Music and Chocolate

After our chocolate movie extravaganza, many of you asked for some book and music recommendations too.

We already have a great list of books for you – see here

But music sounded fun! So I’ve compiled a list below, and our in-house musician James has put together a chocolatey playlist on Spotify, which you can listen to here. 

And then one other suggestion. Grab a friend of two, a couple of bars (ideally some Taza, or a nibs bar, but any craft chocolate bar is ok), some sandpaper and your favourite music service (if you use Spotify, you can use this link here). Also grab a flavour wave. Savour some craft chocolate as you normally would (ie smell, snap, view, savour) and then check for textures, tastes and flavour wave (and, of course BLIC – balance length complexity and flavour). Then savour again, but this time listening to the different music of Erik Satie, Juliana Aquino and Duke Ellington for 20-30 seconds each (and you can, of course, grab another bite of chocolate). See if you can notice anything different orchestrated by the music. And then repeat, but this time stroke your finger (NOT THE CHOCOLATE!) on something rough (stubble, sandpaper, a rough brick) and then switch to stroking something smooth (a forehead, the other side of the sandpaper, etc.).

As we often find in our tastings, many of us will find that our impressions of the chocolate change – for example they could be more gritty, sweeter, more fruity. This is an example of “cross modal” sensation. Come to one of our in person or virtual tastings, to find out more (or read here). It’s all about the way our memories, tastes and perceptions interact. It opens up another door on the mysteries of texture, taste, flavour and savouring craft chocolate. And it’s a warning to be suspicious of packaging that is very wrinkly and crispy, or fizzy drinks’ effervescent sounds. Big food is great not just at (ab)using your taste buds for sugar, salt and fat (the Bliss Point!) but also your other senses too.

Lets use craft chocolate to counter this!

Now, if you don’t read any further, there is one song you simply must listen to. Nadalina, a fantastic craft chocolate maker based in Split, Croatia, is led by Marinko Biškić, a creative chocolate maker and former lead singer of Split’s first punk band: Fon Biskich & Narodno Blago. They’ve recorded a fantastic song – From Bean to Bar, by the Cacao All Star Band. It can often be heard blaring from our office (particularly if Gen is in charge). Listen and watch here.

Listen to the highlights playlist here

🎸 Bands & Groups

1. Hot Chocolate
   British soul/funk band known for “You Sexy Thing”, “It Started With a Kiss”, and “Every 1’s a Winner”.
2. The Chocolate Watchband
   American psychedelic garage rock band from the 1960s, influential in proto-punk and psych revival scenes.
3. Chocolate (Uruguayan band)
   Cumbia-pop group popular in Latin America in the late 1990s and early 2000s; known for “Mayonesa”.
4. Chocolate (UK Punk/Hardcore Band)
   Underground 1990s punk band, released Hung, Gifted & Slack in 1996.
5. Chocolate Genius Inc.
   Avant-garde soul project by Marc Anthony Thompson, blending R&B, folk, and alternative sounds.
6. Chocolate Puma
   Dutch house music duo (Gastón Steenkist and René ter Horst), also known as The Good Men, influential in 1990s/2000s dance music.
7. Chocolate Band
   Ghanaian highlife band active during the 1970s; part of the post-independence Afrobeat scene (less well documented).
8. Chocolate Star
   Funk and disco group fronted by Avelino Pitts, known for cult hits like Stay With Me.
9. Chocolate Syrup
   1970s American soul group signed to Sussex Records; released the album Baby Come Back (1971).

🎷 Musicians Nicknamed “Chocolate”

1. Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros
   Cuban trumpeter, key figure in Afro-Cuban jazz, worked with Arsenio Rodríguez and Cachao.
2. Julio “Chocolate” Algendones
   Peruvian percussionist blending Afro-Peruvian rhythms with jazz, notable member of Perujazz.
3. Luis “Chocolate” Cortés
   Mexican musician and rock guitarist from the Guadalajara scene (less internationally known).

🎺 Getting a bit more obscure

1. Chocolate (Korean String Ensemble)
   Korean crossover string group; limited international exposure!
2. Chocolate USA
   Lo-fi indie pop band founded by Julian Koster (later of Neutral Milk Hotel) in the early 1990s. Their debut album All Jets Are Gonna Fall Today is now a cult classic.

Songs About Chocolate or with Chocolate in the Title/Subject

Pop

• “Chocolate” – The 1975
• “Chocolate” – Kylie Minogue
• “Chocolate Girl” – Deacon Blue
• “Chocolate Disco” – Perfume”
• Sweet Like Chocolate” – Shanks & Bigfoot ft. Sharon Woolf
• “A Chocolate Sundae on a Saturday Night” – Doris Day
• “Chocolate Symphony” – Bee Gees
• “Chocolate Covered Boy” – Miss Li
• “Death by Chocolate” – Sia Furler
• “Chocolate” – Kiana Ledé feat. Ari Lennox
• “Chocolate Brown” – The Cranberries
• “Chocolate Girl” – The Jesus and Mary Chain
• “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” – Rufus Wainwright

Rock

• “Chocolate” – The 1975
• “Chocolate” – Snow Patrol
• “Chocolate Cake” – Crowded House
• “Chocolate Pope” – Electric Six
• “Chocolate Town” – Ween
• “Savoy Truffle” – The Beatles
• “Hot Chocolate Boy” – Beat Happening
• “Mars Bars” – The Undertones
• “Chocolate Ice” – The Wombats
• “Chocolate Coffin” – Neutral Milk Hotel
• “Chocolate Girl” – The Jesus and Mary Chain
• “Chocolate Brown” – The Cranberries
• “Chocolate Pudding” – The Presidents of the United States of America

Funk / Soul

• “Chocolate Chip” – Isaac Hayes, Dionne Warwick
• “Chocolate Legs” – Eric Benét
• “Chocolate Drop” – Ray Charles
• “Chocolate #2” – The Time
• “Chocolate” – Prince
• “Chocolate Milk” – Charles Bradley

Disco / Electro

• “Chocolate” – Kylie Minogue
• “Chocolate Disco” – Perfume
• “Chocolate Chip” – Isaac Hayes, Dionne Warwick
• “Chocolate Symphony” – Bee Gees
• “Sweet Like Chocolate” – Shanks & Bigfoot ft. Sharon Woolf

Hip-Hop/Rap:

• “Chocolate Factory” – 24kGoldn
• Chocolate Fe’s and Redbones” – Twista
• Chocolate” – Big Boi
• Chocolate Drop” – YG

Novelty/Internet/Comedy:

• “Chocolate Rain” – Tay Zonday
• “Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You)” – Chef (South Park – explicit!)

Metal/J-Pop:

• “Gimme Chocolate!!” – BABYMETAL