Infiltration (Creeper Mix)

This little instrumental ditty is brought to you by the group known as Trifonic. I've been a fan of theirs since I first came across a song they did called Parks On Fire (which I highly recommend taking a listen too. It's here on this blog actually). After hearing Parks I made it my mission to hear everything these two brothers Brian and Lawrence had ever done which led me here.

Infiltration is the name of this masterpiece and when played loudly on those big boy speakers of yours, it shakes walls. The high end frequencies won't annoy your ears but the low end will definitely annoy your neighbors, but they'll thank you in the end for the introduction. Infiltration (Creeper Remix) is off of the groups 2008 Remergence EP.

The groove in this cut is unmistakable as you might cut detect a little Funky Drummer in the beat. And if you like this song then check out Transgenic (Rust Mix). It's a tad more mellow but just as cool. Now if you need to put some pep in your step and some stride in your glide, cue this monster up and hold on. Enjoy...and you're welcome.

A Nation Rejects

When I first heard this track by The Art of Noise I immediately became infatuated with it. It's entitled A Nation Rejects and it's on the B side of the 12" single Paranoimia that was released in 1986. Meaning if you didn't pick up that single, you missed out. Since I was and still am to this day a major fan of The Art of Noise I pretty much bought everything they released and I was routinely rewarded with such gems as Nation.

Nation is a dark, mournful song with a sweet hypnotic melody that rides on top of the track. It's a track I kept playing over and over again which drove my mother crazy. It's also a song that inspires hope, as if audibly telling you that while it may be dark today, the sun will shine tomorrow. It's arranged perfectly and it solidified me as a fan of theirs.

I don't need to say anymore, check the song out for  yourself and let me know what you think. It's a blast from the past from me but it may become your new favorite tune, who knows? If you enjoy this then you might want to listen to Legacy the 8+ minute version. It's absolutely incredible the way they layer the sounds one on top of the next never losing the soul of the track. There are two groups I miss from my childhood, the original line up of Pink Floyd and The Art of Noise. Enjoy!

Lost In Las Vegas

I am a very big fan of the instrumental group Two Steps From Hell and there are a few pieces of their music littered throughout my blog. Today I wanted to introduce you to another piece by them that is unlike anything they've ever done before. First the length of the song is unusually long for them, it's a winding ten minute plus long musical journey which initially surprise me. Secondly what caught me off guard was the brightness of the sound. Two Steps does epic music, trailer music with overpowering orchestration and towering vocals, this song does NOT fall in that category.

It starts out innocently enough as the sounds start to layer, giving you no indication as to what's about to hit, the calm before the musical storm so to speak. The ethereal voices come in as the music starts to pick up steam and at the 3:53 mark this song spreads its wings and takes flight.

Off of their brand new release entitled Miracles, Lost in Las Vegas is a playful, groovy, infectious song that will make you bop your head and tap your toes. It may also put a smile on your face if you're not careful. This song has made me an even bigger fan of Two Steps and I didn't think that was even a possibility. Give this a listen and they may just make a fan out of you too. Enjoy!

The Final Minutes

This piece is entitled The Final Minutes and I stumbled upon it completely by accident. I heard a snippet of it, grabbed my iphone, activated my Shazam app and found it. I now cannot stop listening to it. The group responsible for this is Network Music Ensemble and it's off their 2012 album. They have other delicious pieces of music, this one though in my opinion is by far the tastiest.

All instrumental, it's all drama and the beat behind the "orchestration" definitely adds a different dimension to it. I know music like this isn't everyone's cup of tea but I think it's worthy of a listen. It may shock you, you may shock yourself and actually like it. Maybe not as much as I do, but hey, you never know. Enjoy!

Rain

Wally Badarou's album Echoes was the very first album I bought that was electronic/instrumental based and I loved it. It was propelled chiefly by it's top ten hit Chief Inspector (which rocks), but one of my favorite tracks off Echoes was the last track, entitled Rain. It's the perfect last song for almost any album because of it's melancholy feel. It feels like saying goodbye to an old friend, which in turns makes you want to listen to the album all over again. Pure genius.

There's not much to this song, a simple piano, some rain effects, a synth patch here and there is all there is really. What makes this song one of my favorites is the melody. It's just a truly beautiful song and I can put this on repeat and never tire of it. It brings me back to a time in my life when music was just becoming my best friend. When music was that undiscovered country, and I was nothing but a tourist trying to get the lay of the land.

