Twas the last day of Choonsmas, and it’s been a blast
From Gut Level to Trouser, it’s been lit to the last
Cheers Left, Right and Centre and the Soy that’s Hardcore
Disk Frisk and Murmers and oh shit there’s more
We got hot and heavy with d. Clement and Sweat
And you all loved the tunes from Rob & Rosa I bet
Hold tight fig & Goutham and the Fosterham Drips
MLE & the LDN mad dogs, you’re all safe as chips
And now it’s our turn; the Semi Peppered Band
‘But who IS Semi Peppered?’ asks the child, raising his hand
‘I’m glad you ask’ says a man built like Stretch Armstrong
He’s clanging a mix of two very odd songs
It’s EJ of course, and wow what a fella
A dear friend to many, but especially stella
Behind him emerges a stench of cigs & pot belly
Bestowed on a bloke who wants to go home and watch telly
L Ben Grettys his name, and of him we’re fond
Known less for his tunes than his ability to abscond
Arriving late in his magic toboggan
With gorgeous blue eyes in a gargantuan noggin
Is the good guy Donnagan, whos tunes are pure fire
And bankrolls the band cos his salaries higher
But whilst we all bicker, one man tears up the rave
With the build of a man who was born in a cave
It’s the funkadelic Marko, a solid young lad
He’s got wicked tunes, and about this we’re glad
So thanks to you all for a year of great tunes
Knowing you lot has been quite a boon
Seeing all of your smiles is a wonderful sight
So Happy Choonsmas to all, and to all a good night x
Twas the last day of Choonsmas, and it’s been a blast
From Gut Level to Trouser, it’s been lit to the last
Cheers Left, Right and Centre and the Soy that’s Hardcore
Disk Frisk and Murmers and oh shit there’s more
We got hot and heavy with d. Clement and Sweat
And you all loved the tunes from Rob & Rosa I bet
Hold tight fig & Goutham and the Fosterham Drips
MLE & the LDN mad dogs, you’re all safe as chips
And now it’s our turn; the Semi Peppered Band
‘But who IS Semi Peppered?’ asks the child, raising his hand
‘I’m glad you ask’ says a man built like Stretch Armstrong
He’s clanging a mix of two very odd songs
It’s EJ of course, and wow what a fella
A dear friend to many, but especially stella
Behind him emerges a stench of cigs & pot belly
Bestowed on a bloke who wants to go home and watch telly
L Ben Grettys his name, and of him we’re fond
Known less for his tunes than his ability to abscond
Arriving late in his magic toboggan
With gorgeous blue eyes in a gargantuan noggin
Is the good guy Donnagan, whos tunes are pure fire
And bankrolls the band cos his salaries higher
But whilst we all bicker, one man tears up the rave
With the build of a man who was born in a cave
It’s the funkadelic Marko, a solid young lad
He’s got wicked tunes, and about this we’re glad
So thanks to you all for a year of great tunes
Knowing you lot has been quite a boon
Seeing all of your smiles is a wonderful sight
So Happy Choonsmas to all, and to all a good night x
Thank you to everyone that has been a part of Choonsmas this year, it's been a lovely way to end a turbulent year <3
L Ben: Have loved Beverley for a little while now but have had this tune on a lot during the grey days. Love the simplicity - life’s tough but it’s ok. We move.
Grettz: Honestly, not sure why I’ve listened to this so much but I have. It’s a deep, euphoric hand-raiser, complete with piano stabs, pads galore and ‘WHO CAN MAKE ME FEEEL GOOOOOOD’ vocals.
Donny Gan: Stumbled on this with Niall in a wayward bag of records post-Gut, and we’ve been arguing over it ever since. Whole album is bonkers but the first track especially sticks out as we put it on with zero expectations and then went nuts for the bassline. Shout out to Sheffield Pete, your school timetable is in safe hands.
Guiseppe Pappa: Lee Mavers just smashes it out of the park with this one, one of the best live vocal performances I’ve ever seen. It led me onto a load of their other live recordings/bits that I hadn’t heard and have subsequently been on repeat all year. Even makes singing a guitar solo sound good.
Cube-oid: One of many really sick tracks on Maybe Tonight’s youtube channel. This one’s a downtempo 80’s synth-pop belter laden with sultry french vocals and sleazy guitar bits sure to make you go ‘mmmmm’. I think this is how ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ could sound in an alternate reality. Big ups Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Mark Brick: Crazy tune from your favourite Birmingham outfit. Boom-Baps all round here - Trip hoppy dubby wubby cataclysmic bangers on mash. This tune has it all. Expect throbbing basslines, hip-hop beats laced with warped percussion feat. gospel vocals and MC Tweed singing about freedom.
EJ: Have been returning to this album throughout the year repeatedly since it dropped, but specifically this choon. Some sort of abstracted dreamy dark wave RnB/pop that gives a sense of familiarity and introspection. When I listen to it I think of a dance between 2 sides of myself, one part being where I am now and one where I might soon be, with the dance representative of that transitional experience that odes respect to either side. And I’ve found that a v comforting, temporary escape during the sudden fast-pace and occasional turbulence of the last year.
