Felix Hot Chip picks the tunes

Here's a selection of 10 fine and widely available shots of sunshine - courtesy of Hot Chip's techno guru Felix who was kind enough to share some faves with Tunetourist recently:

Controversy – Prince

I think we should start with this one because Prince is quite a big Hot Chip influence, obviously. I’ve always really liked this track; it’s got a really kind of immediate groove to it that’s really good. A real classic, funky song.

Gotta Serve Somebody - Bob Dylan

One of his Christian era songs, it was a real hit at the time and I like the idea of this critically unpopular period of 'Bob Music' actually getting somewhere in the charts. A really great song.

In My Secret Life – Leonard Cohen

On his quite recent album “Ten New Songs”, it’s latterday Leonard Cohen with quite corny electronic music in the background and I really love it. I think it’s very deep.

The Fat Lady Of Limbourg - Brian Eno

It’s on “Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy” and it’s kind of a short and very surreal song that tells a kind of story that I used to get endless joy listening to when I was a stoned teenager. And I still get joy listening to it now.

Put A Straw Under Baby – Brian Eno

This features Robert Wyatt doing backing vocals and it's got one of those melodies that’s been stuck in my head for the last 20 years or so… So, there must be something pretty amazing about it.

Dominik Eulberg & Gabriel Ananda – Harzer Roller

It got a very kind of organic feel to it, it feels like two musicians experimenting together in a kind of live way but in the context of a minimal techno dance track. From that point of view I think it’s quite close to some of Hot Chip’s music although some people might not see the connection, there’s a very live music feel to it I think.

Noze – Love Affair

This was on our DJ Kicks compilation; a very poppy, quite immediate song with a good groove to it in a slightly unhinged… very unhinged way, in fact.

Apples And Oranges – Pink Floyd

A psychedelic number from when they still had a good Syd Barrett kind of influence, before they went depressing and prog rock. This one’s got completely demented vocal refrains in it and it’s just very odd sounding, quite frightening to listen to. I like the fact that it got to number three in the UK charts.

Whip It – Devo

Just because the way that they used synthesiser sounds is really brilliant, I think. Particularly on this one. They use a kind of percussive synth sound, just the right side of being a bit nerdy and experimental with computers and synthesisers but making something really immediate and funky.

Neon Lights – Kraftwerk

Just a very beautiful piece of electronic music which - when I used to listen to it - it made you think that you could do things with electronic music that you didn’t necessarily think you could do before. It’s very gentle and light but at the same time it’s got this kind of propulsion to it.