WARMER MIXTAPES #675 | by Keijo Kuttila [Alladin/Dragon Rose]

1. Yazoo | Tuesday
The very first time I heard Yazoo in a radio I was totally amazed what it is. I was 16 years old, grown up with Guitar Rock and Don’t Go introduced me an all new world of sounds. One classmate had the vinyl album of Upstairs At Eric’s and copied it on cassette to me. I rushed home from school to play it and heard Tuesday the first time. It was so Profound and Addictive and I played it over and over again. I loved that Intensive Storytelling, Vince’s Melancholic Synth Sounds and Patterns and Dark Tone of Alison’s voice. The song took on a whole new and deeper meaning later in my life when I had experienced a pain of breaking up. It still gives me chills every time. I have been a huge fan of Vince Clarke ever since and followed his Musical career from Depeche Mode to Assembly. I love his Brilliant Recognizable Synth Riffs.

2. Bonnie Tyler | Total Eclipse Of The Heart
I was at the tender age of 17 when I heard the song the first time on a TV. The Music video made ​​a lasting impression on me and I can still remember Bonnie Tyler dressed in White, wandering on hallways of a Dark Haunted House. That Mystical and Dreamlike video and Epic song made me ride my bicycle to a record store 4 kilometers away to buy my own copy of Faster Than The Speed Of Night album. I admire how Jim Steinman has managed to produce the song so Massively and include a whole scale of feelings from Heart Wrenching longing to the Deepest Love in seven minutes. The song still represents for me the best Musical description of Love.

3. a-ha | Hunting High And Low
I was serving in the Army at time when I heard the song first time. I had been weeks away from home and I missed my girlfriend. I already knew a-ha from their Pop hit Take On Me, but it was the Dreamlike Beautiful Melody of Hunting High And Low that made me a fan. The song has a certain Scandinavian Melancholy that touches my soul. The sound of Screeching Gulls waft over introduced me how combination of Instrument and Nature sounds works Beautifully together. I often use Nature sounds in my music which stems from this song. I have followed a-ha’s music ever since and surprisingly often I find myself listening to some of their album in my iPod.

4. Enigma | Sadeness Part I
This is the most Influential song to me so far. Sadeness was my first experience with New Age Music and in that moment I knew this is the thing I want to do. It was 1990 and I had just moved to other town and spent my wages to my home studio gear: Yamaha V50 and FB01 synths, Yamaha RX5 Drum Machine, Akai X7000 sampler and Atari computer. That year I produced my first somewhat awkward New Age tracks. Enigma introduced me to a whole new concept of Making Music and made me realize that combining elements from different genres can create something Unique and Incredible. Creţu has managed to melt Gregorian vocals and sensual French spoken word Seamlessly together with Ethereal pads and the trademark beat creating a True Masterpiece. I have all Enigma albums and they all have special place in my heart.



5. The KLF | 3 A.M. Eternal (Live At The S.S.L.)
Provocative This is Radio Freedom! phrase and the Machine Gun sound kicks off a Murderously Powerful Acid House track that makes even such stolid Finn like me to move my feet. I loved its energy from the first moment I heard it on a radio. Such a Brilliant use of Samples and Instrument sounds together was something New to me. I love the Computer Beep sound, Crowd Noise and Clarinet. The Hypnotic bassline and beat drives the track Forward like a freight train. Maxine Harvey’s vocals range from Angelic to Powerful Rock. It was the year 1991 and I had just started to collaborate with a local Rap artist. We made 10 House and Hip Hop tracks together. 3.A.M. Eternal had a big influence on how we sounded. Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty became my idols as Producers. I bought The White Room CD few weeks later from London and today its cover is worn because of frequent listening. The track gives me energy and I like to play it on my iPod when Running.

6. Richard Marx | Right Here Waiting
I think every couple has their own The Song that reminiscent a special moment in their relationship. For me and my wife it is Right Here Waiting. I met my wife in 1999 when I was working in Changshu. We had a wonderful four months together but then came the day I had to return to Finland and she could not come with me. We spent the last day together on Yushan Mountain making plans for the Future. This song was playing in a restaurant where we had dinner. I promised her to return soon and she promised to wait for me – just like in the song; Wherever you go, whatever you do... I will be right here, waiting for you. Our Farewell was Tender and Sad. Ironically, the song was playing in a taxi on the way to airport. Four months later we celebrated the wedding in China. Hearing the song always makes me think of my beloved wife. It is one of the most Beautiful Rock Ballad Melodies of All Times.

7. Oliver Shanti & Friends | Donovan My Timeless Cosmic Friend
In 1999 I was working in Germany and took a weekend trip to the Czech where I bought the New Age compilation album. Another Oliver Shanti's song was on that album. It was so Enchantingly Beautiful and Peaceful Music that the next weekend I went to a Music store in Hoff to buy his CD Tai Chi Too. My newlywed wife was in China visiting her family and I missed her. Hearing that Melancholic Erhu of Donovan My Timeless Cosmic Friend made me feel like I was with her. I never get tired of exploring Ulrich’s Large Production which includes so many Profound and Beautiful New Age and Chillout Masterpieces.


8. Bomfunk MC's | Freestyler
I could not believe my ears when I first time heard Freestyler on a TV. Bomfunk MC's performed it Live on some Music show. I was stunned Finnish producer JS16 had managed to make it sound so UK. Not the least thanks to the UK born rapper Raymond Ebanks. As the song peaked at number-one on a chart in many countries I was first time convinced that my small and remote home country can produce Music which meets International standards. The video introduces Hip Hop Culture in Finland riding the wave of Nokia success. Nokia's share value has plunged, but the song still ranks high on the Music chart of my life. I keep falling in Love with the intro, the combination of Acoustic Guitar and Synth Pattern works so Beautiful.

9. Era | Don’t You Forget
I bought Era’s third album The Mass in 2004 from Changshu. I already had the two previous albums and I loved Eric Levi’s production. Don’t You Forget touched me so profoundly that it brought tears to my eyes when I heard it first time - and it still does sometimes. The touching spoken dialogue between a Girl and a Boy, promising to be friends forever, makes me think of my Childhood friends. We don’t keep in touch anymore because everyone is too busy with their own lives. I just don’t believe in such promises anymore, I have become Cynical. Lena Jinnegren’s Emotional Vocals give Depth to the Beautiful Melody and Angelic Choir create a Heavenly atmosphere. It is one of the most Touching and Emotional songs of All Times.

10. Ma Changsheng | Yue Shi Fu Xin Zhou
The firsYue Shi Fu Xin Zhout time I heard this I was browsing CD’s at a Music store in Shanghai two years ago. I wanted to buy the CD that was playing but it was not that easy. It took some 15 minutes to explain it to the Chinese speaking Sales girl. However, l left the store happy with the  Ma Changsheng’s album in my hand. The album is full of Beautiful and Very Peaceful Buddhist songs as Chillout versions. The Music is somewhat reminiscent of Oliver Shanti’s production. Ma Changsheng combines Western and Oriental Influences in his Music. I have been collecting Chinese and Buddhist Music over the years and Yue Shi Fu Xin Zhou might be the most Beautiful, Relaxing and Peaceful song in my collection. I listen to it when I want to Relax and Recuperate Mentally.