Sound Contours

For the first time ever, a special guest selector takes over the Sound Contours decks: Fresh off the release of Logo Dubs, Spencer Owen’s album of original music for Sight Lines Visual, the LA-based composer-producer has concocted an entrancing set of influential tracks and selected inspirations for the Sound Contours feed. From Spencer: “Some of the tracks were chosen for their musical or stylistic resonance with aspects of Logo Dubs. Others were picked simply as undeniable inspirations. Ultimately, a lot of them reflect an aesthetic principle I have referred to for a long time as ‘elevator music for the best elevator ever,’ or as SLV has fittingly adapted it, ‘library music for the best library in the world.’ It’s like Pat Metheny insisting — correctly — that he’s a weirdo, on Questlove’s podcast. It’s music I find pleasing in a way that’s hard to ignore. Almost like a bizarro version of ambient music — my ears perk up. I think Japanese artists tend to bring this quality out, so there’s a good chunk of that here. What gets my attention is often a specific detail, or an accumulation of details. If an arrangement is missing that, I can completely miss out on appreciating it. In a pop context, it’s often just the right backing vocal harmony, or a single idea that stands out somehow. There’s usually a ‘they didn’t have to do it’ feeling for me — I really appreciate the thought!” Tracklist: Yasuaki Shimizu – Seiko 2, Kiyoshi Yoshida – Blooming Butterfly, J Rocc – Thru the Tulips, Bernice – Entrance Music, Axel Boman – 2 Good 2 B Tru, Yasuaki Shimizu – Boutique Joy, Mari Iijima – Marcy Deerfield, Duke Hugh – Greenleaf, François K. feat. Freddie Turner – Hypnodelic, Buffalo Daughter – Super Blooper, Gabriel Brady – Untitled (Sam Prekop Remix), Hirokazu Tanaka & Shunsuke Sakamoto – Room Number (Psi Mix), Fishmans – Oasis e Youkoso, Ryuichi Sakamoto – Yoru No Gaspar, Johann Sebastian Bach (arr. Don Dorsey) – Diverse Kanons (BWV 1087), Steve Spacek feat. J Dilla – This One Feels Alright, Viken Arman – You with a Lonely Raver (Acid Pauli Remix), Akufen – Skidoos, Philippe Saisse – Chihuahua Pearl, The Chemical Brothers – Where Do I Begin, Soichi Terada – Primordial Ooze, Anthony Naples – Morph, Dan Siegel – The Last Waltz, mmm – bells, Mariah – Shisen, David Longstreth & stargaze – Shifting Shalestones (Instrumental), Yuu Udagawa – Urban Physicality (Takuya Matsumoto Piano Mix), Theo Parrish – Solitary Flight

Big ’70s sounds for getting swept away — Whether by love or lust, joy or jealousy, or even just the sounds themselves. Tracklist: Supertramp – Lady, Wings – Arrow Through Me, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles, Lion – You’ve Got A Woman, Charles Stepney – Daddy’s Diddies, Gal Costa – Relance, Dr. John – Same Old Same Old, Gilberto Gil – Umeboshi, Bill Withers – Use Me, Dorothy Ashby – Come Live With Me, Ned Doheny – Get It Up For Love, Bobby Charles – Small Town Talk, Bread – Guitar Man, Steely Dan – Your Gold Teeth II, Wings – Love Is Strange, Gilberto Gil – Babá Alapalá, Rachel Sweet – It’s So Different Here, Tom Ze – Dói, Electric Light Orchestra – Showdown, Shuggie Otis – Strawberry Letter 23, Arthur Verocai – Ne boca do sol, The Free Design – Bubbles, Brian Protheroe – Enjoy It, Ivan Lins – Sai De Baixo, Jorge Ben Jor – Camisa 10 Da Gávea, Steely Dan – Only A Fool Would Say That, Gal Costa – Pontos De Luz, Gilberto Gil – Chiclete Com Banana, Bill Wyman – (Si, Si) Je Sui Un Rock Star, Cymande – Bra, Richard Swift – Lady Luck, Pastor T.L. Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir – Like A Ship, The Rolling Stones – I Just Want To See His Face, Jorge Ben Jor – Bom Dia, Boa Tarde, Boa Noite, Supertramp – Dreamer, Van Morrison – Gypsy Queen, Thin Lizzy – A Song For While I’m Away, Funkadelic – Biological Speculation

