TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

This is probably going to be a rambling post so bear with me.

Today is Funky Frolic's 2nd anniversary. It has been an incredible journey filled with many ups and downs but the time has come for me to say farewell and move on. It's not a decision I've made lightly but many of the things that have happened this year have sucked the fun out blogging. The file sharing issues and subsequent flood of re-requests took away the time and desire I had to create new content and I just couldn't muster the dedication that this place requires.

There are so many people I'd like to thank - from my fellow bloggers to all the wonderful people who left comments that would bring a smile to my face, friends and strangers alike. I've been lucky to have a group of supporters who helped make Funky Frolic what it is and it's been a joy to be part of a community of like-minded music lovers. Thank you all so much.

I feel like I've achieved everything I wanted here. The aim was always to celebrate the music I enjoy and bring it to the widest audience possible. I think that over the course of the last two years I've played my part in fostering the appreciation of certain genres amongst people. Around 7 or 8 terabytes of music have been downloaded through Funky Frolic and it's a thrill to know people have listened to albums I've recommended or mixes that I've created. I couldn't have imagined something I created would receive a million pageviews on the internet, let alone almost two million. It's been a wild ride and one I'll never forget.

I will leave the site up in case I have a change of heart and can't stay away or if I have a new project you might be interested in. I'll lock the comments function in a couple of weeks. You can contact me through my Blogger profile if you wish but please refrain from making music requests. I apologise to those who have outstanding re-up requests, I hope you are able to find what you're looking for somewhere else.

Well, I guess that's it. I've had a lot of fun and I hope you have too. As always, stay funky.

Mr.Craig.

FF020 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - KEITH MANSFIELD REDUX PT.1

Download here

Track 1 - Handmade By Robots
Track 2 - Fast Back
Track 3 - Step Forward
Track 4 - Extravaganza
Track 5 - The Beat Moves On
Track 6 - Pop Trumpets
Track 7 - Passport International A
Track 8 - Blockbuster
Track 9 - The Busy Scene
Track 10 - Power Complex
Track 11 - Disco King
Track 12 - City Limits
Track 13 - Top Score
Track 14 - The Contract
Track 15 - Pretty Colours
Track 16 - Twinkle
Track 17 - Big Shot
Track 18 - High Velocity
Track 19 - The Fix
Track 20 - Funky Fanfare

In my continuing attempt to re-upload my Legends Of Library series, I proudly present to you Part 1 of the Keith Mansfield collection. The original compilation has been extended out from 15 tracks to a whopping 41 which hopefully provides a fuller picture of the exceptional talents that Keith has exhibited over his many years in the biz. Hardcore library fans will be familiar with many of these pieces but I've tried to put in a few that aren't as well known. Whether you desire go go, porn funk, groovy synths or easy listening there is plenty for everybody. Part 2 will follow soon. Enjoy!

YOUTUBE LIBRARY MIX - VARIOUS ARTISTS



 

 

Download here

 

Track 1 - Wacker / Johnny Pearson

Track 2 - Articulation / Michel Bernholc

Track 3 - Tomorrows World / Geoff Bastow

Track 4 - Plank / Jacky Giordano

Track 5 - Cup Fever / Herbert Chappell

Track 6 - Highway Patrol / Berry Lipman & Orchestra

Track 7 - Catalepsy / Eric Framond

Track 8 - Mercury / Harold Fisher

Track 9 - Gun Law / Simon Park

Track 10 - High Velocity / Keith Mansfield

Track 11 - Rixe / Vladimir Cosma

Track 12 - Flock / Janko Nilovic

Track 13 - Gang Train / Bernard Estardy

 

There's a wealth of excellent library music that has been uploaded to YouTube over the last few years and I decided today it would be nice to put together a selection of my favourite tracks for your listening pleasure. This compilation features a diverse range of pieces from labels such as De Wolfe, Bruton, Patchwork, Selected Sound, KPM and Montparnasse. There's plenty of uptempo grooves to be found, interspersed with some more relaxed synth tracks and a couple of quirky oddities thrown in for good measure. Give it a download and let me know what you think. Many thanks go to the original uploaders who continue to graciously share these musical gems with a wider audience.

