“Welcome” by Harmonia & Eno ’76

August 24, 2023October 6, 2023

“Welcome” by Harmonia & Eno ’76

Song: Welcome

Genres: #chillout #ambient

Location: Forst, Germany

Release date: November, 1997.

Comment: Today’s song played during the end credits of the 5th episode of the second season of The Bear, and I was absolutely mesmerised by it. A quick Google search told me that it was called “Welcome”, and the artist was Harmonia & Eno ’76. I found this curious, as the track had indeed reminded me of legendary music product Brian Eno, and I wondered if he had been involved with the track. (Narrator: He was).

Harmonia was a German supergroup formed in 1973 as a collaboration between members of two prominent krautrock bands. Brian Eno was a fan and described them in the mid-1970s as “the world’s most important rock group.” The band dissolved in 1976 after releasing two albums, but reformed briefly for 11 days in September 1976 to record some tracks with Mr. Eno himself. These tunes became the “Tracks & Traces” album, which remained unreleased until November 1997 due to lost tapes. In 2009, the album was reissued with additional tracks and credited to Harmonia & Eno ’76.

“Welcome” is the opening track of the album, and it has a minimalist and meditative quality. If you appreciate the art of soundscaping and the beauty of simplicity, you will find “Welcome” to be a captivating and rewarding listen. I can’t get enough of it.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Chill Out
Relax

July 6, 2023August 4, 2023

“Spanish Moss” by Against Me!

Artist: Against Me!

Song: Spanish Moss

Genres: #punkrock

Location: Florida, United States

Release date: June, 2010

Comment: “Spanish Moss” by Against Me! is an energizing track from their 2010 album White Crosses. This punk rock anthem talks about the need to be who you are without feeling ashamed for it, which takes some extra meaning once you learn about the lead singer’s backstory, who back then was not known as Laura Jane Grace.

The music is catchy and powerful, with driving drums, soaring guitars and Laura Jane Grace’s passionate vocals. Given the fact that this great tune turned 13 last month, I thought it would be a good choice for #ThrowbackThursday. So turn up the volume, sing along and let Spanish Moss take you on a journey. You won’t regret it.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Punk-rock

June 25, 2020May 3, 2023

Télépopmusik – Smile

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday song is a bit different than previous entries. To begin with, it is a “chill out” tune from Télépopmusik, a French electronic music duo that released its first album, Genetic World, back in 2001. The most popular song on that album was Breathe, which got featured in a Mitsubishi television commercial and got even a Grammy nomination. That being said, it is unlikely that people who don’t follow electronic music that closely knows who they are (they are still active).

I got nothing against Breathe, but my favorite track from that album, besides δp.δq ≥ h⁄4π “L’incertitude d’Heisenberg”, is Smile. I cannot explain why, both tracks are similar, they even feature the same guest vocalist: Angela McCluskey, but there is something about Smile that is hard to put into words. I think it was the blend of Angela’s raspy voice with the delicate unconventional sounds that composed the track. I guess the best thing I could say about this song, besides its being a musical crush of mine, is that if I told you it was released yesterday instead of 19 years ago, you could totally believe it.

Had you heard this tune before? Let me know what you think of it in the comments section below.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Chill Out

June 11, 2020May 13, 2023

Something Corporate – Punk Rock Princess

Throwback Thursdays are popular on social media as a way to reminisce about things we feel nostalgic about. I thought we can do something similar here, whenever possible, by posting great old songs, such as Punk Rock Princess. Yes, I can’t believe I’m calling this song old but it was released 18 years ago!

Something Corporate was a piano punk rock band from Orange County, California, that despite having a huge following and diehard fans, never made it into the mainstream. The band released 3 albums almost back to back from 2000 to 2003 and were on and off until they broke up for good in 2010. Their lead singer, Andrew McMahon, is still active under the moniker Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness.

Punk Rock Princess was the most popular of their singles –as an aside, their most popular song among their fans was Konstantine, which is perhaps my wife’s favorite song ever but it’s almost 10 minutes long and was never released as a single–, part of their 2002 album: Leaving Through The Window. It’s a classic tune from the Hey Day of Punk Rock. You can enjoy it again below.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Everything
Alternative
Punk-Rock