Soak in a smooth 21st century comfort blend aligning voices from indie, pop, R&B and electronica, all vibing on the Sade/Enya/Prefab Sprout/”fourth world” edges of the sonic multi-sided die. Tracklist: Body-San – Koko Chats Online, Nite Jewel – Real High, Toro Y Moi – No Show, Kendrick Lamar & Zacari – LOVE., Caroline Polachek – Door, Kelly Lee Owens – S.O, Sandro Perri – In Another Life – Edit, Blood Orange – Chamakay, Suzanne Kraft – Flatiron, John Carroll Kirby – P64 By My Side, Sam Wilkes & Jacob Mann – Siri, How Do I Know If I Have Commitment Issues?, Here We Go Magic – Over The Ocean, Rhye – Waste, Jorge Elbrecht & Ariel Pink – No Real Friend, Air – Universal Traveler, HAIM – You Never Know, Cornelius – In A Dream, HiM – Slow Slow Slow, Mount Kimbie & Micachu – Marilyn, Gossamer – Off World, Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement – Watery Grave, Yaeji – What We Drew, Kettel – Mousefort, Gaussian Curve – The Distance, Lambchop – Old Masters, Sacred Tapestry – Do-Ri-Mi ~ Dreamy, James Blake – My Willing Heart, Chairlift – Crying In Public, Swim Mountain – Midnight In The Supermarket, Feater & Vilja Larjosto – Time Million, Robert Glasper – Song For Selim feat. KING, Air – Run, HAIM – Go Slow, Hot Chip – Made In The Dark

As advertised: A cosmic blend for the epic cool off so desperately needed between our ears, now and always. Sit within a vast interior and take in the rich atmosphere. Tracklist: Pan-American – The Cloud Room, Triosk & Jan Jelinek – Neckless, Isotope 217 – Le Jeteé, Bennie Maupin – Ensenada, Pharoah Sanders – Astral Traveling, Brokeback – Another Routine Day Breaks, Directions – Track 7, Fuubutsushi – Sugar Maple Turn, Douglas McCombs – Two To Coolness, Chicago Odense Ensemble – Pretty Nice, Euphone – Do You Up, Jeff Parker – The Relative, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land – Prints Tie, Tortoise – TNT, Talk Talk – New Grass, Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes – Desert Nights, Fly Pan Am – Univoque/equivoque, Bark Psychosis – The Loom, Papa M – Vivea, Pat Metheny – Midwestern Nights Dream, Squarepusher – Iambic 5 Poetry, Sam Prekop – A Cloud To The Back, Yo La Tengo – Night Falls On Hoboken, Miles Davis – Early Minor – New Mix, Mark Hollis – The Gift, Weather Report – Waterfall, Isotope 217 – Solaris, Sonny Sharrock – Who Does She Hope To Be?, John Abercrombie, Jan Hammer & Jack DeJohnette – Timeless, Tortoise – Cliff Dweller Society

Enjoy deep grooves and progressive rock riddims selected from ’70s and ’80s art rock artists across the UK, Japan, America, Brazil, and Italy. The smooth lilt, driving pulse and spacey production touches of dub reggae, the sublime syncopation of funk, the soft timbres of mallet instruments and synths — All can be heard infecting these slick, undeniable jams by some of the brainiest innovators in rock. Won’t you sign in, stranger? Tracklist: Robert Palmer – Clues, Haruomi Hosono – Shimendoka, Steely Dan – Sign In Stranger, Masayoshi Takanaka – Breezin’, Ivan Lins – Desejo, Bill Nelson – Do You Dream In Color, Yukihiro Takahashi – Sunset, Japan, Steven Nye – All Tomorrow’s Parties (12″ Version), Yasuaki Shimizu – Kakashi, Dalis Car – Artemis, Talking Heads – Seen And Not Seen, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Junk Culture, Yellow Magic Orchestra – Seoul Music, Brian Eno – Over Fire Island, The Teardrop Explodes – Seven Views Of Jerusalem, Todd Rundgren – Pulse, Gentle Giant – Give It Back, Gilberto Gil – No norte da saudade, Franco Battiato – Stranizza D’Amuri – Demo Version, David Sylvian – Taking The Veil, The Blue Nile – Heatwave, Talk Talk – Happiness Is Easy, Robert Wyatt – Gharbzadegi, Yasuaki Shimizu – Crow, Lifetones – For A Reason, Mick Karn – When Love Walks In, Robert Palmer – Woke Up Laughing

