You know one of my favorite websites?
http://www.ismercuryinretrograde.com/
When I'm feeling like I currently am it's a definite go to 'cos when it says "Yes" I can relax knowing that the weird discombobulating shit that's surrounding me is down to weird ass planetary mechanics and completely out of my control.
However - at time of writing - apparently Mercury is not in retrograde - so what am I gonna do about the general layer of anxiety and worry that I'm not getting enough shit done and, and, and, and......
I'm going to listen to Lady In Red from talented producer (and amazing playlist curator) Andreas Whyte - that's what I'm going to do.
Sometimes you just need a classic chilled out vibe to infect you - something unique and interesting but laid back and cyclical - something you can put on repeat and just fall in to. Got a term paper to write? - Lady in Red. Finishing your Master's dissertation? Lady in Red. Lost two days from illness and have deadlines disappearing like White House staffers? Lady in Red!
I caught up with Andreas to ask a little more about the track:
What are you thinking when you create something like this?
Typically I make a lot of funk and upbeat music but with this track I wanted to go outside my comfort zone and make something slower and more sensual to listen to.
The music now exists as a discrete thing and has a title "Lady In Red" - how did that come about - what was your creative process?
The title and image for the track came very late in the process, as do most of my of my original tracks. I tend to complete the track and them listen to it on repeat a bunch of times until an image effortlessly pops into my head. For this one it came to me after a couple listens – I imagined an elegant woman in a red dress holding an umbrella, and immediately loved the idea and stuck with it.
As for the creative process I started with the chord progression and the sound design of the main wobble synth and from there everything progressed very naturally. I built the drums around the lead instruments. The last thing I added were the vocal chops, which I actually feel are what gave the track its sensual character and made me imagine a woman in red.
You submitted to the essay writing list - what do you think about music becoming something more than just entertainment?
For me personally music has always been more of a feeling, than a source of entertainment. I believe the way music can change how a person feels or thinks, shows music can be a powerful emotional outlet, for both the creator and artist.
You can check out more of Andreas' work through the links below.
You can learn more about Afrosamuraiist here:
About the Curator: Andrew McCluskey
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the dark forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top. They would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
Although I've always played, I haven't always been a musician. Most of my twenties were spent working with people, buying and selling and learning how the world works. It was in my thirties that I came to America and focused on music and began to develop music2work2.
Latest Posts
Lonely Dream – Drunken Kong Remix – The Archer, Drunken Kong
24 November 2021
But as I’ve moved from ideation to manifestation, the energy of the playlist needed to change – solo piano is good for thinking – but 8 minutes of 130 bpm edm is great for getting things down
Out Of Reach – Cristoph, Yotto, Sansa
8 November 2021
So if you’ve been listening to the playlist recently you know what’s coming. Last week’s track was all about setting the intent for change – away from the more relaxing ideation space of solo instrumentation to this week’s electronic track from Cristoph, Yotto and Sansa.
Mr. Clay – Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer
31 October 2021
I’ve known for a while that the feel of the list was going to change – while piano instrumentals are perfect for reflection and ideation – at some point you need some energetic input to get your fingers moving.
Andrew McCluskey
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the Dark Forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top, they would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
As a psychology graduate I studied how sound affects human performance.
As a musician I compose instrumental music that stimulates your brain but doesn't mess with your language centers, leaving you free to be creative and brilliant without distraction.
As a curator I research how music can improve your life and create flow - I can tell you what music to listen to when studying for a test and why listening to sad music can make you feel better.
As a creator / contributor at musicto I’m part of a global creator community that collaborates through music. You can learn more about our community here.