Some of my favourite songs by musicians that inspire me.
For this blog post I thought it would be fun to create a little playlist of ten songs that I love and explain why each one of them holds a special place in my heart. All of these songs touch me in many different ways and for different reasons. Some of them are attached to precious memories, others have lyrics that really resonate with me, others just sound beautiful. But all of them, in some way or another, have somehow shaped me as a person or influenced creative decisions that Alessandro and I take when it comes to making our own music.
PS: I won't list the songs in a specific order, since I find it impossible to rank them.
#1 Escher's Waterfall - Collective Remembrance
Okay, maybe I am a bit biased putting this one first. But I for sure believe that it's a more than deserving first pick. This is my favourite track from Alessandro's album which he released back in May, 2019, called "Collective Remebrance". I actually got to listen to this before it was officially out and I loved it from the very first time I heard it. It's an instrumental piece that slowly unfolds in the most beautiful way. I especially love the strings on this one, they are simply stunning. This song carries so much emotion and there is this bitter-sweet undertone throughout the whole song, which finally resolves into a peaceful feeling of assurance at the end.
#2 Spiegel Im Spiegel - Arvo Pärt, Murcof, Vanessa Wagner
Another piece without any lyrics. Usually I am very much a paying-attention-to-the-lyrics type of listener, but some pieces of music simply don't need words in order to speak to you and touch you on a deeper level. Just like this one. This piece was originally written by the estonian composer Arvo Pärt in 1987 for solo piano or violin, but I really like this particular modern rendition of it. I associate this piece with views of a wide winter landscape, walking around outside and daydreaming.
#3 Moonchild - M83
Speaking of daydreaming. Or, even more fitting for this song, dreaming while being awake at night. I was pretty blown away by this song when I first heard it. It just sounds so...epic! It sounds so magical and dreamy, it's a song to really get lost in. The vocals, the production, it all blends together into a magical explosion.
#4 Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd
It was pretty hard to narrow down one single song by Pink Floyd to pick. I decided to go for this classic because especially the first part just sounds like floating in space to me, in the most amazing way. I feel like Pink Floyd are one of those bands that have mastered the art of taking you on a journey when you listen to their songs. Basically, I love any song that I can dream to.
#5 Because - The Beatles
Keeping in the classics, I just had to include this song by The Beatles. When I first listened to it, I was completely mesmerized by the vocal harmonies. They sounded so otherwordly to me. And I just love how pure all of their songs sound, like they came straight from the heart.
#6 Nude - Radiohead
"Don't get any big ideas. They're not gonna happen."
Saying what we are all thinking...no? Radiohead's lyrics are always so to the point and so masterfully written, it's amazing. I would be lying if I said I understand what they are trying to say all of the time, but that's the beauty of it, right? I love lyrics that are a bit open for interpretation, that leave you guessing a bit, that make you think. And the music is amazing as well.
#7 Dawn Chorus - Thom Yorke
If you haven't yet, you should definitely check out Thom Yorke's short film on Netflix called "Anima". This song is my favourite on this album and I have some very special memories attached to it. Every time I listen to it, it reminds me of the way I felt when I first heard it and it has brought me to tears many times. It seems so simple, but at the same time it's not. This one really gets to me.
#8 Roads - Portishead
You may have noticed by now that I'm a sucker for emotional, melancholic, kind of depressing music. I don't know why exactly, it just makes me feel...alive? It's just amazing to me how much music can move someone. I love this song from the fragile, emotive vocals, to the wurlitzer, the guitar and the heartbreaking strings.
#9 Touch - Daft Punk (feat. Paul Williams)
Can you believe Daft Punk announced that they're retiring from making music? As if the past two years haven't been disappointing enough... I love this song in all aspects: the lyrics, the production, the epic choir at the end. It's just awesome. Also, this might be the most uptempo song on my list. So enjoy this rarity!
#10 Ghostin - Ariana Grande
This song might seem random among all the other ones I have suggested so far, but yes: I am weirdly fascinated by Ariana Grande. Mostly because I am very impressed by her vocal talent and I really wish I had her vocal range. Her tone is very pleasing to me as well and I find this song very sweet and emotional. It's actually one of these songs that can make me tear up. I love the slow buildup and the production of this, as well as the vulnerability in the lyrics. Of course another highlight of this song are the strings. What can I do, I'm just a sucker for strings. And the vocal outro? Straight out of vocal heaven!
So, I hope you enjoy my playlist! If anyone reading this has any other music suggestions, please leave them in the comments! I always love discovering new music.
Love,
Nefeli
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