The Essential Selection #3

Like I mentioned yesterday, rather than having two posts on the same day I decided to go with TFI Friday on the Friday and The Essential Selection on a Saturday. Despite both posts being based around a Friday, I figured, for this month at least, that it'd be better to have two individual posts on the last weekend of the month so both get enough exposure. Hopefully from here on in The Essential Selection will be taking over the last Friday of the month but nothing is set in stone, so we'll keep you posted as it happens. Enjoy the tracks and also what's left of your weekend.

Bill O'Reilly - DO IT LIIIIVE!!!!!!!!1111 (DiscoTech Mix Version 2)
The Japanese Popstars - Face Melter
Vandal And Blende - Healthy Boy (Re Edit)(Elite Force Sampler Ep)
D.I.M - Is You (JFK Remix)
Groove Bandits - Sing Hallelujah
The Bloody Beetroots - Cornelius
Wolfgang Gartner - Flashback
Deadmau5 - Slip
Moby - Disco Lies (The Dusty Kid's Fears Remix)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E (Stuart Price Remix)

Easy Like Sunday Morning #7

As Thunder Child briefly mentioned in his last post, TFI Friday, he will be taking a leave of absence over the next couple of weeks to concentrate on university work. This means that I will be undertaking the majority of the weekly posts until he returns. There is a good chance he will be able to draw something up for the TFI Friday posts but we'll take that as it comes. You may be wondering why I'm forced to do this singlehandedly. Well, the truth is that the rest of the writers either have internet problems or are too lazy to do anything. Admittedly, I'm inclined to lean towards the latter because three months is a long time to have not contributed anything but what can you do. This is also the reason that there are sometimes missing gaps or posts, particularly with regards to the weekly segments. The simple fact is that it is difficult to bestow faith or trust in other people because people are flawed. Don't take it as a reflection of the blog itself but rather those who fail to update it. On a brighter note, there is a good possibility not only that Mr. JazzCigarettes will be returning to help me with a weekly segment in the coming weeks but that he will be posting a new article this week. You should remember him from his And Now For Something Completely Different post, a refreshing yet affectionate look at the singer/songwriter genre. On a similar level, I am hoping to get a new writer in to cover one of the Metal Monday posts in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled for that. It's going to be a busy couple of weeks.

First up is a track by a duo who amazingly haven't been featured in this segment yet, despite perhaps being the most representative aural personification of easy Sunday morning listening. The artist is, of course, Air. The track I have decided to go with is Alpha Beta Gaga, a song you have no doubt been introduced to sometime since its release in 2004 but most likely just didn't know its name or who it was by. This is the beauty of Air, they make some of the catchiest and uplifting electronica songs yet most people wouldn't be overly familiar with their work. Allow me to (re)introduce you. The song Alpha Beta Gaga has a flavour that wouldn't sound out of place in an advertisement. I'm not talking about the McDonalds 'I'm loving it' jingle but rather something more refined and original such as the Orange or Guinness advertisements. Surprisingly, to my knowledge, it has never been featured in an advertisement but it is easy to make this mistake, especially considering it contains somewhat of a transcendent semblance that most recent artists wouldn't even dream of capturing. Like many great songs, whether you've heard this track before or not is irrelevant, it will instantly have an immediate and familiar quality to you in a similar way Royksopp's Eple might. I'd assume this is due to the interlinking nature of the main hook and the correlating whistling which compliment eachother faultlessly. It is this parallel which makes Alpha Beta Gaga not only instantly recognisable but also essential Sunday listening, particularly if you want your spirits lifted.

Air - Alpha Beta Gaga

The second track to be posted today is Samon Kawamura's Right Here, a song which also features the brother of hip-hop pioneer Madlib, Oh No. Like last week's Common Market track, I've been sitting on this one for quite some time. Unlike last week's track, however, there is no grand plan for this one. I simply forgot to post it. Hopefully this post can make up for my forgetfulness though as I figure now is as good a time as ever to get it uploaded. Samon Kawamura is a relative unknown in most circles. This could be for many reasons but is most likely due to the fact that it is incredibly difficult to discuss or analyse exactly what he does. While it should be noted that he is a hip-hop producer first and foremost, many of his beats retain an electronic yet traditional feel to them. The only person I could really compare him to is DJ Krush because whilst he produces hip-hop beats, many of his tracks are instrumental with the odd guest vocalist laying down some lyrics for only a handful of tracks. Speaking on comparisons and influences, he states "basically I more and more like people with an electronic approach, who nevertheless have an analogue feeling in their music." It is a difficult line to tread because while the analogue/electronic argument is a source of contention amongst many DJs and producers, here is a producer not siding with one or the other but rather making it his perogative to draw influence from both. Thankfully it really works because though some listeners may find his material unappealing at first, once you hit that sweet spot there is no going back. I chose Right Here because it is a fresh beat advocated by Oh No's rapping and because it is something a little bit different compared to what we usually see on these pages.

Samon Kawamura - Right Here

Continuing on the 'little bit different' theme, I have chosen a track which at first glance will have most people wondering where my sanity went. The song is Chaos & Julia Set's Atmosphere (Sub Base Field Remix), a nice little cross between old school Hardcore. Drum and Base and the Detroit Techno movement. I know what you're thinking, can dance music really be easy listening? Well, the truth is it can. Just listen to Orbital's Belfast or The Future Sound Of London's Papua New Guinea and you'll see what I'm talking about. It is extremely unlikely you'll have heard of Chaos & Julia Set before this point unless you've been an avid follower of the underground UK dance scene over the past twenty years. Personally I have no idea when or where I was introduced to Atmosphere (Sub Base Field Remix) but I have a feeling my good friend Hostile Product showed it to me, so props where props are due. This song is definitely a pick-me-up type tune. While it builds and builds, the beat never strays too far from the source material, ultimately leading to what could be considered a tribute to a bygone era. It is never too relentless or flamboyant, it is what it is and that's what I like the most about it.

Chaos & Julia Set - Atmosphere (Sub Base Field Remix)

As mentioned several weeks ago, the next track to be featured will be a Moby track. You may remember when I took the reigns a few weeks ago I mentioned that I will be focusing on roughly two or three tracks from the album Play in order to demonstrate just how versatile Moby is. I decided at the last minute last week to mix it up a bit and take some focus away from this artist but I feel that enough time has passed in order to display another track from this album. At this rate, expect the next installment (if there is one) within the next couple of weeks. The track I've decided to go for this week is The Sky Is Broken, predominantly because it is quite a unique track in its own right. While it starts out as a bit of a slow burner, with a relaxed drum pattern and synth work that sounds like it was composed underwater, they are soon joined by a man speaking rather than singing. Interestingly, the dryness of his tone is what makes it so immersive. It just fits. Near the end of the track we are greeted by a brief yet captivating segment where the synth really develops and comes into its own.

Moby - The Sky Is Broken

Lastly we have one of my favourite songs by one of my favourite bands, the Incubus track Drive. The band themselves have to be one of the most misunderstood bands in history. Whereas those who don't really know them automatically attribute their music to cookie-cutter rock bands such as Alkaline Trio or Three Doors Down, in reality they couldn't be further from the truth. The reason for this is because upon first glance most people will notice that the vocals have a tendency to be a little bit softer. This is just the type of band they are. In terms of musicality they are on their own level. Honestly, there is little to no bands doing what they're doing right now: blending what could be perceived as commerciality with relentless funk and instrumental accomplishment. Though Incubus may appear to be a certain type of band on the surface, if you even give them the slightest window of opportunity you will no doubt come out feeling very differently about them. Few bands can reach the level of popularity they've reached doing what they do without compromising their artistic integrity along the way. With Incubus, each album stands out from the crowd and, rather than losing their touch, they seem to be improving with age. The song I've chosen for this post is a little more radio friendly than many of their other songs but don't let that deter you, it is still a great song that might open you up a bit. Listen to it with a clear head and hopefully you'll feel the same way I do.

