The Cosmic Sunshine https://paragraph.com/@the-cosmic-sunshine a sonic and visual experience from New York City Fri, 21 Aug 2026 02:22:30 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html https://github.com/jpmonette/feed en The Cosmic Sunshine https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/c475d878ee008b0c118b40f9afaae74ea52a0c77a357792927887e8cfa876d2c.jpg https://paragraph.com/@the-cosmic-sunshine All rights reserved <![CDATA[Autumn Records]]> https://paragraph.com/@the-cosmic-sunshine/autumn-records gKyvDr066NxR19VafQoD Tue, 08 Nov 2022 20:58:01 GMT Hi all,

Back from the dead as always. Going to try and be more punctual on creating more content, I’ve just been hibernating for the past couple of weeks and have been focused on other things at the moment.

Wanted to share more records and music I’ve been listening to lately and give some of my thoughts on the matter

have had this record on repeat for the past couple of weeks. Donald Fagen is an amazing songwriter and he really hit a home run on this solo record. It still has that quintessential Steely Dan jazziness and vocal inflections that make the music very witty and almost comedic at points but this record has a great balance of ballads and faster tunes. Apparently they used this record in the 80's to test HiFi audiophile systems due to its great production by Gary Katz who also produced for Steely Dan. He really captures well a time in America right before the British Invasion and in tunes like Maxine and New Frontier, I think this ambience shines amazingly. The keyboard playing and harmonies on this record are top-notch and I really recommend everyone give this one a listen. Favorites on this one are Green Flower St, Maxine, New Frontier and the Goodbye Look. I'm a sucker for a good bossa groove
have had this record on repeat for the past couple of weeks. Donald Fagen is an amazing songwriter and he really hit a home run on this solo record. It still has that quintessential Steely Dan jazziness and vocal inflections that make the music very witty and almost comedic at points but this record has a great balance of ballads and faster tunes. Apparently they used this record in the 80's to test HiFi audiophile systems due to its great production by Gary Katz who also produced for Steely Dan. He really captures well a time in America right before the British Invasion and in tunes like Maxine and New Frontier, I think this ambience shines amazingly. The keyboard playing and harmonies on this record are top-notch and I really recommend everyone give this one a listen. Favorites on this one are Green Flower St, Maxine, New Frontier and the Goodbye Look. I'm a sucker for a good bossa groove
.While we're on the topic of Steely Dan, wanted to talk about this record which I've also been getting into. I feel like Steely Dan is a band that takes some effort at times to get into. But this record hooks you pretty well with the first tune Bodhisattva which has a great blues groove going. I think this record is where the Steely sound really begins to develop into the more jazzy-rock sound that you hear on Aja and Gaucho. Walter Becker has some great guitar runs on this record. Favorites on this one are My Old School, Your Gold Teeth and Pearl of the Quarter
.While we're on the topic of Steely Dan, wanted to talk about this record which I've also been getting into. I feel like Steely Dan is a band that takes some effort at times to get into. But this record hooks you pretty well with the first tune Bodhisattva which has a great blues groove going. I think this record is where the Steely sound really begins to develop into the more jazzy-rock sound that you hear on Aja and Gaucho. Walter Becker has some great guitar runs on this record. Favorites on this one are My Old School, Your Gold Teeth and Pearl of the Quarter
Unfold by Melody's Echo Chamber is a great record. While not necessarily new considering these are older songs that were produced almost 10 years ago with Kevin Parker, it is good to be able to listen to it in full quality on streaming services. I remember listening to Norfolk Hotel on repeat for months a couple of years ago on Youtube when it was uploaded as Father's Day. It's great to have more music that has the sound of Melody's debut which is one of my favorite records of the 2010's. The fuzzed out KP guitars complement Melody's ethereal voice very well and it's very euphoric music in my opinion. Melody has always shown herself to be an extremely talented artist in many regards from My Bee's Garden to her solo work. I loved her latest work Emotional Eternal and also Bon Voyage but this is a great treat of a record to get more of that debut sound. Hoping to catch her live when she comes to New York next year. Her music has been the soundtrack to many moments in my life. Favorites of this one are Norfolk Hotel, From Pink they Fell into Blue and Pêcheuse de Lune
Unfold by Melody's Echo Chamber is a great record. While not necessarily new considering these are older songs that were produced almost 10 years ago with Kevin Parker, it is good to be able to listen to it in full quality on streaming services. I remember listening to Norfolk Hotel on repeat for months a couple of years ago on Youtube when it was uploaded as Father's Day. It's great to have more music that has the sound of Melody's debut which is one of my favorite records of the 2010's. The fuzzed out KP guitars complement Melody's ethereal voice very well and it's very euphoric music in my opinion. Melody has always shown herself to be an extremely talented artist in many regards from My Bee's Garden to her solo work. I loved her latest work Emotional Eternal and also Bon Voyage but this is a great treat of a record to get more of that debut sound. Hoping to catch her live when she comes to New York next year. Her music has been the soundtrack to many moments in my life. Favorites of this one are Norfolk Hotel, From Pink they Fell into Blue and Pêcheuse de Lune
