Snowprayers Podcast

Many moons ago, Kate Simko was talking to me about "a girl you will meet one day who totally is your sister." I think we might have even called her on the phone right then and there. A bit of time passed, and then one day I did in fact meet her, and Ms Simko couldn't have been more spot on in her assessment. The girl is the curator of this long overdue (sorry bout that....) edition of Snowprayers: Kate Lesta. Kate is one of the busiest people I know. To list all of the projects she is involved with would take up far too much room for this description, but if there was 1 thing she's known for, it would be the always magical Communikey Festival (CMKY for short) which is thrown every spring in Boulder, CO. I have had the pleasure of playing 2 of them now, and even if I am not on the bill I still attend. If you have the opportunity to check it out in the future, I would absolutely recommend that you do so! Kate and her amazing crew put together a truly memorable experience, and the scenery can't be beat! Kate also works tirelessly to bring new talent stateside for tours and events. So, if you've gone to any electronic music events in the states that featured maybe an artist previously unheard of, chances are she might have had a hand in getting that person to play some amazing music for your head as well as your feet. These are the main reasons I wanted her to submit an edition for the series. The range of musical taste on Kate is extremely vast, and it certainly shines through this mix. Not only that, but like it states at the beginning... I definitely consider her to be part of my family. So, after the turkey settles tonight, throw this wonderful 2 hour ride on. But be careful... it just might get you pregnant. :) Kate, thank you SOO much for being such an amazing person in life, and for putting together this phenomenal edition of Snowprayers. And to the rest of the audience, thank you for your patience and of course... thank you for listening. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Merry Christmas, Snowprayers listeners!! Sorry it's been so long since the last edition. Things have been rather crazy, but hopefully I will get on a regular track to help keep you company this winter. For edition 20 of the series, I welcome Miss Heidi Higginbottom back for another absolutely wonderful collection of snowytime songs to fill your heart with warmth and joy on these cold winter nights. If you haven't heard her previous edition, I strongly suggest checking it out. This edition was put together earlier this year, and I finally decided that I have spent far too many nights keeping it to myself. Though it may not be very "Christmas-like", it certainly fits *my* Christmas for this year. For as I sit here typing this description out on her couch in Paris, she is preparing what smells like an absolutely incredible midnight Christmas dinner for the both of us. So, I couldn't think of a better time to pass it along to all of you! I hope it helps either prepare you for, or help you relax from whatever madness this years festivities throw at you. So, to Heidi I say thank you for the mix, as well as your love. I am lucky to spend yet another Christmas by your side, and look forward to spending many, many more. And to you, the listener... as always... thank you for listening and of course...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! XOXO

Anyone close to me knows that 2010 might have been the hardest year I have ever had. So many important things seemed to fall apart right before my eyes. There will be 2 editions from me addressing the 2 hardest issues: the passing of my father, and the breakup between me and Snowprayers alumni Ms Heidi Higginbottom. Edition #019 deals with the latter. Originally compiled in September of 2010 when I was very actively trying to win her heart back, this edition was edited down from a whopping 4 and a half hour mix highlighting songs that tell the story of our relationship, as well as trying to tell her how I was feeling. Literally every song on there has some sort of story about us to go with it. Well, long story short I officially decided to make it an edition of Snowprayers when last Monday, we realized we are much better together than we are apart so we decided to give it another go! And, I cannot be happier about it. The love I feel for her is unlike anything I have ever felt before, so I feel it's appropriate to release this condensed version of the mix to you all. I find it hard to use words that properly articulate the love I feel for this woman, but I think the songs on here express it better than I could with my own words anyway. So, if you're expecting this edition to be pretty over-the-top on the sappy factor, than you are low-balling it at best. :) But, I am not ashamed. I am in love, dammit!! I guess I followed Todd's lead from last week by getting the couple loud things out of the way at the beginning, but I feel it's a pleasant soft ride down from there. So, thank you to Heidi for the photo and the inspiration as well as trusting me with your heart once again. I love you dearly, and always will. And to you, as always... thanks for listening. xoxo

