Both unique and genre defining, Jesse Somfay’s productions stretch across melodic techno, delicate ambient and epic heavy drone laden masterpieces. His latest album; A Catch In the Voice captures it all and has remained one of my most played since release. And his early releases on Traum, some of my most treasured vinyl. So let’s just say I was a tad happy when Jesse agreed to put together the 4th installment of the isolatedmix series.
My past experience of Somfay mixes have seen him stick to his production style. A live PA at Cadenza Lucida, ‘Our Lonely Pink Hearts Are Full Of Joy’ mix and a set on ‘Ultramagnetic’ Radio show. However, in a similar vain to his latest Hexahedral mixes, isolatedmix 04 sees Jesse orchestrate a journey into music he loves. Old, new, ambient, acoustic, indie, shoegaze, metal, electronica… and with nearly ten hours to get through, I shouldn’t even really be trying to categorise it.
That’s right, nine hours of music. Titled ‘Aesopica’ its a mammoth 101 tracks, in three parts. The first part available below on Soundcloud, and the other two downloadable should you want to experience the epic trilogy.
Part 1 Tracklisting:
0001 Verse En Coma – Untitled
0002 Death Cab For Cutie – Passenger Seat
0003 Blueneck – Lilitu
0004 Nine Inch Nails – Lights In The Sky
0005 Blueneck – Epiphany
0006 Bosse – VI
0007 Grouper – When We Fall
0008 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts IV – III
0009 Grouper – We’ve All Time To Sleep
0010 Burial – Forgive
0011 Grouper – Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping
0012 Tiny Vipers – Campfire Resemblance
0013 Kevin Devine – It’s Only Your Life
0014 Tiny Vipers – On This Side
0015 Radiohead – Thinking About You
0016 Division Day – Enjoy the Silence
0017 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I – IV
0018 Division Day – Reservoir
0019 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts II – VIII
0020 Sneaker Pimps – Walking Zero
0021 Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile
0022 Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts IV – I
0023 Pyramids – Sleds
0024 Nine Inch Nails – A Warm Place
0025 Boris & Sunn O))) – Fried Eagle Mind
0026 Jodis – Ascent
0027 Pyramids With Nadja – Into The Silent Waves
0028 Nadja – I Make From Your Eyes The Sun
0029 The Angelic Process – Million Year Summer
0030 Pyramids With Nadja – An Angel Was Heard To Cry Over The City Of Rome
0031 The Angelic Process – Mouvement – The Rest Of The World Is Noise
0032 Boris – Luna
0033 Envy – A Road Of Winds The Water Builds
0034 Fall Of Efrafa – Republic Of Heaven
Part 2 Download
Tracklisting:
0035 Boris – Akirame Flower
0036 Jesu – Opiate Sun
0037 Jesu – Losing Streak
0038 The Black Heart Rebellion – Leaving The Capitals
0039 Envy – Life Caught In The Rain
0040 Latitudes – Antechamber
0041 Wolves In The Throne Room – A Looming Resonance
0042 Boris – 8
0043 Envy – Isolation Of A Light Source
0044 Boris – Farewell
0045 Her Name Is Calla – Nylon
0046 Laudanum – Invoke
0047 Kylesa – Unknown Awareness
0048 Floor – Scimitar
0049 Torche – Healer
0050 Magoo – Acid Goldbar
0051 Jucifer – Hennin Hardine
0052 Torche – Across The Shields
0053 Jucifer – Surface Tension
0054 True Widow – AKA
0055 Jucifer – Little Fever
0056 Converge – Grim Heart / Black Rose
0057 Deftones – Pink Maggit
0058 Tragedy – Night Falls