 

 

RETRO-SPECTIVE - A TRIBUTE TO RETRO-TEQUE

 

 

Download here

Track 1 - Supercharger / P.Milray
Track 2 - Airport People / James Clarke
Track 3 - 64K Ram / Claude Larson
Track 4 - The Rub / Alan Tew
Track 5 - Eyes / Alan Tew
Track 6 - Downtown / Shury, McDonald, Rae
Track 7 - That's Fancy 1 / Sammy Burdson
Track 8 - Warp Matrix / Trevor Duncan
Track 9 - Dirty Rat / Miki Anthony & Tom Parker
Track 10 - Day Shift / Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw
Track 11 - Strike Rich / Reg Tilsley
Track 12 - Tiger / Lee Mason
Track 13 - Headlines / Brian Bennett
Track 14 - Moon Ski / Keith Mansfield
Track 15 - Glass Tubes / Brian Bennett
Track 16 - Turbo / Trevor Bastow
Track 17 - Milky Way / John Scott
Track 18 - Dank / Les Hurdle & Frank Ricotti
Track 19 - You Were Right, I Was Wrong / Trevor Duncan
Track 20 - Top Score / Keith Mansfield
Track 21 - The Lady Likes / Mike Moran
Track 22 - Computer Programmer / Sam Sklair & Gus Galbraith
Track 23 - Bass Drive / Shury, McDonald, Rae
Track 24 - Feeling Tense / Stefano Torossi
Track 25 - Daredevil / Francis Monkman

Here is a selection of tracks culled from the many compilations posted at Retro-Teque over the past few years. It serves as a reminder of all the wonderful music that retronic shared with us and his impeccable taste. The composers speak for themselves, it's an all killer no filler set that will satisfy even the most discerning of listeners. If you only experienced a small taste of retro's work or missed out altogether then this is an essential download. Enjoy!

PLONE - FOR BEGINNER PIANO

Download here

Track 1 - On My Bus
Track 2 - Top & Low Rent
Track 3 - Plock
Track 4 - Marbles
Track 5 - Busy Working
Track 6 - The Greek Alphabet
Track 7 - Press A Key
Track 8 - Bibi Plone
Track 9 - Be Rude To Your School
Track 10 - Summer Plays Out

This is a bit of a departure from what you'd normally hear at Funky Frolic. Plone's 1999 release "For Beginner Radio" contains 10 tracks of atmospheric and playful electronic music that at various times reminded me of Air, Jega, Bruce Haack, Portishead, Ego Plum and Tortoise. The middle section of the album particularly impressed me with "Marbles", "Busy Working", "The Greek Alphabet" and "Press A Key" all possessing a creepy vibe which would be well suited as the soundtrack to a haunted fairground. A couple of the songs outstayed their welcome including the plodding last track but anyone who enjoys the aforementioned artists should find something of interest here.

EDDIE WARNER - PROGRESSIVE PERCUSSIONS VOL.1+2

Download Volume 1 here
Download Volume 2 here

VOLUME 1

Track 1 - Big Bell Boy
Track 2 - Cold Shower
Track 3 - Getting High
Track 4 - So What?
Track 5 - Funny Kid
Track 6 - Brutus Drums
Track 7 - Woodpecker Waltz
Track 8 - K.O
Track 9 - Shut Up
Track 10 - Xylo Spleen
Track 11 - Impatience
Track 12 - Latin Pop
Track 13 - Beach Beat
Track 14 - Why?
Track 15 - Drug
Track 16 - Telex

VOLUME 2

Track 1 - Devil's Anvil
Track 2 - Very Bell
Track 3 - Stop Stottering
Track 4 - Keep Running
Track 5 - Xylophagus
Track 6 - Vibra Trick
Track 7 - Piano Obsession
Track 8 - Syncopated Motion
Track 9 - Easy Bass
Track 10 - Scrape It
Track 11 - Strike The Keys
Track 12 - Beat It
Track 13 - Eccentric Trick

After my little holiday I've been suffering from the flu and haven't had the time or inclination to update Funky Frolic. However my digital crate digging has unearthed 2 incredible gems which I simply must share!

Library music fans should be fairly familiar with the work of Eddie, his tracks have appeared on compilations such as "Luke Vibert's Nuggets", "La Guepe Vol.2", "Music For Dancefloors: Cream Of The Chappell Music Library Sessions" along with "Le Jazzbeat Vol.2" which borrows heavily from these two collections. The albums, which were released through the L'Illustration Musicale label are overflowing with Warner's typically heavy drum sound mixed with vibes, wah wah and a range of electronic instruments. The results are uniformly brilliant, in fact I would be hard pressed to think of a single track that I don't love! Whether your tastes lean towards jazz, funk, rock, psychedelica or beyond there is so much pleasure to be had.

