Not many artists have transferred from one genre to another quite so successfully as Skrillex. Born Sonny Moore, the undercut-loving dubstep superstar had his career beginnings in emo band From First To Last when emo was still a thing and MySpace was cool. Emo music really only spawned two important things: Skrillex, and selfies. While Skrillex left the band ten years ago to work on his burgeoning electronic side project, FFTL have actually remained fairly active since then, save for a three year hiatus which began in 2010.
Now, on his 29th birthday Skrillex has released a brand new track. But it’s not exactly what his legion of EDM fans may expect. It’s a new From First To Last single, Make War, released via his imprint label OWSLA.
Considering how far he’s come stylistically (although there’s something to be said for the amount of rock and metal artists who cross over to EDM), it’s amazing to see that he’s not only friendly enough with his old band to collaborate, but that he’s still interested in emo music (or, perhaps both parties realised that their respective genres are pretty much done and dusted, and the best step forward is to collaborate on something new).
The track has been co-written by Moore and the band, and also features both production and vocals from the Bangarang star.
The track is not electronic at all – it’s straight up emo, so I for one am looking very forward to seeing how EDM and dubstep fans respond.
Image: MySpace, probably
RL Grime, What So Not and Skrillex, three expert producers and leaders in the trap and electronic music world have had rumoured collaborations between some combination of them in the works as far back as 2013. RL Grime and What So Not last collaborated on the track Tell Me which debuted in early 2014. Now, the two have reunited, this time with additional collaborator Skrillex, to create Waiting, a trap and bass experiment for the ages. RL Grime premiered the song at the tail end of the 2016 edition of his annual Halloween mix. This year’s Halloween mix garnered quite a bit more attention than previous years, and brought with it various surprises, as the voice of Pharell Williams ushered us into the mix, as well as teasing listeners with a taste of some unreleased music. Listen to it here:
The single gets its official release on Thursday, but the three artists gave us a special preview of the song by creating a vague website that they each promoted on their social media sites. The website, http://w8-ing.com contains a one minute preview of the song atop a video advertising a phone number, which when called, plays the track in full, and gives it a retro sex-hotline feel. In 2015, Justin Bieber allowed fans to hear his cover of Hotline Bling using this same method, in that case quite literally allowing a hotline to bling. Soulja Boy also used this back in 2008, giving out a phone number that fans could call to leave messages which came as close as they could to quite literally, kissing him through the phone. It’s an interesting twist for a song to get pre-released in this way, and allows the duration of the song to be heard without giving everything away in full quality.
The full version of Waiting comes out on November 3rd. Listen to Tell Me below:
On September 29, Sonny Moore, known to many as Skrillex, took to the Boiler Room for the first time. Playing the Boiler Room set is seen as something as a rite of passage and a career make-or-break point for many electronic artists. This set was something of an anomaly, due to Skrillex’s deep-seated establishment as one of the genre’s current (and probably future) top players.
Recess, which released in 2014, is the most recent full length album by the artist, though his collaboration with Diplo under the name Jack Ü, as well as singles such as Purple Lamborghini with Rick Ross for Suicide Squad, as well as his remix of Hundred Waters’ Show Me Love with Chance the Rapper have kept Skrillex in the spotlight. He also produced much of Justin Bieber’s album Purpose, as well as maintaining a leadership role within his independent record label, OWSLA.
As an artist who has played an active role in the electronic music scene, as well as quite literally propelling it to be what it is today, it’s no secret that he’s honed his music and mixing skills, as well as having expertly adapted to the times. The eclectic and varied mix includes songs from many current and popular genres, with songs new and old.
As well as playing many songs of his own creation, Skrillex gave a nod to his fellow OWSLA peers Getter, Josh Pan, and Mija, as well as giving hip-hop a shine with the inclusion of Schoolboy Q, Chief Keef, French Montana, and Meek Mill.
In today’s increasingly oversaturated electronic market, one has to demonstrate uniqueness, as well as abandon genre standards to create new and innovative things, and with this set amongst all of his new releases and projects, it seems that Skrillex has no problem doing just that.
