Music and snowboarding - my two great passions. The first
and last thing I think about each day. Effortlessly complimentary, with one
infinitely enhancing the other when a perfect match of track and snow is made.
If you're as much of a musical purist as myself, choosing the
tracks you ride to is no small matter. There’s a lot to think about. After all,
the songs you listen to ultimately soundtrack your truest moments of freedom:
the time you spend closest to nature, and the time you spend defying it. The
tracks you shred to will inevitably score the best days of your life - that day
you conquered the mountain, that perfect power day, the day you stuck the
landing clean, and the days you forgot you had 9 – 5 stresses. No pressure then.
Profoundness aside, I do believe that snowboarding
and music just make each other better. Not only can music help your performance
on the board, it can help you recall and remember the good times with more fondness.
Music can carry you up that freezing chairlift, or give you an energy boost to trudge
through the deepest powder to hit that once in a lifetime spot. As Richard Ashcroft says many many times over 4 minutes, music is power.
As I’m sure you’re all well aware, there have been countless
scientific studies into the ‘power of music’. In truth there are a way too
many disciplines and approaches examining this concept to discuss at length here (though this viral video
is one heart warming example). Extreme sports athletes particularly seem to draw power from
music. Almost every snowboarding video you see these days shows at least one rider directly plugged into their MP3 player as if its an actual power source. Of course, these same riders are then shown dropping some "next level shiz". This isn't merely coincidence, is it?
I personally ride with the vain hope that the ‘Mozart effect’ will magically help me stomp a perfect switch back 9, but considering I still find button lifts an unexpected challenge, I think that this hope is a little bit pipe dream. Nevertheless, our apparent need to harness and utilise the power of music at a personal level has emerged as lucrative market. Sadly, the technology that enables us put good music to good use is valued much more highly than the music itself. People are more than happy to spend their money on a smart phone or a music player. Disappointingly, many of these people then cringe at music prices, and hunt out the nearest torrent. I do find it a little bizarre that people have such an eversion to supporting the artists and musicians that give such desirable pieces of tech a purpose and a soul. Our society seems to crave technology, but it fails to see that its the creative content produced by artists, not the gadgets themselves, that makes their lives more fulfilling.
2012 was yet another year where music sales struggled, but almost counter-intuitively headphones sales appeared to grow exponentially. 2012 could easily have been dubbed 'the year of headphones'. Snowboarding, like mainstream fashion, has seen a huge increase in the number of dedicated brands providing stylish cans to wear whilst you get it done on the slopes. Mercifully snowboarding/headphone crossover brands, such as ‘Frends’ for example, have adopted more bespoke approaches to audio gear. With snowboarding culture acting as the foundation for these brands, they seem to go about their day-to-day business with a reverence to the unwritten rider's ethos of 'independence'. This is stark contrast to the Beats by Dre cash cow, for example - a brand which seems to reek of ‘look the same’, ‘fit in’ and ‘be like everyone else / Justin Bieber’.
Pro Vox - Jenny Jones
"Do you have a track you can’t stop listening to when you ride?"
@sirscottofmac two songs from drive soundtrack, rad for first runs in the morning
— Jenny Jones (@jennyjonessnow) January 1, 2013
I personally ride with the vain hope that the ‘Mozart effect’ will magically help me stomp a perfect switch back 9, but considering I still find button lifts an unexpected challenge, I think that this hope is a little bit pipe dream. Nevertheless, our apparent need to harness and utilise the power of music at a personal level has emerged as lucrative market. Sadly, the technology that enables us put good music to good use is valued much more highly than the music itself. People are more than happy to spend their money on a smart phone or a music player. Disappointingly, many of these people then cringe at music prices, and hunt out the nearest torrent. I do find it a little bizarre that people have such an eversion to supporting the artists and musicians that give such desirable pieces of tech a purpose and a soul. Our society seems to crave technology, but it fails to see that its the creative content produced by artists, not the gadgets themselves, that makes their lives more fulfilling.
