first off, sorry if the vid makes you watch some terrible ad for sundance or whatever, ya’ll.  obviously not my call, and i hate it as much as anyone.

this catchy synth-pop collaboration between house artist Morgan Page and canadian indie rock sisters Tegan and Sara stumbled onto my dashboard the other day, and instantly reminded me of how much i love, well, synth-pop.  it’s probably the most fun song i’ve heard since Ladytron’s Seventeen, boasting simple lyrics,  soft pads, house music sensibilities,  and a beat that just makes you wanna dance, no matter how terrible you look.  i wish i could say more for this song, but really, it just speaks for itself.  well, that and i don’t know much about any of the three artists involved.  Body Work, on Morgan Page’s album In the Air, is a pop song with heart, and i feel that even the most pretentious metal-heads and idm-drones can get behind some good vibes every now and again.

this is the kind of music i want playing in nightclubs in the future on colonized desert planets, a la Arrakis.

Morgan Page feat. Tegan and Sara—Body Work— In the Air

before i get to the song, i have a few things to get off my mind first, ya’ll.  first off, the 10mbs limit on audio files is probably my most hated thing about tumblr.  i know i can find the videos on youtube (or download in a lower quality), but come on.   10mbs?  that’s ridiculous, i don’t know why the creators of tumblr specifically hate me.

now, second, and a little more importantly, i’d like to introduce you guys a tag i use for music in my library frequently when trying to describe it to friends, and having no real references points.  the term is space bass, and i feel like it could become a whole thing.  let me explain; often, i find myself drawn to music that is bass heavy, not in the top 40 hip-hop sense filled with sporadic thuds, but in a deep house/minimal techno way, where the bass can range from a distinctive, playful bassline to a rolling, muddled growl.  the music that i listen to, though from many diverse genres, also seem to remind listeners of space, the future, or robots.  thus the term space bass; music based on bass lines, unsure beats, and a glimpse into the future.

‘but blackastronaut’, you’re saying, ‘this is just deep house!  we don’t need a new name.’  well, i agree and disagree, sometimes it is just deep house, like in the case of John Roberts or Scuba.  othertimes though, the lines are less clear.  what genre would you put Surgeon’s beautiful song Remover of Darkness?  or Shackleton’s Masssacre?  for my friends, space bass is short hand for deep, moody electronic music that’s hard to categorize, and i think it’s pretty good shorthand who might not know the difference between 2-step and american dubstep, or microhouse vs chicago house, or know what idm stands for.  i also think it’s relatively self explanatory, and describes the music in a way good enough to get the idea, like the way chillwave becomes immediate once you’ve heard Toro y Moi or stoner metal after Sleep’s Holy Mountain, or shit, even idm after hearing Aphex Twin (to an extent).  like chillwave and idm, it is also a name being made up by some blogger with too much time, so i don’t see a reason it can’t stick.  so, with that said…

this song, New Ground, from Andy Stott’s beautiful release Passed Me By, has been playing on my computer nonstop.  it’s space bass/ (don’t worry, you’ll get used to it after a while), deep house perfection, and manages to stand out from an absolutely breathtaking album.  don’t bother playing this on your terrible laptop speakers, though; this song’s pulsing, droning bass and simple yet effective beat are made for subs and sound systems, not skullcandies or your macbook.  i’m a fan of doing a lot with a little, and Andy Stott delivers on all counts, using a sparse sample to break up the waves of sound his bassline conjures.  the result is a hypnotic, relaxing song, one highly recommened for fans of ambient or drone-esque stuff like Surgeon, Boards of Canada, Shackleton, Oneohtrix Point Never, etc etc.  it is my favorite from his 2011 release Passed Me By, but not by much.  if you like this, i really suggest you grab this album as well as his album We Stay Together.  i doubt ya’ll will regret it.  plus, Passed Me By has one of my favorite album covers i’ve seen in a long while, if only for it’s simplicity.

this is the kind of music i want playing as i struggle to make repairs on my dying ship in space, running out of fuel, air, and alone, but moving forward nonetheless.

Andy Stott—New Grounds—Passed Me By

Benn Jordan, aka The Flashbulb, is at it again.  his newest album, Opus at the End of Everything, is a step in the right direction, straying from away from what made Love as a Dark Hallway so boring and what made Arboreal and Kirlian Selections so great.  

this song, Precisely Wrong, is everything i’ve some to love in his work.  what starts off as an steady but offkilter acid techno beat evolves into a beautiful merger of jazz, synths, and classical instrumentation in a way that seems natural and easy, which proves how versatile and creative Benn Jordan is.  guitar, broken melodies, soft pads, and a ghostly voice combine to make my favorite track on the album, all while retaining classic Flashbulb sensibilities.  the rest of the album is just as good, and drifts between futuristic chamber music and idm without ever skipping a beat, and at 25 tracks, is most definitely a satisfying experience.  i only have one real problem— the Trees in Juarez is definitely not as good as Arboreal’s The Trees in Russia, leaving me a little disappointed.  but hey, 24/25 isn’t such a bad deal, so i’ll let it slide.

this is the kind of music i want playing as i mine the surfaces of unnamed planets, eventually discovering new life in my hunt for cheap minerals and unclaimed resources.

The Flashbulb— Precisely Wrong— Opus at the end of Everything

ya’ll, Shigeto’s newest album Lineage  is fantastic.  i know that’s an abrupt way to start a post, but it’s true.  it’s only been out for roughly three weeks, but it is already the album to beat of 2012 in my mind.  instead of proving himself a one hit wonder or tapering off to something less creative and more bland, Shigeto has proven he can do more with less in his latest efforts.  this song, Ann Arbor Parts 3 & 4, is the perfect example.  whereas 2010’s Full Circle was full of murmuring synths and soft samples driven by rigid, yet creative drums, Lineage is a soft, personal album where his loose jazz drumming, bubbling prepared piano, and gentle ‘organic’ effects leads to a gentler, more personal album.  Ann Arbor Parts 3 & 4 gives us a head nodding beat that is both easy on the ears and mentally stimulating without intruding.  Shigeto’s excellent drumwork is also front and center this time around, and the album feels more like jazz with a hint of electronic music, as opposed to Full Circle’s electronic with a hint of jazz, while still managing to avoid becoming muzak.  it’s truly refreshing, and makes me wish i could go back in time and show 90’s trip-hop what they were probably aiming for and missed.

dedicated to his japanese ancestry and his family, Lineage is the album that shows he can give us soft music for lovers and friends as well as hypnotic thumpers and grooving beats.  this is one of the 2012’s abums to hear, and i greatly recommend everyone give it a listen.

this is the kind of music i want playing as i go about the day to day minutiae of operating my ship— not because it’s boring or anything, but because it makes me happy to be alive and in space.

Shigeto—Ann Arbor Parts 3 & 4—Lineage