WE FORFEIT (Mix 9) :: A Rolling Jamal Gathers No Moss

Robbie can’t remember when he first got into Jamal Moss (aka Hieroglyphic Being, aka The Sun God, aka a heap of other monikers, pseudonyms and aliases), but he does remember being smacked in the face by his music. Drum laden tracks of daring and dynamic complexity. Ultra raw productions where instruments fly into distortions, basslines that bulge and flex before EQs spin like whirling tops, tracks that sing with sublime strings, works that howl with a guttural rage and beam with a shamanic spiritualism.

The Chicago musician was born and breed on the music of his city. Frequenting monuments like the Power Plant and Medusa’s, as well as being tutored by some of the pioneers of the sound like Adonis and Steve Pointdexter, Moss was raised on Gherkin Records and Traxx with a healthy diet of European imports. Over a twenty year career Moss has shattered the preconceptions of house and techno, obliterating genre tags as he puts a battering ram through barriers and walls before rebuilding compositions from the coarse and jagged debris.

Moss has remade himself from the rust and rubble of America’s decaying industrial towns, taking influence from the abandoned warehouses and the boarded up neighborhoods while finding hope in the possibilities of utilizing the past to realize a better future. His views are in one breath wide eyed and optimistic and in another sense brutally realistic and that juxtaposition permeates his attitude and music.

His mainstay is his Hieroglyphic Being nom de plume. Well represented in this hour long all vinyl mix put together by Robbie, under this alias Moss has featured on labels as diverse as Klang Elektronik, Planet Mu and Soul Jazz as well as his own Mathematics Recordings. The Chicago based artist has also collaborated with a number of like-minded knob twiddlers, working with Noleian Reusse as Africans With Mainframes and his old mentor Steve Pointdexter as Faces Drums.
Not only will you find relentless, punishing percussion in this mix, but also a tenderness. Moss is known for hammering his audience with a sonic barrage and Robbie has kept much of that rhythmic energy in his selection, he has also tried to show the subtle side of the Mathematics founder where playful whimsy, off-kilter wonkiness and outlandish experimentation abound.

A polyphonic poet, a monophonic monolith, an artist who will amuse, bemuse and bewitch. Jamal Moss is a musician who is always demanding, moving, shifting and reshaping his sound and self with this mix showing but a fraction of what The Sun God is all about. Enjoy. WE FORFEIT.

Tracklist ::

Prins Thomas :: D (Hieroglyphic Being Beat Rework) (Smalltown)
Hieroglyphic Being :: Free The Energy (No Vocal Energy) (Last Known Trajectory)
Faces Drums :: Pathways 2 Serenity (Mathematics Recordings)
Africans With Mainframes :: Pulse Of An African Land (Mathematics)
Africans With Mainframes :: The Joy Of Being (Mathematics)
Faces of Drums :: The Lost Tracks 6 (Mathematics)
Hieroglyphic Being :: Star Time (Technicolour)
The Sun God :: Spoken By The Spirits (Sequencias)
Africans With Mainframes :: RB-3 (Bio Rhythm)
Hieroglyphic Being :: A Synthetic Love Life (+ + +)
The Sun God :: Tower Of Ha (Bio Rhythm)
Hieroglyphic Being & The Configurative Or Modular Me Trio :: Azimuthal Equidistant (Mathematics)
I.B.M. ‎:: Kill Bill (Interdimensional Transmissions)

Samples from the excellent Origins series by Resident Advisor:

WE FORFEIT (Mix 8) :: Timix for Passerby (Corked 11)

We were asked to put this one together from a musical mate I met back in Belfast, Tim Carroll, who has recently set up a label with his mate Gus. Back then we were moony eyed floor walkers in the corporate world, now we’re older. Passerby‘s mission statement is to “release film and music, with an emphasis on the earthy and ethereal” and to date the imprint has lived up to that with some cracking audio visual ventures such as a documentary on Detroit’s lesser heard hip hop, “A Detroit Beat Tape,” alongside a burgeoning catalogue of mixes from folk far and wide in the form of Corked.

