World Surfer

People can argue America owns Rock music. Europe owns House. Jamaica owns Reggae. But chillout - its World music, inspired by so many styles and grooves.

I want to go to Brazil and see Bebel Gilberto's inspiration. I want to meet "The Girl from Ipanema." I want to visit the Seinne in France and thank the discos that brought us Daft Punk. But I can't do allll that right now. So i'll be an active "couch surfer" - to borrow from Bran Van - and use the internet, my friends, other sites, the BBC, streams, podcasts, to find anything I can.

Where in the world will my next favorite tune come from?

Chilled Out Readin...RE: UP Magazine

Anyone read RE: UP Magazine? Its a mag dedicated to chillout, dub, DJing and related captivating lifestyle. I want to subscribe (maybe a Christmas parent from the 'rents?) but just haven't done it yet. They have podcasts online too, will start with that.... Maybe I just gotta go for it, dive in, just like this blog!

Dear Kanye, give props to Daft Punk...

I just got the new iPod nano. I turn it on and the first song that plays on my first listen is Kanye's "Stronger." Love the song, but I think I was in the mood for Daft Punk "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."

Kanye's sampling is amazing, and I hope people recognize that Daft Punk is what makes this song great. Even Kanye's video has an homage to the characters in the "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" video. (For those who haven't seen this, its part of "Intersella," a funky anime film that features the entire Discovery album, from beginning to end. Click the title of this post to see the video on YouTube.)

"Around the World" clued me in to Daft Punk, but 2001's Discovery album, especially "HBFS," did me in.

Bran Van 3000 - new album Oct 30, 2007

A friend turned me on to Bran Van 3000 and I instantly fell in love (with BV3, not the friend). Reminds me of the Avalanches. They were big in late 90's with a single "Drinking in L.A." and made us groove with happy, folksy dub rock . Check out www.officialbranvan3000.com

They are releasing a new album, Rose - on October 30, 2007 (according to their site). We saw its on pre-sale on Canadian Amazon too. This new one is described as "hip-hop electro R&B" - which sure as hell makes me look forward to listening.

Quote of the day, from the same friend that brought me BV3: "My coat fits you well, I have shoulders like a linebacker."

Sounds from Davis Sq., Cambridge

Robin and I were underground to catch the T at Davis Sq (Cambridge,MA), I heard some flamenco type guitar. The escalator took us down and the guitar got faster, slowed to a mellow crawl, chopped back and forth. Robin didn't think the guitar melody was "ambient," and I thought - why can't it be?

Listening to ambient - it can be dub, downbeat, sitars behind violins and electronica, chants with a beat. It is the music that makes you feel connected with the ground you stand on, the people you are with, the air that pushes through your lungs.

Ambient music makes me groove, makes me slow down - like tai-chi or tantric sex or deja vu. So how does it make you feel?