0059 Deftones – Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)
0060 Dead Swans – When You Sleep
0061 Deftones – Digital Bath
0062 Converge – Jane Doe
0063 Thursday – Unintended Long Term Effects
0064 Fear Before – Get Your Life Together
0065 Thursday – An Absurd And Unrealistic Dream Of Peace
0066 Verse En Coma – Tiny Speakers
0067 Sights & Sounds – Pedal Against The Wind
0068 Fear Before – Fear Before Doesn’t Listen To People Who Don’t Like Them
0069 Sights & Sounds – Neighbours
0070 Fear Before – My (Fucking) Deer Hunter
0071 The Dillinger Escape Plan – Unretrofied
0072 Nine Inch Nails – The Great Destroyer
0073 Primal Scream – Deep Hit Of Morning Sun
0074 Converge – Disintegration
0075 Sights & Sounds – Night Train
0076 Ruiner – Convenient Gods
0077 Killing The Dream – Fractures
0078 Have Heart – No Roses, No Skies
0079 Tragedy – Recurring Nightmare
0080 Tragedy – Deaf and Disbelieving
0081 Harum Scarum – Systematic Death
0082 Invasion – Evil Forest
0083 A Place To Bury Strangers – It Is Nothing
0084 Health – Eat Flesh
0085 Legion Of Two – Palace (Dub)
0086 Health – In Violet
0087 The Horrors – Sea Within A Sea
0088 The XX – Islands
0089 Silversun Pickups – Growing Old Is Getting Old
0090 A Place To Bury Strangers – Keep Slipping Away
0091 Catherine Wheel – Crank
0092 Division Day – Hurricane
0093 Logh – The Smoke Will Lead You Home
0094 True Widow – Duelist
0095 Silversun Pickups – There’s No Secrets This Year
0096 Dominic – End of Man
0097 Silversun Pickups – Sort Of
0098 Samara Lubelski – Field the Mine
0099 Ulrich Schnauss – Stars
0100 Nine Inch Nails – Hurt
0101 Nine Inch Nails – The Great Below
5 mixes, over 10 hours in total, a who’s who and what’s what of downtempo, shoegaze and electronica. Compiled by Jesse Somfay, the Canadian’s production qualities alone are enough to go nuts about. Somfay’s releases on Traum, have helped set the label apart from any other like minded German output. That then, makes these mixes a must for anyone who’s up for coma induced listening. I am just wondering if these are good enough to rival DJ Todos Kilchurn Sessions…
“This is not intended to sound mixed in any way as it is not a DJ mix. It is merely a selection of music strung together, so the focus is purely on the music itself and not the technicalities of mixing”.
Hexahedral Part One
1. Clouddead – The Teen Keen Skip
2. Sole and the Skyrider Band – The Shipwreckers
3. Burial – Archangel
4. Boards Of Canada – Dawn Chorus
5. Aphex Twin – IZ-US
6. Clark – Hot May Slides
7. Radiohead – Idioteque
8. Jel – All Around
9. Air – Run
10. Radiohead – Like Spinning Plates
11. Black Moth Super Rainbow + The Octopus Project – Copying Soup Onto Sexy Birdy
12. Caustic Window – AFX 114
13. Die Fantastischen Vier – Krieger (Aphex Twin Baldhu Mix)
14. Flying Lotus – GNG BNG
15. Clark – Matthew Unburdened
16. Battles – Leyendecker
17. Black Moth Super Rainbow + The Octopus Project – Tony Face
18. Aphex Twin – Alberto Balsalm
19. Boards Of Canada – Amo Bishop Roden
20. Squarepusher – Iambic 9 Poetry
21. Alias & Tarsier – Plane That Draws A White Line
22. Jel – Nice Last
23. Boards Of Canada – Gyroscope
24. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Algae
25. Boards Of Canada – Untitled
26. Global Goon – Glory B
27. Bloc Party – Where Is Home? (Burial Remix)
28. Portishead – Wandering Star
29. Flying Lotus – Auntie’s Lock / Infinitum (feat. Laura Darlington)
30. Broadcast – Corporeal
31. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Zodiac Girls
32. The Tuss – GX1 Solo
33. Yo La Tengo – Nuclear War (Version 1)
34. Why? – Gnashville
Hexahedral Part Two
1. CocoRosie – Rainbowarriors
2. Sol Seppy – Slo Fuzz
3. The Postal Service – Brand New Colony
4. The Knife – Only For You
5. The Postal Service – Such Great Heights
6. Gemma Hayes – At Constant Speed
7. The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build A Home
8. Bon Iver – Lump Sum
9. Fink – Blueberry Pancakes
10. Alaska in Winter – Close Your Eyes – We Are Blind
11. Beirut – Scenic World
12. Ai Phoenix – The Party’s Over
13. Lisa Germano – Reptile
14. Ai Phoenix – Revolutionfriend
15. Blonde Redhead – Dr. Strangeluv
16. Gemma Hayes – Out Of Our Hands
17. Lisa Germano – A Beautiful Schizophrenic
18. Nico – Chelsea Girls
19. Lisa Germano – Geek The Girl
20. Blonde Redhead – Falling Man
21. The Postal Service – Suddenly Everything Has Changed (The Flaming Lips Cover)
22. Death Cab For Cutie – A Lack Of Color
23. Nico – The Fairest Of The Seasons
24. KaitO – Shelflife
25. The Manhattan Love Suicides – Things You’ve Never Done
26. My Bloody Valentine – Drive It All Over Me
27. Eric’s Trip – Happens All The Time
28. Henry’s Dress – Definitely Nothing
29. Eric’s Trip – You’re Always Right
30. Shocking Pinks – Blonde Haired Girl
31. Eric’s Trip – Mirror
32. Helium – Pat’s Trick
33. The Kills – At The Back Of The Shell
34. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Pin
35. Henry’s Dress – Sunshine Proves All Wrongness
36. The Ramones – Listen To My Heart
37. Eric’s Trip – Open Your Heart
38. The Silversun Pickups – Well Thought Out Twinkles
39. Placebo – You Don’t Care About Us
40. Eric’s Trip – My Room
41. Sun Dial – Open Your Eyes
42. Pavement – The Hexx
43. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps
Hexahedral Part Three
1. Boris – となりのサターン
2. Kinski – Rhode Island Freakout
3. Dead Meadow – Dusty Nothing
4. Sun Dial – Acid Test
5. Can – Vitamin C
6. Portishead – Half Day Closing
7. Eric’s Trip – Secret For Julie
8. Shocking Pinks – Strip Mall Blue
9. Portishead – Small
10. The Beatles – Tomorrow Never Knows
11. My Bloody Valentine – Come In Alone
12. Spaceman 3 – Mary Anne
13. Sciflyer – Girl
14. Motorcycle Ride – Union City Blue
15. My Bloody Valentine – Off Your Face
16. Stereolab – John Cage Bubblegum
17. Neu! – After Eight
18. Stereolab – Revox
19. The Black Angels – You In Color
20. Stereolab – The Seeming And The Meaning
21. Six By Seven – Untitled
22. La Dusseldorf – Rheinita
23. Neu! – Cassetto
24. Suicide – Cheree
25. Gravenhurst – Velvet Cell
26. The Silversun Pickups – Lazy Eye
27. Black Moth Super Rainbow – Caterpillar House
28. Animal Collective – Fireworks
29. The Silversun Pickups – Little Lover’s So Polite
30. Low – Murderer
31. Why? – Light Leaves
32. The Velvet Underground & Nico – All Tomorrows Parties
33. My Bloody Valentine – Honey Power
34. Deuter – La Ilaha Il Allah
Hexahedral Part Four
1. Aphex Twin – Rhubarb
2. Bibio – Bewly In Red
3. Boards Of Canada – A Moment Of Clarity
4. Clark – Herzog
5. Radiohead – Up On The Ladder
6. Blonde Redhead – Sings Along The Path (Maps Remix)
7. M83 – Sitting
8. The Radio Dept. – Ewan
9. Skywave – I Believe
10. Astrobrite – Orange Creamsickle
11. Brasilia – Hindsight