Incubus - Drive

Easy Like Sunday Morning #4

It is that time of the week again and what a beautiful day it is. Considering it is nearing the end of October, it is frankly pretty amazing that the sun is out in full force. Do yourselves a favour and get out there and start soaking up some rays. This is going to be one of your last chances to do it for at least a quarter of a year before the skies get dark and the bitterness of winter kicks in. Hopefully the tracks posted in this update can inspire you to take advantage of this good weather.

First up is one of my favourite songs from my favourite album, David Bowie's incredibly underrated gem, Black Tie White Noise. Usually when David Bowie is brought up in conversations, there are almost always references to the likes of Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, Diamond Dogs and Let's Dance. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Almost everyone who has ever had the chance to listen to a David Bowie record has their own personal preference, after all, he is a man of many faces. Having been out of the public perspective for quite some time, it is not often that the extent and influence of his work is discussed at any great length. Often both the media and public alike forget exactly how much of a trendsetter and innovator he was and remains to be. The sheer volume of critical and commercial accomplishments he has made throughout the years is unparalleled by all but the most highly regarded artists. Although Black Tie White Noise is by no means his most quintessential album, there is an endearing quality to it that the majority of his albums fail to come close to. This is most likely because of the different themes touched upon within the album and the background history behind it. Coming off the back of his hard rock experimental sideproject Tin Machine, Black Tie White Noise was Bowie's first solo release of the 1990s. Whilst Tin Machine had initially proved to be a somewhat successful venture, many considered it to be too experimental and as a result it didn't quite set the charts on fire and lead to the general public becoming wary of Bowie. This factor, combined with the fact that the record label that released Black Tie White Noise, Savage Records, went bankrupt soon after it was released didn't exactly help its chances. In spite of this misfortune, however, the album still managed to reach the number one spot which is a testimony to its overall quality and charm. As mentioned previously, the themes that are touched upon on this album make it stand apart from much of his other work because while it sounds upbeat and vivacious on the surface, he touches upon topics such as racism in the legal system and the questioning of mass conformity. It isn't all doom and gloom though. Songs such as The Wedding and the featured track Miracle Goodnight provide a nice counter to the antecedent subject matter. Miracle Goodnight, in particular, was chosen due to its funky, contemporary rhythm and Bowie's dry yet distinctive vocals.

David Bowie - Miracle Goodnight

The second track to be featured in this post is Soul Meets Body by Death Cab For Cutie. While I admit I am not the biggest DCFC fan in the world, I enjoy the majority of their material. I guess you could say they are a guilty pleasure of sorts, though personally I don't believe in such things as personal taste is nothing to be ashamed of. The track Soul Meets Body is taken from one of their more noteworthy albums, Plans, and is their highest charting single in the US. Despite such popular allure in America, the band aren't quite as well recognised in the UK. That's not to say that they're an underground group or anything, in fact, they are quite the opposite, being signed to the major record label, Atlantic. Compared to more homegrown indie rock groups such as the Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian or Razorlight, they are relatively unknown in most circles, which is a crying shame because their tracks are considerably more well-structured compared to said acts while at the same time remaining irresistibly catchy. Soul Meets Body is a perfect example of this catchiness. It is not necessarily stuck-in-your-head-all-week catchy but it most definitely has that kind of vibe going for it, something critics have described as "a melody softly soaring through my atmosphere" accompanied by "tender, lovelorn lyrics that anyone over the age of ten can relate to".

Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body

For the next track I have decided to go for something a little bit different. Anyone who knows us has probably been wondering why there has been a significant lack of hip hop posted, especially given the fact that each of us is an avid fan of the genre. The simple truth is that we haven't got around to dedicating and committing ourselves to making a full post but it is most certainly in the pipeline. Instead, you will just have to make do with Common's Be, taken from the album of the same name. Following his critically and commercially disappointing album, Electric Circus, Common chose to work on a style many consider to be safe. While the former album concentrated on experimentation and fusing styles to create something more eclectic than what most hip hop artists offer, Be stood firmly in opposition, delivering infectious beats and smooth verses for maximum effect. In many respects the album itself was a comeback piece, a return to form and a record that not only paid homage to the rap artists of yesteryear but also gave broad indication as to where the genre was going. The mere fact that Kanye West produced Be speaks volumes for how Common chose to be reintroduced to the world. The reason I have chosen the first track from this album is because to me it just makes sense. It provides a nice introduction to both the album itself and Common as an artist while also maintaining a sense of unabridged familiarity. Although the backing beat is concordant with the vocals, it is the lyrics that originally stood out to me the most. While most listeners have become accustomed to Common's intellectuality, it is still pleasing to hear an artist rapping about the things that matter in a clear and cultivating way.

Common - Be

The next track was chosen as a homage to my musical roots. While I may not give the impression that I enjoy traditional Irish folk music, I have a special place in my heart for the likes of The Waterboys, Horslips and Lúnasa. The main reason for this love of Irish folk music is very much from my fathers input and influence. During my childhood, when we weren't on foreign holidays we ended up in every corner of Ireland chasing folk music. My dad quite literally lived and breathed the stuff and although he was into his Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen and a variety of others, the music that you would hear in some of the smallest pubs in Ireland was where his passion lay. We would travel all over the country searching out new bars that placed emphasis on folk music practically every night during a holiday. To put it in context, I have one distinct memory of driving up an astonishingly dangerous mountain in pitch darkness hunting out supposedly the best bar in Ireland for folk music and good times. From what I can recall, we were told about this bar by a drunken stranger, and let me tell you, he wasn't lying. To our total disbelief, it was jampacked full of punters all singing and dancing while the booze flowed as if it there was an endless fountain of alcohol being pumped right to the taps. There is something immensely captivating about these bars and despite having been in at least a dozen or so different countries, no one is able to come close. The main difference lies with the spontaneity of the Irish. One minute you could be sitting there surrounded by total silence, the next minute the whole place has erupted seemingly out of nowhere. It is usually at this point that you spot the instigator of craic, a man who could be old enough to be your grandfather who has pulled a harp out of what seems to be thin air and is breaking into an incomparably faithful rendition of an old folk song more than likely passed through the generations for centuries. As you may or may not have guessed, the artist I have chosen for this feature is Lúnasa with their track Morning Nightcap. The main reason behind this insertion is that I believe Lúnasa to be one of the few groups out there who perfectly capture the coextending tranquility and condensity of Irish folk music. The song Morning Nightcap is perfectly representative of this parallel, offering music which is as beautiful as it is exquisitely sentimental and consummately engrossing.

Lúnasa - Morning Nightcap

The last track to make it into this post is a track by one of the most original and inspiring electronic artists of the last decade, Moby. In my opinion, his album Play is one of the greatest of all time. A major criticism from music journalists regarding electronic music, with the exception of the likes of Aphex Twin, Kraftwerk, Vangelis and Leftfield is that it lacks creativity and inventiveness. Play singlehandedly shattered this opinion and paved the way for a new demographic. Not only has every single song on the album been featured in some shape or form in various different forms of media, especially film, but the album contains the perfect personification of flow. Every track fits into its slot like a glove and there isn't a single track I would consider for omission. Upon first listening to this album my mind was blown all over my living room wall and to this day I spend a considerable amount of time thinking about how exactly he was able to create and compose such a masterpiece on his own. The pacing of the tracks is exactly what you'd expect from a pioneer of electronic music and there are so many different styles that he gives RJD2 a run for his money, a feat that in itself is no easy task. While I have only decided to focus on one track, Inside, from Play in this post, expect at least two more in the coming weeks as it again becomes my turn to take the reigns for the weekly Easy Like Sunday Morning update. I heavily recommend saving this one for an especially rainy day (I know this is a morning post, but preferably at night) when you can lie in bed with your window open, blasting it from your best speakers. You will thank me later.

Moby - Inside