A Year In The Life

Here's something for you to dance over whilst enjoying the left over turkey.

2010 - my Annus Horribilus. Few highs and unbelieveable lows. So me being me, what better way than to tell the story of my year, than via a good old fashioned full-length mix/album.

The sequel to this year's Physics Disco mix, this is my beloved mash-step, covering my breakup, muggings, burglaries, a day at the seaside, my first (amazing) dubstep event, wrong thoughts that could get me in trouble, and general boozing.

This is the only place where you'll find Daniel Beddingfield sitting alongside my beloved Magnetic Man, Charlie Chaplin talking (!) over my beloved Skream, Sir Cliff Richard becoming cool and relevant again, and yes - Celine Dion over a booming dubstep sawtooth bass line. This is the sound of me moving on.

Happy New Year everyone, let's see what 2011 brings the world of Colatron....



A Year In the Life

1 - Left By The Tracks

BBC Radio 4 (sample)
Library Tapes - Pieces of Us Were Left On The Tracks
Bob Moog - Synthesizer Theory (Intro to the Studio)
Mulholland Drive (movie dialogue) [2001]
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (sample)
Jeff Pearce - Angels of the Ocean Calm
Burial - Untitled (sample)
The Voice of Vrilon (sample)
Lifeforce (movie dialogue) [1985]
Walter from carknocker.com - The Lonely Caboose
Zeitgeist (movie dialogue) [2007]
War Games (movie dialogue) [1983]

2 - If You're Not In Tokyo

Magnetic Man - Flying Into Tokyo
Daniel Beddingfield - If You're Not the One
Tokyo! (movie dialogue) [2008]
Magnetic Man - Anthemic (sample)

3 - Meanwhile In London

Caspa - Lon-Don City
Ganja White Night - Purple Star
Zero 7 - Destiny
Orbital - One Perfect Sunrise
Caspa - David Rodigan Intro

4 - Dressed To Fight

Boy Crisis - Dressed to Digress (Nero Remix)
Elton John - Saturday Night
Fight Club (movie dialogue) [1999]

5 - Stand Up Foes

Borgore - Foes (16bit Fuck Hoes Remix)
Dizzee Rascal - Stand Up Tall
Gwen Stefani - What You Waiting For

6 - Scary

Caspa - The Terminator
Lily Allen - The Fear (The Count Saves Lily Allen From The FearRemix)
The Terminator (movie dialogue) [1984]
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (movie dialogue) [1985]
Lily Allen - The Fear
Ganja White Knight - Peace By Fear (sample)
Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around

7 - Two Sides To Every Story

Easy Star All*Stars - Any Colour You Like (Kalbata Remix)
Christina Aguilera - What A Girl Wants
Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around
Skream - Meta-Lick
Bob Moog - Syntehsizer Theory (Keyboard Control)
Easy Star All*Stars - Step It Pon the Rastaman Scene

8 - Burnham On Sea

Mark Sheridan - I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside
Barletta - Panther (Zed's Dead Remix)
Billie Holiday - Summertime
Cliff Richard - Summer Holiday

9 - Run Rabbit Run

Caspa - Riot Powder Intro
Skream - Arola
UNKLE - Rabbit In Your Headlights
The Great Dictator (movie dialogue) [1940]

10 - Trouble Sleeping

Faithless - Insomnia
Magnetic Man - Box of Ghosts
Magnetic Man - MAD
Morcheeba - Sleep

11 - Deadmu5e

Deadmau5 - I Remember (Caspa Remix)
Muse - Plug In Baby
There Will Be Blood (movie dialogue) [2007]
Blade Runner (movie dialogue) [1982]

12 - As Life Goes On

Motorcycle - As the Rush Comes (High Rankin remix)
Chew Lip - Slick

13 - The Sympathetic Tale of Andy Smart

Skream - Rollin
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For the Devil
High Rankin - The Tale of Clarence Baskerville

14 - Act Like You Care

Bill Withers (sample)
Synkro - Lost Love
Nero - Act Like You Know
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Heart
Bob Moog - Synthesizer Theory (Subaudio Oscillator Control)

15 - My Steppin Will Go On

Trolley Snatcha - Scattah
Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On

16 - I Need People

Harry Chapin (sample)
Magnetic Man - I Need Air
Empire of the Sun - We Are The People

17 - End of Year

Library Tapes - Distans
The Wild Angels (movie dialogue) [1966]
Harold Budd and Brian Eno - Still Return
Burial - Untitled (sample)
Walter from carknocker.com - The Lonely Caboose
Alan Black (sample)
All About Eve (movie dialogue) [1950]
Bob Moog - Synthesizer Theory (Conclusion)
Englebert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz


Available for download as

Single MP3 with artwork and tracklistings
Right-click save:
A Year In The Life

Mix split in to tracks with artwork and tracklistings
Right-click save:
A Year In The Life

Big thanks as always to The Reborn Identity for supplying approx 40% of the material used in this, to DJ UMB and FLeCK for the inspiration, to Alan for leaving me odd voicemails (it's difficult) and everyone else who inspires and helps me. And to you know who for a great musical year.

