Every week Signal Committee present an Eclectic Picks playlist. All tracks are selected from the full inbox of 200 tracks that are submitted each week to Fresh On The Net.

WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR?

Our playlists are orientated to the alternative music fan. Lyrics are not essential, abstract ideas are embraced and the fusing of different genres is encouraged. If you used to write band names on your pencil case at school, you’ll probably like our playlists.

INTRODUCING WILL FARR

Another addition to our ensemble of regular curators. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you, Will Farr….

A FEW WORDS FROM WILL FARR

Welcome all, I hope this correspondence finds you well.

This week has been quite the adventure. It began in Berlin where I was given a fine new synth, which, legend has it, should have been given to Marcel Dettmann. That’s pretty neat, right? Then, another special gift delivered by a budget airline – a cancelled flight.

My 29hr coach journey from Berlin to Bristol gave me ample opportunity to go through the entire inbox, whilst holding the withered and seldom used 3.5mm jack of my Sennheisers into the 3.5mm clown’s pocket audio output of my decrepit telephone. I made my list, and I checked it twice (against my high bar). None of these songs have noises that I don’t like, or artistic choices that I can’t hear beyond.

Here are the songs that touched me this week, all heard through a juxtapositional filter of confinement, autobahn and the low countries:

Ron D Bowes – Lost My Mojo

Slovenly vocals, lyrics that resonate with me in particular, and percussion recorded in a different time signature (and probably timezone).. Listen to those drums!! I’ve heard this many times and I am still not bored. Big smile each time, and I had to open the list with it. How often do you hear “derring-do” these days? Well, I’ve been hearing anf singing it all week in this song. Now (Tuesday 19th, sitting on the roof of my van fixing a leak) I’ve just realised the lyric is “get up and go”. Stay tuned for more great insights into my imagined world of music. 

Joe Marsalis – Century

This is my kind of composition. A building track that I could tell I was going to love in the first 30 seconds, and it’s really nicely balanced throughout. This would be excellent to see performed live.

Electric Tape Recorder – Tension

If 808 State “Pacific State” made puppies with Velvet Underground “Venus in Furs” that all survived infancy, grew, and morphed into one fully-formed, self-aware music dog with a great hip score. 

Hannya White – Silver Cowboy by Hannya White

Yes yes yes, a lumpy statue of what electronic music could and should be. It gets more rewarding with each listen, which highlights the care and genuine feeling put into its creation. It’s really easy to mess up this kind of beat structure and suck the energy out of a track, so I’m super impressed when it is done right. It’s just the right amount of everything and I love it.

slowdeath – Change

I’m not well qualified in this area, but I have certainly engaged with this kind of music at times in my life. It dragged something up from my past that made me smile, and I found it an agreeable experience. I’m impressed with the production values, and this is as good as anything I’ve heard released on big labels.

Retro Kid – You’re so good

The first track in the inbox to reassure me I’d be able to fill a playlist. As soon as I heard it, it was 100% in. Just listen to it. It deserves someone far more qualified than me to talk about it. A big thing that draws me into loving any artform is unpredictability, but it can’t just be random. Each bit of the track is a pleasant surprise, and this deserves to be played and shared all around. Thank you for letting me hear this.

gitika partington – Time Stands Still

Ok. I didn’t expect to be in this position, so I have to say something. I listened to this twice straight away, and then gave my partner the headphones so that she could listen. It is incredibly good, we both agreed. I picked it, but didn’t expect to be able to add it to the Eclectic Picks because I assumed it would be gobbled up by Fresh Faves. So… what happened? I must be at the most distant point of my elliptical orbit of popular opinion. This song was easily the best written, best performed and best produced record in this week’s inbox, by quite a margin. It’s not even a genre I’m especially interested in, but it oozes quality, subtlety, sensitivity and genuine feeling. Those are priceless qualities, and seldom found these days. Please, tell me why I am wrong below – and if I clearly need recalibration.

FARRIN – GO FOR IT

No relation. This track reminded me of sunshine dancing in Panorama Bar, which is always welcome. It’s a strange one for me, because it feels like it was made with sample packs and I really don’t like tracks from packs. However the kick drum is 10/10 and it sounds like two tracks mixed together. If it came on whilst I was dancing, I wouldn’t stop dancing because it might have been made from sample packs. This is how I reconciled the situation. If the whole track is made from scratch, I apologise for my error and please add this to my recalibration schedule.

Jimmy Andrex – 7 DEADLY BINS

Yep, assumed this would be on Fresh Faves too. Lyrics and a minimal energy to put most artists to shame. As I mentioned, I don’t like being able to predict what will happen next, and this extends to songs with obvious rhymes. Imagine how distressing this affliction is for someone who works with music! Anyway, listen to 7 Deadly Bins, try to predict the next line, and imagine my smile.

