I’ve never been a big fan of looking back, sure it’s comforting to reminisce about the good old times…

Hey you know everybody’s talking about the “good old days”

Everybody! The good old days

Well, let’s talk about the good old days…” – Gladys Knight

But in my mind the past does more harm than good. If you think about the past so much you’re going to constantly be ignoring what’s happening to you right now. The past is good for one thing and one thing only – educating yourself, learning from your mistakes and those of others, otherwise it should be avoided like the plauge. Your current situation is a result of your past thinking and thus your future situation will be a result of your thinking right now! However, if you keep thinking the same sh*&tty thoughts because you can’t stop thinking about the past you’re going end up with the same result. It will happen over and over and again and you’ll just be wondering why but the past is why…

Life is like a treadmill ni*#@s running in place, 

Getting no where fast, a whole year done passed…” – Jay-Z (It’s Like That)

Like I said, the value of the past is education, it’s the only way to break the pattern. Otherwise it already happened and if you really think about it, it doesn’t even exists anymore, it’s literally just in your head. My conductor, the late great Walter J. Turnbull always told us – “you’re only as good as your last show.” That always stuck and it means more to me now than ever. Think about your job, say you’ve put in years of service but if you start screwing up today it’s good bye. If you’re in a relationship, those first months or years we’re wonderful but if you stop showing love, caring to impress, to improve and always keeps things fresh things are bound to go sour…

You’re only as good as your last show” – Walter. J. Turnbull

So what does all of this have to do with LMDM? Well, if you’ve been following LMDM these years you’ll know that this ruthless forward thinking mentality is at the very nature of Steph’s mix tape series and listening to this special version inspired all these thoughts. For those unfamiliar with the series this is a great way to get to know it, here’s why

Instead of a “best of” 2011 artist and songs mix,  our end of the year mix is a compilation of the best of LMDM’s of 2011. I tried to chose one track from each month, of the past 11 LMDMs but that was tough and turned into two select tracks per month, because lets face it, 22 tracks is better than 11 and I wanted this holiday tape to be a BIG one. Every LMDM I listen back on reminds me of what I did that month and the little moments that made the month, and piled on, that made the year. …Here’s to Hec and EMPT moving to LA and to a bigger better faster stronger 2012.

That said, here’s to the future, enjoy.

Le Miel du Mois at work? That’s much better than work at work! Download

Tracklisting:

1. Dark Colour  – Don’t Let It Stop (Avril 2011)
2. Of Oceans – In Love, Not Limbo (Janvier 2011)
3. Gold Panda – You (Janvier 2011)
4. Vadoinmessico – In Spain (Fevrier 2011)
5. Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal (Fevrier 2011)
6. The Go! Team – Apollo Throwdown (Star Slinger Remix) (Mars 2011)
7. Ravens and Chimes – Division Street (Mars 2011)
8. Raleigh Moncrief – Lament for Morning (Avril 2011)
9. Siriusmo – Idiologie (Mai 2011)
10. Pepeiano – Flesh Rails (Mai 2011)
11. Hurricane Bells – The Waiting Song (Juin 2011)
12. Body Language – Social Studies (Plastic Plates Remix) (Juin 2011)
13. Chrome Sparks – Show You My Way (Juillet 2011)
14. Jonathan Johansson – Blommorna (Niva Remix)  (Juillet 2011)
15. Neon Indian – Polish Girl (Aout 2011)
16. Santogold – You’ll Find A Way (Switch and Sinden Remix) (Aout 2011)
17. M83 – Midnight City (Septembre/Octobre 2011)
18. Gauntlet Hair – Top Bunk (Septembre /Octobre 2011)
19. Brenton – Kensington System (Septembre/Octobre 2011)
20. Flight Facilities – Foreign Language ft. Jess (Personal Touch Remix)
21. Blood Orange – Sutphin Boulevard (Novembre 2011)
22. Fall in the River – Badly Drawn Boy (Novembre 2011)

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There’s a million Valentines day commercials on TV, red is everywhere and I still had no idea it was already February until Steph sent me the lastest installment of LMDM. Who can blame me though, the city’s been dark and cold for who knows how long so I’ve made it my duty to zone out on all things music.

