SIX FOR ONE: Andras
Released on Beats IN space, The new 7 track LP is soul-soothing…
Do you remember when your parents were DJs? When your childhood was subject to their record collections? Waking up on a weekend morning to a household filled with the sounds of their favourite artist? When their musical whims dictated every car ride? No doubt, those early years informed your current playlists, but as every self-help book will tell you, it’s about the journey and not the destination.
At some stage, everyone became a crate digger. Those were times when every unheard track became an adventure, an unexplored wonder to be enjoyed. A time before you formed an opinion on what you like and, more importantly, what you don’t like. But then your internal wiring is formed to dictate your listening habits. The adventurous gloss fades. You become jaded. End scene. (ED: That’s a bit dramatic) The point is, there was a time when everyone was musically less tribalistic and more open to discovery.
For Andras, that time was when seemingly disparate artists like Ian van Dahl and William Orbit sat on his playlist, free from the fear of peer judgement. 'Joyful', recently released on Beats in Space, feels like an ode to those wholesome times, the moment before your tastes became gospel. It is a seven-track LP that sounds refreshingly bare-boned, a spur-of-the-moment creative explosion milked straight from various hardware and left to mature without interference. It feels liberated from VSTs. Every track is mostly discernible by thick outlines, like a charcoal paper sketch, and the small amount of samples feels naive and playful. And just like old memories, every cut shimmers like fading polaroid snapshots. Take ‘River Red’ which is imbued with nostalgia, recalling carefree days hanging with childhood friends before you drifted apart. The whole release is a delightful listen which feels weirdly innocent and melancholic (in equal spades).
Actual rare photo of Andras’ MP3 player…
The album's official press release recalls a moment in 2002 when Andras experienced a synchronous event as a passenger in his parents' car driving through the Otways listening to his MP3 player, a moment that would go on to become an inspiration for Joyful. Life hey. We asked the Melbourne producer to revisit that time and highlight six tracks we might've found on any of his playlists during that time…
Endorphin - Satie (1998)
Simple right? Just do a cover of one of the most enigmatic piano melodies set to a breakbeat. This came out in 1998 when I was ten years old and is a welcome Australian addition to this list.
William Orbit - Adagio for Strings (1995)
A cover of Samuel Barber’s mournful ‘Adagio’, which would be later remixed by Tiësto into the most uplifting trance anthem of all time.
Jakatta - Ever So Lonely (2002)
I played this at the Fairfield amphitheatre last week, and it still works. Sui Zhen was telling me that the vocalist on the song (Sheila Chandra) had to retire from music as she suffers from ‘burning mouth syndrome’ which sounds truly awful. Puts a sad twist on the track. Perfect soundtrack for a chai latte at the global village cafe.
Crazy Penis - There’s a Better Place (1998)
Can’t imagine anyone having a band name like Crazy Penis in 2020 and getting airplay, let alone chart success. Chris Todd was behind some of my favourite songs as a teenager, especially under his other alias Hot Toddy.
Ian Van Dahl - Be Mine (2002)
This was also a purchase from Sanity Records at Westfield Southland shopping centre in my teen years. I think I thought this was what Sweden looked and sounded like. A kind of techno-futurist version of a milk ad.
Mystic Force - Endiamo (1994)
An Australian gem. Long, peaky, trippy, driving tune. This whole album rocks.