This week marks the return of our first guest contributor to Snowprayers: my good friend (wether he wants to admit it or not) Mr Todd L Burns. Todd was asked to give another one so soon mostly because I have a feeling he *really* enjoyed doing his first one. In the short months following it's release, he proceeded to do a couple other mixes and titled them "Snowprayers" as well! (I should try that with RA podcasts sometime!) Well, I took it as a huge compliment and am beside myself that he gave me another one. And, boy what a doozy it is! The start of it is quite powerful. So powerful that I'm guessing Todd quickly felt the need to change the mood by going up in energy rather quickly! What a lil prankster (Weezer!? On a Snowprayer!?!? OK.....). There were short talks of a veto, but quite frankly the journey down from there is a perfect example of why I love listening to, and asking people for their contributions to this series: everyones interpretation of it is different. So, settle in and be prepared to tap your toes a lil bit as Todd takes us all through his interpretation of his own winter. Next week, I will do the same. I haven't made it yet, but I'm quite certain the last 2.5 weeks of my life are going to play a dominant role in the selections. So, until then, thank you Todd for another excellent contribution. You are welcome on this bandwidth stream anytime. But, even more for being a great friend. You do better than you think you do. And to you, the listener.....thanks for listening.

If you have ever been to any one of the Bunker parties in New York, chances are the creator of this edition captured your likeness in a picture and put it up on the internet for all the world to see. If not, than you should probably visit the Bunker more often… but that's for another time. :) Anyway, Seze and I met about 6 years ago, and let's just say we didn't always see eye to eye on everything. Over the years, I think we both must have learned to make our equally extroverted personalities co-exist because in that time, we've become a lot closer than I ever pictured. In fact, I'm often caught referring to her as my sister. An artist in her own right, Seze has been the flier designer, photographer and hostess of the Bunker nearly since we met, not to mention countless other art projects and shows. You can read more about her works at www.seze.net .I've been asking her (as well as her fiance, Bryan… *ahem*) to crank out a mix for the project since even before the first one went live. A few days before Christmas this year, I was surprised to find this absolutely sublime (as well as topical) collection in my email box! Merry Christmas to ME! Such a lovely selection of quiet "lady folk" (as Seze likes to call it) that practically screams for a cabin in the woods, and endless cups of hot cocoa. I enjoyed it immensely, and I think that you will too. And feel free to tell her your thoughts sometime at The Bunker, or at one of her monthly Kiss & Tell parties in Brooklyn. I'm sure she will be tickled to meet you. So, to Seze thank you for the wonderful mix, and even more wonderful friendship. I am very happy to have you in my life these past years, and look forward to many many more. And to you, as always… thanks for listening. En route to the south of France, with edition #014's creator in tow!…. xoxo, derek.

Part of the fun of doing this project is meeting people who have enjoyed listening to it as much as I have doing it (though, obviously it can be a little bit of a strain in the free time dept). Katherine is a perfect example of this. When I first launched the podcast, she was one of the first listeners singing the praises of it all over the internet. We hadn't met but I knew she was a friend of Robert Gorell, a longtime "budday" of mine. Kat had shown so much apprecation that I felt like I should ask her to do an edition herself and she graciously accepted! The only time we have met (to my knowledge) was at a gig I was doing at Vision in Chicago last New Years day, which was not an easy gig to show up for. I recall her saying something like she hadn't done a mix like this in years, and was looking forward to making it. She turned it in a couple weeks later, but don't think for one second that the delay in putting it out has anything to do with the final product. The mix is fantastic, and I am proud to finally be presenting it to all of you. So, to Kat thanks for your patience and for the wonderful music. Hopefully our paths will cross again sometime in the near future! To all of you, as always, thanks for listening. xoxo