12. Asobi Seksu – New Years
13. Amusement Parks On Fire – Motown Ritual
14. Electro Group – Glistened
15. Pia Fraus – 400 & 57
16. Study Of The Lifeless – Promised Land
17. Brasilia – Sublimation
18. Chessie – The Century
19. Cruyff In The Bedroom – Sad Paradise
20. Henry’s Dress – Stumble (Demo)
21. Boris – Farewell
22. Electro Group – Killer Bees
23. Brasilia – Prized Fighter
24. STAR – Pure Gold Reason
25. The Ecstacy Of Saint Theresa – Honeyrain
26. Astrobrite – Swooner
27. My Bloody Valentine – Loomer
28. Joy Zipper – Baby You Should Know
29. Fleeting Joys – The Good Kind Of Tomorrow
30. Astrobrite – Lemondrop
31. Pia Fraus – Chromatic Nights
32. The Charlottes – Liar
33. Chapterhouse – Breather
34. Blind Mr. Jones – Disneyworld
35. The Raveonettes – Hallucinations
Hexahedral Part Five
1. Swirlies – Tall Ships
2. Slowdive – Machine Gun
3. Asobi Seksu – Walk On The Moon
4. The Walkmen – The North Pole
5. Rollerskate Skinny – Speed To My Side
6. Gravenhurst – Farewell, Farewell
7. Slowdive – Jazz Odeon
8. Astrobrite – Boy
9. Cocteau Twins – In Our Angelhood
10. Joy Zipper – VSX
11. Death Cab For Cutie – Passenger Seat
12. Radiohead – How I Made My Millions
13. Lisa Germano – Cry Wolf
14. Astrobrite – More
15. Pyramids – The Echo Of Something Lovely (Lovesliescrushing Remix)
16. Lovesliescrushing – Darkglassdolleyes
17. Astrobrite – Amorotic Zoom
18. Lovesliescrushing – Auvn
19. Burial – Endorphin
20. Helios – Vargtimme
21. Vir – Dapur
22. Astrobrite – Girl
23. Boards Of Canada – Olson
24. Sigur Ros – Untitled
25. Bjork – All Is Full Of Love
26. Lovesliescrushing – Ilgesn
27. Burial – Forgive
28. Your Favorite Horse – Tuning Up On Cloud Nine
29. Astrobrite – Dragonfly Pinky Fuzz
30. Lovesliescrushing – Suischre
31. Astrobrite – Cherryflavor Burst
32. Autechre – Vletrmx 21
33. Squarepusher – Tommib
34. Boards Of Canada – Saw Drones
35. Low – Kind Of Girl
36. Boards Of Canada – Constants Are Changing
37. Slowdive – Here She Comes
38. Vincent Oliver – Outro
39. Aphex Twin – Lichen
40. Boards Of Canada – Corsair
41. Bibio – Black Country Blues
42. Boards Of Canada – Tears From The Compound Eye
43. Squarepusher – Tommib Help Buss
44. Boards Of Canada – Over The Horizon Radar
Here’s a nice little mix by a DJ/Producer from Finland called Introvert. ‘Shoegazer mix for Winter and Friends’ is in fact a nice blend of melodic techno along the same lines of Jesse Somfay, Nathan Fake and James Holden (See below post).
Tracklist:
1. Luke Abbot – Gates pt.1
2. Ricardo Tobar – Boy Love Girl Song
3. Ryan Davis – Snowflake Dancer
4. Davis & May – Thousand Times
5. Harald Björk – Nanting (Live mix)
6. Few Nolder – No Mo
7. Eedio – Eno
8. Freska – Final Call
9. Yard – Long Rolling Hills (Karri O’s Trafalgar)
10. Claudio Mate – Massimo (Introvert’s Lunar Maximo remix)
11. Dinamoe – Caddies Caddy
12. Anaphie – Schubrauber
If you like melodic, delicate, minimal techno James Holden and Nathan Fake style then i suggest you check out Jesse Somfay and his latest album due out in March – A Catch In The Voice‘. “16 out-of-this-world tracks ranging from ambient to deep techno à la Border Community. Very emotional and epic. Over 2 years in the making”.
Listen to the very track that introduced me to Jesse via the excellent Traum Schallplatten series Elektronische Interkontinental – ‘The days of my youth ended with broken bottles’:
