Maybe Heaven Is All That’s There: Transmission 415, 2018 July 15

An opportunity arose for me to do a stand-in appearance, so in I stood. Not only that, but it was an early-evening show, despite the fact that I've been telling myself for years that I don't work in daylight (that would be Captain Halcyon's role, but he has flown off to "bluer skies," whatever that means). So on at least three levels this was a "throwback" kind of program, the third being that, like the previous outing, I played some stuff I'd played before, and notably long pieces. What can I say? This summer is making me want to regress.

On that note--I thought long and hard about it while the track was playing, and awesome though it is, I don't think I can hear "The Fatal Day" anymore, given some things that are happening. That is rough. I remember first hearing it--of course--in the studio at KDVS, loud enough to make the walls shake. (If you aren't blown away by that experience, there is something wrong with you; there was a Godflesh tune with which I had a similar experience.) It was one of those 4AD summers, of which there seem to have been many. I suspect that multiple people did with favorite records what I proceeded to do with this one--surreptitiously "borrowing" the record from the station's library (a state crime over which you could lose any financial aid you were receiving) so I could tape it at home. Good times! Whatever happened to that stupid, fearless kid? Only the stupid remains, I think.

Should I confess to a criminal offense every time I post a program? That seems like a good journey to embark on.

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 July 15, 1900-2100:

1. "Rocket USA" | Thin White Rope | Bottom Feeders | Zippo
2. "The Fatal Day" | In Camera | Fin | 4AD
3. "Flood" | Pell Mell | Flow | SST
4. "Archimedes" / "Parellelogram" / "Radio Wolna" / "Porpoise" | UBEK | Ubek | Sucata Tapes
5. "Video 586" | New Order | Video 586 | Touch
6. "Daily Disco" / "Swing" / "The Evening's Young" / "Pin Ball Cha Cha" | Yello | 1980-1985 The New Mix In One Go | Vertigo
7. "Ase" | King Sunny Ade | Aura | Mango
8. "Fire-Eater" | The Wolfgang Press | The Legendary Wolfgang Press and Other Tall Stories | 4AD
9. "The Gospel Comes to New Guinea" | 23 Skidoo | The Gospel Comes to New Guinea | Fetish
10. "The Dance #2" | Laraaji | Ambient 3: Day of Radiance | Glitterbeat

We are us, who is to trust

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You Will Have an Experience That Will Seem Completely Real: Transmission 414, 2018 July 4

This program came at the end of a "day off" in which there was very little to do. This is an odd thing (I think) about Ithaca: the 4th of July is kind of vacant in terms of civic activities. The fireworks are usually the night before, for example. One doesn't hear about holiday-related festivities, though perhaps I am not listening. At any rate, I kept myself busy on this day by worrying about work--there would be a huge event the next day, but it is never too early to freak out.

The week prior, I had found myself marvelling at what I called the "simple joy" of someone else's show. I can't say I set out deliberately to chase that this time around (which may be my problem in the first place), but I do think that on at least a subconscious level that explains why I played so many things in this program that I have played before, and so many lengthy things specifically. It felt like the old days, when I would do stuff like this all the time and not really be bothered. What a life I had then! That is what I miss, more than the person I was.

You know what else I miss? Having an Isacc Hayes record that is in decent condition! Good grief, my copy of Joy is in bad shape. Somehow we made it through that, together, which is nice. Do you know what else we made it through? My 10,000th track played on the air at WRFI, if you can believe it--actually whether or not you believe it it is true. "Soul Soldier" is the answer to this trivia question. You're welcome.

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 July 4, 2100-2300:

1. "What Does Your Soul Look Like? Pt. 2" | DJ Shadow | Preemptive Strike | FFRR
2. "Soul Soldier" | Throwing Muses | The Fat Skier | 4AD - Sire
3. "Time Zones" | Negativland | Escape from Noise | SST
4. "When You Feel It Grunt If You Can" | The J.B.'s | These Are the J.B.'s | Now-Again
5. "Rocket U.S.A." | Suicide | Suicide | Red Star
6. "The Graves at Lamphead" | Buick | Sweatertongue | Lather
7. "Crawl" | Bunnydrums | Feathers Web | Funk Dungeon
8. "I Luv I Jah" | Bad Brains | Omega Sessions | Victory Records
9. "Ghost Lights" | The Children | Ghost Lights | Division 68
10. "Joy" | Isaac Hayes | Joy | Enterprise
11. "Chameleon" | Herbie Hancock | Autodrive | Columbia
12. "Voodoo Chile" | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | Electric Ladyland | Reprise
13. "Gravitational VIII" | Landing | Bells in New Towns | El Paraiso

My errors are made of desire

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Lights Flicker, Time To Start The Show: Transmission 413, 2018 June 27

It begins. After a week off I deliver the first show of the "intense" period of my year, when the critical theory summer camp that I manage (yes) is in full swing. This is my third year of doing it, and somehow it is becoming more stressful. This may be a result of my medication (and boy do I need to find a new psychiatrist) or it may be a result of my trying to do it better (look at Mr. Model Employee over here). Whatever the cause, I find myself five pounds lighter because my stomach is full of butterflies all the time. Those who know me well, which is hardly anybody, will recognize OVEReating as my normal response to stress. So this is something greater or qualitatively different. What was I saying earlier, about bodies?

