Before I start, I just want to share the songs that fueled me while doing the bulk of the work on the rework last night. You know, for fun. I was kind of in the mood for some energetic, synth-poppy music.

In v13 I removed everything that reminded me of the terrible colour scheme in v12, opting for a cleaner look with some cyan and gray mixed about. You’ll see a few subtle instances of radial gradients still, but it’s not really notable. As of now the header section is a bit too bloated for my taste so I may end up chopping that down eventually.

The content pages (Portfolio, Media) haven’t changed much. Yes, they’re still empty, and will probably remain that way for a while until I can find the patience to put them together. The contact page, however, has been tweaked a bit from the last version to make for a better experience with the AJAX interface. I also finished up the About page for now, but plan to add a few more things to it once everything else is done.

A lot has been added to the footer to de-clutter the sidebar. There are the typical social icons like before, but now my tweets and Flicker pictures are also being snagged from the respective services and are now living in the footer as well.

Also worth noting is the addition of the Labs. This was up for a while but I only showed it to a few people. Hopefully it’ll serve as a nice hub for my spontaneous projects. It’s not done yet, like most things on this site, though.

As always I welcome any feedback, and knowing me you can expect another major revision by the end of the year… Here’s to OCD!

I call a song provocative when it provokes you to think about or do something. The best ones even evoke some sort of emotion or memory, but those are rare and vary depending on the person. In this long overdue post, I outline some of my favourite provocative tracks. These usually get my juices flowing — be it for work or for play — I tend to do better after listening to these. Lame sounding, I know, but it’s true.

There’s a lot of genres here, and one of them is probably going to spike some of your interest… just take a peek inside.

Classical & Jazz

1. Assassin’s Tango by John Powell from Mr. & Mrs. Smith
   
2. Pruit Igoe by Phillip Glass from Koyaanisqatsi
   
3. Whatever Lola Wants (Gotan Project remix) by Sarah Vaughan from Verve Remixed
   

Electronic & House

1. 4AM (Adam K & Soha Remix) by Kaskade from Strobelite Seduction
   
2. Moan (Trentemøller Remix Radio Edit) by Trentemøller from Moan
   
3. Beautiful Things by Andain from Beautiful Things
   
4. Light The Skies (Retrobyte’s Classic Electrobounce Mix) by Jaren/Matt Cerf/Shawn Mitiska from Light the Skies
   
5. Days Go By by Dirty Vegas from Dirty Vegas
   

Rock & Alternative

1. To Get Down by Timo Mass from To Get Down
   
2. They by Jem from Finally Woken
   
3. Brand New Day by Ryan Star from Lie to Me*
   
4. Take a Bow by Muse from Black Holes and Revelations
   
5. Breathe Me by Sia from Six Feet Under
   

Trance & Ambient

1. Xtal by Aphex Twin from Selected Ambient Works 85–92
   
2. Walking on Clouds by Tiësto from Just Be
   
3. 1.618 by BT from This Binary Universe
   
4. The Oh of Pleasure by Ray Lynch from Deep Breakfast
   
5. No Turning Back by Gui Boratto from Take My Breath Away
   

Since my last post about outstanding songs, my collection of the said genre has grown (almost double!). So, on this gloomy day, I thought I would take the time to share them with you. Unlike last time, let’s jump in right away, and I’ll explain why each song is great as we go.

These songs are in no special order, and as always, I’ll try and make the selection as diverse as possible. If you don’t like one song, just keep going though the list and you’ll probably find something you can enjoy.

1. Frou Frou — Let Go — Pop

The voice in this song might sound familiar, because it’s Imogen Heap’s. She was in a duo back in ’03, before working on her own, personal, projects (the album Speak for Yourself for example). You might also find the song itself familiar, since it was used in the 2004 movie Garden State. History aside, this is a song you can get caught up in. There are many other great Frou Frou songs, so if you like this, take the initiative to search for them.

2. Biffly Clyro — Mountains — Rock

This song was up on the top 40’s for the UK not too long ago. Things open up with a piano, climax with something totally different, and end with a bang. Overall, a pretty decent song.

3. Rui Da Silva — Touch Me — Trance

This is definitely a morning song, hence why it was featured on a compilation entitled In Search of Sunrise [2]. Seriously, listen to this song in the morning while you’re transiting somewhere as the sun pops up.

4. Delerium — Silence (Tiësto Remix) — Trance

I was looking around for some vocal trance on the YouTubes, when I came across this track. Granted, it isn’t exactly an undiscovered gem, but it’s worth listening to. I picture this as a good high energy running/biking song.

5. Moby — Extreme Ways — Electronic

This song was used in the credits in all three Bourne movies, and is one of those tracks you either like or hate. Give it a full listen, and see what you think.

6. Gabriel & Dresden — New Path — Electronic

If you’re into a lot of base, check this song out. I first heard this on an episode of CSI:NY, and immediately went to Google to find out what it was. It was totally worth it.

7. Nine Inch Nails — Discipline — Rock

The drums are laid on heavily in this one. You’re guaranteed to have at least some of the chorus stuck in your head if you download this song, which was legally released along with the rest of the album (The Slip), for free by NiN here.

8. Jakatta — American Dream — Chillout

This song is based upon the soundtrack of the movie American Beauty. This remix must really be good (and it is), for the Ministry of Sound to put it out there.

9. Fluke — Absurd — Electronic

It’s hard for me to describe this song, but I’ll give it a shot… Lucid, base-filled techno, with deep vocals, questionable lyrics, and sweet buildups. Yeah, that covers it pretty well.

