Long Time - No Chill

Honestly, I wasn't sure if there would be an episode 8. Early in 2007, I went to NYC to work in a recording studio. One of the baggage handlers between here and there must have used my pelican case as a crash test dummy, needless to say, stuff was damaged. Sadly my G-Tech 500GB FW800 drive with all of my music that I had ripped from my CD's and vinyl was gone. I had some backed up, but it's a little hard to back up 500 GB's of data to anything other than another drive, so a lot was lost. I've been working on the time consuming process of re-ripping all of my music once again, and I think I've got enough for the next podcast. It's been a long, hot, busy summer, but now it's time to chill once again.

Episode 8 is sort of an international edition, I've tried to include artists from all over, and I'll continue this theme into episode 9. I've also got some of the usual suspects thrown in for good measure, but I hope to expand some horizons!

This edition also features some photos that I've taken around the islands. Be sure to turn on the video window in the lower-left corner of iTunes to see them.

Thanks to everyone who has written to me. Keep that email coming!

P.S. Any interest in another Dub - Reggae podcast? I've been doing some mad collecting these past few months and I can officially say that my new hard drive is bursting at the seams with some great dub...

Download Episode 8 from iTunes

Get Ready!

Greetings from the sunny shores of St. Croix. After a bad case of food poisoning and a trip to the states, I'm back and ready to chill. I'm putting the finishing touches on the next podcast and working on 2 more "theme" editions as well. Don't forget to send in your ambient/downtempo/chill-out/etc tracks for an upcoming podcast!
Keep your ears open!
Dave-G

Submit your tracks!

Greetings from the sunny Virgin Islands! I received an email today from a listener in Germany who wanted to submit his track for an upcoming episode of the podcast, and to him and everyone else I say, bring them on!

I've actually been meaning to post here to request that anyone who wants to be heard should submit your tracks for the podcast. So if your style is downtempo, ambient, chill, space-music, or just about anything else that would fit in, drop me a line at "gilliss @ gmail . com" (you know the drill, take out the spaces!) and I'll take a listen. I know that there is some great music out there floating around and I know how hard it is to get it played. As previously mentioned, I used to run a record label back in the 90's and was fortunate enough to travel the the USA and Europe promoting music that I believed in. Now, I'd like to do the same thing from the comfort of my little island in the Caribbean.

Also, I've got some more "theme" podcasts coming up (like the dub episode) soon. So get your tracks in early for consideration.

thanks for listening!

Dave-G

Chilled for your pleasure...

Episode 7 is packed with some of my all time favorite chill-out tunes. The elusive and ultra-rare Transmitter from the Flurescence EP by Spacetime Continuum (aka Jonah Sharp) opens our podcast this week. This record was actually a birthday gift from DJ Who, who used to play the track at the beginning of his sets. He knew that I was a huge fan of the San Francisco label "Reflective Records" and with the addition of the REF001 my collection was complete. So BIG thanks to Chip, who is out there some where in the world. Next up is Double Muffled Dolphin from their release "My Left Side is Out of Sync" on April Records out of Denmark. Next, Bang! Bang! brings in some beats and funky basslines to get you moving, The Dining Rooms also drop some beats and keep the pace moving as well as producing some epic sounding synth textures.

Sounds from the Ground is one of the groups that I wish would continue making music so I'm giving them 2 tracks on this weeks podcast to get people interested in them again and hopefully see how good they really were. Migs and Rasoul give the podcast a nice soulful sound, then Blue States comes in with a very Air-ish sounding track that just grows on you over time.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of Seelenluft's Synchronschwimmer EP , Silvercity Bob Meets Alcapulco 11, it's a great track that will have you wondering if it's live or is it MPC? It reminds me of the first time I watched an acid jazz group play live which is also when I realized that a turntable (in the right hands!) could actually be used as an instrument, and not just something for spinning records. I was all set to hate it but... it blew me away instead.

We finish up the podcast with A Positive Life's the Calling, which is one of those tracks that has worked it's way into just about every downtempo/chill/Ibiza compilation out there, so why not one more!

Enjoy!

Dave-G

Download Episode 7 from iTunes now!

...and We're Back

After a few weeks of rest and relaxation, I've put together another set of downtempo goodies for you. Actually, I wasn't resting, I lost the iTunes database ( I do a rough-draft of the podcast in itunes first) and just couldn't get motivated to do sets 6-10 all over again. I guess when your music collection spans several firewire 800 drives, you should expect things like that.

Regardless, I've got a fine set of tunes for you to enjoy this week, one of my all time faves, Bola is featured on 2 tracks, plus Dubstar, Higher Intelligence Agency, Michael Brook live playing the infinite guitar (like the one he gave to "the edge" and is featured on Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2), Pulusha (which is really Mark Pritchard of Jedi Knights and Global Communication & Kirsty Hawkshaw doing the haunting vocals), as well as super producer William Orbit, Iceland's own Gus Gus, and a rare track by Cubism from the E:mt compilation (or as it was known at the time, the highly respected EMIT releases). Plus, I've thrown in one of my favorite Peter Gabriel songs of all time, I'm just hoping that his lawyers are fans of the podcast!

Keep your ears open and keep reaching for the sand...

Dave-G

Download Episode 6 from iTunes now!

Roots of Chill - Dub Special

This week I thought I'd mix it up a bit and explore the roots of the so-called, "chill-out" genre. To me, chill-out is anything that makes a relaxing experience better by enhancing it but not dominating it, or without becoming boring! A few folks out there may have had the pleasure of watching a perfect sunset (or sunrise for that matter!) while listening to a tune that made the experience a time to remember. For me Dub is the perfect blend of organic and electronic, it's music that's fit for the knobtwiddlers and the musicians in all of us. Combining the best of real musicians and studio magic, Jamaica turned out some incredible sounds in the early 70's and it just kept getting better from there. This podcast isn't meant to be a history of Dub, far from it, but you can't think of chilling out without having a little dub on the sound system.

Episode 5 - Roots of Chill "Dub" Special features Prince Jammy, Dean Fraser, Gussie Clark & King Tubby, Scientist, Linton Kwesi Johnson, UB40, Patchworks, Revolutionary Dub Warriors the Mad Professor, Jah Wobble and Bill Laswell, Dubblestandart, Tosca, Steel Pulse, Augustus Pablo, Black Uhuru and Gregory Isaacs.

Download Episode 5 from iTunes now!

Detour from Paradise - Episode 4

I'm still reeling from the overwhelming response I've gotten from the first 3 episodes of the podcast, but there's no time to rest. I've put some of my favorite tunes into episode 4 and I hope you enjoy them too. Keep an open mind on this one and I think you'll enjoy it.

Featured artists this week include Reagenz (David Moufang and Jonah Sharp), Coldcut, The Irresistible Force (aka Mixmaster Morris), Jamiroquai, Everything but the Girl, Omni Trio, Bomb the Bass (as remixed by those funky Austrian's Kruder and Dorfmeister), Kid Loco and a special unreleased track by Ulrich Schnauss.

This episode was actually compiled in Richmond, Virginia, we're I'm stuck for the next few days. I had to sit by the pool for a few hours to get into the right frame of mind to work on the podcast without my normal tropical inspiration. It's hard to get inspired when you're sitting in a hotel room. However, I did get to experience the podcast as many of you would, with no palms swaying in the breeze, or the sound of the sea gently lapping at the shore. The constant hum of the air conditioners is hardly a substitute, but at least I know how you all feel. If I listened really close, I could almost picture the blue-green waters off Sandy Point and smell the sea air...

Download Episode 4 from iTunes

Also, feel free to check out my music on MySpace.

Enjoy!