This week’s free downloadable BBC Introducing Mixtape features handpicked tunes from the BBC Introducing Uploader by THE ACTIONS, BETHANY WEIMERS, DAVEIT FERRIS, BRITAIN, RUINZ ASON, SEE ZED, ABLU, JOE LA POP, RED DANSETTE, TRACEY BROWNE+RAEVENNAN HUSBANDES, GOLD SPECTACLES, ADAM WEDD, INDIAN SUMMER , SAINT JAMES, BIRD+THE MONKEY, 94 GUNSHIPS and SOLANA.

The BBC Introducing Mixtape is a 60 minute radio show broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music from 2-3am every Sunday night/Monday morning. Each programme is then downloadable in podcast form at the BBC 6 Music downloads page for the next 30 days. Full tracklists and start times for each track are published here at Fresh On The Net and we’ll be adding information about the music provided by the artists themselves in the next two days. Previous tracklists can be found via the MIXTAPE tab above or on the BBC website.

All tracks are sourced from the BBC Introducing Uploader. Some are recommended by BBC friends and colleagues while the rest are tunes I’ve discovered here via our Fresh On The Net inbox. For more about how the process works see this post – and if your music is in thie week’s mixtape please see the important warning at the bottom of this page. These are the listings for the episode broadcast overnight on Sunday 21st Nov (technically 2am on Monday, 22nd Dec 2014…)

THE ACTIONS – The Echo [starts 00:17]
http://www.theactions.co.uk
After playing hundreds of gigs in Europe and opening for the likes of R.E.M, Green Day and Garbage, The Actions began winning band competitions and making inroads in the UK. Their first album Real has been released worldwide and their single The Real Thing was included in the movie My Super Psycho Sweet 16. Vocalist Silty was invited by TRICKY to perform with him on stage at Melkweg in Amsterdam last year after recording vocals on one of his unfinished tracks. The Echo is The Actions’ brand new single released on December the 8th via Niteo Records after being voted a Fresh Fave by readers at Fresh On The Net and then supported by important radios like BBC 6 Music, BBC London and Amazing Radio. The official video for The Echo has been premiered exclusively on Nothing But Hope And Passion and it’s grabbing attention on the internet for its dystopian critical approach on Western Society.

BETHANY WEIMERS – Winter Heart [starts 04:29]
http://www.bethanyweimers.com
Bethany Weimers is an Oxford based singer, performer, composer and producer, whose stunning debut album Harpsichord Row saw her compared favourably to Bat For Lashes, PJ Harvey and Kate Bush amongst others. Bethany has a masters degree from Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has performed at Towersey Folk Festival, St George’s Hall Liverpool and shared bills with Eliza Carthy and Aoife O’Donovan. Her new single, a hymnal eulogy to the frozen beauty of winter, is entitled Winter Heart and is available now via bethanyweimers.bandcamp.com

DAVEIT FERRIS – This Is Your Captain Speaking [starts 08:05]
http://daveitferris.com/
“I am a 29-year-old musician from Derry/Londonderry” says Daveit Ferris. “Like most musicians my age, I have been a part of more than a handful of bands, most notably Mascara Story – a band that won Kerrang! Magazines unsigned band of the year accolade in 2005 and went on to play Download festival twice, had a top 10 single and went on multiple tours before ultimately disbanding. Since then I have released 6 solo albums and published 8 volumes of poetry. My current project is 365 Sparks -which will see me release an original track every day of 2015. The catalyst for the project came in the form of a very near death situation toward the end of 2013. It left me with an overwhelming feeling that life is so short and the window to be creative is so small – it inspired me to stop planning and just do. It was on my hospital bed that I conceived this entire project from the basic premise, scheduling, recording process, logo, artwork, website design etc… a good use of mattress time! My goal for 2015 is to find musicians to help me take my music into a live setting and mirror the focus I’ve just put into the recording side of music, into playing live.”

BRITAIN – Constant [starts 11:27]
https://www.facebook.com/britainmusic
“We are a new duo from Preston” say Britain “consisting of Joey Cobb (guitar, programming) and Katie Drew (vocals, synth). Since August we’ve been playing gigs around the country. Upcoming Shows: 13th Dec The Ferret, Preston; 18th Dec The Lock Tavern, Camden, London; 11th Feb The Macbeth, Hoxton, London; 13th Feb The Ferret, Preston; 21st Feb The Castle, Manchester.”

