Sometime during the 12 Days of Choonsmas, Vindya hit us up to introduce herself as a fellow Manchester based music lover & new selector on the scene. We quickly got ourselves acquainted with her Vin-Tage sessions via Fuse FM on her Mixcloud and hit her up to come through with the inaugural guest edition of our monthly Peppered Digs series.
Since then we’ve learnt that Vindya is just starting out on her journey into music production, although has hit the ground running with the superb ‘Auspicious Time’; out on the 28 track long compilation of artists of South Asian heritage curated by the Daytimers collective. With Vindya also completing her masters in composition at the University of Manchester, we’re excited to hear what comes next. We already know we’ve got to keep our little Pepper peepers peeled for a piece she’s written for ‘an amazing Belgian Violinist’!
So without further ado, here is Vindya with the first Guest edition of Peppered Digs...
Sometime during the 12 Days of Choonsmas, Vindya hit us up to introduce herself as a fellow Manchester based music lover & new selector on the scene. We quickly got ourselves acquainted with her Vin-Tage sessions via Fuse FM on her Mixcloud and hit her up to come through with the inaugural guest edition of our monthly Peppered Digs series.
Since then we’ve learnt that Vindya is just starting out on her journey into music production, although has hit the ground running with the superb ‘Auspicious Time’; out on the 28 track long compilation of artists of South Asian heritage curated by the Daytimers collective. With Vindya also completing her masters in composition at the University of Manchester, we’re excited to hear what comes next. We already know we’ve got to keep our little Pepper peepers peeled for a piece she’s written for ‘an amazing Belgian Violinist’!
So without further ado, here is Vindya with the first Guest edition of Peppered Digs...
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 :)
I’m in love with the new compilation release from LAP (LAP II). Mell G’s tune made me miss the club that little bit more, wanna get a good stomp on to this tune :( I like this genre that, in my words, is a meld of jungle breaks + old skool drum machines + techno! 150s bpm has the energy from breaks but that relentless, heavy-duty techno feel.
Deceptive title! This track is definitely not the (iconic) disco tune by Chic… Hard hitting bass with distorted vocal samples is a scarily good combo. The piercing snare sample is never ceasing and carries this tune to another dimension. Try speeding this tune up on ya decks, it does absolute bits mid-mix.
Beautiful, ethereal South Asian female vocals sampled by the legend Nitin Sawhney. Fused with a stop-start jungle beat, transforms the original sample into a catchy dance track. Probably one of my favourite musicians to come from the Asian Underground scene. He also composed the soundtrack for the remake of The Jungle Book (Mowgli)!
The Tanpura (drone) from South Asia can be heard throughout this track while Western and South Asian drum patterns collide. The concept of this tune is simple and extremely effective. Later in the track, the electronic synths join the Tanpura in accompanying the virtuosic beats laid down by the tabla and drum kit.
Anyone fancy going to space? This tune will take u there! I love, love, love tunes that bring the beat in unexpectedly and in a different place to where you thought the beat should land! Robot army vibes on this track, solid 10/10 for making me think I can pull off the robot dance.
I really like the cluster chords in this tune. It has a really serene feel to it while also maintaining hard-hitting breaks. I think that the note-bending sample that runs through the track has an Asian feel to it which tied in really nicely with the fusion tunes I was mixing into sets! I really love the other tunes and artwork on this EP!
Being asked for my first guest mix (from Bad Girls Club/Tunnel Vision Events)! And then shortly after, being asked for another. As I’m new to the scene, I really enjoyed getting these messages! Such a compliment :)
Again, being new to the scene, I was only able to play in my university SU between lockdowns, so I’m super excited to play my first gig in a club when they finally reopen! Also just the smaller things like being able to invite people round / going to peoples’ houses for a mix.
Frog-sized peppers! Could just shove em in the oven and tada! 1-0 to me & a tasty party platter for me and my friends. But feels kinda sad too, burning them alive and all :(
We absolutely do not condone the slaughter of 500 of our Pepper pals, but it's been a pleasure to hear from Vindya and you should make sure to check her out on Mixcloud, Instagram & Facebook for future fusion-blending musical excursions!
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
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 🐇
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.
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*
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."
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 🐇
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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
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
SP: It's actually entirely to do with the pubs reopening. Enjoy with caution
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.
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.
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
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.
Some of the stuff we have been digging this year and personal finds!
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!
Tried to keep it as weird as possible. And shed some light on some smaller acts from Bristol to Chicargooooooo.
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.
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.
Here's some choons, new and old that kept us going in this weird as hell year. Hope you enjoy.
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."
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?
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.
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.
