Who Are You, Really?

I heard this song as recently as last night, and it has been the ONLY thing that has torn me away from the genius that is the Man Of Steel score by Hans Zimmer. This song was played during the closing credits of the season premiere of True Blood, and it blew me away. I immediately went looking for it. The artist is a young man by the name of Mikky Ekko and the song, Who Are You, Really? is off his 2010 EP Reds.

The whole sound and structure of the song is frenetic. It starts off with one great beat pattern and throbbing bass line, Mikky joins in with his scratchy vocals. When he sings So you feel entitled to a sense of control/And you make decisions that you think are you're own/You are a stranger here why have you come, why have you come/Lift me higher let me look at the sun, look at the sun... this song is off and running. When he gets to the chorus of this too short song, the vocal layering is impressive, it opens the song up and takes it to another level. I definitely recommend the big boys for this one, that way you can hear every little nuance that makes this song something to pay attention to.

Like I said, the song is way too short but that does nothing to lessen how impressive it is. Mikky is not a household name yet but he soon may be. Hailing from Louisiana, and being the son of a preacher, Mikky's definitely got some fire and brimstone in his voice. And it's that quality that has pulled me away from Man Of Steel (which I am going right back to now that I've posted this track). Enjoy!

Beauty Never Fades feat. Saffron

I posted a track from the Man of Steel score by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL, but then it dawned on me, not everyone who reads my blog may be aware of the one known as Junkie XL. So I thought I would post one of my favorite tracks by him, the one track will allow you to hear his influence on the track with Hans.

It's called Beauty Never Fades featuring vocals by Saffron. It's off the 2003 soundtrack of Animatrix movie. Junkie did some work on the Matrix soundtrack so it was only obvious they would tap him to add a song to this soundtrack as well. The music is fast, the beats are strong, and the vocals are ethereal. Where I hear the similarities with Arcade and his influence on that track is in the low end. The bass line brings to mind the darkness that is Arcade.

I don't know if working with Hans Zimmer will change the dance master/remix king's sound, working with an orchestra and new instrumentation can definitely change a person. If it does though, then I can't wait to hear what's next from Junkie. Enjoy!

Arcade

Hans Zimmer has graced my blog twice before, this time though he does so with something so deliciously fiendish that I HAD to post it. It's from his score for Man of Steel and it's entitled Arcade. If you have seen the TV spot for the movie, the one where General Zod states we are not alone, then you've heard this track, just not all of it in its full dark glory.

There are two movements to Arcade, the first is epic and majestic. It's sweeping and massive in scope. It starts off slow and simple, just hinting at the darkness to come. The strings fade in and give the piece its tempo and pace, they are unrelenting. Hans worked with Junkie XL on this piece and if you know his music, you can clearly hear his influence. As the strings swell, the brass comes in and they push this track along, building the drama and the track really starts to cook and then it just stops.

That's where the second movement comes in. It's truly dark and malevolent. The drums are massive and the instrumentation hints at "something wicked this way comes". The second movement doesn't last as long as I would like but it's fade out conjures images in my head of an army marching off into the distance after it has vanquished the enemy.

Hans continues to surprise me, and while he is no John Williams, the score for Man of Steel is amazingly powerful and impressive (of course I got the score the moment it was available). There so many moments in the score that will either make you say "wow" of stun you into speechlessness. I know, because Arcade did that to me. Enjoy! 

In Your Room (the jeep rock mix)

I am a huge Depeche mode fan, there I said it. No shame in my game even if the last couple of albums by them have been less than thrilling. My favorite album by this band is their classic Songs of Faith and Devotion produced by Flood. It was a clear sonic departure from their previous album Violator, which I loved and was a beast in its own right. In my opinion though, Songs devoured Violator in every way possible. One of my favorite songs on Songs is In Your Room which when I first heard it, floored me. The lyrical content was so dark, especially if you knew of the trials lead singer David Gahan was going through at the time.

