My Berlin Soundtrack (Vol 1): 2002 - 2003
(Captain Comatose and invited guest / Panorama Bar, Berlin 2002)
In spring 2002, I fled a very stressful New York City for the welcoming arms of Berlin. My goals were two-fold: develop my music career and find more joy in life, both of which I accomplished!
It was during those first 12 months of being here, in that somewhat anonymous limbo of transition, that some of my most cherished memories were created. If I was the music supervisor assembling the soundtrack for a movie about those heady times, it would have to include the 10 tracks on this list below.
This is by no means exhaustive; it is volume 1, after all. Nonetheless, have a listen to what I responded to musically in the early naughties in this ever changing city I love so much.
Punjabi MC - Mundian To Bach Ke
This one was simply everywhere my first year here. The mix of Bhangra, Hip Hop and the Knight Rider theme was just too irresistible for me, and apparently the rest of the world. It’s one of the best selling singles of all time.
GusGus - David
Me and Khan, my partner in Captain Comatose, moved here at the same time and shared a room as we completed our first album. One day, he brought home an advance copy of GusGus’s Attention LP and it was immediately on heavy rotation. This track is pure ecstasy, especially those synth chords! Topped by a young Urður Hákonardóttir, aka Earth, repeating the brilliant lyric ‘I still have last night in my body’ (who hasn’t felt that way before??), ‘David’ had me dancing all summer.
Missy Elliott - Work It
Timbaland and Missy in absolute top form. His clean minimalist super funk plus her feminist rhyme flow equaled so many great tracks, but this may be the ultimate. The simple trick of flipping a lyric in the chorus backwards is a master stroke. The hilarity that ensues is only enhanced by the awesome video directed by Dave Myers.
Kylie Minogue - Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
Some hits deserve the massive exposure and acclaim they get. Expertly crafted by songwriter ex-house diva Cathy Dennis and ex-glam rocker Rob Davis, and delivered expertly by La Kylie, this monster has just enough funk to be sexy and just enough pop to be unforgettable, with a 100% replay factor.
It’s safe to say that Khan and I were obsessed with this one. So much so that we simply had to employ a ‘la la la’ hook in one of our songs, too.
Resulting in…
Captain Comatose - $100
This was a hit for Khan and I and reminds me vividly of the days we toured all over the world and I saw people singing along to something I wrote. What a great feeling! Lyrically, Khan had been playing around with this for a while. Starting with a groove I came up with on Rebirth (remember that?) we fleshed it out in our bedroom laptop studio, added the aforementioned Kylie touch and voila.....la, la, la, la.
JCA - I Begin To Wonder
Another perfect dance pop confection (later covered note for note by Dannii Minogue although I prefer the original). The rapid fire vocal delivery in the verses are fierce and sexy, complimented with the instantly catchy chorus and expert production by Jean Claude Ades. I still drop this in my DJ sets today. Always works.
MU - Jealous Kids
The musical mash-up of Maurice Fulton and Mutsumi Kanamori produced this truly bonkers recording. How refreshing to hear electronic dance music get so noisy and abstract. It made me believe that audiences were eager to shake things up. Unfortunately, that belief has dwindled as so much dance music has returned to being safe and basic. Thus, ‘Jealous Kids’ sounds even more astonishing today.
DJ Assault - Love The Pussy
This classic booty track samples Prince’s ‘Uptown’ and features a woman interrogating the listener repeatedly ‘Do you wanna rub the pussy, touch the pussy, fuck the pussy?’
Need I say more?
One T + Cool T - The Magic Key
‘Magic Key’ was a smash in Germany but did nothing in the states. I could never figure out why. Was it because the tune originated from a French animated project while the US was still wrapped up in ‘freedom fries?’ Who knows? Anyway, this Dr. Dre influenced number is the perfect marriage of great hooks, terrific delivery and hip hop style production. Très bon!
Sugababes - Round Round
What’s probably obvious by now is that pure, well-crafted pop sits well with me. Including the sample used, this one took 14 people to write it! How modern. The chorus is a true hip shaker, and even though these three ladies bang you over the head with it a bit too much, that 6/8 ballad breakdown comes in and all is forgiven.