Music for the heat: Danny Sigelman reporting COULD BE SAID MID TEMPO IS THE WAY TO GO WHEN IT COMES TO A SAUNA.

Every genre has some slow jams. even the most aggressive music, be it The Clash, Hold Steady or Fela Kuti can turn their angst or knack for protest into a groove that goes well with clearing the mind. In the end, a center is met when the two are mixed, just like a hot and cold rinse. With The Clash it's easy to find a more traditional approach to groove, be it a reggae infused rave up; "Guns of Brixton", "Straight to Hell", their luscious cover of "Armagideon Time" or the R&B influence in "Jimmy Jazz".

Ultimately The Hold Steady is a sound that bonds. Reflections of High School, meeting friends and rocking out, or gallivanting about the celebration of something. Sauna is a bonding thing too because there is a physical closure to the space you and your buddies are enjoying: the hot room. Then you escape the heat by going outside, cooling down and feeling the expanse like the loud pressure Craig Finn and his crew powering up a club and bonding the masses.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti was mostly known for his politics and the company he kept. His Shrine in Kalakutta, Nigeria not only was a gathering place for him and his brethren but also protection from the outside policies and dangers of the government they feared. Electrifying the stage and the audience at his performances fueled an inner energy and outer confidence in communal and spiritual environment. The slow groove of everyday Afrobeat compliments the ritual even in remote suburban environments where perhaps the trouble is not as fierce.

Essentially the rhythm of funk flavored African, the straight up American soul or the most technical approach to what moves sonically and has a beat. The ever resourceful technical Dosh is an artist well suited for the sauna… check him out between or during rounds!

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