Well here we are again, my first go on a tenth instalment of something that increases its gravitas with every version, every event in our lives has an impact on the selections and every gap or quick succession could have some great meaning, or indeed none at all. I think you Kev may have had an inkling of what this could be from the get go, or at least you saw its potential, for me not so much from the beginning but now im starting to see it I think. Maybe it needed a deeply human tragedy viewed from outside to give me the perspective it needed, or maybe its just where im at but while I always knew this was good, right now im thinking it could be whole lot more than that. But then again lets not get too anal about it, this is music and important as it is to us all, not least for its powers of rejuventaion and possibly even redemption but people are so much more so. But when you can share music constantly with two good friends, over such a timespan and possibly more, and its all recorded for posterity then there is something unique about that. Joy and pain, ups and downs, smiles and frowns - its all recorded here from time to time and in the intervening places just some great music that means nothing more than the love of a good melody, or bassline or even a surprising 'snap' in a top twenty record of all time (bold claim there Hodge, but you got your knackers out and slapped them on the line so fair play to you for that) then those moments are visceral and to be cherished.
Ok, like the man says, onwards and upwards - Hodge great to have you back, I always knew you would be, the darkness doesnt last forever thank fuck and while no-one can tell anyone else how they could or should deal with the dark parts of life we all have, I know that good music plays a big part for all three of us - it was the initial tie that bound us after all. The previous 10:
Sugar Daddy - love this to be honest, got a real feel of late 90's deep(ish) house about it, great bassline, real dark club feel about it - especially with that seductive vocal.
Bike - how chilled is this record ? Doesnt do an awful lot for me but would be great background music at an appropriate time - very nice.
Snooze 4 Love - the big chill continues here - again this is background music for me, its very nice but doesnt get the blood rushing in - but then again I guess it isnt meant to !
Relax - nice mix of this tune, although one gripe in the production is it seems 'cut and paste'd at times when it builds up to the end of a bar with a big whoosh and then just cuts off, which I found a bit jarring. This was the early 80s though so I guess things were different then... great use of the major chords though
Save a Prayer - always liked this tune, nice selection - never a big nu romantic but I heard a shut up and dance tune called 'mourning after' that used the chorus to great affect
Duw its hard / A whole world of opportunity / My Hero
Im not really going to comment on these tracks Hodge, I think its a deeply personal thing and to be honest what I think of the music is completely irrelevant as I simply cannot grasp the deeper meaning they have for you, apart from My Hero I guess - I bet the acoustic version was stunning. A wonderful tribute Ben.
Somebody that I Used to Know - you're right this is everywhere, the first time I heard it I couldnt believe it was so popular, but it was a grower and I get it now. A nice inclusion - a very cool tune.
Still Here - This is lush melancholy to me, I think thats fair. Absolutely top notch production, a track that takes its time and is in no way rushed, I'd imagine Kev loves this. I think its nice, but again I'd need to be in the right mood to really appreciate it.
Ok my next 5:
Straight Up and Down - HBO continue to select cracking tracks for their best series, this is the title to 'Boardwalk Empire' which im absolutely loving - those opening chords that they thankfully keep returning to rather than bridging are IMMENSE. I could listen to that all day.
Sweet Dreams / Fortitude / Slow - ok I thought a lot about whether to include these 3 as we have had loads of Moby, but he only went and released 'Destroyed - Deluxe' and I couldnt believe there was so much quality still to come. So I though, what should I showcase on Spot - it should be tunes that should be on there that the others might know, it could be the state of our lives, or it could just be the tunes that are rocking your world right now - and these 3 have been on heavy rotation for about 6 weeks and I still love them. Im not going to say anything about the individual tracks but there are some truly magnificent moments on there to these ears. Moby and I are on exactly the same wavelength I would say. Wonderful stuff.