Watch the official recording of the set here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRlLNfKYm8U
Image: Watchthedj
With the bite and grit of a woman scorned, Lady Gaga’s comeback single was released last week to much fanfare – mostly because Kevin Parker and Mark Ronson co-wrote and produced it. Though the song itself has received mixed feedback from critics and fans alike (a lot of people seem to be overlooking the fact that it is Gaga’s song and will be on her upcoming fifth album when they screech “less Gaga! More Kevin!” but I digress), it’s a clever career move for all involved. The Tame Impala mastermind recently told Triple J about his thought process when the offer first came up: “It was amazing, really really good. One of those life/career-defining times. It started out sort of like a career move. Like, ‘I’ll get in on that.’ But it quickly became something so personal and so meaningful for everyone involved. I’m just happy it’s all out in the open now. Now I can not tell secrets anymore.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB94lvJbETE
And he isn’t the only one. A pop collaboration of such a magnitude can breathe new life into a career, boost a newer artist into the spotlight, bring two (or more!) distinctive voices together, help one make the transition from boy/girl band into solo super stardom. Or, it can fail miserably and fizzle out. Here, we take a look ten other life/career defining (for better or for worse) pop collaborations of recent memory – from Gaga to Gwen, there have been a few.
Bang Bang – Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDdjwpPM3Y
A Lady Marmalade for the 2010s, Bang Bang had it all. The seasoned, jazzy vocals of Jessie J’s are bolstered by those of the current princess of pop, Ariana Grande. However perhaps the most important element of all, and something that could be considered a genre all it’s own, the track features what is known as Nicki’s Verse. Once again, Minaj steals the show, to the tune of a wildly energetic rhythm and immediately infectious earworm riff.
Lady Marmalade – Lil’ Kim, Christina Aguilera, Mya & Pink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puKhmJEIw3I
You can’t mention Bang Bang without Lady Marmalade, the last great multi-female pop-rap collab. Originally released in 1974, it was always intended to be performed by a vocal ensemble. However, upon featuring on the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, it this version will forever endure as The One when it comes to pop collabs. Having sat at no. 1 for five weeks after its release, you would have thought it was written with no one other than Christina Aguilera, Mýa, Pink and Lil’ Kim in mind.
The Boy is Mine – Brandy & Monica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va1Y6uAgNJY
So iconic was this Brandy and Monica collaboration that it’s recently been given the sample treatment along with Destiny’s Child. Nothing beats the original though: two fierce as fuck women in what at first seems to be a girl-hating anthem but turns out to be an exposé of a good for nothing, two timing cheater. Honestly, with the way their voices work together on The Boy Is Mine, it’s a wonder Monica and Brandy didn’t release an entire album together, Then again, too much of a good thing may have meant have taken away some of the shine.
Telephone – Lady Gaga & Beyoncé
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVBsypHzF3U
Kevin Parker isn’t the only major artist who saw an opportunity in collaborating with Lady Gaga. This 2010 hookup resulted in one of the biggest, most important pop collaborations of both artist’s careers. Originally written by Gaga for one Britney Spears, the song was released as part of Gaga’s Grammy nominated album The Fame Monster the year before Bey dropped 4. It pushed Beyoncé into a new light, everything from her double time verse to the masterpiece of a music video were highly calculated moves that helped her build upon the Sasha Fierce attitude while bringing together two pop powerhouses who might have otherwise seemed to be on opposing sides of the genre.
My Boo – Usher & Alicia Keys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPgf2meEX1w
Originally left off the final track listing to the record, My Boo was leaked online along with three other previously unreleased tracks from Usher’s 2004 the album before being added to the expanded version of Confessions. Having previously collaborated with Alicia Keys on If I Ain’t Got You, producer Jermaine Dupri wanted to tap further into the musical relationship between two of the biggest names in r&b and pop at the time and to say it worked out well would be an understatement. It went on to be the fourth single from the album and was the highest debut of them all, coming in at number twenty nine upon its release.
Where Are Ü Now – Justin Bieber, Shrillex & Diplo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nntGTK2Fhb0
Justin Bieber, Pop’s comeback kid of 2015 knows a thing or two about collaborations. He’s worked with Queen Nicki and his 2015 album featured Big Sean, Halsey and Travi$ Scott to name but a few. Commercially however, one of the biggest standout pop collabs of the past year came from his partnering with Shrillex and Diplo for the second single from the duo’s debut album. The song blew up airwaves (including a brief moment where Justin Bieber was actually aired on triple J) before it went on to be included on Bieber’s Purpose. Officially marking his return, Where Are U Now almost singlehandedly reintroduced the world to the slick, new, adult Biebs that went on to cultivate an entire new generation of fans.