For this one Robbie and Chris have wandered down a more abstract and ambient path. Chris has chosen some cracking tracks from labels from across the globe and from some known more for a tougher more galvanized style, such as Power Vacuum and Frustrated Funk. “South Pacific” is taken from a Joey Beltram’s Aonox album, a collection of tracks with a far milder sound than his well known punchy productions which was released last year. Chris also chose a really sweet number from Caron’s excellent EP from a couple of years back as well as offering two tracks from labels based in Spain: El Gaviero Ediciones and the superb Lapsus.

Robbie has picked out a selection of old ambient records with some modern abstract experimentations. To start off is the strangely intimate musical machinations of Zoviet*France before the modulations of Severence and the rough edges of TR Kirstein & Sune T.B. Nielsen. In the middle is a favourite from Richard Devine with two selections from the excellent Chill Out or Die Vol 2 on Rising high split by the warmth of FrameWatcher on Shimmering Moods. Robbie has reviewed a number of the records from which tracks have been selected, such as Roger 23’s cracking LP on Mensch and Oubys’ eerie sci-fi inspired Second Planet. The finale comes in the shape of Lexanculpt’s orchestral “Anburl” from Gosub’s always inspiring Isophlux.

Tracklist ::
Alma Construct :: Circulator (Power Vacuum)
VC-118A :: Sequence (Frustrated Funk)
Joey Beltram :: South Pacific (Ownlife)
Caron :: Enlightened (030303)
Juan Manuel Cindrón :: La Colección de Samuel (El Gaviero Ediciones)
Pye Corner Audio :: Mainframe (Lapsus Records)
Four Hands / Zoviet*France :: Mountain Of Mammon (:Zoviet*France: Version) (Signals)
Severence :: Benjolin Drone I (Mensch)
TR Kirstein & Sune T.B. Nielsen ‎:: I Am So Happy I Could Spit (Infinite Waves)
Richard Devine :: Anthracite T. Vari (Schematic)
Friends, Lovers & Family :: Turning The Screws (Rising High)
FrameWatcher :: Seed Growing Secretly (Shimmering Moods)
Influx :: Dreamscape (Rising High)
Roger 23 :: Grey Clouds (Mensch)
Oubys :: Iso Prism (Testtoon)
Lexaunculpt :: Anburl (Isophlux)

Find We Forfeit on Soundcloud, Facebook, Blogspot, or Igloo.

WE FORFEIT (Mix 7) :: YooDJ's Special

Meself and Chris are deligthed to have been asked to make a mix for the excellent YooDJ's blog. Ubiquitous black and white photo included, pair of us looking stoical after some bad dental news.




WE FORFEIT (Mix 7) :: YooDJ's Special
https://soundcloud.com/yoodjs-podcast/we-forfeit-special-for-yoodjs
Tracklist:
(1st part):
Richard H. Kirk :: Lost Souls On Funk (Warp) (45 rpm)
Man Power :: Boys Beware (Pale Blue Drum-A-Pella Remix) (Correspondent)
Kiwisubzorus :: Androspace (Vielspaß)
Jared Wilson :: Smartbar Acid (Dixon Avenue Basement Jams)
Dramatis Personae :: Blasphemie (Vielspaß)
Ian Martin :: The Surveillance Society (Bio Rhythm)
Das Ding :: Try Out (Minimal Wave)
(2nd part):
Melatonin Man :: To Allocate :: (Nous Klaer Audio)
James Shinra :: Runn :: (Analogical Force)
Plant 43 :: Edge Of The Wood :: (Eudemonia)
/DL/MS/ :: Flowers :: (Frustrated Funk)
Aquarian Motion :: Serenade :: (Voodoo Gold Records)
Betonkust :: Entertaining My Goth :: (9300 Records)

Interview with the pair of us here:
http://yoodjs.com/en/we-forfeit-special-for-yoodjs/

www.facebook.com/weforfeit/
All mixes can be found here.
weforfeit.blogspot.com.es/
igloomag.com/tag/we-forfeit

WE FORFEIT (Mix 6) :: From When We Were Six

Right, so not all of the tracks are from between 1990 and 1992, but a decent amount are. With this latest WE FORFEIT installment Chris and Robbie are focusing on the more techno side of festive cheer with a serious nod to the 90s from the lads.