Echoes is an amazing first album by an amazing talent, and if you can find a copy then I highly suggest purchasing it. It will not disappoint in any way, and if somehow it does, you always have Rain to look forward too. Enjoy!

Alexa De Paris

This is a song that I played until the grooves wore out of the record. It was the B-side of Prince's rocker Mountains off his Parade album which was the soundtrack to his Under The Cherry Moon movie. The song is amazing as far as I'm concerned, and unless you were me and you bought the Mountains 12" single, you never heard Alexa De Paris.

It's an instrumental beauty that grooves in ways you wouldn't expect. It's gentle and melodic and yet still has a certain undeniable groove to it. I played this song more than I did Mountains, and I love that song. Alexa though, just grabbed me by the neck and to this day has yet to let me go. With the band playing along with Claire Fischer's string arrangements, this song is unlike anything I have ever heard before or since.

The wailing guitar is all Prince and it's the perfect way for this luscious, groovy beast of a song to come to an end. Enjoy!

4 Moms

Just a cool, breezy jam by A Tribe Called Quest entitled 4 Moms off their 1998 album The Love Movement. It's got a definite Isley Brothers feel to it and I just felt like sharing this on an easy Sunday morning, enjoy!

On The 9th Day

I was looking for a completely different song to post, I happened upon this one instead and chose to share it. Why? Well someone very close to me had a birthday very recently and I thought she might find this song somewhat sexy. I think it's alluring, it's On The 9th Day by Ludique and it's percussion hot.

It's got a quirky pattern but it's easy to follow and once you get in it and wrap up in it, you won't be able but to sway those hips. It's an all instrumental track, which is how I like my lounge/trance music to be. Lyrics just mess it all up, don't you think? I like the break in the middle of the song where it's just the kick drum and the guitar. Images come to mind (and no I am not sharing those).

I hope this is enjoyed by all who read this, but I especially hope the birthday girl gets a kick out of this. Put this on your big boy speakers and move those hips for me and try to ignore the odd video :) Enjoy.

Devil's Halo

Honestly I can listen to this piece all day and never grow tired of its beauty. The song is Devil's Halo off the album of the same name by the multi talented Me'Shell NdegeOcello. This is the second song off of her Devil's Halo album that I saw fit to post and it probably won't be the last, that's how amazing that album truly is. Released in 2009, Halo still sounds relevant and fresh to me...and beautiful.

Devil's Halo is a sweet instrumental that only plays for a little over two minutes but you may find yourself coming back to it time and time again to let it wash over you. It's poignant and melancholy and it's the perfect soundtrack for a rainy weekend indoors. It begins with the keys playing the melody and then the drums join in. The acoustic guitar follows and this song just floats.

I can't get enough of Halo, I think it's the other jewel on the album, the remake of Love You Down being the other. And if you like this piece as much as I do, look into her 1999 release entitled Bitter. I'm pretty sure you'll love it, and be on the lookout for another song or two from this album because like I said, this song probably won't be the last posted from Halo.

Battle Without Honor

Right off the bat I need to tell you, this song is bad ass. It's entitled Battle Without Honor by Tomoyasu Hotei. The song is off of his 2004 album Electric Samurai and it's been in quite a few movies, most know it from the Kill Bill movie. It's a song that can literally change how you walk, it can strengthen your strut or have you push the accelerator closer to the floor. Like I said, bad ass.

It opens up with a funky guitar lick and when the beat comes in the song takes off. There are no lyrics but there's no need for any. Tomoyasu recorded three versions of Battle Without Honor on his Electric Samurai album, my favorites are the original and version 3. The accompanying video is a remix but it's the closest thing to the original song I could find. I would recommend stopping it at the 3:46 mark.

This song needs to be blasted as loudly as possible. Don't worry about your neighbors, they'll be bopping their heads right along with you and then come over to ask you where they can find a copy  of it. That's what a bad ass song makes people do, want it for themselves. Enjoy!

Fides En Lucius Dei

This is one of my all time favorite pieces of music, it may have something to do with how the drums never stop driving this piece onward, who knows. What I do know is the name of the piece, it's Fides En Lucius Dei and it's by Trailerhead. The first time I stumbled upon this music, I honestly wondered where it had been all my life. It's glorious and moving, and it takes you along for the ride.

Like I said, the drums never cease but the song starts out real timid, you get a taste of what's to come but you have no idea. Then the voices come in and the song picks up momentum as the drums open up. The voices ride along, adding a dimension of gravitas you didn't expect to get from how the piece started. Then the voices begin to build and the next thing you know, you're amongst the clouds, the wind in your hair, and the sun on your face.

