Tent 5: Observation On Meditation

This is my soundtrack to my experience in Vipassana Meditation from September 9 - September 20, 2009...

Tent 5: Observation On Meditation Track Listing:

    1.    (0:00:32) Brad Mehldau WHEN IT RAINS - The golden touch of producer/composer extraordinaire, Jon Brion, comes on board to produce Mehldau's brilliant Largo album.  This album is completely avant-garde for jazz, and as per Mehldau's M.O., incorporates a Radiohead tune (Paranoid Android) and a Beatles track (Dear Prudence) on this LP.  This is the opening track, which pulled me in from the first time I heard it, and remains one of my favorite contemporary jazz pieces.  You might recognize some musical elements that sound familiar in a Pop music sense, and that's Brion's Fiona Apple production and incorporation of the brilliant drummer, Matt Chamberlain, who also drummed for Ms. Apple.  
    2.    (0:06:56) Philip Glass METAMORPHOSIS ONE - My friend/roommate was playing this when I returned from my meditation, and I immediately gravitated towards my computer to make sure this made it into the mix.  My friend told me he used to go see Glass perform all over New York City in the 80s for free before his career blossomed into what it is now.  Glass drove a cab and owned a moving company with his sculptor cousin, Jene Highstein, before making money as a composer.  During the 70s, Glass became friends with NYC artists, Sol LeWitt, Chuck Close, and many others.  Close created one of his famous pieces using the mug shot of Glass, to which Glass returned the gesture by creating a piano piece in dedication called, A Musical Portrait Of Chuck Close.  
    3.    (0:12:15) Blockhead INSOMNIAC OLYMPICS - Brilliant atmospheric hip hop NYC beats by rapper Aesop Rock's producer/DJ.  This is off Blockhead's Ninja Tune solo record, Music By Cavelight - well fitting name.  Looking forward to Blockhead's upcoming release, The Music Scene, which will come out around November 2nd on Ninja Tune, after his great production on Aesop Rock's None Shall Pass LP.  
    4.    (0:17:10) Bonobo RECURRING - Funny how Bonobo followed Blockhead in another one of my mixes, Dew Drops Glisten Between Spheres - they are very complimentary of one another's sound.  As I mentioned before, I'd probably use all tracks off his record, Days To Come, and I've nearly hit that mark.  Truly a remarkable album.
    5.    (0:21:54) Bibio DWRCAN - Another amazing track off Bibio's well-mature latest release, Ambivalence Avenue.  Steven Wilkinson is a British electronica musician under Warp Records.  He definitely is perfecting a sculpture of his own sound in the electronica world and contemporary composition.  
    6.    (0:27:07) Four Tet HIGH FIVES - From the outstanding Everything Ecstatic record by this top-notch British producer, Kieran Hebden.  Mr. Hebden is prolific as any in the music industry and is often teaming up with jazz musicians, such as drummer Steve Reid, to make experimental sounds and remixes.  Unlike most electronica artists, Hebden will use improvisational techniques to paint his music colorfully, just like a jazz musician.  
    7.    (0:32:07) Themselves HAT IN THE WIND - The first lyrics of this track sums up the entire meaning of this track for the mix, since one part of the sheela, or rite virtue, was no sexual activity or misconduct during the 10 days of strict meditation.  Jel and rapper Dose One compile mean beats, production, and rhyme in this sophomore release, The No Music.   When it first dropped, I was not happy with the music, but 10 years later, The No Music, is well respected and one of my most played Anticon records.  
    8.    (0:35:43) Two Lone Swordsmen SMOKEBELCH (FOR ALI) - Andrew Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood have been around for awhile and blazed trails in all forms of electronica music, and during their journey, they have produced many versions (as well as other DJs) of Smokebelch - mostly under their other moniker, Sabres Of Paradise.  Unfortunately, this particular version of mine, my favorite version, has a few jitters towards the end of the track, so I apologize.  This version was featured on the Back To Basics / Cut The Crap series.  
