Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh
I was first introduced me to Caoimhín’s music by my dad. He is a big traditional music fan, but one who is constantly on the lookout for newer younger players who are pushing the envelope a bit within the tradition. I cannot claim to be a trad aficionado by any stretch but I instantly connected with Caoimhín’s music, and his personality.
He is obviously a beautiful player but is also tremendously skilled in creating atmosphere. Especially in a live environment. I think the power of atmosphere gets overlooked in music generally. Caoimhín plays a 10-string fiddle, a hardanger d’amore, and it is a completely unique and delicious sound. I have seen Caoimhín play many times. Sometimes solo, sometimes with This is How we Fly and of course with The Gloaming and he manages to make each of these performances intimate yet totally transportive.
Hauschka
Hauschka is a German pianist and composer. I have always been a fan of piano players. The isolation and autonomy of the solo piano player has always fascinated me. And listening to Hauschka reminds me that the piano is essentially a percussion instrument.
He’s able to draw extraordinary sounds from his piano. Sometime it becomes a synthesiser, sometimes a drum, sometimes it sounds like there is seven players on stage. It’s always unexpected. He wrests disruptive sounds from the instrument’s 88 keys by outfitting the strings or mallets with objects such as ping-pong balls, aluminium foil and leather.
Meltybrains?
Okay, this should be special.
Meltybrains? have such a brilliant live Melty reputation. I love a bit of theatre in live music and these guys do it just right. It is music as immersive experience. Masks and costumes and thrillingly bewitching tunes. Witnessing all this in the hallowed surroundings of Imma’s beautiful chapel should make for a pretty class evening.
New Jackson
It is important to have a proper dance at any good party. And New Jackson will make this happen because it is David Kitt at the controls. For me dance music has to have a propulsion but also a reason for existing. That generally comes from melody, however simple and sparse, or even a sense of humour, but whatever it is, it’s the thing that keeps the track moving. New Jackson make this type of music. Dance music that gets inside your head and gets inside your legs.
To hear the full playlist on Spotify's site, click here
