I wish I appreciated running when I was younger: the art of breathing, moving like a metronome. Now it’s a war against entropy, which I suppose is an art of its own. I run at night so nobody can see me cry. Here are some songs for that.
Updated periodically, and a Spotify playlist is below.
- Demdike Stare - Hashshashin Chant
A sinister low-end and a klaxon in the distance herald an otherworldly swirl of voices and drums that evoke a conjuring, even an exorcism, which running sometimes is. - Thirteenth Floor Elevators - Slip Inside This House
Roky Erickson kisses God’s forehead while an acid-eating jug-player keeps the ship from going down. This song has its own weather system. - M83 - Don't Save Us From the Flames (Superpitcher Remix)
Anthony Gonzalez’s first album remains the godhead of stadium anthems for wiping away your tears beneath neon skies, and Superpitcher stretches it into church. - Aphex Twin - Tha
A stone running classic, thanks to a steady basketball beat beneath plush tones of optimism. Remember how exciting a technological future felt back in ’92? I wonder if I’ll ever feel that way again. - Fever Ray - If I Had a Heart (Fuck Buttons Remix)
Ideal for an ugly run in the rain, gloriously dramatic in the mud and the grey, and perfect for picking up some springtime mileage once the weather is no longer fuck-you degrees.