had a dive into miles' catalog again a couple of weeks back and stumbled on this gem. This is a pretty weird record in my opinion but it has some great moments on it. It gets very psychedelic at times and the bitches brew sound that came soon after shines on this record. The off kilter drums and the sporadic Rhodes make a great ambience that complements Miles' horn pretty well. A very drastic change of sound from Kind of Blue which was only 9 years before this record was released in 1968. Miles was hanging with Hendrix around this time so it's no wonder we get this tripped out jazz fusion. Favorites of this are Tout de Suite and Frelon brun.
had a dive into miles' catalog again a couple of weeks back and stumbled on this gem. This is a pretty weird record in my opinion but it has some great moments on it. It gets very psychedelic at times and the bitches brew sound that came soon after shines on this record. The off kilter drums and the sporadic Rhodes make a great ambience that complements Miles' horn pretty well. A very drastic change of sound from Kind of Blue which was only 9 years before this record was released in 1968. Miles was hanging with Hendrix around this time so it's no wonder we get this tripped out jazz fusion. Favorites of this are Tout de Suite and Frelon brun.
one of my favorite projects i've heard recently. My first introduction to Ginger Root was thru his song "Loretta" which played on the City Pop revival which Youtube spurred relatively recently. I'm a big City Pop fan and love artists like Tatsuro Yamashita, Masayoshi Takanaka and Anri. City Pop and Yacht Rock go pretty much hand in hand. What I particularly love about Ginger Root is how he constructs his own entire universe where after having to fill in for a pop singer, he becomes famous and starts his own pop career as a big star. He creates amazing music videos and gets even the smallest details right to where you can't help but be fully immersed in the world he creates. The music also has that City Pop flair to it and gets very funky at times. Favorites off this are Loneliness and the title track.
one of my favorite projects i've heard recently. My first introduction to Ginger Root was thru his song "Loretta" which played on the City Pop revival which Youtube spurred relatively recently. I'm a big City Pop fan and love artists like Tatsuro Yamashita, Masayoshi Takanaka and Anri. City Pop and Yacht Rock go pretty much hand in hand. What I particularly love about Ginger Root is how he constructs his own entire universe where after having to fill in for a pop singer, he becomes famous and starts his own pop career as a big star. He creates amazing music videos and gets even the smallest details right to where you can't help but be fully immersed in the world he creates. The music also has that City Pop flair to it and gets very funky at times. Favorites off this are Loneliness and the title track.
another great recent release by my wonderful friend Frank. I've known Frank for years and have been in the studio with him countless times listening to him fine tune this record again and again but in the end it was all worth it. This record has a great ambience and the synth work and drums on it really shine. that's what happens when you have a $3,000 synth and a great vintage ludwig kit hahah. The album has a very silky sound as should be expected from an artist named Morning Silk and it walks a great balance of full on pop yet with tinges of goth and rock at times. I remember walking into H&M last year and hearing Don't Try Hard Enough playing on the speakers so whatever's he doing, it seems to be working. Favorites on this one are How You Do It, So Fun and Not the Only Way.
another great recent release by my wonderful friend Frank. I've known Frank for years and have been in the studio with him countless times listening to him fine tune this record again and again but in the end it was all worth it. This record has a great ambience and the synth work and drums on it really shine. that's what happens when you have a $3,000 synth and a great vintage ludwig kit hahah. The album has a very silky sound as should be expected from an artist named Morning Silk and it walks a great balance of full on pop yet with tinges of goth and rock at times. I remember walking into H&M last year and hearing Don't Try Hard Enough playing on the speakers so whatever's he doing, it seems to be working. Favorites on this one are How You Do It, So Fun and Not the Only Way.

That’s all for now.

Thanks for reading and will be back soon with more records that’ll tickle your brain and drive you insane…

-Michael

]]> the-cosmic-sunshine@newsletter.paragraph.com (The Cosmic Sunshine) <![CDATA[What is more important in a song? Rhythm, Harmony or Melody?]]> https://paragraph.com/@the-cosmic-sunshine/what-is-more-important-in-a-song-rhythm-harmony-or-melody WGYGsbn9re9CHT71xPtP Wed, 10 Aug 2022 01:23:15 GMT The more music I listen to, the more I ask myself this rhetorical question of what makes a song good?

