Not much has happened this year during the past three years around these parts. After my Covid pledge, I went really deep into finding ways to be more useful to society. I focused on plork and other creative projects. During the year, I realized I’m quite happy with the content I have here so far. More will follow in 2021 2024, but for now, Mentatul is frozen.
Unless, of course, somebody is willing to offer me a salary to write here.
Anybody?
Ok then… š
2023 update: so, nothing followed in 2021, and nothing followed in 2022 either :). And guess what. Not much will happen in 2023 either (well, except for this one article I’m writing now). Maybe 2024. Maybe.
Quick, run! Flee, before the Miniamba eats up all the electricity in its hungry quest for more bass! To be honest, I have no idea what āminiambaā means, but Mariās delicate voice against this rugged high quality drumānābass just made me think that. Probably the miniambas are friendly and just want to dance. Let it be so!
[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/04050-FuturePropheciesWarlordsRising-Miniamba-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Future Prophecies – Miniamba (feat. Mari Boine)’ desc=’Quick, run! Flee, before the Miniamba eats up all the electricity in its hungry quest for more bass!’]
Want a tight, short, full of energy song thatās crammed to the brink of explosion with catchy hooks? Leave it to blues rocker Beth Hart to bring into existence. The witty lyrics make the ride that much more pleasurable.
āGot the lips, got the legs
I was born to drive a man insane
I don’t worry and I don’t shame
Put it on me, I’m the queen of pain
I’ve been bad, I’ve been cruel
I’m not sorry, baby, sorry for you
It’s my party and I don’t dance
Just want your liquor and your cheap romance
I’m not your mama, I’m not your wife
I’m not the one who’ll make it right
Good girls always lose
I got the bad woman bluesā
[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/04049-BethHartWarInMyMind-BadWomanBlues-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Beth Hart – Bad Woman Blues’ desc=’A tight, short, full of energy song that's crammed to the brink of explosion with catchy hooks’]
The zinging bass kickstarting this song gives some clue about whatās to follow. The bassline is indeed hefty but, as it soon turns out, this is actually a laid-back piece, a head-bobber and slightly melancholic low-rider. The sparse instrumentation acts as an enhancer for sinuous synths, scattered percussion and that awesome sax towards the end.
[ax_meta lnimgurl=’YYYYYYYYY’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Zenzile – Pearls’ desc=’The bassline is indeed hefty but, as it soon turns out, this is actually a laid-back piece, a head-bobber and slightly melancholic low-rider.’]
Plucking strings, banging drums and working the windpipes, this one is meant for unleashing the dancer within. Rise with the ecstatic choirs, ride the wave and let the body follow. Even in this day and age, sometimes thereās simply no competition to traditional instruments used right.
You can listen to the melody for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location.
[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/04045-DaemoniaNymphePsychostasia-DeoErotas-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Daemonia Nymphe – Deo’s Erotas’ desc=’Plucking strings, banging drums and working the windpipes, this one is meant for unleashing the dancer within.’]
Time for some moody minimal electronica. Some songs have a visual quality to them. What imagery will this moody piece bring forth? For me, itās a luminous night where an orange moon is just starting its climb upon the sky while Iām driving home on a lightly populated motorway.
You can listen to the melody for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location.
Guitars meet ecstatic chanting in what is a daring, powerful rock melody. Completed by beautiful lyrics, itās clear that this song is touched.
“Touched,
You say that I am too,
So much,
Of what you say is true,
I’ll never find someone quite like you,
Again,
I’ll never find someone quite like you,
Like You,
The razors and the dying roses,
Plead I don’t leave you alone,
The demi-gods and hungry ghosts,
God, god knows I’m not at home,
I’ll never find someone quite like you,
Again,
I’ll never find someone quite like you,
Again,
I looked into your eyes and
Saw a world that does not exist,
I looked into your eyes and,
Saw a world I wish I was in,
I’ll never find someone quite as touched as you
I’ll never love someone quite the way that I loved you.ā
[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/04043-VastVisualAudioSensoryTheater-Touched-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’VAST ā Touched’ desc=’Guitars meet ecstatic chanting in what is a daring, powerful rock melody. Completed by beautiful lyrics, it's clear that this song is touched.’]
Embrace each other and let the body swing on gentle yet purposeful rhythms. And know that the words you hear are a mantra for love and life:
Sanskrit:
“Tumare Darshan Ki bela
Ye mausam ras rachane ka.
Liye ullas ki sanse
Samai masti me jine ka.”
English:
“The season has arrived where,
I will finally see you and dance with you.
With the breathing in of joy,
it is time to live in bliss.”
Deva Premal has, for decades now, put her voice and skills in service of adapting mantras to Western audiences, mostly by elegantly adding orchestration that is popular over here, such as additional percussion and the occasional synthesizer. All her art is a joy to listen and I warmly recommend you to seek it out.
[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/04042-DevaPremalTheEssence-TumareDarshan-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Deva Premal – Tumare Darshan’ desc=’Embrace each other and let the body swing on gentle yet purposeful rhythms. And know that the words you hear are a mantra for love and life’]
Catchy hard rockānāroll with witty lyrics, amazing energy and a sweet, sweet buildup. Itās the perfect song to lift anybody from the dumps, to kick a party to 11 and to wake up to. This one can move dead bodies :D.
āI’m not afraid of the dark
If we gotta live in the dark
We will live in the dark
Won’t see me dying in the light
We will live in the dark
We will dance in the dark
We’ll bring candles down to the the dark
We will love in the dark
We’ll go home in the dark
We’ll hold hands in the dark
āCause when you hold hands in the dark
You don’t know whose hand you hold
We’re just humans letting the love flowā
[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/04041-JeffBeckLoudHailer-LiveInTheDark-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Jeff Beck – Live in the Dark’ desc=’Catchy hard rock'n'roll with witty lyrics, amazing energy and a sweet, sweet buildup.’]
Ready to submerge? This electronica reinterpretation of Beethovenās Moonlight Sonata takes us down, down, down. Down into the calm, bobbing on the river of melancholy. I wonder what the long-departed composer would have to say about how his work echoes through the ages.
[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/04040-DustyKidReworksPiano-MoonlightSonata-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Dusty Kid – Beethoven: Moonlight Sonata Rework’ desc=’This electronica reinterpretation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata takes us down, down, down. Down into the calm, bobbing on the river of melancholy.’]