Kid Scaramouche – Red Coat

The cheeky intro had to go next to Jimmy Andrex. There is  an abundance of interplay going on in this record- so many noises that I might have missed if I didn’t have the right headphones for the job. I think it is the earnest energy that pulled me in with some Parquet Courts meets Bodega stylings.

DAAY – Follower

If you’re looking for a sound that defines this decade, then you need help. This was an immediate yes. It reminds me of every good 80s movie I’ve seen, and a load of the good bad ones too. Plus, I keep thinking about Talking Heads when I listen to it. That’s all I have to say on the matter.

PRZDNT – Suzie’s Machine

Some strong 80s synth disco sounds. Before they kick in, it pleasantly reminds me a lot of early 2000s Italian techno. My tastes are usually a lot more minimal, but this had me bopping on the coach somewhere near Dortmund, and not many tracks can claim that.

Pariis Opera House – No Justice No Peace

The vocal ‘No Justice No Peace’ happens too many times for my liking, but there’s a lot of energy going on and a great build up towards the end. Manages to maintain the drive without being too predictable thanks to an arsenal of great noises. I used to play a lot of breaks, and I would have definitely had this in my set.

shrube – Bee Side

Not the bees! This HAS to be in the eclectic picks. We love bees, we revive bees, and we have bee hives 50m away from the studio. This track makes me happy, just like bees do. There is a video available called ‘How to Befriend a Crow’, and I like to watch it for relaxation. This track has a similar impact on my inners. Check out the video, and see if you feel this same.

SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC

If you’d like to see me perform, go out to your local music venue and support them whenever you can, even if you don’t know who is performing – one day it might be me. Support the venues, the night time economy and all forms of artistry.

Thank you for your time. All of the above views are mine, and are rarely shared by anybody.

Will Farr

ARTISTS SELECTED THIS WEEK

1. RON D BOWES – Lost My Mojo
2. JOES MARSALIS – Century
3. ELECTRIC TAPE RECORDER – Tension
4. HANNYA WHITE – Silver Cowboy
5. SLOW DEATH – Change
6. RETRO KID – You’re so good
7. GITIKA PARTINGTON – Time Stands Still
8. FARRIN – GO FOR IT
9. JIMMY ANDREX – 7 DEADLY BINS
10. KID SCARAMOUCHE – Red Coat
11. DAAY – Follower
12. PRZDNT – Suzie’s Machine
13. PARIIS OPERA HOUSE – No Justice No Peace
14. SHRUBE – Bee Side

STEP 1 – LISTEN

Listen to this weeks Eclectic Picks playlist on Soundcloud here.

After 7 days, the playlist will be updated with the next batch, and this week’s picks will be added to the 2024 playlist below.

STEP 2 – SPREAD THE WORD

Do you ever think, or hear people say, “there’s no good music any more”? Maybe they aren’t looking in the right places. Prove them wrong:

• Subscribe to the playlist
• Listen in each week
• Tell your friends
• Shout on social media

The more people listen to this playlist, the more exposure unsigned artists receive. So spread the word!

STEP 3 – MUSIC VIDEOS?

Music is great. Music videos are better. Keep the momentum going, send any music videos our way and, if we’re in a good mood, we’ll add the best ones to our music video playlist here.

ARCHIVE PLAYLISTS

The playlists above are updated weekly, then added to the annual playlists below:

2024 Playlist: Soundcloud

2023 Playlist: Soundcloud | Spotify

2022 Playlist: Soundcloud | Spotify

2021 Playlis: Soundcloud | Spotify

2020 Playlist: Soundcloud | Spotify

RADIO OPPORTUNITIES

We all have ambitions to get on national radio, but in the meantime there are loads of great, independent radio stations that are always looking for new music of the alternative variety. They offer no promises, but the following hosts tell me they that, if you made this list, they’d like you to get in touch to be considered for their show:

• AsonicA Radio, send an MP3 to hello@asonica.co.uk, or via their website
• Joe Figueira of North Manchester FM, apply with MP3, short bio & twitter handle by e-mail to joefigueira@yahoo.co.uk)
• Del Osei-Owusu, aka Platinum Mind and fellow FOTN moderator, is happy to consider submissions for the Songbird Sessions, a 1 hour show for The Songbird HQ on Islington Radio. Just email Del with a bio and MP3 to del.owusu@gmail.com
• Neil March, Trust The Doc Radio Show (5PM BST, Exile FM). Submissions to trustthedoc@demerararecords.com

If you are are radio presenter/DJ and want to be added to the list above, just give Signal Committee a shout!