Whenever I feel completely overwhelmed, I run. I don’t mean this in a metaphorical sense, like that I’m incapable of dealing with my problems. Rather I mean quite literally that when I’m beside myself with emotion I lace my shoes, grab my headphones, and take off down the road running. These emotion-induced runs are more than energy exertion, they’re meditation. Really they’re like a cleansing of my spirit.

Michael Cassette – Moonlight Runner

Perhaps it’s a consequence of the name, but Michael Cassette’s “Moonlight Runner” makes me want to do nothing more than take to the streets. Michael Cassette is a progressive house trio from Finland. While two of the members are forthcoming about their identity, the third member, who serves as the innovator (the other two serve mainly as producers) prefers to be known by the pseudonym “Michael.” He is intensely secretive about his life and identity, but as far as I can gather, some early tragedy caused him to prefer anonymity. As stated on his website, “The music of Michael Cassette reflects…the distant memories and subtle sadness for the constantly vanishing times.” One can hear the ‘subtle sadness’ in all of Michael Cassette’s music, and “Moonlight Runner” is no exception.

It’s a beautiful—almost haunting—song. The music may be subtly sad, yet at the same time it’s undeniably hopeful. Its pulsating bass and kick pushes the listener towards some great unknown. Whatever the final destination may be is up one’s self to decide. For me, that final destination is psychological clarity, the kind I can only achieve by running. I hear the glittering synths of “Moonlight Runner” and picture myself flying over dark and empty streets, the sweat on my brow glistening in the streetlights.

Michael Cassette clearly understands pain, but his ability to harness its beauty sets him apart. “Moonlight Runner” is a testament to the driving power of hope in darkness, and the clarity that awaits at the end of the road. I understand this literally. When I run I forget everything about the world around me and all my earthly troubles. When I run nothing matters—there’s only my body, the street, and the music in my ears. The three of them combined allow me to reach nirvana. However even when immobile, listening to this song helps me to remember those moments; those painful albeit beautiful moments of clarity, when I’m running under a starry sky and my lungs feel like they want to burst, but I’ve left all emotional pain behind me with every step I’ve pounded into the pavement.

Michael Cassette – Kilimanjaro

And because one is never enough, here’s a second Michael Cassette track. It’s entitled “Kilimanjaro,” and it’s huge. These guys have quite the knack for creating music for the imagination; listening to this song I can perfectly picture the ethereal beauty of morning mists as the sun rises over the mountain. Is there such a genre as destination-house? If not, I’m coining that term and using it solely to apply to this song, because every time I hear it I feel like I’ve been transported to Tanzania.

Posted by: Mikayla

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