I could go into my thoughts on individual tracks but that would simply hold you up from downloading these albums immediately. "Progressive Percussions Vol. 1 and 2" easily slot into the top 10 best library music records I've ever heard, so do yourself a favour and check them out today!

Please note - it looks like the last track on Volume 2 "Spiel The Glock" is missing from this rip so if anyone out there has it then let me know. Cheers.

THE WEIRD WORLD OF - KLAUS WEISS

Download here

Track 1 - Survivor
Track 2 - Jumping Balls
Track 3 - Different Strokes
Track 4 - Early Start
Track 5 - Swinging Skins
Track 6 - Rhythm Function
Track 7 - Timed
Track 8 - Funky Breaks
Track 9 - Greenwich Street
Track 10 - Space Waltz
Track 11 - Productive Facilities
Track 12 - Don't Play That Game
Track 13 - Present News
Track 14 - A Few Cuts
Track 15 - On Disco Street
Track 16 - Morning 1/Morning 2
Track 17 - Drumcrazy
Track 18 - Rudiments
Track 19 - Density
Track 20 - Watch Out

Klaus Weiss began his career as a jazz drummer in the 1960's and he translated those skills through to his library music work which spanned the 70's and 80's, producing records of note on labels such as Coloursound, Golden Ring, Selected Sounds, Conroy and Sonoton. His trademark sound revolved around the use of electronic instruments combined with frenetic and often hard hitting drum beats. These funky nuggets which often clocked in under 2 minutes have captured the imagination of DJ's and music fans in recent years and for good reason, they are damn groovy!

This compilation is mainly made up of tracks from his library albums "Time Signals", "Sound Inventions" and "Sound Music Album No.18" with a few others coming from compilations such as "Puppet Jazz". If you enjoy the comp and would like to check out the full records you can find them over at the excellent Dusty Gems and also at Library Music Rarities. I hope you get as much of a kick out of this as I did putting it together!

SURVIVE ALL SHELTERS - RADIO SPOTS

Download here

Track 1 - Maximum Protection (General)

Track 2 - Comparison

Track 3 - Value

Track 4 - Equipment

Track 5 - DYS

Track 6 - Maximum Protection (Steel & Concrete)

Track 7 - DYS (Short)

Track 8 - Maximum Protection (Steel & Concrete) Short 

Track 9 - Maximum Protection (Short)

For those who were unwilling to "duck and cover" these radio spots provided all the information you'd want to know about Survive-All nuclear bomb shelters. Aside from the obvious kitsch value of these recordings there are some very nice Raymond Scott style electronic sound effects. It's good fun to listen to and an interesting historical document to boot. You can find a shelter-load of details about this recording here.

LIBRARY MUSIC MIXES - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Here's a selection of library music related mixes you can find online. Whether your taste is for French, Italian or British labels you'll find something of interest here. Some of the featured artists include Alan Tew, Nino Nardini, John Cameron, Brian Bennett, Piero Umiliani, Syd Dale, Geoff Bastow, Alan Hawkshaw, Pierre Dutour, Alain Goraguer, Tod Dockstader, Mandingo, Blue Phantom and many more. Most of the mixes are streamed but a couple can be also be downloaded. 

