8 Tracks: That Inspired Mother Of Mars With Vito & Druzzi

This album has been a touchstone for me since I first heard it 20 years ago. I’m listening to it again as I’m writing this and it still sounds as fresh and timeless as ever. I always hear something new and come away inspired. Also Charles Hayward is one of my all time favourite drummers and a huge influence.

Another touchstone album. A big part of this Mother of Mars project for me is going back to some really important musical influences. ‘Seed 2 Sky’ was influenced by ‘Oscillations’ and originally had live drums which were pretty much taken out by the end. There’s still some recognisable influences in there though.

This album is something that I discovered last year and became obsessed with for a while. I discovered Czajkowski through his playing on Buffy Sainte-Marie’s album ‘Illuminations’ which has been a long time favourite. We made an edit of one of the tracks he played on, ‘Poppies’, last year.

Again another all time fave. ‘Delights of the Garden’ is a really amazing album from start to finish and featuring another all time favourite drummer Bernard Purdie. Great album cover too!

Just before we recorded these new tracks I attended a weekend immersion gong training with Mike and Gallina from Crown of Eternity. The gong is some serious business, it is an incredible conduit for the universe of sound. If I had the cash in hand for a dozen gongs that’s probably all I would play. But instead I have a handful of synths and random bits of this and that. My gong experience was a constant reference in making these tracks.

This record got me through the winter blues of early 2017. Eliane Radigue seems to have been experiencing a little bit of a rediscovery from the music loving public the past few years. Thankfully there has been a whole bunch of re-releases and performances of her work. Go find ’em!!! This is a great piece of music to focus on and then zone out to while chillin’ on my living room couch.

I used to be a music thief before music became easily accessible and easy to steal via the information superhighway. I would walk into Tower Records or Barnes and Noble book store and stuff some CDs into the pocket of my pea coat that conveniently emptied out via a large hole into the lining of the coat. I guess I was kinda an asshole. I stole this CD around the turn of the century. One of my favourite instruments and at the top of my list of peace-inducing sounds. The sounds of this record are pretty ingrained in my entire system and are always looking for a way to re-express. Find the entire record, it’s great!!

Man, it’s a tough decision to narrow this down to four inspirations now that I’m rolling. But I think I have to go with Laurie Spiegel’s ‘Appalachian Grove’. I’ve loved this track for well over a decade. Sometimes I hear something and it makes complete sense. Containing a feeling and sonic personality that is entirely familiar while bringing a feeling of joy that seems entirely new. Like meeting someone for the first time that you feel like you’ve known forever. That’s how I felt about this song and incredibly it still inspires and sparks lightness, fascination and joy. Fuck me! Thank the universe for sound.