I think I rotated a week earlier than I was supposed to. O_o Oh well.
This was originally going to be an OST-themed rotation. I was picking out songs from k-dramas, anime, etc. and then rediscovered this Miami Vice album, which I haven’t listened to in a while. I just had to share it. I know this album will be a bit out of place with the music that I usually upload, but I hope you’ll enjoy it. For the most part, it’s instrumental.
Tracklist:
01. In The Air Tonight - Nonpoint
02. One Of These Mornings - Moby feat. Patti LaBelle
03. We're No Here - Mogwai
04. Sinnerman (Felix Da Housecat's Heavenly House Mix) - Nina Simone
05. Auto Rock - Mogwai
06. Arranca - Manzanita
07. Ready For Love - India.Arie
08. Strict Machine - Goldfrapp
09. Pennies In My Pocket - Emilio Estefan
10. New World In My View - King Britt
11. Sweep - Blue Foundation
12. Anthem - Moby
13. Blacklight Fantasy - Chakra
14. Mercado Nuevo - John Murphy
15. Who Are You - John Murphy
16. Ramblas - King Britt & Tim Motzer
17. A-500 - Klaus Badelt & Mark Batson
On a whole, this album is just filled with tension and suspense. It has so much tense energy. I guess it’s a pretty clear reflection of the film itself, which for those of you who haven’t watched it is a crime/drama film about two police detectives who are fighting drug trafficking - honestly, I don’t even remember the movie too much, but this soundtrack definitely stayed with me. In The Air Tonight sets the tone with a unique, throbbing percussion and and grungy guitars. The song is a cover of a song by the same title by Phil Collins, with a twist of rock. I love the harmonizing. One of These Mornings, by contrast, is stark and beautiful. The vocals have a bit of echo to them, giving the song an ethereal feel. The bass line lends a steady pulse, without hinging down the song too much. The vocals might be a little annoying to some. We’re No Here (and no, that is not a typo) takes a fair bit of time to establish itself, but I love the simple yet melodious chord progressions and sturdy percussion. It does get a bit repetitive. Sinnerman has such a nice piano part. I’ve never heard the original version of this song, but this remix is filled with electronica influences. The mumbly vocal work didn’t really appeal to me, but it’s quite unique. Auto Rock is a piano solo - it’s relatively simple, but I loved it. It builds slowly but steadily. Arranca is a jazzy, Latin track. Light and fresh, it’s a nice break from the darker material in this album. It’s also in Spanish. Ready For Love takes a more serious route, a gorgeous ballad. If you’re thinking along the lines of the ballads commonly found in Korean/Japanese pop, think again. The vocals are mature and rich, set against a soft and unique string & piano accompaniment. Strict Machine is driven and bold with melodic, confident vocals. Pennies In My Pocket is also uptempo, with Latin influences. New World In My View is hopeful yet the rumbling bass and percussion accompaniment is almost foreboding. It’s a little repetitive, but I enjoyed it. Sweep has such a beautiful string part - thick, deep, and strong. It’s a strong base throughout the song, which is lengthy at almost eleven minutes, yet it never seems repetitive or tedious to me. Probably because the song transitions and adjusts itself often, featuring violins, then a deep gritty guitar solo, whispered passages, a sung verse, etc. Anthem has an active, busy beat and electronica influences but doesn’t offer much else. Blacklight Fantasy is mysterious and pulsating. I liked it, but not enough to recommend it. Mercado Nuevo is gritty, as emphasized by electric guitars, but the occasional string accompaniment gives it a softer side too. It has a lot of intensity and power. Who Are You has a different kind if power - it is absolutely filled with emotion and depth. It’s sorrowful and so beautiful. One of my favourite tracks from this album. Ramblas is led by sparse guitar riffs that sound more like someone noodling around than a real melody. A-500 closes us off, a blend of the many sounds in this album - it has a taut drive and pulse, complete with a sweeping string accompaniment balancing against the rough sound of electric guitars. A great soundtrack.
Uploaded requests:
Shizuka na Hibi no Kaidan Wo - Dragon Ash
Japanese | Hip-Pop/Rock
Listening to this song made me realize how hard it is to put into a genre. Rapped verses set against a rock beat with poppy acoustic guitar chords. I really love Dragon Ash's unique style. This song is laid back and reminds me of a lazy summer day.
Labels: Blue Foundation, Chakra, Dragon Ash, Emilio Estefan, Goldfrapp, India.Arie, John Murphy, King Britt, Klaus Badelt, Manzanita, Mark Batson, Moby, Mogwai, Nina Simone, Nonpoint, soundtrack, Tim Motzer
