(Songs To Raise Your Dead Spirits)

A friend told me about the Blue Scholars about 4 years ago, I played their LP 'Bayani' to death but never thought to follow up on whether they released any further music...until now. In a moment of rediscovered I went on a search for anything they might have released since. Much to my excitement, I found that they released a brand new album in June (Cinemetropolis)- I immediately went to itunes and purchased the album!


Also, I found that DJ Sabzi (one half of the Blue Scholars) has recently collaborated with with Kelsey Bulkin to create 'M∆DE IN HEIGHTS'. They released an EP at the end of last year, Winter Pigeons, and just last month they released an 11-track album, both of which are currently being overplayed in my ears, throughout the house, while driving in my car, while walking the dog, while grocery shopping. It was exactly what was missing from my music playlist and I only wish they had more songs!


This is on the very top of my recommendations list, and just to give you a sample of their stuff here is a link to (one of) my favourite song(s):

You got me for nothing.

Mister Newton-Howard, kind sir.

I have never been a fan of horror/thrillers. Perhaps it was the soundtrack of The Village that influenced me to hold an appreciation for the film... Another fine example of James Newton Howard's brilliance.

Satisfaction

There isn't much that could satisfy me more than discovering a new musical gem. An exception to this would be sharing it with others and seeing their mutual appreciation for such magnificence. And by appreciation, I mean comments like this:

"It's music like this that taught me how to listen, and do nothing else."

That, for me, is satisfaction.

Artist: B. Hemmati

My next endeavor:

A modern masterpiece.

From the age of five I have played and studied music, most of which would be considered classical music. Although I was made to learn, recognise, analyse and discuss a plethora of pieces by an innumerable amount of composers, well-known and otherwise, I was never a fan of this particular music. Classical music gave me a headache.
In more recent times I have had an ever increasing admiration for the music scored for film, also known as soundtracks. I'm not talking about films like Bridget Jones' Diary using songs like 'All by myself' (an already famous pop song). I'm referring to the enigmatic film scores that are crafted specifically for use in films. It is these pieces that I would refer to as the masterpieces of our time. In the previous centuries, it was the likes of Mozart, Vivaldi, Bach etc that produced the pièce de résistance of their time, however with the technological boom of the 20th Century it was only natural that the world of music would also be revolutionised.
The production of masterpieces has now been left up to brilliance of Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, Rachel Portman, Gustavo Santaolalla, James Horner, Thomas Newman, Yann Tiersen.


A few soundtracks you simply must hear:
- The last Samurai

- Man on Fire
- The Chronicles of Narnia
- The Motorcycle Diaries
- Batman Begins
- Avatar
- Chocolat
- Amélie & Goodbye Lenin

Of course, watch the films while you're at it :)

Oltremare

This little piece of Ludovico's magic gets me every time:

Although my consistency leaves much to be desired, I am in the process of learning this piece. Slowly, but surely, I will get there :)

nb. Oltremare is 'overseas' in Italian

Months after discarding my trusty old Nokia, tonight I decided to go through it and look for anything on there worth keeping. I came across a note saying "Wim mertens". I could only assume this was something music-oriented but I had no recollection of why/where this had come, from but thanks for technology, more specifically youtube, I was able to solve my own mini-mystery:

Let me occupy your mind