BT – Every Other Way (buy this song)

Welcome back!  It’s been a long time since I actually updated the MSMOTD.  It was derailed initially because of the production and release of my album, and then continually postponed due to academic responsibilities. However, it is now back and will hopefully be updated regularly!

One of my first MSMOTDs was BT’s “Antikythera Mechanism”, from his award winning and brilliant glitch-symphony “This Binary Universe”.  However, as incredible as that album is, it is really just one facet of Brian Transeau’s musical taste and ability.  He began as a trance/house producer and has been continually building on that base.  TBU was a fairly radical departure, but his new album “These Hopeful Machines” (do I sense a theme?) brings everything full circle and combines the new techniques and style he employed on TBU with his older dance and ballad sensibilities.  It’s a huge double album, ranging from full-on house meant for the dance floor, to TBU-style electronica, to glitchy alternative and beyond.  I’ve been waiting 4 years for this album and while it’s not TBU part 2 (perhaps still forthcoming), I am well pleased.  So are other reviewers it seems, with wired.com giving it a 9 out of 10 and saying “If you’ve never liked electronica before, this is the release that could change your mind.”  High praise indeed.  BT is is a very prolific writer and this album is a great showcase of that talent, while remaining quite cohesive.

BT's latest album - "These Hopeful Machines" (2010)

I actually heard Every Other Way first as a remix by Armin Van Buuren (see below) on Universal Religion 4, a fantastic trance mix album released by Van Buuren in 2009.  It’s a fantastic remix, but it didn’t really prepare me for the album version.  Every Other Way (featuring vocalist “Jes”) is an ethereal, beautiful and glitchy ballad which flows between soaring melodies and glitchy breaks which dig into the centre of the earth.  Clocking in at over 11 minutes, it’s an epic journey, but one I keep taking over and over again, savouring every note from the opening chimes to the electronic wash at the end.  Nobody else writes music quite like this, and that’s one reason why I love BT so much.  This music is, in my opinion, immediately accessible and pleasant to the ear, but also pushes boundaries and experiments with sound in new ways.  What wizardry he uses to craft such raw emotion from electronic audio stuttering is beyond the ken of man (at least this man), but however he does it, it definitely pushes all my buttons.  I love the album version, but you can also find the radio edit (not as good) on youtube.

(BT feat. Jes – Every Other Way (Armin Van Buuren Remix)) (buy this song)

As one of the top house/electronica/dance producers in the world, BT’s releases are remixed over and over again, as indicated by the AVB remix of Every Other Way.  A number of other songs from “These Hopeful Machines” have also been remixed, including the first single (and one of my favourites from the album), Suddenly. Suddenly is actually the first track on the album, and is a much more upbeat and dancy tune than Every Other Way.  With BT himself on vocals, the original track is a fantastic melding of BT’s signature house sound and a harsher alterna-rock vibe, all brought together with robotic precision by BT’s production and trademark stuttering glitches (how I love thee!).  However, he’s also released the song as a single along with a bunch of other remixes, including one by the all-powerful Klayton Scott (aka Celldweller – check out the Celldweller MSMOTD)!  His version is even more glitchy than BT’s original production (if that’s possible), and adds a dirty industrial sheen to the song which really changes its character.  Great driving music, if you plan on weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds with no regard for human life.  The video is embedded below.

Lastly, I’ve included one of my other favourites from the album, the complex and brooding Le Nocturne De Lumiere. This song is for all of those who adored “This Binary Universe”.  The first half of the song features a dark and throbbing beat, surrounded by a dense cloud of dreamy, stuttering accents and melodies which really have to be experienced with good headphones.  The second half deconstructs the beat and breaks the melody open into a shimmering wash of sound which is then built back up into the main theme.  This song is the definition of “intelligent dance music”: unique, non-repetitive, experimental and interesting, but still inherently danceable, beautiful and easy to listen to.  Fortunately there are several other tracks like it on “These Hopeful Machines” for those of us who really want more of TBU.

(The Celldweller remix of Suddenly by BT) (buy this song)

BT is one of the only artists who can successfully mix crunchy house beats and breaks with vast, dreamy soundscapes which simultaneously soothe and energize.  While this album is no TBU part 2 (despite songs like The Rose of Jericho and Le Nocturne De Lumiere), it is an incredible work in its own right and is one of the best albums of the year so far.  BT’s myspace page (see below) has a number of other songs from the album, so definitely go check them out and then buy this album if you like it.

Hope people still check the page from time to time, and enjoy the new music I’ll be posting in the near future.

- Mons

More music from BT

BT – Le Nocturne De Lumiere (buy this song)

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.btmusic.com/ (not much info here)

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BT_(musician)

Myspace Page (with more music): http://www.myspace.com/btnetwork

Featured Review: Curtis Silver’s 9 out of 10 review of “These Hopeful Machines” on wired.com

Support BT (and me!) by clicking these links to buy “These Hopeful Machines (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version)” or “the physical cd of These Hopeful Machines” from Amazon.com! See the “buy this song” links above to get the MP3s for the individual songs I’ve included in the post.

Modeselektor – The Dark Side Of The Sun (buy this song)

I think you can really tell a lot about a musician’s personality through their music.  Whether they were smiling as they recorded (Aqua definitely smiles), scowling with righteous outrage (Rage Against The Machine) or perhaps afflicted with nearly overwhelming ennui (Those unfortunate saps who are employed in mixing mallcore albums).  I picture the Modeselektor guys as having an intensely devilish grin fixed on their faces from the moment they enter the studio until the minute the album is finally mastered.  They, Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary of Germany, have an incredible amount of geeky, techy fun creating this music, and it shines through in the crazy glitchy editing, balls-out beats and quirky melodies.

Modeselektor is pretty hard to pin down, genre-wise.  They’ve been called everything from glitch-hop (you take that back!!) and IDM, to “bassbin-blowing techno hop dubstep core”, whatever that means.  The name doesn’t really matter though, as you bop along to their twitchy, stuttering, intricately detailed and dancy music.  They’ve released two albums so far, “Hello Mom!” in 2005, and “Happy Birthday!” in 2007, with a collaboration with Apparat released this spring as “Moderat”.

It's often hard to find good or interesting photos of artists. I gave up on Amorphis. But these guys have so many, hahaha.

Ok, here’s where I gush about how much I love The Dark Side Of The Sun.  Besides the very silly name (because obviously all sides of the sun, in general, emit equal levels of solar radiation), this song is silly in a number of other ways.  First of all, it’s a collaboration with the Puppetmastaz, a puppet-based german rap group who are very very silly.  Secondly, it’s silly because how is this song not a huge club hit??? This song is a brilliant and incredibly catchy mix of sexy synth beats and intricately edited vocals.  It is that glitchy vocal editing which impresses me the most actually.  Somehow, they manage to take what would otherwise be a good rap and dial it up to 11 through clever digital repetition, rhythmically strategic stutters and all sorts of sonic tricks.  It renders the lyrics largely unintelligible, but in exchange morphs the lyrics into the driving rhythmic force, intertwining and often overshadowing the bass line in a sort of twisty-turny power struggle.  The vocal editing dominates the rhythm during the verses, while the more traditional bassline takes over for the chorus.  The result is a hugely danceable monster of a tune.  If you played this in a dance club, the place would explode, though I’m not sure this has ever hit a dancefloor outside of Europe.  Here’s hoping stuff like this takes off, as one can only take so much Katy Perry and Soulja Boy before never wanting to dance again.

(Not my favourite of their songs, but I love the video!  This is Black Block from “Happy Birthday!”) (buy this song)

Let Your Love Grow (from “Happy Birthday!”) is a light, pulsing dub-reggae tune featuring vocalist Paul St. Hillaire (who’s also worked closely with Kruder & Dorfmeister).  Past the slightly silly intro, it grows into a really sweet groove that’s a nice chilled-out change from the stuttering intensity of the MSMOTD.  I love the squishy synths and the cool dub back beat.  I have no idea what on earth he’s talking about, but the sing-song reggae vocals are smooth and dreamy.  A great driving tune.

The second song below is named Kill Bill Vol. 4 for reasons unbeknownst to myself.  As with most Modeselektor songs, it’s rather odd.  The first minute of the song is just what sounds like they recorded 45 seconds of a factory worker with a serious speech impediment giving a rambling movie review.  Stick with it though, as at the 1:05 mark, the song kicks into gear with a gut-punching electro beat straight out of Mr. Oizo’s craziest wet dreams.  This one has no vocals and little in the way of Modeselektor’s signature glitchiness.  What it does have is a killer beat that will either move your feet or pound you into the ground.  Somehow, this music sounds so very very German.  Perhaps it is the perfectly rhythmic, almost robotic nature of the song, or the insistant, unrepentant, unrelenting repetition of the detuned synth melody.  Whereas the other songs I posted are fun and light in nature, this one is almost industrial in nature.  I can imagine people dancing to this in german clubs with VERY SERIOUS DANCING FACES.  No smiling allowed.  Still, I can smile while I listen to it, imagining serious german kids dancing seriously to this serious dance music.

As you can see, Modeselektor shows are SERIOUS BUSINESS. Smile during Kill Bill Vol. 4 and you get sprayed! Notice how none of those sprayed are smiling anymore.

As with much of the music I post here, I wouldn’t even know about these guys if it weren’t for wonderful friends who constantly recommend cool music to me (Thanks Nikki!).  The rest of the songs on their two albums are all really great, and both albums are worth checking out.  Let me know what you think of these guys in the comments!

- Mons

More music from Modeselektor

Modeselektor – Let Your Love Grow (buy this song)

Modeselektor – Kill Bill Vol. 4 (buy this song)

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.modeselektor.de/

Myspace Profile: http://www.myspace.com/mdslktr

Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modeselektor

Featured Review: The Pitchfork review of “Happy Birthday!”

Support Modeselektor (and me!) by buying “Happy Birthday!” or “Hello Mom!” from Amazon.com (you can get the physical or mp3 albums there).

Celldweller – Birthright (Beta 1.0) (buy this song)

Celldweller isn’t a band so much as a one man army.  It’s the multifaceted, crazed and brilliant creative output of just one oddly-coiffed individual -> Klayton Scott (real name: Scott Albert).  Klayton has fronted various musical ventures over the last decade or two, the biggest ones being 90′s industrial/metal group Circle of Dust, as well as all of the music for magician Criss Angel’s show and albums.  In fact, if you watch Criss Angel’s show, you’ve probably seen Klayton hanging off to the side watching the proceedings from behind his cascade of fiery anime hair, crazy pants and various metal accessories.  A Hugo Boss model he is not.  Anyways, Klayton as Celldweller has released 2 albums so far, with a 3rd album – “Wish Upon A Darkstar: Chapter 1″ – arriving on the 25th of August!

Their music is described by Klayton as a “fusion of the electronics of drum & bass and techno, with rock and orchestral elements, meshing the synthetic and the organic, darkness with beauty, into a cohesive blend entirely its own.”  A fairly apt description I must say.  The self-titled debut is a masterwork, combining trance/techno/d&b with industrial and metal to create a totally unique mix that’s at times incredibly heavy and others light and beautiful.  It’s as if Nine Inch Nails, Lamb of God, Depeche Mode, Infected Mushroom and E.S.Posthumus decided to pool their efforts.  You’ve probably already heard Celldweller’s music actually, as it’s been used in many movies and trailers, including Spider-Man and other prominent films.

Klayton hard at work in his crazy studio while taking a break from styling his hair and flexing in the mirror.

Birthright is the main single from his most recent album – “Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 1″, released in 2008.  The rest of the album is almost entirely instrumental, geared towards Celldweller’s burgeoning contribution to the film score/soundtrack industry.  Anyways, apparently Birthright isn’t quite done, hence the “Beta 1.0″ tag.  I presume the final version will be on “Wish Upon A Darkstar”, due later this month.  Birthright is a good showcase of Klayton’s passion for mixing genres, with metal guitars layed over a mid-tempo electronic backbeat, his multi-layered vocals sandwiched between pulsating synths and orchestral crescendos.  Klayton’s knack for memorable melodies and interesting hooks and twists is also evident here, along with several changes in feel/speed through the song.  Good stuff.

Also, as a special treat for those of you who like their electronica dancy, dark and glitchy ala Sebastian, Justice and Deadmau5, there’s a “Birthwrong remix” of Birthright on the album by Blue Stahli.  Check it out on youtube!  I have no idea why the youtube version of this song is “brought to you by Tombraider Underworld”???

I am really really pumped for the new album.  Check out this sample for So Long Sentiment from the upcoming album.  So good.

(A preview of So Long Sentiment from “Wish Upon A Darkstar”, due on August 25th)

My favourite song of his so far (because I haven’t heard the new album yet!) is probably Afraid This Time (from the 2003 “Celldweller” album – listen below).  It’s a gorgeous electronic ballad featuring amazing vocal editing/effects and a supremely memorable melody.  I’ve been listening to this song regularly since before the 2003 release of the first album (he has a tendency to release unfinished tracks on the net way before they are included on an album, much like me!)  It starts off soft, but slowly builds through really great harmonies, breakdowns and a powerful chorus to an energetic conclusion.  Some of the softer parts actually remind me of Utada Hikaru, haha.  The whole thing goes down like a smooth cider: sweet and warm, but with a kick.  I really love this tune.

I’ve also posted one of his purely instrumental tracks below.  The Angle of IO is from 2008′s “Soundtracks for the Voices in My Head” and like 90% of the album is completely devoid of lyrics, beyond a few wordless choral hits and sweeps.  Each of the songs on the album evoke different imagery, from being trapped deep underground to being chased, or wandering an abandoned city or whatever.  This one is more foreboding and spacey, with deep pulsating beats underlying mysterious piano flourishes and eventually frantic guitar/synths as the song works to a fever pitch then settles again into its groove.  Klayton loves his builds.  I had a hell of a time choosing which track to post from this album, as they’re all equally excellent.  Most are short, and he even has 4 different versions of the same song (URSA Minor), each focusing on a different aspect of the build/song/melody. Really neat!

You’ll also notice that below you can download Switchback, which is probably the most popular song from “Celldweller”.  It’s a crunchy/dancy tune that switches between metal and dance music throughout with reggae dubs midway through, haha.  Fun stuff.  Anyways, it’s been remixed literally HUNDREDS of times and is available for free download below.  It’s also been used in a ton of different trailers.

Hope you dig Celldweller as much as I!  He’s definitely influenced aspects of my own music (the darker, heavier aspects).  He’s a genius producer and everything he touches turns out great.  Also, the hair.  Leave a comment to let me know what you think!

- Mons

More music from Celldweller

Download Celldweller – Switchback for free!

Celldweller – Afraid This Time (buy this song)

Celldweller – The Angel of iO (buy this song)

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.celldweller.com/ (He has a blog here with lots of updates and videos of him mixing etc)

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celldweller

Myspace Page (with more music): http://www.myspace.com/celldweller

Featured Review: Ilker Yücel’s review of “Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 1″ for Regen Magazine

Support Klayton (and me!) by clicking these links to buy “Celldweller” and “Soundtrack…” from Amazon.com!  You can get either the MP3 albums or physical cds from those links (as well as just individual tracks, like that Birthwrong Remix By Blue Stahli).

Sebastian – Ross Ross Ross (from 2008′s “Productions and Remixes”)

Today we will dive ears-first into the incestuous waters of the French Electro scene!  Dance music as a genre has always been a little too eager with the remixes and remixes of the remixes and 4-person collaborations, but electro, while being awesome, is one of the worst sub-genres for this.  Sebastian is at the dirty, pulsating heart of this musical orgy, a rising star in the world of electro and one of the premiere artists on the Ed Banger label (also home to fellow french Electrists Justice and Mr. Oizo).  He’s from Boulogne, France and has released an album’s worth of original tracks and several albums worth of really crazy remixes.  I say crazy because Sebastian has a very distinct and interesting sound.  It’s the kind of music you might see Optimus Prime dancing to in a club on Cybertron – Transformer Dance Music.  It’s crunchy (like metal being crushed in a compressor crunchy), and glitchy and funky and rough and dark and yet infinitely danceable.  Imagine a collaboration between Soundwave and zombie Michael Jackson recorded in a steel foundry and you’re beginning to get the idea.  The Wiki article calls it “Futurist” but I don’t know what that means so I prefer my description.  I mean, the MSMOTD even sounds like the Transformers “transform” sound effect!

