We ask some of bass music’s finest to choose five tunes from any era, any genre, any period of their lives that have not only inspired or influenced them but also changed their lives in some way.
The biggest influence overall for me has to be computer games and their soundtracks, in particular the music made using the SID Chip on the Commodore 64 computer.
Motörhead “Ace of Spades” (Sanctuary Records Group, 1981)
It’s the first rock song I remember hearing as a child. Our family was on our way to our summerhouse, car stereo blaring, windows down, wind in my hair. I didn’t really understand the lyrics back then, but the song represented freedom to me and made me feel like a rebel.
Howard Blake “Walking In The Air” (CBS, 1982)
I first heard this song on my cousin’s Atari computer when I was around 6 or 7. The epic melody combined with the sad story of impossible friendship made a huge impact on me. I didn’t know it was a soundtrack for an animated movie until I went on tour with Space Jesus. He wanted to show me one of his biggest musical inspirations and I think we were equally shocked that the other already knew the song.
Tangerine Dream “The Dream is Always the Same” (Virgin Records, 1984)
I watched the movie Risky Business when I went on my first “date.” My girlfriend liked Tom Cruise a lot. I can’t remember anything from the movie itself, but there were these songs in the soundtrack that blew me away. The melodies kept haunting me and I ended up buying the soundtrack and discovering the amazing band Tangerine Dream.
Rob Hubbard “Delta” (1987)
The biggest influence overall for me has to be computer games and their soundtracks, in particular the music made using the SID Chip on the Commodore 64 computer. I could have picked any of the other hundreds of amazing chip tunes I’ve grown up listening to, but I think one of the most iconic tunes would be the title theme for the game Delta. I can sense how they were trying to make conventional pop and rock music, but the limitations of the hardware turned it into something that sounded totally out of this world.
Vangelis “Rachel’s Song” (Atlantic, 1994)
Quite possibly the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. It was composed for the movie Blade Runner but was never used in the film. If I ever feel bottled up and not in touch with my feelings, this song would be the antidote. It hits me every time.