The Motorways of my Mind Soundtrack

Ladies and gentlemen, madames et messieurs, Motorways of my Mind in conjunction with A Penny For Your Thoughts Productions is proud to present to you to celebrate its first year of blogging, the newly released Blog soundtrack: The best of Chicane.

(Needle scratches across record making abrupt sound and interupting Andrew's daydream...)

Well, before you all start roaming through Itunes for my name, that is, before you say to me 'Have you really released a record?' I am talking about the English electronic dance music act who recently released its 'best of' collection. Actually, I wish it was something I had produced, so much that after downloading it this summer I have adopted it as what would be the theme music to this blog. It has become a firm favourite on my Ipod or in the car, because it is an album that moves, that progresses. When I drive I'm moving. When I'm listening to my Ipod I'm walking or running; moving. This journal or blog or creative space or electronic page with words on or whatever the hell it is, moves with me. It progresses as I carry on my own journey. The album is a symbol of it all. Even the name Chicane is symbolic and appropriate, life is never a straight forward journey.

From the very first tune - the anthem Offshore - the album progresses, it is atmospheric with ambient melodies and shifting moods and tempos. Balearic beats, synthesizers, pianos and guitars come together and take you away. A half-way house tune in the album drops in a chalk-and-cheese combo with the grainy rock voice of Bryan Adams that belts out and reminds you: Don't Give Up. It just works for me. It reminds me. The collaboration with Keane and their sound just tops it off. It never stops. It dwells, yes; it sticks around with you, lingering with you and your thoughts. But it never stops. It goes with me. It accompanies my mind and holds its hand, never leaving its side. Tunes, tunes, melodies, tunes. And then there is the latest single, Poppiholla. Classic Chicane mood. A motorway driving tune.

Like I said, I wish I had enough musical talent to produce tunes like that. I would love to sit in a recording studio to knock out some beats, twiddle some knobs, flick some switches and slide up and down a graphic equaliser. For my own pleasure, for my own ears - and for my friends' ears too, the ones who have danced along with me over the years, the ones who have always been along for the ride.

I have always liked dance music: house music, garage music, whatever you want to call it. As long as it had a beat and a bassline and a melody. I have never changed. I just can't sit or stand still when I hear one. I remember my bedroom mixing days, hours spent standing infront of my DJ house mate's Tecnics decks, spinning grooved vinyl 12 inch records. Then taking it to the club we worked in, me coming out from the bar and into the console filling in for him on his extended cigarette breaks. Creating sounds. I think if I wasn't able to write down words and create sentences, I would have liked to be a musician or producer in some form or another and lay down beats and create sounds.

I think I might have to slip in Underdog by Kasabian in on the end of my soundtrack for my raw moments, or at least that guitar riff. I'm loving that riff. So, please let me get back to twiddling knobs, pressing buttons and sliding switches. In my head that is. I need to turn the light on and the lava lamp off.