Is it the cool chord progressions that make the harmony inquisitive and never allow the song to return to the root in order to give the listener a sense of unease?

Or is it the slapping drum beat? See Led Zeppelin IV for a song that has a rhythm that is immediately recognizable…

and finally, is it a simple, catchy melody that will bounce around a listener’s head all week? Having them hum it to themselves while they brush their teeth?

Music is too subjective to ever have a definitive answer as to what makes a good song good in my opinion.

Classical composers like John Cage have toyed with this idea in the past, creating pieces like 4’33’’, which is a piece of music that requires silence for the whole time, with the actual audible noises being the crowd.

It’s hard sometimes to define what we even like. Most casual music listeners have music forced upon them and that has mostly been the case with the record label model, the executives gatekept the industry for so long but for the past 10-15 years, consumer music software has become so powerful and thanks to Moore’s Law, so has our computing power.

I wanted to share a couple of different records I’ve been listening to recently and some thoughts.

Gung Ho by Kolumbo is a very impressive record. I'd never heard of Kolumbo until the L'Clair show at the Sultan Room in June where Kolumbo was opening and he came prepared with a full vintage synth setup, sporting a Fender Rhodes and Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Rev 3 and a full Vintage Mellotron. This record just oozes Jobim vibes and spacey Bossa Nova vibes. Kolumbo is an amazing live band as well, breezing thru the complicated synth lines with ease. This record has it all nailed down, amazing rhythms, amazing harmonies and amazing melodies. Can't wait to hear more and catch another live set. Some favorites off this one are Lost Paraiso and the Key Club, 1976.
Gung Ho by Kolumbo is a very impressive record. I'd never heard of Kolumbo until the L'Clair show at the Sultan Room in June where Kolumbo was opening and he came prepared with a full vintage synth setup, sporting a Fender Rhodes and Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Rev 3 and a full Vintage Mellotron. This record just oozes Jobim vibes and spacey Bossa Nova vibes. Kolumbo is an amazing live band as well, breezing thru the complicated synth lines with ease. This record has it all nailed down, amazing rhythms, amazing harmonies and amazing melodies. Can't wait to hear more and catch another live set. Some favorites off this one are Lost Paraiso and the Key Club, 1976.

Listen here:

https://kolumbo.bandcamp.com/album/gung-ho

Confusions by L'Eclair is a great record as well. It's funny to me how they called this record Confusions considering that's how I feel whenever I try to describe L'Eclair. A good term I've heard before is Post-Rock, because while L'Eclair uses distorted guitars and keyboards ala 70's rock and funk, the ambience and texture of their music goes much deeper than any one genre. Their music sounds like so many things at once yet still fresh on its own. L'Eclair is a amazing live band and have some amazing musicianship. I love instrumental music but it has to be really good instrumental music for one to captivate a crowd. It's hard enough with a full band and a singer so once you remove the singer, the music and sounds need to be solid and L'Eclair delivers heavily on that.
Confusions by L'Eclair is a great record as well. It's funny to me how they called this record Confusions considering that's how I feel whenever I try to describe L'Eclair. A good term I've heard before is Post-Rock, because while L'Eclair uses distorted guitars and keyboards ala 70's rock and funk, the ambience and texture of their music goes much deeper than any one genre. Their music sounds like so many things at once yet still fresh on its own. L'Eclair is a amazing live band and have some amazing musicianship. I love instrumental music but it has to be really good instrumental music for one to captivate a crowd. It's hard enough with a full band and a singer so once you remove the singer, the music and sounds need to be solid and L'Eclair delivers heavily on that.

Listen here:

https://leclairband.bandcamp.com/album/confusions

Pachyman came across my TikTok feed many times over the past couple of weeks with his studio videos. At first, I only poked around his page to see his studio setup, he has a nice Tascam mixer in most of his videos, but once I began to hear his music, I was very interested. As a musician and producer, every note you play means something and lately i've embraced the principles of dub, less is more. Texture and space is something I've always loved playing with in my own music and I'm always looking for new recipes to try. Going to make some OG style dub records now I guess.. highly recommend this record and his earlier records. Can't wait to catch a live Pachyman set in the future.
Pachyman came across my TikTok feed many times over the past couple of weeks with his studio videos. At first, I only poked around his page to see his studio setup, he has a nice Tascam mixer in most of his videos, but once I began to hear his music, I was very interested. As a musician and producer, every note you play means something and lately i've embraced the principles of dub, less is more. Texture and space is something I've always loved playing with in my own music and I'm always looking for new recipes to try. Going to make some OG style dub records now I guess.. highly recommend this record and his earlier records. Can't wait to catch a live Pachyman set in the future.