Nastroteca Cosmica Mix - L'Alchemista

Quarter Life Party - Syd Dale Mix

Library Music Mix - Gafieira

Marc Mac In The Library - Marc Mac

Neut - Library Volume 1

FFFreakout - Panabrite/Library Music Feature

Bibliotheque - Insomniak

Bun E.Tapes Presents - The Bruton Music Library

Mr Raymond - Music For Libraries

KFowler - Ideas In Action

Corpus Octo - Corpus Octo Mix

September 70 - Explorations Of A Mysterious Continent

Interplanetary Dub - Le Disco Telemusic Remixed

Pinball Music - Autumn 2011 Releases

Timewriter - Astro Infinity

Unheard78 - Nightmare Induction Ceremony

TFM & Purge+Audit - An Introduction To Library Music

Dunwich Radio - Unknown Altitude



KPM 1321 - THE VIDEO CONNECTION

Download here

Track 1 - Positive Feedback

Track 2 - Electromatics A

Track 3 - Electromatics B

Track 4 - Energy Fields A

Track 5 - Energy Fields B

Track 6 - Kinetics A

Track 7 - Kinetics B

Track 8 - High Profile

Track 9 - Datastream

Track 10 - Inner Visions A

Track 11 - Inner Visions B

Track 12 - Inner Visions C

Track 13 - Inner Visions D

Track 14 - Public Eye A

Track 15 - Public Eye B

I've wanted to hear this record for a quite a while and was not disappointed. It's a mixture of music that's suitable for corporate videos and the kind of thing you might have heard at a disco for robots. Keith Mansfield composed all but the last two tracks and he manages to navigate between electro pop and ambient with an ease that comes through vast musical experience. I think you could present a pretty strong argument that this is the quintessential sound of mid 1980's library music. Thanks to the uploader.

BRUTON BRI 23 - FORCEFIELD

 

Download here

Track 1 - Tokyo Traffic

Track 2 - Sliproad

Track 3 - Seven Leagues

Track 4 - Violet Hour

Track 5 - Etude

Track 6 - Organic Tech

Track 7 - Timelock

Track 8 - Power Game

Track 9 - Endgame

Track 10 - Spiral Motion

Track 11 - Excelsior

Track 12 - Marathon Man

Track 13 - Under Observation

Track 14 - Headstart

I've been looking for a copy of this record for a while and stumbled across it today in a secluded corner of the internet. Francis Monkman is at the helm of this 1984 Bruton and what you get is a load of synthy goodness, some of the tracks have a distinct retro computer game vibe while others are more pared back and ambient. It's a typical Monkman affair with unusual elements and tempo changes at play. "Forcefield" might come off second best when compared to other classic BRI's such as "Tempus Fugit" and "Fantasia" but there is still plenty of joy to be found within its short 34 minute playtime. 

 

KING OF WOOLWORTHS - L'ILLUSTRATION MUSICALE

Download here

Track 1 - G-Plan

Track 2 - Montparnasse

Track 3 - Sell Me Back My Soul

Track 4 - Hub 100

Track 5 - Evelsong

Track 6 - 123 (Brillo's Beat)

Track 7 - Delia Derbyshire

Track 8 - Nuada

Track 9 - A12

Track 10 - This Is Radio Theydon 

Any album that references classic library music labels such as Montparnasse and L'Illustration Musicale along with naming a track after Delia Derbyshire is alright with me. The music is a little hard to describe, I could certainly draw parallels between the first two tracks and the work of David Holmes and Air. "Hub 100" drifts more into the realm of ambient hip hop while "123 (Brillo's Beat)" and "Delia Derbyshire" obviously draw their influences from library music. I also really like the piano based "A12" which sounds a touch like the beginning of the wonderful "La Mer" by Nine Inch Nails. The two vocal tracks on the album didn't appeal to me but overall I found it an engaging and enjoyable listen.

Jon Brooks is the man behind King Of Woolworths and he's also released music under the names of D.D. Denham and The Advisory Circle. I'd strongly recommend you check out these recordings because they seem like they'd also appeal to fans of production music.

TOD DOCKSTADER - ELECTRONIC VOL.1

Download here

Track 1 - Jigjag
Track 2 - Floating Up
Track 3 - Glider
Track 4 - Howl Stomp
Track 5 - Steam Megawatt
Track 6 - Snap Sail
Track 7 - I.C Arabian
Track 8 - Pile Readout
Track 9 - Pond Dance
Track 10 - Holiday Meltdown
Track 11 - Seance
Track 12 - Old Dark Clock
Track 13 - Soprano Aloft
Track 14 - Powerdown
Track 15 - Signal Powerdown
Track 16 - Snap Prance
Track 17 - Night Wolves
Track 18 - Bottle Dervish
Track 19 - Frog March By
Track 20 - Sun Surges
Track 21 - Blackhole Dropout
Track 22 - Sundrift
Track 23 - Soft Aurora

Despite my love affair with library music this is actually my first experience listening to a Boosey & Hawkes record. It is also one of the rare examples of American library music that can be found at Funky Frolic. Although it containing 23 tracks this album has a shorter play time than yesterday's epic "Materials: Dynamic Meditations Vol.2" by Claude Larson. Most of the tracks clock in at under 2 minutes but that doesn't mean they aren't wholly satisfying. Whether you are a fan of beeps and blips, dreamy synthesizer melodies, musique concrete or ahead of its time techno there is a huge amount of enjoyment to be had.

