motel de moka

Inspiration for writing a post can come in many different ways. Most of the times for me it’s a certain theme that inspires me to write something and to make an accompanying play list. This time however it was the picture above which I found - totally by chance - on Flickr. Ever since seeing it, it immediately inspired me to bring together music that could add to the mystical and fairytale-like atmosphere that’s embodied through this impressive photograph.

The picture was taken by lunaryuna, who photographed her three year old daughter behind their house in the middle of the forests in Ecuador. That’s basically all we know and all we actually need to know about this picture. The imagery speaks for itself; the heavy, vibrant colors of the forest, the soft light that sparsely comes through the leaves and embraces the scenery with a mesmerizing glow of golden radiance, the placement of the girl in the small patch of light. It seems to not just capture a reality in that moment of time, but it in fact creates an atmosphere that goes far beyond that certain moment in time and what’s actually pictured within the photograph itself. Thereby it creates a world of its own.

The play list heavily builds upon old and new folk music. It feels like a natural companion with its mystical undertones and warm, yet ghostly ambiance. The set starts off with Greg Ashley performing a haunted acid-folk tune that’s preceded by the playful yet ominous sounds of a laughing and giggling girl.

The two songs by The Book of AM form the centre pieces of the play list. Their self titled album was recently reissued by Wah Wah Records from Spain in a luscious and beautifully illustrated 112-page book filled with engravings that accompany their music. The album was recorded in the mid 70’s in the woods of Mallorca by a group of likeminded voyagers from different countries and cultures. A true landmark album in the folk-scene.

By including World’s End Girlfriend I’ve tried to explore the eerie ambiance that seems to be lurking underneath the surface of this photograph with the little girl who sits all alone in the middle of the dark forest. The track combines the warm and spiritual undertones of The Book of AM with an almost horror-like setting that could have come straight from an anime soundtrack.

All the other tracks were also selected to build upon the scenery that’s created by the soft and mystical folk tunes of The Book of AM. My personal favorite female singer/songwriter of the moment, Marissa Nadler, seems like a natural fit for this play list. Her beautiful folk songs, often wrapped in sinister murder ballads, create an almost life like recalling of the forest.