Real transformers smoke and never wash their hair.

Ross Ross Ross, from the album of the same name (released 2008) is not your average dance track, or even your average french electro track.  It is the sound of the future of music kicking in your front door and elbow dropping you in the face while you sleep.  It builds and deconstructs itself simultaneously, accompanied by swooping strings and an irresistible beat which provides no options other than dance, or if you are listening at a coffee shop on your laptop, head-bobbing and slight torso wiggling.  When John Travolta’s cryogenically preserved brain is inevitably implanted into a giant Japanese robot for the filming of Saturday Night Fever 3000 vs. MechaGodzilla, this will be playing during the final dance-fight scene where Travoltabot destroys MechaGodzilla with his killer robot dance moves and teeth-mounted smirkbeam of death.  I know the beginning is abrasive, but keep with it.  My favourite moment comes at 2:40 (where Travoltabot slow-motion kicks a baddy in the face whilst simultaneously wooing Goldie Tron and reversing the course of time itself).  Ok, I’ve gotten a little off track here.  The song might take a bit to get into, but persevere and you will be rewarded.  Clips from the song also make wonderful ring tones!  I adore the glitchy breakdowns that happen several times throughout the song.

(Another Sebastian original – Momy, from the “Motor” EP.  I believe it was used in Midnight Club: Los Angeles.)

Let’s talk now about Sebastian and his remixes.  These are the gateway drugs into Sebastian’s original work, since they tend to be a bit more accessible.  The first one I’ve put below is his remix of Kelis – Bossy (link goes to the original on youtube).  The original song is very popular, and this remix is unique in that it actually sounds somewhat like the original.  However, while still retaining the heart of the song, Sebastian has kicked things up about 1000% and changed the song from a throwaway, bouncy, light little hip hop tune into a thundering, funky, crunchy and incredibly slick dance explosion.  If they played this kind of stuff at clubs, I would go dancing every night.

The next is a KILLER remix of Mylo’s Paris 400.  Unlike the Bossy remix, this remix is quite different from the original – a cute warbly little dance piece with some female vocals and bubbly melody.  Check out the original: Mylo – Paris 400 then compare it to the remix below.  Instead of being the soundtrack to a vespa ride past the Louvre and Eiffel Tower on an autumn day, Sebastian’s remix is the score to your panicked flight through the darkened, shadowy streets of the 18th arrondissement, hopelessly running for your life from Vampire Arnold Schwarzenegger.  If I were actually going to hunt someone down, Running Man-style, this would be the soundtrack.

Those two are pretty accessible, but it is this last remix which is the most amazing.  Sebastian’s remix of Revl9n’s Walking Machine is nothing short of genius.  Before listening to the remix, check out the original.  Then watch the video below as Sebastian rips the original song to shreds and rebuilds it from the ground up into a ROBOT TANK OF DEATH.  I bet you didn’t even know that songs could be turned into tanks, much less robotic tanks, but it’s true.  Sebastian has done it.  Not only is Sebastian’s remix immeasurably superior to the original, but it’s also an utterly different song!  One which kicks your ass and mine too.  I didn’t begin to appreciate this song until after I already liked Ross Ross Ross and the remixes above, but now it’s right up there as one of my favourites.

(Remember what I said about the incestuous nature of Electro?  This is actually a remix of Sebastian’s remix done by Mr. Tortazo.  It adds in the (very clever) video editing and shortens the song by about 1.5 minutes.  You can hear the full thing on youtube.)

There is no doubt in my mind that Sebastian is before his time.  This is the music of the future, and I can only hope that he keeps producing and others follow suit.  I hope you dig this stuff as much as I have been!  Let me know what you think in the comments.

- Mons

More music from Sebastian

Kelis – Bossy (Sebastian Remix) (buy this song)

Mylo – Paris Four Hundred (Sebastian Remix)

More info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.myspace.com/0sebastian0

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SebastiAn_(French_electro_artist)

Support Sebastian (and me!) by buying his “Remixes” album from Amazon.com! Unfortunately, “Ross Ross Ross (Productions and Remixes)” is not available on Amazon as far as I can tell. You can download Revl9n – Walking Machine (Sebastian Remix) though.

Deadmau5 – Ghosts N Stuff

Deadmau5 is a Progressive House DJ from Toronto who has recently shot to popularity.  From being relatively unknown a few years ago, he has in the last year or two won Juno awards, Grammy nominations, and various accolades from electronic music magazines.  Armin Van Buuren named him Best Producer of 2007 in DJ Magazine.  All of that, while performing on stage with a gigantic purple mouse head helmet.  His music is labeled as “Progressive House”, but also contains elements of Electro, Trance and a variety of other monikers.  I’m so bad at genre distinctions, so I just label his stuff as “Good Music”, which is really the only genre I worry about.

His label is "Mau5Trap", you can sign up for "mau5mail", and if his fanclub aren't the "Mau5keteers", I'll be very disappointed.

I actually saw him live about a month ago, performing in Toronto at the Kool Haus.  It was really intense, and he had a lot of energy up on stage.  Great music, great atmosphere, and this one girl stripped down to her knickers and danced on a riser for 3 hours straight.  Ghosts N Stuff was the first song that I found when I searched for Deadmau5′ music (A friend recommended I check out the show and I had never heard of him before).  I listened to the first few minutes and immediately bought my ticket.  This track is very crunchy and reminiscent of the French electro scene which I very much love.  The sort of music I can’t help getting up and dancing to.  Great for running too!

(The official video for Deadmau5′ mega-hit “I Remember”)

The other two songs below are from his 2008 debut album “Random Album Title” (Ghosts N Stuff is a single).  I Remember (video above) is one of his mega hits and might appeal to the softer crowd, as it’s much more laid back and features some lovely female vocals.  A great tune to relax with after the energy of the MSMOTD.  Slip is another track from the same album and is a bit more edgy/suspenseful.  It sounds like an evening drive through a city of the future.  Great track.  The whole album is actually very good, and he has a whole SLEW of original work and really amazing remixes.  He actually became known as a remix artist before moving into full-scale original production.

How can you not have fun at a show like this?

Anyways, if he’s in town, definitely go to his show!  Good music, silly costume, awesome light show and lots of fun.  Let me know what you think in the comments!

More music from Deadmau5

Deadmau5 – I Remember (from 2008′s “Random Album Title”)

Deadmau5 – Slip (from 2008′s “Random Album Title”)

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.deadmau5.com/

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Zimmerman

Myspace Page: http://www.myspace.com/deadmau5 (Listen to more of his material here)

Featured review: http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/deadmau5-random-album-title

Purchase his 2008 album Random Album Title from Amazon, or download Ghosts N Stuff from their MP3 service.

Owl City – On The Wing (from 2008′s “Maybe I’m Dreaming”)

Discovering new music is one of my greatest joys in life.  That’s really why I decided to start this blog – so that I can share this joy with you.  Today’s MSMOTD, by Owl City, is that joy put to music.  A simple exhultation in life, love and beauty.  Much like Lights, this is “indie” pop-electronica, with some reviewers comparing the sound to The Postal Service.  It’s the product of one Adam Young, who wrote, produced and provided the vocals for every song on this 2 releases thus far.  Adam describes his own music as “apple shampoo soap bubbles, only music” and I think it’s a pretty apt description.  It’s an upbeat, light and relentlessly melodic synthesis of, well, synths, catchy drums, tastefully autotuned vocals (they enhance, rather than overwhelm, his already wonderful voice) and memorable hooks.

I wonder if he actually does birthdays?

There were 3 tracks competing in my mind to headline this post, but in the end I had to go with On The Wing, primarily because of one particular section that is, in my mind, absolutely perfect.  You ever find that one section in a song that just resonates perfectly with you?  The one little bit that just makes the song take off, where you can’t help but stand and throw your arms in the air in helpless celebration?  The 30 seconds between 3:00 and 3:30 in this song just does it for me every time.  It’s exactly how I would have done it and it’s glorious.  The rest of the song is similarly fantastic, but that bit puts it over the top for me.

