Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Plane of Infinite Seduction


Terry Callier - You Don't Care




Jefferson Starship - Miracles



Faze-O - Ridin' High

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These tunes define a subgenre known at AC as "infinite smooth." 

I shared a demo track with my friend. Of the intro, which seemed to have captured most of her attention, she wrote it reminded her of "Less Than Zero," adding, "i mean the less than than zero comparison is a dreampoint for me. i dont really recall the movie or the soundtrack but it signifies 80's LA sex and easiness. i dont see tits shaking...i see sex at dawn." When I replied that I wish I could make a track that was just a seductive sex at dawn in the 80s intro for five minutes, she said "i wish the first 5 minutes of seduction lasted infinitely.."

Should you find yourself wanting to approximate such a condition, or target it as a sublime goal approached in endless hyperbolic ascent, I recommend starting with these three. 

1. Terry Callier - You Don't Care

Last weekend I went to London. In order to catch Villalobos playing at Fabric, my friend and I woke up quite early sunday morning and showed up at the club for some breakfast beats, Ricardo's set having begun at 530am and terminating sometime before noon. This was a really smart way to see him play, instead of staying up all night. Nonetheless I was thoroughly, deliriously exhausted come early evening, and needed a super-calm aural tonic to serve as nap soundtrack. I found Terry among my friend's records and quickly passed out, waking only during the last song, a gorgeous extended outro where ladies sing only 'you don't care...la la la la la" into the setting sun. 

2. Jefferson Starship - Miracles

I don't want to be weird but I'm giving you the short version here. I know that infinite smooth seems to scream 'extended mix' but trust me on this. The same friend who told me of her wish to stay in a warp of infinite seduction gave me this track several years ago, and it's one I treasure. Opulent, sensual, swirling, it sounds like a velvet-draped opium den. Although I'm troubled by the lyrics that go "If only you'd believe in miracles, so would I." Why does he need her to believe? 

3. Faze-O - Ridin' High

Who or what is the mysterious Faze-O? First of all, this track is the namesake of my monthly dj gig, which you can catch tonight at Savalas in Williamsburg. Because where else do you want to be, other than riding high? The song itself is some blissful slo-mo smooching funk that appears to be stuck on repeat. Really, I tried editing this song once. The point of editing a song is to make it more hypnotic and repetitive and emphasize the groove more. Except the original version is already so perfectly spaced-out and repetitive that there's nothing you can do it. 



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