Music

RDIO PLAYLIST OF THE WEEK: Darren King of Mutemath

by Sam Sutherland

Darren King is most recognizable as the only drummer in a major-label band to regularly play with a pair of headphones gaffer-taped to his head. As a founding member of Grammy-nominated prog-pop outfit Mutemath, King is a driving force within the band’s jazz-influenced sound, helping guide their energetic mix of Genesis, New Order, and the sounds of their homebase of New Orleans with emphatic, massive percussion since the band’s inception in 2003.

Mutemath captured listeners and record execs since day one, signing to Warner Bros. through their own Teleprompt Records subsidiary, bypassing the invasive creative machinery of the major label system and tapping straight into the parent company’s massive marketing and distribution network. The result is a band that has spent close to a decade making eclectic, genre-bending music on a major label scale, most recently with their third full-length, Odd Soul.

When approach about making a playlist, King opted to take the creative route of picking a single song for each year from the past decade. He’s offered us an explanation of each choice—full warning, it gets kind of cute at the end.

2000: “Kid A” by Radiohead
I think of this song as the final nail in the coffin. After hearing this I didn’t want to do anything but music for a living. I listened to this, age 18, as I left my childhood home.

2001: “Undo” by Bjork
I will never tire of beauty. To me this song is unrelentingly beautiful. I listened to it repeatedly for comfort while alone in Nashville.

2002: “All We Ever Have is Now” by the Flaming Lips
How can one song be so absurd and so meaningful all at once? Wayne Coyne is how.

2003: “Hand” by Four Tet
This is what David played to keep King Saul from killing him. I don’t even know where to start with this one. Shimmering synths, bass warmth, and a gorgeous beat clambering out of the drum-wreckage.

Other great tracks for this year: “Ominous Cloud” by Broadcast, “My Angel Rocks Back and Forth” by Four Tet

2004: “Naked as we Came” by Iron & Wine
My favorite lyricist of our generation. Profound, simple, makes me remember my grandparents.

2005: “Kule Kule Reprise” by Konono No. 1
I love everything about this song. I just wish I could see this group live.

2006: “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn and John
Feel-good summer fun. My Mom loves this one too, as she should.

2007: “Re: Stacks” by Bon Iver
Here I was alone again in Nashville. Instead of the motherly consolation of Bjork’s Vespertine, I wanted to hear a man agree with me that I was lonely and needed a wife.

Other favourites: “All I Need” and “The Reckoner” by Radiohead

2008: “The Rip” by Portishead
Oddly enough, this haunting song represented hope for me when a young girl in Texas sent me this record in the mail for my Birthday. I married her.

Other favourite: “Machine Gun” by Portishead

2009: “Lovers’ Carvings” by Biblio
Such a happy sounding song. You can’t be wise and in love at the same time, right?

Other lovey-dovey favourite: “Two Doves” by Dirty Projectors

2010: “Dance Yrself Clean” by LCD Soundsystem
I’m just a sucker for synths and epic buildups, both of which are done perfectly here. Thank you, thank you, thank you, James Murphy. I met him once. I was super-fan-annoying and he was completely kind and generous with his words though he really had no reason to be.

Other loves: “Baby Birch” by Joanna Newsom and “Empire Ants” by Gorillaz

2011: “Prytania” by Mutemath
I don’t always love all of our songs but I love this one. I was sitting in a coffee shop today and the barista (a friend) started playing it, I think for the sake of awkwardness. You can’t look cool jamming to your own music in public. Sorry everyone.