RUINZ ASON – Alien Encounter [starts 15:13]
http://www.ruinzason.com
London based artist/producer Ruinz Ason describes his musical style as “A vibration through the medium of sound waves, or whatever that means” Ason was born into a musical family where Reggae was the primary music of choice. He spent a lot of his early years watching live performances from Bob Marley to Prince, eventually discovering Hip-hop & R&B. He cites early exposure to an array of musical genres as what defines him as an artist who chooses to deliberately blur musical lines. Since his 90’s Hip-Hop inspired debut A Hero And Villain Vol.1 in 2008, Ason and his brother/ Producer J-flames have jointly released a foray of experimental music, the most recent being The Dubtrap Experience. He is known for his electric live shows juxtaposed with his conceptional song writing. 2014 has seen Ruinz Ason release 3 singles and play a host of shows and festivals including London’s Notting Hill Carnival and Hackney Streetfest.

SEE ZED – Buttons And Bones [starts 18:09]
https://www.facebook.com/5eezed
See Zed is an eclectic singer-songwriter based in Wimborne, Dorset who began his musical life as an acoustic guitarist. He has played in bands ranging from punk and new wave to synth to folk but is happier as a solo artist where he is free to roam both musically and lyrically. See Zed manages to create a strong and image-filled narrative which shape his songs and tell his stories. He likes to incorporate elements from different genres and his songs can be acoustic and minimal or dripping in electronica. After a break from writing and performing he is currently working on an acoustically based EP which iwill be released in the New Year, followed by an album later in the year. Buttons and Bones meanwhile was released as a single on the 16th of November and is available currently on MP3.

ABLU – Hollows [starts 22:17]
http://www.ablumusic.com
Ablu couldn’t be newer to the scene. Hailing from wildest Cornwall, Ablu – a.k.a. electronic musician Joel Scott-Halkes – graduated from Oxford University’s Fine Art course in July and has been obsessively crafting luscious folktronica ever since. After months of experimentation in a handmade studio in Oxford, Ablu digitally self-released two debut singles Hollows and Tungsten Light on 14th Dec. Ablu’s alchemical mix of explosive electronica and soaring heartfelt folk is set to make waves in 2015 when he announces his debut tour in January. Combining freak folk vocals, blazing melodic guitar playing and laptop-age rhythms Ablu first and foremost sees himself as a singer/songwriter. Growing up in the remote countryside of Cornwall, Ablu spent his early years compulsively recording folk music in his bedroom before suddenly encountering electronic music at university. “I had a religious experience in a Four Tet all-nighter once, and ever since I’ve had a calling to make beats”.

JOE LA POP – Give It Up [starts 25:23]
http://joelapop.com/
“Intergalactic Music Producer and Sandwich Enthusiast” Joe La Pop is the alter ego of 24 year old producer and musician Joel Harrison. Originally from Blackpool and now based in York, he finds himself “travelling through time and space – cherrypicking all the most hypnotic sounds The Universe has to offer”. Give It Up – as with his previous tracks that we’ve enjoyed here at Fresh On The Net – seems to prove that he’s still loving every minute of the journey.

RED DANSETTE – Candice [starts 28:35]
https://soundcloud.com/red-dansette
Red Dansette are led by the songwriting partnership of Toby Watson (Solo Artist) and Jim Sanders (The Saturday Boy), long term friends and band mates from previous groups. Red Dansette is their outlet for the more upbeat, big guitar based recordings, with a renewed focus on the form of the classic pop song. Previous Red Dansette tracks have received radio play from XFM amongst others. The latest studio sessions have led to a refined 80s guitar pop feel, sighting influences from The Smiths, The Cure and Style Council with a touch of dreamy shoegaze.

TRACEY BROWNE & RAEVENNAN HUSBANDES
As Good As News [starts 31:34]
http://teamtracey.co.uk
Tracey Browne & Raevennan Husbandes are both solo singer-songwriters who met during a week-long residential music workshop at Manchester’s famous Band on the Wall. They began co-writing in 2013 and produced the album together at Airtight Studios in Manchester, where Tracey trained as a recording engineer. This track also features a guest vocal performance from Little Sparrow, aka Katie Ware. Expect a mix of acoustic instruments, harmony vocals, dobro, cello and a Gibson 335 to appear in their recordings, with most of the guitar-based instruments played by Raevennan, who is classically trained. This track is taken from their debut album East by North West, which is being released via Bandcamp on Dec 21st 2014.

