James Zabiela
Carrying on where I left off at Esky's Number Station, my aforementioned evil plan is coming to action with the return of the drums from R3volve making their third, final, and most important appearance.
Yes, it's the old trick of half tempo / double tempo beat mixing as practiced by the rave jungalist DJs of the late 90's. They would chop in hip-hop over the raging, blistering, grooves of hard step D&B. I, on the other hand, used to do it in the record shop with a copy of A-Ha's 'Take On Me', which if I remember had some ludicrously fast BPM (not that I'm praising or dissing the works of Norway's finest - only to be outdone by Røyksopp).
There was a copy laying about in the shop so it was fun to learn to mix it in with Drum n Bass during the quieter afternoons (when the boss was out of course); nothing like 80's synth-pop emanating from a dirty alleyway in Southampton. When I wasn't selling vinyl on the premise that it could be mixed with A-Ha, I was super gluing the head-shells on turntables in the listening booths. Thieving kids! Always nicking the stylus.
The last appearance of the R3volve drum loop can be heard from 53.47 and runs strategically all the way into Plaid's Drum n Bass infused 'Marry', which as I said, is the point where tempo shifts massively, yet stays the same (55.55).
Mixing music can be as simple or as complicated as you want and I went a bit overboard with this first CD perhaps, I left the straight up beat matching and spontaneity for the second disc, which is more of a dancefloor set. This first disc is a different animal altogether and is much more compositional and time consuming. Not only for me to make but hopefully, for the listener too.
I'd love for this CD to consume others as it did for me whilst I was living it. The many field recordings and sounds may perhaps go unnoticed until a few listens or when headphones are put on, which is why I am going to supply some of the recordings untreated by FX for anyone that is interested. I may just carry on recording random sounds everywhere I go; it is easier than writing a diary (and this blog)!
I find listening back to them and remembering where I was at the time massively nostalgic and I can hear the music without it even being part of the recording. Is that weird? Or a sign I may have overcooked this mix. You decide, as I said, I try to offer the alternative on CD2, which is mixed live (for the most part).
During this tempo transition, I have a recording of my Lithuanian friend, Mindaugus. I played at his awesome club night in Kleipeda and after being up all night, he became somewhat emotional and stated in his mother tongue 'I really love what is beautiful, and that what is beautiful is very bright' (55.11), not realizing that this was going to end up on my CD! He'll hopefully hear it and be pleased (or issue me with a publishing contract for his sentence).
It's nearly a quote from Bladerunner, 'The light that burns twice as bright, only burns for half as long (and you have burned so very brightly Roy)' says Tyrell. Esky returns with a loop of numbers so now there are three tracks layered over each other to make an interesting bridge into Plaid.
The sounds of a rhythmic baggage belt at Gatwick Airport clunks around at 83 BPM and again mixes well constantly over Plaid into Quivver's 166 BPM 'Chasin a Feeling'. The belt was a great sound to find and needed little doing to it in terms of time stretching as it kept a steady tempo, close to what I needed for this to work.
I then put my recorder through the X-ray machine in Moscow thinking that it may record some crazy sound brought on by some radiation interference. I was hoping for something light-sabre-esque, like when I walk through Terminal One's short stay car park at Heathrow and the spinning flight control radar buzzes through my headphones. Or similarly at the duty free shop in Ibiza when the store detectors fizz my ears (and probably other body parts) as I pass through to grab vital chocolate supplies in order to keep me awake for the traditional 7am flight home.
To my disappointment nothing came out on the recording to that effect. Instead, I was investigated by the security for leaving the recorder on. If you listen carefully you can hear "What's this?" "A recorder," I reply. Then the rest is spoken in Russian, with due suspicion "What's is it? A radio transmitter (walkie-talkie)? There is a microphone. It is a transmitter."
Then she said in English, "Just a moment," which I accentuate in the mix and can be clearly heard at 61.12. You can hear the security guy on the walkie-talkie being summoned to check out this suspect passenger, "I'm answering" he squawks. The plastic trays bashing against the x-ray machine in the recording sound like skateboards on a ramp to me.
Appropriately, 'Departing Gate' ends this mix CD and sums up the serenity I find in public transport and looking at the world go by as a personal soundtrack accompanies me on my journeys. This piece, again by Near The Parenthesis, is sad yet hopeful and it brings me to remember the elevator scene in Vanilla Sky (or Abre Los Ojos) as our lead character David Aames realizes that his life is merely a lucid dream but still a new, exciting one is about to begin.
The sounds of Washington DC book end this mix, appropriate timed with the shiny new president just elected, then a track called 'Afghanistan' kicks off CD 2 - a coincidence I assure you! I do not have a political mind. I just want people to get on for goodness sake! I flukily catch someone saying thank you as they walk past me, so this becomes my message to you the listener.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this ramble and that alongside the CD it makes some sense. Please enjoy listening as I have enjoyed the experience of making it. I'll check back in next week, when the comp is finally released, but until then..."All we can do is listen and wonder, but for now goodbye."
James.