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Quietus Mix 004: Oneida Celebrate The Ocropolis
Luke Turner , November 29th, 2010 08:27

Stop the clocks, time is of no import - Oneida unleash fantastic mix

At this weekend's All Tomorrow's Parties down in Minehead, one of the highlights is sure to be Oneida's reconstruction of their Ocropolis studio at Butlins. They're inviting all musicians at ATP to come and join them for "a documented concentration of the experience of Oneida's Ocropolis", where "Oneida will perform continuously throughout the day, sometimes with guests from the rich array of musicians also performing in the festival, sometimes alone and mostly improvised." It's a jam, Jim, but not as we know it.

To commemorate this auspicious event, the Quietus asked Oneida (who are, after all, one of our very favourite American bands) to curate number four in our fast-becoming-infamous mix series. Oneida member Showtime (known to his gran as Shahin, also of Ex Models) stood up to the plate and has delivered a blinder that goes from the O themselves, via Missy Elliot, the Wu, Chris & Cosey, Led Zep, Jah Division, Boredoms and well what the hell, just read Shahin's words below and settle down to listen to this smoker.

"So this is it... nothing too too deep, but you get a good meal. If you were to get yourself a little canoe or other sea-bearing craft and drag Lake Ocropolis with your face (eyes closed, ears open), these days you'd drag up some of this. If it's not Oneida (and 98 percent of it isn't) it's some other group or combo one or more of us plays in, or with, (or around), a group we've recorded in our studio or toured with, or simply a recording or a moment or a personality many of us find inspiring. Actually, I'd wager everything in here has inspired at least one decision we've made since we built the Ocropolis.

There is a sign perched on the upright piano immediately to the left of the entrance to our studio. It reads:

ABSOLUTE I Quality Means Conformance to Requirements

Let that be a lesson to no one, xo Showtime