Outro - When you go tot he cinema as much as I do (saw 'The Raid' last night, which was excellent) then you see the latest red bull advert a lot and its hugely uplifting, and uses this track to great affect, so it had to be on here, although it could use the language over the top that they had in the ad as its spine tingling in places "You are the world champion - enjoy it" being the best. But its plenty sufficent on its own. As good as 'lower your eyelids' ? Maybe...
One love
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Saturday, 19 May 2012
DHS 10 - Part 2 (H)
Gentlemen,
My apologies for a rather protracted period of time between the last addition, S's commencement of the X List, and my susbequent posting.
A lot has changed - I remember chomping at the bit because I had the perfect line up ready to go, almost directly after the list opened - then Spot removed one of my top 10 tracks of all time and it totally threw me off course! Then some pretty horrific events occurred and to be honest, I've barely opened my music laptop at all for a month. Time to press on now. Being good pals and understanding folk, I trust you won't begrudge me the use of this forum as a cathartic exercise, kind of an 'open letter' almost.... If anything below doesn't make sense to you, apologies...to be honest you can just ignore/disregard it and press on with the last two selections!.... Writing all this down is as helpful to me as anything else thus far - and there is no need to pass comment on the tunes at all, unless they particualrly grab you and you feel compelled to. I did originally have all 5 linked in for this but I've brought myself out of the darkness and realised that you can't get caught in the mire for too long, nor would anyone want you to. Life moves fast and you gotta keep up and enjoy the ride whilst remembering the good things.
I'm ahead of myself. A swift look back:-
End of no.9
Well, Ice Cube, P.E and Ice T played a pretty big part in my life as a kid so I'm very familiar with all three. Ice Cube "Death Cert" was always a big LP for me - then Predator came out and for a while that and Dre's "The Chronic" were all that got played on (banned) walkmans in the basketball courts at school. BIG fan of both the PE tracks - Chuck's flow remains original to this day... quite hard to grasp as a young'un (let alone the political themes!) but just immensely original hip hop performed with class. Ice T - classic...Another use of horror movie music in one of his tracks - and fittingly so... seem to remember a track which uses music from Exorcist(not sampled but replayed)... anyway this is great storytelling rap with realistic spoken word as well as lyrics . Had a huge impact this tune - made you realise how dark 'the pen' must be in the US.
Start of X
Got back into Sugar Daddy through listening to the PVD remix when trance was big in the late 90's. Great tune - original is proper epic.
Bike sounds as relevant today as it did when it got released. Had totally forgotten this LP - lovely to hear again.
Snooze4Love - have taken off my potentials list! 'Nuff said. Lush opening - hooked after first listen on Sasha's mixmag freebie cd.
FGTH - surely one of the most internationally known records ever made?! Class
DD - never EVER tire of hearing that opening. A cracking record in every sense. The chorus is just immense... brings back some absolutely comedy memories from uni for me :)
Okay - deep breath here goes.
RIP Carter 20.09.1979 - 07.04.2012:-
Boyce - I don't think anyone at the club will ever forget you and Titch singning this at the end of season drink-up. Pure class.
9's - I know we shouldn't have regrets, but not seeing you lot play this album out in Camden for the first time is one of mine... This is probably my fave track. Feel a bit melancholic about it now considering the title...Gone but not forgotten; your voice is always there when we need you.
FF - Paddy played the most beautiful and heartbreaking acoustic version of this for you as you left the service mate. Never a more fitting send off song. Kills me hearing it now, but I know its good for me.
Keep a Magners on ice for me, brother....See you on the other side, Angry.
Onwards and upwards:-
Gotye - an exorcism of sorts!! Heard it back end of last year, loved the quirky track and vocals... didn't get chance to scribble it down and then recently heard it on radio and now...... ITS EVERYWHERE!! I stand by it being a beautiful record and I think a lot of people can relate to the lyrics/choice of phrasing.