Ladies & gentlemen, we are back! We're gonna kick off the season with some of the editions I didn't get around to publishing before the hiatus. First up is a DAMN fine mix from a buddy of mine in San Francisco who goes by the name Robert Mozaic. He's a singer and songwriter who got sidetracked by 808's and dark warehouses... which we all know those things are cheaper than a therapy. :) In Rob's words: "I had just gone through a bit of a broken heart sorta thing, the mix was kind of a letter I never sent (or rather made in its place). I titled it "Have a nice summer, don't ever change" because the mix reminded me of the kind of mixtapes a lot of us gave or were given back in the day. That and the title had a very different meaning to me privately... and to the person who will never get that letter..." The circumstances in which I met Rob were pretty funny. It was during his set at the closing after-party for Decibel Festival 2009 up in Seattle. I had gone to catch up with J-Phlip, but she had become quite ill and didn't make it over there. I was quite tipsy and was feeling the itch to play some records since she wasn't coming. But, I didn't want to just go up and push him off the decks. Everyone was telling me "No... It's OK! Rob is extremely cool and is probably done anyhow!" but I didn't believe them. Before I knew it, somehow, the plan was in motion and I looked up at Rob and sure enough... he had a look on his face of "No... seriously... I've been playing longer than I planned and would like to stop. Please feel free to jump in here." So, I did! We set up the turntables, and Rob graciously stepped away. I just remember thinking to myself "wow... this guy seems really nice"! And now, no trip to San Francisco feels complete unless I make some kind of contact with him. He's an excellent DJ, incredibly nice guy and definitely has great taste in all forms of music, as you will surely be able to tell from this edition. So, grab yourself a cup of hot chocolate and kick back and relax to this wonderful group of selections by Rob. Sidenote: Thank you all for your kind words in the absence of the series. It's been really nice to hear all of the kind words of appreciation. I'm glad so many of you appreciate it as much as I love putting it out. I will definitely try to be more consistent this time around. :) Also, we're going to go with the delayed tracklist again. I think it's an overall better experience if you don't know what's coming in the mix. Tracklists will be posted the following week when a new edition is posted. OK, that should cover it! Thanks again to Rob for the mix, as well as the patience. And, as always, thank YOU for listening!

Rob Theakston and I met many, many years ago in Detroit, though I honestly don't recall the when or how. But I'll bet almost anything that HE does, and it probably involved an extended conversation about music of a widely varied nature, fine whiskey, and The West Wing. He has always been a full-throated supporter of his friends, whether it's of their art, or them as individuals (he has definitely been a life coach for me on *many* occasions). Not to mention, he's a fine artist in his own right. Check out the Thinkbox collective to find out more. Some years ago, he moved to Lexington, KY where he's working for the University down there (he just ended his Sunday night radio show on WRFL), married his lovely wife Stephanie and, is in the process of fulfilling his destiny to be deemed Worlds Greatest Dad by his now 1 year old son, Rhodes. So, settle in for a nice treat courtesy of one of the best guys I've had the pleasure to call my friend. Thank you, Rob for the wonderful selections, and for everything you have done for me over the years. Rob also wanted to send out special thanks to TBT and the WC Calcutt Foundation. And I, as always, thank you for listening.

After a month off, we return! I've been sitting on this one for a while now, and given the weather here in Berlin right now, it fits perfectly! This sunny weather edition is brought by way of Brax Moody & Vamparela of the Local Suicide collective. I met the 2 of them one morning at Snowprayers alumni Philipp & Mea's place. We talked for hours about music and listened to a couple of the previous editions, so I figured I would ask them to do one for me. 2 days later, they sent me the mix! I haven't seen them around much lately, but I haven't really been around. 2 very cool people that I very much hope to be spending more time with this summer and beyond. For more info on them, visit www.localsuicide.com and you can also follow them on Twitter via @BraxMoody, @vamparela and @localsuicide. Again, sorry for the delays. Thank you Max & Dina and as always, thank you for tuning in. Spring is definitely here! Enjoy!

This week's guest is the one and only Miss Heidi Higginbottom. She's lived many places, but I will forever associate her with Boulder, CO even though she currently resides in Paris. Heidi is probably the closest person to the project (other than me) because she is definitely the person I am closest to in my life. We met a few years back when she was in NYC for a Bunker party, and I immediately was drawn to her. Maybe it was her eyes, or possibly her incredible name! Over the years, we would see each other in various cities and it was always a treat. Last year at Communikey Festival in Boulder, we became extremely close. We both moved to Europe around the same time, and now she knows almost everything there is to know about me. She's quite possibly the sweetest person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, is one of the most imaginative and creative people I have ever met, has incredible taste in music and is more that just a little bit easy on the eyes. ;) I could go on and on about how wonderful she is, but maybe you should just ask me in person. Or, maybe you can ask her yourself sometime! So, thank you Heidi for the lovely selections, and to you for listening.

