S.o.t.D. - Sugar (Jeff Spooner Mix) – Marshall Mandroid

Sugar (Jeff Spooner Mix) – Marshall Mandroid

One benefit of having to get up early early every day.

S.o.t.D. - Me & My Social Anxiety – Frivolous

Me & My Social Anxiety – Frivolous

Any anxiety you may have will melt away as you listen to this and it compels you to move along to it.

S.o.t.D. - No Tomorrow – Mirage

No Tomorrow – Mirage

Another of the seemingly 500 or so different guises of Source Direct.

Barefoot Hiking (Involuntarily)

Well that was one of my more adventurous hikes.

My dear friend Michelle came down from Toronto to go for a hike. Decided to wander along the north shore of Cootes Paradise.

Opted to wear my old Bates M-6 boots. I think about 8 or 9 years old by this point. I’ve been really happy with them, and they’ve seen a lot of clicks. They’ve largely been relegated to back up duty, but decided to wear them today.

(The aforementioned boots about 5 years ago.)

Lake Ontario is at its highest level in a century. Several wooden board walks sink a bit when you walk on them, getting them wet. Couple that with old foam, some steep inclines and declines, I started to notice that they weren’t doing so well. By the halfway point it was obvious they were completely disintegrating. To the point of the whole bottom on the left one coming right off. The right one was well on its way to being there.

I’m usually always really prepared on hikes. On longer trips I’ll have a pair of paddling shoes for wear around camp or for crossing streams. Usually have a repair kit. Today? “Meh. Casual hike, not too far from home. I’ll be fine.”

So...opted just to ditch the boots altogether and walked back to the car barefoot. (Not before saving the laces though, since they were fantastic.)

Kinda sucked, those little pebbles especially. But there was a margin of grass at the edge of the trails that made it doable. Just shy of 2½ kilometers.

Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.

I know what I’ll be buying with my next pay cheque.

S.o.t.D. - Broken – Lazarus Moment

Broken – Lazarus Moment

One to watch.

S.o.t.D. - Ominous Clouds – Interception

Ominous Clouds – Interception

S.o.t.D. - Infinity – Heavyweight

Infinity – Heavyweight

Not too subtle, but that’s all right.

S.o.t.D. - Bold – Dustycloud

Bold – Dustycloud

Super fun!

S.o.t.D. - I’ll Be There – Baraka

I’ll Be There – Baraka

Play this out, and I’ll happily be there.

S.o.t.D. - Motoc – Loscil

Motoc – Loscil

S.o.t.D. - Your Mind – DJ Boring

Your Mind – DJ Boring

Definitely not boring.

Thor’s Hammer Bracelet

I found an example of one of these in an Encyclopedia Britannica when I was a teen. Thought it as pretty neat. Found in Iceland, from around the time “pagan” beliefs were giving way to Christian beliefs. It combined elements of both. A few years later I saw ... I think it was one of the members of Coil wearing one ... or maybe it was Current 93 ... or perhaps it was Douglas P. from Death in June. Can’t remember for sure. Then I found one somewhere.

It’s pretty much sat in a box for a few decades. Came across it and even though I’m not Icelandic, Christian or Asatru, decided to use it as a closure for a bracelet.

S.o.t.D. - The Hitman – Marvellous Caine

The Hitman – Marvellous Caine

Built around samples of Renegades’s “Terrorist”, Cutty Ranks’ “Limb By Limb” and the 1980 film Babylon, a classic from the early days of jungle.

S.o.t.D. - Babylon – Splash

Babylon – Splash

The first minute and a bit of this are just lethal, but it loses focus after that. 

“All of the youth shall witness the day that babylon shall fall. I and I know that.”

S.o.t.D. - New Beginnings – Singular Mind

New Beginnings – Singular Mind

Combines really chilled elements, with powerful, booming drum sounds.

S.o.t.D. - Dream of You (Rework 2) – Flynn & Flora

Dream of You (Rework 2) – Flynn & Flora

One of those acts that I think was very under-rated. Part of that whole Bristol scene in the late 90’s.

S.o.t.D. - The Unofficial Ghost – Doc Scott

The Unofficial Ghost – Doc Scott

I thought this was yet another D&B track that sampled Japan (Ghosts, in this instance). But apparently this is a re-working of Ghosts Of My Life by Rufige Kru. Which is another guise of Goldie. Confused yet?

What I do know for sure, is that this track is just a monster.

S.o.t.D. - Night & Day (Dusky Remix) – Hot Chip

Night & Day (Dusky Remix) – Hot Chip

Pumper.

S.o.t.D. - Hyperglycemia – Tarquin

Hyperglycemia – Tarquin

Weird but kinda fun.

S.o.t.D. - Empyrean – Bija

Empyrean – Bija

Signage: A. G. Gaul

A. G. Gaul was a jewelry store that operated in downtown Hamilton for 50 years. A sign that had been placed over this ghostly remains of their signage was taken down recently, revealing it.

S.o.t.D. - Find You – BLVCK MVK

Find You – BLVCK MVK

Apparently, this is “liquid witchhouse.” Okay. It’s pretty chillaxing, no matter how thinly parsed music gets.

S.o.t.D. - Nymbo – Mojoman

Nymbo – Mojoman

S.o.t.D. - Guidance – Synkro & Indigo

Guidance – Synkro & Indigo

I should just become the president of the Synkro fan club.

S.o.t.D. - Bad Man – Blues Saraceno

Bad Man – Blues Saraceno

Gritty.

S.o.t.D. - Drifting Shapes – Silence Groove

Drifting Shapes – Silence Groove

So much emotion in this.

S.o.t.D. - Promises (CloZinger Remix) – Monophonics

Promises (CloZinger Remix) – Monophonics

Soul.

S.o.t.D. - With You – Phelian

With You – Phelian

Smoothness.

S.o.t.D. - Sacred Astral Voyage Dub – Jah Acid Dub

Sacred Astral Voyage Dub – Jah Acid Dub

S.o.t.D. - Like We Do – Bara Bröst (feat. Capey Cash)

Like We Do – Bara Bröst (feat. Capey Cash)

S.o.t.D. - Naive – Tom Glass

Naive – Tom Glass

Damn good.

S.o.t.D. - Space – Free4orm

Space – Free4orm

S.o.t.D. - Forever – Kontigo

Forever – Kontigo