Chris cracks open this audio treat with some electro from two masters. Although Anthony Rother isn’t as prolific as he once was, “Human Made” is a wonderful example of what he is capable of. I’ve gushed enough about the kon001 remix of Stingray which is lovingly combined with Ceephax Acid Grew. Analogical Force, one of the best labels around these days and from here in Madrid, is represented by the loose acid grooves of Guavid before a classic from the Eevolute vaults. Class is the only word to describe Mike Dred aka The Kosmik Kommando, who I actually got to chat with when he played Analogical Force. If you don’t own Frequenseize yet, get on discogs now! Sadly the pressing quality isn’t too hot but it’s an amazing release. Leipzig’s YUYAY offer a colder slant before Balil’s incredible “Parasight” closes Chris’ segment.

Robbie follows with six helpings from a label that gathered musicians from Europe and the United States. New Electronica did what few other labels did, sum up a truly global spirit of techno. The imprint was set up by Tim Millington and ran from 1993 to 1998 and scoured the UK, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, the US and beyond to define electronic music. Robbie tracked down some of the compilations years back, mostly from this site which strangely still exists some fifteen years on and now seems to be giving football tips. The collection of tracks is inspired by Chris’ selection and a recent mix of halcyon techno from Lerosa. Everything is taken from the four compilations Robbie has and he tried to pick out tracks from lesser known entities, like Kumulus, with some hidden alias, such as Dan Curtain as Planetary and Richard H. Kirk as Sandos, alongside some bigger bangers from Underground Resistance and a lost beaut from Scattered Minds. They’re slippery ole numbers to mix and pretty old records so please forgive any burps or surface noise.

As always, mixed with devotion from vinyl. WE FORFEIT.

Tracklist ::
Anthony Rother :: Human Made (Kanzleramt)
Stingray 313 :: eRbB4 (KON001 remix) (Lower Parts)
Ceephax Acid Crew :: Alligatored (WeMe)
Guavid :: Groovy (Analogical Force)
Wladimir M :: Evil (Eevolute)
The Kosmik Kommando :: Deus Ex Machina (Rephlex)
Sophia Y Lie :: Enclosing Envelope Agenda (YUYAY)
Balil :: Parasight (Warp)
Russ Gabriel :: Peace For Thought (New Electronica)
Kumulus :: Cloud Chaser (String Mix) (New Electronica)
Planetary :: Cydonia (New Electronica)
Sandoz :: Ocean Reflection (New Electronica)
Underground Resistance :: The Final Frontier (New Electronica)
Separate Minds :: Scattered Thoughts (New Electronica)

Join us on Cambridge Analytica

WE FORFEIT (Mix 5) :: No-One Likes To Be Alone

New year and a new mix. Robbie flying solo here. Inspired by Chris’ suggestion for a bit of a focus on techno and Alan Lockett’s great work in his Dalliance mixes, this selection pulls together tracks from reviewed records past, present and future alongside recent acquisitions. Made on a relaxed Sunday, expect some hammers, pounders and thumpers alongside some softer moments. Starting off with a track that drives my girlfriend up the wall, the trippy “The Birds” from Ian Blevins replete with Hitchcock samples. A label I’m only getting to know The Bunker New York and Eye Teeth is a totally new imprint to me, both appearing through Israel Vines and Patrick Russel. All favs but some standout numbers gotta’ go to Der Noir’s deep and defined “Blue,” Terrace’s grooving “Funktroit” and The Pulse Projects freshly minted “Rulucky.” Cignol’s recently released “Sunken Cities,” from Hidden Galaxies, is a cold cracker to reflect the icy tones of Ekman’s first vinyl album on the irrepressible Shipwrec. Irrepressible might be better used for Ekman, the Dutchman rears his acid scorched head a second time as Overloper on his latest 12” screamer for Pater Noster. One of the madmen of Borft, Villa Åbo, gets two deserved shots on here. I’m half sure I was at Femur the night in Madrid when this was first dropped, half sure and Chris might know why. Koehler closes with a banger from his superb Contra Blood EP on Berceuse Heroique.