Listen here:

https://pachyman.bandcamp.com/album/the-return-of?from=search&search_item_id=494427096&search_item_type=a&search_match_part=%3F&search_page_id=2138576313&search_page_no=1&search_rank=2&search_sig=494285367cd89e00f720dc5fc4e4ad73

This record is a breath of fresh air to me personally. My family is Colombian and my childhood was spent listening to music like this from all the older legends. I couldn't really name you a song or an artist to be perfectly honest with you but I know so many songs simply by their harmonies and rhythms. I found Quantic on Instagram a couple years ago totally unrelated to his music. He has a cool old Mercedes he had some pics of in Jackson Heights, which is where I grew up so I got curious. It turned out Quantic is actually as OG as it gets, living in Cali, Colombia for a couple of years and making records with all the OGs of Colombia. Hard to not respect someone who travels halfway around the world to learn about a different culture and language and then helps further develop that culture. Quantic's talent really shines on this record through the latin textures and rhythms that ooze out everywhere. Furthermore, the authenticity of this record is further bolden by the singers on the record. If you played me "El Chiclan" and told me it was from the 70's, I would 100% believe you. Truly fooled me at first. Amazing record that now has me diving into Quantic's discography which is massive.
This record is a breath of fresh air to me personally. My family is Colombian and my childhood was spent listening to music like this from all the older legends. I couldn't really name you a song or an artist to be perfectly honest with you but I know so many songs simply by their harmonies and rhythms. I found Quantic on Instagram a couple years ago totally unrelated to his music. He has a cool old Mercedes he had some pics of in Jackson Heights, which is where I grew up so I got curious. It turned out Quantic is actually as OG as it gets, living in Cali, Colombia for a couple of years and making records with all the OGs of Colombia. Hard to not respect someone who travels halfway around the world to learn about a different culture and language and then helps further develop that culture. Quantic's talent really shines on this record through the latin textures and rhythms that ooze out everywhere. Furthermore, the authenticity of this record is further bolden by the singers on the record. If you played me "El Chiclan" and told me it was from the 70's, I would 100% believe you. Truly fooled me at first. Amazing record that now has me diving into Quantic's discography which is massive.

Listen here:

https://quanticmusic.bandcamp.com/?from=search&search_item_id=3000290995&search_item_type=b&search_match_part=%3F&search_page_id=2138576593&search_page_no=1&search_rank=1&search_sig=4349253279808baf53b646e33cc3ef84

was shown a song off this record a couple of weeks back and thought this record was ground-breaking. it's produced by giorgio moroder... what else do you need to know? Sparks is a band I haven't really heard of until recently but they were a very influential band that tried to experiment a lot and No. 1 In Heaven is a result of one of those experiments. I love me a good synth-pop song and these songs don't disappoint by holding a traditional structure while still using very new sounds. Great hooks all over and full of arps and synth sequences, which I love.
was shown a song off this record a couple of weeks back and thought this record was ground-breaking. it's produced by giorgio moroder... what else do you need to know? Sparks is a band I haven't really heard of until recently but they were a very influential band that tried to experiment a lot and No. 1 In Heaven is a result of one of those experiments. I love me a good synth-pop song and these songs don't disappoint by holding a traditional structure while still using very new sounds. Great hooks all over and full of arps and synth sequences, which I love.

Listen here:

As always, you can listen to my own music here

https://www.thecosmicsunshine.com/music

and follow me on social media here

https://www.thecosmicsunshine.com/contact

looking to get more consistent with my posts and content, it’s just overwhelming sometimes.

All the best and much love to all! Let’s heal this world with music

- Michael

]]> the-cosmic-sunshine@newsletter.paragraph.com (The Cosmic Sunshine) <![CDATA[Turn on and tune into the sounds....]]> https://paragraph.com/@the-cosmic-sunshine/turn-on-and-tune-into-the-sounds GArHisOUSIzp2KcHUUys Sun, 10 Jul 2022 08:13:44 GMT Is what I was writing in 2017 when I was still making shitty demos (although I still am I’d hope they slap a little harder than they did back then) and is still what I am writing now…

Lately I’ve found myself wearing a lot of hats musically and I’ve been trying to dive deeper into more niches and subgenres that I really like.

Stuff like Roulé and Crydamoure is just the best when played loud and bassy.

Aphex Twin has some crazy breaks in Syro that make me go mental.

Been loving Mall Grab lately too. He’s a dope producer.

Trying to curate some of that French House/Touch but with a Bossa Nova/Latin Feel to it still.

This is what I’m currently honing in on I feel.

Those syncopated rhythms truly hit the core of a human being and give them that mystical experience of music.

