ShadowPlay editor and blog host Alex Lawson picks his discs

As vanity projects go, recording your own Desert Isolation Discs podcast is right up there. But nonetheless, here's your blogging host Alex Lawson's eight tunes he would save from the wreckage of a freak sky diving accident. Tom Bonnett manfully steps in as host.

Please click the Mixcloud play button below for the full interview with song clips. The songs in full are below that in the form of Youtube videos.

Desert Isolation Discs: Alex Lawson by Alex Lawson on Mixcloud

1. David Bowie - Jean Genie

Alex says: "The Jean Genie is a fantastically weird song that only David Bowie could write. He describes a bizarre character against the background of a thumping riff and leaves you all too soon after a couple of minutes."

2. Victoria Wood - The Ballad of Barry and Freda

Alex says: "It's got the essence of that classic British humour like being beaten on the bottom with a Woman's Weekly. I can't believe she recalls all these crazy lines in such a short time but it's just glorious." 

3. Atmosphere - The Woman with the Tattooed Hands

Alex says: "I always love the juxtaposition of low key hip-hop and piano, it always works together well. Slug carries this off perfectly." 

4. Bob Dylan - Desolation Row

Alex says: "We all know what a great lyricist Bob Dylan is and we all know he can put things together in a clever manner but this is so sprawling and has so many stories within stories. I can imagine sitting there in the desert analysing every line." 

5. Clare & the Reasons - Pluto

Alex says: "It's basically a letter to Pluto to say chin up, it's ok and we still love you. It's such a clever idea which I wish I'd had but you just have to hold your hands up and say it's fantastic." 

6. Buck 65 - Wicked & Weird

Alex says: "He's a complete genius. There's so much pin ache in how he talks about music and life. This is brilliant, it's got a brilliant squelchy beat and I know every word."

7. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Tere Bina

Alex says: "This is a really emotional song which brings about a lot when you listen to it. I don't think enough people could ever listen to this song in the world."

8. Freddie Scott - (You) Got What I Need

Alex says: "We used to play this towards the end of the night at Come Get Felt Up. There's no one you can sing this in the face of that they don't think you're the person you think most in the world of. And it's lots of fun." 

Journalist, DJ and broadcaster Tom Bonnett picks his discs

Mr Tom Bonnett is our first guest on Desert Isolation Discs as he tells us which eight tracks he would save from the wreckage when stranded in the desert after a freak hang gliding accident. 

A journalist, DJ and broadcaster, Tom allows us into his world from the Cambridge hip-hop scene to the machinations of the media. Please click the Mixcloud link below for the full interview with song clips. The songs in full are below that.

Desert Isolation Discs: Tom Bonnett by Alex Lawson on Mixcloud

1. Elan Mehler - Elvis Presley Blues

Tom says: "It's quite a somber track but makes me so so happy and almost clears my mind and de-stresses me."

 

2. Ken Boothe - Memories

Tom says: "It's got a really nice, kind of swinging almost pendulum like top end on it that swishes back and forth across it on top of a really tough beat." 



3. Roots Manuva - Movements (live)

Tom says: "I think it's a really really fantastic track, lyrically, musical and it was a huge turning point in my listening."




4. Smog - Hit the Ground Running



5. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones



6. Matthew Dear - Don & Cherri (Hot Chip remix)

Tom says: "I used to DJ this when I first got my decks and I still love it." 




7. LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great 

Tom says: "It's quite an emotional song for me, so why not?"



8. Lord Tanamo - I'm in the Mood for Love 

Welcome to Desert Isolation Discs

Desert Isolation Discs aims to capture the essence of the people we interview through their music choices. We talk to creative types and music lovers about what eight songs they could not live without if stranded in a desert in a comfortable if lonely situation. We also allow them a mystery luxury item. 

We're very keen to receive contributions so if you would like to interview a friend and send an audio file, or submit your own list, please email shadowplayfanzine[at]hotmail[dot]com or tweet Alex at @alexshadowplay

This blog and podcast are an original production. Any resemblance to real radio shows, particularly on the fourth BBC station, is purely coincidental. The songs are shortened in recorded versions for rights reasons.