California Gurls – Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F57P9C4SAW4
Snoop has had his fair share of collabs – we could have made a list with his alone. However, of recent memory, his appearing on Katy Perry‘s California Gurls sticks out as one of the most wtf collaborations conjured up by executives somewhere no doubt. Still, something about it worked because it earned Perry her second US no. 1 hit and Snoop his third as it went on to reach the top spot in ten other countries and received a Grammy nod.
Suit & Tie – Justin Timberlake & Jay Z
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsUsVbTj2AY
Marking the end of his musical hiatus, Suit & Tie was the first single off Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience – a critically acclaimed commercial juggernaut of an album that sparked a near two-year tour. The Jay Z-featuring Suit & Tie surpassed Timberlake’s own record for the most sales in its first week, with the slightly out of time beat and hazed-out drawl of a song sticking around as the hit of what seemed to be the entire year.
Dilemma – Nelly & Kelly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WYHDfJDPDc
Off Nelly’s album 2001 Nellyville and the lead single from Kelly Rowland’s debut solo album, Simply Deep, released later the same year, this track won the duo a Grammy award. While Rowland’s career hasn’t reached the heights of her fellow child of destiny, Beyoncé, this was the track that showed her to be much more than essentially a featured backup singer for Bey’s. While Beyoncé has her plethora of collaborations and Michelle sings the Lord’s praise in her new career as a gospel singer, neither can stake claim on Dilemma, practically the most enduring collaboration track of the early 2000s with a (now meme-worthy) video to go along with it. I.C.O.N.I.C.
Let Me Blow Ya Mind/and Rich Girl – Gwen Stefani & Eve
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt88GMJmVk0
During her early-mid-2000s peak, Eve was nothing short of a collab-extraordinaire. But if there was one partnership that proved to be a cut above the rest, it was when she hopped on a track with No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani. Off Eve’s sophomore album, Let Me Blow Ya Mind gave us the first insight into what was truly a match made in pop heaven (or maybe it was hell, because that video was badass AF for the time, even if you did wonder what happened to Gwen’s car once Dre broke the duo out of jail). They followed it up three years later on Stefani’s debut solo album, the Dr Dre produced track Rich Girl. While it was fun and easy enough to go along with, the song (a last minute addition to Stefani’s Love. Angel. Music. Baby) didn’t come anywhere near reaching the bar set with let Me Blow Ya mind.
Image: Consequence of Sound
Earlier this year, M.I.A. announced that her next album was finished, but hinted that it may well be her last. She has dropped Go Off, a single from her forthcoming record AIM (which is expected September 9 this year) featuring Skrillex and Blaqstarr. Playing out on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show for the first time earlier this week, she was also joined by M.I.A. who spoke a bit more about the track and her future plans.
Sonically Go Off brings M.I.A.’s familiar tough, chant-like vocals as well as hypnotic melodies and a militant beat. With just an edge of Skrillex in the dark hints of jungle and dubstep, the track is still heavy with M.I.A.’s roots in Asian culture.
Speaking to Annie Mac, she confirmed that the album is likely to be her final one. Not that M.I.A. expects to stop making music, but she is looking to “go do some other stuff and take some time off”. Talking about her new record, she says how it all came together after the release of Borders.
Also mentioning “mad people” who came together to make the album, M.I.A. describes it as her “cleanest” record to date. Known for hefty political and social commentary, she maintains that AIM will show her “glass half full” side with no complaints. Following the incredible clip for Borders, she does promise a video for Go Off. But she warns that this time she didn’t want to feature any people – after working with a thousand extra and a crew of one hundred and twenty five people for Borders, she says she can’t deal with humans just yet!
