Igaito is the latest artist to take on our Guestlist series and chat about the 10 songs that shaped him and his music. Igaito is the explorative electronic music project of Dublin-based multi-instrumentalist Eanna Harrison. Combining lush synth tones and live instruments with sounds from unexpected everyday sources, the unusual yet deliberate sound design of Igaito’s music straddles the sonic space between electronic and human, mechanical and organic. Be sure to check out his latest single 'Papercuts' below!
Luminous Beings - Jon Hopkins
I was shown this track a couple of years ago, and before I heard it I was never really into electronic music. This track threw that notion on its head. It still amazes me how this track sounds so mechanical and industrial in parts, yet simultaneously sounds organic and full of emotion.
Redshift - Darwin Deez
I’ve been an indie music lover since I was a teenager, and always loved Darwin Deez’ music. This track in particular is a favourite. The clever, pun-filled lyrics are a huge pull for me - my inner nerd resonates with them a lot. There’s a gorgeous melancholy captured in this track. I think that bittersweet feeling makes for the best fuel to write a song.
L.I.N.E. - Kelly Lee Owens
There’s a theme that has come across in picking these tracks that can only be described as “Sad Bangers”, and Kelly Lee Owens is the queen of them. There’s something so very beautiful about her hauntingly gentle vocal against those lush synths.
Oh, Shoot - Bad Snacks
I heard this track on a YouTube video by Andrew Huang where four different producers were tasked with making a track out of the same sample, and this one blew my mind. I never realized just how far you could stretch a single audio sample musically before I heard this track. It changed my whole perspective on sampling as a songwriting/production technique.
I Want Your Love - Chic
As a bass player, I love disco music, and specifically anything Chic. I Want Your Love firmly sits in this list as a “Sad Banger”, the kind of track that makes you want to cry while you’re dancing. The song is a huge bop - the lyrics feel like they shouldn’t be in a disco song, but they don’t feel out of place when they’re set against that four-to-the-floor beat, that iconic baseline, and that beautiful string and brass ensemble. A classic.
Cirrus - Bonobo
I remember hearing this while queuing up to get a coffee in one of my favourite cafés, and was completely mesmerised by the drums and percussion on the track. Everything in the track has a place. The textures are so incredible. If I had an ounce of Bonobo’s ability in writing and arranging/programming drums, I’d be a very happy man.
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi - Radiohead
I wasn’t a big Radiohead fan until I heard this song, and now I’m obsessed. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song with better pacing than this. It’s a masterclass in songwriting. The tension and release are impeccable, the arrangement is gorgeous. As close to a perfect song I think you can get.
Back Home - Caribou
I’m a huge Caribou fan. I just love how vulnerable Dan’s vocal is in his music - it’s raw emotion. That vocal combined with those huge synths are so much more than the sum of their parts. And when those drums come in? Sad Banger achieved.
Last Bloom - Floating Points
Another electronic track that is hugely influential to me. The song tells a story without a word ever being sung. It’s another one of those tracks that feels incredibly organic and emotional while using very cold electronic sounds. I love how it feels like everything in the track is changing, growing, evolving.
My 1-Bedroom - Theo Katzman
This song feels like late autumn/early winter to me. Like a warm blanket on a cold day. It’s the kind of song you could listen to while staring out your window while rain is pouring against it. Again, another song with a beautiful wistfulness and melancholy to it. Theo’s vocal is incredible on this track - the way that post-chorus/outro section is sung feels like a sigh is being sung.
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