Moods 32: Miguel Cisne
2021 begins with a mix from one of our community curators, @miguelcisne, current leader of Southeast Michigan DJ collective @memco and staff at the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. We navigate rap over rock, blues, rhythm and jazz.
(1) Where, geographically, did you grow up? Was it a single place, or many places?
I grew up in a suburb of Ypsilanti, next to Belleville. Though I always schooled and socialized in Ann Arbor, I remember lots of extra curricular activities and humans in Ann Arbor but in Ypsi, I remember being on the internet more often than not. It'd be fair to say I grew up in all three places equally but I often say Ann Arbor, or sometimes the internet.
(2) Can you pick one song in the mix and explain where you first listened to it?
There are a few notable songs in this mix but one that is perhaps the most influential is "bookoo bread co - scallops hotel". This was my introductory track to Rory Ferreira/ scallops hotel/ milo/ black orpheus/ the zen scientist, now R.A.P. Ferreira. In my early days I spent hours listening to music on YouTube going down recommended wormholes. I stumbled into a channel called "Kinda Neat" whilst looking into the rapper Dumbfounded after a radio interview of his. Kinda Neat records a video of a musician performing a track of their choosing after a podcast interview hosted by Intuition. The name of the scallops hotel track was pretty intriguing, so I let it play. I was immediately hooked and began digging into this scallops character. I'm sure my discovering happed around the time of milo's "So The Flies Don't Come" release in September of 2015, so I immediately hopped in the front seat of following his career in rap. I've been an avid fan since then with plenty of hours spent listening to his way with words over those especially juicy Kenny Segal beats. (I stay napping under the echo tree) Beyond being a great musician, I found plenty of familiarity in Rory with his subject matter and art form. He's had a lot of influence on me in my youth and still to this day as a human, artist, and independent musician. all glory to the ruby yacht. peace to the soul folks. [link to Kinda Neat: bookoo bread co - scallops hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TrM0SN2UII ]
(3) Who "introduced" you to these songs? Was it a person, a radio station, a CD?
The first half of this mix is made up of tracks that my father would bump in the car or around the house. I owe a lot of my listening history to him first, then my mother. Music was always around growing up and my pops never failed to be enthusiastic about it. He used to DJ events in Ann Arbor between the '95-05' range I think. He got me hooked on so more of the artists and genres you hear in the mix up until that Tears for Fears banger. I remember booming around town in our green Ford Windstar to Rage (Bring that shit in!!!) and The Chemical Brothers (Hey boy......hey girl..). Once I got a hold of a mobile device I still spent plenty of time listening to music on YouTube. My 'collection' at the time was populated with plenty of the sounds from home or school choir along with anything I found on the web. I re-listen often, more than I look for new music.
(4) Where and when did you first hear techno? Who did it sound like it was for?
I first heard and understood 'techno' in 2016 when a Volvox Boiler Room Dj set played after an Esta set (dope boiler room as well). I'd heard the word techno before but wasn't quite sure what it or it's affect was until this set. I watched and listened over and over, completely captured. 2 years later I saw her at El Club in Detroit at a Movement after party with Discwoman. 10p - 5a with a full Discwoman line up, my first rave. I feel in love with the atmosphere that techno brings to venues along with the people. What was it about these booms, thumps, bleeps and bloops that sounded so good?!?! Who were all these characters in frame or around me and why are they here? Why do they like it? Techno seemed (and still is) to be a near arbitrary momentary zeitgeist that people gave themselves to. Listeners and movers convene in one location under the direction of a soundsmith for what purpose? "It's absurd! But damn this pattern of sound is too good to care *boomboomboomboomboomboomboom*". Techno seemed to be for anyone. For dancers, musicians, listeners, extroverts, introverts, working folk, and most notably weirdos like me. Though crowds can be over stimulating for me, being in a dark room with a bunch of strangers who like to move their being to the sound was comforting. This was true for me in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Ypsilanti, San Francisco, Stuttgart, and Berlin. Techno invited me, and I came with open ears.