Rhythm is the most primal and pure form of music there is.

Just people banging drums next to a campfire and dancing the night away…

These past years I’ve studied lots of harmony and melody but after hearing some crazy UK Bass House remixes lately, makes me regret not diving in sooner.

Going to be releasing a new track in the coming weeks and want to make it very special and in person so been plotting…

In the meantime I’ve prepared a special mix (my first DJ mix technically lol idk I’ve DJ-ed before but never recorded) for you all!

https://soundcloud.com/thecosmicsunshine/the-cosmic-sunshine-tune-in-dj-mix7102022?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Really want to emphasize to everyone who’ve shown love and support over the years with my music, it really does not go unnoticed.

Music is truly my passion and in these terrible times of plague and war and who fucking knows what, at least we have our families, our health and our music.

Sending much love to everyone, especially those who need it right now.

This world has become genuinely psychotic recently and I just want everyone to stay safe and cherish this beautiful dream of life….

Once again, thank you for listening….

Until we meet again…

]]> the-cosmic-sunshine@newsletter.paragraph.com (The Cosmic Sunshine) <![CDATA[Updates and Looking Forward for 2022]]> https://paragraph.com/@the-cosmic-sunshine/updates-and-looking-forward-for-2022 UGsOVzuNZKSvJXMn3HtK Mon, 06 Jun 2022 00:33:12 GMT Apologies for going AWOL.

I assume no one actually reads these posts but if you are a human being reading this….

Greetings!

After more than 4 years, I’ve finally graduated from University with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science.

Been a long time coming….

Lots of late nights studying and running on little to no sleep and chugging coffee and smoking cigarettes just to get some semblance of cognition back into my fried brain.

While I learned very much in Uni, I always felt stifled intellectually. It feels like the past couple of years have been spent just going through the motions and getting passing grades just to pass.

Now that my time at school is over, I finally feel free to learn what I really want to learn and most importantly, pursue my many passions in life.

As far as music goes, my tastes have become even more varied as time goes on.

Lately, I’ve been loving more softer music. Been diving back into Jazz and Blues.

Also been loving music with lyrics that tell stories and give you full stories.

Been loving this record recently. Glamour Profession and Time Out of Mind are my favorites. Steely Dan has a real charm to their music. You can't help but sing along after a certain point since the melodies are so infectious. Furthermore, Steely Dan has probably the best sounding records of all time. The musicianship and production on these records is incredible. Highly recommend this record as a introduction to Steely Dan.
Been loving this record recently. Glamour Profession and Time Out of Mind are my favorites. Steely Dan has a real charm to their music. You can't help but sing along after a certain point since the melodies are so infectious. Furthermore, Steely Dan has probably the best sounding records of all time. The musicianship and production on these records is incredible. Highly recommend this record as a introduction to Steely Dan.
Have had this record on repeat for the past couple of months. I love the first two Papooz records and this one is no exception. At a first listen, I noticed it was full of slower songs and what made me loved Papooz was that cinematic sound combined with the Disco like on Night Sketches. But I really enjoyed this transition into the more narrative driven songs on this record. Saw them live in Brooklyn, NYC in May and they genuinely blew me away. They are amazing live performers and overall amazing musicians and songwriters. Favorites of this one are I'd Rather Be the Moon, Cocaine Angel and Hell of a Woman. These are some cool fucking cats so listen and listen loud!...
Have had this record on repeat for the past couple of months. I love the first two Papooz records and this one is no exception. At a first listen, I noticed it was full of slower songs and what made me loved Papooz was that cinematic sound combined with the Disco like on Night Sketches. But I really enjoyed this transition into the more narrative driven songs on this record. Saw them live in Brooklyn, NYC in May and they genuinely blew me away. They are amazing live performers and overall amazing musicians and songwriters. Favorites of this one are I'd Rather Be the Moon, Cocaine Angel and Hell of a Woman. These are some cool fucking cats so listen and listen loud!...
Love this record as well. Has a great mix of breaks ala BOC but with a tinge of Afro Beats combined with a big Bossa Nova influence. They sound like a more psychedelic instrumental version of Smoke City combined with Massive Attack. Favorite of this is Lebanese Blonde and Illumination.
Love this record as well. Has a great mix of breaks ala BOC but with a tinge of Afro Beats combined with a big Bossa Nova influence. They sound like a more psychedelic instrumental version of Smoke City combined with Massive Attack. Favorite of this is Lebanese Blonde and Illumination.
Love this new Melody's Echo Chamber record as well. I've liked Melody's music even apart from the whole Kevin Parker association. Most people seemingly write her off because of the whole situation but I think her music is very creative and forward thinking and this record proves that. Love the more psych-folk influences combined with the Gainsbourg-esque breaks in the songs. The record also just sounds great from a fidelity and production standpoint. Favorites of this one are The Hypnotist and Where the Water Clears the Illusion. The Hypnotist just oozes suave in the break where she begins to sing in French. Makes me want to chainsmoke bogies all night...
Love this new Melody's Echo Chamber record as well. I've liked Melody's music even apart from the whole Kevin Parker association. Most people seemingly write her off because of the whole situation but I think her music is very creative and forward thinking and this record proves that. Love the more psych-folk influences combined with the Gainsbourg-esque breaks in the songs. The record also just sounds great from a fidelity and production standpoint. Favorites of this one are The Hypnotist and Where the Water Clears the Illusion. The Hypnotist just oozes suave in the break where she begins to sing in French. Makes me want to chainsmoke bogies all night...

As for my own music, I’m always creating. I’ve released a couple of new tunes on different platforms like Audius and Soundcloud. But, as of now I’m prepping to do some more proper single releases. I would like to give each song the attention it deserves.

Going to spend some time just chilling and biding my time for now. Been a long couple years with school and all.

Will try to not go AWOL from now on. Then again, I’m still not sure if I’m writing to Humans or NPC’s. What’s the difference anyway nothing is real and none of this matters now… haha.

Regards,

Michael

]]> the-cosmic-sunshine@newsletter.paragraph.com (The Cosmic Sunshine) <![CDATA[un peu romantique...]]> https://paragraph.com/@the-cosmic-sunshine/un-peu-romantique meC976igKwoGcW7Fg8Xi Thu, 27 Jan 2022 17:11:30 GMT Hello from 2022!

Been laying low and just working on so much content and music these past couple of weeks and just regrouping mentally and physically.

I think it’s very important to stay on top of your health, especially nowadays in these unprecedented times.

But anyways, I wanted to share some music with y’all.

Music is truly one of the great passions of my life. It completes me in ways I’m still trying to understand up to this day.

As a Software Developer and Music Producer, it’s so easy to get hung up on the littlest details.

How the snare sounds, how the kick sounds on the verse, how much reverb is on the clap of the 707…

So many details to the sound.

It’s hard to explain at times to someone who just does not truly get it…

But to most,

Music is like any other commodity.

Something that’s just reached for when desired and then put away after.

but in the end,

Music has always been the universal language of man.

If my words aren’t enough for you, maybe these from Harvard might have you hooked.

Wanted to share some tracks I’ve been listening to recently and some sounds and vibes that have been influencing my latest project…

been having this record on repeat lately. Used to listen to Bossa Nova in HS when I was in the Jazz Band.
another classic Bossa record by the other pioneer of the sound. I've truly forgotten how a simple rhythm can be so impactful. The Bossa Nova Sound was carved out of necessity, since they did not have access to High Fidelity Recording Equipment in Brazil in the 1960's, but necessity is the mother of invention as they say... It's all about the vibe and energy. Always has and always will be. Writing this to just remind myself lol.
another classic Bossa record by the other pioneer of the sound. I've truly forgotten how a simple rhythm can be so impactful. The Bossa Nova Sound was carved out of necessity, since they did not have access to High Fidelity Recording Equipment in Brazil in the 1960's, but necessity is the mother of invention as they say... It's all about the vibe and energy. Always has and always will be. Writing this to just remind myself lol.
here's a real highbrow record for you jazz freaks... doesn't get more psychedelic than this imo... Paco De Lucia is a god on the guitar. Truly one of the greats of all time. His sheer technical ability is unprecedented.
here's a real highbrow record for you jazz freaks... doesn't get more psychedelic than this imo... Paco De Lucia is a god on the guitar. Truly one of the greats of all time. His sheer technical ability is unprecedented.
are you really a new yorker if you don't like simon and garfunkel? is it cool to hate just cause? whatever tho, i'll just enjoy the grooves myself. some of my faves on this one are the dangling conversation, flowers never bend with the rainfall and for emily, wherever I may find her. Love this record and love the person who put me on to it even more.
are you really a new yorker if you don't like simon and garfunkel? is it cool to hate just cause? whatever tho, i'll just enjoy the grooves myself. some of my faves on this one are the dangling conversation, flowers never bend with the rainfall and for emily, wherever I may find her. Love this record and love the person who put me on to it even more.
a modern classic in my opinion. This record is truly amazing sonically. L'Impératrice really has a seductive quality to their sound and I really love the 80's Japanese City Pop Vibes on this one. Some bops on this one are Souffle au Couer, Fou and Peur des Filles
a modern classic in my opinion. This record is truly amazing sonically. L'Impératrice really has a seductive quality to their sound and I really love the 80's Japanese City Pop Vibes on this one. Some bops on this one are Souffle au Couer, Fou and Peur des Filles
francoise is the premier ye-ye girl... there is nothing to argue about... she won bruh. Love Message personnel off this one. One of my favorites. Pense a moi...
francoise is the premier ye-ye girl... there is nothing to argue about... she won bruh. Love Message personnel off this one. One of my favorites. Pense a moi...

