DeVotchKa's Nick Urata stopped by The Current's studio before the band's show at First Avenue last week. Having recently released its latest album, This Night Falls Forever, earlier this summer, Urata reflected on how it felt for the band to put the album out there after working on it for the past five years.

"It's still kind of a thrill for me, if I can share, there was a time when it was not a definitive thing that this album would ever see the light of day so I'm just thrilled to hear it on the airways and sounding so clean, fresh and polished."

Run down by some of the world's current issues, Urata built his set around the theme of escaping and wanting to get away from it all. From Calypso Rose's "Abatina" to Mulato Astatke and the Heliocentrics' "Cha Cha" and Orkesta Mendoza's "Caramelos" Urata spins tunes that help him get away for a bit from a group of diverse artists.

"This set was constructed under some dark circumstances that I think we're all experiencing. It goes deeper than any political party, I think any rational, conscious human being is going through the same feelings right now and questioning our reality, so I wanted to construct a little set that is about escape, do a little musical trip around the world and hopefully turn you into some artists that you've never heard. Music has always been a passport to another place and also an escape from the everyday reality that we find ourselves traveling to sometimes."

Playlist

DeVotchKa "Straight Shot"
Calypso Rose "Abatina"
Alejandro Fernandez "Que Bueno"
Mulato Astatke and the Heliocentrics "Cha Cha"
Painted Saints "Volvo King of New York"
Orkesta Mendoza "Caramelos"
DeVotchKa "Let Me Sleep"

Resources

DeVotchKa - official site