Tag Archives: no lyrics

electronic, Groove, vocal samples

Lemon Jelly – LemonJelly.KY

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Lemon Jelly – Lemonjelly.KY
This is a light and fun electronica album pefect for bopping along to when you want to write. It’s also great album to bop along to while you’re cooking your dinner or even feeding the cat.

LemonJelly.KY was the first Lemon Jelly album, and is a mix of the first three EPs they released.

The thing that grabs you first about Lemon Jelly is the unique cover design. It’s no surprise that one half of Lemon Jelly is a graphic designer. You just want to play it when you see the brightly coloured looking cover which perfectly matches the music as well. It carries a real lightness about it.

It has been sampled and used in various soundtracks (Including one of my all-time favourite TV shows, SPACED) but this album works for anything.

Released
2001

Lyrics
Samples are used but it’s not a lyrical album. Sampes range from such great lines as ‘what do you do in the bath.’ Other songs like ‘the Staunton lick’ are pure instrumentals that work. One of my favourite’s Nervous tension uses samples from a South African psychologist’s album for relaxation.

The lyrics are of course quite incidental, so you will never have to worry that they will overwhelm you.

Mood
LemonJelly.KY and basically all of the Lemon Jelly music is great for doing anything. I don’t know anyone who doens’t feel lifted after they listen to Lemon Jelly. It doesn’t take over, but it definitely lightens everything up which is a good thing.

Good to work to
A very light album that works for everything.

Like
Upbeat house groove, and more generally electronic music. Obviously I’d say Lost Horizon the album by Lemon Jelly that came after this is in the same vibe, the other later albums (called 64-95) went in a more up-tempo direction, that is great but is not as friendly, which may be more helpful for wrinting. I’d say if you like this one,  definitely get lost horizon. It’s great.

I hesitate to compare this album with much else, as it has a real happy house, summer sound to it more than a particular musical sound.

The Artist/s
Lemon Jelly is Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen. They are both from London, and were in the same crowd without ever being mates until ten years later. Deakin started a graphic arts company and DJ’d, while Franglen worked as a landscape gardner then as a studio programmer for some big acts (n.b. no idea what a studio planner is).

There early Eps went well they got picked up by a label and discovered people really liked their music. The first album in 2000 was Lemonjelly.KY, the second was this one, followed by 64-95 which is music using samples from each of the years. They decided to have a break in 2008, and their website says they’s be coming back.

Other works
Lemon Jelly’s later album Lost Horizon fits in the same mould, and just as good. There other major album is called ’64 to 95’ an album that is great but has a very different feel to this and Lost Horizon. I will have to have a think about whether or not I would put it in this category of good work albums, but  don’t think it will make it.

There is one extra piece I would recommend which was a kind of sampler mix tape they put together. My lady friend happened to get a copy of when she met the graphic designer for there albums at a conference. I never found out what it was called and it’s more a party album than a writing album, but it is also great.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You should be able to get this album on CD and as MP3 most places. I did at one stage search for it on vinyl, but this is another of those rare treasures that don’t last long on vinyl and are a gazillion dollars second hand. At this stage I don’t think it is going to be repressed any time soon.

The Verdict
Another album I absolutely love. It is very easy going and light. Certainly not the album I’d use to listen to for every type of running.

electronic

Lemon Jelly – Lost Horizons

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Lemon Jelly – Lost Horizons – Best music to write to

With track names like ‘Nice weather for ducks’,  ‘The curse of Ka’zar’, and ‘Return to Patagonia’ you can guess this is a fun album. It moves along at a nice pace and is a pleasure to listen to. Lemon Jelly sound like they have a lot of fun making their albums. They throw in lots of samples and ideas and create fun grooves, that consistently keep you moving along and your fingers typing.

The most distinctive thing about Lemon Jelly before you have heard their music is their cute visual style. You would be pardoned for thinking albums with such cute looking packaging could not fail to be a bit ordinary underneath it all. Luckily this is not the case with Lemon Jelly.

This is Lemon Jelly’s second album, but the first album was their first three Eps combined, so their second is the first real album in one sense. I am not sure whether all the tracks are more connected or not or whether it is just my imagination as both are great listens.

Released
2002

Lyrics
No lyrics, but some of the tracks have quite a few samples

Mood
This album is extremely light, like the earlier album it is uplifting and happy. It is tempting to just use it as an album to listen to while wandering around the house or cooking, but it is equally effective to help you when writing.

