Obsessed By Music

Informações:

Sinopsis

Obsessed by Music is a podcast where Rob Esse presents monologues and conversations about an obsession. The obsession is music.

Episodios

  • Is It Possible To Have Too Much Music?

    03/03/2023 Duración: 14min

    There is more music available to us than ever before and the amount is only increasing. Many of us have limitless amounts of music available to us at any time, purely by subscribing to a streaming service. But do we really need so much of it? Maybe less music in front of us could make for deeper listening.  It's certainly great to have so much access but simultaneously it can create a huge mass of opaque choice, noise and distraction. Moreso, our constant search for what else is out there can make us ignore all the great albums we already know, which we could be listening to more frequently.   I think it's important to strike a balance between listening more deeply to music we already know and finding new music to experience as well.  For me, streaming music is generally for music discovery and convenience where needed. Whereas listening to vinyl records, CD's or digital files is for when it's time to appreciate music fully, which is to say, sitting down on a coach in front of a pair of speakers. 

  • A Spotlight On Sound Quality In Music

    22/02/2023 Duración: 29min

    You can follow OBM on Twitter and Instagram -  Sound quality! What is it? Why does it matter? It may be subjective, but I think it is all-important. This episode is a short journey through the history of recorded music.  Early recordings were rough. They weren't great and they certainly weren't high-fidelity. But things have changed since the early days. First there was mono, then stereo, and now we even have spatial audio. We've come from analog tape, cassette tape, vinyl records, through to compact discs (CDs), mp3s, and all of the various digital formats that we have today. And don't get me started on the 'loudness wars' that began in the late 1990's!  Throughout all of these changes, sound quality has evolved over time. The way that music is recorded, mixed and mastered has a huge impact on the end result that the listener hears. Sometimes it can be glorious and at other times is can be disastrous. Case in point, I can't stand the major dynamic range compression used in much of modern music.  However, whe

  • Music Is More Than The Sum Of Its Parts

    13/02/2023 Duración: 17min

    Music is a complex amalgam of melody, harmony, tone, timbre, pitch, rhythm, tempo, instrumentation, vocals, execution, arrangement, mixing, production, distribution and marketing. However, breaking music apart is not so simple and even if it is dissected into individual elements, we never hear those isolated elements alone.  Everything that goes into the making of music is important, yet ultimately, no single element stands out as the most critical. Music is greater than the sum of it’s parts, it is alchemy. When done well, it’s like the greatest illusion or magic trick, but with one major difference - it lasts forever.   

  • Keen on Keane?

    06/02/2023 Duración: 11min

    From the moment I heard Keane's first album I was intrigued. When I heard their second album I was moved. I quickly became a fan of their work. But being a fan doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily love all of an artists' work. Keane have released five albums, their most recent being 2019's Cause and Effect, and it was at this point that I started to question whether I was keen on their latest music. Keane had me feeling hot and cold!  Yet I still enjoy much of their previous output. The reality is we can often have mixed feelings about a band's new music, even when our overall feelings towards their work remain positive. I'm keen to hear album number six.   (Choice tracks from the album 'Cause & Effect': The Way I Feel, Put The Radio On, Chase The Night Away) 

  • Cassette Tape Magic - Alchemy With Dire Straits

    31/01/2023 Duración: 21min

    The first time I heard 'Alchemy' by Dire Straits on cassette tape, many years ago, it was a life-changing musical moment.  This live performance, recorded and then released with no overdubs, introduced me to the work of Dire Straits and the melodic guitar playing of Mark Knopfler in particular. It's an unforgettable concert, one which left an indelible mark on me as a teenage music listener and is arguably one of the great live albums.  

  • Music At An Art Exhibition

    17/02/2022 Duración: 10min

    What role does music play at an Art Exhibition? That's the very question I was in a position to answer following a visit to an art 'presentation' called 'Van Gough and Friends'. Suffice to say I walked out of that experience with as much to think about in relation to the things I heard, compared to the things I saw (i.e. images projected onto a wall) Hear the latest OBM episode to hear my thoughts about music (...not pictures) at an art exhibition*. *Reference to Russian composer Mussorgsky is intentional. 