You can listen to a playlist I curated from these records

here

Stay tuned for more!

@thecosmicsunshine on all socials.

Going to be updating my website soon too at

thecosmicsunshine.com

Stay strange my friends…

Till next time,

Michael

]]> the-cosmic-sunshine@newsletter.paragraph.com (The Cosmic Sunshine) <![CDATA[a Hello from the Cosmic Sunshine!]]> https://paragraph.com/@the-cosmic-sunshine/a-hello-from-the-cosmic-sunshine KCoTgDF6nnZzRL3nWAMK Tue, 14 Dec 2021 09:25:38 GMT Hello all!

My name is Michael and I’m a music producer and artist hailing from New York City!

I’m finally starting to dip my toes into Web3 after being hesitant for a while but I really believe in Web3 and crypto as a whole.

On top of being a musician and producer, I am also a programmer and went to school for Computer Science so software has always been my forté and I believe Web3 is perfect for combining my skills in Software Engineering and Music.

I'm a music nerd and always have been. I went to high school at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, NYC where my love (and hate) of music grew. I learned so much about music and the various movements of music over the past millennium.

My love for jazz especially grew in high school. I sat in as a freshman in the jazz band on trombone which was my instrument for many years. While my first instrument was guitar, I decided to audition with the trombone and got into the school through that so I had to play trombone. Eventually, I ended up playing guitar in the jazz band after much proving my skills to the jazz band teacher.

Here are some of my favorite jazz records!

the sheets of sound on this album blew my mind as a young teenager. truly revolutionary music in every way.
the sheets of sound on this album blew my mind as a young teenager. truly revolutionary music in every way.
another revolutionary record that greatly influenced me. it showed me that any music has the potential to be psychedelic and can transcend all labels and genres. miles davis was a true genius and this is one of his best in my opinion
here's a more modern record that I think is pushing the jazz genre into the future. in a world where all the non-musicians try and put you in a box with genres and labels, it's very inspiring to see artists break all that down and transcend labels once again. gives me much hope for the future of music.
here's a more modern record that I think is pushing the jazz genre into the future. in a world where all the non-musicians try and put you in a box with genres and labels, it's very inspiring to see artists break all that down and transcend labels once again. gives me much hope for the future of music.

After leaving high school a bit burnt out from music, I decided to study Computer Science at Queens College and began attending in 2017. Computer Science really appealed to me because of the nature of our modern world. I subconciously knew that the world is pivoting to the software model everywhere and I placed my bets on programming.

If I can program a computer and learn how to use data to spot trends, that’s a very very valuable skill. I can work in any field I choose. While the coursework was extremely hard at times and gave me much depression and anxiety for so long, only now am I starting to realize how powerful those skills are. They have set me up for a lifetime of wealth. I can now program my own reality.

I am 22 years young and ready to give my all to the world. I want to make great music and support others in making great music and share this culture of music around the world.

I started The Cosmic Sunshine in 2017 in the summer before my first semester in college.

the logo I commissioned for my project. I pretty much told the guy to make it look like the cover of Rubber Soul lol

I was super into the 60’s psychedelic rock scene back then. Bands like the Beatles, Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix. I was loving this kind of music and decided to name my project The Cosmic Sunshine because of the whole scene. While I originally planned it to be a more psych rock project, my taste began to develop more and I began to listen to many new artists and projects once I got older and met more people.

I remember around 2018, I was at my GF’s house and I was going through her record collection and I saw this record.

looked kinda dumb but i gave it a listen anyway...
looked kinda dumb but i gave it a listen anyway...

I remember then telling her

I don’t really get Radiohead… What’s their deal?

little did I know….

As soon as I heard Planet Telex and that tremolo-d intro guitar, I was hooked.

I have her to thank for opening up my mind to so many new ideas and new music that I otherwise would have passed over. Our perceptions of the world cloud our mind sometimes so I’m grateful to have had people introduce to me to music and art that I would have never listened to on my own.

My vision for the Cosmic Sunshine has always been to digest various music cultures and scenes and make it into my own. I want to make a shoegaze album. A IDM album. A indie pop record. A house record. A hard rock/punk record.

