Music for Babies

jimet

Active member
Music for babies

Because I'm about to have one, I've been thinking about this. What sort of music do babies like? Why? The focus tends to be on the (bizarre, snobbish, Frasier Craneesque) Baby Mozart phenomenon which argues that if you give your baby a soft toy which plays Beethoven's 9th on a monophonic tone generato he'll grow up to be Simon Rattle, and the (really funny in concept but basically fucking unlistenable) Punk Rock Baby CDs.

But is there some commonality i what they like. Yesterday I decided that disc 1 of the Trojan Upsetter box was perfect baby music, because I think of the plinky toplines. Those with children - what sounds do they like?
 

john eden

male pale and stale
It varies with age really. My daughter is 3 and currently likes rocksteady and the Muppet Show albums. Previously she was into Marc Almond and Chris & Cosey.

She also gets down at the kids disco to DJ Caspar's Cha Cha Cha Slide and all yer euro-disco cheesy bizness.

I didn't play much music when she was younger because it apparently stops them concentrating on anything else... tho she quite like some of the glitchy stuff.

I would go into it with no preconceived ideas and see what goes down well in different situations. In terms of the twinkly treble stuff you should also consider the womblike qualities of b-b-b-bass (is maternal, as the old LP goes).

Paul will be along in a minute to tell you all about ragga jungle.

Oh - and good luck with it all! :)
 

stelfox

Beast of Burden
john eden said:
It varies with age really. My daughter is 3 and currently likes rocksteady and the Muppet Show albums. Previously she was into Marc Almond and Chris & Cosey.

do you reckon your daughter would want to DJ with me next week, john? she'd fit in perfectly.
 

john eden

male pale and stale
stelfox said:
do you reckon your daughter would want to DJ with me next week, john? she'd fit in perfectly.

Well she likes twiddling with the decks, but I wouldn't really trust her with vinyl just yet :eek:

Labrat - we tried that Raymond Scott but my partner found it completely grating...
 

labrat

hot on the heels of love
grating/soothing

most adults find this,give it a go with kidz only(the toy typewriter=Richie Hawtin Minus series)
 
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jenks

thread death
my kids want lots of guitars and they want it loud - reminded of that thin lizzy liner note "if it's too loud you're too old"
their musical discernment is a bit suspect - "is this Busted?" asked my 6 year old as i played Sun Ra!!!
on a serious note they loved the Kristen Hersch cd that was all covers of traditional americana - what shall we do with baby, the cuckoo bird, all the pretty horses etc
but what they reall truly love is High 5 - a frighteningly glossy kids tv troupe on Channel5 every morning - all lips and teeth
so to answer your question - everything but especially stuff that annoys their Mums.
 

stelfox

Beast of Burden
shame rocksteady and the muppets sounds like a perfect night out to me. i don't listen to enough of either
 

john eden

male pale and stale
jenks said:
but what they reall truly love is High 5 - a frighteningly glossy kids tv troupe on Channel5 every morning - all lips and teeth

There is something... not quite right... about that Charli, in my unqualified opinion.
 

h-crimm

Well-known member
has anyone seen that 'pancake mountain' program?

its the harDCore response to seasame street... it has a theme song by kathy wilcox from bikini kill and has ian mackays new band 'the evens' plays songs to help u learn the alphabet... theres sketches about resisting corporatisation of toy culture too... and lots of dancing. i've only seen afew clips, its kindof cool...
 

jimet

Active member
Older kids I get - although there can be few thornier ethical dilemmas than your niece asking for a Linkin Park CD for her 12th birthday - it's pre-language babies I was wondering about mostly. Does Simon's son, for example, love a bit of Grime? Do the little Woebots have mobiles which play Sun Ra?
 

Chef Napalm

Lost in the Supermarket
My 11 month-old loves philly disco, house and (most of all) Pet Shop Boys. Mylo too, although I think that has more to do with the Breastfed label. :D

He loves to dance (which is mostly hanging on to the couch and bouncing).
 

Eric

Mr Moraigero
2&3

My kids:
2-year-old: Lil Jon, kwaito & dancehall
3-year-old: recently Caetano & Bomb a Drop rhythm
 

Eric

Mr Moraigero
Oh yeah

Forgot to mention: the older kid LOVED Max Romeo from birth up to the age of about 9 months.
at least I assume he did; putting on the records would quiet him down no matter how much of a nightmare he was being.
 

mms

sometimes
give a toddler a pair of headphones and watch their reaction to the sensations, it's ace.
my girlfriends nephew comes round to stay sometimes, hes 3, his favorite is apparat, stick that on with the headphones and its like an artificial wonderland .
All those crackles, pans, glitches and warm cords snaking in and out must feel like nothing else ever to him.
 

ome

Well-known member
my kids as babies always got mesmerised by music with a strong midrange and overtones i.e. Djivan Gasparyan and his Duduk. Most things with a simple clear beat got them bouncing. now older... they are no longer babies and its nursary rhymes / kids tapes (they like the vintage 30's stuff and stuff they see on telly)my youngest has resently got into late pink floyd (my wifes bad influence).

have fun its all over v.quickly.. :D
 

minikomi

pu1.pu2.wav.noi
y3es

when i was a kid i loved this 2lp thing called 'the planets'' . . basically symphonic interpretations of all the 'personalities' of the planets.. i'll dig it out from the closet sometime and post the propper info.

also, maybe some... newer electric birds stuff might be quite nice?
 

egg

Dumpy's Rusty Nut
do you mean the thing by holst?

i love some of that too. mars is unstoppable, and i think there's a bit of one of the other ones - jupiter maybe - that got used as a sample on one of the heaviest jungle records i've heard. :p
 

hamarplazt

100% No Soul Guaranteed
egg said:
do you mean the thing by holst?

i love some of that too. mars is unstoppable, and i think there's a bit of one of the other ones - jupiter maybe - that got used as a sample on one of the heaviest jungle records i've heard. :p
Neptune is brilliat proto-ambient. I have a record where it's followed by Ligetis Lux Aeterna, a perfect conceptual connection. Mars is obviously a classic. Sampled on several old school rave tracks, as well as covered twice by Laibach.

Anyway, Holst Planets fits neatly on a single LP, so I doubt it's the one.
 
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