Shostakovich was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who, for the majority of his career, wrote music in the shadow of the oppressive communist regime of his day. In 1957, he composed his second piano concerto for his son’s 19th birthday. We start the mixtape with the second part of the piece, one of his most recognizable and moving songs ever composed - an unrestrained delight from start to finish.
Fox was a British-based pop band best known for its charismatic Australian lead singer Noosha Fox who made quite an impression on teenage male fans with her wistful demeanor and bewitching breathy vocals. This laidback track is a B-Side from their 1975 debut album ‘He's Got Magic’.
More long dramatic intros by Isaac Hayes? Yes, please. On his 1970 album …To Be Continued, meticulously crafted songs span far beyond traditional radio-friendly length as he applies his bedroom baritone voice, unusual chord progression and hot-buttered orchestral sound to tunes he had previously charted for other musicians.
In 2016, Fuga Ronto (Sep 2022 mixtape) released their debut album, Invisible Escape, on the young and excellent Swiss label Phantom Island. The Zurich-based duo blends Balearic sweetness and carefree melodies on ‘Journey Unknown,’ transporting the listener to lush sonic landscapes.
Nona Hendryx is a writing genius who is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle (she wrote the majority of the music for the group). During the early 80s, she was the queen of the NYC club scene, playing shows at Paradise Garage, The Ritz and the China Club, honing her performing, writing and singing skills to perfection. With its killer bass line and boasting clever lyrics of opposites, ‘Transformation’ is a dark, slinky and cerebral modern classic that defied categorization and took the music industry by storm when it was released in 1983.
Christiana Uduak Essien-Igbokwe was Nigeria's 'First Lady of Song' and the main political female figurehead of Nigerian pop music in the 70s. Taken from her 4th album, One Understanding, and with a statement of increasing importance nowadays, ‘Take Life Easy’ is a groovy song of disco and smooth afro soul that was the main driver behind Afrodisia's reissue of this forgotten Nigerian treasure.
Initially known for his work with the pioneering electronic duo Air, Nicolas Godin also makes sophisticated music on his own. His 2015 album Counterpoint is a post-modern interpretation of Bach’s keyboard music that includes jazz, tropicalia and exotica among its swath of influences.
Seven years in the making, In These Times is the 7th and arguably most complete record of Makaya McCraven. With his lyrical and effortless flow, the Chicago-based composer eloquently condenses and articulates sounds into a jazz labyrinth, adding textural depth and layer upon layer to deliver engaging and emotionally-charged compositions.
Utterly ageless and endlessly innovative, Swiss veteran post-industrial trio The Young Gods released this year their own take on Terry Riley’s epic 1964 minimalist composition In C. Heavy on percussive elements and characterized by minimal sonic maneuvers, the result can be compared to a ritualist seance where the listener is entirely focused on repetitive rhythmic sequences and stripped-down melodies.
I came across this album at a listening session in Berlin earlier this month and was instantly hooked by its orchestral beauty, dark mystery and diverse instrumentation. What makes this album so special? It defies genre classifications. Featuring somber drones, tablas, flutes, santoors, chants and eastern melodies, the music is a purely spiritual and artistic exploration, and the duo delivers transcendental moments on almost every song.
Prior to releasing his debut EP Vigiles under Auteyn earlier this month, French multi-instrumentalist Benoit Lefèvre had already amassed numerous musical projects under his belt, ranging from electroacoustic music to classical and instrumental compositions. Vigiles is a one-piece dark ambient work in five parts that culminates with ‘Fanfare’, a majestic song of drones and brass instruments. It builds up in subtlety and reaches its climax before releasing into a fog of nothingness.
Barcelona-based composer Jason Kolar (real name Cristian Subirà) creates contemplative and meditative music that is rich with subtle melodies. Drenched in tones and texture, ‘Corners’ feels like the sound of melting ice dripping under bright streaks of morning light. Warm and soothing percolations for the ears.
Dylan Henner returns with a follow-up to his 2020 album The Invention of the Human, a stunning continuous 40-minute piece reflecting on existentialism, nostalgia and longing for times passed. Through meticulously chosen track titles describing intimate moments or reflections at various life stages, the album is a poignant reflection on the fragility of our existence. In the musician’s own words, "The piece tells the story of a single life, from birth to death. I've been thinking about the passage of life a lot recently as I lost all four of my grandparents but celebrated the birth of my daughter all within a short period of time. The brevity and preciousness of being really hit me.”
