Chillax.1

Some of you may be familiar with the popular idiom, “take a chill pill,” which is the slang way of saying, “relax.” What I did not know about this phrase was its origin, which may or may not come as a surprise to some. Apparently, it was in the early 1980s when Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was first recognized, and pills were being designed to combat the disorder. The popular term for them was “chill pills,” engineered to calm hyperactive people (in those days mostly children). As a former teacher of special needs students, I have mixed feelings about the term being co-opted as a cultural expression tossed around willy-nilly, but to use another popular idiom: “If the shoe fits, wear it!” And now you know how I came up with this playlist title.

Although I do not suffer from this disorder, life itself has its way of requiring one to find some time, usually at the end of a long arduous day, to just kick back and chill/relax. And I cannot think of a better way to do that than by listening to some awesome music that just washes the day away in blissful serenity…or something like that. So here you go. My first (there will be many more!) “chillax” playlist has twelve songs and is just over an hour long. If you’re still wound up tighter than a rubber band after listening, play it again in reverse order.

The playlist features an eclectic range of “electronic” music from a twenty year period, 2004-2024. I have listened to several of these artists for years, while others are newly discovered in the last year or so. The first track by OHM G, for me, sets the mood/tone for the entire list. OHM G (Olaf Gutbrod) is a NYC based DJ, composer, and producer, specializing in connecting the past and the future by “tapping into our collective memories.” He also runs, with a partner, Decatur Records, which is an “open platform that serves as a party label and music brand” that is based in Bushwick, NYC, a Brooklyn neighborhood. His music has been described as “addictive grooves” that “move the body while enveloping the mind in an emotional auditory tapestry, taking listeners to a place where time stops still.”

The second offering is by Zero 7, an English musical duo consisting of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. “The Space Between” also features amazing vocals by Tina Dico and is from their second studio album (2004), When it Falls (Special Edition). The duo began as studio engineers and, in 1997, they formed the group Zero 7. Their debut album, Simple Things, was released in 2001. Their name, Zero 7, was chosen by the duo after spending some time on the Honduran island Utila, which apparently had a bar named Cero Siete. After returning home, they were asked by Radiohead to remix the song “Climbing Up the Walls” and ended up calling their mix “the Zero 7 Mix” and the name stuck. My thought on the song is that it is hauntingly beautiful.

Two other artists on the playlist are Massimiliano Pagliara and Mirage of Deep. Pagliara is an Italian DJ and producer who is based in Berlin. He describes his style as an “eclectic mix of house, disco, electro, and techno,” with one critic calling it “current-yet-classic.” Mirage of Deep is a duo from Spain, comprised of DJ Nacho, and DJ Juan.P Miró. Nacho is also a producer and has worked with several other over the years. They merge various musical styles like acid jazz, Classic, Funky, deep house, lounge, and ambient. This is the only repeated artist on the play list, with the last entry “Is This A Dream,” which is a collaboration with Spanish singer, Zulima Bonet.

And now for some music. Enjoy!

Los Angeles 2025