Life without music would be a mistake, said Nietzsche once. And I completely agree. The first song I hear in the morning always sets up my day and as I get older, I put more of an importance on what I listen to every day. Thankfully we live in an age where we have so much music at our fingertips and freedom of choice has become so ubiquitous it can sometimes be hard to discover new music and bands without that recommendation or tip telling you to check something out.
I love music. It's such a component of my life, memory and emotion I wouldn't feel complete without it. And I listen to a lot of music all day every day. Last year, Spotify told me I had listened to over 1800 artists on their service... Through constantly seeking out new and interesting bands and musical ideas I get inspired, which comes back to what I do in my life every day - whether that's writing, creating things, chilling out or building a coffee empire!
So I wanted to put together an alternative coffee morning playlist to share with you to ease you into the day, so you can sip your coffee and start to crack through the most important to-do's, whilst listening to some cool tunes, from bands you may not have heard of. Some of these artists you might of heard of, others you won't. But I hope that the stuff you dig sparks a curiosity for you to go further and explore the artists back catalogues, and maybe even find your new favourite bands.
This first playlist in this series is fairly chilled. It's 2 hours of music for concentrating to and getting stuff done, so you can ride that caffeine buzz and hopefully feel a bit more in the zone. Let me know what tracks you dig in the comments...
The bands:
Name-checked below, go give them some love when you can.
ISIS + Aerogramme
US post-metal pioneers ISIS collaborated with Scottish post-rockers Aerogramme for a single brilliant album 'In The Fishtank 14'.
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Cult of Luna
Swedish metal band from Umeå and friends of Jackhammer Coffee, one of the pioneers of the post-metal genre, alongside other contemporaries Neurosis and Isis.
Caspian
Caspian are a post-rock band from Massachusetts USA.
If These Trees Could Talk
If These Trees Could Talk is an instrumental post-rock band from Akron, Ohio.
Deaf Center
Deaf Center are two old classmates Erik K Skodvin (AKA Svarte Greiner, xhale, Solitaire albread) and Otto A Totland (AKA supine, nest), operating out of Norway since 2003.
This Will Destroy You
TWDY, is an American post-rock band from San Marcos, Texas, formed in 2005.
Nine Inch Nails
Industrial rock pioneers led by Trent Reznor, whom in recent years have explored a number of different genres. Famed for their live shows, and have been nominated for 13 Grammy awards.
Boards of Canada
BOC are an inventive electronic duo from Scotland, whose sound features analog electronic instruments and synthesisers that give them a nostalgic-type style. Their music has been featured in a host of films and TV shows.
Mogwai
Mogwai are a post-rock band from Glasgow, Scotland who take a punk ethic and influence to create lengthy guitar-based instrumental songs.
Hammock
Hammock is an American two-member ambient/post-rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. Hammock creates atmospheric music by combining live instrumentation, electronic beats and droning guitars.
Puscifer
Puscifer is a band of Maynard James Keenan, known for his work with the bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. As Keenan is the only permanent member, he considers the project to be his "creative subconscious."
Rosetta
Rosetta is an American post-metal band from Philadelphia, USA who incorporate elements of post-hardcore, shoe-gaze, drone, post-rock, avant-garde and ambient.