Image: fuse.tv
Last month, the super talented trio of Chance the Rapper, Skrillex and Hundred Waters combined forces for a live rendition of their hit collaboration Show Me Love on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzrkbm51okw]
In the time since, the world has been struck by tragedy; the shooting of 49 people in Orlando, Florida, has been a horrific blight on society in 2016, and many around the world have been prompted to respond in their own unique ways. The entertainment community has been particularly vocal, with Skrillex and his imprint label OWSLA no exception. Behind their smash hit, the triple threat have unveiled a ‘Show Me Love’ initiative to help raise funds and supports for victims and affected families of the tragic shootings in Orlando.
As a part of their attempts to raise funds, the trio have released a Behind the Scenes documentary look at their performance on The Late Show, as well as explored the history of the song.
All involved are also using the opportunity to call for donations, contributions and/or support, which you can do here.
You can read Howl & Echoes‘ own response to the tragedy in Orlando here. Our thoughts remain, still, with all of the Orlando victims and their families, friends and loved ones.
Image Credit: Show Me Love
Words by Manick Bhan
Since its announcement, fans have been eager to see more from the upcoming Suicide Squad movie. Will it be a better DC Comics film than the much-maligned Batman vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice? Will Jared Leto’s Joker stack up against previous all-time portrayals by Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson? How much is Will Smith’s presence going to ruin this movie? Well, even if Suicide Squad utterly bombs on the big screen, the freshly-released details of its soundtrack mean the blockbuster will at least sound killer.
One big collaboration confirmed by the tracklist release is EDM heavyweight Skrillex confirmed to be collaborating with the big bo$$ Rick Ross to produce a song for the Suicide Squad soundtrack. This confirms a rumour going as far back as April, fans having been dissecting any shred of information ever since Rick Ross’ appearance in Atlantic City where he was apparently heard to say the words “suicide squad” and “purple Lamborghini.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1klN72RIveI
Indeed, the Skrillex-Rick Ross collaboration is named Purple Lamborghini and will likely be the supervillain movie’s main theme. While the details are now confirmed, we won’t be able to actually listen to the final soundtrack until the movie’s much-anticipated release on August 5th.
The soundtrack is a mix of new songs, Purple Lamborghini featuring alongside original tracks from the likes of Panic! At The Disco, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Twenty One Pilots, and Action Bronson as well as classic tracks like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s anthemic Fortunate Son and Eminem’s Without Me.
With so many stars attached and such a good story to tell, with what now looks to be a soundtrack for the ages, it’s difficult to imagine Suicide Squad performing poorly. We’ll have to wait and see.
The final Suicide Squad tracklist is as follows:
1. Purple Lamborghini – Skrillex & Rick Ross
2. Sucker For Pain – Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons (with Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & X Ambassadors)
3. Heathens – Twenty One Pilots
4. Standing In The Rain – Action Bronson & Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) (ft. Mark Ronson)
5. Gangsta – Kehlani
6. Know Better – Kevin Gates
7. You Don’t Own Me – Grace (ft. G-Eazy)
8. Without Me – Eminem
9. Wreak Havoc – Skylar Grey
10. Medieval Warfare – Grimes
11. Bohemian Rhapsody – Panic! At The Disco
12. Slippin’ Into Darkness – War
13. Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
14. I Started A Joke– ConfidentialMX (feat. Becky Hanson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmRih_VtVAs
Image: YouTube
Justin Bieber and Skrillex received media attention of a different kind this week, finding themselves under fire from singer-songwriter Casey Dienel, aka White Hinterland. Dienel claimed that Bieber’s smash hit single Sorry wrongfully copies, “the specific and unique characteristics of the female vocal riff” from her 2014 track Ring The Bell; essentially, the o-o-o-ohs being questioned as an unauthorised sample.
To try and shine some light on the lawsuit, Skrillex, who produced the track alongside Blood, took to his Twitter with a video that demonstrated specifically how these o-o-o-ohs were created, proving they were in fact not sampled.
SORRY but we didnt steal this 🙏🏻 @justinbieber @bloodpop pic.twitter.com/9897j9sfY7
— Skrillex (@Skrillex) May 27, 2016
So, on the surface it looks as if this was just a simple instance where the pair of them both happened to stumble on the same artistic path, but in the eyes of copyright, that doesn’t necessarily matter. Arguably there is room for debate with this one, but let’s pretend it is completely obvious, if unintentional.
