Welcome to the moon. Population: You.
And you alone, we’re afraid to say. Floating around, all on your lonesome.
There’s only thing to keep madness at bay… Music.
Please don’t ask how you’ll power your soundsystem to play it. Please don’t ask how sound would even travel without any atmosphere. We haven’t thought that far… We’ve simply taken the classic Desert Island Discs idea and kicked it into the cosmos.
Each episode in this feature series will see us shove our favourite artists on the moon. As a consolation for this strange isolation sensation, we’ve given them all of five tunes to play while they’re there.
The first artist we’ve subjected to lunar loneliness is Phaeleh. The man behind Tides, one of 2013’s most distinctive, not to mention deep, albums he was last spotted on the UKF Network with Tokoi…
Frequently found traversing this planet performing his unique blend of future-focused bass, we reckon Phaeleh’s no stranger to long moments of solitude…
“Sometimes you appreciate the isolation of travelling,” he tells us. “It’s a nice contrast from the craziness of the gigs. Other times it’s a bit more tedious if you’re tired and sitting on your own. All of these selections are things I’d listen to while I’m on the road because I either need to chill out or wake up and sort my head out!”
In keeping with the Desert Island Disc rip-off, Phaeleh’s also allowed one book and one object…
“I’d probably take an ancient text of some description because I’ll have all the time in the world to work it out,” he explains. “Or a dictionary. I’d learn some new words. That would keep me busy. For an object, I’d take a classical guitar.”
And when he’s not playing the guitar, these are the five tracks he’d find solace in:
Tool – Reflection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja3LGFY1i0o
One of my all-time favourite bands. They’re very dynamic and emotional. This particular tune doesn’t do a lot but it’s so powerful, I think it would work really well if you’re losing your mind in isolation. If I could be so cheeky and pick an entire Tool album to soothe me while I’m going mad on my own on the moon, then it would be Lateralus, the album this tune comes from. Highly recommended.
Brian Eno – 1/1
Taken from his Music For Airports album, Brian Eno takes you away from all the worries and logistics of any travel situation. It’s so nice to relax to and such a chilling experience that I’m pretty sure this will work in any lunar scenario, too. Close your eyes and it takes you away from everything. I love minimal and ambient music and Brian Eno is the king of that. It sounds cheesy but music like this really is about the space, the silence and the beats you can’t hear. It’s actually had an influence on my music; it reminds me to keep elements free and letting stuff breathe.
Waiwan – Hindsight
I guess this is pretty obscure but it played a big role in my musical diet when I was about 15/16 and getting musically inspired with friends. It takes me back to a time when I realised how exciting and creative electronic music could be. It didn’t need to have such rigid structure or use formal instruments; it could be much more experimental. Whether it was something like this or something like LTJ Bukem, that was a very important time in my musical history. This sums up and encapsulates the sounds I was really inspired by at the times; the cascading structure, the Rhodesy keys. I think this will keep me inspired while all lonely on the moon.
The Prodigy – Wind It Up
The last two are a bit of a cop-out as they’re from the same act, but I couldn’t pick between the two! For me The Prodigy Experience came along at the same time as the Waiwan; a time when my friends and I were first discovering the power of music and going out on the weekends. The output on this album is staggering; it’s greater than most artists’ entire discographies. I love the energy and attitude of this. Most of all, though, I love the rave piano. I guess on the moon this would be very helpful when I need to up my energy. I don’t know how much there is to do on the moon but maybe this would gear me up to do a run or go exploring. Either way, it would wake me up!
The Prodigy – Your Love (Remix)
Just like the above, I’ve picked this to thoroughly energise me! Your Brian Enos, Tools and Waiwans were picked to chill me out and soothe my brain while I’m stuck in my own head, but these Prodigy tracks are picked to balance that out. Put them on in morning and make the most of my day on moon.
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