At Centuries of Sound I am making mixes for every year of recorded sound. The download here is a cut-down 60 minute mix, for the full 180-minute version please come to centuriesofsound.com to stream, or patreon.com/centuriesofsound for downloads and a host of other bonus materials for just $5 per month.

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The crash has happened, then, the music industry has gone down with the Dow, and there’s no sign of anyone reviving it. I therefore approached this year with low expectations. Perhaps we would have music of the standard of say 1925, just with higher production standards. I was wrong.

1925 is still a good year to look to though, these two mixes are linked by a common thread; Russian documentary film-maker Dziga Vertov. As the cut-up sound collages he made in 1925 influenced the jagged sound of that year’s mix, so a series of samples from his documentary “Enthusiasm” – along with pieces from Walter Ruttman’s pioneering audio montage “Wochenende” – form the backbone of this also fairly harsh / jagged mix.

This time, however, the explosion in sound film has given me a lot more in terms of audio samples to cut up and push together. By “a lot more” I mean that the diverse qualities and sheer volume of source material which has gone into this mix made it feel like a huge project on its own. I feel like I’ve just lived through 1930. It was a fascinating time, this might well be the best mix I’ve made, but I also feel exhausted and emotionally drained by the experience. I am confident that this feeling doesn’t come through in the mix, by the way.

Normally here I would write a longer blurb, but this time, well, sorry, that’s it, but here’s the music, go listen to it.

