RECORDS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE With Sebastian Marciano from Stereo Off
I’m a singer/writer/producer in the band Stereo Off*, and my own journey started at age nine, with saxophone, then pursuing choir and theory. Later I found my wings in hip-hop, releasing underground records and doing shows. Graduating music conservatory at Purchase College while engineering at studios and performing around the city, my tastes eventually changed. I knew I wanted to become an indie pop singer, so I started the band Stereo Off. We just released our third EP and will continue playing live shows in New York City this spring. (*photo by Maxim Axelrod)
Sam Cooke
Songs by Sam Cooke (1957)
▼ Article continues below ▼My father would play this all the time when I was a little kid, and I fell in love with it.
Sade
Diamond Life (1984)
My mom played pop radio in the car since she thought ‘this is what kids will like.’ Despite being barely old enough to talk, she was right. The cinematic quality of this album took me to a world where part of my brain still resides.
A Tribe Called Quest
The Low End Theory (1991)
What else does a kid need to hear to know he wants to make music, or listen to hip-hop or jazz? Forever a classic.
OutKast
Aquemini (1998)
A masterpiece which showed the world that Southern rappers, blues players and beatmakers tend to get together and make some of the best songs you’ve ever heard. I found it late, like all my favorites, and it helped me through a very tough time in my life.
Daft Punk
Discovery (2001)
A record that more than any other made me want to write and produce electronic and pop music, and it just feels so good to listen and dance to.
For more, follow on Twitter @stereooff and online at www.stereooff.com.
Which records inspired you to become a musician? Let us know and you can be featured in a future column. Email [email protected] for more info.