Good to work to
Indeed, very long grooves that give you time to really get into what you are concentrating on. Not every track is light in mood although the early ones are, and I find this makes it easier for me to start writing without getting distracted. The vocal samples are more used as instruments than vocals, they are mostly spoken in any event.

Like
I can’t really think of a direct comparison, except for their first album LemonJelly.KY. There are lots of electronic easy listening albums, but Lemon Jelly inject a combination of lightness, with organic and electronic sods that feels unforced and like some people you’d like to hang out with having fun.

The Artist/s  
Lemon Jelly is Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen. They are both from London, and were in the same crow of friends without ever being mates until ten years later. Deakin started a graphic arts company and DJ’d, while Franglen worked as a landscape gardner then as a studio programmer for some big acts (n.b. no idea what a studio planner is). In their brief career they won some awards and their music was used in various tv shows including the brilliant Simon Pegg vehicle ‘Spaced’.

There early Eps went well they got picked up by a label and discovered people really liked their music. The first album in 2000 was Lemonjelly.KY, the second was this one, followed by 64-95 which is music using samples from each of the years. They decided to have a break in 2008, and their website says they’s be coming back.

Other works
Lemon Jelly’s earlier album Lemonjelly.KY is an amalgam of the first three EPs that the cup put out and fits in the same mould. I will also review this album in due course. There other major album is called ’64 to 95’ an album that is great but has a very different feel to the two earlier albums. I will have to have a think about whether or not I would put it in this category of good work albums, but  don’t think it will make it. There is one extra piece I would recommend which was a kind of mix tape they put together that my lady friend happened to get a copy of when she met the graphic designer for there albums at a conference.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You should be able to get this album  on CD and as MP3 most places. I did at one stage search for it on vinyl, but this is another of those rare treasures that don’t last long on vinyl. At this stage I don’t think it is going to be repressed any time soon.

The Verdict
Definitely a great album to write to. Also a great album to bounce around the kitchen to.

Classical, Jazz, Native American

Moondog – The Viking of Sixth Avenue

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This album is a stone cold classic, albeit a ‘best of’.  If a contemporary DJ mixed Native American beats, classical arrangements, and jazz they would be lauded as The Next Big Thing. When Moondog mixed these styles sixty years ago he was considered a talented kook. After hearing this hopefully you’ll be scouring the internet for his other releases. The Viking of Sixth Avenue is a beautiful, eclectic album.

I am verbose on many topics, but the music of Moondog speaks for itself. He has inspired countless people and thinkers. The Viking of Sixth Avenue is a compilation of his life’s music and career. The first thing you need to know is that Moodog was a tall blind man who dressed as a viking, and lived on the streets of New York. This might not be all you need to know, but hopefully it is enough to interest you. Moondog fits his own genre.

Moondog, a.k.a Louis Hardin, grew up and lived in the west of America. It is said that the seminal moment in his life was when his father took him to watch a Sun Dance of the local Arapaho tribe. He is said to have sat on the lap of Chief Yellow Calf and played a tom-tom during the ceremony. Moondog can truly be seen as a product of a past era. He was an unwitting pioneer of world music, influenced by jazz and classical music training made available to him by chance, after he was blinded in his youth.

Released
2005
This album was compiled and released by Damon Alban, champion of world music and lead singer of hugely popular seminal Brit pop band Blur. The music was originally recorded from the 1950s through to the 1990s.

Lyrics
Generally not. Where there are words, they are mainly samples with the occasional spoken word aspect.

Mood
Slow to fast, jazzy to classical, to world.

Good to work to
Ideal to work to. Meets all my requirements. It takes you beyond the distractions of the everyday, and has few associations for a busy mind to cling to or to be diverted by. This particular compilation flits between genres from be-bop, street sounds, and Native American-inspired classical. Your brain does not have enough time to get used to any one particular vibe, but the differences in music are not jarring, and this makes it excellent focus music. However, it is not erratic.

Like
I can think of nothing like this album and artist. Don’t let it discourage you though. Moondog is, or rather was, like classical/Native American, and be-bop.

The Artist(s)
Louis Hardin, who later took the name of Moondog, had a fascinating life.

Brought up by his father near an indian reservation. He became completely blind when a blasting cap he was holding in his hands exploded, at the age of sixteen. He was sent to a school for the blind and received a musical education he said he could not have afforded otherwise. Perhaps because of the loss of his sight, his aural sense was heightened.