Then just like that, it's over, but the drums never leave you. They softly fade out like they faded in and the ending suddenly isn't that bad. I don't know about you but I wanted to hear this again as soon as it was over. Will it be a one time thing for you? Enjoy!

Redemption

I stumbled upon this little group on my honeymoon, many moons ago, in Vegas. Yes, I WAS married and no, not everything that happens in Vegas, stays there. Take this song for instance, it's by the group known as Conjure One and it's called Redemption. What I love about this song, outside of the vocal layering, are the drums. They are so powerful when played on the big boy speakers that they give me chills. They also inspire my neighbors to call the cops, but whatever.

Redemption is off their first album, Conjure One which dropped in 2002. As you can hear, the album definitely had a middle eastern feel to it. Funny thing is, Conjure One is from Canada. That's right, our neighbor from the Great White North, Rhys Fulber, produced this gem of a song (and album) that made me a bonafide fan. The vocals provided are sung, in Syrian Arabic by Chemda and her vocals are clearly an added instrument to this driving, bombastic track.

I suggest you give this beauty of a song a long, hard listen to, and if you can, play it on your big boy speakers. It may shake some things, it may give you chills, it may rattle your windows (as well as your neighbors). Believe me though, it is well worth it. Enjoy!

Weather Storm

Okay, so everyone here has heard of Massive Attack, right? RIGHT? Okay, good. Next question, has everyone heard their really cool, extremely chilled tune entitled Weather Storm? No? Well that's not surprising, it wasn't one of their big hits like so many other tunes they've released, but it stands among my favorites of them, proudly.

Weather Storm was released on the groups 1995 album Protection and I will tell you right now, it's the kind of song you could get high too. That is if you are the kind of person who gets high, of course. No, I am not condoning drug use nor am I condemning it, I'm just....LOOK, Weather Storm is just a really cool song you can kick back to, with a glass of wine, or whatever, and just chill.

Weather Storm is the perfect background music to a dinner party. It's mellow, easy on the ears, but hard to ignore, which makes it a great conversation starter.
"Hey, what's that playing?"
"My ipod?"
"Yeah, what's your ipod playing?"
"Music, why?"
"Okay smart ass, what song is it playing right now?"
"Oh, that's Weather Storm by Massive Attack, cool huh?"
Or something to that effect, depending on who your friends are, and how you interact with them. Anyway, enjoy!

Arrival of the Birds

Allow me to introduce to you a group, actually an orchestra, I have known about for some time. Well, okay they aren't really an orchestra but they call themselves The Cinematic Orchestra, and this is their amazingly beautiful song entitled Arrival of the Birds. Now before you go looking for it to download on your ipod, I need to inform you that the search for this song will not be an easy one for it is not on itunes.

This piece of music was part of the score to ther Disneynature film called The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos which was released back in 2008. To this day, this piece has haunted me since I first heard it, and that was two years ago. It's been used in perfume commercials so if it sounds somewhat familiar to you, that's why.

This melody, right now fits my mood like a glove. It's melancholy and somewhat restless, the perfect first song for 2013. I think it's absolutely beautiful and more than worthy of a place on my blog. I hope it's enjoyed by you, dear reader as it is by me.

Tango Square

I have a deep love for this groups music, so to say I am a big fan is putting it lightly. The group is Gotan Project and this particular song is entitled Tango Square. It's off their album Tango 3.0 which was released back in 2010. Now while their sound is primarily tango, they do far more than that which is probably why I have everything by them. Tango Square, in my opinion is one of their best songs.

It's a sultry song, seductive in it's groove. It wastes no time in luring you in and once it does, it doesn't let you go. This song is the perfect background music for...well you figure it out. There are no lyrics to the song but the it speaks volumes.

If you like this song, and it's hard not to like it, then you might also want to check out Santa Maria and Epoca (which is on the blog). Enjoy!

Farewell To The Former World

Okay, you know that age old question asking which came first, the chicken or the egg? That's how I feel when I listen to Blue Sky Black Death's music. I ask which came first, Moby or BSBD? Of course Moby was around long before the team of Kingston Maguire and Ian Taggart teamed up together. and you can hear his influence in a lot of their music. I happen to be a fan of Moby so this is no criticism to BSBD at all, it's just my opinion that their sound mirrors his rather closely. In other words, they need to find their own niche.