2012 was yet another year where music sales struggled, but almost counter-intuitively headphones sales appeared to grow exponentially. 2012 could easily have been dubbed 'the year of headphones'. Snowboarding, like mainstream fashion, has seen a huge increase in the number of dedicated brands providing stylish cans to wear whilst you get it done on the slopes. Mercifully snowboarding/headphone crossover brands, such as ‘Frends’ for example, have adopted more bespoke approaches to audio gear. With snowboarding culture acting as the foundation for these brands, they seem to go about their day-to-day business with a reverence to the unwritten rider's ethos of 'independence'. This is stark contrast to the Beats by Dre cash cow, for example - a brand which seems to reek of ‘look the same’, ‘fit in’ and ‘be like everyone else / Justin Bieber’.
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Dr Dre's 'Beats' headphones gate crashed the London 2012 Olympic games setting the standard for mass audio-fashion
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Of course, the 'on board' music experience isn't the only way boarding and music combine. Snowboarding, like skateboarding before it, is cultivating its own exciting and unique fringe music movements and arts culture. Increasing numbers of snowsport-centric acts are appearing. Its interesting that whilst the snowboarding community at large continually fights to maintain its own 'alternative' identity, paradoxically it also appears to be easing itself into mainstream culture. Snowboarding is slowly but surely co-opting big name DJ’s, as well as numerous producers and acts who wish to differentiate themselves from the charts, or be associated with snowboarding's lifestyle choices. Of course some just want to play the unique events and festivals (like Snowbombing for example). It may even be the case that snowboardings' 'counter-culture' is just becoming more accessible. However, this also seems to be true for other 'energy drink affiliated sports' and their unique cultures. Coincidental? I think not.
If we're honest, its no big surprise that the free market economy has found a discreet way to infiltrate extreme sports' largely defensive and cliquey sense of identity. Its just a little strange the market intruded via the medium of energy drinks of all things. This is not to say the presence of energy drinks is a bad thing, the jury is still out. Sure, they might not be good for you, but they finance a lot within the extreme sporting world. Not only do they sponsor live events, and pump money into action sports, these fizzy caffeine brands also do exactly the same sort of things for music. Energy drinks are essentially a self appoint 'culture fuel'. Red Bull even have a record label. Rather cleverly Red Bull use their own artists to soundtrack whatever "Whoa! Cool!" ad campaign they then wish to push. Case point - AWOLNATION (aka, abuse of caps lock) provides the song for this frankly inspired video / advert in disguise:
As the above video demonstrates, it seems that Red Bull have learnt one thing from extreme sports culture: a good choice of song can make a video edit great, and great videos and great songs get remembered - the Art of Flight, anyone? The awe inspiring big mountain epic / Red Bull über ad? (Who knew helicopters had so much ad space on them?)
Cynicism aside, the soundtracks on shred flicks have always been, and continue to be a point of artistic and personal expression. Soundtracking an edit still remains a potent channel for musicians to widen their audience reach, or claim endorsement by revered sporting icons. You could also argue these films map the socio-cultural borders of where snowboarding culture and popular culture overlap. The Art of Flight is particularly interesting in this regard, as it is arguably the most commercially orientated pure snowboarding film ever released - its soundtrack indulges popular culture whilst simultaneously thrusting lesser appreciated artists onto new audiences and unsuspecting potential fanbases.
So I know what you’re thinking, “Blah Blah Blah, music is
great, or at least it used to be before I read this long winded obituary of an article. When will this now legnthy article get to a list of tunes I can cruise too?!? Blah.”
Well, that’s a good question, if you’re going for a cruise… What if you’re hitting the backcountry, or sessioning the park? Music can absolutely make riding better, but only if you make good musical choices to ride to.
Well, that’s a good question, if you’re going for a cruise… What if you’re hitting the backcountry, or sessioning the park? Music can absolutely make riding better, but only if you make good musical choices to ride to.
