Summary: I haven't done a mix for ages so thought its about time I pulled my finger out. This one comes with a big warning sticker though - its all classical music. I love a dance record, like going out (occasionally) still, and like things that make my brain melt but recently I have also been getting lost in classical music. Ages ago when I interviewed Wally Badarou (http://testpressing.org/2009/04/an-interview-with-wally-badarou-part-two/) it piqued my interest that he was clearly inspired by the likes of Ravel, obvious but not something I'd ever thought about, but its taken me quite a while to spend some proper time getting lost in things. I asked Badarou what records he would suggest starting with if you wanted to find your way into classical music and he said 'I would start listening to Holst ‘The Planets’, Debussy ‘Images’, Stravinsky ‘Petrushka’, then I’d go on listening to Ravel ‘Daphnis & Chloe’ / ‘Tombeau de Couperin’, Fauré ‘Dolly suite’ / ‘Pavane’, Stravinsky ‘Firebird’ and ‘Rite of Spring’.' It was good advice. At Christmas a friend bought me the Max Richter Recomposed take on 'The Four Seasons' by Vivaldi and from there I was kind of off really into a world of Debussy, Satie and Shostokovich. Since then its been a case of going to a few concerts with mates and being pretty amazed at the immense, and sometimes highly restrained power of an orchestra. Hearing a quartet from the LSO play the work of John Adams (he often sounds like Steve Reich but more orchestral) - a piece that was nuts crazy - hold an audience of mainly 50 - 80 year old people massively enthralled made me think 'I want to be here when I am that age'. So anyway, this is some classical music that would have inspired the guys that made all those trippy new age records you are listening to. Its a mix of old and new (and obvious) names - Satie and Debussy (check the chords in the Debussy piece at 31:30 - truly beautiful) - through to the modern sounds of Max Richter and Simon Jeffes (PCO - RIP). Its a mellow run through a world that is starting to become massively enjoyable for me (current favourite album Keith Jarrett playing Shostokovich) and I hope you will enjoy it as well. Ta. (http://testpressing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/237-APIENTO.png) Download (http://testpressing.org/audio/237_Strings_And_Things.mp3) This one goes out to Anne-Marie and Lou.
