Ep. 40 – Entrance Music (Spencer Owen)

For the first time ever, a special guest selector takes over the Sound Contours decks: Fresh off the release of Logo Dubs, Spencer Owen’s album of original music for Sight Lines Visual, the LA-based composer-producer has concocted an entrancing set of influential tracks and selected inspirations for the Sound Contours feed. From Spencer: “Some of the tracks were chosen for their musical or stylistic resonance with aspects of Logo Dubs. Others were picked simply as undeniable inspirations. Ultimately, a lot of them reflect an aesthetic principle I have referred to for a long time as ‘elevator music for the best elevator ever,’ or as SLV has fittingly adapted it, ‘library music for the best library in the world.’ It’s like Pat Metheny insisting — correctly — that he’s a weirdo, on Questlove’s podcast. It’s music I find pleasing in a way that’s hard to ignore. Almost like a bizarro version of ambient music — my ears perk up. I think Japanese artists tend to bring this quality out, so there’s a good chunk of that here. What gets my attention is often a specific detail, or an accumulation of details. If an arrangement is missing that, I can completely miss out on appreciating it. In a pop context, it’s often just the right backing vocal harmony, or a single idea that stands out somehow. There’s usually a ‘they didn’t have to do it’ feeling for me — I really appreciate the thought!” Tracklist: Yasuaki Shimizu – Seiko 2, Kiyoshi Yoshida – Blooming Butterfly, J Rocc – Thru the Tulips, Bernice – Entrance Music, Axel Boman – 2 Good 2 B Tru, Yasuaki Shimizu – Boutique Joy, Mari Iijima – Marcy Deerfield, Duke Hugh – Greenleaf, François K. feat. Freddie Turner – Hypnodelic, Buffalo Daughter – Super Blooper, Gabriel Brady – Untitled (Sam Prekop Remix), Hirokazu Tanaka & Shunsuke Sakamoto – Room Number (Psi Mix), Fishmans – Oasis e Youkoso, Ryuichi Sakamoto – Yoru No Gaspar, Johann Sebastian Bach (arr. Don Dorsey) – Diverse Kanons (BWV 1087), Steve Spacek feat. J Dilla – This One Feels Alright, Viken Arman – You with a Lonely Raver (Acid Pauli Remix), Akufen – Skidoos, Philippe Saisse – Chihuahua Pearl, The Chemical Brothers – Where Do I Begin, Soichi Terada – Primordial Ooze, Anthony Naples – Morph, Dan Siegel – The Last Waltz, mmm – bells, Mariah – Shisen, David Longstreth & stargaze – Shifting Shalestones (Instrumental), Yuu Udagawa – Urban Physicality (Takuya Matsumoto Piano Mix), Theo Parrish – Solitary Flight