Those in Montreal know a thing or 2 about winter and the snow that comes with it. They also know a thing or 2 about our guest this week, Patti Schmidt. If you don't know, from 1995 to 2006, Patti hosted a show on CBC radio called "Brave New Waves", which I would listen to religiously when I was living in Detroit thanks to a Windsor relay station that would beam her through my radio. Oh, the wonderful music I was turned onto from this program. Her tastes were always so broad, and she would give plenty of background on the artists and releases. The show was such a great resource for finding fantastic new music, and I miss the show dearly. I had the pleasure of finally putting a face to the voice while she and I were both at Decibel Festival in Seattle in 2009, where we met and very quickly became friends. When she agreed to do an edition for Snowprayers, I was beside myself with joy and am extremely pleased to present it to you now! So, thanks so much, Patti and thank you for listening!

You Detroiters might know this weeks contributor to the project. In the 90's, Thom Kikot was one of the DJs on 89x radio out of Windsor. We met basically by me calling up one Sunday afternoon and requesting he play some John Zorn related stuff. To this, Thom just kinda laughed and said "I wish"! He then proceeded to tell me the sad truth about how commercial radio was being programmed those days, and how the DJ's had little to no input as to what they could play on the radio, which completely broke my heart. From then on, I would call him at the station from time to time and pester him talking about music related stuff, as well as the pirate radio station that was being broadcast around that time. He was always a really great guy who personally had great taste in music. I think he headed out to California sometime in the early 00's and we lost contact with each other. When the Snowprayers Podcast launched, he had contacted me out of the blue and asked if he could contribute a mix. The answer obviously was "yes", and I'm super excited to have him be part of it. The edition is subtitled "Brother Key's Lament", as the mix was partially inspired by the tragic loss of a close friend of his from Detroit, and to quote Thom "he always called my cracker ass 'brother key'". The mix is excellent, and contains more than a coupe long lost favorites of mine from years ago. Man, I had forgotten how much I love The Cure's "Disintegration"! So, thank you very much for the mix, Thom and I hope our paths cross again soon. And, as always, thank you for listening and all the support and feedback over the last 10 editions and in the future. The whole thing has been extremely rewarding, and I couldn't be happier with the response from all of you. Oh, and don't look now, but here comes February! Winter may be over soon, but the editions will keep rolling out through the year!

In 1995, I was completely emerged in the Detroit rave scene. I wasn't always super social, as talking with people was never really in the cards for the evening. But, after the music was off there would be some milling about and at that point, I would meet a few people. Garrett McGrath was one of those people for me. I think we met by me commenting on his T-shirt, which I'm pretty sure was either a Tresor or Transmat shirt.... I can't remember exactly. From then on, I would see him out rather regularly and we would have quick chats and such. Eventually, I saw him on the 313 list on Hyperreal, as well. He at some point moved out to Los Angeles, and our paths stopped crossing regularly. We were never really close, but I always thought he was a cool guy. And when Snowprayers launched, he dropped me an email digging the concept and asked if he could do an edition. Since I've always known he had good taste in Techno, I had no doubt he would deliver a rock solid contribution for this series. So, thank you for tuning in yet again, and thank you to Garrett as well. I hope doing this reminded you of how much you miss Fall. (photo credit: Wayne Harrison)

Philipp Hofmann & Mea Liedl are two of my favorite people in Berlin. Always such fun loving people with tremendous spirit. When I started the series, they definitely took interest right away. And since I know how much they listen to all forms of music, it only made sense to have them set me up with a mix of theirs. And, it's quite a ride, if I do say so myself. Thanks P&M.... and thank you for tuning in. Enjoy! (Photo credit: Stephen Yeargin)

Plain and simple, Ejival is the man. I first met him during Communikey festival in Boulder, CO in April of last year. He was playing the opening reception for the festival, and everyone had nothing but rock solid things to say about his DJing, as well as his personality. Didn’t take long til we were introduced, and we hit it off famously. We started talking about non-electronic music, and I found his taste remarkable (even if he does lean more towards the Dan Bejar side of The New Pronographers while I lean toward AC Newman). When I started this series, Ejival was an obvious choice in my first dream roster of participants. When he sent me the mix, he used these words to describe his intentions: “I tried to do something real personal, real wintery, with lots of the music I love, songs that remind me of people I have lost on the way, including stuff that had been released on my Verdigris sub label (Florencia Ruiz, One Second Bridge and Seekers Who Are Lovers)”. This is SOOO the very definition of what I wish for when asking for editions. For more dancier things, you should check out his label “Static Discos” which he runs from his home city of Tijuana, Mexico. And if you head that way, definitely be sure to check him out if he is ripping the decks up somewhere. You won’t be disappointed. So, thank you to Ejival, and as usual... you. Enjoy!

