I've wanted to be a DJ from my mid-teens. Not necessarily a big time headliner at some club or music festival. I would be quite content on DJ-ing in my bedroom, occasionally venturing out to house parties for my friends. If I get there, I'd love to do it this way. With vinyl. The original way. What caught my attention, and I agree with (even without much of the experience to really know) is that 'mixing with your ears rather than your sight' is what I want to do. I will need to have a place of my own first, with a fair amount of space for the sound equipment and record storage. And I'm willing to part with a large proportion of my CD collection to get there. Oh, and I may want to take some lessons too. It's not too late, and this dream is something I really want materialised.
I woke up from a deep sleep at about 7am. Some noises outside had woken me up. I was hoping to fall asleep again, but couldn't. So I dragged myself out of bed, and got started with my day. But not before whining about having been woken so early on the weekend, and about the gloomy weather outside.
My status update caught the attention of one of my friends in Perth. Quite lovingly, she tried to cheer me up. And she did it the best way, possible: with good new music! Music always helps me feel better. It's something I turn to when I'm upset, or annoyed (though I do listen to music almost all the time). Finding new music is like icing on the cake. It's exciting, like a breakthrough in an experiment for a scientist, or a remarkable discovery for an archaeologist. New music for me, and I don't mean recent, works the same way. It gets my ears up and tail wagging. When I find new music which is good, that's the cherry on top. What do I mean by good? Have a listen!
The Vitamin String Quartet performing Uprising, by Muse. This was the link my friend had shared with me. Strings always seem to make everything sound so dramatic and grand. Now, Muse itself is a great band, with songs that can be quite intense and energetic. Uprising is like that in some ways. Hearing a string version of it, was just amazing. It was just the right song, done the right way to help me get going. I got on to listening to some of the other songs covered by the group, and they are pretty good too! Their version of My Immortal by Evanescence is almost sublime. It is straining, and pensive at the same time.
Now, with my outlook a little brighter than it is outside, I'm ready for the weekend! Thank you, dear.
I've had some trouble sleeping the past few nights. Again. I had a good run before that. Made it past a month falling asleep easily, and not waking in between. Just a rough patch I'm going through. Maybe it's also the effect of watching too much Breaking Bad at night. Or the late night snacking. Whatever the case, I want my sleep back. So tonight, I'm trying something different. I'm listening to music. My album of choice is Night Song by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Michael Brook.
There's something about this album that calms me. Time and again, I have turned to this album when I needed something to soothe myself with. Maybe it's that deep and powerful voice of the late ustad. Or the immaculate musical production, resulting in one of the best fusion albums. Night Song is almost like a chill out album. But it's not. There are songs that are more upbeat, and sometimes, NFAK himself ups the tempo with his vocal prowess, as heard in Sweet Pain.
And when the songs are more down tempo, they verge on melancholy. The title track exemplifies that very well. A classical interpretation that can be effective as a lullaby but also has an element of pathos. There is a deep emotion in this album that you can experience only by listening to it in it's entirety. Unfortnately, I can only share with you these two tracks from YouTube. Buy the album, if you can still find it.
I fortunately was able to get my hands on a copy at a record collectors' sale when I was in Perth. A steal for me! That's one for keeping. With that in mind, and the tune of the final track, Crest, echoing in my head, I shall try to get a good night's sleep.
I had a rough night, so I woke up late, tired and cranky. After 2 hours of fighting off actually getting out of bed, I sat down in front of my laptop and went online. Emails, checked. Facebook, checked. Blog, okay, here we go.
I logged on, and spotted a post by thecoverlovers. I listened to the most recent post, Labrinth covering Wildfire by SBTRKT. It wasn't bad, but I was not impressed. It sounded like the original, but not good enough. Maybe I was being petty. Scrolled down further, past some Beatles cover, to Rose Royce's Love Don't Live Here Anymore being covered by Bastille. I loved the original, and I was yearning to listen to it this morning. It was comforting, the familiarity of the song and the connection to my mood at the time. It was just what I needed. However, I was curious to find out about the cover by Bastille. The name sounded familiar; maybe I had come across the name before, but not paid much attention to it. I played the cover, Love Don't Live Here (the word 'Anymore' was dropped from the title). I wasn't sure why they dropped the word, but I soon came up with my reason when I listened to their version. I've included the link to the post where I listened to the two versions, so you can do the same too.
