1. Tim Hecker | In The Fog I
+ II + III... I’ve owned this album for quite a while now, but never really spent time listening to it and taking it in. The In The Fog suite off this is quite beautiful. I’ve fell asleep to this more times than I’d like to admit.
2. James Blackshaw | Part 2 (from All Is Falling)
I met James in '07. He was on tour with Michael Gira and we started talking about Hardcore Music and Elliott Smith. His music is so beyond underrated. There are passages in his songs that’ll kick you in the teeth when you least expect it. This track has such an incredible part that repeats itself with the strings and guitar sounds both Medieval and gut wrenching. I love this song so much, it has stayed with me since it’s release. It’s medication when times can be not the greatest.
3. A Silver Mt. Zion | Broken Chords Can Sing A Little.
I was in my early 20’s when I first heard this. I vividly remember sleeping in a friends car in the back seat in Southern Ohio, it was around 3am. I had nothing but a box of CD’s, my guitar and some clothes. This whole album was a source of salvation for me during that period of my life.
4. Cluster | Hollywood
I am new to Cluster and haven’t heard much, but this song just destroys. I want to dance every time I hear it. It has a melody that feels like you’re in Tron or Blade Runner and then there’s this synth that sound like evil sparrows attacking you.
5. Pink Floyd | Green Is The Colour (More Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Unreleased Acoustic track from the film More. It’s so simple and pure. Probably written in 5min. It just feels good to listen to this.
6. Magik Markers | Empty Bottles
I could live in this song. It’s total comfort food, comfort blanket, everything's going to be okay, but probably not Music. A few years ago this was on repeat.
7. Tangerine Dream | Zeit
It’s interesting that this album sold 20,000 copies in ’72 (according to the album's Wiki, so who knows if this is accurate). Anyway, it’s such a dark album, really intense and bleak. It’s end of times music for sure. You have to resign yourself to put on headphones and listen to this whole album to really appreciate it as most people I don’t think do these days. It’s been on repeat for me as of late.
8. Drudkh | Summoning The Rain
+ Glare Of Autumn... This is a Ukrainian Black Metal band second album recorded in the mid 90’s. I was given this record by a friend a few years ago and this track I always tend to listen to. It’s not cheesy. Great cover art as well.
9. Steve Roach | Cloud Of Unknowing
He is an artist I feel that once you listen to him, you can’t ever ‘unlisten’, in the sense that there’s no going back. This is from the album The Magnificent Void from ‘96. I take the train to work everyday and space out to this. He was a Motorcross racer turned Ambient synth artist in the 70’s. I find that really interesting.
10. Growing | Southern Wrights
This got me through the past winter in Toronto which was one of the worst in recent memory. This song was the audio equiviant of the -20 degree, commute to work, grey skies, bleak future song I needed to get through it.