Take legendary Beatle, George Harrison, and his 1970 tune My Sweet Lord for example. Harrison was taken to court following the release of the song for copyright infringement with the 1962 He’s So Fine, written by Ronald Mack. Have a listen to them both and you can tell immediately that these have the same chord progressions and structural similarities. Harrison repeatedly insisted that he did not deliberately copy the music. In court, even the judge believed that he did not intentionally use He’s So Fine, but he nevertheless faced damages of $1,599,987.
Skip back to 2016, and we have a case where this unintentional, questionable, but semi-coincidental infringement is in question. White Hinterland’s song Ring The Bell, does feature that o-o-oh, in the opening but, only three notes, not the four featured in Bieber’s Sorry, but this is something that is just going to have to be debated.
Tastemaker Diplo and Skrillex collaborator chimed into the conversation recently explaining to TMZ, “I’m sure they’ll work out a deal with her. They don’t want to go to court with it.” He then compared the instance to his work with Beyonce with All Night, where the horns resembled Outkast‘s SpottieOttieDopaliscious. “I told them, and then we had to give OutKast 25% of the record.”
Who knows what might happen, in my opinion, I think it will be settled out of court like Diplo says, but in terms of is it just, I don’t entirely think so – but that’s just me. What do you think? Is White Hinterland Right or is this just a stunt to get some more publicity? Read Dienel’s full statement below and compare the two tracks:
https://www.facebook.com/WhiteHinterlandOfficial/posts/10154339160669101
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VW5xIXdfgw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRh_vgS2dFE
Image: Global Dance Electronic
It was only last week that Big Grams released an a very bizarre animated video for Born To Shine/Run For Your Life, the animation courtesy of Adult Swim, the network that brought you such twisted hits as Robot Chicken and Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
Now, the collaborative project from Phantogram and Big Boi are back at it with the live action accompaniment to Drum Machine, off their incredible self-titled debut album, released last year.
The video, directed by Outkast video co-colloborater Bryan Barber, begins with an anime inspired opening sequence, before cutting to a scene with a bunch of rambling hobos and trolleys. A furry costumed wolf (‘Red Wolf’) emerges from a broken down car and proceeds to go cause havoc in what looks like downtown LA and Hollywood.
Frolicking among other street performers, the wolf attempts to grope women before ‘Dabs’ the squirrel appears to suck down some smoke from a vaporiser. Then some weird thing called ‘Purp’ proceeds to steal the car of a man entering a club. While Red Wolf is unsuccessful in gaining entry into a club, Purp has no such trouble.
The eureka moment comes when all the animals remove there masks and turn out to be Phantogram’s Sarah Barthel, Josh Carter, and Big Boi. Then the video again cuts to big, colourful cartoon letters saying ‘Next week on Big Grams’, showing a bunch of lazy and inept cops eating donuts and generally doing nothing. A sneaky little reference about Skrillex comes when the two cops start to beat up ‘Sonny Panda,’ referencing his real name, Sonny.
The video gives an interesting glimpse into the gritty streetlight of LA and its clubs, as well the maltreatment of misbehaving furry animals.
Image: vevo.com
My first experience of what it might feel like to be good at running came in grade 5 when my P.E. class was circling the oval in an 800 meter time trial on a hot Gold Coast summer day. 800 meters equated to four laps and our eager teacher, Mr. Gee, marked us off as we rounded each one to ensure that we didn’t cheat. By some wonderful twist of fate, as I rounded my third lap (notably behind pace), I saw the weathered and sun spotted hands of Mr. Gee come together in a clap.
“Good time!” he exclaimed and gestured me over to the sideline with the two other child athletes who had finished the exercise, clearly having mixed up his tallies somewhere along the way.
I of course, did not correct him. I revelled in the small praises from my classmates and felt strong and fit despite my minor dishonesty. In that moment I loved running. I loved everything about it from the sweat dripping down the back of my shirt, to the sharp twang of the stitch in my side, to the shortness of breath and the dizzying faintness that washed over me in the stifling heat. I had to spend the next few weeks convincing my mother that it was all a farce, and I would not be enrolling in the school team, but it was a small price to pay. For the rest of my primary school career I was forced to proclaim that I didn’t run because I hated it, not because I actually had no skill whatsoever. I will never forget poor Mr. Gee’s disappointment at all that talent going to waste.