See you in 2011
Andy

You Could Bleed Happy

So, almost a year ago to the day I made an instrumental mash which featured on my Tenebrism concept album mix thingy, "We Could Be Happy (But Something Happened That Day)". It was made as a plea to someone, and as an apology for me not understanding for once - it was my first mash I ever really made that reflected my inner thoughts, frustrations and feelings. As such, it's always been quite hard to listen to without being reminded of that day and kicking myself for that one mistake made, ever since.

So in an anniversal attempt to reclaim the mash and make it listenable to me again (though no less poignant), whip out the DJ Shadow backing, whip in Leona Lewis, and it becomes so much less painful (assuming of course, you like your soaring vocal pop and heart-melting music boxes, with overtones of jazz).

You Could Bleed Happy

Snow Patrol - You Could Be Happy
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Miles Davis - Flamenco Sketches

Someone's Missing

A more uptempo (!) number from me this time, and one inspired by my good friend The Reborn Identity, here's a tale we can all identify with

Someone's Missing
Trentemøller - Miss You
Imogen Heap - Headlock
Vangelis - Rachael's Song

On Cloud Eight

Having had a break from making mashes, I'm back with this little slab of piano melancholia - didn't quite work out as I'd expected, but I like it all the same

On Cloud Eight

Ludovico Einaudi - Nuvole Bianche
Nuyorican Soul feat. La India - Runaway
Colatron - additional synth

Chillax. Come Down.... (new compilation feat. Colatron)

Brand new compilation now online, courtesy of the good chaps over at Sound Unsound, this time with a distinctly chilled out vibe. And yep, I'm on it too.



The metaphor of my love life, I once flew so very close to the Sun, got burnt and came crashing down to Earth hard.

Icarus

Flex Blur - Fly Me Above The Sea
Chew Lip - Slick
excerpts from Jim Henson's "The Story-Teller"

Preview over at
Icarus (on SoundCloud)

And download the whole double album from
Chillax. Come Down... (on mARKYbOY's Blogspot)

Huge props to the very talented Flex Blur for the permission to use his elegant track. Check him out and support him at
Flex Blur - website
Flex Blur - SoundCloud

Merci mon ami.

We Are Endless Dreams

One day, I'll log back in to Spotify...

We Are Endless Dreams
Empire of the Sun - We Are the People
M83 - Highway of Endless Dreams



Nostalgia, it ain't what it used to be, eh?

Mellow Cola and His Infinite Sadness

Throwaway made-in-5 mash, based upon feeling a bit lonely on a lazy, long Bank Holiday Monday

Mellow Cola and His Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Commodores - Sail On

Sunday Whispers

Taken from The Physics Disco mix I put out earlier this year, here's the heartbreaking semi-autobiographical story of a guy who's lost his will to enjoy the Dance. Those in the know KNOW exactly what this mash is about. But if you don't, just enjoy George getting dark and brooding.

Sunday Whispers

Ripple - Sunday Morning (dub)
George Michael - Careless Whisper
elements from Cloverfield



And a HUGE thank you to my good friend The Reborn Identity for putting the most dazzling visuals together for this track. Georgie holograms, Deckard getting drunk as he knows his fate in love, and Beth...oh sweet beautiful Beth, waking up in bed before delivering the killer blow. This stuff really happened. I've seen things....

Steppin' Out On The Town

Remember I promised you something a bit more upbeat and uptempo? Here you go...

Steppin' Out On The Town

Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo
Stevie Wonder - Uptight
Benga & Coki - Night



Back to downtempo normality soon!

Feeling Destiny

Bluesy-acoustica with a hint of the mysterious, featuring the magnificent purveyors of chill, Zero 7

Feeling Destiny

Zero 7 - Destiny
Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Akira Yamaoka - Lost Carol

One Mad Love

Quick bit of DIY chilled beat balladry featuring one of my all time favourite covers. Now with VASTLY improved vocals, courtesy of a little help from my friend Voicedude. Cheers 'Dude and your mysterious 'pella maker :)

One Mad Love

Morcheeba - One Love Karma
Gary Jules - Mad World

Preview/Download



Sadly, the vocoder defeated me again...

