[Read in full on NHAM]

Nonesuch Homecoming And Merrymaking – NHAM Mixtape 13

Radio Free Fedi returns to action for a one off festival this month: RFFF. It runs throughout July and we broadcast a special live NHAM mixtape show at the beginning of the event, showcasing acts performing live at the festival. Therefore all of the tracks in this mixtape have been chosen from those performers.

As always there is also a radio show version of this mixtape with me chatting between the tracks. That can be found on Audio Interface (@audiointerface) from the first Monday of the month as well as featuring in NHAM Radio‘s Mixtape Monday slot.

⬇️ Click the first track to begin playing and keep the page open to hear the mix in full.

[If viewing from the Fediverse you need to click here to listen to the mixtape on NHAM]

1. Take It if You Want It by Shannon Curtis
All Rights Reserved
@shannoncurtis
This has got to be up there as one of my favourite Shannon Curtis songs. Perfectly capturing that 80s vibe and adorning it with lyrics attuned to the politics and crises of the present day.

2. Double You Slash Hackers (AxWax 2023 Remix) by Delegates of Culture
All Rights Reserved
@axwax
In the last millennium AxWax made hip hop. Now he makes stuff with synths. This 2023 remix of one of his old hip hop tracks is a combination of both. Delegates of Culture were a collective of 10 artists from five countries, including AxWax on beats and Skuff and Ill Seer with the rhymes.

3. 1.1.0 by control
CC-BY-SA
@controlfreak
With director and filmmaker Cameo Wood on vocals this is control, aka controlfreak aka our glorious Hamster – the man behind RFF and RFFF. The man we have so much to thank for in helping build the amazing community of independent bands and artists we have in The Fediverse. Much that has come since RFF in terms of promotion of independent musicians in the Fediverse – the NHAMs, the TIBRs, the Audio Interfaces – we’re all standing on the broad shoulders of the one little hamster called control.

4. yaoi gagarin by pulu
All Rights Reserved
@ahihi
Miranda from Helsinki aka Pulu makes some incredible sounds. The last couple of releases for bonkwave compilation albums testify for that. Written in Sonic Pi (a live coding environment based on Ruby) the short but sweet yaoi gagarin comes from the 2024 album, ‘nested’, having been written for Alternative Party 2024’s Obscure Music competition, which it won first prize!

5. Bercée d’illusions by sknob
CC BY-NC-SA
@sknob
I remember first listening to this when it came out last year and being utterly blown away. It was one of those moments – headphones on, active listening – I was overcome and transported in my head to a huge theatre surrounded by an orchestra playing the track. It’s part of the Cities EP containing four very different tracks all well tied together by the theme of living in (or not living in) cities. The EP is an absolute triumph. I’ve gladly purchased my copy and I’d encourage you to as well: It’s available on @mirlo for any amount – pay what you feel.

6. Growing pains by sgrow
All Rights Reserved
@lislegaard
sgrow is one of Norweigan soundscape artist Kristoffer Lislegaard’s projects, collaborating with his wife Vilde Ilkama Nupen. They made four releases between 2013 and 2019 of which Growing pains was on the ultimate one, Circumstance II. Since then Kristoffer has done some fantastic stuff both in collaboration as Øy and his solo work. Most recently he released the live set of his performance when he open for Autechre in Oslo.
Hot off the press: A fifth sgrow album is due to be released early in 2026!

7. Skinicism by Doctor Body
All Rights Reserved
@alisynthesis
Atomospheric sounds and a mesmerising vocal performance from Doctor Body – one of at least four pseudonyms used by Alison Wilder. Doctor Body is actually a collaboration between Alison and Greg Wilder, her ex husband with whom she does a fantastic podcast called Too Much Music.

8. Adding Up To Nothing by Sockpuppet
CC BY-SA 3.0
@fluffy
With both haunting and jaunty qualities, this is a lovely lo-fi tune from Sockpuppet aka fluffy. It’s the final track from the 2015 album Refactor.

9. Sorry You Died by bgm
All Rights Reserved
@bgm
A little earlier this year bgm put out the video for this track, shot some 10-15 years ago, and it moved me to tears. Sorry You Died was about his family cat. He thought it would be a good idea to record the acoustic guitar in a boathouse, sitting on a gas can, swatting at mosquitoes, for “atmosphere”. The recording subsequently came out on the album “They Don’t Run Your Life.”

10. Plume by Calin Dica
All Rights Reserved
@akash
Calin Dica said the baroque cello melody came by itself over a rather classical harmonic progression and that the lyrics were inspired by a good friend who could have become a lover in another arc! I love the feel in this song. The evocation in the vocal is very strong and makes me want it more. I have no idea what is actually being said as my French is sadly non-existent, so it’s all vibe driven.

11. Secrets by Meljoann
All Rights Reserved
@meljoann
Earlier this year we serialised the album Status from which this track comes. Pure sugary retro pop with Motown bassline as Meljoann herself says. A hit from an album of hits. Check out the fantastic video and read more about it.

12. Never Meet Your Heroes by Futzle
All Rights Reserved
@futzle
The typical brilliant blend of intelligent wit and musical nouse from Futzle also known as Deborah Pickett. Never Meet Your Heroes is from the EP “Futzle: the Musical” and it brings the perfect mood to leave as an outro to this month’s celebration of all things Fedi music.

#FediMusic #festival #Hot #mixtape #music #MusicFestival #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist #RFFF #RFFF25

We are so happy to be part of this #mixtape

And very thoughtful of you to use all this wonderful music as a shoutout to all the loved ones!

#NHAMmixtapes #music

@mixtape https://nham.co.uk/2025/06/next-level-happy-anniversaire-martin-nham-mixtape-12/

[Read in full on NHAM]

Next-level Happy Anniversaire, Martin – NHAM Mixtape 12

One of my dearest friends and one of the big sources of musical inspiration to me from a very young age has a special birthday on June 1st so I’m dedicating this mixtape to him.

He was a drummer and songwriter in a band my dad managed when I was a wee boy. After that he formed a new band who had brief britpop stardom with an appearance on The Big Breakfast and quite a following in Japan. Then at the turn of the century he formed a trip-hop outfit who managed to win what was dubbed during the Napster age as the first ever internet Oscars, beating Eminem to an mp3.com streaming number one single and subsequently being flown by helicopter to The Playboy Mansion to collect the Best Music Award. 🤷‍♂️😵

Martin and I have had some great experiences together, not just in music but in football, cricket and life too, so this mixtape is dedicated to you, Martin. And hey you’re never too old to join us in the Fediverse! -The music scene in here is BUZZING and the community is a joyous thing.

As always there is also a radio show version of this mixtape with me chatting between the tracks. That can be found on Audio Interface (@audiointerface) from the first Monday of the month as well as occasionally featuring in NHAM Radio‘s Mixtape Monday slot.

⬇️ Click the first track to begin playing and keep the page open to hear the mix in full.

[If viewing from the Fediverse you need to click here to listen to the mixtape on NHAM]

1. Ctrl Alt Del by Silverman
All Rights Reserved
The opening track from the third Silverman album, ‘Speed of Life (part 2)’ released in 2002.

2. Lampadaires by Knobil
All Rights Reserved
Knobil aka Louise Knobil is a double bassist, singer and composer who blends jazz, punk, glitter and French chanson with sparkling, audacious energy. Those of you familiar with the surroundings in the Fedi music scene will surely have come across the wonderfully talented @sknob. Well Louise is his niece. Talent and creativity obviously run in the family. Great video too:

3. Information Array by Roberta Fidora
All Rights Reserved
@RobertaFidora
If you haven’t yet seen the INCREDIBLE animated video for Roberta’s latest single, ‘Here Come The Lucky Ones’ you can find it on NHAMtv. The video for ‘Information Array’ (also brilliant) is in there too. This track is one of my absolute faves.

