Back To Mine with Ataxia

Marvin Gaye “Whats Goin On”

Top essential for a Detroit upbringing. The lyrics brought social consciousness and awareness to me regarding the struggle African Americans were suffering through before I was born. Inner City Blues stirred my heart in a way like no other anthem has. Make Me Wanna Holler.

 

Plastikman “Consumed” / Plastikman “Artifakts B.C.”

I got the promo for “Consumed” as a high school radio DJ during the last week of my Sophomore year. That summer of 1998 changed everything…it was when I embraced raving as a way of life. “Artifakts” was released in that fall, and I received the promo the first week of class in Junior year after a summer of having my mind blown. Recommended headphone eyes closed listening…

 

Pink Floyd “Wish You Were Here”

Press play on the full album when the Pioneer logo appears on the screen at the opening credits for Akira (with volume off on the movie). This album has had an enormous impact on me personally, and has been an Ataxia after party preferred mood setter for many years.

 

Bully “Losing”

A modern grunge classic. Steve Albini produced this band’s latest LP on SubPop. An ideal album if you just broke it off with a significant other. “It’s the new year, And you made it clear, That you don’t want to see me, I don’t get it but I don’t care. Well, my pet says I’m a winner. Yeah, but lately I feel like I’ve been losing touch with her”

 

Brian Eno “Ambient 1 – Music for Airports”

The master of introspection. This album is a brilliant production, with a timeless appeal. The pads beckon to deep thought, while the plucked and struck notes from the piano strings bring forth vision and revelation. Words do it no justice.

 

Aphex Twin “Selected Ambient Works – Vol. 2”

Music to stare out your window to…it’s like a good friend you’ve forgotten, that always feels like you pick up with where you left off. There is something empathetic in the melancholy nature of the music, that paints a  aural picture of the journey through the mystery of human experience.

 

The Clash “London Calling”

To me, The Clash is the most important band to have walked the Earth. Real, heartfelt words, depicting the challenges their generation were facing in their region. Dystopian predictions, disaffected youth, boredom & protest wrapped up with insanely diverse songwriting, impeccable sound quality and shimmering production. Punk sensibilities to boot…

 

Paul Simon “Graceland”

These are the days of miracle and wonder, this is the long distance call, the way the camera follows us in slo-mo, the way we look to us all. The way we look to a distant constellation, that’s dying in the corner of the sky. These are the days of miracle and wonder, and don’t cry baby, don’t cry, don’t cry. It’s a turn-around jump shot, it’s everybody jump start, it’s every generation throws a hero up the pop charts. Medicine is magical and magical is art, think of the boy in the bubble, and the baby with the baboon heart. And I believe these are the days of lasers in the jungle, lasers in the jungle somewhere. Staccato signals of constant information, a loose affiliation of millionaires, and billionaires and baby.

 

Quicksand “Slip”

My favorite pre-gig album from the years spent playing rock shows. Champion rock. It made it ok to be pissed, sound pissed but not have to be a tough guy about it. Strong riffs, strong drums, and the raddest lyrics & vocals to get amped up to! Has had countless spins in my years. Is everything ok? I hope you find your niche, someday soon.

 

DJ Shadow “Preemptive Strike”

A piece that sounds as fresh as it did on day one.  It’s a song about life, death, love, hate, wealth, poverty, racism, just a few things that been running through my head… Listen… we call on you! Stay strong… hear us now! This LP embodies the essence of trip hop and is a front to back player like no other. Detroit in 42, New York in 64… blinding by 100 watts. The naked, black, white truth… Destroy the establishment, tear down the face of stupidity and corruption and put up in it’s place, an edifice of truth… Unite in struggle for people’s power… We are a part of those concerned with gangs…

Meanwhile, uptown, the DJ a player…

Everybody’s so concerned about heroin and marijuana and all that. Until they forget the most dangerousest narcotic that exist’s. And that’s the narcotic that’s injected into the minds of infants…
It’s called social narcotics… So, you know as well as I do that things are changing… Yeah, change, you know…

 

Ataxia – Rave Oddities EP (Play It Say It)

Seth Troxler’s Play It Say It label opens up 2018 with another release from the highly regarded Ataxia, who serve up their third EP for the imprint. The Detroit duo impressed with their previous outings on the label, The Supertouch EP back in July 2017 and The Acid EP in 2016. Since then they have also released on Leftroom and Nervous and continued their eight year residency at prominent Detroit venue TV Lounge. Their fresh take on Motor City techno often comes with flashes of acid and makes cyber punks Ted Krisko and Eric Ricker one of the most interesting pairs in the game. Opening up the essential EP is ‘Quicksand’, an immediately arresting and busy electro track with real machine soul. The bassline bubbles and boils underneath crisp percussion and emotive keys bring a sense of tenderness. It’s a macho cut with robust drums and is sure to win over any crowd. The fresh ‘Hot Snakes’ is a deep, menacing track with dark bass gurgling beneath the airy hi hats. Frazzled synths are dystopian and brain frying, and together the whole thing takes you into hypnotic territory with an intense sense of urgency that is impossible to ignore. Last of all is the freakiest of the lot. The brilliant ‘Texas is the Reason’ has circling bass that is warped and intriguing and will own any club, while the drums drive on and trippy keys are skewed and twisted up top. It’s a truly intense record for late in the night that is sure to become a big tune. This is an expressive and varied EP full of contemporary and innovative Detroit house and techno sounds and marks another step in the Ataxia story.

Ataxia – Rave Oddities EP (Play It Say It) Release: 16th February 2018 Cat. No. PLAY024

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