Exclusive: Stream Cabin Fever Orchestra’s New Curated Spotify Playlist Feat. Inspiring Musical Storytellers

By: Staff –

To celebrate the release of Cabin Fever Orchestra’s new single “Ever Presence”, the prolific artist curated a brand new Spotify Playlist featuring inspiring musical storytellers. Stream it exclusively via Aesthetic Magazine below.

Jon Hopkins – “Feel First Life”

This slow-burn track has it all for me. The intimacy of the foreground piano has a certain vulnerability to it, the background material expresses a wide, distant panorama and the choral material at its core lends the piece an ethereal beauty. I tend to picture the natural world waking up after a long winter. It’s the kind of track I like to listen to while I’m hiking.

Ólafur Arnalds  – “ekki hugsa”

There are very few tracks in this genre that feel near-danceable, but this one is one of them. The metric patterns of the piano set the pace for a whole series of overlapping and interlocking parts until they’re overwhelmed by a glimmering wave of electronics. This is the kind of track I picture under the discovery moments of a great documentary.

Penguin Cafe – “Close Encounter”

Like a lot of people, I first fell in love with this track while watching the movie Mary and Max, the story of a wonderful but unlikely friendship. This track marries an indie feel with neoclassical in a way that I rarely hear, but wish I heard more.

Joshua Van Tassel – “Two Animals that Don’t Exist”

For me, this track captures the secondary title of his record perfectly: “Songs for Slow Motion”. Clouds of atmospheric sound drift by the listener like weather you can hear, and while we begin in a mysterious place, the piece develops into something that feels like the dissipating memory of a treasured slow-dance.

Rhian Sheehan – “Between Us and the Dying Starlight”

Something about this track feels beautifully retrospective, like a eulogy for a relationship cut-short or the remembrance a life well-lived. The chords are simple but the arrangement is truly evocative. This is the kind of track that often puts a catch in my throat.

Alexandra Streliski – “Plus tôt”

Alexandra Streliski has a real knack from hitting all of the right notes, no more, no less. To me, her style is understated but never boring. It’s expressive and engaging, but part of her charm is in her restraint. Every track on this record could be well-realized with a full orchestra, and yet they shine all the same on just a solo piano.

Jóhann Jóhannsson – “Part1/IBM 1401 Processing Unit”

This track is a testament to how a compositional mind can make almost anything musical. Inspired by his farther’s early career as a programmer for IBM, Jóhannsson weaves a beautiful musical tapestry around the repetitive sound of an old IBM processing unit. It feels like he’s immortalizing this relic of low-tech as a means of re-connecting with the sentiments of old childhood memories.

Nicola Elias Rigato – “Crypt”

Part of what I admire about this piece is how many places it travels. There’s a real complexity to his harmony and he isn’t afraid to blur the bar lines and keep his listener guessing. You can hear his technical mastery of the piano throughout, and while it often sounds rooted in classical music, you can also hear his own musical voice expanding on tradition.

Erica Procunier – “Time Heals”

Erica is Canadian film and TV composer who has already had an impressive career. She has the ability to write for any age, she’s had her music played by the TSO and for good reason. She’s an all around impressive person cultivating a unique musical voice.

Darren Fung – “A Symbolic and Spiritual Relationship”

In this track, you can really hear the love Darren puts into his arrangements, the command he has over the orchestra and his talent for choral arranging. Even without picture, you can feel the emotional gravity of the stories he tells.

Drew Jurecka – “Rebekah”

Drew is a local legend and a world-class performer who spends his time between tours playing on records spanning a wide range of genres. For me, this track evokes the vibe of the silver-screen-era with a dash of film noire. You can hear how effortlessly Drew wanders between classical, jazz and how brightly he shines without any fancy production – armed with only his exceptional musicianship and performance chops.