My take, after listening to the songs again, is this. Rose Royce's song is a great soul track. It is a sad love song. If the lyrics are anything to go by, it is a song of love long gone. And it is a song of longing and hope. The groove also makes it more palatable to the ear, making it subtly uplifting. Listening to Bastille cover it made me sad. Really sad. Not because it was a trashy cover. Quite the opposite. The production was astonishingly good! The tone of voice seemed filled with emotions; angst; despair; resignation. And just when I thought it was ending, as the song was fading out, the instantly recognisable beat of Ms. Jackson by Outkast faded in, followed by a verse of rapping. I loved it! I did a search of the group and found out that they have a mixtape, Other People's Heartache. Its's available for free download here. I had a listen to it, and it's not a bad mixtape. It's got a set sombre theme to it, almost like the Weeknd or Nguzunguzu. Listening to it will definitely, if not make you feel more blue, keep your energy level down low.
It wasn't a good start to my Monday. I definitely needed a pick me up. But at the same time, I did not want to jolt myself with high energy pick-me-ups. So I rummaged through my collection, and found the one album that I hoped would work for today: Since I Left You, by the Avalanches. For those of you who don't know the Melbourne based group, don't beat yourself over it. They've had just one release, over 10 years ago, and fans are still waiting for their sophomore album. We hope that this year will be the year. The title track kicks of the album, and it is a beautiful track. You can watch the video here, but be warned, it is NSFW.
Oh, yeah. I meant Not Safe For Wusses. I'm sorry if you were hoping for blood, bare breasts or something more. Well, carrying on, I spent the rest of the morning listening to the album. It's a comforting album, and uplifting, and strangely familiar. Every time I listen to it, it's like hearing it for the first time. And a lot of that is because almost the entire album is made of thousands of vinyl samples. Yes, vinyl. Samples. Imagine the work for that. It's easier nowadays, with electronic equipment, MP3s and such. Vinyl samples. Over 3000 of them! No surprise it's taking them this long to get the next album out. The Avalanche's album is an explosion of sound that goes down really well. It starts of slowly, and paces itself well, bringing you up a step with each track, allowing for short breathers in between. And it lets you down easy too. Truly one of the best albums I've ever listened to.
It helped me, in the end. It got me writing, and this post is the result of that. I still feel a little under the weather. And it is also likely due to the weather. I will be heading out soon and need to get ready. More musical experiences to come later on. Have a good week!
Another amazing release from the Mad Decent label. Rapping over dubstep may be a new sound experience for some. Worth a listen. Some real effort put into the production, and lyrics. It's serious stuff. Plus, there are free downloads. ;) hey hey!
The last track was a real surprise! Major Lazer- Keep It Going Louder (So Shifty Remix) A truly fun, ska remix, which was not what I'd expected at all, since the original is a lot more suited for the club. You'll understand once you have a listen.
Apparently, there's two official videos. This first one, which was what I had seen before.
And here's what I found today.
Bare with me for posting two videos of the same song. Wanted to show them both to you and find out which one you prefer. Personally, I like the first one better. Maybe the second one is the 'made for Vevo' version.
I'm having a listen to this right now. Mad Decent is a music label I'm quite fond of. Always sure to find high energy music here akin to founder Diplo, Blaqstarr, Major Lazer, the Crookers, Bondo de Role and Rusko. So expect some electro, some baile funk and lots of heavy bass. It's a good compilation, high energy, and very addictive. Listen to it!
A song that fits this sunny Saturday. William DeVaughn's voice is smooth, with the backing vocals. It's got a valuable message lyrically, and a sick groovy vibe that's a perfect lead up to a great night. And it made an impression on other artistes early, with Curtis Mayfield leading the pack.
The first cover I listened to was by Massive Attack. Be thankful for what you've got was released on Blue Lines, the band's debut album. The differences are subtle, and you'd have to listen closely to spot them.
And that song was remixed by Paul Oakenfold. Keeping the vibe intact, but still managing to make a good remix.
Every now and then, I hope to be able to share with you these little trips that music makes, from one artiste to another, and see how it changes along the way.
