Smog-'Running The Loping'

This one is going to be a bit different, it's still about a track which I love, however it is not brand new and has a slightly different feel to the sort of thing I have written about before.

I came across this whilst listening to Annie Macs Sunday show on Radio 1, which is based on the pretence of music you would listen to just before the act of sleep, and I love it. Peaceful, relaxing and calming music is in my opinion the best thing in the world. It connects with me far more than another area of music, it drifts me off and puts me into a head space in which I am the master, king of my own thoughts with no interference from the outside world.

The main feature on Annie Macs Sunday show is the 'bedtime mix', in which a guest (a musician) is invited to come up with four songs that they feel are appropriate for bedtime. A couple of weeks back Jon Hopkins was invited in, a man who is multi talented and makes very organic feeling electro music. Anyway to cut a long story short it was one of the greatest bedtime mix's I've heard, but particularly one song jumped out to me and immediately I searched it out and downloaded it. That song was 'Running The Loping' by Smog aka. Bill Callahan.

What immediately stood out to me was the simplicity of the music, he uses only a few cords and very simple melodies, but his music is far deeper than the simplistic composition suggests. 'Running The Loping' leads you into Callahan's world, you are given a glimpse of his insecurities. What really struck me though and what I could relate to was he doesn't look at himself through rose tinted glasses, the simplistic nature of the music reveals a human, a man who honestly asses himself. The honesty in the track connects with me, and the simple composition lulls me into a trance, a place of peace where, without sounding too airy fairy, you connect with yourself. 

And isn't that what music is all about? The connections we feel with it, the connections it has with our past and the overriding sense of being consumed by something that we can't quite explain. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4svk_EB_TU

Ben Khan-'Eden'

This London singer-songwriter seems to have the ability to create a remarkably big sound that swells and consumes itself all at the same time. With 'Eden' though he pushes his breathy vocals to the forefront far more than previous tracks such as "Drive (part 1)". He preaches "Palms to the sky on a religious high", although the sounds within this track evoke Walter White rather than conventional religion. 

This is one of my favourite kind of musical genres, I like to think of it as 'bedroom soul'; it certainly makes perfect listening for a relaxed environment. Whenever I listen to it I find myself being consumed by the synth and guitar working and throbbing harmoniously together. If you had to give someone a one sentence description of what this track sounds like it would have to be...."Imagine if the motion of your heart made a sound". It has the contracting nature of a heart swelling and subsiding, its sound floods through your body and it does it all with ultimate confidence. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzfLnaZ6FY0

  

David Bowie- "Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Mix by James Murphy)"

Absolutely immense track, no more needs to be said really. Or should I say I can't go into the intrinsic nature of why it's musically great because I just don't know. All I can say is I think it sounds epic, the sound swells, the continuous clapping in the background give it such scope and match beautifully with the sweeping synth. F***ing amazing!

https://soundcloud.com/davidbowie/love-is-lost-hello-steve-reich

Howard Ivans- 'Red Faced boy'

Howard Ivans is rekindling some of the old funk vibes once held by bands such as Booker T. & the MG's. He is expertly helped by the lads over at Spacebomb who are trying to rekindle the funk vibe, which I have to say seems to have been very successful in this track. You certainly can see yourself getting up and 'boogying' on down with this (but hopefully in a cooler manner than 'boogying on down suggests'). I'm especially a fan of the guitar riff, which I can picture in a Starsky and Hutch chase scene!  Well worth a couple of moments of your time.

https://soundcloud.com/spacebomb/howard-ivans-red-face-boy-1

Maribou State- 'Truths feat. Jimi Nxir'

Heard this track yesterday and my days have I become a little obsessed with it! It just marries so bloody well together, the slow crooning sounds of Maribou State, two lads based in London, with the vocals of rising New York city based star Jimi Nxir. Which is pronounced Noir for those not in the know, and don't worry I am one of those; luckily I did a little bit of research and that is the only reason I have any idea how to pronounce it!

I have had this tune on repeat all day long, and I am positive you will as well.

Sampha: Dual EP...Let's get serious for a second

I wasn't really sure what this blog was going to be about when I first got it going. Was I just going to make interesting musings about various aspects of music and the musical world or was I going to review albums and songs and such like? Well I think I tried to make interesting musings; they kind of worked I guess, if you like that sort of thing. And I will continue to do that, when the moment takes me or if another 'great' idea strikes me. But I think what I really want this blog to be about is everything musical, whether that be posting a track I especially like or an EP or LP, basically musical things.

I'm no music buff, I haven't a clue about technical music terms, they baffle me! The only reason I use 'EP' and 'LP' is because they make me sound informed and knowledgable about music. Otherwise I'd probably just call an 'EP' a mini album, not something I'm proud of so we'll forget that ever happened and gloss over it. Anyway don't be scared as that is as technical as I will ever get about a piece of music! I do love music though, it speaks to me; a cliche I know but hey it just does. So all the tracks, EP's and LP's I post are things I like, things that resonate with me somehow and hopefully there will be a few that will speak to you also.

So here goes, the first grown up post this blog has made; in my head there are trumpets with a big fanfare playing. Very egotistical, but the fact I am even writing a blog is egotistical, I mean I think people actually care what I am writing about...deluded right!

Sampha, Sampha, what to say about Sampha...I am in love with his debut EP Dual, I have been in love with his music since I heard his voice on SBTRKT's self-titled LP which was released in 2011. The diversity he showed in his vocal range on that LP was immense. Why I love his EP Dual though, is it is raw, personal and from the heart. There is no pretence, you feel like your in a room alone with Sampha and he is pouring his heart out about the difficulties he has encountered. The last track on the EP especially resonates with anyone who knows the helplessness of loss, as Sampha weaves his vocals over a mournful tune with the lyrics "I can't get close to you". A song he wrote about his dad, whom he lost at the age of nine. This is a brave EP and one that I urge you all to rush out to the shops and buy, if that is too much effort though just join the technical age and buy it online. That way is a win win, you don't need to leave your home and you can listen to it immediately.

Did I get away with all that seriousness? I doubt it, it was even a bit intense for me and I was writing the dam thing!

Chicken or the egg? Or something along those lines

What came first the chicken or the egg? A debate as old as time, although one that I think has now been solved by some scientist somewhere. I believe the chicken came first, or was it the egg? I forget now and I digress. The reason I bring up the ‘chicken and the egg’ debate is I want to spark another debate, perhaps one that is far more relevant and interesting…or maybe not. But hey ho lets plow ahead with it and see what happens!

What came first the Vinyl or the iPod (other music devices are on the market, so I am reliably informed)? Oh wait it was the vinyl! Erm seems the debate is solved I guess. Or is it? Perhaps a better question to ask is which is a better way to listen to music?