    9.    (0:41:37) Ornette Coleman LONELY WOMAN - Finally!  One year and a half, and I have just now placed one of the most influential musicians ever to bless our world.  Coleman created so much controversy in 1959 that many people, including Miles Davis, did not know what to think - Miles' first reaction was simply 'rubbish,' and I believe he never found much respect for the Free Jazz trailblazer!  However, this very very important year in music, 1959, marked a major schism between artists.  While Miles, classically trained trumpeter from Julliard, denounced Coleman as a 'real' jazz musician, John Coltrane, classically trained saxophonist, strongly admired the younger musician.  In fact, free jazz began to mold Coltrane's later sounds which lead to insightful abstract soloing and extremely long compositions channeling the likes of Stravinsky compositions and phrasing in his improvisations.  This is the opening track from the highly ambitious and beautiful LP, The Shape Of Jazz To Come - perhaps the best title of a record ever to mark change in a musical genre.  Ornette is still making beautiful compositions at age 79, and in 2007, he received the Pulitzer Prize and lifetime achievement award from the Grammy's.  You can also hear a sample by underground hip hop producer, Mumbles, of this track on Aceyalone's A Book Of Human Language track.  
    10.    (0:46:07) Unkle feat. Thom Yorke RABBIT IN YOUR HEADLIGHTS - What's Funky Soul Burner mix without a Radiohead affiliate, anyway?  I mean, Thom Yorke, James Levelle, and DJ Shadow on one track???  Who can ask for anything better than that?  This is from Unkle's brilliant debut record, Psyence Fiction.  
    11.    (0:51:43) Venetian Snares ONGYILKOS VASARNAP - Another incredibly crafted piece of music by Canadian, Aaron Funk.  The album title and tracks are all in Hungarian after his journey to Hungary.  Rossz csillag alatt szuletett, the title of the album, means, Born Under A Bad Star.  This track is a cover of the song, Szomoru vasarnap (Gloomy Sunday), by Hungarian composer Rezso Seress, which according to Wikipedia, is the Hungarian suicide song.  Urban Hungarian legend has it that a multitude of suicides were inspired by Seress' original recording, including the suicide of his fiancee.  Apparently, the song was banned in Hungary, but has been covered by many artists, including Billie Holiday, whose vocal samples are present in this Venetian Snares' version.  
    12.    (0:55:05) Sigur Ros GONG - Icelandic gods singing in their own created language, Hopelandic, which is based on syllables of Icelandic, but is gibberish.  They do not always sing in Hopelandic.  However, this track is fulled with 'Hope!'  When Sigur Ros' sophomore record, Agaetis byrjun, was released globally, they immediately became an immediate compliment to the sounds that Radiohead was exploring in England.  They have a tendency to create solely atmospheric sounds and soundtrack-like music, however, this track exemplifies the progression into new territory for the band once they released this album, Takk...
    13.    (1:00:16) Talvin Singh DUBLA - Asian Underground affiliate and British-Indian electronica musician blazing with this track from his sophomore LP, Ha.  Talvin also plays the tabla, and received the Mercury Music Prize in the UK for his 1999 release, Ok.  
    14.    (1:05:17) Andrew Bird THE WATER JET CILICE - My apologies for the poor-sounding recording of this track by this incredible musician.  Here, Mr. Bird creates an overture by his lonesome and incorporates the subtle sounds of nature in the background.  Andrew Bird has become one of my favorite musicians in the world for his command on composition and style, and not to mention his fantastic voice and lyrics.  He is a cherished soul, and this track moves me so much that I could not resist putting it into the mix that is to personify my life-changing experience in Vipassana mediation.  This track is from Fingerlings.  
    15.    (1:09:04) Wayne Krantz THESE INSTRUMENTAL PIECES WERE - I find it only necessary to include one of the New York City artists that have made my experience in NYC more beautiful and important than it already is.  Krantz used to play in the 55 Bar every Thursday evening and would play for $15 cover.  With that cover, you would receive 2 drinks with music.  Krantz has played and has been accompanied by the most influential jazz musicians of our time, and he has put on upcoming musicians, such as my buddy, Dan Weiss on drums, which have only propelled their careers in the music world.  Krantz pure love for music is the best example I can think of in my life that I'm connected to personally, and have experienced, that wraps around the concept of the Vipassana meditation experience.  I am forever grateful for my meditation experience, and for all the times I was able to see this amazing guitarist play his brilliance in all its purity.  Thank you.