New release from Broken Drum Records: Nine Ships by Thousand Yard Prayer. Middle-Eastern rhythms and tunings collide with dubstep-inflected Croydonian bass music. Eclectic esoterica for the musically open-minded.
Secret Archives of the Vatican: news and views from the world of transglobal breakbeat dub science.
Monday 3 September 2012
Wednesday 1 August 2012
Ethnostep 2 - new release from Subbass
Ethnostep 2 is the second in the Ethnostep series of releases from the Heidelberg based Subbass netlabel. There are fourteen tracks of glorious Eastern-inflected bass-driven electronica, including one from our own Thousand Yard Prayer and an exclusive track from Secret Archives of the Vatican. It's available on name-your-own-price basis but that can include free.
Find it HERE
They say this: Making music is the most primeval form of human expression. Imbued with a mystical power to communicate at an instinctual level that transcendends language and speaks directly to the soul. What we have in mind is to go to the one place that everybody carries within themselves. We believe that the whole external universe is also found within us all. There is one planet, and on this planet there is this peaceful, easy, partying tribe, everybody can connect to.
Tracks
- Rotem Moav - On The Wing Of A Green Dragon
- Dub Breakah - Zen
- Beatfarmer- Xeno's Dream (dreamstep mix)
- Masala - The Bygone World
- Digital Nottich - Momne Le
- Thousand Yard Prayer - Sassanid
- Temple Step project - Medicine Temple
- Zillion - Isolate
- Dansu & Extrabright - Serpent
- Speciez - Amal
- Ghosthack - In The Shell
- Ben I Sabbah - Desert Moon III
- Secret Archives of the Vatican - Stealth Camel
- G0LIKE - Hypno
Monday 9 July 2012
Sunday 26 February 2012
Rock the Howdah - Secret Archives of the Vatican Podcast 82
We have a new podcast episode available for your delight and delectation!
You can find episode 82 here:
Tracks
You can find episode 82 here:
Tracks
- Attack Warning
Jake Dubber
http://soundcloud.com/jakedubber/attack-warning - Freedom Fighters Dub
Red Army
http://www.addictech.com/p/89957 - Last Night I Fought a Mannequin
DJ Dragoste
http://soundcloud.com/dragoste/last-night-i-fought-a - Hard Reset
Datax
http://soundcloud.com/datax/datax-hard-reset - The Rapture
Sovereign Sect
http://www.addictech.com/p/91081 - Jeena Jo Bhool Jaye
Nonchalant
http://soundcloud.com/nonchalant-uk - Anahita Will Sustain You
Jamshied Sharifi
http://www.jamshiedsharifi.com/Site/Home.html - Tears of Dub
Jake Dubber & Envyus Squad
http://soundcloud.com/jakedubber/tears-of-dub - Black Forest Dub
SPCZ
http://soundcloud.com/speciez/spcz-black-forest-dub
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Interview and mix on solipsistic NATION podcast
solipsistic NATION No. 268: Secret Archives of the Vatican contains an interview with me and a mix of some of my favourite tunes from the Secret Archives of the Vatican Podcast.
Full details, track list and audio can be found HERE .
Full details, track list and audio can be found HERE .
Sunday 19 February 2012
Souq Dragon
Souq Dragon is the latest release on Broken Drum Records by...Souq Dragon. You can download this album free from Bandcamp.
Tracks
- Tagine for a Ninja
- It is a Good Day
- Souq Rats
Souq Dragon was born at a very early age in a small village just out of Earshot. This is his first moombahton-influenced release. Follow Souq Dragon on Facebook.
Thursday 16 February 2012
Podcasting: where to get excellent tunes
The Secret Archives of the Vatican Podcast is doing well; our download numbers are four times what they were a year ago. We've had a few people say they are impressed at the quality of the tracks we find. So - this post is about where we find them.
Firstly, it's worth noting that several podcasters I've spoken to find that genre-specific podcasts get more downloads than those that play many genres. In a sense, it's easier to find tracks that fit together style-wise. Artists' webpages etc will have links, 'Likes', etc to other similar artists. Their readers will like the genre of music they make, so there is a built in list of people to advertise to, as well as whose musical tastes can be mined for ideas. Here are some sources we use to find new music.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a treasure trove of useable tunes. It's not really designed for easy browsing, though, so you may need to search using tags or keywords that relate to the genres you want to play. If you want endless, homogenous, unremarkable trance, you're in the right place. For more interesting genres, you'll need to dig around a bit more but there are real gems to be found. One slightly annoying thing, though (I feel slightly guilty saying this because we do it ourselves) is that tunes aren't always downloadable. Sometimes they're commercial releases that aren't out yet and are on SC for promotional purposes. Sometimes I message them and ask for a 320; I've been able to play several tunes ahead of release date which is great.
SoundCloud Groups
SoundCloud, like many other sites, has groups which are meant to be ways people with similar tastes can share items they've uploaded or found. In theory, this should be a good way to find likely tunes. I created a group, Your Tracks for our Podcast. Despite a clear and concise description of the kind of tunes we want, however, morons keep posting trance, techno and house tunes. I instantly block these people - they are either illiterate cretins or deliberately annoying gits; either way, I don't want to deal with them. Not because they're into those genres but because they're bloody annoying. If you look, you'll see how blunt I've had to be with people posting tracks. Anyway, you may be luckier - I have acquired several top tunes for the podcast through this group. I also have a group not specifically aimed at finding podcast tunes and, paradoxically perhaps, it's been a better source: Transnational Beats
MixCloud
Listen to mixes or podcasts playing similar genres to you. Find tracks you like then track down the artists or labels and ask for tracks. Simples!