EJ: So many emotions connected to this tune now, with The Good King Boogz providing possibly one of the best re-introductions to the club life at The White Hotel’s 54&½hr re-opening shubs in July. Dropping this at about 9am with the shutters up, the club full of loved ones and the sun busting on to the dancefloor was pure magic. It’s the anthem of a perfect weekend that reminds me of all the joys we experienced together across them 3 days as a community, including the moment myself & Robbie locked eyes and Love Rain was born. <3
Gretboi: Has to be our do with MLE and 7hill at Gut Level. Had been so, so long since I’ve been at the club with so many people who showed up. Despite the last 2 or 3 hours being basically nonexistent in my memories, from what I remember the tunes, crowd and vibe were all Chris Litty.
Dumbo: The only thing that jumps out is Dune at Imax. Was riding that high for about ~3 days. Very good.
Kyoob: Experiencing the ‘No One is an Island’ stage at Horst for the first time - such a killer festival and my mind was blown at that stage on multiple occasions. Free brunch in the mornings was also a big bonus and possibly worthy of being a highlight on its own.
Woodle: Obviously already spoken about Studio 54&½ Hrs, and also starting Love Rain with Robbie which was a beautiful first night, but probably the moment we first got the band back together again after almost 1&½ yrs apart. What better spot to do so other than the DBA, with Peppers painted on our faces in the spirit of pride weekend and a classic night out together after at High Hoops.
Uncle L Ben: more clubbing. I’ve had an odd relationship with music this year and haven’t been going out as much as I’d have liked to for various reasons.
Brother EJ: To giving Bertie more fun days out. What me, Rosa & Rob cook up. What the year holds for Love Rain. & Just generally having it off some more w gang
Pigheart: The next evolution of my office-cum-megabed. It will be stronger and better in 2022, and I will never leave.
Kyoob: The new Batman movie
We feel this best represents Christmas this year for us, had a lot of good times lead by this king this year.
Apologies! I’ve not bought a new release since the Music from Memory Almost Grown record, which was still a reissue haha! These ones are some of my fave digs from the year - a mixture of cheap and hard to find stuff, records that I have wanted for a while but managed to cop this year. Lots of digging and hermiting time, hope you like them/find them interesting! Merry xmas 💖💖 xx
Robbie: "Some highlights from a rollercoaster year, remembering the soundtrack of initial lockdown turmoil to reminiscing about the last tunes heard in the club." David: "As someone whose main hobby is clubbing and nightlife, this year I haven't stopped listening to dance music. Here's some new tunes I really look forward to listening to on a big soundsystem."
The Trouserlings + Papi Ruari bring you another collection of varied morsels to warm the cockles. Here is to another year of following the Semi Peppered boys blindly into the sun.
Ed: My selections reflect exactly what I’ve been listening to over the last year or two - lots of slow music to soundtrack many days spent at home. I’ve thrown one freaky dance tune in there for good measure, to keep the aliens over at Semi Peppered happy. Ben: Mad dog by name mad dog by nature, woof woof MLE: I am so strong haha
A varying degree of musical tastes seem to exist within the Left, Right & Centre camp between ourselves so there may be a bit of disparity between each of our selections. However I think we can both agree that it’s been a topsy turvy year, but there has been lots of highs for us as a label and party, as well as individually. Huge shout out to all the crews doing the do and pushing things along in Manchester and further afield, and of course a big thank you to the Semi Peppered dons for getting us involved.
We’re long time friends and musical collaborators born and raised in Sheffield and now living West of the Pennines in Manchester. We spent some years in Sheffield running ‘Don’t Look Now’, a series of ludicrous parties, expressing our shared love of club culture and the musical heritage of the Steel City. Having temporarily taken a step back from promotion we now also host a monthly radio show called Roadside Picnic in which we can explore our more otherworldly thoughts and dreams.
Compiling this list for the SP crew made me realise how many amazing releases came out this year, a cause for celebration in a year of woe. This list scrapes the tip of the iceberg in terms of what I’ve enjoyed, but I have somehow narrowed it down to 8 LPs of 2020 that I have been rinsing and repeating.
ETN: "We've spent most of the year agonisingly far apart from each other so our choices and highlights feel very unconnected. Doing our Noods shows as socially-distanced fb-chat b2bs has been an interesting diversion, but we're longing for the affectionate chaos of the studio sessions. We all miss each other and hopefully next year will be full of the shared experiences and connection that are the best things about being a Shrubbery!" Chukwudi: "Having blown my last ETN royalty cheque investing in phonecards, I've asked the band to get together for one last reunion gig so that I can keep the lights on this Christmas. Unfortunately all the clubs are closed so I've had to make do with an (apparently unpaid) spot on the semi peppered xmas countdown instead."
Some of the stuff we have been digging this year and personal finds!