Snowprayers edition #006 was compiled by myself and has a specific theme running through it. Well, I guess all of them do, but this one is a tad different than the others. It’s a new year, and a time for new beginnings, So, what better way to welcome these new beginnings in than by compiling this one with nothing but opening tracks from some of my favorite LPs? Seemed like a good idea to me, so here it is! 20 track #1's from 20 different LPs. Happy New Year to all, and as always… thanks for listening!

I was thinking that these editions don't always have to be quite so soft, so edition #005 is a bit different than previous editions. #005 definitely focuses more on the shoegazer and lo-fi indie rock sounds that I have always loved so much. We've gotten quite a bit of snow this Christmas weekend here in Berlin, so I guess it fits into a blizzard state. I even included a few things listeners have written in and tipped me to (thanks, guys!). Credit for the photo goes to the lovely ms Heidi Higginbottom, who will be doing an edition for us very, very soon. Thanks for listening! And Happy Holidays!

Edition #004 was done by a very old and dear friend named Jaime Lutzo. I first met her in Detroit about 15 years ago and in that time, she has always been one of the most creative people I know. Through her photography, as well as her video projects, she consistently has great things going on around her (you can check out more of her stuff at http://www.intercaste.com ). Her musical tastes have always been unique, so naturally I wanted her to do a Snowprayer for me. As usual, she opened my eyes up to a few artists I've never heard before, included one of her own original songs and broke out a couple old favorites of ours from over our years of friendship. She even included a picture of her and her aunt when she was around 5 years old, standing in front of a very icey tree on Detroit's Belle Isle. NOTE: there is a bonus track at the end of this mix. Jaime wanted to put like 5 Smog songs on, but we decided that might be overkill. The bonus track was added because we couldn't find a spot for it in the mix, and she *really* wanted it included. So, we have our first hidden bonus track for Snowprayers! I've listened to this edition about 20 times since it was made, and I'm still in love with it. I, and I'm sure Jaime too, hope you love it just as much. So, thank you to Jaime! And, as always, thank you for listening.

Snowprayers edition #003 marks my first guest edition. This one comes by way of Resident Advisor's Todd Burns. I've known Todd for a few years now and while we do talk about dance music from time to time, we also talk about "the other stuff" too. When I originally decided that I was going to finally launch this series (after months and months of talking about it), I asked if he would be interested in doing one after the launch and he immediately said yes. While his quick answer made me geeked, I was even more excited to listen to the finished product... which came to my inbox less than 8 hours later. I asked him at 9:44 AM, and I had it by 5:40 PM. Here I hadn't even finished my first edition, and Todd had delivered me his! And what a mix it is. I'm pretty sure there was at least 1 track selected from each of the last 6 or 7 decades. From the likes of Gary Numan to Waylon Jennings to Fugazi to the STUNNING Dinah Washington track. He even included the only song I liked from from what I consider to be a rather overrated Wilco album. I think doing the mix must have struck a nerve with him, because if you search around the internet, you can find "Snow Prayers I - III", which is flattering to say the least. Thanks so much, Todd. And of course, to you, the listener... for listening.

Snowprayers edition #002 was done again by myself on a quiet Friday night. The date actually marked a day I had been dreading, but ultimately wasn't a big deal for me. When it started snowing as hard as it did, I knew I had to put the edition together. This one is a bit more "folk" heavy than most editions will be, I think. It was just the mood I was in. For those of you who were unfamiliar with the song at the 37:16 marker, sorry if you were trying to sleep. :) Oh, and for those unfamiliar with the last track on here... yes, that's how the song actually ends. As always, thanks for listening!

The first in what I hope will be a long running weekly series. Originally conceived as edition #000, this was meant to be an accurate representation of what the series is ultimately about. Slightly a bit more obvious than future editions, but a collection of great songs nonetheless. Some of my favorites of all time, as a matter of fact. I also released this edition a few days early for those back home in the states celebrating Thanksgiving to unwind after what can sometimes be a stressful day. Given some of the feedback received, it sounds like it was a welcome addition to quite a few peoples holiday. It's also worthy of mentioning that this edition was downloaded over 1000 times in the first week, FAR exceeding my original hope of around 80. Thank you to everyone who downloaded, listened and sang it's praises. And to those who may have been expecting something else, sorry... and thank you for giving it a shot in the first place.