*HEADPHONES ON PLEASE*
Claro Intelecto - get out the foil, lighter and belt ready. I can't leave this alone. I first heard it on Mothersole's latest Proton mix... second track... gripped me by the short ones and didn't let go - it got mixed out, I skipped back and listened again, and again - then went to Spot and bugger me if it wasn't already on there.... cue loop listens for periods approaching an hour at a time whilst nodding off to sleep. Utterly beautiful. Simple lead melody - yet so well crafted.... the percussion arrangment alone is absolutely knock out (the first 'snap' literally almost did knock me out - spine tingling), the drum that turns out to form part of that stupidly hypnotic bassline.... To be frank; I would have been quite happy if the entire 7 minutes 18 seconds were like the first 2 minutes 20 seconds - but oh no, the elongated synth/string lines get brought forward and just make you melt.... lest I forget the pen tap sound in the latter part which morphs into a cymbal then everything dropped back in for the finish. I love this record so much that I actually hate it....I couldn't work out why at first.... then I realised it was simply this: If I could ever make music, if I could ever articulate musically any of my ideas or thoughts or feelings; this is EXACTLY how I would want it to sound. It's the central section/meeting point of a vendiagram of three/four of my favourite producers of all time and is essentially inch perfect in every way. It is a bold prediction because its such early days, but I will be bold and say that this tune has every right to be in my top 20 electronic pieces of music of all time. If anyone challenged me on its entry I know that I could bore them for a lot longer than you've been reading this waffle....20 times over. Easily.
As always....
Keep on Keeping on,
H
My apologies for a rather protracted period of time between the last addition, S's commencement of the X List, and my susbequent posting.
A lot has changed - I remember chomping at the bit because I had the perfect line up ready to go, almost directly after the list opened - then Spot removed one of my top 10 tracks of all time and it totally threw me off course! Then some pretty horrific events occurred and to be honest, I've barely opened my music laptop at all for a month. Time to press on now. Being good pals and understanding folk, I trust you won't begrudge me the use of this forum as a cathartic exercise, kind of an 'open letter' almost.... If anything below doesn't make sense to you, apologies...to be honest you can just ignore/disregard it and press on with the last two selections!.... Writing all this down is as helpful to me as anything else thus far - and there is no need to pass comment on the tunes at all, unless they particualrly grab you and you feel compelled to. I did originally have all 5 linked in for this but I've brought myself out of the darkness and realised that you can't get caught in the mire for too long, nor would anyone want you to. Life moves fast and you gotta keep up and enjoy the ride whilst remembering the good things.
I'm ahead of myself. A swift look back:-
End of no.9
Well, Ice Cube, P.E and Ice T played a pretty big part in my life as a kid so I'm very familiar with all three. Ice Cube "Death Cert" was always a big LP for me - then Predator came out and for a while that and Dre's "The Chronic" were all that got played on (banned) walkmans in the basketball courts at school. BIG fan of both the PE tracks - Chuck's flow remains original to this day... quite hard to grasp as a young'un (let alone the political themes!) but just immensely original hip hop performed with class. Ice T - classic...Another use of horror movie music in one of his tracks - and fittingly so... seem to remember a track which uses music from Exorcist(not sampled but replayed)... anyway this is great storytelling rap with realistic spoken word as well as lyrics . Had a huge impact this tune - made you realise how dark 'the pen' must be in the US.
Start of X
Got back into Sugar Daddy through listening to the PVD remix when trance was big in the late 90's. Great tune - original is proper epic.
Bike sounds as relevant today as it did when it got released. Had totally forgotten this LP - lovely to hear again.
Snooze4Love - have taken off my potentials list! 'Nuff said. Lush opening - hooked after first listen on Sasha's mixmag freebie cd.
FGTH - surely one of the most internationally known records ever made?! Class
DD - never EVER tire of hearing that opening. A cracking record in every sense. The chorus is just immense... brings back some absolutely comedy memories from uni for me :)
Okay - deep breath here goes.
RIP Carter 20.09.1979 - 07.04.2012:-
Boyce - I don't think anyone at the club will ever forget you and Titch singning this at the end of season drink-up. Pure class.
