Ipod shuffle #2

1. Ausencia - Violeta Parra

This is a beautiful song by a renowned Chilean folk singer, Violeta Parra. The lyrics are full of passion and, as well, nostalgia. Parra wrote many songs about Chile while living in Paris, but this song deals with that of missing a loved one. Her music is very raw; the guitar and vocals are by no means 'beautiful' in the original sense of the term, but the song reaches the listener through quite an idiosyncratic approach. Parra also drew from many other folk songs preceding her time, and she is also a blueprint for the 'New Song' Chilean movement, later to be led and pioneered by Victor Jara.

2. Scenario - The Fall

Due to the prolific work ethic of Mark E. Smith and The Fall, they are bound to release quite a bit of dross now and again - Reformation Post TLC falls under that category. Still, this song is one of the least turgid ones of the album... What I like about this song is that Smith makes reference to a Captain Beefheart song in Trout Mask Replica - "it don't make me high, it can only make me cry." But instead of the lyrics dealing with the veteran day poppy of the Vietnam war, this deals with the November poppy commemorating the First World War. Smith's lyrics can indeed often resemble Beefheart's and it is perfectly apt that he draws from him; he has the same child-like view of the world, but with a far more in-your-face cynicism veneer to it.

3. November 25: Ichigaya - Philip Glass

This is part of the soundtrack for Paul Schrader's biopic Mishima. Glass is the most famous exponent of minimalism, and this segment does indeed use repetitive patterns to great effect. This piece has the aura of a war sequence, and even if I haven't seen Schrader's film, I can see it used as background music for one of narcissistic Mishima's confrontations. The piece becomes more intense as it progresses; the marching drums increases momentum, as well as the strings, until it all seemingly evaporates and can't go any further.

4. Muscle Head - Napalm Death

Fucking ludicrous grind back when Napalm were playing grind. The song went by so fast that I didn't have time to write about it while hearing it! Indeed, Napalm's songs often sound like a premature ejaculation... Grindcore takes death metal and injects it with the speed of punk, which ultimately results in a flux of exhilaration and energy. Additionally, there are pseudo-political, indecipherable rants.

5. Moon Dreams - Miles Davis

After leaving Charlie Parker, Davis formed his own band and began pioneering what is called 'Cool Jazz', later to be collected in The Birth of the Cool along with pianist/arranger Gil Evans. All the performers seem to have their own role in this track; they each solo with one another, often playing the title theme along the improvisations, blurring the distinction between predetermined notation and improvisation. The track is also very laidback, as its title 'Cool' may suggest.