Here are some of my top listens this year - ones that I've been playing and replaying. Most have been released in 2020, with a sprinkle of oldies too. I inevitably remembered loads that should be in here after making this, but I hope in sifting through this list there will be some enjoyable/meaningful listens in store for Semi Peppered friends and followers 🐇
SP: Huge shouts to everyone who was there for us and supported us in music and beyond last year, we look forwards to sharing good times together again soon!
What ho!? The sun has shone, the birds have tweep tweeped and the second edition of our Peppered Digs is launched for public enjoyment. Celebrate the springtime harbingers with some bangers in bloom :)
Taïga: There’s going to be no jungle / 160 I’m afraid, if anyone wants to hear our fave selections from that genre they can just listen to any of our sets! Mia: 2021 has been a great year for music, much like last year, the year before that, and all the other years. I don’t really think it’s possible for there to be an entire year where the whole planet collectively just puts out shit music, even if artists like Burial are giving it their best shot.
In no particular order these are our top releases from 2020. Coincidentally featuring plenty of previous Cue guests (we’re not biased, honest) alongside some other favourites.
Our top 8 tracks of 2020 (we’ve listened to tonnes of old ones from the 80s through out the digging process but we’ve tried to keep this strictly 2020 - with some of our fave oldies thrown in) but also less club focussed as clubbing seems so redundant right now (although we have thrown a few heaters in for you). A mixed bag for a funny old time!
SP: It's actually entirely to do with the pubs reopening. Enjoy with caution
I really had to stop myself from putting Babyfather’s ‘Meditation’ as my sole entry to this list because I’ve been playing that every day for the last three years. I thought it would be best to solely focus on tracks that have been released this year so here’s a list of my faves. Most of them have been included in mixes and radio shows and danced to in my parents’ living room.
Tried to keep it as weird as possible. And shed some light on some smaller acts from Bristol to Chicargooooooo.
Apologies! I’ve not bought a new release since the Music from Memory Almost Grown record, which was still a reissue haha! These ones are some of my fave digs from the year - a mixture of cheap and hard to find stuff, records that I have wanted for a while but managed to cop this year. Lots of digging and hermiting time, hope you like them/find them interesting! Merry xmas 💖💖 xx
Here's some choons, new and old that kept us going in this weird as hell year. Hope you enjoy.
We hope you enjoy sifting through our proper mixed bag of tunes that have soundtracked an incredibly west period in history. We feel these releases have been on the ride with us and deserve acknowledgement. What better way than a big old peppered round up eh?
We’re Emma and Jonah, old friends and lifelong music obsessives. We both share a love for tunes that make us nostalgic for a neon lit past that didn’t happen. If it clears the floor, we want more.
I mostly mix techno / breaks / house / fusion music. So I’ve tried to include six tunes that showcase these genres as much as possible! One thing I’ve learned from mixing is that there is endless music to explore and to never make your mind up on whether or not you like an entire genre! Fusing elements of one genre into another is a real game changer for me :)
d. clemente: Same as last year, I am here with a whole selection of dance music (sorry I actually don’t listen to anything else lol) that made me go like “wow, yeehaw, yes, alright alright, mmmmm”. DJ SWEAT: *siren plays* D-D-D-D-DJ SWEAT on tha haus! *toilet sound* merry all! *jingle jingle*
Robbie: "Some highlights from a rollercoaster year, remembering the soundtrack of initial lockdown turmoil to reminiscing about the last tunes heard in the club." David: "As someone whose main hobby is clubbing and nightlife, this year I haven't stopped listening to dance music. Here's some new tunes I really look forward to listening to on a big soundsystem."
Here’s a lil selection of a few of my fave tracks that have gone into Ambient Babestation Meltdown mixes this year, and a few tracks that I plan to feature in upcoming mixes. Finding new music was never a problem working at Rye Wax, but as we’ve been shut since March I’ve been having to dig A LOT DEEPER and I think it’s helped make my mixes a lot weirder haha. Please enjoy my selection and dream of the day we can all float about the club in silly outfits and silly states once again.
This has been a weird af year but here are some highlights from us which we hope you enjoy. Special shout out to Goutham for having the self control to not list Cockroach - Pearl (Bright Edit) [COMPOSE] {1996} multiple times.
MLE: Hi, you may remember me from radio stations such as Balamii, Noods, Worldwide FM and the occasional guest appearances on NTS. Find my 2020 highlights alongside my fav bunch of dawgs…May 2021 be infinitely less painful. Solway Canine Collective: Ruff noises straight from the kennel. Another year of gutter tunes from the junkyard dawgs.
Tracy: The selections picked by us are tunes that we’ve rinsed a lot this year and played quite often on our radio shows. I think they represent our sound as individual DJs but also as a collective.
2020 has been tough, and we’ve been fortunate enough to get through it with the help of those close to us. Now we hope you can join us in looking to 2021 as another year to be inspired by one another, and to keep on keeping on together.
Not much new music in here (we’re crap at keeping up to date), but lots of goodies that we’ve played and enjoyed both inside and outside the space this year
