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My musical matchbox - what I’m listening to this week
By Simon James | April 24, 2008
Every week we’ll upload a new selection of tracks to Muxtape so you can hear the music that is inspiring us. Expect it to be a mixed bag with the odd attempt to stick to a theme every now and then. Personally because I work on so many different musical projects, I find myself listening to quite a diverse mix. There is no rule to how this is going to work but maybe we’ll rotate the selection each week between myself and Curtis.
Track listing follows below
Track 1 - Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra
Ok so I know this track is a bit played out but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an amazing piece of music. It also happens to be the most recognised piece of classical music ever thanks to the famous opening ‘dawn’ motif used in Kubricks ‘2001 - A Space Odyssey’. Less well known is that it was used by professional wrestler Ric Flair as his intro music and that Elvis used it to open his Las Vegas shows.
The reason I include it this week is because I’m reading a great book ‘The Rest is Noise’ written by the New Yorkers music critic Alex Ross. This book tells the history of music in the Twentieth Century and really brings to life the characters and events that shaped music over the last 100 years. I’ve always struggled to get into classical music but this book has been revelatory and has filled me with excitement to discover more. It helps that alongside the book Alex has a great website with audio clips and additional links. I urge you to check it out now.
Track 2 - Hercules and Love Affair - Classique no.2
Its no secret that I love acid house and classic Chicago house released by labels like TRAX records. Classique No.2 captures the rawness of this sound brilliantly. Another quality DFA release.
Track 3 - Cecile Leuter (Roger Roger) - Bombe Atomic
Taken from the ‘Les Sons Electronique’ album this track is a great example of electronic experimentation using tape manipulation and early synthesizer technology. Cecile Leuter or Roger Roger to give him his proper name was a French composer most famous for his work on the Chappell Library music label. He created 20 albums for the ‘Mood Music’ library and many of his pieces can be heard un-credited in the classic 60’s TV series ‘The Prisoner’ and other programmes from this time. Library music composers rarely got credit for the music they composed and its only recently that interest has grown in this hidden source of previously un-released material.
Track 4 - Portishead - The Rip
I have to admit that I’ve been blown away by the long awaited album ‘Third’ by Portishead. It won’t please those expecting more dinner party background music but it pushes all the right buttons if you like odd sounds, scary vocals and a generous helping of Silver Apples style electronics. This track ‘The Rip’ is a stand out moment for me, starting with a gentle acoustic guitar arpeggio and Beths vocal which is joined later by a synthesizer arpeggio and persistent drums which add a real urgency to the second half of the track. I played this to someone I work with and he didn’t like it. He felt it sounded too ‘modern electronic’ but for me it still sounds like a great piece of old library music mixing acoustic and electronic elements.
Track 5 - Shocking Pinks - The Smokescreen (Glimmers remix)
Another DFA track this time from Auckland based Shocking Pinks. Tin can percussion - check. Simple electronics - check. Nice keys - check. I only heard this recently but I’m really into it. When those drums change up about 5 minutes in WOW! They timed that just right.
Track 6 - PJ Harvey - The Mountain
A beautiful track that speaks of mountains, eagles and trees. I listened to this on a smelly train cutting through the South Downs in Sussex, UK and almost forgot I was on a smelly train. Need I say more about the power of music? Well I can if you want me to.
Topics: Music, Musical matchbox |