GOLD SPECTACLES – Lately [starts 34:40]
https://www.facebook.com/goldspectacles
Lately is the latest installment from the anonymous London duo Gold Spectacles. The song recently peaked at number 3 on the Hype Machine. Drawing on an eclectic range of musical influences from Paul Simon to Phoenix, Gold Spectacles write sample-based alternative pop music.

ADAM WEDD – Us [starts 38:23]
http://adamwedd.com
Adam Wedd has just finished up a UK Tour. Whilst in Birmingham Adam did a live session for the Iain Lee show on BBC West Midlands. Now Adam is back in the studio recording the next EP.

INDIAN SUMMER – By No One, For Nothing [starts 41:37]
https://www.facebook.com/bandindiansummer
Midlands quartet Indian Summer channel small-town discontent into endearing Indie Rock. 2014 has been a productive year for the band: an EP and 2 singles have been released and the summer brought with it a period of prolific gigging. The vitriolic cut By No One, For Nothing is a stab at laissez-faire capitalism, and has so far proved more popular in Spain, France and Mexico than in England. 2015 will see the band release at least one more single, and pick up where they left off following a long break between gigs

SAINT JAMES – Easy [starts 45:46]
http://www.iamsaintjames.com
“I am a Producer/Vocalist/Writer from North London/Herts” says Saint James. “I write and record all the music I make myself from home which seems to be the norm nowadays I try to get out to as many Open Mic nights around London as I possibly can with an upcoming tour around Europe in January/February. I run the whole situation myself, don’t have a big “crew” of scary looking people, which is strange to hear inside the hip hop world and just love making beats, sampling and writing what I want to get across on top.”

THE BIRD & THE MONKEY – Do You Wanna
(BPlusMEquals Remix) [starts 48:40]
http://www.thebirdandthemonkey.com
Living in the Scottish Borders, outside the influence of any city-based scenes, has allowed Sarahjane Swan and Roger Simian – a.k.a. The Bird And The Monkey – to grow their own homemade brand of eclectic and distinctive songwriting. Since their collaboration began, around 2009, Swan and Simian have created a polymathic blend of music, video, art and writing. Sonically their aesthetic has always teetered between the lush, well produced sound of the popular music melody-junky, and the extremist, agitating, low fidelity experimentalism of the outer fringes. The pair’s songs have featured in BBC2 teen drama, The Cut and had extensive radio play. Short films, music videos and video-art installations by The Bird And The Monkey have screened in London at Portobello Film Festival and Exploding Cinema’s Disposable Film Night, and in Scotland at The Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival in Hawick and Edinburgh Big Screen (BBC Music Video Festival). The album AMPLITUDE-one will be available as a free download over the festive season via Bandcamp, Soundcloud and AmazingTunes.

94 GUNSHIPS – Dig A Hole [starts 52:10]
https://www.facebook.com/94Gunships
94 Gunships were formed in 2012, creating simple catchy songs to sing and stomp along too. With influences ranging from Tom Waits, Quentin Tarantino soundtracks and the field recordings compiled by Alan Lomax. 94 Gunships are set to release their debut EP Dead Bees on Nottingham’s Wire & Wool records early in 2015, followed by a small tour and festival appearances in the summer.

SOLANA – Zenf [starts 54:54]
http://solanamusica.com/
Solana are an instrumental gypsy-folk band. Hailing from all corners of Europe, their style reflects the diversity of their backgrounds and interests: their sound encompasses folk, swing, klezmer, flamenco, latin, reggae and trip-hop. Their live shows combine intricate arrangements with energetic performances and healthy doses of improvisation, and have been getting crowds dancing across the UK, France and Spain since their formation in late 2012. They’re currently on tour in Spain, where they originally formed as a band. In Spring they’ll be touring Spain and Portugal before catching the boat back to the UK for the summer months. Festivals and exciting gigs with The Travelling Fayre musical caravan are guaranteed!

ARTISTS: Important Warning…
If you get a flattering email from a PR company offering you their paid services after appearing on The BBC Introducing Mixtape please forward it to Fresh On The Net via our contact page. Treat such offers with extreme caution…and be sure to check out The Pros And Cons Of Pluggers.