Elusive Tears

The search for that elusive upbeat mash continues....


....which segues nicely in to this, my first foray in to mashing the Japanese language. East meets west in an acoustic ballad taking the best of J-pop and fusing it with Wolverhampton's own, Ivor Novello award-winning heir to Nick Drake/Jeff Buckley brilliance, Scott Matthews.

True story - one night in 2006, I saw Scott perform in Birmingham, as he supported and opened for two bands I was good friends with. He was unknown at the time but beyond superb that night. And he's not the only guy to open for these bands and go on to commerical and critical success. He wins an Ivor Novello, my friends are still playing pubs (sorry Ste!)...

Elusive Tears

Scott Matthews - Elusive
Otsuka Ai - Tears




For completeness, the words to Otsuka's beautiful ballad are as follows:-

meni utsuru sakura no mau aru hino gogo
meni utsuru kimi to boku no tsunaida te to te

ano hino no koto
wasure ta wakejanaikedo
sayonara shiyouto omou nda

kimi no koto omoidase ba namida gaafuretekuru
kimi no koto omoidase ba namida gaafuretekuru

daisetsu ni omotte ita boku no koishi i hito
daisetsu na jikan saemo agerarenakatta
hito nin nishite kanashi maseta boku no utta koishi i hito

kimi no koto omoidase ba namida gaafuretekuru
kimi no koto omoidase ba namida gaafuretekuru

kimi no koto omoidase ba namida gaafuretekuru
kimi no koto omoidase ba namida gaafuretekuru

with rough translation of

Before my eyes, the cherry blossoms flutter about in the afternoon
Before my eyes, we were hand in hand--yours in mine

That day…
I haven’t forgotten about it,
But I think I should say good-bye

When I think of you, the tears begin to overflow
When I think of you, the tears begin to overflow

My beloved is important to me
I wasn’t even able to give her valuable time
I’ve left my beloved all alone to wallow in sorrow

When I think of you, the tears begin to overflow
When I think of you, the tears begin to overflow

When I think of you, the tears begin to overflow
When I think of you, the tears begin to overflow

I Need Your Codeine

The first track I came up with when creating the Physics Disco mix, for whatever reason, it got put on the back-burner and forgotten. When in doubt, leave it a couple of months, and things suddenly fall in to place!

A singalong classic from 1980 (and forget the horrible and lazy Baby D cover version, for me it was always about MC Everson Allen of the legendary Ratpack fame singing the refrain over N.R.G.'s '92 oldschool brilliance), given a dark brooding dubstep spin verging on the sleazy.

As always, any multiple hidden layers of meaning are, of course, purely coincidental :)

I Need Your Codeine

The Korgis - Everbody's Got to Learn Sometimes
L-Wiz - The Girl From Codeine City

26th June 10

I'm terrible at naming mashups, and this could have so easily ended up as Dayvan Love Museum, which would have been awful.

Instead, I've simply given it the title of the date when the two things that inspired this track happened. One being Muse playing a storming headline set at Glastonbury, the other being something else. And the pairing has so many hidden layers of meaning, it's ridiculous.

This one's for the eternally-lovely LAS and her frost-covered landscapes as she journeys by coach

26th June 10

Boards of Canada - Dayvan Cowboy
Muse - Muscle Museum



Maybe something more upbeat will come along one day!

Summer Booty 2010 / Breezin' On

Another month, another Colatron contribution to a compilation. This time, it's the magnificently sunny Summer Booty 2010 compilation as compiled and mastered by the wonderful DJ Useo.



Breezin' On

George Benson - Breezin'
Erykah Badu - On & On



And be sure to download all 3 discs of summer goodness at
http://groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-booty-2010.html

Everybody loves the sunshine :D

My Own Strange Love

Here's something I had left over on the PC from working on the Physics Disco, when the mix was a very different creature indeed (i.e. NO dubstep). Inspired by the mighty Flying White Dots himself.

My Own Strange Love

M83 - My Own Strange Path
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps



**Wipes eye.....sniff**

Lectroset - The Reborn Identity

If you listen to only one mix this year, make it this one - my friend The Reborn Identity takes the electro-ball and knocks it WAY out of the park with this freshly original, crisp and vibrant 30 minute slice of mashup perfection. Awesome work Gav

The Reborn Identity - Lectroset

The Physics Disco

WARNING: This is not your normal full-length Colatron ambient beats/widescreen mash-up album mix. Whilst it may begin and end this way, the music in between is pure, brooding dubstep mashed with heartbreaking love songs and sing-a-long rock. It's just how I've been feeling lately.

