The first podcast will be about music that makes us feel small in a big world. A tiny boat in the middle of a great ocean. Or any way you want to put it. Sometimes it's in the huge orchestral arrangements, sometimes in the lyrics and sometimes in the thick calm atmosphere. Awesome feeling when one can achieve it. I hope I will succeed this time.
1. A Silver Mt. Zion - Sow Some Lonesome Corner So Many Flowers Bloom
An orchestral post-rock band that has gathered an amateur choir to sing on their record should make one feel like "a tiny boat in the middle of a massive sea", as described by a tag given to their song on last.fm. And they do. This particular song also makes me feel strong union with this world, that I'm a part of all the life around us. A Silver Mt. Zion at last.fm.
2. Chalice For Your Loss - Vita Brevis
This song manages to succeed in things many post-rock bands fail in. To me, this pretty much comprises a perfect post-rock song, in its structure and composition. And the lyrics, telling that you are just a mortal human and will be buried among other mortals is guaranteed to make you feel small, at least when set to music like this. Chalice For Your Loss at last.fm.
3. Die Weisse Rose - Unser Leben Geht Dahin Wie Ein Geschwätz
This has grown into one of my favorite martial industrial tracks ever. Some of my friends have said that this sounds generic and uninteresting, but at least I haven't stumbled upon many martial industrial songs so ethereal and life-affirming. So if you have something in mind, please let me know! Die Weisse Rose at last.fm.
4. Neutral - Next To The Stars
Many neofolk songs would fit in this mix, but this song is one of such with stronger AIW-effect. I can sense the vision these russians have had when creating this song. And it works. Pure genius. Neutral at last.fm.
5. Dead Can Dance - Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book
Almost any DCD-song with Brendan Perry singing would go in here, but I chose this one, because of the excellent and unusual composition. One of the songs that make you stop and think about this life you're experiencing. Dead Can Dance at last.fm.
6. Lux Interna - Blossoms
:god is not dead for the birds: is one of those neofolk albums with more varied and more colorful compositions, which makes it one of my favorites of the genre. Thoughtful lyrics, that I'm sure anyone can relate to. I chose Blossoms, because of the verse: "We envy the flight of the birds, for whom god is not dead / and we envy the plight of the stars, for being too far, to think of divinity at all". Lux Interna at last.fm.
7. Ordo Equilibrio - Man Always Forgets
This song is repetitive, yes. But it is amazing how such a simple structure and few elements can create something this powerful. And the lyrics are awesome. Cold facts about human life provided in simple but beautiful metaphors. Life is so intriguing. Ordo Equilibrio at last.fm.
8. Porcupine Tree - Stop Swimming
Funnily, this simple PT-song might be my favorite of theirs. And here we are, as tiny boats in the middle of a massive ocean, almost literally. Wonderful string arrangements here. Porcupine Tree at last.fm.
9. Urfaust - Outro (of the album "Geist Ist Teufel")
And last, we'll have an ambient track by the black metal band Urfaust. I have to admit, originally I heard this song from the fake version of Paysage d'Hiver's "Einsamkeit"-album, which had the song "Inneres Licht" replaced by an unknown version of this. I think "inner light" would have described the feeling of this song quite well actually. This is something that an isolated person living somewhere far in the wintry wilderness, far from everything, would have created. Like some kind of isolated bliss. The happiness of a lone wolf. Urfaust at last.fm.
Listen and download the podcast here! (Direct .mp3-link, 82mb)
Enjoy! UPDATE: From now on all the podcast links will stay up.
