The Horror!

Walking home from the gym, strolling the Beacon St sidewalk in Boston, totally lost in RJD2's Deadringer album. "The Horror" tunes in on my iPod, an eerie track that instantly gets me thinking about the barbaric cannibalism and craziness of Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now. Soon I'm smiling because this song completely sent my mind in a different direction, though its kind of messed up - the Power of Sound...and then BAM! this crazy cat hurtles itself at me from a bush on my right, just as the track screams "The Horror The Horror!!!" AHHH!! The beast slams into my leg and rebounds to the curb, poised right in front of me in attack pose, hissing. And I think it has rabies. I really do. So I inch to my right along an invisible wall, curving past the feline - always keeping my eyes on it. And then I'm past it, I'm alive, it didn't claw my eyes out. And the Horror ends. Just like that.

I hope someone saw this spectacle, because I've never been so afraid of a damn cat.

Slow Train Soul

Slow Train...souuuuul. You know those ricer car shows people go to to show off neon lights and flashy engines? My buddy Kevin and I went to a show years ago and they were playing Slow Train Soul - a muddy, Southern-inspired groove that chugs along with heavy downbeats and this afro-american soul voice. Listened to their recent album tonight in my office - "Santimanity" and was at peace. Though my office was bright and I was on point, the mellow and deep bass that plugged away slowed my body down - I felt slower, and it sure as hell connected with my soul.

Slow Train Soul - think Kanye West meets James Brown meets Massive Attack, and slowed to a crawl, nearly as peaceful and powerful as AIR's latest (Pocket Symphony).

Ecco slathered with Lemon Jelly

I went to Ecco (www.ecco-atlanta.com) for a business dinner tonight in Atlanta. Was excited my client picked this place - I read about it in Esquire - it's a "Best New Restaurant In America." And it was damn good- the food was great, but what put me over the edge was the ambient music. Of course they were playing Thievery Corporation's Cosmic Game (not my fav Thievery album, but a Thievery album none the less) and then they had a great ambient mix of chillout. I heard more Thievery, some old school Boards of Canada and I recognized Lemon Jelly as well. So I asked for the playlist and, not to my surprise, not a server or host in the place could get me anything. Now - I didn't expect it, but what an idea!! I mean, part of the dining experience is the ambiance, the lighting, the look, the feel, the sound. What if restaurants with great background tunes added playlists to menus, or DJs spinning actually handed out flyers with what they did? Hm, i'm sure there's naysayers who wouldn't want this, but I would. Instead of taking home a doggy bag, you can let your patrons leave with a little bit of the vibe itself!

Aspire

Been a few days since the last post. Been busy and need some relax time - so I put on some tunes, or I watch TV, and I hear ambient everywhere I go on TV. During football today (Go Packers!) the new Lexus LS commercial came on with some ambient chillout in the background. The Lexus drives around towering pyramids of crystal glassware, and then parks itself. All this happens over the background of an ambient chilled track.

So i'm thinking about movies and shows and TV and where you hear ambient music. I feel like its mostly in situations with an aspirational element. People want that Lexus LS that parks itself, they want to be like Christian in Nip/Tuck, they want to kick back and have an expensive martini on some lush pillows. Anyone remember the Dramboui and Cola commercial where the bartender licks the ice cube as she pours a dramboui for a customer. THe downtempo tunes in the background set the scene.

And now off to Atlanta, i'm going to try to hit up a good chillout scene while i'm there for a few days, anyone have suggestions?