The other two are really just as good.  In fact, you may like them more than the MSMOTD (which I chose really for my own personal reasons).  Hot Air Balloon is his new single and will be on his upcoming album – “Ocean Eyes”, due in September.  The way he is able to distill a bright afternoon spent riding a hot air balloon into a 3.5 minute song is magical.  I adore this song.  The Burzum/Coltrane crowd might find this stuff a little too simple and saccharine, but I think there’s a place for both.  The third song I’ve included (below) is The Saltwater Room, which is actually the song which introduced me to Owl City.  It’s probably his most popular song at the moment so I highly suggest checking it out as well.  It features a duet with the female vocalist of whom you hear shades in On The Wing.  It’s a really beautiful song featuring lovely harmonies and acoustic guitar along with the synths and clicky drums.

I just discovered these guys a day or two ago, thanks to a friend.  I hope you are as excited about them as I! leave a comment and let me know!

More music from Owl City

Owl City – Hot Air Balloon (New single from the upcoming “Ocean Eyes”)

Owl City – The Saltwater Room (from 2008′s “Maybe I’m Dreaming”)

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.owlcitymusic.com/

Owl City on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/owlcity

You can buy the latest album Maybe I’m Dreaming from Amazon.com, or download On The Wing from their MP3 download service.

I play my piano/keyboard every day.  I have to.  If I don’t play for a day or two, my hands start to twitch and I start playing imaginary pianos on table tops and stuff.  So, usually for at least 30 minutes a day, I’ll sit and just play whatever comes to mind.  It’s always different, usually new, and often recorded!  I record because I’ll often come up with some pretty neat melodies or ideas as I play, and by recording what I do, I can come back later and expand on the ideas, or at least not completely forget what I had done.

Chinese acrobats at the Shanghai Opera House

Most of my purely piano pieces are that I’ve posted here are of similar provenance.  I’ll sit and play, and what I record ends up being pretty decent.  I don’t only do this with piano though.  I love sitting at my keyboard and playing around with different synths and sounds.  Sometimes I’ll go to a music store and find their most expensive keyboard and just sit for 2 hours playing around with it, exploring the synths and effects.

Anyways, I think I’ll start posting more of these “Ramblings”.  Recordings of myself just going off on whatever instrument without any real editing, post-processing or structured intent.  This one was done last night and is basically a live performance, with both the synth and the drums each done in a single take.  I have a v-drum set, so that’s an actual drum performance, rather than a sequenced drum loop.  I had a lot of fun playing it, so I hope you enjoy listening to it.

You can download it here.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

- Mons

Röyksopp – The Girl and the Robot (from “Junior” , 2009)

Today’s MSMOTD is from Röyksopp, a Norwegian electronica group who specialize in warm, laid back downtempo beats and smooth melodies.  Their breakout hit debut album “Melody A.M.” was full of hits such as Remind Me and So Easy (both featured below).  Great music for relaxing after a hectic work day or crazy night on the town.

Love the music. Not a big fan of the album cover art.

The Girl and the Robot is from their latest album, 2009′s “Junior”.   The album shares their older music’s whimsical nature, but this song itself (along with several others on the album) is a bit more aggressive, with vocals by Sweden’s Robyn.  Below, I have the video that introduced me to Röyksopp in the first place.  It’s the amazing video for Remind Me, done by French graphics studio H5.  It tells the story of the day in a woman’s life using “infographics”, or graphics in the style of schematic diagrams etc.  It’s really neat and fits the music incredibly well.  Fans of The Sims will enjoy the look/feel of the video.

All of their albums are spectacular, though “Melody A.M.” is my favourite, with “Junior” a close second.  So Easy, available below, is the most relaxing of the three posted.  It’s like a whimsical journey through a hippy commune while soft pastel-coloured bubbles float gently down from the sky.  Hope you like them as much as I do… Who knew vikings could produce so sweet and smooth a song?

Leave a comment to let me know what you think of today’s MSMOTD!

- Mons

More music from Röyksopp

Röyksopp – So Easy

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://royksopp.com/

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Röyksopp

Buy “Junior” from Amazon.com or download “The Girl And The Robot” from their MP3 service.