So now, take a quick moment, and ask yourself - what do you need the music to do for you? Do you need
inspiration, or just a beat to hold your flow to? Are you hoping to emulate a hero?
Will riding to the music from their latest vid part really push you to their
level? Or do you just want to loose yourself completely in the moment? So much
to think about… and over think about.
Personally, I’ve found that certain genres match certain riding
styles and moods. So, I have rustled up a couple of ‘Match my mood and/or style
to a genre of music’ info graphics (click here to use them). These hopefully will offer some playlist inspiration, or at least get you thinking. Ultimately, any given day, you know yourself, and your mood, what you want to ride, and which tunes get you going.
So without any further ado, here is my list of:
Scott's Top Ten Tracks To Ride To
Of course these are just a few tracks from a much longer (constantly evolving) playlist, but they are my
most played. I’ve also put a bit of an explanation about why I’ve chosen each; part
sentiment, part taste. 100% bliss. Enjoy.
- Hybrid - Finished Symphony - My first exposure to snowboarding was through playing SSX tricky. I gave the game a go because it looked a bit like skateboarding. This track was used on the back-country level "Untracked". Ever since hearing this song whilst cruising the virtual off-pieste I knew that one day I wanted to do that.
- Skrillex - Summit - The soundtrack to my first off-pieste expedition.
- Eagles of Death Metal - I Want You So Hard - Something to ride fast and angry to.
- Pretty Lights - High School Art Class - Musical inspiration and wishful emulation - this track is used by Torstein Horgmo in an edit for DC. The music made that video part something especially inspiring.
- The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary - I first heard this whilst playing Dave Mirra, I couldn't get into BMX but I've skated and snowboarded to this track ever since.
- Bon Iver - Skinny Love (Das Kapital Re-Rub) - I first heard this on a short but steezy edit by Torstein Horgmo (he curates his vid's music really well). The beat is big and consistent, and the song has a gentle flow. Its just great to ride to.
- Placebo - Every You, Every Me - I first heard this song watching the Flip Skateboards' film 'Sorry'. Mark Appleyard hits a perfect Kickflip over a barrel in his first line, and goes on to hit some of the best looking grinds ever seen. I've associated this song with style ever since. Style is style is style.
- Coldplay - Paradise - I guess this will be a contentious choice because it is cool (and easy) to hate Coldplay. I get that. However, when riding in 'all time conditions', its not worth the effort to hate the beat and sentiment of this song. Its soundtracked some good times. Plus, getting Brian Eno in as producer was tantamount to buying surplus cool points so you can give them out free to haters.
- Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know - This band is so full of energy they effortlessly breathe an extra few runs into any day on the mountain. In truth, I probably could have chosen any of their songs because they're so hook happy, but 'What You Know' is still the first and last track I ride to from their albums.
- The Wombats - Tokyo Vampire and Wolves - Is a story about escapism, and feeling free from yourself. It also reminds me that I absolutely need to go to Japan, and sample their back country powder. No, this is not a drugs reference.
So, there you have it. I hope this article has helped you on your quest to enjoy music and riding even more than you may have done before (assuming that was your quest). But, you know what? Sometimes you just don't want to listen to anything other than the sound of your descent - the sound of the mountain, and the tear of snow under you as you ride. We spend a lot of time listening to that which people have made. Sometimes, silence is golden, and other times we should just lend our ear to nature. So, in the exact opposite spirit of this entire article. When you're next riding a majestic unspoilt decent, make time to listen to nature as well.
And now time for an inconclusive, unnecessary and somewhat wanky final paragraph:
Humans may be nothing more than the sum total of all they've experienced in life to date. As a consequence, our personal tastes in music may also be nothing
more than the product of circumstance, society, and nurture. One thing is for
sure, times change, and I know my playlist will change with it. In an age where technology and music can be omniscient we search for our few timeless moments. If we live these moments with a soundtrack, we also compile our greatest
playlists. Let the snow settle, but never let the music settle... until its perfect.
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