Tyre Tracks
Nemone, the BBC 6 Music DJ (and Pearson bike rider) offers an expertly curated playlist to kickstart your riding in 2021.
Nemone is a woman of many talents. A qualified psychotherapist, she is best known as a high-profile, globetrotting DJ, and eponymous host of BBC Radio’s ‘The 6 Mix with Nemone’. A keen runner, in 2004 she made an (only just) unsuccessful bid to compete in the 4 x 400m relay for Greece, her paternal homeland, at the Athens Olympics. “Sadly, she says, reflecting on the experience, “I was Greek enough but not fast enough”.
The proud owner of a Pearson Irons in the Fire, Nemone’s Instagram page includes shots of her bike-fitting at Pearson, not to mention some unnecessarily cold-water swimming. Look out for a more in-depth interview with Nemone in the new year, exploring what the love of music and cycling has to offer for wellbeing.
Until then, as an early/late gift from us, Pearson asked Nemone to compile a very special playlist, featuring tracks to get you inspired, keep you riding, or simply wind down afterwards. And the proof of this particular seasonal pudding? “After I made it, I ran to this playlist on a dark morning this week,” Nemone says. “It did the trick and kept me motivated.”
Nemone’s Pearson Playlist
Submarine Zombie Attack – TheDeadCanRap. Album opener which just set the tone for this workout.
Neo Biedermeier (Daniel Brandt's Version) – Paul Frick. There’s something about this track, it builds, it flows, it transports, it motivates.
Marking Time – Pauline Anna Strom. I happened upon a sunrise over the Thames recently, as this came onto my headphones. Strom died in December but this is from her upcoming album, planned for release in February 2021.
Sideways – lau.ra X Secaina. The tune of 2020 for me. An artist whose output has been uncompromisingly banging, particularly for a year without dancefloors. I love this producer.
Bike Rider – Mungo’s Hi Fi, featuring Pupajim. Brilliant dub cycling anthem. I rinsed it on 6 Music when it first landed, in 2014.
Pedal Pusher – Abdominal. My go-to song celebrates cycle couriers everywhere, a lyrical masterpiece about the brilliance of being on a bike.
Sun – Caribou. An exquisite track, which conjures up warmer climes in both mood and pace.
Can’t Do – Everything Everything. A moment of anthemic genius from Everything Everything, I’m guaranteed to sing this out mid-workout, wherever I am.
Danse Macabre in G Minor, Camillie Saint Seans. A palate cleanser or a moment to pause. It’s not meant to be a comfortable rest though, and it’s certainly not the full-stop in this playlist.
Time Is Hardcore – High Contrast, featuring Kae Tempest & Anita Blay. Another track which has been a mainstay of mine throughout 2020. I love the combination of High Contrast’s beats, Kae Tempest’s searing lyrics, and Anita Blay’s vocal, soaring above it all. Blissful.
Hippy Elite – Billy Nomates. Unapologetic, fresh and realistic. Puts a smile on my face. Quite sweary (but does contain the line, “One time I cycled all the way home”).
Lone Swordsman – Daniel Avery. You can hear Andrew Weatherall emanating through this homage. It was made by Daniel Avery upon hearing the news of the death of Weatherall, an electronic legend, earlier in 2020.
Johnson – Kruder & Dorfmeister. Opener on the album some of us have waited 22 years for. Titled 1995, it finally landed this year, of all years. Definitely a worthy companion to their seminal K&D Sessions album.
Jam Fam (Chanel Show version) – Planningtorock. A celebratory end to this playlist. Earlier in the year, Planningtorock hooked up sound designer Michel Gaubert to produce the music for Chanel’s recent Autumn/Winter collection. The pair donated a portion of their earnings to the Marsha P Johnson Institute, which advocates on behalf of black trans people in the U.S. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be in Jam Rostron’s family (Planningtorock’s real name) after hearing her excellent track ‘Beulah Loves Dancing’, all about her sister, mum and dad.
Discover the full Nemone 6 Music Pearson playlist - here on Spotify.
Look out for a full-length Pearson interview with Nemone in 2021.
‘The 6 Mix With Nemone’ is available here on BBC Sounds.
Visit Nemone's website here, Twitter here, and Instagram here.