(5) You've got the microphone. What do you want to say to the music community?
First off a congratulations and thank you to the community. Shows and festivals are always reminders of how close friendship and unity is. I never feel out of place at a show, everyone is simply a greeting away from being a great friend. I appreciate this and I'm sure countless other veterans and noobies do. (BIG shout out to the MEMCO/MEDMA family) So yea, keep up the good work. Especially with the creeping of capitalism, cameras, and phonies in the scene. Techno has always been raw and real, I hope it stays strong in that regard. Until then, here is to the reopening! I hope to rave with you sometime friend :)
Tracklist:
1: 00:00:00 - Stressed out - A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes and Life
2: 00:03:31 - Phony Rappers - A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes and Life
3: 00:06:34 - Oh My God - A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
4: 00:08:29 - Motivators - A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes and Life
5: 00:10:22 - Luck Of Lucien - A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels 6: and the Paths of Rhythm
7: 00:13:06 - I Ain't No Joke - Eric B and Rakim - Paid in Full
8: 00:16:45 - A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" - De La Soul - Timeless: The 9: Single's Collection
10: 00:16:08 - Get By - Talib Kweli - Quality
11: 00:21:35 - Runnin' - The Pharcyde - Labcabincalifornia
12: 00:23:19 - Electrify - Beastie Boys- Hello Nasty
13: 00:24:32 - Professor Booty - Beastie Boys - Check your Head
14: 00:27:17 - Intergalactic - Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
15: 00:29:03 - Take the Power Back - Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
16: 00:30:51 - Who You Wanna Dis - Beenie Man
17: 00:33:17 - Jam on it - Newcleus
18: 00:36:17 - Freak-A-Zoid - Midnight Star
19: 00:37:41 - Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa, The Soul Sonic Force
20: 00:39:00 - When I Hear Music - Debbie Deb
21: 00:40:27 - Clear - Cybotron
22: 00:42:10 - Hey Boy Hey Girl - The Chemical Brothers
23: 00:44:00 - Galvanize - The Chemical Brothers
24: 00:46:07 - Get Yourself High - The Chemical Brothers
25: 00:48:45 - Head Over Heels/Broken - Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
26: 00:50:57 - Transmission - Joy Division
27: 00:53:58 - The Creator Has a Master Plan - Leon Thomas - The Creator
28: 00:57:06 - the esteemed saboteur reggie baylor hosts an evening at the scallops hotel - milo - budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies
29: 00:57:56 - take advantage of the naysayer - milo - who told you to think??!!?!?!?!
30: 00:59:41 - LEAVING HELL - R.A.P. Ferreira - purple moonlight pages
31: 01:02:03 - bookoo bread co - scallops hotel - Plain Speaking
32: 01:03:36 - galahad in the goosedown (fiat iustitia et pereat mundus) (prod. scallops hotel & steel tipped dove) - milo - budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies
33: 01:05:43 - private temple hours ft YOUNGMAN - scallops hotel - sovereign nose of (y)our arrogant face
34: 01:07:56 - Folk Metaphysics - milo - Things That Happen at Day/Things That Happen at Night
35: 01:09:42 - napping under the Echo Tree - milo - so the flies don't come
36: 01:11:17 - ticktocker - scallops hotel - Plain Speaking
37: 01:12:08 - tense present - scallops hotel
38: 01:12:32 - you’re ok - scallops hotel
39: 01:13:13 - niopo tree stipend - too much of life is mood - scallops hotel
41: 01:15:19 - Mata del Anima Sola (comp. Antonio Estevez) - Cantus - Let Your Voice Be Heard
42: 01:17:02 - Flower of Beauty (comp. Joe Miller ) - DU Chamber Choir - A Jubilant Song (Part 1.)
43: 01:19:06 - Ooh.1 - Gilad Granot
44: 01:19:42 - Shing Kee (1986) - Carl Stone - Electronic Music from the Seventies and Eighties
45: 01:28:38 - Kyema - Eliane Radigue - Trilogie De La Mort