Commercial outlets
Commercial outlets can be useful. I buy tunes from Addictech. I can get decent WAV quality there. I used to email labels and artists asking permission to play their tunes. Once a label had said yes, I presumed they were always happy so I didn't message them again - I just use their tracks. They've had a sale out of me after all. No-one has ever complained - quite the opposite, in fact. People seem to be happy we're promoting their music (as they should be!) so these days I don't ask permission. I do, however, always make sure commercial tracks have a cross-fade with another track, beginning and end. This might help my defence if ever one of the labels got stoopid about it.
Musicians
If you do a nice job of promoting artists in your podcast, they are very likely to send you new material. Hey, free music! It's always nice to be able to play tracks that aren't quite released yet. Have business cards and hand them to producers and artists at events. Get to know musicians. Offer a short interview too and they'll be throwing tracks at you.
PR companies
We have a couple of music PR companies that now send us items for review in our blog or podcast play. I think they mostly find you, based on the buzz you're creating.
Last FM
Not the easiest site to use but it does recommend tracks based on your listening habits - 'scrobbled' from mobile devices or your home computer, not just plays on Last FM itself. There are many free downloadable tracks on Last FM.
Jamendo
Jamendo has over 340,000 tracks that are available under a Creative Commons license. Details HERE.
Firstly, it's worth noting that several podcasters I've spoken to find that genre-specific podcasts get more downloads than those that play many genres. In a sense, it's easier to find tracks that fit together style-wise. Artists' webpages etc will have links, 'Likes', etc to other similar artists. Their readers will like the genre of music they make, so there is a built in list of people to advertise to, as well as whose musical tastes can be mined for ideas. Here are some sources we use to find new music.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a treasure trove of useable tunes. It's not really designed for easy browsing, though, so you may need to search using tags or keywords that relate to the genres you want to play. If you want endless, homogenous, unremarkable trance, you're in the right place. For more interesting genres, you'll need to dig around a bit more but there are real gems to be found. One slightly annoying thing, though (I feel slightly guilty saying this because we do it ourselves) is that tunes aren't always downloadable. Sometimes they're commercial releases that aren't out yet and are on SC for promotional purposes. Sometimes I message them and ask for a 320; I've been able to play several tunes ahead of release date which is great.
SoundCloud Groups
SoundCloud, like many other sites, has groups which are meant to be ways people with similar tastes can share items they've uploaded or found. In theory, this should be a good way to find likely tunes. I created a group, Your Tracks for our Podcast. Despite a clear and concise description of the kind of tunes we want, however, morons keep posting trance, techno and house tunes. I instantly block these people - they are either illiterate cretins or deliberately annoying gits; either way, I don't want to deal with them. Not because they're into those genres but because they're bloody annoying. If you look, you'll see how blunt I've had to be with people posting tracks. Anyway, you may be luckier - I have acquired several top tunes for the podcast through this group. I also have a group not specifically aimed at finding podcast tunes and, paradoxically perhaps, it's been a better source: Transnational Beats
MixCloud
Listen to mixes or podcasts playing similar genres to you. Find tracks you like then track down the artists or labels and ask for tracks. Simples!
Commercial outlets
Commercial outlets can be useful. I buy tunes from Addictech. I can get decent WAV quality there. I used to email labels and artists asking permission to play their tunes. Once a label had said yes, I presumed they were always happy so I didn't message them again - I just use their tracks. They've had a sale out of me after all. No-one has ever complained - quite the opposite, in fact. People seem to be happy we're promoting their music (as they should be!) so these days I don't ask permission. I do, however, always make sure commercial tracks have a cross-fade with another track, beginning and end. This might help my defence if ever one of the labels got stoopid about it.
Musicians
If you do a nice job of promoting artists in your podcast, they are very likely to send you new material. Hey, free music! It's always nice to be able to play tracks that aren't quite released yet. Have business cards and hand them to producers and artists at events. Get to know musicians. Offer a short interview too and they'll be throwing tracks at you.
PR companies
We have a couple of music PR companies that now send us items for review in our blog or podcast play. I think they mostly find you, based on the buzz you're creating.
Last FM
Not the easiest site to use but it does recommend tracks based on your listening habits - 'scrobbled' from mobile devices or your home computer, not just plays on Last FM itself. There are many free downloadable tracks on Last FM.
Jamendo
Jamendo has over 340,000 tracks that are available under a Creative Commons license. Details HERE.
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Yes, peoples, it's a new podcast episode! We've quadrupled our listeners over the last couple of months - not sure what happened but we're very happy!
You can find Seventh Heaven - Secret Archives of the Vatican Podcast 81 here:
Tracks
- Horse Warrior
Secret Archives of the Vatican
http://secretarchivesofthevatican.bandcamp.com/album/panjandrum - Welcome to Neo India
Smoke Sign
http://soundcloud.com/smoke-sign/smoke-sign-welcome-to-neo-india - 66 Meters
Indian Ropeman
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2tO0dzY0sE - Siren Devadasi feat Bast
Knowa Knowone
http://soundcloud.com/street_ritual/knowa-knowone-siren-devadasi - Ganesha
KOROstyle
http://soundcloud.com/monkeydub/korostyle-ganesha - Yamla's Jattstep
doc bLAdez
http://soundcloud.com/doc-bladez/yamlas-jattstep - Sufi (Omar Faruk Tekbilek's Mystical Version)
Omar Faruk Tekbilek
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/rare-elements-omar-faruk-tekbilek/id317900103 - Guru Rabbi Teacher (Naan Mix)
Secret Archives of the Vatican
http://www.amazon.com/Guru-Rabbi-Teacher-Naan-Mix/dp/B003Z1455M - Si Xiao Lian
Lotus Grid
http://lotusgrid.bandcamp.com/track/si-xiao-lian
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