THE HIGH FIDELITY DISCUSSION HOUR
The Preshow, Part I - 09 September 2001 (14:45-16:00)

At the spur of the moment, I filled up an hour on a regular show as part of my training (I already contributed nine or so hours of normal grunt work). The playlist was something that I had to make up nearly rapidly. And although I was very nervous internally, I seemed to have it under control and projected myself with confidence. So here are the songs I played (ARTIST - Song - Album Title):

AIR - Radio #1 - 10,000 Hz Legend
My debut radio appearance is marked with a recently heard track (I got the album as a birthday present to myself). I figured what a better way to start my radio career than a tongue-in-cheek song about radio airplay. The band is a French duo - Nicholas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel - whose music seems to represent a lot of the popular styles of 70s rock (the only band where Pink Floyd, Karftwerk, ELO and maybe Styx can be in a room together and not kill each other)
Listen to sample - Buy CD here

LU - Mood Elevator - LU
This was an A-list song because I was doing an A-list show [A-list meaning songs that we the station are trying to promote]. With all the A-lists I played on this and the second part, I did the John Cage approach and simply chose songs without any preconceived notion as to what it is except through the guidance of promo and comments from other DJs. This was because I didn't have the experience to work the equipment to preview stuff (now it's not a problem). It's a song comprised of a simple fact and cool atmospheric guitars and made by a group based in DC committed to bring art and music together. For more info on the group (including a small sample of the song), click here.
The album will be coming soon

RADIOHEAD - Transatlantic Drawl - Pyramid Song 1
This was my choice and yes "Pyramid Song" is a single and yes I chose the B-side. (For the benefit of any musical laymen reading this, a "B-side" usually means an extra song whether played live or unreleased material and so coined because of the ol' 7" or 45RPM single that has an A-side and a B-side and the A is usually the stronger of the songs). I like this song because of the energy presented in the first half with its distortion guitars. Then the second half is a synthesizer playing a single drone, changing by the dials, bringing to mind (at least to my mind) a "radio giving up its ghost."
Buy CD here

BLUR - Luminous - Bang
Amongst the fans of Blur (yes there are people who like Blur beyond "Song 2"), Bang is a single whose B-sides are stronger than the A-side. The group - Damon Albarn (vocals, keyboards), Graham Coxon (guitar), Alex James (bass), Dave Rowntree (drums) - dislike the song and are not afraid to express it. But now for the B-side (or one of them at least) called "Luminous." Its trippy atmosphere and Damon's vocals is the kind of thing that I would play at a dance to raise emotions other than those you would normally experience at a dance. I like it and that's the point.
Since nearly all of the back singles are out of print or hard to get, this single is part of a smaller box set. You can order it here and hear about 8 hours/127 tracks worth of music but 1) good luck getting it and 2) don't get it unless you are a Blur fan, very curious about the group or have a lot of money to throw away.

CLINIC - The Return of Evil Bill - Internal Wrangler
Another A-list song. The band - Ade Blackburn (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Brian Campbell (bass, backing vocals), Hartley (guitar, keyboards) and Carl Turney - is from Liverpool, England (album already released and this song is even a single released last October). According to the group's label Domino Records, they are into disguises. Make sense now but hearing the song definitely reminded me as to why British pop is such a cult thing in the United States... it's good (and often funny) storytelling.
The album (American release) will be coming soon (in the mean time, go find the MP3 if you want to listen to it).

PINK FLOYD - Lucifer Sam - Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Of course, what's an airshow with Derek Power in the controls without Pink Floyd? Of course this isn't the Pink Floyd that most people know and love but rather this is Pink Floyd in their beginnings when Syd Barrett was a part of the group and the band were more pop psychedelic rather than prog psychedelic. Taken from their debut album, this song IMO should have been on the Austin Powers soundtrack since this actually is a song from 1967. But alas, always with the popular stuff (even lousy covers of good 60s songs)
Listen to sample- Buy CD here

PREFUSE73 - Nuno - Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives
This may become the most abused and most played album from an A-list show. In fact, this is the only A-list album that I personally own. I bought this on my birthday (as well as 10,000 Hz Legend) after being on my wishlist ever since I got Warp: Routine. This project is the sole creation of Atlanta-based producer Scott Herren (so named after his love of pre-fusion music from 1968 to 1973) and this takes a stab at hip-hop almost literally. The result is hip-hop with either disjointed MCs, unclear MCs or MCs with flow that don't know where to go (sorry... white men like ME shouldn't rap :) ). If you think hip-hop should get another creative jolt, this is the album to get. The track played also appears on the aforementioned compliation album.
Listen to sample - Buy CD here

VANGELIS - Nerve Centre - The City
This was actually the first CD I ever listened to on my own CD player back in the sixth grade. Vangelis - another long-time favorite musically and one of the principal roots in my popular/commercial music tastes (the other one is Pink Floyd) - has been known (to those who know him) to create truly human and interesting music with everchanging style and sound. This song (probably one of the few Vangelis songs that actually sounds like a rock song... sort of) is part of an almost concept album revolving around city life. I might play some more Vangelis as the time comes.
Listen to sample - Buy CD here

THE ORB - Little Fluffy Clouds - The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld
A popular song back in 1991 and the song that almost single-handedly launched the "house" era of electronic music has been recently reincarnated into one of the VW New Beetle commercials (such is the fate of many good songs). Suprisingly this is the shortest song on the debut double album (one of them with perhaps the longest song title I've seen was originally a half-hour long!). Rickie Lee Jones is the woman being interviewed talking about the "little fluffy clouds" and the single was almost never released because she and her attorneys were not willing to let her voice be used like that (oh well, what can you do?).
Listen to sample - Buy CD here

THE MERKIN DREAM - Long Walks on the Beach - The Merkin Dream
All I remember from this A-list song is that it sounds Beck. More will be coming as soon as I can acquire it.

SUPERCHUNK - Rainy Streets - Here's to Shutting Up
Again I never heard of them and maybe it was a good thing. Reading up on them, they are the ultimate example of what an indie band should be... one to play by their own rules. Because of their drive and devotion to their own sound, the Chapel Hill, NC band - Mac McCaughan (guitars, vocals), Laura Ballance (bass), Chuck Garrison (drums), Jim Wilbur (guitar) - able to do what they want and get some fans only the way. This is their latest release (coming soon) and it's a very jumpy and energetic song (the kind of song that Tommy Hilfiger would buy).
Buy CD here (at least preorder it)

HAUJOBB - Demon - Polarity
This song reminds me of a combinaton of Skinny Puppy and Orgy (two separate groups yes but the closest I can come up with unless somebody has something better). But the comparision is not completely far off. This German trio combines industrial sounds and dance (although nearly industrial group does exactly that) and this latest album is often compared to a concept album.
Buy CD here

THE SWORDS PROJECT - The New Assassin - The Swords Project EP
Again, another group I never heard but I'm glad I got to meet them (musically that is). They are a Portland-based group that is more chamber orchestra than rock group. Look at the musician roster: Ryan Stowe (Fender 6), Jeff Gardner (guitar), Evan Railton (drums, electronics), Sierra Collum (violin), Brooke Crouser (electric/acoustic piano, clarinet, melodica), Corey Ficken (bass, vocals), Liza Rietz (violin), Joey Ficken (drums) and Amy Annelle (guitar). Their ambient sound blend with orchestrations and some occasional traditional "rock" sounds make them a standout (and another possible compliment to Radiohead). For more info (including a free download of this song), check this out
Buy CD here

KING CRIMSON - Matte Kudasai - Discipline
King Crimson has had three incarnations. The first one went through an everchanging lineup starting in 1968 and ending around 1974. This album is the first album of the second incarnation with Robert Fripp (guitar, devices and the sole owner of the name no matter how was involved), Adrian Belew (guitar, vocals and has appeared on a couple of NIN albums), Tony Levin (bass) and Bill Bruford (drums batterie). Originally the band was called Discipline but Fripp decided to resurrect the name again. Although it somewhat sounds 80s (released 1981), this album is not your typical album of the time. The title is Japanese for "Please wait for me."
Buy CD here

ZAFTIG - Tres Elements - Future Perfect: The Nature of Time
To use a quote from a previous DJ on this A-list song, it sounds like "Big Bird on drugs." More info will be coming your way as soon as I acquire it. I do remember saying through the mike after the airing of this song (thanks to Monty Python): "The BBC will like to apologise for the constant repetition in this show. The BBC will like to apologise for the constant repetition in this show." :)

PLAID - Milh - Not for Threes
This is one of those songs where I wish I had written. Plaid consists of two former Black Dog members Ed Handley and Andy Turner and I consider Plaid to be the "pop" version of IDM in that there is still complexity and individuality as far as sounds and rhythms and yet much of their song are shorter and easy to swallow than say Autechre or Aphex Twin. After all, Plaid did collaborate with Björk. BTW, the album title roughly translates to "don't even bother trying to revive him" (333 is the British equivalent of 911).
Buy CD here

SIANSPHERIC - Ending is Better Than Mending - Sound of the Colour of the Sun
If Canada had an equivalent to Sigur Ros, they are the closest except for the cello bow and the fact their version of Hopelandic is an actual, living and somewhat easy to understand language (eh). Ironically enough, I reviewed this CD as part of my training and found that (and again, not hearing of them at all) there are not afraid to use (or even OVERuse) guitar sound including white noise and something resembling Frippertronics or the Edge's guitar (what's the difference?). And of course all of these remarks are made with a smile. The song is pretty good

Click here to get back to the HFDH index, here to contact DJP and the logo above to get back home