1. Daughter | Candles
I heard this song in Summer 2016, and it caught me. It may sound like a really girlish thing, but it sounds to me so personal, intimate... Like it's my story. With the songs like this one you just keep thinking, Damn, I should have written this song!...Have a little voice to speak with and you're too old to be so shy, there's something so sad and sincere about it. It reminds of all these situations when you realise (unfortunately later than you should) you were just filling space in your sheets... It's a lot about Injustice, that you can't fix, you can't prove that it isn't your fault.
2. Daughter | Home
I moved to Czech Republic when I was 21. Just came here alone with two big bags and 10 euros in my pocket, thinking how rich I am... Since then I moved about 20 times, every time trying to make the place feel like home. It took me long years to realize, that Home is about a feeling that dwells inside of you. I can't relate to Ukraine that much, neither to any other country, even though, I have to admit, Czech Republic is the place where I feel the best and probably - home. I hate to mention, I'm Ukrainian, because Czechs don't like this nation that much... And also, I'm really not that much of a Ukrainian, accidentally I was born there, but my family comes from Russian Siberia and then mostly from Poland. Ukraine was just a place on their way... And being treated badly just because of the nationality drives me crazy. We're all the same, sharing same planet, and should be kind to each other... Anyway... I came up with my own explanations: I see myself as a cosmopolitan or an elf. I heard it in the brilliant movie Under The Electric Clouds by German Jr. (Russian producer) where one of the characters - Marat - is half Jewish, half Armenian. The boy asks him if he's a Jew, and Marat says - I'm elf. The boys goes (a bit more aggressively) OK, perhaps your mom is an elf, but what about your dad? He has to be Jewish? ... No. We're elves, and we leave in the woods. This song gives me the piercing feeling of Loneliness and at the same time reminds me that Home is by the side of beloved ones.
3. AURORA | I Went To Far
From a Musical point of view I Love this song - it has such original back vocals and generally Aurora is such a talented girl, with a great deep understanding of Life, World. Again, it's something more from The Past, when you don't understand, Why? Why, while giving all of you, you still have to beg for Love? For a little of Love?... It took me a while to understand, the reason is: that was a wrong person. I'm left behind with an empty hole, and everything I am is gone... That's exactly how you feel when something you hoped would last forever breaks apart... I was afraid, I will not be able to cope with what happened within Awali. But I did; and feel more of a whole than ever before.
4. Imogen Heap | Neglected Space
When listening to this song in my headphones I'm enjoying every bit of it! Imogen Heap is one of my favourite musicians/songwriters and I really look up to her, trying to learn as much as possible. This song has amazing lyrics, so poetic and haunting... Everything in one song. I like how first it appeared ugly to me, and then I can't stop listening to it, discovering the beauty of it. It makes me think that Music is hiding in every little sound, surrounding me... And writing a song is about seeing the ends of these threads and being able to pull them towards you. Where doorways with no door stage a ballet of leaves... Who pirouette in the footsteps of once glorious days... Imogen is a great example of an artist who made herself. She's a very inspiring example of a one-man-project. Behind the majority of people there's always someone else, who helps with Music, Programming, Recording and stuff. But she managed to do it all alone (or with minor cooperations) - at least for the Eclipse album. I like this fact about her most of all. She is definitely a Music prodigy. Through my open wounds they let themselves in. It reminds me that we really have to learn how to protect our souls, our most fragile, most vulnerable part, invisible and intangible while staying open-hearted. This song makes me feel like whatever I'll compose have a chance to actually work out... There's so much Inspiration in it. And Nostalgia... Like you're in an abandoned building that is about to be demolished, and you see how beautiful is The Autumn outside, sunrays coming through the cracked walls and wide opened eyes of windows...You're sitting on the floor covered with dust and stones, and you say to yourself: Goddamnit, Life is so beautiful!!!... Isn't The World we've built a bit like this scenery?...
5. The Dø | Dust It Off (I Origins Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
I heard this song first in the movie I Origins by Mike Cahill. And I remember how it gave me the goosebumps and then I feel like I'm going to cry... It's so simple on one hand, as for The Music, but there's so much in it. At least for me. The falling in Love and losing it all. Hopeful and Disappointing over and over again... It's like the Mono No Aware feeling... As the Japanese term says... Sensitivity to Ephemera, Gentle Sadness. I feel like this is always a reminder that, even in the highest point of Bliss, you are sad inside... Knowing that this world is not exactly made for being just blindly happy... There's a lot of work to do... And Music is one of the tools that, to my mind, helps to heal The World within us... Teaches us to feel, to see deeper, touching our dark side and seeing hidden gems there... Also it sounds a bit crazy, all this loops and echoes... And it proves to me one more time that only crazy people can do Music, something so ephemeral, that nobody might notice in the end. When you write a song - you feel like you're at the top of The World or flying with a parachute or diving in a wild ocean, but for others it might be not more than a indiscernible spit on asphalt... And, as a musician, you have to live with it and accept it.