Welcome to....

The Physics Disco



1 - Memories of an Astrophysicist
Ooberman - Physics Disco
Harold Budd and Brian Eno - Their Memories
Burial - Etched Headplate
The voice of Vrillon
Vangelis - The Prodigal Son Brings Death

2 - Hurt In Japan
Plastician - Japan
Christina Aguilera - Hurt
Renholdër - Falling Through The Sky

3 - Fear Goes Around
Ganja White Night - Peace By Fear
Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around

4 - Sunday Whispers
Ripple - Sunday Morning (Dub)
George Michael - Careless Whisper

5 - Finally Ready
Datsik - Jenovah Project
The Temptations - Get Ready

6 - Diana's Still Not Home
Benny Page - Pan Pipes
Jean Michelle Jarre - Oxygene Part 2
Sabres of Paradise - Haunted Dancehall
Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana

7 - Wonder Lust
Ed Solo - Egyptian Horns
Orbital - One Perfect Sunrise
Ian Van Dahl - Castles In The Sky

8 - Whoooooyao
Skream - Midnight Request Line
Corkz - Weyao
Donna Summer - I Feel Love

9 - Let down
Bar 9 - Strung Out
Rihanna - Unfaithful
Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed

10 - On the Brightside
Skream - Wiggley
Datsik - Gizmo
The Killers - Mr. Brightside

11 - Fierce Nights
Innerlign - Fierce Darts
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With the Night
Lennie De Ice - We Are IE (Caspa remix)

12 - Still Nights
Benga - Still Rockin'
Foo Fighters - Learning To Fly
Benga and Coki - Night

13 - Same Old Same Old
The Widdler - Same Way
La Roux - In For the Kill

14 - Be Seeing You
Zed's Dead - Doin Time (Zeds Dead Summer Grime Remix)
Little Jimmy Scott - Sycamore Trees

15 - The Big Finale
Harold Budd and Brian Eno - Their Memories
Vangelis - Rachael Sleeps
Reverand Jim Jones
UNKLE - Breather
Tom Jones - I (Who Have Nothing)

+ many, many samples

As always, two download options, one full uncut mix and one pack with the mix split in to tracks, both downloads with full artwork and tracklistings (including the samples used)

Single Mix MP3 format
Mix RAR Download

Split tracks MP3 format
Tracks RAR Download


Big thanks to
The Reborn Identity for inspiring me with a brilliant little demo mix he sent me of electro-mash he was working on. Finish it soon mate!
DJ UMB for introducing me to some fantastic dubstep tracks and producers via the Gen Bass blog, and again for inspiring me via his amazing dubstep mixes. Yer a Gent!
Corkz for letting me use his fantastic Weyao track (in a rare case of a masher asking permission first!) - Brum's brightest light
Alan, for being Alan. Boquive :)
And a certain special someone who inspired the whole damn sad tale

Now let's get on and enjoy the summer....

Flamenco Bastardo (compilation)

Another brief update whilst I battle with the dubstep beast which is The Physics Disco.

Some months ago, I was asked by the one and only DJ Useo to contribute to the wonderful Sound Unsound Forum's Flamenco Mash Challenge. Intrigued by the prospect, straight away, there was only one group that I even entertained mashing.....the amazing Rodrigo y Gabriela (possibly the greatest live act I've ever seen).

I had a mash using them with Led Zeppelin that was tossed aside a year ago, me fearing it impossible to complete. So of course, I headed straight back to it. Not content with one mash featuring their guitar wizardry, I began a silly mash using their incredible track Diablo Rojo (written about a rollercoaster they'd rode upon, of all things) and classic foot stomper Reel 2 Reel's "I Like To Move It", but at the last minute, I bottled it and played it safe with REM's "Losing My Religion"....in my biased wisdom, my favourite version of many mashes using this acapella.

But that's not all. There's a TRUCKload of great tracks on here, and considering the theme, a SH*Tload of variety of tracks and styles. My peers and contemporaries have done me proud. This is a great way to kick off the summer.

Grab the album from Useo's Blog....

http://groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2010/05/sound-unsounds-flamenco-bastardo.html

Pour a glass of rioja, wear your tightest strides and a white shirt, grip a rose between your teeth and enjoy the passion of music.

