Chet Faker is one of the most prolific producers and performers of this decade. His creativity and boldness to reach for the boundaries of musical expression draws me to his music like an asteroid to Jupiter. Enjoy your wednesday weirdness, freaks.
When last have you selected an album from your music collection, chosen the first song, sat down and only listened to the music? Many of the people I’ve asked can’t remember the last time they did that. Some say that they don’t ever take the time to take in an album in it’s fullness without distraction. It’s not really a surprise. Our world is filled with all sorts of distractions and responsibilities. When people listen to music they are giving up precious time to hear it. It’s possible that this is influencing the way budding artists are releasing their works.
There’s a lot you can get done in the time it takes to listen to “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd: Text a crazy ex you were reminded of for some reason, make a paper crane, check your Facebook 5 times, drive to your local shrooms dealer, read halfway through “The Little Prince”, argue with your roommate over the significance of Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd…. The list goes on and on.
So who doesn’t listen to music and do something else at the same time? Even I multi-task while indulging in my sonic addiction. It’s not a crime to read a good book or drive to your destination of choice with your own personal sound track. Music is an enhancement of your surroundings, it fuels the feelings and memories you experience. Like smelling the perfume your old flame used to wear, music is a bookmark in your book of experiences.
Unfortunately, some people don’t think of music as an inspiration catalyst. Those people are the ones pushing in front of you at an MGMT concert only to take selfies and shout over the music to their friend about meaningless lists of the drinks they consumed or when last they saw Game Of Thrones. Those kinds of people also probably complained about MGMT’s stage presence because they don’t understand the goal of that kind of music. If I was having a conversation with a member of a band I hold in high regard I’d shut the fuck up and listen when he/she speaks. One would think that manners of that kind would translate to a crowd keeping quiet while a particularly dynamic band like MGMT is playing. Unfortunately the reality of putting more than a thousand drunk/high people in one place is that there will be noise and cultural indifference. Perhaps this is why Jack White doesn’t like playing festival gigs.
Last time I was in Cape Town I had the privilege of witnessing Mind Pool live. It was a deeply satisfying experience to hear a live set that sounded even better than their great material on Soundcloud account. You honestly have to see this band live to get the full experience. You can feel the creativity and fun emanate from the stage in their music. The drummer is as tight a bolt in a german engine block. The bassist is so much more than thick strings through some pedals, he plays live synths that melt into your ears like a Lindt chocolate. Lets not forget the main vocals which are consistent and sound effortless.
Mind Pool is definitely a band to look out for on the South African scene. Download their latest soundcloud upload for mahala before its too late!
Sometimes a dog just wants a bone.
Here’s some laid back, samplistic (I made up a word, deal with it), jazzy, mind melting and sultry weirdness for your wednesday. Amon Tobin, you are a freak but you’re awesome. His new album is out this year and it sounds super heavy and dark so if you feel like going into another dimension of jagged, rocky soundscape go check it out.
Here, have an honest trailer for “We Are Your Friends”, a movie about “inherently wealthy 20-somethings” pressing play for a living. It’s hilarious and pretty accurate. Welcome to the world of Boet Step.
No one likes that girl who you cant give a solid pat on the back without a cloud of makeup consuming the whole room…. Okay maybe some do, but those people probably know that girl for the intelligence and personality buried under inches of base and racism. Can you feel the dislike welling up for this fictional character welling up inside you? Do you feel sorry for base face? Think of that girl as a song or a band you have found online. They have the marketing, the top class recording and the radio play but when you finally see them live it’s as disappointing as coming home to find your housemate has eaten your leftover pizza. It’s a common error in our age of post production genius and technology: Raising expectations that tower over reality. This brings me to our throwback of the week by Buddy Miles.
I lost myself to the funky blues of this track more than 6 times today. It’s just so groovy. There’s so much skill in the playing of every single instrument you hear. My favourite part about this track is that it’s clearly been played live, as in all the musicians played at the same time. If one musician made a big mistake they’d have had to start the song all over again from the beginning. There weren’t computer programs to fix things after recording. What you hear is what you get. All that skill and groove came out in one beautiful take.
Todays SOTD is a beautiful tale of love and murder. I never thought a tale about such things could sound so happily nostalgic.
Kristian released a new album in May this year and it’s subtle and powerful as ever. Have a listen here.
*disclaimer* If someone plays you music by Pitbull you are allowed to tell them to fuck off. Okay? Sweet, here we go…
Resist the urge to fully explain why your soul shrivels every time to hear said song/artist/’unfinished production’.
Even if it’s a lie/half-truth; tell the person what you like about it. Avoid making the half-ass compliment into a disguised insult.
Wrong: “I like how you made that guitar sound so dissonant, dude…. OH that’s just your playing style… right.”
Right: “I like that one sound that happened just there” (when in doubt use ambiguity)
Then drop the hint that you’re not into it. Be gentle.
Wrong: “Dude this song makes me feel like Mugabe is taking a dump in my ear.”
Right: “This isn’t really my style hey.”
If they try and show you another song in the same style to try and convert you, humour them. A quality of one who has taste in music is one who listens objectively. If someone tries to get you into Beck and you hate him because they showed you a song from ‘Stereopathic Soulmanure’ you missed out, man.
After you have been shown the music you now want to avoid forever, you can stop the aural torture by requesting to show your weird/commercially brainwashed friend some music that you like. It’s only fair.
All clichés, things, relationships, holidays, tours and lives come to an end. Even your favourite song has to end. The beauty of music is that it can be played again… and again… and again… and again… until you realise you’ve been listening to the same soppy, nostalgic refrain for a day/week/month. I’ve noticed how utterly different it is listening to music in a new state of mind. Your favourite happy song can become annoying, Eagles Of Death Metal turns innocent (sexual frustration ain’t nothin’ but a thang), your Like Clockwork album doesn’t seem as dark as it was initially and it starts describing your entire being. At least that’s how I think of it.
I feel like it’s important to embrace the emotion that amplifies your musical experience. If your favourite song starts speaking loudly to your heart/mindset it means you’re getting clues about where your head is at. Sometimes it’s the only way I know there is something truly wrong or right going on in my mind. More importantly, it makes me feel alive and coherent. The music that hits home hardest is like an emotional intelligence boost. If I feel sad or angry I would much rather have a clear understanding of where those emotions come from. Instead of stumbling around blind and alone in the emotionally dark places that we all inevitably find ourselves in, we can find a friend and a guide in the music that feeds off our emotion. It shines a harsh light on the problems you’re avoiding and forces you to start accepting reality and deal with the problem. The best part about accepting reality is moving forward to the place where happier music starts driving you and inspiring you again.
So what music should you listen to when you’re newly single? It depends on how you feel about it. Just don’t be scared of the music that shows you where you went wrong. Embrace the catharsis, identify with your favourite artist and let the music flow even when it harmonises with your adversity.
With that said, here’s some blues for your Monday. Enjoy your week, lovers.