Every so often you hear a song and think, “Oh shit, more people need to hear this.” These are a few of those songs.
Tyler:
I have always really enjoyed this track by Broadcast. Its percussion with the bongos and layers of motorik and jazzy drumming gets me going every time. They really channel Neu! in this, and they do it so well. “Drums on Fire” is on their Ep “Extended Play Two”, I recommend getting both Extended Play One and Two, both Eps are excellent. Put this track on with some really good speakers , sit in a nice listening chair, close your eyes and feel the groovy bass lines blend nicely with the drive of the beats.
Brenan:
This one is simply just one of the most beautiful and emotionally crushing songs I've ever heard. Its so bare, yet probably one of the biggest sounding songs Kevin Shields has ever recorded. The best/worst part is, almost no one has heard it. Kevin Shields wrote it for a ballet in late 90's, and it's since just sat, undiscovered until very recently. I'm actually very surprised that more people haven't heard it. So listen to it! Do your self a favor and put this in your head. Then spread the gospel.
Theres a balance and a handshake between the emotional intent of an artist and the aesthetic medium in which he displays it. A purely aethetic look into any medium whether it be music, art, film etc will be transparent, trendy and forgotten. But the honesty, consideration and patience that William Basinksi demonstrates with his Disintegration Loops is what more musicians should strive to be. There's no attention paid to trend, no consideration to the listeners background, patience, or musical priority. His statement is strong and clear, and he understands the most evocative medium to exhibit it in. His decaying cassette tapes are gorgeous to listen to, his samples are the saddest things you'll ever hear and he inspires me more than anyone else right now. So go lay down and listen to this.
Miguel:
Ok, its this simple why this is great, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schnieder (Kraftwerk) with drummer Klaus Dinger (Neu!). 1970 Dinger played for them for some of there more prog experimental stuff, that album being Kraftwerk 1. With Dinger, it has some of that Neu! drum style, that kind of drums that drive with the rhythm, and with a pulse. Then there is the crazy fuzzed out synth in the latter half with all its psyched out dissonance, just earcandy for me. Ahead of its time. I even heard about Kraftwerk in their earlier years, the sound techs hated them because they would blow out P.A.s, just too much sound for the P.A.s to handle at that
time in technology. Hilarious.
OK, here is a song I have always admired, and it took a bit before I found this one, because it's not on a single or album, but boy howdy, it's real good. This track is on a compilation 'Dimension Mix', a tribute to Dimension 5 records. Full of jazz driven syncopation, kraut guitars jarring droney chords, sampling, analog synths that are all fx driven that wiggle back and forth from speaker to speaker(ping pong) that make you dizzy in the best of senses. Some of the best panning play you can find, at least to my knowledge. Great music to play at yr party at yr space age bachelor pad. Make sure you listen with headphones on, or make sure you keep them ears pointed at each speaker, you don't wanna miss it.
Nagy:
I chose this piece due to Vangelis' haunting synth patches which create a haunting atmosphere. Blade Runner Blues is a song scored for the Blade Runner movie and reflects the main character's depressive state. The overlying pad is a constant backdrop for the blues style lead synth while stringed instruments and carefully placed electric piano fill out the rest of the composition. Vangelis gives each of his synths a special character, and they feel appropriate when placed altogether. This song has influenced me in how I program my atmospheric synth-scapes, considering the rest of the instrumentation and how it will compliment all of the parts.
Quin:
I tend to find beauty in organized chaos. Coltrane somehow managed to fit everything I love about music into this song. I find myself revisiting this song at least once or twice a month for inspiration and motivation.
Jetman Jet Team's album We Will Live the Space Age is available now from Saint Marie Records.
