DJ Tom LG Presents: Lost In a Fog

Here's a fine collection of western swing, hillbilly bop and sad honky-tonk ballads from the late 40's- early 60's. Here both sexes get a chance to speak their minds and express their sorrows and woes either solo or in duets, sometimes sad but often times very funny.

Most of the 45s I used here were from a radio station so they are all original DJ promos. Interestingly the majority of them are common labels which just goes to support my theory that it doesn't have to be an obscure label to be an amazing find. This was recorded in one take and I cleaned up a couple of pops here and there other than that this was a breeze to record compared to my last episode as well as being a great way to spend an afternoon in the redwoods.

In the Santa Cruz mountains Fall has arrived... the orange sun filters through the skylight of the cabin, my wife is away driving horses through the Eastern Sierras to Bishop and the music echoes to her...

Due to an incredibly overwhelming response I have at last created a 4th volume of synth-pop and electro oddities and classics from 1981-89. In volume 4 I have added a couple of pop hits which on any run of the mill 80s compilation might seem obvious but their part in history holds fast.

This mix was three days in the works. It went through a few track list evolutions and I simply wasn't pleased with the result. So I recorded and deleted, recorded and deleted, moves tunes around and finally this evening I was satisfied.

All of the tunes came straight from original 45s, 12"s & LPs from 1981-89. Once again I am amazed at how well some of these tracks stand up today. The history of electronic music is rich but partly forgotten so here's another hour or so of my teenage musical soundtrack. This one is dedicated to my pal Eric who inspired volume 4...

This is a final installment of the series. A darker version of the others this mix is more of an evolution of the music I was listening to in the 80's. This was around the time when I had really discovered industrial, which to me was an evolution of the synth-pop stuff I was into. The mood on this mix never really takes us to the serious hardcore industrial music of the era but a middle ground where the evolution of techno was about to begin.

I can't comment enough on the obvious influence that this music had on contemporary electronic music. All of the elements that I love in the kind of techno that I play are represented here and in many cases almost a decade before it was created. For me all this was a natural progression into industrial and then into techno and all it's relatives.

All the records came from original LPs & 12"s from the 80's.

There is a difference between the "Don Johnson's white sport coat 80's" and the "Waver 80's". Here I present a deeper and darker version of the 80's underground, synth-pop, b-sides and popular one or two hit wonders on original 45s & LPs.

This is the music that defined my life from 11 to 19 years old, that's 1981-89 if you're wondering. It's interesting to note that this music was the segue way into my interest in industrial and techno in the early 90's which evolved into the foundation on which my DJ career was built and nurtured.

If you know me from the electronic world then this music is why I don't really play funky house... I was raised on Kraftwerk, Tomita and Jean-Michel Jarre from age 6 thanks to my dad. Any way enjoy this totally unique mix of 80's jams!!

Dust. Desolate backwoods and endless hollers... this mix of Appalachian and mountain stringband music from the 1960's to the present will one moment have you gasping for air in a dirty mineshaft and the next waltzing with the loveliest of ladies beneath a star black sky. I've got the usual sad ballads and a few real barn burners here too so be advised.

The picture begins, a life has been lost, there is more to come but not before there's something beautiful to behold... I'm going home with my wife to the mountains where we're from and I'm never leaving again...

The records I used came from various LPs and 45s from the 60's-00's.

Summertime waits in the distance, the East bay is breezy and sunny, whether you live in the drab gray of the city or the flat space of the island today, at this moment it's all good. There's nothing that can soothe a tired mind like this collection of sweet soul ballads from 1959-70*. Each mood is felt from the honey-sweetest love song to the sad and broken-hearted weepers. I'm ready to be out into the wind again...

All the records came from original 45s plus two original LPs. *(After a snafu during the initial recording of this compilation I decided to re-record the entire project, this is the result).

Ambient was the very first kind of music that I was into when I first began to spin records in 1993. I have a very unique relationship to ambient and downtempo music because it's where I can experiment with the most success. This is the type of music that I most identify with deep down.

I've created a very dark tribal, organic mood laced together with suspended moments in time and angry, powerful drums as large and loud as burning factories in the night. These sounds suggests landscapes of imagery through serious emotional states. This is thoughtful music and therefore it reflects my mood as I recorded it.

All the tracks are from 12" vinyl. This mix was recorded in one take.

Itchin' For Some Switchin' is a reference to the subtle hints vinyl DJ folks receive when it's time to mix some records. In the tradition of this wonderful and glorious sensation I have created this monster 50's & 60's rhythm & blues compilation for your enjoyment.

No mood is left unnoticed here and the focus is on hard driving rhythms powerful enough to lift you off of the surface of the planet straight into the outer limits of the universe. This may as well be considered a fine choice for the long drive home or the daunting task of cleaning the house as some of my listeners do. I start you off with a friendly hammer in the face and wind-down the story with a lovely sadder than sad ballad.

All the tunes came from original press 45s from the 1950's & 60's and one original LP.

I took a left turn at the last Instrumental episode and headed straight for Vocal Harmony Ave on this creation. Here we have a delicious recipe of doo-wop, rocknroll and a few strange and lovely ballads for flavor. This one has a bit of a Lynchian "golly-gee" mood at times which balances between the goofy and serious. Think David Lynch having a burger at the drive-in picture show...

I'd say this one is best enjoyed during spring evenings. All the records came from original 45s (plus one original LP) from the 1950's-60's!

This one's a monster of instrumental madness! Here's some of the crustiest instrumental rocknroll, surf and strip-club oddities from the 1950's & 60's that I have! (plus a few classics)

This is the sound that I'm ape about these days. There's so much primitive percussion, dirty guitars and wailin' horns on this mix that I half expect to get hit in the face by a silk stocking!

All the tunes came right off original 45s. I did do some editing to clean up some of the surface noise. Enjoy!!

Here we have a cool mix of kitschy-oddities, innovators and a few classics from the 1950's and 60's. There is a wide variety of music ranging from teen rocknroll, doo-wop, instrumentals and even a couple big band style rockers. It starts off innocent enough but quickly descends into a darker place just before you get bounced right back into the strange. All the music came from original 45s & a few original LPs.

This one was inspired by Lux Interior's (Cramps) the Purple KNIF Show record which really got me into a lot of the strange music that I'm now into. Lux Interior died recently and I was very saddened by our loss. I did get to meet he and Ivy once at the record store I worked at and they both signed a sealed copy of Bad Music For Bad People LP I had stashed in my hold box, it was an honor and means more today than ever.

Spring is here I have a breeze and a window and my turntables...

I seem to be unable to transport out of the 60's lately. So, here's a killer compilation of mid to late-60's mod, garage and psychedelic monsters and groovy ballads dripping with Hammond organs, harmonicas and dirty guitars.

For the best listening results please don your finest three-button suit (with five inch side-vents), two-tone winklepickers, inch-wide tie, parka and tank up on your 1964 Vespa VBB2M, grab your girl and get yourself to the party!!

I used all original press 45s on this compilation...

(This one is dedicated to all the Santa Cruz mods from 1987, Check Six Scooter Club, Santa Cruz Scooter Club and by best friends John and Rob... GEAR UP BOYS!!

I was feelin' the sides from the early 60's soul mix last week so I decided to continue with the theme. It pretty much picks up where the last one left off. It's a fine recipe of early to mid-60's rhythm & blues, girl groups and Northern soul kind of stuff. Pureed into a smooth blend of sad ballads, mid-tempo strolls, sometimes overlooked classics as well as some rarities.

All the tunes have been recorded using original 45s. This mix was recorded in one take.

note: My wife liked listening to it at the photo lab at school so this one's dedicated to rosey and the photo lab folks at CCA, I hope this helps you make nice photos.

Here's a killer compilation of early 60's rhythm & blues filled to the gills with girl groups, sad ballads and dance floor shakers, some rare and a couple of classics.

This takes me back to my mod days in the 80's, dressed in our finest three-button suits and parkas. We would ride from Santa Cruz to shows and DJ dances in San Jose, San Francisco and Berkeley, I remember a lot of vodka and cigarettes... I don't remember how we got home sometimes.

Anyway as is my usual recipe the moods are up and down on this mix. There's a number of tunes that sort of defy genre which is something that I really look for in a record. It was a nice way to spend a rainy day at home...

All of the tunes were recorded from original 45s. This mix was recorded in one take.

Here is a collection of Appalachian and old-time stringband music from the 1920's-60's.

There is something for everybody here unless of course you happen to be an old-time snob. I have created an experience of many moods and many feelings. There are some really dark tunes lightly dusted with a number of very sweet ballads. All the records I used are from original LPs & 45s from the 1950's & 60's.

The cabin seems far away. Maybe it's just over the next ridge... I can smell the fire and the dry pages of the bookshelf... there's a mother rocking her baby beneath the morning sun, I don't want to wake.

