In the Playlist 7JUN2019…
The Raah Project - Take Me Elsewhere
Listening to a newly discovered group called The Raah Project. They are based out of Melbourne Australia. Interesting idea of a large ensemble sort of like a jazz big band but with a modern twist while still paying homage to the big band ideas and music. While organized somewhat like a big band they are playing modern electronica, dance, soul and hip hop music. They have two albums and I am currently listening to their most recent album "Take Me Elsewhere".
The Raah Project - Take Me Elsewhere
On the Playlist 3JUN2019…
Isao Tomita - Tomita's Greatest Hits CD
Was listening to Tomita today and his album "Tomita's Greatest Hits". Isao Tomita was a very early pioneer in electronic music. He used early Moog synthesizers and created complex soundscapes that were the progenitor of many electronic musical styles well known today including synth-pop and trance. He also did some amazing work with recreating classical music in an electronic style. He won several Grammys during his life and worked with Disney on several occasions. He passed away in 2016 in Tokyo from heart failure. I love his music today for its lo-fi and yet complicated electronic sound. When I think about when he was creating this music it is quite amazing.
Isao Tomita - Tomita's Greatest Hits CD
On the Playlist 15OCT2018…
MUIXX - Joyful Talk
Listening to a project my Jay Crocker who is originally from Calgary but lives in Nova Scotia now. This project is MUIXX and the album "Joyful Talk" it is an interesting blend of pop like sounds but with an avante garde twist to it. Jay uses homemade digital instruments but they are all recorded analog so there is a bit of a rawness to the sound.
MUIXX - Joyful Talk
On the Playlist 9OCT2018…
Clara Venice - Electric Dream - “Ordinary Day”
Listening to Clara Venice and her album "Electric Dream." Her music is dreamy bouncy pop music. Clara Venice is also the only musician in the world who plays the Theremin as instrument in her music. She also plays a bunch of other instruments as well but it is the Theremin which she is famous for. She is from Canada (of course - ha ha!). Her performances are apparently quite something and got even more interesting as she incorporated her LED Twitter shoes which the audience can interact with through Twitter. According to her bio on her website her signature visual style variefs from 21st century pop princess to Harajuku spacegirl as she draws listeners into her playful and melodic world. The best song from this album is "Ordinary Day" which is a very fun tune.
Clara Venice - Electric Dream - "Ordinary Day"
On the Playlist 4Sep2018…
Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene
After a weekend spend up at Yosemite camping and seeing the stars like we never see them around Irvine it reminded me of the planetarium in Edmonton and the laser light shows there set to the music of Jean Michel Jarre. His seminal album Oxygene was a staple of planetariums around the world in the late 70s and early 80s. The electronic music that he recorded himself in his own studio went perfectly with laser light shows with the planetarium stars as backdrop. A group of friends even bought a star on the wall located in Ursa Minor (major props if you can guess what name we used). So was playing it this evening and to my surprise I was able to remember just about every passage to the whole album. Great stuff!
Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene
On the Playlist 30JUL2018…
Nash the Slash - Dead Man's Curve
On the road in Northern British Columbia and have the tune playing. Luckily I loaded over 300gb of music onto my music player so there is lots to choose from. Another flashback to high school with "Deadman's Curve" and the version I prefer is by Nash the Slash. Nash the Slash was rather interesting in that he played electric violin with digital accompaniement while wrapped in bandages like a mummy. No one knew who he was but was reputed to be in another Canadian band called FM at the time. He unfortunately passed away from a heart attack in 2014. Loved his version of Deadman's Curve which was a standard on any of my cruising mix tapes in the day. So it felt oddly appropriate to play it while careening down the highway passing slow motor homes in Northern British Columbia.
Nash the Slash - Dead Man's Curve