Enough natter. Fair flips to all the below. All vinyl as ever. Enjoi. WE FORFEIT.

Tracklist ::
Ian Blevins :: The Birds (Not An Animal)
Romans :: Coptos (Patrick Russell Remix) (The Bunker New York)
Israel Vines :: Relapse (BMG Version) (Eye Teeth)
Der Noir :: Blue (Love Blast/Subsound)
Terrace :: Funktroit (De:Tuned)
The Pulse Projects :: Rulucky (Subapical)
Villa Åbo ‎:: Askew The Eternity (Kontra-Musik)
Ekman :: Goldbach Number (Shipwrec)
Cignol :: Sunken Cities (Computer Controlled)
99LETTERS :: Neo Life (TRP Dub) (Dalmata Daniel)
Villa Åbo ‎:: Madrid (Börft)
Overloper :: Carpe Noctem (Pater Noster Ltd.)
Koehler :: Contra Blood (Berceuse Heroique‎)

https://www.mixcloud.com/igloomag/we-forfeit-mix-5-no-one-likes-to-be-alone/

WE FORFEIT (Mix 4) :: 500m below Madrid (NYE mix)

This mix comes from the blurry twilight of new year’s eve, during the witching hour twixt past and future. We were drafted in to play a set at the Sindicato de Circulación Ferroviario and Sindicato del Colectivo de Maquinistas de Metro’s annual shindig in Atocha, both being the local train union which we hooked up through Chris’ dad’s Red Clydeside connections. The plan was laid out. A 28 hour back to back mix. 12:00 December 31st to 16:00 January 1st. An hour for each metro station on the circular line 6 here in Madrid with the sweaty closeness, the blacked windows and would-be liaisons mapped out to a beat. Sadly, due to rolling strikes between the municipal electricity workers amalgam, the collective society of light technicians and our sound guy raising the placard against his corrupt employers (We Forfeit Ltd) we only managed to record one hour of the day-plus marathon.

Chris starts our metro journey and takes us straight into the tunnels. Plunging his train of tracks into flickering darkness, Cosmo Vitelli’s superb remake of Andrew Claristidge’s “And Now You Dance” careens headlong into Benedikt Frey before the lights rise for Valencia’s very own Daniel Kyo. We’re slipping back into the shadows with Mick Wills and his claustrophobic edit of Das Geschwader on Arma, chugging along to the weaving grooves of Caltrop’s “Lenny” until the ultra-bright bars of the business district. Suits, briefcases and mirror shades from New York’s Wall $treet in the synth stabbing splendor of Vercetti Technicolor’s remix of “Victim.”

Carriage doors crunch open, allowing Robbie and Lame´s 1985 track “You’ve Got The Night” on. Doors close and we’re swaying to Machinegewehr after spotting “A Girl You Know” in the next carriage up when darkness envelopes as we enter into the hazy shadows of Dynamite Winter Palace’s “Romance.” The light comes up, bodies fizz past the window as we enter the station. Passengers untangle themselves from each other and eyes meet in the sensual “Cruel Game” for Nouvelle Phénomène before the clunk of metal and we’re off again; whizzing through the subterranean channels of Timothy J. Fairplay and Garofano Rosso.

It was around the hour mark that our sound lad said no more and took to the picket line. We’re not sure exactly at what point of the 28 hours this was recorded but ya’ get the idea. Shouts to Otto @ Bordello and Nico in Nueva York! ¡Feliz año! – WE FORFEIT.

