For the darkest time of year, a wintry mix of stark sonic landscapes — jazz, ambient, acoustic and unclassifiable. Instrumental treks through the snow, hopefully with a mug of hot chocolate (or something stronger) awaiting you at your final destination.
Search Results for: mixtape
Pulp Jazz: Twenty-First Century Groove Music (A Mixtape)
Pulp Jazz draws on long-traduced, sometimes crassly commercial, musical forms—jazz-funk, exotica, new age, sci-fi schlock, lounge music and library—and channels it all into deeply funky, low-key psychedelic groove music. More than that, like the best pulp, it somehow comes out sexy as hell, slinky and dangerous. Aquarium Drunkard has been here for it. The world could stand to be a shade groovier. And when we were asked for a mixtape of the primo stuff, we were more than happy to oblige. It’s what we do.
Let’s hope this fresh wave of fusion doesn’t reignite the jazz wars of old. But we’re down to fight if it comes to that.
Trick Or Treat: Vintage Halloween Mixtapes
Spooky season is officially here. As such, we are uploading each volume of the Grey Haas compiled Trick Or Treat mixtape series for AD patrons (they begin with Volume five). Choice vintage Halloween spookers…
Grey On Gray :: A December Mixtape
All vinyl hour long slide to close out another weird year. Fireside GORP-jazz, new age, and beyond. 1969-2022.
Big Time Things (Influences) :: An Office Culture Mixtape
To celebrate the release of the jazzy and deft Big Time Things, Office Culture brings a mixtape of influences encompassing neo-soul, spiritual jazz, and singer/songwriter fare. “Often we think about a very specific element of an artist’s approach—a rhythmic cadence, a weird production choice, or a vocal approach—and wonder how it could work in an unlikely context. Hopefully you find something new you like.”
Radio Is A Foreign Country :: Electro-Folk Sounds of North Sumatra (Mixtape)
Radio Is A Foreign Country is a not-for-profit radio platform and mixtape series that exposes listeners to obscure (and mostly vintage) regional folk and pop music from the global hinterlands, featuring cut-ups of international radio broadcasts (AM, FM, shortwave), field recordings, ethnographic film, vintage records and cassettes, and digital ephemera from the far reaches of the internet. For this special mixtape, the Radio Is A Foreign Country crew brings us a cross-section of North Sumatran electro folk.
Mark Mothersbaugh’s Insomniak Flora (A Mixtape)
A one hour compilation of assorted Mothersbaugh muzak, from Insomniaks cuts to highlights from 2017’s 45 RPM box set Mutant Flora. Sprinkled in are other rarities, musical pieces composed for some of the musician’s visual art exhibitions. The weirder the better.
AD Presents: Sonor Music Editions | Italian Library Music (A Mixtape)
Founded in 2013 by Lorenzo Fabrizi and Andrea Galtieri, the Rome based Sonor Music Editions focuses strictly on the world of vintage Italian Library music and original soundtracks, largely from the 1970s and early ’80s. Prolific, we asked Fabrizi and Galtieri to curate a medley of sounds via their catalog, and the following mix is most definitely a vibe.
Tinariwen :: Radio Tisdas/Amassakoul Influences (Mixtape)
To commemorate a pair of remastered reissues of Tinariwen’s first albums—2001’s The Radio Tisdas Sessions and its 2004 followup, Amassakoul, the desert blues masters drop by with a special mixtape showcasing their influences.
Aquarium Drunkard Presents: A Spectrum of Blue (A Mixtape)
Hang your coat, unknot your scarf, kick your boots to the corner and open those windows–spring is almost here. Aquarium Drunkard presents: A Spectrum of Blue- an hour long medley of spring cleaning, dust knockin’ bluegrass …
AD Presents: Off-Piste | A Mixtape
From the confines of a snowed in cabin, Aquarium Drunkard presents Off-Piste, a 90 minute TDK mixtape. Expect a taut embrace of ice cold synths, nascent drum machines, reverb, echo, ornithology infused Danish funk, and two tracks referencing penguins. Duck the rope.
Aye Me, Moore Heart New Transcription (A Warren Defever Mixtape)
The ever busy Warren Defever of His Name is Alive and ESP Summer somehow found time to drop this ecstatic and incantatory humdinger off at AD’s digital doorstep. Aye Me, Moore Heart New Transcription, a mix which spans the globe and time, folding together ancient gospel, blues, gamelan, and more.
Aquarium Drunkard Presents: Castle Dogs | A Mixtape
Castle Dogs is a sixty minute slow boil of post-punk and new/no-wave, mixed live from Uncle Tio’s collection and dubbed to tape exclusively for Aquarium Drunkard. Each tape features exclusive artwork and an instant photo of the tracklist. Play at full volume.
We are giving away six copies of the cassette via the AD instagram…head over there to land one. Actual dogs not included.
Christmas Jambree :: A Vintage Jamaican Yuletide Mixtape, Vol. 2
In 2017 Aquarium Drunkard brought you Christmas Jambree: A Vintage Jamaican Yuletide Mixtape. At 28 tracks it’s an extensive collection of Jamaican reggae and ska Christmas tunes. If you’ve never heard it, do slide over there right now, but if you’re already converted, and looking for a bit more in that vein, the following companion has you covered. Dig in, dig deep, and happy holidays.
Autumn Hymnal :: A Mixtape
Autumn Hymnal: 23 tracks of jazz, folk and ambient suited to navigate these changes–from the celebratory catharsis of Tim Buckley, to the mournful acceptance of Anne Briggs, to the haunting beauty of Jessica Pratt. Put on your favorite sweater, pour something warm and enjoy the ride.