Vol.05 music issues｜2008 round up

While I wouldn't call myself a music obsessive, I do find myself drawn to music more than film or television. The first record I ever bought, at the age of seven, is still in my possession. Listening to it now, it’s not so much a wave of nostalgia that washes over me, but simply the fact that I genuinely love the album. That album was Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Incidentally, Simon and Garfunkel, much like myself, were born and raised in New York. And, as it happens, my mother was actually their high school classmate… a curious anecdote.

In my childhood, the 70s were the golden age of pop music. I’d often listen to songs on the radio and absorb the classic rock of the 60s, but I always craved something new, something I couldn't quite satisfy. Much like in design, I found myself anticipating sounds from the future. It was then that I began to find hope with Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love,” and later, while listening to college radio, I was struck by Kraftwerk. That’s when my obsession with seeking out new music truly began…



It’s easy to bring this topic back to “New York”! The city has birthed a wealth of revolutionary music, from Jazz to Punk. Jazz emerged from the fusion of New York’s Jewish immigrants and Black musicians. While Folk Music might evoke images of the countryside, it was revitalized and popularized in the club scene of 1960s New York. Punk didn't originate in Britain; it actually emerged organically from the underground scene of 1970s New York. Disco/Dance Music evolved from the musical cultures of New York’s gay and Black communities. New Wave might also bring Britain to mind, but its true genesis can be traced to a single work: Television’s “Marquee Moon.” Blondie, emerging from the same scene, influenced pop culture in myriad ways and continues to do so. Come to think of it, both Television and Blondie first broadcast from New York…

Of course, I’m not suggesting that all great music originated in New York! Back then, I was a huge fan of Japan’s The Plastics and YMO, and I also listened to a lot of European music. To connect the dots further, there were Deee-Lite in the 90s, and in the early 2000s, The Strokes and Interpol…



Needless to say, music is constantly playing in the NOOKA U.S. studio.
Here’s a list of the songs that played most in 2008, with my own comments—










It’s not that I’m intentionally trying to include local bands, but New York just seems to be buzzing with energy lately! For instance, if I review my most-listened-to playlists from 2006-2007, many of them feature Swedish bands.

If you have the chance, please give them a listen. Thank you.