Tracklist ::
Andrew Claristidge :: And Now You Dance (Relecture By Cosmo Vitelli) (Mille Feuilles)
Benedikt Frey :: Wolves (Love Pain Sunshine & Rain)
Daniel Kyo :: Wrong Way (Bordello A Parigi)
Das Geschwader:: Himmelfahrt 89 (M.W. cut) (Arma)
Caltrop :: Lenny (WT)
Wall $treet :: Victim (Vercetti Technicolor remix) (Mysidian)
Lame’ :: You’ve Got The Night (Golden Sound)
Machinegewehr :: A Girl You Know (Bordello A Parigi)
Dynamite Winter Palace :: Romance (Knekelhuis A Parigi)
Nouvelle Phénomène :: Cruel Game Nouvelle Phénomène (Vanzetti & Sacco Remix) (Bordello A Parigi)
Timothy J. Fairplay :: Love & Columbium ‎(Charlois)
Garofano Rosso :: Anni Di Piombo E Corruzione (Giallo Disco)

https://www.mixcloud.com/igloomag/we-forfeit-mix-4-500m-below-madrid-nye-mix/

WE FORFEIT (Mix 3) :: Mulled wine, scented pine and yuletide electro

It’s Christmas. Mince pies and black eyes. Chris and myself are celebrating with a six pack of special brew washed down with lashing and lashings of Lambert&Butler. To help this feast of mental ecstasy and physical excess we’ve put together a mix centered on the supposed style of 2017, electro, with a few other sonorous sprigs.

There have been some cracking electro records in the last twelve months, although the same could be said for the last sixty or one hundred and one months. We’ve sieved through some of our favs from past and present to add some sonic bite to that slab of turkey you’re gnawing on.

Chris starts us out on this journey with a hero of dutch techno, Stefan Robbers (aka Florence.) He works his way into the enchanted forrest of Djax-Up-Beats before coming across the tin mechanics of Das Muster and the London Modular Alliance. The voyage ends in the emerald city with the wizard, I-F, doling out some bubbling bass before firing us back to Kansas; or not.

The idea of bookending with some machine magicians is followed by me. Aphex Twin and the recently reissued D’Arcangelo finish my selection with generous helpings of acid tainted machine funk set off by thoughtful electronics. A personal favorite of the year is in here, “Aurore Boréale” from Franck Kartell’s superb Alaska album, alongside nods to past crackers from Junq as well as E.R.P.. Shout outs to Cultivated Electronics, De:Tuned, Shipwrec and Suction who have put out superb music throughout 2017.

As ever, an all vinyl mix lovingly blended with care and carelessness. Recorded in Madrid but brought to you from the grey clouded purgatory of the Irish midlands and the heady heights of Glasgow’s high rises, WE FORFEIT wish you a year of lottery wins and broken promises.

Tracklist ::
Florence :: Exploration (Eevo Lute Muzique)
SBLES3PLEX :: They Were There Before (Djax-Up-Beats)
Das Muster :: Fehlersuche (Between Places)
London Modular Alliance :: Tremors (Hypercolour)
I-F :: The Wonderer (Viewlexx)
Aphex Twin :: On (Warp)
LA Synthesis :: Agraphobia (Carl Finlow’s Transmogrify Remix) (De:Tuned)
Junq :: From Below (Cultivated Electronics)
Delta Funktionen :: New Planet (Shipwrec)
Hardfloor feat E.R.P. :: You Know The Score (Boris Divider Remix) (Hardfloor)
Franck Kartell :: Aurore Boréale (Bass Agenda)
The Exaltics :: Places (Clone)
E.R.P. :: Perfume Persuasion (Frustrated Funk)
D’arcangelo :: Diagram XI (Rephlex/Suction)

https://www.mixcloud.com/igloomag/we-forfeit-mix-3-mulled-wine-scented-pine-and-yuletide-electro/