What music are you listening to? (2025)

"Slaughter To Prevail" Most people probably aren't familiar with them. It's Russian death metal. 🤘
 
Song #16

Billy Bragg - Between the Wars

I've never hidden my political views, formed at the height of Thatcherism, and coming to Leicester in the middle of the miners strike. It was inevitable that I would latch on to Billy Bragg, an articulate and principled man, whose contribution to political debate is still relevent and much needed in the current climate.
Here he is singing live on Top of the Pops in front of a totally confused audience who had come hoping to see Duran Duran.

View: https://youtu.be/OYI8HBREvYY?si=8Q0IG9uYiMp0PeMt
 
Songs #17

Olafur Arnalds - Particles
Olafur Arnalds - Near Light.

A long post.

We were going to see Air at the Camden Palais, as was. I found out that their support act was an Icelandic woman named Olof Arnalds, so I Youtubed her to get an idea what she was about (look at her performance of Klara, mad as a box of frogs). Along with a few of her videos were many more by a guy called Olafur Arnalds, I started watching them, then watched more. He got under my skin straight away so I googled him, two things came out, firstly he is Olof's cousin and secondly he was playing Leicester Cathederal in less than a month. Tickets were bought immediately. Once I saw his performance he became locked in as my favourite composer ever.
Of course we saw him more times including when we flew to Paris on a Saturday afternoon, went straight to the Louvre via a beer and croque monsieur, and watched an all night improvisation by Olafur and his friend Nils Frahm (more another day) under the pyramid, sat in deck chairs, before spilling out into the Paris dawn and heading to a cafe near to Notra Dame for coffee and baguettes. This remains the best concert I have ever attended by a mile.
My favourite Olafur Arnalds composition is my favourite ever piece of music, and I will save that for a post in a few months time. Here though I am going to give you two, because I make the rules:
Particles: A rare time Olafur works with a vocalist, and the result is quite beautiful.
Near Light: More typical of his work, this was composed, arranged, recorded, mixed and performed in just 24 hours as part of his Livingroom Songs project. Joining him on keyboards are his mum and sister.

Particles

View: https://youtu.be/wEj7xYyj9n4?si=BXjIF1v6MOA-tfqR


Near light

View: https://youtu.be/UHVh_L_kv1Q?si=mNzcjazZv6POtURq
 
The Velvet Curtain said:
Of course we saw him more times including when we flew to Paris on a Saturday afternoon, went straight to the Louvre via a beer and croque monsieur, and watched an all night improvisation by Olafur and his friend Nils Frahm (more another day) under the pyramid, sat in deck chairs, before spilling out into the Paris dawn and heading to a cafe near to Notra Dame for coffee and baguettes. This remains the best concert I have ever attended by a mile.
Click to expand...

You just transported me there... beautifully described.

Particles is haunting stuff. For some reason I couldn't get Near Light to play.
 
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