Farewell To The Former World, a song off their 2011 release Noir is a step in the right direction. It's a mid tempo, chill out song good for that ever important background music to a dinner party. People will ask you "hey, who's that playing?" and you can introduce BSBD to someone new. They sample some vocals of Windmills of Your Mind from The Thomas Crown Affair soundtrack which I thought inventive. This is my favorite track by the duo because it's just so pretty and light.

BSBD has a bright future ahead of them (and a potentially prosperous one should they commercialize their music like Moby). I just think they need to find a foothold in sound, find their own signature sound that people can readily identify as BSBD. That is of course, they don't mind being compared to an icon in electronic music...which isn't bad actually. Enjoy!

All Is Hell That Ends Well

**THIS IS A BIG BOY SPEAKER SONG, I REPEAT...THIS IS A BIG BOY SPEAKER SONG**

As you know by now, I routinely scour the internet for new music I've not heard before. I usually find some amazing music, well at least music I think is amazing, enough to share with you anyway. I have posted some audacious, bold, and ambitious pieces of music so far. This piece from the Two Steps From Hell production team however is the first piece to ever stop me in my tracks, literally.

The piece is called All Is Hell That Ends Well from the 2012 album Skyworld and there are four distinct movements to this powerful song. The first is a mournful melody of nothing but strings. It swells and gracefully glides along until a voice joins in. Then the percussion comes in and ramps up the intensity. The horns then come in and carry the melody along until the break comes, and then in movement number three, all hell breaks loose. This part of the song sounds like total chaos and is fit for one epic battle, even the slight respite of the break adds to the thunder. The piano joins in only to lead you, dear listener somewhat unsuspectingly to the dub step portion of movement four.

The piece rides out on the beat and you suddenly wish this song were longer. It's far too short at 3:52 once you realize you've got goosebumps racing up and down your flesh. This song is stunning and I think it may be right up there with Two Steps most popular song Protectors Of The Earth. It's THAT good. Enjoy! 

Nero

The first time I heard this piece of music, I was enraptured. It's hauntingly beautiful and extremely hard to forget. Which is probably why it's the music in the trailer for the movie Anna Karenina by Joe Wright (which is where I first heard it). It makes the movie look almost magical because the music IS magical. The piece is entitled Nero and it's off the 2011 album Two Steps From Hell: Archangel.

It starts off with a beautiful piano melody until it's joined by the strings (I really love strings). They pace the song as the piano plays the melody. The lone piano then rides along the strings as if on a roller coaster until the intensity begins to build. Then out of nowhere, the orchestra swells and the song builds in both scope and magnificence. It appears unstoppable...until it falls away and stops. Then the piano returns to play with the strings once more and the song picks up from the beginning, all over again.

This music is breathtakingly beautiful and it just had to be added to my blog, it just had to be shared. I really think you will come to love it as much, if not more than I have. Enjoy!

Sistine Criminals

I saw these dudes in Washington Square Park maybe three years ago and they blew me away. So much so that I bought one of their CD's. I had never heard drum and bass live and thought that was simply a studio/drum machine thing. I couldn't have been more wrong. Sistine Criminals opened my eyes to the artistry that is drum and bass and how it's not just a studio thing.

I caught this video in my facebook feed, posted by the band (yes we're facebook friends) and I had to share it with you. I don't know the name of this song but google them, find out where they are playing and definitely check them out. They are amazing. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I do.

Crusoe

I am so ashamed of myself. Why, you ask? Well simple, I completely forgot about this beautiful, melodic song by one of all time favorite groups, The Art of Noise. It's called Crusoe and in my opinion it's absolutely beautiful. I was listening to the ole ipod and this song came on and I instantly got chills. I also instantly realized TAON was not yet represented on my blog. Silly me. I felt it was high time to remedy that.

This lovely piece is off of Noise's fourth studio album entitled Below The Waste, which was released back in 1989. It was the last time the last two original members of TAON, Anne Dudley and J. J. Jeczalik worked together. While the album reflected the diverging musical interest between the two principals, they did dabble in world music for the first time, working with Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens from South Africa. Still, the album seemed disjointed, but the jewel in my opinion however, was Crusoe. 

This is not Noise's most recognizable piece but I think it speaks volumes to their artistry. It's so beautiful and mournful at the same time that I wonder how I lost track of it. I won't lose track of it again and maybe you'll love it as much as I do to not lose track of it either. Enjoy!