Everyone has their musical mentors, but I think it’s less often that you find your musical partner. Gavin Mueller, erstwhile Stylus writer probably deserves that designation for me. I regard him as the go-to guy for uncovering and highlighting new genres that I’d never find out about otherwise and for listening to the genres that I should be paying attention to and keeping me updated. Quite simply, we’re both a second pair of ears for the other one, keeping each other informed of the big new thing.

Unfortunately, Gavin’s in a different city now. But that hasn’t stopped him from graciously sending me CD-Rs of his radio show on WHPK in Chicago. Here are three tracks that I might never have heard if not for those CDs.

DJ Hell– Listen to the Hiss

Despite what Hell asks you, this one is all about that mournful bass. A four-note figure, it gives the whole song an even weirder vibe than the ultra-creepy Alan Vega vocals. There’s a hint of sadness, that the fight that Vega talks about might never be won. But the beat makes us soldier on. Or something like that. From the two remixes that I’ve heard, both Tiefschwarz and Villalobos kind of miss the point of the whole thing—Tiefschwarz making it a bit too bouncy, rather than the rolling inevitability of Hell’s version and Villalobos making it too abstract for any possible enjoyment to be wrung out of it. Crank this one loud.

[visit the website here, buy NY Muscle here]

Kelis– Caught Out There (Screwed)

I’m not one to post the same track more than once, but I feel like this one deserves it because the screwed version of Kelis’ “Caught Out There” legitimately makes it a new track, one sung by a man replete with the saddest video game music ever. The most exciting thing about the prominence that screwed and chopped movement for me has always been when a track is completely and utterly transformed from its original. This is why Kelis is an obvious trick, having an already deeper voice than many female artists and the Neptunes at her back. Of course I’d apologize for the quality of the mp3. But you’re getting it for free.

[visit the website here, buy Tasty here]

Unknown Artist– Unknown Title

Trainspotters, please…

This one, I think, benefits from the lack of context that I got from Gavin who prefers no tracklistings or info when handing stuff of to me. That’s what I prefer, making the initial listen that much more exciting. In any case, it’s a drum ‘n’ bass/hip-hop that usually pushes the former out to the margins during the verses, only to highlight during and after choruses. While it’s probably just some IDM classic that I just haven’t heard yet, it’s new and exciting to me right now and that’s the whole point of these here blogs, innit?