Anyway, life still has its pleasures. On this night I got to witness a new show being born, and it is good to know that this still warms my heart. And what a terrific show it was--though mine was quite good on this night, it did not measure up to the simple joy delivered by "Rocket Morton" (whom I mistakenly referred to as "Rocket Morgan," ugh). I need to explore this idea, and on the next couple of shows I think I try.

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 June 27, 2100-2300:

1. "Gelatin Mode" | Post Animal | When I Think of You in a Castle | Polyvinyl
2. "arts cool" | Captain Wardrobe | Kronosphere | self-released
3. "Kungssten Bus Stop Riddim" | Shakarchi & Straneus | Steal Chickens from Men and the Future from God | Studio Barnhus
4. "Funky Heaven" | A Certain Ratio | acr:mcr | Mute
5. "Djougou Yah" | Laolu & Mr. Raoul K. | Djougou Yah - EP | Compost
6. "Safety in Numbers" | Dirtmusic | Bu Bir Ruya | Glitterbeat
7. "Water Mirrors" | Jonathan Fitoussi / Clemens Hourriere | Espaces timbres | Versatile
8. "Voyage Libre (feat. LouLou Ghelichkhani)" | Thievery Corporation | Treasures from the Temple | ESL
9. "Trax 11" | Rumore | Life in the Cloud | Hot Haus
10. "Inna Trice" | Culross Close | Moments | Esencia
11. "Kongaulois" | Baloji | 137 Avenue Kaniama | Bella Union
12. "Cochi Loco" | Dual Action | Babe Beer Bar Car | Hospital Productions
13. "Not in Love" | OOFT! | Intricacies of Modern Life | FOTO Recordings
14. "New Horizon" | Opto Mystics | New Horizon | vibraphone
15. "Persuasion" | Throbbing Gristle | 20 Jazz Funk Greats [reissue] | Mute
16. "Thinking About You" | Jubl | Thinking Sweet | self-released
17. "Goonies Never Say Die" | Ben Frost | All That You Love Will Be Eviscerated | Mute
18. "Gravitational VII" | Landing | Bells In New Towns | El Paraiso
19. "Glow, Glow" | Fazer | Mara | Fazer
20. "Character Collapse" | Ian Hicks | Character Collapse | So Low
21. "Cosine" | Joe Ford | Colours in Sound | Shogun Audio
22. "Serafin - 12" Mix" | Opal Sunn | II | Planet Sundae
23. "Radiation Fog" | The Messthetics | The Messthetics | Dischord
24. "Ginsterblut" | Die Wilde Jagd | Uhrwald Orange | Bureau B
25. "Levitation" | K2 | Loss of Gravity | Vibraphone

It's not even funny

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Distant Sounds Inside Your Head: Transmission 412, 2018 June 13

Physical Evidence returns on this outing in the form of The Times, about which more soon. Little did I know at the time that this would be the penultimate Physical Evidence, but so it would. More about that...in a later diary entry, I guess. Back to the episode at hand: this is pretty good, not great, and hella...dynamic, I guess. Kudos to Ed Ball for not compressing the dickens out of himself. I'm not even sure what I mean.

I remember buying this Times record in the summer of 1996, coming across it online right around the time I discovered that you could use the internet to buy records. I don't remember whether I was slow to that realization or not. But everything was slow back then. Somehow I purchased Beat Torture and 23 Skidoo's Seven Songs in the same order. It was ever thus! This was also right around the time I made the decision that I would try to get in shape, or at least be a bit less fat than I was. (Why on earth I make this connection I don't know, but I do.) 22 years later...I'm still trying. I've been thinking a lot lately about bodies and why they cause us so much grief, and doing so without many epiphanies, I have to say. Sadly, that too has always been the case.

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 June 13, 2100-2300:

