The Beginning
So, 2020 was a year that happened. I think like most the year was pretty bad, unless you were well off to begin with, then it was just a minor inconvenience. But that is another topic entirely. When the first lockdown started in the UK, I was still at university in my final year working on my final major project. I lived by myself in a rather small city flat and let’s just say things got rather quiet and lonely. I still had a weekly chat with family over video call and 2 2-hours session with some of my course mates that I was in a team with for the only other module I had that semester.
How did I get through it all?
My main saving grace was music, now I don’t use Spotify or any other subscription-based music service, mostly due to the fact that they are subscription based and their free offerings interrupt your listening which for me is a major put off, especially when trying to get some work done or unwinding after a long day. Instead, I found myself using YouTube and my own local music library of around 2,750 songs as it would be consistent and most importantly for a student, FREE.
What is Electro Swing?
Electro swing, as the name suggests is a mix of traditional 20s & 30s swing music mixed with modern electronica. Above is a great video that showcases what goes into an electro swing piece.
My Favourite Tracks
I found electro swing before starting university and fell in love with, the tracks were ones I could bob around to and the songs all varied in style, mood & theme. Some early tracks I found included:
- Catgroove by Parvo Stelar
- Brotherswing by Caravan Palace
- Down South by Jenova Collective
These tracks are also what I would consider to be traditional style electro swing, as the follow the genre pretty well. As I kept delving into the genre, I found a load of tracks that I liked, as of writing totalling 106 tracks. Some of my favourites are that I have not already mentioned include:
- Miracle by Caravan Palace
- Selfie Face by Swingrowers
- Star Saloon by Riff Kitten feat. Alanna Lyes
- Upside Down by Wolfgang feat. Alanna Lyes
- Empires by The Electric Swing Circus
- No Strings Attached by Swingrowers
- Run by Jive Me
- Lone Digger by Caravan Palace
- Delight by Jamie Berry feat. Octavia Rose
How it helped me
When I was feeling down or lonely, I would grab my headphones and jam to my electro swing library. Now some might think, why not talk to someone? As an introvert, a naturally shy one at that, starting a convocation with someone feels wrong unless it has a purpose other than just banter. Otherwise, it feels like I am interrupting their time for something minor, so music is my alternative. Most tracks in the genre are nice and upbeat with a track that you can dance/tap/move to the beat and just moving around a little and letting go a for a bit makes a world of difference for me.
Got any playlists?
Wanting to listen to some electro swing? Here are a few playlists that I have made on a few platforms for you to enjoy, I can also recommend the Electro Swing Thing site which is an excellent hub for all thing’s electro swing.