"Howl Stomp" is just outrageously good and predates similar sounding music by 14 odd years, "Snap Sail" reminds me of some of the electronic work produced by the great Piero Umiliani and "Seance" actually comes off sounding more like a musical representation of solar wind ( you get more of the same with "Sun Surges"). Lay a heavy beat over "Old Dark Clock" and you'll have a Portishead track, "Pond Dance" is sublime and evokes the title perfectly...I could keep going because there's probably 20 tracks that all deserve a special mention. There really is something for everybody here and even if you only have a passing interest in electronic library music this is a must have release. 10 out of 10 Frolics!!

CLAUDE LARSON - MATERIALS: DYNAMIC MEDITATIONS VOL.2

http://www.mediafire.com/?0nidckfbmd3

Track 1 - Metal

Track 2 - Wood

Track 3 - Glass

Yes that's right, only 3 tracks on this Selected Sound offering from Claude Larson. There's plenty of early 80's ambient synth moods at work and it certainly speaks of a different time and place in musical history. There were enough interesting elements at play to keep me entertained for most of the journey with "Wood" being my pick of the three. Thanks to the original uploader. For more Claude have a look here or here.

RAYMOND SCOTT - MANHATTAN RESEARCH INC.

Disk 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/?jymtymzmwdm
Disk 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/?eynujwyrw2y

DISK 1

Track 1 - Manhattan Research, Inc. Copyright
Track 2 - Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. (Instrumental, Take 4)
Track 3 - Bendix 1: "The Tomorrow People"
Track 4 - Lightworks
Track 5 - The Bass-Line Generator
Track 6 - "Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night!"
Track 7 - "B.C. 1675" (The "Gillette" Conga Drum Jingle)
Track 8 - Vim
Track 9 - Auto-Lite: Sta-Ful (Instrumental)
Track 10 - Sprite "Melonball Bounce" (Instrumental)
Track 11 - Sprite "Melonball Bounce"
Track 12 - "Wheels That Go"
Track 13 - "Limbo: The Organized Mind"
Track 14 - "Portofino" 1
Track 15 - County Fair
Track 16 - Lady Gaylord
Track 17 - Good Air (Take 7)
Track 18 - IBM MT/ST: "The Paperwork Explosion"
Track 19 - Domino
Track 20 - Super Cheer
Track 21 - Cheer: Revision 3 (New Backgrounds)
Track 22 - "Twilight In Turkey"
Track 23 - Vicks: Medicated Cough Drops
Track 24 - Vicks: Formula 44
Track 25 - Auto-Lite Spark Plugs
Track 26 - Nescafe
Track 27 - Awake
Track 28 - "Backwards Overload"
Track 29 - Bufferin: "Memories" (Original)
Track 30 - Bandito The Bongo Artist
Track 31 - Night And Day
Track 32 - Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. ("395")
Track 33 - K2r
Track 34 - IBM Probe
Track 35 - GMGM 1a
Track 36 - The Rhythm Modulator

DISK 2

Track 1 - Ohio Plus
Track 2 - "In The Hall Of The Mountain Queen"
Track 3 - General Motors: Futurama
Track 4 - "Portofino" 2
Track 5 - "The Wild Piece" (a.k.a. "String Piece")
Track 6 - "Take Me To Your Violin Teacher"
Track 7 - "Ripples" (Original Soundtrack)
Track 8 - Cyclic Bit
Track 9 - "Ripples" (Montage)
Track 10 - The Wing Thing
Track 11 - County Fair (Instrumental)
Track 12 - "Cindy Electronium"
Track 13 - "Don't Beat Your Wife Every Night!" (Instrumental)
Track 14 - Hostess: Twinkies
Track 15 - Hostess: Twinkies (Instrumental)
Track 16 - Ohio Bell: Thermo Fax
Track 17 - "The Pygmy Taxi Corporation"
Track 18 - Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. (Announce Copy, Take 1)
Track 19 - Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.
Track 20 - Lightworks (Slow)
Track 21 - "The Paperwork Explosion" (Instrumental)
Track 22 - Auto-Lite: Ford Family
Track 23 - Auto-Lite: Ford Family (Instrumental)
Track 24 - Auto-Lite: "Wheels"
Track 25 - Bufferin: "Memories" (Demo)
Track 26 - "Space Mystery" (Montage)
Track 27 - "The Toy Trumpet"
Track 28 - "Backward Beeps"
Track 29 - Auto-Lite: Sta-Ful
Track 30 - Lightworks (Instrumental)
Track 31 - "When Will It End?"
Track 32 - Bendix 2: "The Tomorrow People"
Track 33 - Electronic Audio Logos, Inc.

