We’re back with another weekend playlist. This one comes from Spacemoth, the project from Oakland native Maryam Qudus. I’ve had the album’s lead single, “Do We Exist?“, on repeat for the past few weeks. The band even played it on a recent (Oakland-edition!) KEXP Live session. The forthcoming album, Inward Eye, is due out June 26 on Greenway Records. Bookmark the new record, and check out Spacemoth’s playlist below.
—Keenan Kush, Talkhouse Director of Operations
Tatsuro Yamashita — “Space Crush”
I discovered this song when I was at a hi-fi bar in Osaka called Milk Bar. I was at Tower Records in Shibuya a few days earlier and saw huge displays for Tatsuro Yamashita everywhere! When I sat down at the bar, the bartender put on the new reissue of It’s A Poppin’ Time and this song in particular blew me away. I bought many of his records on that trip!
Stereolab — “Brakhage”
This song could be my favorite Stereolab song of all time? It’s so perfect it’s frustrating. The weird modular synth, the drum beat to the spacey swells that come in and out… I could listen to it on repeat forever.
Can — “Moonshake”
Can has been a big influence of mine for many years now. Their use of rhythm has always been very inspiring to me and I think about the fearlessness in their music a lot when I’m writing new songs. I love how the drums, bass guitar and vocal rhythm intertwines and locks in throughout this song.
Broadcast — “I Found The F”
The song was my introduction to Broadcast. My husband Beau made me a mixtape many many years ago that included this Broadcast song and I first heard it were driving down Highway 1 through Big Sur. When this song came on I was mesmerized by everything I was hearing: Trish Keenan’s beautiful vocals, the saturated drums, the twinkling descending guitar line. It made me want to write music.
Tortoise — “Seneca”
The drum beat, the feel of the groove and the texture of the sounds combine into something legendary. John McEntire’s production has inspired me for many years and opening for Tortoise this year was one of the best experiences, life achievements, happiest moments and best shows I’ve ever played. Love those guys.
Chemical Brothers — “Let Forever Be”
The backwards guitars on this song drew me in and the bass line and breakbeat made my jaw dropped to the floor the first time I heard it. Then Noel Gallagher drops in to sing the catchiest melody ever — c’mon!
William Onyeabor — “Atomic Bomb”
I was staying at my friend Julie‘s apartment in San Francisco one summer when Beau and I stopped by Amoeba SF. We picked up this record by Willian Onyeabor World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who Is William Onyeabor? on Luaka Bop Records. We played it on her record player, windows open on a hot summer day in the Mission. William Onyeabor’s use of saturated drums and incredibly cool synthesizer sequences and melodies inspires me constantly.
Haruomi Hasono — “Picnic”
This Haruomi Hasono record Philharmony is extremely psychedelic and weird. This song in particular makes me feel like I’m in an altered state just by listening to it. I like that. Imagine listening to it in space??!
The Velvet Underground — “I Found A Reason”
This is a perfect song. It is close to my heart and it transports me every time I hear it.
Yellow Magic Orchestra — “Rydeen”
I think Yellow Magic Orchestra is one of the greatest bands of all time. I got really into “Solid State Survivor” a few years ago and I ended up writing a handful of songs that were heavily YMO inspired. They didn’t make the cut on Inward Eye, but maybe the b-sides will come out sometime!
Kraftwerk — “Numbers”
What can I say? It’s Kraftwerk. They are ultimate. It all comes from them. End of story.
(Feature photo credit: Cat Coppenrath)
