Following acclaimed albums on Ninja Tune and Tri Angle, soundtrack and installation work, and remixes of the likes of Bjork, Matthew Barnes aka Forest Swords has curated a 27-track compilation that draws a line between past inspirations and his current peers.
“My favourite nights when I was younger, there wasn’t really a focus on etiquette; sticking to genres, perfect transitions – it was all pretty DIY, like having someone cook up their personal mixtape in front of you, just to share music between people“; says Barnes.
“John Peel’s eclectic radio show made a huge impact on me growing up, so that kind of personal, instinctive approach to selecting tracks always felt more exciting than something that was sterile and seamless. I wanted to carry some of that spirit into this compilation“.
Like much of his own output, Forest Swords’ DJ-Kicks dances around pristine electronics to embrace more organic textures: 80s post punk (Anna Domino, Dead Can Dance), classic 90s British electronica (Orbital, Mira Calix, Disjecta), and smokey digi-dub (Rhythm & Sound), all rub up alongside some of the most forward-facing producers working today (Demdike Stare, Laurel Halo) and avant garde explorers (David Toop, Kara-Lis Coverdale).
The compilation shifts through rhythms and emotions: from pop icon Neneh Cherry’s primal thudding to the zombified throb of exclusive Forest Swords track ‘Crow’, via Deena Abdelwaheed’s clattering deconstructions and the outdoor mountain singing of Ánde Somby.
Drawing threads between decades, borders and genres, DJ-Kicks is a collection of tracks that feels as restlessly curious, and crucial, as Barnes’ own work.
Tracklist CD:
01 David Toop – Things Just Went Sour Gradually All At Once
02 Forest Swords – Voice Memo of Outdoor Singing Group In Chinatown, Liverpool
03 Anna Homler & Steve Moshier – Ŏŏ Nu Dah
04 Kara-Lis Coverdale – Imgs /r
05 Dialect – Three Sisters Theme
06 Rhythm & Sound w/ Love Joy – Best Friend
07 Anna Domino – With the Day Comes the Dawn
08 Neneh Cherry – Blank Project
09 Tokyo Prose & FIS – The Truths
10 Dead Can Dance – Mesmerism (Remastered)
11 Forest Swords – Crow (DJ-Kicks Exclusive)
12 Lutto Lento – Gyal A Devil
13 Disjecta – Smokehead
14 Skinnerbox – Gender (Axel Boman Remix)
15 Deena Abdelwahed – Walk On, Nothing To See Here
16 Pantha Du Prince – Welt Am Draht (Animal Collective Remix)
17 Mira Calix – Umchunga Locks
18 Laurel Halo – Throw
19 Demdike Stare – Mnemosyne
20 Djrum – Showreel pt.2
21 Orbital – The Box (Part 1)
22 Rupert Clervaux & Beatrice Dillon – VII
23 The London Bulgarian Choir – Pilentse Pee
24 Vashti Bunyan – Here Before
25 Forest Swords – Voice Memo of Piston at Manchester Museum of Science & Industry
26 Baka Forest People Of Southeast Cameron – Eden Liquindi 2
27 Ánde Somby – Gadni (Spirit of the Mountain)
Tracklist 2LP:
A1 The London Bulgarian Choir – Pilentse Pee
A2 Rhythm & Sound w/ Love Joy – Best Friend
A3 Anna Domino – With the Day Comes the Dawn
A4 Neneh Cherry – Blank Project
B1 Forest Swords – Crow (DJ-Kicks Exclusive)
B2 Tokyo Prose & FIS – The Truths
B3 Dead Can Dance – Mesmerism (Remastered)
B4 Baka Forest People Of Southeast Cameron – Eden Liquindi 2
B5 David Toop – Things Just Went Sour Gradually All At Once
C1 Kara-Lis Coverdale – Imgs /r
C2 Lutto Lento – Gyal A Devil
C3 Laurel Halo – Throw
C4 Disjecta – Smokehead
D1 Demdike Stare – Mnemosyne
D2 Orbital – The Box (Part 1)
D3 Rupert Clervaux & Beatrice Dillon – VII
D4 Vashti Bunyan – Here Before
