DJ JimQ's Playlist: Wilderness
The theme this month is Wilderness. Selected by our friends in the south from the Chattanooga chapter, this month’s theme explores the unknown, the untamed, the wild and the wonderful. I associate the act of creative exploration much like getting lost in the woods. You may start out with a direction, but as you wander deeper into the untrodden, you might find yourself without a clear path home. How exciting — this is where the real discovery begins. Without the reassurance of a map, you will be forced to stumble through, often uncovering the new and unexpected. Artists and musicians alike have often used disorienting or confusing stimuli to untether from old patterns. Musicians forcing themselves into intentionally unique recording situations or visual artists diving into new and unperfected mediums, the unfamiliar sparks our most fundamental, primordial creative impulses. Just outside the comfort zone, the wilderness awaits.
Songs of the untamed, unbridled and unexplored populate this month’s playlist. Wayward, wild, and wily artists narrate tales of adventure and explorations of the unknown. The B-52s kick it off with the buoyant and affirmative call to explore, “Roam.” Cee-Lo and The Goodie Mob guide us through the “Distant Wilderness.” And the Talking Heads celebrate the wilderness retaking the civilized world with “Flowers.” That’s just the edge of the forest — go deeper and get lost in a wilderness of music.
And finally, Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou, better known as Vangelis, passed away this month at 79. He was an acclaimed electronic music vanguard and wizard behind a rich catalogue of experimental ambient scores. He is probably best known for his anthemic soundtrack for Chariots of Fire where he mixes traditional orchestration with contemporary synthesizers in an amalgam that is familiar and otherworldly at the same time. That’s a great one, but my absolute favorite is the sci-fi noir score for 1982’s Blade Runner. It’s a masterpiece in auditory storytelling and control of emotional tone through sonics — oh and there’s a saxophone, because 1982. If you’re new to his work, I would recommend starting with Blade Runner but Vangelis had a deep library of music. I include “We Are All Uprooted” on this month’s playlist from his 1973 debut solo record Earth. Farewell Vangelis, thank you for all the music.
Well that’s it for me. Back into the wildness I go to unearth songs for next month’s playlist. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy these playlists, I would love to hear from you. Give a shout on Twitter, or follow me on Spotify. See you next month. Until then, happy listening.