Things from the end of the internet

Listening: 12-19 November 2020

For a longer while I wanted to make some changes with current monthly music favorites posts, since I feel like they aren’t the best option so far. I consume a lot of music on monthly basis, sometimes it’s too much of it to put into one post – I try to limit them a lot.

Another thing is that they sometimes don’t really reflect what I actually enjoyed, in some cases I used last.fm listening history which doesn’t represent that much. As site becomes even worse to use with regular problems, I just want to leave it. Scrobbling does really feel mundane, especially anything but digital music. Remembering what I actually liked feels more natural, not forced like on previous posts (though they were fun to write).

I think I’ll share music there more often, usually when things are more fresh. Doing playlists and just listening to mixes and compilations gets even more enjoyable than before.

Bjork – Desired Constellation (2004)

I have pretty much a complicated relationship with her music and it does feel like she’s overrated, tries to be still quirky with passing time. When I was getting into music more deeply and finding my niche few years ago, when I started to listen some stuff like later Everything but the Girl or 808 State, going on more electronic side, my friend shilled me her stuff. I liked it a lot, maybe weird indie girl singers were my thing at that time. Most of her music is passable since she got good producers, but her voice… ruins usually everything. Screaming or sounding like an annoying child, maybe sometimes she’s more subtle.

Medulla is weird choice for someone who despises her voice, it’s more exposed than on other albums of hers. From the other side there’s something magical in this album. It’s entirely made out of voices – throat singing or beatboxing, even just Bjork’s voice being sampled like in Desired Constellation. Aside from her sounding normal, track is something that really feels… beatiful. Trembling sound of it has something magical.

…and another one – Hyperballad (1995)

Listening to her stuff again made me revisit another song of hers, this time Hyperballad which is one of actually good songs on Post. Trance-y, pulsating with strings.

Wax Doctor – Never as Good (1995)

A B-side of more known tune, Atmospheric Funk. Found it again while revisiting one of my favourite mixes so far – A Guy Called Gerald’s 1995 Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1.

Atmosphere of it makes me feel somewhat in different place, like time stopped or I’m past – a timeless tune for sure.

A Guy Called Gerald – The First Breath (2000)

Continuing with another Atmospheric D&B track, this time it’s a one I loved for a longer while.

Essence goes into different direction than most of previous Gerald’s work. Working with singers like Miss Lady Kier or Louise Rhodes, a bit of songwriting and more of downtempo, but still with D&B influence. The First Breath is one of few tracks that are (almost) purely instrumental here.

Air – Playground Love (2000)

Definitely one of biggest highlights on mostly boring soundtrack for Sofia Coppola’s adaptation of The Virigin Suicides.

Nostalgic feel, somewhat dreamy. Nice sax too.

Tricky – For Real (1999)

I feel like I mostly ramble about some facts about music I like rather than I describe it – describing sounds is still not easy for me, but I guess practice will make it easier.

Tricky was one of favourite musicians for a long time, I feel nostalgic about listening (mainly Maxinquaye and Nearly God though) back in 2018, I still like music but with time I like Tricky more as a person and dude really knows what he wants and does that and most of interviews with him are interesting read, really. Lumped as typical rapper or just fact of being one of Bjork’s boyfriends put shadow on him as producer unfortunately.

Juxtapose is more hip-hop in comparision with previous 4, though still is deeply rooted in Bristol sound (aka trip-hop). For Real is mainly Tricky despising his situation at that time. Lines “Yeah, I’m a player hater, I hate when players can’t take their turn / And when a record company drops me, that’s when I learn” or “Don’t get me wrong, I know you got guns and your not scared to use them / But is there money being made around these guns or lives until you lose them” perfectly sum his troubled relationship with media, that he’s constantly nagged and that he’s put into boxes (which he hates, like trip-hop label) and his troubled upbringing.

There’s an interview from this era (still up on Guardian’s site) with some insight into label stuff and relations with media.