Loved this Pé!! So much more wonderful research and information that would’ve been really difficult to fit into the A Side. I’m listening to your Talaagh Transmission mic on Mixcloud and have followed you on there. I used to listen to Mixcloud a lot, probably a decade or more ago, but now I tend to spend most of my time on the streaming sites or listening to my own digital collection. I’ll try to add Mixcloud back into my rotation (I need to do the same with Bandcamp) but there’s only so much time in the day/week!
Thanks, Mark. This format is a lot of fun, and I’ll be experimenting with it more over the coming months. But I’m glad you confirmed my impression that it makes The Twelve Inch a bit more structured while also opening up many more possibilities to add context and information.
Mixcloud is actually a bit of a misunderstood platform. It has become my main one, not only because I produce shows there, but also because I’ve discovered so many talented, interesting, and surprising curators who have introduced me to music I might never have found otherwise.
There’s this perception that it’s all about the big DJs playing plastic trance sounds, plus a crowd of younger wannabes. And sure, those are there as well. But beyond that there’s a whole world of people doing fantastic things.
I even see new artists joining the platform and presenting their own work. And it’s not so much about DJ-ing, although many of them do some wonderfully technical mixing, remixing, editing, and beat-matching. It’s much more about curation.
Who needs boring DSPs and their all-devouring algorithms when you have a platform driven by human curators presenting human-made music, and helping you discover gems you didn’t even know existed?
Mixcloud should probably hire me for their marketing.
Yeah I used to listen to a lot of non-DJ mixes there during the period I’d stopped buying CDs but not yet joined a DSP. I discovered a lot of old-but-new-to-me music there.
In terms of DSPs and how I use them, I curate my own music discovery and don’t rely on the algorithm. But I know the vast majority of passive listeners let the algorithms determine what they hear.
Bandcamp is also great for new music discovery but I just don’t get on there as much as I used to, although that’s where I go when I want to support my favorite artists by buying digital versions of the albums I’ve loved throughout the year.
This is a strong B-side because it actually works like a proper B-side should. It is not just overflow from the main piece, but added context, side routes, and extra detail that deepen the record without losing the groove. The Studio 54 rejection story is always a great one, but I especially liked the more practical material here: the point that the 12-inch was essentially the album version, the look at label life, and the way you map the wider Rodgers/Edwards universe beyond Chic itself.
That is what gives this piece real crate-digger value. It does not treat “Le Freak” as a one-off hit, but as part of a much larger musical system of players, productions, aesthetics, and afterlives. The listening tips help too. They remind the reader just how far Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards reached once you start following the trail.
Thanks for the kind words, Howard. I really appreciate your support and the time you took to read it. I’m especially glad the B-side conveyed the feeling I was aiming for. Thanks for reading, sharing, and reacting. Have a great Sunday! 😊🎶
Completely agree, Mr. Utley. That’s exactly why I included a ballad from C’est Chic in the playlist selection. In many ways, the ballads are the hidden force behind it all.
I’m pretty sure I have that Fonzi album somewhere in my collection as well. Great choices!
Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing. Have a great weekend!
Loved this Pé!! So much more wonderful research and information that would’ve been really difficult to fit into the A Side. I’m listening to your Talaagh Transmission mic on Mixcloud and have followed you on there. I used to listen to Mixcloud a lot, probably a decade or more ago, but now I tend to spend most of my time on the streaming sites or listening to my own digital collection. I’ll try to add Mixcloud back into my rotation (I need to do the same with Bandcamp) but there’s only so much time in the day/week!
Thanks, Mark. This format is a lot of fun, and I’ll be experimenting with it more over the coming months. But I’m glad you confirmed my impression that it makes The Twelve Inch a bit more structured while also opening up many more possibilities to add context and information.
Mixcloud is actually a bit of a misunderstood platform. It has become my main one, not only because I produce shows there, but also because I’ve discovered so many talented, interesting, and surprising curators who have introduced me to music I might never have found otherwise.
There’s this perception that it’s all about the big DJs playing plastic trance sounds, plus a crowd of younger wannabes. And sure, those are there as well. But beyond that there’s a whole world of people doing fantastic things.
I even see new artists joining the platform and presenting their own work. And it’s not so much about DJ-ing, although many of them do some wonderfully technical mixing, remixing, editing, and beat-matching. It’s much more about curation.
Who needs boring DSPs and their all-devouring algorithms when you have a platform driven by human curators presenting human-made music, and helping you discover gems you didn’t even know existed?
Mixcloud should probably hire me for their marketing.
I’m a genuine fan.
Yeah I used to listen to a lot of non-DJ mixes there during the period I’d stopped buying CDs but not yet joined a DSP. I discovered a lot of old-but-new-to-me music there.
In terms of DSPs and how I use them, I curate my own music discovery and don’t rely on the algorithm. But I know the vast majority of passive listeners let the algorithms determine what they hear.
Bandcamp is also great for new music discovery but I just don’t get on there as much as I used to, although that’s where I go when I want to support my favorite artists by buying digital versions of the albums I’ve loved throughout the year.
This is a strong B-side because it actually works like a proper B-side should. It is not just overflow from the main piece, but added context, side routes, and extra detail that deepen the record without losing the groove. The Studio 54 rejection story is always a great one, but I especially liked the more practical material here: the point that the 12-inch was essentially the album version, the look at label life, and the way you map the wider Rodgers/Edwards universe beyond Chic itself.
That is what gives this piece real crate-digger value. It does not treat “Le Freak” as a one-off hit, but as part of a much larger musical system of players, productions, aesthetics, and afterlives. The listening tips help too. They remind the reader just how far Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards reached once you start following the trail.
Thanks for the kind words, Howard. I really appreciate your support and the time you took to read it. I’m especially glad the B-side conveyed the feeling I was aiming for. Thanks for reading, sharing, and reacting. Have a great Sunday! 😊🎶
Great essays Peter! So many essential tracks from the Chic Organization…
The dancefloor scorchers are the most noticed, but I love their smooth and seductive side as well.
“A Warm Summer Night”
“Savoir Faire”
“Sao Paulo “
Sister Sledge-“I’m A Good Girl”
Carly Simon-“Why”
I love the long version of Norma Jean’s “Sorcerer “ and the very underrated track from Fonzi Thornton-“I Work For A Living “
Thanks to you for celebrating these classics on your Substack!
Completely agree, Mr. Utley. That’s exactly why I included a ballad from C’est Chic in the playlist selection. In many ways, the ballads are the hidden force behind it all.
I’m pretty sure I have that Fonzi album somewhere in my collection as well. Great choices!
Thanks for reading, reacting, and sharing. Have a great weekend!