I've been meaning to post this collection ever since I started Funky Frolic but I knew it was going to be a very time consuming effort. I was able to find a couple of links online which at least saved me from uploaded the CD's. So, without further ado I present "Manhattan Research Inc." by Raymond Scott.

During his early career Scott was a pianist and band leader for CBS and in the 1940's he sold his music publishing to Warner Brothers. From there Carl Stalling adapted many of his compositions for use in Looney Tunes cartoons ( the best known examples being "Powerhouse" and "The Toy Trumpet" which can both be found on "Reckless Nights And Turkish Twilights". A few years later he founded Manhattan Research as explained on Wikipedia...

"In 1946, Scott established Manhattan Research, a division of Raymond Scott Enterprises, Incorporated, which he announced would "design and manufacture electronic music devices and systems." As well as designing audio devices for his own personal use, Manhattan Research Inc. provided customers with sales & service for a variety of devices "for the creation of electronic music and musique concrete" including components such as ring modulators, wave, tone and envelope shapers, modulators and filters. Of unique interest were instruments like the "Keyboard theremin," "Chromatic electronic drum generators," and "Circle generators"

Scott often described Manhattan Research Inc. as "More than a think factory - a dream center where the excitement of tomorrow is made available today."^[ Bob Moog, developer of the Moog Synthesizer, met Scott in the 1950s, designed circuits for him in the 1960s, and acknowledged him as an important influence. Relying on several instruments of his own invention, such as the Clavivox and Electronium, Scott recorded futuristic electronic compositions for use in television and radio commercials as well as records of entirely electronic music. A series of three albums designed to lull infants to sleep, Scott's groundbreaking work Soothing Sounds for Baby was released in 1964 in collaboration with the Gesell Institute of Child Development.

The music, which today sounds uncannily similar to the ambient work of Tangerine Dream or Brian Eno from the mid 1970s, did not find much favor with the record-buying public of the day. Still, Manhattan Research, Inc. had considerable success in providing striking, ear-catching sonic textures for broadcast commercials."

"Manhattan Research Inc." contains many examples of the advertisement music mentioned above in all their groundbreaking glory, along with a range of other stunning electronic pieces such as "Space Mystery Montage", "Ripples", "The Rhythm Modulator". "Bandito The Bongo Artist", "Night And Day", "Backwards Overload" and the very quiet but profound "Cyclic Bit". There are even a few tracks that feature a young Jim Henson, "Bufferin: Memories (Original)", "Limbo: The Organized Mind" and "IBM MT/ST: The Paperwork Explosion".

Not only is the music unbelievable but the 2 CD set is encased inside a 143 page booklet which contains interviews with those who knew and worked Raymond, information on the various instruments he created, in depth details of each track included on the collection and a range of other fascinating insights. You will find some of the photos from the booklet below along with a couple of Youtube videos to give you a taste of his genius.

You really can't have a conversation about the history of electronic music or it's application in advertising without mentioning the name Raymond Scott. Thanks to "Manhattan Research Inc." these treasures will continue to find new ears and his legacy will live on. Suffice to say it is one of the most important collections of it's type ever released and really is a must for all good music libraries. I hope it gives you as much joy as it has for me over the years.

ANTHONY HOBSON - MEET THE FUTURE

Download here

Track 1 - Into Tomorrow

Track 2 - Into Tomorrow Alt. End

Track 3 - Meet The Future

Track 4 - Meet The Future Alt. End

Track 5 - Small Wonder

Track 6 - Good Shot

Track 7 - By Cable

Track 8 - Digital Mixer

Track 9 - Sound Plus

Track 10 - Down To Business

Track 11 - Down To Business Alt. End 1

Track 12 - Down To Business Alt. End 2

Track 13 - On Target

Track 14 - On Target Opening

Track 15 - Rewind

The synopsis for this De Wolfe album is "Modern, large group sounds featuring brass and guitars for sport and action" and that's what you get, lots of tracks that would have been ideal for news programming or sport show themes during the mid 1980's. It's pretty lightweight stuff but good fun none the less. It's hard to pick any track that stands out from the rest but I quite like "Sound Plus" which is listed as "Bright Brass Theme Over Insistent Brass Rhythm With Raunchy Guitar". Credit goes to Judge Dredd for the original upload.

