Hey guys! Welcome to the Playlist of the Week. This is a playlist of 5-10 songs that a SAAS student is currently jamming to. Each issue, a new student’s playlist will be featured. If you would like to be featured, email me, Molly Schwartz (mollyschwartz@seattleacademy.org), and we’ll talk. No matter what type of music you’re listening to, we want to hear all about it. This week, we’re featuring Hans Watkins ‘13 and his current top songs.
“Green & Blue feat. Ben Glass” - Author
This song starts out with some wandering saxophone lines accompanied by gentle chords and ambience. A thick kick drum comes in along with minimal drums as the song starts building, and then right before you think something big is about to happen, this deep bass line drops and just sort of hangs out for a while as the saxophone plays around with different melodies on top of the whole thing. All in all, super chill song. One of my favorites.
“Blue Milk” - Big Chocolate
Big Chocolate is a local electronic producer who has mastered the popular genres. He nailed the timing of the "trap music" craze with this song. These chopped up vocal samples fade in and then the song opens up with some good old fashioned 808's. And such is trap music. If you're into his music, Big Chocolate has a new EP coming out on December 4, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
“Nightmares in Reality (feat. Maksim)” - Culprate
I've always loved Culprate's production; he keeps it simple but his sound design is some of the best I've ever heard, which makes his songs interesting. Maksim brings some humor into the song with his brilliantly silly lyrics. The lyrics could be described as a dude trying to tell you how "hard" he is and how you are not nearly as "hard" as he is. Classic. Lyrics aside, Culprate lays down some seriously crunchy bass lines like no one else can.
“I Only Know (What I Know Now)” - James Blake
Bringing it down a notch here. This song starts with some scratchy piano samples and dreamy vocals until a kick drum comes in and keeps time with a simple clap on every fourth upbeat. The song then just hangs out on a moody descending vocal clip with really clean percussion. Definitely on par with Author and Ben Glass' “Green & Blue” as far as chill music goes. I definitely suggest checking out some of James Blake's other music. He sings too and he has the coolest voice.
“Bootleg Fireworks (Burning Up)” - Dillon Francis
As of writing this, I don't think this song has been officially released yet, but electronic music has a tendency of getting leaked before it's released, so here's Dillon Francis' latest. I'm a big fan of slicing up vocal samples, and Dillon Francis does this with ease. This song has a super catchy hook and hits that party vibe spot on.
“Lifeline” - Eskmo
Fresh off of his new EP, Language, “Lifeline” is undoubtedly my favorite song of all of Eskmo's work. Eskmo also has one of the most unique sounds I've ever heard. He incorporates organic sounds like flowing water with synthesized soundscapes flawlessly and creates an original atmosphere like I’ve never heard.
“Meanwhile, In The Future (Original Mix)” - KOAN Sound
I'm just going to say it straight up, KOAN Sound are my favorite producers, period. They mix the whole funk/hip hop genre so well with electronic music and the result is Glitch Hop. KOAN Sound also consistently blows me away with their sound design. So clean.
“Beyond The Shadows” - KOAN Sound x Gemini x Culprate x Asa
Here's another with KOAN Sound, but it's also featuring some of the greats of glitch hop and dubstep. This is a pretty chill track but it's got this steady beat that keeps the song interesting all the way through. Great song.
“Places” - Shlohmo
I've been listening to a lot of Shlohmo lately and this is definitely one of my favorite songs of his. The simplicity of the song makes it relaxing but the textures add a lot of interest. If you're into this song, you should look up some of his other music because it's some of the most unique that I've heard.
“Captain Higgs (Original Mix)” - Oskilator
This'll be a hit or miss for most people. If you're into heavy bass music, you'll probably like this. If you're not…well, give it a try I guess. Either way, it's a pretty cool song with some quality sound design that's worth a listen.