  • Making Time To Listen To Music

    04/02/2022 Duración: 20min

    With endless activities and responsibilties constantly competing for our attention, it's important to take the time, to make the time, to listen to music. 

  • A Gust Of Wind with Pharrell, Hans & The Daft Punks

    24/10/2021 Duración: 07min

    A song to uplift, a collaboration that gels so well, a track to get us back on the right track. This one deserves a spotlight, so here's a short monologue about 'Gust Of Wind' by Pharrell Williams featuring Daft Punk and Hans Zimmer!   

  • An Eye Mask For Music?

    10/03/2021 Duración: 06min

    Have you ever worn an eye mask? OK, how about putting on an eye mask before listening to an album? In this episode I share an experience I had doing exactly that - when I sat down and wore an eye mask while listening to music. Total darkness, no lights, no visual distractions, nothing but sound, obsessed by music. 

  • A Conversation About Music With Michael O'Neal

    26/02/2021 Duración: 01h23min

    In this episode I speak with Michael O'Neal, during which we have a wide-ranging conversation about the different facets of music. Michael is a drummer, audiophile, and fellow music-lover. He hosts the 'Beginner Audiophile' Podcast, dedicated to bridging the gap between niche hi-fi and mass audio brands. He also runs an award-winning podcast called 'The Solopreneur Hour'. 

  • Tips For Enjoying Music With A Listening Buddy

    24/01/2021 Duración: 14min

    Although I often listen to music alone (and usually late in the evening), that isn't always the case! Sometimes a buddy comes around and we enjoy listening to records together, so this OBM episode is about exactly that. Tune in as I run through my tips for sharing the experience of listening to music with a friend. 

  • Listening To Music Like Nothing Else Matters

    04/10/2020 Duración: 13min

    In this OBM episode I talk about listening to music as the only activity - exploring the idea of listening without distractions, focusing on the music itself rather than anything else, and the difference between hearing something and actually listening to it!  

  • An Invitation For Bob Dylan

    03/07/2020 Duración: 04min

    An invitation for Bob to join me for an episode of the OBM Podcast. The answer my friends, is currently blowing in the wind ;)  In celebration of the release of Bob Dylan's latest album 'Rough And Rowdy Ways' - I recorded this little thing, as I was thinking about his last studio album of original material ('Tempest'). 

  • 5 Songs To Play During Isolation

    25/05/2020 Duración: 12min

    An episode to help with getting through isolation. Here are 5 songs chosen to put some good vibes and positivity into everyone's day :) 

  • Remember Instrumental Music?

    04/12/2019 Duración: 11min

    Do you remember instrumental music? Do you need to? These are a couple of questions I pose when it comes to listening to music that doesn't have vocals and words. Can you 'remember the time' that you heard a piece of instrumental music that you couldn't forget? 

  • No Opening Act - Fishbone And Trombone Shorty

    29/11/2019 Duración: 18min

    Have you ever gone to a concert that had a couple of bands playing but you came mainly to see one act? Well that's exactly what happened when a friend and I went to see Fishbone and Trombone Shorty play on a cool double-bill together. 

  • Anna Calvi Is The Hunter And The Hunted

    30/06/2019 Duración: 15min

    In this episode is my song-by-song review of Anna Calvi’s album ‘Hunter’. It’s a stunning work that both challenges and excites the listener. From a whisper to a scream, from a girl to a boy, from the hunted to a hunter - majestic vocals and music accompany its convention-bending themes. Primal. Real. 

  • New Father, Old Music!

    31/03/2019 Duración: 11min

    After recently becoming a father, I talk about the music we are now listening to with a baby in the room and the impact of older music on a pair of brand new ears :) 

  • A Conversation With Double J's Music Editor Dan Condon (Part 2)

    28/01/2019 Duración: 01h07min

    Here is Part 2 of my chat with Dan Condon, Music Editor at Australian Radio Station Double J. We talk about music criticism, Bob Dylan, his favourite live music performances and more! 

  • A Conversation With Double J's Music Editor Dan Condon (Part 1)

    20/12/2018 Duración: 01h01min

    In this episode of the OBM Podcast I speak with Dan Condon, Music Editor at Australian Radio Station Double J. We talk about his musical upbringing, experiencing musical history in the American south, musicians in the internet age, life as a music journalist and more!     

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