae - Cappuccino Summit
7. aus - Aslope (ISAN Remix)
8. Akira Kosemura - delight
9. I Am Robot and Proud - Good Sleep
10. Bibio - Cherry Blossom Road

Click to download

I've been digging on a lot of minimal/ambient from around the world these past few years. Painted Circuits tries to give you a world tour of this humble underground. .tape. from Spain, Muxu from China, aus from Japan, Max Tundra from the US. Let's go diversity!

EDIT: Muxu is from Malaysia, and if you go to their myspace there are some free downloads!