Tracklist

0:00:21 MGM Studios – Lion’s Roar0:00:27 Groucho Marx – Animal Crackers (Excerpt 1)0:00:29 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 1)0:00:37 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 1)0:00:50 Louis Armstrong – Dear Old Southland0:04:05 James Sibley Watson – Tomatos Another Day (Excerpt 1)0:04:08 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 2)0:04:25 Jonuzi Me Shoket – Vome Kaba0:05:23 M. Nguyen Van Minh-Con – Nam Nhi-Tu0:06:09 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 2)0:06:24 Irving Mills Hotsy Totsy Gang – Deep Harlem0:08:04 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 3)0:08:16 George Bernard Shaw – New Talk To Movietone (Excerpt 1)0:08:34 Big Bill Broonzy – Hip Shakin’ Strut0:11:29 Groucho Marx and Margaret Dumont – Animal Crackers (Excerpt 2)0:11:45 Barbecue Joe and his Hot Dogs – Tar Paper Stomp (Wingy’s Stomp)0:13:30 Jean Harlow – Hells Angels (Excerpt 1)0:13:46 Lucille Bogan – They Ain’t Walking No More0:15:45 James Sibley Watson – Tomatos Another Day (Excerpt 2)0:16:02 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 3)0:16:06 Cyganska Orchestra Stefana – Cyganske Vesilia, Pt. 40:17:23 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 4)0:17:46 Lotte Lenya – Alabama Song0:19:10 Marlene Dietrich – Blue Angel Screentest (Excerpt 1)0:19:15 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 5)0:19:30 Marlene Dietrich – Falling In Love Again0:21:03 Marlene Dietrich – Ich Bin Von Kopf Biss Fuss0:22:29 Marlene Dietrich – Blue Angel Screentest (Excerpt 2)0:22:31 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 6)0:22:54 Louis Davids – Kleine Man (soundtrack)0:23:48 Albert Einstein – Einstein Speaks (1930 Movietone Moment)0:23:58 Comedian Harmonists – Wochenend Und Sonnenschein0:25:06 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 7)0:25:15 Lotte Lenya – Denn wie man sich bettet, so liegt man0:27:17 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 8)0:27:31 Joe Venuti – Wild Dog0:28:55 British Pathe – The Greatest Road Race Ever! (Excerpt 1)0:29:00 Casa Loma Orchestra – San Sue S0:30:57 British Pathe – Giant British Air Liner (Excerpt 1)0:31:06 Fletcher Henderson – Chinatown My Chinatown0:32:59 Unknown Performers – Unknown (Cantonese)0:33:08 Nai Po & Thai Royal Page Military Brass Band – Pleng Khrawp Chakara Wan Thao Tawn Abu Hassan Taeng Ngan0:34:42 Mr. Muean & Ms. Aet, The Sak Som Peo Ensemble – Srey Sroh Mien Thrung0:36:00 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 4)0:36:17 Jimmie Davis – Doggone That Train0:37:42 British Pathe – Giant British Air Liner (Excerpt 2)0:37:56 Jimmie Rodgers – Hobo Bill’s Last Ride0:40:27 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 5)0:40:35 Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers – Money Never Runs Out0:42:13 Edward G. Robinson – Little Caesar (Excerpt 1)0:42:23 Cab Calloway and His Orchestra – The Viper’s Drag0:45:42 Greta Garbo – Anna Christie (Excerpt 1)0:45:56 The Jungle Band – Tiger Rag (Part II)0:47:23 Groucho Marx – Animal Crackers (Excerpt 3)0:47:25 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 6)0:47:29 Askari Wa K.A.R. Ya Sita (6th K.A.R.) – Kofia Nyekundu0:49:24 Mbaruk Talsam – Comic Sketch0:50:21 Richard Ábé Brown Band – Bārā Sānābo Bārā0:51:35 John Gilbert – Speech in front of the court in Redemption (Excerpt 1)0:51:42 Caluza’s Double Quartet – Imini Ifikile0:52:47 Blind Willie Johnson – John The Revelator0:54:31 Rev. D.C. Rice – We Got the Same Kinda Power Over Here0:56:31 Elder Curry – Memphis Flu0:58:31 Holy Ghost Sanctified Singers – Thou Carest Lord, For Me0:59:16 James A Fitzpatrick – Movie Horoscope (Excerpt 1)0:59:25 Jack Hylton – Great Day1:00:45 Santa Claus – Meets Calvin Coolidge1:00:57 Paul Whiteman – Ragamuffin’ Romeo1:02:39 Elinor Glyn – Explains IT! (Excerpt 1)1:02:57 Ethel Waters – Three Little Words1:05:51 Anne Sullivan – Newsreel Footage1:06:01 Jack Payne BBC Dance Orchestra – My Baby Just Cares For Me1:07:17 Jack Payne BBC Dance Orchestra – Will Anybody Here Have A Drink?1:08:55 GrigoraÈ Dinicu – Ca Pe Luncă1:11:29 Greta Garbo – Anna Christie (Excerpt 2)1:11:32 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 9)1:11:53 Josephine Baker – J’ Ai Deux Amours1:13:26 Lucienne Boyer – Dans La Fumée1:15:26 British Pathe – Great Danes (Excerpt 1)1:15:47 Maurice Chevalier – Livin’ In The Sunlight1:17:54 Georgius – Je suis blasé1:19:33 Pola Illéry & Albert Préjean – Sous les toits de Paris1:19:45 Ruth Etting – Ten Cents A Dance1:21:57 James Sibley Watson – Tomatos Another Day (Excerpt 3)1:22:14 Boswell Sisters – That’s What I Like About You1:24:13 Charles Farrell – Love Scene from Liliom (Excerpt 1)1:24:24 Luis Russell & His Orchestra – Panama1:27:40 Laurel & Hardy – Scene from The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (Excerpt 1)1:27:47 Ben Tobier And His California Cyclones – Hot And Heavy1:30:15 President Cosgrave – British Pathe Newsreel (Excerpt 1)1:30:29 Fred Astaire – Puttin On The Ritz1:32:02 British Pathe & Albert Einstein – Relatively Speaking … He’s Delighted!1:32:13 Ben Selvin – Happy Days Are Here Again1:34:06 Robert Montgomerie – The Big House (Excerpt)1:34:10 Memphis Jug Band – Cocaine Habit Blues1:36:56 Reichsprassident Von Hindenburg – Am Rhein! Aka Reichsprafident (Excerpt 1)1:37:07 Chuck Darling – Blowing Blues1:37:54 Dilly and his Dill Pickles – Pickin’ Off Peanuts1:39:21 Emmett Miller – Sam’s New Job (Excerpt)1:39:37 Yank Rachel With Sleepy John Estes & Jab Jones – Sweet Mama1:41:12 Greta Garbo – Anna Christie (Excerpt 3)1:41:15 Mississippi Bracey – You Scolded Me And Drove Me1:42:59 British Pathe – The Fastest Game In The World1:43:09 Roy Harvey & Jess Johnson – Jefferson Street Rag1:45:18 Calvin Coolidge – Meets Santa Claus1:45:28 Lil McClintock – Don’t Think I’m Santa Claus1:46:32 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 10)1:46:47 Son House – My Black Mama, Pt. 1 & 21:48:41 Willie Walker – South Carolina Rag1:50:56 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 6)1:51:25 Walter Page – Blue Devil Blues1:54:07 Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan – 1930 Newsreel Footage (Excerpt 2)1:54:35 Carmen Miranda – Deixa Disso1:55:35 James A Fitzpatrick – Movie Horoscope (Excerpt 2)1:55:44 Orquesta Tipica Porteña – Esponjita1:56:50 British Pathe – Soccer Again1:56:57 California Rambers – The Peanut Vendor1:59:24 British Pathe – Great Danes (Excerpt 2)1:59:30 Joe Venuti’s Blue Four – Raggin’ The Scale2:00:40 George Bernard Shaw – New Talk To Movietone (Excerpt 2)2:00:57 Fritz Kreisler – Liebesleid (Kreisler) (Love’s Sorrow)2:02:07 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 11)2:02:37 Llaqi Me Llautte – Havazi I Dy Motrave2:03:20 Norma Shearer & Chester Morris – The Divorcee (Excerpt 1)2:03:54 Madame Hafize & Selim – Sta Triya (Treshe (In Three) Dance)2:04:21 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 7)2:04:39 James Sibley Watson – Tomatos Another Day (Excerpt 4)2:04:53 King Oliver – Mule Face Blues2:07:46 Groucho Marx and Margaret Dumont – Animal Crackers (Excerpt 4)2:08:06 Bix Beiderbecke Orchestra – I’ll Be A Friend With Pleasure2:09:39 Red Nichols & His Five Pennies – Bug-A-Boo2:12:47 British Pathe – The Greatest Road Race Ever! (Excerpt 2)2:12:53 Louis Armstrong – St. Louis Blues2:13:56 Cab Calloway – St. Louis Blues2:16:03 Charles Farrell – Love Scene from Liliom (Excerpt 2)2:16:04 Frankie Trumbauer & His Orchestra – Get Happy2:18:28 Groucho Marx – Animal Crackers (Excerpt 5)2:18:33 James P Johnson – Jingles2:20:30 Jack Payne BBC Dance Orchestra – Any Rags Bottles Or Bones2:21:02 A.A. Gray & Seven Foot Dilly – Streak of Lean, Streak of Fat2:22:14 Greta Garbo – Anna Christie (Excerpt 4)2:22:17 Jimmie Rodgers – Those Gambler’s Blues2:24:58 John Gilbert – Speech in front of the court in Redemption (Excerpt 2)2:25:09 Geeshie Wiley – Last Kind Words Blues2:26:23 Edward G. Robinson – Little Caesar (Excerpt 2)2:26:31 Giftiddle Jim – Paddlin’ Blues2:29:43 Laurel & Hardy – Scene from The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (Excerpt 2)2:29:51 Charley Patton – High Water Everywhere (part 1)2:31:41 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 12)2:32:05 Delta Big Four – We All Gonna Face The Rising Sun2:33:03 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 8)2:33:11 Cheikha Tetma – Guenene Tini2:33:28 Urbano A. Zafra & Mauro Baradi – Danza Filipina2:35:02 Elinor Glyn – Explains IT! (Excerpt 2)2:35:12 Sak Som Peo Ensemble – Phleng Boran2:37:02 James Sibley Watson – Tomatos Another Day (Excerpt 5)2:37:15 Los Jardineros – Conversacion2:38:24 George Bernard Shaw – New Talk To Movietone (Excerpt 3)2:38:32 António Landeiro – Variações Sobre o Fado Corrido Em Ré Maior2:39:50 Jean Harlow – Hells Angels (Excerpt 2)2:39:55 Fred Rich – I Got Rhythm (vocal Smith Ballew)2:42:21 Charles Farrell – Love Scene from Liliom (Excerpt 3)2:42:33 The Jungle Band – Mood Indigo2:44:46 Reichsprassident Von Hindenburg – Am Rhein! Aka Reichsprafident (Excerpt 2)2:44:50 Barbecue Joe and his Hot Dogs – Tin Roof Blues2:45:36 Missourians – Swingin’ Dem Cats2:47:00 Bennie Moten – Bouncin’ Round2:48:15 President Cosgrave – British Pathe Newsreel (Excerpt 2)2:48:20 Joe Venuti – I’ve Found A New Baby2:51:14 James Sibley Watson – Tomatos Another Day (Excerpt 6)2:51:28 Willie Brown – Future Blues2:52:58 Bayless Rose – Jamestown Exhibition2:54:45 Groucho & Zeppo Marx – Animal Crackers (Excerpt 6)2:54:50 The Deauville Syncopators – Cheerful Little Earful2:56:36 Elinor Glyn – Explains IT! (Excerpt 3)2:56:55 Helen Kane – How Are You?2:57:41 Newsreel – Hells Angels Premiere2:58:00 Dziga Vertov – Enthusiasm! The Dombass Symphony (Excerpt 9)2:58:14 Julius Meytuss – Dnieprostroi, The Dnieper Hydro-electric Power Station2:59:17 Walter Ruttmann – Wochende (Excerpt 13)2:59:36 Leopold Stokowski and The Philadelphia Orchestra – 1812 Overture Op. 493:00:39 George Bernard Shaw – New Talk To Movietone (Excerpt 4)3:00:57 Ben Bernie – Au Revoir Pleasant Dreams3:02:30 Lewis Milestone – All Quiet on the Western Front (Excerpt)