6. Birdy | People Help The People
My old friend, great Russian pianist, introduced to me Birdy's Music about 8 years ago saying Well, I can't understand how she can make such a great song with playing just few chords on piano... I started laughing, as it was so true! Birdy is another one artist, that I admire, for being so special. You can always recognize her voice, her style, that's what I like about musicians most of all: when they're so authentic in their art that it's impossible to confuse them with someone else. I think this is a sign of real talent: it's the only one of its kind. Like, you're reading Bulgakov, or listening to The Music by Rachmaninoff - and you know they are unique. They managed to express themselves so truly, so precise in every note, in every word... They live their truth. You can do real good Music only if you feel like there's no chance you can do anything else, like you need it like Air. Out of impossibility of doing anything else at that moment. Absolutely sincere. Especially her first album has this signature... And it could be simple as a shovel, based on three chords, and still be genius! If this Music is True You...
7. Death Cab For Cutie | Passenger Seat
I heard this song in spring 2015, while being in Spain, working day and night... Going from Sevilla back to Granada, where I was working at that time. It was a dark night. And I remember thinking to myself that even though all this work and my effort seems to be so important, and I think only about work and earning some money now, and everyone around me supports this illusion of Importance... It's not significant. At all. Like, it will disappear in any moment, like passing by cars, and will leave nothing behind. So, why am I spending my life, wasting my youth, health and power to make some other person's dream come true? I have my own and I have to work on it, fight for it, even if it's a struggle within me. And so I let my soul fly away from that car that was going down the empty highway, where an empty and lonely hotel room awaits me at the end of the busy day. It changed my perspective that night. And suddenly all the pressure was gone, because I realized that I didn't come to this world to become a better assistant of an assistant, but to become more of myself, materialize my own dreams, going my own way and not following someone else. My life has a better purpose. Even if I have to stay homeless and hungry, it still worth it, because I would know that I did everything to be more like me, to play my own game and make my own reality. I did everything through my body that my soul decided to come for in this world. This song just makes me feel pure and free. Crystal...
8. Frank Ocean | Strawberry Swing
Contains samples of the song of the same name performed by Coldplay. Frank Ocean's Music was introduced to me by my American friend. We were driving from Washington suburbs to Baltimore and he was telling me about Frank and his songs. So we listened to this album all over and over again... Especially I liked this particular song. That was my first time in US and everything felt so strangely distant and beautiful. The feeling of Big. Big cities, buildings, long distances... This song is a sheer joy and a memory of something indescribably nice. Just a possibility, an opportunity, a small chance that you almost can reach with your fingertips... Like falling in Love or walking down the busy streets of the city you've never been to before and knowing that everything is possible, all the best things you can imagine are possible! And you're the one who has The Power. Whenever I have it on my playlist, I wish the whole world could dance with me to this song and enjoy the beauty of the moment... We are all mortals, aren't we? Any moment this could go.... Magical!
9. Coldplay | Atlas (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
I heard this song during a dance lesson first time, and dancing to it was so cool! Dim lights in the dance-hall, huge Sound and Music going through your body. I like how this song makes you feel strong and free. And the words match Music perfectly. Chris Martin has a remarkable talent in Songwriting and, when listening to his Music more, you can feel how natural it is for him - writing Music, lyrics, and sing... And again - he has his own style. I remember, at times, when I didn't know about Coldplay's existence, Chris Martin and such, my friends asked me to play the melody (from Trouble by Coldplay) and I grew to like it so much... And then hearing him singing first time, I thought - Oh my, this guy can't sing at all... But perhaps he really loves doing it and he does it badly, but it sounds so engaging! Now his songs and singing are wonderful and polished technically. I thought then, maybe, if I will keep trying, keep singing, just because I really love it - it will also work out at some point. I was thirteen then.
10. Beck | Lonesome Tears
I learned about Beck through one of the Ukrainian musicians - Dmytro Shurov, who shared Beck's Music. It's so rich in Sound and he seems to understand something very important about Music. Also I heard that Beck released an album in the form of Music sheets... Hah, I like that creativity. This is the way it should be - playful, authentic and crazy.