Depeche Mode, like Bjork has always been very willing for remixes of their songs to be done, and there have been some that have been truly epic transformations. There have been a number that have given me goose bumps and one of them has been the remix to In Your Room. When I heard the remix it was like the heavens opened, it stopped me in my tracks. Now awhile back I posted a remix of Massive Attack's Paradise Circus because in my opinion the remix was head and shoulders better than the original, and the original rocked. I can't really say the remix to In Your Room is better than the original version, mainly because the remix is mostly instrumental but it's hard not to love it.

Whenever the Room remix comes up on the trusted ipod, I play it as loud as possible, and I suggest you break out your big boy speakers for this puppy, you will not regret it. Your neighbors though, they may not be as jazzed as you, but you know how I feel about that, they can go kick rocks. Enjoy!

The original...



The remix...

Gortoz a Ran

Now I have seen the movie Black Hawk Down countless of times. Saw it in the theater when it was first released and I have seen it subsequent times afterwards on DVD. Yet for some strange reason, I do not recall ever hearing this amazingly beautiful and haunting piece of music. This piece is entitled Gortoz a Ran and it's performed by Denez Prigent and Lisa Gerrard.

If you are a follower of my blog, you know that I believe there's beautiful music everywhere, we just have to open ourselves up to find it. The music is mournful and beautiful but it's the lyrics, when translated that provide that emotional impact.

Gortozet 'm eus, gortozet pell
E skeud teñval tourioù gell
E skeud teñval tourioù gell
E skeud teñval an tourioù glav
C'hwi am gwelo 'c'hortoz atav
C'hwi am gwelo 'c'hortoz atav

Un deiz a vo 'teuio en-dro
Dreist ar maezioù, dreist ar morioù
'Teuio en-dro an avel c'hlas
Da analañ va c'halon c'hloaz't

Kaset e vin diouzh e alan
Pell gant ar red, hervez 'deus c'hoant
Hervez 'deus c'hoant pell eus ar bed
Etre ar mor hag ar stered

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I waited, waited for a long time
In the dark shadow of brown towers
In the dark shadow of brown towers
In the dark shadow of rain towers
You will see me waiting forever
You will see me waiting forever

One day it will come back
Over the lands, over the seas
Will come back the green wind
And bring with it my wounded heart

I will be pulled away by its breath
Far away by its stream, wherever it wishes
Wherever it wishes, far away from this world
Between the sea and the stars

I hope you see and hear the beauty in this piece as I do, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to watch Black Hawk Down again to see if there was anything else I missed.

A Prayer for Peace

When I saw the movie Munich by Steven Spielberg I was transported to a different time and place. Not just thanks to the mastery of Steven but by the mastery of John Williams and his score for the movie. While the score has that element of mournfulness that was so prevalent in his score for Schindler's List, Munich was a bit more elegant, especially this piece.

A Prayer For Peace encapsulates all the music done for the movie so vividly and beautifully. It's mournful and hopeful at almost the same time, it's a song created and crafted by someone at the height of their talents. People are always looking for and wondering who the next John Williams will be. Whoever gets that heavy crown placed upon their head will be judged as to whether they can create something as amazing as this piece.

Munich came out in 2005 and it's an amazing movie of loss and revenge. Even without John's score the movie would have left a mark, but with it, that mark is indelible. Enjoy!

To Build a Home feat. Patrick Watson

To Build a Home is The Cinematic Orchestra getting their Coldplay on. This song sounds like something Coldplay would have done and yet, even though it sounds like someone else's work, I love this song. As stated, it's by The Cinematic Orchestra and To Build a Home is off of their 2007 release entitled Ma Fluer.

It's a melancholy song so a word to the wise, if you're in a happy or good mood, you may want to save listening to this for later. Honestly, it's the saddest love song of faith and devotion I have ever heard. It's basically Patrick Watson and the piano that dominate this song and every now and then there's some string accompaniment, but it's not much until the 4:03 mark.

I can't explain why I am drawn to Home, I do like Coldplay so maybe that's it, I don't know. What I do know is that why I like it doesn't really matter. It's hauntingly beautiful and it speaks to me and that's really all that matters, Enjoy!