Dummy Mix 185 // RocketNumberNine

RocketNumberNine are two brothers, drummer Tom Page and synthesist Ben Page, who are mutually obsessed with the more ballistic end of jazz, motorik rhythms and primal grooves and cosmic rock music.

RocketNumberNine releasd debut album 'You Reflect Me' in 2008, but they only really started to infiltrate the wider consciousness this year. A meeting with Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet, while working with late jazz drummer Steve Reid, led to Hebden collaborating with the band – initially on 2010 single Matthew & Toby but more notably on this year's Roseland/Metropolis 12", the two tracks produced by Hebden and mixed by Floating Points. In July, RockNumberNine released their new album 'MeYouWeYou' through Smalltown Supersound.

As for the future, the duo are currently touring that while working as Neneh Cherry's backing band on her forthcoming, Hebden-produced album. In this Dummy Mix, RN9 have cycled through some of their influences, pulling up dusty tracks from their record collection from the likes of Can and Don Cherry to Detroit electro hero Anthony "Shake" Shakir, Autechre and James Holden's newest album.

Hi RN9, how's it going?

RocketNumberNine: "It's going great thanks – preparing for our live shows."

How did you record this mix?

RocketNumberNine: "The mix was a game of two halves. One of us did the first part and the other did the second – we'll leave you to guess who did which."

If you had to pick any one track on this mix that has a particularly strong memory for you, what would it be?

RocketNumberNine: "Michael D Donnelly – Behind The Laburnum. Because he's our best mate, we've grown up together and he's an amazing bass player. We played together in Rothko and collaborate on Elite Barbarian. This is from his first solo album due in early September. Well done, Michael."

Have you had time to relax since your album came out?

RocketNumberNine: "Relax?! RN9 don't do relaxation…"

How are the Neneh Cherry sessions going?

RocketNumberNine: "The sessions with Neneh have been a musical highlight for us – the album is in the bag, and we're looking forward to the next part of the adventure. Sometimes when we've been rehearsing together in Walthamstow (yeah, Walthamstow…), we look across at Miss Cherry and really do have to slap ourselves! She's the best."

Do you still have any sibling rivalries?

RocketNumberNine: "Sibling rivalries? Well, we're very different beasts that speak different languages. There's lots of respect but also enough wariness and miscommunication to keep the tension dangerously high most of the time – which is good for the RN9 sound."

Tracklist:

The Avalanches – Thankyou Caroline (Andy Votel Remix)
James Holden – The Caterpillar's Intervention
Theo Parrish and Tony Allen – Day Like This
Don Cherry – Terrestrial Beings
Can – Oscura Primavera
Echospace – Celestialis
Anthony "Shake" Shakir – Electron Rider
Elektro Guzzi – Vertical Axis
Michael D Donnelly – Behind The Laburnum
Elite Barbarian – Buckle Vs Knot
Autechre – Bladelores

Smalltown Supersound released 'MeYouWeYou' on July 30th.