Music to Create To
It's no secret that for an introvert, I can throw together a shindig rivalling Studio 54. It's my super power.
Curating my creative space is no different. It's all about the ambience people. Even if it is a party just for one. This generally involves invoking the Divine Rock 'n Roll Goddess, putting on some candles and getting the groove going with some almighty playlists and mood lighting.
The tunes I create to are not necessarily those which I would normally listen to on a night out, driving or for pleasure. There's a special magic in creating the right atmosphere, allowing the personality of your work to shine through, as with any good dinner party hostess.
Here's some tunes we drop on the reg to get our creative space vibrating at the right temperature.
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Dirty Three - This eclectic little trio is as punk as you can get. The instrumental act, emerging from Melbourne in the epic 90's, pairs bass and guitars with the improvisational brilliance of Warren Ellis on violin. The sound is haunting and deep ocean blue, firing up that intuitive creative, experimental space nicely. With no vocals, the Dirty Three is perfect for long, flowing creative explosions. Think of arms spreading in rhythm over large, expressive canvases.
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Zoë Keating - Zoe is an American/Canadian cellist and composer whom you will most often hear in the background of those gorgeous dark, nordic movies and TV Shows. Her pieces are rhythmic and layered. I will often put her on when I need to calm my brain or ground my soul into a quieter space. It is particularly beautiful when working with watercolour.
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Laura Marling - Our own Aussie Laura Marling is on fairly constant rotation in our house. Particularly when I want to connect to country and get that earthy, gravelly feel in my work. She makes my mind see burnt umber, sienna and crumbling ochre. It's a folksy, yet still deep feeling musical genre where the instruments shine through. It feels like scratches and mark making through paint forming something exquisitely painful and beautiful.
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Jimmy Hendrix - When I want to try something new, something a bit bold I put on good old Jimmy. Often loud, often with a whiskey in hand, often late at night.
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Magic Dirt - This is design flow stuff of dreams. Tees, repeats, slogans all come a knocking when the magic that is Adalita and Magic Dirt sends me right back to my 20's...When anything was possible and everything was an absolute laugh. They are true Aussie punk legends - in concert, in your studio, in your car peeling down the highway. Loud, lyrical and a banging good time. And Queen Adalita's voice...pure honey.