Your curt shots / Sarcastic remarks come so often / They’re never sincere / Darker amusement sets in / That’s the problem / You’re saying something and my eyes open wider / There’s someone identical / Far away from here / Our love settles down into soft sweet sounds / You’re that one I lost and you found / I lost and you found / Enter and rejoice this pedestal where the rainbows hide your destiny / Mystery of all time / No time make or reason / You told me we could have this whole thing down / Mustn’t listen when you hit the ground / Mustn’t listen / I could be the sunlight in your eyes couldn’t I? / Screaming at the winking shutter fly / Unsettled minds are often crowned / Morning has its way around the one / But everybody is scared with you / The fear is getting clear / A window now in every place a witness spoke / I wonder what I get paid / Watch him die / All that I said is you’re a curable head case / The way you make do in such a hell of a bad way / When my soul starts growing / When my soul starts growing / I get so full and I wish it never never would never would stop growing / If you need me I can always be found / If you want me to stay I’ll stay by your side / And I want you to find me so I’ll stay by your side / I won’t run far / I can always be found Tracklist: The Walkmen – Stop Talking, Long Fin Killie – Resin, Buffalo Daughter – S.O.I.D, Colder – Losing Myself, SUUNS – Sunspot, Red Axes – Piper Work, Solex – Not A Hoot!, Clinic – T.K., Blonde Redhead – Missile ++, Marnie Stern – The Things You Notice, Deerhoof – Our Angel’s Ululu, Sonic Youth – Shadow Of A Doubt, Morgan Delt – The Lowest Of The Low, Mount Eerie – Lone Bell, Portishead – Pedestal, Jib Kidder – Wrinkle In Time, Co La – Suspicious (Sandman Fix), Stereolab – Les Yper-Yper Sound, Opossum – Fly, Bows – Uniroyal, Tune-Yards – Sunlight, Colder – Shiny Star, Here We Go Magic – Only Pieces, Mice Parade – Focus On The Roller Coaster, No Age – Eraser, Long Fin Killie – Homo Erectus, Makaya McCraven – The Drop, Beak> – Yatton, Broadcast – Tender Buttons, Woodsman – I Can’t Move, Indian Rope – 13 Creams, Panda Bear – Ponytail, Dianogah – Indie Rock Spock Ears, Liars – The Other Side Of Mt. Heart Attack

Stretch out and lose your sense of time with a mix blending beat-making and the avant-garde. The bounce dial turns until a near-dissolution of rhythm, before returning to earth with hot drumming and sublime ambience until the finish. Keep bouncing. Tracklist: Califone – Outro, Dabrye – How Many Times [With This], Lukid – Veto, Dilla – Dillatronic 01-02, Herbert – Back To The Start – Mr. Oizo ‘Non Mix’, Dimlite – Locked, Co La – Belgian Pillow, Andy Stott – Take, Ras G – Rendered……, Makaya McCraven & Ben Lamar Gay – King Drive 86′ Cutlass No Plates, Euphone – Su 10 #1, Lukid – Laughin’, DJ Shadow – Monosylabik Pts. 1 & 2, Four Tet – Reversing, Photay, Carlos Nino – E X I S T E N C E – Photay’s Infinite Mix, Actress – Hubble, Madlib – Water or Bread (Raining), Sam Wilkes, Christian Euman, Greg – Pretty, Fennesz – Instrument 3, Andy Stott – Up The Box, Tortoise – Gigantes, Flying Lotus – All In, Teebs – Just The Yellow Bits, Co La – Turned Twice, Chancha Via Circuito – Baru, The Sea and Cake & Bundy K. Brown – The Cheech Wizard Meets Baby Ultraman In The Cool Blue Cave (Short Stories About Birds, Trees, And The Sports Life Wherever You Are)