So many ideas in my head and so little time….

here are some of the records I’ve been listening to recently and have been influencing my next project…

one of my favorite records of the 2010's. The production on this record is unbelievable... the synths, drum machines and vocal melodies. It's a masterpiece and I'm sad that they broke up so it's unlikely we'll see another Paradis record. A man can only dream. Pierre Rousseau also makes great music in his own right and makes incredible synth music. Highly recommend this record to anyone looking for great electro-pop. Don't let the language barrier keep you from enjoying wonderful music
one of my favorite records of the 2010's. The production on this record is unbelievable... the synths, drum machines and vocal melodies. It's a masterpiece and I'm sad that they broke up so it's unlikely we'll see another Paradis record. A man can only dream. Pierre Rousseau also makes great music in his own right and makes incredible synth music. Highly recommend this record to anyone looking for great electro-pop. Don't let the language barrier keep you from enjoying wonderful music
there's so much I can say about this record... probably my favorite record of all time to be honest. Kevin Parker is the voice of a generation I would argue. The production on this record is ground breaking and I have spent years dissecting this album and finding out what makes it so special to me and to so many others. Like the cover, it's a window into Kevin's mind and the songs really reflect that. I've always been an introvert so Kevin's music always appealed to me and I think his music is just so magical. Kevin's music brought me out of some of the darkest places in my life and Tame Impala is one of my greatest influences. Can't wait to be older and telling my kids about the how sICk the Mind Mischief bridge is and to listen to the flanger on the whole mix. I really owe it all to Tame Impala and Kevin. Geniuses like him only come around so often so it is amazing to be able to live in a time where I can see a band like Tame Impala live.
there's so much I can say about this record... probably my favorite record of all time to be honest. Kevin Parker is the voice of a generation I would argue. The production on this record is ground breaking and I have spent years dissecting this album and finding out what makes it so special to me and to so many others. Like the cover, it's a window into Kevin's mind and the songs really reflect that. I've always been an introvert so Kevin's music always appealed to me and I think his music is just so magical. Kevin's music brought me out of some of the darkest places in my life and Tame Impala is one of my greatest influences. Can't wait to be older and telling my kids about the how sICk the Mind Mischief bridge is and to listen to the flanger on the whole mix. I really owe it all to Tame Impala and Kevin. Geniuses like him only come around so often so it is amazing to be able to live in a time where I can see a band like Tame Impala live.
I discovered Papooz during the pandemic in April of 2020. I immediately was enamored by their music and artistic tastes. This record is great because it has so many little moments through and while the songs change up from disco to more soft pop, the vibe never leaves your ears. It's a nice sounding record with great vocal production and with great lyrics as well. Really looking forward to the next Papooz record.
I discovered Papooz during the pandemic in April of 2020. I immediately was enamored by their music and artistic tastes. This record is great because it has so many little moments through and while the songs change up from disco to more soft pop, the vibe never leaves your ears. It's a nice sounding record with great vocal production and with great lyrics as well. Really looking forward to the next Papooz record.
i know this record is memed so hard at this point but it really is revolutionary. like everyone else, I thought to myself "what tf is this bs, sounds like a vacuum cleaner to me..." but this record really is so special due to the songwriting and sonic production. Just like Coltrane was painting sheets of sound with his saxophone, Kevin Shields was doing the same with a Jazzmaster and a fuzz pedal. My favorite song off this record is Soon. it's such a bop. Really want to bring the sheets of sound found in this record to my projects.
i know this record is memed so hard at this point but it really is revolutionary. like everyone else, I thought to myself "what tf is this bs, sounds like a vacuum cleaner to me..." but this record really is so special due to the songwriting and sonic production. Just like Coltrane was painting sheets of sound with his saxophone, Kevin Shields was doing the same with a Jazzmaster and a fuzz pedal. My favorite song off this record is Soon. it's such a bop. Really want to bring the sheets of sound found in this record to my projects.
love this record. I first found out about Clubz through Youtube and their music videos and I really enjoyed their music. They have such a fresh sound and on top of their production, the songs are super catchy and very pop. Super danceable record. Some of my favorites off this one are Réplica and Popscuro.
love this record. I first found out about Clubz through Youtube and their music videos and I really enjoyed their music. They have such a fresh sound and on top of their production, the songs are super catchy and very pop. Super danceable record. Some of my favorites off this one are Réplica and Popscuro.

I have so many records I would love to talk about more in depth but I think i’ll save those for future posts.

I wanted to just introduce myself and talk a bit about my background as well as my own musical project, the Cosmic Sunshine.

If you are interested in checking out my music, you can find me as The Cosmic Sunshine on all platforms.

Thanks for reading!

-Michael

]]> the-cosmic-sunshine@newsletter.paragraph.com (The Cosmic Sunshine)