Stephen’s Selects #2: October 7th – 13th

I hope you enjoyed the first week of ‘Stephen’s Selects’ last week. The playlist has now been updated for October 7th – 13th. But don’t worry… if you still want to listen to last week’s tracks, you can see what was included here.

If you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on Spotify and follow along!

Remember that I’ll be updating the playlist every week with 10 tracks that have influenced my life, music, career and conversations. I’ll also be breaking down why each track is included on this blog.

I’ll also happily include your music, so please send links my way!

Now, without further ado, here’s the breakdown of Stephen’s Selects #2: October 7th – 13th…

1. S U R V I V E – ‘High Rise’
   Ever since I heard the opening credits of ‘Stranger Things’, I was completely hooked on the music created for the show. Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein create that music. They also make up half of S U R V I V E – an electronic band from Austin, Texas. ‘High Rise’ displays a lot of their strengths and immerses you in their style instantly.

2. Foster The People – ‘Imagination’
   They’re a lot more than just ‘Pumped up Kicks’. I love the guitar work and the trippy synths in this track. There’s a classic sound to this track coupled with modern mixing and production techniques. There are also a lot of dynamics left in the track. Hallelujah!

3. Set Mo – ‘Woodburn’
   This one popped up in my ‘Discover Weekly’ playlist and I wanted you to discover it too! There are some really nice sound design elements in this track. From reversed drums and cymbals, to haunting vocals and strings… it’s all pretty cool. I also very much enjoy the driving rhythm in this track that keeps it moving through each section of the song.

4. Nina Simone – ‘Sinnerman’
   The persistence and evolution of ‘Woodburn’ brought about thoughts of ‘Sinnerman’ for me. This song is a classic and if you haven’t heard the version from BBC Proms’ ‘Mississippi Goddam: A Homage to Nina Simone’, then you’re missing out. Please give this timeless classic song the full ten and a half minutes of listening time it deserves.

5. Kanye West & Chris Martin – ‘Homecoming’
   Kanye West is heavily influenced by Nina Simone. There’s no denying it. The piano in ‘Homecoming’ reminds me of ‘Sinnerman’ but it also sounds like a Coldplay song with a Kanye West beat. I’m sure that was the goal, right? What I love about this track is that it’s entirely stripped down in comparison to the Kanye West tracks of the time. ‘Homecoming’ doesn’t have multi-layered synths and elaborate production but it does contain tasteful sound design and unusual samples throughout.

6. WALK THE MOON – ‘One Foot’
   My good friend Kirk turned me on to this one. I always keep it in my back pocket as an example of how to build a great pre-chorus ramp towards an absolutely massive chorus. The bass guitar does a lot to emphasise the impact of that pure pop chorus.

7. Imagine Dragons – ‘Birds’
   I’m a big ‘Imagine Dragons’ fan and had the privilege of meeting them relatively early on in their career. ‘Birds’ has a bittersweet but beautiful melancholic tone. The guitar work is particularly tasteful and the lyrics are full of vivid imagery. Really nice work and I hope to hear more from them in the near future.

8. TrackLab – ‘March’
   There’s a lot to love in ‘March’. But for me, it’s all about the lead synth part. It gets me every time and this whole track provokes a lot of positive thinking for me. I hope it does the same for you!

9. Kings of Leon – ‘Closer’
   That lead synth part in ‘March’ reminded me of the lead guitar part in ‘Closer’ by Kings of Leon. I love the creative use of a whammy pedal and the general eerie feeling of this song. What’s more, I’m also a big fan of the delay on the hi-hats. It’s not something you hear done a lot and it keeps me thinking about what I should and shouldn’t do when producing and mixing. It turns out there really are no rules.

10. Ernesto Schnack – ‘3 Libras’
    As well as having a wonderfully tasty name, Ernesto Schnack’s rendition of A Perfect Circle’s ‘3 Libras’ is really lovely. This took time to put together and execute so well. While you’re at it, check out the original track!

    Click here to listen to the full playlist on Spotify!

    (Please note that the link will send you to the playlist of the current week and might not feature the tracks listed above!)

    So, that’s week two of Stephen’s Selects.
     

    Remember that if you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on Spotify and follow along!

     
    If you’d like to have your song featured or have any recommendations, drop me a comment below or email. Let’s talk more about the music we’re listening to and share our ideas!

     
    

    Now, I’d love to know…

    
    What are you listening to this week? What are you working on? Have anything you’d like to share?
     
    Leave a comment below!

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