in case i die tomorrow
I have two funeral songs. I have many favorite songs.
Since i was a teenager there was only one. The Kosmik Kommando - Lost Horizon. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nobyr0wxQbk
I was given my first copy of Freaquenseize, the sole Kosmik Kommando album, by a BBS sysop named Ch:ilm who knew i was an acid fan. He was more of a happy hardcore/German rave fan at the time, and me being an acid addict he figured i would like it more. I did. I liked it a lot. I loved it. Of course, in one of my purging moments i sold it. But i bought it again later, at some ridiculously overpriced collector amount, primarily for Lost Horizon and Milieu, both masterpieces of acid techno. But although Milieu is a more beautiful song, Lost Horizon captured my heart. Was it based on the story of Shangri-La? I don't know. I was too young at the time to give a shit about the Golden Age of Hollywood. All i know is Michael Cullen (ironically also the name of my late godfather) was taking the TB-303 to places i had never imagined. No knob twiddling, no acid, just pure, honest 303 with a melody that simultaneously inspired me and broke my heart. I didn't know the term "fernweh" at the time, but it evoked exactly that emotion. I knew, the first time i heard it, it would be my funeral song.
It stayed that way for over 15 years.
I heard a lot of great acid music after that. One of the greatest was something i heard a very local, very demure DJ play while i lived in Brisbane.
One of Sven's favorites was Chimera - The Future Is Upon Us. I didn't discover the name of the song for over 10 years. Somehow, eventually, i figured out who it was and immediately bought it. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P14h8WDb21o
This is perhaps the greatest song ever written.
Chimera turned out to be another alias for Mike Dred, aka Michael Cullen. He has grown up to be an art nerd who eschews acid house in favor of Eno-esque soundscapes and electronic concept albums. But i don't care. Once upon a time he could play a TB-303 like no-one else. The Future Is Upon Us is my other funeral song. There are better acid songs. There are better techno songs. But somehow this hermit-like, anti-rave, prog-ish approach to acid music spoke to me.
It speaks to me. It is me. If you don't understand techno music maybe you'll never understand this. But these songs mean more to me than anything with lyrics. The TB-303 is my Rumi, my Gibran, my Thoreau.
I'll close with another song by The Kosmik Kommando, not a funeral choice, but i would not be upset if my funeral DJ accidentally selected the closing track of CD2. Milieu. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evNa1rYzIs0
Since i was a teenager there was only one. The Kosmik Kommando - Lost Horizon. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nobyr0wxQbk
Click to viewI was given my first copy of Freaquenseize, the sole Kosmik Kommando album, by a BBS sysop named Ch:ilm who knew i was an acid fan. He was more of a happy hardcore/German rave fan at the time, and me being an acid addict he figured i would like it more. I did. I liked it a lot. I loved it. Of course, in one of my purging moments i sold it. But i bought it again later, at some ridiculously overpriced collector amount, primarily for Lost Horizon and Milieu, both masterpieces of acid techno. But although Milieu is a more beautiful song, Lost Horizon captured my heart. Was it based on the story of Shangri-La? I don't know. I was too young at the time to give a shit about the Golden Age of Hollywood. All i know is Michael Cullen (ironically also the name of my late godfather) was taking the TB-303 to places i had never imagined. No knob twiddling, no acid, just pure, honest 303 with a melody that simultaneously inspired me and broke my heart. I didn't know the term "fernweh" at the time, but it evoked exactly that emotion. I knew, the first time i heard it, it would be my funeral song.
It stayed that way for over 15 years.
I heard a lot of great acid music after that. One of the greatest was something i heard a very local, very demure DJ play while i lived in Brisbane.
One of Sven's favorites was Chimera - The Future Is Upon Us. I didn't discover the name of the song for over 10 years. Somehow, eventually, i figured out who it was and immediately bought it. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P14h8WDb21o
This is perhaps the greatest song ever written.
Chimera turned out to be another alias for Mike Dred, aka Michael Cullen. He has grown up to be an art nerd who eschews acid house in favor of Eno-esque soundscapes and electronic concept albums. But i don't care. Once upon a time he could play a TB-303 like no-one else. The Future Is Upon Us is my other funeral song. There are better acid songs. There are better techno songs. But somehow this hermit-like, anti-rave, prog-ish approach to acid music spoke to me.
It speaks to me. It is me. If you don't understand techno music maybe you'll never understand this. But these songs mean more to me than anything with lyrics. The TB-303 is my Rumi, my Gibran, my Thoreau.
I'll close with another song by The Kosmik Kommando, not a funeral choice, but i would not be upset if my funeral DJ accidentally selected the closing track of CD2. Milieu. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evNa1rYzIs0