Mixtape 2021-11
Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of math-rock. You may ask, what is math-rock? And I have no honest answer to it. I understand that it is music with an unusual structure and with weird tempos in some moments. But I do not care about the definition. I’m just enjoying this music now. From it, I care about two things. One is they base their composition on layers of sound. They start with some basic riff and add a layer on another layer to create the whole song. The second is that they use unusual tempos, and that gives the tune a surprising effect. Fortunately, It doesn’t happen all the time, though.
Anyway! in this mixtape, I did also include some other songs. One of those put me on the path to math-rock a long time ago.
Toe, “Goodbye”
Toe is not a new band by any means. They have been releasing music since yeat 2000. I did discover them recently with this song. I advise you to watch the live video that you can find at Apple Music (or youtube). They literally play in the middle of the public! (toe)
Monobody, “Harvester”
I would like to know more about this band, but I found nothing on Apple Music or the web! I only know that they are from Chicago, Illinois. This is an example of that layering of sound that I was explaining before. They start with a melody and go evolving from there. It starts a bit “electronic”, but more instruments enter very soon. Notice the delicate guitar sounds. They have a playlist on YouTube with 5 videos that is worth watching if you enjoy this kind of music. (Monobody)
Special Others, “Laurentech”
My son Pau says that this song “is OK” and that I do talk too much about it. And, he is right, I do. This band has been the great discovery of this year so far. I love their melodies and the way they execute them. Again we are not talking about a new band at all. These folks have been playing together for more than 20 years. And they are as solid as they can be. Many of their songs make me move and express myself. In other words, they sound inspiring to me. You might not feel the same, and that is OK. I would say that this kind of discovery is what makes the mixtapes magical (Special Others site)
For the next two tunes we will move to a more “rock” style.
Jardin de La Croix, “Reversion”
Some years ago, at a music festival, I stumbled upon this group. I was impressed by their music and the particular way they execute it live. Back at home, I did purchase their album. I found that album sublime. The only complaint that I have is the recording quality of the album. If you listen to the mixtape, you will hear a different volume and treatment of bass frequencies in relation to the rest of the tape. I am always on the watch for new music from them (Jardin de la Croix)
LITE, “Infinite Mirror”
With LITE, we move a bit into the hardcore math-rock. They are direct and powerful. From the first riff to the end of the song, it is a full discharge of energy. They hold the riff longer than you expect to change it completely to a new song. I did not know, but this group have been receiving outstanding critics. Also, they are not a new band either since they have been playing together for 16 years. I am still discovering them, and they sound more than promising to me. (LITE)
Radiohead, “Let down”
“Let down” is not math-rock, but it definitely has this musical layer approach. It is a classic and one of my favourite songs of all time. It never leaves me indifferent. In my opinion, a masterpiece.
Will Wood, “I/Me/Myself”
Finally, I wanted to include this song because of my daughter Julia. She said that it represents and “Fluid Gender” person, and that surprised me. Thanks to her, I am discovering many exciting things about gender concepts (yeah, that sounds weird). Also, the song is fun! It is always good to learn new things.
Get it on:
And that is it for this month. But, next month is December, and the mixtape will come earlier. The theme will be completely different since I’m already feeling Xmas sensations. It is a happy and sad season at the same time, and that mix of feelings can come out in different ways for every person.
Enjoy!