9's - I know we shouldn't have regrets, but not seeing you lot play this album out in Camden for the first time is one of mine... This is probably my fave track. Feel a bit melancholic about it now considering the title...Gone but not forgotten; your voice is always there when we need you.
FF - Paddy played the most beautiful and heartbreaking acoustic version of this for you as you left the service mate. Never a more fitting send off song. Kills me hearing it now, but I know its good for me.
Keep a Magners on ice for me, brother....See you on the other side, Angry.
Onwards and upwards:-
Gotye - an exorcism of sorts!! Heard it back end of last year, loved the quirky track and vocals... didn't get chance to scribble it down and then recently heard it on radio and now...... ITS EVERYWHERE!! I stand by it being a beautiful record and I think a lot of people can relate to the lyrics/choice of phrasing.
*HEADPHONES ON PLEASE*
Claro Intelecto - get out the foil, lighter and belt ready. I can't leave this alone. I first heard it on Mothersole's latest Proton mix... second track... gripped me by the short ones and didn't let go - it got mixed out, I skipped back and listened again, and again - then went to Spot and bugger me if it wasn't already on there.... cue loop listens for periods approaching an hour at a time whilst nodding off to sleep. Utterly beautiful. Simple lead melody - yet so well crafted.... the percussion arrangment alone is absolutely knock out (the first 'snap' literally almost did knock me out - spine tingling), the drum that turns out to form part of that stupidly hypnotic bassline.... To be frank; I would have been quite happy if the entire 7 minutes 18 seconds were like the first 2 minutes 20 seconds - but oh no, the elongated synth/string lines get brought forward and just make you melt.... lest I forget the pen tap sound in the latter part which morphs into a cymbal then everything dropped back in for the finish. I love this record so much that I actually hate it....I couldn't work out why at first.... then I realised it was simply this: If I could ever make music, if I could ever articulate musically any of my ideas or thoughts or feelings; this is EXACTLY how I would want it to sound. It's the central section/meeting point of a vendiagram of three/four of my favourite producers of all time and is essentially inch perfect in every way. It is a bold prediction because its such early days, but I will be bold and say that this tune has every right to be in my top 20 electronic pieces of music of all time. If anyone challenged me on its entry I know that I could bore them for a lot longer than you've been reading this waffle....20 times over. Easily.
As always....
Keep on Keeping on,
H
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Blast from the past...
... out of the blue I've just turned up an old email of H's that was sent just before the end of DHS6 and is therefore not on the blog, until now...
==================================================
The music tool that just keeps giving - loving it as much as I ever have, lads - word up.
Kanye - gold - love the first three LP's - get major play on my ipod.
Big Love - bought the single the day it got released as a nipper - nuff said. sounds extra mint now the weather's here.
Summertime - another tune that brings back extremely fond memories of getting pissed and pulling birds in Butlins - simple life; simply led.
Smokey II - octo-lush 1440 - same comments as Sully really - sounds a bit off at the start then builds into a monster melody - gut wrencher.
Hawley - big time grower - the thing that annoyed me initially is now the thing that I now love the most; cracking understated vocal
Heaven - another feel good belter in the sunshine in the car...... the geezer cant really sing but it just works. Sometimes reminds me of the Roses a wee bit.
Embrace - great band who perhaps were a bit mis-understood at the time cos they sound better now I'm older - enjoyable, but not my fave track of theirs but good build.
Moby - the most selected artist...says it all really. Brilliant part of the film, brilliant track - 90's rock-esque.
Lionrock - pulls a lot of house music elements together, brilliant sound - not overly struck on the vocal - massive record none the less.
Having banged on about variety being the best thing about Spot - I feel obliged to mash it up a bit for my final selection instead of going down the 'dance' track route which I so often do... having said that; it would be rude not to start off with a little bit of house wouldnt it?!? Hope these melt in with the sun for ya...