Chromeo – Bonafied Lovin’ (from “Fancy Footwork”)

You know the kind of music that is so unabashedly fun and upbeat that whenever you hear it, you can’t help breaking out into a huge grin?  Chromeo makes just this sort of music.  They’re an electrofunk/synthpop group from Montreal who have waaaay too much fun in the studio.  Chromeo is a duo of synth-wielding, talkbox-using French Literature PHD candidates (ok, just one of them) who meld 80′s pop sensibilities with modern production and incredibly catchy hooks.  Think Daft Punk meets Michael Jackson at a T-Pain show.

I need one of those keyboards...

The previous two MSMOTDs have been pretty melancholy, dark and complex.  I love music like that, but there’s a place for goofy, fun, simple music as well, hence my choice of Chromeo as today’s MSMOTD.  They’ve released 2 albums so far. 2004′s “She’s In Control”, featuring the single Needy Girl (see the video below) and their more recent 2007 album, “Fancy Footwork”, with the MSMOTD.

Bonafied Lovin’ is a bouncy, hip, catchy tune that’s perfect for cruising around on a sunny summer day, windows open, arm out, hand-surfing on the wind (come on, I know some of you guys still do this too).  Their music is very cheesy, but in a wonderful, unpretentious way.  So long as you don’t take your funky synth-pop and slap bass too seriously, you’ll dig this music.

Hope you like it!

- Mons

More music from Chromeo

Chromeo – Needy Girl from Vice Records on Vimeo.

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.myspace.com/chromeo

Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromeo

Buy Chromeo’s “Fancy Footwork” on Amazon or get the album as a digital download. You can also download just “Bonafied Lovin’”.

Trifonic – Lies

I’m so excited about posting this MSMOTD!  Not only am I finally done with school and so now have the time to update regularly, but this group, this album, is really special.  So special that I had a hell of a time trying to single out a single track to feature.  In the end, I chose Lies, which was the first song of theirs that I heard, and still one of my favourites.  It’s also a good intro to the album.

One of the best albums of 2008.

Trifonic is a musical duo (the brothers Brian and Laurence Trifon) from San Francisco.  Their music is downtempo, glitchy, intimate and beautiful.  It’s a combination of BT-style organic electronica, acoustic guitars and rich female vocals.  I’d say they combine elements of BT with Portishead/Massive Attack, NIN and Amethystium.  Needless to say, this is an amazing combination, haha.  Trifonic’s Emergence is the soundtrack to the sunlight glittering off the icicles outside your window.  The soundtrack to exploring abandoned buildings and contemplative bus rides through a moonlit cityscape.  The soundtrack to a breakup and to almost-forgotten memories.  The internal score to your own scattered thoughts and dreams.

Lies is one of the tracks featuring female vocalist Amelia June.  It’s a sad, downtempo tune with percussion constructed of various noises the brothers recorded around their home one day (the sound of a light bulb turning on, dryer door closing, the fizzing of a pop bottle opening etc).  Amelia’s mournful tones overlay an ethereal and beautiful sonicscape of icy synths, piano and guitar.  Three of the tracks feature female vocals, all excellent.  The others are instrumental and are all just incredible songs.  I’ve included 2 more of my favourites below.  The first is the official video for Parks on Fire.  It was done by the same dude who did the videos for BT’s ‘Antikythera Mechanism” and “1.618″.  It uses a similar style, with clever editing and effects melding the music and video into a symbiotic whole.  This song gets better every time I listen to it.

Parks on Fire from neither-field on Vimeo.

In the “more music” section, I have another song, the title track – Emergence – from the album which is a bit more intense, featuring hints of d&b.  These tracks really remind me of BT’s This Binary Universe, which is wonderful, as I’ve been having trouble finding music to scratch my desire for more music in that vein.  Trifonic definitely does the job and more, bringing something entirely new to music.  I love this album and I think you will too.

- Mons

More music from Trifonic

Trifonic – Emergence

You can download the HD video for Parks on Fire (featured above) for free here.

Further info about today’s MSMOTD

Official Website: http://www.trifonic.com/

Amazingly, Trifonic is offering the entire album as a free download!  There’s also a link from that page to purchase a higher-quality digital version of the album for – get this – any price that you want.  They’ve followed the Radiohead model and are offering their music to people for free, with the hope that people will pay for the album out of appreciation for the music and a desire to support the artist.  The album is worth it, but you can check it all out for free there.

You can also buy the physical album from Amazon if you wish. I get a little kickback if you do this.