Earlier this month, Canadian producer and songwriter LA Solution Center released his latest single 'God Could Be Afraid Of Us All'. With its strong nods to the worlds of Britpop, alt-rock, and even some hip-hop, it is clear that the artist has an extremely wide array of influences that he looks to bring to everything he creates.
So with such an interesting sound, we thought we'd get to the bottom of where it comes from and ask him what five songs have most inspired his music to date.
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'3030' - Deltron 3030
I'm a huge fan of cinematic music. Tracks that take you somewhere are huge for me. In this opening track (bar the intro), 3030 sets the energy for the entire record and transports you into this broken, fictional and futuristic world that Dan the Automator and Del have created. I think part of what makes it so moving is that it isn't that unrealistic to see that this is where we are headed. Everything from the string arrangements to the breaks and samples only add to the fabulous craft of storytelling in this track. Also, it's a jam.
'Chevelle' - Sleep Apnea
This song is huge. The intro does such a killer job at building tension with the main riff and then releasing it in the sweetest way when the rest of the band drops. I love all the ear candy in this song that adds to the listening experience but isn't obvious to the conscious ear. I think it's one of my favourite choruses ever. Not only the melody, but something really resonates with me about "Being awake for years" and not telling anyone about it, however you want to apply that to your life metaphorically. I'm a huge fan of "simple but effective" songwriting, and I think this song embodies that perfectly.
'(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach' - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Speaking of simple but effective, this track is huge and I don't think got enough buzz from this record. The man has always had a knack for memorable melodies and I remember hearing this song and falling in love. It was the one that got me into the record (his best in my opinion.. not sure what he's on about with his recent record). I love how tight and dry sounding the drums are. The arrangement is killer, bringing in that raggy saloon piano in the second verse is rad and subtleties like the handclaps in the last chorus are what keeps this song intriguing to the listener until the very end.
'Vlad The Impaler' - Kasabian
Back when Tom Meighan wasn't assaulting his partner, I was in high school and Kasabian weren't putting out bad records, this was the first album from them that I had heard. I know they are a household name in the UK but they never got to that point here in Canada, so discovering them was a treat. I get the feeling that Kasabian to Brits is like Nickelback to Canadians but regardless, this song is sweet. The arrangement is weird, the production is weird (Dan The Automator again!) and the lyrics are weird.. all in the best way. It has a super loose yet frenetic energy and this song is particularly nostalgic for me. Reminds me of that prime time in life, freshly out of secondary school, where there are no real responsibilities and you just need to be concerned with having a good time, and when good times were had, this song was usually on.
'Go Out' - Blur
I was so stoked when this song came out. Being a longtime Damon Albarn fan, and not loving his solo record, when they announced The Magic Whip I knew it would be something special. From the roomy drum sounds, to the crazy, feedback shit that Coxon throws down, it's such a killer throwback to 90's Blur. It's just a total chaotic bombardment of fuzz, spring reverb and.. well.. noise. And it just works beautifully!
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Listen to LA Solution Center's choices and listen to the new single 'God Could Be Afraid Of Us All' below.