Talk Talk ‘New Grass’ (Polydor)
Talk Talk have been a massive influence on my work, the way Mark Hollis floats his lyrics across a beautiful, rich bed of music is amazing. This track from Laughing Stock is one of my favourites, it’s so subtle.
Kraftwerk ‘Tanzmusik’ (Germanofon)
Tanzmusik meens ‘Dance Music’! This isn’t like your usual four on the floor affair though. It a Kraftwerk track from 1973 when they still played everything live (before their computer period) and it has a charming, magical other worldly-ness. More like dance music for the Bavarian mountains!
Vangelis ‘End Titles from Bladerunner’ (Universal)
Well Vangelis did an amazing job on the whole soundtrack for this film. It still sounds huge today. Listening to it now it still has a scale to it that is massive and it’s not trying to be cool like so much music, it’s just Vangelis. It had a big influence on tracks like ‘Sapphire Turns to Dust’, I wanted that folorn epic scale.
Japan ‘Adolescent Sex’ (Virgin)
Japan at their best! They have had a massive impact on me and Richard Barbieri (on keyboards) was a synthesizer legend. He only had two synths to work with on their later records and managed to make it sound like twenty. This track is a really early one (there’s actually two versions, one from 1976 and one from 1978, I think 1978 is better). It got that funk, punk don’t give a fuck vibe about it. I used to play a cover version of it when I was about 13 and all the girls thought it was really cool!
Killing Joke ‘Eighties’
It’s hard to imagine the impact of seeing this band live (in Burton on Trent!) when I was a kid. They were absolutely amazing! It was the roughest gig I’ve ever been to and I got punched in the stomach whilst in the mosh pit to this track, not a good idea for the guy who punched me as I vomited the bottle of vodka I had just drunk over his face! Still what a tune, and I think everyone’s heard the story of how Nirvana were being sued by Killing Joke for nicking this bassline, they’re all friends now though! This track sounds like it was made yesterday, it was light years ahead in production (itwas actually made in about 1982 I think).
Ennio Morricone ‘The Mission’ (Virgin)
Less well known than his Western soundtracks this is the soundtrack for the film of the same name, this is beautiful and epic. I love choral stuff and Morricone excels at this on the whole of this soundtrack! Definitely had an influence on my use of choirs.
Steve Reich ‘Tehillim’ (ECM)
This is as inspiring as it gets for me. Reich weaves gorgeous vocal harmonies into a swirling aspirational frenzy. Most religious music doesn’t do it for me but this is so fluid, it make you think we are capable of so much more in the Human Race. One of the few pieces of classical music that can bring a tear to my eye, it’s both happy and sad at the same time.
Steve Reich ‘The Desert Music (First Movement)’ (Nonesuch Digital)
Another masterpiece from systems music composer Reich. This is gorgeous! You feel lost in a dramatic, stunning wilderness of barren beauty. I was very influenced by his use of marimba style instruments and the pulsing energy of this music.
Louie Austin ‘One Night in Rio’
What kid of music would a mad eccentric 70plus year old Austrian make. Well this is it. Louie takes you on a Latin influenced tale ending in Rio. Part lounge singer, part poet you get the feeling that psychedelic drugs have featured somewhere!
Massive Attack ‘Tear Drop’ (Circa)
Liz Frazer has an amazing voice and when combined with Massive Attack at their best it an un-stoppable combination.
Pentatonik’s album ‘The Five Angels’ is released on 18th September. The single, ‘Last One And The First’, is out now; both on Hydrogen Dukebox
PENTATONIK
