Monday, April 15, 2013

Mischmasch April

In a better effort to integrate Spotify into ST&SP I present the new monthly series called Mischmasch. Mischmasch was the name of a periodical that Lewis Carroll once wrote where he introduced sketches and ideas that would later become Through The Looking Glass. It's also German for a disorderly mix of things. I thought it was an appropriate title because that is exactly what this playlist is going to be. A once a month post of everything I've been listening to that previous month. There won't be any rhyme or reason, but hopefully you'll discover something new that you enjoy. Please SUBSCRIBE to the playlist on Spotify that way every month you'll be alerted that the playlist has been updated.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE MISCHMASH ON SPOTIFY


A Few Tracks of Note. 

Stars of the Lid - "Apreludes (in C Sharp Major)" - With much of April's playlist is centered around ambient music. It's a genre that is relatively small and hard to appreciate at times. It's also hard to tell good ambient music apart. I'll start with Stars of The Lid, the Austin TX group has been making ambient music for almost two decades now and could easily be seen as the most essential ambient group alive. Whereas most ambient artists tend to paint lush landscapes of sound Stars of the Lid play with silences and tones. Listening to their music I can't help but feel like I'm in an Arthur C. Clarke novel. It's futuristic and otherworldly.

Tim Hecker - "In The Fog II" - My discovery of Tim Hecker is what inspired me to seek out and research more ambient artists. You must let his music wash over you like a Monet scene scape. Here you will recognize familiar sounds, the ringing of a piano, the tones of synthesizers but Hecker presents them in such a unique way. It was because of him I was brought to Oneohtrix Point Never, Loscil, and Grouper.

Max Richter - "Infra 8" - I also have been wondering lately who is making the best neo-classical music right now? Up until now I had only heard of Kronos Quartet. I discovered the beautiful music of Max Richter and Johan Johannsson. Classical music isn't for the history books people, it's alive and people are still making it sound fresh and important.

Dirty Three - "Some Summers They Drop Like Flies" - I have been super into the gigantic larger than life post-rock of Godspeed! You Black Emperor as of late. I did some research and found the Dirty Three featuring violinist and longtime Nick Cave collaborator Warren Ellis. Their music is a mix of post-rock and the soft cry of a cowboy ballad. Ellis especially puts a ton of feeling into his music.

Minnie Riperton - "Les Fleurs" I didn't have the balls to make a playlist containing just ambient music so I scattered a few appropriate tracks that I have been digging as of late. "Les Fleus" by the late Minnie Riperton came to mind. This song is a fun summery swing of a song that reminds me of 60s French soul.