Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

11. Ray LynchDeep Breakfast

I found this record when I was still on Orcas Island, and I know I had it on cassette. It’s hard to remember my exact discovery of this because it’s such an old one that’s been in my life for so long. I think this album is made on a [Yamaha] DX7, and it feels like candy when you’re listening to it. The synth solos are just really bold, and I wish I could be so bold. It’s a very particular vein of boldness. It’s right on the edge where there are these solos that make you think that it’s almost so cheesy that you can’t handle it. There was a time when I was really obsessed with finding music that was right on that edge, and intrigued by what it was that would make it go over that line. How comes this is OK, and something else isn’t?

How was that process of discovering music when you were younger and living on Orcas?

It was so fun. There used to be – it burned down unfortunately – a barter place where you could bring one thing and then take something. Also, they wouldn’t say no to you though if you just didn’t have something to bring at that time. I would use it as a music library, grab a record then bring it back; grab a tape, bring it back.

Did that mean finding a lot of music that you didn’t like as well as things that you did like?

Oh yeah, but it was also quite enjoyable to find that music that I didn’t like. I found a lot of weird music through it. There was quite a lot of, I guess it’s called positive rap. But there was an amazing collection of new age and world music.

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