4. Assfuck the Boss by Meljoann
All Rights Reserved
@meljoann
There’s something of an Alex Cameron vibe to Meljoann’s work. Not necessarily in the actual sound but certainly in the tone. Assfuck the Boss is no exception.

5. HDYK by Liotia
All Rights Reserved
@inpc
And so to the man I share many a morning with in the Fedi. Matthew Smyth plays records from his shed every weekday morning between 8am and 9am UK time – That’s 5pm in Pyonyang as I’m sure Matt would like me to point out! He streams The Kali Mera Show playing records from his collection and chatting via Owncast where a bunch of us just hang out with him and his cat George as we begin our day. It’s great and you should definitely pop by and join us when you can. Liotia is one of Matt’s music projects alongside Abigail Hubbard.

6. Flames by Schall und Stille
All Rights Reserved
@stephan
Susanne Balg is on vocals on this gorgeous song by Stephan Kleinert’s Schall und Stille. It was recorded on an island in the North Sea as part of a 4-track EP called ‘Biike’ about the tradition of the same name, which is the burning of large bonfires to bid farewell to winter.

7. Fear the Summers by Crocuta
All Rights Reserved
@crocuta
From bidding farewell to winter to fearing the summer by German grunge pop duo Crocuta. They nail the vibe of sweltering urban heat in this track.

8. Cruel by Alastair Leonard
All Rights Reserved
@javantigers
Beautiful. From a double A side released earlier this year by the songwriter living in Western Australia.

9. Eternal Return by socool
All Rights Reserved
@socool
This one takes me back 20 odd years to when I was listening to The Album Leaf a fair bit. As ever it’s a masterfully put-together piece of music by Emily from Vancouver aka socool.

10. Hunaja by Lehto
All Rights Reserved
@lehto
A sublime blend of funk, breaks and trance in Hunaja, which is Finnish for honey. It comes from the album, ‘Sisu’, released this year.

11. My Heart Tin by Secret Deal
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
My apologies that I cannot mix or master but this one’s written especially for your birthday, Martin – in collaboration with my band mate @stefan who masterfully composed the music. Cheers you!

12. Time is a Blade by Silverman
All Rights Reserved
The track from the end of the last millennium that topped the mp3.com streaming charts and earned Martin a music industry Best Music Award. A video performance of the song is below. I’ve posted a little collection of some of the tracks from the four bands (well three plus a name-change) Martin was in during my formative years. Those bands were the aforementioned Silverman (1998-2002 + 2016), Nilon Bombers (mid-late 1990s), The Kissingers (early 1990s) and Frame by Frame (most of the 1980s and in to the 1990s).

#FediMusic #Hot #mixtape #music #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist

Thank you to @mixtape for including my track “Sequoia” in their nature-themed mixtape and review, along with other great nature-themed tracks from some fantastic artists! :MOULE_Dance:

https://nham.co.uk/2025/05/nature-holds-awe-man-nham-mixtape-11/

#Music #FediMusic #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes

[Read in full on NHAM]

Nature Holds Awe, Man – NHAM Mixtape 11

This nature-inspired mixtape has been slowly building over the last 6 months or so. Finally complete with 12 tracks it is now ready to burst in to the scene in perfect harmony with the natural world outside my window, which is flourishing with foliage, blossom and bird song.

The radio show version of this mixtape (where you have to put up with me talking a bit too) can be found on Audio Interface (@audiointerface) from the first Monday of the month.

[If viewing from the Fediverse you need to click here to listen to the mixtape on NHAM]

1. Mistrise by gribbles
CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
@gribbles

Opening up with the serenity of a waking morning in pure, clean air surrounded by nothing but nature. The beauty of the day beginning as the mist rises. Captured perfectly by the talented gribbles, who has some live dates coming up later this year. If you’re in the UK see if you’re near enough to make it.

2. How rich will i make the soil by wallamide
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
@walladiethylamide

“We come from nature, to nature we one day return. Life is a wild accumulation of circumstances that are the products of tons of factors.” The EP of the same name that this song comes from is music to contemplate our place in the natural order of the universe. Some serious textures here.

3. gorse yellow by kel.audio
All Rights Reserved
@kel

Speaking of textures. Mmmmmm. I’m imagining these are some of the sounds gorse makes when plugged in to an amp! kel has very kindly offered up some first-come-first-serve free download codes for the album this song features on. Copy and paste one of them here to download 13 tracks for free. t3y3-hnpv, v76y-yzy4, 7m3n-76nm, xrvm-v6v6, qvb6-6yzy.

4. The River by me:she
All Rights Reserved
@meshe

Michelle Dumond makes beautiful music, some with accompanying videos. Many of her videos already feature in the WATCH area of NHAM. This one comes from quite deep in her back catalogue – the final song on the 2010 album, ‘The Moondrops’. All of her music is well worth checking out and flowing through … like a river.

5. Sequoia by MOULE
All Rights Reserved
@MOULE

Possibly the most prolific artist I’ve encountered yet, MOULE is represented in Sequoia as an adventurous, easy-going individual who appreciates nature, and knows that because life is short we need to make the most of it.

6. Flares by Lehto
All Rights Reserved
@lehto

David Hanke aka Lehto released an album called Northbound in 2023 that focuses on his love for nature and the northern hemisphere. Flares is the penultimate track from the album and for me it manages to capture both the stillness and the epic greatness of nature in one hit.

7. The Waterfall by Kydia
All Rights Reserved
@KydiaMusic

I love listening to Kydia. She has a beautiful voice. She also has some beautiful cats who are a joy to receive updates from on her Mastodon feed. The slow beat in The Waterfall is reminiscent of Active Child.

8. Dew by Clément Bertine
All Rights Reserved 
@cbertine

French-speaking Clément Bertine makes improvised music that is free-minded, lively, for the heart, full of melancholy or joy, spiritual and radical. Dew is part of a ten-track journey in the album, ‘Inwards’: A walk exploring new horizons, with the dew redefining the journey and enabling the traveller to pause and breathe.

9. Jackdaw by Helen Bell
All Rights Reserved
@helenbellmusic

A nature themed mix wouldn’t be complete without a track from the wonderful Helen Bell. I’ve purposefully picked songs in this mix that communicate the positivity of nature. This has meant passing on many great tracks which lament the destruction of it. Here is the exception for it would be remiss of me not to leave some kind of reminder as to how precious nature is for all of us.

10. Growing up is for trees by Jenny Berger Myhre
All Rights Reserved
@jennybm

A wonderful title. And wonderful words throughout. Norwegian multidisciplinary artist Jenny Berger Mhyre creates intimate soundscapes of everyday life from field recordings, fragments of songs, conversations, granular and modular synths. The conversation in this track speaks to the importance of holding on to our obtained maturity and wisdom whilst still being connected to our inner child.

11. Solarised by Bedlam Steps
CC BY-SA 4.0
@bedlamsteps

We’re all affected by exposure to the light and heat of the sun. Bedlam Steps is Bradford-based Simon Greenwood, and this sumptuous offering comes from his debut EP Patterns and Shades, released this year.

12. Sunset Shore by Ordos Mk.0
All Rights Reserved
@ordosmarkzero

Closing out in as serene a manner as we came in. Ordos Mk.0 is on the shore watching the sun set on another NHAM mixtape. This song was specifically created to match an image of the sun setting and reflecting on a calm shore. Success.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey through nature: NHAM’s ode to the most wonderful source of inspiration, the thing that connects us all and gives us everything we cherish. It’s too easy to take it for granted so this mixtape is our little pause for reflection and respect.

#FediMusic #Hot #mixtape #music #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist

[Read in full on NHAM]

Numskulls, Harlequins & Amusing Misleaders – NHAM Mixtape 10

Released on April Fools’ Day I had to give this one a fitting title. But the tomfoolery stops there. There are no pranks below. Only more great tunes found in The Fediverse.

Last month a brilliant little album of collaborations between artists who connected via Radio Free Fedi was released, including one track featuring yours truly. It was such a top album that I’ve included five of the collaborations within this mix.

The radio show version of this mixtape (where you have to put up with me talking a bit too) can be found on Audio Interface (@audiointerface) from the first Monday of the month.

[If viewing from the Fediverse you need to click here to listen to the mixtape on NHAM]

1. Dancing and Kissing by Bitplanes
CC BY-SA
@bazkie

Kicking off with a most uplifting of tracks for all the dancers, kissers and cuddlers out there.

2. You are not alone by C.Circo and sknob
CC-BY-NC-SA
@CCirco, @sknob

Am I only dreaming? This song is a dream in every sense. I feel like I’ve drifted off under a tree on a lovely sunny day and am dozing in and out of a lovely light dream.

3. origami universe by pulu
CC BY-NC-SA
@ahihi

Originally released on the first disc of last autumn’s 3-disc Not What I Call Bonkwave compilation, origami universe is a triumph in glitching, breaking and euphoric chanting. pulu is Miranda, a ‘computer sound worker’ from Finland.

4. collapse by control.org
CC BY-SA 4.0
@controlfreak

I get real Underworld vibes from this beast of a tune taken from the 2002 album ‘radiate’. Control yourselves!

5. Night Dad by Galaxy Brain
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@galaxybrain

London electronic music producer Galaxy Brain named this song after a Korg M1 patch. It comes from a four track EP of the same name which she describes as a love letter to late 80s and early 90s deep house.

6. The Space Between the Sea and the Sky (Default Media Transmitter remix) by Key13
CC BY-NC-SA
@keefmarshall

In mystic tradition ‘thin places’ are energy fields where it is said that the veil between our world and the eternal world is thin. The space on the horizon where the sky meets land or sea is often cited as one of these places. This track captures that essence magnificently.

7. Nothing Comes Around by Edith Frost
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@edithfrost

A gorgeous folk pop song from a brand new album by the singer-somgwriter from Austin, Texas.

8. Shame by Matt Young & Edvards
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@mattyoung, @EDVARDS

In this relatable tale of regretting youthful misdemeanour, Matt and Edvards combine superbly for a dose of melodic, retro pop-rock.

9. Leave the Light On by Futzle featuring Aelyth from sideSister
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@futzle, @elsemusic, @jimbob

Ethereal vocals, captivating chord changes and a swinging beat that you can’t help but nod, tap and groove to.

10. ZOE by Center of the Universe
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@counivers

RTFM! 😂 Great line. From the album COU which contains eight 3-letter-acronym titled songs, ZOE – presumably about the electric car – heaps the fun in to the funky. The deep vocal and content matter makes this a perfect sequel to Hot Chip’s Playboy (driving in a Peugeot with the top down) for the renewables generation! Although I’m not sure whether Norwegian DJ and artist Center of the Universe sees it that way, citing the album as a collection of obsolete technologies which once had promises of a brighter future.

11. DOINITRITE by Babu Menos
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@babumenos

Wow! Nods to Byrne, Gabriel and Bowie in this epic juxtaposition of a funky, happy-sounding groove that depicts an angry, greedy, needy, ruthless and narcissistic world leader who considers himself infallible.

12. That One Day by Default Media Transmitter/Xylander
(Words written by Deborah Pickett, read by Eivind)
CC-BY
@defaultmediatransmitter, @xylander, @eivind

Closing out with the four way collaboration that closed out the Comfy Collaborations album. A mammoth soundscape about the end of everything can really go in no other place. Enjoy it while you can.

#bonkwave #FediMusic #Hot #mixtape #music #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist

[Read in full on NHAM]

Nonchalant Hares Acknowledge March – NHAM Mixtape 9

This is the first mixtape since the inception of NHAM as an online magazine-style music platform for indie artists with a Fedi presence. Hopefully you’ll be glad to hear that the monthly mixes will be continuing in this corner of NHAM while we look to connect some of the dots in this indie ecosystem and amplify indie artists via the rest of the site.

The radio show version of this mixtape (where you have to put up with me talking a bit too) can be found on Audio Interface along with all others going forward since NHAM 8.

[If viewing from the Fediverse you need to click here to listen to the mixtape on NHAM]

1. Waste by Crocuta
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@crocuta

Grunge-pop duo from Leipzig, Germany who use only free and open source software in their music production. They manage to combine the clarity of pop with the murkiness of grunge to great effect.

2. Channel Up by Sound of the Void
CC0 1.0
@Firesledge

Sound of the Void are French psychedelic punk rock trio Alice, Laurent and Marie-Claude. I love their raw sound. It’s the sort of thing you might expect when out in a city like Manchester, casually dipping in and out of the many live music venues. There’s invariably a gem or two like this to be found.

3. I Wasn’t Even Supposed To Be Here Today by lostlemming
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@tflynn

Sticking with analogue, taking it smooth and mellow via lostlemming, an instrumental post rock band from Illinois, USA. This gorgeous track comes from their 2022 album, 61 Cygni.

4. Just Beyond Your Fear by TEACOZY
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@Teacozy

Aussie in Amsterdam, TEACOZY has self-described as a ‘stumbling buffoon compelled to love and make things’, and I love that they’ve made this beautiful thing. It’s neurotic folk that stays with you long after you’ve listened. Small pangs, tickled heartstrings, it resonates.

5. Umami by Brickwall Unlimited Inc.
All Rights Reserved. Permission received
@dereisenhofer

AKA Benjamin Eisenhofer AKA Bandstahl AKA flann AKA Horus. The moniker changes but the quality stays the same. Umami is one of four separate Brickwall Unlimited Inc. releases made since Christmas. I found it hard choosing which one to feature but it was the sensational Umami that left me salivating most.

6. State of Us by Endless Blue
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@endlessblue

Released on Future Cabaret Records, State of Us is an old number unearthed during lockdown 2021. The duo originally formed in Minneapolis in 2003, fusing trip hop and downtempo with blues and jazz roots. Their music tackles themes of relationships, identity, loss, and mental health. In short the State of Us.

7. Bye by Meljoann
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@meljoann

This was dropped last year as the first single from their brand new LP which is out on March 14th. I’ve had a sneak preview of the album and can confirm that the multi-talented king, queen and Prince of hyperjack is back with another absolute beast for us to feast on. The song and album stick two fingers up to billionaire-owned Big Social and capital, proudly proclaiming we can do it without you.

Indeed, Meljoann has set a date when she is going to say Bye, Bye, Bye to everything Meta, and she’s encouraging all of us to join her and do the same thing at the same time.

8. Digital Dope by Grey Matter
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@greymatter

Speaking of Big Social’s insatiable appetite to consume us while we consume it, here’s a brainy, bangin’ hip-hop offering exploring our modern day addiction to technology and social media.

I found California-based, Chicago MC Grey Matter while listening to Basspistol Radio and was delighted to find they too have begun to dabble in the clearer Fedi waters.

9. Not Enough (feat. Danny Hailé) by Sam Nabi
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@samnabi

More hip-hop, this time from a Canadian activist and web developer with a keen eye for good tech. Via Tri-Cities Sam Nabi collects venues, neighbourhoods, studios, artists and stories that have shaped the hip-hop scene of three cities local to him, enabling fans and artists to draw connections between the art they love, and the places that inspired the art.

10. Souls Beat Slow by Berdandy
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@berdandy

Andy Berdan is a professional video game developer whose skills are evidently transferrable to neat beats too. It’s that irrepressible garage beat coaxing me in on Souls Beat Slow – it just gets me right there. If anything it makes my soul beat faster, but that’s ok. Let’s just dance.

11. Had Enough by Shin Bone, ENOENT
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
@enoent

”Too odd for normal social media. Too normie for the Fediverse.” That’s how ENOENT describes themself on Mastodon, but the music is evidently not: ENOENT was inundated by DMs praising this track when it was a staple on Radio Free Fedi, which doesn’t surprise me one bit.

12. 2AM Long Gone by Sitka
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission
@oleksiy

2AM Long Gone, Sitka’s first ever release, was part of a Musicians Defend Ukraine fundraiser compilation album which you can support here. It was produced on his modular synth rack, on which he recently performed a live set followed by a Q&A demonstrating how it all works, which is very cool. The set was streamed by Basspistol and they’ve hosted a recording on their Peertube channel.

#FediMusic #mixtape #music #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist

[Listen to the mixtape here]

After a little January hibernation we’re back with an absolute banger of a mix. Listen to all of the tracks in unison below (with artist and track info further down the page) or head over to Audio Interface where you can listen to my radio show of this mix.

1. Foxes by MOULE
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
@MOULE

In their own words, MOULE WORLD is a creative transmedia storytelling and worldbuilding project about trying to get by in a world sitting on the precipice of digital armageddon, told through multi-genre electronic music and cartoony cover artworks.

Foxes was composed in 2019: Repeated notes, bitcrushed bells, chilled backing pads, and other complimentary sounds resulted in this deep house track with dark, sneaky, and a curious sort of vibe to it. As such MOULE called it “Foxes”, after an animal which has an (unfair) reputation for being sneaky.

MOULE is currently working on a third album, CTRL. There’s no release date set as it will be released as and when it’s ready, so do follow MOULE for updates.

2. Oval by John Wright
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
@thgirwnhoj

John has featured in a previous NHAM mixtape and with such an awesome body of work he’ll likely feature in future too.

Oval comes from a 5-track EP released in 2022 called Somewhere. This is the sort of track that could play for hours and would keep me on the dance floor. Minimal house at its best.

3. Microplastics (Acid Omen mix) by Zoë Blade feat. Aisha Ricketts
CC BY-NC 3.0
@zoeblade

I love the 90s rave vibe that’s dipped in and out of this remix of Zoë Blade’s track like a tea bag infusing a lovely warm cup of hot water more and more with each dunk. Obviously it must be one of those cheap tea bags made with microplastics!

Zoë began composing music age sixteen. But it wasn’t until 14 years, countless synthesizers and several bright hair colours later that she finally decided to start sharing her music with the world. Better late than never!

It’s funny as I’m in a similar position – a lifetime of not sharing my own music until last year, when my new band released a couple of songs: one of which you’d be forgiven for thinking was called ‘Microplastics’ itself when you listen to it (although it’s actually titled, ‘All Around’!). It was only a matter of weeks after we released that that I came across Zoë’s music!

4. Continuous Revolution by James Holden
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
@jamesholden

I’ve been listening to James Holden for what must be the best part of two decades so to discover that he’s an active Fedizen was pretty exciting for me.

Continuous Revolution was released on his most recent album from 2023: ‘Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities’ and it takes a sumptuous journey through the lush and sublime of the audio-sphere.

5.Jaymups by Luka Prinčič
CC BY-SA 3.0
@luka

Luka is the host of the SoNoMu (Sound Noise Music) mastodon instance which hosts musicians, sound-artists and producers of any kind of aural noise, songwriters, bedroom producers, sonic manglers and algorave livecoders.

He is also a key proponent of BeYourOwnPlatform – a movement and toolkit for musicians to be radically independent from the platforms that exploit them; a move away from algorithms and ad bombardment to systems that reward artists fairly.

As well as all of that Luka makes great music like this.

6. Raveboi by Alida Tripp
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
@alidatripp

A glorious blend of house, rave and techno Raveboi is full of energy, with it’s uptempo get-up-and-fucking-go-go-go vibe!

Alida is from Bremen in Germany and this track can be found on her Empire EP, released in 2024.

7. Enkoded by Ordos Mk.0
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
@ordosmarkzero

Enkoded is spelt with a K as a nod to Kode9 whose production style was a particular inspiration in the composition of this track.

What do I think? It suits me.

8. As We Go by Decibyte
CC BY-NC 4.0
@decibyte

From Copenhagen, Decibyte was stuck by a quote from Jamie’s List – a newsletter about music production by Jamie Hill of Shannon Curtis fame. Decibyte asked Jamie if he would record himself reading the quote and paired it wonderfully with the solid but bouncing beats on As We Go.

9. Sterling Voyager (Communist Dream Mix) by Flock of Nazguls
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
@flockofnazguls

Flock of Nazguls makes abstract electronic music out of Montreal, Canada. This one samples the voice of Sterling Hayden from his biopic documentary 1983 film, ‘Pharos of Chaos’.

10. Whep? ..yrgn… samoreee. by Default Media Transmitter
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
@defaultmediatransmitter

Released at the end of 2024 as part of ‘Acid December‘ – a community who challenge one another to create and release Acid tracks throughout the month of December – something they’ve been doing year on year since 2011.

This one from DMT oscillates between the plain planes of calm to the epic epicentre of some heavenly acid dreamworld and I love it!

11. Beats Echo The Hope by DFF Sound System
All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.
@DFFSoundSystem

Beats Echo The Hope is a great title for a song which has a bouncy and optimistic sound. It comes from an album full of fractured electronica called Bruken Bets.

12. Shesap.p. by Siick
CC BY-SA 4.0
@siick

I couldn’t decide which of two songs to include in this mix by Siick so I decided to make this the official inclusion and then have DNS Timeout as the backing track for the spoken parts of the radio show version of this mixtape, which appears on Audio Interface.

Shesap.p. is a perfect way to wind down a mix that has maintained quite a high energy throughout.

Bonus track! = DNS Timeout by Siick
CC BY-SA 4.0

#Acid #BeYourOwnPlatform #FediMusic #house #minimal #mixtape #Music #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist

https://nham.co.uk/2024/12/nativity-holy-advent-mashup-nham-mixtape-7/

Welcome to the Christmas mixtape – Nativity Holy Advent Mashup! 12 festive-themed tunes to jingle our bells. 🔔🎄🤶☃️☀️

As always more info including song and artist links below the mixtape.

Lo-Fi Orchestra – The Carol of the Bells
Microcontrollers and boards in place of humans and their orchestral instruments. Each board connected to a central MIDI distribution aided by Raspberry Pis and another nano-tech. Sound complex? It’s all explained in a lot more detail here. Lo-Fi Orchestra has performed many classical pieces including The Flight of the Bumblebee and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture but if you watch the Peertube video I’m sure you’ll agree that this Christmas piece is even more perfectly suited to this set up as the boards flash bright lights when their sound plays, creating a fitting festive lighting effect.
@diyelectromusic

Mans1 – Freezing Rain
Another one found on Peertube, this is a reworking of the original that Mans1 released with Hometaping on the Hip-Hop Taoists Album. It features Oliver H on lead vocals with Mans1 bringing the smooth French rap. The video has some lovely stop motion in the snow.
@mans1

Futzle – Weeping Melaleuca
Let’s not kid ourselves that Christmas is all about snow and cold weather. Far from it as Christmas comes just days after the summer solstice for the Southern Hemispherites. This song from Futzle centres around a type of tree native to Australia called a Melaleuca – whose red flowers fall like tinsel on the ground in the heat of the Christmas hols. Although not a true story in it’s entirety Futzle says the lyrics are still meaningful and informed by her life. Indeed the tree itself did exist until it’s life was brutally cut short in 2023. Its memory though lives forever in this beautiful song.
@futzle

Sive – Don Oíche Úd i mBeithil
From the red of the Melaleuca to the green of the Emerald Isle. Performed beautifully this traditional Irish carol translated as ‘That Night in Bethlehem’ sings of the night in the West Bank when Jesus was born. Sive has cleverly interwoven parts of a Palestinian folk song in to this rendition.
@sivemusic

LAGRANGE POINT 6 – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Another traditional Christmas carol, this version was composed with the juxtaposition of utilising synths to create a medieval approach, and to great effect.
@jimdonegan

CURXES (Robert Fidora) – I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS
They said there would be peace on earth. This is Roberta’s electronic cover version of Greg Lake’s classic protest song at the commercialisation of Christmas. What’s not commercialised eh? Peace I guess. Shit! -That’s the answer! -If we can find a way to commercialise peace we might yet find a way to make capitalism work. (We’ll need a way to commercialise degrowth too, mind).
@RobertaFidora

Xylander – How Glad They Were
The sad albeit understandable announcement of the sunsetting of Radio Free Fedi hit us all pretty hard. One thing for sure is that the community we are all now part of thanks to RFF will live on. For the electronic music section of the community Pete Xylander has already begun putting together some shows for an electronic-based online station called @audiointerface so check that out if you are that way inclined. Meanwhile here is his Christmas tune from last year. Welcome the reindeer. How glad they were at the sound…
@xylander

Wanda & Nova deViator – Wrappings
You know those jokes you get in Christmas crackers? Here’s mine:
Q: What do you get when you cross an electronic musician and a contemporary dancer, performer and choreographer who both take influences from breakbeat, trip-hop, dub, idm, electro, noise and other bass genres?
A: Presents! And this is one of them, nicely wrapped.
(It wasn’t supposed to be funny! Christmas cracker jokes never are. At least this one has substance.)
@luka

Eugene K – the angel
I love the atmospheric build up in this and the way it merges in to a prog rock performance. Eugene K is a poet and artist who has created a brilliant telling of William Blake’s poem.
@eugenek

The L Plate Players – I’m Staying Home This Christmas
Written for her found Fediverse family, Deborah Pickett penned a country-Christmas song and asked many of those friends to collaborate on it. Deborah says that sixths feel festive to her, and so filled the chorus with them, excluding all thirds, fourths and fifths in the process – clever as ever, as are the lyrics!
@futzle, @herzleid, @jimbob, @nein09, @pelagikat, @philsawa, @pilum, @raaahbin, @sknob, @virtualwolf

toadlilies – three stars each
We’ve got to have a bit of shoegazey pie for Christmas! From the ursa major album released in May this year ‘three stars each’ is a lovely song from the Nebraskans. There may be nothing explicitly Christmasy about it but the twinkly jingles combined with the stars in the title make it sit well in this mix.
@toadlilies

BonkWave AllStars – We Wish You A Merry Bonksmas
2024 has been described the year of the bonk and 2025 is set to be even more bonky so we could play out with nothing else. I wish you a VERY MERRY BONKSMAS indeed!
@gullfot, @Traiken, @venya, @johann, @axwax

#mixtape #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes

There’s some real beauty in this one. Strap in for a bit of everything: From mental vending to gentle mending via gender bending, it’s genre blending bliss!

Songs and artist details with links below the mixtape.

https://nham.co.uk/november-heralds-audio-masters-nham-mixtape-6

Helen Bell – Two Before the Five
Such a gorgeous intro to a beautifully sung, played and arranged song. There’s something so pure and connected about Helen’s music.
@helenbellmusic

Unwoman – Cultivate
Staying in the stringed theme and adding a deep beat this is another one that has come from a strong connection to the soul.
@unwoman

Me:she – SWEETIE
And now in full swing with a whole ensemble this is such a cool funk, and with a dose of French rap to boot what’s not to like? I actually found this one browsing Peertube -the video version is cool too!
@meshe

Matt Young – Calling All the World
Calling All the World has a strong Richard Hawley vibe. It’s a luscious piece with an important call that we really need to answer in the affirmative.
@mattyoung

Limnetic Villains – How To Break A Boy
I love the way the rhythm and lo-fi beats twist and turn through the gears in what is a very well crafted tune. I gravitated to this the first time I heard it before learning what it’s actually about: a story worthy of a [insert-popular-streaming-service-here] docuseries. -I’ll leave you to explore that for yourself!
@limneticvillains

pgcd – This Is Just Illusion (1982)
What is no illusion is pgcd’s homage to 1980’s hi-NRG and new beat. Complete with a New Order drum fill, there are some lovely effects going on in and around this gloriously melancholic hit.
@pgcd

Single Bass – Red Ferrari
Ahhh, and then back to perfection in simplicity: The lovely voice of an English lady called Jennifer Moore accompanied solely by her bass. Red Ferrari is a fine example obtaining glory without leaving first gear.
@SingleBass

b.trx – All Night
The whole Garage Hearts EP from which this came is superb. If you have any kind of affinity to UK garage I’m sure you’ll love this slightly emotive and dark form with hints of Burial.
@coda

Fast Ghost – Mortal Wombat
Acid wombat rave, need I say more? As if it wasn’t already worth a chunk of your dime, any money made from Fast Ghost music gets match-funded and donated to charity at the end of each month. Hero.
@FastGhost

Stefan Bohacek – How To Stop Time
I had earmarked Stefan early on in the NHAM project with just one problem: Despite being a Fedi-heavyweight (a fediweight?) none of his music was on any of the Fair platforms, existing only on Soundcloud. He soon rectified that giving me license to publish. But then came another problem: The song I picked, this one, got me singing along, adding my own lyrics. I decided to record them and sent it to Stefan from which our own collaboration has now come about (we’re making tunes together as ‘Secret Deal’). Since we are now collaboraters and How To Stop Time is the basis of our first tune I wasn’t going to include it after all, before deciding that wouldn’t be fair on Stefan. So here it is, in all its glory, the original, funky beat from the man I’m still pinching myself to call my bandmate.
@stefan

Joe Ressington – Loss of Summer
Oh boy this hits the spot, THAT spot, the one it intends to, just perfectly. With the harmony in the chorus really grabbing at the reminiscence receptors you’ll be yearning for summer even if it’s your least favourite season!
@JoeRess

Kyle Bronsdon – Luxurious Poisons
A luxurious Cave-Waits blend to see the evening out, this is a perfectly smooth jazz groove and it completes what has been a wonderful November mixtape from some real masters of the audiosphere.
@kylebronsdon

#mixtape #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes

https://nham.co.uk/necromantic-halloween-aural-mummies-nham-mixtape-5

Oh yes, we’re going ghoulishly gothic for a Halloween mixtape this October. 🧟‍♂️👻🎃💀🧙

Songs and artist details with links below the mixtape.

Ether Diver – Psychedelic Ghost Story
An early visit from Ian Curtis before he’s quickly swept aside by the psychedelic ghosts of the ether? There’s a good chance you’re here because you love discovering indie music in The Fediverse. Well click through to Ether Diver’s profile to get amazing weekly fixes of new music from the Fediverse curated by him.
@etherdiver

Doctor Deathray – Bloody Bones
Described by the Doctor as “very fun”, and a paraphrased version of a story her mum told her as a kid, even though she has no recollection of it! …’Fun’ so long as you do listen and don’t fall victim of Bloody Bones! SPOT!
@DoctorDeathray

bgm – William’s Face
bgm’s very own Murder Ballad. A beautifully sung, perfectly played, horrific tail!
@bgm

Fit and the Conniptions – Old Blue Witch
It’s funny. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t think of this specific witch as a murderous, barbaric totem of evil, and yet she rules over us for so long.
@conniptions

Six Umbrellas – Zombie Disco
You can’t have a Halloween mixtape without a zombie disco. Suspend those limp-wristed limbs. Now dance.
@sixumbrellas

4TRIKS – DEATH LOOP  
Now you’re on the dance floor of doom and there’s no turning back!
@4triks

she hacked you – Ghost Dance
she hacked you identifies as a paradoxically lucid glitch witch, apparent in this apparition shuffle.
@ekis

Sgrow – out-of-body-like 
Be gone the witch, remain the glitch.
@lislegaard

John Wright – Blood  
This man must complete the holy trinity of electro Johns. Talabot, Hopkins and Wright.
@thgirwnhoj

Allflowers – Where The Witches Live
Incredibly atmospheric sounds from the French rockers.
@allflowers

Desolation Park – Night Dweller
Super rhythmic.
@desolationpark

Ultranauts – Ghosts & Angels 
There may have been no Thriller in this mix but it’s safe to say this one is all Killers. Pretty fitting.
@endlessblue

If you made it through alive well done. If not, well you’re just a ghost like the rest of us. 👻

#FediArtists #FediMusic #mixtape #Music #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist

This one is a concept mixtape where we take a one way voyage through space and time: Beginning here on earth we feel the power of the moon, see comets and feel inspired to explore further and further in to distant galaxies until we’re sucked in to a big black hole with everything else. Hit play on the opening track to begin the ride…

More on the songs, the artists, their links and the journey below the mixtape.

🌍🌔☄️🚀💫🛸👩‍🚀🪐✨👽🌌

👇 Click this link to listen to the mixtape. 👇

https://nham.co.uk/2024/09/nebula-horizon-ambient-movements-nham-mixtape-4/

1. Ulrike Mod – éclairé par le clair de lune
   @puffer / Bandcamp

   Ulrike Mod is the moniker used for a series of embellished piano improvisations by musician Christian Puffer and this piece translates in to English as Illuminated by Moonlight. – A place we’ll start the stellar voyage that is this the fourth NHAM mixtape: Here on earth with the closest thing in our night sky shining down on us as peacefully as this lovely opener.

2. gribbles – Comets
   @gribbles / Bandcamp

   gribbles says Comets is an ‘attempt at real music’. It’s a hugely successful attempt. From sublime to sinister and back again, befitting our impending journey into space. Originally visualised as a pastoral piece with complexities of storms followed by clear skies and birds on the wing, gribbles realised it was becoming overworked so cut back the complexity and was left with this. Much like when we cut back the complexities of our life on earth and are left with the awe-inspiring simplicity of vast open space.

3. Sakti – Sound of Stars
   @Sakti / Bandcamp

   As the light reflects down on us from the moon, and the comets come and go all becomes still and we begin to go deep, hearing the Sound of Stars. I’ve already used Sakti in a previous mixtape (and quite frankly could do so in every one, with so many great compositions to choose from) but with a cosmic themed mix this time I couldn’t leave out Sound of Stars. If this is what they sound like then it’s no wonder we’ve decided to make this one way mission to get closer to them.

4. KNova – UFOhs
   @knova / Bandcamp / Faircamp

   And then up and away we go, like a UFO. UFOhs was inspired by Mac DeMarco, which is really apparent in the beat, bassline and distorted single-strum chords. KNova is Keith in Colorado who says Star Trek is frequently playing in his house.

5. RX1F – Astronauts
   @voxpopsicle / Bandcamp

   You know we’re hurtling through space now! Just listen to it! We’re doing ‘80s nostalgia-driven space travel on a super scale.

6. Futzle – Written in the Stars
   @futzle / Faircamp
   As we travel between them we’re beginning to realise that everything happening back on Earth was written in these stars. Deborah aka Futzle was just 17 when she wrote this in 1990 but it remained unearthed for 30 years until this 2020 recording was published. “Quetzalcoatl (“Feathered Serpent”) was one of the gods of Mesoamerica. His brother and rival, Tezcatlipoca (“Night Wind”) got him intoxicated and banished for drunken incest. (Yikes!) Quetzalcoatl’s associated year in the Aztec calendar was Ce Acatl (“One Reed”), which correlates to the year 1519, a very bad year for the Aztecs because that’s when Cortés landed and triggered the fall of their empire.”
7. Doctor Popular – Dazzler
   @docpop / Bandcamp

   Doctor Popular has a weekly video series called The Fediverse Files in which he extols the virtues of the Fediverse. With a different guest each week he makes simple and fun explainer videos for those not yet in the know, telling of why The Fediverse is the future. Not content with being a brilliant mouthpiece for our beautiful online home, he also makes some wonderful sounds, including Dazzler, for which there are a few versions floating about. This is the album version. Docpop, you know exactly who you are: A star.

8. Default Media Transmitter – Solemnity
   @defaultmediatransmitter / Mirlo
   Ok, now we’re experiencing some turbulence. Solemnity comes from an EP called Two Space Tunes which you can check out on @mirlo. It feels like we’re going through places we’ve not comprehended before. There’s no turning back now.
9. exodrifter – Home at a Star
   @exodrifter / Bandcamp

   We’ve found a Home at a Star. Perhaps we’re a bit nostalgic for our previous life, yet we also feel calm, if slightly lonely and melancholic in our new surroundings. From the album Back to the Void.

10. Hefxthoth – song for alien tomboy girl
    @hefxthoth@mastodon.art / Jamendo

    Shit! There are other lifeforms out here. And who knew aliens come in varied forms like us. Let’s make friends by playing a song for alien tomboy girl.

11. Milford Progress Association – Saraswati Supercluster
    @jimbob / Bandcamp

    At the Saraswati Supercluster we’re now 4 billion light years from Earth. Vast, spacious, beautiful, epic, ambient, rough, bright, dark energy.

12. Vince Nevers – Event Horizon
    @vincenevers / Bandcamp

    – Oh! In our never ending pursuit of more we’ve come too far. Like Icarus on a universal scale we’ve reached the Event Horizon. Couldn’t think of a much better way to end it though. This has been quite the voyage. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have.

@music

#bandcamp #FediArtists #FediMusic #Jamendo #Mirlo #mixtape #Music #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist

Tune in, slip back and enjoy the summery-haze vibe of the third NHAM mixtape. Recommended accompaniment: A spare three quarters of an hour, a warm sun, a light breeze, a comfy spot and a cool drink.

(Apologies to folk listening in the Southern Hemisphere. Despite this mix being a ‘hot summer’ soundtrack the tunes are all super enough to be enjoyed in any weather, but it’s in the dripping heat of the hottest summer month that they’ve been put together at my end so it does have a natural summer vibe!)

👇 Click this link to listen to the mixtape. 👇

https://nham.co.uk/2024/07/nueva-hora-agosto-mix-nham-mixtape-3/

1. Ricky a.k.a. Impulso Bioelectrico – Say Yeah
   Arrrrgh Yeah. Pump it up. When the sun shines and the heat hazes, this classic hip hop groove is the perfect accompaniment. I only wish it were three times as long. Ricky is from Palma in Spain and this track comes from the 2023 album De Buenas a Primeras – a collection of fine, short tunes.
2. Key 13 – L.U.C.A.
   Key 13 has such a varied bank of works it was hard to know which song to choose, but I really love L.U.C.A. Some great vocal effects combine with synthetic and natural instruments for a beautifully balanced piece. It’s a pretty telling of the story of the connected nature of us and all life on earth.
3. Digits – Lost Dream
   If you told me this was a new Junior Boys track I’d not have any reason to doubt it. -From the soft yet authoritative vocal to the jittery electronic beeps and beats. That by the way is very much a compliment as Junior Boys are one of the favourite artists of my lifetime.
4. Bandstahl – I’m falling
   Okay, if you’re not in a hot place right now just close your eyes and imagine being on a sandy beach in the sun with a cool breeze blowing through as you listen to this. Life’s good, isn’t it? That’s how this one makes me feel. Deep beat, luscious vocal, warm bass, I’m falling!
5. White Town – Timeslip  
   Yes, THE White Town – I told you the coolest kids reside in the Fediverse. I was a touch obsessed with Your Woman back in 1997, so finding Jyoti aka White Town in The Fediverse was a very pleasant surprise. Timeslip is a joyous-sounding, catchy number although the lyrics hint at something darker in the underbelly.
6. AxWax – Schrödinger’s Bonk
   What is Bonk? Can you handle Bonk? Take a dive in to the Bonkwave with master-proponent of the illusive movement to find out! I’d tell you more if I knew but I’m still working Bonkwave out myself a month or so after taking my first dive in to its depths. The one thing I do know so far is that I like it!
7. Xylander – Hectic Life (Busy Busy Busy!)
   This is truly masterful. A 50 year old tape of Xylander’s uncle and grandmother recording a message to another family member has been expertly set in to a speedy dance track. Xylander lists Squarepusher and Autechre among his influences and you can really hear it in his work.
8. Fastachee – Lonely Negatives 
   I love the way this track builds as it wakes up from the intro and moves through the gears before unearthing some rare Fastachee vocals in the second half. It’s got industrial vibes, in the electronics department, and has a real get up and go about it.
9. YACHT – Finger in Your Eye 
   Fine, jaunty, indie-pop from Young Americans Challenging High Technology – something all of us within The Fediverse are doing whether we realise it or not! I was big in to YACHT back in 2009 so to have rediscovered them via Mastodon this month was a true delight. To then catch up on everything I’ve missed in recent years and hear that they’ve not lost any of their fun, unique sound means I’m now fully back aboard the vessel!
10. Fräulein Verdrieslich & Torsten Torsten – Jackentaschen-Chanson  
    According to the deepl translation tool Jackentaschen-Chanson translates as Jacket Pocket Song. I found this version on Torsten Torsten’s Peertube account and it’s a lovely live performance by the two artists in a park on a summer’s day. Apparently they had about 50 more verses for the song they could have included. Sadly my German isn’t good enough to know what they’re singing about but the joy from the performance needs no translation. I also love that at the start of the recording you can just hear the end of Fräulein singing Caravan of Love – one of my all time fave songs.
11. Huge Shark – A Prayer for Rain  
    Just like with Kydia in the NHAM 1 mixtape a powerful voice sucks me in so deep here. On this occasion it’s that of Valerie Polichar of Huge Shark. She wrote this song back in 1990 in reference to the droughts experienced in California at the time due to the early onset of climate change. The fact that things have only got worse since make this record continue to stand out. I want future generations to live lives where they can enjoy the best things in life such as Valerie’s voice and music without being impeded by the dystopian effects of climate change we’re hurtling toward. In order for that to happen we need to make radical changes to the way we live at present, and quickly!
12. The Liquid Clear – Sociate  
    Just like in last month’s mixtape the closing track is one to leave you hanging there, yearning for more. Experimental producer Bree D aka The Liquid Clear makes sumptuous sounds from Washington. Sociate is just one of many examples that can be found on her Bandcamp profile. It carries a spacey, nostalgic vibe complete with Joy Orbison style break down. Enjoy!

#bandcamp #Faircamp #FediArtists #FediMusic #JamCoop #ListenAlong #Mirlo #mixtape #Music #NewMusic #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes

I’m really pleased with this collection. Belonging to July it’s a summer mix that transports the listener through day and night; from earth to air; between conscious reality and subconscious dream states; and even to different geographical locations. It did for me anyway. Have a listen and see where it takes you. More info below the mix.

👇 Click this link to listen to the mixtape. 👇

https://nham.co.uk/2024/07/nowt-hatswhatic-all-music-2-the-july-2024-mixtape/

1. Six Umbrellas – Rise
   The first of the two tracks aptly called Rise that bookend this mix. With the Euro final being played here this month there’s no better place to start the July 2024 mixtape than Berlin: Six Umbrellas is Thomas Bartz and the city I’d call the home of industrial techno is lucky to have him. This one is from the album Ad Astra.
2. Lehto x Socool – Sierra
   Sierra dropped just last month and is ethereal breakbeat at its finest. I can’t not move to it. It’s a wonderful collaboration between two producers, Lehto from Germany and Canadian Socool, who have combined to make Four (Tet) – Combining deep with delicate and luscious with lucid.
3. BENDY – Haunted
   Fittingly, Haunted has a haunting vibe which is pretty dark lyrically and darkly pretty sonically. BENDY is self-described lunatic music dispenser, Eliot Bendinelli. A London based Frenchman* who works for a brilliant organisation in Privacy International, Eliot has recently dedicated one day a week to making music and the result is a brilliant 4-track EP from which Haunted came. (*I’m guessing he’s French based on a combination of his name and his Mastodon instance!)
4. Ordos Mk.0 – Awash
   I love a bit of deep house and I’m reliably informed this is somewhere between that and Dub Techno. -The EP it’s from, ‘Echoes’, comes with a thoughtful and technical insight from the producer as to how each song came about and what was used to make it, as well as some cool sleeve artwork. Deep, rhythmic, dance, all, night.
5. Roberta Fidora – In Your Neighbourhood
   Bloody hell, this is good. Wistful electronica so often gets me. This could easily sit on Joe Godard’s Electric Lines album, which curiously came out in the same year (2017) as Roberta released this one under her previous moniker, ‘Curxes’.
6. Jonny Fallout – There’s Hope For Us Yet
   The opening track of Jonny Fallout’s 2024 album, ‘Concentric Circles’. There’s Hope For Us Yet is a song title whose message is something we all have to cling on to, while the music itself offers the belief that it just might be true. This is dream-synth dreaming big and I love getting lost in it.
7. Day Dreems – There’s a Light
   Day Dreems is a solo artist from Oregon, and Day is their real name, not just a stage name! They have such an enchanting and compelling voice, drawing me in both solo and when harmonised. There’s a Light has what I think I’d call a gypsy-folk vibe with added oomph and pop-personality. The song explores the magic place between limitless dreamland and limiting ‘reality’, and it builds beautifully with perfectly positioned layers until reaching crescendo.
8. sideSister – Lovelock
   The intro is an instant hit-maker and the subsequent interwoven funk in this multi-time signature get me moving and thinking in equal measure. Positivity, hope and slap bass from a super-talented mother and daughter duo, bring it on.
9. Hy Vyb – Moonlight Dream
   Hy Vyb creates an ecclectic mix of music from pop to prog rock through house, drill, drum & bass, afro-beat and more. This lovely number though sounds like a Grimes jam on a sunny day somewhere in West Africa. Dancing!
10. Liotia – Hand in Hand
    My immediate reaction to hearing this one was, ‘CocoRosie does trip hop’, but Liotia are not CocoRosie, they are Abigail Hubbard and Matthew Smyth. It’s got such a hot, summery city vibe. Personally it connects me with times at the start of the relationship with my now-wife, walking through Bristol in the heat together: Feet on concrete and birds in the trees as we wander past and under. Very happy feelings. From the Let Down EP.
11. Hello Midlands – Outside
    Hello Midlands are not wrong, they’re quite right: Everything is a little bit easier outside. Cautiously optimistic, wonky melancholy. -Their words, not mine but I couldn’t put it better. Serene, but not for the sake of it. Erudite, but unassuming. Earnest, but forgiving. See. I’m going Outside now.
12. Schalle und Stille – Rise
    As an ex-Bristolian myself the trip-hoppy Portishead vibes of Schalle und Stille drop me right back in to that beautiful city. It’s the second track in this mix to have done that and also the second called Rise! I love how it does exactly that to you: The song has you grounded to start and just lifts and lifts until you’re floating and dancing in hazy summer air, still rising as it peacefully ends, while you remain afloat, gasping for more. It had to be the closing track, leaving you suspended there …at least until the August mixtape.

#FediArtists #FediMusic #mixtape #Music #NewMusic #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist

Nowt Hat’swhatic All Music – NHAM Mixtape 1

[Read in full on NHAM]

Hit play on the first track and let the awe-inspiration commence through 45 minutes and 12 tracks. Lowdown lower down (thoughts, attributions, links).

👇 Click this link to listen to the mixtape. 👇

https://nham.co.uk/2024/06/nowt-hatswhatic-all-music-1/

1. Cobalt – Home
   I came across Cobalt from the fantastically Euro-pop track, ‘Versio’, written for Fedivision 2024. Cobalt is a Finnish musician and linguist, and ‘Home’ is the perfect opener to the very first NHAM mix tape.
2. sknob – Driven By Desire (Extended Mix)
   sknob is another artist who had a strong Fedivision entry with ‘Living the Dream’. Having had a nice rummage through the wonderful back catalogue I was taken by ‘Driven by Desire’ both musically and in its deeper meaning. Shades of Clor, Roxy Music and David Byrne might be something an ‘AI’ generator could output, but the innovation it could not.
3. Meljoann – EXIT
   ’EXIT’ has Let’s Eat Grandma vibes. Meljoann’s awesome creativity extends beyond her music and in to her videos too. Well worth a dive via her Peertube channel … you might be lucky enough to get swept in to the Mustics® craze whilst there too. I’m not really sure how to describe Meljoann as a female Prince without calling her Princess, but it’s what I want to do!
4. bgm – You Can’t See It
   Get funky, lo-fi, baseline, harmonise. Can you see it? Now wiggle!
5. Kydia – Holy Grail
   This is just an incredible piece of craftsmanship which gets better and better the deeper you delve and the more you listen. The composition, the lyrics, the production: It’s a masterpiece, made even more remarkable when Kydia’s story is told. -She is lady with ADHD and a Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) having been born with Microtia grade 3 and Atresia (a deformed outer ear and ear canal, and single-sided deafness). Cosmetic surgery a few years back to get a prosthetic outer ear, followed by the fitting of a titanium post in to her skull means she can now hear in stereo where the majority of her life she only heard in mono. Kydia is a special talent and Holy Grail could easily be a platinum-selling number one the world over either if Kydia were signed and thrust in to the pop world or if the song was given to one of the superstars of today.
6. MyLoFy feat. Aaron – The Funniest Thing
   This mixtape project came about thanks to Fedivision 2024 and I could easily have chosen 12 songs from Fedivision for this first mixtape, but wanting to get discovering new songs straight away this is the only inclusion from this year’s contest. The Funniest Thing was one of my three votes and if I only had one vote this is the song I would have given it to. A Retro-Pop track tinged with Alphaville about the detachment of conscience people might experience using social media. Whatsmore it was produced exclusively using (lots of) free and open source software. Although perhaps ironically it’s the only song on the list which isn’t linked because I can’t find any MyLoFy music on any of the Fair Music Platforms. I’m reliably informed that a Mirlo profile is on the roadmap though so look out for that!
7. VCS2600 – Databahn Lowrider
   With a funky swagger a la Chromeo or Har Mar Superstar I dare you not to bounce along with your arm bopping aloft as you cruise in your imaginary ride to VCS2600.
8. lost in the loop – tell_me_what_you_see
   Another really catchy little number with a funky groove to keep you on the regular twitch. lost in the loop does shy vulnerability well, laying the cards on the table with tell_me_what_you_see and delivering a right royal winner.
9. Mishathings – Start Anew
   Teaching Political Ecology and Earth Science at Amsterdam University College by day and busting uplifting tunes by night, Misha can momentarily take you to a space and time where it’s all alright with Start Anew, even though it’s really not, is it? We’re in this together.
10. Sakti – Somerset
    Having previously lived in the county I was drawn to this track when checking out some of Sakti’s back catalogue and it’s an epic monster of an audio-trip right up my street. Extremely proficient master crafting here.
11. Shannon Curtis – Extraordinary People
    I’m an 80s kid and Shannon habits 1980s spirit with aplomb, taking me in with the first bang of the synth-wave drum. Extraordinary People is a nostalgia-driven, synth-pop ballad that calls, ‘Look at us, we are extraordinary people’. A nod to all of the artists featured on this page and so many more pouring out their creativity in to the Fediverse and beyond.
12. Under Shaded Trees – please don’t worry
    AKA Chris Lowis said that this track sounded, ‘Like an end of EP kind of track’, so put it at the end of his beautiful 1858 EP … a trick I’ve repeated here to close out the very first NHAM mixtape. Under Shaded Trees is blissful serenity, wistful but optimistic and I love it.

I hope you’ve enjoyed listening as much as I’ve loved curating (and dancing along 👇). See you next month!

#bandcamp #Faircamp #FediArtists #FediMusic #JamCoop #ListenAlong #Mirlo #mixtape #Music #NewMusic #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist

Fedivision 2024 opened my eyes to how much good music is being made by independent artists on decentralised platforms.

It inspired me so much I chose to end my Spotify subscription and instead commit to spend the money on 10-15 indie tracks per month. 

The stipulation is that the artists have a presence in The Fediverse (maybe featuring on Radio Free Fedi or with active Fediverse accounts) or are on open source platforms such as Bandwagon, Faircamp, Funkwhale, Jam.coop, Mirlo, Resonate, Wavlake etc.

This month (May 2024) I have set up a recurring donation to Radio Free Fedi and pledged to Mirlo’s kickstarter.

Next month I’ll publish the first NHAM mixtape.

For now here are the 12 songs that made my shortlist from the 72 entries in Fedivision 2024:

Dace Merryweather – ‘The Roses Outside Grow Suspiciously Red’
Leigh Harrison, – ‘Tap My Toes’
The Rolling Poles – ‘GeoGuessr Song’
Marcus Bointon – ‘Federation’
MyloFy feat. Aaron – ‘The Funniest Thing’
Alison Selby – ‘Sum of my Parts’
Faustine & Juliette – ‘Maudit’
Schall und Stille feat. MyLoFy & Tobias Stutz – ‘Mare’
Jämezytee – ‘Shoot Away Pain’
Cobalt – ‘Versio’
Ferocious Designs – ‘Open Your Eyes’
Key 13 – ‘Misaligned Aardvarks’

NB: Artist links go to their personal Fediverse accounts. Songs have links if the song is available on one of the Fair Music platforms or their own website (or Bandcamp).

The Listen Along Preview Vid:

#Faircamp #FairTradeMusic #FediArtists #FediMusic #Fediverse #Fedivision #Funkwhale #IndieMusic #JamCoop #ListenAlong #Mirlo #mixtape #Music #NewMusic #NHAM #NHAMmixtapes #playlist #RadioFreeFedi #RFF #ToneAudio