Write to stay alive 1

At the end of August 2008, I did some travelling, however it coincided with a down-cycle and I was extremely ill. There were many other factors that made things worse, but during the trip I had my mp3 player with me as always and made a long playlist that I listened to almost every day. The nature of these pieces of music are such that each one heals, and when combined, they have an amazing power. During the trip I engaged the other activity that heals me, or at the least in whatever element keeps me sane, and that is writing.
Write to stay alive was born.
This first selection is comprised of the core pieces from the first on-the-fly playlist that I created, but the activity has extended to a series now, and each successive playlist focuses on specific moods.

The first outing is perhaps the most energetic so far, as during the trip I still listened to some slightly livelier music such as Samantha James. Because of this it’s probably also the least focused. What’s interesting is that many of these tracks crossover with the Romance Nouveau and fit both moods quite well, being quiet, intimate and very personal pieces of music.
As per all compilations I make though, they are limited to a total of 80 minutes for audio CD and are burnt-off for listening in the car. In this manner, I now keep the compilations in mp3 format in directories as per their CD format, providing more focused, disciplined and consistent journeys and stories.

1. Samantha James – Right Now – Rise (4:26)
2. Chicane – Low sun – Behind the sun (6:55)
3. Samantha James – Deep Surprise – Rise (4:49)
4. Four tet – My angel rocks back and forth – Rounds (5:09)
5. Kim Mun-Saeng – Sky – Wonderful Days (5:16)
6. Madita – Karma – Too (3:14)
7. Yoko Kanno – Dijurido – Cowboy Bebop: the movie (1:55)
8. Yoko Kanno – Rouya – Cowboy Bebop: the movie (3:38)
9. Yoko Kanno – Is it real – Cowboy Bebop (4:40)
10. Yoko Kanno – Hamduche – Cowboy Bebop (1:54)
11. Madita – A Walk – Too (3:24)
12. dZihan & Kamien – Drophere – Gran Reserva -(4:29)
13. U2 – If you wear that velvet dress – Pop (5:14)
14. Underworld – Essgee – ahundreddaysoff (2:22)
15. The Cardigans – Feathers and down – Long gone before daylight (4:30)
16. Peter Gabriel – The Drop – Up (3:03)

1 hour, 5 minutes

The centrepiece for this compilation was A Walk from Madita’s then recently released second album. It perfectly captures the exhaustion I often feel when I’m ill and the rigours of engaging in normal life become wearing. Crafted around that one song are the other centrepieces; Deep Surprise, If you wear that velvet dress, Feathers and down and closing with the amazing piano and voice track, The Drop by Peter Gabriel featuring the astounding sounds of the Boesendorfer piano.
Of particular note are the lyrics to Feather and down, liltingly sung by the gorgeous Nina Persson, which complement the lyrics of A Walk quite well.

Of all my compilations, I listen to both the playlists for Write to stay alive, and the individual pieces themselves the most. More often than not I remain in quiet and sombre moods while driving, living and using my computer. While my profile here shows entries for a broad range of music, it is this selection of quiet, singular pieces that heal me in ways that no other music can.