Big Time Things (Influences) :: An Office Culture Mixtape

On Office Culture’s Big Time Things, songwriter and pianist Winston Cook-Wilson, drummer Pat Kelly, bassist Charlie Kaplan and guitarist Ian Wayne come on like Steely Dan if you swapped out Fagen and Becker’s sardonic asides for understated and personal poetry. Over sophisti-pop, blue-eyed soul, AOR vibes, jazzy art-pop, and sweeping string arrangements, the quartet sashay and slide, and the record is one that gains traction and depth with repeated listens. With this mixtape, Cook-Wilson assembles a stellar mix of neo-soul, spiritual jazz, and singer/songwriter gems that informed the deft touches of the new album. “This is a collection of songs or songs by artists that influenced our new album Big Time Things,” Cook-Wilson says. “Often we think about a very specific element of an artist’s approach—a rhythmic cadence, a weird production choice, or a vocal approach—and wonder how it could work in an unlikely context. Hopefully you find something new you like.”

Big Time Things (Influences) :: A Mixtape

Track list: Curtis Mayfield – Back to the World ++ Lewis Taylor – Song ++ Burna Boy – Pull Up ++ Keith Jarrett – The Magician in You ++ Georgia Anne Muldrow – Break You Down ++ Joni Mitchell – Stay In Touch ++ Herbie Hancock – Palm Grease (excerpt) ++ Erykah Badu – The Other Side of the Game ++ Scott Walker – Dealer ++ Maxwell – Matrimony: Maybe You ++ The Blue Nile – The Wires Are Down ++ Alice Coltrane – Sri Rama Ohnedaruth (excerpt) ++ D’Angelo – The Root ++ Brent Faiyaz – Show U Off ++ Robert Wyatt – Alliance ++ Frank Ocean – Provider ++ Pat Metheny Group – Bright Size Life ++ Mandy Patinkin – Finishing the Hat (from Sunday in the Park With George) ++ Earl Sweatshirt – Shattered Dreams ++ Miles Davis – Go Ahead John (excerpt) ++ Bob Dylan – Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through White Heat) ++ Minnie Riperton – Memory Lane

Painting by Winston Cook-Wilson; photo by Theo Cote

For Heads, by heads. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by its patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support via our Patreon page.