Until the Ribbon Breaks Made Us a Playlist of Songs That Inspired Their Album ‘a Lesson Unlearnt’ [stream]

Until the Ribbon Breaks’ new album A Lesson Unlearnt was definitely one of our most anticipated early releases. With their effortlessness blend of smooth textures with starkly dark moods, it’s an absolute must listen and a perfect soundtrack for these dark winter months. To celebrate their release day, we asked the band to make us a playlist of songs that inspired and influenced the album, and what they came up with were ten cuts of absolute magic. It’s insightful, interesting and a wonderful peak into the songs that inspired such a spectacular album.

Check out the playlist and the band’s musings on the songs below, and be sure to buy their phenomenal new album here.

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1. Nina Simone – Sinnerman

It’s all about the drums… We love to put in big instrumental sections in our music, full of drums and rhythmic intensity, riffs that build, growing to a climax. Nina smashed it in this one.

2. Roots Manuva – Witness the Fitness

At times during the making of A Lesson Unlearnt we delved deep into our love of hip hop. Simple, unmistakable groove in “Witness The Fitness” that is so legendary, the swing, the bubble of the bass; things that influenced many of the beats on our record.

3. Beck – Cellphones Dead

Again, the groove… This time, quirky and odd. Beck always manages to throw ‘straightness’ out of the window, yet the remaining quirks work as perfect beds for great songs. Steering away from convention helped us to remain in keeping with our concept for the record: to make sure we are always trying new things, mixing up our influences, and keeping it raw. Unlearning habits we may have learnt over time.

4. Radiohead – Pyramid Song

Sometimes, music shouldn’t work. If viewed in sheet form, with melodies hovering above creeping chords over odd time signatures, it can appear disjointed and unmatched. But the beauty and craft of a vocal can carry a song, taking it to interstellar heights, such as in this example by Radiohead.

5. Pusha T – Numbers on the Board

I wish to god I made this beat. I would have thrown a party in the studio, toasting to the composition of the best groove of the last ten years. I like Pusha, but even my gran could have thrown a 16 on this monster.

6. Bright Eyes – The Ladder Song

Songs about the finality of death. Especially the death of someone close to you. Surely one of the hardest things to try and sum up. How to stay personal, whilst touching on something that we all inevitably experience….well, this is how.

7. Thomas Newman – Brooks Was Here

The Shawshank Redemption is one of our favorite films. And Thomas Newman one of our favorite film composers. The way in which this music works with the visual, helping to tell the story, is lush but delicate, moving through different moods and emotions. Sometimes a simple change of one note in a chord can transport the whole feeling of a song, in one brief moment.

8. Four Tet – She Moves She

In the studio, we have a lot of fun with creating and manipulating loops and sounds, sometimes combining elements of music from unlikely sources, creating very interesting layers of sound. “She Moves She” is one of Hebden’s many masterclasses in manipulation and integration of sound, a big inspiration for us.

9. The Prodigy – Diesel Power

Sometimes, it’s all about a big, dirty beat…

10. Nils Frahm – Says

The sense of journey, building so gradually and delicately over time in this track, is so powerful. In making much of the album, we paid close attention to a feeling of moving through different energies and environments. Different worlds.