OLD SKOOL Shades - Extacy (using a sample from that Sky's the limit track which Sully talked about). happy memories of my Peacefest '94 tape :)
HOUSE Ben Watt feat. "Maitreya" - Maitreya, believe it or not is Terence Trent D'arby's alias...attempts to re-invent himself. Fair play works well on this imo.Lush bass driven house track which I first came across on the Buzzin Fly mixes Watt did.
FILM Vangelis - Chariots of Fire. Surely must be considered one of the modern film music maestro's. An artist in his own right and this is masterful. Simple and beautiful. Simply beautiful. HUGE impact on me as a kid when I watched the film with my old boy. Emotive. Goose bumps.
POP/ELECTRONICA Primal Scream - Loaded (Weatherall mix) Genre-busting, cross-over monster record. Bump it up. Love the pace of it. Fucking sun's properly out, the bbq is on and I'm drinking Spanish beer, smoking tabs lapping this bad boy up extra loud (much to our neighbour's dismay)
80's Style Council - Shout To The Top. The Modfather does switches is it up and nails it. Another feel good classic. Epic strings. The vocal and delivery?! Oh stop it mate - he's the Don Daddy as far as I'm concerned.
Fuck I feel good when the sun shines!! Hope you're lapping it up an' all.
:) :) :)
H
The music tool that just keeps giving - loving it as much as I ever have, lads - word up.
Kanye - gold - love the first three LP's - get major play on my ipod.
Big Love - bought the single the day it got released as a nipper - nuff said. sounds extra mint now the weather's here.
Summertime - another tune that brings back extremely fond memories of getting pissed and pulling birds in Butlins - simple life; simply led.
Smokey II - octo-lush 1440 - same comments as Sully really - sounds a bit off at the start then builds into a monster melody - gut wrencher.
Hawley - big time grower - the thing that annoyed me initially is now the thing that I now love the most; cracking understated vocal
Heaven - another feel good belter in the sunshine in the car...... the geezer cant really sing but it just works. Sometimes reminds me of the Roses a wee bit.
Embrace - great band who perhaps were a bit mis-understood at the time cos they sound better now I'm older - enjoyable, but not my fave track of theirs but good build.
Moby - the most selected artist...says it all really. Brilliant part of the film, brilliant track - 90's rock-esque.
Lionrock - pulls a lot of house music elements together, brilliant sound - not overly struck on the vocal - massive record none the less.
Having banged on about variety being the best thing about Spot - I feel obliged to mash it up a bit for my final selection instead of going down the 'dance' track route which I so often do... having said that; it would be rude not to start off with a little bit of house wouldnt it?!? Hope these melt in with the sun for ya...
OLD SKOOL Shades - Extacy (using a sample from that Sky's the limit track which Sully talked about). happy memories of my Peacefest '94 tape :)
HOUSE Ben Watt feat. "Maitreya" - Maitreya, believe it or not is Terence Trent D'arby's alias...attempts to re-invent himself. Fair play works well on this imo.Lush bass driven house track which I first came across on the Buzzin Fly mixes Watt did.
FILM Vangelis - Chariots of Fire. Surely must be considered one of the modern film music maestro's. An artist in his own right and this is masterful. Simple and beautiful. Simply beautiful. HUGE impact on me as a kid when I watched the film with my old boy. Emotive. Goose bumps.
POP/ELECTRONICA Primal Scream - Loaded (Weatherall mix) Genre-busting, cross-over monster record. Bump it up. Love the pace of it. Fucking sun's properly out, the bbq is on and I'm drinking Spanish beer, smoking tabs lapping this bad boy up extra loud (much to our neighbour's dismay)
80's Style Council - Shout To The Top. The Modfather does switches is it up and nails it. Another feel good classic. Epic strings. The vocal and delivery?! Oh stop it mate - he's the Don Daddy as far as I'm concerned.
Fuck I feel good when the sun shines!! Hope you're lapping it up an' all.
:) :) :)
H
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)