10. Zaho — C’est Chelou — Pop

Yep, here’s another Frienchie song. The translated lyrics are somewhat crappy, but don’t worry about them and get yourself caught up in the chorus, like you were meant to.

That’s all for now!

All this post is about, is feel good , and catchy, songs. As a music junkie, I come across them quite often, and I even have a playlist of them on my iPod that’s 150-ish songs deep.

What makes a song catchy? A nice beat, of course, with sometimes clever lyrics. The same thing goes for the feel good songs, which will probably have some more meaningful lyrics.

I figured some of you might enjoy some songs on this Saturday morning. Here are some of the better ones, after the break…

1. Imogen Heap — Goodnight and Go — Pop

This really is a dictionary definition of a “feel good song”, in my opinion. Imogen is bloody talented.

2. David Guetta — Delirious — Pop / Dance

David Guetta always churns out great songs that would fit best at a party. There is a build up to the chorus in this song, which makes a great impact when this is turned up loud.

3. MGMT — Time to Pretend — Alternative

When I heard this a while ago, I knew I had heard it before. I had heard it from the movie 21 (a great movie), and listening to the lyrics is almost a story in itself.

4. ATB — Let You Go — Dance / Trance

This is another song with great lyrics. “I’ve been running like a sentence” — priceless!!

5. Chicane — Stoned in Love ft. Tom Jones — Dance / Trance

This is one of those songs that, for me, seem to impact you best in the morning. This track deserved MUCH more recognition than it’s gotten. Tom Jones is a beast.

6. Jem — They — Pop

I hear that this song is supposedly a tribute to Cinderella (that’s where the bum baa da bit comes from). I think it’s more of a tribute f***ing catchy music.

7. Kaskade — Sweet Love — Trance / Dance

Yes, this is another song that’s in the same class as Stoned in Love, that’s above. In addition, this is a great night time song. Just close your eyes and listen to the beat.

8. Flunk — Blue Monday - Indie

Here’s another, slow paced, version of the song Blue Monday, by New Order. You know, that old classic with plenty of base? Yeah, that’s the one. But you know, I really like this version a lot more…

9. Dido — Here With Me — Pop / Lounge

Not sure why I included this… but you can’t deny that it’s somewhat catchy.

10. Zaho — Dima — French Pop / Rap

You don’t need to understand what she’s saying to like the song.

11. Rob Dougan — Clubbed to Death — Instrumental / Soundtrack

This one comes from the Blade Trinity soundtrack, and it is a good instrumental. I would throw it up there with Requiem for a Dream.

I tried to choose songs that [normal] people probably don’t already have on their iPods and stuff, yet. This post took a nice two hours to put together, so I can only hope you found something you liked.

It seems that lately, all I’ve been posting is things relating to music. Why you ask? Well, why not? I can do whatever the hell I want to! If you don’t care about that, then come on it, and take some candy.

Alright, so let’s talk about the title. BT: he’s amazing and he’s f*cking awesome. Alright, so that covers the title. Now, let’s talk about why he’s f*cking awesome.

Well, it only just occurred to me 10 minutes before writing this, that I hadn’t established myself as a total BT fanboy on my blog yet. I couldn’t let that stay, so, here I am. Now, more to the point. BT is a musical force that has been pwning for years. So many years in fact, that you might even know some of his songs. Flaming June, Simply Being Loved, etc., being some of them.

I always did like his music, but that’s it: I just liked it. It wasn’t one of those obsessive things, that I’m sure you’ve experienced with an artist before. This was how it was, until I heard an interview from the Dawn and Drew show, a podcast that’s awesome, interview BT. Listen to it after the break.

D&D BT Interview, Part 1

D&D BT Interview, Part 2

That interview is in two parts. You can download part 1 here, and part 2 here.

I suggest you listen to that interview if you like any of the songs below…

Simply Being Loved (Somnambulist)

Never Gonna Come Back Down

Godspeed

I don’t really know where I was going with this post, but in shot: BT is f*cking awesome. If you liked, or now like, his music, leave a comment.

Oh, and before I forget.…

Good Morning Kaia

Fant

It’s been a while since my last post, but it doesn’t matter, since no one reads this thing. Of course I’ve been busy with MechSociety, but I’ll save you the pain of that blog post for later. I’m actually here, on your internets, to whine about a German movie with lucid music and a red haired running chick.

If you’re a normal person, you wouldn’t know who Franka Potente is, but alas, I do. She’s the main character in the movie Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt in German), which I haven’t, and probably will not see. Don’t be confused though, I do want to see it, but because it’s a foreign film, it’s kinda hard to find.

Why do I want to see it? Well, from clips on teh YouTubes, you can see the simple, but immerse storyline, coupled with music by Franka Potente and friends. Really, it’s just one, gigantic German music video.

The music is the best part, and is why I yearn to see it, though. Take a listen to the song below, and tell me what you think.

Running Three (Wish) — Franka Potente

It’s deep, lucid, and catchy. What’s not to like?

I’ve pre ordered their new album, Viva la Vida which promises to be promising.

Of course you’d never want to take my word on something, so take a listen to some tracks (including their latest one) for yourself, after the break.

Their newest song, Viva la Vida

One of my favorite tracks, Clocks

So, what do you think of their music?

Anyways… preview the song and read a little more after the break.. Just hit the Continue Reading link.

1. Fizzed out
2. Tired of shooting
3. Out of ideas
4. Never had ideas to begin with
5. Annoyed to death by people in-game
6. Discomforted by the temperature
7. My glucose level is 0.68 below the minimum
8. All of the above

So yeah, a lot of things bug me when shooting .

Want an example of what I’m talking about? Give the song below a whirl.

Yes, I was bored and felt like blogging. ;D