Executive Function #1

Hello friends, I hope this stream is reaching you at the right time, ready to drift in and out of consciousness as we float round corners avoiding any sharp edges on the way. Well maybe there’s gona be a sharp edge or two but we will take it in our stride. I hope you are finding ways to be kind to yourself and making space for the harsh weather and all the extra work that entails.

First of all we’ve got something from Bristol via the Warm Winters Family, Rob Winstone here has crafted this wonderful granular degraded texture, wobbling back and forth with square LFO’s pierced with birdsong. I love the melody. This track is called In a Past Life.

That was Rob Winstone’s In a Past Life out on Warm Winters.

Executive Function is described as the following.

• Working memory – governs our ability to retain and manipulate distinct pieces of information over short periods of time.
• Mental flexibility – helps us to sustain or shift attention in response to different demands or to apply different rules in different settings.
• Self-control – enables us to set priorities and resist impulsive actions or responses.

To give you some context on the naming of this mix series, Executive Function, here I want to play recordings for you with intention and purpose.

Next up is a new track by Imre Kiss, taking us on a gentle spaced out journey to Cassiopeia, it’s really nice to hear Imre going beat-less, though I always loved his rhythms Imre’s signature balance and sound design comes through for us. This track is called Theme 1 (Voyage).

That was Theme 1 Voyage by Imre Kiss out on Exiles a label based in Budapest, Hungary.

Now this one is very quiet, something from Slovakia, this time from Fero Kiraly Entitled Danube Walk With Me. This has been released on the Proto Sites label, the liner notes mention “Two pianos in quarter-tone tuning and a hydrophonic microphone on a fishing rod were utilized for catching – among other things – foreign radio broadcasts (probably of Romanian origin) and some other more inconspicuous details. The Danube river near Bratislava has a characteristic sound: just above the surface, you can hear the hissing of released carbonate salts, which this “mirror of the sky” has tied up on its way from the Alps.”

That was Danube Walk With Me, by Fero Kiraly, I love it how drippy spacious reverbs make way for gentle noise and quiet pianos. The synth throughout is so gentle but persistent.

Now we have a fascinating recording, from a label called Zoomin’ Night based in Beijing. This is called Don’t Look Away by Toshihisa Hirano part of an experimental composer group called Jikken Weekend based in Tokyo. I love how this recording of droning eventually leads to the artists giggling away it makes you feel really happy.

Note: Check out the description of this event here on the bandcamp page

That was Don’t Look Away by Toshihisa Hirano.

Next up we have Dirl by Ilha out on Ransom Note records in London. ILHA consists of Canadian producer, African Ghost Valley, and Mozambican artist, Nandele. This track takes us into some kind of digital landscape eventually finding some lovely bleeps and bloops as we follow their improv digital architecture.

That was DIRL by ILHA.

Mansur Brown came to Sheffield last week, you wouldn’t know it from this EP but it really kicked off, it was a fantastic gig. I really like this track called Touch from the new EP because it’s got some really nice soothing heart to it.

That was Mansur Brown with Touch from the new EP NAQJ, Vol.2.

Now, I wanted to say goodbye with this one called Neutral Isn’t Neutral (a device which enables you to go nowhere). Taken from my new EP as Flight Coda ‘a window at night the 27th’ out on Warm Winters. I wanted to bring this one as I am so happy with how it starts out kind of ominous, with a tiny bit of worry, but a playful calm triangle wave comes in and sort of defeats that vibe, the feedback tries to overcome the warmth but eventually all the sounds end up comfortable with each-other. It reminds me of looking at old photos.