This month Steph is a facilitator because all you want to do while listening is escape to the surreal dreamscape she creates with the song selection and sequencing. Just listening to See of Bees going to Jamie XX to Fleet Foxes will instantly change your environment and put you in an extremely relaxed, balanced and creative mindset. Don’t forget though, this is a Steph mixtape and what goes down must come up and you could start dancing at any time with little to no warning. Once again, Steph kicks it up a notch cooking up a mix fresher than the rest leading me to title Steph and LMDM as your favorite mixtape maker’s favorite mixtape, enjoy.

I discovered Sea of Bees in Rough Trade, London. The opening track on the album is Gnomes, and I thought it was perfect to open the tape with that as well. Her voice is strong and a little different and I think it sets a great tone for February’s mix. Agent A & Omae is another band I found last month that you should definitely check out more on their bandcamp and download their whole album, its amazing. I could say something about each track, but I’ll leave it at that and let you decide which are your new and maybe some old favorites..”

Le Miel du Mois at work? That’s much better than work at work! Download

Tracklisting:

1. Sea of Bees – Gnomes
2. Jamie XX – Far Nearer
3. Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
4. Foster the People – Helena Beat
5. Agent A & Omae – Breathing 2007
6. Polarsets – Morning
7. Aydio – Deltitnu
8. Slowwave – Pour
9. Wine & Cheese – Make It With You
10. The Naked & Famous – Young Blood
11. Starfucker – Born
12. Vadoinmessico – In Spain
13. Candy Claws – Catamaran
14. Tame Impala – Lucidity (Pilooski Remix)
15. Ratatat – Mi Viejo

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The Twelves have released 3 fantastic mixtapes and so far I’ve posted two and it’s been one of the most downloaded files on this site. The time has come to complete the series with yet another jewel, Episode II. Aside from Steph Lund’s Le Miel du Mois (recently crowned mixtape goddess on The Clink), I can’t say I’ve heard many mixtapes that can keep my attention for more then a song but this series has absolutely no problem accomplishing that task. I quoted my friend Ben when I posted their last mixtape and I’ll quote him again for this one,”“new 12s mixtape = predictable amazingness.” There really is nothing else to say. Here are a few bonus remixes as well, enjoy.

La Roux – In For The Kill (The Twelves Remix)

Black Kids – Hurricane Jane (The Twelves Remix)

Tracklisting: Download

1.  Zeigeist – Humanitarianism (The Twelves Remix)
2.  Radiohead – Reckoner (The Twelves Replay)
3.  Mirwais – Naive Song
4.  Of Montreal – Gronlandic Edit
5.  David E. Sugar – To Yourself
6.  The Virgins – Rich Girls (The Twelves Replay)
7.  Daft Punk – Voyager
8.  Jupiter – CHIP
9.  Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal (The Twelves Replay)
10.  Metronomy – Heartbreaker
11.  The Twelves – Works for Me (The Twelves Replay)
12.  Lykke Li – Dance Dance Dance (The Twelves Replay)

The Twelves – Episode II by etmusiquepourtous

Previous Mixtapes:

30 Minutes of Twelves

The Twelfth Hour

And you will go to Mykonos with a vision of a gentle coast and a sun to maybe dissipate shadows of the mess you made.”

Fleet Foxes – Mykonos

If you haven’t heard the Fleet Foxes – “Self Titled” album by now your being deprived of some high quality late-sixties sounding pop. These guys pack a very Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Young, Bob Dylan inspired style. The classical influence is also extremely apparent with their use of Baroque-esc harmonies and progressions, some go as far as calling it “Baroque Pop,” a term I am rather affectionate of. Here’s “White Winter Hymnal,” one of the many impressive tracks from this classic album.” Great stuff.

Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal