We welcome the innovative bass/future trap producer thook this week, who is on board to share his Musical Guilty Pleasures. With work for Quality Goods Records catching our attention recently, we are pleased to have him sharing his five picks with us.
1) Justin Timberlake – “Sexyback”
I have to put this down as a major influence. There are so many pop records, now arguably more than ever; but Justin and Timbaland did something totally different in this record and broke the genre. The ‘amp' distorted vocals, house rhythm, and melody for me signalled a change in music that I find is still barely touched on the same way. The rules of the vocals being so wet with FX, yet it smashing charts is a sign of the direction we moved into.
2) Ella Fitzgerald – “Trouble in Mind”
Ella is a saint with an even better voice. Her music is so timeless for me- so happy [and sad] with just the power of her voice. It also makes me think of a simpler time, even though I'm still young it gives me insight into her life. Ella has been sampled so many times across so many genres, it's actually how I found her. I'd love to say I owned all her vinyl and that's how I knew of her, but I'm a product of hip-hop first; so new sounds and old are brought to the lime light all the time.
3) Prince – “FUNKNROLL”
Damn, where do I begin with this one. This record is like anything I've heard. Feels like Diplo's [Look at Me Now], infused with ACDC rhythms and deep Kanye 808's. He managed to make a track that complemented the distorted guitars and vocals, whilst still keeping that wobbly groove. This track is inspiration to find the pocket in any melody and run with it. Most people recognise his older work like “Purple Rain,” but honestly the direction he was leaning towards was so exciting. R.I.P. The King.
4) Fedde Le Grand – “Put Your Hands Up For Detroit”
This is another dance record that was so big for me when it came out. The melody is so fresh and iconic – my favourite part of this record is the vocals though – I've never even been to Detroit but I immediately want to rep it when I'm listening to Fedde's track. Listening back now it's interesting to see how a lot of these older songs actually ‘sound' from a mixing point of view. I'm pretty sure every mixer in the world had a layer of dust covering their tape machines and SSL's, because it definitely feels that way. Love this sound.
5) Black moth Super Rainbow – “Untitled Roadside Demo”
This track in particular out of their whole discography is my favourite. I love the vibe of this record. Along with the name, it gives you a sort of lull feeling, like you could drive carefree for weeks letting time pass. The synths, tape sound, vocoded vocals, and energy play a big part of my sound. Objectively you can probably hear it with some of my songs. I love this stuff. Although this might not be a popular song, the feel of their records pass through my songs too. It's the reason I love digging through old songs at 3am, where I end up finding something that completely shatters my perception of sound. All these songs have done that to me in some magnitude.