Sounds of rebirth and renewal in a cool register, from artists and labels associated with Chicago, LA and far beyond, made during my first Spring in the windy city after moving from LA. A cumbia mix would have been equally appropriate to Pilsen, but in an ode to the sensations given by Chicago’s seasonality, this offers a chill palette of jazz and rock sounds, and even features a handful Pilsen residents, both past and present. Tracklist: Chicago Odense Ensemble – Glide Path, Daniel Villareal – Cali Colors, Charles Stepney – Notes From Dad, Makaya McCraven – High Fives, Jeff Parker – Jrifted, Tindersticks – Opening, Sam Gendel – Shippō, Sam Wilkes, Jacob Mann – Next To, Anna Butterss – Doo Wop, Leland Whitty – Awake, Eiko Ishibashi – Ask me how I sleep at night, Maria Chiara Arguiro – Clouds, Tortoise – Ox Duke, John Carroll Kirby – Nucleo, Makaya McCraven – Young Genius, Chip Wickham – Astral Traveling, Jeff Parker – Cliche, Sam Wilkes – Alma, Sam Gendel – Two-Tone, Tom Skinner – Quiet As It’s Kept, Charles Stepney – Denim Groove, Makaya McCraven – The Title, Mike Cooper – Kokoe Nalu, Bitchin Bajas – World B. Free, Sam Prekop – Every Night, John Wizards – Hogsback, Rudy De Anda – Los Canarios, Daniel Villareal – Panama ’77, Sam Gendel & Sam Willkes – I Sing High, John Carroll Kirby – Weep, Tortoise – The Clearing Fills, David Dinnell & Douglas McCombs – Ley Lines, Makaya McCraven – In The Moment, Charles Stepney – Rubie & Charles, John Carroll Kirby – Pan’s Dance, Steve Gunn, David More, Bing & Ruth – Painterly

And so we return and begin again. Tracklist: Kraftwerk – Endless Endless, The New Year – The End’s Not Near, It’s Here, Chicago Underground Quartet – Total Recovery, Thom Yorke – Atoms For Peace – Four Tet Remix, James Blake, Bon Iver – I Need A Forest Fire, A Grape Dope – Rats It’s Up – Laetitia Sadier Remix, Björk – Virus, HAIM – Something to Tell You, Mouse on Mars – The End, Dabrye – Game Over, The Books – It Never Changes to Stop, Squarepusher – Iambic 9 Poetry, Blur – Ambulance, Solex – Solex in a Slipshod Style, Makaya McCraven – Standing on Shoulders

The lounge chair’s in the right place. Most of the umbrella’s still standing. It’s everything else that’s gone. Bid farewell to civilization with this dramatic mix of post-nuclear lounge tunes — a fantasia of slunk grooves, dramatic orchestral arrangements and exotic percussion. Join me for our last few sips of wine cooler ever, at the last party anyone will attend, here on the last patios anywhere. Tracklist: Submerse – It’s All Fun And Games Until Someone Loses, Les Baxter – Thinking Of You, Esquivel and His Orchestra – So Rare, Paul Tanner, Andre Montero and His Orchestra – Holiday On Saturn, Martin Denny – Hypnotique, The Surfmen – Aloe Oe, Armando Sciascia – Black Sand, Frank Hunter and His Orchestra – White Goddess, Ron Goodwin – The Moon, George Shearing – Lotus Land, Warren Baker and His Orchestra – Malayan Nightbird, Piero Piccioni – Eros In Hiro, Jerry Byrd – Bird Of Paradise, Frank Comstock and His Orchestra – Out Of Space, Henry Mancini – Lujon (Slow Hot Wind), Decibels A Go-Go – De 9 A 6, Andre Popp Presents Elsa Popping and Her Pixieland Band – La Java Du Diable, Russ Garcia and His Orchestra – Red Sands Of Mars, Stan Applebaum, His Orchestra and Chorus – Undiscovered Island, Tak Shindo – Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Johnny Spencer and The Kona Koasters – Monsoon, Vera Lynn – We’ll Meet Again (1939 Version)