Delirious Tremors

I have been totally wrapped up in the Olympics this year. The spirit of international competitiveness is so captivating to me. I have particularly enjoyed the halfpipe snowboarding (Gretchen Bleiler is a total babe) but one thing I did notice that wasn’t appealing to me was the music selections played during the runs. Maybe they are trying to be more edgy or bring in a younger demographic of viewers by playing songs by popular artists like Phoenix, Daft Punk, The Black Eyed Peas and – possibly the reason why the US lost the gold in Ladies’ Halfpipe – Miley Cyrus. While watching I came to the conclusion that it might be interesting to make up my own Olympic Playlist. So please humor me while I give a rundown of some not-so-mainstream tunes that play together in my mind with the following Olympic events.

So what kind of music would be the best to go with boarders grabbing huge air and busting tricks bigger and better than ever before like the Double-McTwist (no, it’s not a hamburger) by Shaun White? I believe me some old school rap and hip hop is in order. Local DJ collective, Abstract Workshop, provide funky beats and tight rhythms. Snowboarders tend to embody the more laidback and kickin’ vibes these DJ’s provide. You can get down to the classic jams of the Abstract Workshop DJ’s as they unleash their sick flows every Friday at Memphis Cafe in Costa Mesa.

Figure skating is a sport that requires a tremendous amount of athleticism, balance and skill. Sure, it may not be the most “masculine” sport in the Winter Games but you have to admit there is a beauty to what they are able to express on the ice. The song “This Is My Life” by Edward Maya is under the genre of minimalistic tech house but the moniker doesn’t quite give it justice. It’s a lovely melodic tune with folky bits that make it very organic, and accompanied with the driving beat make it perfect to keep rhythm for the ballet on ice. For this event music choice is very important and perhaps playing something other than orchestral ballads might throw off the judges, but I’m sure it would get good crowd response.

On the opposite side of the spectrum from figure skating there is ice hockey. This is where the winter Olympics compensate with their masculinity in a sport where gearing up and getting physical is just part of the game. Mind you, the rules in the Olympics slightly less physical and getting in a fight will get you ejected from the game but there is still no shortage of stick-checks and hard hits into the railings. So obviously something more brash and dirty is in order to go along with this rougher sport and I think the song “Conscience Killer” by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club epitomizes this attitude nicely. The Black Rebels have a sound similar to Kasabian and a real ‘don’t give a fuck attitude’ in their musical styling’s that has the makings to instigate a riot. Their new album, Beat The Devil’s Tattoo, featuring this track will be out March 9.

At first thought I really couldn’t think of anything that could go with curling, so I just thought of something that would be funny. As I thought about it some more I really believe that the Bobermann remix of “Mitsubitchi” would actually be pretty sick when synced up with the frantic sweepers as the stone skids across the ice. The song has been described by DJ Glowtape! as so “redonkulous” it will be able to “kill homeless people.” I can just see it now – add some disco lights and the future of curling will finally get the badassery it needs and add some sex appeal to the typically mundane sport.

Skeleton is an exhilarating Olympic event that and the feeling sliders get is as close as it gets to base-jumping while still touching the ground. It’s a fast sliding sport in which a person jettisons down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g (to put this in perspective, most manned rockets going into outer space reach 3.5g). Germany has won the silver medal in the women’s event and so I thought it would be appropriate to choose a song from the German producer’s Kyau and Albert that was recently featured on their Euphonic Sessions podcast. The Brutally Attacked mix of “Xelerate” by Richard Durand personifies the breakneck speed that that these athletes endure as they fly headfirst down the track. This progressive song has no vocals; just raw, minimalistic beats and frosty melodies that personify skeleton to a tee. Also worth noting: Kyau and Albert will be playing a few gigs at the Vancouver Olympics as well to showcase their new songs.

Obviously if I were on the Olympic Committee things would be sounding significantly different (for better or worse) at the Vancouver games. But really, what better opportunity to shed some light on underground music than international sports? We’re already so tired of getting Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift rammed into our brains nonstop on television and radio. If you’re listening Olympic Committee, I hope you check these out!

Listen to the whole OLYMPIC PLAYLIST

Tagged: Abstract Workshop, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bobermann, Brutally Attacked, Conscience Killer, Double McTwist, Edward Maya, Gretchen Bleiler, Mitsubitchi, Richard Durand, Shaun White, This Is My Life, Vancouver, Winter Olympics, Xelerate