#1 - Maajo - Maajo
This was without a doubt my favourite this week. I quite love the way the group have described themselves in their Spotify bio, as 'inspired by wanderlust, exotic mysticism and David Attenborough.' The members are Jon Thureson, Juhani Lammi, Tuomas Lammi, Jussi Laitinen, Janne Melanen and Mitja Virikko, and they come from Tempere, Finland! Despite the wintry climate of their hometown, their music combines tropical sounds, western and African instrumentation, and modern club beats. This whole album, Tropic of Tulli, is fantastic, but the self-titled track is what came up on my Discover and is definitely my favourite. My friend actually sent me this months ago, and of course I didn't pay it the respect it needed until I could claim it my own find (sorry Rose). The song was originally released as a 12'' under a one-off label 'Seagull' and essentially brought about the new material that makes up the rest of the album. The running conga rhythms throughout, warm synth chords and the small guitar sequence stand out in the instrumentation to me as representing the relaxing tone that makes this song cause you to feel so happy. This, combined with the African vocals (which I have tried and failed to find a translation for :(), creates a nine minute masterpiece. I really like the sampling of the vocals actually, it's subtle, just repeating the last word of the main hook on the second iteration, and ending the whole song with an extension of the second sample, bringing about a sense of completion. Every time you listen to it, it takes you to that same, comforting place, in the sun, safe and sound.
#2 - Acid Rain (Edit) - Lxury
I really can't find much about this artist or the song, other than that he is from the UK. Gassed about that though. The heavy kick throughout most of the song gives that classic dance music feel, but I just really love the ascending and then descending synth melodies, such as at 0:46. They're almost extra-terrestrial, and I can imagine that in a club it would sound pretty cool acoustically. The four chords are peng and the sounds blend well together to create an electronic, neon atmosphere where people are travelling in tubes like in Futurama or something, or at least that's how my brain sees it (lol). I also really like the bass line; it focuses mainly on one note a lot, but does jump around at quite angular intervals as well to break up your expectations.
#3 Alaska - Sofi Tukker Remix - Maggie Rogers, Sofie Tukker
So, the original is by an American singer-songwriter from Easton, Maryland. She was discovered through this song by Pharrell Williams at a NYU masterclass, apparently. It's cute, but let's talk about the remix. The New York duo, Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, hence 'Sofi Tukker', took the best parts of the song and made a right chilled house banger. That is, the airy and reverbed vocals reflecting the meaning of the lyrics. 'You and I, there's air between' is such a peng way to describe feeling distant from someone and with the tone of the song it creates a mood persuasively. It's very simple with three chords, but they that melancholic sound which I love, and the staccato plus reverb punctuates the music well. The guitar solos are just beautiful, especially the descending lines at the end of the first phrase. Love love love.
#4 - Winona - DJ Boring
This one is a lo-fi house track from 2016. It samples an interview of Winona Ryder where she talks about the difficulties of being an actor from a young age. I think the punchiest line is 'it is difficult to be judged, to be reviewed as a teenager' and DJ Boring (great name) communicates this as his influence in the music. You look back on past pain, admit it and accept it. It's sad, but ultimately you move on. That's what this song says to me. The varied electronic instrumentation and sound waves capture this in their combination, they create this hazy, thoughtful mood. What stuck out to me on my first listen is that the sample from the interview and the music are certainly one work, but they stand apart and distinct, as if they're two components within the story being told. I haven't really heard anything like it before, that's why I wanted to include it. Also, the artwork is great.
So, there are my favourites from this week. If you haven't, you should check out your own Discover Weekly on Spotify. I think it's played a big part in what my music taste is today versus last year, or the year before that. If you listen to anything, honestly listen to Maajo. I'm using it to pretend the rain in London isn't happening and I'm just chilling under the rays. Honestly just allow the rain, I can't complain enough, this weekend I stepped in a fat, dirty puddle getting off the bus. Feel sorry for me.
In a bit x
