Music for cabriolets: Floex - Veronika's Dream

Floex is a guy from Prague, the Czech Republic, an author with a couple of awesome songs. He started solo, now with band, he's composing, playing keyboards and clarinet. The tracks are swimming in the smooth and dreamy waters. And from time to time he comes with a song, which gets me instantly. Such as this one, I've found myself stuck in playing it in the Saab over and over again. The video clip is sick:) ... in the good sense ...

He also composed music to the wonderful computer logic puzzle games Samorost 2 and Machinarium.

Music for cabriolets: Kraftwerk

The almighty Kraftwerk. I'm a long-term fan of them, following them for years. Actually, decades already. Recently there came two live concert announcements, which made me quite excited. The first one is Kraftwerk - Der Katalog in Vienna, a 4 day gig marathon, where the band plays their crucial albums. The second one is their live concert on Pohoda festival, which is the largest festival nearby.

For my main web project Citylife.sk I wrote a long article about them. Who they are, what they essentially do and why they're so influential. Sorry, it's in slovak language, it's a slovak website.
A rather crappy google translation can be found here.

For the article I've decided to go through all their albums, listen to them one by one, to get again that old Kraftwerk feeling. In a car of course. Here are three songs, which worked the best in the car.

The first is obviously "Autobahn", in a 10 minutes live version, shorter than the 23 minutes original one. The second is "It's more fun to compute" from the album Computerworld, where the second part of the song reliably starts "the autopilot". The third is "Metal on Metal", the descendent of the known Trans-Europe Express, which develops the main theme into more darker areas.

Kraftwerk means a lot to me. Enjoy the tracks.

Music for cabriolets: Nitin Sawhney - Sunset

This worked very well in the car. A recently discovered older piece. Smart, modern and subtle. A bit pop but by far not village carousel stuff.

The author Nitin Sawhney is a very respected composer, musician and producer. He worked with Sting, Cirque Du Soleil, Paul McCartney, Imogen Heap and many others. Well no wonder ...

Music for cabriolets : Daft Punk - Motherboard

Daft Punk's recent album Random Access Memories is one of the most discussed albums of this year so far. The reviews and feedbacks are ranging from "junk produced in a luxurious way" to "genius".

But instead of reading album reviews it's much better to listen to them and make your own opinion. At least because on each album of every artist are better and worse songs.

The album is contains too disparate styles. You can find there shallow commercial summer funky junk combined with a couple of serious tracks. As if the authors would want to earn money from mainstream but smuggled there a 3-4 tracks which "make sense".

This is one of them. It worked perfect in the car and in fact became a personal anthem for the Saab Festival in Trollhattan. I had simply to replay it again and again. Going from the museum through the city to the factory ? - Motherboard !. It just worked awesome for the convertible.

Notable musician on this particular track is a drummer legend Omar Hakim [ David Bowie, Miles Davis, Bryan Ferry, Marcus Miller, Weather Report, Sting, Madonna, John Scofield and many more] playing a wonderful beat with world class skill.

Music for cabriolets : Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five, extended and live

This version of a classic piece blowed me away with the easiness and professionalism it is performed. There is a kind of minimalism in this version, which keeps the players away from to be too egocentric at the solos and to concentrate full of the overall result. Even the drum solo, which stands out, has its development and reason.

The repeating simple drum & bass line is maybe the thing which works in the car so well. Also it's not to feel, that it is seven and half minutes long, there are no empty or weak places, always something to listen to and discover.

Genius.

Music for cabriolets : Atoms for Peace - Default

Atoms for Peace is a group of big names. Thom Yorke (Radiohead, vocals, guitar, piano), Flea (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, bass), Nigel Godrich (producer of Radiohead, synths, laptops) and Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M, drums). They exist since 2009.

They released yesterday their first studio album Amok. They will be a headliner on the largest slovakian festival Pohoda (~30.000 visitors in the last years) in the summer. It was announced a couple of days ago. In terms of marketing, very precisely planned. So some radios play them now.

 The track Default catched me on my 80 km long way back home from the work. It was one of these moments, when you listen to a track and say wow. But after repeated listening you get much more from the song. A very modern electronic music made by experienced musicians.

It became quickly a private hit for a while. For the car for sure. Look for it where you always look.

Music for cabriolets : Korben Dallas

Korben Dallas is a very talented local (slovak) rock band. They've recently issued a live album called Pekné cesty (Lovely ways) containing several fine pieces. One of them, the first one called just Intro resonated a lot while driving. So it's here. Volume up is recommended.

[direct link].

Music for cabriolets : Talk Talk

Talk Talk was a british trio, well known in the 80's for some of their commercial hits. They were also one of the few bands which could step beyond the typical 80's cliché. After their hectic hits era there was an evident desire to develop themselves to more advanced compositions and sound.

So in 1988 and 1991 they recorded two albums - Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. Both are minimalistic, intimate, subtle and from time to time erasing the soft atmosphere with a very raw sound. Both albums are masterpieces, despite their declining sales figures, even after many years they are described as stable members of the family of timeless and influential albums, especially to musicians. Even nowadays.

Artists like Portishead or Radiohead are claiming to be influenced by Talk Talk.

The band disbanded after these two records with several explanations. After many years of being a fan and gathering all possible informations I read their end as a mixture of attrition of their musical expression with frustration from misunderstanding by the public. The description of these records as experimental seems not appropriate to me. This word describes seeking for new ways while Talk Talk knew exactly which way they want to go.

Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock are a stable part of my music collection in every mp3 player I've got as well as in every car I've driven. However this is not easy listening and requires attention.

They are both embedded in full length below. Both embeds are starting with my most favorite song of each record. Of course, if you wish, you can listen to them in the whole by moving the slider to the start.

Spirit of Eden, I believe in you



Laughing Stock, After the Flood 

Music for Cabriolets : Plaid - Lilith ft. Bjork

This track is great for night rides outside of the city back home. Slowly. It caused me in the recent days to take the longer road to the bed. I'm not too much into Plaid as well as not into Björk, but this combination took my breath away. It's a collaboration work. Enjoy.

Music for Cabriolets : Longital - Von von

This is not a typical music for cars, but convertibles aren't typical cars also. Longital, one of the most interesting slovak bands, plays a subtle music focusing on atmospheres, their music is rather minimalistic, sometimes experimental, they are seekers. When the mood is right, Longital's music is great in the car, it flows and has the power to drag you into this flow, giving an additional dimension to the drive without distracting from the road.

Longital is a duo, Daniel on guitar, Sina on bass, both singing plus a bit of electronics. They are regulary playing all around Europe and from time to time in the U.S.. They love to travel with trains.

The video for their track Von von (means Outside) recently won the first price on Formula Mundi Filmfest in the category Art / Experimental / Generative.

Direction and animation: Eva Delincakova.

Music for cabriolets : Ghostpoet - Finished I Ain't

I've seen Ghostpoet a couple of weeks ago live in a club here in Bratislava. The live gig was very appealing, he played this together with a guitar player and drummer. The album Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam contains many strong pieces, so it landed in my Saab. And it worked. Especially this one. Maybe recalling my drummer past but mainly for it's slowly but inevitable gradation of the whole song. It will by far not be liked by everyone, but imho this is a masterpiece and there are more of them on the album.

Music for Cabriolets : Urban Species - Blanket ft. Imogen Heap

The deep and subtle song Blanket is a result of a collaboration between the great, mostly acid jazz band Urban Species and successful talented singer Imogen Heap. A wonderful tune for many situations, in context of music for cabriolets, it is excellent for cruising or stopping by for a moment.



Excellent track, isn't it ? Imho it's so strong, that it leads you away from thinking about styles or genres or wether it is pop, alternative or whatever else. It's just a very strong song.