And there's a bass rumbling on the horizon from me too.....

Sounds In the New World (compilation)

Sorry for the lack of updates lately folks - I'm currently putting together a new mix, which has been taking up most of my mashing time. I have made a few tracks for compilations though, including one which is featured on the new Envision/Mashtix comp, "Sounds In the New World"

Put together by the excellent Envision, with the help of the guys at Mashtix, this smashing compilation features 25 tracks, by 20 producers, blending a wide wide variety of genres and sources, resulting in a real feelgood album to kick the summer off with.

So if you're longing for a quick Colatron fix, be sure to head over to Envision's site

http://www.envisiondesign.com.au/

Or alternatively, find it on Mashtix at

http://www.mashstix.com/SITNW.php

Next on the cards, hopefully, will be the SUSN Flamenco Challenge Summer Album!

Enjoy
CLT/A

Hurting Lenny In The Ashram

Serious contender for worst title ever

Hurting Lenny In The Ashram

Nine Inch Nails - Hurt
Camille - Senza
Larry King interviewing Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, on yogic flying
Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away
John Foxx - The Shadow of a Woman's Hand
Skream - Auto-Dub
Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon

Right-click save
Hurting Lenny In The Ashram

Industrial acoustic with ambient chanson, gregorian chant, pop-rock singalong, dubstep and transcendental philosophy!

Gimme More Pon De Floor

The rhythm that Britney REALLY wanted to capture....

Gimme More Pon De Floor

Britney Spears - Gimme More
Major Lazer - Pon De Floor

Right click save:-
LINK UNAVAILABLE



Big props to Lee Spoons for pointing the way to the Major Lazer instrumentals, I owe you that beer!

Now seriously, who's going to video mash Britney daggering.....?

Cheryl's Song

Dedicated to our Angel Of The North

Cheryl's Song

Will.I.Am feat. Cheryl Cole - Heartbreaker
Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

Right-click save
Cheryl's Song

Weak...limp....lifeless......topical

You've Got Another Part Of Me

Silly post-Brit Award nonsense

You've Got Another Part Of Me

Florence and the Machine - You've Got The Love
Michael Jackson - Another Part Of Me
The Source feat. Candi Staton - You've Got The Love

Right-click save
LINK UNAVAILABLE

Breathing Irregularity

David Bowie downtempo mash with a touch of sadness, take two

Breathing Irregularity

Sia - Breathe Me
David Bowie - Space Oddity




Big thanks to Alan for inspiring me with his Sia mash

Where Is Diana's Home?

A Colatron classic, and a personal fave of mine.

About a year ago, I began making "Welcome To My World", possibly my finest moment to date, and this was the second track I completed. Previously unreleased in it's unmixed glory, after the events of the last 12 months, now it seems even more so haunting than before.

Where Is Diana's Home?

Bloc Party - Where Is Home (Burial Remix)
Sabres Of Paradise - Haunted Dancefloor
Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana
Princess Diana - excerpts from the Martin bashir interview (1995)



Also, if you haven't already seen it, be sure to check out the emotionally charged and damned haunting video from my good friend, The Reborn Identity



I'm off to think up new ideas. But if you ask nicely, I may even give you the War of Staunton next....

Bluestep

The Nu-Blood meets the Maestro, versus the Legends


Bluestep

Corkz - Faces of War
Skream - Dutch Flowerz
Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Billie Holiday - Summertime

Right-click save
Bluestep

Again, thanks to DJ UMB for the pointer to new young Birmingham Dubstep producer, Corkz. Amazing music.

http://www.myspace.com/corkzuk

Invaders Are In For The Dubstep

Invaders Are In For The Dubstep



The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die (FS9 Remix)
La Roux - In For The Kill

Right-click save:
Invaders Are In For The Dubstep



Big thanks to Skream for making the best remix of last year, for my bro DJ UMB (check the Generation Bass link to the left) for pointing the way to this awesome remix from FS9. And to Bayonetta for taking dubstep to national TV.

Support FS9 at his Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/FS9MUSIC

Best of Mom

This week, one for all the pop metal kids. Put down your skateboards!!

Best of Mom

Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom
Foo Fighters - Best of You

Right-click save
LINK UNAVAILABLE

Smells Like Tea Spirit

In the true spirit of G3RSt....

Smells Like Tea Spirit

Joe Loss and His Orchestra - Tea For Two [Live]
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit


Right-click save:
LINK UNAVAILABLE

Gave me a giggle for an hour or so
:-)