1. "Tiny Foldable Cities - Edit" | Orbital | Tiny Foldable Cities | ACP
2. "Godevil" | The Times | Beat Torture | Creation | "Physical Evidence"
3. "Squid Balls" | Wild Zeros | Motormouth E.P | Nerve Centre
4. "Un coq a esculape" | Lyonel Bauchet | Tone Science: Module No. 1 Structure and Forces | DiN
5. "Heaven Sent Me An Angel" | The Times | Beat Torture | Creation | "Physical Evidence"
6. "Moral Autonomy" | Kohl | Learned Ethics / Imposed Ethics | Umor-Rex
7. "X-ALT" | Suuns | Felt | Secretly Canadian
8. "Scarlet and Sapphire" | The Times | Beat Torture | Creation | "Physical Evidence"
9. "Tinnitus Lullaby" | The National Jazz Trio of Scotland | Standards Vol. IV | Karaoke Kalk
10. "Metsa" | Etherwood | In Stillness | Med School Music
11. "psyfi" | Captain Wardrobe | Kronosphere | self-released
12. "Chelsea Green" | The Times | Beat Torture | Creation | "Physical Evidence"
13. "Arcangel's Thunderbird" | The Breeders | All Nerve | 4AD
14. "Delirium - Conduct Remix" | Blu Mar Ten | Empire State (Remixes) | Blu Mar Ten
15. "Uni Blue" | alva noto | Unieqav | Noton
16. "I'll Be Your Volunteer" | The Times | Beat Torture | Creation | "Physical Evidence"
17. "Hypnagogo" | Solipsism | Hypnagogo | Ambidextrous
18. "Mirrors" | PTTRNS | Material Und Geschichte | Altin Village & Mine
19. "Persephone" | Cocteau Twins | Treasure [reissue] | 4AD
20. "Dakini" | The Veldt | Thanks to the Moth and Areanna Rose | self-released
21. "First Time" | BAKGROUND | First Time | E-Beamz
22. "Idiot Joy Showland (Peel Session)" | The Fall | The Fontana Years | UMC / Fontana
23. "It Had To Happen" | The Times | Beat Torture | Creation | "Physical Evidence"
24. "Shavit" | Xen & Yovav | Etmol Hayom | Malka Tuti
25. "Major Magnus" | Le Millipede | The Sun Has No Money | Alien Transistor
26. "On The Peace Line" | The Times | Beat Torture | Creation | "Physical Evidence"
27. "Futur Parle" | Essaie Pas | New Path | DFA
28. "Tangent" | Ekman | Tangent | Bedouin
29. "Apsurt" | Oliver Deutschmann | Lost In A Loop EP | Mote Evolver

If we could all resist

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Astonishing Empathy, or So It Says Here: Transmission 411, 2018 June 6

Finally healthy, I deliver another well-executed program on this night. I might also say "well conceived," but there is a solid ROCK BLOCK in the middle of it. "There was an hour where I was really enjoying your show," Lady Catharsis tells me. I have no doubt what part she means. Nor do I have any idea how that happened. Admittedly, it's a decent hour.

Doing standard commercial dj things ("rock blocks," "two-fer Tuesdays," "gettin' the Led out," etc.) has never really interested me, though I have been fascinated with deejaying since I was young, and I wouldn't mind if one of these days I managed to get a satin jacket or something like that out of it. One time when I was a kid my family was eating in a pizza parlour and I spotted some grown up wearing an honest-to-goodness satin jacket with a local radio station's logo emblazoned on the back. These things really existed. I went up and talked to the guy--I was maybe 11 or 12--and sure enough he was an on-air personality that I knew. Strangely, though he was not what I would call unfriendly, he was more interested in playing "Asteroids," or whatever, than in talking to me. I wonder whatever happened to the guy, whose name I of course don't remember. And I wonder whatever happened to me, that I am now deejaying for no money and not even really any swag, and not terribly interested in talking to the kids.

BOMBAST playlist, 2018 June 6, 2100-2300:

1. "Untitled Three" | Tlim Shug | Untitled | Bobby Donny
2. "A Paddle Around the Drowned World" | Other Lands | Pattern Transform | Firecracker
3. "Undress" | Somewhen | AFL | Ostgut Ton
4. "Spotlight" | Baloji | 137 Avenue Kaniama | Bella Union
5. "ceremony" | Captain Wardrobe | Kronosphere | self-released
6. "Moths" | 14 Iced Bears | 14 Iced Bears [reissue] | Optic Nerve
7. "The Machine" | Helios Creed | On the Dark Side of the Sun | Klanggalerie
8. "obviously gone" | Brian Harris | Washed Up Man | self-released
9. "You Should Always Keep in Touch with Your Friends" | The Wedding Present | Marc Riley Sessions Volume 2 | Hatch
10. "Tire Eyes" | Post Animal | When I Think of You in a Castle | Polyvinyl
11. "Smile" | The Fall | Perverted By Language | Superior Viaduct
12. "Cosmic Rupture" | Mythic Sunship | Upheaval | El Paraiso
13. "We & We in Azawad" | Mdou Moctar meets Elite Beat | FAMILY ALBUM 2018 | Boomarm Nation
14. "When I Die" | The Autumn Sighs | Lovelife, A Homage To Lush | The Blog That Celebrates Itself
15. "Solitude" | Up High Collective | Solitude | Tangram
16. "Scarlet" | Blackpool Astronomy | Lovelife, A Homage To Lush | The Blog That Celebrates Itself
17. "Red Indians" | Felt | The Splendour of Fear [Reissue] | Cherry Red
18. "Wildschweinbraten" | Damo Suzuki & Jelly Planet | Damo Suzuki & Jelly Planet | Purple Pyramid
19. "Withdrawal" | Sicayda | Fuzzy Feelings Collection | The Blog That Celebrates Itself
20. "Roy's Garage" | Trux | Orbiter | Avenue 66
21. "Audax" | Answer Code Request | Gens | Ostgut Ton
22. "Today I" | Trudge | Negative Spaces | Lost Palms
23. "Slowly Descend into Madness" | Stillhead | Copenhagen | Brightest Dark Place
24. "Transmission - LAPB Extended Version" | Tilbury | Execution | Radio Bongo

deeper and harder than the Alaska Pipeline

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