This Week's Playlist #63 - Guest feature: Nico Rako
5 very varied picks from an old motion designer friend .
Hello everyone!
This Week’s Playlist - Season 2, episode 11.
How are you all doing? Been up too much?
Back full-time head down grinding here. Wrapping up some freelancing work while looking for jobs (not the best timing, I know). Plus, for those of you reading this in the UK, do you have any idea when Spring is coming?
We’re also slowly heading towards the end of March and the first quarter of the year so I was wondering if you discovered any nice music so far this year. Hit reply and let me know.
Back to our weekly newsletter, a very special guest today, per request of Sabrina, for a very diverse rotation this week. Thanks again for participating Nicolas.
See you next week.
TL;DR: I'm running a musical newsletter with a new guest sharing 5 songs each week.
There is a YouTube link for each of the songs on the cover, and here are the playlists for each streaming platform:
Tidal (coming soon)
Deezer (coming soon)
Guest of the week: Nico Rako
Hi, I’m Nicolas! I’m a graphic designer born in 1981. Thanks to Thomas for inviting me this week! We've been following each other since the early days of online music communities and it is an honor to be a guest.
I can understand why I was asked to submit songs, since music has always been an integral part of my life until recently (more on that below!). I have been in numerous bands and involved one way or another in setting up many shows. Saying “I listen to all types of music” might earn me a condescending side-eye, but I actually am interested in any track that aims at conveying emotion, I promise! From Japanese shoegaze to minimal techno to movie soundtracks. Which makes selecting five songs the more difficult and painful.
That being said, I gotta be honest with you: I am at a point in my life where I barely listen to any music, new or old, probably because my hunger for learning new things drives me to listen to podcasts and tutorials about other subjects than music. Call it midlife crisis or music overdose! But I know deep down I will record music again soon. Can’t get away from that addiction, right?
Links:
Mewithoutyou - January 1979
I'm the most atheistic person you could find, yet I consider this overtly spiritual band one of my favorite bands of all time. They flawlessly combine spoken poetry and indie rock, while keeping the energy of their post-hardcore origins. On top of that, I do love delicate intricate guitars.
The Most Serene Republic - The Men Who Live Upstairs
I've always been fascinated by bands that operate like a family, such as Architecture in Helsinki, Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire, I'm From Barcelona... More than six members? Count me in. TMSR was certainly an underrated band in this category. I have secretly been dreaming of forming a band like those with my numerous musician friends.
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians: Section II
The king of repetitive and minimalistic music. I'm really into that genre lately. It probably goes with getting older I guess. Beware, that song should be heard as part of the full album! Which is why this particular section doesn’t seem to have a beginning and end.
Max Richter - On the nature of daylight
This song has been featured in Shutter Island, The Leftovers, The Last of Us, Arrival, The Handmaid’s Tale… simply because no other song can bring tears to your eyes quite like this one.
Tarta Relena - El suïcidi i el cant
Stop everything. Take a moment to appreciate the magnificence of these two voices.
Until the next time, Godspeed!
Thomas
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