The 10 Best Records For 4am, according to Catching Flies
Drawing from a wide spread of sounds including jazz, hip-hop, soul, house and more, Catching Flies is someone who knows how to fit music to a particular mood. Having been hand-selected by Bonobo to support him on tour, the London artist recently collaborated with leading lights Oscar Jerome and Jay Prince on ‘New Gods’, a textural cut which earned wide praise at the time of release and, like many of his compositions, is perfectly suited to that time well after sunset but before sunrise.
Off the back of latest single, ‘Satisfied’, which delves more into the housey spectrum of his remit, he’s put together a list of the ten tracks perfectly suited for 4am, be it in the throes of the club or on the road on the way to catch a flight.
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1. Alice Coltrane – ‘Lovely Sky Boat’
“I had to include some Alice Coltrane in this list, and it was a difficult choice between this and ‘Turiya & Ramakrishna’. I’ve spent a lot of night bus journeys with various Alice Coltrane records. ‘Lovely Sky Boat’ is off ‘A Monastic Trio,’ her first solo album, and probably my favourite. The way this tune drifts in and out of different narratives effortlessly is amazing… and the way it manages to have such a groove but remain so light at the same time is something I draw influence from and attempt to do in my own music.”
2. A Silver Mt. Zion – ‘13 Angels Standing Guard ‘round The Side Of Your Bed’
“I love the build on this. Those vocals at the beginning set such a scene. I rediscovered this on an Asia tour a few weeks back. It came up on shuffle at 5am on a misty/raining morning en route to Taipei Airport after playing a show the night before. It was perfect!”
3. Dobie -‘Cloud 98 3/4’
“This is a classic, and still feels pretty timeless to me. 1998!! It was also one of the first tunes that got me interested in producing. I’ve listened to this thousands of times, and I’m still not bored of it.”
4. Francesco Tristano – ‘The Melody (Carl Craig Beatless Remix)’
“This is based around that hypnotic keys lick, and just keeps going and going (in a good way). I’ve always wanted to end a set with this but never found the right moment. But it’s definitely a good one for a sunrise…”
5. Jesse James Solomon – ‘City Lights’
“Been into Jesse’s output for a few years and this is a good place to start. His first EP (which I think came out in 2014) ‘Jesse From SE’ is also really good.”
6. Huerco S. – ‘Cubist Camouflage’
“I love the synth-work in this tune. There’s a lot going on but it sounds simple – everything flows perfectly and you don’t notice all the subtle changes. One of those tunes that reveals more details on each listen. I’m pretty sure it’s all made on synths but sounds really organic. This is off Huerco S’s LP ‘Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have).’ The whole album is super beautiful. It’s one of my go-to records for early morning flights.”
7. Marvin Horsch – ‘Sun After Rain’
“I started my DJ sets with this for ages. I found it was the perfect tune to reset the club after the person playing before you. The production is amazing, as is the sense of space.”
8. Billy Cobham – ‘Heather’
“A classic… one of my favourite tunes of all time so had to include this. This was sampled by Souls of Mischief in ’93 Til Infinity’. Wait for the sax solo at the end!”
9. Black Taffy – ‘Geraldine’
“The lo-fi beats scene seems to be pretty saturated at the moment but this stands out for me. It’s put together really tastefully and I love the harp samples.”
10. Analogue Dear – ‘You Were Only but a Dreamer, Trying to Be Forgotten’
“I love the tone of this piano. It has such a character and all the creaks and squeaks of the keys make everything feel intimate. The breathless vocals top it all off. They could be saying anything and it’s kind of left to the listener to draw whatever meaning they want from the tune.”
Listen to Catching Flies’ latest single, ‘Satisfied’:
