STM 060 - Andrea Parker

“Secret Thirteen Mix 060” is a diverse and refined 2-hour music compilation, seamlessly weaving 51 original records into one sustained, complex whole. Accurately mixed works by influential talents such as Coil, Gescom, Nine Inch Nails, Lustmord, Photek, Autechre, and others form a subtly contrasting, evocative soundscape. Personal creations and releases from Parker’s managed label are included in this mix, strengthening the entire recording with brilliant individuality.

The author of the mix is Andrea Parker (b. 1971), a British electronic music producer, record label proprietor, and DJ from Yalding, Kent. Active since 1993, Parker has released numerous records on labels such as Quatermass, Mo' Wax, and others. After parting ways with Mo' Wax, Parker formed the Touchin' Bass imprint in 2002, releasing her own productions as well as the works of other talented artists. She is passionate about classic analogue synthesizers and drum machines, and her sound features precise rhythmical and melodic constructions. It’s also worth noting that she has remixed tracks for esteemed musicians like Steve Reich, Phillip Glass, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Daphne Oram, Depeche Mode, and many others. In 2009, Parker launched her new, more experimental label, Aperture. By following her mixes on K7's DJ Kicks series or the Nobody's Perfect trilogy, one can expect only high-quality, kaleidoscopic music that transcends time and stylistic boundaries.

“Secret Thirteen Mix 060” is a dynamic audio selection, smoothly evolving and expanding in both ideological and emotional perspectives. The mix is built on frequently shifting architectural rhythms, immense darker ambiance, and the arrangement of picturesque melodies. Parker’s thoughtful and careful mixing breaks down the boundaries between music genres, sound intentions, and different moods. It’s difficult to pinpoint each part of the mix, as the music gradually shifts across different eras, subcultures, instrumentation, and concepts. The entire selection is a masterpiece that reveals something new with every listen. Collisions among IDM, hip-hop, ambient, musique concrète, and experimental are just a few examples of what awaits inside this unpredictable mixtape.

“Secret Thirteen Mix 060” is akin to Pablo Picasso’s symbolic abstract lithograph, “Femme au fauteuil no. 4,” where raw expressionism, inspired by tribal art, offers a multitude of interpretive possibilities. It can evoke themes of nobility, mystery, science fiction, an analysis of women’s rights, or subtle confusion and subconscious insights. All this figurative imagery gracefully reflects Parker’s empathetic mix, which expresses versatility, dexterity, distinctiveness, and deep impression. There’s no doubt that Parker’s favorite records, crafted into this mix, reveal her social maturity, strong character traits, musical sophistication, and experience.