HONG KONG IN THE 60'S - PLACES

http://hongkonginthe60s.bandcamp.com/album/places

Track 1 - Exploring The Landscape
Track 2 - Tracker Vale
Track 3 - At Harrington's
Track 4 - The Flower Of Quince House
Track 5 - Garma
Track 6 - Now Boarding / The Arrival
Track 7 - A Bad Night Out
Track 8 - Desintergration, The Advisory Circle Reshape

A nice little EP from this group out of the U.K with many of the tracks having an electronic library music vibe. I quite like it, especially "Garma" which has an Air circa "Virgin Suicides" feel to it. Give it a go and see what you think.

AWAKE - FASCE IN COLORE

http://www.mediafire.com/?mmoxzy5inav

Track 1 - Luci Di Suono
Track 2 - Impasti
Track 3 - Colori
Track 4 - Successioni
Track 5 - Suoni
Track 6 - Sezioni
Track 7 - Tempus Fugit
Track 8 - Ripresa Dall'Elicottero

This is possibly the most deceptive cover art in all of musical history because far from being bright and colourful the music presented here is much more suited to a horror soundtrack. The 8 tracks steadily creep along with various extended tones and maybe a tap of a cymbal or a few piano notes here and there. It's a masterpiece of minimalist, claustrophobic, nightmarish electronics that appeals to me much in the same way that "Insight Modulation" by Zanagoria does. Truly a rare and unusually delight.

JOEL VANDROOGENBROECK - VIDEO GAMES AND DATA MOVEMENTS

http://www.mediafire.com/?xmg81lacnu782fm

Track 1 - Video Funk

Track 2 - Pin-Balls

Track 3 - Martian Invaders

Track 4 - Mouse Runner

Track 5 - Flipper

Track 6 - Vampire Chaser

Track 7 - Flip Box

Track 8 - Spiel Salon

Track 9 - Video Games

Track 10 - Robot Voices

Track 11 - Computer Room

Track 12 - Japanese Technology

Track 13 - Data Movements

Track 14 - Software Jungle

Track 15 - Future World

Track 16 - Informatic Terminal
Track 17 - Ad-Da

I know this record can be found at a few different places but I couldn't resist posting it at Funky Frolic. These 17 tracks replicate the sounds you would find on retro computer games and pinball machines back in the early 1980's. It's a collection which will appeal to anyone who enjoys retro gaming or was around when Space Invaders, Moon Patrol, Frogger and Pitfall were at the cutting edge of home entertainment. There's not a lot of song structure to be had, mostly you get a lot of beeps and blips with the exception of "Video Funk", "Video Games", "Future World" and a couple of others. "Japanese Technology" is an excellent piece of minimalist electronic music and "Informatic Terminal" has a nice ambient feel. In fact the whole second half of the album is really, really good in my opinion.

Aside from the kitsch factor associated with the cover and theme there are plenty of reasons why you should download this and give it a go. Enjoy!

PADDY KINGSLAND - FOURTH DIMENSION

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?tzgziqdrj1m

Track 1 - Scene & Heard

Track 2 - Just Love

Track 3 - Vespucci

Track 4 - Reg

Track 5 - Tamariu

Track 6 - One-Eight-One

Track 7 - Fourth Dimension

Track 8 - Colour Radio

Track 9 - Take Another Look

Track 10 - Kaleidoscope

Track 11 - The Space Between

Track 12 - Flashback

So did anything funky come out of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop? Well, this 1973 compilation of Paddy Kingsland tracks probably fits the bill. It's not funky in the truest sense but it has a pop / easy sensibility that puts it in contrast with music produced by the likes of Derbyshire and Vorhaus. Mostly this is a collection of moogy, synthy pieces that are relaxed and lighthearted, the best moments come when the electronic instruments are paired with guitar and drums such as on "Take Another Look", "One-Eight-One" and the great Italian themed "Vespucci". It's a pleasant album to listen to even if it doesn't break much new ground. See what you think.