music to live by

This week, Apple announced that it would make EMI albums available at MP3s for a premium. For the most part, i’m pleased (although a bit disturbed that you are to pay a premium for said songs). While it’s great that iTunes is finally doing what users want, i think it’s important for folks to realize that many smaller music sellers have been doing this for quite some time. I’m particularly partial to Fake Science

If, like me, your music tastes are heavily in the downtempo, dub, breakbeats, and chill zone, iTunes rarely has what you want and offers terrible recommendations (while i love Radiohead, they are not the only electronica out there). When i get bored of my music, i tend to go to Fake Science and download a handful of their new arrivals – $5 an album (MP3 only) and most of it goes to the artist. I actually feel good about buying music from them and am regularly astounded by the high quality of music that they choose to sell there (they’re rather picky).

Anyhow, if you’re looking for some new music to work to, check them out. My top three recommendations would be:

Dr. Toast – Oz So Late (downtempo/chillout)
Kraddy – Truth Has No Path (breakbeats)
anything by Aes Dana

(This recommendation is genuine – they don’t know that i sent you so shh don’t tell them.)

7 thoughts on “music to live by”

Dan April 4, 2007 at 8:06 pm

Thanks for the tip. I’m sure you’re familiar with somafm.com, but if not, there it is.

bunnyhero April 4, 2007 at 8:57 pm

holy carp!!! thanks for the tip!

Christian Campbell April 5, 2007 at 6:38 am

I get my chillout and trance fixes from DI.fm. They have a number of other channels which I’m sure are also great, though I never turn off DI Chillout or DI Trance long enough to find out. I think their annual subscription is worth it.

noah April 5, 2007 at 6:59 am

another great site for DRM-free music is emusic.com, although their rates have gone up a bit in the last couple months 🙁 huge catalog, though.

CK April 6, 2007 at 3:05 am

Ah, a woman after my own heart – downtempo is clearly some of the best music around, and yet so few actually know what it is when you tell them.

Only one genre wins, which kind of stems from it – nujazz, with this dowmtempo, jazz, and funk influences. Wonderful.

Check out Jaga Jazzist and chaps like Bonobo.

One small group I’m supporting in the UK is Head & Neck. They have a Myspace page around somewhere, where i ordered their wee CD from. Pretty neat, give it a look.