1. Talk Talk – The Rainbow (From the Spirit of Eden Album)
I have a very strong connection to this piece of music, released in the year I was born. It has an incredible arrangement that speaks endless stories. We lost Mark Hollis this year and this song feels like he is gifting us a glimpse into Eden.
2. Erik Satie – Gnossienne No. 1
This beautiful composition by Erik Satie has no time signature, giving it a very experimental and free feel. It speaks to me emotionally as well as musically and has inspired many creative processes as well as introspection.
3. Gabor Szabo – Galatea’s Guitar
This wonderful track by Gabor Szabo delicately balances between folk and jazz. The crackling recording and psychedelic aspects with great arrangement make this a legendary late 60 ́s piece of work.
4. Tomas Nordmark – Human
I remember the first time I listened to Human. I was sitting in the train to Amsterdam, the sun was setting and after the first couple of notes, I had goosebumps all over my body. So much vulnerability and epicness in this composition.
5. Robert Glasper – Maiden Voyage / Everything In Its Right Place
I love how Robert Glasper blends Herbie ́s “Maiden Voyage” with Radiohead’s “Everything in its right place”. Vicente Archer on doublebass is on fire! Everytime I put this on at home I start going crazy about the groove. Love it!
6. Magnetophonique – Lush Islands
Something between soundscape and music, it is exactly through this tension I find a lot of inspiration. I love to listen to this, because it creates a very pleasant vibe at home and is perfectly complemented with an incense or two ;).
7. Nicola Cruz – Criancada (con Castello Branco)
I really dig the way Nicola mixes his productions and the choice of instruments that go along with them. I am a huge fan of Bossa Nova and Portuguese vocals really do it for me. Beautiful music to listen to in the morning.
8. Radiohead – The Numbers
Needless to say that I love everything that comes from Thom Yorke, Nigel Godrich or Jonny Greenwood. But when they team up with one of my favourite film makers, Paul Thomas Anderson, the result leaves me speechless.
9. Munir Hossn and Roberto Mendes – Untitled
I found this song only on Youtube. Munir Hossn is an amazing artist and probably my favourite bass player. His music comes straight from the heart! Robert Mendes is a legend and it makes me happy to see both of them make music together.
10. Punch Brothers – My Oh My
Punch Brothers – arrangement, harmonization, dynamics. I love this band. This song sums up my mood when I ́m feeling something between ecstasy and melancholy.
Mâhfoud – The Fear Of Dying With Potential (Klassified Records)
The multi-talented artist Mâhfoud is to release his much anticipated debut album ‘The Fear Of Dying With Potential’ on Klassified Records this spring. This producer, vocalist and classically trained guitarist has a passion for art and music with multidimensional perspectives. He mixes traditional instruments with electronically driven sounds in his work on labels like Diynamic Music and Traum Schallplatten. This statement of intent is informed by his heritage, his parents leaving Syria and being a foreigner in his adoptive country. “All these memories have shaped me as a human being but even more so the way I look at music. No matter where I go, I feel a little bit like a stranger and a little bit like I’m home. Wherever I went in this world, my first impulse would be to take an instrument into my hands and play with locals, record their singing, their drumming, humming or their laughter. When language failed, music prevailed, when words could not describe enough, music would bring tears of joy and understanding.” He says the music on the album is “a reflection of these stages of my life” and that the writing process taught him that, “only through sharing, believing in others and helping them reach their dreams we truly will be fulfilled, we will feel home.“ The album opens with a beautiful house track that has exotic vocal and soaring strings as well as lush instrumentation. It sets an emotional tone that continues through the heavenly keys and mid-tempo grooves of ‘Free Radicals’ and stunning acoustic guitar track ‘Mbali’ which is filled with bluesy heart. The magical ‘Uganda Shifts’ is a shimmering fusion of rubbery bass and jazz keys, ‘Music For Plants’ is instrumental music with a Middle Eastern feel and ‘Illusional Life on a Sphere’ brings lazy beats and tender vocals to a heartbreaking track that is rich with naturalistic sound designs. An interlude of truly moving and plaintive piano playing follows, as well as suspensory ambient and downbeat pop that oozes reflective emotions. This is an accomplished and complete album that goes musically and emotionally deep over the course of 11 fantastic tracks. Mâhfoud will also be touring in the coming months performing the album live.