I am not sure why he moved to New York to live on the streets. He said that he dressed as a viking to gain more attention as a street performer. He had some memorable encounters with potential collaborators like Stravinsky, Bernstein, and Charlie Parker that all seemed to go awry at one stage or another. He eventually moved to Germany in the Seventies after many years on the streets and sporadic recording contracts. The Germans recognised his genius and took him under their wing, enabling him to record a number of eclectic albums using sax, church organ, among many other instruments.

Oh yeah… and he also invented various musical instruments.

Other works
Moondog had a long recording career, from his early days in New York to his latter-day eclectic renaissance in Germany. His other albums include Moondog, Moondog2, Elpmas, H’art Songs,  Moondog in Europe, Sax Pax for a Sax. Lesser-known albums were released from a random mix of countries in Europe and America. I would hunt them all down if I was you, but check to see whether you like this album first.

Where can I buy it, and in what formats?
You can get this particular album almost anywhere and in any format. While the rest of his collection might be hard to find, this album is not, and it is guaranteed to pique your interest.

The Verdict
Get out there and buy it as soon as you can.

Jazz, World

Alice Coltrane – Journey in Satchidananda

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Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidananda has a feel unlike any other album I know. Deep bass jazz grooves are infused with world music-flavoured harp and percussion.  A touch of India  is combined with the smell of jazz cigarettes in clubs across Europe and the US.

Alice Coltrane spent years studying mysticism, and it’s a fair bet that this was influenced her choice to make this album. The title track inspiration was the name of her guru, Swami Satchidananda. The different tracks tell stories about Coltrane’s life and spiritual journey.

Whether it is the diverse cultural references this music triggers, or something else entirely, this album is other-worldly. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t think this is completely different from anything they’ve ever heard before. I saw this album years before I made the choice to buy it. The album with the crazy-looking name was a hard sell but, once I bought it, I never regretted it.

No-one knows where your mind goes when you’re tapping on a keyboard, the rare occasions when you can suspend endless thoughts about the past and the future; the worries of work, study, and your love life. This is an album that can send you to that other place, one you won’t want to miss.

Released    
1970

Lyrics
No lyrics to distract you. Not a word. This is a full body immersive experience record.

Mood
The same mix of sounds that makes this album unique is what makes it so immersive and effective to work to. Alice Coltrane has created a sonic world that takes me somewhere other than the present and my workaday worries, and is excellent for study. Depending on the day I’ve had, it can be hard to switch off. Music like this is like an instant drug that allows me to focus.

You will find that this record is an effective tool to create mood. My mood changes just seeing the front cover of this album showcasing Alice with her frizzy hair and kaftan. You need this album if you’re a writer – whether it’s to work through an essay or other academic projects, fiction, technical, or non-fiction.

Good to work to 
Anything demanding deep focus is a fantastic record to work to.  This is great when you need to think, but not necessarily the best thing for speed work.

Like
It has the jazz vibe, with classic sax and bass grooves, but the harp and percussive style give it a world music ethereal style that is unlike most other music (that I know of).  Despite these differences in style it contains enough familiar parts to be accessible, and within a short time the eclectic mix feels familiar.

The Artist(s)
Alice Coltrane’s music haunts the space between the mystical and the eclectic in a way unknown to any other works. She was the great-aunt of electronic musician, Flying Lotus, and second wife of jazz legend, John Coltrane.

Alice Coltrane studied classical music and jazz, soon becoming a professional. She eventually had children to, and married John Coltrane and played in his acclaimed groups. The list of musicians she played with before and after Coltrane died, shows you the esteem she was held in. This album is always one of the top albums in jazz and world music retailers’ lists.

 Featuring
Alice Coltrane on harp and piano
Phaoroah Sanders on soprano saxophone and percussion
Vishnu Wook on oud
Charlie Haden on bass
Cecil McBee on bass
Tulsi on tambura
Rashied Ali on drums
Majid Shabazz on bells and tambourine

Other works
I have dabbled in her back catalogue of albums and there are some gems, but don’t expect to find another journey exactly like this one. There are contemplative albums featuring different instruments, but I can’t tell you which one you’ll like. A few good ones you might want to try are Astral Meditations and Transcendence. Needless to say there are ones I loved and ones I didn’t, but Journey in Satchidananda is the only one I would say is a stone cold classic.

Where can I buy it, and in what formats?
This album is always in print, whether in vinyl, CD or MP3. If you’re looking for this album you’ll find it under jazz, although you could equally find it in the world music section. It’s always in print because it’s a classic.

The Verdict
Buy it now. If you can, get it on vinyl, so you can fully appreciate the crazy cover art.