There is also a live version available, as well as a version performed by Imogen Heap with Jeff Beck. It's great, but especially in this case I think, Urban Species's minimalistic approach wins. Pure personal opinion.

While searching around the song, it was a great pleasure to find out that Urban Species are preparing their third album. It seems they moved all their online appearance here to facebook. Looking forward for the album.

Music for Cabriolets : Little Roy - Come As You Are

This is a nice cover of Nirvana on a reggae style. Just a thing for slow driving with good vibe.

Music for Cabriolets : Toni Granko - Plachtyk

Again a summer flashback. The slow and atmospheric tracks from Toni Granko are an excellent choice for slow evening rides and short stops on comfortable places with the roof down.

Toni Granko is a guy from Bratislava, making music for long time. This track is from the album "Ľudia dialok blízkych myslí", freely translated as "People from far away close in mind", from 2010. He's a friend of mine, he is not exactly a Saab enthusiast but he has a taste for cars and very much likes Saabs. Into his car history definitely belongs this wonderful old Volga GAZ 21 (check the transparent tachometer !) as well as a Volvo 460 GLS.

In this fast world he reminds me a bit of Vini Reilly | Durutti Column, going his own way even in the boom of the manchester scene in the 90's. To better know the background, the movie 24 hour party people, is very recommended.

Visual performance in the video is done by Kufrik Brothers.

Music for Cabriolets : Soil and Pimp Sessions - Sahara

These guys are a jazz sextet born in the Tokyo club scene, calling themselves Soil & "Pimp" Sessions. They describe their music as "Death Jazz". Sometimes "jazzpunk" would be appropriate as well.

Starting 2001, currently with the album #8. In a live performance, they play unbelievable things.  Energetic, fast and exact. There are plenty of youtube live videos.

This is not autopilot music, rather listening inside and going with the groove. This is extremely appealing stuff so a couple of tracks are enough, but the minutes with them in the car are often mindblowing.

Music for Cabriolets : McSolaar - Dévotion

Remembering the summer ... and many summers before. Imho this is one of the best tracks of McSolaars album Prose Combat. Old school. In the car, it  lets you drive.

Music for Cabriolets : The Herbaliser - Battle of Bongo Hill

This funky/breakbeat tune works perfectly in the car if you like the beat and bassline. There isn't too much more in the track but if you jump on the wave of the track, driving makes much more fun. The repetitiveness works great this time. This track keeped me awake after a 1000km while still had to drive 250 km in rain and snow.

The Herbalizer are one of the most known artist of the independent label Ninja Tune.

Music for Cabriolets : Unkle - Rabbit In Your Headlights

This reminds me on the autumn. Sitting in the car close to the water with a friend , roof down and this track. Plus the first steering wheel in the video is from a Saab 900. The same Saab 900 hits the guy in the video as the first and appears also later in the clip. Enjoy. A very emotional  piece of music and lyrics.

Music For Cabriolets : Freakpower Is A Beautiful Thing, Baby

Nostalgia for the summer evening rides. Opened roof, driving out of the city on some backroads. The In Dub: The Fried Funk Food bonus EP from Freak Power added to the regular album Drive-Thru Booty is something completely different than the cool funky album. Done by Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim).

The whole EP works great while driving. For shorter trips at the evenings.

Music for cabriolets : Vinyl on the road

While vinyl record players are a technology long ago overtaken by many kinds of digital players, they are still not history. DJs use them as well as audiophiles. But once this was hi-tech, so it's only logical the manufacturers attempted to use them in cars :

When this photo was shot I was in some parallel universe, so I have no clue if the car audio worked. I assume it was for singles and EP's (5-inch, 7-inch and simillar), due to the size LP's probably not. The manufacturers had somehow to overcome skipping/jumping of the gramophone needle on the roadbumps, not only because of sound issues but also a probable damage of the vinyl itself.

But this analogue implementation of a car audio is just wonderful. It seems that they tried jukeboxes as well. You can find more in an this overview as well as in the two videos below. This is wonderful !