Given what is going on “out there,” I must admit to the fact that I have been spending a great deal of time “chilling,” because the alternative is too…Ya know, let’s just not go there. Let’s listen to some music instead!
Chillax.4 gives you many ways in which to do so, from “dream-like” meanderings to songs that remind you of Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk (“Small Steps”), what you might see when you look up at a clear night’s sky (“Little Dipper”), be extended an invitation to a country church (“Goo”), and everything in between. But first, some of the contributors on this passport to relaxation.
“To the Sound” from the 2003 electronic album, Is You Is, is by the German nu jazz band Micatone. The band consists of Boris Meinhold (guitar and synth), Tim Kroker (drums), Sebastian “Hagen” Demmin (keyboards – he also was the live keyboard player for Daft Punk), Lisa Bassenge (vocals), Rogall (sequence programing), and Paul Kleber (double bass). They released five studio albums and numerous singles between 2001 and 2017 for their label Sonar Kollektiv. After a six-year hiatus, the band released the single, “Where do You Belong?” a hauntingly beautiful song (like most of their output), which was inspired by singer Bassenge’s now nineteen year-old daughter “at a time when she was trying to find her place in the world.” We have all been there!
“Goo” is from the 2003 the dance album, Echo Parcours by Trio Eléctrico, although here it appears on a 2024 compilation album, Introducing Deluxe (Finest Moments in Modern Lounge) by Monte La Rue (more on him shortly). The name, Trio Eléctrico, arising from the “dupla electrico” (“Electric Duo”), was coined in 1951 by two Brazilian friends, Adolfo Antônio Nascimento (Dodô) and Osmar Álvares de Macêdo. In 1950, the two used a Ford Model T to perform their self-made electric instrument, known as a “pau electrico” (electric log) during Baha Carnival. In 1951, they invited a friend to perform with them, the architect Temístocles Aragão, thus turning their “dupla” into a trio. Though the name originally referred to the band, it became better known for their invention of a motorized band stage. Today, there is a huge industry for the production, maintenance and leasing of “trios,” and many new artists are discovered on them. In 1983, a “trio” built in Italy was inaugurated in Piazza Navona (Rome) in the presence of 80 thousand people who danced to the electric sound of Dodô, Osmar, and Temístocles. That was the first time a “trio” was featured outside of Brazil. The ‘trio” is known worldwide as one of the symbols of Brazilian culture, its music, and its Carnival.
Monte La Rue has often been nicknamed The Lounge King of the Lowlands. The Belgian DJ/producer, currently living in Amsterdam, has made his footprint with a range of ‘relaxed’ compilations, artist albums, and exclusive DJ sets, all of them oozing with diversity, including the one featuring “Goo.” His trademark DJ sound of laid back grooves, electronically submerged in waves of intimacy and sensuality, makes his output instantly recognizable. His ‘Lounge Deluxe’ cd series is hailed all over the world and has become a real blueprint of eclectic compilations. Over the years, he created a diversity of releases ranging from ‘Latin Deluxe’ down to ‘Welcome to Club Jazz.’ He has also developed numerous concepts for clubs such as Club NL and beach house Republiek, as well special shows for fashion designers during Amsterdam’s International Fashion Week.
“Gotcha Movin” is a song by Scott Wozniak from his 2005 EP Soho Sessions, one of four tracks including “Brazilian Bombshell,” “Soho Session,” and “Feelin’ the Music.” Since 1986, Wozniak has been a session keyboard player and has also produced scores for television commercials. He also has taught music production at Dubspot in New York City and is a Senior Sound Designer for a major software company. His career spans over three decades. As a producer and engineer, he has worked with the likes of Mateo & Matos, Jill Scott, Keith Thompson, Angie Stone, and Roland Clark, just to name a few. As was the case with “Goo,” the featured “Gotcha Movin” track on my playlist is from another compilation album, Large Grooves 4 (2008), a release from Jeff Craven’s Large Music, a visionary deep house label that “has been a steadfast pilar of the Chicago music scene since its inception in 1993.” Craven laid the foundation for a label that would end up redefining the boundaries of electronic music for 30 years and counting.
Lastly, “Waves and Sun” is a track from the 2000 electronic album, One by Professor Oz, which is the moniker of Olivier Frossard, a Strasbourg, France born DJ, who started his career DJing birthday and friend’s parties, and then morphed into programing and singing in an alternative rock band. He has released only two studio albums, the aforementioned, One, and his latest release, 2024’s The Lost Experiment.
And now for some music. Enjoy!
Los Angeles 2026
