Which song do you listen to when...
you try to stay up for more than 24 hours?Can - Mushroom
It has a certain unhinged charm, so I’ll go with that.
you come home from the club?Portishead - The Rip
you take a bubble bath?D'Angelo - Africa
That version of D'Angelo singing «Africa» accompanied only by his piano. That feels like a bubble bath to me.
you ride a bicycle?Kenny Wheeler - Kind Folk
It’s so elegant and rhythmic. So I’d like it to inform my bike riding.
you prepare a candle light dinner?Irma Thomas - Ruler Of My Heart
It’s so unashamedly romantic and so happening and has so much depth.
you go to a club?Don Blackman - Heart's Desire
That tune always makes me want to dance and I don’t think there’s anything that sounds quite like it.
you cook?Shuggie Otis - Strawberry Letter 23
I love food, I love cooking, I love Shuggie. That song always makes me feel happy.
you prepare for an important date?Prince - Erotic City
That is some sexy feel good shizzle.
you are in a depressive mood?PJ Harvey - One Line
Although it’s melancholic, it’s also uplifting.
you want to disturb your neighbours?The Jackson 5 - ABC
I don’t see how that tune could piss anyone off. Even if it was on at an ear-splitting volume.
you drive a car late at night?We Fell To Earth - Lights Out
It makes me feel like I’m in a Michael Mann movie or in «Blade Runner». It sounds sleek and mercurial. And it would actually be suicide because I can’t drive.
you fall asleep?Jimi Hendrix - Castles Made Of Sand
It’s a magical image to drift away to.
you are love sick?Joni Mitchell - All I Want
Joni Mitchell - A Case Of You
you make love?The Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You
In my opinion, some activities shouldn’t be accompanied by music. Generally, I find listening to music pretty absorbing and, in this instance particularly. I think there’s enought to focus on without music up in the mix. But if I had to choose something, then «I Only Have Eyes For You».
you jump out of a plane with a parachute?Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
you sit in a plane?Finn Peters - Atlas
Some of Finn’s compositions make me feel like I’m flying.
you are in the sauna?Tom Waits - Straight To The Top (Vegas)
you have to spend a night in a spooky hotel?Radiohead - Pyramid Song
you sit in the subway?Slum Village - Conant Gardens
Dilla’s production remains unhindered when competing with the hussle and bustle of the underground.
you wake up?Eska Mtungwazi - Rock Of Ages
It sounds sacred to me, like it’s always been there. Good way to start the day.
you need to get work done?Kraftwerk - Computer Love
I can’t work with music on. Being a simpleton, I get too distracted. But, for the sake of argument I’ll say «Computer Love» by Kraftwerk ‘cause it’s got a lovely movement that might assist the flow of whatever work I was doing, and it manages to be very cute and very hip at the same time.
5 favorite animals
owl / elephant / dog / lion / dinosaur
5 favorite books
James Baldwin: «Sonny’s Blues» / J.M. Coetzee: «Disgrace» / Olga Grushin: «The Dream Life Of Sukhanov» / JD Salinger: «Catcher In The Rye» / The Bible
5 favorite cartoon characters
The Uninvited Batman / Stimpy / Ren / Homer Simpson / Inspector Gadget
5 favorite dishes
roast lamb / sushi / fish tagine / roast vegetables / my mum's dahl
5 favorite English virtues
politeness / consideration / humour / awkwardness / humility
5 favorite human inventions
all musical instruments / textiles / language / vinyl / millenium falcon
5 favorite instruments
bass clarinet / DX7 / Hohner telecaster / zither / MPC
5 favorite magazines
Mojo / Wire / Onion / Private Eye / Spiderman
5 favorite movies
«Play It Again Sam» by Woody Allen / «The Breakfast Club» by John Hughes / «Breaking The Waves» by Lars Von Trier / «I Am Cuba» by Mikhail Kalatozov / «Todo Sobre Mi Madre» by Pedro Almodovar
5 favorite personal belongings
Hohner telecaster / Austrian coachman’s cape / my mattress / Chris the accordion / my Global chef's knife
5 favorite places in the world
London /Mull / Paris / Tokyo / Mombassa
5 favorite recordsShuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
Prince - Sign Of The Times
Don Blackman – Don Blackman
Eugene McDaniels - Headless Heroes Of The Apocalypse
Talking Heads - Remain In Light
5 favorite restaurants
Franklins / Moro / Khans / Tokyo Diner / Wheelers
5 favorite sport teams
Austrian horse racing team / Nigerian metal detecting team / Cardiff breathing association / Peckham United / Whitstable waterpolo society
5 favorite things about London
the people / the music / Battersea Power Station / The Tate / Horniman Museum
Questions answered by: Dave Okumu