It was only very recently that I rediscovered my passion for running, this time under more genuine terms. I found myself working my way up from 3km, to 5km to 6km on an ultimate quest for 10km and beyond, enjoying the physical and mental challenges it posed. More than a passion for the exercise itself, I discovered a passion for those moments of focus where the outside world drifts away and it is just you, your body and if you’re anything like me, your headphones. Just as important as choosing my location, my distance, my time, choosing the right music became an equal part of the ritual.
In my quests I discovered that the art of curating the perfect “running playlist” has become so popular that many fitness and music apps now have specialised features that allow you to match your music stream to your tempo. For example, those who use Spotify Premium can utilise the “Running” section, which sees the app find the beat of your footfalls and then matches tracks from your selected genre or mood to your cadence. Once the app finds your personal tempo, the BPM remains constant allowing the playlist to act as a metronome, pushing you ever forward through your workout. There are entire polls dedicated to the most popular running tracks, and for those wondering, Lose Yourself by Eminem seems to come up trumps.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYQQPAOz7Y]
If my ten year old self had the power to create whole internal worlds of sound perfectly manufactured to assist in achieving whatever goals had been set out, maybe I would be an elite marathon runner by now. Over the last few months as I have made my first serious foray into the field, I have developed a very strong bond with the songs that take me to and beyond my limits, and a fascination with the relationship between the music and the act itself. When you are pushing towards that next kilometer there is a primal sort of instinct that demands the kind of music that connects you to your deepest self. I have discovered that running music for me consists of the guiltiest of pleasures, the songs that would usually prompt me to hit “private” on a Spotify session, and from the smiling faces and blaring noises I hear coming from my fellow cardiophiles at the gym and on the streets, I am sure I am not alone.
At the core of the music we choose, I think is the meditative state we are trying to achieve through the repetitive motion of pounding our feet into a hard surface. Rather than listen to our favourite tracks we seek out the kind of music that lulls us into a state of nothingness. We could opt for the songs that make us feel a certain emotion or evoke a nostalgic response, but instead we turn to tracks that allows us to fall into stride with our physical selves and silence the mind entirely. For some, that might be heavy rock, or indie remixes, or Latin beats. For me it is the dirtiest, grimiest, loudest EDM and dub step I can find.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJVmu6yttiw]
As someone who has never set foot in a rave or worn a pair of phat pants, this comes as more of a surprise to me than anyone else. I have tried to listen to my favourite tracks instead. I have painstakingly picked the songs with just the right tempo that would usually see me toe tapping under my desk, but it is useless. The repercussions are not only apparent by my lackluster enthusiasm, but also in my results. A 5km time nosedives in full minutes, and while tempo certainly plays a part, there is more to it than that. The feeling of all that pulsing blood and adrenaline has become so synonymous with those deafening bass drops, that those have become some of the happiest moments of my day. Through the act of physical fitness I have become perhaps the biggest Skrillex fan I know, and I am not even a little bit ashamed. We can all find great joy in the fact that running acts as a get out of jail free card for all our guiltiest pleasures.
The author Haruki Murakami penned the nonfiction memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running as a reflection of how the sport has impacted him as an individual and a writer. He began running twenty-two years ago at the age of 33 as a means of warding off the common evils that come with living an artistic life, and to hear him talk about it is inspiring. Personally, he likes to listen to classic rock while running. Some favourites include Creedence Clearwater Revival, Manic Street Preachers and The Beach Boys. Those who don’t run probably read on with a morbid curiosity or an aloof uncaring, but for those who find solace in the pastime there is no more succinct description of how it feels.
“When I am running my mind empties itself,” he says, “Everything I think while running is subordinate to the process. The thoughts that impose themselves on me while running are like light gusts of wind — they appear all of a sudden, disappear again and change nothing.”
And much like the thoughts that pass through our minds, the songs too are like gusts of wind. They blow through on a beat as we push through our own personal barriers, whether it be running from something, to something or just for the sake of the ritual. The songs we choose might not make a lasting impact. We may never revisit them on a bus or while going to sleep or after a break up. They might change nothing. But, in that moment they are just what we need, and that’s got to count for something.
For your running pleasure, you can try our ultimate playlist below.