I try to make uplifting hip-hop mixes but something always brings out the heaviness in my mind. Here I've created an aural train ride through my experience in the East bay.

A wide expanse of dark samples and dark thoughts and a unique rap love song. There's plenty to be positive about but in the tradition of my selections there's usually something dark stirring.

I am not a hip-hop DJ so I feel it's important to note that I do not scratch, I beat match and blend the songs together in my own style. All the tracks came from 12"s from the 90's.

This is the twin relation of an earlier compilation called "Orange Leaves At The Casa Bonita" a carousel of smoking Cuban, French, American and South American mambos, hot-jazz and Latin vocal oddities dripping with percussive rhythms from the 1930's to the 1950's. Most of the tunes are from original 45s, LPs except a few reissue LPs from the 60's and 70's.

The night begins, the mambo shakes the floor and a pair of star-crossed lovers kiss beneath the confetti on a haystack... a revenant moment of dreaming beneath a paper moon and flashbulb stars...

Earlier this afternoon I created this compilation. It's recipe consists of two parts deep-dark rhythm & blues, one part instrumental rock-n-roll and a dash of strange-kitchy vocal oddities from the 1950's and 60's.

All the records are from original 45s except two original LPs. There's a couple of scratchy ones but they've got so much soul I couldn't help myself. The last tune is a real wrencher...

This is a compilation I made for a road trip to the Sierra Mountains. My wife and I like to explore and search for old ghost towns and mines in the Western states. I made this mix specifically to listen to while on the dirt road to Masonic and the Chemung Mine outside of Bridgeport.

It's a collection of various types of country music from the 1950's and 60's. All the records I used are original 45s. There's plenty of sad steel guitars, chunky shuffle beats, cryin' fiddles and who's keepin' that dog?... You're gonna need a hat and a beer for this one...

Another compilation in a series of dark and spooky viper jazz, swing, Latin and delicious vocal treats from the 1920's to the early 1950's. There are a number of interesting rhythms and sad haunted recordings filled with tribal percussion and beautiful dreams.

The records I used came from a variety of formats, original 45s, LPs and imported reissues from the 60's, 70's & 80's. A couple of the Latin tunes came from my grandfather's collection. He was born in Antofagasta, Chile. When he passed away I was given his record collection which included an amazing stack of Chilean 78s and LPs of vintage South American artists. One of these records I recently discovered has not been played for at least 50 years as it was stuffed into the wrong sleeve.

Autumn has arrived, the leaves are orange and I miss my mountain home though the Casa Bonita has been good to us...

I made this one an hour ago. Here we begin and end with a dream. This compilation of 1920's-1930's old-time, Cajun, blues and western swing is a very dark detour down an unknown highway. The story is told through some of the spookiest and strangest sides that own. I'm not sure if any of these old tunes have anything friendly say as most of them are nothing more than the messengers of death and hard times. Of course it's only a dream as you'll find out...

This was recorded live at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle where I worked for a year spinning vintage vinyl for bands. This one was recorded by our sound guy at the Big Sandy show in September 2006. It's in two parts as I played between the bands and opened. This was a set of all original LPs from the 50's & 60's. My idea was not to play ANY 45s that night.

The Roy Kay Trio was the opening band that night. I'm not sure exactly how it happened but towards the end of the mix you can hear the audience in the background. There are a number of obscure rockabilly, western swing and rhythm & blues tunes plus some classics. This one is dedicated to all my Seattle pals that I miss so much!!!

This project is another excursion into the universe of modern Americana. This is a deeper ride through the darker side of the sad slow ballad. This is the mix you want to be listening to as you're driving through the back country of Utah on some dusty double-track road. It is all at once beautiful and sad.

I recorded this near the one year anniversary of my friend Damon's suicide. Damon was a Recon marine in Iraq in March '03, he saw much more than anybody should have to see. The music and the mood reflect my emotional state. This one is for Damon, may you always rest in peace.

Fresh off the decks. I made this earlier today. This is a mix of various styles progressive-tribal-techno, that's what I call it any way. I lost track of genre wars many years ago. These days I use all kinds of genre terms to give a general idea of what kind of music I'm describing.

It's about 55 minutes long and sits comfortably at about 135-ish BPM. As usual there's lots of drums and a few vocals, tribal chants and otherwise dark with an occasional sunny spot.

As I described in my previous electronic mix (live @ flow) this constitutes the epitome of my style and sound for progressive-tribal music.

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